Hey there readers. I was more than surprised from all of the favorites and reviews from the first chapter. It made my week. Thanks.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach.
Chapter 2 - Moving Onward
Naruto took in the environment as he walked beside Yoruichi and Soifon. The tall and white structures towering over the people inhabiting it were a sight to behold. Had he been younger, he was sure he would have made an attempt to paint the large buildings, specifically changing the color to something bright...
Who was he kidding, these white canvas would be tagged with the next chance he got.
Silence reigned between the trio, each in their own thoughts. The golden-haired man saw the shinigami around them pause in their steps and stare at him and his companions. Some sneered, others were wary, and the rest were curious. That made no difference to him. The former sage was used those reactions.
Soifon gave a sideways glance at the soul that they were escorting. Despite his nonchalant expression his gaze was sharp, quietly taking in his surroundings. The petite female looked towards the ground, becoming lost in her thoughts once again. "His mannerisms, there that of a trained killer…" The kunoichi-like woman concluded with a bit of apprehension. She remembered the wasteland of an area that they found him in. "What the hell could have caused such destruction?" The purple-haired shinigami could only wonder what he was in his past life.
Yoruichi led the small group to the head captain, ignoring everyone who stared at them. The golden-eyed woman gave a fleeting gaze at the young man next that traveled with them. Like her subordinate, she noticed his war-hardened characteristics, looking around for exits as if it was instinctive. "Was he in a battle when he died?" The blond man's eyes eased, the intensity in its depths vanishing as if it was never there in the beginning.
The man beside violet-haired commander looked at her briefly, locking eyes. Azure met gold as the whiskered-cheek man gave an interested gaze to her amused stare. Naruto allowed a foxlike grin on his features, Yoruichi offered a small smirk in return.
He was not saying anything about his former life or how he died, keeping everything to himself. Aside from that, there was something about the whisker-cheeked soul that drew her. The female captain's eyes shined a little, believing that there was something more to him.
"We're almost there Naruto-san." Soifon spoke, figuring that she answered a wondering question in his mind.
He nodded, grateful that their destination was near. "Thanks. And no need for formalities. I've never been one for that stuff." The blond said, giving a little grin at the end of his sentence. The small shinigami woman kept her serious demeanor, not really reacting to his response.
A feline smile graced Yoruichi's face. "If you don't mind, Naruto-kun." The captain replied seductively, purring his name at the end to see if she could get a reaction out of him.
He grinned foxily, responding, "Damn right I don't, Yoru-chan." Her smile grew, her golden eyes showing her interest.
The captain's protégé saw this and a frown marred her beautiful face, indignity beginning to form within her. "How dare he talk to Yoruichi-sama as if he's familiar with her!"
The golden-haired man moved his eyes to the lieutenant as saw her glare at him. The whiskered-cheek man's deep blue eyes twinkled in a mischievous light before it dulled away. He turned forward, back in his thoughts as he looked at the sky.
Yoruichi's smile left her feminine visage, the solemn atmosphere returning again. She looked at the first division gates that grew larger as they moved closer.
They finally reached their destination, standing at the grand doors. The second division captain pushed the doors open before entering, Soifon trailing behind Naruto as the doors closed behind them. The golden-haired man narrowed his eyes slightly. He could feel the power that dwelled inside the establishment. The trio entered a moderate room as the pressure felt like it weighed directly on him. He held himself upright, not slouching in the least. He looked around, eying the people within the room.
Everyone was dressed in the robes that he seen everyone else in with the addition of the haori. He couldn't see their backs but he figured they had numbers on their backs, much like Yoruichi. Five people were on right side while only four were on the left, all lined in uniformity in front of an elderly man that stood at the front. The former living shinobi scanned each one in the room swiftly, judging them from their body posture to the emotion that lied in their eyes.
The first person was a taller man with white hair. His dark eyes were calm, holding an apologetic gaze within as he gave a small smile. Naruto thought the man was okay as his azure eyes glided over to the next person.
The next person he looked at had sand-colored blond hair running down his head, becoming rather messy at its ends. His olive-green eyes stared back at him in a calculating manner, trying to determine if he was a friend or foe. Not a word was spoken as the former sage moved to another.
The man was large, having brown skin with dark hair and eyes. On his bottom lip, two triangular piercings protruded. The man lazily looked at him, believing the escorted soul to be a waste of time, despite feeling the large reiatsu flowing with him. As much as the blond man hated to be underestimated, he kept himself and gazed at the next one.
