Chapter 3

Sōsuke Aizen, former captain of the 5th Division, prided himself on his intellect and overwhelming power. He was the embodiment of perfection, wielding the Hōgyoku like a god surveying his creation

His power was so extensive that his sheer presence could eviscerate mortals; no-one was even a fraction of a fraction compared to him… the thought of him even considering someone a threat was downright laughable if it wasn't so sad.

No Shinigami or hollow could even graze him, let alone touch him.

So why!? Why, in this moment, was he struggling?

His blade dripped with blood—his own blood. His breaths were controlled but heavier than they should have been. His once-flawless composure was cracking, if only slightly, under the onslaught of the infuriating red-haired man before him.

This peon—this barbarian—was proving to be a problem.

Why!?

Somehow, the red-haired app had taken the life of one of his men!

If he wasn't so enraged, he'd be disgusted that someone he had chosen to associate with was felled so easily.

"Hadō #32. Ōkasen!"

What worse, was the fact that he- he! Was forced to go on the defensive. His offensive spells, one of which he just cast so easily it would make any Kido green with envy, was easily dodged before the blonde launched a counterattack.

He watched on with baited breath as the redhead snapped his arm in his direction.

He expected a wave of energy, or knowing this man's style, a brutish punch.

What he got… was a kunai.

Naruto didn't let up for a second. His movements were a whirlwind of power and precision, his bone-like armor glowing faintly with chakra as he launched himself at Aizen again. A kunai spun deftly in his hand, the edge glinting with an invisible layer of wind chakra so sharp it hummed.

Aizen's gaze tracked the weapon, his disdainful smirk returning. "A simple kunai? You can't be serious."

But the moment the kunai left Naruto's hand, slicing through the air toward him, Aizen's smirk faltered.

The blade veered slightly, and with a faint shimmer, the space around it twisted. A wave of wind chakra lashed out, invisible yet devastating. Aizen barely managed to sidestep, but not before the attack grazed his hip, cutting deep enough to stain his pristine uniform with blood.

"What—?" Aizen's eyes widened in disbelief. His hand went to the wound as though unable to comprehend it.

"Surprised?" Naruto's voice was laced with amusement, his grin sharp. "That was me holding back."

"Ha, you think that hurt me?!"

Him!?

This was outrageous! Propitious! Unfathomable!

Aizen's eyes narrowed, his calm demeanor slipping as irritation bubbled beneath the surface. With a sharp motion, he raised his blade, calling out, "Hadō #73: Sōren Sōkatsui!"

Twin blasts of azure fire exploded from his palm, racing toward Naruto with deadly precision.

Naruto vanished in a blur of speed, appearing behind Aizen before the spell even reached its mark. "Too slow, Four Eyes!" he taunted, slamming his foot into Aizen's back.

The blow sent Aizen stumbling forward, but before he could recover, Naruto was in his face, a glowing Rasengan spinning in his palm.

"Eat this!" Naruto roared, thrusting the attack forward.

Aizen barely managed to block with his blade, but the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. His left arm, already weakened, buckled under the force. The Rasengan erupted, shattering the blade's guard and scorching his side.

Aizen jumped back, clutching his injury. Blood dripped from his arm, his usually pristine appearance marred. "How dare you…" he hissed, his voice low and venomous.

Naruto grinned, spinning another kunai between his fingers. "Dare? Buddy, I'm just getting started."

Raising his left arm, the captain frowned angrily- how dare this app use such barbaric tricks to damage him?
"HADO#73. SOREN SO-" Before the man could finish, a flash of white blinded the Ex-captain, taking away his aim, before heat crept up his arm, before exploding into molten pain.

"D-damn it all!" Jumping back, Aizen blinked away the stars in his vision as he gasped his now bloody left side; a pain like no other he had experienced actually forced a twitch of pain out of him; whatever that attack the redhead had used shredded his left arm entirely to smoulder, reducing it to a lump of broken bone and flesh. "H-how, damn it!?"

Glaring through the cloud of dust and debris, Aizen clenched his prized possession in need, hopeful that it would give him the powers he deserved.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

Much to his growing anger and annoyance, a wall of hundreds of feet rose instantly around him, blocking off his vision and leaving him blind to any further attacks.

"Dust release: Poisoning Spores!"

