Yo, back with another chapter, hope you enjoy it. If you wanna chat about the chapter or anything else with me or other talented writers, feel free to join the discord server. Link below.
YkVa7QPtX
Ichigo awoke feeling refreshed, and could sense he was the only one in the large house once again. It was a routine he was quickly becoming used to, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that just yet. Ichigo considered himself a pretty light sleeper, and as his room was close enough to Tsunade's, he would have been able to hear her making noise as she prepared for the day. Then again, everyone in this world were shinobi and she was one of the strongest, at least in Konoha. Getting up and about without making so much as a sound probably wasn't an issue for her.
Giving his body a good stretch, he stood up and made for the shower to prepare for the day. The water cascaded down his body, and he stared idly at the small slipstream that formed along his arms and chest due to the water. Ichigo remembered Tsunade's words from their talk last night about visualizing the flow through his body in an attempt to successfully use Blut Vene.
Finishing his routine, he got himself dressed in his new clothing, minus the shoes, which he still hadn't quite gotten used to and sat down on the bed once more. Crossing his legs, he closed his eyes and began to focus. He pictured the reiryoku within him flowing through his body beginning from his hands which was where he wanted to use Blut. He pictured the flow running up his arms and diverging up toward his chest and head as well as down towards his feet.
It felt different than anything he'd done up to that point, but it wasn't uncomfortable nor was it difficult. After a minute or so of constant flow, Ichigo opened his eyes only to see that his body remained the same. There were no lines tracing his skin indicating that the technique had been successfully performed.
"What the hell?" He muttered to himself. He was sure that would have worked, and it certainly felt more…right than his other attempts. He had felt something just underneath his skin change, almost as if it was trying to burst open, and that had been the sign that something had happened.
"Yhwach." He called out, uncaring that he was speaking out loud. "I know you were watching, what went wrong? Why am I not getting it?" He asked with mild annoyance seeping into his tone."
"The issue is that you weren't drawing in reishi through your blood vessels. What you did was begin controlling your reiatsu output. You inadvertently began controlling your reiatsu so that it was condensed near you rather than exploding outward. In a way, you took the first step toward refining your control which should help you eventually master Kurohitsugi." Yhwach explained.
Ichigo deadpanned at the explanation. He had thought he was making progress on Blut only to be told he'd made progress on something else. He sighed to himself and ran a hand down his face before taking a deep breath. It was alright, at least he had gotten somewhere, even if it was toward a technique he hadn't planned on working on today.
He remained sitting in place for another hour before taking a break. Yhwach hadn't been lying when he said it would be difficult for him as a mixed blooded Quincy and he briefly wondered if Uryu would have this much trouble with it as well. Deciding to take a break for the time being, he slipped on his shoes and made his way out of the estate. There were plenty of leftovers from their dinner last night, but he was in the mood for something else at the moment.
The now familiar main street of Konoha was already bustling with people trying to get on with their day. Some of the stall owners waved at him good naturedly having seen him more than once with Shizune and their Hokage. By now most people in the village knew of him, and that he had some kind of connection to their leader, which meant that he was treated relatively well by most of the populace.
Looking up, he saw Guy zoom by him from the rooftops with two other much younger shinobi trailing behind him. Much to his amusement however, neither of the younger ones seemed to be interested in what Guy was saying. He couldn't blame them, even he'd tuned him out when he began talking about nunchucks this and youth that.
He carefully pushed open the door to one of the smaller restaurants he'd been wanting to try out and took a seat where he was instructed.
"Alright, let's see…" He murmured to himself as he looked over the menu. The items were relatively cheap and the dish sizes were larger, at least in the pictures. The images were already somewhat discolored to the point where everything looked to be the same color so he knew the food would be good. That was how it worked back home at least.
Picking out three dishes, he walked over to the counter and gave the cook his order who promised him it would be out in no time. Nodding to the man, Ichigo made his way back to his table and waited patiently, mentally going over what new methods he'd use to work on Blut later.
"Yo, Strawberry!" The familiar voice of Anko said from behind him before the back of his head was pressed into her chest with her arms around him once again. It was almost difficult to believe this was the same person who had seemingly hated him after their first conversation.
Before he could say anything about her actions, she plopped herself down in the open spot next to him and grinned at his flat look.
"Anko." He said, eyes returning to idly tracing the cooks in the kitchen.
"You don't sound too thrilled to see me Ichigo." She replied, wagging her finger at him. "Do you know how many guys would kill for me to give them the time of day?"
"I can't say I do." He shot back, smirking at her increasing agitation. "So, what's up?"
The purple haired woman shrugged and yelled at the cook to get her an order of one of the dishes Ichigo had gotten and turned her attention back to him. "Nothing much. I was on my way to get some supplies for a mission today when I saw you, so I decided to stop by and get a bite since you weren't able to eat with me and Kurenai last time. How'd the meeting with Lady Tsunade go anyway?"
"Pretty good all things considered." He replied simply.
"She didn't get on your case about the training ground?" Anko teased. She still couldn't believe he'd gotten away with nothing more than a slap on the wrist when one of their biggest training areas had been reduced to nothing. Everyone was sure there would have been some kind of hell to pay for it.
Ichigo shook his head. "I told you I was good on that front. That had already been taken care of. I just had to talk about something regarding my stay here."
Anko let out a silent 'ah' in understanding. He still had no place of his own and chances were he still didn't. Orochimaru's forces had done enough damage that most hotels were still booked while homes and other buildings were rebuilt.
"So…everything is good now though?" She followed up, giving the cook a quick thanks as he brought both hers and Ichigo's food.
He nodded and took a bite. "Yeah, for now at least. I did get scolded a little by Tsunade for not interfering in a genin battle." He commented, not wanting to sit in awkward silence.
Anko laughed. "You mean Kakashi's brat's right? I heard about that. The two of them got into it on the hospital rooftop as soon as the Uchiha was able to go. The scarecrow wasn't too pleased that they were tossing assassination techniques around. Why didn't you stop them anyway?"
Ichigo took a sip of his water and shrugged. "Kakashi was watching nearby so I really didn't need to get involved. Like I told him, I'm not a Konoha shinobi, my affairs are not your affairs."
"I guess I can understand that. I also heard the kid got branded by Orochimaru too. Why not remove it like you did to mine?"
"With you I had your permission to do so." He replied smoothly. "I've never spoken to the kid and something told me he wouldn't be in the mood to listen to me if I tried doing it."
"That's true, I suppose." She said before glancing at one of the clocks in the room and standing up suddenly. "Shit. I forgot I have another shop to get to. Gonna have to cut our breakfast short, wanna join me tomorrow? I'll pay you back."
"Uh, sure." He replied, wondering exactly what she had to pay him back for. She smiled widely at his affirmative response and with a single hand sign and a wink, she disappeared leaving a small pile of leaves next to him.
Now by himself, he continued eating, savoring the flavors of his dishes until he was completely finished. Standing up, he made his way to the cook who let him know how much he owed, that was when he realized he'd been left with the bill for Anko's portion.