A man with light gray hair and brown eyes came into sight, the other sizing him up. The captain had sharp features with three earrings on his left ear. Black arm bands gripped his forearms, giving the former jinchuuriki the revelation that he fought hand-to-hand. The male was muscular, having six-nine tattooed on his chest, displayed proudly for people to see. The silver-haired man gave a look of approval to the whisker-cheeked man, seeing the warrior in the fresh soul.
Next man had a lavished pink haori and a sakkat on top of his head. He had long, brown wavy hair in a ponytail with a lock framing the left side of his face along with a light beard. The man's gray eyes locked on to his deep blue, mirth found in its depths. Naruto found him friendly, continuing without missing a beat.
The next captain that the former Kyuubi host saw had brown skin with a decent sized afro. He wore dark glasses over his eyes so the blond man loved over his posture immediately. It showed no hostility, deeming the time to look at the next person.
Naruto felt himself grit his teeth firmly from the elderly man that he glanced at next. The main had an aristocracy air revolving around him as the man gazed at the golden-haired soul in arrogance. The elderly man had lengthy gray hair and mustache, wearing a clean scarf. Inwardly growling, the whisker-cheeked man moved to the next person.
A woman stood with long black hair that was pulled into a loose ponytail that was at her front. It was a welcoming sight to him as her beauty was something to be admired. Her lovely blue eyes bore into his softly, calming him a little. He stared at her a bit longer than he should have, he knew, so he moved his line of sight, not seeing the compassion within their depths as he did.
Next was a man that was a fellow blond, whose hair was long with purple eyes that held boredom. The shinigami wore a frilled shirt under his shihakusho, the cuffs appearing as his collar. Getting what was needed, Naruto moved on to the last man before him.
Another elder stood in front of him. Unlike the first life-experienced man he glanced at, this one held much more power. The captain squinted as his eyes were nearly closed and held a cane in front of him, keeping it standing in place. The former shinobi felt something from the wooden stick, something that he could not explain. He knew that there had to be something more to it, his shinobi instincts told him that much. The man had an aged scar upon his forehead in an x-formation. Finally, his beard and mustache was white as it was long, wrapped together as it neared the floor.
The Special Forces leader looked at her subordinate before she spoke, "Soifon, you are dismissed." The petite woman nodded and for a split second looked at the blond-haired man whose eyes were narrowed at this point before she took her leave silently, leaving her commander swiftly. Yoruichi's golden eyes drifted to the fresh soul she brought here briefly, seeing his hardened gaze. Inwardly giving a soft sigh, she moved to her place on the left side closest to the general who stared at back at the former jinchuuriki.
"I am Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Captain-Commander of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. What is your name child?" The wizened shinigami asked.
The shinobi calmly spoke in a clear baritone voice, "Uzumaki Naruto." The former shinobi saw Sarutobi Hiruzen in the elder's place for a flash of a moment, making him clench his fist slowly. "...Jiji..."
Everyone noticed the action and tensed. The brown-skinned captain that led him to the room saw his anger, but felt it was not at the general, much like the only other female in the room along with the first division leader.
"Do you know why you were brought here Uzumaki?" The leader of the Seireitei asked. Silence was his answer.
The other elder decided to talk. "He asked you a question, boy." No reply was spoken as the golden-haired man did not even acknowledge him. The man narrowed his eyes as the tension grew.
"Genrei control yourself. This is between me and Uzumaki." The bearded man spoke. The captain understood as he kept silent.
The old man hummed briefly before continuing. "Before I explain anything I need a question answered. If you remember, can you tell us how you died?" The second division captain had her gaze completely on him, something that the man with sand-colored haired man noticed.
Naruto saw those he lost in his mind, almost breaking through the apathetic expression as he responded, "No."
A frown appeared upon Yoruichi's delicate features. "Naruto does remember. He just won't say. Was what happened to him that bad?"
"You're lying." The muscular man that he saw earlier spoke. "Come on kid. Just tell us what happened."
The blond turned his head ever so slightly, his piercing eyes on the silver-haired man as he held a nonchalant expression. "Hmm? Did you say something?" The captain did not back down as he growled in anger.
"Enough Uzumaki! Muguruma!" The spiritual pressure ceased.
Naruto turned his gaze back to the old man as they both stared for a moment. "These are my soldiers, not yours! Remember that, young one." The golden-haired man remained silent as the elder took a breath. "I wish to offer you the chance to become a shinigami. I see much potential within you and your reiatsu is already at a large capacity. Would you like to join us?"
The whisker-cheeked man paused before posing a question. "What would happen if I didn't join? What would become of me?"
