Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Zanpaku-to? ❯ Accusations of Tampering ( Chapter 57 )

A knock at the bathroom door startled all of them, making them realise the other Shinigami who were meant to be watching them had left with the Captain-General. This observation pleased Zaraki as he was certain there may have been interference in the small act of vengeance again Kurotsuchi.

"Enter," he called.

The three Shinigami who had previously escorted them entered, bowed and one spoke. "We are to escort Captain Zaraki and Captain Kurotsuchi to their accommodation for the night while the judges deliberate whether there is a result from this challenge, whether it will be repeated, or another substituted. You will be taken there directly and not appear before the judges or interfere with their deliberations."

This meant there'd be no issue with the smeared make up, not that it had really concerned Zaraki to any extent. The man might have smeared his makeup while he was being ill, or washing his face afterward.

Before Kurotsuchi could protest, they were escorted back to their cells/accommodations. Zaraki glanced back at Kyoraku who was once more wearing his hat, pushed to the back of his head and a rueful smile on his face. Why was he rueful? Was he sad the challenge was over, or that he hadn't managed to defeat both of them at the competition?

A small and angry cough drew his attention to Kurotsuchi.

"Don't talk to me, Zaraki. I don't wish to know your feeble thoughts or accept your equally feeble apologies." The 12th Division Captain had turned his head away from Zaraki as he spoke.

"Don't worry. No apology." Why did he think anyone would apologise to him? He'd been irritating in the extreme as long as he'd existed and should be the one apologising for taking up space.

"You are fortunate I am not mentioning the incident to the Captain-General," Kurotsuchi whispered fiercely.

Zaraki gave a croak of laughter. "You won't tell him because it makes you look like the fool you are. You can tell who you like, but don't expect sympathy from me."

Kurotsuchi glared and his mouth turned down in an unpleasant grimace. "I don't want or need sympathy. I'd prefer justice and an apology."

Zaraki apologise to the Clown Captain? He's already said he didn't want an apology? Was he forgetting what he'd said? Or was he expecting an apology from Kyoraku or Yamamoto? If so, he was out of his head. So far he was the only person who owed anyone an apology and he seemed rather hesitant to admit his wrong doings.

Justice? If he expected that, what else did he expect? Fair compensation for work? Recognition for the people who actually did the work, but didn't take the credit? The last made him laugh as he was pretty certain Kurotsuchi was one of the people who took credit for other people's effort.

Fortunately the walk was short and Zaraki ignored any more muttered comments or threats from the 12th Division Captain. Talking to him only proved they had nothing in common, would never have anything in common and time spent in each other's company wasn't enjoyable.

Entering his 'cell', Zaraki suddenly felt tired. All the activities, interrupted sleep and vestiges of alcohol in his system combined to force him to accept that even he occasionally needed downtime. He slumped onto the bed, his eyes closing as he tried to remove his sandals. Tugging at them, trying to toe them off with his other foot didn't seem to be working. He cracked open one eye and with a lot of concentration and more effort managed to remove his shoes. Dressing down any further didn't seem necessary. He'd have clean clothes and a chance to bathe tomorrow before anything happened or he wasn't going to bother.

He was certain he heard hard loud gaping gasps during the night, but didn't let it wake or disturb him. If he was snoring, fine. Great. He'd check into it later, but right now sleep was more important than worrying about any random noises produced by his nose, mouth and throat.

Upon waking he recognised his mouth was dry and he didn't feel like he'd really slept. Today was not a day he wanted to participate in challenges which tried both his patience and boundaries. He wanted to sleep, or laze around or even have a bit of exercise, preferably by fighting someone. Instead he was faced with the stupid challenges which, aside from the brief enjoyment he had last night, were proving to be a nuisance. A damned, bloody nuisance which made him think too hard.

Lying still he rubbed his hands across his face, noticing he'd left his eye patch on all night and hadn't removed the bells or done his hair. The rasp of skin against skin was loud in the quiet of the room. Grunting, he noticed there were several objects underneath him which were causing him a small amount of discomfort. Groaning and swearing slightly he rose and picked up the objects, the bells from his hair which had become detached during the night and fallen under him. On counting them he found 8. Removing his eye patch he recalled there was a mirror in his room and he went and glared at it. Then he decided to glare into it.

