Two hours after returning to the Seireitei Nanao had given the 1st a full brief and was sitting on a bed in an exam room of the 4th. They'd already given her a dose of anti-venom and she could feel her leg tingling with renewed sensitivity. Nanao sighed and glanced down at her bandaged hand. That burn, from kidoing her way out of that cocoon, was really what had Isane most worried. She'd gone to look for a salve for Nanao to take home with her.
There was a tentative knock at the door and Nanao called out for them to enter, expecting a lower level member of the 4th. Instead Kyouraku entered the room hesitantly. It surprised Nanao because he wasn't a man who knocked. He'd barged into her exam rooms more times then she could count, often claiming he was trying to catch her in some state of undress when the wounds weren't serious and he was carefree enough to be cheerful.
"How are you?" he asked scanning the parts of her that the medical gown exposed. She'd honestly looked worse after battle. Beyond the bandaged hand, the wrapped up leg and the patch on her neck where she'd been bitten, the majority of her visible injuries were just scrapes and bruises.
"I'll be fine," she answered with a shrug. "The venom will wear off. They're mainly concerned about the burns on my hand. How's Kiyoko-san?"
Kyouraku frowned and sank down in a chair opposite the bed. "She's unharmed, although it took about an hour to get her to stop being hysterical and answer questions."
"She told someone about the Kyouraku legacy didn't she?" Nanao asked calmly.
"Yes," he answered with a sigh. "Apparently she told her family. So it's either them or someone they told. If the rumors you heard about that family are true, I wouldn't be surprised if they'd spread it around to seem important. We've sent messengers to Apulia trying to figure out who could have known, and who would have taken action on it."
"What an idiot," Nanao snarled, and if it came out bitterly she didn't even care. "Shouldn't you be with her in case of another attack?"
"She's at Kuchiki's," he said running a hand down his tired face. "Yama-jii thought she'd be safer there since it is already set up and staffed for defense."
Nanao snorted. "You mean they didn't think your house full of windows and unlocked doors was a good offensive point?" she asked with a laugh.
"Hey, I would have at least locked the doors," he said giving her a small grin. She'd yelled at him often about leaving everything totally open. Given no one in the Seireitei was stupid enough to enter a Taicho's home uninvited, although she'd taken advantage of it many times over the years to get him home when he was drunk or wake him up for early morning meetings. "She'll be more comfortable there anyway. She's used to having servants."
"What did you tell Kuchiki-san then?" she asked, wondering how they were going to keep this a secret anymore.
"He already knew about my family," Shunsui answered. "Most of the noble families do. Like I said it wasn't a well kept secret that the King was fooling around with my great great great grandmother."
"And there has never been an attack before?"
"Why would there be? The families that know about it are already noble in their own right. They have nothing to gain from it even if there is stockpile of treasure or an amazing weapon through the gate. Besides I told you, all the parties that have attempted to go through and retrieve whatever is hidden in that dimensional bubble have never returned. Why risk so much for so little? It doesn't matter anyway. We'll find out who is behind the attacks and end it. How was the fight in the Rukongai?"
"Fine, there was a bad moment, but the yakuza sent backup in time," she answered allowing him to change the subject. Nanao was honestly impressed he hadn't followed her out there earlier that day. He would have never let her fight that one on her own in the past. "I'm sure the Soutaicho gave you my brief though, considering it concerns you."
He nodded his assent and glanced at her hand. "What does the 4th say about your hand?"
"It'll probably scar quite a bit, but I shouldn't lose any function in it," she said with a frown. "It won't be pretty for a long while, if ever, though," she added.
"I should have escorted you home from the party," he grumbled, glaring at the bandages as if they'd done him some personal offense.
"And for a split second I thought you were being less overbearing," she snapped rolling her eyes.
"That injury is my responsibility, Nanao," he said just as sharply. He rarely used that tone and she glanced back over at him. "You wouldn't have even been in this mess if it weren't for me. You said yourself you wanted nothing to do with my family's problems anymore and yet here you are wounded because of them."
