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
- 3
- 4
Hey, I know it's been a while, but I hope you'll like this chapter. It is my very first fight scene ever and these creatures/demons are my original creation. Brace yourselves.
warnings: All arcs at the beginning involving Ichigo, renji and Rukia, Kaien shiba arc, Espada arc and blood, violence sugestive male/male themes.
Japanese Translations:
Kidō - Demon Arts - Like spells shot from the palm of your hand. Two types. Hadō (destruction) and Bakudō (Binding)
Shunpō - A technique of extreme speed where the user is only seen and point A and B and not inbetween.
Taichou - Captain
Fukutaichou - Lieutenant, vice captain
Haori - White coat worn by a captain
Reiatsu- Spiritual pressure
Zanpakutō - A Soul Reapers personal sword
Zabimaru- Renji's Zanpakutō
Senbonzakura - Byakuya's Zanpakutō
Hoeru - Roar (command for Zabimaru)
Chire - Scatter (command for Senbonzakura)
Doppelgänger - german word meaning twin
Espada - Spanish word meaning sword, i think, i may be wrong
Shinigami - Soul Reaper
Shuhakushō - Reapers clothing
The names of the Kidō can be found on bleach wikipedia.

The Ones We Protect
As he sprinted, Byakuya couldn't help but think the whole situation was ironic. For weeks there had been little activity to excite the patrols and yet here he was, trying to evade the clutches of a rabid beast. At the very least he could rub it in Zaraki's face and tell him how unlucky he was. But judging by the weak appearance of this creature, he probably wouldn't have very much to tell.
At first, his only concern had been to ascertain where the strange spiritual pressure was coming from and if this strange new creature was a threat. Now that it had indeed proven to be dangerous, he would have no choice but to slay it. He landed quietly, intent on stealthily locating the beast and killing it before it did any damage. His main concern was Renji's safety. For that reason alone he knew baiting the beast into following him would be the surest way of achieving that and then at least he could fight without having to worry. A growl interrupted his plans and he quickly looked towards the sound. In the heavy darkness, the creature leered at him, fangs bared. His eyes widened.
'Impossible!' he thought. 'A second one?' He knew no mere beast could have matched his shunpō for speed. But when he looked around for the creature that had first attacked him, he saw only the beast on his left. He refused to believe that it was the same one that had first attacked him. It snapped viciously at him, unfazed by his questioning thoughts. It prepared to attack again and Byakuya almost laughed. This animal actually believed that it could defeat him in a fight?
'How arrogant! It seems that I must teach this beast its place.' He raised a finger in the beast's direction. He felt the familiar tingles in his hand as the kidō began to build up.
"Hadō no yon, Byakurai."
His calm, deep tones were almost immediately drowned out by the explosive volume, as the offensive kidō ripped violently through the trees. The immediate area lit up fiercely, alternating between rays of white and blue. Branches cracked and broke, blown away by the raging wind created by the spell. Byakuya watched the beast as the kidō raced towards it and he knew it didn't stand a chance. It was very basic kidō, but it was more than effective for taking care of such a simple beast. He closed his eyes as the brunt of the spell hit the area where the beast stood. Afterwards, he simply glanced at the charred patch of ground before he turned and began to walk away.
As he did, he almost missed the flash of white above the area that had been destroyed by the blue flames. His frown deepened when he realized his kidō had missed. The silvery creature had leapt into the safety of the branches and embedded its claws in the thick bark in order to escape. But that would mean it possessed incredible speed. He wasn't convinced. He gazed up at it and raised his finger once more. He repeated the incantation and released the kidō; this time he did not close his eyes and look away.
The smell of burnt wood filled the air as the kidō smashed into the tree, shattering many of its smaller branches. The elf-like creature wrenched its claws from the bark and used its scrawny thighs to propel itself through the air. It vanished, as if using shunpō and rematerialized on a tree a few meters away. Byakuya's lips curled in anger. He aimed again, but the creature had already moved and was on the offensive again. It kicked off from the tree and propelled itself at him like a lion, its razor sharp claws outstretched and ready to rip him apart. Byakuya had only a second to make a decision and knew using the creature's speed against it was the most favorable plan of action. There was no way it could dodge his kidō with the speed it was coming towards him.
He lifted his hand once more, but before he could utter the words another burst of reiatsu erupted behind him. Knowing a second beast was behind him, he had no choice but to abandon his idea and use shunpō to evade the frontal assault from the creature in front of him and a possible rear attack from the one behind him. He reached the trees a short distance away and paused. He glanced over his shoulder and knew he was being followed. Out of thin air the two skeletal creatures materialized before him. They remained on all fours with their glowing, golden eyes fixed on him.
He tensed as they snarled at him. These animals were a lot more trouble than he had first suspected. How was it possible for such weak, skeletal creatures to be so fast? They had claws that could drive through the bark of a tree as if it were jelly. On top of that, their jumping ability was startling. What other abilities did they possess? Byakuya had a bad feeling he was about to find out.

Renji blinked.
'I'm alone?'
He slowly lowered his arms that had previously been protecting him from the burst of wind when his captain had flash stepped to safety. The debris settled and the forest became quiet once more. His heart was still pounding and the bad feeling in his stomach intensified.
'The captain lured that silver monster away from here, from me? He was trying to…protect me? …Taichou?'
