Thoughts

"Zanpakuto spirit speech"

(Japanese translations)

Scene change

Naruto Chuuten: Rising Into The Heavens

By: Draco Kamikaze

"So, we're all here." Orochimaru said, slowly glancing around at the three people who were surrounding him. He wasn't at the peak of strength, as he would need to change bodies as soon as was possible, and knew that he was quite vulnerable in comparison to the three of them. He could practically feel their power as they stared him down.

Itachi, Sasori, and Kisame watched the snake as he slowly attempted to stand. It had taken them nearly six months after their first meeting on the Bridge of Heaven and Earth, and all three of them were quite pleased to have finally found where the snake had been hiding. They all understood what their mission was, and wouldn't fail in that respect. However, they needed to be careful; he didn't become a member of the Sanin just because he was somewhat smart, he had enough power to back him up. Even in a weakened state, they would watch him like a cornered snake; cautious until they had struck the final blow.

Itachi glanced. "Sasori-san, would you like to do the honors?"

Sasori nodded, his red hair fluttering lightly in the wind. "Hai, that would be appreciated. I still must pay him back for destroying Hiruko. I quite enjoyed using him, although a puppet of a former Sanin would be an excellent new addition. Then I'll get that Kabuto boy. I'll have created three hundred human puppets with you two as additions."

Orochimaru chuckled. "And what makes you think that you'll be able to defeat me in the first place?" As he asked, he suddenly dropped to his knees in a coughing fit. As he pulled his hand away from his mouth, he realized that there was a small amount of blood in his hands. He cursed under his breath as he turned back to them.

Sasori stared at him impassively. "You have weakened to the point where it hurts for you to stand." He reached into his cloak, pulling out a scroll. "Now, I will kill you and the boy, and create my puppets."

Orochimaru growled. "Don't take me lightly!" He yelled as he rushed forward.

"Itachi, Kisame, please stand back." Sasori said as he unsealed the Sandaime Kazekage.

"As you wish. However, we will intervene should we deem it necessary." Itachi said, stepping back from the battle. "Kisame."

Kisame nodded, quickly forming seals. "I know."

A sudden, large explosion filled the building, ripping the roof off of the entire section they had been under. Itachi and Kisame had moved to the top of the hole, staring down at Orochimaru and Sasori as the former partner's faced off.

Orochimaru wasted no time as he rushed forward, surprisingly fast despite his sickness. Sasori didn't flinch as he moved his hands, making the Kazekage open its mouth to spew a large amount of poison gas at him.

Orochimaru formed the snake seal and slid into the ground. He quickly began to move through the ground, sliding towards Sasori. Due to the cloud, he'd created a powerful smokescreen that was now working against him.

Just as he was about to attack Sasori, he stopped. Realization dawned on him as he noticed what Sasori had done. He'd moved forward, slowly walking himself into the very center of the gas. This would mean that if he came up to attack him, he'd be unable to get him without being poisoned.

Clever. He thought, quickly moving to one of the walls. But I won't fall for it.

Slowly extending himself from the earth, he glared into the poison cloud. He could barely make out the vague shape of Sasori in the center of the cloud, not yet noticing that he was being watched. Orochimaru quickly flew through a set of seals, ending on the tiger seal. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu! (Grand Fireball Technique)"

The ball of flame quickly sped towards the figure in the center, pushing the poison away as it seemed to charge through. Sasori realized what was happening, and quickly jumped out of the way. As he slid next to the Kazekage, he stared over at Orochimaru. "You've underestimated me."

Orochimaru chuckled, trying not to show how painful that action was. "I guess I should have known. I knew about the one weakness of that particular poison; that it was made from a highly combustible material. No matter what form it was in, it would quickly catch fire. You persisted in using it while I was your partner…why did you change?"

Sasori sighed. "Sometime the leader's judgment disappoints me. With you, it was that I was working with someone who wished for immortality; to obtain everything in the vast expanse that you then had. Now, my partner is a pyromaniac who believes that his little fireworks are true works of art. True art is forever."

Orochimaru glared. He hadn't answered his question; in fact, he'd actually avoided it. However, he wanted to get as much information about this person, just in case he had to fight him after he'd killed Sasori. "True works of art? You still believe that you're little puppet show is a true work of art? Please, I've seen much better works throughout my lifetime. And we both know how long that's been. Your art is obsolete."

Sasori nodded, his fingers moving in a rapid pattern. "So you say. However, I know something you don't." As he spoke, the Sandaime Kazekage's mouth suddenly opened, a stream of thick, sand-like objects slowly falling out. "Despite your knowledge of many other arts, you will learn of why mine is truly the best…and the strongest. You will learn why one of the oldest art forms, is the strongest of all art forms."

"Satetsu (Iron Sand)?" Orochimaru said as he watched it begin to whirl around. Sasori just nodded before making the Sandaime Kazekage charge forward.

Orochimaru jumped to the side, barely avoiding the brunt of the attack. He'd heard about this ability; it was something he'd tried to recreate on more than one occasion. However, to actually see someone who could use the technique…who was a puppet made him growl. How dare Sasori kill off the last user of that bloodline. Now he'd never have the chance of recreating it naturally.

He almost missed the next strike, as the sand tried to crash down on him. He slithered around the different strikes, trying to head towards Sasori. But every time he tried, he found his way blocked by the Kazekage puppet. He really didn't want to destroy it, as it was a rare artifact that should be preserved, but it was getting in the way of his objective. The puppet would have to go.

Before he could move his body suddenly collapsed from underneath him. He gasped as he realized what was happening. No matter how strong his will was, he couldn't stop the body he was occupying from deteriorating just yet. He looked at his blackening hands, trying to stop the world from spinning as his breath slowly became labored. In a manner of speaking, he was noticed this opening, and sent in a wave of satetsu to finish him off. Realizing that he was currently out of options, Orochimaru opened his mouth.

Itachi's eyes widened as he saw what Orochimaru was doing. By expelling the first version of his soul, he was both leaving himself vulnerable as well as with more power within his grasp. A lot of power. His eyes slowly began to morph into another shape, preparing for if he needed to use it.

