Chapter 18 - Discharge Day
Byakuya's POV
My stay in the Fourth Division was for far longer than I originally expected.
At first, I believed that Captain Unohana would have me stay in her division's care for only a couple of days, but once she put me through a more thorough examination, she determined that a week-long stay would be more beneficial to my recovery.
There is no point in arguing with her once her mind is made up - as Mina so eloquently put it one time: "Kami help the poor soul that does . . ."- so I conceded to her expertise, accepting my fate while anticipating the day that I would finally be allowed to leave.
It was a long seven days.
Impatience was one of my worst qualities when I was still a hotheaded youth, and though I have managed to curb it, along with many others, as I grew older, it would still make an appearance from time to time.
My hospital stay became one of those moments.
Long hospital stays always seem to have a knack for bringing my impatient side back to the surface.
I didn't move around like a trapped animal ready to be let loose from its cage, but the impatience was always there, like an incessant, recurring itch just waiting to be scratched. . . An itch that I had no plans to succumb to, no matter how troublesome it got.
The visits I received throughout the past week helped to quell that urge, well, whenever they happened.
Mina was my most frequent visitor, coming in whenever she had the free time to spare to update me on what was happening in the Seireitei and at the manor. It was good to hear that things were stabilized for now, though the Captain Commander was expected to call a meeting once all the captains and lieutenants' injured during the ryoka invasion and Aizen's traitorous reveal were completely healed to discuss the eventual war we were soon facing.
As for what was happening at the manor, Grandfather had reassumed the leadership position in my absence, and he was doing well, as if he had never abdicated in the first place.
Unfortunately, once the elders heard about my injured state, their calls for me to remarry to ensure the future of the clan became all the more renewed. Apparently, some were already compiling a list of eligible candidates for me to look over once I returned.
Despite their efforts, I will be doing no such thing.
I admitted as much to Mina once she told me about it during one of her visits . . .
T ~ P ~ O ~ S ~ L
"You're not even going to entertain the notion?" She asks, her smile indisputable as I failed to hide my annoyance.
"No, I will not . . . It's a waste of time; an exercise they conduct whenever I am injured on a mission."
"But can you honestly blame them?" She asks, taking a seat on my bed, right by my left thigh. "You are their clan head, their widowed, childless leader . . . If you fall in battle, who's next to lead?"
"Now you are starting to sound like them Mina."
"I'm just trying to look at things from their perspective, Byakuya. I know you don't want to hear it, but it still needs to be said," She argues, nudging my leg with her fist.
"You do not have any biological children or siblings to pass the title to, and since both your grandfather and your father were born an only child, you don't have any close cousins to rely on either. Distant cousins, very much so though. . . Now that I think about it, your line has not had the best of luck with producing more than one child each generation recently now has it?"
"You make a fair point . . . Great Grandfather Touma was the last clan head to have siblings, but his sisters were all married to lords outside of the clan, and his three brothers all predeceased him, with none of them having children that lived past their sixth decade," I say, having never really thought about that fact until she pointed it out.
"So, you do have cousins from your great grandaunts' lines that could be called upon then?"
"Not ideally," I admit, my eyes narrowing slightly. "Great Grandaunt Izumi's line died out when her lone granddaughter died on a mission for the Seventh Division, and Great Grandaunt Megumi married into the Tsunayashiro Clan. . ."
". . . And there's no way in hell that the elders would agree to let a Tsunayashiro become the next Kuchiki Clan leader, not even if he or she was from the furthest branch of the family," She concluded for me, shaking her head. "Hmm, if only the Tsunayashiros didn't adhere to that 'survival of the fittest' mentality that they abide by so much . . . They would be a lot less grating to be around at least."
"We could only hope," I say, not wanting to spare them a thought. "As things stand, Rukia is currently my heir."
"She is, but not on paper though," she tells me, her tone blunt. "You held back on making that official because of the backlash it would cause. Sure, Rukia is, technically, your most viable candidate, and they can't really rebut it at this point, but I'm sure those old farts will be oh so willing to make your life a living hell as soon as you even hint at it to them."
"They were all up in arms when I made my decision to adopt Rukia known. . . Announcing her as my official heir would push a number of them over the edge," I concede, looking out my window to see the sun disappearing behind a large cloud.
"Enough that they would recall you as clan head?" She asked, curiosity and concern lacing her tone.
"No, but as you said, enough to make my life hell for a number of years, and in turn make Rukia's life hell as well," I say, the realization of such ramifications cutting through me as sharply as Senbonzakura himself. ". . . And they would be more than happy to do it."
