Sakura had lived quite a good number of years. Not toomany of course, she was still in the first half of her life after all; but that did not change the fact that Sakura was now closer to being thirty than she was to being twenty, and while not necessarily old old, she had a decent number of years under her belt. She could try and stave off the reality of her impending mid-life all she wanted, it would do nothing to change the fact that she was far from her little 13 year old genin self.

As a doctor, she was faced with many dire situations on a daily basis. It came with the career, really. Her days could range from a regular check-up, to an emergency surgery with her patients life on the brink in a matter of seconds. One of the first things she had learned under Tsunade's tutelage was to expect that everything and anything would go wrong, for no reason other then it simply could. A teaching not too far off from Kakashi-sensei's Expect the unexpected.

That was a life of a doctor. The life of a ninja.

As a result, she was prepared for most things. Whether it came with job number 1, or job number 2. Be it demons, gods, or resurrecting the dead. Sakura had experienced those facts in the face and lived to tell the tale.

Admittedly, it was a lot to take in - what Rukia was telling her; but Sakura was nothing if not adaptable. She had to be. And given that she had just faced a giant monster, there was absolutely no reason for her to dispute any of what the other woman was telling her.

A place called Soul Society, where the souls of the deceased would go when they died. The existence of Shinigami, and the role they played in the afterlife. It was a lot, but it was the truth. And given that this was most likely not her own world, Sakura figured that whatever was the norm for a place like this; well, she would just deal with the facts as they were presented to her.

Sakura was sat atop the railing on the edge of the street, back to the setting sun and the steep drop behind her. After the defeat of the beast, the three of them had gathered and Rukia followed through with her promise to divulge the information involving the monster.

"That beast than," Sakura leans against the railing, careful to mind her injured leg as she digested all of the information Rukia had just presented to her. "It wanted to eat that boy's soul?"

"It was probably what he eventually intended to do, but not before using the boy's soul to lure in other unfortunate souls." Rukia folds her arms, a frown on her face. "He was bait."

Sakura can't help but also frown at that. It was just awful, the situation that boy had been forced into in. She placed a thoughtful hand on her chin. "So he was sent to hell?"

"Generally," Rukia started with a sigh. "The misgivings of Hollows post death are not easily judgeable. Due to the nature of their being, they are unstable creatures not always conscious of the actions they take. They are driven by regret and despair and other negative emotions; it doesn't leave much room for reason."

Driven by strong, negative emotions so blinding that they obscured reality. An image of someone popped into her mind at that moment; her fist clenched instinctively and she stopped that line of thought before it could evolve into something far worse.

Rukia continues. "That Hollow, however, committed sins before his death. Hell delivered its judgement based on that factor."

There's a pause.

"That guy," Ichigo speaks up for the first time since Rukia began her explanation, causing them both to turn their attention towards him.

Just prior he had been staring at Sakura with watchful eyes as Rukia spoke. Now he was looking away, fists clenched at his sides, rage and regret clear on his face. Something told Sakura it wasn't just aimed at the event that had just transpired. There was years of rage and emotions there. Sakura had come to learn these types of expressions well. It was an expression of a troubled child with a huge weight on his shoulders.

"He said that he killed that kids mother and 8 other people before that. He thought it was fun." Ichigo grit his teeth. "That bastard…"

Being sent to hell after committing such atrocities makes sense to her. The concept of sinning, as it were, seems mostly congruent with how they view things back in her world. The subjectiveness of morality aside, it's more l common then not to understand that the actions the Hollow took pre and post death were heinous. Ichigo, Sakura thinks, doesn't seem just upset at that fact. To him, it seems far more personal.

Ichigo has been sizing her up, making judgements based on her reactions and responses. His intentions don't necessarily seem mean-spirited, it's probably more curiosity than anything, but likewise could be said for Sakura. She's been watching him too.

He holds himself with the air of a fighter, she thinks; she thought this the moment she first saw him. With a giant cleaver of a sword in hand, that was undoubtedly the truth, but it's jarring to her, because Ichigo is so young.

It is common in her own world for children of shinobi to act far beyond their age. Children hoping to become ninjas start the Academy as young as eight years old and graduate at around twelve years old. This is not taking into consideration the training some receive prior. Many of her friends who were chained tightly to their clans were forced to meet standards far beyond what should be considered reasonable for children. Trained to be prodigies that surpassed even the greatest of shinobi was, and even still is, common amongst many large clans.

