Gone were the frames of the new buildings, the clamor of the still busy streets and the tall imposing Hokage mountain overlooking it all. In the place of the bright open world he now found himself instead in a large, dark enclosed room. Even the clear air took on a different smell here; musky and indifferent to him.

Standing amongst it so suddenly, it was no surprise that Naruto was so confused by his new surroundings. A dark foreboding presence overcame him in the darkness as he tried to make sense of it all. Everything was murky and meek. Standing there stiffly he tried to see just as much as make sense, but he could hardly see anything at all.

"Ah- What?!" he let out confused darting his head from side to side.

"Naruto" a calm voice called out to him from behind, echoing through the air. Naruto stopped suddenly in place when he heard the eerie aged voice call out to him. Cautiously he turned around to see sitting on his large throne, the even larger Great Toad Sage looking down at him. The boy relaxed himself, now that he knew his surroundings were familiar. In a puff of smoke had Naruto vanished from his friends and was brought to the land of the toads where he had trained so hard. To Mount Myoboku. And he appeared right at the feet of the Great Lord Geezer himself; Gamamaru.

"Gramps" Naruto let out calming himself down, an air of familiarity overtaking the shock from before "What's up?" he turned to face him.

"What's up?" the Great Toad Sage responded confused in his own right. He then looked above himself with his squinted eyes "Hmmmmm" he pondered. His face slumped down and his hat fell with it.

Naruto sighed "Why did you summon me here?"

The old frog was silent as he regarded the boy before him. A short pause overtook them as he collected his thoughts "...I can't remember" he admitted innocently as his lips formed up to a wide gaping smile. Naruto groaned in his place "Oh!" the Great Toad Sage suddenly let out quickly getting Naruto's attention "I had a vision" he smiled toothlessly as he looked at the boy before him who perked up at hearing that.

"Another one? What was it about?" he asked energetically stepping forward.

"I saw the Nine Tailed Fox" the Great Toad Sage admitted, quicker now and Naruto's eyes opened in shock knowing that he spoke of him "He was in battle" he paused and smacked his lips " against with a man of great power"

"In battle? Me?" Naruto shuddered "This man.. was it?" The Great toad took in a deep breath as Naruto composed his thoughts "Was it.." Naruto he repeated, but paused darkly, his thoughts just as terrible coming into his mind as he dreaded to say them aloud "Sasuke?" he paused, waiting for an answer, but hearing none "I already heard this, you said we're destined to fight" Naruto hung his head.

"It is not Sasuke Uchiha" the Great Toad exhaled "Nor is it any Uchiha or any ninja"

Naruto raised his head to him confused "Not a ninja?"

"No" the toad reaffirmed tiredly "This one I see" his eyes squinted as he peered forward to see more of this supposed warrior, as if he was in this very room right now "He fights with his bare hands and his strength is beyond compare. Friendly he may seem and is, but he is coming... he is searching" he paused again "searching for you..." his eyes relaxed and opened more "There are others with him, of many shaped and sizes. Some even wield weapons... swords" he eventually confirmed "But they did not come together, no" he shook his head before centering it again "They are both groups of foreigners from two different" he paused and seemed to try to find the right world before settling on a simple "..landsss"

"And.. " Naruto gulped, a feeling of being overwhelmed was building in him now "I'm fighting them?" he both asked and confirmed.

"Yes" the Toad said slowly as he nodded his head.

Naruto stood there in silence bewildered "I don't understand…" he eventually said clenching his fist tightly "We have the Akatsuki and the war why-why all this fighting?!" his voice grew in frustration "What does this mean?! Who are these people I'm fighting? Why are they here? What do they want with me?!" If they aren't ninja they must be Samurai from the land of Iron" his head shot up, and he told his conclusion to try to make sense of it all to the The toad sage who shook his head slowly, dismissing his assumption "Then.. who?"

"I cannot say" the Great Toad smiled "But they are new to these lands and will appear very soon" he said strangely, as if giddy with anticipation. Or he was just senile.

"And?" Naruto focused on him and leaned up to him waiting to hear more.