Once again he thanked science, genetics, gods, fate or whatever that he was a male. If he were female he might be upset with his appearance. The red marks of the eye patch were vivid and added to the scars gave an impression of a badly disfigured face. One or two of the bells still attached to his hair had also pressed into his face, adding to the effect. His hair was neither one thing nor another. Half was up, half was down and most of it was tangled.

"Yeah, brilliant idea. Put your hair up in spikes, attach bells so people can hear you coming and then leave them in all night," he said aloud before he savagely yanked the bells out of his hair and grabbed a comb.

Half an hour later his hair was done. Bells replaced, fortunately none were lost, hair spiked and staying upright and the vivid colour had become much less. Replacing his eye patch, Zaraki wondered what new challenge the day would bring, and why the bird hadn't said anything. He'd spoken aloud and normally she used that as an excuse to make some carping remark. Why was she suddenly silent?

For a second, a very abbreviated second, he considered asking the bird why she was remaining quiet, but that would mean talking to her and doing so might result in a conversation. A conversation with Atonomatsuri on top of the way he was feeling might result in more irritation. He grimaced at his reflection in the mirror.

He wanted a day off from all the attention and activity.

Damn it, he wasn't going to cooperate today!

Oh, Hell! If he didn't, it meant he'd be cooped up within feet of the Clown Captain for one more day. Being so close to that reject from the Maggots Nest made his skin feel like it wanted to crawl off his body to find refuge somewhere else.

The door opened and a tray with food and drink was brought in. At first the smell made him feel nauseous, but he ignored it and ate and drank while concentrating on something else. He needed the food. The next challenge might require either strength or endurance. The last word made him grimace as he remembered struggling to stay awake. The challenge had been boring to do. It must have been even more boring to watch.

"Captain, please follow me."

He was pleased to see Ayasegawa at the door. The man was as well groomed as always and Zaraki felt a momentary and unexpected relief he'd spent some time making himself presentable.

"What is it today?" he asked as he followed his subordinate, pleased he wasn't accompanied by the noise of Kurotsuchi on this occasion.

"I'm not certain. Only the judges, Yamamoto and Sasakibe know what is going on."

"How's Madarame?"

"He's nearly recovered. Furious with the Clown Captain, of course. If you don't decimate him, he might decide to do something..." he hesitated.

"Something dumb," Zaraki guessed.

"Your words, Captain, not mine."

They had now arrived and Zaraki felt a drag of reluctance to do this again. The stands were full of Shinigami who were talking and looking intently at the arena. The drinking competition had been okay, but he had a sinking feeling it wasn't going to be included. Kurotsuchi was already there with his normal stupid smug expression and standing anywhere near the man had become worse than a chore. More like a punishment.

Instead of Ise, the First Division Assistant Captain appeared to be presiding over the events.

"Due to the interference of Assistant Captain Ise, the previous challenge is declared null and void. An additional challenge has been devised which will take place now." He indicated a round table, with 5 chairs.

Zaraki checked again. 5 chairs seemed odd, but he had an idea who might have devised the previous challenge and the indication was this was from the same mind.

Three Shinigami walked out and headed toward the table. Until now, Zaraki had paid little attention to the judges, but he looked at the three people heading toward the table and then the judges. He stopped the smirk he felt and understood why Ayasegawa had provided the warning. Madarame, still looking slightly battered walked toward the table as if it were a battle field. Behind him trailed the 10th Division assistant Captain who smiled and waved at certain members of the audience and finally the joint Third seat from 13th Division: Sentaro Kotsubaki.

It made him wonder if these people had been deliberately chosen or if the decision was random. On the panel of judges he was pleased to see the previous bunch of wowsers had been replaced by Abarai, Kyoraku and Tetsuzaemon Iba. He idly considered they appointed Kyoraku one of the judges so he wouldn't try to join in with whatever was planned. There were no indications it was another contest including drinking, but there seemed to be tea and cups on the table as well as water.

"Be seated please," Sasakibe said firmly.

