Scorch the Skies
A Naruto and Bleach Crossover Story
By The General Electric
Naruto is the Property of Kishimoto-Sensei, Bleach is the Property of Tite-Sensei
I Own Nothing But the Plot Bunny
-/-
Chapter One
Where it Ends, Where it Begins
-/-
On a mountain, high above the clouds, far beyond the outer limits of the Rukongi, a blonde haired man sat, whistling a jaunty tune as his instant noodles slowly came to the boil.
"Ah ramen, centuries have passed and yet still you remain the food of the gods." Snorting at the pun, he took the noodles of the heat, slurping them down.
Life was good for one Uzumaki Naruto, not that he knew his name anymore. He'd been alone in seclusion for so long it had finally ended up escaping him, much to his annoyance.
Nowadays he was just known as Kiroi, for the colour of his slightly dulled and greying hair.
"Little unoriginal, but in the end what's really in a name?" he laughed to himself.
"Everything you little bastard." A voice grumbled from in his head.
"Oh I'm hearing voices now; they say that's the first sign of insanity. Or maybe it's talking to yourself? Either way I'm doing both, so I must be crazy." He nodded sagely.
"Naruto, stop it."
"Oh Naruto, is that my name?" the man laughed through a mouthful of noodles. "Good to know I suppose."
"Well how do you feel about being without even your Shikai, huh? Is that something you would like?"
"Shikai, shikai… oh right, Shikai." He laughed, the now empty polyester cup burning up into nothing. "Does that mean I'd still have Bankai then?"
"No Bankai."
Clicking his tongue, Naruto shook his head. "That would be bad yes?"
"Assumedly yes." The voice returned the intangible smirk apparent in his voice.
"Yeah, but then again it's me, and let's face it I'm awesome."
"Not really."
"Screw it, who needs Shikai? Who needs Bankai? I'm the thrice damned Kiroi Sennin, I don't need you." He declared, shooting to his feet, fists clenched by his side. "I'm amazing and fuck everyone else!"
"Oh no, you aren't going to do that?"
"Try to withhold my god given right, you crotchety old sword? Well fuck you! No one can withhold anything from me, no one can stop me!" The old man let off with a roar. "Not so long as I bristle, with the power of YOUTH!"
"God damn it! My meta-physical eyes! They burn!"
"Yeah, well, serves you right." The man sniffed. "Honestly trying to withhold your releases from me, what are you, some kind of idiot?"
"Yeah, well at least I'm not senile."
"Good to know, heaven forbid I have a senile Zanpakuto." The blonde laughed.
"Ugh, go die in a ditch or something."
"Love you too, Hikaze no Kitsune."
-/-
Roughly 3 to 4000 years previous, give or take a decade or two.
-/-
"FUCKING SNAKE!" A shout echoed around the dense green foliage of Konohagakure's Forest of Death which was currently hosting the bi-yearly Chunnin qualifying exams for the Village's and its allies, Gennin level ninja.
The source of the shout came barrelling through the trees not a second later, clad in a torn orange jacket with a blue bandana wrapped around his head adorned with a metal plate, his village's intricate leaf emblem carved into the metal.
Soon following him was an unbelievable snake, at least 20 feet long and a good 5 thick, the wicked thing came charging at him, fangs beared, as it tried to swallow him whole again, causing Naruto to dodge suddenly to the side, only to trip and find himself slamming into a tree.
"Ugh, I'll be… quiet now Iruka-sensei… really." He slurred, shaking his head slowly to clear the fog.
"MOVE SHITHEAD!"
His head snapping up, he came face to face with the snakes gaping maw, ready to clamp down.
Letting out a rather unmanly (he would deny it) squeal, he shot to the side, watching the giant reptile tear through the near 10 feet of tree with ease.
"…That was close."
"No really? I hadn't noticed."
Head darting up and shooting side to side, Naruto's eyes scanned the forest looking for the voice's origin. "Who's there? Where are you?"
"That's not your biggest concern right now."
"What, that I don't know who's talking to me?" Naruto growled, eyes narrowed. "I think that's a pretty fucking big…"
"Look, I'm happy for you, you're straping on your big boy pants and all that, really I'm proud." The voice interrupted with an unseen sneer. "But may I say 3 words?"
"What?" The boy asked somewhat petulantly.
"Big. Fucking. Snake."
Eyes wide, Naruto turned towards where he had left the snake, covered in an ass ton of bark and leaves. Only it wasn't, it was staring down at him, head cocked as if it was bemused by Naruto's situation, its tongue flicking in amusement.
"Talking to yourself, human?"
"YOU TALK?"
"IT TALKS?"
"Yes, I talk. Also I'm hungry, so if you wouldn't mind…"
Naruto clenched his fists, teeth almost grinding. "Yes I fucking mind." The boy spat violently.
