Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Naruto in the matter.
Speech Rules:
"Talking": Human speech
"Talking": Human Thought
"[Talking]": Name of Spell
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chapter 11: Aftermath!
Laugher could be heard in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse but in actuality it was the current residence of a group of former Soul Reapers that was made up of former captains and lieutenants who were wrongly made into criminals due to acquiring the power of Hollows through Aizen experiments.
Due to this, those groups of former soul reapers felt betrayed and as such had regarded Soul Reapers as enemies just as much as Aizen. In actuality, they didn't bear any ill will towards the Gotei 13 rather they considered themselves as allies given that among the Seireitei were people whom they respected and loved.
Among those that they respected and loved the most right now was Naruto Namikaze himself. Naruto had obviously sent them the videos of Aizen utter humiliation even recording it live for kicks which resulted in the current event.
Hiyori was on the ground rolling in laughter as she clapped both her sandals together. She was relishing in the utter humiliation of Aizen and wished that she was there to witness it herself and add salt to the wound.
"Ha-ha-ha, that baldy Aizen said he wants to become god, now he's a crippled <god>!" Hiyori said as she continued to laugh along with the others as well.
"I'm seriously considering kissing Naruto right now, No homo! Now I can sleep at night knowing that pretty face of his won't be the same anymore!" Said Shinji as he wiped a tear from his eyes after laughing his ass off.
"I don't blame you Shinji, I'd kiss him as well. I'd even give him my virginity." Said Lisa with a perverted grin on her face as she also had a thing for Naruto, after all who wouldn't.
"Hmph...I'm glad that bastard got a taste of his own medicine. This is what he gets for scheming and using us as test subjects!" Said Kensei with a small smile satisfied although he tried to ignore Mashiro who was annoying him but luckily she was put in a Kidō barrier to keep her quiet.
"This is a Jojo next level kind of shit! I love it!" Said Love nodding his head approvingly as he remembered that meme that was circulating around about Dio Brando.
"I'm glad that we got avenged! This was definitely quite satisfying indeed!" said Rōjūrō as he pulled his guitar to play a tune to celebrate seeing the man who ruined their life put in his place.
"So what does that mean to us? Now that we're proven innocent, will Soul Society attempt to pardon us and recruit us back?" Asked Hachigen a very important question but Hiyori scoffed.
"I may not have anything against people like Naruto but I do have a problem with the whole system itself. No way in hell will I abandon my own freedom or return to those assholes." Said Hiyori not wanting to return and tolerate some egotistical little shits especially Central 46 whom she hated with great passion.
"Well I much rather be reading manga than doing much work. So that will be no for me." Said Love as he pulled his own stash of manga which Lisa shamelessly borrowed the hentai doujinshi from among the stash.
"Once Aizen is fully dealt with...we will decide again what each of us want to do. Retake our former position or just enjoy our current lifestyle as a small knitted group/organization." said Shinji obviously speaking on behalf of everyone.
"Well at least we can agree on something, Baldy Shinji!" Said Hiyori in an aggressive voice while Shinji let out a sigh annoyed by the nickname given to him.
"Can you please stop calling me that, you damn gorilla!" said Shinji which resulted in Hiyori to grab her chancla and bitch slapped him into the ground leaving Shinji with a bleeding nose.
"There they go again..." said Rōjūrō while the others chose to ignore it as it was a common occurrence for the aggressive Hiyori to go ape shit with Shinji being her target.
"Who are you calling Gorilla, you little shit!" Said Hiyori as she proceeded to slap him repeatedly with said sandals while Shinji was blocking the onslaught but he still had a bleeding nose from the earlier attack.
"You're short, you're flat as a board and you're ugly as hell that I doubt anyone will want to be with you and you have a very bad temper. Naughty girls like you need to be punished!" said Shinji angrily which resulted in an even bigger fight between the two.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"You fools!" Shouted Yamamoto slamming his cane on the ground causing it to echo around the large room where the Gotei 13 captains usually gather for important meetings.
It's been a month and Ichigo Kurosaki had already returned to the living world to return to his normal highschool life but he was given a combat pass to show that he was a substitute Soul Reapers for now at least until they have a talk with Isshin himself.
"Yikes, I thought he forgot." Said Shunsui sweating a little at seeing the anger of his Yama-Jii as the Head Captain never really forgot the situation with the Ryoka.
"I think he was being generous enough to wait an entire month to scold them." Naruto said, shrugging his own shoulders as he saw his sensei glaring at a few particular captains among those that were gathered.
The reason why this meeting was happening was because Yamamoto had been very angry with the performance of the Gotei 13. Aizen wasn't the only one whose pride was wounded that day but Yamamoto pride has suffered a heavy blow.