"It wasn't your fault," she argued.
"I should have never pursued you in the first place," he commented bleakly. "I knew all of my family's dirty laundry would affect you eventually."
"I still have one good hand that will work for slapping," she threatened glaring at him. "If I could go back in time I would have done everything the same, except I'd have gone to that stupid meeting of the territory heads with you and made sure you didn't get your drink spiked like an idiot."
"You told me last night you didn't want to be with me regardless of Kiyoko," he pointed out surprised.
"And I don't, not right now," Nanao said. "Not until I know I can stand on my own. Not until I can stand next to you without you having to protect me every step of the way. Have you even listened to me? I'm not something pretty to follow along behind you, and I won't have you berating yourself for every scar I ever get. I can look after myself. If all of this hadn't happened there would have been no way I could have stood in the fight against those yokai today. The training has helped. I'm better for having had to depend on myself. I deserve the right to improve and get stronger. If I could have done that by your side I would have, but I obviously couldn't."
"And after you do?" he asked cautiously. "If I can prove I'll back off, you'd consider being with me even despite the child? I can't abandon the baby."
"I wouldn't love you if you could," Nanao said with a small smile. "If we can work out everything else, the child is a non-issue. Besides if you already have a baby maybe your mother will leave me the hell alone."
"I doubt it," he snorted. "She's worried about the family legacy, but she's also old fashioned in that respect. I don't think my mother sees the point of dating and marrying if you aren't immediately going to start reproducing."
"A girl can dream," Nanao joked, glad they had drifted away from their age old fight.
There was another knock at the door and Isane let herself in. "Found it. Oh Kyouraku Taicho," she greeted. "I wasn't aware you were here." Isane glanced at Nanao cautiously as if seeking her approval on him being there.
"He came by to see how I was doing," Nanao said giving a small smile to alleviate the woman's fears.
"Right, well here is the salve. It'd really be best to apply three times a day and come in for daily doses of kido healing for the time being," Isane said handing the jar over for Nanao to take with her good hand. "We'll try to fight off as much scarring as possible."
"Great," Nanao said with a sigh. She had been spending too much time in the 4th as of late.
"I really do wish you could get someone to stay with you tonight," Isane said biting her lip nervously. "Just to make sure you don't have a bad reaction to the venom or the anti-venom."
"The other bite's effects wore off alright besides a nasty headache," Nanao said touching the bandage on her throat.
"Yes, but now you've been bitten twice and there is more toxin in your body," Isane said. "Maybe Matsumoto-san?"
"She's on a mission in the living world today," Kyouraku supplied. "Perhaps your brother?"
"He'll be dealing with the mess in the Rukongai," Nanao said. "Really I'll be fine."
"It might be better if you just stay here tonight," Isane suggested.
"I'm not staying here," Nanao argued. "I'm perfectly fine. I'll just stay at Kyouraku-san's house if you're that worried."
"You will?" Kyouraku asked surprised.
"Well, if it's alright with you," she said blushing as she realized she didn't really have the right to dictate whether or not she could stay there anymore. She'd never even thought that she might not be welcome. "I assume the guest room still exists?"
"Yes," he said hesitantly. "Kiyoko-san has her things in there though. We didn't have the chance to move it all back to my parent's this morning."
"Will she mind?" Nanao asked, suddenly realizing how awkward this was.
"No, its fine, as long as you don't mind," he answered quickly. "You're more than welcome to stay."
"It's settled then," Nanao said. She wondered belatedly if she should have asked him to stay at her place instead. It seemed cruel to put him out of his way and then make him sleep on her too small couch though, especially when they could both have beds at his house.
"Please make sure to bring her back if any of her injuries flare up," Isane said to Kyouraku. "And if you see any red or black lines radiating out from the site of the bites get her back to the 4th as fast as you can."
"Will do, Isane-chan," he agreed with his normal floppish smile. The healer excused herself and he glanced over at Nanao, losing the ridiculous expression. "We could stay at your house."
