Thanks again for all the reviews. I know that a lot of you want Kagome to fight some hollows and kick some ass, but she needs to heal a bit more and also learn how to fight a bit better. She can use a bow and that's about it and since she isn't a shinigami or quincy she would need to carry one around all the time to be prepared for a fight. She will be fighting eventually, but for now she just can't.
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After the episode on the roof with Ichigo and Uryuu Kagome sat down with them both in her room at Urahara's so she could tell Uryuu the whole story. Ichigo insisted on being there, not just because he was jealous of Uryuu and didn't want him alone with her for something so emotional for her, but also because it was emotional and he wanted to make sure she would be alright. Telling he story to Uryuu was less emotional than when she had told Ichigo. She had had time to prepare herself and each time she told the story it became easier to tell it. Uryuu also agreed to help her find her demon friends after hearing that Ichigo thought at least the ones that had known about the well might have survived, if only to meet Kagome again. Kagome had given the quincy a tight hug and chanted thank you's over and over again into his shoulder at this announcement.
As the two had left the shop to go their separate ways Ichigo had sent a glare at Uryuu and Uryuu did likewise. Neither had to speak, they both knew what the other felt for the tragic miko. Uryuu thought of the wolf that she had mentioned would show her his affections and the hanyou that had always fought with him. He also thought on her reactions to how Inuyasha would always run off to be with Kikyo and came to a decision.
"We can't fight over her."
Ichigo stopped and looked up at Uryuu with a glare, "What!"
"The kind of person she is, she won't want us openly fighting over her. We should at least agree that whatever her decision we will not do anything that will cause her more pain."
Ichigo looked at the quincy and realized that what he was saying was making sense, "So you're saying that if she chooses one of us the other will give up and let her be happy right?" Uryuu nods and Ichigo runs a hand through his hair once again. "Alright." He sticks his hand out and Uryuu takes it.
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During the week or so since Kagome had arrived in Karakura the general of the Gotei 13 had been considering what to do about the increased hollow activity there. He had almost sent someone to check it out when the menos grande had appeared but when it had disappeared and things showed signs of calming down he had reconsidered. No he was reconsidering that reconsideration. Though it wasn't as bad as having a menos grande lose, there had been more and more hollows attacking the area and he was curious, if not concerned.
And that was the reason why he had called the captain of the 10th division and his lieutenant and was briefing them on what he knew of the situation. He went over what Renji had reported when he had come back after the menos grande incident the previous week and that he had said things were back to normal. He then went on to tell them how hollow activity was increased from what it usually was, even if those in Karakura could handle it he wanted to know what was attracting all the hollows to that town and why only now.
Hitsugaya agreed to the mission with a curt nod and turned to leave the general's office. Matsumoto followed after him at a steady pace. Neither spoke until they had cleared the 1st division offices and were on their way to the 10th division.
"So, you think Ichigo knows what's going on?"
"I'm sure he does but if he doesn't I won't be much surprised."
Matsumoto grins and looks down at her captain sneakily, "So are you excited to see Karin-chan again." She smirks triumphantly at seeing her captain blush and glare at her.
"Just keep in mind Matsumoto that we are going to the living world on business."
She stops and her eyes widen just a bit before she pouts and runs to catch up to him, "Taicho, can't we just do a little shopping? Taicho!" She whines slightly as he speeds up making her run a small grin gracing his features for a moment.
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The next day Kagome made her presentation to the class, she told them the story of how the Shikon no Tama came to exist. And for the rest of the day nothing major occurred. At lunch she was a bit surprised to see Uryuu joined them. He had never shown any interest in eating lunch with anyone before. Despite her surprise though Kagome greeted him with a smile, "Hey, Ishida-san. Are you going to join us for lunch today?"
He nods and pushes his glasses up his nose as he sits down next to Kagome. Not long after Uryuu joins them, Ichigo comes over and looks at Rukia who is sitting next to Kagome, opposite Uryuu. She rolls her eyes and moves over so he can sit between Kagome and herself. Orihime and Tatsuki watch the whole thing and look at Rukia questioningly and she shrugs. Kagome for her part looks at Rukia also and then between the two boys on either side of her. With no answers forthcoming she gives up on it and continues eating her lunch.
School ended with no more oddities and Kagome found herself being escorted home by not just Ichigo but Uryuu as well. She continues to look between the two all the way to Urahara-ha before snapping at them as they had both been hovering very near to her.
"Alright. What is the deal with you two all of a sudden!" She had spun on her heel to face them and was now giving them a look that told them she was not up for any games.
The look on their faces was that of a deer caught in the headlights, as both tried to think of a way to get out of this without her hurting them.
"Kurosaki."
Both boys thanked whatever god had led to the interruption before turning to see who exactly it was. Kagome looked at the two new arrivals with a questioning look; the one who had spoken was a younger boy, appearing about 13. He has white hair that is a bit messy and spiky with a small tuft that comes down in front of his face. His icy blue eyes are focused on Ichigo with a slight glare. Behind the boy is a buxom strawberry blonde whose hair feathers way from her face while falling in soft curls around her shoulders and down her back. Her eyes lock onto Kagome's as they mutually look over one another and grey meets saphire.
While Kagome was looking over the new arrivals Ichigo had gone a bit pale. It was one thing to get Renji and Rukia to keep a secret, but his experience with the height challenged and icy captain was that he wasn't the type to keep this kind of secret. Quickly covering up his slight panic at the icy captain's appearance he bites back, "Hey, Toushirou. What are you doing here?"
Hitsugaya narrows his eyes having seen the brief panic on Ichigo's face, "I'm here to investigate the recent hollow activity, including the incident with the menos grande that showed up a little over a week ago." He continues to study Ichigo, catching a glimpse of the black haired girl standing slightly behind him and the quincy. The way that the two moved to block her from his view caused him to shift his focus to her fully and he takes in not only her appearance but the large amounts of reiki coming off the girl. It was enough to nearly dwarf Ichigo's own. His eyes widen at the realization that the girl was the one attracting the larger number of hollows and possibly the menos grande. "Why didn't Arabai report that there was a girl with more reiki than you, Kurosaki?"
Kagome watched the white-haired boy curiously as his expression changed and settled on her. At his assessment of her reiki output she got a bit scared, but steeled herself before it could show. She looked to Ichigo with concern, she may not have understood fully what was going on, but she had a feeling that he was in trouble and it was because of her.
"We asked that he not burden Seiretei with it. She is getting training on how to control her reiki already and we were just about to drop her off at Urahara's for that training." Ichigo seemed to relax at Uryuu's quick thinking, but Kagome just seemed to get angry at the two boys standing in front of her as she put together that the white-haired boy was another shinigami and by that train of thought, the woman behind him was probably one as well.
All four of them focused their attention on the petite girl that was suddenly radiating an angry aura that had crossed into the visible spectrum, even for those unable to sense reiki. With a huff she turns and storms down the street and into Urahara-ha, slamming the door in her wake.
Matsumoto looked at the three boys who all seemed extremely confused by the girl's actions, and while she didn't know the exact cause, she had an idea that it had to do witht he actions of the two that had defended her.
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Well that was interesting, let's see if the captain and his lieutenant can figure things out before Kagome tells them out of frustration. If my characters seem out of character feel free to correct me so I can fix them, I haven't seen past the bount arc and so my grasp of the captains and lieutenants is a bit off. Wikipedia has been helpful though.