Special thanks to my friend, Beta Reader, and Soundboard, Midnight Lost.

A/N: My apologies for my long absence. For those who aren't aware, I had a very bad fall which resulted in my crushing my finger and breaking a part of my hand which required two surgeries and a lot of physical therapy. It took a long time, but I'm finally back in business! For any who are interested, please check out my Pa tre on page. Thank you all for your patience and understanding.

Chapter one: Pilot.

It was night time in Konoha, a cool and crisp breeze flowing through the streets as a lone figure stood atop the rooftops, gazing out across the village. What few Civilians there were on the streets below did not acknowledge the figure's presence. It was a woman, dressed in black robes with dark hair and a katana at her side.

Her eyes narrowed as she whispered to herself "I don't get it. This lack of activity isn't normal." She muttered to herself as she pulled out a small device from her robes, frowning deeply at the lack of results. The woman sighed in frustration and shook her head before muttering to herself "Well, I guess in the meantime, I should continue my investigation."

With that said, she vanished in a blur to carry out her mission… however unusual it was.

The next morning.

Naruto yawned sleepily as he rested his head against a loosely closed fist while pretending to listen to yet another history lecture from his class' teacher, Iruka Umino who was yet again talking about the founding of the village. While the whiskered teen didn't doubt the importance and value of learning the history of one's village… he couldn't help but question why their curriculum couldn't be supplemented with more practical lessons.

Why couldn't they learn things like first aid, for example? Or survival skills? Or other Jutsu techniques. It would be lessons of that nature that could save their lives on a mission, not history. Now that he thought about it, he recalled overhearing a Kunoichi who was openly complaining about how 'soft' a number of classes had become at the Academy. Who was it that set the curriculum anyway?

Was it the Hokage or was it left to the discretion of the teachers of their respective classes? Should he ask the Sandaime about it? While he wasn't aware of the laws pertaining to this, he was sure that not properly training or teaching Academy students would be a pretty major issue that would need to be addressed.

While the whiskered teen may be a bit biased, a fact he was ready to openly admit, he was certain that Iruka was not a good teacher. On several occasions he asked the scarred Chunin why he kept failing at the Clone jutsu, only to be rudely brushed off and told that he 'just needed to train harder'. While he didn't have physical proof of the fact, he was strongly certain that the teacher was aware of the reason why he constantly failed performing the aforementioned jutsu… but deliberately chose not to say anything. How could Iruka not know during the entire time he had been under the Chunin's thumb?

His musing came to an end as he heard the bell start ringing loudly, almost obnoxiously so, almost as if it were tormenting him as it signaled that the lecturing period was now over and that class spars were about to begin. Almost automatically, the students began to file out of the classroom in single file, the process being so meticulously performed that it was now practically a muscle memory for most of, if not all of the students.

The whiskered teen had his hands in his pockets, his mood souring further as he knew what was to come. To call this event 'class spars' was pretty much a sad joke in his opinion. These days, it was like some sort of a ritual that allowed the golden boy of the Academy, Sasuke Uchiha to show off his talent and also remind everyone who the top dog was… and the sacrificial lamb that was always paired with the Uchiha was the Uzumaki himself.

The rest of the 'spars' mostly consisted of Civilian kids beating the snot out of each other in basic and uncoordinated brawler styles, and Sasuke Fan-girls who scratched and pulled hair, and in more extreme cases there was biting involved. Suffice it to say, the whiskered teen felt miserable and that the Academy offered nothing but mindless repetition and stagnation.

As the students gathered around the sparring circle, the whiskered teen spotted an unfamiliar face standing off to the side. It was a young looking woman, short and petite in stature with black hair and piercing purple eyes, dressed all in black with a katana at her hip. He didn't recognize her from the village and the blonde usually had a good memory for names and faces, largely so he would remember who to befriend and who to avoid.

Was this girl a visitor? A tourist? Was she a Samurai or a Ronin? He couldn't tell, and a large part of him wanted to go over and ask her, but he wasn't sure if that would be rude or not. Their eyes met for a brief moment and the mystery girl's eyes widened as she tilted her head in confusion as the blonde waved at her in a friendly manner. Strangely, the girl looked around as if checking to see if there was anyone else around before meeting his gaze again.

Her gaze then went downwards as if she were having some sort of internal debate before nodding to herself and approaching the whiskered teen with a serious expression on her face, once she closed the distance between them, she pointed a finger at the whiskered teen and spoke in an almost demanding tone "You! You with the whiskers! Can you see me?"

The Uzumaki raised an eyebrow at that, of all the questions she could have asked… he certainly wasn't expecting that one. "Ummm… yes? Is there a reason why I shouldn't be able to see you?" He responded, wondering if this girl might be practicing some sort of camouflage technique to hide her presence or something. Was she training to be a Kunoichi?

The girl said nothing and turned on her heel, briefly glancing at him over her shoulder before disappearing out of sight in a blur of motion. "That was weird." He whispered to himself and glanced around, noticing that the other students were completely engrossed and laughing at the sight of a pair of Uchiha Fangirls wrestling and rolling on the ground while screaming and arguing with each other that their crush, Sasuke, liked them and not the other.

He quickly guessed that nobody else acknowledged the presence of that strange girl or even paid attention for that matter. He wondered who she was and if they may meet again at some point or other. Also… that strange girl didn't look at him with a contemptuous or condescending look like many of the other villagers and even his own classmates. It was… refreshing to say the least, in spite of the fact that their interaction was both brief and bizarre.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the familiar and grating voice of his 'teacher' call out "Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha! Please enter the ring!" The whiskered teen frowned and reluctantly entered the ring along with his opponent knowing that he was once again being set up to be the Uchiha's punching bag yet again.

