Now, despite their popularity and how much I enjoy them, many Naruto/Bleach X-Overs start off pretty much the same with Naruto coming to Soul Society just after Urahara and Yoruichi leave Soul Society and he eventually becomes Vice Captain of Second Division. There's nothing wrong with that, however, I just wanted to do something off of the beaten track.
My last Naruto/Bleach X-Over idea featured Hokage!Immortal! Naruto being awakened after millenia of hibernation and joining Ichigo's group to rescue Rukia from the Soul Society. This one will feature Shinigami!Naruto in a way, hopefully, you've never seen him before. For those of you who subscribe to Hawk's "The Fanfiction Forum" Website, you will recognize this as the first of two ideas I came up with using this particular plot device.
Do keep in mind the version on Hawk's website is slightly more polished than this one.
So, enjoy and let me know if this is Good, Bad or Ugly!
"Stop them!" shouted Soi Fon surprising many, "Those two are trying to destroy Syoukyoku!"
Unfortunately, it was already too late. The damage was done. Seireitei's most effective tool of execution was destroyed, as was the shield bearing the mark of the Shihouin Clan.
"Hey! What are you doing now?" asked the executee, Kuchiki Rukia to her would be rescuer, Kurosaki Ichigo.
"Isn't it obvious?" asked Ichigo with a grin, spinning his massive zanpakuto, "I'm going to destroy this rack."
As Rukia protested, he told her to shut up, and watch him.
Much to her astonishment and those below and the dread of one, Ichigo shattered the rack with a single solid blow and took Rukia into his arms in one fluid motion.
"I've come to save you Rukia," said Ichigo as he held her under one arm and his zanpakuto on the opposite shoulder.
Before anyone could do anything else, a surge of power washed over the area.
"Are you two aware of what you have done?" asked Yamamoto bitingly. The grip on his cane tightened visibly. "The rack, the Syoukyoku, and the Shihouin Crest each played a part in holding back an abomination far worse than any hollow any of us have ever encountered!"
"Now, now, gaki... Is that any way to talk to your former Taichou?" said a voice behind all of them. They all noted how Yamamoto visibly flinched. "So... What type of operation are you and those prejudiced idiots running here Yama-kun? Given the location, I'd say you were about to host an execution. Given the damage and the way everyone here is about to jump each other, I'd say some people don't exactly agree with you."
The blonde man didn't move from where he was standing, but he wore a very self-satisfied smirk.
Their eyes widened when they turned to the newcomer, only to see a rather young looking man with spiky blonde hair and bright blue eyes with six whisker-like birthmarks. In his hand was a rather plain looking, black bladed katana. He wore typical shinigami robes, though they seemed a bit tattered. However, he wore an orange sash around his waist. His captain's haori was different too. It was dark red, with black flames. It too was tattered.
Around his arm was a badge that all recognized.
It was nearly an exact replica of the one held by Yamamoto-Genryuusai Shigekuni in his office. It bore the symbol of the First Division of Seireitei. Many looked back at the Sotaicho only to see him trembling. However, the blonde man's was not pure gold with a black engraving. His was mostly black, with the border and the crest were gold.
"S-sotaicho...?" asked Soi Fon. At the address, the man raised an eyebrow.
"I see the last couple thousand years have been both kind and not so kind to you, gaki," said the man. "You used to look younger than me when you helped them seal me."
"Tell us, friend, what are your intentions to Seireitei?" asked Ukitake Juushirou.
"I suppose that would depend. However, I will not destroy it, for there are many who are innocent and do not deserve such a fate," said the man. "However, Yamamoto-Sotaicho and the Central 46 have much to answer for."
"And who do you think you are to demand such a thing?" asked Byakuya.
"Uzumaki Naruto, the TRUE Captain of the First Division and Sotaicho of Seireitei," said the blonde man fiercely. "My fourth seat didn't even have the balls to face me. Instead, he conspired against me with my enemies, quickly assassinating those I called my closest friends and had me sealed in three items of significant power."
Many looked unsettled by this, even Renji who had just arrived and Ichigo who had jumped down with Rukia to listen in on the newcomer.
"YOU LIE!" hissed Soi Fon.
"Do I? Why don't you ask Sotaicho?" asked Naruto.
"What else could I- we- do?" asked Yamamoto. "You are an abomination. An unnatural blight upon creation!"
Kyouraku, normally an easy going man with little worries, seemed both extremely hesitant and nervous. After all, he had been fully prepared to fight and die by the hand of his former sensei, the Sotaicho of Seireitei. He was totally unprepared with the prospect of facing another who claimed to be Yama-jii's superior and was perhaps as strong, if not stronger than the old man.
"Uzumaki-taicho...' he decided it wouldn't hurt to address the man by his allegedly former title. But then again, Yamamoto-sensei had not denied the blonde's claim. "Why exactly were you sealed away?"
"Because he is a demon of unimaginable power!" shouted Yamamoto, reiatsu leaking out from him.
Naruto snorted. "In life, I was what is known as a Jinchuuriki, a being that was to be universally feared and despised. A being whose sole purpose was to be abused, mistreated, persecuted or turned into a mindless weapon."
