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.
The town guard had dispersed with the exception of two overly eager men with swords and white coats over their shinigami uniforms. These men were known as the 'Murderous Pair', two powerful young shinigami prodigies that had both mastered different forms of kido and were kendo experts.
Kagoya and Sasori stared down the road, a silent and captivated audience awing at them in the shadows. There had been rumors that the terrible killer Shin Kenpachi and his disciple Hoji Araijin were making their way into town. Kagoya and Sasori were determined to end the killing spree and make official names for themselves as great and powerful fighters.
Kagoya, the older of the two, had a rather jaded look in his eyes above his calm and almost happy smile. It looked like he hadn't shaved in weeks, with stubble forming into short beard around his chin. His hair was greasy and unwashed, with visible specs of dirt in the matted mess, which ran down past his neck. He was only an inch or two taller than Sasori.
Sasori looked very young for his height and position. He had a very manic smile and equally manic eyes, which emphasized his stature as a 'younger-brother' figure. His hair was rust-colored, short and looked cleaner than Kagoya's, but not by much. Both wore their swords around their waists, with hands resting on the hilts. Kagoya's sword's hilt was wrapped tight in bulky, black cloth. Soasori's sword's hilt was the same color as his hair.
"When are these guys gonna get here, Kagoya?" Sasori asked.
"Dunno" Kagoya answered with his head tilted upward. "It's rather rude of them to make us wait like this." Kagoya twiddled his fingers lightly on the hilt of his sword, rattling it in its sheathe.
"Go, you two! Fight 'til the last! We believe in you!" Shouted the audience still hiding in the darkness behind their homes. Both fighter's were rather unmoved by the audiences cheers. If they really wanted to help than they'd have left town entirely. Unwanted casualties was a thing neither of them wanted to think about dealing with once they became heroes. Over the horizon, against the setting sun, two shadows came into view; One with sword resting over his shoulder, the other walking straight and mechanically.
Shin was walking backwards, lamenting that they were no longer walking into the sunset, but rather away from it to move forward. The whole concept seemed backwards to him. Hoji hadn't noticed, only thinking of the challenge that awaited them down the road. While walking, Shin was training him the whole time. From time to time they would take a day off of walking down the road and just spar, others they would meditate to harness their spiritual powers, and they were always trying to talk to their swords. Hoji had harnessed his spiritual power enough to be able to enhance his vision drastically, a strategy that proved useful in anticipating Shin's moves during spar matches.
"There's two of 'em up there. We killing them?" Hoji said with a smile on his face. Shin heard the question but refused to turn around to properly answer him.
"Probably. They got swords, right?" Hoji squinted his narrow eyes and saw every detail about them.
"Yeah."
"Then if they attack us, we gotta kill 'em" Shin declared as he spun around almost in mid-air to face the closing in village ahead of them. With his hands resting comfortably in his pockets, Shin marched up ahead of Hoji, then disappeared in a wisp of dust. Hoji barely noticed, since he could do the same thing, but looked confused as to where exactly Shin had gone.
He missed the two with swords. Ah well.
A cold shock rushed down the backs of the daredevil duo as they had just come to notice that Shin Kenpachi was now behind them and laying down on the porch of some unlucky civilian's house. Both men turned around and drew out their swords in a flash to face the wild man they had come to tame. Shin failed to acknowledge them initially, so Sasori decided to provoke him.
"Are you Shin Kenpachi?"
Shin didn't move.
"Because after today," Kagoya interjected, "you'll be the late Shin Kenpachi.
Shin still didn't move. No a single muscle on his body twitched to the duo's taunts. This angered Sasori and Kagoya, though Kagoya just frowned whereas Sasori started shouting.
"IDIOT! SHOW US SOME RESPECT! We came all the way from the neighboring city, where we're honored as local heroes, to fight you! Draw your sword and prepare to die!"
Shin started snoring. He had been walking a long time and wanted to initiate battle in a suave a way as possible, so he was going to rest at the first opportunity to do so. When the two swordsmen noticed this, their reactions split apart. Sasori was stunned with anger and shock, while Kagoya had fallen over laughing.
Hoji arrived just in time to get a grip on the scene at hand, which reminded him of a lesson that Shin had taught him earlier:
"Never attack a swordsman's back, it's a disgrace to me and all other powerful warriors. If I find a scar on a man's back that you caused, I'm kicking your ass twelve times!"
Hoji just stood with arms crossed behind the still stunned Satori and snickered lightly. By the time his presence had been registered, Sasori was ready to fight. He spun around with flaring anger in his eyes and swung at the unarmed Hoji. A slight side step and Sasori's sword was stuck in the ground, with Hoji leaning over him and looking down.
"You ain't very good with your kill-stick, are ya?"
Sasori glared up, and Kagoya slumped himself to a stand. Sasori jerked his sword out as Hoji drew out his, while Kagoya walked casually over to Shin and tapped him on the shoulder. Shin perked himself up, having forgotten that his opponents were ready to fight be fore he was, and fixed an eye to Kagoya.
"You need a longer nap before we fight, or are you good to go?" Kagoya said almost smugly with a wink thrown in for good measure. Shin smirked and raised to his feet. Head still bobbing downward, he put a steady hand on the hilt of his sword and drew it out into the air. He looked up at Kagoya through the murderous shadow under his brow and said with an evil sneer
"Anytime, pal." Kagoya smiled and charged with sword grasped in both hands.
