A/N: Some references in this chapter to a little Square Enix video game, also about dead people and Reapers. ^^ Some of you might know it. And I couldn't resist. XD

The plot should pick up soon. I'm torn between more social scenes or more plot…and I think I'm just going to have to give this arc more space in my outline. Expect Chapter 8 or 9 to be the last chapter in this arc, and then we'll have about two chapters of downtime and get right back into the swing of things. ^^

I'm thinking Chasing will be a bit longer than Phases at this rate, since the introductory arc is running for 10 chapters already. Maybe not too much longer though…

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. At all.

Chapter 6: The mission begins

The view from her hotel room was beautiful, showing a carpet of lights beneath her and Tokyo Tower shining brilliantly in the distance. She didn't even want to think about how much their accommodations must have cost, but she was fairly certain that they were well over the Tenth Division's normal living world mission budget. Leave it to Byakuya, she supposed. If he had to travel, he would do so in style.

…Unfortunately, this being Japan in the 21st century, an expensive hotel room meant it was filled with technology. Yuzu sighed as she heard angry beeping sounds coming through the connecting door, mentally running the list down in her head. Let's see…she had explained the TV, the shower, the fridge, the microwave, the telephone…what was she missing?

…Right. Air conditioning.

Maybe they should have stayed at an old-style inn instead…

She knocked on the connecting door. The angry beeping sound continued, followed by the sound of a rush of wind.

"Enter," said Byakuya. Again, she had to hand it to him. He still sounded as cool and collected as always.

"Taicho…?" she asked, opening the door.

Yuzu blinked, and took a step back, stifling a giggle behind the sleeve of her dress. He must have been looking right into the vent when the air conditioner started going crazy, because his normally neat black hair was tangled and twisted in all directions. He had a decidedly unamused frown on his face though, as he watched her.

"Kurosaki, why is this infernal device continuing to beep?" he asked.

"It's because you set it to something over its limits," said Yuzu, stepping forward. "Here, this is how it works. You set the temperature here—." She raised it to something reasonable. "—and the machine pumps out air until the room is at the temperature you want it to be."

He frowned, seeming to relax somewhat. "…I see. How does it know what the ambient temperature is?"

"It has a built in sensor," replied Yuzu. "It senses the air temperature and gives that information to the computer."

"Hm. Clever." He turned his attention away from the machine, looking back at her. "At any rate, we should meet to discuss our plans for tomorrow. Soifon-taicho has left us with a list of locations frequented by members of the New Dawn." His eyes moved from her to the mirror against the wall, and his frown deepened, noticing his disheveled appearance.

"Ten minutes?" asked Yuzu.

"That should be sufficient," he said. "I will knock on your door."

Ten minutes later, Yuzu looked up as three distinct knocks sounded from the connecting door. She sat up on the couch, putting away the magazine she had been reading. The TV was on at a low volume, showing an episode of a drama that she had stopped paying attention to five minutes ago. "Come in," she said, scooping the remote off the coffee table and turning it off.

The connecting door opened, and Byakuya appeared, looking properly dignified now. He still looked a lot more casual than she had usually seen him, although that was probably because she had vetoed the sleeping yukata he had tried to pack with him, and he was no longer wearing his kenseikan or his scarf. His dark hair fell unhindered around the side of his face, making him look younger somehow and less…unreachable.

She couldn't say she minded the effect…

Yuzu slid her legs out from under her so that she was sitting properly on the couch, watching as he dropped a small stack of papers onto the table in front of her. She picked them up, scanning them. There were about three in total, and they were mostly notes from Soifon and her team about the locations in which probable New Dawn members have been spotted.

Byakuya spread a map of Tokyo out on the coffee table, taking a seat in the armchair next to her.

"Soifon-taicho managed to narrow down the most likely location for the New Dawn's hideout," he said, picking up a pen and encircling a small area of Shibuya. "It looks as though they tend to meet in a café near the park."

"A café?" asked Yuzu, frowning slightly.

"She did mention that they were mostly young adults and high school students," commented Byakuya. "The same age group as Kusanagi."

"People who would have been born shortly after the Winter War…" said Yuzu.

"That is correct," said Byakuya. "However, the distance concerns me. The Winter War should not have had such strong effects this far from Karakura."

"Are you thinking that something other than the Winter War gave these people their abilities?" asked Yuzu.