"And have you sleep on that small couch?" she asked. "No, it'll be fine. I do need to stop in and check on Boo though."
"You can have my bed and I'll sleep in the guest room," he said getting up to help her to her feet. She grimaced as she put weight on her leg and she could tell he was physically restraining himself from scooping her up and carrying her.
"Whatever is better for you," she said. "I really don't mind." She had to admit a small part of her was relieved not to have to sleep in a room that had been altered for Kiyoko.
It'd been a mistake to sleep in his bed, Nanao thought later that night as sleep evaded her. It smelled like him and when she closed her eyes she could only imagine him in the bed with her. It felt wrong to be there alone. Luckily she'd gotten a few hours of sleep on his couch when he'd gone out to pick up some food and check in at the Kuchiki household, but she'd been wide awake since she went to bed. She sighed and shifted on to her other side hoping her exhaustion would finally overcome her busy mind. She was just starting to doze off when she heard the knocking on the front door.
Nanao slipped her zanpaktou onto her arm and slid out of bed and into the hallway, exasperatedly pushing strands of her loose hair back behind her ears. She really needed to get it cut soon. The sounds of crying and harsh voices stopped her quiet steps around the corner from the entrance hall.
"I'm so sorry," a voice sobbed, and she could only assume it was Kiyoko's.
"It's fine," Kyouraku said and she felt the tension in his tone. His reiatsu found her's instantly and give it a harsh shove, warning her to stay back. She could understand his need to keep this conversation private, but she was surprised by the severity of the push. A simple touch would have done the trick. She wasn't going to be nosy and eavesdrop. She wasn't him after all. She turned on her heel ready to go back to bed when she heard the voice that made her skin crawl.
"Kyouraku-san, a pleasure to meet you," the man's voice said. There was no mistaking that one. It was the man Lisa-san had identified as Abe. The one who had tried to purchase her and who had been with Kiyoko's family at that party in Apulia.
"What do you have to do with this?" Kyouraku asked and Nanao could tell from his tone that he recognized the man as well. He'd always been great with faces and Nanao doubted there was any chance of him forgetting the face of the man who had tried to buy her, not even when they'd only seen each other from across the room at her father's party.
"Kiyoko-chan's brother told me such a wonderful story," Abe said smoothly. "I just had to see if it was true. Given he didn't know what was on the other side of the gate, but it must be something important for such a wealthy family like the Kyouraku's to guard it. That was what he thought anyway, and I would have to agree."
"I'm sorry, Kyouraku-san," Kiyoko broke in crying. "Abe-san has been friends with my family since before I was born. I didn't know. When he came to the house I just thought the messengers had made it to Apulia and he'd come to help so I let him in."
Nanao cursed under her breath. The girl really was a pretty little idiot, that or she was the best actress she'd ever met. What a trusting imbecile. She heard a skittering noise and had to assume that the remaining spider yokai were there as well, otherwise Kuchiki's staff would have never released her so easily and Kyouraku would have already handled the situation. At least that meant Kuchiki Taicho would be informed as soon as the surviving staff noticed and they'd have backup shortly.
"Kiyoko-san it isn't your fault," Kyouraku comforted, and Nanao would have snorted if it wouldn't have alerted them to her presence. It most certainly was the moron's fault, her and her whole greedy scheming family. Nanao was a bit too tired to be charitable with her thoughts at the moment. "What do you want in exchange for the woman?"
"Well as you can see from her arm we already tried the gate once," Abe answered. "So congratulations you must be having a girl since the mother's blood didn't work."
"Alright," Kyouraku said tightly. "Let her go and I'll go with you."
"I'm not an idiot, Kyouraku-san," Abe spat. "Even with the yokai help I know I have no chance of taking you. No, I think we'll keep the girl with us as insurance. Now lets go."
"You know this is madness," Kyouraku commented in a last ditch effort to persuade them. "No one has ever returned from going through that gate. We don't even know what's on the other side."
