Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach. Obviously.
Author's Note: I apologize in advance for there not being much on Itachi's abilities. I wanted to put off showing his abilities and Zanpakuto's powers until later. Sorry if the fight scenes weren't as good as you were hoping them to be.
Chapter 15: Appearance from the Past
Self-sacrifice… A nameless shinobi who protects peace within its shadow… That is a true shinobi.
- Uchiha Itachi
Kenpachi stood grinning excitedly as he faced his two opponents, Itachi and Deidara. These two guys practically radiate strong. I can tell that this is gonna be fun. Chuckling maliciously, Kenpachi rolled his neck as he prepared himself for the nearing battle. "So, Uchiha Itachi… I've been wanting to fight you ever since I heard about that Uchiha Massacre. Don't disappoint me now."
Uchiha remained silent, calm and relaxed yet obviously prepared for anything that might come in his way.
"You know, I fought an Uchiha once," continued Kenpachi. "Tough bastards, but nothing special. Still, I'm pretty impressed that you managed to kill off the whole lot of them."
Deidara laughed as he glanced sideways at Itachi. "This guy sure talks a lot. He a friend of yours, Itachi?" Turning back to face Kenpachi, he scoffed as he clenched and unclenched his hands. "He looks like an animal, and his reiryoku is enormous."
"Juichibantai-taichou, Zaraki Kenpachi…" Itachi stared levelly at the ferocious-looking captain, perfectly calm despite the unbelievable reiatsu radiating from him. "Be careful of him. With the exception of Genryusai-dono and a few others, there isn't a single individual in all of Seireitei that can match his strength."
Unsheathing his Zanpakuto, Deidara scoffed as he ignored Itachi's warning. "That's what's different about me and you, my man. Unlike you, I don't give a shit who's the strongest or not. All that matters is that he's an opponent worthy of my skills, hm." Brandishing his sword, Deidara sped forward towards Kenpachi, an excited grin on his face. "All right, bring it!"
Kenpachi laughed as he swung his sword out in front of him at the same time as Deidara. "Now you're talking! My men have the perimeter secured, so there won't be anyone coming to distract us from our battle!" As their blades clashed in a frenzy of sparks, Deidara flash stepped away and reappeared behind Kenpachi, swinging his sword in a wide arc. Deidara looked surprised when Kenpachi seemed to block the blow with only mild difficulty, barely glancing behind him as he did this.
He's definitely skilled in Zanjutsu, thought Deidara to himself as he and Kenpachi clashed blades again and again. Probably even more skilled than I am...
...As the two continued to battle it out, Itachi watched from the sidelines, seemingly unamused by the fight. He watched as Kenpachi managed to land a solid kick on Deidara, sending him crashing into a tree.
Deidara shook himself off as he climbed out of the small hole in the tree that he had made when he crashed into it. "So what, you're supposed to be strong?" Cracking his neck, Deidara sighed as he loosened up and flash stepped over to Kenpachi's side, his sword pointed at Kenpachi's ribcage for the kill. "Well, you're not much, I'll tell you that much." And with that, Deidara stabbed forward with his sword, aiming to end the fight in one move.
"Hah!" Kenpachi laughed as he slapped the blade away with a single hand. The point of the blade tore through Kenpachi's haori and dug into his skin, but it only left a small white scratch along his skin to mark its presence, not even piercing through the skin. Deidara seemed extremely surprised by this, and he was barely able to raise his Zanpakuto in time to block a downwards slash from Kenpachi, the force of the attack causing Deidara's legs to bend from under the pressure.
Th-This guy's unbelievably strong! thought Deidara to himself. I'm using both arms, and yet he's overpowering me with just one hand! Scowling in anger, Deidara's scowl suddenly turned into a grin as he flicked the flat of the blade, a high-pitched sound echoing throughout the area.
"Go, Bakuton!"
Kenpachi's single visible eye grew wide as Deidara's blade started to glow brightly white. "Wh-What the hell is-?!" THUD! A small explosion enveloped both Deidara and Kenpachi, creating a cloud of smoke that dispersed moments later to reveal a slightly battered Kenpachi coughing and hacking. "Wh-What the hell was that?!"
