Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Naruto.

Author's note: If anyone find any writing mistakes, no matter how old or small. I will fix them. Simply tell me where they are, either in a review or PM. I will correct them at my earliest convenience.


Chapter 2 - The Invasion of Soul Society:

"Abandon your fear, Ichigo. Face your enemy. Walk forward and never stop. Retreat and you will age. Hesitate and you will die. Now shout my name!"

"Zangetsu!"

Wind blew through the air as reiatsu exploded into existence. A black shihakusho flapped in the turbulent energies of the orange-haired teen wearing it.

Naruto whistled appreciatively as the dust settled.

Ichigo's sword – which had previously been worn down to nothing but a hilt – was now a long cleaver-like weapon brimming with energy.

"Oho! Impressive Kurosaki-san. Now… let's see how long it takes you to take off this hat of mine." Urahara smiled proudly. It wasn't obviously noticeable, but Naruto was very good at reading people, and he had known Kisuke for a while now.

Ichigo was silent for a moment, studying his new sword. When he looked up, his eyes were glowing with energy.

"I'm sorry, Urahara-san. But I don't think I can hold back." Ichigo answered with a slight strain in his he swung his Zanpakuto. A wave of blue energy - exponentially stronger than the one he had used against the Menos - emerged from the sword.

Urahara's eyes widened as he raised his own sword in defence. "Sing, Benihime!" A blood red light emerged from the ex-captain's sword, emitting an eerie aura.

The blue beam of power consumed the entire shield as energy did what it tends to do when left on its own.

Explode.

When the dust settled, a green and white hat fluttered to the ground. A small cut in the middle stood out. "My, my... I believe you killed my hat." Urahara said as he picked up the iconic object, brushing off some dust in the process.

A wide crevice stretched out behind him, its depth disappeared into the darkness.

Applause sounded through the large room. Ichigo looked up at the nearest boulder. The blond guy from a few days ago sat a few feet above him, waving happily. Ichigo still couldn't remember the dude's name, but he was grateful for the encouragement.

He collapsed before he could respond though.

"Well, that was unexpected. If I hadn't blocked that attack, he might have taken off my arm." Kisuke commented as he looked down at the unconscious teen.

Naruto snorted. "Oh please, like you couldn't just put it back on again." Kisuke tipped ruined hat in acknowledgment.

Naruto hummed thoughtfully as he looked back at Ichigo. "Still, that kid is something. I haven't met someone like him since… no. I don't think I've ever met someone like him. If he doesn't die, that boy will become one of the most powerful beings in the world."

Kisuke smiled mysteriously as he watched his enthusiastic guest. "That's the plan." He said, with only a slightly evil glint in his eyes.

"How did he become like this again? It was complicated enough the first time you explained it." Naruto asked, jumping down to pick up the teen.

As the warriors left for the top floor, Kisuke answered. "Oh, the usual… Prophesies, sciences, magics, soul possessions, inheritances, luck… Long story short; the universe sort of conspired together to make him as powerful as possible."

Naruto, carrying Ichigo over his shoulder, looked over at the scientist questioningly. "Prophesies? You didn't mention that before. What's the prophecy like?"

Urahara shrugged, seemingly not very interested in the conversation. "Oh, I don't know. I'm sure there's one somewhere though."


Ichigo groaned as his brain rebooted. A second later, he was fully awake, expecting an attack any second. As his memories returned, he slowly sank back into bed. Isshin wasn't here. There was no need to- "GOOD MORNING, ICHIGO!" A voice that was definitely not his father echoed through his head as he instinctively ducked the stomp that put a hole through his pillow.

He only barely registered the golden hair of his attacker as the stomp was redirected to a spinning kick that he somehow dodged. A flurry of punches and kicks came flying at him in rapid succession. Ingrained reflexes was the only thing that saved him as he ducked, jumped and weaved through the attacks. His old Karate training flew at the forefront of his mind as he retaliated against the unknown assailant. He managed to block a punch, and tried to turn it into a counterattack. Before he ever got the chance however, a cane came flying out of nowhere and hit him in the head.

The hit was quite hard, and he tumbled into the nearest wall. The high school student jumped up again and grabbed the handle of his sword as his momentum stopped. His brain already in combat mode before his mind had even realized what was happening. "Good, good. Now, Kurosaki-san. You have already been asleep for a few hours. Time is ticking. And we have training to do." Urahara smiled at him from beneath a new hat. Or maybe he'd just used thread and needle?

Ichigo relaxed the grip on his sword as his mind caught up to the current situation. His attacker was that weird blond guy that had been applauding him. He had a stupid grin on his face, and didn't seem to have any guilt over assaulting a half-conscious teenager. A little farther back in the room, another familiar man was carrying someone over their shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Poor dude, he would probably have back injuries by the way they were treating him.

Wait, that was him! Ichigo looked down and realized he was already in his Shinigami form. The black and white clothes easily distinguishable. "Oy! That's my body! Be more careful!"

Urahara waved his fan in front of his face in a lazy motion. "Now, why would you need that? Don't worry, we have a replacement for the weeks you'll be gone. Jinta is already on his way to your house."

The words 'replacement' and 'your house' somehow clicked in Ichigo's mind as the face of a stuffed animal appeared before his inner eye. The orange haired high-school student paled dramatically. Weeks…?

"Now, the original plan was for you to use all seven days to activate your Shikai, but since you have already done that quite nicely, we now have five extra days at our disposal." Urahara smiled like someone who looked forward to a horrible scene in some horror movie. "So for those five days you will be fighting."

A trail of food was put down beside him.

Ichigo looked questioningly at it. Now that he thought about it, he was quite hungry. He hadn't eaten for three days after all. "There will be no rest, no food, and no water. For five days and five nights you will be fighting me and Uzumaki-san." Urahara finished.

The blond man that attacked him smiled and waved.

A foreboding feeling settled in the teenager's stomach. He looked down at the trail of food. Five days? The core of determination in him refused to budge, so neither did he. Instead, he just nodded and plopped down to consume his food at record pace.


Naruto looked up at the giant stone gate Urahara had set up in the underground training area. Dimensional travel… It wasn't a joke.

The group of kids preparing to face the entire might of the afterlife was standing in a group behind him, arguing and generally talking shit. On the surface, they didn't seem very nervous. It was impressive. Still, even if they appeared calm, he could feel the nervous tension in the air. None of them really knew what the hell they were doing. Not even Naruto. At least they had a black cat as a guide. What could possibly go wrong?

Oh who was he kidding? He was bursting with excitement! It wasn't every day he got to explore an entirely new world! Maybe he could find some more of his- "So, are there any questions?" Urahara's voice cut through his thoughts as Naruto immediately raised his hand. Kisuke's eyes shone with childish glee as he seized the opportunity. "Yes, you on the first row?"

"You said this gate will convert our physical bodies into spirit particles, or kishi into reshi as you called it. Is this really necessary? What if we found some different way into Soul Society?" Naruto asked.

Urahara was silent for a moment as he studied his favorite author. "Yes. It is necessary. I'm not completely sure what would happen if you tried to enter Soul Society with a physical body. It is a world purely consisting of reshi and souls. At best, you simply wouldn't be able to enter. At worst, your body would disintegrate and your soul would drift until it made a new form, or was reborn. Don't worry though, Reshi behaves mostly the same as normal matter, and you'll go back to normal once you exit the afterlife. You won't even notice anything!" Grinning proudly, Kisuke patted the stones affectionately.

Naruto still looked somewhat dubious as he studied the large stone portal. Then he shrugged, he would never have gotten this far if he was afraid of risks. "Fine. I'm ready." He eventually conceded.

They all gathered around Ichigo as they prepared to enter hostile territory. This was his mission, after all. Everyone else was only here to help him.

"So, any more questions?" Urahara asked brightly.

None came, so the scientist simply smiled and began chanting. As he finished, the gate flashed once and the group was gone.


"What is this place?" Ichigo asked curiously as the group took in their surroundings with interest.

"Didn't you listen to anything what Urahara-san told us?" Ishida complained, pushing up his glasses as he pretended to be unfazed.

"This is the Dangai. The world between Soul Society and the living world. It acts as a defensive measure against intruders. Now hurry, Kisuke can only hold the path open for a few minutes." Yoruichi explained as she took the lead. Black tail wagging back and forth as she ran. The group all followed her.

All except one.

Naruto was staring at the Wresting Flow as if human faces was stuck in it. "W-what is this?" He asked slowly, his voice cracking slightly.

Yoruichi looked back at the mercenary. "Hurry Naruto, we don't have much time!"

Naruto wrestled his attention away from the Koryu. His eyes seemed to change as he looked at them, but upon reexamination, Yoruichi still only saw the normal blue.

"This stuff has souls in them! Thousands upon thousands of souls! They're screaming. They want me to…" Naruto shuddered, his entire being seeming to reject the very notion.

A whining sound reached them as a light literary appeared at the end of the tunnel. It came from the opposite direction that they were going though.

Yoruichi's eyes widened in alarm. "The Kototsu! Run! If that thing touches you, you're dead!"

Naruto took less than a second to study the unstoppable train of death before he vanished in the high-speed movement technique beloved by all ninja. The group ran for all they were worth, well most of them did, the others were only keeping close to the rest. "I thought Geta Boshi said we had 4 hours! What is that thing anyway?" Ichigo shouted as the whining sound from the train came closer and closer.

"That's the Kototsu. The 'cleaner' of the Dangai. It only comes by every two weeks. What horrible luck it should come here now!" Yoruichi answered, slightly more relaxed than earlier. Naruto still seemed disturbed by whatever he had seen, but he still ran calmly besides the rest, he didn't appear very nervous about their current situation.

Suddenly, Ishida's cape was caught in the purple goo-like walls. Making the rest of the company halt their crazy sprint. Immediately, Chad ripped off the archer's cape and took his classmate over his massive shoulder, apparently not slowed a bit despite the extra weight. Ishida protested as the rest took up their previous pace. Chad wouldn't let him down though.

The small hold up was one too much however. They could see some sort of disturbance in the distance, hopefully the entrance to Soul Society. But the Kototsu was already too close. They wouldn't make it.

Then Orihime turned, prepared to do anything she could. Before she even began her chant though, a hand grabbed her shoulder and literally threw her several feet through the air. "Chad! Catch!" Naruto shouted. The giant complied, now carrying two people on his back.

"What are you doing Naruto!?" Yoruichi exclaimed.

The blond shinobi smiled back at them, the light of unstoppable death coming closer and closer. "She is far too young to be risking her life like that." The blond answered with a calming voice. Then he turned.

Naruto raised his arms towards the otherworldly object as his eyes morphed.

This time they were neither red nor gold. Instead, they consisted of concentric circles framed by purple sclera. A shout ripped through the air as the legendary power of the Rinnegan morphed space around him.

"Shinra Tensei!"

Time seemed to stop as the Kototsu slowed down. But It didn't stop completely, and so Naruto kept his arms up. He grunted in exertion as the machine refused to budge. The space between the ninja and Dangai's Cleaner warped and flexed as the force of gravity bent to the blond's will.

One thing quickly became apparent for the legendary shinobi. He couldn't stop it. And he couldn't keep this up very long either. The Kototsu was still approaching them, although it did so at a snail's pace compared to earlier.

Naruto looked back at the group of wannabe-invaders. Yoruichi was staring wide-eyed at him, barely believing her eyes. The others were also quite surprised, but still kept their cool about them. No one had told them that shouldn't be possible.

With a mighty shout, Naruto swung his arms down, changing the direction of his technique. Instead of simply holding the Kototsu back, now it went both ways, sending both him and the rest of the party flying through the tunnel.

Light burst into existence around them, flooding their senses with all kinds of sensations. The sky was blue, hearts were beating fast, and five living mortals found themselves in the afterlife.


"What was that?" Yoruichi asked the first opportunity they got. Naruto blinked, trying to understand the question.

"What was what? You mean the excellent food I cooked up for us an hour ago? If so, that was ramen! I'm surprised you don't know it, seeing as you live with Urahara and all…" Naruto trailed off, his face innocent.

Yoruichi shook her head impatiently. She wasn't entirely sure if Naruto was just messing with her, or if he genuinely didn't understand the question. "No. What you did in the Dangai. The Kototsu is supposed to be unstoppable… not to mention that no mortal creature should even be able to interact with it!" The black cat glared at Naruto as if she could suck out the desired information with just her gaze.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. The white bathrobe Kukaku had gotten him followed his movements. His wet hair was still dripping from the hot shower he took just a few minutes ago. "Gravity affects everything. Well, almost everything…" His brows scrounged together as he seemed to remember something unpleasant.

The cat was silent for a moment, digesting the new information. "So, you can manipulate gravity?"

Naruto nodded, walking through the corridors of the Shiba household with Yoruichi on his shoulder. "Pretty much, yeah. I'm pretty good at it, if I'll say so myself." Considering she had never seen anything like it, the former captain was inclined to agree.

"And your eyes, they… changed?"

Naruto nodded again, finding his own room after having walked wrong twice. Honestly, this place looked exactly the same everywhere he went. "Yeah, they tend to do that." He didn't say anything more though, and the Goddess of Flash got the impression he didn't really want to talk about it.

A quake went through the house as Ichigo's spiritual pressure washed over them. Naruto snickered and shook his head. "No control whatsoever. That kid reminds me so much of myself it's scary."


