Naruto: Shinigami No Ken

(Naruto and Bleach Crossover: The lines of good and evil are now blurred as friends becomes enemies and enemies become friends. Follow Naruto in the next chapter of his destiny as a shinigami of Seiteirei)

Chapter One: Death And Rebirth

"Why is it so dark?"

These were the thoughts of the Rokudaime Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto as he slowly opened his eyes and looked around him, seeing nothing but blackness everywhere.

"Arghh my head.... It feels like I've been to one of Gama Oyabun's marathon drinking sessions." The blonde haired jinchuuriki mutters to himself as he held his head and tried to remember the events before he had apparently blacked out.

"Oh yeah.... Now I remember...." Naruto said to himself as he recalled in grief. Members of Akatsuki together with their subgroup Hawk led by his former teammate and missing nin Uchiha Sasuke had invaded Konoha in order to retrieve him so they could extract Kyubi. Of course, he and his soldiers had met them in battle but there had been many casualties on both sides before reinforcements from allied villages could arrive to assist Konoha.

In the end, it was down to a final battle between him and Sasuke and the last thing he remembered was both he and Sasuke had charged up their signature jutsus and in a replay of their last encounter at the Valley Of The End years ago, had rushed towards each other with every intention to kill.

Apparently, this time he lost.

"So you're finally awake." A deep voice which sounded a bit muffled spoke to him.

Naruto snaps his head around and tried to locate the source of the voice. But as he moved his head, he could hear the rattle of a chain and when he looks down, he sees it. A length of chain attached to a sort of cork embedded on his chest. He tries to pull off the chain but the voice speaks to him again.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you boy."

"Who the hell are you? And what the hell is with this damned chain on my chest?" Naruto demanded.

The owner of the voice steps into view and Naruto tried hard not to stare at the imposing figure which stood before him. The figure was easily over seven feet tall and wore a white haori over black robes, armored shoulder pads, bracers and heavy boots. But the most prominent thing about him is the bucket shaped shaped helmet which covered his entire head except for the thin slit around it for him to see as well as what seemed like a katana which was sheathed at his side.

"That is what remains of the chains which bound you to the world of the living. If you try to pull that off, you will only succeed in accelerating the chain's deterioration which will serve to quicken your descent into madness." The large figure said. Looking at the chain, Naruto could see that the chain was indeed slowly shortening. "As for my identity, I'm the Seventh Division captain of the Thirteen Division Imperial Guards, Komomura Saijin. I'm a shinigami."

"A Shinigami?!?" Naruto asks incredilously. "Whoa whoa woah, back up there a bit buddy. You talk as if there's more then one of you Komomura San. No offense but how can that be possible when I know for a fact that there's just one shinigami."

"A common misconception." The identified Komomura Saijin replied. "There are thirteen squads of shinigami in Seireitei Uzumaki Naruto and I just happened to be the captain of one of those squads."

"Thirteen squads of.... Hey wait a minute! How'd you know my name?" Naruto asks suspiciously.

The large figure was silent for a moment before he replied. "I make it a point to know the person I was sent to exorcise. Especially someone who is a potential recruit to the shinigami academy."

"If you know so much about me, then you should also know of my rather.... Unique condition." Naruto stated.

"Ah yes...." Komomura said in understanding. "You're a jinchuuriki. A human sacrifice that was used to seal away one of the tailed beast. And not just any tailed beast but the strongest one of them all, Kyubi No Kitsune. That was the reason why that group called Akatsuki attacked your village was it not?"

"Yeah. If it wasn't for that damned furball in me, they would've left Konoha alone." Naruto stated quietly as he hung his head down.

"But you did manage to defeat all of them." Komomura pointed out. "You defended your village like a leader should and THAT is to be admired."

"But at what cost?" Naruto asks sadly. "A lot of good people died. A lot of my friends...."

"If it's any consolation, granting that they haven't done anything heinous during their lives, I know exactly where they're going." Komomura said as he unsheathed his sword. "That is also the place where you're going."

Before Naruto could answer, he hears a loud roar as a pair of gigantic black wraiths with chalk white faces, needle point noses and a hole in the middle of their bodies appears in front of them.

"Tsk.... They found us already." Komomura grunted. "And a pair of Menos Grande no less."

