What if..?
What if Kenpachi Zaraki is really an Arrancar?
No matter how many times he tried, Kenpachi Zaraki could not reach his Zanpakuto. Ever since Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends had entered the Soul Society, intruded on Seretei, and fought against the 13 Squads, he wished for the power sealed within his Zanpakuto. Every Shinigami had one, which was the manifestation of their true power. He had defeated the previous Captain of 11th Squad and taken his place, though his deceased predecessor had achieved Bankai, the Final Release.
Despite this, he found himself defeated by Ichigo, who by that point had only reached his Shikai, or Initial Release, and had not even mastered it. Truly, it had been close, but since then he had become vastly more powerful. Beyond achieving a Bankai that granted him the speed he would need to take on Kenpachi in a rematch, he had also tapped into the more ruthless force of his Inner Hollow. Finally able to control that force, even if only for a brief period of time, would allow him to defeat any foe who had not even reached their Shikai with ease.
Nightmares plagued Kenpachi ever since the task force sent to deal with the Arrancar had returned to Seretei. He remembered his first day in Zaraki, all alone and without a name. They had all looked at him, almost mocking him. He had just stood there. After learning about Hollows, he supposed that he himself was once of them, and had forgotten everything when purified. Certainly no one around him mentioned their time as a Hollow, though that may just have been due to their lack of friendly terms in Zaraki.
He remembered the first man he attacked with his Zanpakuto. In his sleep he saw the crowded street where the man had turned his blade on him. From nowhere, some insane man had struck him with a sword that stung like hell. Clutching the wound, the then-nameless warrior felt his blood trickle through his body. He looked up to see the asshole, grinning widely. Immediately he pulled his Zanpakuto from its sheath and…
And…
He sat up, his dream broken. Kenpachi was covered with a slight sweat, surprising for him. He turned to his Zanpakuto, wondering where he had originally gotten it from. It had been there, his first day in Zaraki, but he couldn't remember anything before then. Even so, it hadn't mattered that day, against the man who had attacked him. His Zanpakuto should have hit the assailant, but it didn't. There had been a shower of blood, but the man stood unharmed after it had vanished. Then, as suddenly as he had appeared, he vanished.
Thoughts flowed into his head as though a dam had broken. No more memories, only questions that attacked his mind. The last of these silenced his mind. Amidst the chaos, he found one that brought a shiver of fear to even his unflinching heart. 'Am I like those Arrancar?' The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He enjoyed fighting like a Hollow, and he did have a fierce temperament. However, he soon realized he couldn't possibly be one. After all, no matter how close an Arrancar came to becoming a Shinigami, they still didn't have a true heart, and so long as he had Yachiru, he couldn't be an Arrancar after all.
"Heh, damned Aizen. If it wasn't for him trying all that shit, I wouldn't have to worry about it at all. Who cares how my Zanpakuto came to me? It was there when that blonde guy attacked me, and it'll be with me for the rest of my life. He didn't get a good hit on me, no matter how much blood came out. And next time I see him, he's gonna get one hundred times that much spilt outta him!"
