This chapter will be dedicated to the three lovely people who have reviewed both of the chapters so far

Sorry for the delay, I was having difficulties writing this chapter. It's not the best… but I'm trying to set up for future stuff! ; So it's Hitsuzen! 8D yeah…

This chapter will be dedicated to the three lovely people who have reviewed both of the chapters so far. To gameroy and Artificial Life Creator, thank you for the support, mrawgirl09, the hyperness in your reviews makes me giggle. I hope you three (and everyone else for that matter), enjoy the next chapter. Much love.

oOoOo

Blade of the Executioner

Chapter 3: Sword

oOoOo

"So you've never wielded a sword, and you've never even heard of a Hollow until today?"

"That's right Renji-san. I've said it before though. Why do you have to keep asking the same question over and over?!" Watanuki snapped as he tidied up the little room. And by tidied up, that meant picking up the wrinkled clothes the red-haired shinigami had tossed to the floor after changing into pajamas, long with neatening up some books and other clutter that had somehow manifested in the little room they shared, "How the heck do you make so much mess when you've only been here a day!?"

"So basically you're useless," Renji commented, ignoring the question the raven haired boy had asked. He flopped down on his futon, eager to sleep and block out the kid's annoying presence.

"It's not like I had a choice… If Yuuko-san tells me to do something I have to do it, no questions asked," the teen muttered sullenly. Finished cleaning for the day, he frowned slightly. He still hadn't found Mugetsu, the little spirit had mysteriously disappeared shortly after the meeting that afternoon and he hadn't seen it since. Where could it have gotten off to? Yuuko wouldn't be happy if he lost it…

"Sorry, I guess you can't help it then…" the vice-captain felt a little guilty now. From what Watanuki had just said, and from what he said earlier, it was obvious coming here wasn't his idea. It was the fault of that boss of his for tossing him into a situation that was way over his head. He'd probably regret it later but he had the sudden urge to offer the kid a little help, "Look tomorrow after you get out of school I'll train you a little with a sword so you won't be, you know, completely useless, even though it SHOULD be Urahara doing since you're his employee now. But I don't have anything better to do until the arancars show up anyways."

That and he was certain Rukia would be impressed that he was doing something as noble as training a newbie. So it wasn't entirely a selfless reasoning behind the offer, even though by the way he said it, it sounded that way. At least that was Renji's train of thought until he felt something strange slither against his spine.

"Aaaugh!" he leapt into the air, surprised that anything could have escaped his notice long enough to creep up on him. Whatever it was deftly dodged the shinigami's hands and coildeed and squirmed against all of those dreadful hard to reach spots.

"Renji-san are you…?!" Watanuki's concern disappeared when he saw the problem's fuzzy little head poke out of Renji's collar. He allowed himself a laugh, and beckoned to the little spirit with one hand, "So that's where you've been Mugestu, come over here and stop bothering him."

"That rat-snake thing yours?" Renji scowled as the pipe fox left him alone and floated over to the teen's outstretched hand, lovingly nuzzling his cheek.

"Mugetsu isn't a rat-snake thing. It's a pipe fox," Watanuki retorted, rubbing the slender creature between its ears with on long finger.

"Sure doesn't look like any fox to me," Renji slumped down onto his futon again, feeling indignant because of the little display of hysterics he'd inadvertently displayed. Good thing it was only in front of this kid and not someone more important, like his captain or Rukia.

"He does when he gets bigger…" he smiled. Mugetsu was one of the good things that had come out of knowing and working for Yuuko, "He might even be able to help, he can create fires in that form too."

"That so? So that little snake-rat's more useful then you, huh? Maybe Urahara should have just taken that thing instead of you," Renji snickered, easily dodging the pillow the agitated teen flung at him.

oOoOo

Two months. That was the estimated time Urahara had given him until the real action would begin. Watanuki didn't know if he could survive that long sleeping in the same room as Renji… He frowned as he trudged towards Karakura High, delicately touching his eyes. It was a bright red and swollen already, sure to bruise.

