Author's Note:

Alright, so. This is my first story. After reading countless pieces of amazing literature by the likes of Kal Ancalas, Tellemicus Sundance, Kyugan, Archangel and Spike (authors who first got me into fanfiction), Lifethane (author who first got me into Naruto fanfiction), and many, many others, I've finally decided to write a fanfic of my own. This story is a Naruto, Bleach, and Maple Story crossover with aspects and/or minor characters from numerous other sources, such as Legend of Dragoon and Touhou. This story takes place primarily in the Naruto universe, but touches into the Bleach and Maple Story universe as well.

I also want to point out, and this is very important, that the beginning of this may be slightly (more likely very) confusing since I'm sort of jamming a whole bunch of stuff together to get it started. Just go with it for now. All will be explained in due time. Well, thank you for taking the opportunity to read this and I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Bleach, Maple Story, Touhou or anything else that any characters, ideas, etc. in my story may come from. Any original characters/ideas/etc by me are ALL MINE! ~ Enjoy ~

Prologue 1: SHUBI - End of Legends ~ Once Again

It was a dark night in the forest that permeated much of Fire Country. A traveling merchant was walking down the road, trying to make it to a village before the night became too late. He silently cursed himself for his impatience, wanting to get to town before his competitors did, only to end up lost for most of the afternoon before he finally found the main path again at dusk.

At least the night was calm, with cool, clear weather, road lit by moonlight, absolute silence…

Wait.

Absolute silence?

The merchant paused in his wandering and listened. He was no stranger to travel during the late hours of the night, and normally, the night was always full of noises, with the various nocturnal animals scurrying about the undergrowth, owls and insects calling out to one another, the occasional youkai prowling about doing who knows what. But tonight… something was wrong, that much he could tell.

He decided that there was nothing he could do by just standing there and was about to continue when he heard what seemed to be a distant roar. Although it was faint, the merchant could feel chills run down his spine, as if there was a malevolent aura within the sound.

Continuing his trek with caution, he heard another distant roar, but louder, followed by a faint crash. He looked around himself, trying to detect any sign of danger, when he noticed a red glow in the horizon. It was a different direction than where he was headed though, and reason overruled curiosity as he decided that making his way to town was the best course of action. He would find out the next morning that it was the wisest choice he had ever made in his life.

Unbeknownst to him, a sliding door appeared in midair, a senkaimon gate, and opened to have a figure dart out at blinding speeds towards the source of the red glow.

Minutes later, a pentagram formed on the ground with a wooden doorway appearing at its center. Two more figures ran through before they disappeared, one in a flash of fire, the other into the ground itself. Both headed towards the same destination as the first figure, with the same thing in mind: Let us be there in time.

One hour ago: Konohagakure no Sato

The night was not quiet here. The silence was shattered by inhuman roars and cries of pain. Before the gates of the great Village Hidden in the Leaves stood the Nine Tailed Fox in all its wretched glory. The demon roared again as another wave of ninja tried to impede its destruction, only to be obliterated by a mere sweep of a tail, or a flick of the paw, or a blast of vile chakra from its mouth. The shinobi of Konoha, despite understanding the futility of their situation, fought with all the strength they could muster, with all the techniques they could conjure, with their hearts brimming with the courage to take on this foul beast, to defend their home. If only that were enough to even phase the great demon...

Farther away within the depths of the village, a woman sat in a bed, panting with exertion as she struggled to give birth. Her husband, ever faithful, stood by her side, trying to comfort her in her labor.

"Kushina, hang on. You fought through two wars and lived to tell the tale, and I know you'll be able to pull through this. Just a little more and you will have that family you've always dreamed of. Please, don't give up!" encouraged one Minato Namikaze. Although he put up a brave and comforting front for his wife, inside he was in utter turmoil.

What do I do? The Kyubi is upon us and Kushina is having problems delivering the baby.

He looked over to a small pentagonal badge, engraved with the visage of a black, stylized skull.

I called for assistance from Soul Society but there's been no reply yet. Dammit, I wish I could be out there fighting with the rest of the village, but… Kushina is still…

His thoughts were interrupted as another earth shattering roar resounded through the village, followed by a bright flash of light. Startled, Minato ran to the window to see what happened, only to discover, to his horror, that there was now a large crater where a section of the forest used to be. He was startled yet again by another noise, but it was much softer and lacked the malevolence of that of the demon fox's.

He turned around to see Kushina holding a small baby and smiling as she struggled to hold onto consciousness. Minato felt joy well up within him before it withered away when another howl tore through the night, scaring the baby and making it cry. Kushina looked at the bundle in her arms lovingly and used all her remaining strength to speak. "Hush, Naruto-chan, everything's going to be alright."

