A/N: As previously stated, I'm uploading these first three chapters at the same time, simultaneously rewriting and updating; I'm sure you guys like that, especially since my new word minimum will nearly double the older version. However, due to me putting these all up at the same time, I know nothing of your opinions on the changes, so I'm going in blind.
Fun.
Beyond that, I don't have much else to say.
Um... I got the Storm 4 Season Pass :D (and an extra $20 on PSN because Cyber Connect doesn't know the difference between 'discount' and 'free' in its description so I got it just in case) and the first two DLC. The first DLC was fun, and Shikamaru's Tale just seemed like a love letter to all the shippers XD but I'm annoyed I can't use the Naruto/Boruto Team Ultimate, AND NEVER WILL because Cyber Connect had the brilliant idea to make the Pre-order Bonus JUST the Pre-order Bonus; as far as I know, it's never coming out again, so for those of us who missed it, we'll never know the joy of using Boruto and Sarada.
Best marketing decision ever ._.
And of course the new Team Ultimate's are awesome. Then I got the second DLC. And my brain was splattered all over the wall at the AWESOMENESS before me, specifically Gai/Lee's and Sasuke/Itachi's. Fucking. Awesome.
I got the fucking glitch, though, that makes it so I can't 100% Gaara's Scenario. Fuck deleting my save and doing it all over again. So that's annoying, as was the lateness of the DLC even with my Season Pass.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Bleach
"Human speech"
'Human thought'
"Jutsu/Demon speech/Soul Conjunction techniques"
'Demon thought'
Let's begin
"That was a very risky decision, Uzumaki Naruto." The stranger said, scaring Naruto slightly that someone broke into his house - even though the door didn't appear to be broken - and drawing his attention. There, on the armchair in the living room, was the intruder.
A dark skinned man with orange hair, swept back in an auburn river between his shoulder blades. He had a conical straw hat hanging off the back of his neck, his green, pupil-less eyes watching Naruto. The stranger was dressed in a white, sleeveless mandarin-style jacket with black trim and ties. He wore simple geta, and he had bandages down his forearms and hands, his fingers the only thing uncovered. The odd thing was the hole in the middle of his chest, the -1 on his right shoulder, and a plate on his forehead with three spikes slightly facing upward.
"Who the heck are you?!" Naruto questioned the stranger.
"I am one of many. I am a messenger. We are coming, Uzumaki Naruto. It will be your duty to ensure if we are friend or foe. As enemies, we will slaughter you and everyone you hold dear." He threatened without a change in the tone of his voice. "As friends, we will teach you to control these powers you have." He added in the same tone. Suddenly changing the topic, he looked right in Naruto's eyes. "I understand in your mythology that the demons, Tengu, hold gourds of fears." Suddenly standing up, his hat cast a shadow over his body, empty blackness. "I fear swords." All manners of blades popped out of the shadow, glinting threateningly. Turning matte black, they sunk back into him. "I fear wolves." Wild hounds came snapping out of the darkness, a feral glint in their eyes, baying for blood. "I fear the ocean." The crashing of waves sounded and water began to spread across the floor. "I fear... the dark." His shadow spread across the room, turning it into an empty void. "But what do you fear, Naruto Uzumaki? Ah, yes, the death of your 'precious people.' Such a passionate thing." All around Naruto, the people he cared about appeared, smiling and waving at him, only for so many strange creatures to appear behind them and kill them in all sorts of ways. Naruto looked around, tears falling from his eyes at the madness of what he saw. And just like that... it stopped.
'It's just illusions, nightmares. The dark playing tricks on me. This guy... what is he?' Naruto reassured himself in his head, then questioned, slowly turning his gaze on the unnamed stranger as the darkness faded.
"Are you afraid, Uzumaki Naruto?" The stranger asked. Receiving a nod, he actually smiled and stood up, approaching Naruto, very nearly invading his personal space, kneeling down to be eye level. "I'm going to let you in on a secret, kid. Scared is good." Receiving a confused glance, he elaborated. "Right then, listen here." He advised, poking Naruto in the chest right over his heart. "You heart is beating very fast, isn't it? Blood and oxygen pumping through your body, like rocket fuel! Even without your precious chakra, you could run faster and jump higher than you ever could. And right now you are so alert, it's like you can slow down time. Tell me, Naruto Uzumaki, what's wrong with scared?" Soon Naruto smiled with him, both chuckling as this strange man stood straight up again and backed away. "But of course, a lot of people don't know that, so usually, others would have been driven mad. This is my power, Naruto Uzumaki. Nightmares. Fear. Darkness. That primal tingle in the back of your head that screams at you when something's wrong. Such is the power of an Arrancar." The man explained.
After that mindfuck, Naruto was trying to interpret what this guy said. "What's an Arrancar?" Naruto questioned.
The intruder blinked owlishly. "I break into your house, tell you I have power of nightmares and fear, and the first thing you do is ask about a subject completely separate from this?" He asked. Receiving a dumbfounded nod, he chuckled to himself for a while before answering. "Arrancar are Hollows who have ripped off their mask to receive Shinigami powers, with their power sealed in a zanpakutou." He explained.
"Hollows with zanpakutou... a whole group of them." Naruto muttered to himself, scared of the power these kind of people held if this one person was an indication.
"So what will it be, Uzumaki Naruto? Friends, or foes?" The stranger asked.
"...Who are you? Who's 'we'? Why me? How are you here?" Naruto questioned.
