A/N: Woot new chapter! Hope you enjoy, and I'll try and have a new chapter up at the very least once a month. School has been taking my free time but I won't forget this story. Enjoy~!
Disclaimer:
I don't own Bleach in any way shape or form, and make no profit from this fanfic. I simply kidnap the characters and force them to play out the original scenarios I have created for them.
Warning:
This chapter contains spoilers for the lost shinigami representative badge arc and Unohana smiling. You have been warned.
It had not been a good morning for Kuchiki Byakuya. Since the previous night he knew his life was not going to be easy sailing, but he was not expecting this. The shinigami women's association was having their meeting in his manor, and at such an early hour. Okay so he was expecting them to ruin his day, but not this early. This was defiantly not good. For one of the women in the club: Matsumoto Rangiku, to be up at such an hour left the Noble with an ominous feeling.
Hiding his reiatsu, the Noble leaned in closer to the door, his ears perked with interest as to why a meeting was being held. Plus he had nothing better to do. The first thing he heard was giggling. Giggling? Not good. Listening closer he heard voices.
"So~ who do you want to get paired with Isane-chan?" The distinct voice of Rangiku pestered. More giggles were heard but he couldn't make out a response. It was silent for a while longer.
"I-I'ts not like I have a c-choice… As long as it's not Kurotsutchi-taicho, I'd be happy,"
"Aww, come on Isane! Are you sure there isn't anyone?" The 10th divisions Lieutenant teased.
"Now Matsumoto-san, I'd advise that you don't pester my fukutaicho like that." Unohana warned, causing the whole manner to grow cold. The Noble had to stop himself from shuddering at the thought of that smile.
Rangiku sighed; she knew when she'd lost. "Well how bout you Rukia? Anyone in particular you'd like to raise a baby with?" Byakuya's whole body tensed at those words, finally putting one and one together. Now that his sister was a Lieutenant, she would have to partake in this sick exercise Captain Commander was forcing them to do. It took all his strength to suppress his reiatsu, clearly pissed that his sister would raise a child, and possibly with a man!
"I guess with nii-sama, we already live together and it'd be like we were raising a baby sister together," she responded thoughtfully, easing the Nobles discomfort. "But," he froze. 'But?' he thought in horror. "I wouldn't mind being with Renji, we are childhood friends. Plus he and I helped out the kids in the Rukongai, so we sort of have experience in this stuff."
"Ruki-bunny likes fake eyebrows! Maybe some day they can have real babies together!"
"Y-y-yachiru-chan! I-I uh, I don't like Renji like that! I'm simply saying we're child hood friends and that-"
"Abarai would be a fine match with you." Unohana added, Nanao agreeing with a yes.
"But I'm telling you I don't lik-"
"It's not a real surprise. We've all known Renji has the hot's for her, it's about time she finally admitted it too, it's so annoying waiting for these things to happen on their own."
"Rangiku! I'm telling you all," At that point Byakuya had had enough, if he stayed any longer his reiatsu would explode, blowing up his manor and everyone in it. The Noble steadily walked away, eyes closed, as he took deep calming breaths. To anyone else he would look like his normal, calm, stoic self, but on the inside it was a warzone. He pitied the next person he saw.
"Oi taicho, I've been looking for you!" Renji called from down the hall. Time was not on Abarai Renji's side today. It would seem as if he did something to piss it off, because when the great noble Kuchiki Byakuya is angry and looking to vent, it would be bad to send the source of his anger straight to him.
Renji, oblivious to his Captains anger, ran up to him with the documents he had been told to deliver. As he closed in on his captain, he wasn't quite sure if it was just his imagination or what, but it looked as if his captain had stuck his foot out in front of him. Of course he didn't have much time to think as he toppled over, watching the neatly stacked and organized four hours of hard work fly out of his grasp.
Landing on his knees he cocked his head at an angle to see his Captain calmly looking as if nothing had happened. Blinking rapidly he stuttered, "Uh, T-t-taicho, u-um,"
"Abarai-kun, gather all the paper-work you clumsily dropped, organize it, and leave it on my desk. After that meet me on the training grounds in one hour." He commanded.
Renji stared at him in pure disbelief. One hour? All that paperwork was done in four hours and only because Ichigo had introduced him to the living worlds creation called 'coffee'.
