Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach.

Chapter 22: First Contact

Uzushiogakure

Behind his desk, Naruto pulled out a seal and placed it on the center of his desk. He placed one hand on it, put his other on his forehead, closed his eyes, and said, "Soshin Fuin (Transmission Seal)." He channeled his chakra to it and felt it draw him in.

When he opened his eyes, he was alone in a dark void. Soon, however, more people joined him.

"Yo, how's everybody doing," he greeted them all.

The hulking figure of the Yondaime Raikage rippled as Ei crossed his arms. "It took you long enough to get back, brat. While Yugito hasn't been any different, Samui's taking her ice to a whole new level."

He scratched the back of his head. "I guess I shouldn't have taken three years off, huh?"

"You think?"

"Nevertheless, it's for a good cause," the voluptuous form of the Godaime Mizukage smiled at him. Mei continued, "I can understand and respect a man who wants to protect his loved ones."

"Hehe, you always know what to say, Mei-chan."

"So," Sabaku no Gaara's turquoise eyes peered into Naruto's with extreme interest, "what have you found?"

He crossed his arms and gave a hum of thought. "As you all know, even we shinobi are affected by the spiritual realm's business, as shown by the rare Hollow arrivals and the revelation of Ringo-chan, Pakura-chan, and Suiren-chan. Now, the lack of human souls in our realm is because of their lack of strong regrets. Almost all the people who died here don't want much or don't want that strongly. But, Ringo-chan, Pakura-chan, and Suiren-chan were one of the rare few who had very strong regrets or attachments to this world. Those souls who do pass on, though, move onto the afterlife, where they're judged for how they lived and died."

"I assume that there's more than one place that souls can go," Shizuka tilted her head at him.

"Yeah, there's more. For the heinous of people who didn't redeem or didn't want to redeem themselves go to Hell."

"That's understandable."

"The rest, though, is where I'm a bit shaky about."

Mei asked, "Why's that?"

"The place they call heaven is actually called Soul Society."

"And let me guess." Ei grunted. "It's far from the paradise people were expecting."

Naruto shrugged. "Most of it could almost be paradise for the ordinary populace. You see, Soul Society is split into two parts: Rukongai and Seireitei. Rukongai is very simply the civilian area and Seireitei is the non-civilian area, run by the organization known as the Shinigami."

"That's…odd," Oni no Kuni priestess Miroku furrowed her brows in confusion. "What about the Shinigami that your father supposedly summoned?"

"Apparently, he was the Shinigami King, the head of all Shinigami in all realms."

"Huh," Ei looked perplexed, "apparently, one Shinigami can't handle all the souls of the world."

"Anyway, Rukongai is also split into, I believe, 50 districts. The thing is, though, is that the districts go from pleasant to downright criminal the higher in number it gets. So, while district 1 is the most peaceful of all, district 50 is where only the cruelest and most heartless people are."

"So, it's not any different from our system, then."

"I believe so. Now, in Seireitei, the Shinigami are split into 13 groups or divisions, each having an aspect of combat to focus on. The problem that I've been having, though, is that I remember seeing some shinobi faces among the ranks of the Shinigami, even Momochi Zabuza and Yuki Haku."

"Oh," Mei brightened at the names. "He actually managed to redeem himself that night?"

"I'm actually glad that he did. He and Haku were two of the most contested Shinigami in the force. Zabuza's propensity for conflict and bloodshed made him desirable by the Eleventh Division, which are mostly those who want to fight to their last breath."

He vaguely heard Mei whisper, 'Men.'

"However, his mastery of the Silent Killing Method also makes him a candidate of the Second Division, whose main forte is stealth and assassination, like our ANBU squads."

"Most fitting for him," she supplied.

"On Haku's side, his experience in espionage and nigh precise incapacitation also makes him wanted by the Second Division. But, instead of having the eyes of the Eleventh Division, the Fourth Division wants him for his knowledge of herbs and medicine. But I digressed. The reason why I'm confused is that I've seen another group of shinobi who are not in Seireitei and instead are in the service of the Shinigami King, the Royal Guard."

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "And who are these shinobi in the Royal Guard?"

"Those I faced were the first four Hokage, Uzumakis Mito and Kushina, Senju Nawaki, Kato Dan, Nohara Rin formerly of the Inuzuka, Uchiha Obito, Hyuugas Hizashi and Hitomi, Uchihas Mikoto and Shisui, Yondaime Mizukage Yagura, and Hatake Sakumo."

"So there are also shinobi who would be indicted into the Shinigami King's service?"

"From what I've been told by Tou-san, the Royal Guards are granted a small city in the Royal Palace which they govern. My theory is that Tou-san and the others have such a small city to call their own and that this city is where the other shinobi go."

"It's a sound theory."

"But that isn't where the story ends. You see, I have proof that Madara of the Akatsuki is also involved with this." Everyone tensed at that. "Even Seireitei is not without its share of troubles and its greatest one yet has already come. Two of the Division Captains, Aizen Sousuke and Kaname Tosen, plans to overthrow the Shinigami King and just recently cast Seireitei into chaos when they escaped Seireitei with a bang. Aiding in their escape, though, was Madara himself. They've joined forces to collectively deal with the Shinigami and the ninjas in their quest for world domination."

"This is troubling," Koyuki clicked her tongue in anxiety, "Madara was bad enough. Now we have two organizations to worry about?"

"Yes. But we won't be unprepared." Naruto firmly crossed his arms. "Thankfully, we have an informant in Aizen's forces. One other captain wanted to join them for his own purposes - his malevolence or benevolence will be up for debate - but we changed his mind and convinced him to help us out. He provided us with the information we needed to prepare ourselves against one-half of the threat. I'll be writing them all on scrolls and be sending them to you within the next few days. Expect a messenger hawk to arrive to tell you the details."

