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Prize of Victory	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 87205 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make profit from this snippet

Chapter List
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Karin made it back to the estate in a flash, coming out of her now perfected Shunpo with ease. Nanao and her had taken a few hours to practice it and once Karin got the pattern down she found she could just outpace her instructor. Hana and Ajuga were both squealing in delight, one cradled in her arms and the other hanging on her back.

�Again, Again.� Hana cheered.

�What is Ukitake-san�s rule?� Karin asked patiently.

�No running in the Estate.� Hana sighed dejectedly. �Shunpo isn�t running though.� She quickly pointed out.

�No, it�s faster and more dangerous. What do you want for lunch?� Karin asked.

As with any child the mention of food still instantly distracted them.

�Steam pork buns.� Hana piped up quickly.

�Steamed.� Karin corrected absentmindedly. �Pork buns it is then. Go get cleaned up and I will meet you at the dinning room in my quarters.�

� �kay.� Hana darted off.

�And no running in the halls.� Karin shouted after her.

Hana slowed down for all of three corners before she was once again running, believing herself to be out of Karin�s sight. Karin just sighed and did her best to try and remember what it was like being her age.

It was hard, despite the fact it was only ten years ago. Sometimes she envied Hana for not knowing her father before his passing. There couldn�t be pain for the lose of one she never knew and both Ukitake and Starrk filled in the father role with her rather well. In fact, Karin was slightly jealous.

Jealous, and maybe a bit nervous about her own family. Oh she knew Grimmjow was strong and having fought those locusts she knew just how weak they really were, but even the strongest could be brought down by sheer numbers or a moment of inattentiveness. She worried daily, hourly, that she would get a letter telling her he had fallen.

She reached her suite and set a small amount of water to boil to steam the pre made buns in after making sure Ajuga was settled in her play pen. Hana arrived several minutes later and plopped herself down next to the play pen.

�How much longer till �juga-chan can play?� Hana asked.

�A few years yet I am afraid.� Karin answered, setting the frozen buns into the suspended basked over the now boiling water.

The sound of the door knocker took her by surprise. She wasn�t expecting any company. As far as she knew Ulquiorra was back from his mission and not slated to head out again until later in the week, so it wouldn�t be Orihime and Tatsuki.

�I�ll be right back, can you watch Ajuga-chan for me Hana-chan?� She asked.

�Yep.� The girl piped up.

Karin walked around the corner and launched into a Shunpo to get to the gate quickly. She didn�t want to leave either child unattended for long. She recognized both reiatsu and was honestly surprised by who it was.

�Matsumoto-san.� Karin greeted the woman warmly.

�Karin-chan.� She returned warmly. �I am sorry for just stopping by like this.�

�It�s quite alright. Please, come in.� Karin stepped aside.

�Thank you.� Matsumoto stepped in, as did her escort.

�Oh, my apologies. How forgetful of me. Karin-chan, this is Tesra-kun. Nnoitra-sama�s fraccion.�

�We met earlier today at Szayel�s Lab.� Karin comment, feeling a little awkward. �This way. I don�t want to leave the rug-rats unattended for long and I got food on the stove. What brings you by?�

�Food actually. And companionship. It�s just me at the house.�

�I am honestly surprised Nnoitra let you come over considering he doesn�t exactly like me or Grimmjow much.�

�Well, like most men he has a soft spot when it comes to his stomach, and I told him Nanao-chan had some great recipes.�

�Nanao-san is at work right now. What kind of recipes did you have in mind?�

�Ginger beef. I never could get it right.� She sighed.

�Oh, I can help with that. When are you supposed to be back?�

�Anytime. Nnoitra-sama is out on a mission and not expected back until late tomorrow afternoon. Something about setting up a perimeter sensor array around the city.�

�Grimmjow might have mentioned something about that. So you�ve got all day then?� Karin asked.

�Yep.� Matsumoto chirped.

Karin looked back at Tesra, who was following behind them silently like a shadow. His eyes seemed to be staring at the floor and she swore there was still a hint of his earlier blush.

�Pot�s boiling, pot�s boiling.� Hana�s voice echoed down the hallways.

�Oh shoot.� Karin groused as she jogged the last bit and turned the temperature down, checking on the buns.

�Matsumoto-san, Tesra-san, would you like some as well?� Karin offered.

�Absolutely!� Matsumoto agreed quickly and happily.

