The story of Naruto Uzumaki was far different than most thought. His true father was the Nine Tails himself, the Fourth Hokage tried to kill him, and his goal of becoming Hokage brought on by the Ragna the Bloodedge, who's kindness inspired him to walk the path he did. Naruto's story was that of legend. The actions of a single man had changed the way his world worked. Those who hated him, now see him as a miracle in human form.
Yet out of every battle he had fought, none could compare to the struggle of this clash.
This was the day that Naruto Uzumaki…
…
*Earlier. Before Ragna met up with Boruto*
…
"CHIRETSU HOGEKI!!!"
Ichigo dove down from the sky above, his sword wrapped in dark spiritual energy. His target below, Naruto. The Hokage leaped out of the way before Ichigo's attack could connect. The impact shattered the earth and caused a huge eruption of Getsuga. The smoke around Kurosaki obscuring his vision and blinding him, and since he has trouble detecting others Spiritual Pressure, tracking Uzumaki would not be easy in this dust cloud.
Multiple kunai soared through the dust in multiple different directions, barely missing Ichigo as he dodged them on instinct and leaving cuts across his face and body. A large shuriken was next to hurtle towards him. Ichigo sliced it in two with his black katana. No way Naruto could do all that by himself. He must have used his clones.
"Where the hell are you?! Show yourself, you wuss!" Ichigo shouted.
Kurosaki despised the way Uzumaki fought. Relying on the shadows and sneak attacks weren't his style at all. It almost reminded him of Soi Fon, the assassin Captain from Squad Two.
"Be careful what you wish for!"
Naruto proceeded to charge into the dust with two balls of spiraling energy in his hands. He was in Ichigo's blind spot. This was his chance for a direct hit.
"Sage Art: RASENGAN BARRAGE!!!"
The sneak attack was in vein however as Ichigo spun around and fired a small grade Gestsuga slash at the ninja. He had trouble detecting Spiritual Pressure, that didn't mean he couldn't sense it at all. The attack struck Naruto diagonally and tore right through his body, cutting him clean in half..
"It's over." Ichigo said with a smirk.
Naruto, instead of spraying blood everywhere, vanished is a cloud of smoke. It was one of his clones.
"Are you kidding?! This clone thing is getting really old, really fast!" Yelled Kurosaki.
That was the fifth clone he ended up hitting. Ichigo stood corrected about comparisons. Even Soi Fon wasn't THIS annoying!
"Quit playing around, blondie! I ain't in the mood for games! Fight me for real, damnit!" Kurosaki shouted.
The dust finally cleared from the air and Ichigo met a sigh truly horrific. There more Naruto clones. Many more. Hundreds of them. All around him, like a swarm of locusts. Naruto must have planned this from within the dust.
"How's this for getting serious? MULTI SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!!!"
It was uncanny how many clones Uzumaki had summoned. It didn't seem possible. Ichigo was left in total shock at such a unbelievable display of energy control.
"WHEN I STOP PLAYING AROUND, YOU'RE NOT JUST FIGHTING ME! YOU'RE FIGHTING AN ARMY!" Declared all of Naruto's clones.
They all charged at the Soul Reaper from all directions. Ichigo readied his Bankai. He slashed, hacked, stabbed, kicked, and beheaded clone after clone but no matter how many he cut down, they just kept coming. He may as well be weeding a whole field with one hoe. One clone managed to get beneath him and smashed its foot into the bottom of Ichigo's jaw, launching him of the ground. Two more clones followed up with more kicks.
"NA! RU! TO!"
Another two appeared above Ichigo, diving down at him with axe kicks.
"UZUMAKI BARRAGE!!!"
The kick we're about to hit him, but Kurosaki used Flash Step to vanish out of sight. The clones ended up kicking the other clones in their faces and sending them plummeting back to earth… hard.
"WHAT THE HECK, YOU GUYS?!"
"SORRY ABOUT THAT!"
"Now I've got you!"
Ichigo was still in the sky, but even higher than the clones.
"THIS GUY CAN FLY?!" Exclaimed the two clones.
The Soul Reaper charged his blade with black energy and fired off a huge dark slash.
"GETSUGATENSHO!!!"
The two clones were eradicated by the attack and upon hitting the ground, exploded in a giant blast, wiping out many clones in the process. Ichigo landed back on the ground and finally caught his breath.
"Ok. That should be all of them." He said.
"WRONG!"
More clones burst out of the ground and swarmed Ichigo. He couldn't even swing his sword in time and got dog piled by the Naruto clones. Meanwhile, the real Naruto watched from a safe distance with a cocky smirk and his arms crossed.
"Sorry pall! You may have gotten the drop on those clone, but a miracle only happens once! Now you're gonna know what happens when you mess with Naruto Uzumaki, ya know!" He laughed.
"TENBURENJIN!!!"
To the Hokage's shock, a near infinite number of lightning fast slashes tore and ripped through each and every one of his Shadow Clones in the blink of an eye. Ichigo was now free and, from the look on his face, very irritated.
"I should have kept my big mouth shut. The guy just sliced through all my clones!" Naruto said, sweat dropping.
"A miracle only happens once?"
His heart skipped a beat. Ichigo appeared out of thin air right behind Naruto. It was as if he just straight out teleported.
"You know how many times that jackass Byakuya said that to me?"
This was Kurosaki's chance. He can take out the Hokage with one strike. He plunged Tensa Zangetsu straight into Naruto's back. Well, he would have if Naruto hadn't shifted to the side thanks to his shinobi reflexes. The blade merely gashed his hip, leaving a still deep cut. Naruto managed to lock Ichigo in his grasp by using his artificial right arm to gab hold of his Zanpakuto. Since that arm was fake, he didn't need to worry about pain from grabbing a blade.
'Damn. I almost had him.' Ichigo thought.
"Nice try, you little punk." Naruto grunted.
"You're tougher than I gave you credit for, Frog Eyes. You got some crazy good reflexes." Ichigo complimented.
"Heh. Same to you. It's been a while since I had a decent fight like this, especially without using Kurama's Chakra. What exactly are you? Because you're definitely no normal human." Naruto questioned.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm a Soul Reaper. A human soul tasked with protecting the dead. My name is Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo answered.
