Thanks for the reviews, and sorry it took a while to update, school and formating issues... Anyways, enjoy!

Warmly welcomed back to Konoha by a pair of snarling kunoichis, Shizune and Sakura, Kiba soon found himself back in the hospital, a noisy Sakura berating him on his rash and thoughtless actions.

"You didn't even try being diplomatic, did you Kiba?!" the medical nin yelled.

Kiba merely rolled his eyes and scoffed, "It's not like I got hurt, is it?"

"You could've been, Inuzuka, you could've been. You might not even be right here now! What were you thinking, sneaking out of here like that?! You idiot!!! I don't think you understand the full extent of the risks you took!!! Unbelievable!!! And just what, I'd like to know, are you going to tell Kurenai-sensei, and what about your sister? Oh, I bet she's livid!" the sole kunoichi of squad seven ranted on her furious tirade.

"Um.... E-ex-excuse me Sakura," Hinata stuttered nervously.

"And now look, Hinata's all worried! Did you even consider the problems your squad would face if you had gotten severely injured or even killed, which I might like to add, you are very lucky you didn't!" Sakura roared over a nearly snoring Kiba.

"S-s-sa-Sakura, erm..."

"Hello, Hinata. What is it?" and her frenzied expressions of extreme anger softened into gentle concern, but only for a second as she turned back to Kiba and it returned and, ignoring the girl behind her, continued her lecture.

"You are the most irresponsible shinobi I've ever met! And trust me, I'm in Naruto's squad, and that kid's irresponsible! But compared to you -"

"S-Sakura, could you please stop yelling at Kiba?" the Hyuuga child stammered quietly.

Sakura's tirade ceased mid-sentence, and she turned around to see Hinata. "Er, sure... Well, he seems to be okay for the most part, and if you're here he won't try another escape attempt (hopefully), so, um, I suppose I can leave now." And with that Sakura Haruno swept out of the room, throwing one last death-glare at the delinquent shinobi.

"Thanks for that, Hinata," said Kiba, smiling at his teammate. He meant it, too, he knew it couldn't of been easy for her, interrupting the loud, furious rhinoceros otherwise known as Sakura Haruno.

Greatly pleased at Kiba's gratitude, Hinata returned with a soft kind smile, and from the doorway the third member of Team Kurenai emerged, the silent enigmatic Shino.

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Humming a pleasant tune to himself, Gin Ichimaru strode down the vast halls of Los Noches, grinning as always.

"Why hello there, Uliquiorra," the former Captain of the third squad greeted a chance acquaintance in the pretty much indefinite corridors of Aizen's stronghold. The Fourth Espada didn't so much as glance at the white haired commander, but rather continued on his way, not bothering to bat an eye.

"Oh dear, it seems we must do something about the lack of respect for superiors at this institution," Gin muttered to himself as he entered the room Aizen had summoned him to.

"One who has decided to skip out on mandatory meetings should not be speaking of such things, Ichimaru," a dark toned shinobi stated from the shadows.

"Hm, same always Tousen. Anyways I'm here now, aren't I?"

Rising from his much adored throne, Aizen, cast his eye down upon the white worm writhing on the ground.

"Care to tell me why it is that you were not present, Gin?"

Squinting up at his commander – seriously, who needs a throne over so many steps – Gin's smile widened. "Why sure, Lord Aizen. And I'm sure you'll find it a valid reason indeed. It has to do with what you had me look into, Sousuke."

"What happened to 'Lord Aizen', Gin?" and Aizen's former lieutenant only shrugged. Sighing with exasperation – truly, Gin had been right, there was a problem with respect for superiors at Los Noches – and continued. "Well? What of it?"

Gin's smile widened. "I do have a number of things to tell."

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"So... She ran away after you did your jutsu?" asked Hinata, an expression of intense interest and concentration carved on to her face.

"Yes, Hinata," Kiba muttered with a sigh. He'd already went over it three times, and was getting a little bored.

"Interesting. And you say she left with enough speed to match Gai-sensei?" Shino inquired.

