Chapter Three ~ Never Ask A Woman Her Age

"You're a wily bastard, kouhai," Deidara complimented as he walked in from another room. Despite his clothes being horribly burned, only a piece around his shoulder hanging limply remained; he was satisfied with the outcome of their little escapade. Aside from the third degree burns and the predatory butterfly stamp from Sui-feng, it left a hell of a first impression from Naruto, "Care to explain how you did that?"

"Shut up," Naruto on the other hand wasn't in a good as mood as Deidara, and he was currently rolling around on the floor nursing the burns all over his torso, and still had to deal with the gaping hole in his stomach. If they went untreated, they would probably leave a permanent mark on his skin, and there was no way in hell he wanted that. His clothes had been completely ruined, currently rolling around in a burnt pair of boxers as he tried to ease the pain of nearly being scorched alive by Shisui's kido. "Can I get some bandages, water, or something?" He cried out, but only got an amused laugh from Deidara.

"That kid got you pretty good, un," Deidara sat down on top of mat on the wooden floor of the small shack they were currently hiding out in. After having his ass handed to him by so many hollows and shinigami for meddling in their business, he was used to returning to home base with a few scratches to show for it. He rested his arms on the wooden table that sat in the center of the room and cupped his cheek in his hand, "You know rolling around isn't going to make that any better for you, right?"

"I know!" Naruto yelled out and finally shot up to try and sit normally, but the stinging pain from his wounds was eating away at him. It wouldn't be long before he ran out of the secluded shack and tried to jump into a body of water. His eyes focused on Deidara, who seemed to be taking it all in stride, "How the hell are you dealing with this so easily!?"

Deidara shrugged and continued to watch Naruto twitch uncontrollably with a sly grin. His eyes averted to the doorway that led to the room he had just came from and frowned upon seeing who exactly was walking through, "Biwako, Naruto. Naruto, Biwako," He rolled his eyes as the woman now wore the same sly grin had on his face mere moments ago. She was middle-aged woman with brown hair, currently tied into a high ponytail, and wrinkles around her eyes, which were currently covered by a white pair of cat-eye sunglasses. Her green and pink floral haori swung with her every step, and the white silk scarf situated around her neck demanded attention as well.

She was gaudy to say the least, and Naruto could see as much. The woman had a gold ring on her ring finger that she held out toward Deidara, "You must really be in trouble to come and visit little old me." When the boy said nothing about her expensive new ring, she put directly in his face, "Are you blind? Can you not see this fantastic piece of jewelry?" She then smacked Deidara upside the head and he groaned.

"Who's dick did you su-" Deidara was slapped upside his head once more to make him shut up, remembering why she shouldn't let him talk in the first place. He always seemed to say the wrong thing, "I doubt old man Kuchiki is jacking his jollies off to you anymore, so who is it now?" Deidara asked with an arched brow and she simply smiled in return.

"A new toy, but that's beside the point," Biwako's eyes shifted to Naruto, and the boy could see as much from behind her sunglasses. "I see you've made a new friend, who is he?"

"Na-"

"Naruto," Deidara cut him off as he continued on with his grandmother. "He's not up for grabs either you crazy old bat, I'm taking him under my wing, un, so he can learn what the finer things Soul Society has to offer are the right way." The blonde's head swiveled back to his self-proclaimed kouhai and he smiled, "Isn't that right, kouhai?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," the irritating pain that was third degree burns at the least was still a pressing issue though, as cute as it was to watch Deidara and his oddly familiar grandmother to bicker. His eyes focused on the older woman, "But first I need some medical attention, or I won't be able to move right for a few days."

Biwako pursed her lips, folding her arms over each other as she looked down at Naruto, and then looked at her adoptive grandson with the same expression. They were nearly burnt to crisp by a trained Shinigami's kido and it was evident, "And what will I be getting out of this?" Naruto's eyes widened, Biwako never striking him as the selfish type, but judging by her attitude he shouldn't have been surprised. All the talk of the 'finer things' between her and her grandson had to mean something, "If I heal you, which I'm fully capable of doing; you have to do something for me Goldie."

Naruto's mouth twitched at being called 'Goldie,' which was definitely a new nickname in his book. He wrinkled his brow and sighed, "Fine, what do you want me to do?"

