A/N: Sorry I was gone for so long. Hopefully this will kind of satisfy some readers. I'm not too sure how to write this now as I have completely forgotten what I initially planned.

Regardless, provide your opinions, it's nice to be able to get the good and the bad. Enjoy the chapter!

Naruto found himself increasing his speed dramatically with each step. It didn't matter how tired he would get, he just felt the need to rush- like his life depended on it or more specifically, like Hikari's life depended on it. Within his one-handed embrace, a little red fox stared out towards the west as the world became a blur and the resistance of the wind started to become heavier.

He was worried about Hikari. In the short time he had known her; Naruto had always appreciated her company. He was a stranger to a new world and she had been the one to greet him every morning with a cheerful smile and breakfast. Sure- he had tried to wake up early to cook, but it seemed as if she would always beat him to it. Eventually it didn't matter. A lot of things didn't matter, like what she did when she disappears in the night or when she would return.

Never once had he questioned her. Everyone was entitled to their secrecy and wishes, but that…

That note. That was something he would or could never accept. Naruto had a nindo- to protect his precious people – and now he isn't about to let a repeat of what happened before occur again. Even if he didn't know what she was doing, even if it wasn't even life threatening. He would feel safer knowing she would be alright.

He let the nine-tailed fox guide them. How? He didn't know. It was nothing more than gut feeling. Maybe it had something to do with being sealed and bonded together. However, even in death? It was news to him.

"Naruto, slow down," the fox commanded in a powerful tone.

The blonde immediately complied although he nearly missed the command as the wind quickly swept away any traces of sound.

"What now, Kyu?" Naruto asked hurriedly- impatience and worry evident in his voice.

"Wait." The fox lifted his head high and took a small sniff.

Naruto shut his eyelids, forcing himself to forget about his worries and to believe in Hikari's ability to survive. After all, she was very resourceful. A sudden air of calmness surrounded him, a feeling that was so familiar yet strangely something he couldn't seem to remember- much like trying to summon his chakra.

In that second, his eyes immediately opened as he recognized a scent he wished he would have never encountered again, especially now.

Naruto shouted, "Kyu! We have to go, now!"

"Left, go left!" The fox shouted the direction whilst being swept up into the arms of Naruto who had picked up unimaginable speed. The sound of wind cracking burst through the surrounding area as the ground indented deeply, the only trace where the blonde shinobi once stood.

The Kyuubi found himself slightly worried for the blonde carrying him. At the same time, he was amazed and slightly shocked at this newfound speed. What had happened to the blonde in the years he disappeared?

Flashback

"…they only died a few years before me. So, they should be here, somewhere, right?"

Kyu only sighed to himself, looking down at the floor, thinking to himself. He took a quick glance over at Naruto, a sad look adorning his face. The fox knew what was going through the blonde's mind- the blue-eyed male thought he had just died and crossed over to this side immediately.

He thought to himself, "If only he knew…"

It had been at least 5 millennia since the disappearance of the blonde. Since the fox had last saw him- when he was sucked up by a portal. The fox was forcibly expelled from the boy, given his freedom as payment for helping him dispose of the organization Akatsuki however, found himself making a quick choice. In the split second before the boy was completely gone, the fox forced a small portion of his chakra sealed within the disappearing blonde.

Just a day before the reappearance of the blonde, the nine-tailed fox felt a source of chakra stirring. To be exact it felt like his chakra. He barked out a laugh, finally happy that he might have the chance of finding his lost friend. In the years Naruto had trained to beat Akatsuki, the fox was the only one he could turn to. Eventually, ties were made, friendship was born.

"The brat is back!" the fox thought happily to himself before ripping apart a portal and entering it to the feeling of his chakra.

Flashback end…

The fox was snapped out of his thoughts as a stronger scent of blood filled his nose. "Kit, careful, we are nearly there," he warned.

Naruto nodded whilst maintaining his pace, his powerful muscles tensing slightly as his level of awareness increased. There were some destroyed buildings; however the area was mostly deserted. It was probably a district which was abandoned due to its terrible conditions. For some reason, the place seemed colder, nastier than the other districts.

The blonde abruptly stopped. He could feel it now; it was small, but there. His chakra was still churning within him, waiting to be released once again. He felt alive knowing that he still had a source of power waiting to be unlocked. If that was what it will take to save Hikari, he would find a way to release it all.

In that moment, a bright flash of light covered the area. Ice covered the grounds accompanied by a chilling breeze sweeping past threatening to freeze anyone not strong enough to withstand its temperature. Naruto could spot three people lying on the icy ground unmoving, just knocked out by the looks of it. There was a large amount of blood but definitely not enough blood drawn to kill.

The air was heavy, a sudden pressure bearing down against the unprepared duo. As a result the Kyuubi flared his chakra to negate the effects.

"Naruto, you feel that?" questioned the fox.

