[DISCONTINUED] Strive | Bleach

Chapter Nine: Senkaimon.

Chapter Nine: Senkaimon.

3rd Person POV

Byakuya Kuchiki had just relayed the finality of Rukia’s sentence. Internally, he was feuding with himself over the fact that he damned his younger sister to death. What would Hisana say to him if she knew? Would she forgive him? She knew that his loyalty toward the Soul Society was the most important thing to him. So if she was here to speak to him, what would she say? He didn’t even want to imagine their conversation.

As he walked along one of the balconies of Squad 6’s barracks, he came to a stop as a specific presence filled the air around him.

“You were very calm about it, Captain Kuchiki,” said a snide voice. “Well done, well done.” Byakuya looked over his shoulder. “Such calmness in the wake of your sister’s execution… you are a role model for soul reapers everywhere, Captain.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You and the Captain of Squad 9 are the only soul reapers who would fret over dying.” “You think so?” Byakuya turned full around, coming face to face with two other captains of the Gotei 13; Gin Ichimaru and Kenpachi Zaraki.

“Now what would two captains without their Lieutenants want with me?” he asked them.

“We were just… concerned that the captain of Squad 6 would be feeling low because his sister was about to be executed,” replied Gin in the same snide tone.

“Our family lineage is none of your concern,” Byakuya told him.
“So you aren’t upset about it?” Kenpachi inquired. “Criminals are pests to Nobles.”

“How unusual for a commoner to understand the subtleties of Nobles,” Byakuya noted. Kenpachi pushed himself off of the wall to face him, blocking Gin’s view.

“Not really. I’ve always been a sensitive one, ever since I was a kid. How about this: just to show my sensitivity, I’d even offer to chop off the criminal’s head, before the execution.”
“I wasn’t aware that at your present level you could fell a person’s head.”
“Want to try me?”
“Do you want to?” As the tension between the two captains rose, Byakuya found himself standing on the balcony alone. He heard movement from nearby. He looked up at the roof opposite him to see Kenpachi wrapped in cloth, as Gin, the one who did it, addressed him.

“Sorry about that, Captain Kuchiki—“”Ichimaru—“”I never intended to offend you in any way—“”Let go! Why you—“”We’ll be going now; my regards to your sister.”

Abaron’s POV

“Tessai, are you alright?” I watched as Tessai crawled out of the Shaft, looking grim. His glasses were shattered, no doubt from the explosion beforehand. Jinta turned around.

“Whoa! You’re alright, Tessai! I mean, Mr. Tessai—“”I’m not alright! My glasses are broken!” “But you’re okay, right? Oh well; keep the glasses on, even if they’re cracked.” He turned back toward the on-going fight between Ichigo and Kisuke.

“He drew his zanpakutō,” I explained, filling him in on what he missed. “This could get very interesting.”
“You can’t miss this one,” Jinta told him with a grin. I turned back as well. Ichigo, who just barely missed an attack from Kisuke, was beaming with his newfound confidence.

“Not bad, even with that wisp of a sword!” he said to Kisuke as he rose higher into the air.
“Oh, you flatter me! But that doesn’t mean that I’ll go easy!” Kisuke began to chase after him, slashing the air where Ichigo had been before running away.
“That’s fine with me! Dammit!”