"It's looking bad. Really bad."

"Any news on why, though? I—I can't say I really knew him well, but we trained around the same time, and I've seen him around often enough. I don't understand what he thought was going to happen."

"No idea. From what I heard, they sent the Third Seat after him next, and he killed her too."

The other shinigami sucks in a breath. "That's something that'll sit on a man's conscience for a while."

"Not for long." One of the gossips - one of the younger shinigami - snorts. "Heard Central 46 is going to come down hard on him."

Byakuya growls and snaps up from his desk, before skulking over to his office door. One of his men had left it ajar ten or so minutes ago when he brought Byakuya's afternoon tea, and ever since then, he's been inundated with his subordinates' mind-numbing socializing.

With a forceful push, he slams the door to his office, closing him off from their incessant conversations.

One of the men yelps, and the crowd of them scatters in a quick succession of tiptoes and whispers.

Once upon a time, Toshiro would have dealt with them, straight from his office across the hall.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Byakuya sits back down at his desk to once again work through the applications on his desk. Already, he's started to hand work off onto his third seat, opting for the easiest transition, as opposed to the thoughtful process he'd originally imagined. It seems more pointless, as time goes on, to concern himself with finding a successor to Toshiro.

Any capable shinigami will do, at this point, and he cares very little for their individual talents so long as they can act professionally and complete the work he gives them. Anything beyond that is a boon.

If he finishes by the end of this week, perhaps, he may have time to plan another visit to the world of the living. Perhaps this time in Okinawa—it's one of his less common stops, but part of him wonders whether it is long due for a visit. It's been some time, thirteen or fourteen years, by his counting, since he's canvassed the area.

While he's never had a particularly organized system, it seems to him that he ought to be planning for another trip soon—as soon as possible, even, assuming his third seat is in a position to take over in the time he'll be gone.

And, grating as it is, there is still his grandfather to be concerned about. While they've spoken very little since their last confrontation, Byakuya is still keenly aware that he's being monitored, and that his grandfather is unlikely to divert his attention until he begins to feel Byakuya has shown at least some substantial compliance with his desires.

With a huff, he pours himself another cup of tea - quickly growing cold - and sorts through the scattered papers on his desk to find where he'd left off.

Not two seconds later, though, a set of footsteps approaches his office door, followed by a series of gentle raps.

Byakuya feels a vein in his temple pulse. "It had better be important."

A light chuckle answers him. "Well, I hope that it is."

The voice startles Byakuya, and he immediately rises from his desk. "Captain Ukitake?" he asks. For a moment he's stunned, but he quickly catches himself. "Please, come in."

The hermetic Captain inches the door open, and he greets Byakuya with a closed-eyed smile and a light wave of his hand. While Byakuya has never been particularly close with the Captain of the Thirteenth Squad, there has never been any animosity between them, and he has always felt a keen sense of sympathy for the Captain's illness, which sorely reminded him of his deceased wife's.

The signs of illness have begun to show on his colleague, though, and with troubling changes since their last Captains' meeting. Despite the other captain's easy smile, his eyes are sunken deep, carving deep hollows into his proud cheekbones. He closes the door slowly, muffling a cough into the sleeve of his haori as he slouches towards one of the chairs opposite Byakuya, which he settles into gingerly, steadying himself as he sinks down.

While certainly unexpected, Byakuya can't help but find his curiosity piqued—in all of the years he's been Captain of the Sixth Squad, he could count on one hand the number of times another captain has sought him out directly in his office. And despite their amicable coexistence, Byakuya finds himself unable to recall a single instance in which Ukitake himself has done so.

"This is quite unexpected," Byakuya starts. "It's been quite some time since our last Captains' meeting."

"More than a year now, as best as I recall," Ukitake supplies. He inclines his head towards Byakuya and says softly, "I suppose that you've heard the news?"

"Ah…" Byakuya wracks his brain but is unable to think of anything recent that would explain this visit. "I'm afraid that I haven't."

Ukitake smiles, though his expression is somber. "I have to ask a favor of you—a very serious one, one that I don't know that I can ever repay, though I must ask you nonetheless."

"I see." Byakuya regards his colleague cautiously, unsure of where their conversation is headed. "I will hear you out."

