"I'll take the book." Toshiro said, and was passed it by Unohana.
Chapter 2: Enlightenment
"You surprise me more often than I care to admit, boy," the Kyuubi spoke to Naruto during one of his thinking periods.
"Wait...that thing can talk to him?" Ichigo asked.
"Yeah. It's common actually. Did it before myself." Kushina said with a nod.
It had been a week since the blonde Uzumaki had found Nel and met her true form, Neliel. During that period, he had made good on his word about bringing the young-looking Arrancar with him and Jiraiya and keeping an eye on her. She reminded him of how he used to act as a child; vibrant and naturally curious about the world around her.
"And we never had the chance to nurture that vibrant curiosity," Kushina lamented as she leaned against her husband. As he comforted her, many of the others gave the woman somber glances.
He hadn't made any breakthroughs on discovering his latent reiatsu that Neliel said he had, but that didn't stop him from going over many different theories concerning it using fūinjutsu. Mito had told him that fūinjutsu had limitless potential, and it the only time there were "limits" was when your creativity/spontaneity dwindled.
At that, everyone seemed interested, especially Yorouchi, Soi Fon, and Nemu; while Naruto's parents smirked and nodded, backing up the words.
Thankfully, due to having a history designing pranks and thinking differently than others, Naruto had creativity in spades. He just needed to figure out how to apply it to his seals.
"Hmmm...good with traps and ambushes, then. Interesting..." Yoruichi nodded. She had applied being a prankster and Joker to learning stealth herself, after all.
"Pulling something off without getting caught, and being inventive." Soi Fon noted. That was something the Stealth Force she lead was always in need of.
"How so, Fox?" Naruto replied, sitting across from the caged Bijuu within the seal.
"For starters, I'm surprised that you were able to see and interact with the lingering spirit of my first prison. That Uzumaki woman was terrifying with her seals, and she proved it by sealing me within her without any help."
"Really?" Jūshirō Ukitake said, feeling Mimihagi seeming to shift within him, seemingly interested.
"Mito-sensei thinks that my ability to see ghosts is linked to the seal my old man used on you. The Dead Demon Consuming Seal summons a Shinigami, right?"
"An avatar of Death, yes."
"Since Death was a part of your sealing, Mito-sensei thinks that I can see ghosts because I've been, in her words, touched by Death. This means that I've been in contact or around an incredibly potent level of reiatsu."
"...Hmm. Sound theory, further analysis required to confirm." Nemu said as she noted all of this. Naruto made for such a curious specimen...the scientific nature she shared with Mayuri-sama felt excited about it.
"That spiritual energy the bone-headed woman mentioned," the Bijuu clarified.
Ignoring the insult, Naruto continued, "But, even though I have the potential to use reiatsu, I'm still no closer to figuring out how I can do so. I'd ask you for help, but I doubt you'd want anything to do with this."
"Considering how you squander my chakra, you're correct on your assumption, brat."
"For the record, I don't want to use your power.
"That's the case with most Jinchūriki," Kushina commented. "Most of us were forced into the position, and we refuse to use their power unless there's no other option, or if our emotions are at a fever pitch."
Ichigo was reminded of his Hollow side, and how it would manifest when he was in a dire situation. "You were afraid of being labeled what you held?" he asked, which earned a sad smile and nod from the Uzumaki woman. In her eyes, he saw that she knew what he was going through.
Yoruichi herself winced. These Jinchūriki really were like Vizords...
Sensei told me stories of how strong she was without you, and I want to reach her level someday. Besides, neither of us asked for the connection we share; so, why not just accept what happened and go about our own business? I do my thing and you do yours."
The Kyuubi snorted at that. "My thing is only possible outside of the seal, and we both know you won't remove the damned thing."
"Removing a Bijuu from their Jinchūriki would result in the Jinchūriki's death," Minato informed the others. "Very few Jinchūriki are willing to go through that just to remove their Bijuu..."
"Lose–lose situation..." Renji winced.
"Well, isn't being sealed in me a better alternative than having Akatsuki take you? We still don't know why they want the Bijuu, but it can't be anything good, right?"
"That we can agree on… I have my own guess on what could happen if they managed to capture us all, but such a thought is too crazy to accept."
"Care to share?"
"What could the Kyuubi mean?" Minato mused aloud. "What could be crazy enough for it to be in denial?"
Kushina frowned in thought. "I don't know... I just hope Naruto-kun won't have to deal with whatever it is..."
"No."
"Figured as much…"
The Bijuu laid down on his side of the gate. "…Why not just try and split your chakra?"
"What would splitting his chakra do?" Renji asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"Be patient and observe," Byakuya instructed his Lieutenant.
"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, raising a brow.
"Split your chakra," he repeated. "It's a mix of physical and spiritual energies, right? Why not make a seal that splits or separates them?"
"If he splits the energy, he could manipulate each one separately!" Rukia exclaimed, reaching the conclusion before her friend, who huffed at getting beat to the punch.
The blonde Uzumaki blinked at the notion. "Why didn't I think of that…?"
"You've been too distracted from being able to put your full focus on the issue. With looking after that broken child and training with that hermit, you can't go 100% on the subject at hand."
"It's amazing how the simple things escape you when you're so distracted by multiple things," Yoruichi commented.
"…Why help me, then?"
"I'm bored. Living sixteen-plus years inside of you drags on with nothing of interest. The only breaks from this boredom I've had were the times you used my chakra; and even those times weren't all too exciting. Although, I will admit that using my form to pin down Shukaku was both amusing and flattering."
"Who?" Uryu asked.
"...Crazy sibling of the fox...don't ask..." Kushina groaned.
"Yeah, I'm all about parading your ego around," Naruto deadpanned, earning an amused smirk from the Kyuubi.
"Hearing you acting fearless around me can also be counted as interesting, to be honest. That Hollow intrigues me, as well. She had this deathly presence about her, and it had a darker undertone to it. If I had to guess, Hollows are the quote-unquote 'dark side' of Death."
Yamamoto nodded at that. The fox wasn't wrong about that.
"Sensei told me that the concepts of 'Light' and 'Dark' are all based on perspective. To the Hidden Leaf, people who are against them are 'Dark' while our allies are 'Light'."
"Very wise woman." Shusui said.