"Alright then Ichigo. Why attack me? And what did you do with Ms. Noel?" Naruto continued to question.
"I don't have to explain anything to a mass murderer, especially one who attacked my friends."
"What does that mean?"
"Naruto!"
Suddenly, Naruto was pulled back into his mind scape, where Kurama laid before him, still pinned by the huge red gate on his neck.
"You gotta be kidding me. Kurama, I'm in the middle of a fight right now! Can we deal with whatever your crap is later?!" He snapped at the giant fox.
Kurama didn't respond. His face looked as if he was in pain. Not emotional pain. Physical. He was hitting his lower lip, trying to hold back his whimpers and breathing erratically through his nose. This was unusual for Kurama. Naruto was a bit confused as to what was wrong with his demonic tenant. But he didn't have time to play doctor with the Tailed Beast.
"What? Does the gate hurt? Maybe you should have thought about that before you… attacked…"
He glanced at Kurama's side. It was soaked. Red. Bleeding! Uzumaki's eyes widened and he rushed over to the fox.
"What the?! Kurama, you're bleeding! What happened?!"
The wound. It looked… familiar. Naruto looked at his own side. It was the exact same wound as the one on him, and it wasn't healing!
'This is the same gash as on me. What's more, mine should haves healed by now! How is this possible?' He wondered.
"Ngh…"
Kurama was clearly in a great deal of pain. Naruto released the restraining gate and freed his fox friend. He rushed to Kurama's head and rubbed his big snout.
"Don't worry, I got you. Are you ok?" He asked.
"It… It's been a while… since I felt real pain. I forgot what is felt like." Kurama forces a laugh.
"How are you hurt, Kurama? You should be safe inside me." Naruto questioned.
Nine Tails got up into a sitting position, clenching his bleeding side.
"It's that orange haired brat's sword. It's a Zanpakuto. That's how."
"A Zanpakuto?" Naruto asked in confusion.
The wound finally started to heal. Kurama sighed in relief.
"I never thought I would see a Soul Reaper again in this decade. The Zanpakuto is a Soul Reaper's main weapon that can attack the soul directly. They are normally used to purify wicked spirits or help departed souls move on. Since my soul exists inside of your body with yours, Naruto. It can bypass your physical body attack me directly."
The ninja's eyes went wide in shock. The sword can hurt Kurama?! He had never heard of such a weapon.
"Simply put. That guy has the power to not only kill you, but he can kill me as well, if he strikes you in the seal with that sword."
"Holy shit..!" Naruto gasped.
He was risking both his AND Kurama's lives in this fight. He had no idea.
"That's not good. We gotta retreat!"
"That's not an option. Soul Reapers can detect Spirit Energy, the power of the soul itself. It's completely different from Chakra. He'll find you anywhere we go. Your only option is to fight."
"The hell it is! I'm not going to gamble you out there! You could get hurt or worse!" Argued Uzumaki.
"You don't have a choice, idiot! That guy seems ready to chase you down to the ends of the earth to kill you!"
There was no point in arguing. Naruto knew Kurama was right. Fighting their way out was the only option.
"Alright alright! Fine! Then let's do this. You ready to get rough?"
"Hmph! When am I not, idiot?" Chuckled the fox
The scene shifted back to the material world. Naruto's body started to glow with golden light. Ichigo noticed and tried to back away, but Uzumaki still had his sword in his grip. Within seconds, Naruto's whole body turned gold. His eyes went from orange frog to red fox. Chakra Mode had been engaged, and with one powerful punch to the gut, Naruto had sent Ichigo flying into the woods, crashing through multiple trees and smashing hard into a boulder. Kurosaki coughed up blood from the crash and collapsed to his knees.
Ichigo used his sword as a support to pick himself back up from such a powerful blow. He struggled, but eventually got back on his feet.
"Damnit..! What… was that?!" He exclaimed with a hard cough.
Naruto then appeared in front of the Soul Reaper as if he just warped. He cracked his knuckles and smirked.
"This is Nine Tails Chakra Mode! How's that for getting serious?" Chuckled Uzumaki.
'Holy crap. His Spiritual Pressure just skyrocketed. Is this that Nine Tails thing's power? He just might be as strong as Goku was when we fought.' Ichigo thought to himself.
Ichigo remembered when he fought Goku a month ago. Despite that being a battle to the death, the Super Saiyan was deliberately holding back, yet his power was more than enough to beat Ichigo at HIS full power. Ichigo had faced many powerful foes before. Ulquiorra Cifer, Sosuke Aizen, Kugo Ginjo, Yhwach… But this guy…
"Heh… If you wanna play using super modes… then fine by me."
Ichigo moved his left hand in front of his face.
"Let's see who's is better. Your Chakra Mode… or my Hollowfication!"
Black energy swirled around his face and bone mask with black stripes appeared on Ichigo. His eyes turned black and yellow and he unleashed a powerful, distorted scream. Naruto sensed Ichigo's energy level increase immensely, enough to make him step back a bit.
'Whoa! What's up with that creepy mask?!' Naruto exclaimed mentally.
Without even taking a single step, Ichigo vanished into thin air.
'He's gone?!'
Naruto could still detect his presence, but it was all around him. He couldn't even find the source. Ichigo could strike him from anywhere.
"Naruto, five o'clock!" Shouted Kurama.
The ninja turned to his back. He blocked an income sword with a claw of golden energy. Ichigo growled with his distorted voice and pulled his sword back. He vanished again and tried striking from above. Uzumaki leaped out of the way and the strike caused the earth to shatter on impact.
The shinobi zoomed away at breaking speeds. Chakra mode not only increased Naruto's overall power, but his speed as well. Immensely. He may as well have need faster than the world's fastest jet. He raced through the forest in a zig zag motion, increasing the distance between him and his opponent.
'Man's it's not just his speed, his power went through the roof too, all without Chakra! Is this the power of Spirit Energy? Gotta make some distance between us so I can come up with a strategy.'
Naruto's train of thought was brought to a screeching stop as the Hollowfied Soul Reaper suddenly appeared right in front of his path.
"Going somewhere?" Said Kurosaki in a dark and distorted voice.
