I LIIIIIIIIVE!

Okay, in all seriousness, yes I'm alive. I'm also so sorry that it took so long for me to get this out, but I've been busy with school, work, and everyone's favorite pandemic... Speaking of, I hope you all and your families are safe and not having too much trouble with all this crap going on. Now, before I jump into the chapter There's a couple things I wanna say.

Firstly, yes I did describe what Nozomi looked like, in chapter 6 when Yasaka ran into her at the hot springs. Secondly, to all the people complaining about the whole, "Minato and Kushina being alive" thing... I warned you that it would be in the story! From chapter one I've been warning you that this was coming! If you don't like it, cool, I get it. But don't come complaining like it came out of nowhere. Hell, I even hinted at it when Hiruzen told Yasaka that their bodies were never found. If you don't like the damn story then just stop reading! Believe me, you'll be doing both of us a favor, because I'm not gonna change the story. If you don't like it then tough shit.

I can't remember if I said this before, but I'm also not trying to make Minato and Kushina out to be bad people, I love the two of them. They're both good people who made a colossal mistake that they thought was for the best. It's no different from Minato thinking that people would see Naruto as a hero for containing the Kyuubi in canon.

Lastly, Minato sneaking into Ame. I know he was trained as a fighter, but I refuse to believe he was apprenticed to Jiraiya, one of the best, if not the best Spymaster in the nations and not learn how to sneak. Plus he's had 16 years to learn and refine his technique.

Also I'm tweaking Yume's design, I just realized I could've given it more thought. The sheath is the same purple as the handle's wrappings, all the metal is sliver/grey in color, and I'm gonna try to describe the tsuba here here, it's an oval with a half-oval cut out on both long sides, with carved waves connecting the center to the ring on the edge, everything else is hollow/negative space.

Plus I'm introducing a couple OC's to round out teams, so just to reiterate, I'm not gonna describe canon character's outfits or looks because I suck at it.

Okay, that's all for now, and without further adieu, here's Chapter 8. It might be a little rough, but I hope you all enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other characters or media that may show up in this story.

Chapter 8: Testing Grounds

Yasaka's eyes were wide in surprise as Yume flew out of the sheath and into her mother's hand. That sealed it then, Yume wouldn't obey her because it still recognized Kushina as it's master. The surprise quickly turned to annoyance laced with a twinge of hesitance. She knew this wouldn't be a cakewalk, but she'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought Yume would give her an advantage of some kind. Even now Yasaka could feel a subtle shift in the air. As Yume's wave patterns gently shifted on the blade, a feeling of foreboding settled on the blonde. She managed to push it down and took a deep breath, it would be fine, she just had to make sure she didn't fall prey to Yume's power, whatever it was.

Meanwhile, Kushina was running her fingertips over Yume's blade, a soft smile on her face as if meeting a dear, old friend after years of being apart. Soon however, the softness was gone and replaced by the gaze of a seasoned warrior, "You believe you can handle Akumu? Then show me why I should believe you."

Yasaka narrowed her eyes, "Oh I'll show you alright..." She said quietly as she channeled some chakra into the storage seal on her sash, a katana appearing in her hand in a puff of smoke. It was plain, but sturdy and of high quality. It was also her first sword, and the very one she'd used in her Gennin test years ago. Yasaka took a deep breath, this would be a hard fight. Kushina might have been out of action for a long while, but if she was anything like the deadly kunoichi Yasaka had heard about, she'd have kept her skills sharp. Yasaka held her Katana at the ready and nodded to Kushina, "I'm ready. Let's get started."

A single twitch was all the warning Yasaka received before Kushina was upon her. The clash of steel against steel rang out through the clearing as Yasaka held her katana up against her mother's crushing blow. Kushina must've seen the surprise on Yasaka's face as she struggled to hold the strike back, because she allowed a small grin to show, "You didn't think I was just sitting by while Minato did all the work, did you? We were far from the village and on our own, I had to stay strong and become even stronger. So don't you dare think this will be an easy match against some simple housewife." Kushina pushed her blade forward and knocked Yasaka slightly off balance, just enough for Kushina to throw out a swift side kick to her daughter' stomach, sending her tumbling across the clearing.

Yasaka managed to right herself and get back onto her feet, bringing her sword up into a defensive position. That was so much stronger than she could've prepared for! She'd tried to push Kushina away, but the older woman hadn't even budged! "Okay... Calm down Yasaka." She thought to herself, "I can't win in a contest of strength or speed, so I'll just defend as best I can and wait for an opening..." Just one good strike, that was all she needed to win. It was finding that opening that'd be the hard part. Yasaka held her katana at the ready, watching for even the slightest movement. Then when Kushina came in for another attack, Yasaka was ready. She started deflecting and dodging every strike, but just barely. Each strike was only a hair's breadth from hitting her or breaking her guard, and Yasaka couldn't shake the feeling that Kushina was just toying with her.

As they fought, it became clear to the both of them that Yasaka was severely outmatched, "Have you given up yet?" Kushina asked as she and Yasaka's blades were locked once again, "You should know by now that you can't beat me."

"Shut it! I don't give up, ever!" Yasaka snarled before finally managing to push Kushina back. Yasaka's eyes shone in victory as Kushina lost balance for the briefest of moments. Yasaka quickly acted, delivering a swift chop with the blunt side of her sword to Kushina's wrist, making her drop Yume. Yasaka drew her sword back to deliver a final thrust, and as her sword's tip flashed in the moonlight, Kushina simply sighed. Before Yasaka could process what was happening, Kushina flicked her wrist and Yume flew back into her hand, a with a single swing she knocked Yasaka off course and sent her tumbling into the ground. Yasaka cursed herself for forgetting about that and scrambled to her feet, turning around to find Kushina already waiting for her.

The redhead spun Yume around with one hand before pointing the blade at Yasaka, "You will concede defeat, Yasaka. I won't let you touch Akumu until I decide you're ready."

Yasaka grit her teeth, bringing her sword up once again, "You don't get to decide anything!" Even as she said that, it was clear that Kushina wasn't listening. She was looking down at Yume with a bit of hesitation. Yasaka realized too late what she was about to do.

Kushina sighed and shook her head, "I didn't want to have to do this, Yasaka." She held up Yume, Yasaka's eyes darting to it, watching the shifting blade. Before Yasaka could process it was happening, Kushina vanished.

"The FUCK!?" Yasaka yelled, looking around for her now missing opponent. She was simply gone, and Yasaka had no idea where she'd gone or how she'd done it. "Wait... This must be Yume! It's gotta be an illusion of some kind!" Yasaka brought her hands up into the Ram sign, "Kai!" The telltale burst of chakra came rom Yasaka, only nothing happened.

Yasaka tried once again to the same result. She moved quickly, turning every direction to find Kushina, "Yasaka." She froze at the voice in her ear, "This is no simple Genjutsu, nor is it so easily broken." Yasaka responded with a quick slash to her side, only to hit nothing.

Well, this wasn't good.

