Tangled Souls:
Arc I: The Substitute and the Runaway:
Chapter 5: Taboo's
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Cleaning up the scene was quick and efficient; just the way he liked it. After using the memory replacement device to make Tatsuki and Orihime forget the night's events, he called Kisuke to arrange to have Orihime's wall fixed. She wouldn't know who it was, but an anonymous doner would be paying for all the expenses.
Afterwards, Naruto and Rukia returned with Ichigo so he could reclaim his body, and also so Rukia could return her borrowed clothes. It was late, and Naruto was eager to leave. After taking a moment to stretch, he let out a sigh.
"Well, we should get going. We'll need to do some last-minute shopping to get Rukia a few essentials. The rest can wait."
Rukia gave him a quizzical look. "What do you mean shopping?"
"Well, based on the fact you're stealing pajamas from a fourteen-year-old," He glanced meaningfully at Yuzu's yellow pajamas, drawing an embarrassed expression from Rukia. "You need new clothes, plus a bed for the second bedroom. Unless you wanna share mine, I certainly won't mind." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"I get your point; I'll get changed so we can leave!" A crimson blush mottling her fair cheeks as Rukia shouted at him. She spun on her heel and towards the closet.
"Change in the bathroom," Naruto called, causing her to freeze in place, before picking up her school uniform and swiftly leaving to get changed. He chuckled as Ichigo gave him an odd look.
"Would she really have changed in there?"
Naruto shrugged. "Not sure, but it was funny to act like she would."
A few minutes later, Rukia returned, her school uniform on and Yuzu's pajamas folded up neatly. It took a little convincing, but Ichigo agreed to wash them and slip them into Yuzu's clothes so they wouldn't be noticed. With that taken care of, the two of them left the Kurosaki home and traveled downtown to try and get into the shops before they closed.
Thankfully, Rukia wasn't particularly picky, despite being adopted into the noble Kuchiki family, something they shared. They were able to pick out a couple outfits, as well as socks and underwear to last until they had a chance to shop properly.
He enjoyed the blush he got from Rukia when he suggested she model those last two items. Teasing her was just so fun.
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The next day, Naruto made sure to order a bed from a local furniture store, the same one he'd used to get his leather couch. Rukia's bed had arrived the very same day, a few clones had set it up for her while they were at school.
He kept a close eye on Orihime and Tatsuki. Both of them had abnormal amounts of spirit energy and it wasn't unheard of for such people to resist the effects of the kikanshiki. Luckily, the ditzy orange-haired girl seemed to show no sign of knowing anything. She'd come to school the next day with a wild story about sumo wrestlers knocking a hole in her wall. The dark-haired tomboy–on the other hand–was an entirely different matter.
Tatsuki never said anything, and she seemed to go along with Orihime's tale. Still, there was something in his gut that told him something was … off. He hadn't caught her yet, but Naruto often felt as if she was staring at him. Every time he glanced her way she was only staring at the board. That meant nothing. He wanted to get to the bottom of it. So, during lunch on Thursday, Naruto pulled Ichigo aside.
Their little group of friends was gathered on the roof, as usual. Keigo and Mizuiro were busy examining the parakeet Chad had brought in.
"Hey, has Tatsuki been acting odd?"
Ichigo gave an odd look. "Why're you asking me?"
"Well, you've known her longer. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something seems … different about her. I'm worried she might be resisting the effects of the memory replacer."
The grumpy substitute didn't seem to take his words too seriously. He crossed his arms with a dismissive air of a teen who couldn't be bothered with something like a memory wiper not working.
"Still don't get the big deal. So, she might remember last night. That just means she knows what's out there. Doesn't seem like a bad thing."
Naruto rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. He tried to remind himself that Ichigo was new to spiritual affairs. He didn't yet appreciate the gravity of what it meant for someone to be able to resist the effects of the kikanshiki.
"If Tatsuki can resist the effect of the memory device, it means her spiritual power is strengthening. She was able to make me out the other night. If it gets to the point she can see ghosts as clearly as you used to, Hollows will be as attracted to her soul as they were to yours. For a human with no powers, that's dangerous."
"Oh." At the very least, Ichigo was able to understand enough to be a bit abashed.
