Author's Note - Well here comes another story from me, though I'm still working on my sequel to 'Ascension', so don't expect any updates after this for a while. I simply wanted to gauge reader reactions to the prologue to see if it'll be a story worth continuing to write. Not much to say about this story, its a Bleach X Naruto crossover heavily leaning on the bleach side of the universe. A story I hope that I is unique since I try to pride myself on creating original stories/storylines for my works.
Summary: This is the story where through a twist of fate the Kyuubi adopts an infant Naruto, and after learning what the afterlife truly holds...brings them both to a new world untouched by the Elemental Nations.
Pairings: For now none...perhaps later on.
Warnings: This will be a god-like Naruto, however he will only use his full strength in battles he finds 'worthy', much like a certain eyepatch toting captain we all know. Naruto will also be rather, dark and ruthless...but it coemes with the territory of being the adoptive son of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. As far as the fox, he is the cookie cutter Kyuubi from the Naruto manga...evil, ruthless, and bloodthirsty. His few warms feelings will be directed at Naruto, an a very select few others. Like before I will be using Japanese, but I've toned it down to familial relations, name endings, and nicknames.
Anyway without anymore further adue and wasted time here is: 'The Rogue Soul'!
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Prologue
Konoha stood...a shadow of it's former self under the ongoing destruction of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The once strong village...now only stood with the Hokage Tower, Hospital, evacuation shelters, and several residences still standing. No one knew how long they had left to live, the Kyuubi so far was unstoppable even to their most powerful, and potent jutsu. Many shinobi and civilians alike were dead or dying, with the few civilian survivors in the shelters and the few platoons of shinobi in the tower awaiting the arrival of their precious Hokage...Namikaze Minato.
Hospital,
"Come on Kushina-chan...PUSH!" A sweating blond yelled over the screams of his wife, as he tried not to scream himself from the literal bone-crushing grip she had on his wrist.
The red-head in the hospital bed, glared at the blond. "If you want this baby so badly...WHY DON'T YOU DO THE PUSHING INSTEAD!?" She screamed squeezing the man's wrist, making him cry in pain and apology.
"Ok Namikaze-sama...give us one last BIG push!" The doctor yelled trying to quell the couple's spat...if not for the circumstances she would probably laugh at the fact the Yondaime Hokage of Konoha was being so easily man-handled by his wife.
"AHHH!" She nearly roared, sending the last bit of strength she had to bring her little devil spawn...er...lovely child into the world.
Several moments passed, before a baby's wails could be heard throughout the room, and the doctor was seen cradling a bloody baby in her arms.
"Congratulations you two...its a healthy baby boy!" The doctor said softly to the already grinning parents, before placing him in the awaiting arms of his mother, and stepped out of the room to give them some privacy.
The two just looked at the boy, you wouldn't think such a small thing could really bring such happiness to someone...but it did, if the prideful, goofy smile, and the forever loving one were any indication.
"My little baby...my precious boy...my beloved Naruto." Kushina cooed just watching the bundle in her arms squirm around.
Minato watched his wife's interaction with his new born son...he truly never felt so happy in his life. However a rumble throughout the building brought him out of his revelry, and reality crashed through his happy moment, forcing a grim frown to mar his handsome face.
"Kushina-chan..." He whispered, getting those green eyes he fell in love with to look at him. "...there is no more time." He urged.
Kushina frowned even more than he did at his reminder. "I know.." She acknowledged, while looking at the chubby face of the new love of her life. "...just a few more moments...onegai (please)" She pleaded, knowing what was going to happen between now and the next time she would see her son.
Seconds ticked by slowly, before another tremor rocked the building, interrupting the silent scene between parents and child. Kushina sighed, silently cursing the Kyuubi to the lowest pits of hell, before she released her baby boy to the open arms of her husband. Minato cradled the boy as if the slightest pressure would break him. He looked longingly at his wife...knowing this was the last moment he would see her. Then without warning his white cloak was jerked forward abruptly as a pair of chapped but soft lips smashed into his. Instinctively he reciprocated the gesture, and soon cursed the need to breathe as the two released what was to be their last kiss.
Gazing into the azure eyes that belonged to her husband and now her son she spoke softly. "I love you Namikaze Minato...my youkou (sunshine)."
Hearing this Minato wanted badly to kiss her again...but he knew if he did...he doubted his resolve for what he had to do would hold out. So he simply pressed his forehead against hers.
"I love you to Namikaze Uzumaki Kushina...my beni-hime (Crimson Princess). Take care of our sochi(son) ne?"