Upon hearing the properties of the attack shouted out, the captain reacted as quickly as he could: bringing down a blade with deadly intent and clearing the smoke so that it would not affect him.

What the captain didn't expect to garner as a result was the view of a redhead standing prone beside him.

"Sucker."

He figured his mistake out too late- a armoured fist connected with the man's chin, launching him towards a waiting clone, whose fist struck down with earth-shattering force.

"Stop this!" Angered, Aizen flipped his body, pocketing the Hōgyoku as he changed his blade hand, a small cloud of smoke appearing on his palm. With a growl, Aizen raised his spiritual pressure to its peak. The ground cracked beneath him, the sheer weight of his Reiatsu oppressive. "Hadō #99: Goryūtenmetsu!"

The ground shattered as five enormous dragons of light erupted, their maws opening wide as they surged toward Naruto with terrifying speed.

But Naruto didn't flinch. His red eyes gleamed with determination, and a cocky grin spread across his face. "Big and flashy, huh? I've seen better."

Leaping into the air, Naruto flipped over the first dragon, his wind-infused kunai slicing through its form and dissipating it. Two more dragons closed in, their jaws snapping at him, but he was already moving.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Four identical Narutos appeared mid-air, each one radiating with boiling chakra. They crashed into the dragons with coordinated strikes, dispersing their energy like shattering glass.

"Know your place, mongrel!" Flickering his blade towards the fool before him, Aizen disappeared, his roaring dragons flowing towards his blade's target.

"Like hell!" Naruto, who had been holding back enough not to destroy the ritual-looking area, shouted out in defiance as he flipped over the first dragon hand- his eyes barely keeping up with the fast-moving captain as he brought a wind-infused kunai.

A mighty ting filled the area as Wind-Kunai clashed with purple-infused blade, a deadlock held for a mere moment before Naruto redirected the edge downwards and jumped up. Nimbly avoiding the maw of two dragons, Naruto summoned a clone above him, one that kicked his heels, forcing him back down so he could slam down onto a dragon head.

A chakra-infused heel shoved the two tangible dragons into the dirt, chakra pulsing as he drew upon a particular-tailed beast's powers. "BOIL RELEASE!" Hyper heated chakra exploded outwards from Naruto's body as he used the momentum to launched back through the air, using the dragon as a personal springboard.

"Uzumaki!" Spawning several clones, all doing the same boil release as the main, flew towards Aizen, steaming fists lashing out. "Barrage!"

Aizen's eyes widened in pain as a fist connected with his chin, Reiatsu, beyond what he even considered possible, threw him off his feet into an oncoming barrage of redheads.

Aizen's eyes narrowed as he watched the clones close in. "You think numbers will save you!?"

Naruto's voice echoed from all sides. "Numbers? Nah. But they sure make kicking your ass a lot more fun!"

The clones launched at Aizen in perfect synchronicity, their fists glowing with steaming chakra. One struck his side, another his shoulder, and a third slammed into his gut. The final blow came from above—a powerful axe kick that drove Aizen to his knees.

For the first time in centuries, Aizen was truly struggling. His flawless composure cracked further as he lashed out with his blade, only for it to clash against another kunai. The red-haired pest didn't give him an inch.

"How?" Aizen growled, his voice laced with frustration. "How can you stand against me?!"

Naruto leaned in, his grin widening. "Simple. I don't quit."

With that, he drove his fist into Aizen's chest, the force launching the former captain backward into the rubble of a broken pillar.

To those that witnessed the carriage of blows, Aizen was passed around like a ping pong ball, copies of Naruto appeared in the thousands, meeting the poor ex-captain with gifts in the form of potshots to his body, beating him black and blue.

"From the sidelines, Suì-Fēng watched the battle with wide eyes. Her injured shoulder was forgotten as she observed Naruto in awe. He wasn't just fighting Aizen—he was dominating him.

The sheer ferocity of his attacks, the overwhelming presence of his chakra, and the raw determination in his every move—it was unlike anything she had ever seen.

"He's… incredible," she murmured, her voice barely audible.

"Indeed," came a deep, measured voice from behind her.

She turned to see Captain Yamamoto standing tall, his piercing gaze fixed on the battlefield. Behind him were Kyōraku and Ukitake, their expressions mirroring her own astonishment.

"This one is… different," Yamamoto said, his tone betraying a hint of intrigue.

