#his sword is just like renji's lmao

[r0semultiverse]

[kennydvault]

Renji Fight (BLEACH Chapters 95-98)

Chapter 95

Renji said he's going to kill Ichigo because he took Rukia's powers, implying some sort of friendship between them at some point. I'm assuming that him and Rukia worked together or grew up together? I really like this fight between them though where they're both fighting for Rukia in their own way. There's also these pages that make me think he's probably not really going to go all out and will end up being yet another enemy that has their own reasons to help Ichigo save Rukia:

Renji has a few cool panels at the end of the chapter where he explains his power is 5x stronger than it was last time they fought, and he changes his Zanpakuto to it's true form and strikes Ichigo through a wall. Renji's Zabimaru reminds me of those collapsible lightsabers you'd get from the store for like $10, just a really cool sword version lmao.

Chapter 96

After the single blow from Renji's Zabimaru Ichigo can barely stand, swaying in place and his head is bleeding quite a bit. I'm ngl I started feeling bad for my boy right here because as he tries to dodge Renji's next attack he gets slashed across his back and is leaking even more blood. And every attack Renji makes here is leveling whole buildings, this dude is not weak by any means.

While this fight is happening we cut to Renji's squad discussing him leaving his assistant captain's badge behind. I'm feeling pretty confident that he's trying to save Rukia as well here because immediately after this page Renji is asking Ichigo again about his intentions to save her. Ichigo remembers his training with Kisuke (I need to know who this man is, and why is he so strong that 5 days of training with him has Ichigo nearly at assistant captain level) and finds an opening to attack because of it, but Renji outspeeds him and cuts Ichigo deep in his chest.

Chapter 97

We start 97 off with a shonen classic, the Omae wa mou shindeiru. Flashback to Kisuke training Ichigo and it's nice to see how our mc got stronger instead of me just having to fill in the gaps. It starts with Kisuke attacking and Ichigo running from the attack. Kisuke tries to explain he won't get stronger by living in fear, and that he needs the resolve to win and push past his fear into having full faith in his abilities. But more than anything I was just blown away at these two panels. The first was the reveal of the aftermath from the attack Ichigo was dodging at the beginning of the chapter. Absolutely insane, just so so cool to see the earth split asunder from an attack especially when we can assume Kisuke is pulling his punches somewhat. And the second panel being the attacks they send at each other at the end when Ichigo finds his resolve.

We cut back to Ichigo fighting Renji, and Ichigo after finding his resolve decides to conquer his fear and is determined to beat Renji. He attacks Renji breaking his Zabimaru (and cutting his hairband? lmao), and finishes the fight there, landing his final blow.

Chapter 98 (End of Volume 11)

This was such a beautiful chapter and such a good ending to the fight between these two. So Renji and Rukia grew up as orphans in essentially the ghetto of Rukongai, stealing food and water for themselves and their friends to get by. The way that Renji talks about Rukia in this chapter is really sweet. He clearly admires her and looks up to her, and you can tell since he was a kid he's been trying to be good enough to equal her. What I just noticed this chapter is that Rukia probably was a human at some point, died and was in the Rukongai alone (like Yuichi is) and chose to become a Soul Reaper. I guess I just assumed for the most part that Soul Reapers have existed as Soul Reapers since birth.

Anyway Rukia decides to become Soul Reapers with Renji, and when Rukia becomes adopted into the Kuchiki family, Renji spends all of his time training to be good enough to beat Captain Kuchiki (and assumedly take his place? or possibly run away with Rukia, I'm not really sure). I really like the forced expression drawn by Kubo here, where Renji is telling Rukia how happy is for her while trying to hide that he's hurting, chasing her and trying to save her. He just isn't strong enough to do so, and so he stays quiet at a time when Rukia wanted him to help her. She moves his hand off of him and thanks him as she rushes past, hiding her emotions from him as well. And the chapter ends here, when Renji asks Ichigo if he can beat Captain Kuchuki for him, and Ichigo of course tells him he will.

