Disappear With the Wind

A Naruto/Bleach crossover fic by Kalashnikov 2092

The Prologue: The Last Accomplice

"Man delights not me."

William Shakespeare, Hamlet

/

His eyes looked across this place.

This place that held the protectors of life.

The Shinigami.

Oh, how he found the Shinigami quite annoying, though he himself was technically one. His zanpakutō hung on his belt, the curve of the blade facing downwards, instead of the usual opposite that most others used. He rested his forearm on its blue and gold hilt, ready to draw his weapon at a moment's notice. He was in enemy territory now, so such precautions were necessary.

His blade gently rested on his belt. It was certainly elegant looking with the blue and gold hilt, the silver pommel, and the golden guard consisting of four intertwining crescents with their backs facing towards each other (K2092: picture link on my profile). It was a weapon that had claimed so much life that any other owner wouldn't be able remember the count. However, the present owner knew the exact number. He never forgot.

"Arrive, Taiki Araware (Atmosphere Embodiment)," he whispered. He felt his blade pulse within its sheath, changing its form secretly.

"Preparing yourself? I didn't take you as the skittish kind," a mocking voice asked. He immediately recognized the owner of such a voice. Turning, he looked into the slitted eyes of Ichimaru Gin. His fox-like grin was present as always.

Turning his eyes back to the horizon, he responded, "Believe what you like Ichimaru. I am simply thinking ahead. There is a chance we'll be dealing with the likes of the Captain-Commander. It would be best to have Taiki Araware released if we fight him, or any other Captain for that matter."

"My my, touchy, aren't we?" Ichimaru asked as he stepped up next to Taiki Araware's weilder. "But I kid. I came to tell you that we need to get everything started. Kira's all ready to confront Hitsugaya-san and Rangiku-san, and they're soon going to run into him. I need to go meet Hinamori in the council chamber. Would you like to join me?"

"I suppose I will," he answered. He pulled his straw hat down in front of his eyes a bit, before disappearing into thin air. Gin couldn't help but grin at the man. He always was acting so mysterious. However, he couldn't help but to respect his comrade. His strength was indeed larger than Gin's, but he never went around flaunting it. He used his skill seldom, trying to keep his techniques as discreet as possible. When he actually did attack, his enemy would be dead before ever realizing what his secret was. It was truly frightening, if one thought about it.

"Oh well," Gin mused. He disappeared soon after, following his fellow enemy of the state to the council chamber.

/

Gin arrived to find Hinamori looking around the council chamber in confusion. She was most likely wondering what direction Hitsugaya had traveled. Gin's comrade was hiding himself within the shadows, watching the girl with his vibrant blue eyes. She couldn't see him of course. If the man really wanted to, he could have hid himself so well that Gin wouldn't have been able to catch sight of him.

Gin stepped up behind Momo, his amusement apparent on his face. "Welcome, Hinamori-chan."

She turned to him, her face alight with surprise. He inwardly chuckled at her reaction before stepping past her to walk down the stairs to the floor of the chamber.

"This is...the Seijotokyorin...the residential district for the Central 46. Why did you bring me here, Captain Ichimaru?" the girl asked, the unease shining through her voice.

Gin continued walking forward, approaching a tall doorway to another room. "Have you ever been here, Hinamori-chan?"

Perplexed, Hinamori answered, "No way...isn't this place off limits to everyone? This is the first time I've ever seen it."

Now Gin stood within the next room, it being completely dark. She hesitantly followed the captain into the blackness. Not turning around, Gin stated, "There is someone in here that wants to see you, Hinamori-chan." Her eyes widened at that.

"Someone...wants to meet me?"

"That's correct," Gin answered, turning back to her. "Go on, look right behind you."

"Behind me? Who is it?" she asked, confusion showing across her features. As she turned to look who it was, her confusion turned into complete and utter shock.

It was her captain.

Her captain that had been found dead, tacked to a wall with his own sword. Now he stood before her, alive, and the same as he always was. His kind smile mesmerized her and almost brought out a blush.

It was Sosuke Aizen.

"Cap...Captain? Captain Aizen?" she spoke, her voice barely a whisper.

His kind smile grew a bit, and then he said, "It has been some time, Hinamori-kun."

She took a few steps towards him, tears beginning to blur her vision. "Captain Aizen...is it really you? I...I thought you were dead!"

"It's okay. As you can see, I'm alive."

She stumbled towards him now, the tears finally spilling down her cheeks. "Captain Aizen...I...I... oh Captain Aizen," she spoke, her love for him becoming too much for her to bear. She gently grasped the front of his robe.

He placed his hand on top her head, saying, "I'm sorry for worrying you, Hinamori-kun."

She felt so relieved. He was alive! Captain Aizen, her pillar of strength, was still alive. She began to sob into his chest, the relief of this revelation being too large for her not tocry.

His arms encircled her, and she reveled in the feeling. "You look even more frail than before. It's my deepest apologies for making you suffer this much. But I hope you can understand."

"Stop lying to the girl, Aizen."

