Chapter 35: Enemy Territory

Byakuya's POV

"So, this is where the zanpakuto spirits stay when they are not out in the Sereitei causing mayhem." I think to myself as Muramasa leads the way down a flight of steps toward an underground hideout. Senbonzakura remains quiet as he brings up the rear, probably mulling over the last words he spoke to me before going silent.

"If you really want to make your "defection" from the Gotei 13 realistic, not only do you have to make Muramasa believe your act, you must get the other spirits to believe it as well. They will be suspicious of you from the start, so you'll need t convince them otherwise."

In truth, he was right. It's not enough to make Muramasa believe that I'm not a threat to him. If this plan was going to work, then I must make the other spirits believe the ruse as well.

"Oh Muramasa, you're back!" calls a feminine voice as I watch the man approach his fellow spirits from the bottom of the staircase. Thanks to the shadows, they hadn't noticed me yet. "I thought you would have been here sooner."

"I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting," he tells them as he looked around the group, commanding his presence with a simple stare. "But I see not all of you have made it back here just yet. What happened to the others?"

"Hmm, it wouldn't surprise me if Zabimaru went off looking for their master," Hozukimaru mumbles as he crossed his arms. "Kage Mai left a while ago, and so did Mizukiri. She said she was going to go look for her master too."

"Mizukiri you say?" Muramasa asks in a voice that could only be described as genuine shock. It was a shock to me as well. Despite bring a powerhouse in her own right, Mizukiri was known around the Sereitei for her reluctance to fight, especially if it ended up being a meaningless battle. It's hard for me to even conjure up the thought of her willingly looking for Minata just to battle her, so it must be for some other reason. "I thought she had no interest in fighting."

"That was what she said before she left, but I guess she had a change of heart," says Kazeshini as he let out a maniacal laugh. "If she and her old master start to really get at it, then you know there's going to be some major damage done. If I had any control of the elements like they do, I would be tearing up the place for sure!"

"Of course you would Kazeshini," mumbles the pixie-sized zanpakuto as she flies over to his face. "Nothing will get between you and your destruction and mayhem."

"Damn straight!"

"We'll worry about Mizukiri and the others later," says Muramasa as he turns my way, as if he was giving me my cue to step out of the shadows. "I would like for you all to meet my guest."

"Byakuya Kuchiki?" exclaims Kazeshini as he, as well as all the other spirits, turns to me with looks that ranged from shock to disgust. "What the hell is he doing here?!"

"Is this some sort of trick?" Hozukimaru asks as he lets out a small huff.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" I hear Suzemebachi's small voice ask the group, equally as confused as some of her comrades.

"Why did you help me?"

"Senbonzakura?" Sode no Shirayuki asks as all eyes turn to my zanpakuto, who stood a few steps behind me. "What are you talking about?"

"Why would someone of your rank and caliber defect from the Gotei 13?" Senbonzakura continues to ask as I continue my silence. "Why did you betray your fellow shinigami?"

"Wait a minute! Am I hearing you right? Are you saying that he's defecting to our side?" asks Hozukimaru as he shakes his head. "You've got to be kidding me. . ."

"Well it does make some sense to me," mumbles Haineko, all eyes moving to her. "If it wasn't for him, Tobiume and I would still be locked up in a cage heading to one of the division cell blocks right about now."

"This seems too farfetched to be believed," grumbles Ruri'iro Kujako as he shakes his head. "Are we really going to believe that Captain Kuchiki is this willing to defect from the Gotei 13? He's one of the most well-respected and honorable officers they have! He must be up to something . . ."

He has raised a good point master. What will you do to counter it?

I knew Senbonzakura had a point, so I had to act fast to lessen the hostility that was coming my way. So, I spoke up.

"It does not matter to me if you see me as an ally or an enemy, I have left the Gotei 13 on my own accord, for the sake of my pride."

"If that is the case, let's test it out. Let's test your resolve shall we?"

"Test his resolve?" Suzemebachi asks as her voice somehow goes an octave higher. "And how do you suppose we do that Senbonzakura?"

"Simple . . ." he tells her as I turn to face him. He moves his head in a way to scan the group, looking at each face as he thinks of a plan. I notice that he stops on Sode no Shirayuki longer than anyone else, but he turns away before anyone else could notice. "If only Mizukiri was here. It would have made things that more interesting, but alas, you got to work with what you have . . . Slay your sister's zanpakuto Sode no Shirayuki, right here and now."

"Are you crazy?" Haineko yells as the others looked at him in shock. "You want your old master to slay one of us in order to prove his worth? That's crazy Senbonzakura!"

"Wait a second kitty cat," says Kazeshini as a sinister grin comes across his face. "Who says Kuchiki will even agree to do such a thing? Sode no Shirayuki is his sister's zanpakuto after all. If he hurts her, or kills her, to be blunt, then that would mean some terrible consequences for the little Kuchiki now wouldn't it?"

"Kazeshini does make a good point," says Hozukimaru as he summons his blade, the weapon appearing right out of thin air. "If Kuchiki brings himself to harm Sode, he proves his worth. If he doesn't, then we get to do away with him as we please."

"He is fond of that Rukia girl," says the peacock themed zanpakuto as he too summons his blade. "This test should prove if he is really telling the truth or not. Senbonzakura's right. If only Mizukiri was here. Making him choose between his sister's zanpakuto and his girlfriend's zanpakuto would have made things even more interesting."

One by one, the zanpakuto arm themselves, ready to strike me down if I don't comply with Senbonzakura's test. They were all waiting to see how I would play my hand, and ready to see me fail. Sode no Shirayuki was indeed my sister's zanpakuto, however, I needed to complete my mission for the sake of the honor of my clan, no matter the casualties that would result from it.

I knew Senbonzakura was only trying to help my cause, but some of the plans he's come up with have never been easy for me to comply with. This was another one.

"You wanted her slain you say?"

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