[ox1-lovesick]

"i had nothing to do with it" ofc u didn't 💀 girl stop lying lmao it's funny how you claim to be over it yet you and ur moots have so much to say everytime someone brings it up. stop being a bitch and talking shit about melli to ur moots. it's pathetic.

Retsu Unohana (卯ノ花 烈, Unohana Retsu), formerly known as Yachiru Unohana (卯ノ花 八千流, Unohana Yachiru), aka my wife, was the former captain of the Fourth Division in the Gotei 13. She was one of the oldest and most experienced captains, and was Soul Society's best healer, as well as the first person to wield the name "Kenpachi".[3] Her lieutenant was Isane Kotetsu. She also formerly served as the Captain of the 11th Division. After she was cast into Hell, Unohana gained the epithet of "Death Sword" (死剣, Shiken).[4]

Unohana has the appearance of a slender and very youthful woman with blue eyes and black hair. She wears the standard Shinigami captain uniform apart from using an obi instead of the normal sash, which hides her well-endowed bosom. Her hair is long and is always worn as a large braid down the front of her body. Over 100 years ago, she did not have the large braid, instead styling in front of her as a loose ponytail. While maintaining a kind and gentle look at most times, during her battle with Kenpachi Zaraki, her eyes appear gloomy and menacing. She also wears her hair down for the first time and is revealed to have been covering a notable scar in-between her collarbone, inflicted by Kenpachi when the latter was young.[5] Until some time after she fought Yhwach, she did not tie her hair in front of her, instead wearing it down at all times.[1][6]

Unlike most Shinigami who carry their Zanpakutō in their sash, Unohana has a large string attached to the sheath of her Zanpakutō and carries it over her shoulder, or has her lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu, carry it for her whenever they are together on the battlefield.[7]

Unohana has a gentle and warm personality that augments her appearance. Unohana is a soft-spoken, polite, and caring woman who uses honorifics when addressing everyone, including her subordinates and the enemy. She rarely shows any signs of panic or distress, and has a great sense of duty, shown in the times that she orders Hanatarō Yamada’s imprisonment and Isane Kotetsu’s chasing of Renji Abarai when he runs away with Rukia Kuchiki. Despite her sense of duty, she will also heal almost anybody around her, including Renji after he was defeated by his captain, Gantenbainne Mosqueda when she arrived in Hueco Mundo, and the Visored, referring to them as allies despite Shinji Hirako's reluctance to do so. With her grace and kind manners, she lets others know quietly that while she may be soft, she is not to be taken lightly. Despite her gentle nature, several members of the Eleventh Division[8] and even her fellow Captains fear her.[9]

However, after the revelation of her past as the first Kenpachi and Shunsui Kyōraku calling on her to draw on her experience from then, Unohana's personality reverts to her original violent and bloodthirsty nature; once she meets with Kenpachi Zaraki, she comments how the scar left on her chest was causing her pain just from the sound of his voice.[10] Unohana herself says that she is infatuated with crossing blades,[11] and firmly believes in taking any actions necessary — even sleight of hands such as hidden daggers — to get ahead in battle.[12][13]

Unohana likes strong-flavored food, preferring it to bland tasting dishes. In her free time, she climbs mountains throughout Rukongai; during these excursions, she collects medicinal herbs. Once a month, she holds an ikebana class for the members of her division[14] and she is also the President of the Ikebana Club.

[theseathatsparkles]

faraway (pt.2) (feat. time traveling byakuya)

part one

edit: man i said “byakuya” a lot in this. take a shot every time his name comes up lmao

this might end up on ffn.net or ao3 eventually if i ever get around to it...tumblr isn’t exactly designed for posting fanfiction lmao

It takes longer than Byakuya would have liked to calm everyone down, which is mostly due to Kurosaki's utter refusal to listen to anyone but Rukia, who's shaking and pale and not in a position to do any explaining. 

