Fanfic based on Naruto (by Masashi Kishimoto) and Bleach (by Tite Kubo). This is a fan-made story with no official affiliation. The content is shared as part of the creative rewards on my Patreon.
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Info: If it has [+] and a number in the middle, there is a note below about what was said in the line.
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Previous Chapter:
"That's exactly why I'll protect you. I'd give my life for you—not because of some mission, but for something deeper. Just like your mother cared for me when I was just a brat, I'll do the same for you. I'll protect you and watch over you. Even when your father is with you, I'll be there by his side."
His final words rang out, strong and full of unwavering resolve:
"Daughter of Thunder... Little Spark."
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When Renji finished his vow, silence fell over the place, broken only by the whisper of wind brushing against the empty graves.
Yoruichi, still in his arms, looked up at the sky before turning her gaze to Renji. Her small, warm, and bright smile drew one from the ninja, too, despite the pain reflected in his red eyes.
Suddenly, one of the other ninjas broke the moment:
"Renji, we should head back. The storm might return soon, and we don't want the little one to catch a cold."
Renji nodded slowly, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. His steps were heavy, but full of purpose.
As they walked toward the cemetery's exit, a sudden flash lit up the sky, followed by the distant rumble of thunder. Yoruichi babbled excitedly, reaching her tiny hand toward the light.
"Thunder..." she whispered, barely audible.
To Renji, it was just a sound, nothing clear—but it still brought a smile to his face.
Without a word, he held the child a little tighter and kept walking under the fading rain.
...
...
...
[Four days later]
In a house perched on one of the mountains closest to the Raikage's Tower—one of the highest in Kumogakure—a soft breeze drifted through the open windows.
Inside, in a room lit by the early morning sun, a crib sat in the center.
Yoruichi, wearing an unusually focused expression for a baby, stared up at the wooden ceiling.
Two ANBU, assigned to guard her, watched from the shadows. They tried to stay serious, but the baby's cuteness was breaking down their composure.
"Never thought a guard post could be this peaceful. Just look at her," one murmured, almost whispering.
"If Renji hears you, he'll send you on a punishment mission for dropping your guard," his partner replied, though his tone lacked any real threat.
What neither of them knew was that, while she looked like any innocent infant, Yoruichi was already deep into her mental training.
"This is all I can do for now," she thought, running over her plan again.
Her body was still fragile, unable to exert even minimal effort without risking injury.
But her mind... that was a different story.
She had decided to strengthen her cognitive abilities with simple, yet crucial exercises.
Memory Exercise:
First, she mentally reviewed recent events. She recalled the faces of Renji, Kumiko, and Zoma—her three caretakers and her mother's former students, who were now constantly around her.
She played with the sounds of their names in her mind, trying to link them to the faces she remembered, connecting them to their voices and expressions—everything purely mental.
Attention to Detail:
She closely observed the ANBU guards.
She noticed how they shifted their stances, the patterns in their breathing, even the subtle movements of their hands when adjusting their weapons.
To her surprise, one of them would sometimes make funny faces when he thought no one was watching.
She nicknamed him "Nappa," because he looked just like Nappa—but with dark skin, the same shiny bald head, and a thick white mustache. That's what she saw when he once lifted his ANBU mask.
The other one she called "Sajin," thanks to his dog-themed mask—a nod to Sajin Komamura from Bleach.
Anyway, Yoruichi would imagine scenarios—mentally recreating what they would do if someone broke into the room. She formed patterns and plotted out different outcomes.
It was both a game and a form of training.
But the most important thing she practiced was patience.
When hunger started bothering her or drowsiness became too much to ignore, she would close her eyes and focus on her breathing, the whisper of the wind, or the steady steps of the ANBU.
She had learned to calm herself, not letting her body dictate her emotions.
"I can't let this body limit me. My mind has to be my sword until my body's ready to follow."
Even so, Yoruichi was aware of her limits. Her body was still fragile, and while she pushed herself to train patience, she couldn't ignore basic needs like food and rest.
"It's a delicate balance," she thought.
After all, she was still a baby.
Her mental training was simple—something she came up with in just two days—but she saw it as essential.
A humble form of training, but Yoruichi understood that even the longest journeys start with small steps. That's why she didn't stop.
With every repetition, she didn't feel any progress—just exhaustion—but that didn't discourage her. With nothing else to do but be trapped in her own body, the only thing she could train was her mind, just to stay entertained.
Eventually, little by little, the fatigue began to win. Despite her efforts to stay awake, her eyes closed and she drifted into a deep sleep.