While Mother and Daughter fought, a third figure was leaning against a tree just outside the clearing. He watched the battle with... mixed feelings. On one hand, if this sword was as dangerous as Kushina claimed, then he didn't want Yasaka to have it either. On the other hand, he didn't feel like either of them had the right to tell Yasaka what she could and couldn't do. Minato sighed, running a hand over his hair as another man walked up beside him, "Sensei."

The Toad Sage gave a simple nod, "When you said you wanted to talk I didn't think you meant over your wife and daughter having a grudge match." Jiraiya said as he stopped beside Minato, both of them watching the fight.

Minato shook his head, "I meant for us to talk at the house, but I just couldn't stop myself from coming to watch this play out... So, do you think Yasaka can win?" He asked, genuinely curious.

Jiraiya was silent for a minute before shaking his head with a sigh, "I don't think so. Yasaka is an incredible young Kunoichi, undeniably talented, confident, and has a will of iron. She's leagues ahead of a normal Kunoichi her age. But she's not ready for someone of Kushina's caliber yet." As much as he hated to say it, it was true. Kushina just had much more experience and a lot more time to train, "That said, she might surprise us. She has a habit of doing that. So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Who leaked Yasaka's status as the Jinchuuriki?"

Jiraiya let out a short laugh, "Straight to the point tonight, are we?" At Minato's unamused look, Jiraiya held his hands up in defense, "Calm down, kid. We don't know, whoever did it was smart enough to not let it be traced back to the. We have a few suspicions on who it was but no solid proof."

Minato nodded, "Who're you suspicious of?"

The two stared at each other for a moment before Jiraiya answered, "Don't even think about it." At Minato's surprised look, Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, "I know that look in your eye, I tell you who they are and you decide to question them, in your own special way. Yasaka might have gotten her temper from Kushina, but we both know where she got that nasty sadistic streak from."

Minato turned away and looked a bit sheepish. He should've known he wouldn't be able to fool his sensei. While everyone who knew him would say he didn't have a mean bone in his body, you don't become a shinobi without developing some... bad habits. He didn't go around torturing people, but he would guiltily admit to toying with some opponents who'd done something horrible, "I just... want to do something about it. I know I shouldn't but..." He clenched his fist as raw anger flashed across his eyes, "I want to make them suffer for all the pain they caused my daughter."

Jiraiya was quiet, thinking to himself before speaking, "Some would say you caused her suffering. One of which is Yasaka herself."

A small flinch was all the reaction Minato had, "...I know. Not a day goes by that I don't wish I'd taken her with us but... After seeing how easily she could get hurt when she was a baby, I just thought that she'd be safer here."

"You shouldn't have left in the first place."

"I couldn't just let Madara run around and do whatever he wanted! I made a terrible mistake but I was just trying to do what I thought was best! What would you do in my position?" Minato asked, his frustration leaking through.

Jiraiya threw his hands up in exasperation, "I don't know! I just don't understand why you wouldn't even try to take her. While Kushina was pregnant you always said that you'd rather die than hurt one of your kids. Then you both just leave Yasaka here, I get that she was weak but..."

Minato nodded, before taking a step forward and watching Yasaka fight, "Did you ever see her when she was a baby, before the Kyuubi healed her?"

Jiraiya shook his head, "I saw her, but she was in a special room at the hospital. The doctors didn't let anyone but her personal nurse and doctor in. I never even got to hold her until Sensei recalled me to tell me she was healed."

The former Yondaime was quiet, "I hurt her." He took a deep breath, "After rescuing her from Madara and sealing the Kyuubi in her, I finally got a good look at her. She was covered in bruises... Ugly, painful looking bruises. I thought Madara was rough with her and she'd gotten them during the fight so I reached into the crib to pick her up, to comfort her. Just from touching her, another bruise showed up, and she screamed." Minato shook his head, shoulders starting to slightly shake, "That horrible scream... It gave me nightmares for weeks. She was in so much pain... some of it I caused. Kushina was horrified too, and we realized she'd given Yasaka a couple bruises as well while preparing the seal." Jiraiya listened intently, his expression unreadable, "We... We couldn't even hold her... How the hell could we have taken her with us? We couldn't even touch her..."

Jiraiya watched Minato as he spoke, his breaths shuddering as he remembered that night, "I didn't know it was that bad. Still, why did both of you have to leave? Kushina could've stayed here and taken care of Yasaka."

"We thought about that, and after we were mostly healed I did a little reconnaissance in the village to see if there was anything to take care of before I left. The village was in mourning, holding a massive memorial service for everyone who'd died, and front and center were pictures of Kushina and I. Sandaime-sama even gave a speech about the losses and mentioned us. If Kushina had come back to the village, having miraculously survived-"

"Then people would've realized that you might be alive too, blowing your whole operation to hell before it even began." Minato nodded, and Jraiya pinched the bridge of his nose, this really was a massive clusterfuck, "While I still don't condone what you two did, I at least understand that you had your reasons. You still fucked up by not staying in the village, but we can't change the past, no matter how much we want to. If you want to make it up to her, and the rest of us, then you'll have to work your ass off."

Minato nodded, having regained control of himself, "I know... Do you think there's any chance she'll forgive us, any of us?"

Jiraiya shrugged, "With your other kids, there's nothing to forgive. There's a slight chance she'll forgive Kushina with time, but it's very slight. As for you..." Jiraiya shook his head, "I wouldn't hold my breath."

With that, the two descended into silence, returning to watching the trial.

Yasaka dropped to her knees, breathing heavily as a few drops of sweat hit the ground. Her body was littered with small cuts, nothing serious, but enough for Yasaka to know that Kushina was still trying to get her to surrender instead of outright beating her. Yasaka stabbed her sword into the ground and hauled herself up, not ready to give in. Suddenly, Kushina appeared in front of her, Yume at her side, "I know you hate me, Yasaka, but that's no reason to continue this. I know the real reason you want to do this. Sandaime-sama told me how much you idolized me before... all this happened, how you compared yourself to me." Yasaka let out a sharp gasp, confusion and shock settling on her face, not that Kushina could see it, "You wanted to duel and beat me so you could prove to yourself that you don't need me." Yasaka stayed quiet, head down as she listened, "You never had to do this, you're so much stronger than I was at your age! I believe that you can learn to control Akumu someday, but not yet." Kushina got down on one knee and put a hand on Yasaka's shoulder, "I don't blame you for hating me, or for challenging me. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I love you and I'll always be here for you. So, let's call it a night, shall we?"

Yasaka's shoulders shook, and if Kushina looked to the side, she'd see Jiraiya grimace and shake his head. Kushina barely avoided the lightning fast strike that Yasaka sent at her, jumping back with a look of surprise on her face. Yasaka looked up, and instead of the sadness and acceptance she was expecting, Kushina only saw rage, "Don't you dare act like you know me." She said quietly, "Don't you stand there pretending like you know everything about how I feel. You don't know a fucking thing about me." Yasaka slowly dragged herself to her feet, "I'll admit, I did idolize you, and maybe some part of me wanted to fight you to prove something to myself, maybe wanting Akumu was just some ruse I used to hide my real motivation, even from myself. Though that was then, and since this fight began I've got another big reason to beat you." Kushina settled into her stance as a fire ignited in Yasaka's eyes, "I fucking HATE that look in your eyes." Kushina took a small step back, "I don't care about your reason, but if you look down on me and try to tell me what I can and can't do, then I will kick your ass, you got it!?"

