Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach!

Chapter 26: Naruto vs Jiraiya

Konoha

Something big was about to happen; Kakashi could feel it. There was something in the air. It wasn't chakra but it was that sixth sense that most veteran ninjas had when a fight was about to break in the village they're in.

By the looks of them, Asuma and Gai could feel it too. Kurenai – bless her for not having experienced the same things they had – couldn't feel it as strongly but Kakashi could tell that she was anxious about something but didn't know what.

Kakashi idly flipped a page on his book as the other three took a bite of their food or a sip of their drinks.

"Hey, Kakashi," Asuma suddenly spoke up. "Was that you I saw with that Uzumaki kid a few days ago?"

"Yep," he replied conversationally.

Kurenai asked, her brows furrowing, "I thought he was barred from stepping foot in Konoha?"

Kakashi's one eye twitched subtly but he responded to her statement, "He did indeed. But he was allowed to...negotiate that sentence."

"Negotiate? What, did the Daimyo demand it?" queried Gai.

"The Daimyo?" Kurenai looked at her fellow jonin. "Can the Daimyo even do that?"

Asuma turned to her. "Normally, the Daimyo doesn't involve himself in the affairs of the village but there are certain situations where he can and will. Most of the time, it usually has something to do with the Hokage, the council, or its decisions."

"So he could rescind the banishment and exile order on Naruto?"

"Yes. As long as Uzumaki didn't commit treason, the Daimyo can overturn the decision of Konoha or its council."

She blinked owlishly, asking, "Treason against the Daimyo or against the Hokage?"

"It doesn't matter. Whether it's one or the other, traitors wouldn't stand a chance in hell."

"So, between Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Itachi, and Orochimaru, which of them would the Daimyo allow back?"

He shrugged as he took a whiff of his cigar. "Madara fought Shodai-sama and threatened the entirety of Konohagakure. Itachi committed genocide against his clan and joined a criminal organization. Orochimaru kidnapped countless people for illegal experimentation, robbed graves for illegal experimentation, assassinated and impersonated the Kazekage, and successfully murdered Sandaime-sama. Which do you think is the least treasonous?"

"Fair point," she conceded. "And since Naruto was sentenced for being a jinchuuriki, the Daimyo wouldn't really have a reason not to rescind that sentence."

Or being the Uzukage, Kakashi thought to himself in amusement.

"Then, why didn't the Daimyo just do that? Why does Naruto have to negotiate if the Daimyo stepped up and allowed him back?"

They all turned to Kakashi, who shrugged. "This is Naruto we're talking about. He probably didn't want the Daimyo to go all that way just for him."

Asuma chuckled. "And since the Daimyo doesn't take no for an answer, he decided on a compromise."

Kurenai deadpanned, "And he accepted that? I mean, he's always been at the bottom of the academic ladder but even he should know that this compromise will just as much result to absolution when it comes to the Daimyo. Even a suggestion amounts to an order from him."

"I guess that's why the Daimyo decided on it. He probably knew that Naruto wasn't the brightest bulb and so he gave him the illusion of choice."

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah. That sounds about right."

Oh, ignorance is bliss. It was a good that he was Hatake Kakashi because he had plenty of self-control not to react at their incorrect statements; years of experience dealing with stupidity and ignorance. That didn't stop that thought from forming, though.

"Do you think the council will allow that, though? Will they argue against the Daimyo's wishes?"

Asuma let out a bark of laughter. "The only ones who would have a problem with it are the elder council and the civilian council and the latter have little say in matters between shinobi. The former will not like it but they know better than to deny the Daimyo."

"I wouldn't put it past them to try something afterwards, though," Kakashi lightly commented.

"Oh, yeah, definitely," replied Asuma, "Especially Danzo."

The masked jonin then looked up from his book to the door, where Sakura and Sasuke entered.

"Oh, there you are," greeted Sakura brightly. Both walked towards them as Sakura turned to the other jonin. "Good morning, Asuma-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, Gai-sensei!" They returned their greetings. "Say, Kakashi-sensei, do you know what's going on up at Tsunade-sama's office? I mean, the meeting finished yesterday. I would think that there isn't anything after that."

"Politics is complicated, Sakura," he replied lightheartedly. "Even though they finished the meeting, there's still a few details – small details – that need to be fine-tuned."

"I see. Details that only the Hokage and Naruto can discuss, huh," she deduced absentmindedly. She paused as Sasuke put a hand to her shoulder. Glancing at him and seeing him staring over her shoulder, she realized she had an audience and tensed.

Kakashi noticed her worry and said, "Don't worry about them, Sakura. They know that Naruto's here to discuss his...banishment and exile sentence."

Both looked at him at that and they both saw his visible eye blink. While most would interpret it as indeed a blink, Sakura and Sasuke have spent most of their ninja life working under him and they knew when he was blinking and when he was winking – benefits of having the other covered by the hitai-ite – and he was most definitely winking at them.

Neither Asuma nor Kurenai spent as much time with Kakashi as they did so they couldn't tell unless they looked very closely. Gai would be able to tell but Kakashi had angled his face so as to not show him his one eye.

Sakura took the hint and nodded. "Ah, good," she sighed in relief. "I thought they didn't know."

"That's okay, Sakura," Kakashi softly said. "But be careful not to go announcing it to everyone, okay?" He smiled. "To the general populace, he is still not allowed back here, after all."

She looked embarrassed at her blunder and nodded. "Yes, Kakashi-sensei."

"Now that we're all on the same page," he spoke up, "what did you two need me for?"

She smiled at him. "I thought you'd know what's going on with Naruto and Tsunade-sama up there."

"I'm afraid I don't. But I'm sure he'll tell us after they're done."

"What about his entourage?" asked Sasuke. "Do you know what happened to them?"

"Ah, the five of them were told to stay out of sight until Naruto wants them to be revealed."

Gai blinked in confusion, asking, "Naruto brought others with him?"

Kakashi looked at him with a deadpan look. "Surely, you didn't think that Naruto spent three years travelling the world alone? Naruto is the complete opposite of Sasuke; he likes being in the company of his friends. Rather, he is a magnet for people. Practically everyone he meets will be his friends one way or the other; eventually, some would want to join him on his travels."

They had to concede to his point. "Then, who are these friends that Naruto made," asked Gai.

He shrugged. "Naruto wanted to keep his friends' identities a secret, at their request."