"Umm… Watanuki Kimihiro-kun?" a sweet female voice called from behind him. For a moment the teen thought it was Himawari-chan. Instantly his sullen mood was lifted, his whole body seemed lighter, why even the sun seemed to brighten. Smiling with a renewed vigor he spun around to behold… not Himawari. She was cute, big eyes and ginger colored hair, not to mention a bust that most grown woman would envy. But she wasn't Himawari, she was one of his new classmates.

"That's me… er…"

"Inoue Orihime!" the girl supplied, "I'm friends with Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-chan. I wanted to go with them to Urahara-san's yesterday, but I had too many errands to do. They told me about you though, so I decided to meet you before school instead."

"Ah, Inoue-chan then. So you know about what's going to happen…" he trailed off. He could deduce that from who she said she was friends with that she had some knowledge of the events that were to happen, but he did find t difficult to believe that such a nice girl would be caught up in a mess like that.

"Yes… Though I don't know if I'll be any use at all… Umm, Watanuki-kun?" She bit her lip, since the young man had turned around to greet her, something had been troubling her. Especially since Ichigo and Rukia had considered the possibility that Watanuki might be dangerous, "Your eye… Kurosaki-kun, he didn't start a fight with you, did he?"

"My eye? Eh no…" he waved off the girl's concern, "My roommate is a very… enthusiastic sleeper. I think he was dreaming he was slaying some sort of monster or something… and his fist collided with me. But it's no big deal really. As punishment I didn't make any breakfast for him."

"Ah… that's a relief," she sighed. At least it hadn't been Ichigo that did it. She gasped suddenly, cheeks a little pink, aware of how her statement might have sounded to the other, "I mean, it's not a relief that you got injured! Just that it wasn't Kurosaki-kun that injured you!"

"I know what you mean," Watanuki laughed softly. He was usually pretty dense about matters like this… but if he didn't know any better he'd say Orihime had a little bit of a crush on Ichigo. It was kind of cute. She seemed like the type who would try and hide her feelings about it though, so he decided not to mention his observation.

"Would you like me to fix it? Your eye?" the girl asked, trying to steer her thoughts away from her orange haired classmate, "There's not much I can do, but I do have the power to heal wounds almost instantly."

"Really?" Watanuki looked a little surprised. He'd seen a lot of different creatures and beings, but the power to instantly heal was one he'd only seen in manga, "How do you do that?"

"I'll show you… here," she led him off the sidewalk behind a few bushes. Not that any normal people would be able to see her powers at work, but it might be shocking if they saw someone's injury just suddenly disappear.

She placed her fingers up to her flower hairclips, and closed her eyes, "Souten Keshin! I reject!"

Watanuki took an involuntary step back as two fairies suddenly flew from Orihime's hairclips, and his vision was instantly flooded with a bright but soothing light. The injury was small so fixing the damage was an easy matter, it only took a few seconds. Once the light faded from his vision, Watanuki reached up to touch the previously sore spot in amazement. It was no longer puffy and swollen, and didn't hurt a bit. He didn't have a mirror on him, but he was certain it wouldn't be red either.

"That's amazing Inoue-chan!" the awe could clearly be heard in Watanuki's voice. He couldn't help but wonder what Yuuko would think of this ability. However he was distracted by the sound of the school's warning bell. Neither wanting to be late, they both hurried to make it to homeroom before final bell. She's kind of like Himawari-chan, at least their smiles are similar; the boy thought as he held the door open for the girl.

In the sky above the school an ominous formation of dark clouds were beginning to appear in the otherwise clear and sunny day. However the anomaly would go unnoticed for the moment.

oOoOo

"Hmmm… the weather report said today would be sunny…." Watanuki adjusted his glasses as he peered out his classroom's second story window, looking at the growing group of dark clouds, "I hung out laundry too before I came… I hope someone has the sense to bring it in if it really does start to rain before I get back…"

He continued to look at the storm clouds a moment longer. There was something not quite right about them. They just didn't seem normal, almost in a sort of frightening way. He squinted as he looked at the dark clouds. In a way they almost resembled the black smoke of bad habits he occasionally saw hanging around people. But this far away it was hard to tell. Whatever it was it still made him feel uneasy.

"KIII-MIII-HIII-ROOO-KUUUUUN!"

