WHEN THE SNOW FALLS
by Yih

Chapter Three
Under the Hand of Guidance

Jushiro wasn't at all surprised when Kaien took Rukia under his wing. Kaien always did have a thing for the underdog, not that Rukia was by any means lacking the necessary skills of a shinigami. There was just something about Rukia that made you want to protect her. How could Kaien help it when Byakuya had fallen under Rukia's spell?

"Those two," Miyako said with affection, watching them with Jushiro from the balcony of his office on the second floor. Kaien was teaching Rukia how to wield her zanpakuto better. "If I didn't know Rukia was his sister, I would have thought they were siblings."

"Although Rukia is not much like Kukaku at all," Jushiro remarked.

"I can't believe she's related to Kuchiki-taichou."

Jushiro chuckled a little. "You didn't know?"

Miyako turned to her taichou, confused. "Know what?"

"She's not related to Byakuya. Rukia was adopted into the Kuchiki family for some reason only known to him."

"Interesting," Miyako said, turning her attention back to watching Rukia fend off her husband's attacks. "Rukia's not quite as talented with zanjutsu as she is with kido, eh?"

Jushiro looked down at the courtyard to see Rukia fall to her knees, yet managing to block Kaien's attack – something a year or two ago, she wouldn't have been able to do. "She is improving and her kido is quite excellent."

"Superior to mine, I know," Miyako remarked with a kind smile. "I wonder why she didn't make a seated position. She's talented enough I know."

Jushiro wisely said nothing about that, changing the topic instead to something much safer. "I have an assignment for you, something Kaien might not like too much."

"He never likes it when I go on any assignment, but he always lets me go," Miyako responded cheerfully. "So what's this assignment about?"

"I would like you to acquire some information on this Hollow that's been dwelling in a nearby cave. It's been causing a bit of local disruption. I don't want you to engage it, just observe it and come back. Once more is known, then I'll decide how to proceed."

Miyako nodded. "When should I leave?"

"Tomorrow will be fine. It gives you plenty of time to inform Kaien of your new mission."

"Thank you. Will you excuse me? I must start my preparations."

"Of course," Jushiro said and shooed her away with his hands in good humor.

He watched her leave, thinking about what he would do once he gathered information about the Hollow. Jushiro decided if it were a low level Hollow, he would send Rukia on her first solo mission to terminate the Hollow. Kaien would follow to watch and assist if needed, but it would be Rukia's chance to prove herself as a shinigami.

Jushiro thought she was ready. Miyako had noted that her zanjutsu was not as good as her kido, but then Rukia's kido skills were very, very good. Of course, she couldn't compare to the Kido Corps – however, even with her inferior zanjutsu, they couldn't compare to her in that either. If Rukia continued to hone her skills with a zanpakuto, Jushiro wouldn't be able to keep her from a seated position too much longer.

-

"Better, you just need to be faster," Kaien said, pushing her back with his zanpakuto.

Rukia held her ground for a bit before her arms faltered against Kaien's superior strength. She leapt to the side and quickly moved behind him to attack him from the rear.

"You will never be as physically strong as a shinigami greater than you in size, but you can compensate with your speed," Kaien continued, whirling around to counter her attack. "You have light grace with quick feet. You should get your brother to teach you his shunpo. He is excellent at it and you would do well to learn from the best."

Rukia still didn't know how Byakuya felt for her, she had decided not to let it bother her overmuch as it used to in the past. Instead she focused her energies on becoming the best shinigami she could be and now five years later, she felt like a real shinigami. Unfortunately, she had yet to go on a solo mission, but she knew Ukitake-taichou was fair and that when she was ready she would get her assignment.

"If you could learn his senka," Kaien mused, "now that would be something."

Other than small, polite conversation, Rukia couldn't remember the last time she had had a meaningful talk with her brother. Had they ever really talked? Certainly nothing like what she and Kaien talked about. She barely knew Byakuya. The first day she had met Kaien, she knew more about him than she had ever known about her brother.

"What are you daydreaming about?" Kaien teased, slapping her on the shoulder in good nature. "Abarai?"