Minato walked up next to his wife and held both her and the baby for the first and last time, as he felt the life slip away from Kushina. When the child had stopped crying he looked up with tears in his eyes at Kushina's soul, her chain of fate broken and tears welling up in her eyes as well. He tentatively reached out to touch her, his heart threatening to break as he watched his hand pass through her cheek, unfeeling. He carefully laid her body down and wrapped his newly born son in a blanket.

"Kushina…" Minato started. "I'm not sure when the shinigami will come, if at all. I think it's best if you try to find a safer place to hide. I don't want anything to happen to you while you're still vulnerable like this."

"It's alright Minato," she replied. "I just want to stay for a while, to watch over him until the Kyubi is gone at least. I wish I could have been alive to help him grow up… Now go, I think you've been waiting to protect the village long enough."

"But what about Naruto, you can't take care of him without a body, especially so soon after death."

"Then I'll watch over him for the time being." Minato and Kushina turned sharply around to see Kakashi leaning against the doorway, blood seeping through a hastily wrapped bandage on his arm. He immediately held up a hand as they started towards him, concern etched on their faces. "Don't worry about me, I was just scratched by the demon. More importantly, I received a message from the Captain-General of Soul Society." Minato looked at him in shock and relief before motioning for him to continue. "Yamamoto-sama stated that although Central 46 has prevented the Gotei 13 from aiding you, they did not prevent aid from other sources, and will therefore be sending a substitute to help you."

Minato scowled at this. The Kyubi was stronger than any enemy he and Soul Society had ever faced, perhaps even rivaling Aizen himself in power, and all they send is a substitute reaper? But as he repeated the words in his head, it suddenly dawned on him. He put a hand to his face and chuckled. There was only one Substitute, how could he have forgotten?

"Of course, Kurosaki…" he muttered.

"Minato-sensei, I have also received word that others will be joining him, from Scania," continued Kakashi. "According to the message, Seijero Fushichou and Ginjuumoku Mouki have both responded to the message and are on their way."

We may have hope now; the four of us might actually be able to defeat that demon…

Minato suddenly felt more relieved than he ever had that day. He gently laid Naruto down on a crib of blankets and kissed him on the forehead.

"I'll be back, my son, I promise." He whispered quietly. He got up and turned around to address is student.

"Kakashi, make sure you take care of the two of them." The silver haired teen bowed deeply in reply. Minato then turned to look at Kushina, who had floated down to kneel by their son. He choked on his words as he tried to think of something to say, but she merely smiled at him.

"Well, what're you waiting for? Get out there already, and make sure you come back." He let out a laugh at that and jumped onto the windowsill. As he made to leap out, he paused.

"It's a promise." And with a flash of yellow light, he vanished.

In Seireitei, ten minutes ago:

Chaos, utter chaos. That was the best word for the current situation as Ichigo observed his surroundings. It was only a few hours ago when 12th Division had caught wind of a large spiritual being stirring and heading towards Konoha. Many of his friends had panicked when they caught wind of the Kyubi no Kitsune on the move. After all, the demon lord was not one to be trifled with, not even by the dead. Captain-General Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryusai was about to assign a reinforcement team made of several captains when the order came in from Central 46. Oh, how he hated administration. Granted, the new Central 46 was worlds better than the exclusive congregation of senile old fools that it used to be. But as friendlier as they were to the common reaper, they were not about to risk the high possibility of losing several captains to the demon fox, no matter how pissed they made the shinigami.

As such, an order was issued that none of the Gotei 13 may assist the inhabitants of Konohagakure no Sato against the demon fox. And to ensure that the order was followed, the senkaimon gates were shut off and put under surveillance. But how, wondered Ichigo, how can they abandon their comrades, their allies during the Winter War, and their friends, to their fate. It was amongst such thoughts when he received an urgent summons from Yamamoto himself. Quickly flash-stepping to the Captains' meeting room, he was shocked to see several of the other captains, as well as a few of his live friends there as well. The collection of the elite of Soul Society then looked to the Captain General for an explanation.

"Now that we are all gathered here, I'll explain why I have summoned you," he began. "I trust that you all know of the Kyubi's attack on Konoha and of the dire situation that they are in." Ichigo, along with some of the more expressive of the gathering, frowned and gave a quiet nod. "You also know of Central 46's order, which prohibits us from going to assist them, in an attempt to avoid casualties among the leaders of Seireitei, especially with the recent conclusion of the Winter War only ten months ago. As they themselves have mentioned, many of us have yet to fully recover from our wounds, and proximity with such a negatively spiritual being would only aggravate them more, perhaps fatally so." Ichigo scowled at that and was about to retort when the aged shinigami continued.

