Nanao woke up on Monday morning still feeling a bit off after that bender on Saturday night. She'd woken up on Sunday, with no recollection of how she'd gotten home, to someone banging on her door, and she'd found Hisagi, Kira, and Rangiku all passed out in her apartment. In fact she'd nearly tripped over Kira on her way to the door. Hitsugaya had been standing there as she'd opened it demanding his fukutaicho, as Matsumoto had apparently promised to come in this weekend and help him with the paperwork because she'd disappeared during two of the past five workdays. He'd then asked if Nanao wanted the other two to remain, as he knew from personal experience that they were hard to get rid of when they were hung over. She'd willing let the short Taicho clear them all out of her apartment and had spent the rest of the morning being sick and sleeping on her bathroom floor. Then she'd dragged herself back to bed for the rest of the afternoon.
Overall it'd not been a good day, and she still felt weak and sick early Monday morning. Crawling out of bed, Nanao went about her morning routine and chugged water trying to re-hydrate her abused body. She was never doing shots again. Well, at least not until she forgot how horrible this felt and some other idiot talked her into it. Finally ready to head out, she had to physically stop herself from planning her day at the 8th. The Soutaicho had sent her further instructions, but they basically just said to go about forging bonds with the Rukongai however she thought was best. She'd decided the first thing she needed to do was pay a visit to her brother. Nanao had a feeling he wasn't going to love the idea, but he let her get away with so much she couldn't imagine he'd turn her away now.
Thirty minutes and a short stop at the 8th later, she was making her way out into a dusty training field in one of the lower districts. Shirtless men with lots of tattoos practiced hand to hand combat while her brother walked down the ranks. She stood discreetly at the side of the field and brushed her reiatsu against Mamoru's to let him know she was there. Mamoru turned away from the fight he'd been concentrating on and scanned the area quickly before spotting her. He called out a break for the men and made his way over.
"Don't you have work today?" he called cautiously as he came closer to her. She knew the way his mind worked and was well aware that he was silently asking her if Shunsui had done some new idiotic thing.
"I'm at work," she said with a smile, sidestepping the intended question.
"Oh?" he asked lifting an eyebrow and picking up a canteen from nearby. He took a swig and then asked, "How's that?"
"I've been removed from the 8th and appointed as the new Rukongai ambassador," she said lightly.
He spit his second swallow of water out and stared at her in shock. "You've what? What the hell does that mean?"
"It means the Gotei 13 wants to forge relations with the Yakuza," she said with a shrug.
"Hell no," he spat. "It means they want you to spy on us."
"I've made it perfectly clear that I intend to do nothing of the sort," she said using her sharpest fukutaicho tone. "The Soutaicho is well aware I have loyalties on both sides. He knows that's the only way this could possibly work."
"Nao-chan," her brother said shaking his head. "Are you nuts? Look, the Higurashi are nice to you as long as you're my baby sister and are just out for a few drinks and a good time. This is something else entirely. No one is going to trust you."
"Then I'll have to earn their trust," she said simply. "I'm the only one who has even the slightest chance of doing it."
"Being my blood relation isn't going to win you any favors in this," he said firmly. "Anything I do or say in regards to you will be suspect. Damn it, Nanao, if anything I'll have to stay further away from you so they don't start doubting my loyalty as well. This is a terrible idea."
"We need to have better relations," she said simply. "It can help both sides, and you know it. The shinigami don't have the man power or the time to police the Rukongai as well as the living world, and you all don't have the political power, money, or technology to back up everything you have the potential of achieving out here."
"Nao, this is a bad idea," he said again. "If they really want to do this, they should send someone else."
"Someone who you all will just freeze out from the start until they go away?" she asked sarcastically.
"Yes," he said honestly. "Nao, Yakuza and Shinigami just don't mix. You fight hollows and live on the edge of life and death. We control the afterlife and live deep in the muck of it."
"Well then I suppose I'm going to have to get dirty," she said with a shrug. "I just need an introduction to the kumicho."
"This is such a bad idea," Mamoru repeated. "They aren't going to trust you, and most of them aren't going to like you. You know for a fact that half the reason we have so many Higurashi family members with some reiatsu is because it is the only other option besides joining the academy. You're going to be walking right into the home of some of the biggest Shinigami haters, and it won't be a party where they either don't show up because they know you'll be there or just get rip roaring drunk and forget about you. This is their home, their work, they're not going to like it."
"It's my job," she said lightly, all the while knowing his points were valid. "No one said it would be easy. Beyond that, if the Higurashi won't have me then I'm sure another of the large families will. There are benefits to being allied with the Gotei 13."