Sasori narrowed his eyes as he saw the real Orochimaru. "So…this is your true form. This is the method you've followed to immortality."

Orochimaru hissed, his giant body slithering around Sasori and the Kazekage. "Yes~. With the abilities of the white snake, I have truly found the path to immortality! And now, I will take your body and continue my work."

Sasori sighed. "I highly doubt that you'd be able to do that."

Orochimaru scowled. Rushing forward, he attempted to crush the Kazekage under a blunt strike. The Kazekage raised his hands, creating a dense barrier of chakra around himself and Sasori. Orochimaru screeched as he drew back his head, a small amount of blood dripping from his forehead.

As he screeched, Sasori sent more satetsu at him, trying to crush him as quickly as possible. At the last second, Orochimaru shot forward, nearly crushing the Kazekage as he slammed into the ground right in front of Sasori.

Sasori sighed as his cloak blew off. Orochimaru growled as he finally realized what he'd meant before. "So…you turned your own body into a puppet? I finally understand how you were able to walk into that poison cloud without being poisoned yourself." His tongue slipped in and out of his mouth, showing his agitation. "I guess I'll just have to kill you!"

He shot forward again, trying to take Sasori out as quickly as possible. Sasori quickly brought the Kazekage besides him, ready to counterattack.

However, neither were necessary. As Orochimaru neared Sasori, a black flame suddenly burst on Orochimaru's skin. His eyes widened in shock as he screeched and slammed against a wall, trying to get the flames off of him. Sasori glanced up, noticing the small amount of blood that was coming out of Itachi's eyes. What a strange technique…perhaps this is the true power he possesses? I certainly hope that I don't have to face that technique…I would definitely die.

Orochimaru continued to scream in agony, unable to put the fires out. Itachi and Kisame jumped down to Sasori's side. "I could have handled that by myself you know. He has never been a true artisan, such as myself."

Itachi nodded. "I understand. However, I do believe that I should make a point that we told you we wouldn't interfere unless we deemed him hazardous. In the form, and with the power he possesses, we were the ones in danger. No matter how slight it was."

Kisame gave Itachi a dirty look. "Now what do you mean by that? That somehow, he might have gotten one of us and took over our bodies?"

Itachi nodded. "I could see his chakra, where you cannot. The wound on his head was leaking a chakra and was turning his blood into some kind of poison. If inhaled, it would probably paralyze you until he'd taken over your body. You would then have your will crushed beneath his, and would be stuck within him as he used your body for his own means."

"Oh." Kisame said, trying not show how stupid he felt. It was one of the few times he'd forgotten how many times Itachi's abilities had saved him. He was sure that he'd be able to stop that particular technique should Itachi try to use it on him, but he had plenty of other techniques that could easily be used to kill him without having to resort to that move. He glanced away, slightly embarrassed. "Thanks for that."

"It is alright; you are my partner, and I do not wish for you to fall to someone as lowly as him." Itachi said, watching the still burning Orochimaru. "He deserves this death. Now, no one will be able to recreate him or his abilities for a long time."

Orochimaru screamed. "This isn't possible! I am immortal! I am the closest thing to a God! No, I AM GOD!!! I AM ALL POWERFUL!!!"

Itachi slowly turned away from Orochimaru as he continued his rant. "You are nothing more than a disgrace. Burn Orochimaru, for these flames will feel light once you cast to everlasting darkness." He walked away, letting Orochimaru's body slowly become ashes right before their eyes.

Sasori had a small smirk as he sealed Orochimaru's stolen body within a scroll. "It may not be his original body, but it should have the same properties." He glanced back at Itachi and Kisame, giving them a small bow. "Thank you for all that you have done."

Kisame shrugged. "It was our job." There was a small silence as they glanced around. "Just out of curiosity, what did you really want with Orochimaru's Edo Tensei (Resurrection to the Impure World) anyways? After all, that is what you had Kabuto sneak around to find out about, was it not?"

Sasori looked away, no emotion on his face. "I merely wished to see how far he'd come with his technique. That is the only thing I desired of that technique."

Itachi sighed. "There is no need to keep secrets from us. After all, doing something like that is what eventually got Orochimaru killed. Besides, there is hardly anything you could do with the technique that would surprise us."

Kisame nodded, causing Sasori to sigh. "Fine. My parents died when I was young during the Second Great Shinobi War. I simply wanted to bring them back…even if just for a moment. I always wondered what they were like, and the technique might have given me a chance to learn a little more."

Kisame glanced at Itachi, surprise on his face. "Okay, that kind of surprised me. I mean, it's not impractical, just surprising."

Itachi nodded. "Every person, no matter how deeply disturbed by darkness, wishes to know of their origins. It is that desire that eventually pushes some people to seek out their parents."

"And then there are those who completely massacre their clan, for no purpose that he will tell anyone." Kisame said, a sadistic grin on his face.

Itachi suddenly began to cough, a small amount of blood getting splattered on his hand. As Kisame watched Itachi, his eyes suddenly narrowed. "Itachi, have you been taking your medication?"

Itachi nodded, a slight grimace on his face. "Hai, I've taken my medication…on occasion."

"Meaning?"

"I'm dying. Faster now than before since I've stopped taking the full dose. I needed some closure before I passed, and now I will be able to do so in peace."

Sasori glanced between the two of them, trying to understand what was happening. After a second his eyes widened. "If I'm to understand correctly, you've got some…disease, poison, something. It is incurable in a manner of speaking, and you only have a manner of time left."

"Two months to be more exact." Itachi said, lightly clutching his chest as he took a deep breath.

"So…what are you going to do with your last days?" Sasori asked, tilting his head to the side. "You know how long you have, so what will you do with the time?"

"I'm not sure myself. However, I'm not going to live it to the best of my abilities." He glanced over at the two of them. "Please…promise that you'll burn my body once I die. I don't want anyone else to get at the Uchiha's secrets. To recreate this cursed bloodline is the last thing that these nations need. The greed and pride will corrupt everyone, and destroy them from the inside out."

Both of the Akatsuki members nodded, promising to do just that. As they walked away, another figure that was invisible to everyone else watched them walk away. As it watched, a strange form began to cover its face. After a moment, a dark red energy began to encircle it as it let out a loud screech.

