To Steal From Thieves
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or the characters within.
A/N: So, after two weeks I have finally finished the next chapter. This update gave me a headache for a long time and I am very glad that SweetYuya and my boyfriend helped me a lot. Many thanks to both of them, I really appreciate their help and encouragement and also many thanks to my reviewers. Read and enjoy! :D
A/N 2: Somehow that damn editor deleted some parts of my script -.- I added them again and hopefully, the editor will not remove them again.
Chapter 10: Questions
Bit by bit, the shivers that racked her body decreased, as her racing heart began to slow. As her body calmed, so did her mind, allowing her to mull over this wretched situation she'd found herself in. It had been several minutes since the intimidating Captain left her leaning against this wall with her head bent, and she still had not moved. It dawned on her now that he was not likely to leave her much time to herself, and would no doubt enter the room once more to make certain she was not attempting to flee. The parting words he left her with were daunting, resounding in her mind despite her self admonishment. He had no idea that she truly was 'Azumi' and she intended to keep it that way.
Slipping out of her sleeping yukata, Nanami hastily dressed in a simple, but comfortable kimono and hakama, both a pleasant, muted shade of blue. There were no decorations or embroidery on either, a striking reminder to the simplicity she was used to. Nanami had never been one to cling to material things, denying the splendour and luxury most would have enjoyed for a life content with what little she called her own. Even with all her burglaries and exploits in West Rukongai, she still preferred her modest lifestyle.
Pleased with her outward appearance, she breathed deeply to calm her nerves before leaving the current safety of her bedroom to face the frightening shinigami that momentarily occupied her living room. Her eyes fell on the tiny vial of sleeping powder at her bedside, recalling the potency of the solution. Reaching for the fragile bottle, she tucked it into the sleeves of her kimono discreetly before stepping out to face him.
Though Byakuya originally had not planned on letting the young woman out of his sight, he truly doubted she would be foolish enough to attempt an escape. Allowing her the privacy she desired gave him valuable time to search her humble abode, seeking out every last hiding place or niche that would be suitable for hiding her stolen goods. The Kuchiki heir's watchful eyes absorbed every last detail of what he would consider to be a derelict home, but found himself disappointed once more. There was nothing to indicate the woman had a criminal identity.
So what was keeping him from releasing her? It was simple enough to conclude Nanami was different than the average Rukongai citizen. The bookshelves were lined with records and more than a few documents about remedial medicine and herbs, all of which can be quite difficult to understand. They required a great deal of knowledge and intelligence as a basis in order to benefit from their knowledge. He would expect nothing less of Azumi, the woman had already proven she was no fool and certainly not an average thief. He'd underestimated her once, but he would not do it again.
Inevitably, his thoughts circled around the young woman currently changing in the next room. She'd been both reserved and conservative when speaking to Renji, obviously to bail out the children. However, so shortly after achieving that goal and diverting their attention from the children, she made the mistake of attacking him. Those dark eyes of hers had revealed just how difficult it had been for her to restrain herself that long, bridling her anger, only to eventually give into it. He was still uncertain if he should consider her actions courageous, or just downright ludicrous. One would have expected that a woman of her intelligence would not have been foolish enough to assault a Captain. And yet, she'd done just that, probably knowing full well that it would only hurt her in the end.
The crunching of the door caught his attention, pulling his gaze to the young woman that had just been occupying his thoughts, fully dressed now, and standing in the doorway. After their recent encounter, he had expected her to shyly avoid all eye contact, in hopes of avoiding any further castigation. Instead, he found those dark brown eyes defiantly glaring at him, rather than the floor. Unfazed, he returned the stare, his eyes and composure cold and unyielding. None of his subordinates would have dared to look at him that way, openly challenging him. It seemed Nanami was not yet aware of that fact, though he would rectify it soon enough.
