Naruto: Death God

Chapter Nine

Tough Training

Naruto gently touched his side, where his missing Zanpakuto would be resting. He felt bare without a weapon. Unfortunately, it was necessary if he wanted to see Rukia. Due to his close attachment to her he was apparently a 'risk'.

He chuckled inwardly at that. He found that to be an accurate description. Using Shurio, he'd blow his way out with Rukia in his arms. Without his blade, he was forced to simply visit her.

Sadly, any attempt to keep a calm composure was ruined when he saw Renji leaving with Byakuya. Spotting the red headed man's eyebrows caused him to begin snickering uncontrollably.

He was still trying to regain himself as he was led up to where Rukia was being held. Of course, all mirth left him the second he saw her. She was standing at the window overlooking Sōkyoku Hill, the light shining in and framing her body. She looked breathtaking.

But it wasn't her beauty that captured his attention. It was the look on her face. She looked sad, even more though was the look of resignation in her eyes. As if she'd given up her life already. His eye twitched slightly. That look annoyed him.

"You look pretty in white" he said walking towards her "But that look really throws the image off"

She didn't look towards him, but it was obvious from the way her shoulders tensed up that she heard him. She knew he was going to scold her and didn't want to see him.

Naruto was sure that if she looked at him she'd lose it. He scratched his chin "You know, I'm happy Renji got a promotion, but the eyebrows are a bit much, is he compensating for something?"

It was small but he heard a giggle come from her and grinned a little "I can now understand why he's been avoiding me ever since I got back" he shook his head "I'm going to kick his ass later and if he thinks bigger eyebrows will make him stronger, he's got another thing coming"

"And if he even begins to mention the Spring Time of Youth, I'll send him through a wall" he stopped talking when he heard Rukia start to laugh.

She turned to him, still laughing "What? What is that supposed to mean?" she asked trying to catch her breath.

He chuckled "A friend of mine had these huge eyebrows, though not as intricate as Renji's" he said "He was always talking about being Youthful and trained constantly" he shook his head "One of the most powerful men I knew"

"Sounds like you respected him" she said softly.

He shrugged "I respected his strength and his tenacity" he grinned "Especially when it came to going after women, even if they weren't interested in him" even after Sasuke left, Sakura really had never gotten over him. Of course, Lee had never given up...at least until a woman showed up at the village. Her attitude dwarfed his and she stole his heart immediately.

"A bit like you Naruto" she said looking at him knowingly "Before I was brought here, I was aware of your flirting with that girl, Tatsumi"

"Tatsuki; you got her name wrong on purpose" he said correcting her "And I thought we'd already talked about this..that night we slept together" he began to blush a little.

She frowned "I'm still getting used to that" she said "Besides, even if I accept it, I am still allowed to get jealous of the other women in your life" she walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders "You are the first man I've ever fallen in love with" she smiled a little "Frankly, I never thought I would even feel this way about someone, I did my best to keep my feelings locked away"

He chuckled and leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together "You were very polite when we first met, then you turned out to be a little violent" he snickered a little.

She gave him a small slap on the back of his head before kissing him. The kiss was passionate and she even began to nudge him towards the wall before he stopped her.

"That can wait" he said firmly "I'm not going to let you turn this into a 'Last Night Together' kind of thing"

She frowned and stepped back, looking at him sternly "Naruto, what are you planning?" she asked, knowing the type of person he was.

He grinned and began to move towards the exit "Nothing at all" he said shaking his head "I really don't have anything planned, figured I'd just wing it when those Ryoka end up attacking"

Rukia stared at him for a second "Isn't that a bit irresponsible?" she asked, wondering exactly what he was thinking.

Naruto paused before he left the room "When I was still alive, back when I was just getting started being a Ninja, I would do irresponsible things all the time" he grinned at her "It became so common that I became known as "The Number One Hyperactive, Knucklehead Ninja" he chuckled "A title that I'm still proud of" he gave her a small wave before vanishing.

