As the upper part of his body, severed from the rest, fell to the ground, a single thought crossed his mind.

I'm not dead yet...

He was losing a lot of blood, he was sure. It was a miracle that he was still conscious at that point, but he couldn't and didn't want to give up. He had a duty to fulfill. His vision was blurred and he didn't even feel anything anymore, but it didn't matter. Because he was still alive.

"You're a fool." that calm and cold voice. He would remember it forever "Time has made you weak, that's why I never considered you as one of the war potentials. A thousand years ago you would have been at the top of the list, but by now you are just a shell of yourself."

I'm not dead yet...

His right arm moved with an unthinkable speed for someone reduced like him, but he still managed to grab his opponent's ankle, slowly starting to crush it with all the strength he had left. He didn't even notice the moment when his arm was cut cleanly at the elbow, making him completely limbless.

He could still hear that voice, his enemy was in front of him, yet he could do nothing about it. After a few seconds, he saw a blue glow grow larger and more intense. Even in the state in which he was reduced, he could see that it was an attack. A very powerful attack against him.

Is this my limit then? When the attack was close to destroying him, he finally closed his eyes, accepting the cold embrace of death. Oh the irony...

With a violent explosion, no trace of him remained.

Only a broken and scorched sword was left as evidence of his loss.

§ - § - § - § - §

FLAMES OF DUTY

Chapter One: Rebirth

§ - § - § - § - §

"You can open your eyes now."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, former Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, suddenly opened his eyes, surprised by the voice he had just heard. Looking around, he realized he was inside an oriental-style room, with a polished wooden table in front of him and only a large parchment hanging on the wall to his left, above which was the kanji for 'Order'.

"You look disoriented, but I think it's normal after all that's happened to you." said the other occupant of the room, currently sitting on the other side of the table, intent on pouring tea into two cups "However, I can tell you that after a few minutes, the feeling of nausea you may experience will disappear."

Yamamoto shifted his gaze to the man who had just spoken and his eyes widened in surprise "Ichibē Hyōsube! W-What happened?!"

Ichibē would have found it interesting to see the infamous Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 behave that way, however he had a mission to accomplish and little time was available, so he passed a cup full of tea to Yamamoto "Yhwach has happened. You fought him, or you fought against a Quincy that you thought was him. But when the real one appeared, he managed to defeat you and kill you in no time. This is what the Soul King told me."

Yamamoto seemed surprised and distressed by the discovery but managed to conceal his emotions by looking down, being surprised again to see that he had both arms now. Raising his left arm, he tried to move it and felt nothing strange, as if he had never lost it in the battle against Aizen.

"How...?"

"The Soul King, together with the intervention of the Zero Division, has succeeded in recreating your body and preserving your spirit." explained Ichibē while sipping his cup of tea "Your death occurred recently, yesterday to be precise, so it was relatively easy."

"Why did the Soul King do it? He wants me to face Yhwach again?" asked Yamamoto recovering the calmness for which he was known. If the answer to his question had been affirmative, he wouldn't have hesitated for a moment to face him again, because that was the Soul King's will and he would not disappoint him.

However, it seemed that his idea was wrong as Ichibē shook his head "Far from it. You are dead, Genryūsai. The Soul King has already made an exception to the rule to get you back, but not to face Yhwach again, but to solve another problem. A problem that could be as serious as our war against the Quincys."

"Another problem? What problem could rival the current crisis?"

"Tell me, what do you know about the circle of souls?" asked Ichibē in turn.

"That the Soul King is the one who regulates the flow of souls in the Soul Society. If he were not there, then our world, as well as the Hueco Mundo, the Human World and others would be ruined."

Ichibē nodded "That's true, but what you don't know, is that the Soul King also manages other worlds than those known. In truth, he is not even the only existing Soul King. From what he told me, there are many others like him who reign on other worlds." Yamamoto looked at him with surprised eyes "From what I know, a world with few souls, is managed by a Soul King, but once that world develops and souls increase, a new Soul King is assigned to that world, so as not to compromise the flow of souls among all the worlds. In these 'primitive' worlds a Shinigami or something similar is then assigned, so that all the creatures that pass through can find their way to the circle of souls. Obviously every Shinigami can be different or change over time, obtaining powers, reputation and appearance different from those like us."