"'Oh' indeed." Naruto remarked dryly. "So, keep an eye out for her. If she really is becoming more aware I might have to intervene." His words set Ichigo on edge. The orange-haired teen clenched his fist tightly.
"What do you mean by that?"
"It depends on just how special Tatsuki is. Some humans have special abilities to fight the supernatural."
Naruto didn't offer any elaboration, and Ichigo didn't ask. Not many in Soul Society knew about Fullbringers. It was a closely guarded secret; one he was only privy to due to being a former captain. Naruto had encountered a few of them in his time. He wasn't completely sold that Tatsuki was a Fullbringer. Usually there was some sort of trace even before the abilities awakened. Chad was a good example of that.
He'd eat his shoe if the boy didn't have Fullbring potential with the faint trace of hollow spirit energy that came from him.
With his piece said, the two sat down on the rooftop and began to have lunch. They were soon joined by Rukia, who held an apple juice box out to Naruto.
"How do I open this thing?" She seemed half frustrated and half embarrassed.
Chuckling, Naruto took the juice box and pulled the plastic straw off. "You've gotta poke this straw through the top, like this." He told her, demonstrating it before handing her the apple juice.
Her violet eyes sparkled with wonder as she began to sip her drink. "This is good!" She exclaimed.
"You know, the way you two are always hanging out, rumors are going to spread." Mizuiro teased them as he walked over.
"Well, if people wanna assume I'm dating someone like Rukia, I won't bother to correct them." Naruto replied with a cheeky grin, though he winced as Rukia quickly punched him in the shoulder, her cheeks blazing red.
"Idiot."
The black-haired boy took a seat against the fence. He shot a mischievous look at Ichigo. "I guess you two are pretty similar. Ichigo doesn't seem to care what people say about him either.
Ichigo scoffed. "If I gave a damn about what people thought I'd have died my hair ages ago."
"I suppose so." Mizuiro said. Sitting down, the somewhat dorky black-haired boy leaned forward, "Hi Rukia."
"Oh um … hello Mizuiro." The petite woman paused in her enjoyment of her juice to return his greeting. Thankfully she'd gotten better at remembering people's names.
"Wow, you remembered my name? And we haven't even been properly introduced. Score." Mizuiro smiled, introducing himself with a wink. "Mizuiro Kojima, fifteen years old. Enchanted to meet you. My hobby is–"
"–Picking up chicks?" Ichigo cut in blandly.
"What, no!"
"Watch this guy Rukia, he seems like a dweeb, but he's a player." Said Ichigo.
Mizuiro looked thoroughly embarrassed, as he tried to run damage control. Watching the friends bicker was highly amusing.
"Come on Ichigo, you're ruining my rep! Besides, you know I only got after older women." Mizuiro protested.
Ichigo shot a glance at Rukia. "Like I said, watch out for him."
"I think Ichigo just called you old." Naruto whispered to Rukia with a laugh, though he paid for it, as she elbowed him in the stomach.
On the other side of the rooftop, a commotion happened as an older student tried to shove past Keigo. Naruto recognized him as one of the Punks he had seen on his first day. An ugly looking kid with bleached blond hair in a pompadour. The older boy didn't get very far. As he went to punch Keigo, a large caramel hand wrapped his fist in a vice grip. With a casual strength, the boy was tossed across the roof by his hand.
Standing in his place was Chad, who offered his usual tepid greeting. "Hey everybody, sorry I'm late."
Naruto gaze drifted to the bandage on Chad's hand. It nearly distracted him from the caged parakeet he'd brought. Chad lumbered across the roof and took a seat, setting the bird cage down.
"Hey, Chad, what happened to your hand?" asked Ichigo.
"Well … yesterday my back was hurt. An I-beam fell on me. The hand happened today, a guy on a motorcycle ran into me. He was really hurt so I had to take him to the hospital." Chad explained, much to everyone's disbelief.
"Jeez, you gotta be more careful man. Even if you are made of steel." Ichigo sounded half chastising and half amazed as he scolded his friend.
Keigo, meanwhile, became curious about the bird. Though Naruto somewhat doubted he could tell what was truly odd about it.. 'Curious, don't see that every day.' The soft thrum of a human soul was impossible to miss. If he had to guess, the soul of a child had been into the bird. Then there was the more obvious sign.
"Hi there, I'm Yoichi."
