Hello everyone. Thunder here with another chapter. I have an announcement to make. As mentioned before, I would be releasing a new chapter every odd month due to work, school, and life. Now then, school is getting manageable for the rest of the year... so I decided for the rest of this year, new chapters will be released the first of every month, Eastern Standard Time! ദ്ദി(ᵔᗜᵔ). With the important announcement out of the way, please enjoy this latest chapter that was beta read by Waroyer123.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, TV Tokyo, Viz Media, and Studio Pierrot.
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"Hello." – Normal talking.
"Hello." – Normal thoughts.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō speaking.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō thoughts.
Opening Scene: Tsunade's Office
"And this concludes our report regarding the escorting mission," Guren said. Team 15 has just finished escorting the film crew back from the Land of Snow. Tsunade nodded.
"Did the new Daimyō have anything else to say for us?" Tsunade asked.
"She did," Ichigo said as he pulled out another scroll and handed it to Tsunade. "The Daimyō wishes to ally themselves with Konoha. She provided the list of things she's going to need and the items she can provide in exchange." Tsunade nodded.
"I will send a group to broker an agreement with the Village of Snow," Tsunade said as she tucked the scroll away.
"I assumed you already knew about the Daimyo's identity before we left Konoha," Ichigo asked. Tsunade nodded.
"One of our Shinobi rescued her, and we placed her under witness protection. Only that Shinobi and the Hokage were aware of her real identity," Tsunade explained. "When the escort mission appeared, we were unsure if her identity was compromised or if this was a coincidence. It would be suspicious if we sent anyone higher than a genin, so we chose your team since they are as strong if not stronger than a normal team of Chūnin."
"That makes sense," Ichigo said.
"With that in mind, this mission will be logged as a B-Rank mission due to the collected Chakra Armor and political favors Konoha gained from the Village of the Snow and the Snow Daimyō," Tsunade said.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Team 15 said as they bowed to Tsunade.
"All of you earned it," Tsunade replied. "Speaking of earning it, with the completion of two B-Rank missions, Team 15 is qualified to participate in the next Chūnin exam."
"Already?" Hinata whispered.
"I remember we had to do over a bunch of E-Ranked and D-Ranked missions before being qualified," Tenten whispered.
"That is normally the case," Tsunade replied, overhearing them. "But the fact that Team 15 completed 2 B-Ranked missions with minimal interference from their Jōnin."
"Where and when will the next Chūnin exam be?" Ichigo asked.
"The next Chūnin exam will be in both Konoha and Sunagakure, with it starting in the next few months in Konoha," Tsunade replied.
"Thank you," Ichigo replied.
"But Hinata and Tenten will need to find another team to join for the Chūnin exam," Tsunade said.
"Thank you for the information," Ichigo replied. Everyone left her office. After a quick lunch, they returned to their house for their internal debrief.
"Overall, all of you did a great job on the mission," Ichigo complimented. "You are free to do whatever you want for the rest of the day." Ichigo stood up.
"Where are you going, Master?" Guren asked.
"I have some private matters to attend to," Ichigo replied.
"Will you be back for dinner?" Hinata asked.
"Hopefully," Ichigo replied as he left his team. Ichigo quickly exited Konoha.
"Where was it?" Ichigo thought as he went down the same path they used to get to the Land of Snow. When Team 15 was escorting the film crew to the Land of Snow, Ichigo sensed a small spark of divine energy. After ten minutes of running, Ichigo finally stopped. "Found it." Ichigo strayed off the beaten path into the surrounding bushes. He found a large tree with a small worn stone shrine on the bottom. The shrine was about 61 cm (2 feet) tall. Ichigo approached the stone shrine. He clapped his hands together. "To the spirit that claims this shrine as their own, I wish to speak to you. I offer this energy in exchange for your time." Ichigo prayed as he offered a bit of his divine energy to the spirit. He could feel the spirit take the offered energy. The top of the shrine glowed as a small light-skinned humanoid spirit appeared. The spirit had black hair and wore a simple white and pink robe with matching pink headbands on top.
"Thank you, human, for the energy. I was close to fading," The spirit said.
"No problem. My name is Kurosaki Ichigo, call me Ichigo," Ichigo introduced.
"My name is Kororo (1) and I am a Kodama (2)," Kororo replied.
"Kororo, you don't mind, I have a few questions for you," Ichigo said.
"I'll answer them as best as I can," she replied.
"Are you a part of the Shinto Pantheon?" Ichigo asked.
"Technically, yes," she replied.
"Technically?" Ichigo asked.
"We are nature spirits that form as a result of people worshiping the Shinto Pantheon. We are not a direct creation of theirs." Kororo explained.
"What happened to them? I tried to enter Takamagahara, but I found a barrier preventing me from entering."
"Long ago, when this new energy didn't exist," Kororo began.
"When you mean 'new energy', do you mean chakra?" Ichigo asked.
"Correct. When 'chakra' didn't exist, the humans were able to pray to us, and we answered their prayers. One day we were invaded by a group of pale-skinned people. These people were able to push most of the gods back to Takamagahara and created a barrier to trap them there. A short time later, 'chakra' began to exist."
"How do you know all of this?" Ichigo asked.
"This event was witnessed by a Kodama who wrote about it," Kororo replied.
"Once Chakra began to spread, humans began to pray to all of you less, causing all of you to begin to fade," Ichigo concluded.
"Correct," Kororo replied. Ichigo gathered another small ball of divine energy and handed it to Kororo.
"Thank you for the information," Ichigo said.
"That's too much!" Kororo replied. "That energy is important." Ichigo chuckled.
"Don't worry about it. You need it more than I do," Ichigo replied.
"Fine." Kororo extended her hand to grab the ball of divine energy. Ichigo chuckled as she struggled to carry it. Suddenly, Ichigo's eyes widened as he sensed someone appearing in the area.
"Whoever that is, they seem stronger than a regular shinobi," Ichigo thought as Kororo disappeared. Ichigo used Bakudō #26. Kyokkō hid himself as he stepped out of the shrine. He slowly walked in the air, trying to get closer to his target. He arrived to see a stranger with medium-length grey hair that was slicked back and distinctive purple eyes. He wore a long, black cloak with red clouds, a red interior, and a chin-high collar over his bare chest. Around his neck was an amulet and his Yugakure forehead protector with a slash across the village symbol. He wore a pair of grey pants with matching shinobi sandals. He had a triple-bladed scythe on his back.
"That's Hidan, also known as The Immortal Butcher," Ichigo recognized. "And that amulet has a small spark of divine energy." Ichigo summoned Katen in his right hand and Kyōkotsu in his left hand.
"It's been a long time since you summoned us to fight with you," Katen said. Ichigo could sense Kyōkotsu silently nodding her head.
"Sorry. I will try and use you much more," Ichigo replied.
"Apology accepted," Katen replied.
"When the Flower Wind Rages, the Flower God Roars, When the Wind of Heaven Rages, the God of the Underworld Sneers, Katen Kyōkotsu," Ichigo chanted, releasing their Shikai.
"I sensed it! I sensed the divine energy. I need to offer it to Lord Jashin!" Hidan yelled as he grabbed his scythe and began to destroy the nearby bushes, trying to find the source of the divine energy.
