Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU.
A Place to Rest One's Head
"I hope you'll be comfortable here, Mister Sakurauchi. You should have everything you need to set up shop."
The young man waited for his nodded before exiting the building.
Shunsui looked around his new residence. Kisuke had done a good job. Everything was in place for him to live a quiet life here in Karakura. After the two attempts on his life while leaving Seireitei, they had decided to play it safe. Shunsui was now Genji Sakurauchi, a merchant. What his real purpose here was would be to gather any information that could be useful to the Shinigami Knights and pass it along. It would keep him busy while he was stuck in exile.
Still, right now it seemed like a rather daunting class. This was not his home. This could never be his home. Maybe someday he would get used to this life, but it would never be home. Home was linked to his violet eyed princess. He hoped that Jyuushiro was taking care of his Nanao. Yamamoto was a good father but a fairly absent one, and he was completely oblivious to the way the court operated, especially when it came to Nanao. Shunsui knew that his Nanao-chan was made of strong stuff, but she deserved to have some semblance of a childhood.
He couldn't do anything about that right now though. He was stuck here until Yamamoto changed his mind or died. Shunsui would have to make the best of this. The first thing he needed to do was get settled in. He hadn't brought much with him, but Kisuke had provided him with everything else that he would need. With a sigh, Shunsui began to unpack. He would need to hire servants as well, but that could wait for another day. Right now all he wanted was a hot bath and a warm bed.
His rooms were above his new shop. Shunsui found a futon and blankets tucked in the closest. He laid out his bed before investigating the bathroom. He wanted to wash the travel grime off. It had been a long journey, and he was exhausted. The hot water was soothing. Shunsui sighed and wished for a cup of sake. He really was not looking forward to the next few years. But what could he do?
Rising from the tub, Shunsui dried off and pulled on a light sleeping yukata. He needed sleep. Everything else could wait until tomorrow. Shunsui hadn't brought much with him that would connect him to his previous life but there was one last thing he had to do before going to bed. Shunsui carefully unwrapped the precious little bundle to reveal a pair of miniatures. The first was his princess' official court portrait, painted shortly after her latest birthday. She looked magnificently regal in her pale violet kimono. The second was a much more familiar pose for his princess. He had convinced Shuuhei Hisagi, a knight who dabbled in painting, to make this one for him. Nanao was perched on his division headquarters' porch, her nose buried in a book. With a smile, Shunsui set the two miniatures carefully on a ledge.
"Good night, Nanao-chan."
He settled into bed and blew out the lantern. As exhausted as he was, it wasn't surprising that he immediately fell asleep or that he dreamed of a rather studious little princess.