AN: And what a long wait it has been! It returns, ladies and gents! After battling writer's block once again and sorting out a few personal things, my muse for this story has finally returned! No amount of excuses can forgive how long this story has been in limbo, but hopefully with my muse back in general, things can progress! I shan't keep you waiting any longer, however! ONWARDS, I SAY!
Chapter 2: The Three Families
It was a relatively cool day within the Seireitei. The sun was shining, hardly any clouds marred the picturesque blue sky and outside the walls in the Rukongai, people went about their daily routines. It was normal and peaceful… a perfect day for extra training.
Standing outside in the courtyard of the Otsutsuki Mansion was none other than Naruto himself, who was naked from the waist up, the only thing covering his legs were his Academy issue blue hakama, tabi socks and a pair of sandals. Grasped firmly in his hands was his Asauchi, which he was holding in a standard battle ready stance as he conjured up a mental image of an opponent in front of him. His blonde hair blew coolly with the wind, his azure eyes were focused, his breathing even.
Soon, his imaginary opponent took a quick step in and went for a diagonal slash to which he blocked and parried downwards, then quickly brought his blade back up, slicing the immaterial man from waist to collar bone, ending his life. Another imaginary opponent charged him from behind, only for him to pivot around their charge on one foot while relieving them of their head in one move. This time a woman stepped up and charged him headlong with a flurry of swipes and stabs.
Most he blocked and others he dodged, waiting for his opportunity, until she overextended one stab and he brought his katana down through her arms, then up and through her throat. This shadow boxing went on for another few minutes until out of the corner of his eye he spotted one of his servants taking a knee on the walkway. After sheathing his Asauchi and wiping a few beads of sweat from his brow, Naruto grabbed the towel that was draped over a bench and began wiping himself down as he walked towards the woman in question.
Said woman stood at 5'5" to his 5'10", had short light brown hair cropped into a bob, cyan blue eyes, was of a slightly pale complexion and was dressed in a rather simple auburn kimono that was left slightly open at the chest to give a teasing but very modest view of her bust.
"What is it, Shiemi?" He asked after throwing the rag over a shoulder.
"A guest, Otsutsuki-sama." Shiemi spoke. "Kuchiki Byakuya-sama has arrived, Lord."
"See him in at once, please." Said Naruto with a smirk as he deposited the rag back upon the bench.
"Yes, my Lord." Nodded Shiemi as she scurried off to carry out her task.
As there was naught to do but wait, Naruto adopted a Lotus position upon the ground, his Asauchi resting upon his lap as he began to calm his mind, slowly easing himself into a meditative trance. He hadn't the foggiest clue as to what his eventual Zanpakuto would be, and the mystery surrounding it spurred him on even further in his attempts to establish some form of communication with his weapon. As usual, however, he felt no connection. To be expected, he figured, since he was still attending the Academy and was still feeling his way through this new life of his.
Suddenly and with but a smirk, he shot to his feet, kicking his Asauchi into the air as he followed it up in a backflip to avoid the blade that would have bisected him head to toe. Completing the flip, he grabbed his katana and came down upon his attacker from above, a strike which was blocked with ease, the sound of steel upon steal resounding throughout the courtyard, excited smirks splayed across both combatants faces.
"Too slow, Byakuya!" Taunted Naruto as he pushed his best friend back and followed through with a swipe that Byakuya once again blocked.
"Keeping you on your toes!" Grunted Byakuya, smirk not faltering as he parried the strike upwards and struck out with his right foot.
Letting go of his blade with his now free left hand, Naruto blocked the kick and grabbed the offending appendage by the ankle while simultaneously switching the hold he had on his katana to a reverse grip and pulling Byakuya off balance by said ankle. Poised to bring his sword down upon his friend in said reverse grip, Naruto was surprised when Byakuya tucked and rolled into his stumble and managed to back step away from the rolling axe kick he nearly fell victim to, yet smirked once again in perceived victory when he stabbed at a now prone Byakuya with his Asauchi.
Rolling to his right, Byakuya narrowly missed being impaled and continued to roll until he pushed himself back up into a standing position once again, both hands clutching his own Asauchi. Extracting his blade from the earth beneath him, Naruto spun his blade with a flourish and held it lazily in his right hand, the edge nearly scraping the ground. Their smirks were gone, replaced by a focused veneer, slate grey eyes peering into hardened cobalt, each daring the other to so much as twitch. The meow of a stray black cat was their cue, as they both had taken a step forward and disappeared into their Shunpo, where a flurry of clangs and flying sparks lit up the courtyard before the two reappeared in another blade lock.