"Jashin must be the god he's following. This must be the foreign god that Death-Ankou warned me about," Ichigo thought as he allowed his Bakudō to fade, revealing himself to Hidan.
"Who are you!?" Hidan questioned, pointing his scythe at Ichigo.
"Someone here to kill you," Ichigo said. Hidan charged toward Ichigo and swung his scythe at him. Ichigo blocked Hidan's scythe with Kyōkotsu. He pushed the scythe to the side, leaving Hidan open. Ichigo swung down with Katen. The zanpakutō slashed through his robe. Red blood began to drip from the cut wound.
"Give me more!" Hidan yelled as he forced his scythe away from Kyōkotsu. He swung his scythe toward Ichigo. Ichigo jumped to the side, avoiding the attack.
"Bushōgoma," Ichigo said as he swung Katen and Kyōkotsu. Two crescent-shaped wind blades shot out toward Hidan. He raised his scythe and swung down. The wind blades exploded and transformed into a cyclone.
"RAHA!" Hidan yelled as he struggled to raise his scythe. He swung it down, breaking Bushōgoma. His robes were torn all over the place. His bare chest was covered with cuts from Ichigo's attack. He threw his scythe at Ichigo. Ichigo calmly stepped to the side, dodging the scythe.
"Got you now!" Hidan yelled as he lunged forward with a spear. Ichigo swerved to the side, dodging the spear. Ichigo slashed Hidan's neck, decapitating him. His head went flying as his body collapsed.
"He-he," Hidan said. He noticed Ichigo walking towards him. "Don't bother trying to kill me. I am an immortal follower of Jashin-sama!"
"For now," Ichigo replied as he grabbed Hidan's head and opened his prisoner scroll, sealing Hidan's decapitated body and his head into the scroll. In the distance, he could see Hidan's amulet. Ichigo stabbed it with Katen. Black energy exploded out of it, forming a black head with bone-white markings around its face.
"Mortal, you dare destroy one of my amulets!?" The being replied.
"Jashin, right?" Ichigo asked.
"Mortal! You dare cas—" Ichigo raised Katen and Kyōkotsu and slashed his head apart. The energy dissipated.
"Well, that went well," Ichigo thought as he sealed Katen and Kyōkotsu.
"Indeed," Katen replied. "Now we know the name of the invading god, and arrogant gods will likely order his other worshipers to hunt down a 'heretic' that killed one of his worshipers and disrespected him."
"Right." Suddenly, Ichigo sensed another person coming towards him. Ichigo sent his Zanpakutō back to his mindscape and used Bakudō #26. Kyokkō to hide. Another person came out. He was tall with tan skin and long dark-brown hair. His eyes were abnormal with green irises, no pupils, and red sclerae. He had a black mask over his lower face. He wore a long, black cloak with red clouds, a red interior, and a chin-high collar over a grey hood with matching grey pants and shinobi sandals.
"That is Kakuzu, also known as the Zombie," Ichigo identified as he summoned Kōsetsu.
"Suzumebachi is going to be jealous," Shirayuki commented.
"I know," Ichigo thought.
"Damn it, where did that idiot go?" Kakuzu thought to himself as he looked for his partner.
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki," Ichigo said as he entered Shikai. The cold energy from Shirayuki dispelled his kidō.
"Who are you?" Kakuzu asked.
"Daiichi no mai, Juhaku," Ichigo said as he stabbed Shirayuki into the ground. The ground shook as long and narrow ice stalagmites erupted out of it. Kakuzu jumped in the air as black threads shot out of his neck. Ichigo could see four white circles around his neck.
"Fire Style: Searing Migraine," Kakuzu yelled. The white mask with red lips opened its mouth and unleashed a large fireball at Ichigo. Ichigo jumped to the side, avoiding the fireball. The fireball landed on the ground, exploding and scattering smaller fireballs all around.
"Dairoku no mai, Furu Yuki," Ichigo said. Snow began to fall around them. The snow slowly began to melt.
"Looks like someone cares about the environment," Kakuzu replied. "Wind Style: Pressure Damage!" The white mask with green markings on its cheek area opened its mouth and fired a large blast of wind. Ichigo punctured the ground four times in a semi-circle.
"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren," Ichigo said as he stabbed Sode no Shirayuki forward, unleashing a large, powerful avalanche of cold air toward the attack. The two attacks collided, sending snow everywhere.
"Damn it, I can't see anything with all this snow," Kakuzu grumbled. Ichigo, on the other hand, could clearly see where Kakuzu was. Ichigo pointed his zanpakutō at him.
"San no mai, Shirafune." The blade portion of Sode no Shirayuki shot out like a bullet and stabbed Kakuzu in the chest.
"Gah!" he yelled. Ice began to form where he was stabbed.
"Fi-Fire Sty-le: Sea-ring Migra-ine," Kakuzu yelled as he shivered from the cold. The mask opened its mouth and fired another fireball. Ichigo broke the ice blade as he dodged the attack. The explosion blew most of the ice away. The heat began to melt the ice around him. Ichigo appeared behind Kakuzu.
"Dainana no mai, Reitōhitsugi [Seventh Dance, Frozen Coffin]," Ichigo cast. All the cold wind, snow, and ice around them suddenly rushed toward Kakuzu. In a few seconds, he was encased in a rectangular prism-shaped coffin. Red stakes began to form, pulling all the energy from Kakuzu's body. Ichigo shattered the Reitōhitsugi. Kakuzu's unconscious body collapsed on the ground, returning to normal.
"Make sure you destroy those masks. He has other hearts in them," Shirayuki said.
"Got it," Ichigo said as he stabbed each of the masks, destroying them and the hearts. After that, Ichigo stored Kakuzu's body in the prisoner scroll.
"That was fun. Please try to use us more," Shirayuki said as Ichigo sealed her Shikai.
"I know," Ichigo replied as he sent Kōsetsu back to his mindscape. Ichigo quickly ran back to Konoha, avoiding anyone running towards the battleground. He made sure to arrive at the gate from a different direction.
"Ah, Kurosaki-san," one of the guards said, recognizing him.
"Hello," Ichigo replied.
"According to our records, you just left less than an hour ago," the guard replied.
"I was visiting a friend's house when I noticed the explosion. I thought it was another attack on the village, so I rushed back here," Ichigo explained.
"I see…" the guard replied. "Luckily it was not a direct attack, but a group of investigation Tokujō are taking a look."
"I see… Can I enter?" Ichigo asked.
"Oh, sure," the guard replied. Once Ichigo was checked in, he returned to the Hokage's office. He had to wait outside because Tsunade was talking with someone else. The door to her office opened and Kakashi Hatake stepped out. Ichigo stood up.
"Thank you for helping her," Kakashi discreetly said before leaving the room.
"Come in, Ichigo," Tsunade said. Ichigo entered Tsunade's office.
"You were here an hour ago, but what can I do for you?" she asked.
"I have a few VIPs for you," Ichigo said. Tsunade stared at Ichigo for a few moments.
"Well, I get to avoid paperwork for another hour," Tsunade thought as she stood up.
"Shizune, I'm going to the Intelligence Division," Tsunade said. Shizune sighed.
