This is the final installment in the series of stories involving Kenichi and Aizen. Once again, Aizen is VERY out of character. I felt a little odd writing him that way, but I think It makes for one great story! Read and Review and NO FLAMING OR I'LL SIC KENICHI ON YOU!
"So you're the one the hollow was after." Said Kisuke Urahara. "What's your name, kid?"
The boy looked up at Urahara. "Ken." He said. "My name is Ken."
Urahara gave the boy an exasperated look. "Ken what? What's your last name?"
"I don't have one." The boy mumbled. "I don't have a family either. Just a name that I gave myself."
Urahara's gaze immediately softened. "Well, you must have some spiritual pressure, if you were able to see that hollow." He mused. "Tell you what – I'll take you in as an assistant in my shop."
The boy's head snapped up. "Really?" he asked with eyes wide. "You'd do that?"
"Of course." Urahara smiled. "Just be careful not to get on Jinta or Tessai's wrong side…they can be pretty scary at times."
"Yes, sir, Mister…uh…"
"Urahara." Urahara told Ken. "Kisuke Urahara."
Something flickered in the boy's eyes. Recognition, maybe? "Yes, Mister Urahara." Was all he said though.
Urahara began to walk off in the direction of his shop and beckoned for Ken to follow. Ken smiled and raced after him. All his life he had lived on street corners scrounging around for scraps. And now…he was getting a home!
Ken's POV
I followed Mister Urahara to a small shop with a sign that said "Urahara Shoten." A boy with short wild red hair and a girl with sleek black hair were outside sweeping, and they immediately stopped when they saw Mister Urahara come walking up. When they saw me, they looked at Mister Urahara in surprise.
"Boss!" said the red-head. "Who's the boy?"
"His name is Ken." Mister Urahara replied. "He's going to be another assistant."
"Does he have strong reiatsu?" The girl asked.
"Yes, though I'm not sure how strong." Mister Urahara turned to look at me. "We'll try teaching him Kido, see how he does with that, and then maybe we'll teach him more."
I was confused. Reiatsu? Kido? What were they talking about? My thoughts were interrupted when the door of the shop slid open and a large, dark-skinned man stepped out.
"Boss the – who's this?" He asked, looking at me. I met his gaze and looked him over. He didn't seem threatening, but looks could be deceiving.
"Ah, Tessai. This is Ken, our newest assistant." Mister Urahara said. "His name is Ken, and you'll be teaching him Kido so we can measure the capacity of his Reiatsu."
I tugged on his sleeve. "Mister Urahara? What's reiatsu? And what's Kido?"
Urahara cleared his throat. "Reiatsu is spiritual pressure. It's a measure of how much spiritual power someone has." He explained. "Kido is a way of using that spiritual pressure as a weapon."
I nodded. It all seemed so familiar…but at the same time, it was completely new.
Tessai coughed to get our attention. "As I was saying, boss, Soul Society is ready to switch Fake Karakura with the real thing. You should go help them."
"Alright." Mister Urahara said. He turned to me. "You be good now, okay? I'll be seeing you." And with that he was gone.
I looked over at the two kids. The red-head was looking me over. "The name's Jinta." He said. "The mouse over there is Ururu. And the big guy is Tessai."
"Nice to meet you." Said Ururu. She seemed timid – maybe that's why Jinta called her a mouse.
"It's nice to meet you too." I said.
Then, without warning, Tessai clapped his hand onto my shoulder, making me jump. "Well Then!" he said in a booming voice. "Let's start your Kido lessons!"
I nodded shakily. "O-Okay." I responded.
Tessai dragged me to an underground chamber that was an enormous rocky plain. I stood in awe until he spoke.
"We'll start with Byakurai – it's one of the easiest to learn." He decided. I just nodded, having no idea what Byakurai was. Tessai pointed a finger at a nearby rock, and said "Byakurai!" Immediately, blue lightning shot from his fingertip and shattered the rock.
I was stunned. This was Kido? It seemed so familiar…
Hey, Sousuke! Want to see a new Kido I learned?
What is it?
It's a surprise! C'mon, I'll show you!
The voices rang out clearly in my head, and they puzzled me. Who was Sousuke? But Tessai didn't give me much time to think. "Now, let's have you try it!" He boomed. "The incantation…"
I didn't let him finish. A sudden memory had floated up in my head, and I reacted to it. "Byakurai!" I yelled, pointing my finger at a rock.
Power surged through me, a warm tingling sensation that felt absolutely amazing. Bolts of red lightning shot out from my fingertip and struck the rock, shattering it and the three behind it.
Tessai was stunned into silence, looking at the rock and then staring at me with his jaw hanging slack. Finally he found his voice. "Have you…done this before?"
I frowned. "I don't know." I admitted. "My memories are all really fuzzy…all that I do remember is either disembodied voices or blurred images."
He straightened suddenly. "Well, then I'll help you get your memories back!" He declared.
I raised an eyebrow. He certainly seemed eager to help me. But I shrugged it off and we went back upstairs.
Later that day, I was in for the shock of my life.
