Crossing Over von konpaku ================================================================================ Kapitel 13: Revelations ----------------------- Training Field   “So what are you doing?” Matsumoto cheerfully wanted to know. “We will set up a parameter that will help repair the damages done to this realm, while you fight off any Hollows that are attracted by the process”, Kurotsuchi explained casually while typing something into a small device. “Hell, yeah!” Madarame exclaimed swirling around the released Houzukimaru in excitement, “Now it’ll be a proper fight.”   Behind the gate a couple of Shinigami wearing the insignia of the fourth or the white cloaks of the Science Division set up several larger devices, while others popped in and out of the Gate and vanished into the distance. "So, what do you mean with ‘repairing the damages’ and 'getting the realm into proper condition'?" Shikamaru tried his question once more. “Patience. We will explain everything when your leaders arrive”, Sui Feng answered this time, but did not bother to look at him. “We want to make sure that no more Hollows can enter this Realm”, Isane tried to reassure them instead, conscious of the Taicho’s reaction, but she did not complain. “What’s taking that moron so long?” Ino complained and impatiently tapped her foot. “He probably has trouble explaining it...”, Shikamaru suggested with a facepalm.   Meanwhile in the Hokage’s office   When the barrage of questions had stopped, the Kages started arguing about something Byakuya wasn’t interested in. So he had stepped aside to try what Hitsugaya had mentally told him to do to release his Zanpakutou spirit. Quietly he had put up a barrier around himself that made it seem like he was just leaning against the windowsill and a second one that would disguise his Reiatsu. As he had just unlocked his sword again the whiskered boy burst into the room. “Tsunade-san!” He yelled at the Hokage and then started into a rant about gigantic doors, black ants and clowns. None of the Kages could make sense of this, but Byakuya sensed something from the direction the boy had come. They were here. They had received his message. A small smile made its way onto his lips before it disappeared alongside the barriers.   Back at the Gate   “What’s going on guys?” Sakura wanted to know as she got back with the Ramen “Who are all these people?” “Our friends and colleagues”, Matsumoto explained putting her arm around Isane and dragging the much taller, squirming, woman down to her level. “Oh”, the Shinigami only acknowledged and placed the lunch on the ground. ‘Now no one would eat it, all for nothing!’ She angrily thought in her mind. As she rose up again Renji appeared near her, holding a bundle of clothes and was himself fully dressed in a Black Kimono instead of the very nicely fitting shirt and pants he had worn before. On top of the mostly black clothes laid a white one and weird white ornaments. Renji stepped aside and knelt down so Rukia could pick up the top layers as he had asked her to do, including her brother’s Kenseikan and Haori. “Isane-chan, would you be so kind? I don’t think Rukia-chan wants to change in front of all these people”, Matsumoto winked and the other lieutenant complied with a nod and set up a mirroring barrier for the women and the men to change into their Shihakushou. As Renji was already dressed he sat down beside the Ramen and ate his share.   Just as the Shinigami stepped out of the improvised changing rooms, the entourage of Kages arrived at the scene. “Explain this!” The Raikage demanded pointing from Byakuya to the Gate and people busily gathered around it. “You will not interfere”, Byakuya stated coldly, stepping in front of A and blocking his way. “The hell I will!” A yelled charging with his lightning blade at the Shinigami. Not moving an inch Byakuya released the tiny blades of his sword, that he had prepared beforehand and sent them towards the other. Being met by a wall of seemingly swirling Sakura blossom pedals that came out of nowhere the Kage stopped in his tracks. The Shinigami used this to enclose him with Senbonzakura. Seeing their Kage being attacked the Cloud-nin launched at Byakuya. Though without much resistance they were either blocked by a cloud of ashes or frozen solid by ice. “Your interference was not needed”, he reprimanded his sisters' and his friends' actions. “A simple 'Thank you' would have done it too, you know?” Rangiku complained, collecting Haineko’s pieces. Ignoring her he set his focus back on the still enclosed Raikage. Unable to get out of his pink prison A roared and charged at it in futility. Disappointed by the outcome Byakuya closed his fist and let the tiny blades attack vigorously. Seeing bloodstreams coming from every imaginable direction of the body a chorus of “No”s and “Raikage-sama”s emerged from the gathered Shinobi. Lowering Senbonzakura he released the attacked. Unscathed. Yells of “Thank god” made their way around this time, thinking it had only been an illusion. “What the...”, not able to finish his question the Raikage fell to his knees, fighting unconsciousness. He lifted his arm too see the streaming blood he could clearly feel, but saw nothing but his unscratched skin. “Brother!” Bee yelled coming to kneel beside him. »He is badly injured« The Eighttails told him in a worried tone. “Eights tellin me ya hurt, but I can't see a scratch”, Bee nearly screamed gently touching his brother’s arm. “Bee leave!” He ordered his brother never breaking eye contact with the Shinigami. “What cha sayin bro? Ain't leaving your side, no!” The Jinchuuriki protested. “What is the meaning of this?” The Hokage demanded to know. “Kotesu, you're healing services are required here”, Byakuya simply ordered instead. Getting away