He gazed down the path his captain had taken. The forest trail looked worn and old. The trees towered impossibly high, their immense masses of leaves and branches blocked all traces of light, making the path seem even more daunting. Renji adopted a look of concern as he gazed down its shadowy depths.
'Will he be okay?' He scolded at himself almost at once. 'Of course he will be. He's a captain; if anyone can defeat that thing, it'll be him.'
But Renji's brow creased and his chest tightened again.
'If that's true, then why do I feel so uneasy about it? There's something… something off about that creature. Its reiatsu, it's giving me a bad feeling and I can't shake it.'
Renji, who had grown up in Rukongai, had learned the hard way, to always trust his instincts no matter what. They were screaming for him to do something, anything! He clenched his hand into a fist at his side. He had made a vow to make his division proud by being a better man. Now was the time to put that into action, to show his captain and squad that this wasn't just a one time thing; he was serious.
'I know now, that you were trying to protect me, Taichou… but don't you see? I want to protect you too…Byakuya?'
Only seconds had passed since Byakuya had disappeared from the clearing, but for him everything had somehow changed. The night seemed darker and more silent, and his quickened breath visibly lingered in front of him. An unnatural stillness surrounded him, crushing him with its weight. But Renji wasted no time reflecting on this fact, or that he had no idea what lay ahead of him. His feet carried him quickly forward, barely touching the ground between leaps. His muscles protested at the sudden change in activity but he ignored them as surely as he ignored the lingering weight in his stomach. He had a job to do, and he wouldn't fail.

Through the eyes of his minions, he continued to watch how things were playing out in the forest from the safety of his lair. With his spiritual pressure, he was able to take the pieces of information being sent mentally to him by his many pets, and cast them into the air in front of him. This way, he could process the images as if watching a live feed on a wireless screen in mid-air. He could alternate each mental connection at will or even break them off completely. In this manner, he had witnessed the quick fight between his pets and the soul reaper, whose name he hadn't yet discovered. Judging from the haori, he knew it was a captain. It was a little nostalgic seeing one of them again after all this time.
He had very much enjoyed watching the captain's expressions as he slowly figured out what his pets were capable of. He couldn't suppress the laugh that rose in his chest. The captain had no idea what they were truly capable of; he had seen but a glimpse of their true power.
Still, it would be highly entertaining to watch him struggle against his pets until he finally realized that winning was an impossible feat, that he had no hope of ever achieving. It would be magnificent to watch one as seemingly proud as him, fall at his feet. That was assuming his red-haired companion didn't interfere.
He glanced to his left where two panels were presenting an image of the crimson haired shinigami, as he made his way through the forest. His eyes narrowed; the young soul reaper was moving swiftly and getting closer to the captain with every leap. He couldn't allow any interference; captains were difficult enough opponents to take down when they were alone and even more so when they had back-up. He quickly sent a mental command to his two closest pets. He knew this forged mental connection still caused them pain, but he had plenty of time to correct that minor problem later. Now he needed to concentrate on that companion of his.
He turned back to the screens showing the proud captain. It was almost like playing chess. What would happen if he moved yet another piece to the board? How would the captain fare against yet another of his pets? There was only one way to find out, right?
His own eyes glowed as he sent another command. The captain would learn pain and so would his little underling. This was turning out to be so much fun. He sat back and laughed as the 'show' continued.

Renji moved swiftly forward with long sweeping leaps. He stared forward, his gaze intensely focused on his path, determination burning in his eyes. He hadn't stopped for a second and for some reason he knew he couldn't delay. He just couldn't bear the thought of his captain being hurt; that thought alone motivated him beyond limits. He couldn't stop, he wouldn't.
His feet hit the ground heavily as he landed. He ran and leapt again, arms trailing behind him. The path was treacherous for using shunpō, due to the obstructions presented by the trees and the various plants and roots. He wasn't the worst when it came to shunpō but he had no desire to spend hours trying to dodge trees at those speeds.
He kept going, slowly becoming aware of the building levels of reiatsu around him. This reiatsu matched that of the creature that had showed up and attacked Byakuya. That supported his theory that there were more of them. He tensed.
'They're close.'
He started scanning the trees as he moved, knees bending and heart pounding. His feeling of unease returned full force as he realized what was happening.
'Are they trying to separate us so they can take us down more easily?'
His eyes widened at the possibility of possibly being correct. Was that really the case? He could still sense Byakuya's reiatsu in the distance, but it was being cloaked by the sinister reiatsu which seemed to be closer to him. It was a definite possibility. Divide and conquer was one of the most basic battle tactics, and he still had no idea what that creature was or how dangerous it was. It looked like they had hardly any chips left to bargain with. But still, the questions swirled around in his mind.
'Why are they attacking us? What are they? Where did they come from?' It was endless.
Renji's pondering was put to rest as a flash of silver streaked past him in a parallel direction on his right. He immediately skidded to a halt and took a defensive stance, his right hand resting on the hilt of his beloved Zabimaru.
Flash
Another flash streaked past him on his left.
'Two of them?'
He gripped the hilt harder as he watched the two flashes of white as the raced by on either side of him. The reiatsu spiked as two of the skeletal creatures burst into the clearing in which he stood.

The situation was tense. Renji remained still, doing his best not to provoke to two snarling beasts before him. Though he wasn't the kind of man that could be classified as a coward, it didn't stop his fingers from trembling on Zabimaru's hilt or his breathing from increasing. A bead of sweat travelled down the side of his forehead as his eyes darted left and right, taking in every aspect of the scene as quickly as possible.
