Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach… NARUTO AND ICHIGO ROCK!
I've seen a few Crossover Naruto/Bleach… So, I came with this idea. I said to myself: 'Hey… The Yondaime technique summoned a Shinigami… What if…'. So, here there is my new story! Let's discover what happens after death! Enjoy!
Prologue
Naruto felt terrible. Why? Because he had broken his promise. Because he had failed Sakura-chan. But worse thing… He was dying. That was the main thing of his feeling. The explosion… When the Chidori and the Rasengan had met… The explosion had damaged him, because in the end Sasuke had hit him in the chest, making a hole in his chakra protection. His inner organs… Damaged… The blood coming out of his mouth… Sasuke staring at him from above, his eyes almost closing… His heart rate slowing down… His breath almost stopping…
"… Naruto…"
He wanted to say something… But the words weren't coming out of his mouth. His strength… Was fading away… A voice in his mind was screaming things like 'I don't want to die!' and 'Damn weak brat! It's your entire fault!'. And then… Suddenly… His eyes closed… Forever, he thought. He was sooooooooooo wrong.
After death… A death god
Chapter1: There's something after death, then
Naruto didn't felt anything for a few minutes… Then, he began to feel his strength coming back. It was not possible that he was still alive! Then he found the strength to open his eyes… He wished he had never done that. In front of him… He saw himself dead on the ground, Sasuke still there. And then he looked at himself. He was wearing the same clothes, and his body was the same. Although, there was something different… No, something that wasn't there before. Hanging from the middle of his chest there was a chain. A grey iron chain. Then, he thought, maybe that chain was something that connected the soul with the body. So, if the chain was now only hanging out of his chest…
"… I'm dead."
"… Sasuke…"
Naruto turned around. Kakashi had arrived. Too late, Naruto thought. He was looking at Sasuke with concern and pain in his eyes.
"… I… I gained the power I wanted…"
"…"
"But… I don't fell… Like I thought I would feel…"
"… That's why… You feel guilty…"
"…"
"… Let's go back to Konoha, Sasuke…"
"… Yes…"
Sasuke stood up, and Kakashi lifted Naruto's body, and then they both walked away. Naruto observed them walking away, and then he smiled weakly.
"Well… At least… I managed to keep my promise… But… I believed that once dead one went to Nirvana… So, why have I become a ghost?"
"Because you still have 'unfinished businesses' in this world."
"!"
Naruto turned around. In front of him was a strange guy. He seemed around 14 years old, like him. He had red hair tied behind his head and strange black tattoos on the back of his neck and… On his eyebrows? He was wearing a strange something on his forehead, like a black forehead protector with an orange horizontal stripe, but without the headband, all made of metal. He was wearing black robes with white trimming and a white cloth belt, and hanging from his waist, a katana in his sheath. He was looking at him like annoyed.
"… Who are you?"
"Well… I'm a Shinigami."
"Shi-Shinigami?"
"Yes. I'm here to take you to the place you call Nirvana, but the real name is Soul Society. Damn, I hate bureaucracy…"
"… So, I'm really dead."
"With your inner organs entirely destroyed, what did you expect? To jump around happy and safe like a bunny at Easter?"
"… I guess… But… You said that I had unfinished business, here."
"… That's why I'm annoyed. What do you want to do?"
"… I suppose I want to see the reactions of my village and my friends for my death."
"Ok… It's understandable, I guess… After trying hard for your entire life to be recognized by it…"
"? How do you know?"
"Well… Let's say that you were a special being…"
"… Heh?"
"That damn fur ball that was sealed inside your stomach, and now, fortunately, is in hell, was sealed by a technique made by your fourth Hokage. A technique who summoned a Shinigami to rip off a soul from a body and to seal it inside something. Doing this… I don't remember the entire scientific thing, but fundamentally they transmitted some Reiatsu to your body and soul."
"Reiatsu?"
"… I'll explain all this when we go to the Soul Society. Now, didn't you want to see how your village reacted?"
"Yes… By the way, have you a name? I don't fell like calling you Shinigami all the time…"
"The name's Abarai Renji. And you're Uzumaki Naruto, I know already."
"Damn… Don't act so cool."
