Chapter 9: Trouble in the Shinobi World

After the final showdown between Naruto, Aizen, and his two subordinates, Naruto was sent to the Sōgō Kyūgo Tsumesho for a couple days in order to recuperate from overusing his Bankai and Kurama's Shroud. Those two things had placed great strain on his body, which is why he had suddenly collapsed after his battle with Aizen, but thanks to the immense stamina that he inherited from his Uzumaki Clan lineage, he had recovered at a shocking speed (Naruto had decided to only use both abilities at the same time as a last resort though).

After he had fully recovered, Naruto spent the next two days running the 13th Division due to Ukitake-taichou being temporarily beset by another bout of illness, but he had also managed to hang out with Ichigo and his friends who had hung out in Seireitei for a couple of days. He had also managed to make some amends with Byakuya who was still recovering from his fight with Ichigo, but there were still some things that they had to work on.

Naruto had also learned, unfortunately, that there had been fatalities as a result of Aizen's actions as the entirety of Central 46 had been murdered. This meant that the full authority over Soul Society was now in the hands of Yamamoto Genryusai.

[13th Division Barracks, Seireitei, Soul Society]

Five days after Aizen's betrayal…

Naruto and his captain Ukitake walked up to the 13th Division Barracks from the 1st Division Barracks and entered inside of it. Naruto looked surprised as he saw Rukia standing near the doorway along with Ichigo and the rest of the group; Kiyone and Sentaro were there as well.

Kiyone and Sentaro shot up at the sight of Naruto and Ukitake and rushed over to them. "UKITAKE-TAICHOUUU!" exclaimed Kiyone as she pushed her fellow 3rd Seat aside.

"OY, KIYONE!" roared Sentaro as he planted his face against hers. "I SAW THE CAPTIAN FIRST!"

"What?!" Kiyone slapped his across the face and jumped on him, pummeling him with her fists. "You wanna say that to my face again, baka?!"

Uryu sighed and looked at Naruto. "Don't those two ever stop arguing with each other?"

Naruto blinked as he watched the two fight. "Nope."

Rukia looked up from watching the two wrestle with each other and looked at Naruto and Ukitake. "Where have you and Naruto been, Ukitake-taichou?" she asked as she glanced outside. The sun's already setting…

"Oh, that," said Ukitake. "Since the 3rd, 5th, 9th Divisions had been left without a captain due to Aizen, Gin, and Tosen having defected, the captain-commander had been busy finding their replacements."

"I see…" Rukia blinked, not understanding where her captain was going with this.

Ukitake looked up at the ceiling as he thought back to the meeting that he and Naruto had just come back from. "Minato-fukutaichou and Fugaku-fukutaichou, the lieutenants of the 5th and 9th Divisions, respectively, had both achieved Bankai a long time ago, and with the leadership experience they had from when they were still alive, they were both promoted to the captain positions of their respective divisions through personal recommendations. Also…"

Rukia tilted her head to the side. "Yes?"

"… I had recommended Naruto for the Captain Proficiency Test, which is why we were at the 1st Division Barracks for so long."

Ichigo realized what was going on and looked at Naruto. "Oh, so you've actually been promoted to captain, Naruto?"

Naruto looked down sheepishly. "Well, it's going to be made official the following morning, but…"

Ichigo blinked. "Watsup?"

"Well, I'd much rather stay in the 13th Division and have Shisui-sensei become to captain, but Shisui-sensei had refused to take the test even though he had met the requirements because he fells that he's not the type to be a leader, but even so, I-."

"Naruto!"

Naruto stopped talking and turned around to see Rukia walking up to him. His eyes widened in surprise as she wrapped her arms around him, giving him a light hug. Naruto blushed slightly as he didn't have any girls give him that type of close contact other than when Sakura would punch him in the face.

"I'm happy for you," said Rukia unexpectedly. "You deserve the promotion, Naruto, and you should accept it proudly."

Naruto smiled at this. "Thank you, Rukia."

Kiyone, who had finished pummeling Sentaro, ran over to Naruto and bowed deeply. "Congratulations, Naruto-taichou," she said with a big grin on her face. "I'll miss you a lot, and I-."

"No, I'll miss you more, Naruto-taichou!" yelled Sentaro as he came rushing up to him.

