`Ello folks! Back with the next chapter! Before we begin, though, I'd like to say two things, so…
IMPORTANT NOTE: The group I talk about in the last chapter are NOT the Jinchuuriki! Sorry, it is an interesting idea, but I don't have most of their names and their personalities are never (or at least not yet) have been revealed—If I tried to do their characters, they'd just come out OC's, and I'm not good at those! Also, I'd have to come up with a lot of good Zanpakuto ideas! The group had already been decided, I have all of their Zanpakuto's planned out, and I think I did a pretty good job! Anyway, I just wanted to clear that up.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There, try to ignore that sign! Anyway, as some of you may have guessed, Naruto will be gaining new techniques for his Bankai. I won't be spoiling much if I tell you there will be 15. The 15th technique is already decided, but the other 4 are going to be up to you! Simply review with your idea for a technique and it's name! I'll pick ten and post a poll on my profile and the top four will become the techniques! So, think up some cool ideas and post 'em! You never know—you might be a winner! Anyone can play, member or not, just review and have fun!
Well, let's get started!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Bleach.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"Hollow Talking" (Arrancar talk normally)
'Hollow Thinking'
……………………………………………………………………………………………....
"…Me?" Ichigo questioned as he stared at Karin, "…a Shinigami?! Wha…What the hell?! A Shinigami?! What are you talking about, Karin? Stop acting stupid."
"I saw you…" Karin spoke, "…a long time ago. At first, I didn't know what is was…but, that old guy, Kanonji, he-"
Karin was cut off as a large spike of pressure filled the area, making it hard to breathe…
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Chad and Orihime gasped as they stood in the street at the pressure spike.
"This…This spiritual pressure is…!" Chad managed to mutter as he looked at the area it came from.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Urahara, Yoruichi, and Naruto froze and glared out the window.
"Naruto…" Yoruichi mumbled.
Naruto, who was napping on the couch in The Sly Fox, sighed and stood up, stretching and cracking his knuckles.
"Yeah, yeah…I feel it," Naruto replied, "So…the Espada are back for round two, huh?"
………………………………………………………………………………………………
"Bah…" the larger Arrancar muttered, "I came to the human world a few times with my mask on, but it's really boring! The spiritual energy here is too thin!"
"Stop whining," the smaller one ordered, "I said I'd be fine one my own, but you insisted on coming, Yammy."
"Yeah, yeah…" Yammy mumbled, "Sorry, Ulquiorra."
"W-What the hell…?"
Ulquiorra and Yammy looked up to see a group of people observing the crater they had created.
"Was it a meteor?"
"I don't see anything in there…"
"…What's with these guys?" Yammy asked, cracking his neck, "I'm gonna eat them now…"
Yammy sucked in the air and with it, all the souls of the people surrounding them.
"Yuck!" Yammy spat as he finished his meal.
"What did you expect?" Ulquiorra questioned, "Such weak beings could never be tasty."
"They kept staring at me like I was a freak!"
"Normal humans can't see you."
"I know, I know," Yammy grumbled, "But I still don't like it. So, how many are we going to kill?"
"Just one," Ulquiorra replied, "You can leave the others alone."
"We have to find a single bug in this nest of them?" Yammy asked, a grin on his face.
"I heard that, presently, there are four humans that have noticeable power…" Ulquiorra spoke, "The rest are just trash. It shouldn't be hard to find them."
"What a surprise!" Yammy exclaimed as he looked at one of the fallen bodies before him, "We have a survivor!"
Tatsuki struggled to stand as she looked at the scene before her, "W-What…happened here…? W-What are they?!"
Yammy grinned as he walked up to Tatsuki, "You got hit by my "Gonzui" but your soul didn't fly away! I can tell that you're a strong spirit! Am I right?"
Yammy suddenly turned to Ulquiorra, "Is she it?"
"Look closely," Ulquiorra answered, "Her spirit is on the verge of collapsing simply because you're standing too close—she's trash."
"So, it was just a coincidence she survived my attack?" Yammy had a disappointed look on his face, "How boring! Bye, then."
Just as Yammy was about to kill Tatsuki, two figures appeared to block his way.
"Huh? Who the hell are you?" Yammy questioned as he shot a strange look at Orihime and Chad.
"Inoue…do as we planned," Chad instructed, "Take Tatsuki and run!"
