"So how's this thing get started?" I asked.

"Sit down in the first basin and close your eyes," the Baboon King replied.

I did as he instructed, trying not to feel nervous. I always felt a little tense right before I went into a battle, but I'd always had Zabimaru there at my side. Goin' it alone was not a comfortable feeling for me.

Once my eyes were closed, I felt a strange sensation, it was sort of like when I consume too much alcohol and the room starts to spin around really fast. I felt a dizzy, falling feeling and then found myself on my feet in a strange scape that looked like nothing at all. What was going on? Where was the challenge?"

"It's about time you showed up old man," a piping childish voice from behind me said.

I spun around, crouching, my hand automatically reaching for my absent sword. I straightened immediately, puzzled at finding a little boy of about six or seven standing in front of me, glaring up at me and trying to look tough, but I could see the haunted shadows on his face, the knowledge in his eyes that all the world was bigger than him and if he wanted to make it at all he was gonna have to be tough. I blinked again, the red hair, the stained and ragged little yukata, that little boy was--

"You're me," I blurted in amazement.

"Duh dumbass," the pint-sized little squirt retorted. "I'm yer first challenge so git ready."

I stared back at him. Even if he was me at a young age, I could still smack him around blindfolded and with both hands tied behind my back.

"I didn't come here to waste time fighting with a little kid," I said. "Show me the challenge already."

"Geeze, it's a wonder we weuz ever any kinda thief if yer that impatient. What about waitin' fer yer mark to loose his attention? Don't you remember all those times we had ta crouch down while our belly rumbled for our mark ta turn 'is back, or drop his guard, or be distracted by somethin' else? Anyway, that's not why yer here. I'm yer first challenge, the first chakra... the Root Chakra."

It was kinda strange to see a little six year old me look so solemn.

"Okay, an' that means what, 'zactly?" I asked, irritated.

"The Root Chakra is the base which all the other, higher levels are built on. If there's flaws in yer foundation the whole structure collapses. This here is the one that takes care o' basic survival stuff."

"So that explains why yer in it," I said dryly.

If there was anyone who was all about just basic survival, it was the kid I used ta be in the Rukon District. Until Rukia'd come along I hadn't much thought about the future, my only real concern was where my next meal was comin' from.

"It handles stuff like fight or flight," mini-me said. "But it can get blocked up by fear. Y'know a little fear's a good thing cause it'll keep you alive, but deeper fears about other stuff, that's the stuff that can give other people mastery over ya, an' make you loose control o' yerself. So yer gonna be faced with what ya fear..."

And with that, the grey scape around me seemed to come alive, sort of. The misty cloud-stuff around me was suddenly a multiple montage of all the times in my life I'd failed spectacularly. Haru, Rukia, myself, my captains... all of them were in there. I couldn't save my gang member from being killed by a mean drunk, I hadn't been able to save Rukia (and that one really hurt), I couldn't even beat one lousy Espada on my own. I felt a crushing weight on my shoulders. I was even more of a screw-up than I'd originally thought. What the hell were they doing, promoting a guy like me to Lieutenant?

Even worse, when it got done with all of the things I'd failed to do, that horror-show started in on all of the things I hadn't done because I didn't want to fail badly. Kido was the least of them. The one that really punched me in the gut was Rukia; I was terrified she'd reject me so I never told her how I felt about her.

The list went on and on; I kept everyone at an arms length, even my friends in the Reapers, because deep down I was afraid that they'd all get one good look at what was inside of me and realize that I was just garbage from the outer districts that somehow snuck past the gate and was completely not worth it. I was afraid to trust people with my own problems because I didn't want them to think I was not able to handle whatever came my way, so I never confided in anyone, I never asked for help even when I needed it. I'd never fully stood up and roared in the Seireitei because I was afraid that I'd never be considered acceptable for her if I did, so I kept my head down and followed orders (at least until recently) even if I thought they were bullshit. This chakra was hitting targets and weak points that I hadn't even known were there.

"Oh, ya knew they were there alright," the kid said to my unspoken thought. "Ya just didn't want to admit it, even to yerself."

"Yeah, okay, so I'm afraid. I live every goddamn day in a constant state of cowardice, there are ya happy, can I go now?"

"It's not enough to simply know they're there, dumbass," the kid said.

Had I ever talked like that when I was his age?

"Now you have to release each of them so that they don't have any more power over you. That's the only way you gain mastery over 'em."