The elder responded back, "Then you would have a life outside of the shinigami." The golden-haired man closed his eyes as he mulled over the proposition for a few moments.
Finally thinking over his decision, a smile crept on Naruto's visage, answering in a reserved tone, "I'll accept your proposal. I have nothing else to lose and everything to gain."
The stealth captain's eyes widened slightly as she heard what Naruto said. "What did he mean by that?"
The fourth division captain saw how tired he seemed to look at that moment. She could see the sorrow in his eyes as he smiled. Her blue eyes softened as she watched the soul who the elder recruited. While she was a healer, this was a wound of the heart, something that time could only tend to. She wanted a word with the golden-haired man, but when they had privacy.
Yamamoto pitied the young man before him. He understood what the whisker-cheeked man meant. "Such eyes are not meant to be on someone so young." The elder thought, silently noting the hidden emotions from the former jinchuuriki. The boy had nothing, no goal, or anyone at this point. To the wizened man, it was one of the worst ways of life. "I pray you will find purpose here, Uzumaki." The old general thought to himself as he nodded.
"Excellent. While the academy has already started you will be enrolled." The golden-haired man nodded. "Thanks, Yamamoto-jiji." The captains under the first division widened their eyes in shock. Had this soul no respect?
The aged warrior gave a small chuckle of amusement, further surprising his subordinates. "It's quite alright. Now, with the exception of Uzumaki, Shihoin and Unohana, you are all dismissed." The captains nodded before exiting the room swiftly to leave the four alone.
"Hey, Muguruma-san." The athletic captain turned to see the golden-haired man that called his name. "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have pissed you off like that."
Some of the captains stopped in their steps to see what their fellow leader would do. The silver-haired man stared, seeing his motives true to his apology. He grunted before he sighed.
"You're right, you shouldn't have. But I respect that you came to apologize. Although, I shouldn't have pried into your business like that." He turned away, leaving the room with the rest of the squad leaders. Yoruichi held the whisker-cheeked man in approval in her eyes as her regard for him grew, much like the remaining captains within the room.
The captain-commander turned to the leader of the healing squad. "Please run a diagnostic on Uzumaki-kun's health. Shihoin-san and I will be there to pick him up afterwards." The slender healer nodded before turning to the golden-haired man with a kind expression. The former sage knew to follow the woman as he began to walk away with her. The pair left the room, allowing the two captains privacy.
Yamamoto sighed before sitting down on the polished floor underneath him, beckoning for the Special Forces' leader to do the same. "I need a full report on this mission. But before you do, tell me…what do you think of him?"
The feline-like woman kept her solemn gaze as she answered, "In order to understand where I stand in my thoughts of Naruto, you need to have the mission report first sir." The elderly man nodded, ushering for her to explain. They had time.
The golden-haired man walked next to the lead medic in silence, going over the meeting in his mind. For the most part, it was genuine as he could not see any ulterior motives so he would give this place a chance.
The blond man glanced at the woman beside him. She was attractive in his eyes, he could tell that she had a shapely figure even when wearing the shinigami wardrobe. Despite her beauty, he could feel the power she held within, his respect for her unconsciously going up. "Seems she's much more than a pretty face."
From what he could gather as he watched the people around give the medic leader the utmost respect, this was normal to her. A smile made itself known on his face. At least these people knew the value of of a medic.
The youthful female turned to him from his expression of amusement. "Care to speak your thoughts?" She asked, giving a gentle smile.
The former shinobi felt himself relax from the sound of her voice. "Only if you don't mind them." She smiled, lightly laughing from the expression on his face.
"So what's your name?" Naruto asked. The woman gazed back at the whisker-cheeked man, feeling her smile grow as she introduced herself. "I am Unohana Retsu, Captain of the Fourth Division."
The former sage nodded and offered a little grin. "Well, even if you already know, I'm Uzumaki Naruto." The healer giggled, finding the man she walked with rather charismatic when he decided to interact.
The two talked a bit, finally reaching the captain's base of operations. Her subordinates were kind, greeting their leader with high regard in their eyes as they passed by. The golden-haired shinobi stayed silent, observing how the people in the area worked.
"This is the hospital." Naruto thought as he suppressed his shivers. He had many memories waking up in them to see pure white walls. The former sage could only hope that he would not be here too often...
Who was he kidding?
The golden-haired shinobi was led into a room, followed by the dark-haired healer as she closed her door. "Please, have a seat on the bed." The whisker-cheeked man did as instructed, sighing softly as he did so. "I am checking on your health so please, do not be alarmed." The blond man nodded, trusting the medical captain. The woman gave a calm smile before she continued, "If you could remove your shirt, we will begin." The former jinchuuriki complied and pulled his shirt from his person. If one were to look closely from his calm gaze, they would be able to see a faint blush on his face.
