| This article, Down the Path of Vengeance, is property of Kenji-Taichō. Permission is required to alter its content. Use of this page's contents is determined by the author of this page, unless otherwise specified. |
This story, Down the Path of Vengeance, is the final chapter of the Interquel Chapters set between Part II and Part III of Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi), that portrays the final scene leading up to Part III.
He ensured that she was buried in the Heisekian fashion atop the hill overlooking the Rukongai near the Kori families Rukongai estate. The ceremony was small and personal. Only Itazura himself, his sister, both his parent’s, his uncle Shin, and Fox Satonaka were in attendance. There was also a minister who spoke words prior to the burial who then sung a brief hymn as her body was lowered into the earth.
After the ceremony Itazura stood speechless overlooking the stone grave that marked her burial plot.
‘… What am I going to do now…?’ He asked of her at last. ‘You’re gone and I’m the one who’s left behind… Serena, what am I going to do?’
He couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. Try as he might. There where times when you simply couldn’t help it, that the brave façade melted away under the pressure of raw emotion. He merely stood there as the tears ran down his face. His hands shook at his side and he sniffled like a child denied their favourite toy. He then dropped to his knees voluntarily and began pounding the earth with his fists to relive his frustrations!
‘All those promises…! “We’ll go back to Heisekai some day and meet your parents”, I said. “We’ll get married and have kids”, we agreed. And now… now that’ll never...!’
The earth to the right of the grave plot bore quite the indentation when Itazura finally felt a strong hand grasp his shoulder. Dirt and grass also hung from his clenched fists. Another hand coiled around his waist like a snake and pulled him gently to his feet. As he turned to face these people the features of his father and uncle, saddened and weary, greeted him in silence. His father looked on the verge of tears himself while Shin bore none of his usual happy-go-lucky air. He wore his condolences clearly and it gave Itazura some small measure of comfort that he wasn’t the only one mourning.
‘Come on. It’s been a long day, son.’ Tadashi whispered quietly in his son’s ear.
‘Yeah… It has,’ Itazura answered meekly.
Shin directed him back towards the house with gentle motions though he never once forced the issue. Thrice Itazura stopped in order to give the grave stone a lingering look and thrice Shin and Tadashi waited patiently and respectfully. It must have been fifteen minutes before they reached the seclusion of the family estate. Within a fire was burning brightly while Mariko and their mother talked quietly. He could tell immediately. His sister had been crying as well. As soon as he entered Mariko jumped to her feet and embraced him tightly! It told how drained he was. He barely had the strength to keep his feet. It was only a combination of Mariko holding back and Shin’s quick hand that he kept his footing.
The two siblings never needed words in all the time they’d known one another. They could tell at a glance was the other was thinking and read emotion with a simple touch. At times people even thought they could read each others mind. Or perhaps it was one another’s heart? They couldn’t read minds of course but right then Itazura was happy for any and all comfort he could get. When he and his sister withdrew he had to once again wipe the tears from his eyes.
Heavy with fatigue and emotionally drained Itazura left his family in the sitting room with the fire blazing warmly for the seclusion of his bedroom…
‘Let me get this straight,’ Hawke began testily, ‘you want me and David to traipse on over to Heisekai and help Tyrell stop this Shuhen person? The guy – and this is my favourite part – who just so happens to be as strong as you!?’
Kenji looked completely unaffected. In fact he bore a slight smile. The likeness between Hawke and Kusaka was quite staggering, even if they didn’t share similar personality traits. In fact Hawke took more after his mother than he did his father which of course only made Kenji smile all the more. His nephew was, as always, a fiery little shit who liked running at the mouth a lot. Ah, how alike they where.
‘How are we supposed to defeat him, eh?’ David asked quickly after Hawke finished.
Kenji shook his head in reply and began rubbing his temples. David shared none of Kusaka’s blood, true, but you’d think him and Hawke – Hawke at least! – would have some of Kusaka’s skill in reading the undercurrents of events and people.
‘I don’t want you two facing Shuhen or these others with him,’ Kenji went on to explain after a deep sigh. ‘That’s for Tyrell, Kazuma and Karis to handle. What I want you guys to do is ensure that the current royal family, Kaede and Tomoko, don’t come to any harm.’ That got a confused look from the two brothers. Oh lovely! He’d need to explain this too! ‘Okay, listen to me carefully. Kaede made a very unpopular move sixteen years ago. She-’
‘She invaded Kōhai Tochi, thus breaking Heisekai’s policy of isolationism.’ David interjected.
‘Correct!’ Kenji even clapped his hands together as though he where teaching a class of history. Wow, there just might be hope for these two yet. ‘She then went on to ally her realm with the Ryū Order: specifically the branch known as the Dragonforce. The amount of people within Heisekai who turn to assassination as their only choice decided they didn’t like this. As such the degree of assassination attempts on the Queen and Princess have skyrocketed. Keep them save; because if we lose them, we lose our allies in Heisekai.’