"Yes, that way." He gave a short whisper whilst channeling what little amounts of his chakra he had to his feet. He never noticed the orange patterns on the white portion of his black and white shirt glowing slightly before reforming into a different design- with some parts of the orange disappearing and joining with another.

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Hikari found herself in a situation- a losing one. The other three she had brought along with her was no where to be seen. As the captain of the Zero Division, she had always prided in her abilities to lead the elite group efficiently. She was regarded as one of the most powerful shinigami of current times. Despite this, her opponents were no pushovers, in fact, they were the exact opposite. Today, she was reminded of who were the true powerhouses of the shinigami world.

Her cape was ripped, shredded in some areas and threatening to fall off. However, underneath her shredded cape, she wore an orange and black shirt. Even though she was probably in her last battle, she found herself laughing at the thought, "Never thought I'd be happier Naruto gave me this shirt as a present…"

She breathed hard, gasping for air as her opponent did the same. The girl pushed off the ground, avoiding a devastating blow that shattered the ground she stood on previously.

"How long do you think you can keep avoiding my sword Hikari-chan?" her opponent taunted.

"Long enough, what about you?" rebutted Hikari.

Her opponent smiled and answered her, "You still haven't lost your wit I see."

Hikari paused and thought about why she had even attempted to find these people. She reminded herself, it was to ask them something.

"Why'd you leave and why is there an order to find and retrieve you?" Hikari demanded for an answer. She felt tears forming; it was hard fighting someone you truly cared for.

"Hikari-chan, I can't tell you why exactly we left but I have an idea why the King wants us back."

"So, please… come back!" Hikari pleaded, still breathing hard for air in between.

"Not yet. The time is not right yet. We wish to live our lives peacefully from now and will interfere if necessary."

Hikari found herself thinking about what she just learnt. The time is not right yet…? What was going to happen?

"So, how about we test you out and see if you have improved?" her opponent said before looking to the right and nodding.

A blur appeared, then followed by three more. In total five people were surrounding her. It confirmed her thoughts, she was alone now. However, despite her unlucky predicament, one figure spoke up.

"Hikari! It so nice to see you again! You've grown and wonderfully as well! Hehehe!" the man called out and grinned perversely.

Another figure from behind Hikari shouted at the man, "You stupid pervert, stop ogling her. I'll castrate you once this is over!"

The older man shivered in fear, the threat would be carried out if he didn't play his cards right.

Hikari found herself giggling at the nostalgic event. It was one thing she loved about these people. They were the ones who had found her and cared for her ever since they had found her wandering in one of the streets. They were family.

Now, she had a duty but to retrieve her family back, against their wishes? Was it just selfish desire?

She carried herself gracefully, dropping into a stance she rarely ever used. If it was one against five, she would give it her all.

Her opponents noticed this as well and a red-head woman said to her, "Looks like you are ready to battle us."

The male beside her said, "Come with the intent to kill."

Hikari understood that phrase. One of utmost importance to the teachings they had imparted onto her.

With a defiant expression adorning her face, she took a breath in before she shouted out, "Ban-kai!"

The pressure built up within her exploded out as pure white blinded the area creating a small shockwave and outburst of reiatsu.

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Whilst running towards the direction of the power they felt, Naruto questioned the fox, "Why didn't you tell me you could talk earlier. Could have told me she was missing. Also you could have assured me that at least I knew someone here! You were with me the whole time!"

"I thought it was fun. More specifically, I wanted to see if you could figure out I am the only nine-tailed fox around," the fox cuddled in his arms said. Kyu enhanced his voice to penetrate the winds so that their conversation would be easier. As such, both Naruto and he were manipulating the air currents to optimize their speed without wasting too much energy.

"Forget it, I'll talk to you about this after we save Hikari. You need to tell me of the things I missed out on after I died. I can't remember it, but I feel as if it has been years since my passing," Naruto said seriously.

"If only you knew how long," the Kyuubi thought to itself.

Naruto thought to himself, he was faster, stronger, more flexible and he dared admit he was more intelligent, even if a bit. He had always valued his assessment of his skills in order to predict how much stronger he would get to defeat Akatsuki. Through some grueling self-tests in the previous months, he found himself re-evaluating everything he remembered. It was a crazy feeling, but Naruto decided he should follow his instinct.

"Kyu, I want you to stay out of this fight and heal Hikari if she is injured. I'll distract her opponent or opponents for a bit to give you that time," his tone unwavering, determination set.

That was it, the last few hundred meters. They could feel the source of the clashing powers nearby and hear the sounds of metals clashing against each other.

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She gasped hard for air, trying to fill her lungs with as much oxygen as possible. Cleverly, she used her reiatsu to assist regulating the oxygen throughout her body in order to more efficiently recover herself.

It was unluckily for her the attacks from all sides never stopped for a moment. It was a clear test on her physical being and mental mindset. To falter for a second would result her getting slashed or stabbed. All were aimed for her non-vital areas she noticed but if hit, she would be in extreme pain. Hikari decided she would never want to feel that pain again after her first lesson.