Grunting as he once again pushed Byakuya back, Naruto then suddenly pointed his left index finger at his friend.
"Hado #1: Sho!" He intoned as a pulse of kinetic energy fired out from the offending finger, straight into the Kuchiki heir's chest, sending him careening backwards into the pond, where he landed face up.
Growling and soaked all the way through, Byakuya disappeared into another Shunpo, reappearing above Naruto with his own right index finger extended.
"Hado #4: Byakurai!" He exclaimed as a small yet powerful stream of lightning shot out of his finger down upon the blonde.
After cutting through the Kido with his Asauchi, Naruto then pointed his right index and middle fingers at the still airborne Byakuya with a victorious smirk.
"Bakudo #1: Sai!" With that declaration from Naruto, both of Byakuya's arms had suddenly become bound behind his back and he found himself freefalling towards the ground.
As he impacted chest first, all the air had been knocked out of him, leaving him gasping, choking and writhing around in the grass until the Bakudo spell wore off and he felt the tip of a katana at the base of his skull, followed by his best friend's voice.
"This ties us all up, Byakuya." Naruto chuckled as he removed his weapon and sheathed it before holding out a hand.
"Don't get too cocky." Byakuya said after a few more gasps as he rolled over and took the offered hand. "Next round will be mine, like always."
"So sure of yourself." Chuckled the blonde as he helped his friend to his feet. "I'll wager that I'll take the lead next time."
"That's a bet I'll take!" Declared Byakuya with a smirk as he also sheathed his Asauchi amidst the applause that they were now receiving.
Simultaneously, both boys turned and bowed flamboyantly at their audience, which consisted of Shiemi and a second girl who was holding the stray black cat from before.
"Well done, Otsutsuki-sama, Kuchiki-sama!" Shiemi praised with a smile, scowling in annoyance only when the girl to her right began playing with the cat. "Hisana!" She chastised the girl. "Put the cat down!"
"H-Hai!" The now identified Hisana stammered before putting the cat down and bowing at the waist. "F-Forgive me, Lords!"
"It's fine, Hisana." Naruto waived off the girl's apology with a warm smile. "Please, rise."
"H-Hai…" Though her face was still shadowed by her hair, Hisana was thankful for it, as it hid the blush upon her cheeks from seeing her Lord's smile.
"A new addition, Naruto?" Byakuya questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Yep." The blonde nodded. "I stumbled upon Hisana during a stroll through the Rukongai one morning. She seemed like she needed a solid roof over her head, and upon learning that I was the head of the reformed Otsutsuki clan, she accepted my offer of sanctuary and a job." Again, he smiled at the poor girl, whose blush only deepened and was now visible as she had readjusted her hair. "She's performed admirably in the short time that she's been with us."
"Y-You do m-me great honor, O-Otsutsuki-sama…" Steam seemed to leak out of Hisana's ears upon this praise.
Hisana was a petite young woman with black hair, pale skin and purple eyes, wearing a simple pink yukata and a pair of sandals. Truly, she was a demure beauty in not only Naruto's eyes, but Byakuya's as well – perhaps especially Byakuya's – as when she finally managed a smile, both boy's cheeks lit up and their eyes widened at the innocence before them. As they both began outwardly stammering, they simultaneously turned on a heel to escape the entrancing waif behind them… only for the blonde of the pair to turn right into a valley of chocolate obscuring his vision.
With a muffled cry of surprise, both hands shot up instinctually to push whatever obstruction was blinding him away, yet they merely melted within said obstructions.
'S-Soft…' Was Naruto's passing thought as he gave the obstructions an experimental squeeze.
"Ehhhh~…?" Came a curious, if teasing, purr in his right ear. "Very bold of you, boy, to grope me upon our first meeting." The voice belonging to a female paused for a giggle. "Like what you're squeezing that much, huh?"
Naruto froze. Byakuya also froze, mouth agape. Shiemi grit her teeth in annoyance. Hisana's hands shot up to cover her mouth in shock. And the female figure who was still being groped merely smirked as she licked her lips.
