AN: Sorry for the delay, this is probably the hardest chapter I've had to write. The problem is that two chapters from now I know exactly what needs to be done, but until then I keep drawing a blank on who I need to advance the plot, so as soon as I can force myself to get those chapters out I'll be able to update regularly for a while.

On another note, this chapter contains the first battle scene I've ever written, so please tell me how I did.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach yet. I plan on buying the rights in 20 years.


Chapter 7: Ikkaku and Yumichika: Plot Devices!

Camellias and Lavender. The scents drifted around Yasuhiro as he meditated in his garden. Most of the greenhouse contained every ingredient a growing cask needs, but this small secluded corner of the field was for him. It was his sanctuary. It was her memorial.

Yasuhiro did not meditate very often anymore. What had once been a daily exercise to strengthen his bond with his zanpakuto had quickly turned into a last resort for when he needed to clear his head. The Rukia Rescue Squad had only been in Seireitei proper for a day but their presence had completely changed the atmosphere. The shinigami no longer felt safe.

'They have three days. Three days before the execution. I hope they make it in time. There's too much at stake for them to fail.'

'But what if they do? Are you willing to sacrifice your life for this? Can you to fight for her? Can you stand up against your friends, your comrades, your classmates, your teacher?'

'If they fail I am reader. I will give up everything for this. I won't let her die. If I must fight, then I will take down everyone in my way. I will make sure that he fails no matter what.'

'Are you being confident or cocky? Do you fight for justice or vengeance? Will you rise into the sky or fall into the pit?'

'Sure or cocksure. Lawful or lawless. Grace or disgrace. I will stand my ground even if I must watch the world fall around me.'

'But is that enough?'

'It has to be.'

The bartender opened his eyes and arose. He turned his back from the entrance of the garden and bowed before a single blue flower, a forget-me-not. He allowed himself a small moment of sorrow before he walked from his sanctuary.

A loud clatter called him downstairs. Someone was shouting outside his door. He could not understand the speaker but he knew the voice.

'Little Pig, Little Pig, let me in.'

The thought made him chuckle as he meandered his way to the bar. He made sure that his suit was clean before entering the main area. No point in disturbing one of his better customers after all. He opened the door.

"I do hope you two aren't here to drink already. Even Margaritaville wouldn't open its doors this early.'

Ikkaku glared at the bartender. "This is not a time to be joking Nisshoku. Aizen-taichou is dead."

The glass in Yasuhiro's hand shattered. He hadn't even been holding a glass. He stared blankly at his bleeding hand.

Yumichika quickly dragged his hand away from his body. "I will not allow you to bedraggle that wondrous example of apparel with your sanguine excretions."

The bartender yanked his hand away from the fifth seat and glared at the two shinigami. "Who killed him?"

"A couple of people said it was the ryoka, but I don't think that's possible. I fought the strongest of them and last I heard he barely beat Renji. Taking down a taichou is beyond them."

"I must concur. No beings of such grotesque countenance could possibly slay a dazzling example of artistry such as Aizen-taichou."

Luckily they were right. The only one in Seireitei right now stood a chance against Aizen was Yamamoto. That still left the question as to who managed to pull it off. Gin might have been able to do it if he managed to surprise Aizen from far enough away, and Tosen couldn't be affected by Aizen's shikai but he was too ridiculously into justice to even think about killing another captain.

"So basically there's a captain killer out there and we have no way of knowing who it is."

"Yes." "Undoubtedly."

"…So who wants a drink?"

Just then a massive pressure seemed to settle on the bar. The three occupants gulped and turned their heads to the west.

"Kenpachi."

"I think that blonde kids gonna get killed real quick."

"Most likely his pseudo-simian assistant will face decapitation in a similar timeframe."

"Hey Pinky can you send me a recording of this?"

Ikkaku and Yumichika turned to Yasuhiro is surprise before walking to the cabinets on the far wall of the bar and pulling out a projector.


Ichigo was losing ground fast. He couldn't even scratch the captain when he had been given a free shot and now the berserker was chasing him through Seireitei like a cat stalking a mouse. Then again, mice at least had a chance of fighting back. He had left his companions behind when they ran into Kenpachi. Hanataro and Ganju had been useful along the way but none of them stood a chance against this monster.

The substitute shinigami ducked into an alcove and paused to catch his breath. He had no way of knowing how close Kenpachi was but he needed to catch his breath while he had the chance. He had just willed himself to start moving again when he heard a voice just behind him.

"Disappointing. Here you are with more reiki than shinigami twice your age and you can't even put up a fight. Maybe they were wrong about you. Maybe you are weak."

Ichigo wanted to yell, wanted to prove him wrong. He couldn't. He couldn't even find the strength to run away, let alone to fight. Kenpachi approached and Ichigo ran.

"Blondie looks out of it."

"Kenpachi-taichou will most likely conclude this farce of a contest within a matter of moments."

Yasuhiro wasn't so sure. The kid sure looked like he was going to fall over any second, but this was Isshin's son and nobody could pull a victory out of their ass like that man.

"Take another look you two. The punk looks like he's gonna try something."

Ichigo was tired of running; he was tired of being hunted. He wanted to fight.

The blonde teenager turned on his heel and slashed at the mountainous captain. A small wound appeared on the berserker's chest and Ichigo smirked. He could damage the man after all.