One of the creatures was ten meters in front of him, directly blocking his path. The other prowled slowly like a panther along a giant fallen tree trunk a meter behind its doppelganger. Renji couldn't see a way around them, and he knew the fastest way to Byakuya was through them. Renji shook his head. He had no choice but to go through them it seemed.
From where he stood, the moonlight flickered and danced across his skin, highlighting his sharp features. Slowly, began to draw Zabimaru from its sheath. Light cascaded along its curved edge, like the fang of a blood thirsty wolf under the light of a full moon. Renji closed his eyes as he concentrated. He could feel Zabimaru singing throughout his body, infusing him with its power.
Renji's eyes snapped open. They focused on the two creatures. He could hear Zabimaru howl inside his head, as his spiritual pressure began to build around him. He ran a loving palm along Zabimaru as his words sliced through the echoing silence of the forest.
"Hoeru, Zabimaru!"
The blade was illuminated in a soft pink glow as Renji's spiritual pressure surged through the blade, transforming it into a longer, wider segmented blade. The segments grew larger as they moved away from the hilt, each made more deadly with the addition of two spike-like protrusions. Like teeth they gleamed under the moonlight, making the blade itself even more formidable than before.
Renji surveyed the area around him. He was a safe distance away from the two creatures that still hadn't moved from their positions. The forest had grown quiet, almost unbearably so. Renji realized they were probably waiting for him to make the first move in order to establish his power level, especially after witnessing his little display with Zabimaru. With that in mind, Renji smirked. He pointed the blade forward at the two creatures and spoke.
"Alright ladies," he spoke in a confidant manner that may have seemed cocky to some. "Allow me to introduce to you, my good friend…Zabimaru!"
As the name was cried out, Renji swung the blade forward with considerable force. The first creature quickly abandoned his position and veered to the left to avoid the extended weapon. It growled with irritation as it padded lightly on its feet.
As Renji watched this display of annoyance, he failed to notice his second opponent as it began scaling a tree a few inches away from the log. It moved with a fluid speed, paying no heed to the trunk as it snapped and splintered under its digging claws. It stared down at Renji in a cold and calculating sort of way, before leaping towards him.
A cry of agony ripped itself from Renji's lips as he was almost brought to his knees. Utter shock and surprise surged through him along with fear. It happened so fast. His only warning had been an excruciating weight on his right arm and a burst of silver across his line of vision, before he truly realized what had happened. The second beast had jumped onto the tip of Zabimaru and was using it as a safe platform to reach and attack him directly, while avoiding the dangerous spikes.
Fear flooded through Renji almost unlike any fear he had ever felt before. Never in a million years had he ever expected something like that was even possible. The horror he felt was etched all over his face as he desperately sought a way out of his dilemma before he was killed.
The weight on his arm grew as the seconds ticked away and the elf-like creature inched ever closer. Renji watched with a sick fascination as it moved and he became hypnotized by the delicate feline movements of its feet. As it moved, he noticed the way the sword seemed to strain and shake under its weight. It was then Renji knew what he had to do.
He concentrated on the blade and knew a sudden movement would end up doing considerable damage to his arm due to the extra weight. With his left hand supporting his right wrist, he inched his left shoulder higher making the muscles around his ribs protest. The movement however carried down his arm and ended up moving his right wrist just enough to nudge the segments of Zabimaru to move, making it impossible for the creature to continue to move forward.
The creature struggled to retain its balance without success and its movements only served to cause Renji more pain. He gritted his teeth and endured it; he had suffered through worse before. As the blade continued to tip downwards the beast used the last of its footing to take one last strike at Renji with its claws. Renji jerked his head and upper body back just in time to avoid the blow and watched in shock at the beasts belly, as it sailed over him, its amazing speed launching it further than it had intended to go. Despite its mistake, it landed gracefully behind him and appeared unfazed by what had happened.
Relief flooded through Renji. The muscles in his arm felt so much better now that the weight had been lifted, but at the same time, his relief was short lived when he realized how close he had come to death within the first few seconds of his encounter with these creatures. He would never have expected them to be able to jump so high or move so quickly. Their appearance was so deceiving and the fight still wasn't over.
The one that had jumped onto his Zanpakuto, had retreated to the safety of the tree branch it seemed to favor, so Renji turned his attention briefly to the other who had been skulking around the edges of the clearing. It took a quick pass at him from the side, but Renji's reflexes were too fast for it. Renji flicked the blade in its direction forcing it back, snarling in anger. Renji, realizing he had used up his third move, pulled Zabimaru back to him. It made a heavy, and yet soothing thunk sound as it retracted and its segments locked back into place. Renji made quick use of his flash step, to make sure he was protected during the retraction phase.
As Renji touched down, he heard the unmistakable sound of kidō being fired off in the distance. He knew it was his captain, fighting fearlessly.
'Byakuya', he thought. 'I hope you're safe; I'll never forgive myself if you get hurt. I made a promise and I intend to keep it. Just be strong; I won't let you down!'
Another burst of kidō shattered through the silent forest, almost answering Renji. But it was all Renji needed. His replenished the grip on his blade while determination burned inside him. He yelled and rushed forward, intent on tearing down the enemies that stood in his way. As his yell resounded and Zabimaru rushed through the air, his own thoughts echoed in his mind.
'I won't let you down!'