Seireitei Hollow Grounds

"This is going to totally rock!" Naruto yelled as his classmates slowly walked out onto the testing grounds. Most of the kids seemed really nervous about the test, and were conversing quite loudly as they tried to shake their nervousness off.

The reason they were at these 'Hollow Grounds' was because they were currently halfway through their fourth year. During this time, they were finally allowed to test their skills against real Hollows. There were some people who complained that real Hollows could get them killed, but the Twelfth Division didn't put much interest into the project, and subsiquentialy, they weren't able to create a Hollow gigai that could move like a real Hollow could. While this meant that this test was all the more dangerous, it was also a taste of what the real world would be like.

"I heard that Ikkaku and Yumichika did excellent when they were here." Sasuke said, glancing around the field. "Of course, they're now in Eleventh squad, which is really fitting for the two of them. Brawlers who love fighting with every bone in their bodies."

Naruto bounced on his feet, waiting to hear the instructor's instructions on what they'd need to do. "Hey Sasuke, which squad do you think you'll be on?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know; I mean, I have given it some thought. Eleventh wouldn't suite me, although I do like a good fight every now and then, Second Division just isn't where I feel I'd be, and all the others just have their own flaws. The only places I would fit in might be Fifth, Ninth, Seventh, or Thirteenth."

Naruto winced. Three of the Divisions that he'd said he'd 'fit into' were among the ones he'd labeled, 'silent and boring'. "Well, the Thirteenth Division has Kaien in it, so it wouldn't be the worst place to be, right?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know, the Ninth and Seventh Divisions both have things that I might need for later in my life. You didn't get a good feeling from Fifth, so I'm not sure that I'd fit in there. I'm just trying to figure out which places I might be." Sasuke glanced over to Naruto. "Where do you think you'll end up?"

"Who me?" Naruto asked, pointing to himself. He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Uh…I really don't know. I mean, if Yamamoto knew about all my pranks, he probably wouldn't put me in Eleventh Division; whether I loved fighting or not. So with that in mind…I'd have to say that I really am a misfit who can't be put anywhere."

Sasuke palmed his face. "You really don't have any idea of where you might end up? Or have you simply not put any effort into thinking about it?"

Naruto shrugged. "I haven't done much thought on it to be honest. I have had too much schoolwork to do to really think about where I might end up in the next two and a half years."

Sasuke sighed. It made sense; Kaien had only promised to teach him Shunpo if he got good grades, and would only continue to teach him if he kept his grades up. As such, with the school curriculum getting harder, Naruto spent less time pulling pranks, and more time on his studies. Even Sasuke had to put a lot of focus into his studies despite the fact that he was revered as a 'genius'.

As he noticed the teachers motioning for them to gather around, he glanced over at Naruto. He didn't know what to think of him anymore; which had been happening a lot recently. People constantly called him a 'genius', or 'prodigy', but they never took notice to another prodigy. Naruto might not have gotten the best grades, but he most certainly did things that no one else might think about. Like how he'd been trying to work the first Hado to use to painfully restrain a Hollow or person so as to make sure that they didn't have any way to escape. When he'd seen one of his prototypes, he'd been shocked by the results. He'd nearly destroyed the dummies that he'd been practicing with, and a portion of the area behind them. Quite impressive…considering it was only the first Hado. When he imagined other enhanced Hado…

He shook his head. There was no need for him to think of that right now. If he was distracted, he might get killed by one of the Hollows. He glanced up, catching the last bit of what the teacher was saying. "…strap on your locators, and we'll get this started."

Naruto and Sasuke walked up and grabbed one of their locators. They were weird wristbands that had little screens on the back. The screens told how many Hollows they'd defeated, compared to how many more they'd need to pass. They were all excited, although a few of the people seemed hesitant to put the locator on.

"What's up with them?" Naruto asked, quickly strapping on his locator. "It's just E Ranked Hollows, nothing big."

Sasuke groaned. "They're not people who want to go out and fight Hollows. You know how these people are like…the pansies who don't want to fight for any reason whatsoever."

Naruto smirked. "Oh well, more for me!"

Sasuke glanced at Naruto. "You okay Naruto? I thought you said you didn't think you'd be in the Eleventh Division."

Naruto smirked. "Yea, but I said it wouldn't be because I dislike fighting. I love it when we fight! Our blood gets pumping, I can stretch myself to new lengths, and my thoughts become so clear; it's the best feeling ever!"

A few people around him sweat dropped. They'd never heard Naruto so enthusiastic unless it was for some new technique or ramen. And since that wasn't that often anymore, it was almost relieving to see him acting up again. It brought comfort to people's sanity.

"Shut up back there and head through the doors!" The teacher yelled, motioning to several doors that were slowly opening. The class quickly rushed through, none of them wanting to be left behind. Leading them was Naruto, who had somehow made it around the mob of students, and into the lead position in the group. Sasuke just shook his head as he raced out as well.

The field where they were at was nothing grand or spectacular. However, the Hollows that were around the place made it much more dangerous than it would normally be. drew his sword, waiting for the instructors to give them the okay. He was so going to enjoy this.

A voice came over the loudspeakers, making all of the students, and Hollows, glance upward. "Alright, you must cleanse five Hollows within the time limit. As soon as you have, you will come back through the doors. Ready, go!"

The students quickly began to disperse, jumping in random directions as they attempted to catch the Hollows off guard. The Hollows however, did notice them before they go to them, and nearly all were able to block the first strike. The only exceptions were the two which faced off against Naruto and Sasuke.

Naruto laughed as he split the Hollow in half, quickly moving onto the next one. It was almost too easy for him to defeat these Hollows; they were much easier than the practice dummies that he'd practiced on back at the Shiba's house. He didn't waste any time getting to the next one, happily slicing through its arm as he moved about to attack its mask.

Sasuke on the other hand was glancing around at his classmates. He watched them struggle to land a solid strike against the Hollows; too inexperienced to understand what they needed to do. He himself wasn't any kind of expert; however, he didn't have trouble hitting the Hollows when he was on the offense. He eventually singled out a particularly strong Hollow and took chase, wanting to make sure that it didn't hurt anyone.

