Chapter 8

The bed was bliss; Utter, undeniable bliss. The satin sheets felt like a cool breeze against her skin and the mattress molded itself to her body the same way Byakuya's did when they embraced. It wasn't too soft, but was modestly firm and the small platoon of pillows cradled her head as if they were clouds plucked straight from the sky.

Nyruki didn't want to wake up, and absolutely refused to as she lay along Byakuya's side with her back pressed up against him. She wore a simple purple robe while he, a blue, and he lay on his back with his arm threaded beneath her neck, covered by her chosen pillow. His face was leaned towards her where each time he drew in a long, steady breath, the tip of his nose was gently tickled by a few strands of her hair.

Each time, a single strand brought him closer to a sneeze, subtly tickling the inside of his nose like its sole purpose was to try and make him wake up by blowing out a rapid huff of air. He brushed the offending strand away before they both had a rude awakening, but it was too late as it tickled just the right spot inside his left nostril.

Before he could cover his mouth, a strong sneeze shot from his sinuses with a loud bark, waking both with a start and a groan from Nyruki as she buried her face in her pillow.

"Bless you." Nyruki mumbled into her pillow, hugging it and his arm in the process.

"If this is to become habit, perhaps we should braid it at night." Byakuya said without even opening his eyes as he threw his other arm over them to keep it dark.

"I'm never leaving this bed." Nyruki said, she too, keeping her eyes closed as she nuzzled back against him.

Byakuya lowly laughed, "Enjoying it are you?"

Nyruki nodded and hummed with a sleepy smile.

Byakuya drew in a long breath as he turned onto his side, draping his arm over hers and bringing her back, closer to his chest.

"As much as I would greatly enjoy staying here for the rest of the day, we really should wake." He said lowly, burying his face into her hair and taking a deep breath.

Nyruki groaned, "Do we have to?" She whined.

"We have a lot to accomplish; Me with acquiring Grimmjow's pardon and you," He softly prodded her side with a long finger, "your continued training of Ukitake and Kyōraku." He softly kissed the nape of her neck.

With a sucking gasp, Nyruki shot up with her eyes wide open, "Holy shit... What time is it?"

Byakuya sat up beside her, resting a hand on her back as he cleared the last of the sleep from his eyes. He glanced at his nightstand at the small, unobtrusive clock that displayed the time and it made him frown.

"It's a quarter after nine. I hadn't realized it was so late." He said as he turned and threw his legs off the bed.

Nyruki however, sprang from the bed and rushed for her Shihakushō that she had neatly folded and set on top of his dresser. She untied her robe and threw it off without a care, expecting it to puddle around her feet, but it never did.

Somehow, the robe made it back to her shoulders as Byakuya wrapped her back up in it, snaking his arms around her middle as he placed soft, tender kisses to the side of her neck.

"Relax, Nyruki. There is no need to rush. We still have a little time." He said softly, placing another kiss, this time to the shell of her ear.

Nyruki sighed and leaned back against him, resting a hand over his joined ones.

"I feel like that's precisely what we're running out of, Byakuya. This battle royale is the day after tomorrow." Nyruki sighed, resting her head back against his chest.

"I am more than aware, Nyruki," He placed another kiss, "All you can do, all any of the captains can do, is fight to the best of our abilities." He held her closer and began to gently sway them both from side to side.

"What happens if our best isn't good enough?" She asked, turning her head so her ear rested against his chest.

"Then it was meant to happen. No matter the outcome of this, Nyruki, your standing with me will not change." He said as he unwound his arms and gently turned her so she faced him.

Nyruki huffed, but softly smiled, "Didn't think you could love a washed out Shinigami." She rested her forehead against his chest with a sigh.

Byakuya lowly laughed as he cupped her chin, "I would love you no matter what you were, Nyruki." He offered her a smile.

At his sweet words, she couldn't stop from returning the soft smile as she snaked her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers into his bed messed hair.

"You and your sweetness are gonna give me cavities." Nyruki softly chuckled before rising up onto her toes.

Byakuya's smile grew as he bowed his head and captured her lips, wrapping an arm around her middle while his other hand softly gripped the nape of her neck. Their lips danced in slow motion with their tongues swirling as if they were in a ballroom, slow and sensual. The longer they held their kiss, the more Nyruki leaned into him and the more of her weight he supported with his arm until her feet were longer touching the bamboo of his floor.