The raven haired woman sighed "I fell in love with a dangerous man" she said softly before making a small face "Why do I keep becoming friends with guys like him? Both Renji and Ichigo are like that"

She sat down near the window, all her sadness gone for the moment. Naruto really knew how to bring up a person's spirits.

When he left the tower, Zanpakuto once again firmly attached to his waist, Naruto was thinking of what to do. For all his bravado he really needed a plan. At his current level, he was painfully aware of how weak he was. He, Rukia, and Renji had all been roughly the same strength, though he and Renji were more for physical strength. Rukia had always been the smart one of the three.

Ichigo was around the same level as well, but against someone like Byakuya they were nothing more than targets. He was afraid they'd not only have to fight Byakuya, but all of the Captains.

Their only hope was to achieve Bankai, but Bankai required years of training. It was time they didn't have. Stopping, he sat down on a bench and raked his fingers through his hair. This was like the Chuunin Exams all over again. He was weak and didn't have anyone who could train him.

'Don't be so sure brat' the voice echoed through his mind like a thunder clap 'You have one advantage over the others of your ilk' the fox chuckled deeply. Naruto turned his senses inward and looking towards the door that held the beast.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked "That I'm just supposed to let you train me? You spent the vast majority of my life trying to get me to use your power enough that you could break free of the seal and take control of my body" he shook his and gave a soft laugh "And even now you are doing it again"

Naruto gave a surprisingly animal like growl at the eye staring at him "I used your power before because I had no other choice, this time I have more time to find a different solution"

"Not much" a soft voice said from behind him as Shurio came from her door "Naruto...I hate to say this, but I agree with the Fox" she actually looked displeased with what she was saying "Utilizing his power, we could bring me forth in the physical world and we could begin Bankai training. It could even speed up the process, giving you thousands of years in just a few days"

The blond sighed "Shurio, both of us know what would happen should he ever get free" he said "No one would be safe, he is one of the nine original demons, born of the ultimate monster" he shook his head "Without a physical body containing a majority of his power, he would not only wipe out Soul Society, he would destroy all worlds"

'I don't mean to brag, but the kid has a point' the fox chuckled 'If I could get control over his spiritual body, I would have no limitations, I could snap up all the delicious souls here, then go on to Hueco Mundo to consume those cattle that call themselves demons' the red eye flashed brilliantly.

Naruto didn't even say anything, just waving his hand towards the creature.

Shurio nodded "I understand what you mean Naruto" she said "But he won't be able to take control of you if he's using his powers to help us train" she smiled a little "We'll be using him as a battery of sorts, powering the physical manifestation required to train"

The blue eyed boy sighed again and rubbed his face "If you believe it will work, then I'll trust you Shurio, not him" he walked over to her and gently took her face in his hands "You are my better judgement, if you believe something is right, then I have to listen, whether or not I like it"

His inner spirit smiled at him "Of course" she said chuckling "Now, I have some things to prepare before we get started, you go see about finding us an out of the way training area, somewhere we won't be found for a few days"

Naruto nodded "I've already got an idea of where we can go"

'Can't wait for our fun training session' Naruto heard though he promptly ignored as he left his mind and came back to his senses. He sighed and rubbed his face before stretching and hopping up.

He nodded to himself before turning and heading towards the Second Division headquarters. As he walked he began to think about Ichigo and his team, especially the odd black cat that was with them. The male voice had thrown him off, but it wasn't long before he'd figured out who she was.

Everyone in the Second Division knew who Yoruichi Shihōin was. Soi Fong idolized her, despite how she tried to hide it and even more so when Naruto pointed it out. It was almost like she was generating both hatred and love for the former Second Division Captain.

After awhile, he began to think that it was best not to bring up the subject. Soi Fong hid a sadness behind her stubborn attitude. The woman acted strong but was missing a key element that would truly make her powerful. Perhaps she needed to deal with her feelings towards Yoruichi.

It was almost guaranteed that the two would meet in the upcoming battle. Soi Fong was powerful, that power would make her a threat towards the weaker members of Ichigo's team, possibly including Ichigo himself. If Yoruichi wanted to help them, she was going to end up fighting her old pupil.

He sighed, hoping that his captain would eventually find the peace she was seeking.

Shaking his head, he got off that subject and turned towards the real reason he'd begun thinking about Yoruichi. He'd gotten a chance to talk to her, at least a little bit. She'd stated that if he ever needed training, he could find an area underneath the Headquarters that would serve him well. It was a place she herself had used for private training. The place could be a bit intense but she was sure that if he felt he could handle it, then he could use it.

He was hoping that he could even find the place, let alone use it. He'd also have to hide it from Soi Fong, he didn't need her knowing he was training to free Rukia. She knew how close he was to Rukia and the fact that he'd just come home from the same place she'd been taken from. Any form of training would tip her off to his intentions.

He was actually relieved to find that no one was left at the headquarters when he got there. It seemed that everyone was out, getting prepared for any upcoming skirmishes. Soi Fong liked to be prepared, if there was even the slightest threat, she was going to be ready for it. The woman was very oriented towards keeping her people ready.

Walking into the empty building, he headed for the Captain's room. In there, he began to search, making sure not to disturb anything that would give away his being there. Even after thirty minutes, he could find anything. He wished Yoruichi would have told him what he was looking for.

"Damn" he mumbled, suddenly realizing why Yoruichi hadn't done just that. The previous Captain of the Second Division was still teaching. Shaking his head, he sat down in the chair there and sighed deeply "I really don't need to be tested right now" he said softly "I am already dealing with a body snatching demon, along with trying to rescue Rukia, I can't be wasting time solving a riddle"

He kicked the desk hard enough to send it sliding across the floor and against the far wall. Suddenly, there was a small click and the floor that was under the desk slid away, revealing a small hole. He raised and eyebrow and stood up, walking over to the desk and kneeling down to look at the hole "Seriously?" he asked softly "How often did she kick the desk across the room to find this thing?"

Sighing at the simplicity to this little test, he grabbed the desk and pulled it back to it's original position. Luckily for him, the floor didn't close back up after that. It wasn't until after he'd hopped down into the hole that he heard the floor close, leaving him in darkness. His back was against a wall so he decided to walk forward. After several seconds, the floor began to slope downward. Soon, it was all he could do not to fall over and slide down.

Eventually, he found the end, a small drop into a dark space. By the sound of it he could tell he was in a large space. He slowly brought his hands together, forming a small ball of light in his hands before he tossed it into the air. This Kido had no name, though it was useful for lighting spaces. The ball exploded and sent smaller balls across the area he was in.

He waited for his eyes to adjust to the new light and laughed at what he saw.

It could only be described as a cavern. It was massive and could easily house a large building. It was amazing that no one else had even noticed this. Starting from where he stood, a single staircase moved upwards coming to rest at the base of a large throne. Along side of these stairs were miniature mountains, each of varying heights. The mountains spread out a little ways in both directions.

"This is perfect" he said softly as he looked at the view in front of him.

'I agree' the fox spoke up again 'This area is strange, I can feel a pressure on your Reiryoku and it is coming from that throne'

Naruto raised an eyebrow and slowly stepped towards the throne, placing a single foot onto the first step. He froze instantly, feeling his Reiatsu forced deep into him. He felt so weak, not drained of energy, no he felt as though he was human again, even less than that actually. By the feeling of his Reiryoku, it was as if he was a child again.

'Be careful, trying to advance towards that throne too quickly could damage your Reiryoku beyond repair' Naruto frowned. He even felt heavy, like he'd just picked up one of Lee's leg weights. Slowly he stepped back, feeling his energy return to normal and his body become lighter.

He shook his head "This place is powerful" he said softly "I think it is a place to train Reiryoku control and in turn, increase the Reiatsu output" he scratched his chin "With the right practice, I could grow immensely strong in a short amount of time"

'Exactly. With my power and Shurio's guidance, reaching Bankai will be a piece of cake' the fox chuckled before pausing 'Hmm, seems as though she is ready, how about you?'

Naruto sighed "I guess I'm about as ready as I'll ever be, what do I need to do?" he asked, a little apprehensive but ready enough.