"If it was a lone one or two humans, I might say that they had simply migrated from Karakura to Tokyo at some point," said Byakuya. "That is certainly not an impossibility. In a century or so, if this continues, we may see more widespread instances of unexplained reiatsu growth in children. However, for there to be enough for these people to form an organization…I would say that perhaps something else occurred."

Yuzu frowned in thought, hugging one of the couch cushions to herself as she stared at the corner where the coffee table met the carpet.

"...Arrancar," she said quietly after a while.

"Hmm?" asked Byakuya, looking up at her.

"Just thinking," said Yuzu, turning towards him. "If there truly are Arrancar with Espada level reiatsu hiding in Tokyo, it's entirely possible that their reiatsu might have caused this."

Byakuya stared at her for a moment, before nodding. "Yes," he said. "That was my thought as well." He stood up, a frown on his face. "If that is the case, it is possible that these Arrancar may already have reached the New Dawn. Rest. Tomorrow, it is very likely that we may be walking into enemy territory."

Yuzu nodded, leaning over and beginning to gather up the papers.

"So…the café is…here…?" asked Yuzu with a frown, looking up from the map and studying the street signs.

"Kurosaki, are you quite sure you're reading that map correctly?" asked Byakuya, standing next to her. He glanced over her shoulder.

"Um…pretty sure, taicho…" said Yuzu her frown deepening as she looked up at the signs again. "Maybe…"

He sighed, taking the map from her and holding it up. After a while, he lowered it, studying the same signs.

"…We are one block too far to the east," he said, handing the map back to her.

"Ah…hai…" said Yuzu, lowering her eyes as she took the map back. "Sorry…"

"An elementary mistake," said Byakuya. "Make sure to correct for it in the future."

"Hai…"

They began to walk, heading down the right path. It was early morning, and the streets of Shibuya were already filled with people. They had been filled with people all into last night, making Byakuya wonder if the city ever had a quiet hour. The last time he had been here, it had been busy, but there had not been much of a "night life" to speak of.

He stopped at the street corner as the lights changed, having been instructed that that was in fact the proper thing to do in this situation. As they rounded the street corner, he expanded his senses so that he could note the slightest change in reiatsu. He felt it again from behind him, a small twinge over his shoulder.

It was the same thing he had been feeling since earlier that day, when they left the hotel. Apparently, his vice-captain noticed it as well, because her shoulders tensed, her hand slowly drifting towards where her zanpakuto would be, had she not been in a gigai.

The next stoplight was crowded. Byakuya used that to his advantage as he stepped closer beside her, so that he could whisper without being overheard. He kept his eyes trained straight ahead.

"You were right, Kurosaki," he said in a low voice. "We are being trailed."

"Hai, taicho," she replied, also keeping her eyes fixed on the street light. "…Could it possibly be our backup?"

"Unlikely," said Byakuya. "Our backup watches from above. The skyscraper to your left."

Yuzu's eyes moved towards the large building as the lights changed. "You can still sense them from all the way up there?" she asked, impressed.

"Of course," said Byakuya. "It is not an incredibly impressive feat. You simply require more training. Their reiatsus are known to me."

"What should we do?" asked Yuzu, frowning.

"…Follow my lead," he replied.

He broke away from the crowd, darting off into an alleyway. Yuzu followed him without hesitation, walking briskly and attempting to match his stride. The reiatsu presence broke off after them, following them into the alley.

As they reached the other side, Byakuya slipped out of sight, muting his reiatsu so that it would be difficult to find. His fukutaicho hid on the other side of the alley's mouth, and he was pleased to feel her doing the same. They waited for a few tense moments, and then a dark-haired man emerged from the other side of the alley.

Immediately, the two of them moved, emerging from their hiding places. Byakuya moved first, moving to attack, as Yuzu followed his lead. Their pursuer immediately threw up his arms, taking a step back.

"Wait, wait, wait!" he yelled. "I'm an ally!"

Byakuya frowned, pausing midway through his strike. Yuzu had her hand up in front of her face, the beginnings of a kidou position. The man straightened up, exhaling quickly through his mouth. Byakuya noticed that one of his hands rested on a large plastic water bottle that was strapped to the end of his pack. He looked to be about twenty years old, with dark hair and green eyes.

Byakuya didn't recognize him. Beside him, his vice-captain frowned in thought.

"I'm with Kusanagi," explained the man. "The boss sent me down here to help you guys out…and to find out some information about the New Dawn."