"We'll look forward to it."

"In the meantime, please take care of yourselves. Madara was a bad enough threat to our world. Aizen added into the mix would unleash untold chaos. If any of you happen to cross paths with Akatsuki or any of the enemies I'll be writing to you, please be careful." His eyes softened at them. "If you feel you can fight them, I won't stop you. But if you feel you won't be able to beat them without help, don't hesitate to call me."

"Hmph," Ei grunted, "I haven't become so weak that I would let some upstart beat me without a fight. But don't worry. I still have that sealing tag you gave me. It won't be wasted."

"As will mine, Naruto," Gaara concurred. "Considering what I've heard, I won't hold back against these foes. Similarly, I won't hesitate to ask for your aid, my friend."

"As will we all," Mei spoke for the rest. "I don't know about the rest of the ladies but even I like it when I'm rescued by my knight in shining armor."

Naruto grinned. "Great! If there's nothing else that I need to know, I shouldn't keep you guys away from your business." He blinked. "Oh, yeah, Shizuka-chan, Koyuki-chan, Toki-chan, Haruna-chan, I'd like to speak to you."

The aforementioned women nodded in response as the rest vanished from the void.

"I'll talk to Shizuka-chan first." The leader of Nadeshiko village stepped forward and they embraced each other. After separating, they kissed each other very hotly in the presence of the three princesses, none of whom minded in the slightest. If anything, they looked a tad aroused at the most.

"My," Koyuki purred, "it seems Naruto's still the skilled lover we remember him to be, after three years of no contact."

"Look at that tongue," Toki cooed.

Haruna giggled. "It's making me remember all the times he used that tongue on us."

Shizuka and he disconnected and she asked, "Is there anything you need, Naruto?"

"Yup, you see, do you remember what Hisana said about her origins and her husband?"

"Yes," her brows furrowed, "she said that she had memories of her past life and that she died of unknown causes. She also said that her husband here was actually her husband in her previous life and she wanted to remain faithful to her husband in this life. Has there been any development about that?"

"The whole truth is that she was a soul in her previous life and Byakuya-san was a captain of the Sixth Division throughout their marriage." Her eyes rose to her hairline. "I told him of her living status and he wanted to be reunited with his wife."

"And you wanted me to prepare for his arrival?" Naruto nodded. She smiled. "Consider it done, Naruto." He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. "Thank you, Shizuka-chan."

She blushed and looked away. "You sure do know how to spoil a woman."

He grinned and leaned towards her ear to whisper, "Oh, yes, I do." Her blush brightened. "Look forward to it when Byakuya-san finishes his business with Hisana-san." Her whole body erupted in a blush before she disappeared from the void. He grinned and turned to the three princesses. "So, I hear you girls invited me to a get-together."

All three grinned saucily at him. "Oh, yes, we did, Naruto-kun," Koyuki uttered, "It'll be at my resort in Yuki no Kuni. We've something special planned for our…get-together. Look forward to it, like you asked Shizuka-dono. Considering what you've already planned to do with Shizuka-dono, our get-together would have to wait until your business with this Kuchiki Byakuya-dono has concluded."

He smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry that I'm delaying our get-together. I'm sure you three have been looking forward to it."

Haruna giggled. "Oh, don't worry, Naruto. We'll have plenty of things to add to our surprise while we wait."

"Still, it makes me feel bad that I'm making you ladies wait. I'm nothing if not a people pleaser and I'm truly intent on pleasing my lovers."

A laugh from Toki drew his eyes. "And just with that comment, you've earned yourself an even more wonderful surprise. I've got something to add to our surprise and it will take time to accomplish. So, the wait will be totally worth it."

"Oh, do tell." Koyuki looked interested. "I want to know what this addition is."

"Tut, tut, Koyuki-hime," Toki wagged her finger at her, "I won't say anything until we get to the resort. I won't want to ruin Naruto-kun's surprise." She winked at the blond shinobi, who grinned wide. "Anyway, take your time with Shizuka-san. Don't worry about us. We'll have plenty of things to add to our surprise." With that, the three princesses vanished, leaving Naruto alone.

However, just as he was about to leave, he was interrupted by the arrival of the orange-haired Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo. "Oh, Ichigo, what's up?"

"Hey, Naruto, I had just got back from Urahara-san's and dealt with my Inner Hollow – and boy, oh, boy, do I have a story to tell you – and I came to tell you that Urahara-san wants to meet with you some time soon."

Naruto released a sigh and said, "My meeting with him will have to wait until I'm done with both my business with Hisana-san and Koyuki-hime."

Ichigo shrugged. "Well, I guess he'll understand the reason for your delay. Still, I wouldn't keep the man waiting. Who knows what he'd do if you took too long? He may find out a way to actually open a dimensional portal to your dimension just to meet you in person."

He smirked. "If that's the kind of person he is, then I might just let him wait just to see what he would do."

"I'm sure you would. Anyway, I still have to tell you about my meeting with my Inner Hollow. Apparently, my zanpakuto is not actually Zangetsu-ossan. It's actually my Inner Hollow, who merged with my zanpakuto spirit when he entered my soul while in my mom's womb."

Naruto blinked in confusion. "Is that so? Who's the old man, then?

"He's the manifestation of my Quincy powers. According to him, my hybrid blood fought against the Hollow presence and he, in turn, used his survival instincts to merge with the two powers. And there he was."

"So, since your zanpakuto's name is Zangetsu and your Inner Hollow is your zanpakuto, I assume his name would be Zangetsu and your Quincy powers would have some other name?"

"According to him, they're both Zangetsu."