Renji's hidden forehead twitched.
"DO YOU WANT TO FIGHT?"
"HEY! IT'S ONLY THAT YOUR 'I'M ANNOYED BECAUSE I HAVE TO WAIST TIME DOING THIS STUFF' GETS ON MY NERVES! I'M THE ONE DEAD, HERE!"
"SHUT THE HELL UP OR I CAN STILL SEND YOU TO THE SOUL SOCIETY RIGHT NOW! AND THE HELL WITH THE RULES!"
"… Ok. Let's go."
And doing that… Naruto jumped in the air, only to fall on the ground. Renji sweatdropped and place a hand on his face.
"… Don't tell me… You thought that you could actually fly since you're a ghost…"
"… Yes…"
"… Baka…"
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"I… I can't believe this…"
Kakashi dropped Naruto body in front of the Godaime Hokage. Tsunade was trembling, but she restrained herself from crying, because she was the Hokage.
"… I'm sorry I was too late… Sasuke deliberately let himself being captured…"
"… I doubt that the council will punish him too heavily… Because he is the almighty Uchiha and he killed the hated demon…"
"…"
"… But I'll crush them if they refuse of doing him a fine burial."
Unseen from Tsunade and Kakashi, two figures were watching the entire scene. One with his head lowered, and the other annoyed. He had saw he didn't know anymore how much of those scenes.
"… Can I see my burial?"
"… It's your right to see it…"
"… It'll take a while to organize it… In the meanwhile, why don't you talk to me about all this Shinigami and Reiatsu thing?"
"Well… First the basics. Shinigami are an institution who controls both the soul world and the human world, and they reside in the Soul Society. They leave Soul Society when they are going on missions to balance the Spirits in the World. We have fundamentally three duties: 1. Perform the 'Soul Burial' and send ghosts to Soul Society or Hell."
'Hell? I'd rather don't want to see it…'
"2. To regulate and balance the souls in each world. 3. To track down and 'clense' Hollows from the human world."
"Hollows?"
"They're a hostile kind of spirit. They were fundamentally evil humans who turned into Hollows after death. They haunt for spirits and dead people with a high amount of Reiatsu. Reiatsu… Let's say that is the dead form of chakra. We Shinigami use it for fighting."
"Normal people can't see Shinigami, right?"
"Nope… But there are ones who can see and hear ghost and Hollows."
"… I see…" 'I wonder if between my friends there are ones who can see ghosts…'
"By the way, since a Shinigami used Reiatsu to make the seal in your stomach, we suspect that something happened to your soul too."
"My… My soul?"
"Yes. I don't know anything else about it, so we just have to wait for your burial."
"… Understood."
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It was at 10:00 AM. A week after Sasuke's retrieval. All the rookie nines plus Neji's group, with their respective sensei were at the burial, along with Jiraya, Tsunade and Shizune. Even Sasuke and Sakura were there. Naruto and Renji were observing the whole thing from a tree branch. One after another, like when the Sandaime died, all of them approached the coffin with Naruto's body inside, dressed in a white yukata, dropped a flower saying eventually something, and then walked away. The first one was Tsunade. She let out a single tear, and dropped the flower.
"Well… I'm really without hope… I always lose my bets… And that necklace… … It's better for you to take it to the other world, Naruto."
Tsunade kissed Naruto on the forehead and walked away. The next one was Jiraya.
"Tsk… And I believed that you had the potential to become the next Hokage… Well… I'll see you in a few years."
Then… Hinata. Hinata was crying her soul out, sobbing. She wanted to cry loudly but since that was his burial, she simply dropped the flower and walked away. She hadn't been able to speak to him when he was alive, and now that he was dead… It was useless. The next one was Shino. He simply said an almost imperceptible 'Farewell' and walked away. Then, Kiba and Akamaru.
"… Damn you… I bet that you did something stupid…"
"Whine…"
"I know, I know, Akamaru… Well, try to become someone, up there. Good luck."
Then, Choji. He was crying, and he dropped the flower along with a single chip.
"It's… The last one… Just for once… I leave it to you…"
Then, Shikamaru. He approached the coffin and dropped the flower. He observed Naruto for quite a few seconds.