A sad smile marred her face. "Always." She promised, before a smirk he knew all too well spread across her face. "Now give that kitsune some hell!" She playfully commanded.
"Hai" He answered back, their eyes lingering in one another's before Kushina had blinked, and when She opened them again the door was wide open with the lasting remnants of yellow indicating his infamous jutsu.
"I love you..." She said to no one...before her eyes felt heavy, and she fell into a peaceful sleep, wanting her strength back for when her baby returned to her.
What neither of them noticed, was the large, still engorging puddle of blood that had formed on the opposite side of the bed...before a single long beep began to ring throughout the room from her heart monitor, with several doctors now rushing back into the room.
Hokage Tower (Roof),
Minato quickly placed Naruto in the small cradle in the center of a large seal array on the roof. He took out a brush and some ink from his pocket and drew the final seal on his son's stomach. With the last stroke finished, he stood up and looked towards his still burning and destroyed village. He growled when his gaze landed on the creature that caused all this as it continued to fight off what little shinobi resistance was left.
"Kakashi" Minato spoke, his voice void of emotion, as a silver haired teenager garbed in full ANBU attire appeared in a swirl of leaves.
"Hai Hokage-sama!"
Minato turned and spared a glance at the teenager who was once his student, silently reminding himself that he will miss watching his son climb the shinobi ranks to eventually reach Hokage some day...just like him. That thought brought a small smile to his face, before he turned around to the carnage.
"Make sure he lives" Minato requested, rather than ordered.
Kakashi was saddened at the finality of his teacher's words, but nodded nonetheless. "I'll make sure he makes you proud Minato-sensei" He promised.
Another small smile tugged at the older man's lips "Thank you Kakashi-kun...goodbye" He responded before doing a long set of hand seals, bit both his thumbs, and slammed them into the seal array. "Shiki Fuujin (Corpse Spirit Sealing Method)!" He shouted, and in a flash of white a brown haired man in black robes and a white cloak along with a zanpakuto strapped to his sash appeared standing in the sky above him.
"Why have you summoned me mortal?" The man's grave voice echoed throughout the entire area, causing Minato to grin, knowing that the battle for the survival of Konoha against the Kyuubi no Kitsune was now over.
Soulscape (Kyuubi's POV),
I opened my eyes to see I was not where I had just been...lavishing in the destruction of that pathetic village. I was now in a large, and rather bright, white room, though it was quite blank. The only object that seemed to be there was a large golden gate with a piece of paper with the word 'seal' on it. I grunted in annoyance that my fun had been taken away, and by that human and...shinigami no less. The walked towards the gate and attempted to open it with a tail, only to get a rather painful shock. In vengeful retaliation I swiped a paw only to get an even larger shock than before. I growled before lying down deciding to contemplate my surroundings. If what the shinigami said was correct, I'm now within that...boy...I noticed the blond bring with him.
My eyes narrowed in disgust at that, a being of my power...caged like a circus animal. I snorted in amusement at the sheer idea of it, before I closed my eyes and contemplated my next move. However a noise in front of me interrupted my thoughts as I opened my eyes to see what I'll be destroying for such an act. My eyes slightly widened in surprise as I gazed into what looked like a wooden totem pole with a rather reminiscent visage of myself at it's peak on the opposite side of the gate. I await to see it's purpose, and I don't have to wait long, because I soon feel a nagging 'pull' from one of my tails. I turned and noticed a stream of red snaking it's way from my tail towards the gate, and quickly realize that its my own chakra.
I watched the stream with a vague curiousness, knowing that I could easily recover that small amount in minutes. I was more curious about where it was going...which I soon got my answer to as the stream lifted off the ground and began to get absorbed by the totem. The moment the first bits of my chakra reached the totem all the white flashed and a barely visible shade of red now painted the area. I'm sure if anything but a being with senses like mine looked they couldn't tell the difference. No sooner did this happen did I realize what that blond had done when that shinigami sealed me, and I growled. The seal forces my chakra to be absorbed by this boy, with this totem beginning the process.
So they think they can cage me in here like an animal...and be a chakra battery for this boy!? What a completely ridiculous notion, even the shinigami should know I wouldn't take such an affront to my pride lying down. If this boy is truly absorbing my chakra, than that means the seal is a connector between us, so if I were to over load my chakra I should be able to take control of him. Without a second thought a large bulge of chakra shot from my tail straight into the totem turning the room bright red and my senses went blank.
