I, Raymond Smith, own nothing

Hollow

Chapter 7: Blurring the Line

A groan escaped his lips as his eyes slowly creaked open. The sight of a plain ceiling greeted him, alongside the smell of antiseptic and other medicinal chemicals.

"…Hospital?" he asked softly, not knowing if anyone was even around to hear his query.

"Yep," the familiar voice of Kakashi replied, prompting Naruto to turn his head to its side and spot the man seated in a chair close to his bed, book in hand. "Glad to see you up in record time as always. Only took you a night."

"How's Gaara?"

"Relax. He's perfectly fine, despite the loss of the Ichibi from his body. Whatever it is you did, it brought him back."

Turning his head back so he could stare at the ceiling, the blonde Uzumaki let out a small sigh of relief. "Good…"

Closing his book, the Jonin gave his resting student his full attention. "What did you do…?"

Naruto was silent for a few moments, gathering his thoughts on how to explain things to his superior. After a time, he decided to simply come clean.

"I had my scarf grab onto what's called a Soul Chain. It's what connects a soul to their body and returning them together keeps the person in question alive. If the soul is disconnected from the body for too long, the chain breaks and the soul can no longer return to their body."

"…You have to understand how outlandish that sounds, Naruto."

"I know… But I'm asking you to please believe me, Kakashi," Naruto replied, using the man's name alone to show how serious he was. "For as long as I can remember, I've been able to see spirits and souls of those who have died. I can talk to them, interact with them, and learn from them; just like I did with Lady Mito ever since I was in the Academy."

Kakashi's visible eye widened at that bit of news. "That can't be possible, Naruto… She died decades ago."

"Her spirit lingered out of a sense of duty to the Uzumaki Clan, sensei. Her chain is linked to a shrine connected to the Clan that is deep in the forests that surround the Hidden Leaf. Because no Uzumaki were around to look after the shrine, and because Tsunade and I are both integral members of the village, she's taken it upon herself to keep an eye on the place and protect what it holds."

"…What did you mean when you said you've learned from her since the Academy?"

Naruto gave a small smile and replied, "Look underneath the underneath, sensei…"

While a part of his was annoyed at one of his lessons being thrown back in his face, the Jonin still took a moment to go over what Naruto had said and comparing it to what Kakashi knew of him.

After a few moments, realization struck. "Deception; a ninja's greatest weapon."

Nodding once, Naruto explained, "Lady Mito suggested that I hide my real skills for as long as I can. In her words: Fooling your enemies is easy, fooling your comrades is harder. If you can do both, then the world underestimates you. I've taken that lesson to heart, playing the role of a hyperactive kid who was loud and not-too-bright. Only recently have I decided to finally drop that façade and let people see the real me."

"…I'm not saying I don't understand why you did it, Naruto; but I can't deny that how you made us see you hurts a little."

"No offense, sensei, but you weren't exactly an open book when Team 7 was still Team 7…"

"Fair point; but we all have things we keep to ourselves."

"I know. I'm dealing with someone who doesn't seem to get that fact just because I'm his apprentice."

Kakashi nodded in understanding at that, deciding to drop the issue. Naruto was entitled to his own secrets, just like anyone else. Plus, with his status and how the village viewed him, it was only natural for the blonde to put up a front to keep the villagers off his back.

"Back to my earlier question," the Jonin circled back, "how was your scarf able to grab Gaara's Soul Chain?"

"During the last weeks of the training trip, and not long after I found Nel, I was able to bring out my spiritual energy. From what I've been taught over the years, I've basically separated my chakra's spiritual half and developed it into its own separate energy source; reiryoku."

"And I'm assuming you channel it through that scarf?"

"Yes. This scarf… Mom made it for me before she died… It's a physical representation of the links I've made with those I've lost… My parents, obviously; as well as Zabuza and Haku." At the surprise on Kakashi's face, Naruto chuckled and asked, "Where do you think I got Ice Style from, and why else would I have taken Zabuza's sword?"

Kakashi had to give Naruto that one. "Anything else I should know? Like for example, why Nel is currently in an adult form?"

This surprised Naruto. "Neliel is still around?"

"Neliel…?"

"Oh, right… Long story short, Neliel is Nel's true form; but her reiryoku was damaged before I found her; resulting in her taking a child form – Nel – while she recovers. I've been supplying her with my own reiryoku to help speed up the process; but she usually doesn't get to stay as Neliel for very long. So, hearing that she's still around after a night is a surprise."

"Well, she's currently speaking with Gaara privately. I'm guessing she's telling him what you've told me."

"Most likely… Neliel-san is much calmer and more focused than Nel-chan; and she knows that Gaara and I are close."

While Kakashi was curious about why Neliel was given a standard suffix – considering how close Naruto and Nel are – he held back from asking anything as the door to Naruto's temporary room opened up.