Without even separating their lips, Byakuya carried her back to his bed and gently laid her down, covering her with his own body while he stroked her hair. The moan that fluttered up from her throat was enough to send a hot shiver down his spine and cause him to add his own tenor to the mix. The temperature of his body was rising and it only spiked when one of her legs began to trail up his side.

His breath caught in his throat and he moaned once more before parting their lips, opening his hazy eyes to peer at her through his long, dark lashes.

"As much as I would love to continue, if we go much further, what time you have left will disappear." He said lowly as he brushed aside a dyed white lock of her hair that had fallen in front of her face.

Nyruki smiled coyly as she trailed a finger down his cheek, "Are you predicting our first time will last a few hours?" She bit the corner of her bottom lip.

"No... I'm predicting our first time will last a few days." He smirked.

Just as Nyruki's cheeks shaded themselves scarlet, Byakuya growled and ducked his head to ravage her neck in light nibbles and gentle kisses. She squeaked with laughter as she held him tight, lazily kicking and pretending to be in distress from his loving assault. However, the beaming, giggling smile across her face said otherwise.

"Ah! Stop it! That tickles!" Nyruki laughed, hooking a leg around his waist.

Byakuya growled and nibbled a few more times before taking his mouth away from her neck and lifted himself up onto his elbows, all while he smiled down at her, overflowing with affection.

"Knowledge I shall use to my advantage at a later date." He smirked, pushing himself up off the bed to free her from his body.

Nyruki playfully scowled, "Not fair."

"All is fair in love an war, my dear, Nyruki." Byakuya winked as he offered her a hand.

Nyruki's scowl turned into an amused glare before she took his offered hand for his help in rising to her feet. He pulled her against him and wrapped her up once more in his arms for one, last kiss that lasted a longer moment than usual.

"Yes... I think this will become a normal thing." Nyruki said as she rapped a finger against his chest before going back to the dresser.

Byakuya watched her undress with a brow arced over an eye and his arms crossed, "My bed will be quite a bit more welcoming now, I think."

"Is that so?" She asked as she wrapped her chest with the black bandaging that served as her support.

"Quite so. It has been a long time since my bed laid witness to company." Byakuya said as he walked to his closet.

"Not since Hisana?" She asked, slipping her arms through the top of her Shihakushō before pulling up her hakama.

"No. She was the last to warm those sheets." He said as he pulled a cleaned and pressed Shihakushō from the row of others.

"I find that incredibly sweet." She said with a sidelong glance.

"Do you? That a man can be so truly faithful to his lost wife's memory?" He asked as he began to dress.

Nyruki tied her obi sash and took a moment to admire Byakuya standing nude before her, how even the action of dressing caused every muscle to flex and peak the taut skin that covered them. Even his triceps defined themselves as he pulled up the hakama of his Shihakushō.

"With that body, I'm stunned you don't have women lining up at your door." Nyruki shook her head to bring her back to her senses.

"I have had my fair share of admirers, but I simply had no interest until I met you." He said, threading his arms through his top.

Nyruki furrowed her brows, "Wait a second... You said you didn't start having feelings for me until we kissed that first time when we started this whole nonsense." She crossed her arms.

Byakuya shot her a sidelong glance, "And you would be correct. My romantic feelings for you hadn't truly bloomed until I felt that first spark of resonation the first time we kissed. However, the seed that grew into those romantic feelings had been planted well before. I refrained from saying anything because I didn't wish to frighten you."

"Really?" Nyruki mildly reeled.

"Yes. If anything, I am a very patient man and was more than content to wait. Though that patience did have its moments of wain." He said with a soft smirk.

"Oh, do tell." Nyruki smiled as she sat down on the edge of the bed and crossed her legs.

"I was... disappointed when Captain Ukitake accompanied you to visit me while I was at the Squad 4 medical facility." He said, tying his sash in his standard, but long bow.

"Is that so?" Nyruki lightly laughed.

"Yes. I was impressed that you had so quickly found the opening I left for you and wanted to tell you as such, but felt it inappropriate since he was present." He said, pulling on his custom, gold trimmed captain's haori.