"I trust you will not be foolish enough to attempt to resist once more. The consequences for you would be most painful." The menacing voice, combined with his intimidating presence made Nanami shudder despite herself. Even so, she ignored that inner voice that warned her not to react to the mockery in his voice, instead choosing to retort fiercely to him. "I believe your little show of force over someone weaker than yourself displays a similar unreasonableness and immaturity as well."
Byakuya's eyes narrowed to slits at her little rejoinder, scrutinizing the fiery young woman before him. He could hardly believe that she would dare give him such a snippy reply. However, he quickly noted that her self-confident demeanour failed to reach her dark eyes that displayed her fear of him, as well as the raging fury and burning contempt. She would do well to fear me he thought, breaking away his gaze to search her figure, seeking out any hidden weapons she may have concealed while changing. Of course, he knew the woman would not stand a chance against him in battle, but he was both watchful and cautious by nature.
Nanami frowned as his sharp gray eyes slid across the curves of her body...searching. Uneasy with his blatant examination of her form, she shifted her weight from foot to foot. What is he looking for? She wondered, becoming more and more agitated as his gaze followed the path from her breasts, down to her belly and hips. Suddenly, those chilly eyes found hers again, ending the uncomfortable inspection, though she was certain he did not fail to notice the reddening of her cheeks as its result.
Despite her discomfit, when their eyes met, Byakuya saw her delicately chiselled features turned down into a provoking frown, along with a bellicose glimmer in her eyes. With her arms crossed beneath her breasts, and her feet providing a cursory tapping against the wooden floor, she resembled more a petulant child than a strong willed woman.
"We are going." He stated, unperturbed and completely unmoved by her outward display. He'd already turned to exit the battered hut, white scarf fluttering gracefully behind him, and once again reminding Nanami of his position as Head of the Kuchiki Clan.
Though she had intended to protest about his formal order, in the end, Nanami decided it was better for her to obey. Dropping her arms back to her sides, she trailed behind the exalted presence of the shinigami Captain.
Their journey into the upper districts of the Rukongai, and eventually into the Seireitei proceeded without incident. As they walked, they were eventually joined by the remaining shinigami in the initial search party, as well as Renji, Rikichi, Kori the cook and Midori. Together they moved towards the towering barracks of the 6th division, picking up leftover units along the way. Midori and Nanami spoke in hushed voices, wondering just what the questioning could be about. Much to Nanami's relief, Byakuya abandoned the group shortly before they were inside the Seireitei, leaving Renji in charge.
Every now and then, the flame-haired Lieutenant caught a glimpse of the petite, dark female, and eventually, he let himself fall back in the group to chat with her. Coming up along side her, he struck up a conversation, though not very gracefully.
"Hey there...I was curious...you aren't actually related to that little ruffian? Isamu was his name I think." He asked partly out of his genuine interest as to what their relationship might be, but truly, he was interested to learn more about the intriguing female that had so swiftly shut the troublesome boy up. Concern over her being one of the many suspicious persons under investigation never even entered his mind.
Bringing her conversation with Midori to a halt, Nanami's face softened immensely at the inadvertent reminder of Isamu and Tomoko's safety. Glancing at the handsome man who sauntered so confidently beside her, she answered him honestly. "We aren't related by blood, no. Those two children are, nevertheless, family to me."
"I thought as much. The little troublemaker only seems to listen to you. He was lucky that it was me he attacked, and not Kuchiki-taichou." Renji grimaced at the memory of their little 'battle' and unconsciously his hand shifted slightly towards his midsection. Oh yeah, taichou would have slaughtered the little shit...
Repressing a grin, Nanami nodded to him. "I couldn't agree more. He's not a bad child, really. Sometimes he's a bit of a handful, but then other times he can be as amicable as an angel."
Snorting, Renji absentmindedly scratched the back of his head before responding. "Yeah, I'm sure he is...when he's asleep."
For a moment, Nanami gaped at him with wide eyes, before she began to laugh warmly at his assessment of the boy. As she tried to quell her fits of laughter, she playfully poked Renji in his arm. "I've got to admit, you're much better company than your Captain."
