Oh My Kichigai!
By Uchiha Xairylle

Chapter Three : Dance of the Swords

"OUCH!" Ken'ichi fell forward and landed chest first. The wooden sword he had been holding flew from his hand and onto the grass. The boy grunted and shook his head to steady himself before getting up as he rubbed his chest.

"See? You're not holding the sword properly." The voice of his ojisama was coming a few paces behind him, "No matter what you do, do not drop the sword."

"Now get up."

Ken'ichi grunted again and picked up his wooden sword. He was trained using bamboo swords when he was five before eventually being taught how to fight using a wooden sword.

"Wooden swords are heavy, Ojisama." Ken'ichi reasoned as he dusted himself. Byakuya frowned and in an instant, he was in front of his nephew who gulped upon feeling the wooden sword on his neck as he dropped his own.

"Real swords are heavier." Byakuya said lowly and coldly, "Now didn't I tell you not to drop the sword?"

"H-hai…" Ken'ichi immediately replied and picked up his sword before Byakuya could resort to hitting him. One more mistake and he was going to get it. Ken'ichi knew his Ojisama would not hesitate to give him a good blow if he didn't pay attention. In fact, even his father would give him hits whenever he didn't pay attention.

Ichigo was watching with Rukia by his side as they sat under a tree in their backyard. Rukia would often climb this tree for the heck but right now, they were sitting under it as they watched Byakuya hone their son's swordsmanship skills.

"Wouldn't you want to teach him that?" Rukia asked Ichigo.

"I never got any formal training." Ichigo replied as he pulled up one knee and put an arm around his wife's shoulders. She moved closer and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his bent leg and placing her chin on his knee.

"Besides, his Zanpakutou is nowhere close to Zangetsu."

Ichigo could clearly remember that blade. Who wouldn't? It was a totally crimson blade from end to end. It was as tall as his son but reverted to a manageable size when sealed. His son had a Shikai. Or was that a Bankai? Whatever it was, Ichigo was sure it was his son's and he was still sure that that Zanpakutou, whatever its name was, was what Ken'ichi will be using in the future… if ever.

Rukia had heard him rattle off about Ken'ichi's Zanpakutou — how it was really long and slender, how it was so red, how it was so cool, how it looked so sharp and how his son pierced Ichigo's Inner Hollow with it. Rukia rarely heard him speak with rush and excitement and she felt like Ichigo would want his son to be Shinigami but was too afraid of losing him. She could not blame him. After all, how many times did they come close to losing her "little baby Kii-chan" when he was just a little butterfly? A few days after Ken'ichi was born, Ichigo would sometimes cry, trying not to let her hear it and she pretended not to. She knew he remembered the times he nearly lost his son to foreign things that weren't exactly normal. Rukia would wrap her arms around him when they slept at night and she would tell him that she loved him and that she was glad that she was the mother of his child. His responses varied and he sometimes smiled and kissed her. Other times, he would just hug her back. But whatever action he took, he would always end up saying, "I love you and Ken'ichi. You don't know how much."

"When the time comes, may I teach him kidou?" Rukia asked as she watched her son swing his sword against his uncle who was effortlessly stepping away.

"You mean you better teach him kidou and make sure he doesn't suck like Renji." Ichigo pouted thoughtfully, "I mean, seriously, we were in the middle of the darkness and we really needed light and Renji goes like 'leave it to me' and does his stupid kidou."

Rukia laughed.

"Yes, I remember that…" Rukia rubbed her cheek against Ichigo's knee as she giggled, "Renji sucks at kidou."
"If it had been me, I would've died on the spot after Uryuu's little witty comment." Ichigo said.

"Wow. What an immensely tiny glow." They chorused and for a while they paused before breaking in soft laughter.

"OW!" Ken'ichi had now fallen back, releasing his weapon. Byakuya frowned and inched forward before hitting Ken'ichi's side. The boy yelped and looked at his arm before rubbing it. Rukia had gasped upon this action from her brother but she did not say anything.

"Pick up your sword." Byakuya ordered. Ken'ichi frowned at his uncle but didn't say anything. Byakuya noticed the glint in his eyes. He had seen those eyes before.

"I said pick up your sword." Byakuya said again.

