Bleach: Heal The Soul

Chapter 2: Soul Reapers

I didn't sleep well. Against my bed, I sat with the sword on my lap, thinking about the events that transpired and why Urahara gave me this weapon. Why it was that Ichigo became a Soul Reaper and how I now fit into the picture. Now that I had a Zanpakuto, was that all I needed to become one? No, I thought, there had to be more to it than that. I took out the card he gave me from my pocket. If he knows something bad is coming and wants me to keep this sword with me, there's going to be a problem. While the blade may be invisible to others everything else wasn't.

At some point in my thinking, I nodded off and fell asleep. The sound of my alarm clock woke me up when morning came and distracted me from the item laid on my bed. It was only after I stopped the alarm and took a moment to stretch that I realized there was a dark narrow cloth bag for the sword and another note.

"Forgot to give this as well, now you don't have to worry about carrying your Zanpakuto out in public. Free of charge. Well, that was nice of him," I commented before throwing the note, "Is what I would say if he didn't break into my house!" As the paper landed on the ground, I noticed more was written. "P.S. Thanks for leaving your window unlocked, it made getting in easy."

I let the issue go and got ready for school. Finished changing into my uniform, I slid the sword into the bag and tied it closed before slinging the cloth strap over my head to carry it on my back. It should stay out of the way like this. Picking up my schoolbag I went downstairs and wasn't questioned about it by either my mom or dad. Breakfast was as it has been days before, normal and uneventful. And on my way to school after breakfast, as I walked with fellow students, no one seemed to pay any mind to it.

In class everything was fine, Ichigo and Rukia noticed it but didn't say a thing. The one small obstacle was physical education. We had to change before the class and I was a little worried about having to take off the bag without people wondering what it was I was doing. Thankfully no one makes a habit of watching me change. If there was a male Chizuru then I might have run into an issue. Now that I'm thinking about that, I feel bad for those that have to deal with her while changing.

Near the end of class, I was helping with clean up, bringing things to storage for sports equipment with Chad while Keigo was bugging Ichigo until they were both dragged back into helping. "There, that does it. " Ichigo said, bringing the last basket of balls into storage as I finished bringing in the last bats.

"That's for the help." Mizuiro said and turned to Keigo, "Hey, that reminds me, have you guys seen Uryu anywhere? He's not in school today."

"Yeah," Keigo answered, "Yesterday I saw him in the park. He was talking to himself and running around, acting like a weirdo." Well, at least he didn't see me. "Like he was fighting imaginary monsters or something."

"I'm sure it was nothing crazy," I commented. "I mean, Uryu is usually a serious guy, he was probably just working on something."

"There were three other weird people there too," Keigo added, "Maybe he was helping them with a play." I glanced over to Ichigo, who looked back at me. Later, as we walked back to class, while just the two of us, we talked while keeping some vagueness to the topic.

Ichigo started, "I was surprised to see you there yesterday with Rukia."

"I was on my way home when I heard her," I answered. "Did she not tell you about yesterday?"

"She did, but she didn't tell me how you got dragged along." Ichigo continued, "That's why I asked. But that's over with, are you sure it's a good idea to get involved?"

I adjusted the cloth strap, "Don't worry, but maybe I should start exercising outside of school and build up some strength."

"Just be careful," He said, "And don't act like you can't come to me or Rukia for help."