Silver Fox

By Spunky0ne

(A Gin/Tetsuya, Byakuya/Ichigo, Kurushimi/Renji romance requested by my sweet and supportive friend Aizenfan6969. Shima Kurushimi and his family appear courtesy of Shima-Taicho31! Yesterday was the beginning of Gin's birthday month, so this story seemed fitting. After mistakenly being declared dead, Gin lives a quiet life as a trader, well-hidden in the mid-Rukongai where Central 46 and the Gotei 13 can't find him. But as the quincy war ends and the Seireitei is left in a shambles, he travels to see what he can scavenge from the wreckage. In the ruins of Kuchiki Manor, he finds an unexpected treasure. Should he keep it or should he give it back? Is there a way it could help him to win redemption?...yaoi, mpregs)

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Chapter 1: Scavenger's Prize

It's gotten quiet, Gin noticed, turning his head to look in the direction of the Seireitei, It seems like the worst of the fighting down here has stopped for now, and with the taichous and Ichigo up in the royal realm, destroying that, Central 46 will be locked down.

He pulled his long, shaggy silver hair back and fastened it into a tidier ponytail and headed down from the rise he had been observing from.

It would be fun to go and see Sousuke, he mused, chuckling to himself, I sense him somewhere near where the Taichous were before they left. I wonder if he'd be happy to see even me after sitting alone in the dark for a while like he has. He hasn't moved from where I sensed him, not even when everyone else left for the royal realm. I imagine that means he's restrained somehow. Unfortunately, he probably has guards…men who would know me on sight. No…our reunion, should it come, will have to happen later. Right now, there are treasures to gather. I can probably gather enough to keep me comfortable for the rest of my life.

I might feel bad for stealing, but somehow watching Rangiku cry over Central 46 denying me even a proper burial for my fake dead body cured me of any need to extend courtesies to the noble houses whose sages passed judgment on me. I may have committed some crimes, but I did make clear who my real enemy was. Rangiku understood, as did a number of others I was touched to see attending my memorial. But the rich, snobby nobles saw only a criminal, not a man trying to avenge his friend. Well, they can take my haori, my military funeral and all of my past honors. They can scratch my name from Seireitei history if that's what they want. But…having done that, they can't fault me for taking something back…just enough to have my future paid for so that I won't miss what was taken from me.

Ah yes, with the noble families holed up in their safe retreats, their homes are ripe for pillaging.

But I must move quickly, before other unfortunate souls like me decide to do the same.

Gin slowed as he reached the bottom of the rise, stopping in front of a plain looking sales cart that was pulled by two aged, but well-kept horses. He climbed up into the seat at the front of the cart, then picked up the reins and whistled cheerfully to the horses, who moved into a comfortable walk. The streets were mostly empty and quiet, with most of the locals tucked into their locked and shuttered homes.

I must give the quincies full credit for laying the worst of the destruction on the Seireitei, the actual home of the ones who once tried to exterminate them. Yes, they left the Rukongai alone. Oddly, they made the Seireitei disappear and other buildings take their place, but something happened up there and the Seireitei returned. It will take time for the lower officers and soldiers left behind to organize any kind of protection for the abandoned noble properties, so I should be able to slip in and out with relative ease. Ah, but I should effect a small disguise, just in case.

Gin leaned back and fished a weathered, floppy hat out of his bag, employing it to obscure his features. He turned the horses out of town, heading for the west Seireitei gate.

That area was devastated, so there will be no guards on the entry.

He was careful to stop the cart within the forest, just short of the entrance, where he concealed the horses and cart and wrapped a dark cloak around his slender body. He moved silently through the trees as darkness began to fall, pausing just short of the shattered and tumbled gates to survey the area.

As I thought. There are still battles going on. They don't have time to worry about the already destroyed areas. This is going to be insanely easy!

He knew already that the rich Saito estate laid a short distance away and was likely to contain more than he needed.