Ken'ichi grabbed his sword and heavily got up but at the same time kicked off and lunged with his sword at Byakuya. The Captain did not even blink as he simply stepped away and tapped Ken'ichi with his sword.

"Too reckless."

"Urgh." Ken'ichi grunted again before twisting to give another swing at Byakuya. His Ojisama simply blocked his attack and with his unchanging facial expression, he muttered, "I said you're too reckless."

"Aw, come on!" Ken'ichi roared and threw his sword in frustration, "Why do I have to do this! It's not like I'm going to have to live in the Edo period to begin with!"

Ichigo fidgeted and Rukia noticed but he did not seem to care.

"Pick up your sword." Byakuya ordered in his usual tone.
"Why?" Ken'ichi sat on the grass.

"Because I said so." Byakuya's face was not changing but the boy insisted on pouting. His uncle was still looking at him with an ice-cold stare that forced him to get up. Ken'ichi started towards his wooden sword and looked at it but did not pick it up. Byakuya waited but did not say anything. Ken'ichi stood looking at the sword before looking at his uncle. Seeing that dear Byakuya-Ojisama was not going to change his mind, Ken'ichi sighed heavily and picked up his sword before loosely returning to his stance.

"Do not treat your sword with reckless abandon." Byakuya said.
"It's not like it's alive."

"Ken'ichi!" Ichigo called and the boy looked at his frowning father, "Don't talk like that."
"But Otousan…"
"Ken'ichi!"

It was a glare. A real glare. And Ken'ichi knew better than to make his father glare.

"G-gomen…" the boy said silently.

Ichigo was still frowning and got up and started towards his son. Rukia watched with her eyes as Ichigo stood before his son. He grabbed the wooden sword off Ken'ichi's fingers before shoving him to the side and facing Byakuya. The noble raised an eyebrow at him and Ichigo told his son, "Make sure you watch everything, Ken'ichi."

"Ichigo…" Rukia murmured to herself as her son stepped back and nodded.

Byakuya's head tilted and Ichigo nodded at him. In one go, the two charged towards each other. Byakuya came from below and Ichigo swung from above. The two swords met in a clacking sound and the boy gasped. Both men withdrew. Ichigo thrust his sword at Byakuya who sidestepped and motioned to strike from behind. For a moment, Ichigo looked like he was open and Ken'ichi gulped as he saw the wooden sword coming at his father. But all he did was blink and the next thing he knew, Ichigo had swung up in retaliation and both men pivoted with one foot and then there was another clack.

Swords met.

And then silence.

Both men were looking at each other in the eye and neither had budged from their stances. Rukia was watching silently and Ken'ichi was in awe. They were almost breathing in tune with every swing of their swords. Everything was replaying in the boy's head. There had been no battle cries, only the sound of the clashing swords and their feet against the ground.

Ichigo and Byakuya straightened and bowed at each other. Ichigo then looked at his son who was wearing his eyes wide and his mouth open. Huffing a little, Ichigo handed the sword to his son but the boy did not take it.

"Otousan, I never knew you were so good in using a sword!" the boy exclaimed. Ichigo gasped but the boy did not stop talking, "Why won't you be the one to teach me, Otousan?"

"I'm already teaching you open hand." Ichigo insisted the sword on Ken'ichi but still the boy did not take it.

"But Otousan, I want to learn the sword from you, too!" Ken'ichi's violet eyes were shining in excitement as he gripped his father's hand instead of the sword, "Wouldn't it be cool if you taught me the sword!"

"Ne, Okasan?" Ken'ichi was asking his mother but was still looking at his father's alarmed face, "You were wonderful, Otousan! You and Ojisama… You looked like you were… you were… dancing, Otousan! Dancing! Yes, that's what it is!"

"And the wooden swords seemed to talk!" Ken'ichi continued, "As if the swords were a part of your body!"

Zanpakutou.

Ichigo looked at the excited face of his son. Had he made a mistake? Rukia got up and walked towards the father and son. Ichigo was not speaking and his mouth was partly open, slightly moving as if wanting to say something but couldn't.

"Ken'ichi…" Rukia began and the boy spun with a skip towards her.
"Did you see him, Okasan!" His face was beaming, his eyes were lively and his smile... Rukia had never seen him smile like this before and she was unable to say anything.

