Infiltration
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Bleach or anything else.
KilluaGodspeed: What do you mean 'the overall chapters feel disjointed'? And feels weird to read? Please explain a little clearly next time and with an example like this sentence, like this word etc.
Yes, while that may be one of the reasons for the question, it's actually because I enjoy mind games. Puzzles and questions is something I have been doing since I was a kid. It keeps the mind sharp and active. I encourage you to send me any question and I will gladly try to give an answer, be it regarding life, time, and business or even love, except not Math's please. Maths (Mental Attack to Healthy Students) is the one subject I can't do. Oh and by the way, I like your blunt honesty.
Onnp: first of all, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my story and then reviewing it. I like honesty and holds honest people in high regards. From your comment, you seem genuinely curious and interested and that is exactly why I will answer your question as clearly as I can. And now the answers to your questions,
Naruto was not able to see the Hollows and Shinigamis before, because as you know, all the attacks and incidents took place in karakura Town which is in Japan, but since Naruto had refused to go anywhere near Japan because of his past, he didn't see them.
Naruto didn't feel any fluctuation of energy during the fight between Renji and Ichigo, because he was otherwise 'Occupied' with Tsunade if you know what I mean.
As for Naruto sensing a little bit of Chakra in Ichigo while he was in Soul form, is because Ichigo possess Quincy Power as well and since Quincies are humans, they possess Chakra. If that is not enough answer, then I'll give you another one. Chakra is the combination of Spiritual and Physical energy right, but since Naruto can now separate his energy into Yin and Yang, he can easily detect them.
Your suggestion regarding the harem has merit, but there is a slight problem. If all of them are placed with Naruto, it will totally change the dynamic of the story I have in mind. So I will only take Rangiku and maybe Retsu from your list. And even these will not be sudden, because seriously, I have seen fics, where one day is enough to fall totally head over heels in love with someone. Admiration will slowly convert into like, and then into love. And what I have mind regarding Rangiku, I'm sure you will love it. I'm also thinking of giving Kukaku her arm back since many of the readers have suggested it.
Luffyxrobin-luffyxnami: Just because she heard what they said doesn't mean she will blabber it to the world. She will ask about it when the time is right.
Antishyguy weegee: And that's why I always say to read the AN as well as the answers to the other readers review because some questions are answered there. When I said Kaguya-like Tsunade, I didn't meant it as though she will be like her in personality, but rather, she will be as strong as Kaguya after she ate the Chakra fruit.
NyaNyakittyface: I agree with your suggestion wholeheartedly and am leaning towards that front, because it takes less of my time as well. So thanks for the suggestion and when you read this chapter and see any character's overly lengthy appearance detail, kindly inform me. (*_*)
Guest: Sorry, but wrong answer.
Answer of the previous question (Nowhere, you don't bury survivors)
Winners (Home of the Brave, Galaxy Blaze, KilluaGodspeed, TBM10)
Question of the Day (A monkey, a squirrel, and a bird are racing to the top of a coconut tree. Who will get the banana first, the monkey, the squirrel, or the bird?).
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Kukaku's Residence
"This is my Flower Crane Cannon"
The group entered an enormous room with a solitary black pillar in the middle, no doubt the aforementioned 'Flower Crane Cannon'. They had spent the night here in the Shiba's family compound; Kukaku had graciously allowed them to stay on the condition that she is provided with sufficient Sake to last for a month.
With Naruto's unidentified and immeasurable stash, it had been a trivial price to pay. They could have been on their way, but Ichigo's apparently terrible control of Spiritual Energy had left them no choice but to stay.
The requirements for the cannon were to have knowledge of how to channel one's Spiritual Energy through a crystal orb called the 'Spirit Core'. The Spirit Core would establish a barrier around the user to both protect and make it easier to pass through the barrier of the Seireitei.
The rest of the group had learned it reasonably quickly, however, since Ichigo never really had any control over his Spiritual Energy in the first place, they had to stay momentarily and teach him how to channel it properly.
Naruto and Tsunade had apparently found their drinking buddy in Kukaku and had been constantly getting drunk. When they were approached about the issue of the Spirit Core and their part in its stability, they had flat out refused to even stand up, let alone train.
Yoruichi had been increasingly getting frustrated and a little bit jealous of the two.
Kukaku and Tsunade would drink while leaning on an equally drunk Naruto _ sometimes shamelessly groping each other _ and refuse to leave him even for a second.
While she had certainly expected that sort of behavior from Tsunade as she was his soul mate after all, she had been more surprised and angry at Kukaku for behaving in such a vulgar manner, not that their constant teasing and taunts helped matters any.
"You don't have to worry about smashing through the walls, because with this baby… I'll send you through the air!" Kukaku grinned, clearly relishing in the disbelieving and incredulous expressions of the team.
"Through the air!?"
"Yep!" the busty black haired Shiba replied cheerfully. Scanning around, she realized something or more specifically someone was missing. Chad, Orihime, Ichigo, Uryu, Ganju and Yoruichi, even Tsunade was present, but not Naruto. That was a totally unexpected surprise, since Tsunade and Naruto were always together.
"Hey, where is that hunk drinking partner of mine?"
"He said something about walking out for a while to enjoy the scenery. But he'll be back soon. Which also reminds me, why are you so worried about him all of a sudden? And why are you calling him a hunk all the time?" she finished with a twitching eyebrow.
"Hey, we are drinking partners; I'm calling him a hunk because he is the perfect example of a hunk, besides is that jealousy I'm feeling from you Ms. Shihouin?" Kukaku grinned widely when she saw a dangerous looking vain pulse on Yoruichi's temple and a slight redness develop on the cat's face.
"D-don't be ridiculous, I'm not jealous of you for getting with that blond idiot"
"Now who said anything about me getting with him, not that I mind? Is it maybe that you want to have a piece of him?" Kukaku teased with a wide mischievous grin.
"Yes, Kukaku is right, if you have a thing for my mate, you have my permission to go for it" Tsuande had an equally evil and mischievous smile on her face while Yoruichi palmed her face in anger and embarrassment.
After being so rudely left all hot and bothered, she had endured the explanation with a forced smile on her face. However, as soon as the explanation regarding the requirements of the Spirit Core was over, she had transported a surprised Naruto to a faraway forest in the Soul Society and had satisfyingly 'extracted' her due reward!
Honestly Kukaku was enough, why did the busty blonde have to start too? She coughed into her hand to regain her composure and looked at the team; however before she could attempt to think of a way to shift the conversation, the talk of the day arrived grandly.
"Alright team! I, the Great Naruto-sama, have refreshed myself and am ready to save shorty's ass from those sword carrying idiots!" Naruto announced grandly and walked through the door of the massive room, waving his hands around as if he was waving to his invisible fans.
"Who are you calling a sword carrying idiot?" Ichigo yelled as he glared at Naruto for unknowingly insulting him as well.
"Oi, you orange haired asshole, I never said anything about you!" Naruto retorted.
"Have you forgotten already? I am one of them, you idiot!" Ichigo replied with a twitching eyebrow, though he neglected to point out that he was only a Substitute.
"Oh yeah, sorry … Wait, I'm not sorry at all" Naruto snickered "Man, now that I think about it, you really do resemble those idiots"
"Yeah, I'm glad to see someone agree with me on that front. Blondie, you are a plus in my book!" Ganju said in his usual boisterous voice.
Ichigo's hand itched to reach for his sword and cleave the blond as well as the self-proclaimed Boss-man of West Rukon in half! Both of them were thoroughly getting on his nerves. He couldn't help but wonder why they needed him and that Ganju guy?
