Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story
Chapter List
- 20
- 21
- 22
Relaxed Meetings

�If you are done with me, Szayel-sama, I would like to leave now,� Nemu requested.

�If you must,� he sighed unhappily.

�Would you prefer I stayed?� Nemu inquired, stopping when she heard his tone of voice.

�Yes, but I suppose it would be unfair to you. We have all been working hard and if you do not get a break I will never hear the end of it from Karin-sama.� He gave her his most long-suffering tone of voice. �Hmm, come to think of it, perhaps I will walk over to the Estate with you. I would like to look at her leg and make sure it is healing properly.�

Since the slice had gone to the bone and Orihime had exhausted herself healing others, Karin�s recovery was slow going and Unohana had ordered her to put no weight on the leg as it mended. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on what way one wanted to look at it, paperwork was considered safe and Nanao brought it home by the stack since Karin was unable to oversee her usual drills.

He needed to speak with Karin about a number of things. Her Claim on him was wearing off and he would need to refresh Nemu�s Claim soon. Since Karin was on ordered bed rest, he would have to go to her and the window in which he could see to Nemu�s Claim before too much reiatsu escaped was very slim, meaning he would probably have to do it at Starrk�s place.

In addition, Karin had wanted to talk to him about something the other day before waving him off, since Tatsuki had been present. Curiosity had been eating at him over what it could have possibly been. He decided that he might get the chance to find out if he accompanied Nemu over to this so call �girl�s night� Nanao was putting together to help cheer up the invalid. The poor woman had been stuck at the Estate for over a week now, which made feeding Mushi interesting. The specimen displayed a growing level of animosity for each day that Karin failed to show up.

Putting his irritation with the bug aside for now, Szayel followed Nemu down to their personal quarters so he could freshen up and make himself presentable. He had been running test after test all day and his uniform was slightly soiled. Appearing in public in anything other than an immaculate ensemble simply wouldn�t do. Nemu joined him in the shower and took the sponge before he could say anything.

�You deal with your hair, Szayel-sama; I will take care of the rest.�

Her voice would have sounded dispassionate to most, but he knew her well enough to catch the little things hidden within it, like the slight hint of teasing when she�d mentioned his hair. Even if he had missed it in her voice, her hands certainly made sure he knew she was teasing him as she rubbed the soap-soaked sponge all over his body, paying special attentions to the spots she knew got him riled up.

After all the torment Aizen had put him through, there was a depressing low number of sexual situations he could indulge in that didn�t bring up traumatic flashbacks and mini-panic attacks. Sex in the shower was one safe thing, at least for now. He could take her from behind as normally expected of a Claiming ritual, but mating with someone face to face at the moment was just too painful, and it hurt worse to know that he couldn�t mate with her the way she deserved being his mate, at least in the bedroom. They could do anything as long as they were standing or in the shower. Something about the way the water ran over his body kept him calm and grounded in the here and now.

They did have someplace to be, so Nemu didn�t pleasure him for too long before working him into a soft release. When he�d come down from the elated feeling he got from his release as well as her own, Szayel found her resting against his back, her fingers lazily moving along his arm. Absently, he realized he had yet to wash his hair, but Nemu took care of that while he recovered. Her fingers massaging his scalp almost put him to sleep. He had been running himself ragged studying the new specimens, trying to get as much data as he could as fast as he could before Aizen decided he was moving too slow. He also really wanted that early portal warning system. He had a family to protect and he just knew that his children, particularly Vindula, would be seeing more and more of the war no matter how hard he tried to ensure their safety.

They exited the shower, dried off and dressed in something other than their work clothes as all of his lab coats were currently in a large pile of dirty laundry.

�Abarai has been slacking in his duties,� he noted sourly, jotting down a mental note to make sure his children�s nursemaid got his ass back in gear as far as cleaning the den. Honestly, some days he wondered why he bothered with the redhead.