Naruto leaps back and starts to reach for a weapon in his pouch but discovered that he didn't have any. "What the hell are those monsters?"

"That is one of the things you might've become if your chain totally disappeared." Komomura answered. "That is a Hollow or more specifically, a fusion of several Hollows, a Menos Grande. But to have a pair of them follow us here must mean that you've got some exceptionally strong reaitsu in you boy."

"I'm glad you're impressed and all but what are we going to do with those?" Naruto asks.

"Don't worry. I'll handle them. This will also be an excellent opportunity for you to see first hand, another aspect of what being a shinigami is all about." Komomura said as he faces the pair of Menos Grande and raises his sword.

"Roar! Tenken!" Komomura growls out as he swings his sword down. Out of nowhere, a gigantic hand wielding a sword appears and mimics the shinigami's movements, slicing one of the hollows in half right down the middle. Komomura then takes a large step forward and a gigantic foot appears and mimics his movements, stomping the other hollow into oblivion.

Naruto was rendered speechless by the enormous show of power. In a matter of seconds, the huge shinigami had crushed the monsters like they were nothing and didn't even look winded. Exactly how strong was he?

"That was SOOOOO cool!!!" Naruto exclaimed. "You've gotta teach me how to do that!!!"

"That was nothing. When you enter the shinigami academy, you will learn to achieve similar feats especially when you finally materialize your zanpaktou." Komomura stated, raising his sword.

"Zanpaktou? You mean your sword?" Naruto asks.

"Yes." Komomura answers. "And as you may have seen, it is a major source of our powers as shinigamis. Time is running short, I have to exorcise you now and send you to Soul Society." Komomura said as he prepares to tap the butt of his zanpaktou to Naruto's forhead and perform the Konsho. But then, Naruto holds out his hand.

"Wait a minute Komomura San. Before I go, can I.... Go see my home one last time?" Naruto asks somberly. Komomura nods his understanding. The boy needed some closure and he wasn't about to deny him that.

"Of course...." Komomura said as he whisks him away to Konoha where they arrive just in time to witness the funeral of those who had fallen in battle against Akatsuki which included Hagane Kotetsu, Kamizuki Izumo, Mitarashi Anko, Hyuga Hiashi, Higarushi Tenten, Rock Lee, Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Inuzaka Kiba, Hyuga Hinata, Haruno Sakura and of course, the Rokudaime Hokage himself, Uzumaki Naruto.

Naruto watches as his surrogate mother and predecessor Tsunade who had once again taken up the mantle of Hokage, struggle to keep her composure as she presided over the ceremony. But it was a losing battle because of massive loss dealt to Konoha.

The survivors weren't faring any better.

Shizune was openly weeping because even though they weren't related by blood, she had once again lost people whom she considered as siblings in Naruto and Sakura.

The ever stoic Shino's eyes watered with unshed tears as he grieved the deaths of his two teammates and some of his closest friends.

Neji screwed his eyes shut hoping it would help hold back his tears but to no avail. The loss of Tenten, Lee, Hinata, Hiashi and Naruto was almost too much for even him to bear.

Hanabi wailed in Konohamaru's arms as all pretense of dignity was forgotten. She was now truly the sole heir to the Main Family. But at such a terrible price.

Konohamaru was no stranger to grief. But the loss of his sensei and surrogate brother Naruto hit him just as hard as when he lost his grandfather and uncle.

Chouji was on his knees in front of Shikamaru's and Ino's pictures as repeatedly pounded the ground and cursed his inability to protect his closest friends.

Yamato, Ebisu and Ibiki had lost comrades in the line of duty before, but not in such a massive scale as this. It was difficult to accept.

Mournful howls from the Inuzaka kennels as well as from the surviving Inuzaka clan members present, grieving for the deaths of one of their own as well as their packmate's comrades.

Sai didn't pretend he knew what his comrades must be feeling right now nor did he try to. But he could certainly respect the sacrifice Naruto and the others made.

Kurenai stood with her young son who cried at the passing of his sensei. Another promise which would not be fulfilled because of war.

Maito Gai was a broken man. First it was his rival Kakashi. Now, not only did he lose a pair of prized students, he also lost a young man whom he considered as a surrogate son.

Iruka was inconsolable. A lot of his ex students who were his pride and joy had been lost. But the death of his surrogate son, Naruto had hit him the hardest because of their bond with one another.

