Seeking a Second Opinion [Shura/Byakuya]

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To say that she felt lost would be an understatement, the one some would say was rather overconfident in her own abilities was now feeling... not so confident in those same abilities. So long she'd wondered why Hakaishin had remained so adamantly silent, and now she was ever the more concerned over it. But more importantly she knew not what to do about such a thing, even heightening her training in recent months had done nothing to get him to speak more.

Truthfully she was at a loss for what to do next, however she'd once sought out Yuuto for guidance and training and such a thing was beneficial at the time. However she hadn't wished to burden an Active Captain with a matter they might not know anything about, thus brought her mind to a former Captain and one of quite some renown. Byakuya Kuchiki, he was known for his fierce determination and unwavering confidence in not just his ambitions but himself, he knew his limitations and knew who he could and couldn't beat by merely gazing upon them... Or at least such was her understanding of the man. He was the one who stood against Ichigo atop the Sokyoku Hill, and his renown going after had only increased.

So as she walked up the path towards his manor her only true concern about this meeting would be being turned away, and though she didn't much care for it... She hoped that her status as a Noble would at least warrant him listening to her if nothing else. When it was that she arrived at the manor, she gave a knock to the front gate and introduced herself. "This... is Kurata Shura, Third Seat of the Fourth Division and First Born of the Kurata Family. If... If I may, I would like to speak with the Head of the House, Kuchiki Byakuya. The nature of my visit is not of the Gotei nor my Family, but rather a personal one that I hope he would be willing to at least hear out."

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TAGS; - here NOTES; - here WORDS; - here MUSE; - Second Opinion

Shura nodded when she was asked to wait and nodded once more at the mention of unwelcomed movements being met with aggression. Indeed she did not move as she awaited the assistants return, and when she saw both him and Byakuya her eyes did widen but only ever-so-slightly. When she was allowed to step forward, she did so cautiously, making sure that her hands never so much as grazed the Zanpakuto at her side.

When she had moved forward as much as she was allowed, she would first greet Byakuya with a deep bow before she would speak "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Kuchiki-sama, I understand your time is valuable so I will attempt to be brief." Once she'd spoken, only then would she raise back up and begin explaining the purpose of her visit.

"As silly as it might sound, while the defeat I faced by Metatron left no physical scars, I cannot say that the confidence and pride I once held so highly wasn't shaken. This combined with... certain events with my family, have led me to begin questioning my capabilities. For the majority of my time within the Gotei 13 my Zanpakuto would guide me, coach me even in the ways of combat. However after my Brother was born and I achieved my Bankai, he has been... silent. This was some 250ish years ago at this point, in such time my Zanpakuto has spoken only in brief moments and seemingly only when I am pushed to the brink of life and death. I have attempted to commune with him in that time, but rather than respond he simply stares off into the distance as if he does not even see me. It has caused me no small amount of strife trying to discern what it is he wants from me. This is why I have come to you, Kuchiki-sama, I have heard tale of your exploits, of your unwavering determination and unflinching confidence in not just those around you but of your own capabilities. You are, in most respects, a Master of nearly all combat styles of the Shinigami, and from what I can tell the bond between you and your Zanpakuto is on par with only the legends of eld."

She paused for a moment, now moving down to one knee. One hand rested on the knee that wasn't on the ground, as her other hand curled into a fist and was placed on the ground with her head tilting downwards. "I humbly ask for your assistance with this matter, as for the first time... I know not what to do."

made by RR of DD, steal and i will sentence you to the true death!

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She was... taken aback in truth. She hadn't expected to be invited inside, and so when the invitation came her head jolted up with that telltale sign of surprise. However she wasn't about to retreat now, not when her wish was seeming to be granted, so she nodded "Thank you, Kuchiki-Sama." Shura rose from her knelt position and followed him inside, once more ensuring that her arms and hands did not graze her Zanpakuto. As they entered the prepared room and he spoke, she nodded once more to him.

"Certainly, after the bombing at the hospital I would suspect nothing less from one of your stature." She said firstly, before taking her seat and once more giving a slight bow "Once again I wish to thank you for taking the time to see me. As I mentioned prior, Hakaishin, my Zanpakuto, has been silent these past 250-odd years. We used to have a flourishing relationship, often would we speak with each other and when I would stumble he would correct me with a stern hand and voice. When Hitoshi was born, something inside me... changed. I felt something I didn't understand for him, a desire deep inside that demanded I do my all to protect him. It was in pursuit of this desire that I trained for my Bankai, when I had at last achieved it my parents and Hitoshi were the first I showed it too. I was so proud that day, to achieve something that few ever manage to even get close too. However after that day, Hakaishin fell silent. My powers did not wane, yet he stopped responding to me. Even when I confronted him, demanded he speak to me and explain what I had done to wrong him so... he refused to respond. I've been concerned for awhile now, but..."