"If it weren't for Captain Namikaze quick thinking, the traitor Aizen would have gotten away with the Hōgyoku!" Shouted Yamamoto obviously being livid with how this had ended.
"I don't see what's the problem, Head Captain! The traitor Aizen is crippled and his plan foiled." Said Byakuya having made a full recovery by the second week.
"You fool! This is exactly the problem, for the Gotei 13 to struggle against a bunch of weak Ryoka is a stain on us. It's because of this that the traitor had managed to get this far!" Said Yamamoto while everyone got quiet.
It was true, Aizen's plan depended on Ichigo and his group performance which meant how much they could keep them busy. The fact that a brat who didn't even know that his own Zanpakutō had a second release managed to survive an entire week in the Seireitei and even managed to defeat many lieutenants including two captains with his Quincy friend defeating a captain as well was driving him mad.
The Gotei 13 used to be an organization to be respected and feared, those Ryoka's wouldn't have even made it to the center of the Seireitei much less Ten feet from the entrance of the Seireitei before they were killed by either a high ranking seated officer or a lieutenant.
Even if Ichigo was a Shiba, the brat was still human, adding onto the fact that he didn't have the same combat experience as that of a Lieutenant or even a Captain-class Soul reaper. For that very reason, Yamamoto couldn't simply let this slide.
"It was a miscalculation on our part, we underestimated the strength that the Ryoka's truly possessed. Even then, the Ryoka boy still had Yoruichi Shihōin by his side to pull him out whenever he got into a tight situation such as with his second confrontation with Kuchiki at the repentance cell." Said Mayuri raising his hand to explain themselves.
He would never admit that he lost to Quincy, he would have defeated the boy had he taken him seriously but his curiosity got the best of him and as such, he had wanted to experiment on the boy to see what makes him tick.
"I hate to admit it but Kurotsuchi is correct. Aizen's supposed death had led to infighting among our own forces with many believing that Gin was the criminal given how Aizen had acted around us." Said Tōshirō with a bitter look.
"My apologies, Genrūsai-dono! I underestimated the capability of the Ryoka due to not believing that the Ryoka would be this foolish or even capable of attacking the Seireitei." Said Komamura apologetically as he bowed his head in shame.
"We as soul reapers have held the torch as the strongest and the one who are in control, we were the ones to maintain the balance between worlds. The fact that the Ryoka had managed to invade our land for an entire week is going to be known one way or another to other unknown factions who obviously hold grudges against us or simply want to knock us off our pedestal." Said Naruto this time around.
"Ichigo Kurosaki's stunt would make many believe that we've gotten weaker which honestly is kind of the case right now. Even as of recently, the bounts who had remained hidden had started to come together and no doubt are planning to force their way in here and I'm sure most of you have an idea of where this is going." Said Naruto much to the shock of everyone.
"The bounts, you say? I haven't heard that name in a long time!" Mayuri spoke with a glint in his eyes as he had wanted to dissect one and this proved to be an opportunity.
"Yes. I've also heard that there is a Rogue Soul reaper that has been aiding them. I believe it was someone who held a specific grudge against our current captain of the 11th. Maki Ichinose is his name I believe." Said Naruto while Kenpachi perked up, obviously remembering the name.
"So that fool is still breathing! He had been very angry with me for killing that bear-looking captain of his." said Zaraki with a grin clearly remembering the incident and how Maki had run away.
"I think I happen to remember someone by that name, he was a man who had been very devoted to his captain due their own shared view over justice." said Komamura lowering his eyes as he remembered Tōsen.
Yamamoto wasn't happy in the slightest hearing this, he was wondering if this whole justice thing is going to be a trend in the Seireitei or what. Tōsen was already enough but now he's hearing that another idiot is trying to force his overly-idealistic view for justice.
Yamamoto believed in justice but his view of justice depended on the balance of the world and maintaining it. Anyone or anything that seeks to throw this balance off its course is injustice and he will enforce justice by punishing the criminals.
"The whole point is that even after we deal with those bounts, there will be others who will also take their place. Ichigo Kurosaki had shattered people's view on us, we're no longer the unbeatable soul reapers. We need to re-train ourselves to prepare for much more fierce enemies that will seek to destroy us." Said Naruto while Yamamoto nodded his head in agreement.
"Well said, Captain Namikaze!" Said Yamamoto agreeing with Naruto words as the other captains understood where their head captain was coming from.
"I see...I may have underestimated our current situation. We can't rely on the substitute Kurosaki anymore then we already have too. It will be a stain on our image to need to rely on him!" Said Byakuya wholeheartedly, agreeing.
