Chapter 9 – Old Friends
Disclaimer: Same thing applies as last time. I don't own Bleach or Naruto. They are the respective property of Tite Kubo and Masashi Kishimoto. This fan fic is just for fun and is not meant for profit.
A/N: I'll be posting a story challenge on my profile soon. Please check it out and PM me if you are interested in taking it.
[Shinigami Team's Condo, Konohagakure, Land of Fire, Shinobi World]
Current Time...
The shinigami team soon arrived at the condo that Tsunade gave them, after departing from the Hokage Tower. The inside of the condo had cream-colored walls and white carpeting. It had a small kitchen area with a stove, a rice cooker, refrigerator, and a few cabinets. There was also a small dining room table with a few chairs. Near the back of the condo was what could be considered the living area. It consisted of a comfortable three-cushion couch, two arm chairs, a glass coffee table, and a very large oaken bookshelf filled with a variety of books. There were also two doors on either side of the room.
"This place is better than my old apartment," Naruto said as he relaxed on the sofa and kicked his sandals off.
"In my opinion, it is modest at best," Byakuya stated as he pulled a book off the bookshelf titled Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi and began to flip through it. Renji was currently raiding the fridge, drinking directly from a carton of milk.
"Renji, what are you doing? And more importantly, is that milk expired?" Naruto asked as he eyed the Sixth Division Lieutenant.
"I didn't get to eat breakfast this morning, and don't worry, this milk has at least a month left before it expires. Why do you ask?"
"Let's just say that I've had a bad experience with expired milk when I was alive. And let's leave it at that," Naruto said as he placed his arms behind his head. However, Ichigo decided to ignore Naruto's wishes and began to ask questions.
"So what exactly happe-"
"I said let's leave at that!" Naruto snapped at the orange haired substitute, clearly not wanting the subject to be brought up again. Ichigo backed off as he sat down in one of the armchairs. Renji soon joined them after putting the milk away and wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his shihakusho.
"Alright, according to the information that was gathered by the Onmitsukidō, there is little to no Hollow activity in Konoha itself, since the shinobi are able to see them and drive them off. But I'm setting up a patrol schedule just to be on the safe side. And here's how it'll go: Renji, then Byakuya, then Ichigo, and finally me."
"Wait, why are you last?" Ichigo asked as Naruto sat up.
"I've arranged the patrol schedule in order by last name. It's not my fault that my last name begins with a 'u'." the Third Division captain replied. "And as I said to Tsunade-sama, we'll also be training to get stronger since we don't know what Aizen will throw at us. Any questions?"
"When will our training regime begin, Captain Uzumaki?" Byakuya asked. Although he wasn't entirely fond of training, he knew that it was necessary.
"We'll start training the day after tomorrow, since there's going to be a meeting with my peers tomorrow. Now let's see what they have to eat around here.
A few hours later…
After searching the kitchen, the team had dinner, which consisted of sushi and rice bentos found in the refrigerator. Ichigo, Renji, and Byakuya had gone off to bed while Naruto had stayed up to give his report to Yamamoto via his Soul Pager.
"With the exception of the imperfect Arrancar, everything has gone smoothly so far, Head Captain," Naruto said as he paced around the living room. He currently had his Captain's haori off, which was now on the couch.
"Very well, Captain Uzumaki. Please contact me again in case anything else comes up."
"Also Captain, there is a small detail that you messed up on … everyone doesn't assume I'm MIA! Everyone knows that I'm dead! Where did you get your info from anyway?"
"I received it from the Onmitsukidō. If you are going to complain to anyone, then complain to Captain Soifon. Now then, have a good evening."
Yamamoto then hanged up on Naruto as he began to dial the number to Soifon's office.
"Greatest intel gatherers my ass," Naruto muttered to himself as he waited for the petite Second Division Captain to answer the call.
"This is Soifon, Captain of the 2nd Division and Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō. How can I be of service?" Soifon replied in her usual cold and neutral tone. It irked Naruto that Soifon was like this all the time. The only time she would drop this stoic mask was whenever Yoruichi was brought up or when she was with her lieutenant.
"Hey Soifon! How's it going?"
"I am doing fine, Naruto. Please explain to me why you are calling me at this hour?"
"I just called to file a complaint."
"The 2nd Division does not serve as the department of human resources, Naruto."
"I'm aware of that. I'm calling to direct a complaint against the Onmitsukidō itself. It deals with faulty information I received for my mission."
