Arc II, Chapter 6: Fallout

When Sasuke woke, he was standing in the empty expanse of his Inner World. The crimson sun had changed, however. Now, it cast a sickly purple hue over the endless space.

He turned fully around, trying to spot his Zanpakuto, when he was suddenly met with a sight that forced a wave of panic through his entire body. Lying there, covered in blood, was his sword. She was barely breathing, the blade that was sticking out of her chest leaving her extremely close to death.

He crossed the distance between them in an instant, kneeling down to get a better look at her injuries. Before he could get a proper look, his Zanpakuto shot a hand up, grasping his shoulder and keeping him from coming any closer.

"Don't worry about me, Sasuke. As long as you live, so shall I. Just... kill that... monster." The last of her will gave out, and she fell into unconsciousness. Sasuke stood, his grip on his sword tightening. He didn't move, his already active Rinnegan and Mangekyou alerting him to the roundhouse kick coming from his right.

Before the attack could hit its mark, Sasuke funneled a sizable chunk of Reiatsu into his Mangekyou. The everlasting black flames of Amaterasu surrounded him, creating a condensed shield around him. His Hollow was barely able to disengage before his leg touched the fire, buzzing into Sonido to gain distance.

"I told you I was going to break you, the last time we fought. How about I make good on that promise, hm?" He rushed Sasuke, who barely even had to try to outmaneuver his Sonido. He ducked, sidestepped, and outright caught every single strike his Hollow attempted, his eyes making it almost too easy to predict the thing's every move.

But, that didn't last. Over time, Sasuke began to notice that his Hollow was growing faster, stronger, and more unpredictable with each passing moment. Before long Sasuke found himself genuinely struggling to react in time.

His Hollow was somehow siphoning the ambient energy of the outside world, which was probably supercharged by his clash with Yamamoto, and using it to exponentially boost his own power. He had no idea how this was possible, but that was the only explanation for this.

And that made his Hollow unimaginably dangerous.

He ducked a wild slash from his left, rolling out of the dodge before leaping into the air. Solidifying a layer of reishi beneath him, he barely managed to block the oncoming overhead strike before deflecting it, giving him a solid opening to counter. He thrust forward, sinking his Zanpakuto into his Hollow's flesh down to the hilt while simultaneously charging it with a powerful Byakurai. The sudden burst of electricity forced the Hollow to slow for just an instant, and Sasuke quickly withdrew his blade and slammed a kick into the wound.

With a cry of pain, the thing was sent barreling downward, only managing to halt his own movement after travelling for nearly thirty meters. He snapped his head up, his eyes flashing with anger.

"You son of a bitch! Just fucking die, you damned Shinigami!"He roared, a massive outburst of Reiatsu causing Sasuke's bones to shake under the pressure. His Hollow moved, the boom of its Sonido dispersing all of the gathered clouds above them with the sheer force of it.

Sasuke instantly teleported away, making sure that the ungodly speed of that Sonido wouldn't be able to blitz him. Though, that barely saved him. He'd been able to see a flash of steel even as his eye carried him away from danger.

He appeared behind the Hollow, delivering seven Shunpo-powered strikes to its back before it could so much as react. Not daring to lose this advantage, Sasuke planted a hand on its back, gathering and condensing a ludicrous amount of Reiatsu into his hand. The energy soon took shape, forming into a red sphere of Hollow Reiatsu that crackled with power

"Cero." The sudden release of power was so great that enough air was displaced to render the entire expanse of his Inner World mute. Were there any terrain to speak of, it would have been reduced to literally nothing.

His Hollow was still standing. Not only was it standing, but the thing was smirking at him.

"You actually thought that an ability I gave you would be able to hurt me? You're fucking pathetic, kid. Now, let me show what a real Cero should look like," It lifted its arm, and began to charge the attack.

That simple action was enough to send a wave of chills down Sasuke's spine. It was something akin to the electric feeling you sometimes get before a powerful thunderstorm. An ambient static hung like a blanket over him, every aspect of his being telling him to run.

"Cero." All color inverted, and the entirety of Sasuke's perception was enshrouded in a deep purple light.

He wasn't sure what followed, but he was positive that he hadn't died. Not yet, at least. He felt normal, no pain or discomfort. In fact, he actually felt substantially lighter than before.

"Sasuke." A familiar voice pierced through the darkness around him. His Zanpakuto.

"What's happening?" He asked, and his Zanpakuto was silent for several seconds before answering.

"Right now you are safe. I dragged you to the deepest depths of your Inner World, so that we might speak for a while." She said, finally manifesting in a visible form. She looked fine, aside from the obvious limp in her stride.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" It was a simple question, but his sword seemed to struggle to find the right words.

"What is your purpose, Sasuke Uchiha?"

