Chapter 36: Kenpachi from Zaraki
*Thank you to Dark-heika for being the 75th reviewer~! *glomps and throws confetti* Throwing (figurative) rocks at characters does make for an interesting story but its difficult because I like my and Kubo's characters that I don't want to hurt them.
SasuTenLuvr, I figured Ryuken had to get his personality from someone in his family and if not his parents why not his grandmother? And no Hitsugaya isn't in the Gotei yet. Personally I think the shrimp gets way too much attention it's sickening and the same goes for Byakuya. I mean there are other characters out there people!
It's kind of the reason why neither of them plays any big roles in any of my fics. It bothers me that a lot of fanfics get dozens of reviews just because one or both of them are the main characters and it doesn't matter if the plot is good or not.
Naoko: EmpressSaix do you not see the mob of angry fangirls with their torches and pitchforks? !
Me: Oh, well before I start running let me say a few things. I know in the manga and anime Ikkaku and Yumichika joined the Eleventh after Zaraki did. But for this story I need to switch that around, you'll see why and I think you might like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, Seirin or Ayame.
Please review~!*
"Kenpachi from Zaraki?" Nora asked, raising a brow. "Does that name hold any significance?"
"The name Kenpachi is given to the strongest man of each generation and Zaraki is the name of the eightieth district in the Rukongai." Isshin explained.
"That district is the bloodiest and lawless of all the districts out there. Some say its one step away from being in Hell." The lieutenant added.
So much for this place being called Heaven if there are hellish places like that. Nora thought with grim sarcasm.
"Captain? The one on the roof, yes you. What do you know of this man?" The Quincy lady called out firmly.
Kyoraku tipped his hat back to look at her. She was beautiful; he had never met any forceful European women before. Though personally he preferred women with dark hair instead of blonde. "He's a muscular scarred giant milady. The strange thing though is he has a small pink haired little girl with him."
The four down below gave him curious looks at that information. Kyoraku tipped his hat in respect before darting off most likely to watch the bloody spectacle to take place. So a man has come from the bloodiest districts with a small child and is challenging a captain for his position. Nora mused. This is certainly something I must see.
"Captain Kurosaki if I understand the meaning of the phrase "to challenge" then this man from Zaraki is going to kill the current captain. Am I correct in assuming so?" The Quincy lady asked.
Isshin nodded, "Yeah but only the Eleventh Division practices this. There are three ways a person can become a captain. They can pass a special test, be recommended and approved by a certain number of captains or kill the current captain in front of two hundred members of that division. Why?"
"Because I would like to witness this myself." Nora said lightly.
"What? !" The three Soul Reapers cried in unison.
"Lady Fukumoto such a... bloody event isn't really a place for a-"
Nora's pure silver eyes narrowed dangerously. "Not a place for who Captain? If you were going to say it was no place for a woman then I suggest you silence yourself now."
Her look and voice almost made his blood freeze and his spine shiver. "I-I would never say that madam. It's just such battles in that division can be quite gory and I was not sure if you could handle that."
Her gaze eased a little. "Captain I've witnessed Hollows tear up helpless souls to mangled bloody bits since I was young. I even saw my parents murdered. Blood and gore hardly faze me. Now... where is this Eleventh Division?"
"Captain, are you sure about this?" Kaien hissed.
"If the lady is sure about this then who are we to deny her? Besides she's our guest we should honor her requests and come on it's not like she's going to go up and challenge one of them right?" Kurosaki reassured the skeptical pair.
Naomi and Kaien exchanged looks of doubt. Both had the strange feeling that the captain had just jinxed something.
"It's about damn time." Ikkaku growled in excitement and anticipation.
Yumichika didn't say anything but perched himself on the railing his friend was leaning against. A vast group well over two hundred of their members had gathered to see this. Even other captains from other divisions had come to see this. It looked like almost everyone in Seireitei was here.
Four more figures joined the audience up on one of the roofs. One of them was particularly peculiar. She was obviously not from around here. She had gold blonde hair pulled tightly atop her head and wore a strange blue and white gown. She held herself upright like a queen.
Ikkaku noticed her too. "Who the hell is the weirdly dressed blonde chick up there?"
"I don't know but she's definitely a woman of regality and she's not from around here." Yumichika observed.
"You mean like a foreigner?"