Soifon paled at this as Naruto casually continued.
"The information that Old Man Yama received said that I was considered to be MIA by Konoha. However, when I got back and meet with my old team, I found out that everybody assumes that I'm dead. Care to explain this little mishap?"
"Um, well you see, it's … it's Omaeda's fault! Yes, he was the one gathering information, and that dumbass dropped the ball while doing it. If there's anyone to blame, its him!"
"Soifon, you blame Omaeda on everything. Why do you even keep him around?"
"So I can use him as a stress reliever. That, and he's rich which has been of some use to the Onmitsukidō."
"Whatever, I'll call you if anything else comes up," Naruto said as he hanged up. Soifon let out a long sigh, as she just dodged a bullet with that phone call. She then returned to what she was previously doing: throwing kunai at a picture of Kisuke Urahara, which hanged on her wall, as if it were a dartboard.
The next day…
Naruto sighed as he looked around the condominium. Byakuya was sitting in an armchair, reading one of the books that was found on the shelf. Ichigo was lying on the couch, with Zangetsu propped up on a wall. Renji was currently out on patrol, and so far, he didn't encounter any Hollows. He looked at a clock on the wall, and realized it was time for the meeting with his peers. He got up from the chair he was sitting on and nonchalantly kicked Ichigo several times. Ichigo stumbled off of the couch and landed face first on the floor.
"What the hell was that for, you jackass?!" Ichigo comically shouted, as Naruto calmly stood there, unfazed by the Substitute's outburst.
"It's almost time for the meeting with my peers. Also, you need to apologize to Tsunade-sama. Coming along Byakuya?"
"No," the Kuchiki Clan head replied as he turned a page in his book.
"Suit yourself. Let's go, Ichigo," Naruto said as the two teenagers stepped outside and flashstepped off to the Hokage tower.
[Hokage Tower, Konohagakure, Land of Fire, Shinobi World]
Ichigo and Naruto soon arrived at the Hokage Tower in a matter of minutes, and arrived at Tsunade's office via the window. The blonde sannin, who was currently scratching off a lottery ticket, was surprised at the two's entrance.
"Would it hurt you to use the door?" she asked, clearly annoyed as the two shinigami presented themselves in front of her.
"Sorry, it's out of habit," Naruto said. "Anyways, Ichigo has something to say to you."
"Yeah… sorry about bringing up your age yesterday. I didn't know it was a sensitive topic."
"Apology accepted. Just think before you open your mouth next time, Mr. Kurosaki."
"Just call me Ichigo. I'm not into all of that formal crap," Ichigo said as he took a seat alongside Naruto.
"So Tsunade-sama … do the others know about me now?"
Tsunade nodded at the young captain before beginning her explanation.
"I called Teams 8, 10, and Gai in an hour after our meeting yesterday, and I explained the situation to them. They find it hard to believe that you're alive, and when I told them you're now a death god, they thought I might have gone insane."
"Well, it does sound far-fetched from their perspective," Naruto said as he smiled and scratched the back of his head. "So are they ready to talk to me?"
"Yes they are, Naruto. They're in a room down the hall along with your old team and Sai. Good luck."
"Thanks, Tsunade-sama," Naruto said as he and Ichigo left. Tsunade sat still frozen for a minute, still not use to Naruto using honorifics and respecting his elders/superiors.
The captain and the substitute walked down the hall until they reached the door that Tsunade described. Naruto took a deep breath as he hung his head low. Ichigo didn't fail to notice this.
"You nervous?"
"What do you think?" Naruto said humorlessly as he walked into the room.
The Konoha 12 were in the room, either sitting on chairs or on a couch. They all looked as a person walked through the door and were shocked at what they saw, with Hinata almost fainting at the sight.
It was Naruto, but he was completely different from the blonde they once knew. He was no longer short and scrawny. Naruto was now around 5'7" or 5'8", and had now had a slightly muscular build. His muscles were lean and tightly compacted, giving the build of an athlete. His hair was also shaggier and unruly, and it now reached the back of his neck. They thing that surprised the Konoha 12 the most was the fact that Naruto was wearing very little orange. The only orange thing he wore was the sash around his waist. Naruto instead wore a black kosode and black hakama with shinobi style sandals and a sleeveless white haori. On the back of the haori was a rhombus that had the kanji for "three" inside of it. He also had on a black headband with a metal plate sewed on to it. Engraved on the plate was the kanji for "shinigami". Lastly, Naruto wore a jade magatama bead necklace around his neck, and had a katana with a burnt orange hilt kept in his sash.