"And…"the Great Toad began, but paused ominously as he inhaled a deep powerful breath and Naruto fearful, yet eager for more waited for the rest of his vision "that's it" he smiled.

Before he could say anything Naruto was transported back to the reconstructed leaf village in another puff of smoke.

Although confused for a moment just as he was when he first appeared there he then continued to look around until he recognized his surroundings. He was back where he was in the middle of the reconstructed Hidden Leaf village. Everyone still helping to build or went about their day and the mountain bearing the Hokage's faces remained untouched above them; everything was just as he left it. He hadn't left them for long, and he was glad to see that not much had chanced since his brief exit. Although he was happy to be home it did not show on his face, for he couldn't help but feel in despair of what he just heard.

'Not now. Not again' he thought with his head hung low. He had thought of all that had happened and all that was coming. Pain's Assault, The Fourth Shinobi War incoming and now separate of it all... this.

"Naruto!" a familiar woman's voice called out to him severing his thoughts and reflections. Perking up he turned to see Sakura running up to him from down the street.

"Sakura" he said glumly, still a little stunned from this sudden new revelation. She came to a stop before him.

"Naruto, where did you go? Suddenly you were here and then suddenly you were gone! What happened?!" she asked worried.

"I went.. I mean I was taken. The Old Honorable Geezer wanted to see me and-" Naruto rambled to find the best way to explain it to her, but then a dangerous thought came into his head "Sakura!" he shouted into her face that she had to back away from him.

"Ah why are you screaming?!" she asked holding her ears "I'm right here" she then removed her hands but wished she wouldn't have "You didn't have to-"

"There's no time!" he shouted again "You have to take me to the Hokage now!"

"Lady Tsunade? Why?" she questioned and then explained warily " You know how she is Naruto. She only recently just got out of a coma, and she's at a meeting with her war council now. I don't think she'll have time fo-"

"There's no time! Something big and bad is on the way now we have to go!" he scolded her

Although still confused by his sudden reappearance and outburst Sakura didn't delay in helping him. A now determined look on her face she nodded to him.

"Let's go" she said. The two of them then ran off to find Tsunade together. She was just as Sakura said; with her war council which included the elders, Shikaku Nara and Kakashi.

For Tsunade this rundown shack was nothing compared to her old office, which it just so happened she was assured would be rebuilt and ready for her soon. Snidely she doubted it with all going on. She could do with even less bad news.

But that's exactly what she was going to get more of.

She held a hand to her head to contain the growing headache. Her eyes rolled up to see the several elders sitting before her and her desk. Beside them Shikaku Nara looked just as serious and stern, making her realize where his son got it from. Kakashi for his part sat not facing Tsunade like everyone else, but sideways with his back leaning on the wall, listening no less intently, but seemingly aloof at the same time.

"A great Shinobi alliance is unprecedented" one of the elders spoke and Tsunade's eyes dropped. Shizune knelt worriedly behind her. Tonton let out a few oinks to break the dry speeches of the elders.

"No sign of the Akatsuki yet" Shikaku said "Or whatever remains of them"

"Too much of them remains for this alliance to be made" one elder insisted. They didn't come together for nothing after all.

Tsunade pondered on what was just said, but she would have no time to react as all of a sudden two people erupted through the door. Her eyes went up and Kakashi's head turned casually as everyone else's turned in alarm when two people burst trough the door.

"Granny Tsunade!" Naruto shouted upon his dramatic arrival. But his outburst was met with one in return

"Naruto!" Tsunade snapped she then turned her head. She then turned to the one who accompanied him "Sakura" she then let out as if disappointed her student would egg him on. She glanced at Kakashi who was silent and shrugged his innocence. It seemed he had nothing to do with this. She turned back to the two.

"What do you think you're doing?! now of all times?"

"Come on granny" Naruto whined as he stood over the kneeling and sitting oligarchs of the village "it's really important" he reaffirmed "I got a message from that other geezer; the Great Toad sage!". But his word choice only enlarged the vein in Tsunade's head, and she slammed her fist down onto the table.

