I don't own Bleach
AN: Next couple chapter are going to be flashback chapters.
Chapter VI
When Apache awoke, it was still pitch black outside. Zansatsu had his draped over her as he slept. She lay there, thinking about everything that had happened to her in the last month. If someone had told her two months ago that she would become involved with a shinigami, she never would have believed them. She turned to face Zansatsu, moving closer to him and resting her head against him. He had a peaceful expression on his face that she'd never seen when he was awake.
"He looks so peaceful," she thought to herself, "I wonder what he's dreaming about."
"Yo, wake up," a bald shinigami said, nudging a much younger Zansatsu with his foot.
"Piss off, I'm sleeping," Zansatsu slurred at him.
"Heh, fine, but your class starts in ten minutes, don't blame me when you get kicked out of the academy," Ikkaku said.
"SHIT, TEN MINUTES!?" Zansatsu flew up, his neck aching from sleeping on the floor of the training room in the squad eleven barracks. He appeared to be around fourteen years old.
Ikkaku laughed, "Sorry, but I had to say something to get you up."
"Asshole," Zansatsu muttered, massaging his aching neck.
"Why do you sleep and train here anyway?" Ikkaku asked, "you have a dorm and a training room at the academy."
"True, but my roommate's annoying as fuck, and I've kinda been banned from training with the other students," Zansatsu said.
"Not surprising, you put the kid you were sparring with in a coma for a week," Ikkaku said.
"Hey, he was asking for it," Zansatsu said, "bragging about how tough he was just cause he beat a couple of kids two years younger than him. I thought he could take a few rough blows, but he was just a pussy."
"Ah, so that's why you're always hanging around here," Ikkaku said, "and here I thought you were just some annoying kid."
"After I got banned from training at the academy, Captain Ukitake asked Captain Zaraki if I could train with you guys," Zansatsu replied, "he said no at first, but after hearing about me putting that kid in a coma, he seemed pretty cool with it."
"Sounds like our captain," Ikkaku laughed, "long as you can fight, you're welcome here."
Zansatsu picked up his zanpaktou. "Is that a real zanpakutou?" Ikkaku asked, "or one of those training katanas they give to newbies?"
"Oh, it's a real zanpakutou," Zansatsu replied.
"How many years you been at the academy?" Ikkaku asked.
"Lets see, this is my second year, so about eighteen months."
"Seriously? Most students can't make a true zanpakutou materialize until their sixth or seventh year," Ikkaku said.
"Most students don't get banned from training for putting a sixth year student in a coma either," Zansatsu said, grinning, "what was it Captain Ukitake said I was? Oh yeah, he called me a 'child prodigy'."
"Well, after hearing all this, I'd kinda like to see what you can do," Ikkaku said, "if Captain Zaraki let you in here, you must be pretty good."
"I'd never turn down a fight," Zansatsu said, unsheathing his zanpakutou, "I've seen you around here a lot, but I don't know your name."
"Ikkaku Madarame, eleventh squad third seat."
"I'm Zansatsu, if you're the third seat, you must be good. Don't hold back just cause I'm a bit young."
"Not a chance," Ikkaku charged at him, his zanpakutou raised. Zansatsu flash stepped behind him and swept Ikkaku's leg out from under him. He hit the ground, but was back on his feet in an instant.
"A second year student who can flash step, you're just full of surprises," Ikkaku said.
Zansatsu charged at Ikkaku. He brought his zanpakutou back but as he was about to swing it, he flash stepped to Ikkaku's side and thrust the handle against Ikkaku's ribcage. Ikkaku groaned as he felt one of his ribs crack, and responded with a roundhouse kick to Zansatsu's face, sending him flying through the room and out the open window. Zansatsu got to his feet as Ikkaku followed him out the window. His nose was broken, and blood dripped from his nose and mouth, yet he was smiling.
"This kid's good," Ikkaku thought to himself, "that kick would've knocked Yumichika unconscious, and he's already back on his feet."
Zansatsu flash stepped in front of Ikkaku and brought his zanpakutou down against Ikkaku's with all his might. Ikkaku's feet dug into the ground as he attempted to fend off Zansatsu, "This kid's got some crazy reiatsu," Ikkaku thought.
"Extend, Hozukimaru," Ikkaku yelled. His katana was replaced with a three part spear, he disconnected the ends, slashed Zansatsu in the abdomen, and hit him across the face with the blunt end. Zansatsu was thrown back off his feet, now bleeding from both his head and abdomen.
"You got skill, and some incredibly high reiatsu," Ikkaku said, "you even forced me to release my Shikai, something that nobody I've trained with has ever done."
"Glad to hear I don't disappoint," Zansatsu said. The wound in his abdomen was still bleeding.
