I have taken a break from my other fan fiction in order to spend time working on this one but to be honest I have been struggling with this, so I am just going to power through this story as quickly as possible so I can work on my main Naruto fan fiction. So I apologise if the writing isn't great.

Chapter 9

Inoichi and Shikaku made their way back to where they started, having noted the lesser military presence in that area. The two looked to one another, contemplating the war that was moments away from beginning. The war between two universes.
"Inoichi, how many shinobi are here? In this world."
"I don't know, I haven't been able to sense any chakra since we got here."
"Not even mine?"
"No."
"So there could be thousands of shinobi here?"
"Or it could just be us, there is no way to know."
"Can you use the mind transmission technique openly, so that everyone within a certain radius can pick it up?"
"In theory, but the enemy could pick it up as well."
"Yes, but if what that strange looking man say was true. These 'soul reapers' can't sense or track our chakra." Inoichi nodded at his friend, he couldn't find a flaw in the plan. He made a series of hand signs and nodded again, making Shikaku place his hand on his friends head.

"People of the Shinobi world, my name is Shikaku Nara, some of you may know me. Some of you may not. Regardless, if you can hear this you have found yourself in this place, this strange world. We are in the afterlife of another universe, I don't know how we came to be here but is not what matters now. The beings of this universe plan to destroy our universe in order to save their own, we may be dead but we now have this chance to save our world once again…"
"Excuse me." Shikaku found his broadcast interrupted by a large demanding presence. Both Ninja were caught off guard by the appearance of their new enemy, he was a large anthropomorphic wolf. At his side was a regular man with sunglasses and carrying a small knife, Tetsuzaemon Iba.
"I may not be able to sense the presence of you 'shinobi' but I could smell you, I knew you were watching us earlier and I followed you here. I am sorry for the fate that will befall your world, but it is the course of action we must take to defend our own world." The wolf, known as Sajin Komamura took out his blade.
"Now I need the two of you to come with Me."
"I don't think we will be coming with you." Both ninja took a knife from their weapons pouch.
"Bankai." Sajin said, calmly as a large armoured warrior manifested seemingly from nothing from behind him. The armoured warrior towered above them all at over 100 meters tall. Both ninja dropped their knives, unsure of what they could do against this kind of power.

"This is the power of the soul society." Sajin said again as he reached down, the giant mimicking his moves reached down to the two ninja when suddenly a massive gash appeared, out of nowhere, down the warriors chest with blooding raining down out of it. A similar wound appeared on Sajin's chest as both he and his bankai fell to the ground.
"Hm, so your body is linked to that thing in such a way that it is actually a weakness. It is a larger target than you, how unwise to open yourself up like that at the beginning of a battle." A new voice boasted with confidence, his footsteps slowly approaching the ninja and soul reaper.
"You…" Inoichi gasped, recognising the man who approached them. Tetsuzaemon took his knife and somehow it transformed into a large blade, with it he rushed at the man approaching them but was swept away by a large gust of wind.
"I am sorry that your speech was cut short, Shikaku Nara, I did find it somewhat inspiring." He said, stopping his approach as he found himself directly next to his fellow ninja. Inoichi seemed to be enraged by his very presence, understandably so since the man who just saved them was the same man who killed them.
"Madara Uchiha."

"You know me? By reputation, or have we met?" Madara asked, not recognising the man.
"I was the strategic advisor for the allied shinobi forces, in the fourth great ninja war."
"Ah, so you were there. When I destroyed the headquarters with the ten tails power." Despite the awkward nature of the situation Madara didn't seem to care for it and carried on as if there were no special circumstances.
"You don't seem to be phased by the situation."
"Hm, our interests were opposed during that war. They now happen to align." Madara said, walking past the two men signalling them too follow.
"The fact you are here, and that you are helping us. We won the war. But what happened to you?" Shikaku questioned.
"A lot. I take it you have a plan, Shikaku Nara."
"What do you base that on?"
"Your coordination of the allied shinobi forces, it was impressive."
"Hm, these soul reapers have been rounding up us 'foreign souls' it would be advantageous for us to free the already imprisoned souls."
"Hm. Agreed, we should find where they are being held."

A few hours later, this new makeshift team were hiding in a tree across from a soul reaper facility.
"You think this is the place?" Shikaku asked his fellow leaf ninja.
"According to that soul reaper whose mind I read, yeah." The makeshift team, including Madara Uchiha found themselves in the corner of the second squad's barracks, in a place called the maggots nest. A prison used by the soul society to house people they considered to be a threat. Normally this place had very little minimal security outside but now, with its new inmates however they had placed a small army outside.
"You got an idea of how to get past them?" Inoichi asked but Shikaku was already looking at his other teammate. Madara sniggered at the two leaf ninja, jumping down to face the small army of soul reapers, alone.
"Hey, look at the way he's dressed…. He must be a foreign soul!" One of the soul reapers pointed out, as he and all of his comrades drew their blades. Madara dived into the hoard of soul reapers head on and began to dance around their attacks. Countless sword swings evaded. Madara used his fan like a flail knocking many of his attackers down, although not for very long.
"What is this… he is reading our moves so easily…"
"Look at his eyes, they must give him some kind of enhanced move reading…" Madara smirked, counting his opponents with his sharingan.
"Then let's give him something he can't read!" One shouted out, some of his comrades gathered along next to him.
"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south. Haddo Number 31 Shakkahō!" The group of them recited in unison, forming an orb of red energy in their hand. After growing in size all of the soul reapers launched the attack at Madara, who didn't move and let the attack approach him. The soul reapers seemed to rejoice in their attack landing when they heard a small laughter coming from within the created dust cloud.
"After that incantation, and with seven of you… this was all the power behind that attack. How pathetic, I'd like to hope that it would be more powerful when used by a more killed individual." He mocked the soul reapers as the smoke cleared to reveal his Susano defending him from the kido attack. In one move, the large humanoid figure sliced down with all four of its arms sending chakra waves which incapacitated almost everyone they hit. Those who remained, cowered at the sight of his power before running from the scene.
"Hm, it seems they don't have the will to dance anymore. Shall we get on with this, Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka?"

"Kisuke we have a problem." Yourichi arrived in the presence of her merchant friend as well as the two female ninja.
"Yourichi, what's wrong?"
"It's the shinobi souls in soul society, they are starting war. Apparently one took out the head captain, and the central 46 have…." She looked at two ninja for a moment, as if to brace them.
"Have ordered the destruction of the shinobi world." The two ninja leapt to their feet, enraged.
"We can't let that happen." Kisuke made his way to the two woman, signalling them to calm down but it only worked for one of them.
"Get your hands out of my face." Kushina barked, much to Urahara's fright.
"Listen, I will make preparations to send you to soul society. Ichigo and the others are already on their way, hopefully we can find another solution before this war takes too many lives." Urahara tried to explain, but it didn't seem to work on Kushina until Hinata stepped forward and took her hand. Turning to face her Kushina received a confident nod from Hinata, which made her stand down.

"Damn…. This place is a mess." Ichigo commented, observing the state of the rukon district. Even to an untrained eye, it was obviously the place that a battle had taken place.
"It seems that Yourichi was right, this looks like a war. I can sense a lot of soul reapers fighting, but I can't sense who they are fighting." Uryu explained. Behind them, a ninja pounced unnoticed by the group, swinging his sword at Ichigo. As his sword approached Chad jumped in-between them, having transformed his right arm into a shield. The ninja jumped back, taking his own defensive stance. The ninja began coughing.
"Everyone here has such unusual abilities." He spluttered out between coughing.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Hayate, Hayate Geko."