With that, Yasaka gave a battle cry and launched herself at Kushina, who defended herself from Yasaka's assault. The blonde fought with a renewed sense of vigor, hammering away with strike after strike, "I see..." Kushina said as she deflected Yasaka's attacks. She had no idea she was making Yasaka so angry, but she couldn't go back on the challenge now. Maybe Yasaka could handle Akumu, but Kushina wasn't going to take the chance she'd be killed by the cursed sword. "Her attacks have gotten stronger, and faster... Fine, I'll end it right now." Kushina pushed Yasaka away before disappearing once again.

Yasaka grit her teeth as she strained her senses, desperately trying to locate Kushina. Soon enough Yasaka felt a kick to her side that sent her crashing through the clearing. As soon as she got up, she turned to find Kushina, seeing her standing in the middle of the clearing. Yasaka rushed forward, eager to take this opportunity, and tripped over her own feet, "What? I... I tripped?" Yasaka pushed herself to her feet and resumed her charge, only for her to once again collapse, "I can't stay up..." She thought to herself. Yasaka struggled back up and slowly stumbled toward Kushina. Once she finally got to her, Kushina didn't even bother defending herself from Yasaka's swings. Every one of them was a mile off. To Yasaka, she was swinging with attacks that should've hit, but none of them connected with anything!

Kushina's eyes softened, "Yasaka..."

"Don't say it..." She held her sword up, "I can still-" The loud snap of breaking metal rang throughout the clearing as, with a quick swing of Yume, Kushina broke Yasaka's katana. The blade stabbed into the ground near them as Yasaka stared, bewildered, at the broken blade in her hand.

Kushina lowered Yume, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted like I knew how you felt, and you're right, I don't know enough about you to say anything about your abilities. I would teach you anything you wanted if you asked, but Akumu is evil. I would rather you hate me for the rest of your life than let you get yourself killed because we took a chance on Akumu. Now stop this." Kushina held up Yume, allowing Yasaka to once again look at it's shifting blade, "This proves it, you are not ready." The clearing was silent for a minute, before Yasaka held up her broken sword, ready to continue.

"I will never stop... Once I've decided to do something, I'll see it through, no matter what." Yasaka took a deep breath, "Keep Yume for all I care, if she doesn't want me, then I don't need her." Yasaka gave a swipe of her sword that missed entirely, "As long as I can still hold a sword then I'll keep fighting, and even if I drop from exhaustion, then I'll be back tomorrow. If I still don't win, then I'll keep coming back, again and again until I finally win. I swore to myself that I'd make my ancestors proud and become the strongest Uzumaki the world has ever know... If I give up now, when I'm so close to Akumu, then I'll never forgive myself." She gave a few more swings, "I know you're stronger than me, and maybe I can't handle Akumu, but I'll never win or know if I don't keep trying."

Kushina's eyes softened, and for what seemed like the millionth time that day, she regretted her choices concerning her daughter. She looked away for just a second, and that second was all Yasaka needed. Yasaka managed to spot her mother's guard slipping and struck like a cobra. With the last bit of her energy, Yasaka dropped her broken blade and grabbed Kushina's wrist, turning and throwing the older woman over her shoulder, wrenching Yume from her grip as she did. Kushina got to her feet just in time to see Yasaka grab the broken blade off the ground and rush toward her. Kushina watched as Yasaka brought her sword up to give the final blow, her violet eyes bright and shining. Kushina watched as her daughter held up the blade, ready to bring it down, before Yasaka's grip loosened. Yasaka's eyes lost their fire and glazed over as the sword fell from her grasp and she fell to her knees. Yasaka's face showed nothing but shocked confusion, and then nothing at all as she fell forward into Kushina, unconscious and completely exhausted.

Kushina held Yasaka there for a second, her mind trying to process what had happened, before looking down at Yasaka. The Trial of the Blades was over, and Kushina couldn't help but let out a short laugh. If Yasaka had connected with that last strike, then she might have lost. She gently set Yasaka on the ground and moved over to collect the broken pieces of her daughter's sword, sealing them away in a storage seal on her arm. Even after her only weapon broke, the girl had continued to fight without a single sign of giving in. Kushina sighed as another thought came to her, as amazing as Yasaka's will was, how much pain had she endured for it to get that way? Kushina didn't know if she'd ever truly understand her daughter... So how could she judge what Yasaka was ready for?

Kushina shook her head at the traitorous thought, as good as Yasaka was, she wasn't ready for Akumu... but did that matter? As much as she wanted to deny it, Yasaka's words had placed doubt in her mind. Whether Yasaka was ready or not, did Kushina have any right to keep her birthright from her? "Ugh... It's too late for this..." She grumbled to herself before calling Yume back to her hand... only for the sword to not move. Kushina raised an eyebrow before trying again, Yume didn't even shift a bit from Yasaka's grip.

Wait, when did Yasaka grab Yume? It certainly wasn't in her hand when Kushina set her on the ground...

Kushina walked over to Yasaka and knelt down, placing her hand on Yume's blade and channeling chakra into it, watching the blade's pattern remain still. Kushina looked at the blade with an unreadable expression, before a sad smile appeared on her face, "Is this your way of trying to tell me something?" It was always said that Yume and Akumu had wills of their own, and Kushina had always believed it. She sat in silence for a minute, "You know her much better than I do, and it looks like you've made a decision."

Kushina took the sword from Yasaka's grip and returned it to it's sheath before picking her daughter up, "Alright Yume, I'll trust you. One last time."

- The next morning, Team 7's apartment -

Yasaka groaned as the sun arrived at the perfect position to shine in her eyes. She moaned in her tired state and rolled over to escape the shining annoyance, before the events of last night rushed back to her and she sat straight upright. Yasaka looked around the room, seeing Yume on her stand and the pieces of her old katana sitting next to it. Yasaka looked down at herself, finding that she was wearing her usual pajamas of a tank-top and sport shorts, and got up to make her way into the kitchen. When she arrived, she found Yuuko sipping some coffee. Once the black-haired girl saw her, she pushed a plate of bacon and eggs toward her.

Yasaka sat at the counter and took a bit of bacon before turning to Yuuko, "I lost, didn't I?"

Yuuko nodded, "I's assume so, Kushina-san dropped you off here last night. Want to talk about it?"

"No, I'm fine." She looked around the apartment, "What's everybody else doing?"

"Naruto went out with Haku to get groceries and Hinata's at the hospital for some medic training thing. Also Hinata said not to go anywhere until your cuts are healed."

Yasaka scoffed, "Please, I've dealt with worse."

Yuuko looked over at her with a pleading look, "Just listen to her, I think she's just worried about you."

"It'll take more than one little loss to hurt me..." The two spent the next few minutes in silence as Yasaka ate. Until Yasaka couldn't hold it anymore, "God DAMMIT! I tried my hardest and she just humored with me like I was some little kid playing ninja! I don't even have any idea what Yume's power did! It was so damn frustrating!"

"There is is." Yuuko said to herself as Yasaka ranted.

