Shikamaru's shaky voice reached his ears, but he couldn't afford to lose focus. From what Sui-Feng had told him this was a particularly dangerous kind of hollow. The creature got up to his feet and looked at Neji before commenting, "you're obstructing my revenge."

Neji didn't respond to the creature in front of him but instead introduced himself, "Second Squad Lieutenant, Neji Hyuga—and you—are a result of the scrolls of Jashin."

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he followed Neji's gaze, seeing a faint outline of something but unable to discern what it was. Shikadai looked to the brunette man then to the shape in front of him and asked, "Dad, what's going on?"

Shikamaru gritted his teeth as he admitted to himself, 'I don't know. But it's clear that Neji is a Shinigami—which from what Sakiya said would mean-'

"What are you both going on about? I don't see anything," Temari objected.

'Of course. She wasn't here when Pain used Planetary Devistation- she hasn't died—and she isn't descended from one who has died and revived—which means only Shikadai and I are able to see Neji,' Shikamaru realized.

The creature moved away from Neji, who called out, "Byakugan." Veins near his optic nerves increased the blood flow to his eyes, and the featureless white eyes gained the appearance of a pupil at the center of them.

Near the center of Konoha, Sakiya had picked up the presence of a hollow and was currently in her shinigami form as she leapt from one roof top to another making her way towards the Nara estate. Sometimes Iwabee would come along with her to help provide her with earth based areas she could be in contact with to heal her injuries. This time however, she'd told him to stay put and left him with her mod soul inhabited gigai.

Kiyoshi was over at the lab preparing to move Minori in the next couple of days which meant she'd have to deal with this hollow herself. She knew that Iwabee would want to accompany her, but she also knew that this was too dangerous for him. If she was the only one who could cut this hollow down then she was also going to be too busy to effectively body guard him if he tried to assist her. Knowing him as she did, she was well aware that was his intention in asking to come along.

Against an average hollow, she'd have welcomed him coming along with her especially with him now being a Genin he wasn't around as much as he was before although most of the missions were pretty short. She knew her limits and she hadn't fought against a hollow like this one in years.

Arriving at the location she quickly realized there was someone else here, someone powerful. She muttered a phrase under her breath, disappearing from sight.

Inside the house Neji had engaged the hollow empty-handed, he realized this could be a mistake but it was one way to gauge the hollow's abilities. He was using his Byakugan to see the flow of reiatsu within the hollow and was able to block a few points in the reiatsu network within the hollow but this hollow was indeed different than the others, as soon as he blocked one pathway, the reiatsu rerouted itself to continue supplying the area that he had previously blocked. He'd never know anything able to achieve such a feat, even when he was a Konoha shinobi.

As he was beginning to accept he'd have to resort to his zanpakuto a white ribbon seemed to wrap around the hollow, he caught a brief glance of a raven haired teenage girl with slate grey eyes. His jaw gaped at the realization of who she likely was. Her resemblance to the Captain and greater Noble was uncanny, it was as if she were a younger female clone of him. She even had the same face as him except for two things, her jaw was a bit more rounded than his and her cheekbones were very slightly higher. She vanished from sight along with the hollow, which normally he'd take as a signal that his part of the fight was over and being taken over by someone who was better equipped to handle it. However, he'd never seen her before. He knew Captain Kuchiki personally, he had safeguarded Chiaki during her final trimester when Suzume had been kidnapped and Captain Kuchiki had never mentioned a daughter. Was she trained and skilled enough to handle such a hollow alone? There was no question of it, he had to at least be close by incase she needed backup, but where would she have disappeared to?

He closed his eyes and quieted his mind momentarily, feeling the world around him before he picked up on the mixed floral scent that had seconds ago invaded Shikamaru's home. He took off towards that scent at blinding speed. Shikamaru hadn't even been able to see which direction his former comrade had gone.

