Prologue: Your Death Defines You.

[Fake Karakura Town]

'Why? Why did you do this? I trusted you Aizen..?!' Were the thoughts that rang through her mind as she laid in her own pool blood. These thoughts belonged to Tier Harribel the Tercera (Third) Espada.

Her olive skin stained with blood with a Cuts running through her chest and back. Her aqua eyes shimmered with tears. She wore an attire consisting of a variation of the white Arrancar Jacket that had a high collar which covered her lower part of her face downward its zipper unzipping upwards though it exposed the lower side of her breasts. It had two air filters on both sides of her high collar placed to her cheeks. The Sleeve completely enveloped her arms and had black glove like extensions that resembled a cats paw.

Remnants of her Hollow mask protected and covered the lower part of her face to just where her breasts were, though there was a hole that showed where her heart was meant to be. A number was tattooed on the left side of her right breast. (Usually these parts were concealed by her high collared jacket but currently it was unzipped.) the area between her chest and her hips were exposed. She wore a white skirt that extended to her feet but exposed her hips and a black sash that was wrapper around her waist. She also wore black socks and white sandals.

Unlike most Arrancar or Hollows, she didn't have her hole in the chest but at her lower abdomen where her womb would be.

She laid in her blood as the feeling of betrayal struck her deep down in her heart. Her thirst for vengeance grew as she laid as well. Her fellow Arrancar had all sacrificed themselves for her, for Aizen. She was meant to help in his cause... but.. it was all for NOTHING! Aizen had betrayed her... the one she thought she could trust.. had slashed at her himself...

Her tears began to dry as she grit her teeth and struggled back to her feet. 'Again?! I was betrayed AGAIN?!' She thought again as she attempted to trace Aizen Sosuke and Ichigo Kurosaki's Reiatsu. 'No.. This time.. I'll do things properly..'

[The Final Valley]

The Final Valley, Rain poured heavily upon the valley was where the legendary battle of Hashirama Senju & Madara Uchiha took place. The valley was carved out by Hashirama's Top Transformed Buddha's barrage. This was forever known as the place where bonds were broken... and today.. was another bond severed.

"This is the end... Naruko..!" Shouted a grey skinned boy wearing a blue t shirt and white shorts, wings sprouted from his back as he stood from one side of the river. Sasuke Uchiha is his name, he is known as the 'last' living Uchiha in Konohagakure no Sato (Village Hidden in The Leaves). Currently he was using a Curse Seal. An evil seal that gives the user power in exchange for their sanity. In his left hand was black lightning cackling as she rushed towards his target.

"Not.. Yet! Not till I take you back to Konoha TEME!" Was a reply screamed at him from a blonde haired girl, she had azure blue eyes and whiskers on her cheeks. The girl wore a orange jumpsuit with blue on the shoulders and a white spiral on its left arm. Naruko Uzumaki was her name, she was a Jinchuuriki or human sacrifice used to hold the power of mighty creatures known as Bijuu. In her right hand was a spiraling sphere of purple like Chakra moving at a rapid pace as she ran towards Sasuke.

Both leaped into the air their attacks raised against another.

"NARUKO!"

"SASUKE!"

One to kill, the other to restrain.

their bond had shattered here...

"Chidori!"

"Rasengan!"

A large blast erupted in the valley blinding any nearby and when it finished, only one remained with their life. Sasuke stood there his fist impaled in Naruko's chest as blood leaked onto his arm. Slowly his Curse seal faded his eyes fading from the Sharingan to its original black color. His eyes stared at Naruko's chest as her hair shadowed her eyes.

"Gomen...Naruko..." He whispered as he was about to remove his arm, only for Naruko to push it in further moving closer to his ear.

"I...Hope..Y-Your... Happy T-Teme.." She whispered into his ear before she fell backwards her lips staying in a bittersweet smile as she fell off his hand and into the abyss of the water. Tears shimmered through the air before she was gone in the dark river.

Sasuke however began to cry blood as pain surged through him. As his Sharingan activated. What was once 3 black tomoe was now a six pointed shuriken. The Mangekyo Sharingan the evolved Sharingan, to unlock it one must either kill their own family member or their best friend.

Sasuke however was far from overjoyed with it, but now he had what he needed to kill Itachi. He placed her Hitai-ate on her body before he left for Orochimaru's base.

[Nearby]

'Kami, please tell me I'm not too late..!' Was the panicked thoughts of one Kakashi Hatake, he hade silver gravity defying hair and wore the Konoha vest and shinobi pants with black shinobi sandals. Kakashi had a black mask hiding his lower face and his Konoha Hitai-Ate covering his left eye.

He jumped through the forest as his dog summon Pakku led him towards the Final Valley. He couldn't believe it his two students had been facing off against each other. He knew Sasuke would eventually defect but he had hoped that he could deter him from that path by teaching him. Unfortunately this meant he ignored both Sakura and Naruko because of it and was paying dearly now.