When they came back I was assaulted from all my senses, I could feel the wind billowing against my fur, I learned quickly however that I couldn't move the boy's appendages meaning that I was only able to experience what he was. Unfortunately the rest of my senses didn't allow me a moments rest, I could hear the sounds of buildings collapsing, screaming of the dying and the wails of the boy I was now within. I could smell burning ash around me, and taste the smoke upon my tongue...however what caught my attention the most was what I saw. I saw a silver haired boy leaning over the edge of a building his arm outstretched towards me with a blue blanket clutched in his hand. His lone visible eye wide shining with a guilty pain...as if he had just betrayed someone he held in the highest regard. I also saw the smoky blue sky behind him, and finally noticed that the boy was growing smaller and smaller as the seconds past until he was so far many of his more clearer features I had just been able to see were fuzzy. My eyes widened immediately after noticing this, and realized what was going on with the boy I was imprisoned in. He was falling...to where, or how far I could not tell but the moment the notion struck me all my senses shut down leaving me in darkness.
My concentration was thrown back to me violently as I once again stared at the silent blank room that was my new 'home'. It didn't take even an ounce of my intellect to realize what had happened to the boy when he landed...he died. What was now more important were two things, the first being why I I felt no different between being alive and being dead. Clearly that blond man's seal had intertwined the boy's soul and mine, so when he died I followed him. I grunted in aggrivation at how annoyingly tedious the man had created this seal for me, I quickly shook my head clearing those pointless thoughts away. My other concern now was that since the purpose of the seal was finished why I still seemed connected to the boy. After dying the seal should have released our tethered bond, yet it hadn't. My eyes narrowed...perhaps it was the work of that shinigami...adding a little something 'extra' when he stole my soul and cast it into the boy. I crossed my paws in front of me and settled my muzzle down, allowing a more comfortable position to think. However before I could continue with my train of thought, another one intervened...one of curiousness. With another grunt, I conceded, and allowed my curiousness of the afterlife be sated, and sent another burst of my chakra enter the totem as once again my senses blanked out.
Above Konoha (Normal POV),
"Why are you here!?" A brown haired shinigami yelled.
The blond haired man standing across from him simpled smiled viciously. "The same reasons as you Captain...for these wonderful souls!" He answered almost whimsically passing his hand over the crumbled Konoha.
"No! I didn't ask why THEY were here..." He indicated towards the dozens of dead white beasts that littered the blood ridden earth. "...I asked why YOU are here! You have no need to feed on souls any longer...so WHY!?" He finished pointing to the blond with his zanpakuto.
"Ah..." The taller man murmured finally understanding. "...why for the entertainment of course! A massacre on a scale like this? There was bound to be something to entertain me here...and look, I'm staring right at him! The shinigami assigned for this entire country...and a captain class no less...how lucky!" He concluded, his smile turning bloodthirsty.
The brunette frowned at the answer, and prepared his sword in an offensive stance. "It won't be lucky when you are lying on the ground in two different places...THAT I can promise you." He growled out...so many lost souls because of this creature's sick pleasures.
The blond simply laughed hysterically, before disappearing with the brunette following suit and the sounds of battle sprang to life in the sky soon after.
Soulscape (Kyuubi's POV),
Interesting...yes...that is what I was thinking now, as I watched these two beings battle across the smoke filled sky with the shinobi on the ground seeming none the wiser. I've lived longer than I can truly remember, and in truth I was bored...bored of the mundane that I witnessed day in and day out. I suppose many of the humans whom I've come to slaughter in this pathetic village would scream at me for attacking their village for such a frivolous reason. But who was I to care for the concerns of beings on lower standing than myself. I'm the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the most powerful being on this planet...or...I was. If not for that blond ANT, I would still be wreaking my lovely havoc on the supposedly most powerful shinobi village in the elemental nations. Watching as buildings fell before me, humans fleeing from my sheer presence, and the ground quivering under me at my might. But then HE...showed up...the blond Hokage that even I've heard of.
In truth I expected him to show me some sport...that is before I ground his bones, and ripped his flesh within my maw. However before we could even exchange a single blow, he did something...something incredibly stupid...something incredibly foolish...something incredibly brave...and despite myself, something I have begrudging respect for. He summoned the one being to this plane of existence which could vanquish me...the shinigami himself. The very same shinigami who I was now watching battle that oddly dressed, but quite vicious looking man with a mask over his face. I wasn't sure what to make of this turn of events, this was hardly what I expected the afterlife to be, though I certainly wasn't complaining considering where I had expected to be if I died.