"Whoa, it can talk!"
As the bird conversed with Keigo and Mizuiro, Rukia's gaze was fixed on the bird. Ichigo looked as if he had been struck, as the bird spoke.
"Hey … that bird."
"Indeed. I believe the soul of a child, probably a lonely spirit."
"You should probably exorcise it, soon. It's best not to let these things linger. Left too long, it may become a hollow." Naruto added. There didn't seem to be anything off about the bird, but you could never be too careful.
The orange haired teen watched the bird with wary eyes.
"Got it."
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That night Ichigo arrived home to a chaotic scene. As soon as he came in the clinic doors, he had to dodge out of the way of Yuzu, who carried boxes of spare medical supplies. The middle-schooler wore a cute nurses uniform their father made her wear while helping out.
"Move it Ichigo!"
He twisted sideways, letting her by.
"What's going on, where's the fire?"
Before he could get an answer, Karin barged past wheeling a gurney with a patient on it. "Outta the way!"
Ichigo whipped his head around, staring at the clinic. "What the hell is going on?" He asked.
Yuzu poked her head back around the corner to explain. "An accident! A really big one right at the intersection!"
In somewhat of a daze, Ichigo hurried into the clinic, thoughts of exorcising the bird driven thoroughly from his mind as he saw his father shouting into the phone hanging from the wall, demanding a nearby hospital take some of the people involved in the accident.
"Ichigo, I need help with this one!" Yuzu called, her voice straining with exertion.
Ichigo whipped around; his eyes widened when he saw the man his little sister was helping into the clinic, his friend Chad. He hurried to take him off Yuzu's hands, guiding his friend to a spare bed.
"Dad, come take a look at him!"
"On my way."
When he withdrew his hand, Ichigo felt something sticky. The acrid, metallic smell left no doubt as to what the red stain was. Isshin came bustling over, and quickly removed the Chad's tattered Hawaiian shirt. The orange-haired boy's eyes widened as he witnessed a large burn that oozed blood, in the shape of a large handprint.
He stepped back as his father quickly sterilized and then bandaged the wound. Ichigo pulled him aside after Isshin gave Chad a pain killer and practically forced the boy into bed.
"Dad … that wound he's got, it looks like–"
Isshin nodded sharply. "It's a hollow wound, no doubt about it. Even with my powers so weak, it's easy to feel. Your friend his pretty lucky to be alive."
"I need to call Naruto, do you three have this handled?" Ichigo asked. His father nodded, much to the orange-haired boys' relief.
Free to go, Ichigo hurried into the house, up the stairs, and into his room. Taking out the cellphone Naruto gave him; Ichigo quickly dialed the blonde's number. The phone rang three times, before he heard the blonds gruff voice over the static of the speaker.
"Yo, Ichigo, what's up?"
The orange-haired boy wasted no time in diving into an explanation of what happened after he'd gotten home, after being initially cheerful, the blond sounded very serious once he'd heard the story.
"Is that parakeet with him?"
Ichigo furrowed his brow. "No. What's that got to do with–" He paused, remembering what the blond had said. "Do you think the kid's soul turned into a hollow?"
He couldn't see it, but Ichigo was sure the blond shook his head. He could just hear a crackling sigh over the speaker. "No, it's way too soon. But it's pretty suspicious Chad got attacked after he found the bird. The kid might have a hollow after him. Listen, I've gotta go. Keep your eye on Chad Ichigo, and make sure to be on your guard."
"Got it, bye."
Hanging up, Ichigo's mind raced as he tried to process what was going on. Just this afternoon he'd simply thought the bird was a lonely soul that needed to move on. Now he had to wonder if it wasn't being hunted, and whether the hollow that was after it had caused that accident. How many accidents and tragedies did hollows cause when people thought they were freak occurrences? It made him realize that his role was a lot more important than he initially thought. If he was honest, the weight of that responsibility scared him.
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Ichigo found himself running towards his school. He usually took it at a normal pace, but he was in a hurry. Upon waking up and taking a shower, he'd been met by a panicked Yuzu when he descended the stairs after dressing.
"Ichigo, your friend is gone! He disappeared in the middle of the night."