The gears were clicking furiously in Byakuya's mind as he began processing what had just occurred. It was like a sense of déjà vu had washing over him, as he found himself in a similar position facing down his enemies he had just evaded. They snarled and growled, but he simply ignored the two as he tried to make sense of his situation with a frown resting upon his handsome features.
It was the second time he had been forced to dodge their attacks using shunpō only to reemerge to find them waiting for him. Were they truly so fast? He was about to disregard that thought when he recalled the moment when he had watched that other creature jump from the trees. They must have had amazing speed in order to do that, but still –
He stilled immediately. He inhaled sharply and his eyes widened as it became clear in his mind: They had been waiting for him only split second after he had used shunpō both times. It would have been an incredible feat to find him at his speed unless, they were tracking him. They had to be. How else did they keep turning up?
Byakuya paused in his thoughts and glanced haughtily at the two beasts. He was not one to make assumptions, no, he had to prove that his hypothesis was correct. A simple task. So, what methods of tracking were they using? The first thought that entered his mind was by scent. Time to test that theory.
Byakuya gently unwound the silk scarf from around his neck while remaining as still as possible so as not to provoke the creatures before him. He held and raised his other hand to attack. His plan was to drop the scarf after he used shunpō to see if they would fall for his trick and follow the scarf instead of him. He spoke the words clearly.
"Hadō no san juu san, Sōkatsui."
The kidō rushed at the two creatures but Byakuya wasted no time staying to watch the blue flames erupt through the trees. Instead he quickly made use of his shunpō to evade and dropped the scarf. He moved a few meters away from the area where he could observe it. As predicted, the creatures didn't spare it a single glance. The scarf lay forgotten on the forest floor.
The nobleman's lip twitched upwards in an annoyed fashion. 'So much for the scarf', he thought. 'Since it was proven to be useless, it might as well remain where it is.'
He turned his attention back to the two beasts and decided on the next possible tracking method that they could be using. Reiatsu tracking, for it was true he hadn't bothered to completely rein it in. He raised his arm slowly, his palm facing the first of the two beasts as he allowed the kidō to build up. His gaze didn't waver for a second as he released it in all its beautiful fury.
"Hadō no nana juu san, Sōren Sōkatsui!"
The first blast of the twin kidō raged forward in the direction of the first creature who jumped to safety, before he quickly redirected his palm to stop the other from charging at him. It skidded to the left but continued to race towards him leaving his no choice but to defend with two additional blasts. It forced him to take a few steps backwards to avoid being hurt by his own attack as it became more close range.
As noble as his intentions were, luck wasn't on his side. He did manage to push the beast back but at the last second he sensed movement behind him. He hastened to avoid the unexpected new attack, but pain blossomed in his ankle when a third, new beast emerged from the undergrowth after cutting into his skin with its claws.
His lip curled in anger. If there was one thing he hated, it was underhanded tactics like sneak attacks. No honour, no respect, no pride. It was shameful and low. He stared the new beast down with unbridled fury burning in his eyes; unforgiveable. His raised his hand, promising no mercy; only kidō experts could do what he was about to. If anyone from the Sereitei saw him now, they would have run for their lives. They knew that look in his eyes. It meant death was inevitable.
"Hadō no roku juu san, Raikōhō!"
He released the kidō, firing again and again, sending wave after wave of crushing reiatsu into the trees around them in a steady circle. It rained in a ferocious storm of golden thunder, blinding the entire area with its light. Now all he had to do was disappear into the midst of the chaos he had created. With the amount of his reiatsu in the air it would now be impossible to determine what was stagnant energy and what wasn't. If he completely reined his reiatsu in and left them only with the remaining evidence of his onslaught, then he would be truly removing himself from the picture. They would be forced to search for him but to of no avail and control of the situation would return to him, allowing him to prey on their confusion like a hidden tiger on the prowl.
As the last shot was fired he suppressed every ounce of his own reiatsu and took advantage of his shunpō to escape into the higher branches of the trees. Not only had he proved his theory but he had also turned the tables on his new enemies. He was every bit the competent captain that his reputation preceded, he had just proved it.
Byakuya's cold fury eased slowly as his calculative mind took over, analyzing the result of his actions. He gazed down at the three prowling beasts. The sniffed at the remains of the damaged trees, taking note of the reiatsu signature, clearing confused by the odd turn the situation had taken. The forest area was vibrating with the leftover energy of his attack and he was sure even Renji could sense it, where ever he was.
His gaze found the three again, noticing that they were slowly drifting apart as they expanded their search. He knew it was time to strike. He inched slowly along the bough, aiming on catching the first two, who were on opposite ends of the smoldering remains of a particularly large bough that had become the victim of his earlier rage. They stood at least five meters apart.
He pointed his finger at the first's blind spot from above. He knew speed was the only advantage he really had, because if he wasn't fast enough to immobilize them now, he wouldn't get another chance. He took a deep breath and released the kidō without uttering a sound.
Six rods of golden light attached themselves successfully to the midsection of the first creature. The second snapped its attention to the first before its gaze darted upwards, his body on full alert. But it was too late; Byakuya struck quietly while he had first gained its attention and bound its lower body with a golden rope like kidō, Sajo Sabaku. Bound it couldn't get away other than to put up a futile struggle against the conditioned and well trained muscles of Byakuya's entire upper body. Using his free hand, the noble man finally did what he had been itching to do since the encounter had gone up a notch, draw his Zanpakuto, Senbonzakura.