"How 'n the hell am I s'posed ta do that?" I demanded.

Instead of answering me the kid pointed. The dark grey mist, deep and ominous as the heart of a thunderhead swirled up around me and suddenly the sourcless light of this not-world I was in cut off. There was no light, no sound, no sensation, it was like everything I was used to sensing and interpreting was a blank slate now and i was I was left with was me. It was pitch black in that place without sound or motion. A sourceless light shone down on me, but it felt sort of like I was suspended in mid-air.

"Renji," a familiar sweet and soft voice said from behind me. "You really are a first-rate idiot."

Was I hallucinating this?... because that sounded exactly like something she'd say.

"Great," I muttered in resignation. "Everyone else seems to be getting their kicks today out of ripping me to shreds, why don't you get yer licks in too? Why not, go ahead."

She promptly smacked me on the backside of my head. That, too, was just like her.

"Did you really think I'd tell you to bugger off just because you admit you can't do everything?" Rukia asked me, sounding annoyed. "You really thought that I'd throw you over because you aren't perfect?"

Well, sort of. Ancestors knew she had always been quick enough before to pick a fault and rag me on it, that was half the reason we were always fighting, I was hard for me to feel like I might be worthy of her if she insisted on pointing out everything I did wrong. I poked fun at her sometimes just to point out that even if I had faults she had 'em too.

"No man is an island Renji," Kira's voice said quietly from beside me.

He'd once said something similar to me on one of our drinking celebrations together. I hadn't known what to make of it, a warrior lived or died by their own strength. He'd seemed a little disappointed when I'd looked back at him with puzzled blankness that time.

"Besides," said the fragile-looking Momo, appearing on my other side. "You can't live your life staying away from others just because you're afraid to get hurt or you'll hurt them."

She smiled sweetly up at me.

"You'll never grow that way. People are meant to make their homes in the hearts of other people."

"Yeah, but... what if those people leave you?" I protested, thinking back to the hilltop with three graves on it. "What if I'm not strong enough to make them stay?"

I'd tried so hard and failed so much, a person would have to be crazy to want me around.

"People's destinies are their own decisions," Kira ssaid. "Just as your own is yours."

Kira and Momo faded out.

"But that doesn't mean that you're always alone either," Rukia said, coming up beside me. "Haven't we always been together? Haven't you always tried your best for me? That's good enough, right?"

"I..." I paused, feeling suddenly like I was on the cusp of seeing something.

"Besides asshole," the shiney-pated head of my former sempai in Eleventh said, swinging his spear across his shoulders. "It's not like yer not gonna get up and keep goin' at it, or else what are ya wastin' yer time for?" He too disappeared back into the shadows where he'd come from.

"So it's okay to fail sometimes," Rukia said softly. "You aren't the kind of person who gives in easily."

"Oh yeah?" I argued, finding something to shut the hallucination up with. All this love-me crap was gettin' on my nerves. "Then how come I never told you how I feel?"

It wasn't like I hadn't had opportunities enough. I just hadn't done it because... well there were a lot of reasons.

"Out of all the things to fear, love is probably the scariest of them all," she said seriously.

Ain't that the truth.

Fear of loosing your life or your status was one thing, with death you only had to fear being put back into the cycle of rebirth, and that wasn't so bad, really. Sure it meant that your current existence would end, but that was not nearly as terrifying as the thought of living without the person I cared for most in all of my existence. It was one thing to think that my life might end, it wasn't worth all that much in the first place, but the thought of telling her how I felt and her rejecting me, and my never ever being allowed to be near her again... that was truly terrifying. At least with death there was the cold consolation that I had done it for duty, but possibly loosing something I cared deeply about because I selfishly wanted my feelings returned... if it all went wrong I wouldn't even have to cold consolation of duty. It would all just be gone.

Faced with the idea and with no-one around to hear me or know about it but me and no consequences from her because this was all a hallucination anyway, I thought about leaning down and kissing her.

"No cheating," she said disappearing from her place beside me and reappearing behind me. "That won't help you at all you know, even if you kissed me here, you'd still be afraid to loose me in real life."

I shivered at the thought, even just hearing the words spoken out loud could make my blood go cold. Out of all the things in the world that I feared, that had to be the only one that had the power to shake me really bad. The thought that the girl who had always been such a precious part of my life would one day just simply no longer be there was unbearable. I could handle the thought that she might pick someone else because I'd at least have to cold consolation that I'd always be her friend, but if she disappeared somewhere that I couldn't get to... I didn't honestly know what I would do.