Naruto looked at the peculiar group they had gathered. One Shinigami, one Mexican giant, one orange haired reality bender, one stuck-up archer, one green clad weirdo who liked to ride on boars, one black cat, and himself. Overall, nothing out of his definition of ordinary.

The ball of condensed spiritual energy hit the barrier surrounding the Seireitei, and Naruto refocused on his current task. The protective shell of the Shiba kido ball eventually won the battle and pressed through. The blond shinobi felt a grin spread across his face.

Yet another adventure was beginning.


As the ball of energy split apart, Naruto found himself flying side by side with Yoruichi. That might have been for the best. Those kids wasn't going to get any stronger by people handholding them.

As they rocketed towards the ground, the black cat by his side disappeared with speed that made even Naruto rise an eyebrow. He had never seen a cat that fast before.

He should probably concentrate on his own landing, instead of getting distracted by every little thing. A thousand ideas flew through his head. Now, how was he going to escape this predicament? In the end, he probably chose one of the lamest of the lot.

The blond burst into white smoke as he hit the stones, making a popping sound as he disappeared.

Yoruichi looked at the shinobi beside her with interest as he cracked his neck. "Man… I love shadow clones."

"What was that? I was certain you hit the ground." She asked him curiously.

Naruto shrugged. "If I was going to explain every little technique I have, we would stay here for weeks." The cat seemed to accept that answer, it wasn't like her own arsenal was particularly small either.

"So where do we go now? Should I go watch over the others, or do you have any other tasks for me?" Naruto continued.

His feline accomplice shook her head. "I have a few things I want to take care of." With that, she disappeared in the high-speed movement technique he had seen her and Urahara use.

Naruto sighed. Before his main mission began, he was essentially here for extra reassurances. Ichigo was the one who was supposed to do all the heavy lifting.

They had a few days before the execution. He might as well get to know this place.


Ikkaku's eyes widened as Ichigo dodged a swipe from Hozukimaru.

The teen got his stance in order as he smirked at the bald man. "That attack may have been surprising, but I have been trained by a guy that might as well have surprise as his middle name. Honestly, I have barely seen him do the same attack twice. You have to do more than that to catch me off guard."

The eleventh squad's third seat smiled a manic grin. "Good! It seems like you know how to fight! Show me then, Ryoka!"


"Ah, you're awake." A voice said as Ikkaku began to regain consciousness.

He coughed and his wounds stretched. Ichigo was sitting on a piece of rubble a few feet away. Damn it, he had underestimated the brat…

"Tell me. Are you the strongest in your group?" Ikkaku asked.

The orange-haired teen looked like he didn't quite understand the question. "Ehh… Second strongest, probably." He answered easily, not seeing any reason to not tell the enemy your strengths.

If Ichigo wasn't the strongest, that meant… "Hehehe, well this might actually get interesting. Who's the strongest then?"

Ichigo picked his ear absentmindedly, not awfully interested in the bald warriors questions. Still, he had told him where Rukia was, so he owed him something in return. "I mentioned I was trained by two teachers. One of them came here with me. He's probably the strongest guy I've met."

Ikkaku was silent for a moment as his mind fed him all sorts of information he hadn't even realized he had. Urahara Kisuke, the former captain of the twelfth division had trained Ichigo. The boy had also met Kuchiki-taichou, who had been the one to retrieve Kuchiki Rukia.

If the Ryoka believed his other teacher to be stronger than both of them…

Ikkaku felt a grin spread across his features. His own captain was going to have a good time.


Nara Shikamaru shifted uneasily as someone tried to wake him from his nap. He was sleeping dammit. Why couldn't they just acknowledge that? Then something very cold and very wet was dumped over his head.

"Gah! I'm awake! I'm awake!" Shikamaru shouted. Above him stood a slightly pouting Matsumoto Rangiku, his fukutaicho, and a major pain in his butt.

She was holding an empty bucket and a teasing glint in her eyes. "We have to go Shika-kun. The vice-captain meeting is in just half an hour."

Shikamaru groaned as he sat up. "I'm not a vice-captain though. What do you need me for?"

Matsumoto proceeded to use her doe eyes on him. Most women seemed to develop it at some point in their lives, but few Shikamaru knew could use the ability so effectively. "But they're all so complicated and boring! I want you to help me get through them."

The Nara genius sighed and muttered something that sounded vaguely like 'troublesome woman'. He was careful not to let her hear it though, that would definitely bring the wrath of Matsumoto down on his head. Grabbing his Zanpakuto beside him, he got up with a somewhat awkward movement that belied a deadly grace.

This was probably going to be a long day. He could feel it.

As the vice-captain and third seat of the 10th squad jumped over the rooftops, Shikamaru looked to his superior. He might as well update himself on the current situation.

"Any news about the Ryoka?" He asked absentmindedly, as if the question didn't matter to him at all.

Matsumoto put a finger to her lips as she tilted her head in a cute manner.

Shikamaru refused to blush.

"Maybe…" She said in a teasing tone of voice. The third seat kept silent. He had long since learned the most efficient way of dealing with Rangiku. "Abarai-kun was defeated. He acted on his own though, so now he's in a holding cell." She said, words tumbling out of her almost too fast to follow.

The lazy genius almost tripped. Defeated? "Renji was beaten? Is he…?" He began.

Rangiku waved away his concerns, apparently not very disturbed by the news. "Nah, much like Ikkaku and Yumichika, he's fine. A few bruises here and there, but nothing too serious."

Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief. The knot in his stomach was still there, but slightly placated. The intruders didn't seem to be much for killing. That was good. Perhaps they didn't need to kill them either. Still, a lieutenant? Defeating Yumichika he could understand. Ikkaku was harder to accept, but he had the tendency to allow his opponent to try out everything in their arsenal simply to have a good fight. As long as the bald third seat didn't use… ahem… drastic measures, it was still within the realms of possibility.

But Renji had a lot at stake here, and would probably fight with everything he had. How strong were these people? Maybe he would actually have to pay attention to the meeting today.

As the two tenth division officers entered the meeting quarters, Shikamaru could feel the tension in the air. Not everyone was there yet, but those that were sat a little straighter than normal. Tensing a little more than they usually did. It wasn't that noticeable, but it was still there.

Kira from the third, Nemu from the twelfth, Hisagi from the ninth, Iba from the seventh, Omaeda from the second. There were quite a few missing actually.

"No, I don't need help Isane-chan. I can handle a measly meeting by myself."

Shikamaru smiled as his oldest friend entered the room. The fourth's third seat, Kotetsu Isane followed closely behind her. "Are you sure, Sakura-senpai? Renji-fukutaicho is still recovering from-"

Haruno Sakura turned with exasperation written all over her face. "Isane. I'm fine. Ok? Renji will be fine. We will all be fine. There is nothing to worry about."

The third seat still nervously bit her lip. Worry lines creeping over her face. "Hai, fukutaicho." She eventually conceded.

Shikamaru snickered to himself as Sakura made her way over to them. Isane had walked out of the meeting room, reminiscent of a dog with her tail between her legs.

"Having trouble?" He asked his pink-haired friend.

The lieutenant of the fourth division sighed as she rubbed the diamond mark on her forehead. "Isane can be a bit overprotective. She is a great healer, and a surprisingly strong fighter, but she forgets that I'm the lieutenant for a reason."

"Sakura-chan!" Matsumoto cried as she threw herself over the other woman. Crushing her friends face into her bosom.

"Gah! Rangiku! Calm down, will you? I'm fine, I'm fine. It was just a little training accident." Sakura protested, trying to extract herself from the death trap that was Matsumoto's breasts.

The bubbly woman held her fellow lieutenant at arm's length. Studying her closely. "A 'little' training accident would never have sent you into intensive care. I heard Unohana-taichou had to oversee your recovery."

Sakura blushed and looked away. Her techniques had always been volatile, but she rarely needed medical attention from someone other than herself.

She was about to respond when a heartbreaking shout pierced the air with unbearable disappear.

"AIZEN–TAICHO!"


Kyouraku Shunsui sighed as he looked down at the child that had challenged him. "Shall I finish him off, Taicho?" Nanao asked. A kido glowing ready in her palm.

Shunsui pulled his hat down as he shook his head. "Nah, there's no need for such a thing. Cute girls like you shouldn't do stuff like that."

"I couldn't have said it better myself."

Both captain and lieutenant tensed as a new presence made itself known. A blond man with striking blue eyes and a cheerful disposition appeared before them. "I thank you for sparing him, but I can't just let you take him. He's with me, you see."

The eighth squad captain studied the new arrival. This one was different. The first had only been a kid, someone with a huge amount of potential, sure. But still just a kid. This one however…

"Hmm… Who are you then?" Shunsui asked.

A foreboding feeling settled over Nanao as the blond smiled a brilliant smile. Suddenly, the light seemed to dim and music began to play out of nowhere.

"Across all the worlds and through the dreary hell of monotony, there is one man who stands out as the greatest of his kind! The women swoon and the men cry out in envy! Remember it, for this is the glorious face of Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto shouted his declaration.

Applause met him as the blond exited his introduction dance. Shunsui seemed ecstatic. "Bravo! Bravo! Truly an excellent performance Uzumaki-san." The eighth squad captain applauded like a child that had seen his first circus theater. "You should probably use different tools though… Kabuki instruments are fine, but they get boring after a while." He said, voice uncharacteristically serious.

Naruto blinked a few times before beaming at a kindred soul. "Sure, I'll see what I can do, ossan."

"Oy! What do you mean by old man? I'm not that old yet! Just a little over two millennia." The pink robed man complained.

Naruto fell back to old habits as he scratched the back of his head. "Ahh, my bad then. Well, have a good day. I'll be taking this guy." As Naruto bent down to pick up Chad, the taste of metal filled the air. A concentrated spark of electricity pressed uncomfortably close to his throat.

"You're one of the Ryoka, are you not?" The fukutaicho of the eight squad asked, a kido shining brightly on her fingertips. Everything was quiet for a moment as the tension seemed to build to unbearable levels. Naruto slowly turned to her, his eyes burning with an intense look.

The black haired girl had a concentrated frown on her face. Sweat ran down her face and her arms were shaking.

"Nanao-chan! Get away from him, now!" Kyouraku shouted. As if the words had snapped her out of a trance, the lieutenant jumped back. She held onto her twitching hand as she landed, looking at it as if she'd seen a ghost.

Naruto smiled again and scooted the unconscious teen over his shoulder. Never mind the fact that he was twice as massive as the blond was. he winked at the two high ranking officers before disappearing into thin air.

The second Naruto was gone, Nanao's legs buckled under her as she collapsed on the stone floor. "W-who was that?"

Shunsui hummed thoughtfully as he turned towards Sokyoku hill. "I think he introduced himself quite well."

His lieutenant shook a little as the memory caught up to her. "That reiatsu…" She didn't want to say it, but it reminded her an awful lot of the Soutaicho. The entire pressure of his attention had been directed at her, and not in a friendly way.

It wasn't even killing intent. Just intense scrutiny. Someone who could overwhelm their opponent with their presence alone, was not someone she wanted to fight.

Nanao slowly got up from her knees. If that was one of the Ryoka, they were a much larger threat than she'd realized.


Naruto ran silently across the roofs of the Seireitei. Unless he allowed it, no one had seen even a sliver of his orange jacket for as long as he had been here. If he hadn't reveal himself on purpose, he might as well have been invisible.

If this was how the leading government of Soul Society treated such an obvious intrusion, this would be a lot easier than he'd thought. Then again, they were probably so used to their own superiority that they hadn't focused much on defense. He had seen that happen far too many times for his liking. Compliancy was a sin, as many ancient empires had learned. Maybe this would give them the wake-up call they sorely needed. If not, maybe he could give them some tips?

Such thoughts were for the future though. He doubted they would appreciate it at this point anyway.

He was happy his chakra responded as normal. He could feel slight irregularities if he looked hard enough, but nothing too much out of the ordinary. The difference between a body made of normal matter and those made of reishi was apparently very slight. He wasn't a scientist, but this just heightened his respect for the green-clad shopkeeper.

He actually liked Urahara a lot. The man was funny, had great taste in books, was not easy to scare, and seemed to know what he was doing. He could do without all that scheming though.

Naruto focused inward, trying to get a better grasp of how his energy had changed. Almost inadvertently, he touched upon the reservoir of natural energy inside his body, making him slip seamlessly into Sage Mode. The orange pigmentation and amphibian-like pupils was a clear sign of where he had learned the technique.

The blond might have been horrible at sensing energy without senjutsu, but with it, he didn't know anyone that was better.

Another benefit of being a Sage was that he could essentially blend his own chakra within the natural energy surrounding everything. No one but the best of sensors would have any hope at detecting him.

He would stand out like a beacon for another Sage though, or a Quincy for that matter. He sincerely doubted there were any other Sage's in Seireitei, and the only Quincy Naruto had met in over two hundred years was an ally, so that shouldn't be a problem.

The energy surrounding this place was off the charts. Karakura was far above the norm, but this place wasn't just doused in spiritual energy. It was made of the stuff. It was generally very hard to get any energy out of normal matter, but reishi particles seemed to exude their power all over the place.

Two giant energies clashed in the middle of the city, making Naruto burst forward with inhuman speed. He may not be capable of that fancy Flash Step the Shinigami used, but he had his own equivalent.

A mix of normal chakra enhancement, yang-, wind- and fire-release allowed the legendary shinobi to enhance his speed while at the same time removing any protests the world might have to him going that fast. With this, wind resistance and friction was reduced to almost nothing. He could race through the world at speeds most Shinigami would find impossible to follow. Swift Release might be overly complicated compared to Shunpo, but at least he could use it.