Kami, it would be satisfying to beat the crap out of the Uchiha and grind that smug attitude of his into the dirt. Unfortunately, he was at a severe disadvantage because of the fact that Sasuke was indeed talented and proficient in his clan's Taijutsu style… and because the Uzumaki himself did not have any legitimate training of his own. Most of his fighting abilities were self-taught, and while they were enough to defeat nameless thugs and schoolyard bullies, they didn't hold a candle to Sasuke's sheer talent.

If only he had a means by which to level the playing field, a way to unbalance or catch the self-proclaimed Avenger off-guard or get him to make a mistake, or even better, a proper teacher that would train him in Taijutsu techniques.

Sasuke stood there at his usual position, his eyes closed and his hands in his pockets. He was clearly confident in his talents… confident to the point of arrogance. In the background, Sasuke's Fangirls were cheering up a storm for their crush, squealing and singing his praises while encouraging him to 'beat the Dobe into a bloody pulp'. While the raven haired boy ignored the girl's obvious affection(s) for him… if one looked close enough it was easy to tell that, in a way, he was enjoying the praise and attention.

"Must be nice, everyone kissing up to you." Naruto muttered disdainfully, feeling a strong sense of bitterness well up in him. He didn't know why it was bothering him so much today, especially since this was an everyday occurrence. For some unknown reason, he was finding it difficult to hold his tongue right now as he let slip some of his own thoughts and feelings.

"Hn. Jealous, are we? Upset that nobody is cheering for you, Dobe? Then again, why should anyone cheer for a clanless and orphaned loser like you? Why are you even here? All you do is fail, time and again. Why do you even bother to keep trying? Even if by some miracle that you do pass, then at best, your only real purpose will be as canon fodder, not like it matters since no one will mourn you." Sasuke spoke, his words dripping with a cold apathy and a hint of sadistic satisfaction at tormenting the whiskered blonde.

It was at that moment… something within the Jinchuuriki snap as he muttered angrily "Fuck. You. Sasuke." The blonde inhaled deeply than began tirade "Go fuck yourself! Nobody cares about you either! You're nothing to anyone! You're not a real person to anyone in this village! You're a trophy! You're an accessory! You're breeding stock! The only reason people suck up to you and kiss your ass is because of your money and status! Everyone here knows it! Everyone!

You're just an asshole that carries a bloodline that people are waiting to see get revitalized! Every greedy asshole in the village wants to set you up with their daughter, so that you can knock them up and then they can get a hold of your money! Nobody really likes you for you! All you are to anyone is a walking piggy and sperm bank to be exploited!"

Dead silence filled the area as everyone stood with their mouths agape at this, before anyone could respond Naruto pointed towards the form of Ino Yamanaka and called out "Ino! What do you like about Sasuke? Not his money, not his talent, not his looks, what do you like in him as a person?!" The whiskered teen demanded his question and singled out the heiress catching her off-guard.

She stammered for a few seconds, trying to come up with a response as she fumbled with her words. Everyone stared at her expectantly as they waited for her answer, the staring making the young Mind Walker even more nervous. Finally she blurted out "I don't know! I can't think of anything!"

"Can anyone name a reason why they like Sasuke?" Naruto questioned as he randomly pointed at his various classmates. Once again, a deafening silence filled the area as almost everyone shuffled around uncomfortably as they were unable to give a solid reason as to why they liked the Uchiha.

"I rest my case. No one genuinely likes you, Sasuke. It's all for superficial reasons that everyone praises and worships you. That reminds me, people keep going on and on about how you 'survived' the Uchiha Massacre. Others say that Itachi let you live. Which is it?" The blonde questioned with a mocking grin… only for his face to fall as he realized his mistake. Just as Sasuke had pushed him, he had made the same error and pushed the Uchiha by bringing up his elder brother and the Uchiha massacre.

He had allowed his temper to get the better of him and his mouth to run away from him. The Uchiha glared at him with eyes full of rage and hate, with an angered war cry the raven haired boy charged at the blonde teen and proceeded to beat the snot out of the Uzumaki. The blonde boy raised his arms in a futile attempt to protect himself from Sasuke's enraged assault as a barrage of blows collided against his form.

Naruto tried to hold his ground, trying to find some sort of opening to slip away from or counter Sasuke's attacks. The Uchiha's fist slipped through the Uzumaki's crumbling guard and collided with his nose, making the blonde stumble back as he felt blood began to leak from his nostrils. "If you ever say that name again… I'll kill you." Sasuke muttered with a sneer, his words making the whiskered teen wonder if the self-proclaimed Avenger's threat was legitimate or not, if he would follow through on that promise or not.

One thing was for certain… if he did indeed carry out that promise he wouldn't face any real consequences. His ears perked up as he heard the forms of both Hinata and Ino shouting at the teachers, telling them to call off the match since things had gone too far. He glanced at the two Chunin who were idly standing by with their arms crossed… with a tiny smirk of satisfaction being seen on Iruka's face, his eyes shining with glee at seeing the Jinchuuriki being hurt and bleeding.

