~(^.^)~
Honour
A Bleach fanfiction by Nelarun
Bleach and all characters within © Kubo Tite
Senbonzakura stood silent as he faced Zangetsu – the samurai and the man gazing into each others eyes as their Shinigami duelled on Soukyoku Hill.
"Why does he fight so hard to kill his sister?" Zangetsu asked softly.
Senbonzakura tilted his head to the side slightly. "It is the law."
"Not all laws are right, child." Zangetsu replied.
"Perhaps, but how can Byakuya-sama expect to pass judgement on his own people if he flouts the law for his sister?"
Zangetsu bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement of what he had said. "Surely there is a way..."
"Byakuya-sama broke the law twice, once for his wife, once for Rukia. He can not break the law again. He tried, he fought within the law but when judgement is passed it becomes immutable."
"Nothing is immutable. If he was half the brother Ichigo is, he would have found a way."
Senbonzakura smiled, not that Zangetsu would see it. "Perhaps."
They were silent again, staring at each other once more. "Sode no Shirayuki. She is your friend is she not?"
Senbonzakura felt sadness hit him. He and Sode no Shirayuki were much friendlier than their Shinigami were. "Why do you say that?"
"Your blade is hesitant, brittle in fact," Zangetsu frowned, his eyes narrowed in contemplation. "You don't want her to die, your resolve is not the same as your Shinigami's."
Senbonzakura smiled again. "Byakuya-sama does not want to do this."
"But he does it anyway?"
"He is the greatest noble in all of Soul Society below the King-"
"Yes, yes. He doesn't want to break the law. But there are some things that are greater than the law."
"Honour before Clan."
Zangetsu closed his eyes and Senbonzakura waited for the man to come to his epiphany. "Your Shinigami wants Ichigo and I to win?"
"He does."
"Even if it means he never sees his sister again?"
Senbonzakura nodded. "If you and your Shinigami win, Byakuya-sama keeps both his oath to his family to never break the law again and his oath to his wife to protect Rukia, he does not bring shame upon his family and his sister is saved. His pride and not his honour is broken."
"What do you wish me to do? There is nothing more that I can do to aid Ichigo."
Senbonzakura nodded once more. "I know. Byakuya-sama's heart is conflicted. He wants to let you go, but he has to obey the law. I can make that option for him. I can break myself, cast myself into the wind, force him to be defeated... however I do not wish for Byakuya-sama to die. Can you stop your Shinigami from killing mine?"
Zangetsu nodded once and Senbonzakura felt relief hit him. "It will be done."
Senbonzakura silently drew his blade and closed his eyes. "Forgive me, Byakuya-sama." He removed his dou and reversed the blade, piercing his heart. The blade shattered into one thousand sakura petals.
Byakuya stared in shock as Ichigo's blade hit his and sliced through, his own blade disintegrating into sakura petals. He felt the blade slice into him and sensed something stop the blade before it could cut deeper. Staggering away, he fought to regain his footing and stared at his hand, devoid of hilt. Senbonzakura? He felt his zanpakutou brush faintly against his mind, reassuring him that he was still there, that Byakuya wasn't alone. Feeling sudden relief, he straightened, watching as the petals floated away on the wind.
"You wanted to know, did you not, why I will kill Rukia. Those with sins must be judged. When the sentence has been decided it must be carried out. That is the law... You fight with your emotions, but compared to the law, emotions are pitiful-" Byakuya looked up at the sky. "-especially for those of the Great Nobility. If we do not obey the law, if we allow our emotions to take over, how can we expect anyone else to obey the law." He glanced at Ichigo who frowned in confusion even as he tried to straighten, leaning heavily against his zanpakutou.
"If it were my sisters about to be executed, I would fight for them – even if they were guilty. I would still fight against the law!"
Byakuya studied the boy struggling to remain standing as his own epiphany hit him. I see now, Senbonzakura, the same thing you saw from the beginning. The boy is not going against me or my Clan. He's not fighting to restore his pride. He was never our enemy. He is an enemy of Soul Society's laws. That is why you stopped fighting. "Kurosaki Ichigo. My zanpakutou has been broken by your ideals. I can no longer chase after Rukia. This battle is yours." I wish you luck.
Thank you, Senbonzakura.
Senbonzakura looked weakly up at Zangetsu. "This of course doesn't mean that you win."
"Naturally. You merely refused to fight." Zangetsu watched as the Samurai slowly turned away, about to seek sanctuary with his Shinigami to heal.
"We shall have to have a proper battle one day, Zangetsu" Senbonzakura spoke.
Zangetsu nodded. "I look forward to it, Senbonzakura."
A/N:
Dou is the samurai breastplate. I considered just calling it a breastplate, but as there's an exhibit in the Tokyo National Museum of Samurai armour with a cuirass, I decided to keep it as dou to differentiate between the 'knight' breastplate and the 'samurai' breastplate