Chapter 4
Right to Exist
"You appear to be having problems, Naruto"
Time seemed to stop, everything stopped. The flying debris, the howling wind, the swirling of the energy ball, Yugito's swiping claw, everything stopped. Slowly, eyes wide, Naruto turned to see a man, a man who he recognised as being eerily familiar. Black pants and jacket, dark green armoured vest, silver eyes, black hair, a headband tied to his forehead, a leaf symbol displayed proudly.
"Who are you?"
The man frowned "Must we do this again?"
Naruto was about to ask him what he was on about, but suddenly something came to him. This man knew him, knew his name, he seemed familiar to him, he must have been from his past "You know me. Tell me who I am, where I come from…why the bloody hell am I here!"
The man looked him in the eye for a handful of seconds before sighing "So it is true, you have lost your memories"
"Who am I?" Naruto spoke up again, his voice pleading with a hint of desperation. He had travelled through this accursed land for a long time, and not once was there a single soul who recognised him, then this man came. He ignored the fact that time seemed to stop, or the strange clothes he was wearing, he just wanted to know "I know I'm not a Hollow like Yu-chan, but I don't know who or what I am. Can you help me, tell me who I am!"
"You are Uzumaki Naruto" the man replied, taking a step forward "You were once a powerful Shinigami within the ranks of the Goteijusantai, the Thirteen Shinigami Divisions"
"Uzumaki – Naruto" he whispered the name, or more precisely his last name, there it was, another piece of the puzzle was coming into place.
"Yes" the strange man said firmly "And I am your Zanpakuto, my name is Kazerasshu"
"Kazerasshu" Naruto repeated the name slowly, savouring it, another piece. He felt a sudden weight in his hand, and looked down to see a curved katana in his right hand, sheathed in a dark blue scabbard, its guard was round and engraved silver with the black symbol of a leaf etched into every ninety degree angle, the hilt was wrapped tightly in dark blue and black cloth.
"Good, you can still hear my name"
"What else do you know about me? How did I get here? What is the Goteijusantai?"
"Sadly my memory is as fragmented as yours" Kazerasshu replied "All I know is my name and that you are my wielder, that is all"
"Oh" Naruto looked up, dejected.
"We will figure is out together" his Zanpakuto assured, taking another few steps forward so that they were just a few feet apart "But as for now we need to save your friend. Tell me Naruto, what is she to you?"
"My friend" he replied evenly, without hesitation.
"For now that will do" Kazerasshu smirked "Ready to do this?"
"You bet"
"Alright then"
Time moved again, and looking down Naruto noticed his sword appear at his side. He gripped the handle, feeling a rush of joy at the feeling of the cloth covered hilt and in a quick movement drew the blade from the sheath. He marvelled at the liquid silver blade, gleaming crimson and azure from the opposing demon cloaks.
He looked at Yugito, still struggling against his hold on her and immediately his face softened. Those weren't her eyes. Yugito's eyes held pain, suffering, and loneliness within them. These eyes held murderous glee, a wish to do harm, a wish to kill and maim "If you can hear me Yugito take back your mind, this monster is not you!"
He opened his mouth, releasing a pent up cero from the tip of his tongue. The blast, while not strong enough to puncture her cloak, was enough to send her flying back, impacting against a still standing chunk of wall. He spun in mid-movement, his cloak of demonic energy vanishing like a shadow, leaving only him. He looked upon Yugito as she came to her feet, his eyes changing colour from crimson to vibrant blue, and then there was a thunderous crack, followed by shards of porcelain falling from his face and hitting the ground.
Naruto reached up, feeling his face, running his fingers along the groves along his cheeks. He then looked down at the ground to see the remains of his mask, broken into several pieces, shattered further when they impacted against the cracked concrete. There was a dark flash, and he looked down to see that his tattered robes had renewed themselves "Now that's interesting"
He looked at his Zanpakuto, and through instinct ran the middle and index fingers of his left hand along the blade, feeling energy follow his fingertips he muttered an incantation "Descend, Kazerasshu!"