'He can keep up with me when I'm in this mode?!'
Ichigo spun like a tornado while swinging his sword. Naruto blocked the attack with two kunai in his hands. Sparks flew from how fast the blades were hitting. Naruto's kunai wouldn't last long as Ichigo's sword was digging into the metal quickly. He needed a plan and fast.
Luckily, he was known for thinking outside the box. So Naruto released his knives and used tiny Chakra arms in his palms to gather energy in his hands. They formed two energy sphere and he smashed them together. The collision of energy caused a large explosion, engulfing both him and Ichigo. The blast blew the Soul Reaper into multiple trees while Naruto was flying high into the sky, chuckling like an idiot.
"Haha… I call that Rasen-Thunder Clap." He laughed.
"You idiot! Are you TRYING to blow yourself up?!" Kurama roared.
"It worked, didn't it?"
Naruto safely landed on the ground. He wiped some dirt off his shoulder and smiled confidently.
"That takes care of him. Now to go find Ms. Noel."
Kurama growled at what Naruto said.
"Huh? What's up with you?"
Kurama didn't respond.
"Ok mister, what is going on with you?! You've been acting weird since we got caught by Kaguya! Talk to me, man! I'm sure it's not that bad-"
Suddenly, a blade pierced through Naruto's gut. However, it wasn't Ichigo's. This sword was made of pure ice. Naruto didn't even grunt from the impalement. He was in too much shock from the surprise attack. He merely stared at the sword.
"Ms. Noel? You mean Noel Vermillion?" Asked a cold, emotionless voice.
Naruto rotated his head to his rear. He saw a man, blond hair, dressed in a blue suit behind him, glaring with cold green eyes brimming with hatred.
"Why everyone in the Multiverse is so obsessed with that human trash pile boggles my mind. Her name isn't even worth the breath saying." He spat.
"Wha- Who are you?"
"Never the less, whatever you want with that women, I can't stand by and let you take her. So it's time for you to freeze, Naruto Uzumaki."
Suddenly however, Naruto burst into a cloud of smoke right in front of the man. Another Shadow Clone. The man narrowed his eyes in annoyance.
"Tch! More ninja tricks. This is why I hated Ikagura."
…
*Meanwhile*
…
"Ichigo! Heeeeeey! Say something!"
"I think he's brain dead or something."
"Don't worry. I've known Ichigo for years. Let me try… WAKE UP, YOU FOOL!"
*POW*
"GAH?! Ow!"
A swift punch to the node woke Ichigo from his unconsciousness. He bolted up off the ground, whining in pain. His eyes open and showed Rukia, Luffy, and Zoro looking down at him from his seated position.
"Ha! Just like when wouldn't get up for school." Rukia giggled humorously.
"Rukia?! What the hell is wrong with you?! Who punches someone when their sleeping?!" Ichigo shouted.
"You're welcome, Mr. Ungrateful."
Kuchiki offered Kurosaki a helping hand up. Once Ichigo was back on his feet, he explained the situation to the trio.
"What?! Ichigo, we were instructed NOT to engage the Hokage directly, remember?! How could you be so reckless." Rukia scolded her partner.
"Yeah! Think things through before you jump into action, dummy!" Luffy yelled.
"Maybe you should take your own advice, Luffy." Zoro mumbled.
"I wasn't trying to pick a fight with the guy. He just showed up at some random temple and attacked me and Noel. I told her to run and I bought her some time by holding him off. Batard's tough as nails." Ichigo explained while rubbing his sore neck.
"I see. So it was an unexpected encounter. Well, it seems you lost him, so let's regroup and track Noel. I don't think it's wise to leave her out on her own." Rukia suggested.
"Yeah. Especially with Kon following her…" Ichigo huffed.
"Come on you three, time to- Wait, where's Colonel Kisaragi?"
Rukia had just noticed that Jin wasn't with them anymore.
"Huh?! What the heck?! Jin was right behind me!" Luffy screamed.
Their questions were answered as huge walls of ice pieces the sky in the distance, and the high pitched screams of Naruto Uzumaki filled their ears.
"What?! Now Jin is fighting the Hokage?!" Rukia exclaimed.
"Can he be any stupider?!" Shouted Zoro.
…
"CRYSTAL STRIKE!!!"
Jin zoomed through the air atop a flying icicle as he chased Naruto through the forest. Naruto, still in Chakra Mode, extended a claw of golden energy at Kisaragi to grab him, but he shifted his body on the icicle and dodged the attack effortlessly. The icy soldier raided his palm and unleashed a torrent of freezing energy himself. It struck Naruto's back and caused him to stumble across the ground. Jin drifted and one-eightied to the other direction. He zoomed in on Naruto at breaking speeds. Naruto got back up and bent his back backwards to avoid getting rammed. The tip of the icicle sliced the skin of his chin. He nearly dodged.
Jin was now heading for a huge tree. He pulled up and raced up the tree before shooting us into the air high above. His eyes looked back at the ninja below, who stared right back at him with his piercing fox eyes.
'His reflexes and instincts are superior to that of both Bang Shishigami and Taokaka. It would seem Madara Uchiha wasn't exaggerating about how dangerous this man is.' Jin thought to himself.
He halted his hover-cicle mid air. Jin was using his Ars Magus to keep his crystal footing airborn because he normally can't keep his Crystal Strike airborn for very long otherwise.
'However, this is t my first time facing a shinobi. I learned much of how they fight back during the Ikaruga Civil War. What's more, it would seem he's inexperienced in fighting someone who utilizes ice-based attacks. Which means I'm the best person to fight an opponent like this.'
Jin reached his arms out and opened his palm. His Drive started freezing moisture in the air and ice began to form in his hand.
"Die, shinobi! FLY, MY ICE BLADES!!!"
The ice in Jin's hand molded into frozen swords and an enormous swarm of the icy weapons rained down from the sky. Naruto, seeing this, stared up at the sky with an "Are you kidding me?" expression on his face.
"Meh boy, not good…" He muttered.
To defend, Naruto manipulated his golden Chakra cloak to summon an spectra avatar of Kurama'a head around him. The swords rained down, skewering anything they could come into contact with. Naruto was however unharmed thanks to his furry shield.
