Soldier

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Also see below for terms used. There is some slight crude language in this chapter.

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Chapter 8: They'll Have It

Kuchiki Byakuya was a stoic, elegant man who could be called many things – dedicated, rich and the powerful head of a noble clan in the Soul Society. He was also a captain of the Gotei 13 as well as Rukia's brother and a very private person.

So when he was sitting at his desk going over a pile of paperwork at his divisional office, he really didn't pay that much attention when a large black butterfly floated in.

Jigokucho or 'Hell Butterflies' are ethereal black butterflies with maroon highlights on their wings. They served two functions: One was sending messages throughout the Seireitei, or rather the inner court of the Soul Society, and the other to escort souls through the tunnel between Living world and the Soul Society.

When he finally noticed the butterfly the solemn captain looked up from his work and held out his hand for the black messenger to land.

"Greetings Bya-bo," came a woman's voice. He recognized the voice of his exiled former mentor turned traitor Shihoin Yoriuchi. However his eyes widened at her playful tone.

"Ichi-kun asked me to send you a message. He has found a new wielder for the zanpakuto he saved, you know who I mean. He's asked me to invite you to the Living World so that you could meet that person. He didn't want to parade the pair around the Seireitei and cause problems. And yes, Ichi-kun can be discrete when he needs to be. You'll be surprised at the match. See you soon."

The butterfly flew off after delivering its message leaving a very thoughtful captain behind.

A few minutes later the stoic captain stood and marched out of his office, calling to his red-haired vice-captain. "Abarai, I will be out of the office today. I expect all of your paperwork done by the time I get back." He was gone before he could receive a reply, trusting that the work would be done, or else.

"Hai, Taicho."

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In the small park not far from his sweet shop, just as the sun was setting in the distance, Kisuke Urahara was waiting for the paper doors of the Senkaimon* to slide open. A black hell butterfly floated out the door, followed by the powerful captain of the sixth division of the Gotei 13.

"Ah Kuchiki-taicho, welcome," the bucket-hat wearing shop keeper said softly as he leaned on his walking stick. "Before you meet with Ichigo-kun and his friends there is something I would like you to look over."

"Will he be there?" Kuchiki Byakuya asked as the pair made for the shop.

"They are training in my basement as we speak."

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With a cooling cup of tea beside his elbow, the captain carefully looked over the file before him. It showed a picture of a young boy with messy, black hair and iridescent green eyes hidden behind ugly, bent framed glasses.

"You will find that Harry-kun is a lot like Ichigo-kun, with his need to protect," Urahara said in his sing-song voice. He was sitting across from the captain at the low table. "He does not have Ichigo-kun's brash attitude, nor, sadly, confidence in his own power.

"That has been beaten out of him through the abuse of those adults in his life who were supposedly responsible for his well being," his angry words hung heavy between them "He hungers to belong, for acceptance, and yet will protect anyone he feels is unable to protect themselves."

"I see," Byakuya winced at the taste of his cool tea. As he read the file, he frowned at the mention of a prophecy and the destiny that was being mapped out for the young man. He did not like anything he'd read so far.

He wondered how a rogue zanpakuto would fit into all of this.

"I think Muramasa has been good for the teen," Urahara commented, breaking into his thoughts. "Both have been the victims of abuse, and so they are healing each other. Add to that they are both, magical beings in their own right. The young man has some quincy blood in him, Harry-kun can use some of Muramasa's abilities."

"How far has the boy come in his training?" Byakuya put aside the file he was reading to look up at the exiled former captain.

The blonde shopkeeper grimaced at the term 'boy' when it came to Harry, remembering the young man's reaction to that designation.

"He has done well so far. He is soaking up his training like a sponge. However, he does not have the control to bring forward shikai yet, but his natural magic is such that he has managed to call the zanpakuto into the Living World. He will never attain bankai as he isn't a shimigami. Nor does he need it. Harry-kun is powerful in his own right, but not as much as Ichigo-kun."

Byakuya's eyes widen slightly as Urahara went on. "Harry-kun, as you've read, is destined to take out a great evil along the same lines as Aizen, but unlike Ichigo-kun Harry-kun doesn't have the support he needs and has been left alone, adrift. He is expected to be the 'savior' of their world—and yet they refuse to train him! That is, until he came to us.

"I fear that the Soul society will have to take a deeper look at what the Wizarding World has been doing," Urahara warned.

"Is there any chance this boy will go against the Soul Society, once he knows about us?"

"Not a chance. He already knows, Ichigo-kun has told him," Urahara looked down at the table with his arms folded. "All Harry-kun wants is to belong to a family, to be accepted for who he is as a person," Urahara looked up. "Ichigo and his family are seeing to that."

