Welcome to another new chapter! It seems like the previous one had some good responses, although it didn't contain anything special besides Yamamoto's offer.

A quick notice: I'm reducing the average number of words in each chapter from 5k to 3k, so updates can come out sooner. I hope that's alright.

I want to also mention something important that I think you all should know. I hate when crossover stories have their main character steal the spotlight of the main protagonist from the original works (I'm looking at you, Naruto); it's annoying and heavily overused. With that said, rest assured that when we get to the main parts of the Bleach storyline, I don't plan on taking any of Ichigo's great moments. I'd rather give Natsu his own.

Also, Deadpool 2 is awesome! It's so fun, yet so emotional!

In any case, this has been a very fun chapter to write, and I hope you are satisfied with it. But before we begin, let me respond to some people.

DragoBlack:

Yeah, Natsu still has his Fire Dragon King Mode. He actually used it during his fight against Shinji; it was his last attack. I don't see any reason for him not being able to combine both Lighting Fire Dragon Mode and Fire Dragon King Mode. Strange, he never did it in the manga.

TheJSmooth:

I find it annoying when people ask for NaLu when Lucy isn't even in the story.

With that said, please enjoy.

Chapter 8: The Flash Goddess

The pink-haired teen represented everything that Soi Fon had come to hate.

His undisciplined attitude. The lack of decency in the way with which he discarded his clothes. His messy pink hair that did nothing but show off his rebellious nature. But it was his complete lack of respect for the higher authority that pushed her to the very limits of her patience.

To put it simply: his very existence went against everything that she stood for. And even after he had gone so far as to attack a Captain, he had been offered a place within their ranks.

It was simply outrageous. There was no way she could accept that. How Central 46 even came into that decision was beyond her. Her only comfort was that she was about to witness how Yoruichi-sama put the pink-haired idiot in his place.

She couldn't help but let a faint, almost invisible, smirk reach her face when the image of the boy begging for Yoruichi-sama to stop beating him came to her mind.

Feeling confident that her fantasy would soon become a reality, Soi Fon mentally cheered for her Captain as she stood next to the other bystanders, sure that this was going to be a short fight.

In the middle of the large courtyard, the two combatants stood in place as they faced each other.

The Yoruichi gazed at the Dragon Slayer, analyzing him. A confident grin that looked like it would never disappear adorned her face.

Maybe his enthusiasm was contagious; the Captain was feeling some of his excitement rubbing on her as well. She wanted to see what the boy was capable of. After all, that was the reason why she offered herself as a sparring partner for him in the first place.

Ever since the meeting, Yoruichi had been curious as to how strong the young wizard was. Just knowing that he was the bearer of a power never before seen in the Soul Society was enough to pique her curiosity.

And what better way of finding that out than in combat?

If Natsu's smile was anything to go by, he was looking forward to it as well.

Yoruichi's focus immediately turned back to reality when she caught sight of him making the first move. Alright, let's see what he can do.

Sprinting towards her with great speed, Natsu shortened the distance between them in no time. He is fast. Now standing in front of her, Natsu prepared to deal a powerful blow with his now burning right fist.

But not fast enough. That was what Yoruichi thought before disappearing from Natsu's view.

The Dragon Slayer blinked in confusion. "What the…" Natsu was taken by surprise when he felt a kick connecting with the back of his head.

Wh-When did she get behind me?! Ignoring the pain, he quickly spun his body around with the intent of counterattacking with a fire-enhanced kick, only to hit nothing but empty air. "D-Dammit!"

"Too slow, dragon boy."

Natsu had no time to question which direction the voice had come from, as he was suddenly hit by another devastating kick that connected with his side. The pinkette grunted in pain as he was sent rolling away due to the force of the kick.

"Oh, come on; don't tell me this is all you have," taunted Yoruichi, knowing this had to be far from the Dragon Slayer's full capacity. After all, to be able to defeat someone like Shinji would take more than just a few punches. "I'm just getting started."

If she wanted to see his true power, she would have to push him to his limits. Fortunately, she was an expert in doing just that. It was only a matter of waiting to see what his next response would be.

The Captain of the 8th Squad scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "That must have hurt. I kind of feel bad for putting the kid in this situation."