The blade changed, and he felt another rush of joy at its familiar appearance. The pommel of the released state was shaped like an arrowhead with a half meter long hilt covered in grey cloth. The guard was a thin, grey cross-guard, the right side curving down into a finger guard reaching three quarters the length of the hilt. The blade was dark blue with a white edge along the sword, curved on either side with two spike-like protrusions on the top quarter of the spine.
He looked at the weapon for a moment, before turning to his friend, both hands gripping his Zanpakuto. He didn't know why he said the next words, it just seemed to come naturally "Ten no Kaze!"
"Come on Kitten is that the best you can do!"
Yugito flew through the opening of the cave, feeling the warm rays of the sun hit her face as she finally exited to open ground. An explosion of dust and debris followed her from a missed attack, but whatever it was she didn't know, or want to know. The former Nibi Jinchuriki hit the ground and skidded to a halt, sending up a thin mass of dust in her wake.
It was barely a few seconds later when the Nekomata followed her, though she was beginning to have her doubts if this was truly the Nibi no Nekomata. Her body had changed midfight, becoming a perfect copy of Yugito right down to the minutest detail. There was only one difference. Instead of colour her skin, clothes and features were set in blacks, whites and greys. The only feature of her other half with any colour was her eyes, cerulean blue orbs with slit black pupils.
Within a second her copy was upon her, a malicious grin morphing her features into a demonic visage as she brought down her sword. Yugito was just able to dive to the right in time to dodge, watching as a huge explosion of dust followed the attack. Within moments it cleared revealing a crater where she once stood, her other half standing beside it, a near perfect replica of her own Zanpakuto held idly at her side.
"What's wrong kitten" the Nekomata sneered "Why do you run? You know that eventually I will catch you right!"
Almost delicately she opened her mouth and inhaled air, puffing out her chest as she took oxygen into her lungs. A ball of energy formed off the tip of her tongue, black in colour. Her breath caught and she exhaled it all with a roar, which was lost to a dull boom. In an instant the ball became a beam of incandescent darkness, shooting towards her with maximum prejudice.
She knew the attack. She had done it herself a handful of times, a cero. She jumped to the side, just missing the beam as it shot past her, singing her blonde locks as it went before colliding with a mountain top at the other end of the valley. The explosion was deafening, and when it cleared the entire top of the small peak was gone.
"Why do you run?"
Yugito turned, startled, to see that same woman standing beside her, watching her other half with a critical eye.
"She has all of my Hollow abilities" Yugito replied fearfully, taking a step back "Every one!"
"That she has" the woman agreed "Everything you know she knows. Your power is her power"
"What is she?"
"She is you" the woman replied "Your opposite, your negative, all of your conflicting emotions given birth in a body. Your fear, your helplessness, your loneliness, your pain all gathered in one solid form" her Zanpakuto broke her eyes from the hollow, and bored into hers "But know this, everything she knows you know, and vice versa. You have come to believe that just because you have been given a human body that you have lost your Hollow power, not so. You have the same power as her. You are both opposites, yet you are perfect matches…you can still use your Hollow power, so use them, buy time until my voice reaches you and you know my name"
Yugito nodded and took a deep breath, feeling energy coalesce just before the tip of her tongue, her breath hitched and with an exhale she released an azure coloured cero upon her opponent. The suddenly wide eyes of her opposite brought some satisfaction, and then she vanished with a low level boom as the azure energy struck the rock.
"There you go Kitten" that demonic voice uttered seductively behind her "Knew you could do it"
She jumped forward, spinning in midair to face her opponent, only for her eyes to scan an empty clearing. Yugito hit the ground, skidding to a halt, eyes darting back and forth in search of the one with her face.
"What are you looking at kitten?" that voice whispered again, once again behind her "I'm here"
She turned in time to see her other half looming over her, the colourless version of her sword coming down for a killing strike. Yugito jumped back, but was a split second too late as blade cut into flesh, leaving a long, shallow slash mark across her abdomen. She winced in pain, but managed to hit the ground in a crouch, free hand reeled back, Bala already partially forming.
