Hi everyone!
It's nice to meet you all. I'm Miss-Snicker, another friend of DemonKnight who's also using his account, the same as BananaPeak.
This is my first attempt at a crossover fanfic, so let me know what you all think.
Chapter 1: The Strangest Hollow
Start
Ichigo Kurosaki had seen some weird shit in his seventeen years.
Dead mother at nine? Check. Sword through the chest that gave him superpowers? Check. Rescued his friends from actual ghost hell while fighting a guy who could turn into cherry blossoms? Double check.
But this?
This was new.
"Yo, Strawberry! You gonna finish that sandwich or what? 'Cause if you're not, I call dibs, dattebayo!"
The Hollow was sitting on his desk. Not lurking outside like a normal monster. Not trying to eat his soul like a sensible nightmare. Just... sitting there. Shuffling Uno cards. In his room. At 2 AM.
Ichigo stared.
The Hollow waved.
"What," Ichigo said slowly, "the actual fuck."
"I know, right? Uno cards!" The Hollow held up the deck like it was treasure. "Found 'em in Hueco Mundo. Wild, huh?"
The mask was wrong. Fox-like. White porcelain with red and black whisker marks that looked almost painted on. The hollow hole sat dead center in its chest, and spiky blonde hair defied gravity in ways that made Ichigo's own hair look reasonable. Bone-white armor with orange and red accents covered a humanoid frame that was lean, compact, almost... human.
Humanoid. That was the first problem. Most Hollows looked like someone's nightmare ate another nightmare and threw up. This one looked like it could pass for a really weird cosplayer if you squinted and ignored the giant hole in its chest.
"You have three seconds," Ichigo said, hand moving to his Soul Reaper badge, "to explain why I shouldn't cut you in half."
"Rude! I brought snacks!" The Hollow—completely unfazed by the death threat—gestured at Ichigo's sandwich with one clawed hand. "Also, your room's kinda depressing. Ever consider posters? Maybe some plants? Really spruce the place up. I'm thinking maybe some orange accents to match your hair—"
Ichigo's eye twitched. The bags under his eyes—dark enough to qualify as luggage after two weeks of four-hour nights—probably made him look half-dead already. He did not need interior decorating advice from a soul-eating monster.
"Two seconds."
"Okay, okay! Geez." The Hollow set down the cards with exaggerated care. "Look, I'm not here to fight. I'm not here to eat anyone—tried that once, horrible experience, do not recommend. I'm just... really, really bored. And you seemed interesting."
"Interesting."
"Yeah! You know, the whole 'saving people and looking angry about it' thing. Very compelling. Great character work. I've been watching—"
Ichigo's spiritual pressure exploded outward. Frost crept across the walls. The temperature dropped ten degrees in an instant. "You've been what?"
"—in a totally non-creepy observational capacity!" The Hollow held up his hands, and Ichigo noticed nine tails materializing behind him, swaying with agitation. "Like nature documentary watching! Very respectful! I even take notes! See?" He produced a small notebook from somewhere. "Day seven: Subject defeated three Hollows while complaining about homework. Impressive multitasking."
"That's worse. That's so much worse."
"Is it though? 'Cause I feel like stalking implies malicious intent, and I'm more of a 'curious appreciation of your adventures' kind of guy. More fan than stalker, really—"
"Get. Out."
"But I haven't told you my name yet!"
Ichigo grabbed his badge. White light exploded as his soul separated from his body, Zangetsu materializing in his hand. The massive cleaver crackled with barely restrained energy, black and red spiritual pressure wrapping around the blade like living smoke.
The Hollow's tails went still.
"Whoa," he breathed. "That's a big sword. Like, really big. Are you compensating for—"
"Finish that sentence and die."
"—your very reasonable height! I was gonna say height! Because you're tall! Very threatening! Good job!"
"Okay, okay! I'm Naruto! Uzumaki Naruto!" The words tumbled out fast, tripping over each other. "And before you do the whole murder thing, just—can we play one game of Uno first? One game. You win, I leave forever. I win, you hear me out. That's it. That's all I'm asking."
Ichigo pointed Zangetsu at the Hollow's throat. The blade hummed, hungry. "Why the hell would I play cards with you?"
