Chapter 1 – Give & Take

Kukaku Shiba was calm, sitting quietly outside her home. She had a half emptied bottle of sake and some crackers beside her, her pipe in hand, and she was very much enjoying the warm sun. It was rare she enjoyed the sun this way. Normally she would feel annoyed by it, jealous that she could not make fireworks that flew as high as the sun.

In her younger days it had seemed a far more attainable goal, but now she had other things that needed focusing on. She had a brother to take care of and a household to tend to. Kukaku was the eldest now, and the responsibility fell on her. The time she could devote to fireworks had been nearly cut in half since she had been forced to take on the responsibility of being the head of the dwindling Shiba clan.

Kukaku lifted her head, exhaling a bit of smoke as she sensed a strong reiatsu approaching. It's owner was unmistakable. She let out a small sigh at the sight of the white haori of a shinigami captain and the light ginpaku kazanohana scarf. Of all the people to appear on her property, the last she would ever expect was Byakuya Kuchiki.

Kukaku grinned a bit. It must be something big for him to lower himself so far as to seek out an ex-noble such as herself. She wasn't sure why they hadn't sent someone she actually liked, such as Captain Ukitake. That would have been a smarter idea, seeing as she was obviously needed for something. Byakuya Kuchiki would not just come by her place to have a chat and a cup of tea.

Byakuya was followed by three other shinigami, whom she did not recognize and assumed were of no importance. They were likely just escorts for Byakuya. The rather disgusted look on his face, which was most likely due to the display outside of her home, only caused her grin to grow wider.

They stood now, both still as stone, several yards apart. Kukaku was the first to break the silence, taking a drag from her pipe and then exhaling. "What is it that you want? You're not exactly welcome here." She had never much liked Byakuya, and she knew the feeling was mutual.

Byakuya gave a forced, polite nod. "Lady Kukaku Shiba, leader of the formerly noble house of the Shiba clan. You are being summoned to create weaponry for the Gotei 13 to aid us in fighting hollows." He kept a serious, stern disposition in spite of the woman's increasingly manic grin. "We are prepared to pay you in whatever manner you see fit, so long as it brings no harm to Soul Society or the human world."

Kukaku cocked her head slightly to one side, laughing a bit. Oh that had not been intelligent on his part. Offering her anything. The most logical course of action would have been to have the Shiba's nobility restored, but they had gotten along fine without that for years. Money might have been a wise second choice, but she and Ganju did well enough to support themselves. No, Kukaku Shiba knew exactly what she wanted.

"Byakuya Kuchiki, noble head of the Kuchiki family..." Kukaku rest her hand on her hip. "My work is my art, my life... My soul. I would never sell it to heartless bastards like the shinigami." Kukaku put on an angry face, talking down to Byakuya. She was one of the very few people in Soul Society unafraid to do so. Byakuya could not harm her, especially not now when he needed her for something. "I am not for sale, Kuchiki. Especially not to a man like you."

Byakuya exhaled, quickly growing frustrated with her attitude. "Your 'art' and 'soul', as you put it, could help save lives if you were to aid us." She couldn't have just made this easy on him could she? Of course not. She wasn't known for doing things the easy way. But he wasn't about to let this woman, an ex-noble, talk down to him.

Kukaku gave a half-hearted laugh. "What do you know about soul, Kuchiki?" She looked away, towards the Seireitei. "Why should I give anything to the Shinigami? Why should I lower myself and work for the people who took my brother and didn't give him back until he was just a bloody corpse to be left on my doorstep without so much as a word? I didn't find out the truth until weeks later when I stormed into the Seireitei and demanded answers myself."

Kukaku did not hold it against Rukia that she had killed Kaien. Once kukaku had learned the truth behind the ordeal, and had discovered how much Rukia was hurting over it, Kukaku had made the decision to forgive her. But that didn't change that Kaien was dead. Her brother, her idol, was gone forever.

Byakuya glared sternly at her. "If you were to help us, such a tragedy might not occur again." Byakuya would not deny Kaien had been a hard worker, and a good shinigami. He had taken good care of Rukia in the time he was alive,and Byakuya was grateful to him for that at least. Rukia had taken his death rather hard, and it had pained Byakuya to see her in such a state, even though he never let it show.

