Haku Meets His Former Superior (Byakuya Only)

Haku flexed his black angel wings a few times as he stood in the middle of the Soccer Field, having some quiet time to himself. He wore his old pinkish white kimono, like he usually did and clutched at the silver locket around his neck with his left hand, his other hand on the hilt of his seven-foot-bladed Zanpakuto Masamune. His head snapped up in the direction of the east, his right pinkish-white pearl colored eye and his blind left eye with a hideous scar going through it staring in that direction, his long pinkish-white pearl colored hair whipping wildly as he moved his head. The 12 year old looking Fallen Angel of Vengeance's usual emotionless, calm and cold face frozen in shock. *That Reiatsu, I recognize it. Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, I used to serve under him in his division before I left the Soul Society* he thought to himself as he stared in that one direction, waiting for Byakuya to show himself. Byakuya probably did not remember him, though it was only 7 years ago since he left so he probably did.

It had been a long day in the Soul Society. There had been a meeting for the captains which Byakuya had to attend, more paperwork to do, then a problem at the manor that he had to fix. It was insane the amount of paperwork the captains had been getting lately! Why did the head captain insist on giving them so much? Did he think they would forget their place if they didn't have paperwork to do? That was unlikely, at least for Byakuya. No matter what, he would never forget his place.

Anyway, after finishing the paperwork (three piles) he had gotten a hell butterfly telling him he was on night patrol in Karakura town. Even though the Arrancar weren't attacking anymore, the head captain still insisted on having a high ranked shinigami on patrol in the human world in case anything out of the ordinary had to happen. It was a drag, and all shinigami hated it. Even Byakuya, who always did his duties without complaint, was annoyed at having to go the Karakura town that night. Hadn't he done enough for the day? Now he wasn't going to get to sleep either! But complaining about this, Byakuya knew, would do no good. Not that he would complain anyways. Captains did not complain. At least not this captain. And so, at 11:00 that night, Byakuya Kuchiki arrived in Karakura town.

It was a very dark night, without not even the moon shining. Clouds rolled across the sky, threatening to send showers raining down. It was bad enough Byakuya had to stay up all night, but be caught in a rain storm? That was too much. The raven haired captain couldn't stand rain. Or snow. Or anything that was liable to get him wet, dirty, or messy. So now, looking up at the cloud filled sky, Byakuya stifled a groan and tried to find somewhere where the rain wouldn't hit. Unfortunately though, there was nothing but trees in this area. What horrible luck! Byakuya sighed and went to stand under a large tree, hoping it wasn’t going to rain too hard.

After about a half an hour when Byakuya was sure it wouldn't rain, the shinigami finally came out from under the tree and began to walk along the streets searching for anything suspicious. There was, of course, nothing. Of course the arrancar wouldn't attack with Aizen dead. They weren't completely stupid. Byakuya turned a corner and stopped in his tracks. Standing before him was something that looked like a child, but Byakuya knew better. Haku was much, much more than a child. Byakuya couldn't deny that he was surprised to see his ex-lieutenant here. He had thought, after Haku had left, that he would never see him again. He wished it was so.

Haku stood there in plain view of Byakuya's sight, frozen in a state of shock. However, his small form started to shake slightly as he just now realized the severity of the situation. Haku knew one day he would have to face his former Captain Byakuya one day for his abandonment of the Soul Society, he just didn't think it would be so soon. Haku, for the second time in his 97 year old life, was afraid and for good reason. Haku might have been a Lieutenant but Byakuya was a Captain and was far older then he was, thus having more experience. On top of that, while Haku was admittedly powerful, Byakuya completely dwarfed his own abilities and it would most likely not be that hard for the ebony-haired Captain to take out Haku. "C-C-Captain Kuchiki. It's...been 7 years since we've l-last me, hasn't it?" he asked, stuttering out the question in his low, raspy and deep voice as he slowly backed away from his former superior.

