A/N: I'm really, really annoyed with this one. I got 5500 words already, and all I needed was a couple of thousand more words and I could have gotten this chapter to you guys earlier. But no, com decides to screw with me and crashes this program. Couldn't retrieve it because it was 'gone forever'. .

If any of you had this happen to you, you'll know how much of a pain in the arse this could be. Five thousand words gone, for god's sake. I can't even remember how I started it, so again, whatever I'm doing with this chap will definitely be different from my first take on it, and it totally pisses me off. DX

Anyways, let's just cut the crap and move on. Least now I have a reason for this freaking two month late update or something. Not exactly proud of it. .

Oh yeah, after this chap, most of you might see what I'm doing with relationships and all that, so be sure to read the author's note at the very end.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and/or Bleach.

I Live On

Chapter 14: Unexpected Circumstances

Bored. Very much so.

A certain blond just erased the fiftieth hollow to even venture into this small town this month. The steadily growing number did bother him, but really, given the difference in power between him and them, even with a limiter on, he could take them on anywhere, any time.

Sheathing his zanpakuto and 'wearing' his gigai once again, he yawned before stretching a bit. His arms were still stiff from his extensive physical training and in a way, he was glad to have a limiter on him.

Naruto realized that while a limiter restricts the amount of reiatsu he could access, his physical and mental strength did not decrease in the slightest. He still retained his speed, which was already a huge bonus. To increase one's reiatsu would be to train one's body and mind at the same time, allowing the two to mold together to form a spiritual energy. Meaning, the more he trained physically, technically, his reiatsu level would increase. He tested that theory out by doing hundreds of push ups, sit-ups, jogging, swimming and pretty much all the sports the school offered.

Theory proved right. Right now, his reiatsu level was at least one and a half times more effective and purer than it was half a year ago.

Six months…what a long period of time…

To be honest, it really didn't feel as long as it should. He made two very important friends in this small town. Arisawa Tatsuki and Inoue Orihime. At first, he was merely intrigued in Tatsuki seeing how she did hold power, far smaller than Kurosaki Ichigo at first, but power nonetheless, and therefore he wanted to see for himself if he was right in his prediction, that Tatsuki's power resembled elemental manipulation.

Of course, the fact that the raven-haired girl was a real beauty helped in his decision. Tatsuki seemed to appreciate his company and easily accepted him as a friend, and over the last six months, the two had developed a 'best-friend' bond. Naruto kept his promise and taught her Taijutsu and Hakuda, which basically were way more evolved forms of Karate, Judo etc. To combine all those fighting styles into one, compress and deliver, now that was impressive.

The girl realized that and couldn't thank Naruto enough. The blond was a brilliant teacher, spotting all her weaknesses straight away. Her flaws, her openings, were all corrected by him. Naruto even lectured her on her 'inner strength' which she was still doubtful about, but nevertheless, she believed him. After all, when it came to Uzumaki Naruto, Tatsuki soon learned that there was definitely more than meets the eye.

The trips to school and back were never boring as they would either chat about some gossip that spouted out of no where, or discuss on ways to improve their training efficiency or when they would invite their friends over for another party. They seemed to be able to understand each other perfectly. And it stunned Tatsuki that she could pretty much tell what mood Naruto was in just by glancing at him. It was rather unnerving for the girl that was slowly, but definitely maturing.

Naruto, too, was amused when she could understand him so easily, and was pleasantly surprised by her affections. To strangers, she could be one hell of an iceberg, but to her friends, warmer than the sun. Naruto was currently at the 'top' on her list, in tie with Orihime as her best friend.

She was extremely grateful for the time and effort he put in to start interacting with her life. Naruto would always go out of his way to make sure Tatsuki was alright. Little stuff like bringing her a bento after training, or waiting by the side with a towel during her training, or giving her a massage when she felt exhausted, helping her with any homework she might have difficulties with and lots more. He saw her every day. Emphasis on 'every'.

Tatsuki lived with her parents in the apartment below Naruto's one. After that first day in school, Naruto had formed a relatively friendly relationship with Tatsuki, and from then on, he maintained it, nurtured it, and improved on it. Her parents absolutely adored him, and Tatsuki would always blush when her father would joke about how Naruto would make a brilliant son-in-law. The blond even played along with that joke, liking to see the 'feminine' side of her and replied cheekily, "Ah! Then I am meeting my father-in-law today, I was feeling a bit happy this very morning…"

Of course, he instantly stopped when he could literally feel Tatsuki glaring at him with an aura that screamed death. Her parents were amused with how they always seem to 'fight' all day, and yet in the end, cheerful laughter and gentle actions would always accompany them back to their home. They welcomed Naruto, seeing how this young man was able to bring out a side of Tatsuki that she had always wanted to hide. Arisawa Genji had no idea why, but ever since she was young, Tatsuki assumed a tomboyish attitude towards life. He was sure he did nothing to encourage that behaviour, in fact, they tried to shape her into that of a lady, and Sayuki, his wife, had tried to teach her some 'female' duties, such as sewing, and cooking but she didn't seem to want to learn.

