Hey everybody this is Shamrock Sage here with another KICK-ASS update for my pilot story Drink Away your Sorrows.
Now apparently a reviewer by the name of Skeptical got lost with the whole Naruto hating Sakura thing. My advice to anyone else who also lost me there: take a few deep breaths, clear your minds, and read the second chapter dumbasses.
Another review said Naruto should become an arrancar because of the anguish that his soul went through. I must admit that I considered the idea for a while before I wrote the first chapter but then I figured that the story would kind of dead-end eventually but I will consider writing one.
Thank you for your ideas about Naruto's zanpakuto but after two days worth of brain storming I finalized what his zanpakuto will be.
Remember that your criticism is always welcome here so please review if you have any suggestions. Now that that's taken care of please enjoy the fourth installment for Drink Away your Sorrows.
Disclaimer: ??? Is this really necessary I mean if I owned Naruto or Bleach I wouldn't be writing fanfiction online….. right?
Drink Away your Sorrows
Chapter 4: A New Beginning
-A meadow?-
Jiraiya and Naruto stood in the middle of a beautiful open meadow. The long grass lightly swaying in the breeze as the clouds slowly rolled by. "Why did you let me die daddy?"
Tears glistened in Naruto's eyes as he looked down at his son Jiraiya, "I'm so sorry please forgive me," Naruto begged in a broken voice.
"But you said you would never let anything happen to me or mommy that you would protect us forever and ever," Jiraiya said in a blank voice devoid of all emotion
"I don't….. I can't …. I'm sorry," Naruto fell to his knees holding his son in a tight embrace. Naruto couldn't give Jiraiya an explanation; he couldn't muster the words as guilt overwhelmed him.
The once peaceful meadow was now set ablaze with black flames, the grass turned to smoldering rubble and the clouds billows of smoke rising into the cold October night. Naruto once again found himself at the site where his entire world collapsed in on itself, unable to do anything, Naruto watched in horror as his entire family was murdered before his eyes… again .
-Shinigami Academy-
Naruto awoke in a cold sweat his eyes darted back and forth around the room rapidly searching for some unseen threat. He looked around his plain dorm room in detest; he had been here at the Shinigami academy for only a week now and he could already tell it would be about as pointless as the ninja academy he attended in his past life. The mornings were the worst for Naruto, ever since he regained his memories every night the ghosts of his past would come back to haunt his dreams. At first he tried the whole insomniac gig like his friend/brother Gaara, but the result was falling asleep in his classes, being disciplined in front of said class, and nonstop nightmares whenever he shut his eyes.
Surrendering to the nightmares and painful memories he confined his sorrows and self loathing to the nighttime while he suffered alone in his dorm room. Well almost alone, today he would finish his introduction Shinigami training and be mainstreamed into this year's 'freshman' class. The dorm room he currently inhabited was only temporary. When he finished his introduction he would bunk with another student with an available bed. Still three hours until classes began Naruto laid back unto the bed and replayed the recent events in his head.
-Naruto 1 week ago-
Naruto's eyes fluttered open as became aware of his surroundings, he was in a large tower over looking an immaculate looking city nothing like the slums he found himself in previously. The tower stood at least a solid 1000 feet above the city overlooking the entire enclosed city and a nice view of a seemingly endless city separated from the area he was in by a massive wall.
"Admiring the view I see," said an unfamiliar voice that seemed to demand the listeners respect.
An old man sat behind a desk in the back of the room. He had obviously seen and fought many battles as his scared and wrinkles face stoically examined the cherry-blond man before him. Naruto opted not to make a response to the rhetorical statement an only stared at the old man's seemingly shut eyes.
"You are new to this realm are you not?"
"That is correct although apparently a piece of me arrived before I," answered Naruto.
"Ah yes, I believe she is called Benihime she is a very promising Shinigami to be."
Naruto was slightly taken aback he had not expected the old man to already know so much about the connection between him and Benihime.
"Don't look so surprised I know everything that happens in my Seireitei ." "You are Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto are you not?" questioned the old man, Naruto gave him a curt nod. "I have heard much about you, I ordered Benihime to tell me everything that she knew about you and was pleasantly surprised to learn that she shared all of your memories."
"Then you wouldn't mind my avoiding the subject. If you have already heard everything about my past life than talk of it will do us no favors," responded a slightly peeved Naruto.
"I understand your irritation I was merely referring to your previous occupation."
Naruto's eyes narrowed as he leered at the old man, "And what pray tell, would you want with a former shinobi."