‘… Last I heard from Itazura, this Princess – Tomoko right? – isn’t easily defended.’ Hawke went on to add. ‘She frequently sneaks out of the palace for one. And Queen Kaede is quite bold as well. Not an easy assignment, Kenji. But! We’ll do it. When do we leave?’
A sorrowful note entered Kenji’s tone. ‘… When Itazura does,’ it wasn’t public knowledge yet but Serena’s death would propel the young Shinigami down a road Kenji knew all too well. It was those same ideals that led him to altering an entire time-line just so he wouldn’t live a life of vengeance. ‘I want you to look after him as well. He’s… Well, he’s had it rough lately. He’ll need the help of trusted family. Now get out of here you little scamps.’
Before they did however David stopped at the doorway. ‘Um… Kenji?’
‘I told you before, David.’ Kenji said kindly as he placed a hand on the young Quincy’s shoulder. ‘I’m your uncle. You don’t need to be nervous around me. What’s wrong?’
‘… It’s about my father. Is there nothing you can do for him?’
So he finally mustered up the courage to ask, eh? ‘I’ve already done all I can do, David. But trust me… your father’s an unpredictable man. He has a plan. You can count on it.’ Kenji even had an idea of what that plan entailed…
He had managed to sleep some. But that ship was sailing now and he was fully awake once more, woken by a nightmare. He had lain no more than two hours thinking things through until he came to the conclusion that revenge would be the only thing that could be acceptable from this situation. His dream only reinforced the notion. Anything less just wouldn’t do. In the dead of night Itazura kicked off his blankets and donned his well-worn leather pants, leather jacket which was scuffed from wear with a hole through it from his battles in Heisekai sixteen years ago, strapped on his zanpakutō and set off. He reached the dresser in a couple of strides and, for sentimental value, holstered his firearm. Before he decided to leave for good he made one final stop: the grave of Serena.
‘… What the hell?’ He asked of the air when the gravestone came into view.
Heiwajima, Yuri, Fox, Naoko, Yori, Hoshi, Indra, Tedasuke and Est all stood nearby and each where looking at him as though they had anticipated this course of action. There was a tree overlooking the gravestone as well. Standing in the shade was Kazeshini and Kyousha, otherwise known as Kyo. What shocked him however was the number of people standing who where aligned with the Eleventh Division!
‘You aren’t the only one looking to avenge her,’ Hei spoke up.
‘We’re with you, my friend. Now and always,’ Yuri Hiroshi added.
‘So don’t even think about telling us otherwise. You still have a lot to teach us.’ Apparently Naoko was speaking for Yori and Hoshi as well for both nodded as she spoke.
Itazura looked at his companions with an open mouth and a disbelieving look. ‘… I won’t turn down your help,’ he acknowledged, ‘but when the times comes the bastard dies by my hand. No one else’s alright? Are we clear?’
Eight sets of heads nodded in agreement. The tree leaner’s merely kicked off their perch and walked forward in acknowledgment.
‘We’d best get going then,’ Kyo said with a good natured smile. ‘Your father has already given us leave to go so we shouldn’t give him time to reconsider sending so many of the Eleventh away at once.’ As he took his place beside the others Itazura noted the presence of another, only he remained in sword form, and was carried by Kyo beside his own zanpakutō.
‘We’ll give you a moment alone,’ Hei said as the assembled group departed. When each of them left only Fox remained, and she shuffled from one foot to another as though she were uncomfortable.
‘… Itazura, I’m so-’ He forestalled her by placing a silencing finger to her lips.
‘No, Fox. You did nothing to apologize for.’ He then turned towards the grave stone. ‘The woman I loved was the type of person who could happily give her life to save another… though that was only half the reason she chose to sacrifice her own life.’ Sadness entered his tone and Fox could tell he was close to tears already. ‘Do you think I could have made that choice?’
Fox wanted to scream at him that it should have been her that had died. That it had been Serena who should have lived… but the choice had been Itazura’s and he would never have doomed one whole saving the other. She knew that.
‘She saved me from that choice. If I had sacrificed her to save you, or you to save her, I would never have been able to life with myself.’ He did start crying then. ‘Raiden said beforehand: Chose the woman you’ve known and loved all your life, or the girl you’ve loved as your partner for the last sixteen years? Fox… I couldn’t have condemned you any more than I could have condemned Serena. So please, stop blaming yourself. Or Serena will never have peace.’
Fox embraced him quickly and tightly. ‘I don’t deserve a friend like you.’
‘Yes you do, Fox. Yes you do.’