Reluctantly, Zaraki moved to the table and made certain he was seated between Madarame and Matsumoto. One was pretty to look at and had a nice laugh and the other wasn't pretty, but he was certain he didn't want to sit anywhere near Kurotsuchi. It didn't escape his notice that the man quickly took the seat next to the only female at the table leaving Kotsubaki looking unhappy as he sat between Madarame and Kurotsuchi, but he was nearly opposite the 10th Division Assistant Captain. Kotsubaki fixed his eyes on the Assistant Captain until she noticed and gave him a slight frown. The man blushed slightly and looked away.

Sasakibe cleared his throat and again it struck Zaraki the man liked to be the centre of attention. He missed Ise. At least she was direct and clear in her instructions.

"You will be playing a card game called 21 or Blackjack," Sasakibe announced loudly and then paused as if waiting for exclamations from either the participants or the audience.

Until now, Zaraki hadn't played many card games. They didn't interest him and the one time he'd played poker with some of his subordinates the game didn't interest him. The rules were complicated and kept changing. Folding and showdowns were fine, but he hated the bluffing. It was confusing. And the Poker types had stupid names. Five card stud? Texas Holdem? Why Texas? Was it special?

"Blackjack?" Madarame questioned and then a smile full of malice crossed his face as he looked at Kurotsuchi. "A game of chance more than skill."

"I don't know how to play the game, nor do I see any reason I should learn." It was no surprise that the Clown Captain was complaining once more.

The 10th Division Assistant Captain pushed her hair back and smiled. "I like playing card games, especially for money. It's such fun."

"Maybe it might be an interesting experience to learn how to play this game," Kurotsuchi said quickly.

Zaraki suppressed an urge to laugh at the man. He was as susceptible to attractive females as any other male, though he constantly tried to pretend he was immune to such things.

"For those who do not know the rules of this game I will explain them quickly." Sasakibe pulled a roll of paper from his sleeve and scanned it.

"One person will be the dealer. Assistant Captain Rangiku Matsumoto has been selected for this role due to her knowledge of Blackjack and other card games."

Matsumoto smiled gently and nodded as Sasakibe handed her a sealed pack of cards. "I'm pleased to see they are sealed. There can be no accusations of tampering," was her gentle but pointed comment.

"I'm sure you would never tamper with cards," Kurotsuchi said archly. It was obvious he was implying something, and a glint in the woman's eye indicated she wasn't pleased with the insinuation.

"Tampering with anything is without honour," Madarame said as he stared at Kurotsuchi, his words weighted with obvious meaning. "Aizen is an example of what happens when you believe you are the equal of God."

Zaraki was surprised at the level of anger in his third seat. He knew the man hated to 12th Division Captain, yet there seemed to also be a hatred of the work he did. One day he might ask Madarame for the other reasons he hated the Clown Captain, or not. If the man was defeated through these challenges the importance would dwindle.

Sasakibe spoke louder, obviously not pleased at the interruption. "The object of the game is to draw cards that equal the number 21. If you go over that number then you lose. As Assistant Captain Matsumoto is the dealer, your main objective is to get closer to 21 than she does, or any of the other players. If the dealer exceeds 21 all other players win."

This was fine but how did he know the value of the cards?

The man went on, providing details of the value of the cards, emphasised the importance that an Ace could play and generally enjoying the sound of his own voice. It was hard to listen, but Zaraki tried. He stifled yawn after yawn.

"Finally we come to how the winner will be determined."

Finally? Was the man going to finish sometime in the next twenty years? Zaraki now listened carefully.

"It is customary to bet on the outcome of this game. Therefore each of you will be given 50 tokens. The first person to gather 150 tokens will be the winner. If neither Captain Kurotsuchi or Zaraki wins, the challenge will be classed as a draw. You are not permitted to bet the whole 50 tokens on one hand, the maximum being 45 tokens and the minimum wager is 1 token. Any person who loses all their tokens will be excluded from participating further in the game. Assistant Captain Matsumoto will not be included in the betting but will have some tokens to pay in the circumstance she loses."

It was clear that they'd anticipated he might try to get the whole thing over and done with by using all the tokens at once. All the same it meant he might have to play twice.

Why was he thinking like this? He wanted to win and wipe the continually smug and annoying expression of his foes face.

