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Prize of Victory 1.5
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
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Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach nor profit from my works.
Chapter List
- 11
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- 13
Expecting the Unexpected
Unohana carefully placed her brush in its proper position, bristle-end up, on its stand and let her eyes close. Her fingers moved out of long-established habit, wriggling from her knuckles as she attempted to loosen her joints and avoid cramping. Next came a few rolls of her wrists, in both directions, to keep the muscles in her forearms from seizing.

�You have no one to blame but yourself for this,� she thought tiredly. When she opened her eyes again, it was to put a few final notes in the file belonging to the young woman who had just left her office. Allowing enough time for the writing to dry, she slid the paper back into its properly labeled folder and placed it on top of the stack of similar files to her left. Before the War, she would have assigned this sort of task to Kotetsu Isane, or more likely, a much lower-ranking Seated officer. These days her subordinates� time was at a premium, and Unohana didn�t trust anyone else to handle such a heart-wrenching job.

The sound of knuckles on the wooden door frame caused her to straighten her shoulders, even though she knew who was on the other side by the feel of his reiatsu. A moment later, the door opened. A tall, blonde, bespectacled Shinigami juggling a stack of folders, a steaming pot of fragrant tea on a tray and an apologetic expression entered. Somehow, Iemura Yasochika managed to divest himself of the first two without spilling anything. The third, regrettably, seemed to be a permanent fixture on his face these days.

�I�m terribly sorry, Unohana-Taichou. I saw Omaeda-sama leaving with her� ah� well�� he started and then trailed off, unable or unwilling to use the word that would have described the Numeros that had accompanied Mareyo. To cover, he quickly fetched a ceramic cup from the set of five she kept on one of her bookcase shelves and served his superior some badly-needed fortification. �I thought you could use this.�

Unohana took the cup from his hand. Like her paperwork, the job of bringing a Taichou tea could have been handled by others, which meant he had another reason for delivering it, other than thoughtfulness.

�Thank you, Iemura-san. I appreciate it,� she murmured, meaning it. Thankfully, he got right to the point, after a quick adjustment of his glasses.

�I saw Ogidō-san in the lobby in passing this morning, while conducting rounds. If I might ask, how is he?�

She inhaled slowly through her nose, detecting jasmine in the steam emanating from the pot. Iemura would not have asked this under typical circumstances; the co-leaders of the Frist Relief Team rarely got along outside of their official duties. However, these weren�t normal times and the handsome Ogidō had been a highly-regarded officer, as well as Iemura�s rival in the Division. Whatever jealousy her former 3rd Seat might have had for his subordinate had been replaced with worry. Unohana thumbed through the stacks of files until she found the one she wanted. Flipping it open to the first page, she read the thankfully-short report to Iemura.

�Minor reiatsu depletion, bruising on the hips and buttocks, as well as the pectorals, three shallow bite marks on the left inner thigh, though it doesn�t look as if she broke the skin��

That recitation, though short, resulted in Iemura�s face flushing a brilliant pink. He quickly put up both hands and waved them, which she took to mean she should stop.

�Ah� a-ahem... that�s� what I mean to ask is this � will he be able to resume his duties? Did that� woman� hurt him too much?�

Unohana closed the file and returned it to the correct stack, then sighed. He had valid, work-related reasons for asking, though there was limit to what she could, and would divulge, thanks to patient confidentiality.

�Physically, he�s better than most, though I�m not entirely sure about his mental state. He appeared tired when I questioned him. The Arrancar female who Claimed him did so via�ambush. He reported that she has reinitiated this process every few days, for the last month. I�ve made a note of that in his file � it might be very important in understanding the nature of the forced reiatsu bond.�

She decided it was better to leave out the details of the attack, or the fact that the Arrancar, a woman whose mask and slender build reminded Unohana of a wasp, had injected a tranquilizer while in a state Ogidō referred to as a �Resurrección�. Evidently, strength wasn�t the only weapon the Hollows employed when it came to overpowering the Shinigami they wanted to Claim.

�I�ve yet to see Sugimoto Kaori,� she added, bringing up her other purloined officer and Iemura�s shoulders tensed further, �but she�s not slated for an appointment until tomorrow. I�ll do what I can for them.�

He nodded, understanding what wasn�t said, the �if I�m allowed to do so� that ought to have accompanied the last. Neither of them was used to feeling helpless, though Iemura had a harder time hiding it. In Sugimoto�s case, the Arrancar had Claimed her in the field, after she�d made the error of taking off her green sash to use as a makeshift sling. Aizen would likely call that a case of mistaken identity and let it slide. Ogidō Harunobu had been taken by surprise, sedated and Claimed, as he�d shamefacedly revealed, in less than five minutes, barely able to draw his Zanpakuto before his assailant crammed her tongue down his throat. The relief team leader remembered little after the completion of the Claim, save that he�d awakened in an unfamiliar house in the 2nd District, devoid of clothing and with an equally naked, masked woman straddling him. Unohana doubted that he�d be back to work any time soon, from the way the Arrancar who had Claimed him had glared and bared her teeth at the healer. That she had lost two of her best officers to Claims, despite Aizen�s promise, angered her. It would almost be worth it to bring the subject up, if only to hear his justification for allowing her people to remain enslaved.

�Have you eaten, Taichou?�

She felt like lying to her Fukutaichou, but couldn�t bring herself to do it. His concern was genuine, and that required an equally considerate and honest response.

�Not since breakfast. These interviews are taking longer than expected.�

His mouth opened, probably to offer to bring her something from the cafeteria and she held up her hand to stop him. �I�m truly not hungry, but if I become so later, I promise that I will make time for a meal.�

Isane would have immediately demurred and assumed that she knew what she was doing. Her new Fukutaichou, on the other hand, was made of sterner stuff. Unohana didn�t know if that was a side-effect of his shrewd management of the Division�s resources, including its personnel, but she could see the debate raging in his eyes. The �taskmaster� portion of his personality was straining at its collar, wanting to lecture her about caring for her health like he would any other member of the 4th Division, while his strict adherence to procedure struggled to keep it chained. A full minute passed before the mental wrestling match ended and he bowed.

