Chapter 11: Friends, Old And New
"Do we really have to do this?" Naoto asks for what seems like the nth time as both he and Sano followed Gin down a long, winding staircase to the barracks of the Numeros to pick out their new fraccions. "I mean, both Aaroniero and Zommari got along fine without subordinates and Yammy doesn't seem inclined to get one anytime soon. And what about the new Octava? Isn't he supposed to be with us too?"
"Yammy's too violent and idiotic to entrust with a fraccion and both Zommari and Aaroniero are special cases coz they're too creepy. The new Octava has decided to retain the services of Syazael's old fraccions for the meantime." Gin replied with a smile. "Aizen Taichou wants the Espadas to take in and train up more promising arrancars in the unlikely event that one of you needed to be replaced for one reason or another. Besides, having someone to boss around can be fun too, y'know?"
"I don't really mind having Fraccions." Sano stated. "But I'd want someone who doesn't think they're hot stuff just because they're an arrancar. We've met more then our share of those kinds of idiots."
"I bet you have. That's why I'm takin' you guys to the newbies barracks." Gin said. "They're new enough not to have an inflated ego but strong enough to have serious chips on their shoulders especially if you push 'em too hard."
Naoto perks up at hearing this. "So you've got some hardcases there huh? Sounds like fun. Anybody worth our time?"
Gin chuckles at the blonde's reaction. "I knew you'd say that and I've scouted out a few promising ones. But instead of tellin' you about it, I'll let you see 'em for yourselves." He said as they neared the barracks only to hear loud crashes, vicious sounding growls and bloody obscenities.
"Sounds like quite a lively bunch. Hope their bite is worse then their bark." Sano said dryly.
Naoto could only sweatdrop as the commotion inside the barracks grew louder and the insults being hurled back and forth became more vulgar. "They sound a little TOO lively for me. Maybe we should intervene before they kill each other and we end up with no fraccions at all" Naoto suggested.
"An excellent idea." Gin said as he flares his reiatsu. At such close proximity, the power of the former shinigami captain left even Naoto and Sano a little short of breath. And they had a feeling that behind his smiling facade, Gin meant the act as some sort of warning to them as well.
Opening the door to the barracks, the two new Espadas could see the effect that Gin's reiatsu flare had on the lesser arrancars. Most were knocked flat on the floor and some were even unconscious. But when their attention turns to the ones who still had the strength to look up and see who came in, their eyes which were thankfully hidden behind their masks, widens in shock and recognition.
Down on all fours but still managing to glare at them was their old friend Inuzuka Kiba. Kiba appearance remained largely unchanged down to the triangular marks on his cheeks with the exception of the rectangular bone fragment on his forehead which had a pair of eyeholes. The former ninken user also wore an all white fur lined hoodie version of the standard arrancar jacket as well as the standard white hakama and black tabi shoes. And sheathed on his his side was his zanpaktou which took the form of a wicked looking machete with a serrated edge.
Besides Kiba was and on one knee was another familiar face in the form of Konoha's former snake mistress, Mitarashi Anko. The remains of her mask seems to be the fanged, open half mask on the bottom part of her face. In addition, she opted to wear a white trenchcoat over an all white ensamble of a sports bra, shorts and knee high boots. Anko's zanpaktou, which she was using to prop herself up, took the form of a military issue katana with a handguard.
The last that Naoto had seen these two was during Sasuke's invasion of Konoha as among the casualties.
The former Rokudaime heard that Kiba had gone berserk after Akamaru was killed and had to be stopped by Hana. The trauma of losing his partner coupled with his grevious wounds had been too much for the former Inuzuka heir.
As for Anko, it was reported that someone took control of her through her cursed mark and had killed many of her comrades in the interrogation department before being slain herself through the combined efforts of Ibiki and Inoichi.
Naoto felt relief and at the same time dismay at the sight of his old comrades. Relief that he was able to see them again and dismay that they had to meet under their present circumstances.
For Sano, seeing them only brought up unpleasant memories of his crimes against his home village and friends. Crimes which eventually led to their deaths and crimes which he was determined to make amends for.
But the two individuals across the former Konoha nins were the ones Naoto and Sano were more concerned about.