Tilting his head, the stranger nodded to himself, agreeing that some information would be beneficial to his choices in the future. "I am Shoza Kurai. 'We' are the Espada Caidos. Why you, well it would seem the Spirit King brought us here for some specific reason and the only clue we got lead us to you. As the Spirit King, he made a deal with your Shinigami and brought us here. Now, I answered your questions, so you answer mine. Friend or foe, Uzumaki Naruto?" Kurai asked again, his tone deadly serious, showing he wouldn't take another deviation from this question.
"...Friend." Naruto decided.
Kurai smiled. "Then let the games begin." He said, turning into darkness itself and launching himself at Naruto, entering his head through his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. When he was done, Naruto's eyes shut, seemingly unable to open again, and he lost the ability to speak, hear, or smell.
'What's going on?! What did you do to me?!' Naruto mentally yelled.
"Winning our alliances won't be so easy, Naruto Uzumaki. Each Espada Caidos will administer a test depending on your choice. If you choose 'friend,' then it will be a test pertaining to their powers. If 'foe,' then you must fight them to a standstill. This is my test. You must go an entire day without your senses. My power of fear. The fear of not knowing. What you're doing, where you're going, who's around you, and what's happening. You can only feel. But what will you feel? Pain? Perhaps. Perhaps not. You'll be like this for 24 hours."Kurai explained in his head.
'How the fuck am I supposed to function like this for an entire day?!' Naruto questioned.
"How should I know? It's your body. You have a very empty place in here, y'know."Kurai answered, then commented matter-of-factly.
"Naruto-kun, maybe you can utilize a sort of chakra sonar; it's a bit short notice, but the only thingI can think of to help you." Hono pitched in to help her container, glaring at the intruding Arrancar from behind her bars.
'Maybe.' Naruto remembered. Concentrating his chakra, he sent out a pulse, getting nothing. He tried again a couple more times, fine-tuning it until he started to receive a very fuzzy picture, working on it more and more until it came up semi-clear. He 'saw' the living room, large blobs he could guess were furniture, and the layout of his apartment as a whole. He was entirely grateful his day was done, so he couldn't get himself killed trying to do... whatever while like this.
Then he sensed someone knocking at his door.
'Fuuuuuuuck.' He mentally groaned. Sending out another pulse, he clumsily made his way to the door and felt around for the doorknob. Turning it the wrong way first, then the right, he opened the door, not knowing who was there. Holding up his finger for whoever it was to hold on a minute, he pulled out a pencil and some paper and wrote down an explanation of sorts.
'Long story, but I can't see, hear, smell, or talk. Whoever it is, I'm sorry if you really need me for the moment, but I'm pretty much useless as I am. I am stuck like this for twenty-four hours.'
Unbeknownst to him, it was an ANBU that knocked on his door, coming to bring him to the Hokage for questioning pertaining to his newly revealed Kekkei Genkai, but this note... pretty much shot that down.
Well fuck. Can't very well bring him since there would be literally no way to communicate. Now, how to communicate that the ANBU understood?
Basically saying 'fuck it', the ANBU tentatively took the note once Naruto understood the person wanted it, then took his hand to feel a thumbs up that the person understood, and let the blonde go back inside. 'That felt humiliating, and there were no witnesses...' Tora thought morosely as he headed back to the Sandaime with the note.
(Hokage Tower)
"Hmm... this is extremely disconcerting. Asuma did not mention any injuries that could cause this condition. Was there anything visible about him that might have alluded to a cause for any of this?" Hiruzen asked after looking over the note.
"No, Hokage-sama; he simply had his eyes closed and did not speak, and appeared unresponsive when I first began speaking." Tora reported.
"Hmm... I believe I know how to go about this. Bring Inoichi and have him meet me at Naruto-kun's home." Sarutobi ordered as he got out of his seat.
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Tora replied, disappearing in a blur to find the Yamanaka clan head.
(15 minutes later, Naruto's Apartment)
'Fuck again.' Naruto mentally commented once he sensed someone knocking at his door again, having spent the last fifteen minutes exercising his new chakra sonar technique, refining it so he could better make out things like furniture, as opposed to 'seeing' them as blobs taking up space. Not one to be rude, even when insanely handicapped, Naruto made his way to the door, easier this time, and opened it, raising a hand so he could get a note, only for someone to grab it gently.
'Naruto-san, can you hear me?' Inoichi's voice pervaded his mind, causing a smile to burst on his face; finally, a way to talk to someone!
'Yes Inoichi-sama, I can hear you! Why are you here, though?' Naruto asked.
'That would be my doing, Naruto-kun.' The Sandaime's voice joined in.
'Jii-san!' Naruto cheered, always happy to talk to him.
'Hello, Naruto-kun; may we come in and have a seat? It would look rather silly for us to hold up a conversation while standing in your doorway.' Hiruzen pointed out good-naturedly.
Merely nodding, Naruto let them in, closing the door behind them when he sensed no one else, and sat down on the couch, letting Inoichi put his hand on his shoulder, deepening the connection so they actually appeared in a conjoined mindscape, which appeared as Naruto's living room, where they could 'talk' normally. "What's this about, jii-san?"He asked.
"Asuma-kun came to me with interesting information after your test."Sarutobi answered.
Naruto's face took a horrified/devastated look as he realized what that meant. "You're here to ask about my Kekkei Genkai, aren't you?"He asked resignedly.
"I'm afraid so, Naruto-kun; your Kekkei Genkai has never been seen before, and we need to speak about this so you know what it will cost you to use it." Hiruzen explained.
"Cost me? What do you mean, jii-san?"Naruto asked, not understanding.
"The political backlash of utilizing a never-before-seen Kekkei Genkai, both within and without the village. You're lucky I got to you before the Council, otherwise they would raise all sorts of hell, and shinobi from many villages would seek to kidnap you for their own purposes, having you impregnate several kunoichi to replicate your Kekkei Genkai." Sarutobi explained darkly, taking no joy in Naruto's paling, horrified face.
