I do not own...Bleach.

Random fan: What? No ninjas? You are actually writing a non-Naruto fanfic.
Me: Yes. I want to write a fic about my fav soul reapers for the moment. So I have a question: I am thinking about making them switch. I already have this fic on paper but for the appeal of the audience I wanted to know what you would all like to see more. More ByaRen? or more RenBya? Trust me it is not hard to switch names in a smut scene. :)

Random fan: Awesome. I have one more question.

Me: Yes?
Random fan: Will you shut up already so we can read the damn fic and not your long explanation on or about it?
Me.: But...
Random fan: *glares*
Me: *whispers* Yes. Sorry. Enjoy.

Time: 7am

When: 10 years after Aizen's betrayal - 4 years after the war ended and Aizen's death

Place: Soul Society - Seiretei

An alarm sounded in the sixth division's captain's room, signaling the start of the day. Groaning softly, he got up shutting the off the alarm and heading for the showers in the sixth division barracks. After setting an appropriate temperature, he step into the slightly chilled water asking himself only one question: Why? The sound of someone else coming into the showers took his mind off the question that had been in his mind for every moment of the last four years. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes getting his thoughts together. He had to attend a captain's meeting today and the captain commander would not be happy if he was late.

He got dressed in his captain's attire, gave instructions to his vice-captain, and made his way to the 1st division. He saw only a few of the other captains on the way there and ended up bumping into Rangiku. He mumbled an apology to her before walking past her towards his destination. She had been promoted to 5th division captain and made it a point to talk or flirt with him any chance she got. It wasn't that the sixth division captain wasn't flattered by the attention she showed him, he just wasn't interested in her. After all what was the point in being interested in anyone when you always being the one hurt in the end. He kept quiet and to himself the rest of the way there only nodding to those that said anything to him.

Walking into the meeting room, and acknowledging some of the other captain's there with a simple nod of the head, he sat on the large cushion on the floor that had his division insignia on it. The last few captains entered the room and took their seats. He said nothing to them just staring at the place where the captain commander and his lieutenant would be shortly. His thoughts tried to wander to how he truly felt even after all this time, but he would not allow them to. He was a captain and needed to behave as such. Isn't that what he had been taught?

A few moments after everyone was seated the 2nd in command came into the room and looked at all of them. He said hello to them all and everyone said hello back to 1st division Lieutenant Hitsugaya. Once everyone had said their hellos another figure came into the room. It was the captain commander himself. He took his seat and everyone once again said hello, except for one of the captains. The captain commander said hello as well ignoring the captain who didn't say hello to him at the moment. He then asked for each of the captain's to give their report on how their division's were coming along. The captains each went in turn giving their reports. However the sixth division captain was not listening to anything that was going on in any of the other divisions instead letting himself get lost in his own thoughts. He didn't even realize when the captain commander started to call his name.

"Captain Abarai", the voice of the captain commander came.

Renji did not answer him still a bit lost in his own world. Why wasn't I good enough? Rangiku nudged him so that he came out of his thoughts.

"Huh?", Renji asked her in a whisper looking at her. She tilted her head in the direction of the captain commander. "Oh yeah. Sorry Captain Commander sorry.", he said as he gave his report.

"Thank you Captain Abarai. Remain after this meeting so that we may discuss your lack of attention at this meeting.", the captain commander said to him.

"Yes. Captain Commander Kuchiki.", he said to him and then went back and sat down in his spot thinking this was going to be yet another bad day.

Time: 10 AM

Place: 6th division captain's office

Renji at at his desk still fuming at his talk with captain commander Kuchiki. Byakuya had to be the most infuriating man on the planet. Did he not possess a heart? Was he not human enough to know that people had off days? Did he not care that Renji wanted nothing to do with him anymore? That he would have left if it was not for the fact that Hitsugaya had come up to him and asked him to stay as 6th division captain? He groaned out in frustration his reiatsu flaring slightly. Closing his eyes for a moment, he tried once again to clear his thoughts, but they all centered around the day he felt more hurt and betrayed than any point in his life. He started working on the paperwork he had in front of him letting the day flow through his mind.

-Flashback-

The captains, their lieutenants, and some of the nobles from Seireitei were all gathered in the courtyard of the 1st division. It had been a week since the fall of Aizen and his men as well as the fall of their own captain commander and his lieutenant. So it was at this time that they selected a new captain commander. The new commander would choose his own lieutenant and then between the both of them they would choose the new captains of the Gotei 13 later this week for the squads that didn't have them and the lieutenants as well. Votes were cast by being written on paper and collected by a widely trusted Ukitake. His only condition was that he was not to be chosen as captain commander. Captain Ukitake counted all the votes and then smiled at the crowd that was waiting to find out who it would be.

"Our new Captain Commander is Byakuya Kuchiki.", he said to the crowd.

Cheers erupted from the crowd for their new commander whose face did not betray a hint of emotion as he made his way to the front of the crowd. Renji had smiled at his captain -well now former captain- shouting out his congratulation along with the rest. Byakuya raised his hand and everyone fell silent waiting to hear what the new commander had to say as well wondering who he would choose as his lieutenant.

"Thank you everyone for choosing me as your new commander. Now I am quite positive the question on all your minds is who I am choosing as my lieutenant.", Byakuya said calmly and evenly to the crowd.