The woman held her hand up and wiggled an empty ring finger, "I want you to go steal my wedding ring back from that bastard Kuchiki." She then patted her grandson on the head, "Consider it the first mission for your good old Biwako-bāchan." An irritated groan from Deidara made her flick the boy's ear, "It's how Deidara-kun here became my grandchild, sticking his neck out for a poor old lady so she could get her possessions back."

"It's mostly stealing back belongings her ex-boyfriends bought for her and took back in spite, she's a complete bitch in a relationship," Deidara told his new friend Naruto despite said bitch standing right behind him. Instead of hitting him on the head, she nodded in agreement, and then the two of them laughed. Kami, they were weird, "I'm pretty sure she's done the 'dance' with every n-"

Now she hit him on his head to keep him from embarrassing her in front of their guest. What she did to acquire things was her business, and then there's promptly after when it was time to run a heist against whatever asshole noble she had just ripped off, "I plan on locking this one down though, I think he may be the one." She showed off the ring once more and then held her hand to her chest, thinking warmly of whomever the new mystery man was, "Now do you accept my offer, Naruto-kun, or will you let those burns start to bubble and become disgusting?"

"I guess I accept."

Biwako clapped her hands and Deidara grinned, "Nice to know you're not the hero-type, un," the fisherman said as he stood up with a pained groan, and geared up to leave the room, "Now let's get this medic show on the road, these wounds aren't going to heal themselves old lady."

Biwako clicked her tongue as she walked off into the other room, while Deidara followed. She knew Naruto would come crawling in sooner rather than later given how burned he was, so she didn't need to pester him to follow. He instantly heard bickering from another room, but he was still sitting down on the mat thinking about what had just transpired.

Other than plotting to steal from one of the more prominent clans he heard about on the rumor mills during his short time in Rukongai, he couldn't shake the familiarity he felt with Biwako; a warm feeling almost. He couldn't attach the flamboyant personality on her to her face, but he couldn't really draw up anything about her other than her face, and maybe her name. The blonde knew he was anomaly with his memories from his past life still a fuzzy mess, but they were still there, and that wasn't normal. Biwako had zero recollection of her past life, so whether she was a calm, modest woman before; she would never know, but Naruto had this feeling about her.

He decided to ignore for now, struggling to push himself up, but instantly fell to the ground after a sudden feeling washed over him, and his eyes widened in realization. 'What the hell was that?' For a brief second, a bunch of images flashed in his mind and he didn't know why. It was enough to bring him to his knees once again, which was the most uncomfortable part of the process, because he couldn't have that being a frequent thing.

Deidara stepped into the doorway that led into the other room with a crinkled facial expression, "You just gonna lay on the floor, or come in here, un?" He walked in looking better than he left. A replacement shirt, and bandages covering everything from his neck down to his waist, arms included. The woman worked fast, "I can leave you there if you want."

Naruto shook off the cobwebs from his fall and got up, his muscles still feeling terrible, but willed his way toward Deidara, "You're an asshole, sensei."

"I know that, but that's my specialty," Deidara caught Naruto before he fell over and carried him into the room. "Tonight, you're going to learn how to be a man, Deidara-style."

What the hell had he gotten himself into?

XxX

(Borders of Northern Rukongai – Unknown District)

Sui-feng sucked her teeth as she sheathed her sword. She and Shisui had been led on a wild goose chase to the northern parts of the West District, and they were almost in an entirely different sector now. It would have taken days for a regular soul to cover as much ground, but she wasn't regular, or slow by any means. The girl placed her hands on her hips as she turned around from the now empty land with something of a scowl on her face.

Somehow, someway; Naruto and Deidara managed to give them the slip, and he replaced their bodies with whatever cloning technique he used. She was irritated to say the least, and wasting the ability of her shikai on a mere clone was infuriating to no end. They had been chasing after clones for hours, and she had just now gotten rid of the last one.

The girl balled up her fist and mentally swore revenge on both Naruto and Deidara. They were the most annoying blondes she had ever met, save for twelfth division captain and his lieutenant, but that was for another time, since Shisui dropped down from the trees with a pronounced frown on his face. He was just as upset as she was, "They got away." She hated to state the obvious, but it needed to be said. "We should have split up."