The beautiful curved blade sang under his touch and his eyes connected with the beast's. A simple communication carried between them and the beast increased its struggle with vigor, not willing to resign itself to the mercy of the handsome captain's katana. With a clean stroke, the weight on the rope slackened and Byakuya watched as its body slowly began to dissolve into an oddly beautiful display of shimmering diamonds before they disappeared altogether. Byakuya eyes closed softly in silent respect of the fallen as he had been taught as a mere boy by his late grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki.
'You must always respect the dead, Byakuya. Death is the final stage in the cycle of life and will bring new life once again.'
Byakuya remembered listening with a fascination, though understanding his grandfather's words hadn't been easy. While he had been learning to hone the skills of the sword, of killing his enemies, it had almost seemed like a foreign concept to later respect those who fell at his hands. It wasn't until he had eventually caused the death of a man that he understood and to this day, he respected the wisdom of his grandfather and hoped to become as wise one day.
He turned his attention to the other bound creature and knew he had to destroy the threat while he had it in his grasp. Sighing softly, he raised his katana into a vertical position and spoke in a smooth, calm voice.
"Chire, Senbonzakura."
The silvery blade dissolved slowly into tiny shards of pink light, blooming around him in a lovers caress like thousands of cherry blossom petals. Left with the hilt, he guided the petals into surrounding his enemy. After witnessing the death of its companion, it knew what would happen and remained still. Byakuya could only respect its decision; it had more sense than its companion. Its death would be swift and honorable.
A quick movement of his wrist and it was over. The petals surrounded him comfortingly as he once again took a moment to respect the fallen. The hilt lay calmly at his side. He shifted on his feet, pausing only momentarily as a bolt of pain shot up through his leg. He had almost forgotten there were three. The reiatsu building slowly behind him was like an annoyed guest poking him on the shoulder. How rude of him to keep a guest waiting. He turned, completely ignoring the pain in his ankle and the vicious growl of the third and final beast.
"Sorry to keep you waiting; I had other matters to attend to. But I assure you, now you have my full attention."
A vicious snap of its jaws was the only encouragement he needed. It was time to end this.

A sickening squelching noise filled the forest as Renji pulled his blade from the belly of the beast in front of him. Thick dark blood sprayed from the katana's teeth before splattering across the ground, though it was almost impossible to see in the darkness. Without warning, the corpse of the creature dissolved into a beautiful shower of silvery stars, surprising Renji for a moment before disappearing again.
He paused and looked around. He was more surprised than anything that he had managed to kill the damn thing; they were so fast. He had somehow caught it off guard and feinted, pretending to go after its doppelganger and had allowed Zabimaru to curl around it from the side.
He had mastered Zabimaru's shikai years ago and something like that was child's play and therefore Renji was very surprised that it had been successful. Now that that was over with, it was time to take down the final enemy. It, unfortunately had come to the same conclusion, only …sooner…
Pain exploded in his stomach as he found himself suddenly flying backwards. He smashed heavily into a tree causing a new wave of pain to emerge. He groaned and put a hand on his stomach and started to try to get up from where he had landed. He was on full alert now and knew he had to be fast in order to get out of this one. Propped up on his right elbow he saw the final beast getting ready to charge, going for the kill. Panic flooded through him and one frantic thought resounded in his head.
'…Zabimaru…?'
His widened eyes searched frantically for his fallen Zanpakuto and eventually saw it a few inches away from him on his right. The beast was almost on him and he dove to his right in a desperate attempt to grab the sword before his life was prematurely ended for him. As he rolled he was only barely aware of the sound of splintering wood and a frustrated growl. He knew without looking that it had probably been the roots where his head had been two seconds earlier.
He quickly grabbed the hilt and rolled onto his back just in time to block the razor sharp claws aiming for his head. With two hands on the blade, he pushed back with all his strength causing sparks to shower over his face. The beast was unrelenting; its claws were literally inches from his skull and Renji knew if the sword slipped, those claws would embed themselves so fast into his head that he wouldn't even feel it. It pushed harder, throwing its full weight into the attack.
Renji's aching shoulder began to protest and he felt the blade slip a fraction. The beast's golden eyes were fixed on his, its fangs bared; he could feel its breath on his face. It could feel the end coming and Renji's desperation rise. Renji's breathing quickened as he frantically sought a solution.
'It can't end like this!' he gritted his teeth as a growl began to build up in his chest. 'I promised…he believes in me…I can't let him down! I …I won't…never!'
With a cry of determination, Renji brought his knee up hard, colliding hard against the beast's stomach effectively winding it. It yelped and fell roughly to the side, but all the strength that had previously gone into fighting Renji was misdirected and missed his temple by a fraction. Renji's eyes widened considerably when the beast's flailing limbs brushed over his face and the tips of its claws caught his headgear and made a loud scratching sound. Strands of his crimson hair fell into his eyes and his breath caught in his throat.
From his left, the silvery beast made a whining noise next to him. It was starting to get to it feet and Renji knew he couldn't let that happen. Their eyes locked; gold on gray. At the same time, it lunged and Renji brought up his sword to block with every ounce of strength he had left. His own thoughts kept coming back to him.
'I won't let you down!'
Zabimaru's teeth stabbed into the beast's chest.
For a moment, time stopped and the two were locked together. Renji was sitting with two feet on the ground, leaning back as the beast hung impaled in Zabimaru's spikes. A growl released from the beast's throat. Renji pushed a bit harder, driving his Zanpakuto deeper into its ribcage. Its head dipped forward, its silver mane ghosted over his hands and blade as its eyes stopped glowing. Renji looked into its eyes knowing it was dying and he whispered softly to it as it took its last breath.
