When the Plum Blossoms Fall
Memoirs of Byakuya Kuchiki
Chapter 2:
The metal ringing of clashing Zanpaktou's could be heard throughout the walls of the Seretei. It had been two days since my last visit to the Rukon District, and the secret place I had found there I had decided would stay secret. It was late afternoon, the sun was high in the sky, and it was the time of day that I sparred with one of my oldest and closest friends, Hachirou.
"So Ginrei gave you a pretty hard time about staying out so late, huh?" Hachirou smirked, hurling another blow with his sword.
"Yes." I grunted, blocking the swing with ease. Another clang escaped the battleground and echoed off the Seretei walls behind us.
"Too bad." he grinned "I bet you were doing something pretty important though, eh Byakuya?"
I small smile crossed my face; the image of the plum tree rang clearly in my memory.
"Yeah, important stuff. You wouldn't want to know about it, too boring." I replied, quickly shifting my feet to dodge another one of Hachirou's blows.
I felt a little guilty about not telling Hachirou about the Plum tree and the secret clearing. Hachirou had been one of my oldest and closest friends since I was a very little boy. We used to play-fight together, proudly clad in our fake Shinigami Kimonos and replica Zanpaktou's. We fought each other almost everyday, always trying to better each others skills. We played late into the night, until our weak bodies gave into rest and we collapsed, laughing at our feet. Hachirou had always been a good fighter, and he had shown his skills by getting accepted into the Shinigami academy along with me. Because I was of Noble Kuchiki birth, I had a free ride into the academy, but Hachirou was not quite as lucky. Hachirou was born into the South Gateminder's family, being the 8th head of the South Gate, and the proud son of Hikonyuto, the humble but ferocious giant that protected the South Gate now. Hachirou had always been expected to continue the family trade, but somehow he had been born with a will to be something better, and to honor his family's name by becoming the first Ryota Shinigami in history. He had a chance to be too, he was incredibly skilled in Kido and his fighting abilities were, though I would never admit it, sometimes better than mine. We started the academy together, and we both exceeded at first; I was top in the class in Calligraphy and Hand-to-Hand combat and him in Kido and history. But halfway through the year, when tests were at their hardest and the days longer and more stressful, Hachirou's grades started to slip. By the end of the year he was failing every class except History and Kido and the stress of the academy had started to become an unbearable weight on his shoulders. Hachirou did not return to the school in the second year, and to my knowledge today, he has regretted that decision ever since.
Looking at him now I see that he hasn't changed much. Physically, we had changed from boys into young men, but Hachirou's stern and driven nature hadn't changed in the 20 years since the academy. He was still sarcastic as ever, and everyday he seemed to get stronger, despite his lack of Soul Reaper training. Though Hachirou had never quite achieved his dream of becoming a Soul Reaper, he had done his family proud, and with the end of his year at the Soul Reaper academy came a time of high festivities and nightly parties thrown by Hachirou's glowing father Hikonyuto.
"Tonight we celebrate the one year graduation of my one and only son Hachirou!" Hikonyuto had toasted on the third night of festivities, his words slurred and movements sluggish, clamping one massive arm around his son who's tanned cheeks had turned a bright shade of pink.
"Though... though..." Hikonyuto giggled, struggling to find the correct words for his drunken speech, his weight now supported by Hachirou who was struggling to keep his massive father upright.
"Though.... his time at the academy was short." He paused, attempting to collect his fuzzy thoughts.
"Hachirou has done this old Gateminder proud. To have a son in the Ryota family is one of the greatest... things... the South Seretei has ever... seen. Here's to Hachirou! May his hair stay long and his sex appeal luscious!" Hikonyuto completed with a great roar, throwing his arms into the air and toppling over leaving his humiliated son open to the wild applaud of the crowd. As I gave my best friend a standing ovation along with the rest of the Ryota relatives around me, I thought about just how much becoming a Shinigami had meant to Hachirou, and if he was in my position and I in his, if things could have turned out differently. I marveled at how easy getting into the academy had been, and though becoming a Shinigami had meant the same for me as for Hachirou, I was humbled by the fact of how unfair the situation was.
Later back at the Kuchiki house, my questions voiced themselves towards my knowledgeable grandfather Ginrei, who I had thought, back then, had all the answers.