He had let out a curse, before bolting for school. 'Dammit Chad, what the hell are you thinking?' All he could think was that this had something to do with the parakeet. He had to get to school and see if anyone had seen Chad.
He tore onto campus and dashed inside, not minding the people who shouted after him. His breath came smoothly, barely breaking a sweat. Naruto's training had an effect on him physically as well as spiritually. Ichigo burst into his classroom, his eyes darting around for some sign of Chad. When he couldn't find one, he seized a surprised Keigo by the collar.
"Have you seen Chad?"
"N-no, he hasn't showed up, what's the big deal?"
Ichigo cursed, he spun like a top, and darted back the way he'd come. Through the hall, down the stairs, to the courtyard, and finally out into the streets. He'd get in trouble for skipping class, but his friend was far more important. Where could Chad be? It would be a waste to simply run about like a chicken with his head cut off. He had little choice though. When he failed to find Chad at the first few spots, Ichigo began to grow worried. A couple hours had passed, and noon wasn't far off.
"Ichigo!"
He was slightly relieved to see Rukia come racing towards him in her school uniform. His message to Naruto must have gotten through. The petit woman skidded to a halt.
"Have you found anything?" She asked. No, he hadn't, and it drove him crazy. He held a little hope that perhaps she had, but the Soul Reaper shook her head when he asked. "Hollows usually hide between the worlds when not chasing souls."
"What about Naruto?" His teacher had shown a remarkable ability to sense energy, surely he could find a hollow even if it hid. Ichigo's hopes were dashed ruthlessly. Rukia was never one to coddle him.
"He wants you to handle this on your own, without his help." Rukia said. "Normally, I wouldn't agree, but this will be a good test of your training. Take it seriously Ichigo."
With a curse, he slammed his fist into the concrete wall bordering the houses. Of all the times his teacher could pick to test him, it had to be now. Anger wouldn't help. Calmness seized him, enveloped him like a soothing blanket. Ichigo focused his frustration inward, to accomplishing his goal. Naruto wasn't heartless. He wouldn't just leave him to handle it on his own if he didn't think Ichigo could handle it. That confidence reassured him, and Ichigo collected his thoughts.
If he couldn't track the hollow, the next best thing was to track the prey. He felt stupid for not thinking of it earlier. And Naruto had taught him just how to do so the other day. Ichigo closed his eyes, and visualized ribbons of spirit energy floating in the air.
Unknown to him, his actions were being analyzed by Rukia, who was thoroughly impressed he'd picked up the technique so quickly.
After a few moments, Ichigo seized a particular ribbon. He knew it was the parakeets. His eyes snapped open. Ichigo took off running, using the ribbon as his guide as he glided towards a warehouse several blocks away, Rukia hot on his heels.
Chad was emerging from the building under a haze of dust as they crossed an intersection. The walled corridors made everything seem closed in. The giant glanced their way in confusion.
"Ichigo?"
The front of the building erupted. Concrete flew in all directions. Chad fled, perhaps unable to see hollow that emerged. It was a monstrous combination, like a bat with the head of a frog. The hollow flew after Chad and Ichigo was going to follow, but among the din of the chase, Ichigo heard his name shouted; a faint whisper in the chaotic noise of explosions and settling stones. He looked to the side, shocked to see his sister Karin leaning on the wall. Her face was pale and clammy.
He rested on a knifes edge, undecided between continuing the chase and helping his sister. Brown eyes shot to Rukia, who understood his message.
"Take her home, quickly, I'll continue to follow them."
She shot off, continuing to pursue the hollow and Chad.
Ichigo rushed to his sister's side, supporting her as she swayed on her feet. While her skin was pallid, her cheeks were flushed with fever. Her forehead was scalding when he touched it. Ichigo picked her up with care. His legs pumped, treading a familiar path. He covered an entire block in seconds.
"Karin, what are you doing here, are you sick?"
"Ichigo … that boy, you have to help him." Karin said. "When I looked at him, I saw his memories. He saw his mom get killed right in front of him … you have to tell him; it wasn't his fault!"
He frowned. Her words were labored, each seemed to take an inordinate energy to make. But worst of all, tears leaked from her eyes. Karin didn't cry, never. After their mother died she'd taken the burden of being strong for Yuzu and the family onto her shoulders, refusing to cry even when she broke her arm in soccer.