from her post at the barrier, she knelt beside the Sixth Squad Captain with a “Hai Kuchiki-taicho”, her head lowered. “I don't need healing!” The Raikage yelled, struggling to get up. Supported by his brother he stood wobbly glaring at Byakuya. Slowly rising Isane put on a glove with a flame-enclosed skull imprinted on it. “I am deeply sorry Raikage-dono, but for a proper healing you don't leave me a choice”, she apologized while walking straight forward, her head still lowered. Lifting her arm she put the gloved hand on the mans forehead, starting to push forward. With a plopping noise a resemblance of A started to appear behind the head of the original, causing that to collapse to the ground only partly held by Bee. Shocked at the displayed scene no one was able to mutter a word. Looking down at himself the Raikage saw the blood he had only felt before. Deep wounds cut into his flesh in every direction and place imaginable. Noticing a chain attached to his chest he tried to pull it out. “Don't”, Byakuya ordered, “Unless you wish to die, you should not destroy the Chain of Fate.” Loosening his grip he looked from the captain to the healer who had now started to wave signs he had never seen before, but when a glowing green light emitted from her hands he knew it was for healing. “If I don't heal you at once, your soul will perish due to the blood loss”, she explained calmly approaching him and hovering her hands over his chest. With every passing second he felt the life returning to his body or whatever this chained thing might be. “How is this possible?” Tsunade interjected, coming closer to inspect the healing and the second body of the Raikage. “How is it possible to attack a soul without hurting the body and then extract and heal it like this? I’ve never heard of any Shinobi being able to do this.” “They aren't Shinobi”, the Tsuchikage answered instead. “Then what are they?” The Mitsukage entered the conversation. “They're Shinigami, Death Gods. I wasn't sure, but now I'm certain”, the old man revealed. Staring blankly at their visitors a deep silence fell upon the gathered group. “What is your business here? As far as I know the next report is due in two years”, the Tsuchikage asked, confusing everyone even more. “Ask the culprit back there, why he sent us here”, Byakuya merely replied, as he had noticed a Reiatsu that felt similar to what he had felt when Renji had accidentally brought them here. “Culprit?” Trying to see whom the Kuchiki was talking about the short man used his Jutsu to fly into the air. Hearing their cue two masked members of the Onmitsukidou lead Jiraya out of the Gate so he could be seen, their hands tightly on his shoulders.   “YOU!” Yelled Renji angrily, who had followed his captain’s exchange from afar; vanishing in one moment and appearing directly before the “old man” in the next. Driven by his rage he punched the man as hard as he could, causing him to crash backwards into the nearly established barrier. “RENJI!” Shouted Rukia, trying to stop him, but her brother held her back, both knowing that an interference was much unwanted. “Do you have any idea what ya’ve done?” Renji rhetorically asked, before he proceeded yelling out his anger, as the other only stared up to him with a bloody nose. “Ya had us forcefully enter this Realm and sealed our Zanpakutou-Spirits! Ya put everyone in danger! An’ ya put a frigging spell on me!” “I didn't have a choice...” Jiraya mumbled, unable to look Renji in the eyes. “You had NO choice? You had every choice!” The Shinigami still yelled. “What choice would there have been?” He this time asked a bit more cocky, standing up again. “You couldasimply asked! You coulda told me that you feared something was wrong with your home-Realm! I woulda made sure someone would look into it! But forcin' us ta do somethin' we ain't gonna know what ta do, where we hadda figure everythin' out ourselves? Man, ya in big trouble and ya’ve no idea how much I woulda like ta make ya suffer for endangering ma comrades!” Falling back into his Runkongai slang, Renji’s Reiatsu rose even more. The former Shinobi started to tremble slightly. He was powerful, but being confronted with the Spiritual Pressure as high as that of a Shinigami that was capable of Bankai was too much, even for him. “Abarai. Compose yourself”, Byakuya called out to his subordinate. Turning to meet his captain’s eyes he saw anger in them as well. He knew the Kuchiki would like to torture the man as much as he would for what he had done to Rukia, but he would simply make sure that he would get the punishment he deserved back in Soul Society. Still, Renji had to pull himself together. It was no use arguing with his captain. “Hai...” He reluctantly replied, lowering his Reiatsu and his head. “Good. This culprit will get his suitable punishment when he's back in the Court”, Byakuya congratulated his lieutenant on his choice of actions.   “You? You! How could you!” The Hokage now started to yell, hastily closing the distance between them and sending Jiraya flying again as her fist met his already bruised face. Renji could not resist the sinister smirk that crept onto his face. That guy got what he deserved.   Being left without any more seals to break Kyuu-chan had watched like the others and was now looking dumbfounded at the figure slowly sliding down the barrier, again. Moving her focus to Tsunade she noticed the streaming tears and her pained expression, when a faint murmur caught her attention. Growing louder each time her own tears started breaking through her eyes as an orange flash launched himself into her arms, yelling at the top of his lungs: “MOM!” “I'm here Naruto. I'm right here”, Uzumaki Kushina answered her son, holding him tightly. Hosted by Animexx e.V. (http://www.animexx.de)