Byakuya didn't answer he only continued to stare at the space where they had gone. His dark grey eyes shifted to the woman against the wall. "Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou, where did they go?" He asked in an alarmingly calm voice that also spoke that if she didn't give him the right answer that she was surely going to die.

"I cannot—“

Yoruichi flash stepped to her and glared at her before she could finish her sentence. "Tell us where they went!" She demanded.

"Las Noches." The girl answered.

 “What?” The noble mouthed, obviously shocked by what he had just heard.

“Why?” Yoruichi asked quickly.

She looked between the three Shinigami and the tiny Arrancar, remaining silent. Yoruichi shook her, making her shift her green hues to the cat woman.

“I asked you,” The cat woman said in an icy tone. “Why did he take Mana there?”

The noble sat there, wide-eyed, unsure of when the last time he had heard Yoruichi had sounded so threatening. It wasn’t often, but perhaps she was taking a more serious nature because of Mana. No, not only Mana was missing; Rukia was also.

Byakuya bit back the pain in his abdomen while the redhead continued to heal him, they needed to find them and quickly. He stood, ignoring Renji’s objections, he winced and almost fell to the ground again until a warm arm wrapped around him.

“Byakuya,” Renji said, looking concerned. “You should still be sitting; I haven’t finished healing you yet…”

The noble shook his head and started to walk over to where the two women were. “I cannot—“

“Taichou,” Renji said reproachfully, holding his lover still. “I know you want to get Rukia and Mana-san back, I do too. But we won’t be able to find them if you don’t take care of yourself.” The redhead told his lover.

Renji let Nel down to stand next to him. She clung to the cloth of his hakama, still frightened of the wounded woman by the wall ahead. She looked up to the red-haired Shinigami. “Nel wants to stay with Wenji and Bya.” She whispered in a small voice.

Byakuya sat on a nearby chair. “And so you shall for the time being.” He told her. He breathed deeply, staring at the women ahead. “Yoruichi,” He called softly.

“Not now Byakuya.” She told him, still glaring at traitorous fukutaichou. “Why did he take her and not try to grab Nel instead?” She asked again.

“I cannot tell you.” Nemu replied.

“Why the hell not?” Renji asked, kneeling beside his injured taichou and resuming healing the rest of what he could.

Nemu’s green eyes shifted again to look at Renji. “I cannot because I was not ordered to do so.” She replied simply.

Yoruichi’s reiatsu flared warningly. “Tell us, dammit! Or do you not value your life?”

“You cannot—“

Yoruichi slammed her hand next to the girl’s head on the wall, purposely missing it but creating a hole in the wall. “I will not miss next time.” She warned. “Now, tell us why.”

Nemu stared at her for a few breathless moments, silently. “He took her because of Aizen-sama.”

“What does Aizen have to do with anything?” Renji asked as he finished healing and bandaging the raven-haired noble’s abdomen.

“He somehow escaped from his cell,” Yoruichi answered.

“Nani? How?” Byakuya said, standing.

Yoruichi stood, dragging the Nemu with her and faced the others. “While I was in Soul Society, there was an alert at the Central Forty-six. Soi Fong and I went to see what it was about and we found that over half of the new council was dead and a large hole had been created. Aizen Sousuke is most likely in Heuco Mundo again and you know what that means if he wanted Mana, Byakuya.”

“What do you mean?” Renji asked.

Byakuya’s lips tightened into a thin line. “Mana was once Aizen’s lover.”

Red-brown eyes widened in shock and Renji’s mouth hung open. “She…what?”

Yoruichi sealed Nemu’s spirit energy then bound her hands behind her back. She looked back to the men. “More like fiancé and then enemy once he betrayed Soul Society.” She said.

Byakuya turned to face his red-haired fukutaichou. “When Mana and I were young, Aizen was just a fukutaichou then; they had begun to see one another…intimately. It infuriated the elders but Mana did not care. She believed she was in love with Aizen up until the betrayal. She fell rather harshly out of love and began to blame herself for being blind as the rest of us about the true nature of him. It wasn’t until Rukia was free of blame and such that she began to talk more and open up more of her pain.” He explained, sadness touching his eyes for a moment before clearing again.

“Okay,” Renji said, crossing his arms over his chest. “So why does Aizen want her now? He’s gotta know she doesn’t like him anymore.”

“It could be for a number of reasons.” The noble answered. “And with Rukia following them, I fear that he will possibly torture her to get Mana to do what he wishes.”

“Or worse kill her,” Renji added, shaking his head. “Okay, so now what? We can’t stay here and we can’t exactly go back home because if we do that then Soutaichou may take Nel and kill her.”

“Not if we explain the situation to him.” Yoruichi objected.

“Okay, so we can go home?” Renji queried.

The cat woman nodded. “You can, but I would keep Nel close at all times.”

“She is still a target.” Byakuya sighed; he picked up his sword from the ground and opened the way to Seireitei. “I will have to see to having her put under close supervision once we reach the manor.”

Renji picked up his own weapon and Nel and fell in step next to the noble into the precipice world. “Oh, I’m sure they will be pleased when we get there and tell them everything.” He said sarcastically.

“It won’t matter because they can’t change Byakuya’s mind about anything.” Yoruichi commented.

Byakuya’s reiatsu flared softly in warning. “No, they cannot.” He replied. “Nor can they make my private life decisions.”

Yoruichi grinned. “Are you going to tell them to mind their own business like last time, Little Byakuya?”

“Actually, I was going to tell them to go mind their own business and if that did not work then I would make sure they kept out of my private affairs.” The noble stated, frowning.

Renji chuckled. “No one messes with my taichou, ne?”

“Of course not,” Byakuya replied, trying to hide his smirk. “I would hate to think that the council could just walk over my authority and rule my life.”

They were silent the rest of the walk through the precipice world until they reached the Kuchiki estate only to be greeted by many angry looking Kuchikis known as the Kuchiki Elders.

“Great,” Renji whispered under his breath.

“What is it?” Byakuya asked, addressing Head Councilor Kameko.

She frowned and handed the clan leader the note she had in her hand. He took it whilst slightly furrowing his brow as he read it. His reiatsu flared around him, making Nel become unsettled and whimper in Renji’s arms and the redhead glanced over the noble’s shoulder to look at paper.

“What the fuck?” He seethed, looking to the Elders. “When did you get that?”

“About an hour ago,” Kameko answered. “So, it is true then Aizen has escaped and Kurotsuchi is helping him, ne?”

“Yes, it is.” Yoruichi said, stepping forward with the girl she had tightly in her grasp. “I will meet with you later Byakuya. I’m going to take Nemu to Soutaichou and explain the situation.”

“Very well, senpai.” Byakuya answered, walking further into the grounds of his home and onto the walkway. “Come, Renji. Well shall see to this note in the archive.”