"Yes, Shino," Kiba repeated in a monotone.

"Well then," Hinata rose from her and offered Kiba a hand to help him out of his bed. "Shall we leave?"

Shino took a few steps from his shadowy corner. "The Hokage might be mad at us. Do you think we should inform her, or at least Kurenai-Sensei, of this decision?"

Kiba, on his feet and stretching, replied "No, not really. We'll be back soon enough, right?"

"Mhm," Hinata grunted before concern flashed over her features. "But what about Akamaru? Isn't he still with your sister? Should we go get him?"

Kiba stared at the ground and sighed. "No, Hinata, I don't want to bring Akamaru into this. So, are we ready?"

After a quick nod, Shino and Hinata headed out of the door, followed by Kiba. Hinata leaned back over at him and asked, "Do you think we'll really be able to find this Kurotsuchi girl?"

Kiba glanced at his teammate. What a silly question! "Of course. Team 8's the best scout team in all'a Konoha."

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Izuru Kira, lieutenant of the third squad and one of the survivors had been tasked with aiding fourth squad captain Retsu Unohana with healing the injured, and had finally finished with stopping the internal bleeding of Nanao Ise. As he moved to mending a broken arm, he mused over the woman's fight.

Nanao at fought with more ferocity than Izuru could have thought possible. She was one of the few non-captains who had actually emerged victorious in their encounters with the invaders.

She'd been steely determined to not distract her captain with her fight, desperate to not distract him and resolutely shooing him away when he tried to aid her. She knew that he could not afford to lose any concentration, and that if she failed her captain would have to fight one-on-two against such strong opponents.

Motivated by these perceptions, the lieutenant found herself attacking with every fiber of her being, and at long last emerged victorious, to the great amazement of Izuru. Nonetheless, the cost of her success was grim, gravely injured while the captain only had a broken arm and a few cuts and bruises.

When Izuru thought of the invaders so few had managed to defeat, he was not thinking of the main force, most of which were little more than fodder. Then, there were those who had eye tricks, and managed to deal successfully with fifth seats and higher. Finally, there were those who were on par of the captain, if not higher. They were the problem, though less than a dozen in number, and it was one of these that Nanao Ise had succeeded in besting in battle.

The problem of this third group was their weapons. It was the greatest mystery of these invaders, even more so than their odd eyes. How did these new (though legal) inhabitants of the Rukongai obtain such powerful Zanpakuto and master them so quickly? This was what worried Izuru the most, and not only because he had fair confidence in that the mad scientist could decipher those red eyes.

The Eighth Squad lieutenant opened her eyes and managed to make out the blurred outline of a blond head. Who is this again? Without her glasses, Nanao found herself rather visually impaired. Nevermind, she thought, resting her squinting eyes and focusing on the spiritual pressure – the spiritual pressure that flowed right into her, mending her numerous wounds.

"Lieutenant Kira."

His concentration shattered and kidou dispersed, Izuru blinked out of his reverie of Lieutenant Ise's struggle and focused on the warrior herself.

"Yes, Nanao?"

Normally she would've scowled at being addressed so informally (she got enough of that from her Captain), but now in her weary weakened state she found her disobedient mouth twisting into a smile – and quite a kind one at that.

"That's enough, Lieutenant," she whispered.

"But -" Izuru protested, dismayed at the prospect of leaving her only half-healed.

"Your tired, Izuru," Nanao Ise stated matter-of-factly.

The lieutenant of the third squad blinked, quite surprised at being called by his first name by the lieutenant of Squad Eight, of all people! He started to splutter and stammer, attempting to make an excuse.

"I can feel your spiritual pressure, and I know you're tired. Now go get your dinner and some rest, I'll be fine," she pressed him.

"But-"

"No. More. Buts." And Nanao said it with such a sense of finality, and her cold eyes glared at him with such resolution that he dared not resist any longer, and scurried away.

Arriving at that dismal corner of the cavern which served as the kitchen, Izuru glanced at the humungous stone slab that held the sorry excuses of meals. Only three were left – one for Izuru, one for Nanao, but whose did the other belong to?