"Because you're curious." Those blue eyes behind the mask slits gleamed with something that might've been amusement. Might've been desperation. "You're curious why a Hollow is sitting in your room playing cards instead of trying to eat your sisters downstairs. You're curious why my spiritual pressure feels wrong—and it does, doesn't it? Not quite Hollow, not quite anything else. And you're definitely curious why I'm not currently shitting myself in terror of that sword."
Damn it.
He was curious.
Ichigo had fought enough Hollows to know what they felt like. Hunger and madness and emptiness wrapped in a monster's skin. This one felt different. The spiritual pressure was there—definitely Hollow—but underneath it was something else. Something that felt almost... warm?
"One game," Ichigo growled, lowering Zangetsu slightly but not dismissing it. "Then you're gone. And if you try anything—"
"You'll cut me in half, yeah, I got it. Very clear on that point." Naruto's tails started wagging again. "You're not gonna regret this! Probably! Okay, maybe a little, but in a fun way!"
He dealt with surprising skill for someone with claws. The cards flew in neat arcs, landing in two perfect piles on Ichigo's desk. Ichigo grabbed his pile and sat down on his bed, Zangetsu laid across his lap within easy reach.
"So," Naruto said casually, picking up his own cards, "when's the last time you slept?"
"None of your business."
"You've got bags under your bags, man. That's like, structural damage at that point. Engineering concerns." Naruto arranged his cards, tilting his head. "Hollow patrols every night? School during the day? That's rough, buddy. No wonder you're so grumpy."
"I'm not grumpy."
"You literally just threatened to cut me in half. Twice."
"You broke into my room!"
"Phased! I phased through your wall! Totally different!" Naruto set down the first card—red seven. "So here's the thing about Hueco Mundo—it's boring as hell. Just sand and murder and more sand. Like a really depressing beach that's also trying to kill you. No ramen. No friends. No fun. Just hollows eating each other until someone stronger eats them. It's very Circle of Life, except the Circle of Life is a nightmare."
Ichigo played a card, watching Naruto carefully for any signs of aggression. "Sounds great. You should go back."
"Pass." Naruto played a red skip without missing a beat. "See, I woke up there about six months ago. No memories except my name and this really specific craving for miso ramen with extra pork and soft-boiled eggs. Tried eating other Hollows to make it go away. Tasted like depression and broken dreams mixed with sadness and maybe some regret. Zero out of ten, would not recommend."
"You're insane."
"Probably! But I'm honest about it."
Ichigo played a blue skip. Drew two more cards because Naruto immediately dropped a Draw Two on him with a cackle.
"You don't eat souls." Not a question. A statement. Because if this thing had been eating souls, Ichigo would've heard about it. Would've sensed the deaths. The town wasn't that big.
"Can't. Or won't. Not sure which." Naruto's voice went quieter, losing some of its manic energy. "I tried once. There was this Plus, just wandering around near the river. Fresh. Vulnerable. Looked like a kid, maybe ten years old. Lost. Confused."
He played another card. Blue five.
"Every instinct I had screamed at me to eat it. The hunger—it was there, right at the edge of my consciousness, telling me this would make everything better. Fill the hole. Make me complete." His tails drooped. "I got within ten feet. The Plus didn't even see me. And I just... couldn't."
Naruto's hand—claw—trembled slightly as he drew a card.
"I threw up instead. Spiritual vomit. It was gross. The Plus heard me retching and came over to check if I was okay. Can you imagine? A soul trying to help the Hollow that almost ate it?" He laughed, but it sounded broken. "I ran. Just opened a Garganta and ran back to Hueco Mundo like a coward."
Despite himself, despite everything, Ichigo felt his grip on Zangetsu loosen slightly. He'd heard stories like this before—Hollows who retained some fragment of their humanity. They were rare. Usually, they were just in more pain than the others, trapped between what they were and what they'd been.
They never lasted long.
"I don't know what I am," Naruto continued, playing cards mechanically now. "I don't know why I'm different. Why I can think clearly when other Hollows are just mindless hunger machines. Why I remember stupid things like how ramen tastes and what it feels like to laugh with friends and—" He stopped. "Sorry. Getting weird. Your turn."
