Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach in any way.
To all who reviewed, thank you and some of your questions will be answered in this installment. Some answers will have to come later, so patience! This chapter is a bit longer than the others and please review!
Noble Person of Interest
Sneaky smiles were shared among the group until Nanao finally burst in exasperation,
"Will you stop grinning at each other? Nothing happened!"
"Oh nothing happened did it Nanao?" Rangiku replied, her eyes dancing in delight and spite.
"Nothing!" She snapped once more though in retaliation Shunsui decided to let his childish disposition take hold.
"Aw, Nanao-Chan you would call our heartfelt conversation last night nothing!" Crocodile tears slid down his face as he lamented. A hard glare was shot in his direction, no words needed.
Walking down to the pier where the ship was being repaired an idea had popped into Nanao's head and as it remained firmly rooted in her head, she turned to face the three men who were silently thinking.
"Why did you take us in the first place?" Her voiced question broke through the thoughts of the other five while Shunsui and Ukitake looked surprised and slightly apprehensive of the question, Gin answered immediately,
"Why? Well we caught your ship to replace our funds and supplies first of all, second of all to retain our name, and third because we were planning on ransoming you but I suppose that's out of the question now." All of this was said so nonchalantly that it took minutes before the answer had sunk in. Two screams and dangerous glare sent two of the men running and causing the third to disappear into a nearby alley.
Eventually the two were caught and as they tried to babble excuses or reasons for attempting to ransom the woman. A whack to the head quickly sent the men cowering and touching their tender heads.
Gin slipped into the group, thinking it was safe to reenter the fray…he was wrong. Rangiku's fist met his fist as he attempted to dodge her blow…in the end of it though, he had received a whack to the head for his troubles,
"Geez Ran, what was that for?" Gin rubbed at the bump that was forming on his head,
"That was for attempting to ransom us." A smirk that rivaled even Gin's had grown on Rangiku's face,
"Ah but Ran we've still got you under our control since Ise-San here still has the silver bracelets on." Looks of shock and surprise met the statement as Nanao lifted her sleeves to reveal the shining bracelets. As Rangiku was about to lunge for Gin, they reached the boatyard.
Slipping into their aristocratic masks they all turned into nobility before the man standing before them,
"I'm sorry, but your boat will need another few days being fixed up before she's sea worthy again." Saying nothing, Shunsui gave nothing but a dismissing nod and walked off his face turned in a secret smile as the workman stood there shaking his head before turning back to the damaged boat.
Relaxing back into his normal posture, Shunsui turned to the girls and gave the girls a smile,
"So where are we headed today?" Simultaneously all three gave different answers,"Bookstore."
"Tailor!"
" I wouldn't mind replenishing my medicinal supplies." Shrugging, Ukitake replied to the last of the statements,
"I could accompany her to get my cough medicine." Unohana said nothing giving only a nod. Smiling, (or was he smirking?) Shunsui leapt for Nanao as she fended him off with her fan,
"I will protect my Nanao-Chan from all harm and accompany her to the bookstore!"
"Since when have I become YOURS?" Nanao's outrage followed in her wake,
"I suppose that just leaves me with ya Ran-Chan." Making a face, Rangiku ran off as her face brightened,
"You'll have to catch me first!" Sprinting off, Rangiku ran into the distance and as Gin followed her, the group peeled off in their general directions.
The quiet tinkling of a bell announced the two's arrival at the apothecary . Examining the shelves stacked with herbs and bandages, Unohana began to reach for odds and ends that she believed they would need in the future. Ukitake had already found his medicine and shadowed Unohana, acting like a curious child, asking what each herb did and what she planned to use it for.
Going through her mental checklist of bandages and herbs Unohana realized that there was one last component that she was missing. Looking about for the single plant she was missing she finally got a glimpse of it hidden behind a bottle of a questionable substance on a high shelf.