"Captain?" Behind the aged Shinigami were Captains Kyōraku and Ukitake, their wide eyes watching on in their collective surprise. "What should we do?"

Stepping from the second Division's blind spot, "What can we do?" Yoruichi appeared, a giant purple bruise on her face. "Though, I wonder, how did you hide such a strong lover, little bee."

Clicking her tongue to the roof of her mouth, Suì-Fēng chose not to correct the ex-captain, better let others think she already had a claw into the man so they wouldn't put their snouts into her business. "He's powerful, true."

Back in the fight, Aizen was on his last legs. His breaths came in ragged gasps as he struggled to stand. His blade was chipped, his once-untouchable aura tarnished.

Naruto stood before him, his bone-like armor glowing faintly as steam rose from his body. His fists were clenched, his chakra flaring wildly.

"It's over, Four Eyes," Naruto said, his voice calm but firm. "You're done."

Aizen's lips curled into a weak smirk. "Not yet."

"Negación!"

Before the captains and ex-captain alike could talk or make a move, The sky above cracked, golden beams of light piercing through as the Gillians' Negación descended.

In an instant, three pure golden beams launched onto the suffice, encasing the three traitorous captains, dead or alive. "Bastard!" A yell, easily identified as Naruto's, echoed out as a clash between shield and lava Rasengan resulted in a shockwave of force, thick cracks appearing on a shocked Aizen's saving grace.

"Damn it!" Naruto growled, watching as the traitorous captains were encased in golden barriers.

"Cero!" A collective of hundreds of Gillians screeches chilled the bones of the people present as, before Aizen's shield could fully be breached, multiple beams of blazing crimson red bombarded the attacking redhead, a resulting large explosion encompassing him with the sudden attack.

"It would seem," Aizen, now confident as his team was brought into the safety of the Gillian's protective shell, turned his smug gaze towards the hostile captains. "You failed."

Aizen's smug smirk returned as the barrier began to lift him away. "You fought well, Uzumaki. But next time, you won't be so lucky."

Stepping forward with intense eyes filled with displeasure and anger, the head captain spoke loudly and clearly. "Aizen, your crimes here today will not go unpunished." He voice sent chills of those around as he glared towards the retreating captain, a large amount of spiritual pressure washing over the area. "We will hunt you, day and night, you will never know rest."

Aizen, seemingly uncaring of the threat, cockily smirked at the old man as he was taken to safety, his mind already racing about how he would kill the redhead in their next fight.

The battlefield was still charged with tension as Naruto coughed his way out of a pile of rubble, brushing debris from his tattered clothing. The sky overhead was closing, the golden light of the Negación fading, and with it, Aizen's smirk as he disappeared.

"Damn it!" Naruto growled, clenching his fists as he watched the retreating figure. "What kind of cheap move was that? Is he some kind of Kaguya knockoff?"

He gave a frustrated kick to a stray rock, which promptly ricocheted into a nearby pillar, causing it to crack ominously before tumbling to the ground in a plume of dust. Blushing slightly, Naruto scratched the back of his head and muttered sheepishly, "I-I'll fix that later."

"Idiot," Kurama's snarky tone echoed in his mind, cutting through the chaos. "You're low on chakra after that fight. Don't push yourself too hard. We don't know what else these people are capable of."

Naruto nodded inwardly, though he wasn't particularly worried about Suì-Fēng attacking him. He turned to her, offering his usual lopsided grin despite the lingering tension in the air. "So, uh… we make a pretty good team, huh?" he said, raising his fist toward her in a familiar gesture.

Suì-Fēng blinked at him, clearly caught off guard. "What are you doing?" she asked, eyeing his outstretched fist as though it might explode.

"It's called a fist bump!" Naruto explained enthusiastically. "It's, like, a sign of trust or teamwork back home." He bumped his fists together to demonstrate, then held his hand out again, grinning expectantly.

Suì-Fēng hesitated, folding her arms and glaring at his hand like it was some foreign object. "That's ridiculous," she muttered, but after a moment's pause—and a huff of exasperation—she brought her fist up and tapped it lightly against his.

The instant their fists met, a strange warmth passed between them. Suì-Fēng's sharp gaze softened, and for a fleeting moment, she felt a connection—strong, steady, and oddly comforting. Her blush deepened as she quickly pulled her hand back, scowling to cover her embarrassment. "What was that?"