Kenpachi smiled and brought down his sword. Ichigo dodged out of the way, rolling to his left and around the back of the captain. He brought Zangetsu up from the ground, slashing at Kenpachi's back but the captain's unnamed sword blocked it before he could hit. Ichigo jumped back away from the captain and frowned.

'He's stronger than me but not faster. I have to find a weak point. If I come from the right he should have trouble seeing it.'

Ichigo circled to the berserker's right and attempted to slash at his opponent one again. Kenpachi moved to intercept but was just a moment too slow to stop Ichigo's sword from slicing his arm open.

"Looks like this will be an interesting fight after all. At this rate I may even have to take off my patch."

'Take it off? You mean that he wears that thing by choice?' "That eye patch, those bells, you just use those to make fighting more interesting don't you? Just like why you're not releasing your zanpakuto."

"Half right kid. I do wear these things to make fighting fun, but this sword is the only form my zanpakuto has. My sword does not need a name. It is already in the only form I need it to have."

"Good to know. That means you won't get any stronger than this."

"Is that so?"

Kenpachi charged forward and slashed at Ichigo. Ichigo quickly moved his own sword into the path of Zaraki's. The swords met. Ichigo grimaced at the pressure and fought to hold onto his blade. Kenpachi smirked and pushed harder, forcing Ichigo back into a wall.

"You see Kurosaki, I may not be able to release my sword, but that is not because it is weak. It is because I am too strong for it to contain my power. Instead, I just hold back my strength on my own."

Kenpachi rushed forward to stab the substitute through the chest. Ichigo forced himself to raise his sword and block with the flat of Zangetsu. The nameless Zanpakuto went straight through the blonde's shikai and into his chest.


"The kid did better than I expected. Most people can't make him swing that hard."

"Indeed, the contest proved to be a rather beautiful display of courage against all odds."

Yasuhiro did not speak. He saw the kid go down but he still wasn't sure if the fight was over. He had seen shinigami come back from worse wounds before and it was Isshin's kid fighting down there.


'It can't be over yet I have to keep going! I have to save Rukia!'

Kenpachi stared at his fallen opponent and scoffed. "What a boring end. You may have been fast but even you barely scratched me. And it seems like one of your friends is about to get the same treatment."

'One of my friends? Who-Chad! I-I can't sense him anymore. His soul's been shining brighter than anyone's for so long that I barely even noticed it fading. If Chad's dying then-NO! Chad will not die here and neither will I we are going to survive this! All of us! We are bringing Rukia home!'

Ichigo forced his eyes open and watched Zaraki walk away from him. He willed himself to stand to move to do anything. His eyes fell off Zaraki and landed upon a familiar face. Zangetsu strode toward Ichigo. His black cloaked billowed behind him in an invisible wind. The spirit's shaded eyes drifted over the shinigami's broken sword before they met Ichigo's brown orbs.

"What is it your desire, Ichigo? Why do you continue to struggle even now?"

'I want to save my friends. I want to wipe that smug look off Kenpachi's face. I want to win!'

"Is that really what you desire? Show me your resolve! Show me that you deserve to fight on!"

"I WANT TO WIN"

"Good! Then I will show you how!"


Yasuhiro smiled at Ichigo. The kid might be a reckless punk, but he definitely had the balls to pull it off. He watched as Ichigo forced himself to his feet. The blonde shinigami clutched the remains of his sword in both hands and the zanpakuto began to heal.

Ichigo's wounds started to close rapidly. His eyes, just moments ago lost in despair, regained the confidence and power that he had lost when Kenpachi struck him.

Kenpachi turned around and smiled.

Ichigo charged the captain and sliced through from his left shoulder down to his right hip. Kenpachi stumbled back but Ichigo did not stop attacking. He brought Zangetsu back up into another strike when Kenpachi barely placed his blade in the way of Ichigo's.

"Hahahahahaha! Not bad little ryoka. You've got some fight left in you after all! Just for that, I'm going to show you something only a few people have forced me to do."

Kenpachi reached up and removed his eye patch, revealing a perfectly healthy eye. Ichigo stared in shock before the pressure hit him.

'H-his power nearly doubled!' "What kind of strength do you have stored up in that right eye of yours!?"

"Stored up? I'm afraid you're mistaken." Kenpachi held up his eye patch to show Ichigo a series of mouths placed on its back. "I had this specially made for me. It eats away my reiki so that I can enjoy my fights for even longer!"

Ichigo glared at the captain and readied Zangetsu. "You might be stronger now but you're still using your Zanpakuto like a tool! Me and Zangetsu will take you on any day!"

"Is that so? Well then let's see who is really stronger. Me, or you and your precious sword!"

Reiki exploded form the combatants in a torrent of light. Ichigo's blue reiatsu formed around him like a shield, taking the form of a laughing mask. Kenpachi's yellow energy swirled into a skull with razor teeth ready to charge at Ichigo.

The two combatants ran forward, neither trying to defend against the other's attack. Ichigo's zanpakuto came down. Kenpachi's nameless sword struck forward.

Ichigo felt Kenpachi pierce his chest, even as Zangetsu bit into the berserker's right shoulder.

Ichigo coughed up blood. Crimson exploded from Kenpachi's wound.

Ichigo fell to the ground. "I guess I wasn't strong enough after all."

Kenpachi held up his shattered sword and collapsed onto his back. "You idiot. You won."


Yasuhiro shut off the projector. Yachiru had abandoned the recorder on the roof when she went to grab Kenpachi. He looked over at the two 11th division members and smirked.

"Looks like you both owe me a couple grand."