As the blond warrior rocketed towards the two major powers duking it out, he searched the city for any familiar signatures. Such a huge collection of powerful people made it hard to pinpoint anyone in particular, but Sage Mode had never let him down so far, and he had a lot of experience using it.

Yoruichi was close by, overlooking the battle with only a slight agitation to her energy. Everything was going according to plan then? The blond wasn't sure if he approved of said plan, but he had agreed to follow it, and he had no better ideas.

Naruto got there just in time to witness the final power clash between Ichigo and Kenpachi. It was impressive to say the least. A few months ago, that boy had been no more powerful than your average street thug.

Ok, maybe a little stronger. Not by much though.

Now he was fighting one on one against juggernauts of the supernatural world. As one of the people that had taught the brat, Naruto was incredibly proud. Although he hadn't really done much. Ichigo had soaked up their lessons like a sponge. He wasn't just unnaturally strong and talented. He was also a borderline genius and seemed to have an affinity towards everything related to fighting. Everything.

You wouldn't believe it by looking at him, but that bullheadedness actually hid one heck of a brain.

"So… do you want me to get him?"

Yoruichi jumped several feet in the air, shouting out as if someone had pulled her tail. She twirled around and slashed Naruto across face. At least she tried to. Senjutsu made his skin hard as steel. He still got some faint marks, surprisingly, but not so deep that they bothered him in any way. They also healed as soon as they were created.

"How did you get so close to me?" She demanded.

Naruto scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment as he let go of the natural energy fused with his chakra. "Ehh… Ninja?" He shrugged.

Yoruichi felt her hairs stand on end as Naruto's presence reappeared from nowhere. Golden eyes and bar-like pupils was the same as the day Rukia had been taken. The blond's eyes really did seem to change a lot. Eyes were said to be the windows to the soul, having so many different forms had to mean something. She just had no idea what.

The cat sighed as she looked down at the unconscious teen. Yachiru had taken Kenpachi just a few moments ago, and others were quickly approaching their location. "Yes, follow me. He has some more training to do."

Naruto smiled as he reappeared beside Ichigo. He was really looking forward to how said training was going to affect wonderboy.


Ichigo awoke with a thundering headache. Bright spots danced before his vision even before he opened his eyes.

"And he's awake!" The cheerful voice of his second teacher hammered its way into the teen's consciousness.

"Hmm… It would seem that way." Yoruichi. They had saved him then?

"Ugh… Naruto? Yoruichi? What happened?" He managed to get out.

The black cat strode calmly by his bedside, swishing its tail as it talked. "After you passed out from your battle with Kenpachi, we flew you here. You're inside a barrier. A safe house. Nothing happening here will be felt by the outside."

Ichigo slumped back into his makeshift bed. Looking at the cat, he simply couldn't stand it anymore. "Flew? As in actually flew? And how do you have a barrier inside the Seireitei?" Ichigo ruffled his hair in frustration as he looked between the two other sentient beings in the room. "Who even are you people?"

Naruto snorted in good humor, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Took you long enough to ask, didn't it?"

Yoruichi tilted her head as she looked between the two males. "That's right… I haven't shown you my real form yet, have I?"

Ichigo seemed even more confused, but Naruto's eyes shone with curiosity. "Wait, wait! You're a shapeshifter? That's awesome!"

Yoruichi tilted her head. "Of course. Cats can't talk."

Naruto frowned at her. "Of course they can. I have met several. When I was just a kid, I visited this whole clan of talking cats. No idea if they're still alive though."

The newly revealed shapeshifter blinked as Naruto completely ruined her joke. "Do you want to see my real form or not?" She deadpanned.

Ichigo looked between the two, his mind slowly shutting down as the scene continued.

"Oh, I would love to!" Naruto clapped his hands like a child awaiting a present.

Yoruichi sighed but complied. With a burst of smoke and reiatsu, a completely nude and very beautiful woman stood before them, smirking at the two slack-jawed men's reactions. She had dark skin and long silky-smooth purple hair.

Ichigo instantly went beat red and hid his face in his pillow. "Put on some clothes dammit!" He demanded, doing his best to stop his treacherous eyes from looking.

Naruto's reaction was perhaps even more satisfying. He seemed to have been rendered mute, opening and closed his mouth like a fish trapped on land.

"T-that is…" He tried off. The blond swallowed a few times before slapping himself across the chin, leaving a red mark. When he next looked at her, he looked her straight in the eyes as he spoke. "You're one of the sexiest, hottest, and most beautiful women I have ever seen. Please don't tell Ama-chan I said that. She would burn me alive."

Yoruichi fought back a slight blush of her own, but still smiled at the generous statement. "Well, then. That's some compliment. Thank you, Naruto."

Naruto bowed gracefully with a sweeping gesture. "Nothing but the truth, my lady."

The Shihoin princess raised an eyebrow at this complete one-eighty in attitude, then she noticed the smirk around Naruto's mouth. Oh ho? Teasing her, was he? Two could play that game.

"Well, then. If you're going to be such a gentleman, why don't you give me a massage in the onsen later? It's been ages since I used this body, and it needs some taking care of." She purred, pulling her arms above her naked body, toned muscles stretching the soft fallow skin.

Naruto blushed bright scarlet. A drop of blood trickled from his nose. To his credit, he didn't look away. Instead, he simply closed his eyes. His blush receded as an almost zen expression fell over him. As he opened his eyes again, he smiled up at her, an expression that was both excited and warm at the same time. "Of course, Yoyo-chan!"

Yoruichi blinked. Huh. That was a surprising amount of self-control.

"Gah! Get a room you two!" Ichigo shouted from beneath his pillow, trying to keep the entire conversation from entering his mind. Yoruichi chuckled before she went to find some clothes.

Of course, it took some time to find an appropriate attire.


"Clothes are so uncomfortable. It's been ages since I used any." The dark skinned beauty commented as she tossed her flowing hair over her new sweater.

"While those clothes do look good on you, good taste in colors by the way, I can definitely say I prefer no clothes as well." Naruto returned, his blue eyes glinting with mischief.

"You do, do you? Maybe you'll get a peak later. You still owe me that massage after all." Yoruichi said, her voice both challenging and provocative at the same time.

Ichigo shook his head as his innocent fifteen-year-old mind tried not to take a dip in the gutter. Too bad for him that the two far older beings seemed determined to drag him there. Trying to steer the conversation any other way, the orange haired teen fumbled for something to ask. "You said we flew here? How did you do that?"

"Hmm?" Yoruichi blew a few loose strands of hair out of her face as she answered. "This place is covered in sekiseki, so any attempt to stand on a reshi platform or ahem 'sticking to the wall' will inevitably end in failure. That's one of the reasons this place is so secure. So we used this instead." With that, she tossed him a stick with a skull on the tip.

As Ichigo studied it curiously, a heavy presence fell over them. It was slightly muted thanks to the material covering the outer walls, but the sanctuary was designed to keep people from sensing inside it, not for those inside to be blind to the outside.

Ichigo straightened as his eyes went wide. "Byakuya! Shit! That's right by Hanataro and Ganju!" He exclaimed, jumping out of the bed before he sprinted towards the exit.

Yoruichi reached out to him as the impulsive teen broke through the wooden door, not even attempting to open it. "Wait! Ichigo! Your injuries are still…" She shouted after him. It was too late however. The orange-haired teen was already flying through the air, heading directly towards the energy outburst. "Dammit, that kid!" The purple haired ex-captain sneered.

Naruto was already halfway through the door before looking back at her. "Oh, come on Yoyo-chan. It'll be fun!"

His contagious enthusiasm rubbed off on her as she smirked back. "You still owe me that massage though."

"Of course."


"Scatter-" The calm voice of Kuchiki Byakuya never got farther, as a white ribbon ensnared itself around Senbonzakura. The fabric absorbed and sealed away any spiritual energy he had put into the blade.

Byakuya's eyes widened as he looked at the newcomer. "You're…"

The teasing glint in Youruichi's eyes never left her as she looked at the sixth division captain. "Long time now see, Byakuya-boya."

"Shihoin Yoruichi." The white clad noble's voice was quickly back to its normal monotone.

"And Uzumaki Naruto!" another voice shouted.

Everyone on the bridge turned to the blond man currently standing beside a slightly ruffled Ichigo.

Rukia stared at them all in shock. She had never expected anyone to come to rescue her. Now they seemed to be crawling out of the woodwork. Ichigo she could understand, even though she truly wished he would just live his life to the fullest, but Naruto and Yoruichi as well? She barely even knew them!

The two captains seemed to assess the blond for a moment before Byakuya's attention went back to Yoruichi. Ukitake's stayed at the newcomer however. They had identified him as a threat. No matter what other plans the white-haired captain had, he was still a part of the Gotei 13, and this man was not someone to be trifled with.

"Naruto. Yoruichi. Let me handle this. This is my battle." Ichigo insisted.

Naruto studied his student for a moment before looking over at the sixth division captain. The shinobi's eyes flashed gold before returning to their normal blue.

"You? Defeat him? Don't kid yourself strawberry. Still a little early for you." There was no malice, or even mockery in the shinobi's voice. But his words were still insulting to the proud teenage warrior.

"You can't just go deciding that. I have become a lot stronger si-" Then he stopped. Yoruichi had appeared before them, one hand sticking into Ichigo's wounded stomach.

"W-what…?" Ichigo stammered before collapsing. He was unconscious before he'd even begun to fall.

The purple haired woman lifted the impetuous teenager onto her back, disappearing again as she reappeared on the roof of the tower several feet above them all.

"Shihoin Yoruichi. The Goddess of Flash. If you think will simply let you run away, you're sorely mistaken." Kuchiki Byakuya stated.

"Three days. That's all I need to make him strong enough to beat you." Yoruichi stated, not bothering to answer the stoic man. She looked over at Naruto, a calculating look in her eyes. Naruto smiled back and nodded.

Faster than the eye could blink, the purple haired woman was gone. Having passed the sonic barrier without ever making a sound.

Flash Step, what a wonderful technique. Naruto thought almost admiringly.

Byakuya disappeared as well, but before he could give chase, two words stopped him in his tracks.

"Bansho Ten'in!"

The noble captain regained his footing in the air as he was pulled back to the bridge. Thus he escaped the gravitational pull with much more grace than simply crashing into the wooden construct would have allowed him.

Reappearing from a hastened Shunpo, the captain's grey eyes burned into his new challenger. Rukia still seemed to be in mute shock from the earlier events. But even without her spiritual power, she had been able to see her brother being stopped in midair by some invisible force. It was also obvious whose technique it was.

Ukitake's eyes widened. He had never seen anything like that before. Then he noticed something else. "Your eyes. What is that?" The sickly captain asked.

Naruto smiled at them from behind the mysterious complexion of the Rinnegan.

"These?" He asked, pointing to his temple. "They're a gift. A gift from a bygone age. The bridge that links the spiritual and physical. The power over life and death. Rinnegan."

The captain of the sixth division's expression firmed as he shifted his stance. "Samsara's eye? What a presumptuous name."

Naruto shrugged as his purple eyes shifted between the two current threats. "It wasn't I that came up with it, but I think it fits."

"Enough of this meaningless chatter. Scatter, Senbonzakura." Even though Naruto's empathic abilities were currently stunted, he could clearly feel the frustration and agitation from the normally stoic captain. His reiatsu, which had previously been an unbreakable ocean of calm, was now a stormy surface barely contained.

Thousands of tiny blades flitted through the air, light bouncing off them in an entrancing fashion. The legendary shinobi took a moment to admire the sight. It was rare that he got to witness an attack this beautiful. He was glad he was watching it with the Rinnegan. The scene would forever be preserved within his soul.

As the hoard of blades descended on him, Rukia screamed. She was begging her brother to spare him. Naruto smiled, he hadn't known he had made that much of an impact in the short time he had known her.

The blond raised his hand. Small cuts began appearing as the first dust-like objects dug into his skin. The cuts were still shallow though, and they healed right after forming.

"Shinra Tensei!"

It was as if the very force of the yell tore through the fabric of the world. It ripped through the air as the sakura petals from Byakuya's sword scattered.

The stoic captain said nothing as his Shikai was batted aside like a child's toy. Scarf and hair billowing behind him. That didn't help much as Ukitake was more than willing to voice his opinion for the both of them. "What! That's impossible!"

Naruto cocked his head to the side. Honestly confused by the elder captain's statement. "You're about the same age as that pink-robed guy, right? Surely you know nothing is impossible."

Ukitake remained silent as Byakuya took three deep breaths. "So, you insist on standing in my way, Ryoka? So be it. I will crush that power of yours, and show you that resistance is useless." His voice was still monotone, but there was an unmistakable hint of frustration beneath it.

Naruto laughed. Such a carefree expression didn't belonged on any battlefield. "That really sounded like something an evil guy would say. And if you want to crush me so bad, then fine. Come at me, Byakuya-boya." The Kuchiki head's eyebrow almost twitched.

"Hado no 4. Byakurai."

A bolt of lightning raced towards Naruto faster than most humans or souls would be able to track.

Then it disappeared.

"Phew. That was close. You shouldn't go around throwing lightning bolts everywhere, you might hurt someone." Naruto said sternly, his raised hand was smoking slightly. Behind him, the shivering form of Hanataro was staring at the blond enigma with disbelief. This time, the noble couldn't help the irritated tick that made its way onto his face.

"How?" He demanded.