"We did split up and still ended up like this," Shisui shut his eyes and sighed. He placed his sword back in its sheath and folded his arms over one another. He walked past Sui-feng and started to think of their next step, "When he divides his reiryoku like that, it's completely even, so it's impossible to track an original, but now all that energy is returned to him, it should be like finding him the first time."

"We're hours away from where he was, so he could be too far to track down in a reasonable time frame," Sui-feng wanted sever either of the blonde's head from their annoying shoulders with a swift swing of her blade, but from what she could see; it could be a few days before she got that chance. When that time did come she'd make sure she enjoyed every waking minute of it, "For now, I say we return to Yoruichi-sama and at least update her of the situation. The Naruto boy isn't hostile unless engaged, when we return to Rukongai we'll be better equipped to deal with him."

Shisui silently nodded as they now changed their direction to head back to their base of operations. Maybe they would pass Naruto on their return home, but he highly doubted it. The blonde was a wily opponent in every way possible, and would probably be even harder to track down than the initial attempt. Hell, he even had experience fighting a shinigami to build upon, and from what he could see; Naruto was just getting a grasp of what he was truly capable of, and that meant there was room for growth.

The next time they crossed paths, he couldn't take it easy on him in any capacity, unless he wanted to end up cut to pieces by the boy's uncanny control of the wind.

Damn kid.

XxX

(Biwako's Shack – Three Hours Later)

Biwako watched as the sun was starting to fall, and the Rukongai skies were shifting to a more orange color as it transitioned into night. She watched the transition on the porch on her finely crafted wooden shack, which looked modest in nature. The woman took more pride in her jewels and tailored garments than living in a humongous house. Big compounds were for clan heads with big egos trying make up for what the areas they were lacking in.

At least that was how she saw it.

Only people with weak willpower splurged on such accommodations, and naturally as a woman she had a stronger will than any man she ever met, which is why she always ended up getting what she wanted from them. Deidara poked fun at her doing disgusting things to get what she wanted, but that was rarely ever the case. Ever since she arrived in Rukongai, some man was always trying to 'save' her and make her life better, who was she to tell a gentleman no?

If you were weak enough in her eyes, she'd take advantage; which was the case in a boy named Naruto, who came stumbling up to her porch with two heavy buckets of fish in each hand. Biwako lowered her sunglasses and smiled, "Back so soon, Naruto-kun?" She asked with a bit of humor in her voice. Ever since she healed Naruto's burns, she had him working nonstop in anticipation of his first 'mission' to get her wedding ring back.

He dropped the buckets on the ground in front of her and let out a sigh of relief, "That was harder than you think it is." The tired boy crawled onto the porch to sit with Biwako, joining her in an impromptu session of staring at the sky. "Do you really think it was a good idea for me to go back out alone that fast?"

"You won't be hearing from the gotei for a few days at least, they'll go back to Seireitei to report what happened and come back better equipped to catch you," Biwako said casually, as she lifted a steaming hot cup of tea off of the ground and took a sip. The shocked expression on Naruto's face was priceless, and she gently slapped his hand. "Don't worry, you'll be alright. From what Deidara told me, you were handling the shinigami quite well until you tried to runaway."

Something went off in the old ladies mind that made her slightly tilt her head, "Where exactly did you learn to fight?"

"I didn't, I kind of just react to-" Without warning Biwako threw her hot tea cup right at Naruto and it slammed into an quickly forming wall of wind, before falling to the ground and spilling everywhere. Biwako stood up so her clothes wouldn't be stained by the tea and walked off of the porch, "What the hell was that for?"

"I wanted to see how you'd react," She had a grin on her face now. "That's nothing I've ever seen before; your handle on your reiryoku is second to none. And you say you just react to what's going on?" Naruto nodded and she nodded in admiration. "Your control over that is remarkable, but yet you can't control your rieatsu, I don't understand."

"Rieatsu? What the hell are you yapping about?" Naruto was still on edge after nearly being burned again by hot tea and Biwako was spitting nonsense.

"You really are clueless, aren't you boy?" Biwako said in a teasing manner, her previously folded arms fell to her side and suddenly everything got heavier. For scant seconds, Naruto could barely breathe, let alone move, and his mind was almost frozen trying to process Biwako's spiritual pressure. She folded her arms once more and everything went away, "That's rieatsu, and you expel a lot of it. That's why the Gotei 13 came trying to hunt you down, because you have no control over it and ended up making it hard for regular souls trying to travel."