"…Okay," Orihime nodded, "Be careful, Sado-kun…"
"Ulquiorra," Yammy called, "Is he it?"
"Yammy," Ulquiorra sighed, "If you had taken the time to improve your observational skills…you'd notice that he is trash, too."
"Okay then!" Yammy smirked as Chad charged at him.
Orihime, who was carrying Tatsuki, paused as she heard a large explosion and looked back to see Chad's blood flying through the air. Yammy dropped Chad roughly on the ground as more blood began to pour out of the wound on his arm, which was nearly detached completely from the shoulder.
"SADO-KUN!!"
Yammy grinned viscously, "Is she trash, too?"
"…Yes, she's trash."
"Great!!" Yammy exclaimed as he lifted his fist, bringing it down on Orihime…only to find a shield block his attack.
"…What's the deal with this one?" Yammy wondered aloud before growing shocked as he watched Orihime begin to heal Chad, "What?! She can heal?! Come to think of it, he's still alive?! He's pretty durable…"
'Heal…? No…that is not healing,' Ulquiorra decided as he observed Orihime, 'That looks more like time reversal or spatial renewal…whichever it is, it is not just a simple healing ability. I've never seen such a technique before…'
Ulquiorra's frown deepened, "…What a strange human! This woman…"
'I have to think of something that will hold them off!' Orihime thought, 'At least until Kurosaki-kun gets here! No…why am I thinking of relying on Kurosaki-kun already? I can't cause trouble for Kurosaki-kun anymore…I don't know what is troubling Kurosaki-kun, but if I fend off these two on my own, maybe he will at least have some peace of mind…that is probably the best I can do for Kurosaki-kun…'
Raising her hands at Yammy, Orihime glared, "Tsubaki! I…REJECT!!"
Tsubaki flew at Yammy, only to be blocked and completely destroyed.
"What the hell was that?" Yammy grinned, "A fly?"
"Tsu…Tsubaki-kun…" Orihime mumbled in shock.
"What should we do, Ulquiorra? This one has some strange tricks…should I tear off some limbs and bring her back to Aizen-sama?" Yammy questioned.
"No…" Ulquiorra replied, "That's not necessary…kill her, Yammy."
"OKAY THEN!!"
Yammy raised his hand and brought it down on Orihime once more…only to be blocked by Zangetsu.
Yammy glared at Ichigo, "Who the hell are you?!"
"K-Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime mumbled.
"Sorry I'm late, Orihime," Ichigo said.
"No, I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime cried, "I…If I was a little stronger…"
"Don't apologize, Orihime," Ichigo spoke, "Don't worry, either. Everything will be fine…after I beat these two! BANKAI, TENSA ZANGETSU!!"
'So strong…So this is Kurosaki-kun's Bankai…' Orihime thought as she stared at the sword in Ichigo's hands, 'It's the first time I've seen it up close. It's so powerful…but, it feels different from when I felt it in Seireitei…It feels like a completely different Kurosaki-kun…'
"Orihime."
Orihime looked up at Ichigo as he called her name.
"Leave."
"O-Okay…" Orihime mumbled.
"…Did he say "Bankai"? Hey, Ulquiorra…" Yammy called, "Is he the guy?"
"Yeah…it's amazing how your reckless ruckus managed to lure him out so easily…" Ulquiorra muttered, "The orange hair…the black Bankai…there is no mistaking it. He is the target."
"LUCKY!!!" Yammy roared, "I've saved us the time to track you down!!"
Yammy raised his fist, bringing it down on Ichigo, who effortlessly blocked it with Zangetsu.
"Are you the one who tore Chad's right arm?" Ichigo questioned, shooting a fierce glare into Yammy's shocked eyes, "Then I am going to take your right arm, too."
Ichigo suddenly jumped up and, before Yammy could react, lobbed off Yammy's arm.
"Wh…WHAT?!" Yammy cried in shock as he looked at his arm on the ground.
'That idiot…I keep telling him to practice reading his opponents,' Ulquiorra thought as he watched as Ichigo continued to fight, 'Yet, he still lunges recklessly. Though it is a surprise that this b rat could cut through Yammy's steel skin and cut off his arm…I heard that he only recently acquired Bankai, but his spiritual pressure is so solid… Still, at this level, he is no threat to Aizen-sama.'
Yammy, whose was bleeding from multiple wounds, glared at Ichigo, "Damn you…you little shit!!"
