Merry Christmas, or if you don't celebrate Christmas then Happy Holidays, and if you don't like that then Happy Shut The Fuck Up day. Anyways here is the next installment of Naruto: Mirror of protection, we finally get to see why its called that in this one. Also, while I'm doing an AN let me give you the secret to getting me to update faster… REVIEW. The more reviews I have the more I feel compelled not to make people wait. So review. Oh and speaking of reviews please read my other story and tell me if you think I should continue it.

A Few Months later

Naruto lay back on his bed in his apartment with a sigh after a long and rather boring day of school. It seems that even with the hollows that this world was not that exciting… but that might have something to do with the fact that Kami had drilled everything there was to know into his head during his ten years in heaven so he wasn't really learning anything. The most fun he had all month was when he felt that enough time had passed after 'gaining his powers that he could release the shikai of one of his zanpackto. He chose the one that had earned him his name back in the elemental countries. Its' name was Mira (Mirror) and let's say that Kisuke learned to respect the unknowns in life that day.

Flashback

Kisuke smiled and fanned himself lightly as he watched Naruto and Yoruichi spar, the kid was a natural and Kisuke was getting rather suspicious of the platinum blond boy's past, there was something that he wasn't telling and being who Kisuke was he wanted to know.

Clapping lightly to get their attention he steeped out onto the field. "Alright that's enough. Now Naruto, it has been some time since you unlocked the power hidden inside you so I want you to try and call upon one of your zanpackto and enter shikai." Naruto nodded and sat down in a lotus position and began meditating for show. He entered his mindscape and conversed with the spirits there for and idea of who he should 'unlock' first.

There were two spirits currently inhabiting his mindscape, the sword he had gotten from the Shinigami's spirit had not yet allowed him to find out his name and as such it had to presence yet. The first was in the form of an ornate mirror that floated in the middle of the library that was the representation of his mind. In the mirror was the figure of a man wearing knights' armor and carrying a tower shield but had no sword. The other spirit (who was much more pleasant to look at) was a very… endowed woman wearing a black kimono with flames decorating it reading one of the many books in the library. She had blood red hair and slit pupils in her matching eyes. Her name was Kyuubi and had been sealed in him at birth by his father.

In the end he decided on Mira because it was his least attack oriented, more based on defense, also this was the spirit that was actually formed by his own soul whereas the others where only inhabitants and not natives so to speak. He told Mira to put on a show and exited his mindscape just as power began to flood his system.

Around him dust began to swirl about and he took on a pale blue glow. Slowly he began to rise and open his eyes which were alight with a fire of determination. He drew Mira and in one smooth motion shattered it against the ground with a downward thrust while yelling out a command with a powerful voice.

"Reflect: Mira" (Mirror)

Kisuke and Yoruichi looked on in mild amazement at the power given off by the teen looking man and where surprised when his swords release seemed to not be there. Kisuke stepped closer.

"Sorry Naruto looks like you weren't able to achieve shikai yet." He frowned lightly but hid it behind his fan as Naruto spoke again.

"Your mistaken Kisuke this is my shikai." With that he motioned for Yoruichi to attack him and when she did a mirror formed underneath her strike and stopped her cold. She jumped back with a raised eyebrow

"It stopped my strike." Was her confused response, she had never heard of a zanpackto like this. Naruto simply laughed. "Actually if you want to get technical it reflected your strike's exact power which nullified it. When an object had force acting on it will move related to the amount of force, but if you apply the same amount of force in the opposite direction the two forces cancel each other out and the object comes to a rest.

Kisuke stepped up now. "Does it have a limit on how much force it can project?"

Naruto nodded. "It converts my reiryoku into its reflecting force so if I run out or stop giving it will shatter."

With that said Kisuke drew his own zanpackto out of his can and released it. "Well lets see how it does against a ranged attack." Jumping back to put some distance between them he whispered "Cry Benihime" and swung his sword, a wave of red energy lashing out at Naruto.

Expecting the wave to just break against the shield as he had not put more reiryoku into that attack than the kid had he was surprised to see it, instead of exploding, being sucked into the shield.

"Hay Kisuke this is pay back for making me go to school. Chikara (force)." Naruto smirked and thrust his hand out and a icy blue beam shot out of a mirror that formed at Kisuke, who was so surprised that he couldn't defend or dodge the blast.

Flashback end

The blast had knocked Kisuke out for a few hours, much to Naruto and Yoruichi's amusement and after he had woken up Naruto had explained that since a ranged attack made

out of energy itself was a force all its own, he could instead absorb the force directly and 'reflect' it in another direction in the form of that beam, so long as the power in the attack did not exceed his own.