"W-whoa... s-so what am I supposed to do, jii-san? Just not use my Kekkei Genkai?" Naruto asked.
"Oh no, Naruto-kun, that would be a waste of your skills. I merely ask that you exercise caution when utilizing it. That is really all you can do in this situation. However, the next order of business is much more grave; due to your acquiring a new Kekkei Genkai, you are to immediately be inserted into the CCA. There's nothing I can do about that; I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, but I must think of the village first." The Sandaime apologized profusely, detesting this part of his profession. It was times like these that he wished he stayed an on-field shinobi, so someone else can make these kind of decisions.
"I don't understand; what's the CCA, jii-san, and why's it so bad?" Naruto asked, slightly fearful.
"The Clan Creation Act, as opposed to the Clan Restoration Act, is a law instated when a new Kekkei Genkai crops up, to increase the amount of users to benefit their shinobi village. It requires the subject in question, that being you, to take multiple wives to sire children to spread the Kekkei Genkai." Hiruzen explained gravely.
"I... I have to get married?! And have kids?!" Naruto asked indignantly, horrified when he realized that, according to his jii-san's tone, there was no way out of this.
"Yes, Naruto-kun... however there is a silver lining. The wives can be of your own choosing; you have until you turn 18 to either sire a child or choose a wife, before the Council chooses a woman for you." Sarutobi explained, thankful Naruto understood the horror in that; if the Council chose a wife for him, she'd make his life a living hell.
"There's... there's really no way out of this, is there?" Naruto asked depressingly.
"The only way out would be if more than 2/3 of the Council rules against putting you in the program, and those greedy vultures will take every opportunity they can for power, so that's not going to happen." Hiruzen answered with a scowl at the thought of the Civilian Council.
"Then what am I supposed to do?! If the only way to not get myself screwed by the Council is to find wives on my own, how am I supposed to go about that?! I'm just a kid; I don't know anything about stuff like that, and most girls can't stand me anyway. No one wants to be near the Kyuubi jinchuriki..." Naruto muttered near the end, eyes falling to stare at his hands.
The surprising response was a hearty chuckle. "Oh Naruto-kun, I can tell you that there is someone out there for you, whether you believe it or not. You can find love, Naruto-kun, and beat these vultures; I promise you that." Hiruzen said with confidence in the blonde.
A confidence Naruto sure didn't feel. "Whatever you say, jii-san..." He muttered.
Sighing, knowing that was as far as he could get, Hiruzen moved on to the next subject. "Now, can you tell me about this Kekkei Genkai and everything you know about it? It needs to be documented to our archives; don't worry, only I and anyone I choose will have access to them." He asked, thankful he could still control his physical body, and that closing his eyes was more of a luxury than a necessity, so he was able to write down what Naruto told him in their minds.
"Ah... that... is a long story." Naruto commented, knowing he couldn't hide anything from his jii-san.
"Take your time." Sarutobi said.
Sighing, Naruto went about tell Hiruzen everything - as pretty much everything that happened to him as of late was connected to his Kekkei Genkai in one way or another - from seeing the dead to Toushirou and Rangiku - explaining that they erased everyone's memories when they left, thus why he couldn't remember such notable characters - Hono-chan - old man nearly had a heart attack - to his Kekkei Genkai being from another dimension, and now his current 'friend' Kurai, who was at fault for his current state.
Hiruzen wrote nothing.
Both in the mindscape and in real life, Hiruzen buried his face in his hands, lamenting the absolute headache just being around Naruto was giving him. "Okay, just so I can better understand this... Seeing the dead... a pair of individuals that could very well have devastated Konoha and we would never remember, the Kyuubi being so friendly, and a woman, this Kekkei Genkai of yours that... lets you do all that, I'm not going to bother going over each part just for my sanity, and another intruder that... did this." Sarutobi went over for himself. "I think I'm going to be sick..." He added.
Naruto was busy trying not to laugh at his jii-san's misery. "H-hey it's not like I asked for all this; it just happened to me. And now I have this CCA bull thrust onto me." He commented bitterly.
"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, but there's nothing I can do. Normally I can subvert their decrees, but since more than 2/3 will decide in favor of this decision, if I go against them, they could use some dated law, loophole, or some other bullshit to overthrow me, and then Danzo will be put into position, and trust me Naruto-kun, you do not want him as Hokage. He would start wars for the sake of 'Konoha's dominance', throwing shinobi at the enemy until they die or Konoha is destroyed, not caring about those who died, and he would probably insert a program in the Academy to erase everyone's emotions." Hiruzen informed the blonde, glad to see he understood the pure horror Danzo as Hokage would bring on his paling face.
"O-oh wow. Who is this guy, jii-san?" Naruto asked.
"Shimura Danzo is my friend..." Sarutobi answered, laughing humorlessly when Naruto squawked indignantly. "I grew up with him, and he was furious when I was made Hokage instead of him. I want to say he does all this for the betterment of Konoha, but... he's gone too far. A Kage should care for their shinobi, not see them as weapons to be thrown away when broken, not see them as emotionless machines that obey orders and don't even think for themselves. This is the man Danzo became, and it saddens me to see it. I won't say he was much nicer when he was younger, but he wasn't as bad as now." He reminisced sadly. Sighing, Hiruzen truly felt his age now. "Now that you understand this, can you please tell me what your Kekkei Genkai does again? Your... story caught me by surprise, and I didn't get to write anything down." He requested, retrieving his pen and paper in the real world.
