Ducks, Drakes and Ducklings came 2nd in the poll so far. You are still welcome to vote for it if you'd like, but, well, here it is. :) I seem to be writing a lot of BLExNAR stories, haven't I? :P
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVELY! It's her birthday today (AUS)/tomorrow (USA, I presume) and since I had offered to write oneshot gifts to good friends of mine, she had said that the first chapter of DDD would be just fine instead. :D So here it is. Hope she doesn't mind if it's a little early.
So! Warnings? Yes. OOC'ness but there are reasons why (I'd like to thank lovelylifeforall (the birthday girl) for giving me tips on Grimmjow's personality... even though it isn't purely shown until later chapters). However, please feel free to critique me. Appreciate it.
I am a little worried ('cause I'm paranoid that way) that it won't live up to people's expectations and that I screwed up their characters. Lovely had given me some hope, but, well, I don't actually know the Bleach characters well. Still, I hope you... enjoy. :D
DUCKS, DRAKES AND DUCKLINGS
—CHAPTER ONE—
Sakura Haruno
"Wake up, sleepyhead."
His eyes moved around under his lids, lashes fluttering as those cheery, melodic words danced in his mind. Briefly he felt a faint warmth grace over his eyes, and Ulquiorra moaned almost silently as he dropped his head to the side, his nose sinking into something fluffy. A soapy scent drifted into his nostrils, and sensation crawled back into his system slowly.
"Yoohoo," the voice sang; it was a female.
His muscles twitched. From what he knew, there were not many females he knew and personally came in contact with, and hardly any—if not, none—of those that he knew had the guts to sing in his ear like a child filled up on sugar. Furthermore, the alarmingly low chuckle that followed next after he numbly licked his lips, served to scare Ulquiorra, and he snapped his eyes open, instantly meeting distant irises of light blue accompanied by a wild shock of the same colour and an arrogant grin. Ulquiorra lidded his eyes within seconds, his brow furrowing and his fingers sinking into the white sheets of his bed.
Wait, bed?
Momentarily surprised by this new knowledge, Ulquiorra forgot his instant aggravation with the trash Grimmjow and directed his green eyes to the white bed covering he was resting on. It was soft under his skin, and he realised then that he was half naked, wrappings of bandages around his chest and torso.
And then he heard a familiar chiming voice in the form of a giggle, and he shot up from his laze, only to be suddenly forced back onto his bed by a suspicious pink-haired female with an eerie smile on her face. He must have seen his utter confusion—despite Ulquiorra's attempt at hiding it—as Grimmjow's loud cackle reverberated around the room, following with a stream of hacking coughs.
The female formerly assisting him put her hands on her hips and she scowled. "Serves you right, laughing at your friend."
If the blue-haired man could breathe, he would have scowled and shot a string of curses at her for suggesting such a thing, but considering he was out of commission, Ulquiorra gave his instant response instead, pushing his confusion aside for the moment. "He is not my friend," he hissed, faulting at the sudden dryness in his throat.
His calm voice must have surprised the female, as she snapped her gaze back in his direction, to which he responded with a glare, swallowing in the mean time. Instead of backing off and minding her own business, her angelic facial features softened, and she looked at him with a sense of familiarity. His body tensed entirely, but a spark of pain in his upper chest caused his arm to jolt, catching in some thick, black handcuffs that were attached to his bed. Ulquiorra scowled, teeth bared as he glared vehemently at the chains encircling his wrist.
"I told you not to say that!" Grimmjow growled hoarsely, his large hands grasping his throat as he let out a few random coughs. Ulquiorra didn't spare a glance at his... acquaintance, finding that while the woman in front of him wasn't the one in pain, at least hearing it from another was good enough to atone.
The female suddenly giggled, drawing a wooden clipboard to her chest as she pressed a hand to her lips. "I know," she sang. Grimmjow growled at her and grabbed a glass of water at his bedside table—his hand smothered the small cup—sculling the liquid down in a matter of seconds; and he didn't even tear his eyes from the female.
"Damn, woman."
"Release me," Ulquiorra said, green eyes narrowed. He cursed the fact that his attempt at being threatening was dulled by his dry throat. Something felt oddly... different.
Her jaw tightened, but instead she smiled. "Water, Ulquiorra Cifer?" she gestured to the drink beside him, but he only tensed even more.
"How do you know my name?" he asked lowly, suspicion drowning in his pores.
She gave him a 'duh' expression before pointing her chewed pencil tip at the seemingly pouting blue-haired man on the bed three metres from him. "Now, Sleepyhead. Water?" she asked again.
The black-haired Arrancar remained resolutely silent, black-tipped lips thin. Something was still odd.