"Don't worry, I'll help him." He assured her.
Relieved, Karin passed out. She looked so fragile when she wasn't awake to keep up appearances. With his powerful strides, he made it to their family's clinic rather quickly. After ensuring Karin was tucked into bed safely, Ichigo went to his room and pulled out the glove Naruto had given him.
He lay down, before ejecting his soul from his body. Ichigo took a moment to reach out and sense the soul of the boy in the parakeet. He seized the ribbon and followed it with a grim determination. He wouldn't allow that boy's soul to suffer any longer.
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The hardest thing about teaching Ichigo was giving the boy room to grow. Naruto had sensed the distress of that spirit even from afar. The sheer fear mixed with hope in a noxious concoction. Every instinct he had wanted to go and end the threat and help the soul. But as a teacher, Ichigo needed to learn to handle things on his own. He had to make up for years of training in a matter of months, and the easiest way was to be thrown into the fire.
Naruto couldn't take the suspense of waiting in the classroom and trying to focus while he could feel Rukia and Ichigo fighting the hollow was too hard to ignore. So, he'd asked to be excused to visit the nurse. Instead, Naruto had headed straight for the roof.
Up here, he could breathe the cool air and let it quell the fire burning in his gut as he sipped from his water bottle. He felt the energies laid out through the city, and it painted images in his mind of the events.
Ichigo raced home with his sister in his arms, her spirit energy fluctuating.
Rukia, confronting the hollow alongside Chad, her meager spirit energy dropping ever lower. The troubling part was her spirit energy should have been recovering by now. As it was, she would be overwhelmed rather quickly.
"Yen for your thoughts?"
He cursed himself for jumping, for letting his guard down and allowing anyone to take him by surprise. Though it somewhat mollified him that the owner of that gruff, feminine tone belonged to someone whose spiritual presence he'd grown used to and learned to overlook so he could sense other things. Putting on what he hoped was a fetching grin, Naruto turned and greeted Tatsuki.
"And I thought the view couldn't get any better up here."
The dark-haired girl had her arms crossed, and her brown eyes regarded him as if he was a puzzle she was trying to unravel. She blushed at his flirtatious greeting, but she maintained her composure this time.
He frowned; she never kept cool through his flirting. Perhaps he was losing his touch.
"Cut the crap, what's got ya on edge?" Tatsuki asked. "You couldn't wait to leave the classroom."
He sucked in a breath. Tatsuki was exceedingly observant, far more than she let on. No doubt it was what made her such an exceptional fighter. Usually, it was a trait he admired in her. Not right now, though. Even as they spoke, he could feel the clash of energies as Ichigo and the hollow fought.
"Oh? I just needed some air, had a late-night doing homework." Naruto said.
Hopefully it would stop her curiosity, though he wasn't very assured that would be the case. He gave the girl a self-assured smile, as he went to take a sip of water.
"Really, cause I thought maybe it had something to do with that hobby Ichigo and you have of running around playing dressup."
The water became stuck in his throat. Naruto slammed a fist into his chest, forcing the water up in a messy spray. He took hacking breathes, more than a little alarmed by her insinuation. It was one thing to suspect she might remember something, another to have her suggesting that was really the case. He had to keep calm, and not let anything on. She was probably fishing for info.
"I'm not really one for dress up unless it's for a date. You saying you're interested?"
At the worst possible time–when he needed to maintain his cool–Naruto felt intense, resonating emotions pulsing through his bond with Ichigo. Righteous anger, indignation. They were like fire and fuel to his him. The only way he could take the sudden onslaught was to clench his fist so hard it drew blood. Those sharp brown eyes, used to catching an opponents tell in fights, caught the crimson drip of his blood.
"Right." she said, drawing the word out to indicate her disbelief. "I'll see ya later Naruto. Make sure you're there for our usual spar."
"Sure thing." he said.
The grin he plastered on was fake, a plastic façade that was easy to see through.
Tatsuki allowed his lie to stand. She spun on her heel and marched the other way. The sinewy muscle in her calves and thighs flexed like those of a big cat on the prowl. She paused at the access door, glancing over her shoulder.
"…Thanks."
One word, that was all. That conveyed her message perfectly. His pathetic attempt at throwing her off the scent had failed.