Eyeing the giggling female, Renji beamed at her praise, as well as her pleasant laughter. It was unusual to hear such a thing from a resident of the shabby, lower districts of the Rukongai. Life there was usually too hard and too dangerous, and there was little reason for laughter. "It's not easy working with Kuchiki-taichou, especially when someone pisses him off. You never want to be the one he's mad at." He replied, offering her a toothy grin.
As strange as it might sound, the friendly banter with Renji actually helped tremendously to soothe the doubts and thoughts that gnawed at her mind in an endless flood. The lax atmosphere giving her renewed confidence, Nanami turned the subject back to his struggle with Isamu. "Abarai-fukutaichou, I have a question for you."
"No" was his sudden and unexpected response, the strange smirk on his face only confusing her further.
Puzzled, Nanami struggled to piece together that cordial expression on his face with the blunt refusal. "But...why not?"
"For you, sweetheart, there is no 'Abarai-fukutaichou'. Just call me Renji, everyone else does."
The confusion and distress quickly faded as Nanami grasped his meaning, though she still found it quite odd. "Isn't it incredibly rude to speak to the second seat of a division that way?"
Clutching his stomach, Renji let out a hearty roar of laughter at her question. If he hadn't caught the darkening expression on Nanami's face, he might have laughed all the way into the division house. Clearly, she didn't appreciate his childish behaviour. Once his laughter subsided, he replied to her though humour still laced his tone. "Okay, so I'm a Lieutenant, yeah. I'm also originally from district 78 in West Rukon. I'm not exactly the kind of person who fusses over formalities." He paused a moment, waiting for her nod of understanding before speaking again. "Now that we've got that cleared up, why don't you tell me what's on your mind?"
Seemingly deep in concentration, Nanami stared almost absentmindedly at the narrow path that was leading them into the Seireitei. Taking a deep breath, she finally plunged ahead with her question. "Did you really intend to hurt Isamu? When I arrived to see your sword resting at his throat...it looked as though you meant to kill him." Unsure of what his reaction would be, Nanami kept her eyes glued to the ground, refusing to even glance in his direction.
"Are you kidding? The brat earned a beating for sure, but I'm not going to stoop so low as to kill a kid for being a smart ass to me." Renji's voice lost all amusement from earlier, returning to a serious and level timbre. The kid pissed him off, and he surely would have liked to kick the shit out of the little demon, especially after getting hit in the nuts, but he would never gravely harm a child. No matter how much they pissed him off.
Taken aback by his emotion filled reply, Nanami accepted his answer, and decided that was enough seriousness for this conversation. Even though their discussions had been short, they were vivid enough for her to discern that he was a rather bold, but honest man. Satisfied with her own conclusions, Nanami tried to lure him back out of his shell with questions about his rather prominent tattoos, shifting the topic entirely. It did the trick, prompting Renji to launch into a detailed explanation. His depictions of past adventures were quite colourful, and accompanied with many zestful gestures and grins.
The two spent the remainder of the trip chatting amicably, bantering back and forth, and sharing jokes and laughter. Nanami teased him once over his rather strange hairstyle and the man tried for nearly half an hour to correct it, with Nanami barely containing her laughter. Steadily, the aching stiffness faded away from her tense muscles and more than ever she found herself grateful to have been entrusted to Renji's care, rather than his Captain's. Even if Renji made it clear he would not let either of the 3 women out of his sight, his outgoing behaviour was a far cry from the awkward strain of dealing with his superior. He grumbled more than once about his orders from the Captain to watch them, though Nanami had already suspected Byakuya would keep a tight watch on them all, especially her.
Byakuya didn't even bother to raise his head to welcome the third person he would interrogate that day, gesturing instead to the spacious couch in the middle of his rather dreary looking office. "Sit down."
He'd already decided to exclude Midori and the cook Kori from further investigations; due to the fact that they were either too old or physically inept to have fit into the role of a thief. However, he expected his interview with the petite female would prove to me more interesting. Silently, he calculated that she would ignore, or disobey his commands again. To his complete and utter surprise, she obeyed his request without a single objection. The only outward sign of his shock, was the faint rise of one dark brow, indicating his astonishment at her behaviour.