"You're still standing?" Ichigo observed, "You're as hardy as you look!"
"It looks like you're struggling," Ulquiorra commented, "Want to switch?"
"SHUT UP!!" Yammy roared back at him, grabbing the hilt of his sword.
"Is it really necessary to use you're Zanpakuto against someone like him?" Ulquiorra called.
"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!!"
'Zanpakuto?! So that sword on his waist…' Ichigo thought with wide eyes, 'is really a Zanpakuto?! The broken mask…the hole on his chest…his Zanpakuto…his strange spiritual pressure…is this guy the same as Hirako? The same as Naruto? The same as me?'
Hehehehe…
Ichigo's eyes widened and he clutched his head, 'Damn it! He's coming…GO AWAY!!'
Seeing an opening, Yammy grinned as kicked Ichigo in the stomach, sending him back a few feet.
"Kurosaki-kun!!" Orihime called out.
"Stay away, Orihime!!" Ichigo shouted, blood leaking out his mouth.
Yammy suddenly smacked Orihime away, grinning before turning back to Ichigo.
"ORIHIME!!"
"SHUT UP!!!" Yammy roared as he punched Ichigo again.
'Damn…I can't move,' Ichigo thought, 'So, just because I refuse your help, you're causing trouble for me?'
"Hah! I don't know why, but he's stopped moving!!" Yammy roared as he continued to punch Ichigo into the dirt, "Then die! Die, you little shit!! It's over! I am going to crush you into a bloody pulp!!"
Yammy raised his fist high into the air and, bringing it down on Ichigo, found himself blocked once more.
"Oi, sorry for coming late, Strawberry-chan!" Naruto called as he, Urahara, and Yoruichi blocked Yammy.
Naruto turned to face Yammy, "So…you're part of the new Espada? You're a little bit better than the original, I guess, but you're still pretty weak, big guy."
"What now?!" Yammy glared at the trio, "They just keep coming…! Hey, blonde, how'd you know about the Espada?!"
Ulquiorra's eyes widened as he stared at Naruto, 'The sunglasses…the blonde hair…he's the one Aizen-sama warned us about!'
"Since you like to butt in so much," Yammy spoke, "I'll kill you first!!"
Just as Yammy moved towards them, Yoruichi charged forward and flipped him onto his back.
Yammy let out a low growl as he got up, "What…the…HELL?! DDDDAAAAMMMMNNNN YYYYYYOOOOUUUUU!!!"
"I'm going to treat Orihime," Yoruichi spoke up to Urahara and Naruto, "Give me the medicine."
Urahara nodded, "Here you go. I'll check on Kurosaki and Chad."
Yammy glared, "Hold it right there!!"
Yammy charged at Yoruichi, only for her to jump up and deliver a powerful kick to his face, sending him flying back. Yoruichi then walked over to the badly beaten Orihime.
"Yo-Yoruichi-san?" Orihime mumbled.
"Yeah," Yoruichi replied as she kneeled down next to her.
"K-Kurosaki-kun…"
"He's fine," Yoruichi said as she held the medicine out, "Can you swallow?"
"Y-Yes…"
"AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!" Yammy roared in anger as he got up and glared at Yoruichi, "I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!"
Yoruichi's eyes widened as she saw Yammy open his mouth and fire off a large blast, 'Cero…!'
The Cero flew at Yoruichi, before exploding and covering the field in a layer of dust.
"Hehe…serves you right!!" Yammy declared, "Now you're dust! It is impossible to dodge my Cero at this range…what?!"
As the dust cleared, it revealed Naruto with Ryuujin drawn, in front of a perfectly healthy Yoruichi.
"…You! How did you do that?! What did you do?! How did you block me Cero?!" Yammy roared at Naruto.
Naruto scowled and adjusted his sunglasses, "Oi…let me give you some advice…never try that again. If you ever try to even touch Yoru-chan in front of me, I'll rip your head off. Strike…Ryuujin."
Naruto launched five lighting bolts at Yammy, only to have them deflected by Ulquiorra.
"Ul…quiorra…" Yammy spoke in shock.
Ulquiorra didn't say anything, he only turned and delivered a powerful punch to Yammy's stomach, sending him flying a few feet back.
"Wh…What are you doing?!" Yammy roared.