I mean, I knew it wasn't gonna be easy but fuck me! You'd think she was trying to humiliate me with how she kept going easy on me. I don't know what pisses me off more, the fact that I wasn't even a threat or the fact that she was right! You know what, screw it!" Yasaka went back over to her plate and quickly scarfed down all her food and put the plate in the sink. Once she was done she headed back to her room to get dressed. She soon returned from her room with all her Shinobi gear on and Yume in her sash, "I'm going out, don't know when I'll be back."

"Where're you going?" Yuuko asked, even though she was fairly sure she knew the answer.

"I'm going to challenge Kushina again, and I'm gonna keep challenging her until I beat her so don't try to stop me."

Yuuko gave a little smile and shook her head, "I wasn't going to, Kami knows nobody can stop you once you put your mind to something."

Yasaka gave her a little smile, "Thanks Yuuko, have fun explaining that to Hinata!" She said as she headed out the door.

Yuuko froze for a second before sighing, "I forgot about that..."

- Uzumaki Estate -

Just like the night before, Kushina was sitting on the deck of the Uzumaki main house, this time sipping a cup of tea. Kushina drank down the rest of it, sighing to herself before looking out at the path toward the house. She wasn't the least bit surprised to see her estranged daughter suddenly standing in front of her, "Yasaka, welcome back." She said as she set her tea cup down.

"Let's go, you know what I'm here for." She said as she walked past Kushina toward the clearing, tossing Yume to her as she went. Kushina held Yume for a minute, thinking to herself. She drew the blade, staring at it's unmoving pattern as Yasaka came back, "Are you coming or not?"

"It'll be hard for you to fight without a sword, won't it?"

Yasaka pulled out a kunai with no hesitation, "I've got all I need right here. Now are we gonna do this?"

Kushina looked her over for a minute before nodding to herself and tossing Yume back to her, "Follow me." She said as she walked toward the forest near the estate.

Yasaka raised an eyebrow, "The clearing is that way." She said as she pointed behind the estate.

"I know."

Yasaka raised an eyebrow before shrugging and following Kushina into the forest. It didn't seem like they were following any set path, and soon the bamboo surrounding the estate turned into Konoha's normal forest. They walked for a good long while, the forest getting thicker and thicker. They had to have been close to the village outskirts by now. Yasaka was about to complain when Kushina stopped, gazing at something in front of them. Yasaka looked past her to see... not what she expected. It looked like a temple, but it was in terrible disrepair. It looked like nobody had come to take care of it in decades, "What the hell is this place?"

"This is the Uzumaki mask temple. A very important place for our clan which was built during the village's founding to house some very powerful artifacts." Kushina said with a bit of wistfulness to her voice.

Yasaka made a confused face, "Then why is it so trashed? If it's that important then you'd think someone would take care of it... Also why the hell are we here?"

"You'll see soon enough. As for why nobody's taken care of it, well... Some things are better left forgotten." She walked into the temple, Yasaka following with confusion. Once they reached the main room, Yasaka looked around with a small amount of wonder. The place definitely looked like it was about to collapse, but it was still interesting... She could get to liking this place, until her gaze landed on the masks on the far wall. Something about them felt... off. Once she noticed them, the room took on a noticeable chill.

Yasaka swallowed nervously and turned to Kushina, who was kneeling on the ground in a seemingly random part of the room, "Okay, enough with the secrecy, I followed you to the creepy mask shack, now why are we here?"

Kushina waved her over, and Yasaka came to see Kushina remove a floorboard and walk over to a wall. Yasaka watched with confusion as Kushina held the floorboard up and pressed it into the wall. Yasaka let out a gasp as a seal appeared on the board and quickly spread out across the walls of the temple. It looked incredibly complex, and before she could examine it, the seals formed together into a storage seal next to the board, "We're here for this." Kushina said as she pressed her hand into the seal and removed something. Kushina turned, dropping the board, and held up a long item wrapped in thick black cloth, with a string of pure white prayer beads wrapped around to tie it closed. Yasaka's face went through a myriad of emotions; confusion, realization, shock, then back to confusion. Before Yasaka could say anything, Kushina explained herself, "Your trial was to show me that you could handle Akumu. You may have lost the duel, but I came to a realization." Kushina looked down at Akumu, struggling with herself for a second, "You're right, I don't know anything about you beyond the surface things... I don't have any right to tell you what you can and can't do. But beyond that, you showed me that you're an amazing young woman with an unbreakable spirit. Even against overwhelming odds, you persevered and didn't stop fighting until your body gave out on you. I wasn't able to control Akumu, and I let that cloud my judgment when it came to you. So as an apology, I'll have faith in you, faith that you can succeed where I've failed." She said as she held the bundle out to Yasaka.

Yasaka looked up with a glare, "Are you feeling sorry for me? I don't want your pity, I'll beat you and earn it."

"You already did, it's just that neither of us realized that I wasn't the one you had to impress." Kushina gave a smile at Yasaka's confused look, "After you disarmed me with that throw, Yume worked her way into your hand and wouldn't respond to me anymore. I may not know enough to tell if you're ready or not, but she does." She said as Yasaka glanced at the purple sword. Yasaka stood in silence for a minute before she slowly took the sword and made to undo the bindings, but Kushina put a hand on hers to stop her, "Just promise me you'll be careful. Akumu is still a cursed, evil sword, and I won't be able to live with myself if it hurts you."

Yasaka stared for a second before nodding, "I promise." She may hate Kushina, but she would at least give her that. Yasaka then started undoing the bindings, and once the last fell away, she finally beheld Akumu.

It looked nearly identical to Yume except for the color and the tsuba. Instead of the dark purple, it was a deep red, the color of fresh blood. The tsuba was much the same, but the waves looked more violent, almost like blood flying out of a sword wound instead of waves. All in all, the whole thing was just as beautiful as Yume. Of course, she hadn't seen the blade yet... Yasaka gripped the handle and confidently drew the sword. The second she pulled it out the slightest bit, she froze, the chilling feeling in the air seemed to get worse, as if she was encased in ice. The hair on the back of her neck stood on edge, and the world got eerily quiet. Yasaka swallowed the creeping dread and slowly inched the blade out, Kushina watching her with worry the whole time. With every centimeter of the blade she drew, the feeling if impending doom seemed to get worse and worse, like something was constantly creeping up behind her, and she could do nothing about it. With every movement of her hands, it crept closer, inching up on her and preparing to strike her down. But she couldn't stop, and she told herself that over and over again. She had to keep going, she had to draw it, she had to- Close it right now! Yasaka quickly sheathed the blade, not even able to look at how much of it she got out. As soon as the blade was back in it's sheath, everything went back to normal.

She didn't know what came over her... All at once she felt like if she kept trying to draw the blade, the thing behind her would steal very soul, "It's rough, I know." Kushina said, her voice snapping Yasaka out of it, "For what it's worth, it really is all in your head. I'm sure you can overcome it."

Yasaka gazed at Kushina with an unreadable expression before replying, "Thank you, but I still hate you with a passion."

Kushina nodded as her smile turned somber, "I know." She watched Yasaka slip Akumu into her sash next to Yume, "Remember, if you decide you want to put Akumu away and wait, just let me know. Also that offer to teach you still stands."