"Why is it so unfair?" I asked wide-eyed into the wrinkled face of Ginrei. A small smile crept around the corners of his lips.
"Byakuya" he replied, resting a delicate hand on my head and pulling me towards him.
"Life can't be fair all the time. If every Soul Reaper graduated from the Academy, who would be left to do other things? Guard the gate, keep order, and serve in households like ours?" He waved a hand towards the entrance of the room, where a young maid nodded respectfully at me and smiled.
"Balance is the key to life. Without it, too many souls would wander the Soul Society, too many humans would die on earth, and too many Hollows would cause destruction. It was your destiny to become a Soul Reaper, but fate has something else planned for Hachirou. It was always his destiny to become a Gatekeeper like his father, and no amount of Shinigami talent could have changed that."
I closed my eyes and thought about Ginrei's words. Though I respected my grandfather more than anyone, I had to disagree. I was destined to be a Soul Reaper because I was a Kuchiki, and no amount of my ability would have any effect on that. Though I was a very strong fighter and worthy as much as anyone of becoming a Shinigami, I knew that Hachirou was as well, and the singular reason he had to work harder than anyone else was because he was a Ryota. Things would never be the same for him as they were for me. I guess, that was just a fact of life that we both had to accept.
The clang of sword on sword broke me from my abyss of thoughts. My eyes snapped open to the persperated face of Hachirou, a grin surfacing from his lips revealing his shiny teeth.
"Daydreaming while fighting Byakuya?" Hachirou snorted. "Maybe you're losing it, Kuchiki"
The obvious disdain he used saying my name brought me back to reality. Eyes narrowing, I realized Hachirou had just shown his envy of my family, the weakness in his rough exterior. How sickening. Retorting, I shifted my body into a battle stance, determined to wipe that stupid smirk off his face.
Hachirou noticed the change in my spiritual pressure. This was no longer a friendly sparring match. Now we had something worth fighting for, and he had a 50% chance of losing. Hachirou's eyes widened in mock surprise, then softened as he threw his head back and laughed grimly.
"Getting a bit feisty there Byakuya? Oh, don't you worry..." Hachirou jabbed a finger towards his chest. "It's my turn to win now." He smiled with fake warmth and took a few paces back, still keeping an eye on me for any sudden movements. Hachirou brought his Zanpaktou towards his face, his expression hardening, while still pacing backwards. He shouted across the clearing:
"Today I'm going to beat you Byakuya!"
My lips curve into a smile. I bring my Zanpaktou closer to my eyes, focusing my spiritual pressure into my sword.
Beat me my ass. I never loose.
I take a deep breath and let out a stream of air, little by little. This was a technique I had learned from Ginrei, it helped to bring a Shinigami's spiritual pressure into complete focus. Calming myself further, I wipe all thoughts from my mind and concentrate on all feelings in my body, even from the secluded ends of my fingertips. For a moment I'm completely still, but then my eyes snap open in a burst of newfound energy. I was preparing to release one of my favorite attacks, Senka; Flash Blossom.The attack is meant to completely destroy the Saketsu chain and Hakusui soul sleep with a single thrust, all while moving impossibly fast to see with the naked eye, which made it that much more lethal. Though it was my favorite attack, I rarely used it, except for fights I wanted to win quickly, or when I just wanted to show off. I wasn't really going to destroy the Saketsu of my best friend, just hit him hard enough to put him into shock. I grin with widened eyes, my senses on overdrive, feeling the adrenaline pump through my every vein. He would never see it coming.
I see Hachirou's face fall in horror as I take my first step to begin the flash step. It wasn't like I hadn't used my Senka against him before, he and I knew it just hurt allot.
My woven straw sandals hit the dirt terrain and I'm off in a burst of speed. Man, I loved using flash step. It was such a light, rushing feeling. I played around a bit, spending longer than usual stepping around, just enjoying the feeling of it and humoring the confused look on Hachirou's awestruck face. When I was ready to begin the Senka I stopped and changed direction in a sharp skidding turn on the balls of my feet, heading for Hachirou's exposed back. I flipped my sword, bringing the hilt to the front to jut him sharply in the back. Savoring the seconds before the attack I reminisced on how fun this was. If it wasn't so dangerous, I would do it more often, but Hachirou was one of the only few in the Seretei who were strong enough to not get seriously injured from this attack, even if I was using the end of my sword.
