If he wants a fight, well now he's got one

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The Palace felt quiet. A number of the Arrancar were out on a mission with Aizen; only the weak, or the unpredictable, had been made to stay behind, but that number had not, apparently, included Grimmjow. Kadaj and Tayuya had been left to their own devices without him and Yylfordt around.

Three days ago, they'd had a quiet conversation. Kadaj hadn't done much talking, just nodded, and then later in the day had crept into the laboratories down the wing of the Palace that Orochimaru had made his own. Kadaj used to go down there a lot, three years ago. He'd stopped just after the Arrancar arrived. He'd fallen out with Orochimaru once and for all shortly after that.

He emerged from the labs a couple of hours later, showered, and then went into the underground training facility. He didn't come up again for a couple of days, although there weren't really people around to notice, except Tayuya, who went down to check on him a few times.

He'd slept when he came back up, and then went to look for Nnoitra, one of the Arrancar who had been judged too unpredictable to head off to a freshly made Necrohol. He found him in the kitchen.

Kadaj made his way over; an unusual intent certainty in his expression, and spoke quietly. "Want to let off some steam?" His manner was all wrong to be an invitation to spar, but that was what it sounded like, at first.

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[joinmyreunion]

Kadaj nodded, feeling his own shoulders relax with the movement. He'd been so scared of coming to Kuja and explaining what had happened but, while his fears weren't exactly unfounded, Kuja was being understanding, which was the most Kadaj could ask.

"I've been a little too big to ride your tail for a while now, anyway," he admitted, quietly, and with a faint flash of a smile. "It's about time I started getting myself out of the scrapes I get myself into." He squirmed a little, uncomfortably, as he added, "And taking responsibility for what happens."

He looked at Kuja, a slight frown etched on his lips. "I don't know what's supposed to happen to Tayuya and the rest, now," a muscle in his jaw flickered, tensing for a second, "but I don't want them to be put down because of something I did."

Especially not Tayuya. Without Orochimaru, Kimimaro probably wouldn't survive to Warsend, and that was bad enough for Kadaj to accept. He'd never really got on with Kimimaro, but that didn't mean he deserved to die just because Orochimaru was a sick bastard, and still Kadaj had destroyed any chance he had of a cure.

[immoralmelody]

Oh, Kuja knew all too well that Kadaj was too old to remain in his shadow now. Even so, it felt like it had come too soon. He'd seen it coming, but not quite to this extent. He smiled, not openly addressing the subject. Kadaj was ready to take a leading role in his own life. He could deal with that. He knew what he wanted and Kuja was going to simply give it to him. It was for the best, in the long run. Kuja would lose an underling -- that hadn't really happened even after Kadaj had been elevated to full Member status -- but he would hopefully retain an ally.

A replacement for Orochimaru.

On the subject of Tayuya and the others, Kuja gave him a serious look.

"The Sound Five were willed to me," he said, forcing his voice almost back to normal. "Providing he didn't alter his will without informing me, that should remain the same."

Tayuya was probably Kadaj's best friend, barring that loud-mouthed Arrancar he liked so much. If he allowed her to die, Kadaj's faith in him would dwindle sharply. If he kept her and left the rest to the mercy of the Clan's rules, she would never trust him. He would, despite what he now knew about Orochimaru, honour what he had agreed to back then.

"I am perfectly sure they will be unreasonably irritated to discover that fact," he allowed amusement to seep into his tone. "Still, their displeasure is something they will have to live with. An uncomfortable period of adjustment is considerably better than the alternative -- even they would have to admit that ... however grudgingly."

[joinmyreunion]

So they were already willed to Kuja. That made Kadaj feel significantly better. There probably hadn't been any change in Orochimaru's will; he'd died an ally of Kuja's, he'd had no reason to change it.

"Some might struggle more than others," Kadaj said, quietly, thinking of Kimimaro again, but he shook his head, and shook the thought off. "At least they're landing on their feet if they get you," he said, with a faint smile. "I'd take them, if they weren't willed to anyone, but I don't think they're going to be my number one fans right now."

He sighed gently, feeling better to know that Tayuya would be all right, even if he wasn't here to argue for her.