Renji just looked at him, with the same small happy smile gracing his face. He was really happy his captain had been the one to get this position. He knew Byakuya would make a great commander. He wondered who his captain would be chosing to be his lieutenant. Surely, it would be Renji himself. After all, they have worked well together for years and it would make since to choose someone you could work well with, right? The small smile stayed on his lips as he saw that former 6th division captain was going to speak again. Byakuya looked over the crowd a moment before announcing his decision.

"The person whom I have chosen to be my second in command will be - Toshiro Hitsugaya.", he said to them.

More cheers came from the people after hearing that. Even Renji, whose mind was a whirlwind of emotions at that moment, was cheering loudly for them. The smile on his face had never faltered and his reiatsu was fairly stable. In fact no one would ever know that at that precise moment, Renji's heart and soul were falling to pieces. No one would know how much this affected him right now. All they saw was the normal happy and enthusiastic Renji, though on the inside Renji was thinking he'd rather be shredded to pieces by Senbonzakura than have to deal with this. Why hadn't Byakuya chosen him? Was he really not good enough to stay by his side? As everyone went up and gave their congratulations, Renji forced himself to go over as well still controlling everything about himself.

"Congratulations Captain Commander Kuchiki and Lieutenant Hitsugaya.", Renji said giving them the large happy smile that he was famous for and even looking in their eyes knowing that he had masked the pain in them quite well. Something else he learned from his ever so calm and expressionless former captain.

They both nodded and said thank you to him as Renji moved away to let others offer their congrats as well. Renji kept that smile on his face and once he was sure that everyone's focus was on the new leaders of the 1st division and their attention was on the crowd, he slipped away unnoticed. That night while most were out celebrating, he stayed at home straightening his apartment a little, made some food and tea, ate, showered and went to sleep. Only then, at the moment his head hit the pillow, did he allow himself to cry.

-End of Flashback-

All his moves were more mechanical than ever. He looked over documents, signed the papers that needed to be signed, placed them in a pile of completed paperwork and then the process started over again. Most of his division members were happy when he was sitting there doing his paperwork and not putting them through training. Some even said at times he was worse than former captain Kuchiki. Hell, one of the members had even said they'd rather train with Byakuya when Renji unleashed his bankai within the first two minutes of the match. Renji's explanation was that the member needed to learn that an actual fight may have the enemy attacking them with strong attacks to finish them quickly and that he needed to be prepared. The actually reason was that this particular member had mentioned how things were going to be such a cakewalk since Renji was captain. After all Renji was so lazy at times, that Captain Kuchiki hadn't even wanted him around anymore, thats why he dropped Renji the first chance he got. Needless to say Renji heard it all and his lieutenant had to stop him from actually fighting the idiotic member with his bankai.

Renji placed another document in front of him, read it over, and signed it. Paperwork served as the perfect excuse to dull his mind to anything else. Even after all this time, he still couldn't stop himself from feeling what he had felt that day. It had cut too deep into him for him to just forget about it. He should have expected that Byakuya would get rid of him as soon as he could. He should have known that he could never see Renji as anymore than someone who got in his way. Sighing, he saw that he only had a few more documents to sign. Maybe he would meet up with some friends later and have a drink. Yeah, a drink sounded really good right about now. He could just finish this last bit up and then -. A knock sounded at his door, before opening and revealing his lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki.

"Yes Rukia?", he asked her. He never used titles when it was just the two of them in the office.

Rukia bit her lip and then looked down at the papers she had in her hand, before walking over to him. "Well Captain Commander wants you to fill out all these forms on the division and then turn them in first thing tomorrow morning."

Renji looked at the paperwork and said nothing. He just nodded and motioned for her to put the papers down on his desk. Rukia looked at him worried about her friend. He just didn't seemed to be the Renji she knew. He hadn't been the Renji she knew for quite a while. Though most people just thought it was the stress of being a captain, she knew something else was wrong though her captain refused to speak of it.

"I'll stay and help you fill out the forms if you wish Renji. I don't mind.", she said to him.

Renji glanced at her and then shook his head giving her a ghost of a smile. "No thank you Rukia. You may leave for the day. I shall finish it up for tomorrow. I am sure Ichigo wants to see you.", he said to her.

"Are you-", Rukia started to ask.

"Yes I am very sure. Have a good day and I will see you in the office at the usual time tomorrow.", Renji said to her and then went back to work after he dismissed her.

Rukia nodded and left closing the door behind her. "Renji...why wont you tell anyone whats wrong?", she whispered to herself as she left the division offices.

Once she was gone, Renji looked up at the medium sized pile of paperwork, before getting started. The forms were pretty standard and he was slightly curious as to why he was was given such basic forms that even the 3rd, 4th or 5th seats could have easily filled them out. Sighing figuring this was just some form of punishment for his lack of attention at the meeting today, he got to work. He continued to work until around midnight. By now everyone in Seireitei was sleeping and he decided to go back to his apartment instead of staying in the 6th division barracks. He walked past the familiar sakura tree that was not far from his home. He stared at it for a few moments before the light wind made a cherry blossom fall into his hand. He held it in his hand, before crushing it just like he had felt on that fateful day. His reiatsu flared only for a second before he dropped the blossom on the ground and continued on towards home. When he got there, he didn't even stop to eat. He just took of all his clothes, showered and went to sleep.