Title: The path of the dead

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Bleach; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo respectively. I am doing this for my own amusement and I do not gain anything by doing this…ok I my gain some good reviews and the satisfaction to see my two favorite animes and manga in one single story.

Pairings: well, I haven't decided yet except that it would certainly not be a Naruto/Hinata.

Rating: T for language and maybe some other things.

Summary: " This is something only I can do, for it requires a sacrifice that neither of you possess , Naruto would be the perfect jailor…Please, take care of Naruto, from this day on he should be seen as a hero."

Author's Note: Hello there, well this is my first crossover ever. I have never done this before, though I have thought of doing one for a while now.

Anyway, I would really appreciate the reviews and what you think or suggest. I would also appreciate if you do not flame or tell me that certain things seem too different from the original stories because well, that's what this is all about, that's what this is called fan fiction.

Also, English is not my first language. However I have found a Beta and this chapter had been edited. I want to thank peppermint quartz who is helping me out with the story.

Well, here is the story, hope you like it and do not forget to review!

Prologue

He was looking at the little form in his arms. The blond hair and peaceful expression made him look irresistibly adorable and Minato thought that he and Kushina had done an excellent job. With hesitation he caressed his son's cheek. The little boy stirred but didn't wake up.

"Naruto," murmured the Hokage. He lifted his head and looked out the window. Outside he could see almost all the shinobi forces assembling at the gates of Konoha where the battle against the demon lord, Kyuubi no Kitsune, was raging. A frown formed on his face and he hugged his son

"My son, I don't have much time," he said, looking down at the sleeping face, "I wish I could be there to teach you how to use your powers, to see how you become stronger than me…" Minato let a small smile full of pride appear on his face. "I can already feel it…the energy pouring out of you in incredible waves that would make nee-chan and Ojii-san jealous."

Minato pulled out a small necklace made of silver with a pendant of the same material. The pendant had the appearance of a coin. On one face was the form of a dragon and a lightning bolt, on the other was the kanji for twelfth. He let a bitter smile form on his face before he put it on his son. The necklace was a little long for the baby but it didn't matter. Minato trusted his wife, Jiraiya-sensei and the old man. But, if for some reason they failed him, he knew that the necklace will guide Naruto to the right people.

"Minato?" The blond Hokage turned around to see a serious Jiraiya looking at him with concern. Beside his old sensei was the former Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Both men stood there with their eyes fixated on the little figure on the Hokage's arms.

"So, this is my godson?" said Jiraiya, approaching the man with a soft smile. "He is really handsome. Just wait until you're all grown up: the great Jiraiya-sama will teach you all you need to know about women!"

Sarutobi and Minato chuckled at that commentary and for a moment the imminent danger was forgotten and replaced with the small display. Jiraiya then lifted his gaze and his eyes locked with those of his student.

"Minato, you're going to use it, aren't you?" Minato nodded seriously and Jiraiya sighed, defeated. "Would you …do you know the risks? Are you sure you want to sacrifice yourself? What about Naruto and Kushina?"

"What are you two talking about?" asked Sarutobi. Minato turned to the old man and explained.

"I've been working on a sealing technique," said Minato. "This will stop the Kyuubi."

'And if everything goes well help my son to protect my world,' he added to himself.

An uncomfortable silence followed the Hokage's words; Sarutobi was looking at the man in front of him with a critical eye.

"Then teach me. I would do it," said the former Hokage after a moment of consideration, "It is noble of you to want to sacrifice yourself for the village Minato-kun, but I will do it. I am old but I still have enough strength in me to make it work and seal the beast inside of me."

"You don't understand, sensei," replied Jiraiya. Sarutobi turned to him, confused. Jiraiya elaborated, "The beast can't be sealed in a grown-up man, your tenketsu is far too developed and it isn't capable of holding the amount of chakra the Kyuubi is made of. Even if you do it and die in the process...the kyuubi would is only one way..."

"You mean…" Sarutobi's gaze fell on the baby in Minato's arms and the former Hokage understood. "But your own son?"

"I really appreciate your offer Sarutobi-san; but I have to do this," said Minato. The man started walking away but before he left the room he turned around to smile at the two of them. A strange kind of pressure suddenly enveloped the two older men and made it difficult for Sarutobi and Jiraiya to breathe. They looked directly in the blue eyes of Minato that were shining with an inner blue light. " This is something only I can do, for it requires a sacrifice that neither of you possess. Naruto would be the perfect jailor…Please, take care of Naruto; from this day on he should be seen as a hero."

With a mumbled 'Hiraishin' the blond Hokage disappeared, leaving behind him two mourning and shocked men. Jiraiya then snapped out of his astonishment and, with Sarutobi close behind, went to follow Minato.

By the time the ANBU arrived, Gamabunta and Minato had advanced towards the Kyuubi. Many of the ANBU were helping the injured while the others were expecting orders from their captain.

"Taichou?" A woman with a cat mask and purple hair approached her captain. The man however didn't move, nor did he answer his subordinate. He stayed there looking at the battle ahead of them with only one thing in mind. "What are you planning to do sensei?"

"Minato-dono, are you completely sure?" The summoned toad asked the blond man perched on his head. The Kyuubi no Youkou stood there with his tails waving around, smashing the trees around him down to the ground. The beast looked amused at the toad in front of him and he left out a roar that could be heard in the village. Villagers and shinobi fell to the ground in fear. "Are you aware of what would happen if you die here? The seal would be broken."

