Hello and welcome to chapter 8. In the last chapter, the Horyus battled against the Elemental Darts, the noble guardians of Draco Sanctuary, whom Spiro is the leader of, and Suì-Fēng struck again. While that was going on, Alice was pulled from her home world of Wonderland and entered Neverland, or at least the home of the Darling family, via a random portal. I also introduced the main characters from W.I.T.C.H., namely Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin, who have also been put under house arrest by Hydra. On top of that, Hydra had capture Ichigo and his friends with their new team, consisting of Team Dosu, the Sound 5, and the soon-to-be Future Avengers, rather easily actually.
Also, Shin Uchiha has begun rebuilding the Akatsuki, starting off with a character named Fūka. For those who don't know, Fūka is a filler character from the first filler arc of Naruto Shippuden, the 12 Guardian Shinobi arc, and if you're wondering, yes, the new Akatsuki will be made up of Naruto villains who previously appeared in anime filler, assuming they survived said arcs, movies, mostly from Will of Fire to Blood Prison, and some of the novels that take place between Shippuden and Boruto. For those who are wondering how Fūka could be alive, I'll explain that in a separate story called The Return of Fūka, but for now, all I'll say is that Fūka is more powerful than she was in that arc and she will be Naruto's arch enemy. Now, let's get to this chapter.
Chapter 8:
In Karakura Town, Kisuke and Yoruichi were having a meeting with Isshin and Ryūken after failing to contact Chad and Orihime the previous night. The two fathers told Kisuke about what they found in Ichigo's room and Uryu's training ground and asked if they had seen their respective sons lately.
"Sorry you two, we haven't Ichigo, Uryu, Orihime, or Chad," Kisuke told them.
"I was afraid of that," Isshin sighed.
"And considering what we found in and the fact that neither Chad or Orihime have replied to our calls, that can only mean one thing," Ryūken concluded. "They have been kidnapped."
"But who could have done this," said Yoruichi. "I can understand Ichigo not standing a chance since, you know, but Chad, Uryu, and Orihime should have put up more of a fight."
"That's a good question," Kisuke agreed.
Suddenly a voice was heard. "One I believe I know the answer to."
The four looked and saw Maria Hill walk in on them with several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with her.
"Maria Hill," said Kisuke with enthusiasm. "I've been expecting you."
"Feeling's mutual, Kisuke," Maria told them.
"You said that you know who kidnapped Ichigo and his friends," said Isshin. "Who was it."
"It's just a hunch, but more than likely," Maria sat down with them. "It was Hydra."
Elsewhere, Ichigo and his friends were all locked up in a cage. They were all wearing a special collar around their necks and, sadly, these collars prevented them from using their powers. While Ichigo technically didn't need one of these collars since he lost his powers over a year ago, Hydra wasn't taking any chances. They also took the precaution of confiscating their respective items, namely Ichigo's combat pass, Orihime's hairpins, Chad's necklace, and all of Uryu's Quincy equipment. At the moment, Ichigo was trying to break open the cage so he and his friends could escape.
"Ichigo," Orihime called.
"Ichigo, it's no use," Uryu told him. "Stop…!"
But his words fell on deaf ears as Ichigo continued to punch and kick away at the bars until he couldn't do so anymore. "Damn it…!"
"Ichigo, these bars are made of titanium," Uryu told him. "Without your Soul Reaper powers, you can't possibly break them."
But Ichigo didn't take this well and told Uryu, "So you think I should just give up?"
"I said such thing," Uryu told him. "If we're going to break free we need to work smarter not harder. Besides, in case you didn't notice, there are security cameras everywhere in this room. Even if we do break out, those cameras will inform Hydra that we've escaped, and these power inhibiter collars we're wearing aren't helping and neither is the fact that they confiscated our items. I can't use my Quincy powers, Orihime can't use her Shun Shun Rikka, and Chad can't use his powers. In this situation, we must think with our heads rather than our fists."
While Ichigo wanted to stubbornly continue to attack the bars, he knew that Uryu was right and reluctantly agreed.
Meanwhile, Viper was congratulating Makoto, Chloe, Adi, Bruno, Dosu, Zaku, Kin, Jirobo, Kidomaru, Sakon, Ukon, Tayuya, and Kimimaro on a job well done. "Well done for your efforts last night. You handled Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends rather well."
"You've got that right," said Makoto with pride.
"Don't brag," said Dosu. "You just lucked out that the Substitute lost his powers about a year ago."
"Wait, what," Makoto gasped.
"Yeah, we were all informed that Ichigo lost his Soul Reaper Powers after the defeat of Sosuke Aizen last year," Chloe pointed out. "If you were paying attention, you would have known."
Makoto pouted.
"Alright enough," said Viper. "Now that you've all proven yourselves, your next assignment is to capture these individuals."
Arnim Zola then showed pictures of Kenichi and Miu on a screen just above Viper.
In Ba Sing Se, the Horyus arrived at the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace where the rest of Team Avatar was waiting for them. In the outer court, Toph was teaching Haru some earthbending techniques she learned from the badgermoles.
"Not bad, Haru, but you've still got a long way to go before you can master the technique," said Toph.
"I know what you mean," Haru panted. "Learning the earthbending trap is difficult."
"Well, you'll get the hang, of eventually," said Toph before she noticed something with her seismic sense. "Aang's here…!"
Right on que, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki, and Ty Lee entered the palace grounds along with the Horyus.
"So this is the royal palace," Sakura said in amazement.
"Yep, it's quite a sight, isn't it," said Aang.
"You're telling me," said Naruto with enthusiasm.
"It's no Darmorce Palace, but still," Spiro admitted.
"What great architecture," said Kagome.
"Whatever," said Inuyasha.
"It looks like the palace in Mulan's world," Sora commented.
Suddenly, Toph emerged from the ground to greet them. "Welcome back, Twinkle Toes…! And I see you brought your new friends with you."
"Good to see you Toph," said Aang before gesturing to his friends. "And yeah these are my new teammates, the Horyus. This is Naruto Uzumaki…"
"Yo," Naruto greeted.
Aang gestured to Hinata. "Hinata Hyūga…"
"Hello," Hinata politely bowed.
Aang gestured to Sakura. "Sakura Kinomoto…"
"Hi," Sakura waved her hand.
Aang gestured to Syaoran. "Syaoran Li…"
"Good to meet you," said Syaoran.
Aang gestured to Tomoyo. "Tomoyo Daidouji…"
"You all have such wonderful outfits," Tomoyo expressed.
Aang gestured to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha…"
"Hey," Inuyasha greeted in his indifferent manner.