"You know… I will learn from this matter… I'll become a better ninja… For you and for the others…"
Ino's turn. She had a sad look on her face.
"You were… A loudmouth… And a baka… … And a hopeless love-struck fool… We weren't so different. I wish I had managed to know you better, Naruto."
It was Neji's turn. He dropped the flower, his eyes closed.
"… To save someone from the darkness… You let yourself fall into it… You were truly a hero… Naruto."
TenTen. She approached the coffin and dropped the flower.
"You know… You managed to give courage to a big bunch of people… Including Neji… And myself. You brought back Tsunade-sama, after all… It has always been my childhood dream. Thanks, Naruto."
Lee, with Gai. They were both crying.
"Naruto-san… I swear… I swear that I'll become the strongest for you too!"
"Sigh… Lee… Look, his face, even in that coffin… He still seems youthful and full of power…"
"Sniff…"
Sakura. She was crying too, but she had her head low, like not having the courage of looking at Naruto's face. She silently dropped the flower and then she caressed his face.
"I asked… I asked you to bring Sasuke back… … If only I was stronger…"
Then she practically rushed away. Sasuke. He could feel the tension on his skin. He dropped the flower.
"… Naruto… I did something horrible, I know… And I gained… This cursed power… And I don't know if I want it anymore… But I think that destroying my eyes… Would make your death useless… So, I'll treasure this power that I gained from you."
Then she walked away. Then, Shizune, Kurenai, Asuma and Kakashi passed in front of the coffin and dropped a flower. Renji was still annoyed, but then he noticed that a tear was coming out of Naruto's right eye.
"… Sad?"
"… A little."
"… Hey, the white eyed girl and the boy with the enormous eyebrows are able to see you."
"! Really?"
"Yes. You can say farewell to them, if you want. And I can guarantee you an incredible exit…"
"…"
The crew was now in line in front of the coffin, while rain was starting to fall down from the sky. Suddenly, Hinata and Lee jumped on their feet. Behind the coffin there was a familiar figure walking towards it. A too familiar figure. He got on his knees and stared at his own body. Then he looked in front of him, and smiled.
"Na… Naruto-kun…"
"Hinata… Then you see it too…"
"What are you talking about, Lee?"
"I… I can see Naruto… Or better… I think it's his ghost…"
"! What?"
"… I see it too, Lee-san…"
"… Try to be strong even without me, ok?"
Behind Naruto, unseen to all the others, Renji was opening like a portal in the air, using his sword.
"It's time to go, Uzumaki."
"… Farewell, friends…"
And Naruto walked into the portal, but to the others it seemed like he had disappeared into the rain. Renji followed him into the portal. A portal which took both of them… To the Soul Society.
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"Wow… I expected something else…"
"Soul Society is never like a human imagines…"
Naruto was now dressed in a white yukata, the chain was gone, and he was in a town very similar to the ones that he saw when he was alive.
"These are the… Outskirts of the Soul Society, the rukongai. This is the place where all the spirits live."
"And you Shinigami live in the central part, I suppose…"
"Yes. You can call it the Seiretei."
Renji and Naruto walked towards the big, enormous wall which hid the central part of the soul society. In front of them… A giant. An enormous being, dressed the same way as Renji.
"Renji-san…"
"Jidanbou. Open the door."
"Is he going to enter as well?"
"Yes. Special work."
"Understood."
The giant, named Jidanbou opened the enormous door of the Seiretei. The inside was like a little fortified city of the past centuries. Naruto had seen some pictures on books, back at the academy.
"… So, where are you taking me, now?"
"To the 12th Division."
"Uh?"
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"So… This is the boy… Very, very good…"
In front of Naruto was a strange looking man. It seemed that all the Shinigami dressed the same way, but, as Reiji had explained him, since he was a captain, he was wearing a white Robe with the number of their Division in Kanji on the back.
"Captain Kurotsuchi, I must remember you that…"
"I know I know… No experiments. What a shame, though… Well, enter here, young lad."
