Chapter 3
Naruto walked into squad 1 barracks with a calm look on his face. He had been called into the place by Yamamoto. He wanted to see what the old fool wanted to discuss with him. It had to be important though. If not, he would walk away while the old man was still talking. He never did like listening to the old man when he started talking. It was all about soul society this and society that. He disliked hearing it. The man never stopped preaching Soul Society. If there was an award, he would surely fill a cabinet with them given to him by the Soul Society for his outstanding work.
Yamamoto was standing beside his lieutenant. The lieutenant held a Captains' Haori on his right hand. Naruto raised a brow seeing this. It was certainly held for him. The Sotaicho wanted him to wear that thing again. But He had already told him that he would not be captain again. What more did the old man want with him?
''I have already told you Yamamoto; I have no interest in wearing the useless thing again,'' Naruto stated as he drew closer to the Sotaicho.
''Yes you have,'' Yamamoto said with a firm tone, and a nod to emphasize that Naruto had indeed say he was not becoming a captain again. By the look the man had on his face, Naruto knew that there was something going on. He was not going to wait for it to happen.
''What is...'' he never got to finish as Yamamoto drew out his Zanpakuto without even calling out its name. In a second, he was already in front of Naruto swinging Ryuujin Jakka across his torso. Naruto was quick to react. He quickly blurred away from the captain-commanders' reach and appeared a few distance away. He was not cut by the blade nor did it even touch him. If Yamamoto wanted to cut him, he would have had to do better than that. But he was sure that the man was aware of the fact that something like that would not cut him nor even touch him.
Yamamoto did not look like he was going to attack again. He sealed his blade and went back to stand beside his second in command. He eyed Naruto dangerously, ''You are weak,'' he said in clear belief in his words. It was apparent with the look of his face and the tone of his voice.
''Do you really believe so?'' Naruto asked with narrowed eyes and a blank look on his face. This was most interesting. He had not calculated Yamamoto to play a dangerous game like this. But he should have expected it. The man always did try all his best to get him under his thump. He never did understand that he, Naruto, was beyond his control.
''Long ago, you would not have dodged that attack. You would have simply caught my blade or blocked it. This time you ran away from my blade,'' The Sotaicho stated without a shred of doubt in his words.
''Are you saying that I dodged because an attack like that could have cut me?'' an interesting theory there by the man. But that attack could not have cut him. Yamamoto had to have known that. And he was proved right when the man responded to his question.
Yamamoto shook his head slightly. ''You are being cautious. During your days, you never dodged anything like that, even if it was a weak attack. You always took an attack head on,'' that was certainly the truth. The man never dodged any attack. When attacked by a stronger technique, he either took it head on or used his own technique to cancel the attack out. He even went as far as to catch his own blade, Ryuujin Jakka. No one had ever done that. But never has he attempted to dodge an attack.
''What if I am simply changing my fighting style?''
''No,'' The Sotaicho stated in a firm tone. ''You are a mere shell. You no longer have that power you once had; power that even frightened me. All I need to do is to use my full power and you will crumble.''
Naruto smiled, not even the slightest worried. Yamamoto was always bold to make statements like that. It was no surprise to him when he did. ''Are you positive about that?''
Yamamoto took the Captain's Haori and threw it at the blond. ''You will take the position of Fifth squad captain. And you will no longer speak nonsense in front of me and other captains, is that clear?''
''No,'' Naruto gave a firm answer. He had already refused. He was not going to do circles. But given his state, he could do away with things that could put his transition at risk. So he responded, ''If you want me to wear this thing again, you will have to make me.''
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes at Naruto. The blond was not backing down. He had thought he would after what he had said so far, but it appears that he was wrong. It was of no bother though. He was interested in seeing how strong Naruto had become now. He had lost much of his power. That much was obvious. ''Fine then,'' the Sotaicho said as he drew his Zanpakuto. ''If a beating is what it takes to install some sense in that stubborn head of yours, then I will give you a beating.''
Naruto merely smiled - it was by no means a happy smile. Without another word to Yamamoto, he disappeared. He knew Yamamoto would follow his steps. Drawing a fight at a place like this with the old man would also cause much commotion; he was not going to have to deal with that sort of thing. Watchers would certainly come around to see who was foolish enough to provoke the anger of the man hailed as the strongest Shinigami in the Soul Society. It surely had to be a rare sight to see Yamamoto fight.
''You still have your speed,'' Yamamoto commented as he appeared before Naruto. He had not wasted time in following the blond. He was determined to give the blond a beating. He narrowed his eyes around; they were at a secluded place a bit far away from other people.
''Let us see what you can do, Shingekuni,'' Naruto stated as he held out his right hand. Black flames formed on his right hand and started to swirl around for some time. His eyes flashed bright red for a moment before the flames disappeared leaving a silk black blade. The sword was black from its tip to the handle. It did not look anything special.
