Cherry Blossoms in an Arctic Night

There was once a young man who was born into a great noble family in the Soul Society.

By the time he reached adolescence, both his parents had passed away. However, his grandfather was still alive and showered him with love and kindness, while training him in the ways of the Shinigami.

Good traits grew in the young man, such as determination and a willingness to work hard but a lack of patience and a short temper slowed the boy's progress. Unwilling to fail and disappoint the memory of his parents, the boy started to control his emotions.

Soon, he was accepted into the Shinigami Academy and excelled. But the pain of loss grew inside him, and he began to lose touch with his emotions and became unempathetic.

After graduating at the top of the class, he was immediately assigned an officer's seat in the Sixth Division. Within weeks he earned the reputation of being reliable, capable and honourable. However, many Shinigami disliked him because of his cold, emotionless demeanour and his confidence in his abilities; some even mistook this for arrogance, common with that of those born into the nobility.

The young officer was aware of this but decided to ignore the meaningless criticism of others and continued to hone his skills.

One night while out on patrol, he came across a young woman admiring the blossoms on a plum tree. Upon seeing the handsome young officer, the woman offered him a small sweet bun to keep his energy up during his shift. The woman was frail and thin and would've needed the extra sustenance more than the young officer, but she insisted on at least sharing the bun. Touched by her kindness, the icy demeanour of the young officer melted away, and the seeds of love took root in their hearts.

Soon the young officer, Byakuya, proposed to the young woman. However, she was a commoner from one of the worst parts of the Rukon district, and thus such a union went against the laws of the Kuchiki clan.

Byakuya begged his grandfather for his blessing. Ginrei wanted to say yes immediately but knew that it would have long-reaching consequences if he did so. Instead, he set his grandson a task. It was a near-impossible one, but he believed in his grandson's potential.

Byakuya would have to achieve and master Bankai in one year.

This process typically took a decade, and not everyone could achieve Bankai, yet alone master it.

For the first time, Byakuya sincerely doubted himself. He had been preparing himself to move on to Bankai but had mastered Shikai only seventeen months before.

After months of trying, he had gotten nowhere. Because of his failing, he delayed meeting his fiancee out of shame.

Summer turned to autumn, and soon winter enveloped the Soul Society.

One day, when he was on patrol, his fiancee cornered him. Instead of demanding to know why he had been avoiding her, Hisana asked if he was all right.

Seeing her, Byakuya opened his heart. He told her everything; how scared he was of disappointing her and how he did not understand what he was doing wrong. He had been following the rules and guides for achieving Bankai but was getting nowhere.

Knowing that her presence had a calming effect on him, Hisana suggested that he ought to mediate with her. Unwittingly, she suggested that they should meet under the cherry trees on the outskirts of town.

The next night they met under the cherry trees, now bare and dusted with snow. Hisana had made a small fire for them. As they warmed themselves by the fire, Byakuya revealed to Hisana that his sword's true name was Senbonzakura, and explained it's Shikai of a Thousand Cherry Blossoms.

"A pity it wasn't plum blossoms," Hisana said in jest. "Those are my favourite."

Byakuya laughed and while doing so remembered why he loved her so much. He would not allow himself to fail.

As he mediated, he fell into the familiar scene. The shadows of a thousand foes had surrounded him, amongst them walked a samurai with a demon mask. "Surrender!" He shouted.

Byakuya stood his ground, sword raised.

"Surrender! Or this is your funeral procession!"

"Never!"

"Then you will die!" yelled the samurai as he charged.

His arm froze. However much he tried to move it, however much he screamed he could do nothing with his sword.

Byakuya opened his eyes before he was struck. It always ended there. He told Hisana about the obstacle and the samurai.

"You are following the rules of combat and the foremost one being to hold on to your blade," she rationalised.

This was true, for Byakuya still held on to his sword's hilt in its Shikai form.

"And even though your sword disappears in it's Shikai state, it doesn't abandon you. Maybe you have to let it go. It is difficult for you to trust because you have lost so much too soon, but you must trust your zanpakto."

Uncertain of the advice, but trusting of the person, Byakuya went back into a meditative state.

Confronted with enemies and the samurai, Byakuya took a deep breath, closed his eyes and held out his sword in front of him before he let it go.

He expected to hear the noise of it falling to the ground but, his zanpakto had disappeared. He found himself surrounded by giant versions of his sword, and they scattered into a billion blades. The samurai appeared behind him.

"I am my most powerful when I am free. In my freedom, I will always choose to be by your side, with a billion blades. For that is the name of your Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

Five short but happy years later, tragedy struck again, and Hisana passed away leaving Byakuya a widower, and with the task of finding her sister.

Yet again, Byakuya found himself breaking the rules of his clan when he found his wife's sister Rukia and adopted her.

Years passed, but the pain of losing Hisana, never faded.

Weeks after the Ryoka Invasion members of the clan demanded to know why he had not taken a new wife. A suggestion was made that it ought to be Rukia.

Byakuya's response was so:

"As my parents' only child I am destined to uphold our clan's honour.

"As a captain of the Gotei 13, it is my duty to protect the soul society.

"The years have revealed that it is my purpose to protect my adopted sister.

"But it is my choice to love only one woman with all I have. Forever."