And finally, there was Tsunade who looked as world weary as she felt. Dan, Nawaki, Sarutobi Sensei, Jiraiya and now Naruto. Her life was just one tragedy after another and she wondered if her bad luck in gambling extended to her personal life as well.

Naruto wanted to touch her face. He wanted to reassure her that everything was alright and they were all in a better place.

But in his current condition, he was just unable to do that.

His only consolation was the massive turnout of the villagers and shinobis as well as friends and allies from other countries like Gaara, Inari and Shion who came to pay tribute to him and the others who had sacrificed their lives to protect his village.

"They all finally see you for what you truly are Naruto." A whisper said in his ear. But as he turned around, he could see no one but the shinigami who stood a respectful distance away from him.

"Was that a hallucination?" Naruto thought to himself as he looks back at the funeral. "Being dead is starting to play tricks on my mind." Naruto thought as the massive shinigami who called himself Komomura Saijin walks up besides the ex Hokage.

"You seem to be well loved by all for there to be this much people in your funeral." Komomura commented.

"Nah. It wasn't always that way. But you'd know that wouldn't you since you DID study my background." Naruto said. "Besides, this isn't just for me. It's also for the others who have fallen in the battle against Akatsuki. Speaking of which, where are the others?"

"Depending on their actions during their lives, they're either being sent to Soul Society or exorcised to.... Another place by my collegues." Komomura answered. "What about you? Are you ready to go now?"

Naruto gives Konoha one last look and mutters a quick "See you later guys." before turning to Komomura. "I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Very well then." Komomura said as he taps the butt of his zanpaktou to the blonde's forehead. "I'll see you on the other side." Komomura stated as he watched the blonde vanish in a shimmer of light before he brings out what seemed to be a cellular phone which looks positively tiny in his massive hand and spoke into it.

"Number Seven to Welcome Wagon. The subject is on his way now." He reported.

"Copy that Number Seven. We'll be expecting him at the reception." A lazy voice answers over the phone and pauses before asking. "And what of Kyubi?"

"In a manner of speaking, still sealed within the subject and won't be an issue for a long while. At least not until he graduates from the shinobi academy." Komomura answered.

"I see...." Another pregnant pause. "I still don't know why you don't want to tell him the truth. He has a right to know." The voice stated.

"He's not ready to know yet." Komomura stated bluntly. "Besides, he's always been his own man who does things according to his own beliefs so telling him the truth probably won't make much of a difference anyways."

The voice at the other end chuckles at this. "Hehehe, I guess you're right about that. I can't wait to see what he can accomplish here in Soul Society."

(Meanwhile)

Sasuke was angry as hell.

The dobe had upstaged him once again.

Their final clash had happened once before during the time he had left Konoha.

Back then, Naruto did not go for the killing blow even when the opportunity presented itself and instead opted to scratch his hiate. The act by itself was an insult to him.

And now, judging from the way he saw nothing but darkness all around, he assumed that he had lost their final clash as well and had died.

Now he was stuck here in this vast limbo of darkness with nothing but a rapidly deteriorating chain on his chest.

"Kukuku…. I never thought I'd see you here Sasuke Kun." A voice speaks to him.

Sasuke snaps his head back and sees the familiar silhouette of a man who he trained under while he were still alive. The only vivble part of him was his reptilian eyes.

"Orochimaru…. I thought I killed you?" Sasuke growls out.

"That you did Sasuke Kun but as you can see, in death I was reborn." He said cryptically.

"What are you doing here then?" Sasuke asks.

"I came here bearing news and an offer." Orochimaru answers. Uzumaki Naruto is now in Soul Society and will be training to become a shinigami. If you still wish to see him destroyed, I can help you with it."

"And what's in it for you?" Sasuke asks suspiciously.

Orochimaru smiles at this. "In return, you will assist me and my new collegues in our cause. You have tremendous potential which I do not wish to waste. It will be like old times."

Sasuke thought about this. He had nothing to lose and the offer of power was too tempting for him. For the second time in his life/afterlife, he chose to follow Orochimaru.

"The next time we meet Naruto, I WILL destroy you."

Author's Notes: Alright boys & girls, here is the first chapter of my brand-spanking-new Xover of Naruto & Bleach. I sincerely hope you guys enjoy. As usual, R&R pls.