Sasakibe continued, "The challenge will continue until we have a clear winner. In the interest of all the game will be confined to 21 hands. The person closest to having 150 tokens at the conclusion of 21 hands, if that number is not reached previously will be the winner. Commence."

The 10th Division Assistant Captain broke the seal on the cards and shuffled them. Her hands moved deftly, and it became apparent she'd had a deal of experience in shuffling cards. With a small smile she dealt each player a face up card.

Zaraki received a 7. He didn't care that Kurotsuchi gave a exclamation of pleasure at being dealt an Ace and smirked at Matsumoto who didn't appear to notice. One card didn't make him a winner. Madarame was dealt a 5, Matsumoto a 2 and Kotsubaki a King. Sasakibe announced each card loudly and to whom it was dealt so the audience knew.

Again Zaraki wondered how interesting this would be to anyone watching. It was pretty obvious Sasakibe would announce the cards dealt at each instance.

"Place your first wager, if you will."

Five tokens was enough. He wasn't certain how many more he would bet on this hand as he was still not certain about the rules.

Everyone seemed inclined to bet 5 tokens. Matsumoto dealt the next card. An 8 to Zaraki, a 7 to Kurotsuchi, a 3 to Madarame a 4 to herself and a Queen to Kotsubaki.

Kotsubaki immediately placed another bet of 10 tokens. "Don't deal me anymore cards, please Assistant Captain Matsumoto," he said quietly.

She smiled in reply.

"I'll have one more card, please," Kurotsuchi said.

"Yeah, give me another one," Zaraki said.

"And me," Madarame agreed.

A 5 was dealt to Kurotsuchi, a 4 to Zaraki, a 10 to Matsumoto and a 3 to Madarame. The meant Kurotsuchi had either 13 or 23, Zaraki had 19, Madarame had 12, Matsumoto had 16 and Kotsubaki 20.

19 was pretty close, but wouldn't beat the 20. Zaraki decided not to bet any more or request any further cards. He wished to see what the other players would do.

"Hit me again," Madarame said and it forced Zaraki to look at him.

"I haven't touched you, nor has anyone else. Why do you want someone to hit you? If you do, I'll do it but not now."

Madarame couldn't or didn't try to prevent his eyes rolling in his head. "It means give me another card, not physically hit a person."

"What a stupid thing to say," Kurotsuchi said. "Hit me. Why hit me? Why not card me, or deal me, or something which makes more sense."

For once the man was saying something Zaraki agreed with. "Yeah, it is pretty dumb. Doesn't it lead to fights during the game?"

Matsumoto smiled gently. "As most people who play cards know the meaning of the term, normally, no."

"Probably created by some person too lazy to say 'May I have another card'." Kurotsuchi commented. "Laziness is responsible for so many problems."

This time Zaraki was conflicted about how he felt about this comment. Yes, he liked being lazy on occasions and sleeping or generally wasting time, but he hated it when other people were lazy, especially when he expected them to do something for him.

"But why the word 'hit'?" Kurotsuchi said. "Hit is only used to imply pain or disgrace in some way. Is asking for another card as shaming as asking another person for money or sex?"

Zaraki stared at the man wondering if he'd been drinking. Why was he carrying on about a term used, or was it a subtle way of annoying Madarame? He glanced at his third seat and noticed his face was carefully bland. A tightening at the corners of the mouth made it apparent he was becoming irritated.

Matsumoto had dealt him another card and without looking at it, he said in a cool voice, "Another card."

"Are you sure?" Matsumoto said.

Zaraki looked at the other card in front of his subordinate. It was a 6 which brought the total of his cards to 18. Any card higher than a 3 would put him over 21.

Madarame shook himself and took his eyes from Kurotsuchi and then looked at his cards. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Was he really, or still angered by the man baiting him? Irrespective of either Matsumoto dealt him a Jack which caused him to sigh and then smile slightly. "Good lesson," he muttered. "I'm out," he announced generally.

"I'll have another card," Kurotsuchi said and was dealt a 6 which made him equal with Zaraki and Matsumoto dealt herself a 4 which put her equal to Kotsubaki.

"Does anyone wish for another card?"

No one requested one and Matsumoto smiled. "You get your money back," she told Kotsubaki, "plus half of the money that was wagered. This means we both receive 30 tokens."

