Author's notes section:

[2022-12-23]: Hey, here is a preview of the story's next chapter. Please, bear in mind that it is, as mentioned, a preview. Some parts of it might not be included in the final release. I will try to finish this chapter as soon as possible. I would like to clean up some of the tasks in my schedule, and right now, there are many chapters queued there.

[2023-01-11]: Hey, I have managed to finish the chapter. Do tell me what do you think. During the writing process I have decided to add some additional depth to it, connecting it with the last official anime saga.

Info: I will upload a new chapter of `Last Christmas` tomorrow. And, in the case of the other wips, they will be finished as soon as possible.

Info: Ok, let me start with what I promised in the last chapter of `My home is where my heart lies`. So, I often find myself not motivated enough to progress through the story, to write something refreshing and good. And thus, I feel like I will be splitting the story into 3 parts, aka the initial story will be split into 3 separate works. It will allow me to finish one part, re-read it, and think about changes that are necessary to take place. Furthermore, I feel like I have made a lot of mistakes throughout these nearly 3 years of writing this story. And... a lot of these come from a simple concept; I have started too many stories, and I have not been able to conclude virtually any of these. Moreover, my writing style and English proficiency drastically changed/evolved throughout this time. As you might know, I'm a perfectionist; I would love each and every one of my chapters to hold the same standard, to be simply the best. And... yet, with my knowledge of language broadening, it would require me to completely rewrite the story to maintain more or less the same level. And, as you might expect, it would take me ages to do so. So, as I have said, I will try to conclude the first part of this series as soon as possible. Nevertheless, I expect that I will need at least 3 - 5 chapters to do so.

Don't forget to comment. I really appreciate your feedback.

Note that the dialogues written in italic are thoughts.

As always, I would like to thank you for everything. See you soon :)

Changelog:
[2022-12-23]: A preview has been released.
[2023-01-11]: The chapter was updated; I have managed to add around 1.2k words; The final version was released.

Info: As promised, here is the preview for the next chapter. I will try to finish it asap, but as nearly always, I can promise you when the piece will be finished. Anyway, Enjoy :)

Info: Overall, the current plan is for me to write 'My home is where my heart lies' and 'Family tree' alternatively. Between the updates of these stories, I will try to upload other texts. Maybe, just maybe, I will be able to finish some of the short stories. However, I truly doubt that. It seems that most if not all of the stories will be extended both in terms of the time and the number of chapters.

Info: I will try to rewrite some of the older chapters between releasing new ones. I expect to start working on that goal in the middle of January. So, please be informed that the new chapters might take a bit longer to be finished and published.

Bonuses' section:
A new story taking place in the Warhammer 40k universe.
Story of one lost soul: The war call: rewrite.
An entirely new story (possibly Akali x [Irelia, Syndra, Katarina]).
A new short story (Vi x Cait).
An entirely original story (possibly even 2 stories, one taking place in medieval times, the other in the far future)
Bleach story. (Byakuya x Yoruichi / ?)
Naruto story. (Neji x Hinata / Neji x TenTen / Nagato x Konan)
Fairy Tail story. (most likely Erza x Mira)
Maybe some Star Wars?

References:
White Lion - Til Death Do Us Part

*bonuses will be worked on when I don't feel like writing the chapters pointed out in the schedule :D

End of the author's notes section.

(The next day):

Despite Byakuya's best efforts, he could not have met with the Commander-General yesterday. The 1st Division's Luietanant had informed the nobleman that there was no time window for such a meeting to take place, urging for it to be postponed to the following day. Hence, the 6th Division's Captain was left without an alternative, and he calmly obliged. His only request was for the timeframe to be made as early as possible.

Kuchiki woke up shortly after 4am. However, he seemingly could not have found any solace in his sleep as his dreams were filled with the memories he wished would have vanished into oblivion long ago. So, even though he had every possible right to complain about that nuisance, he opted not to waste either time or energy on that. Hence, he simply started his typical day a tad earlier than anticipated. But, regardless of that minor inconvenience, it was but a moment before he needed to leave his clan's estate to meet with Yamamoto. So, it did not change a thing in the grand scope of things.