The suspicious female frowned slightly, showing a completely different appearance to her former cheery persona. He watched as her expressions diffused from aggravation to a suppression of obvious irritation. "Ulquiorra Cifer. My name is Sakura Haruno, and I am your nurse." Her eyes softened. "I am not going to harm you."
"And these restraints say otherwise," he stated.
"Those restraints are for this exact reason," Sakura quipped, pink eyebrows deepening to a graver frown. "And if you wanted them off, all you have to do is ask."
He mulled the offer in his mind. "How do you know I would not attack?"
She sighed. "Somehow I think Grimmy over there would be the first into a fight, not you." The cat-like man in the background snorted in protest at the new nickname bestowed upon him, his blue eyes widening. "Besides..." she rolled her shoulder. "He did attack when he awoke." Something in her eyes darkened as Ulquiorra felt an impending threat in her tone. But she just grinned. "And now he's as obedient as a kitten."
"Shut it, wench!"
Sakura twitched, Ulquiorra watching with some amusement as her eyes lidded and her lips pulled back to bare her back teeth. He did wonder, though, what exactly happened while he was still asleep. For that matter, he wondered how long he was under for. Sleep wasn't exactly something that came easily to him, so the effects of grogginess after he awoke came as a bit alarming to him, even though he hadn't shown it. Not to mention he must have been well under if he hadn't heard the scuffle that supposedly occurred between Haruno and the 'kitten'. He had to admit that a mere woman calling Sexta Espada rather weak and frail was something that Ulquiorra couldn't help but find amusing. The blue-haired man was trash after all.
"You're hardly in the position to call me names, Grimmy," the Healer hissed. Ulquiorra could see her self-restraint bulging to the maximum in physical signs on her body, such as the evident vein on her neck and the consistent twitching of her eye. She reminded him somewhat of the man she was threatening; impulsive, quick to anger, and completely childish to be pulled into such a trivial thing as name-calling. If she was good, she would be able to recognise the sound of a kicked puppy, or in this case kitten.
So far, she was nothing special. Nothing to concern himself over. Nothing worth bloodying his hands for as soon as they were released.
"Don't condescend me, woman," the blue-haired Arrancar snapped. "If it wasn't for the fact that I happen to owe you for patching me up—badly, may I add—then I'd have you writhing on the floor with a broken nose!"
"Badly?" Sakura flinched. "Badly, my ass. Some of my best work was on your body."
He tugged up his shirt, baring his toned and muscled torso. "Where's the evidence? All I see is my skin. Where're my scars of battle? I demand them!"
"Stop being a child and that's exactly my point, stupid. Now silence. Be a good boy, finish your drink and go to sleep. Kami knows your friend needs his."
Grimmjow snarled. "My glass is empty—he's not a friend!"
Ulquiorra couldn't but agree. "Refrain from hinting that we are on familiar terms, woman."
Sakura's face was tinged a light red, her hands enclosed tightly around her clipboard and pencil, but instantly her anger vanished with an almost wistful sigh. "Of course. My apologies." The black-haired Arrancar noted the tone of familiarity in her voice, and couldn't help but briefly ponder if there was someone she knew who happened to talk the same way he did. The chances were very low. Who else could talk monotonously like him? Who else could speak in a way that was devoid of all emotion? No trash human could.
"I'll get you another glass, Jaegerjaquez," she said shortly, grabbing the impulsive man's glass and swiftly heading for the exit
"Thanks, mother!" Grimmjow couldn't help but call out. She had momentarily paused, as though she was about to say something, but she clearly decided against it as she left. Ulquiorra kept his eyes on the doors, shifting his pale hands in the restraints uncomfortably before slowly falling back into his bed.
He didn't trust this place, wherever it was. He couldn't see Grimmjow worrying about important details such as who to trust considering he was far too brash to ask questions beforehand but Ulquiorra could tell that there was something about this place that was just odd. He had briefly caught sight of Grimmjow's skin as he lifted up his white shirt—provided by this hospital, assumedly—and was interested in the lack of a mark there.
He could distinctly remember seeing the Sexta earning a harsh blow to his side during the unexpected battle at Huenco Muendo. Unexpected, the battle was, but not as unexpected as this. The point was, this Haruno woman clearly had something up her sleeve if she was able to conjure up some parlour trick to make Grimmjow perfectly healthy—and this was no good thing to Ulquiorra himself, as he had no liking for the other. Yet he had felt nothing emanating from the female and she, therefore, wasn't a shinigami.
This unnerved him, and it was enough evidence to him for why he should not trust her or anyone else she should bring in. For their sake, the cuffs around his wrists were probably a smart thing. Had they not been there, he would have left through the open window in mere seconds.
"Hey, Cuarto," the trash called. Ulquiorra ignored him. "Cuarto. Cuarto! Oh, come on, shithead, you can't seriously be not wondering where the hell you are? Where we are?"
