When Worlds Collide: A Bleach and Naruto Fanfic Crossover Royale!

VOL. V::Chapter 32--Kurosaki Ichigo

CHAPTER 32-- Kurosaki Ichigo

It was just me and Iji now (and Kon). We raced over the tops of the thickly growing "whatever-kinda-trees-they've-got-in-ninja-land" towards the pillar of light near the shattered gates of the village.

A few minutes earlier, we were actually IN the village. A few MORE minutes earlier, my only (rather large) problems were a bunch of super-hollows... And... Jin wasn't on the verge of hollowfying.

Mid-lunge for my throat, Jin had collapsed to the ground. He shook and spasmed, clutching his chest. Both Iji and I were at his side in an instant.

"Jin? Jin? What's the matter? What's wrong with him, Ichigo?" She asked, voice shaky.

I wasn't sure then, but I had the feeling... And then I saw it. A drop of pure white dripped from his mouth. I had only seconds to grab Iji before his glasses cracked, his eyes rolled back, and he told us to RUN. Hollowfication. After the "glorious" birth of Shirosaki, I would know those screams anywhere. But his was different.

When I woke on top of Iji amongst a bunch of scattered trees, I could hear him writhing in pain and agony. I could feel it, and not just because Shirosaki was stirring.

Jin wailed for what seemed like forever as Iji climbed on my back and we made our way back to the war zone that became a lot of the village. Half way there, the wailing stopped and a pillar of light shot up, and everything got very, very quiet, like he was lying in wait for us. I looked up at Iji, but she had slid into a kind of stone-faced state. She hadn't said anything since Jin started wailing, and come to think of it, she hadn't shed a tear, at all, since I'd MET her. 

"Iji?" I asked cautiously. Knowing her, and knowing all girls, she'd probably break into tears or something. "It's okay if you cry-"

SMACK! I found myself subbing the back of my head, a bit befuddled. "What are you waiting for, you pervert?! Are you prolonging the sensation of me on your back, or do you want to be on MY back?!"

"Pervert?! What are you thinking about?! You're-!"

"Ichigo, we don't have time for this! Jin's... in trouble..." I couldn't read her expression, but her voice had softened. I grumbled and carried on. She was okay, more or less. She wasn't about to break, that was for sure. 

 As soon as we got within viewing distance of the shattered main gate next to the origin of the silent pillar of light, we were attacked by a sea of hollows. At least these would be more for numbers instead of skill, right? Nope! They were just as strong as the ones before and there were a zillion times as many.

My body began to move like a machine. Dodge, jump, slash, dodge, kill, jump, dodge, kill, slash, dodge... kill? No, I had to focus, to get everyone out safe. Even so, I could feel Shirosaki smiling. We DID NOT need that jerk popping up. I could handle this myself, so it was weird. Usually he would only feel this strong when I was, well... about to die. But of course things weren't usual in "ninja-land".

And then when I had almost cut a path through to Jin, those crazy crystal gaurds hammered on me from above. Iji and I cried out as I ducked for cover.

Dammnit! I couldn't put Iji down, or she'd be seized by the sea of hollows! 

"Ichigo, what are those?" Iji yelled, squeezing me tighter. 

"Ah," I started. I remembered the huge lie that Sakura told earlier. I guessed it didn't matter now, but would Iji get angry? "They're from this shard of a malevolent crystal that was created when I, and a few others came to this dimension. Long story short, those guardians are created by the shard to protect it from harm..."