Unohana saw her patient's upper half, gazing at his well-developed form. His build were that of a track athlete, its abilities to perform dynamic movements evident. The healing captain's hand began to illuminate with a soft glow before she placed them delicately on his chest. The blond man relaxed a bit, her hand feeling warm to the touch.
The azure-eyed soul felt the female's reiatsu spread within him as he watched her focused eyes before shutting his own, silently enjoying the warm sensations of her energy. The leader of the medical division was impressed finding that his body was in excellent condition, as if it was made to be so. "If that is true, then what was Naruto in his past life?" The healing mistress wondered, gazing at his chest once more as she slowly slid her hand down to his core. The golden-haired man blushed by a slight margin from the movement, something that the fourth division leader noticed and inwardly smiled to herself. She found it a little endearing that he had kept his composure.
Her thoughts halted when she felt something else. It was small, but the raven-haired woman sensed it. It was dark, not normal like everyone else. It suddenly disappeared, shocking the lead medic. She searched a little longer, but could find no trace of the sinister power. Retsu slightly grimaced, worried for the golden-haired man.
The fourth division captain recalled her reiatsu, ending her diagnosis. The female gave a small hum, her features showing hidden concern before gazing back at the whisker-cheeked male. His deep blue eyes stared back into hers, silently asking if everything was in order with him. She graced him with a warm smile as she spoke, "My, you are very fit. You are in great health, and then some."
The blond grinned foxily as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Thanks." He spoke gently, his face taking on a pink hue. The woman gave a soft laugh and turned, politely allowing him to put his shirt back on while respecting his privacy.
The former sage placed his upper garment back on himself and pushed off the bed into a standing position on the floor. The long-haired woman turned to face him, giving a rather meaningful stare. Her gaze was quiet, pausing as she looked in his eyes with her own. It vanished as fast as it appeared. Unohana decided she wouldn't pry, but rather leave it be. A gentle smile formed on her face as she opened the door, beckoning for him to follow her. The former shinobi walked after her, his mind trying to interpret why she had looked at him like she did.
Both were at the fourth division entrance, silence reigning. The lead healer stopped in her steps, sensing Yamamoto and Yoruichi nearing their location. The golden-haired man could feel the pair coming as well as he started to become a bit tense. The slender woman in front of the blond man faced her traveling companion and spoke softly, "Uzumaki-san…if you need help or just need to talk to someone, you are more than welcome to come here."
The cerulean-eyed soul was surprised, staring at the female medic for a moment. Appreciation shined within his eyes as he gave a grin, replying, "Thanks. I'll definitely come by." Unohana smiled, rather glad that he wanted to stop by beyond medical reasons.
The elder captain and the stealth captain appeared before them. "Thank you, Unohana. Make sure the report is on my desk by tomorrow." The leader of the Seireitei said.
The woman nodded in understanding. "Yes Yamamoto-sotaicho."
The wizened man turned to the blond man. "Come along. We have one more thing to deal with before the day's end." The second division leader looked on with her golden irises, mirth dancing within them. Both captains began to walk away, motivating the shinobi to follow.
The former sage began to follow before he halted his steps, gazing back to the healer. "Next time we see each other don't be so formal, Retsu-chan." He turned back, walking to catch up with the two shinigami leaders. The medical woman stood in silent surprise, not expecting a response like that. Her blue eyes shined in a softer tone as she watched the trio leave her line of vision, concerned for the whisker-cheeked soul.
"Captain Unohana?" A silver-haired woman whose locks were short with a womanly figure walked up to her leader. The dark-haired woman looked at her lieutenant calmly. "We have a patient that needs your assistance." The pair began to walk back inside with the fourth squad leader being led to where she was needed. The healing mistress glanced back at her gates once more, looking forward to the time her and the golden-haired man would meet again.
The former shinobi walked in comfortable silence as he caught up to the captains. His gaze was towards the setting sun, reminding him of his homeland once more. His mood dampened as he fought against the emotions, still trying to come into terms that his old life was over. His visage became distant, facing his internal struggle as he looked at the setting sun.
Yoruichi reflected on what was spoken through the meeting her and her leader had earlier. She had informed him of the new soul's fighting ability, something that the old man wanted to witness for himself. This may give a glimpse of what the golden-haired man once was. Now they traveled to the chocolate-skinned woman's squad training grounds to have someone fight the blond man in hand to hand combat.
