I'm soooooooooooooo sorry! Really, I have no excuse this time. Sure, I was really busy with school and musical and concerts and travelling and exams up until the end of June, but after that there has been nothing stopping me...I really feel terrible, it's been a whole six months since I last posted!

Good news is, despite that, Friends on the Other Side now has 50 followers and 42 favourites! **cheers internally through the sobbing** Really though, that's amazing. I never thought this story could get that far, especially with only 3 chapters (and a six month wait...). Thank you so much to everyone for the support, it really is what keeps me motivated. Without you guys, I would still be slouched on the couch like the potato I am ;).

Note - I refuse to switch my allegiances from IchiRuki to IchiHime, so this fic won't either. I don't care that it's now canon, I will not accept it. I'm sorry if you like it, but I don't. There still will only be hints of romance, but it will not involve IchigoxOrihime.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Naruto. However, I have found that my tea collection has actually increased...

Thanks sis for spell checking 3

Just Some Friendly Conversation...

"Hey kid! Pay attention already!"

A sharp blur of orange caught Naruto hard on the temple just as his eyes had flicked forward, sending him reeling backwards into the rock walls of Urahara's underground training facility. He rolled over, groaning as the shadow of his tormenter fell over him. Strawberry, he though with disgust, scowling at Ichigo's exasperated face. Why does he have to be so freakishly tall?

"Naruto, you've been all over the place today, what's with you? It's only been a week since you got here and you're spacing already? Come on!" Ichigo just shook his head, disappointed.

"Look, why don't we take a break? You'll be with Yoruichi after lunch, agility training."

Naruto sighed inwardly. Truthfully, he knew he'd been spacing out. He just couldn't help it. His latest object of fascination was the Strawberry's strange collection of friends, who just seemed so at odds with what he'd seen of this group of fighters. Or, to be more specific, his obsession was with one Orihime Inoue, and, to a lesser extent, Chad and Uryu. In the last few days he'd found his eyes wandering more and more towards the back corner where Orihime, Uryu, Chad, and Urahara pretended to watch him train. None of them ever seemed all that interested in him, they always seemed to be preoccupied with something else. Uryu always pouring over piles of papers and large folders, scribbling away for hours*. Chad would just sit, quietly plucking away at his weird shamisen-like thing*. Orihime would prance around, twirling her skirt and humming to herself off in her own strange little world.

As Ichigo strode over to the group with Naruto following behind, the young ninja couldn't help but wonder at the odd assortment. What's up with those guys? They sure as hell don't seem like fighters. But then again, neither does Hinata I guess, or Ino, or even Shikamaru really until you get close to him...I'll corner the Strawberry later I guess-

He was suddenly jerked back to the present by a burst of roaring laughter, and blinked at the strange scene unfolding before him. Orihime seemed to have been trying to feed what seemed like some kind of chocolate to the four-eyes, and Chad and Ichigo were turning green just looking at it. Yoruichi and Urahara were both double over laughing, clutching each other's arms, tears streaming down his faces. Uryu was turning more red by the second, trying unsuccessfully to disguise the look of horror in his eyes with a smile- more of a grimace, really. Orihime, oblivious to his predicament, edged the chocolate closer.

"Come on Uryu, I made them myself!" she sang, smiling sweetly.

That seemed to just make things worse.

"HEY WAIT A SEC!" Naruto yelped, dashing towards them. They all stared at him as he skidded to a halt between Orihime and the now suddenly calmer Uryu.

"If the four-eyes doesn't want the chocolate," he announced, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "...I could have it instead!"

Orihime blinked, surprised. Then, she grinned back, holding the chocolate out to the oblivious boy in front of her.

"Oh Naruto, of course you can! I know Uryu agreed to be my new taste tester after Tatsuki decided that she had to really concentrate on boxing-she's the second strongest girl in Japan you know and she is very important and really I had been giving her so many yummy things to try that maybe she was overcome by how tasty they all were-but Uryu has been having so much lately-I've been on a bit of a confectionery kick and I really just couldn't help myself-and it's just so sweet of you to do this for me!" she exclaimed, without even pausing for breath. Naruto just squinted at her.

"Uh whatever lady, I'll just-OW!" he scowled over his shoulder at Uryu, who was looking at him with murder in his eyes.

"Fine," he mutterd, turning back. "Thanks for the chocolate and all that," he said hurriedly, reaching for his treat. He snatched it up, stuffing it in his mouth before Uryu could aim another kick at him.