"Alright enough" Tossing a crystal orb to Ichigo, Kukaku skimmed her piercing gaze across the group "Take that 'Spirit Core' and all of you channel your Spirit Energy into it and stand inside the cannon so we can begin"
The group nodded and cautiously marched into the spacious center of the cannon and waited anxiously for the inevitable discharge. Tsunade was eyeing Naruto questioningly seeing as he had a somewhat confused and sorrowful expression on his face. Something was obviously bothering him. Had she really drained him that much?
'Love, is something the matter? I didn't tire you out too much, did I?' she asked through the link. She had to admit she had been rather forceful and wild, but he hadn't exactly endured her passionate, impatient and enthusiastic … bouncing without dashing it right back.
'Tire me out? You wish!' Naruto snorted 'but no … it's just something I have been feeling since we entered the Soul Society, more precisely a fraction of my Chakra. Quite frankly it's making me a little anxious'
'So that's why you went outside?'
'Precisely'
'Don't worry about it, we'll cross that bridge when the time comes'
"Oi, you love birds, get in there already" Kukaku teased with a wide grin.
Naruto grinned and stepped into the center of the cannon followed by Tsunade "Blondie, if you don't visit me after the rescue mission, I will beat the crap out of your blond ass. I ain't gonna let an interesting guy like you simply walk away"
"Sure thing" Naruto smirked "And I may have a present for you the next time I visit"
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Above The Seireitei
"So that is the barrier of the Seireitei?" Naruto asked curiously and scratched the back of his head, seeing the large circular barrier surrounding the city as they flew over the land in a light blue sphere.
"Yes, like I said, it is formed due to the Sekkiske stone used in the formation of the walls and houses of the Seireitei, known to negate all kinds of Spiritual Energy" Yoruichi explained calmly.
The group was encircled by a barrier created by the 'Spirit Core' and was currently soaring in the direction of the barrier encompassing the circular city. Naruto on the exterior, was as cheerful and as bright as the sun, but was rather serious on the interior.
He had broken into the Seireitei quite a few times throughout the numerous days they had stayed outside the walls of the city, to get as much info as possible. He had definitely not gone there to prank the crap out of the idiots at all. Nope, no siree.
… Ok, maybe he had, but that was all innocent fun, like dying the walls of the 1st Division pink and making that arrogant old coot more paranoid than he already was! He had already developed a huge loathing for the Head Captain and this Central 46 mentioned in the Dairiesho Archives.
They presided over the Soul Society with an iron grip, leaving the citizens of Rukongai to fend for themselves. From what he had read in the Archives, the Central 46 had forced many of their own to either kill each other, or simply sacrificed them to save their own skin. Many of the Shinigamis were doing this job, because they had gotten tired of their lives in the Rukongai, not because they wanted to.
He was going to take them down a peg or two when he entered the city!
As for the Head Captain, he was corrupt beyond redemption. While he could certainly admire his resolve and determination to protect the Seireitei from all evil, it was his methods that sickened him to no end. He considered all his subordinates as expendable tools and pawns, ready to be used and sacrificed for the good of the Soul Society regardless of the person's feelings.
He reminded him of that despicable excuse of a ninja, Danzo from his era. He had become too comfortable with his power as the Head Captain, that he had developed an astoundingly enormous ego despite his old age. If he fought with him, he may have a hard time restraining himself from blasting the old man to dust.
You would think, someone of his age would be a kind and grandfatherly man protective of his subordinates, seeing them as his children!
"G-guys, there are cracks forming in the protective bubble!" Orihime's nervous tone snapped him out of his thoughts of potential disembowelment of certain members of the Soul Society.
"Oh shit!" Yoruichi gasped "Ichigo, Ganju, stop your bickering and concentrate!"
Her assertions and warnings were ignored as they continued their inconsequential argument over something unknown to him. The cracks became more definite and pronounced, making the team even more nervous and anxious seeing as they were almost inside the barrier of the Circular city.
If the barrier were to break now, who knows where they will be thrown?
'Hime, I have something important I must accomplish. Would you please stay with them to ensure their safety?' Naruto asked through the link.
'Of course'
'But bear in mind, do not jump in and rescue them unless absolutely compulsory. Even at that point, place them under a Genjutsu to prevent them from witnessing the extent of your abilities. I'll act as though the bubble is broken under me and plummet myself down. Rise up a shield as soon as I fall down '
'Stop your lectures and go already!' the mock irritation was clearly evident in her voice 'I don't think your acting will persuade them, considering how horrible it is'
'Hey! I'll have you know my acting skill is awesome'
'Awesomely horrible'
'Just wait till I get my hands on you and I'll show you my acting in more than one way'
Naruto gave a discreet nod to Tsunade and slowly decayed the portion of the barrier directly under his feet, thus making him fall with a mock scream of fright while the group looked with disbelief and horror as they witnessed the fall of the blond, completely unaware of the discreet smirk on Tsunade's face.
'You were saying?' he sent smugly.
'Fine, your acting is adequate'
'Why you…'
'Finish that sentence and you'll be sleeping on the couch for a month'
'Shutting up!'
Tsunade smirked triumphantly and raised a shield around the slowly decaying barrier formed by the Spirit Core. That was the result of the terrifying power wielded by the blond. Anything coming into contact with it was slowly decayed and reduced to ash regardless of its composition, unless the blond willed it to not harm anything.
She may be strong, stronger than anyone here or in the world, but even her power was nothing compared to the Naruto's. That was why he never used it, because deep down, even he was afraid of his power. Afraid of the bloodlust buried in the deep recesses of his mind caused by the absolute strength.
He may act cheerful, but he was a former Ninja, a being of shadow, who was born in the shadows, raised in the shadows and use to kill in the safety of the darkness. She just hoped he never lost his control or the world would be reduced to space dust.
"NARUTO!" Yoruichi shouted in horror as she witnessed the blond encircled by fire due to air fraction and plummet to the ground with a large explosion, drawing the attention of a nearby patrolling Squad.
"Don't worry about him, he can take care of himself" Tsunade assured calmly and crossed her arms under her massive chest. The group still looked worried, but seeing the calm and unworried expression on the woman's face decided to trust in the blonde's assurance and vowed to look for him as soon as they reached the ground.
That was when realization struck Yoruichi. The cracks in the bubble were non-existent; it was as if an entirely new shield sprung up out of the blue and surrounded the already cracked one.
If only they knew.
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Lieutenant Meeting Chamber
"Man, this Ryoka invasion is turning out to be a major pain in the ass" Tetsuzaemon, the Lieutenant of 7th Division, drawled as he entered the Assembly Room assigned for the meetings between Lieutenants. All the Lieutenants of the various Divisions were present, except the Lieutenant of the 10th Division and 11th, Rangiku Matsumoto and Yachiru respectively.
"Yeah, we can finish them off in an instant if the Head Captain just gives us the order" Renji Abarai, the Lieutenants of the 6th Division, sneered. If they weren't about to be given the order to eliminate the intruders, then what was the point of coming here?
The door of the room opened and the aforementioned missing Lieutenant entered with a bored look on her beautiful face.
"Why do we have to meet, if we are not going to fight against these Ryokas? This meeting interrupted my beauty nap" The busty Rangiku whined and flopped herself down in a chair with a huff, causing her considerable assets to jiggle.
"How can Captain Hitsugaya put up with your constant lack of work?" Renji asked pointedly "My Captain throws a fit, when I don't finish my work early"
"I have my ways" Rangiku answered with a sweet smile.
"Hey Renji, have you seen Captain Aizen lately? He has been acting distant these past few days, more precisely since the news of the Ryokas reached the Soul Society" Momo Hinamori, Lieutenant of the 5th Division, asked meekly.
"No, I haven't. But don't worry, I'm sure he has his reasons" Renji assured his childhood friend as she nodded silently. Renji hated to admit it, but he doubted Captain Aizen would return to normal since he kept getting distant and distant every passing day.