"…"
The strange looking man, named Kurotsuchi, stretched his hand towards strange machinery. The only normal thing, in the sight of Naruto, was a high glass pillar. Naruto entered it. Kurotsuchi closed the pillar from the outside and then started to work with a monitor surrounded by various levers and keyboards. The pillar was then filled with various beams of violet light, which started to move all around Naruto's body. On the green monitor appeared a silhouette of Naruto's body and various phrases written in a language that Naruto hadn't ever seen. After a few minutes, Naruto walked out of the pillar, and Reiji talked.
"So?"
"We guessed right. His Reiatsu is enormous."
"… He absorbed the Reiatsu used for the seal, then."
"Ehm… Do you mean… That now, I am a Shinigami?"
"Nope. But you have a huge potential."
"The elders had already given their permission, suspecting of this matter."
"Thanks for the information, Captain Kurotsuchi. Now, listen to me, Naruto. Being Shinigami is a complete different thing from being a ninja. There are not hand-seals, and we fight using almost exclusively our Zanpakuto."
"… Zanpawhat?"
"… Our swords. We fight basically using our swords. Also, Hollows are totally different enemies from the ones you used to fight."
"…"
"What do you say?"
"… Well… I only know how to fight… So… I suppose I would really don't know what to do. And it seems that I have even some potential, while back in the ninja world I had to work a lot harder than anyone on the earth only to be a ninja."
"… Ok. Then… Starting from tomorrow, you will start the academy."
"THE ACADEMY AGAIN? Oh, man… And how much it will take?"
"Well… Since in the past life you have been a ninja and this will probably help you a lot… Only two Shinigami years, instead of six."
"Phew… ! Wait a minute. How many human years are two Shinigami years?"
"… … Damn, I always sucked in math."
"I'll answer to his question, Renji-san. Two Shinigami years are 300 human years."
"WHAT?"
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300 years later
"Anf… Anf…"
"… Tsk…"
Sweat. Blood. Deep breaths. It was the sunset, in the Seiretei, and after a battle of two hours, two men were still standing. One was Abarai Renji. The other one was named Kotsu Namerigi, actual vice-captain of the 6th Division. To become Vice-Captain or Captain, one must defeat in an official fight his predecessor. The whole audience was looking with interest at the fight. Suddenly, Namerigi newly rushed at Renji, with his Zanpakuto Shikai form active. The sword was like a big leaf. It was a wind Zanpakuto, able to summon gales of wind. Renji dodged to the left, but a gale of wind still managed to cut his right leg.
"Ngh…"
"You're finished!"
"… Zabimaru!"
"!"
Renji's Zabimaru lengthened and grabbed one of Kotsu's ankles, making him fall to the ground. Before Kotsu could stood newly up, Renji was above him, Zabimaru pointed at his throat.
"Anf… Anf…"
"… I lost."
Suddenly, a Shinigami with a strange red hat raised his arm and stretched it towards Renji, saying…
"Winner and new Vice-Captain of the 6th Division… Abarai Renji!"
The crew exploded in waves of applauses, and one boy in particular among the crew was really happy for his friend. A boy around his same age, still an apprentice Shinigami, but still wearing the usual black robes. Like all the apprentices, instead of a Zanpakuto, he had a normal Asauchi. This particular Shinigami apprentice had blonde spiky hair and cerulean eyes, along with strange birth-marks on both his cheeks. After receiving his arm band, Renji got out of the arena, and suddenly the blonde haired apprentice began to head-lock him.
"You did it, you damn baka!"
"Hey! I'm injured, you know!"
"Ahhhh! For a newly Vice-Captain, it should be piece of cake!"
"Think of your own business! Tomorrow you have an exam, you know!"
"Yep! I will finally become a real Shinigami, tomorrow!"
"Try to not fail. Your Shinigami supervisor is Rukia, you know!"
"Yes, yes, don't worry… I will be fine…"
"… I need to get myself healed and you need to rest."
"I know… I'll se you tomorrow, Renji."
"Hey! From now on it's Renji-sama!"
"Wow…"
"… Damn baka…"
Naruto walked away. Renji was right. He needed all his strength for the exam, tomorrow. After all, he would have been his first time…
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"Fighting a Hollow. It's a basic thing for every Shinigami to learn how to fight and defeat Hollows."
