Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, this chapter was a bit of a struggle for me. Fight scenes tend to be a weakness of mine so it took me longer to write. On the plus side, this ended up become the longest chapter to date. However, some parts were a bit rushed and so if you find something that needs corrected please let me know. Also, I ask you to remember that that there will be another chapter and not to freak out after you finish this chapter. That been said, please read the chapter warning.
Important Note: There is a Shunsui/Nanao contest going on right now. Details are available on my profile page, but I strongly urge all of you to participate to spread some more Shunsui/Nanao goodness!
Chapter Notes: I didn't write any spoilers here. I did do some research on kidō in order to make the scenes look more realistic but that was all. Any mention of Nanao's zanpakutō and her attack is pure fiction on my part. As a side note, the name of her sword, Karasukuro, means "black raven" in Japanese.
Chapter Warnings: First, I want to point out that there is some minor swearing, nothing too serious, but it is there. Second, I know that the ending of this chapter may seem like a good reason to attack me with sharp, pointy objects but remember violence is never the answer… right, right? …no? Crap, in that case, I'm just going start running now…. (speeds away)
Shout-outs (I'm in a bit of a time crunch right now so I will send out the actual review replies later): darkangel1910 (… I don't think this was quite what you had in mind, but I hope you enjoy it anyways), Sakura Taichou, Tomas Hydraxus (your review seriously made me laugh), (well, this is a longer chapter but humor didn't really fit into it; hopefully, some action will do as a substitute), breezybiatch (well, technically there is fighting but I don't think it ends the way you hoped…), Cheerio-panda45, faint-love (life is still a bit hectic but the muses wouldn't leave me be), Volere/Uchiha? (sorry for the late update, I do promise that the next one will be quicker), genny62890 (I agree, Nanao is being very stupid right now but she does have her reasons), AmbrosiusSchuler (I personally so sad to see this story come to a close but I think it's time) , JenovaJuice97 (I'm afraid I have a confession to make: I am addicted to writing cliffhangers. As a result, I have yet another one in store for you), ScrewyLouie12, Renji's Girll, Devatron2000, and finally Kyourakuzelda (I agree Shunsui is such a sweet guy, but unfortunately, Nanao feels very insecure right now because she thinks that he doesn't truly care about her)
Chapter Seven:
Secrets That Bind Us
Nanao didn't hesitate outside his door. She had realized in retrospect that there had been too much hesitation already; too much time wasted second-guessing her actions. Instead, she opened the door quietly and mentally prepared herself for whatever would meet her inside. For the most part, Kyrōkaru was a very predictable man. He drank sake like it was water, chased women like it was a national sport, and avoided paperwork like it was a sign of evil. Very predictable. Except, Nanao knew he became very unpredictable when angry. And her betrayal, as much as she hated to call it that, would definitely make him angry.
Thus, when she closed the door and took a glance into the room, she was surprised to see him sitting relatively calmly at his desk. True, his reiatsu was flaring up every so often and his normally warm eyes looked cold in anger, but overall, he was reacting better than she had anticipated. This only reaffirm her earlier suspicion, although he might be angry for her sudden departure, he would only view it as an inconvenience and nothing more. A small part of her felt disappointed by this, but ignored it. She had chosen this path for herself, now she had to live with it.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" As soon as she spoke the words, she knew that it was a mistake. Over the past decades as his fukutaichō, she had long stopped using the term "sir" and adopted a slightly more affectionate "Kyōraku-taichō" or just taichō in its place. If she had thought that lapse into the older term would help to create some distance between them, she had guessed wrong. Instead, it had achieved the opposite effect on Kyōraku. It awoke his simmering fury.
"Nanao," he said dropping the honorific as a sign of his seriousness and a reminder of their familiarity, "some paperwork has just come by my desk and I need you to verify its authenticity."
"Sir?" she responded startled.
"You see Nanao, the strangest thing just happened. A man just stopped by to get my signature on some paperwork but when I looked it over, I thought he must have made a mistake," he paused for a moment making sure he had her undivided attention before continuing. "After all," he continued, in a voice that was biting with anger and bitterness, "there is simply no way my own fukutaichō would request a transfer into a different division without even telling me."