Even if it has already been scavenged a bit, I know of a few places others wouldn't. I was a guest at the estate a number of times while a taichou. I will just cut across the Kuchiki estate. There isn't likely much there, as Byakuya was never much for hoarding wealth or showing off. For a noble lord, he was actually rather likable. Maybe as a gesture, I will leave his home untouched. After all, he and the Kuchiki elders did not oppose me getting a respectful burial, once Rangiku made her plea to Central 46. I guess they figured me getting murdered by Sousuke was punishment enough.

I guess Inoue Orihime never let on how she saved my life. She is a sweet thing. I never thought she deserved what Aizen did to her…not that she remembers any of the worst of it. She should be thankful for that.

Gin paused as he reached the broken back gates that led into the Kuchiki main house gardens. His mood darkened somewhat, seeing the horrid damage to what had been the most beautiful gardens in the Seireitei. Trees had been brought down and shrubs torn out of the ground, the flowers ripped from the earth and the ground scorched by the fires that had raged through the buildings.

"Sad," he whispered, passing quietly through.

He touched nothing as he made his way along, his mind already focused on his intended target.

If the far wall is down, which I expect it will be, I will have protected access to the Saito estate and will not have to venture onto the street. There are likely to be some patrols.

He reached the end of the property and was pleased to find the wall down and the way to the Saito estate opened. Within moments, he had bypassed the most obvious areas, which had been picked clean by more reckless scavengers than he.

It looks like a few of them paid for it too, he noted as he passed several collapsed bodies, a few with a number of items still in the bags they clutched in their dead hands.

He was careful to be mindful of the reiatsu in the area, but found it wasn't necessary, as it looked like most assumed the best things were already looted.

"Au contraire," he mused, climbing carefully into a section of wreckage that he surmised would have been the guest bedrooms. He dropped down into the ruins and found a passable hallway, then followed it to the end. A hidden spot in the wall held a key that opened a secret door, which led into the estate's underground vault. Gin was cautious not to bother with that which was too recognizable or too large to be carried out easily. And when he was done plundering but two bags that would more than set him for life, he turned out of the vault and carefully locked it, placing the key in his pocket.

For future use, if need be.

He was relatively sure he wouldn't need to return, but Gin was also sure it was safest not to make assumptions.

He was rewarded for his caution as he spotted several approaching soldiers and was able to quietly slip away while the two built a fire and set up watch. He took up a position near enough to hear them, curious at the latest news.

"I don't know why that old guy was so hot to have us risk our lives out here, watching this wreck," one of the guards complained, "You can see it's been ransacked."

"Maybe," the second agreed, "but he's an important man. The high nobles tend to get what they want."

"They'd better hope then that the taichous and Kurosaki Ichigo are able to beat that guy, Ywach, or it isn't going to matter if there's anything of value left here. We're all dead."

"Cheery tonight, aren't you, Taro?" chuckled the second guard.

"Must be the company," Taro snickered, patting his comrade on the back and sitting down beside them.

The two set their backs to one of the less damaged walls and gazed up into the night sky, noting the occasional flashes of light.

"Looks like some tough fighting, eh, Nao?" Taro said, curling his hands behind his head and leaning back against some of the piled debris, "I hope they're doing better than they were when the quincies were waltzing through here, killing everyone."

"It didn't seem to matter," Nao sighed, "Taichous, officers, unseated fodder, we all got the same treatment. I heard that if Kurosaki hadn't shown up when he did, they would have just killed every shinigami here."

"I believe it."

Nao gave his comrade a sympathetic look.

"You're lucky you came back alive," he commented.

"Yeah," Taro agreed, his dark eyes clouding, "Hardly any of my unit did. What those bastard sternritters didn't crush, the damned soldats just came in and trampled. Last I heard, the death count was so high they just stopped counting. Squad four just started burning the bodies so that disease wouldn't set in with rotting carcasses and vermin coming in droves to eat them."

"Ugh!" Nao groaned, reaching into his breast pocket and removing a flask he took a sip from, then handed to his partner, "What do you say we stop talking about it? It's ugly enough out here without rehashing how bad things are."