It took the nobleman a brief moment to accommodate the luminous intensities. At that timeframe, Byakuya was forced to close his eyes a few times, but soon enough, he could leave them wide open. It was a relatively sunny day. The man could not notice any clouds in the skies. He liked that, but he would not have shown any emotions.

Even though the temperature was relatively high, the man could still feel a rush of cold wind when he rushed toward the 1st Division's barracks. But he did not mind it; quite the opposite actually, it allowed the raven-haired man to gather his wits.

It was only a matter of time before he arrived at the Commander-General's office. The sith Division's Captain knocked gently on the wooden ajar doors, then awaited any response. There was no clear answer for a few seconds, but the man remained calm, waiting for Yamamoto to allow him to enter.

Byakuya waited for approximately 2 minutes before the familiar voice of the Commander-General sounded. Or, at the very least, the raven-haired Captain thought the wait lasted that long. But, there was no time to delve into such minor things. Hence, without a moment of hesitation, the nobleman entered the office.

"I assume you want to report the progress of your task?" Yamamoto went straight to the point.

"Yes, Commander-General," Byakuya replied momentarily, then nodded slightly. "I… Captain Sui-Feng and I made contact with the ex-Captains. In all honesty, I expected the conversation to be much more challenging. However, this matter went through smoothly, as both of them accepted the offer," he explained.

"Hm," the old man hummed loudly. "It seems that your task is indeed completed. I will summon both of them shortly. First, however, I would like you to be present during our conversation, for you were responsible for recruiting these candidates."

"It is perfectly understandable, Commander-General," the nobleman assured his superior. "Is there anything more you would like me to take care of?" he asked.

"For now… hm… no," Yamamoto replied a moment later. "I noticed that you started putting more emphasis on your training recently. Would you explain what caused such a drastic change in your demeanour… and public appearance?"

"It is partially due to my poor results in recent history," the raven-haired man whispered. "I found my performance to be lacking. And… as someone looked upon by many, I can not allow my standards to be lowered. Quite the opposite must happen; I must improve."

"I see," the Commander-General whispered back, playing with his long beard. "You can go, Captain Kuchiki. I would expect you to soon regain your confidence. As you stated, many younger soul-reapers see you as their role model."

"Understood," Kuchiki stated, paying his respect by taking a deep bow.

But, before the 6th Division Captain could leave the office, he heard his superior speaking again.

"If you really believe you need to get stronger, then go see Captain Unohana," the old man said stoically.

"Captain Unohana?" Kuchiki questioned, turning around to face Yamamoto. "You two hide something, do you not, Commander-General?" he added.

"I will allow Captain Unohana to answer that question in detail," Yamamoto stated emotionlessly. "However… your assumption is correct. There are many things that you do not know, and it would be for the best if it stays mostly this way."

"I can not say that I understand, Commander-General," Byakuya slowly responded, picking his words carefully. "But, nonetheless, I will do as you command. Would you like me to pass some message to Captain Unohana?"

"Hm," the older officer wondered for a brief moment. "Tell her the time is nearly up," he finally said.

"I understand, Commander," the raven-haired man whispered back, then bowed before leaving the office.

This time, no one stopped him. Yet to some extent, the nobleman would have wanted that to happen. Even though the meeting with Yamamoto went pretty smoothly, the finishing part was rather confusing. However, some secret was hidden in plain sight; he was sure of it. After all, Retsu Unohana was always a mystery. As far as Byakuya remembered, the 4th Division Captain fought rarely, if at all, yet she was surrounded by a creeping aura nearly all the time. Even the most degenerated members of the 11th Division respected Captain Unohana. No, it would not be a proper way to describe the feeling. These soul reapers feared her, trying their best not to anger the usually overly sweet Captain.

The nobleman hummed under his breath. Maybe there were signs that the 6th Division Captain had misread in the past. However, these had no meaning right now. All that mattered was to become stronger, worthy of his name and title. With such a resolution in mind, he sped up, heading straight toward the 4th Division barracks.

The stroll, so to speak, did not last long. Before Kuchiki could have fully awakened himself from his daydreaming, he stood before the said barracks.

"Hello, Captain Kuchiki," Unahara Retsu's voice sounded nearby. "What's the reasoning behind your visit? After all, you don't visit my squad's compound regularly," her voice was filled with the usual overdose of kindness.

