{Kenpachi X Reader} A Flower Among Weeds pt.3

You peered over a file as you walked down the hallway. You had read the file many times already and at this point, you were sure you could recite it. “What’s wrong, ____?” You looked up to see Ikkaku standing in front of you. “You’ve got such a serious look on your face.”

“Oh, Madarame.” You shook your head. “It’s just the case. You know how I get.”

“If you’re banging your head against a wall, why not tell me what you’ve found so far. A fresh set of eyes might help.”

“It would,” you stopped in your tracks, setting a piercing glare on him. “If you were Ikkaku Madarame.”

He cackled. “You’ve always been clever, _____.” He lightly pulled on the skin of his cheek and it glowed blue before the image of Ikkaku vanished. What was left was a haunting familiar face, dark brown hair lay delicately around a face with an almost perfect complexion save for three moles under his left eye. He had one blue eye and one silver that accompanied a crooked smile.

“Masume!”

“Ah, I love that expression. Is it shock? Is it fear? Who knows? I can never tell with you.”

“What are you doing here? And how did you make yourself look like Ikkaku?”

“In order, I’m on squad twelve and second, it’s called a reishi mask. It’s my little project though I thought I had it perfected but leave it to you to ruin my fun.” You rolled your eyes and kept walking. “Hey, hey, hey!” he followed you.

“Go away. I don’t have time for you.”

“So rude. After my captain told me to assist you and provide you with our squad’s resources to help with your investigation.”

“He did?” you were somewhat surprised. “He didn’t seem all that pleased about me being given the case in the first place.”

“He wasn’t but you know, what can you do? Besides, I’m pretty sure the head captain told him to so,” he shrugged. “I actually know you or else he would’ve sent Akon.”

“He would’ve been preferable.”

“Ouch. I’m tryin’ to be nice here, ____.”

“I know what you consider “nice” and I’m not falling for it.”

“Oh, does Captain Zaraki know then?” this caused you to freeze. “Ah ha! He doesn’t know!”

“I don’t know what?” A shiver went down your spine as you heard your captain’s voice behind you.

‘I was so busy focusing on Masume that I didn’t even sense him. Man, I’m stupid.’ You thought to yourself.

His eye went back and forth between you and Masume. “Who’s this?”

“Sir, I’m Masume Kunikida, fifth seat of squad twelve. My captain wanted me to lend ____ a hand with her investigation.”

“You’re quite familiar with my fourth seat.” You couldn’t say for sure but there was a bit of an edge when he spoke.

“Yes, of course. _____ and I are old friends from the academy.”

“I would not use that term.”

“So mean!” he whined.

“Tcht!” the noise caught your attention as Kenpachi turned. “Try not to get too distracted. It is a mission, after all.”

“Uh, Captain, I’ll come by to organize the reports after lunch.” You called after him.

“Focus on your case. You’re not the only one working on it now so you can’t half ass it.”

“Uh, okay.” His comment left you feeling somewhat bummed. It wasn’t as if he had said anything wrong but it still just… you stopped when you noticed Masume’s grin. You smacked him in the face with the case report. “Take it. Know it by this afternoon.”

“I’m back!” You announced and Yachiru poked her head out of your captain’s office.

“Oh hi, ____!”

“How have things been?”

“Kenny’s been sulking all day. He doesn’t-”

“Yachiru,” Kenpachi had materialized in the doorway behind her. “Go get Ikkaku for me.”

“Alrighty!” She agreed as she took off.

“So you’re back,” she had left you standing face to face with Kenpachi. He hadn’t made eye contact, instead he was looking you up and down.

“Yeah, we investigated the areas of the Rukon district where the attacks took place. Masume’s specialty has always been geared towards reishi so he has able to pick up a few things I wasn’t.”

“Nice to see you were actually getting work done.”

“Hey, I always get work done!”

“That Kunikida clown is really good at distracting you.” You now knew that he had noticed your inability to sense him earlier. “And I expect you to sleep in your own bed tonight…” All of a sudden, his voice seemed to be snuffed out as the roomed swayed. It took you a moment to realize it wasn’t the room but you. The next sound you heard was Kenpachi calling your name. “____!”

“Uh, yes?!” he startled you to attention, shaking the lightheadedness.