It was odd, it seemed as if the afterlife, was truly another 'life' if the fact I was watching two beings who were clearly not alive do battle, which got me to wondering. What kind of afterlife could I make for myself? Clearly I was limited because of my situation but it wasn't as bleak as I imagined...there were options for me, oh yes...where was much I think I could do with what little information I've gathered so far. However before I could think of any long term plans I will need to learn about all this afterlife has to offer, and those two fighters seem to know what is going on quite well. But my limited options as far as communication will be the first hurdle, however as luck would have it the boy provided the answer. This entire time his wails hadn't stopped even after death, though I couldn't blame him, I could feel a cold, heavy weight pressing painfully down on his chest. And it seemed the wails had finally caught the attention of the two fighters...and a plan quickly formed in my head, making my maw stretch into a vicious grin.
Battle (Normal POV),
The two fighters shot back from one another, each with perspiration falling from their brows, blood dripping from wounds, and shoulders heaving heavily from ragged breathing. However their attention was caught went a infantile cry entered their ears.
"Well...well...well...look at what we have here..." The blond said excitedly. "...seems my friends missed the little morsel..I mean tike." He joked.
The brunette stiffened slightly hearing his words. "Yes...well I'm sure they were too busy being cleaved in half by me." He taunted, hoping the barb would cause the beast to redirect his attention back to him and not the baby he vaguely recognized, as the grip on his zanpakuto tightened.
"True enough I'm sure..." The blond nodded, before another vicious smile adorned his face. "...now lets see if we can't spice up this fight with a third member ne?" He questioned before he shot off right towards Naruto.
"Shit!" The captain cursed before taking off as well.
He looked at the surrounding area wondering if he could use it to his advantage to stop the blond but no luck. His eyes locked onto the target, and widened tremendously, as he finally recognized the baby.
"Dammit...if he eats that boy...most of seireitei won't be able to stop him thanks to Kyuubi if he eventually finds a way to convert chakra to reiatsu!" He mentally screamed.
The man immediately shot his hand out. "Bakudou #1: Sai ("Obstruction")!" He yelled, the skill causing the blond to feel several times heavier, slowing him down enough for the captain to catch up.
The two beings raced towards the apparently still unaware boy, as they outstretched their hands hoping to grab him before their opponent. Neither came to realized the danger that was lying in wait for them just underneath a certain hidden seal. And the moment they both touched the boy it was already too late as the seal on the boy's stomach appeared in red, before both beings disappeared...leaving only the brunette's black robes, white cloak and zanpakuto behind.
Soulscape,
"Welcome to my humble abode gentlemen" A deep voice, though sounding more like a dull roar greeted.
The two fighters finally seemed to come to as they groggily opened their eyes, neither expecting to see what was now in front of them...obvious by their dinner plate sized eyes. Reacting solely on instinct the two tried to move away to a safer distance, but quickly found out they were being held down to the ground. When they looked to see what was holding them, they noticed furry, crimson tails holding down their wrists, and ankles. Seeing this, the Kyuubi's mouth slid into a satisfied grin before he spoke.
"Now now...no need to be so shy I won't bite..." His mouth opened to show two rows of fangs sharp as swords. "...at least not yet." he finished as an after thought.
"What are you doing here Kyuubi!?" The shinigami shouted, while once again trying to break free of the hold Kyuubi had on with.
Kyuubi's eyes momentarily widened at the question. "Its seems I was wrong...he didn't do anything to the seal to keep me with the boy even after death. Meaning it was either the blond's plan...or some part of the seal became faulty." The beast mused.
"That was a question I was going to ask you shinigami...but apparently it is now moot."
The brunette's eyes narrowed at hearing the answer, and let out a breath before he summoned his spiritual pressure hoping it would take the beast's ego down a peg, and give him something to bargain with for his release. Unfortunately the Kyuubi seemed to brush the pressure barreling down on him off like it was a fly, before releasing it's killer intent on both of his prisoners. The two fighters began to cough uncontrollably from the pressure on their chests, before it disappeared just as quickly as it appeared.
"Don't be so impudent to think that your power can dwarf my own, I am FAR more powerful than this 'captain' class I heard you both speaking about. And that includes whatever he is." The Kyuubi warned, pointing his snout towards the blond at the end.
"What exactly are you? Clearly you aren't a shinigami...and I've NEVER seen nor heard of a hollow as powerful or large as you...even in the ranks of the 'Vasto Lorde'." The blond shouted.