"OW! OH! EEH! GAH! Ōheina gaki! You summon me during a hailstorm?!" Kurama barked.
"Sorry. I didn't pack an umbrella." Naruto joked.
The frozen shower ended and Jin was seen diving down at Naruto with Crystal Strike. He gripped his sheathed Yukianesa, ready to strike. Naruto decided to counter his wide-open opponent. He gathered Chakra particles in Kurama's maw and they formed a huge purple ball of energy.
"TAILED BEAST BOMB!!!"
Kurama and Naruto fired the giant death ball straight at Jin. Kisaragi shifted his body to direct Crystal Strike away from the death ball and rode around it in time. The ball exploded behind him and the blast was GIGANTIC! Jin looked back in horror. It may as well have been what dropped on Nagasaki!
"Christ! ! If that hit me, I would be dust!" Exclaimed Jin.
The shockwave was enough to knock him off his frozen surf board and he plummeted to the ground. Kisaragi landed hard and felt a few of his ribs crack. Naruto turned to where Jin crashed and slowly approached.
"Had enough or do you want some more, whoever you are?" Naruto taunted.
Jin raised his head and let anger burn within him.
"Don't you dare insult me!"
He drew Yukianesa, but Naruto's kunai knocked it out of his hand. The sword stuck into the dirt behind Jin. He was now unarmed.
"I would give up if I were you. You can win against me." Naruto urged.
Jin grunted in frustration.
'Damnit! I'm cornered. Is this how I go out?'
Without his Nox Nyctores, Jin's powers were reduced greatly. Even if he tried to go for Yukianesa, Naruto would grab him with a Chakra claw and stop him dead. There we not too many options.
'Naruto Uzumaki… His strength is beyond what I originally thought. He just might be on pair with those brain dead Saiyans… I remember when I was fighting Vegeta. Despite Brother weakening him with Soul Eater, his power was extraordinary…
Ten years… Ten grueling years of training, improving my abilities to face threats as strong as Yuuki Terumi, Relius Clover, Azrael, and Hades: Izanami. When the Son Goku and Vegeta arrived, and I finally put what I had learned during my training to the test, it meant nothing. Because this opponent was far more powerful than any of those four monsters!
And then… Beerus the Destroyer. When he showed up to eradicate Noel Vermillion… when I faced him head on, by myself, he swatted me away like a damned bug! A whole decade of refining my techniques! Enhancing my abilities! Improving my power!'
Jin slammed his fist against the ground.
'It was all meaningless! Nothing has change!'
He was frustrated. Frustrated by his own weakness. The Hero of Ikaruga. The Power of Order. And he couldn't even beat one blond ninja in front of him. He hate this.
'Brother was adrift in the Boundary for all that time. He couldn't train even if he wanted to… Yet when he emerged, he was miraculously more powerful than any of us, after all the grueling training we all went through! I… I just…'
Jin's face softened.
"Even though you are mine to kill, I just want to be able to protect you for once, instead of you always protecting me. That way, when the time comes for our final confrontation, I can stand before you as your equal, Brother…"
It was at that moment when Jin thought back to his training with Vegeta. He had Jin on his knees, taunting him about how he couldn't fight without Yukianesa, and probably couldn't even make a fist. He had felt powerless then too.
"You're pathetic. You rely on that sharpened popsicle way too much. Because of that, your hand-to-hand may as well be that of a pencil pusher's. The only power you need in a fight is your own. The only weapon you need is your own two fists. Get out of my sight, boy. You're not even worth mine or your punk brother's effort."
Those words caused something to snap within Jin. The fury that consumed him. The rage that twisted his insides, the fire that blazed in his soul and melted his icy composure. It all came rushing back to him as he remembered his own thundering roar, and a colossal, razor-sharp glacier that pierced through both Vegeta's gut and the clouds above.
At first, everyone though it was Toshiro Hitsugaia, but he was away on a mission. When the Thirteen Court Guard squads arrived on the scene, they saw Jin, laughing maniacally with ice covering his arms and legs, and an injured, but still fighting Vegeta, who had resorted to using his Super Saiyan Blue form. That incident took Kenpachi, Jimbei, and Trunks to restrain him, and almost everyone to shake in fear when he started screaming like some deranged lunatic.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS NOTWORTH THE AIR WE BREATH, FILTH! MY BROTHER! HE IS WORTHY TO DIE BY MY BARE HANDS!"
The only thing that snapped him out of it was when Tsubaki arrived. Jin had seen the fear and worry in her eyes and instantly sobered up from his state of rage-induced intoxication. He had hoped she would never see him act like that. He felt shame.
'Though Vegeta's words had merit. I had relied on Yukianesa too much that I had neglected training my body. But it was at that moment that I had learned a new technique. A way of fighting without Yukianesa. Something simple, but tough and packs a punch.'
Jin stood once again; his crest forming under him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The air he exhaled was as cold as ice. Freezing energy encircled Jin, causing Naruto to stop in his tracks.
'Did it get… colder?' Naruto thought.
"BRRR! Naruto, what's going on out there?! It's freezing!" Kurama whined.
Naruto went wide eyed. Kurama could feel temperature drop from inside the seal?
With Ichigo and the others, both Soul Reapers were overwhelmed by a sudden surge in power.
"Rukia, did you feel that?!" Ichigo questioned.
"It's Jin's Spiritual Pressure! It just keeps climbing!" Rukia replied in shock.
Dark clouds began to form in the sky, snow fell from the heavens, and grass beneath his feet started to frost. Within seconds, Jin's feet were encased in blue ice that rose up to his knees. The process repeated on his hands up to elbows. The ice molded and reshaped into frozen gauntlets and grieves. Jin opened his eyes. They went from emerald green to an icy blue. His hair rose up, glowing a brilliant silver. This was no Overdrive.
"Rage of Ymir: Frost Giant's Armor!"
Naruto stared, completely astonished. He could barely even breath because the air was so cold. His hair was frosting and even the saliva in his mouth was starting to crystallize.