:I guess in my book anything else is acceptable, as long as she's still part of my world,: I thought.

Well that was it... if loosing her was my greatest fear then I was never going to unlock this chakra. I would always be afraid of loosing her, so much so that it would probably always make me desperate and irrational.

"Everyone fears loss," my boy-self said, appearing out of nowhere as Rukia disappeared. "It's natural. You're surrounded by death so much that you sometimes forget some of the basics about life, including the fact that it doesn't come with any guarantees. In order for you to remove that fear's control over you, you have to accept that there are things you can and cannot do."

"But... I just don't think I can do that," I said, feeling a little helpless.

I'd lived for all of my adult life with the hope that if I worked long and hard enough, whatever I aimed for could be reached. All it would take was time and work. But to accept the idea that there would be times when I could do nothing... it just went against the grain. Even worse, to accept the idea that, despite everything I worked for, I was helpless to--

"No-one can predict or understand the vagaries of the heart," this time it was Rangiku appearing before me. "That's a kind of battle where I wonder if there are ever any winners at all. Still, it's also the kind of thing that no-one has any control over... what sort of sane person would choose to live in madness like this?"

"So how the hell are you supposed to win against something that nobody can control? I can't loose her, and if I were ever faced with the possibility of loosing her forever I'd sure as hell fight with everything I had to prevent it."

"And that's exactly the way ya should be, dummy! No-one's saying don't fight, I'm just saying ya gotta know that there's a time when you're not gonna be enough, when you're gonna fail, when you're gonna loose sumthin'. Ya can't just roll over an' refuse ta go on," my younger self said. "Where would you be if you refused to keep going after Haru died?"

"So I don't get what you're sayin' then," I said, unsure what his point was.

The kid sighed and rolled his eyes, and I thought about bopping his head for insolence but recognized that it was my own distemper causing me to feel so irritated so I let him be.

"Ya gotta find somethin' that's gonna let you keep going on into the future without all yer regrets draggin' behind ya like chains of yer own making. Ya gotta find a way that's gonna let you live, not without fear, but without yer fear having the power ta control ya."

Why didn't he just ask me to pull down the moon while I was at it?

"Hey old man, no-one said that unlocking this chakra was s'posed ta be easy," the kid commented snidely.

How the hell was I supposed to fight against helplessness, because if something ever happened to Rukia and I hadn't been able to stop it, I'd never forgive myself.

:Wait,: I thought, my mind and world pausing as I came to a sudden realization.

The chakra was blocked by fear; fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of loss... the one thing that would remove the sting from all of those things was--

"Forgiveness," I realized.

If I forgave myself for the times when I fell short, then the fear would loose the worst of it's power over me.

The kid smiled smugly up at me, pleased.

"Sometimes bad things do happen, and there's nothing you can do about it," I said out loud, feeling my way towards the answer in the dark. "But the answer isn't to just accept it, because that means yer not doing anything to change it and ya just become part of it. However, ya gotta be strong ta fight it, and ya can't be strong if yer weighed down by fear. Sometimes also, when ya let fear of repeating a prior mistake guide yer actions then ya end up over-compensating and making even worse ones because yer fear still has power over you. The only way to take the sting out of fear is if ya just forgive yourself. If you forgive yourself for the things ya can't change then yer free ta fight them without them weighing you down."

The boy was grinning. I found myself grinning back. It was weird to think that such a complex issue could actually have a simple answer.

"Don't get too cocky," my younger self added. "It's one thing to realize this fer yerself, it's another thing to live it. It's a lot harder."

I thought about that for a moment and had to agree.

"You ready for this?" he asked, summoning up a crystal orb in his hands.

Inside the orb I could see all of the fears and failures that I'd allowed to have power over me for so long. Loss, sorrow, failure, rejection, pain... they were all there. Waiting for me.

"No," I said honestly.

I'd never really be ready, but like anything else, you were never really ready for something like this, you just got through it as best you could and that made you ready.

"But bring it on anyway."

Suddenly I was slammed back into a vision of myself as a young punk on the streets, watching as a disembodied ghost while Rukia and I held the hand of Miki, our friend who had died of summer fever. I remembered that I had been frantic to save him, visiting every herb-woman and quack physician in running distance, desperate to buy medicine to save his life. I'd got into fights to get enough money to pay for treatment, I'd even cut the purses and picked the pockets of high-ranking thugs (which could be suicide if a kid wasn't careful) but nothing had helped him. In the end I was left holding his hand as he died and apologizing that I hadn't gotten him the help he'd needed. I'd never really forgiven myself for that.

