This is my first fanfic so please be patient and gentle with me while I work out the kinks.
Chapter 1
It had been so long since anyone had looked her in the eye. Many people even outright ignored her or avoided her. She walked down the street, her long braid of jet black hair swinging against her back, the sun glistening off her pale delicate skin and the flecks in her deep sea green eyes. She clutched a small shopping basket with some fruit and bread in it. On her back was a pack with a long thin object attached to it.
Kana was headed towards the Soul Reaper Academy for her final exam. She had been given several days off to prepare for this exam. If she passed this test, she would be eligible to be placed in one of the 13 Court Guard Squads. Kana's heart leaped at the spark of hope that she was not able to prevent from flaring in her chest. If she got into a squad, then she might finally be able to sleep at night again, and over time she might even find a place to call home.
For so long Kana had been on her own. Ever since she could remember, Kana had been caught in a constant fight just to survive. Born in the 79th district in the North Rukongai, life had always been hard and there was no help from those around her. Because Kana possessed spirit energy, she had to eat on a regular basis to survive. So in order to earn a living, Kana had claimed a little valley in the outermost area of the district for her herb garden. She grew rare and exotic spices that she sold in the markets of nearby districts since her own was not filled with many who bothered with spices and herbs. She carved out a small bit of peace and for a couple of years she was almost happy. But then the hollow attacks started. Drawn by the spiritual pressure that Kana naturally exuded, hollows began to attack her little valley. It was during the second hollow attack that her zampakto Shin Reika had manifested and Kana had begun to learn a little about how to use her spiritual pressure to fight. But it was not enough. Slowly the battles ate away at her little valley till nothing but charred ruins remained. Left with nothing but some money, the few personal possessions she had collected over the years, and her zampakto, she decided it was time to apply to enter the Soul Reaper Academy.
Kana was now walking through the woods in the nethermost part of district 79. The sun was shining overhead and the birds and animals called out to each other in their own way. It was spring so the flowers were in full bloom around her. Kana smiled, despite the hollow attacks only in the woods did she ever feel at ease. There was something about the people in the north Rukongai district that both felt familiar and alien. Like the fighting spirits of the people called out to her but the bodies that contained them repulsed her. She did not like the feeling so she avoided contact when she could. But she was going to have to go through the main part of town if she wanted to make it to her exam on time. She had decided to spend her days given to prepare for the test visiting her old home in the valley and had over slept this morning so she was in a rush now.
She was just entering the out skirts of town when Kana felt the unmistakable presence of a hollow, and a large one at that. She quickly dropped her basket and pack, shoving them under a bush, and drew her sword. 'Crap' Kana thought, 'did this have to happen just a four hours before I am due to report for my final exam?' She had just barley finished the thought when a scream ripped through the air to her right.
Kana spun in the direction the sound had originated from and took off running. She pushed her way through a large patch of bushes into a clearing and stopped dead. The hollow was huge! It had to be at least twelve feet tall. It was vaguely humanoid with arms and legs but that is where the comparison ended. Instead of hand and fingers it had huge claws that Kana was sure were razor sharp. It had tentacles sprouting from its back and was coved in thick green skin. It skin emitted a foul odor and it was all Kana could do to not shrink back and run away.
As if sensing her presence, the hollow turned its huge masked head towards Kana. That was when Kana saw the little boy hanging limply from its right claw. The color red coated the world all of the sudden and Kana felt her spiritual pressure spike in preparation for the battle to come. Her blade called out for the blood of this beast that had dared to take the life of an innocent. She lifted her sword and lost track of time as she took pleasure carving the monster up, piece by piece, till it was dead.
In the after math of the battle the man studied the girl with the dark black hair and bloody zampakto. He noticed the faint smile on the girls lift and felt his own echo it. This girl was a spectacular fighter. He had rushed to the scene expecting a bloody massacre but instead found a girl battling on more than equal terms with a hollow that would have overcome many low ranking soul reapers. But it was not just her skill that caught his eye, but the gleam in her eyes that spoke of the joy that she was taking in the battle. He was familiar with that joy, he sought it at every opportunity, flinging himself into battle after battle, relishing the test of steel on steel. It had been a while since he had found a good sparring partner and this girl in the clearing with the bloody sword seemed to fit the bill, despite her youth. He studied her face. Something about it seemed familiar but he could not quite place it. It was then that he noticed her academy uniform and heard her muttering about how she would never get into a squad if she could not even get to her final exam in time. 'So this girl is about to graduate from the academy but still needs to pass her exam, which she is late for?' the man thought, 'well I just might be able to help her with that. And when she graduates I can get her assigned to my squad. We will see then just how sharp her blade is'. Kempachi Zaraki, captain of the infamous battle hungry Squad 11, smiled at the thought….
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. It is going to be a bit of a slow start but it will be worth it! Please review, review, review!