The door snapped shut behind Tatsuki, leaving Naruto alone with his emotions. He cursed at himself. That was something he would need to address in the coming days. For now, he wanted to go to Them. Staying put and sensing the conclusion of Ichigo's fight wasn't enough.
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Nothing angered Ichigo more than seeing those he cared about hurt. He just couldn't abide it. So, when he arrived to see not only Chad, but Rukia, surrounded dozens of tadpoles that hopped around and spat out exploding leeches, and both were covered in burns and bloody wounds, a burning anger settle in his gut. The hollow had been playing with them, a sick game of tag where if they were hit, they'd have to deal with exploding little bastards.
He assuaged his anger by appearing on top of the Hollow and grinding his foot into its head.
"That's a dangerous game of tag you're playing. Tell you what, I'll be it."
The heavy blade of his Zanpakuto swung down on the hollows neck like the axe of an executioner. It spun around, throwing Ichigo off and causing his swipe to miss. It let loose a frustrated howl, swiping at Ichigo with he razor-sharp edges of its bat-like wings.
He skidded through the air, and then on the ground, coming to a stop in a protective stance in front of his friends. Ichigo's eyes darted around, spotting dozens of tadpoles hopping around.
They couldn't be left there. Holding out a palm, he began to chant the words that he'd been taught, one of the few kido he could perform.
"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the South! Hado #31: Shakaho!"
A crimson orb bubbled to life over his palm, fire and plasma tempestuously contained in a single form. It strained against his control, begging to be let loose. Ichigo gritted his teeth, and willed it to obey, letting the orb loose. It screamed towards a cluster of leeches, enveloping them in an ever-growing blast of red flames.
The explosion was terrible, every single tadpole to his right exploding at once in a hateful blast that rattled the bones and pierced the eardrums. If only that was the end of it. But the chain of explosions continued, jumping to those tadpoles well outside his Hado's range.
His ears rang, so intense was the blast. It made him question the wisdom of dealing with them like that. Apparently, Rukia agreed. Choking on the cloud of dust that had erupted, she berated him.
"Idiot, don't be so reckless, you've blown out my ear drums!"
Ichigo rolled his eyes. They were alive, and the leaches had been cleared. That was what mattered. The distraction of their argument almost cost them dearly. Despite his widespread kido, a few of the tadpoles had survived. They threw themselves at Ichigo in a suicidal bid to blow him up with the leeches that remained in their guts. 'If I can't stop all of them, I'll simply stop the source.'
Face hard with determination, Ichigo did his best to dodge the bombs. With every step he took, he was a hairsbreadth from exploding. And the entire time that bastard hollow taunted him.
"You know, when I was alive, I was a renowned serial killer. I was the best; I'd have never been caught. I'd still be out there now if it wasn't for that damn brat."
Ichigo grit his teeth. Every word the hollow spoke was like tinder on a stoking bonfire.
"Kid grabbed my ankle while I chased after his mommy, next thing I know, here I am. Though I'll admit, it's been fun stringing him along, making him believe I could actually bring his mommy back."
The hollow laughed, cold and cruel. But in his gloating, he'd allowed Ichigo to get close. Having enough of the foul creature's bile, Ichigo wreathed his fist in spirit energy, and punched straight through the creature's teeth. The boney masks teeth snapped and flew. His finger clamped down tightly on the wriggling tongue of the hollow. It was slimy and disgusting, but he endured it.
"You talk too much."
Raw strength tore the slimy muscle in two. Ichigo withdrew his hand, his rubbery prize clutched in his fist.
The hollow let out a howl of agony, black blood oozing as he cursed. Ichigo raised his Zanpakuto, prepared to end the fight.
"Now, disappear."
His sword fell down on the hollows neck, slicing it away cleanly. As the foul bat disappeared, a terrible gong reverberated through the air. Like the screams of a thousand souls, as a pair of ornate doors with metallic skeletons appeared. They dwarfed the street, bringing a false darkness. The only way to describe the aura they gave off was evil.
Ichigo instinctually recoiled from the sight.
"What the hell is that?
"Those, are the gates of Hell."
He jumped violently as the voice of his mentor sounded. The blond had snuck up on him like a jungle cat, peering at the gates alongside Ichigo. They slowly creaked open, with only a pair of ceremonial ropes connecting them. A humongous hand shot forward, impaling the hollow onto its oversized tanto blade.