Ichigo played a green five. "You said you have reasons for not wanting to go to Soul Society."
"Yeah." Naruto's voice went flat. "Personal reasons. The kind that mean I'd rather stay like this than move on."
"That doesn't make sense. Soul Society is supposed to be peaceful. A chance to start over—"
"For some people, maybe." Naruto's spiritual pressure flickered, just for a moment, and Ichigo felt something beneath it. Pain. Old pain. "But not for everyone. Not for people like me who... who failed. Who let people down. Who died because they were too weak, too stupid, too—" He cut himself off. "Anyway. Not going. Would rather eat a thousand more Hollows than face whatever's waiting for me there."
The room fell silent except for the soft sound of cards being played.
Ichigo studied Naruto carefully. Really looked at him. The nine tails that moved independently, expressing emotion the mask couldn't. The way his spiritual pressure fluctuated when he talked about his past. The genuine fear in his voice when he mentioned Soul Society.
This wasn't just some mindless monster. This was someone who was suffering. Someone who was fighting against what they'd become with everything they had.
Ichigo knew that feeling.
"So," Naruto said, forcibly brightening his tone. "You gonna play or just sit there looking all broody and contemplative? Because I gotta tell you, the brooding thing is very on-brand for you, but it's slowing down the game."
"You're an idiot."
"I'm fun! There's a difference!" Naruto played another card. "Uno, by the way."
Ichigo looked at his hand. Looked at Naruto's single remaining card. Looked at his own pile of approximately fifteen cards.
"How the—when did you—"
"Skill!" Naruto cackled, his tails wagging so fast they were almost a blur. "Pure, unadulterated skill!"
"You're cheating."
"Prove it!"
"You have to be cheating. I had you on the ropes three turns ago—"
"Maybe you're just bad at Uno."
"Maybe you're just a cheating bastard!"
"Can Hollows be bastards? Technically we're already dead, so the whole legitimate birth thing seems—"
"Play your card."
"Touchy, touchy." Naruto played his final card with a flourish. Wild Draw Four. "And that's game! I win! Which means you have to hear me out!"
Ichigo stared at the discard pile. Then at his hand of too many cards. Then at Naruto, who was somehow radiating smug energy through a literal mask.
"You're insufferable."
"I've been called worse." Naruto leaned forward, his tails going still. "So. You gonna hear me out?"
Every instinct Ichigo had as a Soul Reaper screamed at him to say no. To cut this thing down and be done with it. Hollows were monsters. They ate souls. They caused pain and suffering. It was his job—his duty—to stop them.
But this one was sitting on his bed, looking at him with blue eyes that somehow still held hope despite everything. This one had played Uno with him instead of attacking. This one had made him laugh—actually laugh—for the first time in weeks.
And Ichigo was so, so tired of fighting alone.
"Talk," he said finally.
Naruto's entire demeanor brightened. His tails started wagging again, his spiritual pressure warming noticeably. "Okay! So! The thing is—and I'm just gonna be totally honest here because what's the point of lying—I'm lonely."
The word hung in the air between them.
"Hueco Mundo's empty," Naruto said quietly. "Not just literally, though it is—just endless white sand and twisted black trees forever. But the Hollows there, they're empty too. No thoughts. No feelings. No personalities. Just hunger and rage and pain wrapped up in monster shapes. They don't talk. Don't think. Don't do anything except hunt and eat and survive."
He looked down at his claws. "I can't exist like that. I can't be that. I tried, at first. Thought maybe if I just acted like them, I'd fit in. Become what I was supposed to be." His voice cracked. "But I can't turn off my thoughts. Can't stop remembering fragments of things. Can't stop wanting things that Hollows aren't supposed to want."
"Like ramen."
"Like ramen. Like friendship. Like waking up and not immediately having to fight for my life." Naruto's tails curled inward, almost protective. "Like being something other than a monster."
Ichigo's jaw tightened. He thought about his mother. About the Hollow that killed her. About all the Hollows he'd cut down since becoming a Soul Reaper. About the weight of their deaths on his conscience even though he knew it was necessary.
About how he'd never once asked if any of them wanted to be monsters.
"So you came here," he said.