Shaken out of his thoughts by one his new classmate's enthusiastic greeting (which someone how ended with the poor bespectacled boy being tackled to the ground). Watanuki winced, detangling himself from the other's body. He was glad to make friends and all but this… He was really regretting sharing his lunch with him yesterday, having been so used to cooking for Domeki as well, he had made the usual double portion instead of just cooking for himself. Seeing as he couldn't eat it all anyways, and this one had wandered over to check out the smell, he had felt it only polite to offer a little. He couldn't finish the entire thing himself.

"K-Keigo-kun?!" Watanuki glared daggers at the only person he'd ever met who seemed to be even more of spaz then he was, "What are you thinking sneaking up on me?! And what makes you think you can be so familiar with me, using my first name after only knowing me one day?!"

"B-but… I thought we were good friends…" the brunette blubbered, tears practically pouting like fountains from his eyes, "We even shared lunch like old buddies…"

Watanuki sighed, shaking his head a little. Somehow he just couldn't stay mad at someone so… pathetic and needy (though another part of his brain urged him to kick the other kid). He also finally understood why it was that people always warned you not to feed wild animals, they'd follow you around and never leave you be.

"Oh fine, here. I made too much again today so it's just going to go to waste anyways," Watanuki sighed, pushing his overly large bento in the other teen's direction.

"Waaa! You're so nice Kimihiro-kun!" Keigo grinned like the idiot he was, practically drooling at the sight of the other teen's good cooking, "Ichigo-kun is going to be so jealous when he sees me hangig out with someone else!"

"Actually… I don't think he cares…"

"W-WHAT?!"

oOoOo

Luckily for Watanuki the rain had held off the entire time he was in school and he managed to pull all his laundry in. The dark clouds had gotten larger though, and they hung ominously over the town, like some large hulking predator just waiting for the right time to spring.

However for the moment, the strange clouds were the least of his concern. He wasn't even concerned with the fact that Urahara had someone managed to obtain a large rocky wasteland where his cellar should be (in his time working with Yuuko he'd seen much weirder after all). And though it had hurt like heck he wasn't concerned when Urahara had whacked him on the back of his head again to release his spirit from the gigai. After a few times he'd sadly gotten used to it (though he did wonder why people couldn't learn to be a little gentler…)

No his current reason for concern was the redhead standing before him. Calmly twirling a wooden sword, acting as if utterly flattening his new trainee in no more then five seconds hadn't exerted him one bit. It really hadn't either.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!" an enraged Watanuki shouted, from his spot on the ground. Renji's last attack had sent him sprawling, his own wooden sword had even flown through the air, landing roughly ten feet away from where he had landed. His arms were covered in red welts from where the redhead had hit him throughout the course of practice, and he had one large welt on his forehead.

"Ah, stop overreacting. It was just a little tap," Renji winced from the tone of Watanuki's voice. He didn't think he knew a single person in the entire Soul Society who could shout as loud and as long as this kid could, "Go pick up your sword and let's start again."

"Overreacting? OVERREACTING?! YOU HIT ME ON THE HEAD! IT HURT! I COULD HAVE GOTTEN A CONCUSION!" the teen's face was bright red, "YOU SHOULD GO EASIER ON A NOVICE!"

"I am going easy… well as easy as I can," Renji said through gritted teeth. He was showing remarkable patience with Watanuki right now. A lesser man would have probably skewered the teen by now. He had to think of something to get him to stop screaming, "You're actually not bad for someone who's never done this before. You've got a lot more stamina then most beginners."

"Eh, really?" the unexpected compliment caught Watanuki off guard, "Well, I've always been really good at sports, that's probably why…"

His stamina being above average was true at least, most beginners would have been completely exhausted by now. Though someone with an eye for these things might have noted that having the level of stamina he did while having such a thin almost frail frame seemed almost impossible. Someone with a truly trained eye would have likely further noted that his stamina was likely a result of the very impressive amount of spiritual power that radiated from him.

But whatever the reason, Renji's words seemed to encourage the youth some, and with a sigh he stood up and retrieved his practice sword. However, now that he seemed to be getting a little more gung ho about the training, an interruption came. The red-haired shinigami's cell phone went off.