"That's why she owes me." He muttered with a shake of his head. That woman was too much sometimes.
Pulling out the necessary amount, he paid the bill and made his way to another training ground. Perhaps now he'd be able to make some progress.
Unlike the previous day, Ichigo wasn't interrupted by anyone. There were one or two jonin who had stumbled onto the training ground he'd been using but after seeing him they headed elsewhere. Most of his time had been dedicated to pulling reishi from the surrounding area as Yhwach told him it would make it much easier to guide once it became second nature to actually collect it. The first few hours were tedious. but after he'd had a solid grasp of the concept, infusing his blood cells with reishi followed. It was slightly easier to do but still challenging.
The feeling was alien, but familiar at the same time. The chill just underneath his skin was something he'd felt before, but only when Yhwach took control of it. Managing it himself was an entirely different experience. He felt each singular particle suffusing his veins with every heartbeat, and the ambient energy being drawn in from his surroundings with every breath. Opening his eyes, he saw streaks of teal running across his forearms, and peeling back the collar of his shirt he saw the soft glow across his chest as well. A smile spread across his face and satisfaction filled him, but the disappearance of Blut Vene coincided with his premature celebration.
"Of course…" Ichigo muttered to himself, placing his palm over his face.
He had succeeded in creating the blue lines across his skin, but it took far too long, and he couldn't maintain it without focus. It was such a different feeling than most of his other abilities. His Getsuga required a certain amount of power to be reached and then released in a violent burst. Blut, however, required a constant precise stream of Reishi flowing in order to work and hold up, it wasn't something you could just pour as much energy into it as you could and hope for the best.
Training had continued long after the sun had disappeared and if it weren't for the grumbling of his stomach and light coat of sweat over his body, he likely would have continued.
"I'll get it in no time." He said to himself as he dusted his clothing and exited the training ground.
"Don't get too confident, Ichigo." Yhwach warned. "There's a reason mixed blooded Quincy take longer to learn Blut Vene. Your progress, however, cannot be overlooked. I would say another week and you'll reach an…acceptable level of proficiency."
Ichigo nodded at the man's words, choosing to ignore his pause, but felt he was being underestimated just a touch. If he could learn Bankai in three days, there was nothing he couldn't do.
The streets leading back to Tsunade's estate were mostly clear with the occasional stall owner or employee beginning to close shop. It was almost relaxing to take a walk under the stars, so much clearer here than in his own world, and the houses and stores around reminded him of some of the historical districts back home that retained their Edo period architecture. He shook his head, ridding himself of the thoughts, thinking about home wouldn't make Momoshiki come around any quicker. Quickening his pace, he finally arrived at his new home and stepped inside before taking off his shoes and placing them to the side.
"Welcome back." Tsunade's voice echoed from the kitchen. "Were you training all day?"
He walked to the kitchen and once again saw her out of her usual clothing in favor of a more comfortable black robe and slippers. The pot in front of her was steaming and whatever she was cooking was clearly almost ready.
"Yeah, I tried your visualization method. It helped quite a bit, to be honest."
"Hmm, what a surprise." She replied with a look of pride and just the slightest amount of smugness..
"It worked helping with another technique, not the one I was working on." He said, smirking at how quickly her self satisfaction disappeared.
Tsunade rolled her eyes at his childishness. "Whatever. Go shower and then come down for dinner, I need to talk to you about something important."
He did as he was told and joined her a few minutes later in his own sleepwear. There was an empty plate ready next to the pot for him to use. Filling it up, he moved to his spot across from Tsunade and waited for her to begin speaking.
"I need a favor." She finally said, breaking the silence between them.
Seeing that she had his complete attention, she continued. "Would you be able to remove Sasuke Uchiha's curse mark tomorrow morning? I was hoping to take a look at it myself one of these days but I'm afraid that after the incident with Naruto on the rooftop, it's too risky to leave it alone to study."
"You think it's influencing him?" Ichigo asked in between bites.
She nodded. "I do. Kakashi reported a change in the brat since the chunin exams. That outburst on the rooftop proved that it's feeding off his negativity, and probably influencing what he does. Knowing Orochimaru, that's very likely to be the case."
An image of the pale skinned shinobi flashed through Ichigo's mind and he scowled. The man wasn't right and was even targeting children for some reason now. If ridding the kid of the curse mark put damper in his plan, Ichigo would be onboard.
"Yeah that's fine. Just call for me and I'll get rid of it." He agreed.
"Thank you. I would have loved to get a leg up on Orochimaru by breaking down how his seal works, but the last Uchiha is too valuable to the village to let the mark influence him. It's better for everyone if we just get rid of it." She finished.
Sasuke's surname reminded him of the bingo book entry for someone else of the same name. "Last Uchiha? Isn't there another one running around? I saw him in the bingo book." Ichigo asked.
Tsunade closed her eyes and sighed. "Well, Sasuke isn't exactly the last of the Uchiha, but he might as well be. The other is his brother, Itachi Uchiha. I don't know much about him, but even I heard the news about how he massacred his entire clan, except for young Sasuke. He's been a missing-nin for about 3 years now.
Ichigo remained silent waiting for her to continue only to realize she was done. Internally he shrugged, at least now he knew why he had such a high bounty.
"I see. Well, anyway it's no problem to get rid of the mark. Do you think Orochimaru will know it's removed?"
"I'm not sure, it would be safe to assume so. He put it on the Uchiha for a reason, and I'm sure he'd want to know that he's alright for whatever he's planning." She replied. Tsunade looked down at her plate and saw that it was empty. Placing the other dish she had over the first one, she stood up and placed them with the other dishes.
She let out a soft yawn and stretched her arms over her head, unknowingly catching the Shinigami's attention for a split second.
"Well, after the bullshit I had to deal with in the office today I could use some sleep. I'll call for you in the morning, thanks again and goodnight."
Ichigo bid her goodnight and kept his eye on her until she disappeared from the kitchen and resumed his meal. Part of him wondered exactly how much shit she had to deal with in the office but soon pushed it out of his mind. He could only guess what kind of complaints both citizens and the shinobi had that she would need to deal with. He finished his meal a few minutes later and retreated to his own room to rest while mentally making a training schedule for the next day. If he could make as much progress on Blut Vene tomorrow as he had today, he was sure he'd get it down in no time.
xxxx
His eyes snapped open and darted to his bedroom door. The sun was peeking through the blinds and the clock read six am. The knocking continued and he scowled as he threw the blankets off his body. He doubted anyone attacking would bother knocking but he still picked up Zangetsu on his way to the door.
"What?" He questioned irritably upon opening the door. A cat mask wearing shinobi stared back at him from behind two eye holes and bowed, letting her long purple hair hang for a moment before standing up.
"Apologies for disturbing your sleep. The Hokage has summoned you, it's urgent."
