Disclaimer: So yeah, as always I don't own Naruto or Bleach, which are owned by Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo respectively. It hurts every time I admit it, though. Why? Because Harribel is win...yet she's not mine. (sad face)

Chapter Ten: Rattling the Fox Cage

Orihime squinted her eyes as sand flew in every direction. The air had become saturated with a killer intent she never thought possible from someone like Naruto. He seemed so...enraged.

"Naruto's mad. I've never seen him letting out this much reiatsu before..." Apache whispered, "H-he's going to kill Nnoitra. I don't doubt it for a second."

"Kill? Are you sure, Apache?"

Apache nodded, the grave expression never leaving, "I remember Harribel-sama saying that Naruto never goes back on his word. He said that he would destroy Nnoitra just then, and he's going to go through with it."

Orihime felt a shiver run down her spine as the tainted aura that emitted from Naruto became stronger. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she looked to see Apache give her a reassuring squeeze.

The orange haired teen smiled, "Thanks, Apache."

"The power of an Espada level Arrancar is hard to deal with. It's okay..."

Ichigo thought that Grimmjow's power had been overwhelming at one point.

Before the fight with Grimmjow, however, Ichigo had never seen Naruto when upset. The youthful looking Arrancar had already caused a small maelstrom by increasing his reiatsu output, and it was making Ichigo's already sore and fatigued legs struggle to keep him standing.

"Itsygo...who isth that guy with the weird weapon and patch over histh eye?"

Ichigo looked to Nel and shook his head, "I don't know. Naruto says his name is Nnoitra or something. Must be an Espada..."

"He's the Quinta..."

Ichigo and Nel turned to the wounded form of Grimmjow, who was propped up against a fallen pillar, "Grimmjow? You're alright?"

"Yeah...but unless we want to be caught in the blast radius of Naruto's attacks, we better move away." the Sexta spoke, "Get that pink-haired shinigami away from the battle area, or she's going to get hit by the blast radius from their attacks."

Ichigo nodded and ran over to get Sakura's unconscious form. Meanwhile, Nel walked over to Grimmjow, looking at him thoughtfully.

"What?"

"I...I think recognizthe you. Naruto said your name wasth Grimmjow, right?"

Grimmjow nodded slowly, "Yeah. You used to be an Espada like me."

Nel's expression became one of shock, "A-an Esthpada? No way, I'm not powerful-"

"I said you used to be, geesh. Listen when I talk! Anyway, Naruto used to be one of your best subordinates...and..." Grimmjow scratched his chin, deciding to leave out the details of how deep their relation was, "...and he was loyal to you. Obsessively loyal, almost."

Nel's headache had subsided a little, but she was still feeling a bit dizzy. She had seen flashes of memories that seemed to belong to someone else. The funny thing was, a lot of them were of Naruto, and two other Arrancar that seemed to remind her of Pesche and Dondochakka for some odd reason...there were even a few blips of Grimmjow's face, among others she didn't recognize, "I...I think Nel'sth memories...are coming back a little."

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow as Nel caught him off guard, gripping onto his shirt and hugging him, "Hey, what the hell?"

"Grimmjow...Nel'sth so confused. Why wasth I an Esthpada, yet I don't remember being one?" she was shaking a bit, "I'm sorry Grimmjow..."

The Sexta grumbled something unintelligible while resting a hand on her head, "Yeah, yeah. Just stick close to me. Naruto would hate to lose you again..."

Nel nodded slowly, "Naruto..." Looking over, she saw said Media-Espada gathering power, "I...I remember now..."

"Nel-chan! Hey, why am I practicing this stupid Bala technique? It's weaker than Cero, and not as cool, so what's the point?"

"Naruto, this technique is practically vital to an Arrancar's power. If one masters the Bala, they stand a good chance of being able to overwhelm even the greatest of foes in battle. It's faster than Cero, and you can fire this technique rapidly."

"...it's still not as cool..."

"Naruto-kun, either you stop complaining now or you sleep in the hall tonight..."

"...yes, ma'am..."

Nel felt her face flush a bit, "Naruto and I were...?"

"Yeah." Grimmjow replied, catching onto where she was going based on the reddened face and somewhat embarrassed tone she was using, "You and him were doing the dirty, the two-way tango, the-"

"Aaaah! Okay, Nel understandsth!" Nel covered her face up as it became as red as a tomato, "I am stho embarrassed..."

"Heheheh...so you're really going to grow a pair and fight me, huh, Uzumaki?" Nnoitra laughed, "About time! First I get rid of that wretched woman, now her lapdog too! Hahaha!"

"Can it, Jiruga."

Nnoitra's grin remained on his face, not flinching as he felt Naruto's palpable killer intent wash over him, "Heh, I must have really touched a sore spot with you. You never got this pissed when I taunted those three Fraccion of Harribel's..."

Naruto's crimson irises flashed in burning anger, "You really crossed the line this time, Jiruga. I tend to live by the philosophy of forgiving those who are willing to apologize. You, however, are not one of them. You go and challenge those weaker than you simply because of the fact that you're simply stronger than them." Naruto stood straight as he continued, "Not only that, but you're a chauvinistic pig who can't stand the fact that a female can have a higher rank than a male, like Nel-sama or Harribel-sama. Well guess what, Jiruga? Those two, as well as all the other women in Las Noches, are worth more than you'll ever be. Want to know why?"

"Bastard, there is no reason to back up that logic..." Nnoitra replied.

"Wrong. It's because they deserve their rank. They don't worry about something as meaningless as gender. Male or female, it makes no difference...Apache, for example, has mastered Sonido to a level that I had trouble maintaining when I was her age. Years from now she'll likely become one of the stronger Arrancar in Las Noches." Naruto pointed at the Quinta, "You, however, are going to be nothing but ash and dust when I'm through with you."

Without further delay, Naruto flickered from view, only to reappear right in front of Nnoitra. The Quinta quickly raised his crescent-shaped weapon, blocking a powerful kick to his face. Naruto didn't even flinch, instead raising an open palm and charging a Cero and aiming it at the taller Arrancar's torso.

"You-!"

