Chapter 9
Descent ye Demon of the Bloody Sword
Music
Enemy Unseen; Bleach OST, Heat of the Battle; Bleach OST
The central courtyard was a serene setting, thin paths of tanned stone spread like veins through small islands of healthy green grass. Rows of sakura trees lined the islands, their pink petals falling in droves onto the ground. Naruto climbed out the window, landed in a crouch and looked around, breathing in the scent of the surrounding plants and sighing happily. It was good to be out of that hospital. Standing up, shoving his hands into his pockets he strolled onto one of the tanned stone paths and walked towards the large gates leading from the 4th Division barracks to the main streets.
The ring of a bell
He stopped, feeling an incredibly powerful spiritual pressure, so strong that it felt like its raw power was trying to crush him. There was something more. There was something extra to this spiritual pressure that brought a bone tingling chill to him. It was intent to kill, just by feeling it he felt like a blade was against his throat.
Another ring
"Are you the one?"
He looked up to see a darkened silhouette crouched on the roof of the main building, looking down at him. He couldn't see this mans eyes, but he felt his unbridled, blood thirsty joy.
Another ring
"What's wrong with you" the voice came from behind him "How long are you going to stare at that empty space?"
He spun around to see a tall figure leaning against the trunk of the closest sakura tree, the shadows spread from the branches above concealing his upper body. The man was at least seven feet tall and heavily muscular, his hair was long and spiked and his clothes, a pair of Shinigami robes with a haori were torn and ripped in several places. A sword was in his hand, the serrated blade leaning against his side.
His form gave a surreal, deadly aura in stark contrast to the serene surroundings. He took a step forward, and the shadows left his upper body to show his features. His face was long and rugged with an eye patch tightly secured over his left eye. His skin was tanned and crisscrossed with scars. The man looked like one of those berserker soldiers of old legend, a warrior whose only purpose was to find and kill opponents.
Instinctively he took a step back "Who are you?"
The captain's mouth formed into a malicious grin "Captain of the thirteen Imperial Court Guard Divisions, 11th Division, Kanpachi Zaraki"
"What do you want with me?"
The grin seemed to widen, if that was even possible. His rietsu flared, becoming visible, encompassing his form in twisted yellow light, the light flickering in the air as if it were flames of some malevolent fire. He felt the killer intent in the spiritual pressure, so much so that the chill in his bones dropped by a few more degrees. For but a moment he swore he could see the huge form of a yellow skull hanging above the man, it was only for a moment.
"To fight"
He was in front of Naruto then, his sword held high over his head for a downward stroke. Instinctively he grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakuto and drew it, bringing the blade up just in time to block. The strength behind the stroke was so powerful that it created a crater at the blonde's feet. Body shivering, teeth clenched, Naruto could barely hold back the combat captains sword.
"Not bad" Zaraki grinned "Good instincts, descent stance, not bad spiritual pressure either"
Naruto jumped back several feet "What the hell are you doing!?"
The captain smirked, raising his sword from the ground and pointing it at him "I'm putting you through a special entrance examination for my squad"
"Huh" Naruto looked at him like he had just escaped from a madhouse.
"I hear you have skills" Kenpachi said with a grin "I want to see if it's true or just a load of bull"
He swung his sword, forcing Naruto to bring his up to block, the two blades met with a screeching clank, the force behind Zaraki's swing sending the blonde skidding to the side by a few feet. He grunted. The strike had so much physical power behind it that it jarred his sword arm.
Desperately he bated the blade away, and went on the offensive, swinging his sword at the larger man in controlled swings and stabs, which Zaraki countered with little to no effort. Finally he got an opening, feinting a high attack he changed the direction of his swing to a diagonal stroke. It should have sliced a shallow slash wound across his chest. But it didn't, the blade didn't even nick him. It struck his skin and stopped, almost like it hit a suit of armour instead of unprotected flesh.
"Is that all" Kenpachi asked, disappointment in his face "I expected better from you kid"
"What the hell"
"It won't work Blondie"
He looked up to see the youthful features of a little girl, no more than five or six years old, leaping onto Kenpachi's shoulder and standing there like a parrot. She looked down at him and smiled an innocent smile.