The people of this world, if there's one thing Sakura's noticed since her appearance, are far more carefree. They are not burdened with the thoughts of the dangerous and treacherous shinobi life or the expectations bestowed upon them by their strong predecessors. They are like the civilians of her own world, all with their own problems, sure, but Sakura gets the sense that their problems most likely range from career worries to friend problems, and not how to deal with their first kill. That is not to say, of course, their worries are unfounded, but it is clear that they are fundamentally different.

And that is why, Ichigo, so young yet so strong and sure, is intriguing to her. He carries himself like the weight of a thousand people rests upon his shoulders, and with a job like this, that could very well be true.

The same could be said about Rukia, who seems far too used to Hollows and battle for the age she seems. Sakura of course, doesn't think underestimating someone due to age is wise, but seeing these two children fight like their lives depend on it... Sakura is not sure how to feel.

Rukia gives Ichigo a contemplative look before she turns back to Sakura. "Not all Hollows are like the one you fought. More often than not they are simply driven by their regret to do awful things, and once Shinigami "slay" them, so to speak, they pass on to Soul Society and live their lives as regular souls."

"And you two are shinigami?" Sakura asks, trying to reconfirm what she already knows.

Rukia's face grows slightly somber at that question before returning back to its stoic expression. "I am, he's just a substitute." She slaps the back of her hand against his stomach. He makes an 'oof' sound and frowns, rubbing the spot she hit. "He's actually a human, but it's kind of complicated."

"I… see." Sakura wears a contemplative expression of her own, stuck deep in thought. This was a lot to absorb, but she thinks she understands the gist of everything.

"You're taking this pretty well." Rukia remarks, eyeing the look on Sakura's face with interest.

"Well," Sakura laughs slightly and rubs the back of her neck."You could say I'm not a stranger to the unbelievable?"

"I believe that." Rukia gestures towards Sakura's stomach, framed by a singed and bloodstained hole in the front of her shirt. "Do you mind telling me how you managed that?"

Ichigo raised his eyebrow at that. "What do you mean "that"? She got hurt obviously. We should probably treat that soo-"

"Not that, you idiot," Rukia growls, hitting him in the stomach again. "Her wound, look at it, it's gone."

Ichigo narrows his eyes at Sakura's stomach after he finishes nursing his own, clearly trying so see just what she is talking about and then blinks when he realizes Rukia is right.

"You healed yourself, did you not?" Rukia asks though it's not much a question as it is a confirmation. Ichigo's eyes widen a fraction and are back to being trained on Sakura with thinly veiled curiosity. "Healing is possible for Shinigami, but a human..." She trails off. "You are a human, right?"

Sakura fumbles for an answer inside her mind. She has no reason to lie to these two, especially since she had been given the answers she had wanted. But the worried and 'mission-like' part of her told her to keep as much information to herself as possible, that the less that is known, the bigger advantage she has over her enemies. Only, Rukia and Ichigo do not seem like enemies, far from it in fact.

"I am most definitely human." Sakura admits, wondering just how much she should tell them. Chakra, maybe she can explain. But the implication of being in a different world is much heavier, and Sakura isn't fully equipped to discuss everything surrounding that yet. "And I definitely did heal myself."

They might be able to help me. Part of Sakura thinks. The realms of Soul Society and Hell could very well be connected to my situation.

The other part thinks. How many people will you get involved in this mess before there are real consequences, Sakura.

As it was, Sakura already felt beyond guilty for her sudden presence at the Urahara shop. She worried about the connotations of her sudden appearance in Karakura, and the fact that her enemy might have intended this to be the place she had been unceremoniously plopped. If that was the case, that meant they could be attacked due to their proximity to her. It was not lost on Sakura that someone was indeed out to kill her, even if the 'why' was still up in the air.

The sky was turning orange as the sun began tucking itself down below the horizon. Much time had passed since she had left the shoten that afternoon, and that thought weighed heavily in her mind.

That's right, she had been doing something before she had gotten involved in a situation that had nothing to do with her. What was she…?

Oh.

Oh.

"I'm really sorry!" Sakura suddenly stands up, panic clear. Both Ichigo and Rukia jump at her sudden animatedness. "I was doing an errand, but because of all," She gestures towards some of the marks on the roads as a result of the scuffle. "that, I uh, got really sidetracked."