Sighing again Naruto was about to drift of when he heard a knock at the door. Looking over at the clock and deciding it was not too late to have company he walked over and opened the door to reveal everyone's favorite ditz Orihime and her best friend Tatsuki. Ushering them inside he smiled kindly at them, which was reflected by them with Tatsuki having a mild blush spread across her face.

"Hay their Himi-chan Suki-chan, what can I do for you?" Naruto asked as he lead them into his living room, having them sit down before going to get drinks. When he came back he sat down on a chair and leaned back, rubbing his eyes lightly.

"Well Naruto-kun. I wanted to talk about how Ichigo was acting to day and you're a lot like him so I thought you might know what was wrong." Orihime said with a slightly down trodden look, thinking about how Ichigo was smiling and acting all cheerful today.

Now what you have to know is that Ichigo never smiled, smirked yes but not smiled. So for him to smile something was wrong, very wrong.

Putting a hand to his chin Naruto thought for a second before shaking his head. "Sorry I got nothing. We may act similar but that doesn't mean I know what's going on in his head."

Orihime thought for a moment. "Wait I know. Maybe Ichigo is a super hero and his cover is being close to blown so he is putting this act up to avoid being discovered." By the end of her speech she had stars in her eyes as she imagined Ichigo in tights defending Karakura town. Naruto and Tatsuki just looked at each other before laughing and shaking their heads.

"So Ichigo is a superhero huh. Well let me tell you about the first time I saw the great hero." Orihime leaned in exited to hear what Tatsuki had to say. (Insert Tatsuki's monologue on young Ichigo)

By the time she was done Orihime hand tears in her eyes and Naruto had a solemn look on his face. "So since you said he is like this once a year and tomorrow he won't be at school I take it that is when his mother died." He said softly while consoling Orihime while Tatsuki just nodded.

The Next Day Karakura Cemetery

Ichigo waked side by side with his family for their trip to their mother's grave. To him this was one of the worst days of the year. He blamed himself for her death, if only he had realized that the girl was a spirit he would not have put her in such danger. Sighing he was about to turn into the row of headstones that his mother's was in when he heard some calling to him.

"Hay Ichigo!"

He turned his head and to his dismay he saw both the annoyance Rukia and Naruto. Naruto he could stand because it was him that saved them both on the night when he got his Shinigami powers and it didn't help that they were a lot alike. Rukia however was so annoying with her 'school girl' attitude. In the few months that he knew her the only one who he knew could annoy him to the amount she does is Keigo and Mizuro when they go on their little nerd rants after exams (which they included picking on Naruto as he was always in a battle for top student with that Uryu guy, whoever he was).

Reluctantly he waved hello to them and turned to his family. "Sorry I'll be there in a sec." Racing off he grabbed Rukia by the collar and pulled her away from his family, Naruto following and laughing silently at her face as she was pulled.

"Alright what the hell are you two doing here." He demanded once they were out of hearing range. Naruto simply pointed at her.

"She wanted to know why you were acting weird yesterday. I already figured it out but its' your story to tell not mine." Ichigo's respect for him went up another knotch with this before he explained his mother's death to Rukia who went off to say that it sounded like a hollow attack prompting Ichigo to blow up about not everything was the hollows fault (something Naruto wasn't so sure about) and that he was to blame.

Naruto just shook his head lightly, a notion that went unnoticed by Ichigo and grabbed hold of Rukia's arm and pulled her away. "Go back to praying for her Ichigo, I'll keep Rukia busy but we will be close in case there is a hollow." With that the two disappeared into the tree line and Ichigo went to rejoin his family.

A little bit later

Naruto sighed lightly as he was in a kneeling position on a little rise above the cemetery while Rukia was standing beside him looking out in the direction of Ichigo. He was currently praying for his dead friends and family, knowing that although they could not talk back they could hear him when he directed his prayers to them. He heard Rukia shift slightly beside him and let out a little bit louder sigh as he heard Kon, the mod soul they got from Urahara for Ichigo talking.

After a few minutes he felt Rukia stiffen and smiled lightly. 'So she finally noticed our little tail eh.' "Naruto…" She said but he just nodded his head. "I know." With that he faded from existence, he, Rukia, and Urahara decided that it would be best if he did not have any reaction with the Seireitei, who knows how they would react to a human that had their powers with no explanation, Ichigo was bad enough as it was being a substitute Shinigami.

