Chapter 9: To Face One's Demons

AN: Here's chapter 9! Just FYI, there are some Kido spells that don't actually have a number so I arbitrarily gave it a number according to where I thought it would fit along the spectrum.

Reading the story:

-Scene change: "888"

-Hello, how are you? (Someone in their own thoughts)-Hello how are you? (Zanpakuto Spirit speaking in a Shinigami's mind)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach.

Chapter 9

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound of several soft steady footsteps could be heard in the building of a well hidden place beneath a sector of Rukongai as Aizen, Gin, and Tosen made their way into a dark cool room. The only source of light was from several monitor screens that portrayed the Shinigami currently roaming about the four districts of Rukongai on their patrolling mission. Aizen took a seat as Gin and Tosen respectfully stood behind him. All three had their eyes glued to the screen monitors. Specifically the one that was focused on Kishin.

Tosen placed his hands behind his back and asked, "It has been three weeks since that boy was infected with the Hollow virus yet he shows no signs of Hollowfication. Gin, when you spoke to him are you sure that nothing seemed different?"

"He seemed perfectly fine. Didn't give any indication that something was wrong with his soul."

Aizen narrowed his eyes a bit on Kishin's frame. "It seems...that the Hollowfication did not work."

Tosen nodded in agreement. "It does seem to be that way. If it did work then he should have displayed some sort of physical or outwards indication of change. For three weeks to go by with nothing happening means that our prototype was probably a failure."

Gin chimed in with his nonchalant voice, "It's not that big of a surprise though. After all, we didn't have high expectations for it to work in the first place."

Both Gin and Tosen remained silent as they waited for Aizen to say something. After several moments of complete silence Aizen simply gave a little smirk. "It's too bad. The soul of the Shinigami we used for the blueprint of Black's formation along with the sacrifices of the citizens in Rukongai over the years didn't amount to a successful Hollowfication. We can only move on to the next project. The next one should be even more complete after seeing Black in action."

Gin glanced at Aizen for a moment and commented, "Then what of Kishin?"

Aizen simply crossed his legs, propped up his elbow on the arm of the chair, and rested the side of his cheek on his fist in a comfortable position. "It appears he isn't anything special. If the Hollowfication did not work on him then he's simply another Shinigami. One who has failed to evolve and break down the barriers between two beings to become something even greater."

Gin tilted his head a little at the answer Aizen gave. "Oh? But I get the feelin' that you aren't quite done observing him yet."

"Heh. I've arranged one final trial for him. If he truly does not manifest any symptoms of Hollowfication during this final trial then we simply move on. I've already set the stage for obtaining the next Shinigami souls as the basis for our next creation. We only need to stabilize and increase the density of the new creation's aura with the energy collected from the civilians of the Rukon district, however we can take our time with that. There's no need to rush things."

"And what kind of trial did ya' arrange for the kid?" Gin asked inquisitively.

"Nothing much. Just some Gillians and Hollows. And one of our failed mock arrancar. This is the last test. If he was truly affected in any way by Hollowfication then expending reiatsu and exhausting himself in battle may draw out the potentially hidden Hollow within him. If not then there's no need to waste anymore time on him."

Gin returned his attention on the screen as the three of them simply continued to watch on in silence.

888

Kishin stood atop a building in district 39 of eastern Rukongai. Currently the unit under him was separated into several teams and spread out across districts 21-40. Those were the districts he was in charge of. It had been two weeks since Yamamoto gave the orders to patrol Rukongai and there were only two weeks left before their mission would be over. Nothing crazy had really happened. He was currently alone in the vicinity as he had Kasumi take three other members out to do some surveillance of the rest of the district. Being alone left him to his own thoughts as he kept on recalling the whispers and voices that he heard inside his head a couple weeks ago. He recalled Zansatsu's words and he recalled the things those voices had said to him. To this day he still didn't know what to make of it. He wanted to train in his Shikai and try to understand what was going on within his inner-world, however with his current mission he just hadn't had the time to really attempt anything. Furthermore he knew that after the incident that happened that day after his fight with that strange Hollow that Aizen would be keeping a close eye on him. He'd been keeping his guard up, but to his surprise nothing had happened yet. It was then he felt a disturbance in the area. He felt wave after wave of powerful reiatsu that undoubtedly belonged to Hollows and furrowed his brow clicking his tongue in annoyance.

Tch. Nothing happened yet huh? Guess I shouldn't have those kinds of thoughts since something always seems to happen right after.

As he felt the reiatsu levels of the approaching Hollows an amused grin graced his lips. "There's quite a numerous amount of Hollows. And this reiatsu density...seems there are Gillian class Menos amongst their ranks."

No later than when he finished his sentence did multiple tears in the fabric of the surrounding space rip open as an influx of Hollows and Gillians stepped out.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

The sound of his denreishinki ringing caught his attention so he quickly picked up. "What is it?"

