Author's Note: Sorry this took so long! My internet went down. ENJOY!

Chapter 6

The following morning had been one that dragged on for Nyruki, as she hadn't slept a wink since being dismissed from the captains meeting. Her mind never once calmed as it churned with how the hell she was going to pull this off. Kibōyūwaku had offered a few ideas, and they seemed like they could work, but she truly had no idea how to find a solution to even the simplest of problems.

Where to actually train.

With a sigh, Nyruki sat up in her bed in the Squad 6 barracks and ran a hand back over her hair that had fallen down in front of her face. The rest of the squad was already going about their business for the day, but she had been given permission by her Captain to come up with a training regiment instead of mill about with tedious duties. To be honest, she would rather be cleaning the baths.

Another sigh sprung free from her throat as she stood and stretched the tired ache from her bones. She figured she would start with speaking with her Captain out of the hope that by talking about the situation with him, it would help get her thoughts in order. She slipped her Zanpakutō into her obi sash and stepped out of her small room, only receiving a glance here and there from other squad members as she made her way to the office at the end of the hall. A small part of her wished that the office would be empty, but she knew that she needed to come up with something and fast. That is what drove her to knock and ready herself for whomever answered.

However, to her mortified shock, it was not her Captain, but the lieutenant of Squad 6 whom answered.

"Oh... Morning." Renji said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Morning, Lieutenant." Nyruki said, averting her eyes to avoid looking into his.

"Captain's not in, but he should be here any minute." Renji said as he stepped aside, allowing her to enter the office.

Nyruki hesitated for a moment before stepping inside, her fingers picking at each other as she continued to refuse to look at the tall, red-headed male.

"Look, Nyruki... About yesterday-" Renji started, only to be cut off.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I didn't want to, but Kibōyūwaku just... That's how she is. I hope that it doesn't create contention between us since we still have to work together." Nyruki said, finally willing herself to look at him.

Renji sighed as he shut the door, "I was gonna say the same. It just caught me off guard is all." he said.

"That seems to be the running reaction." She sighed.

The door opened again, bringing their conversation to an abrupt end as Captain Byakuya Kuchiki entered with a small folder in his hands and his perpetual stare in place.

"Good morning, Captain!" Both Renji and Nyruki said as they bowed low at his arrival.

"Good morning." Byakuya said calmly as he just stepped passed them and went for his desk.

"Captain, I was hoping to have a few moments of your time." Nyruki said, rising from her bow.

"I suppose we have some things to discuss regarding the meeting yesterday eve." He said as he sat down.

Nyruki softly cleared her throat as she approached the opposite side of the desk, but remained standing as she clasped her fidgeting hands behind her back so he couldn't see her nervous twitch.

"I might have an idea on where to start, but we're faced with that I don't really have a place to do it." Nyruki started, sighing once more out of building nerves.

"Do what?" Renji asked.

"An adequate place to train." Byakuya said, not looking up from the papers in the small folder he had brought.

"Oh? Train in what?" Renji asked.

Byakuya's silver eyes shifted up from the papers to meet his Lieutenant's, but he said nothing.

"Oh! You know what? I just remembered I have something to do! Pardon my departure, Captain!" Renji said, flustered, as he immediately left the room and closed the door behind him.

"It never ceases to amaze how you can convey such words in a simple glare." Nyruki mumbled, not knowing that she had said it aloud.

"A trait I have perfected over many years." Byakuya said.

Nyruki jumped as the realization hit her that she had spoken allowed, "Oh! Uh... Sorry, Captain." She rubbed the back of her neck.

"You can sit, Nyruki." Byakuya said, returning his eyes to the papers.

Nyruki softly swallowed as she did just that, still hiding her nervous fidgeting from his line of sight behind her back.

"Captain, I was hoping you had an idea on where we could train that won't leave any of us exposed, or in any danger." Nyruki said, her nerves subsiding as her iron willed determination began to take over.

"Do we need protection while under your Zanpakutō's control?" Byakuya asked.

"Shelter wouldn't be a bad idea, Captain. A considerable amount of time can pass when under her influence and we wouldn't know it." Nyruki said.

"I see." He sighed, "Will the training room at my estate be sufficient enough?" He added after a moment.

Nyruki silently gasped, "Oh... Um, well yes. That will do perfectly actually. That also provides for someone to watch over us while we're under her control."

"I agree." Byakuya said simply.

"Thank you, Captain." Nyruki said.

"We will begin tonight. I will make the necessary arrangements and inform all the captains to arrive at my estate after their evening meals." Byakuya said without a hitch, let alone a look up from his papers.

"Really? Oh... Well I guess that solves that problem." Nyruki sighed and tried to hide her relief, but she failed.