"Okay, Tsunade-sama. The paperwork will still be here for you," she replied. Tsunade sighed.
"Follow me," Tsunade said as she left the office. Ichigo silently followed her. After five minutes, they arrived at the Konohagakure Intelligence Division. When they entered the building, a shinobi in a grey suit with a black belt and shinobi sandals approached them.
"Hello, Hokage-sama, what can I do for you?" he asked.
"Where is Ibiki?" Tsunade asked.
"Morino-san is likely in his office or in one of the cells," the shinobi replied.
"Take me to him," Tsunade ordered.
"Hokage-sama, is he authorized to enter those levels?" the shinobi asked.
"Yes," Tsunade replied. The shinobi guided them down a hallway. They eventually arrived at a dead end. The shinobi placed his hand on the wall. A black seal appeared in front of them. The seal glowed red before disappearing. A stairwell appeared beside them. They walked down the set of stairs and arrived in another hallway. They walked past a few doors before stopping at one. The shinobi knocked on the door.
"What is it?" someone said from the other side.
"Morino-san, Hokage-sama is here to see you," the shinobi announced.
"Send her in." The shinobi opened the door, and they entered. Ichigo could see a large, imposing figure with a rugged head and face covered with old wounds and scars. His head was wrapped in a headband version of Konoha's forehead protector. He wore a dark gray version of the suit Ichigo saw earlier with a black trench coat on top.
"What do you need, Hokage-sama?" Ibiki asked.
"I have a few VIPs for you to handle," Tsunade said. Ibiki looked at Ichigo.
"How many?" Ibiki asked.
"Two," Ichigo replied.
"Are they unconscious?" Ibiki asked.
"One of them. The other one is hard to kill, but he's just a head right now," Ichigo answered. Ibiki stared at Ichigo for a few moments.
"Follow me," he said as he left his office. Ichigo and Tsunade silently followed behind him. They walked down another set of stairs and arrived in another hallway with more doors. Ibiki pushed open the first door, revealing a bed with multiple chakra restraints. "Place the intact VIP there." Ichigo took out Kakuzu and placed him on the table. Ichigo glanced to see Ibiki and Tsunade were shocked to see Kakuzu.
"Is… that?" Tsunade began.
"Kakuzu? Yes," Ichigo answered. Ibiki quickly recovered and began to lock all the chakra restraints around Kakuzu.
"Is the other person Hidan?" Tsunade asked.
"Correct," Ichigo replied.
"Follow me," Ibiki instructed. Ichigo and Tsunade silently followed Ibiki. They entered a storage room filled with all kinds of tools. "Stay there," Ibiki said as he began to look for something. A few minutes later, Ibiki returned with a small cage. It had four bent pieces of metal on the inside with adjustable knobs on the outside. "This is a defective face cage. They forgot that the neck is supposed to go here."
"But in this case, it works out," Ichigo said.
"It should," Ibiki replied, walking out of the storage room and into another empty room. He placed the cage down on a table and pulled out a set of metal gloves. "Release him."
Ichigo pulled out his prisoner scroll and released Hidan's head.
"You fucker!" Hidan yelled at Ichigo. Ibiki grabbed Hidan's head.
"Get your fucking hands off my face, you fucker!" Hidan struggled in Ibiki's grip, but Ibiki ignored him and placed Hidan's head in the cage. Using one hand to keep the head steady, he tightened the knobs around the cage, securing the restraints around Hidan's head. Hidan's words were muffled by Ibiki's glove. A few moments later, Ibiki pulled out a piece of cloth and wrapped it around Hidan's mouth, gagging him. He closed the cage and turned to Tsunade.
"I will present you with all the collected information as soon as I can," Ibiki said.
"Where do you want Hidan's body?" Ichigo asked.
"Just leave it in the corner," Ibiki said.
"Actually," Tsunade interrupted. Ichigo turned to her. "Can you give me his body? I wonder if I could figure out what was done to make him immortal."
"Okay." Ichigo handed Tsunade the prisoner scroll.
"I will have their bounties deposited to your accounts," Tsunade said.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Ichigo said.
"Allow me to escort both of you out," Ibiki said. They followed Ibiki as he escorted them out. Ichigo quickly left. Tsunade turned to Ibiki.
"Figure out how he defeated both of them," she ordered.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Ibiki replied as he turned back around and entered the building. Tsunade returned to her office.
Scene Change: Home
Ichigo returned to his room after spending a few hours looking at books in the Shinobi Academy Library. He found ancient books depicting the legends of the Shinto pantheon but nothing related to the mysterious beings that trapped the Shinto pantheon in Takamagahara or how humans gained the ability to use chakra. Ichigo used his privacy kidō around the room and summoned his notebook. He flipped to a different page and wrote down everything he learned.
"Where else can I research this?" Ichigo thought.
"Maybe asking the tailed beasts if they know anything," Kyōka suggested.
"Based on those books, the Tailed Beasts that used to roam the planet are the same ones that are bound to their Jinchūriki," Chishiki added.
"And Naruto is the Jinchūriki that lives in Konoha," Ichigo noted. "Rumor is that he is training somewhere."
"Maybe we should go to a larger village," Kyōka suggested.
"When we get an opportunity," Ichigo replied, closing the notebook and sending it back to his mindscape. He lowered the privacy kidō and walked downstairs to see his students arriving home.
"Welcome back," Ichigo said to his students. "You guys can take a shower while I make dinner." His students nodded and obeyed Ichigo's request. Ichigo made a hearty meal for his students, which they all enjoyed. After the delicious dinner, they moved to the living room.
"As all of you heard from Hokage-sama, you have met the qualifications for the Chūnin exam. Starting tomorrow, I will take a hands-off approach. I will not be directly involved with your training. I may observe but will not comment on anything unless you ask me for help or my input."
"Master, why the change in teaching method?" Tenten asked.
"Two reasons," Ichigo replied. "The first is that this allows you to learn more about yourselves and your limits. The second is that it allows you to develop your own style of combat or improve your existing style."
"Own style of combat?" Hinata asked.
"A good example is the Hakai-Ryoku you used in the last mission," Ichigo began. "While I initially taught you the technique, you decided to modify it to suit your fighting style."
"I see…" Hinata said.
"Master, what about us?" Chino asked.
"There are still improvements the three of you can make." Ichigo turned to Chino. "Blood is mostly water, so you should not have many problems utilizing Water Style Jutsu." Ichigo turned to Setsura. "This also applies to you and your Ice Style." Ichigo turned to Guren. "I know you have been working on Earth Style Jutsu," Guren nodded. "Continue that. It might also be a good idea to keep your Kekkei Genkai a secret." Everyone nodded.
"What about me?" Tenten asked.
"You could continue your study of Fūinjutsu and figure out other ways to incorporate it into your combat, either directly or indirectly," Ichigo said.
"Yes, Master," Tenten replied.
"Last thing," Ichigo looked at Tenten and Hinata. "Both of you have already taken the Chūnin exam. It might be good for you to explain to the others what you experienced."
"That is a good idea, Master," Guren said.
"Okay," Hinata replied.
"Makes sense considering the first test was about cheating without getting caught," Tenten added.
"Other than that, I want to let all of you know that I am proud of your progress and honored to be your master," Ichigo said as he stood up and left the room.
