At any other time, being surrounded by the confines of forest would've soothed Sajin and ease any worries that plagued him. His sharp hearing and strong sense of smell were naturally attuned to the woodlands he lived amongst for most his life.
But now, the forest only inspired panic. Sajin was hunted, and Kaname taken by men so fast, he never saw them. Only smelled their scent, which made Sajin bare his fangs and charge through the woods, leaving behind a path of destruction.
Bloodlust completely took over Sajin as he desperately searched for any trace of Kaname and those who took him.
"KOMA—" Kaname's shrill voice cried out before cutting short.
"Kaname!" Sajin turned his head towards that voice, his heart racing beyond control. He ran towards the direction his ears flickered to, pushing aside trees and bursting through thorny bushes.
Eventually, he came upon a group of four figures, all of whom wore cloaks that concealed their faces. At the center, Kaname appeared restrained against his will with a hand firmly pressed over his mouth.
"Let him go!" Sajin bellowed out, desperation in his golden eyes. "He's just a kid!"
"Oh, I'd love to," one mysterious figure said. "But first you must die."
Sajin skipped a breath. He hadn't the faintest idea why these humans he towered over seemed so confident. There wasn't an inkling of fear he could sniff out from them. Only the desire to kill.
"That's my father! Leave him alone!" Kaname shouted before biting the hand that gagged him.
"Ow!" One of them smacked Kaname in the head, knocking him out cold. "Sheesh, is this little dipshit blind or something?"
"He is," another blankly said.
Sajin's fur stood on end as rage consumed him. The urge of ripping into flesh grew so great, his paws trembled, as did his muzzle. He roared in full force before charging into the scoundrels who dared raise a hurtful hand against Kaname.
But as he neared, his sharp claws just within reach, all of them disappeared along with Kaname. Few seconds later, four swords drove into Sajin's back.
His eyes widened, unable to comprehend. The sensation of warm liquid trickled down his fur, followed by the burning of pain.
"Too easy, too easy!" One of them laughed behind Sajin. "All that size! All that bulk! No fight whatsoever."
Sajin growled as he twisted his entire frame around and threw a massive punch, only to receive nothing but the brush of air. Desperate, Sajin continued to fight, enduring the relentless stabbings and slashings. His instinctual urge to protect Kaname at all costs was the only thing that drove him, as the ground beneath teemed with his blood.
"Who are you people?!" Sajin growled out in ferocious rage. "You fight like the shinigami, yet aren't wearing their uniforms!"
"Your hunters," one said.
Sajin almost laughed at the irony. Never in his life had he ever considered the possibility of becoming prey.
After more desperate fighting raged on, Sajin collapsed onto his knees. He no longer possessed the strength to stand. Not a shred of his fur remained untouched from blood, and almost every muscle in him beared the brunt of sharpened steel.
The strange feeling of coldness ensnared Sajin.
But as his hopelessness grew, Sajin sensed Kaname's presence near. He couldn't see him, couldn't even smell him amidst all the spilt blood. But still, he found a glimmer of peace in that presence, no matter how faint. It reminded Sajin of his Brightest Star, his One Wish Come True. Warmth rekindled in his heart.
"Though you're groveling on your knees, you still tower above us," one of them said. "I've never witnessed a beast like you."
All four of the cloaked figures stood in front of the kneeling form of Sajin, their blades drenched in his blood. He bowed his furred head low in seeming defeat. Never once did he budge.
"It's nothing personal," another said. A dripping sword pressed itself on Sajin's thick neck. "But animals exist solely for the needs and desires of man. Surely a beast such as yourself would understand."
The same sword that embraced Sajin's neck pulled back, before thrusting forward in full force.
"Komamura!" Kaname cried out, horrified.
Sajin snarled as fury gleamed in his golden eyes. He lifted a massive paw, and without flinching, caught the flung blade in his grasp.
"What!?" Shocked gasps aired, stunned by the blade lodged in Sajin's paw.
Blood was drawn; the blade even cutted deep into his skin. But Sajin never cared to notice. Before any could react, he lunged at the figure whose blade remained embedded in his paw, and sunk his sharp fangs into their back. Only the crunch of bone stopped him. Not a single drop of life lingered in their mangled corpse.