Her golden eyes glanced at the said man on her mind, seeing his melancholic expression as he looked at the orange sky. It began to concern her as she slowed down to walk beside him. "Everything alright, Naruto?" The female captain asked softly. It was strange, but standing right next to him made her realize that he had maybe a few inches over her in height. The azure-eyed man looked into her eyes, unsure if he should answer.
Before the blond could think about it any further, the head captain spoke, "We are here. Find Soifon. We will wait here at the courtyard."
Holding in her frustration with her leader's timing by pouting, she nodded before giving a smile to the whisker-cheeked man. "Seems you and my pupil will have a rematch. Impress me, okay?" The woman disappeared in a blur, leaving the old male and young soul alone.
"Uzumaki." The wild-haired man turned to the bearded man. "You and Soifon will spar to see if you have what it takes to survive in the Soul Society. Prepare yourself young one."
The former sage narrowed his eyes. "I thought I was already in?"
The elder chuckled before answering, "Yes, you are. I'm rather curious of your hand-to-hand capabilities as they were mentioned when first meeting you. I suppose this is for my own benefit."
The golden-haired man calmly asked, "What benefit would that be?"
The wizened captain smiled. "My curiosity."
The second division leader and her student appeared in front of the two males. "Ah, you are here. Now let us head toward a training ground. We've wasted enough daylight." The golden-eyed woman nodded and quickly led the group to a decent clearing with plenty of space.
Naruto and Soifon walked towards the middle of the field. "It seems we will be fighting once more." The petite female spoke, completely serious as hubris began to seep in her eyes.
The golden-haired man grinned, adrenaline having yet to pump in his system. "I guess so." He responded, placing his hands at his sides.
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes as she began to focus on the oncoming fight. "Took you long enough." She spoke, sensing another person walking towards her.
"Maa, forgive me, I had something that held my attention longer than I thought." The male spoke, appearing from the foliage that surrounded them. The purple-haired woman rolled her eyes, knowing what he said was usually the case. "What's going on?" The twelfth division captain asked in a serious tone.
The Special Forces leader spoke without taking losing her concentration of the two combatants preparing to spar. "Sotaicho has decided for Naruto to fight to see if he had any combat experience, but more importantly…" Her golden irises narrowed as gazed to the wild-haired man that she and her trainee retrieved. "To confirm our suspicions."
The green-eyed captain gave a questioning expression. "What suspicion is that?"
The chocolate-skinned woman softened her features for a moment. "That he was a warrior of some kind. I believe that his skills run deep, as if he was taught as a child…"
The tan-haired man widened his eyes in interest, turning his head to his long-time friend. She was looking back at him with graveness in her eyes before returning her sight to the clearing. "If so, my protégé should have a little challenge on her hands, should she underestimate him."
Yamamoto called to the pair that stood in the grassy training area. "This is just a spar. Hand-to-hand only. If one submits or I say stop, then the match will end." Both combatants nodded.
Soifon thought of their last encounter, knowing his unpredictability would be a main factor with him. She was to restrain from using Shunpo to level to playing field, as her chief instructed. "I must control the fight before he does!" She thought to herself as she tensed.
"Begin!" The first division captain spoke. The kunoichi-like shinigami sprung, dashing to the blond-haired shinobi.
Naruto looked at the woman flying towards him. His eyes narrowed as she neared, dilating as his vision began to sharpen. The three captains noticed the change in his eyes, blazing as they became calculative and sharp. The squad leaders gave their undivided attention, knowing that this spar would be interesting.
As soon as the smaller woman was within range, he slid into a stance and redirected her punch away from him with an open palm. With the same hand, he swiftly made a fist and swung to her face, surprising her as she used her other hand to block the attack. Naruto quickly pushed himself in, bending his arm to elbow her. Soifon gritted her teeth as she used her forearm that was pushed away a moment ago to redirect his strike from her before retaliating with a snap kick.
The golden-haired man struck her knee that lifted with a punch from his free hand and hopped from the ground, tucking himself in as he lashed out a leg as he flipped. She sidestepped the offending limb, feeling the powerful force behind the kick if the gust of air was any indicator. Now airborne from the first kick the golden-haired man spun and swung another kick out. Faster than what she expected, the kunoichi shinigami put her arms up to block. The impact was more than what she was ready for as she felt pain pulse on both of her upper limbs as she was sent away from the azure-eyed man.
Soifon flipped in mid air before performing a graceful twirl as she landed, sighting that her opponent was nearing her position rapidly. Naruto rushed in with an axe kick, missing as she sidestepped the attack. His strike cracked the ground underneath, leaving an indention as continued his assault with a sweep kick.