'Ragna and Noel love to show off their little transformation gimmicks, I figured I would follow suit. I have yet to repay you for this new power, Vegeta. I intend to repay you in full after this, and it will be… bloody.' Jin sadistically thought.
His signature grin crept onto his face. Jin lunged at Naruto at lightning speed, stopping mere inches away from him, within Kurama' spectral head. Two icy fingers outstretch from his gauntlet, almost touching Naruto's stomach. Everything was agonizingly slow. Almost… frozen in place.
"CRYSTAL HAMMER!!!"
A powerful one-inch punch sunk its way into Naruto's gut. The punch struck the seal, which meant Kurama felt it as well. Naruto got the wind blown out of him and he coughed up blood which froze the moment it touched the icy air.
"My Frost Giant's Armor drastically increased my physical strength to levels beyond calling it 'superhuman'. Add on the boxing lesions Makoto taught me and your as good as frozen solid." Jin spoke.
Kisaragi followed up with a combo of punches and kicks to Naruto, leaving frosty spots all over his body. With a powerful upward kick to his jaw, Jin launched Uzumaki into the air. The force of the blow encased the ground in a glossy sheet of ice. Jin followed suit by shaping his ice into a crystal bow, then pointed up at his air-born opponent.
"Ice Bow Moonsong: ARROWS OF ICE!!!"
Jin fired a volley of five frozen arrows at Naruto. The ninja snapped out of his daze and used his Chakra cloak to shape nine fox tails and wrapped them around him like a cocoon. The defensive curl took the arrows head on. The freezing blast incased Naruto in a ball of ice. Jin grabbed Yukianesa out of the ground and sheathed it. He took stance and tensed his body. The ice sphere was right above him. His sword click.
"VIOLENT ICE!!!"
Jin struck the sphere with a brutal vertical slash upwards. The sphere was sliced clean in half. He compulsively re-sheathed his blade as the halves crashed onto earth.
"It's over." Jin declared."
"Like hell!"
Jin looked behind himself. Naruto was right there, eyeing him like prey. The ninja shaped his Chakra into huge energy claws, then lunged. Jin parried with his sheathed sword. The two jumped away from each other and charged again.
"TAILED BEAST FLASH BULLET!!!"
"SNOW FLOWER STORM!!!"
Finally, Ichigo, Rukia, Luffy, and Zoro arrived on the scene. They witnessed the fierce battle between Jin and Naruto. The Hokage's lighting fast strikes clashed with Jin's flurry of slashes. The speed of their attacks was breathtaking. Naruto was like a molecule circling an atom, while Jin may have been swing his katana so fast that he could wing blowflies.
"Holy shit, look at them go." Ichigo gasped.
"THAT IS SO COOL!" Luffy screamed.
Uzumaki screamed intensely as he flew. He managed to het into Jin's blind spot and charged up a orange spiraling ball of Chakra in his hand.
"TORNADO RASENGAN!!!"
Jin didn't even turn around. He just dug his sword into the ground and a wall of ice rose from behind him, shielding him from Naruto's attack.
"Damnit!" Naruto cursed.
Once the wall faded, Jin started to reshape Yukianesa's form with Frostbite. He transformed his katana into a large war axe. Jin twirled it around to build up build up momentum, then struck. Naruto dodged and the axe shattered the icy earth below. To counter, Uzumaki summoned two huge shuriken and tossed them at Jin. Kisaragi swung his axe hard and shattered the stars into millions of pieces. Suddenly, a third shuriken was seen flying towards Jin. It exploded in smoke and revealed itself to be Naruto. He twirled midair and landed a hard axe kick on Jin's shoulder. He blocked it with his ice axe, but the kick snapped the handle in two. Jin felt the force full on.
He fought through the pain and grabbed Naruto's leg. Jin swung the ninja into a frozen tree. It broke it down like glass and Naruto tumbled through the ice. The shinobi recovered and regained his footing. He looked up, Jin was high above, diving down with an axe kick of his own. Naruto leaped backwards to avoid the earth shattering attack. Jin was tackled by Naruto and pinned the soldier down. Jin refused to stay down and pulled back his fist.
"CRYSTAL HAMMER!!!"
His icy punch missed Naruto just. It sliced open the side of his forehead. Naruto was forced to back away. As he was leaping away, Jin noticed something out of place on Naruto.
Something sparkled within the Chakra cloak. Something familiar. Jin's eyes widened. It was a silver bracelet wrapped around his wrist. One he recognized well.
Naruto landed upright, took stance, and readied a kunai knife in his hand.
'Man, this guy's tough. I can't tell if he's a power, speed, or technical type. Stay calm, Naruto. I just need to find an opening then-'
Naruto was interrupted. Multiple ice spikes rose from the ground and ran through his arms, holding him in place as if he were nailed to a cross. Naruto cried out in pain. He was trapped. Jin suddenly appears before Naruto; eyes alit with rage and confusion mixed into a cocktail.
"This… This won't do me in, pal. I'm tougher than you think." Naruto managed to say through the pain.
"What is this?" Asked Kisaragi.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. That was when Jin grabbed Naruto's left hand and inspected what was adorned on it. Jin's eyes got even wider with shock. He yanked the bracelet of Naruto hand and stared at it.
"Hey! Give that back!" Naruto furiously demanded.
No response came from the soldier. Naruto was thrashing around like a kid trying to break free from their parents grasp.
"Give it back right now! That's important to me! You have no right to take it!"
"Where did you get this?" Jin questioned.
Naruto stopped trashing and merely stared back at Jin.
"Where did you get this bracelet? Did you steal it?"
"No! Not that's it's your business, but a friend gave it to me! It's my treasure, so give it back now!" Naruto screamed.
"Gave it to you?"
His eye twitched. Jin, like lightning, ran his sword straight through Naruto's shoulder. The Hokage cried out from the pain. Ice forming from around the wound.
"LIES!" Jin screamed.
"They're not lies! And where do you get off-"
"What did you to him?! Ragna the Bloodedge, where is he? Tell me, Naruto Uzumaki!" Jin wailed.
That's when Naruto's expression went from anger to surprise. He said, and I quote, "Ragna the Bloodedge". The full name. He was trying to process this information.
"What… What did you say? Ragna? You know him?" Naruto asked.