"Awuua! What a cute little sleeper."
The low, deep voice of Nappa, one of the ANBU, broke the room's silence.
As he spoke, he walked slowly toward the crib, watching Yoruichi with a smile on his face—hidden by his mask.
Sajin—the name Yoruichi had given the other—followed close behind. His movements were more reserved but no less attentive.
"Man, you know you shouldn't be acting like that. Stay professional," Sajin whispered with a hint of reproach.
Nappa let out a soft chuckle as he gently tapped Yoruichi's cheek.
"It's fine. You guys won't say anything, right?"
He lifted his mask, flashing a 'charming' smile at the ceiling—a smile so disturbing it sent chills through the other ANBU, who quickly responded without hesitation.
—"Yes, Captain!"
—"Quiet! Can't you see you'll wake her up?" Nappa snapped, his tone sharp and angry.
Sajin sighed in resignation and muttered under his breath:
—"Man, you're the one yelling."
Nappa replied with a cat-like grin spreading across his face:
—"Doesn't matter. I'm the boss, aren't I?"
Sajin let out another sigh, this time with reluctant acceptance.
—"And to think you're about to become a father... Buddha help your kid."
Nappa let out a nostalgic laugh.
—"Yeah… Hard to believe it's only been three days since I found out Ren is pregnant. I never thought I'd be a dad."
—"Got a name in mind yet?" Sajin asked, raising an eyebrow.
—"Of course! His name will be Darui. I hope he inherits my magnificent mustache and my glorious white hair."
Nappa's grin widened with pride while Sajin looked at him with a deadpan expression.
—"Right… I hope he inherits... something," Sajin muttered doubtfully, glancing at his partner's scalp, where he was met with the reflection of his own face.
—"Sure he will. Just as 'glorious' as your… hair."
—"He will! And he'll have a mustache as majestic as mine."
The two continued their carefree banter as little Yoruichi slept soundly in her crib, unaware of the world around her.
The other ANBU, watching from the shadows, did their best not to laugh.
The atmosphere was calm—absolutely still—and for a moment, everything felt perfectly at peace.
...
...
...
Suddenly, a man entered the room. The moment he stepped through the door, both Sajin and Nappa went silent and dropped into a respectful bow.
At the same time, the hidden ANBU emerged from the shadows behind them, adopting the same reverent stance.
"ANBU presents its respects to the Strongest Thunder."
The man who entered was massive, easily over 6'7" (205 cm).
He had a body built like a professional bodybuilder, a slightly bulbous nose, long blonde hair, and a goatee. His eyes were a deep, dark color.
Tattooed on his right shoulder was the kanji for "thunder" (雷), and a lightning-shaped scar ran across the right side of his chest.
He wore Kumogakure's official uniform—but only the vest, with no shirt underneath. A rope belt was tied around his waist.
His teeth were sharp and fang-like, and his upper lip had a darker pigment than the lower one. His ninja headband was tied around his neck like a scarf, and he wore a hat emblazoned with the kanji for "Kage" (影, shadow).
This man was the Third Raikage—the strongest shinobi in Kumogakure and arguably in the entire world during this era.
Only a few shinobi in the world could stand against him: the Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Tsuchikage Ohnoki, and maybe Madara Uchiha—though the latter, aged, wounded, poisoned, and far from his prime, was merely a shadow of what he once was.
"You may leave," he said calmly.
The ANBU bowed and vanished.
Nappa tried to slip away with Sajin, but the Raikage stopped him in his tracks with a sharp look.
—"You stay, Neru," the Raikage ordered, his eyes locked on Nappa. [+]
Nappa—now revealed by his real name, Neru—could only sigh as a chill ran down his spine. He looked over to Sajin, only to find a puff of dust where his comrade had once stood.
"Traitor," Neru thought bitterly, then turned to face the Raikage.
—"What do you need, Raikage-sama?" he asked, fear clearly in his voice.
—"I don't need anything. I just wanted you to stay," the Raikage replied with a mocking grin, playfully smacking Neru on the shoulder.
—"Ha, ha, ha! Scared you, didn't I, Neru?" teased a voice from behind him.
—"No, I wasn't scared. I was just… waiting for someone to offer me a raise for all my hard work—" Neru began confidently, but as he turned around, his voice vanished and the color drained from his face.
—"A raise, huh?" the voice said, now with a dangerous edge.
—"Renji..." Neru whispered in fear, knowing that what was coming wasn't a raise—it was a beatdown.
"You…" Renji growled, grabbing Neru by the head and lifting him clean off the ground.