�As you wish, Unohana Taichou. I shall hold you to that. Please notify me if you need anything.�

She inclined her head as he backed out of the room and closed the door. Once he was gone, she let her gaze wander around the perimeter of what was rapidly becoming the only place that felt remotely �grounded�. The sofa, the bookshelves and their contents, the tasteful calligraphy samplers exhorting snippets of Confucian wisdom... nothing had changed since the Winter War, or indeed, long before that.

�How long has it been since I redecorated,� she wondered. �Eight years? Eighty years, or was it like this on the day Yamamoto-Soutaichou promoted me? Sometimes it seems as if it�s always been like this, ready to be a sanctuary for the next officer in line for the job.�

Of course, there was something she�d personally added to the place, but it wasn�t wise to think too long about it, no matter how tempting it was to tear up the floorboards and retrieve it.

�I swore I would never open it again. He hasn�t found it yet. Maybe he doesn�t know I kept them. I could always pull the box out and take up its contents. No one would blame me� not if they knew what I put up with every night.�

She wrapped both hands around the teacup before her brain could finish that sentence. The heat from the ceramic surface sank into her digits, finishing the job the stretches started. It soothed her hands and helped her reject the urge to start chipping away at the wood beneath her feet.

Nothing good would come of indulging in what would ultimately prove to be a hopeless fight. Aizen would likely see what she was doing long before she engaged him in battle. Even Minazuki knew a losing proposition when it presented itself and her Zanpakuto, like its owner, was no fool.

Taking a tentative sip of tea, Unohana rolled the faintly bitter liquid around on her tongue and tried to dispel, once again, the desire to rip Aizen apart with her fingernails until there was nothing left of the villain but a lump of wet, red meat. There was too much at stake to pretend he hadn�t neatly boxed her into a corner.

�At least he had the sense to rein in his minions before he destroyed the only means we have to balance the Realms.�

The orders he�d given to his Espada at that initial meeting in the First Division�s courtyard set the new standard for treatment of the vanquished. It had also put an end to the bloodletting, though she suspected that he would have allowed it to continue if he perceived any advantage in doing so.

In a way, his subsequent actions showed Aizen wasn�t completely oblivious or indifferent to the consequences of his betrayal. After imposing his restrictions, he�d consolidated the surviving Shinigami not already affiliated with the 4th or the 12th Divisions into three more Divisions. None of them requested a transfer to Szayel Apporo Grantz�s commandeered labs and none of her healers chose to leave the 4th Division, despite what appeared to be legitimate opportunities to advance to the rank of Seated officers. If nothing else, the display of loyalty eased some of the heartsickness inside her.

In addition, Aizen allowed the worst of the wounded and mentally traumatized to retire without incident. That particular decision surprised Unohana. She had been certain that the new dictator would have executed anyone unfit to serve, though she also conceded that none of those leaving stood any chance of leading a rebellion. It was the equivalent of brushing dead leaves from one�s sleeve and moving forward, motivated more out of disdain and dismissal than out of any sense of charity.

�Perhaps, he is a sicker creature than anyone could imagine,� she lamented and brought the teacup to her forehead. The heat against her brow helped ease the ache there. �Death would have been a welcomed release for most of them. Living every day with their memories would be torment enough, if they choose to go on living, that is. I�m also certain he did that to spread stories to potential rebels of the Arrancar�s viciousness and his own overwhelming power.�

While forbidden from slaying the remaining Shinigami, the Arrancar hadn�t curbed their appetite for sex. They had continued to force themselves on those they could overpower, extending their predations to the civilians living in the Inner Districts. It wasn�t until the fourth day after Aizen�s proclamations that they ceased the assaults, and then only grudgingly, thanks to a few very bloody and very public reprimands for those who ignored his orders. Unohana knew Aizen hadn�t issued those bans out of the goodness of his heart. Instead, it was more likely done out of pragmatism.

In the end, what truly mattered was that it stopped. Unohana had been trying to figure out how to make that happen, without setting Aizen off or making a terrible situation any worse than it already was. She didn�t fear for herself; Aizen needed her healthy and functioning, and any battle between them would be both long and overly destructive. Her concern was for whomever Aizen chose to take her punishment for her. She might be his wife and brood mare, but that wouldn�t stop him from hurting another in her stead.

That fear turned out to be prophetic. She supposed she shouldn�t have been surprised that Ukitake Jushiro had taken it upon himself to address the problem that the Arrancar�s behaviour towards the Shinigami presented. After listening to his former colleague beg for the assaults to end, Aizen informed the Arrancar that the only people they could have sex with were those they had Claimed, those they were in the process of Claiming, their fraccion (if they had any), or those who willingly consented.

�At least Jushiro was smart enough not to base his argument on morality and stick to practical considerations.� she thought ruefully. Despite this, Aizen had wasted no time making an example of him. He�d forced the Taichou to strip at the meeting�s end and had personally carried out a brutal flogging with a whip made of kido. By the end of it, crimson rivulets had snaked their way down Jushiro�s back and legs, staining the wooden floor. Aizen had not allowed her to heal his wounds, though he had granted her permission to apply first aid, mostly bandages and a few stitches.

Starrk hadn�t stirred in his pet�s defence. At first the Primera�s disregard for what had happened to Jushiro enraged her, but after she�d had a chance to calm down, Unohana had realized Starrk could have done little to help him. She had learned how her husband�s sadistic mind worked during time she�d been forced to spend with him over the last month. Had he uttered any objections, the Primera would have shared his pet�s beating. Thankfully, Jushiro�s wounds were merely painful, not life threatening, though it hurt her to see him forced to perform his duties under such duress. It had taken two full weeks for the lashes on his back to heal, leaving ugly red scars across her friend�s back. The message could not have been clearer: speak up at your peril.

