Afloat in the Water: Revisited

A/N: It's been a LONG time since I have posted anything on fanfiction! However, I was suddenly motivated and inspired to revamp my story Afloat in the Water that I wrote so many years ago. There will be quite a few changes from the original in hopes that the story will flow better and make a little more sense, as well as answer questions brought up about my characters. Just keep in mind I was 11-12 years younger when I first wrote this story, so things that seem "impossible" or "illogical" from the Bleach universe…well, just go with it! That's the fun of fanfictions! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this rework of one of my favorite fics I've written. Feel free to give the old story a visit as well. -Hawkeye

PS: To honor my old A/N in chapter one of the original fanfic: this story takes place after Sasuke disappears, simply because I didn't feel like writing him into the story at the time. Enjoy!

Chapter One

Rain poured over the land of fire, soaking any living creature brave enough to venture out into the weather down to the bone. It was a hot summer day, and the building humidity finally let loose a tremendous thunderstorm. Lightning split the blackened sky and thunder roared deafeningly, making Kakashi glare up at the sky. He was tired, sore, and annoyed. Behind him, Sakura and Naruto were bickering about something ridiculous, but he didn't care to listen in to figure it out. He sighed, happy that they were just about home. He needed a vacation.

"Naruto, SHUT UP! I don't care what your opinion is!" Sakura screamed.

"Aww, Sakura, why do you have to be so mean to me?!" Naruto interjected.

"Would you two give it a rest, you've been arguing for two hours." Kakashi said, exasperated. He turned to face the teens and they stopped in their tracks, looking up at their sensei. "For the record, I don't really care what you two are fighting about, but enough is enough. I just want—" He stopped mid-sentence, feeling a shift in the air. Naruto and Sakura sensed it as well and tensed. Kakashi inwardly groaned. Now what?

Suddenly, a group of shinobi dressed all in a dark grey with hidden faces jumped out of the trees and attacked. Team Seven dodged the attackers, rolling away from one another. Sakura and Naruto had pulled out a kunai from their bags and went to each other, standing back-to-back. Kakashi glared at the group of unknown assailants and held his hands at the ready. He thought a drawn-out conversation was about to be had, but one of the attackers made a sign faster than he expected, taking him off guard. A wall of fire barreled towards them and he countered with a wall of water just in time. He yanked up his hitai-ate and his sharingan did its job. He began to mimic hand sign after hand sign, throwing attacks back at the ninjas.

But more of them began to come out of the wood work, creating a barrier they could not escape. Sakura and Naruto used everything they had and fought them off enough to evade death, but they were already tired from their completed mission and they were running out of steam. Kakashi struck down six of them, but it made no difference. He winced as a shuriken grazed his shoulder and he jumped up, avoiding the following shurikens that were meant for him. But when he landed on his feet, he felt his eyes widen. His shoulder was on fire from where he was struck and he shouted out in pain. He looked at the wound and cussed. "Damn it, the blades are poisoned!" He yelled at his team. Sakura and Naruto perked up, adrenaline fueling their defensive tactics.

"Damn it! What kind of poison is this?" Kakashi felt his eye sight blurring and he thought about the antidotes he carried with him. He reached inside his back pouch and felt a vial and quickly pulled it out and popped the cork. He drank it down and threw the vial at one of the nin's faces, the glass shattering on impact and cutting through his eyes. The nin fell to his knees and Kakashi finished him with a kunai. The burning faded and his eye sight cleared, but his shoulder was stiff and he growled. Who the hell are these guys, and where are they all coming from?! We won't last much longer! He chanced a glance at the teens doing their best to fight off their opponents and gasped.

Sakura was on the ground unconscious, Naruto above her, a gash cut into his forehead. Blood poured down his face and he squinted at the enemies surrounding him. Kakashi thought quick and bit his lip under his mask. "Enough is enough! Naruto get down!" Naruto did as he was told and all attention was on Kakashi. He furiously made handsigns and held his right hand to his mouth. Instead of fire, he projected a wall of water at the unknown shinobis, blasting them away and disorienting them. Kakashi doubled over, his chakra low.

"Naruto, take Sakura and start running to the village! We can't take them all down!" He bellowed. Naruto, eyes wide and full of fear, pulled Sakura to her feet. She had come to and looked at the pile of men crumpled in a heap just yards away. Kakashi pointed towards the village. "Go!" They started to run and he watched after them. He took a deep breath and turned to face the men again. He would hold them back and give his students the time needed to make it to Konoha and get help. It was his only option.