'It is always the same. Every day. Always. It's just so infuriating! People look down on me, think nothing but the worst of me… and for what?! I did nothing wrong! I wish… I wish that I had a way to change things, to make things go my way. If only I had power… then I could show all these bigoted assholes what happens when they mess with me.' Naruto thought as he felt resentment and hate boil inside of him.

He saw Sasuke charge at him again, ready to resume his barrage… and then time seemed to slow down, speed up, and pause all at once. Naruto's eyes widened as within his mind flashed many scenes and images. Some depicted the Uchiha defeating him and brutalizing him, others showed the blonde standing victorious instead… and how to gain the victory that he so craved.

'Just once… even if only once… I want to win! I WANT TO WIN! I WANT TO BE NUMBER ONE!' Naruto screamed in his mind as he acted on one of the images within his mind. He dove under an oncoming blow from the Uchiha and through his body weight into Sasuke's torso, knocking him off balance.

The raven haired boy quickly rolled back and trying to sweep-kick the Uzumaki… only for the blonde to leap over it and slam his foot into the Uchiha's face with enough force to send him flying outside of the sparring ring. Everyone stared in shock, almost everyone present couldn't comprehend what was happening. For the first time, Sasuke Uchiha had just been defeated, his undefeated record now shattered… by none other than the Dead Last.

None were more shocked by this fact, than the two Chunin Mizuki and Iruka, and of course the Uchiha himself who was currently sprawled out on the ground with wide eyes as he registered that he had been knocked out of bounds. Sasuke's shock wore off and was quickly replaced by anger as he charged at the Uzumaki once again.

"Hey! Call the match!" Naruto shouted angrily at the Chunin's inaction, once again a myriad of images flashed in his mind… and he found one that prompted him to side-step the 'Elite' Uchiha and stick out his foot to trip the raven haired boy, once again making Sasuke fall out of bounds.

The duck haired boy leapt to his feet once again and was preparing to rush the Uzumaki once again… but this time he was held back by the forms of Kiba and Chouji who were restraining the Uchiha, even as he wildly thrashed around in their grip. "The fuck are you ass-hats waiting for?! Call it already!" The Inuzuka shouted, snapping the Chunin from their stupors.

The two teachers exchanged looks, neither one of them wanting to declare the winner of the match, especially Iruka who looked like he had just chugged back a gallon of curdled milk and bitten into a very sour lemon. Finally, with much reluctance, the scarred Chunin shouted "The winner… is… Naruto Uzumaki."

"Foul! I call foul! You cheated somehow! I know you did! There's no way you can beat me at Taijutsu!" Sasuke shouted in an accusatory manner, many students looking at him with frowns as they saw the Uchiha acting like a sore loser. No doubt the loss had severely bruised his ego.

In a manner of speaking, he wasn't wrong. Unfortunately, Naruto had no way to explain how or why he was able to perceive and anticipate the Uchiha's movements during the match. He didn't even know why or how he attained this new ability… however, he had no intention of spilling the beans right now. Not when the looks on both Sasuke's and the teachers faces were so damned satisfying.

"Oh yeah? Prove it! How did I cheat?" Naruto asked in a challenging voice, his words making the raven haired boy's face turn a deep shade of red as it darkened to the point his head looked almost ready to explode from the mounting blood pressure. The blonde felt an oncoming headache as he pinched the bridge of his nose as the visions of things yet to come faded from his mind. A part of him wondered where that power came from and why it activated when it did.

However, his curiosity faded in favor of savoring this victory against the Uchiha. The so-called 'Elite' himself glowered while trying to come up with something, anything that could support his claim. After a few seconds more, the Uchiha heir gnashed his teeth and rudely shoved his way through the crowd while shouting over his shoulder "I'll make you pay for this!"

The Uzumaki scoffed dismissively while muttering quietly 'Yeah. Typical Sasuke'. He glanced at the two Chunin teachers who seemed to be whispering something amongst themselves, all the while Iruka in particular was giving nasty and disapproving looks that were directed towards the blonde himself. Not that he really cared.

The initial shock began to fade from the other students, some were wondering how the so-called 'Dead-last' managed to pull a win out of his ass, others, mostly the Sasuke Fangirls, dismissed Naruto's victory as a strange fluke or trick of some sort. All the rest seemed quite eager to spread the word along the grape vine and get the rumor mill started, especially Ino Yamanaka who was the self-proclaimed but undisputed 'Queen of Gossip' within Konoha.

Naruto didn't know what exactly would come next, but he had a strong feeling that his win and Sasuke's humiliation could cause potential problems somewhere down the line… then again, his life was nothing but troubles upon troubles, adding a few more to the pile wouldn't make that huge of a difference.

Class spars were cut short a bit early due to the earlier spectacle, much to the many student's dismay since it obviously meant more history lectures. A short while later, the students were all reassembled in their classroom and were in their respective seats. Once everyone was in their places, Iruka began his lecture… starting over from the very beginning and repeating his earlier droning almost as if he were reading from a script without any real passion or care.

No one was really paying attention to him as the many Genin hopefuls were busy whispering amongst themselves about Naruto's win, with many wondering if there could potentially be a repeat performance or if the 'Dead-Last' had simply lucked out… not an unreasonable line of thought since the blonde wondered how he might be able to do it again.

He did indeed get a little lucky by that currently unknown ability. What was it? Where did it come from? Had he somehow tapped into a Bloodline ability? He had never heard of one that enabled the user to perceive the future. Who could he even talk to about it? If he fessed up about it, then it would prove that he did cheat, albeit unintentionally in the beginning.