"You accursed fiend!" One shouted, enraged by the grisly fate of their friend. They charged at Sajin with sword raised high. The giant wolf waited, mauled corpse grinding in his jaws, until the perfect moment showed itself. Sajin spat out the dead body and clenched his fangs firmly tight around the sword, holding it aloft in his muzzle.
"I-Impossible…" The cloaked figure stood in front of Sajin, absolutely terrified. They stared at those bloodied fangs biting into their blade.
Sajin brought both his paws onto the arms of the cloaked figure who never moved, and with a loud roar, steadily pulled them apart. They soon resembled nothing more than piles of torn flesh.
Another cloaked figure rushed behind Sajin and plunged their blade into his vulnerable back, stabbing him. Sajin snarled angrily before twisting around and grabbing them with his paws. They struggled in his massive grasp, trying their hardest in escaping, but to no avail.
Sajin smashed their head repeatedly onto the ground as they screamed. The blaring noise ceased when nothing of their head remained, except for the splatter of brain.
Only one cloaked figure was left standing, and they trembled uncontrollably. Whether from rage or fright, Sajin never knew.
"I-I can't leave you alive." They teetered on the verge of tears, their trembling worsening. "Those were all my best friends…"
"Then come."
The cloaked figure charged, shouting a war cry for the vengeance of slaughtered friends. Sajin stayed still, glaring at them like the many countless prey he hunted and devoured. Even as they rushed closer and eventually reached within a hair's breadth, Sajin stilled his breath.
When the blade submerged into his stomach, Sajin reared one of his large arms and punched through the cloaked figure's chest. Such immense force was brought to bear, Sajin sent their heart flying until it splattered onto a tree.
The two stared at each other, before the cloaked figure wavered on their feet and collapsed onto the ground. Sajin pulled out the swords embedded in his stomach and back, throwing them away unceremoniously. His bloodlust had worn off as the carnage before him filled his vision. Almost none of the mysterious people who attacked him resembled anything close to human anymore.
And amidst all the gore stood Kaname. Sajin widened his eyes. The young child appeared to be seized by terror, unable to see the brutal butchery, but fully capable of smelling the stench of torn apart human as it invaded the air.
Sajin ran to him and picked his small body up, hugging him close. Sajin couldn't stop whimpering like a young pup, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relief.
"Komamura!" Kaname tried his hardest to not cry as he snuggled amidst fur. "I was so scared! I didn't want you to die…"
"It's alright, i'm fine," Sajin rumbled as he placed a comforting paw on Kaname's hair—the same paw that was sliced into. "We bleed and suffer, but still stand. That's all that matters."
But only a second passed before Sajin felt pain surging from within him. It felt so intense, so mind numbingly excruciating, he fell to his knees.
"Koma!" Kaname shouted fearfully. He landed beside Sajin as his giant frame shook violently. "What happened!?"
"I'm not sure…" Sajin rasped in anguish. His chest burned as though ravished by a raging fire deep inside him, and his throat tickled with every breath he mustered.
"Ahahaha!" The cloaked figure whose heart was punched out wheezed. "It works! It finally works! The poison potent enough to bring down 500 Hollows... The poison imbued in our blades…" They murmured before lifelessly staring up at the clouds.
Sajin's knees gave out and he collapsed onto the ground, no longer having the strength to breathe. A lingering thought tormented him. Was this the end? He didn't want to die, didn't want to perish and leave Kaname by his lonesome self. There was so much to look forward to, the thought of death tortured him unlike anything he endured in this cruel life of his.
But as despair reigned, Kaname's innocent face filled his vision, and for a fleeting moment, Sajin found peace.
"Run, Kaname…" He whispered in his withered voice.
"But I can't leave you here!"
Sajin smiled, reserved and content. "You're strong, stronger than even me. I believe in you."
"But we can still hunt together!" Kaname pulled on one of Sajin's paws desperately. "We can still howl under the moon! We can still live…"
With the remainder of his waning strength, Sajin wrapped a large furred arm around Kaname, embracing him close with his fluffy head. Love ferociously raged on in the last beats of his heart.