"They must be very important if they're going to be secretive about it."

In a way, they are. Kakashi smiled at them. "To him, they are."

Gai laughed. "Your stories about Naruto don't do him justice at all."

They all turned to the restaurant door as an ANBU operative entered and approached them.

"Oh, Shishi-san," greeted Kakashi, waving his free hand. "How can we help you?"

The ANBU with the lion mask bowed and addressed Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura. "Kakashi-san, Sasuke-san, Sakura-san, Hokage-sama wishes to invite you to the Konoha Stadium at 1500 hours."

Sasuke raised a brow and Kakashi nodded.

But, Sakura tilted her head and asked, "Konoha Stadium? What is she inviting us there for?"

"Sakura," Sasuke called to her. As she turned to him, he pointed out, "Given what has happened over the past few days, there's only one reason why she would have us meet her at the Konoha Stadium."

Her eyes widened. "What? I thought she didn't want a fight breaking out!"

He shook his head. "She didn't want those meddlesome elders challenging him; she said that such challenges wouldn't be sanctioned by her. The fact that she's inviting us to the Stadium means that whoever challenged Naruto has her approval."

She blinked in surprise. "Jiraiya-sama and Naruto are going to fight?"

"They what?" Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai exclaimed in surprise.

Kurenai added, "Jiraiya-sama and Naruto are going to have a spar? That would be terribly one-sided." Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi shared a look before looking back at her. "What?"

Sasuke snorted in amusement but Sakura smiled at her. "I'm sure that it won't be one-sided, Kurenai-sensei. We haven't seen Naruto in three years. I'm sure he picked up some tricks over the years."

They looked dubious at her words but were caught off-guard by Kakashi's chuckle.

"Look underneath the underneath," he reminded them. "Naruto survived out in the real world for three years and found friends to call his own. He would get stronger for their sakes."

Another snort left Sasuke. "Yeah, that sounds like the idiot, alright." He turned to the ANBU. "You said 1500 hours in the Stadium? I'll be there." Then, he left the restaurant.

Sakura shook her head at his exit before looking at the ANBU. "I'll join as well. I just need to tell my mom and dad."

Kakashi nodded. "Likewise."

She gave him a pointed stare. "At 1500 hours or three hours later...when the fight's all but done?"

He chuckled sheepishly. "I'll try and be there on time?"

She huffed and left the restaurant.

"Are we invited too, ANBU-san?" Kurenai asked the masked operative.

Turning to her, he tilted his head and said, "I'm afraid I don't know. Hokage-sama's orders were for me to invite Kakashi-san and his team. There are also others sent to invite the council."

Asuma suggested, "We can probably ask, no? I want to see if Kakashi's faith in his old student is well-placed."

Kakashi looked at them, smiling at them. "Oh, it really is." He turned back to the ANBU and waved a hand in dismissal. "I'll be there."

The ANBU nodded and vanished from the spot.

Closing his book, Kakashi stood up and placed some coins on the table. "Well, I'm off for now."

Gai raised a brow. "Where are you going, Kakashi?"

"There's a fight between Jiraiya-sama and Naruto," he casually explained with a shrug. "I'd be a poor sensei if I didn't attend it, wouldn't I?" He smiled at them and left.

They looked at each other before standing as well, paying for their food, and leaving the restaurant.

Hokage Tower

Tsunade looked up from her paperwork at the knock on her door. "Enter," she called out. As she spied Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai enter her office, she paused her work and leaned back on her chair. "Jonin Sarutobi, Yuuhi, and Gai, what can I do for you three?"

They nodded at her in greeting and Kurenai said, "Hokage-sama, we want to ask about that invitation you gave to Kakashi-san."

She blinked and then raised a brow. "What about it?"

"We want to ask if we can attend it as well along with our team."

She shrugged. "Sure. It's not like it'll be a secret with how much destruction those two will do when they fight."

They all looked surprised.

"Will...will Naruto actually pose a threat to Jiraiya-sama that there'll be that much destruction?"

Raising a brow, she assumed that Kakashi and the others didn't tell them of Naruto's true status. "Whether Naruto is a match for Jiraiya or not, there will be destruction of the stadium." She leaned forward, planted her elbows on the desk, and rested her chin on her conjoined hands. "Nevertheless, you and your team are welcome to watch."

They chorused, "Yes, Hokage-sama!" before they left her office.

She snorted in amusement. "They're all going to be surprised when they find out."

"Yes, they will, Hokage-sama," one of her hidden ANBU said.

She turned to the spot where the ANBU who spoke was hidden. "Was the invitation sent to the council?"

"Yes. The people I sent to their homes returned with confirmation of their attendance."

"Good. That should stop any more complaints about the alliance between Uzushio and Konoha."

"Is there anyone else you want invited to this fight, Hokage-sama?"

She thought to herself before saying, "I got Ibiki invited, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did, Hokage-sama. He'll attend unless something came up that would need his attention at T&I Division."

"Alright. And Anko will most likely come and watch given her friendship with Kurenai." She paused before smiling, "Oh, invite Ebisu's team. I think those kids will be quite happy to see Naruto again."

"It will be done, Hokage-sama."

Konoha Stadium

The seats on the stadium slowly filled with people as the hour of the supposed fight between Jiraiya and Naruto drew closer.

"I don't get why we have to make a spectacle of this," one Inuzuka Kiba grunted. "It's not like that deadlast can be a threat to Jiraiya-sama." Behind him, Akamaru barked.

"I honestly think it's just ceremonial," Chouji replied between munches of his chips. "I think it's to gauge how far Naruto's gotten since he got banished from the village."

"And who better to test him than Jiraiya-sama?" concluded Shino.

Kiba laughed loudly. "Just pit him against one of the jonin sensei instead! That'd be a fairer fight!"

A hand found its way to Kiba's shoulder. "Kiba-kun, please don't speak ill of Naruto-kun." Hyuga Hinata frowned at him, her lavender-tinted eyes looking at him in disapproval.

He sighed. "Fine, fine. Sorry, Hinata."

"I think there's more to this than meets the eye," Nara Shikamaru added as he lounged by a chair. "I doubt that Hokage-sama would have Naruto and Jiraiya-sama fight like this and announce it to us unless she had some sort of reason."

"Why do you say that, Shikamaru," Chouji asked.

