Chapter 6

Renji sat in his office chair twisting around and around with boredom. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes only to immediately be greeted by the Female version of one of his best friends. His eyes snapped open and he sat himself upright in his chair.

"Is there something bothering you Abarai?" Byakuya asked from his desk. He was looking down at the paper on his desk but Renji knew that his captain was well aware of everything he was doing.

"No captain, just a little distracted." He answered.

"By?" Byakuya pressed with his eyes still on the work in front of him. Renji bit down on is bottom lip contemplating his next move. He could tell Byakuya about what was really bothering him. After all, what were the odd that his captain would actually care about what was doing on in his personal life? But, there was still room for a miscalculation; Byakuya could actually be more interested that he thinks. It's always the quiet ones that you have to look out for; they'll squander you secrets in a heartbeat.

"Nothing captain, you know me, I never am able to fully focus on the task at hand for very long." He replied with a weak smile. He grabbed his pen from his desk and went back to work as if he was actually interested in whatever Byakuya had him doing that day.

"Hey guys!" yelled a loud voice as the door was pushed shut by a great force. Renji expected that Matsumoto had gotten her hands on the stash of Sake that she kept in her own office and was now on a drunken tirade, but he was surprise to find a very sober orange haired substitute shinigami walking into the room. She smiled at the both of them then turned her attention to Renji.

"Are you busy?" she asked simply.

"Why?" Renji retorted, he looked away from her fearing the she might see the incredibly red blush that was slowly consuming his entire face.

"Because, I need someone to spar with," she replied bluntly.

"I can't do that." He replied sternly.

"And why not?" Ichigo asked.

"Because I refuse to fight a woman," He replied in the same stern manner.

"And why is that?" Ichigo pressed.

"Because I'm not the type, I have work to do anyway. I don't have time to spar with you." He said before turning his attention back to his work.

Ichigo raised her arm and slammed her hand down on his desk right in the middle of the paper he was trying to read. Renji looked away from his paper with annoyance.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked.

"I knew it," Ichigo said.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Renji asked.

"You don't want to fight me because you're scared of getting your ass beat." She said with a confident smile.

"I could kick your ass any day of the week!" he yelled as he shot up from his seat and got into Ichigo's face. With their faces so close together Renji couldn't help but notice the bright brown color of her eyes. Renji backed away then looked back down to his desk. "But, I have work to do."

"Just finish it later." Byakuya said suddenly. Renji's head shot up and he looked in Byakuya's directions.

"What!?" he asked unable to hide his surprise. Byakuya had never once told him that it was okay for him to skip out on any type of work.

"You won't be fighting her seriously so you don't have to worry about hurting her, just go, you're both making too much noise in here anyway." he said shooing them both with his hand.

"Then it's settled." Ichigo said. "You're going to spar with me right now." she reached over the desk and grabbed Renji by the arm before she proceeded to walk out of the room, dragging him along the entire way.

When they reached the spot Ichigo picked for them to spar she let go of Renji's collar and walked to a spot and started stretching. Renji lost himself in his thoughts as he watched Ichigo readying herself for the battle they were about to have.

"Are you ready Renji?" she asked as she stood up and turned around to face him. Renji was so wrapped up in watching her butt that he didn't even notice that she had finished stretching and was now looking right at him.

"Um, yeah I am." He said to her. Before he had time to collect himself Ichigo was already charging at him full force.

"Wait a minute you ass, you didn't tell me you were starting yet!" Renji said as he stopped the attack with Zabimaru.

"You said you were ready." Ichigo replied in a calm voice as she backed away a couple of yards.

"Yeah but I figured you would state It before you attacked." Renji shouted in reply.

"Come on Renji, I'm just making sure that everything is working just the way that it's supposed to be." Ichigo said. She raised her hand to her face and brought it down again summoning a hollow mask. He charged again, Renji was almost didn't have enough time to block this attack.

"What the hell are you trying to do? Take my damned head off?" Renji asked as he dodged another mirage of attacks.

Dodging was the only thing that Renji did while he was sparing with Ichigo. Ichigo, on the other hand, made a game out of chasing Renji around like a cat chasing a mouse. She ran him around in circles until her need to torture him was satisfied.

"I guess that's enough for today." Ichigo said as he was sheathed Zangetsu with a triumphant smile.

"Enough for today?" Renji huffed as he bent over and rested his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath.

"Yeah, same time tomorrow." She said as more of a command than a question. Renji only nodded mindlessly as he continued to stare at the spectacle that was Ichigo Kurosaki.

He watched as she brushed the pieces of hair that were stuck to her forehead with sweat.

"Are you ready to head back?" she asked with a smile.

"Y-yeah I am." Renji replied as he stood upright and started in the direction of his room.

"So, um, did you ever figure out what happened to your body?" Renji asked breaking the silence that had fallen onto them in the time of their walk. It may have been just him but this walk was growing increasingly awkward with every passing second.

"Yeah I did. The stuff Mayuri put in my arm reacted with my DNA and it morphed drastically." Ichigo replied.

"What do you mean morph?" Renji asked.

"It changed completely; whatever Mayuri injected into my body created a permanent reaction with my DNA and turned me into a female inside out." Ichigo said.

"Permanent? So you're going to be like this forever?" Renji asked, his heart was leaping for joy in his chest but he didn't let it show through his façade.

"As far as I know, unless Mayuri comes up with some kind of miracle antidote I'll be a female for the rest of my life." Ichigo replied.

"So, how do you feel about that?" Renji asked.

"How do I feel?" Ichigo repeated with a laugh. "If it didn't know any better I would think that you're trying to get on my good side Abarai." She said with a smile, Renji stopped in his tracks.

"Just trying to make conversation," He said as he fell back into step with Ichigo. Ichigo laughed.

"I know, I'm just messing with ya," She said. "didn't think you would get that red."

"Shut up, I'm not red because of you. It's hot out here." He grumbled. Ichigo rolled her eyes.

"Sure it is." She replied.

Renji rolled his eyes. "You're just as much of an ass as you were before you changed into a girl." He said to her.

"Give me some credit," she replied quickly. "I've only been a girl for about a day and a half, I'm still learning."