"I hope you're right"
The door was tapped slowly a few times, drawing the attention of the occupants. Renji opened the door and saw a messenger Shinigami bowing in front of the gate.
"Sorry for the interruption, but I have some info regarding the Ryokas"
"Let's hear it" Renji demanded.
"The Ryokas has been somehow able to breach the barrier surrounding the Seireitei and are currently causing mayhem. Only one has been sighted as of right now. The man is a tall individual with long flowing blond hair, red slitted eyes, and claws, with a black Shakujo staff. Witnesses reported that he is garbed in a sleeveless black coat, black leather pants, skin tight crimson t shirt, red combat boots and black metal bands wrapped around his wrists up to his elbows. All Squad members are ordered to be on the lookout for him and the other unidentified ones. That's all!"
All the Lieutenants were showcasing one reaction or the other, but most of them were of indifference and boredom. They didn't care what the intruder looked like, what he wore or what he carried, all they cared about was the certainty that he was going to be stopped and destroyed along with the others, regardless of their numbers.
Rangiku, on the other hand was frozen in shock and disbelief.
'It can't be… it can't be him! It's impossible!' She subconsciously reached for the necklace wrapped around her neck and clutched it in her trembling hands.
"Hey Rangiku, are you okay?" Izuru Kira, Lieutenant of the 3rd Division asked in concern, seeing the troubled look on the blond Lieutenant's face.
"Yes, I'm fine… Excuse me"
Taking a hold of her sword with trembling hands, she dashed towards the door with her head down, so no one could see the tears streaming down her face. The others looked surprised by her reaction and looked at each other questioningly.
"What was that all about?"
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Seireitei
Naruto was strolling through the admittedly confusing and maze-like streets of the Seireitei, looking and searching endlessly for his most important and crucial objective ever. He was not going to fail, no matter what! He would sacrifice everything to achieve this particular objective. This objective was…
Fortunately, a group of Shinigamis turned around the corner and found the intruder wandering around aimlessly. They unsheathed their swords and took their stances, ready to apprehend the intruder or take him down should he resist. Unfortunately for them, Naruto had other ideas.
He swiftly twisted around and pointed to the first man at the front of the group.
"Hey you!" the man pointed at himself questioningly "Yes you! Tell me where I can find the food of the heaven?"
"Food of the what?" the Shinigami asked warily, wondering what the blond meant by that. Weren't they supposed to capture or kill the intruder? If they were, then why were they standing there like a bunch of idiots and being questioned by said intruder?
"The food whose broth is sweeter than honey and whose noodles are the bridge to heaven" Naruto declared passionately, while the horde of Shinigamis looked even more confused, especially the leader who was being questioned. Naruto's eyes twitched and a large tic mark pulsed on his temple when he saw the dumb look on their faces.
"Tell me where I can find the goddamn Ramen!" The loud and booming demonic voice snapped them out of their confused state and immediately high tailed it out of there. Forget apprehending the Ryoka, he was crazy as hell!
"I will find you and when I do, you're dead. Do you hear me, dead!" Naruto shouted after their running backs, causing the group to quicken their pace as a huge cloud of dust kicked up after them. Naruto, despite his irritation at not finding ramen in this godforsaken place, couldn't help but smirk in a self-satisfied manner.
Oh yeah, who was the man? He was!
Sensing the fraction of his potent chakra get near to his position, he stopped walking, a wooden chair appearing behind him as he sat down on the chair in the middle of the street without a care in the world.
A figure dropped down in front of him in a crouched position with the grace of a cat while Naruto looked on in curiosity and interest, wondering who this mysterious person was, gifted with his potent chakra, though he already had his suspicion.
The figure stood up and Naruto was surprised to find the figure to be a busty blond female, with a black face mask covering her face up to her nose, leaving her cold blue but alluringly beautiful oceanic eyes visible. He was quite confused about the cold and angry look on her face though. Sure, they had infiltrated the city, but even that action should not be the cause of such drastic reaction.
"So, you have finally shown yourself" The figure commented coldly as she glared at the confused blond.
"Have we met before?" Naruto asked as he scratched the back of his head in confusion. Yikes! If looks could kill, Naruto was sure he would've died right now from the force of her glare.
"That is not any of your concern anymore. You're an intruder and thus must be dealt with!" The blonde declared coldly.
"What do you mean 'anymore'? Your response indicates that we have met in the past. Why do you have a fraction of my power?" Naruto asked seriously and dropped his cheerful façade.
"That is so like you to forget everyone, you silver tongue asshole!" the busty female sneered and unsheathed her sword as she dashed forward in rage.
Reaching the sitting blond, she wildly swung her sword, intent on finishing him off in an instant. Her eyes widened in surprise and shock when the sitting blond stopped the strike of her sword with a single finger without even bothering to stand up from the chair.
Those gleaming red orbs staring at her impassively and the uncaring expression on his face didn't bear a resemblance to the man she looked up to, the person she admired so much.
"I suggest you think before you act" Naruto said coldly "I do not have any desire to implicit harm on your person. I asked a simple question, so kindly answer me in a civilized manner"
He was quite patient with people, but that didn't mean he was going to let them attack him without any reason - except Tsunade whose 'attacks' were at least of the pleasurable kind that is - unless he wanted them to.
"Yes, we have met before. I thought you cared; I thought you were always going to be there for me. I was foolish to believe in your deceptively sweet words and empty promises, Naruto Uzumaki"
Naruto felt his impassive mask shatter when he witnessed the emergence of small drops of tears streaming down the figure's masked face. Whoever this female was, she knew him and was quite hurt by whatever it was he had done. The only problem was that he didn't remember hurting any female before.
"Please, at least tell me your name. I don't recall ever hurting any female in my life, let alone someone as beautiful as you from what I can see" Naruto asked smoothly as he tried to resolve the situation. The female wiped her tears clean by the sleeve of her black kimono and looked at him in anger and sorrow.
"Always the charmer. It seems you haven't change at all. My name is Rangiku Matsumoto" the figure reached for her black face mask and removed it, revealing the beautiful tear stained face of the Squad 10 Lieutenant.
Naruto widened his eyes in disbelief and devastation as he slowly stood up from the chair, his shaking hands reaching out to touch the tear stricken face of the now named Rangiku.
He couldn't believe his eyes! All of this had to be a twisted illusion of some kind, but that couldn't be, considering the fact that he was immune to illusion. It had to be a nightmare of guilt, to remind him of the one mistake he never had time to redeem, but he knew he was wide awake.
All this time he had searched for her, all the places he had destroyed simply to find her whereabouts, all the dimensions he had reduced to space dust simply to see her again and yet she had been here all along.
"This can't be, Giku-chan" Naruto whispered in disbelief as he rubbed her tear-stricken cheeks. He couldn't believe the small enthusiastic, sunshine, sweet and loving blonde girl was here all alone, while he searched the earth up and down, but found no trace of her.
Rangiku slapped his hand away and stepped back from him.
"Get away from me and don't call me that! You lost the right to call me that a long time ago! Do you think I'll forgive you that easily after what you did to me?! You left me; you abandoned me when I needed you most! I will never forgive you, you bastard!" She stepped back with tears streaming down her face, while Naruto looked even more heartbroken. He couldn't really blame her since she didn't know the full story of what happened.
"Giku-chan, please listen to me. I didn't abandon you. I searched every stone and pebble for you, I searched for decades, but I found no trace of your presence" Naruto whispered sadly.
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Flashback
Naruto and Tsunade were walking through a substantially underprivileged town in silence, watching and observing the people, the evolution of the present day and comparing it to that of the past. They were out on their century based trip to the society to survey. The town was in an exceedingly deprived condition, the residences were worn down from seeing the sands of time, and the doors were practically non-existent.