"There always has to be a first," Abe answered with a laugh. "And if there are booby traps I suppose its good that we have a hostage to make walk in front of us." Kiyoko started crying harder and Nanao listened as they departed the house.
She gave them a good head start before slipping out and putting her shoes on. She didn't have time to slip back into uniform, but at least she'd had enough sense to sleep in comfortable pants and a tank. She crept out into the night and took to the roofs, keeping track of Shunsui's reiatsu and following in their wake. They were fast and she had to assume the yokai were carrying Kiyoko and Abe. She shunpoed behind them and they arrived on a remote part of the Kyouraku family land quickly. Nanao dropped back several meters and for once cursed the well groomed lands that offered very little to hide behind. There was a small shrine she slipped behind and tried to glance around the corner.
In a clearing in front of the shrine stood a delicate stone alter with a basin in it. It was around this that that small group had gathered. Nanao felt Kyouraku send a reprimanding push on her reiatsu and she shoved right back. There was no chance in hell she was walking away no matter what he'd prefer. Kuchiki would ring the alarm bells, she was staying here.
"Arm," Abe demanded holding up a knife. Kyouraku sent him a cold look and the man laughed. "Open the gate or we kill the woman slowly." Kiyoko broke into a fresh round of tears and Kyouraku raised his arm over the basin stiffly.
Can we get a kido into Abe and the two spider yokai fast enough? Nanao asked silently, slipping her zanpaktou from its sheath.
Possibly, but we don't know the yokai's strength. It may take longer to kill them than expected and they'd feel the reiatsu levels and know it is an attack. Beyond that the creature could kill the woman in a death throe. I assume you don't want the woman dead? Kage replied, and she could hear in his odd echo tone that he thought the woman was perfectly expendable and was only taking her into account because he knew Nanao wouldn't agree.
Then when the gate opens, she thought. They'll be distracted and if I can just get Kiyoko away from the spider yokai we'll be able to handle the rest from there. She watched the blood flow from Kyouraku's arm and prepared herself for a gate. She'd twice seen the Gates of Hell open for hollows she'd defeated and assumed this would be much the same. What she didn't expect was a small eruption of white light from the basin, which quickly expanded outward to encompass the small group standing around it and a large swath of the clearing.
Go, Kage yelled in her mind and she didn't need to be told twice. Nanao slammed all the speed she'd built up over the previous months into that one shunpo leap and threw herself into the already dwindling ball of light.
She rolled in a protective move as the light blinded her momentarily. Nanao followed the roll through to a crouch, Kage still out in her good hand, and tried to blink the stars out of her eyes.
"Tanaka-san?" Abe's voice asked startled.
Nanao hissed at the name of her adoptive father and glared her refocusing eyes on the man who had once tried to own her. They were in a clearing almost identical to the one they'd just left only there was no shrine and it was surrounded by trees.
"What are you doing here?" Abe asked quizzically. "I thought you'd disappeared before your father's death."
"That's the bitch that helped slaughter our children," one of the yokai growled advancing on Nanao. The other yokai chattered some foreign sound and the yokai stopped moving, although its six eyes didn't waver from her.
"Tanaka-san did?" Abe asked looking more confused and glancing between her and the yokai. "But she's just a slave whore. Just a child raised to be sold into a man's bed."
Kyouraku's reaitsu crackled and the yokai that had issued the reprimand a moment ago tugged Kiyoko closer to its poised claws making the pregnant woman cry out until Kyouraku controlled it again.
"My father," Nanao answered raising to her full height and allowing the disgust she felt to enter her tone, "was a repulsive slave trader. Fortunately he wasn't able to keep me, and I assure you that I'm no whore to be owned."
"What do you have to do with any of this?" Abe demanded.
"I'm," Nanao started and then decided she wasn't even sure how to answer the question, "it's complicated and I hardly need to explain myself to you."
"What does it matter?" the spider yokai who had been slowly inching nearer to her demanded. "She's a threat, let me kill her."