Yasaka said nothing, but gave a little wave as she turned and left the temple, then as an afterthought, wound the prayer beads into her sash around the two swords. Kushina tool one last look around before leaving herself, feeling like she might've broken some ground with her daughter today. Even if that was just wishful thinking. After taking one last look around the temple, Kushina headed outside and raised an eyebrow toward the forest, "You just couldn't stay away, could you?"

She heard a sigh as Minato walked out from behind a tree, "Could you if our places were reversed?"

Kushina shook her head with a smile, "Well, you've got me there... Do you think I did the right thing?" She asked as Minato came and put an arm around her shoulder.

Minato gave his wife a soft smile, "I don't know... We just have to have faith in her, right?"

Kushina nodded, "Right... Now let's go get some ramen. Being in that temple always freaks me out, and now I need some comfort food."

As Yasaka walked through the forest, she idly ran her hands over the swords on her hip. She'd given up on ever finding Akumu in the years before her family returned, since the scroll didn't give any hints as to where it was. It was also doubtful she'd ever find the temple on her own, and even if she had or someone told her, it was very unlikely she'd find Akumu in its seal. Now that she had both, she felt a certain sense of satisfaction she hadn't felt since she became a Genin. Now... Now there was just one more thing she had to do. She'd been planning on doing something since the morning after she'd read her father's note to the Sandaime, and she might as well get it over with now.

She needed to speak to Kyuubi.

Yasaka found a secluded spot in the forest before sitting against a tree, swords resting in her lap. This would be the first time in a long time she'd willingly gone into her mindscape to meet her tenant, so she took a few deep breaths to clear her mind, and focused on the seal. She had, reluctantly, learned how to do it from Jiraiya in the event she and Kyuubi ever needed to meet. Yasaka had thought that'd never happen, but here they were. She felt her mind being drawn into the seal, and closed her eyes.

Then, she opened them. Yasaka now stood in a dilapidated temple hallway, water coming up to her ankles and soft blueish lighting shining in from cracks in the walls or holes in the ceiling. Despite clearly being a temple, the hallway was massive, with small vines crawling up the walls and small plants decorating the flooded hallway. Her footsteps echoed loudly as she walked forward, and her feet stayed dry despite the water. Every now and then another hallway split off from the one she was on, but she ignored them, no matter where she went, she'd eventually arrive at her destination. She didn't know how long she'd been walking, time seemed to have no meaning in here, when she arrived at the massive cage with a sealing tag placed in the center at her eye level.

"Well, well... This is indeed a surprise. After four years of knowing I was here, only now do you decide to visit me. I'm hurt, kit." The loud, menacing voice of the Kyuubi no Kitsune sounded from behind the bars. After a few seconds, it's form became visible to her, staring down at her with it's glowing crimson eyes, "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" It asked, venom clearly audible in the last word.

Yasaka showed no fear as she walked closer to the cage, "I take it you know what's been going on over the last few days?"

Kyuubi growled, "Of course I do, those two are alive... It's a shame, knowing that I killed the ones who imprisoned me in here was my only comfort... But I dare say that you didn't come in here to let me know what's going on in your life, so out with it."

Yasaka stared up at Kyuubi for a minute, "Everything in the note, was it true? You were ripped out of my mother and forced to attack the village, if it's true, why did you never tell me?"

A scoff answered her, "It's true, and what of it? Would you have believed me if I did tell you?" At Yasaka's thoughtful expression, he continued, his tone laced with venom, "Your kind is always all too willing to hate me and mine. You treat us like tools, like monsters to be caged and exploited. Knowing that I was controlled changes nothing."

Yasaka stood in silence for a minute, mulling over Kyuubi's words, "All too willing to hate... You and I are more alike than I thought." Kyuubi watched, and his eyes widened by a fraction as Yasaka bowed, "I'm sorry... I did to you exactly what the villagers do to me, I judged you and hated you without knowing anything about you, and for that I am truly sorry. I don't know if either of us will ever be free of the other, but now that I know the truth I swear that I'll never let myself be overcome by that hatred ever again."

Yasaka held her bow for a minute before standing up, getting another growl from Kyuubi, "You think this changes anything? It doesn't, we are still enemies who are forced to rely on each other to survive. You can try and make nice all you want, but I'll still be watching, waiting for my opportunity to br-"

"Break out of the seal and tear me to ribbons, I know." The blonde said with an amused smirk, "I'm not naïve. I know that one apology, no matter how heartfelt, isn't going to make us best friends. You said it yourself, we're forced to rely on each other, I just thought that this would make it a little easier on both of us."

"Humph, how nice. If that's all you have to say then leave me be." Yasaka rolled her eyes and turned to leave, "Oh, actually there is one more thing..." Yasaka turned, only to step back as a pair of claws slammed through the cage and halted just before hitting her, "My container bows to nobody, not even me!" Yasaka was startled, but gave a nod, "We may be stuck together but that doesn't mean I'll tolerate such weakness, understood, Kit!?" Kyuubi seethed as he retracted his claws.

A small smile graced Yasaka's face as she looked up at Kyuubi, "Got it, now I'll leave you alone to brood." She said as she turned and walked away, disappearing after a few steps. Kyuubi stared at where she'd been for a minute, seemingly deep in thought, before scoffing and returning to the darkness of the cage.

- Meanwhile, with Naruto and Haku -

Konoha's favorite, albeit only, Kaguya was practically vibrating with excitement. He'd finally noticed Shinobi from other villages arriving in Konoha, which meant that the Chunin exams were gonna kick off soon! He could hardly wait! Naruto had been waiting for a chance to cut loose and go wild, his usual spars with his teammates and Lee were fun, but they weren't enough! His ice using companion gave him an amused look, "Are you really that excited about some exams? I think I'd be more worried than anything."

Naruto gave her his signature grin, "Well, I might be a bit nervous, but I've been waiting for this for years! It's no secret that I love to fight, and the thought of going at it with so many different people has got my blood boiling for a fight! I just hope Kakashi-sensei hurries up with the sign-up slips." He said as he looked around the busy street. There were so many new people around the village for the exams, and the parts people could watch were still a long way off! There were also some really strong ones if what he was sensing was correct. They continued on their way home when a sudden commotion near them caught their attention.

"Come on Chojuro, we've still got so much of the village to see!"

"H-hey stop pulling, Tomoe!"

The two looked over at the commotion to see a pair of what looked to be Kiri Shinobi. A shy-looking guy with a large bundle on his back was being dragged around by an incredibly excitable Kunoichi. She was looking around at everything in sight, and when she saw them, she waved and happily skipped over, dragging her teammate along with her. Naruto then noticed a sudden dip in the temperature around Haku, right... she probably didn't have the best opinion of Kiri. Naruto gave her arm a squeeze, which seemed to snap her out of her glare, Haku sent him a thankful look as the two got to them.