Unfortunately, his sharp mind was always quick to supply him with a dozen answers, the foremost one being that Vindula adored her guardian �Ji-ji, as did Abisara, even if his son was far more reserved in showing it. It would upset the twins if Renji were to disappear suddenly and, Szayel reluctantly had to admit, Renji cared for his children very deeply. It would take a very powerful force to get through their protector to harm them, as he�d more than proven. For all of their historical animosity, almost all of which had faded away over the years, and the little bit of treason Karin forced Szayel to participate in every ten months to avoid having to Claim Abarai again himself, the one thing they did agree on was the protection and care of the twins. Even Szayel had to admit that his twins could not have had a more trustworthy guardian.

The meathead still needed to finish the laundry, however.

�Are you ready, Szayel-sama?� Nemu asked, pulling him back into the real world.

�Yes, my dear. Let�s go see how Karin-sama and her leg are doing.�

Karin looked out over the barren winter garden and let out a sigh of melancholy. Yes, she needed fresh air, but at this time of the year, the world felt so dead. In addition, her leg throbbed, thanks to moving from her bed to the warm blankets they had set out on the balcony.

�Something wrong Karin?� Nanao asked as she settled down beside her with a steaming cup of tea.

�I hate being out of commission,� she answered, sounding a little more sullen than she�d like. It certainly wasn�t Nanao�s fault she�d been wounded. Fortunately, Nanao didn�t seem to take it that way.

�Don�t we all,� Nanao agreed. �I am sure it will heal in time. Who knows? Maybe Orihime-chan will have recovered enough that she can give it a bit of a boost!�

�Here�s hoping,� Karin sighed, then looked around. �Have you seen Ajuga today?� Karin suddenly asked suspiciously, casting her �sight� out to find her wayward daughter.

�She said something about learning how to use Bala today with Diaemus and Ulquiorra-san when I passed her at the gate this morning,� Nanao answered.

�Ah, that helps,� Karin smiled as she found her daughter and Diaemus with Ulquiorra close by, no doubt practicing just as Ajuga had claimed she would.

It wasn�t as if Karin believed her daughter had been lying. Ajuga had learned at a very young age that she couldn�t get away with lying and any attempt to do so would lead to a spanking. No, what she found surprising was that Grimmjow would let Ulquiorra teach their daughter anything and that he had been the one to request such a thing in the first place. It wasn�t as if Grimmjow wasn�t superb with the use of Cero. If anything, her mate was probably more adept as using it, even if Ulquiorra could fire ones with more power to them. She wasn�t as sure about his skill with a Bala, as she had never truly seen him use one.

She toyed with asking her mate about the odd decision, but decided against it. He got uncomfortable when he did something he didn�t want to, when he bent his overbearing pride for the sake of their daughter. There was one thing she could do though, and she did it now, focusing a whirlpool of love down the Claim towards her mate. She felt his brief moment of surprise, before he returned the feeling. He might never say �I love you� in words, but that didn�t matter to her. He showed her in ways that made words unnecessary.

�Day-dreaming?� Nanao asked. One of her eyebrows went up as she adjusted her glasses.

�Hmm, just thinking,� she countered, feeling a bit of that pain for Nanao, who had lost the man she loved just as she�d finally given in to his perpetual and seemingly endless courting.

Karin briefly wondered if Nanao would ever find another man to enter her life. She had never met Shunsui, but what she had learned of him over the years from the others made her think that the last thing he would want for his �Nanao-chan� would be to eternally mourn him. She was too young for that, barely older than Karin herself in Soul Society terms. She knew that if she somehow died she wouldn�t want Grimmjow pining after her for the rest of his life, even though she knew he was stubborn enough to do it.

�It looks like Nemu and Szayel are almost here, and I can see Tatsuki and Tesra will be here soon as well. No sign of Orihime-chan yet, but she is probably running late at the 4th again,� Karin reported, forcing her thought onto a happier path.

�Lilinette will get the door I am sure. Is there any sign of Rangiku? She wasn�t positive if she was going to be able to convince Nnoitra to let her come.�

�Not yet,� Karin replied. �If she was coming though, I suspect she would have come with Tesra and Tatsuki. She mustn�t have been able to convince him to let her come.�

�Oh well�� Nanao sighed sadly.

�At least she seems happier these days.� Karin pointed out.