He sighed, "Troublesome. What Kiba said was true. Hokage-sama could've had Naruto fight against Kakashi-sensei to test him; any other jonin can work just as well. Instead, he's fighting against Jiraiya-sama. Why? It can't be because either was his sensei. There's something we're not seeing as the reason for this current match-up."

"Maybe Naruto-kun has grown just as strong or stronger than the jonin?" Hinata suggested, ignoring Kiba's sound of disbelief.

"I wouldn't discount that," replied Shikamaru. "Naruto survived for three years out there. Who knows what he picked up before he came back."

"This is Naruto we're talking about," Hyuga Neji spoke up. "He's unpredictable. He may surprise us when the fight starts."

A few seats away, Yamanaka Ino drilled into her friend. "You're hiding something, Sakura," she pressed. "There's something different about Naruto that needed Tsunade-shisho to invite all of us to this fight."

Sakura smiled at her innocently. "I can't tell you, Ino. You'll have to wait like everyone else."

She gritted her teeth. "You can't tease me like this, Forehead!"

The pinkette only grinned. "I can if Tsunade-shisho told me to keep it quiet."

Ino growled in frustration before turning away with a huff and rushing over to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun!" she called out. "How about you? Can you tell me?"

Seated on the corner seat, Sasuke opened his eyes to look at Ino. "If you can't get Sakura to tell you, what makes you think you can get me to?"

She pouted at him. "Not even a hint, Sasuke-kun?" she insisted.

He snorted. "Not a chance."

She scowled at him as she crossed her arms and rushed back to her team. "They're hiding something!"

Chouji asked, "They?"

"Forehead and Sasuke-kun," she replied. "They know something about Naruto that is the reason why he's fighting against Jiraiya-sama but they won't tell me!"

"I'm not surprised," Asuma said as he patted her on the shoulder. "Kakashi's team was the one who brought Naruto to the Hokage."

She huffed, "Hmph! Whatever! Whatever secret they're keeping is probably not that great!"

Konohamaru couldn't stop bouncing in his seat. "I can't wait! Naruto-nii-chan is back! I want to see him again!"

Beside him, Moegi swatted his shoulder. "Calm down!"

"I can't! I haven't seen Naruto-nii-chan in three years! I want to see if he got stronger over the years!"

Udon sniffed. "He should have, if he's going to fight Jiraiya-sama of all people."

Ebisu laughed. "Now, now, Udon-kun, I'm sure this is just a formality. Hokage-sama could've had one of the jonin sensei fight the boy."

Konohamaru shook his head vehemently. "No! He is a lot stronger now! And you'll see I'm right!"

"I don't think his strength would be enough to challenge Jiraiya-sama, no matter how long he spent outside the village."

"Don't be such a stick in the mud, Kurenai," Anko shouted as she put an arm around her shoulder. "Just appreciate the sight of two grown men fighting each other until they sweat profusely, making their shirts stick to their manly bodies!"

Kurenai scowled at her as she took the hand off her shoulder. "How vulgar, Anko."

The purple-haired kunoichi grinned wide before she looked over her friend's shoulder and groaned. "Great, those geezers."

The crimson-eyed woman followed her gaze and blinked at the council joining them in their seats. "Huh, I guess it does make sense to invite them," she told herself, watching them exchange words of greeting (Most did, at least. The elders sat somewhere far from them).

"Hey, mom," Kiba called out, "what do you think the chances are between Naruto and Jiraiya-sensei?" That caused all heads to turn to mother and son.

The feral-looking mother looked at him before letting out a loud laugh. "I don't know that myself, pup! That brat surprised us at the council meeting!"

He gaped at her. "Eh?!"

She grinned. "That's why we're here, aren't we?" She looked to the balcony where Tsunade, Jiraiya, an ANBU squad, and five cloaked individuals sat. "Oh, look, we're about to start." She then joined the others in sitting down.

Tsunade stood from her seat and announced, "A few days ago, Uzumaki Naruto returned to Konohagakure." She raised her hand to stop the shouts of joy that came from a few. "I swore the council and Team Kakashi to secrecy about the nature of his return until today. But now, we'll see how far Naruto has gotten since his return, in this fight between the Gama Sennin Jiraiya and," she paused, "the Shodai Uzukage of the newly reinstated Uzushiogakure no Sato, Uzumaki Naruto!" One cloaked figure took off said cloak to reveal a grinning Naruto, garbed in his Kage robe.

The resounding "WHAT?!" was almost cathartic.

"He-he-he is the what?!" Chouji shouted in surprise, his bag of chips left on the floor.

Ino asked after him, "What the hell is an Uzukage? I've never heard of it!"

"Uzushiogakure no Sato," Kakashi answered them, "is the new village that rose a year or two ago. The Daimyo of Hi no Kuni and Mizu no Kuni approved its reestablishment with Naruto as its Shodai Uzukage."

"Kakashi," Gai said wide eyes, "you knew?"

He smiled at his rival. "Of course I knew. I was one of the few who do."

"But-but it's Naruto!" Ino reasoned. "He doesn't know how to run a village or do politics! How did he get the Daimyo to do that?!"

"Well, you'll find out later."

Konohamaru's mouth was agape as he stared at the Hokage. Beside him, Ebisu had let his shades slip down his nose.

"In-inconceivable," the jonin stuttered out. "That brash brat became a Kage?"

He turned to his sensei indignantly. "H-Hey! That's Naruto-nii-chan you're talking about, this new Uzukage!" Ebisu didn't seem to hear him, still in shock at the announcement.

Tsunade sat back down on her seat just as Jiraiya and Naruto jumped down to the ground.

The white-haired Sannin grinned at him. "You ready for this, Naruto?"

Naruto grinned back as he fixed his Kage robe. "I'm always ready, Ero-Sennin!"

As Jiraiya guffawed at the title, Tsunade called out, "Begin!"

Just as she finished saying the word, a powerful shockwave suddenly erupted from the field, the concussive force causing gusts of wind to whip all over the stadium and up at the stands.

"Holy crap," Ino shouted as she covered her face with her arms. "What the hell?!"

Those who could see what happened saw Naruto's and Jiraiya's fists colliding with each other as the source of the small explosion. As both fists moved away from each other, both shinobi started a barrage of melee attacks that the other dodged, parried, or blocked.