Mamoru gave her a sharp look and, seeing the unwavering look she returned, sighed. "Alright, I'll try to get you an audience with the Kumicho to let you state your case, but I'm not promising it will be worth anything."
"That's all I was asking for," she said smiling at him lightly.
"Come on," he said, as he turned and moved back towards the men. "I'm almost done here anyway."
He called out a few more practice moves while Nanao stood on the sidelines and tried to ignore her ever present low grade headache. Perhaps Shunsui was right, she needed to get her drinking tolerance up. She mentally chastised herself as she instantly and unwilling wondered what he was doing right at that moment. Probably sleeping, she snorted to herself.
She'd popped into the 8th before coming here this morning just to clarify a few things with the squad. Nanao knew it wouldn't quash the rumors or even help that much, but she could at least try to set the record straight. She'd called a brief and impromptu meeting in the mess hall, which worked best as most of the squad had still been eating breakfast anyway. Then she explained that the Soutaicho had transferred her and it'd had nothing to do with her and Kyouraku Taicho's preferences. She'd also tried to make it clear that, while it was obvious her and Kyouraku's relationship wasn't faring well, it had nothing to do with the 8th, and she hoped that they could all keep open minds about their Taicho and now ex-fukutaicho. Matsumoto had joked once that telling their squad about a breakup would be like parents divorcing and telling the children, and she couldn't have been more right.
Perhaps the whole meeting had been a waste, but already by Sunday evening when Matsumoto had come by to check on her there had been rumors circulating that Shunsui had fired her so he could marry this new woman and make his unborn son or daughter fukutaicho. It made no sense, but Nanao had found over the years that a lack of sense didn't stop people from believing it. Shunsui was already having problems with some of the members that had decided to be angry with him on her behalf, and Nanao didn't think it would help the division any for them to think he'd been an even bigger ass to her. She'd made it quite clear that Shunsui had wanted her to stay, but the Soutaicho refused. The paperwork would still probably not get done, but at least her transfer wouldn't be what caused the 8th to dissolve into chaos.
She felt a hard flick on the bridge of her nose between her eyes and glared at her brother as she rubbed the spot. "What the hell was that for?"
"You were thinking too much again," he said with a shrug. "Probably about things that are best not thought about."
"Don't you mean people who are best not thought about?" she asked, continuing to glare at him.
"Same thing, baby sister," he replied with an easy grin. "Come on, the class is over, lets go see if the Kumicho will agree to make your life a living hell."
They arrived at the main house shortly thereafter, and Nanao was relieved that Mamoru was one of the few within the yakuza that could basically match her in shunpo. It made getting around so much easier. The house was an impressive one in the 5th district and was easy to pick out, as it looked more like it belonged in the 1st.
"I'm not promising you anything," Mamoru said almost a half hour later as he came back to stand next to her after he'd had a lengthy private conversation with the guards at the door.
"I just asked that you try, Mamoru-nii," she said sweetly.
"You are such a suck up," he said with a laugh and then reached up and stole the glasses off her face.
"Hey!" she yelled reaching for them. "Give those back!"
"You don't even need them," he teased, lifting them out of her reach and putting a hand on the top of her head when she tried to jump for them.
"Mamoru!" she yelled, taking a quick shunpo step to the right and getting frustrated when he matched her.
"Nao-chan," he mocked and laughed as he danced away from her lunge.
"Give them back," she threatened grinning as she moved towards him while bringing a kido spell up to glow around her hand.
"Make me," he replied and stuck out his tongue. "I'm not scared of your kido, baby sister."
"Oh, how about my zanpaktou then?" she asked reaching towards her sleeve, although she had no actual intention of drawing it.
"Don't know, I've never seen it," he replied smiling. "But it can't be very big if it's up your sleeve."
"Small, lithe, and deadly is more my style," she said advancing with an evil grin.
"Bring it," he said tucking her glasses into a pocket and reaching for his own sword hilt.
"The kumicho will see you now," a deep smiling voice interrupted. Nanao let the kido fade and dropped her hand away from her sleeve. She glanced over at her brother who just smiled innocently and made no move to return her glasses.
"After you," he said motioning her after the man at the door who had interrupted.
"You're a jerk," she said with a huff and then turned to follow the dark haired blue eyed man through the winding doors and hallways of the house.
"Runs in the family," he said with an easygoing smile as he walked carelessly beside her. "Besides those glasses make you look old."
"That's the point, idiot," she chastised.
"Oooo, insulting one of the kumicho's favorites," Mamoru said in mock seriousness. "That's never going to help you out here."
"Well he's obviously an idiot too if you're one of his favorites," Nanao joked.
"Oh, go back to the useless Gotei 13," her brother griped.
"I'd much rather stay here and take you to task," she teased back.