"Thank you for making me love the world again, Kaname…"
Sajin never made the slightest movement after those words. Only the calm gusts of wind brushing through his fur evoked any sense of movement.
It became clear to Kaname that Sajin was no longer with him.
A severe tightness panged in his chest as he held back tears. At least he didn't succumb to crying. Kaname felt somewhat proud. He could tell Sajin never wanted him to cry and dwell on the past, but rather continue living with his head held high. So as the hurt persisted, and the tears begged for release, he endured for Sajin.
But where should he go? Would any place tolerate him? How should he live? So many questions filled his mind, but one question alone traumatized him.
How could he bury Sajin? He didn't possess anywhere near the strength one needed to carry a giant wolf around. He imagined only the forest could take care of him.
Kaname buried his face into the fur of Sajin's burly arm and broke down crying.
(Many, many decades later…)
Kaname relaxed into the feel of his Shihakushō. He stood on a hill overlooking the Seireitei, home to the Gotei 13. In front of him laid a modest memorial, dedicated to his father who shaped Kaname into the proud man he matured as.
It's been such a long journey. Kaname met new friends, lost a few, and became a lifeline even fewer relied on. He stared death in the eye many times, and honed his skills without sleep, often for days on end. Eventually, he blossomed into a shinigami.
Yet after all this time, Kaname couldn't forget a single waking moment he spent with Sajin.
Kaname remembered, after Sajin had died, he made it an endeavor to visit him every week. Hunger and tiredness never mattered.
On the first week, Sajin remained in his peaceful eternal sleep, undisturbed and untouched. On the second, Sajin's body began decomposing. On the third, Sajin vanished from the face of earth, leaving behind nothing but the remnants of his skeleton.
Hurt as he was, Kaname smiled. Sajin returned to the only place that accepted him without prejudice. The forest.
Tomorrow on the next day, Kaname mourned again at the memorial, this time with a friend that became his own very lifeline, Kakyō. Over the years, she acted as an ear to his many stories of his youth most others would've branded as absurd. But above all else, Kakyō strived to follow the path of least bloodshed, and Kaname cherished this philosophy of hers.
"Kakyō…" Kaname began, somewhat unsure of his next words. "Why did you become a shinigami?" A deeply personal thing to ask, but he couldn't resist. He wanted to know.
Kakyō lifted her gaze up towards the skies. "I want to build a more peaceful world, a world where dark clouds no longer obscure the sky above."
"That sounds a lot like you," Kaname fondly said, smiling.
"And what about you?" Kakyō asked.
"Justice for the one who raised me."
Justice… Justice…
That one word gripped Kaname's heart in its entirety, but even he had to admit that wasn't what he truly sought after. Instead, Kaname yearned for closure. He yearned for an explanation on why Sajin had to die. Often did he find himself asking the night sky, faraway and unseeable to him, why Sajin had to be taken away so violently. Kaname wanted answers.
What better way to find them than join the same organization responsible for the death of your father?
Even as a blind child back then, Kaname was well aware those disguised men who attacked Sajin weren't simple bandits or thieves. They were shinigami. Their lifeless zanpakutō proved this fact an obvious reality.
However, Kaname was uncertain whether those four disguised shinigami acted alone, or acted on orders from some superior. He researched if any past decree ordered the death of wolf-men or Sajin specifically, but Kaname never found a hint of either.
Thus began an arduous investigation borne single handedly from Kaname's will. He searched every institution he swore to protect with an oath, even his own squad, the Ninth. Eventually, Kaname discovered something quite chilling. In one of the lavish estates that belonged to the royal families, the Tsunayashiro estate in particular, stood the statuesque life-like figures of two wolf-men on full display.
Though unable to see, Kaname sensed their presence clearly. When pressed about these dead wolf-men, a maid who worked in the estate said, "Tsunayashiro-sama brought these two a long, long time ago for noble visitors such as yourself to appreciate. Aren't they beautiful? Tsunayashiro-sama once said 'These wolf-men are more majestic in death than life.' Quite frankly, I concur."