She hadn�t known the person Rangiku had been before the war, so she had no way of comparing the curvy woman�s current state of mind with what it might once have been, but she did remember the bruised and skittish housebound inmate she�d first seen during the first few Claim meetings she�d attended.

Karin watched as Szayel and Nemu entered through the front gate. They didn�t bother knocking since they knew Karin would see their arrival. Lilinette greeted them in the foyer and told them where they were meeting.

�Karin-sama, you look incredibly pale,� Szayel noted as he and Nemu joined them.

�Blood loss does that,� Karin responded dryly. The Espada made a �tsk-tsk� sound and gave her his best, disapproving look.

�So I have been told. Someone also informed me that you haven�t seen a proper doctor since you were stitched up.�

She shook her head, but shrugged, as if unconcerned.

�The 4th Division is packed with cases much worse than mine. It seems as if the Swarm is trying to do as much damage as possible before they lay off for the spring,� she noted, then saw the case he carried and heaved an exaggerated sigh. �You might as well come have a look, even if you are not a �proper doctor.��

Szayel took the opportunity to sit down and placed the white bag he�d brought with him in his lap. Opening it, Karin caught sight of what looked like a fully equipped first aid kit. He gave her a hard look in return.

�I fully intend to �have a look�. I will not allow you to die from some ridiculous infection due to poor wound management techniques. It would be an ignoble way to go and I�m sure your mate would be quite put out.�

Karin lay fully on her back, twitching only slightly as the cold air touched her leg as he removed it from the blanket and began gently unwound the bindings. Looking at him, a person might think that Szayel�s hands would be cold, but they were warm as they probed the damaged flesh. Karin bit her lip and made a hissing sound as he gently touched the stitches, doing her best not to look at her mangled leg.

�They seem to have done an adequate job, though there is a bit of inflammation. This should help it heal faster and stave off any infection,� he declared as he pulled a jar out of the bag he had brought with him. �You haven�t been using that pain-numbing Kido too much have you?� he suddenly asked, peering at her with some concern.

Karin shook her head.

�I try not to use it too much. I don�t want to miss any warning pains if I move my leg in a bad way, especially because the wound did go into the bone. Unohana-san warned me about such things, which is why they don�t use it too much even in the 4th Division. Pain is there for a reason, no matter how much we hate it.�

�I am pleased to hear you say so,� Szayel sniffed, and opened up the jar.

Karin felt a flash of nostalgia as Szayel worked the cream into her leg, his hands firm yet gentle. She couldn�t help but to think about the time her father had tended to her strained ankle after she twisted it during a soccer match. The memory was an old one now and she examined it with a mixture of love as well as the pain of loss.

�Is something wrong?� Szayel asked worriedly when he noticed her expression, his hands stopping their careful work.

�No, just thinking about my father,� she confessed.

�What was he like?� Nemu asked, sounding curious. Karin had heard stories about Nemu�s creator, none of them flattering, so a certain amount of inquisitiveness about the natures of other fathers seemed understandable.

�Outrageously loud,� she answered, trying to give an honest description. Her small smile grew larger as she recalled some of his crazier antics. �Obnoxiously over-protective of Yuzu and myself. Exuberant at the most inappropriate times. He was so full of life, always bouncing everywhere and exclaiming over every little thing like an excited child. It was part of what made him such a good doctor. He was so goofy that the children that ended up at our clinic were instantly at ease with him, no matter how sick or injured they were. He used to drive Ichi-nii and I insane.�

She closed her eyes and allowed herself to think of the man in question, managing to do so without tearing up too badly.

�Are you implying that I remind you of your father?� Szayel asked in a huff, even as his hands gently re-wrapped fresh bindings over her horrid looking thigh.

�Have you seen yourself in a mirror when presented with a new specimen?� Karin asked one eyebrow going up and her expression daring him to refute her description.

�I�ve seen my reflection a few times, and I most certainly do not jump about like a hyperactive toddler.�

�No, maybe not quite that much physical enthusiasm,� Karin amended in the face of his denial, then paused for a moment. �It was your hands. You have the grip of someone that knows what he or she is doing. For all of Dad�s insanity, he did too.�

�Well� I believe I can accept that as a compliment� Szayel conceded and then smiled at her as he tucked her re-dressed leg back under the blankets.