Kasumi on the other end of the line immediately responded, "Kishin, did you feel the wave of reiatsu? T-This is a Hollow attack! And there are so many signatures too! And so many are heavy and dense! I-It can't be a regular Hollow attack. The wave of reiatsu is coming from your direction. Is everything alright?! How does the situation look?"

Zing!

Kishin swung his Zanpakuto and immediately bifurcated a mid-sized Hollow that attacked him as he answered nonchalantly, "Kasumi, you and the other members make your way to my location, however you are not to engage. Stay at least 3 kilometers away from my position and remain on standby."

He ducked and dodged a hand swipe from a Hollow before slashing off its legs and decapitating its head before continuing without breaking a sweat. "I will take care of these Hollows...and Gillians. Ensure that none of the citizens come near my position."

Kasumi was shocked and wanted to retort, however Kishin didn't give her a chance as he commanded, "That is an order. As your unit leader you are to do as you are told. You all will only be in my way." With that he hung up and turned his attention to the 30 Hollows floating in the air and the 15 Gillians walking in his direction.

"So this is Aizen's ploy? To bombard me with numbers and see if I was truly afflicted by Hollowfication? Trying to have me rely on its power huh? Hahaha, then it seems my own power is being greatly underestimated if he thought this would be enough to pressure me now."

Kishin grinned as all 30 plus Hollows dashed right at him.

Fwish!

In mere moments he disappeared and flashed right behind the head of a giant burly looking one. As it turned its head towards him he slashed with his sword and killed it.

Swish! Whoosh! Fwish!

He dashed around with extreme speed slashing and hacking away with no wasted movement. His every strike sent a Hollow to its death. Just as he landed atop a building the hand of a giant Hollow crashed down towards him, however he simply twisted his body and cut off its arm in quick succession. It screamed in agony at the pain. In the next moment he slashed its body in half without a care in the world. He then jumped in the air avoiding two Hollows that attacked him from the left and the right causing them to crash right into each other. As he fell back down he spun his body to gain some momentum and slashed.

Swish! Schlick!

The two Hollows died instantly.

"Hahaha! Is this it?" Kishin said mockingly to no one in particular. As a Hollow jumped down from the air and one charged at him from behind he simply performed a wide arcing slash, timing his attack perfectly killing both Hollows at once. It was then he felt a heavy pressure in the air and took note that several of the Gillians were preparing to charge up a Cero, however not all of them were aimed at him.

"Oh? Seems the Gillians simply seek destruction and will take any source of food they can get huh? They're aiming for the citizens that haven't evacuated yet."

He quickly slashed another Hollow in half as he smirked. "Don't underestimate me. Hado #67: Gaki Rekko!" Kishin pointed his sword off into the distance firing off multiple green energy beams right at the Gillians. Before they could fire off their Cero the energy beams pierced right into it causing it to blow up right in their faces.

BOOOOOOM!

He then quickly Shunpo'd off into the distance as several tens of Hollows struck the spot where he was just standing.

"Hahaha! Too slow. Bakudo #62: Hyapporankan!" A blue white rod appeared in his hand as he threw it right into the densest part of the formation of Hollows.

Whish! Whish! Whish! Whish!

The Hollows never stood a chance as the one rod split into a hundred and moved too fast for them to dodge. The rods spread out in a wide area stabbing and embedding themselves into the body of most of the Hollows pinning them into the ground. Without wasting any time at all he Shunpo'd with his fastest speed right before the 20 Hollows that were pierced through and cut off their heads before they could free themselves. It was then he heard several screams from the citizens still in the area that were being chased down by the Gillians. He quickly stuck out his palm and shouted, "Hado #33: Sokatsui!"

CRRRRSSSSSHH!

He fired a line of pale blue fire right in front of the 10 Gillians that were left, grabbing their attention. The other 5 had died earlier after having their Cero burst right in their faces. Kishin grinned and stretched his neck and shoulder seemingly enjoying the fight.

Aizen oh Aizen. You really underestimate me. Yes you may have gotten the jump on me a few times, however regular Hollows? Gillians? If you don't resort to your silly tricks hidden in the dark then I'm afraid you won't learn anything about me. A straight up fight against regular Hollows and Gillians is child's play.

Kishin quickly Shunpo'd away from his spot as one of the remaining Hollows tried to eat him. He then reappeared right behind it speaking in a condescending tone. "Here, eat this instead."

Schlick!

He immediately stabbed it behind its head and drove his sword right through its mouth before he returned his attention to the 10 Gillians that were now heading towards him. He smirked as he noted all 10 of them charging up a Cero.

ZIIIIIIING!

All 10 Cero's flew through the air aimed right at his location, however he simply Shunpo'd off into the distance and laughed. "Hahaha! This is why you all shouldn't aim at the same time and at the same spot. Well, not that it matters. You can't think for yourselves anyways."