Then Sakura remembers what Rukia had just asked her, and realizes it might seem like she was making an excuse for herself. She sort of is, if she's being truthful, but mostly she really had forgotten what she had originally set out to do. If she ran back to the shop now, she might be able to make it before nightfall.

"Can we talk about this another time?" Sakura asks hopefully. Rukia blinks at her, and then looks at Ichigo who returns an equally confused look. Sakura bows her head and claps her hands together in front of it. "I'll answer your questions then, but right now I have to go back to the- I have to go home."

"I… I see." Rukia answers slowly, as if weighing how important this question was right now. "I suppose… that's fine."

"I should bring Chad home, anyways." Ichigo mentions, walking over to the unconscious boy laid out on the pavement. He picks the boy up and hoists him onto his back. Despite the other boys size, Ichigo doesn't seem bothered by the weight at all. Sakura thinks back to the large sword from earlier and wonders if that's the reason.

"Will he be alright?" Sakura asks. Chad was an extremely nice man, and had helped her out two times now. She couldn't believe the sheer coincidence that brought them together a second time. She had made sure to check on him before they started their Hollow talk, so she knew he was fine, but it was the thought that counted.

"Chad's strong, he'll be fine." Ichigo says, and there isn't a single trace of doubt in his words. They must be close, then.

"I only erased his memories of this evening." Rukia says. "Even though he was a great help, it's better if he's kept in the dark for many reasons."

Sakura frowns slightly, grateful that she had been one of the people allowed to retain her memories and hear the explanation, but slightly unsure if keeping Chad unaware was better or not. He might be hurt again or worse, especially if he has a penchant for swinging at monsters he can't actually see.

"Let's swap numbers." Rukia says, pulling out her phone breaking her out of thought. It was a device Sakura actually recognized; it was just starting to become popular in Konoha. She doesn't have one of her own.

"Oh, I don't… have a phone..." Sakura trails off at the very curious stare Rukia gives her. "How about I tell you where I'm staying instead? Do you have a pen and a piece of paper?"

Ichigo says he does, in his bag, they just have to go back and get it. When they do, Sakura writes down what she can remember is close to Kisuke's shop and makes a small (hopefully accurate) map.

"I'm staying at someone's place right now, come by whenever, I'll explain what I can then, if you still want to know." Sakura says, handing the piece of paper over to the other woman.

Rukia glances at the paper before looking back at Sakura, and with great gravity says. "What I told you today stays between us."

Sakura nods, its not like she has anyone to tell to begin with. "Of course, it's very obvious why people shouldn't be aware of something like this. I promise not to say a word."

A few things come to mind. Disbelief followed by worldwide panic and fear. Not to mention these two are certainly living lives and whatever family they have might be better of left in the dark for their own safety. Sakura had witnessed the power of these monsters first hand after all.

Rukia looks like she has more to say, but her face becomes momentarily sad again. The weight of her explanation is not fully understood by Sakura, and she wonders what sort of line she had been allowed to cross.

"Thank you." The woman says suddenly, and Sakura blinks. "Not just for that, but for earlier too. It had nothing to do with you but you stepped in anyways. Even though I don't really get how you did what you did. Thank you." She points her thumb behind her at Ichigo and smirks. "If you run into a Hollow like that again, this guy will be there as soon as he can, make sure to be careful if that happens."

Ichigo frowns, he's always frowning actually, but nods. "It's my job."

A smile curls up on Sakura's lips. She likes Rukia. Ichigo too. They seem like good kids.

"You don't have to thank me for that, you looked like you were in trouble, and I just so happened to be there." Sakura says and pointedly does not mention the fact that she had actually been chasing Chad when that happened because she thought Rukia had done something wrong. "Make sure you take care of that arm. Get it properly treated before it gets infected." She looks over at Ichigo. "Be careful you two. I might not get all of this, but I get that it's dangerous. Don't get in over your heads."

She bids them farewell and jogs back the way she came.

"Rukia, will this be okay?" Ichigo asks once Sakura is out of sight, uncertainty clear on his face. There are many thoughts whirling through his mind and they show.

Rukia watches Sakura's retreating back and wonders that exact thing herself. She looks down at the paper Sakura had handed her.