The instructors watched impassively as the class quickly attacked the Hollows. Each of them would react differently to the danger; some of them would react well, others…not so much. As they watched, the quickly singled out three of the strongest members of the class.

Sasuke, who had just finished off his third Hollow, was the class prodigy. It was expected of him to obtain Shikai within a short period of time after he graduated, during the academy if he could. He was proficient with Bakudo, as well as many forms of Zanjutsu. He was popular with the students, and a natural born leader. He would be an excellent addition to the shinigami ranks.

Naruto, who was currently engaged with his final Hollow, was one of the strangest people they'd ever met. He could stare down even the toughest teacher without blinking twice, and would berate them about how stupid their curriculum was. Yet, he showed constantly growing skills in the art of Hakuda, Kido, and while a more bastardized version, Zanjutsu. He was almost a jack of trades, constantly improving himself, while thinking up new ways of doing things. He would be difficult, although a stronger addition for the shinigami ranks.

Finally, there was Mizukira Sora. He was a close friend of Naruto's, and was more than willing to put his neck on the chopping block to get his friends out of trouble. He didn't have any strength in any particular subject, but that would probably change latter on during his career. He and Naruto were the closest of friends; yet not joined at the hip, as he was with Sasuke.

Naruto grimaced as he, Sasuke, and Sora walked out of the Hollow Grounds. They'd finished quickly, and would now be forced to wait for everyone else to finish up. None of them spoke as they walked over to the observation booth.

After a couple of seconds of watching, Naruto glanced over to the instructors. "Hey, do any of you guys have any popcorn?" The instructors gave him a confused glance. shrugged. "I'm just saying; these guys aren't going to do so well, so I might as well have something to eat while I'm watching them."

Sasuke shook his head. "You know, you could spend some time trying to get to know your zanpakuto spirit. Talking to him might actually help you to hear his name."

Naruto glanced away. "Yea, well…I haven't looked at him yet."

Sora chuckled. "You mean, after a year of talking to him nonstop, you still don't know what he looks like?"

Naruto grimaced. "It's not my fault! I just can't remember faces without names…or vice versa!"

Sasuke sighed. "And while you're doing that, I'm going to be even closer to hearing my zanpakuto's name." He sat down in a meditative stance, taking a deep breath. "Tell me when the exams are over."

Naruto nodded. After a moment, he glanced back out again. "This totally sucks, you know?"

Sora nodded. "I know. It is one of the few things that we can't control, and probably won't be able to for a while."

Naruto shrugged. "I guess that means that we suck…eh?" He glanced over to Sora, a big grin on his face.

Sora grinned back, an amused look in his eyes. "I wouldn't say that. I would say…we're powerless. We don't get to choose what happens; we just have to follow it till we get to the end."

"That was almost philosophical of you Sora." Naruto said, stretching himself out. After a couple of seconds, he glanced over at the instructors. "Hey, why can't we hear anything going on in there?"

One of the instructors glanced over. "We do not need to hear all of the little kids whining about how they want their mommies because they can't handle an E ranked Hollow. After a while, it becomes far too troublesome.

"So, what if someone gets seriously injured out there?"

"That would mean that they didn't train hard enough during the seven years we've given them to prepare." Another instructor said, leaning back in his chair. "Besides nothing weird or dangerous ever happens in there."

Sora glanced out the window, a curious look on his face. "So…you've never had a Hollow try to break out of here before?"

The instructor scoffed. "They never try to get out. There's so much spirit energy in there that they try to get a feast out of it."

Sora nodded. "So you've had dealings where other Hollows attempt to get in to join this feast, correct?"

"What are you talking about?" The instructor asked, setting his chair down as he glanced at Sora.

Naruto glanced out the window, noticing what Sora was talking about. "I think he means those little Hollow portals that have just shown up."

All of the instructors quickly stood up, trying to see for themselves what they were talking about. Sure enough, scattered across the training ground were several portals in which multiple Hollows were stepping out. And not all of them were E ranked.

"Holy crap…there's a D rank in there!" One of the instructors shouted, pointing at a Hollow with a monkey-like mask that had entered into the Hollow Grounds. "It's got a record, three shinigami have been killed by that Hollow! They call it the Crushing Column."

Sasuke's eyes snapped open. "What?"

The instructor ignored him. "We've got to get them out of there. They won't stand a chance against something like that."

"No! We can't open the door! None of us have achieved Shikai, and we'll all be sitting ducks that it'll just take out one by one!" Another instructor shouted back.

"What are you, crazy? If we let them die, it'll be a black mark on our records; we'll never be allowed to teach again!"

"So what? At least we'll be alive! We shouldn't waste our lives because some wimps couldn't handle a scary Hollow."

"They're just academy students! What could they do against something like that!?"

As the teachers bickered amongst themselves, Sora spoke up. "Do we really have time for an argument like this?" Sora asked, glancing at Naruto and Sasuke. "People will die if something isn't done."

Sasuke nodded. "Well then, since they're indecisive, we'll have to do something about this."'

Naruto grinned. "I want the big one! He sounds like he needs to be put in his place."

The three of them rushed back out, unnoticed by their bickering instructors.

Outside

"Let's get this party started!" Naruto yelled as he rushed into the battle.

"Don't hold back Naruto, these guys are stronger than the ones we fought before!" Sasuke yelled, quickly rushing after him.

"Don't kill too many Naruto! I still want to get my hands on a few myself!" Sora yelled, quickly slashing at the nearest Hollow.

The three of them charged through the incoming Hollows without hesitation. Naruto, the heavy brawler, was at the point, quickly slamming into the Hollows that got in their way. Sasuke, the strategist, was quickly slashing at the Hollows that tried to attack from either side of them. Sora, a more fundamental brawler, took up the rear to catch any of the stranglers who Naruto and Sasuke missed.

The students who were fighting, and some of the stupider Hollows, stopped to watch them as the tore their way towards the center of the Hollow Grounds. They moved together, in perfect unison as they cut made their way forward. They acted as though they had done this before, each of them watching the others back. This is what their had all been for; this was what their fighting and training had prepared them to do.