Scene Change: Academy Courtyard
It had been a few months since Team 15 finished their escort mission to the Land of Snow. During that time, everyone spent their time training their own skills. Occasionally, Hinata and Tenten joined their old team to train together for the Chūnin exam. Everyone stood in the courtyard, waiting for their proctor to arrive. Asuma, Guy, and Kurenai stood at the front. Ichigo and the other team leaders stood in the back. As soon as it was time, Guy stepped forward.
"Each team will send one member in front of us," Guy said. Asuma and Kurenai moved to the side as all the genin followed Guy's instructions. After that, Guy led his line into the academy first. They entered a large room with benches.
"Pick a seat." Everyone took their seats and noticed a piece of paper and a pencil in front of them. "Do not touch the materials in front of you." Once Guy was done, he left the room. The TV in the middle of the room turned on, showing someone's face. A few of the teams recognized him.
"Morning, everyone," he said in a tired voice. "I am Shikamaru Nara and will be your main proctor for the first phase of this Chūnin exam. On the other side of the paper is a list of questions. You must score an average to pass this phase. You have 50 minutes to complete this. You may begin." Everyone flipped their papers and began to answer the questions.
Scene Change: Jōnin Observation Room
In another room, Shikamaru and the other Jōnin sat around three monitors showing the rooms used for the Chūnin Exam. All of them sensed Hinata and Neji sending small bursts of chakra to the other room.
"Neji already understood the secret objective of the test," Guy commented.
"Neji isn't the only one," Ichigo said, noticing Hinata doing something similar. Kurenai looked at Ichigo.
"Thank you for helping her when I couldn't," she admitted.
"That fight with Lord Hyūga was amazing," Guy added. "Want to spar later?"
"Sometime after the Chūnin Exam," Ichigo replied. In one of the rooms, a genin began to communicate by tapping the wall. Another genin tried to sabotage the attempt.
"Is the saboteur one of your genin?" Ichigo asked.
"Doesn't look familiar," Asuma commented.
"Maybe from Sunagakure?" Kurenai guessed. They observed the genin in each of the rooms trying to communicate with each other. When 45 minutes were up, Shikamaru turned on the TV screen in each of the rooms.
"Genin," Shikamaru started. All the genin paused and looked at the screen. "Flip your page over." All the genin flipped the page over. "Pay attention while I instruct you on the next part of the first phase of the Chūnin Exam." Everyone focused on Shikamaru. "For the second part, everyone must write on the back of their sheets whom they would choose as a decoy if their team is surrounded. You have three minutes to come up with an answer." Shikamaru turned the screen off as the genin tried to figure out the answer.
"You could either put the name of your team leader, your own name or leave it blank to symbolize not using a decoy," Ichigo mumbled.
"Which one would you put?" Guy asked.
"My name," Ichigo replied.
"Same," Guy replied.
"Can you escort all the genin back out?" Shikamaru asked.
"Okay, Shikamaru," Asuma replied as Guy and Kurenai stood up. Ichigo and the other Jōnin went to the other rooms and collected all the tests. The test consisted of 30 questions, and to pass, they needed to have 21 correct. All the graders quickly marked the papers. Those with fewer or more than 21 correct answers failed. Once that was done, all the papers were organized by their team. Afterward, the back answer was checked. If there were not three pages or all three pages had different answers, then it was also a failure. All the papers that passed were handed to Shikamaru. He sighed as he stood up and addressed the genin who waited outside. All the other Jōnin cleaned up the building. By the time they stepped out, they could see all the remaining genin running in the same direction.
"What happened, Shikamaru?" one of the Jōnin asked.
"We have 15 teams who passed the exam. We needed only 10, so it is now a race to Suna. The first 10 teams to arrive there will continue to the second phase of the Chūnin Exam," Shikamaru explained.
"Based on the distance, they should be there early in the morning," Kurenai commented.
"According to the agreement, we are there as backup and only interfere when the situation gets out of hand," Shikamaru said.
"And who's making that call?" Asuma asked.
"The Kazekage," Shikamaru replied.
"Well, let's get this mess over with," Ichigo said as he ran toward Suna. Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai ran after Ichigo.
Scene Change: Sunagakure: Demon Desert
Ichigo and the other Jōnin from Konoha and Suna stared at the early morning sun as they waited for the other teams to arrive. Team 15 was the first to arrive. It took an hour before the next team arrived, consisting of two guys and a girl.
"These guys are not genin," Ichigo observed. "They are much stronger than the other genin, except for my students." Ichigo looked at the girl. She was a petite, tan-skinned kunoichi with an orange clip in her short, layered mint green hair. She had orange eyes that matched her clip. Her ninja outfit consisted of a short sleeveless white midriff shirt with fishnet armor underneath, long white armlets, and fishnet shorts with a short white apron skirt over them. Her forehead protector was worn on her right arm. "She has two different chakras in her body," Ichigo observed.
"Indeed. One of them feels older than the other," Kyōka added.
"I believe she is a jinchūriki," Hōgyoku added.
"I'll keep an eye out," Ichigo thought as the next team arrived. By the second hour, the tenth and final team arrived. One of the Jōnin stood up and walked to the 10 remaining teams.
"I am Temari of the Kazekage Clan. I am the proctor of the second phase of the Chūnin Exam," she began. "The second phase will begin at noon. Five teams will be given a Heaven scroll," Temari raised a white scroll, "while the other five teams will be given an Earth scroll," Temari raised a black scroll. "You will have three days to get both a Heaven scroll and an Earth scroll." Temari put the scrolls away. "All of you will have a brief break until noon. During that time, there will be no fighting with each other. Anyone who tries to fight will receive a six-hour delayed start," she warned. After that, she joined the other Jōnin. In the distance, many of the genin struggled against Suna's heat. Luckily, Ichigo had his team train to get used to Suna's extreme heat. During the downtime, Ichigo was able to read the files on the remaining teams.
"Her name is Fū from Takigakure," Ichigo read. A few hours later, it was noon. All the other Jōnin were posted around the edge of the Demon Desert, leaving Temari alone.
"Time to get started!" she yelled. All the teams gathered around Temari as she handed a bag to every team, preventing anyone from discovering who had which scroll. "Time starts now!" she yelled. All the teams scattered.
Ichigo was posted on the other side of the Demon Desert, relatively close to Suna. Beside him was another Jōnin from Suna. They sat there and monitored the area. Ichigo easily sensed everyone's chakra, including Fū's and the other Jōnin's. He resisted the urge to yawn as he quickly got bored of standing there doing nothing. His only form of entertainment was watching the genin either fight against other teams or avoid as many teams as they could. Every few hours, the Jōnin would rotate positions. The Jōnin from Konoha moved clockwise, while the Jōnin from Suna moved counterclockwise.
As the sun began to set, the teams created defensive structures for the night. Each Jōnin took turns taking an hour's nap. Soon, it was morning and all the fighting resumed. In the distance, Ichigo sensed two new chakras entering the Demon Desert. Suddenly, a sandstorm erupted inside the desert. Ichigo could tell the sandstorm originated from the new arrivals. He turned to the Suna Jōnin with him.
"Is this normal?" Ichigo asked.