She didn't answer. She couldn't even breathe. It felt like the time when tried to stand against Yamamoto's power only to end up gasping on the ground. The pressure in the air was thick with accusations and bitterness. She sealed her lips and clenched her fists. She would not crumble, not now.
"Sir," she said. She tried to remember the techniques her instructors at the Academy had taught her. She was stone; his words couldn't effect her.
"Talk to me, Nanao!" he growled, throwing the paperwork across his desk, "what the hell is going on?"
He was giving her an opportunity, to take it all back, to say what had been bothering her in the hopes that they could work through it together. But she felt it was too late for that now. She had already tried to fix things on her own. The sole reason for going out with the another man was because she was trying to erase her feelings for her captain before he had the opportunity to hurt her. But he already had, even if he didn't realize it.
The night when he walked out of the bar, she knew that ever compliment he paid her and every badly-written poem dedicated in her honor were nothing more than the lies of a notorious flirt. And she should have known better than to believe his words. But against all reasoning, her heart took hope in his words and his attentions. And now she had to pay the price. She loved him and always would and although he may see her as a good friend or an efficient lieutenant, he would never see her as a lover. And it hurt. It hurt more than she ever thought possible.
"Sir," she said as if it were her saving grace contained in a three letter word.
"What's going on, Nanao-chan?"
"Sir."
"What's changed in the last few months that led you to this?"
"Sir."
"Have I done something wrong?"
"Sir," she said as politely, and distantly, as the day they met.
In that instant, he despised her for it. "Quit acting like an unfeeling robot and talk to me!" he shouted.
They paused, staring at one another in disbelief. It wasn't the first time he had ever raised his voice to her, but it certainty was the first time that she was the cause of his anger. But even so, she could hardly blame him. Already, Kyōraku looked at her with such pain and regret that Nanao had to remind herself once again that this was for the best. Kyōraku would get another fukutaichō and in a few decades, he would forget all about her; the name Ise Nanao would fade away just as fukutaichō before her did. He would be fine.
As for herself, she could slip away into the shadows licking her wounds like an injured animal. Perhaps in time, she might even get a chance to heal. They would get past this in time. But in the present, she knew it was going to be difficult.
In a way, she knew that they aren't really angry at each other. Rather, they both are angry at themselves for their inability to just break the silence that has been building between them for months now. For months, he has wanted to yell, scream at her, shake some sense into her, in the hopes of figuring out what was wrong with her, but he kept quiet, thinking that it would all work out in the end. And ever since that night in the fourteenth Rukon District, she has wanted to ask for forgiveness, ask to stay by his side forever despite the pain it would cause when he finally did finally find someone to love, but the thought of staying with someone who could never love her silenced her tongue.
Thus, the once friends, the forever comrades, the would-be lovers, stood in opposition to one another as if they were enemies on the battlefield. Kyōraku looked at her with eyes burning with pain and anger. Nanao stared back blankly, burying her voice and regret deeper inside so he couldn't see.
"Taichō," she managed at last.
"Please Nanao," he said, in a tone so heartbroken that she wanted to cry with him, "tell me what is going on?"
"Taichō," she replied softly, giving the only reply she could.
He sighed. His right hand went up to cover his eyes and she thought for a moment he might be crying. The thought of it shook her but before she could say anything the sound of his laughter reached her ears. His laughter, normally so boisterous, was softer than normal and sharper than she remembered. "I always knew you'd be the death of me," he says in explanation.
She couldn't understand this. If anything it should be the other way around. "Taichō?" she repeated, a confused tone entering her voice.
"Let's make a deal," he said, looking out the window, which she interpreted as him being unable to tolerate looking at her now. "I'll sign this paper when you tell me the reason, the real reason, why you're leaving."
She hesitated, then cursed herself for wavering. Hadn't she already resolved to carry this thing through to the end? "Obtaining a signature from one's captain is a formality. The transfer can be approved by the Head Captain without your signature."