"We're here," the man said knocking on a door and shooting the two of them an amused smile.
The door was slid open to reveal an older burly man sitting on a dais with rough looking men and beautiful women surrounding him. He was reading over a scroll and didn't acknowledge them when they entered.
Mamoru started forward and bowed at an acceptable distance from the man. When the kumicho's eyes finally flickered up to rest on him momentarily, Mamoru gave her a formal introduction.
All eyes focused over on Nanao, and she straightened her shoulders under the scrutiny. The dark haired man still standing by the door jerked his head almost imperceptibly towards the dais when she glanced at him, and she moved forward to bow next to her brother.
The kumicho motioned both of them to have a seat and then asked what their business was. Nanao allowed her brother to introduce the basic premise, and then launched into her own explanation. She handed the scroll with the Soutaicho's signature and ambassador approval on it to a servant who carried it to the Kumicho and continued to speak about what she hopped to accomplish. Silence followed when she finished and she sat calmly, trying to be as still as possible.
"Interesting," the kumicho said sounding very uninterested. "Of course we'll cooperate with the Gotei 13 as best we can. I will assign you a guide to show you around and help you integrate yourself."
Nanao gave her thanks and bowed again while seated. She knew exactly what it actually meant, that the Higurashi would be pleasant and helpful, but as she suspected didn't actually plan on sharing anything in the way of actual information. She was going to have to convince them to trust her.
"I believe you are familiar with Kojima Shin," the kumicho said in a bored tone.
"Yes, sir," she said simply.
"He'll do," the kumicho said in what was obviously a dismissal. Her brother stood up instantly and she trailed behind. The dark haired man at the door smiled and slid the door open and then followed them out.
"I'll take her, Moru-kun," the man said easily. "He's my nephew after all."
"As you wish," Mamoru said with a smile. "Nao-chan this is Kei-san, Kei-san this is my sister."
"I've heard a lot about you," Kei said genially.
"Good things I hope," she replied.
"Mostly," Kei agreed.
"Mostly?" she asked raising an eyebrow, and then turning on her brother, "What have you been telling them?"
"That you're a touch stubborn, won't admit when you're in over you head, and make rather bad decisions when it comes to men," her brother said with an unconcerned shrug.
"Well I would presume the last is obvious considering I still hang out with you," she snapped back.
Kei laughed next to them and threw an arm around Nanao's shoulders, which she instantly and instinctively flinched away from. "Sorry, luv," he said, immediately removing the contact and hold his hands up in a peace making gesture.
"It's alright," she said immediately. "I'm sorry. I'm bad about personal space."
"Sounds like your brother when he first came here," Kei replied easily not looking offended that she didn't want him to touch her.
"Kei'll break you of that quickly," Mamoru said with a snort. "He's the biggest hugger I know."
"You should meet my friend Rangiku," Nanao said with a laugh. "She forces hugs on you whether you allow it or not."
"Human touch is a wonderful thing," Kei said with a shrug. "It'll heal most of what ails you."
"Kei is also a big believer in the power of love and human contact," her brother said with a snort. "Which really just means he's a man whore."
"You'd also like the Taicho I used to work with," she said simply.
"Which one is that?" Kei asked curiously.
"The 8th division," she replied following him back out of the house. "Kyouraku Shunsui."
"Ah, yes," Kei said happily. "I think I've met him out at the bars a few times. Seems like a nice guy."
"He is," she said, cutting her brother off before he could say anything. "So Shin-san is your nephew?"
"Yes," Kei said smiling. "He and his brother are my sister's kids."
"You don't look old enough to be his uncle," she said truthfully.
"You didn't tell me your sister was a flirt," Kei said winking at Mamoru.
"I didn't mean it like that," she defended blushing lightly.
"So you don't find me attractive then?" he asked inquisitively.
"I didn't mean it like that either," she said crossing her arms.
"So you do find me attractive?" he asked smiling.
"Uncle Kei," a voice called and they glanced over to spot Shin exiting a building. "Are you giving the Egamis a tough time?"
"Just the little one," Kei yelled back happily.
"Hello, Nanao-san," Shin greeting coming up to their group. He threw a smile Mamoru's way and then turned back to his uncle. "I'd be careful around the 'little one'. She's got a temper and the kido to back it up. What are you doing with my no good uncle?"
"The Kumicho told me to bring her to you," Kei said easily.
"Did he?" Shin asked raising his eyebrows and glancing over at Mamoru quickly who simply shrugged. "What about?"
Kei gave him a quick brief on what was happening, allowing Mamoru and Nanao to add things whenever they thought it was appropriate and then they all lapsed into silence.
"You realize no one is going to be very welcoming?" Shin asked finally.