This was astounding news to many of them, as none of them remembered much, if anything, about their old lives before they arrived in Rukongai.
Naruto continued on with his story, while Yamamoto allowed him to finish his tale. "However, I overcame the persecution and found love, gained respect and was a leader to my people. When I got here, I was called a prodigy. I was far more powerful than any Shinigami that had come before me and achieved both Shikai and Bankai in record time, quickly making my way through the ranks. First as part of Eleventh Division, until I became a seated officer of the Fifth Division, and finally Vice-Captain and Captain of First Division."
Nanao frowned. "E-Excuse me, Uzumaki-taicho..." She followed her captain's lead, hoping not to incur the former Sotaicho's wrath.
"Yes...?" he asked questioningly.
"You said you were a 'Jinchuuriki', but in all of my studies I have not found any evidence on such a..." she almost said 'creature', but she decided it would be beneficial to be more tactful. "Being..."
"There wasn't very many of us, and we were pretty much village secrets," said Naruto, "When I was born, there were only nine of us in the entire world, and we were hunted down, defeated and slain one by one. My friend Gaara, a man named Kirabi, and myself were the only ones who survived and even then Gaara lost what made him like us."
"Jinchuuriki... Power of Human Sacrifice...?" said Juushirou. "What type of powers were used on you that required some sort of sacrifice?"
"Not a good one..." said Naruto grumpily. "Back before I was born, there were a total of nine demons who roamed the land." This caused many eye's to widen while Rukia, Ichigo and Renji simply looked puzzled. "They were called Bijuu and their power grew exponentially with the more tails they had. The weakest of the bunch was the Ichibi no Tanuki, which was subdued by the Shodai Hokage and given to Sunagakure, where it was sealed in an urn in between Jinchuuriki hosts. As far as I know, Shukaku was the only one who had multiple hosts. Its' final host was Gaara before an organization known as Akatsuki extracted it from him. The strongest of them was the Kyuubi no Youko, which was sealed into me by my own father, the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, when the Kyuubi attacked our village."
Nanao looked as if she'd be hit in the stomach. "B-but... Humans... How did they have knowledge of sealing practices? Such techniques should be impossible for them to use."
"People of my time were much more spiritually aware," said Naruto. "I was actually surprised when Seireitei didn't have any records on us, or at least on me."
"Besides the beast the resides within you, what makes you stand out amongst those like you that would actually warrant special attention from Seireitei?" asked Byakuya coldly.
"Because unlike the others, the fuinjutsu my father used summoned a Shinigami to seal the Kyuubi into me," Naruto responded with equal coldness. The change of emotions, as well as the information they learned were keeping each of them very much on edge.
Naruto turned his head as he felt the wind being disturbed nearby. The others followed suit as a masked person dressed in orange and black appeared. Naruto immediately noticed their yellow slitted eyes. "Hello, Shihouin-san..."
None were more shocked than Soi Fon, who on reflex moved into action. However, the second she moved, she was knocked onto her back. Her eyes widened in shock as she now saw the pretender standing between her and Yoruichi-sama and was glaring at her. Yoruichi was equally surprised as she hadn't even see him move.
"Do... I know you?" asked Yoruichi in surprise, as she pulled off her mask.
"No, but I am familiar with your clan. It's good to see the Nibi's legacy didn't die out completely," said Naruto.
"Nibi?" asked Yoruichi.
"Nibi no Nekomata. One of your grandmothers was alive around the same time I was and was the Jinchuuriki of the Nibi until she was killed in a demon extraction ritual. Despite no longer having a demon inside of her, she still kept some of its' traits, like her yellow slitted eyes," Naruto was enjoying the various reactions he was getting from the others. "In life, she was one of the best kunoichi of her time. In death, she would be the first Shihouin not born into the Clan that would lead the Special Forces, turning them into a Black Ops Shinobi force and merging them with the Second Division when she became their Captain. Shihouin Yugito was critically injured when the Hell Gates collapsed and was easily killed, after we repressed the invasion, by her own husband when the Central 46 and Yama-kun turned on me."
"It had to be done. The powers of those demons were unlike anything we'd ever faced," said Yamamoto angrily, "Even our best and brightest were outclassed by medium to low class demons. We all saw how you lost control of the Kitsune's power, and the sickening feel of it. All the rage and the malice... Those same demons that were eradicating our forces by the dozens with barely any effort were completely overwhelmed by your reiatsu. Some were incinerated on the spot. Others were savagely mauled in ways far more gruesome than what had been done to our comrades."
Yamamoto sighed. "Rather than let you become a threat to Seireitei, we decided it was best if you were no longer around. Since there was no one who would be able to kill you, we decided our next course of action was sealing. It was easy in the confusion of the aftermath of the Demon Invasion, as many feared what their Sotaicho had become and were easily persuaded to kill their comrades who were zealously loyal to Uzumaki-sotaicho. Meanwhile, myself and the strongest members of the Kuchiki, Shihouin, Shiba and Omaeda Clans set about sealing Uzumaki-sotaicho. First, was the power of the demon, which was sealed into the Syoukyoku by the Shiba and Kuchiki Clans. Uzumaki's own power was sealed within the Shihouin crest, which was then heavily sealed in my office while his 'body' was sealed into the rack by myself and the Omaeda Clan head."