He had to admit, internally only though, that he had a point. He was interested in where they were. It was something that was lingering in the back of his mind as he pondered about the Haruno woman. Where was this place? Where was it that allowed for such healing if they did not have reiryoku?
Ulquiorra shifted his hands to check his own wounds but rolled his eyes in annoyance when he remembered that he couldn't move them. He had been wounded as well, and judging by the fact that he hadn't noticed any pain—besides a dull ache which was easily ignorable—and the fact that he could effortlessly move, his wounds had to have been healed. This just proved to enforce his suspicions. What secrets did his healer have?
"You don't have to think internally any more, dipshit, Aizen isn't even around."
He felt a flash of annoyance at the disrespect for the man he followed but there was little he could do without serving to amuse the man taunting him.
"I'm no happy camper having to end up in this ridiculous place with an ice cube like you, but hey, I'm not dead, that's gotta count for something. Next chance I get I'm gonna skewer that bastard's neck for wounding me. That woman did a pretty good job on healing me, though. There's nothing there, 'cept for the old scar I had from that fight with Kurosaki—"
"Be silent, Grimmjow. Your voice tires me," Ulquiorra cut in, wearily closing his eyes. He couldn't deny that he was tired, which was strange in itself.
"You rub me the wrong way too, Cuarto. So shut up," was the snarky reply.
"Too quiet. Be silent. Which do you prefer, Sexta?"
"You know what? Just go to fucking sleep. Your own voice is like nails on stone to my sensitive ears." Grimmjow shuffled around in his bed so that his back faced Ulquiorra. He had pulled the sheets up over his shoulder.
Ulquiorra would have groaned out loud but he didn't want to be further annoyed by his bedroom buddy. Gazing outside a nearby window, or at least as far as he could see, he realised that the day was swiftly ending. Orange rays were filling the room, shadows flittering across the light source as a blur.
He had tensed upon noticing them. It was a natural reaction to the unknown. Were there more like that woman? If so, then he wouldn't be able to sense them, especially in his current state. Ulquiorra frowned slightly. Really he should be able to sense something from another person. Had they done something to him? Speaking of which, he could hardly conjure up enough power to his forefinger without feeling even a little tired from the effort.
It just cemented his distrust for these people.
Glaring at a stream of bugs that were trailing up the outer side of the window, Ulquiorra was soon beginning to feel the effects of sleep dawning on him. Unfortunately, a soft snore from the other side of the room purged his thoughts and sleep escaped him. He sighed under his breath, and tensed his jaw at a particularly loud one that seemed to echo around the room. It was just his luck.
The door opened, and that Haruno woman entered, her hands full with a jug of fresh water with a filled glass. Her green eyes—vivid as his own—swept across the room before resting on him. She smiled.
"If he's keeping you up, just call me. I'll give you something to sleep," she said as she approached the table between the two beds; there was an empty vase sitting on it.
"How do I know you won't..." he narrowed his eyes at her, though he felt it was far less menacing while he was lying in a hospital bed, restrained, "...give me something else?"
The pinkette's shoulders dropped and she bit her lip, setting down her cargo on the table. Hands on her hips, she tilted her head towards Grimmjow. "I go through all the trouble to get him a glass of water and the baby is asleep before he even gets it."
"You did not answer my question," Ulquiorra said sharply.
A frown marred Sakura's forehead. "I do not kill my own patients, Cifer. If you were to die, for whatever reason, I would have been ordered not to bother healing you as it would have been a waste of my strength—so they say."
"'They'?"
"Politicians," was her simple response. "Think they can decide who lives or dies based on what they've done, rather than what could possibly be."
"You believe a condemned man is redeemable." It wasn't a question.
He noted her expression soften instantly. It looked forlorn, her eyes falling back through her chest of memories. There was definitely something there. Ulquiorra had to remind himself, suddenly, why he was even conversing with this woman in the first place.
"I hope so," she whispered.
"Trash," he muttered.
Sakura instantly went rigid. Anger flashed across her eyes; real, burning, fiery anger that was completely different to the irritation she had shown before with Grimmjow. That was more like a playful banter, with her swelling up like an innocent defence technique. This was different. He half expected her to lash out at him, but was pleasantly surprised when her face went tight, and he was met with a look he had seen so many times reflecting back at him through a mirror.
"If you have trouble sleeping, don't hesitate to call," was all she said before she left, leaving in her wake a pale darkness.
Still his questions were not answered. He had yet to ask them. Questions like: why wasn't she acting more suspicious of him, other than the use of the cuffs? Why weren't they recoiling back in fear at the sight of a hole through his chest or the one in Grimmjow's stomach and still be considered alive? Why weren't they demanding answers for why he had a bone half-helmet pretty much glued to his—
Stark realisation dawned on him and he tilted his head to the left, feeling a glimmer of worry squirm in his stomach when he continued to feel no such thing brush against his shoulder. It was only when he felt the shell of his hear touch did he clench his fists and pull at the restraints, his eyes narrowed.