"I have no time for your games right now Naruto" she gritted her teeth "Hero of the leaf or not" she added offended.

"It's true" Sakura pleaded in a much more fretful voice "Please you have to hear this". The room went silent after that, and they all seemed much more intent on listening. But they were still a hand wave away from being taken away by Tsunade. And she was about to do it before another voice called out.

"Why don't we hear them out" a calm and collected voice called out. Everyone turned to see Kakashi loitering in his corner, having hardly moved or changed at all from when he first sat down. Tsunade looked from him and to the two youths standing before and above everyone else. She let out a sigh

"Well?" she asked.

They stormed into her office cutting off the current discussion which went about as well as expected giving everything they were up against already. But now, when they were finally able to reveal the reason for their entrance and distraught looks they begged to be heard. After Tsunade urged them to speak Naruto told them everything he heard from the Great Toad sage.

And just like Naruto were in disbelief of what they heard.

But they were not the only ones being informed of such information.

Earth

In what seemed like and was truly an entire world away from the Hidden Leaf Village, a powerful group of warriors enjoyed a peaceful, prosperous existence. They had many adventures and battles that took them all around the world and even to other planets.

And now they too would find themselves in conflict once again soon enough.

Goku was flying through the air with a bright smile on his face and a fish even bigger than he was dangling in his hands. Chichi entrusted him to get dinner for them and the boys and he was sure he didn't disappoint. The wind blew through his hair and made his orange gi flap in the wind as he soared over countless green hills and blue rivers. Dangling from his hand the large fist wiggled and writhed in his grip. He held it by the tail so its large head and eyes looked downwards and it seemed not to like the view as much as Goku.

Slowly he began making a descend to the ground. Flying lower to the ground he then landed on the ground in front of a small lake with a wide grin on his face. He was still far from home, but a small stop wouldn't hurt he thought.

"Alright, I can't wait to have this for dinner!" he said looking the fish over enviously "Maybe one small bite right now wouldn't hurt" he said slyly as he leaned his head in for a nibble.

"Goku!" a nasally voice cried out for him so suddenly that he bit down onto his tongue instead of the fish. With tears forming in his eyes Goku and the fish slipping from his hand Goku shot his tongue out to see it red and damaged. As he whimpered in place he turned his head to see who called him, but found no one. "Goku!" the voice let out again. It was now that he recognized the voice calling his name and where it came from.

"King Kai?!" Goku answered looking up to the sky "What was that for?" he pouted "I was only taste testing it" he insisted innocently.

"Oh never mind that!" his old mentor's voice brushed off his prized students complaints. "Listen. I have to warn you. It's urgent! Something terrible may be coming your way?!"

With that said the pain on his tongue or the growling of his stomach didn't seem to matter. His mood now changed, from disappointed to stern and ready. Without hesitation Goku placed to fingers on his forehead and disappeared from the earth to the small planet of King Kai; dropping the fish, it took the opportunity and flopped back into the lake.

King Kai's Planet

Standing before his home King Kai shouted at the top of his lungs at Goku who couldn't be more further away, but heard him nonetheless. His constant shouting made bubbles and Gregory cower from his loud voice and constant outbursts.

"Goku!" King Kai roared and stomped his foot to the ground as if it would make him come sooner or listen better "I said some-Aahhh!" King Kai let out as Goku suddenly reappeared before him and in alarm he fell on his back. Writhing and rolling on the ground like a turtle King Kai looked at Goku over his stomach "Hey what's the big idea?!" he shouted up from the ground.

Goku turned his head around and looked down at him over his shoulder, a wide eyed puzzled look on his face "Well you said it was important" he said a little confused.

"I said it was urgent!" he lashed back as he picked himself up and dusted himself off. He then regained his godly composure. "Ahem" he cleared his throat before putting his hands behind his back. "Now Goku" he paused as the Sayain finally turned around to face him "It's like I said. I have had a premonition" he said calmly raising a finger to point for extra emphasis. Goku however only blinked in reply.

"..a premowhat?"

King Kai had just composed himself only become a little disgruntled again "A premonition. A vision, an omen, a bad feeling, call it what you will!" he began to ramble and his voice rose with his agitation.

"Oh" Goku let out seeming to finally start to get it "About what?"

Apparently not.

King Kai's natural blue complexion had started to go red "Something very bad may be coming your way!" King Kai screamed and the now cringing Goku.

"Whoa easy, easy" he placed his hands on his masters shoulders to calm him "Now the bad feeling you have, what's it about?"

"This ide-" he stammered and caught himself "premonition" King Kai seemed to be correcting himself "One involving all of you" he waved his hand before him, toward all the Z warriors as if they were there with him. "But mostly, it entails you Goku" pointed to him.

"What? What is it?!" Goku asked curiously leaning in.

It was then that King Kai unloaded the burden.

"The premonition states that you will travel to new and far off lands. Within your travels you will come into contact with ninjas and a great beast with many tails and you will do battle with it" he told. Goku seemed ready to respond, but it was King Kai continued "But there's more still" he said stopping him "There will also be a group of swordsman roaming the world as well; one of which at least will also fight you as well"

It was a while before Goku responded. It seemed now he was ready to take all of this new information in and was processing it's every word. King Kai was certain he knew his reaction.

"A tailed beast?" Goku let out confused if not just a bit curious. King Kai nodded his head. "And a swordsman?" he asked and King Kai nodded once again. Goku scratched his head. This was certainly an interesting prediction. And King Kai always kept taps on them and the universe so if anything was up surely he would know. "Are they strong?" he asked perhaps a bit enthusiastically as he dropped the hand from his head.

"Without a doubt" King Kai answered gravely.

"A tailed beasts huh?" Goku asked again and his mentor nodded. "Well, that's definitely new" he admitted "I wonder if I'm ready for it?" he said looking down to the ground.

"I am certain you are" King Kai insisted "I've trained you after all" he said confidently.

Goku however, didn't hear King Kai's praise as he was still reflecting on what he heard. "A Swordsman.." Goku mused before looking up to King Kai "One like Trunks?"

"Not exactly" King Kai shrugged "but they are just as far away". Goku was definitely puzzled by that. Trunks was an entire timeline away. How far could these guys be? Namek?

"Well" Goku let out "Do you know what they're here for?"

Now King Kai's face went blank as if he wasn't expecting such a question at all "...what?"

"What do they want? Why are they coming here?"

King Kai was silent for a bit longer "Well you see.. Goku I said it was you who would travel to meet them before they got here" he said seemingly struggling for an answer. Premonitions much be hard to decipher.

"Ohh I see" he nodded coming to grips with it all now. There was only so much he would know, but if they were a threat like he believed they'd have to deal with it. It would not be the first time they went looking for danger as well. They had traveled with the Supreme Kai to find Majin Buu as well as to find the Androids when Trunks said they'd appear based on their warnings. It seems the same would have to be done now.

"As for what they are looking for" King Kai paused and seemed to be in deep thought, contemplating all he knew ".. even I cannot say" he told ominously. King Kai dropped his head.

With that said Goku's mind was made up and their conversation over in his eyes "I better go warn the others" Goku said seriously as he turned around putting his back to King Kai as he looked up to see Goku walking away. "Sounds like we have something serious on our hands here" he continued before he stopped and looked up the sky of the otherworld "Finally a great new challenge. Our first great test since Majin Buu" he said enthusiastically. Kid buu was some challenge that took all of them together to defeat. So what would this entail he wondered? He then turned back to King Kai. "Thanks King Kai. Wish me luck" he said and couldn't help but smile. He then placed two fingers on his forehead.

"Oh I'm sure you won't need it" King Kai waved to him. It seemed like he was trying to suppress laughter, but Goku didn't seem to notice. He was so eager for adventure that he left before he could find out what he was laughing about and why Bubbles and Gregory were ranting and raving behind him as if trying to stop him from leaving.

When he returned to Earth it wasn't by the lake where he left it but his own home. His sudden reappearance- and that he did not have dinner- alarmed Chichi, but Goku was already quick at work.