The other Captain takes a deep breath as he begins, his chest rattling as he does. "The news I thought you may have heard… my lieutenant, Renji Abarai, is currently on trial for having revealed himself to a human, and for giving the human his shinigami powers."

Byakuya is, admittedly, initially taken back. "That's certainly unusual," he says, unsure of what else would be proper in this circumstance.

While they're not well-acquainted in the least, he's come across the lieutenant of the Thirteenth Squad on many occasions. His impression of the man - while not a particularly thorough one - was that he was a competent enough individual, if somewhat unserious at times. "Has there been a sentence issued?"

Ukitake shakes his head. "Not yet, though—though I must say, I do not have much confidence in it. I have done all that I can, but the reports I have received are grim. I fear they may choose to impose the most serious penalty available."

"How unfortunate," Byakuya mutters. Still, the direction of their conversation is clear to him. "You must think nothing of it—to the extent that my word carries any weight, I will gladly speak in the man's defense. Consider it done."

"Ah…" At this, Ukitake seems almost bashful. "I greatly appreciate your offer, Captain Kuchiki, but what I wish to ask you—it is somewhat more complex than that."

"Is it now?" Byakuya frowns, once again unsure of his colleague's mind. "Go on, then."

"There is another—Rukia, who was—who is my third seat. I had sent her to search for Renji shortly before Captain Ichimaru was dispatched. When I inquired after her, I was told she had perished, though there were no remains."

"I see." While Byakuya could at least recall the lieutenant from the Thirteenth Squad, he had no immediate recollection of its Third Seat. "It seems to me you have some doubts about that report."

Ukitake shakes his head. "It's—it is something more than a hunch. I spoke with Renji, hoping he'd be able to tell me more, but he seemed to be withholding something. Captain Ichimaru was equally unhelpful, aside from claiming that Renji had killed her to conceal his crime. This, I find impossible to believe." His lips form a thin, grim line. "I know Renji, and I know Rukia. I believe either would give their lives for one another without hesitation."

"It is a good relationship to have," Byakuya supplies, though his grasp of the situation is quickly slipping. "So you believe she is alive somehow."

Slowly, the other captain nods. For the first time, he waits to respond, his hands fisted tightly into the fabric of his hakama. "It is a long shot, but based upon what Renji said, and Captain Ichimaru's testimony—I believe Rukia is still alive, and Renji is attempting to protect her, somehow, though I know very little beyond that."

"I see."

"And—it is not only that, but the circumstances surrounding Renji are strange as well. As you yourself noted, it seems very unlike him. I find it difficult to believe Renji would intentionally harm Rukia or reveal himself to a human without cause. The seriousness of the charges against him—the mere fact that another Captain was sent to retrieve one of my subordinates without my knowing, without me having ever been asked…" His voice trails off. "It is unusual, and I believe something is gravely amiss."

"I agree." Exactly what another captain - Ichimaru in particular - might seek to gain from the death of a lieutenant is unclear, but the circumstances, as framed by Captain Ukitake, are strange indeed. "What precisely is it that you wish for me to do?"

Ukitake nods slowly, as if considering. "I—I believe that Rukia is alive, but trapped. Perhaps she is being held against her will, but it's also possible that she is being protected, somehow, by Renji. It seems to me that Rukia is an innocent bystander in all of this, and I consider it my duty as her captain to ensure that she is brought home safely." He shakes his head. "But I believe I have the same duty to Renji as well. Someone must remain here to advocate on his behalf and ensure the sentence against him is not an exorbitantly cruel one."

"So you want me to search for your Third Seat," Byakuya guesses, "while you remain here."

Ukitake nods. "I believe that you are uniquely well suited to this. With the frequency that you take trips to the world of the living—I find it unlikely that your presence will be noted at all, let alone connected to Renji or Rukia. It will not draw attention, the same way my own leaving might."

"A clever plan." He is uneasy at the thought of leaving while something is plainly wrong within Soul Society, but with so little information available, it seems time is of the essence, as it relates to Ukitake's Third seat.