�Since almost everyone is here, I am going to go get the trays of snacks and a fresh, hot pot of tea,� Nanao announced, rising and shaking out the folds of her kimono.

�Do you require assistance?� Nemu asked. Nanao gave her a grateful look and nodded.

�That would be appreciated.�

Both women left, leaving Karin with Szayel on the porch.

�Now that we are alone, what was it you almost brought up to me the other day when your human friend, Tatsuki, was there? It looked like you wanted to say something but stopped when you noticed her presence,� Szayel inquired. �Do tell me it�s something interesting, yes?�

�Hmm? Give me a sec. I forgot what it was��

Karin frowned, having to think about it.

What was it she was going to ask him about that day? It had to be something involving one of their secrets, or she wouldn�t have cared that Tatsuki was there. Stupid drugs messing with her brain, stupid bugs, stupid bloodline�

�Oh, I remember now!� she exclaimed and brightened up. �Bug dope!�

He looked at her as if she�d uttered something in a completely foreign language.

�It�s something humans use in the Living Realm to keep stinging and biting bugs away, a repellent. You spray it, either on the body or in the air and the smell deters bugs and in some cases, it can keep them from landing on you and biting you. I was wondering if there was something you could make, some non-lethal, non-carcinogenetic injection or something that would mask the taste of our blood so when the Swarm does get a mouthful they won�t recognize it.�

He blinked in surprise, but she could see the wheels turning as the idea took root in his brain. If they could mask the flavour of Royal blood, it would make the battlefield infinitely safer for both Karin and her daughter. It would also negate most of her fears about letting Ajuga participate in the battles.

�An intriguing idea. I might be able to work something up. Perhaps if we try to concentrate the compound we discovered in those meadow samples. It�s too weak on its own, but if we combine it with something else and concentrate it��

Szayel trailed off, his mind elsewhere for a moment, then shook his head as if to clear it.

�It will wait until morning. That data is nearly five years old now and it will keep. Now that that is out of the way, and since we are conveniently alone now� There is one thing I need from you, if you think you have the strength for it. I know your Claim on me won�t last as long, but a quick �top-off� for now would be wise, given how weak it has become. There is also the fact I need to refresh Nemu�s Claim.�

�I suppose,� she agreed. �Give me your hand for now and we will worry about Nemu�s Claim later, after I recover a bit,� she ordered.

He rested his hand in hers and then shivered as pleasure raced over and through his body. It was a truly a crime that she could do such things with touch alone. Karin, while uncomfortable doing so with others, did enjoy doing something similar to her mate. It was always amusing to watch him suddenly go rigid with nothing more than a simple brush of her fingers against his skin. To Szayel, it seemed she also occasionally used it to deliver a bit of payback after Grimmjow had been a dick about something.

Nemu and Nanao returned after a few minutes with Tatsuki in tow. Szayel excused himself at that point, for this was supposed to be a gathering for the women. Jokes about his appearance aside, he was very much male and did have a lot of work to oversee. He definitely didn�t need Aizen accusing him of shirking his duties.

Orihime arrived almost ten minutes later with Rangiku by her side. Nnoitra had given Rangiku permission to help with the wounded at the 4th Division and who was she to argue if Orihime dragged her to a females-only get-together afterwards? Orihime was the Fourth Espada�s mate, after all. It was nice to see her leash lengthened a little and for Nnoitra to start releasing his grip on her, letting the blonde regain some small semblance of life.

�I think we all needed this,� Karin realized as she enjoyed the presence of her female friends, even if she had to do it while laying on her back with an aching leg.

The women exchanged gossip, traded books and recipes, sipped tea, ate and praised the food Nanao had graciously made, and a sense of good cheer settled over the small party. The one piece of good news that truly relieved all of them was what Tatsuki had to share. She told them about Ggio�s frightened-yet-determined request for Tesra and Tatsuki to adopt his as-yet-unborn child, to keep it safe from Barragan.