Yuzu's frown deepened. Her eyes widened in realization, and she stepped forward. "Yasui-kun?" she asked.

He grinned. "I'm glad you remember me, Kurosaki-san," he said. "I was worried you wouldn't, since I was still in high school when you last showed up."

"It's been a while," agreed Yuzu. She turned towards Byakuya. "Taicho, this is Yasui Tetsuya. He's one of the founding members of Kusanagi. Yasui-kun helped me and Karin when we got sent on that living world mission four years ago. Yasui-kun, this is—."

"Kuchiki Byakuya-taicho, of the Sixth Division, right?" asked Yasui. "I read the report." He offered Byakuya a polite bow. Byakuya frowned at him, but nodded once.

"I hope you don't mind," said Yasui. "Don't mean to intrude. I just wanted to come with you when you made contact. To be honest, we're really interested about these New Dawn guys too."

"Don't get in our way," said Byakuya coolly.

"You got it," said Yasui, nodding. The café was in sight now, and the three of them continued to walk, heading towards it. "Although…" he added, stretching his hands over his head. "Since the living world is kind of our turf, maybe that should be my line."

Byakuya's frown deepened, but he said nothing.

The café was a small establishment in the middle of the block, surrounded by busy stores on either side. It didn't seem to have a lot of business, and thus would have been very easy to overlook. He reached the door first, absently holding it open for his vice-captain. She paused in surprise for a moment, turning to look at him, but quickly slipped through into the interior of the café. He followed without a word, holding the door just long enough for Yasui to catch it.

The first thing he was aware of upon entering was the sudden surge of reiatsu. He hadn't noticed it outside, but as soon as he stepped inside, the atmosphere of the room had changed. A small group of people sat at one of the tables, frowning as they looked up at them. He and Yuzu were both allowing some of their reiatsu to slip through their gigais, to lend credence to the idea that they were powered humans and also to allow Hitsugaya-taicho and the other Kurosaki to track them.

It did not go unnoticed.

One of the women in the group stood up, facing them. Her hair was long and brown, tied up in an elaborate bun. She wore a thin pair of glasses, and her eyes were a light hazel. She was dressed professionally, and carried herself with an air of authority.

"…Can I help you with something?" she asked.

"We're looking for the head of the New Dawn," said Byakuya, watching her reaction.

She didn't so much as blink. "I'm the head of the New Dawn," she said. "Kiyomizu Hanako. Who are you?"

"Members of Kusanagi, in Karakura Town," said Byakuya, smoothly transitioning into their prepared role. "It's a group quite similar to yours. We're here to discuss the possibility of a long-term partnership with the New Dawn."

Hanako folded her arms. "What you're really trying to say is you're here to scope us out," she said quietly. Her eyes traveled across the assembled group, before looking back at them. "We've heard a little about Kusanagi." The way she said it made Byakuya wonder exactly who her information source was. He saw Yuzu tense out of the corner of his eye, although her expression remained polite and somewhat deferent.

"What are your names?" asked Hanako, turning back towards them.

"Takegawa Yasushi," said Yasui before either of them could speak. The implication was clear. This was not a safe place for them to use their real names. Byakuya's eyes drifted over the chrysanthemums in the flower beds outside of the café.

"Kikuchi Sojun," he said, hoping Yuzu would also get the same message.

"I'm Kudo Yuzuki," she said quietly, biting her lower lip. He felt a small sense of relief as he turned back towards Hanako. She folded her hands in front of her, bowing politely. "Ano…pleased to meet you."

She continued to frown suspiciously at them, but if she had any reason to believe they were lying, she didn't show it. She nodded once. "Takegawa, Kikuchi, and Kudo…" she repeated. Her expression softened a little, and she relaxed. "Alright…I'll bite. To be honest, it would be nice to have some backup from Karakura Town. But now isn't really a good time to talk." Hanako gestured at the assembled group and at the clock on the wall. "It's a business day," she said. "We have classes to attend and places to be. If the three of you want to stop by our headquarters later tonight, we can hold a general meeting."

"That would be fine," he replied in response.

Hanako pulled a notepad out of her purse, writing something down and tearing it off. She folded it, handing it to him. "It's the address," she said. "That should take you to an apartment building in the downtown area. It's the home of one of our founding members. We'll meet there. It's as good a place as any. Say…seven?"

He nodded. "Then, I suppose we'll see you there."