"Tch, just a low-level Hollow, I though there was someone here to take care of the small fries…. Wait…" He frowned as little lights kept popping up on the little map on his phone's screen. He tapped it, there had to be something wrong with it… there was no way so many Hollow signals would appear right away. But now that he concentrated, even someone like him who wasn't exactly the best at sensing things could tell something was very very wrong outside this little pocket dimension under the shop. Even the kid seemed to have realized the situation; he was staring at the steps that led up to the main shop, a worried expression on his face.

"Renji-san, what's going on…?" Watanuki was beginning to get the chills, and the air seemed just a little heavier to him. It was the same sensation he'd felt several times before when he was near a malicious spirit back in his own world.

"Hollows, lots of them. Most seem like they're weaklings… but this many. Something's up. I have to go, we'll finish later."

As he watched his new swords tutor hurry out, Watanuki could not help but feel his heart sink a little. He acknowledged that in a fight he'd be about as useful as a pair of ice skates in a roller skating ring, but it was kind of saddening that others had seemed to see him just as useless as well. He had after all come here to help fight after all. Though in the end, if he'd been asked if he wanted to help he probably would have just said he'd only get in the way, and he wouldn't have gone anyways. But still… he would have liked to have been asked…

"The current situation is likely your fault."

Watanuki nearly jumped a mile at the sound of hat and clog's voice behind him. He hadn't seen him come down… had he been here the whole time?

"What do you mean?" the boy glanced behind him, the surprise accusation and the serious tone in the shopkeeper's voice had him nearly as nervous as when he was around Yuuko while she hatched up a scheme

"These Hollows, I assume Renji told you what they were, Karakura has had unusually frequent sightings of them recently due to the upcoming war. However this is an outright swarm," even shadowed as they were by the brim of his hat, Urahara's eyes were penetrating, "I told you before when I was preparing your gigai you have a unique reiatsu, different from anyone else I've ever met. It seems like it's the sort that attracts evil things. They're here because your spirit called to them, I think your power must look pretty tasty to things like them. And now Renji, Ichigo, and Rukia, even your classmates Orihime and Sado are out there fighting to make sure this town's casualty count stays at the bare minimum because your reiatsu called them here. Granted most ARE really weak. But with as many as there are swarming around it'll be hard to kill every single one before they do any damage."

"I… I know already spirits are attracted to me…" Watanuki lowered his head, biting on his lip. It almost seemed like Urahara was trying to actually GUILT him into going out and getting himself killed, "What can I do?"

"Something to slay the demons with… that's what the witch said, right?"

oOoOo

Something to slay the demons with…

Funny how that little line had been the one to make Watanuki dash to his room to retrieve the item Yuuko had given to him. Not even taking it out it's carrier, he's slung it over his shoulder, and before even really thinking, he leapt out the second story window, as it was open and closer to the door. His mind barely had time to freak out and yell at him for his stupidity before his feet landed lightly on the grassy lawn below.

He did take a moment to pause and look in awe up at his room's window… it was pretty high up…. Why had he done that? How had he done that? His body did feel lighter in this spirit form, and he did excel at athletics… but…

No time to think about that. Because of Urahara's manipulative strategy or maybe he just wanted to try for himself, he was going to prove something tonight. He'd been given a sword to slay demons with, and the demons were here.

It didn't take long to find them either, or rather a pack had found him. They were a half dozen strong and they seemed to bare some resemblance to real life animals, though their forms were horrifically twisted and perverted versions of them, and they all bore skull like masks.

"Oh my… here's the one with that lovely scent… he came running to us too… What luck!" on of them cackled.

"I've never seen someone with such an interesting aura, I think if I eat him I'll become ten, no one hundred times more powerful," a second one licked the lips (or rather where the lips should be) of it's grinning mask with a thick purple tongue.

"You?! Don't make me laugh! I laid eyes on him first!" a third screeched, snapping it's jaws at it's companions.

While the monsters were busy squabbling over the very disturbing topic of who would actually get to eat the boy, Watanuki began to unzip the carrier, his pale hand shaking. These were the things he was going to fight? These were the weaklings? Just the evil that radiated off of them made it almost impossible for Watanuki to breathe. He had to concentrate on the zipper or he was certain he'd simply pass out.

It was stuck! Damn… those things wouldn't stay arguing forever!

Pull! Tug! It was opened enough now to reach in and pull out…

…

… a bat.