Deidara suddenly appeared five feet in front of Kenpachi, wielding his Zanpakuto which was looked like its normal sealed state. "Confusing, huh?" Using a quick flash step to augment his reach, Deidara swung his sword out in front of him; Kenpachi, still slightly dazed from the explosion from earlier, groggily held his sword out and blocked the blow once more.
"Hah!" Deidara grinned widely as the blade of his Zanpakuto began to glow brightly again. "You still haven't figured it out yet?! You really must be an animal, hm!"
Another giant explosion rang out throughout the area, Deidara skidding to a halt as he flew out from the explosion, a triumphant look on his face. As the smoke cleared up, Kenpachi was seen scowling as he shook off the attack, obviously having been prepared for it, if just a little. "I get it now," he said. "Whatever you hit with your Zanpakuto, it explodes, am I right? What a pussy Zanpakuto!"
Deidara nodded as he held his Zanpakuto out in front of him. "My Zanpakuto, Bakuton, generates an explosion through the vibrations that travel through the blade whenever it comes into contact with something. The explosion is generated at the front end of the blade… A most useful ability, hm." Swiping his bangs to the side, Deidara revealed an eye scope on his left eye. "This is what keeps me from being blinded by my Zanpakuto. This gives me the advantage in this fight."
"All right, so it's a cheap ability," said Kenpachi as he rolled his neck and stretched out his arms. "Now that I know what it is, I know what to watch out for." Getting into a battle-ready stance, Kenpachi grinned as he held his Zanpakuto out in front of him. "Bring it, blondie!"
Scowling, Deidara rushed forward as the tip of his sword dug into the ground, suddenly flicking a pile of dirt at Kenpachi to momentarily blind him. "Go, Bakuton!" The blade flashing out in front of him, an explosion engulfed the two a second later as the blade slammed into the ground, Kenpachi having side-stepped the attack.
Itachi watched as the battle ensued, calm and collected despite the loud ruckus that the two were causing. It was quite obvious that even though Deidara had the upper hand in the beginning, Kenpachi's overwhelming strength and impressive skills with the sword was getting the best of the Akatsuki member. Even though Deidara was skilled with the sword as well, Kenpachi's was even more impressive.
…Ten minutes later, Deidara and Kenpachi were standing ten feet apart from each other. All though neither of them had any signs of serious injuries, Deidara seemed worn out by Kenpachi's monstrous strength and his Shinigami form of Hierro, the Arrancar's steel-hard skin that's from their reiryoku condensing. Because of this, Deidara was able to get nothing more than a couple of scratches of Kenpachi, and while these weren't anything to Kenpachi, he himself seemed slightly bruised and battered from Deidara's troublesome Zanpakuto's ability.
Kenpachi shrugged off the attack that he had just endured, a frown on his face. "This is getting boring," he drawled.. "You're strong, blondie. I don't know if you could match up to that Nnoitra, but your Zanpakuto isn't my kind of meat." Glancing over a worn-out Deidara, he sniffed in disgust. "Don't tell me that you're already done. I've been on defense this whole time, so don't die on me just yet."
"Geez," gasped Deidara as he struggled to catch his breath. "How much stamina does this guy have? We've been at this for over ten minutes, and he doesn't look even the least bit tired, hm!"
"That's it, I'm done," yawned Kenpachi. "Send out that scum of an Uchiha to fight me. I'm done with you, blondie. Get stronger and then come back to fight me."
Deidara scowled as he pointed his Zanpakuto at Kenpachi, Kenpachi's comment obviously having stung his pride. "What was that?! Why you little-! You wouldn't last a minute against my Bankai, so don't go and try to act all high and mighty, hm!" Drawing his Zanpakuto back, Deidara stuck the blade in-between his arm as if it was the sword's sheath. "That's it. Get ready, my man."
Kenpachi's bored look suddenly turned into one of excitement. "That's right. Bring it on, blondie. Use your Bankai before I kill you off."
Itachi suddenly walked forward, placing one hand on the scabbard of his Zanpakuto. Deidara seemed surprised by this, almost as if he had forgotten about Itachi's presence. "Itachi, what are you-?"
"If you use your Bankai, then there's no doubt that even more Shinigami will arrive. I've been using Kido to hide the explosions from any unwanted outside attention, but I can't keep it up if you choose to use your Bankai." Stopping right in front of Deidara, Itachi continued to keep his eyes on Kenpachi as he kept his left hand on his Zanpakuto's scabbard. "I'll deal with him now. You go and report to Leader that we'll be departing Seireitei shortly."