"A number of your relatives are petty and vindictive enough to make that possibility a reality," She agrees, bringing a hand to her chin. ". . . Well then, I suppose we just have to make sure that possibility never happens then."
"We?" I ask, my confusion obvious as a quiet knock echoes from the door.
"Isn't it obvious? We both agree that if you ever make Rukia your official heir, those old bags of bones you call relatives will make both yours' and your sister's lives hell as a result, correct?" She reiterates as she moves to the door.
"We did conclude that, yes. . ."
"Well then, our new relationship should be enough to alleviate such concerns, for now," she says as I watch her open the door to reveal one of the unseated Fourth Division members carrying a food tray in one hand and a small bento box in the other. Taking them with a small nod, Minata watches the woman leave before closing the door behind her with her foot, approaching me with a small grin in place. ". . . I hope you're hungry."
"Famished, actually," I admit as I watch her place the tray on the rolling table before swinging it around so that it stands above my lap. ". . . If only hospital food wasn't so bland."
"Until Captain Unohana gives you a clean bill of health on your abdominal wounds, nutritiously bland food is all that you'll get," She reminds me as she opens up her bento, the smell already so much more flavorful than anything on my tray. "At least she's letting you drink your favorite tea while you're here."
"A small, but hard-fought victory," I concede as I snap apart my chopsticks. "But going back to what we were talking about before lunch arrived. Do you really think our courtship is enough to calm my elders down?"
"If it isn't, then that just proves that nothing will ever make those old grumps happy," She sighs as she stabs her chopsticks into her soba. "Your elders want you to marry someone so that you can finally have heirs and secure the clan's future, preferably a woman from a high pedigree and with significant reiatsu that could guarantee the possibility of powerful offspring . . . I'm one of the few women in the Seireitei that fit that bill, don't you think?"
"Hmm, you're not wrong . . . Not only are you from a fellow Great Noble House, you are the first in line to lead your clan. Coupled with the fact that you are the third seat of the Captain Commander's own division, and that you have your own bankai, you really are one of the few women that I could court without eliciting a single competent complaint from my elders," I conclude after taking a moment to think it over. ". . . If my elders aren't happy about the change in our relationship, then nothing will ever satisfy them."
"Maybe they've grown to a point that nothing will make them happy anymore?"
"No, that's not it," I counter. "I believe that after my first marriage and adopting Rukia, they can't help but be pessimistic in any action I may do that could impact the clan's future."
"Hmm, that does sound more like it," she says, patting her lips with a napkin. "All the more reason to prove them wrong I guess."
"Yes," I concede, the smile that now lined her face encouraging the smirk that appeared on my own. ". . . All the more reason indeed."
T ~ P ~ O ~ S ~ L
Rukia visited as well, but not as much as Mina did. What happened at Sokyoku Hill days ago had the unwanted effect of taxing out Captain Ukitake more than expected, which led to her taking on more responsibility while he was incapacitated. Abarai was also a notable visitor, but only to give me daily updates on what was happening at the Sixth.
His reports were quick and concise, but apparently walking in on me kissing my best friend that first day led to him momentarily losing the ability to look me in the eye . . . It was quite the sight actually.
Even Kurosaki visited, though it was simply a quick appearance at my window to ask where Rukia was. Abarai was so offended that the human would drop by while he was visiting . . . It was the most flustered I've ever seen him since he first accepted the position as my lieutenant.
Now, after seven days of bland food and visits, I found myself sitting in bed, awaiting Captain Unohana for my final examination.
"Captain Unohana should be here any second now, shouldn't she?"
"She's probably finishing up one of her rounds, Senbonzakura," I say out loud after finishing the last of the porridge that was part of today's breakfast. "I've waited seven days to be free from here. . . I can wait a couple more minutes."
"I still think you could have been let out a couple days earlier," He admits, reappearing at my bedside with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Do you want to be the one to go against Captain Unohana's orders?"
". . . Forget I said anything," He concedes, raising his hands in surrender as he takes a seat in the empty chair on my right.
"I thought so," I say in return. Though neither of us had ever personally witnessed what happens when someone goes against Captain Unohana's medical orders, we have heard enough horror stories to know that the woman is not to be disregarded so easily.
I could feel my zanpakuto's begrudging annoyance through our bond, but the sudden knock on the door breaks me away from my thoughts, my eyes looking up to see the Fourth Division captain walk in, half distracted by the newspaper in her hands. "Good morning, Captain Unohana."
"Good morning, Captain Kuchiki," She says, finally looking up with an amused expression on her face. "I would have been here sooner, but I got delayed."
"By what?" I ask as she slowly approaches, her eyes glancing down at the paper she held in her right hand.