"Perhaps, she's a very stunning woman though."
Ikkaku groaned at hearing Yumichika's narcissism shining through. When is this damn match going to start?
As if to read his mind a deep loud gong was rung, signaling the match to decide who would lead the Eleventh Division would begin. Nora carefully studied the two men who were so vastly different. One was unbelievably tall and dark skinned. The other was tall but not nearly so much and had pale skin. Both were riddled with their own series of scars from their own battles. It was difficult to tell who had more.
"I am Kenpachi Kiganjo, the tenth Kenpachi and captain of the Eleventh Division. You have challenged me for my title and position. Who the hell are you?" The tall black man rumbled as he drew out his thick broad sword.
The other man was dressed in dirty ragged clothing; his hair fell in unkempt black strands down his face and neck. He pulled out his own sword which looked quite worse for wear in Nora's eyes. The handle was worn and the blade was roughly jagged like the teeth of a saw.
How on earth is he going to fight with a weapon like that? The Quincy lady wondered.
The other man spoke, "I am Kenpachi Zaraki. Now are you going to fight or what?"
Kiganjo grinned widely and raised his sword, "With pleasure."
It had to be the shortest fight Nora had ever witness in her life but it was also the most thrilling. Kiganjo was at least a foot taller than Zaraki and a hundred pounds over. But Zaraki took him down with one strike. The man's reiatsu was unspeakably violent and dense. Nora could've sworn that man was more demon then man or perhaps a devil in disguise?
Either way Zaraki was the clear winner. He seized his prize which was the tattered bloody haori of his now deceased predecessor and tossed it over his shoulder.
"So that's it then? This man is the new captain of this division?" Nora asked still keeping her eyes on Zaraki.
"Yes, the Eleventh is known to be the most brutal and barbaric of all the divisions here so don't be too surprised." Isshin turned only to see that the spot she was once standing in was vacant. "Lady Fukumoto?" Oh, shit this is not good.
"Where the hell did she go?" Kaien asked but a look of panic crossed his face. "And where the hell is Nejibana? !"
"Uh... guys?" Naomi moaned as she pointed down.
The two men looked to see Nora Fukumoto with Nejibana tucked under one arm walking up to Kenpachi Zaraki.
"Oh, dear God this is not going to end well. The Head Captain is going to burn my ass if, no, when she dies." The Seventh Division captain groaned.
"We got a stop her. That man's reiatsu alone might actually break Nejibana!" The lieutenant cried out.
"No hold on a second you two."
The trio turned to see Kyoraku and Ukitake standing behind them.
"Let's see what the young lady will do first."
The three would've protested but their superiors sounded confident. So reluctantly they sat back and watched (while Kaien prayed Nejibana would come out unharmed) what was about to unfold.
That was too fucking easy. Kenpachi thought as he was about to sheath his jagged sword. The fight was a disappointment, one strike was all it took. Maybe he shouldn't have gone all out and held back if only to make the fight last.
He then heard loud lone clapping of one person. He turned to see a blonde haired woman wearing a strange blue and white outfit and a sword tucked under one arm. She looked at him with a regal serene expression with a hint of admiration.
"I must say that was very impressive Captain Zaraki, taking down an opponent almost twice your large size in only one strike. Pity the fight was so short, I would've loved to see what more you could do." Nora said bravely.
"Who the fuck are you?" Zaraki growled.
Her pink lips smiled benignly but there was an underlying predatory to the smile. "I am Quincy Lady Eleanora Fukumoto and I am the sister to the Quincy king."
Yumichika's eye widened a bit. He had heard about Quincies from when he and Ikkaku were in the academy. He thought they sounded odd but in a good way.
"What the hell is a Quincy?" Ikkaku asked.
His effeminate friend could only shoot him a dull annoyed glare. "Didn't you ever pay attention in history class back in the academy?"
"You know I didn't." The hairless man shot back.
The other man sighed, "A Quincy is a spiritually aware human who has the ability to absorb and manipulate reishi into spiritual weapons. They commonly use bows and arrows to hunt Hollows. It's quite rare to see one nowadays since Soul Society went to war with them a century ago and almost wiped them out."
"Why did Soul Society have to kill them off?" Ikkaku asked while still watching the woman and their new captain.