A swift slap across Naruto's face shut him up. Slowly but surly, Jin began to descend into his madness once again.
"This is HIS bracelet! It's his most treasured possession! He NEVER takes it off! It's all he has left of the Sister that took care of us before she died! So answer my question, you thieving orange moron! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY BROTHER?! TELL ME RIGHT NOW OR I'LL CUT YOU TO PIECES!!!"
That's when it finally hit Naruro like a truck. This man. He remembered what Ragna told him. About his younger brother. Jin Kisaragi. An ice user with blond hair, a sword of ice, a lack of control, and a crippling fear of the moon. This man… was him!
"Brother..? No way. You're Crybaby Jin? Ragna Sensei's brother?" Naruto asked in disbelief.
"That's not the issue here, you…! You..! Wait. Crybaby?! Who told you that?!"
Naruto suddenly vanished in a cloud of smoke. It was another of his Shadow Clones! Jin shifted his gaze to the left and partied an incoming punch with the sheath of Yukianesa. Naruto and Jin stared directly into each other's eyes; both of them gazing into each other's very souls, both burning with anger and twisted with confusion.
"I didn't do anything to Ragna Sensei, Jin! I haven't even seen him in years! Not since I was a child!" Naruto said honestly.
"Lies! Brother would have even been a teenager at that time! Tell me the truth this instant!" Jin shouted insanely.
"Maybe if you stop trying to kill me, I can explain things, ice for brains!"
They backed away from each other. Jin raised his hand and fired off multiple Ice Blades. Naruto slipped through each one of them and was closing in on Jin quickly.
"Everything that comes from your mouth will be a lie! Don't play me for a fool!" Jin screamed .
"THEN WHY MAKE ME TELL YOU SOMETHING IF YOU THINK I'M GONNA LIE?!"
"SILENCE!"
'What a wacko!' Naruto mentally exclaimed.
Naruto leaped into the air and summoned two clones beside him. They gathered both Chakra and wind together, transforming the Rasengan into a spinning star of razor-sharp wind.
"Wind Style: RASENSHURIKEN!!!"
He threw the giant wind shuriken at his opponent. Jin countered the shuriken with a swift upward diagonal slash, slicing it clean in two.
"BLIZZARD!!!"
The shuriken dissipated and Jin looked up in horror. The shuriken was a decoy for what's next. Naruto charged his Rasengan to a ginormous size. It may as well have been a death ball at this point!
"I've got you this time, you lunatic! Sage Art: MASSIVE RASENGAN!!!"
The giant Chakra ball hurled its way towards Jin. All Kisaragi could do was just stand there, totally overwhelmed.
'Damnit, that's more than I can handle!' He mentally panicked.
This may be the end for him… Or so he thought.
Someone appeared right in front of the giant Rasengan mid air. Jin instantly recognized him.
"Captain Luffy!" Jin exclaimed.
Luffy's fist expanded to a gargantuan size. He pulled his giant arm back and thrust forward with great force.
"GUM GUM GIANT PISTOL!!!"
The huge punch collided with the orb, generating a powerful shockwave that shook the forest around them. The two attacks clash for dominance until both sides gave out simultaneously. Luffy landed hard, breaking the earth beneath form the force of his drop. He looked up at Naruto with a furious expression.
"There's more where that came from!" Luffy angrily stated.
'Who's this kid? What kind of Jutsu did he just use back there?!' Naruto wondered.
"What do you think your doing, you rubber imbecile?! This is MY fight!" Jin argued.
A huge Getsugatensho passed by Jin and hit the airborn Naruto on the mark, exploding on mark. Ichigo, Rukia, and Zoro were joining in as well.
"You damned..!"
"Your brother's gonna chew us up and spit us out if we let anything happen to you, so like it or not, we're tagging in! Besides, I got a score to settle!" Declared Ichigo.
Rukia readied her Shikai for a follow up attack.
"Some no mai, TSUKISHIRO!!!"
A giant pillar of ice rose from the earth towards Naruto above. He barely managed to dodge the attack.
"Aw great, not this guy again! And another ice user?! Come on!"
To counter, Uzumaki summoned nine giant fox tails of golden energy and trust them all at his opponents. They all jumped onto the tails and continued charging. Together, Rukia and Jin summoned multiple pliers of ice that laid waste to the entire area, leaving a mess of ice pillars crashing into each other. The fight continued within the icy dungeon.
Jin shot at the Hokage with Moonsong's ice arrows, but he dodged, then appeared behind Kisaragi and kicked him into the ground. However, Naruto's blind spot was open for Luffy to exploit.
"GUM GUM ELEPHANT GUN!!!"
A giant armored fist hurdled towards him. Naruto dodged in time and used his giant Chakra claw to grab Luffy's fist and swung him right into an ice pillar, shattering it in two on impact. Naruto landed on some ice momentarily, but had to dodge again as Zoro was right behind him.
"Three Sword Style: TIGER HUNT!!!"
Zoro, surrounded by the aura of a raging tiger, swung a powerful descending slash at Naruto. The attack failed as Uzumaki dodged and countered Zoro with a kick to his hip, sending the swordsmen flying into the ice. They weren't done yet though.
"Hado #33: SOKATSUI!!!"
Rukia had Naruto off guard and fired off a blast of white flames from her palms. This attack actually hit Naruto and he was blown back into the sky. Getting annoyed with this, the ninja summoned an aspect of Kurama's head and started charging up Chakra particles, and a lot of them. The bomb he was making was even bigger than it normally was. He played to end this now.
"SUPER TAILED BEAST BOMB!!!"
Naruto and Kurama fired their massive explosive, intending for it to be the finishing blow. The group looked in horror at their impending doom from above. However, Zoro leaped up at the huge orb swords in hand.
"Zoro, what are you doing?! You'll die!" Jin shouted.
"Don't worry, Zoro can handle this!" Luffy assured.
He began twirling the two swords in his hand like windmills and started chanting.
"Nine mountains and eight seas make one world! One thousand worlds make one chiliocosm! One chiliocosm to the power of three and there's nothing I can't cut!
Go, Three Sword Style Secret Technique: THREE THOUSAND WORLDS!!!"