“Are… you’re…” he snarled but almost to shake the awkward atmosphere he was putting off. He reached to touch your arm. “You should have someone from squad four take a look at you-” You reflexively and unknowingly jerked your arm away from his grasp. You looked horrified by your own action.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean-!” You rushed to defend yourself but he quickly turned back in the doorway.

“Go rest. You’re obviously tired.” He shut the door behind him, leaving you feeling a bit sad.

“Hey, ____.” Ikkaku caught your attention, Yachiru riding on his shoulders. “The captain wanted to see me?”

“Yeah,”

“Do… you know why?”

“N-not really.”

“That’s weird. Usually the captain tells you everything.”

“He… doesn’t.”

Ikkaku shrugged. “Hey, you okay?”

“Just tired.” You gave him a fake smile that he obviously caught. “I’m gonna turn in early, bye.” You rushed off before he could say anything.

“Hey, Yachiru.” Ikkaku spoke. “Do you know what’s wrong with ____?”

“Kenny probably caused it.”

“Captain Zaraki would never-”

“Kenny’s sulking because ____ spent all day playing with moleface.”

“Moleface? That squad twelve guy?”

“Mhmm. He’s known _____ for a long time. So Kenny probably said something mean.”

“Come on, Captain, that’s not cool.”

“I can hear you.” Kenpachi’s voice echoed through the door.

Mayuri sat across from Kenpachi in the little restaurant. “I am surprised, Zaraki. Inviting me out to drink suddenly is unlike you.”

“Yet you still came anyways.”
“If you were doing something out of the norm, I am inclined to be curious about why.” He said as he took a sip from his sake glass.

“Our squads are working together, I thought I’d poke you for some details on your squad member.”

“Excuse me?”

“What?”

“Our squads are working together on what exactly?”

“The pattern of hollow appearances in the inner Rukon districts.”

“I authorized no such thing.”

“That Kunikida guy-”

“And I gave Kunikida strict orders to stay away from it. He was always annoying and I’ve let that slide because his work with reishi has been exceedingly excellent but now he’s being a downright pest over this case in particular because that reishi girl is working it.”

“Reishi girl?”

“Oh, yes. I forgot you cannot sense reishi. When I first met your forth seat, I sensed something immediately unusual about her. After thinking it over, I realized that she had an obscenely high reishi level and she was putting out quite a bit of it. The question was, with so much reishi why was her spiritual pressure as light as a snowflake on your skin? The girl is using pinpoint precision to channel the reishi throughout her body to every part of it. When I was pondering what purpose that would have, I looked into the medical records that were kept on file and saw that she was ill with a disease that severely damaged her nerves.”

“I knew that. She got better.”

“But no, she did not.” Mayuri wagged his finger at Kenpachi. “That type of illness does not go away. Your girl is using reishi to force her body to move. It’s quite interesting but even I would not push that boundary and earn the ire of the head captain while he’s trying to get everything back in order or start a fight with you for that matter.” He flashed a grin. “You are quite taken with the girl from what I understand. Kunikida likely sensed the same thing I did and is going off on his own. From what I was told, she was still bedridden the last time he saw her.”

“He said that he met her in the academy.”

“That can’t be possible seeing as he’s been on my squad for about fifty years now.”

“____ agreed with him.”

“Interesting that she would lie to you but more importantly, if she’s with Kunikida now I don’t need to speculate what he’s up to. That boy has a one track mind.”

“These notes are really good, Masume.” You said as you looked over the new file he gave you.

“I knew you’d like them. You’re always so picky.”

“There’s no excuse for laziness.”

“Right. So your captain looked kind of mad before.”

“Did he?”

“Come on, ____. How did you not notice?” he whined.

“Sorry. I’m not good at that sort of thing.”

“I guess I noticed because I’m one of those guys.” His eyes shone as he spoke. “A guy who’s after someone can always tell who his competition is.”

You stopped. “What.”

“You haven’t been getting light headed recently, have you?” A shiver went down your spine as the room suddenly started spinning again. “It took me a while but I finally found a way to disrupt your reishi’s flow.”

“M-Masume-!” he caught you as you fell forward.

“Nuh uh uh. Save your energy. You’ll need it later.”

To Be Continued…