Byakuya knew that this wasn't going to be the last time he was going to hear from Ichigo himself since the orange-haired substitute will be meddling in their affair from now on if his intuition was correct and that left a sour taste in his mouth. His pride wouldn't really allow him to let someone who can still be considered to be in his diapers to be helping them.
"I agree as well with Captain Kuchiki! It will be embarrassing to need to rely on someone else who is an outsider." Said Tōshirō obviously not wanting to deal with Ichigo as well.
"Anything is fine as long as I can have a good fight!" Said Kenpachi in a nonchalant manner which was ignored since this was expected from the Captain of the 11th.
"As long as I have a good test subject, I can make upgrades!" Said Mayuri with a mad scientist smile. He still felt humiliated from being beaten and almost killed by one of those Quincy.
Mayuri swore to get revenge on the Quincy boy and while he may not attempt to kill him given that the Quincy not only lost his power but is also an ally of the substitute soul reaper but he can make Uryū terrified of him.
The other captains had shown their whole support over this decision, the betrayal of Aizen was proof enough that they need to get stronger as soon as possible to fight against the future threats, especially Aizen who is currently a much bigger threat at the moment.
"Very well then, seeing as all of you understand your given duties. You're dismissed!" said Yamamoto as he tapped his cane on the floor which made the noise echo throughout the large room.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Naruto returned to Squad 2 barracks feeling like a weight has been lifted off his shoulder. The situation with Aizen has been dealt with even though the traitor is still out there but it would be months before Aizen can recover from the crippling wounds.
Aizen will still have to find a way to regenerate his missing limb and eye along with that. After doing so, Aizen will still have to find a substitute for not only the death of one of his valuable pawns Tōsen but also for the Hōgyoku.
In a way, this was just a temporary setback for Aizen who will eventually come back again and this time much more cautious if not even more vengeful. Still he can enjoy his life a little bit more before it comes crashing down again with yet another trouble.
"Ichigo is going to be a trouble magnet, isn't he?" Thought Naruto to himself because ever since Ichigo had showed up and Naruto now feels like his quiet and peace is going to be interrupted.
Still, maybe those next few years are going to be more interesting and fun than the past century. He really wants some action and dealing with weak enemies isn't enough to satisfy or relieve his boredom.
"Did the meeting end well...I hope?" Asked Soifon as she saw Naruto enter their shared bedroom while he nodded his head.
"Sensei was just rightfully pissed at the few who had lost but he only gave warning!" Said Naruto calmly since he wasn't reprimanded since he did his job.
Soifon smiled as she hugged him tightly feeling quite relieved that it was over and that Aizen got what he deserved even though he is still alive but crippling him was enough to satisfy her since she still held resentment from that day.
Naruto caressed her hair before he pulled her closer with her doing the same as they kissed passionately enjoying this moment together before separating much to her disappointment.
"Now then...I've managed to talk to sensei over taking some form of vacation to the human world and he surprisingly agreed without much arguing!" Said Naruto which surprised Soifon.
"Really?!" Soifon asked, clearly surprised that her voice came out a bit loudly but Naruto didn't mind as he gave a small nod with a smile.
Yamamoto as the head captain was very strict when it came to his captains, the reason why he allowed him such freedom was because of his work so far. His relationship with Soifon didn't hinder his duties as a Captain of squad 2 as instead it improved his performance so Yamamoto had no reason to interfere.
So when he came forward asking for a vacation, Yamamoto had accepted without much trouble since he is the reason why Aizen was exposed as the traitor and was unsuccessful in having the Hōgyoku, something which could have spelled a lot of trouble.
"Yes. That means we get to have our own date in the human world!" Said Naruto with a smile as Soifon smiled excitedly at the idea of having a time alone with Naruto.
"I don't know what to wear!" Said Soifon remembering that she can't exactly go to the human world with the type of clothes they wear in the Seireitei since it's old school and would attract attention.
"We can make a visit to a mall in the human world and pick something nice for our date!" Said Naruto with a comforting smile which made her feel somewhat better but was still nervous.
"I'm just nervous!" Said Soifon since this was possibly their first date to the human world. Given the situation with Aizen, Tosen and Gin, it was really hard to also go on dates in the Seireitei so they were content with just being around each other.
"I know this is a new experience for the both of us but you don't need to do anything over the top, just be your usual self and that will be enough for me. This date is for both of us to enjoy some well-deserved alone time together after everything!" Said Naruto in a gentle tone while Soifon nodded her head.
"Just promise me to be yourself and that will be enough to make me happy!" Said Naruto, which Soifon felt better hearing this.
"I promise to try!" Said Soifon as she hugged him tightly. She was still nervous but not as much as before. Naruto had always been skilled with words, even without trying he was always the charismatic type.