Where was his hollow mask? And now that he realised it, he couldn't recall seeing one on Grimmjow either. Did the man even know he no longer had it? Did he even—Ulquiorra cursed the restraints internally, wishing that he could just quickly check if the hollow hole was still situated where it usually was. If it wasn't... he didn't know what to do.
These signs were clear ones of being tied to an afterlife—hell, as it were. If they were gone, then either they were shinigami (preposterous) or some real whacky magic trick had happened and the two were once again alive. It couldn't be the latter. There was no indication of anything like that even possibly happening while Huenco Muendo was under attack. It was just a normal battle. Well, a normal, unexpected, battle, but still a battle nonetheless.
He knew, now, that he had no reason to trust them. A brief thought traipsed through his mind however, and that was if Grimmjow perhaps had experienced any evidence to the contrary. True, he had only just woken up and was already dishing out silent hostilities without them even making their own case. Waiting perhaps would be best.
Causing a scene—even if they managed to subdue him—would only make things harder for him to unearth some answers. Waiting it out, listening, watching for anything would be best. As well as asking Sexta some questions. Until then, he'd be silent.
Forcing his erratic unrest and... fear... for his situation back into control was harder than he thought. Surviving on his own should be easy. He was skilled at it; working on his own. However, all those times he had either the stability of Aizen or of his race—the hole or the mask—to remind him of who he was and what he had to do. They were like an anchor for his existence. Fear was... unknown.
A snore.
Ulquiorra dropped his head back into his pillow, softly sighing in annoyance. To top things off, he had to live with his fear with someone who hated him, and the feeling was almost mutual.
A line of bugs curved onto outstretched pale fingers, marching underneath Shino's sleeves. Once the last one was gone, he took a step back from the open window and turned to the Hokage, Shizune beside her and Sakura leaning on her desk with a clipboard in her grip by her thigh. Tsunade sighed and dropped her head into her hand.
"Anything?" she asked, stifling a yawn. Shizune glared at the behaviour but remained silent, knowing full well that no matter how much she tried to ooze out enough responsibility for Tsunade for her last days, the woman would not follow. The prospect that it would be all over for her in just two weeks was something that made her quite lax in her ruling.
"They've mentioned some names," the Aburame responded. "'Aizen' and 'Kurosaki'. They also refer to each other with what could possibly be codenames: 'Sexta' and 'Cuarto'. Aside from the fact that they do not know where they are, they know the life of fighting and are clearly not friends."
Sakura raised an eyebrow.
"Hostilities were exchanged," he explained.
She waved at him. "Hostilities, my ass. Kiba and Naruto are at each other's neck most of the time and more than half the things that come out of their mouths are curses and names directed toward the other. Who knows?" she shrugged. "Maybe they are... closet friends." A grin curled onto her lips.
"Sakura. You are the only one who has actually seen them interact with them both awake. Do you believe what you just said?" Tsunade asked.
Sakura's smile disappeared. "Yeah... you've got a point. Sorta reminds me of... Sasuke and Naruto, actually. Though somehow a little more violent." She sucked on the inside of her cheek in contemplation.
The Hokage paused. "The next Hokage... would he...?" she groaned to herself. "Never mind."
The pinkette looked curious for a moment. "Milady. Will we only find out who he is on the day of the induction? I mean, all we know is that he's a guy, since you keep saying 'he'."
"He was told that he could tell his closest friends but that is all," she explained. "And I don't think he even did that..."
Sakura frowned. "Clearly it's not Naruto then. He'd shout it out to the world." She shook her head. "Anyway, I think I know what question you were going to ask next: whether the next Hokage's personality is going to clash with theirs and make some unwanted tension?" she asked in a rush. All she got was a slow nod in return. "Right, well, let me put it this way. Grimmy, Patient 1, is like a combined version of Naruto and Kiba. Patient 2 is like Sasuke."
Tsunade and Shizune paled. "Kami help us," the former groaned burying her face into both hands. "Maybe things will go fine... as long as they don't piss him off too much," she said uncertainly. Sakura raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Lifting her head, the Sannin had an entirely new look of confidence written on her face. "Okay. We'll do it like this. Shizune, head to the library and ask a few of the staff about the names Shino mentioned: 'Aizen' and 'Kurosaki'. They have reports there delivered from almost every nation, so with any luck, we'll find an inkling of information about whoever they are."
"Or we could ask the patients," Sakura suggested, shrugging.
"Did they look as though they would be ready to talk? I did happen to hear about the sudden need to inject one of the patients with anaesthetic. That, alone, suggests unfamiliarity with his surroundings."