Outside, Neji quickly located the girl and the hollow, it was fading away a fatal wound to its head was visible before it completely left their sight, going to Hueco Mundo, the hollow world. Neji regarded her for a moment, uncertain if she was going to leave, speak, or give him a chance to speak. She seemed to be doing the same but broke the silence with less of a question and more of a statement. Keeping her eyes locked on the late genius of the Hyuga clan she remarked, "I get that you were a hot shot shinobi when you were alive. Maybe that bravado transferred over into your after life, but one thing you need to know about a hollow like that: even Shinigami are easily susceptible to them… only one of my bloodline are resilient to their unique abilities. I'm not saying you can't defeat them, but I am saying it's reckless to engage them without someone of my lineage nearby."

Seeking clarification he inquired, "A Kuchiki?"

She slightly bristled at this, turning to fully face him as she corrected, "A Takahashi."

With that, she left and although he knew which direction she'd gone he decided to not pursue her. He gave a heavy sigh as he sat on a nearby rock and contemplated. He'd left a head of the others, he didn't have a gigai so wondering around wasn't a good idea. Furthermore he'd already been seen by both Shikamaru, and someone he could only assume was his son based on the strong resemblance.

He knew that his Uncle was aware of his existence as a spirit and Shinigami, in fact the last time he'd seen his uncle Hiashi had been when he revealed to his family that he was planning to propose to Chiaki. They had met Hikari, who back then had been a young toddler. He didn't have much more time to contemplate before a familiar voice greeted him.

"Even after you stopped being a Shinobi, you couldn't stay away from combat, huh?"

He gave a small chuckle as his featureless white eyes met the dark eyes of Shikamaru Nara. He now looked the splitting image of his own father, Shikaku but with a more slight frame than his father. From what Neji was able to see of the boy, he'd grow up to look like an exact replica of Shikamaru except for his teal eyes, which he could only assume the boy got from his mother.

"The end of one life was the beginning of another," Neji replied. Shikamaru smiled and stood by the former Shinobi as he lamented, "I can't believe it—that thing—it was Hidan, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Neji confirmed before elaborating, "that's the true danger of the scrolls of Jashin—and why the original away team was sent here a century ago. There are undoubtedly others like that here—and we'll have to eliminate them if this world is to be safe once more."

"You guys going to go to Naruto for help?"

Neji looked to Shikamaru before he a smile in understanding as he voiced, "he achieved his dream of becoming Hokage."

"Thought you would've known, after all you're family now, since he married Hinata," Shikamaru pointed out.

"I was unaware of both events," Neji admitted. In truth he had advised his remaining family that they couldn't communicate with him for any changes in their lives. Marriages, births, work promotions, all of which were things that he had to distance himself from. However, he and Chiaki had left Hiashi a communication device to reach them if there were signs that Aizen had cloned himself and gave him a list of possible signs to watch for.

He regarded Shikamaru and reminded him, "I did die that day, Shikamaru. It would be cruel to stay in constant contact with anyone. It's not like they could routinely visit me, or I them."

"Yeah. I guess that's true enough," he agreed. He then scoffed and joked, "Man—you've barely aged at all—I must look like an old man to your young eyes."

Neji gave a gentle laugh at the comment but replied, "No. Shinigami just age differently than humans."

"Once your powers begin to emerge, you age about one decade per year. I know," Shikamaru revealed. Neji eyed Shikamaru, curiosity plaguing him before the darker haired man added, "that girl that was here—I could smell her reiatsu even if I didn't see her—she's trying to revive others like you. She keeps calling them cousins. I don't know if they're actually related. She told us a fair bit about Shinigami—what surprised everyone was that Hanabi already knew a few things."

The Lieutenant stood up, and faced his old friend as he inquired, "who is 'us' exactly and how many know?"

"Myself, Hanabi, Sasuke, Naruto, Gaara, and Kakashi," Shikamaru listed off. He rubbed the back of his neck as he admitted, "Although—Sakiya is basically the guardian of a newly instated Genin, Iwabee Yuino. He most likely does know a few things."

"I see," Neji remarked although he couldn't shake the rock that had now formed in the pit of his stomach. This wasn't a good situation at all.