Aang gestured to Kagome. "Kagome Higurashi…"
"This place is wonderful," said Kagome.
Aang gestured to Spiro. "Spiro…"
"Greetings," said Spiro.
Aang gestured to Tasha. "Tasha…"
"Pleasure to meet you," said Spiro.
Aang gestured to Sora. "Sora…"
"Hey there," said Sora.
Aang gestured to Kairi. "and Kairi."
"Nice place you've got here," said Kairi.
Aang then gestured to Toph. "And this is my earthbending teacher, Toph Beifong."
"Good to meet you guy," Toph then punched everyone's shoulders.
"Ow," Sakura didn't take this too well. "Oh, that hurts."
"Yeah, that's just how Toph shows off her affection," Aang explained.
"Well, it's a unique way of doing so, to say the least," Tomoyo rubbed her arm.
"It's not that bad once you get used to it," said Naruto. "Besides, my teammate, Sakura Haruno, hits way harder than that."
"After seeing what she did to Appa that fateful night, I believe you," Katara agreed.
"Alright, enough talk," said Toph. "Let's go inside the palace so you guys can meet up with the Earth King."
The group then made their way into the palace.
In the Soul Society, Shinji and his lieutenant Momo were "visiting" a certain soul reaper being held under Squad One's barracks. They were given permission to do so from the head captain, but were warned to be weary. Shinji was especially weary, having been informed by Toshiro about Momo's attachment to this person.
"Momo, are you sure about this," said Shinji.
"Yes, captain," said Momo. "I need to do this. I need to know once and for all what kind of man he is. I won't believe that Captain Aizen would truly betray me or anyone else until I have proof."
"Alright, but be careful," said Shinji.
Momo nodded as she entered the confinement. Upon entering it, she found herself face to face with her former captain, Sosuke Aizen.
"Ah, a visitor," said Aizen. "I haven't seen you in a long time, Momo."
Momo took a deep breath before saying, "Why did you do it?"
"You'll have to be more specific," Aizen pointed out.
"Why did you betray us, betray me," said Momo.
"You really want to know," said Aizen. "Well, looking back, I don't even remember why myself."
"Don't give me that," Momo shouted out of character. "The Aizen I know would never do something like that. He would have done something to prevent it. He wouldn't have tried to kill me the way you did…! I joined the Thirteen Court Guard Squads so I could be with that Sosuke Aizen…! That's all I ever wanted…! He was my idol, my mentor, and my friend…! He was like a father to me…! That's the Captain Aizen I know and love, the one I worshiped, the one I admired, and the one I became the lieutenant of…!"
Aizen then told Momo in the same tone you told Renji, "I've got some news for you, Momo. The Sosuke Aizen you knew and loved was an illusion. He never existed to begin with, which means your life's ambition was all a lie."
Momo gasped upon hearing this. Deep down she knew from what Renji told her that Aizen was never the man she believed him to be. But she refused to believe it as she still had a deep connection to him and had to determine it from Aizen himself.
"No, no, I don't believe it," Momo shouted in defiance.
"And that's exactly why I chose you as my lieutenant," Aizen showed off his sinister smile. "You were so easy to manipulate because of your dedication to me. Even against your own childhood friend, Toshiro, when push came to shove you chose me over him."
In that moment, Momo's heart shrank. She wanted to believe so badly that the Sosuke Aizen she knew was still there. But now that she learned that he was never there to begin with and that he manipulated her into attacking her childhood friend Toshiro, she didn't know what to think and she walked out of the room, her face hidden by her shadow.
As she exited, Shinji noticed this. "Momo…?"
"I'm sorry captain," said Momo. "I need to be alone…"
Momo then continued to walk away as Toshiro entered.
"What's wrong with Momo," said Toshiro.
"She just learned the truth about our "old friend" Sosuke," Shinji told him.
"You let her see Aizen," Toshiro accused.
"Don't berate me, Toshiro," said Shinji. "You know that this was going to happen sooner or later. And if Momo's going to help in the battle against the Horyus, she'll need to let go of her past."
Toshiro wanted to object as he was very protective of his childhood friend, but he knew that Shinji was right.
"Anyway, it's best that we leave her alone for a while," said Shinji. "If she really is as good as you believe she is, she'll come around.
Toshiro nodded in agreement and the two captains walked out.
Back inside, Aizen was staring up into space when he suddenly got another visitor.
"Jeez a wheeze, she took that revelation well, huh," said the visitor.
"And who are you," said Aizen.
The visitor then got in close before saying, "Baboom, name is Hades, Lord of the Dead, hi how are you doing."
Suddenly a second visitor arrived. "Well, well, well, look how the mighty soul reaper has fallen."
"And you are," said Aizen.
"I am Loki of Asgard," Loki introduced himself.
"Oh great, it's the phony Asgardian Prince," said Hades.
"Says the one who tried and failed to take over Olympus," Loki pointed out.
"What do you two want," Aizen questioned.
In Ba Sing Se, the Horyus made their way into the Earth King's throne room where Earth King Kuei, Fire Lord Zuko, Chiefs Hakoda, Arnook, and Huu, and the high ranking members of the White Lotus, namely Iroh, Bumi, Pakku, Jeong Jeong, and Piandao. The Horyus all saw that they were surrounded by the politics of this world and all bowed in respect before proceeding to the center of the room.
"So, Aang, these are the Horyus," said Kuei.
"Yes, your majesty," said Aang as he introduced the Horyus once more before doing the same for them. "And these are the White Lotus and the leaders of the other Three Nations, Earth King Kuei, Fire Lord Zuko, and Chiefs Arnook, Hakoda, and Huu."
"A King," Tomoyo gasped. "First a queen, now a king, wow."
"I have to admit, Aang, they seem to be as imposing as you said," said Zuko.
"I don't know about that," said Arnook.
"I think it would be best that we don't judge a book by its cover," said Kuei.
"Are you guys going to get to the point already," said Inuyasha, getting impatient. "We've already gotten to know the leaders of Naruto and Spiro's worlds and we want to go home and get some rest already."
"Inuyasha, sit boy," Kagome gave her sit command, causing Inuyasha to land face-first into the floor. "Please forgive my husband, he's not known for being very patient."
"But he's not alone," said Spiro. "We've all been in battles with the strongest fighters in our respective worlds, the Kage for Naruto's world and the Elemental Darts for mine. And I suppose we must prove our worth by fighting you members of the White Lotus?"
"I do not believe that will be necessary," said Iroh. "I can tell that all of you have had a rough two days of fighting the leaders of the other worlds. While it is true that actions speak louder than words, I also believe that enough is enough."
"Maybe so, Iroh," said Pakku. "However, we still need to see the potential of their abilities."