"Maybe," the Jōnin replied. "It might be one of the genin's jutsu." Ichigo quickly located his students, who had formed a crystal dome with the nearby genin. Ichigo focused on Fū. In the distance, he sensed another person entering the Demon Desert. Unlike the other two, this person's chakra felt similar to Fū's.
"Is there another jinchūriki?" Ichigo thought. Suddenly, a group of shinobi leaped out of the sandstorm, carrying Genin. They dropped them beside Ichigo.
"Should we join?" Ichigo asked.
"No. Per the agreement with Konoha, the second task is under our care," the shinobi replied and leaped back into the sandstorm. Ichigo shook his head.
"Do you want to join in and rescue those genin?" the Jōnin from Suna asked.
"I do," Ichigo replied.
"I'm not going to stop you." Ichigo jumped into the sandstorm. He found the crystal dome that Guren had cast. Guren noticed Ichigo and opened a hole for him.
"The Chūnin Exam is paused due to the sandstorm. Are you able to get out?" Ichigo asked.
"Which direction is the exit?" one of the genin asked.
"If you go straight that way, you will be able to exit the Demon Desert," Ichigo said, pointing in the direction he had come from. One of the genin looked at Guren.
"Thank you for the dome," the genin said.
"No problem," Guren said as she lowered the dome. Everyone except Team 15 left.
"Go with them. I will meet you later," Ichigo said.
"Yes, Master," Team 15 replied and left. Ichigo ran back towards Fū and the jinchūriki. Suddenly, he sensed a familiar chakra moving towards them.
"There are too many people," Ichigo thought. He kept an eye on the situation. As the sandstorm began to fade, he decided to leave while continuing to monitor the fight. After a few minutes, the battle was over. Ichigo spotted Asuma, Guy, and Kurenai arriving at the scene.
"So the other jinchūriki I sensed was the Kazekage, Gaara of the Sand," Ichigo identified. All the other Jōnin arrived at the scene. Temari turned to the Jōnin.
"Gather all the genin," she ordered. Suna's Jōnin nodded their heads and left. A few moments later, all the participants arrived.
"Due to the outside interference, the second phase of the Chūnin Exam will end now," Gaara said. "We will have our Exploration Group write reports of what they witnessed to each genin and deliver them to your respective village. Please stay here for the night before leaving for your village." Some of the genin teams politely declined the offer and left. Ichigo noticed Fū was among those who declined. Konoha's teams were given the option to stay since the Jōnin were staying back to help write the reports.
"Yhwach, can you pretend to be me?" Ichigo asked as he went to the restroom.
"You are going to follow the girl?" Yhwach asked.
"Yes. Only Konoha and Suna are aware that this Chūnin Exam was a trap to lure the Akatsuki. I don't think they are aware that Fū is a jinchūriki since they allowed her to casually leave," Ichigo said as he used the gigai gun to create a gigai of himself. Yhwach inhabited the gigai. Ichigo shunpō'ed away, avoiding all their detection methods.
Scene Change: Northern Land of Wind
Fū and her bodyguards were running in the forest. Fū was in front using three pairs of bug wings on her back to increase her speed. Her bodyguards were right behind her.
"Yōrō," one of them said.
"I know...We're being followed," Yōrō replied. The two bodyguards quickly caught up with Fū.
"Fū, let's go to that rocky area for now," the other bodyguard said.
"If you say so, Kegon," Fū replied. They landed on the rocky road and quickly turned around with their kunai out, ready to attack.
"We might not know who you are, but you can bet we are on to you," Yōrō said. Suddenly, a figure leaped out of the bushes. He had slanted blue eyes and long golden blond hair, which he wore in a half ponytail with the rest hanging down freely over his face. He wore a long black cloak with red clouds, a red interior, and a chin-high collar over a V-neck, sleeveless, midriff shirt with mesh armor underneath along with stirrups, navy blue pants, and matching shinobi sandals.
"My, my, my," the person said. "If we fought here, there wouldn't be many people to enjoy my 'art'."
"Who are you?" Fū asked.
"He is Deidara, an S-rank missing-nin from Iwagakure," Yōrō replied.
"Ah. I am glad that my work is known beyond Iwa," Deidara said. He looked at Fū. "Now, are you willing to come with me?" Before Fū could answer, Kegon charged towards Deidara. Deidara leaped back, pointing his palms at Kegon. Mouths opened from his palms as birds shot towards Kegon. He tried to strike the birds, but suddenly the birds exploded.
"Kegon!" Fū yelled.
"Fū, run as fast as you can," Yōrō said as he charged at Deidara.
"Yōrō," Fū mumbled as she quickly flew away. As she ran off, she heard multiple explosions behind her. "Deidara," she mumbled. She glanced back to see four medium white birds flying toward her. She threw balls of webs behind her, which expanded into a spider net, catching the birds and causing them to explode. Suddenly, a large creature flew above her, casting its shadow below her. The creature landed in front of her, revealing a large white dragon with Deidara on it.
"Now, now, now," Deidara said, waving his finger. "Both of your guards are dead. Stop making it hard for yourself and just surrender." Fū glared at Deidara. Suddenly, a large fireball flew toward them. Fū leaped to the side, avoiding the attack. Deidara used his clay dragon's wing to protect himself from the explosion. The dust settled, revealing Ichigo, who had Suzumebachi in her Shikai form with the stingers hidden.
"You're one of the Jōnin at the Chūnin Exam," Fū said, recognizing him.
"Glad you remembered me," Ichigo replied. "Find some cover and create those webs to protect yourself." Fū nodded and found cover, creating webs around her to protect herself from any stray clay projectiles.
"Oh, another one," Deidara said. Ichigo charged at him. Deidara's eyes widened unexpecting Ichigo's speed. He leaped back and pointed his palms at Ichigo. More clay birds flew at him.
"Arawasu," Ichigo said as he revealed the stinger blades. He sliced through the clay birds as he continued to pursue Deidara.
"C2!" Deidara yelled. The clay dragon opened its mouth, and little clay spheres began to pour out. As soon as one of the spheres was within range of Ichigo, it exploded, covering the entire area in smoke. "HA!" Deidara yelled. Suddenly, he felt something pierce him in the back. The smoke dissipated to reveal Ichigo, who had just stabbed him with Suzumebachi. Deidara's body froze from the Suzumebachi's venom from her Yūchō Nigeki Kessatsu technique. Ichigo pulled out a pair of chakra suppression handcuffs and cuffed him. Deidara's clay dragon reverted back into clay. Ichigo pulled out a cloth and gagged his mouth and palms. Then, he pulled out his prisoner scroll and sealed Deidara into it.
"It's safe now," Ichigo said. Fū stepped out from her hiding spot.
"Wow. You're strong," Fū said. "I wish Yōrō and Kegon didn't have to die for me."
"They died to keep you safe," Ichigo said, gently placing his hand on her shoulder.
"But why? Why did they want me?" Fū asked.
"Because you are a jinchūriki," Ichigo answered.
"Why did you help me?" She asked, looking at Ichigo with a questioning look.
"I want to talk to your Tailed Beast," Ichigo admitted. Fū stared at Ichigo for a few moments.
"Fine," she replied. "How are we doing this?"