Once he got back home he quickly rallied the other fighters, from Vegeta and their sons; save Gohan due to the fact that West City seemed to need the Great Saiyaman more recently, but also because he had an important test coming up as well. But thankfully they did have Piccolo who was more of a mentor than fighter now, but just as wise as ever. His insight would certainly help.

After stopping by to get Senzu beans they assembled at Capsule Corp and Goku told them what he was told verbatim. Every one seemed in awe, save Vegeta. Quiet and cut off from the group, he leaned against the wall in the room adjacent to there's without much of a reaction to it. His bare arms interlocked with each other. He wore only the skin tight blue jumpsuit with white gloves and boots, discarding the armor, but he never dropped that scowl or the sharp gaze that cast upon everyone else, chattering away in his home.

"What kind of threat does this tailed beasts hold?" Piccolo asked cutting to the point.

"I can't say" Goku shrugged his shoulders.

"What about the swordsman?" Trunks spoke up more interested in that, but the answers about them were just as vague.

"Is it even really a threat?" Goten asked looking up to his dad, sounding just as clueless as Goku did when he spoke to King Kai.

"Well we're fighting in a battle" Goku said looking down to him and speaking aloud to everyone else "I can only assume so since King Kai did not specify" he admitted a bit cluelessly, pondering with a hand to his chin.

"We have to be careful" Piccolo advised "The first move is always the most important one"

It was now that the only one who hadn't said a word so far spoke. And he had a lot to say.

"Vision or not" Vegeta began as he pushed himself off of the wall "whether this threat is real or not, I'm going to deal with it" Vegeta announced as he clenched his fist. "We shouldn't waste our time waiting for another Majin Buu or Cell to happen, so we have to deal with it now!"

"Hold on Vegeta" Goku tried to ease him "shouldn't we think this over first" Goku said

"There shouldn't be much thinking Kakarot. Somewhere on this planet where we've never been there's a monster with a freakish amount of tails. So we find it and exterminate it before it finds us and does the same" Vegeta proclaimed as he brought his clenched fists up. "And when those swordsman show up we cut them down to size ourselves" he declared.

"Well, when you put it like that it sounds easy" Goku admitted, seemingly giving into Vegeta, but the tone and smile he had made it sound otherwise "But I think there's a lot more to this that we need to think over"

"Like what?" Vegeta said unconvinced.

"Like how were getting there?" Even King Kai wasn't sure where it was" Goku said. Vegeta seemed ready to retort, but said nothing and instead grumbled in silence. In fact it seemed no one had anything to say to that.

Now that was one thing they didn't think about till now. They didn't exactly know where this threat was so they didn't really know how to get there. But it didn't take long to find an answer. They pondered only for a few moments before everyone looked to each other with the same answer in mind.

Find the Dragon Balls.

But they weren't the only one's getting ready for a journey.

Away from the world Ninja's and the Sayains was the third group. They would receive no visions or prophecy's, but orders. Like the other two they really were an entire world away, but the knowledge of the other two was already known to all of them... save one.

Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo's Room

Ichigo lay face up, tucked away comfortably in his bed. Boy, the weekends were great. No school, no responsibility, no alarm clock and no trouble. The sunshine through his window was his wake up call. Only he wasn't ready to get up just yet. Hoping to escape the sun shining down through his window he rolled to the other side of his bed; turning his body away from the window and the light as he set his head back onto his pillow that he seeped into. That sure helped getting the sun off his face and he slunk further into his bed and even deeper into sleep.

But then it suddenly got darker and the heat from the sun was gone. He didn't remember closing the blinds. Then he felt the shifting of weight onto the side of his bed; two feet plopping onto the mattress. He didn't hear anyone come in. It was probably just his sisters coming to wake him up. His father would not have been as quiet. Yet they would have come from the door at the front of the room where he now faced, and this came no doubt from the windowsill which was behind him. He insisted on paying it no mind until it called out to him.

"Time to get up" a woman's voice whispered softly above him though it sounded much farther away in his sleep.