Nnoitra was blasted away as the orange colored stream of energy pushed him away. It eventually erupted, a mighty explosion lighting the area as Naruto stood straight, waiting for his enemy to make his move.

Meanwhile, Tesla stood there, a bit shocked to see the infamously carefree Naruto deliver an attack in such a quick and practiced manner. He slowly reached for his zanpakutou's handle, only for a presence to make itself known behind him. He turned to see Apache grinning a bit, "You don't plan on getting between their battle, do you?"

Tesla sneered at the younger Arrancar, "Apache..." He turned to face her, "Stay out of this."

Apache rolled her eyes, her grin never leaving her face, "Tesla, Tesla, Tesla..." She laughed a bit, "You think that I'll let you interfere and harm Naruto?"

"You think that you pose a threat to me?" Tesla shot back, his grip tightening, "You're merely a glorified Hollow with a human appearance. You're weak, Apache. Face it. You don't stand a chance against me in a fight."

The young Fraccion smirked while cracking her knuckles, "I hope you're ready to eat those words, Tesla. I'm going to make you wish you never joined that pig-headed sap of an Espada ages ago..." Apache unhooked her two bracelets, and with a flick of her wrist, revealed the hidden blades within them, "Let's dance."

The two flew to the air, and clashed weapons. Apache, while not possessing the most conventional of close combat weapons, was still skilled in using her bladed bracelets to their full capabilities. It also helped that she was considered the second fastest woman in all of Las Noches, the other being Harribel.

Tesla slashed at Apache, only to meet air. He followed her faint movements, ducking a kick and moving aside to avoid a horizontal cut with her bracelets. He caught her arm and delivered a quick knee to her gut. She grunted in pain as he threw her to the ground, sending up a small cloud of dust.

Nnoitra's Fraccion smirked a little, not the least bit surprised by how easily he had managed to get beyond Apache's guard. His smirk quickly faded though as he felt a need to turn around, only to see Apache standing before him, spinning a bracelet on her right index finger in a nonchalant manner.

"How did you-?"

"Sonido. It works wonders against idiots who are too slow for their own good." Apache replied as she disappeared with a flickering afterimage. Tesla had no time to react as he felt a stinging pain run down his back, followed by a foot to the neck. He was sent spiraling down into a downed pillar, sending chunks of red rock in every direction as he made impact with the broken structure.

Blinking away the stray particles of dust from his eyes, Tesla made the faint outline of Apache walking towards him at a leisurely pace. He scowled as he stared hard into her amber and ice blue colored eyes, "You're going to regret that, Apache..."

Apache just laughed, "Something tells me that's very unlikely."

"Harribel-sama, shouldn't we stop them?" Sun-Sun asked as she saw Apache engage Tesla. Turning to her superior, she was shocked to see that Harribel simply shook her head.

"No. In all truthfulness, Nnoitra is going against orders. He went looking for the enemy, and he attacked Grimmjow. Naruto could defend his attack on Nnoitra on the grounds of helping a fellow Arrancar in need." The Tercera sighed, "I won't do anything unless this battle gets out of hand. You and Mila haven't seen Naruto truly fight. You may finally witness what he can truly do when he's serious..."

Mila-Rose and Sun-Sun didn't like the tone Harribel had in her voice as she spoke the last part. It was the uncertain, quiet tone she used when she was worried about something, or expected something bad to happen.

"What do you mean?"

Harribel turned to Mila-Rose, "Have either of you seen Naruto's Resurrección?" The two shook their heads, "That's because Naruto didn't want to overwhelm you. I myself have shown you my released form only once because I'm better at suppressing my reiatsu when the time calls for it. Naruto isn't as skilled at containing his reiatsu when he reaches his released state, though he stands just under Ulquiorra, which is saying a lot."

"Okay...but, that's fine. We could probably still handle it. I mean, you're stronger than Ulquiorra and we were fine. Naruto's not stronger than you, Harribel-sama." Sun-Sun replied, though her voice was quiet and trembling a little from the powerful waves of reiatsu being emitted from the battle.

"I'm going to be honest with you two..." Harribel spoke, her eyes returning to the battle, "Naruto has been an enigma to me from the very beginning in terms of his power. He denies it...but I believe he sometimes holds back a great deal when we spar." She closed her eyes as though thinking back on the time she spent with the blond Arrancar, "Perhaps it's that power within him that has made Aizen so lenient in terms of keeping Naruto under his thumb. He let Naruto get away with many things when he was younger...things that I'm sure others would be demoted or removed from their positions for. I don't know for certain...but...I think Naruto holds a power deeper than what he shows inside of him, and Aizen sees it."

"Th-that powerful, Harribel-sama?"

Harribel shook her head, "I don't know. It perturbs me at times; Naruto is perhaps the most caring Arrancar in all of Las Noches, yet he may hold a power that I cannot comprehend..." She opened her eyes again, "Stay focused, ladies. We may need to intervene at a moment's notice."

The two female Fraccion were quiet after that, watching the battle with their full attention on the blond Media-Espada who was now standing several yards away from the Quinta Espada.

"You bastard..." Nnoitra growled out as he stood before Naruto, "You seriously think you're able to fight on even grounds with me?"

"I don't think I can, Jiruga. I know I can."

Nnoitra roared in anger, dashing at the shorter Arrancar and slamming his zanpakutou into the ground, sending up a plume of sand. He whirled around, and his blade met Naruto's palm. Naruto grit his teeth, noticing that the Quinta was putting more effort into his swings now.

"Heheh, you keep fighting like that and you're going to end up losing a few fingers, Uzumaki!" Nnoitra sent a foot into Naruto's gut. The blond held his ground though, gripping Nnoitra's leg with his free arm.

"You keep fighting like a wild beast and you'll end up getting killed, Jiruga." Naruto shot back, and quickly spun around while gripping the taller Espada's leg. He eventually let go, sending Nnoitra into another pillar. Naruto wasted no time, and fired a volley of Bala attacks from his right palm. The explosion made the skies bleed red as Naruto stood calmly.

Over the sound of falling debris and the reverberating echo of the explosion, one could hear an angry shout, "I'm not through yet!"