"What?"

"What is the meaning of your life? What is the one thing that has always superseded everything else?" He didn't even hesitate.

"Revenge. All my life, my goal has been to avenge one thing or another. Nothing else mattered." He stated, crossing his arms. He'd confronted the meaning of his existence long before he'd died, and didn't get what point his Zanpakuto was trying to make. She gave him a look.

"That is a lie, Sasuke. Remember, I can look through your memories, your emotions, you thoughts. I know you just as well as you know yourself, and then some. So, let me ask again, what is your purpose?" He didn't know how to respond. He'd never thought about it much outside that, and he'd always accepted vengeance as his lot in life. Was that not true? Was there truly something more to his existence than that?

"I..." He started, the words leaving him for a moment.

"I... don't know." She gave him a warm, sad smile.

"And there is nothing wrong with that confusion. Do you honestly think that you'd fully come to terms with yourself in a measly seventeen years? Most people take over a century in the afterlife to even get close to that, Sasuke, and you're closer than most of those people ever get. You have been given an opportunity to learn so much about yourself, child, and I refuse to let you do it alone." She laid a hand on each of his shoulders, lowering herself to eye level with him.

Sasuke could have described the look in her eyes in a few ways, but none seemed to suit it better than complete and utter remorse. For the first time, he truly believed it.

"It's time, Sasuke." Her crimson orbs glinted in the dark, simmering slightly as Reiatsu pumped throughout his Soul in a tsunami of untapped power.

"Are you sure? I thought that self acceptance was the key to achieving Shikai?" The question was almost silent, nearly drowned out as the air around him began to hum with barely restrained energy. She simply shook her head, a low giggle escaping her lungs before she could stop it.

"Sasuke, you've been ready to wield my power since the day we met. The only thing that has kept you from hearing my name was your own fear. You may not understand yourself yet, but you've shown me that you are willing to throw away an entire lifetime of self-deceit in order to learn. With that, my worries have been dispelled." She stepped back, the screech of metal giving him a small pulse of adrenaline. She didn't attack, her black daito's tip resting against his chest. She flashed him a smirk.

"Do you trust me?" He returned the gesture in kind, grasping the blade of her sword with his hand.

"Figured this might happen somewhere along the line." He said, just before his Zanpakuto pierced his heart.

There was no pain. No blood. He could feel it as his Shinigami Reiatsu fell into perfect sync with his body, pulsing and coursing through him to the beat of his chest. His sword's manifestation twisted her blade, and another wave of power tore through his body.

As her lips began to move, Sasuke could do nothing to stop a small smile from bleeding into his expression as he heard his Zanpakuto's name for the first time.

His grip on his Chokuto was white as the two of them were let loose from his Rinnegan's teleportation, his eyes fixed in a death glare at his Inner Hollow. The thing had just noticed them, and let out a sharp cackle.

"So, finally decided to take it like a man, eh? I see you brought the bitch as well. Good, means I don't have to waste time killing her later." Neither Sasuke nor his Zanpakuto responded, instead sharing a look before raising their blades to the sky. The air began to smell of ozone as their Reiatsu signatures skyrocketed. When next they spoke, it was as one, their voices melding as a pillar of lightning blue Reiatsu erupted from their blades.

"Flicker, Inazuma." Their combined voiced rocked Sasuke's Inner World as a the pillars of Reiatsu exploded into a blinding light.

When the light cleared, Sasuke's Inner World was bathed in an electric blue light, arcs of lightning crisscrossing their bodies as the low thrum of stagnant energy echoed throughout its expanse.

Then, just as quickly, it all vanished, dissolving into their blades within an instant. Sasuke flicked his eyes back open, his pupils sparking violently as electric energy flowed from his sword into his body. This resulted in a subtle blue glow emanating from them.

The Hollow looked them over, its eyes wide. Though, it wasn't with shock, or fear, nor anything else Sasuke would have predicted.

He was happy. A shit eating grin was stretched ear to ear, before it raised its hand, that same purple energy sending chills of ambient energy though Sasuke's spine as his Hollow's ungodly Cero began to form. He didn't dare let his eyes move, his mask forming without any more than a thought before the lightning of his Shikai became visible once more, now coating his blade with crackling energy.

He moved before his Hollow could even flinch, crossing the distance between them as the lightning amplified his speed to obscene degrees.

That wasn't even considering that he hadn't used any high speed movement technique at all.

"What the..." The Hollow sputtered, its pupils dilating as panic began to set in. Its Cero fizzled out, smothered by Sasuke's own lightning coated hand. He raised his sword, now glowing blue as more and more lightning was funneled into it. His arm fell, Inazuma tearing through his Hollow's flesh while simultaneously releasing all of the lightning stored within.