Mister Urahara came hobbling back into the shop, cloak ragged and eyes tired. Jinta immediately jumped up from the table where we were playing rummy. "Boss!" he cried.
"Calm down, Jinta." Mister Urahara said. "I'm just a little battered. Aizen and the Hogyoku are not a good mix."
Aizen. The name reverberated through my soul, sending a strange tingling sensation throughout my entire body. Where have I heard that name before?
"Listen up, gang!" Mister Urahara announced. "Ichigo and Isshin are already here, and most likely battling Aizen. We need to go help them out. Tessai, would you say Ken is ready for combat?"
Tessai nodded. "Absolutely! In fact…"
As Tessai told Mister Urahara what happened, his eyes widened and he glanced over at me. "Ken!" He barked.
I went rigid, afraid he was mad at me. "Yes?" I squeaked – in a manly way of course.
"Are you ready to risk your life for all the lives in this town?" he asked.
I nodded. Somehow, I felt called to fight this Aizen person. Like it was my destiny.
"Good!" he said. "Let's move out!"
Aizen's POV
I watched in amusement as Urahara made his usual flashy entrance – but this time, he was flanked by Tessai and three children. "Really now, Urahara." I said. "Do you think that these – children – can beat me?"
I saw the boy's eyes widen when I spoke. Hmm, is he scared already? I mused mentally. In that case, I'll make his death slow – to show him how right he is in fearing me.
But the boy did something unexpected. He raised an arm to the heaven, palm facing the sky. "I summon the gloomy cloud that bears the thunder…" He began to chant.
My eyes widened slightly. I had heard that incantation before…it couldn't be…
"I call upon the crimson rain the soaks the battlefield…"
It was. But how was it possible? The only person I knew that was able to master that Kido was…
"And I appeal to the lord of the dusk…Come forth! Yami no Okami Ryu!"
…Kenichi Akame.
I could only watch, stunned, as the skies darkened and from them descended a terrifying sight – Yami no Okami Ryu. The Wolf Dragon of Darkness.
This was Kido number 100, the hardest Kido to master. It involved summoning and taming the Wolf Dragon itself, and many died in the attempt. That was why it was forbidden. But Kenichi, my old friend, had mastered it. He had showed it to me himself. Could this boy…be Kenichi?
I looked closer at his face. He had the same ragged black hair and green eyes…yes, it had to be him. After all my years of futile searching, he showed up by pure chance.
But when he stared back at me, there was confusion in his eyes. It was easy to read what he felt – he did not know me anymore.
I should have been prepared for this. I knew that he had lost his memories. But the harsh reality of my closest friend not knowing who I was just too painful to bear. My Reiatsu rose with my sorrow.
Suddenly, the boy froze.
I looked at him hopefully. Had he remembered?
Kenichi's POV
I summoned the Wolf Dragon on instinct. I don't know exactly how I did it even. But when Aizen's reiatsu suddenly rose violently, it hit me like a tsunami and it all came tumbling back.
My name. My identity. My past. Everything.
And…Sousuke.
I felt power return to me. It burned me from within. This was my power – my power as a Shinigami, and my power as the Captain General I once was!
The air around me rippled as my power began to climb. Suddenly blinding white obscured my vision, and when it faded I was…me again.
I was no longer a child, helpless and alone. I was Kenichi Akame, an adult. I remembered everything now. And as I gazed at Aiz – no, Sousuke, I felt anguish fill my heart. Urahara had told me about what he had done. I was distraught that my closest friend could fall so low. But that changed nothing.
I still had to deal with him.
I shot forward, headed for Sousuke. He tensed, preparing for an attack. I could tell he was unsettled about having to fight me. But when I was only inches away, instead of attacking, I wrapped my arms around him and embraced him.
He was shocked. He has been expecting me to strike at him, I was sure. He looked at me, eyes filled with questions. I just smiled.
"I could never attack you, Sousuke, no matter what you do." I said softly. "You're my closest friend. Please, stop this war. It's pointless. I promise…" I gripped him tighter. "…I swear I won't let anyone hurt you. You waged this war for me, didn't you?" I asked. "Because of what Yamamoto did to me. You felt betrayed by Soul Society, so you wanted to purge it and recreate it. But please, Sousuke…please stop this madness. This isn't what I want. What I want is…to never have to leave you again."
He was stunned, I could see that clearly. He hung his head in shame. "I understand." He said quietly. "I'll stop this war. But…what'll I do now?"
I smiled at him. "We'll return to how things were." I said. "Just you and me, best friends. Even if we have to run from Soul Society forever, we won't let them separate us." I stepped back and gripped his shoulder. "Count on it."
Three Months Later
I gazed across the lake, watching the stars slowly fade from the sky. After the War, I was immediately returned the position of Captain General. My first order of business had been to pardon Sousuke, which caused a lot of uproar (especially from the Tenth Division Captain, Toushiro Hitsugaya). But Sousuke had been good at staying out of trouble, and people were gradually starting to trust him again.
Smiling, I glanced over at Sousuke, who sat besides me. He met my gaze and smiled back. We both turned toward the horizon and watched as the sun began to rise. I would make sure me and Sousuke stayed together forever.