Chuckling sheepishly and apologizing, Naruto told Hiruzen everything about his Kekkei Genkai, mentioning that there could be parts of it he didn't know about, like what Kurai mentioned about his Hollow powers.
With that, Hiruzen thanked Naruto while making the information they spoke of an S rank secret before getting on his way, thanking Inoichi for coming while swearing him to the secret as well.
Before leaving, Inoichi 'spoke' with Naruto. 'Naruto-san, I'll be leaving you a fuinjutsu array you can use to achieve this same effect with someone else; you and anyone wishing to speak to you merely need to touch it to speak.' Inoichi said, putting the scrap of paper in his hand, receiving a thankful nod, before the clan head left.
"Don't worry, Naruto-kun; I think you can still move around and do things because of your chakra sonar, but probably nothing like fighting." Hono pointed out.
"Yes, it'll be fun to watch you fumble around." Kurai said with a grin.
'Thank you for reminding me, Hono-chan. But there's a problem now...' Naruto said.
"What's that?" Hono asked, worried.
'I'm bored, and it's only 10 in the morning.' Naruto answered, causing her to facefault in the seal.
Kurai chuckled heartily. "I like this kid!"
"Well you can't very well train like this, and your team doesn't start missions until tomorrow. You can't really go out to find your friends to talk, since they'll need to talk to you through a piece of paper; we're stuck here." Hono pointed out.
'...Shit, you're right.' Naruto lamented. 'Eh, fuck it; I'm coming in.' He said with a shrug, leaning back in the armchair and diving into the seal.
(Mindscape)
"Ah sight, I've missed you already." Naruto commented once he opened his eyes in the seal.
"Nice work around; most people can't do this, and end up going mad." Kurai commended.
"Thanks?" Naruto asked, a bit unnerved by that.
Hono immediately pulled him into her domain and hugged him close like a teddy bear, resting her cheek on his head, getting a chuckle out of him.
"Guess all we can really do is talk." Naruto observed. "So what's your story, Kurai?" He asked.
"My story?" Kurai parroted, blinking in surprise. "Hmm... Well, I obviously don't remember who I was when I was alive, so that's a blank. All I remember is when I woke up in Hueco Mundo." He offered.
"What's that?" Naruto asked, the name sounding foreign.
"Hueco Mundo is the home of Hollows and Arrancars. It's a giant white desert with mineral structures that look like dead trees and a permanent night. Like the human worlds deserts, most of us didn't hang out up top, and tended to go underground unless something pissed us off. Even now, I remember the hunger... it hurt. I just wanted to eat. And I did. I'm sure you at least know that Hollows grow stronger when we eat souls and each other." Kurai said, receiving a nod. "Well, there's more to it. Newly born Hollows, Menos, are driven to consume the person the reason they lingered for was centered on, usually a loved one. I remember... a face. I think it was a woman. She had my skin and hair... I don't know who she was... Then I didn't stop. I ate and ate, until a Shinigami came for me, and I wanted so much to run away... then a portal opened before me. I didn't know what it was, or if it would kill me, but I just jumped in. Then I appeared in Hueco Mundo, the Shinigami not following me. I'm not sure if he did it to mock me, or to be merciful, but I didn't care. The air in Hueco Mundo is rich with reishi, and I could already feel myself getting stronger, but it wasn't enough. I still hungered. And so I ate and ate and ate. Soon I happened upon a massive inter-devouring of Hollows afflicted much like me, and we consumed each other. Usually, whenever a Hollow has any part bitten off, they can no longer evolve, but this case was an exception. We eventually merged into a giant Hollow, a Gillian, but deep within, I still lived. I fought. I consumed. I became. I assumed direct control, and I kept eating. Eventually, I exploded with power, and evolved again, into an Adjuchas. I became strong. But I didn't stop. Except for him." Kurai sighed sadly. "While he probably weren't, we came to see each other as brothers, and banded together; the wolf and the king. We journeyed, fought, and ate, until I evolved again, the final level of a Hollow, Vasto Lorde. That's when everything fell apart. I stayed with him, helped him reach that power himself, but time passed, and... nothing. He did not evolve. After a while, I think he began to... slip; he blamed me and began to hate me. One day, he attacked me, and I was forced to leave, so I didn't hurt him and keep him from evolving. I never saw him again... until he brought us all together." Kurai's eyes narrowed in fury. "Aizen Sousuke, a rogue Shinigami, came to Hueco Mundo and started gathering strong Hollows, using a device to make us into Arrancar. He drafted me and my brother. Even when he scowled at me and charged to attack me, I was happy; he had become a Vasto Lorde as well. Eventually Aizen got 20 of us together; his primary band, the Espada, ranked by power from 10 to 1, though 10 turned to 0, and thus the strongest, when he transformed, and us, the auxiliary group, Espada Caidos, ranked -1 to -10." Kurai thumbed his rank on his shoulder. "After a while, Aizen returned from his game with the Shinigami, and everything started to fall apart. The Shinigami and their allies came to Aizen's compound, Las Noches, and our own little war began. Some of them died, all but one of Aizen's Espada died, half of our numbers died, and the other half were left alone when they followed Aizen into some fake town they made. I was among the last to die." Kurai explained flatly.
"Y-you're dead?! Then how're you here?!" Naruto asked, eyes bugging out.
"Like I said, the Soul King brought us all here, whether we were dead or not. Now don't interrupt. A while after they put Aizen away, a bunch of Quincies decided to start their own war, coming into Hueco Mundo first. All but one of our numbers were killed, and one of the surviving normal Espada was taken prisoner, the other... just disappearing. The survivor of our group didn't pursue the Quincy king, Yhwach, simply because he didn't care about anything beyond making him go away. Around then was when we were brought back together, so I don't know how it ended." Kurai finished his story with a shrug.