"You're right," Taro agreed, accepting the flask and drinking deeply, "We made it this far. As long as Kurosaki and the taichous win, we'll probably live. And if they don't, it'll be good to be drunk so that we won't feel it when we die."

Gin shook his head and sighed softly, shifting the weight of the bags on his shoulder before heading back through the broken wall that separated the Saito and Kuchiki estates. He ambled through the abandoned Kuchiki grounds, humming softly to himself and smiling at his success in securing a much improved future from the ones who had disrespected him.

I wonder if the worlds would really miss us shinigamis if the quincies destroy us. Given that the nobles who run everything are pretty much only out to improve things for themselves, I think the regular souls don't need shinigamis pushing them around. It would be different if there were more nobles like the ones in Byakuya's family. He used to be cold, like the rest of them, but he changed after Ichigo came along.

Yes, I noticed the different look to him after their battle. It wasn't just that Byakuya began to respect Kurosaki. I saw something else sparking in there. I wonder if this war has started a fire between those two. I wouldn't be surprised. Byakuya used to be quite a fun little rebel. Kurosaki's spirit has to appeal to that. I…

Gin was pulled out of his thoughts by a soft, muffled groan that issued from somewhere in the darkness to his left. He froze for a moment, peering into the bushes, a little twinge of surprise going through him as he spotted someone clawing at the ground, dragging a muddy and blood soaked body out into the open.

"Oh, that doesn't look good," Gin breathed, pulling a long knife out from within his clothes.

He moved warily closer, watching through slitted eyes as a shaft of moonlight touched the person, illuminating his torn uniform that marked him as a house guard of the Kuchiki family.

I would prefer not to have to kill anyone, and it looks like this poor thing won't last much longer anyway. But there's no need for the lad to suffer. I hate seeing people suffer. Well, undeserving ones anyway.

He moved closer, studying the lovely young man's face as he rolled onto his back, panting harshly as he rested for a moment.

What a pretty mess.

"Why, hello there," he greeted the fallen man, setting his bags in the bushes and moving forward to kneel at the young man's side, "You're not looking well at all."

The moon shone in the young man's eyes as he turned them on Gin, striking him with their unnatural beauty. Gemlike sapphire orbs locked on him and the young man's mouth moved.

"Are you going to k-kill me?" he asked.

Gin gave him an oddly gentle smile and brushed several misbehaving strands of pretty raven hair out of his eyes.

"It looks like someone has already done that," he observed, "I'm not really a killer, just sort of an opportunist. I won't hurt you, but I don't know if I can stop you from dying. You're pretty beat up. I don't suppose you'll bribe me to save you?"

"B-bribe?" the man stammered, blinking.

"Well," Gin teased, leaning over the young man and carefully peeling back his clothing, "you don't expect me to risk getting killed myself without some compensation, ne? There is still plenty of danger from roaming quincies and some soldiers of questionable virtue, after all."

His smile warmed at the confused look the injured man gave him.

"Do you have a name?" Gin asked.

"Ah," the man said, wincing as Gin's long fingers touched one of the jagged slashes on his chest and began to heal it, "I…everything is very fuzzy."

Gin looked more closely at him.

"Oh, that's a nasty head wound," he noticed, moving to address the swelling bump, "I'm not surprised your mind is a little scrambled."

"Who are you, exactly?" the young man asked him.

"The name is Kitsune," Gin told him, "I am a traveling vendor and minor healer. I usually go around the Rukongai, selling things or helping with healing. I came to the Seireitei to see if there was anything I could do to help. But there's not much to help, I am afraid. I found mostly bodies and destroyed buildings. Those quincies really made a mess of things."

"Quincies?"

Gin gave the man an amused look.

"That really is a nasty head wound," he chuckled, "I should take you somewhere safe. I'll give you a pain block so you won't mind so much being moved."

"Oh…ah!" the man objected, trying to pull away as Gin employed the pain block, "S-stop!"

"Take it easy," Gin chided him, "If I wanted you dead, then I would only have had to wait a little longer. Go to sleep. I'll take care of you, pretty thing."