Ichigo blinked. He remembered Tsunade mentioning she needed him to remove that kids curse mark in the morning, but she hardly seemed urgent about it. Had she underestimated how much influence the mark had? Nodding to the shinobi, he glanced in the direction of the tower, but his vision was obscured by the masked messenger. Her hand gripped his shoulder, their speed increased. Everything around him passed by in clear detail, though this was probably a rapid speed for a shinobi. He realized this must have been their version of a Shunpo, though it was much more wasteful in his opinion. The woman in the Cat mask filled her entire body with chakra, not just her legs, and her feet moved rapidly to cross the distance instead of breaking it into larger steps.
"She's waiting for you inside." The woman told him, before disappearing in a flurry of leaves, once they'd stopped in front of the Hokage office.
Knocking on the large doors, he was beckoned to enter and to his surprise, he wasn't alone. Naruto along with four others were lined up, each staring at him with frowns on their faces. Had he done something?
"I'm sorry if you were still sleeping, but this couldn't wait." Tsunade began in a professional tone. "The… mission I was going to hire you for has been postponed. As of some time last night, Sasuke Uchiha has fled the village, likely with the help of Orochumaru's men if the report is to be believed. Unfortunately, as it stands now, I'm low on experienced shinobi so I'd like to ask for your services in retrieving our missing-nin." She finished.
Ichigo glanced over at Naruto who'd balled one hand into a fist. It shook lightly as a result of barely concealed anger. He'd only interacted with him once, but he knew that the kid wore his heart on his sleeve, and that any minute he would speak up.
"What the hell are you talking about Granny!?" Naruto yelled out a moment later. "Sasuke is getting further away and the longer we're here the less chance I have to save him!"
Tsunade narrowed her eyes at his blatant disrespect, but ultimately returned her attention to Ichigo, only serving to incense Naruto further. "Kurosaki Ichigo, if you agree to take on the mission, Konoha is willing to pay handsomely for your assistance."
Naruto's teeth gnashed together, and he pushed in front of Ichigo to slam his hands on top of Tsunade's desk. "Granny! I'm telling you I can do this! Sasuke is my friend, if anyone can get through to him it's me!" Naruto yelled, once again pleading his case.
Ichigo huffed, looking down at the angry blond in amusement. "Are you stupid?"
Those three words were enough to break him out of his anger and have him stare back at him in a mixture of surprise and disbelief.
"What did you just say?" Naruto asked.
"Your friend left with a group powerful enough to break into the village and get him out, and you think you can get him back alone? You didn't even beat him alone fresh from the hospital bed on that rooftop."
Naruto shook his head. "That doesn't matter! If I didn't win then, it just means I have to do it now! I'm not alone, either. I have the best genin in this village with me, and. we can get it done no matter who stands in our way!"
Tsunade looked at Naruto with barely concealed irritation. Her own hand had balled into a fist and Ichigo was sure she was one outburst away from either hitting him herself or throwing something at him. With her level of strength he wasn't quite sure which of those was worse.
Ichigo stared at the group of young men in front of him, all of them ready to risk life and limb to knock some sense into a friend. A small but wistful smile formed, a sense of nostalgia overwhelming him. The image of Naruto flickered, and he saw the blonde hair bleed into orange, and his tracksuit darkened into a shihakusho. Chad, Ishida, Orihime, and even Yoruichi stood behind him, ready to take on a battle with little hope of victory, all for the life of a friend. Everyone had called them insane, and had said it was little better than suicide. But they had done it, and they had grown stronger for it. His reminiscing faded, and the five young men in front of him returned. He wondered if he should have longed for just a moment longer with that view, but it didn't matter. He would see them again, no matter what.
Naruto had the same look as he once did, one that said he would be going with or without Tsunade's permission. He wondered if Tsunade could even see that, or if she was too consumed with concern for the boy. He didn't know the whole story between Naruto and his friend, but he knew it was significant and personal, everything else aside. This was his issue to deal with.
"Sorry Lady Tsunade, but I'll have to decline the mission." He replied, much to the blond woman's shock.
Tsunade stared at Ichigo in disbelief, but he merely shrugged at her. "Ichigo… I don't think you understand what the situation is. Only Orochimaru's personal soldiers could have gotten past our watch, even stretched thin as we are. Naruto and his friends may be talented, but they haven't even completed a full year of service yet. Who knows what kind of experiments have been done to these soldiers, even beyond his own teachings!" She iterated, slowly losing her calm as she did her utmost to change Ichigo's mind.
Her words did nothing to sway the Shinigami who simply shook his head. Of all the outcomes she had thought of, rejection from Ichigo hadn't been one of them. She just couldn't understand why he was even doing this, as she knew he didn't think he wasn't capable of it. To anyone else, it might have seemed like she was sending Ichigo on a fruitless endeavor, but the both of them knew he could kill every single one of her former teammate's lackeys and have the Uchiha back in minutes. So why? Why?
She sent one final pleading look at him, no longer caring that the genin were in the room with them, but he remained steadfast. Her gaze lowered to the report, and her bangs shadowed her eyes from view. Deep breath in, and a deep breath out.
crack
The wood of the desk shattered, fracture marks traveling down to the legs, before it collapsed onto itself. She looked up at the five genin now watching her nervously. "Nara, you have command. Go."
Naruto grinned widely, while the other four still looked at her warily, and left in a burst of speed.
An even heavier and more uncomfortable air permeated the room once they left, leaving Ichigo and Tsunade alone in the office. He shifted from foot to foot, but his expression remained stolid.
"Why?"
Tsunade didn't have to elaborate on what she meant.
"Listen, this is clearly important to the kid. Whatever problems those two had are what led to this, at least partially, and Naruto wants to be the one to bring him back on his own terms. This will help him in the long run if he wants to get stronger, too, and I say that from experience. No amount of training or practice can make up for the growth you experience when it's kill or be killed, and that's why I said no."
Tsunade, bursting up from her seated position, made a handsign, and he felt the presences around the office disappear.
"I don't fucking care, Ichigo. I just got Naruto back, and I'm not going to lose him again. You are going to stop with this little rebellious act and get Sasuke, now." Tsunade looked at him squarely, her face stern but her voice wavering.
"No."
Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared, her teeth grinding against each other audibly. "Ichigo-"
"But, I will look after them. I'll shadow them as they do the mission, and make sure no one gets hurt too badly."
Tsunade paused, mouth still open and ready to lash out, but sagged back into her seat after a moment. This wasn't what she wanted, not even close, but she could see this was the best she would get.
"...Alright." Her tone was soft now, almost hesitant. Her fingers fumbled against each other, and a shuddering breath was the only sound in the room. Ichigo looked down at her sitting form as his frown grew deeper.
"I know you're worried Tsunade, and I appreciate everything you've done for me. But I'm not some shinobi you can order around. Rebellious act? Cut the crap."
With his piece said, he vanished from her sight, trying not to think of how he was ultimately doing what she had ordered.
Tsunade, meanwhile, stared at the papers strewn across the room from his exit. Something warm trailed down her cheek, but it was fine. She was doing the right thing for Naruto.
xxxx
His time was over, but that was alright.