"I'm expecting a hell of a dinner for how long you've held onto my tits, boy." Another giggle. "All on you, by the way."
"I-I APOLOGIZE!" Very, very quickly Naruto shot back and bowed deeply, face beet red and a thin trail of blood leaking out of his nose.
"Don't apologize, Naruto!" Byakuya, now recovered, snarled. "Damn harpy, you planned this out!"
Daring to raise his head, Naruto froze once again and blanched when he saw just who he had gotten a face full of and groped. Before him was the madly smirking and stunningly hot –though he'd never admit such for his own safety- Yoruichi Shihoin, Head of the Shihoin clan, Captain of the Second Division and Commander of the Onmitsukido. As she folded her arms under her breasts, her fierce yellow eyes settled upon Byakuya.
"Come on, Byakuya, is that any way to talk to a lady?" Her smirk widened. "I remember you were just as eager to grab ahold of these puppies during our first meeting as well." She emphasized her point by cupping her breasts.
"Bitch!" The Kuchiki heir blushed as he disappeared into a Shunpo, yet was easily dodged by the Captain.
"I… My face was…" Naruto blinked once, then twice as he processed just what had happened.
"Yes, indeed." Yoruichi's voice came from behind him this time. "Thought I'd get to know my prospective second student. You didn't disappoint!"
"S-Student?!" Blurted Naruto as he turned to face the mocha beauty behind him. "I'm hardly worthy!"
"Wait…" Appearing out of another Shunpo, Byakuya stood beside his friend. "Then Naruto and I will be training with you side by side?"
"Assuming he accepts, that is." Nodded the Shihoin Princess as she bent down at the waist, giving both boys a tantalizing view down her Shihakusho yet was now eye to eye with the blonde of the two. "What do you say, Whiskers?" She winked. "Wanna give it a try?"
Shaking himself free of his stupor, as well as the dirty thoughts plaguing him, Naruto adopted a more serious demeanor befitting a Clan Head. Determination shone in his azure orbs which seemed to enthrall Yoruichi for the briefest of moments before he spoke.
"From one Clan Head to another, Yoruichi-dono, I humbly accept your training and guidance." He bowed. "If you will have me."
After a brief moment of silence, she chuckled in respect at the blonde before her and righted herself, her hands now on her hips.
"Welcome to the fold, Whiskers." She smirked toothily. "Or rather, welcome to the living embodiment of hell!"
(Later that night)
"Siblings in training now, huh…" Chuckled Naruto as he laid upon the soft grass of the courtyard, staring up at the star struck sky, Byakuya beside him. "Is she always like that?"
"In my experience…" Sighed Byakuya. "Yes, unfortunately."
"Still can't believe that I got a face full of her tits…" He blushed at the mere thought. "I groped a Captain! Surely I broke some law somewhere!"
"Considering we both still have our hands and heads, I'd say we're clear." The Kuchiki managed a laugh. "I know it's already been said, but welcome to the fold."
"I've only heard rumors about Captain Shihoin." Admitted Naruto with a sheepish grin. "What kind of a person is she?"
"An impossible tease of a woman." Byakuya responded swiftly. "But more than that, there's definitely a reason why she's a Captain. She's resourceful, insightful, impeccably beautiful, which only adds to her fatal allure."
"And she's more or less a ninja." Naruto nodded his head in agreement. "Somehow, I feel like I'd be right at home within the Onmitsukido."
"So you're going to apply for the Second Division when we graduate?" Byakuya spared a glance to his right.
"Possibly." He nodded again. "I've also given the Thirteenth some consideration."
"I'm destined for the Sixth." Smiled Byakuya as he stared up into the stars. "No Division but the Sixth would suit me."
"Let's both become Captains together." Declared the blonde as he held his hand aloft and balled it into a fist, as if gathering up a portion of the stars into its confines. "Let's graduate together, join the Gotei 13 together, rise through the ranks together, become Captains and lead our respective Divisions together."
"An official alliance between the Otsutsuki and Kuchiki?" Byakuya's smile only widened as he mirrored his best friend's action and pressed his fist into Naruto's. "Let the Seireitei itself tremble before us as we carve out our own legacies, shoulder to shoulder, back to back."