Naruto let out a loud war cry as he struck another Hollow. Spinning around, he jabbed his hand towards another's mask. "Hado 31: Shakkaho (Crimson Flame Cannon)!" A burst of red energy quickly sped towards the Hollow, blowing it apart from the pressure. Naruto's grin widened. "Yea! I'm the best!"

"Naruto! Watch out!" Sora yelled, his eyes widening in surprise.

Naruto looked somewhat confused as he turned around. As he finally realized what danger he was in, it was already too late. The Crushing Column had gotten behind him, and slammed its hands into Naruto. Naruto fell under the full weight of its hands, getting slammed into the ground…hard.

"You little piece of crap!" It said, grinding its hands into Naruto's chest as he screamed out in pain. "Who do you think you are? Some kind of shinigami superhero? You're pathetic!"

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled, rushing towards the Hollow. Swing upwards, he attempted to cleave the Hollows arm from the rest of his body. However, the Hollow saw it coming and was able to backhand Sasuke away before he could get close.

The Hollow barked and howled as he watched their classmates cower in fear. "And the other Hollows have no idea that this place exists! I will dine like a king today, and show my strength for all to see!" He continued to bark and howl as he slammed his fists into Naruto, beating on him like he was a miniature bongo.

Naruto was slowly losing consciousness, barely feeling the weight and strength of the blows anymore. As he felt himself sinking deeper within himself, he had only a few thoughts left.

Am I going to die? Is this the end? I never even got to know…my zanpakuto's name…not even some funny nickname…I'm so stupid.

"You're human, you make mistakes." His inner spirit told him, trying to give him some solace as darkness began to overcome him.

I should…have been stronger…smarter…faster…something.

"Rest, it's the only thing you can do for now. Your friends will take care of the rest."

Seeing their friend in trouble, Sora and Sasuke roared as the slammed into the Hollow, knocking it away from Naruto. Not even bothering to use their swords, they kicked the Hollow as far away as they could get it.

Sasuke glanced at the students who were still in the area. "Everyone! Get out of here now! You need to get back to the entrance and get out of here, otherwise you'll die! Please, move!"

They didn't need a second warning, as the students quickly made their way out of the area. Some of the Hollows tried to follow, but were cut off by Sora, who was jumping in and out of them to make sure they made it off safely.

Sasuke took a shaky breath as he turned back to the Crushing Column, who was just getting up. "Now that all the distractions are out of the way…let's dance."

Sasuke and the Hollow charged at each other, each of them trying to land a blow on the other. Sasuke would swing with perfect, fast strikes that would only miss by the smallest margins. The Hollow on the other hand, simply tried to smash Sasuke whenever he could. It was only due to Kaien's training and a few timely Shunpo's that he was able to hold his own.

Sasuke panted as the battle began to wear on. He wasn't sure how long they'd been fighting anymore. But if it continued, he wouldn't make it. Growling, he used a quick Shunpo to get within the Hollows guard. Unable to do anything, it could only widen its eyes in surprise as Sasuke hacked of one of its legs.

Sasuke grinned in triumph. He'd finally gotten a hit on the Hollow, he could fight it. Now, he could win.

However, as he turned around, he realized that something was wrong. The Hollow wasn't moving in for a counter strike. In fact, it wasn't behind him at all anymore. After he'd struck it, it had somehow managed to make its way towards Naruto. His eyes widened as he quickly counted the amount of steps it would take to get to him. I'm not going to make it!

Using a quick burst of speed, he rushed after the Hollow, hoping and praying that he wouldn't be too late. But as he neared it, he saw the Hollow launching its head forward, preparing to eat Naruto's soul. NO! After all this time, am I so weak? Will I really just let him die!? NO!!!

Just as he was about to yell out some kind of Kido, another blur suddenly shot in front of Naruto. Sasuke's eyes widened, as he watched a torrent of blood suddenly burst from in front of the Hollow. For a second, he felt relief; that someone had gotten the Hollow before it had gotten Naruo. But as the Hollow backed up, he realized the cost for Naruto's life as Sora's body suddenly went limp and collapsed in a wrecked heap.

Sasuke continued his rush over to Sora, ignoring the Hollow as it simply gave him a curious look. "Sora!"

"Hey…Sasuke." Sora said, a distant look in his eyes as he glanced up at him. "How are you?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Baka! You're dying!"

"Is that what this is? Funny, it doesn't feel like dying to me." Sora said, his voice cracking as he chuckled. "I feel like I've just tried to stop Naruto from getting in line at an all you can eat ramen stand."

Sasuke laughed, trying to understand why Sora was as peaceful as he was. "Hey, if you're dying…do you want any…last words?"

Sora nodded. "Yea…I'd like that. Could you tell Naruto…that ramen will stunt his growth if he eats it all the time? No one…seems to have the guts...to tell him."

Sasuke nodded. "Don't worry, I'll tell him."

"And could you tell Sasuke…he doesn't need to be afraid." Sora said, coughing up a little blood as he continued talking. "He doesn't need to be afraid…of making friends. Just tell him…he's put a lot of effort into them…and he shouldn't waste something…so…precious…"

Sasuke blinked, trying to understand what Sora had just said. After a couple of seconds, he reached a hand up to his neck. Not feeling a pulse, he felt tears well up. Sora…was dead.

"Oh, how touching. To bad I don't have a heart to feel for you." The Hollow said, laughing at the sight. "You shinigami are all way to sentimental! One of you dies, and your whole world goes to hell."

Sasuke slowly stood up, his eyes shadowing the upper portion of his face. "You know, I didn't know Sora as well as the next guy. But there's something you should know…"

The Hollows eyes widened as Sasuke's reiatsu suddenly began to spike, the golden coloration whirling around violently, forming around his blade as he suddenly glanced up. "He was one of the people that I found to be of worth! He had merit where it counted!" He swung his sword forward. "Now, I'll show you what that means!"

As his reiatsu continued to spike, his zanpakuto spirit suddenly appeared behind him. "Do you hear…anything?"

Sasuke nodded. I hear…everything. I can see…everything.