"It's true that I, like everyone else, wish to see what Dragneel-san is capable of." Ukitake said, feeling some degree of guilt as well. The white-haired Captain sent the young man a sympathetic look from afar. "But it certainly doesn't make me happy to see him struggle like this."

The fight had just begun, but Ukitake knew enough of the enormous strength that the current Head of the Shihōin Clan had, to know that the Dragon Slayer was in for a real hard time. He hoped that she didn't end up hurting him too much.

Ukitake glanced at the Head-Captain. He could only wonder what was going through his old sensei's mind.

Soi Fon, on the other hand, was watching her Captain's performance with glee.

The pink-haired idiot was fast, no doubt about that, but it was clear that Yoruichi-sama's speed was far superior to his in every way. He couldn't keep up with her beautiful movements at all! Not even his eyes were able to track her as she gracefully moved around the area while performing Shunpo, showing her mastery over the technique.

Yoruichi-sama isn't called the Flash Goddess for nothing.

Seireitei. Barracks of Squad 5. Captain's Quarters…

"Captain Hirako, I don't think you should be moving this much," advised the Lieutenant with concern. "Captain Unohana requested you to rest as much as you could."

Rather than listening, Shinji shoved the man to the side. "Not now, Sōsuke. I want to see how the kid does in the test."

As the only person who had fought against the pink-haired boy until now, Shinji wanted to see how he would deal against the Shihōin woman. If anything, much like his peers, he wanted to see how far the Dragon Slayer's capabilities ccould go now that he was fully recovered.

Even though he knew that the Head-Captain would probably not allow him to use his Zanpakuto during the match, he still wanted to see the fight, regardless if the boy had his blade or not.

"Captain, I insist."

"For the last time Sōsuke! I'm fine…agh! Dammit, it hurts!

"I told you so."

Seireitei. Barracks of Squad 2. Training Field…

Using his hands to stop his momentum, the Dragon Slayer didn't waste any time and stood back up on his feet almost instantly.

Dammit, this is just like that time with that blond guy! Natsu realized, cleaning some blood that was dripping from his mouth.

He recognized the technique she was using, and even though he couldn't remember its name, it left him with a big first impression due to how hard it was to deal with. But lucky for him, unlike last time, he was back at 100%.

And he knew that the best way to combat speed was with even more speed!

"Alright, here goes nothing!" Natsu's feet began to smoke. Fire erupted from underneath, allowing him to propel his body forward by shooting an enormous quantity of fire underneath him, launching himself at his opponent.

Yoruichi didn't stand there and take the hit, dodging the incoming attack by using Shunpo. But the Dragon Slayer wasn't stopping, as he was quick to correct his trajectory and charge at her once again.

The Captain avoided Natsu's human-bullet attack for a second time. But when she did, she noticed that he wasn't going after her like before. That confused her for moment, as she saw him moving all around, leaving a dense trail of smoke wherever he went.

But he wasn't getting anywhere near her.

She didn't see it at first, but soon enough she was able to realize what Natsu's plan was. Covering everything in smoke to reduce my vision, huh? Clever, but this is hardly going to do anything against me.

Taking a crouched stance, Yoruichi used her speed to move around in the area. Her movements were fast enough to generate enough wind to create a small tornado that cleared the entire courtyard from all the smoke in no time.

Once she was finished uncovering everything, she was once again able to see the young teen standing on the middle of the clearing. Only this time, there was something different about him.

He was completely calm.

Taken aback by the sudden change in the teen's behavior, she gave the Dragon Slayer a questioning look as her eyes narrowed in suspicion. What is he doing?

As if answering her question, flames began to come out of his body, enveloping him entirely in a dense cape of fire. He was accumulating immense quantities of his own power. Even the Reiatsu around him began to increase.

Pushing his feet apart from each other, Natsu released a deep breath as he internally reached further into his magic container.

"Mōdo Raienryū!"

Yoruichi's eyes widened in surprise when lightning began to manifest itself around the Dragon Slayer's body. Lightning? He can create lightning as well?

The fire and lightning surrounding him soon began to ease up, as they danced together in a beautiful display of light. It was almost as if they were in complete sync.

Normally it wouldn't take long for Natsu to access this mode, but with the speed that his opponent possessed, he just couldn't take any chances. "So, what do you think?"