"Well how can I control it?"

"I can show you a few tricks before you go and get my ring back so you don't get killed," Biwako smiled when she saw Naruto lighten up. She could tell he felt bad at unknowingly hurting regular denizens of Soul Society, and she would be happy to help, even if it was mostly for her own benefit. If she sent Naruto in as is, she knew he could handle himself combat wise, but as far as the whole sneaking in thing; it would be crazy to think he wouldn't get caught. Any one with a heartbeat would sense him the moment he stepped in the compound.

"Geez, Biwako-bāchan, you're stronger than you look," Naruto complimented as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"With the people I've known, you tend to pick up a few things when you're in their presence," Biwako said as she turned away from Naruto and stared at sky once more. It was calming for her, "You must be new here. You should know not to underestimate anybody no matter what they look like. There are souls here older than I am that look like children."

Getting his ass handed to him by a kid didn't sound fun at all, but that now beckoned the question of, "Wait, so how old are you?"

Biwako's head craned toward Naruto slowly, lowering her sunglasses so he could see her eyes, "You should have learned this in your past life, and in the afterlife. Never ask a woman how old she is, you really must be wet behind the ears." Her head turned forward and returned to watching the skies.

"I met a lady like you in my past life; she was old but liked to play young. She was my bāchan too actually," Naruto said it casually, but Biwako was now full out staring at him with her sunglasses taken off. He hadn't even realized what he said until it was already out in the open, "What?" He asked himself more than Biwako. His brain had this habit of shooting words out of his mouth for him lately, and he didn't know how to react. It's like there were certain trigger words that would bring back a locked away memory.

"What did you just say?"

"You remind of my original bāchan, that's all," Naruto tried to play it off, but his words weren't making the situation any better. "So you're telling me I'm the only person who can remember their past life?"

"Yes, Naruto," Biwako walked up to the porch and stood over the boy with serious eyes now. The playful grandma role was long gone, "There's a reason Shinigami perform konso and send souls to Rukongai without their memory. If everyone remembered their past life, they would spend their entire existence dwelling on the past, trying to find their departed loved ones in soul society, or trying to get back to the world of the living and see the ones they left behind. This is supposed to be a new beginning."

Naruto was taken aback, he didn't remember a whole lot from his past life, but it would leak out whenever something reminded him of it. In this instance it was Biwako, and her putting herself in the position to be his 'bāchan.' It took him back to when he was alive, but only certain details filtered through, and everything else was blurry. He grinded his teeth together, "So you don't ever think about how ended up here? You just continue to live your life like you didn't die at some point?"

"I try not to. It's a terrible existence, and I would much rather enjoy what I have now. Soul Society has given me beautiful grandchildren, a lot of wealth, and a new reason to live," Biwako reached inside her haori and suddenly pulled out a fan, smacking Naruto on the forehead with it. He winced in pain while she promptly opened it, hiding her face, "It's better to leave those things in the past, or it will drive you mad. Trust me, Naruto-kun."

Naruto pursed his lips, actually at a loss for words. He wanted to heed to Biwako's advice, and try not to dwell on the past, but each time he attempted to do so; he's slapped in the face with another reminder of just exactly who he was, and what he left behind. He hadn't died hundreds of years ago either, he had only been in Rukongai for months. Not much could have changed in the world of the living, and he just had this irritating feeling that it needed his help.

"Quit all of this mushy shit, un," Deidara walked onto the porch and lifted Naruto off of the ground by his collar and stood him up. He then pointed an accusing finger at Biwako, "What I did tell you about teaching my kouhai about life, old lady? It's my job to drop gems on my little student, so shut your mouth." Biwako instantly hit him on his head with her fan and he stumbled back, rubbing at the newly created red spot on his forehead.

"Shut your mouth, boy," Biwako mumbled a curse under her breath as she put her sunglasses back on her face and went inside the shack, leaving her two 'grandsons' to do whatever they pleased.

"It's about time we hit the road, kiddo," Deidara was holding something behind his back and then suddenly threw it in Naruto's face. The boy caught it with a dry expression and the blonde fisherman had to fight back the urge to strangle the 'ungrateful bastard.' He stomped his geta against the porch and pointed at the identical pair Naruto held in his hand, "Put them on, damn it! The most beautiful accessory any kouhai of the Almighty Deidara can have to travel through Rukongai."