The Gillians simply gave their signature scream at him as if they understood that he was mocking them, however it was really just the Gillians being Gillians. He flashed away right next to one and slashed at its eyes completely blinding it before slashing several more times through its hard mask and killed it.

"One down and nine to go."

One of the Gillians stretched open its mouth in an attempt to swallow Kishin whole, however he simply swiped his sword in its direction shouting, "Hado #54: Haien!" A crimson colored ovular shaped energy blast flew right into that Gillian's mouth and lit it completely aflame for several seconds before it died and disappeared in a flutter of reishi. By now he was completely surrounded by six Gillians that all charged a Cero aimed right for him.

Kishin simply shook his head amusedly. "Not the brightest bunch are they."

EEEAAAAAARRRR!

All six Ceros were released at the same time right at him, however he simply Shunpo'd upwards and into the sky escaping their entrapment of him.

BOOOOOOOOM!

The six Ceros had missed their target and instead the Gillians had killed one another.

"Hahaha, thanks for saving me the trouble guys. Three to go."

Bam!

He quickly used his sword to block a fist strike from one of the regular Hollows still around before slicing its head in half.

"Not a bad effort." He remarked nonchalantly.

EEEAAAR!

Once more another Cero fired from one of the remaining Gillians, however he easily dodged it.

"Your attack patterns are too easy to read. Bakudo #63: Sajo Sabaku!"

Whoosh!

A bright yellow chain flung out with incredible speed from his left hand and wrapped itself around the heads of all three remaining Gillians binding them together in a tight hold.

"Heh, you all came here together so you all can die together." He appeared above their heads in a mere split second before aiming his left palm right at them and chanted, "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hado #63: Raikoho!"

BOOM! CRASH!

The yellow golden aura condensed as electricity thundered and boomed with fearsome might straight down at the three bound Gillians. The power generated from Kishin's full incantation of the level 63 Kido instantly wiped the Gillians clean.

Swish! Shlick!

The last remaining two Hollows tried to take advantage of the commotion and attacked him, however he easily offed their heads.

"That should be the last of them."

It was then he heard Zansatsu speak to him which surprised him greatly as his Zanpakuto went radio silent two weeks ago.

Don't let your guard down young master. Something doesn't seem right.

Kishin narrowed his eyes in focus as he too began having a strange feeling that something was amiss, but he didn't have to wait long before he heard the loud whistling of the wind behind his head as if something sharp was cutting through the air.

TING!

He immediately reacted just in time and raised his sword up to block behind him. He tightly gripped the hilt of his sword and smirked as he remained locked in a defensive hold against some sort of invisible force.

"Ehhh? Nice try but no dice. You're a Hollow aren't you? But this attack of yours is most definitely not something just any old ordinary Hollow is capable of. Attacking while invisible huh? That's a pretty neat trick. Why don't you show yourself?"

Clank!

He and that Hollow quickly disengaged from one another as the invisible Hollow slowly made itself visible to him. Its body was gray and ape-like, but its head looked like a bull with two large horns protruding from it. It had a long scorpion-like tail and the claws on its hands were long and sharp. It stood at roughly 4 meters tall and its voice had a strange annoying echo to it.

"Kekeke! What a surprise Shinigami boy! Not only did you defeat the 30 Hollows but you even killed all 15 Gillians. Your energy will be such a great nourishment for my evolution!"

Kishin inwardly flinched in both shock and amusement at the fact that the Hollow just spoke with real human speech. "So, you can talk huh? What are you exactly?"

"Kekekeke! My name is Sting! Remember that well, Shinigami! Then again I suppose it doesn't matter since you'll soon be my lunch!"

Kishin raised an amused eyebrow at this Hollow named Sting and remarked, "Me? Be your lunch? I'm surprised you even want to stick around and fight me after watching me kill all the Hollows from earlier. Do you really stand a chance Stingy?"

Sting frowned and narrowed its eyes at him. "Stingy? You're a cheeky brat! I'm not like all those other pitifully weak Hollows. I am strong! If I consume you I might even become a Vasto Lorde class being! Muahahaha!"

Kishin also laughed after hearing Sting speak. "Ha! Hahahaha!"

This threw Sting into confusion. "Why are you laughing?! Are you mocking me?!"

Kishin continued to laugh for another few seconds before wiping a tear from his eye. "If I'm not mocking you then what else would it be? You? Become a Vasto Lorde? If nothing else you tell pretty good jokes!"

"Y-You bastard! I'll kill you!"

Fwish!

Sting dashed straight for Kishin and attacked in a flurry of stabs and slashes as it attempted to pierce him with its stinger, however Kishin deflected and parried every one of its moves.

Ting! Cling! Clank! Ting!

Zing! Zang! Zing!

