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.
Suichi staggered helplessly through the dense woods. Not less than an hour ago, Netami had caught up to him and attempted to exact his anger. The assassin was safe, for the time being at least, as he used the last of his expendable spiritual power to lure him away using a duplicate. His legs were numb and nearly limp as he shuffled through the wild brush. To make matters worse for the wary man, storm clouds were moving in quite rapidly.
"If it's not one thing," Suichi complained. He looked around for someplace to hide and rest, finding nothing but darkening thicket of trees and bushes. If something attacked him now, he'd be done for. He decided, against his better judgement, to proceed onward and try to find a small cave of some sort. He couldn't help but notice how quickly the wind had picked up.
"Ah!" Suichi exclaimed upon spotting a small den. It was just large enough for him to squeeze himself into and rest in a comfortable ball. He crawled and snuggled himself inside the marginally dry and warm cave. Once inside, he went to work on wrapping his wounds and otherwise keeping himself from dying immediately. He winced and grunted as he tightened his bandages with his good hand and teeth. The wind was starting to pick up even more so, so Suichi shuffled his way deeper into the hole.
"I just can't get a break, it seems" Suichi mused. He curled up and leaned against the solid wall of the cave and relaxed. "Oh well," he paused for a yawn, "someone out there is worse off than me…" With his piece said, the assassin drifted off into slumber. He was right, though, as only a short distance away in a clearing beyond the density of the trees, someone was suffering.
Hoji stood bewildered with his arm guarding his face against the razor-sharp blades of wind that swept past him. The moment he had been waiting for, a moment that defined his very existence alongside Shin, was about to culminate. Hoji regretted ever wanting this day to come now that he was in the middle of it all.
"Tch!" Hoji grunted. "What's with this, sword!?" Hoji's sword was floating in the middle of the chaotic whirlwind, watching its owner struggle.
"You're pathetic!" It hissed out above the winds in a nefarious female voice. "How can you think yourself worthy of wielding me when you can't even fight off a simple HOLLOW?" The wind roared in conjunction with the sword, and Hoji was thrown across the clearing and into a tree, which promptly splintered and bent. Hoji glared up and tried once again to push through the whipping winds to grab at his sword.
"Who the hell do you think you are, sword!?" Hoji shouted as he leaned forward through the cutting winds.
"It's not so easy to learn my name, young fighter" the sword replied. "You must work for it!" The winds picked up and nearly sent Hoji flying once again, but not quite. Hoji punched the ground hard and dug in his hand to inch forward. Then his other hand, and soon his feet were kicking powerfully into the ground. It was as if he was scaling a mountain with sheer winds pushing him downward.
"I…" Hoji grunted as he crawled his way over to the epicenter of the hurricane, "will not…be out done…by a piece…of…METAL!" Hoji shot up with the full force of his body and made a leaping grab for the sword. His fingers extended to their limit and grazed the handle from within the windless area that the sword occupied. It wasn't enough, though, and Hoji was sent rocketing backwards through several trees until the force died down and he dropped to the ground, unconscious. Then, as Hoji's awareness faded, so did the winds, and the sword nestled peacefully in the ground of the clearing.
"He has work to do," echoed the sword through the air, "but he is close to achievement. It won't be long before my name is called out into the world, yet again…"
Hoji had gotten off easy with his judgement. Shin wasn't faring well at all. His torture of being physically bound from all sides continued as the skeletal mirage continued to look over his sword. Rather, itself.
"You've been quite abusive to this. Haven't you?" the skull inquired without moving. Shin didn't move. He knew what was happening, and decided to relax and let it work itself out. His sword, his inner spirit, was working itself out in the outer world for the first time. Also knowing that this manifestation was most likely still tied in with his mind and body, Shin kept his brain devoid of any activity when possible.
"Not the talkative type, eh?" queried the skeleton. From its free hand made of bone it picked up and apple and took a large bite with its bleached white teeth. The apple bits could be seen as it chewed, but Shin focused on his sword, the metal one, as his spirit continued its speech.
"You obviously know who I am, right?" the figure asked. Shin made no attempt to answer, but it still knew the answer. The deadness in Shin's eyes was an answer enough. "Then you know why I can't tell you my name yet, right?" Shin's eyes came back to life with renewed curiosity and anger.
"MMF-FF? (Why not!?)" Shin shouted still muffled by the ethereal hands. The spirit snapped its bony fingers, moving the hands away from Shin's mouth and throat.
"What was that?" it questioned sarcastically.
"I don't understand" Shin growled in a defeated way. "If you don't want me to know your name, to ascend our power, why would you materialize? To mock me?" The skeleton wagged its finger in front of Shin's face.
"Wrong on several parts, my friend" it said in its deep, hollow voice. "Should you learn my name, I will be that much more free into the world. However, that power is something I can't trust you with at the moment." Shin's eyes became calm again. Even his own inner spirit didn't see him as worthy of possessing a greater level of power. "In due time, Shin Kenpachi…" Shin raised his head and dropped to the ground. The arms, the visions, everything had vanished, including the specter, as the rain of the storm above started falling through the trees.
In due time… echoed the voice through Shin's ears. His sword rested neatly in the ground where the ghost had been, perfectly straight in the ground. Shin walked over and swung it out of the ground. A tree splintered with a resounding thud as the bark blasted off from the blast of air Shin made with his sword. He sheathed it and stared up into the rain.
"I can't help but imagine," Shin mused quietly, "what horrible miracles await me in this world…"
"Oh, damn" Suichi cursed. The downside to holding up in a small, below ground burrow was realized as the rainwater started dripping in after him. He was already basting in a shallow puddle as it was, and the rain was steadily increasing in speed and density. "My life just sucks today, doesn't it?" he whined as he prepared to crawl out into the rain.
