Disclaimer: Alright, obviously I don't own any Bleach characters. Would love to own Byakuya, but…well

This is my first fanfic of Bleach. Please tell me what you think. Thank you so much. Reviews very appreciated.

…

The sky was falling rather slow this evening; a tiresome dusk tried to catch up with the echoes of ringing bells. Their rustic sounds made him feel so old, and ages, as always, were full of memories. There was no wind to stir his silence, or to wake him from this dreamy reminiscence. Only the disappearing of light that curtained the last fragments of the present from his psyche.

"Hisana… The Chinese bellflowers are really beautiful this year, aren't they?"

From his balcony, Kuchiki Byakuya could see past the glowing river, and throw his gaze upon the opposite ascending field, freckled with blue violet dots. They looked most beautiful in full sunlight of day, but he could rarely manage the time. Indeed, with a war in due and bad reports piling up, he could no longer afford to take his eyes off the list of duties. But what is the benefit of it anyway? He could no longer set foot on that field again…

Chapter One: The Man Called Hiroshi Tono

Earlier this afternoon

"Is it out of my way to suggest to you such request?" Asked an old but dignified man, his eyes flickered. He wore a simple black kimono with Haiku sewn in silver threads on the sleeves. His mustache was overbearing, brassy and massive. It was usually tied a different way each day. But for some reason he chose not to tie it today, maybe it was to irritate his apprentice whose expertise for neatness was to the point of adamant essential.

"I am not subjecting myself under your judgment regarding my personal decision." Kuchiki Byakuya said sternly. The tea had cooled, but none of its drops had been drunk by either of them. It might be the scratching thirst that made his words harsher than usual, even to this man whom he had always feared as a child.

"And please do something about your mustache" Byakuya added.

"Byakuya…" The old man touched his white mustache and smirked "you still amuse me so". But despite the amusement on the curve of his mouth, his voice grew deep and serious.

"It is Byakuya-sama, even for you, Sensei. I am no longer a child"

"Right" The old man lifted his corner a bit more to smile "You need to forgive me. I'm old, and old habits die hard. After all, I was your Sensei for roughly a century. Am I right, Kuchiki Taichou?"

Byakuya's eyebrows twitched at the old man's stubborn evasion of addressing him with higher status. He was the head of the Kuchiki clan. But this old man had never called him other ways except his first name, and his shinigami title.

"The entire Kuchiki clan owes you for the education of its twenty-eight heads, Sensei. But I do not intend to let you forget your position, Hiroshi-Sama. You are not among the elders of our clan…"

"Do you think, my little Byakuya, that by telling me of my humble authority, you can escape this conversation and end it quickly?" The old man's eyes glared up. He was so ancient one could not count how many wrinkles were there on his face. But there were such cunning depth in his layers that one could not disregard him as a weakly illness-stricken senior. He snapped, "Don't toy with the one who had taught you to speak, Byakuya!"

A sweat appeared on his temple. Damn it, the old man could read him so clearly even after quite some time of no interaction. More infuriating yet, Kuchiki Byakuya could see that he was still dominated by Hiroshi's presence. He made a quiet protesting sound in his throat. But the hands folding on his thighs knew he could no longer avoid this unpleasant discussion. He stilled for a quick moment, then sighed to the maid at the corner of the spacious room:

"Bring us some new tea, then take leave."

…

"Let us talk now, Byakuya." The old man, after drinking his tea, took out a folding fan decorated with different Haikus in goldflakes. Nodded Byakuya. "Oh, you are no longer insisting me to address you with –Sama?"

"No matter how many time I insist, you would always call me by my first name. Sensei, please begin your reason."

"Hasty, eh? Not a trait your father would wish in you, Byakuya. –The old man smiled, and his eyes misted with tender remembrance- to think of it, you are not so much alike after all."

"SENSEI" Byakuya raised his voice a little. This conversation would never be over at this rate! He thought. Kuchiki Byakuya hated conversations being run against his will, prolong against his will, or controlled by any other except him. But when it came to Hiroshi Tono, he could do nothing other than enduring the slow torture.

