(A/N) A Semi-AU story revolving around the first captains, 90 years after the Yhwach's defeat at the hands of the Gotei 13.
I would like to ask you something.
For what purpose does Yhwach exist?
The simplest answer would be "to unite the Quincy," and to an extent that could be true, however there is something more to that, a certain truth hidden in that reason.
The Quincy were born because Hollows could be considered natural predators to humanity, and as humanity began to evolve, certain humans gained abilities that could help them survive against the Hollows.
Prey evolved, gaining ways that help them defend against their predators.
Humanity– as a force on its own– could not solely rely on the Shinigami to protect them, therefore the first Quincy tribes were born.
So I would like to ask again, what was the purpose of Yhwach's birth? Before he set his goal on the unification of worlds, before he became the "Sealed King", for what reason did he exist?
The Soul King was not a deity (entity) that did things out of boredom or for no particular reason (like most gods are said to do during that era of humanity).
So for what reason did the Quincy need to be unified? For what reason did humanity need another force of protection besides the Shinigami?
I would like to give two possibilities…
The first possibility is for if you believe that the Soul King was sealed away by the first Shinigami. (Perhaps the Soul King wanted his heir to exact his revenge?)
The second possibility (I believe) lies within the depths of Hueco Mundo, and the dark void that lies in between worlds– the Garganta.
Merely just food for thought….
For now.
Chapter 1.
Sixth Division
The clanging of metal echoed throughout the yard. Two swords quickly came into contact with each other. Sharp steel clashed into the other, creating sparks between the two. The two swords known as Zanpakuto's collided in a violent dance.
The ones holding the Zanpakuto's were Shinigami. One was a young man who had bright blue eyes and long brown hair while the other was another young man about the same age, but with a black bowl-cut and black eyes.
The two Shinigami stood face to face with each other. Their feet moved in erratic yet calculated ways. They fiercely swung their swords with the intent to maim the other. If one of them swung from the right, the other would dodge and counter from the left. If one missed a swing then the other would take advantage of that opening. If the swords clashed, then they would quickly pull back and swing again.
No words were said between the two, their attacks were all that they needed in order to communicate. However, their violent dance did not last for more than two minutes.
One Shinigami swung from above and the other swung from below.
The two sharp blades met in the middle, creating a loud clang that vibrated throughout the ground.
Finally, the one with brown hair spoke. "I'm not laying in my death bed today!" He pushed further, attempting to overpower the other Shinigami.
The other man scoffed in response. "You're the one who suggested the deal! If you aren't going to follow through then you might as well forfeit!"
He, in return, pushed back. The two stood at a standstill, with neither of them faltering.
The slight scratching of steel could be heard if you were to listen closely.
But… What exactly were they talking about?
"I know I did, that's why I'm not going to let you win!"
"If you're so afraid then you shouldn't have made that deal in the first place! You know exactly why that word is banned in front of the captain!"
The two had made a deal in order to spice up their daily spar. That deal in question had something to do with their captain.
Soon, the Shinigami with the bowl cut slowly began to over power his brown-haired comrade. Within a few seconds they both found the situation flipped. The bowl-cut Shinigami stood upright, pushing against the Zanpakuto of his opponent, who sat on his knees.
The brown-haired Shinigami tilted his sword so he could push with his other hand, yet even then he still couldn't get up. He felt his knees begin to shake, the force of his opponent's sword against his own kept him from fighting back and getting up.
The two stood in that position for another second, before the one with the upper hand made his move. Within a second he pulled back his left leg and kicked as hard as he could.
"Grphfh!?"
The brown-haired Shinigami was surprised when he felt something kick into his chin, causing him to lose his grip on his sword. Using that opening his opponent kicked him again, causing him to fall flat on his back.
Before he could pick up his sword he found another sword aiming at his neck, signaling his defeat.
"I won."
The young Shinigami with a bowl-cut stood in triumph, and with a wicked smile on his face. He inhaled, preparing to say something about his victory, but before he could get a word out the sound of clapping echoed throughout the yard.
The two snapped their heads towards the sound, and both were surprised to find a young girl sitting on the porch.
A young looking girl with long pink hair tied into twin ponytails, an eyepatch covered her left eye.