"Fool! You are too reckless, Yammy. Those three are Urahara Kisuke, Yoruichi Shihouin, and Naruto Uzumaki! At your level, it is impossible to win, no matter what you do," Ulquiorra declared as he opened a portal, "Time to retreat."
"Running away?" Yoruichi called out.
"Such a foolish taunt!" Ulquiorra exclaimed, "If you fight me while trying to protect those pieces of trash, it is fairly obvious who would have the upper hand! My mission here is over. I will report to Aizen-sama that the 'fake' Shinigami he was so interested in…is nothing more than a piece of trash, unworthy of his attention."
And just like that, they were gone.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
"Oi, Yoru-chan, I'm home!" Naruto called as he walked through the front door of The Sly Fox, "I brought that juice, too! How are you doing?"
"So-So," Yoruichi replied from her seat on the couch, looking at her bandaged leg, "The injury isn't causing any problems. It was a mistake to fight that guy without Shunkou. I didn't think the Arrancar's skin would have such a dense spiritual pressure. Naruto…those guys are tough. Much tougher than what you and I anticipated."
"…They are better than the ones me and my team faced all those years ago…" Naruto replied as he sat next to her, "That large one…he was close to the originals in terms of power…I'd say he was probably the weakest of the Espada now…It's decided, then. I need to find my team and finish up with those renovations…fast."
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"How…How did you get all those injuries, Orihime-chan?!" Chizuru cried out in shock as she looked and the bandaged Orihime. It was about five days after the event, and the group was now back in class.
"I…uh…fell down the stairs!" Orihime declared.
"Liar! I was so worried that you had stopped coming to school for five days! Don't make me worry like that again!!" Chizuru shouted.
"Orihime…"
Orihime turned around and smiled at Ichigo, "What is it, Kurosaki-kun?"
"No-Nothing…forget it," Ichigo mumbled before turning away.
Chizuru stared at Ichigo for a moment, "What did he want?"
"Excuse me, Chizuru," Orihime mumbled, "I need to go to the bathroom."
"Wait, Orihime!" Chizuru called as Orihime left.
Ichigo sat at his desk, looking to the floor.
'Chad got hurt bad…Tatsuki almost died…and Orihime's in a cast and bandages…all because I'm weak…Aside from apologizing, there is nothing I can do…'
Ichigo stopped for a moment and thought back to the conversation he had had with Naruto just a few days ago.
(Flashback)
Ichigo and Naruto stood in the classroom. Class had already been excused, but Naruto had asked Ichigo to stay for a moment.
"You wanted to talk to me, Naruto?"
"Yeah," Naruto said as he stood up and patted Ichigo's shoulder, "You've been acting different, Ichigo. Ever since the battle with the Arrancar…"
Ichigo grimaced for a moment, "I-It's nothing…"
Naruto sighed, "Look, Ichigo, what happened to your friends wasn't your fault."
"HOW IS IT NOT MY FAULT?! I WAS RIGHT THERE WHEN ORIHIME WAS ATTACKED!! IF I WAS FASTER, I COULD HAVE SAVED CHAD AND TATSUKI, TOO!! HOW THE HELL ISN'T IT MY FAULT?!"
"I understand what you're going through, Ichigo, I-"
"HOW THE HELL COULD YOU UNDERSTAND?! YOU'RE POWERFUL ENOUGH TO PROTECT THOSE YOU CARE ABOUT!"
Naruto glared at Ichigo, "I wasn't always."
Ichigo froze and looked at him.
"I had a lot of comrades, Ichigo. They were all my friends, my teammates…we were the best of the best in Seireitei and we weren't even Taicho's yet! We had so many fun times together, great memories, and when one of us fell, the others were always there to catch us!"
"W-What happened to them?"
Naruto paused and looked at the sunset through the window, "…Like I said, we were the best of the best…So, when the Gotei 13 had an enemy that even they couldn't beat, they sent us in…we were only called on once…and, during that one, all-out fight…I watched half of my friends get slaughtered right before my eyes."
Ichigo stared at Naruto for a moment before looking to the ground, "I…I'm sorry…"
"Don't be," Naruto cut in, "I've come to terms that it wasn't my fault about what happened on that day…sometimes I wonder what would have happened that day if I was stronger, though…I know how you feel, Ichigo. It may feel bad now, but it will get better…your friends are safe—they're alive. Instead of beating yourself up about it now, get stronger. That way, you can protect them, unlike me when I lost mine."