"So... your friends-" Ignoring the snort. "-were brought to the Elemental Nations. Even that crazy-strong one? What're they like?" Naruto asked.
Thinking it over, Kurai decided to tell him what he could. "Well, after me, there's the weakest member, though that's not really saying much, since he's still as strong as Ulquiorra, who is the fifth-strongest Arrancar, our resident scientist and doctor, Isha. He has some weird obsession with poison and acid, always wanting to melt shit, but he also dabbled in experimenting and cataloguing our many fallen enemies before he died. Don't ask him questions you aren't prepared to spend an hour listening to the answers to, fair warning. Next was my brother I told you about, Hibana; he hates my guts. He is a lot like a Shinigami we faced in our dimension, always looking for a fight, but more often than not, he'll challenge me; he's never won so far, but by fuck, he keeps trying. Then there's Jirobo; a wild guy. His sword is a giant fang, which he constantly files his claws on. He's got some scratches on his face, which he has because he was injured during his Resurrección, and he likes animals; makes sense, considering it. Then there's this crazy guy, Goryuu. He sounds like ten people talking at once, and he's not all there in the head. In fact, I don't think he ever was there. Guy's weird. Wrapped in bandages from head to toe, too. And that's all I'll tell you."Kurai finished his explanation of some of his 'allies,' though he used the term loosely in regards to his brother and Goryuu; the former because Hibana hated his guts, the latter because... Goryuu's fucking crazy.
Naruto blinked owlishly at these Arrancar. "Wait, that was only half; what about the others?" He asked.
Kurai chuckled and tapped the side of his nose. "They'll be a surprise." He said.
"Fine, be that way... is there anything else you can tell me about your group?" Naruto asked for just a little more information.
"Hmm... I suppose so. All I can really say is you probably won't be able to make allies with Hibana and maybe Goryuu; well, the former if you pass my test and I become your ally. Without Aizen, he can make his own choices, and he's still plenty pissed at me, so he won't join you, and I won't force him, even though I can. Goryuu is a wild card because... he's fucking nuts. He could be your ally, your enemy, or just some guy that keeps following you and annoying the shit out of you." Kurai reasoned. "So either way, you'll have to get plenty strong to not get splattered all over the ground when either of them find you." He added.
"Yeah, just hearing about these guys already has me understanding I have no chance as I am now." Naruto agreed.
"At your current level, no, but every day, we train you to get stronger. Hopefully, by the time that happens, if it happens, you'll be strong enough to face them and come out on top, Naruto-kun."Hono spoke up, reassuring Naruto.
Naruto nodded in thanks, rubbing one of her arms clasped around him. "So, if I survive this test, what will you do? Besides hopefully get out of my head."He asked, wondering that for some time.
"I will be aiding you in your Hollow training. While... you know, I never got your name." Kurai realized.
"Considering you will hopefully become Naruto-kun's ally, I guess you can learn my true name; call me Hono." The Kyuubi answered.
"Okay then. While Hono-san is your main teacher, I can at least give you some pointers, especially since you probably haven't even scraped the surface of those powers. For example, given your special situation, you have the powers of Arrancars and Visoreds, a group of banned Shinigami who were experimented on, by Aizen, and received Hollow powers. You can use the mask for a power boost, yes?" Kurai asked to make sure, receiving a nod. "Then we can consider the mask as your mask shard, thus you may also have a Resurrección-"
"A what?" Naruto asked flatly; again with these weird words. Whatever this dimension his Kekkei Genkai came from, it was weird.
"Resurrección. It's the state you achieve when you unseal your zanpakutou, which holds your Hollow abilities; think of it as unlocking your full power if you were a Hollow." Kurai offered.
"Oooooohhhh..." Both Naruto and Hono responded together, causing them to laugh when they realized this.
"So does that mean you have one?" Naruto asked.
"Of course. And with it, a zanpakutou." Kurai responded, reaching into his shadow within the mindscape and retrieving a weapon that looked straight out of someone's nightmares.
The hilt was relatively normal, and the guard was a four-point star, while the blade was the real star of the show. While the blunt side was black, as was expected, the silver edge was made of visibly-individual 'teeth', giving it a serrated edge, all the way up to a large hook at the end of the weapon, large enough to engulf 2/3 the width of the average person.
"That's your zanpakutou?!" Naruto asked indignantly.
"Yep. Quite appropriate, given its name: Nightmare King." Kurai commented.
'Hmm, guess that explains that 'wolf and the king' nonsense when speaking of his so-called brother.' Hono mused while observing the weapon. It was a weapon made purely for attacking, yet its form was capable of disarming the opponent of his own weapon; efficient and deadly.
"That reminds me, have you run into a grizzled man somewhere in here?" Kurai suddenly asked as he was staring at his weapon.
"...How does that remind you of some guy?" Naruto asked.
"Okay, so it doesn't remind me; just answer the question. Have you seen a man with mad mutton chops in here?" Kurai asked again.
"Uh... no?" Naruto responded, unsure where this was going.
"Hmm... Well that doesn't tell me anything, anyway. He could just be hiding in here... Hono-san, have you sensed a presence in here, anytime at all?" Kurai turned to question on the Kyuubi.
"...I'm not sure." Hono responded hesitantly.
"Explain."
"I think I sense something, but then the feeling disappears. I always thought it was Naruto-kun's zanpakutou spirit, middling around before it revealed itself to him. Why?"