Chouji was wide-eyed. "Wow. Naruto's gotten a lot stronger if he can match Jiraiya-sama blow for blow."

"N-No way," stuttered Kiba. "Jiraiya-sama's probably just taking it easy on Naruto." He couldn't believe what he was seeing down on the arena.

As Naruto jumped away from Jiraiya's heel drop that cracked the arena, he sent a handful of kunai towards him.

Jiraiya smirked and formed his hand seals. "Ninpo," he called out, "Hari Jizo!" His white mane of hair wrapped around him like a cocoon and protected him from the kunai. Then, as the kunai fell uselessly to the floor, he followed through with, "Hari Jigoku!" The hair stiffened into needles and shot at high speeds towards Naruto.

His feet planted on the floor, Naruto spun on the spot very quickly, "Futon: Kaze Tengai!" Wind chakra gathered in a dome around him and blasted the hair needles away.

The audience gaped in surprise. "Isn't that the Hyuga's Kaiten?" Tenten asked in shock.

"No," Shino noted, his shaded eyes peering down at Naruto and Jiraiya. "While the execution is the same, the Hyuga's Hakkesho Kaiten relies on chakra expelled from the user's tenketsu whereas Naruto's ninjutsu uses Futon chakra."

"Wouldn't that count as stealing or something?" asked Kiba, his brows furrowed.

Shikamaru answered, "No. No, it doesn't fall under theft. Theft would be if Naruto's jutsu had the same mechanics as the Hyuga's jutsu. If anything, the Kaiten was the inspiration for that Kaze Tengai."

Ino asked, "So, Naruto was inspired by the Kaiten to create that jutsu?"

"Most likely," he concluded. "Why? Naruto faced against Hyuga Neji and that jutsu in the Chuunin Exams."

Jiraiya's hair retracted to pave the way for him to spit out a sea of flames. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"

Naruto smirked and released his next jutsu, "Suiton: Suijinheki!"

As he spat out a torrent of water that gathered in front of him like a wall, Ino exclaimed, "He can use Suiton ninjutsu as well? Only Sasuke-kun was the only one of our generation to be able to use more than two affinities!"

As both ninjas stopped their jutsu, Jiriaya dashed towards Naruto, who ran back in return. Both restarted their taijutsu fight, their hits becoming faster and harder. It was at that point that everyone noticed the difference in their taijutsu styles.

Jiraiya was larger and bulkier so he fought with strong and hard blows that were nonetheless fast to the common ninja.

Naruto was slimmer, more athletic, and he used fast and agile strikes that were just as powerful against his opponents.

To the adults in the audience, they couldn't help comparing the sight to one they saw years before.

They couldn't help comparing it to when Jiraiya fought against the Yondaime Hokage.

Naruto held a spot in the air and barraged Jiraiya with a number of kicks, which the Sannin blocked and tanked. Then, his body leaned forward, his hand outstretched and holding a sphere of chakra. "Rasengan," he shouted.

Jiraiya twitched before grabbing the outstretched wrist with one hand and aiming the other hand's elbow to his face.

He protected himself from the elbow with a raised wrist, only to widen his eyes when the elbow extended, intent on hitting him with a backhand.

The backhand connected and, as Naruto's head recoiled from the impact, Jiraiya spat out a fireball that exploded on his face, causing smoke to obscure their view.

Kiba's eyes widened. "Whoa! That was a head-on blast from a Katon jutsu! That could kill anyone!"

A figure was spat out of the smoke and everyone was shocked to see that it was Jiraiya, who crashed into the Stadium wall.

"What?! What happened!?" he shouted.

Another person flew from the cloud and Naruto ran towards Jiraiya once more, his face singeing and slightly burnt but otherwise not affecting him. His hand held a Rasengan again as he neared Jiraiya.

The Sannin recovered quickly and started flinging the rubble from around him towards Naruto, finishing with another ball of fire.

Naruto ducked and weaved around the thrown rubble and released a gust of wind from his mouth that blew away the fire, only to reveal Jiraiya with a Rasengan of his own. His eyes widening, he smirked and resolved to challenge his sphere.

As both spheres collided with each other, the resulting concussive force created more destruction than their opening punch and for far longer. Afterwards, the jutsu imploded, sending Jiraiya back to the crater he crashed into and Naruto back to the center of the Stadium, crumpling to the floor.

Naruto stood up and rolled his shoulder. "I needed that warm-up, Ero-Sennin."

Most in the audience were wide-eyed. That was just a warm up?

Jiraiya laughed from his sitting position on the crashed wall. "You've grown very strong, Naruto. I'm really looking forward to this!" He jumped to his feet and flashed through hand seals, chanting, "Katon: Karyu Endan!" A stream of fire burst from his lips and turned into dragons that moved to attack Naruto from all sides.

Grinning, Naruto summoned four clones to surround him and they simultaneously and quickly went through a number of seals, which the vast majority of the adults recognized immediately. "Suiton," he called out, "Suiryudan no Jutsu!" As one, the five Narutos spat out a large amount of water that, like the flames headed towards him, morphed into dragons. The dragons of water and fire collided and buffeted the area with mist.

Ino squinted into the mist. "This mist is too thick! I can't see anything at all!"

Tenten turned to Neji, who had his Byakugan activated. "What do you see?"

"Naruto seems to have commanded his clones to attack Jiraiya-sama," he answered.

"There's no way those clones would last against him," she said.

Neji shook his head. "Indeed. Jiraiya-sama has just dispelled two." He narrowed his eyes. "But distraction seemed to be their purpose; Naruto looks like he's going to use a ninjutsu that would need him to spit something out."

As it turned out, it was the opposite, Naruto wasn't going to bring some element out through his mouth. Rather, he was bringing something in through his mouth. The mist slowly became thinner and thinner until the last of it was seen entering Naruto's mouth.

Exhaling, Naruto retook his stance as he started taking deep breaths.

Not wanting Naruto to finish his actions, Jiraiya slammed both hands on the ground, shouting, "Doton: Yomi Numa!" The ground quickly turned into quicksand that spread out towards Naruto.

However, the blond suddenly leapt forward just as the quicksand reached him, traversing the distance between them in a second.

He raised his arms to block the fist headed for his face and grunted as Naruto punched with a newfound strength. Jiraiya's feet was pushed back a few feet before he parried the fist to the side, sending the fist – and Naruto – towards another section of the wall, which cracked and cratered.