"What were you gonna do? Kiss me?" She goaded with a soft snicker.

"Not quite so brazen, but the thought of, perhaps, kissing the back of your hand as a thank you for the cherry blossom sapling had crossed my mind." He said, flipping his hair out from behind the tall collar.

"Huh... Speaking of, how is that little cherry tree doing?" She asked as she stood and followed him into the large bathroom.

Nyruki snatched the hair brush from the counter before he could and began to carefully comb through the layer of bed messed hair, taking care not to snag, or break any of the silken strands.

"I am perfectly capable of brushing my own hair." He said, looking at her through the mirror with a soft smile on his lips.

"Too bad." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Alright," He lowly laughed as he did her the favor of sitting down on the shower bench, "To answer your question, the cherry tree is doing rather well. You've seen it." He added.

"I have? Where?" She asked, making another, gentle pass through his hair with the brush.

"The small tree growing in that empty space near the Eastern wall." He said.

"That's it? It's grown a lot since then." She said, threading her fingers through the silken locks to hunt for more tangles.

"Quite a bit. It seems to be quite happy where I planted it. I suspect it will grow large there." He said, sitting up perfectly straight while she combed.

Nyruki simply smiled down at him as she brushed, running long, smooth strokes through his hair that gave up little fight to retain the tangles. It was so fine and silken that a single pass was capable of ridding several tangles at once and his hair was so healthy that not a single strand snapped from her combing.

Once satisfied that there was not a single tangle left, she threaded her fingers through his hair and dragged them back, pulling the loose strands that he had shed. There were only a few that came free and after a few passes that were completely void of anymore loose strands, she set the brush back down on the counter where it had been.

She carefully picked up the silver, four pronged headpiece from the mannequin head that rested in the corner of the counter and looked it over, trying to figure out how the thing clipped into his hair, but came up empty.

"How does this thing work exactly?" She asked, still trying to figure it out.

Byakuya spun around on the bench and held out his hand for the headpiece, "I'll show you."

Nyruki arced a brow as she handed him the headpiece and watched as he racked a hand back through his hair, sweeping his chin length bangs back into the fray as he shook his hand on its way through the locks. He made another sweep with his hand before giving his head a quick shake, which shook his bangs free and his hair parted in a perfectly straight line down the right side of his head.

"I hate you." She grumbled, crossing her arms as he stood and faced the mirror.

Byakuya laughed as he picked up the straight comb and brushed his hair back, leaving his bangs to hang free, but covering up the part.

"And why is that?" He smirked and sent a sidelong glance as he worked.

"Your hair is freaking perfect. Why is it guys always have perfect hair and mine is all like 'Imma do what I want'." She growled with faux irritation.

"Years, upon years, upon years of care and work, Nyruki." He said, smiling as he pressed his hair down to keep it swept back with his hand.

"Still hating you right now." She smiled back.

Byakuya picked up the silver headpiece and somehow, with one hand, flicked open the hidden claw clips that ran along the bottom of the four prongs.

"It's a giant claw clip?" Nyruki reeled as he settled the piece down onto his hair and clipped it closed with a soft click.

"Yes. How else am I to make it stay?" He said, clipping the last claw clip closed to finish putting it into his hair.

"Ugh... It's so not fair." She growled and let her arms drop to her sides.

Again, Byakuya lowly laughed as he finished settling his bangs where he wanted them before turning and smiling down at her.

"Sit." He said.

Nyruki sat down on the shower bench with a heavy plop, "What're you gonna do?" She playfully glared.

"Just trust me."

Before she could feign her protest, Byakuya was combing through her hair, being just as careful as she was with his. Her hair was far more riddled with tangles because of its length, but after a short while, and some leave in conditioner, he had been able to comb them all free. He plucked the white locks free from the black before separating the rest into three sections and just as smoothly as he had when they were trapped inside her inner world, he braided them together.

But instead of simply tying the end with a colored hair ribbon, he looped in a golden O ring before securing the whole thing with a white ribbon to match her bangs.

"Ooo... I like it." She beamed as she stood and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Byakuya smiled down at her as he rested his hands on her hips, and was perfectly content to steal another kiss, but a knock at his bedroom door shattered the entire mood.