The people were wearing rags as their clothing, those few who were rich enough were noticeably better than the rest. Children were begging here and there for food, but were refused as there was no food to be given. The few things sprawled on stalls and stands couldn't be even called food.
All in all, the town was ready to collapse anytime.
The clothing that Naruto and Tsunade wore was the source of attention from the town's people, as they appeared to be rich. But no one had the guts to ask them as they appeared to be of noble heritage. Naruto had a frown on his face as he observed the condition of the people, especially the children.
They walked through the town without any interruption to the outskirt of the town, with Naruto's Shakujo jingling away. On their way to the surrounding forest, something bumped into Naruto from behind followed by a small yelp and the sound of something hitting the floor as well as the sound of rapid footsteps.
Naruto spun around to see who bumped into him and saw a cute little undernourished blonde girl, around the age of 5 with a loaf of bread clutched tightly in her small hands as she rubbed her sore behind. Naruto and Tsunade had to prevent themselves from hugging the poor girl to death as she made adorable sounds and stood up with a pout.
"Sorry for bumping into you mister" the blonde girl apologized meekly.
"No problem child" Naruto replied with a kind smile and ruffled her hair "Why were you running anyway?".
Hearing the hasty footsteps and yelling approaching their location, the girl appeared alarmed and prepared herself to start off sprinting once more, but was blocked by Naruto as he smiled at her kind-heartedly and concealed her behind his legs.
The shouting neared as the visage of a fuming male holding a large wooden stick appeared and approached the duo. The small girl tried to make herself invisible as she buried her head in the blond man's pants.
"Where is that little thief?" the fuming man asked as he treaded heavily towards them with unobstructed intention of harming the girl. Regarding the small girl hiding behind the tall blond man, he sneered in anger "There you are, you little shit!"
"Is something the matter?" Naruto inquired politely.
"Yes, hand over the girl now!"
"Why?"
"You ask why? She stole that bread from me!" the man shouted in anger.
"So does that justify your action of trying to harm her?"
"I have no time to waste with you, just hand over the girl" the man answered rudely and pointed at a shivering Rangiku.
"Here, take this cash" Naruto said smoothly and offered the man a few notes "I believe it should be more than sufficient for the loaf of bread that she robbed from you"
He was tempted to ram the man's face in due to his arrogant behavior, but he didn't want the small girl to witness something that violent. The man nodded in approval and with one last glare at the small girl, stomped away.
"Thank you mister" the girl spoke merrily when she saw the man go away without hurting or taking the bread from her.
Naruto just ruffled her hair in affection and smiled.
"What is your name, little one?" Tsunade asked with a kind smile as she knelt down to the girl's eye level. The cute girl looked almost identical to her when she had been a child.
"Rangiku Matsumoto" she declared cheerfully with a beaming grin on her face, while Naruto and Tsunade smiled in affection. Who would want to hurt such a bright and adorable child? "What's yours?"
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki and the young lady is Tsunade Senju"
"Fishcake? Your name is Fishcake?" Rangiku asked with a snicker, causing Naruto's eyes to twitch.
"It means Maelstrom, you cheeky brat" Naruto complained childishly as the little blonde stuck her tongue out.
"That's too long, I'm calling you fishcake whether you like it or not, old man"
"Why you little..."
Tsunade giggled gently as she listened to the two bicker. It had been only a few minutes and yet they were bickering as if they were a father and his daughter. That was the kind of effect Naruto had on people. No matter how cold someone may try to be, he would always wear their walls down with his comforting aura and cheerful attitude.
But what Naruto was trying to do now and was apparently succeeding, was the fact that he wanted to make the girl forget what she had been through even if for a little while, but if she had anything to say about the fond look on Naruto's face, she had a feeling they would be staying here for quite a while.
"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BRAT" Naruto shouted as he chased after the energetic blonde girl.
"Catch me if you can old man" Rangiku yelled cheerfully as she stuck her tongue out at the chasing tall blond, irritating him even more.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD, YOU BRAT?"
"All right, stop it both of you" Tsunade announced firmly as they came to a screeching halt, both wheezing from exhaustion. Naruto was glaring daggers at the cheeky little blonde girl as she kept grinning at him with a victory sign.
"You're whipped" Rangiku snickered quietly as Naruto glared even harder with a small blush, knowing it was true to some extent. Hey, he sometimes preferred to let Tsunade take charge but he was an Uzumaki and Uzumaki's never ever let anyone dominate them!
"Naruto, I believe we should be on our way"
The girl looked downtrodden when she heard that they were going to leave her alone. She had more entertainment with the funny man in a few minutes than she had in her entire life. She didn't have any friends since she was an orphan. These people didn't care if she was an orphan or if she was poor, the blond man even paid for her bread and played with her.
"I think we can postpone our journey for a few hours" Naruto responded with a smile and looked at the now beaming child.
He had seen her sad and depressed look when Tsunade mentioned their departure. While he knew they had to go, he couldn't possibly bring himself to leave such an innocent and cheerful child so downtrodden. Gazing at the small ball of energy, he smiled kindly, took a hold of her armpits and placed her on his shoulders as she giggled cheerfully.
"Why don't you show us where you live?"
Rangiku nodded enthusiastically and grabbed a hold of his hair as handholds to direct them to her house.
They walked all the way through the woods and out of town, Rangiku cheerfully telling them her life story while Naruto and Tsunade listened with smiles on their faces. Coming to a stop in the middle of a small clearing, Naruto and Tsunade looked around in confusion but found no house or anything remotely resembling a place of residence.
Only a huge tree in the middle of the clearing was the most noteworthy feature.
"Where is your house?" Naruto questioned in puzzlement and gently let the girl down.
"Oh, actually it's not a house per se, but its home for me" Rangiku said sheepishly and pointed to the huge tree, where a small hollow spot was visible. Naruto tightened his fists so tight; blood was dripping from his palms.
A child so small and adorable living alone in a place like this all by herself! Witnessing events like these is what brought the undeniably heartrending memories of the hellish life he had endured when he had been a kid.
Well, he was not about to let another undergo what he had lived through while he lived. He reached for his black coat's pocket and produced a few apples and gave it to a wide eyed Rangiku. Seeing as he could create anything from nothing, fabricating a few fruits was nothing at all "Take this"
The girl's eyes were brimming with tears, her lips trembled as she was given the first gift of her life. She took the fruit with shaking hands and hugged the tall blond man and woman.
"Tsunade, why don't you take Giku-chan to town and buy her something sweet. I have something to do" Naruto offered gently, earning a loving smile from Tsunade as she nodded and walked away with a cheerful Rangiku in tow.
Seeing as they walked out of the woods, Naruto turned around with a serious look on his face. Raising a hand, the soil in the middle of the clearing separated and a wooden two story Japanese house emerged on the surface, the ground in front of the house caved in and turned into a large fresh water pond with numerous fishes swimming around.
With a snap of his finger, a small lookout hut appeared above the huge tree with a wooden ladder reaching up to it.
Naruto walked up to the front of the newly made house and entered the door with the insignia of a Whirlpool engraved on it. The house was decorated with beautiful wooden furniture here and there. It was enough for a small family as it had everything a family would need. A spacious Living Room, a master Bedroom, a medium Kitchen, and a Bathroom.
He ambled up the stairs to the master bedroom and walked in. The bed was made of red rose petals and moose with silky sheets. The room had a specialized bathroom attached to its right side, with a large walk in closet. The only thing left to do was to make clothes for the blonde ball of sunshine, as he was not about to let her wear those rags anymore.
Seeing as he had some time and his work was done, he walked out of the room towards the kitchen to prepare a large meal for the girl. He was going to turn that scrawny little girl into a healthy one in no time at all.