�Tesra-san?�

�Oh, yes, thank you.�

�Hello there.� Matsumoto smiled down at a slightly nervous looking Hana.

�Hi.� The girl responded shyly.

�Do you remember me? I was here when we had Ajuga-chan�s party?�

Hana shook her head in the negative. There had been a lot of excitement that day and Karin wasn�t surprised that Hana didn�t recall meeting the woman.

�I am Rangiku, but you can call me Neesan if you want.� Matsumoto offered warmly.

� �kay, Neesan.� Hana chuckled before looking shyly at Tesra.

�That is Tesra.� Matsumoto introduced. �It�s okay, he�s nice.�

�Like Starrk-jii and Lily-chan?� Hana asked innocently.

�Like them.� Karin agreed.

�O�kay. Want to paint?� She asked him with an innocent smile.

Matsumoto laughed while Tesra looked at the little girl in shock.

�Please?� She begged.

�I�uh.� Tesra looked helplessly at the two women.

�Go ahead. She doesn�t bite�� often.� Karin prompted him while keeping an eye on the buns.

�Very well.� He relented.

�I want to paint too. How come you didn�t ask Neesan?� Matsumoto pouted.

�You can paint too.� Hana was quick to chirp up.

�But what if I don�t want to now?�

�Then you can help Karin-san cook.� Hana was quick to offer.

�I think I will paint.�

�Yay. I�ll go get the paint.� Hana trotted out of the room.

�She sure has a lot of energy.� Matsumoto smiled.

�You have no idea.� Karin chuckled. �Sometimes I wish Yuzu was still here. But she is better off in the living world where she belongs.� Karin sighed.

Ajuga began to fuss and Matsumoto wasted no time picking the baby girl up.

�Oh, are we jealous we aren�t getting any attention? Are we?� Matsumoto crowed.

Ajuga gave off a squeal of delight.

�She�s probably hungry as well.� Karin chuckled. �Lunch is almost ready. I would like Hana-chan to eat before she gets completely covered in paint. She is a very messy eater.�

�I still can�t believe she is Shunsui�s daughter.� Matsumoto sighed.

�Did you know him well?� Karin couldn�t help but to ask curiously.

�Pretty well.� Matsumoto admitted. �We were drinking buddies and well, Shunsui was known as quite the womanizer. Powerful, but very lazy and laid back. He use to wear a bright pink kimono over his uniform.�

�The one Nanao wears.� Karin commented.

�The one.� Matsumoto agreed.

�Got the paint.� Hana cried, returning with several jars of paint and sheets of paper.

�Lunch is ready. Once you eat you can paint.� Karin explained patiently.

�But I want to paint now.� Hana pouted.

�Food first. No food, no painting.�

Hana pouted some more, but did sit in her spot as Karin finished slicing up the pork bun into smaller pieces before offering them to Hana on her special flower print plate. The rest were piled in a large bowl and placed in the center of the table.

�This looks amazing, Karin. Did you make these?� Matsumoto exclaimed happily as she picked up a bun with her chopsticks.

�Yes.� Karin answered. �What recipes did you want to try tonight?� Karin asked around bites of her own bun.

�Well, Ginger Beef for sure. Nnoitra-sama really likes beef.�

�I am sure we can cook some of that up. I do believe Starrk-san and Lilinette-chan should be back sometime tonight, and Nanao-san should be back in a few hours. Will you be staying as well, Tesra?� Karin asked, turning her gaze to the silent Arrancar.

�I would not want to intrude.�

�It is no intrusion. Honestly, it gets pretty lonely around here with just myself and the rug rats. Tatsuki and Orihime do pop by when Ulquiorra is off on missions, but otherwise it�s pretty quite around here.�

�Have you learned anything about these creatures?� Matsumoto asked curiously.

�I�ve fought them. They are not that strong, there is just a hell of a lot of them. I think I have seen less bees from a swatted hive. The sky was literally black with them.�

�I haven�t even touched a blade since the Winter War, let alone Haineko.� Matsumoto sighed.

Karin still couldn�t quit understand the significance of the relationship between a Shinigami and their Zanpakuto, but she did recall Ukitake practically breaking down into tears when talking about his own almost a year ago.

They finished eating lunch and Karin finally let Hana set up the paints. They spent most of the afternoon painting until Nanao got home. The woman was more than pleased to teach them her famous Ginger Beef recipe.

