Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Clinging To Hope	By : heidlebergchick Category: Bleach > Yaoi - Male/Male > Ukitake/Shunsui Views: 2030 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, I make no money from this fanfic

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Spoilers for all early Bleach arcs.!!!!

Japanese Translations:

Reiatsu - spiritual pressure

Fukutaichou - Vice captain

Taichou - Captain

Kidō - Demon magic

Shinigami - Soul Reaper

Seireitei - Court of Pure Souls

Rukongai - Dubbed as Rukon district, Outer circle of the Seireitei

Senzaikyū Palace - palace of remorseful sin, a large white tower, located at the center of the Seireitei

Shinō Academy - The primary education center for prospective Shinigami.

Sougyoku Hill - Giant training grounds behind the Senzaikyū Palace.

Zanpakuto - Soul Repers swords, called Soul Cutters

Zabimaru - Renji's Zanpakuto

Haori - White coat that captains of the thirteen squads wear.

Reishi - spirit particles that make up the Soul Society

Junrinan - Town in the First District of West Rukongai

Shunpō - Flashstep, a technique that allows soul reapers to move at incredible speeds.

Central 46 - The main government body of the Soul Society

Chapter Three ~ The Sights We Behold.

Patiently, he watched. The wind howled, echoing through the Seireitei. The moon bathed the empty streets with its rays, trying to appease the ominous shadows somewhat. He smirked at the seemingly peaceful courts; for soon they would be splattered with the blood of his foes. He almost smiled at the thought. It had been so long since he had seen these courts, so long since that day when they had destroyed him. But he would have the last laugh.

He mentally called out to his pets from the safety of his sanctuary. It was time to execute his plan. His pets had already infiltrated the Soul Society and were now awaiting his command. They would bring it to its knees along with the ones who controlled it, and then they would all know how it felt to truly suffer as he had many years ago.

"Go my pets. You know what to do."

He sat back and continued to watch through their eyes. The images flowed through him as they stalked through the shadowy streets like the silent killers they were. Soon their blood would pour and their screams would echo gloriously throughout the ancient white courts. When they did fall, he would emerge victorious. It was inevitable.

He growled menacingly. The time had finally come; he would wait no longer.

…..

A red-haired shinigami leapt swiftly across the rooftops of the Seireitei. His body moved effortlessly, one with his surroundings. He ran lightly over the roof before kicking off again, his sleeves trailing behind him. His clothing rustled with the breeze and his sandals made no sound as he landed gracefully, once again. His beloved Zanpakuto strapped to his hip, gave him the courage to venture through the darkness which would seem oppressing to most. But it didn't bother him tonight, not when he had Zabimaru to protect him.

Renji paused; he was nearing the rendezvous point. He had no idea where this week's patrol would take place, since the central location was always changed by central 46, to make sure enemies could never predict the movements of the shinigami. If it always remained the same, then criminals could simply bypass them and cause havoc elsewhere. This way, the shinigami always retained the element of surprise. He concentrated and began to pick up on a faint trail of spiritual pressure. He knew who it was calling out to him, guiding him. He allowed the gentle spirals of reiatsu to surround him and tug him in the right direction. It seemed to spike at a certain point in the near distance. Renji closed in on its source and sent his own tendril of reiatsu back in response to the other shinigami saying, he was on his way.

Looking around, he began to recognize the area he was standing in. This was Junrinan, a town in the first district of West Rukongai. It was peaceful here. He made his way swiftly through the dim, lantern lit village. He only had one thing in mind and that was reaching his destination and the individual waiting for him. He continued to travel along the rooftops of the town until he could go no further. There was nothing but a dense forest beyond where he stood. He was now high above the sleeping villagers. He crouched, his hand resting on his katana as he glanced up at the stars. The sky was truly beautiful tonight, but its beauty quickly became lost to the young man as his attention was drawn elsewhere.

High up on the clock tower stood a man clad in the purest of white silk. His gaze stretched outwards across the neighboring countryside, unhindered by his raven hair dancing in the wind behind him. He reminded the younger shinigami of a star high up in the sky, illuminating the darkness. The moonlight cascaded down upon him, drawing attention to his regal features, which were half hidden behind three delicate strands of his silky, black tresses. His elegant neck was adorned with an expensive, ivory scarf, which fluttered around him in the breeze, obscuring the embroidered insignia of his division on the back of his haori.

Renji gasped.

He watched as the man's gaze lowered at the sound he had made, until his stunning gray eyes focused upon him. The man's expression remained calm, yet Renji could feel the power that seemed to emanate from every inch of him. It was truly breathtaking to behold. If anything, Renji was proud to call this man his captain. He trusted him and respected him greatly.

