Sorry this update took so long. I have literally had zero time on the computer for the past two days. So, here's the latest chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters. I only have the OCs.

As evening grew near, Kagami finally put down that Godforsaken red marker and stepped away from the map of Karakura Town. Renji had walked away from the map an hour earlier, once Kagami had said she thought they'd marked everything. She then spent the past hour checking and rechecking their work. If Renji hadn't known better, he'd say she didn't trust their combined efforts. Renji was seated in a chair on the other side of the room, informing Rukia with what was happening in the Soul Society.

"Of course Gin Ichimaru is being held in Maggot's Nest," Rukia said, almost dismissively. "With Aizen dead, the Soul Society probably figured they might be able to keep control of him. After all, the reports did say he showed a lot of promise."

"He tried to escape once," Renji noted. He remembered Imagawa talking about that day after the escape had taken place. Apparently, Ichimaru had tried to provoke a riot within Maggot's Nest. It took all the guards and many members of the Second Division to put it out. Renji thought it was a wonder most Soul Reapers under the lieutenant rank didn't' know about the attempt.

"He's just one less bastard we have to deal with," Kagami answered, now sitting in the chair at Ichigo's desk and facing the rest of the group. Ichigo was on his bed, with Kon sulking on the edge of the mattress. He'd been untied, on the condition he left Kagami and Renji alone as they worked.

"What do you plan to do next?" Ichigo asked.

"Tomorrow we should check out the areas marked on the map. It might help us get a better idea of where Tousen will attack." Renji nodded and his gaze was brought to the empty sleeve of Kagami kosode.

"How's your shoulder?" he asked and Kagami frowned slightly.

"Fine," she answered tersely. Renji knew it had been a while since Kagami was last treated—at least twenty-four hours. The bandages would need to be changed and the wound disinfected again.

"What about the wrappings?" This time, Kagami glared at him.

"Amazing how you notice that, but not the abnormal spiritual pressure from before."

"You didn't answer my question," Renji pointed out. Kagami scowled as Rukia and Ichigo turned their attention to her, awaiting an answer.

"Yes, the bandages need to be changed. Would you like a gold star?"

"You realize you can't tend to it on your own, right?" Renji asked, smirking as he watched Kagami's face fall. He figured she hadn't thought of that fact when she had left the Fourth Division. She may have brought the supplies needed, but she didn't have the capability to tend to her own wounds anymore. Kagami opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it, sighing heavily.

"Ichigo and Renji, go outside and take Kon with you," Rukia ordered as she stood and walked towards Kagami.

"Thanks, Rukia," Kagami murmured as Renji stood and followed Ichigo into the hallway. The Substitute Soul Reaper was carrying Kon, holding the stuffed toy lazily by the leg while it flailed.

"Hey, put me down!" Kon yelled with a disgruntled expression on his lion face.

"Shut up, before my sister hears you," Ichigo snapped. Renji watched curiously as Kon shuddered and suddenly stilled, crossing his arms. Ichigo leaned against the wall of the hallway, unceremoniously dropping Kon to the floor.

"What do you think of Kagami's story?" Renji asked quietly, not wanting the red haired woman in question to hear him through the door. "Do you think Tousen's really alive?" While he still doubted it, Renji was beginning to consider it a possibility. A highly unlikely possibility, but a possibility nonetheless.

"Who knows? If he is, then we'll just kill him. I kind of feel sorry for her, though. Seems like she's having a hard time adjusting. How do you know her, anyway?"

"We were friends back in the Soul Reaper Academy. After graduation, we grew apart. We saw each other for the first time since then just the other day, when I began this assignment." Ichigo's eyes widened slightly, as though he was surprised.

"You two haven't seen each other in years and now you're working together to get this sword back, huh?"

"Just about," Renji muttered. Ichigo crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head to look down the hall.

"Is she in good condition to fight?"

Kagami hissed in pain, pulling away from Rukia slightly. The wrappings had been slowly removed, the cloth sticking to the tender flesh beneath it. Rukia hadn't flinched when she'd seen the wound, which was more than Kagami could say for Mika's first time treating her. Based on Mika's reaction, Kagami assumed she was new to the Fourth Division; otherwise, she wouldn't have been quite so disturbed. Once Rukia began disinfecting it, Kagami felt the burning pain she hadn't experienced in the past twenty-four hours.

"Is this worse than usual?" Rukia asked as she continued to lightly dab the disinfectant on Kagami's shoulder. The red-haired woman cringed again, biting her lower lip.

"I was getting used to the pain before. I just need to adjust again," she answered through clenched teeth.

"You're very fortunate, you know."

"Lucky I didn't die, I suppose. And lucky I know what Tousen's planning, mostly."

"You're lucky your lieutenant cared about you so much." Kagami turned her eyes away and resisted the urge to shrug. She knew the action would only cause her more pain.

"Depends on how you look at it. If he didn't care for me so much, would he still be alive?"

"If he wanted you to live, how do you think he'd feel if you died and he knew he could have prevented it?"

"Was I really worth that?" Kagami asked, her eyes narrowing and her lips pulling into a frown.

"Lieutenant Hisagi must have thought so," Rukia answered as she began wrapping the bandages around Kagami's torso again.

"He shouldn't have died. I'm thankful to be living so I can stop Tousen, but I just wish my life hadn't cost Shuhei's." She flinched once more as Rukia pulled the bandages a little tighter.

"That's how it works, and all we can do is just keep living." Kagami sighed softly and stared ahead of her, knowing Rukia was right.

"Yeah," she murmured. "And that's what I plan to do."

Please R&R