"I'm sorry…"
His words mingled with their breaths and the clearing began to fill with little lights. They disappeared slowly, leaving Renji alone with his thoughts. He rested against the trunk and closed his eyes. That had been harder than he had expected and though there had been no way to change it, he found himself feeling a little guilty.
He got up and shrugged it off. He had done the only thing possible in his situation and had fought fairly; he had no reason to be guilty. He smiled; he knew that was something Byakuya would say. He ran a loving hand along the hilt of his Zanpakuto.
'Thanks Zabimaru; you saved my life. …again…I owe you one'
His smile broadened as he dusted himself off and he set off through the trees.
His work was done here.

Byakuya's eyes narrowed; he was really starting to lose his patience. He had attacked relentlessly with Senbonzakura, but the last beast was proving difficult to handle. No matter how he followed its movements, it was always able to dodge at the last second. His mind was beginning to cloud with rage. It really had been years since an enemy had aroused his anger this way and it irked him more because he prided himself on keeping his cool under the most intense of situations.
The main problem was the setting. The forest was filled with obstacles that stood in his way and that of his Zanpakuto. The beast was using its surroundings expertly to dodge the most devastating of his attacks. In order to keep the pressure on the beast, he had ended up doing his best to follow in order to keep it in sight so that he could continue to guide Senbonzakura's attacks with the hilt. But even with this logic, it required a lot of energy to pull off. He was facing a particularly fast enemy, who was extremely nifty at tree scaling and with his ankle injured; it wasn't as easy as it should have been.
One could argue that he had faced faster opponents before and still come out on top despite injuries, but at the same time, those had been relatively short encounters with considerably less movement and obstacles involved. He had usually relied on his bankai to finish the fights faster due to more pressing matters, such as securing the safety of other people involved, for example, Rukia, when he had faced the 'fastest' Espada.
This was not the case here. He was admittedly being proud; he didn't truly believe this enemy warranted the release of his bankai. In fact he was determined not to use his bankai to defeat it; no treacherous enemy who relied on sneak attacks and trickery deserved the honor of seeing it, never mind an honorable death at its hands. No, that was absurd.
He attacked again, his wrist flexed sharply and the illusion of cherry blossom petals obeyed, following the silvery creature with blinding speed and shattered against the barks of countless tree trunks in the process. The sound of cracking wood and debris hitting the forest floor only served to provide the background music as the nobleman focused the brunt of his attention on the direction the skeletal creature was moving in.
He moved to keep it in his line of sight and gasped out loud as a particularly sharp burst of pain shot up through his leg. His eyes snapped shut as he paused and shifted his weight onto his other leg knowing that it wasn't a solution. He needed to end the fight, fast.
He refocused his eyes on the clearing before him, but realized he was already too late. The beast had taken advantage of his momentary lapse of attention and had hidden itself. Byakuya immediately sent out his vast reiatsu to try to locate its position but found nothing. He had been correct when he had conducted his initial search; the source of the foreign reiatsu also had the ability to hide it and therefore hid itself if it simply did not wish to be found. He steadied Senbonzakura, knowing it would emerge when it felt ready.
Sure enough, he didn't have to wait long before he began to feel the familiar tendrils of strange spiritual pressure building up around him. It was getting closer, but from what angle and direction?
At the last second he sensed the attack coming down upon him from the trees. He rotated on the ball of his good foot, to send an answering attack with Senbonzakura. His eyes travelled with the petals, his hand moving independently. The beast scrambled upwards to avoid his attack, using its claws as anchors to move in a side-ways motion, often associated with bats scaling cave walls. It dug its claws through the thick bark, gauging out the wood like it was wet plaster. As it maintained its surprisingly up-beat pace, wood-shavings and splinters rained down upon him like blowing sand in a desert.
He acted a second to late and flinched as he tried to blink the particles out of his eyes, taking a step back involuntarily. His leg seized in pain and buckled under him, sending him crashing to the ground in a rather undignified heap. He gasped and his eyes shot open as he turned his gaze upwards to the beast preparing to vault through the air towards him. Not even Senbonzakura could repel the beast flying towards him at the speed of shunpō.
His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened in panic; there was no time! He threw his arms up to protect himself as the beast closed in.
He was in fates hands now…

Renji began to close in on Byakuya's location. The shattering wood and howling winds were the only sounds to guide him. The reiatsu levels were high and he knew this enemy was a highly skilled one that only seated officers could hope to take on. But that information didn't discourage him from his search, tedious as it was. Tracking tended to take time and it was annoying if you didn't have the time to waste. He probed the immediate area around him, trying to pick up on any sign of Byakuya's spiritual pressure, but most of what he ended up finding was residual and only suggested that he had to keep moving. It must have been a hell of a fight.
He slowly became aware that the sounds from the kidō attacks had stopped and Renji felt a chill of worry run up his spine. Did that mean that Byakuya had been defeated or that he had drawn his Zanpakuto? He leapt down from a tree branch as a flash of silvery white crossed his line of sight. On the ground he moved quickly to the object and his lips parted in shock. He reached out and picked up a silk scarf.
'What's your scarf doing here, Byakuya?' Another tremor of worry rippled though him and he adopted a serious frown. This wasn't good at all. He folded it with car and placed it inside his clothing above is heart.
