Naruto

Bleach

In the End

Act 1: Enter the Soul Society

Chapter 19

Epilogue

The sun rose lazily over the horizon, bathing the buildings and battlements of the Seireitei in its warm glow. The rays swarmed across the landscape like a tidal wave, purging the darkness of night.

Flooding through her window, bringing warmth to her pale skin, Soifon stirred in the midmorning rays with a groggy moan, absently rolling onto her side, propping up her head with her slender hands. Suddenly her eyes snapped open and she sat up straight, fully awake as her memories of the previous night flooded through her mind.

"Take me with you" she said, successfully pushing back her grief for a few moments.

He shook his head "I can't. This will be my decision and my decision alone. I will take the consequences of my actions and I will not drag you, or the Division into this" he reached into his robes and pulled out the small cylindrical covering, giving it to her and closing her fingers around it with his own "If I am not back by first light, take this message to the Sotaicho. You will give it to him, and only him. Do you understand?"

That same light still shone in her eyes "Someone else can do it. I am still going with you"

"You're not" he replied with a voice of steel "You are going to take that message to him. I will make sure of it even if I have to knock you out here!" his ferocity startled her, but her stubbornness still remained, he smiled, she would make a fine commander "And do one more thing, if I don't come back tell Sakura that I'm…I'm sorry"

She felt a sudden pain on her shoulder, and realised that he had hit her nerve points before the darkness took her.

"Naruto" she breathed before wincing from the pain in her shoulder. Gripping her tender flesh she looked over at her bedside table, noticing a small letter, secreted in a small transparent cylinder.

Without thinking she grabbed the cylinder, ripped off the top and took out the letter. Her hands opening the small rolled up piece of paper to reveal the words written within. She studied the runes, eyes darting from side to side as she read.

Then her eyes widened in realisation. Hands suddenly numb she dropped the paper. Leaning back she covered her face with her hands, trying to wipe away the tears which were once again spilling down her eyes. Looking out to the rising sun she was immediately hit with a sudden sense of foreboding.

"If I am not back by first light, take this message to the Sotaicho. You will give it to him, and only him. Do you understand?"

Jumping to her feet she rushed out of her room in a panic, running through the corridors of her barracks to Naruto's room. She opened the sliding doors to find an empty room and an already made single bed. She took two steps into the room, spun around and rushed to the only other place she knew he would be at this hour.

She came to his office, standing at the precipice, her fists shaking from her nervousness. Taking a deep breath, forcing herself to relax she reached out with her right hand and opened the door. She found an empty office, the table cleared of all paperwork. Noticing something on the clean desk she walked forward, seeing but not believing the objects set out.

It was the seal of the 2nd Division, and beside that, neatly folded was the armband of the Division Vice-Captain, Naruto's armband. With a shaking hand she reached out and gripped the fabric, ignoring the tears which slid down her face and dripped onto the floor.

"Not you too" she whispered, her legs giving way she fell to her knees, her hands still holding the armband "First Yoruichi…not you too"

------

To YamamotoGenryūsai Shigekuni, Sotaicho of the Goteijūsantai

I, Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto do hereby relinquish my command as Fukutaicho of the 2nd Imperial Court Guard Division so that I may proceed with my own investigation into the allegations made against Urahara Kisuke, Tsukabishi Tessai and Shihoin Yoruichi.

I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept all punishment. The 2nd Imperial Court Guard Division had no knowledge of my actions and is innocent of all wrongdoings on my behalf.

Yours Sincerely

Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto

Yamamoto frowned as he read the message for the umpteenth time before setting his gaze upon the surviving Captains. Barely a week ago there had been twelve Captains of the Goteijusantai, now that number had dwindled down to five. Seven Captains and five Vice-Captains had been listed as either killed or missing in action.

The five survivors, excluding him, were Unohana Retsu, Kuchiki Genrei, Kyōraku Shunsui, Kenpachi Zaraki and Ukitake Jūshirō. All of whom were waiting for his orders.