"The latest edition of the Seireitei Communication just came in today and it seems to be quite the hot commodity," she tells me, shaking her head as I push my breakfast tray to the side. "I ordered a hundred copies for this month's edition for the division, but they were gone in seconds once they arrived at our doorstep. The poor delivery man would have gotten swamped if I had not been there to run interference."
"What could the newspaper be reporting that could grab so much attention so quickly?" I ask, watching as her amusement seems to grow with each glance she gave to the paper in her hands. "It's only been a week since Aizen's treachery was revealed. . . If that's what's on the front page, it should not be grabbing all this attention, not with all the new information that comes out in the daily reports."
"That is true, and you are correct to say that Aizen, unfortunately, has made the front page, but he's not the only one to do so. He doesn't even take up the majority of the cover . . . See for yourself."
Taking the offered publication, I flip it around to the front page to see that Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen didn't even get half the cover. They had been relegated to the bottom left corner, with only a small headline referencing their actions. . . Quite petty if you ask me.
The true subject of the front page was Mina and myself, with the headline Friends to Lovers: A Courtship in the Making? placed right above our heads.
"Well, this is not how things were supposed to go. . ." I hear Senbonzakura say, now standing over my shoulder to see the cover for himself.
"So, you and Third Seat Fukudome are not in a courtship then?" I barely hear Captain Unohana ask, looking up to see the placid expression on her face, though her eyes told a different story. "You two have always been close, ever since you were children . . . I figured the paper was just reporting on the natural progression of your relationship."
"Captain Unohana, well . . . You are not wrong," I concede, having no interest in leading her astray on this. "Mina and I have just started a romantic relationship, but we wanted to keep things private for a time . . . This paper completely blows those plans out of the water."
"Well, this article is mainly written in speculation, but its author mentions overhearing some pretty convincing testimony that will certainly keep the Seireitei buzzing. Coupled with how often Mina has visited you since the start of your stay here, and the number of witnesses that can corroborate it. . . I don't think you two will be out of the gossip circles for quite a long while."
"Technically, we have been the subject of gossip since we were born. This paper just gives the people some more meat to feed on," I say as I hand the paper over to Senbonzakura.
"Well, you'll just have to worry about that later . . . Right now, it's time for your final exam," The captain announces as her hand starts glowing with kido, casting an eerie light on her face that was slightly intimidating. "Lie down please."
Unohana only needed ten minutes to conduct the exam. Once that was done, she left, but not before telling me that she was going to send her lieutenant in with my discharge papers and a spare shihakusho I could change into. Having to wait for Lieutenant Kotetstu's arrival, I was left with my thoughts. . .
. . . Well, I thought I was, but the amusement that was emanating from my bond with Senbonzakura was starting to get too distracting to ignore.
"You seem quite amused by something Senbonzakura," I say, turning my head to see that the spirit had his head bowed, looking deeply at an article in the paper.
It wasn't hard to guess which article he was probably looking at. "You're actually reading that article about Mina and myself?"
"If you're going to have a proper response to this, you need to know all the facts the article holds right?" He asks in return, not even bothering to look up to properly address me.
"You are lucky you just made a good point," I mumble as I slide my legs off of the bed. "Who wrote the article?"
"The queen of shinigami gossips herself, Lieutenant Matsumoto," he says, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes into the back of my head as a result. ". . . I'm sure you're not surprised to hear that."
"It is amazing that a woman known for her lack of diligence when it comes to her paperwork is so quick to be in the know when it comes to personal business that does not concern her," I say, remembering the few occasions I managed to overhear Captain Hitsugaya talk about her lack of work ethic.
Those two were such opposites of each other, like night and day. . . Then again, the same could be said for Abarai and myself.
"How exactly did this article come to be in the first place?"
"It says here that during a night out drinking with some of her fellow lieutenants, a certain redhead got a little too tipsy and admitted that he walked in on his captain kissing his longtime friend when he went to see him at the Fourth. . ."
"There is only one redheaded lieutenant that she could be writing about," I say, shaking my head at Abarai's inability to hold his liquor. "It seems that even in his drunken state, he was able to recall what he walked into somewhat clearly."
"At the very least, Lieutenant Matsumoto was knowledgeable enough to put in a disclaimer that Abarai was drunk when he said this, but the article is still quite comprehensive nonetheless. . . I'm actually shocked at the amount of detail put into this."
"Mina and I have always been a favorite of relationship rumors ever since we were teenagers . . . I wouldn't be surprised if she compiled a series of them for her article."
"She's included all the major ones, to be exact," Senbonzakura tells me, finally looking up from his reading. "She even put it in timeline format for better convenience."