She punched forward, a cerulean bala blast leaving her fist and flying towards the Hollow, only for the condensed ball of energy to be sliced neatly in half by her sword. The severed halves flew several meters behind her colourless form and hit the ground, exploding with a brilliant azure flash.
"Stop fighting like a Hollow" Yugito winced at the annoyed tone, and saw her Zanpakuto sitting cross legged on the edge of the plateau, starring at her impatiently "You are fighting like a Hollow, but that on its own won't be enough. To put her in her place you need to fight like a Shinigami!"
"How do I do that!" she cried.
"My name" the kimono wearing woman replied "What – is – my – name!"
A shadow fell upon her, and she looked up in sudden horror to see her colourless half descend like a bird of prey, a malicious grin plastered on her face as she brought her sword down "You don't know it kitten…too bad. Rise –"
Whatever her Hollow half was about to say was lost to an unnatural howl, but when it cleared she brought a sword down which was different from a moment before. She couldn't make out the colour, but she could make out slight changes. The guard, which was once oval shaped was now like that of a diamond, a long ribbon flowing from the end of the hilt, the blade was curved, its serrated edge black compared to the white of the actual blade, and the blade was covered in an unnatural black fire.
Laughing maniacally now her Hollow half brought down the sword, and a blade of fire soared right at her, striking the ground and continuing to burn. Yugito was just able to get out of the way, feeling the heat of the flames against her exposed skin. Like a wraith from hell her Hollow half seemed to explode from the fire, a murderous sneer on her face as she lashed out with a stab, sending a stream of charcoal flame at her.
Yugito vanished, watching in mute horror as the entire plateau was now set ablaze with those unholy black flames, burning through the rock itself. Then a small circle of fire extinguished itself, revealing her colourless other half standing in the middle of the fire, Zanpakuto held idly at her side, a smug smirk carved onto her face.
She pointed her sword at Yugito, and the Kumo-nin watched in horror as the flames started to writhe, then reach out like the tendrils of some hungry creature. Her senses barely had time to register the heat before she was encompassed by the dark flames, screaming as she felt her skin burn, and howls of demonic laughter assault her ears.
"Goodbye Kitten"
This is it. This is the end.
"Fight it!" she opened her eyes to come face to face with her Zanpakuto, the woman's slanted eyes partially hidden by wildly flowing black hair, but there was no mistake that her azure eyes were staring intently at her.
"How" she asked, her voice raspy.
"My name" the woman replied "Say my name!"
"I don't know…it"
The woman sighed, before bringing her face within a few millimetres of Yugito's, their noses just touching "I will tell you my name once more, so perk up your ears and listen" Yugito nodded mutely, feeling the flames lick ever closer to her. Her Zanpakuto took a deep breath, and leaned in close, her warm breath ghosting against the shell of her ear "My name is-"
Her Hollow half stared up at the burning black flames of her Zanpakuto as they surrounded Yugito like a small cocoon of writhing fire. A smirk spreading across her features as the flames imploded. It was finally done, her dominant half couldn't adapt fast enough, and she would gain the prize.
Now all that remained was to return to the main plain and take care of that annoying blonde Shinigami. He was quite persistent, but now that she had complete control she could complete her metamorphosis and crush him.
She turned, and was about to phase out of the inner world of her host, but something stayed her step. She turned back up to the cocoon of black fire. The flames were writhing and convulsing, as if something alive was still within the miniature tornado, trying with everything to get out. A voice could be heard, weak and raspy but it was still there.
"Rise, Izanami!"
The inner Hollow watched with slowly widening eyes as a small section of black fire changed colour to a brilliant azure. The small blue flame began to spread, converting the black flames around the cocoon. As the last piece of black flame vanished the cocoon exploded and Yugito, clothes slightly burned but otherwise unharmed stood tall and proud, her released state Zanpakuto held in her hands.