Flames burst out around Yamamoto and surrounded the two. The Sotaicho's spiritual pressure began to rise up to higher levels. Some people back in Seireitei could feel it. This feeling had them questioning as to what could have the Sotaicho raise his power level. But some were smart enough to stay away. But Naruto remained calm as he watched the flames. Yamamoto undid his cloth from his shoulders, allowing Naruto to see his masculine chest and many battle scars.
''That is not a good sight to see,'' Naruto said, commenting on the scars around the old man's upper body. He could never allow scars like that to suffice on his body.
Yamamoto ignored the words and gripped his blade tightly, ''Are you ready for a beating?'' he did not wait for Naruto to answer; he simply disappeared in a burst of speed. The fact that Naruto was not being burned or did not seem concerned with his flames did not surprise him. He was used to the sight.
He appeared in front of Naruto, swinging his Zanpakuto from up to downwards attempting a vertical slash across Naruto's chest. The blond raised his blade and held it in a horizontal position. The swords clashed in midair and created a sound shockwave. Naruto remained rooted on his spot. The power behind Yamamoto's swing caused chunks of earth to be lifted behind him. His feet also burrowed to the ground slightly.
Again, Yamamoto swung his blade towards Naruto. But the blond ducked under the swing instead of parrying it like he would have done. As Yamamoto's blade passed him, he rose up again to face another assault from the Sotaicho, this time he parried the attack. He was not surprised by the strength behind Yamamoto's strike. It was most strength than any other Shinigami could master. He was still powerful physically despite being of old age. He had expected such a thing from the old man. Age really did not matter for a man like him.
Yamamoto retrieved his blade and swung it towards Naruto's neck. Had it not been for the block, it would have cut off the blond's head. The blond simply raised his blade and blocked the swing. Again, the clash of the swords caused some debris to pick up on Naruto's side. While his sword was still clashing with the Sotaicho's, the blond quickly raised his right hand, opening its palm facing Yamamoto.
''Cero,'' the blond uttered as he shot a black beam of energy directly at Yamamoto's face. The captain commander hurriedly made to escape from the path of the technique. It was not enough to injure him, but dealing with Naruto, one could never know.
Yamamoto appeared a few feet away from Naruto; he had no injury, despite receiving a hit from the Cero Naruto shot at him. He noticed that the former self proclaimed God of Soul Society had not moved at all. His feet were at the same place they had been since he started attacking. That was a surprise.
''Your swings are still strong,'' Naruto said in a calm tone. ''I have seen all that I wanted to see; you have not grown weaker over the years,'' This was not so much of a good thing for him. Well it had its advantages. But the disadvantages outweighed the advantages; hence it was not a good thing for him. He looked at his blade as it shattered into pieces. Paying no mind to it, he folded his hands across his chest. He would have to play safe. ''You win, I will take the post again,'' with that, Naruto was gone.
Yamamoto sighed; he should have expected that the only reason Naruto would even agree to this was because he wanted to see if his strength had toned down. Well he did get his answer. But he was certain that Naruto seemed reluctant to fight. He did not even try to swing his blade towards him. He only remained rooted in one sport. He knew it was not because of fear of him. That bustard never feared anything or anyone.
It made him curious though, why was he reluctant? His swings were by no means toned down, and the blond still took it all, without even moving. What was certain was that he no longer had the power he used to have. But why was he reluctant?
Naruto's house
'Takemi?' a soft voice spoke within his head.
'Amaterasu?'
'Finally,' the spirit said releasing a tired sigh. 'I have been trying to talk to you for a long time now.'
'You do know that it has to be difficult. You are in another dimension after all,' the blond responded as he sat down on a couch within his house.
'Yes I am aware of that, but our bond is stronger than that. Distance cannot come between us, it cannot be a barrier. Only death can succeed in that. But we cannot die. So our bond is eternal.'
'I formed you that way,' Takemi said. But still, he could only hear the voice; there was no physical appearance of Amaterasu. Well she was still locked up in the Soul King's dimension. The distance could not allow her to manifest physically. 'Has it started already?'
'Yes, I can feel your other half leaving me,' she paused for a moment. 'Are you certain that the fragments of your soul will not scatter around in this dimension?'
'Positive,' the blond answered. What he had told Unohana was the truth, but only half truth. He had indeed created Amaterasu from half of his soul. But over the years, his other half gave birth to a spirit which became the spirit sword. His other half merged with the Sword spirit and became one. This made it impossible for him to retrieve his other half. But even so, Naruto still called her Amaterasu. When he released his Bankai, his soul returned to him, temporarily. He could not keep it from leaving his body again as it was attached to Amaterasu.