"You just need to look at my eyes," Ichigo instructed.
"Ok," Fū replied as she stared at Ichigo.
"Legilimens," Ichigo cast.
Scene Change: Fū's Mindscape
Ichigo appeared in front of two doors. One was wooden, and the other resembled vines. Ichigo opened the door with the vines. He saw a blue, armored rhinoceros beetle with six of its seven tails resembling green insect wings, along with an actual seventh tail, all growing from the end of its abdomen. The stem of the tail was green, but the wings were orange. Its eyes seemed to be covered by a helmet-like skull, from inside of which an orange glow could be seen. It also had spike protrusions on its shoulders and a row of slits on each shoulder, and six legs covered by blue armor, except for the extreme ends, which were green. It had two pincers with three parts on its face, covering a mouth full of sharp teeth. On its back, behind its head, it had a large two-sectioned horned protrusion.
"Hello," Ichigo said.
"A guest!" the Tailed Beast shouted in joy. "It has been a long time since anyone came to see me without trying to harm me or Fū."
"Do you have a name? I don't want to just call you Tailed Beast," Ichigo asked.
"You're very nice. My name is Chōmei," Chōmei replied.
"And my name is Ichigo," Ichigo replied. "Chōmei, I have a few questions for you."
"Chōmei will answer them if Ichigo protects Fū," Chōmei replied.
"I will try my best," Ichigo admitted. Chōmei stared at Ichigo for a moment.
"Ok! Ichigo can ask Chōmei questions!" Chōmei shouted.
"Chōmei, do you remember who created you?" Ichigo asked.
"Chōmei and the other Tailed Beasts were created by Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki," Chōmei began. "He mentioned that all of us have a connection with each other, and he said that one day we will all be combined together."
"When you and your siblings were created, was chakra all over the world yet?"
"Hm..." Chōmei mumbled as it used one of its tails to scratch its head. "Chōmei doesn't remember, but Chōmei remembered it was hard to breathe in the beginning, but it became normal to breathe later."
"This could imply that the environment wasn't saturated with chakra when they were born but eventually it was," Ichigo thought.
"Do you remember anything else?" Ichigo asked.
"Chōmei doesn't," Chōmei replied.
"Thank you for answering my questions," Ichigo said.
"Chōmei is glad that Chōmei could help Ichigo. Ichigo, remember to help Fū," Chōmei said.
"I will," Ichigo replied as he left Chōmei's part of Fū's mindscape.
Scene Change: Outside
Ichigo blinked as he ended the connection.
"You already finished?" Fū asked.
"How long has it been?" Ichigo asked.
"Seconds," Fū answered. Ichigo nodded.
"Sounds about right," Ichigo replied. "I believe we should go back to Suna before we continue to talk."
"Ok," Fū replied. They ran back to Sunagakure, stopping a few feet before they were within range of Sunagakure's barrier. "Why did we stop?" Fū asked.
"If we continued, we would immediately be detected by Suna's Exploration Group," Ichigo said.
"Is that bad?" Fū asked.
"We don't know if any spies are monitoring Suna, so we are being extra safe," Ichigo replied. "Can you make your wings disappear? I need to carry you."
"Fine," Fū replied. Ichigo picked her up in a princess carry. "Eep," she cried as Ichigo shunpō'ed to Kazekage's office. Luckily, Gaara was alone. His eyes widened upon seeing Ichigo and Fū appear in his office.
"Normally intruding into my office could be considered a declaration of war," Gaara said. Fū looked nervous. "But considering her shocked expression, I believe I will let it slide, for now." Fū visibly relaxed. Gaara looked at Ichigo. "Why are you here?"
"Remember what the Kages planned for this Chūnin Exam?" Ichigo asked. Gaara nodded his head.
"We used the Chūnin Exam as a trap to capture the Akatsuki who would try and capture me," Gaara thought, his eyes widening upon realization.
"She's a jinchūriki," Gaara said.
"Correct," Ichigo replied.
"That would explain the similar feeling I sensed from her. She is also a jinchūriki, like Naruto… Like myself."
"I noticed her being a jinchūriki at the start of the second phase of the Chūnin Exam. I kept a close eye on her throughout the second phase. I noticed that no one shadowed her team when they left. I concluded that either no one was aware of her being a jinchūriki or feared that there were Akatsuki spies in Suna. So, I discreetly made a clone who stayed with the other Jōnin while I chased after them. I arrived just in time to rescue Fū from Deidara and captured him for further interrogation," Ichigo explained. Gaara nodded his head. He turned to Fū.
"I wasn't aware that Takigakure has a jinchūriki," Gaara said.
"I don't know," Fū admitted. "This was done when I was a young girl."
"As I mentioned earlier, the Akatsuki are hunting down all the jinchūriki," Ichigo began. "While we were able to prevent your kidnapping, they will try again."
"Considering that none of the five great villages are aware of you being the jinchūriki, implies that someone in your village told the Akatsuki," Gaara said.
"So what now?" She asked.
"We have three options," Ichigo said. "The first is that I escort you back to Takigakure. From what I recall, Takigakure has never been successfully invaded."
"No, I don't want to put them in danger," Fū replied.
"The other option is moving you to one of the Great Villages," Ichigo said.
"Konoha and Suna each have one jinchūriki," Gaara said.
"Kiri and Iwa each have two jinchūriki," Ichigo said.
"Kumo used to have two jinchūriki, but one of them died and the other one went missing," Gaara added.
"I-I don't know," Fū admitted.
"The other option is to try and extract the Tailed Beast from you and seal it in someone else," Ichigo said. Gaara looked at Ichigo.
"Normally that method would result in the death of the former jinchūriki and sealer," Gaara replied, remembering his mother's sacrifice for him to become a jinchūriki.
"I believe that forcing the Tailed Beast to be removed or resealed causes extra strain on everyone. If both the jinchūriki and the Tailed Beast don't resist, then it is possible to remove it without harming the jinchūriki's life," Ichigo theorized.
"I can't decide this matter. I need to bring it up with the other Kage," Gaara admitted.
"I don't expect you to," Ichigo replied. "But Fū needs to decide where she wants to go."
"You are from Konoha, right?" Fū asked.
"I am," Ichigo replied.
"If I go to Konoha, you will protect me from them, right?" Fū asked.
"I may not always be there, but I will try my best," Ichigo admitted.
"Then, can we go to Takigakure first and then go back to Konoha?" She asked.
"Why?" Gaara asked.
"I want to let the village head know before I leave," Fū replied.
"Very well," Ichigo replied. "Thank you, Kazakage, for allowing us to use your room."
"You are welcome, though I would like to know how you got past the barrier around Suna," Gaara replied.
"The barrier was designed to allow wind and gases through, so I moved so fast the barrier recognized me as wind, not a person," Ichigo explained.
"Interesting," Gaara replied. "I will inform the Hokage about Fū and your mission."
"Thank you," Ichigo replied as he picked up Fū again and shunpō'ed out of the Hokage's office.
"To think Konoha has a Jōnin that could move that fast," Gaara thought as he prepared his message to Tsunade.
Scene Change: Takigakure
It took Ichigo ten minutes to arrive at the edge of Takigakure. He carefully lowered Fū to the ground.