"My apologies, Captain Unohana," Byakuya replied immediately, bowling slightly as a form of showing his respect. "I must have got tangled in my thoughts," he provided a rather vague explanation.

"Hm," the woman hummed, placing her right hand over her lips. "Did something happen? You don't usually appear that stressed, Captain Kuchiki," she commented. "Not to mention that your uniform has some striking resemblance to Kurosaki Ichigo's."

"Oh," the nobleman sighed heavily, troubled by the comment somewhat. "The change is partially connected with my sudden visit, Captain," he responded after a brief moment. "Commander-General urged me to come to you," he added.

"Oh, is that so?" Retsu's voice changed slightly and deepened. "What did Commander-General say, then?" she inquired.

"Time is nearly up," Byakuya repeated the Commander's words.

"Eh," the 4th Division Captain sighed heavily, dropping the optimistic attitude altogether. "So, I take you're seeking someone who could train you? Isn't it so?" the woman questioned in a hollow voice.

"Yes, Commander-General suggested me to come up with this idea to you, Captain," the raven-haired man continued formally. Even though the sudden change in his peer's voice was unexpected, it did not bother him all that much. "Of course, it is up to you what will happen with this idea next, Captain Unohara."

"How much are you willing to sacrifice to become stronger?" the woman's voice rang, similar to Kempachi's. "How much pain are you prepared to go through?" she uttered the next question.

"Many people see me as a summary of what the soul reaper should inspire to be," Kuchiki started, his voice a bearable hearable whisper. "Whether I like this recognition or not, it matters not. But, I do not see myself as a powerful enough unit to fulfil this role. I am a nobleman, a head of the Kuchiki clan; I am accustomed to making sacrifices."

"We'll see through that," Retsu responded after a brief pause. "Very well, then. Let's meet up tomorrow morning. I'd urge you to take some spare clothes with you. It's more than certain that our session will get out of hand quite quickly."

"Understood, Captain Unohana," Byakuya whispered, nodding in agreement. "Thank you for your time. But, for now, I will let you tend to your schedule. But, in all honesty, I need to tend to mine too."

The 4th Division Captain did not utter anything back. Instead, she simply stood with her eyes glued to the ground. The nobleman spared a moment to observe his peer before leaving. Inside Retsu's eyes, the usual kindness was long gone, replaced by a raw, savage feeling he could not properly name. Besides this, there was a hunger in the Captain's orbs. A desire that Byakuya usually associated with Zaraki Kenpachi. Out of a sudden, these two became seemingly comparable.

"You have a question, don't you?" Unohana sounded again.

"Yes," the man sighed heavily, embarrassed by his indiscretion. "Forgive me for what I am going to say. But, right now, you resemble our berserk Captain - Zaraki Kenpachi," he added, bowing as a form of apology.

"Your observation's correct," the 4th Division Captain replied. "Please, keep this piece of information between us. I'm the first Kenpachi. My true name is Yachiru Unohana, the former Captain of the 11th Squad," she added so nonchalantly.

"You have fooled us all, have you not, Captain Unohana?" Kuchiki responded, surprisingly composed.

"Not all, but most of you," the former Kenpachi replied. "If you already know my name… I guess it'd be foolish to postpone our session. So, the question of faith, are you ready, Kuchiki Byakuya?"

"I am ready."

"Let me tell you a thing, Byakuya," Yachiru uttered rather softly. "You'll die during the session. In all honesty, you'll die more than once. I'll train you, but for every session, I'll allow you to die only 5 times. Reach the limit, and the training for that day will be over. So, I expect our meetings to be short for the foreseeable future. But, with time, I expect you to become stronger to challenge me. Is that clear to you?"

"Yes," the Kuchiki clan's leader replied shortly, not fully trusting his voice.

"Very well, then," the 4th Division Captain commented. "Go, pick some spare clothes, and meet me here as soon as possible. When you're back, our first session will start. I take you're aware that you'll go through a lot of pain today and in the future?"

Byakuya did not respond to that question. Instead, he quickly turned around and sped up toward his clan's estate. What was revealed to him was terrifying, but the way out was already sealed. Hence, the only thing he could do was endure and adapt.