�I�ve been at this all day,� she realized and rubbed her eyes. The muscles in her lower back promptly spasmed and Unohana winced. She was glad that no one could see her face and her loss of composure, however brief. �Maybe I need to get up and move before all feeling in my legs vanishes.�

Once on her feet, she stretched for several minutes, until the vertebrae in her spine slowly popped back into place. The window beckoned and Unohana decided to treat herself to some much-needed sunshine. It was a simple thing to open it and take fresh air into her lungs. While the late winter light held little warmth, it was still a small pleasure, one she could not take for granted. There were so few of them these days, despite her elevated status as �Kami�s wife�.

She had never really considered marriage, either as a concept or as an emotional bond between two people, something for which she was destined. Unohana had spent more than a thousand years in service to what would become the Gotei 13. She was wedded to her duties, had been so since she�d cast off a title and a name that no longer suited her. Before that, she had been deeply enamored of the fine art of bloodshed via swordsmanship. Her bond with Minazuki notwithstanding, deep emotional attachments to others, of a personal or a romantic kind, were not her cup of tea.

Perhaps, she considered, that was a good thing, as her �marriage� to Aizen Sousuke was anything but happy. He made it very clear that he did not find her attractive, that her figure was far too feminine, her breasts and hips too rounded, and that she was much too short to interest him. He cared only about her reproductive capabilities. A reluctant and recently-healed Jushiro conducted their nuptials before an assembly that included all five Divisions and the majority of the Arrancar. The stricken-faced former could not object and the latter, including the Espada, had grown bored in a matter of minutes. She later came to understand that such savage creatures had little use for promises of fidelity.

Still, her new �rank�, such as it was, had the thinnest of silver linings. Just as the office of Taichou gave her a certain amount of power over her Division members, her role as Aizen�s wife gave her word some weight with the Arrancar. Evidently, the leader�s �mate� commanded a certain level of respect among Hollows. She knew they would never obey a request from her if it contradicted one of her husband�s commands. However, the lines with regard to all things health-related were blurrier and Unohana had decided to test those boundaries.

The first real order she�d issued involved medical evaluations for those the invaders had Claimed. A crisply-worded document, sent to the First Division, instructed the Arrancar to bring those they had taken as �pets� (a term she hated the moment she�d written it down) to the 4th Division for a range of tests, as well as treatment if necessary. Aizen hadn�t issued a countermand, and the majority of the Arrancar obeyed without question. The handful that groused numbered among the Espada and even they did not complain too loudly.

Conducting the examinations and personally speaking with the Claimed yielded two things. First, she gained valuable knowledge about the reiatsu-based form of enslavement, with the faint hope that maybe her Division could find a way to weaken the link. Second, she could assess the mental and physical damage caused by the casting of those bonds, as well as the wellbeing of those victimized by them. There were approximately one hundred Arrancar now residing in Soul Society, which had resulted in the Claiming of eighty �pets� and she summoned those she deemed the �worst� cases first.

Byakuya had been in terrible shape, but the proud noble would never admit to it and had stoically gone through his evaluation while Yammy grunted and moaned on the sofa like a bull denied a cow in heat. She was very worried about that situation, but her hands were tied. She wasn�t willing to risk interfering directly in Claims with Aizen just yet, since he�d made it quite clear an Arrancar could do whatever he or she wished with their pets short of killing them. The few Numeros that had fought over Claiming rights to a Shinigami, despite Kami�s direct orders, had been publicly flayed and left to die, locked in small cages that did not allow the condemned to sit. Meanwhile, insects and birds pecked at their flesh. Their inevitable deaths had been a mercy. Considering the durability of Hollows, it had taken a long time for some of them to die.

While it was depressing to see her fellow Shinigami rendered powerless, some of the saddest cases involved the few civilians, for they lacked the reiatsu and military training to fight their Arrancar attackers. They had been completely blindsided by Aizen�s invasion. Few in the Rukongai had known about the war. In fact, after putting out the fires, most of the residents had returned to their normal lives, though they remained fearful of the Hollows suddenly living next to them. The healer had not personally known the majority of the Plusses brought to her, but could guess, from their shell-shocked expressions, that their experiences had been similarly brutal.

The lone exception to this, ironically, was the one that felt like a kick to the gut. Not even the losses of Kotetsu Isane and Yamada Hanataro had hit her this hard.

Omaeda Mareyo had arrived with a collection of bruises, old and new, on her hips and breasts, as well as recent bite marks on her neck and shoulders. The teenager wasn�t hurt as badly as some of the other Claimed Shinigami and Plusses, but as Unohana had been a friend of the Omaeda family for centuries, each mark on the girl felt like some deep personal failing. That Mareyo was the only surviving member of her family, to the best of anyone�s knowledge, made it that much worse. The majority of bruises turned out to be the result of her new �master�s� forgetfulness when it came to the young woman�s much weaker reiatsu, rather than viciousness.

At least she was able to assure me that Sementall backs off when she protested that he was hurting her and didn�t punish her for daring to say something. The fact he let her continue to run the family business and left the servants alone is also a good sign.

As much as she wanted to flay all of the Arrancar, Unohana understood the problems inherent in controlling in one�s energy. Injuries frequently occurred when a stronger warrior failed to mind their strength during training, or forgot themselves during a tryst. That held true for all Shinigami with high levels of reiatsu, not just the 11th Division brutes. It was nothing short of a miracle that Mareyo�s captor hadn�t killed her when he�d infused her with his reiatsu.