Fwoosh!

Just before Sting could grab Kishin in its large hands he used his Shunpo to dash off to the side before arriving right by its left leg and slashed.

Swish!

"Arrrrrrghh!" Sting shouted in pain as it moved away.

Kishin grinned and swiped his Zanpakuto in the air beside him causing some of the blood dripping down from his sword to fling off onto the ground. "Ehhh, not bad. You moved just in time before I could cut off your leg."

Sting glared angrily at Kishin at his comment. "Y-You bastard! You dare cut me!"

"That's a dumb question isn't it? You want to eat me. I'll do more than dare to cut you. I'll kill you."

"Y-Y-You!"

"Hahahaha! Look, you may be able to talk, but you're still pretty dumb aren't you?"

"Aaaaaahhhhh! Damn you Shinigami! I'll show you just how terrifying I am!"

Kishin quickly narrowed his eyes in focus as he witnessed Sting vanish into thin air along with all traces of his presence. He scanned the area closely looking for any signs of Sting as he commented, "Ehhh? This trick again? You can turn invisible and perfectly conceal your presence, but did you know that it's completely useless? My ability lets me know where you are at all times as long as you're within 50 meters of me."

Kishin smirked as he felt a fluctuation in reiatsu for just the slightest and briefest of moments in his 5 o'clock direction so he quickly pointed with his finger and said, "Hado #1: Sho."

"GAH!" The sound of Sting shouting in shock rang in the air as it stumbled back a few times from Kishin's unexpected attack. Its invisibility also wore off after being hit. As Sting tried to recover from its stumble Kishin pointed to it once more and said, "Bakudo #61: Rikujokoro." Instantly six rods of yellow golden light ensnared Sting and immobilized its entire body.

"Haha! Guess the hunter became the hunted."

Sting struggled with all its might trying to break free only to fail miserably. It struggled to speak as it voiced out its disbelief. "H-How?! No! It can't be. You can really sense me as long as I'm within 50 meters of you? So that is the power of your Zanpakuto! You crafty bastard!"

Kishin simply tilted his head to the side staring condescendingly at the Hollow. "Hmm? Not sure what you mean. Weren't you here at the very beginning of the attack? Did you ever see me release my Zanpakuto?"

"Eh? T-That's true...b-but if it's not the power of your Zanpakuto then what kind of power is it? Wait...you used Kido to sense me!"

"Ha! Hahaha! Wrong! I lied. I don't have any ability like the one I told you. You want to know how I found you? I used fear! Do you know what your weakness was? It's the fact that you understand language."

"I-I don't understand."

Kishin smirked as he slowly began walking towards Sting. "You don't understand? Hahaha! I disagree. You understood very well. You understood fear. You feared that I could actually sense your presence as long as you are within 50 meters of me. You thought back to our first encounter when you were still hidden from my sight. Since I was able to block your invisible attack you figured I was telling the truth about being able to sense you. Wrong! I simply have good reflexes. You can become invisible and mask your presence but you still interact with the surrounding environment. With the speed at which you attacked I heard it whistle on the air."

"Y-You tricked me?!"

"Bingo! Isn't it funny? Most creatures strive to gain intelligence to become stronger, but in this case it was because you have intellect that you're going to die. When I told you my fake ability you convinced yourself that I was telling the truth using evidence from our first encounter. This caused you to momentarily lose focus and expose your presence to me for just a moment. That's how I really found you."

"Y-You bastard! Damn you Shinigami! I'll kill you!"

"Hahaha! You? Kill me? What a riot! In the position you're in, never in a million years. Before I send you off why don't you tell me where you came from."

Sting tried to struggle free once more, however the six binding rods were truly too strong. "UWAAAAH!" Sting screamed and screamed some more trying to break free but to no avail. Kishin stared at the entrapped Hollow shouting and screaming in frustration. Realizing that it knew nothing he quickly lost interest.

"You bastard! You bastard! You bastard! I'll ki-"

Schlick!

Kishin stabbed it straight through the skull before slashing out, shutting it up and killing it. He condescendingly stared at the empty spot where the Hollow named Sting was trapped just a moment ago. His eyes reflected a dark cold aura that could only belong to ruthless killers and he softly spoke with a dangerously annoyed tone, "You shout too much."

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

At the sound of his denreishinki he quickly shook out of his murderous trance-like state and answered the call. "Kasumi. The matter has been taken care of. Take the other members and continue your duties monitoring the 39th district. You all no longer need to remain on standby. I'll stick around for another hour before heading off to check on the members patrolling the 40th district. Report immediately if anything happens."

Click.

Kasumi on the other end of the line couldn't even get a single word in. She had called after noticing that all the Hollow signatures had disappeared before sensing the powerful reiatsu of a Hollow that was even heavier than a Gillian. She knew that she should obey the orders of her superior, but even so she was worried and thought that Kishin would need backup, however it appears that wasn't the case. The other three members by her side who were completely clad in their black Onmitsukido clothing turned to her and asked curiously, "What did the unit leader say?"