The directions were strangely familiar


Sakura walks back to the Urahara shop with so many thoughts rattling around her head she thinks if someone shook her skull around it would sound like a container full of change. She was mulling over every little thing she possibly could, and just like always, was coming up empty.

The explanation that Rukia had given to her was a lot to absorb, but she was, slowly but surely. The existence of Hollows, spirits and Shinigami was a lot and brought up the of question just what sort of world she had found herself in. Her original belief that Karakura was just a normal civilian town was still right, to a degree, but only because the average people were apparently unaware of the supernatural horrors floating around their heads unseen.

Based on what Rukia had said, Hollows and Shinigami were clearly not common knowledge, and that humans weren't aware nore capable of seeing them. She hadn't really gotten an explanation on why that was, unfortunately. Especially regarding why Sakura, a complete introduction to this world's ecosystem, would have the ability before anyone else. Chakra comes to mind, but given that she hadn't sensed a single amount of chakra beyond her own, that was probably unlikely. She wouldn't rule it out completely though.

So, she wanted more answers sure. Learning more about Soul Society might give her a leg up in her dimensional detective work but the discussion would have to come later. That is if Rukia still intended to find her again.

With the revelation of Souls and the realm of Soul Society, Sakura really wonders if there's a reason for her to be here , of all places. Had her foe intended for this world to be where she ended up? So many more factors were being brought up, but she was no closer to solving anything.

Just another day, really.

Trouble magnet . Repeats the Rikishi in her thoughts.

Sakura looks down at her hand where the bag of goods Kisuke had sent her to buy are thankfully undamaged. They had been exactly where she left them, lying in the middle of the street where she had dropped them before attacking the Hollow.

She walked with a slight limp, thanks to said Hollow. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, the pain and stiffness was starting to set in causing her body to creak and groan a little more than she preferred; and a little more than what she should be experiencing after such a low-scale fight. She had attempted to try and heal herself again a little earlier, but her healing chakra crackled and dispersed the moment she tried to heal anything. It was extremely unnatural and equally worrying. There was something about this world that was affecting her, and she had no idea what it could possibly be.

It had grown much darker since she had left both Rukia and Ichigo, and guilt was starting to gnaw its way into her stomach. She had told Kisuke to not wait up for her if she took too long, and hopefully he listened to her on that matter. It was her fault for getting caught up in such an event, and while she didn't regret coming to Rukia's aid, the fact of the matter is that she's still late.

Before he had sent her on her way, he had assured her that her task was an incredibly simple one that would take no time at all. He couldn't have possibly predicted that Sakura would get involved in a fight of such magnitude. Her mind concocts excuses to explain her tardiness, but none of them do anything to quell the anxiety.

A familiar block comes into view after almost a half an hour of trekking through the street of Karakuracho. Admittedly, she had gotten a little bit lost finding her way back. Chasing the Hollow and Rukia had taken her far away from the shopping district that she knew and as a result, took her much longer to get back then she would have liked. Rather than hop from roof to roof and chance worsening the condition of her leg, she opted to walk normally instead, albeit with some trouble.

She turns the corner at the middle of the block and the slightly reclusive building comes into view. The sky is much darker now, stars are beginning to litter the sky and twinkle against the dark blue of the night. In the far distance there is a vague pinkness that only hints at a tiny bit of lasting sunlight. It will not be long before it dips totally out of sight.

The lights are still on in the shop, Sakura can tell from the bright glow that seeps through the front doors. The occupants are still awake, and she becomes aware of the fact that she has no clue what the time actually is.

Its at that moment, Sakura finally tunes in to her appearance. She looks like an absolute disaster. Not just the regular kind. The kind you capitalize with give it it's very own name. Hurricane Sakura is probably a very astute title to bestow upon her in that moment.

She hadn't met anyone else on her walk back to the shop, if she had, she would have probably remembered she looked as bad as she felt a lot earlier. Even when the coolness of the air brushed against her bare arm, it did nothing to stir any awareness within her.

Her unkempt appearance is one thing, what with the giant hole blown through the front of her shirt. Its edges are burnt black and singed, mixing with the blood soaked fabric in such a way that it only served to make it look far worse than it really is. With her stomach burn now healed, it was only a faint reminder of what the leech had done to her.