"The Quincies were messing up the balance of souls between the Living World and Soul Society. Their weapons didn't purify Hollows like our swords but instead completely destroy them. Thus the souls that come to the Living World do not return to Soul Society and the number of souls would increase on the living side. Such a disturbance in the balance would cause life and death to collide and end the world. So Soul Society had to take drastic and bloody action to stop that from happening." Yumichika recited.
"How do you know all that?"
The well groomed man shrugged. "Unlike you some of us actually paid attention in class."
Zaraki narrowed his eyes at her in confusion. "Quincy? What the hell is that?"
Instead of looking offended Nora still smiled gently. "You're at least the tenth person to ask me that and I have yet to take offense."
She reached behind her and undid a few clips and clasps with a strong swing of her arm she tore off the skirt part of her dress. It came off easily revealing that it was a separate and removable part. Underneath she wore formfitting white pants and black and white heeled laced up boots. She tossed her removable dress aside and unsheathed Nejibana.
"I was hoping you could do me the honor of a friendly sparring match. What do you say Captain? Oh, and Lieutenant Shiba I hope you don't mind me borrowing your sword."
"Yes I mind!" Kaien cried out while his captain kept a gentle firm hand on the boy's shoulder.
Nora smirked and took a fighting stance with the sword hilt tucked firmly between her hands. "Well Captain? Are you going to pass up a fight? And don't say it's because I'm a woman or so help me God."
Zaraki was dumbfounded as to what to do. A woman (a Quincy whatever the hell that was) was outright challenging him to a fight. She didn't look built to be a fighter but there was a fire in her eyes that clearly told him that she was.
That dipshit former captain was a disappointment but maybe this woman, this Quincy, won't be. A manic toothy grin crossed his face as he pulled out his sword. "Why not? I'll give you a go. So come at me woman and show me what you can do. I'll even be nice and let you make the first move."
Nora smiled softly before it turned into a controlled but manic grin. She charged forward and swung the katana only to have Zaraki block it. Acting swift Nora darted away and tried to attack from the other side but he blocked that attack too.
She gathered reishi particles and imbedded them into her leg muscles and bones to reinforce them. Nora jumped high with a slight burst of hirenkyaku and swung her leg around. Her limb made contact with the side of head but it appeared to have done little damage except snap his head to the side.
She skidded onto the ground and righted herself up on her feet. Zaraki massaged the side of his face where her leg had hit him and grind broadly.
"Damn, talk about a dame with a kick. For a skinny ass woman you sure can hit hard." He complimented.
Nora shook her head to brush away some loose strands of hair. "Thanks. Most Quincies don't like to fight up close and personal and prefer fighting from a safe distance."
"Sounds pretty damn cowardly to me." He growled.
The Quincy lady smirked, "Then you and I have something in common. They also don't like to use swords or blades and prefer bows and arrows. I could go either way but I find using a sword so much more satisfying in a fight."
"You know, I'm actually starting to like the way you think lady." Zaraki rumbled as his reiatsu started to condense and glow a fiendish yellow.
Is this his spiritual pressure? Dear God it's unlike anything I've ever felt before. It's so intense and malevolently violent. Even for a Soul Reaper this is insane. A thrill of excitement and fear fluttered through Nora. I wonder...
It was a dangerous idea especially if applied to someone with reiatsu like this. But if it worked it could be a very powerful asset to her. Nora decided to take the chance. She wasn't going to be cowed over in a fight like her brother Nicholas or fall to her knees in a weeping mess like her sister Isabella.
Nora charged forward towards him just as he did to her. She then leapt into the air again and tightly gripped the larger man's muscular shoulder. His reiatsu was whipping around violently and it was so thick so almost couldn't breathe or concentrate.
But she fought to stay focused. She started to absorb and convert his wild reiatsu into her own.
The blue white spiritual energy gathered and swirled around her as the captain's yellow energy started to fade. Zaraki realized something weird was going on so he tried to shake her off. Nora lost her grip and did a few flips and spins so she could land on her feet.
"The fuck was that?" He growled rubbing the shoulder she had clamped herself to.
"A very complex and dangerous Quincy technique." She said seriously. The energy surrounding her body trailed down the sword and in thick tendrils coiled around the blade.
Nora then brought the blade up and gave it a powerful swing downward releasing the energy in a blast directed the captain. He dodged but not before being nicked in the side, deep enough to draw blood.