A yellow light shot out of the smoke, catching Naruto by surprise. Naruto jumped up into the air, avoiding the Cero but making himself vulnerable. He felt Nnoitra's presence behind him, and spun around while lifting a knee. He blocked Nnoitra's own kick, and with a quick handstand on the Quinta's knee, delivered a quick spinning kick to the face.

Nnoitra grunted in pain as he went flying back several yards before he stopped himself in midair. He gave Naruto a cold glare, "Why don't you fight with your zanpakutou?"

Naruto tilted his head to the side, "Why?" Naruto shook his head, "You're not worth my blade. That's why."

"Is that so?" Nnoitra replied, his voice becoming quiet, "You sicken me, Uzumaki. You act so much like that woman when you fight. It makes me want to retch!" Nnoitra spun his zanpakutou around a few times before sending it flying at Naruto. Naruto dodged it, and flew at Nnoitra to deliver a quick punch to the face. Nnoitra quickly yanked on the chain of his weapon, and moved to the side while the giant crescent shaped blade smashed into the blond. Naruto ignored the gash on his arm, instead focusing on continuing his attack on the Fifth Espada.

Nnoitra, having expected as much from the blond, made a powerful swipe to lob off his opponent's head. Naruto quickly faded from view, and reappeared in the same spot before giving a powerful punch to the Quinta's face. Nnoitra reeled back a bit, but laughed as he leaned back while snap kicking Naruto in the jaw.

Naruto endured the blow, using the power of the kick to spin back a little ways to give him some distance. He rubbed his jaw a bit before spitting some blood, "You actually may have bruised something there, Jiruga..."

"Cocky little..." Nnoitra grumbled as his smirk vanished, replaced with a disapproving sneer. He quickly covered the distance between the two, once again upon his target with renewed vigor. Naruto simply moved as much as needed, dodging the large weapon of Nnoitra's by mere inches, aggravating Nnoitra to no end, "Quit toying with me and fight for real, Uzumaki!"

The crescent-shaped blade moved downward onto Naruto, but the whiskered Arrancar caught it with his palm, wincing only a slight bit, "Fight for real?" A straight kick from the heel of Naruto's foot slammed into the midsection of the taller Arrancar. He pressed his foot a bit deeper as he opened up a palm, charging up a Bala, "You must really be in a hurry to die."

"You bastard!" Nnoitra roared before he was blasted at point blank by Naruto's favored projectile attack. Nnoitra was knocked back a considerable distance, avoiding major damage by raising an arm to shield his face, "You didn't even pack a punch with that attack, Uzumaki."

Naruto smirked, "That was only an appetizer."

Nnoitra's eyebrows quirked in confusion only a second before they rose in shock as Naruto opened up both hands that each held a glowing red orb. Nnoitra raised his zanpakutou in defense as Naruto began peppering him with Bala after Bala. The expanding cloud of smoke and spiritual energy began to swell as Naruto put more and more effort into his attacks.

Nnoitra grunted as he was hit by the energy bullets, his frustration reaching its peak. He brought his reiatsu up a few notches before letting loose a wave of power, deflecting the few stray Bala that Naruto had fired, "Stop toying with me!"

Naruto stared at Nnoitra calmly, "You wouldn't be able to keep up with me if I was for real. Still, I'm going to kill you either way."

Nnoitra, instead of becoming more aggravated, seemed to have an idea, "If that's the case...maybe I need to provoke you into challenging me for real..."

Naruto raised an eyebrow as Nnoitra spun his zanpakutou around by the chain a few times. Before Naruto could ask any questions though, Nnoitra grinned before lifting his thumb just enough for the rotating crescent to cut it.

"You're seriously going to use that...?" Naruto sounded more amused than anything, "I could dodge something like that without thinking about it; it's a waste of energy on your part."

"Haha! Who said this was for you, Uzumaki?" Nnoitra laughed before aiming his open palm at the group below while throwing his giant weapon at Naruto.

Naruto realized a bit too late what the Quinta was talking about, "Damn it!" He dodged the blade and raced down to reach the others. At the very same time, Nnoitra had finished charging his attack.

"Hahaha! You're too predictable sometimes, Uzumaki!" A yellow orb formed in the Arrancar's hand before the numerous rays of light began spinning around, "Grand Rey Cero!"

Ichigo, Nel, and Grimmjow watched in shock as a giant blast of light that dwarfed any Cero fired by the Quinta previously descended towards them. Ichigo unconsciously picked up Nel while helping Grimmjow up.

"Crap, we're not going to be able to avoid-"

Ichigo's words were caught in his throat as he noticed the blast suddenly slowing down. He looked while closing one of his eyes to see the figure of Naruto standing before the super-powered Cero, using all his strength to halt the massive projectile.

Naruto slowly looked behind him, facing Ichigo, "Get everyone out of the blast's path! I'm not sure I can hold it back in my current form!"

Ichigo nodded as he gave Grimmjow a shoulder to lean on while carrying Nel. Said former-Tercera was screaming in protest, telling Ichigo to let her go so she could help Naruto.

Once the three were far enough away, now standing beside Orihime who was busy healing Sakura, Grimmjow turned around, his eyes wide, "Damn it, Naruto's losing ground! What's he doing? Get out of there, you dumba-"

The Sexta's sentence was cut off as the giant blast finally overpowered Naruto, exploding and sending pulses of raw energy out. Nel and Orihime were knocked down by the sheer intensity of the explosion while Grimmjow strained to stay on his feet. Ichigo stood firm, but he could feel his breath catch in his throat.

Nnoitra looked down to the smoldering crater, watching the smoke rise as he felt no reiatsu from the Media-Espada, "Heheh...hahaha! Serves you right, Uzumaki! That will teach you to hold back against me! You died just like a weak piece of trash should! Hahaha!"

Nel, meanwhile, was having a major crisis on hand, "Naruto! No!"

Grimmjow restrained the youthful looking Hollow as she attempted to run to the now scorched ground where Naruto had been defeated. Ichigo was still in shock, but stood firm as Nnoitra looked down to him. Ichigo didn't even need a cue from the others, gripping his black katana firmly. He knew they were basically screwed now. Grimmjow was injured, Ichigo was exhausted, Sakura was unconscious, Nel wasn't capable of fighting on such levels, Orihime was a healer, not a fighter, and Apache...

