The Heir Apparent
Chapter 22: Kenpachi Confesses

Rukia and Ichigo were just outside their office eating their lunch, sitting on the raised veranda with their legs dangling above the ground. Hers were anyway. It was a habit they'd gotten into, eating all their meals together. As if they didn't see each other enough during the day.

'You'll be pleased to know,' said Ichigo through a mouthful of food, 'I've organised our leave for four days, from the 17th to the 20th of this month.'

'Who said I wanted to come with you?' Rukia groused, and reached into her bento for another rice ball. Last night had been a bit rough, since it had been Shiba Ganju's promotion party with all the lieutenants. She'd come for appearances, but she really wasn't close to any of the other lieutenants besides Nanao.

'Yeah right. I'd have liked to take more time, but I haven't built up much yet. We'll leave early the day before.'

Shinigami got one day leave for every six days of work. Fortunately for Rukia she still had over a week owed to her, even with those four days spent training taken into account.

'Don't talk with you mouth full, idiot,' she said.

'Huur,' he mumbled, stuffing the last of his bento into his mouth and packing it away. 'Loots hoe hee Hen Hahee.'

She punched him in the jaw. Ichigo, after gagging for a moment, finally swallowed and came up with his eyes watering. 'DAMMIT MIDGET, YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!'

'Maybe next time you'll remember your manners,' said Rukia firmly, folding her arms over her chest. 'Now, say what you meant to say, clearly this time.'

Ichigo growled angrily, then exhaled slowly and said, 'Lets go see Kenpachi, there's something I want to talk to him about.'

'Wouldn't after work be better?'

'We have training with Shunsui and Nanao.'

He stood up, sliding his zanpakutou back into place in his sash. Rukia watched him do it, staring at the beautiful scabbard. She'd been told that it was a gift from Kyoraku, but had never really looked at it before. It really was a work of art, it made her working model (which had been commissioned by her brother) look plain and dull by comparison. It was hard not to feel a little jealous.

'Let's go,' he said, and flash-stepped away, hopping from roof to roof. After a moment she set off after him.

'So, you're feeling up to a rematch now?' she said when she drew alongside him.

'It's not that. It's just, well, a few things don't add up.'

'What do you…' They passed a patrol in 2nd division uniforms. They were all mounted on boars, and trying to ride them (though most weren't doing very well). 'WHAT!'

'Ganju,' said Ichigo, 'He must be adding his flavour to the patrol corps. We're here.'

The arrived at the eleventh division barracks (it was no use going to the office, nobody was ever there). There was a brawl going on outside, although it seemed to involve only fists. Inside there were three main groups, those huddling in circles drinking, those practising their swordsmanship, and a group with tables and chairs who were going through the paperwork. She would have guessed them to be the seated officers, except that there weren't twenty of them, more like forty. Rukia recognised Ikkaku and Yumichika in that group, Ikkaku was so covered in bandages that only his eyes were clear.

'Yo,' said Ichigo, walking up to them. 'What happened to you?'

'Captain ordered him to do the days paperwork,' said Yumichika, raising his head above a pile of papers, 'And this bright spark wanted to fight for it.'

'Ah,' said Rukia, 'Bad idea.'

'It was worth it,' said Ikkaku.

'He needed half his blood replaced,' Yumichika whispered loudly.

'Still worth it,' said Ikkaku stubbornly.

'Where can I find Kenpachi?' said Ichigo.

'The captain's outside in the courtyard training the new recruits. He'll be glad you've come.'

'I didn't come to fight him,' Ichigo muttered as he walked out, Rukia followed close behind.

As they rounded the corner of the barracks, ominous sounds of shouting; yelping and wood striking bone filled the air. Kenpachi was surrounded by men wielding wooden katanas, all trying to hit him. But he was defending and countering, even when he seemed to have no view of the coming attack. Scattered around were groaning men nursing bruises, and as they watched more were pulled away after Kenpachi decked them.

'Come on, you maggots,' Kenpachi was shouting, 'You're useless, the lot of you. HIT ME!'

'Oheio,' said a voice above them. They looked up to see Yachiru sitting on the edge of the roof. 'Ken-chan's teaching them how to play.'

'That's an interesting way of testing them,' said Rukia, 'Good thing we don't do that at the thirteenth hey Ichigo. Ichigo?'

He had just picked up a fallen katana, and was testing it in his hand. Then he flash-stepped towards Kenpachi. Rukia shook her head, he was such a show-off.

