A/N: ...shorter than I'd like, but here, because folks wanted some more NarutoxNel bonding.
Speaking of bonding, its strangely fascinating to see Naruto and Aizen mentally spar with one another.
After all, Naruto doesn't answer to Aizen, and neither does Aizen answer to Naruto. As stated, its a partnership...for now.
As ever, we're sticking with the tried and true "Embers" Rule for this story. If folks don't like it, it won't be continued. So speak up! Make yourself heard! Your voice matters! That's no joke! I have precious little time to write these days, so feedback plays a huge part in this. Daily updates ensure that I'm constantly busy working on one project or another. I cannot afford to stop and write something that folks don't like; if only because I feel that would be a disservice to those of who who have stuck with me for so long.
No questions this time, wouldn't do to spoil things...
As ever! I own no references, quotes, themes or memes.
Kudoes to you if you get the quote. I wasn't being subtle at all~!
Neliel remains best girl thus far...watching her smack Nnoitra around gave me all manner of ideas...
"I wish to stand by your side. Is that so wrong?"
Ain't saying it is, just don't over do it.
Worry not, I won't...
~?
Release
Time passed strangely in Hueco Muendo.
With the moon ever present without and the false sun within, Naruto had trouble telling night from day, much less the hours. He tried to keep track of it all. Really, he did. In the end, he couldn't. How much time passed in that hollow world, he never knew. Days? Weeks? Months? It didn't feel like a year, but he had no way of knowing. He tried to keep himself distracted in the interim. Training with Nel, talking with Aizen, that sorta of thing. Even so, it felt like something was...missing. And his hunger persisted.
Alas, such thoughts did little to divert the cold steel currently hurtling toward his face.
Right. Should probably dodge that.
"Meh. She's still slow."
With a small smile sigh the bemused blond planted both hands in his pockets and bent backward at the knees, leaving his spine neatly parallel with the ground. From said position he had the perfect angle to watch his foe hurtle past and above him, body fully extended, unable to arrest their momentum, unable to dodge...
Long green hair tickled his nose. Her eyes met his, widening in surprise.
Naruto couldn't help but wink up at her.
"Nothing personal, Nel."
He whirled and drove a knee into her stomach. She rocketed up into the air with a yelp; only for him to meet her there, one leg raised high over his head, silhouetted against the fake sun above. Steeling his heart against the cry of pain that was sure to follow, he brought that ax kick crashing down on Nel's back. She rocketed down; hurtling to the dunes below. A pillar of sand heralded her landing, spearing high into the air. Three seconds passed. Another now. His lips pursed in a frown as he descended to the lip of the crater he'd created.
"Hey, you alright down there?"
A dull crackle of sound was his only warning. He laughed and hopped in place, tucking his knees into his torso, colorful robes fluttering in the passage of her blade. It missed him by the narrowest margin. Sandal-clad feet alighted atop the flat of her blade, balancing atop the slender steel. It would be the simplest thing to pivot and kick her in the face, to drive his victory home...
.
..
...he didn't want to.
"Any chance we could call this here?"
"Don't hesitate." she chided him. "Hit me. I can take it."
Reluctantly, he complied. Nel took his kick like a soldier; she didn't make a sound, even as she hurtled backwards; even when her body struck one of the many crimson pillars dotting the landscape, burst through it, then came crashing out the other side. From this distance he didn't see so much as a scratch on her. She climbed to her feet, dusted off her white robes, and nodded once.
Her smile told him he'd impressed her. The reminder had the beck of his neck burned.
"We done?" He called out to her, voice ringing across the wastes. "I really don't wanna hurt ya-
She hurtled out of the smoke and drove a fist into his face. He crashed back head over heels, laughing all the way. Nel spat a Cero at him as he flew. He casually pivoted in the air and kicked the crimson blast away, never once using his arms. It detonated in a dune, showering them with sand.
-See?" he continued, lowering his left leg. "Reflexes are still sharp as ever. Sharper, even. I'm a full second faster than before."
She puffed her cheeks out at him in a rare pout. "You're not going to use your hands, are you?"
Why would he? He'd agreed to the condition just this morning. Wasn't about to break it.
"Nope." he sang back. This is training for you as much as it is me."
He wasn't sure how long they'd been at this; Neliel's idea of training left little to be desired -she could be downright ruthless when the situation called for it- but she didn't show any signs of slowing. Even with the handicap he'd given her today, she seemed determined to go at it all day; determined to improve, to keep her skills from rusting, to excel in all things.
Almost made him admire her drive, it did. At least she made some semblance of sense.
"Better." she crossed the distance in an instant to appear at his side. "You're getting the hang of Sonido."
"Really don't need it, ya know." he shrugged for what felt like the umpteenth time. "I've got speed aplenty already-
"This from the boy who can barely use a Cero." She flicked his nose and arched a slender brow when he squawked at her. "You're strong, but you still falter when it comes to some arrancar techniques. I haven't even seen you use a decent garganta yet.
