I do not own Bleach or Peacemaker Kurogane.
This story takes place after Peacemaker Kurogane & the death of Okita.
Okita has a zanpatou already for the sake of the story, to make things more interesting. (don't ask how or why) My idea is that the original shinigami were all originally samurai. & the thoery of a sword being there soul transends to the after-life to become souls-slayers.
This story takes place before Ukitake became captain of squad 13.
Ukitake's hair has not turned white yet.
& Unohana is not yet a captain either.
The story begins now
It was May 30th, the year was 1868 the first year of Meiji.
Jyuushiro Ukitake had just become a soul-reaper, Today his mission was to retrieve the soul of a recently departed man.
He was 25 years old, his name was Okita Souji. He had recently died of consumption.
Ukitake had heard that Okita's soul was restless wondered the streets of Edo, seeking to continue the ways of the shinsengumi.
He feared that Okita would become a hallow & attack the new government; thus disturbing the balance.
So, the young dark haired male set out to track him down.
Glancing down a street he spotted him. The ghost of a man who looked about his age. He had long purple hair & wore a white kimono.
He was very thin & at first glance looked like a women. He soul chane was still there, but detached & encroaching quickly.
Ukitake knew it must be him. "Okita! You are no longer of the living! Come with me to the Soul Society!" He called.
"Why should I!" barked Okita defiantly.
"Because you can rest in peace in a better place!" replied Ukitake.
"Never! I'm not done here!" He shouted. Then He began to cough.
"Your Soul still carries the illness of your body, come with me & be treated by squad 4!" Pleaded Ukitake.
"My work is not done, I am a warrior & I must fight for what I believe!" He stated before coughing again.
"Fine!" Said Ukitake. "If you will not come peacefully I shall take you by force." He drew his zanpaktou.
"So be it!" said Okita, drawing a sword from out of nowhere.
"A soul-slayer!" Gasped Ukitake. "It can't be!"
"I may be dead, but a sword is the soul of a warrior & my swordsmans spirit lives!" Hissed Okita with a wicked look on his face.
Ukitake backed up slightly. He's becoming more evil, like a hallow... I must defeat him quickly! Thought Ukitake.
They clashed swords over & over & over again.
The fight went on for what seemed like forever. Strikes, blocks, continuously.
Many times Okita had stopped to cough violently, but each time he managed to parry Jyuushiro's attempts at konsou.
Until finally Okita could fight no more. He collapsed on the ground coughing up blood. "I...sur...render..." He choked out.
"Good!" thought Ukitake, stamping Okita's forehead with the hilt of his sword.
He watched as Okita soul transformed into a butterfly & gentely fluttered away.
Breathing a sigh of relief Ukitake slumped down against a wall. Then suddenly his throat began to tickle. He coughed.
Must be the dust stirred by the battle he thought. After resting a bit he returned to the Soul Society.
upon returning, his thoughts wondered to Okita. He wondered how he was doing, & desided to visit him.
At squad 4 hospital he asked 3rd seat officer/nurse Unohana what room Okita was in.
"I'm very sorry, but you cannot visit him" she said.
"Why not?" asked Ukitake.
"Because he has tuberculosis" she answered. "It is very bad & highly contagious."
Ukitake sighed feeling disapointed. "Could you give him this for me?" He asked handing her a bag of candy. "I heard he likes sweets as much as I do"
"sure" said Unohana, taking it. "I'll give it to him when he's feeling better"
A few months had passed since the fight in Edo.
Okita had since regained some of his strength & been released from the hospital.
Ukitake overheard Shunsui & Urahara talking.
"I hear the new guy, has been receiving private lessons at the academy." Said Shunsui.
"Yeah, his names Okita. The guys real good, & they say he might get placed in a squad soon." said Urahara.
"Think he'll end up in a squad with one of us?" Asked Ukitake.
"I hope not" said Shunsui.
"why's that?" Asked Ukitake looking puzzled.
"Cuz he's still got that disease... & I hear it's catching." said Urahara peering out from under is hat.
Ukitake gulped.
"wonder what became of the guy who fought him" said Shunsui thinking aloud.
"Do you think he got sick?" He asked.
Ukitake coughed.
"Saaay Ukitake... you've been doing that alot lately..." said Urahara.
"doing what?" he asked nervously.
"coughing... we noticed you doing that after your last sparring match at the dojo.
Are you feeling okay?" asked Shunsui.
"Uh... that... that's nothing... really! Just a little chest cold. I'm fine" he said coughing again.
Shunsui whispered something to Urahara, who disapered with a flash step.
"Where'd he go?" asked Ukitake.
"...home..." lied Shunsui.
"...wierd..." thought Ukitake.
Later that day, Ukitake met Unohana on his way home.
"I'd like to ask you a question" she said. "Urahara told me that you fought Okita a few months ago. Is that true?"
"Why yes!" Said Ukitake proudly. "He was an expert swordsman & he put up quite a fight."
"Did you get near him when he coughed?" She asked.
"I'm afraid it was the only time he gave me an opening" Said Ukitake sweating alittle. "I didn't want to, but..." he broke off coughing. "each time he stopped coughing he" Ukitake coughed again. "he was on gaurd & attacking again..."
Unohana eyed him worriedly.
"Oh this? Don't look so concerend Unohana! It's just a cold I felt fine after the fight with Okita" Said Ukitake smiling.
"Um... I don't think it's just a cold..." said Unohana, feeling his forehead (it felt warm). TB can take a while to show up you'd best get checked.
Ukitake fallowed her to squad 4 hostpital.
She took him to a room to be tested.
"Will it hurt?" he asked, watching her ready a needle.
"Just alittle." she said, poking it into him. "By tomorrow we will know if you have the disease."
After night of fevers & coughing Ukitake returned to squad 4, feeling a bit worse then before.
"Alright then, lets take a look." said Unohana, pushing back Ukitake's long black sleeve. "hmm..." she said grimly.
"How is it?" asked Ukitake.
"It's swelled." she replied.
"Swell! I'm so glad!" Said Ukitake gleefully.
"Not swell! SWELLED!" she corrected. "It means your infected & going to be verry sick. & I'm afraid there isn't a cure yet."
"What!?!" gasped Ukitake, going into a coughing fit.
"It's okay..." she comforted, gently rubbing Ukitake's back. "You can still be a soul reaper, if you avoid close contact with others, take your medicine & come to me for treatments. How dose that sound?" She asked.
"swell..." he replied hoarsely. "...just... swell..."
In the future/present:
Ukitake hair turned white, & he eventually went on to lead squad 13.
Unohana became lieutenant then captain of squad 4.
& Okita Souji became the 5th seat officer of Ukitake's squad. (but like Ukitake he was often incapacitated by illness & did not see much action)
Since joining Okita has mastered shikai, but has not yet achieved bankai. (his swords spirit form is that of a wolf)