Yoruichi's surprise didn't last long after hearing the excitement in Natsu's words. I see. The smokescreen was only a cover so he could get enough time to use this technique. Another grin reached her face, as she was starting to believe that this boy was far more interesting than what she first thought.

"Impressive," she complimented. "To see both lighting and fire combining like this is certainly not something you see every day. What is this power of yours?"

"This is my Lightning Fire Dragon Mode. When I'm like this, I can take both fire and lighting and combine them into one." A smile formed on his face. "In other words, it makes me a hell of a lot stronger! Want to see for yourself?"

Yoruichi chuckled in response. "As much as I would love to see that, I don't think the Head-Captain would appreciate you destroying the courtyard. This is just a sparring match, remember? No need to go all out."

"Oh... Well, I guess I'll just have to restrain myself then."

"Heh, let's give it another shot then."

Staring at the Dragon Slayer's display of power, Kyoraku found himself authentically surprised. "Now this is unexpected. Who could have thought that Natsu-kun could do something like that? Makes you wonder what other surprises he may have under his sleeve."

Natsu's power growing multiple times stronger was a fair surprise, but that wasn't what caught most of the attention. It was the fact that the he was able to mix two completely different elements. That was something that only a select few individuals had been able to achieve.

Could it have something to do with the so-called magic that the Dragon Slayer was talking about back in the meeting?

The display was a sight to behold. If the look of surprise on Ukitake was anything to go by, then it was clear that he was thinking the exact same thing.

Even his Lieutenant, Lisa and Soi Fon were taken aback. Kyoraku couldn't help but chuckle when he thought of how much of a field day the Captain of Squad 12th would have if he was here.

And Yama-jii? The old man looked as calm as ever, but his interest in the boy's new ability did not go unnoticed. The Captain Commander's eyes were currently open and looking straight at the young mage.

Something like this only happened when something managed to capture his attention. And Shunsui, as someone who had known the man for more than a few centuries, knew that this was not a common sight. I wonder what Yama-jii is thinking.

Yoruichi had to admit, she was impressed by the newfound speed of the pink-haired boy. To find someone who was able to keep up with her was a rarity, but a welcome one. She always enjoyed a good challenge.

It wasn't like she was going all out against him, but when was the last time she had ever had to put any effort into a fight? She couldn't remember, but she was having a lot of fun.

One thing observed from his fighting style was that he was definitely a brawler, always wanting to keep things close and personal. She didn't mind that, actually.

The two continued to trade blows. But as time went on, she realized that getting hit by him with even the lightest of touches was highly dangerous. After each attack he landed, a lightning strike would come soon after. It sure was a pain to deal with, but it was an interesting ability, nonetheless.

Dodging a series of attacks from the Dragon Slayer, Yoruichi was quick to counter them with a kick to his middle section. Natsu saw it coming and reacted by twisting his body, avoiding the attack on the last second before closing the distance between them.

Yoruichi was a little surprised by the sudden reduction of space. She tried to keep him away with a spin kick, but Natsu saw it in no time and was able to dodge it while preparing his next attack.

Natsu's entire right arm was engulfed in both lighting and flames. "Raienryū no Gekitetsu!" As he brought his arm down, Yoruichi got as far as she could from the hammer-like attack before it could reach her.

The destruction caused by the attack devastated the ground where she was previously standing. Nothing but flames and lightning could be seen from the chaos. I may have to step up my game if this keeps up.

Having used Shunpo to get herself to a safe distance, Yoruichi wiped her brow from the accumulating sweat. "You are going to have to try harder than that, dragon boy."

"Oh yeah? Maybe I'll do that!" More power erupted from both of his arms as he twisted his body a few degrees. Natsu slowly muttered. "Secret Dragon Slayer Art—"

Yoruichi's body tensed when she felt the sudden disruption of Reiatsu in the air. Whatever meaning those words had, they were enough to make her feel wary of his next move.

"—Guren Bakurai…"

"That's enough." Interrupting the match, Captain Commander Yamamoto spoke with authority as he stepped between the two combatants.

He had been observing the battle unfold for long enough to know that allowing things to continue as they were would only lead to disaster. The Head Captain's gaze rested on the pink-haired teen. He has far more power than what I originally anticipated. This could complicate things.

Putting out his flames and lightning, the Dragon Slayer let out an awkward chuckle. "Uh, sorry. I guess I got a little carried away there, didn't I?" he apologized, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

Yoruichi only shrugged. "Don't trouble yourself with that, I wasn't fighting seriously anyway."