Minato winced at that. He knew Iwa still hated him, seeing him as 'Dark'. Sure, it was war, but he understood that everyone he had killed still was someone's father, brother, uncle, cousin, mother, sister, aunt, grandparent, son, daughter...
"That woman really has made an impact on you; an acceptable one, I'd grudgingly admit."
"Damn right she did, ttebane!" Kushina cheered before turning red at her verbal tic.
"Dear-"
"Say anything, Flakey Boy, and you'll be on that couch until the end of time."
"R-Right..." Minato agreed with a nervous smile.
"Good. I'd be worried if she didn't influence my life at least a little bit. Mito-sensei was there for me when I needed someone to talk to; more so than Old Man Hokage could've been."
"Well, not everyone is a spirit tethered to a physical structure, after all."
Point to the fuzzball," Kenpachi noted with a smirk.
"Fair point."
"Anyway, try devising a seal that separates your spiritual energy from your physical energy. If chakra is a blend of the two, then it should only make sense for you to access reiatsu by separating it from the equation."
"Sounds like a better idea than any of the other ones I've thought of. Thanks, Fox." He turned to leave the area holding the seal but paused before he took a step. "Y'know… I hope we can have more talks like this. It's refreshing talking to you when you're not all murderous and angry at me."
"I wonder what could've been different if I took the time to talk to the fox more?" Kushina mused.
"No sense dwelling on what could've been, Uzumaki-san," Nemu spoke up. "Best to focus on what COULD be."
While the other Soul Reapers looked surprised that Nemu, the daughter of the mad scientist, was comforting Kushina, the woman in question gave a soft smile to her and patted her head.
"Thank you, Nemu-chan."
With that, the Uzumaki walked off before he faded out of the seal, leaving the Bijuu to contemplate on the young man's parting words.
"…"
"It looks like Kyuubi-san is considering it," Orihime noted with a gentle smile. "Maybe this could be the spark that helps him and Uzumaki-kun become friends."
Naruto's parents smiled at the sweet girl, enjoying her optimism.
"I've recreated the Garganta I experimented with before, Aizen-sama," Szayelaporro stated as he stood before the flickering vacuum of space being generated in his lab.
Everyone scowled.
"That's not good," Toshiro noted with a frown. "They could send more Hollows to Naruto's world and cause problems."
"Let's hope that Uzumaki-kun will be prepared for them," Unohana softly muttered, concern layered in her words.
The traitorous Shinigami, once an esteemed Captain of the Fifth Division, had a casual smile on his face as he observed the unstable portal between worlds that Hollows could make.
"They're sacrificing their own for research," Chad commented, feeling an odd sense of pity for the Hollows that were going to be used.
He could already feel the spiritual energy leaking out in a twisted and misshapen manner, further displaying the instability of the experimental Garganta.
"Good. Are the Hollows equipped with those tracers of yours?" the man asked calmly.
"Tracers?" Chad frowned.
"Most likely to make it so the Hollows can be kept track of while there." Nemu said.
"Yes, sir. They're ready to be sent at any time," the Eighth Espada replied.
Saying nothing more, Aizen walked over to the Garganta while holding up a glowing cube that had a spherical object within its core; the Hōgyoku. The glowing item shined brighter while the Garganta reacted to its glow, shimmering and flickering dangerously around its edges before stabilizing. The black space within the Garganta also gained a faint violet shade, barely noticeable except at the right angles.
While absently noting that her old associates were looking rightfully concerned, Yoruichi cursed under her breath as her thoughts went inward. 'Kisuke, you idiot... Your damn curiosity gave that bastard the means to cause some SERIOUS problems. I hope you've got a plan, because Aizen's going to be in a league of his own with that stupid orb...'
"He's somehow stabilized the irregularities of the Garganta... Fascinating," Nemu said softly as she furiously took notes for Mayuri. "With the pathway stabilized, the time dilation from the trip should be notably shortened; if not nonexistent."
"You mean that they'll get results much sooner than hundreds of years?" Kushina asked in worry.
"It's highly probable," Nemu answered.
"Send two of them through, Szayelaporro. And keep me informed on what happens to them," Aizen ordered as he secured the Hōgyoku within his sleeve.
Nemu nodded. Her guess was correct.
He then turned and walked away, leaving the Espada with his orders.
Szayelaporro said nothing in reply to Aizen's order. Instead, he picked two random Hollows and sent them through the Garganta before closing it and moving to his data screen. He was curious about what may occur himself, after all.
"Be careful, son," Minato muttered, gently grasping his wife's hand in comfort when he saw her worried face.
"Please don't have Naruto fight them; please, please, please, PLEASE!" Kushina begged, even with knowing her son's luck with getting involved in things like this.
It was three days since Naruto's talk with the Kyuubi, and he was currently walking through the small village that the trio had decided to stay in for the night. Nel, to her delight, was seated on his shoulders thanks to Naruto agreeing to give her a piggyback ride. She was currently leaning against the back of his head while his hands held her legs securely on his shoulders.
At the sight, everyone tried to relax. If it wasn't for the part before with Aizen, they'd be able to enjoy this more.
"So, Nel-chan, what should we do first? You want to get something to eat, or do you want to see if any stalls have games?" Naruto asked, playing the role of Nel's older sibling.
"And he does do that well." Sajin Komamura nodded.
It was something he found himself easily sliding into, considering how Konohamaru and his friends would constantly refer to him as their "nii-chan". It was endearing to him, especially since he had no siblings of his own thanks to his parents sacrificing their lives for his own.
"Games! Nel wants to play games with Ruto!" the Arrancar exclaimed excitedly.
With a chuckle, Naruto nodded and declared dramatically, "To the games, then! Let's go, ttebayo!"
"Heh. Not bad at being an older brother figure." Ichigo grinned, thinking of his own sisters.
"Yeah!" Nel cheered, throwing both hands into their air.
Orihime smiled.
Unnoticed by Naruto, Jiraiya was watching his godson's interactions with the little girl he rescued. In his opinion, he thought the girl would be a distraction to Naruto; but, he was proven wrong during the previous training session when the boy got a few clean shots on him during their spar.
"Is it wrong to admit that I wanna hack this guy up?" Kenpachi asked. "Trying to keep him a weakling, and heartless enough to see a kid who has no one else or anywhere else to go as a distraction..." given how he hated when he was cheated of a good fight, and his own closeness with Yachiru, the battle manic Captain was pretty ticked off at Jiraiya.