Hinamori's eyes snapped open at the new voice. After it spoke, Hinamori found that then air had become slightly colder. Not in the sense of temperature, but in the sense that the happiness she had been enjoying simply vanished, robbing her of the feeling's warmth. She separated from Aizen's embrace to look at the newcomer. As she did, she could see that Aizen's smile had transformed into a slight frown. Whoever this man was, Aizen wasn't happy about his presence.

Looking past her captain, she laid eyes on the one who had spoken. He was a lot taller than Aizen, at least a half a foot. However it was hard to see any of his other physical features. He wore a high-collared black cloak and an oriental straw hat that hid his face. However, he was a Shinigami. That was for sure, for the man wore a zanpakutō on his belt. Some other things she picked up were the wooden sandals on his feet and the pair of sapphire eyes gazing from behind the veil of his hat.

"If you are going to kill the girl, then don't get her hopes up with all these apologies," the man said. Hinamori's eyes widened at the accusation. Was this man implying that her Captain Aizen intended to kill her?

"You should have killed her before she ever turned around. It would have saved her the grief of knowing that the man she holds so high killed her. It seems I'll have to do it instead."

Hinamori's eyes widened even further, if that was possible. A long, deep gash suddenly appeared diagonally across her chest and stomach, effectively filleting her. She stood completely frozen for a moment, watching her blood arc through the air. She gave one last look at her captain, and found herself frightened at the cold way Aizen regarded her. Directly afterwards, the girl collapsed in a heap, the trauma of the wound being too much.

Aizen sighed as he watched her fall. Turning to the man that had just killed his former lieutenant, Aizen said, "I would have taken care of her in due time. Oh well. Let's go, Gin."

Gin's smile grew a little wider as he said, "Yes, Captain Aizen." The third man gave no conformation in any way, simply walking towards the door. The two followed suit shortly after.. They stepped back into the chamber were the Central 46 lay slain, meeting a very surprised Hitsugaya Toshiro.

"Ichimaru and...Aizen?" the young captain asked in surprise.

Aizen waved at him, saying, "Yo, Hitsugaya-kun."

"Aizen, enough of these joyous reunions. I'm not here to dawdle. I don't like hanging around the Seireitei. Let's get the Kuchiki girl and get out of here," the third man spoke.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened at the man's words, saying, "What are you talking about? Aizen, what's going on here? And where's Hinamori?"

"She's dead, Hitsugaya Toshiro. I cut her down myself. Though, if I wouldn't have, then Aizen would have done it eventually," the third answered in Aizen's place.

Outrage exploded throughout Toshiro. "Is this true? You let this man kill Hinamori!"

"I'm afraid so, Toshiro-kun."

The white haired boy flash stepped past the three of them, coming to a stop in front of his friend's bloody form.

"How unfortunate. You seem to have found her," Aizen called. "I apologize if the sight makes you feel a bit upset. Before you could have found her, I should have chopped her into unrecognizable pieces. Perhaps that would have been easier on you."

"What is the meaning of this?" Hitsugaya ground out. "Since when were you in leagues with Ichimaru and this other guy?"

"Since the very beginning," Aizen answered.

Toshiro tensed in fury, saying, "Before you faked your death, Aizen?"

"Oh Toshiro-kun, I'm so sorry that you're this slow. I said 'very beginning.' Since I became a captain in the Gotei 13, I never thought of anyone better to align myself with. I even chose Gin as my lieutenant. This other fellow, however, wasn't in the Gotei 13. I've had him doing other things for me."

"So you mean," Hitsugaya began. "That from the very beginning...to me...to the other Shinigami...to Hinamori...to everybody! You deceived us all!"

Shaking his head, Aizen answered, "It wasn't my intention to deceive you all. It's simply this: not one of you, not one, could see my true face."

Hitsugaya whirled around to look at his former comrade, his face a mask of pure hatred. "We couldn't see? You must have known that Hinamori admired you! Because of this admiration, she joined the Gotei 13! Because of you, she worked endlessly to become your vice-captain!"

Aizen surprised the young captain by giving him a smile. "I know!" the traitor spoke. "There's nothing easier than controlling a person that blindly admires you. That's why I took Hinamori under my wing. This is a very good opportunity for you to learn an important lesson, Hitsugaya-kun. Admiration is a feeling furthest from understanding."

That did it. That finally made Hitsugaya snap. He tore his sword from its sheath and swung it, obliterating the area before him. His three opponents jumped backwards, dodging the attack completely.

Still gripping his blade, Toshiro got out "BAN-" before he was stopped.

The third had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, grasping Toshiro by his throat and knocking his sword from his grasp. The man pulled up Toshiro to eye level, staring directly at the youngest captain of the Gotei 13.

"That's quite enough, boy. I already told Aizen that I wasn't here to dawdle. So now I'm afraid that I'll have to remove you from our path."

Something powerful and heavy crushed into Toshiro's chest, shattering his ribs instantaneously. The force behind whatever it was sent Hitsugaya sailing away, into a pillar. The stone structure was shattered by the bullet that was Toshiro's body, falling on top of the boy.

"My, you really did a number on him. I could hear his ribs crack all the way over here!" Gin called.