"Right, right, eh, Byakuya, how long has it been since your wife passed away?"

"Fifty-years" He said with his eyes looking down, and the pain came back as vividly as the shiny sparkle in his teacup. For him to answer such question, and for the question to come so abruptly, the room stirred a little. Hiroshi Tono ignored that fact, and kept on.

"A pretty long time, I say, even for a shinigami?"

"Not for me" He protested.

"Now, now, Byakuya, you need not to lengthen your mourning period to prove you loved deeply. I would say it is time for you to move on and take a new wife, for both your and Kuchiki clan's sake."

His eyes darkened. The tea wavered a bit more. It was still only small ripples approaching the surface. He could feel the inside of him shaking in detest of Hiroshi's claim. The shadow seemed to outnumber the light. One could not count how many stripes there were on the floor, or felt the prettiness of petals floating in the teapot, only the intense dropout of noise. Then a tiny crack of a bubble in Byakuya's teacup came about.

"Byakuya, don't even think it!" Hiroshi suddenly stopped fanning himself. His voice, though very low, roamed the air. The aura coming from him oppressed all particles filling the room. And the creeping motion Byakuya stirred up had flattened to nothing.

In an instant, the image of his unfortunate wife swept through his brain, engulfed his being in the beautiful sadness of her passing. There was so much pain. He thought. And so much happiness…

"Byakuya, it is time to let go of old images. –Hiroshi said again, this time in tenderness- Especially for you, Byakuya, you have mourned her passing long enough."

"It is not the …convenient time for me to consider domestic happiness, Sensei. –Kuchiki Byakuya brought up his only formidable reason- Soul Society is at preparation for war, a war that can determine the future of the world. My full participation is much needed. Therefore, I could not pursue any other task."

"Pshhh, you just have to bring that up, do you?" Hiroshi Tono closed his fan, and pointed it at Byakuya. His head leaned forward, as if to give his stare more leverage for the sake of penetrating through Byakuya's defense.

"War is war. There will be more of it. Before war, there would be preparation. After war, there would be restoration. Using war as an excuse to elude your domestic future is such nonsense. Coming from you, whose duties are not only to Soul Society, but also to the Kuchiki clan, that excuse appears even more pitiful."

"Sensei, it might not appear as dire a situation to you, whose shinigami's responsibilities have diminished…"

Something was going down, and

FLAP!!!

"…"

Byakuya widened his eyes in disbelief. His whole body was rigid as if it was bound in fastened chains. A fury roared within him, but lacked the wings to fly. That old man…he…dared to…smack me on the head…like I was twelve. He kept his head bowed, but what he wanted to do was to throw out this man who had no respect for him whatsoever, and even forced upon him a topic he never wished to discuss.

"Still not fast enough to dodge, little Byakuya? –Hiroshi Tono withdrew his fan, satisfied- all right, let not talk about my responsibility just yet. Even though I much desire to smack you senseless after what you have just carelessly commented. Don't think just because you are the strongest descendant out of all the Kuchiki heads that you could raise your voice against me, kid!"

"I have spoken rudely." Byakuya bowed, noticed the aura of his Sensei had been rather pressing again.

"Anyway, no one is asking you to marry right away. We merely request you to at least look at a few candidates. If things go well, then go drink some tea, attend some festivals. Then after careful evaluation, we might propose an engagement. Byakuya, is producing an heir in case of your demise in the coming war not on the list of priorities?"

"May your reason enlighten me?" He replied politely.

"Byakuya, war is coming. What is wrong with spending a bit amount of time in happiness before the arriving sorrow?"

Hiroshi's words were spoken in such gentle scorns that this time, he met no resistance.

"I will speak to the elders about this matter tomorrow." Byakuya said, ending the conversation abruptly. He wished to speak no more of his defeat, or of this ordeal awaiting him.

Without a word, Hiroshi Tono took his leave, while Kuchiki Byakuya still sat there, next to the tea that had grown cold. He spent his time out the balcony that evening, watching the field of Chinese bellflower dampening its color in musky sunset.