The girl gave them a sunny smile, "Hello there! Sorry to bother you, but you wouldn't happen to know how to get to the top of the Hokage Monument, would you? I bet the view is gorgeous!" Up close they could make out more details about her. She had the pale skin common in Kiri, shoulder-length black hair and bright, electric blue eyes. She wore a black tube-top that exposed her stomach, black shinobi pants and sandals, and a purple jacket. Lastly, her hitai-ite was wrapped around her waist like a belt.

Naruto returned the smile, "Just head towards the foot of the mountain and there'll be a path for people up to a viewing area. So you guys are here for the exams?"

She nodded, giving a megawatt grin, "Yup, I'm Tomoe and this is Chojuro. Our last teammate is around here somewhere... He's always falling behind..."

Her glasses-wearing teammate sighed, "Maybe you could drag him around instead of me." He said quietly, but not quiet enough as she gave him an affronted look, "U-um... Not that you d-drag me anywhere, I was just joking!"

Tomoe narrowed her eyes at him and leaned in toward his face, "Come on Chojuro, if I didn't drag you everywhere then you'd just sit at home doing nothing! Is it really so bad that I want my teammate to get out of his shell?" He sputtered for a moment, clearly trying to come up with an excuse. Eventually he just sighed in defeat, causing her to grin again, "That's what I thought!"

Naruto chuckled at the two of them, "I'm Naruto, and this is Haku, nice to meet you!"

Tomoe nodded, giving Naruto a smile before looking over to Haku, "Are you a Kunoichi as well? Maybe I'll see you in the exams!"

Haku shook her head, her tone frosty as she gave a curt reply, "I am a Kunoichi, but I won't be participating in the exams."

The excitable Kiri Genin nodded, before something strange happened. As she looked into Haku's eyes, the smile slowly started to slip off of her face. Then she spoke, her voice soft, "You survived the purge too." Haku stepped back in surprise, and Tomoe seemed to realize what she said. THe Kiri kunoichi stammered, "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that! Just forget I said anything!" She said before quickly, only for Haku to narrow her eyes, "I-I should go... I'm sorry." She said as she quickly made to leave.

Chojuro watched her go with surprise and worry, "Hey, Tomoe! Didn't you want to go see the monument?"

"Not anymore, I'm going back to the room." She said as she continued on.

Her teammate just nodded with a sigh, "Okay then..." He turned to Haku, "I-I apologize if she brought up painful memories, sometimes she just can't help but say what she's thinking."

Haku stared after the girl, "Was she a victim of the purges as well?" She asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

Chojuro shifted uncomfortably, "W-well... It's not my story to tell, I'm sorry..." He gave a small bow, "I should head back to the hotel with her and make sure she's alright, excuse me." He said before hurrying to catch up with her.

Naruto watched the exchange with silence, then put a hand on Haku's shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Haku watched the two leave for a second before nodding, "Yes, I'm alright. I'd heard that the rebels had won the civil war from Zabuza-sama, but it's still hard not to associate Kiri Shinobi with what I went through."

"Well, nobody's gonna fault you for that... Hey, I just thought of something." At Haku's raised eyebrow, Naruto held his hand up and created a small bone knife out of his wrist. "How do you think they're gonna handle it when they find out what I am?"

Haku gave a smile, "Two former Kiri bloodlines being alive in Konoha... I'd imagine it'll cause a bit of an uproar. But let's forget all this and go home. I want to make you all something special since you'll be participating in the Chunin exams..." Her smile turned a bit more mischievous, "If Kakashi-san decides to let you."

Naruto nodded, "There's no way he wouldn't... Right?" He asked, looking to Haku for assurance.

A small giggle was his only answer.

A few minutes after they left, another figure appeared on the street. This one was wearing a yukata with a Kiri plate stitched into the shoulder, and had a bubble pipe hanging from his obi, "Come on... Where the hell did they get off to now?"

- Somewhere else in Konoha -

"Remind me why you decided to follow me around today?" Hinata asked as she walked down the street.

Yuuko shrugged and munched on a stick of strawberry pocky, "Because I'm bored and didn't want to sit around at home all day." After Yasaka left, it had quickly become apparent to Yuuko that she was the only person in the house who didn't have any plans. So she decided to just head out and go wherever her whims took her, and they just so happened to take her into Hinata's path. So with nothing better to do, she decided to follow her friend and see if anything interesting happened.

Hinata rolled her eyes, "Alright then, but I don't know how interesting my day will be, I'm just going back home."

As they walked on, Yuuko gust gave a little smile, "You never know, adventure can come from anywhere." The two continued to walk on in silence, simply enjoying the walk, before Yuuko turned to look at a wall, "As a matter of fact..." She then reached out, and grabbed onto a camouflaged sheet, pulling it down to reveal a startled Konohamaru and Hanabi, along with two other kids.

The four of them seemed startled for a minute, before Konohamaru jumped forward, "So you saw through our disguise, as I would expect from you guys! Behold, I am Konohamaru, the future Hokage!" He stood, holding a pose for a minute before looking back at his friends, "Guys, come on!" They all seemed to realize they were late and all came forward, striking their own poses.

"I'm Udon, the smartest kid in our class!"

"My name is Moegi! I'm the cutest girl in the academy!"

"Lastly, I'm Hanabi, the graceful firecracker that lights up the night sky. The one who's illuminating light will forever shine down upon those in need of hope and justice, for wherever there is injustice in the world I shall appear in order to punish the wicked and deliver-"

"Um... Hanabi-chan... I think your intro might be a little too long." Konohamaru said, causing Hanabi to stop and look at him incredulously.

"Is it? I thought it was pretty short... I even have some longer versions I came up with..." She said as she pulled out a notebook and flipped through it.

Hinata gave a smile and a shake of her head, "Of course you did... I think short and simple is best, but you can work on it Hanabi-chan."

The other girl, Moegi, suddenly remembered something and let out a yelp, "Ah, we forgot to finish our introduction!"

The others scrambled to get back into their poses as Konohamaru stood triumphantly in front, "We are, the Konohamaru Ninja Squad!"

Yuuko watched them, before an idea came to her. She smacked her fist into her palm and turned to Hinata, "We should have poses too, it would maximize our fighting spirit! What do you say, Hinata-chan? We can start drawing up a formation for everyone when we get home!"

Hinata gave her friend a raised eyebrow, "I don't think the poses would be very practical in battle... But I suppose it could be fun!" She said with a smile before looking back to their young friends, "So, what can we do for you guys?"

Udon spoke up, "Um... We were wondering if you guys would play ninja with us? If that's okay..."

The two girls shared a look before shrugging, "Well..." Yuuko said, her eyes slowly bleeding red, "Alright. But we won't be going easy on you, so you'd better get running..."Hinata joined in by activating her Byakugan. Of course they weren't really going to use their doujutsu in a game of ninja with some academy students, but the kids didn't know that!

Hinata and Yuuko watched as they got started running, loudly strategizing about their plans to avoid being caught. They were going to give them a few minutes to get moving, but that went out the window after they heard someone collide with something, and an angry voice call out, "Hey! Watch where you're going you brat!"

The two wasted no time in following the kids, and turned a corner to see Konohamaru being held against a wall by am Iwa shinobi wearing a sleeveless version of the standard Iwa uniform. He had long, shaggy white hair and angry yellow eyes. His teammates stood to the side, a large boy with a sleeved uniform and a girl with one sleeve. The large boy seemed like he wanted to speak up, but the girl beat him to it, "Come on, Koga! Just let the kid go."