"Are you afraid of this Hollow?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. I'm not afraid of scum like that!

He could almost feel the approval that was coming from within himself. "Then it is time. Hear me Uchiha! My name is…"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, as he slowly began to speak. "Higyou za yama… (Strike the mountains)"

Inside the observation booth

"What's going on in here?"

The instructors jumped at the sudden intrusion. They nearly asked who it was, until they realized that they were facing three captains. "Oh, Kuchiki-taicho, Unohana-taicho, Ukitake-taicho, what brings you here?"

"Some of your students came and got us." Ukitake said, glancing out into the field. "They said something about a dangerous Hollow in the Hollow Grounds, and that there were some injured people who needed help." He smiled at them as he continued. "Sorry it took us a while, there weren't any Forth Division members around and it took a while to find Unohana-san."

"It's quite alright Taicho." The instructor said, quickly bowing to the three of them.

"So, what appears to be the problem?" Unohana asked, glancing at the instructors.

"Well…during our training exercise, a D ranked Hollow entered the arena. We tried to get the door opened, but there were so many Hollows on the other side that we couldn't–"

"We understand. You were afraid that the Hollows would get you as well." Ukitake said, cutting the instructor off. "However, I would like to hear the rest of the real story."

"Uh…we were arguing about whether or not we should help the students and risk our careers either way, three of our students who had already passed the exam opened the door and went out."

"Wait, are you telling us that you let three of your students handle what you should have done?" Byakuya said, trying to better understand what he'd just heard. Teachers were requiring help from their students?

"Um…yes?" One of the instructors said, sheepishly glancing at the ground. "They snuck out on us before we came to a decision."

"And that was?" Unohana asked, glancing at all of them.

Another one of the instructors glanced down sheepishly. "Uh…watch them try and to figure out how they would handle a really tough Hollow." When he saw the captains shocked expressions, he quickly decided to explain. "They'd reacted too quick for us to do anything but watch. Plus, they were actually doing a really good job."

"Were?" Byakuya said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yea, about that." One of the instructors said, glancing out the window. "It looks like two of them just died."

"What!?" Ukitake shouted, quickly moving to the window to see for himself. Outside, the scene was not comforting. Sora had the front portion of his chest torn apart, leaving most of his body open for the world to see. Naruto was lying motionless on the ground, a few ribs poking out of his chest, slightly staining his clothes. And Sasuke was trying to stand up against the largest Hollow there, along with all of the other Hollows in the immediate area. "We need to get in there, now!"

As the instructors fumbled along, trying to open the doors, a bright flash suddenly illuminated the area. The three captains looked on, noticing the power surge that had suddenly come from within the area. After a moment, when the dust died down, what they saw shocked them.

"Did you know he could…?" Byakuya asked, glancing over to Ukitake.

Ukitake shook his head. "This is the first time I've seen it. To be honest, it suites him."

Unohana nodded. "It seems like we will be getting an excellent recruit to our ranks a little earlier than expected."

All three of them nodded as they watched Sasuke reengage his battle with the Hollow.

Hollow Grounds

"…Raikiri (Lightning Edge)!" Sasuke roared as he and his sword were enveloped in reiatsu.

His sword glowed brightly as it began to morph into its new shape, expelling so much reiatsu that it kicked up a giant dome of dirt as it glowed, obscuring the view of almost everyone. As the dust finally settled, Sasuke emerged from within, wielding his blade's new form.

Its blade was almost as long as before, being twice as thick as a normal blade, and pitch black in color. The blade was greatly curved, with a great deal of metal supporting the back edge. Its guard had been replaced with something that resembled a little ball of dark fur, giving it a demonic, powerful feeling. The swords grip had also changed, extending to at least three feet in length of darkened wood. At the end of the blade was a long, tightly bound, almost whip-like piece of leather. It looked like a bastardized naginata in all respects. Longer than he was tall, Sasuke carried it through the dust with a fire in his eyes that would make many other people back away in fear. He was a man out for justice.

"Round two." Sasuke said, quickly rushing towards his foe.

The Crushing Column tried to backpedal as it saw Sasuke charge forward. Gone was the boy that he knew he could easily crush. In his place…was a monster, a demon of sorts. Simply the raw energy was giving him a difficult time moving. He was beyond fear. He'd crossed that the moment Sasuke had finished speaking. No, he was terrified; of what this monster would do to him once he got his hands on him.

Sasuke leapt into the air, his blade in both hands as he swung down. While he didn't look it anymore, he was tired. And releasing Shikai was more exhausting than many people would like to believe it to be. All that power and no control over any of it. Sasuke grimaced as the Hollow jumped back, avoiding his blow. He wasn't going to be able to hold it back much longer.

"Sorry, I've got to end this now." Sasuke said, quickly rushing forward.

"W-wait! You don't know what you're –!" The Crushing Column managed to get out, before Sasuke suddenly unleashed everything that he'd been holding back. The resounding explosion shook the entire room, blowing what could have at one point in time been called the Crushing Column into tiny pieces.

Sasuke struggled for breath as he slammed his sword into the ground. He needed to stay up, to keep fighting. He was on his last leg, and wouldn't be able to do much, but it would be more than if he fell asleep.

Hearing a low growl from behind him, he slowly turned around. His eyes widened as he saw a Hollow trying to make its way over to Naruto, who was still unconscious.

"No!" He shouted, pulling his sword from the ground and chucking it at the Hollow. It quickly sped towards it, catching it completely off guard as it slammed through its mask. After a moment, the blade reverted back to its normal katana shape, and the Hollow disappeared. Sasuke grimaced, realizing that he was now an open target for all of the Hollows in the room. "Well, I guess this is it."

"Yes it is."

Sasuke tried to turn around, but a sudden, sharp pain that suddenly shot through his side stopped him. He glanced down, seeing a Hollows claw sticking through his stomach. He coughed, a small amount of blood following the violent upheaval.

Damn…this is the end. I wasn't strong enough, was I? I hope that I'll see everyone…in whatever comes after this dump. Sayonara Naruto…Kaien…minna…

"Chire, Senbonzakura (Scatter, Thousand Cherry Blossoms)!"