The petite female hopped over the foot before her eyes widened, seeing that the whisker-cheeked man did not follow through his sweep but stopped when his foot was in front of her before he dashed in with an elbow and a fist underneath the joint. The smaller fighter met the attack with her knee before she spun and landed a kick upon his jaw, blood flying from his lips. Without registering the pain, the blond man grabbed her ankle tightly before pulling her to him, shocking her as he buried a fist in her stomach quicker than she could have reacted. Blood escaped her lips as she lost air from her lungs before she felt an elbow hit her jaw as she was forced away. She landed on the ground hard before she sprang back up and came to her opponent, faster than before as she had fire in her eyes.
As the spar progressed, Yoruichi felt her admiration and excitement build. Never had she seen a style such as the golden-haired fighter as his speed and unpredictable patterns streamed naturally from him. "What the hell? His attacks are so erratic, it's difficult to get a good read on him! And it flows…effortlessly…" She saw her pupil fighting harder as she was becoming frustrated. "Knowing Soifon, she will more than likely use Shunpo soon to get an edge. I may have to punish her for that, depending how the fight turns out." The cat-like captain smirked from her thoughts. She inwardly shivered, wanting her chance to fight the golden-haired man.
Naruto held down a shudder as flipped and pushed off of his opponent's back, continuing his somersaults. His eyes darted over the field, noting his surroundings before catching the chocolate-skinned captain's intense gaze. She grinned lightly with a predatory gleam. He couldn't help himself as he briefly returned it with a foxy smirk before he landed. "At least I know why that hunted feeling came over me..." The golden-haired man deadpanned, ducking under another strike.
Suddenly his opponent vanished, getting behind him before she kneed his side. His azure eyes widened from shock and pain as he turned quickly to find that the kunoichi-like warrior was gone. A slender fist slammed into his cheek, making him tumble along the ground before he rolled into a crouching position. He immediately leveled himself to the ground, dodging Soifon's punch. Taking advantage of her prone form, the wild-haired soul sprang up and landed an uppercut on her stomach before continuing his air combination with a fist speeding to her face. She blocked and moved her elbow to intercept his attack before she felt his hand grab her and pull her in, seeing a knee coming at her. She used her free hand to defend, stopping the knee before he spun harshly and collided his foot with her side from his other leg. She gasped, falling down until she landed softly as she held her side. Soifon looked up to see the blond man rushing in, giving her no time to recover.
The second division captain winced for her protégé. "That's gonna leave a nice bruise." She glanced at Kisuse whose attention was completely on the match ahead of them. The violet-haired woman looked back to see Naruto taking a snap kick to the chin for his troubles before another blow was landed on him. He tumbled and hopped back up, trying to figure out how she was disappearing. A calculating expression showed as he watched his opponent's every move before staying on her feet. Soifon vanished and reappeared repeatedly, gaining an upper hand on the battle.
The golden-haired soul growled lowly as he received a harsh kick to his abdominal region, forcing him to a tree that shook upon impact. The petite woman landed a few feet in front of him. "There is a difference between our skills Naruto, though I had expected more from you. Are you ready to submit?" She asked haughtily, smirking at him downed form.
He slowly stood up with his eyes shadowed from his hair as he chuckled. "Giving up isn't what I do, but more importantly…" His azure eyes blazed angrily, staring at the surprised woman. "Do not underestimate me!" The blond man disappeared, shocking everyone.
The fight was renewed as the scientific captain watched with wide eyes. "He couldn't have learned Shunpo by just watching could he?" The sandy blond asked in shock.
Yoruichi shook her head. "What he's doing isn't exactly Shunpo, but a bastardized version of it. It caught Soifon off-guard, making her pay the price for it. She will need to end this…quickly…"
The twelfth squad leader gazed back at the feline-like woman, seeing surprise on her face. "What's wrong?" He asked, wondering what she was seeing.
She didn't answer for a moment, staring at the former shinobi's movements."Something's different about that Shunpo that he's trying to use..."
The inquiring captain turned back to the battle and watched before understanding what she meant. "He's not touching the ground…" He spoke, seeing his feet were an inch off of the soil.
Soifon grabbed both of Naruto's arms before drop-kicking him away from her. The golden-haired fighter landed on his back hard, coughing up blood before he flipped and spun on his hands to his feet. He clenched his teeth before he took a stance that was seen in his previous life when he would use the Kyuubi's chakra. The blond soul crouched low while his arms were in a crossing formation, his hands poised as if they were claws. The cerulean-eyed man's thoughts began to race as they went back to his final battle when he was alive, beginning to see the shinobi known as Madara in place of Soifon. His eyes darkened as he vanished, rushing to Soifon.