Byakuya can sense Kisuke's reiatsu, despite the fact that Kisuke's obviously trying to hide it. No one else would notice the faint strand of power coming from a rooftop, but Byakuya lived with Kisuke for almost four years, and Kisuke's reiatsu is as familiar to him as his own.

There's a flicker of power at the edge of Byakuya's senses, and he raises his reiatsu up as high as it will go with the limiter on just as Kurosaki makes a move for his sword. If Byakuya feels a bit of vindicative glee at the look of startled horror on Kurosaki's face as he's forced to the ground, well, that's nobody else's business. Byakuya is trying to think, and Kurosaki's petty little attempts at starting a fight are wearing on Byakuya's nerves-

Kisuke's reiatsu flickers with surprise, bringing Byakuya back to his senses. That's right, he has to be careful. He can't show that he knows Aizen's plans, and he can't...

...oh, kami above. Byakuya can't even go to Kisuke.

The realization hits Byakuya like a physical blow to the chest.

Rukia had been one of the first to die in the war against Aizen, and it had been Kisuke that had sparred with Byakuya afterwards until neither of them could breath and Byakuya could forget the stabbing pain of grief for a moment. Renji's death had left Byakuya feeling like a hollow shell, and Kisuke had been the one to force-feed him meals when he wanted to give up. After Kurosaki's death, Kisuke and Byakuya had been the last two shinigami fighting against Aizen. Kisuke wasn't quite a father figure for Byakuya, but he was certainly Byakuya's best friend.

Even if Byakuya hates admitting it, he'd relied on Kisuke, and the idea of not having him as a support makes Byakuya's heart ache.

"Alright." he says slowly. Kisuke had always been the planner, and Byakuya feels incredibly out of place trying to come up with something on the fly. "Renji," and Renji's name tastes like ash on Byakuya's tongue, "Central 46..." is dead "...are expecting us to return with Rukia - the criminal. There's no need to sully Zabimaru with the human."

Renji makes a furious sound in the back of his throat, but doesn't argue. "Rukia, get up," he says shortly, and Byakuya clamps down on his frustration. Doesn't Renji understand that Rukia isn't to blame...? Byakuya sighs. Of course Renji doesn't know that. Renji is still frustrated right now, at himself and at Byakuya and at Rukia and at Kurosaki and at everyone. Originally, it had taken Kurosaki defeating Renji in battle to show him who the real enemy was. This time, Byakuya hopes to skip that step, because he remembers exactly how much self-loathing Renji had carried after he'd almost let Rukia be executed.

(Byakuya is self-destructive enough for the both of them.)

Byakuya shakes his head. He can't afford to be lost in his thoughts now, he has to plan. Kisuke had later confided in Byakuya as to how Kurosaki had regained his powers after Byakuya had severed them. Byakuya doesn't think Kurosaki will be strong enough to invade Soul Society with Rukia's powers, so he has to injure Kurosaki again, but he needs Kurosaki to be more powerful than he was last time.

Just like that, Byakuya makes up his mind.

He steps forward and slips into shunpo, careful not to move too fast; Yoruichi had taught Byakuya plenty of tips for shunpo before she'd died, and Byakuya can't show Aizen exactly how powerful he is just yet. Aizen has to remain complacent, confident in his belief that his plans are still moving forward.

And yet, even as Byakuya limits himself to the very base levels of his power, Kurosaki doesn't see him coming. Kurosaki doesn't dodge. Byakuya remembers Kurosaki fighting Aizen, fighting someone who was for all intents and purposes a kami, and can't even begin to connect his Kurosaki with the boy standing in front of him.

Faster than Kurosaki would be able to see, Byakuya draws Senbonzakura and slashes, easily tearing cloth and leaving thin bloody trails across the skin on Kurosaki's chest.

He moves Senbonzakura again, too fast for Kurosaki to react. Slicing through Kurosaki's soul sleep is just a matter of flicking his wrist, and he can feel the faint flicker of Rukia's reiatsu that was tangled with Kurosaki's power vanish. 