"Personally, I find it hard to believe that anyone could match the Avatar in power," said Kuei. "I would very much like to see such proof."
Sakura swallowed the lump that formed in her throat.
In the Soul Society, Rukia was walking around the Kuchiki compound when she noticed Byakuya looking at the frame of Hisana, her sister and Byakuya's late wife. One thing that bothered her eversince the battle with Xehanort was the decision of Head Captain Yamamoto to execute the Horyus.
"Brother," Rukia called out.
"You are doing a poor job of eavesdropping," Byakuya turned his attention to Rukia.
Staying on topic, Rukia said, "There's something that's been bothering me for a while now. Why does the Head Captain want to kill the Horyus? What did they do that makes the Head Captain believe they must be executed?"
Byakuya then explained to his sister, "During the battle with Xehanort, the Horyus opened up portals to multiple worlds, including the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the Valley of Screams. As a result, the souls of the dead became visible to normal humans, ones that do not have spiritual awareness, thus they have exposed our world and have risked the existence of us Soul Reapers. Even after Xehanort's defeat, the souls of the dead in the World of the Living remain visible and the Head Captain and Central 46 believe that it is the presence of the Horyus is what is causing this anomaly. The living and the dead are not allowed to interact with one another and the higher ups believe that the only way to resolve this anomaly is to kill what they believe is the source of it."
"But that's ridiculous," Rukia pointed out. "What proof do they have that the Horyus are the source of this anomaly?"
"That is what I wish to know," Byakuya admitted. "But for now, our orders are to execute the Horyus, nothing more."
"Yes Toshiro," the old man confirmed. "Several weeks ago, the Horyus appeared for the first time and battled against the individual known as Xehanort. However, during their battle, they opened up portals into multiple worlds, including the Soul Society. As such they have exposed the existence of our world and have risked the existence of us Soul Reapers. We cannot risk them doing so again."
"I don't like this at all," Rukia told her brother. "This is just like when I was sentenced to be executed through the Sōkyoku or when Kisuke was banished from the Soul Society for after being accused for Aizen's actions."
"Perhaps," Byakuya then told his sister. "But even if they do not deserve this fate, now that their presence is known throughout all of the worlds, they will be met with powerful enemies and they will need to be prepared to deal with them at all times. Even if they do not deserve execution, they must come to realize that their lives will never be the same again."
Rukia still didn't like this, but she knew that her brother was right. Even if attacking the Horyus was wrong, they needed to let them know that they must be prepared for a fight even when they least expect it.
Suddenly a voice sprang out, "Nice deep speech you gave to your sister, Byakuya. Though I can't help but wonder, did you really mean what you said, or are you just making up an excuse to justify your reason to attack those individuals?"
Just then, Byakuya and Rukia turned their attention to an angel that suddenly showed up out of nowhere.
Byakuya immediately recognized this angel. "I didn't expect to see you for some time, Rosemary."
"Feeling's mutual," said Rosemary as she held a rose in her right hand. "Roses are red, violets are blue… Rats I forgot the rest."
"Have you ever thought about being something other than a poet," Byakuya questioned her.
"I am something other than a poet," Rosemary pointed out as she tossed the rose aside. "I'm a gardener in my family's greenhouse."
"You have no place here," Byakuya pointed out.
"Are you still sour because my Rose Blade just so happens to have the exact same powers as your Senbonzakura," Rosemary teased.
"Do you have somewhere else to be," Byakuya pointed out again.
"Alright, Alright, I'll leave," Rosemary then took to the sky and flew back to Enochia. "Roses are red, violets are blue, the cherry blossom blooms, but once in a full moon. No, that doesn't rime very well."
After Rosemary left, Rukia questioned, "Brother, who was that?"
Byakuya answered, "Rosemary Flora. She is what is known as an angel, guardians of the dead in the world of the living who's roles are identical to those of us soul reapers."
"Angels," Rukia gasped. "But I thought they were just a legend."
Yoruichi then showed up with Rangiku and told Rukia, "There's a lot you don't know, Rukia."
"Yoruichi, Rangiku," Rukia gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"Apparently, Rangiku here wants to learn Bankai," said Yoruichi. "Also, I'm here to help Suì-Fēng master Shunkō."
"And you want me to help with Lieutenant Motsumoto's Bankai training," Byakuya questioned annoyingly.
"Why not," Yoruichi teased. "Her Haineko is similar to your Senbonzakura so it should be easy for you to discipline her into unlocking her Bankai, which should be similar to you Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
Elsewhere in the Soul Society, Momo was crying her eyes out after learning the truth about Aizen from the man himself. She had been crying for so long even she didn't know how much time had passed. However when she did stop, she saw that it was now midafternoon and guessed she had been crying for hours.
"So I guess you finally calmed down," said Shinji as he showed up on the scene.
"Captain," Momo muttered.
"Are you ready to get back to business," said Shinji.
"I don't know Captain," said Momo. "All this time, I thought I knew Aizen…"
"And it's only now that you finally realize what kind of man he really is," Shinji guessed correctly. "Don't beat yourself up about it Momo. Remember, Sosuke was once my lieutenant just as you were once his. Since before he was even born, I never trusted him, and yet even then, he was able to trick all of us. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
Momo was surprised. "He was able to trick you, even when you didn't trust him?"
Shinji then admitted, "As strange as it is, yes. I understand if you don't want to participate in the upcoming battle with the Horyus. If that's so, I'll let the head captain know about it and ask him to…"
"I'm staying," said Momo.
Shinji was caught off guard.
"I admit, I let my emotions get the better of me when it came to Aizen," Momo explained. "I even turned on my childhood friend, Toshiro, and tried to kill him. But that's in the past. I don't want to be reliant on anyone anymore. And I certainly don't want to rely on you, my own captain…! I'm a big girl now and I want to rely on myself whenever you're not there for me…!"
There was a moment of silence before Shinji smiled at his lieutenant and told her, "That's the spirit, Momo. You're starting to become a strong independent woman. But try not to grow up too fast. Life is short even for us."
Momo smiled back at her captain, realizing that she didn't have to keep falling behind.
"Now, shall we get back to our squad barracks," Shinji suggested.
Momo simply nodded and both captain and lieutenant made their way back to Squad 5's barracks in order to prepare for the upcoming battle with the Horyus.
In the Shinobi World, Ino was at Konoha Hospital with Shizune. They were handling the number of injured patients that were coming in. Despite the piece that was worked so hard to achieve during the war, there were still a few loose ends that needed to be tied up.
"Lady Shizune," said Ino. "Do you think Sakura and Lady Tsunade are doing okay at Shikkotsu Forest?"
