A/N: I know I already said this, but I'm just reiterating. This is a RenRuki fanfiction with an OC added in. I have to establish the OC's character first, so please bare with me. I mean it only makes sense right? If you're reading this then you already know Rukia and Renji, but for the story to work, you have to know Sakasana too. Anyway, here's the next chapter. (Sorry for the long wait.) oh, and I don't own bleach. Last thing, I promise: bold print is Zampakuto's voices/talking... and italics are thoughts...there, I'm done.
Chapter 2
Sakasana couldn't believe how strong it was. The reiatsu emanating from her Taicho far outweighed that of Renji's. It was calm and contained, yet beneath the surface, she could feel its immense power.
She was still lost in her thoughts when she realized that Renji was still gripping her wrist; the callouses on his hand felt rough and scratched at her smooth skin. She wasn't the only one who noticed.
"I'm glad to see you on time, Kousugi Sakasana, " began Byakuya, finally opening his office door, his stoic expression remaining unchanged. "Though, I must apologize for my Fukutaicho's lack of manners. Your training has yet to begin and you're already being manhandled." He let his icy gaze rest on Renji.
Sakasana felt Renji's reiatsu spike at the subtle reprimand. He immediately released her wrist, muttering an apology. Byakuya turned and walked into his office, beckoning Renji to follow. Sakasana began to follow as well when she was stopped.
"Remain here Kousugi, Renji and I have something to discuss " Said Byakuya without turning around. He shut the door.
"Okay…" thought Sakasana wearily. Though she was confused, she was a little glad for the alone time. Leaning against the wall she slid down until her butt hit the floor boards. Her knees against her chest, her head rested on them. "Today is going to change everything… I'll have more authority, more responsibility and hopefully more power." Her heart started at that last thought. "Power…power…power…" as she repeated the word to herself, her zampakuto joined her. "Power… power… "
"Sakasana-sama, will we be training today?"
"I don't know, we don't have it scheduled for today."
"But I want to train today…"
"I'll have to talk to Ikkaku… but I don't think he's free today " replied Sakasana with disdain. She hated having these conversations with her zampakuto; they were nothing but a source of stress. Ever since she started training with the third seat of squad eleven for Bankai two years ago, her zampakuto hounded her endlessly about their training. She wanted more and more everyday, she got more and more demanding, growing bolder everytime. Sakasana found herself losing control, as though her zampakuto was trying to take over…"That's preposterous…" Thought Sakasana, supposedly to herself.
"Off course it is, Sakasana-sama" interjected her zampakuto.
"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm?"
"No, Sakasana-sama."
But Sakasana was far from fooled. Her zampakuto was a part of her after all, she knew when she was lying. Punishment was due.
"We will not be training today. I have too many other things to do."
"But Sakasana- sama, I want to train."
"I said no."
"Please… " Sakasana stiffened against the wall. She could feel her zampakuto manifesting herself, bring ing with her an agonizing headache.
"When did she learn to do this..." thought Sakasana.
"Just recently… "replied her zampakuto smoothly.
Sakasana felt her wrap her arms around her neck, embracing her from behind. Shivers ran down her spine as she whispered in her ear. "Please…"
"NO!" Sakasana mentally shouted. She had had enough of her zampakuto's manipulative behavior. "I don't care how much power you lend me, you will not forget who wields you! I make the decisions and we will not be training today!"
The arms had disappeared.
"You will not step out of line again! Do you understand?" There was no response, her zampakuto had conceded. It seemed the closer and closer Sakasana came to achieving Bankai, the harder it was to control her zampakuto. "Tsk. Fine ignore me now, I like you better silent anyway. I need to focus. You'd only be distracting me…"
She felt herself regaining control, and though she though she was starting to mellow out, her reiatsu was actually heightened to an alarming rate. It was pulsating from her in deep throbs of power; and it most certainly did not go unnoticed.
Kuchiki Byakuya flung open the office door, Abarai Renji right behind him, anxious to find the souce of that immense reiatsu.
They saw none other than Kousougi Sakasana slumped against the wall, her eyes closed, her breathing even and steady.
"Taicho…" said Renji hesitantly, he didn't want to voice his suspicions. Could that reiatsu really have come from this woman?
"You're right, Renji" said Byakuya, seemingly reading his mind. "It was her."
"… Well, what should we do…?"
"Nothing. Wake her up, we have to get started." With a swish of his shinigami robes, he turned and went back into the office, leaving Renji outside with a still sleeping Sakasana.
Renji knelt down to her level and nudged her shoulder. "Oi…" He was surprised she didn't stir. "Oi!" he pushed her harder, so much so, that she fell over onto sideways.
"Crap, now what?" thought Renji anxiously. "She won't wake up." He debated whether to just leave her there or not, but soon realized that he couldn't go back into the office without her. " I guess I'll just have to carry her in…" Renji hesitated; he really didn't want to carry her. He hadn't carried a girls since that time with Rukia… and that was Rukia! He didn't know this girl, and she looked so fragile sleeping there… What if she woke up while he was carrying her? He didn't want her to think she was some kind of pervert or something. "The only other option is to drag her in, and I'm pretty sure that would be worse…"
Renji bent down and picked her up, tucking one arm beneath her knees and the other under her neck. He couldn't help but notice how heavy she was, and that she smelled faintly of cherry blossoms; all the while she was silently pleading, "Please don't wake up, please don't wake up!"