He shrugged to himself and decided not to say anything, at least not at this time while tempers were still running hot, as was the case with a certain Uchiha who was not-so-quietly seething in his seat while casting rather obvious sideways glares at the blonde. Aside from the 'Elite's whining and grinding his teeth throughout Iruka's 'lecture' the day passed on without further incident.

The Jinchuuriki had to admit, he was kind of hoping to be congratulated for finally breaking Sasuke's undefeated streak. Aside from the circulating gossip, the reactions were rather… muted. Surely there had to be others who felt a sense of satisfaction as seeing the Uchiha be beaten for one… were they just that afraid of speaking out against him or something?

Nevertheless, classes were soon dismissed for the day and the various students were sent home. The whiskered teen expected to be given a 'talk' by Iruka for what happened earlier but nothing came of it… most likely he would tattle to Sandaime first like a whiny schoolgirl if the Uzumaki knew the man well enough.

Regardless, Naruto walked home in relative silence, ignoring the ever-present glares of the many villagers. He predicted that by tomorrow, at least half of the village if not more would become aware of Sasuke's first ever loss. A small twinge of smugness came over the blonde as he pictured the various Uchiha worshippers' reactions when they learned that their precious and 'Loyal' Uchiha had lost to the 'demon brat'.

At long last, he returned to his apartment and entered inside while habitually calling out "I'm home!" despite there being no one there to greet him. He yawned tiredly and decided to prepare some cup ramen to put some food on his stomach and then later take a shower before bed. As he rummaged around in his kitchen… he noticed that something felt a bit off in his apartment.

He wasn't sure how to accurately describe it, but there was a sense of dread in the air. The atmosphere felt more foreboding and oppressive in nature. He slowly turned around with his eyes scanning his apartment… nothing looked disturbed or out of place, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he couldn't shake off this nagging feeling as warning bells went off in his head.

He continued on, trying to shrug off the uneasy feeling but found himself unable to relax as he felt his hair stand on end. Time and again he checked his apartment, pretending that nothing was wrong as he searched for the source of whatever was causing this disturbance but still found nothing. Kami, this was probably going to drive him nuts until he found out why was feeling this way.

His ears perked up as he heard soft footsteps behind him… and saw a familiar figure standing in the center of his apartment, looking around with their back turned to him. It was the same girl he had met earlier, the strange one with the katana. "Strange… is it around here? There's some strong spiritual power here." the stranger whispered to herself, evidently not noticing the Jinchuuriki's presence. How in the hell did she even get in here? All the windows were locked and he didn't hear them or the window open… did she phase through the walls or the floor somehow?

He wondered if she was the source of his sudden anxiety and then cleared his throat and tapped on her shoulder. "Excuse me… mind telling me what you're doing in my apartment?" He asked in a neutral tone, trying not to sound hostile since it seemed like this girl was looking for something or someone.

She tensed up and slowly turned around to face him, her eyes widening in shock as she recognized him immediately "You again?! You're that kid that saw me! And… you… you just touched me just now." She muttered in shock and then placed a hand on her shoulder where he touched her.

"Sorry, you one of those types that don't like being touched? If so, my apologies. Now, who are you, and what are you doing in my apartment?" He asked her, though he found her reaction to be slightly odd, perhaps it was a quirk of hers?

"How? I don't get it! How are you able to see and touch me?" She demanded while stamping her foot and then began to look over the Jinchuuriki's form with a wary and calculating expression, almost as if she were observing some sort of zoo animal or laboratory specimen. Her behavior proved stranger and stranger.

"Ummm… am I missing something here? You mind adding some context? I'm completely lost." Naruto questioned, unsure how else to respond to her as he was confused by the strange girl. He then cleared his throat and added "How about we start over with a proper introduction? My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

The raven haired girl continued to stare at him, her eyes narrowing for a few moments before she finally responded "Rukia. Rukia Kuchiki. Clearly you must possess a strong spiritual presence to so clearly discern with and interact with me. You may find this difficult to believe… but I am a Shinigami." She spoke, revealing her true nature to him, her words causing his eyes to widen a bit.

This girl… this 'Rukia'... was a Shinigami? An actual Death God? Live and in the flesh? Right here in his apartment? He sensed no humor, sarcasm or deception in her words, and her eyes shined with a deadly edge that showed just how serious she was being. If she was indeed a Shinigami, then it would account for why nobody else saw or acknowledged her presence at the Academy grounds and why she behaved so oddly, no doubt it was most unusual for her to interact with those that still lived.

"Not that I don't believe you… but you look drastically different than how Shinigami are depicted here in Konoha." He responded while tilting his head, remembering numerous sketches and portrayals of Konoha's iteration of the Shinigami that was summoned by the forbidden 'Reaper Death Seal' technique that the Yondaime famously used to defeat the Kyuubi so many years ago.

"Before today, how many Shinigami have you actually laid eyes on?" Rukia asked with a quip, making the Uzumaki sweat-drop a bit since she had a point. She was right, he had never actually seen one until just now. Perhaps Konoha's depiction was the closest iteration that could be perceived by the Shinobi that dared to summon it? Who knows? He didn't fully understand the mechanics of it all, especially since there was a good reason for why that particular Jutsu was forbidden to begin with. Namely, the life of the caster being the fee to utilize it.

"Good point… still… if you're here in my apartment and you were at the Academy earlier… are you here to reap me?" The whiskered teen asked with a raised eyebrow since he had seen her twice in the same day. Definitely not a good omen.