Senbonzakura flashes again, and Byakuya steps back, watching dispassionately as Kurosaki falls to the ground. He isn't as badly injured this time, so Kisuke should have more time to spend on training Kurosaki. Byakuya can do nothing but hope that this will be enough.

"Kuchiki-taicho," says Renji with something not unlike horror, and Byakuya remembers where - or rather, when - he is. For Renji, Byakuya's actions look like senseless violence against someone who had already been defeated, and even a former Eleventh wouldn't forgive that easily. "Is he...?"

Byakuya looks down at Rukia, who is horribly pale and shivering. "He is not dead," Byakuya says to her eventually, even if Renji had been the one to ask the question. "And for now, he will survive. He does not currently have his spiritual powers anymore, but he will likely recover."

(Kurosaki will recover without a doubt, if Byakuya is reading the determination in Kisuke's reiatsu correctly.)

Rukia looks...relieved, and more than a little confused, but she nods and finds the strength to stand up. Byakuya almost moves to support her, but then remembers that at this point there doesn't seem to be any love between them. It hurts Byakuya with an almost physical pain to leave his little sister to struggle to her feet, and he has to bite his lip and look away.

"Alright," he says, mostly just to fill the tense silence. "Rukia, Renji. With me." He winces as soon as the words are out of his mouth; the previous version of him never would have used Renji's name so casually, and he even says Rukia's name with uncharacteristic fondness. "Our work here is done."

He sends his reiatsu out, calling for a senkaimon. The longer they remain in the human world, the longer until Kurosaki can be healed.

And, of course, the longer until Kisuke sees Byakuya's message.

[unohanadaydreams]

scenario of how kenpachi would react to the knowledge of the death of his s / ofem.

I’m making this after the manga because it would be the most painful after not having Yachiru and apparently that’s the theme of this blog right now lmao.

*This was sitting half-finished in my drafts with the cheating on Renji ask and like.....why must these hunks of burning love suffer for our amusement so??

Kenpachi Zaraki:

The attitude that dying on the battlefield is an honor, that literally fighting for your life is a good way to go, has been ingrained from him since he was small and bearing his teeth to win the chance to grow up. So, if you died in battle, the acceptance would be almost immediate. Kenpachi would only ask the basics. Did you fight well? Did you die well? Is your opponent still alive?

If you died of causes beyond a sword, his foundation would be pretty shaken. If the best of the best can’t heal you then what are they doing at the top? He has a misunderstanding of the shinigami elite, another ingrained concept from his bloody rukongai days: those who are the best can do anything if they hone their talent enough. It’s an idea that’s only ever been aided by people like Ichigo and other shinigami all-stars around him. The best healer can pull anyone from death’s grasp. So why are you dead? His grief would be boiling anger and violent denial. How can they know what killed you and not have known how to stop it?

Now that Yachiru is no longer on his shoulder and you’ve vanished from his side, he feels more lost than he ever did racing down streets that never led to his destination.

He crowds Ikakku and Yumichika more, make the business he used to shove on to them more his own again. He writes reports for the first time in...well, for the first time, actually. He dusts. He pays attention beyond mentions of battle during Captain meetings. He wonders if this is how his long gone mentor felt, if Unohana felt just as displaced after the death of her title as Kenpachi--wandering through new habits and chores, waiting for a spark of what was lost.

He might hide behind his persona a bit more. It’s more exhausting burning so bright in front of everyone now that the two people he cared about most in the whole world have been snuffed out. He gnashes his teeth a bit harder, raises his voice a bit louder, swing his sword a bit fiercer--anything to avoid showing the hurt he can’t fight away.

A Kenpachi after two loves lost is more responsible and grounded, but less genuine and passionate. He still relishes a fight, but he’s not sure if he lives for it anymore, especially when he hasn’t figured out how to speak to Yachiru in his spirit world. He’s not sure what he lives for anymore. He feels the drag of hours and days drooping his eyelids and he starts to nap to forget rather to enjoy.