Renji almost lost his balance as he felt the air suddenly became suffocated by Byakuya's reiatsu. He gasped and realized how similar it was to the first time Byakuya searched for the source of the strange reaitsu.
'What the hell was going on?'
Instead of waiting to find out, he quickly latched onto the trail and began to follow it with all the speed he could muster.
He burst into the clearing and saw Byakuya on the ground with a look of utter panic written across his face. He watched in horror as the beast on the tree trunk prepared to use it as diving board to propel itself towards the helpless man on the ground. With the remaining seconds ticking away, Renji knew in his heart that Zabimaru would never make it in time. He quickly shoved his mask of horror aside and donned an expression of absolute determination and resolve. He knew what he had to do; all he had to do was believe in himself.
He stabbed Zabimaru in the earth before him. He took a stance and held his two arms out before him; left hand palm extended vertically with his right hand resting on his other wrist. He shouted the kidō with every ounce of strength he possessed.
"Hadō no san juu ichi: Shakahou!" Old words echoed in his mind.
'….I shall light a fire upon the fang that falls short….'
He prayed with every fiber of his soul that his attack would reach its target, swift and true. He watched desperately as the seconds seemed to slow; Byakuya seemed almost ethereal, his haori being the only source of light, reminding him of a star in the seemingly unending expanse of darkness surrounding them.
'…So that I needn't see that star.…'
A lump rose in his throat. His heart was racing as he prayed and begged to every deity he knew of. A frantic mantra of 'please!' ran through his mind. He promised never to let his captain down and it would literally crush his soul if he failed and he knew he would never forgive himself.
'….So that it shall not tear this throat of mine….'
The smoke began to clear and Renji was finally able to make out Byakuya's form on the ground with his arms protectively drawn around his head. Sparkling lights filled the clearing as Renji made his way slowly to his captain, relief flooding through his body. A warm smile spread over his face and Byakuya slowly lowered his arms and appeared to be stunned that he hadn't died. Then their eyes met.
The nobleman's lips parted in surprise and his gaze settled on the image of his lieutenant in front of him wearing a warm relieved smile. He took Renji's offered arm and rose to his feet. He still couldn't believe it but was brought away from his thoughts by Renji's rough tones.
"Close call there, eh, Taichou?" His roguish grin didn't falter for a second. Byakuya looked at him.
"...Renji..., I...thank you" Renji understood that the shock was still speaking and that Byakuya still hadn't quite recovered from the fact that his life had almost ended. He didn't want to make his uncomfortable so he said just shrugged.
"Anyone would have done the same. It's okay, Byakuya. I'm just glad that you're safe." Renji watched as Byakuya's expression became warmer and a beautiful serene smile lit up his face.
"I am thanks to you, Renji. I truly am grateful."
Renji smiled back, finding himself unable not to. The mood was contagious. They had both survived and the adrenaline was still pumping through their blood along with the overwhelming sense of relief.
"I'm just glad it's over. Those 'things' whatever they were, they were so fast and they could really jump. I can't believe I killed two of them." Renji shook his head, with a look of disbelief adorning his features as he recalled the many close calls. Byakuya's interest was immediately peaked and he stopped walking to look at his lieutenant in surprise.
"You killed two? I hadn't planned on you facing them, what happened Renji?" Byakuya's expression and tone was now soaked with concern and astonishment. Renji's smile slowly faded as his own expression became serious.
"I went looking for you after the creature chased after you. I had a bad feeling about the whole situation and I couldn't sit still thinking about it. I dunno, I guess I've always trusted my instincts so I followed you. Along the way, two of them stopped me and I knew taking them down would be the fastest way to move forward. So I fought them, but they were so hard to beat. Then, one of them actually jumped onto Zabimaru and tried to kill me that way. I couldn't believe it!" The incredulous expression on Renji's face was proof enough that the situation had been mind-boggling. But even Byakuya found that he had trouble believing such a thing. He spoke in a shocked tone.
"It jumped onto Zabimaru?" His eyebrows rose considerably. "Assuming it failed, what happened next?"
"Well I got lucky with one of them; I feinted with Zabimaru and managed to kill it. I was really surprised when it worked and that's when that last one attacked me when I was off guard. The stupid thing sent me flying into a tree; I dropped my Zanpakuto and everything." It seemed like a part of Renji was still reeling, but Byakuya seemed to be holding his breath as he listened. His hand reached slowly out to touch Renji's damaged head gear and he spoke softly.
"Is that what happened to this?" His fingers made contact with the plastic accessory and it gave a loud crack before falling to the ground in two pieces. The sound caused both men to gasp and flinch backwards and Byakuya's hand to jerk back. Renji's crimson hair fell down in beautiful curtain as he looked into his captain's eyes. Byakuya's lips parted in shock.
"You came so close to death. Why did you follow me Renji?" His voice was filled with the smallest hint of disappointment and the younger shinigami looked away from his captain's gaze. For a few seconds he said nothing as he fought the emotion that was building up inside him. His voice shook as he finally spoke.
"I wanted to make sure you were safe, Byakuya." He stared straight into Byakuya's eyes with a newfound resolve burning in them. "I would never have forgiven myself if you had gotten hurt while I had hung around and done nothing. I promised you that I would stand up and be a better man, to show people that I have confidence in myself and show them that I am proud of who I am." His voice wavered, a sign that it was close to breaking with emotion. Byakuya hung breathlessly onto every word that spilled from the younger man's mouth, a number of emotions flooding his system as he did. Renji whispered that last words as his voice finally cracked.