At that very instant, Zoro unleashed a slash attack of near god-like power and speed. It tore and slashed the Tailed Beast Bomb over and over again. Aside from what may as well have been the blast that wiped out the dinosaurs, the bomb was no more. Jin, Ichigo, and Rukia looked in awe at their ally's unpresidential display of power. Even Naruto was astounded.
"Well… shit." Was all Uzumaki could say.
"No way!" Ichigo gasped.
"An ordinary human capable of a technique of that magnitude?! That's impossible!" Rukia said in disbelief.
Zoro chuckled. "Heh. Woman, we Straw Hat Pirates eat the impossible for breakfast. He's all yours, Captain!"
And from behind Zoro came Luffy, flying at Naruto with a giant and twisted arm.
"GUM GUM GIANT RIFLE!!!"
To counter, Uzumaki used the remaining Chakra particles to create a giant spinning orb.
"Sage Art: MASIVE RASENGAN!!!"
It was a repeat of their previous clash. Both Luffy and Naruto were equal in terms of strength. This could go on forever. However, Uzumaki failed to notice Ichigo, now fully Hollowfied, readying a sneak attack.
"GETSUGATENSHO!!!"
A huge dark blast struck Naruto's shoulder and the resulting explosion was unbelievably huge, blowing away the trees, the ground, everything. Naruto crashed onto the ground hard. He couldn't even recover after that blow.
"ARCTIC DUNGEON!!!"
Jin's Yukianesa pierced the ground and Naruto became encased in a giant glacier. Zoro landed beside Jin, both swordsmen sheathing their swords and taking stance.
"One Sword Style: ENMA SLASH!!!"
"Empty Sky Form Enhanced: WINTER'S RIPOSTE: NEW ICE AGE!!!"
"Crossover Attack: TENKŪ NO KŌSETU!!!"
Two powerful slashed tore into the glacier, severing it. Naruto's upper body was exposed and blood sprayed from his two shoulders. His current situation gave Luffy the opening he needed for an actual blow. Straw Hat charged, his fist on fire and stretching back. This time, he had him.
"GUM GUM RED HAWK!!!"
His fist smashed into Naruto's gut so hard that it launched him out of the ice and into a mountain side miles away. The force left a giant crater in the mountain's face and he coughed up his own blood. Finally, Naruto collapsed to his knees and his Chakra Mode disengaged. He couldn't take the punishment any more.
"We got him!" Luffy cheered.
"Wait. One more thing." Rukia urged.
She used Flash Step to appear before the kneeling Hokage and held up two fingers.
"Bakudo #63: SAJO SABAKU!!!"
From her fingers, Rukia wrapped up Naruto in chains of golden light. With his exhausted strength, there wasn't any way he could break them.
"That should keep you locked up nice and tight." Rukia stated.
The othered quickly met up, looking down at the defeated Hokage.
"Damnit! What do you people even want with me?!" Questioned an angry Naruto.
"That's obvious. We're taking you back with us to answer for what you did." Rukia simply replied.
"Oh my god, is this about letting Naoto drink at the bar. He told me he was twenty one!" Naruto cluelessly assumed.
"Huh? Bar? Are you stupid? I'm referring to your attack on the Soul Society a month ago! How could you forget that?!" Yelled Rukia.
A question mark appeared over Naruto's head.
"Huh? The Soul Society? Is that some kind of religious cult, cuz I already had to deal with one."
"It's the realm where the Soul Reapers live, Baka!"
Rukia was dumbfounded.
"Seriously?! Just how stupid are you! And I actually thought you were cute!"
"You did?" Asked Naruto, blushing.
"Rukia, hold on." Urged Ichigo.
Kurosaki knelt down to Uzumaki's eye level.
"You really don't know who we are? What the Soul Society is?" Questioned the Substitute Soul Reaper.
"That's what I've been trying to tell Crybaby Jin over here but he so crack potted that he wouldn't listen to me!" Naruto answered honestly.
Ichigo was beginning to notice that something was off. Naruto had ordered an attack on the Soul Society, yet he had no knowledge of the organization. Strange…
"Ok… What do you know about the Uchiha Clan?" He continued to question.
"Ichigo, what are you getting at?" Asked Jin.
"Huh? The Uchiha? What do they have to do with this?"
"You just gotta answer the question, pal. We're not going to hurt you."
"Says you…" Said Jin menacingly, drawing his sword.
Naruto gulped.
"The Uchiha Clan were wiped out years ago, back when I was a kid! My friend, Sasuke and his daughter Sarada are the only ones left!"
That shocked the group.
"Wait, that's impossible! Madara Uchiha said that you wiped them out! What are you talking about?!" Rukia questioned.
"Madara Uchiha? What are YOU guys talking about?! He's dead, for like, a while now! Would you guys shed some light on what's going on here?! You're making less sense than an M.C. Escher floor plan!"
The dove of them huddled up together and began talking in private.
"You think he's just playing dumb?" Zoro assumed.
"No, I don't think so, Zoro. From the way he was reacting to what I told him, and the fact that he's never heard of the Soul Society, this guy's genuinely clueless as to what's going on?" Ichigo explained.
"That's weird." Stated Luffy.
"And when we mentioned Madara and his clan, he said that they've all been dead for quite some time." Rukia pointed out.
"That's weird too." Said Luffy.
"So what? Do you think that Madara or whoever that guy is is playing us or something?" Zoro asked Ichigo.
"Maybe, but I think we should head back to the Soul Society and stop the invasion. If what happened to Makoto and Sajin was a set up, then I think we may have just fell for it."
"Hey, you think you could get these chains off me now?" Asked Naruto.
"Hang on, we're still talking!" Rukia raised her voice.
"Perhaps we should take him back with us. If the Hokage is telling the truth, then perhaps it will confirm that Madara Uchiha isn't who he says he is. And we can find out what happened to Brother." Jin spoke.
"C'mon, you guys… I just wanna go home, burry my dead wife and daughter, and then eat ramen until I'm as fat as Choji. Can't you just give me that? Pleeeease?"
"…I could eat."
"LUFFY!" Zoro screamed.
Jin broke the huddle and stared down at the shinobi.