Rukia glared at her fukutaichou and retorted, "Renji and I are just friends."

"That's what Miyako said to Sentaro and Kiyone and look where we ended up."

"I assure you Renji has no interest in me in that way."

At one point, Rukia might have been interested in forming a relationship with Renji, but that was before being adopted into the Kuchiki family. She knew she had obligations to her adopted family and that meant marrying well. For all that Renji was a talented, young shinigami, he still came from the worst district of Rukongai and that was unacceptable to the Kuchiki family.

"But if he did?" Kaien queried.

"If he did, that hardly means that I'm interested."

"If you say so."

"Not only do I say so, I insist," Rukia said firmly. She held up her zanpakuto, feeling its light beauty. Hopefully soon with Kaien's guidance she would learn its name and its true power. "Enough talk, let's fight."

-

Rukia was exhausted by the time she had finished practicing her zanjutsu with Kaien. She almost decided that she should just stay in the barracks for the night instead of heading back to the Kuchiki mansion. It wasn't like anyone would notice if she didn't come home. Byakuya was probably already in bed, sleeping.

The only problem was the barracks weren't exactly the most comfortable place to sleep, made even less appealing compared to her room at home. It would be nice to take a bath before she went to sleep too, to get rid of the sweat and grime on her. The food was also better. It was no wonder that shinigamis only stayed at their barracks if absolutely necessary.

She ran home as quickly as she could, which was fast but not as fast as shunpo. She really ought to learn that art since it would only help her zanjutsu. Rukia didn't know how to ask Byakuya to help her. She didn't even know if she could ask him for something like that. Wouldn't he just tell her that she ought to ask her commanding officer?

Lost in thought, Rukia found herself in front of the Kuchiki residence before she even realized it. She went around to enter from the back, which was closer to her room anyways, passing through the beautiful courtyard with its small pond of goldfish. She wasn't looking where she was going and she bumped into something warm and solid. Rukia quickly looked up and found herself staring into the dark grey of her brother's eyes.

"Nii-sama," she said. "Excuse me."

"It's late," Byakuya stated, steadying her by placing his hand on her shoulder. "Have you just returned from your duties at Squad 13?"

"I was training with Shiba-fukutaichou," Rukia explained. "We were working on my zanjutsu."

"I see," he said, lifting his eyes away from her and gazing above her head at the forest that surrounded their home. "Zanjutsu is still your weakness, isn't it?"

Rukia nodded, feeling a flush of embarrassment on her face.

"Have you been sent on any missions yet?" he asked.

"I've been sent on group missions with a high seated officer," she responded and felt her face grow even warmer. Most other shinigamis had already been on their first solo mission. She was a bit behind the rest. "I hope to be sent on my own mission soon, though."

Byakuya nodded. Rukia expected him to make an exit, but when he didn't move – she found herself standing with him admiring the natural beauty surrounding them. She snuck a gaze at her brother, sighing softly at his perfectly handsome face. She wished they could be like this more, in each other's company, even if it was silent companionship.

"It's late," he remarked. "We should be sleeping."

Rukia didn't know what possessed her, but somehow she found the courage to say, "Nii-sama?"

Byakuya turned back and she could see the profile of his face. "Yes?"

"Could you teach me shunpo? Shiba-fukutaichou told me yours was one of the best and that if I could learn senka that would greatly help my zanjutsu. He said that I will never have the strength of a shinigami that's bigger than me, but at least I could use my speed to compensate…" Rukia's hands covered her mouth as she couldn't believe she had spoken so much and so informally to Byakuya. She stared up at him in horror.

"If you wish it," Byakuya said softly, "then meet me in the forest at dusk tomorrow."

"Thank you!" Rukia exclaimed, not able to hide her excitement or her elation. "I will try my very best!"

"See that you do," he said. "Good night."

"Good night," she echoed as she watched him walk away like a dream, except it wasn't.

This was real and it was better than any dream.

-

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, keep it up it inspires me to write more and faster! Hope you like this chapter . Just a quick note, sometimes the timeline will speed up and sometimes it will slow down. It's at a slow down point right now, but it'll speed up again at some point.

Released: 11/11/08