"I thought I'd try a new combination with this one," Orihime explained cheerfully as Naruto began to chew.

"I filled this one some nice chewy caramel and an American treat called Sauerkraut, I thought it might be too sweet, but I'm really happy with how it turned out!" she finished with a grin.

Uryu's green complexion returned with a vengeance as Naruto's eyes widened and he spewed the contents of his stomach all over the dirt floor. Laughter filled the cave once again as he coughed and sputtered, Orihime fluttering around him and wringing her hands as the disgusted ninja flailed on the floor.

"Truly Naruto," Urahara chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye, "you are a force to be reckoned with."

Ichigo was sitting cross-legged at the round table in Urahara's back room when Naruto finally got out of the shower. It had taken forever to get the smell of bile from his nose, but when he eventually emerged from the steam filled bathroom it was to find that the shop was nearly deserted. He wandered the halls confused, rubbing his head with a towel until eventually, by mere chance, he stumbled upon the room where he'd first been brought upon arriving. He shuffled through the rice paper doors, barely glancing at Ichigo before collapsing at the table and reaching for the plate of sandwiches left in the middle. As he began shoveling one after another into his mouth, he looked curiously at his teacher.

"Where did everyone go?" he asked through a mouthful of food. "I wasn't gone that long, was I?"

Ichigo started, as if only just noticing Naruto was there. He turned and stared at him, before chuckling and shaking his head.

"No, the others left already," he said. "Orihime said she had some stuff for school she had to finish, and Chad had to go practice with his band. Urahara, Yoruichi, and the rest are out front helping a customer. And Uryu said something about a family thing and 'not wanting to help us longer than he has to.'" He snorted at that, rolling his eyes.

"Huh," Naruto said, a bit skeptically. School stuff? I wonder what kinda school...And a band? Ugh, this place is weird. And what the hell is with that Uryu guy? 'not wanting to help', he sounds just like Sasuke!

Naruto huffed at that and reached for some more food. As he chewed he watched his brooding master, who seemed to be lost in thought once again.

"Thooo...wath eir eal?" Naruto got out around a mouthful of food. Ichigo rolled his eyes and pounded him on the back, hard.

"Don't talk with your mouth full you idiot!" he shouted as Naruto swallowed, coughing loudly afterwards.

"I said, what's their deal?" he continued, voice a little rough from the coughing.

"If Uryu doesn't want to help, why does he spend so much time here? I thought you said they were your friends. And if they're really here to help with training, why haven't they done anything? Are you sure they can really fight? Sure Chad looks strong enough, but the other two don't look like they could stand up if Hinata poked them on the nose! And I don't-"

"OK OK!" Ichigo interrupted. "Jeez, shut up already."

He sighed loudly, looking up at the ceiling as if to beg whatever god was listening for strength.

"Fine, to answer your questions- Uryu spends so much time here because despite what he says, he actually likes us and just won't admit it. And yes, I said they were my friends and I meant it. They haven't done anything yet because we haven't gotten to that stage in your training yet. That, and you haven't gotten hurt enough for Orihime to be needed. And yes I'm really sure they can really fight, or at least Uryu and Chad can," he answered with a glare. "Is that good enough for you?"

Naruto blinked, a bit surprised. People didn't normally respond to his floods of questions like that. Normally, he got smacked or kicked out of wherever he was. He decided to try again.

"So if they're all that, how did you guys meet? Are you guys like a team or something?" he questioned.

Ichigo started a bit. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. We've been together a long time..." he sighed, lost in the past. He finally glanced at Naruto, only to find him staring at him intently.

"Ok ok," Ichigo chuckled. "Well...I met Chad a long time ago, back when we were just kids. I'd found him under a bridge getting beat up by a bunch of high-schoolers, but he wasn't moving an inch." Naruto raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Really, I'm not kidding you," Ichigo said in answer to his pupil's questioning look.

"He wouldn't budge, no matter what those guys did to him. He's always said it was just something he'd promised his grampa, to never hurt people for his own sake. So, I jumped in to help. We've been fighting for each other ever since."

"Why was he attacked in the first place? Did he do something?" Naruto wondered.

"Nah, he just looked big and strong and ready for a fight, and those idiots decided to take him down a peg. But that's just how Chad is, he's always been big and he's always had somebody ready to start a fight with him just for that reason. He's got the most ridiculous amount of raw strength of anyone I've ever met." Well, except Kenpachi, but it's probably best not to bring him up.