Jiraiya spun to face him and sent a fireball at him, which was thwarted by a ball of water that cancelled it out. His eyes narrowed afterwards as he saw blocks of rubble towards him, much like what he did to Naruto earlier. Taking slow steps backwards, he deflected the projectiles away from him, grabbing the last one, channelling it with chakra, and throwing it back at Naruto.

Naruto leapt high from the wall, avoiding the rock thrown his way. Once up high, he raised his hands in a cross seal and summoned a barrage of clones that rained down on Jiraiya, saying, "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! Bunshin Daibakuha!"

The white-haired Sannin's eyes widened and he started to run away from the raining clones that started to explode and destroy the stadium floor.

When Naruto landed, he immediately charged at Jiraiya, not stopping his summoning of his clones.

"Damn, how much chakra does that guy have?" Asuma whistled. "He's been spamming the Shadow Clone nonstop."

"It's Naruto," Sakura said, shrugging. "I wouldn't be surprised if he has more chakra than Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-shisho combined."

Jiraiya was slowly getting overwhelmed by the onslaught of clones. He could only do so much punches, parries, and throws before it would get too much. As he flung another clone over his shoulder, his hair extended and wrapped around him before shooting hair as needles in every direction. As the clones were pierced and dispelled, the original used Kaze Tengai to protect himself again. As the winds subsided and the hair returned to its original state, Naruto and Jiraiya stood across each other of the ruined arena, neither combatant looking tired.

They smirked at each other as they prepared their next jutsu.

Jiraya took a deep breath, "Doton: Ganchuso!" The ground rumbled and spikes of earth shot up towards Naruto.

Naruto slammed his hands on the ground and called out, "Doton: Doryuheki!"

As a box of earth covered and protected Naruto from the spikes, Kiba let out an exclamation of surprise. "Ah?! He can use Doton too?! What kind of training did Naruto do that he can do that?!"

"Extraordinary," Aburame Shibi muttered as he gazed down at the stadium. "I never expected Naruto-san, of his age group, to have three affinities."

Within the box of earth, Naruto clapped his hands and the earth box exploded outward, sending the spikes and walls flying everywhere. But, they stopped in midair, Naruto's outstretched hands causing the winds to hold them in place. Then, he flung all the pieces towards Jiraiya.

Jiraiya mimicked Naruto's actions earlier and erected a wall of earth the blocked the projectiles. Lowering it, he charged at Naruto, a Rasengan held in his hand.

Naruto smirked and charged to meet him. He then held out his hand to meet Jiraiya's Rasengan.

"Is he an idiot?" Tenten asked in shock. "Why the hell didn't he use the Rasengan to meet Jiraiya-sama's?"

Much to the surprise of the young ninjas, the Rasengan didn't damage Naruto's arm in any way. Instead, something seemed to glow from his outstretched palm and absorbed the Rasengan. Naruto stepped inside Jiraiya's guard and slammed an elbow to his gut. Grabbing Jiraiya's outstretched arm, Naruto took advantage of Jiraiya's stagger and flung him over his shoulder. Then, he pointed the palm that absorbed the Rasengan at the airborne Jiraiya and called out, "Uzumakigaeshi!" The seal glowed and then released an explosion that crashed into the Sannin.

"WHOA!" Konohamaru shouted. "That was cool!"

"Was that...was that fuinjutsu?" Kurenai asked in wide-eyed surprise. "Naruto learned one of the most complex shinobi arts?"

"Well," Kakashi replied for her, "he is an Uzumaki, after all, and is living in the village of his clansmen. It would be rather shameful if he stayed there and didn't learn their bread and butter."

"The Uzumaki were a clan?" asked Kiba. "That idiot is part of a clan?"

It was Shikaku who answered him. "The Uzumaki clan was one of the most ancient clans that existed. They resided in Uzushiogakure no Sato and were related to both the founding clans of Konoha, the Uchiha and the Senju. I guess you can almost consider them to be just as much the founders of Konoha as the other two."

Tenten exclaimed, "Founding clans?! They're that old?!"

"Oh, yes," he replied, nodding his head. "While the Uchiha were known for their affinity for Katon jutsu and their Sharingan and the Senju were known for their versatility in all shinobi arts, the Uzumaki were known for their fuinjutsu mastery and longevity."

Hinata kept her eyes on Naruto and Jiraiya, who recovered from the blast and attacked Naruto again, and softly asked, "What happened to them?"

He shook his head and sighed. "They were mostly wiped out in the previous shinobi war."

"I see..."

"What makes their fuinjutsu so special?" Tenten asked, curiously.

Shibi answered, "The Uzumaki can do plenty of things with their seals that no one can replicate. The last known student of an Uzumaki was the Yondaime Hokage and we all know how powerful he became."

They were wide-eyed at his explanation.

"And Naruto learned how to do that? Damn! That makes him a lot stronger than us!"

Sasuke chuckled, drawing all their attention. "A lot stronger?" he repeated. "That is an understatement."

"And just what did you mean by that, Uchiha?!" Kiba spat.

He stared back with cool indifference before looking at Kakashi. "Kakashi, you have that Bingo Book with you?"

Knowing what Sasuke wanted to show them, and since secrets were being revealed anyway, Kakashi shrugged and pulled out the Bingo Book, opened it to Naruto's page, and showed it to the young ninjas.

Down below, Naruto and Jiraiya weren't even distracted when the air was disturbed again by a shout of, "WHAT?!"

Jiraiya slammed a foot down, causing the ground to rumble and then break apart, like jaws of earth that threatened to swallow Naruto whole. Then, with another hand seal, his hair once again became his weapon, extending outward and slithering around the shattered earth pieces to strike at Naruto.

Naruto leapt from one earth spike to the next, dodging the hair projectiles. Then, he held out an arm, lightning coursing through it before coalescing in the shape of a spear, which he threw towards Jiraiya.

As the young ninjas were still preoccupied with what they just read about Naruto, they missed Naruto's use of a fourth elemental affinity. Meanwhile, the adults caught it and were surprised by the fact that a young ninja could use four affinities

Jiraiya quickly pulled out a paper seal and pointed it at the lightning spear, "Furai Hoin (Lightning Sealing Method)." Then, he tied it to a kunai and threw it at Naruto before forming a hand seal. "Kunai Kage Bunshin!" The tagged kunai multiplied as it rained down on Naruto.