Instead, she focused on training in karate and studying hard, neglecting her social life a bit more than was healthy. Tatsuki did grow tired of this kind of lifestyle after awhile and decided that she did want to learn those stuff from her mum after all, but given how she was in high school now, and the work load practically increased by twice the amount, she barely had enough time after school activities to learn these miscellaneous activities.

Imagine their surprise when one day, they both returned from work to find Naruto and Tatsuki in the living room, where the blond was teaching their precious daughter the fine arts of needlework. The very idea that a male knew how to do this was mind boggling. At his age too. That thought however, was instantly thrown away as they saw Tatsuki completely focused on the task at hand, her gentleness revealed to such an extent that even they themselves felt proud.

Naruto sat behind her, his arms gently guiding hers, teaching her patience and precision. The parents quietly went into the kitchen to avoid disturbing the duo and before long, they heard a cry of joy. Father and mother peeked out to find Tatsuki cheering in happiness, waving around the blouse that she had been working on all afternoon with Naruto, genuinely pleased with herself. Naruto's warm smile seemed to confirm her efforts and that very moment, marked the time where Tatsuki gave him her first kiss.

The blond started for a bit, before responding and kissing her back softly. No words were exchanged, all they did was gaze into each other's eyes, and feel the raw love they felt for each other. Five months was a short period of time. But to them, it felt like an eternity, more so for Tatsuki than Naruto, where she couldn't help but ask herself just why did she not meet him sooner?

Naruto chuckled at that question and thought quietly to himself that under normal circumstances, her meeting him would mean that she had to die, which wasn't likely to be a very pleasant experience. However, he did tell her that he had many loved ones already, and she had to really think it over if she wanted to go on with this relationship. He got a slight glare, a sigh, and another kiss. Guess it's settled then. Arisawa Tatsuki, the girl he loved in the living world.

Orihime was a sort of 'bonus', to put it frankly, that came with Tatsuki. The meek girl had come to visit Tatsuki one day and coincidentally, Naruto was there already, and so further introductions were made and a good hearty chat commenced. Before long, Orihime had asked Naruto whether or not they could be friends. Naturally, the blond agreed, intrigued by this female. She had the 'cutest' way of processing her thoughts and it's that naivety that kept reminding him of Miyu back in Seireitei.

So through these six months, their friendship grew and Naruto was now considered her best 'male' friend. That wasn't really saying much seeing how he was her only male friend. If you look at it from another point of view, it actually said a lot. For her to let him and only him into her inner circle, it showed the amount of trust she had in him. Orihime would always invite him and Tatsuki to dinner in the weekends, where she showed off her cooking skills. Amazingly enough, Naruto found them to be indeed quite tasty, much to the horrified amusement of Tatsuki.

After all, peanut butter along with banana dipped in milk hardly seemed like a normal snack. They would then either go for a walk by the beach or laze about and talk about the previous week. Overall, she was an absolute joy to talk to and Naruto would always look out for her whenever he could. After all, she was quite clumsy…

Ichigo, Sado, Keigo and Mizuiro were pretty much the male friends Naruto made, though to be honest, none of them were as close as either of the above mentioned girls. The orange-haired punk, Kurosaki Ichigo, constant frown on his face, didn't have a lot of friends because he couldn't be bothered remembering their names. Naruto knew that was an excuse. Ichigo was just completely bad with names.

Sado Yasutora, the giant tree trunk, or that's how Naruto pictured him. It was pretty amusing really. He was a quiet and surprisingly gentle young man, looking way more mature than his age, with a deep Mexican accent in his tone. He was a smart student who constantly ranked in the top fifty of their year group in terms of results. Of course, his constant awareness allows him to keep a clear mind at all times, alert, to put it simply, another point Naruto liked about him.

Keigo and Mizuiro, the 'badass' duo, or so they called themselves. One's a psycho and the other's a guy with enough sarcasm to destroy the psycho. One's rumored to be gay (Though he himself continuously denied it) and the other went for the older women (They are more mature, according to him). Those constant outbursts from Keigo before, during and after classes serve as comic and stress relief. Never had Naruto seen a more beautiful kick from Tatsuki, when Keigo had randomly yelled out in mock horror, "Are you actually going out with HER?!"

Wham!