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Harry was sitting on a large boulder while Ichigo and Yoruichi were practicing something called 'shunpo.' It looked a lot like apparating to him. He was suppose to be meditating with Muramasa to form a stronger link between them, but he was too caught up in watching the strangest game of tag he had ever seen.

"It is fascinating, is it not?" came Muramasa's voice beside him. Harry turned to see the pale spirit beside him.

Harry let out a yip in surprise and almost fell off the boulder! Luckily both Ichigo and Yuruichi were too caught up in their game to notice.

As he righted himself, Harry studied the zanpakuto spirit. "Uh.. . . hi?"

Muramasa chuckled. "You are supposed to be meditating, Harry."

"Well yea, to firm up our bond." Harry didn't think their bond needed anymore firming! He watched as Yorichi tackled Ichigo. She laughed at the teen's loud protest and ruffled his hair before she shunpo'd away. "Uh. . . Say, Muramasa do you think I could do that?" he asked wistfully. It looked like a lot of fun.

"In time. You have so much to learn, Harry. You are not a shinigami, so it will be harder for you."

Harry shuddered. He didn't want to become a Soul Reaper, but he had to clear something up with his new friend. "According to Urahara-san he says my soul's unstable due to the killing curse that struck me as a child. He said I could become a substitute, like Ichigo, when I get older. . . If I wanted to." He gave a grimace at the thought.

"That is not your wish?"

"I just wish people wouldn't make plans for me without asking," Harry groused. It was his biggest complaint, but at least Urahara and Hachigen asked for Harry's opinion from time to time.

"Ahhh Harry-kun, I see Muramasa's out! Excellent work," came Urahara's voice from below.

Harry looked down at the pair standing at the foot of his boulder as he felt Muramasa stiffen beside him. "Ah, hai?"

Harry didn't recognize the tall dark-haired man wearing a long silvery scarf around his neck standing beside his mentor. Whoever he was, Muramasa knew him and it looked like his presence worried his friend.

"Harry-kun could you come down please? Bring Muramasa with you."

Harry hopped off the boulder as Ichigo and Yoruichi flashed to stand beside the pair. Ichigo didn't look happy to see the stranger, while Yoruichi had her usual mischievous grin. "Bya-bo."

Harry could feel the power radiating off the man. This was someone he really didn't want to mess with.

"Byakuya!?" Ichigo scowled.

"Harry-kun, this is Kuchiki Byakuya, head of the Kuchiki Clan and a captain of the Gotei 13," Urahara introduced. "Kuchiki-taicho this is Potter Harry-sama, head, and last, of the ancient and noble House of Potter."

Harry gave a slight bow as he had been taught. So, this was the head of the clan that Muramasa's former wielder belonged to? Joy! "Honored sir."

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Byakuya prided himself on being a good judge of people and so he tried not to form an opinion of the young man before him. Although the file he'd read said this boy was 15; he looked younger. The abuse must have been very bad to have stunted his growth this severely. And the reiryoku that this boy was radiating was almost on the same level of Kurosaki!

He'd also read that this boy was ennobled in another country, but had never been given the training befitting his station as a noble lord.

"I am honored," the head of the Kuchiki clan bowed. "I came because of the zanpakuto you have in your possession. It belonged to one who disgraced my clan.

"Normally a zanpakuto dies with its wielder, but Kurosaki Ichigo did the impossible and rescued him. I bade him to inform me when he passed it on."

"So I've been told. . .uh sir?" Harry looked nervously up at the stoic shinigami. "I, I'm sorry. I'm new at this. But. . . what do I call you? What title do I use?"

Byakuya's eyes widened at the respect and uncertainty in the boy's voice. It was clear that the the child was very much out of his league, and knew it. To ask for clarification meant he didn't want to give disrespect and it showed his youth.

"Byakuya is Byakuya," chimed Ichigo, scowling at the dark haired captain.

Harry turned to his taller cousin and frowned. "Well yea, but I'm not like you Ichigo-kun. I wasn't raised in this culture."

Byakuya smiled slightly. He was liking this lad more and more. "You may call me Kuchiki-taicho. However, in this case, it would be Kuchiki-sama as I am here on clan business."

"So taicho? Captain for shinigami business and Lord for clan business? Got it, Kuchiki-sama!" Harry gave a nod and another bow, appearing more comfortable.

"I see you have my former clan member's zanpakuto," the clan lord replied, bringing the conversation back to the topic at hand.

"Ichigo-kun gave him to me after he killed two dementors with his swo. . . er sorry. . . zanpakuto. He was surprised that I could see him when he did it. As a wizard I'm used to seeing ghosts and spirits. My boarding school even has a poltergeist."

