Bleach: The Forgotten Captain - The Memoirs of Akari Miyazaki

Chapter 15: A Hundred Years Without You - Part 6: Solitude

Nearly two days had passed as we approached Seireitei.

Sato had suggested taking a detour to avoid revealing our approach direction to any potential spies of my enemy. Though I wanted to be suspicious of everything he said, I couldn't help but accept the suggestion.

The safety of Miaka and Mana was paramount, and I wouldn't risk disclosing their whereabouts again. Even my friends would remain unaware of the new home of the two.

The city walls of Seireitei came into view, and a stone settled in my stomach. Fear crept up within me. My hands grew sweaty, and with every step, my heart raced. The fear of receiving bad news once more slowed me down. I took a deep breath and tried to swallow my worries. There was no point in worrying about things that hadn't happened yet.

I stopped when I noticed that Sato was not following me further. His gaze seemed distant, but then he grinned at me.

"I'll wait for you right in front of the gates, Akari."

"You're not coming in?"

Sato grinned even wider, but it didn't reach his eyes. Swiftly, he took something from his pocket, resembling a small crystal.

"Take this with you. If you need help, hold it in your hand and infuse it with some Reiatsu, and I'll find you."

I took the stone in surprise and furrowed my brow.

"So you'd enter the city only if I needed your help?"

He shrugged. "Like I said, I owe you. But as long as everything is fine, there's no reason for me to enter this place."

"Why do you hate Seireitei so much?"

Sato's eyelids lowered.

"I'm not ready to talk about it yet. But perhaps, one day, I will. See you later, Akari. And be careful; after all, your enemy is at this place."

He cast one last worried glance at the city and disappeared. I examined the milky crystal in my hand and tucked it into my pocket.

I squared my shoulders and entered the city.

Throughout the entire journey to Seireitei, I hadn't given any thought to what my first destination would be.

My house was out of the question. Since Yamachi's death, there was nothing there for me, and entering it would only bring me pain. Besides, if anyone spotted lights at the Miyazaki family estate, it could lead to uncomfortable questions.

My second thought was to visit Byakuya's villa, but I knew he wouldn't be there. So, I made my way directly to the Sixth Division.

Byakuya sat at a desk piled high with documents. He didn't even turn to look at me, although he must have noticed my presence. His pen glided across the paper, placing it in a stack before reaching for the next document.

"You shouldn't be here," he grumbled, and I slumped into a chair.

His gaze barely grazed me before he returned to his work.

"I know. I'm putting everyone in danger, I'm aware of that. But there's something I need to ask you, Byakuya."

Byakuya wrote on his paper for another five minutes, then set it aside and finally turned to me. What I saw in his eyes took my breath away. The pain I'd seen in his gaze during our last encounter was now overshadowed by cool indifference.

"What favor do you seek?" he asked, and I lowered my gaze to my bracelets.

"I need to find out what material this is. You have access to the Gotei 13's library, even the forbidden section."