Ichigo attacked fast, sliding in between two burly recruits and stabbing at his midsection. Kenpachi must have sensed that he had a serious opponent at last, for he let off a burst of reitsu that sent the recruits around him flying in all directions. He engaged Ichigo deftly, blocking and attacking, a grin forming on his scarred face.

He pushed her captain back, 'Now that's what I'm talking about. You come for our rematch, Ichigo?'

'Not a chance, there's a few things I wanted to ask you.'

'Boo,' the big man pouted, 'All right, shoot.'

Around them the dazed recruits were starting to get up.

'You said that you beat Renji while still using your eye patch,' said Ichigo.

'Yeah, so?'

'But I drew with you with just my Shikai! I know it's stronger than Renji's, but its not that much stronger. And what about that fifth Espada you killed?'

'I wonder,' said Kenpachi, 'I dunno. Maybe I was having an off day.'

'Of course you know!' Rukia put in, 'Does it have something to do with what you were talking about with Urahara?'

He frowned at her, then turned back to Ichigo. 'I'll make you a deal. Beat me, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know.'

'…Alright, fine.'

'Go Ken-chan,' Yachiru cried.

'Wait,' said Rukia, 'If you want to fight, you have to have another captain refereeing, that's the rule.' It wasn't so much the rules she was worried about as much as not wanting Ichigo to end up like Renji had, after his encounter with Kenpachi.

'Gah, who would be strong enough to do that?' Kenpachi complained, 'And I'm not having the old man!'

'I know someone,' said Ichigo.

x

Ichigo stood facing his big opponent, adjusting his grip on his unreleased zanpakutou. The rules were being read in the background, but he wasn't listening to them. They were in the eighth division training grounds, which had been cleared of spectators. Nearly the entire eleventh division had turned up to watch, as well as many others. Ichigo hadn't had a problem with it, but Kyoraku; who was refereeing; had turned them all away.

'A captain's true power should be kept secret,' he had explained. So the only ones watching besides him were the lieutenants; Rukia, Nanao and Yachiru.

'This'll be fun,' said Kenpachi.

Ichigo felt a jolt of bile rise from his stomach. He released his zanpakutou, he had no doubt that this man would walk all over him with a sealed blade, and swallowed.

Kyoraku had been going over the rules with uncharacteristic diligence, now that he was finished he gave them both hard looks. 'I don't expect you to refrain from cutting each other. But hold back on killing and crippling strikes. I'm watching you both, especially you,' he said pointedly to Kenpachi. 'If I have to intervene, this fight is over. You may begin.'

'That would suck,' Kenpachi mused aloud. 'Ya ready, Ichigo?'

'Sure.'

Kenpachi charged in, hard and fast. Ichigo caught his strike, but was pushed back on his heels several meters by the sheer force of the blow. A small crack appeared on Zangetsu where it had been hit, Ichigo's eyes widened. Then he had to defend quickly as Zaraki dived in, slicing at his neck. This time the big man's blade cut a notch in his zanpakutou.

Ichigo pulled back, but Kenpachi wasn't letting him go and followed immediately. They clashed blades, and clashed again in a flurry of furious swordsmanship. Bits flew off Zangetsu. Then Kenpachi hit one of the deeper notches, and cut nearly to the core of the weapon.

How is he so strong? Ichigo wondered, gritting his teeth to absorb the shock of yet another blow. He wasn't nearly this powerful when we fought. He considered the possibility of Kenpachi growing in power according to the strength of his opponent, but that was a laughable concept. Sure, he docked his own abilities to draw out his fights, but there was no way that kind of ability could exist. Right?

Kenpachi pushed him back with his sword. 'C'mon Ichigo, this is pathetic. You haven't attacked me once, and at this rate your swords gonna break. Bring on your Bankai already!'

He hadn't needed it to defeat him last time, but then the old Kenpachi to the new Kenpachi was like Nagasaki compared with Hiroshima. Similar, but so much more destructive. There was no way he was going to last at the rate he was going, so he raised Zangetsu and said 'Ban-kai. Tense Zangetsu.'

'That's better,' said Kenpachi as the air whipped past his face, and pulled off his eye patch. Immediately his spiritual pressure rocketed up.

Some time later, when Rukia had finished applying the dressing to his midsection, Ichigo got up and walked to where Kenpachi was sitting. He hadn't yet dressed his many cuts, the one down his shoulder was bleeding particularly badly. If it hurt the big man was giving no sign of it.

