tampered | Log; completed

Log; completed

When; Tonight
Rating; PG
Characters; Tenten [

weaponed] at first, Grimmjow [

6thsword] and Hinamori [

hajikemomo]
Summary; Don't ever trust a ninja. Especially not when she knows more about your love life than you probably do, and offers to take you to dinner.
Log;

It was sort of because she was bored, in the end. Not that waiting about for the Espada to show made her boredom any the easier to handle but~ Well. It was this, or sit with Hinamori as the girl fidgeted nervously for several hours without a word. Not quite this ninja's idea of fun, to say the least, even if she had offered to be keep her company.

No, with a small smile she'd told the young vice captain all she knew, not at all surprised to note that what she knew was a lot more than most people seemed to have grasped. The joys of a working intel system and common sense. Well, that, a good knack at reading people, and rather handy hacking skills added to it all and ultimately, it really wasn't a shock that Hinamori didn't have anything to add to Tenten's take on the situation.

The bun haired girl had, through no fault of her - or his - own, gradually picked up a thing or two about emotions from Hisoka and had offered the simple advice of facing the source of her confusion. Having the girl agree she'd taken it upon herself to act as intermediary.

It didn't hurt to be on good terms with the enemy of your ally, after all. Small things like this always paid off.

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Grimmjow wasn't sure what to expect. He'd recovered almost completely from his duel with Tayuya -- the burns were gone and only the claw wounds on his back remained -- and hadn't expected anything beyond spending the first days of the new year brooding in the longest slump he could remember. But he figured it was better to do something about it than be like Ulquiorra and angst for eternity. So, with a hand on the hilt of his zanpakutou, the arrancar headed for the fountain.

He saw the unfamiliar ninja girl waiting for him in the open. What was her name again? He couldn't remember. He wasn't even sure if she ever introduced herself, anyway. But she knew too much, and Grimmjow had an idea of exactly where this little dinner was headed.

Ah, there was this evenings entertainment~ Armed, of course - not that she wasn't. She doubted he trusted her in the slightest. But then again, few really did. Part of the job, really; so much fell into that category.

Tenten didn't bother waiting for a hello, instead moving off and walking past him with a small grin. "Coming~?" was all the dark haired ninja offered, throwing the all too amused sounding word over her shoulder as she walked in the opposite direction of the City's restaurants and bars. She'd arranged something else~

He didn't answer her, simply fell into step behind her. The ninja wasn't particularly intimidating, so Grimmjow couldn't pinpoint the source of her confidence at all, especially the reason for the nearly singsong tone she used. It certainly put him on his guard. It didn't help at all that they were walking away from the City's eateries.

"So talkative, Grimmjow Jaggerjack~ Anyone would think you're scared of me." She chuckled, shooting another glance back. He was tense, which wasn't exactly a good start, but it was better than attacking her right off.

It would do. "I take it you never quite caught my name?"

Well, whatever her reasons for being so confident, it definitely riled him. "Scared? In your fucking dreams, ninja," he scoffed. Nevertheless, he gripped the sword hilt tighter. Her cheer was really getting on his nerves, and knowing ninjas, it could be just another farce to catch him unaware.

"I don't really care about your name," he added. "I see nothing wrong with calling you 'ninja'."

He really didn't like her much, but since she didn't intend on hanging about that long, it didn't matter too much. "I'd rather not be the scary sort~ I prefer being friendly. People respond much better to you that way, after all."

The Espada may be familiar with the direction she was taking but he seemed more on edge with her cheerful demeanor than anything else so she doubted it.

"If you do want to call me by name~ Tenten will suffice."

"Whatever." Grimmjow really had no desire to call her by her name. He still called Isane "shinigami medic" and Rangiku "the blonde chick" and Ichigo "that fucking strawberry", so he didn't see why he had to accept someone's name at the get-go.

Glancing around, the arrancar noticed the change in surroundings. Even though he'd been around for a month, he wasn't used to the City at ground level. He always traveled by rooftop, so he very rarely walked through the streets.

