Kenji had returned home. He had decided to go straight to bed after supper. He really in the mood to do anything else. The night hadn't brought any strange dreams with it. When Kenji awoke that morning it struck him as curios. Didn't the voice say he would speak to him again when he returned home? Kenji looked out the window, he could almost see the hospital from here. He hoped Kazuki was still all right. 'Kenji? Are you awake,' said Kenji's mother from the other side of his bedroom door. 'Yes mother I'm awake,' replied Kenji. Kenji's mother opened the door and entered. 'Looks like you slept in late this Sunday morning,' she said with a smile. 'Come, breakfast is ready. It's a lovely day today, do you want to go out to the park?' 'Sure why not?' replied Kenji. 'Should be fun.' Kenji's mother left his room and headed back down stairs. Kenji smiled, the expression on his face turned back to its usual state. He always had a kind expression on him. It was because of that people had always been able to tell if something was wrong. 'A walk in the park will help me relax a bit,' said Kenji

The trip to the park was pleasant and peaceful. It was Kanji, his mother and his father. Kenji didn't have any siblings but he was still happy. He always made friends at school so he was never lonely. As they walked they passed the cherry blossoms, the sight was one from straight an art book. They had settled down underneath one of the cherry blossoms for a picnic and to relax a bit. Kenji lied down against the tree where he could see the rest of the park, but he soon closed his eyes and fell asleep. He woke up 5 minutes later when someone was calling his name.

It was Kazuki, it seems that he and his parents along with his elder sister had also decided to come to the park. 'What are you doing here,' Kenji asked with a smile on his face. 'Are you sure it's ok for you to be walking around so much? You just got out of hospital.' 'Don't worry, I feel fine,' said Kazuki. 'Besides, I'm gona bee cramped up in that old stinky house of mine on a day like this.' Kazuki seems to be all right Kenji thought to himself. 'Kazuki…' Said Kazuki's dad, suddenly appearing right behind him. Kazuki froze, the smile he still had had frozen into place but Kenji could tell there was a hint of fear in there. 'What did you just say about our house?' Kazuki's dad continued. Kenji slowly turned around and looked up at the stern cross look in his father's eyes. 'Well, umm' Kazuki started jittering. 'You see… it's like huh, ah AAAGH!' Kazuki made a break for it and his dad gave chase. Kenji knew it was just play. Kazuki was still out of it and didn't run very fast, but his father compensated by running a little slower himself. Everyone else laughed as they watched the two. Kenji sat back down again. 'It looks like thing might just return to normal,' Kenji thought to himself. 'Well, as normal as it gets around here.'

Kenji was lying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He hadn't done anything today but sit in the park talking to Kazuki or even when he came home and did his school work. He just wasn't tired at all. He thought back to the train accident and what the voice had said to him. "I will speak to you again when you are back home." He didn't even tell Kenji his name… 'Name? wait a minute. Didn't he say something about me not being able to hear his name?' said Kenji. Kenji closed his eyes. 'I had also seen him in my sleep.' Kenji tried to fall back into sleep but he couldn't. 'I'm not calm enough, I should try to focus and relax more.' Said Kenji. He took a deep breath and cleared his mind. Kenji focused and whispered into his own mind: 'Are you there?'

'So it seems the boy wishes to learn,' returned the voice. Kenji's eyes shot open. He sat up and blinked a few times. 'Don't be afraid Kenji, for tonight I make you powerful.' The voice was as clear as day. It came from within him and all around him. 'Who are you,' said Kenji 'Where did you come from?' There was a second of silence where Kenji wondered if the voice would answer. 'I am a part of you, Kenji.' Said the voice. 'I have been with you ever since you were born into this world, and I will stay with you even after you have passed on to the other. Though I had hoped that you would only have need of me after you had passed on.' Kenji sat in silence before he decided to continue. 'you haven't told me-' the voice interrupted him. 'now is not the time for idle chit-chat. We have work to do.' Work? Kenji thought. What kind of work could we possibly do at this hour.

'Get up, get dressed and head out to the park you were in earlier this day.' Said the voice in a now more strict tone. Before Kenji could reply it continued. 'Don't ask any further questions until we get there. We have little time and a lot of ground to cover.' Kenji though for a second on whether or not he was going crazy, but he also knew that this voice had saved him and his friend. Kenji did as he was told. He climbed down the side of his house. He didn't plan on being seen or disturb his parents so he tried to be as cautious as possible. He left the garden and headed down the street. His parents had moved to the suburbs since it was more quit than the mid-city and they didn't work very far. Kenji ran through the street in the direction of the park, it wasn't too far and he used the time to try and think on what they could possible do in the park that was so important.