Despite clapping being commonly known as a sound of enjoyment, her face told a completely different story. In fact, if anything she looked bored.
"Captain!" The winner of the spar got off of the loser, and he bowed his head in respect. The Shinigami on the floor quickly got up, grabbing his Zanpakuto as he followed right after. They both bowed in respect.
The Captain of the Sixth Division.
One of the strongest in the Gotei 13.
Saitou Furoufushi.
"Are you two done?" She spoke impatiently.
"Yes, we just finished our spar for the day!" The victor spoke, however he elbowed the loser.
The brown-haired Shinigami looked towards the victor of the spar to see a sharp grin.
They made a deal, after all.
The loser could only sigh at his fate. However he doesn't have any room to complain, he's the one who made the deal after all.
"Good, then Issei Yudoe,"
The brown-haired Shinigami, the loser of the spar, Issei stood straight up out of his bow.
"Yes, Captain!" His pose changed from a bow to a salute.
"You have a mission, one given directly by that old creep, go see what he needs." She pointed away with a disinterested look. Issei hesitated before speaking again. He looked over to the other Shinigami, who kept staring at him with that sharp smile.
Issei inwardly sighed, finalizing his fate.
"Yes, anything for my adorable captain!"
Thus the loser held his end of the deal. The loser of the spar will have to refer to their captain as that word.
And then…
All noises stopped.
Issei closed his eyes, preparing for the inevitable. He could hear his Shinigami comrade sniffling right beside him, no doubt trying to hide his laugh.
The three stood there in silence for a few seconds.
However, nothing came. He opened his eyes, while his sparring partner finally stopped giggling to himself.
They both expected him to be mincemeat by now, however he was still standing, alive and well.
The two looked towards their captain. Her head hung low with her hair covering her face. They could not see the look in her eyes.
Finally, she moved, but once again she did something they weren't expecting.
She looked up with her eye closed and released a deep breath.
"Issei Yudoe."
Then the monster awakened.
Both of them were brought to their knees by an unknown force. The air around them began to tighten around their necks, and gravity pulled them to the ground.
Her spiritual pressure brought them to their knees in a second. She walked casually, but to them each step felt like a stomp. She reached them within a few seconds.
She grabbed Issei by the hair, pulling him up to her height. Their eyes met and if looks could kill then her singular eye would have blasted him through every layer of hell and heaven.
"I'm only going to leave you off with a warning." She spoke harshly. "You know better, right? Yudoe?"
He spoke like a puppy that got its tail cut off. "Y-yes ma'am…"
"Good, then..." She moved him to the side, still keeping his hair in her tight grip, she struck a pose with her arms reeled back and to the side and her legs apart to keep her balance.
"Go do your fucking job!"
With the force of a freight train, she threw him over the sixth division barracks. Even from this distance they could hear his screaming.
Finally, she released the hold of her spiritual pressure, and the other Shinigami that was still there gasped for breath.
"Now then…"
"Wait wait wait wait! It wasn't my idea! He made the deal first!" The other Shinigami almost pathetically begged for his life.
She stood there, glaring at him, deciding what she wanted to do with him.
However, she remembered she was here for a reason, one that didn't pertain to her job as a captain.
"What time is it?" She asked.
"What?" He questioned, not yet realizing that his escape from imminent death in her hands was right in front of him, however luckily he was given another chance.
"I said, what time is it!?" She barked, clearly impatient.
He definitely did not squeal like a pig, not at all.
"I-I–It's uh… almost afternoon! Captain!" He shielded his head out of fear that she was going to strike him, however nothing came.
"Then he's almost here…" She muttered something softly; he could have heard if he was not fearing for his life.
She released a sigh.
"Fine, get the fuck out of here."
There was a pause before he could realize what she said.
"...Huh?" He released a noise with a dumbfounded look.
"Don't make me repeat myself, get the fuck out of here."
"Y-Yes Captain!" He grabbed his Zanpakuto and quickly ran out of there.
He was lucky enough to live another day.
To the naked eye it would appear as though only she remained in that yard, and for a moment she was. However, the air around her began to shift slightly. The wind became visible, and the ground started to shake slightly.
She was not the cause of these actions, but she knew who was.