"Where the fuck are we headed anyway?"

"Hm?" Another small laugh. He really didn't know? "You'll see~ I find home cooking preferable to the stuff you can get out. You... should enjoy it too." A small, somewhat knowing smile was the only other warning he got before she paused, glancing over at him.

"You might want to cheer up before you get there though. A smile wins a person over much more than a frown~" Widening her own grin - to irritate him further, perhaps - she slipped to the left, heading for the nearest apartment building. Tenten half wondered if he'd caught her hints yet. Not that it mattered too much. He'd know soon enough.

Okay, so he wasn't exactly the most cunning person, but he knew when someone was dropping hints left and right. He wasn't stupid like Yammy, after all. So, at Tenten's mention of another person -- at least, that was what he assumed -- as well as certain home cooking... Well, that was enough to confirm his previous suspicions. The ninja was leading him to her, wasn't she?

"I'm cheered up enough," Grimmjow muttered as he followed Tenten into the building. He wasn't as cautious anymore. No, now he was just nervous. But like hell he'd show that in front of the enemy of his... sparring partner.

She tsk-ed in mock disapproval, shrugging ever so slightly. "Whatever you say." He'd caught on, it seemed, or he really didn't like her manner of doing things. Or both.

"I think you already noticed I'm rather good at picking up information. So~ As I said, this is a gift. I don't expect anything in return, but~" She paused, both in words and outside the building to glance at him again before continuing. "But. I don't forget kindness, and I hope you don't, either." Alliances was her thing, really. Sure, her behaviour was, as normal, an act, but the desire to know who would and who wouldn't attack her and the others without warning was still forefront in her mind. If this helped lower the chance of Grimmjow fighting them, well. She wouldn't say no to trying, in the least.

With that mentioned and out of the way the kunoichi smiled again, holding the door open. "After you."

"Yeah, yeah." He didn't forget a kindness either. If someone was useful to him, he wouldn't kill them off so quickly, because maybe they could offer their services again. Unwilling or not, of course.

Grimmjow hesitated outside the building also, even after the ninja permitted him first entrance. Why was he so nervous now? It's not like seeing Hinamori again would change anything. She didn't seem to have arrived at any conclusion, so it would be another pointless conversation.

He calmed his nerves and stepped inside, hands sliding into his pockets. He could at least exude a sense of calmness even if his mind was racing.

She chuckled at his hesitation, closing the main door behind her as she moved for the stairs. "I don't bite, you know." Just as she knew it wasn't her he was hesitating about. But while that in and of itself was interesting to note, she wasn't going to tease him.

She wasn't Tayuya, intent on irritating the world. "I would have thought all the information freely given to you up until this point would have indicated that I have no desire whatsoever to be on your bad side and would prefer it if you saw fit to ask me for whatever other information you may desire. I can be quite handy like that, you see. While there might be things I have to withhold, it doesn't mean I won't help to the best of my abilities where applicable." Three more flights of stairs in which to plead her friendly case, and then she'd leave him alone.

"My specialties include subtlety, after all."

"Did ya hear me earlier? I'm not scared of you," he snapped. He knew he could've thought of a better comeback but honestly, it wasn't the most important priority.

Tenten's next words, though, were interesting. Was she attempting to be an ally? If so... Well, Aizen had no need for human subordinates. If he really needed one's abilities, he would kidnap them, just like he'd ordered with that Inoue girl. And if the ninja was as good with intelligence as she claimed, then she already knew that. So... she was offering her information to Grimmjow specifically? Odd. Why would anyone want to do that?

"If keeping to my good side includes staying out of my way, then fine," Grimmjow replied, following her up the stairs. "And I'll think about that offer." Whatever happened the traditional enemy?

"I don't want you to be scared of me, so I suppose that's a good thing. As is thinking for yourself." She allowed herself a satisfied smirk as she fell into silence, focusing instead on the sounds around her. Her light footfall compared to his heavier one, for starters. Where his hands rested. Not that there would be an issue if he decided to go for his sword in the slightest.