"According to the information the Spirit King gave me of our world just before we all left - since Shi, the surviving Espada Caido, was such a well of information - the king of Quincies, Yhwach, imprints his soul on other Quincies to give them power. I was wondering if that happened to you as well, unsure because your Quincy abilities are based in chakra, not reiryoku. Now I'm still unsure. Just... watch out when you're in here from now on. That's all I can say. " The Negativo Primera Espada warned.
"Okay... I will. What happens when he does that, though?" Naruto asked, curious and cautious.
"When he does so, the Quincy in question is given a letter corresponding to their ability, like The Compulsory, The Deathdealing, The Explode. Yhwach himself was The Almighty; it gave him nigh-omniscience. From the present to the future, he knew everything; every result, every event, every permutation was visible to him. Also, if he understood someone's abilities, it would literally be unable to hurt him. That's why Shi was able to run him off; he wasn't a moron who explained his abilities because he thought he was winning. Heck, he doesn't talk at all, really; the only reason we know his name is because of Aizen." Kurai went off on a tangent, but the fact remained the same; Yhwach was scary.
"What the fuck kind of people are in your world?!" Naruto asked, terrified.
"Says the kid who has a giant being made of energy who can fuck up nature by shaking her ass." Kurai countered, smirking at Naruto and Hono's synchronized squawks of indignation.
"W-well, what about the other Arrancar you keep mentioning? The normal Espada?" Naruto asked to get off that subject.
"They... were a colorful group. By the end of the Shinigami invasion, only one member was left alive, and she reigned as a benevolent queen until the Quincies took her down. The Espada each represented an aspect of death, starting with Yammy Llargo, who was Rage; makes sense since he had a really short temper. He was also technically 10, but his Resurrección made him 0, so we'll go with that. Next was Coyote Starrk, who apparently had so much power that 1) other Hollows died just being around him, thus representing Solitude, and 2) he used a chunk of his power to create an entirely new being, Lilynette Gingerbuck. Next was Baraggan Louisenbairn, who represented Age, and was the King of Hueco Mundo until Aizen deposed and drafted him. Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck was the original 3, but an asshole we'll get to later betrayed her and she disappeared. Apparently she had regressed into a child, but she came back with the Shinigami and their Substitute friend and changed back to fight... then changed back again to a kid. Replacing her was Tier Harribel, who represented Sacrifice; she was the one who became queen. At 4 was that Ulquiorra Cifer guy I mentioned, at Emptiness; he... was pretty unremarkable, in my eyes anyway. 5 was that asshole that betrayed Nel, Nnoitra Gilga, at Despair; he was one of those people that believe the only way to die is on your feet, in battle. He was just a piece of scum in general. 6 got another replacement, but temporarily, the original being Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez; yes I know we got some weird names in my world, now shut up. At Destruction, he was a lot like my brother and one of the captains, a lover of battle; he was the other survivor who disappeared. After he got his arm hacked off, he was replaced by a... I'm still not sure if it was a man or a woman, but he was replaced by Luppi Antenor. Once Grimmjow got his arm back, he quickly took his place back... in blood. The last three Espada were real weirdoes; 7 was Zommari Rureaux, some shaman-looking guy who was the biggest Aizen-zealot you would ever see. At 8 was Szayelaporro Granz, a guy a lot like Isha and that Shinigami I mentioned, Mayuri; a crazy scientist, he helped Nnoitra bring down Nel. Last was Aaroniero Arruruerie - try and say that ten times fast - the only Gillian Arrancar; he was just... weird. For one thing, his head was a jar that held two little Hollow heads, thus he talked with two voices." Kurai counted off his 'allies.'
"Huh... Well that settles it; you're all fucking weird." Naruto commented decisively.
"I know..." Kurai agreed with waterful tears and a heavy slouch, lamenting that he was the only relatively normal Espada.
After a while of just small talk about this and that, Hono realized something. "Oh! Naruto-kun, you can train in here!" She said, slapping her forehead for being an idiot.
"Huh? ...Oh yeah, I can!" Naruto realized as well, before lamenting the idiocy that still remained in him. After a bit of self-loathing, he got up and manifested Brazo Derecha de Gigante, intent on refining his control over it.
"Ah, you have that peculiar Fullbring ability; interesting." Kurai commented.
"You know about it?" Naruto asked.
"Yes, with the Substitute Shinigami, he brought some of his friends, which included a Quincy that eventually joined Yhwach, a girl with fairies-" Kurai began.
"Fairies? Did she have something like this?" Naruto asked, drawing attention to his Shun Shun Rikka necklace.
"Hmm, similar, but she had two, and they were hair pins." Kurai answered.
"I can make fairies, too; does that mean I got that power from her?" Naruto asked.
"It appears so; the same for that Fullbring, another of the Shinigami's friends. Granted, his was more advanced, and he had a transformation on the other arm." Kurai pointed out.
Blinking in surprise, Naruto looked at his unchanged left arm. "Another transformation? And another evolution? Granted, I didn't even know beforehand that it could change, but it's good to know there's more. But how did he evolve it?" He asked.
"Isha observed his fight with one of the Privaron Espada, and said he commented that his Fullbring was similar to a Hollows power; the reishi in the air in Hueco Mundo powered up his Fullbring passively, and it sort of... happened. He also said that only real technique it had, other than the crazy-strong technique that killed Gantenbainne, was something he called El Directo." Kurai answered.
"You mean that chakra bullet thing I can do? Well at least I have a name for it." Naruto commented, before his face became crestfallen as he registered the actual answer to his question. "But How am I supposed to do something like that? There's no reishi in the air in the Elemental Nations, as far as I know." He commented.
"Actually, reishi concentrates in areas close to nature, and even then, your Fullbring is based on chakra, so it may require chakra being in the air to evolve. Most likely you can just keep training it, and engaging in battles, the airborne chakra being absorbed and powering up your arm." Kurai corrected.