"So I came here." Naruto gestured around the room. "And I found you. The Soul Reaper who hesitates. Who looks at Hollows like they're people, not just targets. Who saved that Hollow's brother even though it was already becoming a Menos. Who tried to understand instead of just kill."
"That Hollow still died."
"But you tried. That's more than most Shinigami do." Naruto stood, and for the first time, his spiritual pressure swelled—not threatening, but present. Powerful. Controlled in a way that Hollow spiritual pressure shouldn't be. "I've watched you for three weeks now, Ichigo. Watched you fight. Watched you save people. Watched you carry this weight all by yourself like you're the only person in the world who can."
His voice softened. "You're tired. I can see it. Feel it. You're running yourself into the ground trying to protect everyone, and nobody even knows. Your friends don't know. Your family doesn't know. You're just out there every night, fighting alone in the dark, and then you go to school the next day and pretend everything's fine."
Ichigo's hand tightened on Zangetsu. "What's your point?"
"My point is—I'm not asking for much. I'm not asking to move in or be best friends or whatever. I just..." Naruto's tails drooped. "I just want to hang around sometimes. Play Uno. Eat ramen. Remember what it was like to be something other than a monster. And maybe—maybe help you out when you need it. Because you do need it, even if you won't admit it."
"I don't need help from a Hollow."
"Yeah? How many nights this week did you almost die because you were too exhausted to dodge properly?" Naruto's voice was gentle but firm. "How many times did you win a fight by pure luck instead of skill? How long until your luck runs out and one of your sisters finds your body?"
The words hit like a physical blow.
"I'm not trying to be cruel," Naruto said quickly. "I'm just—I'm trying to be honest. You need help. I need a purpose that isn't just surviving. Maybe we can help each other."
"And if you lose control? If the hunger gets too strong?"
"Then you kill me." Simple. Direct. No hesitation. "No second chances. No mercy. I'd rather die at your hands than become like the rest of them. At least that way, I'd die as myself. As Naruto. Not as just another monster."
The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken weight.
Ichigo thought about the last three weeks. The exhaustion that never quite went away. The close calls. The nights he'd barely made it home before dawn. The worry in his sisters' eyes when they thought he wasn't looking.
He thought about playing Uno just now. About laughing—actually laughing—for the first time in what felt like forever. About how nice it had been to just... exist. Without the weight. Without the responsibility. Just for an hour.
"One rule," Ichigo said finally. "You hurt anyone—anyone—and I end you. Permanently. I don't care if it was an accident or if you lost control or whatever. One strike, you're done."
Naruto's entire demeanor brightened like the sun coming out from behind clouds. His tails wagged so fast they were practically vibrating. "Deal! Cross my heart and hope to die—again—which is a really weird phrase now that I think about it—"
"Don't push it."
"Wouldn't dream of it!" Naruto practically bounced on his feet. "Oh man, this is great! I've got so many plans! There's this ramen place I found—"
"I didn't say we were friends."
"—and it's run by this really weird old guy who might actually be a god, which is insane—"
"Naruto."
"—and I found this great spot on the water tower where you can see the whole town, perfect for patrols—"
"Naruto!"
The Hollow stopped mid-sentence. "Yeah?"
"Get out of my room. I have school in five hours and I need sleep."
"Right, right! Leaving!" Naruto moved toward the window, his form already starting to shimmer as he prepared to phase through. Then he stopped, turning back. "Hey, Ichigo?"
"What?"
"Thanks. For not killing me on sight. For listening." His voice went soft, almost vulnerable. "For giving me a chance. I know it probably goes against every instinct you have. I know trusting a Hollow is insane. But... thank you."
Before Ichigo could respond, Naruto dissolved into spiritual particles that drifted out into the night, carried away on a breeze that smelled faintly of ozone and something else. Something that might've been hope.
Ichigo stood there, Zangetsu still in hand, staring at the empty space where a Hollow had been sitting moments ago. Playing Uno. Asking for friendship. Offering help.
"I'm going to regret this," he muttered, dismissing Zangetsu and collapsing back into his body.
But he was already looking forward to tomorrow.
His phone buzzed. Rukia.
Where were you tonight? Felt a Hollow near your house but no purification. Are you okay?