Releasing most of my built up power, but not all, into my sword I throw my weight into hitting him in the weak arch of his back. He cripples to the ground as the impact hits him; his nerves shot, and gives a loud yelp of pain. I retreat, stepping around him as he writhes on the dusty ground. One of the most painful parts of the attack is not knowing where it comes from, which is what makes the flash stepping so useful. I let go of my focus, slowing down to make sure he wasn't too badly injured. Seeing him convulsing on the ground, I feel a stab of worry, but later dismiss it knowing that Souls heal exceptionally faster than humans, and severely injuring them was incredibly difficult. I look down upon my opponent and return my Zanpaktou to the sheath at my belt, glowering in the shine of my pronounced, if not unfair, victory.
"Understand, Hachirou. I always win."
Hachirou looks up at me in severe distaste, spitting blood on the dirt soiled ground out of the corner of his swollen mouth.
"Senka Byakuya? Did you have to take it that far? Great, thanks. You win. Does it feel good? Mauling a Gatekeeper? Asshole."
The pride of the attack disintegrates and my heart drops to the dirt. My expression turns glum as I realize the danger I had put my best friend in. If I had put just one ounce too much power into my thrust I could have killed him. Hachirou was no fool, he knew that as well. He'd seen me practice my Senka at the academy. He knew what it could do.
"Hachirou, I..." My voice sounds weak and cracked.
"Forget it Byakuya."
"Can I help you up?"
He throws a disgusted look my way.
"If it's not too much trouble."
I drop a meager arm to his level and he grabs it with scratched hands. I swallow a lump in my throat as I help him up, the dirty wounds making my head spin. I had never been cut that badly before.
"Hachirou if you need any help getting home..."
"Piss off, Kuchiki"
The same vile drenched my name as it had before, the disrespect in his tone that had caused it all.
He shakes his head at me and stares at the ground with angered eyes. Turning, Hachirou starts hobbling his way home to the South Gate. I have the greatest urge to go support his limping, battle-stained body, but the anger in his words keeps me rooted to the spot. I stand there stupidly, watching as my ruined friend makes his way home. I could just imagine what his father would think of his injuries. It made me sick just thinking about the bruise he would get on his back. And those wounds would definitely leave a few scars.
Not that I would know, I mean, I had never gotten so much as a bruise in my life.
Seconds later, a weathered hand clasps me on the shoulder, making my body tense in fear. A old, yet strong voice follows.
"Byakuya." My Grandfather questions, exasperated. "What have you done?"
I immediately relax; knowing now that the person behind could not hurt me. The hand tightens its grip on my shoulder, sending a shooting, stabbing pain through my arm, the shock of the strength in Ginrei's grip turning it numb.
I do not want to face my Grandfather, but he spins me around anyway. Shame burns through me and I close my weary eyes. How much of that fight had he seen? Knowing Ginrei, probably all. Ginrei had a tendency to disappear and quietly watch the affairs of others when they thought they were alone. Usually, it was rather helpful, but in this cause, it was working against me, and I found that very annoying. I don't want to open my eyes, but I do anyway, peeking through my lids one bit at a time until I'm in complete view of the dismayed and disappointed expression on Ginrei's face. Actually, the expression is a mirror image of what I feel right now, ashamed, embarrassed and shocked.
"Why did you let your anger out of control Byakuya?" Ginrei demanded authoritatively.
"I don't know…."
"Are you aware of how dangerous the Senka is?" He narrowed his eyes. "Yoruichi should never have taught it to you in the first place. You're no-where near the level of using that attack properly, and your anger is out of control."
"I know." And I did. I remember the day I had learned the Senka from Yoruichi, and her explaining just exactly how dangerous it is.
"Bykauya…" Ginrei sighed, reverting his eyes from me in shame. "Why do you choose to dishonor our family?"
My ears ring with anger and I slap his hand off my shoulder.
"I've used it against Hachirou before!" I raise my voice to a shout, and back away from Ginrei.
"I wasn't going to use all of my power on him!"
