Mimic

Part VII

Author's note : I am trying to keep this as canon as possible (to the anime) so forgive me if I twist a few of the circumstances :P Thank you to my reviewers, once again. And thank you for those of you who are following along with this. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
Luv y'all much,
Serpia-chan

Disclaimer : Despite my numerous attempts at purchasing it on ebay, I still don't own Bleach.

Last chapter *Rikichi sat with his back to the door, and waited for Kuchiki to return.*

When Rikichi finally heard the office doors open, his heart started beating a little quicker. When footsteps could be heard coming closer, he stood, hand on zanpakuto. Finally, when the door handle began to twitch, he withdrew it again. The doors swung open, and Kuchiki taicho stepped inside, looking as pristine as ever.

“Fukutaicho, instruct the men to return to their stations. There is no immediate threat to Seireitei. Also, please withdraw your zanpakuto, it would not be appropriate to have the division members think that you are about to attack me.”

“Yes, taicho.”

Rikichi turned to the men, all of which had their eyes on the two leaders at the front of the room.

“Alright, listen up. There's nothing attacking Seireitei right now. You can all go back to work.”

The men began to stand and file out of the room. The men who had challenged Rikichi, now feeling safe because of Kuchiki's presence, shot Rikichi nasty looks as they passed. Kuchiki smirked slightly when he noticed how the men responded to Rikichi.

“Run into any problems, fukutaicho?”

“Just some trouble makers... refusing to listen to me, trying to start a riot against me, you know, the usual.”

“And how did you handle it?”

“I beat their asses until they sat down like everyone else, taicho.”

“Oh? Anyways, come along Rikichi. I'll tell you what is going on once we eat.”

Kuchiki left the room, stalking down the long hall towards his office. Rikichi turned, gave the room one last look, and smiled. He felt that he had established his authority in the division rather well. Shutting the doors, he followed the captain.

Kuchiki opened a door that Rikichi hadn't noticed before, one just off of the captain's office. Leading the way inside, Kuchiki flicked on a light as he entered.

Light illuminated a beautiful room, one that Kuchiki taicho had obviously decorated himself. There was a futon piled in one corner, an ornately carved table with beautiful zabuton circling it, and several wardrobes and cupboards. A gorgeous sword sat on a stand in the corner.

Rikichi sat down on one of the soft zabuton and allowed himself to relax in the luxury of the moment. It wasn't often that he, a rukongai 68 brat, got to experience something so lovely as this. Kuchiki busied himself by opening a beautifully carved cupboard and began to pull out various foods and utensils. There was fresh rice, a delicious-looking selection of sashimi slices, and even Rikichi's personal favorite, yakitori. All (except the sashimi) piping hot. Rikichi looked at Kuchiki in confusion... there were no cooking appliances to be found. Kuchiki understood, and cleared his throat.

“I have my cook bring me lunch each morning. She brought it while you were delivering the papers.”

Kuchiki placed the food and bowls down on the table, and sat down across from Rikichi. From underneath the table, he withdrew a bottle of sake. After a few awkward seconds, Rikichi realized that as the lower class person, he had to serve the food. He filled both rice bowls, and lay the sashimi that Kuchiki pointed to on a plate. He poured sake into Kuchiki taicho's cup, and went to pour his own, but Kuchiki's hand snaked around his wrist.

“Koso. You never pour your own sake.”

He pulled the bottle from Rikichi, and poured a liberal amount into the younger Shinigami's cup. Then he placed the bottle back on the table, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat. They ate most of the meal in silence, odd bits of small talk emerging here and there, but it was after the rice was gone and the plates were cleared that the news about the morning's emergency came out.

Rikichi had given up attempting to sit in the Seiza position and sat cross-legged. Kuchiki now sat with his feet to one side, leaning on the table in a relaxed manner. They looked at each other for a few moments, Rikichi feeling a little uncomfortable under Kuchiki-taicho's intense stare.

“What I am going to tell you, Rikichi, is top secret information. It can not get leaked out.”

“I understand, taicho.”

“Seireitei is in danger. The Bounto are making many problems in the Living World. We have sent a group to see if they can sort out the problem. If this group fails, it is believed that Seireitei will be attacked. If that happens, you will be in charge of squads 1 through 5. Squads 6 and 7 will only be under your command if I am absent. If that should happen, you must take be ready to lead these men into a battle that will be almost impossible for them to win. You have to be prepared to watch them die, and you have to be able to keep a straight face while you watch. Are you going to be able to do that?”

Rikichi did not want anyone in his division, especially those under his supervision and direction, to die. However it was something expected of a fukutaicho, and he would stand by his duty as a fukutaicho, not matter what. Even if it meant that he himself would die.

“I will be able to, taicho.”

“Good, now there is another matter I want to talk to you about. I really wish that you would stop copying Abarai. I want to know your reason for doing so.”

Rikichi blushed a little. He couldn't actually tell Kuchiki the reason why... he couldn't say that he was doing it because he wanted to attract a lover. The very thought of telling him such a thing nearly made Rikichi laugh.

“Well... I copy Renji because Renji is a good person, and a good Shinigami. I want to be as good as he is.”

“Oh? As good as he is. Why not strive for better? That is what Renji himself does.”

“Huh?”

“Renji used to copy me a long time ago. He improved in very little in that time, both in skill and as a person. It was only once he replaced he desire to become exactly like me with the desire to surpass me that he made a significant improvement. So why don't you try to surpass Abarai? The worst that will happen is you will become the best you can be, even if it is less than Abarai. Is that not a better goal?
Also, fukutaicho, remember that a copy will never be as perfect as the original. You will only be a shadow of what Renji is if you continue on this path.”

Kuchiki-taicho rose, and with a swish of robe , turned and walked to the door. Over his shoulder he called for Rikichi to return to work.

Rikichi sat for a minute. Could it be that the reason no one ever showed interest in him was that he was invisible to the world, living as Renji's shadow? Kuchiki taicho was right. He didn't need to copy Renji at all. He would achieve so much more if he was just himself, trying to surpass Renji. With ambition renewed and fists clenched, Rikichi stepped back into the office, ready to face the world. Or at least, the next stack of paperwork.