» Seireitei, The Court of Pure Souls

[Luthiena]

Ukitake Jyuushiro walked slowly down the streets of Seireitei and wished it would rain, the acrid sun that shone every day wore on his soul; not that he would tell anyone but he longed for rain - wished perhaps that he could even lose his temper so the weather would change.

He felt a familiar shortness of breath overtake his lungs but was too far from his own headquarters to make it before the attack took over; quickly he hurried to the nearest door - Squad 6 - and knocked for entry

[Tohma]

After leaving his Taicho's office, Abari Renji went to over see the rest of 6th Squad. As he was passing through the front hallway he heard a reather faint knock on the door. Pulling open the sliding door he was faced with a extremly pale Ukitake Jyuushiro.

"Ukitake-taicho," the worry was laced into his words. "Come in, come in."

Renji helped the white haired taicho into the building and down into one of the more private rooms.

"I will go and let Kuchiki taicho know that you are here." He said after making sure Ukitake was comfortable.

[Luthiena]

Ukitake shook his head vehemently as a wave of coughing overtook him; for a moment his head swam and spots danced in front of his eyes, crimson sprayed forth from between his fingers as he tried to control himself.

"N-no.." He managed to stammer between coughs. "Kuchiki Taicho may not be impressed I am...am...invading his domain.."

[Tohma]

Renji stopped mid-walk to the door letting Ukitake's stammered words sink in. The words sounded so pityful that his mind became divided, should he listen to the white haired man, or respect his Taicho?

"You can stay here until you are feeling well enough to make it back to your own rooms Ukitake taicho." he bowed and continued towards the door.

[Luthiena]

Ukitake nodded gratefully before sinking down onto the floor, head in his hands trying to breathe deeply.

Outside the door Kuchiki Byakuya stood waiting, he had heard Renji's voice and Ukitake-Taicho's reiatsu, he wanted to know the reason behind this.

He waited impassively, his face the first thing Renji would see when he left the room.

[Tohma]

Sliding the door open Renji came face to face with with his Taicho. Shutting the paper door fairly quickly while he stood as straight as a river reed, hoping that Kuchiki would not notice the force and speed the door was being shut.

"Kuchiki-taicho, sir." the nervousness could be heard in the vice captain's voice.

He knew that going against his taicho's orders would result in something terrible, but Ukitake-taicho sounded so desperate about not being found by 6th squad's captain.

[Luthiena]

"Explain." Byakuya's voice never raised a semi-tone but it was obvious by the way his icy demeanour seemed, if possible, to drop a few more degrees.

[Tohma]

"Explain? There is nothing to explain taicho," Renji gulped, the nervousness in his voice gave away anything and everything that he was trying to hide. "Why would there be anything to explain?"

[Luthiena]

Byakuya sighed internally, he hated dealing with the obvious impurities that having a commoner for a vice-captain held.

"You are lying to me," he stated flatly. "I will not tolerate lying."

[Tohma]

"I'm not lying taicho," another gulp could be heard from the red head. "Just keeping a promise," he muttered under his breath.

[Luthiena]

Byakuya was not normally given to threats but his patience was wearing thin, fixing his subordinate with the steeliest gaze he could he said softly..

"If you do not tell me what is going on then the next sparring match you have will be against me...and Sebonzakura.."

[Tohma]

Hanging his head in defeat, the fear of facing his taicho and the possiblity of Byakuya's bankai was enough to make Renji confessed. "Ukitake-Taicho is currently resting in this room and he did not want to bother you while he recoperated."

[Luthiena]

Byakuya tutted in annoyance, the last thing he needed was for the sick Captain of 13th Squad in one of his rooms.

"Fetch Histugaya Taicho and make him come and deal with this, they get along.."

[Tohma]

"Hai, taichou." A releived Abarai Renji bowed to his taichou and headed off towards the 10th squad building in search of the boy prodigy, Hitsugaya Toshiro.

Arriving at the main building he was instructed by fellow fukutaichou, Matsamoto, that her taichou was buried in paper work inside his office, knowing the woman Renji was not sure whether she was lying or not.

"Histugaya-taichou, I have come on behalf of Kuchiki-taichou with a request that you are to return with me to 6th squad to remove Ukitake-taichou from our headquarters." the 6th squad fukutaichou explained why he was there.


Slowly looking up from an important piece of paperwork, the white haired boy glared at the interpution from Abarai fukutaichou and took his time in answering the man.

"And Kuchiki-taichou does not have any men of his own to spare in helping Ukitake-taichou himself? He seems to be able to spare you to run an pointless errand than ordering you to help Ukitake-taichou back to his own headquarters." The ice child coldly stated as he pushed back his chair slightly, the legs scrapping across the wooden flooring as he stood.


“He believes that since you seem close to Ukitake-taichou that you might be willing to help where he is not.” The red head said turning to lead the young taichou back to his own squad and the ailing Ukitake Jyuushiro.

[Luthiena]

As soon as Renji had left, quaking, Byakuya silently slid open the door to the room the white haired taicho was recuperating in.

His face softened into a slightly worried smile as he regarded the older man.

"Why didn't you just ask for help?" His voice was different, emotional and gently chiding.

"I have sent for Hitsugaya now, so I can't stay. Feel better."

With that he kissed Ukitake on the forehead and left.

Ukitake's head creased into a frown as Byakuya entered.

"I didn't want you to lose face..." he started to say before he was overcome with a bad attack of coughing. He felt Byakuya's cool lips against his hot head before he lost consciousness.