"If I know Lady Tsuande, I'd say they're doing just fine, Ino," said Shizune.
"I hope so," said Ino. "Last time I saw Sakura, she was in a sorry state."
Flashback:
It was some time after the Horyus had battled against the Five Kage when Ino was at the Yamanaka Flower Shop, selling flowers to incoming customers. One of them was her friend and long-time rival, Sakura Haruno.
"Hey there, Sakura," said Ino with a friendly tone.
"Oh, hey Ino," said Sakura, feeling down on herself.
"Hey, are you alright," said Ino with concern.
"Oh, don't worry about me," Sakura denied. "I'm perfectly fine."
Sakura then left the shop without buying a single flower, leaving Ino worried more than ever. Concerned for her best friend, the young Yamanaka followed her, keeping a good enough distance so she wouldn't be detected while still being able to hear her. Ino followed Sakura to a yarn shop where she saw her grab a ball of yarn. Her only guess was that she was going to try and make a scarf or something. But then she put the ball of yarn down and stared down at the floor.
"You're pathetic, Sakura," Sakura muttered to herself. "Even after all of that preparation after you became Lady Tsunade's apprentice, you proved yourself to be useless and ineffective, especially compared to what Naruto and Sasuke managed to accomplish. You were able to take out Sasori, but that was only possible because Lady Chiho was there to help you and, for all you know, Sasori let you win that battle. As soon as you saw Sasuke after 2.5 years, all of your effort went downhill, even during Pain's attack on Konoha, you didn't even bother to lift a finger yourself against him while Konohamaru managed to take out one of his paths. And even after having the nerve to scream out for Naruto to come back so he could defeat Pain, Hinata was the one who stepped into the battlefield to save his life while you didn't even lift a finger yourself to help him. You even tried to kill Sasuke, but you let your personal feelings for him get in the way of your judgement. Now look where you are."
Ino heard the whole thing and realized she had to do something to help Sakura out of her depressed state, so she left for the Hokage Tower. Once there, she found Tsunade helping Kakashi with some paperwork.
"Lady Tsunade," Ino called out.
"Ino," Tsunade noticed. "What are you doing here?"
"It's Sakura," Ino explained. "She's not looking too good."
Ino then explained what she saw Sakura saying to herself.
End of Flashback:
"You did a good thing Ino," Shizune comforted her. "I'm sure Sakura understands your motives."
"I hope so," said Ino. "We may have been rivals in the past, but without her, I wouldn't have become the person I am today."
At Shikkotsu Forest, Sakura suddenly sneezed.
"Are you alright, Sakura," Tsunade questioned.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Sakura answered. "Though, I get the feeling that someone's talking about me."
"Well, I hope that's one of your closest friends," said Katsuyu. "Anyway, let's get back to business."
"Right," Sakura and Tsunade then got back into a fighting stance.
"ACID SLIME…!"
In the Soul Society, Retsu Unohana was standing atop Sōkyoku Hill, looking at her Zanpakutō, Minazuki. Having heard Yamamoto's orders for all captains and lieutenants to take out the Horyus, she knew that she herself would also have to fight. However, she also knew that this means she would need to break the vow she made long ago, where she would never use her own sword to protect herself.
"I thought we would find you here," said a voice Unohana recognized as Kyōraku, who was with Ukitake.
"How long have you two been eavesdropping on me," Unohana questioned.
"Just long enough," Kyōraku admitted.
"We didn't mean to do so, Senpai," Ukitake reassured her.
"Quite alright," Unohana told the two. "However, I would prefer if you two did not do so again, do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal clear, Senpai," Ukitake replied, feeling intimidated.
"But in all seriousness, Senpai, are you actually willing to break that vow you made that you told us about," Kyōraku questioned out of concern.
Unohana then walked right by the two before saying, "As much as I wish not to, I may have to in order to fight the Horyus. According to Suì-Fēng, they are formidable opponents, and we all saw that battle against Xehanort."
"But that battle would make them heroes, wouldn't it," Ukitake questioned.
"Perhaps, but now is not the time to be questioning the orders given by the head captain or Central 46," Unohana pointed out, looking at her Zanpakutō with a somber expression. "Now is the time for all of us to prepare for battle, even if we must abandon our old oaths. And if push comes to shove, Yachiru Unohana will have to rise again, even if it is not to nurture the next generation of Kenpachi."
Unohana then looked off to the horizon with what appeared to be a menacing expression on her face.
In Ba Sing Se, evening had fallen and the Horyus were unwinding after having fought against the White Lotus earlier that day. As night fell, Sakura was sitting at the fountain just outside the Jasmine Dragon tea shop where she showed off a worried look on her face.
"Are you okay," said Syaoran as he walked up to her.
"I don't know Syaoran," Sakura told him. "During my battle with Mei in Naruto's home world, she said something that really struck me hard."
"What was that," Syaoran asked.
Sakura explained, "I didn't want to fight her because she's Naruto's friend, but she told me that my enemies weren't going to back down just because I refused to fight them. When I had to take the final judgement of the Clow Cards, I also refused to fight Yue because he was still Yokito to me. Same thing for when I had to face Eriol when I transformed the last remaining cards, I tried to imprison him with the Windy Card. I was lucky that Yue and Eriol had no malicious intent, but then came Vanitas who possessed Ventus' body during the battle against Organization XIII. He did have malicious intent, but I couldn't bring myself to fight him because he was possessing Ven's body. But now I feel like my previous notions won't work anymore now that I'll be facing foes who have malicious intent. Will I have to kill them?"
Syaoran then told his girlfriend, "I'm afraid I don't have the answer for you, Sakura. I don't want to kill my opponents either, but what if it comes to the point where I have to kill them, like if it's the only way to save someplace, something, or even someone, the reality is if we don't kill that person, then the hostage will pay the price with his or her life."
"But I don't want to kill anyone," Sakura told him.
"And I doubt you ever will," Syaoran agreed. "But if push comes to shove, you may have to in order to save your own life."
Sakura was deeply shocked at first, but then she noticed a somber expression on Syaoran's face. "Is something wrong Syaoran?"
"I recently met a woman named Yūko Ichihara," Syaoran explained. "She knew Clow Reed on a personal level and was likely there when the Clow Cards were created. She offered me a chance to become stronger in order to help you in the upcoming battles that you and the others will undoubtedly face. But in order to have that wish granted, I need to give something up in exchange."
"Give up something in exchange," Sakura questioned worryingly. "What is it that you have to give up?"
Syaoran then told her with a somber expression, "In order to have my wish granted, I may have to give up the feelings I have for you. In other words, our relationship may have to come to an end."