"What happened?" Shino interjected. Despite having a rather soft voice, he still somehow managed to purge conversations with ease.
Sakura deflated, previously riled up to debate with her former mentor. "I was healing one of the small scratches around Patient 1's face when he suddenly opened his eyes and had a hand at my throat. Nothing serious happened to me," she extenuated. "He was still weak from being wounded so I managed to pry his hand away and call in for some help to restrain him. That is all."
"Yet you call him 'Grimmy'?" he queried again.
The pinkette pressed a hand to her forehead while Tsunade smiled. "I-It's a thing," she tried to explain. "Look, he was being a total ass to me when I was tending to him. He was... calling me names so I... called him names right back." Her eyes darted around at the occupants of the room. "He hates 'Grimmy'," she added.
"Aside from that," Tsunade dismissed. "Did he say anything else to you?"
"No. He just told me his name when I asked, his... acquaintances, asked for mine and then started insulting me again. He did ask me some questions about my occupation but when I probed for some information, he shut up like a clam. After a while, when I felt as though he was comfortable, I released the restraints."
"Anything else in addition to Shino's information?" Shizune asked.
Sakura shook her head. "Well, aside from the fact that he seemed to have a fetish with the right side of his face—he kept running a hand over it—and with his stomach where his wound was, no. He only started complaining about my work when Patient 2 was awake." She crossed her arms as if say that she was done talking.
"He said he was impressed with your work," Shino commented dryly.
The medic double-taked. "What? Grim—uhh, Jaegerjaquez said that? That dry-nosed, prick!" she growled. All of a sudden she turned her fiery gaze on Shino. "Why can't you men just admit things right up? I swear you guys make things so complicated. Just be honest! It's not that hard!"
The Aburame raised an eyebrow at the accusation. "I believe you are lecturing the wrong person, Sakura."
"Right." She blushed, leaning back on the Hokage's desk and wrapping her arms around her waist with her clipboard pressed against her stomach. "Sorry."
"Enough," the Hokage cut in. "Shizune, remember your job. Shino, keep an eye on them with your bugs still, in case you manage to catch any stray hints that could help. Sakura, you're still their nurse until they are fully healed."
They nodded. "That shouldn't be long," Sakura said with a smile. "They've been out for a few weeks, so their wounds should be almost completely healed soon. With any luck, they'll be out Monday week."
"Hey, Grease-bone, you gave me too much sauce!" Grimmjow called to his pink-haired medic who was setting a food tray by Ulquiorra's bed.
She turned, body tensed, the Cuarto's green eyes eying his acquaintance emotionlessly. "I gave you too much sauce?" she huffed. "You said you wanted that much."
Grimmjow beamed, baring his canine. Sweat traced his lips. "It's too much. Got more food?"
Sakura's mouth opened and closed, no sound passing through her lips as she tried to put a lid on her aggravation with the man resting wounded in bed. Wait, did she really think 'man'? No. He was a stupid boy with a juvenile disposition who enjoyed making her life an utter hell! Oh, she knew he was doing this on purpose.
Ever since he woke up a day and a half ago he had made a point that he would act as though he absolutely hated everything she did for him ("There's dust in my drink! Get me a new one, woman! No. I'm keeping this one. A new one!" "I don't like these green things. What the fuck are they anyway? Hey! I'm keeping them!" "Ulquiorra is giving me a death glare. Blindfold him for me, will ya?") but always, pretty much, Shino would report later that he'd eat or drink it afterwards anyway. Funny thing is, if she'd call it on him later, he'd deny it and say another nurse had come in to take it away, or Ulquiorra had offered to dispose of it, or, a particularly ridiculous one, he had tossed it out the window because he thought it would help.
All this in just a few days.
What she wanted to know is why the man was doing this? Why was he purposely trying to piss her off and being such a bloody pain in the mean time? Why was he acting as though he wanted her to hit him? He was acting like a spoiled, stubborn brat who would only do the right things if his 'parent' wasn't in the same room because he didn't want to be seen doing the right thing.
Ulquiorra, she had to admit, was much nicer to be around. Not long after he woke up, and during the next day, the cuffs were removed, and Sakura had often caught him stroking his skin around his upper chest and running a hand through his black locks. He had looked uncomfortable, but she didn't probe.
He hadn't spoken much either, but once or twice he had muttered to ignore the 'trash' and had, to her surprise, suggested taping Grimmjow's mouth so that they'd both get peace and quiet. Still, she hadn't forgotten the night before when he had called her trash but it was clear, to her at least, that perhaps it was just a thing of the moment. While he wasn't eager to get to know her and answer her questions, he was more polite—a little.
"Sorry," she bit out. "It's this or nothing."
The blue-haired man's face half fell, making his pale skin seem even more sallow. Sakura noticed this, reminding herself to check up on him before she left. "Fine." Reluctantly, he grabbed a fork and started shovelling some sauce soaked meat into his mouth.