"You bastard! I'll kill you!"

All present turned to see Apache flying towards Nnoitra, wrist-blades circlets in either hand. Orihime noted a crumpled form of Tesla lying against a pillar, not moving in the slightest. He was either unconscious, or dead...judging by Apache's current state of mind...Orihime wasn't seeing anything positive for the Fraccion of the Quinta Espada.

Nnoitra just chuckled a bit, "So the Media-Espada's pet is challenging me too?" Nnoitra shouldered his zanpakutou, "Heh, your funeral..."

Apache was already increasing her reiatsu significantly, "Thrust, Cierva!" She transformed while continuing her flight towards the Quinta, now covered in brown fur and having deer-like traits.

Nnoitra took note of the Fraccion and her Resurrección's form before snickering, "Heh, such a weak release. Just like the trash that uses it."

The young Arrancar halted her forward trajectory, instead moving sideways while charging a Cero in her two hands that were raised above her head.

"Tch, you call that an attack? Go ahead...try me, woman." Nnoitra taunted, further fueling the anger within Apache.

Apache felt the sting of tears in her eyes as she finished gathering her power, 'This bastard...he...Naruto...I...' She closed her eyes as tears ran down her cheeks, 'I will avenge you, Naruto. He won't live to regret this! I won't let him!' Apache opened her eyes which seemed to be ablaze, "You're going to pay for what you did to Naruto! I promise!"

It was then that it appeared some higher power was involved to insure Apache's statement, for her Cero grew twice the size it was before, violently humming as it begged to be released from her hold, "What the hell...?" Nnoitra raised an eyebrow, a sliver of uncertainty in his one visible eye.

Apache screamed out a battle cry as she let loose a blast that engulfed the area. Nnoitra had no time to dodge or block, shocked by how fast she had fired her attack. For a few seconds, the place had become hell on Earth as the heartbroken and enraged Fraccion gave her all to destroy her idol and dearest friend's killer.

"Gah!" Ichigo put a hand in front of his eyes as he felt yet another wave of spiritual pressure hit him, forcing his weakening legs to wobble as he strained to stay upright.

Apache wheezed and trembled, her ears roaring as blood pumped through them. She held her hands before her, ready to begin a second Cero if needed.

"You...you damned woman!" roared a voice from within the smoke. Apache felt herself become held in place as an overwhelming pressure hit her, "Where the hell did all that power come from? You actually managed to burn me!"

Sure enough, as the smoke cleared a slightly burnt Nnoitra Jiruga stood before her, looking none too pleased with the surprising attack that Apache had pulled off.

"Damn...Apache did a number on the bastard..." Grimmjow commented, "Looks like she took Naruto's teaching well..."

Apache felt like her she had been pinned down by a fifty ton weight as she felt her strength fade after shooting the massive blast of energy at Nnoitra. It didn't help that the attack seemed to only make said Quinta more pissed off, while any major injuries seemed to be absent on him.

Nnoitra's grimace became a smirk as he noticed just how worn down Apache was, "Heh, looks like that's all there is to your power, huh?" He opened his mouth a bit, "Pathetic...just like that idiot before you." A yellow ball of light forming at the tip of his tongue.

Apache felt the weight of Nnoitra's reiatsu hit her full force, causing her to feel even weaker than she already was, "D-damn...it..." She watched with both anger and despair as the attack was fired from Nnoitra's mouth.

The attack never hit though. She felt two arms wrap around her, and she looked to find herself hovering in the air as the attack roared underneath her.

"Apache, take a rest."

The young Arrancar turned her head to see Naruto had his arms wrapped around her waistline, "N-Naruto? I-I thought you were ki-"

"I know. I was hiding my reiatsu level...a little too well it seems." replied the blond with a small grin, "You did well. I'll take it from here."

Apache felt her feelings getting the better of her, and felt more tears fall down her cheeks, "I...I was scared that you had died..." She clamped both her arms around Naruto's midsection while holding him in a death grip hug, "Why do you have to go and do stupid crap like that to me? D-don't scare me like...like..." Her words became muffled as she cried silently into Naruto's chest.

The blond blinked a few times before smiling and gently pulling Apache's arms from around him. It took a bit of effort since she seemed to be afraid to let him go. After he got out of her grip, he gave her a small smile, "Hey...I'm alive, right? No need to cry, alright? Now go on and keep the other safe, okay? I'll be fine; I promise."

Apache nodded slowly before flying down to the group below while Naruto turned to face the Quinta. He gave the lanky Arrancar his usual cold hard glare. Nnoitra seemed mildly amused, "Heheh, I was hoping to fight you a bit more."

Naruto's eyes narrowed before he disappeared, a second later followed as a resonating boom was heard. Nnoitra was sent into the ground as Naruto uncurled his fist. The Media-Espada opened up his mouth wide as an orange light began to form before he fired his attack.

Nnoitra eyes widened in horror as he noticed a giant Cero was about to crash down on him. He gripped his blade tightly while speaking firmly, "Pray..."

The explosion from Naruto's attack shook the foundation of the desert, causing a few pillars to shake. A large dome-shaped cloud of light grew in the spot where the giant blast of energy had hit before it faded with the passing shock waves.

Naruto had not moved though. His eyes were transfixed on the center of the explosion, "So...he's going to use it..."

"...Santa Teresa!"

Naruto shielded his eyes as dust blew into the air with a new wave of reiatsu pouring onto the field. An observant spectator would have noticed a major change in Naruto's demeanor at this time...

...Naruto was gripping the handle of his zanpakutou...

Rukia coughed up a bit more blood as she limped down a hallway. She was alive...though that was about as much as she could say for herself right now. Her shikai had reverted back to her normal sealed zanpakutou, and she could barely move more than a few feet at a time without having to take a break and breathe.

"Gah...hah..." Rukia felt a sharp pain run down her right side where Aaroniero had punctured her. She was lucky to have moved at the last second, otherwise she may have been killed, 'Ichigo...Orihime...I'm...coming...'

She could feel the powerful reiatsu raining down on the area, and among the distant spiritual energy signatures, she could sense both orange haired teens.