He frowned at her. "Cuz I don't need to! I don't even know how to get to this "human" world you keep telling me about. I'll figure it out sooner or later."
"Must you?"
Of course he must! Because he didn't feel dead, therefore, he wasn't! He'd been starving for ages now, hunger gnawing at his insides. Honestly, if he didn't eat some proper food soon, he was going to lose his mind!
Hel looked like she wanted to argue the point further, only to abstain. "Let us change the subject for now. What's he like? Lord Aizen, I mean."
Naruto paused, brought up short by the sudden inquiry. "You're asking me that? Now? It's been a bit."
"You spend more time with him than anyone else here." she held up a finger to forestall another argument. "Even the Second and First Espada are seldom granted an audience with him. Yer the two of you speak nearly ever day. I find myself curious."
She wasn't going to let this go, was she? Nel might act soft, but beneath that gentle smile she had a spine of steel.
"He's...different." he said at last.
Bright eyes swiveled to regard him. "Different, how?"
"Not sure I can explain it properly." he scratched the back of his head and plonked down to the sand. "Its kinda complicated, ya know."
She smiled, sitting beside him. "Then simplify it."
"Fine."
The man might be a mystery to most, but most couldn't sense emotions the way he could. Aizen felt...alone, most of the tone. As though he stood apart from everyone else. Not by choice or will or any such thing but simply because he had been born that way. Some might say he'd been destined for such from the moment of his birth; his thoughts cut from a different cloth, meant going against the grain, that sort of thing.
"To hell with that. You made your own destiny. So can he."
True. Of course, he could hardly tell Nel that in so many words. She wouldn't understand. So he settled for the simple route.
"Lonely."
Nel's brow shot up, but he didn't stop.
"He's a bit of a talker, but I think I've got a feel for his motivations." he turned and looked out across the sands, to which she followed his gaze. "Don't get me wrong, he's been behaving since our bargain; but it doesn't feel like he's trying to be a prick about it or anything. Bah!" A hand flung up in exasperation. "He keeps asking my opinion about stuff. I ain't used to it!"
"Some might say that's what friends do."
"Friends? Us?" Naruto squinted her way. "Dunno if I'd call him that. Not yet, at any rate." Don't worry, the second he tries to pull one over on me...bam!" he smacked a fist into his open palm. "I'll knock his lights out.
Nel favored him with a small, mysterious smile. "You really would, wouldn't you?"
"Well, yeah. I don't go back on my word."
"Hmhmhm." she laughed lightly to herself and surprised him by standing. "You truly are an anomaly. You exist outside the ranking of the Espada, you claim not to be dead, but you've allied yourself with us nevertheless. I wonder what some might say of that...yet for all there are some who would challenge you."
He scoffed. "No surprise there."
She pivoted and touched a hand to her sword with intent. "Which is precisely why you must be prepared."
"This again? I'm no closer to understand why I'm here than I am to finding my release state.
Neliel thumbed her chin. "You must have a one. All arrancar do. Some have two."
She really wasn't going to let this go, was she? "What's yours, then?"
Her smile startled him in its sheer purity. "Would you like to see?"
Naruto felt his face burn. There was something in her words; the way she said them. It sounded personal. Intimate. He wasn't sure why. He'd never seen an arrancar release their sword before; everyone he'd bothered to ask had been cagey about it...especially that Ulquiorra guy. Truly, he didn't understand why.
Palming his face, he looked away. "Why you gotta say it like that...?
"An arrancar's release is no laughing matter." Neliel elaborated without hesitation, her words taking on a lecturing tone. "Indeed, its a very personal thing. It reveals what we were before as hollows, adding that power to our own. Doing so enhances us, strengthens us, releases our inhibitions and our limits." when he didn't respond she planted a hand on her hip. "Do you truly wish to see me?" the other reached out for him. "This is not something I would offer in jest."
He reached and clasped it. "...I do."
"Very well." Bright eyes sparkled as she pulled him to his feet.. Perhaps a practical lesson wouldn't hurt." her sword slid into its sheath with a wordless with a sigh, notching its guard now as he looked on. "You seem to learn best after you've seen something firsthand."
"Well, you're not wrong...
"Watch closely, now." she whispered softly. "And don't tell anyone about this."
His eyes tracked her Zanpakuto, taking it in as it cleared its emerald scabbard once more. He noted the light green hilt, a guard that rather resembled crescent moons joined at the back. As he looked on Neliel raised her blade up horizontally, placing a hand against the flat edge of her blade. Pale pink smoke began to sizzle, glowing in a faint haze. Naruto looked on, entranced.
Nel closed her eyes. Inhaled. Exhaled. And then."Declare. Gamuza."