'Spill the beans Kenpachi,' said Ichigo, 'I won.'

He'd had to use his hollow mask in the end to clinch it, for although he was faster with his Bankai he'd found it all but impossible to inflict anything but shallow wounds on the man. Kenpachi had far more experience in Zanjutsu, and greater reitsu than he did in Bankai form.

'Meh, can't be helped, gentleman's agreement and all,' said Kenpachi. 'Okay, here goes.'

Ichigo frowned at the word 'gentleman', and tried to imagine Kenpachi in a Tux. Rukia drew alongside him, as did Kyoraku, and then Nanao. They were curious too, it seemed.

'I joined Gotei thirteen 'cause I'd gotten too strong to fight anyone in Rukongai. The captain I beat was a right weakling, but still the best fight I'd had in a while. Thing is, I'd gotten too strong, period.

'I started looking fer ways to weaken myself before fights. I'd train fer days with no breaks, so I'd be tired when I fought. I starved and dehydrated myself. I put bells in me hair so people could hear me comin'. Even then, the battles was too easy. And since none of the other captains would fight me, it was getting real boring.

'Then just over a century ago, a new captain joined Gotei thirteen.'

'Urahara,' Rukia guessed.

Kenpachi nodded, 'He started that whole research and development thingy. It's trash mostly, but I took a chance that he could help me. Turned out he could.

'We started off with some power-draining powder that could be made into a shake. But that took forever to make, I was drinking it far faster than he could make it. And it wasn't ideal, until the effect wore off I was a weakling. So we tried something different. He made this here eye patch, I'm not sure how he did it, I just know that it works. Not just this one, a whole set on varying levels. Took him a year and a bit to get it right, I owed him big-time.'

'That's what you meant, the debt that you owed him,' Rukia exclaimed.

'Don't interrupt,' Kenpachi growled. 'Anyway, some time after that he was framed for the whole hollowfying captains fiasco. I offered to help, but he turned me down. Said he didn't want the whole chamber 46 butchered. Pity. Anyways, he kept in touch, I kept him informed about what was going on here. He told me of course about ol' Aizen, Gin and Tousen. Found it kinda hard to suspect the first one.

'Nothing much happened for the next century, until you and your crew showed up,' he said, nodding in Ichigo's direction. 'Urahara contacted me, and asked me to help train you.'

'Train, train?' said Ichigo loudly, 'No way in hell that was training, you nearly killed me!'

'Come off it,' Kenpachi barked, shocking Ichigo to silence. 'Battle teaches you far faster than any exercises and sword drills, and we had very little time. I stayed on your trail since you got into Seireitei so that other captains or lieutenants went after you. Because of my reputation they considered you already dead, they left you alone even though you were the strongest.

'It was good luck that you landed right at Ikkaku's feet, he was a good first battle for you, it allowed me to form a good gauge of your strength. Stronger than most lieutenants, but nowhere near that of a captain. I didn't expect Abarai to go for you so soon after that, I thought about stopping him. But I figured you could take him, and you didn't disappoint.'

'You were the next one I fought,' said Ichigo, 'But you were a lot weaker then than you are now, even with your eye patch off. Why?'

'Remember what I said about the power-draining shakes? I hadn't used them for a while, but I still had some left. I lowered my level to about that of the weakest captain before I attacked you.

'In the beginning you were a big disappointment. Hell, you couldn't cut me even at that level, and you kept running like a bitch. And when you did get it together you got too cocksure about being able to cut me. There was no way someone like you was going to beat a captain. So I broke your sword and made the smallest wound that I could to incapacitate you.'

'Wait,' said Ichigo, 'If I hadn't got up then, what would you have done?'

'Called the fourth division to take you into custody,' said Kenpachi, 'Then moved on to plan B. Urahara and Tessai would have had to come to Soul Society, and then with me and Yoruichi we'd have stopped the execution. Turned out that the execution date was pushed forward so much that that wouldn't have worked. Urahara wanted you to be the one to save Kuchiki, he felt that there was a special connection or summing between you two. Turns out he was right, you got up.'

'And then you tackled me with full power, nearly killing me in the process!' There was no way that bit had been training.

'Not full power Ichigo, remember I was still being drained. Thing is, I hadn't had a good match in decades. I couldn't not test you properly! And you can't say that bit didn't help you in the end.'

