Yo. I'm glad most of you seem to be enjoying the stories. It's actually doing a lot better than I thought it would. Again shutout to Butdile for all the help both story wise and beta wise with the chapters. Anyways, canon events will begin from here but don't worry about things happening exactly like in canon. Ichigo's presence in the world will be making some serious waves in the world. You'll see what I mean soon. As always if you wanna join the discord server to discuss this or any other stories, feel free to do so.
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Things hadn't been as exciting over the next month and a half the way they had been in the previous weeks. They'd visited three more towns, rinsed and repeated the pattern they'd followed since he joined them. This time, there were no S-rank criminals to battle against, nor were there any incidents where he would need to think on his feet. Ichigo was completely fine with that. For at least that month and a half he didn't feel like he was under scrutiny, and he had to admit it was a breath of fresh air. Whether she had heard what Hidan had said or not, he didn't know but she hadn't commented on anything.
The one constant over time however was his relationship with both Shizune and Tsunade. The black haired assistant was kind and took his opinion into account whenever they had plans to do something. Tsunade on the other hand was a bit different. There were times where they got along well and more often than not he found himself with her arm around his shoulder being led somewhere. Most of the time it was a casino but it got to the point where she would do it no matter where she was leading him.
Other times one would find them bickering, mostly over trivial matters but occasionally their arguments would heat up. Their bantering had become something common according to Shizune. The young woman would often find herself being the mediator between them and generally offering solutions to their issues. Just because she had grown accustomed to it however, didn't mean she had to like it.
Taking a glance over at the two, Shizune listened to the topic at hand with a critical ear. This wasn't one of the usual arguments, and she could see both of them beginning to let genuine anger into their voices.
"I don't know what you're complaining about. We're making good money and you aren't on your own anymore. Sounds like you got a pretty good gig if you ask me." Tsunade responded, looking up at Ichigo as they walked.
The scowl that those close to him had grown used to appeared on his face once more. Looking down at the shorter woman, he leaned his head down an inch closer. "I've been winning most of the money you're talking about only for you to then go lose it." He shot back, his tone matching hers.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes but wasn't able to get a word in when the young man continued.
"When we met, you accused me of cheating you out of your money." The irritation that had been building within him had caused his voice to escalate in volume. It was not yet a yell, but more forceful than the usual tone he held with her. "Now I'm starting to think that you're trying to cheat me out of our agreement." He accused.
Tsunade stared back at him with a matching scowl on her face but Ichigo was unbothered by the look and continued.
"We've been on the road for who knows how long and I've had to watch you lose money and then drag me into casino after casino to win it back. We should've been in Konoha by now but you're clearly afraid of something there and are doing your best to stall from what I can see." He finished angrily.
Ignoring the sights along the path they were walking, she turned to face him and stepped forward until her chest was pressed against his. Looking up at him with an unwavering glare, she responded.
"I told you it would take a while for us to go and you agreed. I even told you you could stay behind, and we would go get you, but you said no." She argued.
Shizune tore her gaze away from one of the old buildings she was admiring and shook her head. The two really didn't care where they were when they started their arguments and it was really starting to get to her. Looking around, she apologized to the people who were walking around them and tried to get their attention.
"Ok you two before you cause a bigger scene why don't we calm down?" She tried. "Just take deep breaths and let it go."
Unfortunately, she should've accounted for Tsunade not being in the most agreeable moods as she was unceremoniously ignored. The woman lifted her body a few inches by standing on her toes to get more in the man's face and continued.
"You said you wanted me to take you to Konoha and then went by yourself anyway. You could've gone any time apparently so what's keeping you here?" She asked in a challenging tone.
"You are." He hadn't realized how his words could be interpreted but at the moment he didn't quite care. "I need an audience with the Hokage about something important. Do you really think they'll just let me if I ask politely? At best I'd talk to some secretary who would tell me they'll get me an appointment and I'd never hear back."
The blond huffed. "You just wanted to talk to the old man? If that's all you want I'll write you a note and you can be on your way." She replied, now visibly agitated. She was annoyed, both at the argument they were having and the scene they were causing. Not to mention that part of her felt like they were actually getting along before.