Stepping inside was Gaara, his siblings, and the woman in question, still dressed in torn green clothes, no footwear, and carrying a sheathed sword. She stood off to the side with Gaara's siblings while the Kazekage stepped up to Naruto's bed.

"Once again, I find myself grateful for your friendship, Naruto Uzumaki," the young man greeted politely.

"Heh… What are brothers for, Gaara?" Naruto replied, his grin notably cheeky at his rhetorical question. "In any case, I'm just glad what I did worked. I didn't want to lose my friend…"

Gaara smiled at his words. "I'm also relieved. If your efforts failed, I've no doubt that Lady Chiyo would've given her life for mine to be restored."

"What, like some sort of pseudo Resurrection Jutsu?"

"Good guess," Temari spoke up. "The technique is taught to a very small group of people. What it does is turn one's own lifeforce into energy."

"If used soon enough, it could bring someone back from a sudden death," Kankuro continued. "It could be used for other issues; but those who learn the technique know that using it will more than likely mean their own death."

"A life for a life… An equivalent exchange," Naruto summarized softly, earning somber nods from the Sand Siblings. "Well, good thing she didn't need to use it. How long am I supposed to rest?"

"The medics suggested another night; but knowing you, I doubt you'll be up to waiting that long," Kakashi answered, teasing the Uzumaki slightly at the end.

"I'd ask you to heed the medic's suggestion," Gaara requested. "You all are more than welcome to stay another evening and leave tomorrow."

"We appreciate the offer, Lord Kazekage," the Leaf Jonin replied. "I'll let the others know what's the plan."

With that, the man excused himself and left the room. With him gone, Gaara spoke again, "I assume you'd prefer to have these unique abilities of yours kept close to the chest?"

"Please… The less people who know, the less likely that people like the Akatsuki could find out," Naruto replied, earning an understanding nod from the redheaded Kage.

"You keep adding more and more to the puzzle," Temari sighed out, earning a chuckle from her fellow blonde. "Seriously, I keep thinking I have you figured out; but then something comes and gives me more to look over."

"I'm fairly certain I've cleared a satisfactory amount of confusion during my explanations, Temari-san," Neliel finally spoke up before turning to Naruto. "I'm pleased to see how far you've come along in your spiritual abilities, Naruto-san. Your increase in experience has improved the potency of your reiryoku; as seen by my adult form still having stability."

"How much longer do you think you have before you revert back, Neliel-san?" the Uzumaki asked, slightly surprising Temari and Kankuro at his respectful tone towards the greenette woman.

Taking a moment to feel her spiritual energy coursing through her, the ex-Espada replied, "If I refrain from using any of my power, I should still be around for a couple of hours."

"Good. That gives me enough time to explain what happened for the others and let them know to keep things quiet." Turning to Gaara, he asked, "Think you could have them come see me? I'd like to tell them as soon as I can and while Neliel is still herself."

Gaara nodded in understanding and left with his siblings to send word for the rest of the Leaf ninja. Being alone with Naruto, Neliel took the seat that Kakashi once had to wait with her friend.

"Are you alright, Naruto-san?" she asked softly, earning a confused look from him. "What I mean is…you seemed both pleased and disappointed when I informed you of the improved stability of my reiryoku during our earlier fight with the Akatsuki."

"Oh… That…"

Naruto looked away from Neliel, confliction seen on his face.

"…Don't get me wrong, Neliel-san; I am happy that you're getting closer to a full recovery. It's what we've been striving towards since I first met you in this form."

"But…?" she gently pressed.

"…I'm just going to miss spending time with your younger form. When you were Nel-chan…I couldn't help but imagine how we acted being as if I was truly someone's older sibling. I keep feeling this warmth that I think only a family can have…and I'm scared to lose that when you fully recover." He gave a hollow chuckle at his confession. "That sounds pretty selfish, doesn't it?"

"Not in the slightest, Naruto," Neliel immediately denied, dropping the formal suffix from his name. "You've lived your life with so much missing; parents, a family, a sense of peace…"

He turned back to her, giving her his full attention.

"It's only natural for you to cling to feelings that fill up that hole in your heart. In a sense, you're as much a Hollow as I am; you just don't have a hole to show it." She smiled gently at him and continued, "Understand that I am not and will not be upset with you for feeling anxious about losing that time with my younger self. Every time I resume my true form, I get the memories and feelings of the time spent as Nel. I get those feelings of happiness, of care, and of trust that my younger self has for you. So please… Don't fear losing those feelings. They'll be undoubtedly different when I fully recover; but that doesn't mean they will be any less significant."

A wave of gratefulness washed over Naruto at Neliel's words and the sincerity in them. "…thank you…"

"Of course, Naruto. Even after I recover, I will still be your friend and support you; just as you have done ever since you took me into your life."