Koga scoffed and turned to sneer at her, "Don't think you can order me around, Kurotsuchi. I don't care who you are, unlike the rest of the village idiots. Now, what exactly should I do with you?" He asked Konohamaru with a sinister grin.

"You're going to let him go." Yuuko said, having suddenly appeared next to Koga and putting a Kunai to Koga's neck. His eyes widened a bit as he turned and stared into her Sharingan, "Unless you'd like to cause an international incident by assaulting the Hokage's grandson over something so small. Not to mention it'd be in front of the heiresses to the Hyuuga and Uchiha."

He narrowed his eyes before dropping Konohamaru, who quickly ran back to his friends with Hinata. As the team medic started looking Konohamaru over, Yuuko withdrew her kunai, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it..." He said with a mean-spirited smile, "I hope I can pay you back in the exams." He growled out before turning and stalking away.

After he left, Kurotsuchi shook her head and turned to Yuuko, "Sorry about him. As you can tell, he's a major ass."

"Kurotsuchi..."

"I don't care how 'important' he is, Akatsuchi, He's an arrogant jackass and I don't care what Gramps thinks of him!" She said, clearly fed up with her teammate, "Anyway, we'd better get after him before he causes us even more trouble... Sorry again for the trouble." She told Yuuko and Hinata before they left, following Koga.

Hinata watched for a minute before sighing, "The exams haven't even started yet and we're already fighting with other villages... Are you all okay?" She asked their little friends.

Konohamaru nodded, "Yeah, we're okay, thanks."

Udon shivered a bit as he watched the two Iwa Shinobi leave, "Are you gonna be okay, Yuuko? It looked like he was going to come after you.

Yuuko turned to him and gave a small smile, "It's fine, if he comes after me I can just kick his ass, right?" Truth be told, Yuuko almost hoped he'd find her, he seemed like he needed to be taken down a few pegs.

Hinata shook her head, "You should be more careful, Yuuko." Yuuko raised an eyebrow at her and Hinata elaborated, "I used my Byakugan to check Konohamaru and caught a glimpse of his chakra. It's wild, and extremely powerful. He's definitely not all talk." With that, the two descended into silence, getting Konohamaru and his friends home before heading on their way.

"Hey Kit, take a left."

Yasaka jumped a bit as her tenant's voice sounded in her head, "What, hungry or something?" She asked, coming to a stop on the street.

Kyuubi growled, "I don't have time for your stupid jokes!" Yasaka raised a brow, wondering what had Kyuubi so upset, "Now do what I say and go left."

"Ah, what the hell..." Yasaka said to herself as she turned to follow Kyuubi's directions. He was obviously leading her somewhere, but she couldn't figure out where. Soon enough, she turned into an alleyway to see a couple Suna shinobi standing there, a guy in a cat-looking suit, and a girl with blonde hair.

The girl looked over to her, "Can we help you?"

Yasaka shook her head, "No thanks, you and make-up boy aren't what I'm here for."

A vein bulged on the guy's head, "It's war paint Goddammit!" Seemed like that was a sore subject...

The girl rolled her eyes, "Calm down, Kankuro. So why are you here? There isn't anything here but us."

"Good question, why am I here?" She said, asking that last part to her tenant.

"In the tree..."

Yasaka looked up to said tree and pointed at it, "Okay, you! Get down here, now!"

The two Suna shinobi seemed to freeze up, and after a few seconds a swirl of sand appeared in front of Yasaka. After it disappeared, Yasaka narrowed her eyes at the redhead that now stood in front of her. So this is what Kyuubi was worried about... He didn't seem like much at first, but Yasaka could sense the barely restrained bloodlust just beneath the surface. Yasaka put her hands on her hips and slightly leaned in, "So, who are you and why exactly did Kyuubi want me to find you?"

At the word 'Kyuubi' the two behind him seemed to go from cautions to terrified, but to his credit, the redhead didn't flinch or move, "You're a container as well?"

Yasaka's eyes widened for a second, before a smirk worked it's way onto her face, "So that's it. The old fox is upset another Biju is in his territory."

"That's not it. He's unhinged, and he's not even trying to suppress Shukaku's chakra to hide his status. Watch out for him, Kit."

"Aw, I didn't know you cared!"

"I don't, but if you get torn apart then I die too.""Whatever you say..." She thought in a teasing tone, "So Tanuki boy, you got a name?"

"Gaara no Sabaku." His eye twitched a bit, "Mother wants me to rip you to pieces..." He said as his KI started leaking out.

Yasaka dropped her smile and straightened up, "Calm down there Gaara, we can play all we like in the exams. I just wanted to see what Kyuubi needed to show me. Now then, I'll see you later. Oh, and my name is Yasaka Uzumaki." She said as she turned to leave.

"Yasaka Uzumaki... I will kill you." He said in a monotone voice, like it was just a fact of life.

Yasaka turned back and looked over her shoulder, "I'm sure you'll try."

As Yasaka left the alleyway and continued on her way home, she couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship the Gaara, strange as it was. The both of them were saddled with the same burden, though they obviously dealt with it in different ways. Just from that little exchange, Yasaka could tell that her fellow Jinchuuriki was definitely a threat. Well, she never expected these exams to be easy. "Thanks for warning me, Kyuubi. I appreciate it." Silence was her only answer, it seemed that Kyuubi went back to sleep, or just decided that he'd had enough of talking. Well, no matter what happened in the exams, Yasaka was certain that she and her teammates would get through them.

It was finally time for the four of them to really let loose and show the nations what they were made of.

Chapter End

Okay, there we go... I feel like I kinda rushed the ending, but I just wanted to get this posted to let you guys know that I really was still alive. Well, I think that I did alright with this chapter, and I hope you guys liked it.

Okay, I feel like I should talk about Yasaka losing the trial... There are probably some people who didn't like that she lost, so just let me explain. As I was writing it, I wracked my brain trying to come up with a plausible way for Yasaka to beat Kushina, but she just can't right now. No matter how strong Yasaka is, Kushina is just much stronger and much more experienced, I couldn't come up with anything that didn't feel cheap or like cheating. I wanted the trial to be a straight battle between swordsmen, no ninjutsu allowed except for the abilities of the swords the participants were using. I could've let Yasaka use the Kyuubi's chakra, but the whole thing was a test for Yasaka, using Kyuubi's power would have ruined that. I think I came up with a good middle ground here, Yasaka lost, but her will and determination to keep fighting until her body gave out won Yume over. Once Kushina saw that Yume had chosen Yasaka, she realized that it was never her choice if Yasaka was ready or not, it was always Yume's.

So, yeah. Next chapter will be the actual start to the exams, and before I end this, I had one thing I wanted to run by you guys... I had a bit of an idea for a Naruto/Bleach crossover that I wanted to run by you guys. I don't want to have too many stories and end up not finishing them, but I think this idea has potential and I wanted to get all your input.

Here's an idea for a potential Naruto/Bleach Crossover. If you don't care then just skip it.