Less faint was the giant claw shaped bruise wrapped around her thigh and calf, her knee at the center of it all. It's a deep purple in some places and more yellow in others, but altogether it was certainly an ugly thing. It put into perspective the sheer size of the beast in comparison to her more average sized body.

These wounds were sure to bring up questions if she left them alone and visible, and considering she was some nobody they picked up off a park bench, questions were not good. Especially if she refused to answer them. It would most likely lead to a misunderstanding, and based on the tragic backstory Sakura had constructed involving a spiteful step-mother, foul play might be thought to be involved. Then investigation would take place, completely exposing all of her lies and robbing her of a very comfy homestead in an otherwise more-dangerous-than-expected world.

Her state of dress would be even worse to explain, because she looked like she got into a fight with ravenous pack of fire breathing wolves and barely won. Maybe - and that was a very small maybe - she could explain the weirdly shaped bruise on her leg, but a torn sleeve and a very obviously burnt hole in her shirt? Not a chance she even remotely wanted to humor taking. They made her look 8 different levels of suspicious and she didn't want to fill their heads with even worse opinions then they most likely already had of her.

With a great big sigh, Sakura leans against the stone wall and takes a deep breath in order to gather her bearings once again. She would just extend her henge from hiding just her forehead seal to hiding her wounds and clothing as well. Her medical ninjutsu might be sort of weird right now, but her normal ninjutsu seemed to be unaffected. That was a relief. In this strange and dangerous world, having both her healing chakra and ninjutsu taken away was not a happy thought. Not to say she didn't have other tricks up her sleeves of course - what type of ninja would she be if she didn't? - but she would prefer to have her chakra opposed to not, thank you very much.

Remembering how she looked before she had been blown up, Sakura transforms and hopes she'll be able to mask the slight limp she has.

None of this did anything to stop the anxiety about returning so late though. What would she say?

"I got into a fight with a giant monster. The night life sure is scary around here, isn't it?" Sakura whispers mockingly to herself.

Hmm, maybe not.

Given the type of man Kisuke was, if she used that type of excuse he might think she was just joking. It isn't like she's going to try and find out, though. Sakura already feels like she's on thin ice being the complete stranger she is. Only a couple days had passed since her appearance, and she was not any closer with her housemates then on day one. And in some cases, like with Jinta, her relationship had managed to get worse .

Sakura's stomach squeezes uncomfortably and she breathes in and out again. It's a breathing technique she taught and used constantly with the children at the hospital. It eases the tautness in her shoulders and the pain in her gut slightly.

Its cool. Its all cool. She'd just say she got lost, a statement that was quite a valid excuse because it sembled some sort of truth. She had gotten lost; it just… hadn't been the sole reason for her delay. Its cool. Oh, just the coolest. Breathe Sakura Haruno, this isn't your first rodeo, you deal with far worse on a daily basis. This is how normal human beings interact with each other, you remember how to do that, right?

Why was she working herself up so hard over this in the first place? Kisuke and Tessai were very nice people, surely such a minor thing wouldn't upset them like her mind made her believe.

Breathing in through her mouth and out her nose once more, a slightly more confident Sakura rounds the corner once again.

And walks directly into someone.

Sakura just about shrieks, all confidence escaping her body like a deflating balloon. It gets caught in her throat before it becomes anything that sounds like a murder victim's final shriek, and as a result sounds more like a choke.

Every part of her body screams in alarm and she reels back, her instincts yelling at her to reach out and strike; to take out her enemy before they have a chance to do the same to her. A hand reaches out to her and it's the only thing she sees, body reacting to the situation like it has for years. Sakura steps back out of instinct, right arm shooting out before she can think. She only just manages to stop its steadfast trajectory above her hip when the reaching hand lands on her shoulder and a familiar voice rings out in the screaming silence of the dark.

"Haruno-san?" The voice asks, hand steadying her. She flinches slightly at the contact, but does not move away. Her eyes are adjusting to dark now that she's no longer positioned under the streetlamp and embarrassment is bubbling in her gut. She knows this person.

It was Kisuke.

Well this was embarrassing on many levels. If he hadn't said anything or given any indication who he was, she would have thrown a punch out of instinct. Breaking her current host and boss' nose was not another tick she needed to add to her growing mental list of cross dimensional fuck-ups. Sakura tries to ignore the fact buzzing in the back of her mind that she had not actually been aiming for his face, but rather his throat.

