Chapter 34: The Snake, The Scientist, and The Beast
Naruto didn't care about the monologue. He didn't care about the "experiment." The moment Szayelaporro finished speaking, Naruto moved.
The ground beneath him vaporized instantly, turning into a fine powder under the sheer explosive force of his launch. He was a golden projectile, Nozarashi held high, aiming to cleave the pink-haired scientist in twain. His bloodlust was a physical weight, screaming for contact, for the sensation of steel biting into flesh.
Szayelaporro didn't flinch. He didn't even raise a hand. He simply watched Naruto approach with a look of bored anticipation, his eyes tracking the trajectory of the swing.
"Predictable," the scientist whispered.
Just as the jagged edge of Nozarashi was about to descend, a blur of white interrupted the golden trajectory.
WHAM.
A boot, reinforced with concentrated spiritual pressure, connected with the side of Naruto's head. The sound was like a cannon shot.
Naruto's momentum was violently redirected. He was launched sideways, skipping across the wasteland like a stone on water before crashing through a pillar of rock and embedding himself deep into the canyon wall far to the left. Dust billowed out from the impact site.
Gin Ichimaru landed lightly in the space Naruto had just occupied, his white haori fluttering in the wind, his hands tucked calmly into his sleeves. He stood with his back to Szayelaporro, facing the distant cloud of dust where he had sent Naruto.
"Now, now," Gin chided, his voice a smooth, mocking drawl. "Charging in like a wild boar? That's a bad habit, Naruto-kun. Or should I say... Zaraki?" His smile widened, sharp and fox-like. "You really haven't changed a bit. Always leading with your face."
The rubble in the canyon wall exploded outward. Naruto stepped out, shaking debris from his hair. A vein throbbed dangerously on his forehead. He wasn't injured—his durability was too high for a simple kick to do lasting damage—but his pride was bruised.
"YOU!" Naruto roared, pointing Nozarashi at the silver-haired intruder. "Get the hell out of my way, you smiling bastard! I was about to kill him!"
"You were about to walk into a nerve-toxin field," Gin corrected cheerfully, tilting his head and pointing to the ground directly in front of Szayelaporro—the exact spot where Naruto would have landed had Gin not intervened. "Look."
Naruto glanced at the spot. The earth there was discolored, sizzling faintly with a purple residue that Szayelaporro had subtly released from his fingertips moments before.
"He's a scientist, remember?" Gin said, turning his head slightly to look at the Espada. "You can't just smash him. You have to dissect him."
"Gin Ichimaru," Szayelaporro's voice cut in, smooth and laced with a toxic politeness. He adjusted his glasses, the light reflecting off the lenses obscuring his eyes. "It has been a long time. I must say, I am disappointed. To see a former colleague siding with these... Shinigami remnants. It is a pitiful sight."
Gin finally turned to face the Espada. "Oh, don't be like that, Szayelaporro-kun. I didn't side with anyone. I was only ever with Aizen to put a blade in his heart. You know how I am."
"It is irrelevant," Szayelaporro dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Your motives for betrayal mean nothing to me. I despised the three of you from the beginning. You, Tōsen, Aizen... you reeked of Shinigami arrogance. Always looking down on us, even as you used us."
Gin's smile sharpened. "Ah, yes. I forgot. You always did hate anyone who wasn't a Hollow. What a racist you are."
Szayelaporro's expression tightened, his composure slipping for a fraction of a second. "Racist? Coming from a Soul reaper? That is rich."
The scientist sneered, his tone dripping with intellectual disdain. "It is not prejudice; it is biological fact. We are the superior evolutionary path. We devour to survive; you slaughter for 'order.' Look at the Quincies. You Shinigami exterminated an entire race not because they were evil, but because their existence inconvenienced your precious 'balance.' You wiped them out of fear and arrogance. And you dare lecture me on discrimination?"
"SHUT UP!"
The roar tore through the debate. Naruto slammed Nozarashi into the ground, cracking the bedrock. His golden aura flared, jagged and unstable.
"I don't care about your politics! I don't care about Quincies or Hollows or whatever the hell you are!" Naruto snarled, stepping forward. "You watched me. You messed with my life. You sent Nnoitra. I'm going to cut you into pieces, and if the snake gets in my way, I'll cut him too!"
Gin chuckled, a soft, dry sound. "My, my. So loud. I really did miss this. Butting heads with you... taunting Kuchiki-taicho until he lost his composure... the good old days."
He drew his wakizashi, the metal singing as it left the sheath. He held it in his signature one-handed grip, the blade pointing lazily at the ground.
"But you'll have to wait your turn, Naruto-kun," Gin said, his voice dropping an octave, losing its playfulness. He opened his eyes, the sky-blue irises locking onto Szayelaporro with chilling intent.
"After all," Gin purred, "it's only proper for a Captain to discipline his former subordinate. Isn't that right, Eighth Espada?"
Szayelaporro sneered, reaching behind his back. The hilt of his Zanpakutō, Fornicarás, appeared in his hand. "Subordinate? You are mistaken, Ichimaru. In this world... I have evolved far beyond you."
The wind died down. The three monsters stood in a triangle of killing intent. The air was heavy, tasting of science and blood.
Tbc