Nanami's first impression of the commodious office was that it lacked feminine empathy in the way of decoration. The walls were painted white, bearing no paintings, photos or anything to provide a more homely atmosphere. Obviously, he wanted nothing to distract the officers from their daily work. The scanty furniture only strengthened this effect. The only pleasant quality about the room was the warming fire coming from an aged chimney. The mantle above was decorated with a ting music box, richly detailed and studded with precious stones. One surreptitious glance was all Nanami needed to tell it was a collectors item.
Unfamiliar with the structure of the office, Nanami inspected her surroundings closely. In her previous visits into the Seireitei, she'd avoided the 6th division entirely; for fear that Kuchiki Byakuya would instantly discover her. She still could not fathom how the man was able to sense her when she was so carefully concealed by thin layers of reiatsu.
"What is your surname" He asked, beginning the questioning she so dreaded. Straightening her back, Nanami focused her attention on the haughty Captain, noting that the man did not even deem it necessary to look at her when he spoke.
„I don't know."
"Explain."
It was a struggle not to wince at the sharp tone that appeared in his typically indifferent voice. Even while sitting at the massive desk, studying a veritable flood of documents, the man's presence was daunting. An aura of calmness tinged with intimidation surrounded him.
Banishing all visible insecurity from her features, Nanami heeded his command and answered him truthfully. "It's just as I said. I don't know my surname. The only relative I had, died 70 years ago, and never once told me my last name."
Glancing up from the surge of reports he studied, Byakuya inspected the now collected woman thoroughly. Through her slightly shaded eyes, he could ascertain the honesty behind her response, as well as identify the pain that came with the admission.
Unperturbed, he continued his interrogation after a moment, elegantly writing his notes onto the record in front of him. From her current distance, Nanami couldn't see what the man wrote down, but upon hearing his long, even brush strokes she wondered what he noted at her response. Once more, his velvety voice sliced through her rather pointless pondering. "Who was this person?"
"My brother" she replied, feeling no need to lie to him in regards to her family background. She had no doubt that a man such as he would surely check such pivotal details to be certain of their accuracy. Not liking the direction his questions were beginning to take, Nanami kept her answers short and to the point.
Many incidents from her caliginous past haunted her, especially the disaster that led to her brother's death, despite all the years that had passed. Back then, she'd been an inexperienced child, with no loving parents or caring relatives. To get by, she stole from commoners like herself, breaking into ramshackle houses and unlocked shops for her daily bread. Due to murderers and brigands that roamed the streets at night, she lived in the nearby forest most of the time, hiding from prying eyes and learning to survive the harshness of Rukongai. Unwilling to reveal such information to the aristocratic Captain, Nanami kept those dolorous memories hidden behind a mask of confidence.
"And what were the circumstances of his death?"
Unnoticed by Nanami, Byakuya was carefully watching for and noting every nuance of her delicately formed features. He witnessed them shift from honesty, to fear, then to sorrow and now back to confidence. With the knowledge that he had indeed hit a soft spot, he continued the interrogation along that vein.
"He was trapped in a fire...in our house." Nanami replied, demurely folding her hands in her lap and knitting them together. Her serene exterior suggested that she'd come to terms with the gloomy subject. However, one glance in those dark eyes told Byakuya quite another story. Grief and pain seemed to grip them, giving him an impression of fragility.
Scribbling down more notes on her striking personality, he carried on. He wouldn't allow her off the hook that easily, instead, he chose to use the tragic death of her sibling as a stepping stone for further questions. "Is he the one who taught you to read and write?"
Perplexed, Nanami stared at him for a moment, baffled as to why he would be interested in her reading and writing abilities. Then it dawned on her. He expected 'Azumi' to have such abilities, and it was certainly unusual for an ordinary citizen to. Uncomfortable with where her train of thoughts was leading, she contemplated her response, and answered carefully. "He was very skilled with the brush and a talented teacher."