'Crazy bastard,' said Ichigo, turning away to face Kyoraku and Rukia. 'Well, I guess that's what I wanted to know. Looks like I owe Urahara more than I thought.'

'All your debts to him have been repaid,' said Rukia, 'He was the one who caused the whole mess in the first place. Him and Aizen.'

'I guess,' said Ichigo, thinking of the Vizords and the Hougyoku. Everything was so complicated he had no idea who owed who what anymore.

'Well, since we're here already, lets all get practising,' said Kyoraku.

Ichigo groaned.

x

The next few days passed quickly. They had to send in their swords on one of them to the twelfth division, to make them able to open and close senkaimon gates. It just meant that that evening they practised Kido. Ichigo was getting more proficient, even managing a level thirty one hado (with incantation).

Renji had suffered a lot from his defeat by Kenpachi. Sure, his wounds had healed, but between that and his loss to Hitsugaya his confidence had been totally shot. Ichigo, Ikkaku and the crew took him drinking one night, but that only served to make him more melancholic. Hopefully he would snap out of it soon, Rukia had no idea what to do about him.

Life in the thirteenth went on, much the same as before. They had a batch of new recruits, Kiyone and Sentaro were fighting about who got to be responsible for them. They certainly helped to make days at the office interesting. Rukia also had more something to look forward to, she hadn't seen her friends in the material world for a month now, and Ichigo's family was always a lot of fun.

On the morning of the 16th they finished the days paperwork early, ate a hasty lunch, requisitioned a pair of hell butterflies and made their way towards the nearest exit. Ichigo, in his ignorance, had thought that they could open a gate from anywhere. Seireitei's defences, as Rukia explained to him, prevented that except in specially designated areas.

'By the way, Ichigo,' said Rukia, while they were waiting for the fifth division members kido specialists to lower the seals on the area, 'I get that we have your families whole celebration tomorrow, but what about the other three days after that?'

'Well, that's a Friday, Saturday and a Sunday,' said Ichigo, ticking off on his fingers, 'So I'm sure that Ishida and the others will be up to doing stuff. I'll give them a call when we get there.'

'Well, what will we do?'

'I dunno, go see a movie or something. You ever played mini-golf?'

'How about we go to the beach?' said Rukia, her eyes shining.

Ichigo looked at her suspiciously, 'Have you ever been to one before? I mean, you're kinda pale.'

She flushed angrily. 'Shut up, I used to read holiday pamphlets when I was bored, waiting for hollows in Karakura town,' she admitted, 'That's where I always wanted to go. Can we, pwetty pwease?' she said, imitating her chappy gikongan.

He shuddered. 'Don't talk like that, I'll mention it to the others.'

'Idiot, you'd better do more than just mention it!'

'We'll go, dumbass, I promise,' he said with a smirk.

'Good,' she said. At that point the leader of the kido team indicated that they were finished. 'Shall I do the honours?' Opening gates required a skill with kido to focus them that she didn't think he possessed yet.

'Go for it.'

So Rukia, for the first time ever, raised her zanpakutou and summoned a senkaimon gate.

x

It was less than half an hour until the new day, and Hinamori stood just inside the east gate of Seireitei, her eyes wide and frightened. In her hand she held a note, crumpled and worn from being folded and read so many times. She knew the words on it off by heart by now.

Lieutenant Hinamori Momo, we know that you wish to see Captain Kurosaki Ichigo dead. Our goals are compatible. If you wish to know more, be outside the east gate under the bell-tower at midnight. Come alone.

Meeting with them was treason, she knew. Just raising a blade against a captain of Soul Society was punishable by death. She could face soul destruction or even damnation if she went through with it.

She was torn. Aizen had been the father she'd never had, and Kurosaki had killed him. Therefore she had hated him. But she knew that Aizen had betrayed them all, and tried to kill her (not that she wouldn't have gladly given her life had he but asked). And Kurosaki wasn't a bad person, she'd observed him during their time in Hueco Mundo. He was inexperienced, brash, overly outspoken, and sometimes arrogant. But there was a genuineness about him, and a care for people that shone through.

She'd known why she'd been sent on the Hueco Mundo mission even before Kurosaki had said anything. Captain Hitsugaya had correctly guessed it, and warned her. Yamamoto had wanted to take the opportunity to bump off a useless lieutentant who was an embarrassment to Gotei thirteen. But despite his orders and the way she'd acted, believing the entire time she was going to die on that cold sandy plane, Kurosaki had given her another chance.