Today, that respect had increased ten fold when he learned that Kuchiki Byakuya, head of his clan, actually considered him to be a valuable and capable fukutaichou. A sense of pride at the earlier conversation swelled up inside him. From the moment his captain had left the office, Renji had taken the time to contemplate what his captain had said.

'You are a man of worth, strength and intelligence. Pay no heed to what lesser men think of you. Instead, stand tall and be proud of yourself. You are my fukutaichou, Renji. Do you think I would allow an incompetent man to fill that role?'

That was when Renji decided that he was going to stand up and be the man that he knew he could be. He would stand tall and be proud for the whole Seireitei to see. He would make his captain and division proud for once and not sully it by acting like a fool. He composed himself and bowed his head in the direction of his captain, greeting him in his usual deep tones, "Kuchiki Taichou."

His captain did not look away in disdain, as Renji had expected. It was something the captain often did if he considered himself to be above someone, but the fact that he hadn't spoke volumes to the younger man. Instead, his captain seemed to be silently observing him, as if trying to decide something. After a moment, he too inclined his head softly in his own greeting before returning his gaze to the Seireitei. Renji, thoroughly pleased, took a low stance on the rooftop. He began immediately scanning the area around him, showing his captain his commitment to his work and that the advice he had been given earlier had been heard, loud and clear.

Byakuya turned his head by a fraction when he was sure his fukutaichou wasn't looking. He studied the red-haired man, from the corner of his eye. His feet were flat on the rooftop where he had landed; knees bent shoulder width apart. He allowed the weight of his upper body to lean on his elbows which in turn, rested on his knees. All in all, it was an easy stance for jumping into action or jumping away from an assault, should he need to escape quickly. Byakuya was impressed. Normally with Renji, this stance was accompanied by an unsheathed Zanpakuto draped over his back and shoulders, completely exposed and bare. Not only did Byakuya consider that to be reckless when it came to the katana's maintenance, but it was highly dangerous should he slip or become surprised by something around him.

His eyes traveled higher along Renji's back. His straight hair was tied back neatly and his usual black head gear was secure and unobtrusive. His whole body seemed relaxed and yet confidant at the same time. So he had been correct. When he had first caught Renji's eye, he thought he had noticed something different about the younger man. Earlier he had plainly said to Renji, believe in yourself and others will as well, and now Renji was, in is own way, telling him that his words had not fallen on deaf ears. Byakuya liked the subtle change and the trust that came with it.

He followed Renji's line of sight, mildly noting that his view was much more restricted than his own. From where he was situated, Renji could only see a distance of five hundred meters around him, the rest obstructed by the neighboring forest. From where he stood on the clock tower, he had a much better view, which made guarding the area he was supposed to be patrolling considerably easier. He returned his gaze to his subordinate. He spoke clearly in a gentle, rich tone.

"You know, Renji..." He paused as his fukutaichou regarded him with his full attention. "The view of the Seireitei is much better from up here."

Renji gazed up at his captain as his words sank in. He judged the distance from the two story building he was on and how far it would be to get to the clock tower where Byakuya stood. He noted that it was a bit of a leap, even for him. He looked around, quickly searching for a means to reach the older man. The clock tower itself was connected to a large hall which Renji could only assume served as a gathering point for the inhabitants of the village. Its roof was two stories higher than the rooftop he was on and Byakuya stood another two stories above that. Four stories were perhaps a little too much for him to jump at once, but two alone wouldn't be a problem.

He rose and steadied himself. He wasn't like the captains; they could leap a hundred meters into the air from the spot where they stood and make it look effortless. He also knew it was possible to solidify reishi beneath his feet. He was well versed in the technique, but he hadn't yet mastered moving through the air in that manner. So he would settle for this. Taking a running start, he jumped gracefully across the street and up onto the roof of the hall. He allowed himself no rest before immediately jumping again to the roof his captain occupied. He bent his knees as he landed and took his place on Byakuya's right. He resumed his previous, comfortable pose and looked out around him.

His lips parted softly in awe at the sight before him.

In the distance the most prominent building was the Senzaikyū palace, whose enormous tower seemed to capture more light than any other building in the Soul Society. As it stood proudly, it made a powerful contrast with the looming form of the Soukyoku Hill, which was covered in a thick, stifling darkness. The densely populated area Renji was familiar with was now nothing but a string of little lights surrounded by the great white wall of Sekkiseki stone.

"It's beautiful. I never imagined the Seireitei could look like this." He allowed his eyes to roam freely, taking in the breathtaking view before him.