"W-we were just in Sunagakure… how are we already at Takigakure?" Fū mumbled.
"My secret," Ichigo replied. Fū stared at Ichigo for a few seconds before she sighed. She summoned her insect wings and flew away. Ichigo ran after her. They soon arrived in front of the gate. Ichigo could see four guards standing outside.
"Fū? Where are Yōrō and Kegon?" One of the guards asked.
"The better question is why is there a Shinobi from Konoha with you?" Another guard asked.
"Yōrō and Kegon died to protect me from a rogue shinobi," Fū started. "Ichigo," Fū pointed her hand at him, "Rescued me and captured the rogue shinobi."
"I see…"
"I need to talk with Shibuki," Fū said.
"You can go, but he has to stay out," the guards replied.
"He has to come too. It is easier for him to explain with Shibuki," Fū insisted.
"If you want, you can have other Jōnin escort us till we get there," Ichigo casually replied. The other guards looked at Ichigo, trying to gauge if he was joking.
"Wait right here," the guard said as he made a few calls. A few minutes later, five additional Jōnin arrived at the gate. "These Jōnin will escort you to the village head." Fū led Ichigo and the five Jōnin to the village head's estate. Ichigo could see someone standing outside the estate—a man with ink-black eyes and long, dark brown hair. He wore a light-yellow kimono jacket, light grey pants, a red scarf around his neck, and a turquoise haori, tying his hair in a lower ponytail.
"Shibuki!" Fū shouted as she ran to him and tackle-hugged him. Shibuki, expecting this, steadied himself.
"Hello, Fū," Shibuki said, then glanced at Ichigo. "Seeing Fū return without Yōrō and Kegon, I assume someone attacked Fū because she's a jinchūriki?"
"Correct," Ichigo replied. Shibuki looked at the Jōnin.
"You are relieved. I will take it from here," he said.
"Yes, sir," the Jōnin escorts replied and disappeared. Shibuki sighed.
"Follow me," Shibuki said. Fū and Ichigo followed behind him and sat down at a table. A maid silently approached.
"Do you want anything?" she asked.
"Honey iced tea!" Fū shouted.
"Of course," Shibuki chuckled.
"Nothing for me," Ichigo replied. The maid nodded and silently left the room.
"Anyways, I am Shibuki, the leader of Takigakure," Shibuki introduced himself.
"I am Kurosaki Ichigo, a Jōnin from Konohagakure," Ichigo replied.
"Wait… are you the same Shinobi who captured Kakuzu?" Shibuki asked.
"I am," Ichigo confirmed. He proceeded to tell Shibuki about the situation with the Akatsuki, their intent to capture jinchūriki, and Ichigo's plan to protect Fū. During that time, the maid returned with a glass of water for Shibuki and honey-iced tea for Fū.
"Fū, what do you think about this?" Shibuki asked.
"The Akatsuki already know who I am and likely know where Takigakure is. If I stay here, I will put everyone in danger," Fū explained.
"We may also be able to safely extract the Tailed Beast from Fū, allowing her to safely return to Takigakure if you allow us to do that," Ichigo added.
"Making Fū into a jinchūriki was a decision that I had no part in," Shibuki began. "But as the current village leader, I inherited the consequences of that decision. If possible, please extract the Tailed Beast from Fū," he asked, bowing his head.
"Shibuki," Fū said.
"I got it," Ichigo replied as he pulled out a scroll. "We should write a contract for this to formally log it."
"Good idea," Shibuki agreed. Shibuki wrote one contract regarding rescuing Fū from the Akatsuki and escorting her back to Takigakure. He wrote another contract regarding protecting Fū in Konoha and possibly removing the Tailed Beast from her. If the Tailed Beast was successfully removed from her, Ichigo or another Jōnin would escort her back to Takigakure. Shibuki signed the contracts and handed Ichigo money for the first contract.
"I will send the money once the Hokage signs the other part," Shibuki explained.
"That's fine with me," Ichigo replied as he rolled up his scroll. Ichigo turned to Fū. "Do you need to grab anything?"
"Not really," Fū replied.
"Here," Shibuki said, taking out a small bag and handing it to Fū. Her eyes widened.
"B-B-but-" Fū stammered.
"Accept it," Shibuki insisted.
"Ok," Fū mumbled.
"Everything is in order," Ichigo said as he rolled the scroll and stored it away.
"Goodbye, Shibuki," Fū said.
"Bye, Fū," Shibuki replied. Ichigo and Fū exited the estate and walked back to the entrance to Takigakure. Once they were out of sight, Ichigo picked her up and shunpō'ed to Konohagakure.
Scene Change: Konohagakure
Ichigo and Fū arrived near the barrier around Konoha. They walked through the barrier and arrived at the gate.
"The Hokage is expecting you," the guards said.
"Thank you," Ichigo replied as they went to Tsunade's office. Ichigo and Fū were immediately allowed in. Tsunade was sitting in her office. As soon as the doors were closed, Ichigo could feel stronger privacy fuinjutsu activate around the office.
"Sit," Tsunade ordered. Ichigo and Fū sat down.
"When we planned this year's Chūnin Exam, we intended there to be only one jinchūriki for them to target, but none of us expected to discover the unaccounted-for Seven-Tailed Beast."
"I was also able to capture another VIP," Ichigo said.
"We'll deal with that later," Tsunade said. "Show me the contract with Takigakure." Ichigo took the scrolls and handed them to Tsunade. She unraveled the first scroll and skimmed it, then switched to the second one. After she finished skimming the second scroll, she looked at Ichigo.
"Who are you really?" she asked. From everything that she heard about Ichigo, she can conclude that Ichigo is not a regular shinobi.
"We can talk about that later," Ichigo replied. Tsunade glared at him for a few moments before she sighed and signed part of the second contract.
"Do you have any idea who will be her replacement?" Tsunade asked.
"Not yet," Ichigo said, looking at Fū. He used Legilimency to ask Chōmei about its preference for a new jinchūriki. Once he got the answer, he left Fū's mind.
"We will talk later. They should be arriving soon," Tsunade said as she lowered the privacy fuinjutsu, and they left her office. Ichigo took Fū to his home.
"You can relax for now. I spoke with Chōmei and have two possible candidates I want to show it."
"Ok," Fū replied. After twenty minutes, all five members of Team 15 and Yhwach returned home. They arrived to see Ichigo and Fū sitting at the table, waiting for them. All five members were on guard, seeing Ichigo there. Ichigo calmly stood up.
"Thank you for keeping an eye on them," Ichigo said.
"No problem," Yhwach replied as he used the Chameleon Jutsu to disappear from their view and slip into Ichigo's shadow.
"Please sit and let me explain the situation," Ichigo calmly said. He told them about the true purpose of this year's Chūnin Exam, discovering Fū's situation, the attempted kidnapping of Fū, and Fū's decisions.
"So do you have any idea who you want to pick?" Hinata asked.
"I do," Ichigo said, looking at Tenten.
"Me? Why?" Tenten asked.
"Because you satisfy most of Chōmei's requirements," Ichigo explained. "You are female, approximately the same age as Fū, and you don't have a chakra affinity."
"Do I have a choice?" Tenten asked.