"And what did you do to survive after he died?"
Painful recollections washed over her in a sorrowful wave. Byakuya had deliberately linked his probing questions to a subject she was emotionally attached to, in hopes of getting a visible reaction out of the composed female. With this realization, Nanami knew he would mercilessly drag out every last tidbit until she told him everything she knew...or betrayed herself.
Nanami's fury sprouted once more beneath the surface, and her blood began to boil. Does this man have no sympathy?! When it sank in that he had cold-heartedly antagonized her on purpose, it took everything she had to rein in her anger. His dispassionate and heartless attitude when faced with her pain and suffering only fuelled her growing rage. That velvety soft, yet indifferent voice just dared her to attack him again. Usually, Nanami was a peaceful woman and would never hurt another person if she could avoid it, but for him she would make an exception.
Swallowing her own pride, she ground her fury to a halt in order to reply, but she could not keep the bite from her voice. To be so callously reminded of the events was hurting her far more than the blade of his zanpaktou ever could. "I begged on the dirt covered streets for food or water."
Byakuya literally felt the shift in her attitude. Emotional dismay often works wonders in coaxing someone out of their shell. If she betrays herself now it would save me hours of fruitless labor. The agitated female did indeed fit the rough description of Azumi provided by Keisuke. She was slender in shape, graceful and yet tentative. She feared him and yet she was daring enough to risk offending him. If she is Azumi, I will make certain she does not elude me a second time.
"And when no one was willing to provide you with food?" The emphasis on which he'd placed the word 'provide' nearly drove her mad and she just barely caught herself before snapping at him. Shocked and humiliated to the bone, she glared daggers at him.
Cumbrously, she controlled the blood burning in her veins, focusing on keeping her voice calm as she spoke. "Then I gathered what I could in the forest, living off herbs, berries or the flesh of animals." She had to bite her perfidious tongue and swallow hard to keep herself from flinging violent curses at him.
"And when the forest was occupied with roaming bandits? What did you do then?"
Throughout the entire conversation, he'd never raised that indifferent voice, his only reactions being to hastily scribble down notes at her responses. His arrogance and superior attitude had brought Nanami perilously close to the edge, but she'd recovered each time. He will not goad me into slapping him again. This time, he managed to send her over, his cruelty giving her one final shove.
Infuriated, Nanami rose from her sitting position on the spacious couch, fists clenched and her nails biting into the soft skin of her palms. She'd had more than enough of his churlish behaviour, lashing out at him at last. Piercing eyes glittering with rage, she was barely able to contain the blazing urge to attack him, squeezing her hands together even tighter. "I wasn't pampered by five servants and three housemaids!" she snapped.
While Byakuya had considered multitudes of reactions, he'd certainly not expected to receive such a sarcastic and offensive response. This woman really wants to die... Slowly, he placed the documents he'd been holding on the desk, rising from his seat and gracefully gliding towards her. The woman has some gall, with those defiant eyes and sharp tongue. She is intelligent enough to know better and she will learn to behave in my presence! Taking another step towards Nanami, his left hand wandered–for dramatic effect, no doubt–to the solid hilt of his zanpaktou.
Nanami's small frame grew stiff as he made his second, carefully placed step in her direction. Her senses jumped, immediately on high alert when his hand so elegantly came to rest on the hilt. Memories of that merciless hold he'd had on her only hours before came back in a tidal wave, her fear cresting. Dimming the fires of her rage, panic gripped her heart fiercely. It seemed his very approach made it difficult to breathe, and she was soon scolding herself for her own foolishness. When he took his next step, Nanami did as well, moving back. He looks like a predator on a hunt she thought, her fright filled eyes kept wandering over to the sword at his side. Unconsciously, she took yet another step back, desperate to escape his terrifying presence.