"The fact that you're telling me all this...is it related to the job for which I was brought back to life?" asked Yamamoto now with calm eyes.

"Yes, that's the case. You must know that the Shinigami of this world is being...controlled by humans and can no longer perform its duty, at least not completely." said Ichibē surprising the former Captain-Commander "In very simple words, they are using that Shinigami to bring the dead back to life, including souls."

Now Yamamoto was not only surprised, but also slightly worried "That shouldn't be possible. Bringing the dead back to life is not such an amazing thing, even I can do it in a sense, but also control the souls..."

"It goes against all the rules of the cycle of rebirth." nodded Ichibē "A soul that has already been reborn can no longer be controlled in any way, yet these humans have managed to get around the problem. From what I learned, they are creating something like copies when they bring someone back to life. This is a threat to the entire circle of rebirth, especially if this technique were to be passed on for years to come."

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes slightly before nodding "A soul takes time before being reborn. If humans had to go ahead with this system, no soul would leave that world anymore."

"Yes, that's problem. Fortunately, it seems that not all humans are allies, so those unrelated to this system live and die without any interference, thus allowing the Shinigami of that world to take their souls." Ichibē was silent for a few seconds "And that's why you've been brought back to life. To solve this problem, a problem born in your original world."

The old Shinigami looked at Ichibē with incredulous eyes "My...original world?"

The Commander of the Royal Guard nodded "Well, to say the true 'original world' sounds bad and is incorrect. Previous world is more correct. As Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, you were born here in the Soul Society, so this is your world right now, but before you became what you are now, you were another person. A young human named Uzumaki Naruto."

"Uzumaki...Naruto...?" the name did not ring any bell in his head.

"If you don't remember anything it is more than normal. Whenever a soul goes through the rebirth cycle, the memories of the previous life are erased." explained Ichibē before picking up the huge brush at his side "But with me, this problem can be solved!" and, in a matter of seconds, he wrote two simple words on Yamamoto's right breastplate: Uzumaki Naruto.

Yamamoto was about to ask him what sense it was to write a name on his haori but suddenly his mind was bombarded with images and memories of a past life. A life that belonged to Uzumaki Naruto.

He was at the base of a huge waterfall, the view was blurred and yet he was not tired.

On the other side of the waterfall was a dark-haired boy with two huge hands-shaped wings.

A stab of pain hit him, paralyzing his body, before his vision was flooded with red.

When he was able to see again, he was standing on that boy's body. His body had been horribly brutalized and it was clear that he would never get up again. That black-haired boy was dead.

A new stab of pain hit him, this time at the base of the neck and everything turned black.

Next thing, he was kneeling on a stage in the center of a large square, surrounded by people who were screaming at him.

A blonde woman appeared in his field of vision "Uzumaki Naruto! For the murder of Uchiha Sasuke, you are condemned to death!"

He tried to break free but what seemed like wood kept him still.

Next to the woman, a white-haired man appeared holding a strange sword made of rock.

The newcomer walked up to stop in front of him, raising the sword above his head.

"For what it's worth...I'm sorry, gaki..."

The blade of the sword fell downward.

Everything turned black for the last time.

"W-What..." Yamamoto placed a hand on the table, while the other was on his face "What was that...?"

"That was your past life." said Ichibē with a calm voice "To give a new name to someone, I should use my Shikai and then my Bankai, but to give back an old name I can simply use my brush. What you just saw were the memories of Uzumaki Naruto, the one you were before you became Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto."

"I...I was killed by...by...Ero-sennin..." it was so strange to repeat that nickname and yet, it seemed normal to him "I killed Sasuke...my own teammate...?"

"Yes, you killed him." Ichibē nodded without trying to deny it "You used the power of the demon that was sealed within you, losing control to the point of killing him."

Yamamoto looked down at his own hands "I seem to see myself a thousand years ago...always a demon, no matter what."

"Actually there would be something to add to what you saw. Something you never could have known." the bald monk scratched his beard before saying "You were betrayed."

"...uh?" Yamamoto blinked once, twice "What...?"

"Well...maybe 'betrayed' is too strong a word. What I mean is that you have been used, or sacrificed if you prefer."

"What are you talking about, Hyōsube? I killed Uchiha Sasuke, therefore I was executed for that."