Naruto smiled and tapped his temple again. His purple eyes glinting in the sunlight of dusk. "Part of the abilities I get with these eyes. I can absorb chakra. And although it's harder, I can absorb pure yin-energy as well. Or reiatsu, as you would call it. Or is it reiryoku? I always gets confused between those two…"

The stoic captain lowered his arm as he calmed himself again. "Fine. I see I have underestimated you. I will be sure not to make that mistake again."

Naruto smirked back at the captain. "You can try."

Byakuya clenched his fist, making all the small petal-like blades in the air descend on the blond.

In response, Naruto threw himself over the bridge, barely escaping with a few cuts. Ukitake looked over the edge as Naruto seemed to catch himself on nothing but thin air. Running up the side of nothing as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

The white haired captain scrunched his brows together, almost forgetting the situation he was in. "That's not…"

"Your technique? Nope. I tried to learn Hirenkyaku once, but it didn't work out. Turns out I'm not really fit to be standing on nothing but spiritual particles. Or at least I wasn't…" Naruto trailed off as his mind went a bit farther than he intended it to. He shook himself back to the present before giving his opponents a blinding smile.

It was not returned.

"Nah, this is a technique I developed on my own. It creates bubbles of unmoving air, I refuse to let the air dissipate or move in any way. So it stays together, and thus I can stand on it. It does need a bit of senjutsu to stabilize properly, but that's no longer a problem." The blond explained, his voice as cheerful as ever.

"You act as if I should know what that is?" Ukitake smiled. He was actually starting to like this man. There was something honest about him.

"Ah, sorry. Everyone else I normally talk to already knows. I forget myself sometimes." Naruto admitted as he scratched the back of his head.

"You're awfully talkative Uzumaki. It doesn't seem to bother you to explain your techniques to your enemies." The sixth division captain commented. Like Naruto, he was also standing on the air, a few feet away from the whiskered shinobi.

Naruto stared at his opponent as if he had just said something completely outrageous before muttering something unintelligible under his breath. It sounded like something about interdimensional irony and cosmic jokes, but it was lost on both captains and even the one uttering the words.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto regained his smile and chipper attitude before he answered. "Should I be bothered? I like you guys! Plus, I have so many techniques I hardly know what to do with them all! If I even get to use a fraction of them during this adventure, I would be happy."

The Kuchiki head's complexion hardened as he lifted both arms. "It's time we end this pointless fight. You have caused me to lose my original target, so you will have to do."

A wave of miniature blades descended upon Naruto's position. This time they were more spaced out than previously, clearly expecting a longer chase.

Naruto waved his hand, sending a burst of gravitational energy towards the deadly technique. Some of the blades got caught in the blast and was sent flying, most avoided it though, and kept pursuing him as Naruto disappeared in a burst of speed.

The blond dodged, weaved and danced around the deadly petals. Occasionally he would send bursts of gravity or wind to disrupt them, but the captain seemed to have learned his lesson.

The hoard of tiny blades were never packed together too tightly, and those that got sent away, quickly rejoined the others. Naruto didn't get away unscathed. Cuts and wounds of varying sizes began appearing all over his body the longer the fight wore on.

Still, no matter how many wounds he got, it didn't seem to be doing anything to the blond. They all healed faster than if someone had been standing right beside him with a healing kido.

Regeneration. Byakuya noted as his mind analyzed every aspect of the battle. Naruto was a tricky opponent.

Suddenly, the blond shinobi switched directions, instead of dodging, he flew straight at his attacker. Byakuya had been waiting for that though. As the captain disappeared in a burst of Shunpo, a new wave of Senbonzakura's petals flew at the young looking man.

At the same time, several Bakudo barriers appeared around him, hindering any further movement. Silent kido was rarely used for anything but showing off. It took substantially longer to cast than even the full incantation versions, and was far weaker than any other version. Still, they had their uses.

Naruto's eyes widened as he found himself immobilized. Even his chakra felt sluggish. It would only take a second to break out and deflect the pedals that was headed his way. Unfortunately, that was a second he did not have. Only Shinra Tensei would allow him to break his bonds and deflect the oncoming attack at the same time, and there were still 2 seconds until he could use it again.

Just as the wave of pink death was about to embrace him, Naruto disappeared.

He reappeared at the top of the tower Yoruichi had been standing on, frowning down at the two military leaders. "I was hoping I didn't have to use that until later. One ace at a time is a good way to not get killed." Naruto said. The blond was pouting at them, like a spoiled child that hadn't gotten enough gifts for christmas.

Byakuya turned slowly, staying silent as he looked at the purple eyes of his opponent. Impossible. I didn't even see him move… The thought came unbidden to the white clothed noble. At the same time, Naruto's voice proclaiming that nothing was impossible also repeated itself.

Meanwhile, Naruto was silently berating himself. The Hiraishin was one of his best techniques. He had planned to unveil it at the end.

Without the element of surprise, he didn't know if he would be fast enough. These captains were definitely not to be underestimated. Within just a few minutes, the Kuchiki noble had analyzed and found his jutsu's weakness. Forcing him into attacking, and then trapping him in an elaborate and skillfully crafted trap. Still, if he was going to reveal it, he might as well show off a bit.

Taking out a pair of tri-pronged kunai, Naruto smirked down at his opponent. Tossing the unique knives up and down, the blond began to talk. "Yoruichi is fast, isn't she? In fact, on the top of my head, I can only think of three people faster than her." Byakuya narrowed his eyes but said nothing. "Too bad for you, that one of those is me."

Then he tossed the two knives towards the captain with blinding speed. A small flow of Byakuya's Shikai rose up to defend him. Unfortunately for the captain, Naruto had imbued the knives with wind chakra. As the two weapons met, the wind natured blade cut through the shallow and hastily constructed defense. A pair of grey eyes widened as royal blood trickled down the captain's chin.

The kunai stabbed into the floorboards behind Byakuya, the wind cloak dissipating before it cut through the bridge as well. Faster than time could be measured, Naruto was standing behind the stunned captain. He knelt down, silently studying the wounded Shiba heir.

"Hmm… You really did a number on this guy." Naruto commented absentmindedly.

Byakuya stared straight ahead. Not believing his eyes.

In an instant, the legendary shinobi appeared beside the scared fourth division officer. "Hanataro, was it?" Naruto asked with a friendly voice, carrying the wounded Shiba over his shoulder. The healer nodded slowly, not sure how to respond. "Good. You're coming with me then. Or do you want to stay?"

"I-I…" Hanataro stammered.

"Great!" Naruto said, showing him the nice guy™ pose. Hanataro blinked as the white glint from Naruto's teeth almost blinded him. How was that possible? The sun was facing the other direction!

Naruto looked over to the trembling Rukia. She had collapsed a few moments ago, no longer capable of standing under her own power. "I'm sorry Rukia-chan, but it would be far more trouble than it is worth to rescue you now. Do remember though. You will not die. Ichigo won't let you. And neither will I."

Then he was gone, the air whistling as it filled in the vacuum the three bodies had created. Leaving two stunned captains, two seated officers of the thirteenth squad, and a prisoner walking on death's row.


"Report" came the short command as Kuchiki Byakuya walked into the Soutaicho's office. Yamamoto may be old, but he was nothing if not perceptive. The fresh scar on the noble's cheek was a story all to its own. Captains did not get wounds outside of training.

"I went to check up on the prisoner, as I felt a disturbance from her cell a few minutes before." The sixth division captain began. Making no delay in carrying out the order. "The source of the disturbance was confirmed to be Hanataro Yamada, current seventh seat of the fourth division, and a larger man from the Shiba clan. They had broken into the cell and was trying to free the prisoner."

Yamamoto stayed silent. It was disturbing that one of his own had decided to help the Ryoka. Still, it was only one of the lower ranked officers. He could let Unohana take care of it. The part about a Shiba member was slightly interesting, but he couldn't say much until he had more information.

"The Shiba decided to attack me, so I dealt with him accordingly." Byakuya continued.

Yamamoto resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. The noble captain was seldom the violent type. Cold and aloof, maybe, but not violent. Still, he could understand the man's actions, considering his current predicament. He was handling the matter expertly.

"I did not kill him, but I did leave him incapacitated until we could take him in for questioning. Ukitake-taicho also appeared around this time, together with two of his seated officers. Then one of the other Ryoka, Kurosaki Ichigo, appeared. We had a minor clash before Shihoin Yoruichi stopped me from releasing my Shikai."

The head captain opened his eyes slightly. Shihoin Yoruichi. How long had it been since he heard that name?

"She also brought a companion, one Uzumaki Naruto, as he introduced himself as." The Kuchiki head explained.

The Captain Commander hummed. That was the one Kyouraku had met. He was exceedingly interested in learning more about this particular Ryoka. Anyone Shunsui regarded as a threat should be handled with utmost caution.

"Yoruichi knocked out Kurosaki before taking off with him. I was about to pursue before Uzumaki stopped me." The noble's voice was as dull and emotionless as usual, as if he was only talking about the weather.

The first division captain frowned inwardly. So Uzumaki had enough to power to stop a captain?

"He used a technique I have never heard about before. It felt as if he was manipulating pure force. He also revealed the source of his powers. His eyes." The sixth division captain said.

Let it never be said that Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni was not a cautious man. He only knew of one notable person that gained powers from his eyes. "What did they look like?" He demanded. His muscular frame tensing under his military robes.

Byakuya blinked at the interruption, but didn't comment.

"His eyes?" The noble asked. Yamamoto nodded.

"They were purple with several circles surrounding a small black pupil." Byakuya explained, never once abandoning his monotone way of speaking.

The old captain relaxed slightly, but he still had his full attention on the noble captain. "You are sure they didn't have multiple irises and pupils surrounding the eyeball?"

If the younger man thought the question odd, he didn't say anything.

"I'm sure, Soutaicho. He called them the Rinnegan. 'Power over life and death'. They also grant him the ability to absorb energy techniques to a certain extent."

The old warrior went through his millennia worth of memories. If he had heard the name before, it hadn't stuck.

After Byakuya finished his report, the head captain was silent for a moment.

The ability to teleport on that short a notice might be an even bigger deal than the so-called 'Rinnegan'. Still, those eyes were the only thing Yamamoto could to focus on at the moment.

"Are you sure Uzumaki is not a Quincy?" the head captain asked eventually.

Byakuya frowned. This was a lot of pointed questions. The Soutaicho was trying to confirm something. Or disconfirm something. Still, that was none of his business. He only answered the best he could. "He did mention something about trying to learn Hirenkyaku. He also said he failed. Otherwise, he did not remind me of Quincies in any way."

Yamamoto sighed internally. At least they had something to go on now. "I expect the full report on my desk within two hours. See if you can find any information about this Rinnegan, or Uzumaki in general. I give you unlimited access and allowance to use every available resource, within reason, of course. If you can't find something in the central library, look in your own clan archives or the Daireishokairo. Anything will do."

Byakuya's eyes widened slightly. That seemed like a major overreaction from his point of view, but it was not his place to question orders.

"Yes, Soutaicho."


Naruto cracked his neck as he reappeared in the small room where Ichigo had been resting a few minutes earlier.

Hanataro fell backwards. He somehow managed to crawl a few meters before puking.

"Sorry about that. The Hiraishin can be a bit uncomfortable the first few times you use it. God knows how many times I threw up." Naruto commented, crouching down beside his other passenger.

Ganju's wounds looked serious. If he didn't get medical attention quickly, he might die.

Naruto hummed thoughtfully. He didn't currently have the necessary skills for a job such as this. He had no idea how a dead soul from Soul Society would react to getting an injection of living life energy, nor the volatile yoki he normally used for situations such as this.

He did have two appropriate healing techniques he could use right here and now. Two exceptionally strong healing techniques. One was only for a last resort scenario, the other… Well, there were better ways to heal someone than shattering the balance between dimensions.

The fourth division's seventh seat dragged himself over to the thug-like man. He was silent for a minute before sighing. "This does not look good." Hanataro said with a subdued tone.

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Can you heal him?" He asked.

That was clearly the best option.

"Alone?" The healer started uncertainly. "Maybe. I don't have that much energy left though, not that I had much of a reservoir to begin with." He laughed weakly, blushing at his own admitted weakness.

Naruto smiled as he put a hand on the young man's shoulder. Or at least he looked young. For all Naruto knew, this kid might be several hundred years old. "If that's all, you can use my energy."

Hanataro blinked. While it was indeed possible to borrow someone else's energy for a technique, it was substantially more complicated and extremely taxing for the donor.

"I don't think that would-" The healer's voice cracked and his eyes shot up. A flood of power entered his body, filling his soul to the brim with energy. Naruto smiled with purple eyes shining in the dark.

"You heard what we talked about on the bridge, yes?"

The healer nodded enthusiastically. Not capable of doing anything else as his body wanted nothing more than to run around and dance. It was like digesting a thousand nutrition pills in one.

"Well, the Preta Path doesn't really absorb energy as much as it redirects and shapes it. That's why it's so easy for me to absorb large amounts of chakra at once. The energy is automatically molded to fit my own. Only having the yin part to work with is a little troublesome, but not impossible. The ability works the other way as well. If I wish it, I can give others part of my energy as if it was their own. Now, this isn't healthy in the long run, as you might stop producing your own reiatsu." Naruto finished.

The seventh seat nodded again, this time a little more slowly. He could barely sit still, yet Naruto didn't even seem to have broken a sweat. The blond did fight against a captain and got away relatively unscathed though, so he supposed it was to be expected.