An hour later, he sensed the presence of Tsunade and the ball of energy known as Rangiku enter the woods.
He left the kitchen and walked up to the huge tree as he leaned on it blissfully, masking the house with a simple cloaking Genjutsu. Tsunade entered the clearing with Rangiku happily munching on a bar of pockey, no doubt made by Tsunade as there was no edible food in town.
"Hey fishcake, look what big sister bought for me!" Rangiku yelled cheerfully and waved the box full of chocolate bars as Naruto's eyebrow twitched in irritation.
"I told you to stop calling me that! Why are calling her big sister and not calling me big brother?" Naruto complained.
"Because she is not an idiot" Rangiku deadpanned while Tsunade roared with laughter.
Naruto was left sulking in a corner with a visible rain cloud above his head as he muttered something about 'mean cheeky blondes' and 'no respect'.
"All right Giku-chan, I have a surprise for you" Naruto declared as he released the Genjutsu.
Rangiku's eyes bugged out of her eye sockets as she beheld the beautiful sight of the house and the blue shinning surface of the large fond with tears welling up in her eyes. She ran forward and enveloped Naruto and Tsunade in a tight hug, thanking them over and over.
Her childish mind didn't even question as to how the blond was able to build something so big and beautiful in only a few minutes, too ecstatic and happy to finally have a real home and someone as kind and loving as friends. Naruto and Tsunade smiled kindly at the small adorable girl and returned the hug with equal warmth and love "All right, enough of this mushy stuff! Let's go inside as I have another surprise for my little Giku-chan"
Rangiku let out a gleeful shout and dashed to the house
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
One Month Later
"When are you going to be back?" Rangiku asked tearfully and held the hem of Naruto's coat tightly.
Naruto and Tsunade had spent almost a month with the blonde ball of sunshine, despite wanting to go. But every time they would decide, Rangiku's wide smile would shatter their decision to million pieces. The blonde girl had grown on them; she brought colors and joy to their mundane lifestyle.
Every day, she would sleep in the middle of the two – even though it had put a considerable strain on their night-time activities - they would wake to the grinning face of the blonde beaming down on them as she would wake them up. Just like that, the rest of the day her cheerful laughter and giggles would fill the house.
Just hearing her giggles, her words and sometimes her taunts made all the worries of their past disappear. She had grown considerably in a month, bearing in mind; she ate a meal fitting for a noble every day three times. No longer was she the same scrawny little girl they had rescued from the shopkeeper.
"We will be back as soon as we can. But don't worry. We have left you enough supply to last for months. Don't wander off too much while we are gone and don't trust any strangers" Naruto assured kindly as he ruffled her hair "Keep that necklace with you at all times"
"You promise?" Rangiku asked tearfully.
"Promise"
"Okay, but be back soon" she said as cheerfully as she could.
Naruto and Tsunade knelt one last time and gave her a tight hug. They didn't want to go either, but something had come up.
An ambitious man, using some type of magical crystals to control the minds of others had brought almost half of the world population under his control during the one month they had spent with Rangiku. When he had first appeared, they had dismissed him as a delusional madman trying to play King, with more bark than bite. But it seemed they had been wrong.
The man took control of the strongest fighters of the world and forced them to do his bidding. With such powerful men under his control, he had turned his attention on the rest of world, taking one country at a time, killing all those who opposed him with any remorse or regret.
No one had been spared of his wrath, not even children. Such cruelty had to be stopped at all cost, and Naruto would show him the true meaning of strength and power. He had been sighted near the border of the country they were currently in with his whole army of the same scumbags as him "Ok, let's go"
With that they left the tearful little girl behind, not knowing they won't be able to see her again for a long, long time.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Late Night. Two days later
Naruto and Tsunade were racing towards the clearing where they had left Rangiku two days ago, happy to return and greet the ball of energy again. They had dealt with the invading army, by releasing all the mind controlled people and obliterating all those who had joined the army for simple reason of causing unjust death and destruction.
It seemed the leader had disappeared during the destruction of Naruto releasing a fraction of his Chakra and crushing the invading scumbags and destroyed all the mind-controlling Crystals present there. He dismissed him as not a threat because without the power of the magic Crystals, he was powerless.
As soon as he entered the town, he sensed something wrong with the people and knew they were being controlled. But that was impossible as he had destroyed all the Crystals in the previous battle. That means there were more of them; it would also explain the disappearance of the leader during the battle.
He had a bad feeling about this.
As soon as he stepped one foot into the town, all the citizens attacked with different weapons, some with torches, some with swords and some with bats. Naruto and Tsunade kept their walk without any effort, all those coming into contact within a foot of them, would drop down to the ground as their eyes would roll up in to their eye sockets.
"I don't have time for this!" Naruto whispered annoyingly as he elevated his Shakujo and brought it down on the earth with a thunk, an enormous shield sprung up and stretched out to the four sides of the town, releasing all the town's citizens from the mind control "Let's go"
Racing to the outskirts of the town towards the large clearing, Naruto's eyes widened in shock and horror as he saw an enormous fire spreading all over the forest, engulfing everything in its path and burning it asunder. The ground under his feet blasted and exploded as he shot forward with rage, his Rinne Sharingan pulsing with menacingly devastating power.
As soon as he reached the clearing, his heart stopped thumping in his chest, his eyes widened in disbelief and immeasurable rage. The once beautiful clearing around the house now a burning and scorched ground, the once comforting house always oozing off an aura of warmth and love due to the joyful laughter of Rangiku, now a blackened planks of wood oozing off a dreadful aura, the once clear and shinning surface of the large pond was now grey.
That was not what angered him to no end, no, it was the grinning face of the scumbag responsible for all this devastation and destruction as he stood in the middle of the clearing, large army of thousands of soldiers armed to the bones with different weapons, situated all over the forest and surrounding area.
"So you finally showed up" the man said in a smug tone while the soldiers cheered him on. Naruto however was more focused on the fraction of chakra he had given to the blonde child. He couldn't find a trace of the energy, but that was impossible considering his chakra was not something you could destroy.
His face was quite calm as he looked at the smug face of the leader. He had seen enough in his countless years long life to be taunted into taking irrational against a mere child, besides the man would die anyway, no matter how many soldiers he had brought with himself.
"Where is the child?"
"Oh, look boys; he wants to know where that Blondie is. Should I tell him?" the man asked amusingly as the soldiers cheered with a chorus of 'no' "Sorry, but the decision is not mine to make. I'm just a humble man trying to rule the world"
The cheers and the sound of laughter reached new heights.
"I will not repeat myself, tell me where the girl is and I may simply turn you into dust without torturing you for all eternity" Naruto stated coldly as the man sneered.
"You have some nerve threatening me when I hold the girls life in my hands" the man scowled and glared at the calm blond man and busty blonde woman. He had to admit being confused when the blond man sat down in the middle of the clearing and closed his eyes, wondering what the blond was trying to do.
Naruto linked himself with nature as he stretched his senses to every corner of the town, then the city, the country and finally the entire world, unfortunately and much to his growing anger, he still couldn't find the chakra anywhere in this world, but rather in a place completely unknown to him as of right now.
Chakra he had given to her was not infused into Rangiku, but rather infused with the necklace. He should have told her to simply call on his name to summon him, but he was in hurry at the time and forgot to tell her the true meaning and function of the necklace.
"Before I destroy you, tell me why did you attack a small child when you could've come after me?" Naruto asked icily and stood up with his eyes closed.
"You killed my grandfather that's why. Do you remember that white haired man with a long black sword that you mercilessly killed 50 years ago. He was a great man, loved by his people and only wanted peace, yet you killed him. I vowed that day, I would kill the one thing you hold dear, but since I couldn't kill that blonde woman as she is always with you, I chose the next best person" the man shouted coldly "I couldn't control you at the time, but now I have the means to control you and that bitch!"