Byakuya looked down at his fukutaichou in surprise. "Do you not live within the walls of the Seireitei, Renji? Surely you have seen it by night countless times, as have I?"

Renji looked up at the man beside him. "I have, but not like this. I dunno, maybe it's just this spot that makes it seem more beautiful. Or maybe it's because I don't often get to go this far from the Seireitei?" He shrugged. "Whatever the reason, this is different. This is better." He lowered his gaze and looked out again at the picturesque scene before him. Beside him, Byakuya nodded in understanding.

Byakuya allowed his own eyes to take in the familiar scenery. Yes, this place truly was magnificent to look at. He was aware of what Renji meant; it was one thing to glance at a place or object without really seeing it, especially if seeing it was a frequent occurrence. It was another thing entirely to sit back and appreciate it. But he also realized that this place meant more to him than even that; these were not just buildings or work places. This was his home; he had been raised here. Looking across the many landmarks, memories came flooding back to the proud captain. He thought about the Senzaikyū and Rukia's imprisonment there, the Soukyoku hill where her life had been saved and of course, of the Shinō Academy where he had first met her and accepted her into his home.

'Rukia', a hint of fondness caressed the thought in his mind.

He realized just how important she was to him. Many of his memories of the Seireitei were violent, bloody recollections and he now realized that after Rukia had come into his life a lot of that had changed. She had rewritten many of his preconceptions for the better. One example would have been his view of Rukongai and its inhabitants. Before he had met her, Hisana and Renji, he had viewed them the same way as did the rest of the nobility in the Seireitei. Now he realized just how foolish he had been. Rukia had really surprised him this afternoon. The last time he had seen her fight, she had almost given in after a few attacks, and her kidō had been a little above acceptable. But today she had displayed the leadership skills necessary to guide the shinigami below her when she had carried out the team exercises. Her kidō and swordsmanship had both improved noticeably. Based on that he had no doubt she would make a fine fukutaichou for her squad.

Speaking of her squad, Byakuya's mind wandered to Ukitake Taichou again. He was still stunned to say the least. Three surprises in one day; Byakuya wasn't sure if he would survive another. But still, he wondered why Ukitake and Kyouraku would keep their relationship so obviously well hidden. There was no law against it as far as he was aware, so what was it? Were they ashamed to be seen together in such a way? He frowned. That couldn't be right; they clearly loved each other. So why then? He understood that it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but still. There had to be something else, something he was missing, but what was it? He sighed in frustration.

Renji looked up at his captain. The man was so lost in thought, his eyebrows creased and his eyes were glued to the ground below him. But as Renji watched, it was apparent that the man wasn't seeing anything. He wondered what had provoked such a reaction from the older man. He gave a slight cough which seemed to snap him out of his trance.

"Is everything alright, taichou?" He kept his voice even and polite. Byakuya's eyes softened a little but the frown remained.

Byakuya cringed internally. He hadn't intended to call attention to his inner thoughts. But he did know one thing for certain; he had no right to tell Renji or anyone else about what he had accidentally witnessed this afternoon. He groped blindly for an answer, knowing the man deserved one. He thought about Rukia again and decided that would be perfect. He looked down at Renji, who looked up expectantly.

"Everything is fine, Renji. I was just thinking about Rukia." That seemed to capture Renji's interest and he showed it with a broad smile.

"Oh? You saw her today, didn't you sir? How is she?" Renji couldn't stop the questions and was thankful when his taichou didn't reprimand him for it. In fact he seemed oddly relieved.

"She is well, Renji." He looked away, but continued speaking. "I was just thinking that she would make a fine fukutaichou." He was forced to turn and look at Renji again after he heard the man inhale sharply.

"Really, taichou?" Byakuya raised a delicate eyebrow as the shocked reply came, but gave a simply nod in response.

"I was planning on speaking to Ukitake Taichou about it. I was just wondering why he had not already promoted her to a seated position, at the very least." He knew this must have been shocking to his own fukutaichou, but after her performance today he deemed it only fitting, from a completely unbiased point of view. When no reply came he looked at Renji again, only to see a stunned grin on his face. He shook his head and Byakuya could only imagine what was going through his mind. When Renji finally did speak, his voice revealed his disbelief at what he had just said.

"Taichou... I'm not complaining, but...what brought this on?" Renji's face tilted as he asked and his features adopted a quizzical expression.

Byakuya gathered his thoughts. Though Renji's tone could be considered disrespectful, he knew his fukutaichou had reasonable grounds to ask him, what he believed to be a logical question. It was rare for him to show such consideration for anyone so he supposed it was to be expected. He turned back to his vice-captain.