'Calm your heart and draw on my energy. Instead of using it, project it forward like you are using Kido' the fox instructed 'Draw on as much as you possibly can'

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He reached deep into himself, searching for the power he knew was always there. He'd spent his entire life avoiding that power, using it as rarely as he possibly could. Now he was willingly calling on it.

Feeling that dark rage, he gripped it with all his might and pulled it out, directing it in front of him. With a lurch he felt it flow out of him and for a second it flooded the cavern, a thick oppressive energy that was more suffocating than the energy that flowed from the throne.

Then it snapped into a single point. After a second it slowly formed into Shurio. She was wearing battle garb and a fierce expression. A copy of herself rested on her waist. It was strange seeing her like this. All of the kind energy he normally felt from her was gone. The energy he felt from her was like his masters when he was still alive. Fierce and commanding, it was almost like she was a completely different person.

'She is definitely serious' the fox said yawning 'You have fun training with her, I'm going to sleep for a while, using nearly all of my energy has exhausted me, it certainly won't be very pleasant for you either'

Naruto paused "Why?" he asked, though he did feel a certain tired emptiness within himself.

'Whether you like it or not, my energy is always being used by you, to heal your body and soul' the fox said, sounding a bit softer 'When you were alive, you always had more stamina and energy than anyone else, and now, my energy is as much yours as it is mine. You are going to need much training to get used to not having my energy backing you up, now leave me alone, I'm going to sleep' and Naruto could hear nothing else from him. Oddly enough, he felt...off.

He looked towards Shurio "So how do we start?" he asked.

She turned her eyes towards him before looking at the throne "We start with that" she said calmly before she began up the stairs.

Naruto was amazed, she looked completely fine walking up those stairs. It was like she wasn't even bothered by it. Then he realized something, the energy from the throne was being drawn into Shurio. Then she finally stopped at the top and promptly sat down. Her body radiated energy "Now, try to reach me Naruto" she said softly "Once you are able to touch me, then you will have reached Bankai"

She stared down at him "Of course, you won't have mastered Bankai without defeating me in battle" she smirked "Of course, if you are too weak, you'll never reach me anyway, and if you don't, Rukia will die"

The blond suddenly became serious, knowing that Shurio was completely focused on training him. He stepped up onto the stairs, expecting to feel the same pressure as before. But he didn't. He grinned "This'll be easy" he said and began to run up the stairs.

Suddenly, he was kicked down the stairs, at the same time feeling the pressure instantly. He landed on his feet and snapped his head up, though the simple action made him a little woozy. His eyes widened at what he saw.

It was himself, a perfect copy of himself. Blond hair, blue eyes, and the same cocky smile as always. Looking around, he began to see thousands of himself, each one sitting on top of the mountains in the cavern. The lowest mountain was missing a Naruto and he assumed that the one in front of him was the missing one.

"Oh, I see" he said "You made copies of myself, each with different levels of the pressure I felt before" he sighed "And I'm guessing they're all as powerful as I am"

The Naruto in front of him smirked and waved him forward, taunting him.

"I'm an ass, I get it" he said lunging forward and unsheathing his blade. The copy followed suit and they clashed, the accompanying pressure sapping Naruto's strength, resulting in him getting knocked back again "Damn it" he swung his blade forward "Rise: Shurio Kitsune!" power burst around him before suddenly petering out.

"I forgot to mention" Shurio said "Since I'm not inside of you, you can't activate your Shikai, you'll have to fight on nothing but your base strength, without any help from me or him"

She was right, just as the fox had been. He was still winded from that blow. He really hadn't realized that he depended on their powers so much. He took them for granted. He slowly gathered his strength and took a deep breath.

"Fine" he said "I won't depend on you for everything, instead I'll get stronger and add my strength to yours" he launched himself forward again. The two blades clashed once again. Their attacks were flurries of movement, though each contact with the copy sucked a little bit more of his strength and energy. He needed to lower his Reiatsu consciously to avoid the sudden impact of having it forcibly lowered.