The Shikai state was a beautiful sight. The once white wrappings around the hilt now a bdark blue, a long dark blue ribbon fluttering from the butt, the guard was a black oval, and like the Hollows sword hers was a curved blade, but unlike the replica this one's was a clear oceanic blue, almost as if the blade was made from stained glass.
Yugito looked down upon her Hollow half and with a flick of her wrist unleashed a great blade of azure flames. Her Hollow mimicked the motion, and once again the black flames that raged along the plateau convulsed, forming into tendrils of black which collided with the azure. For a moment the two fires slammed against each other, and for what seemed like an eternity the two stalemated.
Then it happened, the azure flames seemed to spread, converting the black flames to the colour of the original. The Hollow watched in muted shock as her own flames were turned against her, travelling down and overtaking the flames on the plateau. She jumped away, vanishing in a Sonido and reappearing on a mountain top at the other side of the valley.
Her eyes darted left and right, watching for her prey. Then a shadow fell upon her and she turned to see Yugito above her, sword extended. It was too late to move. The blade plunged through her chest, exiting her back. Instead of blood it seemed like a flower of azure sprouting behind her hollow half, before closing around her, turning her grey and white clothes into azure.
She looked into her opponents almond eyes, and saw her covered in sweat, her breathe coming and going in shrill gasps "Well done Kitten" she whispered, her form seemingly turning into mist "Maybe you're not so weak after all"
Then her form was engulfed by azure flames.
Naruto grit his teeth as he held his sword between himself and the Hollows open maw, the only thing protecting him was the blade. He had tried to subdue the Hollowed Yugito, but her berserker mode was fierce and made it almost impossible to fight softly. He found himself attacking with everything he had just to survive.
He watched with wide eyes as the masked face backed up an inch, and opened her mouth, revealing a rapidly forming cerulean coloured cero. It was a simple change, the animalistic azure eyes convulsed, turning almond, then blue, then almond again. The Hollow reeled back with a scream, releasing the cero into the air.
Naruto looked on, stunned as one of its clawed hands exploded, revealing a five digit human hand, said appendage shot up, grabbing onto the mask, fingers digging into the sides. Small cracks appeared along the nightmarish cat visage, like a window struck by a stone as the hand pulled. He saw the nails cracking under the strain, blood leaking from the roots of her nails in small plops of crimson.
Yugito gave one last agonised scream before the mask shattered, and with it the white carapace body, turning gray before collapsing. The monstrous noise morphed back to a feminine scream of pain. Naruto looked up to see a flawless face of cream skin, eyes tightly shut and seemingly leaking blood, mouth opened for a scream of pain. Then, mercifully, she lost consciousness and fell on top of him, her head resting against his chest.
Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, and then felt a soft swell resting against his abdomen. He looked down and knew that his cheeks were definitely taking on a shade of crimson. Yugito was naked, and was lying directly on top of him. For what seemed like an eternity Naruto's mind switched gears from gentlemen to pervert, before the pervert won out for a brief moment.
He leaned forward, noticing a well toned body yet with enough flesh to give curves to all the right places. Her backside, her well toned legs, nice plump breasts. He shook his head, the inner gentlemen knocking the inner pervert out with a well timed crowbar to the back of the head.
"You appear to be enjoying yourself, Naruto-kun" he looked up to see Aizen standing a few meters away from them, watching the entire fiasco with a raised brow and a smirk.
Naruto in turn gave him a pointed and annoyed look, which must have looked amusing with his cheeks the colour they were "You're enjoying this"
"Now what makes you think that?"
The blonde humphed before looking down upon Yugito's face, eyes closed and features blissfully relaxed. He knew at that moment that whatever happened to her was over "Can someone get me a cloak for her, and a bed for her to sleep it off?"
Aizen hesitated for a moment, before nodding and motioning for one of the Arrancar, he couldn't tell which came forward with a cloak. The cloak was draped over Yugito's unmoving form, giving her some much needed coverage of her womanly assets. Slowly, utilising skills of stealth he didn't know he had Naruto managed to edge his way out from under the blonde, and coming up onto a crouch placed his arms around her, picking her up in his arms and carrying her from the battlefield.