It was as if someone had waved a red flag in front of a bull. The assembled women spent the rest of the afternoon plotting how to assist the two couples. With Szayel expected to attend and monitor the birth, Karin and Nemu assured everyone that the various plans they came up with were all workable. Not even Barragan could get into the Science and Research building if Szayel didn�t want him there, and if Karin didn�t want him in there, then Szayel didn�t have much of a choice. So long as they could get Soi Fon there when she went into labour, all should work out in the end. They had no doubts that they could get Unohana to agree to oversee the delivery at the Science and Research building, for it was just as well-equipped as the 4th Division, and the circumstances that threatened the child dictated the extra precautions. Once Tatsuki and Tesra took custody of the baby, they could move the child to the 4th Division if need be.

Orihime even managed to scrounge up enough power at the end of the gathering to mend the worst part of her leg and Nemu removed the stitches for her. She promised to stay off of it until it completely healed. She also promised to drop by the 4th Division tomorrow to see about returning to work and light duty, and conveniently bring up their plans with Unohana-Taichou while she was there. No one wanted to upset Unohana by being reckless and skipping procedure. Until she had a release form stating her leg had healed, Karin was to do nothing other than the activities outlined on her file as �acceptable exercise.�

Her lesson over, Ajuga stretched and left to return to the city. Now that Harribel had explained things to her in a way that she understood, Ajuga went into her Cero and Bala lessons with a fresh prospective. For once, she got everything right and she could see how much of a relief it was to her teacher that she suddenly seemed to grasp the concept. She was surprised and pleased that Ulquiorra even offered her a small piece of praise for getting the job done today. Granted, creating a Bala was more interesting than making a Cero and she honestly liked the Bala technique more. She�d already come up with a few ideas about how to use it to herd and trap her prey.

While she was a little upset, and surprised, that her father wasn�t the one instructing her, she appreciated the fact that her father and Ulquiorra seemed to have come to a sort of skill-swap agreement. Ulquiorra taught them ranged, energy-type attacks while Grimmjow taught them hand-to-hand combat techniques, something Diaemus detested but in which he reluctantly participated. Ajuga often believed the thing he really hated about the close combat lessons her father conducted had less to do with the actual training and more to do with the fact that she was his partner and out-performed him. Diaemus didn�t like losing to her any more than she did to him. However, as long as Grimmjow forbade the use of Sonido and other such quick movements during their training, and the training took place on the ground, he didn�t stand a chance.

Of course, her father revealed his more sadistic side when he brought them to the clearing that was quickly becoming their private training grounds and set them up to battle in the open air. With no cover and all that free flying space, Diaemus proved to be the superior fighter, especially when he removed the prohibition on using Sonido. Ajuga had definitely learned her lesson about bragging on that particular day, which she secretly suspected was her father�s purpose behind the whole exercise.

�If anyone needs a lesson on bragging it�s him, that hypocrite,� she whined to herself. �Why do parents always have a �do as I say, not as I do� mantra? Well�Ulquiorra-san generally lives by his own rules, but he�s different.�

Then again, even she had noticed the change in her father over the years. As she had accidentally overheard Ulquiorra comment to Aizen one day, Grimmjow had settled down considerably and was �biting at the bit� a lot less than he used to. He even followed orders better. He still bellyached loudly about them, but he followed them.

The city came into sight and Ajuga contemplated her options for the rest of the day. She knew her mother was meeting with her friends and the lesson had ended much sooner than she had anticipated. While she wouldn�t mind seeing her mother�s little circle of people, she did have others she wanted to visit and now would be the perfect opportunity to catch up with some of them, especially those she hadn�t had a chance to see in a while, at least outside the 4th Division. Besides, she needed to keep her stalking skills sharp and nothing put those to the test like sneaking past the most difficult of patrols; the ones surrounding Aizen�s Palace. As far as she knew, not one of the guards had ever discovered the route she used to infiltrate the place. Nor had they ever detected her while she was there.

She had to make a side trip through the markets first, however. Ajuga had learned a few disturbing things during Gin�s last stint at the 4th Division. She couldn�t believe that all Aizen allowed him to eat was a bowl of simple rice every day. Well, she vowed that today would be different. The closest market had exactly what she was looking for and she made her purchase hurriedly, not wanting the food to get too cold before she could give it to its intended recipient. Then it was on to the Palace.