"I see." Byakuya didn't show it but he was finding this young lord enchanting in his eagerness to learn. For all of his hard life, Potter Harry still had some naivete left!

"Ichigo-kun told me I had to learn Muramasa's name on my own, as he couldn't tell me. It took a while." Harry looked up at the materialized spirit and the pair exchanged a warm look. "He's been great, sir. Like family. This is the first time he's shown himself without me calling him," Harry said with a happy grin.

"Very well."

The spirit moved closer to his new wielder and Byakuya could see that the bond was strengthening quickly between the pair. He frowned, wondering how this would play out. It was clear that this child had a lot to learn, but was no threat to the Soul Society.

"I approve," he said and turned to leave. "Kurosaki Ichigo you did well. I will visit again."

"Taicho. Harry-kun has to return to England at the end of the month, in about 20 days," Urahara said. "He has no choice if he wants to keep his titles and magic. The laws of his country are very strict on the matter."

Byakuya stopped and turned slightly to give a slight bow before opening the senkaimon to return to the Seireitei.

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Ichigo had scowled when he noticed the arrival of the stick-up-his-ass captain. He hoped he didn't start something. His cousin didn't need the hassle.

He was, however, surprised that Muramasa chose now to appear. The spirit looked almost as he had when he fought him the last time. It meant that the bond was growing stronger and Harry's magic was accepting it, which was all good to Ichigo's way of thinking.

However, the confrontation wasn't as bad as he had feared. Byakuya was known for his strict adherence to 'The Law'. Harry wasn't a shinigami, nor was he dead. He was a wizard in training and should not even have a zanpakuto! Thus he was breaking Soul Society's laws. However, Ichigo knew that both Muramasa and Harry needed each other badly.

Maybe this'll work after all?

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Harry watched as the tall man walked away. What just happened? He had heard stories about this guy and his strict adherence to the Laws of the Soul Society. And yet he approved! The captain reminded Harry a bit of Lucius Malfoy, but with more elegance and class.

A hand rested on his shoulder and he looked up to see Ichigo standing there.

"Back to training," his cousin ordered. "You need to become stronger."

Harry groaned as the laughter of Urahara and Yorichi rang out. Muramasa just smiled.

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Again special thanks to NeoRyu777 for the term definitions. Until next time. - Genkai and The Frau.

Jigokucho – Commonly called Hell Butterflies, they are black butterflies that guide Shinigami through the Senkaimon when travelling between the Soul Society and the Human World and deliver messages.

taicho – "Captain"

fukutaicho – "Lieutenant" or more literally, "Vice-Captain."

Senkaimon – is the gate used to travel between the two worlds, and is the only official and safe way to enter and leave Soul Society. The Soul Society has only one permanent Senkaimon, which takes the form of a giant gate situated within a large courtyard atop a large tower. Travel through the Senkaimon is heavily regulated, and can only officially be opened by the members of the Kido Corps. Upon opening the gate doors, white light emanates from the door and extends upward into the sky of Soul Society. While the Senkaimon is run by the Kidō Corps, some high ranking Noble Families have their own private Senkaimon which was what Byakuya Kuchiki used in this chapter.

Reiatsu – Spiritual energy. Not to be confused with Reiki, which is a spiritual practice

Shikai – "First Release"; Every Zanpukto has an initial release, Shikai, which is gained through a Shinigami learning the Zanpukto's name, and release phrase. For instance, Kuchiki Rukia's Shikai release is "Dance, Sode no Shiraiyuki!" In Shikai form, many Zanpuktos change form, and gain special abilities. Rukia's Shikai gives her "dances" which release ice-type attacks.

Bankai – "Great Release"; Every Zanpukto has a second release, Bankai. Bankai is achieved in stages. The first stage is manifestation of the Zanpukto spirit in the physical world. The second stage is passing the spirit's test. It is said that while Shikai involves working with the spirit, Bankai means dominion over the spirit, and gaining its full power. Often, a Shinigami's outfit will change to symbolize this in Bankai mode. For instance, when Kurosaki Ichigo uses Bankai, his Shinigami robes transform into Zangetsu's clothes. Also, Bankai is said to be easily ten times more powerful than Shikai.

Gotei 13 – The 13 imperial squads of Shinigami. Each squad has its own specialty. For instance, Squad 11 specializes in Zanjutsu, the use of one's Zanpukto in sword-fighting. They look down on those who specialize in Kido. Squad 4 specializes in Healing Kido, but as there is little call for them outside of war, they are the go-to squad for general chores. However, there is one little-known squad: Squad Zero, unknown to anyone outside the Captain ranks, are made up entirely of people Captains who have grown even stronger. Their duty is to protect the King of Soul Society.