Sudden weariness gripped her, despite the tea she�d had to drink and she reached for the pot to top off her cup. There was so much that she didn�t know about this Claiming business and she needed answers. For instance, why did those Claimed by female Arrancar, from Hitsugaya-Taichou down to her own 8th Seat, lack the deep, scarring bites made by the males? Did the females go about things differently, and if so, how? Were those Claims different in and of themselves? What kind of force would it take to break a Claim, if possible and why were those imposed by males done while taking the victim from behind? The reports on her desk described the method of Claim casting, in graphic detail, and Unohana was certain that scattered among the reports were the precious clues she needed to help free the trapped� provided she got the chance.

Another knock on the door frame told her that Iemura was back, only this time he did not wait to stick his head into her office to interrupt her melancholy thoughts.

�Taichou, your next two appointments are here,� he said and seemed pleased to see she�d partly finished her tea. Unohana closed Mareyo�s file with another frustrated sigh and set that atop the latest stack for filing once her shift was over.

�Thank you, Iemura-san. Go ahead and send them in.�

Minutes later, Jushiro and Nanao entered her office. Starrk followed on their heels, his expression that of a man trying desperately to keep from walking headfirst into a wall. While her patients took a seat across from her, the droopy-eyed Espada appropriated the couch and stretched his lanky form from one armrest to the other.

�Wake me up when you�re done,� he mumbled sleepily and then promptly passed out.

While she would have preferred to see each case one-on-one, several of the Espada had two pets and only wanted to make one trip to the 4th Division. In Barragan�s case, he had sent his fraccion. Starrk was evidently the sort that preferred to handle things himself.

�Jushiro-san, Nanao-san, it�s good to see you.�

She said this with a smile, because it was true � it was good to see the two of them. Jushiro wore his uniform, while Nanao wore Shunsui�s old kimono over a plain, white yukata. She could tell someone had washed it, as the bloodstains had faded to slightly darker spots, but Unohana doubted they could ever be fully removed. At first glance, she was relieved to see that both appeared in good health, but looks could be deceiving and Jushiro was due for a check-up. Her colleague sheepishly scratched the back of his neck before addressing her.

�I am sorry we�re late. I had some last minute paperwork to complete before I could leave.�

�That is fine. I�ve been running behind today too.�

�I never really noticed. You usually see me as soon as I arrive.�

�Only because you have the regrettable habit of bleeding heavily when you visit, rather than keeping the stuff in your arteries where it belongs,� she countered. He laughed quietly, conceding defeat, while Nanao�s cheeks pinked at their easy banter about his illness. Humor made coping with the effects of his tuberculosis easier for both of them.

�As you were already made aware, I�m updating the files of those with Claims, to reflect their current state of health. I would like to start with you, Jushiro, if you don�t mind? It�s been some time and I know you need to return to the office as soon as possible. I worry that the stress has aggravated your condition and want to check your back.�

�Of course.�

Unohana stood and beckoned for the Taichou to follow her into the adjoining examination room. Starrk didn�t stir and Nanao put her hands in her lap, giving no indication she wanted to follow. Closing the door, she turning to the sink and motioned towards the table in the middle of the room.

�Please strip to your fundoshi and take a seat there.�

�I�m familiar with the procedure. Some days I wonder if you schedule so many of these appointments just to get my clothes off,� he teased, yet did as he was told. Unohana knew an attempt to lighten the mood when she heard it and after some of the Claimed Shinigami she�d seen that morning, it was a welcome change. The joke also told her that he was holding up mentally, though to what extent she wouldn�t know until she finished.

�As charming as you are, I can think of a dozen men whom I would rather see naked.�

He winced in mock pain as he finished disrobing and eased his backside onto the paper-covered metal table.

�Ouch. I do believe that was a direct blow to my self-esteem.�

�A the self-esteem of man of your age shouldn�t need pampering,� she admonished as she moved to stand before him. The first thing she checked were the older wounds he�d incurred during the battle in Karakura Town. Those, as she expected, had healed, as had the bite to his neck. He flinched a little when her finger brushed over the scar tissue, but she doubted it was out of any form of physical pain. There was no sign of infection. Better yet, the stripes Aizen had inflicted on him showed no inflammation.

�How often?� she asked and she saw his spine straighten. There was no need to elaborate further � he knew what she wanted to know. He did, however, reach up to touch the mark.

�Once, thus far. He doesn�t seem interested in more. In fact, he didn�t seem interested in the first place. When he asked if I wanted to submit to a Claim, he actually seemed very unhappy that he had to do it at all.�

That surprised her. Out of all of the other Claimed Shinigami she�d spoken to, only Toshiro had mentioned being allowed to choose his fate. She found the two Espada�s aversion to the act without asking for the consent strange.

Of course, given Aizen�s decree of being Claimed or death, I suppose it wasn�t much of a choice for either of them. Jushiro would never abandon his Division or his family� not if he could keep either group from further suffering.

Her eyes drifted once more to the lash marks on his back and she felt a certain amount of dread, as well as resignation. Jushiro wasn�t the sort of man to stay silent in the face of injustice. This would likely not be the last time Aizen punished him for protesting. Unohana could only hope that a whipping would be all he received the next time he questioned Aizen�s authority or methods.

The rest of Jushiro�s appointment went well. Other than what she�d already noted, he was healthy, and she did not count the papercut on his index finger. He blushed when she asked him to remove his fundoshi, kept quiet when she donned a pair of latex gloves. Unohana was relieved to find no anal tearing, nor any sign of damage to his rectum. The same could not be said for the majority of the other men Claimed by male Arrancar. Abarai Renji and Ayasegawa Yumichika were the exceptions to that observation, though the reasons differed. Like Jushiro, Abarai had only been Claimed once and from Szayel�s unwillingness to get too close to his �pet� when he�d dragged the redhead to her office, he�d been given more than enough time and space to recover. The hatred and disdain emanating from both parties made her question whether a second Claiming would occur. As for Yumichika, he�d suffered from inflammation and friction burns, testaments to Barragan�s excessive use of his slave. She�d given him a small container of healing ointment, but when she�d pressed a container of lube into his hand, he refused it with sad eyes, muttering that �His Majesty uses something else for this purpose.� He hadn�t elaborated, but Unohana hadn�t missed the way he�d shot a side-glance at Soi Fon, who seethed silently next to Barragan�s fang-masked fraccion, her arm in a sling and murder in her eyes.