The kitchen was getting rather crowded so Karin opted to learn another time, stating the other two didn�t have access to Nanao like she did. She was surprised Tesra seemed interested in cooking as well.

�Tesra is the one who taught me how to cook.� Matsumoto exclaimed.

�No wonder Nnoitra-san didn�t die of food poisoning within the first month.� Nanao laughed lightly. �I remember your so called cooking, and what it did to poor Hitsuguya-taichou.�

�That wasn�t my fault. Oil was oil. How was I suppose to know the difference?� She huffed.

�Oil?� Karin asked intrigued.

�She used Sesame Oil to fry dumplings in.� Nanao explained.

�Ouch.� Karin winched. �How many bottles of that did you use to fill the pan?�

�Three.� Matsumoto admitted. �I thought it a bit strange the bottles were so small.�

�You also poured in half a bottle of sake in the soup.� Nanao added.

�Wine is wine.� She protested.

�Well, I am going to take Ajuga out back. Call me when the chaos dies down.� Karin laughed.

�Will do.� Matsumoto smiled at her.

Karin took Ajuga outside to one of the gardens that didn�t feature a koi pond. Ajuga was starting to roll around and she didn�t want to turn her back one moment only to find her daughter rolling into the pond the next.

�Come on Ajuga-chan. Come on.� Karin encouraged.

Ajuga gurgled and wiggled towards her mother.

�That�s it. Keep it up.�

It took a while, but eventually Ajuga did reach her.

�Good girl.� Karin crowed as she picked her daughter up and swung her about, earning a squeal of delight.

�Karin, supper is ready.� Nanao called out two hours later.

�Coming.� Karin called back.

By the time she made it to the main dinning room everyone but her mate was there. Starrk looked exhausted and even Lilinette seemed a little grouchier than normal.

�Bad mission?� Karin asked as she took her seat.

�Long.� Lilinette complained exhaustedly. �You should have seen what it took to even get Starrk to the table.�

�The futon was comfortable. Why couldn�t I eat there?� Starrk grouched.

�Because it would be lonely.� Lilinette snapped back with half her usual vigour.

�They are definitely exhausted if Lilinette-chan is this tired.� Karin couldn�t help but to think.

Nanao and Matsumoto held up most of the conversation, primarily with each other. Hana listened intently as Lilinette recounted their bug hunt. That was exactly what it was, literally and figuratively. Starrk looked ready to pass out in his plate and Tesra seemed rather nervous as he ate silently.

After dinner and clean up they sat in the main Living room for a while just talking while watching Hana try and play with Ajuga. Ajuga just looked at her sleepily and rolled onto her side before promptly falling asleep.

Hana pouted, but pulled out some paper at her mother�s order and started working on her numbers. Eventually it started to get late and Nanao excused herself, needing to put a sleepily protesting Hana to bed and get some sleep herself.

Karin escorted their guest to the door, bidding them goodnight before retreating to her own quarters to put Ajuga to bed. It had been a long day for the girl and she was starting to get fussy. Settling into bed herself she calmed her mind and slipped into Jinzen.

While there was still no hint or sign of a voice, she found the meditative state let her amplify her ability to sense and see reiatsu. Centered, she reached out and followed the fading trail of her mate until she was just on the very edge of her abilities range.

There was no distress in Grimmjow�s reiatsu at all, in fact it seemed rather steady. Either he was sleeping, or he was at least at rest. She made out a few other reiatsu nearby, but none that she recognized. No doubt the unit Aizen had ordered him to take with him.

It was enough just to feel that he was alright. Not that she doubted he wouldn�t be, but it was so hard not knowing. She sighed and rolled over. Sleepless, lonely nights were becoming common.

�Sad thing is, if we didn�t have Ajuga-chan I would probably be with him now weather I wanted to be or not.� She couldn�t help but to think half amused and half depressed.

　

　

　

He hated bug hunts, more so when you couldn�t find a trace of the bugs you were supposedly hunting for and your unit comprised of a squad of Shinigami that looked ready to piss themselves the moment he even twitched. There had been no trace of the creatures since the freak attack on the city.

�At this point Living realm mission are actually looking attractive. At least there are still bugs there and you run the chance of running across Kurosaki.� Grimmjow grunted to himself.

The thought of running across Ichigo was a pleasant one, and not just because it would ensue into a battle, but because he could let the bastard know his little sister was now the mother to his child.

