Tangled Souls:
Hello Everyone,
This is a new story from me. For those of you who have been following me for a while, and read my old content, you know my first story was a Naruto/Bleach crossover. I've had some people ask about it. I will probably never finish that or go back to it. However, this is what I would consider the spiritual successor to that story. For those of you who are new, I hope you enjoy.
Be sure to follow and favorite if you like it, let's start this new story with a bang!
Arc I: The Substitute and the Runaway
Chapter 1: Two Beginnings
x-x-x-x-x-x- TS -x-x-x-x-x-x
– Karakura Town, 1983 –
Naruto cursed, blood oozing from a gash in his arm. He had been foolish to allow himself to be injured by that odd hollow. That thing was far too powerful for a hollow of its intelligence to be, not to mention the feeling of its spiritual power had been wrong. A revolted shiver went down his spine as he thought of the twisted energy he'd felt from the hollow, a dead soul that had been corrupted.
Hollows turned into monstrous creatures with white masks and began to devour other souls to feed a fierce hunger left by the holes in their chest.
He was a Soul Reaper, someone who helped souls move on to the afterlife, and when needed, purify hollows, thus letting them move on along with all the souls they'd devoured.
Naruto grit his teeth, ignoring the ache of his shredded bicep as he forced himself to his feet. He glanced down at himself and groaned. His uniform was as torn up as his arm. A black kimono top with white inner top underneath, the left arm shredded to ribbons of cloth. His black hakama had several different scuffs and tears. And over it all, a white captains coat with alternating diamonds and dots along the bottom, and between his shoulders, a diamond shape made of lines with a rectangle inside and the katakana for "9".
Naruto blinked in surprise. In the distance, he sensed a presence appear. He met the shocked and pale face of a tall, burly man, with short, spiky black hair and matching eyes, his chin covered in stubble. "Isshin?" Naruto questioned his own sanity. Because it was his friend Isshin Shiba who was sprinting towards him. His dead friend, in some form of gigai–a false body for Soul Reapers–wearing human clothes.
He shook his head vigorously. Surely, he couldn't have lost enough blood to be hallucinating already?
"Naruto, what're you doing here?" Isshin gasped as he stopped dead in his tracks. His face was even paler.
"Dealing with some weird ass hollow. But that's supposed to be my line!" Naruto exclaimed, looking his friend up and down. Besides the panic, he seemed well. "I thought you were dead, what're you still doing in the human world, and what's got ya so spooked?"
Isshin became even paler, his eyes darting somewhere over Naruto's shoulder, back to Naruto, over his shoulder again, then back to Naruto again. Finally, he cursed. "Dammit, don't have much time to explain, so listen up! My son was just born, but something's wrong! His soul seems …volatile, I've no idea what to do. I was gonna get … someone to help, but you'll do just fine, if not better. You always had a knack for sensing people's energy and that sort of thing. Please, help me save my son!"
Naruto didn't hesitate. His friend needed help, so he'd give it. He tore off a strip of his white captain's coat, and sinched it tightly around his arm to stem the blood flow. The bleached white cloth quickly turned red.
"Take me to him, I'll do whatever I can." Relieved tears swam in the eyes of his normally cheerful friend.
"Thanks, follow me!" Isshin turned and began dashing away.
Naruto frowned, as he looked at his friends back. He couldn't sense an ounce of spiritual power from him. It was merely the soul he'd felt earlier. 'Isshin what's goin on with you?' Given the context, he could guess Isshin was having a child with a human woman, that was a serious crime, one he'd never report. However, it raised many questions. But questions could wait, his friend needed help!
He dashed after Isshin, easily keeping pace with the man. Isshin was incredibly fast for a human, but terribly slow by Soul Reaper standards.
Soon enough, they arrived in front of what looked to be a small medical clinic attached to a medium-sized two-story home. The buildings were painted a pale yellow, with green shingles on the roof, surrounded by a brick wall and hedges. A sign on the front marked it as "Kurosaki Clinic".
Isshin raced up the sidewalk to the clinic and threw open the double doors for Naruto to catch as he followed into a treatment area, filled with six hospital cots with dividing curtains. The air smelled heavily of antiseptic, with the distinct iron tinge of blood.
On the cot closest to a door–he suspected it led to the main house–was a beautiful woman, with light brown hair that was currently sweaty and sticking to her forehead. She wore a simple hospital gown and looked exhausted, but her chocolate brown eyes stared at a small bundle in her arms with concern. A baby, with a shock of orange hair on his head, still smeared in blood from the birth, his upper body exposed. And it was pale, very pale.
Naruto frowned at the sight of the child's unnaturally pale form, the shallow rise and fall of his chest the only indication he was alive.
The woman looked up as they entered, he was surprised to see her eyes immediately lock directly on him over Isshin's shoulder. She could see him. Naruto's interest was piqued. The woman was definitely human, yet she was unbelievably spiritually aware. His friend had found quite an interesting partner.
"Isshin honey, who is this? I thought you said you were going to get Kisuke?" she asked with concern, her voice soft and filled with exhaustion.
Naruto startled at the name. A Kisuke who knew something about souls, she couldn't possibly mean who he thought!
Isshin smiled softly. "Masaki, this is one of my friends I told you about, Naruto. He might not be a scientist, but he knows a lot about souls, he can definitely help Ichigo!"
Masaki looked at Naruto uncertainly, before her eyes became firm. "Please, save my son!" She pleaded.
"I'll do everything I can." Naruto assured her. He approached her and the baby, and gently sat down on the stool next to the bed. Before going to put his hand on the child, he paused and looked to Masaki for permission. "May I?" The young mother nodded swiftly.
Naruto placed his fingertips on the baby's chest and closed his eyes, gently letting his energy flow into the child as he connected their souls. He instantly frowned at what he sensed. Three different energies, battling for dominance. None could seem to win. Two were easy to identify. Soul Reaper energy, and, oddly enough, Hollow energy. The third one was unfamiliar to him.
"Odd, he has clashing energies inside him. They're battling, and it's destabilizing his soul. One has to win, or it's gonna tear his soul apart." He told the worried parents.
Masaki gasped. "You mean his Quincy and Soul Reaper powers aren't mixing?"
Naruto's eyebrows shot up. Quincy? This woman was a Quincy? He shot Isshin a quick glance, the man wouldn't meet his gaze. Still, his attention returned to Masaki quickly. "Well, yes, but there's a third energy. Hollow energy."