Sure she took him to multiple casinos to help her win, but he never complained about it. Hell, she could even tell he was having fun a lot of the time. Despite their bantering and occasional shots they took at each other, she had started to see him as a friend.
"Lady Tsunade." Shizune chastised the woman sternly. She didn't believe for a second that her friend and teacher would simply write the young man off like she claimed. Shizune wasn't stupid, and could see that the woman enjoyed his company most of the time no matter how they behaved. "Both of you, that's enough. Let's just enjoy the day and we can discuss this tomorrow."
The bickering pair continued to stare at each other for a moment longer before looking away with matching huffs. They knew Shizune was right but neither would concede nor apologize for their behavior.
Knowing that was the best she would get out of them, Shizune turned her attention to the large castle just over on their right hand side. The majestic castle had a certain air and history to it that could be felt by anyone who gazed upon it.
"Tanzaku Castle has such a fabulous view even from down here." Shizune commented with a beaming smile. "That's why it's called the treasure of arts."
Tsunade looked up at the castle with a less than impressed look on her face. "Yes yes it's impressive, but let's not waste anymore time. We have to get out of here."
"Can't we stay a bit longer? Look at this beautiful view, and it's free. We don't get too many sights like this." The younger woman complained, still gazing up at the castle.
Before Tsunade could shoot down Shizune's request, a puff of unnaturally white smoke engulfed the castle and its walls, and a deep rumbling shook the earth as it did. Chunks of wall, roof, and earth rained down around them, and as the smoke cleared, the group could see that the castle in question had violently exploded. What little was left of the structure began to cave in on itself until nothing but dust from what seemed like an explosion remained.
'Shit.' Ichigo mentally cursed. 'Did I lose control of my reiatsu while we were arguing?' He wondered before looking over at the two women. Mentally shaking his head he concluded that couldn't have been the case. 'No. Tsunade would've reacted to it if that were the case, and that smoke definitely wasn't me. This had to be something else.'
His gaze was torn away from the blond up towards what used to be the top of the castle. The dust was warping as if something was coming through, something big. He was right on with his deduction as a moment later two figures could be seen emerging from the smoke. They continued to rise a bit higher until he was able to see that they were standing on what seemed to be the head of a giant purple serpent.
The one on the left was a very pale skinned man with long black hair. He wore a tan tunic like top along with a purple belt that had the shape of a knot behind him. His pants were dark gray and were wrapped up by some sort of tape at the bottom leading towards his shoes. They were the same half sandal type that he remembered Hidan wearing.
Next to him was a silver haired man with a metal headband over his forehead. He wore a purple sleeveless shirt over a gray t-shirt. He couldn't make out the bottom half of his clothing due to the dust that still covered the area.
Glancing at the pale man once more, his eyes honed in on his arms which seemed to be swaying along in the wind almost as if there were no force keeping them steady. Looking up, he was met by gold slitted eyes staring back at him. Ichigo felt a chill run up his spine as he gazed back at the man.
He'd faced enough people to know something wasn't right with the man, not just physically but mentally as well. Everything about him screamed caution. He didn't give off the same feeling as people like Aizen or even Yamamoto when he was mad but he certainly had a certain air about him.
'He kind of reminds me of Mayuri. He's just as creepy looking even if he doesn't wear makeup.' He thought to himself. The slit in his golden eyes reminded him of a snake, just like the one he was standing on.
"I've finally found you." The man's raspy voice rang out. He was no longer looking at Ichigo but rather Tsunade who stared back at him with a displeased expression on her face.
The two shinobi hopped off of the serpent's head, landing softly a few feet in front of the trio.
"It's been a long time, Orochimaru." Tsunade began. "What do you want? I doubt you're here to talk about old times." She asked, getting straight to the point. Ichigo noted she seemed familiar with him but was on guard. Her eyes had sharpened, and while her posture was relaxed, he could tell she was ready to move at a moment's notice.
Orochimaru grinned, his oddly long tongue licking his lips from left to right. "I've been looking for you Tsunade. In fact, I have a small favor I'd like to ask of you."
Everyone's eyes traveled down to his bandaged arm to see his fingers moving. They twitched and Ichigo noticed the man's facial expression change for a split second.
'He's in pain.' He realized. Tsunade was the world's best medic so it stood to reason he needed his hands healed.
The woman stared at his bandaged hands with a critical look and her lips moved ever so slightly. She must have been trying to diagnose what was wrong with him but the frown on her face grew more pronounced the longer she stared.
"That's not an ordinary wound is it?" She finally asked out loud. "What did it?"
Orochimaru lost his grin. "I was careless when I was killing the Third Hokage." He replied bitterly.
Shock passed through all three people at the man's declaration, though for different reasons. Tsunade was from Konoha as was Shizune, so they probably knew the man on a closer level. Ichigo however felt a sense of dread course through him as the one straw he was barely grasping was seemingly stripped from him. All because of the man in front of them.
"Did you really…" Tsunade tried to ask.
The pale man simply laughed, whether it was at their expression of disbelief or satisfaction that he'd killed the man, he wasn't sure. What Ichigo was sure of however, was that murder was nothing more than a form of entertainment for the man and that solidified his dislike of him. That feeling only grew when the man spoke again.
"Everything that has a form will decay some day. Even people." His grin grew malicious as he stared directly at Tsunade. "You should know this better than anyone. Both of the people you love are dead." The man chuckled again, disregarding the furious look on the blond woman's face. "That was a cruel way to die."
In a rare burst of outrage, Shizune rushed forward to attack. Pulling back her right sleeve revealed a small device that she then pulled, causing multiple thin projectiles to fire. The man next to Orochimaru was quick to respond and batted most away while catching one only an inch or so away from his face.
Ichigo meanwhile had a hand on the hilt of his Zanpakuto, but made no indication that he would attack just yet.
"Shizune, calm down." Tsunade ordered. Looking back at the pale skinned man, she continued. "I see that you haven't changed a bit."
The orange haired man could tell that wasn't a compliment.
Tsunade smiled, though there was no mirth or joy behind it, and lifted her right arm. "You know you shouldn't have said that. I'm going to kill you bastard." Her arm swung back and effortlessly destroyed the wall behind her, causing more damage than had already been done. Ichigo watched as the wall crumbled with more surprise than anything else. She had hardly even put force into the hit and had managed to destroy a large section of the wall. If she was capable of this, what else could she do?
Her words were a threat if he'd ever heard one, but Orochimaru and his assistant didn't look bothered or worried. The younger of the two was standing in a defensive position with what looked like a kunai in his hand, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Tsunade's glare remained on the men as she spoke once again.
"You have five seconds to leave before I attack, and believe me, you won't survive this time." She threatened and began to count backwards from five. The next five seconds were tense as Ichigo looked back and forth between the conflicting parties. Orochimaru hadn't moved an inch, but his smile momentarily faded away. It only returned once the woman had a single finger raised in the air.
"I can bring them back, you know." He spoke slowly, almost in a hiss. "Both of them. Your Granduncle's jutsu. I've made…improvements."
Only the sound of the breeze flowing across the trees in the area rang out for a minute. Neither side spoke as they saw Tsunade's count had been stopped. The silver haired man was the one who broke the silence a moment later.
"We're not gone yet, so do we have a deal?" The man asked.
"Don't you want to see them again Tsunade?" Orochimaru asked right after. "All you need to do is heal my arms and they'll be with you once more. I won't lie to you either…you asked me what I wanted and what I'll do after I get my arms back."
For the first time since he arrived, the man frowned and stared back at them with a hard look. "I'll completely destroy Konoha next time. So, what is your answer?"
Shizune looked at Tsunade with a shocked expression, bewildered that she would even be considering it. "Lady Tsunade, we can't trust them! You know what kind of person Orochimaru is, he's weakened and vulnerable. We should just put him down while we have the chance." She tried to reason.
Ichigo was surprised to hear that from her. For the short amount of time he'd spent with her, Shizune was always level headed and the kinder of the two. To hear her call for someone's death, even if he did probably deserve it, sounded strange coming from her.