"I wasn't asking."
"Of course it wasn't."The voice from earlier groaned. "Honestly, do you even know how you're going to beat this giant wallet?"
Dodging another strike from the snake, but being caught by the things tail, Naruto let out a grunt as he slid along the ground. "No, so some help right about now would be useful."
"Help? You can't even hear me screaming my name? What possible help could I be to you?" The voice shot back, what sounded like regret dripping off every word.
"Screaming? You aren't screaming, I can hear you fine." The boy let out in confusion as he jumped over the snakes gnashing jaw, bouncing back off of its head and running again.
"And that's even through all the chaos that this snake is wreaking while trying to down you like a chaser of sake." The voice came back. "Every word, every syllable is as clear as day. Do you understand what I'm saying yet?"
"Understand what?"
"God damn you are slow; I'm in your head, you idiot!" The voice cried.
Stopping stark still, Naruto froze, the snake overshooting him due to his sudden halt. "Kyuubii..?"
"Fuck that dick, I'm nothing like him… I mean I'm a fox, but that's where the similarities end." The voice ended somewhat lamely.
"So if you're not the Kyuubii, then what are you?" The boy asked warily, once again losing his awareness of the giant snake darting towards him.
"I suppose I'll show you. Might be a little easier." The voice sighed theatrically. "Hold your right hand out on your left hip as if you were drawing a blade." The voice instructed carefully. "You might not be able to hear my name, or even materialize me yet, but I reckon we can get away with a sleazy one off shot, more than enough to end this scaly dick at any rate."
Doing as he was told, Naruto positioned himself. "Now what?"
"Now pull your arm up and across, as if slashing said blade and listen, closely." Following through, Naruto was surprised as a torrent of chakra swept through the area, everything pausing, as if frozen in time, the snake's eyes wide in surprise.
"Wind Stance; Judgement."
And the chakra drenched clearing burst into chaos, strong winds whipping through the trees, tearing at the branches and slicing through the trees like chopsticks through ramen broth, the snake erupting into a gory mess of blood and flesh before it disappeared in a puff of smoke, which was quickly blown away along with it.
A good 10 seconds passed before the roaring winds died down, shredded leaves, mulched bark and sliced wood falling to the ground and a further 10 before Naruto could muster up anything to say.
"Bwah?"
"Eloquent." The voice snorted.
"What the hell was that?" Naruto exclaimed eyes wide and jaw slack. "Was that me?"
"No." The voice interjected quickly. "But it can be you, it will be you. All you need to do is listen when I tell you my name."
Shaking his head, Naruto could only come up with one more thing to say. "What are you?"
"I am a part of you, I am a weapon and a guardian at the same time. Learn my name and how to use me, and you, Uzumaki Naruto, you will be Hokage."
Naruto could only gape stupidly.
-/-
"Kukuku Sasuke-kun." The woman from Kusagakure chuckled twistedly. "For a Genin you definitely have talent, to be expected from an Uchiha I suppose."
Kneeled in the grass, one eye trained on the woman in front of him, the other locked on the bloodied form of Sakura, for the first time since he had stared down his brother the night of the massacre he felt truly helpless.
Even against Zabuza he had not felt like such a child, even as Haku made pincushions out of himself and Naruto, he had never felt truly helpless.
But now, now there was no doubt. "Who…?" he wheezed out, unable to finish question.
"Yes, a marvellous question, Sasuke-kun. Who am I?" the woman laughed. "When you feel this village has no more to give, come and seek me out, and I can give you the power you need to kill your brother, to make him suffer for his crimes."
He collapsed to the side, unable to stay upright anymore, his eyes drooping slowly as his world faded to black.
Only to have everything rush back into clarity as he felt something pierce his shoulder. Eyes snapping open, sharingan spinning madly, Sasuke let out a yell of anguish as the pain startled him into consciousness, the pain radiating out from his shoulder and through every inch of him. He vaguely noticed that it was the woman's teeth piercing his skin through the pain.
"Now, now Sasuke-kun, we can't have you passing out now, not before 've introduced myself." the woman laughed as Sasuke thrashed about in pain, his yells echoing through the forest. "Enjoy the gift Sasuke-kun and remember when you've grown tired of Konoha, come search me out, come find the greatest Sannin, Orochimaru, and I can make all your dreams come true." She finished before disappearing in a swirl of smoke and leaves.
A minute later, Naruto arrived, to find his teammates down and injured, and the strange woman who had set the snake upon him, nowhere to be seen.
-/-
As I said, I had a niggling crossover idea. Whelp, this is it.
As if I didn't have enough to do, I have to go and add to it plus there's that Kingdom Hearts epic I have rattling around in my head.
I must hate myself or something.
Anyway, yeah. Here's this, enjoy, Jordan Out.