"I see, so this is a revenge story" Naruto retorted with a raised eyebrow.
The man took out two glowing blue magical Crystals from his pocket and raised it to his face with a maniacal look
"With this, I will be able to control you. When I have you under my control, the world will bow before my feet" the leader shouted as he let out a gleeful laugh followed by his army, while the Crystals glowed a white blue.
The laughs abruptly came to a screeching halt when a dreadful aura of death and menace washed over the land. The man and his army turned to the tall blond, only for their eyes to widen in terror and apprehension; their bodies to tremble hysterically as they witnessed the horrifyingly ruthless eyes of the blond, even his partner stepped back.
So uncaring
So ominous
So overwhelming
Tsunade stepped back in alarm from the dreadful aura of the blond, seeing as even she could be harmed by his Chakra when he was in this state. She had seen this kind of power only once and that was when he became the physical embodiment of Chakra.
The same dark and crimson fire-like aura oozing off his body in waves, the same merciless scarlet ripple pattern eyes pulsating with supremacy, the same red and black flaming hair!
Even if she had been on the verge of death at the time, she had still witness the devastating power of his potent Chakra, turning everything into blackened ash the moment they came into contact with it. It was the same now, the clearing, trees and grasses nothing but a black grave of ash surrounding him and expanding for miles. The sky above darkened as lightening flashed, scaring the army and their leader even more.
Naruto leisurely levitated from the scorched ground as the lightening in the sky flashed even fiercer and struck the ground, igniting it in flames, the aura around his body expanding to a shadowy and crimson spherical form.
To think this man had the audacity to harm his loved ones and appear so smug!
To have the nerve that he would be controlled!
"Insolent mortal, you have the audacity to implict harm on my loved ones, to destroy my home and come before me in order to control me. Did you really think a puny magic crystal will be able to control me? Such arrogance! No one controls me! No one!"
The thunderous demonic voice followed by the deafening lightening flashing in the sky had caused the army to drench their pants in fright. The leader had lost control of his bowels and was standing motionless with his eyes glossed over. He hadn't prepared for this! In his mind, it was simple, kill the girl to lure out the tall blond, take over his anguish filled mind and finally rule the world!
The being floating in the sky was not human, he was a Demon!
"K-kill him" the leader stuttered out and stepped back in fear. The shivering soldiers released all their weapons consisting of arrows, swords and many unknown weapons at the blond. As soon as the projectiles neared the sphere, it reduced to dust scaring the army even more.
"You are unforgivable! Raising your hand against an innocent child for the sake of luring out your enemy. Disgusting!" Naruto raised his hand above his head as an enormous ball of crimson energy appeared in his hand, slowly but surely increasing in size. The energy ball kept expanding and enlarging until it looked like the sun had descended to the world and was hovering above them.
The army lost strength of their legs and slumped to the ground in a kneeling position. It was over for them, how in the hell would they stop something like that, let alone someone like that!
Tsunade vanished from her spot and appeared near the floating blond, well aware what the blond intended to do with the colossal sphere of energy.
"Naruto, you will destroy the whole city with that, many innocents will die!" She pleaded.
If that thing was brought down upon the earth, the city below would be nothing but a scorched crater. She was as angry as he was, but taking such actions would cost countless innocent lives!
"I will simply revive them back to life. Now Tsunade, please step away from my path" The unsympathetic look he gave her was not of the man she loved, but a murderous dragon disturbed from his slumber, she reluctantly stepped away "This scorched crater will linger as a scar on the surface of the world till the end of time as a reminder to those foolish enough to assault one of my loved ones"
"Now vanish from existence!"
Tsunade looked away as Naruto released the colossal sphere of condensed energy, bathing the whole city in a blinding crimson light, the screams of the army ringing through the land as they were reduced to ashes, along with the city and the surrounding area.
When Tsunade looked down again, all that was left was a huge black crater.
"When are you going to revive those people?" Tsunade asked in sorrow as she looked at the cold and impassive visage of her mate.
"As soon as I make them a new and improved home away from this place. They will have no memories of this event, but this crater will remain here. I wanted to help them as I helped Rangiku anyway" Naruto muttered softly and clenched his hands "I have to find a way to bring Rangiku back even if it takes all eternity to accomplish, even if I have to turn the world upside down to find her! I gave her my word, I have never broken my word and I sure as hell am not going to start now! … If only I had told her how to use that chakra"
"Beloved, I'm sure we'll see her again, I don't know when, but I have a feeling we will"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
End Flashback
"You did all that for me?" Rangiku asked tearfully when she listened to his part of the story. Tears were streaming down her face as she raced forward and enveloped the blond in a tight hug. Uncontrollable torrents of tears streamed down her face, involuntary sobs escaped her lips as she tightly hugged Naruto.
Naruto returned her hug with affection as he rubbed her back and ran his hand through her silky hair in a soothing manner, whispering comforting words into her ears as he sat down and eased her down with him on the chair.
"I searched everywhere, but you simply weren't in that dimension. I'm sorry" Naruto said apologetically as she sobbed even harder.
"I t-thought you had abandoned me … I w-was scared and alone"
"I know"
Naruto listened while she sobbingly related her story of how she had waited for him to show up and when he hadn't, she had actually taken her own life to prevent them from capturing her, how she had lived in the Rukongai for years searching for them, how she had been recruited to be in the Shinigami Academy and became a Lieutenant.
He knew he would have time to hear all her stories later, but now he had to shift the topic to a more light-hearted subject. Seeing her beautiful face stricken with tears made him cringe inside. Her face simply was not made for tears and from now on, it would remain that way!
"Wait, you mean you're actually a Lieutenant of these sword carrying idiots?" Naruto teased and received a bonk to the head.
"Who are you calling a sword carrying idiot, you idiot?!" Rangiku muttered in irritation as her eyebrows twitched madly.
"I wasn't talking about you, you little brat!" Naruto retorted back with a groan and rubbed his pulsing head "Wait, you are not little anymore. Man you sure have grown in all the right places! Hehehe"
He finished with a perverted giggle and gave her a once over while she blushed in embarrassment.
"Stop checking me out, you perverted old geezer!" Rangiku snapped and shook her fist in front of his face.
"Who are calling an old geezer, you old hag!"
"I'm only twenty six, you blond lunatic!"
"That is still older than me, so that means you are an old hag" Naruto retorted with a smug grin.
"You are the one to talk, you're still alive till this day and it had been decades or maybe century since I died, that means you are all old geezer. Which also reminds me, how in the hell are you still alive and where is big sister?"
"I have my ways. Tsunade is currently with the team to keep their assess safe from harm" Naruto answered mysteriously.
Rangiku had all the time in the world or in the afterlife to think about the blond and his companion. She had realized that they were both special, as no ordinary person would have been able to accomplish what he had told her and what he had done. She may have been a mere child at the time, but now she knew that no ordinary human or even Shinigamis were capable of making a house with precise details that quickly!
She snapped back from her thoughts and saw Naruto looking at her chest, causing her eyes to twitch in irritation with a hint of redness on her cheeks "Where the hell are you looking, you perv?!"
"You still wear that necklace I gave you" Naruto asked fondly.
"Yes, it was the only thing reminding me of your idiotic and wrinkly old ass" She said mischievously and grinned when a giant tick mark appeared on Naruto's temple.
"Man, when I created that bastard, I didn't make it to be that lucky. Look at it, hanging between the Valley of heaven, without even realizing it" Naruto whined while Rangiku blushed even harder.
What was with him talking about her assets all of a sudden? She knew he was a pervert – she still remembered the many dirty jokes he would direct at Tsunade during their Lunch or Breakfast – but she was not expecting him to get that forward with her.