The game didn't interest Zaraki even though he now thought he knew the rules. "More like doing sums than playing cards," he thought. "Keeping track of the numbers on the cards, the amount of money... Why do I have to do this?"

He knew, but as the game progressed he kept asking the question, expecting some acerbic remark from Atonomatsuri. She remained silent.

Luck or skill? What made a winner in this game?

"I trust no one is card counting," Sasakibe said in one pause when Kotsubaki had won again.

"What is card counting?" It was bad enough trying to add up score, but counting cards? Why would anyone do that?

Madarame laughed. "Card counting is when someone keeps track of which cards have appeared. It is illegal in most games as it gives an indication of which cards are still to be dealt. I'm not doing it as it seems like a lot of trouble for little reward."

A small movement drew everyone's attention to the 13th Division 3rd seat.

"Were you card counting?" Sasakibe asked pointedly as he stared at the Kotsubaki.

"Not really. Not all the time," he paused. "Well." He stopped again. "Maybe. It's the sensible way to play the game." The man spluttered.

It still wasn't clear what card counting was, but the impression he received was it gave an unfair advantage. "It sounds like cheating to me," Zaraki rumbled, disappointed in the man. He was putting the challenge at risk by his actions and the time wasted on another fruitless game angered him.

"I'll stop. I'd lost count anyway," Kotsubaki pleaded.

"Let me find out what the judges think," was the comment made by the First Division Assistant Captain before he strode off, back straight and arms held to his sides as he walked toward the table. A brief conference took place.

Of course the man made an announcement. "Third seat Kotsubaki has been counting cards which I am sure you all know is not quite cheating, but also not quite honest. The judges, in their wisdom have disqualified him from the game with the winning to be divided amongst the remaining players, with the exception of the bank. This is quite an interesting point as he was 8 tokens away from having the correct amount to win."

He'd been that close to winning? Zaraki looked at his dwindled supply of tokens. He only had 10 left. If he got his share it would mean he had more than he started with, but barely. 50 and 10 made 60 tokens. Still a long way from the 150 required.

Kotsubaki was escorted from the arena amidst some whispering and a few jeered remarks. The man hunched over, his face staring at the ground and he glance unhappily at his Captain. On looking at Ukitake it was easy to see displeasure clouding his normal agreeable features. It left Zaraki wondering if there would be any action taken, but decided it wasn't his problem or his actions which were required.

The game continued and Zaraki tried to focus, tried to retain his interest. Eventually all the cards had been played and Matsumoto was shuffling the deck. Again Zaraki counted his tokens. 90. He'd won a few hands, but this whole thing was tedious in the extreme. His gaze was drawn to Kurotsuchi who was furiously counting his tokens.

"I have 139!" he exclaimed the delight on his face visible to all. "Only 11 more and I have won!"

"Sorry, Captain," Madarame said under his breath. "I wanted the game over so I've been betting more than I should. I've only 5 tokens left."

"The dealer has only 16 tokens left," Matsumoto admitted. "There has been some rather unusual bets made," she said looking at Kurotsuchi. "It is almost like someone else has been counting cards."

It was barely possible to see the red rise to the surface of the man's skin. "I don't know what you mean," he replied. "I've never played this game before and never heard of card counting until it was mentioned earlier."

His denial only made it more likely.

Sasakibe, who had been called over to the judges table returned to the centre of the arena. "An additional rule has now been added to the game. The dealer will shuffle the cards after every hand, including those just played. This will ensure that card counting cannot be used as a method of gaining an advantage."

A muffled curse confirmed Matsumoto's suspicion and Zaraki's thoughts. He tried to hide a smile, but then wondered why. He noticed Madarame grinning at him and he smiled back. "Good idea," he commented. "I might have been tempted, if I knew how."

The game continued and it seemed Kurotsuchi steadily lost the advantage he'd had while Zaraki didn't seem to lose or win much. His token count stood at 105. He didn't bother looking at the tokens the others held. At 105 he must have the majority of tokens. It was only logical.

Finally he decided. "I don't care. I'm going to wager 45 tokens this time. If I win it means the game is over. If I lose, then it's too bad. I'm sick of sitting here staring at cards and counting."