Without warning, a kunai was thrown at him and he caught it. Paper bomb! He threw it right back at the group and it exploded as it struck one of them in the shoulder. But another was thrown in the mass confusion and this time penetrated his shoulder. He was thrown backwards from the impact, but tore the paper bomb off and got to his feet as it exploded. Launched into the air, he met a tree back first and slid down it, hitting the ground with a thud. Pain radiating through his chest and back, Kakashi looked up at his opponents with his normal eye shut.

"What the hell do you want?" He asked. One man stood and approached him, his face covered with a dark grey mask. He wore a headband, but there was no symbol, here a gash that ran through the middle. The Hatake grabbed the handle of the kunai in his shoulder and pulled it out. He stood and gripped the weapon in his hand. "Answer me!"

But no answer was given. Every one of them remained silent, alarming him even more. He weighed his options. He could keep fighting, but given his condition, he would likely die. He could make a run for the village, but he could be caught and lead them there at the same time. He listened to his surroundings and heard rushing water. Nearby was a deep river he could jump into. The current was strong and would pull him away from the village and distract his enemy. He knew it would be rough and he would possibly die, or worse be caught. But he had to try something. He had to protect his village.

Kakashi gathered the remainder of his chakra and he pushed it into his legs and jumped up and over the mass group of enemy ninja. He landed behind them, taking them aback as he took off in a dead run. He was relieved to see they began to follow him as he made his way to the rushing river. As he ran, kunai and shuriken rushed by him, one passing through his flowing silver hair. Another shuriken struck him mid back and his screamed but kept running. He couldn't stop now. Burning pain shot up his spine and he yelled out in frustration, refusing to slow down. The water came into view and he took one last look behind him. They were mere feet away from him.

Time seemed to slow down as Kakashi took a leap of faith into the water. He put his arms above his head and slid into the body of liquid as smoothly as he could manage. The current wasted no time and pulled him with it at a much faster rate than he expected, but he kept his body as straight as he could, flowing along with it. He could no longer hear the men that were chasing him. He had no idea if they were behind him. The poison was spreading and his eyes grew heavy. Chest tight, he struggled to steal gasps of breath as he bobbed up to the surface before being hauled back down.

He became dizzy, the lack of oxygen taking his will. He lost control of his limbs and began to roll and flail. He felt as if he was being pulled through something. This is it. I'm done for. He closed his eyes and felt the sensation of the water disappearing. Darkness began to swallow him and he welcomed it. Naruto, Sakura…please be safe.

. . .

"Ughhh, just five more minutes…" A man with a mope of blonde hair groaned, tugging his blanket up over his head. He was so comfy…why would he think to leave his bed?

"Urahara! How many times do I need to tell you to get out of bed? You have a customer!"

"Waaa…" He sat up reluctantly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. As he blinked his vision clear, he looked to see the face of the culprit who forced him back into consciousness. "Why do you have to be so mean, Ronin!"

"Mean?" The woman he suddenly irritated stepped over him, her face inches from his. "Do you want me to show you how mean I can be?" Glare seeping into his soul, he back away from her until his head hit the headboard.

"Nope, I'm alright! I'll get up! Beh-heh-heh…" A drop of sweat ran down the side of his face as she retreated to stand with her arms folded across her chest. He stared at her and cringed. She sure is grumpy…must have learned that attitude from Yoruichi, he thought to himself. It was no secret that Ronin was one of Yoruichi's greatest friends, but she was also one of the scariest. She was a well-trained fighter with a busty figure and long blonde hair streaked with red. She wore her mane up in a pony tail, bangs framing her oceanic blue eyes. She was wearing her favorite outfit; a black tank top, black capris, and a black robe similar to Kisuke's. The sleeves had embroidered red dragons that ran the length of her arms. She wore it most days. She said it was handy to conceal her weapons from the public eye. Not that she needed weapons…

As Kisuke climbed out of bed, Ronin adjusted her four cartilage piercings in her ears, a habit she did without realizing it. He felt like adding the piercings made her look even scarier, but he would never admit that to her face. She was a warrior of a woman for 19 years of age, impeccably skilled in sword fighting and soul reaping. Her father had been a captain back in the day, though no one knew his whereabouts save for very few, let alone who he was. He had kept his daughter a secret from the Soul Society, wanting no interference or restrictions. Now, she was incredibly well known for her skills, much like a certain orange haired 15-year-old, who just happened to be the customer that needed him to get his ass out of bed.

Ronin left Kisuke to get himself cleaned up and walked back to the front of the shop, where Kurosaki, Ichigo impatiently waited for "Hat and Clogs". She gave him her best customer service smile and told him, "He'll be out in a few minutes, Ichigo."

Ichigo cocked an eyebrow at her. "Um, ok. But, who the hell are you?"

Her right eye twitched. "My name is Ronin."

"Isn't that a dude's name?" He said to her, both eyebrows arched. Her smile fell from her face and in the blink of an eye, she had him slammed up against the wall, one hand on his chest. She grinned coldly at him.

"Does it have to be, Strawberry?" She asked him, hoping he was smart to answer her correctly.

"N-no, I g-guess not!" She removed her hand and let him fall to the floor in a heap, his head spinning. She returned to the front counter as he gathered himself and shook off the sudden encounter. She put a genuine customer service smile back on her face as she leaned over the counter and looked at him, subsequently making him jump.

"So, Ichigo. You're the famous substitute soul reaper everyone buzzes about." He blinked his wide eyes, no longer sure how to approach her.

"Yeah…but, how did you know?"

"We have much in common, you and I." She said quietly. He stifled the urge to elaborate, fearing it might end with another altercation. Before he could think of anything else to say, Kisuke emerged from the back, pushing his hat down on his head.

"Carrot top! What brings you here so early in the morning?" He asked a bit too chipper.

"It's quarter to 4…" Ichigo replied, making the man sweat drop. Rubbing the back of his neck, he glanced at Ronin and nodded his head, letting her know he was good. Ronin swiveled on her heels and walked out the back door, leaving the two men to their business. Ichigo waited until he heard the door close completely before looking at the shop keeper with a resigned expression. "Who the hell is she?"

A smile spread across Hat and Clogs' face. "Ronin? She's a—good friend. Tough bird, that one."

"She's freakin' psycho! How is she so damn fast and strong?!" The teem stammered at him, completely bewildered. Kisuke's smile faded and his hat cast a shadow, hiding his eyes.

"Ronin had a hard life. She grew up the daughter of a captain. She was trained vigorously since she took her first steps. She was trained on sword art, stealth, and hiding. The Soul Society had no idea she even existed until a couple years ago. Before she turned five years old, she'd already killed 300 hollows."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "How old is she?"

"She'll be twenty in a couple months." Kisuke pressed his hat further down onto his head. "But let's get back to business. What did you want to talk about?"

"Right. It's about Rukia. Something seems off."

Outside of the shop, while the two held their conversation, Ronin walked down a hill, drawn to the sound of a nearby river. She felt a strange energy emanating from the water. Something foreign. She couldn't quite explain it. It was like an energy she had never sensed before. Like it didn't belong. She approached the bank of the rippling water and knelt down. "It feels like there's someone in the water." She said to herself. She gently touched the water and her eyes widened. "There!" She stood and ran down the side of the river against the current. "Where are you?" She kept her eyes on the river as she ran, waiting for the life energy to reveal itself to her. She shed her robe from her shoulders and it dropped behind her. She kicked off her black canvas shoes and dove headfirst into the water.

Diving down to the bottom, she noticed something shiny sticking up from the silt and grabbed it. Stowing it in her back pocket, she kept swimming until she saw an unmoving figure floating through the current. Kicking her feet hard, she went under the figure and then pushed him up, breaking the surface. Inhaling the sweet air, she dragged the man to the bank and threw him out of the water, following after him. As she knelt over him, water dripped onto his still and pale face. He wore a navy mask over the bottom half of his face and she pulled it down, revealing his blue tinted lips. She checked for a pulse. "Its feint."

She began doing chest compressions and mouth to mouth, tasting something odd on his lips as she willed him to breath. Suddenly, he began to sputter water from his lungs, red tinging his cheeks. He coughed hard, his face grimacing as he did. She continued to check him over and pulled his shirt and vest away from his left shoulder. It looked as though he had been stabbed, but the wound was seared closed and very angry looking. She looked back at his face and noticed a long scar that ran above and below his left eye, but it looked to be an old injury. Running back a ways and grabbing her robe, she went back to the man's side and wrapped him in it, then hoisted him up over her shoulder.