"Vasto Lorde? Must be a high ranking form of this...'hollow'...he was speaking about." The Kyuubi thought, intending to muse over the new information he had gathered so far.
"I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the strongest being in the elemental lands and..."
"...dead" The shinigami interrupted the introduction, with a satisfied smirk.
Unfortunately for him, his smirk didn't last long when he felt the tails around his wrists swiftly twist, as a cracking sound and soon after scream echoed throughout the area.
"Do NOT interrupt again shinigami! You may have had the advantage of surprise and an intangible form that was impossible for me to destroy in our first meeting. But that doesn't apply now that I too am dead." Kyuubi warned before loosening his grip slightly.
The captain moaned in pain, as the blond looked on in surprise at just how easily this beast could injure a captain class shinigami. He concluded that while he was strong, this beast had the advantage at the moment, so angering it wouldn't be prudent.
"How are you be so powerful? You're dead...yet you have absolutely NO reiatsu coming off you that I can sense."
Kyuubi quirked a brow "Reiatsu?" He mulled the word over, letting the new word slide off his tongue. "I will hazard a guess that this...reiatsu...is the power both of you used for those 'special' attacks I witnessed?" He questioned getting a nod from the blond. "Then that is simple...I have none. However I do have chakra."
Hearing this the blond sputtered. "I...Impossible! No living creature...even demons can live long enough to gain enough chakra to surpass a captain class shinigami, let alone a vasto lorde class hollow!" He countered, only to get a menacing grin from the fox.
"Clearly you've never heard of Bijuu before." He answered with some amusement.
"He's right..." The shinigami groaned out, while glaring at the fox. "...the bijuu are the strongest beings in the living realm...and HE is the strongest one of them." He affirmed, before his eyes narrowed. "What I don't' understand is how you can still use chakra despite you being merely a soul now. Chakra is an energy reserved only for the living, just like reiatsu is for the dead, except for some unique cases. Which is why chakra cannot effect the dead, nor can reiatsu effect the living unless one has enough reiatsu to do so."
Kyuubi snorted at the question and remarks. "The HOW doesn't concern me, the fact I still can is enough for me. However if I had to guess it probably has something to do with the damn seal I'm still tethered to the boy with. Though I believe you are right, it just so happens that MY case IS rather 'unique'. Because the moment I died I could tell that the boy's body now acted like a barrier to my chakra on the outside world. While I still can effect HIM and anything within him, I cannot effect anything else. Unlike when I was living where I could feel my chakra slowly flow out of the boy when I was 'borrowing' his senses."
The shinigami nodded while absorbing the explanation, that is before it all came crashing down. "T...then that means..."
"...Oh yes...in this place...I AM Kami-sama!" The Kyuubi interrupted, before a howl of laughter echoed through the area. "The moment I realized I was in the afterlife, I began contemplating what I could do with my time. But then you two just fell right into my lap...quite literally. At first I had no idea how to get you two close enough to the boy for me to absorb your souls into the seal. But then his cries and wails caught your attention, and you both came racing. I honestly couldn't have planned it better myself. Both of you probably saved me a good century's worth of time trying to come up with a plan while I was stuck in this boy's infantile form. But you two...oh yes...both of you are my new tickets to salvation!" He explained with unrelenting glee.
"W...what do you mean?" The blond questioned fearfully, not quite understanding.
The Kyuubi gave him a small smirk. "Its quite simple...I have a novices knowledge of the afterlife, which seems much larger than I could care to guess. Therefore I had planned on torturing you two until I was satisfied with the knowledge I've gained. However with what I've already learned from our little conversation I grow quite impatient, so I believe I will instead do it the faster...tastier way." He concluded.
"T...Tastier?" The blond questioned, wondering what the fox meant.
Before the blond could blink he was whipped up by the Kyuubi's tails until he was face to face with the beast.
"Yes..." It growled...with saliva dripping from its fangs. "...tastier!" He reiterated, before his fangs opened and the hollow was thrust into the maw.
Gurgled screams, crushing bone, and sawing flesh could be heard from within the Kyuubi, as his fangs ground into each other with blood and flesh dripping down his fangs, muzzle and fur before forming a pool under the great beast. When a large gulp was heard several moments later, a slew of information such as abilities, names, places, and people raced across the Kyuubi's mind as well as hollow-type reiatsu began to emanate within him. Kyuubi's body slightly bristled once the power and information was absorbed. During this time the shinigami just stared slack-jawed at what he had just seen...a hallow being eaten, if not for the situation he'd have probably laughed at the irony.