Kaname listened to every word in stoic silence, never minding the sharp pain they caused. He investigated this as well, even journeying far away to enlist the help of the reclusive Komamura Wolf-Man Clan that Sajin was born into.
Initially, they bared their fangs and snarled, suspicious of a shinigami intruding on their territory. Some even wanted to kill him on the spot. But their minds changed almost instantly once he mentioned two of their own were used as decorations in the Tsunayashiro royal estate. What Kaname found with their aid mentally disturbed him beyond repair.
Those two wolf-men on display were the taxidermied bodies of Sajin's parents.
Additionally, Kaname managed to discover how Tokinada, the head of the Tsunayashiro royal family the maid rambled about, secretly paid the four shinigami to kill Sajin. Kaname discovered how Tokinada ordered them to don cloaks and soak their zanpakutō in a highly lethal poison banned for use centuries ago. Kaname discovered so many details behind the death of his father, he briefly wondered if staying ignorant would've spared his sanity from utter despair.
No. Kaname remembered he always wanted this. He yearned for closure of any sort, even if the despair welling inside him made sleeping a struggle and eating a chore. Now that he finally found it, should he run away and forsake Sajin's chance for justice? Pathetic.
Kaname soon requested an audience with Central 46 with all the evidence he gathered of Tokinada's crimes. He was granted his request, but as a shinigami, certain regulations forced him to leave his zanpakutō behind, far away from the chambers.
To accuse the head of a royal family, one of the most powerful men in Soul Society, was a grave matter. But surely, in this world they claim just, Tokinada would see punishment regardless of his status?
At first, the judges deciding on the case were initially skeptical. But then troves of more evidence showed themselves. The link between Tokinada and him paying off shinigami became obvious, as was his breach of laws designed to keep the royal families far away from the affairs of the Gotei 13 as much as possible, many of which Tokinada co-sponsored himself.
Kaname lowered his head, almost close to tears. It seemed his life's work neared its end. So long had he waited for this moment—for justice. A part of him wanted to kill Tokinada by all means necessary, but he calmed himself.
However, Kaname's time to celebrate lived short. The time for the judge's arguments came, and every word tore at Kaname's heart like blades stabbing him in his chest.
"I don't see any wrongdoing here whatsoever," one judge spoke.
"Why should we prosecute Tsunayashiro-san for murder? The victim you described is an animal. A beast. You can murder a person, but you can't murder an animal," another judge said.
"If we were to prosecute Tsunayashiro-san, shall we also prosecute the Gotei for the thousands of animals they slaughter on a yearly basis for meat?" A third judge asked.
One by one, all of the judges argued in defense of Tokinada despite the mountains of evidence against him. Deep sadness seized Kaname and tormented him as Sajin's dream for a more equal world echoed in his head. His hands couldn't stop shaking from misery.
"Thank you, thank you," Tokinada Tsunayashiro himself jovially said. He made his presence known as he emerged from the shadows. "All I desired from that wolf beast was simply its fur, useful for producing some luxurious coats. It could've been the single greatest contribution to the world that simple beast would've made. This trial proved to be such a trifling waste of time, wouldn't everyone agree? And by the way, shinigami…" Tokinada paused and shot a glare at Kaname. "Animals exist solely for the needs and desires of man."
Kaname wished he still kept his zanpakutō firm in his grasp.
Kaname only felt despair.
Whenever he returned to Sajin's memorial, it was usually to ease the pain in his heart. Sometimes spending time with Sajin gave Kaname an opportunity to relax from his stressful duties, and recount his many memories of his childhood he treasured.
But now, standing before Sajin brought Kaname shame and guilt. He tried his best to fulfill justice and find closure, and at one point, he seemed so close with succeeding. Kaname even tried proving his father's dream—a dream of unity between beastmen and humans—could one day become reality. But in the end, all Kaname could offer Sajin was failure.
What kind of world would obsess over its countless laws and punishments, only for them to not exist for the most powerful? What kind of world made a dream as modest as Sajin's seem like fantasy?
An unjust world.
For all its cruelty and suffering, Sajin managed to still love this world. But Kaname found nothing but hatred for it.