Byakuya flipped through a page of his papers for a moment before continuing.

"If that is all, Nyruki, you are dismissed. Go about your normal duties until this evening." He said with indifference.

Nyruki nodded as she rose from the chair and bowed, holding it for a moment before she turned and left, softly closing the door to find Renji on the other side, leaning against the wall with a foot on it and his arms crossed.

"Oh! Hi, Lieutenant." She said as she released a breath and proceeded to walk passed him.

It was a bit of a shock as he pushed off the wall and began to walk with her down the hall, but instead of being nervous, she felt relief that the incident during the training session would be put behind her and forgotten. All she wanted to do was move on and settle into her new life at Squad 6. However long that would last.

"Is there something you needed, Lieutenant?" She asked kindly, not wanting to just walk in silence.

"Not really. I was just hoping to talk about your swordsmanship from yesterday. It was pretty good since you were keeping up with the Captain's strikes." Renji said, resting his hands on the back of his head.

"I sure hope so. Captain Ukitake is the one who taught me." Nyruki said, pleased with the tone of the conversation.

"Did the captains teach you because of your spiritual pressure?" He asked as they turned a corner and headed for the door that lead outside.

"Yes. Even with the collar, it's enough to choke the life out of normal Shinigami if I ever lost control." She said, resting her palm on the hilt of her Zanpakutō as they walked.

"Really? Wow." Renji exhaled.

"Tell me about it. It's a bit disconcerting knowing you have that much power at your disposal." She said as she pushed open the door out into the unseasonably warm weather.

"You surpass the Captain don't you?" He asked, raising his face to the sun to enjoy the welcoming heat.

"Collared, or not collared?" She asked.

Renji shrugged, "Either, or."

"Collared, I'm a contender. Not collared, I can bring him to his knees." She said, actually with a lopsided smirk.

"Have you ever fought him without the collar?" He asked, pointing to the black band securely clasped around her throat.

"No. The only time he's ever been faced with my full power was four years ago." Nyruki said as they walked out of the large double gate of the Squad 6 barracks.

"I know this is probably a lot to ask, especially after what happened yesterday, but do you think you could help me build up a tolerance to spiritual pressure?" Renji asked.

Hearing that, Nyruki held her breath as she glanced up at him, finding he was already looking back out of the corner of his eye. She stopped walking, as she was certainly not expecting him to ask her that. Not after yesterday, but she'd be lying to herself if she said that it wasn't a relief.

"Oh... Um. Yeah, I suppose. Even though I'm fresh to the squad?" She asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Hey, talent is talent, no matter how new it is." Renji said with a crooked grin.

"I suppose that's true. Yeah, I'll help you, but I can't be certain when I'll get the chance. I'm pretty booked up for the next month." Nyruki said as her shoulders slumped with a sigh.

"That's fine. It's not like I'm going anywhere." Renji grinned.

"Alright. But hey, I hate to cut this short, but I should get going. I've got a training schedule to plan and a bunch of begging to the luck gods to do so talk later?" She asked, returning the smile.

"Sure. I'll see you around." Renji said holding his hand out for a shake.

Nyruki only hesitated for a moment before she shook his hand and headed off by herself, hoping the walk would help clear her head. The small conversation with Renji helped and she was glad he wasn't holding the events of yesterday against her. It was a huge relief and was one less thing for her to stress over, which left her open to stress about only one thing.

Training the captains.

For some reason, the rest of the day passed by with lightning speed, much to Nyruki's dismay. She didn't feel as if she had had enough time to come up with any concrete plan, but she didn't have much of a choice in whether, or not, she got anymore time to think. It was time to meet at the Kuchiki estate and she was hoping she wouldn't be the last to arrive.

Reaching the wooden gate, carved with the crest of the Kuchiki clan, she stood in awe at the sight of it. Everything about the estate was perfect, from the condition of the wood, to the perfection of the bamboo. The walls were kept perfectly white and always clean and even from the outside, it was a grand sight to behold.

Before she even had a chance to knock, the gate opened by the aged hand of an older man, dressed in gray robes that shone blue in the night.

"Good evening. You must be Nyruki Sawada. Lord Byakuya is awaiting your arrival." He said as he opened the gate a bit wider to allow her entrance onto the grounds.

"Yes. I hope I'm not late." Nyruki said with a slight bow out of respect.

"Not at all. Not everyone is here yet. Only Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyōraku have arrived." The older man said as he began to escort her through the estate.

"Oh good." She said quietly.

As they walked, she couldn't help but admire the sight of the estate now that she was on the inside. It was so beautiful that any nervousness that she had been feeling on her walk to the manor was gone, having been replaced with calm and serenity. The soft licking of the pond water was just enough to break up the quiet of the breezeless night, with only the occasional splash from jovial fish whom called the pond home. I bet this is what it looked like before I destroyed it. She thought with a pleased smile across her lips.