"However, that will not stop us from trying to aid them in any way we can. I will not sit back and watch as our comrades are slaughtered. Unfortunately, none of the Gotei will be allowed to go, and the senkaimon are currently locked down and under supervision. The plan that I have in mind would only allow one of us to make it through." The assembly stared at him with wide eyes as he continued with his plan. Was Captain-General Yamamoto, who abided by every rule set by Central 46 to a fault, breaking one of said commands? Well, technically, he wasn't really breaking it, just finding a way around it, but it was a start. It's funny how much a war can change you.

"…and while the guards are occupied, Ichigo Kurosaki shall slip into the senkaimon gate to aid the shinobi of Konoha in the fight against the Kyubi. I have also sent word to Scania about the situation and they will be sending Seijero Fushichou and Ginjuumoku Mouki to aid you as well. That is all, dismissed!" At that, the captains scattered to their respective posts. As Ichigo was about to leave, however, Yamamoto grabbed him by the arm.

"Kurosaki-san, before you go, you need to know some things."

"What is it Yamamoto-taicho? Please make it quick, I don't think they can hold on for much longer," replied Ichigo. It was taking every ounce of patience he could muster to not just flash step to the aid of his friends.

"Yes, their situation is dire, but you must know this information. Kurotsuchi-taicho has informed me that, according to his readings, the Kyubi has a higher power level than Aizen." Ichigo stared with shock at the old shinigami's words. More powerful than Aizen? Aizen was a monster! The only thing stronger than him would be a… full fledged demon… Just as his mind processed the irony of his thoughts, Yamamoto spoke again.

"This has led me to believe that even with the combined forces that fought during the winter war, it may not be enough to win the battle. Therefore, you must take this with you." He then handed an ornate scroll to Ichigo.

"This is the summoning contract to the Shinigami." Continued Yamamoto

"What?"

"This is the very first Shinigami, said to be the origin of Zanpakuto. Legend has it that its power was what gave the Sokyoko the title of 'having the strength of one million zanpakuto. I want you to use this scroll to summon the Shinigami. All you have to do is wipe your blood on the scroll, and you can ask him to assist you in battle. I know little about the summoning, only that it is forbidden, since the Shinigami decided that its last summoner was not fit to command its power and devoured his soul. Use this if, and only if, you cannot defeat the demon fox by your own means. Now go, make haste! I fear that if we delay any longer there may not be a Konoha left to save, so go!"

By the time Yamamoto finished, Ichigo was already gone.

Back in the Present time:

Shit, why the hell am I all the way out here? Thought Ichigo, as he exited the gate. Suddenly, he heard a faint roar and felt enormous spiritual pressure and killing intent press in around him. He gasped and looked toward the horizon, where he saw smoke and an eerie red glow coming from the east. Without a moment's delay he rushed towards Konoha, activating his bankai and pulling on his Vizard mask. He was going to have to pull out all the stops for this one.

"FUUTON: RASENGAN!" yelled Minato as he shoved a giant swirling ball of chakra into the Kyubi's snout. The Kyubi roared in pain and glared at this new arrival. This one wasn't like the others. Power radiated off of him like no mortal he had ever seen. No matter. That power was still no match for its own awesome strength. The Kyubi took a quick slash at Minato but was momentarily surprised when it hit nothing but empty air. The demon then caught sight of a yellow flash further away to its side.

"Kuchiyose no-jutsu!" A giant cloud of smoke temporarily enveloped Minato and hid him from view before it cleared away, revealing a giant orange toad smoking a pipe.

"Eh? Minato, I thought you were gonna take it easy for a while. Why did you summon me?"

"Gamabunta, there's no time for that! Jump as high as you can, NOW!"

Knowing better than to question his summoner, Gamabunta leapt away in time to avoid the Kyubi's slashing teeth. THE KYUBI?! What is it doing here? The demons never involve themselves with mortals! Why would it attack Konoha? Gamabunta didn't have time to ponder over his thoughts as one of the nine tails whipped out and grabbed him by the leg, throwing him into the ground. With a roar, the Kyubi leapt towards the giant toad, intent on tearing his throat out.

"GETSUGA TENSHO!"

A giant wave a black energy sliced through the air into the demon's flank, knocking it off course and giving time for Gamabunta to give it a good kick with both his hind legs to give himself some distance from the demon.

"Oi, what's the matter Bunta? It's not like you to get your ass kicked like this."