What followed could be considered nothing less than armageddon. The very fabric of Sasuke's mindscape was torn to shreds as every last ounce of his power was unleashed in a single strike.

Meanwhile, with Yamamoto...

He'd been sitting there for nearly half an hour, his shihakusho wrapped around his torso to stop any more bleeding. Luckily their final clash had resulted in wounds that were already cauterized. Not only that, but his Kaido would soon be finished healing his most severe injury.

He would live.

But, in the end, he had been bested. His Reiryoku reserves were nearly gone, his Bankai having depleted them almost immediately after its activation. The boy, however, hadn't suffered even a single major injury. In truth, Yamamoto was impressed. Never had he met a Shinigami of Uchiha's caliber, of his strength.

Never had he fought a Shinigami who's fighting prowess exceeded his own.

He shifted slightly, a response to the sudden flare of pain in his side as the Kaido finished up its healing. After giving it a moment to solidify, he stood.

He'd never intended on crossing blades with the boy. In fact, Yamamoto had been seriously considering giving him a seated position in the Gotei 13. That was, until he had aided Kisuke Urahara in his abhorrent experiments. Genryusai had never been able to stand betrayal, and this was one he could not allow to go unpunished.

Amusing, then, that it was he who had been defeated. Now, helpless as he was, he would have little choice but to accept whatever judgement the Uchiha deemed fit.

Before he could think on the issue any longer, the boy began to stir. His head snapped up, crimson eyes locking on to him with steely determination. He made to stand, but his could not seem to support the weight. He fell, giving up in favor of sitting back against a steep dune to his back.

"You're alive?" The boy asked, his voice strained and hoarse.

"Indeed. Our clash seems to have ended in a stalemate." He answered. The Uchiha was silent for a moment, before speaking once more.

"I can't take us back to the Realm of the Living until my Reiatsu stabilizes. So, are you willing to listen to our side of the story yet?"

"My duty is to kill you, Uchiha. I cannot change that, any more than Central 46 can make a fair and just decision. I could only change that by enacting martial law, and I refuse to abuse my power for something so trivial." There was nothing but silence for a long time after that.

"What are we going to do once we get back?" The boy seemed to already expect the worst, but didn't express any hope either way.

Yamamoto hesitated for a second, conflicted in his decision. On one hand, he was bound by law to obey the decree of Central 46 and kill the boy.

But on the other sat his pride, his dignity, and his honor as a warrior. He could not in sound mind murder Sasuke like this. It would be an insult to himself.

The choice was obvious.

"I shall return to Soul Society and report to Central 46. You are too dangerous to safely apprehend, and it would do us no good to continue pursuing you." He said. The boy seemed to be taken aback by that response.

"You mean that my people and I can live in peace?" His voice sounded hopeful. A shame, then, that he would be disappointed.

"No. Any Shinigami who crosses your path will be required by law to attempt to arrest you. My only assurance is that none of my Captains will be sent after you again. Hopefully we shall never cross paths again."

"I agree."

There was a minute or two of silence, neither having anything else to say.

Before long, the boy began to move, shoving himself to his feet. His breath was shaky, and it was the same with his legs. His brow was furrowed in concentration.

"I think I can get us back now. It'll be close, but I'll manage. Grab my shoulder." Yamamoto did so, and his vision warped as the space around them began to change.

With Sasuke, in the Realm of the Living...

The instant the fresh air of the living world hit his lungs, Sasuke stepped into a sloppy Shunpo. His fatigue made it difficult to be accurate, but he managed to get to Urahara's place with relative ease.

That was, until his feet hit the ground again.

He doubled over, his stomach burning as vomit forced its was up his throat. Pain racked his body, and through his blurry vision he was able to notice blood along with his lunch. Seems that the side effects are setting in. He waited for a moment, making sure that he'd be stable before standing.

He stumbled over to the door, his steps unsure and meandering. By the time he got there, he was able to make out the faint outline of Yoruichi in the door frame before he fell forward, his legs giving out.

He didn't pass out, thankfully. Yoruichi was saying something, but the migraine pushing in on his head was making it impossible to actually understand any of it. She caught him, slinging his body over her shoulder with unrealistic ease.

He wasn't sure where she'd taken him from there, but she soon laid him down. By now his entire body was shaking violently, and he felt blood begin to trickle from his nose and ears. It felt like someone was shredding his skin with thousands of serrated blades.

Nothing but the Tsukuyomi itself had ever caused him this much agony, and he had the feeling that this was tame in comparison to actual Soul Suicide. What was happening to him was the side effect of the overuse of his own power. He hadn't simply pushed himself too hard, he'd purposefully overloaded his Soul with so much power that his body simply couldn't sustain it any longer. Had he kept fighting after that, he would have died.