'Oh Kami, what should I do?' she wailed aloud.

What would her friends say? She pictured them in her mind, imagining their voices.

Matsumoto came first. 'Hmm, well it's always a shame to let good men go to waste. And that Ichigo boy is pretty hot!'

'No, Rangiku!' she squeaked, her face going red.

Renji appeared, staring at her hard. 'Aizen betrayed us all,' he said, 'What choice is there?'

'You always make it sound so simple, Abarai-kun,' she said sadly, 'But it isn't, not for me.'

Next was Kira. 'I was betrayed too, by my captain,' he sighed, his blond head hanging.

Of course, his captain had been Ichimaru Gin, the snake face. 'Carry on,' she prompted.

'It was hard for me to deal with in the beginning, very hard. But I realised something. You can't keep living in the sunshine of the past. Things change, people change. And sometimes those we thought were our friends, or in our case mentors, only keep us for the sake of convenience.' His tone softened, 'It hurts when the truth comes out, it always does. We just have to keep on living, and work through our pain.'

'Will it ever go away, Kira-kun?'

He didn't respond. Maybe he didn't know.

Her shoulders sagged, she couldn't do it. Kira was right, she had to remember to thank him the next time she saw him. She couldn't keep living in Aizen's shadow, she had to stop being controlled by his shade. She was a Gotei thirteen lieutenant, she couldn't willingly participate in treason. Besides which she owed Kurosaki her life, that counted for something for sure.

So she wasn't going to go along with this shady group of assassins. But what to do now?

Matsumoto popped up again, 'You'd made up your mind before, Momo-chan,' she said wisely, 'You just didn't know why you had.'

'Thanks,' she said uncertainly, 'But what should about this note?'

'Baka, you know the rules, report it Hinamori!' said Hitsugaya, appearing in her head.

'I've left it too late to assemble a team to capture them,' she reasoned, 'And if they catch even a whiff of other shinigami they'll slip away, we have no idea what to look for.'

The other option was obvious, she could almost see Hitsugaya's teal eyes widen in horror, 'No, Hinamori, it's too dangerous…'

'Sorry, Hitsugaya-kun,' she said, brushing his image away with her hand. She squared her shoulders, 'But this is something that I have to do.'

At the same time, what if she failed? She had to make some sort of allowance for that situation.

'Kaiwan,' she called out loudly.

A deep shady behind a building moved, then stood up to its towering height with dizzying speed. Kaiwan, the guardian of Blue Stream (east) gate, was a muscular giant with spiny black hair; a hook nose; small eyes and a four part beard and moustache. He looked fierce, but Hinamori knew him to be quite gentle and withdrawn. She'd known him years ago, when she'd been commuting between the Shinigami academy and her home in Rukongai on her holidays. He was another one who had been manipulated by Aizen.

'You were talking to yourself,' he rumbled.

'It's the first sign of madness, I know,' she said, 'Can I ask you an important favour?'

'As long as it's within my power.'

'Thanks, you're the best,' she said, flashing a smile at him, and handed him the note she'd received. 'If I don't return by tomorrow, give this to Kurosaki-taicho. He'll know what it means.'

'You're doing something dangerous, aren't you?' said Kaiwan, looking down at the tiny note in his hand.

'I am,' she said.

'Take care.'

'I will,' she said, and flash stepped away into the darkness of Rukongai.

x

A/N: It's back to the real world for the next chapter, yay, haven't been there for a while (since chapter 3!)

It took me a while to write the Zaraki confession scene, since I had to cross-reference it carefully to the manga. I think it's believable, certainly more believable than Kenpachi's hugely fluctuating power level. A few more things I should mention in regards to that.

- Yoruichi had no idea at the time that Zaraki was on their side, because Urahara (typically) hadn't told her.
- Zaraki taking off his eye patch was not part of the plan.
- Following Ichigo's training, Zaraki's role was to create enough of a disturbance to lure Aizen, Tousen and Gin away at the time of the rescue. Since only Tousen of the three would have been at the execution, Zaraki went after him.
- He picked up Orihime and rescued Ishida and the crew to help create confusion (Aaarggh, the evil Ryoka are loose!)

Still, I imagine that even with all the tying up there are a few loose ends. Hey, I'm putting an entirely different twist on an existing piece, it's hard work people! Seriously though, if you think anything needs clarity, let me know and I'll get back to you.