Even if taking that pill killed him, it was still worth it.
Just like Shikamaru had defended him, so had he finally gotten the chance to return the favor.
That's what friends were for, right?
His steps grew smaller, and his sandals dragged across the ground. He felt every impact on the ground reverberate into his bones, and the pain was unimaginable. But, that butterfly was just so beautiful.
He wondered if he could ever be so-
"Damn, my bad, kid. I was about to step in but I saw you were taking that red thing. Didn't know it was gonna mess you up like this though."
Choji blinked. The butterfly was gone, and the gates of Konoha were in front of him. Izumo and Kotetsu were looking at him in disbelief, the latter vanishing in a swirl of leaves as Izumo hopped over the desk and broke into a run towards him. Looking behind himself, he saw nothing but a vast expanse of trees.
xxxx
Neji gazed at the arrow that would end his life.
Even if he could dodge it, he would collapse from exhaustion, and be killed.
If he moved slightly and let it graze him, there was a chance the chakra string could be retrieved by Kidomaru.
No, the only option was for it to pierce him head on, and then take Kidomaru out with him.
It moved in slow motion to him, even at these speeds. He wasn't sure why now, of all times, was when he gained this sudden clarity, but he could not complain regardless. It made his plans all the more simple. He shut off his byakugan, conserving what little chakra he had left, and closed his eyes, energy traveling to the tips of his fingers as he waited to be struck.
He waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The only sound in the forest was the rustling of leaves, and his panting breaths. His eyes opened slowly.
Right at his feet, was the golden arrow, in two neat pieces. On the forest floor in front of him, resting under the branch he had previously occupied, was Kidomaru. His head two paces away from his body.
The chakra in his fingers retreated, and Neji Hyuga fell unconscious.
xxxx
"Well, this wasn't exactly what I was expecting."
"Hey, don't look at me, I already told you they summoned that weird gate thing, tried to attack me while I was falling, and then they both died. Wonder if they just got way too scared at how powerful I was!"
"Yeah, I'm not too sure about that last part, mutt."
xxxx
Gaara and Lee both looked down at the field of bone that had suddenly erupted from the ground. It spanned their entire field of vision, and would have pierced them were it not for his sand platforms. Gaara narrowed his eyes, looking all across the new terrain for their seemingly indestructible opponent. Sweat dripped down his forehead, but his expression remained as placid as ever. He was almost out of chakra, and barely had enough to maintain the sand they floated on.
A cracking sound, from behind him-
And then his ears roared as a shattering boom consumed the clearing.
All he felt was agony as his palms clasped themselves over his ears, and his focus on maintaining their platforms collapsed. Both he and Konoha Shinobi plummeted to the ground, the sudden wind buffeting them away from the clearing. By the time Gaara regained his senses, it was too late to summon any sand from the ground below, and he flipped himself in midair, bracing himself for the thousands of spikes of bone below.
Rough ground greeted his back instead, and though his breath was ejected from him, he was unharmed. Opening his eyes, ears still ringing, he saw the boy in the green leotard a few paces away, lying in dirt and uprooted grass. His gaze turned to the field in which they had just done battle, but he was not greeted with the spires of bone that he expected.
It looked as if the entire clearing had been carved out, and a space about 35 meters across stretched beyond the clearing for as far as his eyes could see. All the trees, foliage, and terrain had been completely flattened.
Gaara sighed to himself, the sound still inaudible, and collapsed onto the ground.
xxxx
Wind ruffled his hair and water vapor brushed against his skin as he watched the two boys fight on the waters below. He was ready to move at any moment, whether it was about to get too dangerous or if they were about to spot him. They were so caught up in their own emotions that they didn't even glance up at him sitting on one of the two statues, however. His eyes traced the hole in Naruto's jacket, and the blood that stained it. Oddly, there was no wound, just smooth skin. Not even scarring. He'd spent too much time letting the other kids fight, only stepping in when it looked as though they were about to be damaged irreparably, that it looked like things had already gotten out of hand between Naruto and Sasuke.
Hopefully, Tsunade didn't get too mad that he was still letting them continue.
Sasuke was full of anger and hate, and at times it looked as though he didn't see Naruto, only the ghosts of his past. His eyes were red, and black marks had begun to stretch across his skin.
Naruto was determined and filled with a rage that was not his own, his eyes taking a similar color to the Uchiha's, but with pupils more like an animals. The marks on his cheeks had darkened, and dark red energy encased his body, rippling and pulsing on its own.
The dark pattern had completely enveloped Sasuke now, and it burned red as his hair extended and the back of his shirt bulged. The colors cooled into a slate gray, and he was hardly visible through the steam at the statue's feet. Appendages had sprouted from his back, and they looked almost like wings. A four pointed star was set on the bridge of his nose.
"Did Anko's mark do a similar thing to her?" He wondered to himself.
He didn't have much time to ponder on it as the two were on the move again. His eyes darted left and right as the two teens began their battle once more. Sasuke was definitely the more refined fighter as his movements were calculated and precise but Naruto wasn't one to be overlooked. The blond managed to match each punch and kick that was sent his way though occasionally through his sheer ferocity, but even still a few hits broke through his guard. It was almost like Sasuke could see what Naruto was about to do before he even thought of it.
Ichigo's head tilted upward when the Uchiha leaped into the air and went through a series of hand signs before exhaling a large ball of fire down below. He watched acutely, shifting his position, but Naruto shifted himself away easily as the energy around him grabbed onto a part of the cliff. He swung himself against the rock face, and rocketed himself towards Sasuke. The attack was too fast for Sasuke's body to dodge, though it looked as if he could perceive Naruto's form still, as he crossed his arms in front of him before being slammed into the statue across from Ichigo.
He could see both of them were on their last legs, and that the battle would be coming to an end shortly. Naruto began forming the same technique he'd seen him practicing when he was traveling with Tsunade, though it had taken on a red hue. Sasuke, too, began charging up the same technique he'd used on the rooftop. Electricity surged around his palm, though this too had changed color, black and white crackling with power..
"This is it." He muttered as he stood up, Kakashi's nagging voice sounding in his head.
The two flew at each other perfectly in between the statues in front of the waterfall. Just as their attacks were about to collide, a force beyond anything they had ever felt before slammed against both of their hands, sending them rocketing towards the ground. Their jutsu slammed into the rock, and exploded with a concussive force. Sasuke crashed against the statue of Uchiha Madara, as his skin returned to its usual pale and his hair to its regular black. Naruto, meanwhile, flew face first into the statue of Senju Hashirama, the energy he had previously been protected with swirling around his broken hand, leaving him vulnerable once more.
Sasuke stumbled back to his feet, cradling his left hand that was bent in a ninety degree angle as he tried his utmost to withhold a scream of agony.
Naruto slid down the shins of Hashirama, and slumped against his sandals, unmoving.
"...Shit." Ichigo honestly hadn't hit them that hard, but he always forgot that even the slightest nudge at the speeds he had been going always did damage.