"I came to this decision today after watching Rukia's squad train. Rukia ended up taking command after being goaded into doing so by the two useless third seats. They ordered her to carry out their duties even though they were in the presence of another captain. I haven't seen such a blatant display of laziness in a very long time." He couldn't hide the hint disgust that crept into his tone as he said that. He continued while Renji listened with rapt attention.

"So Rukia carried out the group training exercises and in doing so, she showed off all the required skills of a fukutaichou remarkably. Based on that, I believe she could do a much better job than those two fools. I'm sure Ukitake Taichou would appreciate knowing all about what transpired today." His voice carried immense pride when he spoke of Rukia, and obvious disdain at the behavior of Sentaro and Kiyone. He looked back down at Renji who was smiling.

"That sounds just like Rukia, I'm glad those two idiots were finally shown to be the losers they are." He grinned before he spoke in a quiet and tender tone, one which Byakuya rarely heard him use. "But seriously, I always knew she had it in her. You have no idea how hard she has worked for this." It came out almost like a whisper and Byakuya's eyes widened. He couldn't help but feel touched at Renji's display of emotion. He spoke softly, his words containing nothing but sincerity.

"Renji...does the idea of Rukia being promoted please you?" Byakuya understood that Renji had known her far longer and he genuinely valued his opinion on the matter. Renji paused at the question. He looked down and his expression became warm and oddly sentimental.

"It does taichou. But only because I know Rukia would love to be a fukutaichou. She told me once that it's always been her dream to earn a seat in her squad because then she could...um..." He broke off awkwardly realizing what he had almost let slip. Naturally it perked Byakuya's interest as he wondered why Renji suddenly felt the need to stop.

"Go on, Renji. What did she want to achieve by earning a seat?" He did his best not to seem eager, but Renji seemed more worried about whatever it was he was about to say next, to notice.

"Well taichou, this isn't her only reason for wanting to become a fukutaichou, but I know this is important to her. But ever since she became a part of your house, she has tried to repay you and do her best to show you how grateful she is. She knows how much trouble you went to." Renji paused, unsure if his captain should be hearing this from him. When Byakuya remained silent, he gathered up the last of his nerves and continued. "She thinks that if she earns a seat in her squad that she will also gain your respect. She looks up to you like any little sister and she just wants you to be proud of her. That's why I know this would make her very happy, especially if you were the one to suggest it to Ukitake Taichou in the first place."

"I see." Byakuya silently contemplated what Renji had just revealed to him. He understood that it must have been a difficult decision for him to make whether or not to reveal something that personal. Now he knew why Renji had paused and he wondered if Rukia would be upset with Renji for telling him. Nevertheless, he was sure all of her anger would dissolve upon being told she was eligible to become a fukutaichou. He was content now that he knew he could make her happy while fulfilling both his roles as a brother and as a captain. He was sure many others would be pleased as well, her captain, her squad, and most of all her friends.

The peaceful atmosphere was suddenly shattered however as a wave of unfamiliar reiatsu rippled through the air. Renji made a sound in his throat as he felt its chilling presence. Byakuya's eyes narrowed in the direction of the forest, immediately trying to ascertain its source. He had never felt a reiatsu like this before and it gave him a bad feeling. He turned to his fukutaichou on his right. He was already on his feet, staring in the direction of the forest. He had a grim look on his face; it seemed he wasn't the only one who thought the presence of this strange reiatsu was a bad thing. Their eyes met briefly before their outlines on the clock tower flickered for a second before abruptly vanishing. They had a job to do.

The cloth of his haori rustled as Byakuya touched down lightly on the forest floor. The strange reiatsu he had sensed earlier was definitely stronger now. The faint sound of his fukutaichou landing somewhere behind him didn't interrupt his steady survey of their surroundings. He was standing in a clearing. The moonlight filtered through the thick canopy above him, casting feathery shadows on the ground and giving him a minimum amount of light to work with. It flickered and danced across the leaf strewn ground and over the dense foliage that shifted in the breeze.

He extended his powerful reiatsu through the trees and deep into the forest around him as he tried to determine the source of the disturbance. The only immediate life he found was that of some small forest creatures and an owl, perched high in a tree. It gave an indignant hoot as if trying to communicate to Byakuya that it found his reiatsu irritating. It wasn't the only one; Byakuya too was annoyed since this could only mean the one emitting this strange spiritual pressure had the ability to mask it as well. His irritation showed clearly on his face.