[immoralmelody]

A difficult transition period was the best that the Sound Five could hope for. If Kuja had not stepped up and accepted Orochimaru's desire to will them to him in the event of his death, they would, in all likelihood, be put down -- that is to say, executed. Khamja was a delicate operation and, without a master, minions had only three choices if their boss was killed in action. They could be taken on by somebody else; they could, rarely, be elevated to Member status or they could be disposed of. Khamja had too many secrets, including the identities of the non-public members, for underlings to be released back into society. It had its perks, but it was a dangerous game.

They, as the old adage went, knew too much.

That said, Kuja was no bleeding heart. He would allow the Sound Five time to get used to answering to him instead of Orochimaru, that was only fair. They would be permitted to grieve, given time to adjust and would be allowed the same scant freedoms that he had given them. Tayuya, for instance, would not be prevented from fraternising with Aizen's half-Hollows, nor would she be forced to step away from Clan Skite. He would not, however, accept unfortunate behaviour once everything was settled. He had not agreed to save their lives so that he could be walked all over.

If they pushed him, there would be consequences. They could count on that.

"You are probably right," Kuja said, not doubting that for a second. "Do you intend to stay out of their way?"

He rather hoped so. Kadaj had taken out Orochimaru when it came to it, but he'd had help and the Sound Five all had dangerous abilities at their disposal. Kadaj had won a difficult battle and bested a powerful opponent, but he would struggle to win the war should it come to him all at once.

[joinmyreunion]

Kadaj nodded, answering, simply, "Yeah." The Sound Five were going to be angry with him; sticking around wouldn't be wise, especially if someone like Kimimaro decided he had nothing left to lose. Tayuya would be pissed, and feeling betrayed. Kidomaru and the twins....

Kadaj was really not going to be their favourite person in the world.

"I need to get out of here for a while anyway," he admitted. "Too many ghosts," he said, softly, "I need to clear my head." Too many bad memories and upcoming arguments. Kadaj wanted to deal with them one at a time, in his own time, and he wouldn't be able to do that here because it would all crash down on him in wave after wave if he stayed.

He frowned, thinking of that. "I should leave now," he said, with a trace of a sigh. "They'll have noticed Orochimaru's gone; it won't be long before someone comes looking for me." Tayuya. Tayuya would be the one, and she was the one Kadaj least wanted to confront.

"Thank you," he said, looking Kuja in the eyes, "for hearing me out."

[immoralmelody]

"Of course," Kuja said, answering all of his statements and his gratitude with those two words.

Gone were the days when the doors of the Desert Palace were closed to Kadaj. He was no longer a prisoner. He could come and go as he pleased, like the rest of them. Now was a good time for him to start exercising that privilege. His running around with Skite had given him ample opportunity to stretch his wings. Now was the time for him to use them.

"I will go and see Illua," he said quietly, returning his gaze. "I have no doubt that she will want to discuss with me the extent of Orochimaru's will."

So, he was to have underlings again. He had only ever had Kadaj before. He used and manipulated people on the outside easily enough, but it wasn't quite the same. He had new responsibilities. The Sound Five would not be the only ones who would have to grow accustomed to a new situation. He had not accounted for this so soon, but he could easily improvise.

"Go on," he gave his sides a gentle squeeze. "Try not to get into too much trouble?"

[joinmyreunion]

Kadaj smiled softly and leaned in again to give Kuja a lingering hug. He wasn't sure when he'd be coming back, but it wouldn't be any time soon, if Kadaj had his way.

"I won't get into trouble I can't get out of," he said, with a trace of humour. Even running around with Skite hadn't been trouble free, but Kadaj didn't plan on courting it while he was away.

He let go, pulling back from Kuja, and stepped away to retrieve Kusanagi from its resting place.

He smiled at Kuja again, telling him, "I'll be back for the next act," as he headed for the door.

[immoralmelody]

Kuja returned Kadaj's hug. He laid his chin on the boy's shoulder and closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around him once again. When he pulled back, Kuja let go without hesitation.

"See that you are," Kuja said, allowing a smile to touch his eyes as well as his lips.