I think he would understand some of his former subordinates a bit more, understand their search for meaning beyond flinging blades. And Tetsuzaemon would reach out to Kenpachi and show comfort the only way he really knows how: bitching over sake until they’re so drunk they actually say bits and pieces of what’s on their mind.

[nneefa]

Ch. 31

So, Ichigo hates astrology and fortune telling, but dude looked up his sign to see what his fortune would be, and named all the bad shit that happened to him. 😂 If you look it up and it aligns with what happens, of course you're gonna be like, "This isn't a coincidence!" And now everyone in Karakura Town likes this dumb af tv show about this dude that can see ghosts and does exorcisms.

"BOHAHAHAHA!" Mizuiro only does it to piss Ichigo off, but not because he legit likes it, lmao. Also, Ichigo goes to the town gathering of "Ghost Bust" with his family, even though he hates it, and Orihime, my girl, just swooned because Ichigo's a just a good frickin' guy, because he does things he hates for the people he loves. Not everyone has a heart like that Ichigo, so it's not normal. Orihime has a good eye for men, I tell ya, because Ichigo is 👍🏽.

Even Rukia likes this dumb af tv show now, lol! Also, dude, she doesn't know what television is! Can we just, I dunno, get a spinoff of Soul Society learning the eccentricities of the human world, because I'd be down for that 100%. They don't what wtf FESTIVALS are! Renji/Rukia would definitely honeymoon to the real world if they could, I know it.

So, anyway! There's a hollow, that wasn't a hollow before but thanks to this moronic tv star, we have a hollow now, holed up in a hospital.

I LAUGHED! Ichigo is so dumbfounded by his sword getting stuck in the ceiling. First off, how frickin' tall are you for your sword to reach the ceiling when you swing it, and secondly, why tf are the hospital ceilings so low? Is it a hospital for dwarves, ran by dwarves? 😂

Anyway, Ichigo and Kanonji save the day! What a dish, what a ride!

[lesbiansanemi]

If you could have any power from an anime what would it be?

Hmmmmmmmm.... part of me wants to say the alchemy from the fma universe, since it has so many different applications, but I don’t think I’m smart enough for that lmao.

Idk, I really liked Nikaido’s ability from Dorohedoro, and I’ve always thought Levy’s solid script magic was really interesting, as well as Shura’s demon sword from Blue Exorcist.

Ultimately though.... I like the Shinigami powers from Bleach. I just want a Zanpakuto, man. Magic swords are so cool!!! Specifically, I always loved Renji’s Zanpakuto (both his shikai and his bankai).

[anzacanary]

human-shinigami-swap-Bleach-AU thoughts continued in discord, copy-pasted here with minimal efforts at formatting

Canary06/14/2020 thought: modern-AU-Byakuya commits violence the same way that Tachibana drives a car. Renji’s all impressed that the prep-school skinny-jeans guy very successfully punched a dude, and Byakuya’s all “yes, I too am honestly shocked that went so well” Rukia: I hit a guy in the throat with a wrench! Be impressed! Renji: yes but I EXPECT it from YOU Canary06/15/2020 Although in modern AU none of them are actually much good at fighting. Renji thinks he is, but it’s “teenager who keeps telling you how he’s totally been in a bunch of street fights you guys” good Rukia’s the best since, not being v physically intimidating, she already had a “run up while they’re not looking and stab real hard” approach to fighting, which is their best shot at success when up against actual trained shinigami sword-people BRG06/15/2020 Yes, incredibly good. What's Ichigo like? Canary06/15/2020 I picture this in the “Rukia is a regular teenager and Ichigo is the shinigami who crashes into her life” swap AU so he’s presumably yelling How To Use Your Magic Sword instructions from the sidelines Sleeping in the coat closet Wearing skinny jeans and a Karakura University sweatshirt which Byakuya does not want back, thanks Eventually his fellow shinigami show up to fetch him; Kurosaki-papa’s much less fatalistic and depressed than Byakuya was so I imagine his approach is more “come on, kid, you gotta come back so I can start talking everyone down over here”, genuinely thinking he has enough pull in Soul Society that he could put a stop to the whole ‘execution’ thing BRG06/15/2020 Aww. That's really cute and disastrous and I'm much happier for them as a family. Canary06/15/2020 ...ofc it’s gonna hit Kurosaki-papa pretty hard as he realizes that he badly overestimated his ability to put the brakes on this situation. and he’s the one who dragged Ichigo back, telling him everything would be fine! Fortunately the plot proceeds as before and Rukia will be along shortly Ichigo: aw, you guys came to rescue me? Rukia: Yes! Renji: For sure! Byakuya: I’m really more here to rescue the two of them. Also you owe me coat-closet rent and I want that sweatshirt back after all