"Shinigami..."

Rukia froze in place, hand on her zanpakutou. She could feel it now; a faint presence...it felt like an Arrancar,. The voice belonged to a woman."If you think you can defeat me without a fight, then-"

"I'm not in any shape to fight myself..." spoke the feminine Arrancar voice.

Rukia chanced to turn around only to see a rather disheveled woman with the oddest attire she had ever seen, "You're...an Espada?"

"Was an Espada. Way back before Aizen got his hands on the Hogyoku and started making artificial Arrancar..."

Cirucci Thunderwitch had lucked out herself. She probably would have been killed, but after hearing from the Quincy boy about him trying to rescue the Inoue girl, she had decided to end their battle, and let him go with that odd Arrancar named Pesche...

...that name...it sounded familiar.

Rukia hadn't let down her guard, "Yeah? Well...what do you want...then?"

Cirucci walked over to the Shinigami, now no more than a few feet from her, "You're here to help that Orihime girl, aren't you?"

"...yes."

"Let me help."

"Help?" Rukia raised an eyebrow, "Why should I trust you?"

Cirucci smiled knowingly, "Because, you're obviously on your last leg of strength right now, and I could have killed you three times over if I had wanted to. Naruto's one of my closest friends, and it seems as though he's started an uprising amongst some Arrancar. From what I can sense, he's fighting Nnoitra right now."

"Nnoitra? Who's that?"

"The fifth Espada, and the number one bastard in all of Las Noches." she spoke in a nonchalant tone, "In all honesty, this fight was several decades overdue...Naruto's been waiting to take a swing at the Quinta."

"Naruto? Isn't that the name of the Media-Espada?"

Cirucci grinned a bit, "Yep. That's him alright. Naruto-kun's not a fan of advertising himself, so I'm surprised you know of him."

"He knocked out two seated officers, managed to stand on equal ground with one of Seireitei's former captains, and toyed with Ichigo. How can I not know of him?" Rukia commented, "Listen...um..."

"Cirucci. My name is Cirucci."

"Rukia."

Cirucci nodded, "Right. Anyway, go on, Rukia."

"...right. I'm heading towards the battle between this Naruto and Nnoitra. I think my friends are there as well." the petite Soul Reaper looked down the hall where a light could be seen at the end, "If you could help me..."

Cirucci didn't ask for any further questions before slinging Rukia's arm over her shoulder while being gentle enough to not aggravate her injury further, "Let's go."

"Uh...thanks." Rukia spoke, still not sure how to feel about this.

An Arrancar...helping a Shinigami.

Ichigo was silent as he watched Naruto stand firm while Nnoitra's released form stood before them. The blond had remained stock still aside from the occasional breath, and the tightening grip on his zanpakutou that was held in the holster around his waist.

"He'sth grown up a lot..."

Ichigo turned to Nel, who was watching the battle with rapt attention, "What?"

Nel turned to look at Ichigo, "Um...well, Naruto...I wasth once histh superior and watching now him makesth Nel remember stuff."

"You were once his superior? Wait...you mean you were an Espada?"

Nel looked away from the orange haired teen, "Yesth. I must have forgotten about that when Nnoitra kicked usth out of Lasth Nochesth..." She sighed, "...I think..."

Ichigo nodded, seeming to understand a bit, "Oh. Well, Naruto better do something quick before Nnoitra attacks. He hasn't even used his own Resurrección yet."

"That's because Naruto's released state isn't worth using against a bastard like Nnoitra." Grimmjow replied, "The idiot's got this code of honor of his. He won't use his Resurrección unless he's in a battle where he either has no other options or he isn't sure of his opponent's true power. Naruto apparently feels that he's capable of taking on Nnoitra, even with more arms."

Meanwhile, Naruto and Nnoitra had begun their fight again with renewed vigor. The burns and any cuts that Nnoitra had sported had been healed with the release of his zanpakutou, and on top of that, he now had four arms each wielding a wickedly sharp scythe.

"You know, Jiruga, there's a saying, 'it's quality, not quantity, that matters.'. Apparently you still haven't heard it." Naruto spoke, referring to the extra pair of arms now present on his enemy, "Looks like I'll have to even the odds here now."

The blond unsheathed his zanpakutou, the crimson handle glowing faintly before Naruto spun it around a few times, the tassels streaming behind it. Nnoitra's smile reflected the savage desire clearly in his eyes, "Heheheh, looks like you're finally going to take this battle seriously, eh, Uzumaki?"

"Sure. I'll humor you and play swords with you, Jiruga. I must warn you though..." Naruto disappeared from open view, reappearing right in front of Nnoitra who had raised his scythes in defense as steel clashed with steel, "...when my sword is drawn, I tend to find it hard to hold back against those I hate."

"Good! Give me a fight worth having, then! Try and avenge that woman of yours, and die when I crush your skull in!" Nnoitra shot back, pressing down on his scythe while raising his other three free arms to slash Naruto into bits.

Naruto never gave him the chance though, pushing off with all his strength and throwing Nnoitra off balance. He quickly hopped into the air before aiming his odachi's point over the Fifth Espada's throat. The blade instead hit sand as Nnoitra pushed off the ground while spinning two of his scythes in preparation to decapitate his opponent.

Raising his free hand, Naruto opened up his palm and fired a quick Bala to repel the two giant weapons. While Nnoitra regained his footing, Naruto pushed off the ground and sent a foot to Nnoitra's chin. The Quinta staggered for a moment, giving Naruto enough time to follow up by slamming the pommel of his odachi into the stomach of the Espada, and like a white blur, quickly went into a fighting stance and finished with a cut to the stomach. He was a bit put off when only a shallow gash appeared on his opponent's torso.

"Heh...heheheh..." Nnoitra croaked out a laugh as he looked down to the blond, "Have you forgotten, Uzumaki?"

"What?"

The smirk on Nnoitra's face seemed to grow larger as he spoke, "My hierro can't be cut!"

Naruto quickly raised his blade as a scythe came slamming down on him. His palm managed to catch the flat end of the second scythe...but...

Apache, who had regressed to her normal state, watched in horror as blood spattered the sands, "Naruto!"