Suddenly, Nanami struck the desk of the 6th divisions Lieutenant with an audible bump, horrified to discover there was no where else to go. Glancing back at the imposing figure, she blinked. At first glance, Byakuya had been on the far end of the room, still relatively close to his own desk. A second glance found him towering directly in front of her.
It was the second time the man had deliberately invaded her personal space, but she did not dare look up into those cold, unyielding eyes she knew she would find. At this range, his menacing aura heightened her fear immensely, as if it weren't skyrocketing already. Again, she cursed her own stupidity, now furious with herself for offending him. Uncertain whether she should apologize to him or just be quiet, she vehemently refused to even sneak a peek at him, staring silently at the wooden floor.
Seizing her chin with his thumb and forefinger, Byakuya applied a minute amount of pressure, just enough to force her to raise her head and meet his grim visage. He couldn't explain why, but those lively, feisty eyes of hers fascinated him, though he doubted he was the only one. They resembled a fine array of emotions that were usually hidden beneath her controlled composure. Now that he was this close, they were plainly visible to him. They had shown him many things before, pain, grief, sorrow, and then to fire, vigor and devotion. Though now they only shook with fear.
"I see it is possible to prevent you from uttering your rashly spoken words." He noted aloud. His reserved, detached expression was in stark contrast to the gentleness of his touch. Nanami had intended to answer him, when she felt his thumb grazing her rough lips. Moving his smooth fingertips gently across her lips, he used his free hand to trap her, preventing any attempts of escape. How can such a merciless man have such an affectionate touch?
That silky voice of his was but a quiet whisper when it met her ears and even so, Nanami heard the silent threat in it loud and clear.
"I loathe to repeat myself, but I believe this will be the last time I am forced to do so. Tell me now, just what did you do as a child to survive?"
Usually, Nanami was not one to be intimidated. In her harsh lifetime, she'd observed many shinigami, but none that exuded such an ominous and overwhelming aura as he did. The man's mere existence at this moment seemed enough to make the words freeze in her throat. Softly, his thumb glided over the outlines of her mouth, reminding her of the power he held. Outsiders could misunderstand his caress for a kind of affection between lovers, but in truth, it was a game for supremacy. A game he had won so effortlessly. Nanami assumed this demonstration of power and dominance was meant to push her back into her place in the hierarchy. Grazing her lower lip with a tender stroke for the last time, he slowly pulled his hand back, as if to give her permission to speak once more. Even so, he did not take one step back, his refusal to move serving as a reminder to answer his questions truthfully.
Inhaling deeply, Nanami sucked in the much needed oxygen into her lungs. She'd only just noticed that she'd not been breathing. Swallowing hard, she tried to find her voice again. When she did, it trembled slightly, and her tone was meek and compliant. "The life in the Rukongai was harsh and unforgiving, certainly not suited for a child. I begged on the street, gathered herbs or stole things from other people to live. I hid from gangs and bandits and in the night I slept in a cave or empty buildings. When I was older, I worked for a farmer and assisted a friend in the library. One day, I read a book about the curative effects of some herbs, so I began gathering and selling those to earn money."
That was only a tiny part of the complicated truth, but even that made her feel miserable, as it was exposing the in-depth details of her private life to a horrible man such as he.
Just moments after the flood of words poured from her mouth, two sharp knocks broke the awkward silence that followed.
"It's Abarai-fukutaicho...may I come in, sir?" Nanami recognized the throaty voice of Renji from the other side of the chunky door almost instantly.
Byakuya eyed the still closed door thoroughly, before stepping back from Nanami and granting Renji's request. "You may enter, Abarai-fukutachiou."
"Sorry to disturb you, sir. I thought you were already finished with the interrogations." Renji apologized, bowing respectfully to his superior, while casting a curious glance in Nanami's direction. Her distraught appearance and trembling hands did not go unnoticed.
"Abarai, you will accompany this young woman to one of the division guest rooms. She will be staying here for quite some time." Without sparing either of them a second glance, Byakuya returned to the document he'd cast aside earlier and wrote down his final notes of the interview.