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise as he heard the voice shout out such a foreign phrase. He felt something behind him cutting through the Hollow, and the claw in his stomach disappeared. He coughed again, feeling the violent pain suddenly shooting through him as a sudden pressure began to crash on him. Finally at his limit, he collapsed.

Unohana glanced at Sasuke, as she summoned her zanpakuto as well. "You did good boys. Now, rest."

Captain's Meeting

As the captains meeting came to order, Yamamoto slowly sat up. "Kurotsuchi Mayuri, please step forward."

There were twelve very displeased glares as the captain of the Twelfth division, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, stood in the center of the room. He glanced between the different captains, not bothering to cover up the fact that he didn't want to be there.

"Kurotsuchi, this is why we've been telling you to get your people working on the project. That way, we wouldn't have any injuries…or loses. You've put this off for long enough."

Kurotsuchi gave Yamamoto an uninterested glance. "I would, it's just that I don't have the time with all the other research that I've been doing. Plus, if I don't finish this research, then the Seireitei could easily –"

"Enough of your excuses. If we don't have shinigami who can handle those problems in the future, than there would be no point to your current projects." Ukitake said, almost glaring at Kurotsuchi. He had seen what Kurotsuchi had been working on, and had been disgusted. To think that he was trying to experiment on his own body, it wasn't a pretty sight.

Kurotsuchi raised an eyebrow. "Eh? Is someone getting a little sentimental over the lost of a washout or two?"

Ukitake glare continued, but he showed no signs of answering. Kurotsuchi almost sent another barb, but was cut off by Toshiro. "I don't understand why you haven't just gotten it done. It's not like you don't have the time, or that the project is difficult. You're simply lazy on matters that you are ordered to perform. Isn't that right?"

Kurotsuchi glared at Toshiro. "What would a little brat like you know about what goes on in the Twelfth division?"

"I know a lot considering everyone dumps their paperwork on my desk every day. It would be nice if I could see the light of day every now and then for reasons other than captains meetings." Toshiro said, getting apologetic glances from the other captains. "Besides, you almost never do anything out of the goodness of your heart. You would set up a defense just so that you would know where the flaws were so that you could take advantage of them and obtain more experimental materials. Isn't that right?"

Kurotsuchi glared at Toshiro. "You've got a big mouth, boy. If I recall, I've helped save countless lives through some of the new technology that I've created. Many more lives would have been lost to Hollow attacks that they wouldn't have seen coming."

Before Toshiro could retaliate, Yamamoto spoke up. "Enough. This argument is pointless. You will complete the task that I have given you, or else I will remove you from the Twelfth Division."

Kurotsuchi's eyes widened. It was unheard of for someone to be removed from a captain's seat. Retired, or killed, but never removed. It was unheard of. "You can't do that!"

"By all rights, you simply inherited your position from the previous captain. While it is true that you have been able to perform Bankai, I should point out that you were never submitted to take the captains exams. If you do not finish what you're supposed to, I can remove you from your position, as well as prevent you from taking the exam in the future."

Kurotsuchi glanced at Yamamoto, grimacing as he realized that the Sotaicho was not joking around this time. He let out an angry sigh. "Very well…Genryuusai-sotaicho."

As he walked out, a few of the captain heard him muttering to himself. "I swear, I'll find out who's nearly ruined me…and they will pay."

Yamamoto ignored the comment as he turned back to the captains. "Now, there is a small matter on the topic of Uchiha Sasuke and the release of his Shikai…"

Nearly an hour later, the meeting was finally adjourned. For now, Sasuke would be moved to a place where he could better train his new abilities without harming anyone else. It was for the good of everyone that this be done.

As the other captains began to walk out, one of them stayed behind, giving Yamamoto a meaningful glance. After the last person had left, and the doors closed behind them, Yamamoto walked over to a tea table. "Would you like some tea for out discussion, Unohana-san?"

Unohana shook her head. "No, this will only take but a moment. I merely have a few questions as to this object that I found on one of the students we pulled from the Hollow Grounds."

As she spoke, she placed an item on Yamamoto's desk. With an almost curious gleam in his eyes, he slowly picked it up. "Where did you say you got this?"

"As I said before, from one of the boys which fought in the Hollows Grounds today." She pulled a file from her kimono, showing it to Yamamoto. "Here's the one it was pulled from, as well as a file on how badly injured they were from the battle."

Yamamoto nodded, slowly glancing over the file. After a moment, he sighed. "I thought this was all behind us. I suppose that history does have a habit of repeating itself. But then…it's been a long time since something like this has happened." He glanced up at Unohana, waving for her to leave.

Unohana bowed lightly before leaving the room. As she left, Yamamoto turned back to the object. He slowly turned it over in his hands as he slowly spoke. "How very interesting. Perhaps this is a good omen. But then, news like this cannot be good. For now, I will wait, and watch the events that are sure to unfold."

Hospital

Naruto's head was pounding as he slowly regained consciousness. The last thing he remembered was a Hollow, suddenly slamming its fist into his chest. He tried to open his eyes, but quickly forced them shut when the light suddenly seemed brighter than before. After another couple of moments, he forced his eyes completely open.

He was in a hospital, there was little question of that. He was dressed in his normal kimono, but the top portion had been removed for a white version. He smiled as he felt the bandages wrapped around his chest; someone had taken care of his wounds. It had been a long time since he'd had something like that happen. Not since Sarutobi had been around, and during the latter portion of his life. He winced as he suddenly felt like something within him was burning. It was a strange feeling, like a hot knife was being buried within his gut, slowly removing itself before once again plunging into him, carving out something that he couldn't understand. In the back of his mind, he swore he heard his zanpakuto spirit mumbling something, but it was too faint for him to make out what was being said.

As his eyes grew accustomed to the light, he began to make out several different images. On one side of him, sitting in a chair directly in between him and the person in the other bed was a lone figure.

"Hey Naruto, you're finally up."

Naruto blinked, his head whirling as he tried to focus on the person. As soon as he noticed he spoke up, his voice coming out in a raspy hiss. "K…Kaien?"