Izuru glanced around the room scanning the crowd of shinigami, before spotting one right at the maw of the cavern, facing outwards, and he noticed that she had been in that same spot since the moment they arrived. Glancing down at the remaining meal, Izuru made his choice and scooped it up.

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Still fuming at Kiba's actions, though it'd been over an hour since she last saw him, Sakura stormed out of the Konoha Hospital. Muttering to herself about how much of an idiot Kiba could be and how much she hated idiots, she soon found herself knocking into a kunoichi, she was so wrapped in her thoughts.

"Oh, hi Sakura!" chirped the unlucky victim of their collision, not particularly seeming to mind.

"Not now, Ino Pig," Sakura hissed, not even glancing at the kunoichi she bumped. A big mistake.

"Ino pig? Do I look like an Ino pig to you? Hey, Sakura, at least look at me when you talk!" Tenten exclaimed, after which muttering, "I can't believe she thought I was Ino. If I were Ino wouldn't I've said something like hi 'billboard brow' or something?!"

"Oh. Sorry Tenten my bad. I'm just kinda outasorts."

"Mhm. I can see that."

"Well, see you later, Tenten," Sakura gushed before turning on her heel and stalking away. That stupid Kiba! His idiocy is rubbing off on me!!!

"Hey wait, Sakura, where're you going?" asked Tenten, running after the retreating Haruno.

"To Tsunade's. She's supposed to train me," Sakura called over her shoulder.

And upon hearing this, Tenten's pace quickened until she was along side Sakura.

"The Hokage's training you? Really? Oh, Sakura, you're so lucky!" Tenten's excitement was palpable as she resolved to go with Sakura to the Hokage's, a flounce in her step. Though she wasn't sure if she had the nerve to ask Tsunade for training as well. At this, a bitter jealousy seeped through Tenten. Why'd Sakura get to be Tsunade's apprentice and not her???

Arriving at the Hokage's office, they found poor Tsunade besieged by towers of paperwork, and a stern Shizune standing behind the desk, determined to keep Tsunade on task.

Tenten bit her lip. Why should her idol have to do this much paperwork? And just what did paperwork accomplish, anyways?

"Hello, Lady Tsunade," greeted Sakura.

"Hi Sakura. Hi Tenten." A moan was imbedded in the Hokage's voice. She had sooo much work to do!

"Is... Now not a good time?" Sakura asked, understanding her mentor's predicament.

"No, actually, not at all. I was just about to send Shizune for a few genin, and you two will do."

"Oh," Sakura sighed, realizing that her training was getting put off, again.

Tenten, on the other hand, beamed and took a step forward.

"Sure, Lady Tsunade. We'd love to help out. What is the mission?" the girl asked, her eyes sparkling in excitement.

Tsunade ruffled through her papers, tearing through stack after stack, before finally finding what she was looking for. Unfortunately, now the room was now more or less carpeted with white papers, the much of the black writing containing highly important and confidential information.

"Ah. Here," Tsunade gasped for breath. She scanned the paper before handing it to Tenten. "There's... Rumors of an... Well, an 'odd' (to say the least...) disturbance to the west. You two go check it out, but... The details are scanty. Don't be afraid to call for back up and don't action unless you're positive you can handle it. A hundred percent. And it might not be a bad idea to pick up a few more genin on your way out," Tsunade explained, and the kunoichis left.

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"So... She's a bit older than us, rather on the small side, has green eyes, dark hair worn in a long braid, a short black outfit, and a red choker?"

"Yes, Hinata." Kiba gathered his chakra into his nose.

"Right. Byakugan."

Through his dark glasses, Shino gazed at the insects crawling along his finger, giving them instructions, then setting them to the sky.

"Kiba," the taciturn Abarame spoke.

"Mm? What is it, Shino? You found her already?"

"Kiba, don't fight. Let us. Why? You're weakened from Orochimaru's fiends and your prior encounter with Ms. Kurotsuchi."