"True, true, but that will take a few weeks. Plus another few weeks before you get reassigned. Do you really want to wait that long?" he asked drumming his fingers on his desk.
In hindsight, she realized that she had underestimated him. Just because he avoided paperwork and constantly broke the rules didn't mean that he didn't know what they were. He had her caught. But which option was the lesser of two evils. Could she wait another month or so in a division where he would make it his personal goal to wrangled the reason for her departure out of her? Or could she risk letting him know the truth that he had captured her heart like he swore he would do on the day they met?
"Taichō," she said but the presence of a hell-butterfly prevented her from going any further.
She touched it and repeated the message aloud. "The tenth division have been ambushed, Head Captain Yamamoto orders the members of the eighth division to go in as reinforcements and provided cover as the fourth division removes wounded. Members of the eleventh will follow if needed." Hitsugaya, Rangiku. They were in danger. Nanao looked at Kyōraku for reassurance, as she had done ever since her arrival in Eighth. He rose from his seat.
"Let's get going," he said. She nodded. Other lives were at stake now and that took precedence over their problems.
A scarce ten minutes later, all the seated members of the Eighth division who weren't already on assignment had formed and stood waiting for passage to the living world to open. As the portal opened, the front of group began moving through. At the last second, Kyōraku bent down to whisper a message in Nanao's ear. "This isn't over between us."
Shaken by his words, she left the Soul Society and descended straight into hell. Everywhere she looked was chaos. Wounded members of the tenth division were scattered across the open ground and were vulnerable to attack. The members of the eighth division were already engaged in battling hordes of hollows that had swarmed to the area, perhaps detecting the entrance of new reiatsu on which to feed. And in the sky, a giant crack had appeared and to her horror she watched as an Ajūkasu, the accumulation of thousands of individual hollows, had began to fight its way in.
It would appear that the Soul Society had greatly underestimated the strength of their adversary. With any hope, she would live to complain about it later. First, she needed to create some space so that when the fourth division came through they wouldn't be walking into their deaths. Silver kidō lit her hands and she moved into a battle stance. When the first hollow rushed forward, she was more than ready.
"Shot of Red Fire!"
The hollow screamed as its outstretched arm exploded in midair. A second blast aimed at its eyes disintegrated it completely. But the struggle has drawn more attention. Two hollows charged in her direction. Rather than hanging back, Nanao rushed forward as well. At the last possible moment, she leapt over an outstretched claw and took to the air. Twisting her body, she sent two well-placed kidō spells upon each hollow; lightening ripped through their bodies, exploding them from the inside out. When she landed, there is a grim smile of satisfaction on her face. Three hollows down, an infinite more to go.
Twenty minutes later, there are still no signs of the eleventh division who were to be their reinforcements leading Nanao to the conclusion that she been optimistic earlier. This wasn't just a battle; this was turning out to be a massacre. And she was on the losing side. Everywhere she looked she saw too many hollows, too few Soul Reapers left standing to fight back. Each felled Soul Reaper just added strength to already powerful hollows. And the Ajūkasu that she had spotted earlier had managed to get halfway into the world of the living. Her captain and a weary Hitsugaya-taichō were trying to fight it off, but every time they had a chance to destroy it, a lesser hollow would interfere and the opportunity was lost. The longer they fought, the less of a chance they had at victory. She wanted to make her way to Kyōraku-taichō, but knew better than to do so. As much as she would like to help him, she knew that he had a tendency to take unnecessary risks in order to ensure her safety. It was safer for him if she stayed away. Even so, she couldn't help but stay within range so that if ever needed her, she would be there in an instant.
Nanao smiled ruefully at the irony of the statement but then winced as she shot another blast at a charging hollow. The pain in her broken wrist radiated up the rest of her arm, but she ignored it. She had a job to do. Even knowing that this was a battle that they weren't going to win was not going to stop her. She would keep fighting. It was her duty to do nothing less than her best. Even so, she could feel her power fading and weakening. Each kidō blast became weaker than the previous one and soon her once impressive blasts would become virtually ineffective.