Giving his friends a small smile, Naruto soon broke the silence.
"Hey guys, how's it going?" Naruto asked as if he were talking about the weather. However, he was soon bombarded with a barrage of questions.
"Naruto, is it true that you're dead?"
"Who's the kid with the orange hair?"
"Why are you dressed in a kimono?"
"Why don't you look like an actual shinigami?"
Naruto slowly analyzed each of the questions before calmly answering them in order.
"Let me answer your questions in order: Yes, I am dead, the kid behind me is a friend named Ichigo Kurosaki, I'm wearing the standard attire of a shinigami, and actual shinigami are much different from the shinigami you guys know about."
"How so?" Shikamaru asked as he raised an eyebrow at the last statement. He now wore a long sleeved black shirt with matching pants and sandals along with his Chunin vest. He still has his forehead protector on his left bicep, but the metal plate was now sewn onto his shirt.
"First off, it's nice to see you again, Shikamaru. I'm surprised that you haven't made jonin yet."
"As of now, I'm content with being a chunin. Going through the jonin trials is too troublesome."
Naruto chuckled at his friend's behavior as he took a seat.
"Now, where to begin…"
Half an hour later…
"And that about covers the abilities and duties of a shinigami," Naruto said as he waited for the questions to come.
"Naruto-san, why are you exactly back among the living?" Shino asked. Naruto was mometarily stunned by this question as he looked at Shino.
"Shino? When did you get here?"
"I have been here the whole time," the Aburame deadpanned as Naruto gave him an apologetic grin.
"Sorry about that. I guess I didn't of notice that you were there," Naruto replied as he got back to the subject at hand.
"As for your question Shino I'm currently here with a team of three other shinigami which includes Ichigo here. We're to protect Konoha from a rogue Shinigami named Sosuke Aizen. Some time ago, he defected along with two other captains. He's currently targeting Konoha for unknown reasons."
"How powerful is this Aizen person?" Neji asked. Naruto sat there in thought before answering.
"Well Neji, he's a cunning bastard, is pretty intelligent, and usually has things planned out well in advance... sometimes by years. He's at the level of a Captain, so he's no pushover either. I heard that he's able to successfully use a 90's level Kidō without the incantation. However, he does have a few weaknesses: he relies too much on his zanpakuto, and I was able to exploit that to my advantage in our fight."
"Heh. If you were able to kick his ass, then this Aizen guy should be easy to take down," Kiba boasted. However, he soon stopped when Naruto gave him a rather stern look while releasing some of his reiatsu.
"Don't underestimate Aizen, Kiba. He was able to fool the majority of the Gotei 13 for over one hundred years, and he's able to defeat at least two captains effortlessly. That's why I have a request for you guys: I want you to train to get stronger so you might have a chance of defeating Aizen. After what I saw with my old team you're all going to need it."
All of Naruto's friends simultaneously gave him a nod. Ichigo, who was standing in a corner with his arms crossed, smiled at this. He was glad that Naruto's friends didn't treat him any differently, even though they may or may not of known about the burden he carried.
Naruto gave his friends one of his usual big grins before turning to leave.
"Thanks guys. If you want to catch up later or meet the rest of my team, then I'm always open. Let's go, Ichigo."
The orange-haired teenager nodded and followed Naruto down the hallway. However, they suddenly stopped when they heard the sounds of running footsteps. Both of them turned around to see Rock Lee running towards them. Lee had changed the least out of the Konoha 12, with the only change in his attire being a chunin vest.
"Oh, what's up, Bushy Brows?"
Ichigo blinked in confusion.
"Bushy Brows...?" he thought to himself as Lee continued to speak with Naruto.
"Naruto-kun! First off, I want to tell you that I am glad that your flames of youth are burning as bright as ever, even if you are now a spirit."
"Um … thanks, I guess."
"Secondly, I wish to spar with you later, and see how the techniques that Gai-sensei has taught fare against this 'hakuda' of yours."
"I'll definitely spar against you, Lee. But you should be warned: I'll be giving it my all."
"And I shall likewise. Good day to you, Naruto-kun and Kurosaki-kun," Lee said energetically as he ran off to find his teammates and sensei. Ichigo just stood there, dumbfounded by this rather eccentric shinobi he just met.