"So, the Hokage sent her little pet after me, too?" Sasuke stared at him balefully, the dark pattern stretching across his body once more.
Ichigo locked eyes with Sasuke and without a word, he disappeared from his spot, landing just a few steps away from him.
Ichigo ignored the taunt. "You can come quietly or you can kick up a fuss. Either way ends the same, but I'll let you choose anyway."
Sasuke grit his teeth at the nonchalant tone the man was using with him and his curse mark finished its path, covering up to his left side now. That ball of condensed lightning formed in his hand, blue once more. Ichigo remained in place, activating his Hierro with a single thought, and let Sasuke's attack connect.
The young man's blood red eyes widened in disbelief as his hand collided with Ichigo's body but failed to pierce through. Ichigo didn't budge, didn't flinch, and the Chidori's energy didn't even frazzle his hair. Sasuke jerked his hand back in pain, looking at his now crooked index and middle digits. It felt like he had been trying to stick a pocket knife through reinforced steel, rather than an A-rank assassination technique through flesh. Faster than even his eyes could track, Ichigo disappeared and reappeared behind him, his hand grasping onto Sasuke's neck as teal lines ran down them.
Agony. As if a hot iron had been shoved into his shoulder blades. Sasuke screamed his throat raw, not even hearing Ichigo muttering to himself. The lines on his fingers grew brighter, and the three tomoe shot out of his skin in the form of a snake.
It was larger than the one in Anko, incomparably so. Zangetsu cleaved through it in an instant all the same.
"Well, that's done. You normal now, kid?"
His right hand shot out and caught Sasuke before he could collapse, ragged breaths leaving the boy as his hand grasped at his shoulder in disbelief. That polluting influence in his mind was gone. The one that had planted the idea of leaving in his head, the one that had pushed him to use its power, and the one that promised vengeance against that man. He should have been grateful to Ichigo for removing the leash Orochimaru had tied to him, and yet…
He would have done it all again, all for revenge. All for the bodies of his family lying on those wooden floorboards. All for Itachi.
Electricity sparked in his good hand, and he let loose a scratchy roar as he thrusted the Chidori towards the one who had ruined everything.
Ichigo flicked him on the forehead, and all he knew was black.
xxxx
"What a fucking mess."
He glanced at the woman sitting beside him, bushy raven hair swaying as she shook her head, ruby eyes locked onto the now skinny boy strapped to life support in the room in front of him. Beside him were Kiba and Shikamaru, and in the beds on opposite sides of Choji were Naruto and Sasuke, in less dire condition but still unconscious. Tsunade was checking over the spot where Sasuke's curse mark used to be, wanting to be sure there were no complications after he relayed the differences in removing it to her. Both boys had their dominant arms in casts, the reason for why he hadn't exactly come clean to just yet, and upon Sasuke's eyes rested a cloth with a strange pattern.
"I never got the chance to thank you, by the way, for protecting my student."
Ichigo's eyes drifted back towards Yuhi Kurenai as he blinked in surprise. "Oh, um, no problem. You really shouldn't be thanking me, though. I should have stepped in earlier for Asuma's kid, and because I didn't, now he's like this…"
Kurenai shook her head, a gentle smile on her face as her eyes crinkled in amusement. "You're not from here, so there's no reason to beat yourself up over not knowing Akimichi clan secrets. He'll be fine, but he might not have been if you hadn't gotten him back here so quickly."
She placed a hand on his knee and squeezed comfortingly, and he smiled at her in appreciation. However, even if he heard her words, his thoughts were still plagued with slight pangs of guilt. His mind drifted to Rukia, Kaien, and Jushiro. Jirobo was certainly a piece of work, but did that battle really count as one for pride? All he had really done was insult the Nara kid, was that really comparable to him and Grand Fisher, Kaien and Metastacia, or even Tsunade and Orochimaru? Did he even get to make the decision on which battles were "important" enough?
"Ehem, yes, thank you, Ichigo. Regardless of what you say, I'm grateful to you for helping Choji." Firm steps echoed in the hallway as a new voice sounded out, gruff and scratchy. Thankful though his tone was, a note of apprehension was also present as the entrant glanced at Kurenai and Ichigo's close position to each other.
"Oh, Asuma! I was wondering when you were going to drag your lazy behind here. Shikamaru and Choji need your assurance, you know?" Kurenai said to the now identified Sarutobi, her hand darting off of Ichigo's thigh as she stood to greet him.
The two stared at each other for a moment, standing awkwardly. Kurenai's eyes darted across Asuma, looking back at Ichigo for a moment. Asuma, meanwhile, gazed at Ichigo suspiciously before returning to Kurenai.
Was Ichigo missing something here?
Tsunade burst through the hospital room door, and her annoyed sigh and the rustling of papers interrupted the uncomfortable air. A clipboard that seemed fit to burst sat in her hands, and a pencil sat stuck to her pinky finger. She glanced up, acknowledging her two jonin, before settling her focus on Ichigo.
"All traces of the Cursed Seal of Heaven are removed, and it seems my worries of those…difficulties during the removal were unfounded. Your presence is no longer needed, Ichigo."
Tsunade's eyes lingered on him for a moment longer, before she turned and continued her path down the hallway. Taking that as his signal to get out of there, he passed the guards standing outside of the room and exited the hospital. A tinge of worry still plagued his mind having seen the rough state Choji was in, but Tsunade was touted as the best medic in the world, with her taking care of him he was sure everything would be alright.
Rather than going back to the estate, still not ready to have another heavy conversation with Tsunade, he stopped by another food stall and pulled out the bingo book he'd bought. Two pages already had red crosses over the pictures on the page along with a few that he'd marked as 'ally' in the case of Kakashi and Asuma. He made a special note next to the man Tsunade had told him of, Itachi Uchiha, giving him the special designation of "Mayuri Crazy".
As he waited for his meal, he scrolled past the Konoha section and focused on one of the other major villages. He'd only really visited gambling towns while on his travels, and he wanted to see what one of the others was like. Despite his situation, he was trying to follow Yhwach's advice, and it would be cool to see what the rest of this world had to offer.
He flipped through the pages until one finally caught his eye. The picture was of a man with darker skin wearing a white vest that went over the left shoulder. His headband was white with three ovals making what looked like clouds on the metal plating.
"Ishimoto Rin." Ichigo murmured. "Low level bounty, wanted alive by Kumo for treason. Simple enough. If he's not that high of a priority he must be kind of weak, which means he'll likely be in the surrounding area."
Grabbing a pen from nearby, he circled the picture and bent the page on the upper right hand side to mark it down. It looked like he was going to be taking a trip to Kumogakure. Putting the book away, he focused on his meal as well as going over a map of the area in his head. If he recalled correctly, Kumo was Northeast of Konoha up in the mountains somewhere. The problem he now faced was that he didn't know where to start, all he had was the idea that his target would still be around the general area.