"Before anything, answer this, and do it with the utmost honesty, Naruto Uzumaki. Where is Ragna, my brother? And why do you have his silver bracelet?"
Uzumaki sighed.
"I. Don't. Know. He disappeared when I was little, and I haven't seen him since. He gave me this bracelet before he vanished. That is the TRUTH."
…
"That… IS A FUCKING BALD FACED LIE!"
*crunch*
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
And with that, Jin smashed his foot into Naruto's groin hard. The pain was so intense that Naruto's eyes shot out of his head and he bent over, crying in sheer agony. Kisaragi crazily picked up Naruto by his shirt and looked him dead in his crying face.
"TELL ME WHAT YOU DID TO BROTHER! DID YOU KILL HIM?! POISON HIM? SHRINK HIM DOWN AND FULFILL SOME SICK VORE FANTASY! YOU BETTER NOT HAVE, BECAUSE I WAS SUPPOSE TO BE THE ONE TO DO ALL THAT TO HIM! BROTHER! BROTHER! NO RELEASE ME! I WILL FREEZE OFF YOUR ARMS!" Jin wailed like a maniac to everyone.
"Calm the fuck down, you meth head!" Ichigo shouted.
"If he says he doesn't know what happened to Ragna, then he's telling the truth. Please Jin, let's just-"
*poof*
Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke, meaning one thing.
"IT WAS ANOTHER CLONE?!" They all screamed.
After getting Jin back under control, they conversed with each other about what they have learned.
"That may have been a fake, but I don't think what Uzumaki was telling us was." Ichigo pointed out.
"I agree with you. I can tell when people are lying, and the Hokage was being completely honest back there. He's never even heard of us aside from Jin." Rukia agreed.
"Then we should head back. Tell Kyoraky that Uchiha isn't who he says he is." Zoro urged.
Luffy nodded in agreement. Jin however, was hesitant. He was looking away, a slight hint of worry in his face.
"Jin, I know you're worried about your big brother, but right now we need to focus and get this new info to the Head Captain right now."
Jin turned to Ichigo. Kurosaki placed a hand on his comrade's shoulder assuringly.
"We'll look for Ragna the first chance we get. I promise."
Jin sighed.
"Very well-"
Suddenly, dark green holes opened up at their feet. Green chains ensnaring everyone and binding them tight.
"Hey! What gives?! Who's doing this?!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Wait, I've seen these chains before!" Ichigo stated.
"Nox Nyctores: Ouroboros! Hazama!" Jin exclaimed.
One by one, Zoro, Rukia, Luffy, Ichigo, and Jin sunk into the dark voids below. The holes closed up and vanished completely, and where they once were, stood a man. Skinny, with a suit, fedora, and green hair, snickering.
Some distance away, Naruto collapsed next to a tree to catch his breath. He panted heavily, clenching his gut as he inhaled air.
"What was all that about..?" He asked his demonic tenant.
"Beats me. I have no idea why the Soul Society would take such an interest in you. But what they also said bothered me." Replied Kurama.
"About Madara? No way it could really be him. He's dead. Remember? Maybe it's someone pretending to be him, like Obito."
Kurama pondered.
"Hmm… That would be possible. Question is, who would want the recently declared 'Most lovable man on Earth' dead?" Wondered the fox.
Naruto stood back up off the dirt.
"Well, it would have to be somebody super powerful if they can talk with the gods of the dead."
"Maybe 'God' is the key word. Remember that immortal brat from before? You know, the one who's friends with that gay shark that smashed his lips onto yours?"
"You mean Sutōkā? No way. That guy practically SCREAMS stereotype comic book hero. No way he would pull something like this. And WHY WOULD YOU BRING THAT BACK UP?!" Naruto cried, gagging.
"Hahaha! Give it a rest! You loved it!" Laughed Kurama.
"Agh! When did you become such a pervert, Kurama?!" Naruto screamed.
All the fox did was laugh at Uzumaki's irritations. Seeing the blond act so defensive was nostalgic, like back when Naruto was a teenager and they finally became friends… Though Kurama already saw the boy as more then that. After all…
"Well anyway, it looks like we lost those psychos. We should find Boruto and Sasuke, and the others, then head back to the village. We should warn them that we've got trouble again." Naruto said.
"Huh? Oh. Yeah, agreed." Replied Kurama as he snapped out of his thoughts.
"But don't think you're off the hook! We're still having that chat about your behavior!"
"Damnit!"
The conversation between host and demon was interrupted by a giant explosion that blew Naruto across the forest floor. He managed to land up right and looked in the direction of the blast.
"What now?!" He groaned.
"N-Naruto..! Do you… Do you feel that?!"
Naruto felt time stop all around him. Gravity increased, the air became too heavy to breath. He couldn't even move. That was how suffocatingly overwhelming this power he sensed was.
'What… is this..?' The ninja gasped in his mind.
"This power. It's like Chakra, yet it feels different. And the amount of it. It's… almost god-like! Beyond..!"
"Beyond the Ōtsutsuki!" They both said at the same time.
The source soon revealed itself to them, emerging from the burning trees. It was a man. One, single man, standing above a pile of destruction before them. Black hair glowing in the wind, obsidian eyes piercing their very souls, a presence like something out of a nightmare…
"Oopsie. Looks like I over did it back there. Guess I forgot my own strength. Sorry trees."
…And the personality of a ten year old. Ladies and gentlemen, Goku.
Noticing that he wasn't alone, Goku looked forward and noticed Naruto a few feet away from him. He looked rattled. Possibly due to his overwhelming presence.
"Hey, who are you?" Goku asked.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Screamed Naruto.
"Wait… Blond hair, whisker marks, orange clothes…. You're… Naruto Uzumaki! No way! This is awesome! I can't believe I ran into you here! Hi! I'm Goku! Let's have a fight! You and me, one on one, right here and now!"
…
…
…
"That seems about right."
"HYAAAAAAAAAHHHH! OH, COME ON! GIVE ME A BREAK HERE!"
Next time
Speaking of Sutōkā, let's take a peak into the life of this mysterious boy. Get to know the young god slayer who killed the brother of Beerus and the Mother of Chakra.