A/N: Phew I'm so sorry guys for making you wait sooo long for this chapter update. May. My last update was in May. As embarrassing as it is to say this, I'm kinda in a tough situation with college that made me have to focus on my academic scores so I never had any time to focus on this story and also I've been playing favorites with "Not the Cure" so that is also kind of my fault. So again sorry for making you wait for this chapter. Thank you everyone for reading and I appreciate both your support and the positive feedback from the last chapter. So without further waiting here you guys go.
Grimmjow rarely slept but when he did it felt like he just closed his eyes and then they would open. Just like that time would fly, no dreams and no fantasies that would occur. So his dark slumber after his massacre was norm for him but now that he was reincarnated he wanted to dream once more and despite being out cold, he could still feel the pain from his left arm, right fist, leg muscles felt like jelly but atleast his lungs weren't burning anymore. His void of a hollow mind gave him no comfort while he slept through the pain but there was not much else could do other than remember battles of the past of both his and past life. While they brought him some sort of entertainment, he wished he could just let his imagination take over.
All the Espada wanted to do was wake up and train some more. On top of the fact that if anyone from Konoha spotted him and managed to put two and two together, then Grimmjow was a dead man. His body was far from ready to use a Cero again and if his body could barely use that, then the idea of the Gran Rey Cero was out of the question, along with his Resurrección. He felt like he might just be able to use Sonido slightly more often than usual but the wind that restricted both his breathing and his vision will hinder the idea or atleast until the Espada could find a way over that weakness.
The sounds of his reminiscing mind were interrupted by small sounds of chatter. It was close to get his attention but far enough to make the talk seem muffled. Could Konoha of gotten him? No Grimmjow was far enough from the fort but the half corpse next to him could have raised suspicion.
He opened his eyelids to see only a bright sign with the letters "e" and "r" written on them. A small desk lamp was on his right over a book titled "Icha Icha Pooltime." Grimmjow remembered the series that his former sensei read publicly and his other mentor actually wrote. That just made Grimmjow that much more concerned that what if Konoha shinobi did capture him.
There was no person alive to vow that he was responsible for the massacre. He even counted each individual ninja, several times, just to ensure the exact amount of shinobi at the fort. He counted twenty men and women guarding the fort and he killed all of them without mercy excluding the Nara and Aburame he slightly respected for holding him for more than five seconds. If he was captured and discovered by Konohagakure, it would be all over.
"Well you're awake," Grimmjow turned to see a young female walk in as she sat in the empty chair that was next to him. She picked the book up at the base of the spine, parted he black hair out of her face and continued reading her novel. "Most people don't openly read this, let alone females. I do find the series humorous enough to want to read it though. It's mostly smut and it makes me laugh by the idea of sex. So how are you?"
"Konohagakure?"
"Excuse me?"
"Are we in Konohagakure or not?" the Espada shouted.
"What? No of course not. We're in Iwagakure. Why would we let Konohagakure get a hold of someone with your caliber. That reminds me," the woman said as she pinched the middle of her book allowing it to close. "The Tsuchikage demanded to speak with you the moment you woke up. So let's get you up off your ass and get going. I'm your escort."
The news of being in Iwagakure was a breath of fresh air for Grimmjow. It may have been one of the major Villages but atleast he managed to steer clear of the enemy. Another thing that got the Espada's attention was that the woman said that they didn't want to lose someone of his caliber. Did they plan to weaponize him like they do with the Bijuu or perhaps enlist him in Iwagakure forces? It would make sense that they would want him after he single-handedly slaughtered an entire fort by himself so who wouldn't want someone like that on their side.
"Name's Kurotsuchi by the way. The Tsuchikage told me to keep an eye on you so I grabbed my book and sat her to watch you. Took your sweet ass time waking up. I'll grab a wheelchair and we'll be off."
Grimmjow slid to the edge off the bed, refusing to be helped like some child and attempted to stand on his bandaged up legs. His left arm was completely numb and uncooperative with pushing himself up right and the right hand was almost in the same condition save the occasional twitch or two with his fingers. The Espada had to make use of propping himself up with his functional elbow and let his upper body do the heavy lifting.