50 apprentices Shinigami were all lined up in a large courtyard in the middle of the Shinigami academy, listening to further details about the exam.
"Now, before going, one more thing. Usually, a Shinigami takes care of a Hollow on his own. We act in group only in extremely dangerous occasions. So, don't get used on having a partner. Now, go with your assigned examiner and go."
Naruto searched for Rukia, and he found her leaning against the cherry tree in the middle of the courtyard. He approached her and said…
"Ohayo, Rukia-ch…"
And he received a punch on his head.
"It's Rukia-sama, today, baka. They could think that I did favouritisms or something like that…"
"Ops… Sorry. So, should we go? And where are we going?"
"We are going to the earth, in the city of Okinawa. There's a Hollow wandering on the beach. We'll take care of it… Or better, you will take care of it. I'll join the fight only if you're in trouble."
"Understood… But don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Very well. Then, let's go."
Rukia slashed the air with her Zanpakuto, making a portal to the earth. They both walked in, and the portal closed behind them.
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"So… This is a real Hollow…"
"Yes… The name is Adamantor."
The two Shinigami were on the beach of Okinawa, and in front of them was a tortoise-like Shinigami. The only differences with a real tortoise were the size, the colours ( the head is still tortoise-like, but it's pale white with yellow eyes, and the shell is violet ) and the fact that instead of tortoise paws he had stocky white human arms.
"Hmmm… Shinigami… I finally have the pleasure of seeing you… And I will have the pleasure to eat both of you, too."
"Ohhh… Quite confident, the tortoise…"
Naruto grabbed the hilt of his Asauchi, determination in his eyes.
"So… Let's begin the exam. You have five minutes."
"… Ok."
"Come… Shinigami."
"I always wanted to taste a tortoise soup…"
Naruto unleashed his Asauchi, and rushed at the Hollow. He jumped in the air and hit the shell of the tortoise with the sword, landing behind his back.
"Stupid…"
"As suspected, the shell is very resistant…"
Suddenly, the tortoise lengthened his head, and without moving, tried to bite Naruto. Naruto jumped back and continued to dodge.
"You can't run forever…"
"And you can't lengthen your neck forever…"
"!"
Naruto had made the neck of the Hollow tie his same body. Rukia was smirking.
"Great move…"
"Focus the light… Unleash the power… Hide the colour… Destroy my enemies… Destructive art #47: White fireball!"
Naruto grabbed his right wrist with his left hand, and an enormous ball of white light exited his right palm. The fireball hit the tortoise Hollow, making him flying high in the air, landing a few meters far away.
"Guh… Damn you…"
"… Rukia-chan…"
"Rukia-sama! What?"
"… It's okay if I use my Zanpakuto, now?"
"Well… Since this is your final test… I give you the permission."
"Good! I couldn't wait anymore!"
Naruto replaced his Asauchi in his sheath, and then he began to emit a big amount of Reiatsu, which surrounded his body. The tortoise hollow, in the meanwhile, got back on his feet.
"Take this!"
The tortoise hollow began to spin on himself, like an enormous spinning top, heading towards Rukia and Naruto. Suddenly, without even noticing if not a second before disappearing, he was on the ground, cut in two halves. In front of him Rukia, with an amused look on his face. Behind him, Naruto, with his Zanpakuto in hand, and the sheath that had moved on his back. And his Zanpakuto… Was enormous. ( Note: The same size as Ichigo ).
'So… So big… He really has an enormous amount of Reiatsu…'
"Yeah! What do you think of it, Rukia-chan?"
"… You pass."
Continue…
In the next chapter…
Finally graduated! Naruto is now an official Shinigami, and there's a problem… I NEED YOU! I need you to vote in which Division I should put Naruto! If I don't get enough votes, I'll just take one random division. PLEASE, VOTE BETWEEN THESE DIVISIONS!
5th Division
Captain: Aizen Sousuke
Vice-Captain: Hinamori Momo
10th Division
Captain: Hitsugaya Toushiro
Vice-Captain: Matsumoto Rangiku
11th Division
Captain: Zaraki Kenpachi
Vice-Captain: Kusajishi Yachiru
Here's a good site on Bleach: www dot bleachportal dot net