"Still, it's great to see you again Rangiku, I thought I had lost you forever" Naruto smiled softly and gave her a warm hug, which she returned with equal vigor "But to ensure that I don't lose you again, I will have to remodel your necklace"
Igniting his hands with red and blue flames at the same time, he brought them together in a blinding light. A few seconds later when the light faded away, he opened them to reveal a necklace with a golden chain and a crimson rose with a black diamond in the middle.
Taking the necklace, he leaned forward and wrapped it around a blushing Rangiku's neck with a soft smile on his face.
"There! It will not only let me know where you are and summon me to that place, but also protect you should you be in trouble, which from knowing you, you always are. And besides" His fond smile suddenly turned mischievous "It makes you even more beautiful"
Rangiku looked away with a small hint of rosiness on her cheeks while Naruto let out a loud laugh.
"Idiot" she mumbled under her breath and snuggled up to his bulging hard pectorals with a blissful sigh. She was glad that he hadn't changed at all, still the tall blond and lovable idiot she knew him to be.
"Hey Giku-chan, aren't you supposed to stop me from causing untold mayhem and whatnot?" Naruto asked with a deadpan when he realized that they were practically sitting in the middle of a street.
"I'm, but who cares" Naruto sweatdropped at her blunt answer while she nuzzled his neck.
Maybe she had rubbed off of him too much!
"You do know they are going to call you a traitor if you side with us, right?" Naruto deadpanned
"They can call me whatever they want, I'm not leaving you after not seeing your wrinkly old ass for centuries" Naruto grew a tick mark on his temple as she called him an old man again.
He was not old dammit. If anyone was old, it was Tsunade.
'I would like to hear you say that when I'm near you, Love'
Naruto paled completely white when he heard her threat. Man, he sometimes overlooked the fact that they had a telepathic link with each other.
'Sorry Hime, just a spur of the moment' Naruto sent back apologetically, however he had a feeling he was going to get his ass kicked no matter how many times he apologized now.
'Where are you guys anyway?'
'Near the 1st Division headquarters. Ichigo is currently fighting a bloodthirsty lunatic called Kenpachi Zaraki, the Captain of Squad 11'
'Oh that lunatic with an eye patch? How come you guys hog up all the fun' Naruto complained but brighten up again 'Hey Hime, did I tell you that I found Giku-chan! Well technically, she found me, but that's not the point!'
He could feel her surprise and astonishment through the link.
'You did?!'
'Yep, she is sitting right here with me and from the looks of it, is currently ready to punch me in the face for not answering her call'
He was correct as Rangiku was just about ready to punch the living daylights out of him for ignoring her. He couldn't really blame her for wanting to hit him since he was sitting there with a faraway look on his expressive face.
'That's good to hear. I have a feeling we'll meet soon'
'I look forward to seeing your pretty ass!' he sent back smugly and severed the link, not even waiting for her response.
"Oi, you old geezer! Answer me when I'm trying to talk to you!" Rangiku whined, her full and tempting lips stretched into a pout as she crossed her arms under bosom.
"Rangiku, why don't you return to your Barracks for now, I promise we'll meet again on the day of execution at Soukyoku Hill" Naruto replied seriously.
Rangiku looked skeptical but reluctantly untangled herself from his embrace and stood up from the chair with an adorable pout, which almost shattered Naruto's resolve. Almost.
"Fine, spoil my fun" Her tempting pout soon turned to a deceptively sweet but deathly smile as she looked at him "Oh, if you even think about breaking your promise this time, not even death will be able to stop me from tearing ribbons out of your hide"
Naruto nodded vigorously. Man, this woman has got to be Mei's cousin or something!
With that, she did something he never would have expected from someone like her, she gave him a wet kiss on his cheek and ran away with steams pouring out of her ears like a steam engine, leaving a flabbergasted Naruto behind.
"Well, that was… exciting!"
Just as Rangiku disappeared behind a corner, a horde of Shinigamis appeared behind the confused Naruto and surrounded him.
"You're coming with us to our Captain" the apparent leader said with a sneer and stepped forward with his hand on the handle of his sword.
Naruto shrugged nonchalantly and walked up to the leader. He had nothing else to do right now, seeing as there was still time till the execution. He might as well meet this Captain and have some fun along the way.
"Ok" Naruto agreed cheerfully causing the leader to blink in surprise.
He hadn't expected the blond to surrender so quickly without even fighting them. Not finding a convincing enough reason or response, he shrugged nonchalantly. Who was he to prefer violence when the Ryoka wanted to come quietly?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Shunsui Kyoraku had seen countless unusual things in his long life. He had seen war and death, had seen comrades fall in battle. had seen friends become victims of the Hollows insatiable hunger for souls. He had seen failure and success. But all those things paled in comparison to what he was observing now.
A towering man with long blond hair and crimson eyes garbed in outlandish clothes being accompanied by his Squad members while the man whistled merrily, as if he was strolling through a park. He couldn't detect anything from the man, not even a flicker of Spiritual Energy and yet he had come to the Soul Society! He realized the man was far more than what he tried to appear, the vigilance and intensity of his crimson eyes said so.
He was grinning broadly, but Shunsui had learned from experience that appearance could be deceiving. The way he carried himself was that of a man who had been nurtured in wars, the way he looked around was the look of a man of infinite intelligence. The tall stature, the bulging muscles were that of a man who had trained his entire life. This one sure was an enigma!
"Captain Kyoraku, we found this Ryoka wandering around near the 8th Division barracks. We found it appropriate to bring him before you" the superior of the unit declared and led Naruto to the lying Captain.
"Is that so? Well thank you for bringing him here. You may go now" Shunsui drawled lazily without even sitting up.
Naruto looked at the lazy Captain with a sweatdrop. Pink Kimono and a straw hat! Seriously? This guy was supposed to be a Captain? He was even lazier than Shikamaru!
"So you're one of the Ryokas. I know you want to save Rukia from execution, but I'm afraid I can't let you go" Shunsui voiced out from beneath the straw hat.
"Well, I'm afraid I've to go!" Naruto retorted pleasantly.
"Well, then, if you're not ready to back away and I'm pretty sure I can't let you go either, so why don't we settle this down with Sake?" The lazy Captain offered. He knew the blond would refuse his offer, - almost every one of his opponents in the past had refused - but he had nothing to lose from a simple peace offering.
"Now, you're talking! Bring out the sake and let's get right to it" Naruto responded with a loud cheer while Shunsui blinked in surprise and sweatdropped.
Didn't this blond want to save his friend from execution a minute ago?!
Naruto strode forward and slumped himself in front of the Captain without hesitation or concern, astonishing Kyoraku with his confidence. Normally, people didn't agreed to his offer of peace and only perceived them as a sign of deception, but this blond accepted the offer without hesitation and sat right in front of him without anything to defend himself should he choose to attack.
That could only mean he was confident in his strength and power to thwart his attacks.
"The name is Shunsui Kyouraku, Captain of 8th Division" If he thought Naruto would be intimated by him being a Captain; he was sadly mistaken as Naruto didn't even blink.
"Your friendly neighborhood Spiderm… I mean Naruto Uzumaki, at your service!" Naruto said with a mock bow, which appeared more comical than polite because he seated at the moment. He really needed to stop watching those Cartoon shows and Animes with Tsunade!
"Well, what do you know; it seems we have something in common" Shunsui stated in surprise and took out a pot-like container of Sake with two small saucers, pouring one for himself and the other for the eager blond "The fact that you accepted my offer of peace could only mean that you hate violence as well, don't you?"
"I hate violence if it's improper, and FYI I didn't accept your offer of peace, I accepted your offer of Sake!" Naruto said bluntly while Shunsui sweatdropped "Who would want to fight when they could simply enjoy this sake? A moron that's who"
Man, this guy was straight forward!