Thankfully, Gin wasn�t all that hard to find, tidying his mistresses� rooms. She waited until he was engaged in a task that wouldn�t result in damage to him or anything else in the room when she made herself known and had nothing in his hands that would break if dropped. Ajuga decided to pounce during a brief moment when he�d placed the broom he carried against a wall and went to retrieve a nearby dustpan.

�Hiya Gin-san!� she greeted him happily, holding back a giggle as he jumped in surprise.

�Ajuga-chan,� he greeted her with a thin smile, once he�d gathered his wits. �What brings you by today?�

�I wanted to see how you were doing. You looked pretty sick last time I saw you,� she replied, the concern she felt apparent as she said this. �Are you feeling better?�

He gave her a smile and said, �Much better, thank you Ajuga-chan.�

�You smell alright, I mean, still sad and stuff, but not as bad as in the past,� she told him, looking the thin Shinigami over critically.

�Well, that is good news. I don�t like being sad either,� he assured her before his eyes moved to the paper bag she held.

Ajuga also noticed where his attention had wandered and she walked up to hand it to him. �Oh, I brought you something, since you won�t get better just eating stupid, gross, plain rice. I hope you like them.�

She held the bag out in front of her, and the smell of roasted meat wafted from it. Gin took the bag from her hand hesitantly before opening it up to look inside. His eyes widened in surprise as he started at the contents.

�I know you like those gross persimmon things, but those won�t put any meat on your bones, and you desperately need meat. So there you go. I brought you meat, even if it is cooked. Eat!� she ordered in a mock-stern voice.

Gin didn�t need telling twice as he sat down in the floor beside her and tore into the charred meat on a stick. Ajuga didn�t know what he liked, so she had ordered the vendor to give her several different sorts. She knew the bag contained chicken and pork, but wasn�t sure about the others. One looked like an eel and she�d wrinkled her nose at it, but Gin appeared to relish it, so that was all that mattered. In fact, he didn�t seem to care about what kind of flesh was on the sticks, just that it was hot and filling. To Ajuga, Gin ate them in the same way she�d seen too thin stray dogs tear into half-rotted scraps of garbage and that thought felt like a surprisingly sharp stab to the gut.

�No infraction warrants a punishment like this��

When he�d polished off the last one, he closed his eyes and patted his stomach, saying, �Thank you Ajuga-chan��

�Aizen should really see about feeding you better, you are almost nothing more than skin and bones,� she complained, not liking the realization that this was probably the most contented she�d seen him� well, ever. Gin must have noticed the way she regarded him, because he gave her a half-smile, as if to try to reassure her.

�It�s how he likes me. Szayel�s in the same boat.�

�Yeah, but Szay has more meat on him than you do. Granted, not by much, but still��

�Hmm,� he agreed. The non-committal sound didn�t make her feel any better.

They sat in silence for a moment while she wrapped the now-empty skewers in their bag so she could take the evidence with her. It wouldn�t do for her to bring him help, only to end up getting him into more trouble. Looking around the room, her eyes settled on his small sleeping area.

�I noticed a while ago your cubby has a sword sitting in it all the time. Is that a Zanpakuto like the one �take-ji has?� she asked curiously, getting up to walk over to it for a better look.

�Yes, that is Shinso. Aizen-Kami has forbidden me to touch him unless I meet certain conditions,� he sighed resignedly.

�Can I meet him or her?� Ajuga asked excitedly. �The only one I ever got to meet was Sogyo no Kotowari. They were fun!�

Gin gave her a weird look, one that kind of seemed to flicker between surprise, shock, and a few other she didn�t recognize. He almost seemed scandalized by her request and she suddenly realized that she�d stepped over some invisible line she hadn�t known was there. Ukitake hadn�t shown any reluctance to show the children living at the Estate the manifestation of his Zanpakuto, but then, Ukitake was someone she considered �family�. Why it would bother Gin so much escaped Ajuga, but watching his reaction told her she�d inadvertently made a mistake.

�It�s na� something tha�s really done�� he began, then paused suddenly and turned to look as the sword ��however, it seems Shinso is alright w�it,� Gin finished, sounding astonished.