"Why? She's just a whore," Abe said laughing and obviously completely unaware that she had ever been anything else. "Is she yours Kyouraku-san? Is that it? Cute little Kiyoko-chan couldn't satisfy? Did you finally purchase her?"
Nanao started to build a kido that would blow the bastards head off, but heard Kage still her rage in her mind. Learn a lesson from your Taicho, the blade advised, sometimes the best weapon is their underestimation. At that moment the yokai not holding Kiyoko lost control and lunged at her. Nanao flung herself to the side and out of the way rolling into the relative cover of the underbrush. She tried to scramble to her feet to counter the next attack when a reiatsu so overbearing it drove her flatly to her belly in the shrubs lit up in the area. It wasn't Kyouraku's, it wasn't like anything she'd ever felt before. Even the Soutaicho's reiatsu hadn't felt like this. She attempted to look back at the clearing as best she could through the plants, as she couldn't lift her head. From her vantage point she could tell she wasn't the only one struggling. Human and yokai alike had been flattened to the ground. Kyouraku was still standing, but she could see him struggling against the invisible force as he tried to draw his zanpaktou. A man stepped into the clearing and cocked his head to the side appraising them all.
"Only five of you then," the man said quietly and seemed almost surprised by the sound of his own voice. Nanao felt the reiatsu easing off and could see the others shuddering up from their places on the ground.
"Leave them sheathed shinigami," the yokai commanded as Kyouraku went for his swords. The creature had had enough sense to grasp Kiyoko again as the pressure released them.
"Which one of you is a Kyouraku?" the man asked, his ice blue eyes looking at them vaguely disinterested. Abe crawled backwards oh his hands and heels, shaking his head no, and looking at the new man with frightened eyes.
"I am," Shunsui said quickly, stepping forward to partially block Kiyoko from view. The man's eyes grew sharp at the movement and Nanao felt her senses scream danger.
"And the woman?" the blue eyed man asked glancing at Kiyoko's bleeding arm, which had been cut in Abe's earlier attempt to open the gate. "Carrying your child I assume?"
"It doesn't matter," Shunsui answered resting his hand on the handle of the sword and watching the stranger closely. Shunsui's reiatsu brushed Nanao's, warning her to stay back and she sent him a reassurance. The blue eyed man's reiatsu was like nothing she'd ever felt and she was pretty sure they were going to need whatever element of surprise they could get.
"It matters," the man said, "because you are not a true Kyouraku and neither is that bastard spawn she carries." He raised his hand and Kyouraku pulled his zanpaktou, but it was already too late. Kiyoko and the yokai holding her went up in a kido flame of unmatchable intensity. It was almost too fast for Kiyoko to scream. A split second later all that remained of the creature and the girl were charred corpses. "You two are unnecessary," the blue eyed man said calmly, and Abe and the other yokai seemed to turn inside out and explode with a wave of his hand. Nanao flinched as a chunk of the yokai landed next to her in the underbrush.
Shunsui had broken through his shock enough to charge the man with his swords gleaming. Nanao had never seen Shunsui not at least try to reason his way out of a fight at the start. Blades crashed as the blue eyed man drew his own sword to meet his attacker.
"She didn't do anything. The child was innocent," Shunsui yelled choking on the words as their blades met in a shower of sparks again.
"They were filth, and so are you," the man snarled.
Nanao pulled her own blade and released her shikai. Now was not the time for a fair fight. She called the kido to her and concentrated it on the man's heart. Kage screamed with her as she shoved the kido through space and tried to make it appear where she willed it.
The man danced away from Kyouraku and glanced in her direction coolly. "Interesting technique," he commented and lifted a hand towards her.
She heard Shunsui yell her name in panic, but didn't have time to fully understand that her release had been thwarted as a force that felt like a battering ram threw her back to the ground and crushed the air out of her lungs till all light blinked out.
A/N: My only excuse is that life has been crazy busy.