"Yes, that's true, but that was just a part of a much larger plan devised by someone who should have been dead." Ichibē looked at Yamamoto straight in the eyes "Your own father, Namikaze Minato, has planned everything, including your death."

The former Captain-Commander looked at him in silence, wondering if he was joking, but when he saw no sign of deception on the other man's face, he asked "How...?"

Such a short and generic question could have required more answers, but Ichibē was prepared thanks to the intervention of the Soul King and so he explained to Yamamoto what he knew.

"The night of your birth, as you well know, the Kyuubi was released. What you don't know is that, up until the time of its escape, the fox had been sealed inside your mother's body, Uzumaki Kushina. When your father decided to seal the demon inside you, he used a new and experimental technique, summoning the Shinigami of that world, whose powers were above the fox albeit barely.

"Thanks to this technique, he separated the fox's chakra into two parts. He sealed one inside himself and the other inside of you, using two different seals. That of the Shinigami for you, and a new one of his invention for him. The use of a technique where the Shinigami was evoked, would have required the soul of Minato as payment, but one of his trusty ninja completed the technique in his place, offering his soul instead of your father's. Your mother died soon after due to the extraction of the fox from her body, while your father ended up in a deep coma because of the fox. Normally only an Uzumaki would have been able to contain the demon, but your father had created a reliable seal and besides he had only half the power of the fox, therefore he could survive.

"The man you called 'Ero-sennin' took Minato with him to the realm of toads, where Minato was in a coma for over a year. Upon awakening, Minato learned of what happened after sealing the Kyuubi and started working tirelessly to control its chakra but above all to be able to bring his wife back to life. It took him two years, but in the end he managed to create a technique that would bring people back to life but not as puppets, but as real people. However he ran into a big problem."

Ichibē pointed at Yamamoto, who was staring at him with shocked eyes upon learning that his father was still alive while he was living in an orphanage, being treated as a stranger by all.

"His new jutsu would allow him to use the Shinigami to his liking to control souls so that the people brought back to life were perfect, but your seal created a disturbance in the use of the technique, and a seal created with the powers of the Shinigami could not be easily broken. After another year of studying and experimenting with his seals, he managed to create a safe area to summon his wife without interfering with your seal.

"Together with her, they managed to perfect his seals and his technique, but you were still a problem. Both were not excited at the idea of resorting to extreme methods but, for the happiness of many, they decided to remove your seal in the only possible way..."

"By killing me..." whispered Yamamoto managing to maintain a composed posture.

"Yes. They explained their plan to many people, including the Sandaime Hokage, Jiraiya and Tsunade, names you know well." said Ichibē with a calm voice "So, they started planning a way to kill you but none of them had the courage to take your life directly, for no reason at all. In a macabre sense of humor, they really loved you. For years, they couldn't find a way to complete their plan until you killed Uchiha Sasuke while you were using the power of the fox.

"What you don't know...is that your father was there that day, and it was he who used a technique to force you to use a huge amount of the fox's chakra. Their idea was to kill you while you were completely out of control, so as to have less regrets, however your willpower was stronger than expected and so you managed to regain control and return to normal. I guess you know the rest."

Yamamoto nodded slowly, still intent on accepting what he had just discovered "Using Sasuke's murder as an excuse, they sentenced me to death..."

"Correct, mainly because all Konoha would have clamored for your death." Ichibē scratched the back of his head "So they have decapitated you before burning of your whole body, so no one could bring you back to life and half of the Kyuubi inside you died that day, or that's what they think."

With confused eyes, Yamamoto looked at the monk "What do you mean?"

"The Kyuubi, or Kurama since that's his real name, has always remained by your side. Just...in a different form." said Ichibē with a huge grin.

Yamamoto remained silent trying to understand but suddenly his eyes widened in shock. He looked at his Zanpakutō which was resting at his side "Ryūjin Jakka..." and, ignoring Ichibē's pleased look, he took it in his hand and slowly closed his eyes.

[Ryūjin Jakka's Inner World]

Yamamoto reopened his eyes standing on top of a column of solidified lava while all around him, the flames devoured everything from the ground sky. After a few seconds of apparent calm, a powerful laugh echoed through the flames which, in front of Yamamoto, began to change shape.

"It's been a long time, kit. Over a thousand years if I remember correctly."