No, Jushiro was, despite his other ailments, doing much better than the rest. A quick examination of her fellow Taichou�s lungs with a stethoscope rounded out the exam, which she ended with as serene a smile as she could muster.

�Well, you are as healthy as can be, all things considered,� she pronounced. �I will run the usual blood and urine tests and let you know the results soon.�

�Are you going to want me to come in, or will you send them to the 5th Division?� he asked as he redressed. Unohana finished writing in his file and shook her head.

�Neither. If you don�t hear from me in two weeks, it means we found nothing amiss. Otherwise, I will notify you personally. It would give me an excuse to take a walk.�

�How bad has it been?� he asked softly. She let out a long breath and clasped her hands in front of her. After days of speaking with those the Arrancar held in bondage, keeping them from automatically forming fists had grown difficult.

�Physician-patient confidentiality prevents me from disclosing the specifics to you, unless it involves someone directly under your command. However, I will make sure you get those reports in a timely manner, once I�ve concluded the examinations.�

Like her promise to Iemura, it was all she could give him. His faint smile told her that he understood, as did his softly-spoken �thank you� as he re-tied his obi. With Jushiro done, she cleared him to return to work and prepped the examination room for Nanao. Then she called for one of her staff members and sent the samples she�d taken from Jushiro to one of the laboratories for processing. Starrk slept through all of this and remained sprawled where he was when Jushiro left though he cracked one eye open when Unohana motioned for Nanao. Like Jushiro, she stripped to her underthings and took a seat on the table.

Nanao�s examination was also a welcome change. The former Fukutaichou hadn�t participated in the battle and showed no signs of being Claimed � no scars, no bruises and no injuries of any kind. Physically, she was perfectly healthy. Mentally� Unohana couldn�t really put a finger on it, but having spent plenty of time in the presence of the President of the Shinigami Women�s Society, she could tell something was bothering the young woman. Nor did she think it was purely due to the collective miasma that had descended on the Seireitei with the loss of the War. If she was to put a label on it, she would have described it as a handful of misery combined with a great deal of nervousness. The Ise Nanao that Unohana knew was not this jumpy� not without good reason and a physical examination didn�t warrant such fear.

�You appear fine,� Unohana said as she dropped Nanao�s wrist. Picking up her clipboard, she wrote down the woman�s pulse and regarded her patient patiently.

�So far,� Nanao agreed, and fidgeted while looking away. That settled it. Ise Nanao, the most organized woman Unohana had ever met, never fidgeted. Nor did she dissemble, or mumble or act as if she were guilty of some as-yet-undisclosed crime.

Something was definitely up.

�Nanao-san, you know you can tell me anything,� Unohana stated, keeping her tone as gentle as possible. �Whatever it is will remain confidential.�

The other�s shoulders hunched and her expression shifted from anxious to fearful. What she confessed next took Unohana by surprise.

�I� I am two weeks late.�

The healer blinked and her brow furrowed.

�Beg pardon?�

Nanao wrapped her arms around her torso, as if she were cold and hung her head.

�I�m late. I�m never late. I think� I think I might be pregnant.�

Silence descended on the two women for a few seconds. Then Unohana walked to the counter where the capped cup of Nanao�s urine, collected at the beginning of the exam, sat with the standard three tubes of blood. Opening a cupboard, the dark-haired woman stood on tip-toe to reach a box on one of the middle shelves and a beaker that her staff had thankfully left in a more accessible spot. The kit she needed wasn�t one she used often. In fact, it had been years, maybe decades since she�d conducted this sort of test on a patient. It was the middle of the afternoon and this would have been better done first thing in the morning, but she didn�t want to cause Nanao any more distress. Pouring the necessary amount of urine into the clean beaker, she opened the kit and set about mixing the correct ratio of chemicals. Adding them to the beaker, Unohana swirled them around to mix them and then put the thing down. After that it was just a matter of waiting. Nanao watched the process with fear-filled eyes.

Slowly, the contents of the beaker turned a lovely shade of magenta and it was Unohana�s turn to bite her lip.

Nanao was indeed pregnant. She quickly picked up one of the vials of blood she�d drawn and wrote a code on the label. That one would be tested, to provide secondary confirmation of the pregnancy and to determine just how far along she was. The other vials would undergo the same tests she�d ordered for each of the Claim victims, to see if they�d picked up any diseases from the Arrancar who had ravaged them, or for anything else that could affect the depleted Shinigami ranks. The last thing they needed was a pandemic caused by a virus or by bacteria the Arrancar dragged with them from Hueco Mundo.

�Starrk�� she started to say, only to see Nanao vigorously shake her head. Her halting reply was almost painful to hear.

�No, we haven�t� shared a bed. Starrk told me he wouldn�t unless Aizen-kami specifically orders him to sleep with me. It was� someone else.�

�Was this encounter consensual?�

Nanao�s hesitancy immediately evaporated and her quick answer was absolute.

�Yes!�

That, Unohana thought, was a relief and a first as far as her recent interviews had gone.

�The father?�

The name Nanao whispered sounded suspiciously familiar, but Unohana had to know for certain. She pressed again, resting a comforting hand on the other�s shoulder.