She sighed in relief.
"Woman."
And she sagged her shoulders, turning to Ulquiorra—who tore his eyes from a trail of bugs around the window frame—and sitting on his bed without permission. Honestly, she didn't give a damn at the moment. "Yes?" she asked, ignoring his narrowed eyes.
"Where are we?" he eventually asked.
She smiled. Good. Finally she'd be able to figure something out—with... any luck.
"You're in Konohagakure." At the confused expression in her eyes, Sakura felt uncertainty seep into her mind. She had been watching his face closely for any recognition, and while she was curious why he hadn't reacted to the Leaf headbands at all beforehand, she thought perhaps hearing the name would spark something. So far, nothing. He was blank. "Konoha?" she tried again.
His green eyes turned to Grimmjow and she followed his gaze. He too looked confused.
"Never heard of it," the muscled man said.
Sakura gaped. "Never heard of—you're kidding! Just where are you guys from?"
"None of your concern," Ulquiorra said.
"'None of my concern', my ass—"
"If you say so."
She growled at Grimmjow. "Konoha is one of the most well-known villages in the ninja regions. You can't not know it!"
"Nin...ja?" Ulquiorra frowned.
Her eyes widened. "Excuse me," she muttered as she rose to leave. They didn't stop her.
As soon as she was gone, the two were silent. Grimmjow was finishing chewing his food. "Well, we're fucked," he said.
"Are you sure?"
Sakura nodded. "Yes. There's no mistaking the lack of recognition in his eyes. I may be no Ino or Hyuuga but even an Academy student could see that they didn't recognise the name."
Tsunade closed her eyes and exhaled, her right hand hovering over the spout of a sake bottle just waiting to be drunk. "Questions just keep coming for those two. Shino has reported that the two of them hardly talk with sense when no one is around; one is silent, the other is glaring and cursing him. On top of that, Shizune hasn't found anything." She groaned. "I'm so glad that they won't be my problem soon."
Sakura put her hands on her hips and frowned. "Or the entire of Konoha if they do prove to be a threat. I don't even know who this Hokage is! What if he's a complete imbecile who doesn't have a shred of morals, or who prefers interrogation over stealth? I mean, I know you chose him, Milady, but a high position can change a man. He might not be able to handle the situation if it's given to him straight away."
The Hokage waved a hand in dismissal. "I get your point, Sakura, I do. Trust me on this. The new Hokage will do well." She matched Sakura's concerned expression and paused before inevitably dropping her head. "Fine. Even after I've been relieved of the title I'll take part in the investigation, and pray the outcome won't disturb my retirement."
"Good." The medic started playing with her hands uncertainly. "I know there's something strange about them. Cifer, I know, is constantly looking around and analysing his position. Jaegerjaquez is just so out of place, even for our village, and he just exhibits an overwhelming sense of predation and then some."
"So they are something to be watched."
She nodded firmly. "Yes. Definitely. Though it will have to be done very discreetly."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying something about the skills of our ANBU, Sakura?"
The pink-haired medic gaped, shaking her head and hands. "No! Of course not! Kami knows Shino and Neji are excellent ANBU, but Cifer... I mean it when he's like Sasuke," she whispered at the end. "He's looking around for reasons he shouldn't trust us, or the opposite. He's just always on edge."
"True, that may be a problem," the blonde admitted. "In that case I get what you mean. The ANBU constantly pass the hospital, and if this patient has good eyes as you are suggesting, then he may very well think something we do not intend."
There was a pause, wherein Sakura gazed around the office. Tsunade was more than ready to leave. Any of her personal belongings were sitting on closed boxes, ready to be taped up and moved to her home so that the room would be clean for the new Hokage to decorate. Sakura wondered profusely who it was; so did the rest of Konoha no doubt. She only hoped that he would be as good as Milady seemed to believe. Idly she wondered how he would decorate his office.
"I'll figure it out," Tsunade said, at last, taking a swig of her alcohol. "Being blatantly obvious about watching them won't work, and sending Yamanaka or someone else from the Interrogation department would just create more tension." She matched Sakura's eyes. "Are you sure about everything you've just said? From what I hear from the other personnel, Jaegerjaquez seems content where he is, though perhaps a little pale."
"Yeah. I noticed that too," she spoke as though in deep thought. "From the looks of it, it was a little fever, so I administered some pills to help get rid of it before I came here. I'll take another look when I return." She sighed before clenching her fists, pouting angrily. "And by content you mean pissing me off."
Tsunade laughed, swinging her bottle from side to side to shake the contents. "Maybe you should stop falling for his tricks all the time, Sakura. Then he'll back off."