"This is getting confusing. So you have Zangetsu, the Hollow and zanpakuto spirit, and Zangetsu, the Quincy spirit?"

"Well, from what I can understand, either both Zangetsus took over my actual zanpakuto spirit when they merged or the merging of the Hollow and Quincy powers with my Shinigami powers have caused my actual zanpakuto spirit's form to be buried deep within my subconscious."

"Either way, you are a unique individual in that you have the equal blend of Shinigami, Quincy, and Hollow."

"You're kind of taking it too far, aren't you? I mean, just because I have a Hollow as a zanpakuto, it doesn't mean that I'm part-Hollow."

"Am I? A zanpakuto is a part of a Shinigami, isn't it?" Ichigo nodded. "Now, if your Hollow became your zanpakuto in some manner, would it not be considered a part of you?" His eyes widened. "There's also to consider that Urahara brought out that same Hollow when he restored your Shinigami powers. Essentially, you are part-Hollow, a more sentient Hollow than the others."

"That's…uncomfortable to think about."

"Don't worry about it. Your blood is Quincy and Shinigami but your powers go beyond those two; you also have the potential to use Hollow powers. That Hollow presence I sensed during our skirmish in Soul Society showed me that. Here's what I discovered from my own experiences. Do not cast your Hollow powers aside. Learn how to use it and how to mix it with your other powers. If you master it, very few will be a match for you."

Ichigo chuckled and said, "Like you? I'm pretty sure that no amount of training on my end will make me a match for you, considering how powerful SS-Rank shinobi are." Naruto opened his mouth but Ichigo interrupted him. "Don't even be modest about that, Naruto. We both know how powerful you are."

"Fine, fine," he laughed, "My statement still stands. Don't be afraid of your Hollow power and accept it as part of you. It'll benefit you well, like me and Kyuu-chan."

Ichigo scowled. "Speaking of Kyuubi, I have something important to tell you about my Inner Hollow. Do you remember what you told the others about the side-effects of using the Kyuubi seals?" Naruto nodded. "My side-effects were more than just the temporary possession of the Kyuubi. The more dangerous side-effect was that the seals left some residual chakra within my body and my Inner Hollow absorbed them into its own body."

The blond's eyes widened. "Is that so? On the one hand, we don't have to worry about your Inner Hollow becoming as powerful as Kyuubi. After all, even we jinchuuriki can only reach their power levels up to a point." Upon seeing Ichigo's deadpan, Naruto raised his hands defensively. "Hey, my power is the result of the combined powers of the Kyuubi, the Ryuujin, my reiatsu manipulation, my Sage power, and personal chakra capabilities. If I use only Kyuubi's power, I wouldn't be able to reach her level in that aspect."

He shook his head exasperatedly. "Fine, I'll give you that. Well, what's on the other hand, then?"

"On the other hand, your Inner Hollow will give you an immense headache whenever you fight him."

Releasing a sigh, he said, "I know. He gave me one hell of a fight the first time I fought him. It was only because of Zangetsu-ossan's help that I managed to defeat him. I need to get stronger before I face him again."

"Don't worry. You have me, Urahara, and your father to help you with that."

Ichigo smiled. "I already learned all I could from you, Naruto. Anything more would be specific to you or other clans. Besides, I have much more to learn about reiatsu manipulation."

"I see. Well, if that's what you want, then I won't stop you. Still, don't be afraid to call me for help."

"Sure, anyway, I have to get back. I'll be meeting with Urahara-san to meet with his friends."

"Ah, those must be the Visoreds. They'll help you with your Inner Hollow. When you're there, tell them about your Inner Hollow being affected by Kyuu-chan's chakra. It'll make them more cautious when training you."

"You're making me sound like a dangerous person."

"Well, if you're possessed by your Inner Hollow, then you will be. Their training involves you going into your subconscious and fighting your Inner Hollow. On the outside, though, your Inner Hollow will possess you and struggle to free itself to the outside world. In your case, it'll be even more difficult since your Inner Hollow is infused with Kyuu-chan's chakra.

"If you put it that way, I should really tell them to not hold back against my Hollow then." Naruto nodded. "Alright, I'll let them know. Thanks, Naruto. I'll keep in touch." Then, he vanished, with Naruto leaving the void soon after.

Akatsuki Hideout

"This is boring," Hidan whined to the other Akatsuki members as they watched the Dark Ones in their cage. "This is not what I had in mind when I heard 'bend them to our will'."

"Let me guess," Kakuzu replied, "You expected the screams of the damned shouting out to the high heavens of how unfair life is and how they want their suffering to end."

He unashamedly replied, "Yeah! Seriously, if we're going to use these heathens to enforce Akatsuki's will, we should just skip straight to the torture instead of whatever mindfuck the Uchiha did to them." His face morphed into one of ecstasy. "Oh, I can already imagine their screams. I would have loved to hear them. Jashin-sama would have loved to hear them."

"That makes two of you, then," Sasori added. "While I am no stranger to tortured screams – considering how I sometimes feel vindictive enough to perform my experiments on live and conscious test subjects – they can get distracting and tiresome after a while."

Hidan spat and growled, "Whatever."

Sasori turned to Itachi and said, "How long do you think this'll take before they break?"

Itachi remained silent for a few seconds before replying, "My Sharingan genjutsu was enough for them, given that none of them have any experience in such things. With that in mind, they should be ready by two or three days."

"They don't know anything about genjutsu, thus making this easier, but it'll take half a week for your genjutsu to do the job?"

"You should know about the intricacies of mind-controlling genjutsu. Even if the person in question has no chakra or no resistance, they should still have their wills. Give a person time or an opening and he'll exert his will against you. The genjutsu will break them by the end of the day but the extra days will make sure that they'll stay bendable. Even then, it'll still have risks."