With a bored expression she unsheathed her Zanpakuto and held it in the air. Aiming to the side of her she brought down the sword, cutting into the air. Normally that action wouldn't have caused anything, but something had happened.
She cut into the air, revealing a light-blue violet aura that covered a small area.
"Ah–" A person appeared through that aura; their illusionary curtain cut straight in half. A young man, only a foot taller than Saitou herself, hopped out from the illusionary smoke.
"You're no fun, Fushi-chan." He said with a pout, his medium-length brown hair swayed as he shook his head. "Also, you swung without even looking! What if that had killed me?!"
A scoff left her lips. "Please, as if a single swing could kill you, you're like a bug. I would have to chop you up a thousand times if I truly wanted to end you."
"You say some frightening things sometimes, you know that?"
He sighed as he walked up next to her. He wore the signature black garment of the Shinigami, however there were two memorable things about his appearance. His yellow eyes that seemed to glow and the Kido Corps logo that was etched into his forehead.
He stood right next to her with a placid smile on his face. He tilted his head slightly to get a good look at her, but apparently, she wanted to look everywhere except at him.
He turned his gaze to where the two lower-level Shinigami were prior to his arrival. "You went easy on them this time; I would have expected you to cut that kid's arm right off."
She silently scoffed, still refusing to look at his eyes.
Her pride would not allow her to be captivated by them again.
"I wanted to, but I don't want to deal with the aftermath, especially since I already have something planned."
She still wasn't looking at him, so she was unable to see the smug grin that appeared on his face.
"Something planned? Ah, you mean spending time with me, right?"
She quickly brought her arm up, her hand wrapped into a fist, and punched him right in the chin without even looking.
"Gbfuh–?!"
"Know your place, Aramita. Who says you can act to a captain like this?"
Tamashi Aramita (first name Tamashi, family name Aramita). The youngest member of the Kido Corps, and also the strongest member of the Kido Corps.
His manipulation of Kido as well as his vast amount of Spiritual Pressure (otherwise known as Reiatsu) make him on par with the strongest Captains of the Gotei 13.
He could have qualified as a captain too, were it not for the fact that he's completely incompetent with a sword.
"Ow…" He nursed the spot that the young-looking captain decked without holding back. "Didn't even hold back." He solemnly muttered.
"Wait, no, don't pull the captain card on me! We both know you don't care about any of that, and besides, I'm like this with Batsu-chan and Chika-chan too." He took a second before continuing, as if he had just remembered something. "Oh, and Danji-chan too."
He wanted to say the same thing for the Head Captain, but the older man definitely would have heard him from all away across the Seireitei and proceeded to then give him a thirty-day lecture on the etiquette of a Shinigami.
Despite the fact that the young man was not a Shinigami.
His attitude did a complete 180 when he began to criticize her. Although something he said caught her attention, she finally turned her head to look at him.
"Since when were you on a first name basis with Shihouin?" She asked, her single eye glared at his own. She noticed he referred to another captain by her first name too, but she already knew about that.
"Since we first met? I thought you would have known already."
The young man of the Kido Corps tilted his head to the sides. With each tilt they could hear an audible crack of his neck. "Chika-chan has to be one of my favorite captains, he even offered to teach me Shunko despite not being in the Onmitsukidō."
The Onmitsukidō, otherwise known as the Stealth Force, are a force besides the Gotei 13 that were governed and controlled by the Shihouin clan. Who's current leader also happens to be the second captain of the Gotei 13.
The practice of Shunko is only for those in the Shihouin clan, as well as those that they deem worthy (who are still in the Stealth Force most of the time). The combination of Hakuda and Kido.
And, as one of the greatest manipulators of Kido in the current time period, learning Shunko (and Hakuda) would be something that will greatly help him down the line.
"Well, the only one I like more than him is you, of course. H-hey! W-wait! Don't hit me again! I'm just teasing!"
He took a step back and held arms to his head when he saw her slowly bring her fist up.
"You need to stop punching people whenever you're embarrassed… someone other than me could really get hurt, you know?" He finally looked up to see her with her hand down, looking across the yard at seemingly nothing.
She scoffed. "I've killed people for far less."
