Disclaimer: First Chapter
Story Start!
It felt weird.
He was dressed in the robes of a shinigami, and he even removed the armor that covered his legs to properly wear the clothes. Not having his lower body covered in armor felt strange, if only he could remove the armor that covered his neck, collarbone, and shoulders, but THAT armor was an extended part of his mask, so it would not come off. Most of his body was unarmored because of this fact though, and wearing shinigami robes just gave him a weird feeling.
It was weird, felt weird, and Apacci gave him a weird look.
"Not bad... you should keep your mask showing." Apacci stated as he relaxed back.
He had been given a room in the Squad 13 barracks, since Kisuke seemed to have convinced his Captain that he needed the space to relax, and that his spirit energy was a hazard to people if exposed for too long. It was the only place that he was able to remove his scarf and show his face off, though half of his face was covered by a mask. Apacci refused to wear the entire shinigami uniform, since she was not a shinigami.
Instead, she just wore a loose white kimono, and white bandages around her stomach to cover up her hollow hole now, with the kimono length going down to the middle of her thighs. She exosed a large portion of her body because of how loose she wore it.
"I need to go meet the Captain... and get my Asauchi." Naruto finished wrapping his scarf around his face and neck, before he left the room.
Squad 13.
The squad that Kisuke had managed to get him in, because apparently he had managed to get the captain of this squad to agree to take him in. Naruto walked in the hallways, and he saw shinigami casually talking to each other. The air between thye squad mates was very warm and friendly, and it filled Naruto with a sense of belonging when they pleasantly waved to him as he passed them by. They didn't even give him weird looks.
"Man, the newbie seems strong."
"You're damn right he's strong, Lord Naruto is the strongest male, and you will remember that!" Apacci stated as she walked with her usual wide stepping fashion, confident in herself and her words. She heard the words of the shinigami, and she had to open her mouth. Naruto just covered his eyes and hid himself when the shinigami laughed in response to her words.
"Welcome to the squad Lord Naruto."
"Should we bow as your walk by Lord Naruto."
"I like these guys, they get it." Apacci stated as she gestured as they passed by 2 more shinigami, who took her earlier words and ran with them. Both of the shinigami bowed as Naruto passed by, and Apacci took to it well. She grinned wide as she watched everyone teasing Naruto, without realizing that they were just teasing him.
They welcomed him with open arms, and open arms meant teasing.
"Captain Ukitake is this way newbie, follow me."
"Who are you?" Naruto asked when a tall man with dark purple hair stepped forward, and grinned at him.
"Shiba Kaien, you can call me Kaien... I guess you could call me the guy in charge when the captain is out sick... though I'm not the lieutenant." Kaien introduced himself to Naruto as he extended his hand to the male. When Naruto reached out to shake his hand, the man just reached up and rubbed the top of his head. "... Man, you suck at controlling your spirit pressure." Kaien commented as he turned around and started to walk.
Apacci jumped at the man.
Naruto grabbed her by the kimono sash and pulled her back.
"I don't know what you're talking about, this is all the spirit energy I have..."
"If that is the case, then I'm impressed. Your spirit energy is as strong as a high ranked, seated officer then... and you don't even have a zanpakuto yet... who knows, if we're lucky, maybe Captain Ukitake will make you the lieutenant instead of me!" Kaien laughed as he saw through Naruto's lie easily. He grinned at Naruto, before his face became serious. "... If you have reasons for hiding your strength, that's fine... but don't let it put your life in danger." Kaien spoke sagely for a moment.
There was silence as they walked.
Then they entered a room.
It was Captain Ukitake that was in the room, and he was holding a sheathed sword. He was smiling as he looked at Naruto enter.
"I see Kisuke wasn't lying... this is very interesting. Please, come in... and lets have a pleasant conversation. So, tell me a bit about yourself and why you wanted to become a shinigami?" Ukitake sat down, and he placed the nameless sword across his lap. He leaned forward and gestured for Naruto to sit down across from him.
It was with some hesitation, before he sighed and sat on his knees across from the captain. He allowed himself to relax.
"... I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I like ramen... and I want to save as many hollows from their hunger. I think they were horrible, digusting creatures that destroy lives... but I understand that they are driven by hunger... that their hunger is horrible. I hate them so much that I want to end their suffering. So I want to become a shinigami." Naruto spoke about himself and his goal for becoming a shinigami.
Kaien whistled.
"That might be the best reason I've ever heard... most people just want to kill hollows because they are our enemies... but you seem to consider them lost allies." Kaien spoke as he gestured to Naruto with a grin.
Naruto frowned.
"Hollows are not my allies... but if you saw somebody suffering, wouldn't you want to save them?" Naruto didn't agree with that.
"I'm Jushiro Ukitake... and I agree. It is only natural to want to save the suffering... and I find your hatred for hollows interesting. I think you can be trusted with this." Ukitake spoke gently as he took the sword from his lap, and he placed it in Naruto's lap. Naruto looked down at the sword, before he reached down and picked it up gently. "... meditate with it each day... and every day you do, place your spirit energy into the blade. Over time, it will become your zanpakuto, your partner."
Naruto gripped the sword and sheath with both hands as he looked at it, while Apacci looked at the sword with an apprehensive look.
"So, what rank is this guy getting... with his strength, he can't be unseated." Kaien stated as he stepped forward.
Naruto looked at Kaien.
"But don't you start at the bottom?"
"Not really, ranks are decided based on strength and merit. It is common for people who just graduate from the academy to get a seated officer spot... and even with you trying to suppress your power, you are stronger than most seated officers." Kaien explained, while Ukitake just smiled.
He looked towards Naruto with a glint in his eye.