Kenpachi noticed and grinned, "Well, damn. First blood goes to you lady. You're turning out to be pretty damn good."
The two lunged at each other. They blocked, parried and swung at each other. Nora was using her slim body to her advantage by slipping around the captain and dodging his sword. She was also light on her feet and quick to swing her sword in any direction she had to.
Zaraki was having fun. This woman was fast and slippery, making it hard to land a hit on her. He also had to be careful she didn't do that reiatsu absorbing thing again. Taking as much as she did she was actually able to make a dent in his surplus of spiritual energy. That was both thrilling and worrying. If she took enough she could weaken him enough to kill him.
A shark like grin spread across his face as he swung his sword again. She was proving to be more fun than the guy he just killed.
Up in the audience the captains and officers that had gathered still hadn't left. Their attention glued to the spectacle of a Quincy noble lady fighting an unimaginably ruthless and strong man. The worst part was that the two seemed to be enjoying the fight.
The Head Captain and his lieutenant had even been drawn out to see. Yamamoto stroked his beard as he watched them clash swords. It was unheard of for a Quincy to be so skilled with a sword. Unheard of yes... but not improbable. He noticed how Nora moved her limbs and the weapon with grace and practice. An idea soon formed in his head.
"Sasakibe?" He said in a low voice.
"Yes, sir?" His ever loyal lieutenant asked.
"I have an idea for a... peace offering for Lady Eleanora."
The spar between the new captain Kenpachi Zaraki and the Quincy lady Eleanora Fukumoto was eventually forced to end. The pair had been fighting for what felt like hours, the sun was evening beginning to set. Both were bloody and torn up but grinning with great satisfaction.
After the fight both were healed by the Fourth Division. Nora returned the blade to Kaien who snatched it back and held it lovingly to his chest. Nora thought it odd for someone to show so much love to an inanimate object when she remembered that a zanpakutuo was a piece of a Soul Reaper's soul. A reflection of who they were deep down inside.
A great feast was held at the Eleventh and of course Nora was invited. She also met Zaraki's traveling companion and surrogate daughter. A strange pink haired smiling child who thank Nora greatly for "giving Kenny such a fun time". She even dubbed the Quincy as 'Sword Lady'; the Quincy found that odd and strangely adorable.
After the dinner she would be staying at the Kuchiki mansion. She was told it was the most luxurious abode in all of Soul Society and it was more than fit for royalty. She accepted, she had after all told her husband and staff that she'd be gone for a few days anyway. Why not enjoy her time in Seireitei at her own pace?
The feast and noisy party had died down a little Nora realized she forgot where she had tossed her skirt. Just then a young seemingly well groomed young man walked up to her holding her neatly folded skirt.
"I believe this belongs to you madam." He said politely as he handed her the garment.
"Thank you young man." She said courteously taking it. Nora was quite sure this fellow was a man though he did appear quite feminine. Maybe his name could give her a hint if she was right about his gender or not. "May I inquire as to who you are?"
He bowed, strands of his long dark hair briefly curtaining his face before he rose back up. His wisteria eyes caught the light and gleamed prettily.
"I am the Tenth Seat of Squad Eleven, Yumichika Ayasegawa."
*I figured Yumichika and Ikkaku wouldn't have the seats they have now a century ago. Bet you didn't see that coming did you?
Naoko: My great-grandmother fighting Zaraki or her meeting Yumichika?
Me: Both. I got a little creative with Nora's Quincy techniques. The first one I thought would be interesting and useful. Think about it, being able to reinforce your bones and muscles to fight better? Sounds pretty handy for a human fighting supernatural beings. I named this one Iinterne Rüstung which is German for internal armor.
For the second one my reasoning behind them was that a Quincy could take someone's reiatsu and convert it into their own and use it. I'm still working out the kinks so I apologize if this seems like flimsy reasoning. That one was called Geben und Nehmen which is German for give and take.
As for Zaraki and the others not figuring out Nora, Naoko and Uryu were related it's because you wouldn't see it at first glance. Nora has blonde hair and gray eyes while the siblings have dark hair and blue eyes. Their personalities differ too.
So please review while I continue to hide from the Hitsugaya and Byakuya fan girls I pissed off earlier. On a sadder note I start school in ten days... TT^TT*