He was expecting surprise from the new parents, and they certainly were, but Isshin and Masaki also shared a look of understanding, as one, they said. "White!"
"White?"
Isshin nodded sharply. "A special hollow created by experimentation from someone in Soul Society. He bit Masaki, and I helped save her with Kisuke's help. I guess … his power must've transferred to Ichigo."
Naruto frowned, and for what felt the dozenth time let the surprising revelation roll off him. Instead, his mind began to churn for an answer. He placed a hand on his chin and began to think it through. 'The main issue is one of them needs to win.' That was the only solution. One of the powers needed to beat the others and absorb , the Quincy or Soul Reaper. 'I don't want to imagine what kind of abomination might be born if the hollow powers managed to absorb the other two'. The second issue was Ichigo's soul. It was damaged from the fight. He might not have the strength to survive to the conclusion.
Naruto quickly relayed his conclusion to the worrying parents. Masaki bit her lip with concern.
"Can you do anything to help him?" She was practically begging, her eyes swimming with unshed tears.
Naruto nodded slowly. A solution had come to mind. One, more dangerous for Ichigo. The other, more dangerous for himself. He instantly knew which he'd pick. "Yes, there is. Either you or I can supply him with some of our powers to allow that power to grow and win the fight. Then, I'll give him a small portion of my soul. It should be small enough I don't even notice."
Isshin gasped and Masaki looked at him in concern. "What, what is it honey?"
"Doing that will cause him unbelievable pain, even if it's a tiny bit. And it won't go away for quite some time. Not to mention, it's illegal. If anyone in Soul Society learns of it, he'll be arrested and possibly executed." He answered his wife, who covered her mouth in surprise. Isshin then turned to Naruto with a serious expression. "You're seriously willing to do this Naruto?"
"Of course, I am Isshin. The alternative is praying your son's soul can survive the fight. I'm not willing to take that risk." He replied, resolute in his decision. Masaki's tears began to fall, even as she offered him a grateful smile.
"Thank you, Naruto. You're a truly great friend. I don't know that I'll ever be able to repay you."
Naruto brushed off her thanks with a wave of his hand. "Not a big deal, Masaki. I'd do the same for any of my friends, or even a stranger/ No child deserves to have their life cut so short."
She nodded with a watery smile. Isshin, meanwhile, clasped him on the shoulder and smiled fondly, a few tears falling down his own cheeks. "Thank you, old friend." He said, his voice choked with emotion.
"Eh, no big deal. Now, let's get to this." Naruto quickly drew his Zanpakuto from his waist. He squinted hard and struggled to condense the massive flow of spiritual power pouring off of him. The average length katana shrunk to the size of a kitchen knife. Naruto grasped Ichigo's tiny hand and gently curled his tiny fingers around the hilt. The boy suddenly gripped it tightly. 'Heh, little guy has a strong grip.' Naruto mused as he placed the tip of the blade over Ichigo's heart.
Once she realized how he planned to transfer his power, Masaki gasped, and moved as if to stop him. Isshin was quick to grasp her hands and stop it. "This is how it's done, relax." He whispered into her ear.
Naruto took one last steadying breath, before freezing as he sensed something shift inside Ichigo. A cold hand of horror gripped his heart. The Quincy and Hollow powers had stopped fighting each other, the three-way dance was no more. Now, the Soul Reaper powers were under assault from both sides. It shouldn't have been possible! Hollows and Quincy's weren't supposed to get along! 'Have to act fast. This'll take more than I planned."
His Zanpakuto regained five inches of blade, as he hurriedly thrust the blade into the infant's heart. A tiny amount of blood oozed out of the wound, before a flash of light enveloped Ichigo. When it cleared, he was dressed in a miniature soul reapers uniform. Naruto sagged as he felt nearly a fifth of his power drain into the little tike. Suddenly, the soul reaper powers came roaring back, battering the Hollow and Quincy powers. It came at a cost though.
Naruto cursed and Isshin lurched forward in alarm. "What is it, is something wrong?"
"Not enough time to explain, get me help immediately when this is through. If you're in contact with who I think you are, he can help." Naruto said hurriedly.
With that, his closed his eyes and looked within. He could feel his soul thrumming to the beat of his heart. With a terrible effort, he began to pull. It was slow to move, like pulling something from quicksand. His eyes snapped open again, to see a soccer ball sized orb of golden energy ballooning out of his body. Fighting against his fading vision, he quickly slashed off the piece of energy with his Zanpakuto.
Distantly, he heard Isshin shout, "No!" It was too late, and his world was consumed by sensation.
Agony. No, that didn't begin to describe it. Ice, and fire, like his very being was being frozen to its core and burnt to a crisp at the same time, hooks tearing him apart from every angle. Naruto fought through the pain, just barely managing to snatch the piece of his soul and press it into Ichigo's stomach. Finally, he stopped fighting, letting himself fade into blissful darkness.
The last thing was aware of was a noise. He heard the most amazing and beautiful sound he'd ever heard. The sound of a baby's cry, loud and strong.
As Naruto collapsed onto the cold floor, blood pooling under him from his wound, a mark slowly formed on the front of Ichigo's shoulder. There, on the suddenly pink and healthy skin, was a dark red spiraling mark.
x-x-x-x-x-x- TS -x-x-x-x-x-x
– Karakura Airport, 2003 –
The wind swept through the air in a gentle breeze, whipping a lock of blond hair into the air as a Naruto emerged from the doors of the Karakura airport carrying a huge duffel bag over his shoulder.
It was midday, and the sun was beating down upon him warmly as a pleasant breeze swept across his face, bringing the scent of cherry trees with it. Deciding to enjoy the moment, he dropped his duffel on the ground and took a strong sniff, enjoying the scent of the new blossoms in the air. His eyes snapped open, taking in the sight of the city before him.
It had been sixteen years since he'd been here, ever since he moved to Kyoto to avoid bringing the gaze of the Soul Society to the Kurosaki Family.
The town had grown since then, more of a small city than town. 'Can't believe it's been sixteen years. Wonder how the kids doing?'
"S'pose I need to find a place to stay." He muttered to himself. A real estate office would be the first stop. The second … brought his pleasant mood down a bit.
Naruto was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of a car horn. He'd grown used to them over time, at first, they'd startled the hell out of him. The car responsible was a yellow taxi, the driver waving him forward. Naruto picked up the duffel bag at his feet. As he stepped in front of the back passenger door, he caught a glimpse of himself in the smooth black surface of the window.