Sakura was horrified upon hearing about this. "No, no, Syaoran you can't…!"
"Sakura," Syaoran said somberly.
"We already went through that when we faced the Sealed Card," Sakura exclaimed. "Please don't make me go through that again…! I can't lose you again…!"
Sakura then hugged her boyfriend and cried.
"Clam down," Syaoran told her. "I haven't made my decision yet so don't worry. But you saw how effective I was during the battle against Organization XIII. I tried to help, but I only ended up becoming a victim and was taken out of the battle early. And then there was that encounter with the Soul Reaper. I was careless and ended up getting trampled on. Even before then, when we faced that sorceress in Hong Kong, I became another captive you needed to rescue. If it comes down to it, I may have to…"
"No," Sakura interrupted. "There has to be another way…! I won't accept you leaving me after all we've been through together…! Why would you go that far…?! I know getting stronger is essential, but are you really willing to give up your feelings for me or my feelings for you just to get more power…?!"
"I don't want to give up those feelings, Sakura," Syaoran clarified. "But Yūko told me that in order to obtain, something of equal value must be given up. There can be no deficiency, nor excess, only perfect balance and equivalence, or harm will be done."
"Harm to whom," Sakura questioned.
Syaoran then echoed Yūko's words, "Harm throughout the universe, and harm to the soul. They both require a balance."
There was a moment of silence, until Inuyasha showed up.
"Are you two done yet," said Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha, this doesn't concern," Sakura started, understandably irritated, but stopped upon seeing Inuyasha looking different. "Wait a minute, Inuyasha, what happened to your hair…! It's all black…!"
"That's the price for being a half-demon," Inuyasha looked up and saw no moon in the night sky. "During certain periods of time, we lose our demonic powers and become human until that period is over. In my case, it's during a new moon."
Syaoran and Sakura were amazed. Suddenly, Sakura got up and walked off.
"Sakura," said Syaoran.
"Sorry, but I need to be alone," Sakura told them before walking away.
After Sakura left, Iroh came out of his tea shop.
"Well, I see she took this well," Iroh noted.
"What's wrong with her," Inuyasha asked.
"I told her something that's hard for her to take in," Syaoran explained.
"I believe I caught most of what you told her," Iroh admitted. "If you want my opinion, power and perfection are overrated. I believe you would be wise to choose happiness and love."
"Perhaps," Syaoran questioned. "But what if she faces off against a powerful enemy and I can't protect her? What if she gets kill in the process? What if I'm not strong enough?"
"I don't know the answer," Iroh admitted. "Aang once asked me a similar question and here's the advice I gave him back then. Sometimes life is like a dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving, you will come to a better place."
Syaoran felt a bit of comfort from Iroh's words of wisdom.
"In any case, you really should have more faith in Sakura's abilities," Inuyasha added.
Syaoran turned his attention to the half-demon.
"I may not know Sakura as well as you do, but I do know this much, she's able to protect herself," Inuyasha explained. "You're talking about protecting her when she's clearly stronger than you are. Are you gaining power to protect her, or are you doing it to protect yourself?"
This gave Syaoran a reality check and his only answer was, "I don't know."
Inuyasha then offered, "Well if you want, I can help you get stronger. I already agreed to help train Sakura, but I can help train you as well."
Meanwhile, Sakura walked along the roads of Ba Sing Se, wondering what she was going to do. As she walked, she realized that she had been through a lot over the past month. First she had to deal with her friends learning that she was a magical girl, then the Xehanort Incident, then all the fans, then Maria Hill ordering her and her teammates to join S.H.I.E.L.D., followed by the battles with the leaders of Naruto, Spiro, and Aang's world, and now this revelation about what Syaoran may have to do. Not to mention the encounters with Suì-Fēng where she and Syaoran each faced a near death experience, with Suì-Fēng poisoning her and stomping Syaoran when he tried to give her some payback. She knew that many more things were going to happen in the upcoming days and she had to be ready, but she was also unsure of what to do.
In the Lower Ring at a spot known as the Firelight Fountain, Naruto and Hinata were having a triple date with Aang and Katara as well as Spiro and Tasha. The young Avatar had led them to this place having been shown its location from Zuko.
"So this is the Firelight Fountain," Naruto asked.
"Yeah, Zuko told me all about this fountain," Aang told him.
"This is amazing," Hinata commented.
"I'll say," Katara agreed.
"You should have seen the firefly spectacle of the Valley of Mists," Spiro told them.
"Still, it is quite impressive," Tasha admitted.
The six then sat at the edge of the fountain where they placed small boats with lanterns into the water. As they watched their respective boats float across the fountain, Naruto, Aang, and Spiro had concerned looks on their faces, something that Hinata, Katara, and Tasha all noticed.
"Naruto, is something wrong," Hinata was the first to ask.
"I'm not sure, Hinata," Naruto answered.
"Hey Aang, you look like you're worried too," Katara pointed out.
"I am, Katara," Aang admitted.
"Spiro, you have the same look," Tasha pointed out.
"I suppose, Tasha," Spiro admitted.
"Perhaps you could each tell us what's going on," said Hinata.
"I suppose," Naruto began. "For me, it concerns our teammate, Sakura Kinomoto."
Spiro and Aang were surprised.
"That's funny, I was feeling the same way, about her," Aang acknowledged.
"So was I," said Spiro. "Perhaps you should go first, Naruto."
"Thanks Spiro," Naruto then began telling his story.
Flashback:
In the Shinobi World after the battle against the Horyus, the Kage approached Naruto to tell him what they believed about the other Horyus.
"Naruto, I have to say, that dragon, Spiro, is an impressive fighter," Ay acknowledged with an approving smile. "That Phoenix Dragon Mode is an impressive mode and his armor is tough. He definitely makes a great leader."
"The Samurai, Inuyasha, is also a formidable combatant," said Gaara with an approving smile. "Even with Shukaku, he gave me a run for my money, especially with that sword of his."
"I believe that the monk, Aang is also quite the spirited one," Onoki chuckled. "That Avatar State is a powerful form, and while a pacifist by nature, he's not afraid to fight back if necessary."
"And Sora is every bit as impressive as you mentioned," Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "Even with Lady Tsunade and Shizune helping me, we had to work through our paces in order to take him on."
"Yeah," Tsunade smiled. "That Keyblade is formidable to deal with."
Naruto was happy to see that Inuyasha, Spiro, Aang, and Sora were all approved by the Kage, but when he looked at Mei, he noticed a look of somber disapproval. "Lady Mizukage, what's wrong?"
"Naruto," Mei sighed. "I'm sorry but I think Sakura Kinomoto will have to stay out of the team."
"What," Naruto gasped.