"Really? Awesome! That's a relief." Naruto smiled broadly, before thinking of something. "Hey, what did you mentioning by 'naming things?'" He suddenly asked.
Sweatdropping at his attention span, Kurai elaborated. "I'm sure you don't know the actual names for most of your techniques based on all these abilities, so I can help with that so you aren't going around saying this technique or that ability. For example, what have you unlocked as a Hollow?" He asked in return.
"Hmm... Well, I have this technique that hardens my skin to make it really tough... oh, and a high-speed technique that creates a sonic boom. Then I have these energy attacks, a big laser and a bunch of little, weaker versions of it I can fire quickly." Naruto elaborated.
"That's more than I expected. The hardening technique sounds like Hierro, and if it's as strong as you say, that means you have pretty big reiryoku reserves, or at least a proxy, considering it's all chakra based; Hierro is an Arrancar-only technique, so that puts more evidence to the possibility that you might have a Resurrección. That speed technique is another Arrancar one, Sonido; what's more surprising is you only have the Arrancar version, and that your Shinigami friends haven't told you about their version, or that you haven't discovered the Quincy version, but whatever. The energy attacks are Cero and Bala, respectively; all Hollows can do the first technique, but again, the second is an Arrancar technique." Kurai provided.
"Are all these techniques named in a different language, or something? 'Cause it seems like it." Naruto observed.
"Yes, actually, as are Quincy techniques. No idea why we call them that, though. We just... do." Kurai responded with a shrug.
"You're all weird, that's why." Naruto supplied flatly, receiving a shrug. "Whatever, I'll just get to training." He decided, powering up the spout on his shoulder.
"I'll help; it'd be boring to just watch you training the hours away." Kurai offered, dropping his zanpakutou into his shadow.
"I thought you said you'd only train me after I did this test?" Naruto asked.
Kurai shrugged noncommittally. "Eh, you're probably going to pass, anyway. I didn't really try; if I wanted, you'd be stuck like this forever... or dead. So we're just getting a head start." He explained, ignoring Naruto's paling face.
"U-uh... okay, I guess. Thanks." Naruto responded, choosing to ignore that last part.
"I'll act as a target, so you can work on your speed and reaction." Kurai explained. "Now, for a bit of help..." He tapped his foot against the ground, before five clones appeared above him in a random pattern, moving here and there, fizzling out like static.
"...What the hell is this?!" Naruto asked indignantly.
"Gemelos Sonido. Zommari taught it to me; it creates after-images from pure speed. They'll keep moving around, so try an' hit 'em." Kurai explained as the 'clones' kept disappearing and reappearing elsewhere, only to do it again.
"...Fuck." Naruto realized his current situation. With a resigned sigh, he set about attempting to strike down Kurai's after-images, finding his reaction time and the required time to power up his, apparently, El Directo tripped him up. Over time, he was able to shave both down, though not enough so his reactions were instantaneous, but good enough; he was thankful they were in his mindscape, otherwise his arm would have been immensely sore.
After that, they moved on to another of the few techniques he would still be able to train with in his mindscape.
"So this'll be the same thing?" Naruto asked as his necklace turned into a glove, his bow materializing from the wrist.
"Yep, pretty much the same. However, given the nature of the Quincy, you can probably work on firing more than one arrow at once, and given the nature of chakra, you might be able to transform the arrows as you please." Kurai theorized, having stayed in the same place as he repeatedly resupplied his after-images, bored out of his mind otherwise.
"Maybe... let's work on reaction time first." Naruto said, creating an arrow from chakra and taking aim at a speed-clone.
Much like El Directo, Naruto's reaction time to using the bow and arrow was pretty slow, but he slowly but surely brought it up. After a while, he decided to try Kurai's theory, seeing if he even could manifest more than one arrow at once. He stumbled a few times, ending up with a pair of arrows fused at their nocks; that made a laughable launch when he didn't notice it the first time. Cutting the connection between them fizzled out the double, so now he had to work that.
'Maybe...' Rather than gathering his spiritual energy into one arrow, then splitting it, Naruto gathered what Kurai, Toushirou, and Rangiku called reiryoku into two separate forms, lamenting his idiocy when it was nearly as easy as creating a single arrow thanks to his control. With that, he then had to work on the physical action of reliably shooting two arrows at once; well, not really physical since they're in his mind, but you get it.
Contrary to a question Naruto asked when he first started training in his mind, time was not slower in here than outside, so time passed normally; as such, Naruto spent around an hour for each part of his training that he did, so it was around 1 pm that Naruto started on using three arrows at once.
After that was achieved, Naruto went on to manipulating the arrows themselves; at first, he was stumped on ideas, but the ever-helpful advice of Hono-chan came to save the day. First thing she recommended was putting a spin on the arrowhead; a seemingly superfluous choice, but she elaborated that it could increase the arrows ability to pierce objects. Similar to, but not exactly like, lightning chakra, spinning arrows could act as a sort of drill. It was easy enough thanks to Naruto's chakra control, and it was funny to see Kurai sweat a little when one of the arrows came close to shearing his nose off.
He didn't find it funny, though. He doubled his speed-clones, and the frequency at which they changed positions. So that was fun.
After a while, Naruto decided he was proficient enough in his latest session of training with his bow, and dispelled it, sliding it onto his face, his eyes transforming.
"So, what was that you mentioned about the people who can do this? Visored, you called them?" Naruto asked as he concentrated spiritual energy to his fingertip, a black orb with an orange glow forming soon after.