Lol, possibly someday, but it doesn’t really have any story or plot or ending to it yet. it barely even has scenes, it’s more of an explanatory “here’s how characters so-and-so would work” post in nature [4:04 PM] For instance I have worked out the Kuchiki situation in some detail (they’re half-siblings about five years apart; Byakuya’s mom was grudgingly willing to look after her husband’s illegitimate daughter but was unenthusiastic enough about it that when Byakuya moved out at 18, everyone was happy for Rukia to slide on out the door with him) [4:05 PM] But I don’t have any actual, like, story to write about that, I just know how it happened [4:07 PM] (I figure they met when Rukia’s mom died - Rukia was 7-8 and Byakuya was 11-12 at the time, and he was instantly like “Family responsibility! That’s my favorite thing!” and latched on to the idea of being an older brother- dude was kind of a lonely kid- while Rukia instantly clocked him as her best potential ally in the scary new rich-people world, and also as a kid who clearly just needed someone to hang out with. And so it went)

BRG06/15/2020 (I haven't seen much JoJo. Isn't that exactly how it didn't begin?)

Canary06/15/2020 Lmao, it’s not unlike now you mention it! Although Dio Brando got adopted in as a result of a family debt, and was not actually an illegitimate connection [4:10 PM] Also Rukia’s less, you know, supervillain

BRG06/15/2020 As far as we know, yeah.

Canary06/15/2020 Also most of Ichigo’s friends from canon wind up being shinigami in the AU. Not everyone corresponds neatly to one other character, but for instance AU-Chad is basically a very chill Kenpachi. Staring down at teeny-tiny Rukia with her comically enormous sword like “......hm. ......so you wanna fight or what” Rukia absolutely wants to fight I’m turning most of Ichigo’s friends into captains but I’m pretty sure Ichigo himself was only like a lieutenant. Vice-captain. Whatever Renji is BRG06/15/2020 Excellent, goodgood What if What if Kenpachi isn't Chad What if Kenpachi is Orihime What if Kenpachi is Ichigo's sister Karin Canary06/15/2020 Orihime is already more or less Renji! But I guess she could also be Kenpachi Definitely one of the sisters is a captain - if they let Hitsugaya do it, why not, right Probably Karin is a captain and the other one, Yuzu? is her lieutenant I don’t think Ishida is anybody specific, but he’s also there, with some kind of bow-and-arrow-themed sword. Possibly he’s an undercover Quincy who hasn’t reported back to Quincy HQ in so long that he has actually just kind of defected? I’d work it out if I were more interested in the political drama side I say Orihime is Renji, but she’s def captain-rank herself, but she’s also the one who tags along with his dad to come pick him up, and is the first shinigami to join Team Let’s Not Get Anybody Executed

Canary06/21/2020 Also forgot to mention Renji’s background in the modern AU: I imagine he and Rukia were childhood buddies, who lost touch in elementary school when Rukia got scooped up by the Kuchikis, and when Byakuya and Rukia got out of their parents’ house and moved halfway across the city, she ran into Renji again. And now they are pals again! Also his home life is terrible in some unspecified way so he basically lives on their fold-out couch and nobody says anything about it. He probably has a crush on one of them, but I’m not sure which. Possibly Renji isn’t sure which