"Y...You ate him." The man spoke...still not completely believing it.
The Kyuubi's body stopped moving, as it's eyes slowly...almost lazily opened as if it just finished off a VERY satisfying meal.
"You sound surprised..." He responded, tilting his head back towards his last prisoner. "...I find that strange...Captain of the Zero division." The Captain's eyes widened at hearing his rank...when just moments ago the Kyuubi barely understood the different levels of shinigami and hollows. "First and foremost because your job is to kill hollows is it not? So why should the method in which that mission is executed matter? As a matter of fact I just did your job for you. Secondly...as the shinigami officer appointed to this part of the world, you should have the greatest knowledge of demon lore within the shinigami ranks. But apparently you're a little rusty on the subject, so let me enlighten you. One of the basic, fundamental, but also most powerful skills a demon has is the ability to absorb the power and knowledge of an opponent after devouring them...more importantly their heart and brain." He explained, letting the man work out what that meant. "They also happen to be the juiciest parts of a body." He concluded as an after thought and a whimsical gleam in his eye.
The moment he stopped speaking, a familiar pressure pressed down upon him. He looked back towards the Captain to see him once again struggling with his restraints.
"Its useless."
The captain glared at him, just wishing he had his zanpakuto. "Do you have any idea what is going to happen to you if you kill me!?" He threatened. "The rest of my squad and the remaining 13 court guard squads will hunt you down and have this boy's head and YOUR'S on a platter!" He warned, only causing the Kyuubi to howl in laughter.
"And how will they know I killed you? Not even YOU the shinigami who signed the contract with this boy's Tou-san (father) knew I'd still be around once the boy died. Do you think anyone is going to suspect that the Captain of the strongest court guard squad would make such a mistake? No my little taichou (captain)...they won't realize it was me, that aside they probably won't think that you've died for a long time considering the massacre I caused. If you don't show up for several weeks, most will think its just over time trying to find any lingering souls that have strayed from Konoha. And by the time they DO realize something is wrong I'll be long gone." He countered shrugging off the pressure once again, and lifted the Captain to where the hollow just was. "Now if you don't stop flaring your reiatsu...I'll be forced to enjoy your death A LOT more than I plan on." He warned.
Despite the Captains refusal to submit to this beast...he knew he had nothing to use against it. His zanpakuto was outside the seal, and he needed time and free hands to summon kido spells...time he knew the Kyuubi wouldn't allow him. In reality he knew he'd have to make a sacrifice, but if it meant he could either defeat the beast or at least escape it would be worth it. Mentally nodding at his plan, he stopped flaring his reiatsu, much to the Kyuubi's pleasure obvious by the small smirk dressing his still bloody lips.
"Good my little taichou...for listening I'll give you a reward..." The Kyuubi spoke as if to a child. "...a painless death." He concluded as he opened his maw, his dripping saliva red from the hollow's blood.
"This is it...I'll need to use spell #107 for this...nothing less will do." The captain concluded as he came close and closer the to fangs, before he was abruptly stopped with only his head in range of the shape digits. "What..." He mentally questioned before everything went black.
Sounds of crunching bone could be heard once more in the white room, before Kyuubi swallowed the Captain's head, and once again vivid memories of abilities, names, places, and people raced across the Kyuubi's mind
"He honestly thought I'd let him use his hands to cast a kido spell while I was eating him? A solid plan I'll admit...unfortunately he seemed to have forgotten that I now have that Vasto Lorde's memories, meaning I already know what a shinigami needs to summon kido." The Kyuubi thought as he continued to eye the headless corpse of the Captain before he began to devour the rest of him.
Kyuubi could now feel the reiatsu of the Captain rush through him...though in truth his nor the hollow's energy felt much different than his own chakra did. He probably only noticed the difference because he felt even more powerful than before. With all the new information on the afterlife...the seireitei, Hueco Mundo, the different divisions of hollows and shinigami, as well as the names and faces of some of the strongest of each...a plan was beginning for form in his mind. However he realized that no matter what plans he created there was always one constant in them all...Naruto.
"Well...I've always wanted a kit...so why not him?" He mentally concluded, with an uncharacteristic smile on his lips. "However I'm going to have to do something about his size...for what I have planned for us, staying an infant forever is quite the hindrance. Now the question is what kind of body should I make for him?" He pondered, while flashing through the memories of both the Captain and Vasto Lorde.
His eyes flashed open with a twinkle in the slitted pupils. "Perfect" He murmured happily, before he sent nearly eight tails worth of chakra into the lone totem as he monitored the progress of his 'son'.