"I'm your fukutaichou. I will never break my promise to you. You mean too much to me, I would never betray you. I would give my life to protect you before I would ever allow you to fight a battle without me. That's why I followed you… why I always will…"
Byakuya's breath caught in his chest. The lump rose in his throat. All this emotion was threatening to undo him and he had to blink a few times while looking upwards to control before turning back to his lieutenant, who had also looked away. For the first time in his life, Byakuya felt a warm sensation taking over his body and he couldn't stop the genuine smile that spread across his lips. Upon seeing it Renji's lips parted in awe. He had always known that Byakuya was an exceptionally beautiful man, but now he was simply breathtaking.
"You're amazing when you smile…" the crimson haired man blurted out before he had even realized it. He blushed and looked away. His eyes widened when the nobleman chose to speak.
"As are you, Renji…"
Soft fingers under his chin gently coaxed Renji to return his gaze to the older shinigami. Byakuya's smile had faded to reveal an expression shining with warmth and pride. Renji slowly returned the smile and Byakuya's hand brushed along his lieutenant's face before ghosting over his ear and going further until his slender fingers entwined themselves in his silky, crimson hair. His touch was so gentle that Renji didn't realize it when he began to lean into its warmth.
The look in Byakuya's eyes had changed slightly and Renji realized how close they were. His eyes followed to subtle curve of Byakuya's lips wondering if they were as soft as they looked. He could see each black lash that adorned those beautiful eyes and the elegant arch to the eyebrows above them. As he gazed into the older man's eyes he realized that Byakuya wanted to kiss him. Placing his own hand over Byakuya's he understood that he wanted him to. He trusted him completely.
Byakuya pulled his fukutaichou closer with his other hand around his waist. He wanted this. It felt… right…
Renji closed his eyes and unconsciously gripped the nobleman. He could feel his lips a breath above his… he would finally discover how soft they really were…
"Renji...!" A warning cry ripped through the silence.
Suddenly the world began to spin as Renji found himself spinning in the opposite direction. A pained gasp reached his ears as his eyes snapped open. In his arms, Byakuya's eyes were clenched shut and he found himself supporting Byakuya's weight.
Something was wrong.
"Byakuya? What's wrong?" Panic began to build blindly inside the younger shinigami. The captain's eyes opened slowly, agony burning inside them. Renji's eyes darted in concern. What was going on?
"Renji…" The nobleman's usual calm tone had vanished and had been replaced with a broken, pain filled voice instead. "Run…"
Renji inhaled sharply. And then he felt it.
The spiritual pressure became stifling as Renji realized what had happened. A final skeletal creature had snuck up on them when their guards were down and had tried to attack Renji from behind. The spinning was Byakuya's doing since he had moved them out of the line of attack.
But it hadn't been enough. Renji's dread began to grow when it dawned on him. Byakuya had taken the hit aimed for him. The beast's eyes glowing behind the captain shone through the darkness like a demon. Its claws were still embedded in Byakuya's back, coated in blood.
Rage exploded inside the younger man. He held his captain with one hand and whispered in a deadly tone as the kidō built up his other.
"Die, monster…" His lip curled into a snarl. "Shakahou!"
He felt half the weight on his chest dissolve as the kidō obliterated the demon. He returned his full attention to Byakuya when he felt the older man's weight fall completely onto his shoulder. He tried to steady him but it seemed that the pain was finally taking over and the nobleman was unable to support his own weight anymore. Renji gently lowered him to the ground, getting more and more anxious when his captain wouldn't respond to his calls. Byakuya's breathing was shallow and jerky as each breath became excruciating. Renji gently inspected to stab wounds to his side and back becoming more alarmed with each second as crimson blood began to seep onto his fingers.
Knowing that Byakuya was in serious danger, Renji ripped off the over-shirt of his shuhakushou and began ripping it into strips. Tying them at the ends, he rolled it up as fast as his fingers could move and slowly wrapped the wound, knowing the nobleman would die if he didn't.
Finally he hoisted the older shinigami onto his back and hooked his arms under Byakuya's thighs before taking off with the fastest shunpō he had ever used. His legs objected to the speed but saving Byakuya's life was more important than anything else in the world to him.
After what seemed like hours leaping through the dark streets, the younger male finally reached the fourth squad barracks. He burst through the main doors surprising the shinigami within. Their shock increased when they saw the sixth squad's captain unconscious and draped over his back. They rushed to help the red haired shinigami. Renji panted and his stance shifted and black spots began to flash across his vision. As he felt Byakuya's weight leave him, he uttered a request with the last of his energy before collapsing.
"Save him…please…"

Psychotic laughter filled the air and the man allowed the transparent panels to disappear. The first wave of his attack couldn't have gone better. He had succeeded and his elation knew no bounds. And the captain was the cherry on top and there was nothing his subordinate could do to change the fact that his captain was already dead. He wouldn't survive the night.
Opening some wine, he began to hum. He felt like celebrating… his plans were going perfectly and victory was his…

Well there it is! If anyone spots any typo's tell me and i hope you enjoyed it. Don't worry, Byakuya won't die, but i wont take it easy on him either. i am sorry that i did this to him but the story isnt over yet guys, its only the beginning.
Heidlebergchick
(word count, 9,331)
- 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