Kurenai mused to herself, "I didn't know Jiraiya-sama can use the Kage Bunshin or its variations."

Asuma turned to her with a chuckle. "My old man was his sensei and he saw a lot of use with the Kage Bunshin. I guess Jiraiya-sama just didn't want to use it too much."

"You have a point, I guess. It's just a bit weird seeing him use it."

As he took a puff of his cigarette, he replied, "I guess it shows how serious he's taking Naruto right now."

The blond shinobi reached the end of the broken pieces of earth and pointed his palm at the incoming barrage of kunai. They all swerved from their trajectory and were absorbed into a small black hole in Naruto's palm. "Fuinjutsu," he called out, "Shinku." Then, after absorbing all the kunai, he flung the black hole towards Jiraiya, the foliage and rocks being absorbed into it as it travelled through the air.

Jiraiya flashed through a series of hand seals, finishing with a clap, before pointing both palms at the incoming projectile. A shimmering barrier erected in front of him and clashed with the black hole. Then, writing crept outward from his palms and to the barrier as it closed behind it, like the petals of a flower closing. With an audible pop, the barrier and the black hole vanished from existence.

Naruto narrowed his eyes as Jiraiya raised his hands in a very familiar hand seal. Within seconds, Naruto was surrounded by countless Jiraiya clones. His cerulean eyes darted left and right taking the situation in, his body tense and crouched low.

Then, the bundles of hair of each single Jiraiya whipped forward and Naruto, overwhelmed by the numbers, couldn't do anything as strands of hair tied and immobilized every inch of his body. As Naruto's situation seemed tenuous to the audience, it was anything but.

After all, Naruto still had his Kido.

"Hado no Go-juu-yon," he suddenly called out, his hands clenching, "Haien!" Red flames gathered in his hands and coursed through each strands of hair that entangled him and towards the Jiraiya clones.

Caught off-guard, the clones could do nothing as the flames engulfed them and eventually dispelled them. The original staggered back as he recalled his hair before trying to douse the flames with a Suiton jutsu.

While he did so, however, he missed Naruto's next chat. The blond pointed gathered an orange sphere of energy between his palms as he called out, "Bakudo no Kyuu: Horin!" He gripped the orange sphere and whipped it towards Jiraiya, the sphere turning into a whip that quickly crossed the distance and wrapped around him. With a tug, Jiraiya flew from his spot and into Naruto's grasp.

Grinning, he gave Jiraiya a two-fingered salute. "Gotcha, Ero-Sennin."

Jiraiya sighed. "I guess you do, Naruto. Very well done." He looked up at Tsunade and nodded.

Tsunade nodded back and stood from her chair, announcing, "The winner is Naruto!"

Naruto let go of Jiraiya and scratched the back of his head. "That was a fun match, Ero-Sennin."

He replied with a laugh, "You got that right, Naruto! I haven't had that much fun in a long while!" He patted his back as everyone descended from the stands and joined them.

Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon were running towards him ahead of the group that they reached him first and crashed into him.

"Ooof," he exclaimed as he fell to the ground. He looked at the trio crying on his chest and smiled at them. "Hey, you three," he said. "You guys really missed me a lot, huh."

"Of course we did, Naruto-nii-chan!" shouted Konohamaru, looking up at him with misty eyes. "It's been three years!"

He chuckled as he patted their backs. "Well, I'm back."

They only nuzzled into his jacket further.

Naruto then looked up and grinned. "Yo," he greeted the others who caught up to the trio.

Ino put her hands to her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. "What the hell was that? You were gone for three years and you come back this super powerful guy and a village leader?"

He chuckled sheepishly. "It's a really long story, Ino."

"I'll say," replied Kiba, leaning on his white-furred ninken, Akamaru. "You were the deadlast back then! A loser that got lucky in every exam he went through! It's hard to believe that you turned out like this!"

Naruto raised his hand in a stopping motion just as two of the cloaked figures tensed and hunched forward.

Kiba looked confused at the exchange. Kakashi explained for him, not taking his head off his book, "He's a Kage, Kiba. That means he is assigned a minimum of two ninjas as his escort and one of their duties include protection, even against his reputation and character."

The Inuzuka heir gulped at the threatening stances of the two ninjas who stood at Naruto's flank. "Ah...right...sorry..." He then yelped as a fist slammed down on his head, courtesy of the Inuzuka clan head.

"How many times do I have to tell you to use that head before you act, pup? It doesn't matter that the Uzumaki boy is your age when he is an official Kage!"

He rubbed his sore head and grimaced. "Yeah, yeah..."

Naruto coaxed Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon off of him before standing up and dusting himself off. Then, he raised his head, coming face to face with the lavender eyes of Hinata. He blinked in surprise before grinning. "Hey, Hinata! It's been a long time."

Hinata smiled back and nodded her head earnestly. "Indeed it has, Naruto-kun." She then wrung her jacket, her gaze wavering from him and to the side. "Um...I-I never did get to thank you, Naruto-kun."

He tilted his head curiously. "Thank me for what?"

"For everything," she replied, taking a deep breath. "But, to be more specific, I want to thank you for pointing me to train under Tsunade-sama herself. It helped me a lot."

"Oh, that." He sheepishly scratched his cheek. "It's no problem at all, Hinata. It's the least I could do."

She smiled back at him before a hand found its way to her shoulder. She looked behind her and widened her eyes. "Father?"

Hiashi glanced down at her and nodded in greeting before looking back at Naruto.

"Uzumaki-san, I too convey my gratitude for your actions regarding my daughter."

Naruto's own eyes widened.

"She has become more confident in herself after you recommended her to Hokage-sama." He grimaced as if contemplating of doing something against his better judgment and then bowed his head. "So, thank you."

Naruto blushed slightly and chuckled awkwardly. "Ah, you're welcome." Then, he turned to the others and grinned eagerly. "How about you guys? What have you guys been up to this whole time?"

Shikamaru shrugged dismissively. "I'd be lying if I said that it's been completely quiet without you around, Naruto." He jabbed a thumb at the Konohamaru trio with Ebisu. "Those three have taken up your mantle of troublemakers in your absence."

The three didn't even look embarrassed as they grinned and gave Naruto a thumbs-up, which he returned.

"Still, of all the things I expected with you, being a Kage of a village not of the big five and being one of the strongest ninjas alive aren't some of them. You must've had one hell of an experience out there."

Naruto laughed. "I sure as hell did!"

"That only proves to me that you really are an unexpected and troublesome ninja, Naruto." He smirked at him. "Good for you, man. Better you than me. OW!"

Ino whacked him in the head and scolded him, "If you would get off your lazy ass, then you would do the same or even better than Naruto did!"

He grumbled in response, making her whack hit him again.

"Go easy on him, Ino," Asuma chided, patting her on the shoulder. "Especially in front of the...Uzukage."

She winced as if suddenly remember that and turned to Naruto. She seemed to argue with herself in her head and said, "Sorry about that."

Naruto laughed as he waved a hand. "Don't worry about it, Ino. I've missed your antics." She winced again but he had already moved onto the next of people. "Hey, Neji, how have you been, man?"

Neji inclined in greeting. "Hello to you as well, Naruto. It's been...quieter since you left." A small smile formed on his lips. "I see that you've achieved your dream in some fashion. An Uzukage, huh. Congratulations."

He puffed his chest out and thumped it with a fist. "Thanks, Neji! I was really happy when I did it!"

"I saw that you imitated the Kaiten with that jutsu of yours."

"When you're up close and personal with a sphere of chakra," replied Naruto, crossing his arms with a huff, "even I would remember it clearly."

"Fair point, Naruto," Neji said with a chuckle of amusement. "I suppose I should feel honored that you created a jutsu based off of one of mine." He shook his head. "And to think, you used to be the deadlast of our generation. And now, you're the most accomplished of all of us."

Another blush found its way to Naruto's cheeks as he turned his attention away again. He grinned at old team and gave them a salute. "Yo."

Sakura seemed torn on what to do; she was wringing her hands and her lip was quivering. She then settled for massaging her forehead. "It's one thing to read and hear about it. It's another to actually see it." She raised her head to smile at him. "You really have become strong, huh, Naruto?"

"Yup. I had to. I have a lot of reasons to get strong for." His grin widened. "It's not just for Uzushio but it's also for my family and for my friends."

"Your family," Sakura suddenly said, her green eyes peering at him. "So your father really is Yondaime Hokage-sama and your mother is this Kushina person?"

He nodded. "Yup. It was a shock when I found out. I didn't want to believe at first but," he paused, "I had some time to think about it and came to accept it."

Her smile was solemn. "I guess you had to come to terms with the fact that your dad...well..."

"Yeah..." He shook his head as he brightened up. "But that's enough sad stuff. That's all in the past! We gotta look forward, dattebayo!"

"Well said, Naruto-san," Shibi replied, walking up to him and peering down at him through his sunglasses. "And let me say that your entry in the Bingo Book is well-deserved." He bowed his head. "That was truly a magnificent display."

Tsume laughed. "I agree, brat. That was one hell of a fight. You really surprised us when you pulled not one, not two, not even three, but four damn elemental affinities out your ass against Jiraiya-sama!"

"Four?!" Sakura, Kiba, Ino, and Tenten exclaimed in shock. Then, Kiba asked, "What was his fourth element?"

She started counting her fingers. "Oh, yeah. He used Futon, Suiton, Doton, and Raiton in that fight."

"Wow," Ino said. "What the hell did you do, Naruto, that you are able to use four elemental affinities? Isn't that kind of a rare thing among ninjas?"

"Yup! The most common are ninjas using one or two. Three is uncommon. Four is...rare. A ninja knowing all five is the rarest of them all, especially with regular training." She jabbed a thumb at the silver-haired ninja standing off to the side still reading his book. "That Kakashi brat is one of the few who are able to use all five and it's because of his Sharingan."

Kakashi looked up from his book but turned back quickly after, making her snort in amusement.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you could use all five and just didn't want to use Katon against Jiraiya-sama!" Her grin faltered as Naruto looked sheepishly at her. "No way! You can use all five?!"

As everyone looked at him shocked, Naruto held out his hand towards Asuma.

The bearded man furrowed his brows at the hand in front of him. He glanced up at Naruto and sighed, hovering his cigarette over the outstretched hand.

Naruto snapped his fingers, creating a small flame at his fingertips that ignited the cigarette above it.

Asuma chuckled and said, "Thanks," as he put the lit cigarette back into his mouth.

Kiba threw his hands in the air and exclaimed, "Of course you can do that too!"

The blond scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "What can I say? I'm versatile."

"I'll say," Asuma said. "You know a lot of the ninja techniques that others would have trouble with. It seems we underestimated you, Naruto."

"Alright, alright, that's enough crowding around the boy," Tsunade spoke up, stepping forward to interrupt any further discussions. "He's just finished fighting Jiraiya. He needs some space."

Naruto pouted at her. "But, Baa-chan, I'm not tired at all!"

Tsunade raised a brow. "I didn't say you were tired. I said you need space after your fight with Jiraiya." She shook her head as she turned to the council, her narrowed eyes piercing them. "That should put a stop to any of your complaints about Naruto's strength." The elder council scowled but didn't voice any complaints. "Good."

"Tsunade-sama," Ino asked her, "why did you have Naruto and Jiraiya-sama fight? I don't think it's just to showcase Naruto's new strength after three years."

"Oh, that's the primary reason. Jiraiya asked Naruto for a fight and I obliged. But there's also a few other reasons, one of which was that the council was doubtful of Naruto and his offer for an alliance between Konoha and Uzushio."

"An alliance between Konoha and Uzushio," asked Kiba, his brows furrowing.

"Well," she amended her earlier words, "I suppose it's more accurate to call it a renewal of the alliance that the two villages once had years ago. After all, the alliance broke down after Uzushiogakure got destroyed and the Uzumaki people were scattered around the world."

"And since Uzushiogakure is reestablished and Naruto is instated as its Uzukage," Shino concluded, "that alliance is restored. I imagine you and Naruto would have plenty to share as a result of this alliance."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and glanced at Tsunade, who shrugged. "I...guess you can say that."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, noting Naruto's change in attitude. "What do you mean by that?"

He looked at two of the robed figures and nodded their heads. They lowered their hoods and the faces of Temujin and Kuroma greeted the group. "These two are my escorts, Kuroma and Temujin." He hesitated before nodding towards the last three robed figures. As they removed their hoods, the unknowing of the group widened their eyes at two of them.