Grimmjow quickly caught Apache by the collar as she attempted to run and help the blond, "Shut it! He's fine!"

"Let me go! He's in trouble, he-"

"Apache! Shut up! Take a look and tell me if he really looks like he's in trouble!" Grimmjow shouted, gesturing to the Media-Espada as he caught a frantic looking Nel with his free hand, "Man...what is it with you women fawning over the idiot? Makes my life more of a hassle..."

"H-he'sth bleeding and-"

"Kurosaki, get your good-for-nothing self over here and help me out!" Grimmjow shouted as he felt Apache trying to pry herself free from his grip.

Naruto seemed to be standing firm, though he now had two large scythes stuck in either of his shoulders while he shook a bit, "You know...that stings, Jiruga."

"Tch, you're not fooling anyone, Uzumaki."

Naruto bit down on his lower lip as he forced his shoulders to move, and ripped the weapons out from his upper arms. He grunted in annoyance as he looked at the blood on his vest. He gave a withering glare to Nnoitra, "Do you know how hard it is to remove blood from white clothing?"

Nnoitra didn't even bat an eyelash at the light bit of humor, "That took more out of you than you're showing."

Naruto just shrugged, which actually hurt a bit, "Maybe...or maybe I'm just messing with you. You got lucky; I was just measuring my blade-swinging strength earlier. I guess I was holding back a bit."

Even before he could blink, Nnoitra felt steel rip through his sides, both right and left, within seconds. Red poured out of his wounds as he turned to the blond, who was now standing a good distance away, kneeling while holding his blade at ready, a little bit of blood dripping from the sides. He also noted that two of his arms had been lobbed off from either side.

Nnoitra shook off the shock of having his skin cut and the loss of two arms, and instead focused on the whisker-marked Arrancar. Quickly fading from view, Nnoitra was behind Naruto with his scythes ready to slice Naruto in two. The blond spun around and blocked the attack from either side with little effort.

Then Nnoitra decided to pull his trump card out, and spurted two more arms out from his body. To make matters worse, two scythes grew out of either one of the newly formed wrist. The two new scythes were soon making a move to cut down Naruto yet again.

Naruto quickly ducked under the steel, spinning around while still crouched, and slammed his odachi into Nnoitra's stomach. Removing the blade, he flipped backwards while kicking the Espada in the jaw for a second time. Nnoitra, however, recovered quickly enough to avoid the intended finishing blow that would have gone right into his neck by blocking Naruto's blade with one of his scythes.

The two were soon exchanging blow for blow, sparks flying as they tried to slash the other to bits. One thing irked Nnoitra though; Naruto was still in his normal state, yet he continued to prove a worthy match for the Quinta.

"It's annoying, isn't it?"

Nnoitra spared Naruto a confused look while trying to remove the blond's head from his body, "What are you talking about?"

"You hate the fact that I'm still fighting on relatively equal grounds with you." Naruto replied, "You can't stand the fact that someone like me who is hated by you so much is able to fight you when you're fighting in your released state and I'm not. Admit it."

"Don't flatter yourself."

Naruto shook his head while stepping to the side to avoid a vertical slash, "Arrogance. That would have been a more fitting aspect of death for you. Despair, not so much the case, but I guess that's there too."

"Like you know anything about that, Uzumaki. You're not even a true Espada. You represent nothing in that area."

"Sure I do. I represent a few of them, maybe all of them." Naruto retorted.

"How?"

Naruto just grinned, "That's for me to know, and for you to never find out."

Naruto blurred from view before his image reappeared in front of the taller Espada, sword impaled in his chest. Nnoitra coughed a bit of blood out as it began dribbling down his chin, "Y-yo-you...!"

"It's over, Nnoitra." Naruto pulled out his blade for the umpteenth time, "I've wasted too much time dealing with you."

"Not...yet!" Nnoitra growled, opening his mouth, "Not until the last breath leaves my body, or your crumpled body falls before me!"

Naruto was hit dead-on by a point-blank Cero. The blast flew through a few dunes before it stopped, lighting up the area in a display of golden light. Nnoitra stood where he was, breathing heavily as the wounds on his stomach and chest refused to stop bleeding.

Still...Naruto's body hadn't made itself visible yet. Nnoitra let his arms rest for a moment as he tried to look through the dust, searching for any possible sign of the blond.

As if on cue, the dust began to glow with an orange hue. The clouds parted, blown away by a sudden gust. Through the haze of red and orange, Nnoitra saw Naruto with a hand that had been cut open by his odachi, blood trickling from the wound.

The power...it was immense. That was not an ordinary Cero that Naruto was gathering power for. No, far from it. Not only that...but now the damned blond had a weird red light surrounding him that seemed to have a shape to it. Almost like it was some sort of separate creature. A tail seemed to sprout from the weird aura while Naruto's power increased.

"You really are a traitor...that's breaking one of the big two, Uzumaki." Nnoitra grinned as he shifted his feet while cutting two of his own hands on his scythes, "Using that attack in Las Noches is frowned upon, remember?"

"Like I care about Aizen's laws." Naruto replied as the mass of light began swirling in his hands, streams of crimson stretching out from the epicenter, "This is it, Jiruga. Hope you enjoy oblivion, because that's where you're going."

Nnoitra laughed as he too began to charge up similar yellow balls of energy in either of his free hands, "Bring it, Uzumaki."

"Gladly..."

The two stared each other down while time seemed to take a brief absence, making what would be mere seconds seem like eons. Naruto's reddened irises stared hard into Nnoitra black ones. As the two prepared to fire their blasts of raw energy all sound seemed to be sucked out of the battleground as well, and not even the wind dared to make any sound out of fear of disturbing the tense moment.

The two took in a breath, and shouted simultaneously, "Gran Rey Cero!"

Orange and red met golden yellow as the two streams of murderous power collided, neither willing to give up the struggle for dominance.

"Harribel-sama...is that...?"

"Yes. That's the Gran Rey Cero." Harribel replied, looking to the slowly forming dome of energy created by the two powerful beings, "They're getting reckless..."

Mila-Rose felt her heart beat a mile a minute as the reiatsu levels skyrocketed, "This power is insane...Naruto's never shown this much power in a battle with us before..."