Ukitake had slipped out of the shop for a moment to buy a last minute item and as Unohana strained to grab the herb she felt someone behind her reach out and pluck it from her grasping fingertips. Turning to face the person who had grabbed the herb, she was surprised to find Ukitake's face a few mere inches away from her own. Blushing, Ukitake took a step back and handed her the herb before mumbling out,
"Are you done?" Merely nodding, Unohana remained speechless as she handed him the multiple healing aids she had chosen to buy.
Approaching the shopkeeper, both internally recoiled from the creepy man with the excessive makeup and mask.
"Will this be it for you?" Shivering from the chilling tone that the man had, they said nothing and merely nodded in response. Looking up to face the customers, the man gave an eerie grin and directed his question at Unohana,
"Are you the female doctor, Retsu Unohana?" Peering closer at her, the man gave a smirk and spoke once more,
"Aha! I knew it! Hmm…you are an anomaly, your brain seems unique. May I take a look?" The odd question silenced Unohana and Ukitake as both stared at the disturbed man. Accepting the silence as her consent the man reached for a scalpel that lay on the counter.
Waking from his stupor, Ukitake gave a rare glare at the insane man,
"No. We must leave now. Good bye." Taking the bags of medicine and healing supplies in one hand, he led Unohana out with the other.
As the bright sunlight of the afternoon hit her full in the face, she blinked and as the events began to trickle back in her mind, Unohana showed no outward reaction except for her quivering hands as she kept her dignified face. Keeping quiet, Ukitake allowed her to think.
They weren't the only ones who had problems, in the streets of the town, Rangiku darted among them with Gin following behind her as she kept just out of his hands.
People leaping out of the way of the rampaging pair, heads shook disapprovingly as they disappeared around the next corner. Finally Rangiku, unknowing of the town, met a tall wall of brick as she slowly turned to face Gin. He approached like a fox with his prey. Rangiku was cornered.
The euphoria of joy that Rangiku had been feeling began to fade as the expression on Gin's face reminded her of a past memory…one that involved a smaller version of Gin and his smiling face. Tears slid silently down her cheeks leaving tracks behind.
Catching her as she fell, Gin cradled her in his arms as she cried and spoke between her tears,
"Why did you leave? You promised you would stay with me even when my father had us move. You disappeared suddenly, leaving no trace." After her cries had declined Gin's voice came out, soft and honest.
"Ran, I didn't want to leave, believe me I didn't. I'm so sorry for breaking your heart, don't worry I won't leave you ever again. Please don't cry Ran, I still can't handle your tears." As her tears slowed she turned to face the close-eyed man who had left her several years ago,
"I expect you to explain one of these days but for now I'm content with your promise. Just don't break it." Whispering, Rangiku allowed a final tear to slip down her cheek before standing and pulling Gin with her,
"Come on I need to get a new dress, this one got stained from the mud." Both were smiling now as they headed for the nearest tailor.
Her temper was about to blow, Nanao turned to the man behind her and spoke, her eyes lighting up in flames, with her temper shooting higher,
"I told you I am not yours nor are you allowed to call me Nanao-Chan!" Kyouraku feigned a look of surprise,
"Nanao-Chan looks so cute when she's angry!" The need to slam her head in the wall was becoming imminent.
As she resisted the urge to slam her head into the lines of books, Nanao got an idea as she caught a glance of an interesting and best of all, it was large. While Kyouraku remained oblivious to her plan, she edged towards the large tome. Easing it slowly off the shelf, she weighed it in her hands and kept it hidden from Kyouraku's view,
"Nanao-Cha-" the tome slammed into his face, soon after Nanao approached the cashier and spoke,
"I would like to buy this!" A secret smile lit up her face, this would be useful.
Unknowing, as Nanao had bought the large book, a figure was watching her from a dark corner. This figure had smiled a cold, icy smile as he caught sight of Nanao's face as she left the store with Kyouraku bemoaning of her cruelness. The figure followed silently in their footsteps and they continued their banter, unknowing.