Over the years - before he was sealed, he had attempted to get his other half back, but he never found a way. Well until then, before he was sealed. With his other half always within his blade, he could never reach his full power. Added to the fact that a small part of his soul was already missing; it was sealed. This half small part had no consequence to his health. Nevertheless, it restricted his power from crossing a certain barrier. But he had found a way to restore everything, so to reach his full potential. That was why he was here.
'How long do you think it will take for your other half to separate from me?'
'I do not know, but be patient. I have already activated ''that'' portal. Once my other completely separates from you, it will search for me. The portal will keep calling for it. Once it finds it, it will return to me. Not so long after that I will come and get you.'
'Fine,' and then her voice became silent.
Naruto was not worried though. She was patient; she could wait for some time until he regains his power. He knew that since he was now awake, she too was awake. This meant that she was lonely in the other side of the world. But for his plans to become fruitful, it had to be like this. Amaterasu knew him better than anyone, despite residing within the blade, not inside an inner world like other Zanpakuto spirits. She was a part of him after all, and only he could speak to her, and wield her.
It was not in his plans to take the captain's haori again, but he knew that Yamamoto was not going to take no for an answer. The old man would have surely fought him until there was no breath in his body. He was not going to have that. It would not have been good for his health if he had continued fighting. He had to lose his evolution gradually. If it were to just disappear at once, his body would not be been able to handle it. This would be a hazard for his health. At this stage, unnecessary risks had to be removed. The situation was delicate and needed to be handled with care.
Things were progressing well for him though, no matter what he finds himself doing, he will always have time to further his plans. He just had to make sure that nothing else slowed him down. Being captain will not slow anything down. It would only give Yamamoto the illusion that he was in charge of everything. Amaterasu would bother him much if anything slowed down her retrieval. The 'woman' could be noisy sometimes. But it was nothing he could not handle.
''You are back already...'' Shutara said as she walked towards the blond. She took a seat close to him and stared straight at his eyes.
''What is it?''
''Yesterday, you said you had been expecting me to return, but never explained,'' she said. She was curious as to how he would know that she would return to him. He had not said anything more to her.
''You, Shutara, are the only person who keeps me from doing anything dangerous - per that 'things' belief. But that is not the truth. And he was just being generous because of the plans he has for me,'' Naruto explained calmly. Certainly, since the Soul King planned for him to die, he had decided to give him a dying wish. The woman had been the only person he ever loved wholeheartedly. The thing called a king was aware of it. Shutara would also keep him busy; push him away from any form of evil thoughts - again as per the Soul Kings' belief.
But things were not as that thing believed.
It was true that she was the only woman he ever loved, but she had no control over him. Sometimes she could be forceful in a scary way, but when situations were serious, he always emerged on top. She was his woman and did not have a final say in his actions. He has never even for once asked for her opinion when he wanted to do certain things. He had never argued with her when she wanted to leave him for the new job she was offered. He wanted her to be happy and make her own decisions, but now, he would not allow her to leave again.
''Generous?''
''You see, Shutara, as it is now, I am dying,'' Naruto revealed earning a wide eyed look from Shutara. She stared at him for some time seemingly frozen.
A life without Naruto? She could not imagine it. The last years had not been easy for her without him, but that was soothed by the fact that he had been still alive. He was only sealed, and she could always 'speak' to him. She had always known that someday he would be released. The thought kept her sane and able to continue with her life.
But the idea of him dying? No, never crossed her mind and she never thought it would be possible. She had always thought he would live for all eternity. She never thought he would someday die. Perhaps he was just joking. No, Naruto would never joke about something like that. By the look on his face, it was indeed true.
''You are dying? How? Why?'' she seemed to have gotten over her shocked stuptor. Her eyes still bore straight into Naruto's as she questioned. She wanted to know and understand the situation. Last time they had been told they were going to seal him, not kill me. One might not be able to see the difference in having him sealed and killed. But she could see the difference. With him being sealed, she knew that he could always be released and walk amongst them or he could escape since nothing ever seemed to tie him down. Death was another story. If he died, he could not return back to life and she would be responsible for that.
''That is another story for another time,'' Naruto said calmly. He was not going to explain it to her. It was best she was kept in the dark about this for the time being. He could not have following him everywhere to ensure that he was fine. And this matter was best kept away from her. ''But have no fears; only that fool of a king believes that I will die. But he should know better.''
Shutara nodded and released a sigh of relief. ''I thought I had lost you there for a second,'' she said. She was very relieved. Although she got the feeling that Naruto was not going to answer her question, she was still pleased that he was with her. She was not worried about being given false hope. Naruto would never do that to her. If he was dying, he would tell her that he was going to die and there was nothing he or she could do about it. That was how he handled their relationship. But she was also aware that he does not tell her everything.
''What did Yamamoto want with you?''