"Care to explain, Mizukage," Kakashi suggested.
Mei then explained, "While we were fighting her, she refused to fight back, and I'm afraid that would be detrimental to your new team. She may have helped in sealing Xehanort, but when it came to fighting for herself, she refused to fight back as she was afraid of hurting us because we were your friends."
"I see," Ay sighed.
"But wait, Aang is also a pacifist and you don't have any troubles with him," Naruto pointed out.
"Yes, but there's a difference between them," said Kurotsuchi. "From what we observed, Aang is a monk who believes in the philosophy of non-violence."
Hotaru then explained, "But for Sakura Kinomoto, she's more like an innocent child who just doesn't like fighting in general."
"And quite frankly Naruto, a team is only as strong as its weakest link," Mei told him.
End of Flashback:
After Naruto finished his story, the others look to the ground feeling sorry for Sakura.
"You something, the other Elemental Darts told me the same thing," Spiro admitted before telling his story.
Flashback:
In Draco Sanctuary after the battle against the Horyus, the Elemental Darts approached Spiro to tell him what they believed about the other Horyus.
"Spiro if we're being honest, the Horyus are powerful opponents," said Bronze.
"Even though our battle with them was interrupted by the arrival of those soul reapers, I believe we assessed them enough to say that they are strong," said Maya.
"Indeed," said Serpentina. "The ninja, Naruto is gutsy and has the power to back up his gutsyness."
"The monk, Aang, proves to be a strong, yet fun loving individual," said Mei Ling.
"The samurai, Inuyasha, is a tough one and that sword put us through our paces," said Saika.
"And Sora lives up to the expectations we set for a Keyblade Wielder," said Jason.
Spiro was pleased, but he could tell that they were about to say something about Sakura the would disapprove.
"Unfortunately, we must be critical about Sakura," said Frostina. "She seemed too hesitant to fight us and only proved it on the battlefield. And when her friend was attacked by that soul reaper, she didn't even lift a claw, or finger I should say, to help him."
"What are you saying," said Spiro.
"That she stays out of the battle from now on," said Zack. "A team is only as powerful as its weakest member."
"And you believe that Sakura is weak," Spiro questioned, showing disapproval and concern.
"If push comes to shove, we cannot guaranty that she'll be able to help out in the heat of battle when you need her," said Mole.
End of Flashback:
Once Spiro was finished, it was now time for Aang to tell his story. "Well here's what the White Lotus told me."
Flashback:
After their battle with the Horyus, the White Lotus approached Aang to tell him what they believed about the other Horyus.
"Aang, after careful consideration, I believe we have come to a verdict about your new teammates," said Iroh. "The dragon Spiro is a powerful fighter, but I expect nothing less from a dragon."
"The one named Sora is a great swordsman," said Piandao. "I may not have fought a Keyblade Wielder, but I recognize a good swordsman when I see one. The same could be said for Inuyasha. He might be crude, but he has potential."
"And Naruto has proven to be a mad genius," Bummi chuckled in his usual style. "I mean, using those clones and that transforming ability to throw us off was just brilliant."
"I'm glad you think so," Aang smiled until he noticed Pakku and Jeong Jeong.
"Unfortunately we cannot say the same about your friend, Sakura," said Pakku.
"What's wrong with her," Aang questioned. "Is she not strong enough?"
"Power is overrated," said Iroh. "She certainly has enough power to compete with you, Aang, there's no question there."
"However, this was never a test on how powerful your friends were, Aang," said Jeong Jeong. "We were testing them on their resolve, on whether they are willing to make sacrifices in order to protect those they care about.
"Unfortunately, while the rest of your teammates showed their resolve, Sakura hesitated and left herself open for attack," said Pakku. "Not wishing to fight is one thing and we're not downplaying her for that, but she didn't even have the will to fight."
"But I wasn't willing to kill Ozai when he was the Fire Lord," Aang reminded them.
"And yet you still had the resolve to face my brother," Iroh reminded him. "Sadly, she didn't even try."
"We believe it would be best that she be removed from your roster," said Piandao.
End of Flashback:
After the three were done with their stories, their girlfriends spoke.
"How could they think that way about her," Katara ranted. "I mean sure, Sakura was a hesitant to fight them, but she was still instrumental in stopping Xehanort."
"But they're not wrong," said Tasha, thinking carefully on what the Kage, the White Lotus, and the Elemental Darts said about Sakura.
"What do you mean," Katara questioned.
"The only reason she was able to help defeat Xehanort was because the others were there to help her," Tasha explained. "But when it came to fighting on her own, she seemed more defensive, and when it came to fighting allies, she hesitated because was too afraid of hurting them."
"It's like when I was little and my father had me and my sister spar," Hinata gasped.
"What do you mean," Naruto asked.
Before Hinata could explain what she was talking about, Sakura showed up at the fountain from the other side. The very sight of it helped to lift her spirits up as the sight was a beautiful one.
"Amazing," Sakura admitted.
"Yeah, it is," said Aang, letting him and the other's presence be known.
"OH GUYS," Sakura gasped. "Please don't sneak up on me like that…!"
"You looked a bit gloomy when you came here," Katara pointed out. "Was there something on your mind?"
Sakura was hesitant to answer.
"It's alright, we won't judge you," said Tasha.
Sakura then explained her ordeals.
"I see," said Aang. "Ever since the Xehanort, so many things have happened to you and you're not sure how to deal with them."
"What's worse, I was just an ordinary girl before all of this," Sakura told them. "Even when I found the Clow Book, collected the Clow Cards, and later transformed them all into Sakura Cards, I still lived a relatively normal life. But then Xehanort came along and all this starts happening. And I'm sure that it's hard on Syaoran too."
"Oh, you poor thing," said Hinata.
"Well now that we're all basically heroes now, things like this were bound to happen," Naruto explained. "When I became a ninja, I came out of a time when I was being ostracized by everyone around me. While considered an ordinary shinobi, I battled many opponents and eventually became the hero of the Hidden Leaf Village when I defeated Pain. After that, everything changed."
"When I was just an ordinary airbender, I became the youngest airbending master in history as I received my airbending tattoos at the age of 12," Aang explained his story. "But when the monks revealed that I was the Avatar, everything changed."
"Point is Sakura, when an event like that happens, it's only natural that things in one's life will change," Spiro pointed out. "It even happened to me once I became the Elemental Dart of Fire."
Sakura thought about it for a moment and realized that they were right, things like that were bound to happen. But just as she was feeling better, she noticed a look of concern from her teammates. "Guys, what's wrong?"
Naruto, Aang, and Spiro then explained what the Kage, White Lotus, and Elemental Darts told them about her respectively.