"I love you, my bee!" Said Naruto as he kissed her which Soifon returned as she closed her eyes feeling relief.
"I love you more, Naruto!" Said Soifon with a blush on both her cheeks. She was glad to have met Naruto that day. It made her wonder what the future would be like for the two of them.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The sound of glass shattering could be heard echoing throughout the large room which had a unique design as the room was all white. This was Aizen's castle in Hueco Mundo but that was beside the point.
Currently, we could see Aizen seething in anger at the humiliation that he had suffered at the hand of Naruto. There were many things that Aizen hates more than anything in this world.
Aizen hates when there is something out there he doesn't know. Usually he would go ahead and gain information through the archives in the Seireitei but remaining in the dark is something he greatly dislikes.
He hates weakness. This is why he had mastered all Soul Reaper arts in the Seireitei and even went ahead and started experimenting with hollowfication and as such needed the Hōgyoku that was created by Kisuke to facilitate his evolution into a higher transcendental being.
Aizen also hates when he isn't in control. It's one of the many reasons as to why he seeks to take the vacant seat in Heaven by becoming a god because it will mean that he is in control so nobody will try to boss him around.
Just the mere thought that someone weaker than him is standing above him infuriated him which is why he killed central 46 because he despised the idea of having those weaklings hold power over him.
This is why he got rid of many people in his quest for godhood such as Shinji and his band and even framed Kisuke the creator of the Hōgyoku which he was after. All of this was another display of his absolute strength and absolute control.
Being in control was one of the many things that Aizen took a lot of pride in such as the fact that he was responsible for Ichigo Kurosaki who is a hybrid between Shinigami, Quincy and Hollow. Ichigo was his greatest masterpiece who will help him test his transcendental power.
For Aizen, everyone was another chess piece on his large chessboard. The Shinigami whom he tricked and manipulated over the century, those Arrancar and Espada who loyally served him not knowing that they were expendable in his own eyes.
So he was rightfully furious when he learned that Naruto whom he dismissed before thinking that the boy, while extremely talented, was not a threat to his ambition but the boy had ended up robbing him of the Hōgyoku which he had spent a century patiently waiting to take.
It showed him that he wasn't in control as he had believed before. Naruto had outsmarted him and led him on a carrot chase which he fell for his trap that he set for him.
He should have listened to the late Tosen paranoid words when it came to the Captain of Squad 2. Now, he was paying the price as he was missing an arm and his right eye which had left an ugly scar.
He was crippled, if his arm had survived the initial explosion there might have been some way to attach it back but even if it did, the explosion had served to cauterize the stump.
Even attaching an arm from one of the Hollows limbs would probably cause a negative effect on his health as it might reject him. Aizen sat on his throne in an attempt to calm his anger, part of his face was covered by a bandage to hide how embarrassed he had felt at this moment.
His right sleeve hung loosely as he was missing his right arm. Even with his crippled state, Aizen was dexterous so he can use his left arm just as well as his right arm. His vision is a great loss but he can still make use of his sensing ability.
The other Espada including Gin himself had left him for now to vent but Aizen was aware that some of them were already questioning if he was capable of leading them, something he will be rectifying very soon.
He may be crippled but it still didn't change the fact that he can kill most of them with just his spiritual pressure alone. He would welcome their daring attempt at taking his throne but he will show those lower lifeforms why they should not dare test him.
Aizen crushed the head of a hollow whom he didn't bother remembering his name nor ever bother looking at him. He clicked his tongue in annoyance at the fact that his shoes had to be dirtied with the blood of those mongrels but he had to admit that venting out like this had calmed him down a little bit.
Aizen closed his eyes remembering Naruto while it infuriated him that he had lost in this round of chess but he felt an unknown feeling welling up inside his chest. Remaining unchallenged for years made him rather bored, Naruto had proved to be a far greater potential then even Ichigo himself.
The fact that the boy outsmarted him made him angry but also excited as well. Aizen couldn't help the grin on his face as he felt the blood pumping his veins, he felt the thrill of having someone challenge him and keep up with him.
Aizen couldn't help but laugh out loud which had made those who heard him question if he had finally lost it but he didn't lose it. Naruto was the perfect rival for him, the boy had mastered all soul reaper arts and even created new ones.
While it was unfortunate to him that Naruto still served under those fools in the Seireitei, Aizen had to acknowledge that Naruto was a different breed. He was not like the other weaklings he encountered who only knew how to follow the law like a sheep.
Now Aizen didn't feel as angry as before. He will find a way to leap back on both his feet and will continue this game. He will prove his absolute superiority over Naruto whom he views as his rival.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX