Here's this week's update. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters. I only have the OCs.
Getting through the Senkaimon, the gate between the Living World and Soul Society, had been easy enough for Renji and Kagami. No one had noticed her departure, as so many others were leaving for the Living World as well. There had even been a class of Academy students, Renji had noticed. He hoped they had better luck on their field training exercise than he'd had his first time. Renji had noticed Kagami's eyes averted when she saw the students.
"That was us, forty years ago," she had mumbled with the smallest of smiles.
Now, the two of them were within Karakura Town, a place Renji knew well after coming so often on missions. Hell, he felt like he knew this place like the back of his hand. They had emerged in a suburban area on the west side of town. Both were hovering over the buildings, staring out at the town and its horizon. Neither of them had brought a gigai, as Kagami had said they likely wouldn't be in this world long. Renji looked at her now and could see dark circles beginning to form under her eyes. She yawned loudly, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Tired?" Renji asked, cocking an eyebrow at her. Kagami chuckled.
"Believe it or not, that was the best night's sleep I've had in a few days. I just haven't been resting much. No big deal."
"What's the problem?" Renji remembered her tears and trembling the night before and wondered if they had anything to do with Kagami's lack of rest.
"Just some bad dreams. Nothing to worry about. Let's just worry about finding Tousen," Kagami answered and Renji resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He'd allow Kagami to believe Tousen was alive, if only to keep her from fighting with him. The last thing he wanted was his only lead to be pissed off at him.
"Are you sure he'll be here?" Renji asked and Kagami nodded.
"Don't you feel it? That strange spiritual pressure?" Kagami asked, looking up at Renji. He cocked an eyebrow, unsure of what she was talking about. He hadn't sensed anything out of the ordinary when they arrived.
"What do you mean? I don't feel anything." Renji watched as Kagami's eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed in frustration. She looked away from him and down at the street below them.
"Focus, Renji. It's faint, but here. He's not in this world just yet. I don't sense Tousen's Spiritual pressure."
"Then what do you-" Renji stopped when Kagami held up her hand in front of his mouth, staring at him intently.
"Focus," she ordered. Renji frowned, not liking how Kagami was ordering him, but did as she said. He concentrated more on the spiritual pressure around him, until he felt a new presence. The spiritual pressure he was sensing was the same as what had been left behind at the scene of Kagami's attack.
"What the hell?" he exclaimed.
"That's Tousen's weapon. It's what he used to kill Shuhei and so many of our comrades. Remember that tsunami of spiritual pressure I told you about?" Renji nodded. "That was it."
"Did he use it here?" Renji asked, suddenly felling a twinge of concern for the innocent people of Karakura Town. If this weapon could take out a bunch of Soul Reapers, it could wipe out the town without any trouble. Renji's worries were somewhat alleviated when Kagami shook her head.
"Not yet. It would be stronger if he had. I don't know where it is, but I can feel it. He'll be coming here."
"But why?" Kagami glared at Renji.
"Do you think I can read that bastard's mind? Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that he's coming here." Kagami seemed annoyed, but not in the same state she was in the first day Renji saw her. That put him a bit more at ease. If the Fourth Division felt the need to sedate her in the mental state she was in, he wasn't sure he wanted to see her angry. "Is there anyone in this town you trust? I've heard you've been here."
"A few, why?" Renji asked. Kagami shrugged, winced and glared at her left shoulder.
"I don't know how long we'll be here. Could be a few hours, could be a few days. If there's anyone who can see us that you trust not to tell about me, then I figured it'd be a good idea to bum a room off of them," she explained.
Renji nodded, seeing her logic, and thought to the people he knew here in Karakura Town. There was Ichigo Kurosaki, the Substitute Soul Reaper that killed Aizen, and Rukia would likely be with him. Then, there was Kisuke Urahara and his crew. They certainly wouldn't tell the Soul Society about Kagami. While Renji would love for Kagami to be in a hospital receiving medical care from the Fourth Division, he still needed her for the time being. He thought back to his time staying with Urahara: cleaning the shop, following orders from that brat, Jinta, and being forced to train with one of Ichigo's friends for days on end. Renji shuddered at the thought of enduring that again. He hoped Ichigo wouldn't mind two more Soul Reapers in his house.
"I know someone. He should be at school now."
"School? He's human?"
"Yeah. Don't worry. We can trust him," Renji answered and led the way to Ichigo's school.
It was a fairly large building and Renji could still remember the last time he'd been there, when all the issues with Arrancar were only beginning. Damn, he wished it was that simple: knowing what to expect and who to look for. Renji and Kagami walked through the relatively empty hallways of the school, unseen by anyone who may have been walking by, or through, them. It was midday, meaning Ichigo and his friends were likely having lunch now. Renji first looked into Ichigo's classroom, Kagami following close behind. Inside, none of Ichigo's friends could be seen, nor could Ichigo and Rukia. Other students could be seen, chatting amongst themselves, but none would have been able to help the Soul Reapers. Renji scowled and turned away from the door, heading for the stairs to the roof.
"Something wrong?" Kagami asked, taking notice of Renji's facial features.
"The bastard just always makes me look for him." Kagami chuckled as he opened the door leading to the roof of the school.
"Did you hear about that guy who's filming a movie right here, in our town?" a young man asked excitedly, obviously engrossed in the conversation with his friends. Renji recognized the voice, but couldn't remember to whom it belonged. One of Ichigo's friends, he was sure, one of the boys without any power.
As Renji and Kagami rounded the corner, a group of high-school students could be seen, including Ichigo Kurosaki. His abnormally colored hair was always a dead give-away. One of the boys in the group looked up, obviously seeing Renji and Kagami. He was Uryuu Ishida, a Quincy, Renji remembered. He nodded at the two Soul Reapers, both acknowledging their presence and drawing Ichigo's attention to them. The orange-haired teen turned where he sat, his eyes widening when he saw Renji and Kagami.
"Is he the one?" Kagami asked, looking Ichigo over. The spiritual pressure coming off of him was in waves. She was shocked that a human could have so much energy.
"Hey, I remember you!" the brown-haired boy exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Renji. He was the same boy who had spoken before. "You're one of those weird kids who came to our school a few months ago." He then turned his attention to Kagami, approaching her with speed she didn't know a human could possess, and looked her over. "And who might you be? Someone as lovely as you couldn't possibly be hanging out with someone as weird as-"
"What the hell?" Kagami demanded, stepping away from the boy. "Y-You can see me?"
"Keigo, leave the girl alone," Ichigo said in a slightly annoyed tone. "Renji, what are you doing here, and who is she?"
"Kagami," a woman's voice murmured and Renji watched as Kagami's eyes widened in shock. The owner of the voice stood, revealing a petite woman with black hair that the both of them knew very well. Kagami turned her attention to the speaker.
"Rukia?" Kagami asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Please R&R.