"You know, you look like you are about to give in…"

Hikari never responded, she just focused on her footwork and conserving as much energy as possible for the mean time. Once an opening presented itself, she would strike.

Each breath she took allowed her to slowly fall into a rhythm. Her body was adjusting to the movement but she could feel her balance slightly off. Each step she took, she was forced into another step immediately. It gave her no time to fix her balance and she knew that unless something was done, they would score the hit eventually.

"You could still work a bit on your balancing," chided one of her teachers.

So, they picked up on it. Having five people attacking all at once was tough, every time she tried to prepare a kido, she was countered. Even thought she could do it without the incantations, lifting up her hand even proved a chore. A blade would swipe the area where her arm was raising to prevent access to her arsenal of kido.

The blue-haired girl twisted her body and blocked one of the swords with her own beautiful weapon. It was a blade of pure white that had a diamond edge and a short flowing snowy ribbon at the end of her hilt.

"The Divided Ice Path!" she shouted as ice erupted from the tip of her sword, following the motion of her swing. The male exposed to the path of the attack Flash Stepped away and Hikari responded by doing so as well to gain distance.

As soon as she reappeared, a swipe from behind lashed out and cut her hand shallowly drawing some blood out.

"You can't run away."

"Cocoon of the Ice Goddess!" she shouted out. A wall of ice erupted from the ground forcing her opponents to back away slightly. It was a move that took a lot out of her as she struggled to maintain the impenetrable wall with more reiatsu. Her opponents pounded hard against the wall, as she poured even more reiatsu into reforming the chipped ice.

After a few breaths she made the decision to do it. "Shattering of the Divine!" she shouted.

Once again, pure white was seen as the wall exploded into a million fragments of sharp ice. Hopefully her senseis would be able to withstand the attack.

As a counter to Hikari's attack, a figure stomped the ground and the earth erupted outwards covering the sharp shards that were currently drilling into the earth itself.

"Bankai," a voice was heard. Intense heat was felt as the ice melted into water and flames erupted.

"That's enough," the new participant said and looked towards his peers.

"Hikari-chan has improved a lot. All five of us at once and she still managed to last quite long," a blonde male stated.

"Forgive us Hikari, you'll see us sooner than you think," a woman said apologetically.

They disappeared before two of them appeared in her view- one with a fist aiming for a stomach and the second to chop the back of her neck.

She couldn't react in time. Hikari closed her eyes, prepared to welcome pain and the blackness that accompanied it. She felt a great impact slam into her, forcing her to expel the wind in her lungs.

Her eyes opened in shock as the sight of a familiar blonde looked down at her, his eyes cold and hard, radiant and warm at the same time. She felt the strong arms clutching her tightly as she felt herself being carried by him feeling the warmth his body gave off, comforting her. His hair blew slightly due to the wind as he inspected her very closely.

"Kari-chan, you've decided to wear the orange after all…" he said jokingly as his face brightened with a smile.

Hikari couldn't resist smiling, here he was, the one she was worried she would leave alone at home. She thought fondly, home… the two of them.

She whispered softly, "Don't get used to it blondie…"

He chuckled before gripping her tightly. The spot which they were at a previous second before exploded in a pillar of flames. Naruto felt his tuned senses tingling as his mind became fully alert. Everything within the mile was his to feel, every attack directed at him he knew he would dodge- perfectly. The feeling in the back of his neck warned him something was coming. He ducked and disappeared again, the ground cracking underneath his foot from the heavy push.

Each time he stopped, an attack would follow suit straight after. This was the formidability of her masters and family. Hikari felt scared. For the first time in her life she felt truly frightened. She would never forgive herself is Naruto got hurt because of her. It was surprising that he came and even more surprising with the way he held himself and performed. Hikari felt the forces act upon her body especially a strong air resistance that resulted from the high speeds Naruto was entering.

As Naruto's eyes met with hers, he spoke gently, "Kari-chan, don't worry..." The blue-haired girl felt her worries dissipate as she trusted him.

The ground in front of them exploded with flames but this time Naruto sidestepped it and waited for the group of six to appear in front of them.

He felt their presences nearby as he turned his head to the right to meet the sight of the six people with a deadly glare.

A gasp was heard…

Shock was evident on their faces as one dared to speak, "N-Naruto…?"

Additional Note: It will be a while till next update, 4 weeks to be exact. Exams are arriving, hopefully all of you are understanding (I know you are). Kay, Have fun!

Right and I noticed this is an increasing trend for authors in Fanfiction- Trying methods to get readers to review.

1) You are doing me a favour by clicking that button which states 'Review'. Haha
2) I enjoy the comments you give as it offers me a sense of satisfaction. (Critism... well not so satisfactory, but really, that's the best thing I should get as it will help improve this fic in the long run.)