"Get in line. I got dibs." Kushina scoffed.
What really got his attention, though, was how Naruto was starting to throw out different tactics in their spars. He was now using sealing tags to impede the Toad Sage; tags that Jiraiya was sure he never showed the kid before. This brought up the question of where Naruto learned to make them, and who taught him the basics. The Uzumaki had never shown his lineage before until recently, and the display was staggering due to the lack of prior evidence.
"How is that any of his business? If he wanted the person he took on as a student to be honest with his skills to him, then he should have taken being a mentor more seriously." Unohana frowned.
So, he had taken to observing his apprentice when the young man thought he was out peeping; whether it was personally, with a clone, or with a small scout Toad. Naruto was obviously hiding something, and he wanted to know what it was, or why he felt the need to hide it in the first place.
At that, everyone scowled.
He just hoped that Naruto would still be the knucklehead he had made his apprentice.
"Doesn't have the right to be a mentor." Byakuya frowned.
Naruto frowned at the sealing array he was working on, carefully taking his time with his brushstrokes so that the formula would be neat and precise.
"No telling what one mistake could do to effect the entire seal's function." Kushina nodded.
Mito had told him, almost religiously, that his calligraphy was the worst she had ever seen from an Uzumaki.
He had sulked for hours the first time he heard it, reminding the woman of her late husband's eccentricities.
Minato and Kushina gawked. The First Hokage...eccentric?! They could hardly picture that!
"Just…one…more…stroke," Naruto breathed out as he finished the array and backed off. With a relieved sigh, he took a moment to observe the results of his efforts and smiled at everything looking in order. "Good. Now, I just need to test it out."
"And what will you test it on?" the Kyuubi butted in from within Naruto's mind. "I'm tempted to plead that you not test it on yourself and potentially kill us both."
'I thought you were just chakra with a conscious?'
"I thought that, too," Kushina sheepishly admitted.
"And what sort of energy do you think makes that consciousness? Chances are that I'll be just as affected by this seal of yours as you are. So, you'd better be damned sure that it's safe before using it on yourself, brat."
"Testing new seals that affect the body, chakra, or something similar was always the most challenging. You either had to find a willing 'test subject', use it on a criminal, or use it on yourself," Minato explained with a frown, remembering how some criminals sentenced to death had been used to test new seals in the past.
"I wonder how Kisuke would react to the sealing arts," Yoruichi mused.
Naruto frowned at that, thinking over his options before shrugging to himself and creating a Shadow Clone. "You know what's going on, right?"
"Yep. Gonna test it on me so that, if anything happens, I just dispel. Right?"
"Very clever." Nemu nodded.
Nodding, Naruto faced his duplicate and held up the tag. "Okay then… Spirit Ejection Seal!" he declared as he slapped the tag on his clone and primed it with chakra.
The symbols on the seal lit up a bright white before changing to a golden-orange shade and spreading across the body of his Clone. The Clone didn't seem bothered by anything, looking expectant and slightly anxious; but not in any pain or discomfort. This was a good sign.
Kushina and Minato were watching intently, looking for any signs of the seal malfunctioning. Nemu was also observing, her notes in hand and ready to record everything.
After a few moments, Naruto frowned as he saw a spectral flicker come off his Clone before it was forcibly dispelled. "Hmm… So, I'm guessing it worked since Clones need chakra to exist. If the seal really ejected the spiritual energy, then the Clone obviously couldn't stick around."
"Since chakra is a mix of both physical and spiritual energies, removal of one causes the jutsu used to fail due to a disruption of the ratio," Nemu spoke aloud, recording the results in her notepad. Naruto really was proving to be quite the well of insight into this.
"What do you think, dear?" Minato asked Kushina.
"It's hard to say..." she answered with a small frown. "Using it on a Shadow Clone was smart, but if the soul was ejected, then Naruto-kun can't be sure since the Clone was dispelled."
"That sounds accurate enough," the Kyuubi agreed before his tone turned dry. "I'm guess you're going to recklessly try it on yourself next, aren't you?"
Naruto only gave a sheepish chuckle at that as he started preparing a second tag. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
"HE'S WHAT?!" everyone shouted.
"I swear you'll be the end of me," groused the Bijuu. "I'd stop you…"
'But~?' Naruto mentally drawled out.
To his amusement, the Fox actually sounded embarrassed as he admitted, "…I'm curious about what might happen, alright?"
Kushina snickered at that while Minato shook his head in amusement.
"Well, well, well~!" Yoruichi drawled out. "Looks like cats aren't the only curious creatures."
"Curiosity killed cats, Yoruichi," Ichigo deadpanned.
"But satisfaction brought them back! Now, hush!"
Chuckling to himself, the blonde Uzumaki finished the tag and inspected it for a few minutes before declaring it safe. He sat on the chair the room provided and gave a small glance towards Nel's sleeping form. He smiled softly at the young Arrancar before he silently placed the tag on his chest and primed it.
"He's reminding himself why he's doing this," Unohana commented with a gentle smile. "Not for himself, but for someone he cares about and promised to help." Turning to his parents, she complimented, "You have a wonderful child."
Naruto's parents smiled proudly. Despite not being in his life, their son still grew up to be a good man.
Like with his Clone, the tag started off with a white glow before it changed to golden-orange. It spread across his body evenly, splitting down the middle as it spread to his face. After a few moments, he felt a shift in his chakra before a great force hit him like the freight train he outran while protecting Koyuki years ago.
"He outran a train?" Ichigo repeated, vague memories of the Dangai Sweeper springing up in his mind.
With a gasp, he felt himself get pushed back before his back hit the wall of the room and he slid to the floor. Taking deep breaths, he observed the room and saw that nothing was disturbed before his eyes turned to the chair he swore he was seated in. Getting to his feet, he heard a chain rattling and looked down to see one attached to his chest; just like the one Mito had.
However, instead of seeing it attached to an object, he saw that it was attached to a body; his body. It was surreal to him, seeing his physical body slouched in the chair with a chain attached to its chest that was linked to the one attached to his.
Orihime looked uncomfortable at that, remembering seeing hers and Tatsuki's bodies when her brother, Sora, attacked her as a Hollow. She had a feeling that Naruto was a bit weirded out from the literal "out of body experience".
Curious, he gripped the chain links closest to his chest and gave a gentle tug. As soon as his wrist twitched to pull, he felt agonizing pain and immediately let go with a gasp; falling to his knees as he felt all his strength leave him in an instant.