They reached a closed off room whose roof rose higher than the surrounding estate, but not so much so as to stick out like it was some sort of guard tower. The older man gently placed his hands on the sliding doors and easily opened them with a wooden grind, revealing it to be an extensive training room, equipped with whatever one would need to train and train properly.

"Miss Nyruki Sawada has arrived, My Lord." Announced the old man as he stepped aside to allow her entry into the room.

Nyruki instantly bowed, "Good evening, captains."

"Good evening, Nyruki. I hope your day has been well." Said Ukitake with a smile and a cup of tea in his hand.

"Of course, Captain. Who could argue with that wonderful sunshine we had today." Nyruki returned the smile as she entered the room and the doors slid closed behind her.

"It was wonderful wasn't it? I was glad for the warmer weather." Ukitake said, taking a sip.

"Your lungs say the same, Jūshirō." Captain Kyōraku said, sitting next to the white haired man at a modest table that had been set up inside the room.

At the site of the Captain of Squad 8, Nyruki felt the sudden rush of heat radiating over her cheeks and she rubbed them as if it was possible to wipe the crimson away.

However, her blush was still seen.

"Think nothing of it, Nyruki. I understand that those actions weren't exactly you and it was merely for demonstration purposes." Captain Kyōraku said with a reassuring smile.

"That doesn't change the fact that, at first glance, we've kissed." Nyruki said, the very word adding fuel to her embarrassment.

"Don't hear me complaining." The man mumbled, only to earn himself a smack in the arm from his best friend.

"Shunsui!"

"What? It's true!" Kyōraku laughed.

Nyruki huffed a short laugh as her eyes shifted to the third man sitting at the table with a tea cup in hand.

"Good evening, Captain." She said with another bow.

"Good evening." Byakuya said simply.

A short lived roll flipped in her stomach as she came to stand at the table, but made no move to sit in the remaining empty chair.

"You can sit, Nyruki." Byakuya said before taking a sip of tea.

"Uh... Thank you, Captain." She said quietly.

"Here. Have some tea. It'll help calm your nerves." Ukitake said in a pleased tone as he poured her a cup and set it down in front of her.

"Is it that noticeable?" She already knew the answer.

"Blatantly obvious. Are we really that scary?" Kyōraku asked with a sip.

"Not you two, per say, but he is." Nyruki said, looking directly at her Captain.

Byakuya simply looked up from his cup, his perfect posture never changing as he looked back with barely shadowed eyes from the soft white light of the moon coming in through the thinly veiled windows.

"There is no need to fear me. You've done nothing to warrant my wrath." Byakuya said evenly.

"Not yet, but I can't say Kibōyūwaku won't do anything to invoke it." Nyruki said as she tried the tea, thrilled that it was so delightful and comforting.

"Remember that this training is supposed to benefit you as well." Byakuya said, lowering his eyes back to his tea.

"I know, but with this being our first session, she'll most likely be in control." Nyruki sighed.

"Learn to take control sooner, rather than later." Byakuya said.

Her nerves returned with a vengeance at the remark, but there was no time for her to reflect on his demeanor, as Ukitake and Kyōraku both grabbed chunks of the nobleman's cheeks.

"Oh, stop it, Pup! You're making the woman's state worse." Kyōraku said before letting go.

For the briefest of moments, Nyruki caught a glimpse of the stoic man's eyes twitching with irritation.

"Scatt-" Byakuya started, but was silenced when Ukitake stuffed a cracker into his mouth.

"Scatter that. In the privacy of your own manor, Byakuya, you're still just a babe compared to us." Ukitake laughed before returning to his tea.

Nyruki cupped a hand over her mouth to hide the evidence that she was barely able to hold back her laughter.

"I hate you both. In front of my subordinate." Byakuya sighed after chewing and swallowing the forced snack.

"Hardly. We would've done the same in front of your Lieutenant too." Kyōraku said with a grin.

"I am unable to comprehend the very thing I just saw." Nyruki said, ridged with shock at what the two captains had so brazenly done.

"Believe it, or not, this one is scores younger. He's one of the youngest captains amongst us save for baby Hitsugaya." Kyōraku said with a lopsided smirk.

"Really?" Nyruki breathed.

With a sigh, Byakuya set down is tea cup and glared in front of him, looking directly through Nyruki sitting across from him.

"Yes." He said blankly.

"I had no idea." She said, opting to let it end there instead of prodding the man further which could serve to be a fatal decision if the look on his face was any indication.

"Not many people do." Kyōraku said, beaming.

