Chương 71: Doing, What Should not be Done
A few minutes earlier, inside a clearing far away from Karakura town, a single young man was standing with his arms crossed and eyes closed, breathing calmy. Moments later, a frown appeared on his face as he could feel danger approaching his position, and suddenly, he could feel a blade resting on his shoulder.
"It's been a while, Naruto."
"Hinata. Good to meet you again."
Although the duo greeted each other rather calmly, that was a certain amount of tension in the air as the wind picked up while it seemed that the weather was only seconds away from switching to rain.
"Why did you do it, Naruto?"
Hearing Hinata's question, Naruto took a deep breath as he prepared his arguments. Obviously, he had already prepared for Hinata's questioning, so he was still calm.
"There was no point in not directing her toward Nee-san. She is good-looking and was openly reading Nee-san's books in public. It was only a question of time until Nee-san sniffed her out somehow."
After hearing Naruto's reasoning, Hinata's anger diminished a little as she realized that his words were probably true, marking the first step in this discussion as a win for Naruto.
"Very well, but there was still no point in accelerating that process by pointing her towards Yuna."
Obviously, Naruto had expected that kind of counter-argument, so he couldn't help but smile lightly as he gave the answer he had already planned beforehand.
"Correct, but at the same time, not correct. Although my actions led to her meeting Nee-san earlier, they also changed the dynamic between the two.
If I hadn't done anything, Nee-san would be the one coming after her, but like this, she is the one coming after Nee-san."
Naturally, Hinata wasn't stupid, so she quickly figured out what Naruto was talking about. If Yuna was after women, there was usually very little wiggle room for Hinata, but if there was a woman after Yuna, then she could still interfere, at least to some decree. Not that that would change the end result, but the dynamic between Hinata and the new addition could be adjusted to some decree.
Silence covered the forest's clearing as Hinata pondered Naruto's words while Naruto simply kept quiet, waiting for the verdict.
Moments later, Hinata sighed deeply as the blade resting on Naruto's shoulder disappeared, making him sigh in relief as well.
"Just to be clear, I'm still not entirely happy about this, but I can see where you are coming from and why you did what you did."
"Hehe, thanks and sorry, Hinata."
"Hmph, I don't think this is over yet. There will be consequences."
Hearing the dangerous undertone in Hinata's voice, Naruto smiled wryly as a bit of cold sweat tricked down his forehead, and before he could say anything else, he felt Hinata kicking his butt before vanishing from her position.
Naruto, now rubbing his butt with a wry smile, couldn't help but chuckle in amusement.
'Hehe, just as planned~'
[You are getting dangerously good at sweet-talking and manipulating people.]
'Well, what can I say? I learned from the best.'
Meanwhile, in the passageway between Soul Society and the world of the living, Orihime was running towards the words of the living, guarded by two Shinigami. Although her combat power was still rather lower, her healing prowess was almost unmatched, so she decided to come to Karakura Town to heal those that were wounded during the Arrancar invasion.
Unfortunately, this was exactly what Aizen had planned, so she was intercepted by Ulquiorra, who casually sliced through the two Shinigami guards before he started speaking to Orihime in a commanding tone.
"Come with me, girl. Don't say a word except 'Yes'. If you say anything else, I'll start killing. However, but I won't kill you; I'll kill your friends. No questions, no discussion. You have no rights. Only your immediate compliance can save your friends. This is not a negotiation; this is an order.
Aizen-sama is interested in your power, so I'll only say once more: Come with me, girl."
Although Orihime was intimidated by Ulquiorra's words, the decision she was about to make was rather clear as determination glowed in her eyes. If it was for her friends, she didn't mind making a sacrifice, so she pretty much immediately decided to comply with Ulquiorra. However, before she could say a word, an arm landed on Ulquiorra'*s shoulder, as if the owner of the arms was close friends with him before an amused voice was heard by the duo.
"On my~ Aizen is interested in Orihime? He didn't appear to me as someone who was into little girls.
Besides that, what kind of antique method of picking up girls was that, Ulquiorra? This isn't the stone age anymore, where you could just smack them with a club and drag them into your cave.
Nowadays, you need to be a smooth talker and gently coax them into your cave... well, house, but that's beside the point."
While Orihime was dumbfounded due to a familiar face suddenly appearing, Ulquiorra's usually expressionless face moved slightly, almost making it look like he was frowning due to Yuna's presence.
'Look at that; I finally annoyed him enough to show at least a slight expression. Just a matter of time until I manage to make the volcano explode~'
[Seriously, is making expressionless people go into a fit of rage one of your fetishes or something?]
'It kinda is, but it's not easy to incorporate into night activities, so it rarely shows.'
[*Sigh* Why am I even asking?]
"What are you doing here, Yuna Uzumaki?"
"Geez, isn't that obvious? For some reason, Aizen sent a blank piece of paper to pick up girls for him, so I obviously had to step in. I'm an expert at picking up little girls, you know~"
Ulquiorra, not entirely understanding what exactly Yuna was talking about, wanted to know what exactly she meant, but before he could ask any further questions, Yuna's gaze landed on Orihime, making her flinch as if a predator had just set its eyes on her.