Rukia shook her head and replied gently "No. I have not come for you. I am conducting an investigation of sorts." Her words made him sigh a bit in relief that his time wasn't yet up… not that he actually feared death itself per se, but that was another matter.

"An investigation?" He parroted, prompting the female Shinigami to nod as she brought out a sketchbook and began to scribble something on it, no doubt planning to explain things and add further context for him to understand, much to his gratitude… that is until he saw what appeared to be bizarre doodles of what he assumed to be rabbit-like figures that he had difficulty making heads or tails of… not that he planned to critique her 'art style' since she was armed with a Katana and could still potentially reap him if he ticked her off.

"Shinigami, like myself, are tasked with the duty of guiding human souls, known to us as 'Pluses' to Soul Society. The afterlife, as it were. We are also tasked to hunt down creatures known as 'Hollows', corrupted human souls that have become ravenous and bestial in nature that can and will devour the souls of others, living or dead, to satisfy their hunger. Your village, Konoha… has had virtually zero Hollow activity for some years now. My mission is to investigate why there is no presence of Hollows." She explained to him, trying to keep it simple for him as he nodded along, more or less getting the basic gist of it.

"None of those Hollow things whatsoever? Is that really unusual?" He asked while scratching the back of his head as he tried to keep up with her explanation.

"Very. Hollow activity varies from place to place, though usually they are most attracted to areas where there is high Spiritual power to try and ease the hunger that plagues them and make themselves stronger in the process. Your Shinobi Nations is a pretty ripe target considering your ninjas sling around your Jutsu techniques and whatnot. While we manage to get as many souls to pass on as possible, there are obviously some that slip through the cracks and become Hollows, but I digress.

The other Shinobi villages have shown fairly standard numbers of Hollow attacks that we have been able to quell… but your village alone has shown absolutely zero attacks for some years now. As I said before, it is my mission to find out why that is." Rukia explained as she pocketed her sketchbook with the blonde crossing his arms.

"Any theories on the matter?" He questioned, becoming rather curious. If these 'Hollows' were as dangerous as Rukia led him to believe, if not more so, then it would probably be best to help her fulfill her mission for the good of all.

"Nothing solid. Hollows can be opportunistic in nature. Perhaps there is an abnormal type that is cannibalizing other Hollows to protect its turf? Though, this is just my opinion. I can't seem to find any traces of the damned things for some reason." She responded with some clear frustration in her tone.

A Cannibal Hollow? Somehow… that sounded even worse to the whiskered teen. "Well, if there's anything I can do to help, lemme know. If you want, I can be a guide or something to help you get around. Not to boast, but I could navigate this village blindfolded if I had to." He offered with a sincere smile.

Her eyes widened slightly by the offer, she was reluctant to accept his help considering the dangers involved… but having a guide could help her investigation proceed more smoothly. She considered her options… and then noticed the whiskered teen seemed to be fidgeting uncomfortably for some reason. "Are you okay there?" She asked him with some concern.

"I dunno… ever since I came back to my apartment I've been getting this weird sinking feeling that there's something wrong. Some weird vibes, I guess. Not to be rude… but is it coming from you?" He asked her since she was the only thing that was out of place within his apartment.

"Weird vibes? What do you…" She proceeded to ask him… but then she felt it too… he was right. There was something strange at work here. Was there a Hollow nearby? If so… it must be trying to conceal its presence.

She reached for her blade… and then suddenly the floor beneath them exploded in a shower of splinters and shrapnel, sending the two of them flying in opposite directions. The Jinchuuriki had the fortune to land on his nearby bed which softened his landing, prompting him to spring to his feet… and then saw a strange creature standing above the enormous hole in his floor. It was a strange creature with a dragon-like mask on its face, its body humanoid with a slender frame with powerful looking arms and legs and a set of wings on its back which further added to the dragon-like visage.

"No… no way! An Adjuchas?!" Rukia muttered softly, her eyes widening in alarm as she recognized this type of Hollow. This was not a standard type, it wasn't anything like the usual small fry that she often dispatched. The was a Hollow that had reached an evolutionary stage that enabled it power on par with her superiors. There was no question or room for doubt… this Hollow must have been hunting down and devouring others of its kind to grow stronger. She had to take action, and quickly.

"Naruto! Run away! Run!" She yelled out and immediately charged forward with her blade drawn to intercept the beast, lest it try to attack the blonde. The dragon Hollow let out a snarl as glowing eyes appeared from its mask that radiated malice. It grabbed Rukia by the throat and threw her out the apartment, sending her crashing through a wall and out onto village streets.

In the background, the blonde kicked open his apartment's door and leapt down the stairs as quickly as possible before sprinting to Rukia's side. She was groaning and wincing from the pain as she forced herself to her feet and adopted a defensive stance "Naruto! You have to run away! This thing… this isn't a standard Hollow! I don't know how long I can hold it off for!" She warned him and gestured for him to retreat.

The blonde had to admit… he was afraid, his first instinct was to run away for the sake of self-preservation… but at the same time… he was shocked by the fact that a total stranger was trying to protect him like this. "Me? What about you?" He questioned, realizing that if she lost to this creature… then it would likely eat her just as it had its own brethren.

"Don't worry about me! I'm a Shinigami! Our duty, our role, is to be guardians! Now go! Hurry!" She called out to him and made the mistake of averting her eyes from the Adjuchas out of worry for the whiskered teen, it was too late for her to realize her blunder as the dragon-like Hollow knocked her blade away… and then rammed its fist through her stomach, effectively impaling her on its forearm.