"Right, tell me or Yoruichi if there are any changes to his condition. We can't let him die here. His sister would kill me." Naruto said as he left to make his report.


"You made it." Yoruichi commented as Naruto found his way down to the underground training area. A passed out Ichigo was lying just a few feet away. She had clearly decided to wait a bit before waking him.

Naruto smiled, a slightly cocky expression accompanying it. "What? You didn't think I could? And yet you still abandoned me there? That's cold, Yoyo-chan."

The master assassin snorted. "I don't doubt your abilities Naruto. I simply don't know them. It would be easier if you told me."

Naruto shook a finger at her. "Ah, ah. A shinobi never reveals his tricks until he has to." The purple haired woman pouted slightly, but when Naruto refused to budge, she sighed and looked away.

"I'm glad you made it back."

Naruto blinked. He could feel her honesty.

That was more than he had been hoping for actually. They were both brought up as professional killers, and they had only known each other for less than a month. Yet she still seemed to be at least somewhat fond of him.

Naruto smiled his sun-overshadowing smile. "Love you too Yoyo-chan!"


The captain of the sixth division walked calmly amongst a sea of books. He had already set his subordinates to scouring the central library. He himself was walking amongst the ancient tombs of the Kuchiki archives.

Every noble family in the Seireitei had specific tasks given to them since the creation of Soul Society. The Kuchiki's task was to record history. In here lay every registered name belonging to every noble house in the entire realm.

Yet it held far more than just that.

The Kuchiki were especially proud of their archive. Every important event and happening was recorded and stored deep within its depths. And not just history. Music, fairy tales and literature of all kinds. Ancient magic no one knew how to cast.

Sorting all of this information was a humongous task. Several members of the clan went in here daily to read, categorize and sort the books in whatever system they were currently using. Of course, 'sorting' sounded a lot easier than it actually was, but that is a story for another time. He just hoped he wouldn't have to scour the more chaotic sections. He had better things to do with his time.

Byakuya murmured a chant under his breath. The custom kido sent ripples of reiatsu through the library.

At first, nothing happened. Then a few dozen books came flying through the air at a lazy pace. Good, his search had turned up something at least. Now all that was left was to see was if it had turned up something relevant.


There once was an old man with a staff

He walked the world and saw half

He gave away candy and pies

The last was easy with his purple eyes

He walked through the day

He walked through the night

The dark would not go without a fight

So the old man put a stone in the sky

Calling it 'moon' and letting it fly

Now you can sleep

Knowing the old man let you keep

The light in the night

Byakuya closed the latest book he had been reading. That was the third book referencing the creation of the moon.

It was hard finding any information about Uzumaki's power. There were a few references here and there, but nothing concrete. This book contained old children's rhymes from before the formation of the Seireitei, or any other central government in Soul Society for that matter. The book was even older than the Captain Commander. Something that had become almost a prerequisite in his search. The tome was almost falling apart as he read it, despite the preservation spell put on it.

And that wasn't even mentioning the language barrier. As people talked a lot differently thousands of years ago. Soul Society was in a bit of a privileged position in this regard, as souls had extremely long lives, and so it was easier to preserve information across time. As the Kuchiki heir he had been tutored in multiple extinct languages and linguistic styles, yet he still had to find an appropriate dictionary, and even this newest one seemed to be a few centuries off the mark. It was good enough for this one though. The rhymes didn't seem to hold much detail.

The doors to the archives flew open as a distressed sixth division officer burst in. He promptly sank to his knees as Byakuya raised his reiatsu in agitation.

"You do not run in the archives." He said. Voice calm and collected as always.

He let up the pressure as the unfortunate Shinigami slowly straightened. "I-I'm sorry, sir… eh, captain. Eh…" Byakuya felt the urge to rub his temple. Had everyone working under him become a bumbling fool?

"Yes?" He asked. Willing the unseated officer to give him the report.

"W-we found something taicho. About Uzumaki, I mean."

The Kuchiki head raised an eyebrow. He hadn't hoped for much when he ordered his men to look through the central library. Almost everything there was open for anyone to read. If it was that easy to find, why didn't they already know it?

"What did you find?" He asked. His calm tone of voice driving the conversation forward.

To his surprise, his subordinate handed him a professional looking file complete with official documentation and stamps.


"Oh, right there. Yeah... that's perfect." Yoruichi purred as Naruto kneaded her shoulders. Ichigo was currently submerged in water, his face was redder than a tomato as he tried not to look at his two teachers.

Naruto was sitting on the water, only covered by a towel draped across his nether regions. Somehow it didn't get soaked no matter how much water got on it.

Yoruichi was, like Ichigo, submerged in water. She was leaning forward on the stone edge as Naruto sat behind her, giving her the long awaited massage.

If the orange haired teenager had known the two of them would join him, he would never have gone into the bath in the first place. Screw healing properties. He liked his mind intact, thank you very much.

"Oh, Naruto!" Yoruichi moaned as he hit a particularly tense spot.

Ichigo went full submarine.


"What's that inscription on your stomach? It looks like kido scripts, but they're unlike anything I've seen before." Yoruichi asked. The two warriors were sitting back to back, enjoying the warm water surrounding them.

Ichigo had fled as soon as his wounds healed. He did not take well to Naruto's proposal of massaging him as well.

"They're seals. An ancient and complex form of chakra manipulation. Or magic, as some would call it." Naruto answered. Half dozing off.

"So they are like Kido scripts then? I wonder if there's any difference." She may not look it, but Yoruichi was an expert at kido. She had to be, if she was to use Shunko in battle. She might not be as technically advanced as someone like Kisuke, but she definitely had the control for it. Kido inscriptions weren't really her forte. But she hadn't been a captain for nothing. And staying around Kisuke for so long made her pick up on a few things.

"They're probably the same. I have seen tons of variations of both how and why such sigils are used. But they're essentially the same all over the world. Advanced glyphs, runes, or other signs used to manipulate reality as they see fit." Naruto commented, sounding for all the world like this was a normal subject.

The purple haired beauty hummed. She wondered how much of the world Naruto had seen. The thought of everything else that might be out there… it excited her. Although it was slightly scary. Not that she would admit that to anyone for fear of death.

She hadn't thought much about it before, but ever since meeting the blond mercenary, she couldn't help but wonder. Kisuke had always been the more curious of the two, but even he had more than enough to work with in just three realms. He did dabble in a little exploring now and then, but it took time to find anything of interest if you weren't already part of it.

"What does it do?" She drawled out. She was curious, and if he told her that was another mystery solved about her new friend.

Standing up and grabbing his towel, Naruto turned around as he stood on the water's surface. "Take a look." He said. A challenging tilt to his voice.

Yoruichi smirked as she turned around. Challenging her, did he? She would make sure he regretted that.

Naruto's body was mostly clean. Only one scar visible from the front. Surprising, considering his lifestyle. Then again, that one scar was huge. It started from the middle of his chest and split from there. It snaked its way in all directions, eventually enveloping his upper body. It looked as if a lightning bolt had hit him straight in the chest.

Yoruichi wiggled a finger in a circle motion, the challenging glint from Naruto mirrored in her. Naruto complied without protest, slowly turning a full one-eighty. The rest of his body was also spotless. It seemed like he only had one scar. Either he was incredibly lucky, or wounds simply didn't leave marks on him. She wondered what the lightning scar was all about…

"Not bad." She said. Smirking in satisfaction as Naruto sat down again.

She studied the seal on his stomach. It had appeared the moment Naruto touched the water, indicating some sort of reiatsu sensitivity. It was formed like a spiral with squiggles around the edges. The squiggles were clearly writing of some kind, but she had no idea what it meant.

It looked… broken.

The lines didn't fit together properly. And the middle point - nicely marked by his navel - was completely free. No, maybe not broken. Rather… Open?

"It… It's made to hold something." She felt embarrassed after saying it. She hadn't the slightest idea what any of it meant. All she had to go on was a vague gut feeling.

Naruto beamed as he applauded energetically. "Correct! Now what about this?"

Yoruichi's eyes widened as the blond's entire body became covered in previously invisible writing. The seals ran in hypnotizing patterns across his torso, arms and legs. They seemed to disappear behind his back, only to return on the other side. It was all strangely symmetrical. Making his body look like one of those tattoo junkies in the mortal world.

Then they began to move.

The markings swirled around the blond, increasing and decreasing in speed as they followed a clearly predisposed path. New signs appeared and old patterns vanished. Making everything look like some fancy animation on Kisuke's computer. The only thing that didn't move was the original spiral mark in the middle of his body.

"I-" She began, not really sure how to answer the question.

Naruto laughed.

It was cheerful and easy laugh. It flowed like spring water. It jumped like wild animals. It made you want to laugh with it. Not because you didn't want to be left out, but because doing so might please the one making the sound.

The Goddess of Flash was transfixed.

Just a couple of months ago, this complete stranger had been dragged into her life making sweeping gestures and cracking jokes.

At first, she had been wary. He was an unknown, and all unknowns were to be treated as potential enemies. But it was impossible to treat Naruto as an enemy. Once you knew him, his happy and carefree personality simply wouldn't let you go.

Ichigo was charismatic. He had the makings of a great leader. He inspired those around him. He was loyal to the core and gave everything he had. And he expected everyone else to do the same. And they did. Just out of the simple desire not to let him down. He was a prince. Born to be king.

Naruto wasn't just charismatic though. Where Ichigo's aura ensnared you, Naruto's attracted everyone towards him like the planets does to moons. Like stars does to planets. It was as if he had his own gravitational field. Just by being near him, you were pulled farther and farther in, and once you got to a certain point, you could never go back. A black hole.

Snapping back to the present, Yoruichi swallowed. For the first time in years, she felt self-conscious about the fact that she was naked. Not that he could see anything right now.

"It's ok, Yoyo-chan. I don't actually expect you to understand any of that. The first one was impressive enough as it is." The black markings disappeared as Naruto slipped underwater again.

"The first one is indeed meant to hold something. Something big."

"Like what?" She prodded after a moment of quiet.

The silence seemed to evolve after her question. It became pregnant with anticipation, as if the world around them awaited the answer.

Naruto took a deep breath before steadying himself.

"There once were these people called Jinchuriki. There were nine of them. Each one holding part of something much greater." Naruto began. His voice and demeanor switching easily to storyteller mode.

"Jinchuriki – Power of the human sacrifice?" The former stealth force captain asked. Not a nice sounding name, in her opinion.

Naruto nodded. "Indeed. There was a god called the Shinju. A divine tree, worshipped by the surrounding population. Its influence stretched all across the Elemental Nations and all its neighboring landmasses. It even encroached upon parts of Japan." As he spoke, Naruto touched the surface of the water, making it ripple and display images of ages long past. Yoruichi had a clear view of a rather small continent, thousands of islands, and other lands connected to it. She did not recognize the continent.

"Then one day, the god was split into nine different parts. Those became known as the Bijuu. The tailed beasts. They were terrifying creatures. Capable of making tsunamis and destroy mountains with just a swing of their tails." In the water, she saw nine different creatures. All resembling different animals. Some of them seemed to be crosses between multiple species, while others remained distinct. Wait. Was that… an ox-oktopus?

"The humans feared these beings, as everything they did to stop them showed itself ineffective. Eventually, they sealed them into people. Either trying to keep them from doing more harm, or to use as weapons of war." People and faces appeared, all far too detailed and specific to be nothing more than concepts, or something representing an idea.

"Eventually, there was someone who wanted to combine the nine, making them whole again. Then he would use this new creature, the Juubi, to enslave the world." A picture of a dark haired man with red eyes and a fearsome complexion appeared.

"We fought him." Now the blond had given up all pretexts, showing her battle scenes, most of which a teenage version of Naruto was a part of.

These are humans? Was the only thought the shapeshifter could form as she witnessed feats that even Shinigami would deem impossible. Or at least very difficult.

"We won."

But it was not victory Yoruichi saw in the water.

It was fire.

"Thousands upon thousands died. Both civilian and shinobi alike. At last we were forced to flee as our home was destroyed." The picture of giant storms and waves impossibly large filled her vision as the forces of nature crushed forests and swallowed mountains.

"After the war, we became a nomadic people. We wandered the world for a while, taking missions from anyone willing to give them. It was a long time before we found a new home." Naruto finished. Flicking his wrist and making the water quiet again.

Yoruichi stared wide-eyed at her blond companion. "Then… that seal?"

Naruto smiled a melancholic smile as he looked down at his stomach. "I was once a Jinchuriki." He said with a slight tilt to his lip.

Ichigo leaned against a rock a few meters away, trying to process everything he had heard.


Uryuu Ishida, self-proclaimed 'Last Quincy' staggered up a set of stairs as his power slowly left him.

He cursed his own uselessness. Had he but aimed a little a higher he would have ended that monster. The face of the twelfth division's vice-captain thanking him for not doing exactly that haunted his mind, but he quickly shook the thought away.

It didn't matter now. All that mattered was to continue as far as he could before the last remnants of his powers left him.

Ishida clenched his hand. The memory of a bow, a bow so powerful even a captain's Bankai paled in comparison still burned in his mind. Mayuri might have been correct at that point though. Mortals simply weren't meant to wield such power.

As he finally finished the last steps of this accursed staircase, he noticed a dark skinned man with a visor over his eyes and a white captain's coat. Uryuu froze. Another captain was far beyond anything he could manage at this point. He doubted he could even form a solid bow anymore.