Oh the fight the Shingiami would give him made his blood pulse and his hair stand on end. If Kurosaki had been pissed that Grimmjow had held his sisters as hostages, just how pissed was he going to be when he learned he had taken the remaining one as a mate?

Granted, by now Yuzu must have told her Niisan that Karin and he had been sleeping together for months before Kurosaki showed up. In fact, it was more surprising that Kurosaki hadn�t busted back in already to give him a pounding.

�Granted, Karin certainly told him off.� He smirked, remembering how she had ran to HIM over Kurosaki and the look of devastation on Kurosaki�s face had been priceless.

He frowned suddenly as he faintly felt Karin�s reiatsu brush against his. There was no panic or distress though so the quick spike of apprehension he had felt quickly diminished into a wide smirk as he realized she missed him and was seeking comfort.

The Shinigami assigned to his unit shuffled nervously about at the smirk, which just made him widen it and watch satisfied as they all flinched and instantly tried to pretend they were doing something useful.

�Nothing to report, Grimmjow-sama.� One of the Shinigami reported nervously.

�Course not. We wiped those bugs out.� He snorted. �Pack it up. We are heading back. Those stupid sensors of Szayel�s are in place right?�

�Hai, Grimmjow-sama.� The representative from the Science Division reported with a lot less fear.

Unlike the rest of the Shinimgami, the members of the Science Division dealt with Arrancar on a daily bases. Grimmjow would reluctantly admit that Szayel was far scarier than he was. If Szayel didn�t send a chill down your spine, nobody would.

�Then we are heading back.�

The rest of the group fell into line around him as they headed back to the city. If all went well he would be holding Ajuga by noon the next day. It would be sooner but Aizen would skin him alive for abandoning the unit assigned to him.

　

　

/hug those that took the time to review. I cherish each one and that includes constructive criticism. A rather boring, domestic chapter this chapter but it was nice to see Matsumoto getting a break.

A refresher about how claims work: The Claimer binds the Claimed with their own reiatsu. How long the Claim lasts depends on both the difference in reiatsu levels between Claimer and Claimed and how many slaves the Claimer has. One Claimed (not a mating one) can not cast Claims of their own nor be Claimed by another.

Karin�s reiatsu level is I would say around your average Fukutaichou/Fraccion (who I equate to fukutaichou in the hollow world where the other Arrancar are just below them). If Karin were to keep her Claim on Tesra, it would last maybe eight months, but if she were to say, Claim Ggio as well, her time gets cut again and it would last only six months each.

If she tried to Claim someone stronger then her, like Starrk, it would be lucky to last ten minutes! She would never be able to Claim all the Espada even if they let her simply because she doesn�t have the power to do so.

A run down on her abilities:

Able to visibly see reiatsu: She can learn Kido quickly since she can see the pattern and recognize spells being casts, but she still lacks the power to launch any of the bigger spells even if she did see them and she still has to learn the spells, she just has an easier time because she can see the pattern. You will not be seeing her throwing high level Kido around at all.

Able to fuse her reiatsu with an object or consolidate it: It makes an object, be it her fist or a rock, more �solid.� A side effect lets her cast Claims by touch, but she still requires the �spell� to go off so it is not something she can do just by brushing by a person walking down a street.

Hand to hand fighting: I would say her style is more like kickboxing then martial arts, and most of her skill comes from the training Grimmjow gave her. She would never hold a candle to people like Soi Fon.

In all honestly, she really isn�t that powerful. She�s got some nice toys but that is about it. She is no where near Taichou or Espada level and Ichigo gained Taihcou class level powers in blooming DAYS. She could draw on Grimmjow�s power to help her (and that is what she did to Nnoitra and in the end she didn�t even leave much in the way of damage other than to his pride), but doing so drains Grimmjow and leaves him weakened, not something she would dare to do when fighting.

　

About the Swarm;

The Swarm as you have seen it right now is basically composed of bison sized grasshoppers. They are really not that smart and their only strength is their sheer numbers. They come in the thousands at a time.

　

This Weeks Question: What is your favourite Bleach pairing and why?

Next Chapter: After no sign of the swarm after several months everyone is giving a bit of time off. Karin uses the time to return to the lake with her family for some rest and relaxation. Because we all know that nothing could possibly go wrong��
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Prize of Victory