"Anyway, let's go to Hueco Mundo, Orihime. It's a great place. It has... well... mhh... anyway, it's a really great place."
Although Yuna's words were less than convincing, Orihime couldn't help but be caught in Yuna's eyes, which showed so many different emotions that had been absent from Ichigo's for quite a while now.
She has always been rather good at reading the emotions in someone's eyes. She got attracted to Ichigo for multiple reasons, but one of those was that his eyes were always radiating confidence and determination.
However, after suffering defeat after defeat while simultaneously being plagued by something Orihime didn't know about, those strong emotions turned into fear, insecurity, and doubt.
Obviously, that wouldn't just change the feeling she had towards him, but she couldn't help but marvel at how Yuna's eyes reflected completely different emotions: Confidence, determination, not a smidgen of fear, and a hint of playfulness. So, she couldn't help but ask a question about her.
"How can you be so certain that everything will turn out fine? Why can you walk into enemy territory so nonchalantly while staying calm and collected, not the least bit worried that the ones close to you will see you as a traitor? How can you still act playful, despite this whole war going on?"
Hearing the wall of questions being uttered by Orihime, Yuna casually shrugged her shoulders and was about to answer when powerful Spiritual Pressure erupted out of Ulquiorra, clearly intending to pressure Orihime.
"Did I not tell you not to ask any ques..."
"And did I not tell you to shut the f*ck up and let the expert handle matters of picking up little girls?"
Before Ulquiorra's Spiritual Pressure could touch Orihime, Yuna unleashed her own, clashing with Ulquiorra and almost instantly suppressing him, causing Ulquiorra to widen in surprise.
'Dangerous. Even with my Resurreccion, I might not be able to defeat her. Well, I still have that, so I should be fine.'
Seeing that Ulquiorra no longer spoke, Yuna nodded her head in approval and redirected her attention toward Orihime, who was shocked by the overwhelming clash of Spiritual Pressure she had just witnessed.
"Anyway, to answer all your questions: I am Yuna Uzumaki. I do not falter, I do not doubt, for I am strong. That is all there is to say about that."
Hearing Yuna's answer, Orihime couldn't help but be dazed, as despite there being no Spiritual Pressure behind Yuna's words, she almost felt her body getting pressed to the ground from the unknown auro Yuna's presence was currently radiating.
Frankly, she found Yuna'd words pretty funny, as she barely said anything, nor did she properly answer any of Orihime's questions, but at the same time, Orihime was content with that kind of answer.
Basically, the end conclusion she came up with was Yuna had always been different, so things would work out somehow.
"Will everything really be fine?"
Despite that conclusion, Orihime couldn't help but ask whether everything really was fine, to which Yuna gave her a confident smile.
"Obviously. After all, this venerable one is present."
"Okay, I'll follow you to Hueco Mundo."
Following that, Ulquiorra managed to get out of his daze, and after realizing that Orihime was ready to go, he gave her a few more instructions, causing Yuna to roll her eyes.
Apparently, Orihime was allowed to say goodbye to a single person but wasn't allowed to talk to anyone, so she basically had to leave a note behind that she had left for Hueco Mundo.
Usually, that would pretty much imply that she went there on her own accord while simultaneously creating a psychological trap for herself that she had indeed gone there on her own accord, but due to Yuna's interference, both of those aspects got distorted.
While the letter that was supposed to tell everyone that she went to Hueco Mundo somehow turned into a letter that she would be traveling to Hueco Mundo with Yuna, who was already accepted as an inside informant, diminished the effect that she had betrayed Soul Society. The other aspect got distorted as well, as she now went to Hueco Mundo because she trusted Yuna that everything would work out instead of going there to save her friends.
Unfortunately, Ulquiorra, who had very little grasp on human psychology, was incapable of picking up such nuances while at the same time feeling that something didn't go exactly as he had predicted.
So, after he finished talking, he turned around and left to pick up the Arrancar, that were still fighting, while Yuna accommodated Orihime back to the world of the living, after which she went back to Hueco Mundo.
Around a minute later, Ulquiorra found himself in the previously described situation, with Naruto blocking his hand that was just about to wound Tatsuki.
'How troublesome, not only is the sister problematic, but the brother as well. I need to report this to Aizen-sama.'
As those words passed through Ulquiorra's mind, Naruto pushed away his hands, resulting in Ulquiorra taking a bit of distance from Naruto.
"Well, I wouldn't mind going a few rounds, but I would rather not destroy the city, so how about we change locations?"
Ulquiorra only shook his head as soon as Naruto finished speaking and turned around, ready to leave.
"There won't be a need for that. We have accomplished what we came here to do and will leave now."
Seeing Ulquiorra leave without fighting any further, Naruto simply shrugged his shoulders and didn't go after him. After all, he would rather not risk destroying Karakura town.