"They want me to stay off the team from now on," Sakura gasped with a devastated look on her face.
"I'm afraid so," said Spiro bluntly. "They all called you were the weakest link, the weakest member of the team."
"We all disagreed with them, but they had some good points," Aang added.
"We don't want you to leave the team, Sakura," Naruto comforted her. "But whatever happens next is your choice. If you want to stay, you can stay, but if you want to leave, we won't stop you."
Sakura held her head down, hiding her face from everyone, leaving the others in suspense for a moment or two. However, they could hear the slightest hint of whimpering and even saw tears dropping from Sakura's face. They knew that she was crying. Moments later, she showed her face and smiled.
"I'm glad you guys told me all of this," Sakura told them. "It gives me a lot to think about."
But while Sakura did her best to conceal her feelings, they could all tell that she was lying through her smile.
"Anyway, I'd better get back to Iroh's tea shop," Sakura started to leave, keeping her fake smile up. "See you guys later."
Sakura then walked away, doing her best to hold back her feelings.
"Will she be okay," Hinata asked.
"It'll take time for her to absorb all that she's learned today," Tasha answered. "But until she calms down, it is best that we do not bother her."
"Poor thing," said Katara with concern.
Meanwhile, Sakura had just made it to the gate that separated Ba Sing Se's upper and middle ring when she collapsed onto the wall. After doing so, she finally let out all of her tears and her fake smile disappeared, her face now showing her true feelings right now. She cried so much that many people around her could hear her and her tears formed a puddle around her like a rain puddle.
With everything that she had been through, she has never been through a situation like this. It was bad enough that she had to face the possibility of Syaoran once again giving up his feelings for her, but now things have gone from bad to worse. The Five Kage, the White Lotus, and the Elemental Darts, all wanted her to stay off of the team from now because they deemed her too weak and her teammates didn't seem to mind this at all, or at least that's how she interpreted it. This was not even mentioning everything else she had already learned like the S.H.I.E.L.D. recruitment, the fact that there were other worlds besides her own, and so much more. With so much pressure, she just didn't know how to handle it.
At the Jasmine Dragon, Syaoran looked out the window, as if he could sense Sakura's sorrow. "Sakura… I'm sorry."
From across the room, Sora, Inuyasha, Kairi, and Kagome were all looking at Syaoran and couldn't help but feel sorry for him and Sakura.
"Poor kid," said Kagome.
"Yeah, well that's just life," said Inuyasha, remembering all the times he almost lost Kagome and the others while tracking Naraku. "Sometimes it sends in things you don't like."
"Will he be okay," Kairi asked.
"I hope so," said Sora. "But only time will tell."
Iroh then arrived with more tea. "I hope he makes the right decision, but only he can decide what path he takes. Anyway, let's change the subject. Sora, you mentioned that you, Sakura, Syaoran, and others use real magic, right?"
"Yeah," Sora answered. "At the same time, Naruto and the other inhabitants of his world use something known as chakra. According to Hinata, chakra is formed when one mixes his or her physical energy and spiritual energy together. But Naruto also has access to natural energy, which he says can only be accessed by individuals known as sages. Any chakra user who has access to natural energy gains access to what is known as sage jutsu chakra and is granted the title of sage."
"Magic on the other hand is different," Kairi added. "According to Merlin, magic is formed when one mixes spiritual energy with cosmic energy."
"That sounds like the Avatar," Iroh acknowledged. "I've heard that cosmic energy is energy from the universe itself."
"I see," Kairi continued. "Well, all magic users have the ability to passively absorb cosmic energy into their bodies, but exactly how much depends on the individual. But there is a risk, if a magic user takes in too little, they won't get magic, but if they take in too much, their magic will go out of control. But do you think it's possible to mix natural energy with magic as well? If we could, just think about how much more powerful our magic would be, and would it be consider sage magic?"
"Who knows," Sora replied. "Anyway, Iroh what do you benders use?"
"We use an energy known as chi," Iroh explained. "It's an energy that enables benders like myself to manipulate the elements. I don't know how it's formed, but I do know that when a bender cannot manipulate their chi, they simply won't be able to bend whatever element they are able to bend."
"Come to think of it, when Naruto, Aang, and Sakura set up that sealing spell for Xehanort, Aang's chi, Naruto's chakra, and Sakura's magic, were able to synchronize," Sora remembered. "Same thing goes for Raava's chi, Kurama's chakra, and Kero and Yue's magic."
"What could that mean," Kagome asked.
"Who knows," Sora answered. "My main concern are those soul reapers. What if they come back and attack us?"
"Then we'd better be prepared for when that day comes," Inuyasha pointed out. "We all need to train and get stronger."
"Yes indeed," Iroh agreed. "You all might be strong as a group, but individually you all still have a lot of work to do. One day, you all may have to face an enemy as powerful as Xehanort one on one, and at your current level, you will not be able to handle said enemy. You Sora have unlooked new forms, but you still have yet to master them. And you, Inuyasha, your sword has taken on new forms too, but you will have to master them before you can utilize them safely."
"Yeah, whatever old man," Inuyasha sighed.
"Inuyasha," Kagome smirked.
Inuyasha jumped as he quickly realized what was about to happen.
"SIT…!"
Inuyasha was pulled down by his necklace and slammed into the floor with a thud.
"What did you do that for Kagome," Inuyasha complained.
"You still have to work on your people skills," Kagome explained calmly. "I thought you had at least learned that during my three year absence."
"And I thought you had gotten over that habit of yours in that time," Inuyasha berated.
"SIT, SIT, SIT, SIT, SIT…!"
Inuyasha hit the floor several more times thanks to Kagome's sit commands, much to everyone else's amusement.
Meanwhile, Syaoran was still looking out his window, completely ignoring what was going on with the others.
"What am I going to do," Syaoran wondered. "I don't want to give up my feelings for Sakura, but what if I have to? Could Iroh be right? Sometimes life is like a dark tunnel, you can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving, you will come to a better place. Maybe I'll find another way to get stronger, or maybe I'm just overthinking all of this."
"Who are you talking to, Syaoran," said Tomoyo, who had snuck up on him.
"WHA," Syaoran gasped in surprise. "Tomoyo, don't sneak up on me like that!"
Tomoyo simply giggled at Syaoran's antics, and so did the others.
"Very funny you guys," Syaoran shouted at them before turning his attention back to Tomoyo. "Anyway, where have you been?"
"I've been getting info from the White Lotus about the different bending arts," Tomoyo rubbed her video camera. "Anyway what were you talking about?"