"What the hell are the 'flames of youth'?"
"I've been asking myself that question ever since I meet him. The only thing that I have figured so far is that its pretty amusing."
[Training Ground 7, Konohagakure, Land of Fire, Shinobi World]
The Next Day…
Renji and Ichigo were currently sitting under the shade of a tree as they watched Naruto and Byakuya spar each other. Both of them had their sealed zanpakutos out, and were currently trading blows with each other. Byakuya had his in a one-handed grip, and was delivering a series of quick blows to Naruto. The Third Division captain, on the other hand, had his in a two-handed grip and was blocking Byakuya's blows while delivering powerful ones of his own. Both of the captains created some distance between them and placed their swords by their sides.
"Bakudō #62: Hyapporankan (Hundred Steps Fence)," Naruto shouted as he created a glowing, blue-light rod of energy in his free hand and threw it at Byakuya as if it were a javelin. It then multiplied into a hundred more of these rods as they sped towards Byakuya, who was unfazed by this.
"Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku (Locking Bondage Stripes)," Byakuya said as his hands created a golden chain made out of reiryoku. However, instead of using it to bind Naruto, he instead used it break each of the rods of Naruto's spell, as it swiftly destroyed the projectiles as if it were a serphant. Byakuya then pointed his index and middle fingers at Naruto.
"Hadō #73: Sōren Sōkatsui (Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down)," Byakuya announced as he fired off two torrents of light blue reiryoku at the Third Division Captain. Naruto just smirked at this as he raised his own palm and started to create a crackling orb of yellow lightening.
"Hadō #63: Raikōhō (Thunder Roar Sear)," Naruto said as he releaed his build up energy, which took the form of a lightening strike. Despite Raikōhō being ten levels lower then Sōren Sōkatsui, it was able to cancel out the spell. Naruto then outsetreched his entire right arm as he announced his next attack.
"Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Reihō (Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon)."
Soon, a gigantic beam of electrical reiryoku shout out of Naruto's palm and raced towards Byakuya. The Kuchiki clan head was taken back by this, but was able to snap out of his shock and flashstepped away from the incoming attack. This had also caught Renji's attention, since Naruto was using a high level Kidō spell with relative ease. Byakuya then reappeared in front of Naruto, looking slightly impressed.
"I am not a person who gives out compliments, Captain Uzumaki, but I must give credit where it is due: that was most impressive. You have only been a shingami for three years and are able to use high level Kidō without an incantation. Kidō prodigies such as Momo Hinamori or your lieutenant Izuru Kira have not been able to accomplish a feat such as that."
"Thanks, I guess; you're not too shabby yourself." Naruto said as Byakuya raised his sword in front of him, before saying his zanpakuto's release command.
"Scatter, Sebonzakura (One Thousand Cherry Blossoms)."
The blade of Byakuya's sword soon disintegrated into thousands of smaller blades, which now looked like cherry blossoms. Despite the impeding danger racing towards him, Naruto was unfazed as he held his sword in front of him.
"Break Through the Storm, Kaze no Moi,"
Naruto's zanpakuto soon took the shape of its chokuto form. He then raised his sword in a defensive position, as the blade started to emit large gusts of winds that blew Byakuya's shikai away. Byakuya was hardly amused, as he redirected his shikai to attack Naruto from behind. However, he failed to notice orange reiryoku covering the chokuto, which was soon covered by a small cyclone.
"Kazekama!," Naruto yelled as he launched his attack at Byakuya's shikai, which was able to push the tiny blades back. However, before either Captain could continue their spar, a low, impressed whistle interrupted them.
"Wow, that's some pretty techniques the two of you are fighting with."
The Shinigami turned and noticed Kakashi, along with the rest of Team 7, walking towards them. The two teams were soon face to face with each other.
"Kakashi-sensei? What are you doing here?"
"Well, this is technically our training field Naruto."
"Sorry, I forgot about that," Naruto replied sheepishly as his zanpakuto returned to his sealed state.
"And I also wanted to see how much you have improved compared to Team 7 since you've passed on."
"And how do you plan on doing that, Kakshi-sensei?"
Kakashi's response was to reach into his pocket and pull out a pair of shiny silver bells that were attached by two strings. Naruto felt himself inwardly groan at this revelation.
"You have got to be kidding me."
Next Time - Bell Test
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