Kukaku took another drag from her pipe and exhaled the smoke. She wouldn't vocally admit that he was right. If she could prevent another tragedy like Kaien's, wasn't she obligated to do so? She tilted her head a bit, glancing at Byakuya. "You do realize my work comes at a very high price."

"I have already informed you that, as long as you do not intend harm on Soul Society or the human world, we are willing to pay whatever price you ask." Byakuya hated repeating himself. This woman was obviously going out of her way to try his patience, and it was working. Very well. And he didn't like that manic grin that had returned to her face. Every instinct he had was telling him to run as fast and as far as he could. But Byakuya was too dignified for that, and he refused to return and have to write a report that he failed.

"I have no intentions of harming Soul Society or the human world. I have friends both here and there, so that wouldn't serve my interests." Kukaku watched Byakuya for several moments, trying her hardest not to burst into laughter at the thought that had crossed her mind. There was no way he'd ever agree to the price she would set, but she had warned him that her work came at a high price. Kukaku took a few steps forward, long strides that brought her nearly face to face with Byakuya. "Get on your knees." Kukaku laughed. "If you want me, Byakuya Kuchiki, you'll have to get on your knees and beg."

Byakuya felt the urge to strike the woman rising merely at the suggestion that he do such a thing, but he kept it contained. She was arrogant, asking him to dishinor himself in such a way. Especially in front of others. She was watching him now, waiting for what his response would be.

Byakuya had been ordered by the Head Captain to bring Kukaku by any means necessary. He had been sent because he was a noble, and she had formerly been a noble. If Captain Ukitake's health hadn't been so bad, he probably would have been the one to go. That would have been a wiser decision. The Shiba woman was friends with the ill Captain. She would have been more agreeable to him. Unfortunately, it seemed that the only way that Byakuya would be able to get her was by giving in to her outrageous demands and humiliating himself in front of his men. And Byakuya refused to return home a failure.

As if it caused him great pain to do so, Byakuya Kuchiki lowered himself to his knees, bowing his head, if only so that Kukaku could not see the furious expression on his face. "Kukaku Shiba, head of the once noble Shiba Clan. I, Byakuya Kuchiki..." He paused, exhaling painfully. Beyond this there was no turning back. "...I, Byakuya Kuchiki, humbly beg for your assistance."

Kukaku stared down at Byakuya. He had actually done it. She could barely believe what she was seeing. The situation must have been rather dire for him to actually have gone through with that. The requested payment had been made. Kukaku now found herself obligated to help. "All right. There is now a contract. One between you and I, Byakuya Kuchiki." She stepped back, extinguishing her pipe and letting her hand rest on her hip. "I will need to work within the Seireitei. I will need to examine the way your kind fights and the severity of the enemy my work will be used against in order to properly create an effective weapon."

Kukaku lightly tilted her head to one side as Byakuya rose, carefully wiping the dirt from his uniform. "I am to assume that materials and a place to stay will be provided to me?" It would be a pain, not to mention nearly impossible, to move her entire workshop to the Seireitei.

Byakuya gave a small nod. "You will be staying within the Kuchiki estate. Everything you need will be provided. If there is anything you require from your home, someone will be sent to retrieve it." He could not believe he had just done such an undignified thing. But at least she had not given him a hard time about it, and had agreed to the work.

The thought of having to live in the Kuchiki estate annoyed Kukaku, but she accepted the fact that it could have been worse. She was lucky that Byakuya wasn't putting her in the worst conditions possible for what she'd made him do. "If anything needs to be retrieved, I will get it myself." Kukaku insisted, "I cannot trust people unfamiliar with the workings of explosives to go through my workshop. I will not have any unintentional injuries due to the mishandling of my work."

Byakuya was almost impressed by the statement, but did not let it show on his face. "All right. Be ready within the hour. I will send a message saying we are returning."

Kukaku, without further word, turned and entered her home, leaving Byakuya and his men on her lawn. Once inside, she sighed heavily. "Oh, Aniki... what am I getting myself into?"