Byakuya wasn't aware of the light rain that began to fall gently onto the streets as he stared at his ex-lieutenant coldly, his face free of all emotion. The raven haired captain's hand tightened on his zanpakuto, then relaxed, knowing that if Haku tried to fight, it would be easy to surpass him and win. He need not worry. When Haku had abandoned the Soul Society, Byakuya didn't speak up on his behalf. He didn't try to stop the head captain when he declared that Haku was a traitor and, if found, should be put on trial and be killed. He even helped search for Haku, wanting to put the boy in his place. After all, anyone who left the Soul Society was considered a traitor, and Byakuya despised traitors. If the Soul Society just let anyone who left go without trying to stop them, if they didn't put these people in their places, if they didn't punish people for their crimes, then the Soul Society would be, to put it mildly, a mess.

Byakuya didn't move as Haku started to back away from him. He could see the fear in the boys eyes, and felt satisfaction. Haku was scared of him, as he should be. "It has been quite a while," Byakuya replied to the boy's stuttered words, his voice like ice. "Seven years since you turned into a traitor... or perhaps you were a traitor long before that. You just finally showed your true colors." The captain moved forward, knowing he was most likely making Haku nervous, and stared down at him with icy gray eyes that showed no emotion whatsoever. He was still not aware of the rain that fell, making his long, silky hair damp. Later, Byakuya would probably regret standing for so long in the rain, since he absolutely hated to look undignified. "I want to hear your explanation before I take you back to the Soul Society to stand trial. At the very least you owe me that."

Haku's nervousness and fear slowly evaporated until his face was set back into an emotionless, cold gaze, his one good eye glinting with the slightest hint of insanity. "I may have left the Soul Society, but I have never actually lifted a finger against it nor have I attacked it. The promise I made those years ago was top priority for me. I swore that day the innocent shall never suffer again, shall never be killed again, not like what happened to her. My job as the Fallen Angel of Vengeance is not over yet. Until the last sinner is removed from existence, only then shall I surrender myself" he said as his hand clutched the hilt of his Zanpakuto tightly. Byakuya, while he was never close or knew anything all that personal about Haku, knew one thing, just as most of the people in his division did.

Haku had a sister back when he was alive that was two years younger then him that was killed by the very same person who killed Haku. It was no secret that Haku's eventual betrayal of the Soul Society was of him slowly going mad through grief, regret and guilt and had one day sworn rightful vengeance upon the guilty, human beings that have harmed innocent people. "After all, family and your promises that you give to them are the most important things in your life or death, are they not? If it was for your sister, I'm sure you would not hesitate to do what I did Captain. Some things are far more important then loyalty" he said coldly as he narrowed his eyes at Byakuya.

Byakuya's face still showed no hint of emotion, no sympathy for Haku. He knew that Haku's sister was killed, but people just needed to except these things. Killing was a way of life. It's very hard to avoid it. The captain was silent for a moment, as the boy's words sunk in.

"After all, family and your promises that you give to them are the most important things in your life or death, are they not? If it was for your sister, I'm sure you would not hesitant to do what I did Captain. Some things are far more important then loyalty"

Byakuya knew this all too well. Hadn't he promised Hisana when she was dying he would protect Rukia no matter what? After Rukia gave her powers to Ichigo and broke the laws of the Soul Society, she had to be put on trial for death. Byakuya didn't discourage this. He went along with the decision, because after all, it was the law. As a captain, Byakuya was very dedicated to the law. Even more dedicated than most. After he married Hisana, a resident of Rukongai even though it was against the law for someone of his nobility to do something like that, then adopted Rukia, her sister, into his family after Hisana had died, he swore on his parents' graves that he would never break the law again. But with Rukia's trial, it was very hard for him not to. What to do? Keep his promise to his parents or Hisana? In the end, after talking with Kurosaki Ichigo, he had decided he must do what he could to save Rukia. The whole thing turned out to be a big misunderstanding, but still it was one of the hardest things he ever had to do.