The young man quivered, then his lovely sapphire eyes blinked and closed.

"That's a good boy," Gin chuckled, lifting him over a shoulder.

He quickly retrieved his stashed bags and hurried back through the ruins of Kuchiki Manor, his eyes watching the shadowed areas closely for any signs of movement and his senses attuned to any shifts in reiatsu. He had nearly reached his concealed cart, when the ground began to rumble warningly and he turned back to see signs of a huge explosion of some kind. His heart pounded as he recognized the heavy reiatsu of the deadly quincy king. He gripped the young man he carried and the bags of plundered treasures more tightly and ran.

Let's hope that freak just destroys the Seireitei and leaves the rest of us alone…

More explosions threatened to knock him off his feet, and he felt a chill darkness spreading over the area. Gin burst out the shattered west side gates, fleeing into the brush, where he threw the injured man and his gathered booty into the cart and nudged the horses into a run.

"Time to be going," he sighed, looking back over his shoulder and shaking his head unhappily, "Kurosaki probably isn't dead, but he is sure taking his time. He had better win soon, or there won't be anyone left for him to save."

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Byakuya flash stepped at top speed through the ruins of the quincy king's palace, his eyes focused straight ahead and his senses locked on Rukia's weakened reiatsu. He swallowed hard, coughing at the intrusion of yet more smoke into his tasked lungs as he hurried towards the throne room.

"I don't sense Ichigo here anymore," Toshiro panted, moving up to run alongside him.

"No," Byakuya agreed, "He is farther away, as is Renji. They must have followed Ywach back down to the Seireitei."

"So, you think maybe we will be able to use whatever method they did to cross over?"

"Probably," Byakuya surmised, "If Ichigo and Renji were able to do so, we should be able to as well."

"Hopefully."

The two ran into the throne room and skidded to a halt as Rukia called out to them.

"Nii-sama! Hitsugaya taichou! Are you all right?"

"We are fine," Byakuya assured her, moving forward to where Rukia knelt at Orihime's side, "Do either of you require healing?"

"I'm not hurt badly," Rukia answered, "I was just healing Orihime so that we could go after Ichigo and Renji."

Byakuya considered for a moment, frowning and registering the explosions of power that resonated below them.

"No," he said firmly, "You and Orihime will remain here until the fight is over."

"Nii-sama?" Rukia inquired worriedly.

"There may still be enemies in the area, so Orihime will need your protection," Byakuya explained, "She needs to remain here, where she will be safe until the fighting is over. At that time, she will be needed to heal…those who might be injured."

Sudden comprehension registered in Rukia's eyes and she nodded in agreement.

"I understand, Nii-sama. I will protect Orihime while you and Hitsugaya taichou go to help Ichigo!"

Byakuya turned a dark eye on the billowing black portal Ywach had left behind.

"Is that how they returned to Soul Society?" he asked Rukia.

"Yes," Rukia answered, "It seemed like he wanted Ichigo to follow him, although he did threaten all of us that if we followed, he would find the happiest moment in our future and slaughter us there."

"If any of us has significant happiness in our future, that would be a concern," Byakuya sighed, "But enough. I am going."

"Be careful, Nii-sama," Rukia said as he turned away.

She blinked in surprise as he paused and looked back at her.

"I will," he promised.

Rukia smiled as he and Toshiro ran into the portal.

"Hey, wait for me!" Kenpachi yelled, pelting through the broken throne room doors and dashing into the portal.

Rukia sighed and glanced down at Orihime.

"Are you feeling all right now?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm all right now," Orihime assured her, sitting up and dusting herself off, "I'm just pretty tired."

"Nii-sama ordered us to wait here while Ichigo and the taichous follow Ywach. He wants to be sure you're well enough to heal whoever might be hurt."

Orihime smiled.

"He's worried about Ichigo," she surmised, "Ichigo told me that he likes your brother too."

Rukia sighed wearily.

"Now, if the two of them would just tell each other…"