"Hmph," Hidan scoffed, "it looks like the vaunted Sharingan is not so powerful, after all."

"Remember that these are neither ninjas nor ordinary civilians. Nevertheless, they are still wilful beings, like us. A genjutsu could be broken through sheer will."

Kisame grinned wide. "Oh, what about your Tsukiyomi, Itachi-san? I've yet to see it be broken by any will."

"Tsukiyomi is no ordinary genjutsu. Nothing short of the most powerful of wills or another Sharingan as powerful as mine could break it. Still, I've yet to face a person who can do so. Until then, it is an unbroken genjutsu."

"Well, considering how your brother is the only Uchiha left and he's no closer to achieving the level you're on than he was three years ago, we'll have to assume that your Tsukiyomi is unbreakable."

Itachi remained silent and didn't reply. Kisame gave a soft cackle but didn't say more.

Way behind the group, Pein and Konan retreated onto the main floor of the hideout. Pein then said, "They should be useful to us."

"Oh, I quite agree," Madara's voice echoed around them, "They'll be fodder for Naruto to busy himself on. In the meantime, though, Aizen has made some plans for what he calls Hollow Ninjas. However, he needs plenty of test subjects, ninjas."

"What do you think?"

"Zetsu is keeping me posted on Aizen and his machinations. He's undoubtedly planning to acquire some samples to see if he could acquire chakra like we could. Still, that is a risk I'm willing to take. Once they're ready, have the Dark Ones properly attired and deployed to Hozuki-joo."

"The prison that once housed the Gokuraku no Hako," Konan asked with interest.

"That's the one. Currently, it's being presided over by the Kusagakure kunoichi, Ryuzetsu, one of Naruto's lovers."

"So what's the plan?"

"Have Sasori and Deidara escort the Dark Ones to the prison. Once there, let them loose. They'll fight the warden and her guardians. Deidara will scout the area and prevent anyone from entering or leaving. Sasori will be the one who'll extract the prisoners for Aizen."

"You said that the warden is the Kyuubi jinchuuriki's lover," Pein remarked, "We could use her to draw the jinchuuriki out."

"No. He's the most dangerous of them all and it's not because he's reached SS-Rank. It's because he's connected. He's the one that bound together this world and the Shinigami world, where, need I remind you, is where some of the deceased shinobi go. If he were to be captured while we've yet to even capture any of the previous jinchuuriki, the villages would amplify their security so high that only someone of my level could break through. That's not even to mention the shinobi in the Shinigami forces. I've seen the previous four Hokage, the Yondaime Mizukage, and the previous two Kyuubi jinchuuriki when I extracted Aizen and his lackey from Soul Society. I don't need to remind you of how powerful they all are. If we capture the Kyuubi jinchuuriki at this stage, they would undoubtedly come out of their hole and leave no stone unturned to ensure his survival."

"Your point is taken," Pein begrudgingly replied. "So what do we do about the girl?"

"Distract her. That's all. There's no need to make things more complicated than it already is by drawing unnecessary attention to us. After all, there are many ways to complete a plan." After a pause, he spoke up again. "Speaking of plans, Aizen and I agreed on one plan that is important."

"And what is that?"

"It's about the Hogyoku that we discussed in the Valley of Screams. Right now, it's in the hands of Urahara Kisuke. However, we expect him to find a way to hide it from us. We will take it from him before he has the chance."

"When is this transfer supposed to take place?"

"Aizen anticipated that he'll make arrangements within the week. As such, he suggested that the best time to strike would be either now or tomorrow. He's already made plans to acquire it."

"What about you?"

"So have I. But, I have an idea that would benefit us greatly. Send Hidan and Kakuzu to Karakura Town with Aizen's chosen. Tell them to not hold back."

"Do you know who'll Aizen send?"

"No. He's kept that secret. Nevertheless, Hidan and Kakuzu will be sent there. As a result, he'll send one of his Espada to help us in the skirmish at Hozuki-joo. This time, he told me who he'll send. It's the Espada with the weird name."

"Aaroniero Arrurrerie," Pein calmly replied, "That's the one whose energy feels off. Unlike the others, his energy feels as though he's taken in the energies of other beings and didn't mix it well."

Madara asked, "So you felt that one too? He may be the lowest in rank but he's the oddest of the lot. Still, he has his orders and you have yours. Get to it."

Uzushiogakure no Sato

Naruto has just finished writing the briefing info for the other villages to use when he looked up with a smile. "You're right on time, Byakuya."

The Kuchiki clan head calmly replied, "Your doppelganger told me to come at this time and I'm nothing if not punctual."

"That you are." He smiled at the girl beside him. "And hello to you to, Rukia. How've you been?"

Rukia bowed before him and diplomatically replied, "Greetings, Naruto-dono. I've been well since we last met. Thank you for asking."

Naruto raised a brow at Byakuya, who didn't react at all. He then gave Rukia a pleasant smile and said, "There's no need to be so formal with me, Rukia. I won't bite if you speak so informally."

"Be that as it may, Naruto-dono, you are a leader of a village and must be given the proper respect."

"Well, in my philosophy, respect is earned, not given. And I doubt I did much to earn yours."

"You have, Naruto-dono. You trained Ichigo and you trained him well. You helped him save me and you helped us Shinigami in ousting the traitor Aizen Sousuke and Kaname Tosen. Beyond that, you are the child of Minato-dono and Kushina-d-san," her face morphed in discomfort at the slipup, "and their traits are so easily seen in you; thus, you are indeed worthy of respect."

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Geez, not holding back, are ya, Rukia? Well, I'm not really speaking to you two as a leader of a village but as a friend of your joint relative. There's no need for all this formality."