Unbeknownst to the duo, Yoruichi was still hanging around the Otsutsuki Estate by the time of their pledge, and when she saw and heard it, she couldn't help but smile. She was staring at the future of the Soul Society within these two young men as they vowed their alliance and eternal friendship to the world itself. As she slinked out of the shadows, she balled her right hand into a fist and touched hers to the duo's.
"Throw in the Shihoin here." She spoke. "As your Master, I also pledge to give my all in preparing the two of you for your lives as Shinigami. Grow more powerful and mature together, rule together as Captains along with me. The Shihoin, Kuchiki and Otsutsuki will stand together through whatever is thrown at us."
"This I vow." Byakuya declared after being initially surprised.
"This I vow." Naruto declared resolutely, a figurative flame alit within his cerulean eyes.
"This I vow." Yoruichi mirrored the duo with another of her trademark smirks.
One by one, the trio removed their fists and as the boys stood, Yoruichi planted her hands upon both of their crowns and ruffled their hair, much to their voiced chagrin.
"Make me proud, you two." She beamed at them. "And catch up to me as fast as you can."
"Hai!" They both exclaimed at the same time, smiles adorning their faces.
(Second Division Barracks: Minutes later)
"You're back late." A familiar voice greeted Yoruichi as she appeared out of a Shunpo in front of her barracks. "And you're beaming like the sun." He noted with a chuckle. "What's up?"
"New student, Kisuke." Yoruichi answered simply as she walked through the threshold, followed closely by the now identified Kisuke. "And he has promise."
"The Otsutsuki Head, right?" Kisuke questioned with a furrowed brow. "How much promise are we talkin'?"
"He's already a match for Byakuya." She continued. "And considering Byakuya's slated for an early graduation, I'd bet money that Naruto's going to get one as well."
"Ah." Kisuke smirked. "You're trying to hook him into joining the Second." He shook his head with a chuckle. "Already have my replacement lined up, then?"
"Don't count your eggs before they hatch." She lightly admonished her Third Seat and close friend. "Soon enough, you'll be ready for your test, but until then, just play it cool."
"Roger that." He mock saluted with a smirk. "Still, kid must have left quite an impression on you; you're still smiling like an idiot."
"Maybe he did…" She giggled, mostly to herself. "There's something magnetic about him; makes me want to believe in him, be around him." She took in a calming breath and slowly let it out. "Maybe he's a natural leader, maybe he's just that charismatic even without trying… either way, he's destined for greatness and I want them be beside him when his destiny is realized."
"Damn." Kisuke whistled. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're crushing on him."
"And if anyone but you would have said that, I'd have slapped them." She lightly glared at the still smirking man. "I'm not crushing on him, dammit! I just have a vested interest in him now!"
"Whatever you say…" Kisuke trailed off with a snicker as he took the lead and walked away, into the halls of the barracks.
'After just that one encounter…' Yoruichi mused to herself after another calming breath as she clenched her chest with her right hand to find her heart racing. 'Am I really crushing on him…?' She suddenly shook her head violently. 'Ridiculous! I'm reading too much into this!'
After lightly slapping her own cheeks and a third calming breath, Yoruichi sauntered into her barracks and eventually made it into her personal room, where she, albeit eventually, drifted into unconsciousness… after sparing a certain blonde a few more passing thoughts.
AN: DONE! So, what did you guys think? Hopefully the long wait was worth it! With my muse now back full force, I gotta say, I've relit the passion for this story, and this was actually pretty fun to write! I know, I may be taking liberties with the timeline here, considering Hisana's a thing now, so I hope you all can bear with it.
Now, pairings once again. I've seen suggestions for Yoruichi, for Nel and for Rangiku, and even one or two for Isane. My question is a repetition: Should there be a harem, and if so, how many girls? As it stands, Yoruichi's very nearly in, but I'm not quite sold on the harem route yet. Convince me to make this a harem, ladies and gents! And while you're at it, throw your hat in for your chosen girl, and make your reasons good! And with the inclusion of Hisana, should I go a bit ahistorical here and have Hisana marry Naruto instead of Byakuya, or keep to Canon and have Byakuya x Hisana be its brief thing?
As a side note, I've been recently throwing around the idea of somehow involving one of the Sternritter girls, like Bambietta or Candice, but for right now, it's just an idea. If you guys can come up with a convincing argument as to how I can realistically include any of the Sternritter without Yamamoto flipping his shit, I'm all ears! Should be interesting!
This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!