Nodding briefly to Nanami, Renji motioned for her to follow. "This way." Grateful to have escaped the unpleasant questioning, Nanami completely forgot about her own job, and what her absence over the next few days would mean. As they stepped out in the hall, Renji gently nudged her with his elbow to grab her attention.
"I have no idea what you said to him, but trust me when I say you shouldn't piss him off. Just do whatever he says and you'll be fine, but you have got to be careful around him." The deathly serious tone of his voice, combined with his concerned expression alarmed Nanami more than his words. Renji did not strike her as overly pensive or cautious, but if he was admonishing her and instructing her to be careful, she should do so.
Nodding, she followed him down a dreary stairway to the ground floor of the immense building. Stopping in front of one of the many doors, he pulled a tiny key from his pocket, unlocking the door prior to let her in. Before Nanami could comment on the battered and overall grim room she'd been assigned, her stomach growled, reminding her bitterly that she'd not eaten today.
Renji's broad grin only heightened her growing embarrassment, though his kindness softened the blow a bit. "I'll go find something to eat for you, don't worry." Gently pushing her the rest of the way into the desolate and scantly furnished room, he quietly shut the door, giving her some much needed solitude.
While Renji was gone to search for a meal, Nanami studied the bleak room she'd been given. There was a worn out chair and desk in one corner, as well as a tattered old mattress in another. Other than that, there was no other furniture to speak of. Spotting a shabby door on the right wall, Nanami curiously walked over, pushing it open to see where it led. Creaking on its hinges, the dilapidated door swung open to reveal a simple bathroom, just as austere, if not more so, as the living area. It may not have been the nicest place to stay, but she'd certainly lived in worse and this was more than she expected for someone being held prisoner. There was a threadbare window directly across from the entrance, but it was so dirty that no one could see in or out of it.
Though she held a faint glimmer of hope that she would be freed soon, Byakuya's intense questioning kept her on edge. He wouldn't let her get away easily. Her similarities to Azumi were too great for that. Of course, reminding herself that she resembled Azumi because she was Azumi did nothing to calm her frazzled nerves.
She also had to work in the pharmacy and look after Isamu and Tomoko. Yuudai might get by a few days without her help, but if she was gone too long, he'd find someone else to do her job. Inwardly, she cursed Byakuya for ruining the peaceful harmony of her life. Plunking down on the hard mattress with a thud, she crossed her arms behind her head and contemplated her situation. After Byakuya's chilling reaction during that excruciating questioning, Nanami swore to herself she'd never let that heartless man close to her again.
Dark gray eyes stared at the ruby encrusted ring that lay in Hisana's shrine by her portrait. Soi Fon had wrested the precious band from the claws of the trader, Tsubasa, and the man was currently withering away in one of the more somber cells of the 2nd division. However, it was the audacious thief Azumi, who had robbed him of this ring and it was that woman that currently held his complete attention.
Lost in his own ruminations, Byakuya stared blankly at the unusual item. The Ring of Pride was sharpened brilliantly with a red jewel in the middle socket. Small, silver serpents formed the base and held the precious gem in place. Hisana never wore the ring on her finger, choosing instead to wear it on a thin chain around her neck. Without wasting thoughts on the consequences of his actions, he'd married her. On their wedding day, he'd bestowed upon her this ring, allegorically handing a part of his pride to her as well. With that gesture, he'd placed her under his protection, ignoring duty and obligatory honor, he'd done what he deemed to be the right thing.
Duty and honor. Those words were a painful reminder of Rukia's forthcoming execution. At the grave of his parents, he swore that he would carry the burdens implied with his name and position – after his marriage to Hisana and Rukia's subsequent adoption – to preserve duty and honor. For more than fifty years, he'd stood by his decision with all his strength. He would not deviate from the respectable and dutiful path, even when his adopted sister's execution put that promise to the test. Exiling the dark haired siblings from his thoughts, Byakuya closed the shrine door.