"Hell?"
"Yeah, Hell." Naruto said. "For souls that get corrupted after death, they're purified and forgiven for the people they kill and souls they eat. But if a soul committed them while alive, they go to hell. There are some things you can't undo, breaking the taboo, is always dangerous."
Ichigo was so taken watching the hollow being dragged into the infernal portal, he missed the melancholy tone in Naruto's voice as the blond stared at the gates, troubled thoughts weighing heavy.
Though one person did notice, regarding the blond with sharp violet eyes.
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Well, what do you think? Things are moving along, and Ichigo is far above his skill level in cannon at this point. Next chapter will probably be a break from the rapid pushing forward of the story and be more of a character development chapter, I'm looking forward to that.
As always, thank my patrons for their support. Chapter 7 is out on pa tre on right now. Along with Chapter 64 of Uchiha Chronicles.
⸻ Patron Shoutout Wall ⸻
Odin Darkfeather, Chillz90, Kit Arashi, MASTERCHEIF1229, Cody Lyle, Cory Toler, Tyler J Renshaw, Aneeq Moodaley, Kyle Alexandr, hunter jensen, SIRDBZ, James lars, Jabes Affonso, Sankha123, Glizzy, Echoes at Dawn, Kirk O'Dell, firedemon12, Rúben Pais, Bobby, Lil Mickey D, Ty'Ree Gary, guncannon93, Ash Cascagnette, Horacio, Pope Gregory Trivium III, Damon Frey, John Brown, Matt Walther, Christopher Thomas, BigBadDetonation, Tyler Swigerr, anime gaming, Yuto, Arnzok, Diego Silva, Natsubi123, redacted, Stewart Willis, Flashfox, Michael Alvarez, Romane McLeod, William Hurst, WallaBenga, nasapeepolover116, Leeland, Lutescu Mihnea, itsjust_khris, Beepo2332, Leeland, Jorge Ramos-Barreto, John Chastain, Mark Parker, Benjamin Goffer, Vallyn Fera, Ron, cookiedo, Ricardo Adams, Currtsy, Ignaccio Besser, Devon Strand, SupremeRuler17, Calvonta Ard, Decoy_M9, James Hines, Moon, lonelynib, Kenyan White, Morgan C Williams, Benjamin, Zach SH VD, King_Atlas, Jackmin, Saul Deras, Alan Azargushasb, Andrew Coleman, Rexadas, aroeah126, Hogan58, LemonGrass, Kevin Lopez, Ivan Olguin, Dominic Spindler, Francis Johnson, cory williams, Patrick Wooding, Liron Krasniqi, Barson, Kevin Deshazier, Francisco Jimenez, Lil Uber Vert, James Sampson, Carlos Neftali Benitez Vazquez, Steve Dixon, King230, Leafy, Sandeep S, Ismael Colibaly, Zeekstreme05, Koji, JJM 521, Whosevershark, Dillon Shropshire, J, Nick Wieber, Stavros Theodosiadis, Casey Needler, Jonah Vogel, Setsuna, Ionescu George, William Casey, Rexadas, Nicolas Fritz, Mark Parker, Sterling Swartz, Drew Edwards, Anthony Dunn, Justin McClendis, McMoiwst, Jabari M Hamilton, Ben Guerrerro, hexine, Imari Castelow, Jose Vazquez, V Snake, WhoIsMitch, Blacklionpride24, RNGArched Tree, Nuro, Senpai, Dave Oloy, Danny Brophy, Matthew Conroy, Dylan Mamea, vmore 1228, Demon, Shelwyn Klutz, Sean Ciccalone, Oshane Williams, Xela, Jacob Romero, Uriano de Oliveira, Victor Barrett, Endymion, Ramengod7, BigCam, Ryufire2709, Detallion Ziglar, SilierAto2002, Gabe Sarti, artilleryjunkie, SilverPenguin44, Jeb, Hieu Phan, Kojiro, Antonio Munoz, Alex Hawthorne, Doobiesnax42, inbredbobafett, Jas Sidhu, Brandon, Nathan, Nashawn Best, Notarealname, Jamarion Williams, Mike G.
Until Next Time,
RinneTaicho, Signing Off!