"Ken-chan's spiritual pressure is so dense that it protects him, only spiritual pressure honed to a razor sharp edge can hurt him" she leaned forward "But yours is all fuzzy, you're scared of him, and as long as you're afraid of Ken-chan you can't cut him"
"Aren't you talkative today" Zaraki said, swinging his sword up to rest against his free shoulder "But she's right. I expected better from a supposed prodigy, at least last long enough to clear the rust of this thing"
He brought his Zanpakuto down upon Naruto, who jumped just out of its reach. As the sword hit the ground it sent an explosion of dirt and released rietsu into the air. He hit the ground and skidded across the courtyard to a halt, their little fight was gaining attention. He needed to get away from here before someone got hurt.
He spun around and broke out in a run, rushing through the entrance to the main street. Kenpachi watched him go and sighed "Running huh, how boring"
------
The explosion caught the attention of many. In the wards and corridors patients and medical staff seemed ready to panic. The only thing stopping them from doing so was the half dozen squads of armed 4th Division soldiers rushing through the corridors in columns. But it only just stopped them from panicking, out of all the squads the 4th wasn't known for its combat ability.
At the reception both Aizen and Hirako turned around, eyes wide as they felt the incredibly powerful spike of spiritual pressure emanate from the front. That could only mean one thing. That 11th Division captain had finally found the hospital, and from the blood thirsty glee they felt he had also found his target.
"Damn" Shinji cursed silently and vanished from view with a quick Shunpo. Sosuke was a split second behind him, leaving behind a confused reception nurse in they're wake.
------
In her private quarters Retsu Unohana looked up from her cup of herbal green tea, frowning as the tremors subsided. She carefully set her cup on the short legged table and rose to her feet. She needed to investigate this.
------
Shikamaru looked up at the swinging light, frowning "Did you guys hear that?"
"We aren't paralysed" Temari replied "Of course we felt that"
Sakura didn't answer. She knew on instinct that something was wrong. She couldn't tell how but she felt it in her very bones. Something was wrong, seriously wrong.
------
He ran down the street as fast as he possibly could, upper body leaning forward, arms behind him, feet almost a blur. He felt the deadly rietsu of his pursuer, the blade still held firmly against his throat, like some unseen enemy was waiting for the perfect moment to make the final, decisive strike. He turned a corner and rushed up the road, finally coming to what in his opinion was as good a battleground as any.
The path opened up into a large, empty courtyard, white tiles covered the ground, the usual storey high building stretched out into a square. It was open ground, no where to hide or to run, but it also meant that his enemy couldn't sneak up on him, though from the crushing spiritual pressure he guessed that wasn't his opponents intension. His opponents intension was to hunt him like a wolf prowling for a stray sheep, he wanted to corner Naruto, wound him, kill him and dissect him.
He was being chased by a captain-class Shinigami, the famed Kenpachi Zaraki no less. He had heard the stories, how he was undefeatable, how he couldn't be cut. Naruto felt a hairsbreadth away from outright panic, and berated himself for feeling such fear. He had faced seemingly 'impossible to beat' enemies before, what was the difference with this one? The fact that his rietsu was enough to make Pein look like a child wielding a stick was probably a good start.
"What's the matter with you?"
He was swallowed inside a black abyss. He felt like he was falling, an unnatural wind howled at his ears, overrunning his senses and making him grit his teeth in pain. Suddenly his feet landed on solid ground and he stood on his dreamscape once again. He wasn't standing on the Hokage stone faces this time. He stood just outside the great wooden gates which served as the main entrance through the hidden villages battlements.
He walked through the gates, feeling uncomfortable with the lack of colour in his inner world, every building, battlement, tree, bush and piece of stone was shaded in blacks, whites and greys. It was almost depressing. He walked past the guard post, expecting to see a duo of Konoha Chuunin standing guard, nobody was there. As he walked through the streets he found that there was no one in the village at all, not one person walked the cobbled streets. The entire area was deserted of any life besides his own.
He followed the path to the centre of the village, where the central building, overshadowed by the great stone faces of the mighty Hokage stood proud and tall above all the other single, double and triple storey buildings. But he stopped, feeling something tug at his being. He changed direction, going down a lesser known path to him. Ten minutes of walking and he was standing before the gates of the Uchiha residence. He felt revulsion at seeing that crest. Every Uchiha he had ever met turned out to be a traitor, a liar and a cold blooded killer.
