Two Hearts, New Soul: A Fight of Pride
It had been almost eight years since Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura joined the soul reapers and as usual things were changing. Naruto smirked as Sasuke charged at him. Ikkaku smiled as he walked towards the two. It was always a good thing to hear the sound of metal clashing together in the morning.
"So didn't you hear about Renji?" Sasuke asked Naruto as he pushed Naruto towards the ground.
"Yeah we went out last night for some Sake. Now Renji's one step closer to Byakuya Kuchiki." Naruto told him as he kicked Sasuke in the gut.
The two former shinobi stop fighting feeling an enormous spiritual pressure. Naruto and Sasuke looked up to see Kenpachi watching them. Suddenly Kenpachi was standing next to them. Yachiru cheerfully popped up from her spot on Kenpachi's shoulder.
"Hi ya Whiskers and Fan!" she waved at them.
"Good morning Lieutant Yachiru, Captain." Naruto grinned at the girl.
"I always like to find my men sparing in the morning it make me feel alive." Kenpachi smirked at Naruto and Sasuke. "So what do ya say Uchiha. Fight me!"
Sasuke found Kenpachi's sword pointed at his face. "I don't think so Captain Zaraki."
Kenpachi frowned as the fifth seat member of squad two appeared in front of Sasuke. Sasuke's eyes widen at the fifth seater message.
"Okay thank you for the report." Sasuke told his fellow squad member as he frowned.
"What the hell is it Sasuke?" Naruto asked him.
"The team that was sent out by squad 13 was annihilated, only Miyako and Kimiko survived." Sasuke told him as the others left.
"No way." Naruto gasped
"Kimiko has severe injuries while Miyako has minor injuries but is unconscious." Sasuke informed him.
-Squad 13 barracks-
Rukia gasped as she looked at Kimiko and Miyako's bodies. She had heard the report on what happened, yet just the states of them worried Rukia more than what happened. Both Kimiko and Miyako had been idols to her. Miyako was like a mother to her and Kimiko a sister. Kimiko's body was almost completely covered in bandages and her breathing was heavy while Miyako only had a few bandages wrapped around her body, yet she was unconscious.
"What their status, Captain?" Rukia heard Kaien ask.
"Kimiko had severe injures both eternally and externally. Squad four were able to stabilize her and she should be fully recovered in a week or two. Miyako on the other hand had minor injuries but her spiritual pressure was dangerously low. She should recover soon." Captain Ukitake told him.
"Permission to take Lee out and hunt down this Hollow?" Kaien asked their captain.
"Calm down Kaien you will have your chance to attack this hollow. Right now we need to wait for Miyako and Kimiko to regain consciousness to learn more about the Hollow."
"You bastard!" Kimiko suddenly jolted herself awake. It took her awhile to realize that she was in the squad 13 barracks. She noticed that Captain Ukitake had put Lee along with Kiyone and Sentaro on guard duty, but it was no good as she looked over at the empty cot next to her. Kimiko's body screamed as she stood up and staggered out of the room.
Kimiko found Ukitake along with Kaien and Rukia walking toward the building she was just in. She knew she had to warn them but nothing was responding right in her body.
"Kimiko!" Rukia was the first to react to her.
"Captain…Miyako, she…must be…" Kimiko tried to warn them as she collapse.
Kaien caught Kimiko, "Miyako must be what, Kimiko?!"
Before Kimiko could answer a groggy Kiyone came out of the room, "Captain I'm not sure what happened but both Kimiko and Miyako are gone. Lee and Sentaro are out cold as well."
"We know Kiyone." Ukitake told the blonde girl as Kaien asked Kimiko again.
"What's going on, Kimiko?!"
"I'm sorry, Kaien…the hollow…it took over…Miyako's…body. I tried to…stop it but it…was too strong." Kimiko told him as she loss consciousness again.
"No, that can't be true…" Kaien whispered as screams filled the air.
Kaien laid Kimiko on the ground and rushed off towards the screams.
"Kaien wait!" Ukitake yelled after him, "Kiyone get Kimiko back inside. Rukia you are with me."
"Yes sir!" The two answered.
Ukitake, Kaien, and Rukia found Miyako standing over the bodies of several of her fellow squad members. Their blood dripped from her blade.