Shura paused, a clear look of worry on her face as she tried to think of the proper words to speak "I've prided myself on my strength ever since I enlisted in the Gotei 13, and ever more so when I joined the 11th Division under Zaraki Kenpachi. Though it might sound foolish to say aloud, I never knew defeat at the hands of any save other Shinigami until recently. I expected fellow Shinigami to best me, especially those more powerful or more experienced than I am. However even the most fierce battles against Hollows or Arrancarr, never once have they managed to defeat me. Metatron though, he didn't simply best me. He deflected all of my attacks, even whilst in my Bankai, and even the Kido I had secretly trained to near mastery were shattered in an instant. To be clear, I do not simply mere 30 or 40s level Kido, I was using high 70s and 80s level kido with their full incantations, yet in spite of it all Metatron broke free of everything and swatted even my strongest Kido, Hadō #88, away like it was nothing. However while this did shake me, it did not deter me from simply getting stronger so that it wouldn't happen again."

She took another pause, though this time was mostly to collect herself "The thing that has... shaken me so much however, was what happened after Hitoshi was named Head of the Kurata family. I found myself feeling truly powerless, I felt like a child again... desperately trying to escape from my Father's hateful gaze. You see he wanted me, as the First Born, to take over the family business, yet my interests lied everywhere but there. Now I'm ever the more worried about Hakaishin's silence, I don't know what it is but it feels like his silence is even stronger than it was before... Almost as if he is scolding me yet I know not why."

made by RR of DD, steal and i will sentence you to the true death!

TAGS; - here NOTES; - here WORDS; - here MUSE; - Second Opinion

When Byakuya had picked up where she left off, she was quick to nod in affirmation to his first statement of being blunt. When he began his questioning, she was sure to answer in as concise a manner as she could think of "To be concise... Gaining my Bankai was the product of Hitoshi's birth, when I first laid eyes upon him I knew somehow I had to protect him. So I went and focused on training for it, and when at last the day came where I was to challenge my Zanpakuto in combat I did so, and that combat trial was also the first and only time I had used Kido. However it proved ineffective against him, and it wasn't until I returned to my roots, that is to say who I was before joining the Gotei, that I won through the skin of my teeth."

She was leaving out many details, but he had asked for conciseness she figured only the essentials of the combat trial from Hakaishin was asked for or wanted. After that however he asked his second question, of why she put so much value behind her strength. Truth be told this took her even less time to respond too than the first, responding almost the moment he stopped talking "Because it has been the only thing that has ever gotten me anything in my life, asking or talking things over has never yielded any result except denial."

It was a blunt and to-the-point response from Shura, perhaps one that resembled the worst in her but... it was the truth. Then came his third and final question, which did take Shura a moment to think on before she could respond in earnest "To be honest... Before I joined the Gotei, my Father hated everything I did because it wasn't for the business, and there were no shortage of times he reminded me that I would've either been more useful as a boy, or outright worthless to him, which is why I sought whatever means I had too to get stronger, to prove I wasn't worthless. My Zanpakuto Spirit was the first to acknowledge my worth, and the birth of my Brother gave me something that could both use and needed that worth. At least... that's what how I feel they are related."

made by RR of DD, steal and i will sentence you to the true death!

TAGS; - here NOTES; - here WORDS; - here MUSE; - Second Opinion

To hear it put so casually in all honesty... it hurt, it hurt something fierce and her hands balling into fists showed that much. It hurt to a point she wanted to lash out, she didn't care how she lashed out she just... wanted too. Yet at the same time she knew that doing such would be a fruitless endeavor. At best she'd be thrown from the property and barred any further entry or talks to the Greater Noble, at worst she'd be imprisoned for attempting to assault him if not outright killed in what would rightfully be self defense.

Besides that, it wasn't as if he wasn't giving her exactly what she'd come for, his advice. So rather than lash out, she tried to process what he was saying instead. She already knew she'd failed in many ways, she knew that first hand. But to have failed in a fundamental lesson? What could that actually mean? She thought back to Yuuto and her interactions with him, he had warned her that the path she tread had only two results and that she was walking a path that led to the worse of the two.

Could that be what Byakuya was referring too? She didn't think so however, not since he mentioned her Zanpakuto Spirit in particular. So then what was it that he meant? She'd tried for so long to communicate with her Spirit, she'd never given up that aspect of her training. As she took a moment to ponder, she pulled her fingers away from her palms and grasped the cup before her, taking a slow sip as she stared down towards the ground. Perhaps this wouldn't be the right way to say it... she was indeed desperate for answers, she had indeed sought out someone who knew and cared naught for her or her woes, but as she set the cup back down she spoke "You see, those are the exact reasons I decided to come here. You neither know me nor care for me. Deception would be pointless for you in more ways than one, and so anything you speak would be the simple truth no matter how difficult it might be to hear."

She looked into the cup and stared into the liquid before her for a few more moments "I know I have failed in more ways than that, but at the same time I cannot put words to them nor express what they would be. You say I have failed in some fundamental lesson that I should already know, yet I do not understand what you mean by this. As a Student we are taught to keep our Zanpakuto with us at all times, to commune with it regularly... I have done both before and after my Spirit went silent, despite its silence towards me."

made by RR of DD, steal and i will sentence you to the true death!