It was the last of the Uchiha who burned Konoha to the ground, the world was better off without them. His thoughts were dark, but he knew that they were well deserved. He followed his instincts and took a step through the wooden gates into the compound, fighting back his wish to turn around and never set foot in this place again. He walked down the main street, passing by simple wooden houses and family owned stores, the Uchiha compound was a small village in and off itself, able to survive independently from the main village if the need ever arose.
He stopped and looked upon the main house of the clan, the place where the clan leader and his family lived. The place the likes of Itachi and Sasuke called home. He took a deep breath, calmed himself and walked up to the front entrance, gently pushing open the sliding door and entering the house. He walked through the hallway, into the kitchen and out into the back garden, looking solemnly at the grey grass and the empty fish pond. He followed the wooden passage leading around the house, finally coming to a set of double doors. He reached out and opened them.
Inside was a simple, if somewhat large, storeroom, completely empty of the food and equipment it most likely used to contain. Standing beside the outhouses only window was his Zanpakuto. Kazerasshu did not acknowledge Naruto's presence until he entered the store and closed the door behind him.
"Ah you found me" his Zanpakuto said after a moment of silence "Good, your sensing abilities are more advanced than you give yourself credit for"
"It's not the place I would have chosen" Naruto said, a little vehemence in his voice.
"Which is why I chose it" Kazerasshu replied, facing his wielder "Why do you run?"
"Excuse me"
"Why do you run from him, you know that unless you face him he will never stop chasing you" when Naruto did not answer right away he continued "Are you afraid of death?"
"I wasn't afraid of him because I could die facing him" Naruto replied "I wanted to get him away from that hospital"
"An animal he may be" his Zanpakuto rebuked mildly "But a mindless killer he is not, he has no interest in that hospital, he only has interest in you"
"But why"
"He is a man who lives off of battle and death. It is in his blood, it flows through his veins, and it crawls under his skin. He sees a challenge in you. That is all"
"He's a captain"
"He does not know the name of his Zanpakuto, and your spiritual pressure is enough to match him" he took a step forward "Hold your ground, stand steady, sword in your hands. Meet him with pride, the pride of the Uzumaki, the pride of the Namikaze, the pride of a Hokage!"
He took a deep cleansing breath and opened his eyes. His oceanic orbs glowed with barely contained rietsu.
"Stopped running huh?" he turned to see Kenpachi enter the courtyard, a grin on his face "Have you finally decided to stand and fight"
"Sorry for the delay" he smiled. In a smooth motion he drew Kazerasshu from its sheath, and held out the blade in front of him, he closed his eyes, felt the raw power emanating from the sword. A hand settled on his shoulder, his Zanpakuto floating mere millimetres behind him.
"Do you see?"
Naruto looked up with eyes imbued with rietsu.
"You have one advantage. He does not know the name of his sword, he can't even hear him"
Holding onto that small smile he ran his free hand along the blade of his Zanpakuto and called out the incantation "Descend, Kazerasshu!"
Zaraki looked at the released form of the kid's sword. The hilt was long and thin. The blade was at least a meter in length, and its design brought a savage grin to his face, it was designed to maim and kill, maybe the kid was worthy of his squad after all. He threw his head back and laughed his delight to the world.
"Brilliant" he crowed "Excellent, I can feel the determination flowing off you boy. You might just be a challenge after all!"
He soared forward, his unnamed sword held out in front of him, in response Naruto broke out into a run, his sword held in front of him, his eyes not even blinking at the mad captain's approach. The two blades met, and when they did a huge explosion rocked the foundations of the Soul Society.
------
"Damn what an explosion"
"Shouldn't we do something Taicho?"
He glowered at his lieutenant for a moment, before shaking his head "Nah. Let's see how long the kid lasts. If it gets too serious then we'll jump in"
Aizen nodded and brought his attention back to the fight. Outside he seemed perfectly calm, inside his mind was going through several different outcomes, no matter how unlikely. The chance of Uzumaki winning against this man was very unlikely. Even if he had the advantage of knowing the name of his sword the pure overwhelming power of Zaraki was such that in most cases it would be considered mute.