�Ise-san, I need the name of the father. There could be complications or genetic disorders that run along the child�s paternal line. If possible, we should find out if those will be a factor in your pregnancy.�

�It was Shunsui,� she said, loud enough for Unohana to hear her clearly. �It happened before the battle. He�s been the only one, the one time. It was one night. There was so much pressure and we�d both had too much to drink��

Nanao uttered the last through clenched teeth, clearly lost in the memory while she twisted her fingers together in her lap. In response, Unohana closed her eyes and wished she had the late Taichou of the 8th Division within arm�s reach, to smack him around the room for an hour or so with Minazuki. It was against the rules for a Taichou to fraternize with a subordinate and Nanao was usually such a stickler for following those rules to the letter. Admitting to such a flagrant breach of official protocol must have been hard on her. More importantly, Kyoraku Shunsui, that scoundrel, should have known better.

�There must have been a lot of saké involved for her to have dropped her guard enough for Shunsui to seduce her. If we had won and this got out, she would likely be stripped of her rank and tossed into the Maggot�s Nest. That jackass! How could he have put her in this position?�

Of course, the old system was no longer in place and she doubted Aizen would care about Nanao�s sexual encounters prior to his accursed Victory. If anything, he might find the unfortunate situation amusing. As a Fukutaichou, the old powers that be might have punished her and maybe Shunsui too, for their indiscretion. However, as the �pet� of an Espada, with no official power or place as a Shinigami�

�I see,� Unohana said quietly, keeping any trace of censure out of her voice. �I don�t think you need to worry about what anyone will think, after all of this. As far as I am concerned, your health and the health of your baby are what truly matter now.�

Nanao�s shoulders heaved a few times and she made a choking sound in her throat that Unohana knew as a prelude to tears of relief. Had she expected Unohana to shame her for this, or report her indiscretion to her husband? The healer would have sooner cut off her own hand than give Aizen an excuse to hurt the woman. Fortunately, Nanao was also adept at keeping her emotion in check and sat up, not allowing herself to cry.

�Have you been taking vitamins?� Unohana asked, pretending as if she hadn�t noticed anything wrong. Nanao sniffed and tucked a strand of brown hair that had escaped its clip behind her ear.

�No, there are none at the Ukitake Estate, and I didn�t feel comfortable asking Ukitake-taichou, let alone Starrk-sama, to bring any home with them. Ukitake-taichou would have asked me why I wanted them, and Starrk-sama probably has no idea what vitamins are. I�ve tried to eat a balanced diet� lots of fish and vegetables, no alcohol. There won�t be fruit until early summer, unfortunately.�

�Then I will make sure you get a bottle before you leave. We will have to schedule more appointments so I can continue to monitor you. I want to see you in two weeks to conduct a full prenatal exam, which will take about an hour. I also have some pamphlets that will explain what you can expect, month by month. I think they�ll help.�

�Thank you. Do you� well, should I tell Ukitake-taichou? He and Shunsui were such good friends.�

�Finally,� Unohana thought, �a question I can easily answer.�

�I think he would be more than pleased, and you won�t be able to hide it forever. Ukitake-taichou is no stranger to pregnancy � he certainly has enough siblings to recognize an expectant mother when he sees one. He might even guess before you begin to show. On the positive side, wouldn�t it be better to share a home with someone already familiar with the care and feeding of a future mother?� She pointed the last out with as much encouragement as she could.

�I hope you�re right.� Nanao looked down at her still-flat stomach and placed one of her hands just above her navel. �He does have a lot of sisters. At least someone will know how to change a diaper. Lilinette would be all thumbs��

Unohana couldn�t hold back the smile that spread across her face at the last. Seeing it, some of the tension in Nanao�s posture eased too. When Unohana felt she had enough data, she told her patient that she could redress and take a chair in the main room while she dealt with the samples. When she joined Nanao, they found Starrk still dozing contently. He reminded Unohana of a spent hound that had found a warm spot in the sun to sleep. She half-expected one of his legs to start moving on its own while he dreamed of chasing rabbits.

�Starrk-san, are you awake?� the Taichou asked as she added Jushiro and Nanao�s files to the smallest stack on her desk. A lazy rumble emanated from the vicinity of the couch while she sorted the pamphlets she�d brought from the examination room.

�Hmm��

�I need to see Ise-san again in two weeks. Will that be acceptable?�

She hated having to ask permission but Starrk had made it clear that he�d taken Nanao under his wing, even if he hadn�t Claimed her. He now owned her and whether she received further care was up to him.

�I guess. Is something wrong?�

All signs of slumber vanished as he rose to his feet and sauntered over to the desk, a serious look in his eyes. She immediately wiped the whole �tired dog� image from her brain. He was entirely focused on her and Unohana straightened to her full height. No wonder Shunsui had a tough time with this one. Starrk�s height and strength matched that of her late friend, with the added trouble of a deceptively sharp mind.

Something occurred to her before she answered his question and she suddenly wondered if it would be wise to inform Starrk about Nanao�s condition. Hollows were predators and predators did not often take kindly to offspring not their own. There was a chance he might try to kill the child after it was born, or even force an abortion. If there was going to be a problem, Unohana would sooner deal with it now, rather than down the road. If an abortion did end up in the books, it was better to do it before the fetus developed too far and made it a messy task. For all of Nanao�s distress about the pregnancy, once Unohana had confirmed that she would bear Kyoraku Shunsui�s child, she had not requested a termination. Would the mother�s wishes count for anything in this mess?

They would, if Unohana had anything to say about it.

�I am pregnant,� Nanao answered the question before she could. Starrk�s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Instead, he turned to look down at the top of Nanao�s head. Unohana held her breath while the information sank in. Mercifully, he did not appear upset at the news. The worst-case scenario the healer feared failed to materialize. Instead, the Primera seemed not just surprised about the results of the exam, but curious as well.