After finishing it I realized that I kinda got carried away but... Yeah this is everything I had planned for the setup. I know it's a bit of a read but, if you'd take the time and tell me what you think then I'd really appreciate it.

I just got back into Bleach and got an idea for a fic, and I want to put a basic summary of the premise here, if you guys like it then I might make it, if not then I'll scrap it. I don't have all the details worked out, but here's what I have so far... I'm thinking of calling it, 'The Extra Shinigami'

So, the Naruto world is a living world separate from the one in Bleach, and for the most part the Shinigami of the Gotei 13 have nothing to do with it. Instead, all the souls of the dead are taken care of by the Shinigami of the Naruto world, who is an entirely separate entity. I was thinking about having the Naruto Shinigami be a being crated by the Soul King specifically to handle the Shinobi world, since it's far different from the Bleach living world and has a lot more death due to the constant wars. Not only that, the Naruto Shinigami exists to make sure the Shinobi world isn't interfered with by beings who can traverse the barriers between worlds and is a lot more powerful because of it. However, a Hollow somehow manages to make it's way to the Shinobi world, maybe due to a special ability that only it has or something, which allows it to hide from the Naruto Shinigami.

Now we come to the story itself, Naruto would be older than the Konoha 12 by two or three years, and he would be a very special young man. What I was thinking about was that Kushina would be attacked by this hollow while she was pregnant with Naruto and barely escape. This would make Naruto a Fullbringer, but I also have a little twist. I thought it would be kinda cool if this Hollow realized that Kushina was going to get away and forcibly pushed it's reiatsu into Kushina in an attempt to kill Naruto as revenge. Kushina would make it back to the village and immediately be taken to the hospital, where Tsunade would realize that something was wrong with the unborn Naruto.

The Hollow's reiatsu would be attempting to take over Naruto's soul, which would kill him and immediately turn him into a Hollow upon dying. Now, Tsunade wouldn't notice this, but she would realize that Naruto's soul is 'dying'. So, I was thinking that with all the insane stuff ninjutsu can do, there would be a few techniques that could damage the soul itself, and Tsunade, being the world's greatest medic, would know how to counter it. So she starts trying to keep Naruto's soul whole while getting rid of the corruption, and she manages to clear it all away and revitalize Naruto's soul at the exact instant that it was completely taken over by the Hollow's reiatsu, pretty much like Ichigo getting his soul reaper powers right as he became a hollow when he was training with Urahara. So Naruto would also have hollow abilities, like a Visored minus the Shinigami powers. Though I do intend for him to have a Zanpakuto. Naruto would also completely lose his chakra from the event, and no, it won't be a neglect fic, but more on that later.

Now, before I go any farther, just allow me to say that Naruto won't be godlike and he won't be given everything all at once. He also won't be able to use Fullbring and his Hollow abilities/Zanpakuto at the same time. It'd basically be that he can only use Fullbring while he's in his body and only Hollow/Zanpakuto while he's out of his body in spirit form. Also just to be clear, just because he can do this stuff doesn't mean he'll be as powerful as other characters who can do them as well.

Since Naruto's soul is basically that of a living Hollow, he'd be closer to an Arrancar than a Shinigami. He'd be able to use Bala, Sonido, Pesquisa, Hierro, regenerate(Though nowhere near Ulquiorra's level), and open Garantas. I was thinking about having one of the Arrancar live and having them teach Naruto, maybe Nel? Out of all of them she seems to be the most likely one to do a favor for the Seireitei.

Speaking of, I'm getting off track and this is going super long... So, Naruto would grow up always feeling out of place, no chakra and his Hollow reiatsu making people skittish around him. Minato and Kushina would be alive, and like I said before it wouldn't be a neglect fic. They'd also have another kid or two, and I do want to put in a bit of family drama. I was thinking that Naruto and Kushina's relationship could change as he grows. At first, Kushina doesn't notice anything wrong with Naruto, so what if he lost his chakra? Her baby was alive and that's all that mattered. But her encounter with the hollow left her much more sensitive to reiatsu than anyone else in the Shinobi world, and as Naruto's reiatsu grows with him, she notices it, and realizes how similar it is to the invisible thing that attacked her. At the age Naruto's at when the story would start, when he's like, 15 maybe, Kushina would be torn for her love for her son and faith in him, and the scars left behind by the Hollow. She just can't help but be afraid that Naruto is becoming a monster, and Naruto can tell.

So Naruto would leave the village on a soul searching trip or something, after some catalyst makes him think that he can't stay there, and he'd leave right around the time the Konoha 12 graduate. Maybe he'd get into a bit of trouble and discover his Fullbring or have his hollow powers go out of control, and then the Shinigami would notice, contacting the Seireitei and asking them to investigate. So a Shinigami, maybe oe of the lieutenants or captains, goes to the Shinobi world and eventually tracks down Naruto, before taking him to the Soul Society to figure out what to do about him. Naruto meets the Head Captain and, since the Seireitei's views on Hollows and hybrids had changed during recent events (I forgot to mention the bleach world at this time would be set just after the winter war and before the timeskip.), they decide to give him a chance. So they decide to make Naruto an 'extra shinigami' in the Shinobi world.

I'm planning on having the battle with Aizen weaken the barrier around the Shinobi world, allowing hollows to slip through. So it becomes Naruto's job to hunt down those Hollows around the nations and send any souls he finds along to Soul Society. There wouldn't be a whole lot of hollows since there's only one of Naruto, but he'd have plenty to do. Three years pass as Naruto trains, and he goes back to the Nations ready to start his new calling, armed with his Hollow abilities and a shiny Zanpakuto at the start of the Shippuden timeline. I was gonna have his Zanpakuto be a Shinigami's rather than an Arrancar's since he's still alive. Plus I just want him to be able to yell Bankai... It's just awesome. Speaking of the Zanpakuto, I have a nice idea for it, and one I don't think anyone's done anything similar to it. At least, I haven't seen or read about one similar. I won't give away what it does, but I will say that it's based on Naruto's two most iconic jutsu.

Edit: I completely forgot to mention the Kyuubi. So, the attack would still happen as it did in canon, and the Kyuubi would instead be sealed in Naruto's newborn sibling. As for how Minato and Kushina could survive, maybe the Shinigami leaves Minato alive and even helps Kushina a bit as an apology to the two for not noticing the Hollow before it attacked Kushina? Or maybe after Naruto is born they realize that they may need a contingency plan for if the Kyuubi breaks free, and they work together to ensure that Kushina would survive and make a seal that's comparable to the Shiki Fujin, but doesn't summon the Shinigami or take the user's soul?

There's the idea... I know it's a big read for just a summary of the setup, but I wanted to make everything clear. It's all open to change however, so if you have an idea on how to refine it or improve the idea then please share. I confess that it's been a long time since I've watched Bleach, and I haven't seen the Fullbringer arc, so I'll have to watch that. Also, just to reiterate, Naruto won't be overpowered. He'd definitely be powerful, maybe at the level of an elite Jonin, or just barely Kage level... I think three years is enough to get him to that level, given how powerful the Bleach abilities are. So, just tell me what you think and leave a review if you liked it!