"Really?! Oh, let's keep going then!"

The Captain laughed, amused by the pinkette's enthusiasm. "Maybe next time, dragon boy."

A few hours later. Seireitei. Barracks of Squad 8…

"Well, that was a fun way to pass the day, wouldn't you agree, Ukitake?"

"I wouldn't use the word fun to describe it, but it certainly was an interesting evening," the white-haired Captain said as he took a sip from his sake. "I'm still surprised though. I didn't expect Dragneel-san to be that strong."

Filling his glass with sake, Shunsui took a moment to drink before speaking. "I believe strong is putting it lightly, but I agree. Do you think Natsu-kun will end up accepting Yama-jii's offer?"

"I'm not sure, actually. He is a nice kid, but he doesn't seem like the type of person who would want to join a group like ours."

"In that I have to disagree with you. Just look at all the people in our ranks; not everyone seems like the type who would join a military organization, but here they are. Some of them are even Captains."

Ukitake raised a questioning eyebrow. "Does that include you as well?"

Kyoraku couldn't help but laugh at the joke. "I don't know. Do you see me as the type?"

Filling his glass with sake, Ukitake replied. "I would say it depends mostly on your humor. But if I had to choose, then I would say yes."

"You know me that well, huh?"

"Of course." The two friends proceeded to share a laugh together.

Seireitei. Barracks of Squad 2. Captain's Quarters…

"Yoruichi-sama, please give me permission to assassinate that idiot for all the trouble he caused you!"

"Now, now. There's no need to take things that far," said Yoruichi, rolling some bandages around the burn marks on her arm.

"But we can't let him go unpunished!" the young assassin insisted.

"Don't take it too personally, Soi Fon, it was only a sparring match," she tried to reassure her. "Besides, it's not like I didn't land a few good hits either. If anything, I think we are even."

"But…!"

"Oh, I see what is going on now. You want to see the boy again, don't you?" She gave the younger girl a knowing look.

"H-How can you say that Yoruichi-sama! He…he is utterly repulsive and a complete idiot and…and…"

Just looking at Soi Fon's reddened face was enough to break Yoruichi into a fit of laughter. She was only teasing the girl, but the embarrassment in her face was just priceless. Putting Soi Fon into this sort of situations was one of her favorite things to do.

"...p-please stop laughing." Soi Fon muttered in embarrassment, but even that did little to stop the laughing Captain.

Seireitei. Barracks of Squad 1. Head-Captain's Main Office…

Head Captain Yamamoto had been reading through the recent reports given by the Shinigami stationed in the Human World. According to the reports, they had been sustaining considerate losses for the past few days. Apparently, a new, rare type of Hollow had appeared, and had been causing a lot of mayhem wherever it went.

The search for the Hollow didn't appear to have made any progress. If things continued as they were, he might have to send in a Captain to hunt it down. The Hollow would have to be put down. It was a matter of handling the situation properly and without risking too many casualties.

A knock was heard, coming from the main door. Taking his time to put the piece of paper down on the table, Yamamoto spoke. "You may enter."

There was a brief pause before the door finally opened, revealing his Lieutenant, Chōjirō Sasakibe. "Sir, Dragneel-san wishes to speak with you."

"Let him in," he ordered.

The Lieutenant nodded before stepping to the side, allowing the pink-haired Dragon Slayer free passage inside. The boy entered and stopped in front of his desk.

"Have you finally come to a decision?"

There was a moment of silence in the room. Natsu took a deep breath before answering. "Yes, I have."

CHAPTER END

Cliffhanger. I know, I'm the worst, but I thought it was best that the chapter end here. And, the next chapter will finally answer a lot of questions that have been going around the story for the very beginning, so be ready.

It was a little hard to write the fight between Natsu and Yoruichi, especially since it wasn't meant to have both characters go all out. But I hope you guys enjoyed what I did. Poor Soi Fon, though.

Any complaints or constructive criticism are more than welcome. Please let me know what you think so I can improve my writing and give you guys a better read.

Ideas are welcome too. Who knows, if I think they are good or fun, I may end up adding them into the story.

Whatever the case, please have a nice day.

P.S.

I'm so going after Dark Rukia in Bleach Brave Souls! XD