"Nanao behind you!"
Shunsui's shout was loud and desperate and Nanao turned to defend herself. The hollow before her was massive; its body stretched towards the sky and its pincer hands split the crisp autumn air. More than likely it has already fed on other hollows and Soul Reapers alike, drawing their power into itself. And it would appear than it had chosen her for its next meal.
Nanao summoned kidō into her hands and sent a scorching strike of lightning at the creature. When the hollow merely winced off her blow, Nanao knew she was in trouble. She reached into her left sleeve and prepared to draw her zanpakutō. Her sword had not seen real battle in nearly fifty years but she knew that its blade was as sharp as ever. Its shape was small like that of a tantō, but the moment she touched its scabbard she could feel its power replenishing her own. She felt the voice of her zanpakutō settle into the back of her mind in the figure of a winged woman dressed in black.
Mistress?
Hello Karasukuro, it's been awhile.
Who do we fight, Mistress?
All that opposes us.
I am ready Mistress, just say the words.
"Soar Karasukuro!"
Karasukuro was unique from most zanpakutōs. It enabled its wielder to use their own kidō in conjunction with its blade. One puncture of her opponent's skin through Karasukuro enabled Nanao to send her own kidō along the blade and into her opponent's body in a single instant. From there, the raw, unstable power would rip her opponent apart from the inside. The drawback of the technique was that Nanao had to be close, extremely close, to her opponent in order for the technique to work. And once she cut them and deposited her kidō, she couldn't control its effects. Ninety-nine times out of one hundred, her opponent would be dead in the span of seconds in the resulting explosion. Which is why she normally didn't rely on it. It was too dangerous for everyday use and too impractical when fighting a vast army.
But in a moment like this, when she had to fight a single, stronger opponent, it was perfect.
The moment seemed to still and narrow in on her and the giant hollow before her. She prepared herself for his attack; her muscles tensed and her body tightened in anticipation. Then he charged. And everything evolved into rapid movement. She sent out spell after spell in the hope of distracting him for her true goal. A quick hit to his body with her blade. Unfortunately, she was having difficulty getting within range. Despite his large size, he was fast. His arms would launch out like the snap of a whip, leaving her to dodge his pincers or be crushed by their brute force. She jumped over one arm and prepared to strike when he spun suddenly and knocked her back. She landed a good fifty feat away couching up blood; with her chest shooting pain and her lungs on fire, Nanao knew that she has more than likely punctured a lung. Unless she received treatment soon, she would most likely die.
She didn't have much time left; she had to end this now. If she allowed it to feed on her powers, it would become even more deadly than before. She had to stop it, no matter the costs.
Thus she resigned herself to her fate, she would take one last chance to destroy the creature before it feed on her reaistu. She turned her head to get one last look at her captain – her dear, beloved captain – running to her aid. She knew that he would never arrive in time.
"Get out of there!" he screamed, fighting off the hollows that stood between them.
"I love you," she called with a blood-tinted smile and turned back to the hollow before her. It raised its pincers into the air and screamed in hellish fury. Nanao lifted in her head in stubborn determination. If she was to die, she would go down fighting. She summoned the last of her kidō into her broken right hand which held Karasukuro. And removed her glasses with her left and tossed them to the ground. Unohana-taichō had once warned her that removing her glasses, specially made to deplete her excess reiatsu power, would cause a surge in raw power that was unstable. It was a dangerous move, but one Nanao felt was necessary in this situation. Immediately, she could feel the effects. Her body felt stronger, more powerful. The typically repressed reiatsu coursed through her veins and turned her violet eyes a faint silver color. She felt Karasukuro pulse in her hands. One hit, one piercing of his skin, was all she needed.
"Come and get me," she whispered as the creature lunged.
The resulting explosion forced Shunsui to turn his eyes away. When he was finally able to look back, the hollow is nowhere to be found and Nanao laid motionless on the ground.