Naruto nodded. He could understand that, he'd had his own history with bullies. Still, he'd never seen anyone as kind as Chad attacked just because of how strong he looked.

"I knew where he was coming from," Ichigo continued. "I've always had punks after me too, because of my hair." Naruto glanced at that shocking mane of carrot orange, but wasn't able to see the problem. My hair's bright yellow, and heck, Sakura's hair is pink! What does it matter?

"Maybe it's different where you're from," Ichigo said in answer to Naruto's puzzled look.

"But here, if your hair isn't black, brown, or anything similar, it makes you look like you're trying to attract attention. Everyone wants me to confess to dying it, even though it really is natural. so when I refuse...well, let's just say I've been getting rid of bullies since I was eight years old."

Huh, Naruto thought. Maybe we've got more in common than I thought...

"And the others?" Naruto asked.

"Well, I met Orihime almost three years ago kind of by accident," he said, remembering with a laugh.

"She literally ran into me in the hall at school, and was so embarrassed she could barely speak. But when I found out she was a good friend of my childhood best friend I started to get to know her more." He sighed at that, looking sad.

"She's had it rough," he continued grimly. "Her parents both died in a car crash when she was just seven, and she was raised by her older brother after that. But, well..." he trailed off. Damn, how do I phrase this? I can't exactly tell him about ghosts and all that, let alone that her brother was a Hollow!

"Well," he said, recovering. "her brother disappeared for a bit when we were in middle school, and she was left by herself. Even though she told her relatives what had happened, no one wanted to take care of her. Just after we started high school, her brother came back. But he'd gone...dark." He scowled at that, clenching his fist.

"Anyway, I helped her get away from him. It wasn't long after that whole incident that she began training as a healer-she's the best you'll ever meet." Hell, she can re-grow lost limbs... "She's been a good friend to us, and has never let me down and never walked away no matter what trouble I got her into."

"As for Uryu...well, he's probably the weirdest of all." he said, shaking his head. Here goes nothing...

"He came from a long line of very talented archers, with special techniques-I guess you would call them a kind of jutsu-that had been kept secret within the family for centuries. See, unlike the rest of us, he was born into this world of constant battle. He wanted nothing more than to immerse himself in fighting, like the little stubborn little shit he is," he snorted.

"It was his father who didn't want anything to do with it. He became a doctor and wouldn't let Uryu anywhere near his grandfather, who was the only one who wanted to train him. But he would sneak out, into the forest to train with his grandfather."

"One day, everything went wrong," he said with a scowl. "They were attacked while out training. As what was once one of the strongest families, even reduced to so little, they had many enemies and in the skirmish his grandfather was killed right in front of him."

"For years he trained all by himself, just so he could get revenge on the people who killed his grandpa." Ichigo glanced sideways at Naruto.

"And when he found me, he thought he had it."

Naruto started, surprised. "I thought you were gonna say you helped him get it!"

"Well, in a way I kinda did," Ichigo laughed. "Or rather, I showed him that he didn't need revenge in the first place and was just too stupid to see that."

"Y'see, way back in the day, my dad was part of a fighting organization** that directly opposed Uryu's family. Things had been quiet for a long time, both staying out of each other's business, but...well, Uryu's people took things too far, and in response the organization slaughtered them all."

Naruto's jaw dropped.

"My dad never had any part in it," Ichigo continued. "But the Ishida's-the main family-were the only ones to escape the slaughter. They went into hiding, and banned the use of their abilities. It was only because Uryu insisted on practicing that they were discovered and his grandfather killed."

Ichigo sighed.

"This is where it gets complicated." Damn straight this is where it gets complicated. And I can't even say the half of it!

"It was right after we had started school that we met. We were in different classes, so it took a while, but when Uryu saw me he knew who I was right away. I had just come into my abilities as part of the organization, and he decided that I should be the object of his revenge."

"He was such an idiot!" he facepalmed. "Not only did he pick a fight with me, but he went and got every baddy in the area to come and fight us, just to 'see what I was made of'! He put the whole town in danger, and he dragged Orihime and Chad into it-which is why they're still here in the first place!" he growled with frustration.

"Meanwhile, it took me to remind him that his grandfather had actually wanted to forgive the So-er, the organization. The idiot was getting revenge for a man who just wanted peace!"