"But Taicho,"
"One hour, Abarai."
"Yes Taicho." Renji sighed in defeat. This was going to be a long day.
Renji had been so wrong when he thought this day was going to be long. It was flipping never going to end! After finishing the paperwork in an hour and ten minutes he scurried to the sixth's training grounds. To his dismay his Captain had meant it when he said one hour. As punishment for not being on time Byakuya decided that they would fight with their bankai. It was truly a painful day.
"Abarai." His Captains harsh voice brought him out of his self-loathing.
"Yes?" Renji looked up at his Captain and noticed the hell butterfly on his shoulder. "Thank God!" Renji thought to himself. "The hell in that meeting room will be better than the hell here."
Byakuya looked, or rather glared, at his naïve lieutenant.
"Follow."
The noble felt very proud of himself. He had taken almost all his anger out on Abarai without killing him. Though it might have been easier to kill him, at least all his anger would be gone then. "Though applying for a new fukutaicho is a long process." He mused aloud.
"Taicho?" Renji questioned from behind him. He decided to ignore him; his lieutenant was paranoid enough as is.
They had been walking to the meeting hall, as most were, instead of a shunpo because every one wanted to take as much time as possible. Byakuya was dreading every step closer to the hall, with each one he took the horrors that awaited him became ever more clear in his mind.
He shuddered at some of the things that ran through his head. He didn't want to think about who he'd be paired with. His sister was his first choice, his second being Abarai: anything to keep him away from his sister.
"Taicho, are you feeling alright?" Renji asked, noticing the sudden spike in his Captains reiatsu.
Again, Byakuya choose to ignore him. "We're here." Renji pronounced somberly. With a deep sigh from both, they walked into the room.
"Now that you all are here, we can begin." Yamamoto's voice boomed at the head of the room. The Captains; minus Kurotsuchi, were lined up in their respective positions, their Lieutenants standing diligently by. Well all the Lieutenants except Rangiku who stood with a slouch. "Due to the fact that you all haven't been performing at the levels that Taichos and Fukutaichos should, I have decided on a system that will not only form bonds with your division comrades, but also other divisions. I have developed a sophisticated system of picking your partners with the help of substitute shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo. I am told this is a popular method for choosing partners in the world of the living."
That perked the curiosity of most in the room; they wouldn't associate the word sophisticated with Ichigo.
Yamamoto continued on. "The female child you are to take care of has a small presence of reiryoku and therefore will need to be fed. Tomorrow I expect all of you to come in with one name per person so we can name her."
"Naming a baby? Oh how fun! I want to have a baby of my own. Who wants to have a baby with me?" Rangiku interrupted. The room was silent for a second as everyone tried to process what the Lieutenant was saying. Her Captain, chewing her out for her disruption, interrupted the silence. "So mean Taicho~" She whined but was then quiet.
Choosing to ignore this Yamamoto picked up where he left off. "Let us begin. Saskibe." And on cue Lieutenant Saskibe entered the room, holding something in his hands, but Byakuya couldn't make it out. Taking the now visible objects out of his Lieutenants hand he looked at all of those lined up. "We will pick sticks, whoever has the same size as you will be your partner," Byakuya and everyone else sweat dropped at the "sophisticated system". "And the two with the shortest will be the first to care of the girl. Odds first!"
All the odd numbered Lieutenants walked up, each grabbing a stick out of the old mans hand, none comparing yet. "Evens!"
And with that all the sticks were out of his hands and into theirs. They all stood in their respective positions, when Yamamoto gave them a nod and there was a frenzy. Byakuya walked up to his sister, compared, walked away disappointed, approached his Lieutenant, walked away, and stood waiting for things to clear up. When everyone had found his or her partner, he looked at the pairs that had been made.
Soi-fon and Zaraki, Izuru and Hinamori, Unohana and Ukitake, Abarai and his sister; that one caused his reiatsu to spike, Iba and Komamaru, Kyoraku and Ise, Hisagi and Kotetsu, Hitsugaya and Kurotsuchi-fukutaicho, and Kusajishi and Omeada.
Byakuya blinked wearily at the voluptuous woman who stood smiling in front of him. The last person left was none other than squad ten's lazy Lieutenant, Matsumoto Rangiku, holding the shortest stick that matched his.
"Damn't."