Byakuya waves his hand. "Very well then. I will begin preparations immediately. Provide me with all information you've collected regarding this woman's disappearance, and I will investigate to the best of my ability. Should I locate her, rest assured that she will be returned under the protection of the Kuchiki Clan, and that we will shield her from whatever attacks your lieutenant is facing."

Ukitake bows deeply from his seat, his shoulders slumped in relief. "I cannot express how deeply grateful I am," he says. "Rukia—she has humble beginnings but has risen above them in admirable fashion. No clan or family name, and for many years, no one aside from Renji. I consider them both to be dear to me, as if they were my own children."

"It is often that way between Captains and their squads," Byakuya offers. "Though seldom are we called upon to prove it."

Ukitake smiles lightly. "That is true." He continues, "Rukia has done well for herself. She has earned the esteem of the Shiba Clan, and despite having no blood family of her own, there are many to whom she's a dear friend, including myself."

"The Shiba Clan, you say?" Vaguely, Byakuya does recall an incident from some years back, upon the death of Ukitake's prior lieutenant. It had been a very busy - and disruptive time - for the noble families, though Kukaku had directed her clan through it in a way that even Byakuya found admirable.

Suddenly, the other Captain's urgency seems much more understandable. "I remember—there was another shinigami involved, when your prior lieutenant passed. I believe Kukaku had wanted to adopt her, and was quite displeased when the girl declined."

Ukitake nods, a ghost of a smile across his lips. "Rukia. That was her. Kukaku—the whole clan is quite attached to her, though Rukia has kept some distance between herself and them, despite how deeply she had looked up to Kaien." He tilts his head in consideration. "To some extent—I believe Kaien's death has weighed heavily on her, and she believes herself responsible, in some sense. It fuels her to work hard, though it does, as you can imagine, impact the relationships she has with others, including her own squad mates."

"Well." Given the proud tone of Ukitake's voice, Byakuya finds his mission to be even more imperative. Kukaku's involvement, the determination of a girl who has overcome very humble beginnings—it is a mission that feels almost tailor-made for his sensibilities. "For as closely as we work with death, there is never a simple way to confront it. It must be done continually, as a process."

This time, his colleague's smile - while kind - is a very knowing one. "I understand precisely what you mean."

The moment is suddenly a much more intimate one than Byakuya had intended, and he clears his throat, stopping the conversation before it can begin. He will help his fellow captain—that is enough. To spend time discussing such deeply personal matters with him, however, is another thing entirely.

"If I am going to make this trip soon, I must begin preparing now."

"Oh—yes, of course." Ukitake hastily rises, bowing again in gratitude. "As I said—there is very little I can do to repay this favor, but please, to the extent that one day I may, please do not hesitate to ask anything of me."

"Think nothing of it," Byakuya tells him. "Your Third Seat appears to be a very honorable young woman. I consider it my duty to ensure her safe return."

"You've made quite a reputation for yourself in that regard," Ukitake notes. Perhaps realizing the strangeness of his comment, he quickly amends, "That is—among the young women, you're spoken of as—with a good deal of respect." His cheeks flush. "I—well, yes. It is a very good thing you are doing."

"As you say." While what his colleague said was not false, it is not something Byakuya takes particular pleasure in ruminating over.

"As I said," Ukitake echoes. "Yes. While you are gone, I will give my best efforts here, so that I can protect Renji, even if he refuses to protect himself. He, like Rukia, also needs someone to look out for his best interests."

Byakuya nods. "I wish you good luck, and will send along what information I have, in the hopes that it may assist you in finding Rukia and bringing her home safely." With that, Ukitake bows one more time, before he excuses himself.

Once alone again, Byakuya sighs. It is, in a sense, a bit of good fortune—if this Third Seat is within the good graces of the Shiba Clan, perhaps his grandfather will be placated by this bit of good will. Perhaps it will even smooth over his relationship with Kukaku, who seems to take great delight in becoming more and more beastly with each passing year.

While there is always work to be done for his squad… Byakuya shakes his head. His own Third Seat is more than capable of handling it. Assuming that he moves quickly, his absence may be a short one that causes few, if any, inconveniences.

It is a strange request, to be sure, and an even stranger set of circumstances, but the more Byakuya considers it, the more he comes to view it as a gift.