Right in the face, ninety degree angle. Not only did it give Naruto a good view of Tatsuki's underwear, but the sight of Keigo flying through the wall, his neck, collarbone, and ribs snapping loudly during the crash and his oh-so-painful cries as he laid there in the rubble waiting for someone to help him were definitely worth it. Hey, what do you know? Keigo's got some use after all.

Though how he managed to appear back in the classroom in less than one second with all his injuries recovered due to some miraculous power was beyond Naruto. Mizuiro merely stood by Ichigo and made some pretty scathing remarks that caused Keigo to go on another rant. Naturally, life was never boring with those two around. Naruto wondered how Ichigo put up with them everyday, seeing those two were like his best friends really.

Naruto chuckled to himself and slowly came out of his thoughts. He was to be at Orihime's house by a quarter to six. Five minutes to spare. Being punctual was something Naruto prided himself on, and one quality that Tatsuki and Orihime adored. Whenever the three had an event like this, he would always be the one to trust to handle time management. Staring at the plastic bags in his hand, he grinned, show time.

He was the cook of the day, seeing how both Orihime and Tatsuki enjoyed his cooking that much. All he did was prepare a bento for the both of them and they instantly demanded he cook at least once a week for them. He didn't really mind, but it surprised him that a skill he picked up since he was young could be so useful. He thought girls disliked men that could cook, putting them as sissies. In fact, he found out it was quite the opposite, girls absolutely love to be pampered with delicious delicacies prepared by males. Well, males that they knew or were in love with.

Humming to himself, he walked up the steps of the apartment and arrived, "Yo Hime!" His foxy grin in place, he raised his hands to show her that he did not forget the ingredients, "You just sit back and relax. Is Tatsuki here already?"

The orange-haired girl smiled sweetly, "Konnichiwa Naruto-kun. Tatsuki-chan has been here for the past hour. She said she was bored and had nothing to do." Her eyes seemed to dance with delight, "Perhaps because you weren't there with her?" Such an innocent voice, such a playful, cute expression…

Naruto really wondered why no male could see past the clumsy texture and search for the child in her heart. She was absolutely beautiful! Look at her! First the face, moon-like eyebrows that shape her face, tender eyes and a small rosy mouth. Her body, curves all in the right places, especially the chest region. Legs, slender and long. Her height was about average and her weight was slightly heavier than Tatsuki, which wasn't that heavy at all. As a bonus, she was extremely smart! Come on, being third in an entire year group of three hundred or so students said a lot. To think that the poor girl didn't even have one single suitor……

Shaking his head slightly, he once again, raised an eyebrow on the unbelievable stupidity the males in this town seemed to share. How they managed to leave these two delicate flowers so available was completely beyond him.

"What's wrong?" Her expression showed one of curiosity, "Why the skeptical look? Do I look bad?" She glanced down at her attire, a t-shirt along with a pair of jeans. Naruto was a healthy male, and naturally, he followed her gaze and as much as he hated to admit it, he gulped slightly at the sight of her figure so openly presented to him. That t-shirt almost clung to her and the jeans were hugging to her legs, further enhancing her already alluring curves.

"Nothing, nothing, I wasn't really being skeptical at you, just having a thought at the complete idiocy of males on a whole." Quickly moving past her, he went straight into the kitchen. Now was not the time to think about Orihime that way. He liked the girl, but really, he didn't know or interact with her enough to see if he loved her. And well, for now, being her friend was enough.

Just as he was setting aside the groceries, Tatsuki came in and hugged him from behind, her slim hands circling around his waist and the gentle nuzzling of her cheek on her back sent a warmth right to his heart, "How are you girl?"

"Bored."

"Haha."

"Need any help?"

"Nah, I'm fine. Like I said to Hime, sit back and relax. Leave it all to me."

"My, aren't you all macho today?"

"Well, given the fact that it was you two that ordered me to do this, I don't see how you have a right to say that."

"Hm…" Kiss.

"Ok, you do have a right."

Her devious grin as she left the kitchen along with her wink of an eye left Naruto shaking his head in bewilderment. Since when was he so easily bribed by a female?

He blamed it on the easy 'life' he had and the lack of proper action. If he were in Seireitei, carrying out missions like a daredevil, he wouldn't even imagine himself to be in the situation he was currently in. Sighing, he took up the kitchen knife.

Ah well, time to 'butcher' some stuff…

In Hueco Mundo…

Bored. So very, very bored. And when Mitarashi Anko was bored, bad things tend to happen. Probably the reason why most hollows were staying as far away from her as possible. Lunar didn't seem to mind, in fact, the crimson-haired individual quite enjoyed a bored Anko. Because that would mean the ex-shinobi needed a spar. She could always use a good workout.