"What?!" Asuma shouted in shock, tensing in alarm. "Is that Momochi Zabuza?!"

Kurenai shouted after him, "I thought he died!"

"Naruto," Neji slowly asked, narrowing his Byakugan at the missing-nin, "you managed to learn tensei ninjutsu and you used it to resurrect a misisng-nin?"

Naruto gave them a smile. "They're not resurrected. They are souls given physical form."

They were incredibly confused. "What?"

"I...didn't learn tensei ninjutsu. Instead, I learned jikukan ninjutsu and through it, I stumbled upon a different dimension."

They were just as confused as earlier. "What?!"

"And in this dimension, it is primarily inhabited by entities called Shinigami, who are souls that are assigned as guardians of other souls."

Neji asked, "And Zabuza is a part of this Shinigami organization?"

"Yup!" he brightly replied. "Along with a few other shinobi who died in the past."

The implication was hardly missed by anyone.

Asuma was the first to break the silence. "N-Naruto...does that mean that...that-"

Naruto knew what he wanted to ask. "You want to know if Jiji is a Shinigami?" Asuma nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, he became a Shinigami but he is in a special situation. He is one of the Royal Guards of the Shinigami King."

"I see. Thanks, kid."

He smiled back and said, "I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you guys about what I found." He grinned. "You guys don't mind ramen, do you?"

Karakura Town

The few days since the attempted invasion by Aizen's and Madara's forces have been relatively quiet. True to form, the supernatural inhabitants of Karakura Town have been getting ready for a repeat performance.

Ichigo had panicked for a bit since hearing it from Naruko but had been assured that no one had been significantly injured. Since then, he spent the days training in his Hollow transformation by the Visoreds. Ichigo offered to help them with their Hollows but he conceded when they argued that he would be of little help when he barely managed with his own.

"We appreciate the offer, Ichigo," Shinji had said. "But you just started with your Hollow. I don't know how you can help."

Returning to school was a bit jarring for the teen who spent a few hours a day fighting an inner demon, so to speak.

Shinji had 'transferred' to his school a few days prior, to keep a closer eye on Ichigo and the town, especially with the recent attack.

"ICHIGO!" Almost immediately after setting foot in the school, Ichigo heard the telltale shout of an incoming Keigo from some hallway. He took a step to the side and held out an arm, giving Keigo a lariat that sent him flying to the ground.

"What do you want, Keigo?" asked Ichigo as he stared down at the fallen form of his schoolmate.

"Did you hear?!" he replied excitedly, standing tall and grabbing onto Ichigo's shoulders. "Did you hear?! There's a bunch of transfer students coming! I hope they're really cute girls!"

Ichigo raised a brow. "And what does it have to do with me?"

He exclaimed, "Weren't you listening?! They could be cute girls!"

"I don't care."

Keigo recoiled as if struck. "What?! But you could finally have a girlfriend!"

A tick mark found its way on Ichigo's forehead and slammed a fist down on Keigo's head. "I don't need a damn girlfriend, you damn pervert!"

"You're as loud as always, Kurosaki." The cool yet sarcastic voice of Uryu Ishida made all turn to face him. The Quincy approached them, pushing his glasses up his nose and looking at them with a raised brow. "How do you do, Asano-san?"

"Gah!" Keigo replied with a loud shout. "Damn you and your coolness, Ishida!"

In Konoha, Gai let out a loud shout of "YOUTH" that interrupted Naruto's explanations of the Shinigami world.

Ishida didn't reply or react aside from turning to Ichigo. "Kurosaki," he greeted.

Ichigo grunted, "Ishida."

"Ah, there they are, Sado-kun!" Orihime's voice reached them followed by Sado's heavy footsteps. "Good morning, Kurosaki-kun, Ishida-kun!"

He turned to the two new arrivals and frowned, looking at the cast on Sado's arm and the patches all over Orihime's body. "Inoue...Chad..."

"Yes?" Orihime asked, tilting her head.

"Are you two...alright? I heard what had happened. I'm sorry I wasn't there."

She flushed at the apology and waved her hands. "No, no, no! It's fine, Kurosaki-kun! Yoruichi-san, Urahara-san, and Naruko-chan saved us!"

"I still should've been there." He clenched his fists tight.

She looked solemn. "Kurosaki-kun..."

"Ichigo," Sado spoke up, moving closer to him. "Were you getting stronger?"

He furrowed his brows. "Yeah."

"Then, you are forgiven. You don't need to apologize for getting stronger. Rather, it showed us that Orihime and I need to get stronger as well." He gave a firm nod. "I aim to ask Uzumaki-san or Urahara-san to train us for the inevitable."

"Chad..." said Ichigo before confidence returned to his face and smirked. "Thanks, Chad."

"Hmm."

"Want me to put in a word for you to Naruko?"

"No need," he replied. "I can ask her for me and Orihime after class."

Ishida pursed his lips, staring at the patches and cast on his friends' bodies, before he left for the classroom, followed by the trio.

Keigo, confused from the exchange, finally realized that he had been left alone and ran after them. "Hey! Wait for me!"

Classroom

"Alright, you guys," Ochi-sensei announced, looking down at the folder in front of her. "We've got a lot of transfer students coming in." She frowned. "We've been getting that a lot recently." She turned to the door and called out, "Alright, you guys can come in now!"

The door opened and in walked faces familiar to the supernaturally aware students.

"Yo, Ichigo!"

Shinji and Ishida scowled, Orihime widened her eyes, and Sado didn't react aside from turning his head.

Ichigo, on the other hand, blinked. "Renji?" he slowly asked, taking in the those with the redhead Shinigami. "Matsumoto-san, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Toshiro? What are you guys doing here?"

Ignoring the grumble of "It's Hitsugaya-taicho" from the captain beside him, Renji shrugged. "We got a call that there were Arrancars in the area along with two unidentified energy signatures so we were sent here to meet up with the Shinigami daiko for reinforcements in the event of a re-invasion."

He blinked dumbly again as he processed the information. "Arrancars? Those guys with the Hollow masks with those Akatsuki bastards?"

A voice from the window caught his attention. "Who else would it be, you dummy?" Turning, Ichigo saw Rukia's petite form on the window frame, crossing her arms on her chest, as she smirked at him.

Ichigo blinked a third time. "Rukia..."

Read and Review!