"Still," Rukia was about to argue when Byakuya placed a hand on her shoulder, "I understand. I'll try doing as you ask, Naruto-d-san."

'There, was that so hard?" He ruffled her hair a bit, making her glare at him. "Anyway, I'm sure you know why you're here?"

Rukia's face turned into a mix of contemplative and anxious. "Yes. I'm here to meet my sister, who's alive in your world as Yuki Hisana." Her lips trembled. "I-I'm not sure what to feel about that. I've lived all my life in the belief that I had no other blood relatives. Now that I've found out that was a life, I don't know what to do. I don't even know what to do when I meet her. Should I be angry? Should I be cold? Should I be happy?" Byakuya once again didn't react, allowing her to express her emotions.

"I can't tell you what to do. After all, I myself haven't really been the best role model when it comes to seeing a dead family member in the flesh. But, I will tell you that she regrets what she has done. After she and Kyuubi talked, she confided with me her story, of how she left you in a street in Rukongai because she knew she couldn't take care of you and her at that rate. She also told me that she has deeply regretted what she had done. I am a pretty good judge of character and I can tell that what she felt was more than what she said. She told me that she could only hope that you would have found happiness in Byakuya's hands than you would have in hers. Make of that what you will."

Rukia nodded and said, "Yes. I will." She wiped some moisture from her eyes and said, "M-May we see her now?"

"Of course." He grinned and held out both his hands. "Grab hold and hold on tight." They both did so. "3, 2, 1, Hiraishin no Jutsu," he shouted and they all disappeared in a flash of yellow.

Nadeshiko no Sato

"Calm down, Hisana," Shizuka exasperatedly said, "They'll be here soon. Pacing like that won't do you any good."

"I can't help it, Shizuka," Hisana replied, "I mean, it's my husband! What can you say to your husband who's seen you die long ago and just recently found out that his wife is alive in another world?"

"I'd tell him to calm his wife down," she laughed, "Honestly, with the way you're pacing, you'd tire yourself out before you'd even speak with him."

Hisana pouted at her. "It's not funny, Shizuka!"

"I quite disagree," Lili spoke up from the couch off to the side. She cleaned another nail as she added, "It's very funny. You're the coolest of the three of us and to see you being like this is nice, for a change."

"Shut up, Lili!"

A flash of yellow interrupted their conversation, followed by an exclamation.

"Well, here we are!"

Once all three Nadeshiko kunoichi adjusted to the bright light, they all saw the three newcomers to the office.

Byakuya immediately stepped forward and embraced his long lost wife. "Hisana, it's really you."

"Yes," Hisana whispered with teary eyes, "it's me, Byakuya-sama. Oh, how I've missed you," she added.

"It would not compare to how much I missed you. Long were the days that I wished you were by my side to comfort me in trying times."

"I'm sorry for that, Byakuya-sama. You shouldn't worry. I'm here for you now."

Byakuya broke the embrace and turned to his wide-eyed sister. "And I've brought someone you should know."

Hisana's breath hitched upon seeing Rukia. "I-Is that Rukia?"

"Yes. I brought her here because it would be wrong of me to be reunited with my wife and not allow Rukia to be reunited with her sister."

The lookalikes hesitated as they walked towards each other. Once they were within arm's range of each other, Hisana slowly moved forward to grab Rukia's shoulders. "You've grown well, Rukia," she shakily whispered.

Rukia swallowed some saliva and said, "Th-thank you. Nii-sama raised me well."

With a smile, Hisana replied, "And I'm forever grateful to him for that." She touched her cheek and said, "You've become beautiful as well." Slowly, tears started to gather on her eyes. "It's to my everlasting shame that I didn't see you become so throughout your life." She then put her hands around her back and head and pulled her to her body tightly. "I'm so sorry for what I've done, Rukia. I have no excuse to offer that would justify what I have done." Her tears freely fell as she hugged her sister tighter. "I'm so sorry."

At a loss of what to do, Rukia only raised her hands and slowly brought it around her sister's frame and hugged her as well. "I," she softly started, "I can't say that I understood what you thought that day. But I also can't say that I don't feel bad about it. I promised myself that, when I meet with you, I'd keep an open mind. I have and I am and it's so difficult to not make assumptions about what happened back then. It hurts, hearing that my own sister left me on some corner. It also hurts, knowing that, for most of my life, my sister had found happiness first while I had to scrape garbage cans and steal from vendors to survive. Back then, if I had known I had a living sister who's left me and living a better life than I am, I would probably be mad."

Hisana broke the embrace and wiped the tears from Rukia's eyes with an understanding smile. "If you're still mad, give it to me. I'll take it. I'll take it all. I'll take anything to make you feel better."

She shook her head. "I'm fine. I'm no longer mad; I'm just confused now."

"What will you do now?"

"I don't know. I know that you're flesh and blood now while I'm a soul but I'm hoping that we could – I don't know – have a private moment, just between the two of us, where we could catch up or chat about what we missed with each other."

"That's a wonderful idea," Naruto immediately exclaimed, making the sisters jump at the interruption, "Believe me. Nothing could rekindle the bonds of family than a talk between two members."

Shizuka gave a sigh of annoyance. "Naruto, couldn't you read the mood? This was a serious moment and you didn't have to break it."

"Don't wanna," he cheerfully replied, "You know I don't like being too glum too much and, as much as I'd like to let these two continue talking, I figured I'd lighten the mood up a little."

Lili gave a chortle. "Well, I'd say congratulations, Naruto. You did more than lighten the mood; you killed it and left its body in your wake."

Naruto pouted and slumped, whining, "Lili-chan, why so cruel?"

