Kenji gone Mad?

This story, , occurs chronologically with Itazura Kori's adventures in Heisekai and also serves as the first story of the Impostor arc of Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi).

‘You think you’d go easy on your old man,’ complained Kenji after more than three hours shopping coupled with an hour drive back home.

Did he get any sympathy? Should he even have bothered expecting any in the first place? Not with his family. The twins Hotaru and Akira whizzed past him like two small blurs and little Kay followed soon after, shouting about her brothers leaving her behind again. Only when Ino brushed past him did he lean away from the door. It closed on almost silent hinges. Oops. Kenji could only grin as he heard a very audible “fuck you old man” from the other side of the door. He was laughing outright now.

‘Sorry ‘bout that, Kentaro.’

Kentaro walked through the door without a word sporting a very red nose. The way his black hair hung all you could see of Kenji’s eldest where yellow eyes and his newly coloured nose!

‘What was the laughing for then, you lying old coot? Shits and giggles?!’

Kenji merely thought a moment before smiling. ‘Yup,’

Their attention was diverted by a high-pitched scream!

‘Daddy, Hotaru won’t give me my ice cream bar!’

Kay was a cute little thing with long blond hair like her mothers and big blue eyes like Auntie Kireina. And she adored the ground her brothers walked on; even when one of those three brothers made things difficult for her. Right now Hotaru was using Shunpo to float in the air just above where Kay could reach jumping. Dangling from his right hand was her ice cream bar.

‘Hotaru,’ warned Kenji teasingly. ‘Wouldn’t it be a shame if your new game was to… say… malfunction?’

Hotaru watched in mock seriousness as his father held his latest console game aloft. Then he noticed the twitch his father showed and knew he was being completely serious. He surrendered the ice cream bar with a sigh and returned to the floor. His feet hadn’t so much as touched the floor until Ino rapped him on the top of the head!

‘Behave yourself!’

Amazing how quickly a holiday could tire you out. Sometimes he found that the Ryū Order was easier run than planning a successful day out with the family without running into a snag or three. He’d need to remember and do some digging for unconventional offers. Right now he was looking a miracle worker but he was quickly finding that they where in short supply.

‘The footie just kicked off,’ Kentaro said.

Kenji jumped clean over the kitchen table, his family and the groceries, vaulted a wooden table and skidded into his arm chair. Kentaro already had two cool bears popped as Kenji slid by. By the time he took his seat he was already draining the contents from a bottle of apple cider.

‘Wow! I think daddy just set a new record.’

Akira and Hotaru were born only minutes apart and both where as alike in appearance as you could possibly find. When it came to likes and dislikes? They where as different as heaven and earth! It was impossible buying for one without buying something entirely different for another and then, of course, they argued about which gift was better. Kenji and Ino just didn’t stand a chance.

‘Shhh! Tottenham are playing!’

Meaning that all of the other sound in the house was to stop immediately, for it wouldn’t do if Kenji and Kentaro missed their favourite team in action.

‘Hmph! You bloody children.’ And Ino wasn’t talking about Hotaru, Akira or Kay.

How he loved doing what he was about to. It truly was the ultimate form of expression.

High in the skyline of Horiwari was Kenji Shiba. His black hair was swept back completely and lined with fresh sweat. His black kosode and hakama were tattered and torn and his ōbi was misshapen on him. It was as if Shin Nagakura had stepped into Kenji’s skin. Yet there was something off about the smile. It was too eerie, way too malicious and altogether un-Kenji-like.

‘Morning, Shinrei.’

The young man of the Kurosaki family halted mid strike and glanced once at his Godfather and then once at his sparring partner. He was Kaimen Kazuki and a powerful man in his own right.

‘Kenji?’ Shinrei asked with a confused tone. ‘Weren’t you taking a vacation in the Human World? What happened?’

‘Oh, that? Nothing important, I assure you.’ That got a confused glance from Kaimen. ‘I just felt a little nostalgic. I went through a lot in this uniform.’

‘… Right…’ Shinrei replied. ‘Are you feeling alright?’

‘Never better,’

Kaimen put himself between the advancing Kenji and young Shinrei. ‘I’m not so sure. You’re colourings a little off… and why are your eyes red?’

Kenji merely smiled that malicious grin even as the blood began to flow…

‘Clear the room, please. Now! We have emergencies!’

Momoko always kept her medical room clean and tidy but the corridor leading to her clinic was an entirely different story. It was strewn with doctors and nurses working hard so getting a clear path through was quite difficult at times.

After seeing those who occupied the medical beds people quickly began to move aside at Momoko’s bidding. Others followed behind her with medical equipment: mostly bandages. The door opened before them and Momoko immediately went to work. Shinrei’s chest was almost completely caved in and Kaimen’s left arm was completely gone. Blood covered their faces but even so Momoko would have recognized them anywhere.

‘You, you and you,’ she pointed to two nurses and a doctor off to the right-hand side. ‘You three will treat Kaimen. I’ll take care of Shinrei.’ But as confident as she sounded it wasn’t looking good.

‘Two down, two to go.’

Kenji turned with a malicious smile towards the setting sun. As he done so the dwindling light revealed a blood-stained outfit with a streak across his left cheek. There wasn't a single drop of it his own.

‘Perhaps I should visit the Dog next? Yeah, I think I might...!’

Kenji flicked the air and a formed before him, which he promptly entered. But something caught his attention just before the gateway closed. Perhaps... Van could wait? Yes. It was time to bring more misery first. The gateway took him almost instantly to a home within a small and unremarkable town. Below people wandered here and there like little ants waiting to be crushed. Oh, how he wanted to! But alas there where greater insects to be squashed here.

‘Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,’ and that smile returned.

And he wasn't there! Oh, how fantastic. Below him was the Hiroshi family. His sons, Hotaru and Akira, and his daughter Kay, where all within. Ino was close by but that was his only obstacle. Kenji released merely a glimpse of his spiritual power: just enough to cut the airflow off from the children and alert Ino to his location.

‘Come here...! Oh, how predictable.’

Ino didn't even have time to react. Kenji simply moved, drew and then sheathed in one swift and sudden motion. Blood erupted from Ino's chest and she stumbled forward, but Kenji never moved to finish her.

‘Now forget about me,’ with Kidō he proceeded to wipe her memory of him.

The below links are stories which occur at the same time, so it is recommended that both are read to see both parts. Thank you.

Next Story > Betrayal!? & His True Colors?.