"Bummer, I wanted to see you two fight~"
Hearing Tatsuki's words, Naruto rolled his eyes and flicked her forehead, causing her to exclaim in surprise.
"Hey! What was that for!?"
"For acting reckless."
She wanted to argue with Naruto, but after realizing that she basically provoked a powerful opponent because she was certain that Naruto was around, without actually knowing it to be true, she only pouted as she looked away.
"Fine, I'm sorry."
Hearing the apology, a wide smile appeared on Naruto's face as he started patting Tatsuki's head, making her blush in a mixture of shame and comfort.
"Hahaha, don't worry about it!"
Hours later, an emergency gathering was being held in Naruto's home, which was attended by all Shinigami currently present in Karakura town and Tatsuki simply because she was present while it was being held.
Yet again, Naruto found himself in front of the giant monitor installed within his home, and although he wasn't happy to have so many people he didn't know too well loitering within his house due to various security features, he allowed it for now.
After everyone was gathered, the monitor activated, showing Ukitake, who wore a regrettable expression, and after a short back and forth, he revealed why he contacted them.
Apparently, after sending Orihime toward the world of the living, all contact was lost with her, and she never appeared where she was supposed to, which led him to the assumption, that she was either kidnapped or already dead.
However, Ichigo quickly denied that because the wounds he received during that last battle had mysteriously healed overnight, which could have only been Orihime's doing.
The moment those words left Ichigo's mouth, another person stepped forwards and started talking.
"I see; that is rather regrettable."
Yamamoto, the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13, stepped forward, resulting in Ukitake stepping aside, giving him more room.
"Since she was allowed to heal you before leaving, there is a high chance that she went to Hueco Mundo due to her own decision. There are still some uncertainties due to the presence of Yuna Uzumaki, who had supplied us with information before, but for now, we can only assume that she got kidnapped."
"WHAT!?"
Obviously, Ichigo was outraged when he heard that, but Renji quickly pushed him aside and started speaking to Yamamoto.
"I see; in that case, I, as one of the leaders of the advanced teams, will go to Hueco Mundo and help free a valuable ally."
As soon as he stopped speaking, Renji briefly glanced at Ichigo, making it clear that he wanted to help him free Orihime and get her back to the world of the living. Unfortunately, Yamamoto wanted to hear none of that.
"No. I forbid it. Now that we are certain that the Arrancar are battle-ready, we can't afford to spare any additional troops. All Shinigami currently stationed within Karakura Town are to return to Seireitei immediately."
Hearing Yamamoto's order, quite a few people in the room were distressed as especially Rukia had gotten rather close to Orihime. So, she couldn't help but ask a question about Yamamoto's order.
"N-No way. You want us to abandon Orihime?"
"Exactly. She is only one girl, and we have the fates of the world to consider."
"I-I don't believe I can follow that kind of order."
"Yes, I expected that to be the case."
As soon as Yamamoto finished speaking, Naruto felt someone trying to open a dimensional gate into his home, and after briefly pondering whether he should direct it into the sun, he decided to allow whoever wanted to arrive here to do so.
After all, this was Yuna's and his home, so there were quite a few... defensive functions in place. No matter who wanted to get in here forcefully, they wouldn't have a good time in case there were hostile.
Anyway, moments later, a gate towards the passageway between the world of the living and Soul Society opened, revealing Kenpachi and Byakuya, who clearly were sent here as a deterrent, so Rukia and the others would do anything they weren't ordered to do.
"You heard the Captain Commander come with us."
"Don't resist; we are allowed to use force if you do."
Seeing that there is no chance to fight back, Rukia and a few other Shinigami grit their teeth and simply nod their heads while Ichigo sighs in frustration.
"*Sigh* Fine. Since Soul Society isn't willing to assist, I won't be asking for help. Simply tell me how I can get to Hueco Mundo, and I will go there by myself. Orihime is my friend, and I won't abandon her like this."
Unfortunately, hearing Ichigo's seemingly reasonable words, Yamamoto shot him down instantly.
"No. Your presence during the defense against Aizen is crucial. You will stay within Karakura town and await further orders. The same order counts for your fellow human: Naruto Uzumaki."
The moment Yamamoto's last words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the room somewhat shifted, and before Ichigo could speak any further, Naruto opened his mouth with a sneer on his face.
"Hee~ An order? An order from you to me? What makes you think you can give me any orders, old man? Why would I give a shit what you ordered me to do? I can just go to Hueco Mundo on my own, right? It's not like I'm part of your Gotei 13, am I?"
However, hearing Naruto's questions, Yamamoto only scoffed lightly before his gaze briefly landed on Kenpachi and Byakuya.
"Aren't these two not enough to convince you to do what I tell you to do?"
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room changed gravely, just like Naruto's demeanor did. His usually soft blue eyes turned ice-cold with a gaze sharp enough to cut through steel as his demeanor switched from goofy to dignified and overbearing.
Moments later, his voice, usually laid-back and carefree but now laced with dignity befitting of someone surpassing all, echoed through the room.
"In other words: you are threatening this venerable one."
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