------
The sword cut diagonally across his chest, blood spurting from the recently opened wound. It was a shallow slash, not deep enough to cause any serious injury. He jumped back from the captain, noticing the drip of blood which flew from the tip of his sword as he landed. Zaraki looked down at the lesion, his face covered in shadow.
First blood to me Naruto thought with rising confidence.
The madman threw his head back, laughing thunderously before setting a gleeful gaze at Naruto, in such a situation that gaze, that grin brought a chill up his spine.
"There, I knew you could do it!" Naruto looked at him in shock, he had just been cut, he was bleeding and yet he seemed so utterly joyful "But don't relax yet boy. Stay alert, stay very alert!"
With that maniacal grin he brought down his sword, and another explosion of spiritual pressure made the surrounding area shudder. In response Naruto batted his sword away and swung, connecting the two blade protrusions on his swords spine with Kenpachi's side. They bit deep, drawing blood. It didn't even slow him down. He grabbed Kazerasshu, the blade cutting his hand, stopping Naruto from backing away and with a little exertion spun it, taking Naruto with it. He then stabbed out with his sword, aiming to impale and kill.
Naruto moved his body slightly, missing the ragged blade by millimetres. It cut through his hakama, grazing his skin. He then lashed out with a foot, catching Zaraki in the chest with enough force to force him to release his sword. He used the momentum, somersaulting and coming down in a crouch. The mad captain came at him again and Naruto stabbed out with his sword.
It just caught Zaraki in the nose, the blade digging in a millimetre, he didn't stop. He continued his approach, Kazerasshu carving a gash across his left cheek. Blood spilled down his face, adding a demonic façade to that monstrous grin. Shocked by his opponent's reckless abandon he sidestepped, just missing a strike which would have cleaved him in half. He then swung his sword, slashing across his left shoulder and spilling more blood.
Kenpachi swung his sword, missing Naruto as he ducked into a crouch "I haven't had this much fun in ages!!!"
"What the hell is wrong with you!?"
"What do you mean" Zaraki laughed, his voice tinged with delight as he swung and stabbed with his sword, forcing Naruto to block and parry as he stepped back "Your spiritual pressure is immense, your reactions are excellent, you have enough brain power to think on your feet and create strategy in the heat of battle!" Naruto ducked another swing and used the momentum of his bent legs to jump, bringing his foot around for a roundhouse kick, he struck Zaraki in the face, snapping his head around and making him stagger back, he spat out a glob of blood "Swordsmanship is descent, your hand-to-hand is top rate…so how can you be this strong and not love fighting!!?"
What the hell is going on!? He thought as he slashed a deep gash along his opponents shoulder I'm inflicting more damage than him, but I keep cutting and cutting and he just doesn't fall he parried a straight stab and swung for Zaraki, the blade going through his left side, spilling more blood He can't be invincible. Everything has a breaking point!
He stabbed with his sword, cutting an incision along the mad captains abdomen. But before he could pull it free Kenpachi grabbed the blade with his bare hand again and lashed out with his Zanpakuto. It caught Naruto in the side, the only reason it didn't go through his chest was because he let go of his blade and tried to jump out of the way. Naruto balled up his fists and punched him right in the jaw. It barely slowed him down. He dropped Kazerasshu and started swinging again. The blonde fell upon all of his reflexes to dodge the sword swipes, fell into a crouch to miss a swing, dived passed him and grabbing his Zanpakuto came up to a knee, his blade held ready in his hands.
He took a breath and raised himself to his feet, watching as the 11th division captain looked up at the sky, his breath coming out in rasping gasps. He was definitely feeling his wounds now. Suddenly he started laughing again "Excellent. We're so evenly matched its difficult to tell who is stronger" he reached up to his face with his free hand "Against you I think I can fight without restraint!"
He grabbed the eye patch and pulled it from his face. Within the space of a heartbeat the spiritual pressure emanating from him increased tenfold. The pure power of it completely overwhelmed Naruto's senses and he instinctively took a step back. He knew that captains were powerful, but he had no idea.