Naruto stared in horror as he saw blood dripping from the clenched fist as the Hollow tossed Rukia's body aside, her limp form landing beside her katana with a wet splat. The Jinchuuriki ran to her side as he removed the upper jacket of his signature jumpsuit and placed it on the large hole to try and stop the bleeding as much as he could, even if it was a futile gesture. "Damn it! Rukia! I'm sorry! This is my fault! I should have run when you told me to… then you could have fought without worrying about me!" He whimpered out, tears filling his eyes as he realized that his indecision may have just cost her life.

"Naruto… not… too late… run… live…" She urged him on, even as blood filled her mouth. A chill went down his spine as the Jinchuuriki realized that Rukia was going to sacrifice herself for him… she was essentially telling him to leave her behind and allow the Hollow to make a meal of her so that he might survive.

"No… Rukia… I can't… I don't want to do that! I can't just let that happen to you! Damn it! Why am I so useless?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! Why am I so powerless?!" He screamed out in frustration. He first had a small taste of power against Sasuke… only for it to vanish as mysteriously as it appeared, and just when he needed the most… it did not come.

For so many years… he had been powerless. He was powerless against the widespread hatred of the villagers. He was powerless against the indolence of his teachers. He was powerless against Sasuke up until he gained that strange ability… and now he was powerless yet again as he saw Rukia barely clinging to life. "Why? If only I was stronger… if only I had power…" He muttered angrily, feeling furious at himself for wasting so much of his life playing pranks for attention instead of training harder.

There was but one infallible truth in the Shinobi world… only those who had power possessed the right to dictate the course of the world. Without power… without strength… there was nothing he could do. Rukia silently regarded him, a gentle smile on her face as his tears fell against her cheeks… and then a moment of clarity and understanding passed over her as she reached an epiphany.

"Naruto… my sword…" She pleaded, her voice just barely above a whisper as she used whatever strength she had to reach for her katana. He heard and understood her words, snatching her sword from the ground and placing it in her hand, the footsteps of the Dragon Hollow slowly approaching them, almost as if it were toying with its food.

"There's… a chance… my sword… plunge it into your chest. Whatever power I have… take it…" She offered him, making him nod as he understood that she was likely going to transfer whatever Shinigami abilities she had to him. While he didn't like the idea of impaling himself on her sword since that would usually lead to death… he did trust her.

"Naruto Uzumaki… please… live… survive…" Rukia whispered, feeling certain that these may yet be her last moments. He simply nodded as they both held her sword together, the tip pressing against the blonde's chest as he now stood over her… bracing himself for the coming pain forced the blade into his chest and felt power course through him, a blast of wind came followed by blue-white energy that formed around the whiskered teen, the force of this gale sending his jacket flying away. Blood dripped down on the blade and spilled onto Rukia's form with small dropless spilling onto the remains of her mid-section.

A glow encased the Uzumaki as he now found himself wearing the same black Robes as the dark haired woman, a long Odachi in his hands with the blade being approximately 160 centimeters in length. The hand guard was covered in what appeared to be burnt orange fur, with the butt cap and blade collar being golden.

The Hollow took a small step back at the sudden burst of power as the blonde pointed his new blade towards his foe and spoke aloud "Listen up Hollow! My name is Naruto Uzumaki! On this sword, on Rukia's sacrifice, I hereby make this pledge! I will never again know defeat! I will never be powerless again! I will protect those who are also powerless as I was! I will train, I will grow strong! I will become so strong that even gods and devils alike will quake in terror from my name! REMEMBER! I AM NARUTO UZUMAKI AND I WILL NEVER AGAIN KNOW DEFEAT, DESPAIR OR WEAKNESS!"

The blonde adopted a readied stance as he channeled as much energy as he could into his blade, the ground quaking beneath him as blue-black energy cracked around his new sword. "TO HELL WITH YOU!" Naruto roared as he swung the blade down, the sheer force of the swing splitting the ground in its path, forcing the Dragon to dash off to the side, an arm and a leg being sliced clean off as the Hollow was injured by the Uzumaki's attack.

"Damn… I'm not used to this power yet… Time for another!" The whiskered teen declared as he prepared to channel his energy into his sword yet again… only for the Hollow to let out a deafening roar before a black hole, a portal of some sort, appeared behind it as it retreated to safety.

Feeling satisfied that the threat had passed, he sheathed his blade, the sheer length of it forcing him to carry it over his shoulder rather than at his side. He then returned to Rukia's side, her robes now pure white, save for the bloodstains due to her injuries. Her eyes were now glazed over, lifeless, devoid of any spark. She was gone now. He gently cradled her head in his lap and stroked her cheeks, brushing aside her hair.

"Rukia-san… I'm so sorry… you didn't deserve this. You… you were a good person. A truly good person. Even in spite of the fact I was a stranger… you still protected me. You showed me infinitely more kindness than most of the villagers here. I dunno what happens to a Shinigami or where they go when they die… but I hope you're in a good place. I hope to put this power you gave me to good use." He whispered to her and hugged her tightly, sniffling quietly as he had caused the death of such a kind hearted person.

He sobbed and sniffled quietly, considering on where to lay her to rest and giving her a proper burial as she deserved… but then he heard a strange squelching sound. He looked down and saw her flesh slowly knitting itself back together, what was once a gaping hole and pulpy mass became a smooth, slender and toned stomach. He then looked at her face and saw color returning to it… then all at once she began to gasp for air and wheeze, her eyes lighting up with life as she looked around frantically.