Naruto was thoroughly unimpressed by the choice in footwear, but hell, shoes were shoes. The blonde hesitantly slipped into the wooden sandals and grit his teeth at how uncomfortable they were. How did Deidara think these were at all beautiful, or valuable to have? He took a few test steps and tried to get use to wearing them, "The first chance I get to ditch these, I will."

"Trust me, you'll love them by the morning," Deidara wrapped his arm around Naruto's shoulder and guided him off of Biwako's porch. "Now, we need to make a few pit stops before we go to the Kuchiki compound, so follow me, kouhai. Tonight you're going to see just how many connections you're sensei has in Rukongai."

Deidara walked off clicking his geta happily, while Naruto had no choice but to follow. He was asking himself multiple times over just what he was getting into, but something told him to keep traveling with Deidara. Hopefully his gut instinct would make sense soon.

The fisherman was humming something to himself as he led him away from the shack, and Naruto tried to tune him out for the most part. Deidara had good intentions for the most part, but he was nothing short of abrasive as far as personalities came, and it was almost complicated to deal with. The moment he met him, he put koi fish over his own life, and then he basically referred to his grandmother as a woman who do anything to get what she wanted right in her face, yet he took him under his wing without hesitation. He was a character to say the least.

They had only walked for twenty minutes before they approached a shack that was almost identical to the one they had just left. Naruto looked around to make sure he hadn't just walked in a circle, and when his eyes returned to Deidara's form in the dark, walking up the porch to bang on the door; he knew they somewhere different. If it were Biwako's they would have just walked in like they did the first time.

"Go away asshole!" A voice shouted from inside the house and Deidara laughed.

"Don't tell me you're still mad at me, un!"

"You almost made me lose my job you piece of shit! Do you know how hard I worked to get that gig? No, because you're a lazy piece of garbage with no work ethic or ambitions in life other than to be a fucking thief."

"Come on, Tayuya-chan, don't be that way," Deidara pleaded through the door and it suddenly swung open and a pair of female hands were wrapped around his throat. While Deidara was being choked, Naruto was trying to figure out if he should help out or not. Technically he was being killed by an angry red-head, and it didn't seem like she was going stop anytime soon, but for some reason it felt like he deserved. The fisherman managed to choke out the words, "K-Kouhai!"

Naruto took a few steps forward and Tayuya looked up at him all of sudden, dropping Deidara to the ground and started backing away. The blonde's eyebrows crinkled, trying to figure out why him trying to save his sensei made her run away, shutting the door hard behind her. He at least went and helped his fisherman friend off of the ground, "You're an idiot."

"You saved me! Thank god for you lack of skill, un," Deidara patted his kouhai's face gently and smiled at him. Naruto took that as an insult and Deidara rolled his eyes at how upset Naruto looked, "Okay, fine you big baby; get away from the door so I can talk to her without you crushing like a bug with your rieatsu."

Tayuya was currently sitting against her door breathing heavily after being subjected to what felt like hell itself. She saw Deidara peeking through the door and hastily opened it before dragging the blonde inside, catching a glimpse of a sorry looking Naruto standing far away from her shack. She flipped the middle finger at the boy and slammed her door, "He's staying outside, fucking asshole. I hate people who flex their power like that. How am I supposed to fucking breath if he's just walking around with the rieatsu equivalent to a teenager seeing a naked lady for the first time?"

"Great, you calmed down," Deidara said sarcastically as he went to sit down at the same wooden table his grandmother had in the center of the room. "Don't mind Naruto-kun, he's new here and is still getting the hang of this whole soul society thing. He'll learn in due time, but back to us, Tayuya-chan."

"What about us, dickface?" Tayuya hated Deidara more than life itself, yet he always appeared at her doorstep asking for a favor. Damn thief, "I told you to stay away from me after that stunt you pulled last time. I can't cover your ass every time you fuck up, Deidara."

"I know, I know, un," Deidara had messed up in the past, but today was a new day, "but you seem to forget who got you that sweet gig with Kuchiki clan in the first place."

"Biwako-bāchan," Tayuya remembered perfectly. Whatever angle he was trying to use was failing horribly, "You haven't done shit for me but cause me trouble."