To Byakuya's silent relief, his attendant returned with the arrival of several more captains. Sajin Komamura, Retsu Unohana, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and Kenpachi Zaraki all entered and set their Zanpakutōs to lean against the wall, next to the doors with the three others that were already there.

Soi-Fon suddenly appeared just before the attendant closed the door and slipped through, bringing the group to near completion, with the only exception being that of Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

"Now where is that closet lunatic?" Kyōraku asked, finishing his tea that he had laced with sake.

"He's not really a closet lunatic, Shunsui." Ukitake said.

"Is it rude to be sort of happy he isn't here?" Nyruki asked, silently chiding herself that she wasn't about to earn a storm's worth of punishment for the remark.

"For this particular instance, no. It is not." Byakuya said as he rose from his seat.

Not gonna lie. Wasn't expecting that. Nyruki thought with a sigh, standing to face the horde of captains.

"Do we really have to go through this? We've never had to receive training with any other Zanpakutō before." Said Soi-Fon as she crossed her arms, standing a few feet away from the main group.

"If the Head-Captain wishes it, then we have no place to protest." Byakuya said as he knelt down to sit on the bamboo mats of the training floor.

The other captains followed his lead as they all sat in a circle with several feet between each of them. Nyruki continued to stand however as she organized her thoughts and stepped into the center of circle that would be her stage.

"So what is this going to entail?" Soi-Fon asked, sitting on her heels with her hands resting on her thighs.

"Well, I figured it would be best to train as a group like this, as our time is extremely limited." Nyruki said, taking in a deep breath to ready herself mentally.

"I meant, how is this going to work." Soi-Fon said with zero expression on her face.

"Oh... Well, I'm going to release my Zanpakutō, I'll enter Bankai and she'll enthrall each of you. Then you do your best to break free of her hold." Nyruki said with a nervous bite to her bottom lip.

"We should begin by hearing how best to do that." Ukitake said, seated in the same manner as Soi-Fon.

"Well, Kibōyūwaku's power is held in your own desires. She has the ability to access them and trap you inside while your body comes under my control. That's how it's supposed to work, but she's in full control of my own body... As you saw." Nyruki said, looking to each captain so that all could hear her as she spoke.

"So you have to be in control in order to utilize the ability affectively." Kyōraku said, having removed his hat to set it on the floor behind him.

"Yes." Nyruki said bluntly.

"Then this already won't work because you aren't in control." Soi-Fon said with a soft furrowing of her brows.

"Her and her Zanpakutō have to find their synergy, which they have yet to achieve despite Bankai, which she obtained only by the grace of her Zanpakutō's spirit." Byakuya said, his glare at the other Captain enough to chide her back into place.

"I suppose." Is all Soi-Fon said.

Nyruki continued.

"The way to see through her illusions, is to remember reality. Focus on something here, now, that draws you to it. It could be anything; A person, a thing, a place, a moment. It doesn't matter so long as it's something you can seat your consciousness in." She said, taking a moment to look at each Captain.

"What will that accomplish?" Kenpachi Zaraki asked, being taller, still, than nearly everyone around him despite sitting down.

"If you focus on that, you'll begin to break through her power, but she won't make it easy for you. If she realizes that you're breaking free of her hold, she'll adjust the trap to compensate for it. If that happens, you have to adjust accordingly. Reality is the only thing that can break through." Nyruki said, her hand curling around the handle of her Zanpakutō.

"Sounds difficult." Kyōraku said, tapping his strong chin.

"It is. However, there is a danger to this." Nyruki said.

"Explain." Byakuya said firmly, his brows lightly drawn down.

"If you become locked in her illusions, you run the chance of becoming 'lost to desire' as I call it. It's when you can no longer distinguish between illusion and reality and as such, you become permanently trapped. The only way to be freed from it, is to be released by Kibōyūwaku herself, or death." Nyruki explained.

"That sucks." Kenpachi shrugged.

"Depends on the illusion. If it's something you truly desire from the bottom of your soul, you slip away peacefully." Nyruki said, braving to lock eyes with the massive man.

"That is... unnerving." Sajin Komamura said, who truly was a massive creature, even when he was sitting.

"Very much so." Nyruki said with a nod.

She drew in a long breath as she regarded each Captain and it was to her surprise that each one had a small sign of nerves with the exception of Byakuya Kuchiki. His expression, as always, was cold, unmoving as he simply watched the floor just at her feet.

"I suppose we best get on with this." Nyruki said, softly sighing.

"I agree. Let us begin." Byakuya nodded.

With another sigh that was a bit more shaky than she would have liked, Nyruki slowly pulled her Zanpakutō from its sheath and brought the moonlit blade to her lips.

"Fall into desire; Kibōyūwaku."