He sighed, though not in any bad faith. A small smile appeared on his face. "Yes yes, thank you for your generosity, O' benevolent goddess."
This meeting between the two was something that they've planned for a short while. Just a day to themselves, Tamashi had originally wanted to invite some of the other captains, but Saitou wouldn't let him.
Thus, the day should be free for both of them.
And being the bloodthirsty captain she is, Saitou had already decided what she wanted their first order of business to be. She took a second to look around, finding the two to truly be alone in an open yard, an open battlefield.
She took her Zanpakuto– which she hadn't sheathed, Tamashi realized– and swung it towards him again. The boy took a slight step back with widened eyes.
"Woah–! What are–" He didn't get to finish questioning her, as she turned to face him completely, she held up her arm and swung her sword downwards.
The attack didn't faze him as he jumped backwards before the sword could make contact.
"Already?!" He asked, exasperated in his tone, "I thought you would have at least waited a while until we fought!"
"I waited long enough! I'll break our tie right here and now!" She jumped towards him with her sword to her side, full intent on cutting him in half.
In retaliation he jumped backwards again, this time landing a few meters away from her, and held out his left hand, before clenching it into a fist. Within a second a large black box formed around the pink-haired captain–one with a bunch of spear-like protrusions that pierced from the top–halting her for a small moment. He took that moment to hide his right hand behind his back.
However, it only held her for a moment, before she slashed right through it. She didn't give him time to perform any other spells and closed the distance between them within the blink of an eye using Shunpo. It wasn't to the level of the Shihouin (no one can really be on their level when it comes to Shunpo) but it was fast enough for her.
She swung her sword upwards. Her Zanpakuto reached a single inch away from Tamashi's torso.
Her Zanpakuto cleaved slightly into his Shinigami attire, but it was not deep enough, unable to reach into his skin to draw blood. However, she believed that she still had her chance. He was looking downwards towards her, and at her sword's current trajectory she would be able to cleave into his chin.
But right when her sword reached the middle of his chest, he quickly brought his left hand up, which was giving off a light blue glow. To someone who has swung a sword all her life, it felt like time slowly stopped as she saw his hand approach her sword.
"!"
She reacted far too late, his glowing left hand grabbed onto her sword. At that moment the sword's trajectory did a complete 180 and propelled downwards. A small gust of wind was created from the contact between his hand and her sword, blowing her back a meter away with a gasp.
She gained her footing midair and landing on her two feet, stabbing her sword into the ground to keep her from dragging on.
"You–" She muttered. She honestly couldn't help but laugh. "You crazy bastard."
She laughed to herself as she gathered herself. Pulling her sword out of her ground and staring directly at her sparring opponent. The bloodthirsty smile on her face would have scared off anyone else.
"Retaliating my attack by grabbing onto my blade with Seki?"
Seki (Repulsion) was a spell that did as its name stated, it repelled attacks. Though most people would not use it unless they were training someone and the only ones who used it were Kido Corps members that had little to no physical strength. Most Shinigami can accomplish the same thing by using their own physical strength, so they did not find it necessary to learn Seki. After all, there were much more useful Kido (Bakudo and Hado) spells.
"Well… It did the job, didn't it?" He gave a small chuckle in response. The blue light faded off his left hand, revealing it to be completely unharmed.
He used his Kido manipulation to not only perform Seki but to use that spell to cloak his hands in a small protective barrier.
Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised by a person who can perform Kurohitsugi with a single gesture. She thought to herself.
A technique that would be copied by a certain Sosuke Aizen a thousand years down the line.
"Well, I know you would definitely want to keep fighting but I'd rather not fight the entire day." He spoke out loud, loud enough for her to year halfway across the yard.
She pouted in response.
Though her (unintentionally) cute expression did not affect his next decision in any way. "Since I think we should spend the day doing other activities, it would be better if we end it here."
That statement changed her expression from a pout to a bloodthirsty smile. "I'd like to see you try."
She swung her Zanpakuto to the side. Taking in a deep breath, preparing to unleash her Shikai.
"Cleave, Ju–" However she did not finish her release.
Tamashi threw his right hand forward–the same hand that he had been hiding behind his back. In front of him appeared a large blue sphere, lightning crackled from the sphere.
It occurred within half a second.