"Damn" he whispered to himself, for a moment all he could do was watch the spectacle in awe and fascination. The yellow spiritual pressure flared as it encompassed him like wild flames, it was so dense that it burned the very ground the captain was standing on.
He caught himself on just as Kenpachi raised his sword and swung it, but it wasn't aimed at him. A massive, paper thin crack appeared along the northern wall, stretching all the way from its right to left side. For a moment nothing happened, then the top half started to slip from the bottom, he heard cracking and grinding noises as the seki seki rock keeping it connected to the west and east walls gave in under the strain. An explosion followed as the wall hit the ground, sending debris and dust into the air.
He took a step back.
"Stand firm"
He twisted his head round to see Kazerasshu's spirit form standing beside him, his eyes not leaving the almighty power of Kenpachi Zaraki. He turned to look Naruto in the eyes, silver orbs starring into his, leaf headband glinting from the released yellow rietsu.
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes" he replied with finality, this was his Zanpakuto, the extension of his soul. Not trusting him would be akin to not trusting himself.
"Then do as I say. Hold your sword over your head and concentrate your rietsu into the blade"
He complied; lifting the massive sword over his head and concentrated his spiritual pressure. He felt his sword sing with energy, it was a beautiful sound to his ears.
To Kenpachi the boy's rietsu flared with barely controlled energy. His form was suddenly encompassed by a fiery crimson spiritual pressure, starting at his feet as a spark which ignited, travelling up his legs and torso before splitting into his arms and head. The fire burned with an incredible intensity, and as Kenpachi looked on he saw a form appear over his head. A long sinewy snout baring rows of razor sharp, bone crushing teeth, dark abyss eyes, long pointed ears. It looked like the head of a snarling fox.
Most people would feel fear upon looking at such a thing, but Kenpachi grinned from ear to ear instead. His yellow rietsu flared up to match the sudden spike of power coming from the boy. A skull appeared over his head, eternal darkness in its eyes and open mouth "Not bad boy, are you ready!?"
Naruto took a deep breath "Ready as I'll ever be!"
Kenpachi threw his head back and laughed. He really liked this kid. Concentrating his spiritual pressure into his sword he charged forward. Blade pointed towards his target. Naruto waited, his sword held firmly over his head, his spiritual pressure stable and controlled. As the captain came within range he heard the voice of his Zanpakuto.
"Cut!!!"
He brought his sword down, smashing into Kenpachi's blade. The following explosion was deafening.
------
Aizen looked at the explosion with wide eyed disbelief. He knew this boy was strong but what he had just seen was far higher than even his most promising expectations. The explosion was like two separate tidal waves of spiritual pressure slamming into each other, crimson and yellow jockeying for possession.
The wind picked up and howled to the point where he expected a tornado to fall on that same spot. The western wall, the wall behind Kenpachi Zaraki gained several dozen small vein-like cracks. Then it crumbled and collapsed in a mass of debris and dust. In response the wall to the east was levelled by an incredibly powerful blast of condensed rietsu, like a great storm had hit it and folded it over as if the structure were made of paper.
"Would you look at that" his captain's voice had lost all of its humour, and was replaced by one of awe and respect "The kid really is something special"
You have no idea
------
The moment she felt that vast spike of spiritual pressure she knew that Kenpachi had found Naruto and the situation was bad, really bad. She shunpo'd from rooftop to rooftop with incredible speed and precision, her form wouldn't register to anyone below the rank of captains' senses as more than a split second blur.
She had left Kisuke to come at his own pace. He wouldn't have been able to keep up with her even if he wanted too. She bit her lower lip and cursed her foolishness, expecting Zaraki to get lost somewhere in the outer sectors of the soul society was just wishful thinking, she berated herself repeatedly.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Naruto was her student, she cared a great deal for him and she would be damned if that overgrown narcissist was going to kill him.
------
The wind picked up, the mass of dust which hung over the courtyard like a shroud began to dissipate, and through the shadows were two dark silhouettes. One was standing. The other was crumpled on the ground.
Zaraki looked down at Naruto for a moment, the boy was lying face down on the cracked floor, blood spewing from several deep cuts, nothing fatal though. He stood there for just a moment more, then staggered as blood exploded from several recently opened gashes. He plunged his Zanpakuto into the ground in a bid to keep himself steady, watching as a pool of blood spilled onto the rock.