"Miyako?!" Kaien yelled at her causing her to turn toward them. "Lower your sword, I don't want to fight you."
Rukia took a step back as she saw Miyako's emotionless face. Miyako's movements were awkward and jerky like a puppet. She took two steps towards Kaien before rushing off at a speed Miyako was never capable of. The three follow Miyako to find her body lying next to the Hollow.
"What a morsels she was. So good I want more!" it said as it looked up at Ukitake, Kaien, and Rukia.
"Lieutant Kaien, allow me to scout out the Hollow's abilities first." Rukia said as she placed her hand on her zanpakuto.
Rukia looked up at him when he didn't answer.
"Captain permission to fight it alone." Kaien asked to fight the hollow without even removing his eyes from the beast.
"Granted." Ukitake let Kaien fight the Hollow.
Kaien pulled out his zanpakuto and jumped down in front of the hollow.
"Let me ask you this Hollow did you have any regrets about eating any of those soul reapers?" Kaien asked the Hollow.
"Of course I did! What a stupid question. I regretted not eating that last one earlier she was so good. Sweet with a touch of sourness how delightful! Which is why I ate her from the inside out! And not finishing off that other girl, she was so stubborn." The hollow answered him.
"I see." Kaien said as he flash step towards the hollow cutting off its arm.
Kaien reappeared grabbing one of the hollows tentacles as he got ready to delver the final blow, "Reverse swirl Nejibana!"
Kaien's Zanpakuto suddenly disappeared.
"You fell for it. Once every night the first soul reaper to touch my tentacles loses his zanpakuto." The Hollow explained.
This didn't stop Kaien as he tore the tentacle off with his bare hand.
"Kaien Sir!" Rukia yelled as she grabbed onto her zanpakuto only to be stopped by her captain. "Captain if we don't help Kaien now…"
"His life will be saved but what will come of his pride, Rukia?" Ukitake asked her.
"But pride is not more important than life!" Rukia protested.
"Please remember this, Rukia. There are two types of fights. Whenever we are in battle we are in one of those types. The fight for our lives or the fight for pride." Ukitake told her. "Right now Kaien is fighting not only for his pride but the pride of Miyako and Kimiko. Dismiss this as his stubbornness or foolish pride, and let him fight alone."
"I didn't expect you to last this long without a zanpakuto. Impressive boy." the hollow said.
"What did ya expect? My bare hands are more than enough to tear you apart." Kaien replied as he wiped some blood from his brow.
"Heh, heh, heh. Well, it seems that I have to use that ability again so soon. Such a pain." the hollow said.
The hollow's tentacles then exploded into hundreds of thin threads. They flew towards Kaien. The remaining parts of the body of the hollow collapsed in a heap. Kaien raised his arms in defense from the threads. As soon as the threads reached Kaien, they entered his body through the wound on his right arm.
"Kaien sir?!" Rukia asked her voiced filled with concern.
"What?" Kaien asked, in a voice that wasn't his. "Did you call my name little girl?"
Kaien turned to face them. Revealing his face. His eyes were now black pits with orange splotches on his eyes, just like the mask of hollow. Ukitake knew happened. The hollow had possessed him like it did to Miyako.
"Kai...Kaien sir?" Rukia weakly asked again.
The Kaien hollow licked its lips. "Why do you keep saying my name like that? Are you that worried about me, little girl? Am I that dear to you?"
It smirked at her. "In that case, I'll start by eating you first!"
It jumped at her and tried to bite Rukia. But Ukitake flash-stepped into its path and blocked it with his sword.
"Run, Rukia." he said to the scared girl.
"What?"
"Do you want to die?! Get out of here!!"
Rukia turned and ran. Ukitake knew he had to be careful. Kaien was still in there. He needed to find a way to remove the hollow from his body. The hollow lunged at Ukitake, but Ukitake blocked it with his sword. The hollow swung its fists at him. Once again, Ukitake dodged and blocked the attacks. But he made no aggressive moves not one move to attack. He couldn't it for was Kaien's body he was fighting. He had to be careful and find a way to extract the hollow.
"What's the matter? Why don't you attack?" the hollow asked. "I know what you're up to. You're trying to think of a way to drag me out of his body. But it's pointless! This isn't human possession! I'm a spiritual entity and so is he. We're a fusion of spiritual entities! We can't be separated!! I'll spend all night eating his spirit from the inside! Just as I did with the girl!"