Wrapping up the meal quickly, he organized the bowls he'd used together near the center of the table he occupied and made his way out. It likely wouldn't take him too long, provided he didn't get lost, so he didn't need to stock up on any supplies. He adjusted Zangetsu on his back and began walking toward the village gates only to slow down shortly after as he saw Kurenai heading his way. The look on her face seemed to be a combination of relief and stress.
"Oh, Ichigo." She greeted him politely as she came to a stop.
"Nice to see you again, Kurenai. Everything alright with the kids?" He asked. Subconsciously, he glanced around the area noting the distinct lack of Anko. It wasn't until a moment later when he remembered she had mentioned something about a mission, and hadn't said how long it would take.
"Oh, yes, no changes in their condition since you left, don't worry." She revealed. "I still feel like I haven't given you your due thanks, for overlooking the mission and protecting my student. I only know the specific details of what happened to Kiba and Choji, but even with the others I understand things could have been much worse without you present. I care about my students deeply, and I don't know what I would have done if I had lost one of them. You have my utmost gratitude, and I hope I can repay you someday." She bowed deeply, her hands crossed in front of her as she finished her speech.
Ichigo shook his head and raised his hands in front of him. "Woah woah, there's no need to do that. It was just an assignment, and honestly I didn't have to do that much. They seemed plenty capable, and Kiba was doing pretty well in his battle. I mainly interfered because I was worried after what happened to Choji, and I wanted to make sure I got to the others in time as well. You've done a good job training him." He complimented, which drew another soft smile from the black haired woman, coming out of her bow.
"Thank you for your kind words, but no matter your thoughts, I still owe you a debt. You are not even a shinobi of Konoha, and still you assisted us. Are you headed somewhere?" She asked, noticing his eye drift to the side of her toward the village entrance.
"I'm taking on a bounty in the Land of Lightning. Nothing special." He informed her with a shrug.
Kurenai hummed to herself, she had been there once or twice in the past few years, though things were tense even with their treaty, due to the events surrounding it. She'd never encountered the Raikage in person, but she'd heard he was a brash, hotheaded man who acted more on impulse than anything else. He was also obsessed with bringing new Kekkei Genkai's to his village.
"If you succeed, you'll probably meet Kumo's kage when turning your target in. I'd suggest wearing your village's headband."
"Why's that?" He asked. Konoha hadn't asked about what village he'd hailed from.
"The Raikage isn't the type of person who would take kindly to traitors. If the target is still out of the village, that means he must be decent at hiding from his former colleagues. If you manage to do something his men weren't able to do, he might look into you, even more so since you have a Kekkei Genkai. Better to have him look in the wrong place than for him to send agents to look into you directly after you leave." She lectured.
Ichigo wasn't too concerned about that, he was quite confident that he would be able to lose them easily if they did follow him. Kurenai had a point however, while he wasn't officially a Konoha shinobi he still lived here. The last thing he wanted to do was bring them trouble.
"I could just tell him I'm from Yugakure, but wearing the headband would make it look like I'm a proud shinobi I suppose. It could add a little more validity to it." He said with a shrug, he'd put it on after he captured the man.
"Good. My advice would be to just get in and out. The less you have to interact with him, the better. I know you're strong, but the Raikage is one of the most powerful shinobi alive." She said before bidding him goodbye with a hug, and continuing on.
He wondered what she had heard about the Raikage to make her feel that way about him, but he shook that thought out of his head. Whether the Raikage was an asshole or not wasn't his problem. If all went well, he'd go in, collect his money, and leave.
He resumed his path toward the village gates, nodding at the guards and informing them that he was going out on a bounty. He didn't think they needed to know, but since he technically operated out of the village, it was best they had a record of his comings and goings, at least when he wanted them to.
Once he was outside of the village, he resumed his slow paced walk until he could no longer be seen through the foliage and began picking up speed. The scenery that he'd grown accustomed to quickly changed from trees, to large empty fields of green. Non shinobi walked up and down the fields picking away at their harvest without a care in the world. With nothing to note in the area, he picked up the pace once more until the landscape changed once more. It took a few minutes of high speed movement but eventually, the lush greenery and clear skies changed to overcast and mountainous terrain.
Ichigo's eyes scanned the area until they landed on a small settlement at the base of one of the smaller mountains in the area. The town, if it could be called that, had a small number of buildings, one of which was releasing steam from a small metal vent on its roof.
"Probably a restaurant." He muttered to himself. Ichigo came to a stop just before reaching the closest building, which he noted wasn't labeled in any way, and walked slowly through the area. A few people gave him weary looks, likely noting that he wasn't from there, before continuing on with their business.
His assessment had been correct as the stench of meat filled his nostrils. Walking toward and into the building, the shinigami noted that the building was more full than he'd imagined. A few cooks were standing behind large pots stirring what looked like noodles while others prepared meat a few feet away.
As he walked through the small restaurant, he carefully scanned everyone's faces, hoping to see his target among them. Unfortunately, no one seemed to fit the bill. Not wanting to look suspicious by just walking out, he took a seat just as an older man vacated his which was fortunately near the cooks. He reached into his pocket, grabbed a few bills, and folded them up so they wouldn't be seen peeking out of his fist.
Taking his seat, he glanced down at the menu provided. Having just eaten, he wasn't too hungry, but he needed to keep appearances. With his other hand, he pulled out the bingo book and placed it down in front of him.
"Excuse me!" He yelled lazily, calling out to one of the cooks. A younger man with a bandana covering the top of his head nodded at him, and made his way over a minute later.
"Welcome, what can I get for you?" He asked, pulling out a small notepad.
"I'll just take this appetizer." He replied swiftly, pointing at a random picture on the menu. "Also…" He continued, opening the book to the page he needed. "You wouldn't happen to have seen this guy around here would you?"
To add incentive, he placed the folded bills on the table and slid them closer to the man.
"Hmmm. I've seen him a few times." He replied in a low tone, pocketing the bills as he did so. "He usually stops by to eat, then heads west when he's done. My guess is he's settled in another little town."
Ichigo made a note of that in the book and nodded. "You know, I'm actually not that hungry. Thanks for the help."
The man nodded at him and turned his attention to another customer who had shouted to get his attention. Stepping out of the building, he glanced west and noticed there was one mountain directly in his line of sight. Kumo was supposed to be the village hidden in the clouds, but it was likely not literal, meaning that it was probably just situated high up on a mountain or multiple. That was likely the case for other neighboring towns as well.
Not wanting to waste more time, he disappeared from his spot and began his ascent. He made a note to thank Yoruichi for the rigorous practice he'd been forced to do, as Shunpo was arguably the best tool he had at his disposal in this new world.
The climb up the mountain was rather simple, he didn't have to worry about falling since he could create platforms at his feet, and as such it didn't take long for him to almost reach the summit. As he expected, near the top of the mountain was a settlement. A large part of the mountaintop had seemingly been excavated to such a degree that it almost looked natural.
He walked around the area keeping his eyes peeled until his luck kicked in once again. A few feet away talking to some other people was his target. The man had lost the flak jacket but there was no denying it was him. Ichigo ignored the looks he received from an older lady selling trinkets and used the reflection of the small vase he was holding to keep an eye on the man. Whether he knew he was being watched or not, he wasn't sure, but he stopped his conversation and began moving away from everyone.