"Now who in all the realms-" He grumbled as he begrudgingly released her and went to answer it.

"Pardon me, My Lord, but I came to let you know that your morning meal is ready and that Mr. Abarai and Lady Rukia are at work on the files from last night." Said his attendant with a modest bow.

"Thank you. I will eat in there. There is quite a bit of work to do yet." Byakuya said, returning the gesture with just his head.

"Of course, My Lord." The attendant said before stepping away.

"Looks like it's back to the grind." Nyruki sighed as her smile vanished, leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom with her arms crossed once again.

"I am afraid so, Nyruki."

They shared one last kiss that was no more than a quick peck before going their separate ways, with Nyruki vanishing into the training room, while Byakuya headed for the room he had worked in the previous night.

Just as his attendant had said, Rukia and Renji were both already hard at work with the files, managing to eat their breakfast in between finding the correct corresponding papers for each folder. Byakuya took the chance to observe them work.

Neither spoke a word to each other, but instead, seemed to have an unconscious understanding of what the other wanted. When Renji would need a paper that was closer to Rukia, she would hand it to him without him having to request it, and he would do the same for her. They never even looked up from which folders they were working on and if Byakuya hadn't known any better, he would have said they were telepathically linked.

Byakuya didn't say a word as he sat down and began to rummage through the papers he had abandoned before going to bed. A small servant girl soon arrived with his breakfast and set it down next to him before pouring him a cup of tea. He silently thanked the girl and returned to his work, sipping his tea as he read the paper he had left off with, but it only served to remind him that only half of the bounties Ichigo had submitted to obtain, had been paid out.

"That's right... I'll need to pay a visit to Captain Kurotsuchi today." Byakuya said softly to himself with another sip of tea.

"If I were you, Captain, I would too. Found this just before you came in." Renji said without even looking up as he slid a piece of paper across the table to him.

Byakuya grasped the page and began to read, drawing his brows down a bit over his silver eyes.

"He actually denied the boy a few of the bounties." He said with a low rumble in his throat from irritation.

"With the reason being that there was no evidence that Ichigo was the one who cut them down." Renji said, continuing to work.

"I suppose there is some validity behind that. However, I don't think this goes any deeper than Mayuri Kurotsuchi acting of his own volition again." Byakuya said before popping a bite of food into his mouth.

"I hope you're right, Nii-Sama." Rukia said as she handed Renji another piece of paper before he asked for it.

"I am certain I am. He has never liked Ichigo Kurosaki." Byakuya said, pinching another morsel with his chopsticks and popping it into his mouth.

"Neither have you, Captain." Renji deadpanned.

"On the contrary... That irritating little whelp seems to be growing on me." Byakuya said with an arced brow and a sip of tea.

"Funny how he manages to compliment and insult all at the same time." Rukia smirked and continued to work.

"Tell me about it. I see it every damn day." Renji said, matching her smirk.

"Have you ever seen Ōmaeda cry? Nii-Sama can get him do it with a single sentence." Rukia said, huffing a wider smirk as she passed Renji another paper.

Renji slid a few papers over to Rukia, "It doesn't take much to make that fat bastard cry. Captain Soi-Fon does it everyday."

Byakuya simply sat in silence while he ate his breakfast and listened.

"No, she gets him screaming to the point of tears. Nii-Sama can get him to ball like he's five." Rukia chuckled as she scooped up the papers he had passed her.

"Yet another thing I'd pay to see." Renji laughed.

"There's more?" Rukia arced a brow.

"The Captain and Kenpachi getting into another brawl. You punching Ichigo in the gut. The Captain and Ichigo going at it again because last time they kicked the shit out of each other. I could go on for awhile." Renji smiled as he plucked the next piece of paper from Rukia's hands.

Byakuya sipped his tea and continued listening with his eyes bouncing to each one as they spoke.

"Last time Nii-Sama and Ichigo got in a fight, it was like New Years. It was actually quite pretty with all the light going everywhere." Rukia said as she placed a final piece of paper into the file she was working on and closed it.

Byakuya's brows furrowed a bit, but he remained silent as he watched.