So yes, Byakuya understood Haku. "Yes, family and your promises to them are the most important thing," Byakuya said quietly, now adverting his eyes from Haku. "But I don't agree that just leaving the Soul Society was the right idea. You do not have to go to the human world to bring justice. There are many wrongs in the Soul Society as well. But putting that aside, you should have asked if you could leave. You were a lieutenant, a high ranked officer, and others looked up to you, trusted you. And then you leave without a word. I may add that the seated officers were in a very bad state after you left."

He chuckled coldly as he listened to Byakuya talk about the wrongs of the Soul Society and about the state it was left in after his betrayal. "The Soul Society was not my home, it never was. They never found my sister's soul, neither did I. My sister's pain, her end happened in the world of the living, due to my failure to protect her. I swore I would come back to end all those that would bring harm and death to those like my sister, those that are innocent. Besides, I was.....afraid. I lost everything in life and when I was accepted into the Soul Society, I wanted to stay, I really did but I didn't. I felt that if I stayed, it would have been eventually lost, it would have eventually been taken from me as well. I was afraid of failing them all, like I failed her. It's painful to know that you failed the one person that looked up to you as not just a brother, but as a father as well. It's painful to know that you failed the one person who considered you their God. I was tired of failing everyone around me...I felt if I left, I wouldn't fail the Soul Society like I failed my sister Kanna" he said as he clutched his locket tightly, closing his eyes in pain as memories of his childhood popped up into his mind, remembering his sister's smiles, her belief in him, her words she spoke to him. 'You can promise me the world brother but all I really want is for you to be by my side for as long as possible. You're all I need big brother, your my brother, my father, my deity of faith. I believe in you big brother, I believe what you say when you promise to give us both a better life' those words she said to him sending shockwaves of grief through his spine.

His form shook slightly as his mind replayed the words over and over in his mind. Once he slowly calmed himself, he opened his eyes to stare up at Byakuya with a gaze of regret. The words Haku spoke might as well have been repeated over constantly, his words seeming to echo. His true reason of leaving now obvious, he was afraid, afraid of failure, afraid to fail everyone else that had placed faith in him like his sister did. He left to avoid the possibility of failing the Soul Society and all those who held their faith in him.

Byakuya didn't like how Haku was laughing. It seemed mocking, and Byakuya very much hated to be mocked. But he gritted his teeth and tried to keep his expression blank as he listened to the rest of Haku's words. He softened slightly when he heard how Haku didn't want to fail the Soul Society, but he still didn't allow himself to feel any sympathy. Whatever Haku's reasons, he still did what he did.

"Regardless of how you felt about the Soul Society, you should have told someone what your plans are so you wouldn't have been branded a traitor." Byakuya shook his head, his raven hair dripping with rain water, and looked down at Haku. He knew the other regretted what he did, but Byakuya had nothing to say about that. People did lots of things they regretted. Regretting something didn't make it okay.

"I know that...now anyway. Back then, I was too blinded by my guilt and my fear. My guilt for being unable to save her and my fear of failing the Soul Society like I failed her. If I was able to, I would have gone back to change things so that I told someone of what I was going to do, of my plans. Unfortunately, I cannot and I am now being hunted. I know my hasty decision was foolish, at least I know it now but what can be done about it now besides taking me in Captain Kuchiki? I doubt I'm going to be forgiven for my abandonment of the Soul Society, for all the humans I have killed, whether they deserved it or not" he said softly as he slowly removed his hand from the hilt of his Zanpakuto, his body relaxing a bit, thinking that Byakuya was not going to attack him. Haku knew he was going to have to pay one day for his treasonous actions and at this point in time, he was starting to wonder if that day was today. As soon as that thought entered his mind, he was immediately bombarded with a flashback, a flashback of the day he made that promise on his sister's grave. He swore nothing would stop him from keeping his promise, his vow to exterminate the guilty in the Human World and was wondering if this will be his last day in existence, wondering if he will have failed Kanna yet again.