A sniffle brought all's attention to the sisters. Hisana wiped a tear from her eye and smiled at them. "Thank you, Naruto-sama. I was aware that the atmosphere was becoming too solemn and I didn't want my reunion with my sister to be such but I didn't know how to resolve it."

"It's nothing to thank me about, Hisana." He grinned. "This reminded me of my meeting my Tou-san and Kaa-san long ago. It got glum at some point but Kaa-san shot that mood out the window. We reacquainted ourselves after that just fine. I figured you would appreciate that kind of situation."

Rukia too wiped her eyes and cleared her throat. "I thank you as well, Naruto-sama." Naruto coughed and she shuffled uncomfortably. "I mean, thank you, Naruto."

"It's no problem at all. If I might make a suggestion, though, I know a great place with great food!"

"Naruto," Shizuka exasperatedly said, "they're not going on a date. Stop treating it like one."

Naruto crossed his arms and looked to the side with a pout. "I'm just trying to help, 'ttebayo…"

"Nevertheless," Byakuya joined in, "I too agree that you two should spend some time together. I know each of you for a very long time and I know that you two would enjoy each other's company. As the Kuchiki clan head, Rukia, I grant you a leave of absence from clan affairs and am going to request Ukitake-taicho to grant you a similar leave of absence from your Division duties."

Shizuka added, "And I, as Nadeshiko no Sato's leader, grant you, Kuchiki Hisana, leave of absence as well from your shinobi duties. You should spend it with your sister."

Naruto smiled and crossed his arms. "As I said, I know the perfect place in Karakura Town for you two to bond; it's my restaurant, the Hisui Uzu Ryuu."

Hisana smiled brightly at him. "I'd like that, Naruto-sama."

He clapped. "Wonderful, I'll tell Naruko-chan to give you two whatever you want. It'll be on the house!"

"Ah, you really shouldn't, Naruto-sama. I'd be more than happy to pay for any services rendered."

"Nonsense," he waved off, "this is a momentous occasion. It should be treated as such."

Rukia gave a chuckle. "I guess it would be interesting to see the restaurant that Ichigo frequented."

"Ichigo," Hisana noted with a knowing smile, "is he your partner, Rukia? My, you chose well. He's a well-mannered man."

"O-Onee-sama," Rukia blushed, "it's nothing like that! He's just a friend!"

With a giggle, she said, "Oh, I'm sure he is."

Karakura Town

"Achoo!"

"Reio bless you, Kurosaki-san," said Urahara as he and Ichigo calmly walked along the streets of Karakura.

"Thanks," he replied.

"Now, you say Uzumaki-san expressed interest in me finding another way into his dimension?"

"Yes," Ichigo sighed exasperatedly, "Considering what kind of person you are, I just know that you'd create some machine that can jump through dimensions even if Naruto helped you out just for giggles."

Urahara waved the fan in front of his face and gave a not-so-mysterious chuckle. "My, I don't know what you're talking about, Kurosaki-san."

"Whatever," he grumbled.

"Well, here we are," the blond ex-captain gestured to an empty lot.

"Let me guess. The place is in a barrier."

"That's correct, Kurosaki-san." He blinked. "Speaking of which, I'm surprised that you aren't acquainted with them, considering how Naruto introduced you to the Shiba couple and the resurrect Kuchiki Hisana."

"I guess I can understand Naruto's reasoning. They and I had nothing in common back then. I suppose no one in this group wanted to know about me and I, in turn, didn't know these guys well enough to ask about them. This is our first meeting."

"If you say so," Urahara replied before placing a hand on the barrier. Orange energy blocked his hand from going further and he exerted a bit of his reiatsu to create an opening. "After you," he offered.

Ichigo scowled but entered through nonetheless. Once past the barrier, he saw a warehouse where the empty lot once was. Almost immediately after, he sensed eight powerful beings within. "I'm guessing that most of these guys are captain-class?"

"Considering four of them are actual captains, one is Tessai-san's apprentice, and the remaining three are vice-captains, yes, yes, they are." They approached the shutter of the warehouse and Urahara tapped it softly.

"What the hell was that," Ichigo asked. "That wasn't a knock."

"That's an astute observation, Kurosaki-san," Ichigo scowled, "But yes, yes, it wasn't. However, in this case, it's enough." Immediately after he said that, the shutter was flung open and the scientist flew back as some sort of ballistic missile hit him square on the chest.

Ichigo was wide-eyed at that and was about to help him out when Urahara slowly stopped a few feet from him. The blond shopkeeper gave a chuckle and said, "Try harder, Hiyori-san. OW!" He was then hit on the head with a slipper.

"SHUT UP!" The now-named Hiyori planted her feet on the ground, took hold of the airborne slipper, and hit him again. "HOW ABOUT THAT, DUMBASS?!"

"Oi, Hiyori, don't go harassin' Kisuke."

Ichigo turned to the direction of the voice and saw a thin, blond man whose mouth oddly showed his front teeth, even though speaking with such an expression was difficult.

"Yo," the man greeted, "Name's Hirako Shinji. The spitball over there is Sarugaki Hiyori."

"Kurosaki Ichigo," he slowly replied as he looked at the abused Urahara, "shouldn't you stop her?"

"What's the point?" Shinji shrugged. "She won't stop even if I go over there and stop her. Heck, she might even pull me into her fights."

Ichigo released a sigh of exasperation. "May I?"

Shinji looked at him oddly and said, "Sure, be my guest."

Wordlessly, the Shinigami daiko narrowed his eyes at Hiyori and unleashed his energy. His physical energy and spiritual energy melded together to form chakra and it manifested in a light blue sheen of flame-like substances surrounding his body. Shinji and Urahara were wide-eyed at him while Hiyori stopped mid-slap. "Perhaps we could get onto business," he calmly stated.