He was tall, over six feet. His hair had grown a bit long since he'd been in the human world, framing his round face, with its signature whisker marks, and falling between his blue eyes with its spiky locks. Currently, he wore a plain black hoodie over an orange shirt. His muscular body bulged out of the tight shirt and stretched the thighs of a pair of jeans.
He gladly opened the door and tossed his bag inside, before sliding in next to it. "Sorry about that," he apologized to the driver. "Got caught up in my thoughts."
The driver, a middle-aged man with receding black hair and deep laugh lines, chuckled. "No problem young man. So, where too?"
"A real-estate office, please, I need to find a place to stay." Naruto replied.
"Anything in particular you're looking for?" The driver asked.
Naruto put a hand to his chin in thought. He planned to go to Karakura High School while here, so it couldn't be far from there. At the same time, he didn't need a house all for himself, it'd be suspicious too. That left apartments. He didn't fancy a single bedroom place, so it'd need to be a few, including a room for storage. So, a large apartment.
"Somewhere near Karakura high school, a big apartment, upscale but not ridiculously so. If you know a real-estate business that would be best, I'll take your advice." He finally answered.
"Ah, I know just the place. It's about a half hour from here." The driver exclaimed. "My names Yasui, what about you, young man?"
"Naruto, thanks for the help." Naruto replied with a smile.
"No problem." Yasui said as he shifted the car into drive and pulled away from the curb.
The drive was pleasant enough, Naruto and Yasui chatted back and forth as they went. Naruto heard interesting tidbits, such as rumors of a particular delinquent with orange hair known to beat up entire gangs of other delinquents.
'I wonder … nah, couldn't be. Isshin is an idiot, but he wouldn't let his kid be a delinquent. If nothing else than for Masaki.' Thoughts of the kind brown-haired woman brought his mood down a great deal. He'd stayed with the Kurosaki family for almost two years as he began recovering. He hadn't been able to go to her funeral because of a flare up his chronic pain from the soul extraction. 'Hold on just a little longer Masaki, I'll visit soon.'
It had pained him, to miss the funeral of one of his friends. Now, he could finally do what he'd intended to years ago.
As Yasui said, a half hour later they pulled up outside of an immaculate office building. "The one you're looking for is Enryu Real Estate. There should be a directory in the lobby."
"Thanks, can I ask a favor?"
"Sure, what do you need?" Yasui asked curiously.
"I need to get a ride somewhere else after this, mind waiting? I can pay a bit extra." Naruto enquired.
Yasui nodded readily. "Of course, no problem."
Naruto left his duffel bag in the car and stepped out onto the sidewalk before walking towards the fancy office building. It was square, fifty stories tall and made of concrete and glass, bank after bank of gleaming window shining brilliantly in the noon sun.
As he stepped into the lobby, he got a lot of questioning looks, as though he was a strange animal that had walked into their nice building. 'Then again, they probably think I'm some random teenager who'd have no business here.'
Sometimes, he forgot humans always thought he was simply a high schooler. In Soul Society, you tended not to judge by appearance how old people were. Souls without spiritual power aged faster than those with. Case in point, the four oldest captains. Only the old man looked his age. 'Probably from fretting over the rules so much.' Naruto scoffed, as he walked up to the directory board and searched for Enryu Real Estate.
'17th floor, suite 20.' With his destination known, he made his way to the elevator. He had an apartment to buy.
An hour later, Naruto walked out of the building spinning the keys to his new four-room condo on the end of his finger. Eighteen years of maintaining a particular Kido to do extra jobs added up. Especially when you did twenty at a time. Naruto was always careful to take jobs that nobody wanted.
He stowed his keys in his pocket and slid into the backseat of Yasui's taxi. "I take it that went well?" The man said with a smile.
"Yep, got myself a condo in the Shinsekai Complex."
"Whoa, that place is pretty spendy, I'm surprised someone as young as you can afford it." Yasui replied, his eyebrows shooting into his hairline. "You can't be more than what, eighteen?"
Naruto smiled. "You nailed it." He lied smoothly. 'More like eighteen plus one-hundred and thirty-seven.' Naruto thought with a smile. "My grandfather left me a small fortune when he died five years ago, he was the one who raised me. Now that I'm old enough to be on my own, I decided to return to the town I was born in." More lies, but that came with mingling with humans. Normally, he wasn't fond of it, but Naruto had gotten over that little hang-up a while ago.
"Ah, I see." Yasui said, awkwardly. He quickly changed the subject, clearly thinking he'd hit a sore subject. "So, where to now?"
Naruto didn't have to fake any emotion this time. He smiled sadly, and said in a wistful tone, "Karakura Cemetery, fourth ward. There's an old friend I'd like to visit."
Yasui simply nodded. He was much quieter during this drive, respecting the somber atmosphere. Naruto passed the time by watching the scenery. Slowly, buildings gave way to houses. Eventually Yasui pulled to a stop outside the entrance to the cemetery. Beyond a small wall on the hill, burial shrines were lined up in rows.
Naruto thanked the driver for his time and paid him what he owed before bidding him goodbye. His apartment wasn't that far away, and with night approaching, he could move a bit more … freely.
He strolled into the cemetery and began to make his way up a steep hill in the general direction of Masaki's grave. Isshin had provided him with the location when he called to tell his friend he was moving back to Karakura.
It was a peaceful atmosphere. The trees swayed gently in the breeze; cicadas sang as evening approached, and the few people in the cemetery went about their business in a respectful and quiet manner. The graves rose in silent rows of identical pillars jutting from the ground, the only difference being the names carved into them and the items left by loved ones.
After turning left into a section of graves, another turn to the right followed. Naruto made his way to a grave near the middle.
Backed by a stone embankment, the rectangular pillar of the headstone jutted from the pedestal it was on. There, carved into the cold stone face, was the name of his old friend.
"Hey there Masaki, it's been a long, long time." Naruto said quietly.
Soul King willing, she couldn't hear him, instead he hoped she was living in peace. From his first fifteen years in Fox's Den, the Seventy-Ninth district of West Rukon, he knew that wasn't always the case.
Naruto crouched down before the stone pillar. He unzipped his duffel bag and extracted a plastic box. Inside was a perfectly preserved bouquet of vivid purple irises inside a vase. Carefully opening the box, he set the vase on the grave and reached back into his bag for a plastic bottle of water, which he poured into the vase to preserve them.