"Something that wouldn't have happened if I wasn't suffering from the aftereffects of Kyuubi's reiatsu," Naruto countered with a slight edge in his voice. "I was at less than 50 percent of my normal fighting capability and it still took five of them to take me out. So, does anyone want to tell me why the girl is being executed?"
The orange haired kid spoke up.
"It's because of me..." Ichigo then launched into the entire story his and Rukia's meeting and her subsequent transference of her powers to him in order to save his family from a Hollow attack on their home and clinic and their various misadventures afterwards.
"Is that so..." said Naruto neutrally. They all waited on baited breath for the decision that would either make or break the Rukia rescue effort. "Then I guess there is only one thing I can do."
Yamamoto tensed. He knew what Naruto would choose, the man had always been an idealist who cared little for protocol and tradition. The only good that Yamamoto felt came from Uzumaki was the idea of starting a Shinigami Academy, based off of what he had heard about Naruto's tenure at the Shinobi Academy when he was still alive.
It was only inevitable that Uzumaki-sotaicho would be placed in a position to directly oppose him. While he was far more powerful than he had been, he knew that he would more than likely fall in battle to his former Captain.
That didn't mean he would simply roll over and die. He would do his upmost duty to defend Seireitei from this monstrous fiend.
"Yamamoto-Genryuusai Shigekuni, I, Uzumaki Naruto, officially challenge you for the position of First Division Captain and the title of Sotaicho!" exclaimed Naruto. "This execution is now officially over!"
"Do not underestimate me, Uzumaki-sensei..." Yamamoto gritted out. "I am far from the young boy who used to follow you around in your shadow."
"You might have been my student once," Naruto growled out, "But you didn't learn shit! If you had, you wouldn't be doing what you are now, because those who break the rules are trash... But those who abandon your comrades... Are worse than trash!"
"Don't spout that nonsense to me, Uzumaki," replied Yamamoto in a threatening tone, "I grew tired of your idealism long ago. Those who blatantly ignore the rules are the lowest of the low, who turn their backs on justice. And without justice, there is no order. Without order, anarchy and chaos prevail. And that, I can not allow."
"Justice? Order? This is just you and those old fools maintaining the status quo!" Naruto accused, "This isn't justice. This is the farthest thing from justice and you know it!"
"So be it. I, Yamamoto-Genryuusai Shigekuni, accept the challenge given by Uzumaki Naruto for the position of First Division Captain and title of Sotaicho on the terms that victory is only achieved through the ultimate defeat of their opponent, meaning they have absolutely no means of performing a retaliatory attack!" declared Yamamoto.
"Agreed." Naruto answered.
Suddenly, a burst of reiatsu saturated the air.
"Taicho... That feeling... That power..." stuttered Matsumoto Rangiku, amazed at the sheer amount of power, hatred and killing intent that she could feel even all the way from where she was at.
"That is the Sotaicho for sure..." replied Hitsugaya Toushirou. "We can no longer afford to wait, things have escalated far beyond what I had anticipated."
Toushirou then drew his zanpakuto ready to break into the chambers of the Central 46, when another feeling exploded from the execution grounds.
'That feeling... It's so calm... Peaceful... What manner of creature is capable of such reiatsu?' Toushirou mentally asked himself.
"That reiatsu is as strong as the Sotaicho's..." said Matsumoto.
"There is nothing we can do about it," stated Toushirou, "We shall have to trust in our comrades for now. With luck, we should be able to put an end to this travesty. Hopefully, before it is too late."
When the Sotaicho released his reiatsu, they could almost taste large amounts of hostility in the air. Neither Juushirou or Shunsui had ever seen their sensei like this. It also made them glad that Uzumaki was fighting him and not them theirselves, as both now doubted if they'd have actually been able to take him.
Sure, before they had their doubts, but there was an element of the unknown on just how far they were from Yamamoto-sotaicho's level. This was far beyond what they expected and Yama-jii hadn't even released his shikai yet.
Nanao's breathing became more rapid, sweat began to form, as it had on others. She was looking at the Sotaicho, her hand on her Zanpakuto, having dropped her book the moment his reiatsu filled the air.
'This is the power of a Captain...?' she asked herself in disbelief.
"You can't win!" a voice boomed out. "You will be severely punished for turning against the Soul Society!"
This, Nanao already knew. She spared a brief glance at Naruto.
"Kill him! Absolve yourself of your sins!"
Nanao's hand twitched. 'Why am I hesitating! I... I must KILL HIM!'
"That isn't very nice, Yama-kun..." Naruto suddenly said as he released his own reiatsu.
Suddenly, as if a burden had been lifted off of her, Nanoa blinked and looked around. Many of the others were too, each in a similar state as she was. 'What... What was... That?'
"You've come along way since you were my student, but did you really think I'd teach you something I couldn't counter?" asked Naruto with a smirk on his face. "Still, being able to give commands through just intent alone is impressive. Even I can't do it like you can, this will be an interesting fight."