The two shared a smile at her promise, sitting in comfortable silence as they waited for the others to arrive.

"Curious," a man with sandy blonde hair mused, waving a paper fan in front of his face. "How much distortion would you guess there is, Yoruichi-san?"

Sitting across from the man was, strangely, a black cat with yellow eyes that gleamed with an intelligence far beyond that of a normal feline. It was currently enjoying some sake that had been poured in a dish that sat in front of it, lapping up the drink casually before stopping to answer the man.

"They're slight," Yoruichi spoke, a male voice coming from the feline mouth, "but not so noticeable unless you are actively searching for them. Still, the fact that there are distortions in the Dangai shows that someone is tampering with the walls between worlds. You think it's Aizen?"

The man hummed thoughtfully, giving a slow nod. "Yes, I doubt anyone else is bold enough to try and break past those natural walls. Still, the question remains as to why he would be doing that in the first place."

"Maybe he's trying to see if there are any other worlds that are connected to the Garganta besides the Seireitei, Hueco Mundo, and the Living World?" Yoruichi suggested.

"Possible… I may have to take some time to observe these distortions personally. Maybe I can see if they've thinned the walls enough for a separate world to become linked."

"You sure it's safe to potentially get close to something like that, Kisuke?"

The man closed his paper fan, his gray eyes shadowed by the bucket hat resting atop his unkempt locks. "I've no doubt that it isn't safe; but I can't sit by and not look into what Aizen may be up to. If he is looking for another world and somehow manages to link one to the Garganta, then innocent people who have nothing to do with my mistakes will get involved. I can't let that happen…"

"Right… I'll come with you when you check. Maybe even potentially squeeze through the walls and scout any potential worlds Aizen is trying to find."

"I'd rather you didn't take such unnecessary risks; but I can't deny that some preemptive knowledge on an unknown world would be of great use. Hopefully there won't be anyone spiritually aware. We don't need them to be placed in the crosshairs…"

Naruto sneezed as he walked away from the Hidden Sand with his fellow Leaf ninja, Nel once again clinging to his back. Wiping his nose, he mused, "Must've breathed in too much sand…"

"Try not to inhale through your nose so much," Sakura advised him. "You could dry up your nostrils quickly and risk breaking skin. We don't need anyone having bloody noses out here."

The others nodded, making sure to fasten anything they could use to cover the lower half of their faces. Naruto had Binding Threads split into two small scarves so that Nel's face would also be protected.

To Naruto's relief, the explanation that he and Neliel had given the others concerning how he revived Gaara had been accepted with minimal skepticism. What they were still having trouble believing wasn't his new abilities, though; it was the fact that Naruto could converse with spirits/souls and had the ability since he was a child.

Sure, a few of them (namely Sakura) were upset that he had been portraying himself in a false manner; but when he defended his actions by reminding them of his status, they realized that it was mainly a means of protecting himself. It was disheartening to hear that their home village would treat someone so poorly, and they were still amazed that Naruto – despite not being the idiot he had pretended to be – could still be so optimistic and supportive of others.

It drove home the quality of his character.

A near full day of travel brought them to the familiar sight of the Hidden Leaf gates, and many of them were glad to be back home. After initially stopping by the Hokage Tower to give Tsunade their report, most of them left for their homes while Naruto and Nel stayed behind.

"Your Clone has been giving me progress reports on how Mikoto is doing. The good news is that she's still in a cognitive state," Tsunade informed her fellow blonde.

"And the bad news…?"

"She's started to become a bit more aggressive. I'm assuming her Hollow side is starting to have stronger influence on her psyche."

"Sounds that way… I'll visit her before heading home and see what I can do. I'll also check in with Mito-sensei."

"Right. Also, I think you should sit down with Jiraiya and explain what's going on. Now, before you get upset," she cut him off with a raised hand, "I'd rather nip this in the bud instead of letting it fester and drive a wedge between you two. I understand and completely agree that you're entitled to your secrets, Naruto; but isn't it better to end this before it becomes too late? He's your godfather, after all…"

Naruto sighed at that, seeing the point she was making. "I'll have a Clone talk to him and then explain things personally when I have time. For now, I'm going to see if Mikoto's aggression is getting worse."

With that, he and Nel left Tsunade alone in her office. The solitude lasted for less than a few minutes before she spoke aloud, not even looking up from her work, "You need to stop looking into this, Jiraiya. I've already convinced Naruto to talk to you about what's going on."

"About time…" he groused, entering her office through the window just enough so that he could sit on the windowsill.

"I didn't do it to appease you," she cut in, looking up to give the man an irritable glance. "I just don't want to see you two keep driving this wedge further in before it becomes too late. Honestly, Jiraiya, is it so hard to respect the privacy of your godson? What would Minato say if he saw his sensei practically spying on his son as if he were a criminal?"

"Don't bring him into this."