"Oh my gods... Do you remember when the Captain helped out with that film festival craziness? When he was firing all those Byakurais at Ichigo?" Renji beamed, this time looking over at her as he passed her another file.

"Yes! It took everything I had to not laugh!" Rukia laughed out loud, passing Renji another file for himself.

"I swear the Captain smiled!" Renji snapped his fingers, "I should've gotten a picture! The Women's Association would've paid huge for a picture of that!" He scowled down at his new file.

Byakuya sat up straighter.

"Oh, they'll pay for more than just photos of him smiling. They're trying to put together a photo spread for an upcoming issue of the Seireitei Communication." Rukia said as she started her work on the new file.

"Really? What're they looking for?" Renji asked.

"Anything really. Some candid shots of Nii-Sama in the garden, some when he's out for his nighttime walks, at work with the squad, training; Things like that. The harder shots they want are gonna be the more... oh, how do I put this... sexy ones." Rukia slightly blushed, but never missed a beat in her work.

Byakuya's eyes widened at his little sister's words, but he continued to listen, sipping his tea and eating his breakfast. They apparently had forgotten he was there.

"Sexy ones! I ain't gonna try and get those! If they want those, you're gonna have to talk with Nyruki." Renji grinned sheepishly.

"He's my brother! I'm not gonna ask her for sexy shots! That would be weird! If the Women's Association wants them so bad, they're gonna have to ask her themselves because I'm not going to. There is no way they're gonna get them otherwise." Rukia faked a shutter while she worked.

"Hasn't the Women's Association been trying for awhile now to publish the spread?" Renji asked as he leaned over and started sifting through a few of Rukia's papers.

"Yes, but Nii-Sama keeps intercepting their efforts." Rukia said as she rested a hand on the back of Renji's head while he searched since he consumed all of her elbow room.

"This is my surprised face." Renji deadpanned.

"Personally, I think they've been going about it all wrong. They're using the secret tunnels that Yachiru laid out beneath the estate to get in, but they aren't using them to get out. That's they're problem." Rukia said, taking her hand back when Renji found what he was looking for and sat up straight.

Byakuya quietly sipped his tea while his little sister and his Lieutenant dug their own graves.

"Wouldn't he just end up following them either way?" Renji asked.

"Depends. He doesn't know where the tunnels lead out and there's no chance in Hell he'll ever crawl through them." Rukia said with a smirk.

"Yeah... Too much pride." Renji snickered.

Rukia snickered right along with him as she sat up far too straight and struck a superhero's pose, "It's the pride signal... I must go."

Renji choked on his laughter as he cupped a hand over his nose and mouth in an attempt to keep the tea he had just drank from spilling out.

Byakuya arced a brow.

"You've been waiting for a chance to do that haven't you." Renji said after managing to muscle down his mouthful of tea.

"So very long. Oh, so very-"

Rukia instantly choked on her words as she stared across the table, eyes wide and breath held. The sound had caused Renji to look up at her and follow her line of sight, only to have his own eyes snap wide and his breath to catch with a loud gargle in his throat. They were a pair of deer in headlights as they finally realized that the very subject of their conversation was sitting across the table, having watched and listened the whole time.

And his breakfast was finished.

"Uh... So um... Nice uh... Nice weather." Renji gulped heavily.

"Quite." Byakuya said simply, picking at his teeth with his tongue as he glared at them both, having to use a considerable amount effort to keep from laughing.

Rukia gulped, "Um... I um... You heard nothing from me." Her cheeks colored a deep shade of scarlet.

"A little bird told me." Byakuya said as a grin began to peak through his resolve.

Both Renji and Rukia gulped again, still with their eyes wide with terror that they were about to be scalded with the mother of all scaldings. However, Byakuya simply held their gazes as he stood with his file in hand, clasped his hands behind his back and left the room without saying another world.

Once the door was closed, Rukia and Renji looked at each other and cringed.

"We're gonna die."

Free from prying eyes along his walk to the front gate of his estate, Byakuya allowed the laugh he had been holding back to rumble in his throat. The looks of frozen terror that had covered their faces was one he had wished was captured on film for the simple reason that he held the desire to show it off. It was amusing to think that they had been so engrossed in their work, as well as their conversation, that they had utterly forgotten that he was sitting right there, and he rather enjoyed listening in. It afforded a nice reprieve from his thoughts of just exactly what and how he was going to talk with the Captain of Squad 12.

