Forever?

Chapter Two

Tranquil waters

Rukia and a lot of the other shinigami had left shortly after Renji, as Rukia had tried to reason with Ichigo to no avail. Every argument had been met with a counter argument and in the end Ikkaku had simply picked her up and brought her with him.

Back in Seireitei she had tried very hard to find her old friend but for once he had succeeded in hiding his riatsu completely and she couldn't find trace of him anywhere. She would just have to confront him at work.

That turned out to be a lot more difficult than she had anticipated. She didn't find any trace of him until 4 days later when she suddenly felt him and spend her lunch break searching for him. She found him seated in front of a small lake in the abandoned part of Seireitei.

He sat on a part of a crumbled building throwing stones in the water and watching the rings spread out. She would not have recognized him if it wasn't for his riatsu. His trademark ponytail was gone, well all of his trademark red hair was gone!

Rukia sat down beside him picking up some rubble as she did. "Hiya Renji!"

He did not respond but threw another stone.

Rukia watched the rings spread out. "Symbolical is it?"

"No." He threw one more stone and watched it.

Rukia pointed to his head. "Why did you do this?"

He looked at her emotionless. "Felt like it!"

Rukia threw a stone and watched it. "Looks nice!"

Renji turned his head away from her and looked out over the water. "Why are ya here?"

Rukia smiled at him, throwing a stone in the air and grabbing it again. "Lunch break!"

"Ahh."

They sat in silence for some time then Rukia turned to him. "Rikichi has been asking for you!"

Renji let a hand trace his naked head and closed his eyes. "I know!"

He looked so serene that Rukia hated to bring him this disturbance. "A captain can't just disappear, you know!"

Renji continued what he was doing and leaned back against the crumbling wall. "I know!"

Rukia got up and walked a little way of then turned to look at him. His eyes still closed. "I'll tell Rikichi you'll be back this afternoon!"

Renji just waved at her.

Rikichi would always remember that day quite vividly. He had never imagined that his hero would suddenly change so radical and at first he had been too surprised to speak.

Then he realized that no matter what the Taicho looked like he was still the Renji he liked so much and hair had a tendency to grow out in time. But Renji was stubborn and kept it short.

Rikichi had to admit later that his new look kind of whipped some of the more relaxed members of 5th into shape as he began a regime of physical exercises that all had to participate in.

Eventually everybody became accustomed to weekly sparring sessions with 11th and the rather physical repercussions if you slacked off and it bound the two companies together to the point of real friendship.

It gathered huge crowds when the Taichos of both companies met up to fight occasionally and even if Renji was still a little wary of Zaraki Taicho, the first time he really beat him was such a boost to 5th's morale that he could forgive al the times he was wounded.

When it became apparent that Hinamori would never regain her senses Renji requested a new lieutenant and because of the friendship between the two companies a most unique working partnership was formed as 11th Company's 5th seat Yumichika Ayasegawa reluctantly accepted the post.

Zaraki Taicho had simply put on his most sadistic smile and explained that Yachiro Fukotaicho no longer needed a mummy and that Renji's reformed 5th probably wasn't the worst place to end!

Their relationship blossomed! Renji had with time gained a reputation as a very fearsome Taicho but everybody learned to be more afraid of his lieutenant who simply had to smile knowingly to get everybody to jump at his request.

Renji often thought to himself that Yumi was the best possible choice for the post and he was real proud of what the treacherous Aizen's 5th company had become under their ruling.

TBC