"See you," she said with a nod. The other members of her group watched quietly as the three of them left the café.

Once they were more than a block away, Yuzu let out the breath she was holding. Yasui sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Phew," he said. "That was tense. You alright there, Kurosaki-san?"

Yuzu nodded once. Looking at her now, her face seemed pale, and she wore a troubled expression. "I'm fine," she said. "Just a little worried, that's all…Something about her seems off."

"Agreed," said Byakuya. He tried to think back to whether or not he could sense Hanako's reiatsu. Certainly the other humans around her were leaking it like sieves, but hers…He put the thought out of his mind. It was something to look into later, but he couldn't do anything about it now.

"…Well, I guess we'll find out tonight," said Yasui. "I've got stuff to do, so I'll meet up with you guys at around six. Does your hotel sound alright?"

Yuzu frowned, glancing at Byakuya for confirmation. He nodded once and she smiled, turning back to Yasui. "We'll be there," she said. "Thank you."

"No problem," he said. "Hey, you guys should check out Tokyo while you're waiting. There's a lot to see."

"We might do that," said Yuzu, nodding. He watched as Yasui walked off, rounding a corner and disappearing from sight. Once he was gone, Yuzu sighed, staring at the ground. He glanced in her direction.

"What is it?" he asked.

She shook her head. "It's Kiyomizu-san…" she said. "I don't know what it is…but Jungetsu isn't too happy about her…"

"Jungetsu?" asked Byakuya with a frown.

"Mm," said Yuzu. "She just told me to be careful, that's all."

"Certainly, there is something suspicious about her," said Byakuya. "Some caution would be wise. We will have to stay on guard tonight."

"Yeah…" said Yuzu. She frowned, turning towards him. "Kikuchi Sojun?" she asked.

"Sojun was my father's name," he replied. "It was the first thing that came to mind. The surname came when I saw the flowers blooming outside of the café. Kiku for chrysanthemum, chi for earth. It is similar enough to my name that, should someone forget and call me by my surname, I can say that they simply misspoke."

"Sou ka…" said Yuzu. She smiled slightly. "I guess you can't really get away from flowers," she commented.

"I believe you are not one to talk, Yuzuki."

"It was the first name that came to mind," said Yuzu with a smile. "And it's similar to my own, so if someone overhears anyone calling me by my name, I can say it's a nickname. I guess we were both thinking along the same lines."

"Indeed…"

"There they go again," said Karin, leaning over the top of the skyscraper and watching as the three of them exited the café. She handed the binoculars back to Toshiro, who was standing beside her. The two of them were dressed in their shinigami uniforms. They had been instructed not to follow too closely, but instead to appear as though they were regular shinigami on patrol.

"Aa," said Toshiro. He folded his arms. "Where do you suppose they're headed now?"

"I don't know," said Karin, pulling her phone out of the pocket in her sleeve. "I'll send Yuzu a text message."

"Ask her if they're done for the day," said Toshiro. "I'd like to go looking for that Arrancar."

"You and me both," said Karin, stretching. "Stalking them is getting a little old." She flipped the phone open, beginning to text. Toshiro came up to stand beside her, looking out over the city.

The air around them seemed to shift, an unfamiliar reiatsu entering the area. Karin tensed, her and Toshiro looking towards the rooftop door at the same time. It opened slightly, and a young man poked his head out, looking at them. He had short black hair, and was dressed in a high school uniform. Toshiro's eyes widened in recognition.

"You…" he said.

Karin placed a hand on her zanpakuto. "Toshiro, you know this guy?" she asked.

"He's the one I chased after the day Matsumoto was injured," replied Toshiro. He scowled, and Karin could feel the air around them drop in temperature by a few degrees. "Who are you? State your name."

"Wait!" said the stranger, holding his hands up. "I'm not here to fight you. I-I have some information about the New Dawn."

The two shinigami frowned, staring at the man.

TO BE CONTINUED

A/N: Yuzuki is a Japanese name written as 優月meaning "gentle moon". However, the 'yu' character in Yuzuki can also be translated as 'superior' or 'actress'…not that Yuzu was thinking of the other meanings at the time. Kikuchi means 'chrysanthemum earth' which explains why Byakuya was looking at the chrysanthemums in the café. He can't escape from flowers, can he?

Omake:

"Taicho, can I ask a question?" asked Yuzu as they ate dinner in the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel.

Byakuya frowned from across the dining table at her. "What is it, Kurosaki?" he asked.