When he reached the Final Valley he ordered Pakkun to search for the two. However it seemed he was too late, as before him was the corpse of Naruko Uzumaki the Daughter of his Sensei, Namikaze Minato and his wife Uzumaki Kushina. He was horrified by what he saw various cuts were across her corpse but not only that there was a hole in her chest, one he was all too familiar with. His own technnique...was used to kill his own student.. What had he done...? The Daughter of his Sensei was HIS responsibility yet here she was killed by the very technique he had taught Sasuke...

He lifted her corpse into his arms and carried her bridal style as he ran back to the village all while one thought raced in his mind. 'Forgive me...Minato-Sensei...Kushina-San... I failed you..'

[Hueco Mundo]

Eventually Naruko Uzumaki's soul had landed in Hueco Mundo the land of the Hollows. Unfortunately the Fox had seemed to have combined with her during its transfer here and had turned her into a actual Kyuubi but unfortunately she had slowly began to hollow Eventually her body became covered in bones and plating leaving only the upper part of her face unhallowed. Her skin had turned olive in color and her eyes changed from Azure to Aqua.

She eventually roamed Hueco Mundo devouring the souls of other Hollows. Completely ignorant of the fact that at one point she was covered head to toe in what looked like a skeletal nine tailed fox.

Through time she shed the skeletal form but could now call upon it and its abilities, naming it Kokkaku Kitsune no Yoroi (Skeletal Fox Armor) which she rarely and never used in honesty. Now however her armor had represented a more shark like appearance. She was known with two titles 'La Emperatriz Tiburones (The Shark Empress) and 'Nueve Colas de Muerte' (Nine tails of Death) to others... but her legacy had only began...

[Fake Karakura Town]

Eventually Tier had traced their signature to a deserted area she used Sonido to get as close as possible without being noticed, hiding not far as she held onto Tiburon in her left arm shakily. Sure she could just stop her attempt and live on but she wanted to at least do one right thing in this life.

She had to time it right, if she was killed before she could help Kurosaki Ichigo, this would be all in vain

That's when she heard Ichigo speak. "The Final Getsuga Tensho is me becoming Getsuga itself." Her eyes widened when she saw the two one was sure enough Aizen but the Kurosaki boy looked so...different. He had grey bandages wrapped on his chest and his lower face similar to how her mask fragments were like. His eyes were blood red. She shook her head as she focused once more, trying to ignore how familiar he looked.

She then placed her attention on Aizen, as the hand that held Tiburon stopped shaking. Her blonde hair shadowed her face while blood leaked from her wounds but it didn't matter right now, watching and waiting for her time to strike.

"Mugetsu." Tier heard Ichigo utter before there was a black abyss.

At that moment she bolted forward running towards Aizen with her blade ready to strike. She knew the boy's attack would most likely kill her but she cared little for it right now. Placing as much placed as much power as she could in the strike, when she reached Aizen, she proceeded with cutting him from the collarbone to hip before beheading him to be sure.

Tiburon itself began shattering in half a moment after beheading her once leader. She wasn't sure if the Hogyoku could heal her attack and Kurosaki's own, so personally she believed it wasn't overkill.

She howled in pain as Kurosaki's attack hit her with full force, when the Hogyoku had fell from Aizen's chest and shattered like glass.

When the abyss cleared Tier fell on one knee, as what remained of her Zanpakuto Tiburon cracked even further. Her body was beyond repair, even now as it tried to heal the wounds she knew it wouldn't be enough. There was little to no chance of survival left for her so she stood, prepared to die where she was as she stumble forward with hardly any control of her own body.

That is when Kurosaki noticed her, and she knew the Shinigami that followed her had also seen what she had done. She'd ensured Aizen's death in the Winter War. Apparently from the shocked look of the candy store owner's face as he approached Kurosaki, they thought they'd never be able to kill the man.

Tier gave a small smile as she choked on the blood from her mouth, she finally did something right... moments later the strength in her legs gave out as she closed her eyes prepared to feel the ground impact with her body.

She was surprised however when she felt a pair of arm catch her before her impact. Opening her eyes she noticed that the one who caught her had shoulder length spiky orange hair. When she saw Kurosaki's face she could do nothing but blush slightly under her hollow mask his brown eyes stared into her aqua ones. Now that she thought about it, Ichigo himself was a handsome man, he would be a real gift to the woman he might wed.

Though her thoughts may have been biased because she always did love the color Orange.

"Why..did you help me..?" His question ripped her from her thoughts as she lowered her head and pulled back slightly attempting to stand shakily on her own legs.

"Because Kurosaki Ichigo, I may be a Hollow, I may not have a physical heart... but I do still feel emotions..." as she lifted her face to look at him once more, a stray tear dripping out of her right eye. "You met my predecessor Nelliel Tu Odelschanck, you of all people... should know not all hollows are heartless, considering you are partially one yourself... I was but a fool...who to believe in Aizen's lies... all of us Espada were... he betrayed me... betrayed us... it is only fair I seek justice for them no..?"