"Shut up, Shizune!" Tsunade snapped.
Ichigo turned back to the two men patiently waiting for an answer and scoffed silently to himself at the claim. Bringing the dead back to life was impossible no matter what you tried. They'd never be who they once were. No one could bring the dead back to life. His mind drifted subconsciously, thinking about Orihime and her abilities. Perhaps his statement wasn't entirely true, but that had to be beyond her power, right?
His scoff however was heard by everyone and suddenly, the attention was completely on him. Orochimaru's snake-like eyes turned toward him. Up close the man didn't look any better and the look he was being given was far too critical to make him believe he was simply looking in his direction because he spoke.
"Well…aren't you an interesting one? Your chakra feels different, imbalanced almost. Who are you?" He hissed, intrigued by the man.
"You don't need to worry about that." Ichigo replied simply, not breaking eye contact.
The man chuckled sinisterly and sighed. "I suppose you don't believe my claim about bringing the two back to life. That's to be expected I suppose. Tsunade, however, knows it's something I can do. I don't say things for no reason. I can bring them back as they were when they were alive, better even."
Ichigo turned towards Tsunade who still wore a conflicted look. "Tell me you're not stupid enough to believe the crap this snake is saying."
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, but didn't turn her head. That was inconsequential though, as long as she could hear him that was fine.
"The dead should be allowed to rest, and to bring them back would be to desecrate their memory." He said with conviction. "Even if he could do it, do you think they'd be happy to find out you helped him?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at him and clenched his jaw. Tsunade was still torn, but he could see her teetering along a thin line.
"He says he's going to crush Konoha this time once you heal him. Is it worth healing someone who clearly hasn't learned his lesson?" He asked, finally holding Zangetsu out in front of him. Like before, the silver haired man stood protectively in front of Orochimaru, but now looked visibly focused.
"Think about it, Tsunade. You'll see them again and live your life happily. I anxiously await your answer." Turning towards Ichigo, he continued. "As for you, I hope we have a chance to meet again, perhaps under different circumstances. I'd love to find out what this feeling I get from you is."
The two disappeared in a burst of speed. His eyes darted to the side where he could sense they were heading, but didn't give chase. He and Shizune looked towards the blond who was staring at the ground in obvious distress.
"Lady Tsunade. Are you alright?" Shizune asked gently, touching her mentor's arm. That broke the woman out of the trance she had found herself in and she nodded.
Looking toward Ichigo, she gave him an emotionless stare. "What are you still doing here? You heard him, the Hokage is dead. My use to you has run out hasn't it? You don't have to stay with us anymore."
Knowing the mental anguish she was in, he shook his head and took a step forward. "I don't think of you as some sort of tool Tsunade. I do need your help, but you aren't just some object for me to discard when I'm finished. I consider the two of you friends."
The woman narrowed her eyes at him and stepped forward until she was in his face again. Shizune was hot on her heels ready to break things up once again.
"Really? You consider us friends?" She asked in a mocking tone. "Friends. Yet you lie to us any chance you can. You say you're doing one thing, and then you're doing another. You said you're from Yugakure, but somehow you don't even know anyone, and someone who should've been in the academy with you has never even seen you before." She accused. "I've been keeping my mouth shut because it hasn't caused us any issues, but to say we're friends? When we barely know anything about you? It's laughable. You have no right to get involved in my business. As far as I'm concerned our trip ends here."
Turning around angrily, she stomped off leaving a shocked Ichigo who just had his artificial background thrown back in his face.
Shizune looked at the retreating form of the blond and then to the young man. "Ichigo, we know you've kept things from us, but please don't hold it against her. Orochimaru just pushed the wrong buttons and has her emotions all over the place. Give me a chance to talk to her and I'm sure we can work things out alright?"
Ichigo also stared at Tsunade's back and slung his blade over his shoulder. "I'll be around Shizune." He said in a monotone voice. The black haired woman sighed in exasperation and ran to catch up to the blond before she could get in any trouble. Like Tsunade she also had suspicion towards him, but she knew for certain he meant them no harm.
Had Orochimaru not shown up, they could have had a genuine talk between them to lay things out, but that was no longer a plan. Once again she would have to be the adult and clear things up.
xxxx
"So where exactly are we going now?" A childish voice whined as he walked behind his teacher. "This is the third town we've been to and we always seem to be a step behind."
"Relax kid, we're getting close." A much older voice replied calmly. "This is probably the last stop before we find her. And maybe we could find you some better clothes too." He muttered, taking a moment to glance behind him.
"What's wrong with my clothes?" The youth questioned. His clothing consisted of an orange jacket with blue accents along the shoulders, and completely orange pants that stopped just above the ankles due to the bottoms being rolled up. "They look better than yours." He shot back.
The man scoffed and looked down at himself. His green pants and shirt were without wrinkles, and the red sleeveless vest worn atop the shirt was as pristine as could be.
"Please, Naruto, you wouldn't know the first thing about fashion. Just know the ladies love the outfit. Take my advice and maybe we can even find a little lady for you huh?" He asked with a grin on his face.
Naruto stared back in a deadpan and shook his head, not wanting to deal with the man's antics at the moment. "Whatever. So, who are we looking for now? I wanna hurry and get back to my training."
"Yeah yeah I've heard you. Come on, it's this way."
The two walked into a small building that had a sign above the door with a cup and four dice. Inside were a number of men sitting around different tables, each taking turns rolling dice and calling them out.
Naruto kept his eyes on the games, trying to see how it was done. It was no surprise with how often they won that the games were rigged somehow. Turning his attention back to Jiraiya, he noticed him flashing the man a picture of Tsunade.
"Yeah I do know this young lady. She was on a hot streak with that friend of hers. I tell you that guy must have been cheating. They were headed over there." One of the men said.
"Over there? Where is that? And who's this other guy?"
The gambler smirked. "You can't expect things to be free in a gambling house…can you, Jiraiya? Let's make a deal, the information will be free if you win and if you lose, I'll give you the information for 1000 ryo. But as a show of good faith I'll tell you this, she's traveling with some guy named Kurosaki Ichigo. Anything more you're going to have to win."
Jirayia looked back at him with a false pensive look on his face as he looked on at the dice being presented. "Hmmm. Alright, deal."
The gambler grinned and tossed the dice into the black cup and gave them a good shake before slamming the cup onto the mat below them.
"Call."
Jiraya studied the cup for a moment. "I'll go with…even."
He didn't miss the smirk on the gambler's face at his declaration. Slowly, he lifted the cup to reveal the first of the two dice revealing a two. As the cup was lifted further, a strong force shot through the room, tripping most people and objects over, including the second die. The gust was so strong it had changed the number into a four, making the grand total six, an even number.
Jiraiya grinned and moments later, the two were out the door with more information and questions. Who was Kurosaki Ichigo? Even they didn't know much about him, only that he had a hot hand with cards and was seemingly making a small fortune with Tsunade.
The pair knew they were on the right track when they stumbled upon the ruins of what used to be Tanzaku Castle. Where it once stood was now nothing more than broken pieces of history. It seemed like too much destruction to be caused by one person, but it was definitely something Tsunade was capable of.
A few hours later, once night had fallen upon the Tanzaku Gai, Jiraiya was just about ready to call it for the night. Even with the new information they'd gotten, they were still seemingly a step behind the elusive woman. Deciding to have dinner at a small restaurant, they stepped inside and Jiraiya's eyes widened.
"Tsunade!" He exclaimed, pointing at the blond seated at a booth.
"That's her?!" Naruto shouted back. That couldn't have been her, because Jiraiya had told him that they were looking for someone his age.
The woman heard the commotion and blinked in surprise, placing down another cup of alcohol alongside the many empty ones she'd already drank. Moments later, the four were seated with the two teammates staring at cards in their hands.
"Seems like today is the day I meet up with my old teammates. So what about you? What do you want from me?" Tsunade asked.
"The village has demanded that you become the Fifth Hokage." He revealed. Tsunade's hand tensed as she heard his words, but soon relaxed once again. Dropping her cards on the table face down, she leaned back.
"I refuse. The Hokage is a fool's job." She replied, her face blank. Naruto looked at her with anger in his eyes and clenched his fists, effectively breaking the chopsticks in his hands. He wasn't about to let her talk down on his dreams as if they were nothing.
Shizune looked towards Jiraiya with a worried look, but the man shrugged and was content to let the two go back and forth. Their argument escalated when Tsunade not only insulted him personally, but his hero The Fourth as well as the Hokage position once again.
Tsunade, having already had one of the most stressful days of her life, was not in the mood to play with him and in a childish display, challenged Naruto to a fight outside. A challenge that was unsurprisingly accepted. The two went outside with Shizune following closely behind. With how the day had gone for the blond with their other friend, she wasn't sure she would hold back.
The two stood across from each other with Naruto glaring at the older woman while she smirked down at him. The woman lifted a finger and claimed she would need only that single finger to defeat him and proceeded to do just that. Within seconds Naruto had been sent tumbling with a flick to the forehead. Knowing he was outmatched, he attempted his newest jutsu and gathered chakra in a spinning rotation in between his hands, catching Tsunade off guard.
Taking that opportunity, he rushed her only for her to crack the ground beneath him to stop his advance. Despite being surprised, she continued to mock him claiming that Jiraiya had taught him a jutsu he'd never master, and that he would never becomeHokage. In the end her gambling nature took over and she made a wager. He would have one week to master the Rasengan, and if he did, she would give him her necklace. If he didn't, however, he would hand over all the money he had in his wallet.
Accepting her challenge, he took off to begin practicing, leaving the adults to themselves again. Heading back inside, Jiraiya stared at Tsunade and noticed the pensive face she wore. Deciding not to press the Hokage issue further, he spoke once more, hoping to lighten the atmosphere.
"So…I hear you've been on something of a winning streak for a while now." He said with actual bewilderment. "I never thought I'd see the day. I've heard most of it is thanks to one Kurosaki Ichigo. Where is he anyway?" He asked curiously, looking over around the restaurant.
Tsunade bit the inside of her cheek at the mention of the young man and gripped the sake bottle a little tighter. Now that the moment had passed, and she had a moment to think, she realized maybe she had been too harsh. Even though the voice in her head was still making her think about Orochimaru's offer, she knew he was only trying to get her to see things for how they were.
"Don't tell me you've already gone and scared him away" Jiraiya laughed joyfully at his own words. His laughter died down when he realized no one else was laughing, and Shizune was glaring at him. He got the impression that maybe he'd said something he wasn't supposed to.
Knowing Tsunade wouldn't answer, Shizune took over.
"He's around. Every now and then he leaves to collect the bounty on someone, he should be back any day now." She lied smoothly. They might have been teammates but they hadn't spoken in years, he didn't need to know about the other personal problems her master was dealing with.
xxxx
Ichigo stared up at the night sky from his spot at the base of a tree, many miles away from Tanzaku Gai. His hands rested behind his head, keeping it from touching the ground. His still narrowed eyes followed a star as it shot across the night sky. The sight softened his gaze for a moment. For a fleeting second, he was reminded of the few times he'd done the same activity when he'd been powerless during the 17 months after Aizen. For that moment, it felt as though he were back home.
Soon however, he was brought back to Earth and the memories of recent events plagued him once again. He'd tried to rest in his room at the inn but he couldn't nap nor forget about the falling out he'd had with Tsunade, nor the fact that Orochimaru had killed the Hokage. His frown became more pronounced, and his hands clenched in frustration. At times like these, he would either spar with Tatsuki when he was powerless or head into his inner world to train. Both options were out of his reach at the moment, leaving him with no way to vent his frustrations.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sat up and stared at the trees in front of him. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, but once again, it was a pointless effort. His thoughts usually went to either the blond or the snake, which then transitioned into the man's words.
He claimed to be able to bring the dead back to life. He had his doubts, but if this world really had techniques that could mimic the effects and some could even use teleportation, then what else could they possibly have? He would need to make sure he had answers to them. Sure, his Shunpo had been enough for the moment, but clearly some shinobi had powerful techniques at their disposal. What was to say there wasn't a way to deal with his speed?