Needless to say, Byakuya was surprised to see his Fukutaicho come in carrying Kosugi Sakasana instead of her walking, but only until he noticed that she was still asleep. That could only mean one thing.
"Try not to bump her head, Renji. We don't want to wake her prematurely."
"What?" questioned Renji as he placed Sakasana on the office couch.
"She's obviously in her inner world, we wouldn't want to disturb her meditation."
"Oh, right… So, we're just gonna wait until she wakes up?" said Renji taking a seat next to Sakasana's sleeping form.
"Yes" Replied Byakuya, not looking up from his stacks of paperwork. "I'll call the registration office and let them know there's been a delay. You get a blanket for her out of the closet, she could be out for a while."
"Okay… wait, you keep blankets in here?"
"Yes."
Renji stifled a chuckle.
"What do you find so amusing?" questioned Byakuya, quirking an eyebrow at his lieutenant.
"Nothing, it just doesn't seem like something you would have… "
"And why is that?" pressed Byakuya, his interest thoroughly sparked.
"Well, people only keep blankets in their office's if they sleep on the job…"
"…"
"Oh, wow." Thought Renji with amusement.
Byakuya let the matter slide. "Cover her up Renji, she's starting to shiver."
Sakasana felt heavy; and warm. She felt something soft beneath her and her first impulse was to snuggle down into it; but something was tugging at the back of her mind, telling her to get up. "But why?" thought Sakasana groggily.
Then it hit her.
The last thing she was doing was waiting to go into Kuchiki Taicho's office. So why was she warm, comfortable, and laying on something soft? "I've got to open my eyes…"
She opened her eyes a tiny bit and peeked through the slits. Upon seeing a ceiling, she was even more confused, but what was even more more confusing was who was sitting on the end of the couch she was apparently laying upon.
"Abarai Fukutaicho...?" thought Sakasana wearily.. "Oh lord, what happened?" Her brain was bombarded with possibilities, some she wished she hadn't thought about, but she soon realized there was only one way to find out.
"Umm... excuse me," began Sakasana, sitting up on the couch. "What's going on? Is this a part of my initiation, 'cause if it is, I think-"
"No, it's not." Interrupted Byakuya.
"Oh... well then why am I lying on a couch..." she flicked her gaze toward Renji, "... with him."
Renji whipped his head around, glaring at her in outrage. "Hey! You're the one who fell asleep outside! I only carried you in here so you wouldn't be stuck out there, so don't go sticking your unseated nose up at me!"
"What?" Sakasana didn't know which to be more, embarrassed or angry. Abarai Fukutaicho had carried her in here? And what's worse he called her unseated? He said it like it was some kind of contagious disease! Oh yeah, she was definitely more angry. She jumped up from the couch landing nimbly on her feet right in front of Renji, her hands on her hips.
"Look here, Fukutaicho," began Sakasana, her embarrassment forgotten and her rage rising. "You didn't have to bring me in here! If it was so unpleasant for you, why didn't you just leave me out there? Huh, huh? I would have been just fine! I bet you were just tryna cop a feel, weren't you? I bet..."
She continued hurling insults and accusations at her Fukutaicho. Her reiatsu rising exponentially, so much so, that it had become visible, it surrounded her in a dark purple cloud with hints of mahogany and fuchsia; swirling around her body and branching out to the rest of the room. She would have lost control completely and continued on her tirade if it had not been for her captain.
"KOUSUGI!" His voice, though low, rang loud over her own, silencing her.
Sakasana's eyes widened in shock and her words got caught in her throat. "What have I done?" she had just let her temper get out of control. She had exploded at and insulted her Fukutaicho, and embarrassed herself in front of her Taicho, all in the first five minutes of her initiation meeting! And for what? Because she had woken up on though couch?Clenching the fabric of her bottoms in her fists, she bowed her head in shame. "I should apologize, I have to apologize..." But what could she say after an outburst like that?
Nothing.
Stepping in between his Fukutaicho and soon to be Sansaki, Byakuya began the inevitable reprimand. "Both of you, I will not tolerate any bickering, this squad must be run with efficiency and excellence. There is no room for petty disagreements." He turned to face Renji, who was still sitting on the couch semi-stunned. "You should know better, Renji." His voice was laced with ice.
Sakasana felt like crap. Her Fukutaicho, not to mention the man she was infatuated with, was reprimanded twice in one day all because of her.
"Let's get started, we're already running late." finished Byakuya, walking towards his desk where the paperwork was ready to be signed.
Sakasana and Renji could only follow humbly behind.
And so marks the end of chapter two. What do you think? Is it worth continuing? I know Byakuya seems a little OOC, but he kinda has to be for this to work right...yeah. Also, do you think I use too much thought and not enough action or dialogue? I think so but...