"Wha?! Wha… I'm…. I'm alive?! I'm alive?! How?" Was the only intelligent words that came to her mind as the two exchanged looks, neither of them unable to fully comprehend what in the hell had just happened… but that didn't stop Naruto from embracing her while screaming at the top of his lungs "Rukia-saaaaaaaan! I'm so happy you're alive! It's a miracle!"

She chuckled awkwardly, returning the embrace while gently patting him on his back, unsure of how to react to… whatever just occurred. As the whiskered teen joyfully sobbed, the hug grew even tighter as the raven haired girl heard the sounds of her bones cracking audibly. "Naruto… help! Crushing! Can't breathe!" She wheezed out, just in time as the blonde realized his was squeezing her too hard and quickly released her from his grasp to allow her to breathe.

"Sorry about that. I'm just glad you made it. Was that some kind of Shinigami ability? I didn't know you guys could regenerate!" The whiskered teen spoke with a broad grin, his smile threatening to split his cheeks apart.

"Erm… right… Shinigami… ability. We are pretty tough, tougher than most humans." She answered in an unsure tone as she patted at her stomach while inspecting it, all signs of injury, save for the bloodstains on her robes, now gone.

"The Hollow… did you… did you defeat it? How?" She asked, noting that the Dragon-like beast was now gone and the Uzumaki showed no injury whatsoever.

"I chopped off two of its limbs, then it ran away into some kind of portal." He answered in blunt honesty, his response prompting a nod from the ravenette as he helped her to her feet. She wobbled for a moment before regaining her balance.

"I see. I'm glad that you weren't hurt and that you were able to drive it away. It most assuredly retreated to Hueco Mundo, the Hollow world, to lick its wounds and recuperate. It may or may not return someday to seek revenge." She responded which made the Uzumaki give a small 'ah' of understanding.

"Right. Well, if it comes back then I'll just beat it again, especially after I train and get a better handle on the powers you gave me." He responded with a confident and somewhat cocky grin, though that was not undeserved. The female Shinigami then registered the fact that Naruto, who had only attained Shinigami abilities but a few moments ago, had grievously injured an Adjuchas, a Hollow capable of challenging a Captain. If he was that powerful as a greenhorn… just how strong would he become with proper training?

"So… what happens now? Your investigation is over now, right? Hollow has been found, beaten back to whatever stinkhole it came from, that means you can go back to your Soul Society or whatever, is that correct?" Naruto asked as he scratched his cheek with a lone finger.

Rukia deflated a bit before responding "That is correct… except I can't go back. With my powers gone, I can't summon a portal to return home. I have to rest and let my powers return before I can leave." She then gestured to herself, more specifically her now white robes, which seemed to further illustrate her point.

"Damn. I guess that's also my fault for stranding you here. If you want, you can stay with me until your powers come back." He offered with a large grin, she was touched by the offer as she did not expect such generosity. He didn't even hesitate.

"Is that okay? Won't your parents object? What are you going to tell them?" She questioned since she didn't wish to impose on the boy or cause problems for him. His smile fell a bit as he scratched the back of his head.

"I don't have any parents. I'm an orphan. That aside, if they were alive, I think that they would want me to help someone in need. Not to mention, I owe you for protecting me and for offering your powers to me. It's only right that I take responsibility." He spoke, offering her his full support.

She pursed her lips and then spoke "There's something else… now that the Adjuchas is gone, whatever Hollows it has been preying on will likely return. Since I can't fight them as I am now… please… I don't have any right to ask more of you, but can you help me fight any Hollows that appear?"

"Okay." Was Naruto's swift reply with no hesitation or questions. His response making the ravenette blink a few times at how quickly he agreed. Offering to open his home to her was one thing, but actually fighting Hollows once again after this recent encounter? She was expecting him to put up some form of resistance or even show some reluctance.

"That's it? Just… 'okay'? No reservations? No second thoughts?" She questioned him, probing at him a little bit as she wondered if he was being serious.

"Again, I owe you. You saved me and gave me your powers. Wouldn't be very good of me to spit on your sacrifices by refusing to help you. Am I afraid of fighting Hollows again? Maybe a little, but then I'm training to be a Shinobi, a warrior so I have to learn to face and overcome my fears.

Also… while I don't have much love for a lot of the villagers here, I can't turn a blind eye to the possibility of those Hollow things killing and eating someone that is innocent. If you need me to lend you a hand and fight them, then that's what I'll do. All the while, you can help train me and help me understand whatever new abilities I gained from you. It's a win-win. What do you think?" He asked at the end with a large grin.

His words made her burst out laughing for a few moments before she answered "I think that you're an interesting person, Naruto Uzumaki. You're also good, and kind too. You also seem to have your own code of honor as well. All right then, starting today shall be the beginning of our newfound partnership."

She then looked at the wrecked remains of his apartment and pointed out while speaking apologetically "I'm sorry about your home. It seems like it is… currently uninhabitable."

"Eh, no big loss. Place was barely being held together as it was." He responded in a nonchalant manner, evidently unbothered by the state of his now former apartment. He was looking for a new home to move into anyway. He was planning to do so sometime after graduation and becoming a Genin, but it seems like that wouldn't have to wait. He couldn't and wouldn't subject Rukia to sleeping outside or on the ground after what she did for him.