(End Flashback)
Ichigo frowned slightly. Despite what Naruto said, he still didn't know how he could face or speak to Orihime, Chad, or Tatsuki… Ichigo's eyes suddenly widened and he looked to the door.
'This…This spiritual pressure is…!' Ichigo's eyes widened even more as he looked at the people who had walked through the door.
There, in the doorway, stood Renji, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Ikkaku, and Yumichika.
"Ah, you must be the new students!" Naruto grinned as he looked up from his desk, "Please to meet you all! Call me Uzumaki-sensei!"
Hitsugaya growled and whispered, "You're pushing it, Uzumaki…"
Renji smirked, "How's it going, Ichigo?"
"Renji! Ikkaku! Yumichika! Rangiku-san! Toushiro!" Ichigo shouted in shock, "What are you all doing here?!"
"It's "Hitsugaya-Taicho" to you…" Hitsugaya growled.
"It's an order!" Renji spoke, "They said to prepare for a direct confrontation with the Arrancar. We were to go to the human world and meet up with the acting Shinigami group."
"What's an Arrancar?" Ichigo asked.
"What?!" Renji shouted, "You didn't even know who they were and you started fighting them?!"
Ichigo froze as he heard a familiar voice insult him…
"Dimwit! They're the ones that kicked your ass a few days ago!"
Ichigo turned to the window in time to see Rukia climb in.
"Rukia…"
"Long time, no see…" Rukia smirked, "Ichigo!"
Rukia suddenly leapt up and kicked Ichigo in the face, ignoring the whispers of the students and Naruto's laughter.
"What's the big idea?!" Ichigo shouted in shock, only to be slapped in the face repeatedly.
"What's with that stupid look on your face?!" Rukia shouted.
"…What?"
Rukia, armed with her glove, grabbed Ichigo, pulling out his Soul Reaper form, and jumped out the window, "Come with me!"
"Wait…! What do you want, Rukia?! Hey! Where are you taking me?!" Ichigo shouted as he was dragged away.
Naruto stared at them before shrugging and turning to Hitsugaya, "Oi, Toushiro, I believe you have something for me?"
Grumbling at his own name, Hitsugaya handed Naruto a letter.
Naruto skimmed the letter before smiling, "Great! Looks like Gaara's ready to get the old team back together! One down…three to go!"
………………………………………………………………………………………………
"Hey, Rukia, where are we going?!" Ichigo shouted as he dashed across random rooftops.
"Shut up and keep running!" Rukia ordered, looking at her cell phone, "I see it! It's over there!"
Ichigo looked down to see a lizard-like Hollow standing in a vacant lot.
"A Hollow?!"
"Yeah!" Rukia shouted, before kicking Ichigo towards it, "Now go get him!"
Ichigo, who landed a few feet away from the Hollow, scrambled to get up and dodge as the Hollow attacked him.
"What are you doing?!" Rukia shouted, "Start fighting! You're not going to lose to a Hollow like that, are you?!"
"You're annoying!" Ichigo called back, "I was just about to kick his ass anyw-"
Hehehe…
Ichigo froze, allowing the Hollow an opening. The Hollow lunged forward and knocked Ichigo back.
"What was that?!" Rukia yelled.
"Shut up!" Ichigo shouted.
"Don't think that I don't know!! You…ever since you lost to the Arrancar, you haven't taken the form of a Shinigami even once! What are you afraid of?! Chad got hurt! Orihime got hurt! So what?!" Rukia shouted, "Have you always been a man who looses his spirit over little things like that?! Is it scary to lose?! Is it scary not being able to protect your friends?! Or is it scary…to face the Hollow inside of you?!"
Ichigo spun around to look at Rukia in shock.
"If your afraid of losing, get stronger. If your afraid of not being able to protect your friends, swear to get stronger until you can! If you're afraid of the Hollow inside of you, get stronger until you can crush him!" Rukia spoke, "If you don't want to listen to others, then hold your chin up and yell those words to yourself! That's the kind of man you've been…in my heart, Ichigo!"
Ichigo smirked and grabbed Zangetsu before turning to face the Hollow, "…You're really noisy, you know that?"
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Orihime stared at the sky from one of the windows in the hallway and sighed.
"Inoue!"
Orihime turned and gasped, "Ku-Kuchiki-san?!"
Running down the hall was Rukia, dragging Ichigo behind her.