Ichigo stared at the message for a long moment, then typed: Handled it. Everything's fine.
Three dots appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.
That's not an answer. We need to talk tomorrow.
Fine. After school.
Don't brush me off, Ichigo. If something's wrong—
I said it's fine. Get some sleep.
He set his phone down before she could respond and stared at the ceiling. His room felt different somehow. Warmer. Less empty. Which was insane because nothing had actually changed.
Except maybe it had.
For the first time in weeks, Ichigo felt lighter. Not much. But enough.
He closed his eyes and, miracle of miracles, actually fell asleep within minutes instead of lying awake for hours replaying every fight, every failure, every close call.
Morning came way too fast.
Ichigo's alarm went off at six-thirty, dragging him from the first decent sleep he'd had in weeks. For exactly four seconds, he felt almost human.
Then his door exploded inward.
"ICHIGO! DEFEND YOURSELF!"
His father's flying kick missed by inches as Ichigo rolled off the bed, muscle memory taking over. His fist caught Isshin in the gut mid-air, redirecting his momentum straight into the wall.
The crash shook the house.
"FOOL!" The poster of Masaki Kurosaki seemed to judge from its place on the wall. "Your son has surpassed you!"
"Masaki, my love!" Isshin wailed from his crater. "Our boy has grown so strong! So violent! So perfect!"
"It's six-thirty in the morning," Ichigo growled, rubbing his face. "What is wrong with you?"
"A true warrior is always vigilant!" Isshin sprang from the wall, completely unharmed. "You must be ready to—wait." He stopped, sniffing the air like a bloodhound. "You smell different."
Ichigo froze. "What?"
"Your spiritual pressure. It's..." Isshin's eyes narrowed, and for just a moment, the goofy mask dropped completely. "Calmer. When's the last time you were calm, Ichigo?"
"I'm leaving." Ichigo grabbed his school bag and pushed past his father.
"Ichigo—"
"I'm fine, Dad. Drop it."
He made it downstairs before Isshin could press further. Yuzu was already cooking breakfast, humming cheerfully. Karin sat at the table, one eyebrow raised as she watched Ichigo stumble in.
"You look less dead than usual," she observed.
"Thanks. That's exactly what I needed to hear."
"I'm just saying—you actually slept last night, didn't you?" Her eyes were too sharp. Too knowing. "What changed?"
"Nothing changed."
"Liar."
Yuzu set down a plate of eggs and rice in front of him. "Eat up, big brother! You need your strength for school!"
Ichigo ate mechanically, trying not to think about the fact that his eleven-year-old sister could read him better than most adults. Trying not to think about the Hollow who'd been sitting in his room last night. Trying not to think about—
His phone buzzed.
Unknown number: Morning, Strawberry! Sleep well? :)
Ichigo nearly choked on his rice.
"You okay?" Karin asked, suspicious.
"Fine. Wrong number." He deleted the message, then added the number to his contacts as "DO NOT ANSWER" before he could think better of it.
Another buzz: That's rude. I'm hurt. Wounded. Emotionally devastated.
Then: Meet me at the park after school? I found something cool!
Ichigo typed back: How did you get my number?
Ninja skills! Also I might've looked over your shoulder yesterday. You really need a screen lock.
Stop texting me.
Never! This is way too fun! Oh, and heads up—that Soul Reaper girl is watching your house. The short one with the attitude. She seems suspicious.
Ichigo's head snapped up. He couldn't sense Rukia from inside, but—
Another message: Just left. Heading toward the school. You should probably have a story ready.
Great. Just great.
"Ichigo?" Yuzu's voice was concerned. "You're making that face again."
"What face?"
"The 'my life is complicated and I'm tired' face," Karin supplied helpfully.
"I don't have a face."
"You really do."
Ichigo finished his breakfast in silence, grabbed his bag, and headed out before his family could interrogate him further. The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint smell of autumn. Normal. Everything was normal.
Except for the Hollow who was apparently texting him now.
Except for Rukia, who was definitely going to corner him today.
Except for the fact that he'd made a deal with a monster and didn't feel bad about it.
Yeah. Normal.