Seeing him, the lieutenant pulled her forearm to block a direct punch from the whisker-cheeked man before it connected. Soifon's eyes widened in realization, quickly using her free hand to support her blocking forearm before the shinobi's fist crashed into her arm, making her slide back a good distance. She looked up, finding Naruto already behind her as he landed a left hook to her face with enough power to send her flying. She was taken off of her feet before Naruto grabbed the back of the lieutenant's shirt with his opposite hand and spun three hundred and sixty degrees before throwing her in the air. Soifon flew up, adjusting swiftly as she began to place her reiatsu under her feet before she was forced to block a downward punch from the shinobi. The former sage continued his descent as he flipped, attacking with his feet to distract her before her snatched her ankle, pulling her down with him. Wasting no time, Naruto flipped to build up momentum before he threw Soifon to the ground.
Soifon balanced her herself upright before hitting the ground, the landing causing a small crater as some smoke lightly plumed from the dirt. Naruto couldn't see her, so it was a surprise to him when she rocketed herself to him, landing a solid kick to his chin. His head snapped back, flying back before he tumbled to the ground. He kipped back up to his feet, dodging a small fist before the owner of said appendage spun and swept his feet from underneath him. Naruto grimaced and Soifon smirked before she attacked with a double palm thrust in his solar plexus and stomach, the impact forcing blood to escape his lips as he tumbled into the ground. Naruto groaned lowly, coughing as he slowly rolled over to stand.
Yamamoto had seen enough. "Stop! That is sufficient." The blond man silently stood, gathering himself together. He walked to the smaller shinigami as she looked up to him.
His azure eyes looked into her dark eyes, his eyes returning to their enigmatic state as he offered a vulpine grin. "Damn, you hit hard." Soifon smirked at that, seeing him hold his chest from where she hit him at. "That was fun. Maybe next time I'll be stronger so you won't have to hold back so much." Soifon was surprised that he knew that she did not fight at full power. A part of her did enjoyed the fight, somewhat looking towards the future as she knew she would have more spars with him. Looking at his humble smile, the lithe woman gave a small smile despite herself. She sighed.
"I'll be training until you do. Fighting with you was...amusing to say the least." The blond man gave a sheepish expression, making the feline captain laugh lightly from his expression.
The first squad leader watched the golden-haired soul for a moment, seeing the distraught glaze in his eyes. "At the end of that match…he was not fighting her…" The wizened man thought solemnly. "Still, it would be wise to keep an eye on him. His potential is more than I realized." He closed his eyes in finality, turning around to see the sun nearly gone into the horizon. "Shihoin, provide this young man a place to stay for the night. Everything should be processed by morning, so it's only for tonight."
The second division leader nodded, hearing the request from her superior. "Yes sir."
The elder began to walk away. "Yamamoto-jiji." The old general paused in his steps, turning to the golden-haired man who eyes stared directly into his intensely. "…Are…are there other people that came from the same lands as I did?"
The life-experienced male gravely replied, "No. You were the only one we have recovered from there." Silence reigned before the blond looked to the twilight sky, his eyes blank as they stared off into the distance.
"Just wondered." He replied in a reserved tone. The old man turned away, feeling a little apologetic for the newest shinigami as he began continuing to his destination.
The blond shinobi felt the twelfth squad leader put a hand on his shoulder. "Nonetheless, welcome to the Soul Society my friend." The tan-haired man began to leave. "I'll see you later Yoruichi." It was long before he too disappeared into the night. The smaller woman bowed to her sensei before glancing at the whisker-cheeked man, unsure what to truly think of him. Regardless of that, Soifon walked away to finish the remaining duties she had for the night.
Naruto stared at the sky blankly as the moon began to show, his thoughts on his dead comrades. Yoruichi stayed by him, gazing at him before she looked at the atmosphere above them. "I understand that much has happened to you today." She turned her head to see him looking at her. "I also understand that everyone has something that they keep to themselves. But don't let that rule your life." He gradually looked away, a light smile gracing his features as he thought of his former friends supporting the woman in front of him.
"Naruto." His eyes met the chocolate-skinned woman's golden irises, the moon enhancing their beauty as she gave a genuine smile.