"You'll be there shortly?" Kenpachi laughed out loud as if Itachi had just said something ridiculous. "Don't make me laugh! I know that you're strong, but don't get so cocky. Were the rest of the Uchiha cocky scum like you before you killed them off?" When Itachi didn't reply, Kenpachi continued. "Oh, and I heard all about how you killed them off in the middle of the night. Talk about a coward!"
Deidara seemed nervous at Kenpachi mocking of Itachi. Th-This guy's crazy! Itachi's more calm and mellow than any person I've ever met, but even I know that he's more dangerous than that Aizen Sosuke guy! He's really asking for it, hm.
Itachi, however, didn't seem fazed by Kenpachi's insults whatsoever. "Animals like you always perceive things from a one-dimensional point-of-view."
Kenpachi narrowed his eyes as he stared hard at Itachi.
…
Itachi suddenly seemed to appear right in front of Kenpachi as he spun around and swung his suddenly unsheathed Zanpakuto at the captain in a wide arc. Kenpachi's single visible eye widened as raised his sword, just barely able to block the speedy events that had all taken place in the span of half a second. S-So quick! thought Kenpachi to himself. This guy's even quicker than that Kuchiki and annoying nibantai-taichou!
As soon as both of their blades clashed, Itachi disappeared only to reappear next to Kenpachi, his sword at the ready. Kenpachi's head quickly snapped around in Itachi's direction, and he quickly slammed his Zanpakuto down at Itachi, only to come crashing down on an empty space.
Kenpachi growled in annoyance as he looked around. "Where the hell did that sneaky weasel go flying off to now?" He suddenly leaned his head back, barely evading the tip of Itachi's blade as it passed near his neck. Scoffing, Kenpachi swung down with his blade, but Itachi simply slapped it aside with the flat of his blade.
"Your Zanjutsu skills are most impressive," noted Itachi as he and Kenpachi engaged in a sword fight. "Even if they rely on brute force for the most part, your skills are undeniable, Zaraki-taichou." Itachi easily dodged a swing from Kenpachi, the blade breezing past his neck harmlessly. Right away, Itachi spun around and landed a pivoted round kick on Kenpachi's ribs, sending him flying ten feet away and into a tree.
Right away, Itachi leapt into the air and generated a glowing blue-white energy rod from his hand, as calm as can be as he threw it straight at Kenpachi. "Bakudō #62: Hyapporankan." As the rod sped through the air, it suddenly split apart into a hundred identical rods, all of them speeding towards Kenpachi. This was all done in such fluid movements that Kenpachi had almost no time to react at all.
The rods pinned Kenpachi against the tree, completely immobilizing him. Unlike Hisagi's Hyapporankan, which was severely weakened because he used it without the incantation, Itachi was a master of Kido, allowing him to use the Bakudō spell to its fullest potential. This was enough to hold even Kenpachi down, even if for just a moment.
Right as Itachi's foot touched the ground, he sped forward so that his fingertips were touching Kenpachi's chest. His eyes as emotionless as ever, Itachi looked up at Kenpachi. "Rikujōkōrō." Six thin, wide beams of yellow energy suddenly materialized around Kenpachi, trapping him instantly. "Sajō Sabaku." As he said this, Itachi clenched his hand into a fist, and a thick yellow rope of energy materialized and wrapped itself around Kenpachi, successfully binding him.
Kenpachi growled in anger as he struggled against the three Bakudō spells. "Shit! You fucking pussy!" he spat out in annoyance. "You Kido users really piss me off! Fight me for reals like a real worthy opponent!"
Deidara stared at Itachi's handiwork in amazement. "Three Bakudō spells consecutively without incantations? That's impressive, hm."
"Hardly," replied Itachi as he ignored Deidara's compliment. "It's all about reiatsu control." Pointing his finger at Kenpachi, Itachi scoffed lightly under his breath as he looked at the struggling captain. "Holding back won't get you anywhere, Zaraki-taichou. This 'you' might be frighteningly strong to other opponents, but I am not your average opponent…" Itachi closed his eyes as Kenpachi slowly began to break free of his bindings.