Despite having witnessed many a soul have their chain eaten away, none of the Shinigami present (save for Ichigo) had any experience with the agony of their chain being disturbed. For it to cause Naruto to drop to his knees at a simple TWITCH, it must of been beyond any kind of pain imaginable.
"SON OF A-! BE CAREFUL, DAMMIT!" he heard the Kyuubi rage in his mind, the seal on his stomach glowing bright red on both his physical and spiritual bodies. "That chain is obviously tethering your spirit to your body! What the hell do you think will happen if you yank it off, you damned imbecile?!"
The question and consequences sank in, and he felt a shiver of dread climb up his spectral spine. "R-Right… No messing with the chain. Got it."
Everyone let out a breath they didn't know they were holding.
"Don't scare us like that..." Nemu chided, relieved Naruto was no longer going to risk accidentally becoming a Hollow. A moment later and she blinked curiously, wondering why she was so worried and then relieved. Was... Was something wrong with her?
Kushina and Yoruichi smirked to one another when they saw the confusion on Nemu's face.
"You better remember that, brat," growled the Bijuu before he took a breath. "Now, let me tell you what I'm experiencing from my end. The representation of the seal changed as soon as your spiritual body was ejected from your physical one."
"What does it look like?"
"An island; one that's surrounded by vast oceans and what looks to be a never-ending sunset. There are also smoothed stone markers that I can only assume are graves. My guess is that they're linked to people you've lost that have had a major impact on you spiritually."
"That sounds beautiful, except for the graves," Orihime noted. "Why are there graves in Uzumaki-kun's soulscape, though?"
"Can you make out any names?"
He heard the Fox growl thoughtfully, most likely while he took a look at the gravestones. It was still a bit concerning that he had graves within his own spiritual center.
"I can make out four names, brat. The first two belong to your damnable father and spitfire mother."
"Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki…"
"We're gravestones?" Kushina asked in concern.
"I hope that doesn't effect our chakra echoes in the seal," Minato pondered with a frown.
"The last two belong to that duo you faced the first time you used my chakra," the Kyuubi finished.
Naruto stilled in surprise at that. "Zabuza and Haku…? Why would they-?"
"Who were those two?" Shunsui asked curiously.
"Zabuza and Haku were once adversaries of Team 7 during their first C-Rank Mission," Kushina began. "Naruto bonded with Haku because they both knew what it felt like to be hated for something you couldn't control."
"And Zabuza was 'made human' when Naruto accused him of being uncaring about Haku's sacrifice for the man," Minato continued. "They started off on opposing sides, but Naruto wound up forming a connection to them both."
"In other words," Yamamoto spoke up, "they made an impact on his soul."
"Correct."
"If I remember right," the Fox cut in, "you made some sort of pledge on the grave markers you made for them in Wave. Perhaps that was when that spiritual connection happened?"
"Maybe… I should really go visit their graves and see if they're still around. I'd love to talk with them again…"
I can see why he'd want to after hearing how much they've impacted him," Toshiro commented, pausing his reading.
"Anyway, that's all I can see concerning the changes. I'm still tied to you, but the seal and gate changed to a collar with the sealing formula on it. Looks like I have slightly more freedom to move in your spiritual body."
"You're not going to try and overtake me or anything, will you?"
Kushina and Minato choked on their spit at that, not having considered the Kyuubi doing such a thing.
"No. it wouldn't work anyway; I already tried."
"SERIOUSLY, TTEBANE?!" Kushina raged, her hair rising up like nine tails and her face shadowed ominously.
"UZUMAKI! CONTROL YOUR REIATSU!" Yamamoto commanded, gripping his staff to stay standing while everyone else (save Minato) was brought down to their knees or lower.
Poor Orihime, not used to such intense spiritual pressure, had tears in her near-lifeless eyes. When the pressure finally dropped, she was trembling and clung to Ichigo who held her close to him. He did his best to comfort her, but he was trembling as well.
'That... I couldn't do anything!' he thought frantically in his mind. 'If she wanted to, she had us ALL dead to rights!'
It took some time to calm Kushina down, and even when she did, she had an iron grip on her husband's hand and a scowl on her face. Minato, despite the bones in his hand nearly ground to powder, gave everyone else an apologetic look for her outburst.
"...Power of a member of the Royal Guard, for you..." Shunsui groaned.
He would've face-faulted if he wasn't more concerned with what to do next. "Okay, so obviously the seal works since my spiritual self is out… Then that must mean…"
He trailed off with eyes closed as he focused within himself, opening them again to the sight of the Kyuubi seated on a solitary island that had a thin layer of grass above the sand save for the shore. On the shore itself were the grave markers that the Bijuu told him about, and the very center of the island had a single tree that had beautifully pure white blossoms on it.
The sight of Naruto's soulscape surprisingly broke Orihime from her terrified state. The island resting atop sunset lit waters was incredibly calming, and she found her earlier thoughts on it to be correct.
"It's beautiful," she whispered. "Even the graves add to it..."
"How's that, Orihime?" Rukia asked her friend, relieved that she was no longer catatonic.
"It's almost like the island is dedicated to them. A sanctuary for their final resting places, untouchable by others and kept safe thanks to Uzumaki-kun..." Despite being afraid of the woman's power, she turned to Kushina with a beautiful smile. "You might not have been in his life for long, but I can tell that Uzumaki-kun truly loves you, Namikaze-san, Zabuza-san, and Haku-san. Your graves wouldn't be there if he didn't..."
Naruto's parents smiled gratefully to her for her words, and Kushina reached over to gently grasp the young woman's hand. "Thank you... And I'm sorry about what my reaitsu did to you. I was just-"
"You were upset and worried about Uzumaki-kun. I understand. You are his mom, after all." Orihime reassured her, feeling more at ease.
The two women shared a smile at that.
"Not bad," he mused as he walked over to the gravestones, smiling softly at the names engraved on them and placing his hand on each one for a few seconds at a time to pay his respects. He then set his sights on the tree and headed for it, stepping around the Bijuu who was watching him with disinterest.
Reaching the blossoming tree, he took note of a carving made on its bark; a carving that took the shape of his clan insignia. He fought a chuckle at that and placed his palm against it, closing his eyes to focus while his faint smile never faded. He felt an airy substance flowing through the veins of the tree, travelling upward from its roots and spreading out to the blossoms themselves.
