Chapter 11:

"You did well Sui-Feng, thank you for doing this for me. We'll go together and see him again tomorrow ne?"

A slight nod was her answer before Sui-Feng's gentle breath into her cleavage was the only sound to be heard. Yoruichi chuckled, the sensation being more than just a little ticklish, but continued affectionately stroking her proteges soft hair.

"I'll get to see you again tomorrow Naruto, and then I can tell you everything that I've wanted to say since I first saw you all those years ago. "

(SCENE BREAK)

All through the night Naruto didn't sleep. His mind was a whirling tide of thoughts and emotions, things he hadn't felt in a long time.

Fifty years since he'd entered Soul Society and he'd never once allowed anyone into his home before yesterday. The petite young Shinigami was such a pretty little thing, with a heart of gold yet a countenance of iron.

Too bad she was so stiff though, she wouldn't stop calling him 'Naruto-sama' no matter how much he asked; seeming to think that to call him otherwise would be an insult, which couldn't be farther from the truth.

So he'd reluctantly relented after a time, and when the morning sun broke over the tree line, bathing the lake in a golden hue that he never tired of, he prepared to receive his guests for the day. He'd sent Jinzo home, the young man meant well, but his idol worship was kind of annoying.

It was the reason he'd never actually let him inside the compound.

That didn't seem to stop him though, almost the very next day Naruto had walked outside with his fishing pole in hand and seen a small tree house built into one of the larger trees not far from his compound, just on the edge of the clearing. He could also swear he saw the man sitting at the window with a spy-glass.

Creepy much?

His experience with the war had mellowed him considerably, and considering the most he could do in this after life was meditate and go fishing or train, he had become a much calmer individual than he had been in his younger days. Back then, things had been simpler, but he was coming to enjoy these little activities.

Fishing for instance served several purposes.

It taught him patience, and to be ever attentive even when the waters were calm. To never let himself be caught off guard lest his catch get away from him.

In a way, it had helped him keep his skills sharp, yet his paranoia had stuck with him. He often found himself with stiff shoulders, and muscles that ached from the strain of constant readiness.

Fifty years of always being ready for anyone stupid enough to jump him was doing a number on his body and his psyche.

With a sigh, Naruto checked his fishing line and went back to his thoughts when he'd noticed no activity on the surface of the lake.

He'd already caught several fish since he'd started the night before and over the course of the day; several salmon, twelve mackerel, and a few sweet fish. He'd been fishing all night after he discovered that sleep wasn't coming to him.

He'd already prepared several dishes, from ramen topped with grilled pork, radish, red onion, and a single egg; to oden and sukiyaki nabe(hot pot) dishes, the oden still simmering away inside. Taiyaki(grilled meat dish), Sashimi(raw fish dish), and Yakizakana(grilled fish) dishes had also been prepared over the course of the night and were being preserved in seals; all in all it was a feast fit for the Soul King himself.

There was still more to be prepared though, as he had several rice dishes in mind, chahan(fried rice), some simple steamed rice for the rice bowls and maybe even some sushi(this is technically classified as a rice dish) if he had the time.

He had nothing better to do with his time, and he'd be damned if he didn't at least accommodate his first real guests in five decades properly.

Some of the fish he'd caught in the last hour or so would be going into his shed in special storage seals for later use, while the rest would be brought inside and added to the current dinner menu. He didn't know how much time he had until they arrived, but he had deactivated the security seals on the doors so that they wouldn't be repulsed or violently shocked on contact.

Hey, so he valued his privacy, he had the right to booby trap his front door if he wanted to.

A flicker of movement in the corner of his eye drew his attention to his fishing rod, and slowly, he moved into a proper sitting position, kneeling down next to the rod but not touching it yet. He watched as the rod vibrated gently several times, before suddenly it was nearly yanked out of the ground.

With lightning fast reflexes, Naruto snagged the rod and pulled.

The fish caught on his line, and came flying out of the water so fast it likely had no idea that it wasn't in the water anymore. Reaching up, he caught the fish in his free hand, before placing it under his arm so he could remove the hook.

Once that was done, he chucked the fish into one of the buckets he had with him that still had space, before coiling up the fishing line and making his way to his front step. Leaning the rod against the wall, he was about to go back to the shore to collect his catch when he realized that he was no longer alone.

Looking over his shoulder, he took in a sight he hadn't seen in over fifty years. A beautiful woman with a slender body, wide hips and a generous bust, and legs that seemed to go on for miles.

A regal visage framed by short purplish hair and golden eyes looking at him with an impish grin. She was wearing something different this time though.

She had foregone the white haori and black kimono, instead opting for a golden formal kimono with elegant purple patterns strewn about the fabric tied shut with an orange obi.