School was its usual nightmare. Keigo attached himself to Ichigo's side immediately, chattering about some new game. Mizuiro watched with his usual knowing smile. Tatsuki kept shooting Ichigo concerned looks that he pretended not to notice.
And Rukia...
Rukia was waiting by his desk when he got to class.
"We need to talk," she said quietly. "Now."
"Class is about to start—"
"I don't care." She grabbed his sleeve and dragged him out into the hallway, ignoring the teacher's protests. They ended up on the roof, where Rukia rounded on him with an expression that promised pain.
"What happened last night?" she demanded.
"I told you. I handled it."
"You handled a Hollow? Alone? Without calling for backup?"
"I handle Hollows alone all the time."
"Not ones with spiritual pressure like that!" Rukia's voice rose. "That wasn't some weak wandering Hollow, Ichigo. That was strong. Controlled. And it was in your house for over an hour before it vanished. So you're going to explain, right now, what actually happened."
Ichigo weighed his options. He could lie. He was a terrible liar, but he could try. He could tell her part of the truth. He could—
"It didn't attack," he said finally.
Rukia stared. "What?"
"The Hollow. It didn't attack. It just... talked."
"Hollows don't talk."
"This one did."
"Ichigo—"
"I'm not lying!" He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "Look, I know how it sounds. But this Hollow was different. It didn't want to fight. Didn't want to eat souls. It just wanted to—" He stopped. How did he explain this without sounding insane?
"Wanted to what?" Rukia's voice was dangerously quiet.
"Talk. Play cards. Be something other than a monster." The words came out in a rush. "It's different, Rukia. I don't know how or why, but it's different. It can think. It can feel. It's fighting against what it became."
"And you believed it?"
"I saw it." Ichigo met her eyes. "I looked at that Hollow and I saw someone who was suffering. Someone who was trying so hard not to give in to the hunger. And I thought—" His jaw tightened. "I thought about all the Hollows we kill without asking if they want to be monsters. About how we just assume they're beyond saving."
Rukia's expression was unreadable. "The Soul Society has protocols for situations like this. Procedures. You should have called it in immediately."
"So they could dissect it? Study it? Kill it?"
"So they could handle it properly!" Rukia's composure cracked. "Ichigo, do you understand what you've done? If that Hollow loses control, if it hurts someone—"
"Then I'll kill it myself." Simple. Final. "I made that clear. One strike, it's done. But until then—" He took a breath. "Until then, I'm giving it a chance. The same chance someone gave me when I became a Soul Reaper. The same chance you gave me when you could've reported me to Soul Society."
The silence stretched between them.
"This is insane," Rukia said finally.
"Probably."
"You're going to get yourself killed."
"Maybe."
"And you're not going to change your mind?"
"No."
Rukia stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. "Fine. But I'm watching. Any sign that Hollow is dangerous, any hint that it's lost control, and I'm calling Soul Society. Understand?"
"Understood."
"And if it tries anything with you—"
"I'll handle it."
"Ichigo—"
"I said I'll handle it!" His voice came out harsher than intended. He took a breath, forced himself to calm down. "Look, I appreciate the concern. Really. But I need you to trust me on this. Please."
Rukia studied his face, and whatever she saw there made her expression soften slightly. "You're impossible."
"I've been told."
"If this goes wrong—"
"It won't."
"You don't know that."
"No," Ichigo admitted. "But I have to try. Because if I don't, if I just kill every Hollow without asking if there's something worth saving—" He shook his head. "Then what's the point? What makes me different from them?"
Rukia didn't have an answer for that.
The lunch bell rang, breaking the moment. They headed back inside in silence, and Ichigo could feel Rukia's eyes on him for the rest of the day.
His phone buzzed during last period.
Still meeting at the park? I'm excited! Haven't had a friend to show stuff to in forever!
Ichigo glanced at his phone, then at Rukia sitting three rows over, then back at his phone.
He was definitely going to regret this.
But damn if he wasn't curious about what Naruto had found.
Fine. After school. But this better not be a waste of time.
It won't be! Trust me! This is gonna be great!
I don't trust you.
Yet! You don't trust me yet! There's still time!
Ichigo put his phone away before anyone could see the smile trying to form on his face.