Fading back into existence in a tree he repressed his reiryoku to levels that would pass of for being a small animal and looked at the man below him. There wasn't much to tell about the man all he saw was a straw hat and a Shinigami outfit. Rukia approached him and he acted like he was waking up, although Naruto knew he had been awake the whole time, and started to talk to her, riling her up with talk of a love between her and Ichigo that had Naruto laughing soundlessly. Kon had left to go get Ichigo who returned a little later and pulled a green pill out of the stuffed lions mouth and popped it into his, separating his Shinigami form with that of his real body which Kon now inhabits.

Then a rather sad fight proceeds with the Shinigami, Eikichiro or something, making some good points about Ichigo's fighting style or lack thereof. Just as Ichigo was about to lose his cool Naruto felt something and Rukia's hollow detector beeped showing a large hollow in the vicinity. Rukia remarks that it might be after Ichigo's family and the four run off.

Karakura Cemetery

Once the four (five if you count the hidden Naruto) reached the source of the disturbance, they saw that indeed the hollow had targeted Ichigo's family, as it was currently strangling his little sister Karin and was about to eat her when they showed up. Some words where exchanged and they managed to get the girl away from the hollow and sent Kon to take them away while the battle was joined.

The three managed to lure it away from the cemetery while Naruto trailed behind in case things got out of hand and Eikichiro revealed that it was called Gran Fisher, due to it luring people in with the lure on its head. Ichigo proceeded to fight it with some slight help from Rukia who used some Bakudō on it to try and hold it but was unable to make it strong enough in her weakened state. Ichigo was doing alright until Fisher changed the lure to look like his deceased mother, at that point the battle swayed into Fisher's favor because Ichigo could not hurt the image of his mother and Fisher used this distraction to land a crippling blow to Ichigo by piercing him with one of his claws.

It was then that something strange happened, the lure glowed softly before it began to speak. Rukia said it was his mothers spirit giving him her last thoughts. It told him about how she was always proud of him and loved him before fading away. This seemed to be the push Ichigo needed because he attacked Fisher with renewed strength, ripping the lure off his head. Fisher decided that it could not retreat by trying to back into a doorway back to Huaco Mundo and that is when Naruto made his move. With a hasty Shunpo (flash step) he appeared behind the hollow and smacked him with Mira, sending him flying into the opposite direction. He stepped forward, ignoring the shocked look from Eikichiro and the light glare from Rukia for revealing himself to said Shinigami.

"Gran Fisher, you who would use a persons love against them to kill them. This is an action I cannot allow to go unpunished."

With that he swung Mira and shattered it against the ground much to everyone's confusion.

"Reflect: Mira"

With that command it seemed like nothing happened and Gran Fisher laughed at him.

"What was that supposed to do puny Shinigami, all it did was get rid of one of your swords."

With his taunting finished he attacked Naruto by turning his hair into spikes and sending them at him, Naruto however did not move. Just when they were about to hit him however they impacted against a light blue wall.

"Sorry that will not work against me, my sword Mira has the power to reflect all force put against me, giving me the ultimate defense." With that he drew both his other swords and settled into a stance. The two seemed to stare at each other before Naruto sprang into action, jumping forward with a downward strike, intent on cutting right through the mask. However he was stopped when Fisher used his claw to deflect the shot and tried again to impale Naruto on his hair, only to be met again with the same blue wall. Jumping back Naruto did not waist a second before charging forward again, this time going for a cross cut. At the last second though he spun around just as Fisher used his claw to try and impale him, hoping that Naruto couldn't raise the wall during an attack, and brought one of his swords down. The blade sliced through Fishers claw like a hot knife through butter and he roared in pain.

"Damn and here I was hoping you would be a good work out." With that he used a quick Shunpo and appeared on the other side of the hollow. The people there looked confused for a second before a line appeared going across Fishers mask horizontally. Before he could even realize he had been cut he faded away and Naruto sheathed both his swords and released Mira. He walked over to Eikichiro and pointed Mira's blunt end at him.

"Seeing as I have not committed any crime and am not a part of the Seireitei I hope that you will not say anything about me, otherwise it could prove detrimental to your health."

The Shinigami, who had no intentions of saying anything about him anyway, quickly shook his head while backing away slowly. After giving Rukia one last word of advice Eikichiro ran off, probably to get as far away from Naruto as possible.

With the battle won Naruto said a few encouraging words to Ichigo about how he should handle the news about how his mother really died before walking off and dragging Rukia with him. He knew that he would need some alone time with his family now and would not get in the way.

Alright there you have it. How was it? Personally it feels a little compressed to me but I just couldn't think of what to write. And for everyone who is going to say that he killed Fisher to fast remember Isshin kills Gran Fisher after it had gotten turned into an arrancar, so I think my Naruto could too. Anyway give me REVIEWS and have a nice day.