Not wanting to risk the man high tailing it, he placed the item down and followed. It didn't matter if he was discreet now, Ishimoto couldn't outrun him.
They walked further and further until they eventually began making their way down the mountain where the man turned around and threw six shuriken at him. Zangetsu was in his hand in the blink of an eye and with a simple swipe, the stars had veered away from their trajectory.
"Who are you?" Ishimoto snarled. His eyes darted around as if expecting more people to show up.
"Don't worry about it, you're coming with me." Ichigo replied lazily.
Ishimoto smirked and shook his head. "I've heard that one before." His hands went through a series of signs until stopping in a clasping pattern. Lightning began to form around his arm which he then shot out releasing a torrent of electricity. As fast as it was, Ichigo had long since moved out of the way, not that he even needed to
He began building up his power, ready to use his signature move only to pause as a thought came to him. This would be the perfect time to try something out. He tilted his body to once again avoid another stream of lightning, but that didn't bother him. He visualized the energy surrounding and within him. At his current level, it blanketed the area for miles around him, inactive and passive. He pulled the blanket back towards him, to an area just barely encasing Ishimoto. Absent-mindedly, he noted slight prickles on his chest and face, but paid it no mind. His focus returned to the energy around him, and he grasped its transcendental output and lowered it bit by bit, until a choke and scream rang out in front of him.
Ichigo opened his eyes, and blinked at Ishimoto's current state. The grass around his feet was withering and turning to nothingness. A robin plummeted from the sky, and as it came within 2 feet of his body it was slowly erased from existence. Ishimoto's eyes widened as he fought against a pressure like he had never before felt press down on him, but it was completely useless. It wasn't just pressing down on his physical form, no, this wasn't some sort of gravity technique. His mind was getting jumbled, his mouth foaming and blood leaking from his nostrils. He gazed at the being in front of him. His form was that of an orange haired man, but that could not be possible. He was something other, something beyond him.
Ichigo stared at the now near silent Ishimoto, as only squeaks and scratchy breaths escaped his mouth now. The only reason he was still alive was that he was situated 20 feet away from where Ichigo was.
"Alright, maybe I shouldn't have gone full power with that." He mumbled to himself. He let go of the limit he had on his reiatsu, and calmed it's movements. Everything in a 2 foot radius around him was still gone, but the heavy air in the clearing vanished. He walked towards Ishimoto, tapping his head with the bottom of his shoe. No reaction at all. His eyes were still bulging, and short and sharp breaths left him. Uncomfortable with the result of his experiment, he whacked him with the flat of Zangetsu, knocking him out and silencing the squeaks.
Tsunade said she had been pressed to the ground, and couldn't move, but nothing like this had happened to her when his powers ran loose in that hotel room. What was the difference? Was it because of her medical jutsu? Was it because this man had so much less chakra? He wasn't certain, and he also didn't feel like putting this ability of his to the test again.
"All right, let's go." He said to himself, throwing the man over his shoulder. All he had to do now was find out where exactly Kumo was, and he'd be set. Before he left however, he fished out the Yugakure headband and secured it on his head.
Getting to Kumo was easier than he'd imagined. Rather than climbing mountains repeatedly, he simply went back to the small restaurant he'd visited and asked. Once they saw he had been successful in his hunt, directions had been given. Kumogakure, to his surprise, was settled in between a range of tall mountains as opposed to just the mountaintops like he'd imagined. There were a few structures that were built into mountain tops such as the large blue structure with a rather archaic kanji for lightning displayed at the front.
Despite being settled at ground level, most of the main buildings and attractions did seem to be pretty high up with clouds obscuring his vision.
"Kumo is a bit more accurate than Konoha, that's for sure." Ichigo muttered to himself as he walked up to the main gate. Unlike Konoha, there were more than two people standing at attention at the front gate. About six shinobi were stationed, two at each side of the entrance, two more hidden in the distance watching, and two more which he had sensed moved behind him as he walked.
"Halt!" A white haired shinobi ordered, extending a hand. His eyes immediately locked onto the body on his shoulder, and then narrowed his eyes at the metal on his forehead. "Yugakure, huh? Haven't seen one of those in years. What business do you have here?"
Ichigo carefully grabbed the body by the back of the man's shirt, and extended him out so that they could see his face. Recognition flashed through both shinobi upon scanning the dark skinned man's face.
"I'm just here to cash in a bounty. Mind showing me the way?"
The shinobi nearest to the village raised a hand and went through a series of hand signs. In less than a second three more shinobi were upon them. A blond man with glasses wearing a uniform similar to the others walked up and inspected the body, placing two fingers on the side of his neck to check for a pulse. He muttered something to himself before nodding at his colleagues and waving his hand.
"Name?"
"Kurosaki Ichigo."
He glanced to the side where one of the guards began writing something down, likely his name and what he was there for. If Kurenai was to be believed he was likely having some kind of profile put together. Mentally shrugging, he followed the blond in silence, taking note of just how different Kumo was compared to every other place he'd been. It was similar to Konoha in the sense that it had shopping centers, places to eat, and weapon shops around, but the landscape really did impress him.
Something else he noticed was that most people were much more tan than anyone in Konoha. As he made his observations, he spotted a team of three walking in his direction to their left. A young man and woman no older than Naruto with white and red hair respectively. Like the other shinobi they wore the same white and gray uniform only they had a katana resting on their backs.
The one that caught his attention was the woman leading them. Her hair was blond and in a bob cut but unlike most others, her skin was pale. He forced his eyes to stay on their faces though he did notice she had a chest that easily rivaled, and perhaps surpassed, Tsunade's.
At that moment, a memory from his time back home surfaced. It had been a few months before he'd gotten his powers back. He, Keigo, and Mizuiro had been invited to a party but, to his surprise, Keigo had refused. It had caught him off guard since the promise of women being in attendance should have been more than enough to sway the brown haired teen.
Keigo had explained that after a trip to America for a month, his vision had changed. He had said that if it wasn't snowing, he wasn't going. Ichigo hadn't been sure what that meant, but upon asking he was told that he looked for the foreign girls with really light skin. That comment had earned him a smack to the head and a few expletives, and seeing this woman he was only further solidified in his belief. She was beautiful, certainly, but she lacked a certain air of elegance that he saw in the Japanese girls he was used to.
He forced the reminiscent smile down, lest he look creepy, and continued following the shinobi. He could feel eyes on him from all around even as they made it to the large blue structure on the biggest mountain.
"Likely the Raikage Tower" He thought to himself. The man stepped inside and made his way to the stairs where they began climbing, until he could only see bits of the village down below. After what felt like an eternity of climbing stairs, they stopped in front of a large door and stepped inside what seemed to be a waiting area.