"Why do you dislike my father?"

Byakuya paused in the middle of picking up a piece of food, his chopsticks resting on top of the dish.

"Alright, elders, I am now calling this meeting to order!"

A young Byakuya paced in front of the collection of figurines and stuffed animals, an overly serious frown on his face. If he were human, he might have been seven or eight years old, but as it was, he was just a little over twenty. He was dressed in a dark gray yukata, his dark hair falling just under his ear.

"Oi, Byaku-chan!"

The door to his sliding room slammed open, a dark-haired Academy student poking his head in. He grinned. "What are you doing in here by yourself? Come outside! Let's play!"

Byakuya frowned at the heir to the Ankoujin Clan. "Get out of my room! I'm in an important meeting!"

"Are you playing with your dolls?" asked Isshin, staring at the stuffed animals.

"They're not dolls! They're the elders of the Kuchiki Clan, and I'm the head!"

Isshin barked out a laugh. "Elders, huh? Hey, this one looks just like Tatsu-san!" He reached out, grabbing one of the teddy bears by the head and lifting it up.

The fabric ripped, the head tearing straight from the body. Byakuya's eyes widened, and he took a step back as Isshin frowned, staring at the teddy bear's head and shaking it. "Aw…looks like it ripped. Sorry about that, Byaku-chan." He waved the head at Byakuya, who took another step back, his eyes growing wider.

"MAAAAAAMMMAAAA!" he yelled, running down the hallway at full speed.

"Really?" asked the female Academy student, her eyes shining.

"Of course," said Byakuya, with a nod and a smile, also dressed in his blue Academy uniform. His long black hair was tied up in a high ponytail. "I've been fighting Hollows since third year. It's not that hard."

"Oh, wow, you're so cool, Kuchiki-kun!" she replied with a bright smile. Kaede was the prettiest girl in the Academy at the time, and Byakuya had finally had a chance to talk to her.

"Do you know your zanpakuto's name yet?" she asked.

"Yes," said Byakuya. "His name's Senbonzakura."

"Wow, already?" she asked, her eyes wide. "That's amazing!"

"Well, I'm going to be the head of the Kuchiki Clan, so I have to train hard. I'll take my grandfather's place as captain of the Rokubantai someday too!"

Kaede looked at him with stars in her eyes, and he grinned inwardly. Alright, time for step two of his brilliant plan…

"Byaku-chan!" Byakuya twitched as a dark-haired shinigami came into view, taking a step back before he could be tackled. The insufferable Ankoujin had something in his hands that he immediately presented to him. It looked like a black robe…

…No…was it…

…It couldn't be…

"Look what I found helping your old man clean out the storage shed! It's your old baby kimono! Isn't it so cute?"

Byakuya's eyes widened in abject horror. Kaede immediately stepped forward and grabbed it, giggling as she spread it out. "Oh, wow, it's so small. Kuchiki-kun, you must have been so cute!"

Hisana was beautiful in her wedding kimono. Her eyes shone with a light like the sun, and Byakuya was entranced by her. He couldn't believe that after all of the arguments, all of the meetings between him, his grandfather, and the Kuchiki Clan elders, he could finally be allowed to have her. Her hand in his and the small smile on her face as they made their way out to the reception hall seemed to make it all worth it.

"Oi, there's the bride and groom!" yelled a drunk Ankoujin Isshin as they walked in, still in his shihakusho and captain's haori. Byakuya clenched his fist. Why, oh why did they have to be equal in status as heirs to their clan? He could have done without inviting him?

"I gotta hand it to you, Byakuya. Hisana-chan's a real beauty," said Isshin, patting him on the back. He twitched with each pat.

"Hey, Hisana-chan! Let me know if you ever wanna hear stories about your husband here."

"Stories…about Byakuya-sama?" repeated Hisana, a small frown on her face. Byakuya's hand tightened briefly around her arm. He knew he couldn't tell her not to talk to Isshin here, because it would be rude of him.

Curse that insufferable Ankoujin, holding etiquette over his head!

"…Of course!" said Isshin, grinning. "Let me tell you what Byakuya did to his mom's flower garden when he was little. It's hilarious!"

Byakuya clenched his fists tightly, a scowl on his face as he watched the Tenth Division captain lead his new wife away, continuing to talk.

He picked up a small piece of fish with his chopsticks, lifting it to his mouth.

"No particular reason," he replied coolly.