Nelliel appeared before him, looked at the wrapped up blonde in his arms and motioned him with her head "Come on, I'll escort you to my quarters. It'll be safer for her there"
Sosuke Aizen looked out of his throne room window, wondering about the day's events and the revelations on how powerful a Hollowfied Jinchuriki could be. Yugito's power was explosive and unnaturally strong, but during life she was the host to the second weakest beast of the nine. He had seen how powerful Naruto could get with three formed tails, and he was just able to stop him in his Shikai form. If Naruto had gone over six he may have been forced to unleash his Bankai, and if he reached nine…well, one step at a time.
"It looks like you gained two additionally powerful pawns"
He turned his head slightly to see Gin Ichimaru leaning against the wall, arms folded, posture relaxed and foxy grin in place "New weapons yes, but I feel they may be too important to be considered pawns, perhaps knights or crooks"
Gin smirked, his blue eyes just visible "I got some news from the Seireitei for yea"
"Oh and how's the investigation going?"
"They have nothing" Ichimaru replied "Yamamoto is still investigating, but the Central 46 think Naruto's gone rogue like his sensei's"
"Foolish old men" Aizen smirked "All their bureaucracy and corruption makes covering up a war almost too easy"
"So when are we going to kill the old farts?"
"Not yet" the architect said with a smile "Corrupt bureaucrats they may be, but they still have their uses"
"What about the two blondes?"
"Ah yes, those two"
"Do you think it will be possible to separate them?"
"Not a chance"
"Then what do you want to do with them?"
Aizen thought about it for a moment "Yugito-kun has been checked by the healers. She has no Hollow hole or mask fragments. For all intents and purposes she is a Shinigami, right down to her Zanpakuto and spiritual pressure"
"How is that possible?"
"Not sure, but her aura was always strange. So different from any other Hollow I have encountered" the newly promoted 5th Division Captain said as he slowly turned on his heel and walked towards his throne "My theory is that she was never meant to be a Hollow, but her separation from the Nekomata was a harsh one, harsh enough to force her chain of fate to burn out. She became a Hollow, yet retained her humanity…all she needed was a catalyst and she would have changed into a whole again"
"And the Shinigamification process did this?"
"It seemed to have the opposite effect on her, from Hollow to Vizard instead of from Hollow to Arrancar" he sat on his chair, and leaned lazily against the back "It makes me interested in the others. Was this a separate occurrence or is it possible for all of them?"
"Well however it happened we now have two extremely powerful Vizards under your control" Gin ventured, eyeing his co-conspirator with a lazy gaze "The only question is what you are planning to do with them?"
"I want to train them" Aizen replied nonchalantly "Naruto is starting to remember how to wield his Shinigami powers, and his Hollow powers are developing well. Yugito is the opposite, a basic grasp on her Hollow abilities while her knowledge of the Shinigami arts is limited to her knowing the name of her sword"
"Is it wise to train them" Gin asked, his eyes becoming visible as they widened a fraction "What if Naruto regains his memories. That could be a problem"
"It could, and if that happens we will deal with him" Aizen replied "Best to send in a specially trained weapon than an untrained one"
"So who are their teachers going to be?"
"Hmm, now that is the question isn't it"
Slowly she opened her eyes to look upon a white ceiling, drab and undecorated. Her body felt like a lead weight. Her brain was sluggish and her arms and legs felt heavy. A pounding assaulted her head, she hadn't felt such a hangover in a long time, and let the world know with a groan and a curse.
"You're finally awake, Yu-chan"
That voice, she sat up straight in bed, and whimpered as the pounding in her head intensified to almost uncontrollable levels. The world around her began to spin and she fell back in bed, holding onto her head with her hands in a feeble attempt to make the spinning stop.
"Easy" the voice cautioned "You've had a rough time of it, and probably won't be feeling good for a little while"
"Naruto" she whispered hoarsely, reaching out with her hand and felt relief when his hand gripped onto hers and gave a reassuring squeeze.