"Otousan was… Otousan was…" Ken'ichi began and grabbed the sword from Ichigo and began imitating every move he saw. Ichigo stared at his son. Ken'ichi moved surely but not perfectly.

Lower your hips. Shift your weight. Hold your sword like this.

So many things Ichigo wanted to say. But he remained standing, watching his Ken'ichi swing his sword. His son was saying something but Ichigo did not seem to hear. The boy ran to his uncle and pulled him towards the center before running back to his father and handing him the sword and saying, "Do it again, Otousan!"

"W-what?" Ichigo snapped to attention and blinked at Ken'ichi who was holding the handle towards him. Ken'ichi was grinning at him but Ichigo could not bring himself to move at all.

"Please, Otousan, do it again!" Ken'ichi took Ichigo's hand and wrapped his fingers around the sword, "I want to see you do it again!"

Ichigo's gaze shifted faultily from his son and then to Rukia and then to Byakuya who was still holding the wooden sword. His mouth was still partly open as he turned again to Rukia who bit her lip.

"Ken'ichi, Otousan's tired." Rukia began.
"What? No!" Ken'ichi shook his head and took his father by the hand, "Otousan's too cool to be tired!"

Ichigo gasped again and Rukia slowly lifted her eyes towards her husband. He was trying not to shake. He felt Ken'ichi's fingers around his hand. The feeling was warm and the boy squeezed once in a while.

"You look tired yourself, Ken'ichi." Byakuya was saying now as he walked towards Ichigo, "That's enough for today."

Ken'ichi sported Rukia's pout. Ichigo wanted to smile but couldn't.

"Otooouuuusaaaaaannn…" Ken'ichi pleaded, tugging Ichigo's hand, "Just one last time. I know you're not tired yet."

Ichigo wasn't budging. Ken'ichi grunted and stomped towards Byakuya and took the wooden sword in his hand. Ichigo gasped when all of a sudden, his son swung at him. In his dazed state, Ichigo's instinct kicked in and he blocked with more effort than required. Ken'ichi's eyes widened with impact as he balanced himself from the recoil. But with as little delay as possible, Ken'ichi swung again and Ichigo dodged. The boy fumbled forward and fell chest first, the sword hitting his face.

"Ken'ichi!" Ichigo gasped. The boy groaned and sat up, rubbing his face. Ichigo dropped the sword and crouched beside his son.

"Ke—OW!"

To Ichigo's surprise, Ken'ichi whacked him with a sword. Ichigo blinked and registered the events. Ken'ichi whacked him again… and again… and again…

"ENOUGH ALREADY!" Ichigo grabbed the wooden weapon away from the boy's hands.
"Why won't you fight back!" Ken'ichi pointed at his father, "And didn't you know that you're not supposed to treat your sword with reckless abandon!"

Byakuya allowed himself a short smile. At least the boy was learning something from him.

"And why didn't you ever tell me you could use a sword!" Ken'ichi lunged at his father and Ichigo caught him and fell on his back.
"Why would I? Did you ask?"

The boy pulled on his father's cheeks and Ichigo pulled on the sides of his son's mouth. They were still talking but nobody could understand what they were saying and Rukia doubted that the father understood the son and vice-versa. She could hear them say something like "Chappy the Bunny" but the words were too ribbed for her to understand what they were actually saying about her precious bunny. But knowing them, it was probably something not pleasing.

Ken'ichi was now pinned to the ground as he lay on his stomach and his father pushing against him. Ken'ichi growled and desperately kicked and he cursed at his father's strength. Someday he was growing up but today wasn't it yet.

"Who do you think you are whacking me with a sword like that!" Ichigo yelled.
"I'm your son, who the heck else do you think!" Ken'ichi yelled back and Ichigo twisted his arm. The boy yelped and wriggled but the more he struggled to free himself, the more painful it was.
"Yeah, and I'm your father, no less!" Ichigo shouted back.
"Okaaaassaaaaaan!" the boy wailed for his mother who's eyebrows shot up, "Is this what I get for wanting to learn kendo from Otousan!"

The boy was half-wailing but Ichigo knew it was sure as hell it was faked. He twisted some more and the boy cried out for his mother again. Ichigo grunted and pushed against his son. The boy's cries were getting louder.

"Is it a crime to want to spend time with your father!" Ken'ichi wailed in his innocent young boy's voice that was about to be on equal to Rukia's innocent high school girl's voice. That was going to pierce Rukia somehow and he could feel her moving.