"You do," Ichigo replied. "If you decide not to, Tsunade will assist in picking someone else for the responsibility." Tenten closed her eyes and thought about it.
"I'll do it," Tenten replied.
"Ok. I will need to talk with the Hokage before I proceed," Ichigo replied.
"Ok," Tenten and Fū replied.
"For now, all of you should celebrate earning the rank of Chūnin," Ichigo said. "That includes you, Fū."
"B-but I don't know if I actually got promoted to Chūnin," Fū replied.
"I'm pretty sure you got promoted," Ichigo assured her, as Yhwach glanced at the Jōnin who wrote the report for Team Fū. Ichigo returned to Tsunade's office. She quickly activated all the privacy fuinjutsu around her office.
"So, Ichigo…who are you?" Tsunade asked. Ichigo cast his own privacy kidō. Her eyes widened seeing the kidō.
"This isn't a jutsu," Tsunade commented.
"Correct," Ichigo replied. "This is kidō, a spiritual spell."
"What are you?" Tsunade asked as she made sure she wasn't under the effects of a genjutsu.
"Does the names Shinto, Amaterasu, Susanoo, Tsukuyomi, Izanagi, and Izanami mean anything to you?"
"I remember some of those were jutsu that you can use if you have the Sharingan," Tsunade answered.
"While that is true, the names originated from Gods and Goddesses that are supposed to monitor this world," Ichigo said.
"You are saying Gods are real?" Tsunade questioned. "Then why haven't they come down to help?"
"I was sent to this world to investigate their lack of action," Ichigo replied. "From what I discovered, something invaded this world and sealed them in their own dimension."
"Who are these invaders?" Tsunade asked, worried about potential enemies.
"Whoever these invaders are, they are your progenitors because Chakra did not exist until after the Gods were sealed."
"I…see…" Tsunade said.
"Switching topics, I should be able to minimize the transfer of Chōmei from Fū to Tenten," Ichigo said.
"How?" Tsunade asked.
"One of my abilities is the manipulation of souls," Ichigo said.
"Wait… manipulate souls like the Shinigami?" Tsunade asked.
"Wait… there is a Shinigami here?" Ichigo asked.
"You are saying it as if Shinigami are a group of people."
"They are in my world," Ichigo replied.
"I see… With you operating, there is a higher chance of both girls surviving," Tsunade theorized.
"That is correct," Ichigo confirmed.
"I also have Kyōka, Hōgyoku, and Katen to assist in the operation as well," Ichigo mentally added.
"When do you expect to perform the surgery?" Tsunade asked.
"Likely, tonight," Ichigo replied.
"That fast?" Tsunade asked.
"The faster it is done, the more time Tenten has to get used to her new powers and for Fū to recover," Ichigo replied.
"Very well, the Senju estate has an underground area to safely operate without disturbance," Tsunade offered.
"Thank you. The girls and I will meet you there," Ichigo said. "One more thing, are you done with Hidan and Kakuzu?"
"We are," Tsunade replied. "Why?"
"One of my side objectives is to send them into Hell," Ichigo replied as he took out the prisoner scroll.
"What is Hell?" Tsunade asked.
"It is a special place for sinners to be tortured for eternity," Ichigo replied.
"It will take me some time to properly arrange for their execution," Tsunade replied, taking the scroll from Ichigo. "I assume the other VIP is in here?"
"Yes," Ichigo replied as he stood up. He lowered the privacy kidō around them.
"See you then," Tsunade replied as she lowered the privacy fuinjutsu around them. Ichigo left her office.
"To think this world is much larger than any of us thought," Tsunade thought as she left her office.
Scene Change: Senju Compound
Ichigo, Tenten, and Fū arrived outside the Senju Compound. They could see that the compound appeared deserted. The doors slid open as Tsunade walked out.
"Evening, Hokage," Tenten and Fū greeted.
"Evening," Tsunade replied. She glanced at Ichigo. "Follow me." Everyone followed Tsunade into the compound. She led them to a tree and pushed some chakra into it, causing a hidden door to slide open, revealing a stairwell. She led them down into an empty cavern.
"Where are we?" Tenten murmured.
"According to my grandfather, this was a secret bunker the Senju clan created during the Warring States Period," Tsunade explained.
"This should work fine," Ichigo replied. He stomped on the ground, channeling Schrift E: The Earth. Two stone pillars rose up from the ground, about the size of beds, and reaching Ichigo's chest height. "Tenten, lie on the bed to my left, and Fū, lie on the other one," Ichigo instructed. Both girls complied, laying down on the stone beds. Ichigo placed his hands over Tenten's and Fū's faces and used Inemuri on them. Soon, both were unconscious. Ichigo rolled up Fū's shirt to reveal the Fūinjutsu seal on her abdomen.
"Katen, Kyōka, and Hōgyoku," Ichigo called. All three appeared beside him. Tsunade took a step back upon seeing them, but they paid her no heed as Ichigo continued the procedure. Ichigo summoned the Gokon Tekkō and put them on. He then phased his hand through Fū's stomach into her soul. Normally, one would push the soul out of the body, but Ichigo needed to find Chōmei's soul within Fū's.
After a few minutes of searching, Ichigo located it. "Got it," he said as he began to pull Chōmei's soul out. In his hand appeared one of Chōmei's tails. As he continued pulling, more of Chōmei's tail emerged.
"Katen, help me keep the tail steady as I begin to transfer Chōmei into Tenten," Ichigo instructed.
"Okay," Katen replied, standing behind Ichigo and holding the tail above Fū's stomach. Ichigo slid his hand until he was near the tip of Chōmei's tail and began to push it into Tenten. Her stomach rippled as the tail tip entered her body.
"Hōgyoku, hold this end so I can switch with Katen," Ichigo said.
"Got it," Hōgyoku replied. They traded places, and Ichigo resumed pulling Chōmei out. Throughout the process, Katen monitored Fū while Hōgyoku monitored Tenten and assisted in integrating Chōmei's chakra with Tenten's.
Tsunade watched silently as they proceeded slowly. "To think Ichigo is strong enough to handle pieces of Chōmei with such ease," she thought. After an hour, Chōmei was completely transferred from Fū's body into Tenten's.
"Is it over?" Tsunade asked.
"Mostly," Ichigo admitted. "Tenten may experience difficulty using her chakra until it fully integrates with her system. Fū will also need time to adjust to not having Chōmei's chakra within her."
"I wonder if you could take a look at Naruto and see if you could help him control his Nine-Tailed Fox?" Tsunade inquired.
"I can take a look, but I can't make any promises," Ichigo replied.
"Fair enough," Tsunade nodded. Hōgyoku carried Tenten while Kyōka carried Fū. Ichigo stomped his feet, causing the beds to lower themselves back into the ground. Afterward, everyone left the hidden bunker and returned home.
Most Naruto fans would agree that Tenten was forgotten by the author and likely the weakest of all the Konoha 11. So, I decided to rectify that by turning her into the jinchūriki of the Seven-Tails, Chōmei. With this, I elevated her from a forgotten character to a mid-primary character. Well, see you guys next chapter.
1) Kororo is a nature spirit from Shaman King.
2) Kodama are technically spirits that live in trees but I adapt them to live in forests.