Dealing with Loose Ends: Family Cleanup

This article, , is one of four one-shots featuring the individual battles of Kentaro, Akiye, Hawke and David against Shinji Mitsuhide, Zatoichi, Suitai Shiba and Kojima Taira. This particular chapter involves the battle between Kentaro and Suitai, is the sequel to David's battle with Kojima, and runs concurrently to Akiye's battle with Zatoichi and Hawke & David's battle with Shinji.

Uncle and nephew wasted none of their time on pleasantries or conversation. What was the point? The moment Kentaro's allies had arrived he and Suitai had distanced themselves from the other battles with a series of lightning-quick sword strikes and Shunpo steps. Right now the two Shiba clansmen weaved through the skies with equal grace, all the while spiritual power coating their limbs, their faces a mix of hate and concentration.

“Get back here!” Kentaro roared.

Kentaro cut low at Suitai's legs but the elder leapt high and kicked Kentaro in the face! He recovered quickly however and spun to meet Suitai's follow-up before rapidly spinning again to cut him lightly across the ribs. Instead of closing immediately the two leapt back to compose themselves.

“You have your father's skill.” Suitai acknowledged.

“Put a sock in it.” Kentaro exclaimed. “I'm here to violently hack you to pieces; not to spend quality time with you.”

That done it. Suitai closed in an instant; quickly enough that Kentaro couldn't even lift his arms in defence! The elder Shinigami sliced into Kentaro's chest, arms and legs with a series of unavoidable strikes that would no doubt prove to be the end of the younger man. He ended the onslaught with a thrust kick to Kentaro's chest! He went flying down and backwards to collide heavily with the floor.

“Know your place, boy. You are a thousand years too early to challenge me!”

“... That right? Somehow I don't think so.”

Kentaro, miraculously, emerged unharmed! His trousers bore a few slices but outside that he was in impeccable shape. He then snapped his fingers. A series of hexagonal barriers laid close to his skin appeared which bore noticeable signs of damage. He adopted a ready Form III stance with his Zanpakutō's hilt sitting parallel with his head and the flat of the blade resting upon his forearm.

“I'm my mother's son you idiot. It wasn't just my father who trained me.”

Kentaro took to the offence this time. He couldn't let Suitai attack him like that again. His barriers would only last so long. The skirmish went badly for Kentaro. Although he managed to cut his uncle across the left arm and right leg the wounds where superficial at best. Suitai on the other hand managed to completely shatter Kentaro's barriers with a well-placed counter spell and subsequently opened his right shoulder! Blood flowed freely for a time but Kentaro quickly stemmed the flow and knitted the wound back together via healing Kido. His second attack did better. This time he evaded a six-strike sequence from Suitai, the same which had opened his shoulder, and spun around to his opponents back. Suitai only evaded via Shunpo and the moment he reappeared Kentaro was upon him! Uncle and nephew met in a fierce mid-air blade-lock.

“Have you been holding back?” Suitai asked, smiling.

“No. I'm just a very fast learner.”

“Is that so?”

The intensity of their bout increased further. Here stood two masters of the sword in their own right and while Suitai edged Kentaro out in raw experience the younger man was adapting at a phenomenally fast pace; enough that the edge Suitai had was gradually being worn away to nothing. Kentaro was scoring as many hits as Suitai and it was beginning to grate on the older man. He began using power tactics to batter aside Kentaro's defenses, and while it worked at first, Kentaro simply altered his style to a neutral Form I stance. The moment he saw an opening however he brought his Zanpakuto around his body quickly to parry his uncles attack, at which point he landed a well-placed kick to his knee. He buckled and Kentaro proceeded to hamstring him! Suitai lost his balance and, with a follow-up slash, Kentaro opened his uncles back with a two-handed strike.

“... You're holding back.” Kentaro noted.

“I wish that were true.” Suitai whispered. “Blow, Kitakaze!”

Kentaro was immediately engulfed in a cold wind that cut as deep as any blade. To compensate Kentaro activated his own Shikai. He proceeded to “fall into” a field of darkness created by his Zanpakuto and although the winds blew around him unceasingly, Kentaro was as safe as one could hope to be.

“Invulnerability?” Suitai asked, stunned. “Balls. But how long can you last?”

He was right. Kentaro could sit here all day and night but Suitai could keep him pinned with that lacerating wind all day and night too. There was no way out! For a normal Shinigami at least. Kentaro was a cut above the norm.

“Bankai, Kage.”

Kentaro's immediate area was shrouded in an impenetrable darkness. What it did however was very similar to his Shikai. His Shikai was focused completely on defence; he couldn't attack without leaving the protection of his dark field. In Bankai however he could attack whilst still being protected. The downside? It was incredibly taxing. But Kentaro made the one attack count. He proceeded to close the distance between himself and his uncle and proceeded to slash him open from his waist up to his left shoulder!

“... Go.” Kentaro whispered, as he returned to his normal state. “Now.”

“... Heh. Just like your grandfather; merciless in battle to the point you'll maim your opposition, and then offer to let them go as a form of mercy? This isn't mercy.”

“... I won't say it again, uncle. You still have one working leg. Leave now or my next attack will take your head.”

“Arrogant little...!”

Kentaro's patience was at its end. He spun and released a single Sokoha blast!

"You won't outrun the Kikkashō." Suitai declared.

The wave impacted Suitai's chest, but admittedly Kentaro held back. The moment he was in the air Kentaro then opened a gateway which he propelled his uncle through, his destination a secluded area in the Human world.

“Don't say I never done anything for you, you old bastard.” Kentaro whispered. "But what the hell is the Kikkashō?"

His attention was instead captured by an explosion in the distance...

"Akiye!!"