Kisuke's expression is not completely visible in the dark and with that hat of his, but she does manage to catch sight of some of his face. His eyes are wide, clearly just as shocked to run into her as she was him. And, she supposes, he would be after she appeared out of nowhere like she had.

He pats her arm awkwardly, like he reached out to her out of instinct rather than purposely and he's not quite sure what else he should do. Sakura vaguely wonders what type of impression this man has of her.

"S-scared me…" Sakura stutters out and attempts to straighten up from her slightly crouched stance, playing off her slightly aggressive reaction as just a fright and not something more. Kisuke removes his hand from her arm and Sakura is slightly grateful, though it was a comforting weight despite its awkwardness.

"That definitely wasn't my intention. I certainly didn't expect you to be there." He admits, and looks a little unsure of himself. It's a strange looking expression on his face. "Are you alright?" He asks.

The guilt idly crawls its way back into her gut, and her head throbs. Trying to not let that feeling show on her face, Sakura lifts the bag of items up so Kisuke can see.

"Against all odds I managed to do it. Didn't even die." She jokes, but Sakura can't help but think that an errand like this usually involved far less fighting and far less injuries.

Kisuke blinks at her, and takes the bag from her extended hand. "Well, I'm glad you survived to tell the tale." He says, face still painted with a look of mild bewilderment. His tone is light, but there's also something else there Sakura can't quite discern.

"Might have gotten lost, though." Sakura lies through her teeth and pushes down the feeling of shame, and instead attempts to sound sheepish. "I'm sorry I took so long, I thought I knew the area better than I did."

Sakura was an honest person, to a fault even, and she really took no pleasure in lying to Kisuke. Especially when said man was offering her a place to stay free of charge. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about it; her situation in this world along with Hollows and spirits was not something she could explain, nor would she feel right to after promising Rukia.

"I was wondering what could have happened." Kisuke says, peering into the plastic bag of supplies for a moment before back up at her. "I was starting to get worried. I have no way of contacting you, I realized. Did you find everything all right?"

It was then that Sakura realizes Kisuke must have come out to wait for her. She tries to find the words to apologize but they stick in her throat and struggle to leave, weighing heavily in her chest instead. She tries to ignore the bitter thoughts creeping into her mind, but she's never been good about dealing with guilt.

"A-ah, yes, I managed to find everything fine." Sakura responds instead, following close behind as Kisuke begins walking back towards the shop. She puts a little too much weight on her injured leg in her haste and sucks in a quiet breath of pain, hoping it goes unnoticed. The Hollow might have done a little more to her leg then just leave a bruise.

"We were just about to eat," He tells her as he slides the door of the shop open. Oh god, had they been waiting for her? This entire time? The horror she feels must show on her face, because he chuckles and attempts to wave away her worries. "We usually have dinner around this time. My, you worry so much Haruno-san, do you know that?"

"I'm sorry." Sakura says, face full of the guilt she feels. She's not certain the apology is just about dinner. Regardless, it does nothing to ease her guilt.

"That too." Kisuke points out with a sigh. "Really, how many times do I have to say that it's fine until you get it into that pretty little head of yours?"

Sakura's face grows a little warm.

"It hasn't been that many times." She says, ducking into the storefront with a polite 'thank you'.

"Oh?" He says, possibly quirking an eyebrow, but Sakura can't really tell with his hat in the way. "I do recall a certain someone adamantly refusing any form of money despite being told that it's fine."

"Who just gives a stranger that much money to begin with?" Sakura retorts with the tone of someone between a sulk and a pout, and then realizes she said that out loud and not internally like she intended. She scrambles and waves her arms in an attempt to rectify her words. "I mean, I-I'm grateful, really really grateful!"

"Hmmm…" Kisuke puts his hand to his chin in fake thought. "I have no memory of such an event."

Sakura doesn't immediately recognize the fact that he's joking and is thrown for a loop momentarily before realization dawns on her.

"Ah yes, I must have wandered into this shop and decided to live here on my own." She quips, sarcasm is dripping from each of her words. "Then took the money straight from your wallet; quite a scoundrel I am."

"Ah," Kisuke snaps his finger. "That must be it! I've always had a penchant of picking up strays."

"Could have called me worse." Sakura snorts, and doesn't know whether to laugh or feel insulted.

"Is that not what you are?" Kisuke asks, and this time she does see his raised eyebrow.