In fact, he would probably have died anyway, were it not for him achieving Shikai. After all, it was a foundational part of his being that had been made stronger. It wasn't the same with his Hollow powers. As much a part of him as they were, they could not simply become a founding piece of his Soul.

Before he could think any further, Sasuke felt a hand press against his forehead. His first thought was to retaliate, until he remembered just where he was. More than likely, it was Kisuke trying to figure out what was happening.

Then, the hand moved away so that only two finger pressed against him.

Sasuke could barely think in surprise before his consciousness left him.

The next day...

Sasuke woke up the next feeling infinitely better. He still had a migraine from hell, but he'd manage. He moved, turning to sit against the wall behind him, only to notice that both Yoruichi and Kisuke were sitting a few feet away, watching him intently. Kisuke perked up, his eyes widening when he noticed Sasuke stirring.

"Ah! You're awake! You had us all worried there for a while, kid." His voice was as usual, flippant and nonchalant. But, the look in his eyes told Sasuke just how worried he'd truly been.

"You stupid son of bitch!" Sasuke barely had time to register the insult before Yoruichi backhanded him with enough force to knock him over where he sat. He looked up, narrowing his eyes in frustration.

"I thought we told you not to do anything stupid, you fucking prick!" This time she grabbed Sasuke by the front of his jacket, lifting him into the air to be at eye level with her.

Her eyes were bloodshot, and her hair was a rat's nest. She looked like she hadn't slept in over a week. She pulled him closer, so much so that their noses were nearly touching.

"You ever pull some shit like this again, and I will fucking end you, Sasuke." Her voice trembled as she spoke, and she seemed to let him go more out of weariness than actual fatigue.

He was... confused? No. That wasn't right. Shocked was probably a better word. He'd never realised that his decision would have such an impact on her. She was near the point of weeping over him.

"I won't. I didn't want the Gotei to find us, but I suppose I was too late. Yamamoto agreed to leave us be. No more Captain class Shinigami are permitted to patrol Karakura unless given explicit instruction to do so." Kisuke smiled, his shoulders relaxing as relief washed over him.

"Oh, thank god. I don't think I'd survive much longer with that kind of stress." He said, sitting quietly for a moment before standing.

"You've done us an enormous favor, Sasuke. If you need anything, at all, just let me know." He bowed slightly, tipping the green hat atop his head. "I'll be in the lab, if you need me." And with that, the mad scientist made his exit.

Sasuke turned to face Yoruichi, who had sat back down. She had a look in her eyes that Sasuke couldn't quite place.

"Something wrong?" She blinked, snapping out of a daze before regarding what he'd said.

"Hm? Oh, no. It's nothing. Just glad you didn't get yourself killed."

"Hn."

She gave him an odd look.

"Something wrong with you?" He felt another wave of pain roll through his head.

"Migraine. Getting worse." He gritted out, putting a hand over his face in an effort to relieve the pain. Yoruichi stood up and walked over to him. She laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, once that headache fades, come find me. I can't wait to see your Shikai!" His eyes snaoped back open at that. She seemed to notice his bewilderment, chuckling lightly.

"You could feel that clash from across an entire dimension, Sasuke. No way you could have done that without at least Shikai, dummy."

Well, best she never know then.

"Alright, I wi- agh!" He fell back against the mat as his head rocked with the most painful throb of pain yet. Yoruichi flinched, not expecting him to shout. She began to back away, a remorseful look in her eyes.

"Sorry, I'll be back with something for the pain." Before Sasuke could protest, she vanished into Shunpo. Sasuke let his head fall back onto the mat, sighing.

Damn woman.

"You don't mean that."

Does it matter?

"Yes, to the one who has to listen to it every single day."

Cry me a river then, Inazuma.

...

What is it?

"Just relishing the fact that you can finally say my name."

It is good to finally have something to call you by.

"Is that really all that this means to you?"

I don't know, you tell me.

"Just go to sleep, Sasuke. You've earned it."

Not bothering to fight her about it, he let his eyes drift closed, sleep taking him quickly as his mind shut off.

Hello! Been a while, hasn't it?

This is the last action focused chapter of this arc, and it took me forever to actually put together.

Pairing has officially been decided, by the way. Not going to announce it, you'll just have to be patient and see.

Now, I'd just like to apologize for my past handling of reviewer responses. From this point forward any reviews will be addressed in the end of the chapter.

Last thing, what do you think of Sasuke's Shikai? I kind of wanted it to be in relation to Amaterasu, but that felt a but too similar to the fic Eyes of the Soul. If you haven't read it yet, please do so now. It's amazing and by far the best NarutoxBleach crossover I've seen to date.

So, I just went with his other elemental ability. Lightning.

A more in depth explanation will given in the next chapter.

That's all for today, Buh-Bye!