'It's obvious isn't it?' said the voice as they neared the park. 'I need space to teach you things and your room doesn't have that. I also would prefer it if we didn't disturb your parents rest.' Kenji walked through the park in silence. There was no one there, not even a whisper or even a ghost. Kenji remembered seeing one or two earlier that day. He sat down at the same spot where he and his parents had stopped. 'Alright,' said Kenji. 'I'm ready whenever you are.' The voice returned. 'Close your eyes, and fall into my world.' Even as he said that Kenji could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness. Just as everything went dark his eyes shot back open and he had returned back to the meadow from before. Kenji looked around. It was daylight here. Even though it was dark outside, the sun was still in the sky. He looked up at the mountain tops where he had seen the figure before, but it wasn't there. Kenji heard the rustle of grass and turned around. His eyes widened at the sight before him.

A great lion stood before Kenji. He was as tall as Kenji was and had a long haired mane that waved in the breeze. His fur was collared a red and brown texture and his under fur was as white as snow. His tail tip was also a dark black colour and his fur also seemed as if it was waving in the wind. The end of his mane reached to the middle of his back and drifted a little further in the wind, it also went from below his chin to down to his belly. There where dark tuffs of fur at his elbows and a small tuff on his chin. His eye colour was red and they had power in them, but they didn't seem evil or slit. Kenji had seen lions before on television, in books and even close up at the zoo, but he had never seen one so majestic and powerful as the one before him now.

'Kenji Kurosangaku.' Said the Lion. 'So glad you could make it at last.' Kenji was a bit nervous yet still unafraid. 'Who are you?' He finally managed. The lion looked at him, it was as if those eyes could pierce through anything. 'I am a Zanpakutō spirit (Soul slayer spirit). I am the one who will be with you as your powers start to evolve and become stronger. I am your weapon.' Said the Lion. 'My weapon? A what spirit? I don't understand what's going on here.' Said Kenji, he was becoming more nervous now. The lion sighed.

'Sit down, I'll explain in more detail.' Said the Lion. 'You can ask questions when I'm done, understand?' Kenji nodded his head and sat down on the grass. The lion took a deep breath and began. 'You are a shinigami. A Death God or a Soul Reaper. Those whom have power over death and those whom guide and protect the souls of the living. A shinigami is born either because their parents are shinigami or, as in your case, they simply poses a high enough reiatsu (Soul pressure/Soul energy). Reiatsu is otherwise known as Soul Energy. It is the source of your strength and is found within all living humans and souls alike. Some people have more reiatsu that others do, it is in a sense a measure of how strong they are. When people, whom poses a high enough level of reiatsu, die and pass on to the other world know as Soul Society they have a chance to become shinigami. When that happens they are taught how to control and wield their reiatsu as a weapon. Souls who become shinigami in Soul Society are trained at its capital, a place known as Seireitei. The true weapon of a shinigami however, is their souls themselves. Those who are born shinigami are often the strongest of all, because of this most of them have become arrogant and often consider human shinigami to be inferior. You will be one the few that will prove them wrong, once you have mastered your zanpakutō. '

'A zanpakutō (pronounced: zan-pak-tō) is the materialized form of a shinigami's soul. Even though we zanpakutō are part of the shinigami's soul the zanpakutō is not the soul itself. In other words: if you are separated from your zanpakutō you won't lose your powers. A zanpakutō is irreplaceable, if a zanpakutō is damaged or broken it will repair itself as the shinigami himself heals and restores his power. Shinigami in training are given a blank zanpakutō to train with. Those zanpakutō will eventually be filled by the shinigami's spirit to form a real zanpakutō. In cases like yours however, the sword is born alongside with the shinigami himself. You are also different from most other shinigami in another way, and this is important so pay attention. Most Zanpakutō spirits are born when their shinigami partners are born and live and die with them. However in some cases the Zanpakutō has a chance to live on and find a new master whom may wield them. This is the case with us, I had a previous master and now I am with you. I was bound to you when you came into this world and I will be with you from here on out. Don't ask me why I chose you, not even I know why or how I was bound to you in the first place. I have watched you grow and I am confident that the two of us will get along nicely, any questions?' The lion finished.