Stark was off somewhere, and told them today was a 'free' day for them, and they could do whatever they liked. Unfortunately for Anko, there really wasn't that much to do here. What could you do in a place with tons of sand surrounding you, a sky as dark as night for ninety nine percent of the time, wreckage grooming your 'city', disgusting drooling things that only know how to stare at your boobs and blahdy blah blah? The list could go on forever. And ever. And ever.

It was perfectly normal for one to complain like she did. Only one with insane nerves like Lunar did could just sit through this whole ordeal like nothing happened.

"Why are you glaring at me?"

"Because you're so calm."

"Why am I not supposed to be calm?"

"Because you should feel just as bored as I do."

"But I don't."

"Exactly."

"Is this another of those times where you start going on a rant over something as insignificant as how my 'boobs', or so you call my breasts, are bigger than yours by an ever so slight margin?"

"……I hate you."

"Hm…"

Just then, a couple of Numeros came in and motioned to Lunar. She gave a nonchalant wave, "What do you guys want?"

One of them cleared his throat and replied, "Well, my lady, it seemed that some of the lower leveled hollows are getting uneasy, seeing how their comrades were slowly being cut down one by one."

Anko's head shot up at that declaration, her left ear somehow managed to increase by ten times it's original size as she began to eavesdrop on the conversation, while she continued to play the sulking girl.

"Really? Cut down as in…"

"According to them, it's in a small town Karakura. They suspect a Shinigami was responsible for this."

"Eh. So what numbers are we talking about here?"

"Close to hundred and fifty."

This time, her eyebrows did raise, "One Shinigami was able to do that?"

Anko's ear twitched.

The other numero bowed, "Indeed my lady, and from the information we have gained, it seemed that it usually only took a few seconds before the hollow was destroyed."

"Uh huh…"

Anko's ear twitched again.

Lunar shook her head slightly, "Alright, I got it, you guys can leave now."

The two glanced at each other before nodding and leaving the room.

In less than a second, Anko latched herself onto the crimson-haired Vaste Lorde and cooed, "Oh Lunar!"

Said hollow merely rolled her eyes as she stared at the ex-shinobi, "You really want to go check this out don't you?"

Vigorous nods were here reply.

"You want me to go with you right?"

The nuzzling of her breasts seemed to be her answer.

"And I presume you want to go now?"

A low purr was what she got.

Rolling her eyes at her partner's childish antics, she snapped her fingers. The next moment, a portal appeared, "Alright, alright, lead the way."

The very sight of an excited Anko sent shivers down her spine. She pitied the Shinigami. She really did.

Back in Karakura town……

Naruto instantly tensed up as he felt two significant reishi holders enter this dimension. It felt like that of a hollow…only much stronger that your average ones. They seemed to roam about freely, not causing any damage or trouble, just wandering around, as though searching for something.

For some reason, one of the signatures felt really familiar, and the way it kept sparking every now and then allowed Naruto an insight to its personality. Restless and excited.

But about what?

Frowning, he attempted to analyze the second signature, which felt eerily quiet. As calm as water, as smooth as ice. Probably a 'thinker'. Wonderful. Brawler and a strategist. As much as he hated to admit the fact that hollows did have some smart ones, he predicted one of the two to be of extremely high intelligence.

Ha, wonder if it might actually live up to my expectations?

Getting up, he gazed at the merry duo, chatting away happily at the dinner table. They aren't gonna like this…

"Girls?" He moved towards them, putting on his famous foxy grin for extra effect, getting their attention, "Sorry, but I've got to go. I just remembered that I had something to do which I forgot."

The blond rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as his statement was met with twin glares from both females. Ouch…

"Naruto…" Tatsuki was obviously displeased.

Orihime on the other hand, merely remained silent, but her disappointment was evident on her face as she turned her head away. Naruto could only pray that she did not use the pout and puppy-eye attack. He thought the girls back in Seireitei had it down, but damn, with Hime, theirs were mere basic stuff.

"Look, Tsuki, you know I don't wanna go. Hime, don't do that, look at me. Now, I repeat," He took on a serious expression, "I do not want to leave you two at a time like this, but unfortunately, I have to. There's this really important matter that I have to take care of right now."

Damn straight right now, those signatures are getting a bit too close for comfort.

Naruto held out his arms, "Tsuki-chan, a hug before I go?"

The raven-haired girl seemed reluctant, but obliged all the same, kissing him tenderly on the lips, before murmuring, "You better make it up to us, you hear me?"

Smirking slightly, he gave a short nod, before turning to Orihime, "Now, now, Hime, I'll be right back before you know it. Trust me?" Cerulean eyes met amber as she gave him a hug as well, "Don't hurry too much. Solve it properly so that it doesn't arise again."