"I'll bring whoever the hell I damn well please into this if it means making you see that you're in the wrong. By the kami, do you not even see that this distrust is hurting Naruto? Can't you understand why he had to keep his secrets after everything he's gone through?"

"That shouldn't mean he needs to hide from me. Like you said, I'm his godfather."

"I only said that because that's the role you accepted from Minato and Kushina; a role you did the bare minimum of. I'm done arguing with you. Just wait for Naruto to talk with you; I'm not getting involved any further."

"…Fine."

With that, the Toad Sage left her office, and Tsunade sighed as she felt her real age creep up on her. "I'm getting too old for this kind of bullshit…"

"Feeling better?" Naruto asked after sharing some of his spiritual energy with Mikoto, who looked noticeably less tense than she had when he arrived.

"Yes… Much better, actually. Thank you, Naruto-kun."

"Don't mention it. I'm just glad I was able to help keep you from relapsing."

"…Did you see Itachi-kun?"

"I did. I let him know that you're still here, and I'm sure he's making plans to see you. I just need to pass on the same message to Sasuke…

"Feh… I'm still against this plan. That whelp reminds me too much of that damnable Madara; and I loathe that piece of shit."

'I understand, Kurama; but I promised to help Mikoto. If seeing her sons will help keep her from becoming more of a Hollow, then I want to make that happen…'

"Tch… You and your bleeding heart will get us killed one day…" the Bijuu grumbled with no real malice.

"I hope you see him soon… I don't want him around Orochimaru…"

"He made that decision under the influence of his desire for vengeance… I doubt he'd be welcomed back into the village; but that doesn't mean I can't at least let him see you one more time."

"I appreciate what you're doing for me, Naruto-kun… Thank you for trying to help me reconnect with my boys…"

"Hey, I'm just trying to do what I can to avoid a needless fight… Besides, you're my mom's best friend. For her sake and yours, I want to help you."

With that, Naruto bid her a good evening before leaving; and Mikoto couldn't help the tearful smile she had at how proud her sister in all but blood would be of the blonde Uzumaki.

"Your son has become a fine man, Kushina-chan… You and Minato made someone wonderful…"

The following dawn, Naruto was seen sitting on the bust of his late father, waiting for the arrival of a certain pervert. Beside him was Neliel, having been given just enough of Naruto's reiryoku for this conversation.

"Hopefully things will resolve themselves after this," she mused aloud.

"We'll see… It all depends on if Pervy Sage will be accepting of what we say or keep pressing me for more of my secrets…"

"And if he does…?"

He was silent for a moment, feeling Jiraiya's spiritual energy getting closer to the mountain. "If he does…I don't know what I'll do…"

When the Toad Sage landed and spotted an obviously adult version of the green-haired brat that his apprentice had adopted, he knew things were going to change.

"Looks like your hunch was right," Kisuke mused, studying some of the distortions to the Dangai walls while Tessai, one of his oldest friends and assistant to his quaint little shop, kept the area stable via the use of Kido.

"What do you think?" Yoruichi asked, standing beside her friend in her feline form.

"I think that you may need to play the scout role, after all… I don't know what will happen, and I don't blame you if you want to back out. We can always wait for if the distortions get big enough for both of us to go through."

"No. Waiting that long would be a bad idea. Best to let me have some time gathering what I can of this world before the distortions grow too large. Wherever I wind up, I'll return after three months."

"We don't know if there will be any time displacement; so, best make it so that you check at least twice a month. I'll do the same on my end," the man advised her, earning a nod.

"Alright. Hopefully that won't be an issue; but if it is, then I'll see you when I can."

The two childhood friends shared a nod before Kisuke aimed his spiritual energy at one of the distortions, willingly having a concentrated burst hit it so that it would hopefully open enough for Yoruichi to squeeze through. Once he felt it was widened just enough, he gave her a firm nod and watched as she leapt through without an ounce of fear.

To him, it looked like she made the Dangai walls ripple like water with her exit; the ripples going on for a few seconds before restabilizing. Turning to Tessai, he gave a silent order and the two left the Dangai World.

With luck, Yoruichi wouldn't find anything that would cause concern. But if she did, they needed to be prepared; especially since Isshin's boy was starting to develop his natural reiryoku more…

Well, this year has been pretty shitty so far, huh?

To be honest, everything that's been going on has seriously put a damper on my desire and motivation to type. But, seeing so many people press on, as well as those of you who reached out to me and checked on how I was doing…

Well, I guess it finally gave me the kick in the ass I needed… I just hope I don't lose any more of my motivation…

I'm also praying everyday for things to get better… With this virus and many people going nuts… We need to get through this…

Remember that you CAN count on other people to help you through this… Family, friends, even people here on Fanfiction. It only takes one person to reach out and offer support for others to do the same…

Dreaming of the Future,

pain17ification