Disclaimer: The ideas and concepts used in BLEACH belong to Tite Kubo, as well as any regular characters. Most of the characters in this story belong to me. Thank you.


Shin woke from his dream wearily. He acknowledged the presence of another in the area while he was still sleeping, but sensed no need for urgency. Slowly, Shin turned his head to the man who was leaning against the tree. The man in turn opened one eye and smirked at Shin.

"Yo. Sleep well?" the stranger asked. Shin turned himself around and sat up, staring at the stranger with tired eyes.

"Yeah. Who are you?" Shin asked sounding half-asleep. The other man stood up and took a single step forward. Then he put his hand on his sword and the other on the sheathe.

"I am Araijin Hoji," he said as he drew out his sword then continued, "the man who will slay you."

Shin let out a sigh and rose to his feet, pushing on his knees for balance. He too drew out his sword, but in a much more sloppy way. Holding it with one hand and scratching the back of his head with the other he announced to his opponent

"Go home, kid. I'm tired." With that he walked away and towards his cave. Before he could draw back the curtain of cloth, Hoji made a dash after him with sword pointed at him. Hoji was screaming as he ran, and he thrusted his sword forward with all his force into the curtain door to the cave. Shin dodged the blow with insane speed, and was now sheathing his sword behind Hoji.

"Like I said," Shin began in a louder voice now, "you should go home. Those swords over there aren't just for decoration. If you fight me," he said, now looking up and Hoji through the shadow over his brow, "you will die."

A great force smashed Hoji backwards and threw him to the ground. He coughed in pain as the recognition of Kenpachi's attack took hold. He fell to his knees and attempted to gather himself.

When did he attack me? When he dodged me? No…that's impossible. Hoji stood up wavering and bent over to cough out some spit. Then, straightening himself out, he turned to face his monstrous enemy with an excited grin on his face. Shin looked at him puzzled. Pain had never made his other enemies smile like this.

"Don't you fear death?" Shin asked in a blunt way. Hoji licked his lips and took an offensive stance with his sword, pointing it with both hands at Kenpachi's throat.

"Nah," he replied still eagerly grinning from ear to ear, "death is just a motivator to fight as hard as I can. Anything short of death in battle," he charged forward, now screaming his thoughts, "is no way to die!" Shin observed his motions and swayed minutely before jumping clear over Hoji's attack. He raised his sword over his head in the air and threw his whole body back before landing.

Hoji lifted his sword to block the attack, but couldn't stop it. Shin's sword shattered the ground from beneath them both as it crashed down with tremendous force. Hoji was thrown back by the power of the attack but was able to keep his feet dug safely into the ground. He looked up, trying to ignore his new and bleeding wound across his shoulder, and saw Kenpachi standing with his sword resting on the back of his neck.

"Do you know your sword's name?" Shin asked abruptly. Hoji grasped his shoulder, trying to stave off the burning sensation that had just formed and looked at him puzzled.

"Many of the shinigami that decided to throw their lives away here spoke of the names of their swords. When they said those names they became more powerful, and their swords changed form." Shin paused as he raised his sword to his face and focused on it. "Each one was different and unique, but they still all died to my nameless sword. Each passing battle is one that I would have wished to learn from, but so far I have had no luck. Tell me," he now shifted his gaze to the stunned Hoji, "have you learned your sword's name?"

Hoji's expression had shifted from puzzled to startled, and now to furious. Who does this guy think he is? Asking all these stupid-ass questions in the middle of a fight... He looked down at his sword now. What is your name? Shin could tell a lot about a person by just watching their reactions to his questions. He saw all he needed to see in Hoji's look. He saw that Hoji had temporarily forgotten the battle and was completely focused on his sword.

This was an opportunity that Shin didn't want to waste. In a flash, he was up against Hoji, ready to kill. A sweeping pain followed by a drowning sensation took hold of Hoji, and he faded out of consciousness with his mind blanking out to the words from a voice he didn't know.

I am you


Hoji wearily lifted his eyes to meet his surroundings. He was inside of a cave, Shin's most likely, and felt comfortable warmth beside him. He heard the crackling of a fire and the pouring rain outside. He could smell burnt animal flesh that was roasting next to the fire. As he turned his head he noticed Shin sleeping with his sword in hand against a wall of the cave. Hoji could barely move his body, but he was able to use his arm to search for a trace of wounds on his stomach. He felt nothing.

"Sleep well?" Shin asked jokingly from across the cave. "I didn't stab you in the gut, I kicked you." Hoji was startled at this revelation, but Shin continued to explain without pause.

"You and I are very similar. We exist only to fight, and without the ability to do so, we are nothing in this world. You are unafraid of death, as am I. I thought to myself, why kill you when we can conquer much more together than on our own." Shin stood up to meet Hoji's defenseless and confused glare. Then, Shin continued his speech

"Let us learn our swords names and use them to wipe out the weak. Let's fight until we cannot fight any longer. Araijin," he took a step forward and extended his hand out to the man in bandages, "let's bleach this world with our enemy's blood!" For the first time Hoji felt fear as his eyes met with Kenpachi's madly grinning face. He could sense his fanatical desire for carnage and felt it crawling up from inside him as well. He threw out his hand to meet Kenpachi's, and the alliance was struck officially.


This is the story of a powerful man and his disciples. Hoji Araijin was the first of those disciples to join the King of Carnage on a never-ending quest to die a perfect death.