Chuckling, he tapped her forehead, "No problem."

Without further adieu, he bid the ladies good night and went back to his own apartment, where he instantly got out of his gigai and leapt out of the window.

Alright hollows, time to meet your maker…

With Anko and Lunar……

"Wherever could he be?" mumbled Anko as she searched every single nook and corner she came across. They had circled the entire town twice and still, there were no signs of any soul even remotely close to what they were looking for.

"Why do you assume it's a he?"

"Because, a she wouldn't hesitate to cut us down, we're just too hot and she'll get all jealous and angry and –"

"On second thought, I don't want to know."

Silence followed as Anko took on a more serious attitude. The reason was obvious. For someone to keep his/her signature low enough for neither of them to successfully detect it required a lot of skill. That would explain the reason of the continuous disappearances of those disgusting creatures.

It's almost an embarrassment to classify myself as one of them…

"Anko, thoughts like that are very bad."

"Would you stop reading my thoughts?"

"It's rather hard seeing how you're pretty much broadcasting them."

"Look, I don't care. Stop it before I chop off whatever antennae you're using to receive my sacred thoughts!"

"Whatever you say. Look, this is getting us nowhere."

"Split up?"

At times, Lunar would want to feel amazed by her partner's amazing ability to perceive her without any special abilities. But really, given her skill as a shinobi in her 'life', and the training she received, she shouldn't be that surprised after all. Why else would Anko be her partner?

"My thoughts exactly." A smile grew on her lips, "You pick."

"Shotgun on right!" One sonido later, she was gone.

"Tsk, tsk…" Rolling her eyes yet again, the Vaste Lorde set her eyes back on her region, "Alright, time for a little…hunt."

Without another word, she blinked once, and lo and behold, silver irises rose to the surface.

With Naruto……

Clearing his mind, he formulated a plan. A strategist and a brawler. Which to go for first?

Obviously the strategist…duh…

But the brawler was obviously very skilled, given her speed in moving around. The only reason she hadn't detected what she was looking for would be either that the subject in question was him, or the subject was not even in this town. And considering he was a Shinigami, he would rather go for the first choice.

Thinking through the possible options, he decided to go for a subtle wide-range genjutsu. Not only around himself but also around a certain area of the town…the area where the strategist will be lured to.

Calculating the amount of reiatsu he would have to use up for this technique, he silently prayed that whatever hollow was waiting for him out there wouldn't be too troublesome. The limiter was really a pain in the ass in times like this. He had never been beaten before…but like the saying goes…no one can win forever…no one.

Shaking his head and ridding himself of any other random thoughts, he focused on the task at hand. Carefully tracing the route of the 'strategist', he began raising his reiatsu output, bit by bit, wondering if his opponent would be sensitive to this slight change.

"Shit…" The blond couldn't help but cuss as the signature instantly started racing towards his spot. Funnily enough, it was the 'brawler', not the 'strategist'. Well, guess what it'll find waiting for it here……

The famed foxy grin appeared on his face once again as he crossed his fingers in a very nostalgic fashion, "Kage Bunshin no jutsu."

With Anko…

A sudden increase in spiritual pressure drew her attention. Her entire body had been on alert, ready for even a tiny amount of activity in terms of reiatsu and finally, the punk had decided to start things off! Good…good…

Licking her lips in anticipation for some long awaited action, she could feel the adrenaline pouring through her veins. Funny thing really. A soul seemed to have the exact same body structure as a human. Meaning death and life really didn't differ that much if you look at it closely. It just meant different environments, new friends, more enemies and the usual.

Utilizing sonido, she prepared herself for the battle ahead. Surely this guy would prove to be a challenge. Cracking her knuckles, she wondered if she would even have to use her weapon for this.

Nah, these are enough…

She looked at her hands, pleased to see her fingernails lengthened and ready for action. This was a really cool ability she had gained and was really only a basic skill she had mastered. She lost the use of snakes…so she had this to make up for it.

Just then, the spiritual pressure heightened once again, and there he was, that Shinigami in a black gi, with his zanpakuto out, looking around as though searching for an unknown enemy. That figure was slightly blurry but Anko dismissed that as a mere distortion due to the amount of reiatsu he was releasing.

"Shigan! (Finger Bullets)" The nails on her left hand instantly hardened and extended towards the Shinigami, piercing right through his torso. The speed at which the attack descended upon the victim was extremely fast, not even giving him the slightest moment to realize that he was doomed from the beginning.

Clicking her tongue against her teeth, she retracted the nails as she watched the Shinigami fall to the ground in a heap.

Unbelievable.

This was the guy that killed all those hollows?

Pathetic.