"Interesting, Kurosaki-san," Urahara started, "is this part of Uzumaki-san's training?"

"Yeah, he taught me how to use chakra."

"Chakra," Shinji interjected, "Uzumaki? Kid, ya wouldn't happen ta be talkin' about Uzumaki Naruto, would ya?"

"Yeah, he's the one who told me that you'd help me with something."

"And what might that something be?"

Ichigo placed his hand inside his shirt and pulled out his Hollow mask. "This," he answered.

His face turned grim and he said, "Come on in. I'll introduce ya to the others. Oi, Hiyori, bring Urahara with ya."

"Who do you think you're ordering around, Baldy?!" Hiyori raged at him but watched as Urahara walked past her and into the warehouse. "Hey, wait for me, dumbass!"

Warehouse

All related parties were gathered around a table.

"So, let's begin with simple introductions." Shinji crossed his arms and pointed to the other occupants with his head. "The one with the pink hair is Hachi."

"Greetings," the overweight man bowed his head to him.

"The one with the hairdo is Love."

"Yo," the green-clad, glasses-wearing man raised a hand to him.

"The muscle-bound one is Kensei."

The silver-haired, aforementioned muscular man grunted in response.

"Ya've already met Hiyori."

"Don't talk to me, dumbass," the pigtailed blonde hissed at him.

"The one in sailor fuku is Lisa."

"Hmm," the dark-haired, glasses-wearing girl looked up from her book, which, to Ichigo's embarrassment, was titled 'Icha Icha Shinigami.' "Oh, hello."

"The blond guy in the suit is Rose."

"Hello," he gracefully greeted, throwing his wavy blond hair behind his head.

"And the greenie is Mashiro."

"Reportiiiiiing for duty," the mint-haired girl enthusiastically saluted with a shout.

"Yeah," Ichigo drawled, "I'm Ichigo."

"Good, now, onto business, we're all Visored, Shinigami who've gained Hollow powers, like you, Ichigo." Shinji's eyes glinted. "And like you, we all met and trained with Uzumaki Naruto."

The collective sound of interest made Ichigo uncomfortable.

"And yet," Shinji continued, "even if Naruto had trained us longer than he trained you, you showed more promise with using chakra than we do. That's odd."

"Hey," he raised his hands in defense, "I don't know anything about that."

"Nevertheless, I wanna know about yar Hollow problem."

Ichigo took out his Hollow mask and placed it on the desk in front of him. "Urahara-san apparently unleashed it when he tried to restore my Shinigami powers. He controlled me for a little while when I was fighting against Byakuya at Sokyoku Hill. When we returned, I had Urahara-san help me fight off my Hollow and here we are. Naruto asked me to ask you to help me with him."

"And why's that? Where's Naruto?"

"He's busy in the Shinobi realm, after Madara and Aizen joined forces." The name 'Aizen' made the temperature drop considerably. "So, as it is, he sent me to you."

"Sure, we'll help ya. We're the same, you and I, and we help each other out. Besides, it's for Naruto as well. He's helped us train and we owe a lot to him."

"Great, thanks," he frowned, "there is just one thing that makes things complicated."

"Oh and what's that?"

"My Hollow managed to absorb some of Kyuubi's chakra."

Silence reigned in the warehouse.

"That's…not good at all."

"Verily," Ichigo replied, "Apparently, my constant use of Naruto's seals left enough residue of Kyuubi's chakra that my Hollow absorbed it. To that end, Naruto told me to tell you to not hold back when fighting him. My Hollow certainly won't."

Shinji looked to his companions, all of which didn't change their expressions. He turned back to Ichigo and said, "I said that we'll help you and we will. If we have to use much of our power to contain your Hollow, then that's what we'll do. Oi, Urahara," he looked to the silent shopkeeper, "ya helpin' us, right?"

"Of course," Urahara covered his face with his fan, "Far be it from me to deny my student help. I helped him during the first stage and I'll help him in the second."

"Nice," Shinji grinned wide, "We'll start with the basics. When Naruto trained us, he told us that merely beating our Hollow isn't enough. In beating our Hollow, we may be able to use its power but it opens us to the possibility of possession or corruption."

Ichigo nodded. "He did say that when attempting to control Kyuubi's power."

"To fully control our Hollow powers, we need to come to a mutual understanding." Shinji frowned. "None of us completed that phase, though. Mashiro was the one who came closest to that stage." He snorted. "I'm not surprised. She can last hours with her Hollow mask, after all. It's not for lack of trying, though. Our Hollows are just being damn stubborn."

"I know the feeling," Ichigo sighed in sympathy. He perked up and asked, "Didn't Naruto use that Tsukiyomi seal on you guys to increase your training time?"

"He did. That should tell you how stubborn our Inner Hollows are."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "So maybe we should start with you guys. I'm the last in this line of training, aren't I? You guys were trained by Naruto first in this. It'll be wrong of me to just ask you guys to train me when your training isn't complete."

"Denied," Lisa immediately retorted, "Naruto-sama is the paragon of wisdom and intelligence. If he deems you worthy of being trained first, you will be trained first."

Ichigo twitched at the nigh worshipful tone of the sailor Shinigami. I don't think I like being told that by a pervert reading one of Naruto's raunchier books.

"Her comment aside," Shinji returned attention to him, "we tried our hardest and we didn't make good progress. If you're feeling uncomfortable with taking the spotlight, then think of our training you as a way for us to learn how to train ourselves when we succeed."

"If you think about it that way," Ichigo slowly replied, "then let's just get to it."

"Give us time to prepare for the fight of our lives. We'll meet here again in an hour."

"Got it."