"It pains me to do this, but you stand in the way of justice. Cry, Suzumushi."

Uryuu could barely make out an incredibly high-pitched sound before his brain overloaded and all he saw was black.

Tousen Kaname sighed as he put away his sword. This one was but a child. Ignorant and innocent of the horrors of the world. He would put him in the care of the fourth division. No need for needless bloodshed.

"Now, that wasn't very nice. Why did you wait for him to go all the way up the stairs? Couldn't you have knocked him out at the bottom?"

The blind captain quickly looked towards the voice as the newcomer made himself known. Why didn't I notice him before? He could count on one hand the amount of people capable of hiding from his senses so completely.

Naruto put a hand on Ishida's back, careful to keep watch of the 9th division captain at all times.

"If you think I will simply let you walk away with him, you are gravely mistaken." Kaname said.

Naruto grinned. He had been waiting for a chance like this. His little squabble with Byakuya may have been impressive, but it wasn't flashy enough, nor did he really win. He needed a way to show both Yoruichi and the Gotei 13 that he was a player in this game. And he had always been a bit of a show-off.

"Sure, let me just put my friend a out of the way." Naruto said, hefting the unconscious teen over his shoulder.

The ninth division leader was silent as Naruto carried Ishida's limp body towards the nearest wall. A few hand signs later, dark ink circled their way around the young Quincy, forming an invisible barrier around him. The barrier should stop anything short of direct attacks, and Tousen didn't seem like the kind of person that would do something like that.

The captain was the first to speak as Naruto found his place across the square.

"So you are another of the Ryoka that have been stampeding around Soul Society?" The captain asked calmly. Drawing his blade yet again.

Naruto just smiled at the calm man. "That would be me, although I'm slightly offended that you call my sneaking 'stampeding'."

The blind captain didn't respond. He just shifted his stance, calling out to his blade even before it was fully out of its sheath. "Cry, Suzumushi."

The command created a wave of ultrasonic sound that expanded from the captain's Zanpaktou.

But even before the justice-obsessed captain had finished his command, Naruto had called upon his own powers. The blond clapped his hands together, using a single word to bend nature to his will. "Futon!"

As the wave of sound encroached upon its victim, it… disappeared.

Or at least that's what it seemed like. Tousen frowned at the unaffected Ryoka. No one had ever escaped the effects of Suzumushi that easily before.

Naruto smiled cheerfully at his opponent, seemingly not caring one bit that they were entering a deadly battle. "Sound waves. I saw your attack earlier. It's a fearsome weapon. Almost everyone would be instantly knocked out with no way of defending themselves."

Tousen said nothing as he pulled out the entire length of his sword. How irritating. He might actually have to do something for this fight.

"The thing about sound is that it uses a medium to travel through. Most commonly, air." Here, the blond's eyes glittered as if he was about to share a special joke. "But what happens if you remove that air?"

Tousen tensed his body imperceptibly. "You created a vacuum shield." He observed calmly. He had felt the blond's energy shape itself into a sphere-like structure earlier. Coupled with what he had been told, it wasn't very hard to guess the rest.

Naruto's smile never wavered. "Correct! You're one of the smart ones I take it."

Instead of continuing what he considered useless babble, the blind captain burst forward. In a single burst of Shunpo, he disappeared. Suzumushi stabbed through the space Naruto had been less than a second ago. "Don't underestimate the abilities of the Gotei 13." Tousen said just as he blocked a kick from the blond. He felt his arm rattle, but studiously ignored it.

Naruto jumped off the captain's arm and twisted as deadly steel passed beneath him. Or is that steel? What is a Zanpakuto made of anyway? Such thoughts were for another time. Urahara could probably answer any questions he had after they returned from the mission.

Naruto swerved and dodged as several kido spells flew at him in rapid succession, breaking up the ground and buildings behind the blond shinobi.

In retaliation, Naruto peppered his opponent with a hail of Kunai and shuriken, littering the battlefield in a rain of deadly steel. Kaname didn't even deign to dodge, instead using precise swipes of his sword to bat the throwing weapons away as he continued chanting under his breath.

Just as Naruto stopped his meaningless attack, Tousen appeared before him, blade swinging in a deadly arc.

Naruto bent double. The weapon passing a few inches above his face. Strands of golden hair flitted to the ground as the legendary shinobi continued his retreat. The captain of squad nine didn't let up though. He pursued Naruto like a man possessed, forcing the blond on the defensive. Swipe after swipe after swipe. Naruto danced around the attacks, never being given an opening for retaliation.

This guy was good! Naruto grinned. He hadn't gotten close to his opponent during his short scuffle with Byakuya, so it had been a long time since he fought a swordsman like this.

Finally getting a moment's reprieve, Naruto jumped back. He put a single hand to his mouth and manipulated his chakra. Then he breathed fire.

A giant ball of flame and energy descended on the shinigami captain, melting everything it came in contact with.

The blind warrior didn't even bat an eyelash.

Quickly gathering a huge amount spiritual energy into his sword, the Soul Reaper swung upwards, splitting the fireball in two as the heat crashed around him.

Before the captain got a chance to counterattack, several bolts of electricity descended on him. One, two, then three bolts of lightning found their mark before the dark-skinned man swung his blade overhead. Ripples of sound crashed against their surroundings, disturbing whatever was emitting the yellow energy, making the continuous attack cease.

Naruto grinned foxily as he leant against a wall.

The two was silent for a moment. Both reevaluating their opponent. Kaname was the first to speak. "I admit you're very skilled. I have never seen attacks such as yours before. However, this has gone on long enough. If you continue to persist, I will put you down like the dog you are. People like you should put their power towards preserving peace, not play around like fools." Tousen's voice was still as calm and empty as before. The only sign that he had taken any damage was a slight twitch in his left hand.

Naruto's grin disappeared, replaced by a frown. "Play? Peace? Do you think I do this only out of entertainment? We came here to rescue a friend of ours, not because we thought it would be fun. The fact that I enjoy a good fight does not stop me from helping others."

The blind captain shook his head. "Fighting is only something we are forced to do. To enjoy violence is nothing but barbaric."

"Different cultures, different views." Naruto's smile returned as he crouched down to his favored stance.

But before he could do anything more, a large sword heavily infused with reiatsu tore through the air towards him. The ground broke apart as the sword struck it, summoning a huge cloud of dust.

Visibility returned slowly, revealing Naruto standing on the wall of a half-broken building high above street level. The blond touched his bloodied cheek as he frowned down at his new opponent. That had been unexpected. The place he had been standing on was nothing but rubble, but among the broken stone tiles were some blackened ones. In the instant before the sword hit, he had been forced to move faster than he could safely handle. Swift Release was meant to remove friction to allow for faster movement, but he could feel the burn marks on his legs heal up as he stood there. His sandals were nothing but charred remains mixed with the rubble. Dammit. He didn't have enough chakra control for this. Fighting at such a high level required more than just pure power.

This had become quite troublesome. The Shinigami were strong. Too strong. He should have prepared himself better before going here.

His two opponents looked at each other, making Naruto's attention snap back to the fight. The newcomer was unnaturally large, with a huge sword and a helmet hiding his face. A few drops of blood fell from his Zanpakuto.

Naruto grinned.

Even if the safety margins of this fight was significantly lower than he would have prefered, he couldn't deny that this made him even more excited. Naruto grin grew slightly manic as his wounds finished healing. Two against one? He could dig those odds.

"And who might you be?" The blond asked, calming his battlelust somewhat. The second captain had a powerful aura around him. Not the normal oh-my-god-I'm-going-to-die presence, but a more grounded force, more suited for standing against any adversary than intimidating his opponent.

"Komamura Sajin. Captain of squad 7 of the Gotei 13." The large man said with a fittingly deep voice. "You are Uzumaki Naruto. Yamamoto-Soutaicho warned us about you."

Naruto bowed. Something that was a little awkward as he was standing 90 degrees on a wall. "That would be me."

"Komamura, I can handle this by myself. He is nothing but a measly Ryoka." Tousen insisted, a note of pride and defiance entering his body language.

The new arrival shook his head, clearly insistent upon staying. "This one is different than the others. He might even have been the one to kill Aizen-taicho. His powers are described in some of our oldest legends. The Captain Commander demanded utmost caution when dealing with him."

The blind man was silent for a moment, clearly digesting the new information. "Very well. We will defeat with him together then."

Naruto cocked his head to the side. He didn't know what he'd been expecting when he revealed his eyes, but at least they took him seriously now. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Naruto's eyes flashed red as his bloodlust flared up again. This would be his first real fight in decades. "So you want to dance, gentlemen?" He practically purred, his chakra coiling inside him with anticipation.

"Uzumaki Naruto. The 347th registered immortal. Medium threat. Affiliation: Elementals – supernatural mercenary group. Confirmed powers: Control over elements. Do not engage." Komamura's deep voice carried easily over to the excited ninja. Stopping him before he even started his first technique.

"Wait… what?" Was Naruto's response. His brain stuttering like a jammed gear transmission.

"That was about the extent of information we had on you before this. I guess we will have to update that file." The larger Shinigami explained.

Tousen was also surprised by this admission. It seemed this was news to him as well.

"347th? Who are the others?" Naruto asked. His curiosity showed plain on his face.

Komamura didn't answer him. Either because he didn't want to, or he didn't know.

Laughter met the two Soul Reapers as Naruto bent upwards, looking at the blue sky high above them. "Well, at least you're not completely clueless. I would hate to be the first to burst your bubble."

The large seventh division commander didn't react to Naruto's comment. Instead, he asked his own question. "What is someone like you doing here? There should be no reason for you to invade Soul Society, never mind the Seireitei itself."

Naruto shook his head, the signs of humor still glinting in his eyes. "I already told you. I'm here to rescue Kuchiki Rukia. Do I need any other reason?"

The wolf-man narrowed his eyes underneath the helmet. "Fine, if you do not wish to tell me, we will just have to drag it out of you during interrogation."

Chakra and reiatsu surged as wills fought for dominance.

"Roar, Todoroke!"

Naruto twisted in the air as he dodged a stab from the phantom sword that had appeared from nowhere. The wall he had been standing on wasn't as lucky. It crumbled to nothing as the force of the blow utterly crushed the already ruined building.

As Naruto fell through the air, he saw Tousen already standing several feet above him, moving his sword in a hypnotizing fashion. "Suzumushi Nishiki, Benihiko!"

Tousen's sword began to vibrate, quickly followed by hundreds of deadly blades forcing themselves into reality. All of them were pointing down at the slightly troubled shinobi. As the blind captain swung his sword down, Naruto pulled out two weapons of his own. A moment later, two Hiraishin kunai flew in opposite directions.

"How naïve." The armored captain commented as he sent two phantom arms to catch the thrown kunai.

Just as the hail of steel descended on Naruto's position, his two escape routes multiplied by a thousand. "Kage Shuriken no jutsu." Naruto finished with a smirk.

The rain of weapons from both techniques hit the ground simultaneously as repeated clangs of metal filled the battlefield.

A small pause allowed the two captains to look upon the ruined street. It was littered with Naruto's special kunai.

"What are those?" Tosen asked. He could feel each knife as if it was its own living being. They emitted a small but noticeable energy signal. Similar in power to mice and other small animals.

"As far I understand, they're markers. He uses them for his teleportation technique. Be careful, he can appear at any one of them at a moment's notice." The werewolf answered.

With this many knives, Naruto had essentially gained complete control over the battlefield. The only logical conclusion was removing the kunai. With a sweeping swing of his sword, Komamura's Shikai mimicked his movement. Cutting up a part of the street and tossing it away, taking the knives stuck there with it. As they went flying, the Hiraishin kunai popped out of existence as if they were never there to begin with.

"Na-ah. Can't have you doing that, can I?" Naruto smiled cheerfully as an enormous wave of water rose up from nowhere. In response, Tousen began to chant an attack Naruto had heard before.

"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. Hado no 33. Sokatsui!" Tousen spoke quickly and confidently, and the results were spectacular. Compared to when Rukia had used the spell, it wasn't even a contest… From the ninth division captain burst forth a giant ball of blue flames. It dwarfed anything Naruto had seen from that technique before. The water steamed as the hado approached it.

The entire field was flooded with vapor as the blue ball of spiritual energy completely annihilated the blond's attack. Komamura jumped beside Tousen as he stretched his own spiritual awareness to the limit. The seventh division captain had always been good at both suppressing his own energy and sensing others, although he could never compare to his friend on the sensing part. He was still better than most.

"Doton: Maw of The Underworld!"

A shake went through the world as a giant fissure appeared beneath the two captains. The ground fractured and split, sending the surprised pair tumbling underground. Walls rose and collapsed towards them, denying any method of escape as the two were swallowed by the earth.

Naruto stood silently with his hands clasped together. A massive dome of stone and earth loomed before him. It was about as large as an average football stadium and took up a considerable part of the skyline, even from Naruto's position dozens of meters away.

Naruto felt a tingling sensation in his stomach as the dome broke apart. A giant armored creature emerged from the structure, looming over the battlefield as the blond felt the second captain's energy skyrocket.

"Bankai. Kokujo Tengen Myo'o!"

Naruto's eyes widened. That was the first time he had seen a captain's final release. Or any Bankai really. It was an impressive sight.

"Bankai already? You flatter me." Naruto said as the two gods of death emerged from the newly formed crater. The giant followed Komamura's footsteps as the pair walked towards him.

"We should take to the air. He has too many options on the ground." Tousen commented. His partner nodded as the two shot into the sky. This time, the giant stayed where it was. Not that they ever went any higher than its torso.