"As I said, there were a group of Shinigami Aizen experimented on, eventually Hollowfying them. They were expunged from the Seireitei, and seen as criminals by all Shinigami. However, their abilities aren't entirely like your own. You both can don a mask to power up yourselves, yes, but they don't have the Hierro, Sonido, or Bala; again, I believe your ability is more attuned to Arrancar than the Visoreds, but time will tell. In order to fully control their abilities, they needed to face their inner Hollows, something I'm unsure you'll need to do." Kurai explained.
"Inner Hollow, huh?" Naruto wondered absentmindedly as he fired his Cero, blasting it down the infinite hallway of his mindscape, lighting it the entire way until it disappeared, not hitting anything down the passageway. "Wouldn't that be Hono-chan, then? Considering the mask." He theorized, tapping the snout of the mass of bone on his face.
"Perhaps. Again, I'm not sure about that part. They didn't have a multi-story mass of chakra inside them; granted, they also didn't have chakra either, but we're getting off-track. Since all your abilities are based in chakra, there may be some differences to the original abilities, such as the spinning arrows; as far as I know, Quincies couldn't do that. Of course, there will be things we may discover together, so there's that." Kurai commented with a shrug.
Naruto merely hummed in thought. "So how strong is your Hierro?" He suddenly asked.
Kurai looked at him in surprise, then thought, before nodding. "Hit me with your strongest attacks, and we'll see." He answered.
Naruto started in surprise. "You sure? I won't say I'm afraid I'll hurt you, 'cause you already put it in my head that your group is full of monsters, but still... you sure?" He asked.
"Good you understand that, and yes. Now hit me." Kurai insisted.
"Okay then..." Naruto said uncertainly, powering up his Cero and aiming it at the Espada Caidos. Once it was stable, he fired, a massive explosion ensuing and nearly engulfing Naruto, were it not for Hono's timely usage of her chakra as an arm that shot out and pulled Naruto behind the bars, where the explosion seemed incapable of continuing into, which he thanked her for.
"That was pretty good; at least as strong as Szayel's, and that's no mean feat." Kurai's voice said from within the smoke and embers as he walked out of the quickly-regenerating crater. He looked none the worse for wear; his clothes were more damaged than his skin, and they simply glowed soon after and fixed themselves.
"Thanks, I guess." Naruto said as Hono took this opportunity to snuggle him again.
"Got anything else?" Kurai asked.
"Uh, yeah. I can combine a Quincy technique and the Fullbring." Naruto answered, dispelling his mask which wasn't in his mindscape like it was in reality.
"Let me guess, Blut Arterie?" Kurai asked with a knowing tone.
"Uh yeah, how'd you know? Information from that Quincy invasion this Shi guy was around for?" Naruto questioned.
"Bingo. A couple Quincies used it, but the most interesting thing that happened was when that strawberry kid unlocked some Quincy power. He even used Vene without realizing it." Kurai imparted.
"That Substitute Shinigami guy? He was a Quincy, too?" Naruto wondered, confused.
"Yep, and a Fullbring, and a Visored. He was like, the mutt of mutts back home." Kurai commented with a chuckle.
"That's possible? I thought this stuff could only go to one person per." Naruto said.
"Usually yeah, but he was special. He didn't realize his Quincy heritage until the invasion, when all sorts of shit was going down. Apparently, his zanpakutou Hollowfied itself to protect him from his Quincy powers. That became a thing later during the war when a bunch of captains that had their bankai stolen by Yhwach's Sternritter, and another captain managed to make a thing where they could temporarily Hollowfy their Bankai and get them back. A couple of them turned out really cool-looking, like your captain friend, the kid-looking one." Kurai commented.
"Those Quincy guys can steal Bankai?" Naruto asked with wide eyes. "How did Hollowfying them get them back? And how does a zanpakutou Hollowfy itself?" He barraged the Arrancar.
"Yes they can, Hollow's and their reiatsu are a natural poison to Quincies, and fucked if I know." Kurai answered, counting them off with his fingers.
"...Okay, how about you just tell me about these Quincies and all the scary shit they can do?" Naruto asked of him, just so there wouldn't be questions of a similar nature in the future.
"Sure. Let me tell you about the Quincy who was the left arm of the Soul King."
"WHAT?!"
End Ch. 3
You gotta admit, the Quincies are some scary fucks.
What else is scary is going around for an entire day only being able to feel shit; imagine all the stubbed toes and sore faces from walking into walls.
Oh, also being a village full of ninjas. That'd be a threat to your health too, I guess.
Know what's better than being unable to see, hear, smell, or talk? Being unable to see, hear, smell, or talk with D rank missions! :D Halfway through their little talk, I thought about just stopping the test since there would be no threat to him while he's like this, but I thought that'd be a cop out. So, during about two hours of D ranks, he'll be totally fucked like this. I know, it doesn't seem like much of a test like that, but like I said, Kurai didn't try that much, and it could be worse.
Now, for a bit of backstory to clear things up. My Espada Caidos are essentially Aizen growing a brain and thinking 'huh, y'know since these Espada of mine are pretty much expendable up to a point, what's so bad about having more, in case that Ichigo boy decides to fuck my plans up?' We know the kind of person Aizen is; he has backup plans to backup plans. Fuck, I'm sure he had a Xanatos Gambit lying around somewhere. Anyway, they're more like a SWAT team in case things go south, and obviously they did. Amongst the ten of them, they're as strong as Ulquiorra to Post-Release Coyote; I'm not stupid enough to have them all be stronger than the Espada like a bunch of Gary Stu's, though I'm sure there'll be some of you who will cry that all the same. Don't care, the decision has been made.
Am I getting more and more uncaring? Hmm...
Well, as always, tell me what you think.
Ja ne!