"Why does my name have the word 'sword' in it when my own father detests teaching me the way of the—"
"Stop screaming or I'm going to go Bankai on your—"

Ichigo stopped. Rukia gasped. Byakuya, in the rare times he did, was smiling ever so devilishly.

The boy stopped wriggling and acting and his body relaxed. Ichigo could swear his heart had stopped as he looked at his son's head slowly turned towards him. There was a gleam in his eyes both full of question and excitement. The boy opened his mouth to ask something. Ichigo knew very well what it was.

"What's Bankai?"

WAP!

Ichigo slapped the back of his son's head in surprise. The boy's face met the ground and he held onto his head. What was with his father and his sudden surge of energy?

"What did I say!" the boy was raising an eyebrow as he groaned, his chin on the ground and not daring to struggle lest his father would hit him somewhere again.
"I said 'banzai', fool!" Ichigo shot back.
"Call me a fool but I'm not deaf!" the boy reasoned as he ducked his head between his shoulders, "You said Bankai!"
"No, I didn't!"
"Yes, you did!"
"I said I didn't!"

"BANKAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIII!" Ken'ichi screamed louder.
"Come on, Otousan, it wouldn't make sense if you threatened to go 'hurray' on my ass!"

Byakuya was shaking his head as he watched the argument between the father and son. Ichigo was red in full embarrassment now and Rukia was giggling.

"BANKAI! BANKAI! BANKAI! BANKAI! BANKAI! BANKAI!"
"Shut up!"

"I'm going to keep saying it until you tell me what it is!" Ken'ichi insisted but all of a sudden, he stopped. Ichigo blinked and so did Ken'ichi. The raven-haired little Ichigo replica then gasped and looked at his father and said, "Otousan, is it one of your porn terms?"

Oh, the gods forgive him but Kurosaki Ichigo's name was never associated with porn or perversion.

Unless you ask Rukia, of course but that's another story.

With a grunt, Ichigo got up and pulled his son to his feet. Ichigo picked up the wooden swords that were lying on the ground. After tossing one to Ken'ichi, Ichigo walked towards his son and said, "You want to know what a Bankai is? I'll show you what a Bankai is."

"Really?" the boy's face lit up.
"Yes and it means run or I'm going to beat you senseless!" Ichigo shouted back.

"What?" Ken'ichi blinked and his eyes widened as he saw his father come at him. The boy gasped and began to run away. Rukia shook her head and was surprised to find her Niisama beside her with his arms over his chest and saying, "At least he's not letting go of the sword."

"What did I tell you about god damn porn, you idiot!"
"Kyaaaa! OTOUSAN! I TAKE IT BACK! I TAKE IT BACK!"

Ken'ichi immediately headed for his mother and grabbed her before hiding behind her small body as he held onto her waist. Rukia looked at her son and then at an upcoming Ichigo. Her husband stepped to the right and her son shifted her between them. The boy's nails were going to dig into her flesh from all the chasing they were doing and if Ichigo hit her with that kendo stick, she did not know what she'd do to him.

"Stop hiding behind your mother!"

Human shield.

"I said I take back about the porn already!"

Wonderful.

"If I get damaged in the middle of your warfare, so help me, I'm going to stitch Chappy the Bunny prints on all of your clothes!"

That was as good as "Drop dead now" and Ken'ichi immediately released his mother and Ichigo lowered the sword. The last time she said this, they thought she didn't mean it but imagine their horror to find their god damn underwear stitched with a freaky smiling bunny on it!

"But still…" Ken'ichi smiled, "I'm going to find out what Bankai is."

The son threw a fist in the air and shouted, "BELIEVE IT!"

BAM!

Ichigo's elbow buried itself in Ken'ichi's head.

"Darn it, Ken'ichi, you're reading too much manga!"

Author: Again, I am sincerely shocked to have seen 67 reviews in two chapters. You flatter me, people. I'm glad you read and review. Thanks a lot. This was supposed to be up earlier today but my computer's throwing a fit and it took several seconds before an entire sentence could appear so imagine how long it took me to save. But my compy's fine now that I'm writing the freaking author's notes. Yarg. Thanks for all the reviews! I love you all and Bankai to us all! Woot!