"Long time, no see!" Rukia called.
"When did you get back?!" Orihime asked as she walked up to them, "How long are you staying?!"
"I'll tell you later!" Rukia said before turning to Ichigo, "Hey!"
"Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime mumbled.
"Orihime…I…"
Rukia suddenly slammed Ichigo's head down towards the ground, "He's says he's sorry he's so weak!"
"I…I will get stronger…" Ichigo spoke, "and then…next time, I'll definitely protect you!"
'I'm so glad that Kurosaki-kun is back to normal,' Orihime thought, "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun! And thank you, Kuchiki-san. Welcome back!"
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ichigo twitched as Renji explained about Arrancar…right now, he didn't honestly care right now, though, he rather figure out how he crammed everyone in the ceiling light in his room for gods sake!
"…So, at the last minute, they sent out a surveillance team…that'd be us!" Renji finished his explanation.
"You guys were chosen?"
"By Yamamoto-Sotaicho himself! They're busy replacing the Central 46, so the decision was passed onto the Taicho's. Rukia was chosen due to her speed, I was chosen because they deemed me reliable, I offered Ikkaku a spot, after that Yumichika wanted to come, Matsumoto thought it sounded fun so she came, and Hitsugaya-Taicho came to keep an eye on her," Renji explained.
"Is this a freakin' picnic to you guys?!" Ichigo mumbled.
"…Moving on," Hitsugaya spoke up, "Aizen has you in his sights, Kurosaki. It's true that Arrancar are Hollows who remove their masks, but there still isn't much they can initially do. In order to achieve their aim, Arrancar must become stronger than any Menos."
"…Stronger than a Menos?" Ichigo asked, "I thought there was nothing stronger than a Menos…"
"…Yes. Well, the truth is that Menos are separated into three different categories. The first kind is "Gillian"—they are the weakest. I guess you could call them "soldiers"…They exist in large numbers and look and act the same."
"Those guys I fought…" Ichigo mumbled, "Were just soldiers…?"
"They are gigantic, but slow and stupid. A Taicho won't break a sweat on them—the problem, however, lies ahead," Hitsugaya continued, "Next are the "Adjuchas". They are smaller and less common than Gillian, and far surpass them in terms of intelligence and power. Lastly are the "Vasto Lorde". They are the most powerful of any Menos and their size resembles a human. Their numbers are unbelievably small, but…the strength of a single Vasto Lorde…is far above any Taicho!"
Ichigo's eyes widened in shock.
"We don't know how many Arrancar there are in total…" Hitsugaya spoke, "…and we are missing three Taicho's. Let me give you my personal prediction…if, right now, including Aizen, there are more than ten Vasto Lorde…than Seireitei is doomed."
"…If there are," Ichigo began, "What do we do?"
"…I don't know," Hitsugaya replied, "But I want you all to come with me to my next stop."
"Eh? Where are we going, Hitsugaya-Taicho?" Matsumoto questioned.
"To see the one of the five people to ever survive an all-out match with a Vasto Lorde…Uzumaki Naruto."
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"We have returned safely, Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra declared as he and Yammy approached Aizen.
"Welcome home, Ulquiorra, Yammy," Aizen greeted, "Why don't you relate the fruits of your expedition to your twenty brothers?"
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Yoruichi blinked as she watched the large group walk into The Sly Fox. She certainly wasn't expecting that…
"Yoruichi," Ichigo called, "Is Naruto here?"
Nodding, Yoruichi pointed to a door behind the counter, "He's busy now, though. He's working on some renovations down below the store."
"Eh? Who would be making renovations to the basement?" Renji wondered aloud.
"Well, it is Naruto," Hitsugaya mumbled, "He probably has some weird reason…"
"Maybe he wanted to make it more beautiful!" Yumichika declared.
"…Somehow, I doubt that…" Matsumoto mumbled.
The door suddenly opened and Naruto walked through, "Man…those things are hard to set up, Yoru-chan...Hm? What's up, guys? If this is about your homework…"
"It's not," Hitsugaya interjected, "I was going over some old files in the Central 46 and I found a slightly burned paper that had information on a battle with the original Arrancar that took place a long time ago…"
Naruto tensed for a moment before grinning, "Oh, I see…you want some info on what the Arrancar were like back then, huh? I'm a little busy now, though…Yoru-chan, could you tell them about this one?"