"Oh shut up," replied the irate toad. Minato, however, couldn't be happier when he saw the orange-haired shinigami.

"Ichigo! About time! Heh, you always pick the worst situations to show up at the last minute. Is Seijero and Ginjuumoku here with you?"

"Not yet, I didn't see them on the way h-"

"DRAGON PULSE!"

"HEAVEN'S HAMMER!"

The Kyubi was further enraged as a golden beam of light shot out of an ethereal dragon's mouth, exploding against its head and stunning it for a moment, before a giant hammer appeared in front of it and crashed down on top of its back.

"Seijero Fushichou, bow-master of Henesys, at your service."

"Ginjuumoku Mouki, paladin of Perion, reporting for duty."

"Oi! Sei, Ginjuu! Good to see you guys again!" said Ichigo. "Cheh, I see you still have that awful sense of style."

Seijero wore a steel-mesh long-sleeved shirt, a red tunic over it with a golden cross stitched on, along with baggy brown pants and grey boots. A red cape emblazoned with a golden phoenix on the back was fastened to the collar of his tunic and a large, feathered red hat sat on his black hair, which was tied back in a long ponytail with his bangs over his face. In his hands was a giant long-limbed bow. The bow glowed with an eerie golden light, giving an otherworldly feeling.

Ticked off yet again, the orange-haired shinigami earned another one of those patented "screw you" glares from the archer's piercing golden eyes.

"Fool! At least our armor has a use, unlike those black pajamas of yours. Yo, Ginjuu, back me up on this!"

Not really wanting to get in the middle of yet another pointless argument, Ginjuumoku decided to ignore him.

"Hey Minato, Ichigo. It's good to see you too. How long has it been? About a year since the end of the war?" he replied.

Ginjuumoku wore heavy, dark amethyst plate armor on his torso and thick, blackened steel-mesh pants. A long, navy blue haori was worn over his armor with large amethyst shoulder guards on top that bent upwards towards his neck, effectively shielding it on the sides. A matching set of hip guards and greaves were worn under the haori. On the back of the haori was a silver emblem of a turtle intertwined with a serpent that wrapped around its shell. The paladin topped off with an amethyst face guard that covered the sides of his head and wrapped around his forehead, keeping his dark blue disheveled hair in check. In his hands was a large claymore, humming with magic flowing through it.

"You know, as touching as this reunion is, we have bigger problems than catching up with one another." Even as the words left Minato's mouth, the Kyubi shook off its daze and glared at its assailants, intent on tearing them apart and sending them to oblivion.

"Alright then," said Seijero, a smirk appearing on his perpetually cheerful visage. "Let's get this party started."

With a furious roar, the nine-tailed fox leapt towards them, baring its teeth as it swept its tails towards them, the four defenders of Konohagakure no Sato charging in, meeting the demon head on.

End Prologue 1

Another Author's Note: So, how did you like that? I really liked how this came out, especially after scrapping 6 pages of work for the original prologue. I hope you guys understand what's going on right now and the flow was easy to follow. Yes, I know Kyubi might seem a tad overpowered (ahem… very… ahem), but as Ichigo and Minato and the other upper generation characters are going to be a lot stronger (ex. Minato's already managed to add wind element chakra to his rasengan and can use different variations of it, but hasn't mastered it yet), and the Kyubi is supposed to be an all powerful lord of demons, I decided to give him a nice power boost (assuming he already isn't supposed to be this strong).

Seijero Fushichou and Ginjuumoku Mouki are made up characters from the world of Maple Story. Scania is the first server world created for the Global version of the game, so I named their world after it. 'Seijero' has no meaning as far as I know, but is the name of the archer that I made for the game (He's only lvl 60 though…, if only he really was a bow-master… T_T). Fushichou means phoenix in Japanese, and there is a reason for this, which will be revealed in the next chapter. Ginjuumoku, asides from being particularly long and difficult to type, means silver (Gin) all-eyes (juumoku- I figured it's sort of like "all-seeing eyes" type of thing). Mouki means "blind turtle". It's an interesting pun, and there is a reason for that too, which will be revealed later on.

REVIEW PLEASE! As it is my first time, reviewing is especially important to me. I don't mind if you have criticisms of my work, but keep it mainly about the writing style, grammar, flow, etc. If you have a criticism about one of my characters, you may mention them, but just to let you know, most of the characters I make a certain way because that's what I want them to be. And yes, I know the Scanians' clothing seem tacky, but it's what I have in mind. :P I will not accept flames without good reason. Any and all questions related to the fic are welcomed.