Naruto followed, using his own wind technique to follow them. "I have too many options on the ground you say? I don't think you quite know who you're dealing with." Naruto commented as a small lull in the battle allowed him the opportunity.

He wasn't the type to rub his superiority in other people's faces, but he did like to brag from time to time. Let's call it a bad habit he had picked up over the years.

"Those who know us, think of the Elementals as a group of people with the ability to manipulate the elements." Naruto started, standing a good distance away from the two supernatural warriors. "We're not born with that ability though. We learn it. People have affinities for different things. Water, fire, lightning. Take your pick. You can still learn all the other elements, but if you're smart, your affinity will always stay your strongest." Naruto explained, his blue eyes burning with energy. His enormous chakra reserves was building up inside him, layering and folding upon itself.

The air warped as his blue chakra entered the visible spectrum, and Naruto's insides curled in anticipation as his right hand formed a half ram sign. "My element... Is wind."

The atmosphere moved as the wind answered its master's call. The sky darkened and clouds began to flow in a spiral formation. Tornadoes built up around them and the gales tore away stone with little difficulty. Naruto's golden locks danced widely around his head as the Elemental surrounded himself in a ball of gas and chakra.

With a shout, the living legend sprang forward. The sphere of air warping to his every whim.

In response, the giant form of Komamura's Bankai moved as well. Blade moving to cut down everything in its path.

The ground quaked as a palm made of nothing but chakra and atmospheric pressure stopped the attack.

Naruto laughed a slightly maniacal laugh as he stood inside a wind avatar of his own creation. His golden eyes signifying the use of Sage Mode. He had never managed this technique without the use of senjutsu. That had been a huge downside when he first made it. Now? Not so much.

Both the captains' eyes widened as Naruto blocked one of the most powerful attacks in the Gotei 13's arsenal. The two broke apart and clashed again. The earth shook as Naruto's storm giant and Komamura's Tengen Myo'o traded blows. Shockwaves of power flew through the city. Buildings cracked and windows shattered as every levelheaded Shinigami ran for their lives.

"W-what is that!?" Tousen asked in disbelief.

He got his answer as Naruto's technique finished forming. The winds refused to die down though, reflecting the will of the one that had summoned them.

The Elemental's storm giant was covered by white flowing armor that looked more like liquid than gas. It wore a grey helmet with two shining lights resembling eyes. Somewhere inside it - sustaining the technique - was Naruto. It stood in stark contrast to its relatively dark and solid counterpart.

Naruto's voice carried through the stormy atmosphere as if he had been standing right next to them, the words as easily distinguishable as dark oil in clear water. "My worst enemy had a technique much like this. Once I lost my first answer to it, I needed another. This was the result." The last statement finished as one of the storm giant's hits was blocked by the captain's Bankai. A giant backlash of energy flew in every direction.

"I thank you, Komamura Sajin! It has been a long time since I have been able to fight like this! It feels good to stretch your muscles a bit. Don't you agree, Taicho of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!?" The blond shinobi shouted the question. His countenance not that different from a certain spiky-haired captain.

The werewolf only grunted as his giant avatar received a rather nasty blow to the chest.

The problem, he had found, was that he couldn't hurt Naruto. The blond's wind titan was incredibly powerful, but the anthropomorphic Shinigami could tell already from the first blow that his own Bankai was the superior of the two. Naruto's technique may have been wind manipulation on a nearly transcendent level, but Komamura's avatar was a reflection of his soul. His Bankai. It was the ultimate release of the death gods of Soul Society.

But even if his was stronger, the werewolf couldn't damage the blond Elemental. Even if he hit the storm giant directly, his sword just passed straight through it. Once the giant katana was out again, the winds simply reformed themselves. He had even tried decapitating the blond's creation. Its head didn't even move. It was as if it didn't need a neck. And why should it? It was just different gasses compiled together.

In comparison, Tengen Myo'o was directly connected to his body. Every hit it took, he felt directly. Thankfully, Naruto's creation wasn't quite strong enough to pierce the giant. Nevertheless, Komamura knew he would wake up with a ton of bruises for the next week, even if he won this.

The excitement of the battle had almost overwhelmed Naruto at this point. It was so exceedingly rare he could allow himself to go this far.

Sometimes he felt like he was living in a world made of cardboard, always being careful not to break something. To break someone. His chakra was bubbling with excitement as its untold depths awakened after centuries of slumber.

Then everything went black.

Naruto blinked, trying to make sense of what the hell was happening. He wasn't unconscious, he knew that much. He could still think, and even if he had been dreaming, his dreams were never this devoid of… well… anything. He could see nothing, smell nothing, and hear nothing. All he felt was the sensation of skin meeting skin as he clenched his fists. He tried to wiggle his toes. Good. He could feel those as well. His chakra was still there. It buzzed with the same confusion his mind was currently experiencing.

Then he felt the familiar sensation of steel entering his body. It lasted less than a millisecond, but in that minuscule amount of time, he could suddenly experience the world again. He doubted he would have noticed if he hadn't been in Sage Mode, but the natural chakra enhanced everything from endurance to perception.

A normal human would probably be trying to keep his organs from falling out by now. Then again, the spiritual pressure from this fight would have crushed a normal human in an instant. Naruto was anything but normal though.

As soon as his abdomen was cut, chakra flooded the wound. His distinct energy stitching the wound together and hypercharging every cell in the area. It was an ability Naruto had had as long as he could remember. During his teen years, it had grown and evolved to the point where he regenerated from pretty much every wound almost instantaneously. A mix between yoki and his own extremely potent life force simply wouldn't let him die.

It had been a long time since he had been in danger of dying, and that had been at a point where most other people would have been long since dead and buried.

He didn't even know what he could survive or not. Although he had a suspicion that nothing short of decapitation would be able to finish the job.

Naruto felt another strike slice through his body. His control of the winds around him slipped as the pain disturbed his chakra network.

He couldn't see what happened next, but he knew from experience that his technique would implode and then expand in an extreme burst of force and air. He was momentarily concerned about Ishida. The barrier he sat up around him may not be enough to stop the explosion of energy. Still, it would have to hold. Naruto had no way of getting to him now.

When he lost control of the storm giant, he also lost control of the jutsu allowing him to stand on air. He could feel himself falling. At least that was something. In preparation for other attacks and the upcoming explosion, Naruto curled himself into a ball and surrounded himself with a thick shell of natural energy in the process. He hit the ground just a second before his Susanoo imitation exploded in a burst of violent power.

He didn't hear the explosion. He didn't see the explosion. But he did feel it. The layer of natural energy surrounding him dampened most of the impact, but he still felt the pressure hit his body and continue into the ground beneath him. He lay there for a few more seconds.

Nothing happened.

"Well, that was dramatic." He commented dryly.

His voice sounded so weird. As if the sound only traveled through his own body before being picked up by his ears. That was probably what was happening as well. Whatever technique was being used, it stopped him from sensing anything outside.

He could still feel the ground beneath his feet as he slowly stood up. It was a little hard without looking, but he could still feel gravity, and his sense of balance was still there. Although slightly skewed.

What an extremely powerful technique. Almost complete sensory deprivation. He couldn't even feel any energies with Sage Mode. Wait. There was something…

Before he could examine the phenomenon any further, another bite of steel tore into him. It tried to take off his arm, but the moment Naruto felt the cold touch of metal, he disappeared through the use of his second favorite technique. He appeared at one of the two kunai he had thrown earlier. All the shadow copies had long since been destroyed.

The Flying Thunder God Technique may have been one of, if not the best jutsu he knew, but he had never fully mastered it. Not to the point his father had at any rate. It didn't seem to matter how much time he had to practice.

He should probably just teleport back to the sanctuary, thus escaping with little to no injuries. However, that would leave Ishida behind. He really didn't want to do that after everything he had gone through to get him.

He also couldn't feel the Hiraishin seal he had stuck on the teen, or any others outside the technique's influence, now that he thought about it. How any technique could interfere with chakra resonance, Naruto wasn't sure. Such a power was bordering on direct reality manipulation.

Using the Hiraishin to flee was also nothing short of forfeiting the match. Making the entire point of showing up useless. And the entire thing was moot anyway, as he couldn't feel his seals!

The Sage examined his chakra, trying to ignore how genuinely worried he was getting. He started by looking for any foreign influences. He was normally immune to any sort of genjutsu, as his Preta Path would automatically absorb any foreign energy entering his body – active dojutsu or not – but one could never be too careful.

As he examined his own inner energy, he found nothing out of the ordinary. He was quite pleased that even after all that fighting, his energy levels had barely gone down any noticeable degree. It was nice having reserves comparable to a Bijuu.

No genjutsu. That meant the technique affected the world itself. Again, Naruto was struck by how incredible that was. A part of his mind began analyzing everything he knew so far, trying to come up with a way he would have created something similar.

First, he would have set up a sphere of influence that absorbed light. Not too complicated… a few seals and complex chakra moulding could probably do it. That would have been very useful back when he was a kid, with all those dojutsu cheating bastard running around all over the place.

He may or may not be a complete hypocrite.

Second, he would use wind manipulation to remove the pressure waves traveling through the medium, thus removing any hope of sound getting through. If he wanted to be extra thorough, he would have to remove the vibrations in the earth as well.

Smell would be the most difficult, especially without removing all forms of gas, thus suffocating everyone within the area. If that was what he wished to do, there were far better and easier ways to do it.

Of course, this thing was probably conceptual in nature, but now he had a general idea of how he would have done it at least. The technique obviously couldn't be infinite, so he it might be possible to just run in one direction and hope he got out. On the other hand, the technique might be mobile. In which case he could be running for an eternity without achieving anything.

As one part of his mind went through that, another approached the issue from a different angle.

The little blip he had felt from his connection to nature was still there. Or rather, two blips. Naruto absently realized it was the three-pronged kunai he had thrown earlier. He had just instinctively utilized the technique when he wanted to escape. Even now, he could tell that his normal connection to the space-time anchors were deceptively weak. He suspected it was only thanks to Sage Mode that he could feel them at all.

Still… He had never met someone, or something, that could cut him off from the natural life all around him. He would choose to believe this couldn't either. At least until the opposite was proven.

Naruto's focus sharpened down to a single point.

Nothing existed except energy.

Everything was energy.

He was energy, as was the world.

He controlled energy.

He controlled the world.

The blip expanded.

It was like swimming through tar. The connection was hazy and slow, but still there. He was a Sage dammit! No one was going to deny him the right to be one with nature!

Ok, that might have been a little too much flower power for one day.

As the connection sharpened and built, Naruto felt the world around him clear. He still couldn't see, hear, or smell, but now he could feel. He felt the energy of the annoying technique itself, and the sharp buzzing Insect-like signature of its user. He could feel the natural energy in the air, although it was muffled and moving slowly through the dark carpet encompassing the nearby space. He could feel Ishida, still unconscious. Good. The barrier held.

He could even feel outside the dark bubble Tousen had created. Although it was like looking through the surface of a lake while he was under it. The most obvious thing was the giant form of Komamura's Bankai. It was still there. Including its monstrous reiatsu. Both the master and blade was idle, waiting for his friend to finish the fight. Naruto relaxed as he felt the numerous Hiraishin seals outside the technique bloom to life. He hadn't truly realized how much their absence bothered him.

He could also feel the source of his current predicament approaching him with the speed of a well executed Shunpo. Just as the sword swung for his neck, the Number One Most Unpredictable Ninja ducked. This time, he clearly felt the surprised energy of his opponent. Well, surprised wasn't really the word. Shocked was more like it.

So… what to do?

He could just blow everything up. Now that he could feel Ishida again, he could just teleport him out of here before his technique began. The two captains were undoubtedly strong enough to survive any sort of area of effect attack as long as he didn't begin summoning meteors. Still… That was even less subtle than the giant kaiju battle that had just taken place. The property damage alone would most likely make the Gotei 13 very angry. Which was kind of the antithesis of what he wanted to achieve to begin with.

Sighing internally, Naruto admitted to himself that he should probably end the fight. He had gotten to play long enough anyway. It had been fun as long as it lasted. Just one more experiment and he would end it. If this dragged on, things might actually become dangerous.

When Naruto opened his eyes again, the purple glint of the Rinnegan shone for the only person able to see it.

Even with the Rinnegan, Naruto couldn't see anything. The Eyes of Samsara did not have the same powers as the Byakugan. But even with the all-seeing eyes of the Hyuuga, Naruto doubted it would have been possible to break through this technique. Seeing wasn't his objective though.

Previously, he had absorbed Byakuya's lightning bolt and a few minor techniques when he and Kisuke had been training Ichigo.

This was on a completely different level though. Chakra required balance between physical and spiritual energy. If he was absorbing just the spiritual side of things, his body had to compensate. He literally had to produce the equal amount of yang-chakra that he absorbed as yin-chakra. In other words: To absorb this enormous structure of spiritual energy that Naruto was almost sure was Tousen's Bankai...

To say it would be exhausting would be one of the largest understatements he had ever made. Despite that, he was excited to see if he could.

A senjutsu enhanced kick sent the blind captain flying… somewhere…

Naruto landed, holding his arms into the sky. The Rinnegan burned in their sockets and the world began to shift around him. A vortex in three dimensions appeared as he consumed the entire black sphere of Suzumushi's Bankai.

Pain.