"Are you sure? You don't have to-" Yoruichi began but was cut off.
"I'm sure!" Naruto grinned, "They have the right to know with what's going on."
With that, Naruto walked back through the door, leaving the group to stare at Yoruichi.
"…So, you want to know about Naruto's old fight with the Arrancar, huh?" Yoruichi sighed, "Sit down…it's not an easy thing for Naruto to talk about…"
The group did so, while shooting each other confused glances.
"Why?" Rukia asked, "What happened? I didn't even know there was an Arrancar attack before…"
"It's not something the Central 46 allows to leak out anymore…" Yoruichi explained, taking slight noticed how Ichigo's face was slightly pale.
Ichigo looked down at the floor. He had a hunch about this story…
"We were the best of the best…So, when the Gotei 13 had an enemy that even they couldn't beat, they sent us in…we were only called on once…and, during that one, all-out fight…I watched half of my friends get slaughtered right before my eyes."
"It began when a group of Academy kids were killed when they were sent to kill a Hollow to graduate…only the Sensei survived, though he was mortally wounded and died shortly after he returned and told his tale to the Central 46…a group of ten Arrancar calling themselves the "Espada" were the attackers…Seireitei had lost a Taicho who had retired and the others they sent into stop them were killed…that's when Naruto and nine of his friends stepped forward."
Ichigo frowned, seeing everyone else in the room began to grow slightly pale as well.
"…Naruto and his friends were incredibly powerful…all of them were at or above Taicho level, though none of them was one. None of them wanted to be at the time…anyway, they did nearly everything together, they were practically legends in their own way…so, when a team had to be made to fight the Espada, the Central 46 couldn't think of anyone better. They were sent out into Hueco Mundo, in perfect health and fully prepared to take on the threat…"
"W-What happened?" Ichigo asked, though he had a good idea of what came next.
"…Naruto and his team didn't return for two weeks…when they did, there were five of them left. They were wounded, bloody, and tired…all of them were barely alive…when they recovered enough to talk about it, it had turned out that the battle had gone on for one week. One by one, both sides took casualties until there were eight left—three Arrancar and five Shinigami. Seeing their defeat at hand, the Arrancar retreated and that was the last anyone heard of them…until now, anyway. Seireitei was in an uproar, praising the team for their exploits…but the battle had changed them."
"What do you mean?" Ikkaku asked.
Yoruichi sighed, "For nearly a year, the group separated and kept to themselves. It was a year later that they began to recover, when Central 46 had a thought…if the team was able to defeat someone the Gotei 13 couldn't handle, what would happen if they grew stronger? The Central 46 barred the group from ever reforming again. One by one, the survivors began to retire as Shinigami and they left Seireitei to go out into Rugonkai, the only two that didn't were Naruto and Gaara. No one has heard of them since."
"…So that's the story of the original Arrancar, huh?" Ichigo mumbled.
"Yes," Yoruichi responded, "…That's all I know—I wasn't fighting them. If you want to know more about them individually, you'll have to ask Naruto. For now, though, it's late. Why don't you all head home?"
Nodding, the group got up and left, thinking about the new information. Naruto emerged once more, slightly crisped.
"What happened to you?" Yoruichi asked her boyfriend.
"Explosion—don't ask."
The door opened suddenly and in walked a customer in a hood and sunglasses. Taking a seat at the counter he called out to Naruto, "I'll take some coffee."
"Great!" Naruto grinned, "How'd you take it?"
"Black."
"Really?" Naruto's grin faltered for a moment, which Yoruichi noticed, "Well, just hand me that cup next to you and I'll fix you up some!"
The customer eyed the cup for a moment before letting out a nearly inaudible growl, "On second thought, never mind."
The figure got up and walked out the door.
"…What was that about?" Yoruichi asked.
Naruto took the cup on the counter and flipped in upside-down to reveal the same mark that was on the charm Isshin had given Ichigo.
Naruto frowned, "Tonight's going to be one hell of a night…"
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Above Karakura, Grimmjow let out a viscous grin, "Where'd he go? Probably off to kill that Naruto guy he kept going on about…Oh well, I guess I'll just have to kill Kurosaki myself!"
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Well, that is all for now! I'd also like to just say two things:
1. There will be a total of 8 Naruto characters appearing in this whole story.
2. Next chapter, get ready for one of the biggest twists this story has yet!