"I hope you like them, irises mean friendship in Japan, or somethin' like that. Someone taught me that in Kyoto." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Truth is, I came to make another promise. Just like back then." Naruto admitted quietly. "You died protecting your son. I promise I won't let that be in vain. Even now, I can feel his powers stirring through the connection. They'll awaken soon. I swear, to the best of my ability, I'll protect him and teach him just like Gramps taught me. Only I won't be a stiff old jackass about the rules."
With his main piece said, Naruto settled into talking about the changes in his life, how he'd adjusted to the human world. It was an invigorating thing, learning new things every day. If he ever returned to Soul Society, he'd have to work with that creepy clown Mayuri to see about making a TV that could get the signals from the world of the living. He couldn't live without modern entertainment at this point.
Finally, when the sun was so low in the sky, pink and purple stripes filled the air above and a chill was setting in, Naruto finally stood up and bid his old friend goodbye.
He glanced around, before suddenly disappearing from sight. It had taken him some time to learn to do Flash Step in his gigai, a high-speed movement technique of the Soul Reapers.
The town slipped away around him, until Naruto arrived at a medium sized apartment building, five stories, made of concrete and steel. The concrete was so fresh and clean it looked like bleached bone. Large windows reflected the pink sky, and large balconies jutted out over the sidewalk.
Naruto strolled up to the polished oak doors and turned the handle, the door swung open silently on well-oiled hinges. He entered into a large lobby, with a bank of mailboxes on one side. On the far side, a set of sturdy stairs led upwards, while there were two elevators to his right. Choosing the elevator closest to him, Naruto pressed the up button.
The doors slid open with the tiniest of rattles and Naruto stepped inside. There, he sought the button panel, pressing the fifth-floor button. He stepped back, as the doors slid shut with a soft thud. Seconds later, the elevator lurched, and he was moving. The ride was swift and smooth. As the elevator approached the fifth floor, it slowed. Naruto stepped out readily when the doors opened, carrying his duffel bag over his shoulder as he dug in his pocket for his keys. He extracted them just as he stopped before the door marked '99'.
"Always did like the number nine." He commented as the key turned easily in the lock.
His front door swung open silently to the front room. It was bare of furniture. The wooden floors were newly polished a chestnut brown, and black curtains were closed over the patio windows.
Naruto stepped into the silent home, pushing the door shut with his foot and flicking on a light switch next to the front door. Strong overhead lights turned on, illuminating the room in soft white light. He padded forward softly, looking about. To his right, he could see the kitchen, with a gleaming black counter and large fridge, as well as a new stove and dishwasher.
He proceeded to inspect the rest of the house. All of the rooms were pristine, and two of the them had large windows set in them from the middle of the wall to near the top. Every room was bare of furniture, save for one.
Finally, he arrived where he would be staying, the master bedroom. It was larger than the others, with floor-to ceiling windows along one side, and a connected bathroom and closet. Though the most curious thing was the only piece of furniture yet to be found in the new home. A king-sized bed.
The soft mattress was set on top of a sturdy wooden frame. Place neatly on top was a single shipping box. No doubt containing his covers and pillows. Naruto swiftly tore open the box and went about making his bed with the black sheets and orange bed spread, before placing two pillows at the head of the bed. Naruto found he was especially glad he'd had the foresight to have his bed shipped ahead. A simple call after securing the apartment, and deliverymen had come to set it up with the assistance of the building manager.
Finally, Naruto was able to sink onto the bed with a sigh. The soft material molded the shape of his body within minutes. He'd learned of the miracle that was memory foam from a friend in Kyoto. It had helped to relieve some of his aches in the years after he moved.
'The rest of the stuff should arrive.' Naruto thought contently, as he began to doze off.
It was already ten o'clock, and he needed to be up early tomorrow to finish enrolling in Karakura High, thankfully, he had two days before he started.
Naruto drifted off; his dreams filled with memories of days long past. He recalled short raven-colored hair and large purple eyes glimmering like midnight pools as they looked up at him.
The next morning, Naruto woke up bright and early. Sunlight poured between the gaps in the blackout curtains. He yawned, as he threw the covers up and stood up, his feet hit the cold wooden floor. Naruto gave a massive stretch.
With a quiet grumble, he went to the foot of the bed and reached into his duffel bag. There, he pulled out a bottle of shampoo and container with soap in it, along with a towel, before he went to take his morning shower. Ten minutes later, he came back still drying his hair. Tossing the towel to the side,
Naruto quickly got dressed in a sharp looking burnt orange short-sleeved dress shirt and pair of black pants. He kept his orange and black trainers from yesterday.
Today, he had to get to Karakura high early to finalize his enrollment. As he stood and walked towards the front door, he heard a knock on the door.
"Uh, I got a delivery for a Naruto Uzumaki here?"
Naruto frowned. That was right, he had basically all his furniture and items from Kyoto scheduled to arrive today. After a moment of thought, he placed the first two fingers of his hands in a cross symbol.
"Double of shadow, being of smoke and stealth, arise and go forth, divide, and conquer! Kage Bunshin!"
In a puff of smoke, a perfect double of Naruto appeared. "You know what to do." He told the clone.
"You got it, boss." The clone responded, as it turned and headed for the door.
Naruto, meanwhile, quickly slipped out onto the balcony and quickly used a Flash Step to get to the ground. He glanced around quickly, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw nobody had noticed. It wasn't even seven o'clock, so few were out yet.
With that taken care of and his clone to accept packages, Naruto made his way west towards Karakura High. It wasn't too long a walk, barely thirty minutes at an average pace. Soon enough, he stood in front of the high school. A combination of chain-link fence and stone walls surrounded the school, an impressive four-story building made of grey concrete. It looked in good repair, though clearly the building wasn't new.
Luckily for him, the front gates were already open. He strolled inside, glancing around curiously. To the right was a parking lot, and opposite that a pool and gymnasium.
"Gotta find the administration office. I should find somebody to ask." He muttered to himself.
As he looked around, he spotted a pretty brown-haired woman with her hair in a ponytail. She had thin wire-framed glasses and a professional red jacket with black slacks, looking to be in her late twenties. She had to be a teacher.
"Hello, Miss! Could you help me?" He called.
The woman stopped and stared at him. "I'm sorry, do you go here young man, where is your uniform?"