Kasumi just let out a sigh in defeat and relief. "Everything is handled. We are to resume our previous task."

Without further discussion they all dashed off.

888

Gin stared at the screen that showed Kishin killing the failed experimental arrancar and praised, "Yaaah, he's gotten pretty good. Don'tcha think? Captain Aizen. To think that he can use level 60 Kido's without the incantation to such an effect is quite impressive. He didn't use this level of Kido against Black."

Tosen had an indifferent expression on his face as he also gave a comment. "It is quite impressive. Perhaps he wasn't confident in using such a high level Kido before, or perhaps with his companions fighting Black alongside him he decided it was best to conserve his power. I wonder when he took the time to learn such high level spells. To think that his growth and potential is this great where he could learn level 60 Kido spells in just 3 weeks."

Aizen simply smirked and clasped his hands resting them on his lap as he responded, "No. It has only been 3 weeks since the incident with Black. He was unconscious for 1 and these past 2 weeks he's been on patrol around Rukongai. He had no time in between to dedicate his training into Kido which means he was already capable of using level 60's Kido spells during the incident with Black. The reason he didn't was most likely because he was being held back by Toshiro and Kinij. He realized that Black was not a normal Hollow and the way it battled was too tactical. If Kishin had utilized a level 60's Kido without being sure that it would meet its mark then he leaves open the risk for Black to exploit an opening to draw Kinji or Toshiro into the crossfire as well. His companions would end up as collateral."

"Hmmm...that makes sense. During the fight he seemed more skilled than the other two. Had he fought Black alone then it's possible he could have won. Sting never stood a chance." Gin nonchalantly replied.

Aizen just continued staring at the monitor in contemplation. "Sting. It may have been a failed experiment to create an Arrancar but the strength it possessed was on a similar level to that of Metastacia."

Gin let out a light chuckle. "Haha now that's a name I haven't heard in awhile. Metastacia was the Hollow that Lieutenant Shiba Kaien fought and died to, right?"

Tosen nodded. "Although Metastacia was also a failure its power was unique. It had the power to kill a Lieutenant class Shinigami like Shiba Kaien. To think that Kishin would be able to kill Sting, a Hollow no lesser in strength when compared to Metastacia, with ease means that he is most likely, at this stage, more powerful than Kaien was."

Gin simply shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it didn't seem like there were any signs of him being afflicted by Hollowfication. What now Captain Aizen?"

"Nothing. As I stated before. If he doesn't exhibit any signs of Hollowfication then he's merely another Shinigami. He may have more talent and potential than most others, but in the end he failed to become an evolved being. Let us continue with our next project, although it will be slightly more than a few years before my subordinates will have collected enough souls for us to begin our next creation."

Gin and Tosen simply followed behind Aizen as they all walked out of their hideout.

888

Two weeks later the patrol mission finally came to an end without any other major incidents happening. Kishin gave his report about the strange Hollow that had appeared during the mission before heading towards the 2nd division barracks, however as he was walking through the Seireitei he took note of Jushiro and Shunsui standing and talking amiably at the end of the street he was on. As he got closer they both warmly greeted him.

"Oh! Kishin-kun, good work on getting rid of that Hollow." Shunsui praised.

Jushiro nodded in agreement before commenting with a curious tone, "Mn, I agree, but it's a bit strange don't you think?"

Kishin had a feeling he knew what Jushiro meant so he nodded at the comment. "Strange that these weird Hollows keep showing up around me? Yeah, you could say that again Captain Ukitake. Why is it always me?"

Jushiro awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck in response. "Ah...hahaha...maybe they're just really drawn to your reiatsu?"

Shunsui studied Kishin for a bit before letting out a soft sigh in wonderment and decided to tease him. "Hmm...oh! Maybe they just find little Kishin-kun too cute to resist."

Kishin raised his eyebrow awkwardly at Shunsui's comment. "Errr...I think I'll just stick with it being bad luck."

Shunsui laughed while Jushiro simply let out a sigh and handed Kishin some candy. "Here Shin-chan. Have some chocolate. You handled everything very well. I'm very proud of you!"

Kishin didn't stand on ceremony and popped a chocolate into his mouth. "Mn, thanks Captain."

Shunsui fixed the straw hat on his head as he commented, "All of this must be quite hard on you Kishin-kun. Don't forget to relax once in a while."

"Mn. "I'll remember your advice Captain. But I still have a lot of things I need to learn and a lot of training left to do. I'd rather not be left so vulnerable again."

Shunsui could only stare at Kishin with a bit of wonderment and curiosity at how motivated he was dedicating himself to becoming stronger. "Your personal drive is impressive. Ukitake tells me that you're a fast learner."