Despite all his past years where he had always controlled his emotions well, Yamamoto could not suppress a smile that formed on his lips "Kyuubi..."

"Welcome back, Naruto...or do you prefer to be called by your new name?" asked the huge fox head made of flames.

"As you prefer, even if I could ask you the same question."

"Right now, I've been your Zanpakutō for years so as long as you'll be Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, I'll be Ryūjin Jakka." said his long time partner with a toothy grin.

"Very well." Yamamoto nodded at the fox's head.

"Now, it would be better if you went back to talking to that monk. I think he still has to get to the interesting part!"

With a little grin on his lips, Yamamoto could not but agree with him and so he left that world.

[Ichibē Hyōsube's Place]

"Sorry for the interruption." said Yamamoto with a bow.

Ichibē waved him off "Don't worry, it's fine. Now it's time to tell you why you've been brought back to life."

"I think I know, I have to stop my father...even if I have to ask...I've lived so long. How can he still be alive?" questioned Yamamoto with a raised eyebrow.

"Time flows in a very different way in the ''primitive' worlds, so as to give the Soul King time to get used to having it under his domain." explained Ichibē with a nod "But back at your job...yes, you need to stop your own father and I'm sorry to say this, but you'll have to kill him. His behavior is a clear insult to everything we protect and respect."

Yamamoto closed his eyes for a moment. The Soul King wanted him to kill his father but that choice would not be a problem for him. True, he now had memories of his past life, but as Uzumaki Naruto he had never had any connection with him, so he would have had no trouble killing him, especially since it was his duty as a Shinigami of the Gotei 13. Looking back at Ichibē, he nodded firmly "I'm ready."

The monk nodded before standing up, then stepped out of the small building with Yamamoto behind him "There are some things you need to know. Once you have crossed a special Senkaimon, you will be given a new body. A body made of flesh and bone. You will keep your Shinigami powers but you will also have your old chakra, with all the related abilities you acquired when you were still Uzumaki Naruto. Furthermore, when you have finished your task, you can continue to live in that world as you wish. This is the Soul King's reward for all your years of loyalty."

Yamamoto seemed surprised by this news but nodded anyway before walking towards the portal that would take him to his old world, but when he was a few steps away from it, the monk called him "Your father is not the only one you have to stop. Each person who has been brought back to life...those are fake souls and cannot be ignored. You will have to eliminate every single person brought back to life."

"I understand."

"Genryūsai." Yamamoto looked back at Ichibē "Those people, although they are fake souls, are happy and the same goes for their loved ones who have had the opportunity to see them again. Once you start your task, you will become a monster in their eyes."

Moments of silence followed his words but in the end Yamamoto nodded "I know, but even if I go back to using my old name, I'm Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, and my loyalty to the Soul Society comes first." and with those words, he walked into the Senkaimon, disappearing into the white light.

When the portal closed, the monk smiled "I hope you can find a new purpose in the new life that was given to you." before walking away with a smirk "Now, for the other one..."

[Land of Whirpools]

Coming out of Senkaimon, Yamamoto immediately realized that something had changed. He felt much stronger than before, and above all younger. Looking down, he noticed that he was still wearing his Shinigami robes but could see the difference in his body. Now he was a human, no longer a soul. Walking towards a small body of water, he looked at his own reflection and what he saw surprised him.

His new body was practically an aged version of the old one, when he was still Uzumaki Naruto. Now he was probably around the age of twenty and his body was muscular and tempered like Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's, with the same scar on his forehead, mostly covered by his blond hair that was longer than last time.

'Now kit, since we're in this world...should we start using our old names?'

After long and intense minutes of silence, Yamamoto...no, Naruto showed a grin that would make any Hollow run for its life.

"I'd say it's a great idea, Kurama. Konoha has always praised about its Will of Fire...now it's time for those same flames to be their condemnation!" and with a Shumpo worthy of a master, he vanished into thin air, headed for the continent.

Naruto Uzumaki had returned, and his flames were ready to judge anyone who dared to face him!

TO BE CONTINUED...

Yeah, another story! I was bored, the idea inspired me so I wrote it in one breath! I hope you can enjoy it!

Obviously the Naruto of this fic will be OP af but, unlike many fic where Naruto is reincarnated after being killed, many things will be different! I hope you will follow this story and see you at the next chapter!

I OWN NOTHING!