"I forgive me for that," I said softly. "I know it wasn't my fault. I know I did my best."

With a conscious effort of will, I let go of the regret and pain I'd held onto for all these years and made myself to realize that I was not at fault for circumstances I couldn't control.

It was strange, but somehow... I did feel lighter.

The memories came, one after the other. Loss of the friends who were my family, loss of Rukia in hopes she'd have a better life, failure and fear... the hardest among which was forgiving myself for wasting all that time on a stupid rule that didn't matter. Rukia and I would always have our bond, it was silly to think otherwise, but I had to forgive myself for doubting her and fearing that she would deem me unworthy of her. After each memory saying the words and meaning them got a little easier, and I felt better, lighter somehow. It was almost like the burdens that I hadn't been aware were chaining me down were being cast off, chain by chain.

At the end I found myself standing back on the log with Zabimaru lounging nearby on one of the branches. I looked over at the fountain and found clutched in my hand a key. All the dirt and dead stuff was out of the bottom basin and I saw in the very center a keyhole.

"Go on," Zabimaru commanded.

Not reluctant, I inserted the key in the hole and turned, hearing the lock click over. There was a reddish flash of light and a strange symbol appeared in the bottom of the basin around the keyhole with a sort of misty glow. It looked like a circle with four flower petals outside it and a square and a triangle inside it. The light flashed once and then disappeared and next, bubbling up from the bottom, was a clear perfect energy, rising with a misty flow and lilling me, just by proximity with an almost overwhelming rush of power and energy and well-being.

"Excellent work," Zabimaru said, sounding grudgingly approving.

I grinned and jutted my chin up.

"Nuthin' ta fear but fear itself," I said jauntily.

Zanimaru looked over at me with a long measuring look, taking in my strangely light hearted state and smiled slowly.

"I think this is enough for one day," the Baboon King said. "You had best return to yourself before your Captain get's overly impatient."

"Wha--?"

My surprise was cut off by suddenly finding myself slammed back into my body. I was still sitting cross legged under that tree like I had been earlier today. My body felt a little strange; it was sore and achey from staying in one spot for so long, but at the same time I had such an odd and powerful feeling of well-being. I opened my eyes and noted that it was not only dark outside, but that the moon was hanging high in the sky.

"Ah, so my lazy lieutenant has finally decided to rejoin us," a dry, cool voice said off to my right.

"Huh..?" I asked groggily, trying to get my bearings.

Why was it night outside, and why was my captain here? I had just closed my eyes a moment ago. My stomach growled demandingly. Well, there was no better clock in the world than my stomach, it was definitely past dinner time.

"Thank-goodness Lieutenant," the voice of Nemu said off tot he other side of me. "I thought I might have to go and fetch my father or Captain Unohana to examine you."

"Given the choice, don't ever pick the Twelfth Captain please," I croaked around a dry throat.

Further eveidence that whatever I had been doing, a large amount of time had passed me by while I'd been in Zabimaru's world and in the scape where I'd underwent my trial.

"I got worried when you didn't show up for the meeting you'd arranged," Nemu told me. "So I went looking for you and found you here. There was some kind of spiritual barrier around you, and given your... inadequate knowledge of kido, I feared that something bad had happened to you. So I went and got your Captain."

"It's nothing to fear Lieutenant Kurotsuchi," Captain Kuchiki said, gesturing that I should rise to my feet.

I tried to untuck my legs, and my knees exploded into agony. My lower back wasn't feeling all that great either, and I couldn't feel my butt or toes. I groaned unhappily in agony, and curled on my side, leaning against the tree I tried to rise to my feet. I couldn't do it at first and it took me a minute as my knees creaked and my spine popped. I'd always thought I was in good shape, but I was not the kind of guy who spent a lot of time sitting in one place if I could help it.

"Thanks for lookin' for me Nemu," I said, smiling at her in a friendly way as I followed my captain back to our squad hall. "I'll see you about that thing in the morning."

She bowed her acceptance of the delay and went her own way. I quickly worked the worst of the kinks out of my body and rose to my feet. The Captain nodded and turned toward Sixth without another word as was usual for him.