"I try my best."

"Hmmm...I see. Well, if you ever need some help I wouldn't mind lending you a hand."

Kishin popped another piece of candy in his mouth and amiably responded, "I'll keep that in mind Captain."

As Jushiro and Shunsui continued on with their conversation Kishin quietly excused himself and began making his way back to the 2nd division barracks, however the sight of the Sokyoku hill caught his eye. For no reason in particular a memory surfaced in his mind about some information he recalled from his past life's knowledge about the hill.

Urahara's training ground...is secretly located somewhere beneath the Sokyoku hill isn't it? If I remember correctly Yoruichi taught Ichigo how to use his Bankai there. Even Renji was able to learn Bankai there and best of all, no matter how much reiatsu they had expelled it was kept well contained and didn't give away their position. I needed to find a place to train in my Shikai. If I lose control again like the very first time then...the secret training ground would be the best place for me to try and master my own power wouldn't it?

He quickly took a glance at his schedule finding no special missions assigned to him so he dashed off towards the bottom of the Sokyoku hill.

Fwish!

In merely a minute of dashing through the Seireitei he arrived at the foot of the giant hill. "Great. I'm here but...where the hell is the entrance?" He walked around and along the bottom of the entire hill searching for any indication of the entrance to no avail. "What the hell am I supposed to look for anyways? Since it's a secret training ground it can't be that easy to find. I doubt there'll just be a cave-like entrance right?"

He continued his search for hours and hours. The days passed by. The weeks rolled on. He searched the nearby forest at the foot of the hill for any signs or indication of an entrance. He scoured the area for any hints of a secret device that might activate a hidden door. He tapped on every tree, every rock, every object he found near the hill to no avail.

3 months later

Kishin silently scaled the rocky wall of the Sokyoku hill for the umpteenth time running his hand along the bottom and tapping on it crossing his fingers that something would happen. He had scoured the area for 3 damn months now yet he still came up with nothing. It was currently dark out and the moon illuminated the Seireitei in a glow of silver white light. Kishin just let out a sigh.

"Maybe I should just give up. Perhaps I need a special key or something."

Click.

He was immediately startled when he felt his finger indent into the wall of the hill. His heartbeat quickened as he turned his entire focus on where his finger hand sunk into. "D-Don't tell me...did I...find it?" He pushed harder until the hidden contraption wouldn't budge any further, however nothing happened. He frowned and let out another sigh. "Is it...a fake?"

Just as he was feeling disappointed he caught a glimpse of a hole appearing in the wall of the Sokyoku hill large enough to fit the size of a human being. Once more his heartbeat quickened. "I-I did it?" As he removed his finger from the concealed button and slowly walked over to the hole he noted that it completely closed up in merely a few seconds.

"Eh? So it's got a mechanism like that huh? I see. I suppose that makes sense." He smirked and went back to push the button once more opening up a hole in the wall. Just as he removed his finger he disappeared in a flash of Shunpo and dashed right into the hole in the wall.

Fwish!

With the speed of his Shunpo it wasn't hard to bridge the distance in one step. The hole led to a small dark tunnel with the only source of light being the light from the moon, however it didn't take long before the hole once again completely closed up, turning his surroundings completely pitch black. Kishin placed his right palm in front of him and said, "Hado #31: Shakkaho." Instantly a red ball of fire floated into the air hovering before him and illuminated the dark tunnel. Kishin tilted his head with intriguement as he continued walking down the single path. It wasn't long before he came to a dead end with a hole in the ground and a long ladder that descended downwards. Kishin grinned with a bit of anticipation and didn't waste anymore time as he swiftly descended down the ladder. It didn't take long before he was met with the familiar sight of the huge underground training area exactly as he remembered it looking like. A fake sky, rocky and earthy terrain, and the steaming mist from the healing hot spring in the corner.

"I...I did it! Hahahaha! Finally after 3 months! Glad it wasn't a waste of my time!" He stared for a few moments longer in awe as if he had discovered the largest goldmine in history. After relishing the fact that he actually made it he scoped the field a bit before standing in the middle of the area and unsheathed his crimson red hilt black diamond patterned Zanpakuto. He took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm here so no point in delaying. I suppose I should just get started."

He stared down at the Zanpakuto in his hands. The memory and feeling of the madness when he first released its power surfaced in his mind causing him to grip the hilt a little tighter. He took a deep breath to prepare himself mentally before finally, he spoke the words for his Shikai's release. "Wash all things in a river of blood, Sekiken Zansatsu." Instantly his weapon began to transform into its Shikai release state. A double edged black katana with red bloodstain marks on the bottom edge. A black hilt with 5 crimson colored lotus flower patterns engraved on both sides. The guard was obsidian black in the shape of four crescent moons. The top and bottom moons faced towards the blade and the left and right moons faced away from the blade. This was the form of his Zanpakuto's Shikai. He gripped the hilt firmly and felt his mind, no, his soul immediately connect to his Zanpakuto. It resonated within him. It felt as if it was crying out in anguish and pain as a bloodthirsty murderous aura began leaking out from it. Kishin furrowed his brow and was about to swing his sword when his thoughts were interrupted.