"And yet Matsumoto still can't put that effort in her regular paperwork. . ." I grumble, just as a knock came from the door, Lieutenant Kotetsu's reiatsu not being hard to recognize from the other side of the paneling.
After signing my discharge papers and changing into the shihakusho, I stepped out into the hallway, and already five unseated shinigami were glancing my way. They were visibly resisting the urge to buzz with chatter as they quickly avert their gazes, one of them attempting to be subtle by hiding their copy of the Communication in their sleeve.
If this is the reaction I get just by stepping out into the hallway, today is going to be quite the long one.
"Where to master?" Senbonzakura asks, diverting my attention long enough that the other shinigami could make their escape. "Shall we head back to the Sixth?"
"I will hold off on that till tomorrow," I announced, and I could feel the surprise growing through our bond. "It is important to see how the division has been coping in my absence with my own eyes, but waiting another day will not be too strenuous."
"Are you sure?" He asks. "At the very least, I expected that you wanted to make a quick visit to the division before retiring to the manor for the rest of the day."
"It had crossed my mind," I conceded as we moved down the hallway. "But that was before Captain Unohana walked in with that newspaper . . ."
"Oh, I see . . . The Sixth is not a gossip haven like some of the other divisions, but it subscribes to the Communication like all the others, and with you and Mina on this month's cover, talk about you two among the ranks is inevitable . . . Will you confront Abarai over his part in this?"
"You make me sound vengeful Senbonzakura. . . Though your question is understandable," I say as we near the main foyer. "I will have to talk to him about his . . . indiscretion later. For now, I will let him stew in worry over what my reaction will be. I'm sure his mind is already playing tricks on him at this moment."
"Ah, letting his own mind become its own worst enemy; a tried-and-true tactic," I heard him say as we entered the room, the noise that was emanating from it becoming hushed as soon as we appeared. . . Oh yes, it will be quite a long day indeed. "I thought psychological warfare was not your thing."
"Kido was not the only thing I learned from Lady Moka," I say, ignoring the stares as we made for the exit. ". . . Let's go home."
Not wanting to bother myself with the stares and whispers I would undoubtedly accrue if I walked back to the manor, shunpo was by far the better option. After traversing the rooftops for a couple of minutes, our arrival to the manor was a quiet one. The guards quietly let us in, and no one stopped us on the path to the main building.
Unfortunately, our good fortune could only last for so long, for as soon as we entered the foyer, my personal steward stood at the other end of the room, likely waiting for my arrival.
"Good morning, Lord Byakuya . . . It is good to see that you've healed well during your absence from the manor."
"It is good to be home Junichi," I say as I quickly slip off my sandals. "Have you been waiting long? You usually do not appear until I specifically summon you."
"I know, but when the elders want a pressing message to be sent to you, they find me," He admits, adjusting his glasses along the bridge of his nose.
"How pressing is this message?"
"Enough to warrant the entire council planning to gather in the assembly hall at noon . . . Your presence, of course, is expected."
"The entire council?!" At least Senbonzakura had the courtesy to say it through our bond and not out loud. "And what exactly could warrant the elders' complete attention long enough for them to gather together?"
"They saw the latest edition of the Seireitei Communication . . . Need I go on?"
"You do not . . . I already have an idea on what will be discussed when I get there," I concede as I walk forward. "Is that all you have to report?"
"Your grandfather was hoping to have a word with you before the meeting begins." Junichi adds. "Last I saw him, he was heading for your office."
"I will meet him there then. . . You're dismissed, Junichi."
T ~ P ~ O ~ S ~ L
Minata's POV
"You know, I really should be annoyed with Rangiku for this latest stunt," I mumbled to myself as I looked at the article that had grabbed so much of the Seireitei's attention this morning. "But the writing is so surprisingly compelling and thought out that I can't be entirely mad at it . . . And this is coming from the woman who's proud to avoid her paperwork at all costs?!"
"Well, paperwork has never been Lieutenant Matsumoto's forte, but gossip and rumors are well within her wheelhouse," I hear Kiri say from somewhere on my left. "I'm just amazed that your newfound romance with Captain Kuchiki grabbed so much of the front cover. I figured Aizen and his goons would have had it in the bag, but they've been relegated to a corner in favor of you and him."
"I figured that too. . . Now that I think about it, it's quite a petty placement for the treacherous trio, but it's a well deserved one," I admit as I look up to see that the clock to see it was close to lunch time. "C'mon, we promised Rukia and Sode that we would meet them at the manor for lunch."
"Oh yes, we can't skip out on that," She agrees, leaving her perch on my windowsill. "You know, I'm still shocked that Sode was not in the foulest of moods when she finally reemerged from Rukia's inner world."