"I know Bunta, I know. But this is the only way. He is not a normal hollow and you know it"

"Ok, then. Let's do this."

Minato smiled before releasing the seal he had on his right wrist. It was a power beyond any ninja's imagination and that power and spiritual energy was what had called the kyuubi's attention. The demon looked at the man who was emitting that amount of energy and a crazy smile appeared on its face.

"Shinigami?" A roar of laughter left the mouth of the Kitsune and the beast started to channel its own energy. "It's been years since I last saw one…let us play now, shinigami."

And with those words the Kyuubi launched himself against the toad and the man on it, not noticing the baby or the hand seals the yondaime Hokage was forming until it was too late.

Court of Pure Souls – Seireitei – Soul Society

Shiba Kaien, fukutaichou of the 13th division, and Ukitake Jūshirō Taichou of the same division were supervising the return of the squad of Academy Students that had been injured during field training. Apparently something had gone terrible wrong during the training. Among the lot of casualties, there had been two deaths and some very serious wounds.

A young black-haired woman appeared from behind the fukutaichou of the 13th division, her eyes were scanning the injured students and some of the shinigami of the fourth division that were taking care of them. She was wearing a worried expression and was highly distracted, which prevented her from noticing the amused expression on her fukutaichou's face until he put a hand on her shoulder and spoke in a firm but amused tone.

"Kuchiki!"

The girl jumped in surprise and she looked up at the man that was giving her a smile. "Something wrong?"

"Kaien-dono!" The girl bowed respectfully, unaware of the bemused expressions of Kaien and Ukitake. "Sorry, Sir but I was …worried."

She let her eyes rest on the academy students once again and the two men understood what she meant by that.

"Look Kuchiki, I …"

But Kaien's words were cut off by the heavy and thick snap of something ancient. Ukitake turned around and his eyes were wide opened at the sight, but before he could say anything a bright white light surrounded the place where the Senkaimon connecting to the real world was.

There was a moment of panic which was subsumed quickly in the face of command, in which orders were barked and the forces around the Senkaimon divided into two, one for the Academy students and the other around Ukitake-taichou. Once the commotion passed and the brilliant light subsided the shinigamis present found themselves in front of a big, wooden door with a marble seal broken in front of it.

"What the hell is that?" asked a random shinigami. Many of them turned to look for instructions from their taichou just to find him with eyes wide open and a shocked expression on his face.

"Taichou?" asked Kaien who had his hand on the hilt of his zanpakutou. The others imitated their fukutaichou and got ready to act.

"Be at the ready but do not do anything unless I say so," said Ukitake-taichou warily. Then the man turned to Rukia. "Rukia, I want you to go immediately to Yamamoto-Soutaichou, tell him…tell him that the elemental senkaimon of the advanced training grounds has been unsealed."

Real world – Karakura Town – Urahara Shop – 11:00 pm.

"As always your timing is perfect, Yoruichi," said a man with a bucket hat and a green cloak. His eyes were hidden under the hat and his voice was serious and worried.

Behind him appeared a black cat, along with a tall man with a thick mustache and a worried expression. The cat walked towards them and the three of them were now stood in front of what seemed to be two pillars that were at each side of a wooden door with a broken seal on it.

"What happened to the seal Kisuke?" asked the cat in a deep voice.

"I don't have any idea," replied Kisuke. He looked down at the cat before saying, "There are three possibilities as to why the door has appeared and the seal is broken and, personally, I don't like any of them."

They went silent for a moment before Kisuke sighed in defeat.

"I am sorry, but it would be only a matter of time before they start acting and send the second division to investigate."

"What do you want me to do?" asked Yoruichi. Kisuke let a sad smile appear on his face.

"I don't think he did it in purpose," said Kisuke, adding, "something must have happened to make Minato-kun break the seal."

"Something bad indeed. Minato-sama gave everything for this to work." Kisuke and Yoruichi turned to Tessai who had spoken for the first time since their gathering.

"Very well, I would look into this."

"Be careful Yoruichi. Like I said they will send someone into this place and either way it has been almost fifty years since the place had been patrolled."

"Do not worry about me, I would be very careful." And with that the black cat opened the door and entered.

It didn't take more than five minutes to completely cross the passage that guided her to a place. The signs of battle and death were still visible. Yoruichi stood there for a moment trying to catch on Minato's presence, but after a few minutes she tensed up. There weren't any traces of Minato's reiatsu, but she was feeling something familiar, something that in a way scream 'Minato' but wasn't his completely.

"What have you done Minato?" She stood there with her eyes closed, analyzing all the possibilities. "I guess I have to find out," she said before running towards the familiar yet strange reiatsu.

Back in the shinobi world and to be more exact in Konoha, a blond newborn baby was resting in the hospital. Around him was a guard of four ANBU members that were ignoring the angry exclamations and shouts coming from somewhere in the village or the rushed steps of the medics and nurses outside the room.

The blond was sleeping peacefully and just like his guardians, he was ignorant of the big commotion not just in the Hokage Tower but in two other worlds that will in the near future

change his life forever.

Edited 23-01-09

So, what do you think? did you like it? hate it?

Also the title can be change in the near future...

Do not foget to review!