"Kurosaki.." She heard one of the Shinigami say, She could almost feel the blade on her neck at this point.

She chuckled bitterly but was surprised to say the least of how the boy, whom was losing his power steadily but slowly, pulled her from the blade and closer to him. No one not even in her old life... had anyone protected her, not from the mobs that used to attack her and not from Aizen's own blade. She laid there feeling... warm..

For the first and probably last time since she was with her surrogate grandfather and brother back in Konoha did she feel... safe in caring arms... a shame she didn't have long left to enjoy it...

"Don't... she isn't a threat..." He said as he looked down at the nearly lifeless Arrancar. She was almost as tall as himself, maybe a few inches shorter, but in her weakened state she seemed a lot shorter than before. "She helped us, she killed Aizen while knowing that my attack would hit her as well.."

She gasped as her Zanpakuto began to break away and the remnants of her Hollow mask crack and disintegrated slowly, eventually all that remained of her hollow mask was what covered her lower face. She choked on more blood that filled her mouth though hardly as much as before.

"We could get you some help.." Ichigo spoke suddenly, the fact a woman that didn't even look much older than him dying in his hands hitting him quite hard.

The wounds Aizen inflicted on her, while fatal, were still able to be healed. The ones he had caused however left little to no options left to help her and an even smaller survival chance. She'd sacrificed herself for strangers, enemies no less, just for revenge. The way she spoke of Justice for the Espada meant that she may have held every Arrancar that joined in her heart, and when Aizen betrayed her... her hatred and need to find them peace was what drove her into what she did earlier.

Tier shook her head, knowing she was done for, yet she decided to do one last good deed before her death... 'perhaps with this I can find peace' She thought as she summoned her Reiatsu to her hand and placed it on the boy's chest. Her gold Reiatsu pouring into his own

"What're you doing?" Demanded a voice she didn't recognize, It was only through Kurosaki's words did she not find a blade to her throat.

"Dad, she isn't hurting me.." The son told the older man, whom was apparently his father. His father stood down a surprised loon on his face.

Her hand suddenly fell limp as her power faded from her hands, She could feel her head fall into his chest as her breath became shallow yet labored. 'I did it..!' She thought happily. She may never admit it aloud but Kurosaki Ichigo reminded her of her days as Uzumaki Naruko.

"Who are you...What did you do..?" Ichigo asked.

"Hehe...My name is Harribel... Tier" She whispered as she pushed herself away from the orangette. Now this reminded her of her encounter with Haku and Zabuza and she didn't want to be reminded of it. "What I did was give you my remaining power... This way you won't lose your powers... The marking will disappear the moment your own power has risen to the point you can fight... However I recommend not using Bankai or even fighting for a few weeks..."

"H-how.." Ichigo questioned as he looked to his chest to find a black spiraling crest on his chest.

"My aspect of death.. is sacrifice... in the days of when I lived... the lives of others mattered more to me than my own.. I am unique, some of my other abilities shadow this aspect... Thank you, Kurosaki Ichigo for defeating Aizen.." She said as the world turned black for her and she fell forward.

Ichigo caught her and turned her over and instinctively carried her bridal style. The Zanpakuto she held in her hand disintegrating slowly but surely. The mask that covered her face finally cracked and began to shatter revealing the rest of her face, he blushed slightly at seeing how beautiful she was and the olive skin added to it... That's when he noticed three whisker like marks on each side of her cheek, all in all she would've been called a vixen if she ever showed her face. Not that it mattered.

True to her word he could feel his power stabilize meant they wouldn't be going anywhere.

Turning to the still gaping store owner he asked him. "Urahara...Can we heal her? Maybe Orihime could..-"

"Son... It's already too late..look..." His father answered, looking back to the Tercera Espada he noticed she was disintegrating slowly going upwards.

Harribel opened her eyes once more and with her final breath spoke her last words. "When the leaves dance, one shall find flames. The fire's shadow will Illuminate the village and once again tree leaves shall bud anew..."

"For that is the will of fire.."

"Thank you... Harribel.."Ichigo said as Harribel closed her eyes with a smile as she disintergrated from Kurosaki's arms leaving him to hold nothing as he knelt there.

[END]

A/N: Hey guys now next chapter shall be the return to the elemental nations.

Now before you rant I'd like to say that the fox like skeletal armor it is technically a second form now remember she holds two souls within her and just because they fused does not mean they have one 'true form. Technically they are just two forms sharing the same mind since even if the kyuubi did 'Hollow' it's still purely chakra.

The fox form was created by the kyuubi's tainted chakra.

While her shark like hollow bones are created through her manifestation of the heart.

Next chapter: A second chance.