"He's unconsciously guiding the flow of energy to a more obtainable location," Jūshirō noted, sounding impressed. "By sending it to the blossoms, he can pick one and harness the spiritual energy within."
Nemu was jotting down everything that was happening.
Removing his hand, he reached up and gently picked a blossom from one of the branches, holding it gently in his palm. He took note that, while the petals of the blossom were white, the core with the faintest orange that was only noticeable if you looked hard enough. A small island breeze picked up, carrying the blossom out of his hands and out to sea where it settled itself atop the calm waters.
However, as soon as it rested, a ripple echoed across the waters and the blossom gave off a brilliant glow as white as winter. Both Naruto and the Kyuubi looked on with interest as the blossom faded away into light particles that were carried on another island breeze; this time returning to the blonde Uzumaki. He reached his arm out towards the light, letting the particles dance between his fingers before they moved to his scarf and clung to it.
"Odd... Why would it ignore Uzumaki-san and instead attach to the scarf?" Sajin questioned with a faint frown.
"Perhaps the scarf acts as the catalyst for his power," Byakuya mused. "Similar to how a Zanpakuto is for a Shinigami."
The scarf gave off the same white glow that the blossom once did, and Naruto felt a rush of energy flow through him; filling the void that once held his chakra but couldn't because of his spiritual form. The cores of his blue eyes gained a glowing white ring before his consciousness returned to his spiritual body.
"Almost looks like a dojutsu," Minato mused, with Kushina nodding in agreement. "Wonder what he'll call it."
"My money's on Shigan (Death Eye)," his wife stated. "Care to wager, dear?"
"Against an Uzumaki's Luck? Pass."
"You're no fun, ttebane..."
Minato smiled at his wife's pouting, "No, just smart. When have I EVER beaten you in a wager, dear?"
At that, Kushina looked thoughtful, before she perked up. "Good point." she admitted.
He held up his arms to look at his hands, staring at the palms for a few moments before closing his eyes and concentrating. Like when he would call upon chakra, he felt energy flow through his spiritual body which began to flicker with white flames that originated from his scarf and abdomen.
So, it IS a catalyst... Interesting..." Nemu muttered. She had never seen anything like this before, Naruto was FASCINATING!
Opening his eyes once more, they had the white rings within their blue depths and Naruto smirked in triumph at the power he felt racing through him.
"So…this is reiatsu," he mused before his spiritual body ignited in white fire and flowed back into his physical body.
"Impressive..." Nanao spoke up. "To so easily return to his body after JUST unlocking his reiatsu..."
"Kid's almost a natural," Shunsui agreed with his Lieutenant.
He stirred before opening his physical eyes and sitting up in the chair, holding up his right arm with the palm facing upward.
Feeling for the reiatsu within him, he was pleased that he could differentiate it from the chakra he was born with; comparing its feel to that of oil (reiatsu) and water (chakra). A small flicker of white fire ignited in his palm, the flames no bigger than a thumbnail; but still, it was progress.
He smirked as he finished his earlier musing, "I like it."
"Hell yeah! My baby's gonna become a bona fided badass!" Kushina cheered, earning an amused look from her husband and the others.
The following morning, Naruto opted to sleep in for once; feeling that he earned it after his success the night before. He had moved to the bed with Nel, letting her curl against him and rest her head atop his chest as she slept. The two felt a measure of comfort around one another that they couldn't recall feeling for quite some time; Naruto because of the life he lived, and Nel because of her unstable spiritual energy damaging her memories.
"They're good for each other," Rukia mused with a small smile. "He gives her support and protection and she gives him purpose..."
"And they give EACH OTHER a family," Renji added, sharing a look with her.
The two shared a smile as memories of their past flowed through their minds.
This was the scene Jiraiya opened the hotel room door to, and he felt torn about letting his godson sleep or waking him up to train him. He saw the relaxed state he was in as he slept, as if nothing in the outside world matter to him now. He then turned to Nel and saw that she had a smile in her sleep, cuddled against the larger body beside her.
Feeling sympathetic, the Toad Sage decided to leave the two to their sleep and quietly left the room. His apprentice needed moments to rest and forget about the troubles he would soon face.
"I'm still upset with sensei for his failings regarding Naruto," Minato began. "But I'm glad that he's allowing Naruto moments to forget his troubles... Even if they're small and fleeting..."
Kushina grasped his hand gently, sharing a sad smile with Minato. Both of them knew that, while Naruto deserved time to forget his troubles, moments like this with Nel would be sparse in the future.
It was night once more in the Land of Fire, and one of the more successful gambling towns was alight with life as the night crowd enjoyed themselves. The people within the town were merry, feeling peace despite the practically never-ending cold war between their country and the others that housed Hidden Villages.
However, these peaceful souls were unaware that the sky above started to twist and stretch before a spatial opening formed and let out two strange creatures with bonelike masks covering their heads.
Everyone frowned at the sight. While many hoped that no Hollows would arrive in Naruto's world, they knew it was a fool's hope.
The first looked avian, with a falcon-styled mask and two pairs of wings while the tail was whip-like with vicious barbs on the end. The second looked canine, standing on all-fours with strong forelegs and lithe hindlegs. It had two tails, each with spaded tips that looked as sharp as its claws while the mask on its face took on the stylings of a jackal.
The jackal Hollow sniffed the air before licking its bone-covered lips hungrily. "Plenty of souls down there," he growled out, nearly yipping in excitement.
The falcon Hollow flapped its wings once to push its body forward, taking a more thorough look at the town below. "More than we were getting before; that's for sure." He turned back to his fellow Hollow, a gleam of excitement seen in his red eyes. "What say we try a few samples?"
"Good luck, Uzumaki-kun," Unohana whispered, knowing that the young man was the town's only defense against those Hollows.
Everyone winced at that as they realized the same thing.
"Alright!" Jiraiya declared with a bright grin aimed at his apprentice at Nel. Unknown to the man, it had been almost another week since Naruto discovered his reiatsu. "This will be our last night staying in a town before we start trekking back to the Hidden Leaf. So, let's enjoy our last stay in civilization for a while!"
"Yay…" Naruto drawled out, knowing why the Toad Sage was so excited.
Since this was a ritzier town than others, this meant more attractive inspirations for his perverted book series.