"And everything Biwako does, I have my hands in, so I got you that job. They needed help around the compound and Biwako and I pulled some strings to get you in there, so now it's time for some payback for how great we've made your life." He looked around one of the many safe houses Biwako owned and saw how Tayuya got acquainted in it, "I need you to get me in the compound tomorrow, everything else is on me."

"Why should I help you, dickface?" Tayuya furrowed her brow.

"Because this is for Biwako, not me, consider it paying it forward for this nice house she gave you. One of the few Kuchiki didn't take back from her. It'd be a shame if I-" Tayuya punched Deidara right in the face and tried to break his nose with no remorse. He rocked back and forth nursing his now bloody nose and let out curses as she shook her fist, "Jeez, just get me where I need to be, un!"

"Only for Biwako, I hate you dickface, and I've been waiting to do that for quite some time," She got up from her seat and walked back to her door to take a peek outside. Naruto was still standing out there with the same sorry looking expression on his face, "Please don't tell me his sorry ass is coming with you."

"It's his first job for the old lady, I have to," Deidara knew the risk that came with bringing Naruto, but it was his mission after all. Really it was just him tagging along because he had nothing better to do, but he'd never outwardly admit that. He would cover it with manly sensei-kouhai bonding time or something, "Don't worry, I'll whip him into shape. Just tell me when you're clocking in so I knew when to roll."

"Tomorrow night, and you motherfuckers better be gone by the morning or I'll find you and shove a broomstick up your ass myself," She walked away from the door and started making her way back to the table. Her brown eyes hardened and Deidara took that as his cue to stand, "Now get the fuck out of my house, come back tomorrow around this same time, and we'll head out. If that piece of shit is still leaking out crazy amounts of rieatsu this little deal of ours is out the window and you turn your sorry ass around."

"Fine, fine," Deidara went to the door and then turned his head to say one last thing. "We all know you wouldn't shove a broomstick anywhere other than your pus-" The blonde swung the door open and rushed outside to avoid being knocked unconscious by a vase that was launched at his head. He already had a bloody nose because of her and he didn't need to add any more injuries to that list.

He was surprised to see Naruto sitting on the ground with his eyes closed. Was he meditating? Who the hell taught him how to meditate? Deidara crinkled his nose and looked around the area to make sure everything was okay and right with the universe. Usually when he was around Naruto there was always weird kind of heat licking at his skin, but now he just felt a gentle warmth. He was used to dealing with crazy rieatsu levels, and Naruto was just another one, but he could feel when the lid was open so to speak, and right now it was closed.

That boy figured out how to control his rieatsu in five minutes and Deidara had to fight back a smile, "Finally! Hanging around you was starting to get unbearable."

Naruto cracked an eyelid open and looked confusedly at Deidara, "What are you talking about, sensei?" Naruto didn't notice, but the moment he saw firsthand the effects he had on lower-level residents; he reacted. He didn't know how, but his body would react to situations and change accordingly. It was amazing really, "Did I fix my problem?"

"Yeah, you did," Deidara helped Naruto off of the ground. "I don't know how, but damn kid, you're a fast learner. See what happens when you listen to Deidara-sensei?"

Naruto had gotten no such advice from Deidara on how to suppress his rieatsu, but he shook it off easily, "Yeah, sure."

"Now come on, un. I have some more business to handle."

XxX

(Seireitei – Second Division Barracks – With Shisui)

The death god ran a hand through his messy hair as he was walking through the halls of his division's living quarters. It had definitely been a long day, and Sui-feng had already left him to go find their captain. He hadn't even bothered going to the medical bay to get treated, other than his clothes being torn apart, and a few deep cuts on his skin; he was going to be fine. His mind was all over the place, and would probably make a terrible patient at the moment.

His mind was solely focused on the newcomer Naruto who managed to get away from two of the best covert operatives second division had to offer. It was unnerving really. Even though he literally sent Naruto running away with a kido induced hole and who knows what other injuries; he still escaped a high ranking officer with some kind of ease. Naruto had only been in Soul Society for months, based on the reports, and he was already extremely skilled in how to use his reiryoku. How was that even possible?

Hopefully he could make a trip to the twelfth division when he woke up and drum up some information, maybe find the person who guided his soul over to Rukongai. Shisui wouldn't be able to think straight until he could figure out the mystery behind Naruto. For now he would get some sleep so he wouldn't be a zombie when he chose to finally get back to work.