"Yah, whatever you say Shino," muttered Kiba without much emphasis and not giving Shino any reason to believe that he meant what he said.

The genin of squad eight set off, using their unique tracking abilities to their fullest.

There were the rich scents of the forest and the foul scents of the forest, that of damp, healthy earth and running woodland creeks, that of decaying meat and blood of the predators, and the scents of countless animals, to many of which the sense of smell was primary means of communication.

Kiba took it all in and forced himself to stay on task, trying to recall the scent of Nemu Kurotsuchi, trying to pry a foreign waft from the many eons-old familiars.

The gray world of Byakugan was tinged with the many traces of chakra, leading this way and that, and then there was the defensive jutsu Konoha used as well. Stains of where more powerful jutsus had been used years ago still had lingering chakra. Hinata found a number of sources of these numerous chakras, but none of them matched the description Kiba'd told her.

She blinked as she recognized Ino's chakra, and wished she were skilled enough to know how old it was. Still, it didn't seem like the chakra of anything particularly powerful, and it was already disappearing before her very eyes, so it couldn't have been that long ago... Right?

Well, if Ino was around, Kiba should be able to pick up her scent soon. So she'd just wait, and continue scanning the forest for their target.

Shino plodded along behind the other two, stopping every hundred steps or so to examine a particularly interesting specimen of insect as he waited for his beetles to return. Occasionally he'd find a species he was fluent with, and would inquire if it had seen any shinigami about.

A dozen of his beetles returned, informing him that though they had failed in their initial task they found it prudent to report to him that they'd found four other Konoha shinobi in the vicinity before continuing with their search. Shino thanked them and sent them on their way, and then he approached a moth and interrogated it.

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A slight breeze ruffled the shinigami's short hair, but she didn't notice. Her mind was entirely elsewhere, completely disconnected from her delicate body, a statuesque sentinel at the lip of the cavern. In spite of her high ranking, the padding of footsteps behind her failed to register.

Below her large round eyes ran two tear stains that had long since dried and been forgotten, and a demented smile ran across the girl's face. Again a breeze came, ripping leaves from trees and bending blades of grass and sending the child's bubblegum pink hair raging across her face.

"Lieutenant Kusajishi?"

Silence alone replied.

"Lieutenant Kusajishi?" the voice repeated, and at the lack of reply it sighed and continued, "Lieutenant Kusajishi I brought you your meal," Kira Izuru told the lieutenant of the eleventh squad.

"Not hungry."

The girl didn't even turn around.

Gulping, Izuru remembered all the horror stories that surrounded the pink haired demon child, and wondered what the best course of action would be. Extremely nervous, the doomed lieutenant took a few steps towards Yachiru until he was kneeling beside her.

"Lieutenant Kusajishi – Yachiru – I know you're upset... but... Really, you should eat!" he attempted to explain.

"Not. Now." And her voice was dead serious and sent shivers down Izuru's spine. Still, the shinigami gathered his courage. She was just a small child, after all. She needed some help getting through tough situations like this.

"Listen... Yachiru... About Kenpachi..." he began hesitantly.

"Kenny's not dead." She snapped the words out, without any of her usual childish joy, and she still refused to meet the concerned lieutenant's gaze.

"But Yachiru... Please... Try to understand..." pleaded Kira.

"Kenny's not dead and I'm not hungry so go away," she commanded the lieutenant.

Izuru gulped. He knew he was getting into dangerous territory with this girl, and he desperately wished Momo was there. She always knew how to deal with little kids! But no, she too, in spite of her and Tobiume's efforts, were defeated. Still, he had to try and help the child, and it was obvious that she needed help.

"But Yachiru... You know, he was up against some pretty strong opponents, you know."

"Go away."

"Yachiru... What Kenpachi did was very noble you know -"

"Go away, Kenny never wanted to be noble. He'll skewer you after I tell him."

"Yachiru...."

"Mhm. You can go away now."

"Yachiru... You and I both know that the fact of the matter is that there is no way that even Kenpach Zaraki could have survived -"

"Go. Away." Her words were cold as she fought against the hysteria she felt inside.