"He hasn't fought on this level in ages, Mila. Don't forget that he supposedly stands on the same level as some of the Espada." Harribel spoke, her expression becoming grave, "...Naruto's going to survive this, though. You can feel it, can't you? He seems like he hasn't even begun to tap into his true powers yet, while Nnoitra seems to be losing strength rapidly."

Sure enough, the two other females present with Harribel noticed the yellow blast of Nnoitra's slowly being pushed back as Naruto's Gran Rey Cero began to gain control of the struggle.

Sun-Sun felt her body trembling under the massive power, "Is that really Naruto down there?"

Nnoitra felt his feet being pushed back as his ultimate attack was losing ground. He tried pouring more of his power into the blast, but it didn't seem to be helping. No, in the end, Naruto's attack just seemed to be merely pushing the Quinta's attack back faster and faster as time went on.

"Guh...d-damn it! Damn it!"

Nnoitra could feel the radiation from Naruto's attack beginning to burn at his skin as his yellow blast pressed against his hands. He found himself stuck in place, unable to move forward, yet unwilling to move back.

While Nnoitra struggled to try and regain control Naruto calmly watched as he began to break through his opponents last bit of resistance. Through the orange, red, and yellow, Naruto and Nnoitra made eye contact briefly. As Naruto's eyes flashed with blue before going back to red, Nnoitra's own eyes seemed to widen as Naruto increased his output even further.

Then he felt the blond let loose the floodgates.

Red and orange broke through the golden yellow, plowing through the now defenseless Quinta as he was overrun by the Kyuubi-powered Gran Rey Cero. Nnoitra could feel himself being ripped apart bit by bit as the Media-Espada's attack disintegrated him.

"This is where it ends, Jiruga!" Naruto shouted, pressing his open palm forward as the giant blast seemed to reach its climax and explode.

'Heh...so he ended up being the one to do me in...at least I get a death worthy of speaking about...' Nnoitra thought as his vision became red,then black as the powerful spiritual energy burned into his eye sockets, '...I guess...in a way, I owe you one...Uzumaki.'

A final howl was made from Nnoitra before his body was turned to ash. Naruto watched the whole thing happen, just to make sure that he had indeed destroyed the Quinta. The interesting thing that one may have noticed was that Nnoitra didn't seem to be all that upset. In fact...in the end, it seemed that he was grinning.

About a month had passed since Nel had disappeared from Las Noches. Naruto had taken to walking the halls to pass time. It was either that or complain to Stark about sleeping all the time.

"Well, if it isn't Uzumaki..."

Naruto stopped in his tracks, turning to the Octava Espada, "Jiruga..."

Nnoitra got up from his position against a pillar lining the hall, walking over to the blond, "Still got your panties in a knot because that damned woman is gone?"

"Don't start a fight you won't be able to finish, Jiruga. That's my only warning to you. I'm not in the mood for your bull-"

"Oh, come on now! I'm not trying to start anything; just having a friendly conversation between peers!" The grin on the Octava's face was grating every nerve in Naruto's body, and he was really straining to not deck the lanky Espada in the face.

"Beat it, Jiruga. I've got better things to do than this..." Naruto continued down the hall.

"It's because you're afraid of losing a battle to me, isn't it?"

Naruto stopped, silence echoing throughout the corridor for a few moments, the only sound being the occasional breeze from the desert winds outside.

"...afraid?"

Nnoitra laughed, "Yeah, judging by the way you walk past me with your tail tucked between your legs, I was just assuming you were."

Naruto spun around so fast that a small cloud of dust was kicked up, "Don't go spouting crap like that to me, Jiruga! I heard enough of it whenever you fought Nel-sama! I'm well aware of your little obsession with bloodbaths, but I'm not like you! Got it?"

"Heheheh, your truly that woman's pet through and through, aren't you?" Nnoitra snickered, "You even talk like her when I'm around..." He took a step closer, "You say you're not like me...but deep down, I can see it in you, Uzumaki."

"See what, Jiruga?" Naruto asked in an annoyed voice.

"Your desire to destroy...to crush anyone who looks down upon you..." the Octava replied, "I may not be a genius like Aizen, but I can see it in your eyes. You have a power in you that is just waiting for the day to be released...waiting to release carnage upon everyone and everything!"

"Shut the hell up!"

A fist flew faster than Jiruga could see, and he found his head snap to the side, his left cheek now sporting a large bruise. He turned to look at the young Fraccion, his grin growing as he saw how heavy Naruto was breathing, "Did I touch a nerve?"

Naruto instead turned on his heel and continued down the hall. Nnoitra had decided from there on, he'd do everything in his power to make the Fraccion fight him so he could prove that he was the greater Arrancar.

Naruto blinked away a few beads of sweat that fell into his eyes, watching as the giant cloud of chaotic power slowly died away. Nnoitra was dead...no question about it...

...but now that conversation from so long ago was haunting him. Maybe...maybe he really was like Nnoitra.

"Naruto!"

The blond looked to his side to see both Nel and Apache running to his side. He gave a weak grin as he let his red cloak of the Kyuubi's reiatsu dissipate, "Hey, you two..." He found himself soon being tackled to the ground by a bawling Nel.

"Y-you big idiot! Going and being stho recklessth like that! What if you got killed? Then Nnoitra would have killed all of usth and...and...bawwaaaaa...!"

Naruto felt his face redden as the youthful Arrancar sobbed into his vest while Apache gave Naruto a relieved grin, "She's right, Naruto. You scared us...again."

"Heheh...sorry, but you know how I am. All or nothing." He looked towards Orihime, who had her attention on finishing up on Sakura, who was awake and surrounded by her Soten Kisshun, "How is everyone?"

Apache grinned, "Grimmjow's alright, and that pink haired Shinigami named Sakura is awake again. Kurosaki is fine too. Orihime made sure of it."

Naruto was helped up by Apache from the ground, a teary-eyed Nel still clinging to him a bit, "Well, I'm glad that everyone's-" Naruto's words caught in his throat as he felt a powerful and very familiar presence, "Damn it! I almost forgot!"