"I guess she was just relieved that she could finally emerge from it after all this time," I suggest. "Besides, if she's going to be mad at someone, it's Urahara. . . He did try to solve his Hogyoku issue at the cost of Rukia's powers after all."
"That's true," My zanpakuto concedes as she meets me at the door. We entered the hallway, and thankfully, we managed to exit the division before we could run into anyone that had even caught a whiff of the latest front page news.
The First was definitely one of the more disciplined divisions, but even we had our share of chatterboxes and gossip hounds.
It didn't take us long to reach the manor, but as soon as we crossed onto the property, I couldn't help but notice the large convergence of spiritual pressure that was gathering inside the main building.
"Hmm, it feels like most of the clan is gathering together," I heard Mizukiri say as we walked up the path toward the main building.
"Not most of the clan; just the elders," I say, recognizing much of the reiatsu signatures. "I guess they're having a meeting, and I think I know why . . ."
"But the article doesn't technically confirm it. . . And only a few people truly know about it."
"It doesn't matter if the article confirmed it or not, it's enough to get the elders' attention," I said as we stepped into the foyer. ". . . And once something gets their attention, they will seek answers."
"And it's the answers that they plan to seek. . ."
"Mr. Junichi!" I called out, and Byakuya's personal steward appeared from behind the shoji paneling on the other side of the room, a knowing look already on his face. "Have you been waiting there long?"
"I just arrived at Lord Byakuya's request, actually," He admits. "He asks for your presence in front of the assembly hall."
"Did he say why?" I ask as I quickly switch my boots for my indoor slippers.
"At first, no, but then he relented, saying that it was best to show a united front," Junichi admits, a small smirk dangerously close to emerging on his face. "Lord Ginrei seemed quite pleased with him when he said that."
"It's not hard to imagine why," I say as Mizukiri slips back into my inner world. "By all means, lead the way."
He quietly nods, and after navigating through the halls and passageways, we finally reach the corridor that leads toward the Kuchiki Assembly Hall. Junichi chooses that moment to make his exit, nodding my way before continuing down the hallway, leaving me to walk up to Byakuya as he continues to converse with his grandfather.
It was Ginrei that spotted me first, a knowing look crossing his face as he gestured for his grandson to turn around, and when he did, his face softened as soon as he saw me . . .
. . . And the knowing expression on the former Kuchiki Clan head became a pleased one.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," I said as I walked up to the two.
"Oh no; we were just finishing up our conversation," Ginrei is quick to say, cutting in before his grandson even had a chance to speak. When Byakuya turned to look at him, the old man was already moving toward the hall doors. "I will see you both inside."
"We won't be long," Byakuya tells him, and Ginrei nods just before he disappears into the room. ". . . Every single elder is in that room right now."
"That doesn't surprise me," I concede as I slowly approach him. "They have been waiting decades for you to finally rejoin the dating pool after all. Can you blame them for being a little too eager to hear the confirmation. . ? This is why they've gathered together after all, correct?"
"Grandfather pretty much confirmed it when we were talking in my office earlier," He tells me as he glances at the door the older man just went through. "He forewarned me about what's supposed to happen inside. . . I told him about us of course."
"As you should. Out of all your family members, he's one of the few that deserves to hear the news from you face-to-face rather than in a cavernous room filled with his fellow elders," I say as I look around the empty corridor. "And speaking of close family members, have you managed to tell Rukia yet? You said that you wanted to be the one to tell her."
"I called her to my office as soon as she arrived to tell her the news," He admits, his tone somewhat relieved. "I know she's been suspecting it for a while now, but it was good to finally tell her the truth after delaying it for close to a week. . . Though I must admit, I was a little surprised to see her back here at the manor sooner than expected. I believe she went back to work at the Thirteenth a few days ago."
"Rukia and I agreed to meet up for lunch today," I explain as I stretch my senses, finding Rukia's reiatsu somewhere in the Northern Garden. ". . . Looks like we'll have to reschedule."
"My elders have quite the tendency to ruin other people's plans, though I am the one to blame for asking you here."
"I don't mind," I concede as he reaches out, my hand slipping into his own. "Besides, Junichi told me your reasoning, and I agree. . . It's best to show a united front after all, and apparently Ginrei was quite pleased to hear you say that."
"You have no idea. . ." He says, and for just a second, I'm reminded of the younger him, the one that had yet to let the pressure of shinigami and noble leadership compress him into the man he is now. ". . . So, are you ready?"
"By all means. . ." I say with a smirk as he starts leading me to the door. "Let's get this meeting over with."
A/N: Leave a comment if you like!