As much as he would have liked to keep smiling about the exchange, he knew that it was time to return to the stoic, expressionless man that everyone knew. The smile vanished as he opened the front gate and emerged out into the street, only bothered by a few passersby whom sent him their morning greetings. The walk gave him some time to get his thoughts in order and prepare for whatever might arise, whether it be a cordial conversation, an argument, or an all out fight.

Byakuya stepped up to the closed iron gates of Squad 12 and pushed one side open with ease. The guards on the other side bowed their respects as he walked by and headed for the plain box of a building that was gray and boring. No one other than the guards was about, which was not surprising since nearly all whom were assigned to Squad 12 seemed to have a fear of the outdoors. He reached the main entranced and stepped through the automated doors that opened upon his approach and stopped to give his eyes a chance to adjust to the low light.

Much like it always was, inside was kept atrociously dark, with only the barest amount of light to keep the blackness at bay. Inside was more akin to a cave and every time he had to visit the dank and dark place, he felt as if it could swallow up everything good in the world like a black hole.

As he drew in a long breath, he began to head deeper inside until he came across the one person in all of Squad 12 that actually liked the man.

Nemu Kurotsuchi.

"Good morning, Captain Kuchiki. Is there something you need?" She asked softly and with even less expression than he.

"Actually, yes. I am looking to speak with Captain Kurotsuchi. Is he in?" Byakuya asked with zero indication that he wasn't, actually, a robot.

Nemu nodded once, "Yes, Captain Kuchiki. Is he expecting your visit?"

"No." Byakuya said.

"I see. This way, Captain Kuchiki. He should be in his office."

Nemu simply spun around and headed down the hall, clutching a clipboard to her chest. She made no attempt to hold idle conversation as she lead him through the dark laboratory where several teams were busy with their work with whatever experiments the mad Captain had them working on. Not a single one even acknowledged his existence as he walked by and followed the small Lieutenant through a large door.

The office of Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi was large and more used as a museum than an office. Shelves lined nearly every wall, heavy with jars of hundreds of specimens that he considered special. There were small creatures suspended in sickly green liquid, pieces of Hollow and fragments of masks. A large tank full of that same liquid was smack in the middle of the office, obscuring the desk behind it and looking through was no use since the large, very dead, very decayed body of a Hollow was in the way. It was a room of suspended death.

"Nemu! What did I tell you this morning!" Came the grating voice from behind the tank.

"Pardon my intrusion, Mayuri-Sama, but Captain Byakuya Kuchiki is here to speak with you." Said Nemu in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"What? What for?" Mayuri sneered as he leaned out from behind the tank.

"If I recall, didn't I say that you and I were going to have a talk?" Byakuya asked, never even flinching from the static scent of formaldehyde and anesthetic that wafted throughout the room.

"Huh? Now? I'm busy!" Mayuri grumbled before disappearing from sight.

"You have little choice in the matter. The only choice you have is where we shall speak." Byakuya said firmly.

With an audible growl, Mayuri finally stepped out from behind the tank, glaring hard at the noble captain.

"Fine! Nemu... I'll deal with you later. Leave." Mayuri hissed.

Byakuya glanced to his side as the quiet and small woman bowed and left without so much as an ounce of protest, or fear on her expressionless face. It was no secret about the abuse that Mayuri dished out to his artificial daughter and Lieutenant, and as a result, she was quiet, withdrawn and melancholic. He truly did not understand and frankly, he wasn't sure he wanted to.

"This way." Mayuri barked with a growl as he turned and headed for a small living room space set up near his desk.

Byakuya ignored the stench of the office as he drew in a long breath and headed for the space, sitting down across from the Captain of Squad 12 in a plush armchair.

"What is it you want?" Mayuri asked with a huff that flared his nostrils.

"I want nothing, but to speak with you regarding several issues that have arisen in recent weeks." Byakuya said as he set the file down on the coffee table in front of him.

Mayuri's eyes narrowed.