"I promise to compensate you. For now though, I have to go. I need to get some supplies." The raven haired Shinigami announced and then departed in a rush while waving farewell to the whiskered teen.

"You gonna be okay on your own?" He asked out of concern as he watched her retreating form, she then called back over her shoulder "I'll be okay for a while! Don't worry! I'll come find you later!" She promised him at the end, which was more than enough for the whiskered teen as he gave a small smile.

He then heard the sounds of footsteps rapidly approaching, making him turn and see the form of the Sandaime Hokage approaching with his Anbu guard… all of whom were very late to this party. "Naruto! What in Kami's name happened? What happened to your apartment? The street?" The aged Hokaged asked in a rapid fire manner.

The blonde teen hesitated since he doubted it would be a good idea to speak the truth without Rukia's permission. "Well… I was coming home to my apartment and then something exploded." He answered, trying to keep his story as simple as possible.

"Exploded? You mean like a gas leak? A pipeline bursting?" The Hokage questioned as he inspected the damage. There were no signs of anything being burnt, nor any signs of water damage or anything of that nature. It seemed more like something quite literally tore the place apart in his opinion.

The Sandaime's eyes narrowed a bit as he gazed at the boy "Naruto-kun? Are you lying to me? Also… where did you get that sword and robes?" The blonde couldn't help but cringe as he had difficulty lying, especially to the Sandaime. Before the whiskered teen could respond, he heard a shout of 'Almost forgot!'

The Uzumaki turned and saw a certain figure approaching which the Jinchuuriki recognized to be Rukia sprinting towards them with some kind of device in her hand. "Please excuse me!" The ravenette shouted as she shoved the device into the Hokage's face… and out came a puff of smoke which caused the Sandaime to collapse on the ground.

"Hey! What did…" The Anbu shouted angrily and drew their tantos to try and protect their now unconscious Hokage until Rukia also sprayed them with the same smoke as the Sandaime which also rendered them all unconscious just as well.

"Memory replacement. I almost forgot that people would come around asking questions." The raven haired Shinigami quickly answered the Uzumaki's unspoken question before dashing off again leaving nothing but a cloud of dust in her wake.

The Jinchuuriki wasn't exactly sure what that memory replacement stuff entailed… but at least he was bailed out for now. If that stuff really worked then most likely, the Hokage would probably find his story more believable, or maybe it would just work out on its own and he should just nod and play along to whatever memories that had been planted in the Sandaime's mind. At the very least, he was now in the clear.

He chuckled a bit and decided to move the Sandaime and his Anbu to a more shady spot to get them out of the sun since it would be even more suspicious if he tried to carry them back to the Hokage tower. He then proceeded to haul the group out of the sun… until they regained consciousness.

The Sandaime was the first to recover as his eyes snapped open, he then groaned and got to his feet as he muttered "Urgh… my head… damn it… I told Gai not to let his student drink again."

"Come again?" The Jinchuuriki questioned as he wondered exactly what sort of memories took root in the aged Hokage's mind. The name 'Gai' sounding pretty familiar for some reason.

"Maito Gai, a Jonin. Very eccentric fellow, but loyal to a fault and the most prolific Taijutsu user in Konoha. His student, a boy called Rock Lee, has an extremely low tolerance for booze and can go berserk in a drunken rage. Case in point, just look at what he did to your apartment, and the street! I even had to chase after him personally along with my Anbu to stop the carnage!" The Hokage stated angrily while gesturing towards the damage.

Wow… seems like this 'Rock Lee' was going to be in big trouble despite not actually doing anything. It made him feel sorry for the poor guy, but he had to make a small sacrifice and keep his mouth shut, lest the old man begin asking questions again. Now that he thought about it… what would this Lee person have to say if the Hokage accused him of something that he didn't do? Wouldn't that be worse?

"Speak of the devil! There you are!" The aged Hokage shouted while pointing a finger to someone behind the whiskered teen, making him turn around and see a Shinobi team walking a group of dogs. The one in particular that the old man was pointing towards was a boy with extremely bushy eyebrows who seemed like a miniature clone of a man that the whiskered teen assumed to be Maito Gai, the 'clone' likely being Lee.

"Maito Gai! I told you to never let your student touch alcohol ever again! Apologize right now!" The Hokage shouted, making the Jinchuuriki grimace. That was it… it's over. He was cooked now.

"Oh no! Lee did this?! I could have sworn the damage had been contained last night after we celebrated our team formation anniversary! How careless of me! This is most unyouthful!" The Taijutsu master cried out while clenching his fist.

Meanwhile in the background… Naruto could scarcely believe his luck. Was… was this for real? What were the freaking odds? Was he a manga character or did he have some kind of godly luck? The Uzumaki watched as as the Hokage continued to angrily chew out both teacher and student while a tomboyish girl with panda-like buns and a Hyuuga boy that he didn't recognize could only watch in bewilderment and confusion, but raised no protests or comments while simply shaking their heads.

Seems like, in the end, things just worked out somehow. He found himself smiling once again as he couldn't help but think about Rukia and all that she did for him… and now… armed with his new Shinigami abilities… he planned to make good on the oath he made and grow even stronger. Stronger than ever before so that he would never be powerless again, and so that he may protect those who can't defend themselves or those he cares for.

"Rukia Kuchiki… I hope that you can acknowledge me… as your friend." He whispered to himself. His win against Sasuke was a sign, a sign that things were changing. It was time to move on to what would be a new and perhaps better chapter in his life as he felt that things would soon get much better for him.

End Chapter one.