Her words were the catalyst; the second she spoke that smoke swelled into a blistering burst of raw energy. Violent violet light swelled forth to envelop her; tearing at sand itself, a radiance so bright Naruto found even he couldn't bring himself to stare into it overlong. Finally he had to look away.
"This is a Resurrection." Nel's voice rang through the fog. "Behold."
She swept a hand through the smoke.
His jaw clicked open. "Damn."
In her true state Neliel took the form of a graceful armored centaur. Her hollow mask's horns curved outward, framing the sides of her face. Likewise, her shoulders stood sheathed by brilliant white spaulders that flowed across her shoulder blades, to her neck. Gleaming white gauntlets completed the ensemble, flowing up into a matte black material to protect her hands. Her sword was perhaps the most startling change of all; that once simple katana had since been replace by a looming double-bladed lance. Looked like she knew how to use it, too.
All in all she rather resembled -as well as reminded!- him of a jouster straight out of a storybook...albeit far more deadly.
"Do you understand now, Naruto?" She hefted her massive weapon his way, considering him with stern, sad eyes. "This is what it means to be an arrancar. We are not human. None of us are. We never will be." simply speaking the words almost seemed to wound her, somehow. "It is best to accept this, as I have. Embrace it, but don't let it define you."
How did he respond to that? How could he respond?
She cantered forward and touched a hand to his cheek. "You'll understand someday, Naruto."
He looked away. "...not sure I wanna, ya know."
"Perhaps. However, that being said," with neither word nor warning, Nel shifted her weight on her hind legs and reared back, putting distance between them. "It is possible to surpass your Resurrection as well. Suddenly, that sad smile of hers gained a grim edge. "I could go one step further if I really wanted to. This bulky form has limits. In truth, I much rather prefer the second state beyond it."
A vicious sense of pressure reared its head over him, bringing with it a different sort of tension. His eyes bulged. "You mean there's more?!"
She smiled softly. "Allow a lady some secrets. Now...dodge."
His hackles rose. Her arm swung back.
"Oi! Don't you throw that at me!"
"Lanzador Verde!"
(.0.0.0.)
"It seems you enjoyed yourself today."
...more or less." Naruto rolled his shoulder, working the kinks out of it as he traipsed inside. "Got myself smacked around a bit. Suppose its my own fault."
Hardly the greeting he'd expected from Aizen, but there it was. The man seemed to enjoy surprising him these days, often arriving at the strangest times. He'd taken to appearing out of the blue; really, he shouldn't have been surprised to find the man lurking in his quarters. He had nothing to hide, so what did it matter...
.
..
...no, it did matter, because Aizen never, ever came to his quarters. Not once, in the entire time since they'd formed their unlikely little partnership. He knew the man wanted something from him. He often did these days. Lowering his guard here would be a mistake. Best keep himself sharp.
Sure enough, he wasn't surprised. "Would you mind looking into something for me when you have the chance?"
He sighed. "...alright, I'll bite. Who? Where? When?"
In hindsight, he really, really shouldn't have asked that.
With a smile, his comrade held up a worn photograph for him to see.
Naruto's brow furrowed. "Aizen, I know that look. Why're ya so interested in this kid?"
"You wound me." his manners were smooth as cream. "I mean him no harm. I simply wish to...accelerate his growth."
A/N: Run, Ichigo. Run hard. Run fast.
We'll get to see more of the arrancar ranks next chapter.
For those who may ask, because I know some will, its heavily implied that Nel worked her ass off to get that second form after she saw Naruto and Aizen clash. I'll not reveal it just yet. Its an entirely different beast from what we see in Brave Souls.
As ever, the Embers rule remains.
If folks don't like this story...well, that'll make me sad, and I'll not continue it. So by all means, speak up! Every bit of feedback matters here! Truly, it does! That's no joke! I really don't have much time to write these days and feedback is the wind beneath my wings. Silence is a lead weight that just drags me down.
As ever, reviews/feedback keep me writing them. Without them, I lose all hope, creativity and imagination.
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly!
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YE BE WARNED!
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"Finally, some color! I was losing my mind in that washed out world!"
"Ah, sweet Ramen. Any chance we can stay in the human world awhile? No? Awww...
A blade set itself against his throat.
...well, that's just rude."
"Well, would you look at that. Actually made me use my hands!"
His foe blanched. "Is that a good thing?"
"Not for you it ain't...
"Enter."
He stepped aside. The faint sound of footsteps filled his ears.
"I don't need a fraccion. Ain't an Espada, remember?"
"Consider her a handmaiden, then. She has the most fascinating ability.
"And what would that be-
Aizen told him, smile never once wavering.
Alright, he could see how that might be broken.
Another one?! You're spoiling me here...alright, I'll bite. What's her name, ability, and why are you giving her to me?"
The newcomer knelt. "Roka Paramia, my lord.
Aizen was nothing short of smug.
"She cannot die."
Grimmjow ripped his blade free from its scabbard. "Fight me!"
STAY TUNED! R&R! =D