Her eyes filled with disdain as she stared at the fallen figure in boredom, wondering if she should poke a few more holes in his body just to show him how disappointed she felt.

Just as she was about to decide, a soft voice spoke out, "Genjutsu: Kukan Jirou. (Illusion techniques: Space Time Prison)"

Reiatsu began to be expelled from the figure on the ground as it slowly rose once again, suspended it mid-air before it vanished without a trace. The surroundings remained unchanged, yet nothing was moving. Everything was in black and white, the entire world seemed to have lost its colour, trapping her in the middle of it.

However, that wasn't what shocked her the most. Anko had not heard that word for a very long time. And to hear it in her death……meant that whoever this Shinigami was…must have been a shinobi when he was alive…

Genjutsu…ka?

Trying to steady herself, not letting her nerves get to her, she calmly went over the ways to dispel a genjutsu in her head. Whoever made this jutsu up must have been a genius. To be able to create the illusion that time had stopped and that you were in a different dimension required more than just chakra control. It required chakra capacity. And seeing how they were all dead, this guy's reiatsu must have been off the charts. It didn't help the fact that she could only think of a handful of people that might have been able to pull this jutsu off……

Those Uchiha…or Kurama clan…or Sakura…which it can't be seeing how that's a guy…it must have been someone from Konoha…no other lands specialized in time and space type genjutsu…

There were many possible options…but there was one that stood out amongst them that made her tense and anxious. She had seen Kurenai perform this genjutsu before, but not to such an extent…and seeing how Kurenai got that jutsu of the creator…

Naruto…?

With Lunar…

Her silver eyes swept towards the area where a huge amount of reiatsu was emitted. She stayed put, not wanting to act rashly and possibly endanger herself. Besides, she could tell that Anko had felt it too and was already charging to that area. She continued to search for the Shinigami responsible for all this when all of a sudden, Anko's signature disappeared.

Frowning, she looked more carefully and to her immense surprise, even with her activated, she wasn't able to detect Anko. She did however; find a huge barrier of reiatsu engulfing a particular part of the town, confirming her suspicions that the Shinigami had indeed come prepared.

Still no sign?

Negative.

Biting her lips lightly, she retracted her seeking abilities and reverted back into normal mode. Seeing no point in wasting reiatsu over something that could not be done, she decided a change of plan was in order.

Cunning enemy.

Indeed. Battle mode. Activate. Now.

Affirmative.

Reiatsu was literally being poured out of her at this moment, using it to not only detect any sudden advances on her by the Shinigami, but also to show him that she was not one to be tampered with.

She was bonded to Tiamat, a very intelligent female spirit that was once a skilled warrior, well known for her deadly dances in a battle dress gear, possessing elegance and grace no one could ever hope to achieve. A spirit is one that had its soul destroyed, and had no choice but to wander around in a realm of eternity, unable to be reborn.

Lunar's lord, the leader of the Espada, had conducted an experiment, reaching into that very realm and even making the effort to negotiate with such spirits, where he would send souls into that very realm, take a test of courage, skill and determination, and allow the spirits to freely choose their partners. The weapons created due to this bond would be a part of them, rather than being a separate object.

That way, the spirits would at least be able to relive their 'deaths' again, even if it's a part of someone else. This method was extremely similar to that of the formation of a zanpakuto, where this time, the users choose instead of the spirits. However, the risk of even entering that realm was high, and to survive the tests was even harder. So far, Lunar and Anko were the only low-leveled Vaste Lordes to succeed. Anything weaker than a Vaste Lorde would never survive that realm seeing it did not have the intelligence to even comprehend the presence of spirits.

Left.

In an instant, she struck. White ribbons shot out from her dress directly towards the incoming target, effectively halting his advance and forcing him to dodge. The Shinigami seemed shocked by her weapon and did not close in on her too soon. He carefully dodged each and every one of the ribbons, only to find more waiting for him.

Tiamat was known as the Mugen no Kantai (Crown and Sash of Fantasies). The power to which she bestowed upon Lunar was the control of these ribbons. Unlimited length, unlimited numbers, so long as there were enough reiatsu to power them. She had never really showed this to any one else other than Stark and Anko, for she preferred to keep her powers hidden and allow others to underestimate her. However, for some reason, both Tiamat and her decided that it wasn't the best time to hide one's skills, in fact, one wrong move might cost them their lives.

Focus.

Hai.