"To break free of three high-ranking Bakudō spells without relying on your full reiryoku…" Itachi's eyes began to slowly open as he spoke. "You truly are frightening… but even so, with the Uchiha, reiatsu alone is useless when it comes to our power."
Itachi's eyes fully opened to reveal a three-pointed shuriken with curved edges. Kenpachi's visible eye widened as he saw this, almost as if he was stuck in a trance. Wh-What the hell is up with his eyes? They definitely aren't the standard Sharingan pattern that I've seen before…
Itachi slowly unsheathed his Zanpakuto as he stared into Kenpachi's single visible eye.
…A second later, Kenpachi's cries of pain rang throughout the area, causing all of Kenpachi's men as well as other people beyond that point to look back towards the source of the cries in alarm.
Moments later…
Soifon and fifteen of her assassins sped through the forest as they headed for the source of the cries from earlier. Those cries from earlier… That couldn't have been… Zaraki, could it? She shook her head in denial. No, there's no way. That man is a monster who feels no pain… He couldn't have…
…
Soifon and her team landed on the ground moments later as they arrived at the scene of the battle that had just taken place moments earlier. "Look around for any signs of the enemy!" ordered Soifon as she looked around the area. "Keep up your guard and keep your weapons at the ready! This is Uchiha Itachi that we're after, so look sharp!"
"Soifon-taichou, over here!"
Soifon looked over at the direction of the voice, and she looked on in shock at what lay before her. I-Impossible…! Just what in the world is this…? In front of her lay Kenpachi, completely unconscious and defeat. Soifon flash stepped over to Kenpachi's side and knelt down beside him, checking his pulse. "He's still alive, that's for sure." She glanced over at her men who were standing behind her. "You three, go and get someone from the 4th Division over here right away!"
"Yes, Soifon-taichou!" And with that, three of Soifon's men disappeared from view.
Soifon looked back down at Kenpachi, a look of angry confusion on her face. "To be able to have done this to a monster like Zaraki… It must have been Itachi…" She bit her bottom lip angrily. "Itachi, that bastard…"
|Outskirts of Seireitei, Seireitei, Soul Society|
Itachi and Deidara walked along a dirt path as they left Seireitei behind them, the large structure growing smaller and smaller in the distance. Without a word, Deidara raised his hand into the air and waved at nothing in particular.
Almost instantly, a fairly large white bird flew in from nowhere, a particular one that didn't seem to be one of any particular species. It was the one which Sasori had used to escape- a clay bird, in fact. How it was alive and moving was a mystery, something that none of the other Akatsuki members except Deidara himself knew.
As the clay bird glided down to hover beside Deidara as he and Itachi continued to walk, it opened its mouth, to which Deidara reached down inside of it with his hand to pull out an Akatsuki robe identical to the one that he wore along with the same straw hat with tassels hanging from the border.
"Here." Deidara handed both the robe and straw hat to Itachi, which Itachi accepted.
Putting on the robe, Itachi slid his sheathed Zanpakuto into his right sleeve and pulled the straw hat over his eyes. "Still having that creature tag along with you everywhere you go, I see."
"It has its benefits," replied Deidara calmly. "Anyways, you should focus more on your eyes. Using your Mangekyo Sharingan like that isn't very responsible of you. You could've taken out that Zaraki Kenpachi without having to have relied on that."
Itachi remained silent for a full minute as they approached a nearby hill, a village visible just right below it. "Blood-thirsty monsters like him need to subdued in a different way than normal Shinigami. For one who feels no fear, a much more inhuman method is needed."
Deidara let out a light laugh as they walked down the hill, the bells on their tassels ringing with each step that they took.
"Itachi… You and your Zanpakuto are truly frightening, hm."
|Desert Wasteland, Soul Society|
…It had been three days since Naruto' departure from Seireitei. Naruto had decided to go off in the direction of the desert terrain of Soul Society, while Sasuke had decided to remain in Seireitei for a couple more days before leaving. Naruto had decided to spend his time honing his skills and mastering his Bankai, and he for this reason he decided to travel to an isolate location for maximum concentration…
Naruto looked up at the bright sun, beads of sweat rolling down his face as he squinted against the bright sunlight. I've been walking in the desert for two whole days… No food, no water… At this rate, I won't be able to-, to-… Naruto suddenly pitched forward, falling face-flat on the sandy surface of the desert.