A lightning bolt shot forward, piercing her chest, before a bright blue strike of pure energy followed right after.
Hado Eighty-Eight?!
She didn't finish her Shikai release, her chant stopped before she could say it's name, and she held her sword forward to cleave the incoming attack in the middle.
The bright blue streak of lightning was cut in the middle, separating it and splitting it off into different directions. The attack caused a huge explosion in the 6th Division Barracks, one that could be seen across most of the Seireitei.
Before the dust could even finish, Tamashi held out his hand in front of him. His hand balled into a fist with the bottom aiming forward.
With record speed, eight black holes appeared around Saitou– though she couldn't see them because of the dust from the previous attack. Though she felt her entire body stiffen and then lock in place. She thought she saw a red aura surrounding her.
Finally, when the dust settled, she found her body surrounded by a red aura and a black sphere covering her torso, completely locking her in place.
"I win!"
Tamashi's victorious cheer echoed from across the yard.
She tried to talk, but the spell was even blocking her ability to speak. So she was stuck there releasing angry muffles for the next few seconds. It wasn't until Tamashi had walked across the yard towards her that he realized what he did.
"Oh– oops, sorry about that." He snapped his fingers. The red aura dissipated, and the large black hole shrunk, becoming the size of her palm.
"You–" She yelled, almost shrieking. "Hakudo is cheating!"
He never used high-level Hakudo spells in their spars, only using low-tier spells and higher-tier spells that didn't bind the user's opponents.
"Why? You used your Bankai during our first spar." He said.
"Yeah, but then I promised to never use it again unless we were using our full strength!" She yelled, and he swore he saw a vein popping on her forehead. "This would have been so great! Both of us using our full strength to break our tie. You just had to ruin it!"
"I know, I know." He sighed. Scratching his head in an exasperated manner. "I said I was going to finish this quickly, so I did."
Then he shrugged. "I could have done a full power Kurohitsugi, I've been practicing doing that without even saying the name."
"Then why didn't you!? I would have accepted that!"
"You may be three hundred years old, but I'm only two hundred. Doing a full-powered Kurohitsugi without the chant or name would require an hour of gathering Spiritual energy and concentration."
She really couldn't help but glare at him. "You do know that no one would be able to accomplish something like that, except maybe those in the Soul Palace."
Even then, doing something to that extent hasn't been heard of before. Even the one(s) who made the list of Kido Spells had to chant the spell's name before using them.
Accomplishing a full-powered high-level Kido spell without a chant or even the name hasn't been heard of. The closest thing would be casting that spell with a gesture, but even the greatest in Kido could only do that with low to mid-level spells. The lifeline and blood of a Kido spell lies in its name and incantation, without either one the spell would be weakened.
Let it also be known that Kido spells numbered ninety to ninety-nine are on an entirely different level than spells numbered one to eighty-nine. Hado spells numbered ninety to ninety-nine are the embodiment of "destruction", spells that were made to leave no trace of the casters' opponents. While Bakudo spells numbered ninety to ninety-nine are the embodiment of "sealing", spells that completely seal away an opponent/adversary and their power; it's believed that Yhwach was sealed using one of those spells.
Kido number one hundred is said to be a myth on its own.
"Anyways," Tamashi said. "I'd rather not constantly fight for an hour straight, so I finished our spar quickly, just like I said."
He did say that, but she was expecting, and hoping, that he would do something dramatic. A high level Hado spell, or something on that level.
Not– Not this.
"You know I'm not going to accept this." She spoke, however her glare looked more like a pout in Tamashi's eyes.
He sighed at her tenacity, though not disliking it. "Yeah, I suppose you won't."
"And the Head Captain isn't going to like this." Another voice called out.
Both of their heads turned towards the source of the voice. Right next to one of the destroyed walls stood a handsome young man, with caramel colored skin, bright white hair and piercing golden eyes.
Chika Shihouin stood with his arms crossed and with an amused expression on his face.
The captain of the 2nd Division and the leader of the Onmitsukidō (Stealth Force). He is also the current head of the Shihouin Clan; one of the great five clans of the Soul Society.
Essentially, he has as much political power in the Soul Society as (some would argue that he has even more than) Yamamoto, The Head Captain. The Head Captain himself had once said that the Gotei 13 was largely funded thanks to Chika and the Shihouin clan.