So it begins…

Just as Kishin was about to reply he flinched and opened his eyes wide in shock. The training ground before him disappeared and instead was replaced by a world of darkness. He frowned and began walking around in this dark world, however no matter where he walked it didn't seem like he was getting anywhere at all.

"Zansatsu, are you there?" He waited for several minutes, however the only reply he received was complete silence causing him to frowned even more.

"Oi, where is…this." He said and whispered near the end as he tilted his head in confusion at the sound of someone softly crying. He turned to look behind him and was even more confused at the sight before him. Everything in the world around him was dark except...except for the small crying child in the near distance. He didn't know what to make of the situation but he figured standing around wouldn't help, so he slowly walked over to that child, however the closer he got the clearer the image of that child became. They were probably 7 years old. They wore a standard elementary school uniform consisting of black pants, a white dress shirt, a black tie, and nice black shoes. They had short black hair and were currently sitting with their face buried in their knees sobbing and crying. Kishin couldn't move from his spot for several moments as he was completely shocked.

"W-Wait...you're...me?" As he whispered out those words the crying from the young him instantly stopped. Kishin was about to approach when he halted his steps and flinched at the words his younger self spoke. The tone of the voice was sad...anguished...hurt...lonely…and even more...there was an underlying hint of insanity in every word.

"I'm you? Heh...hehehe-hahahaha! And what are you?"

Kishin furrowed his brow in confusion. He wanted to respond and say something but he didn't know what to say. And then...before he even had a chance the young him burst into a wisp of red smoke fading into the darkness. Kishin's heart pounded hard and loudly in his chest. He didn't know why but he felt slightly uneasy. Then, he heard it. Another voice.

"You monster."

Kishin frowned and turned to look behind him, however he was only getting more confused. This time it was a middle-aged man with brown hair.

"Who are you?"

That man smirked as if he had the upper hand and instead of replying he pulled out a knife and swiped right at Kishin. Kishin widened his eyes in shock and attempted to block with his Zanpakuto, however when he clenched his hand that was supposed to be wielding his weapon he took note that it had disappeared.

"What th-Ugh!"

Everything was so out of his control that he could only dash back and prop up his left arm defensively to block the attack. The knife cut his arm and blood began to seep down his hands as he let out a deep nervous breath. He kept his eyes focused on that old man who simply smirked and said with a dark tone, "How impressive. You were able to dodge my attack at that distance. Do you perhaps know who I am now?"

Kishin frowned and was about to retort, however it was then he noticed the knife. It was completely black colored and there was a symbol of a crow on it. His entire body trembled as he recalled where he had seen that knife before. "Y-You're...Genji?"

Genji smirked and twirled the knife in his hands. "So you do remember me." He then dashed forwards and attacked once more while shouting in anger and hatred. "You remember me! Then do you remember my son, Shun?! YOU KILLED HIM! YOU BASTARD!"

Kishin could only grit his teeth dodging and rolling aside to avoid being hit.

"You killed my son so I will kill you! You monster! Live in hell! Die alone! Why did my son have to die?! Tell me! He was a good man! He was a lawyer! He took good care of his baby sister! He looked after his mother! I loved him! Why did you take him away from us! WHY!"

Kishin felt his heart pound in his chest as the memories of what happened that day came flooding back in his mind. It was a rainy evening. Dark cloudy skies had covered the city casting a gloomy dark shadow over the area. People dashed about the streets in their raincoats. Others sheltered beneath the safety of their umbrellas. The sounds of their feet made distinctive splashing noises as they walked through the puddles on the ground. A humid smell had permeated the air of the streets from the dampened city and near the city center was a large white building that stood out from the other buildings in the vicinity. It was the courthouse. In front of the courthouse was a black car in waiting.

It wasn't long before the door to the backseat opened as a young man in his twenties wearing a long gray and fancy trench coat with dark brown hair and bright green eyes entered the car. This was Shun. He quickly situated himself and instructed the driver to take him home, however who was the driver? It was exactly Kishin. He had been undercover for his job pretending to be the new driver for Shun for the past week and today was the day that he had killed him. He had used a special drug placed in the car freshener that was attached to the AC unit and had it ventilate in the car. Of course he had taken the antidote himself already. Within half an hour, without Shun even realizing it, he had succumbed to a deep slumber. By then it was a piece of cake to kill the man. His body wasn't found until nearly a month later. As for the reason he killed Shun? It was because Shun was working on a case against a very influential man in the city. He was getting close to the truth about the dirty money trail of that man so in the end, Kishin was hired to assassinate Shun.