"Here," Ikkaku sealed his zanpakutou, slid the end off the handle, and pulled some ointment out of it. "Put that on you wound, it'll stop the bleeding. You should carry some with you as well, it might save your life someday."
"Will do, thanks," Zansatsu said.
"Now get going, this time your class really does start in ten minutes," Ikkaku laughed.
"Shit, I'm gonna be late," Zansatsu yelled, running down the road toward the academy.
"So, what do you think of our new recruit?" came the rough voice of the squad eleven Captain. Ikkaku turned and saw Kenpachi staring out the window at him, "Ukitake told me he was a tough little bastard, but I didn't think he'd force you to use your Shikai."
"Neither did I," Ikkaku said, "he's been at the academy for eighteen months and he's already got a real zanpakutou, can flash step with ease, and his reiatsu is higher than most of our ranked officers."
"He's gonna make a nice addition to squad eleven when he graduates," Kenpachi said.
"Dammit, I'm late again, and this teacher already hates my guts as it is," Zansatsu thought to himself as he pushed the door open.
"Ah, Zansatsu, you've arrived, and here I thought we would actually be able to have a peaceful day today," his teacher said.
"Fuckin' prick," Zansatsu muttered under his breath.
"You say something to me?" his teacher asked sharply.
"Not a thing sir," Zansatsu said sarcastically, grinning at him.
"Why are you covered in blood?" he asked.
"From training," Zansatsu replied, "I mean real training, not the kid stuff they teach you in class." Zansatsu took his seat in the back of the room.
"God, I hate this damn class," he though to himself, "why the hell do I need to know about the history of the shinigami? Why can't they just stick with Kido class, and combat training and leave it at that?"
"Zansatsu, if you have time to daydream, perhaps you can tell me which two people own the only zanpakutou's that split into two blades when released," the teacher said.
Zansatsu perked his head up, "I may daydream during your class, but I'm not that stupid. The only two shinimami to possess zanpakutou that are two separate swords, are Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyoraku."
The teacher turned away from him without saying anything and continued to talk.
"Geez, why's that teacher hate me so much?" Zansatsu thought to himself as he filed out of the class with everyone else, "what'd I ever do to him?"
As he walked down the hallway, he heard a loud crash from one of the empty classrooms. Knowing that he would probably regret what he was about to do, he walked over to the door and pushed it open.
"What the hell's wrong with you, now pick up my stuff you clutz," a male student said.
"No, you tripped me, it's your own fault, do it yourself," a second female student said on the verge of tears. She looked like a first year student.
"I don't care, I said pick it up," the male student said, backhanding her across the face.
"Dammit," Zansatsu thought to himself as he strode into the room.
"Hadou 31, shakkaho," Zansatsu said pointing his hand at the male student. A ball of red fire went flying at him, hitting him and throwing him into the wall.
"You're dead," he spat as he got to his feet and ran at Zansatsu.
"Bakudo 1, sai," Zansatsu said lazily.
The male student fell to the ground as his legs snapped together, and his arms twisted behind his back.
"Sorry, but you're a long way off from killing me," Zansatsu said, "and if you could keep this little occurrence to yourself, I'd appreciate it. I'm already on thin ice as it is, and I doubt you want everyone at the academy knowing that you got beat up by a second year student."
The male student looked up at Zansatsu, his face white with fury.
"And from now on, treat women with the respect they deserve," Zansatsu said to him, "that kido will wear off in about an hour."
"Hey, wait, I've got kido class in fifteen minutes," he called out.
"Not my problem," Zansatsu said as he walked out the door and closed it.
"Well, seeing as I'm banned from combat training class, guess I might as well go back to the squad eleven barracks," Zansatsu thought to himself.
"How was class?" Ikkaku asked as Zansatsu walked through the door of the training area.
"Boring as shit, like always," Zansatsu said, "wanna go another round?"
"Didn't get enough this morning?" Ikkaku said.
"No such thing." Zansatsu replied, grinning evilly.
"Ikkaku, you seriously gonna fight a little kid?" someone called from the other end of the room.
Zansatsu's reiatsu flared as he turned around, "Who's the dead fucker who called me a little kid!"
"Eleventh squad eighth seat," the shinigami said.
"Well, if I'm just a little kid, then you shouldn't have any problems beating me," Zansatsu said. Zansatsu charged and brought his zanpakutou down against his opponent's so hard that he snapped the latter's zanpakutou in two. He followed by an elbow to the face and a kick to the stomach, knocking him off his feet.
"Pathetic," Zansatsu said, "I wouldn't even call that a decent warm-up."
"Still think he's just some little kid?" Ikkaku asked.
The shinigami shook his head before vomiting on the ground.
"Now, if there are no more interruptions, lets go," Zansatsu said, turning toward Ikkaku.
Ikkaku drew his zanpakutou and two clashed swords once again.