Many of the women huffed irritably at that while Minato shook his head and sighed at his old sensei's habits.
Looking to his side, he saw Nel looking around in growing excitement at the lights and people around her; no doubt wanting to take part in any festivities. "You want to go check out the games, Nel-chan? Or do you wanna eat first?"
"Nel want to eat first," she replied.
"Okay. Let's go see if there's a ramen stand anywhere," he suggested.
"Yay! Ramen!" she cheered, taking off down a random street and pulling a chuckling Naruto with her.
"Not another ramen addict!" Minato lamented, getting bopped on the head by his wife for that.
"And what's wrong with ramen, ttebane?!"
"It's unhealthy, for one!"
"Take that back! Ramen is the Food of the Gods! It's ambrosia!"
"You only looked up that word to argue for ramen!"
"You can't prove that, ttebane!"
Everyone else sweatdropped at the couple's bickering over RAMEN of all things. Though Yoruichi and Rangiku both found the moment hilarious and were snickering.
With the other two gone, Jiraiya dropped his jovial act and quickly formed a Shadow Clone that took the image of a nondescript man. "Keep an eye on them. We don't know what could happen."
The Clone nodded and followed after the younger duo, getting lost in the crowd of people.
The Toad Sage frowned to himself when he was alone once again. "Something's coming… I don't know what, but I can feel it…"
He hoped he was just being paranoid, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing for a spymaster.
"While true that paranoia isn't exactly BAD," Soifon began, "too much will make you distrustful of everyone; even allies. Still, I'm impressed that he can tell something WILL happen despite not being spiritually aware."
"My guess is that sensei's connection to Natural Energy allows him to BARELY sense the feeling of 'death' that the Hollows give off," Minato offered, earning a nod from her.
"That sounds plausible..."
Nemu made sure to write that down.
The two Hollows sat atop one of the buildings of the bustling town, watching the unaware souls below with hunger in their eyes. "Oh, I can't decide who to go for first!" Jackal bemoaned.
"Just pick some, already!" Falcon snarked, his hunger making him angry. "I said you can pick our samples, so hurry up and pick!"
Ichigo frowned and clenched his fists, memories of Hollows and their "hunger" racing through his mind. Hearing them trying to decide who to eat was getting to him.
"I'm trying, but they all look so-!" He cut himself short and sniffed the air for a few moments before he started salivating. "You smell that? Two high-level spiritual energies close together, and they're here somewhere!"
"They found him and Nel," Chad noted with a frown.
Uryu frowned and adjusted his glasses. "The question remains, then... How will Uzumaki-san handle his first experience FIGHTING Hollows?"
"We need to have faith in Uzumaki-kun's abilities," Orihime spoke up. "He'll be fine."
"How can you be sure?" Rukia asked, only to get a smile from her friend.
"Because he has something to fight for, and he won't let the Hollows get to her."
"You know my sense of smell is nowhere near yours. Just take the lead and I'll follow."
"You got it! I'll sniff them out in a heartbeat!" Jackal promised before taking off in the direction of the delectable spiritual presence.
"Be ready, son," Minato whispered, frowning alongside Kushina and the others.
Naruto, with Nel on his shoulders, grinned as he won the Arrancar a stuffed animal at a Ball Toss booth. His grin grew faintly at her choosing a fox one, and he couldn't help laughing at the irony.
"That is kinda ironic..." Kushina groaned, knowing this would fuel the fox's ego.
"At least she has good taste," sniped the Kyuubi, which only made Naruto snort in more laughter.
"Yep...there it is..." the female redhead said, brow twitching.
"So, what booth do you want to try next, Nel-chan?"
"Nel wants to do that fishing one! Nel wants a-!"
She and Naruto froze in place when they felt a faint pressure on their shoulders trying to weigh them down.
"Crap..." Renji swore, looked like it was go time...
Blue eyes narrowed before they darted around, looking for anything out of the ordinary. They flicked by two odd looking animals to look down another crowded street before quickly darting back, taking note of the bonelike masks on their heads.
"Hollows…?" Naruto asked softly, earning Nel's attention.
"More people like Nel?" she asked quietly.
"I wish...Nel's good, but these two..." Uryu muttered, pushing up his glasses.
He shook his head and looked to see if anyone else noticed the Hollows' presence. To both his relief and annoyance, nobody did. "No, not people… They look like a dog and some weird bird."
"Oh…" Nel responded, sounding sad; though she couldn't figure out why. Her head suddenly throbbed and she held it as blurry images raced across her mind. "…Pes…Dondo…"
"Seems part of her is still trying to remember her subordinates." Yoruichi frowned in concern for the young-looking Arrancar.
Naruto heard her mumbling and grew concerned. "Nel-chan…? Do those two look familiar to you?" he asked, making his way out of the crowded streets and towards the nearest exit of the town.
"Good...less people around, the better. No collateral that way." Ichigo nodded. It was how he had chosen to face that frog-Hollow Don had created at the abandoned hospital, so he got that reasoning.
She groaned at the throbbing in her head, but still took a moment to look at the Hollows as they trailed after the duo. "N…No. Nel hasn't…seen them…before…"
Nodding in understanding, Naruto called on his chakra to summon a Shadow Clone. He handed Nel off to the Clone and ordered, "Take her somewhere safe and keep an eye on her. I'll try and bait away those two."
"Facing off against two Hollows by himself while he's just barely unlocked his own spiritual abilities. And all to keep everyone else around him safe...credit where it's due: Got the right stuff in him for being among our ranks. If the actual version of the kid's anything like in this book, has a very promising future in the ranks of the Gotei 13 as a Shinigami." Soifon said.
Everyone around her nodded.
"Got it, Boss," the Clone replied and prepared to head in a different direction.
"R…Ruto…" Nel called out, still fighting her throbbing head.
"She doesn't want to leave him..." Orihime winced.
Naruto gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Nel-chan. I'll be fine; I promise."
"Sounds like something you'd say." Rukia said, turning to Ichigo.
"Thanks, but now's not the time..." the strawberry said.
Seeing his smile and promise brought an odd feeling of déjà vu to her, but it also allowed her to trust Naruto's declaration. So, she gave him the best smile she could as the Clone took her away.
With one less thing to worry about, Naruto kept moving toward the exit of the town, passing through it and moving away from the town to a darkened field that was only lit by faint moonlight. He stopped moving at that point, turning around to face the approaching Hollows.