"H-Harribel-sama...are you sure there's nothing else we can do to solve this? I-I mean, with all due respect...it's Naruto..." Sun-Sun spoke in a hushed voice, feeling her superior and mentor's power crash down on the area.

Harribel looked down before sighing deeply, "I wish there was, Sun-Sun...but Naruto's shown what his intentions are. He's going to break that Orihime girl out of Las Noches if we do not stop him. It was Nnoitra's own foolishness that got him killed...but as the Tercera, I must prevent this from getting out of hand."

Mila-Rose hesitated to speak for a moment, afraid that her voice would crack, "Then...what are your...?" Mila couldn't finish her question, instead giving her commanding figure and idol a pleading look.

"I won't order you to do this, but if either of you feel capable...disarm Grimmjow and Apache, as well as that Kurosaki boy. The others seem to be injured, and the Inoue girl isn't very powerful in terms of attacking." replied the Tercera, "Wait for me to engage Naruto first."

Sun-Sun merely nodded, and a short silence hung in the air before Mila let out a breath and replied, "Yes, ma'am."

Harribel faded from view in the blink of an eye, her power increasing even more. Mila and Sun-Sun, despite their years of training, found themselves shaking.

Naruto looked off to the direction where he noted Sun-Sun and Mila-Rose were standing...but...

"Where's Harribel?" Naruto shouted, "Apache, this is a direct order! Get Orihime, Ichigo, Sakura, Grimmjow, and Nel out of here!"

"...wh-what? Naruto, I-"

"Now, Apache!"

Naruto spun around and unsheathed his odachi just in time to avoid getting stabbed by Harribel's blade. He felt pain run down his arm as he stared hard into the eyes of his higher-up.

"Naruto...it's too late. We know what you're up to." Harribel spoke, "...please surrender so that I won't be forced to take aggressive measures..."

"I can't do that, Harribel-chan."

Harribel's eyes softened for a moment, "Idiot..."

Naruto was sent skidding through about four dunes before he pushed off the ground, still moving from the force of the Tercera's powerful kick. He noted she was walking over to him slowly.

'Damn...being forced into another battle so quickly isn't helping my healing abilities...' Naruto thought, taking a look at his almost fully healed shoulders, 'I...I guess I'll have to use it.'

Naruto shifted his feet a bit and took in a deep breath. He gripped his zanpakutou for all it was worth, and let loose his power, "Ravage...!"

Harribel noticed Naruto's stance, his longer than normal sword pointing into the air, and his feet planted firmly, "I see. He knows I'm serious."

"...Rey de Zorros!"

Pesche and Dondochakka both stopped what they were doing as they felt a powerful force rise up from out of nowhere. Even Renji and Uryuu noticed it, as well as Szayel.

"Pesche...that's-"

"Yeah." Pesche replied to his long-time friend and comrade, "Naruto's using his Resurrección..."

Harribel stood in place, her sword at her side. She seemed anything but eager to continue the fight that had just started, "You seem to understand how deep in trouble you are, Naruto. I hope you realize that you've already committed enough crimes to qualify yourself for execution, do you not?"

Naruto stood in the slowly fading red light, six tails waving behind him as he looked to her, "Yeah, I do." The fox skull upon his head shadowed his crimson irises as he faced her, "It doesn't mean I'm going to stop though. What Aizen is doing is pure madness. I can't allow him to go on."

The two stared each other down a bit, neither moving an inch. Naruto knew that this was bad; Harribel had been training Naruto longer than any of the other Espada. She knew his antics better than anyone else in a fight. She had actually sparred with Naruto before, several times driving him close to getting himself killed a second time.

Still...

...Naruto had a few things in his arsenal that he hadn't shown anyone, not even Grimmjow. He could only hope that he could live long enough to remember them.

Harribel seemed to take the silence as her cue, and released a crippling wave of reiatsu. Naruto didn't flinch in the slightest, instead letting out a greater amount. She responded by letting out even more than him.

The two continued this for a few more seconds, the area around them practically crackling with spiritual pressure. The slightest move from either could be sensed with the air becoming so thick with tension.

Naruto grit his teeth, inhaled...exhaled...

"Harribel!"

...and made the first move...

Aizen felt a tremor flow through the air as he sat on his throne. To his side was Gin, who happened to feel a similar jolt in the spiritual pressure within the giant palace.

"Well, Naruto-kun's sure caused quite a ruckus. Looks like Harribel is taking matters into her own hands now, though."

Aizen gave a small smile as he rested his head on his throne, "It would appear so, Gin. I'm curious if she's willing to go to the extremes and kill him, though. After all, they have been together for more than eighty years. Severing ties can be difficult."

"You didn't seem to have much trouble when you betrayed Seireitei, if I remember correctly."

Aizen chuckled a bit, "Yes, but I had been using them from the start. Harribel and Naruto are a different case."

"How so?" the silver haired man asked, his smile growing wider.

"Harribel trusted Naruto, and they have never intentionally been using each other. My case with Soul Society is different, since I was using them. To break a bond that has been formed so well and for such a long time so quickly may be too much for one, or even both of them."

Gin was quiet, simply nodding before wandering off to into one of the many halls. Aizen, meanwhile, continued to sit calmly in his throne room, his smile never really leaving his face.

"Naruto Uzumaki...will you never cease to amuse me?"

End of Chapter Ten: Good gravy, I finally updated! Oh joy and jubilation! Heh, in all seriousness though, yeah, this one took a while. My summer job is really demanding for time, and I don't get done until later at night, so I sometimes just want to go home and relax. Anyway, I FINALLY got this chapter done. What did you think? Am I cruel for pitting Naruto against so many enemies? Am I wonderful for having Nel and Naruto reunited after so many decades? Or maybe I'm just awesome because Grimmjow's not a mystery as to surviving Nnoitra's sneak attack. Either way, be it my bloated ego at the moment or something in the water, I really enjoyed this chapter, and feel like I got a lot done. I'll try and get the next chapter out sooner than this one did. Until then, thanks for reading, and keep your eyes peeled for chapter eleven!

Once again, I owe a big thanks to my beta-reader Paradox Jast for being just plain awesome and using his sage-like skillzors to edit this chapter and offer me pointers. So...thanks Jast!