Through his huffing gasps for breath he managed a weak smile "Not bad boy. Not bad at all"
He saw a blur of motion from the corner of his eye, and turned his head just as a foot connected with his face, sending him stumbling back a couple of steps. He looked up. The captain of 2nd Division, Yoruichi Shihoin, somersaulted in midair and landed on her feet, her captains haori and shoulder length purple hair flapping in the wind. She fell into a fighting stance.
He ignored her and turned around to leave, stagger here and there as he walked. Sword leaning against his shoulder he raised his free hand "I'm done with him"
She watched him go. When she was sure he had left she turned and ran to Narutos' side. Falling to her knees she rolled him over on his back and checked him over with a basic medical Kido. He was alive, but unless he got some medical treatment he wouldn't last. She used her back to lift him up and vanished with a flash towards the 4th division barracks.
She stopped on the roof of the last good wall at the courtyard, looking at the destruction wrought upon it. Three walls had collapsed, the stone ground tiles were cracked by sword gashes, burn marks and some had been shattered by the power unleashed. To force Zaraki to fight at that level was a remarkable feat.
She looked at Narutos face and shook her head in bemusement "You are one scary kid"
------
Don't tell me
He opened his eyes and groaned.
Oh god, not again
White ceiling, drab walls, window, bedside table, he was in the 4th division barracks…again.
Forget mascot, Unohana nee-san is probably going to give me my own private room!
"Let me see, Naruto Uzumaki, discharged 2:32pm, returned 2:50pm" he looked over to see Yoruichi standing at the bottom of his bed, holding onto a clipboard which undoubtedly had his medical information on it "I think I'll put you forward for a world record for the amount of times you enter a hospital"
"Funny" Naruto stated dryly.
"I think so" she replied, dropping the file back into the satchel at the bottom of his bed, she walked to the window and sat on the pane "Naruto, I have a proposition for you"
"Oh"
"You don't have to answer straight away, and you can turn down the position" she explained "But I want you in my squad. I've already spent several hours talking about it with the old man, and as long as you agree there is no problem"
Naruto nodded, taking it in "You should know by now Yoruichi-senpai that my speciality isn't covert ops"
"I'm losing Kisuke by the end of the week" she explained, taking him by surprise "I've put his name forward for the Captains examination"
"He knows bankai?"
"Why do you sound so surprised" she asked with a pout "He's known it for quite a while, he just doesn't want to show it"
He thought about it for a moment "I accept"
She looked at him "You don't have to agree right away. I'm not going to be giving you as high a seat as some of the others might"
"I don't want it handed to me on a silver platter Yoruichi-senpai" he explained "I want to earn everything I get, I won't be accepting special handouts for a position I may not yet be ready for" She hid a smile as he reaffirmed his earlier answer "I accept, thank you Yoruichi-senpai"
She nodded and made to leave, out the door this time just to please Unohana. But before she opened the sliding door she turned to face him "Naruto"
"Hmm"
"Its Yoruichi-taicho now" she shook her head and gave him a wink "Stuff both Senpai and Taicho, just call me Yoruichi"
He smiled widely "Sure thing"
------
"You can't be serious"
Aizen looked up at his captain "Sadly yes. Kenpachi-Taicho got Yamachika Aesygawa and Madarame Ikkaku before he confronted Naruto-kun. Haruno Sakura had already sent a letter designated her wish to enter the 4th Division. That was accepted. Kazekage Temari has been accepted into the 3rd Division and Nara Shikamaru to the 10th Division"
"Are you screwing with me?"
"I would never do that Taicho"
"Nooooo" he screamed, falling to his hands and knees and slamming his fists through the timber floor "This can't be happening, the most talented group of trainees in a century and I missed every single one of them!!!"
His Vice-Captain looked at him with a bored expression before trying in a mild way to console him "There's always next year"
His consoling only seemed to infuriate his captain even more.
It is decided that I am going to change the rating of this fanfic to M, first one. Now moving on I did a little research on Kenpachi Zaraki, using the Bleach wiki and Volume 13 of the Bleach Manga as my materiel to try and get his character down, I hope I did it right.