"Naruto…!" growled Kurama from within Naruto's mind. "What the hell's wrong with you? Get up, Naruto…!"
"Too… exhausted…" replied Naruto weakly. "I've been walking for over 48 hours straight… Just one minute of sleep and I'll be fine… Just one minute…"
Naruto felt his vision blur as a shadow stretched over him. Gathering the last of his strength, he managed to lift his head a tad bit up- enough to see a white-haired cloaked figure staring down at him. Sighing, Naruto's head dropped back down on the sand, finally blacking out from pure exhaustion.
The figure continued to stare down at Naruto's unconscious figure as he bent down, his hand reaching out as he grabbed the limp figure and slung him over his shoulder. Turning around, he started to walk away without hesitation.
…
Four hours later, Naruto woke up to the delicious smell of fish, pork, and vegetables boiling in a pot. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around as he yawned out loud. A cave… His eyes stopped at a cloaked figure who was seated by the pot, his back turned to Naruto. Slowly getting up in a sitting position, Naruto saw his Zanpakuto lying beside him and slowly reached over for it.
"There's no need for a weapon," said the figure suddenly, startling Naruto. "Come on over and enjoy a nice meal. You look absolutely famished."
Naruto cautiously walked over to the figure and seated himself next to him. Glancing at the figure out of the corner of his eyes, Naruto graciously accepted the bowl of stew from the figure and started digging into it, not having eaten for two whole days.
The figure laughed heartily as he watched Naruto eat, soon digging into his own bowl of stew. "Eat up, eat up!" he said cheerfully. "There's enough here for seconds, thirds, fourths, and fifths!"
…Six bowls later, Naruto leaned back with a toothpick in his mouth, completely full. The figure passed Naruto a large bamboo container of water, which Naruto chugged down in less than three seconds. Laying the empty container down beside him, Naruto looked over the figure, finally having a chance to see who his rescuer was.
"So..." began Naruto warily. "Who are you, if that's all right to ask?"
The figure glanced at Naruto before removing his cloak. He was a tall man with waist-length, spiky white hair tied back into a ponytail. He also had red lines that ran down from his eyes and wore a horned forehead protector with the kanji for 'Sage' on it. His clothing attire consisted of a green short shirt kimono and matching pants, under which he wore mesh armor that stuck out of the sleeves and legs of his outfit. His outfit was completed with hand guards, a simple black belt, and a pair of Japanese getas; to top it all off, he wore a red haori with two simple yellow circles on each side.
He seems harmless enough, thought Naruto to himself. His eyes widened as he caught sight of something sticking out from behind the figure. It was the end of a scabbard, and as the figure turned around to lay his cloak on a rock, Naruto saw that it was in fact a Zanpakuto. It was a regular katana with a regular bronze tsuba along with a red hilt and pink diamond patterns.
A Shinigami…! Naruto's eyes narrowed as he focused on the individual's reiryoku. I never thought that he would be a Shinigami, but now that it's clear… His reiryoku is absolutely incredible…! It's even stronger than most of the captain's that I've met in the Gotei 13…!
"Who are you?" asked Naruto out loud. "You're a Shinigami, aren't you? Why aren't you with the Gotei 13?" When the figure didn't reply, Naruto scowled in annoyance. "Are you a deserter? Not that I give two cents about it, but you don't seem like a normal Shinigami, mister. So… who are you?"
…
"I'm glad you asked…" The figure suddenly spun around, his arms outstretched in a ridiculous pose. "So you noticed my overwhelming power, did you?!" he asked in a comical manner. "Well then, allow me to enlighten you! Where I come from, I have been revered as the Toad Sage! All women fall helplessly in love before me, unable to resist my charm! All enemies cower in fright at the mere mention of my name! I am the amazing Jiraya!" The figure spun his hair around in a dramatic fashion and struck another comical pose. "That is me!"
…
"Bye." Naruto looked completely bored as he walked towards the entrance of the cave, a comical look of boredom on his face. Jiraya, the figure, had a comical look of disbelief on his face, his jaw dropped as he stared at Naruto, still in his ridiculous, dramatic pose.
"WAIT!"
Naruto turned around and gave Jiraya a look of "what the hell do you want, you creep?" Jiraya ditched his pose and resumed his serious face as he looked hard at Naruto. "Sorry about the-, uh, the introduction. I haven't had company in over fifty years, so I got a little carried away there."