To be specific it was a red aluminum bat, with the kanjis for 'Executioner's Sword' scrawled on it in black permanent ink. He recognized it immediately as the bat Yuuko had bought to destroy that one woman's computer. Maru and Moro had also used it to beat the rugs out on days when he decided it was time to clean out the store rooms.

As he sank to his knees, he wondered if this was some sort of cruel joke. A bat. What was he supposed to do with this? Something like this wouldn't be able to even dent creatures like these.

Speaking of the Hollows, they seemed to have reached an agreement, or at least one of them decided to jump the gun and had charged strait at him, it's massive maw open and ready to gobble him up. He was so overcome with the realization that Yuuko really would be the death of him (ironic how many times he mumbled as such beneath his breath), he couldn't even muster up the energy to try and run.

A miracle happened then, and a blinding light filled his vision. The Hollow had no time to react as a cannonball of fur, claws and sharp teeth tackled it, easily tearing it to shreds. It was Mugetsu. It had followed him and sensing that the most important person in it's life was in danger, it had shifted to it's nine-tailed form to defend him.

What's wrong? Why are you doing nothing?

A voice? No, it was in his head… his thoughts? Couldn't be… he knew he couldn't stand a chance against these Hollows... not armed with a bat of all things.

Not a bat Kimihiro, a sword! Didn't Yuuko say something about this to you before? It's the name Kimihiro. Call it a sword, believe it's a sword, it will be sword.

What was that voice? It was a familiar sounding young male's voice… not his own, not Doumeki's. It was one he hadn't heard in so long time, but he just couldn't place it.

The cry of the fox snapped him out of his daze. It was a strong creature the pipe fox, but it was outnumbered. While it had taken down three already it had already sustained a few bad looking injuries. But it still fought on, intent on keeping Watanuki safe.

Look how Mugetsu fights to protect you! But will it be able to bring them all down? It's hurt now because you can't face them!

"But… how can I fight something that even Mugestu is having difficulties with?" the teen's heart wrenched when the claws of one of the remaining Hollows grazed against the fox's golden flank, "All I've got is a bat!"

NOT A BAT!

Watanuki found himself rising to his feet, sweaty hand gripping the red bat's handle.

CALL IT A SWORD!

"Th-this is a sword…" his voice was barely above a whisper as he found his feet moving foreward towards one of the monsters that was preparing to strike Mugetsu from the behind. For the moment the Hollows were more concerned with the dangerous fox rather then the meal who seemed too weak to defend itself.

BELIEVE IT IS A SWORD!

"This is a sword…" his voice was a little louder now. The Hollow who had been attacking his friend seemed to finally take notice that the skinny boy was moving towards him. With a shriek it abandoned it's attack and left the two other remaining Hollows to deal with the fox.

Watanuki held the bat before him in the stance Renji had painstakingly taught him earlier, though it still looked clumsy and awkward, especially since his 'sword' was something as unwieldy as it was.

AND I WILL BE A SWORD!

"THIS IS A SWORD!" Closing his eyes Watanuki closed his eyes so he wouldn't see the outcome and swung the aluminum bat with all his might at the incoming beast. The moment of truth… when he opened his eyes would his discover himself in the afterlife with the knowledge that the voice had lied to him?

oOoOo

haha…

Cliffhanger ending yeah! XD

Man… this is a really long chapter for me! I hope you weren't too bored with it, things didn't really start to get exciting until the last part. But I wanted to show Watanuki starting to become friendly with some of the Bleach characters. I think he'd sort of have a relationship with Renji and Ichigo that is similar to his relationship with Domeki. Though Ichigo has barely been in this fic at all . honestly I like Renji a lot more so there will more of Renji then him anyways XD Plus Renji has decided on training Watanuki. I think he didn't quite realize what he was signing up for. I also think Watanuki and Orihime would be really good friends, not as in a couple, but good friends. And Keigo! I love Keigo so I wanted to squeeze him into the story for at least a little bit XD I do kind of see him as a wild animal myself. Give him a little attention (or food) and you'll never get rid of him!

Also next chapter will have the first appearance of my favorite Bleach character! Yay! Anyone wanna guess? XD

Well enough rambling for now :3 If you feed me reviews I will feed you happiness vibes!