Konoha,
More and more souls began to emerge from the wreckage of what once was the hidden leaf village, as the final casualties of the Kyuubi's onslaught died. The souls simply wandered through the village not quite sure what to make of things. Some cried soon after realizing they were dead, others were angry, while the rest seemed simply lost on what to do or feel now. However all their thoughts were interrupted when they all felt a cold shiver run down their spines. They all looked towards the dilapidated roof of the Hokage Tower many had seen fall when the body of the Kyuuni fell to the ground dead and caused a massive and powerful billow of wind to blow through the village. They didn't see or truly feel anything 'evil' from the roof, yet they knew they couldn't ignore the feeling that went down their spines, and unconsciously began to move away from the once strong building that housed their greatest shinobi.
On what remained of the roof, Naruto could be seen squirming and obviously upset, however a red 'film' had covered his small frame which seemed to cut off his cries from the rest of the world. Soon the 'film' intensified in color, and Naruto could be seen transforming, his muscles could be seen moving and stretching underneath his skin, while his bones seemed to break and grow before knitting back together. The process was short but arduous, as the Kyuubi made the final touches to his 'son's' new body from within the seal. With the changes complete the 'film' began to recede back into the seal on the boy's stomach. If one of the souls had been brave...or foolish enough, to have ventured to see what made them shiver, they wouldn't see a baby lying on the roof any long.
In place of a infant laid the naked body of a man who was in his mid-twenties, he was rather tall, quite tan, and very handsome. He had an athletic looking body, his toned muscles not overly huge but still quite apparent...a body that was obviously made for speed, and power. His once golden blond tresses gained from his biological father, was now a dark orange, showing Kyuubi's own claim as his adoptive one. His once ocean blue eyes were now a beautiful dark amethyst, once again a mixture of both his father's genetics. His whisker marks which identified him as the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi were still there but they were barely visible now thanks to the darker color of his skin.
Soulscape,
The Kyuubi grinned while nodding in acceptance of his first 'present' to his new 'son'. He let out a low sigh as he shuddered in delight at barely feeling any loss of power. Had he expended that same amount of chakra while alive he would've probably had to rest for several days to get it back. But now after absorbing that shinigami and hollow's reiatsu, he still noticed a difference, but it was barely there. As that thought came to mind the smile he had turned into a frown.
"Although I gave him a new and better body that didn't truly make him stronger when it comes to the new energy needed in the afterlife." He mused for a moment, before he quickly chuckled to himself. "Of course...I suppose this is gift number two sochi...the reiatsu of both the strongest Captain class shinigami, and a Vasto Lorde class hollow." He concluded before with a heavy grunt he summoned all the reiatsu he had collected and sent it directly through the totem and into Naruto's new form.
Had he been outside the boy he'd have seen a large pillar of purple colored reiatsu shoot into the sky emanating from Naruto's body. Once all the reiatsu was absorbed by Naruto's new body, the Kyuubi gave a grunt of exhaustion...he had forgotten what exhaustion felt like now only working with a single tail's worth of power. But being safely in the seal, he had no problems showing such weakness. Once he recovered his exhaustion, he noticed something strange that wasn't there before. The gate of his prison had rusted a margin, and he also noticed that the paper seal on the gate was now a quarter gone. His eyes narrowed at this, wondering what caused such a reaction. Clearly it had something to do with the new body or the reiatsu it just absorbed.
For the moment Kyuubi decided to put that information on the back burner and muse on it at a later date...after all he had all eternity to figure out what happened. Meanwhile a new thought was nagging him, making sure his 'son's' new body worked properly. With that in mind, he sent the last tail's worth of chakra into the totem, as his body collapsed from exhaustion, and his senses went blank.
Konoha,
When his senses came back he was once again staring at the smoky blue sky. However the sun appeared when a pair of clouds moved and rays blinded him, and instinctive moved his hand to cover his eyes.
Only moments later did the Kyuubi's eye's widen at the realization. "Wait...what!?" He thought.
Deciding to experiment, he told his hand to move, and it did. He told his arm to move, and it did. A grin spread from his face, as he slowly but surely got up from the ground. He chuckled, as he slowly began to let his hands roam over what he created, and was mentally patting himself on the back. He eventually reached the neither regions, and looked down only to smirk smugly at the flaccid nearly five inch member hanging loosely against his thigh.
"This is present number three sochi" He barked in laughter, imagining the looks on any female's face who had the luck of getting close enough to his son to be rewarded with a glimpse.