"I prefer "feral" thank you very much." She counters, a playful smile blooming on her lips. But even amongst their banter Sakura can't help but dwell on why Kisuke would take her in in the first place.

"You barely know anything about me." Sakura says, contrite and to the point. For once in her entire existence of being here she would love to finally have an answer for something . "I could be some scoundrel. Could have stolen from you too, or worse." Sakura knows she's not painting a great picture of herself, but she'd really like an answer.

"The same could be said about me too, you know." Kisuke deflects, tone not completely devoid of humor, but not necessarily full of it either. He unfurls his fan in front of his face and stares at her with steely eyes. "I could be a criminal too: a murderer even."

"But you aren't." She says.

Kisuke looks equally parts surprised and intrigued. "Oh?" He intones, interest clear.

"I-I mean, if you were a murderer, surely you would have acted by now," Sakura points out, face growing hot at how quick her response had been. "You've barely pried into my private life, you've given me not only a place to stay for free but also an exorbitant amount of money despite the fact that you really know nothing about me." She gives what she said a little thought. "Actually some of that does sound kind of sketchy."

Kisuke is still standing in the doorway, and his fan once again obscures his facial expression. She wonders if its a nervous habit. Maybe just a habit? Regardless, it hides what he's feeling from her and makes the whole situation slightly more uncomfortable than she'd like.

Realizing she's not helping her cause, Sakura back pedals slightly. "You've been incredibly kind to me Urahara-san, far more than I-" Deserve , she almost says, but manages to stop herself. "F-far more than need be in this situation. I… I'm really grateful."

She feels beyond vulnerable under Kisuke's scrutiny and her stomach turns uncomfortably. She looks away. "I like to think I'm a good judge of character, and so far you've given me no reason to believe that's not true."

It was obvious to Sakura, as it always was, that all of that kindness could be a facade; a finely tuned lie in order to lower her guard. A long con with the intent to hurt her, and do so in the worst way possible.

She… admittedly trusts too easily. Tsunade has pointed this out and told her that level of compassion was an admirable trait to have as a medic but also so very dangerousas a shinobi. Sakura knew this. She knew better than anyone that when it came to people's overall goodness, she was a little too optimistic. It's just that people had so much potential to be good that she desperately wanted to believe that they could be.

But, she understands. She understands more than people think. She's optimistic when it comes to people, but not stupid . She gets that some people are beyond saving. She gets that they aren't always deserving; that some sins are inexcusable. Hell, the Hollow she fought just earlier that day was a perfect example. But still, Sakura believes in people, because if she didn't, what else else was there?

Innocent until proven guilty, and until Kisuke proved to be someone bad, she'd reserve her judgement.

Sakura tries to finish her thoughts on the matter and end this conversation completely. "A-anyways, I'm just saying I could have run off when you gave me that money and never looked back."

"But you didn't." Kisuke counters, face still hidden behind his fan. "And even if you did, I gave you that money to spend, so it'd be the same in the end wouldn't it?"

"It'd be rude is what it'd be." Sakura sassed, frowning. "Talk about biting that hand that feeds me. If not a criminal, then I'd definitely be an asshole."

Kisuke lets out a snort, and the dawning realization of what she said hits her full force.

"I-I'm sorry, that was extremely rude." She stammers and avoids making direct eye contact with him. Her facade of perfectly pleasant lady was being deconstructed with her own two hands. Though, thinking back to the day they found her, Sakura wonders if she ever gave that impression to begin with. She had… kinda been rude from the get go.

"Haruno-san, you're very interesting." He says, and doesn't attempt to elaborate beyond that as he finally walks into the store himself and right past her. She stares at his back, not really knowing what to say to such a response. Question is clear on her face, to which Kisuke simply smiles mysteriously.

"I did say we were about to eat, but that wasn't quite true," He answers nothing and climbs up onto the porch. He spares a glance behind with a smile. "There still time if you want to have a bath before then, now's the time."

And then he's gone.

Sakura is left there, among the shelves of candy merchandise, pondering.

Kisuke is nice, sure. She won't rescind her statement from earlier.

He's nice, but...

He's also most certainly weird.