�I will need to see her again for another checkup, and many more times afterwards as I monitor her pregnancy,� Unohana explained. As she said this, she carefully watched the Espada, to see what his reaction would be to the news and her requests.

�It shouldn�t be a problem. How long will it be before the cub is born?� he asked, now entirely intrigued.

�About eight more months, give or take a week. Babies come in their own good time.�

�Will she require any special care?�

�I�m still in the room,� Nanao grumbled, disliking that she�d been both the subject of and excluded from the conversation. To make up for the slight, Unohana handed the booklet and pamphlet filled folder, not to Starrk, but to the younger woman, who clasped it to her chest as if it were made of rubies.

�She�s to take vitamin pills twice a day, and eat good food � lean meats, fish, plenty of fresh vegetables and fish, though I would stay away from shellfish for now. I would ask that you allow her to exercise too, though nothing too strenuous. Most of the necessary �to do�s� are listed,� Unohana said and gestured towards the folder. �Feel free to read through it and familiarize yourself with the material. I am sure Jushiro-san can fill in any blanks and answer any questions from a real life perspective.�

Any fears she had about Nanao�s safety, or that of the child, flew out the proverbial window without waving goodbye when Starrk resolutely nodded. She also wondered if Starrk would grill Jushiro about Shinigami pregnancies, births and babies as soon as the poor man got home from work. She scheduled Nanao�s next appointment for a date two weeks away, along with a reminder about its expected duration. Unohana watched the two leave, noticing that Starrk hovered uncertainly over his charge, as if he wanted take a more protective position but was uncertain how to go about it. Nanao appeared oblivious to the Espada�s dilemma, clutching that evening�s required reading tightly.

It was an unexpectedly pleasant ending to what turned out to be a draining day. After a month of little but bad news, finding out that Starrk hadn�t abused Jushiro and Nanao took some of the weight from her shoulders. Maybe Nanao�s pregnancy hadn�t occurred under the most ideal set of circumstances, but she looked much better and under less pressure than when she�d arrived.

�I�d still flay you and use your hide to recover my sofa, were you still alive, you sake-sodden fool,� she told the grinning image of Shunsui that skated across her mind�s eye. He raised a cup of saké to her before he disappeared, rubbing it in. �You were a rogue to the last, weren�t you?�

Maybe it was for the best he was off to his next lifetime. It would serve him right if he were reborn to a family of teetotalers. Unohana snorted at the idea as she called for someone to take the folders on her desk to be filed in the records department. Not even death could keep Shunsui, that reprobate, from taking one last parting shot at propriety.

Her improved mood lasted until the end of the day, when she forced herself to leave the Division. It continued to plummet as she approached the palace Aizen had started to construct, in what had once been the center of the Seireitei. The structure was going up quickly, as hundreds of people, hired from throughout the Rukongai, worked at a breakneck pace. The surrounding walls were only half completed, and the construction din hurt her ears. Walking through the front �door�, which was still just an opening in the wall of the main building, Unohana made her way down a long corridor, trying to remember where she needed to turn to reach her temporary room. Once she found it, she had to dodge two woodworkers leaving for the evening. They passed her, pausing only long enough to bow to her and then left her alone in the middle of what would one day be a magnificent reception hall. If she scuffed her sandal-clad foot on the cloth-covered wooden floor, she could hear the sound echo off of the opposite wall.

It wasn�t the only thing that reached her ears. Straining her ears, Unohana thought she heard faint, pathetic whimpers coming from the bottom of a nearby stairwell� one that she would have sworn wasn�t there a few days ago. Expecting to find an injured carpenter or stonemason at the bottom, she started down the long, twisting set of steps, to a heavy door. It was unlocked and when she pushed it open, she discovered a scene more horrific than anything she�d witnessed in the War�s aftermath. Words temporarily failed her.

Aizen looked up the moment she entered, but did nothing more than smile at her and then went back to what he was doing. As for the man strapped to the wicked iron contraption before him, he was too busy moaning in agony. The metal was stained, not just with fresh red blood, but also with old blood gone brown. The serrated teeth on the iron bands digging into its occupant�s pale flesh added more by the minute.

She had finally discovered where her husband had decided to stow Gin after that first fateful night. It would seem Aizen had included a torture chamber in his architectural plans.

Gin�s whimpering escalated to screams with another round of strikes, which sent his body writhing, which in turn made the bands constrict and led to more bleeding. Unohana finally remembered to breathe, and shot Aizen a disapproving look that bordered dangerously on outrage. However, she couldn�t stop what was going on, no matter how much she wanted to do so.

�I wasn�t expecting you home so early, my dear!� Aizen raised his voice just enough to be heard over his victim�s pain-filled cries. �How was your day?�

�It almost ended on a good note for once,� she replied, walking quickly to the� device that held Gin captive. Unohana had never seen anything so diabolical in her life and it took her a moment to realize just how the thing worked. Once she figured it out, she had to use her willpower to block the nausea that washed over her. Aizen shifted in his chair, to rest his chin on a fist. Putting the controller he held on the table next to him, he gave a fine imitation of an attentive husband, interested in his wife�s busy job.

She found it sickening.

�Oh?�

�Ukitake-taichou and Ise-san are both in good health,� she said, and reached out to push the lever that controlled the metal bands� constriction. Once Unohana had turned the machine off, Gin went silent and slumped in the thing, as if dead. �Ise-san is expecting a child.�

�With Starrk?� Aizen asked, leaning forward and looking at her intently. Unohana did not like the gleam in his eyes and decided that a lie of omission was the best approach.

�No. He has not had sexual relations with her. I believe he thinks she will not survive the experience. The child�s father is� was, I should say, a Shinigami.�

Aizen�s low chuckle morphed into a full-fledged laugh, until he raised one hand and wiped the corner of his eyes with a finger. Unohana ground her teeth together and did her best to present as neutral an expression as possible.