Naruto's parents gulped, mentally begging for their son's safety. Everyone else around them was just as tense.
It was go time...
"So…what are two Hollows doing here in the Elemental Nations?" he questioned with narrowed eyes, letting his chakra flow through his body.
"That'll get their attention." Toshiro frowned.
"How the hell does a human know about us if Szayelaporro-sama said no Hollows ever set foot in this place?" Jackal asked.
Falcon narrowed his eyes while his barbed tail twitched dangerously. "I don't know, but this human knows too much as it is. We need to hurry and eat him before he spreads the word about our existence."
"Who'd really believe him?" Ichigo said irritated. Recalling a few times when some people would just label him as crazy when talking to the spirits of the dead.
Naruto's eyes narrowed further at that while Jackal licked his lips in anticipation. "Sounds good to me! Let's get him!"
Minato and Kushina stared, pale with worry as their vision tunneled.
With a battle crying yowl, Jackal charged forward while Falcon flew up and moved to circle around. Naruto knew what the play was, and he was confident he could take them both on without much trouble. So, he met Jackal's charge while forming two clones behind him.
"Good...he at least has an idea what they're up to..." Yoruichi said, trying to alleviate the tension in the room as the fight started.
"W-What?" Jackal stammered out in surprise, never halting his charge. "How can a human do that?"
"Good. The Hollows are unprepared for his skillset." Yamamoto nodded. That was good news in a fight like this, he'd been in more than enough battles to know that.
"You obviously never met a shinobi before," Naruto mused as one of his clones formed a Rasengan in a couple of seconds while the other grabbed the first's arm and launched him at Falcon. "Allow me to enlighten you on what you're up against! Rasengan!"
"Smart. Take care of the threat that can attack using hit and run tactics first before the ground threat." Soifon appraised with an approving smirk on her face.
"Meanwhile, since his clones are independent entities with his abilities, he can afford to focus on them one on one as long as the clone is there." Unohana agreed.
In an instant, an orb of dangerously swirling chakra formed in Naruto's palm and he had it spearhead his charge. Jackal gathered his reiatsu in retaliation, coating his claws in crimson energy that clashed with the jutsu in a deadlock.
Everyone stared.
"How the hell is a human doing this?!" he cried out in frustration.
Falcon dove in a flash, avoiding the airborne Rasengan before clashing his bladed beak against the kunai of the second Clone. "Tch! Damned human! This should've been easy!"
"Assumption on the battlefield leads only to defeat." The former Quincy said.
"You wish!" the Clone fired back, pushing back Falcon and throwing a shuriken that was batted aside by the barbed tail. He then flipped through handseals and took a deep breath before blowing out his sole Wind Style jutsu. "Drilling Air Bullet!"
"...That's not a technique our son was taught." Minato frowned, slightly snapping out of his worry by a minuscule amount.
"Clearly, he went with route of teaching it to himself. With how lackluster the time wasted under the worthless pervert went, he'd have had no other choice but to do that if he wanted to increase his skillset and be able to stand on his own and fight his own battles with his own strengths." Nanao snipped in irritation.
Seeing the rippling wind, Falcon swerved around the bullet while whipping his tail in Naruto's direction, firing off the barbs like a small volley of kunai. They were avoided by Naruto leaping over them, forming a Shadow Clone to act as a springboard that he used to shoot himself toward Falcon, clocking him in his mask with a chakra-coated fist.
"AGH!" the Hollow cried, being flung back with tremendous force and sent sprawling on the ground.
"He's doing very well." Chad noted, causing Minato and Kushina to relax slightly. Still, it wasn't over until one side in this fight wasn't able to keep fighting.
"Bastard!" Jackal growled out, still in a deadlock with the original. "Tell me how you're fighting us Hollows! It shouldn't be possible!"
Naruto smirked at that, pumping more chakra into the Rasengan and making it grow slowly, which allowed him to start pushing Jackal back. "I told you already; I'm a shinobi, ttebayo!"
The Rasengan detonated at that, pushing back Jackal with its expulsion while Naruto slid back a few feet with his sandals digging up twin trenches in the ground. Falcon saw this and knew that they were outmatched.
"He's not bad. And with how there's a whole world full of people who can use a combination of physical and spiritual energies mixed together to produce this chakra stuff, can see why Hollows wouldn't be there...too risky for them." Rukia said.
He also knew that they were expendable. They were merely scouts meant to carry recorders so that Szayelaporro could report what they witnessed in this world. As such, it didn't matter if he made it out alive or not; the Eighth Espada would be getting the data regardless.
Everyone frowned at that. Sure, they were Hollows, but that was still a twisted thing to do and treat others like.
"Szayelaporro-sama," he spoke quietly to the device clipped around his neck, "if you're able to hear this, be on the lookout for a blonde human with spiked hair and blue eyes calling himself a shinobi."
Both Minato and Kushina paled again. Oh, just great! Another depraved psychopath for their son to have to deal with! Not good!
With his final message made, Falcon forced himself back up and gathered reiatsu in his wings before flapping them towards the Uzumaki, sending out sharpened blades of wind toward the blonde. He wasn't at all surprised when the shinobi dodged them, but he did try and use the attack to give him room to make a retreat.
"Coward." Kenpachi tsked.
Jackal was too injured to make a run for it, plus his lack of aerial maneuverability made him an easier target.
"Backstabbing tactic." Soifon frowned lightly.
Naruto saw the avian Hollow trying to make a break for it, and he knew that he couldn't use any jutsu to catch up to him in time. So, throwing a chakra-enhanced kunai at Jackal's mask – which cracked it dangerously as it pierced through it – he raced after Falcon while stopping his chakra flow to call on whatever reiatsu he could.
"This'll be good..." Shunsui said as everyone watched.
'Come on… Focus it through you and concentrate. Concentrate…'
He started gaining on Falcon, who was struggling with three wings and a damaged fourth one.
'Concentrate…'
He felt energy stirring within him, gathering from his abdomen and flowing into his scarf.
"Huh...looked like Byakuya was right, the scarf was a medium for Naruto's spiritual abilities." Sajin Komamura nodded.
'Gather as much as you can and concentrate…'
His scarf started flickering with white fire.
Nemu started writing furiously. She wouldn't deny the scientific part of her personality she shared with her Captain and father was looking forward to this!