Only one other person was present at the moment. A beautiful dark skinned woman with white hair styled into a bun sat behind a desk filling out some paperwork. She instantly gave him librarian vibes, but he could tell she could hold her own quite well. She did not have much musculature to speak of, but he could see that her body contained more chakra than the average shinobi, and an incomparable amount more than Ishimoto Rin did. She looked up at them, mostly him and his target, and made a face of understanding.
"I'll take it from here." She spoke softly.
"Of course, Mabui." The man said with a bow before leaving.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, I presume?" She asked, her voice gentle and light. "The Raikage is expecting you."
Scouts must have informed them the moment he stepped foot in the village, he realized. That was fine with him. Pushing the only other door in the room open, he came face to face with easily one of the buffest men he'd met in this world, and he wouldn't look that small next to Kenpachi either. Like many of the others, he had dark skin, which was paired with blond hair that he had combed back. He wore an open white haori which showed off his physique, along with golden braces on his arms that likely weighed a ton. A golden belt with a boar's face engraved in the center sat comfortably around his waist.
"Drop him on the table." The Raikage ordered.
Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the man's tone, but did as he asked. The Raikage inspected the body with a frown on his face. Ichigo didn't know if it was because he was a traitor or if it was another reason.
"His neck is full of deep scratches and cuts, and it doesn't even look like his vocal cords are intact anymore. His fingers have bent and twisted, and his front and back are bruised worse than anything I've ever seen, along with what seems like every single one of his ribs being cracked apart. It'll be difficult to extract information from him like this, and healing him is going to take up resources." The Raikage said unnecessarily loudly. "You get 1 million."
A scowl formed on Ichigo's face. "His bounty is 2 million. You wanted him alive, well here he is breathing. I expect 2 million. Whatever resources it takes isn't my problem." He replied without fear.
The Raikage stood up, placing his hands on the edge of his desk and stared Ichigo down while flaring his power slightly. The room began to creak as the man's chakra began to flare in what was supposed to be a display of power and intimidation, but he didn't measure up to what he'd felt from even Ulquiorra before, let alone Aizen. Crossing his arms, Ichigo quickly lowered his reiatsu to a level comparable to after Rukia returned his powers to him, careful to do it quickly enough that no more Ishimoto's were created, which added to the damage the room was taking. The walls began to crack and thin lines began forming across the glass behind the desk.
Their small confrontation was eventually broken by the secretary who was quick to open the doors to the office, small amounts of sweat beading down her brow.
"Lord Raikage! Any more, and you'll shatter all the glass in the building…again. I'll take care of the payment if it's that much of a bother." Mabui suggested.
The large man stared at Ichigo and scoffed, letting his power recede. "Take care of it. She'll show you out."
Ichigo shook his head and followed the woman out of the office where she quickly began doing the necessary paperwork for the bounty. Unlike the Raikage, she was quick to pull out the promised amount, going so far as to count it in front of him before sealing it into a white scroll.
"Two million, thank you for returning our shinobi." She said kindly, bowing slightly. "I'll have a guard escort you out."
"A pleasure doing business…with you at least." He replied, adding that last bit with a grumble.
Mabui smiled, having clearly heard his words. "The Raikage is an eccentric man with a tough personality. You get used to it."
He doubted he would. It was a good thing he'd landed in the land of fire as opposed to here, he knew for certain he wouldn't have gotten along with the man, and he'd probably be on the run for regicide by now. The door to the office opened and the same shinobi who'd brought him in greeted him with a nod. Waving goodbye to the white haired woman, who gave him a final smile, Ichigo followed the shinobi all the way back to the entrance of the village before running off. Kurenai's words rang through his mind and, having finally met the man, he wouldn't put it past him to send people to spy on him, especially after his display of power.
He ran for five minutes before using Shunpo to vastly increase his speed and leave any would-be chasers behind.
His return to Konoha was as quick as his departure. The entire bounty had taken less than two hours to complete with the most tedious bit being the paperwork that Mabui needed to fill out. He tapped his pocket to make sure the scroll containing his money was still in place, and smiled to himself when he felt it.
"Yo Ichigo! How'd it go?" One of the gate guards asked with a friendly smile.
Ichigo flashed the scroll he'd received, making sure to show the kanji for lightning. "Pretty good. Had a little issue with the Raikage but everything was taken care of."
The two guards just silently shook their heads in disbelief, becoming used to the absurd timeframes Ichigo seemed to be capable of. Passing through the gates, he glanced upward at the clear skies above. The weather over in Kumo had given him the illusion that it was later than it actually was. Or perhaps it was just so far away that the earth hadn't spun to that point over here yet? Either way, he now saw that there was still plenty of time in the day to kill. With a sigh, he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and removed the Yugakure headband.
"Might as well drop off the money at home, and get some training done." He said to himself, subconsciously dreading his return. Blut Vene was one of the techniques he most wanted to learn if mostly for its connection to his mother. He thankfully did not run into Tsunade at the compound, and, after leaving his scroll in one of the drawers, he searched around until he found an empty training ground and sat down. For the next few hours he remained in place, working on flowing the Reishi through his blood vessels. It was still as difficult as in the morning, but the more he attempted it, the closer he felt he got. It was a bit of a task to get the flow right but it was even more difficult to keep it constant. More than once he had managed to create the blue lines indicating his success, but his focus would always break which resulted in the technique failing.
Once night had fallen again, he shunpoed back to the estate, wanting nothing more than to shower and have a good night's sleep. As he approached the front door, he realized Tsunade must be back by now, and wondered how upset she really was regarding his refusal of the mission to bring back the kid. He had clearly heard her desk crack in multiple places and though she had heard his reasoning, there was a chance the night would be awkward. Still, they had had disagreements before, and they always came back stronger for it.
Entering the large home, he was quick to notice Tsunade at the dinner table. Unlike before however, she didn't look up nor ask him where he'd been, flipping through an important looking report as she ate. She stood up, taking her plate with her, and placed it in the sink without so much as a word.
He stepped forward and noticed that there hadn't been any food prepared either. He frowned and stared at her retreating back knowing Tsunade could feel his piercing stare. It had no effect on the woman as she continued walking until she reached her room and closed the door softly.
Ichigo rubbed his face in exasperation and shook his head. Part of him had hoped that there wouldn't be any sort of issue, but it seemed that wouldn't be the case. Now he would need to shower and go out for dinner.
"Real mature, Tsunade." He muttered softly. This wasn't the first time they had disagreed on things, but in the end he'd gone with the kids, so what was the problem?
Not wanting to think about it further, he also retreated to his room and placed Zangetsu down next to the drawer close to his bed. He grabbed a plain white shirt from his closet along with a fresh pair of pants and headed to the bathroom to shower up. The people of Konoha knew him and what he did, most of them at least, but he'd still rather not show up covered in sweat and smelly.
He briefly wondered if Anko would be around seeing as she owed him a meal. She had a knack for showing up whenever he least expected her. Who knew, maybe he'd get lucky and run into her while he looked for a place to eat tonight.
Throwing his clothing over his shoulder, he closed the door to the bathroom. Hopefully the deal with Tsunade would blow over by the morning.
