Chapter 3: An Explosive View

Orihime hummed to herself as she wiped the sweat from her brow. Training with Renji was hard work, but it was rejuvenating to know that she was getting stronger. Shun Shun Rika was beginning to respond more; it sounded like two voices, an adult male and younger female, but Orihime didn't know for sure.

Renji had let Zabimaru out of their sword form and Saru and Hebi were arguing as usual. "AT LEAST I DIDN'T GET STUCK IN A WINDOW YOU FAT ASS BROAD!"

"OH WHAT EVER, YOU IDIOTIC LITTLE BRAT! AT LEAST I'M NOT THE ONE ALWAYS HUMPING MY OTHER HALF'S LEG IN MY SLEEP!" Saru smacked Hebi in the head angrily.

"DON'T HIT ME, DAMNIT!" He smacks her tail-end. Orihime watched the scene in partial amusement, confusion, and worry. Was this display normal zanpakuto behavior? Orihime didn't really know; Zangetsu was always calm, but he was just one being. Does that mean Shun Shun Rika will be like this? Orihime giggled at the mere thought of seeing and hearing her zanpakuto argue like Renji's did.

"OI! IDIOTS! QUIT ARGUING AND START TRAINING, DAMNIT!" Renji called as he came out from the shower rooms. "You can go in now, Orihime. Are you sure it was okay to let me go first?"

Orihime giggled mischievously. "Oh, trust me, Ji-kun. You needed it much more than I did!"

"Oh, thanks." Renji playfully rolled his eyes, kissing her forehead as she stood to go to the shower rooms.

Orihime snickered playfully. "You're welcome, Ji-kun." She made her way to the shower rooms, not paying attention as she hummed a merry tune, undressing and stepping under the warm water, letting it flow over her body. It felt nice, even though she'd previously been soaked with her own heated sweat.

I guess there's just something about showers that makes you want a really warm one, no matter how hot you are…I wonder if there are people who prefer cold showers though, instead of the hot ones. Maybe, though the only time I've heard of cold showers is when someone is really aroused and needs to settle down. But that can't be pleasant…I would hate to have a cold shower…Though, I do like a cool pool or the cool ocean. So I wonder why having a cold shower is so different. Maybe it's the pressure…or maybe it's all psychological depending on what we're used to. Hmmmm…

Orihime was so lost in her thoughts that the faint, unfamiliar pressure went unnoticed by her as she continued to hum to herself, washing her hair. But Karin noticed it as she walked in, seeing a strange, floating red light hovering by Orihime's shower. Drawing her zanpakuto, Karin sliced through the light.

"The FUCK?!" Both Karin and Orihime screamed as the shower rooms were enveloped in an explosion and they were blown away from each other, Orihime landing in a ditch in the 9th Division and Karin barreling through a window in the 5th. If the two weren't Shinigami, they'd have surely been scattered bits around Seiretei before they could say "boom".

Orihime shakily sat up, feeling cloth drape over her as she nursed a broken leg and four or five broken ribs. She could barely breathe and it felt like iron claws were trying to crush her. She was vaguely reminded of how she felt when Szayel tried to experiment on her by seeing how much of a vasto lord's reiatsu she could take in an enclosed space.

"Are you okay, Inoue-chan?" She looked up, seeing Fukutaicho Hisagi bent over her with concern etched into his features. She nodded. "What happened?"

Before Orihime could answer, Renji was running across the field, hopping the gate to the 9th Division. "ORIHIME!" He yelled, sliding to land beside her.

"I'm okay, Renji, really!" The effort to speak hurt, but she had to reassure him. "I've only got a few broken bones, nothing that can't be fixed, so don't worry about me! I'm still as fit as a fiddle!" She smiled despite the pain, though she imagined that it was quite strained.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Muguruma Taicho had made his way over, eyes and features severe. Orihime vaguely found herself wondering if Karin was going through this interrogation and if Chad had found her. After a lengthy pause, Muguruma Taicho growled quietly in frustration. "Well, spit it out, damnit. We don't have all fuckin' day."

"Lay off, Muguruma," Renji snapped. "Take your time Orihime…"

"Well the thing is…I don't know for sure. I was in the shower, I remember that, humming and wondering about the difference between showers and pools, and why people prefer hot showers even though they're hot before they get in and all that and washing my hair. Well, I heard some strange noise, almost like a cero hissing by, only I didn't feel the hollow's reiatsu...actually, I couldn't feel any reiatsu other than the familiar ones all around me. But then everything got really hot and I heard Karin drop the F-bomb and then I landed in this ditch with all the broken bones and Fukutaicho Hisagi threw this cloth over me and asked me what happened and Renji came up and yelled my name and I told him I was okay then Muguruma Taicho came up and asked me what happened and I was wondering what happened to Karin and if she was being questioned too and if Chad had found her and then Muguruma Taicho told me_"

"Okay, we get it. So you basically don't know what happened," Muguruma Taicho sighed. Orihime shrugged, wincing at the agony the motion caused

"Let's get you to the 4th Division, Hime-chan…" Renji murmured in a rare display of softness, gingerly lifting Orihime up and cradling her. She nodded. She had a high tolerance for pain, sure, but there were some things that one couldn't really be expected to bear no matter how high their pain tolerance was. This was one of those things.

o0o

Karin groaned as she sat up, holding her head. She'd landed on something soft-no, someone soft. She flies off of the angry small person and into a desk. Looking back, Karin sees a seething Soi Fon. "What is the meaning of this, Kurosaki Fukutaicho?" The young woman hissed, dark eyes narrowed.