"Hey, I was talking to him first, you baka!" scolded Kiyone as she punched Sentaro in the face.

Naruto blinked as he watched the two fight once more. I wonder if they even know that I'll still be able to visit the 13th Division…

[Sokyoku Hill, Seireitei, Soul Society]

Two Days Later...

Ichigo and his friends, along with Naruto, Ukitake, Minato, Fugaku, and the other Shinobigamis, arrived at Sokyoku Hill where a Senkaimon had been prepared for Ichigo and his friends,

Ukitake had already given Ichigo the Substitute Shinigami Badge. Naruto and his dad were now wearing a sleeveless captain's haori, while Fugaku was wearing a long-sleeved one. Kushina and Shisui had been promoted to vice-captains and now wore the vice-captain arm bands. A couple of the other captains were present as well.

Ichigo and Rukia looked at each other as they bid their farewells to each other. "Well, cya," said Ichigo as he smiled at her.

"Yea…" Rukia gave him a small smile. "See you later…"

Ichigo turned to look at Naruto, and Naruto walked up to him. "Take care of Rukia for me, Naruto," said Ichigo.

"Of course I will!" replied Naruto with a grin.

After they bumped fists, Ichigo turned around and entered the Senkaimon along with his friends. "Until we meet again, Naruto," said Ichigo; and with that, he disappeared.

After the Senkaimon closed, Naruto remained still as he stared at the gate. Ichigo and I might have to see each other much sooner than expected…

"Naruto!" called Rukia as she turned around to walk away.

"Yea, I'm coming!" answered Naruto, running after her.

[Karakura High School, Karakura Town]

Six months later…

Ichigo yawned as he dropped down on his seat, exhausted. Rukia, who was sitting next to him, blinked and slapped him across the head. "Hey!" scowled Ichigo as he glared at her. "What was that for?!"

"Pay attention, baka," sniffed Rukia, who had resumed her duties as the guardian of Karakura Town a few weeks prior. "High School's important at your age, you know."

Ichigo rolled his eyes as he picked up his pencil for the test that was today. Ichigo's teacher walked in the classroom at that moment and slapped a ruler across the palm of her hand. "Ok everyone," she said. "Does everyone have a pencil ready? Yes? Ok, good."

She glanced around the room and nodded. "Beg-!"

"OY, ICHIGO!"

Ichigo, his teacher, and his classmates all turned around as they heard someone calling for him from outside the school. Ichigo blinked. "Huh?"

"HURRY UP AND COME OUT BEFORE I GO IN THERE AND START LOOKING FOR YOU, ICHIGO! YOU'VE GOT FIVE MINUTES!" yelled the voice.

Uryu narrowed his eyes. "I know that voice…"

Ochi Misato, Ichigo's teacher, turned to look at Ichigo, as did the rest of the people in the room. "Hey Kurosaki, do you know that-?"

Ichigo jumped out of his seat and sprinted outside the classroom before she could finish. "JUST A RELATIVE!" Ichigo yelled out as he ran outside of the room.

Ichigo's teacher blinked. "Your relative?"

Outside of the school, a blonde-haired figure stood under a tree with an orange t-shirt and black pants on. "ICHIGO!" yelled the figure as he cupped his hands around his mouth. "HEY ICHIGOOO!"

A voice behind the figure sighed before when spoke it was in a stoic and calm male voice. "Do you really think that this 'Ichigo' character will come out if you keep yelling for him?"

The blonde-haired figure stopped yelling and turned around to face the figure behind him. "Of course he will," he replied. "I know that Ichigo will come out... there's your proof right in front of you!"

The second figure turned around to see where the blonde was pointing at, and he blinked in surprise as he saw a tall orange-haired figure heading their way.

"THERE HE IS!" sang the blonde-haired figure as he saw him. "ICHIGOOO!"

Ichigo scowled at the figure as he charged at him, his head bowed. "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR GODDAMNED MIND, NARUTO?!" he roared as he angrily charged at him.

Naruto easily sidestepped Ichigo's attack without even looking as stared at the school building with a bored look on his face. Ichigo crashed into the tree that Naruto had been hiding under and quickly jumped up with a red mark on his face.