''He was offering me that captain's Haori by force. I refused and we clashed swords a few times before I chose to agree,'' Naruto replied. He had left the damn thing. He would have to return to the Sotaichou to take it. Amusing that he who stood above all beings was going to be wearing something he deserted long ago. Being a captain of the Gotei 13 was below the God of Soul Society. But for the time being, he would endure all. Still, he had never thought he would wear the captains Haori again, but the situation forced him to do it.
For greater glory ahead, he would endure.
''So you are taking your old division again,'' Shutara said as she crawled towards Naruto's chest. She rested her back on his chest. It was cold and gave her no comfort. It was never like that before. Every time she rested like this, he always released warmth that was only reserved for her. But it was now not there. She could not feel it. It was just cold, giving away nothing. Still, she refused to dwell on it. As long as he was here, ''Things should be interesting from now on.''
''Certainly,'' Naruto agreed.
''You know when you walked out on me, I thought you were mad at me. I thought you no longer wished for me to be by your side.''
''Woman,'' that was not good, Shutara thought. Whenever Naruto called her like that, he was going to tell her how much disappointed he was. ''How can you say things like that? You thought I know longer wanted you by my side? You are the one who left me so that you could babysit the sleep obsessed fool. I did not tell you to go, you left. I made no complaints. Even if I no longer wanted you by my side, you should not make complaints since I also did not make any complaints.''
The cold and hollow feeling she felt from his chest was transferred into his tone. Yes, things have changed. He never used a tone like that to her. Even though she had done something unpleasant, he always talked to her with love and care. He never gave off a hollow feeling towards her. Perhaps other people, but not her. ''I get that I was wrong to leave you. But I wanted the job and You were also offered the same position, I thought you would take it too.''
''Me, body guarding that thing? Never. You should have known better. No one forced you to take the post even when I was not going. You did it on your own will,'' Naruto stated in a stern tone.
''I know. And I will always regret leaving in the first place. But once I took the job, there was no turning back. I had sworn with my life that I would protect the Soul King until my body could no longer allow me to,'' she spoke with determination in her last part. Despite all, she could take back her words after she had sworn to protect the Royal Family. She could not go against that, despite her feelings.
''For the only woman who was rumored to be the only one I cared for, you don't act as one. Perhaps I was too kind to you,'' Naruto said.
''Too kind?'' she feared what he would do if he was no longer going to be too kind to her. She had seen how he treated other people. She did not want to fall victim to that.
''Yes, had it not been it, you would have never left my side to join him,'' Naruto stated.
Shutara knew this was one conversation she was not going to win. She had a fair victory sometimes, but when it came to things like this, Naruto always won. Perhaps it was because she sometimes strayed away from him. But he was always there for her. But even so, now she believed it, things were different. Naruto was not the same as he was back then, perhaps towards her only.
''I am sor - '' Naruto cut her off.
''Shutara, if you ever do something like that again, I will kill you. I love and care for you, but should you decide to betray me, I will kill you.''
''Really?'' she dared him. He had never been able to lay a finger on her even when she left him to join the Soul King. The very being he despised with all his being. All the time she has known him, he has never spoken anything good about the Soul King. His dislike of the Spirit King was somewhat legendary. He never hid the fact to anyone, not even central 46.
At the beginning of their relationship, she was got used to Naruto's cold ways. And at those days, she was still young and quite a playful woman. She was not used to a cold person waking up next to her. At the begging he offered her little comfort. Yes, she knew he loved her and he tried to give her comfort. It was little comfort. But she knew that no one had ever received even a piece of the comfort her gave her. But it was not enough for her. She had ended up leaving him without saying a word. When he found her, a man was flirting with her. He was a bit overdoing it. Naruto never freaked or seemed angry at what he had seen. But the thing was that...
He murdered the man and left her alone. When she went back home, he told her he would kill her if she did something like that again. He had always threatened to kill her. But never had he shouted or hit her. Whenever he was furious with her, he never allowed his anger to direct his actions when it concerned her. He had made it clear to her that she was his and he would not share her with anyone. Anyone who attempted to drink where he drank would be killed; that was the law.
But after the incident, he showed her more love than he previously. He held her with warm hands. He cared for her more than he had been. That was the turning point of their relationship. From there, he was never cold towards her. He was always kind and loving. Perhaps it was because he had been afraid that she would leave him. If she had done that, someone would have surely been killed brutally.
''It would surely hurt me to kill you, but I can erase the pain from my heart,'' Naruto explained.
''People don't turn emotions on and off like that,'' Shutara said shaking her head. But then again, this was Naruto. Maybe he could do it. ''You have also not been fair to me.''
''Explain.''
''You trust Unohana more than you trust me, your love.'' That was the truth. She would be surprised if he even denied that.
''What makes you say that?'' Naruto asked with a blank look across his face. He was not worried by her question, not even the slightest. But he had not made it obvious that he trusted Unohana more than he trusted her, did he?