A few years later and he recalled the day when Shun's dad, Genji found him. The older man was disheveled and seemed to have seen better days, but Kishin knew that this old man had dedicated his life to search for his son's killer. Because of that Genji had neglected his own wife and daughter. He had become detached from them and was driven mad by his one and only desire. To seek vengeance and justice for his son. In the end, Kishin killed him too.

As the memory faded he returned his attention to what was happening right in front of him. Right here and now. This old man Genji had somehow returned and was trying to kill him once more. Kishin's emotions stirred as he continued to dodge the knife while Genji just continued to shout in anguish getting more tired with every strike and slash.

"You...huff...you bastard! Huff...just die already…" Genji panted heavily as tears streamed down his face. His voice cracked near the end of his sentence and he collapsed on his hands and knees. "Why? Why did my boy have to die? What did he do to deserve such punishment?"

Kishin stood in silence as he stared at the anguished face of the old man. He didn't know what to say. He could only give the one platonic answer that he had. "It was my job."

It was then the sound of Genji's crying stopped completely. His facial expression displayed disbelief. Then anger. Then grief. Then...insanity. "Heh...Hehehehehe! Hahaha-HAHAHAHA! So you're telling me that my son died for NOTHING?! Heh! Hahaha! Hahaha!" Genji laughed and broke down in mania. He clutched the small knife in his hands and rushed right at Kishin shouting with his insanic voice, "THEN YOU SHOULD DIE FOR NOTHING AS WELL!"

Kishin frowned and disarmed the old man before taking the knife and stabbing Genji right in the heart. Genji simply laughed as he began to cry once more. "Hehehehe...I see. My son who fought for justice died for nothing. And I who vowed to avenge him in the name of justice also...died for nothing. In the end...my son...I could do nothing for you. I left home. Neglected my wife and daughter. Searched and trained for years to avenge you...and in the end...I see now...there is no justice in the world. Only monsters."

Kishin didn't know why but he felt his heart pound in pain and agony as he watched and listened to the old man's last words before he began to turn into smoke, completely fading away. Kishin's facial expression contorted in confusion and...guilt. He didn't know why. He didn't understand. He had killed Genji once before. He had killed the real Genji. Back then he felt nothing for the man as he watched him die in his own hands, so why...why did he feel so horrible at this moment. He stared down at his blood soaked hands. The knife faded away in smoke and unknowingly...a single tear fell from the corner of his eye. And then...heard it once more. Another voice.

"You monster."

Kishin turned to see who it was only this time, instead of an old man, it was a young woman in her late twenties. Kishin once again felt his heart pound in his chest. He didn't know why but emotions that he never felt before started to surface throughout his entire being. He stared at the person in front of him and let out a soft whisper. "Aurora."

She smirked and pulled out a gun. "So you remember me. Then surely you remember my sister. Melanie."

Kishin could only grit his teeth as feelings of pain, hurt, sadness, anguish, sorrow, loneliness, and more began coursing through him all at once. He didn't know why but his eyes began tearing up and it began to blur his vision. He could barely see and dodge Aurora's attacks as she continued to scream at him in pain just like Genji. And just like Genji she too questioned him. Inquired him for answers. Wanting and wishing to know why one of her beloved had died.

Whilst all of this was happening, in a different plane of Kishin's mind sat one being on a black lotus island situated in the center of a bloody lake. It was precisely Zansatsu. He sat on the island with a complicated expression on his face as he stared at the chains that bound him. One of the chains had begun to crack, albeit it was a very small crack.

"Young master...only you can free yourself from your pain. And only you can free me from my chains. Only then...can you freely wield the power of your Shikai. Only then...will I be whole. Only then...can we fight together. Face your demons. Everything that you have rejected. Everything you locked deep away inside your soul. I was born from your very soul and these chains are proof that you have always rejected what you were...a cold...ruthless...monster…"

He then looked up to the crimson sky and the floating red clouds above before closing his eyes. "In the end...which one will you be? Complete and whole? Or insane and mad?"

He then smirked with anticipation. "I am waiting. Young master."

MISC.

Hado Spells:Hado #1: Sho (Thrust)Hado #31: Shakkaho (Red Fire Cannon)Hado #33: Sokatsui (Pale Blue Fire)Hado #54: Haien (Abolishing Flames)Hado #63: Raikoho (Fiery Lightning Howl)Hado #67: Gaki Rekko (Raging Light Fang) -Originally didn't have a number but I gave it number 67.

Bakudo Spells:Bakudo #61: Rikujokoro (Six Rods of Light)Bakudo #62: Hyapporankan (Hundred Steps Fence)Bakudo #63: Sajo Sabaku (Ethereal Binding Chain)