"So I've been warned," she said shrugging. "It's beneficial to both sides though, and once I prove I'm trustworthy I think we will all find it to be a valuable exchange."
"Alright," Shin said shrugging. "If the kumicho says it's ok, then I guess it's ok. Come on, I'll show you around the medical facilities first since we happen to be here."
"Remember to drop by for dinner, Shin-kun" Kei said happily before clapping her brother on the shoulder and starting them both towards another building. "See you around Nanao-chan," he called over his shoulder.
"I hate that name," she said sharply after him.
"See you around Shinigami-chan," he corrected with a gallant over done bow.
"Don't mind him," Shin said with a laugh. "My uncle is an idiot. Come on then, off to new adventures."
It was one in the afternoon when Shunsui crept through the hallways of the 8th. Jyuushiro had happened to mention during lunch that payroll paperwork was due in signed today, and Shunsui had quickly realized that if he didn't get at least that paperwork done none of his division would get paid. He figured they were already mad enough at him that if he proceeded to blow of payroll they really would be outside his door with pitchforks and torches.
That didn't change the fact that he really wasn't in the mood to deal with all the nasty looks from his division members though. He distinctly remembered a time when many of the division hadn't liked Nanao very much at all, seeing as the young girl was always receiving obvious favoritism over more seasoned shinigami. Nanao had won them over slowly through hard work, dedication, and more often than not a very thick skin. The respect and love had been hard earned, and Shunsui was not surprised that the 8th's negative response to their troubled relationship had been so strong. He just didn't even want to know how they were taking her transfer. Frankly if he could just make it past the secretaries without them trying to castrate him with their eyes he'd consider it a job well done.
"Kyouraku Taicho." No such luck. He turned around to find all of his secretaries standing behind where he'd been crouched in the hall obviously having just come back from lunch.
"Ladies," he said giving them a gentlemanly bow as he stood up.
"You don't have to sneak around Taicho," one secretary said as they all started to brush by him. He was startled, but began to walk with them as they returned to the main office.
"Yeah, Ise fukutaicho stopped in this morning and explained everything," another woman supplied.
"Did she?" he asked cursing himself for not thinking she might. If he'd considered it he'd have slept in the office to try to catch her and talk to her.
"Yes, she said it was the Soutaicho's decision and you were against it," the first secretary said.
"She really didn't have to say that though," a different girl added. "Everyone in the 8th knows you'd never transfer her despite what you've done. I mean, who are you going to push the paperwork off onto now?"
Ok, so that comment had hurt a little, he thought with a wince. "I didn't want Nanao-chan here just for the paperwork," he defended.
"Well obviously not," the second girl twittered. "But once she wouldn't sleep with you anymore you'd obviously still want her around for at least that."
"Do you all really think that little of me?" he asked suddenly serious.
The women looked at him and then at each other in surprise. "We didn't mean any harm by it," the first secretary said bravely. "I mean that's just the way you are with women and work. Of course we're mad you did it to Ise fukutaicho. It'd have been better if you kept it outside the division like usual, but its not like we don't still like you. You're Kyouraku Taicho. It's always been this way."
"Ise fukutaicho kind of should have known better," the second secretary said with a shrug. "But don't worry, we all know you didn't have anything to do with her transfer."
"Right, great," he said depressed. "I'm just going to go into the office now." The women settled down at their desks and began chatting unconcernedly as they worked, and he shut the door behind him. Shunsui glanced around the empty office and sighed. He really had been trying to be better with the paperwork with Nanao. It just got to him that his own division, who'd seen them together all the time, really honestly thought he'd use her that way.
He settled down behind his desk and was about to search through the paperwork to find the payroll when he discovered it right on top. Nanao must have put it there on Friday before they'd left for the day knowing he would need it on Monday. He sighed and stared blankly at the form.
After a split second decision he sent his reiatsu seeking for her. He located her in the Rukongai and had to assume she'd already started in on the new job. All he could do was hope she would be safe and get bored quickly so he could talk Yama-jii into letting her come back. He had full plans to go and have a talk with his family tonight. Jyuushiro had convinced him to put it off for this long simply to keep himself from homicide.
He glanced around the office again and made a final decision. He was not going to let the 8th fall into shambles, and he was going to prove he hadn't wanted Nanao around just for the paperwork. He could damn well do it all himself, he'd just never had a reason to do so when Nanao did it all so well. Now if only he could figure out where she'd put all the pens.
A/N: I'm sorry the updates are a bit slower. I've been having some personal drama in my life and am hunting for a new apartment/roommate so it's been busy. Good news is I've at least gotten a bit re-inspired and am writing again. Thanks for sticking with me!