Seireitei – Sokyoku Hill

"With the situation with Madara and Aizen coming up," said Minato to Yamamoto, "we have to return to the Royal Palace and report it to the Shinigami King. We've already prolonged our stay here to meet our son. We cannot prolong it any longer."

"Very well," the soutaichou grunted, "In the meantime, we will prepare ourselves for the inevitable."

Minato nodded with a smile. He turned around and pointed a palm at the gathered members of the Royal Guard around him. The area was bathed in a bright light and it subsided to reveal all of the Royal Guards gone, leaving Yamamoto alone in Sokyoku Hill.

He stayed on the hill for a few minutes before he turned around to leave and return to his office. He stopped when the entire hill shook wildly. What's going on?

Reiatsu started to break through the hill's surface and Yamamoto had to brace himself because the powerful reiatsu created a powerful wind pressure.

If he could have, Yamamoto's eyes widened. Oh, no, the Sokyoku's destroyed! I had forgotten about that fact! That means that this can only be-

The hill exploded, sending debris everywhere. A figure flew high into the sky and Yamamoto withheld a growl at the figure. "Arturo Plateado," he growled.

"Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni," Arturo announced. The escapee in question had turquoise hair and yellow eyes and had a bone jaw going from underneath the right eye, around the ear, and to the back of the head like a crest. His white haori fluttered along the wind and the open area around the chest revealed a Hollow at the center of it, "I have been freed from my prison and I will not be denied my revenge!"

"We defeated you before! We will defeat you now!" He held up his staff, the wooden shell dissolving to reveal the zanpakuto beneath. Yamamoto took the blade by the sheath with his staff hand and took the hilt with the other. He drew the sword and announced, "Bansho issai kaijin to nase, Ryuujin Jakka!" Flame engulfed the blade and covered the entire hill with flame. "You will not escape me!"

Arturo smirked arrogantly and scoffed. He placed a hand to the blade on his hip and said, "Fall before me, Yamamoto! FENIX, YOU WILL TASTE BLOOD ONCE MORE!" he called out as he drew his blade. Wings of green energy burst from his back and his zanpakuto gained a red hue around it. Arturo moved to point himself towards Yamamoto, who himself crouched to jump towards Arturo.

In the distance, one could hear the shouts of alarm at the show of power from their soutaichou. Then, both combatants leapt towards each other with their zanpakuto's roaring for blood.

Their blades clashed and the resounding clang created a sonic boom that blew away the flame surrounding them. They broke before striking once more. Their second clash had them stuck to each other for a while. Then, Arturo grinned madly as he pointed his free hand at Yamamoto. The free hand glowed red and manifested an X-mark on the palm. Yamamoto's eyes widened before he vanished in a burst of speed just as energy in the shape of an X flew through him.

Arturo quickly turned around and parried Yamamoto's next attack. He pushed him away and pointed his palm once more at him. This time, red energy in the form of a ball formed on his hand and released it as a beam, shouting, "Cero!"

Yamamoto pointed his free palm at it and caught the beam with his bare hand. "Naïve," he scolded as he redirected the attack to the sky. "You're a thousand years too weak to challenge me."

Sneering, Arturo readied his stance once more. He was stopped from making his next move when new arrivals announced their presence. "More captains to the slaughter," he arrogantly threatened. "It's of no consequence. Fenix will have its bloodthirst quenched." He readied himself once more to attack, as did the captains. However, the air around him distorted and everyone looked on in shock Arturo was sucked into the distortion.

"NO," he roared, "MY REVENGE WILL NOT BE DENIED!" Arturo struggled in vain as the distortion swallowed him whole, leaving the captains alone on the battlefield.

Yamamoto sealed his zanpakuto and turned to his captains. "All of you, report to the meeting chamber at once! This is of the utmost importance! Soifon-taichou, send a Jigokucho to Kuchiki Byakuya immediately, ordering his immediate return to Seireitei."

The petite captain nodded and left to fulfill her orders.

"As of now, the situation is even direr than ever. The seal on the Sokyoku has been broken. We now have two threats to deal with. There is the threat of Aizen and his accomplice and there is the threat of Arturo Plateado."

Unknown Location

"Oof," Arturo grunted as he hit rocky ground, "what was that?" He raised his head and found himself in a dark cave of sorts.

"That was the manipulation of the space-time continuum with the use of a tool."

Arturo immediately stood up and brandished his zanpakuto. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"And if I don't?"

"I'll make you!"

The voice chuckled darkly. "You may be older than me but your powers are weak compared to mine."

"What was that?! I dare you to come close to me and say it right at my face!"

"Very well," the voice said. At the beginning, there was a quick burst of movement. Then, Arturo felt the air leave his lungs as a powerful blow was struck to his solar plexus. When he curled forward to cover his aching torso, a hand grasped his haori and raised his head to the speaker, whose head was hidden by the cave's shadow. "You are weak compared to me. You were sealed in the Sokyoku for a thousand years and you are still at the prime of your youth. I, on the other hand, am currently an old man for now and yet I made you kneel before me."

"Who are you," he spat. "You're no ordinary Shinigami."

"Oh, I'm not one of those weaklings, I assure you. I am something more powerful than them. However, even they have their uses. After all, it was their lessons in reiatsu manipulation that taught me how to stay quick and strong in my weak state." The voice looked around for a bit. "Hmm, it seems the tool that I used to bring you here used that same power to escape." The voice chuckled. "It's of no consequence. She wouldn't even remember about me using her powers."

"WHO ARE YOU?!"

"Who am I," The voice's chuckle grew darker, "All in good time. For now, though, I do have a way for you to regain your full powers back. All you simply need to do is do as I say."

And that ends the new chapter!

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