The spirit came to be a very good advisor to Lunar and was one of the reasons why the crimson-haired woman could so easily read thoughts. Tiamat was very taciturn and to the point, saying nothing more than was necessary, usually in a monotone as well, betraying no emotion regardless of the situation. That fitted Lunar's personality extremely well, seeing how the Vaste Lorde too remained quiet and calm no matter what the circumstances were. Those silver irises, were mainly used to detect hidden subjects, and if need be, they would aid Lunar in the process of predicting moves, not unlike that of a chess player, only this time, those irises would gather information from every single notch in the environment, relaying them back to Tiamat and allowing the spirit to carefully dissect the information bit by bit at an insane speed, before mentioning them to Lunar.

That was precisely why in combat, simple instructions and thoughts were all the two needed to formulate plan after plan, attack after attack. And right now, the Shinigami was on the receiving end of it. The ribbons were slowly converging on him, surrounding him bit by bit, trapping him in the middle before hovering over him menacingly.

Success.

Alright, time to end this.

Understood.

Her eyes narrowed as they focused on the Shinigami, and in an instant, white flashes rained down upon him.

With Naruto…

Crap. Shit. Fuck.

Those were the only words that came straight to the blond's mind the moment. He had already used up almost half his reiatsu to maintain that genjutsu, and charging here, he hoped to end this battle quickly in order for him to finish the other one off. Once the strategist was down, he figured the brawler couldn't be much of a threat anyway.

Now imagine his surprise when he toned down his already halved reiatsu to the lowest possible level, and still, the moment he even stepped within this area, that freaky tiara she wore on her flared for an instant, before ribbons, that's right, ribbons made of cloth extended from her battle robe and began raining attacks on him. For once, he felt the irony that no, he would not be killed because of blood formed by cut wounds, no. He would die by being bashed into a pancake by ribbons.

The fact that he was currently in the middle of an entire vortex of ribbons didn't seem that smart either. He was really in a pinch right now, and going over all the possible options in his mind, Naruto decided on the quickest way to get out of this mess.

"Seimen no en wo toushi te kaze ni tsuduki na sai! (Follow the wind through the circle of Life!)" Crimson reiatsu was forced out of his body as he placed his entire mental focus onto his blade, "Tsukiyomi!" Morphing its shape to form the aqua white curvy katana, there she was, in all her glory, the angel symbol glowing softly in the light, Tsukiyomi, his spiritual partner.

'Good day to you dear.'

Well, I would say the same for you, but seeing as we soon need to get busy and I don't have enough reiatsu to maintain both elements, I say we get this out of the way.

'My, my, always the busy person aren't you?'

As a matter of fact, yes, though I wouldn't say I volunteered for half the stuff I get caught up in.

Not wasting anymore time, he quickly manipulated the air surrounding his katana and in a flash, crimson changed to light blue, mimicking the colour of chakra and wind began to pick up around his torso.

"Itoryu: Zankuken! (One sword style: Air Slice)"

The Vaste Lorde seemed to realize his increase of power and did not allow him to stall for time. The ribbons came crashing down upon him and utilizing Shunpo, Naruto was able to blast the ribbons out of the way with one clean slice. Of course, that technique involved the concentration of reiatsu then releasing it in one go, meaning it acted as a projectile. Those required quite an amount of reiatsu, meaning that he couldn't do that forever.

Dodging and weaving amongst those ribbons, he really had to admire her skills. The only situation he could even begin to compare this to was perhaps Kuchiki Byakuya's shikai. Senbonzakura sort of acted in the same way as those ribbons were, only those bloody pink petals were way more silent…and deadly. The ribbons were completely controlled by reiatsu and the way they entwine together, purposely leaving gaps to lure the enemy into a well-hidden trap required extreme forethought and patience. And to be able to control so many of them at the same time required extreme mental strength. Somehow, he suspected that she too had a spirit bonded to her, but not within a zanpakuto. No, more like the spirit was within her, acting as another entity.

If that really was the case, it would start to explain things, like why she didn't look like she was tracing him at all, and yet the ribbons were able to follow him. It was a two-on-one battle, and being on the receiving end of this wasn't exactly the most comfortable thing in the world. Tsukiyomi was by his side, her moral and mental support was great and all, but at the end of the day, it really required his own physical skills and tactics to pull himself through. Mental powers could only give you so much of a boost, before your body decided the outcome of a battle.

Tsukiyomi could not act for him. And seeing this Vaste Lorde's fighting style, he could pretty much guarantee that she was not using anything like a Zanpakuto. More like the weapon choosing her, instead of her choosing the weapon like what Shinigami did.

Grimacing, his route was once again blocked by tons of ribbons intercrossing with each other, first hindering his movement, then moving to trap him once again. It was the same tactic, used over and over, yet Naruto couldn't seem to get out of it. It was frustrating, absolute infuriating, "Sanjuuroku pondou hou! (Thirty six troubles of the phoenix)"

Deciding to end it quickly, for the numbers seemed to be increasing again, he focused a large amount of reiatsu within the blade, combined both Tsukiyomi's power with his, and blasted it off right through the ribbons, where the reiatsu solidified and smashed through them without much difficulty.