Naruto chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head as he walked closer to her. "Actually, that's what I need help with. I'm transferring in and I need to go to the administrative office to finish the paperwork. I was hopin' you could tell me where it was."
"Oh, you must be Naruto!" She exclaimed, her eyes brightening behind her glasses. "I'm Misato Ochi, I'll be your homeroom teacher, as well as your literature teacher I'd be happy to take you where you need to go. There's plenty of time before I need to be in class."
"Gee, thanks Miss Ochi!" He replied enthusiastically.
Miss Ochi began to lead him into the building. As they walked through the halls of the school, past rows of lockers and cubbies for shoes, Naruto noticed how his teacher kept glancing at his hair.
"Somethin' you wanna ask?"
Miss Ochi blushed lightly. "I was just curious about your hair. It's not dyed, is it? That's against school policy and I wouldn't want you to get in trouble."
Naruto chuckled at the woman's earnestness. "Nah, all natural. My dad was from America according to my grandpa." He replied.
"Oh, good."
Soon after they arrived at the administration office. Misato bid him goodbye and went to prepare her classroom. Naruto entered the office and began to speak to the elderly secretary. He had to fill out a few pieces of paperwork, including extra due to the absence of a legal guardian. It took over an hour. By the time everything was said and done, students were arriving for the school day.
Naruto strolled casually through the halls of the school, hands in his pockets. He ignored the whispers that followed him. Since being in the human world, he'd realized he was a bit of an oddity in terms of coloring and height. He passed the main staircase to the upper floors and froze in his place.
His gaze snapped upwards, feeling a powerful spiritual pressure that felt familiar. There, he spotted a teenage boy, ascending the steps with a girl with long, spiky black hair that fell to the middle of her back. On his other side was a veritable giant of a boy with hazel skin and medium-length brown hair that covered his eyes. But it was the first boy that had his undivided attention.
A head of spiky orange hair, rich brown eyes set in an angular face, and peach colored skin. The boy was tall for his age. He wore the typical Karakura uniform, a grey blazer, and matching pants with a t-shirt underneath. The boy wore a scowl, keeping an aloof demeanor even as the girl berated him for something.
'Ichigo … you've certainly grown up.' The last time he'd seen the boy, he'd been merely two. To think, that small, happy child grew up into this aloof teen.
Naruto could feel Ichigo's spiritual power radiating off him in waves. If he were a less powerful person, it might've clouded his senses. As it was, he could feel it. His hunch had been right. Ichigo's powers were on the verge of emergence. 'I'll have to keep a close watch on him. Hollows will be all over him. Besides, this'll let me get a feel for him.'
For now, he'd watch from a distance. Naruto turned and left the school, though he didn't go far. Any plans for the day had been canceled, he had more important matters.
x-x-x-x-x-x- TS -x-x-x-x-x-x
Ichigo Kurosaki wasn't a normal teenage boy. For as long as he could remember, he'd been able to see ghosts. At first, he hadn't known that's what they were. He'd wave to someone, and others would look at him oddly.
Seeing ghosts sounded cool, but it was a bit of a pain in the ass. The spirits of the dearly departed always trailed after him, wanting him to solve their problems.
Some of them, he didn't mind helping. Ichigo patted his bag, assuring himself the vase and flowers were still safe. They were for the spirit of a young girl he'd helped yesterday. Some jackasses had knocked over and broken the vase placed there in memory of her on the spot she'd died, hit by an out of control car. He'd promised to bring her a new one, along with a paper airplane. Apparently, they were one of her favorite things to play with.
As he walked down the street, he spotted the spirit of the young girl waiting by the same telephone poll he'd last seen her at.
She was a cute little thing, hair bound in pigtails, wearing a tank-top with a pink stripe and pair of jean shorts. The oddest thing about her was the length of chain attached to her chest. It trailed behind her as she rushed forward.
"Wow, you actually came!"
He smirked, pulling out the vase and placing it on the ground gently next to the telephone pull. The plane was next, being set right next to it.
"Of course I did. I promised you, didn't I?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Hopefully now you can finally rest."
After bidding goodbye to the little girl, Ichigo made his way towards his school, Karakura High. By the time he got there, it was only a half hour before first period. His little trip had set him back, but Ichigo didn't care. It was worth it to help the little girl.
"Hey, Ichigo! Cutting it close I see." Ichigo looked up to meet the gaze of his childhood friend Tatsuki. She'd changed a bit from their first year. Gone was the short hair, now flowing down her back with just a few short bangs framing her heart-shaped face and light brown eyes messily. Not that she was any different. She was the same brash girl that loved competing in martial arts tournaments.
"Yeah, yeah, I had things to do." He replied dismissively.
Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "Whatever, let's get to class."
"I'm late too." A deep voice sounded behind them. Ichigo turned to see Chad, one of his closest friends. The giant towered over even Ichigo at a staggering height of six-foot five. His skin was rich brown, and his medium length chestnut brown hair framed his face and covered his right eye.
Chad was the very definition of a gentle giant, he refused to hurt a fly. The only time he'd raise his fists was to defend Ichigo from the many delinquent gangs that tended to target him due to his hair color.
"For the last time, I wasn't late!" Ichigo hissed.
He turned and stalked towards the doors. His foot shoved the door open easily, causing it to bang against the wall. He ignored the stares, not noticing that for once, they weren't for him.
"You really should try harder to be on time Ichigo." Tatsuki told him, like the nag she was. "And try to look a bit less moody, you'll scare poor Orihime again, then I'll have to kick your ass."
"I'd like to see you try." He grumbled, only half meaning it.
Sure, he doubted Tatsuki could beat him. Then again outside of a spar he didn't have any interest in fighting his friend. He paused at the top of the stairs. He felt a tingle down his spine, as though there was someone peering over his shoulder or pinning him under their gaze. 'Not this again!'
Ichigo glanced around wearily, unsurprised when he didn't see anything. He failed to note the tall blond that was exiting the school, too absorbed in his annoyance with the fact that odd feeling returned. Like seeing ghosts, he'd felt it all his life. At times, he'd get the uncanny feeling someone was peering over his shoulder, watching him. It was unnerving, even though the feeling wasn't malicious.
He shook his head and continued up the stairs. At the top, he felt something thud against his chest. Ichigo glanced down, seeing a girl with long orange hair gently rubbing her head as she sat on her rear, her books scattered about. He tried to ignore the way her chest jutted away from her body, instead focusing on her watery brown eyes.
"Owie," the girl muttered.