"Uh huh…" Naruto didn't seem amused by this. "So what do you want?"
"You don't remember much about who you were, do you?" asked Jiraya in a curious tone. "Who you were before all of this?"
Naruto's comical expression turned into one of serious curiosity as he stared at Jiraya.
...
|Las Noches, Hueco Mundo, Soul Society|
Harribel, the Third Espada, was the sole leader of Hueco Mundo. With Aizen and his subordinates no longer in the picture, as well as with the death of Espada One and Espada Two, there was no one else who could match her strength. Sure, Ulquiorra was probably the only Espada of a lower rank who could've taken her on with that second release form of his, but he too had been defeated by Kurosaki Ichigo, the Shinigami-daikou.
The only Espada who were still active, Harribel had already gathered up together. First, there was Grimmjow, the Sixth Espada. Ichigo hadn't dealt the final blow, leaving Grimmjow almost dead, but Grimmjow had been healed by one of the Gotei 13 captains at some unknown point during the battle. There was also Nel, the former Third Espada, but she was still stuck as a child.
…Harribel was sitting on Aizen's throne, the Queen of Hueco Mundo. Since Aizen's betrayal, Harribel had denounced her alliance to Aizen, but she still held her respect for him. She sighed, completely bored with nothing to do. Now that the battle is over, there's nothing to do…
"Harribel-sama! We had reports of a disturbance somewhere North of Hueco Mundo!"
Harribel looked up at the sound of one of her Fraccion members, Apacci. "Apacci, what's the situation?" asked Harribel calmly. "From the sound of your voice, I'm guessing that these aren't ordinary intruders?"
"Y-Yes," replied Apacci in a slightly embarrassed tone. "Please accept my apolo-."
THUD! The large double doors slammed open, three figures walking into the room right after. A menacing chill filled the air as they entered the room, and Harribel shot up in her throne as she stared at the middle figure in absolute shock. Th-This is… This is impossible…! she said to herself as she felt her hands tremble slightly.
Standing in front of the trio was… Ichimaru Gin. He was clothed in his regular clothes that he wore when he was under Aizen's command, and his injuries, including the horrible injury on his right arm. His usual unnerving grin was plastered on his face. He was backed up by Itachi and Deidara, who were on his left and right, respectively.
"Well well well, ain't this a nice lil' reunion?" said Gin in his usual carefree yet sinister voice. "Harribel, havin' fun on Aizen-taichou's throne, huh?" Gin's unnerving gaze wandered over to Apacci, who seemed to pale as she caught Gin's stare.
"Ichimaru Gin," whispered Harribel in shock. "What-... I heard that you were killed by Aizen. How are you-?"
Gin's smile fell at Harribel's question. He looked down at the floor as he thought back to the events during the invasion of Karakura Town.
…Gin felt his vision dim more and more with each passing second. Rangiku continued to sob over him, quietly begging for him to not die. As he looked up at the sky, he felt one last grin tug on his face as he thought back to moments earlier when Kurosaki Ichigo had appeared to save them. He's definitely stronger now, thought Gin to himself. He's grown much stronger...
Rangiku suddenly looked up, startled by a noise that came from across the street. Looking up, she turned her head to see an orange-haired figure with multiple piercings on his nose, ears, and lips approaching the two. Next to him was a frightened Orihime, her obviously having been forced to come here.
"Orihime!" Despite Gin laying on the ground, dying, Rangiku quickly sprang up and unsheathed her Zanpakuto, rushing at the figure with her weapon held out by her side. As she swung at the figure, she looked on in shock as the figure caught the swing bare-handed. "Wh-What in the world?" Rangiku freed the blade from the figure's grip, but just as she was about to swing again, the figure turned his head to glance into her eyes, and she felt her knees give away as she fell on the ground on all fours, struggling to catch her breath from the force of the figure's overwhelming reiatsu.
"Ichimaru Gin," said the figure as he stood over the fallen Shinigami. "I'm not finished with you yet."
…
Gin looked up at Harribel, his grin reappearing on his face. "Pain decided that he wasn't finished with me yet," he said finally. "That's it."
"Pain?" Harribel's eyes narrowed as she stared hard at Gin. "So you're on the Akatsuki's side now?"