She gruffed, but began to run as fast as she could back to the Urahara shop. When she reached the back door, she heard Kisuke stop talking to Ichigo. She burst through the room and watched the teen's eyes widen. "Urahara!" She called, walking past them both to her bedroom, where she laid the man down on the bed, stripping him of his sopping wet clothes. Kisuke had followed her and cocked his head to the side, watching her examining the man for other injuries and undoubtedly thinking of steps she needed to take to help him.

"Where'd you find this guy?" He asked her, Ichigo coming up behind him and peeking over his shoulder to see what was going on.

"He was in the river."

"And he's not dead?"

"Almost. He's in bad shape. And I think he's been poisoned." She walked into the bathroom adjacent to her room and grabbed clean towels. After filling a large bowl with hot water, she went back to the man's side. Ichigo pushed his way into the room and looked at the man and frowned.

"My dad has a medical clinic. I could call him to come over here and check him out."

Kisuke put a hand on the teen's shoulder and shook his head. "Ronin has plenty of training in medical emergencies. She's got this." Ichigo raised his brows at him as he was led out of the room to give Ronin room to work. "Let's give her space. She works better that way."

Ronin gingerly touched a wet cloth to the stranger's wound to start cleaning it up and was surprised when the man's hand grabbed her wrist reflexively. His grip was strong for how bad of shape he was in and she wondered just how strong he was when he was healthy. Wincing, she took a deep breath and met his frantic gaze. One eye was dark, while the other was red and swirled slowly. She looked away from it, feeling as if it wasn't a good idea to look into it. She gave him a reassuring smile and hushed him. "You're in bad shape. You must've been in quite a battle." His gaze was clouded over and she knew he was unaware of what was actually happening. She gently put the towel down and coaxed his hand to release her. "It's ok. You're safe here." She said softly. He let his hand fall and his head hit the bed, eyes closed.

She set to work, cleaning his wounds, wrapping him up, and administering an injection she had concocted that cleared any poison. As soon as it hit his blood stream, the blue tint disappeared from his lips, their normal color returning. She spoke quietly to him when he would groan or flinch in pain and covered him with a warm blanket. As she tended to him, Kisuke watched her from the doorway. His brow was arched as he witnessed his friend tenderly take care of the stranger. But what surprised him most was the caring expression on her face. He had never seen that look on her before. It was one that a mother would give to a child…no…it was deeper than that. He chuckled.

"Consider yourself lucky this girl found you, stranger." He mumbled to himself as he walked away.

Ronin made sure the man was propped up and tucked into the bed. She checked that he was warm enough and was pleased to find that his body temperature was already improving. She sat down on the side of the bed. She couldn't get a read on his energies. He felt different from anyone else she had ever come into contact with. It felt like an old energy from a world long lost. It drew her to him in a way she was unfamiliar with. It started when she sensed him in the water, but now that he was here, it was even more intense. She sighed, adjusting her posture when she remembered the item she had put into her back pocket. Pulling it out into the open, she ran her hands across it.

It was a metal plate with fabric tacked to it. She assumed it was some sort of headband. The plate had a symbol on it she had never seen before; a sort of swirl with a triangle attached to it. She frowned at the dirt that was ground into the etching and took a wet towel to it and cleaned it. When she was satisfied, she placed it on the bedside table next to him. She had an inkling it belonged to him, but what it was for was beyond her.

It was well into evening by the time she cleaned him up and then tidied the room. She stood by his side once more, watching him sleep peacefully. I suppose I could get some shut eye as well. I've been up since 5. As she turned to leave the room, she felt his hand grab her wrist once more. She turned around and found his eyes were half open, staring up at her. She felt her cheeks flush as he reached up to his face with his other hand, realizing his mask was gone. He was younger than she expected, guessing he was in his mid-twenties. His skin was soft from being protected from the sun.

Ronin slowly sat down next to him and smiled at him. "You're going to be alright. I promise." He let his hands fall back down to his sides and his expression relaxed. After a moment, he looked away from her and let his eyes close once more. She sighed, sweeping some of his silver hair from his face. "Stranger…why were you afloat in the water?"

. . .

Chapter one completed. Let me know what you think! Chapter two coming soon! Don't forget to review and set up alerts for story updates!