"Oh, it's you, Orihime." Ichigo commented dryly.
Tatsuki scowled, slapping him on the back of the head. "What the hell, you knock her over and that's all you have to say, idiot!"
Ichigo shrugged and bent down to help the orang-haired girl gather her books. Suddenly, Orihime seemed to realize who she'd run into. She jolted in surprise, and hurriedly snatched up her books before he had any chance to help, quickly backing up as she chuckled nervously.
"Sorry, Ichigo … I have … gym class!" Orihime turned and swiftly walked in a direction that was decidedly not towards the gym.
He glanced at his friends in disbelief. "But she's going to homeroom."
"I told you if you didn't stop scowling, you'd scare her. Your ugly mug is scary enough without being mad. Any reasonable person would be scared!" Tatasuki scoffed.
"Oh, guess that's why you aren't scared." He fired back. Ichigo sped up before Tatsuki had a chance to smack him again.
His friend let out an indignant exclamation and began to chase him all the way to class.
Later that day, Ichigo sighed as he walked down the sidewalk in downtown Karakura. School had gotten out and he was taking a long route home. As usual, school was a pain in the ass. People looking down on him for his hair, Keigo being annoying.
Honestly, if it wouldn't ruin his reputation even more than simply having orange hair and defending himself from goons, he wouldn't even bother going to class.
Boom!
Ichigo's gaze snapped up, just in time to see part of a building seemingly blast apart for no reason. That's when he heard it. A terrible, piercing howl. Like some angry dinosaur let loose.
"Help me big bro!" His gaze snapped down to see the little girl from earlier running towards him.
He heard another roar, and this time he saw the source. Some sort of massive preying mantis, with a large black body that towered half the heigh of the office buildings, a mask the color of bleached bone, and scythe-like arms. One of those arms tore through the side of a building, raining glass and concrete down on the panicking streets. People screamed and began to run, even though they couldn't see the cause of the debris.
Ichigo waved the little girl towards him. "Come on, let's run!"
Together they began dashing away from the monster. For a brief moment it seemed they might escape. Then the little girl tripped, falling flat on her face with her arms outstretched.
He skidded to a stop, watching in concern as the monster bore down on them. There was no doubt, he was after the girl! Ichigo's mind whirled, trying to think of a way to save her.
His eyes widened as a black butterfly fluttered past his face. The oddest sensation washed over him, as time seemed to crawl to a stop. In the space of a heartbeat, a short girl around his age dashed past him. She wore black robes and matching hakama, a katana tucked into her white sash. On the shoulder of her robe, a wooden badge was tied with a bandage. Her black hair fluttered in the breeze, purple eyes never leaving the monster.
In one smooth motion, she leapt into the air and unsheathed the sword, bringing it down on the monster's head and cutting it in two. He stared in disbelief as the small girl effortlessly dispatched something that had nearly leveled a building! The oddest part was how the monster seemed to dissolve into particles of darkness.
Before he could call out to the samurai girl, she leapt away, clear over a building.
Ichigo rubbed his eyes dumbly. "Did I seriously just see that? No, what did I just see?" The questions would go unanswered for many hours. Little did Ichigo know; he wasn't the only one shocked by the sight of the black-haired girl slaying the monster.
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He'd been keeping tabs on Ichigo after school, trying to get a feel for who the boy was, as well as keep an eye out for his emerging powers. Watching Ichigo was like watching a home video of himself in the past. The boy was brash, stubborn, and quick to anger. Yet, he cared a great deal for the people around him.
The only difference was Ichigo was very moody. To Naruto, it was more than understandable. Masaki had died right in front of the boy, that sort of thing could mess you up.
After school, Ichigo began to wander Karakura, taking a round-about way home. Naruto kept up with him carefully, leaping silently from roof to roof. On the rooftop of an office building, he'd been looking out on the road where Ichigo was walking, when the hollow had struck. The first thing he'd noticed was the soul of a little girl running from it. He'd considered stepping in briefly, as the mantis hollow began tearing up the buildings and going after Ichigo and the girl.
And then she appeared.
Naruto couldn't stop staring. His heart felt like it would beat out of his chest. It was her. It was really her! Tears sprang to his eyes, an oddity. But this was an occasion for tears.
"Rukia …" He whispered in a choked voice.
Eighteen years, that's how long it had been since he'd seen his best friend. Ever since he'd essentially banished himself to the World of the Living. He'd despaired at the idea he may never see her again. Naruto desperately wanted to rush to her side, to show her he was alive. To sit and watch the stars like she loved to do. But he couldn't do any of those things. It would just put her in danger. And that fact broke his heart.
He had to watch as Rukia leapt away, racing to purify another hollow no doubt. There was always a decent amount to be found in Karakura, being the location of the current Jureichi.
Her raven-colored hair fluttered in the breeze, just like in his dream. He thought he caught a glimpse of something tan on her shoulder, but by then the tears were flowing. There was no seeing clearly if he wanted to. Naruto had to take a break from his scouting of Ichigo, as he tried to get his emotions under control.
He took steady breaths to try and stem the tears. Slowly, he calmed. Enough to start thinking. With Rukia here, it marked the most significant presence the Soul Society had had here in the Human World for some time.
'Why would they send her?' He didn't doubt his friend's strength, he simply knew the man that had often pulled the strings of her career. Whether he'd admit it or not, the captain of Squad Six tried to protect Rukia by keeping her from dangerous missions.
Another, bigger, issue was he had to be extremely careful. One single slip of his spiritual power, and she might sense his presence. His attempt to keep tabs on Ichigo would be much harder than expected.
Finally, he registered what he'd seen on Rukia's arm, or rather, what he thought he'd seen. 'Was that a lieutenant's badge? Has Byakuya gone soft or something.' He had to be mistaken. There was no chance that man would allow Rukia to become a seated officer, let alone lieutenant.
After some time, Naruto had finally gathered himself enough to begin tracking Ichigo again.
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Ichigo sighed as he lay back on his bed, folding his arms beneath his head. wasn't much, just a closet, desk with a lamp, and his bed. Though thankfully he had plenty of floor space, and a large sliding window that stretched from just above his bed to a foot short of the ceiling. It helped draw a breeze on scorching summer days. His bedroom was dark and silent right now, the curtains pulled back to let the moonlight pour through the clear glass like molten silver. Currently, he was trying to quell his annoyance and calm his confused thoughts.