Essentially, the gathering of thirteen of the greatest and strongest criminals in the Soul Society is largely thanks to Yamamoto's legendary skills in leadership and the political pull of Chika and the Shihouin clan.
"Chika-chan!" Tamashi waved with a smile, "What are you doing here?"
Chika responded with a tilt of the head and a lopsided grin, pointing at the multiple broken walls. "Why do you think?"
"Ah–" The young Kido Corps member sweat dropped, and with his hand behind his head he gave an awkward laugh. "Ahahaha…."
"Before you start your ranting can you please get me out of here." Saitou turned to Chika and then back to Tamashi. She was still stuck within the Kuyō Shibari that Tamashi casted.
"Ah! Right, my bad." Without any gesture or indication, the black hole on Saitou's torso dissipated into nothing. She felt her body unlock, and just to test to see if she could move she flexed her fingers.
Stretching her arms and then cracking her head from side to side.
"Did the Head Captain send you here?" She asked, turning to Chika.
The Shihouin leader shook his head. "He was personally going to investigate but I knew exactly what was going on and decided to come here myself." He shrugged, "So I suppose I save you from another one of his lectures."
"Hah, thank you for that." Tamashi said, stretching and cracking his own fingers.
"But just to satisfy the old head captain I might as well say, don't you two have anywhere else to go? You create an even larger mess with every spar." Chika chided the two.
The young Kido Corps member held up his hands in surrender. "I wanted to start our spar later but Saitou just couldn't wait, so we started our fight here."
He felt her smack his shoulder. "Don't put the blame on me, you caused that explosion." She told him with a glare.
Chika sighed at their little antics, but he still had that calm smile on his face. "Well, I'm not exactly stopping you, but I think it would be better if you found another place to spar."
He looked towards the destroyed walls of the 6th Division's barrack.
"Someplace… far away from the Seireitei." He said, quietly enough to almost be a mumble.
"Yes Sir!" Tamashi saluted.
"Fine." Saitou huffed.
"I'll go tell the Head Captain that it was nothing this time, he's too preoccupied with handling Captain Zenjoji, who's honestly just being a brat at the moment." Chika said with a slight chuckle at the end. Saitou chuckled as well.
"Is he challenging the Head Captain to a fist fight again?" She asked, not even hiding the smile on her face.
Chika joined her, letting his own amused smile clear on his face. "Yup, he won't let up this time."
Chika turned around and waved to the two. "See ya later, and don't cause a mess like this again please! I won't be able to stop the Head Captain next time!" He warned the two younger Shinigami, before he vanished without a trace.
The two stared at where the 2nd Division Captain last was for a few more seconds before Saitou turned towards Tamashi.
"So…" She drawled. "What did you want to do? I wouldn't be as mad if you stopped our battle early for something important."
Or something fun, she didn't need to add that part though, Tamashi already knew the kind of person she was by now.
However…
"Ah." He stood still, people of the modern times would describe the look as a 'deer stuck in headlights'.
"I uh– I was hoping you would have any ideas, did you only have our spar planned for today?"
She stared at him, and he truly couldn't make out what she was thinking. She merely gave him a blank stare for a minute straight.
"You didn't even have anything planned?" She finally asked, very slowly.
And at this moment, Tamashi realized that he made a horrible mistake, and perhaps he should have just waited that hour for a Kurohitsugi.
(A/N)
Perhaps it isn't the best idea to work on a story about the first Captains of the Gotei 13 when we know so little about most of them. However, I'm going to do it anyways, because why not? There's also a lot of exposition on things that aren't confirmed in canon, however they seem like the most reasonable explanations for stuff.
In other words, in this story I hope to go more in depth with not only the Gotei 13 but other things in the Bleach universe that aren't really talked about (Such as Kido and the Kido Corps). Who knows, all it takes is one chapter from Kubo (or even one interview) to completely demolish all of my plans for this story, but I'm still going to take that risk.
Well, with that said, any reviews and criticism are greatly appreciated! Thank you for taking a minute out of your life to read this mediocrity.
And I'll see you all later!
-Love,
An Idiot on the internet.