He gritted his teeth at the seething pain coming from every fiber of his body. His wounds still felt fresh from the Jonin's Fūton techniques and a few of the Raiton jutsu that managed to make contact with his body burned without the adrenaline from battle to keep himself going. Grimmjow mentally cursed Konoha for having nearly every element type.
His vision blurred slightly and his stomach growled for nourishment. He wasn't in the best of moods either but it was better than being re-killed by the hands of his former home. Once the dizziness passed, Grimmjow leveled his feet with cold hospital tiles and made an effort to stand. Shortly out lived, his legs crumbled under him and the Arrancar was on the floor cursing himself for such weakness. He couldn't even get up enough to pull himself back on the bed to try once more. All he could do was lie there on the floor and wait for someone to pick him up like a newborn. It was more than embarrassing to the Sexta Espada. How far the mighty have fallen.
"Does the baby need help learning how to walk," said a voice sarcastically. Grimmjow lifted his heavy head enough to see the kunoichi that was overseeing his recovery watching him with a goofy smile, obviously enjoying his torment. "Didn't I tell you I was going to get you a wheelchair. Your nerves in your arm, hand and legs are completely shot to hell and back. They'll have to heal them slowly and you have to stay off them for a couple days so they can recover. So no point in overdoing it because you're going to stick around for awhile whether you like it or not. No matter how strong you may be, if I wanted to right now, I could kill you myself."
She was right, despite not wanting to admit it. He was in a vulnerable state that even the lowest class of hollow or even a shinigami with basic training could kill him with ease. So a shinobi with years of experience and possibly awareness of his possible weaknesses against a battered Espada with no use of both legs, one arm, a hand and no Zanpakuto; it would be child's play. So he had no room to talk back but accept the kunoichi's assistance with getting into a wheelchair.
She grabbed him by his wounded arm and tossed him into the wheelchair effortlessly. Grimmjow grunted as his arm flooded with pain. The Espada knew she did that on purpose due to his stubbornness but it was the price he had to pay for overestimating his new body.
He was use to taking on large hordes of Hollows, Adjuchas and Gillian alike, Shinigami of high levels, hell even fresh of the teat rookies and be able to ask for more with a sadistic smile but here he was half crippled, relying of someone else's help to move around and, probably the most embarrassing of them all, captured by another Village all within the same day practically.
"Can I ask what you have in store for me?" Grimmjow asked with slight annoyance in his tone.
"First off why you did it. Not every day someone just slaughters a border fort for fun. Secondly what techniques you have that allowed you to do it. From what are scout said that saw the whole thing transpire, he has never seen anything like it. Lastly, and most curious, how did you survive with a gaping hole the size of my head. My grandfather also had some things he wanted to do but he left that out."
Those questions weren't exactly easy to answer. He did it simply so he could test his power compared to the shinobi of Konoha but he couldn't say that it was because he was just reincarnated and needed to test his limits. That would get him thrown into the loony bin or beaten for being a smartass. The second question could be sated with that Konoha Jonin's idea of a kekkei genkai but having to come up with an ability that no one has ever heard of or on records would be difficult. The hardest answer to come up with would be his hollow hole that he kept after his revival. It has barley been over a day, to Grimmjow's knowledge, and the Espada was already out of the frying pot and into the fire.
Another problem was how was he to be in good graces with the old man. He's never met the Tsuchikage in his previous life so Grimmjow had no memories or idea of what he was like. If the Espada had to guess, the leader of Iwagakure was similar to Konohagakure's Hokage with slight differences. Grimmjow would usually just blast his way out but thanks to his damaged body, that plan was out the window.
Diplomacy. It was Grimmjow's only hope but that was hands down his weakest skill and had never given it any thought to strengthen it during his times in Hueco Mundo. Usually if the Espada couldn't have it his way, he'd make it his way. Luppi could attest to that.
"Great. Anything I should know about the old timer before I meet him?"