"Ah but you are no normal shinobi are your Namikaze-san." The old man rose from his chair and strode over to the balcony overlooking the Seireitei. "You were once what is refered to as a jinjuriki correct?"
"If you are after the demon that was once incarcerated inside of me I am sorry to inform you it is no longer confined within me."
"Benihime is not what interests at the moment Namikaze-san but rather the treatment your kind received in your past life."
Naruto scoffed, "You speak as if me and my fellow jinjuriki weren't human."
"Not at all it was just a generalization, but despite how you were looked upon and treated in your past life you still became a leader in your country."
"Well that's all in the past, I can no longer utilize my chakra so my skills and profession are no good to you."
"True, but your fighting skills and strength remain intact and according to Benihime's report you can still employ a technique called the Hiriashin."
"If it's my bloodlines you are after I regret to inform you that neither of my bloodlines seem to be active anymore, the move I used in the fight against that creature definitely felt different from the Hiriashin."
"Also true, that move is known as a shunpo and is a control oriented technique and given that it was your first time using your rieatsu it is fairly impressive that you were able to use it at all," he mused
Naruto's eyes narrowed at the old man."If I didn't know any better I would say you're a bit of a stalker old man," Naruto mocked with a smirk on his face.
The old man just stared at the cherry-blond, "Don't flatter yourself boy, I merely have a good sense of character and potential." " And you my dear boy have more of both than I have ever seen I my long life." "I assume Benihime gave a brief explanation as to what you fought in the Rukon district."
"Yes, I believe that they are called hollows correct?"
"Do you know what they are?" asked the old man as his already grim expression seemed to deepen further.
"I have theories but I can't say for certain," Naruto answered faintly.
"They are the souls of departed humans that died in anguish." Naruto's eyes widened in shock he had not suspect that 'THING' had once been a human like himself. The old man continued, "From what Benihime has told me you were not so unlike them when you perished. Full of misery, self-loathing, and hatred… the perfect recipe for a hollow. So why are you here?" The old man questioned as he carefully examined Naruto with his eyes as if searching for a sign of some sort. "Regardless, you are here and so now I arrive at the reason for this meeting. I Head-Captain Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryusai humbly request that you Namikaze Naruto enroll in the Shinigami Academy."
-Dorm room-
A loud knock on his door and a shout of "Hey dumbass it's time for zanpakuto manifestation!!" woke Naruto from his reverie. He hate so far hated his stay at the Shinigami Academy, then again thus far all that he had learned was the inn's and out's of the Seireitei and some of the history of the Soul Society. Surprisingly, the Soul Society was not so unlike Konoha: the majority of the Shinigami came from the higher numbered Rukon district, noble clans were given special privileges and had private estates, and the entire Soul Society fell under the authority of 'old man' Yamamoto. He had passed his introduction classes with flying colors and all that was left before he would be formally accepted into the academy was the manifestation of his zanpakuto.
Jumping off his bed Naruto started to slowly stroll his way down to the auditorium where the Freshman class was all gathered for manifestation.
-Auditorium-
Yamamoto sat atop a central stage watching as the squirming masses of this year's freshman class stood eagerly awaiting to receive their zanpakutos. Their first year grades would determine when they would manifest their zanpakutos with one exception, Namikaze Naruto would be the last to receive his zanpakuto seeing as he had missed the entire first year he was automatically the lowest scoring in the class. Yamamoto doubted that this would bother Naruto that much; after hearing his life story from Benihime he very much doubted that being dead-last again would humiliate someone like Naruto. Yamamoto stood from his chair and walked forward ready to address the class.
Naruto entered the room just in time… well half an hour late anyway, but he had quote, "gotten lost on the road of life." Right when he entered the room a deathly silence washed over the room and a woman with short black hair and a petite build emerge from a doorway behind the stage with a brand new red hilted katana in hand. Tears were streaming down her face as she rushed over to friends with congratulations filling the air.
Yamamoto gave a small smile as he saw Naruto enter the room and the young girl emerge from the manifestation room with her zanpakuto in hand. "Next is Momo Hinamori," he announced and a loud squeal pierced the air as a beautiful girl with purple hair rushed into the manifestation room and reemerge several minutes later with a new katana similar to the first one. Naruto already disinterested propped himself against the back wall and promptly fell asleep.