"I agree. I'm surprised a person of your age is drinking sake" the lazy Captain agreed with a subtle smile and took a sip from his cup "Isn't there a law or something regarding that?"
Naruto choked on his sake as he heard the man practically call him under aged! If Tsunade heard that, she would be rolling on the ground from laughter. He was older than anyone in the world; in fact he was as old as the world itself! Technically, his real age may be a few millennia but he had all the memories, experience and knowledge of the previous Ten Tails, and the previous Juubi was as old as the earth itself!
"What is your real purpose for coming here if I may ask? As far as I know, Rukia had been in the Living World for a few months. That is nearly not enough time for a friendship to form so strong that you would risk your lives to save her" Shunsui inquired curiously and eyed the tall blond in interest who was sipping Sake carelessly.
"Wait! Who told you I was here to save Rukia?" Naruto asked confusingly, as if he didn't understand the question at all.
"Ah, isn't that why you guys are invading the Seireitei for?" Shunsui deadpanned.
"Hell no! I will let you in on a secret" Naruto whispered quietly and he leaned forward "You see, I have this cute little birdie friend and he informed me of this place wonderful sake, so in actuality I'm here for the sake!"
Shunsui sweatdropped at the clearly insane blond. Forget his earlier thoughts about the man having awareness and all that stuff, he was a certified lunatic!
"Captain, what the hell are you doing?" a loud indignant voice shouted from behind them.
Naruto and Shunsui turned their heads around and saw a beautiful glasses-wearing black haired woman with a large book tucked under her arm.
"Nanao-chan nice to see you again. As for what I'm doing, well, I'm drinking sake with our Ryoka friend here" Shunsui greeted lazily.
"I can see that! My question is, why aren't you apprehending him?" Nanao retorted snappishly.
"Hey hey, do you mind? We're trying to drink here!" Naruto complained.
"I do mind actually!" she snapped rudely and adjusted her glasses.
"Is it that time of the month for her or something" Naruto leaned forward and whispered.
Shunsui palmed his face and tried to laugh his nervousness away, knowing it wasn't going to end well for either of them if the multiple tick marks appearing on Nanao's temple were any indication.
"Ryoka, I suggest you start running, you too Captain" she stated ominously causing the two drinking used-to-be enemies to gulp loudly.
Naruto and Shunsui stood up with conviction and determination. They had to man up or they would never live it down! They gave each other a comforting manly hug and a pat on the back for good luck and with one last look at the still smiling Nanao, high tailed it out of there with a fuming Nanao hot on their tail.
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A few minutes later, we find a triumphant Nanao standing above a grumbling drinking duo. They had been caught after a few minutes of futile running and fell victims to Nanao's righteous female fury, the large bumps on their heads was a testament to that brutal fact.
Naruto and Shunsui were rubbing the large bumps as they grumbled about 'mean four-eyed ladies'.
Man, this woman hit hard!
"I hope you learned your lessen, you two" she asked with a victorious smile while they grumbled even harder, "Oh, Captain, I forgot I had something grave to report"
"Something grave?" Shunsui asked and rubbed his aching head.
"Yes, it seems Captain Aizen was assassinated last night by an unknown assailant. His body was pinned to a wall by his own Zanpakuto and was found by his Lieutenant, Momo Hinamori this morning" Nanao reported seriously causing Shunsui's eyes to widen in shock, while Naruto looked thoughtful.
It seems he had found his first suspect; he would have to investigate this matter further.
"That is unfortunate. Who could've done it?" Shunsui asked and gazed at the sky, deep in thought. This whole mess was so confusing. Their home being invaded by a few intruders, their kind and quite Captain assassinated by an unknown attacker!
"The assailant is not identified as of right now. Unfortunately, we can't simply launch an investigation at the moment either because of the Ryoka invasion!" Nanao replied and glared at the drinking Naruto.
"You're welcome" Naruto grinned when a giant tic mark appeared on Nanao's temple.
"Why is he here instead of the prison again?!" she asked in irritation.
She was tempted to punch that smug grin off his handsome face. Wait! Did she just call him handsome? Now that she looked at him closely, he was the epitome of physical male masculinity. The bulging muscles, the cheerful attitude and the exotic hair made for a very interestingly handsome man.
"Because I offered him peace and he accepted it" Shunsui replied with a lazy smile while Naruto gave a victory sign.
"That's right" Naruto added and finished his sake with one large gulp.
He suddenly turned serious and closed his eyes as he stood up dramatically, the sky above darkening as lightening flashed several times "Now that I have drunk my share of sake, there is only thing left to do…"
Shunsui and Nanao tensed and suddenly jolted up to prepare for an attack when they saw the serious expression on the blond's face.
Shunsui's hands were hovering over his duel swords, ready to draw it out in a moment notice, while Nanao had her hands prepared for a Kido. The lightening flashed even harder as sweat trailed down their faces while they waited for the blond enigma to attack. Though Shunsui couldn't help wondering how the sky suddenly turned cloudy with intimidating lightening flashing around when there was not a speck of cloud in the sky a moment ago.
"The only thing left to do now is ….. to find a place to crash down. Man I'm tired" Naruto declared pleasantly, causing Shunsui and Nanao to face-fault.
Nanao stood up with a vain pulsing on her temple and she glared at the grinning blond.
"I'm going to kill you, you bastard! You almost gave me a heart attack!" she screamed angrily and shook her small fists in front of her face.
"If you love me that much, you could've just said so!"
What happened next caused Nanao to drop her precious book in shock, anger and embarrassment! Naruto slapped her ass and bolted away like bat out of hell with a large dust trailing after him.
"GET BACK HERE YOU BASTARD!" Nanao shouted in outrage, her lips stretched to a thin line, her beautiful eyes narrowed dangerously and her normally stoic face tinted red from embarrassment as she chased after a maniacally laughing Naruto! The bastard dare slap her like that!
Shunsui pulled his large trimmed hat over his eyes as he chuckled softly. Things sure were going to be entertaining around here with him around!
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Later that Night
Naruto was standing near the tower where this Sosuke Aizen fellow was supposedly murdered and pinned to the wall by his own Zanpakuto no less. The wall of the building appeared to be covered in blood, trailing down from where he had been pinned down to the bottom, but that was all an illusion, not capable of deceiving his eyes. He was disappointed to see that the body had been taken down and was somewhere, but that was a minor setback soon to be rectified.
Everything possesses energy, meaning a soul was no exception to that fact. He was going to absorb the lingering energy on the tower and use that energy to search for a similar one in the Soul Society to see if his suspicion regarding the man were true or simply a product of paranoia.
He walked up the wall leisurely to the point where Aizen had been supposedly pinned and placed his hand in the center of the illusionary blood covered wall. Sure enough, there was some lingering Spiritual Energy. As soon as he absorbed the energy, the blood vanished without a trace, revealing a white spotless wall.
It seems his suspicion were true, the blood was merely a product of a well-placed illusion capable of deceiving the Captains as well as the rest of the Division members. He was quite intrigue over the fact that someone was able to cast an illusion during this era, granted it was not strong enough to fool him - not that any illusion could fool him - but still it was interesting to see.
Whoever this Sosuke Aizen was, he was an interesting fellow and Naruto was dying to meet him.
Closing his eyes in concentration, he searched for the energy similar to the one he absorbed from the wall, all over the Seireitei and the Soul Society. Snapping his eyes open, Naruto grinned widely when he found a similar match.
"Well well, Aizen, you may be able to fool your former comrades with an illusion, but I'm afraid you can't fool me"
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AN: Before any of you ask why Naruto didn't simply revive Rangiku when she died, the answer will be revealed later on!
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