Ukitake knew what he had to do. If he couldn't save Kaien, he would do the one thing he could do, the one thing that Kaien would want. He would prevent that hollow from having Kaien's body and soul. He sliced the side of Kaien's, the hollow's, neck.
"Then it can't be helped. I'll kill Kaien along with you." Ukitake told the hollow.
"Are you crazy?!" it gasped in surprise as it clutched the wound. "You'd kill your own subordinate?!"
"Yes. I won't let you have Kaien's body."
Suddenly, Ukitake felt a sharp pain in his chest and he coughed up blood.
'No! Not now!'
The hollow lunged at him, tentacles erupting out of Kaien's left arm. It slashed his right side and kept on running. Ukitake looked behind at where the hollow was heading. Rukia had returned, and the hollow was heading right for her.
"Kuchiki you idiot! Why did you come back?!" Ukitake yelled at the girl. "Don't just stand there! Kill It! That's no longer Kaien!"
It was clear that Rukia had no plan as she returned. She heard her captain's orders and just raised up her zanpakuto ever so slightly impaling Kaien in the chest. Kaien slid down Rukia's zanpakuto.
"Captain thanks for letting me fight till the end." Kaien said as he placed his arm around Rukia. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this Rukia. Please don't be torn apart by this. It isn't your fault."
"Kaien Sir?" Rukia called out to him as his arm fell.
"Thanks to you, I can't die in peace." Kaien thanked her for coming back.
Rukia grabbed onto Kaien as he died. She began to cry.
'No I don't deserver your thanks. I ran away because I was afraid to fight you. I came back cause I was afraid to face my cowardly self in the future. I stabbed you only because I couldn't bear to see you in pain. The only one I saved tonight was my unworthy self.' Rukia thought as she dragged Kaien's body to his family.
Two weeks later, Rukia still found herself unable to speak to the other squad members especially those who were close to Kaien. She sat under her usual tree that Kaien would always find her under. Kimiko was recovering nicely and was sparing with Kiyone and Sentaro. Suddenly Rukia found a drink in front of her face.
"Ah." She half heartily jumped.
"Same old Rukia." Lee laughed. "I know I'm not Kaien, but don't be so unyouthful! I know you're in pain right now, but there is something you need to know. It's something that a good friend told me once. When a person dies, their past, their present and their future die as well. Those who die also have goals and dreams that will never be realized. But more importantly, they have parents, siblings, friends, and loved ones, people who are important to them. All those people have one thing in common, bonds. The bonds they shared with that person. A bond like that cannot be severed by death. As long as we hold onto those bonds, Kaien will never truly die. Live your life Rukia, free of guilt. Not for Kaien's sake, or for the sake of the life and the dreams he lost. Live your life that way because Kaien would have wanted you to."
A small smile broke onto Rukia's face as Lee words hit her heart. Suddenly the two's heart to heart was interrupted by Kiyone and Sentaro who were rushing towards them.
"Lee, Captain…" Sentaro started only to be out shouted by Kiyone.
"Lee! Captain Ukitake requests your presents in his office!!" Kiyone relayed the orders.
Lee flash stepped to Ukitake's office to find Kimiko there as well.
"Good now that you both are here. As much as I don't want to replace Kaien and Miyako right now, I need someone in those spots that I can trust to handle the squad in my absence with my health." Ukitake explained to them. "You two are the next in line to fill those positions and I trust you fully to fulfill those positions to your fullest."
Kimiko and Lee stood there speechless as Ukitake pulled out Kaien's Lieutant badge.
"Lee as my fourth seat member, I would like you to be my next Lieutant." Ukitake offered the badge to Lee.
Kimiko smiled as she nudged Lee to take the badge. Lee took the badge from Ukitake and tied it on his leaf headband.
"I am truly honored Captain! I will not let you down!" Lee told him as he gave Ukitake the nice guy pose.
"I know you won't." Ukitake smiled as he turned towards Kimiko, "This of course makes you the new third seat member, Kimiko."
"But of course. I too will not let you down, Captain Ukitake." Kimiko bowed as she and Lee left to spread the good news.