He shook his head of the humorous image and continued to check the rest of the body. He finished his inspection and nodded in approval, before he noticed the shinigami's clothing and zanpakuto. He shrugged, and began to dress himself, but forgone the captain's cloak...it would be too suspicious to wear, so he simply folded it and placed it in his robes. He grabbed the zanpakuto, but quickly released it when he was shocked.
He narrowed his eyes. "I forgot a zanpakuto is a 'soul' sword, meaning that a part of that captain's soul still resides in the blade...how troublesome. Very well I'll deal with our little stowaway later." He concluded before grabbing the sword with a grunt, and tested out the body's endurance.
With a quick arc downward the zanpakuto connected with his free arm. The Kyuubi could only smirk at the results, when he took the blade away there was nothing but smooth flesh. Just to be sure it wasn't a fluke, he sent the zanpakuto into a stabbing motion in his forearm. Once again the tip of the blade did nothing to blemish the skin.
"Like I suspected, seems a hollow's body is more resilient to wounds, thanks to their 'hierro' (steel skin)." He thought out loud, before he sheathed his blade and placed it on his hip, noticing it didn't hurt him any longer. "Now for the last two tests for this new body..." He said to himself before outstretching his arm with his palm facing forward. "Hadou #63: Raikouhou ("Roaring Thunder Burn")!" He called out, as electricity shot from his hand in the form of a dragon and was sent right into one of the few sections of Konoha's protective wall that remained standing. The explosion was quite impressive for only a mid-level kido spell lacking the incantation Kyuubi noted but was happy with the result. "Now to finish this..." He continued as as energy began to collect in front of his chest. "...Cero!" He shouted, as the energy shot forth in a purple beam at another part of the wall blasting that to oblivion. "Perfect" He concluded with a very satisfied grin, before closing his eyes and began to filter though the Captain's memories of seireitei, that is until he felt a slight jolt enter his entire system, that made him slight growl. "Seems my assumption was right...I only have a limited time of control over this body with three-fourths of the seal still in tact. No matter though, I can still enjoy the afterlife like I planned with my sochi. But I do believe an update on the happenings in the seireitei are in order, since that Captain hasn't been there for a few centuries, I'm sure new captains have been chosen. But first Naruto needs some training to gain control of his body and powers...as well as a new name." He said to himself before grabbing the hilt of the zanpakuto, unsheathed it with a grunt of pain and thrust the blade forward.
The blade seemed to phase into the air itself, before Kyuubi turned the whole sword like a key in a lock. Kyuubi closed his eyes when a flash shot forth, and when he looked again an oddly ancient style rice paper door stood before him, before it opened and a black butterfly began to fly around him. He took one last look at the obliterated Konoha below him and couldn't help but smirk one last time before he began towards the portal to seireitei. Right before he was going to enter something pulled him back via his left sleeve. He looked at the intrusion and noticed a quivering, confused, and obviously scared old man with a chain protruding from his chest just like Naruto had before he gave him the new body.
"H...Help me." He begged, causing Kyuubi to raise a brow.
"What?" He said lowly, annoyance lacing his voice.
The man gulped, but pressed on. "Y...You're the Shinigami...a...aren't you? You're sup...suppose to help us cross over right? So take me with you!" He explained, though he said it more like a question.
The Kyuubi's eyes widened in realization, before he smiled warmly at the man. "Sorry...but you got the wrong guy." He answered truthfully, making the man look at him oddly.
"What do you me..."
But he was never able to finish his question as he fell over in a shower of blood as his body slid apart from shoulder to hip, hitting the roof in a loud squelch. Kyuubi just licked the blood off the blade enjoying both the taste and the stinging sensation emanating from the zanpakuto, as he watched the man's organs slowly shift out of him as an ever enlarging pool of blood formed underneath him. Kyuubi sighed contently as the last of the blood slid down his throat, before a sadistic, and menacing smile rose to his lip.
"The afterlife will be interesting indeed..." He concluded with glee before entering the portal to seireitei, and in a flash the rice paper doors closed, taking the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and the son of the Yondaime Hokage forever away from the elemental countries.
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AN - Well there you have it, the Prologue to my new story 'The Rogue Soul'. I hope you found the storyline so far pretty interesting. And although my main concentration is on my sequel to 'Ascension', I'll be writing a chapter for this story every so often if I feel its worth it.
So please review and tell me your thoughts, and since I'm using your reviews as a guage to see if I'll continue writing this story, please tell me what you 'liked/disliked/think should be better' in your review.