I paced along beside my Captain, as usual he wasn't looking back nor was he making idle conversation. I didn't expect either, Byakuya Kuchiki never spoke unless he had something to say. I actually appreciated that about him; after all, I could get stuck with someone like that Twelfth Division Captain, who, once he got going on his own greatness and superior intelligence, wouldn't shut up about it.

"Your reiatsu," he said, quietly into the night just before we reached the HQ of Sixth.

"Uh, what about it?" I asked.

"It's... different," he informed me.

I frowned, a little surprised, and brought up my wrist to take in a whiff over my tongue. I was perfectly aware of what my own soul-scent tasted like, and damned if he wasn't right. It was stronger, and thicker somehow... sort of like the difference between skim milk and cream.

"Huh," I grunted, deciding not to comment about my new training regimen. I changed the subject instead.

"Sorry about going missing all afternoon--" I started only to find myself, shockingly, interrupted by the Captain.

"You were... meditating?" he asked.

Was it my imagination, or did the Kuchiki sound like he couldn't believe it.

"I'm not sure it's sumthin' so high-brow as all o' that," I mumbled.

I didn't want him lookin' at me like I was some kind o' mystic or intellectual kinda guy or something. He didn't comment so I finished my sentence.

"I'll finish the paperwork tonight and have it on yer desk in th' mornin'."

"I will not be in tomorrow at all," the Kuchiki said. "Instead, since the paperwork was not finished when I came to Sixth to pick it up today, you shall deliver it to me at my residence tomorrow. The Matriarch of the Kuchiki family will be holding a social and political function and I will not be able to depart it unless there is an emergency so you will have to bring the papers to my place of residence. I trust you know the way."

"Sure," I said. "I'll bring 'em by."

I'd only ever been to the Kuchiki estate once before, the time when Rukia was injured and recovering, after her botched execution. The Kuchiki might be my boss, but we didn't associate socially, why would we after all? He was several social strata above me, even though I was a Lieutenant. High-ranked officers were ranked among the nobility technically, but I sure as hell had never once been invited to attend one of their social functions. I wasn't really being invited now either, just being asked to play personal delivery boy.

Kuchiki nodded absently at my acceptance and seemed like he was waiting for something. Oh, he knew it was coming so there was no point in containing my curiousity. Funny, it was almost like a game the two of us played... he politely pretended to be ignorant of my feelings for his adopted sister even though there was no way a guy like him could not have noticed, and I pretended that any time I asked about her I was just politely inquiring about his family or something. Face was saved on both sides, and as long as it didn't go any further than that it seemed he didn't feel any need to interfere. It was an odd sort of situation to work around but it seemed that this was the way we handled it. I was glad that Kuchiki wasn't someone like Yoruichi Shihouin or, dear gods that Uruhara, who would needle and slyly tease me mercilessly about it. There were times when I was sort of glad that my Captain was the cold, icy sort who would rather cut off a finger than show emotion.

"So, how was your day with your sister?" I asked casually, my voice pitched to sound nonchalant, even though I was certain beyond a doubt that neither of us here was fooled about this.

"It went well," Kuchiki replied and I tried not to show my shock.

Kuchiki never answered! He always gave this look from the corner of his eye and went his own way without making any sort of reply before, as if having a casual relationship with his Lieutenant was beneath him or answering politie inquiries was somehow undignified.

"My younger sister was pleased with the homecoming gift I gave to her, though she was understandably nervous and distracted by the upcoming event."

I wondered if I should just keel over right then and there from surprise; not only had he answered my question but he'd expanded on it. I tried not to feel too pleased by it and wondered if I should say something in reply or just keep my mouth shut like I usually did. It was a rare opportunity to actually hold something that resembled a conversation with my boss. We worked well enough (most days) as Captain and Lieutenant, but our relationship as two people was turbulent under the surface. I respected him, even if I didn't like him, and that seemed fine with him; but for some reason, more and more, it wasn't fine with me. This guy, no matter the fact that I held a grudge against him for taking Rukia away from me, no matter that I didn't like what he'd turned her into after he did... this guy was important to Rukia, so he wasn't someone I could truly dislike. Rukia cared about him as a brother which in an odd sort of way made him (very, very, very distantly) a brother to me. I'd help him out on this one, since it was fer Rukia.

"To tell the truth, Rukia ain't never been much of a social butterfly, even back at the flop-house she didn't really interact much outside o' my gang unless someone did sumthin' that pissed her off," I said honestly.