This time he paid full attention to the game. His first card was an Ace, one of the very few he'd been dealt during the game. Madarame was dealt a King, Kurotsuchi a 7 and Matsumoto a 9. The second card yielded a 5 for Zaraki, a 6 for Madarame, a Queen for Matsumoto and a 3 for Kurotsuchi . This mean Zaraki had either 6 or 16, Madarame now had 16, Matsumoto held 19 and Kurotsuchi was coming last with 10.

Zaraki placed a bet of 20 tokens in addition to his original bet of 10. Everyone who could, matched his bet. If he won, he'd have more than enough to prove he'd won the game. If he lost it was too bad.

"Another card," he requested and watched as Matsumoto dealt a 5. 21. Blackjack! He'd gotten Blackjack. The first time since the game had commenced.

Suppressing a smile he bet another 10 tokens and watched as the cards were dealt.

Matsumoto dealt her card first. It was a 2. Zaraki looked at the card in disbelief. The dealer had 21 as well? Unbelievable!

Kurotsuchi was dealt an Ace. He had 21 as well? This was ridiculous. It wasn't possible!

Madarame was dealt a 7 and he grunted as he threw his cards on the table.

Three 21's. Zaraki still didn't believe it was possible. The winnings were sitting there and he had to share them. He hadn't won and the game was going to continue, or so he thought until it became apparent Sasakibe was speaking once more. Dragging his attention to what the man was saying he heard one thing that made the disaster seem less.

"Shinigami's present. This was the final hand of the game. We will now count the tokens and assess who was the winner. Players, please leave your hands on the table and the tokens and I will divide the winnings from the last hand fairly."

It was a relief to stand and walk away from the table. His eyes hurt and so did his neck, not forgetting his brain. If anyone was foolish enough to ask him to play cards, he'd hurt them. Except if it was Yachiru because she at least had the sense to play games which didn't require adding up numbers or trying to remember which cards had already been played.

How exactly would he hurt them? Why was he even thinking about this. His normal reaction was to attempt to kill anything or anyone who irritated him. Why change to something which might not work? If the person didn't fear death, then he'd administer the antidote to life quickly, unless an interesting fight was promised. Then it might be prolonged according to the skill displayed.

With more disinterest than he felt, he watched the tokens being counted after the cards were evaluated. How had three of them managed to get 21 in the last hand? He hadn't managed to get higher than 20 during the length of the game and this final draw was like an intentional insult.

After the three judges conferred with each other and Sasakibe, they returned to their table and he went and stood in his favoured position in the middle of the ground.

"The final result is both Captain Zaraki and Captain Kurotsuchi have drawn."

Zaraki frowned. How could they have drawn? He'd had 105 tokens and bet 40. Kurotsuchi had bet 40. Unless...

Unless both Matsumoto and Madarame had very few tokens and Kurotsuchi had the same amount he did when the game commenced.

"A draw?" Kurotsuchi appeared incensed.

"A draw. No further discussion will be entered into regarding the result as the judge's decision is final."

Zaraki felt a strange prickling sensation down his spine. For some reason he had trouble believing the result as much as Kurotsuchi. Was there some reason the results were a draw? To keep the challenges ongoing and make it even more uncertain who would win.

And yet he had won more challenges than Kurotsuchi: the guessing competition, the buzzing maze, archery, sleep deprivation. That was 4 clear winds. Kurotsuchi had only won the training a Shinigami. They'd drawn on the origami and this one and the drinking contest didn't count. So he had 3 more wins than Kurotsuchi. He was clearly going to win overall as there were only 3 challenges left.

3 challenges left. Then it sank it just as his hopes for a quick end disappeared. If Kurotsuchi won the final 3 they would again be at a draw.

Turning his head he tried to catch sight of Yamamoto. It was clearly the Old Man's idea of fun. Keep everyone focused on something irrelevant, when it was essential they prepare for what was going to happen when Aizen and his fellow traitors made their move.

Again he wondered why.
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Author' s Note
Yes, more delays. Study, life, family and other things tend to make writing that little bit more difficult. Priorities change daily, sometimes hourly, depending on who is making the most noise.

Please review.

MS










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