'Concentrate, dammit!'
His eyes gained white rings and he stretched his arm out towards Falcon with a cry of, "Binding Threads: Kushina!"
"What?!" Kushina yelped.
From the flickering aura surrounding the scarf, the white fire raced up Naruto's arm and shot ahead, taking the form of a spiritual chain made of the same flickering fire. It raced toward Falcon and speared through one of his wings before wrapping around him.
"SAY WHAT?!" Kushina shouted, utterly shocked. Those were her adamantine chakra chains! But...! But how did he-?!
"W-What?! What is this?!" he cried through the pain before he was slammed onto the ground by Naruto. "AGH! Damn you, shinobi!"
His red eyes widened when he saw the obvious reiatsu flowing from the blonde, flowing around him from the scarf he wore around his neck and shoulders.
"Whoa..." Yoruichi said, looking at the image.
"H-How can-? How does a human have access to spiritual power?!" he screeched, enraged at being beaten, but also passing along the info vocally through the device around his neck.
"Oh please, he was aware of them. Is it really going to be weird for Hollows that people can be spiritually aware?" Ichigo rolled his eyes. Yes, he got it was to pass on inform, but would a Hollow or one of those Arrancar things have never encountered a human with more spiritual awareness than usual?
Naruto grinned proudly at his accomplishment. "Guess I'm just a special kind of human. Remember this name, Hollow; Naruto Uzumaki, shinobi and spirit fighter!"
"Huh...super cool name, ttebane."
Minato slapped a hand to his face, "Really? "Spirit Fighter"? Why would he call himself such a silly title?"
"Oi!" Kushina scowled at her husband, "He isn't a shinigami, Quincy, or any other pre-established type of individual who deals with spiritual beings! Besides, considering YOUR lame naming skills, at least our boy's are cut and dry rather than stupidly complex with the sheer length of them!"
Minato gawked "Name one time that's ever been true!" he defended.
Giving her husband a look, the redhead did just that. "Flying Raijin: Jiku Shippu Senko Rennodan Zeroshiki. It's too damn long! And what the hell is "Style Zero" anyway, ttebane?!"
Face red with embarrassment, Minato was left sputtering at his wife's rant. It didn't help that many of the others were snickering at him, with Yoruichi, Shunsui, Kenpachi, and Yachiru all straight up laughing.
Soifon gave him a dry look at the long-winded name, and even Yamamoto looked lost for words.
Sweet Orihime tried her best not to laugh, not wanting to be rude. But based on the building tears and puffed cheeks, she was struggling to hold back and tried to give Minato an apologetic glance.
Nemu, on the other hand, had written down the technique's name and was muttering to herself. Her notes were illustrations, breaking down the name into parts in the hope of deciphering WHY the name was so excessive.
Kushina gave her husband a smug look and stated firmly, "I rest my case, Flakey Boy."
Poor Minato could only slump forward in utter defeat.
"...Can see why he can never win a bet with her..." Rukia stared.
He glared hatefully at the Uzumaki, lunging as much as he could through the chain holding him down. However, the action made the white fire blaze, burning him and making him screech before his body disintegrated into reishi (spirit particles). The reishi flowed into the fiery chain before it receded back into Naruto's scarf and died down, letting Naruto feel the slight increase in reiatsu from absorbing the defeated Hollow.
"Huh… Wasn't expecting that," he mused aloud before fondly grasping his scarf. "Binding Threads… That's what you're called, huh? Sounds pretty good to me, ttebayo. The threads in the scarf act like the bonds that weave through me and my precious people." He chuckled to himself at the corny attempt at being poetic before he started heading back to the town.
"Fascinating..." Nemu wrote down, taking note of the name as well as what happened, especially what Naruto said about the threads of the scarf acting like the bonds that weaved through him and his precious people. "Not only can it absorb Hollow remains, but if his power reflects his ties to others, then the more ties he has, the more versatility he has and the further his spiritual abilities could possibly evolve...must have further analysis..."
At that, everyone stared at the leutinent of the twelfth squad, then whipped their heads to stare at Naruto's image on the screen. Say what?!
"...Ok, now that need to be seen...a power that evolves and develops based off of bonds to others? Yeesh...!" Renji stared.
"And Naruto's always out to make more and more bonds, he's practically able to do that with just about anybody." Minato said.
"This kid's gonna be real interesting in that case!" Kenpachi laughed. "Looking forward to our match!"
Yamato made sure to memorize Naruto's features again. While he knew there were certain things, such as his abilities, that wouldn't be the same as in the book, the head captain was still liking what he was hearing so far about this young man. And thus far, it wasn't hard to see just why he was the son of two members of the Royal Guard. Would certainly be a fine addition to the Soul Society's ranks...
Unknown to him, the two tracers cracked because of the lack of reishi and crumbled in to dust, scattering away in the evening breeze. It wouldn't be long before whatever was recorded would be seen and heard by Hueco Mundo's scientific Espada.
And it wouldn't be long before all of Hueco Mundo learned of the strange human with spiritual powers calling himself a shinobi.
"There's nothing to be concerned about."
At that, everyone turned to the one who voiced such conviction.
"Naruto-san is already making almost Prodigal progress in taking steps to prepare himself for such things thanks to unlocking his reiatsu, improving his skill with it as we all just saw in his fight with the Hollows, and, I feel can all be safely started as fact that since he understands the consequences of weakness or defeat affecting not just himself, then not only will he continue to strive to get stronger, but also that he fights better when it comes to protecting others. Not only that, but Aizen may dismiss it if only a single spiritually aware being is there in the shinobi world. Furthermore, they know that he's aware, but not how strong Naruto-san exactly is. And he does have an ally in Nelliel. All that's left is for our alternative selves in the reality the book is based off of to find a way there so he can have further support."
Everyone stared at Nemu. Almost shocked beyond words.
Seeing everyone staring at her, Nemu blinked, looking confused, "I was merely stating fact based upon observation and logic. Is that assessment wrong, then?"
"...No. You're far from wrong, but...no offense, lieutenant...none of us have heard you really speak up like that before." Shunsui said to the one standing in for her currently indisposed and liquified captain/creator.
At that, Kushina smiled, "No. You're not. It just means you need to learn to speak up more, lieutenant Kurotsuchi. We all needed to hear that."
"Give it here." Uryu said, aiming to read next and was passed the book.