"There was_"

"I know. I have already received word from my stealth forces that there was an explosion. Was it some prank that went wrong like the last time you and your brother had a falling out?"

Okay, so she does have some leverage for going all bitch mode on me and thinking this whole damn thing is my fault, although it kind of really isn't. I don't know what that thing was that I sliced up, but I have a feeling it wasn't good…How did Orihime not_ No, I can see how she didn't notice it; she's such a ditz.

"There was a red orb of light and this unfamiliar pressure, so I swiped at it and it exploded! I guess it wasn't very dangerous since Neither Orihime nor I was blown to complete bits. At least…I don't think Orihime was blown to bits…"

"She wasn't, I assure you." Soi Fon crossed her arms, then turned. "Come. You will accompany me to the 4th Division to make sure that you are truly unharmed." Soi Fon walked out. Karin rolled her eyes, but followed the smaller captain.

o0o

"So that's what happened," Orihime mused after she'd been taken care of at the 4th Division and Karin told her the story from her point of view.

"Yeah. You really need to pay more attention. That's how you died in the first place, you know."

Orihime knew that Karin hadn't meant it in a cruel way, but the statement did strike a certain nerve. Orihime had been so intent on healing Renji after he'd been impaled by a Quincy arrow, she hadn't noticed that the Quincy attack had completely impaled her until she'd fallen into a puddle of blood and heard Renji's anguished cry as the world began to fade into inky, blurry darkness.

Renji cast his female co-lieutenant a stern glare. She shrugged at him and he sighed. "It's okay, Renji," Orihime said quietly before Renji could tear Karin a new one. "Anyway…We need to find out what that red orb thingy that Karin described is…It's awful strange, don't you think? You don't think it's another enemy to deal with, do you? I hope not, I just want some peace for once, you know?" Orihime sighed. "I honestly hate all this war, it's not fair! We're losing so many people! First Aizen, Gin, and Tousen to treason, and then we almost lost Rukia and Ulquiorra died even though he always tried to help me; I don't really think he was evil like the rest. But anyway, we lost all those people in the Holy War…I just…I don't want to lose anyone else_"

Renji put a finger to her lips. "We won't, okay?" He smiled. "I promise that we'll all make it through this, okay? We won't lose anyone else; I won't let that happen. I'll always protect you, Orihime, in all ways." There it was again, that soft side to Renji. Orihime smiled to herself. She did feel safe with the captain of the 8th Division. It was refreshing to have found a man that she knew wouldn't ever leave her. She almost didn't believe it.

Karin walked out, obviously not wanting to sit in the same room with the overly 'mushy-lovey-dovey' couple. Orihime watched her go, wondering how the younger Kurosaki hadn't gotten hurt in the blast. Maybe it was because the dark haired twin had more reiatsu than the orange haired former high schooler.

I always seem to be caught in the middle of bad things before I even realize what's going on…You'd think that I'd learn my lesson by now, but I guess not. Maybe there's a missing link in my brain or something…I guess old habits are just hard to break. Yeah, that's right…I'm just so used to being ditzy as a defense mechanism that I automatically start drifting off into space whether I'm threatened or not. Yes, that's totally it!

"Orihime?" Orihime jumped as Renji's hand touched her shoulder.

"Oh! Sorry, Ji-kun! I was completely lost in my thoughts! Umm….what were you saying?"

"Just wondering if you were ready to go now."

"Oh yes! I'm fit as a fiddle!"

"Are…are you sure?"

"YEP!" Orihime jumped out of bed. "Come on! Let's go eat; I'm starving!" Grabbing Renji's hand, Orihime dragged him out of the room, giggling. In truth though, she had a bad feeling about the explosion. If it had been watching her before Karin stabbed it, then what else was it doing? Could there be even more? Who else were they watching and what was their purpose? Who were they?

o0o

"So the spying orb failed."

"Yes, my lord."

"We must send one of our own."

"Of course, my lord, but who?"

"One of the younglings. Have them 'join' the academy. Send the strongest one we have."

"As you wish." The woman stood, leaving the dark room. Aizen's brother stood at the pool, watching Orihime giggle and laugh as she dragged Renji through a resteraunt. The girl was so foolish; she didn't seem to suspect a thing. But then again, Aizen's brother supposed it was better that way.

Orihime was the key to eternal life. Aizen's brother knew that he was one of the only ones who knew of this fact. He'd do anything to get the girl and devour her pure soul. Only then would he be invincible. He could turn the world upside down; cast it into chaos. That would show Sosuke who was the real god. And it isn't his little brother who's locked in a cage. No cage will hold this god.

A/N: Ok. I am SOOO sorry it took so long to update! First I was sick, then I had to take the U.S. History state test, then there were final exams and all that jazz…My word, I've been so busy lately lol. But I'm out of school, so hopefully it won't be too long. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter; I know it's not as long as I've been trying to make them and I'm sorry. R&R and once again. Sorry for the long wait. Love y'all! CX