"hm.." Ichigo groaned, his eyes stilled closed "just a few more minutes" he muttered sleepily

"Wrong answer!" the woman's voice lashed out before reeling her leg back and hurling it forward punting him out of his bed.

"Ah-guh" he grunted as he was hurled out of his bed, the blanket that shielded and him and the pillow that held him up was flung with him across the room. He landed on the hard wood floor, head first and now very much widely awake. His face pressed down onto the floor, he let out a grumble as he had a starring contest with the blank brown floor and he felt he was losing that as well. Grumbling he put his hands to his side and pushed himself up before rolling over to see just who had decided to get him out of bed this morning.

Flopping over to sit up on the floor he looked up to see not his father, or either one of his sisters, but Rukia Kuchiki standing on his bed, her arm resting on the hilt on her sword. "Rukia?!" he let out both surprised-at her sudden appearance, not at the antic of waking him up- and agitated "What the hell do you want? What were you doing?! Watching me sleep?!". Now more concerned with why she was here that what was just done.

"I was" she crossed her arms with a smirk "Now I'm watching you get ready for work. Time put your new powers to the test" the lieutenant of Squad 13 told him. As she crossed her arms the lieutenant badge on her left looked more noticeable which Ichigo was sure was a new habit she had taken up "You owe us after all" she reminded him coyly. It seems he wouldn't ever be living that one down anytime soon. Or at all. Though they owed him as well.

"What could it be?" he let out tiredly and annoyed "What could it possibly be?" he dropped his head and groaned from the floor.

Rukia's smug smile dropped now as did the overconfidence in her stance. Her smile was replaced with a more serious one. "New orders just came in." she paused "Orders from the Head Captain.. coming directly from the Soul King" Ichigo's eyes bugged open.

"Your- you mean" he stammered. He definitely couldn't believe that. The Soul King himself had a special mission for them. She nodded before he could even find his next words.

"We're to leave immediately" she spoke calmly to him. He felt quite the opposite of it. But that was because she had already gotten briefed on it... and she wasn't kicked out of bed early.

"Where to? For what? How long?" So many questions were rattling through his mind.

"I'm not sure" she responded. That clearly wasn't the answer he expected or wanted considering the glare he gave her. "What?" she let out offended "I answered you didn't I?"

"Not really" he grumbled.

Rukia titled her head to one side "It's complicated alright" she sighed. Ichigo however was still apprehensive about the whole ordeal and that it was being presented to him by kicking him out of bed and with no other information. So he would force an answer from her, first by filling in the blanks himself.

"Human World, Soul Society, Hueco Mundo-" he began rattling off names and counting fingers. Rukia's head came back upright as he began to defiantly list things off before her. Clearly obvious answers like the Human world which is where they were now and the Soul Society where she came from agitated her as her face grew red. "Hell-" Ichigo continued before he was cut off.

"It's a new place alright!" Rukia shouted down at him. And that got him deathly quiet and his face went blank.

Now Ichigo was more puzzled than annoyed and froze in place. "You mean.." he paused droning off as Rukia continued to look down at him "like a new world?" he eventually managed to ask. Rukia gave him a blank stare which gave him all the answers he needed "No way" he said at first in disbelief "You're serious"

"I'm just going off of what I was told" she admitted.

"Doesn't sound like you were told much" he groaned coming back to his grumpy disposition, but she was certainly told more than him. He turned his head downwards. And as of now that was all he and probably she had to go off of. So it wasn't fair to bug her for that now.

Ichigo kept silent as he sat on the floor. The world just kept getting bigger and bigger. Hueco Mundo was stuck in between the human world and Soul Society. So where was this one? The Senkaimon can take them from the Human World to the Soul Society, but what takes them here? His now distant demeanor was off putting especially to the who had come all this way to get him. She arched her head down to get a better look at his face, but it remained down at the floor. Setting her head back up Rukia asked.

"Are you just going to sit there asking stupid questions or are you going to come with me?" Now she was asking the questions. And he had the perfect answer when he looked back up to her.

"Let's go" he said with no hesitation.

Next Time: Groups gather, New Worlds are discovered and the Adventure begins!