"Yes... and Kisuke seems to have a high opinion of him. Kaien, do you still want to reject my offer to become my lieutenant?" Ukitake looked towards Kaien, who frowned.
"Not really."
"Okay then... Naruto... why don't you and Kaien had a little sparring match. Since you never went to the academy, it would be nice to see your current skill level. Sparring will also help your Asauchi become a Zanpakuto faster. Lets say winner gets a prize." Ukitake stood up and started to walk towards a further away spot, where he could sit and watch the spar.
"Heh, good luck Purple... Lord Naruto is going to kick your ass." Apacci went over and scoffed at Kaien.
Naruto frowned.
"Sounds great, lets see what you got... but if you hold back, you might get hurt. So do yourself a favor and don't hold back." Kaien moved across the room and unsheathed his sword, grabbing the handle with both hands. His zanpakuto leaked out spirit energy, a subtle amount that would normally go unnoticed.
Naruto stood up and looked at his sword, before he unsheathed it with one hand, and kept his sword at a lowered position.
'I should hold back just enough to look good.' Naruto was ready for the spar to begin whenever Kaien was ready.
He raised his arm up and blocked a downward slash from Kaien, who had moved quickly to cross the distance between them. When his slash was blocked, he switched his grip and changed his hand positions, before he performed an upward slash. He continued the momentum from his earlier slash, and transfered it into a more powerful attack. Naruto blocked the second slash by bringing his nameless sword closer to his body.
Kaien stepped back as his eyes widened.
'He has no technique at all, but his strength and reaction times are not to be laughed at. He didn't even seem surprised by either of my attacks.' Kaien thought as he watched a sword swing across his vision. He stepped forward and performed a stabbing motion with his sword, but Naruto knocked the stab to the side. Kaien pulled his sword back and raised his guard, using it to block a wide slash.
He was pushed back.
He firmed up his stance as his feet started to slide across the wooden floor, and he started to push back against Naruto. He stopped Naruto from pushing him back further, but he couldn't gain any ground on Naruto.
'Kisuke wasn't wrong... his combat abilities are already on par with a captain.' Ukitake thought as he watched Naruto holding back against Kaien. He had been told by Kisuke that this youth was as strong as a captain was suppose to be, and as hard as it was to believe, he was forced to admit that it was the truth. Naruto was clearly holding his spirit pressure back as much as possible, keeping it down to the level of a seated officer seemed to be as much as he could lower it.
That was still very telling.
Kaien was using his zanpakuto in it's Sealed State for the spar, but the difference between their power was clear as day. If the man were to force Naruto to actually stop holding back, he would have needed to release his Shikai. That implied that for Naruto to use his full strength, he would need to be fighting a Captain using their Shikai. Ukitake looked at the girl next to him, and he judged her combat abilities to be nearly on par with a captain with their zanpakuto sealed.
"What will it take for me to make you take this seriously?" Kaien asked as he pushed forward and swung at Naruto.
Naruto frowned.
"I'm taking this seriously, it's hard to keep up with you."
"Pffft." Apacci held back her laughter when Naruto spoke, and he frowned at her laughter. He blocked Kaien's next slash, and he made it look like he was struggling against the power behind the strike.
Kaien saw that.
'He realized that he wasn't holding back enough... and is trying to make himself seem even weaker. He has no sword technique, but I can't get even a scratch in. This is almost insulting.' Kaien thought as he had the brief thought of using his shikai, but that would be too much for an indoor spar. He glanced at his captain, and knew that the man had realized the same thing as him.
Ukitake nodded.
"Kick his ass Lord Naruto, stop holding back and show him whose boss!"
"I'm not holding back, I'm giving it my all." Naruto groaned in annoyance. He nudged his feet backwards as he made it seem like Kaien was pushing him back. Kaien gave three fast slashes and he barely blocked them, and allowed the third slash to get him across his arm.
His clothes were cut.
Naruto pulled his arm back quickly when Kaien's sword slashed his arm, but was unable to cut his skin.
'It's not just his strength, my spirit pressure without my shikai isn't strong enough to scratch him. We could literally do this all day, and I would be no closer to winning.' Kaien grinned as he felt his sword touch Naruto. He had noticed that when he scored that hit, that Naruto had allowed that blow to get into his guard.
Naruto was purposely making himself seem like he was slightly weaker than him, so that he could pass for just strong enough.
"I think that is enough... and Kaien, you scored the first hit. So you win the prize... and the prize is you can decide what Naruto's rank should be. I trust your judgement completely." Ukitake spoke with a smile.
Naruto sighed in relief.
'I lost, so Kaien won't suggest anything that would draw attention to me.'
"Lieutenant... I think with his potential, and his current strength, there is no better position for him. We don't have a lieutenant... don't worry Naruto, I'll help you get used to the position." Kaien grabbed Naruto's shoulder and pushed him forward.
Ukitake could only smile pleasantly.
"Yes, I agree! I would have liked Kaien to have become Lieutenant, but with his guidance, you would make a great one as well. Well then, Lieutenant, I'll ask Kaien if he won't help with the paperwork... and teach you what you need to know." Ukitake clapped his hands and made it final. Naruto frowned under his scarf, but he nodded his head.
"... But I lost."
"Yeah, you lost alright... if you call that losing then I would hate to be on the other end of you winning. Well, see you later Lieutenant Naruto." Kaien walked out while sheathing his sword, a pleasant grin showing that he was happy with the results of the spar.
"I... just joined though."
"Yes, and it is a wonderful achievement." Ukitake spoke with a warm smile.
Naruto just nodded awkwardly.
This was not according to plan.
Chapter End!
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