"But Yachiru you have to accept the fact that -"

"Kenny's not dead!" she spat, suddenly spinning and meeting Kira's eye, her small body quivering with the maelstrom of emotion within, and then she spun agilely on her toe and flounced on the ground, and continued to gaze out at the forest, waiting, waiting.

"Yachiru, I know that its hard – but try thinking of it this way," a persistent Kira continued, "His was much happier than most, because it happened while he did what he loved doing most. He always knew that one day he'd di-"

"Don't. You dare. Say it." She warned, not glancing back.

"Yachiru, he faced to many opponents, and they were to strong – it's impossible, Kenpachi's... Dead..."

"KENNY'S NOT DEAD!" the distraught child roared, her spiritual pressure battering the cavern and its inhabitants, swirling through them all with the ferocity of a hurricane. The child was on her feet, and turned to face the cavern.

"Kenny isn't dead. You'll see!!! You're all WRONG!!!" she screamed, and tore out of the cavern, too fast for sight.

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"Hmm. I see." Urahara intensely studied the faces of the humans before him, tension written across their faces.

He gave an emphatic sigh.

"Well... You see, the gate, well..."

"What is it, Mr. Urahara," an earnest Orihime begged.

"You see, it's been... Malfunctioning. Yoruoichi is out at the Soul Society to investigate, but she hasn't gotten back yet. You couldn't get anything out of Ichigo or Rukia?" Urahara implored.

"No. He left before he even noticed us, the dunce..." Ishida scowled.

"Hm. Well, are you guys certain you want to do this?" Urahara bit his lip, weighing the possibilities.

"Absolutely. We have to, isn't there any way you can help us?" Chad pleaded, and Uryu and Orihime nodded in agreement behind him.

"I see," Urahara stood there for a few seconds, then made his decision.

"Jinta! Ururu!" he called, and there was a clatter from the attic of the shop as the two children came downstairs.

"Yeah? Whadya want?" Jinta demanded.

"Oh... Hi, Ururu, hi Jinta," Orihime murmured as a greeting, though Jinta ignored her. But not Ururu.

"Good evening, Ms. Orihime," Ururu breathed, her head inclined in a sort of bow, then turned to the other two. "Good evening, Mr. Yasutora, Mr. Uryu."

Jinta, irritated at her formalities, rammed his knuckles into his sister's temples and rubbed, much to the small girl's distress.

Trying to restore order, Urahara clapped his hands.

"Alright, alright, you guys, calm down, calm down," and gradually order was restored.

"Okay," Urahara addressed his visitors and adoptive children, "I'll let you use the gate, Jinta, Ururu, you are to go with them. I'm sure you know, this is dangerous, even more so than the first time. But, I think Ichigo's bluntheaded determination has rubbed off on you three and so I'm not going to try and tell you to go home and leave it up to him. However, I think I am obligated to tell you that there is a chance you may not even end up in the Soul Society at all, but a completely different world where there is next to zero chance of return."

"I know it won't be easy and it could be dangerous. But we don't have a choice. If Ichigo's in trouble, we help to the best of our abilities, whether he wants us to or not. We're his friends, and -" Chad was in middle of talking to Urahara when the hatted and clogged man raised a hand.

"I know, I know, and I just told you I was going to let you use the gate, didn't I?" Urahara headed towards the basement, then called his shoulder, "Anyways, we'd better get going. Come on, you five. Tessai! Come help me with the gate, would you?"

And so Uryu, Chad, Orihime, Jinta, and Ururu set off on their journey, aided by Kisuke Urahara.

Sorry it took so long to update, took me forever to write, and then I looked back and realized that my second chapter was more than twice the length of the first chapter... I know length isn't all that important, but still I'd like to have some sense of consistency, though that might very well be just a futile effort. The next chapter, luckily, should be ready soon, unless my sister decides its a complete wreck in need of reworking.

Anyways, please, please review. How else am I supposed to know whether or not I'm wasting my time???