He walked over to the cubby and rested his hand on the sheath of his blade. A moment later, a small white fox appeared. Like her owner, Shinso looked far too skinny and her fur was bedraggled, a reflection of their mutual soul�s condition.

�Oh, Gin-san�� Ajuga sighed, rushing forward to pick Shinso up and twirl her about before cradling the small fox in her arms.

�You poor thing! You�re starving too, and just look at the state of your fur! This is not right,� she declared unhappily.

She sat on the ground and cradled Shinso in her lap, stroking the small creature�s coat and promising to try and get them some real food because this was just abysmal, a true crime. They talked for a short while, with Shinso perched in her lap as she watched him continue with his chores.

Ajuga noticed that, even as a little child, her visits always made him smell happy, or at least, happier. It was another reason she continued her stealth trips into Aizen�s lair. If Gin had been a member of her pack, he would still be on the bottom of the heap as far as rank, probably, but he�d at least be healthy and fed and his Zanpakuto wouldn�t look like a half-starved kitten. Her hatred of Aizen went up another notch. Grimmjow once explained to his daughter that any Alpha that let the lowest ranking member of his pack starve in such a manner in favour of hoarding the good stuff for him or herself didn�t deserve to have the rank of Alpha. A good Alpha, Grimmjow told her, attracted followers. Starving them into compliance made for a weak pack and a weak pack didn�t last long.

Ajuga detected Aizen�s return earlier than she would have liked and regrettably had to leave. She most certainly didn�t want to risk Aizen catching her here and having to see Gin punished for something he had no control over. With one last scratch behind Shinso�s ears, the fox spirit vanished and Ajuga retreated with another promise to try and smuggle Gin some real food.

The next person on her �to visit list� was safer, as his master was much easier to avoid. One could often smell him coming a mile away even without a working nose, thanks to the brute�s chronically poor hygiene. She didn�t make it to the Kuchiki estate though. Ajuga could tell when she got close that Byakuya wasn�t there because his scent was much too weak. Happy with the sudden and unexpected challenge of stalking a target through a million other competing scents, she fixed her attention on his trail. It was rare for him to leave the Estate for anything other than required meetings and for the 2nd Division offices but he did do it from time to time.

She followed his scent through the streets and into one of the more upscale markets. There were a few other Arrancar here, none of them foolish enough to give her trouble or anything more than a nod of acknowledgement. Her nose told her that had stopped at a few stalls based on the strength of his scent. The vendors were used to her by now and a few offered her smiles and a couple greeted her respectfully by name. She could have asked if they had seen Byakuya and what direction he went, but it was far more satisfying to search for him herself.

Unfortunately, it was getting late and she still hadn�t found her prey yet. That�s was fine though. �Take-ji said he expected Byakuya to return to work the next day and Ajuga could tell by the older Shinigami�s body language that he was as relieved and excited as she was about that. She could always accompany Jushiro to work and see how Byakuya was doing tomorrow.

Thank you so much for the reviews. Sorry it took an extra day or so, been really really busy. So, after looking things over, and realizing how last update I told you all I was just over 800 pages into the story, and by this update it�s now over 920, I think I am, indeed, going to go back to weekly updates. Unless, of course, you all don�t want me too, cause I am cool with keeping it Bi-weekly.

Next Chapter: Byakuya returns to work, and while he may fool Jushiro, he doesn�t fool those that know him better.

This weeks question: How many more people do you think are going to achieve Bankai by the end, and who? I think Rukia will probably, possibly Yumichika. Definitely Hisagi since they set that up already. I would like to see Rangiku reach it, but I don�t think she well. I don�t think anyone else well. Hell, we still haven�t even SEEN Nanao�s or Nemu�s Zanpakuto. Yachiru has never draw hers. We have only seen Isane release hers, we don�t even know what it does. Huh, Black Fox is right, notice they ARE ALL FEMALE! We know more about Hanataro�s bloody Zanpakuto thanks to the omake�s than we do half the Fukutaichou.
- 20
- 21
- 22
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Prize of Victory 2	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story

Prize of Victory 2