�As disappointing as it is to discover it�s not a hybrid pregnancy, as such would be a truly marvelous development, I have to admit that I never pictured Ise Nanao letting anyone into her hakama, let alone engage in carnal relations. She was always such an uptight, prissy little thing. Who knew she had a lover? I�m somewhat disappointed that I didn�t know about this sooner.�

He hadn�t told her to step away, so Unohana began to undo the straps holding Gin down. She frowned as she saw the puncture wounds and cuts from bands, as well as heavy abrasions where his skin had suffered for his struggles.

�She said it was a one-time thing and her condition only came to light today. The father died during the invasion. Starrk has not let her return to her duties, so she is technically no longer a Shinigami. Punishment would be meaningless and somewhat redundant.�

Aizen appeared to mull this over and then tilted his head to the side as Unohana freed one of Gin�s arms.

�True enough. I suppose there would be little point in a court martial now. Children are rare enough as it is. I think I�ll let Starrk and Lilinette handle this. Out of curiosity, how did the Primera take the announcement?

�Well, he didn�t seem upset,� Unohana reported. �In fact, he was quite protective of her after I told him.�

�Not too surprising. Hollow birthrates are even lower than that of Shinigami. I suppose that�s to be expected of a race that would rather eat one another than breed.�

The last strap fell free and Gin landed in a bloody, messy heap on the floor. He curled into a ball and did not move after that, nor did he make any sounds. Unohana had a strong feeling Gin�s lack of motion had less to do with a fear of reprisal and everything to do with a combination of starvation and near constant abuse. Many of the wounds she saw were half-healed, or reopened, which meant this might have been going on since Aizen�s Ascension. Daring to look her husband in the eye, the healer decided to take a risk.

�Is this truly necessary?� she said in a low voice.

�He did try to kill me.�

�As did many others, and yet you have not hurt them this much,� she countered. At least, she prayed he had no such plans once he grew bored with Gin. Perhaps he�d decided that being subjected to life under a Claim was sufficient punishment. Then she considered several of the cases that had walked through her office doors in the last few days.

�Hmm, true enough,� he agreed and stood. He approached them and his brown eyes held just a trace of satisfaction when they roamed over Gin�s naked, brutalized form. �What would you recommend I do with him?�

�You put several of the others to work.� The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. �I don�t see why he cannot serve in the same capacity.�

The newly-reorganized Divisions needed people who knew how to run a large group of Shinigami. It would mean that someone would have to Claim him, but that was better than being left to her husband�s tender mercies. Barragan was at his limit for Claimed prisoners and Gin wasn�t Yammy�s type, so he�d be spared the worst of it. Aizen raised both eyebrows at the suggestion and then smiled in a way that Unohana definitely did not like.

�So he should make himself useful! What an excellent idea, my dear. You are a busy woman and have many duties. I generally demand perfection of my partners and, sadly, your job has left you lacking in that regard. You may tend to his wounds and, starting tomorrow morning, he will be your personal attendant. The care of yourself and your quarters will fall to him.�

His decision puzzled her. That wasn�t what she�d meant by �work�, but she supposed being a household servant was a better outcome than being Claimed and forced to dance at an Arrancar�s whims. Aizen put the toe of his sandal into Gin�s too-prominent ribs to get his attention and then kicked him on to his back.

�Do you understand Gin?� he snapped and the body below quivered.

�Hai, Kami-sama. It�d be a�delight�� Gin slurred through bloodied teeth. Unohana was shocked that he was still capable of speech, and more incredibly, that there was just the faintest bit of sarcasm coloring his tone. At least she knew he wasn�t completely broken if he had the strength to sass his tormentor.

�Good. I trust you won�t fail in your tasks. This room will always be waiting for you should you displease me.�

With that, Aizen turned his back on them and strode through the door. Gin kept his sickly grin until the tyrant was gone. Then his eyes rolled back into his head, which dropped with a �thud� to the floor. The healer immediately knelt and discovered he�d lost consciousness. Filling her hands with healing Kido, Unohana began to treat her newest patient.

She didn�t understand about what Aizen meant by �personal servant� or why he felt she needed one. His definition of �perfection� escaped her as well. Nevertheless, if she could keep Gin from spending any more time in this monstrous place, she�d bloody well find chores for him to perform.

If her office was an unchanging sanctuary, this chamber of horrors waiting to happen was an unwelcome addition to the Seireitei. Neither the Maggot�s Nest, nor the interrogation rooms of the old Onmitsukidō had such fiendish implements for extracting confessions. He was powerful enough, infused with what he�d stolen when he�d slaughtered the Spirit King and the Royal family. He already had the means to force others into compliance. Why would he need a place like this?

Then it hit her.

He didn�t need it at all.

Instead, it was something he wanted.

Her stomach lurched.

As evening faded into night and the darkness around her grew deeper, Unohana poured her reiatsu into the task of fixing the shattered man. Occasionally she would look around the room and study the implements of torture their new ruler had collected, only to redouble her efforts. She�d never seen some of these things before. What made it worse was the knowledge that it wasn�t a matter of if, but when the end results of their use would start to show up on her Division�s doorstep.

Her musings from earlier in the day came back to taunt her.

Aizen had managed what she once thought impossible. He�d forced change on Soul Society and surrounding her was evidence of the direction in which he intended to steer it. All of them were as good as trapped, by various means, in the gloom.

The air around her tasted metallic, a side effect of all the bloodletting and she shook herself. There were people who needed her, like the man beneath her fingers she had to keep things together long enough to figure a way to depose the new Soul King.

�I won�t let Ise Nanao, or Shunsui�s child, ever see this place. I swear it.�
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Prize of Victory 1.5	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 14934 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach nor profit from my works.

Prize of Victory 1.5