"So is that how you greet the guy who helped you to control your Inner Hollow and taught you to control reiatsu enough so that you could place your Zanpakuto in a sealed state?" asked Naruto angrily yet comically.

Two months after Ichigo had returned home, Naruto had come to Karakura Town and, with the captain-commander's permission, trained Ichigo to control his Inner Hollow, which had nearly broken out several times before that point, and he had also taught Ichigo how to place his Zanpakuto in a sealed state, as the reiatsu from Ichigo's constant-released Shikai was causing the number of Hollows and the incidents related to them to steadily increase.

Ichigo remained angry despite this and shook his fist at Naruto. "IT IS WHEN THAT SAME GUY MAKES A HUGE RUCKUS IN FRONT OF MY FRIENDS IN ORDER TO GET MY ATTENTION!"

Before the two teenagers could argue any further, the voice from earlier coughed, getting both of their attentions. "Naruto, please remember that we have come for something other than a fistfight."

At this point Rukia arrived at the scene. She seemed surprised by Naruto's appearance. "N-Naruto! What are you doing here?" Wait! Rukia's eyes widened as she felt something near her. There's someone on the other side of the tree…

"You- come out of there now!" she ordered when she recognized the person's reiatsu.

The figure sighed and walked out from behind the tree, revealing himself to Ichigo and Rukia. The figure had black hair that he had tied into a low ponytail all the way down to his shoulder blades. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and grey pants. His most noticeable feature was the tear-troughs under each of his eyes, as well as his red eyes with three tomoes in each eye.

Ichigo's eyes widened as he saw the figure. The Sharingan?! He cleared his throat as he stared at the figure with narrowed eyes. "Are you… an Uchiha?" he asked slowly.

The figure nodded, confirming this. "My name is Uchiha Itachi."

"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo," said Ichigo. This guy acts a lot like Byakuya… "I think that I remember that name…" Ichigo had learned from the other Uchihas well, as Naruto was unwilling to discuss the matter of Itachi and the things that he had done.

"Are you a Shinigami now as well?" asked Ichigo.

"Yes," replied Itachi.

"Itachi had died just a little over a year ago," explained Naruto. "I won't go into the details, but he had graduated from the Shino Academy just a week before Rukia had returned to Karakura Town, and he's now my vice-captain. Kira Izuru was demoted to the 3rd Seat. I tried to get him into the Gotei 13 without getting into the Academy first because of the approaching conflict with Aizen and his lackeys, but the other captains rejected this, and-."

"But why are you and this Itachi here in the first place?" asked Rukia, realizing that something serious was going on.

Naruto's expression suddenly turned solemn before Ichigo, who suddenly realized what was going on, looked at Naruto. "Is something happening in the Shinobi World, Naruto?"

Itachi answered this question. "Something is going to happen very soon, and we know for a fact that Aizen is getting involved in it."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Naruto, did you come to ask for my help by any chance…?"

Naruto nodded after a brief pause. "I need someone that I can trust, but I'll understand if you can't-."

Ichigo shook his head, interrupting him. "I'll do it."

Naruto gaped at him in surprise. "Huh…?"

"You're my friend," said Ichigo bluntly. "Also, after all the time you had taken to train me, it's the least that I could do."

"I see…"

"But I do have two conditions," said Ichigo. "First, I want to say bye to my friends as I'm sure that this journey's going to take a while, and secondly, you have to tell me what the problem is that you need my help with."

Naruto nodded even though he had been planning to explain the situation to Ichigo regardless of whether or not he asked for one. "Agreed, but the explanation will have to wait until we get to Seireitei as some details have to be provided with others."

Ichigo nodded, signaling that he understood. Itachi blinked and turned around to leave. "We will be waiting for you at Urahara Kisuke's shop," he said.

Naruto had met Urahara the first he had come to Karakura Town, while Itachi had met him shortly before he and Naruto had come to Ichigo's High School.

And with that, Naruto and Itachi headed off towards Urahara's Shop, leaving Ichigo and Rukia alone to ponder on the situation.

Important Message:

Hey everyone- I'm going to be releasing my new story, "Changing History, Unchanging Heart" in a day or two (seriously this time; I just had a problem with the first chapter, so I had to edit it again just a little bit), so I would appreciate any support on it. Just check it out and see if you like it! I appreciate it.