Rukia kicked him angrily. "Why did you act on your own?"
"Because it was dangerous."
Rukia snorted. "That's exactly why I came."
Muten Natsu stared at her blankly.
Then he let out a laugh.
Rukia kicked him again with her dirty little foot. "What's so funny?"
Muten Natsu pointed at her head. "You… your hair…"
Rukia's cute, short upturned hair now looked even messier than a bird's nest.
She kicked him again. "You're not in any better shape yourself!"
After tearing through the woods, both of them were covered in dust and leaves, with scratches from branches lining their faces and arms.
Souls could bleed too? Muten Natsu stared at the blood on his arm, unable to make sense of it.
He tugged at his torn clothes, and the small twigs caught in the fabric fell away. "Seriously…"
He glanced at the twigs on the ground, then looked up at Rukia's equally disheveled state—
"Pfft!"
Muten Natsu burst out laughing again.
Being a mess himself didn't stop him from laughing at someone else's.
"You're still laughing!" Rukia lifted her foot to kick him again.
Muten Natsu caught her slender ankle. "You were laughing too! Let me kick you back once!"
"No way! You kick way too hard!"
"You're not exactly gentle either!"
A faint sound broke the moment. Muten Natsu and Rukia both fell silent, staring toward where it came from.
A patch of red emerged from the greenery as Renji crawled out. "Muten, you're okay—"
Seeing the two tangled together, he trailed off awkwardly.
"I'm fine." Muten Natsu released Rukia without fuss and tossed the water bag to Renji. "Here."
"This…" Renji caught it. "You should take it back. After all, you're the one who got it back."
"What do you mean by that?" Muten Natsu glared at him. "We're accomplices. Are you trying to wash your hands of it?"
"No…" Renji just didn't want the others to think the water was something he'd retrieved on his own.
"Good." Muten Natsu stood up and pulled Rukia to her feet. "Let's head back."
Gurgle—
Renji rubbed his stomach, looking a little embarrassed.
Most souls in Soul Society didn't need food and could survive on water alone.
But a small number, those with higher Reiryoku, had stronger bodies and greater consumption. Without food, they would starve.
There weren't many like that. Among the dozen or so children, only Rukia, Muten Natsu, and Renji had relatively high Reiryoku.
That was also why Muten Natsu had dared to go after the water bag.
"Let me show you something good." Muten Natsu reached into his clothes and raised something overhead. "Ta-da!"
"An apple?!" Renji's eyes went wide. "Where did you get that?"
"Off that mustached guy." Muten Natsu snapped the apple in half, handing one piece to Rukia and stuffing the other into Renji's hand. "Making mistakes comes with consequences."
The sweet scent made Renji's mouth water uncontrollably. He was about to take a bite, then hesitated and looked up at Muten Natsu. "What about you?"
"I don't like apples." Muten Natsu urged him on. "Go on, eat."
"I…" Renji swallowed hard. "I'm not hungry…"
Grrr—
His stomach clearly disagreed.
"Mmph!" Rukia deliberately made a sound as she took a bite of the apple. After chewing it slowly, she muttered, "It doesn't taste good at all." Her deep purple eyes fixed on Muten Natsu. "I'll find you something better to eat someday."
Renji stared blankly at the half apple in his hand, then took a big bite.
"I was just about to talk to you about the future," Muten Natsu paused. "You two should become Shinigami."
Renji crushed the core between his teeth and swallowed. "What did you just say?"
"You both have strong Reiryoku. Getting into the Shin'ō Academy shouldn't be difficult. If you study properly, once you graduate you can become Shinigami and live in Seireitei. I hear the environment there is really nice," Muten Natsu continued. "Then you can bring me back apples that taste even better."
"You're not going?" Renji asked, confused. "Your Reiryoku is obviously stronger."
"Shinigami have a lot of work to do. I prefer the carefree life here." Muten Natsu patted Renji on the head. "So I'll be counting on you two."
Under the hazy full moon, the three of them walked slowly toward the place they had lived together for so long.
They talked about what it meant to part ways.
Looking at the wooden hut they had built together, Renji muttered, "I like life here too."
"Then all the more reason for you to become a Shinigami," Muten Natsu said plainly. "Life here is fine for now, but it's too fragile. You've heard of Hollows, right?"
Renji nodded.
"Hollows are dangerous," Muten Natsu said earnestly. "Only by becoming a Shinigami can you protect this kind of life."
"Liar." Rukia stared straight at Muten Natsu. "All lies."
Muten Natsu lifted a hand and pinched his earlobe, shifting his gaze away. "I'm telling the truth."
Rukia kept a straight face and gave him a light kick. "You're doing this for them, aren't you?"
It sounded like a question, but her tone was certain.
Muten Natsu stopped walking.
A large group of children might look intimidating, but the only ones who truly had the strength to stand up to the adults were the three with Reiryoku.
The other children still hadn't learned how to survive in this chaotic place. If Muten Natsu left as well, there would be no one left to help them fight for water.
Just as he had said, life here was acceptable for now, but their ability to withstand risks was far too weak.
Someone had to leave and seek a better life.
And someone had to stay behind to keep things going.
Someone always had to leave.
Someone always had to stay.
"Muten Natsu."
Why was she calling him by his full name all of a sudden?
Muten Natsu lifted his head, and in the next instant something damp was shoved into his mouth.
"Mmph…" His voice came out muffled as he stared at Rukia in surprise.
"Remember this taste." Rukia covered his mouth, stopping him from spitting the apple out. "I'll become a Shinigami and find you apples that taste even better than this."
Muten Natsu slowly chewed the piece of apple, swallowing it bit by bit.
Only after she was sure he had really eaten it did Rukia remove her hand.
"I thought you were lying to me," Muten Natsu sighed. "Turns out it really does taste bad."
Rukia snorted. "You think I'm the same as you?"
"Definitely not." Muten Natsu rubbed her hair, which was as messy as a bird's nest. "I don't have a bird's nest."
"Muten Natsu!"
Rukia lifted her foot to kick him.
Muten Natsu twisted his body in an exaggerated flourish and dodged easily.
Renji stared in stunned silence, never expecting that Rukia had actually saved a piece for Muten Natsu.