As his teacher ranted, Naruto was cast back into memories of his own world. He's just like Sasuke...chasing after Itachi, fighting with me...he put the whole village in danger just because he wanted to get his stupid revenge. He stared at Ichigo, who was still lost in his frustration, and wondered. He's done so much, and seems so strong-and they say that he's lost it all? All these people, they owe him. They look up to him! That's all I've ever wanted and he just sits around and ignores it? Bastard!

He jumped to his feet, interrupting Ichigo's rant and glaring at him.

"So you say that everyone-Chad, Orihime, even Uryu, are your friends, that you fought together. They owe you, counted on you! But you just sit around and let everyone say that you're weak? Argh I can't STAND people like you! You're just waiting for someone to come and make it better for you! Do you even care about your friends? If what you just said is true, then you're their hero! Did you even think about how they feel, seeing you like this?!" Naruto shouted.

Ichigo gaped at his pupil's sudden outburst, and turned red with fury.

"Who the HELL do you think you are?" he shouted. "I just told you pretty much the whole basis of my existence and you think I don't care?!"

With that he seemed to deflate as suddenly as his rage had ignited-like all the life had once again been drained out of him.

"Of course I care, you idiot," he muttered. "You don't think it kills me every day? Every time one of them has to leave class unexpectedly, or can't come over without explanation, it's like a hole is being blown open in my chest."

He crumpled against the table, Naruto frozen in front of him.

"Everyone, even my little sister is avoiding me. They won't talk to me about anything, just leaving me alone in the dark worrying about them facing dangers I can't protect them from. And now they walk around me on tiptoes, just waiting for me to shatter. Yoruichi and Urahara are the only ones who seem to even remember that I can still fight, and even they won't tell me anything."

"For so long, my only purpose in life was to be 'one who protects'," he sighed dejectedly. "And now? What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

Naruto gaped.

"AAAAAARGH ENOUGH!" he growled.

"You go and get your damn powers back, whatever they are! THAT'S what you do!"

Kisuke smiled slyly to himself as he watched the heated argument draw to a close through the hidden slit in the wall he'd designed for just this purpose.

"Sounds like they're getting along well," he heard from over his shoulder.

Yoruichi was watching him keenly, smirking at her old friend and sometimes-lover.

"What are you up to old man?" she questioned. "You know that if you hurt my favorite student I won't forgive you. Again."

"Oh don't you worry," he admonished, winking at her. "Everything is going to plan."

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better."

Urahara grinned. "Say, Yoruichi, what do you think about having a guest or two for a few days? A 'feature teacher' for our young ninja."

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow.

"Who exactly did you have in mind?"

"Oh I was thinking we could start with Renji," he said smoothly. "It might do some good for both of them do go up against someone equally stubborn and pig-headed."

"You've got that right," Yoruichi snorted. "But you must know that if you invite Renji, those guys will almost certainly follow."

"Don't worry," he chuckled. The old ex-Captain drew his bucket hat over his forehead, casting his eyes in shadow.

"I'm counting on it."

**blesses you with a long chapter** Tada! Whew I'm so glad I got that done. Sorry if you were hoping for more action, but the very wise Gambit197238 reminded me that character development and bonding is also important- lots of that in this chapter.

Next time, we're back to more action and officially straying far out of the canon grounds. Renji is coming for a visit! What will Ichigo do? What will Rukia say? And as for the 'others'...do any anime watchers remember that one episode where Renji and friends come to Karakura High? Next chapter we'll be looking at Part 2. For the manga readers...check out episode 114, as I can't remember if that's a filler episode or not.

Chapter Notes:

*Remember, Naruto has never had to do homework before. at least, not what we think of as homework.

**Naruto relates Chad's guitar to a Shamisen, which is a kind of Japanese stringed instrument that I thought Naruto would likely be more familiar with than a guitar. Here's its Wikipedia description:

Shamisen (三味線) — A banjo-like lute with three strings, the shamisen was brought to Japan from China in the 16th century. Popular in Edo's pleasure districts, the shamisen was often used in Kabuki theater. Made from red sandalwood and ranging from 1.1 to 1.4 meters long, the shamisen has ivory pegs, strings made from twisted silk, and a belly covered in cat or dog skin. The strings, which are of different thickness, are plucked or struck with a tortoise shell pick.

**By this point Ichigo does know that his dad is a soul reaper, although he doesn't know all the details until the Quincy War Arc.