She clenched her hands into fists. "I've tried. You've never been in that room when he's acting like a little kid!" She then adopted a gruff voice as she mimicked him. "'The water's too cold. Bring me a warmer one.' And he doesn't even let me take his fucking glass!"
The Hokage was laughing quietly behind a hand as the pinkette seethed, her face red.
"I know he's doing it on purpose but it's his stupid face that makes it all the more annoying," she complained again. "He's the most annoying and problematic patient I have ever had."
"Oh." Tsunade waved her hand. "That's not true. The most annoying time you've had with a patient is when Naruto and Kiba were cooped up in the same room six months ago, wounded badly during an out-of-hand spar."
"But that takes two," Sakura pointed out, holding up two fingers. "Jaegerjaquez is succeeding in being as annoying as the both of them combined. He's that bad."
"Okay, okay," the Hokage gave in, though there was still a huge smile on her face to say that she still found the situation hilarious. "It'll stop eventually."
"It better." She crossed her arms and scowled. "Speaking of which, what are we going to do when they are completely healed?"
"We'll discuss it with the next Hokage. Until then, don't think on it," the busty blonde said, drinking from her bottle and then turning it upside down when she didn't get anything. Sakura left quickly, knowing that the still Hokage would demand her to get another bottle of sake, and if she said no, she'd blackmail her by saying that her time was almost up and that it'd be nice if she did it. The older female would have a death glare on her face as she'd say it, so no one could refuse.
The days after that were frightfully slow. Perhaps it was because she was wishing for that Sunday when the new Hokage would be announced and so a decision could be finally made on what would happen to the newest additions to the hospital. Or perhaps it was because she was always dreading the moments she'd walk into the hospital room and be faced with a talkative Grimmjow, but he still seemed to look a little pale ever since she had started the pill treatment. She planned to leave it for a few days more.
Ulquiorra had told her, once, the most words he had spoken at a time and while the kitten was asleep, that the man was strangely more annoying here than where they usually called home. This irritated him, and he suggested that she get a new nurse to take her place if it was really her presence that was causing this change. The idea had crossed her mind but Sakura was stubborn. She wouldn't give in to a persistent, little fly like Grimmjow—even though she was the type of person who yelled and threatened at pesky flies that didn't leave her alone. Besides, the Hokage gave her this task and she'd complete it or Kami help her...
So every day for each quick check-up, which were getting fewer and shorter, she'd endure Grimmjow's voice. And when Sunday would come and they would sit down to discuss which direction to go down, she'd laugh at the misfortune the next person would have in controlling Grimmjow and his constant yammering. She'd finally be free of him and his silent partner, revelling in the next task of taking care of another patient who'd hopefully only have a bad case of in-grown toe-nail or something.
She looked forward to that day.
Night.
"Grimmjow."
A soft snore.
"Grimmjow, don't act."
The blue-haired man turned around in his bed to send Ulquiorra a glare. "What?" he snapped.
The Cuarto Espada narrowed his eyes right back at him, but for a different reason. Grimmjow's face was a pasty white, sweat in small beads tracing his row and cheeks. There was an almost hysterical looks in his eyes that were glowing in the dark like a cat, yet there was still signs of soberness if he could respond 'appropriately'.
Ulquiorra ignored it. "It's gone beyond amusing," he said.
"What the hell do you mean?"
"What are you up to?" he asked. "Why are you so intent on being a complete fool?"
Grimmjow snorted. "Go back to sleep, Cuarto," he grunted as he turned around again.
"Don't turn your back on me, Sexta," Ulquiorra warned. "You are getting beyond annoying and childish."
The blue-haired Espada chuckled, and the other man was briefly curious for why he was making such a sound. If he recalled correctly, he was warning his pathetic acquaintance; that surely wouldn't lead to a laugh, would it? Now he was worried. What was going through that idiot's head?
Turned out he didn't need to say anything, as Grimmjow beamed over his shoulder, his bright blue eyes glinting almost maliciously. "S'not easy being human, is it?"
Ulquiorra's heart pounded and his face twisted into one of severe annoyance. "I'm not—" but he stopped, his mind officially processing what the other said. Human. He was saying he was human. But he wasn't... shit. That was why. That was why he had been feeling so odd and overwhelmed with so many things, specifically his emotions. His mood would change sporadically, and he couldn't understand why. That was why he had fear for the loss of certain signatures that identified him as an Arrancar. It—
Before either of them knew it, Ulquiorra flung himself off the bed and delivered a loud punch. Grimmjow shot out of his bed and crashed against the hospital wall, receiving no time to block another punch to his face. A loud crack echoed in the small room and the blue-haired man felt a burst of pain as his nose was crushed. He let out a yelp—a sound reminiscent of an injured cat—before trying to regain his senses. He was disorientated.