The female Vaste Lorde seemed surprised that such an attack passed through her defenses so easily, and quickly sent more ribbons to deflect the attack, however, it gave Naruto all the time he needed.

Iai jutsu, the art of the quickness involved in drawing one's blade, focusing on the mental concentration of a warrior in the use of his blade and causing disastrous damage by hearing the essence of life.

He rid his mind of any passing thoughts, focusing entirely on the enemy at hand. Her breath, her reiatsu, her entire being, implemented as a part of Nature. "Itoryu Iai…" The ribbons before him meant nothing. Winning or losing didn't matter. Only one objective: To cut, slice, and sheathe.

Replacing his katana into its scabbard, he moved through a series of stances, finally settling with his arms held horizontally before his chest and the scabbard perpendicular to his left hand. His breathing became much slower, his eyes closed, shutting off all those unimportant aspects of the environment that might serve to disrupt him……

"Shishi Sonson! (Roar of the Lion)" He was off, one shunpo. That was all it took. His reiatsu, poured into this attack. The Vaste Lorde had sent forth ribbons to try and slow him down but it proved futile.

It was over quickly, he could feel the rush of reiatsu following his trail as he finished the move. He had hit. That much was a given. With one final 'click', he sheathed his katana fully, and as the sound resonated through the area, a line of blood sprayed out from the huge cut formed on her torso. The ribbons that were floating around all fell to the ground in an unceremonious heap, showing how her control of reiatsu was definitely affected by that injury Naruto gave her.

Panting slightly, he allowed his grin to settle in place. It had worked after all. Though the bad news was that he had run out of reiatsu for now. It would take some time before he regained……

SPLAT!

Numbness…then pain. Absolute, gut-wrenching pain literally exploded from his back as he looked down to find a beast like arm protruded from his chest, with a sharp claw staring back at him as though mocking his lack of attention to his surroundings.

His eyes could not believe what he saw. Nor could he hear the anxious words that Tsukiyomi was trying to convey to him at that very moment. Slowly, making use of whatever strength he had left, he turned around, wanting to at least see who did this to him……

Cerulean met pale amber. For a moment, he couldn't feel anything. And the next, it was as though another blow hit him right in the heart. Those eyes, those lips, that face…that loving face…

He didn't even hear her pain-filled gasp, nor did he feel her arm retracting. All he saw, was the silhouette of the woman he had so deeply loved when he was alive…and what stood out the most…was that hole in her stomach…the symbol…of a hollow…

Those tears rolling down her cheeks meant nothing.

The way she pulled him towards her when he fell helplessly meant nothing.

She had died…and become a hollow…a Vaste Lorde…

Of course, why had he been so surprised?

Who else could have broken out of that genjutsu?

His eyes felt heavy, everything was but a blur.

Life was a bitch. Death was a bastard.

Fitting.

In Seireitei…

Alarms rang loudly in three different divisions. Fourth, twelfth and second divisions.

Fourth for the news that someone out on duty had just 'passed' away.

Twelfth for the loss of signal of a limiter placed on a Shinigami.

Second…for the message that Uzumaki Naruto had been killed in action……

That day, signified the beginning of chaos, disorder and turmoil far beyond anyone's imagination. The first disaster had approached. This was merely one of the few trials that were to come, be it mental or physical. The first domino had been pushed. Everything was moving according to plan.

And only three individuals would know just how well, the plan was proceeding.

Thanks for the help Uzumaki. You have served your purposes.

I believe most you could tell where this is leading to. It should be pretty clear what happened at the end, and of course, the reactions will be described the next chapter.

The stuff about Lunar and Anko will be elaborated, so don't go off saying, "WTF? What is this BS?" They are special. That's all I'm gonna say for now. I have implemented this whole spirit thing for a reason and I hope you guys are gonna bear with me for this. It will slowly play out throughout this arc.

One final note, about the harem, I apologize for this but drop the idea that there's only gonna be eight of them. Yeah, drop it. Orihime may or may not be in it. Still deciding. Depends, I might even make it a love triangle for the fun of it. I am treating this harem differently, and you'll see as it progresses. Harem will involve true love and sex due to lust. I will be trying a different way in involving these women but I assure you I will try my best to make it seem as realistic and reasonable as it could. Again, bear with me.

Last of all, please review, I want to know how you guys felt about this latest change of events. And of course, feel free to ask any questions that might bother you.

Once again, I apologize for the extremely late update. I'll try and keep them more regular next time. Promise. Well then, that's all I guess. C'ya guys!