He suddenly yelled out after a particularly powerful strike, knocking him back down the stairs again "Damn, I can't lower my Reiatsu" he said softly "If I do, it lowers my strength" he decided that he would try to over power it, to push his Reiatsu to the max in his next attack.

The blond lifted his blade and attacked once again, boosting his Reiatsu as high as he could get it. With a sudden blow, the copy's sword was knocked from his hand as his own blade sliced into the copy, scattering itself into nothingness.

He chuckled "There we go, just...got to...overpower them" he was breathing roughly before he dropped to a knee "What? I feel so weak" he said softly.

"You don't have the fox's power anymore remember, you aren't going to regain your stamina as quickly as before" Shurio said sighing "If you use all your energy in one attack, you are going to completely waste yourself out"

With a sigh, he sat down on the stairs, looking up at the red haired woman "Damn, really thought I had it" he said laying against the wall there. He rubbed his face and looked at the other Naruto's "Yeah, no way I am going to get through all of you just by overpowering you"

He closed his eyes for a second, trying to regather his energy. It was pretty hard to do "I am pretty weak aren't I?" he asked softly "I really didn't notice"

Shurio sighed "You aren't weak, you are just unlearned, just as you were when you were a child striving to become a ninja" she said softly "Even the strong must continue to grow stronger"

Slowly, he began to stand up "At least I beat one" he chuckled and stretched a little "Only a couple thousand more to go" he brandished his blade once again and smiled "Level two" he said heading up the stairs to meet the next Naruto.

Just upon their first contact, he could tell that this was going to become harder and harder with each copy. He needed to find a balance in his Reiatsu, not too much and not too little. He had to stay at the same level, despite the constant forced lowering. He decided to focus on defense for the time being. He needed to make a plan and figure out the rhythm.

Soon he began to get the rhythm and was able to defeat the next Naruto. He began to find out that the pressure was constant per Naruto, though it increased each time he defeated one. Each time he moved further up, the rhythm would change ever so slightly, forcing him to switch back to defense in order to learn the rhythm again. Naruto noticed that it was taking to much time and began to alternate between attacking and defending as he learned the rhythm.

Shurio was watching calmly, a little impressed with his recovery time, even without the fox's power. He was also learning at a much faster rate than expected, though he was still missing what was needed to defeat the higher tier copies of himself.

Even as she watched him fight, she noticed that he was losing strength. This became his downfall when a knew form of Naruto showed up and knocked him almost all the way down the stairs again. This Naruto was brandishing the Shikai form of Shurio.

"What is this about Shurio" Naruto asked looking towards her.

She shrugged "You can't use my powers, but these Naruto's are a piece of myself and they are free to use my Shikai as much as they like, at least the stronger ones anyway" she stared down at him "And that is not all, the highest levels are even using his power"

Naruto could see that she was telling the truth. The ones nearest to her were brandishing her Shikai and had glowing red slits for eyes. He noticed that none of them had tails or were wearing masks, so that was a good thing.

"I'm not giving up" he said grinning "Lets get going, I've got a lot to do and not a lot of time" he gave a battle shout and rushed forward, ready to continue fighting.

Shurio smirked slightly, Naruto was always amusing to watch fight. He had no power but his own right now and yet he still didn't give up, even after several hours of going through this. She could feel it, her freest form, Bankai, waiting to be released.

'Naruto, reach me soon' she thought 'We will be together again, and much more powerful, that is for sure'

I am really sorry for not properly continuing my stories. I love these things, I just sometimes get the worst writer's block. I'll just sit there and do nothing with my fingers on the keyboard, staring off into space. A while back, I wrote down Naruto's Bankai transformation, even the scenario in which he first uses it against an enemy, I just needed to write out the training to get to that point. I didn't want him training with Ichigo as Ichigo already had his own thing to do.

So I decided, what if Yoruichi had her own private training spot, one that she'd never shared with anyone? Normally it wouldn't be enough to achieve Bankai by the time of Rukia's execution, but with the Kyuubi's power, Shurio could make a proper training ground for Naruto.

Anyway, his Bankai is next chapter. I am also introducing a new character to the fray. Should be fun!