Kenji sat and though for a minute, this was a lot to take in one sitting. He ran what the lion had just said through his head a couple of times. 'You said earlier that you had hoped we would meet only when I passed over, why the change of mind?' Kenji asked. 'It is because your reiatsu has grown much stronger the years than I had anticipated. There also seems to be an increase in the number of hollow that are appearing in the city. There was also those two particularly strong hollow that had worried me.' Said the Lion. 'Hollow usually go after souls, but they will go after living beings if they have a strong rieatsu, like yours.' Kenji remembered the day he saw the other shinigami that had saved his life from the hollow. 'The two strong ones, were they the ones that the other shinigami saved me from?' asked Kenji. 'Can you tell me more about what happened that day? I remember my body absorbing those particles. The lion seemed to have been expecting that question.

'Ah yes, that. It was on that day that I knew hollow would be coming after you, as you've already seen when the one attacked you on the train. When the shinigami died I had decided to absorb his reiatsu. In doing so, I have accelerated your spiritual growth and it allowed me to bringing my powers to the fore. Make no mistake, that shinigami was powerful and possessed a lot of power. I needed that much to setting things in motion. I have also made some changes to you yourself as well.' Said the Lion. 'I also remember something else happening.' Said Kenji. 'The shinigami's sword, it had changed shape when he called out to it.'

'That is known as Shikai (initial release). The art of releasing your sword. This can only be obtained through Jinzen (Blade Zen). Meditation used to commune with your Zanpakutō and to learn its name. Only by learning the name of your zanpakutō can your release it. Once a sword is released the shinigami experiences a massive increase in power and can start to use the zanpakutō's powers and abilities. Each and every zanpakutō is unique. They have their own abilities save a few common traits shared amongst other zanpakutō, for example you may find two zanpakutō that have powers of ice but use them differently.' Kenji thought back on when the he fought the hollow at the train. He remembered the hollow saying it had derailed the train in order to get to him. 'Does that mean Kazuki was put in danger because of me?' Kenji thought. 'Would it have gone after Kazuki to even if he wasn't a ghost?'

'Wait a minute,' said Kenji, realising something. 'Aren't shinigami ghosts? Does it mean if I am one that, I'm dead?' The lion looked at him and for the first time smiled slightly. 'No, like I said you are different, and I have made some changes to you.' Said the Lion. Kenji let out sigh of relief. 'Human shinigami still have to leave their bodies to fight however, but you don't have to. I have made it that your body can take on the properties of a normal shinigami. In other words, you can still wield a zanpakutō without separating your soul from your body. It was why I needed the extra spirit particles from the other shinigami.' Kenji looked at the Lion, wondering just how powerful he really was if he could have done something like that. 'Would that mean people can still see me and sword I used to fight that hollow at the train,' asked Kenji. 'I was wondering if someone might have seen me fight.' 'No,' replied the Lion. 'Because of the massive amount of rieatsu that gets released from when you fight you will become invisible to those that can't see ghosts. With practice you can start to control this if you so wish.'

'Enough questions, time is not on our side and we need to practice. Kenji Kurosangaku,' said the lion in a now more powerful tone. Kenji stood up in surprise. 'Wait, what's happening? What are we going to do now,' said Kenji. 'You need to learn how to fight Kenji. There are not just hollow out there that will come after you. Your family will also be put in danger because of that. The only thing you can do about is to defeat your enemies yourself. You don't have a say in this matter. I will NOT be wielded by some rookie.' Said the Lion, he didn't seem to be the patient type.

'Are you ready to start your life as a shinigami? Are you ready to learn my name,' asked the Lion. Kenji didn't know what to answer. He thought about his friends, his family. He thought about how Kazuki was placed into so much danger because some hollow wanted to eat him for his power. Kenji knew he had to be ready for when the day came for him to fight again and he wasn't going to do just by madly swinging a sword around. 'Yes,' said Kenji, after a while. 'Yes, I am ready. I have to be, otherwise my family and my friend will be placed in danger. I can't count on other shinigami appearing out of nowhere and helping me. If I've been given these amazing powers, I have to learn how to wield them properly.'

The lion smiled. It held out his paw and waves of spirit particles formed in his hand. They took the shape of a katana. The same katana Kenji held the night of the train accident. He walked over and gave it to Kenji. The blade whose base was made of black and silver linen and had a solid circular guard that had patterns etched into it that resembles lions. Kenji took the blade and held it before himself, the light gleaming off of it. Then he looked back at the Lion, he spoke

'My name is Durosuka.'


Author's note: Will be a while before I upload again, check back late april