"Still, if you used just one more bit of power, you would've killed him. Don't you understand that?"
"I didn't even use the blade!" I argue desperately in my defense. Ginrei looks unconvinced.
"It's a good thing you didn't" He replies shortly "Then he would have died in a pool of his own blood. And even if you did use the hilt of you sword, the force you put into your attack was almost enough to put his body into permanent shock. The time you spent building up your spiritual pressure was ridiculous, it took you much too long to Flash step behind him, and the seconds you spent before you actually hit him gave that much more power into your attack. If you had waited for just one second more," He held a finger in the air. "He would be dead now. Your best friend. Byakuya, why would you even chance that?"
"So you were spying on us." I mutter grimly. That had been one of the worst sparring sessions I had ever completed, of course it just happened to be the one Ginrei had watched. Great.
"That's not the point. The fact that you need to understand is," Ginrei sighed and looked me straight in the eye, making me stiffen.
"You're much stronger now than you ever were in the academy. The only other times you have used the Senka against Hachirou was twenty years ago, and since then you have matured and gotten ten times stronger. Byakuya, I just don't think you understand how incredibly lethal that attack really is. It's meant to destroy the Soul Chain in a single thrust, and having you running around using it just for fun cannot be tolerated." Ginrei shook his head.
"I'm sorry you ever learned that attack. I should have talked to you about this earlier, but for now, I'm going to forbid you from using the Senka again. Are we clear Byakuya?"
I open my mouth to protest but Ginrei holds up a hand signaling the topic of conversation over.
"But what I really wanted to talk to you about today," He folds his arms and stares into the distance "and yesterday, rather, but you went off on a little… detour…."
I wince, feeling the urge to defend myself, but think better of it.
"Is the Heiring ceremony. Now Byakuya…" Ginrei looks at me sternly as I give a loud sigh in exasperation.
"We need to talk about it. It's only a month and a bit away, and we need to decide about afterwards, when you take over the Kuchiki house in place of me."
My eyes roll. I hated talking about this. Taking over the Kuchiki household, I wasn't sure what I felt about it. When my parents died, there was no-one to take over the house but me, and at that time I was too young to be in any position of authority. Ginrei looked over the house until I had grown up, but it was still very early for me to become Head of Household, or the Captain of Squad 6. But, Ginrei was now getting too old, and I was the only child of my parents, so the position had fallen to me even if I was too young. I knew it was my duty to success Ginrei in both areas, and honor my family like I should, but I still felt like my younger life was being pried from me. There were so many things I hadn't experienced yet! Things I would never get the change to live through. My duty after the Heiring Ceremony would be to take over the affairs of a household. I would never be able to travel outside the Seretei, except on mission as a Soul Reaper, and I would probably be cooped up inside a house all day, entertaining a generation of stuffy relatives. In about one month's time, my teenage life would be over. It made me extremely angry that Ginrei would even consider giving me the position at such a young age, but I understood that he was getting too old for the job. As much as I hated the way things would go, I was going to just have to grin and bear it.
But in the meantime, I was not going to talk about it with my geezer grandfather.
Ginrei had gone off about experiencing the Heiring when he was my age, the pressures of the job, bla bla bla...
My body slumps and I distance myself from the lecture. Nearing the end of his erotic speech, I try to think up an excuse of getting out of another hour of pointless conversation that I had no input in.
"I know how your feeling now Byakuya" Ginrei rattled on, unfazed by my obvious inattentive body language.
"I know how pressured you must feel right now, having the weight of everyone bearing down on your shoulders..."
I snorted. Like he knew anything.
I stared off into the distance, unaware of Ginrei's annoyed eyes on me. Then I realize he must have heard me.
Shit.
"Byakuya are you even listening? I'm trying to explain the importance of the...."
"You know what Ginrei?" I interrupt, snatching my chance for a break out of his excessive drawling.
"I have to... um.... be somewhere right now. Yorouchi said she would meet me for a Flash step session soon. Do you know what time it is?" I ask, not caring for an answer. It wasn't a very convincing lie, but I prayed it would work.
"Oh." Ginrei straightens, embarrassed. He squints into the sky, trying to decipher what time it is.