He weakly blocked another punch from the Espada towering over him, his white arms flecked with Grimmjow's blood. He had never seen such an emotion on Ulquiorra's face. His green eyes were narrowed in anger, his lips twisted into a silent snarl, his teeth clenched and bared. It was almost... scary.
"Gerrof!" he growled through blood drooling down his face. Seeing another blow coming to his gut, Grimmjow tried to block again, redirecting the attempt to beside his head and then lifting his leg and jabbing Ulquiorra in the stomach. The other barely winced before he attacked again.
It didn't hit. At the last second, Ulquiorra was suddenly pulled from him and tossed across the room by a ninja wearing black and a white mask. There was another crouching on the window sill with a hand grasping a tantō on his back, ready to pull it out. Grimmjow grasped his face, covering his bloody nose and breathing heavily. Ulquiorra was panting on the other side of the room, death written on his face as he glared past the ninja.
"So we were being watched," he said, wiping at some blood leaking from his mouth.
The black ninja spoke next, his voice muffled by the mask. "Do you expect me to believe you were beating up your comrade just to check that for certain?"
Ulquiorra didn't say a word. By that time, he didn't need to. The hospital doors flung open and the lights were switched on. Standing there at the entrance was a furious pink-haired medic, tire in her eyes and her hair in complete disarray. "What's going on?" she demanded. She caught sight of Ulquiorra first and ran to him, seeing the little blood on his face.
As soon as her hand was out to heal the small cut, he whacked it away roughly, glaring venomously at her. She glowered back as well.
"This patient was beating the other one up," the ninja at the window explained to the angry nurse.
Sakura groaned. "Such children," she mumbled. "Are you telling me you ANBU couldn't handle two wounded patients without hurting one of them?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Now where's Grimmjow?"
"How can you miss me? I'm the white, bloody lump!" said man shouted.
The medic gaped when she saw the blood covering his face and slowly she dragged her eyes back to the now stoic black-haired patient in the corner. Closing her mouth and frowning, she shook her head slightly before stepping over to Grimmjow, moving her dressing gown out of the way as she dropped to her knees. Her hands started hovering over his face and she pulled away his own in a hurry.
Biting her lip, Sakura fumbled at the end of Grimmjow's white hospital shirt and tore of an end, using it to soak up the blood on his face. Gently, at the same time, she pressed two fingers against the bridge of his nose, earning a howl of pain.
"What the bloody hell?" he screamed. "I've had way worse than this but yet it's—"
The 'ANBU' standing in the room crossed his arms. "Maybe it's because you're 'human'," he quoted.
Grimmjow felt silent, his blue eyes pointed at the ninja. Sakura glanced between the two men, and even at Ulquiorra and the other ninja at the window, before rolling her eyes and continuing to dab at the blood.
"It seems you'll have something to report to the Hokage now," she said. "And I daresay it's very interesting but right now this man is wounded, the room is in a mess and both of my patients are in a restless state. Not to mention I was woken up and I've had very. Little. Sleep. So please leave it til morning," Sakura huffed.
The ANBU member crouched before her and tilted his head. She met his gaze through the white mask with gritted teeth. "I don't think this can wait til morning," the man said, shaking his head.
Sakura groaned. "Fine. Go wake her up if you dare."
He hesitated for a moment before he raised a hand. The other ninja by the window disappeared in a blur. "Do you need any help, Haruno?"
The pinkette tried testing Grimmjow's broken nose again but he growled at her in response. His attitude now testing her patience, she clenched her teeth and looked back between the other occupants as she attempted again. At another failed shot she looked at Ulquiorra.
"Tie him up again," she ordered.
Ulquiorra's eyebrows twitched as he tensed his body, ready to stave the ANBU member off. He seemed to be powering up for something but he suddenly found himself kneeling on the floor, a pale hand grasping his chest as he panted heavily. Sakura had no time to scramble over him to check the damage as she had finally gotten Grimmjow to calm down and was currently testing his nose—she actually removed movement from his arms temporarily to work.
The Arrancar was breathing harshly through his nostrils as he tried to hold back a moan of pain while she tried to fix up the outer edges of the break, the green glow seemingly melting into his skin. She met his blue eyes, noting a strange sort of relief in them as he relaxed completely—in the background, Ulquiorra glared even more.
"Don't worry," she whispered soothingly. "You'll be fine. I'm your nurse."
He cracked an awkward grin. "And that's meant to comfort—me?" He winced near the end of his sentence. "I should plan my funeral."
Despite feeling absolutely exhausted and pissed, Sakura couldn't help the tired smile that breached her lips. She didn't respond to the snarky insult but instead stood up, holding out a hand.
"Come on. We'll have to get it fixed up."
Please give concrit! And I'll give e-cookies! *puts down basket full of soft e-cookies* And don't forget to vote in my poll if you haven't! :3
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Bleach