"The Akatsuki? Don't be so ridiculous," said Gin in an amused tone. "It ain't anythin' like that. I simply have a debt that I gotta repay to Pain, ya know."
Itachi glanced at Gin out of the corner of his eyes, and then he turned his gaze to Harribel. "We're not here to chat about nonsensical things," he said quietly. "We've come with order from our leader regarding the state of Las Noches."
"We have no need of your help," said Harribel in a slightly harsh tone. "I am the sole leader of Hueco Mundo now."
"The once ten are now only two," stated Itachi. "The Espada's firepower is not even a third of what it once was. That, and your Arrancar army lost almost a third of its members. If an enemy was to attack- for instance, the Gotei 13, you wouldn't be able to stand a chance."
Harribel narrowed her eyes as she glared at Itachi. "A cocky one, aren't you? Just because my comrades all died off doesn't mean that your people can do whatever you want. This is my home. It's under my protection, got it?"
"She's a tough one, isn't she?" remarked Deidara with a laugh. "Itachi, leave this to me! I'll beat some sense into her, hm!"
Itachi stretched out his arm in front of Deidara as he took a step forward, stopping him. "We didn't come here to fight," said Itachi as he glanced at Deidara. "Anyways, you wouldn't be able to defeat her."
Deidara scoffed as he turned his head to the side, crossing his arms in a huff. Itachi lowered his arm as he turned his gaze back to Harribel. "This isn't a takeover, don't misunderstand our intentions. We're offering our help in exchange for your allegiance to the Akatsuki. That's all."
Harribel seemed to think over this for a while. After a full minute, she spoke. "All I want is for my comrades to be safe," she said in a quiet whisper. "I don't want to face such a betrayal again."
The whole chamber grew quiet as Harribel's words echoed softly throughout the room. Gin, Itachi, and Deidara remained quiet, as well as Harribel and Apacci.
|Kuchiki Manor, Seireitei, Soul Society|
Sasuke looked around his temporary room that Byakuya had provided him with during his stay in Seireitei. Despite his status as an Uchiha, which was kept secret from everyone except the captains and vice-captains, he seemed to have gotten along well with Byakuya, who seemed to understand and relate to Sasuke's cold personality.
"So you're leaving?"
Sasuke turned around to see Rukia standing by the door. "Yeah," said Sasuke curtly. "Don't you have more important things to attend to?"
"You should try relaxing for once," said Rukia in a contradicting tone. "You're always tense and never seem to get along with anyone."
Sasuke glanced at Rukia for a split second before turning away. Grabbing his Zanpakuto from the bed, he strapped it onto his back and looked around the room one last time before nodding in satisfaction. Turning around, he brushed past Rukia without giving her a second glance.
"Tell your brother 'thank you' for me," said Sasuke as he walked away from Rukia.
Rukia turned around and watched Sasuke leave. "Yeah… Yeah, I will."
|Seireitei, Soul Society|
Sasuke looked up at the sky as he reached the northern gate of Seireitei, squinting against the bright sun that hovered overhead. Well… It looks like it's time to get out of here. Sighing, he resumed walking towards the White Road Gate.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
Sasuke's eyes widened at the sound of the voice behind him, quickly spinning around to see who the person was. I didn't even hear anyone coming…! Standing behind was a fairly frail old male who looked to be at least over eight hundred years old. He was backed up by two masked figures in black cloaks and hoods. He had shaggy black hair and grey eyes, and he had an x-shaped scar on his chin. He didn't wear the standard Shihakushō that the Shinigami wore; instead, he wore a white shirt with a black robe over it that went all the way down to his feet. He also had a wooden cane which he leaned on, as well as bandages that were wrapped around the right side of his face.
Sasuke stared at the figure standing in front of him, a calm and relaxed look on his face. "Who are you?"
The figure shifted as he leaned forward on his cane. "My name is Shimura Danzo, and I have an offer for you."
…"How would you like to join the Foundation?"
To be continued…
The next chapter will be featuring the new arc, which features Naruto's training with Jiraya (which might include Sennin Mode), as well the Akatsuki as the main antagonist of the arc. It will also feature Sasuke and a little of Danzo as Sasuke tries to find out about Itachi's whereabouts to hunt him down to demand the answers to his questions. The arc will precede the Quincy Arc. The Quincy Arc will come up right after the next arc.
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