Syaoran told Tomoyo about his encounter with Yūko and about her offer to grant his wish, the price he may have to pay to have it granted, and about Sakura's reaction when he revealed all of this to her.
"Oh dear," Tomoyo sighed. "I hope Sakura will be okay."
"So do I," Syaoran sighed.
"But why do you have to give up your feelings for her in order to become strong enough to fight alongside her," Tomoyo questioned. "Doesn't that defeat the purpose?"
"I suppose," Syaoran answered. "It is possible that I misunderstood what Yūko told me, but I can't be certain. Whatever the case, one question remains. What next?"
Outside the shop, Sakura, who had calmed down after her waterworks, was standing outside the shop and somehow had heard Syaoran's words. "Oh Syaoran…"
In the Shinobi World, Mei was handling some paperwork when Hotaru entered the room.
"Lady Mizukage, can I talk to you," said Hotaru.
"Of course, Hotaru," said Mei. "What's on your mind?"
"I'm concerned," Hotaru explained. "I just spoke with Naruto in the Tailed Beast Psyche Plane and he told me about Sakura Kinomoto's dilemma. Apparently, she didn't take what you told her too well. Did you really have to say all of that?"
Mei then explained, "I will admit Hotaru, the child did show potential just like her teammates. However, when we fought, I could see how frightened she was. It's not because she didn't want to fight, it was because she was afraid to fight. Besides…"
Mei then suddenly coated herself in what appeared to be a Lava Style chakra cloak, surprising Hotaru.
"When could you use Lava Style Chakra Mode," Hotaru questioned. "I thought only Son Goku's jinchuriki could use that."
"I've actually been practicing using this form since the Xehanort incident," Mei answered before deactivating it. "Kurotsuchi can use it to."
"But if that's true, then why didn't you use Lava Style Chakra Mode during your battle against the Horyus," Horatu questioned.
"Well it's because we couldn't use it," Mei explained. "For me, when we were battling Kinomoto, she never gave me an opportunity or a reason to use that form. You and Chojiro were already giving her a hard time as it was and before I could use that mode, she used her sleeping spell on us and ended the fight."
"So you're saying that she wasn't good enough for you to resort to use Lava Style Chakra Mode," Hotaru gasped. "But then, what's Kurotsuchi's excuse?"
"You'll have to ask her about that," Mei then got back to signing paperwork. "Anyway, I need to get back to work."
"Thank you for your time, Lady Mizukage," Hotaru the left the Mizukage's office and returned home.
In the World of Science in a country known as Latveria, a mysterious figure in a suit of armor and wearing a green hooded caped cloak was looking at footage of the Horyus' battle against Xehanort. He had watched this footage who knows how many times and each time, he gained more and more information on the Horyus.
"Very interesting," said the individual. "These Horyus are powerful individuals, no doubt. However, even they will fall before the might of… Doctor Doom."
Doctor Doom showed himself.
And that was chapter 8. So yeah, as you can see, Hydra has captured Ichigo and his friends, as you saw in the last chapter, and Ichigo tried to break himself and his friends free with no success. Now just to remind you, this takes place before the Fullbring Arch, so Ichigo doesn't have his powers back yet. Also, both the Bount and Reigai arcs are considered cannon in this continuity while the Kasumiōji Consperasy, Zanpakuto Rebellion, and Sword Beast arcs are not. However, the characters from those arcs are cannon in this story, but some of them will have their backstories altered. I'll go more into detail when I introduce them in later instalments.
Also, Hydra is preparing to have these individuals strike again, but this time, they'll go after Kenichi and Miu, the main characters of Kenichi: The Mightiest Deciple. And (spoiler alert) they'll go after Shirou Emiya, Rin Tohsaka, and Sakura Matou of Fate/stay night, and a bunch of other young heroes. Just a little head up, Horyus: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. takes place before the events of Fate/stay night, and there are many different continuities within the Fate franchise, but I'm mostly sticking with the stay night continuity. That's all I'll say on the matter.
So yeah, the Horyus battled against the White Lotus, but I didn't show it because I felt like some of you might find it a bit repeditive since they already battled the Five Kage and the Elemental Darts in previous chapters and you needed a break. But if you want to see the battle between the Horyus and the White Lotus, let me know and I'll consider writing it, either as a separate chapter or as a one shot OVA story.
Then there's the Soul Society. As you saw, Momo met up with Aizen and found out the truth about him once and for all, only to be heartbroken. Thankfully, Shinji, her current captain was able to help her through this. Now because I haven't read the Thousand Year Blood War arc, I don't know if Momo and Aizen had a moment like that, so if anyone can confirm that for me, please let me know. Anyway, yeah, Rangiku is going to try to obtain Bankai through training with Byakuya and I had my OC character, Rosemary, make another appearance. On top of that, Unohana has revealed that she is willing to break her old oaf of only using her sword to nurture Kenpachi Zaraki and use her power against the Horyus, which means Yachiru Unohana will make an appearance earlier than in the manga and the upcoming Bleach Thousand Year Blood War anime adaptation. There's also the fact that both Hades and Loki both visited Aizen, but what could they be up to and what do they want with him? Well there's only one way to find out.
Also, Sakura Haruno is training at Shikkotsu Forest, learning Sage Mode along side Tsunade. If you want to know when that happened, I'd suggest you read my one shot story Horyus OVA: The Sage Seal to find out.
Then there's Sakura Kinomoto and Syaoran Li, the ones that this instalment is mostly about. As you can see, Syaoran revealed to Sakura that he encountered Yuko and that he may have to give up his feelings for his girlfriend in order to gain more power to protect her. Naturally, Sakura didn't take it too well, and the fact that the Kage, Elemental Darts, and White Lotus, all want her to stay out of the fight from now on doesn't help. Obviously there were waterworks. On a brighter note, Sora and the others discussed about how Aang's chi, Naruto's chakra, and Sakura's magic were able to syncronize with one another during the Xehanort incident and we learned more about how magic is formed, at least in this continuity. Sadly though, Sakura K and Syaoran are both going through some tough times indeed.
We also have Mei, who revealed to Hotaru, Utakata's student from the Six-Tails arc of Shippuden and Saiken's Jinchuriki in this, that she and Kurotsuchi can use Lava Release Chakra Mode, but both didn't use it during their battle with Aang and Sakura K respectively. Mei has an allaby, but as of no, Kurotsuchi doesn't.
Last but not least I revealed Doctor Doom.
Now the next chapter will have the Horyus return to their respective homes and they will all undergo some serious training in order to prepare for an inevitable battle with the Gotei 13. Naturally, Sakura K will be fighting Suì-Fēng, but for the rest, you'll have to wait and see.
Chapter 9: Training, Preperations, and Kidnapping