"First off don't bring up the fact that he's old or you'll be dust. Literally. He's mastered the Dust Release. It's composed of the Katon, Fūton and Doton Release. It's very strong and if our sources are correct from our informant, you're weak to Fūton and Raiton. Any truth to that?"
Grimmjow mentally cursed Iwagakure for knowing that information. So much for secrecy during his time in the Shinobi World. If they knew his weaknesses, then he was held by the balls. If the Tsuchikage had access to Fūton Release then it wouldn't surprise the Espada if the rest of the shinobi here knew some techniques to take advantage of said vulnerability.
A sudden realization crept into the back of Grimmjow's mind. Iwagakure never turned him in to Konoha nor had any plans to lose him so perhaps he could that as an advantage. If Iwa was interested in his abilities, then perhaps in exchange he can have them help the Espada with his revenge. If the Land of Wind ally themselves with the Land of Stone, maybe they could topple the Land of Fire. It was a stretch and a lot of carefully placed words would be needed, emphasis on the word careful, but it could be possible to turn this unfortunate situation into the greatest advantage the Sexta Espada could ever have in the Shinobi World.
His mouth curled into his signature sadistic smile. His body was shaking with anticipation and excitement. Having both the Tsuchikage and Gaara by his side excited the Espada to no end. His Fracción would be an unstoppable force worthy of being by his side. Powerful enough to crush his foes without Grimmjow having to get his hands dirty. The thought of the Arrancar and his followers banning together would strike fear into the hearts of any shinobi with no one to rival him. Or so he thought.
To Grimmjow the world of Hueco Mundo belonged to him and even as the Sexta Espada he still believed that. Challenging all the other members, making speeches of his birthright to rule Hueco Mundo and even bold enough to seal his rival, Ulquiorra, inside the Caja Negación just to prove a point of his dominion over the higher ranking Espada. He saw the world as his and his alone to rule.
The Shinobi World was no different to him. He saw all these people as his to rule as their rightful king. He was strong enough to wipe out a fort single handedly for fun, just because he wanted too. If he so desired, and could avoid any serious injury, he'd destroy all who opposed him but thanks to mortal body given to him by Kami, he was in no such position to burn Iwagakure to the ground at the current moment. He would just have to wait and train until he could. Then, both, Hueco Mundo and the Shinobi World would be his. Along with his completed soul and heart. It was just a matter of resources, training and, of course, time. Something Grimmjow knew he didn't have enough of.
Grimmjow arrived to a large door and his supervisor, Kurotsuchi, knocked on the large double stone doors. Well knock would be an understatement she would have broke the door in two had it not been made of five inch, thick stone. Grimmjow would have effortlessly smashed the door had he any use of his fists.
"Yes," said a nasally voice from behind the door. "Hurry up and tell me why you're bothering me. It better be good."
"It's your granddaughter. That person from the Konoha border slaughter is finally awake. Bit on the stupid stubborn side though."
"Yes! Yes! What are you waiting for just come in already."
"Just show some kind of respect and you should come out alive. Oh and don't poke fun about his back problems," Kurotsuchi told the Espada. "That's my gag and no one else's."
"Duly noted." The Espada said clearly unamused.
The stone doors opened at a slow manner that seemed like an eternity. The sound of scraping stone gave the Espada a headache, as minor as it was. There he saw a very small man looking out a window…floating. Like the size of a child small but in midair staring out a window. To the Espada it appeared that the man was the same size as said window. This guy was the leader Iwagakure. He could not be as strong as his granddaughter claims. The floating man rotated to meet the Arrancar's baffled gaze.
"So you're the one responsible for leaving a Konohagakure border in shambles. You may address me as Ōnoki of both Scales or the Third Tsuchikage and let me welcome you to my Village. So let's get down to business. How much do you hate Konohagakure?"
A/N: Sorry if it seems a little...dull towards the end. I've been under some stress as of late with writing and school so please don't be too harsh on me but if you guys have ANY feedback on how i can better my writing skills, I would gladly accept it. I am trying to better myself and who better to critique my writing than those who enjoy reading it. Thanks for reading.