He'd just finished dealing with another surprise spar with his dad. The immature man seemed to think he needed to make sure Ichigo was tough enough for fights, so he was constantly trying sneak attacks.
Beating him was never an issue, but it was an annoyance. But his mind was on something far different. The girl from this afternoon, and that monster. He'd never seen anything like it. 'Did I really just see that?' Part of him doubted it. Another thought he'd misunderstood. Nobody else could see the girl or monster. 'Maybe, she was some sort of weird soul cosplaying and putting on a performance?' He'd never considered that souls might have hobbies or entertainment they participated in other than annoying him.
His thoughts ground to a halt, as he heard a flutter of cloth. He glanced to the side and gaped in astonishment as he saw the girl from early gently alight upon his desk after coming through the wall. That settled whether she was a spirit or not.
The girl was just as he remembered her. Now he got a closer look at her katana, it had a pale red hilt wrapping and a gleaming rectangular guard with a flame-like pattern on the long side. She leapt from the desk and alighted on the wooden floor of Ichigo's bedroom with the barest hint of a tap from her straw sandals.
"It's close." The girl muttered to herself.
"Hey, who are you? You can't just come barging in here." Ichigo protested.
He was ignored, as the girl began to look around. Growling in frustration, Ichigo leapt from his bed and kicked the girl firmly in the back, sending her flying with an indignant squawk. The girl landed roughly on her front, just past the round rug in the center of his room. Ichigo quickly flipped on the light, causing the overhead dome light to illuminate them in a white-yellow glow.
"What are you, some kind of burglar? If you are, you suck at it!" Ichigo said, pointing an accusatory finger at the girl.
She gaped at him in astonishment from her spot on the floor. "You can see me? And you kicked me!"
"No crap I kicked you, now start talking or I'll do it again!"
The girl stood up and dusted herself off. She wore a serious expression, as she regarded him intently. "Very well. I am a Soul Reaper."
What followed was a hard to believe tale, one of a special military in the afterlife devoted to guiding souls to there and slaying monstrous creatures called hollows. Confusingly, the girl insisted on using bad drawings that looked like a five-year-old drew them to explain.
"So let me get this straight, you're a soul reaper. And you came from your home in this 'Soul Society' to vanquish something called a hollow. That makes sense …" Ichigo nodded sagely, before snapping his eyes open and shouted. "Along with the tooth fairy! Are you insane?"
"Why you … you can see ghosts, yet you do not believe in Soul Reapers?" She fired back.
Ichigo crossed his arms and looked away with a scoff. "Like I could believe something like that, it's too incredible. I admit, you're clearly not alive, you came through the wall after all. But go play Soul Reaper somewhere else little brat!" The girl smiled dangerously.
"Oh? So I'm a brat am I?" She asked with a menacing tone. She shot to her feet and pointed the first two fingers of her right hand at him. "Bakudo #1: Sai!"
Ichigo let out a gasp of pain as his arms snapped together behind his back as if he were handcuffed. He quickly lost his balance and fell forward on his front. "Ow, what the hell did you do you psycho!"
The girl chuckled. "Don't bother struggling. This is Kido, a high-level spell only a Soul Reaper can perform." She answered snidely. "Despite the fact I look young, I have lived ten of your life times. Yet you have the gall to insult me and call me brat? Be lucky I let you off with this minor case of paralysis, little brat!"
He growled impudently, wincing as he tried to pry his arms apart with no success. As the girl drew her sword, and suddenly smacked an annoying ghost that had followed him all day on the forehead, she was surrounded in a burst of dispersing particles of light. Ichigo found himself struck with an odd sense of déjà vu. He heard a strange voice whisper a name inside his head.
'Rukia …'
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Outside the Kurosaki home, and across the street on top of the neighbor's roof, Naruto crouched, silently watching Ichigo. He'd had to be careful, as he continued to follow Ichigo. He perked up as Rukia entered Ichigo's room. He couldn't help but chuckle as Ichigo kicked her in the back after she ignored him. From this distance, he could see her much more clearly, and he marveled as he spotted the badge on her arm.
So she had become a lieutenant. He smiled, glad for her. Not being able to obtain a seated position had frustrated Rukia to no end, especially as he himself advanced in rank.
His cheer did not last long, replaced with a solemn gaze. Even now, he had an urge to go in and reveal himself. But that would only endanger her, not to mention it would mean explaining exactly who he was to Ichigo before it was really time. No, he'd wait until the time was right for both things.
The hair on the back of his neck stood up, as he heard a howl in the distance. Naruto snapped his gaze towards the west, where the howl had come from. He could sense a Plus being chased by a hollow. For an instant, he hesitated for a moment. Ultimately, there was no way he'd let an innocent soul be consumed just so he could watch his old friend.
He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a Pez dispenser with a fox head on top. Flicking back the top, he let a round ball of candy fall into his mouth and gulped it down. Deep within, he felt a pulse, and suddenly his soul was being ejected from his body. Naruto stood on the roof, dressed in his Soul Reaper uniform once more without the captain's coat. He'd rarely had occasion to transform in the past few years.
"Don't worry sir, I'll take good care of the gigai." His artificial soul, Rama, told him from inside his body. This artificial soul was particularly good at pretending to be Naruto, which was why it was his favorite.
"I'll be back soon." Naruto promised, before vanishing in a Flash Step.
The distance melted away in only a handful of steps. Finally, he emerged into a street on the border between the business buildings and residential ones in Ward 4.
His eyes took in the scene before him with a quick glance. The soul of a young girl, no older than ten, was fleeing from a large humanoid hollow. He was an ugly thing, with a fish-like mask and a dorsal fin on his back. Part of his mask trailed down his shoulders and arms like plate armor. As soon as the hollow saw him, it redirected its attention.
"Oh, a Soul Reaper! What an unexpected treat! You smell much more appetizing than the girl! I was looking for a snack, but you're a four-course meal!"
The hollow lunged at him. Naruto calmly drew his zanpakuto and prepared to strike. As soon as the hollow was in range, Naruto flashed forward. Before the monster could comprehend what had happened, Naruto was behind him flicking the blood from his blade. Slowly, the hollow began to fall apart into two halves, even as it dispersed into particles of darkness.
"Whoah, that was amazing mister, like that big sis earlier who killed that weird praying mantis!" The girl exclaimed excitedly.
Naruto turned to her and gave a gentle smile. He stepped forward and knelt before the girl. "Oh? Sounds like you've had to run from these scary monsters a couple of times."