"Beautiful…" He thought aloud as his cheeks took a rosy hue, unaware that she heard him. The feline woman gave an appreciative gaze as her smile became flirtatious, hearing the admiration that carried in his voice. " You're pretty handsome yourself, Naruto-kun. I know I like what I see." She purred as she placed a hand on her hips, honestly meaning her statement.
His smile grew as his eyes took on a predatory gleam, unknowingly sending small shivers down her spine. It disappeared about the time that it set in as he replied, "Thanks, Yoruichi-chan."
The second division captain turned away, a grin gracing her features. "Let me show you where you will be staying at tonight." The golden-haired man nodded, following the woman.
They traveled in silence, both having different focuses. The former shinobi was quite taken with the environment as they moved through the area. The violet-haired woman smiled, finding the sight endearing as she took pride in her division. Finally they stopped, reaching their destination. "Here's your room." The Special Forces leader pulled out a key before opening the door. The golden-haired man nodded slowly, not really wanting to neither go inside nor depart from the cat-like woman before him.
He never made a move to enter his room, instead lingering. He was not alone in that as she too remained, looking at him for a moment. The ninja-like woman did not want to go to her quarters just yet.
"Thanks for letting me stay here, even if you were ordered to." Naruto said, giving a small, apologetic grin.
Yoruichi smiled as she replied, "It's quite alright. I don't mind it at all."
Naruto moved closer before bowing his head, confusing her. He lifted himself back up and looked directly in her eyes. "For the advice from earlier…thanks for that." Her expression became soft as she heard his voice become quiet. "It's just difficult coming to terms with everything, you know?" He stopped and closed his eyes before a smile came onto his face.
"It's been a long day and I'm sure it's the same for you too, so I won't keep you. Goodnight." He turned to the door, avoiding the brown-skinned woman's gaze as he reached to push the door open. A slender hand gently place itself on his as he stopped in his movements, his eyes remaining on the door as they hardened.
Silence reigned for a moment before the shinigami female moved closer, softly speaking, "If you need to talk to someone, I'll listen." The golden-haired man remained silent, processing what she had said.
He looked at her, seeing the sincerity in her eyes. A vulpine smile graced his features as he replied, "...If I have anything to talk about, I'll let you know."
Silence reigned a moment before the feline woman finally released his hand, letting the subject drop. He obviously didn't want to talk about it. Moving on, a smirk graced her beautiful features as she remembered something. "I saw how well you went against Soifon and it made me wonder…"
The former jinchuuriki chuckled, grateful that they were on another subject. "What might that be?"
The chocolate-skinned woman placed her hands on her hips, a smirk playing on her lips. "Will you have a spar with me?"
A grin graced his features as he answered back, "Just tell me here to be and when to meet you."
Her confident smile grew as she responded, "Same time tomorrow evening at the same place you fought my pupil." The azure-eyed man nodded; excited to see how he matched to her. Probably not much, but that made it all the more worthwhile.
Yoruichi gave an alluring smile as she said, "It's a date then. Don't keep me waiting tomorrow." An grin showed on the former sage's visage, "As long as you don't miss me too much." A melodious laugh escaped her lips, enjoying the verbal banter between one another.
Naruto grabbed his door and pushed it open before he gave one more look at the second division leader. "Goodnight, Yoruichi." The golden-haired man said quietly, becoming more subdued.
The golden-eyed woman's expression became softer as she replied, "Goodnight, Naruto." She turned away, walking towards her sleeping quarters.
The wild-haired man went inside his room, closing his door. Turning a switch on, the room's light turned on, allowing him to see. The former shinobi took off his shoes and threw off his orange and black jacket onto a nearby chair. His shirt was next to leave his body before his pants followed, leaving him in his boxers. He turned off his light before he went to his futon and sat down, mentally and physically exhausted.
Looking out his nearby window, he gazed at the moon for a moment. Thoughts of his friends plagued his mind, knowing that they would want him to move on. Tears welled in his eyes as his fists tightened. "Dammit..." He growled. Before he realized it, he began to let it all out, weeping for his dead comrades. There was so much that he never got to say to them…so much that he wanted to change…now they were gone, along with the man who killed them. The golden-haired man felt like it was his entire fault that he couldn't save everyone. "They fought on their own validation…" His logical side spoke to him, but he it was hard to reason with that.
He did not know how long he had been crying, but the tears eventually stopped. He felt better, but not by much. It was a start, though. Naruto closed his eyes as sleep finally claimed him after allowing him to have a moment to lament for his fallen friends. The former sage hoped that this new life will help him get over his past, but he knew that only time could heal his grieving heart.
Alright, this is the end of the second chapter here. It took me a little while. I hope you all enjoyed it.
Please review.