The image of a white clad Aizen flashed through his mind and his eyes snapped open. During their final bout, Aizen had demonstrated mastery of one of the most powerful Kido at the Shinigami's disposal.
'I should've taken some time to learn Kido.' Ichigo thought to himself. 'What was the incantation?'
Focusing on the memory, his mouth moved, uttering the same words that Aizen had. It took about three or four repetitions before he was certain he had the incantation correct. If he could pull this off, it could act as a sort of trump card. A technique that could warp time and space due to the intense amount of gravity it produced would be a great addition to his arsenal.
Standing up, he stabbed Zangetsu into the ground and took a step forward. Lifting his left hand high into the air pointing towards the sky, he began.
"The oozing crest of corruption. The arrogant vessel of madness. Deny the seething urge to let things stun and flicker. Disrupt the sleep. The crawling princess of iron. The eternally self-destructing doll of mud. Unite, repulse, fill the Earth, and know your own powerlessness." He chanted. As soon as his reiatsu had begun to increase, his body had taken on the distinct purple and black glow that had once enveloped Aizen.
"Hado Number 90, Kurohitsugi!" He finished loudly. In front of him black rectangles began to form upward, each one surrounded by the same dark purple glow as his body. He could count about ten floating rectangles already formed. A grin began to spread across his lips. This was easier than he thought it was going to be.
Just as that thought crossed his mind he felt himself beginning to lose control of the technique. The large space that would have been the target for the spell was still warped, and things within its parameters were destroyed, but rather than more bits of the spell being created and forming upward, the rectangles released a blast of energy that sent him and Zangetsu tumbling away. The pressure was so great the ground shook, imitating the effects of a large tremor.
Ichigo however wasn't aware of the shaking. His body had been sent soaring through the air and he felt at least three different impacts on his back before he finally stopped. Grunting as he impacted another tree, he heard the sound of others hitting the ground. Tilting his head and shooting his arm out, he caught Zangetsu by the hilt and stood up.
"What the hell was that? I know I did everything right." He said out loud, wincing at the pain on his back. Dashing back to the spot where he'd attempted the spell, he took note of the large cube-like area of forest that was now missing. The spell had failed, but it had still done some damage.
Thinking back to his attempt, he recalled things had gone wrong as soon as the coffin was supposed to start forming upward. It was as if his reiatsu had gone completely out of whack. Recalling how Aizen had done it, he almost palmed his face at the realization. Aizen had almost perfect control of his power. If something as powerful as Kurohitsugi was something only dependent on power, surely Kisuke or Yoruichi would've taught him the simple chant.
What he needed was finesse, something he clearly lacked at the moment. Perhaps once he was able to make contact with Zangetsu again, he could see about training up to it. The spell was difficult, but not impossible, and if he could learn bankai in three days, he would definitely get this as well.
Seeing as he couldn't just continue destroying the forest, he decided to make his way back to town. Ichigo lazily hopped from tree to tree, not looking forward to an attempt to sleep again. As he was about to slip into Shunpo, he felt a single presence a little ways away from town. There was power being generated, and then it would disappear, only to start over again.
Changing directions, he made his way over. It took him no time at all to reach a small area within the forest that was clear of any trees. The area was almost a crater, and the few trees that were there were long dead. A small waterfall flowed off near the edge of the area but that wasn't what had caught his attention.
A kid, probably around twelve years old, was doing some sort of training. His hands came together in a cupping motion, and he could see blue energy beginning to swirl. The youth frowned in concentration as the chakra began to spin faster. He ran towards the nearest dead tree and slammed his hands against the wood. Shards of broken wood flew off as the attack impacted, leaving a clockwise swirl pattern on the wood.
As if sensing that he was being watched, the blond turned around and stared at Ichigo with a frown. His eyes darted around the area as if searching for anyone else before reaching into his holster and pulling a kunai out, holding it in a reverse grip.
"Who are you?" He questioned.
Ichigo raised both hands up in a placating manner, showing that he meant no harm. "Woah, easy. I'm not here to attack or anything, I was just heading back to town and heard the commotion."