The girl nodded with wide, fearful eyes. "I've never seen them before, they're scary!"
"What if I were to send you to a place where there are no monsters to chase you? It's a nice place, called Soul Society. You just might find family there. Even if you don't, you could make a new one. So, what do you say?" He tried to coax her into accepting the konso.
The girl bit her lip uncertainly. "You promise there's no monsters?"
"Promise."
"Then okay big bro."
Naruto smiled, and gently bumped the girl's forehead with the end cap of his katana. She was surrounded in an ethereal light, slowly disappearing into particles of energy.
Once she had completely moved on, Naruto stood with a frown. He gazed up at the sky, trying to quell the uneasiness in his heart. Even before he'd lived among them, he hated needing to help child souls move on. Human lives were short enough, to have them cut short so early was terrible.
"I'll need some of the good stuff before I turn in." He muttered. As he prepared to return to his body, Naruto felt a tingle down his spine once more, coming from right near the Kurosaki Clinic. 'Dammit, they're being drawn in by his power!' This time, it was two hollows preparing to emerge. One of them was particularly strong. Possibly too strong for Rukia.
He began to race back, even as he sensed the first hollow fully emerge. A piercing howl filled the night. Naruto grit his teeth, willing himself to go faster. With relief, he finally arrived on the street near the Kurosaki Clinic.
That relief only lasted a short time. An expression of horror spread across his face as he took in the scene. The front of the home had been blasted apart. A young girl with short black hair lay sprawled on the ground. From pictures he'd been sent, he knew it was Karin, one of the twin girls Isshin and Masaki had after he left.
Crouched over her was a hollow with a bear mask, it's bulky blood-red body hulking over her as wicked claws gleamed in the moonlight.
But the most concerning sight was of Rukia leaning against the partially destroyed wall. Blood gushed from a wound on her shoulder. She was looking up at Ichigo, speaking to him urgently as the boy stood over her holding her Zanpakuto in confusion.
Naruto couldn't hear what was being said, but he got a sinking feeling as Ichigo gripped the hilt tighter. He realized what was going to happen a second before it did.
"NO!
Before he could even think to move forward, Ichigo stabbed Rukia through the heart, absorbing her power.
A blast of reiatsu kicked up a tornado of dust. When it cleared, he saw Ichigo standing in front of Rukia protectively. He was dressed in a Shihakusho, with a giant sheath on his back, and a zanbato-sized version of Sode no Shirayuki's sealed form gripped in his hands.
The bear hollow roared and attempted to swipe at Ichigo. Steel flashed through the air, parting the hollows arm from its body in an instant. With a second stroke, Ichigo split the hollow in two.
'What incredible instincts. Less than a minute with the powers and he slayed that hollow.' Naruto watched closely, as Ichigo stumbled his way towards Karin. He didn't make it, instead slumping forwards and passing out. His body lay on its back in front of Rukia. The most alarming part of the scene to Naruto was the white robe Rukia wore. 'That shouldn't be possible with the Gentai Seal in place! It should only have taken that twenty percent.'
He wasn't afforded the chance to ponder the situation. A large tear in the sky formed above the street, and something stirred in the black depths.
Two powerful hands gripped the edge of the tear, wrenching it open further to reveal a hollow with a bull mask and a purple body. From the waist up, it was humanoid. But its lower half was that of an octopus.
"Oh, three snacks just waiting for me, including that delicious Soul Reaper! How considerate." The hollow chuckled in its deep, twisted voice.
Naruto raced forth, as the hollow was dropping from the sky. He couldn't let it reach the other three! "Hado #31: Shakkaho!"
A red orb of fire flickered to life in his palm, swelling to the size of a soccer ball. It blasted forward and slammed into the side of the bull-octopus hollow and exploded into a storm of red flames. The blast knocked the hollow twenty yards from the humans and Rukia.
Naruto unsheathed his Zanpakuto, as he continued forward past the ones he was trying to protect.
"Grr, dammit, another Soul Reaper? Stupid pests!" Within the cloud of dust and smoke that had been kicked up by the hollows landing, shadows writhed in some mad dance. Amidst the haze, three tentacles shot forward, seeking to spear Naruto through, or snare him in their grasp with their powerful suckers.
He stepped to the side to avoid them, letting the tentacles pierce the concrete like a fork into warm butter. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto caught a glimpse of two more of the tentacles swinging to smash him. With a flash of steel, he severed them, causing a disgusting black blood to gush forth. The hollow roared in agony and fury. It tried to bring the other three tentacles back, but Naruto sliced through those just as easily.
Finally, he closed on the hollow. The last two tentacles were easily dispatched, and he disappeared using Flash Step to reappear behind the hollow. His Zanpakuto sliced through the beasts neck like it was nothing, severing it's head from the body.
Naruto panted as the hollow disappeared around him. He was out of practice, something that would need work. 'That was too hard.' He should have been able to blitz the hollow and take it down with one blow.
Something far more important weighed heavily on his mind. In a flash of movement, he was standing over Rukia. Her eyes were barely open, with a tiny sliver of midnight purple shining through. The silver light of the moon poured down on her pale skin. Her robes had been bleached of all color, like freshly fallen snow. Naruto knelt at her side, gently cradling her cheek in his palm.
Rukia stirred, just slightly, her eyes bleary and unfocused. "N-Naruto … no … I must be dreaming." She whispered, before passing out.
Naruto bit his lip, fighting the tightness in his throat. He carefully moved aside the collar of her kimono an inch, praying he didn't find what he expected to. Where he should have seen the signature snowdrop seal of Squad 13, was smooth skin. Somehow, Ichigo had taken all of her power. Worse, it would take some time to recover.
He felt an odd sense of déjà vu. Had she really done the same as him eighteen years ago? It wasn't fair for her to get exiled as well. For that was what would happen, perhaps worse, if she didn't report soon enough, especially as a lieutenant. But he was helpless to change it.
All Naruto could do was caress Rukia's face with gentle care and concern.
"Oh Rukia, what have you done?" He lamented.
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Well, what did you think? This chapter was very Naruto POV heavy, mostly because I wanted a fresh take on the beginning of the story. In the future it'll be a closer balance, I hope. Think of Naruto as Protagonist 1 and Ichigo as Protagonist 1A in terms of narrative presence.
Once again, I'd like to thank my patrons for supporting my work. Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 are up there now. I also have the first two chapters of a One Piece story up there.
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