Yeah. He was definitely going to regret this.
But maybe—just maybe—it would be worth it.
The park was mostly empty when Ichigo arrived, just a few kids playing on the swings and an old man feeding pigeons. Normal. Peaceful.
Then Naruto materialized from thin air right next to him.
"BOO!"
Ichigo didn't even flinch. "I could sense you from three blocks away."
"Aw, you're no fun." Naruto's mask somehow conveyed pouting. He was in his humanoid form now—the fox-like features clear, the whisker marks prominent, the nine tails swishing behind him. "I practiced that for like ten minutes."
"You're an idiot."
"But I'm your idiot now! Come on, I wanna show you something!" Naruto grabbed his sleeve and started dragging him toward the edge of the park.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see! It's gonna blow your mind! Well, probably not blow it, you've seen a lot of weird stuff. But it'll at least mildly impress you! Maybe! Hopefully!"
They ended up in a narrow alley that Ichigo had walked past a thousand times without noticing. But now, as Naruto led him deeper, Ichigo felt it—a shift in the air. The spiritual pressure changed, became heavier, more present.
The alley opened into a small space that shouldn't have existed. The sky above was darker here, storm clouds gathering despite the clear afternoon. And in the center sat a ramen cart that looked like it had been there for centuries.
Behind the cart stood a mountain of a man with slicked-back hair, a jagged scar running down his face, and a cigar that seemed permanently attached to his mouth.
"Welcome back, fox boy," the man rumbled. "And you brought a friend. How delightful."
Ichigo's hand instinctively moved toward his combat pass. "Who—"
"Relax, Shinigami." The man grinned around his cigar. "I'm just a humble ramen chef. Name's Izanagi. And before you ask—yes, that Izanagi. God of creation, primordial deity, all that fun stuff. Retired now. Got bored of the whole 'shaping reality' thing. Ramen's more rewarding."
Ichigo stared. "You're a god."
"Was a god. Now I make noodles." Izanagi gestured to the stools. "Sit. Eat. You look like you need it, kid. When's the last time you had a proper meal?"
"I eat fine—"
"You eat garbage," Naruto interrupted, already sitting down. "Come on, Ichigo! Izanagi makes the best ramen in any dimension! You gotta try it!"
Despite every screaming instinct telling him this was insane, Ichigo found himself sitting down. "Just... ramen. That's it. Then we're leaving."
"Sure, sure." Izanagi disappeared behind his cart, and the sound of cooking filled the air. The smell that followed was incredible—rich broth, perfectly seasoned meat, fresh vegetables.
Naruto was practically vibrating with excitement. "See? Told you this was cool! A god who makes ramen! How awesome is that?"
"It's insane."
"Same thing!"
Izanagi returned with two massive bowls of ramen. The broth was golden, steam rising in perfect spirals. Pork slices so tender they looked like they'd melt. Eggs cooked to perfection. Vegetables that somehow looked both crisp and tender.
"Eat," the old god commanded.
Ichigo picked up his chopsticks, took a bite.
It was the best thing he'd ever tasted.
And that's when he felt it—a spike of spiritual pressure so massive it made his teeth ache. Dark. Familiar. Wrong.
Naruto's head snapped up, his nine tails going rigid. "Oh no."
"What?" Ichigo was already on his feet, hand reaching for his combat pass.
"That's—" Naruto's voice cracked. "That's him. The Hollow who's been hunting me."
Izanagi didn't look up from cleaning his counter. "Took him long enough to find this place. You boys might want to finish eating quickly." He puffed his cigar. "Or run. Running's good too."
The sky above the alley turned blood red.
Naruto grabbed Ichigo's sleeve, and for the first time since they'd met, his voice held genuine terror. "Ichigo, we need to go. Now. You're not ready for—"
A laugh echoed through the alley. Deep. Hungry. Amused.
"Found you, little fox."
End.
So… what did you all think!?
Pretty awesome right?
Just like BananaPeak whose stories I read (and his author notes), I don't plan to spoil anything for what happens after. So look forward the next chapter.
More Chapters are posted on my patreon Feel free to check it out lads, here's the link
https://www.patreon.com/c/Demon_Knight939
See you all soon!
Bye