-Several Hours Later-
Naruto was now alone in the auditorium with Head Captain Yamamoto as the second to last person emerged from the manifestation room. He had an arrogant look on his chubby face and his overweight body jiggled as he sauntered over to Naruto zanpakuto in hand. "You're the last one Dumbass," he said with the same arrogance and ego as a member of the Uchiha clan. Naruto already knew the man was nobility just the way he covered his fat ass was screaming nobility, with normal Shinigami robes and an elegant purple sash across his chest.
Naruto gave the man an evil leer as Head Captain Yamamoto announced his name and he made his way into the back room to 'meet' his zanpakuto. The man figuring that it would be fun to berate his zanpakuto after Naruto received it, stuck around until Naruto was finished.
-In the manifestation room-
Naruto stood in a pitch black room with a look of confusion on his face. All around him he could hear the wind hollowing and yet he could not feel it. He felt a sudden pain in his chest and saw as the shadowy room began to flood with light.
As the darkness faded Naruto found himself in the same meadow that he dreamt of almost every night. However, instead of his deceased family two figures appeared before Naruto. The first was a large figure clothed in large black cloak that seemed to be made from darkness itself. His head was concealed behind a hood that shrouded his entire face in darkness. Protruding from his back were two massive black angelic wings. The figure seemed to levitate rather than stand but, since he feet were covered in the cloak it was impossible to tell.
Next to him stood another; he had long black hair that coiled behind him and a straight black beard covered his face. His tanned skin was covered in deep blue lines that glowed with another worldly light. He was clothed in a black outfit that had a metal lions head over his heart, one arm was covered in a long black sleeve and the other had no sleeve. In the same fashion one side of his leg had a cape and the other was just a pant leg. (AN This is Cloud's outfit in Kingdom Hearts 2 and Advent children.)
The cloaked figure spoke first in a cold deep voice that demanded respect "Greetings Namikaze Naruto I am …….." The bearded man was next to speak, "And I am …… It is normal that you cannot hear our names at first but as you may have already deduced we are your zanpakuto."
Naruto gave both the men blank stares, "I don't understand how can you both be my zanpakuto each soul reaper only gets one."
The hooded figure spoke again, "our origins and how we are intertwined can be answered by your teachers on a later date. Our time is brief so before we run out you must sprint across the meadow and dive into a lake of either black water to gain my power or a lake of pure blue water right next to the black one for …….'s power before you are consumed." He said while gesturing to the bearded man.
"Consumed?" asked a clearly baffled Naruto. Another calm hand gesture from the cloaked figure motioned to the horizon as smoke and black flames began to consumed the grasslands. Naruto's eyes widened as he turned on his heels running in the opposite direction of the flames.
Naruto broke into a dead sprint as he saw out the corner of his eyes the black flames beginning to burn lengthwise across the field as well. He felt the searing black flames beginning to lick at his heels and his eat away at his hakama pants. Just as the flames were about to close in on him two shimmering pools came into view. Not knowing which one to pick Naruto dipped his feet in both pools. The meadow returned to normal and the figures reappeared. Warm smiles adorned their faces, "You pass," they both said in unison.
"What?" asked a now pissed Naruto. The bearded figure spoke, "If you had picked one pool you would only have been consumed by the flames, but you followed your instincts and chose both pools and for that we give you the right to wield us." The wind began to howl and the air flooded with light as Naruto was ejected from the meadow.
-Auditorium-
Yamamoto was beginning to lose patience; Naruto was taking double the normal time it took to manifest a zanpakuto. To make matters worse he had to contend with Marechiyo Omaeda, whose stupid remarks about how Naruto probably was rejected by his zanpakuto were really beginning to annoy him. Opting for silence he awaited patiently for the Naruto to emerge so that he could return to his duties.
A bright light emitted from the room that momentarily blinded Marechiyo and Yamamoto . As they regained their senses they saw an awe-inspiring sight. Naruto stood clad in the same clothes as the bearded man (Yes Naruto is in Cloud's outfit now.) Slung on his back was a massive claymore that had a leather binding on the end of the blade (William Wallace's sword in Braveheart) and on his side was a pitch black nodachi with a red guard in the shape of a Templar cross sheathed in a elegant black ash wood sheath. A large smile adorned Naruto's face as Yamamoto and Marechiyo stood speechless "Sorry to keep you waiting," was all Naruto said before he exited the Auditorium and headed to his pre-assigned dorm room.
He quietly opened the door to dorm room 2269 placed his blades down next to a somewhat familiar red katana and plopped down in the unoccupied bed. His eyes drifted shut as sleep quickly overtook the cherry-blond Shinigami.