Crows x Souls

[Kuchiki Estate] 

"Are you sure about this, my lord?" Hisana asked tentatively from where she sat across from Byakuya who had a small frown on his face.

"Is that worry I hear in you, Hisana? Are the weight of my own words so weak?"

She quickly shook her head. "It's not that, my lord. I just… yes, you are right. I am worried. All the things I've heard about the man from the staff of the estate have been rather… skewed. In a more negative way."

She took a deep breath, careful not to provoke Byakuya, even if unintended. 

"You would trust the words of the blubbering staffs than mine?" Byakuya tried to look calm as he asked but he couldn't hide the barest hint of incredulity in his voice. 

She looked away, ashamed at being called out but her care for her lord kept firm. Maybe it was because she was still new to things like this, being from the Rukongai and all that, that every small move concerning nobles or even the vaunted Captains of the Gotei raised some sort of trepidation in her. 

She was used to the aloof Byakuya and even though he was a Captain, his presence didn't frighten her on an instinctual level like that of the Captain Uchiha and the Old Master. 

To her, he wasn't much of a Captain as much as he was her savior and lord. Though she would never say this out as she feared it would do nothing but anger him. 

"I did not mean to offend, my lord."

Byakuya sighed, his eyes softening the barest hint. "How many times have I told you to call me Byakuya, Hisana?"

She smiled brightly, one could say almost cheekily. "One too many times, Lord Byakuya."

Hisana's status in the Kuchiki Clan was complicated to say the least. As the young lord of the Kuchiki, it was expected to some degree that whoever Byakuya took fancy to was either going to be from the Kuchiki Family itself or one of their vassal families, or even from the other Noble Families. Instead, the one who seemingly received his favor was an 'empty' girl from the crevices of Rukongai. 

One had to know that as a child and even in his youth, Byakuya never formed interpersonal relationships with his peers, neither from his own family or even outside. Apart from the required level of politeness from a noble scion, Byakuya mostly kept to himself. 

So the fact that he not only came back home from a mission with a seemingly clueless girl in tow but also permitted her to his private residence. That she was made familiar with not only the young lord but also the Old Master was telling. 

It was only because it was seen as her receiving favor from the two leaders of the Kuchiki Family that stifled any dissent from stewing. 

"Lord Byakuya?" She called out to him upon seeing how pensive he was becoming. "Is something wrong?"

"What makes you say so?"

Hisana clearly hesitated but Byakuya was ever patient with her. "Ever since you came back that day, you've been absentminded. I thought it had to do with the reason you left." The rebels were left unsaid. 

"It's strange is all. Why now? I know there's dissent between some of the vassals and our Noble Families but I thought Uchiha curbed most of them a while back. Just as it took him by surprise, even if he won't admit it, it also took us by surprise." 

It was weird to him. Thoughts of rebellion are present whenever there is an hierarchy of power, especially when it is dictated by strength and inheritance, but there was just something about the recent ones that Byakuya couldn't help but find weird. It was why he called for the Captain – the other reason why he called for him. 

"Do you think it is something bad?" Hisana asked tentatively. She had no idea of what happened in the world of nobles. She was already out of her depth despite being thrust so deep in one. 

Byakuya shook his head. "It's always something bad. But I don't think it's something we can't handle. I just don't like being upended. Twice."

Hisana gave him a nod and stood up from where she was sitting on her knees. "I will go and check if our guest has arrived."

She didn't have to go as Byakuya was sure he would have sensed Itachi when Itachi arrived but she gave the excuse when she saw that he was more occupied in his thoughts at the moment. 

Byakuya watched her leave and couldn't help but sigh. He couldn't help but remember his grandfather's words. 

Bringing Hisana to the Seireitei was a spur of the moment decision on his part and the young lady was rather clueless. He couldn't help but think what would have happened if he had left her in some district. 'Probably another scenario with bandits.'

'But bringing her to the Clan and letting her live near you are two entirely different things.' His grandfather had said to Byakuya, well he couldn't exactly give a sounding response at the time. Truly the folly of youth. 

One was too ignorant and the other too prideful. 

Some time went by before Hisana came back to tell him that Itachi had arrived. 

His impassive mask came back on as soon as he crossed the door and was led to where his fellow Captain was being hosted. 

The Captain in question was calmly sipping on some tea that was served while fully ignoring the crumbs that went with it. 

'I think I remember a report that says he spends quite a lot of time having tea with Captain Unohana and Captain Kyōraku.'

"Thank you for coming." He said after acknowledging Itachi's presence. 

"Hm. It's no issue." 

Byakuya couldn't tell whether those words were genuine or not so he just took them at face value. 

His opinions of the Captain aside, Byakuya knew to listen to his grandfather's words as the old patriarch was rarely ever wrong. 

Pointless conversations were neither of them preferred style so Byakuya thought it would be more productive to get to the point. Even though he almost didn't want to. 

"I want to fight you."

Itachi didn't appear startled at the outbound request. In fact he appeared as if he didn't hear it at all as he calmly and slowly put the cup down and turned to fully regard Byakuya. 

Seeing Itachi looking at him so vacantly, Byakuya gritted his teeth and spoke again. 

"I want to fight you."

"I heard. Why?" To his credit. Itachi looked genuinely curious. About as curious as Byakuya could tell. 

"A selfish request." Byakuya answered. He was used to asking for things from a higher point of importance that the fact that the answer to his request all hinged on Itachi's whims ruffled his noble feathers some but he wisely kept that to himself. 

"Is that why you called me here?" Itachi asked instead of the answer Byakuya was expecting. 

"Not entirely, but it was the main reason." Byakuya answered truthfully. 

He saw Itachi glance down at his teacup before slowly standing up and gazing straight at Byakuya. 

"Fine then. Let's get this over with."

Under Byakuya's direction they went a bit away from the Kuchiki Estate, away from the main compound, to arrive at an open space. 

"Thank you."

Itachi said nothing and just calmly drew his Zanpakutō, as did Byakuya. 

"You're not going to say anything?" Byakuya asked, a little peeved that Itachi was just taking everything in stride. It belied a level of confidence that Byakuya found grating. 

"We'll say all we want while we fight."

The start of the fight was heralded by the crow feather that dropped to the ground between their midst. 

Byakuya made the first move, a standard step in with Shunpo with his blade coming from a fast upward slash. The fact that the blade was stopped wasn't the problem. The problem was that Itachi used the pommel of his Zanpakutō to stop it dead in its tracks. 

Byakuya wasn't fazed, he drew back his sword and appeared behind Itachi to strike but Itachi sidestepped the blade's path and slashed diagonally at Byakuya, forcing him to employ a hasty retreat. 

The distance closed between them once more, Byakuya doing more of the movements while Itachi reacted, and they exchanged over a hundred strikes in just mere moments. 

It was during the battle that Byakuya was slowly starting to see why his grandfather held the man before him to a high enough regard. All that Itachi had been doing was react, coasting freely on all the momentum Byakuya was building. 

"Are you taking this seriously?" He asked. 

"As much as is needed." The insufferable man replied. He held his blade before him, his posture relaxed and inviting, beckoning Byakuya to take a step forward, one Byakuya happily took. 

Their swords locked together in place, bringing their faces inches apart. 

"Then how about we take it a little bit further?"

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