"I suppose I will start with that infernal memory machine you insisted on using during the inquiry. What are your true intensions?" Byakuya asked with no change in his blank expression.

"I have none."

"I know without trying that that is a lie, Captain Kurotsuchi. Is it a desire to reenter the illusion we all experienced, or is it something else?" Byakuya asked.

"So what if I wish to go back to that illusion. What business of it is yours?" Mayuri asked snidely.

"You make it my business when you attempt to get another glimpse at the research involved in said illusion." Byakuya said with a perfectly straight face.

Mayuri sucked in a long breath, "Do you still not think that having an army of loyal, dependable and disposable soldiers is a good idea?"

"Nothing good can come it. Those creatures were unpredictable and far too dangerous to even consider as a future project. I believe we all warned you, that if you persisted in continuing this plight, we would see to it that your cushy life as a Gotei captain would come to an abrupt end." Byakuya said, his calm words somehow still laced with his true intent; To cause Mayuri Kurotsuchi as many problems as possible.

"There is nothing you can do to stop progress, Captain Kuchiki. That memory reader will be finished." Mayuri said, rapping his boney fingers against the armrest of his chair.

"Then so be it. Let it be finished, but know this... It will not be hard to convince the Head-Captain to order you to submit to weekly screenings by Nyruki Sawada. Her power can see directly into your soul, into your very desires and she will report everything she sees without a second thought. There will be nothing you can hide." Byakuya said, staring hard into Mayuri's sickly yellow eyes that had widened as he spoke.

"That girl could open doorways we never even dreamed of and you wish to use her as a tool. You, yourself, are not without your secrets, Captain Kuchiki." Mayuri said with a smirk.

"And you would be correct, but both Nyruki and I happen to be aware of a particular secret of yours involving a rather... colorful Arrancar by the name of Maddock del Soledad. Keep that in mind while you work on your experiments." Byakuya said.

Mayuri's eyes shot wide at the name, but near as quickly narrowed as he glared across the coffee table. His teeth grit hard enough to make the sound of a boney grind that could be heard across the table and Byakuya allowed the briefest of smirks to grace his lips that he had so easily gotten under the other Captain's white painted skin.

"What's that?" Mayuri asked, pointing with a long finger at the file sitting in front of Byakuya.

"Oh, this," Byakuya leaned forward and picked up the file, "This is some of the evidence that I've gathered regarding Grimmjow and Neliel's alliance with Ichigo Kurosaki, and I have found something quite interesting." He opened the file.

"Do tell." Mayuri grumbled.

"It would appear that someone has been intercepting Ichigo Kurosaki's attempts to collect the bounties he is owed for his work in killing the Hollow with bounties on their heads." Byakuya said, flicking his eyes up from the papers.

"He doesn't need them." Mayuri said coldly.

"It's not him whom needs the money, but rather Grimmjow and Neliel who do. I have been researching the past seven months and it is quite clear that none of the priority Hollow could have been tracked and killed without the help of someone on the inside." Byakuya began to smirk with a barely visible curl in his lip.

"And you have that proof?"

"I have more than enough to prove that Grimmjow and Neliel have allied themselves with Ichigo Kurosaki and his ilk. In fact, Kisuke Urahara has also been helping them since their arrival to Karakura town. I believe you know him." Byakuya's smirk grew.

Mayuri grit his teeth together harder as his hands clenched on the armrests.

"It would appear that my task is finished," Byakuya closed the file, "I will leave you with this, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi; This is not the first time that you have been talked to regarding your... willingness to 'jump the gun' as it were. I will keep this between you and I for the time being, but should it come to light that you are pursuing your delusions, I will shine that same light on you and Maddock del Soledad's little arrangement for the drug known as Juice."

Byakuya rose to his feet and clasped his hands behind his back, taking one, last moment to hold Captain Kurotsuchi's angry glare before heading for the door. He hadn't made it more than a dozen steps before that higher pitched, nasally gloat stopped him.

"I happen to know you aren't one to make waves, Captain Kuchiki." Mayuri said, still sitting in his plush chair.

Byakuya glanced back over his shoulder, "Is that so? May I suggest something then?"

"Go right ahead." Mayuri said dully.

"Sit back and watch what's about to happen to the Dejan'Ra."