''She knows more about you than I do and I know that you share things with her,'' it did not please her at all. She was his lover. He was supposed to share things with her, not Unohana. He only used her for casual sex. True, Naruto knew Unohana before her met her. But she was his woman, not Unohana.
''What more do you want, woman? You have my love, and I trust you. Perhaps not in the same level as Unohana, but you have what is most important. If you are not satisfied with that, show me that I can depend on you.''
The following day (Karankura Town)
A Garganta opened within the skies of the town as Naruto came out of it. His 'rebirth' had left him one sided. He could not utilize most of Shinigami powers and the power of his eyes. The only useful thing that was left in his arsenal was flash step. His hollow powers had been left untouched. This meant that for now he was stuck using hollow powers. It was not that bad. But given his current state, he could not use his most powerful techniques. He did love throwing them around like they were nothing. It would be disappointing that he could not light up some fireworks. It was only temporary though.
'It has been long since I came into this place,' Naruto thought looking around at the town. Since no one could sense him, his appearance would not cause any commotion. He was also not going to lower his power for someone to feel it. He had been supplied with the location of whom he wanted. There was not for him to attract whom he wanted that way.
'Soul Society had banned you from coming into this place,' Amaterasu stated within Naruto's head. 'It has been over 1000 years since they did that. Your spiritual pleasure was not good for the humans. It was hard to since a seal placed on you to limit your power would break within seconds.' That was before Naruto left the Gotei 13. But after he left them, he never did bother coming here as there was nothing useful.
'You are here?' Naruto asked surprised to hear his blade.
'I told you, there is no where you can go where my voice cannot reach you. I might not be able to manifest physically, but because originally I was a part of you, my voice will always reach you.'
'I am aware of that,' Naruto said. He was the one who created her in the first place. 'It is not like you to speak to me this often. You spoke to me yesterday, this morning and now.'
'Takemi, you have not been able to hear my voice for nearly one thousand years and when I try to make up for lost time you say something like that?'
Naruto raised an eyebrow at the words. 'You are bitter about our separation.'
'Of course I am. It feels like you have abandoned me.'
'It is not as if I will have any good fights without you. And besides, it won't take years for me to come and get you.'
'It better not.'
'I sense a threat, Amaterasu. You should not have thoughts like that. Perhaps the fact that my soul is separating from you is making you think that like that. My personality will no longer affect you.'
'Perhaps,'
Naruto sighed and looked down at the humans going about their business completely unaware of the his presence. Soon, they would be able to feel his presence. His condition was deteriorating faster than first thought. He had not thought that it would worsen at this rate. But it was no bother, all worked out better for him.
'Neh, Takemi,' Amaterasu started. 'You have been down twice now. First it was from grace thousand years ago, now it is from your glory.'
'My fall from grace, eh. It was ages ago - mere memories now. But because of it, you understand why I must do this.'
'Yes, they must pay for what they did. Your actual rebirth should awaken the sleeping power that has been sealed shortly before your fall from grace.'
'Be patient, wait for me. I will reclaim that which has been lost and we will sit with the stars as we watch over the world. Heaven was made for us to rule. It is only a matter of time now.'
'I will wait. Just don't take too long. Heaven is waiting for us, and the stars are already bored without their master,' she paused for a moment. 'Well that is what you told me anyway.'
'What is that supposed to mean?'
'You are a liar Takemi. You have lied to everyone. This may be your true self to some extent, but you said things in the past to manipulate future events. Those Shinigami think you always told the truth. But you always had a reason for saying what said to those people. No one knows where you come from or your true age, except for 'him'''
Naruto smiled as Amaterasu's voice disappeared.
'I guess I better go find the scientist,' he thought before disappearing from sight.
Urahara's shop
Naruto appeared in front of the shop he had been told to visit. The location of whom he wanted was this place. Outside it looked like a normal shop. Who could have guessed that a former captain of the hollow obsessed Gotei 13 lived here?
He saw a boy and a girl sweeping. That was at first, but the boy then seemed to be bullying the girl. He walked towards the two children who had not noticed his presence.
''Children,'' he called. ''Where is Urahara?''
The young girl seemed timid. The boy gave him a stare. That was after they had been startled by his sudden appearance. ''Who are you?'' the boy asked, no rather demanded.
''Ano, I think he is a captain,'' the girl said pointing at the Haori Naruto was wearing. It was like any other Captains haori, but his was added a few customs. He had removed the sleeves and added high collars. There were black stars dazzling along the hemline.
Naruto whizzed past the children in a blur and entered the shop. They were left blinking as he disappeared. As soon as he entered the shop, a large man was greeting him.
''You are not the one I am looking for,'' Naruto stated. ''Where is Urahara?''
Tessai sized up Naruto for a moment. Certainly, it was him. ''The owner is currently busy right now. I can go and inform him of your presence.''
''Take me to him,'' Naruto stated. It was not a request and Tessai was smart enough to realize that.