The redhaired female on her stomach glaring up at then and softly muttering a string of obscenities was the kunoichi they knew as Tayuya who now wore an all white version of her old Sound uniform as well as a white/black turban on her head. Her turban probably concealed the remains of her mask and the long flute on small of her back is apparently her zanpaktou. Even death has not tamed the foul mouth and temper of the former sound nin.
The six armed Kidomaru sat beside Tayuya. Apart from the bony spider's head covering the upper left part of his face, he now wore a jacket tailored to accomodate all six of his limbs and a standard white hakama. On his back, he had not one but six hookswords which they weren't entirely sure if they were all his zanpaktou. The cold, cruel way Kidomaru was looking at them reminded Naoto of a spider studying it's prey.
Naoto and Sano had nothing on the pair from the former Sound Five apart from their brief but memorable encounter with them during the initial retrieval mission. But from what they knew of their abilities, Naoto and Sano were aware that they may pose some problems for their cause especially if they were snatched up by Orochimaru unless they beat him to it.
"Hey now, hey now! What's with all the ruckus in here?" Gin asks cheerfully while still flaring his reiatsu.
It was Tayuya who spoke first. "We apologize for the disturbance Gin Sama but it was these two cocksuckers who started to pick a fight." She said, pointing at Kiba and Anko.
"Are you freakin' kidding me? You keep up that bitchy attitude of yours and you're bound to have your collective asses whooped sooner or later." Kiba countered. "What makes you so goddamned sure that you can get away with callin' the rest of us here weaklings?"
"Because it's the truth." Kidomaru answered with a smirk. "Face the facts punk. None of you here can match up to either of us."
"Is that right?" Anko said with a smirk of her own. "Then tell me who were the ones beating you two down like your drunken stepfather just a few minutes ago? If we're weak then what do you guys call yourselves?"
Sano and Naoto looks at each other. While it was obvious that the ex shinobis had no memories of their past lives, the bad blood between them still existed despite being strangers to each other.
"Alright, alright. All of you break it up." Gin spoke up before things escalated and stops flaring his reiatsu, much to the relief of all arrancars present. "We're here to pick out fraccions for the new Septima and Novena Espada here so if you stay on your best behavior, you might be chosen for the job."
Gin then turns towards the two new Espadas. "Take your time boys and knock yourselves out."
"There is no need to drag this out longer then necessary. We've already made our choice." Sano said.
"Ho? That was quick." Gin said with a smile. "Don't you need to see how strong they are or something?"
"There'll be plenty of time to assess their performance while they're working for us." Naruto said with a shrug. "If we don't like 'em, then it's as simple as getting them replaced."
"Fine. Then by all means make your choices." Gin said.
Sano glances at Naoto who nods at him to go first. Sano then walks up and looks at Anko and Kidomaru. "You and you. What are your names?"
"Mitarashi Anko."
"Kidomaru."
"They even retained their old names." Sano thought to himself in amusement. "You two seem somewhat competent so I trust that you won't have any trouble working with each other. I'd hate to... 'Release' you from your duties and look for new fraccions."
Both Anko and Kidomaru nods their heads and visibly gulps. It was a subtle threat from Sano but they had a feeling that their new master would have no problems following through his threat.
"We are at your command my lord." Both said kneeling down in front of Sano before taking their places by his side.
Naoto could only sigh as he looks at the two remaining candidates available to him. Kiba and Tayuya probably got along as well as oil and water. But he would get around that problem the same way Sano got around his even though it was not the usual way he did things.
"I guess that leaves me with you two maggots." Naoto said to Tayuya and Kiba and cuts off the red haired former kunoichi before she could say anything. "Let me tell you this from the start. You two BETTER learn to tolerate each other while working for me coz if you don't, the alternative is that I grind you up like so much sausage and feed your remains to the scavengers in the Menos Forest. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" Naoto asks, emphasizing his point by flaring his own reiatsu.
Sano could only chuckle as he watched his friend ream out a now visbly pale Kiba and Tayuya. What Naoto lacked in finess, he more then made up for in brutality.
"Aaaand I think we're done here." Gin said with a smile. "Congratulations on having your very own fraccions gentlemen. Their development will be your responsibilities from now on so good luck."
"We'll probably need it." Naoto thought to himself, looking at the silently bickering Kiba and Tayuya with a sigh.
He had a lot of work ahead of him.
Author's Notes: And that's it for this chappie. It was a little rushed and probably not up to my usual standard. I promise that the next one will be better. Till then, R&R pls :)