But Neru's shiny bald head caused Renji's hand to slip.
—"Yoo!" Neru yelped in fear, watching as Renji went in to grab him again, this time with even more force—his veins bulging with rage.
Inside, Neru could only think: "Forgive me, little Darui... I'll only be leaving you my glorious mustache and the Arashi clan name. Don't cry for me, son… I'm already dead."
A single, imaginary dramatic tear rolled down his cheek as he resigned himself to fate.
—"Enough, Renji!" the Raikage's voice cut through the drama, firm but laced with hidden amusement. "If Neru ends up without a neck, who's going to do all the boring crap you hate?"
Renji froze immediately. He let out a frustrated growl, like a dog denied its favorite toy, but quickly changed his attitude and gently picked up Neru.
He began straightening Neru's clothes with surprising care, like a father dressing his son for an important meeting.
—"Neru, what were you doing on the floor? You've got to take care of yourself, man. You're going to be a father. You need to be in one piece. Otherwise, who's going to watch your kid... or do all the boring stuff for me?" Renji gave a small smirk as he finished.
A thick vein popped on Neru's bald forehead—he was about to protest—but a sharp glare from Renji shut him down immediately.
He switched his expression to a forced, overly cheerful grin and scratched the back of his head in fake embarrassment.
—"Hahaha! Boss Renji, thanks for caring so much about me," Neru said with a shaky smile.
The Raikage let out a booming laugh—a sound so loud it shook the walls and woke Yoruichi, who had been peacefully asleep until then.
—"You're a real character, Neru. That's why I keep you around, even if you're a walking magnet for chaos." The Raikage clapped him on the back—a friendly gesture that, to Neru, felt like getting hit by a bull.
—"Thanks... I guess…" Neru muttered, wincing and trying not to collapse.
Renji, meanwhile, scoffed and muttered under his breath, "Lucky bastard. About to be a dad, and here I am—almost 30 and still a virgin. Pretty soon they'll promote me to sage…"
Ignoring the exchange, the Raikage walked over to the crib where Yoruichi, now fully awake, was staring straight up at him.
"Haha, little one, how'd you wake up? Did you sense my stealthy presence? You've got talent, kid," the Raikage said, laughing again.
Then, carefully, he picked the baby up in his arms, raising her to eye level. Yoruichi immediately tried to kick him.
"Awua!"
Old butt-face, your loud laugh woke me up!
Yoruichi screamed internally—but all that came out was a string of baby babble.
"Look at her!" the Raikage said, holding her up higher. "She's beautiful... and she's not afraid of me."
A warm smile spread across his face, but it quickly faded into a more somber expression.
"I'm so sorry, little one," he whispered, his eyes full of regret as he looked at the baby. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect your mother..."
The room fell silent for a moment. Then the Raikage sighed and continued:
"Your father will be back soon. I've already issued the order for his return. In the meantime, I'm sending A and B to Iwa—B needs real field training. I'll continue to Konoha, and..." —he turned his gaze to Neru—"Neru, you're going to Kirigakure."
"Me?" Neru asked, stunned.
"Yes, you. You're the ANBU sub-commander, and right now, we're short on personnel."
"But wasn't Renji supposed to go?" Neru replied, pointing at the man behind him.
"Neru," the Raikage said seriously.
"You're a high-ranking jōnin, a member of the Arashi Clan, and you carry the Storm Release kekkei genkai. On top of that, you're an ANBU specialist in silent assassinations and sensing. Kirigakure's terrain—covered in water and mist—amplifies your skills. It's the perfect environment for you."
He paused before adding:
"Besides, A-Jr. And Killer B has secured most of the Kirigakure front. Their forces are focused on the Konoha border now. Even the Third Mizukage himself is over there, which means our side isn't under heavy pressure."
Without waiting for a response, the Raikage continued.
"Also... Killer B—a kid who hasn't even hit double digits yet—went to the battlefield and fought alongside his brother. Are you gonna let a child outdo you?"
Neru let out a long sigh, resigning himself to fate while thinking, "He's a damn jinchūriki... and A's on him 24/7... Sigh... They better pay me overtime for this."
The Raikage, ignoring Neru's internal monologue, turned his attention back to Yoruichi in his arms.
"Let's go. Time to get ready. We've got important matters to discuss and no time to waste. Neru, Renji—I want you both in the strategy room in ten minutes."
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End of Chapter 4
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Note:
[1]Neru means "to sleep" in Japanese—a fitting name, and similar to Darui, which means "dull" or "boring."
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