A weapons master knows how to dodge, after all. But no, Tenten was more interested in the way he was reacting to everything else. He certainly carried himself with enough confidence, at least.

They were up two flights now, and Grimmjow had enough to think about without Tenten's confident attitude distracting him, so he was rather relieved when she lapsed into silence.

The building was somewhat familiar too, though he couldn't really figure out why. From what he could tell, they were all the same on the outside and inside, and he didn't walk through them enough to know the difference. But this one... Maybe he had been there before.

"How much farther?" the arrancar finally asked, growing impatient.

"Fifth floor~" was the simple reply, the kunoichi not at all bothered by the irritation in his voice. Her talking had kept his mind off of what she up to, clearly.

Keeping that in mind, she figured a question wouldn't hurt too much. "There's a lot of rumours going around. Want to solve one for me?"

He definitely knew this building, then. Perhaps his previous uncertainty was because he'd left through the window of a certain apartment.

"Rumors?" Well, fuck. He had a very good idea of exactly what those rumors were, and he had no desire at all for them to spread. "...Fine. What is it?"

"Hm~ So accommodating, Grimmjow Jaggerjack~" She laced her fingers together, stretching slightly while she continued walking.

"I was just curious~ They say your devotion to your master isn't what it could be. True or false?" No need to ask for details. Not yet, anyway. A simple answer would suffice for now.

"Master?" The Espada's face contorted into a scowl. He hated that word. "He's not my fucking master. 'Master' implies servitude, and there's no way in hell am I that man's slave," he snarled. "Why do you dipshits think that just 'cause he created me, I answer to his beck and call?"

She'd wanted him to be cheerful. Well, it was too late for that.

That answered that, more or less. But she didn't change her tone at the harshness of his, didn't jump, scare, frown, or react otherwise. She simply shot another small smile over her shoulder.

"It was just a question. And that was more than enough of an answer. You can ask me something if you want~" She would either calm or irritate him by responding as if he hadn't snapped, and she was better it wouldn't be the one she wanted. But it didn't matter too much. She'd get a smile on his face one way or another.

Grimmjow was silent for a moment as he thought of what to ask, trying not to fume so much since he was going to see Hinamori any minute now, and he had no idea how the girl was faring emotionally anymore. ...Well, he could probably ask the ninja, since she was so keen on giving him information. He just hoped he wouldn't come off as soft because he was concerned about a certain shinigami's thoughts.

"Does she even want to see me?" He didn't bother supplying a name. Tenten would know.

"Oh? I meant something a little deeper than that." She shrugged it off, not at all surprised he'd caught on.

"Yes and no. I'm not an empath, I only know one. But-" She glanced behind her gauging his reaction, no longer teasing in the slightest, "-she feels that things might be helped if you don't simply avoid each other, waiting for her to make up her mind. Doing normal things like this is, well, normal. And we all know she needs that."

They were up four floors already. Grimmjow's anger had dissipated, his nervousness replacing it. Tenten's answer didn't help any, either.

She was right, of course. He wasn't too surprised at "yes and no", either; at that moment he was also torn between continuing up the stairs and turning around to leave the building. It was probably in his best interest, though, that is pride kept him walking forwards.

"I guess so," he conceded at last. "No more questions for now, ninja." There would be a time for them later. Right now his focus was on something far more important.

"Whenever you need something answered, I'll be around. Just know that questions about peoples feelings are normally best taken to that person." He wasn't that bad, really. And from his most recent actions, his behaviour towards her today, and everything she had learned about, he'd probably continue to be not that bad. It was good enough for her.

"This isn't the end of the world, you know," the kunoichi added with a small, reassuring smile.

"So I've been told." It was just so much easier to ask a third party.

He paused for a moment at her final words. Did he really give off the impression that he was half-dreading having to see Hinamori again? Grimmjow managed to brush off her reassurance with an "I know that," but they had reached the fifth floor.

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