Renji, who had yet to move, looked on with a serious expression as his captain wasted no time searching the area around them. When he saw the look of annoyance, he could only gather that whatever was creating the weird reiatsu wasn't in the mood to be cooperative. His chest felt tight, but it had nothing to do with the spiritual pressure coming from his captain. He didn't like the heavy silence combined with the darkness of the forest. Unconsciously, he gripped Zabimaru who had always been his rock. He briefly considered sending out some of his own spiritual energy before realizing it would serve no purpose other than to irritate his captain further. So he waited and allowed his captain to decide what the best course of action would be.

The stifling pressure in the air decreased as his captain chose to end his search. Renji could only assume that Byakuya's patience was wearing thin waiting for the source of the reiatsu to emerge. Perhaps whoever it was couldn't breathe or move up until now. So by removing it, Byakuya was most likely telling them to come out and face him. Surprisingly, that call was answered by the sound of a twig breaking as something within the forest stirred. It completely shattered the silence that had reigned up until that point. Both men stared forward.

To Byakuya, it started off as a small shadow among the trees. It nimbly placed one limb forward after the other with catlike grace, keeping its pace slow and unhurried. As it came closer, light flicked over the sharp contours of it body, illuminating a much larger form than Byakuya had first surmised. The creature appeared to be very pale, flickers of silver dancing across its body as the light changed. It crept even closer. It made absolutely no sound_ as it lifted its feet delicately over the roots and leaves that littered the hard ground. Finally it emerged from the trees and waited just beyond the safety of their depths. It stared at them inquisitively through golden oval-shaped eyes. Byakuya took a good look at the creature before him.

To his amazement, its body greatly resembled that of a normal human. All four limbs were planted firmly on the ground, though its hindquarters seemed to dip more than its torso. A curtain of silver hair cascaded along its back, over its shoulders and across its pointed face. It was straight, but not sleek and beautiful. It looked weak and uncared for and was full of split ends and pieces of leaves after obviously being allowed to trail along the ground. A soft, non-threatening growl emanated from its throat as it tilted its head to the side. As it did so, Byakuya could make out some very lethal looking fangs that adorned the angular features, along with some tapered, elf-like ears.

As he continued to gaze over its form, he noticed just how thin and malnourished it looked. Those sharp points he had seen earlier were actually its bones threatening to break through the stressed skin. Though the creature was similar to a human, its bone structure in places was different. Its lower body took on a natural curve, its spine and lower ribs supporting a bony ridge that ran along its back. It had seemingly powerful thighs, though Byakuya couldn't be completely sure due to the evident lack of muscles. They ended in deadly looking clawed feet, where the bone structure was visibly different to that of any human. Upon seeing this, the noble man glanced at its hands and saw similar clawed appendages that seemed to merge into its forearms.

This all seemed highly contradictory to him. It crouched and growled like a beast and yet appeared human, while emitting immense spiritual pressure typical of hollows and soul reapers. Its silvery mane and beautiful facial features suggested excellent breeding, but it was horribly disheveled and thin. But more than anything, the addition of a thin garment confused him greatly. The cloth around its tiny waist split into four segments; two at its sides and one front and back. They were held by a strap of what looked like brown leather, but Byakuya simply couldn't phantom how a beast could possess such a thing. He had never laid eyes on such a thing and had no idea where it had come from. But he intended to find out.

Renji was completely perplexed by the sight of the creature. As the moonlight danced, its already pale form looked, ethereal and ghostlike. It was completely new and he had no idea what to make of it. He watched with bated breath as it lowered its head and regarded Byakuya a little more closely. Perhaps since Byakuya hadn't moved, it felt a little more confident. It took a step and kept its head quite low to the ground. It looked sideways at his captain through one of its golden eyes, reminiscent of a fox. It moved cautiously and sniffed at Byakuya's aura. Its own reiatsu fluctuated as it breathed in Byakuya's scent.

Then it stopped. Its thin muscles stiffened and its eyes seemed to glow, before clenching them shut in obvious pain. It released a piercing whine that made both men tense. When its eyes opened, they glowed more intensely and its fangs were fully bared. It began growling viciously, its muscles flexed and tensed. Alarms started going off in Renji's head knowing his captain had to move away quickly. His heart began to pound as he watched. Byakuya shifted one foot, testing how the beast would react. It growled fiercely at the action and Renji knew what would happen if he moved.

But he wondered what the hell had caused it to go wild like that. One minute it acted like a cautious doe and now this. But then instead of a light fluctuation, its reiatsu spiked intensely and it howled in pain. When it subsided, it took one glance at Byakuya before lunging forward, claws bared. Before he could even utter a word of warning to his captain, Renji heard the sound associated with shunpō and realized he was on his own now.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- 2
- 3
- 4
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Clinging To Hope