Byakuya waited for Shinji to quit laughing as he stared at the captain impatiently. There were other things he could be doing and he felt the Hollow inside him beginning to pick at his brain again. He didn't have time to argue or be made fun of. Finally, Shinji stopped laughing and looked at Byakuya.

"You're really funny, Kuchiki-san; I never knew you were secretly a jokester."

"I am not joking, Captain Hirako. I do not joke."

Shinji frowned a little and stuck his hands in his sleeves, thinking for a moment.

"So... you were there at the same time that Aizen tried to turn us into Hollows? How is that possible?"

"Another Hollow appeared that night close to where Aizen used the Hogyoku and I was near it. I was attacked by it and I crawled behind a bush to keep out of the way. When I did, it so happened to be next to the experimentation that Aizen was doing. I was infected as well but it was not enough to cause Hollowfication immediately."

"I see... so you're telling me that now your Hollow is starting to take over your body? Damn, kid, you must have good resilience."

"The Hollow was disguising itself as my zanpakuto."

"Ah..."

"I have been informed that I should ask you to help me learn how to control my Hollow."

Shinji rubbed his chin as he thought for a moment. "Well, I can't teach you here... I'll give Hiyori a call and see if we still have the warehouse downtown in Karakura Town. I'll let you know what she says."

Byakuya bowed slightly. "Thank you, Captain Hirako."

He turned to leave but Shinji called out to him.

"Hey, Kuchiki-sama?" Byakuya looked over his shoulder. "Why isn't Ichigo teaching you?"

"He said that each one must learn on their own. His technique is too sporadic and his abilities seem to have been there already for him to develop. I am not that way."

Shinji nodded. "That's true. Our techniques didn't work on him like it should have... Yeah, I'll let you know what Hiyori says and if she says okay, then you're going to have a long road ahead of you, Kuchiki-san."

"I am aware of the difficulties."

He walked away to go back to his barracks.

Along the way, someone ran into him and he stopped as the girl sprawled out on the wooden path.

"Sorry..." He looked at her appearance as she looked at him and she smiled nervously. "Captain Kuchiki, what a surprise."

"Lieutenant Ise."

"Sorry about running into you. I was thinking..."

Byakuya nodded and moved around her to get to where he was going.

Nanao watched him from the ground and picked up her stuff, putting it back in a nice pile when a shadow loomed over her. She looked up as Matsumoto loomed over her.

"Hello, Matsumoto-san."

"You ran into Byakuya-san, I see." She said with a smile, twirling her hair in her fingers. "That is a classic trick. I'm glad that you actually have tricks like that."

"What are you talking about?" Nanao asked, pushing up her glasses as she picked up her stack of papers. "I just ran into him."

Matsumoto laughed and smacked Nanao on the back repeatedly.

"Good for you, Nanao-chan! Good for you!"

Matsumoto walked off, laughing at something completely unknown to Nanao, who was more confused than she had been before. What did Matsumoto mean?

****************

Toshiro glared at Gin as he smiled at him from the couch.

"Remind me again why the captains agreed to bring you back to life?" Toshiro said with a growl.

"Now, now, I'm not that bad." He said with a deep smile.

"I don't like you."

"I know. I like that you don't try to hide it. It's refreshing."

"Again, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be locked up every night or something?"

"Eh? I'm not a criminal anymore. Besides, I'm not allowed to do anything anyway. I'm just a lowly shinigami." He said, swinging his head side to side as he sang the last line and then gave Toshiro a big grin.

Toshiro made a face as Matsumoto walked in.

"I the got sake!" she yelled, throwing her hands out. "I'm going to invite Hisagi, Nanao, and Kira over and have some fun!" Matsumoto noticed that Toshiro was there and Gin was sitting on the couch, waving. "You can't come, Captain, because it's only for adults. You're too young."

"As if I would want to come to anything involving you and alcohol and that man. I'll be practicing my bankai some more."

Toshiro left and Matsumoto looked at Gin.

"You know how to show up at inconvenient times, don't you?"

"I didn't mean to make him angry. I can't help that Inoue-san brought me back."

Matsumoto sat beside Gin and looked at the bottle of sake in her hand.

"It would be nice if you could join us, Gin."

Gin poked her cheek and turned his head a little.

"Kira wouldn't allow it. Besides, I live in the jail now. Maybe you can come visit me one night." He said, opening his eyes to look at her.

Matsumoto flushed as Gin got up and left.

"Anyhow! I just came to say goodnight and go back. Night-night!"

She watched him leave and then sighed, getting back up to find her three companions.

****************

Two days went by and during them, Byakuya was fighting to hold onto his sanity. The Hollow was taunting him, trying to come out of him and take over his whole body. Byakuya didn't come out of his barrack the whole time until a Hell's butterfly came into his open window. Byakuya looked at it and held out his hand for it to light onto it. He listened to it and breathed in, finding it so hard to get up and move. He used shunpo and ended up at Shinji's barrack.

"Ah, Kuchiki-san, I'm glad you came over swiftly."

"You said you had news."

"Yes. I have gotten word from Hiyori that the warehouse is indeed still intact and you will start your training immediately. You'll have to use a gigai for this I'm afraid."

Byakuya lifted an eyebrow. "A gigai?"

"Urahara's orders. He's made a special one for you to help you combat your Hollow."

"I do not use gigais."

Shinji frowned. "Kuchiki-san, let me tell you something. It's not easy to defeat a Hollow that has invaded your very soul. Urahara had to go to a lot of measures to help us when we thought we were all going to die. He saved us and we trained long and hard to gain control over our Inner Hollows. Ichigo is different but he trained to get control as well, doing as we asked of him. If you want full control over it then you need to lower your pride for a moment and think about the benefits. Urahara has a reason he wants you in a gigai or he wouldn't ask you to be in one."

"I do not trust that man."

"I don't either but what do you have to lose? I know he kind of kidnapped your sister in the gigai he gave her but the cause was just, right? If he hadn't concealed the Hogyoku within her, the rebellion would have taken place way earlier. So, it's up to you, Byakuya-san: gigai and control yourself or no gigai and turn into a monster? What's your answer?"

Byakuya frowned but put his hand to his head as the Hollow laughed at him.

Run, run as fast as you can! You can't defeat me, Bya-ku-ya! I've taken over you before and I can do it again! Run, run... run far away. I'll catch you and eat you up! The Hollow laughed and laughed and Byakuya shut his eyes tight.

"I will do as I am asked."

"Getting to you, huh?" Byakuya nodded. "I'll let him know."