"It's around evening, are you sure you need to be somewhere right... Wait! Byakuya!"
I'm already way ahead of him, running full speed South towards the Seretei walls. I turn around and wave briefly, my voice cutting through the darkening sky.
"Bye Ginrei! Thanks for the talk!"
I turn my back to him and speed up further, putting as much distance between him and I as possible. The sky turns a sightly shade of purple-pink as I run. I see the slightest sliver of gold sun peeking over the Seretei as I edge closer to the South Wall. Turning sharply, I build up speed and Flash Step nimbly up the base of a crumbling building. Not taking even a second to pause at the top, I sprint along the rooftop and jump to the next possible structure. I make my way South in this manner until I finally see the Gate, a snake like barrier enclosing the Seretei in a sphere of safety from the outside Rukongai. With a giant leap I soar across the remaining buildings and land gracefully on the wall, glancing briefly behind my shoulder.
There was no sight of Ginrei, which was good. If he had tried to follow me, I had succeeded in outrunning him. I was alone, balancing on the barrier of two worlds. Turning my head to the other edge of the wall, I search for the Plum Tree of the Rukongai. It takes a few minutes, but then it catches my eye, the silver outline of its gigantic branches glinting in the dim light of the setting sun. I decided then that the tree would be my own place to unwind, a place where none of the Soul Reapers or my relatives of the Seretei could find me. That was the place where I could finally be alone.
I grin wildly and position myself on the wall, back to the tree, facing the darkening buildings of my home. With a newfound burst of energy, I bend my knees and spring off the wall, tucking my knees and flipping once through the air. My Shinigami robes spread around me like wings, and for a brief moment I'm completely still. Then, my feet lightly touch the ground and I complete the back flip, absorbing the shock of the landing with bent knees. I stand up and smooth my robes, staring up at the massive 20 foot wall I had just acrobatically flown off of.
With a smirk I open my mouth and speak a singular word I wouldn't ever dare say in the presence of my Grandfather.
"Sucker."
I take off again at a jogging pace, not caring enough to bother using a Flash step, and head towards my sanction of peace, the clearing just beyond the green field I was crossing now. The Plum Tree stood proudly in the distance, awaiting my return.
Sorry for the Lack of Updates in the past while! I've been really busy, and this chapter seemed to take way longer than usual. Here's the answers to some FAQ I've gotten about this chapter and MOBK so far:
Q. Is Hachirou in the Original Bleach Storyline?
A. No. Hachirou is a character I made up to go along with this story. He does not appear in Tite Kubo's Bleach manga or anime. Hachirou is the 8th son of the South Gatekeeper, Hikonyuto. He was destined to become a Gatekeeper like his father, but instead he had the desire to become a Shinigami. He went to the Soul Reaper Academy with Byakuya but later dropped out. I imagine Hachirou as a teenage boy the same age as Byakuya, shorter than Byakuya at about 5"7. He has short, black hair he keeps in a ponytail and wears a beige bandanna around his head. He has green eyes and holds a stern, determined expression on his face. I picture his clothing similar to that of Ganju Shiba of the Shiba clan in the original Bleach storyline, but of a different color. Hachirou's name means "8th son", referring to the birthing of his family, the Ryota's. Hachirou has been the best friend of Byakuya since they were very small.
Q. Is Hikonyuto in the Original Bleach Storyline?
A. Yes, but slightly. Hikonyuto appears only once for a very short amount of time in only the Bleach Manga. He is the Gatekeeper of the South Gate of the Seretei.
Q. Are the Ryota's in the Original Bleach Storyline?
A. No, "Ryota" is the last name I gave to Hikonyuto, Hachirou and their family. "Ryota" means "Stout" or "Strong", referring to their history of Gatekeeping in the family.
Q. What does the Plum Tree have to do with anything?
A. You'll see soon enough! Be patient.
Q. Where is Hisana?
A. She hasn't been introduced yet.
Q. Is this how Byakuya met Hisana, according to the original Bleach storyline?
A. No. This is my idea of how Byakuya and Hisana met, and the memoirs of Byakuya before and after.
Q. Does Hachirou hate Byakuya?
A. No, they are just competitive with each other. Hachirou envies Byakuya's powers as a Shinigami.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Review if you like!