"I'm here, Yu-chan" she managed a weak smile, and then her tired mind reminded her of something. Was his hand always this big? She squinted open an eye, and immediately shut it again when the light, dull as it was, left spots in her vision.
Blinking several times to get used to the light she opened her eyes again and looked over at him. It was the first time she had seen him without that Hollow mask in place and she had to admit there was a ruggedly handsome face under it. Expressive oceanic eyes full of relief, tanned skin, spiky dark blonde hair and whisker markings, three on each cheek.
"Why did you need to hide your face behind that mask" she asked drearily, a hand covering her eyes "You look pretty handsome"
He smirked at her remark "You don't look so bad yourself"
It took a moment for his remark to register in her mind, but then she drew her hand away to reveal the almond orb of her right eye "What?"
"In fact if I think about it you're the most beautiful girl I've seen around here" he said with a grin. He was always able to make a girl feel special. He just didn't know it yet. She looked at her hand as if for the first time, noticing that it wasn't a paw anymore. Suddenly she shot up in bed again, forcefully pushing the nausea away.
"Do you have a mirror or something" she asked, almost feebly "I want to see my face"
She had stared into the visage of a monster for so long that she almost forgot that she was once human, and as Naruto produced a small mirror, still grinning, she was almost afraid to take it from him. What if she still looked like a monster? What if this was all a dream which would turn into a nightmare the moment she looked into that mirror? It had happened to her before.
Slowly, forcing her hand to stop shaking she brought the mirror before her, and looked into the image. She gasped. It was a face she almost forgot. Cream coloured skin, slanted almond eyes, sharp cheek and chin bones, locks of a blonde fringe partially hiding her forehead and a long mane of messy light blonde hair framing her features.
It was her face.
It was her face!
She reached up with her free hand, running her fingertips along the smooth skin of her cheek. Was this all a dream? Her hand probed her face slowly, fingertips going over every contour of skin and committing it to memory. The tears came before she realised it, water pouring from her eyes and streaming down her cheeks, she grit her teeth to try and stop the sobs, but it was a fool's errand.
Naruto was now sitting on the bed before her, looking worried and unsure of what to do "Hey Yu-chan" he started, feeling awkward "Are you alright? Why are you crying?"
"Baka" she whispered between sobs, reaching up with both hands to rub her eyes "I'm crying because I'm happy"
Then she blurred forward, wrapping her arms around his startled form in a tight embrace, head leaning against his chest, the tears staining his black robes "Thank you Naruto, I don't know what you did but thank you!"
His shock dissipated quickly, and with a warm smile he placed his hands around her, returning her embrace "Your welcome, Yu-chan"
Ahem, and that's a rap. Hope you all enjoyed it and it wasn't disappointing. Thank you to everyone who sent your requests forward for the naming of Yugito's Zanpakuto and sorry that I didn't put it forward sooner, but I decided to stick to my original idea and move on from there. Now I'm changing a few things, namely instead of adding a translation beside the Japanese name I have decided to add a translation at the bottom, looks more professional in my eyes lol.
In the End Translation Corner
Name: Kazerasshu
Classification: Zanpakuto
Affiliation: Naruto Uzumaki
Description:
The Zanpakuto of Naruto Uzumaki, former Fukutaicho of the Goteijusantei. Kazerasshu is a weapon which can harness and manipulate the surrounding air currents, bending them to the will of the user and turning them into deadly attacks.
Its abilities are broad considering the element it represents, and it is capable of launching anything from a single condensed wind blade to thousands of tiny blades capable of cutting an enemy to shreds. Because of this versatility Kazerasshu has a number of attacks and abilities available, including the offensive power of Ten no Kaze, which gathers the wind into a deadly condensed blade of air, and the defensive power of Ten no Arashi, which gathers the air into a miniature tornado around the user, protecting him from any external attacks.
The spirit of Kazerasshu appears before its user as a Shinobi of Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The spirit appears to be an inquisitive type, continuously asking its wielder about his actions and how he justifies them, but like his wielder he has a wish to improve himself, and continuously helps his user, training with him to such an effect.