"The fool" Zaraki muttered "What was he thinking, going in alone"

"Hmm" Shunsui agreed with a nod, tipping his straw hat down to conceal his eyes "It definitely wasn't very smart, but I lost my Lieutenant in that masquerade, so I can understand where he's coming from"

Retsu nodded "Naruto-kun and Yoruichi-san were very close, so investigating the claims is not unexpected"

The Sotaicho took it all in before settling his gaze upon the young woman before him, on her knees with her head bowed "Is there anything else you wish to share with us, Assistant Adjutant Soifon?"

She gulped under his gaze, but nodded "Hai Sotaicho, Naruto-sensei told me to give this message to you if he does not come back by first light. I have a feeling he believed that someone had framed Kisuke Urahara and his compatriots, and he expected that someone to be watching his movements"

The old man nodded, he had felt the ominous rietsu outburst last night, as well as everyone else here. One moment the boy's spiritual pressure was completely normal, almost too normal, like someone had placed a dampening field around it. Then his power exploded, as strong as his own, and then there was nothing, like a candle which had been blown out.

He had a feeling that Naruto had indeed conducted his own investigation, and found evidence contrary to what the Central 46 found. But before he could make it back he was ambushed by the real perpetrators, and after a long drawn out fight had been killed. That led to another question.

Who were these real traitors?

He had sent half his division to the sight to scan the clearing again, only to find the area had been put through yet another monumental engagement. Craters dotted the clearing, some meters deep and tens of meters wide. The surrounding trees had been uprooted, snapped or downright destroyed, the shrapnel and debris strewn across the area.

Naruto had definitely been there, his rietsu signature was present. But the signature of his attackers was not, they had cleaned it down to non-detectable levels, even for someone like himself.

"I see" he said "Thank you Assistant Adjutant, you may leave us"

She nodded her head, before rising, bowing and turning to leave, quickness in her step as she exited through the huge double doors of the meeting hall.

"What shall we do" Ukitake asked.

"We investigate this to the best of our ability" Yamamoto replied "And hope we find who has done this"

------

It had been three days.

The shot glasses were poured and given out to each person; each man and woman took the drink and starred at the sake held within with saddened gazes. Sakura looked out at the assembled friends, old and new who had gathered for this small remembrance toast.

The bar was full of mourners; alongside her were Temari, Shikamaru, Rangiku, Kaien and Miyako Shiba, Ikkaku, Yamichika, Zaraki, Soifon and all of the Patrol Corps, dressed in casual attire and each holding a shot glass in they're hands.

Everybody was silent as she took her glass and raised it up high, her voice reverberating through the small bar which was a favorite for the Shinigami "To Uzumaki Naruto, the greatest friend I've ever known"

"To Naruto" they all said at once, and in unison raised their shot glasses to their lips and downed the Saki in one unanimous gulp. She whipped her mouth and managed a brave smile "Now let's remember him the best way we know how, the owner says every drink is on the house"

As the wake began in earnest Sakura decided to bow out for a moment, she exited the bar and looked up to the sky. It looked like it was going to be another clear day.

Softly, her eyes glistening, she whispered "Sayonara, Naruto"

------

Tired, in pain, he opened his eyes to be greeted with an unfamiliar landscape. All around him was a forest of wide, gray, leafless trunks which rose up as far as the eye could see, small specks of ethereal light could just be discerned from the canopy above. The ground was barren and lifeless, with not even the tiniest hint of vegetation.

He sat up, feeling the pain in his joints but ignoring them, and slowly rose to his feet. He surveyed the barren, lifeless place around him and knew that he was not supposed to be here.

Was he supposed to be here? Searching through his mind, sifting through his memories he came up at a blank, he could not remember how he got here, where he had come from, and after a moment he even realized that he could not remember a thing about himself.

"Where am I?" he whispered to himself as he gazed across the barren landscape "Who am I?"

With no answers and no knowledge he decided to walk through this desolate place, perhaps he would find something that would give him clues about his past, maybe something to help him kick start his memory.

As the blonde walked through the forest, he was unaware that he was being watched by a pair of feline cerulean eyes.

Sorry this chapter was so short folks, but then again Epilogues are supposed to be short in my opinion. Anyhow this concludes the first Story Arc of my Naruto/Bleach crossover. But fear not, for the next Arc is already well underway (In my head at least lol).

Oh yeah, and before I forget

Merry Christmas!!!