Every cell in his body protested. Pain was everywhere. Searing hot, freezing cold, stabbed, pierced, sliced. The moment stretched out to infinity as an unearthly scream tore its way out of Naruto's throat.

Then it ended.

Tears of blood began running down his face as the Rinnegan faded. Naruto fell flat on his face, his body having lost its ability to stay upright. Blood began oozing between the fibers of his skin as the blond felt his organs shut down. Cracks ran up and down his body and yellow hair turned white.

That was a stupid idea. He thought.

It worked. A more optimistic side of him suggested.

Thankfully, his enormous chakra reserves did not sit idle. Red and blue chakra burned all over his body as his two distinct energies began to mend wounds like there was no tomorrow, and in this instance, there might not be. His visage had aged several decades in just a few seconds as the majority of his cells simply killed themselves out of exhaustion.

The inner energies of life, spirit, and will flew through his body. Giving new life to dead cells, restoring what was broken and healing the damage. No enemy had ever wounded him like this. Exhausting? Who had he been trying to fool?

That was a little too close for comfort. Even for him.

Naruto slowly got to his feet as white skin flaked off. New red skin matured and took its place. Hair grew back and his skeleton repaired itself. The dead matter was burned away by the corrosive power of his yoki and the cells still alive divided themselves at a pace that would make a biologist rub their eyes and go back to whatever drugs they were using.

Naruto cracked his neck as he looked over at his two stunned opponents. "Mah… That was stupid. I'm not doing that again."

His voice was still a little raspy, but it worked fine.

Welp, he had a battle to finish. Preferably before the enemy got any more reinforcements. He didn't even know if he could win if the pink-robed guy or the white haired dude showed up. Those two were monsters. A few other individuals could possibly pose even bigger trouble.

Tousen was breathing heavily and looking at him as if he was the devil incarnate.

Komamura was simply staring wide-eyed at the blond immortal. Naruto didn't know what they were thinking, but he was grateful for the respite.

"I'll just end this here, ok? I think I might need some help actually." The blond conceded. A slight smile and friendly blue eyes shone on his newly remade face. It was very different from the almost-crazed expression he had worn during the fighting.

With that, he casually swiped his hand down to the pool of blood beneath him, smearing his fingers with the red liquid.

Lazily running through a practiced set of hand seals, Naruto slammed his palm on the ground.

"Kuchiyose, Kurama!"


Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni opened his eyes fully for the first time in ages.

He had been closely following the battle between two of his captains against the Ryoka Uzumaki Naruto. What he had felt so far was definitely a cause for worry, but he thought his captains had it under control.

What he felt now however…

The ancient man tightened his hold on Rujin Jakka as he stood up. Red reiatsu saturated the air with a legendary presence.

The Soutaicho of the Gotei 13 readied himself for battle.


A giant plume of chakra smoke rose up. Hiding everything from view.

The first thing they felt was the presence. The all-encompassing presence of a demon that measured its life in millennia. The killing intent burned the air as the chakra ate away at the rubble lying at the warriors' feet.

As the smoke cleared, all that could be seen was a red swirling mass of energy. It collected and dispersed. Collected and dispersed. Finally it seemed to find some foothold. Orange bubbles began appearing along the ground and blowing in the wind. It gathered and eventually formed something that resembled a fox's head.

"Who dare!?" The deep and rumbling voice fit the demonic visage of the talker.

"Ehh… Kurama?" The shinobi asked hesitantly.

The collection of energy and malice turned towards its summoner.

"Naruto? What did you do!?" If having the entire focus of the monster scared him, Naruto didn't show it.

"I summoned you here? Why the hell are you made of bubbles?"

A half formed appendage – possibly an arm – swiped at the blond. Knocking him through the nearest wall.

"Fool! Whatever this place is, it's not meant for mortals. You destroyed my body simply by summoning me here! Hadn't it been for the peculiar composition of this place, it would have taken decades for me to even form a cognizant thought!" The half-formed demon sneered at his one-time host. Currently, the fox only had four limbs, all about three quarters finished. Two arms and two feet.

The demonic energy littering the air felt dry and irritating on the skin. In high enough doses, it formed corrosive bubbles that flew to join their brethren. The killing intent had abated somewhat from the intense burning it was just a few seconds ago, but the presence of the Bijuu could be felt within kilometers of the battlefield.

Komamura stepped forward, his giant Bankai following closely behind him. "Tell me, newcomer. Who are you?"

Kurama turned his blood red eyes towards whomever was stupid enough to ask. He may not be willing to kill Naruto, even for something like this. But he was in a really bad mood, and some unfortunate soul asking irritating questions might find themselves on the top of his extinction list.

The ancient demon righted himself to his current full size as his body continued to rebuild itself. It felt a little weird. Different from what he was used to. His instincts told him it had something to do with this world's composition. And as long as he didn't have to spend decades in this painful in-between state, that was enough for him.

"I am Kurama. The nine tailed demon fox of legend! The Kyuubi! Mightiest of the Bijuu and caretaker of this idiot." He declared as he used one of his still forming tails to point at the blond that had just climbed out of the rubble he created.

"Oy! You're not my caretaker! We're partners." Naruto insisted with his usual cheerful attitude.

"You just killed me!"

"You can't die!"

"Enough!" Komamura shouted. His spiritual power rising to even further heights. Todoroke's Bankai was standing behind him, lending credence to his demand. "Are you friend or foe? Answer now, demon. Or I will cut you down!" His voice rang with power and authority as he stood up to the two imposing entities.

Kurama smirked as he studied the giant and its master. "This was the guy you summoned me to fight? Are you sure you're not getting rusty?"

Naruto frowned as he walked to stand side by side his friend. "There are two of them. I'll give you the story later."

The Kyuubi snorted. "At least they're not weak. This might be fun."

Naruto looked away with a slightly nervous chuckle. "So, you forgive me then, partner?"

"Oh no. You're not getting away that easily. Still, I'll help you with this. If nothing else, then for old time's sake."

The seventh squad captain was tired of being ignored. Based on their conversation, it was clear this creature was somehow Uzumaki's ally, even if they were on bad terms.

He swung his hand up, Tengen Myo'o easily following his movement. Before he could attack however, the demon fox sprang at his summoner, maw open.

The monster seemed to swallow the blond whole. But before Komamura could say anything for certain, the energy that had been collecting into the monster's fresh form collapsed in on itself. Disappearing as it touched the center of a newly formed vortex

Red chakra began to flicker on and off. Blue flames of mostly human energy emerged all around them, as if to answer the other chakra's call. A golden glow signified the first time the two energies combined. Several others quickly followed it.

The demon's presence didn't as much disappear as it changed its nature. The last had been a truly demonic feeling. Uncomfortable and corrosive. Filled with hate and power beyond mortal ken.

This one was still just as powerful. If not more so.

The energy seemed to shine like the sun. Nondiscriminatory in its comfortable warmth. It flooded the Seireitei with energy unlike anything the Shinigami had felt before. It was as if a star had been brought down to earth. The radiation of power touched everything. Announcing its presence for everyone to know.

Komamura had to shield his eyes as the demonic energies completely disappeared.

Before him stood a lone figure. He knew it was the Ryoka he and Tousen had been fighting, but at the same time, he couldn't seem reconcile the 'then' with the 'now'.

A golden glow had encompassed the shinobi's entire being. Dark markings spiraled around his body, forming six magatama around a high collar. Behind him flowed a shining gold haori, not so unlike what the captain's wore. To top it off, Naruto's eyes had changed again. This time they were slitted, but instead of the red that normally accompanied this change, they were golden.

In short, he looked like a god.

Naruto was silent for a second, simply enjoying the moment.

"Ahh… It's been ages since I've been in this form. I'd forgotten how good it feels." Naruto sighed as he slowly cracked his neck. His golden hair seemed to float with the movement as if it was underwater. Pure power rolled of him in waves. Energy as bright as the sun. As intense as a bonfire. It was physically uncomfortable standing so close.

Generally, his aura was bright and warm. Inviting for anyone and anything wanting to get closer. Now it was too bright. Too warm. As if getting too close might burn you. It was similar, yet completely different than the burning sensation from the Captain Commander's reiatsu.

Komamura took three deep breaths as he prepared himself to fight this being. At least he could hold out until help arrived.

Naruto cocked his head to the side, as if listening for something. A second later, he said something that would come to haunt the werewolf for days.

"I'm sorry, Taicho-san. I'm going to have to cut this short."

All the captain saw was a flash of golden light before everything went dark.

Author's note:

Apparently 'slitted' is not a real word, and I should use 'slit' or 'slated' instead… Fuck that. I'm using it anyway.

So… this chapter is quite long… It just kind of just ended up that way.

I somehow managed to find the time to write within the recruitment period. I also found myself with loads of inspirations for the chapter, making me want to spend all my free time writing. I don't know how long that will last.

Also, can you spot the superman reference? I'm not actually that much of a superman fan, but I thought it fit.

I hope this chapter answers most of the questions for how the two worlds can overlap. Call me crazy, but I think such a huge world is a lot more plausible than the original Naruto or the Bleach universe. If for no other reason than the fact that the original worlds seems so fragile.

The heroes are fighting to save the world. Several times. If I then fuse two universes together, it has obviously happened more than once.

So why isn't the world destroyed yet? One villain winning would have been enough. If it was that easy to conquer the world, wouldn't it already be done? If simply gathering the Bijuu and casting an eternal genjutsu will put the entire world in a state of permanent stagnation, how could the planet, not to mention human civilization, have survived this long?

My answer is simply to make the world bigger.

In this world; Madara's plan would NOT have put the entire world into an eternal sleep. It would simply have conquered a continent. In this case, the Elemental Nations. The influence of gods and other powerful beings would have stopped the power of the Shinju from hypnotizing their subjects. To be the sole ruler of the world should take a long, long time, and preferably a campaign with thousands, if not millions of soldiers.

There is also no 'end-all-be-all' source of energy. Like the Shinju was portrayed in the original Naruto.

Now you also have a reason why Kaguya wanted an army, besides those non-characters in Boruto the Movie, at least. (Not that I dislike that movie mind you.)

At the same time, Aizen's plan, if it succeeds, will not put him at the top of all creation. It will simply make him the undisputed ruler of both Hueco Mundo and Soul Society. The so-called 'living world' is so much, much larger than that.

Do you guys remember the five dimensions Kaguya transported everyone to at the end of Naruto? They're still there. As well as the Hell dimension in the Bleach universe and a lot of others. Some are simply pocket dimensions, like Obito's little private place. Others are fully fleshed out worlds like the Soul Society. Yet now I'm still only counting the worlds 'orbiting' the Living World so to speak.

There are uncountable amount of worlds almost completely separate from the one you're currently reading about. If I want to make them relevant, I will.

The reason I'm making this thing so big is twofold.

One. If these sort of abilities actually existed, there has to have been people that have achieved immortality and gone beyond. Oh so far beyond. And if there is one, there has to be more. With nearly infinite amount of time and magical powers, very few things are not possible. And if something can happen, it will happen, given enough time.

Create a world? Sure. Create life? We can already do that. What's so special about it? The natural result: An uncountable amount of worlds with an uncountable amount of people. All you need is time.

The second reason is what my own original story is. As many others, I watched Dragon Ball, the Lord of The Rings and all those other shows/movies when I was a kid. I also liked to play them. We ran around in the woods, pretending to be the characters and swinging sticks. I imagined everyone did that. It's part of being a child after all.

I also daydreamed a lot. For as long as I can remember, I have been making stories in my head. Sometimes with others, mostly by myself. Both with known characters from known works, and original creations. I know a lot of other people who did that as well.

Except they all stopped.

I never did. I kept daydreaming. Story after story after story. Elementary school started. It ended. Middle school started. It ended. High school started. And now it just ended as well. All those years I have been developing thousands of stories in my head. Of course, I've forgotten 99% of them.

At some point, the characters in my stories began to visit each other. Traveling between worlds and fighting, talking, and doing stuff together. Eventually, as I got older and my need for the world to make sense increased, I had to make a system for how all this shit fit together.

The result was a multiverse with the possibility of holding practically every world I have ever seen/read/experienced in a logical frame of reference, and thus fusing them together.

This is that world. Or rather, multiverse. (Naruto is still from the same world Ichigo is though. Don't be confused about that.)

I want to make a published book about it as well, though I will be holding myself to a completely original part of it. After all, that disclaimer at the top is still valid.

Would you like to see Naruto and Ichigo go up against entities that creates and destroys worlds for breakfast? What about Lucifer? Ra? Odin? Chaos in physical form? (Probably not, but it is a possibility) I also have hundreds of original characters I can introduce if I want to. Essentially using the Bleach and Naruto universe as a springboard to introduce my own story. The characters and powers fit like a glove.

I have no problems making them fight angels and other mythological creatures. Any mythology is a possibility. The Greek, Norse, Egyptian and Shinto religions are already worked into the story, although only superficially. The 'living world', as it is referred to in Bleach canon, is the main world most of these legends and stories have taken place, Naruto's included. There are a lot to know about these stories. But since they're legends, and not written by one single author, it leaves a lot up to interpretation.

Anyways, listen to my ramblings…

I so want to make this an epic story. At the same time, I know how hard truly epic tales are to create, that's why this is still only practice for my real foray into the world of fiction. I hope I do well. I also hope I'm not coming off as too arrogant. But this is my passion. What I want to do in this world. Writing and sharing my stories with others.

So I want to thank you all very much for reading. Thank you for all the nice reviews. I will do my best to make this story live up to your, and my, expectations.

Jacob out :)