When he approached his assigned room, he slid the door open and let out a quiet sigh of relief upon seeing his bed. The moon shined through the window and it dimly lit the room, as he slid out of his sandals, and started to take off his ruined shihakushō. Luckily he had closet full of them so he wasn't that mad at Naruto for ruining his uniform. As he stripped down his boxers, he heard a whistle come from behind him.

Not even batting an eyelid, Shisui turned his head to see a woman emerge from the shadows of his room, "Taichou." He stated more so than greeted, and continued to find some clothes to sleep in. Her yellow eyes crinkled and he could tell she was smiling. As he slipped into a t-shirt, he sat down on top of his bed and folded his arms over each other, "What?"

"Sui-feng told me what happened, Shisui-kun," The brown-skinned woman walked through the room and sat down next to the boy with a smile. "It sounds like our new friend gave you two the run around," she rubbed at one of the many cuts from Naruto on his face and used the back of her hand to caress them soothingly. "Don't beat yourself up about it though, you've still came a long way since you first joined. I'm very proud of you."

"Thank you, Yoruichi-taichou," He fell back into his bed and nearly smiled at the comfort of his skin touching the soft sheets, but held it in so he could keep the conversation between him and his captain somewhat serious. As he looked at the roof, he frowned, "but I don't like failing missions." At the end of the day, whether Yoruichi was proud or not; Naruto got away, and was still on the loose. He wouldn't be able to think straight until something was done about the boy, since he was endangering Rukongai with his massive rieatsu.

"You didn't fail, at least in my eyes," Yoruichi placed her hand on Shisui's stomach and laughed when he twitched at her cold fingers. "Because of you, we know how to better handle him when the time comes. The mission isn't over, hopefully we can bring him in and convince him to be apart of the second division after he finishes the academy." The woman stood up and started to make her way toward the door. She turned around with a sly grin, "Maybe he can even join our division, there's going to be an opening soon anyway."

Shisui sat up and couldn't help but spare the confused glance at Yoruichi, "What opening?"

"You've been progressing so well these last few years, and I know how strong your shikai is," Yoruichi started trailing off, trying to lead Shisui to where she was hinting at, and he said nothing. The woman rolled her eyes at the Uchiha's stoicism and placed a hand on her hip, "The tenth division is open to the prospect of a new lieutenant and I was thinking of nominating you. You're more than qualified."

"Is that what you came by to tell me?" Shisui asked as stared at Yoruichi with a hint of disbelief. He knew he was strong, but he didn't think he was ready to take on the rank of lieutenant. It would be a long while before he was ready for that position, "I was thinking of staying under your tutelage for a little while longer." By a little while longer he meant something close to a decade, but time was relative in Seireitei.

"That's cute," The captain poked fun and he dropped a bead of sweat, which made her chuckle for a second. "I'll let you ponder on that, but I have another assignment for you as well. I'm supposed to be meeting with Ginrei tomorrow and I want you to come with me, he wants to talk about who's been stealing our fish from our garden. I went to visit Byakuya-kun and I saw the fish from my pond in his and vice versa, so someone is throwing the wool over our eyes."

"I'll be ready whenever you are," Shisui said as he crawled back into his bed and got ready to go to sleep. It sounded like he had a long day ahead of him. "I'll also put some thought into applying for that lieutenant position."

"Very good, Shisui," Yoruichi was waving good bye, "Sleep tight, don't let the Naruto-kun's bite." She disappeared before the boy could say something in return, and he was left looking at his wide open door. Yoruichi hadn't even had the decency to close it.

The universal struggle of closing the room door after you already got in the bed was evident with Uchiha Shisui and he gnashed his teeth together at the thought of getting up.

With one quick shunpo movement, he was at the door and back in his bed before he could blink.

Much better.

XxX

Chill chapter this time around while I setup for Naruto and Deidara to break into the Kuchiki compound. I'll keep introducing dead Naruto characters as time goes on, just trying stray away from the obvious Konoha ones, or someone who would flat out spark Naruto's memories. Just subtle people he met in passing.

Next chapter, I'm not giving the name damn it lol, but just know shit will go down, because you can't just break into a rich guy's compound and escape scot free. At least not in a story where I we laugh at Naruto's misfortune.