"Just a little friendly energy," Naruto said with a shrug, trying to downplay the moment. "Don't overthink it."

Suì-Fēng opened her mouth to retort, but the sound of distant shouting drew both their attention. The battlefield around them was chaotic, with medics rushing between injured Shinigami and Ryoka alike. Suì-Fēng's frown deepened as she surveyed the scene.

"As much as I'd like to chase after those traitors," she said, her tone sharp, "there are too many wounded here. We need to stabilize them first."

Naruto nodded, his grin softening into something more serious. "Got it. Let's get to work."

Before they could move, a voice called out overhead, commanding and filled with power.

"Bones of beasts scattered far and wide…"

Naruto's eyes shot skyward, narrowing as he spotted a figure descending rapidly, their silhouette backlit by the sun. Sparks of electricity crackled around them, and he felt the familiar tingle of incoming danger.

"Hado #63: Raikoho!"

"Not happening!" Naruto barked, launching himself toward Suì-Fēng and sweeping her off her feet as the blast hit the ground where they'd been standing. The explosion ripped through the air, sending shockwaves in every direction. Naruto landed a safe distance away, Suì-Fēng still in his arms.

"Put me down, you big oaf!" she shouted, struggling against his grip. Her face was red, her pride clearly bruised.

"Hey, you're welcome, by the way," Naruto shot back, dodging her sharp elbows as she squirmed. "You're really bad at saying thank you, you know that?"

Their bickering drew a mix of shocked and amused stares from the nearby Shinigami. It wasn't every day someone treated their no-nonsense captain like an unruly house cat.

"Who… who is this guy?" Marechiyo Omaeda muttered from where he was leaning heavily on a medic, his jaw slack as he watched his captain turn red with indignation.

When Suì-Fēng finally broke free, an no follow up Kido was launched, she stomped away from Naruto with a huff, her twin tails swishing furiously behind her. Naruto, unfazed, turned his attention to the wounded scattered across the field. "Alright," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Time to do some good old-fashioned healing."

Approaching a small cluster of medics surrounding a particularly battered man, Naruto raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "Hey, I know I look like I've been through a meat grinder, but I can help. I know some medical ninjutsu."

One of the girls, a petite girl with short black hair, blinked at him uncertainly. "You do?" she asked, her voice wavering.

"Yup." Naruto crouched beside her and placed his hands over the injured man, his palms glowing with a warm golden light as he focused his chakra. "Here, I'll guide you. Just follow my lead."

The girl hesitated, then placed her hands over his, gasping softly as his chakra flowed into hers. Together, they worked to close the man's wounds, the glow of healing energy illuminating their determined faces.

"That's amazing," she whispered, her eyes wide with awe. "Who are you?"

Naruto grinned, his energy unwavering despite his fatigue. "Just a guy who doesn't like seeing people hurt."

As the healing process continued, Naruto noticed the girl trembling slightly. Her gaze lingered on the man they were treating, a mix of guilt and fear clouding her expression. "He's my brother," she admitted quietly. "He got hurt protecting me."

Naruto's expression softened. "He's lucky to have you looking out for him," he said gently. "You're doing great."

The girl's eyes filled with tears, but she smiled, her hands steadying as they worked together. The injured man stirred slightly, his voice faint but audible. "R-Rukia?"

"I'm here, Onii-sama," the girl replied, her voice trembling with relief. "I'm here."

Naruto gave the siblings a moment, stepping back to let them talk. But as he watched their interaction, a strange feeling gnawed at him. He couldn't shake the sense that someone was watching him, their gaze heavy and unrelenting. He glanced over his shoulder, scanning the field.

Suì-Fēng was standing a few feet away, her arms crossed and her sharp eyes locked on him. When he met her gaze, she quickly looked away, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

Naruto chuckled softly to himself. "What's her deal?" he muttered under his breath, though he couldn't help the grin spreading across his face.

"Don't get cocky," Kurama's voice rumbled in his mind, tinged with amusement. "She's a tough one, brat. But I gotta admit, she seems to like you."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto replied mentally, shaking his head as he turned back to the task at hand. Despite the chaos and exhaustion, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of belonging among these new faces.

And he knew one thing for sure—this was just the beginning.