Kaien grinned. "Yep, I'm here little man."

Naruto groaned, a crushing pain shooting through his head. "I've asked you…to stop calling me that."

Kaien shrugged. "You're in no condition to force me to do otherwise. Besides, I wanted to give Sasuke some good news. He's already heard it, but I figured you'd want to know too."

Naruto perked up. "W…what news?"

"He's being moved from the academy!" Kaien said, throwing his hands in the air. "While fighting the Hollows, he unlocked his Shikai and used it to defend you."

"Really?" Naruto said, looking over to the other bed. Sasuke was lying there, staring off into space. "Good job…teme."

"Shut up dobe." Sasuke said, a small hint of anger in his voice. Naruto blinked in shock as Sasuke continued. "You don't even know how bad this is!"

"What…what do you mean?"

Kaien spoke up, trying to keep Sasuke from yelling anymore. "It means that he won't be in the academy anymore. He's been moved directly to the Thirteenth Division for further assessment."

Naruto gasped, motioning for some water. After Kaien handed him a glass, he swallowed a little, moistening his throat. Then, trying to add some comedic relief, he spat out the water, spraying it over the foot of his bed. "What do you mean that he's being moved to the Thirteenth Division!?"

Kaien chuckled nervously. "He's going to leave the hospital, same as you. It's just, he'll be leaving with me to go to the division and get some training. Apparently, he's got a lot of potential, and people want to see it moved in a good direction."

Sasuke looked away from the ceiling, finally revealing his face to Naruto. His eyes were red, and swollen. It actually took a minute to realize that he'd been crying. "Uh…what's the matter Sasuke?"

Sasuke grimaced as he scowled, reminding Naruto of the old, angry Sasuke. "The last thing Sora said to me was to not fear making friends. But now, I'm going to lose those same friends. I've been awake for a while, and have begun to list the people who I really care about. After a while, I realized there are people whose names I don't even know who I've gotten to know. Naruto…I'm scared."

"What happened to Sora?" Naruto asked, glancing between his two friends. Noticing his friend's downtrodden looks, he figured out what Sasuke had meant. "Is he…not here anymore?"

Kaien nodded. "They had his funeral while you guys were out...three days ago. You in particular were out for nearly the whole week. You're lucky to be alive."

Sasuke glanced away from the two of them. "I guess it really doesn't matter any more. He's dead…nothing can change that."

Naruto slowly sat up, ignoring the pulsing pain in his chest. "Sasuke, there's a little something that I heard once…I'm not really sure where anymore. Do you want to hear it?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Go ahead."

Naruto smiled. "It takes a lot of time, patients, and strength to make a friend or begin a relationship. However, to betray and to break those bonds is a lot easier, and is sometimes seen more as a strength than the weakness it is. However, once those bonds are created, they weaken if you let them remain as they are. You need to continually reach out, but always remember those other people who are your friends. And if one of them passes, they will always remain with you; bonded to the core of your soul."

Kaien grinned as he glanced between the two of them. They were truly like brothers, connected in a way that no one else could completely comprehend. It was amazing how they were able to keep each other up, making sure that the other was right behind them. It was a brotherhood that he'd never seen before, not even between himself and Ganju. It was refreshing to see two people who hated each other to each others core could act so well when they wanted too.

Sasuke glanced over at Naruto slowly, unbelief in his eyes. "You remember all of that, but you can't remember how to mold your reiatsu for combinations of Bakudo?"

There was silence.

Then, "I'll kill you Sasuke-teme!"

"Bring it on dobe!"

"Both of you stop fighting! We're in the middle of a hospital!" Kaien yelled, trying to get the two boys to settle down before…

"Kaien! I expected better of a vice-captain!" Unohana said, walking into the room.

Kaien blinked. "But they…"

"Yea Kaien, there are injured people here!" Naruto said, crossing his arms as he shook his head. Kaien's mouth dropped as he glanced at Sasuke.

Sasuke quickly mimicked Naruto's pose. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"But…"

"That's enough. Please leave for now; visiting hours are over." Unohana led the distraught Kaien out the door, quietly closing it behind them.

After a couple of seconds, both Naruto and Sasuke burst out laughing. Naruto wiped away a small tear that was starting to fall down his cheeks. "That was priceless!"

Sasuke glanced over to Naruto, reaching his fist towards him. "Hey, friends?"

Naruto looked at the fist curiously before finally punching it. "Yea, friends." Naruto grinned. "Besides, it could have been a lot worse. You could have been placed in Tousen or Aizen's division."

Sasuke shuddered. "Don't even make me think about it. Without someone to make some noise, I think I'd go insane!"

Naruto smirked, punching a fist into the air. "The curse of Uzumaki Naruto strikes again!"

"Dude, you're bleeding."

Naruto glanced at himself, noticing the red stain that was suddenly growing on his chest. When he'd punched his fist into the air, he'd reopened his wounds. "Well, I guess I am."

As he passed out from the sudden pain, Sasuke groaned. "It's going to be hard without a dobe like you…but then, I pity the fool who gets you. They're going to have their hands full trying to keep you in line. But I will admit, if they don't kill you in the first month, I'm going to be a very rich man. Those fools never knew what hit them." Sasuke cackled as he though of the academy students who'd bet against him. They really had no idea how resilient Naruto was, and they would pay for that mistake.

A/N: Wow! Over 100 reviews! That makes me so happy!

Now, for the poll:

Soi Fon: 23

Yoruichi: 21

Neliel: 7

And Soi Fon is the winner! I'm not that great at making romance or stuff like that, but I'll give it a whirl.

Also, whoever sent the reviews asking for Naruto/Harem, please don't do that again. It was really annoying to see the same message repeatedly. I just don't do harems. To many women for one guy. Heck, I'm barely holding onto my one girl. How's Naruto supposed to hold onto more than that?

I know that it's really soon, but who liked Sasuke's Shikai? Don't get any crazy ideas...but try to figure out what its ability is! :P

Finally, Kento Namikaze, it was more the ability that you mentioned than the sword idea. Plus, I'm planning on amping it if I give Naruto a Bankai.

Review!

Thank you,

Draco Kamikaze