"Seeing as how you're finished, may we go now? I'd hate to leave our guest waiting," Aizen said. The third nodded and pulled his hat down a bit before appearing next to Aizen and Gin. The three of them turned to leave, but another voice interrupted them.

"I thought you would be here, Captain Aizen."

It was Captain Unohana Retsu. She stood there with her lieutenant, Kotetsu Isane.

"No, you are no longer worthy of that title," Unohana continued. "Isn't that right? Treacherous reprobate, Sosuke Aizen."

Unaffected, Aizen replied, "Hello, Captain Unohana. I was thinking, if someone were to arrive, it would be about now. Was it easy to figure out?"

Frowning, Retsu said, "In the Seireitei, there is a single place where entry is unquestionably forbidden under any circumstance. That place is where we stand now, the Seijotokyorin. If you wished to conceal your presence, so much that you used such a well-made 'corpse doll' for it, you would also have to choose the best hiding place. There is no place better to hide in Seireitei than here."

There was silence for a second. Then, a chuckle from Aizen.

"A sane deduction. Even though your basic theory is correct, you made only two mistakes. One, I did not come to this place to hide. Secondly...this is not a 'corpse doll.'"

What Aizen held in his hand shocked both Unohana and Isane. He held an exact replica of himself, though it was completely lifeless.

Still shocked, Isane asked, "When did he take it out!"

"'Take it out?' Why, that is such a silly question. I've had this in my hand the entire time," Aizen said, his eyes filled with a knowing that gave Isane the chills. "Up until now, I simply didn't have it take its intended form."

Isane's shock, while not disappearing completely, lessened so she could feel confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Aizen gave the girl a calm smile. "You'll understand soon enough, my dear. Just watch carefully. Here goes! Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower)..."

The replica of Aizen seemed to shatter like glass. It had been a fake the entire time, for now the man only held his zanpakutō.

Seeing his two guests' shock, Aizen explained, "You see, my zanpakutō has a very unique power. I like to call it 'Absolute Hypnosis.'"

"No, that isn't right," Isane spoke. "Kyoka Suigetsu is a flowing-water-type zanpakutō. It distorts the reflections of fog to confuse your enemies, making them fight each other. That's what you told us, Captain Aizen! You gathered all the vice-captains and showed it to us! I saw it with my very own eyes!"

The man just gave her a smile, making Isane shiver. However, Unohana seemed to come to an understanding.

"I see," she said softly, catching her vice-captain's attention. "That is the ritual for your 'Absolute Hypnosis,' isn't it?"

Chuckling, Aizen responded, "Another good deduction, Unohana. 'Absolute Hypnosis' controls the five senses perfectly. Smell, shape, mass, feel, it is all under my blade's control. With Kyoka Suigetsu, I can make a dragon out of a salamander, a rain forest out of the desert. In the eyes of the hypnotized, at least. The only condition for its ritual is that someone must see the release of Kyoka Suigetsu. After just seeing it once, that person will-"

"Enough all ready. This is the third time I've been forced to speed along this thing. You talk too much, Aizen," the third interrupted, drawing a frown from Aizen.

Looking at Unohana, the third said, "I'll make it short for you. If one looks at Aizen's shikai, they fall under the hypnosis. By those standards, you must mean that one of your fellow captains has been with us all along. The blind one, Tousen, for if he is blind, he would be unable to be hypnotized. He should be doing his job right about now. So if you don't mind, we must make our escape."

The third tossed his hat into the air, two long pieces of clothing coming out of his sleeves as he did so. The cloths began to wrap around the three of them, drawing alarm from Isane. She recognized it as a teleportation kido. She ran forward to stop them, but knew it was too late. The three of them vanished into thin air, long gone.

Or so it would seem. Isane knew the kido that would track the reprobates down. "Heart of the south, eye of the north, finger of the west, foot of the east, arrive with the wind and depart with the rain. Bakudo Number 58: Kakushitsuijaku (Summoning of the Tracking Sparrows)!"

Her hand jammed into the ground for a second, creating a strange symbol.

She suddenly looked up to her captain, stating, "I've got their position. East 332, North 1566! They...they're at the Soukyoku."

At that moment, Isane realized that there was something wrong with her captain. Retsu did not seem to be listening to her. She simply looked on to where the three criminals had teleported, her face a portrait of shock and worry. Seeming to notice her subordinate's eyes, Retsu looked down.

That face...the one belonging to the third one...it was definitely him. Blond hair, blue eyes...there was no mistaking it.

"I see. Please locate all the captains and vice-captains and transmit to them everything we know about Sosuke Aizen, as well as his current position. Inform the ryoka, too..."

"Very well, I'll-"

"Also," Retsu added, stopping her vice-captain's sentence short. "Inform the Captain-Commander this:

"Uzumaki Naruto is helping Sosuke Aizen."

END OF PROLOGUE

This is simply the prologue. After this, the story will begin at the end of Naruto's battle with Sasuke. The story will continue from there, going through Naruto's ninja life first, and his Shinigami life after he dies. Enjoy.