''Please follow me,'' he said turning around. He led Naruto towards the underground entrance, but did not go in. He told the blond to go down and he would find Urahara Kisuke.
As soon as he arrived, Naruto realized that he was in a secret training ground. Whoever created this place was quite crafty. The space looked eternal, and one could do all the damage he/she wanted. But someone like him could destroy it within seconds. Well, that is during his days. Now he no longer had that power. It was sad really.
''Getsuga Tensho!'' he was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the voice and was soon followed by a dark energy coming towards him. Without worries, he brought out his right hand and deflected the technique with his bare hand. The action seemed to notify the occupants of the training ground of his presence.
Naruto locked eyes with a orange haired teen. He looked at the boy calmly. The boy seemed surprised, no shocked that he had deflected his technique. Naruto also sensed to other people around him, but he paid them no mind. ''Can you hit me with that technique again.'' It seemed to be an interesting technique. He wanted to analyze it.
The boy seemed unsure of what to do. He looked confused. ''Who are you?'' he asked finally. It seemed to be the smartest question to ask.
''Sing, Benihime!'' Naruto narrowed his eyes without turning his head. He saw a red beam traveling through the ground towards him, fast. But his eyes could see everything. Like he did with Ichigo's Getsuga Tensho, he deflected the technique with his right hand.
Naruto took a few steps towards the orange haired boy. ''You have an interesting child, Urahara,'' he said now having seen the man. He did not know the man personally, but he spoke like was familiar with him.
''You think so?'' Urahara asked as he became visible with Yoruichi by his side.
''Yes,'' Naruto responded as he stopped in front of Ichigo. He was sensing some impressive Reiatsu from the child. This was the human he had been told of by Unohana - Definitely an interesting human. He had also seen some videos in his lab of the boy. They were just battles of him at Soul Society. But for a human it was something. However it was not enough to make him follow the child's movements.
''Attack me,'' Naruto stated looking straight at Ichigo. He wanted to see what the child could do. Taking things from what he had been told was not good enough for him. But testing it himself was good.
''Huh?''
''Just do it Ichigo!'' Yoruichi yelled. ''It will be a good test for you,'' she was interested in how Ichigo would do against a man like Naruto.
''Ok,'' Ichigo said still looking unsure of himself.
Without another thought, he rushed towards Naruto in an impressive show of speed. He appeared behind Naruto and swung his sword across his back. Naruto did not turn around; he simply disappeared leaving an after image. He appeared behind Ichigo while the teen was still moving in momentum of his swing. He placed his palm on Ichigo's back and pushed him forward.
The teen stumbled forward but got his balance quickly and turned around to take a swipe at Naruto. The blade sped towards Naruto's head. The blond simply raised his right hand and caught Ichigo's blade, surprising the teen.
''Fear,'' Naruto stated looking straight at Ichigo. ''You are not afraid of me, but of something. With that look on your eyes you cannot cut me child, or anyone. The sharpness of your blade is reflected by what you feel inside. When controlled by fear your blade becomes dull.''
He flicked Ichigo's blade out of his hand and turned towards Urahara and Yoruichi. He left the teen standing as he was. He was quite disappointed with the child. Despite having impressive Reiatsu, the fear nullified all that. His power was nothing when fear dominated his mind. His Zanpakuto would reflected nothing but fear.
''You have quite a lovely place,'' Naruto commented as he made his way towards the former captains. He did not wait for Urahara to comment. ''I have come to speak with you.''
Yoruichi and Urahara looked between them before the former nodded. ''I will take Ichigo to the other side to continue with his training,'' she said.
Naruto looked at the woman. Ichigo was quite impressive for a human. To be able to stand up against a captain was no ordinary feat especially for a mere human. Perhaps if it had been a Shinigami then he would not have said anything. ''Training cannot help that child,'' he started. ''He needs to face his fears. If he cannot deal with what scares then he should put his blade down and quit playing Shinigami. It was never a job for humans to begin with.''
Naruto noticed that when he spoke about facing fears, both the former captains cringed. There was definitely more to it. ''You reaction is quite intriguing,'' he stated. ''Perhaps if it was another time I would have been interested in finding out what the child fears.''
Neither Yoruichi nor Urahara had thought he would have noticed. He was highly observant, they would give him that. Urahara had been captain for some time; he was not easy to read. But here Naruto was, a single look and he had already found some interesting information. He had not even asked, they involuntarily gave him the information. They had to be careful so not to give anything out to the man. Without saying anything else, Yoruichi disappeared.
''I thought you had refused the position,'' Urahara stated seeing the custom haori Naruto wore. He had never seen anyone adding a few things to it. But then again, this was Uchiha Naruto. Zaracki had only cut off its sleeves, but it was nothing like what Naruto had done.
''Yamamoto played a good card,'' Naruto responded vaguely.