"You still haven't answered my question."
"Kurosaki Ichigo." He replied simply.
He saw a look of recognition flash through the blond's face and wondered what he knew.
"You're the one that's been traveling around with granny?" He asked, finally putting the weapon down. His frown was replaced with a look of curiosity.
Now it was Ichigo's turn to frown. Who was his granny? "You might have me confused with someone else, kid. I haven't met anyone's granny."
Naruto shook his head vehemently. "No, I'm sure it's you. You're traveling with Tsunade right? Blonde, and bad at gambling?" He questioned before stopping himself as a thought flew through his mind. "Hey, wait! If you're with her, maybe you can talk her into taking the Hokage position. I'd rather she didn't because she doesn't deserve it, but it's an order." He grumbled.
Ichigo's brain paused for a moment. Konoha wanted Tsunade to be the Hokage? Had this been a day ago he would have considered it a break. Now, though, it only made things a tad harder.
"Sorry to break it to you, but she's not exactly talking to me at the moment. In fact, if I tried it would probably make things worse. Also, what do you mean by granny?" He questioned. She couldn't be older than thirty or so, though to him maybe she qualified.
Naruto shook his head. "She looks young, but Pervy Sage says she's actually like 50." He revealed. Ichigo's brain paused for a moment, there was no way. His friends from Soul Society aged slowly due to them being souls, but Tsunade was a regular human. Did chakra have age slowing properties? He wondered.
"Right…" He replied, holding onto a bit of skepticism. "Anyway, what are you doing? Looks like you've been here a while from all the marks on the trees."
The blond looked back down at his hands and grit his teeth in frustration. "I'm trying to master a jutsu. I have a bet with the old lady that I can master it in a week."
Ichigo crossed his arms and now it was his turn to shake his head. Tsunade was making bets with children now?
"Don't worry, when you bet against her you're almost guaranteed to win. She can't gamble to save her life." He replied honestly, trying to get the kid a bit of motivation. It worked and he broke out into laughter.
"I've heard she's bad at gambling, but not since we heard about you. They said she's actually won quite a bit." He replied. A look passed through his face after speaking and he followed it up with another question. "So what did you mean by making things worse if you asked? Did you piss her off or something?"
Ichigo's eyes drifted towards the forest floor as he nodded. "Something like that. Anyway, just keep up the training, I'm sure you'll get it. You have a look of determination on your face, as long as you don't lose your drive you'll succeed." He said, turning around towards the town and then disappearing.
Naruto stared at the spot where Ichigo had stood for a moment before turning back to his hands. His words echoed through his mind on repeat. Tsunade was a terrible gambler and didn't know a thing about him. He had the drive and determination, he would master the Rasengan and show her how wrong she was. Channeling chakra to his hands, he started the process over again.
Back in his room within the inn, Ichigo quickly showered and threw himself onto the bed. A yawn escaped him and, surprisingly, he was able to get to sleep within half an hour.
xxxx
A week had passed and he had yet to speak with Tsunade, to no one's surprise. His time was spent training on his own in the same spot where he'd attempted Kido, and watching Naruto attempt his own technique. Out of curiosity he'd gone back the next night to see if there had been progress made and to make small talk. He was more than a bit loud, but he was a good kid. Part of him wanted him to get the technique down, if only to see him win the bet.
During the day however, things were slow and he often found himself wandering around Tanzaku Gai. As he walked down one of the streets, part of him wondered if he should head out and explore the rest of the nation on his own. The Cloud sounded interesting, but as those thoughts entered his head he felt the slight vibration on the ground.
It wasn't a tremor, that was the feeling of an explosion off in the distance. The only other time he'd felt something similar was when Orochimaru attacked the castle.
"I anxiously await your answer."
That was what Orochimaru had said before leaving. He headed in the direction where he could feel energy being gathered and soon he found himself witnessing the start of a battle. Two large serpents lunged at Naruto and his teacher while Shizune was on the ground alongside Tsunade.
Without thinking, he gripped Zangetsu and disappeared. Fallout or not, he couldn't just stand by and let her get attacked. He could deal with whatever consequences his actions caused later.