"As a Kuchiki she must learn to wield greater skill and acumen within the social world, it is a pity that she seems to lack the confidence to do so."

I almost stared dumbfoundedly at him. Had he just commiserated with me?! No way! Who was this clone with human tendencies and what had he done with my Captain?!

"Well," I fished for a suitable reply, one that wouldn't impune Rukia and by extension his House and yet would convey honestly the idea I wanted to get across. Analogies worked well with guys like him, nobles seemed ta just thrive on double-talk, where they were sayin' one thing but really they were talkin' about somethin' completely different. I'd try that, I guessed.

"Confidence is one of those things that can take time and a lot of care ta build," I said carefully. "Ya take a tree out of its soil and put it somewhere else, sometimes it don't get all the stuff it needs ta grow. Ya gotta take extra care ta see that it has all the water and nutrients it's used to or it'll wither around the edges."

Kuchiki just looked at me unreadably. Maybe he hadn't gotten it? I tried again.

"Once had a couple o' dogs at th' flop-house fer extra warmth in winter," I said.

Nevermind that they'd had fleas, we'd all had fleas, and the extra warmth and protection had been worth it to our minds. Plus, a lot o' th' littles had been real attached to 'em.

"One day one o' th' littles brought back a new pup ta feed, scrawney thing it was. Lot o' th' other big dogs didn't take t' the pup at first, they pushed it around and tried ta drive it off, but eventually the pup attached himself well enough ta th' alpha female and sorted himself out. After a while the other dogs stopped pickin' on him and let 'im be, once he grew enough leg and teeth that they couldn't knock him around anymore."

:There, that should do it,: I thought proudly of my analogy.

Kuchiki seemed ta study me fer a long minute, made as small noise of acknowledgment for my statement, and turned his own way as usual. I could have sworn, though, that i could detect the barest trace of amusement around him. Anyone else wouldn't have noticed it, but I knew people, I could be sensitive to body clues when I wanted to pay attention, and I felt that I was slowly getting to know my boss just a little bit better over time.

"see that you finish that paperwork and present yourself to the house gate early tomorrow Lieutenant," was all he said.

"Yessir," I replied and we both went our separate ways.


You get an extra scene and a thousand words on this one... that convo between Renji and Byakuya Kuchiki wasn't in the original draft but for some reason as I was going over it and doing my final, last minute editing the scene just wrote itself.

Probably a good half of the fics that have Reji in them put him in a yaoi pairing with Kuchiki and as fun and entertaining (and kinda hawt!) as the idea might be, it's sadly not cannon. But personally I like the complexity of the three way relationship between Rukia and Byakuya and Renji (in a non-sandwich kind of way, get your minds out of the gutter please) where Rukia cares about Byakuya for taking her in and making her part of his family (even if he never looked at her) and Renji cares about rukia because he cares about Rukia, and he works his way to being lieutenant of Sixth so he can get closer to Kuchiki's sister (you heard it from Kira so that makes it official). But beyond that, you really get the feeling that Renji genuinely respects Kuchiki as a man and a Captain and doesn't really want to hold a grude against him, even though he does. You also just know that Byakuya Kuchiki is perfectly aware of Renji's motivations, and part of you is wondering if he isn't just amused by it all. it's almost too bad that Rukia is completely oblivious about all of this, because she seems the sort of little minx that would have a whole lot of fun with it if she did know.

Anyway, major digression there. The best part about this chapter for me still, is Renji making his way through his first chakra. Major landmark there. Fear is a difficult thing to struggle with and it's a huge block in the path of personal growth, Renji's new-found awareness of the power of self-forgiveness will only help him on the path to greater growth. I love writing stuff like that.

I want to say an enormous thank-you to all of the kind and wonderful people who have left and continue to leave me such great reveiws. War90, AngelIre, KuraOkami13, BloodyRoses my regulars, You guys are the reason I post, seriously. It makes me happy to know that my work is being read and apprieciated by people who aren't immediately turned off if a story starts out slow and takes time to build to the action. And there will be action, don't worry. After all, what's the point of a new enemy if you don't get to fight it?

(Sheesh, I'm positively chatty today, I guess I'm just excited about the chakra. Can't help it, the idea of the binding marks and Renji having to work to unlock his chakra was one of the ideas that made me start writing this monster of a fic.) So please, don't be shy and let me know what you thought of it. I'll see you Thursday!