Urahara nodded and said nothing more. By the answer and look on the blond's face, he knew he was not going to be told what sort of card Yamamoto had played. He could only imagine it had to do with fighting. He could not think of any possible way for the Sotaichou to force Naruto into something he did not want to do.
''I had thought that I would be the one to come before you first,'' the former 12th division captain stated looking at Naruto calmly. Certainly, he had thought that he would be the one to visit the blond because of his need for answers.
Naruto raised a curious eye brow. ''You have spent time with Shunsui and Jushiro; they told you of some things about me that left you with many questions,'' he had yet to even speak with those two. He should make some time to see his former friends. They were not as bad as Yamamoto was.
Urahara nodded. The man was accurate. He did not think he would be like this. ''Anyone would have questions after hearing all about you,'' he stated with a small smile.
''Everyone always has questions,'' Naruto said slipping his hand inside his cloth. He retrieved a folded scroll and threw it at Urahara. ''I want you to decipher that scroll. Retsu tells me you are a genius of some sort.''
Urahara was certainly interest in what was in the scroll. He opened and saw words in an ancient language. He looked carefully at the words, and then realized it was some sort of a formula. He looked at Naruto again, this was ancient language, and he did not think such writing would exist. ''What is it?''
''Like that it looks like a formula. What is written in there is a ''key''. It is set like a puzzle - a puzzle that I cannot solve,'' it was the last 100th key to unlocking a seal that was placed within him. He had already deciphered 99 of them already. But the last one had proved nearly impossible to solve. He had tried all his wits to put it together into a key. As it was now, it was just pieces of the key. Without putting it together, it was useless. Being the last key, it held two functions. All of which were important.
''A key?'' Urahara asked with a thoughtful look on his face. He wondered what the key could unlock. How Naruto came into possession of such scroll with ancient language. He was sure even the Sotaichou would have no luck in understanding the language.
Naruto threw another scroll at Urahara. ''This second scroll has the seal in today's language. I made it so that you could understand what is written. But do not attempt to solve the ''puzzle'' using the second scroll. As you will notice, that second scroll only has word explanations.''
''Can you read this language?'' Naruto nodded. ''What do I get for this? First I don't even know what this key unlocks.''
Naruto smiled slightly. He snapped his fingers and a Garganta opened. Urahara would surely try to figure out what the key unlocks. But he would not figure it. Kisuke of course raised a curious brow seeing Naruto open the portal. ''You said that you wanted answers. Solve that puzzle and I will give you answers. A little brain teaser is something that a scientist would miss,'' with that, the blond stepped into the Garganta and disappeared.
'Liar!' a voice said within Naruto's head as he disappeared.
It did not take long for Yoruichi and Ichigo to appear before Urahara. ''What did he want?''
''Help,'' Urahara responded with a slight smile on his face. Although Naruto had not said anything, it was obvious that this ''key'' was a secret and the fact that he would be busy putting it together ought to be kept a secret.
Ichigo looked frustrated. He had been asking Yoruichi who the man was, but she had not answered his question. She had told him to focus on his training. But he could tell that the man was a captain by the emblem on his haori. But still, he had not seen the man during his short stay at Soul Society.
''Will you tell me who he is already!''
Urahara looked at Ichigo with a look that seemed foreign. ''Ichigo, go upstairs and rest a little. Yoruichi and I will be there after we have discussed a few things.''
The only response Urahara got was a deep scowl and a visibly frustrated Ichigo walking away from him and his childhood friend. The former captain sighed and pocketed the scrolls he had been given. He looked back at Yoruichi, it was clear she was waiting for him to explain some things.
''Like I said Yoruichi, he wanted me to help him with something. I will keep it to myself for now,'' the former captain stated.
Yoruichi glared at him. ''How long have we known each other Kisuke?''
The man sighed. ''Yoruichi, I will explain once I have the answers. For now, I don't have any answers. He just gave me a puzzle that I need to solve. Until I do that, I cannot explain what it is,'' he explained truthfully.
Yoruichi nodded, getting the feeling that he was being honest with her. ''I was surprised that he could deflect your attack like that,'' she said changing the subject.
''I was not surprised,'' Urahara stated. Still, he did notice that to do so, he used his stronger hand. Everything was done with his right hand. He also seemed not to be surprised by Ichigo's speed, even though the teen was in his Bankai state. Well it was obvious that Ichigo was not going as fast as his Bankai could allow him to because of his fears.
''I guess that is to be expected,'' Yoruichi resigned tiredly. ''That was the second time I saw someone catch Ichigo's sword; first it was Aizen with a mere finger, now him. Both were not even trying.''
''There are some strong beings that exist. The Sotaichou is not the only one who installs fear into his opponents by his power.''
Yoruichi nodded. ''He is quite perceptive though,'' she stated.
