Bleach Fanfic: Stories for the Sea
Summary: The Shiba Clan have always acted as peacebrokers between Soul Society and the sea in West Rukongai. After the Blood War, the Gotei must prove that they are still worthy of peace. But since Shiba Kaien is dead, Rukia’s the next best thing—allegedly. The problem is, now Ukitake is gone, too, and Rukia doesn’t think she’s ready to carry Kaien’s memory alone.
No one’s ready. Not the Vizard, as the reality of re-joining the Gotei begins to clamp down; not the 10th, which has its own debts to West Rukongai; and not Renji, who’s pretty sure he is. The most deadly threats may not be the monsters lurking in the woods and water, but the damage they’ve all brought with them. One thing that’s certain: Six months after the end of a war, you have not reached the end of the war.
ft. Rukia, Renji, Matsumoto, Hitsugaya, Kensei, Rose, Hisagi; Hinamori, Kira, (Kaien)
⟢ Chapter 2: Abarai Renji
There’s nothing brisk exercise, some Pocky, and a few weird bugs can’t solve. Renji tallies the damage and devises a game plan, sort of.
This mission, Renji decides boldly, is just the Gotei United Futsal League redux. That’s all. There, as here, no one had liked each other and only half of them had actually wanted to be there. They’d still found enough team spirit to field six games a season and suffer zero casualties, and that’s including the year Ikkaku got involved. Ikkaku, who firmly believes that sportsmanship belongs in battle, but not sports. All Renji needs to do is figure out how to make that happen with this crowd. Easy! Well, doable. Or at least, probably not a complete wash. —If he’s very lucky.
[Read on AO3]