''I cannot disagree with you on that one.''
''So what were you able to get from him?'' she could count on her friend to have found something on the man.
''He did not give anyway anything,'' Urahara responded. The man was just unreadable. Staring into his eyes did no good either. They were kind of hypnotic. ''But from what I have heard and seen, I think I have found something. I am not sure of it yet.''
''What is it?''
''When he was released, the technique he used was Cero. We know that he does not have his real Zanpakuto. He has not displayed any Shinigami powers as of yet. When he left now, instead using the same gate as any captain or Shinigami, he used a Garganta, a hollow technique,'' Urahara explained with a thoughtful look on his face.
''Are you saying that he cannot use any Shinigami powers?''
''It is only a theory. And it is still early days. We will see as the days go by.''
(Many Years Ago, Flashback)
'Takemi...'
'Yes, Amaterasu,'
'How long are we going to be alone in this part of this world?'
'I don't know,' Naruto answered truthfully. 'The other souls are quite pathetic. No matter how much I try to restrain my power, they just can't stand it.'
'We are going to become bored soon enough. Perhaps we should go to the Hollow world. There should be some hollows there that would entertain us,' Amaterasu suggested.
'You know my teleportation technique is limited with a part of me inside of you. And I need to have seen the place before to be able to teleport,' Naruto responded as he looked at the forlorn skies. He was alone with no one by him. Souls that spent much time near him did not end well. He was forced to live in a secluded area. How his life was boring.
Nothing had ever been normal ever since he woke up in the Rungoki. That day he awoke, he only had vague memories; a part of him was missing. But that was some time ago before he even created Amaterasu. He held power that Shinigami craved. He did not wish for the power to leave him, it was his to command. He had been blessed with it. And he would use it to get what he wanted.
'Can't you generate enough power to bypass that?'
'No,' Naruto responded. 'But if I could find a hollow and get inside its mind I can be able to get a picture of the...' Naruto trailed off as his senses picked up some activities not far from him. He had thought he was alone at this part of Soul Society.
'What is it?'
'It appears there is a group of Shinigami close by,' Naruto answered. Those pathetic black fools. They abused their power, using it to subject the weaker to their wills. It disgusted him to no end.
Amaterasu's voice disappeared from Naruto's head as the blond took the directions of the souls he had sensed. He was using some low level speed to get to the group. He was in no hurry to get there. He was going to end the fight quickly, after all.
Upon reaching the group, he found them making loud noises. They were seated in a circle with two nearly naked young women dancing in the middle. The expressions of the women were that of a fearful one. His presence was quickly noticed due to his high level of Reiatsu.
All the Shinigami then turned towards him with narrowed looks. They knew him by their looks. They had been trash that he had allowed to live before. Today he would allow the trash to disappear. ''I would imagine that this is what weak minded fools do. You disgust me.''
''It's that kid again,'' one said standing up. ''Go away kid!''
''Let us just kill him. It will be payback for what he did last time.''
Naruto cut off any resuming arguments. He really hated using his sword for weak fools. Perhaps he should create a secondary blade for this cause. He released large amounts of Reiatsu that froze all the men.
He disappeared in a burst of electrifying speed and appeared in the middle of the group. The women were already down due to the effects of his Reiatsu. He only looked at them while the Shinigami remained frozen under the pressure of his Reiatsu. The two women were then sucked into a swirling vortex within seconds. They disappeared from view.
''Now then, to take out the trash,'' he said to himself as he turned to the still frozen souls. Within seconds all 17 of them were down, dead. It was quite disappointing when they did not fight back.
'That was disappointing,' his blade spoke his thoughts.
'Yes it was.' Naruto held out his blade. 'Perhaps I should free those women,' he thought.
'Where are you going to take them when you do that?'
'Nowhere; they can find home on their own,' Naruto responded with a shrug. 'Besides, I do no...' again, he trailed off as his senses picked up something. A strong man, very strong was coming towards him, fast. He had not felt anyone this strong ever since he awoke.
A few seconds later, someone appeared before him. He was still holding Amaterasu by his hand. He narrowed his eyes at the man with nothing one could read on his face. Inwardly, Naruto smiled.
'Finally,' he thought.
Authors note
I have left a few gaping holes in this chapter. Like what does the 100th key unlock? What are its two functions? What is the power sleeping within him? Why did Amaterasu call him Takemi? What is his fall from grace? Who is it that knows about Naruto's roots? So far you are only aware of his former glory, nothing about the fall from grace. There is also another portion of his soul that was sealed, so you may have questions about that.
But, I will not be giving any answers. I will reveal them bit by bit as the story progresses. I don't plan on spoiling all the things to happen as I have done with my other stories.
Naruto will not be losing his goal. He will continue until he reclaims his glory again.
He also won't be befriending Ichigo and his gang.
Well anyway, thanks for the reviews.