Sinking into the hot water, Sakura lets out a long drawn out sigh. Kisuke's suggestion was a good one, she would admit. She had been waiting for this moment since she had first arrived to finally use their bathroom, but had been far too shy to do so. Now, she had express permission, so she felt no guilt as she climbed into the tub after washing all the blood and grime from her body. She just hoped Kisuke's suggestion had been because he thought she might like to have a bath, opposed to him thinking she stunk. Her henge could change her appearance, but unfortunately could do nothing to change her smell.

After such a chaotic day, no, last couple days, this was something she needed desperately . Being clean equalled a boost in self esteem and mood improvement, and after these last few days, she felt that maybe she deserved a little respite.

Beyond just her mental state was her physical state. Her level of exhaustion was far beyond what it should be after such a small fight and that was worrying in many ways. She had barely exercised her chakra, or really even her body against that Hollow.

An after effect of fighting with the Hollow itself then? Sakura vaguely recalls the strange heavy feeling she had felt when the imps had grabbed her and held her down.

Leaning her head against the edge of the tub, Sakura lifts her leg out of the water and really observes the bruise intently for the first time since receiving it. It was a nasty thing it was. Hollows in general were nasty; especially that one in particular. Nasty enough to be sent to Hell, even.

Anger bubbles in her gut when she recalls Yuichi's story. That poor, poor boy. Sakura hopes that he manages to reunite with his mother in Soul Society like Ichigo said he could.

Tracing the outline of the bruise with her finger, she frowns. Using a henge on a constant basis wasn't hard to manage at all, it took little chakra and very little concentration to manage, but if she continued to get injured like this, it would be more and more inconvenient for her in the long run. And in the off chance that all of her chakra decided to take a turn for the worse too, it was better to be prepared in case that happened. For now she would just wear long pants, even if the weather was mostly very hot. She'd live.

Her stomach was in better shape, but she had only knitted the tissue back mostly before her control on her chakra had gone sour. The scarring from the blast was still there, shaped like a splash against her abs. She wouldn't worry about that too much, she had long shirts that would cover such an injury.

The wounds in general, were not much to worry about. It was possible that in her haste to escape from the Hollow's grasp she may have torn some of her muscles in her calf and thigh. It was only simple strain, and she would be okay in a couple weeks as long as she didn't exert herself too much. Her stomach would be fine too, if a little tender.

Her body ached here and there, but again, rest would make her feel better and she'd mostly likely be okay again tomorrow. She was, however, quite fatigued. After supper she would go straight to bed, she was far too tired to bother with anything else.

As if triggered by the thought of rest, her eyes began to droop. Sakura gives in - but just for a second she tells herself. A moment of rest in this otherwise very active couple day would be nice. Just for a moment...

Thoughts of jingling chains and bleach white masks plague her semi-conscious brain. It is not long until she falls asleep without meaning too.


It is dark. Inky and endless. There is no up or down. No left or right.

She is floating, Sakura thinks.

She doesn't know where she is. No sign of anything familiar to aid her very dampened senses. No sign of anything at all , unfamiliar or otherwise. Just dark and inky blackness stretching as far as the eye can see.

She struggles to move, paralyzed. The space around her is immeasurable in its vastness and yet feels far more claustrophobic. There is no air. There is no wind. There is nothingness. for miles. She could by flying or falling, but she has no way of telling.

A sudden flash of white orients her slightly, appearing against the background of black, and standing out harshly. It is a sphere, simple, smooth, and unmoving. Sakura is overcome with the want to reach out and touch it but her body does not comply..

The orb shakes, startling her. It starts at just a tremble and then evolves into a tremor, escalating and escalating until… it just stops completely.

Then, it starts growing. It's morphing - forming something Sakura doesn't immediately recognize; until she does. It pulls itself around, like invisible hands are shaping and forming it like clay. It's shape becoming familiar.

It is the face of the frog-like Hollow. Its permanent grins stretches, and its empty eyes curve upwards in humor. The comedy is lost on Sakura, and rather than laughter - anger bubbles inside her. Then, it's image melts, spilling to the ground like poured milk against glass. It forms a pool that stretches; spreading and spreading until it covers the bottom half of the inky darkness of her dreamscape, far beyond what its original mass would entail.

Then, rather than pouring downward, the liquid begins flowing upwards from its great and vast milky sea, like a force is beckoning it from above. The liquid twists as it rises, twisting and twisting and twisting, climbing into the endless obsidian heights. It is forming something gnarled, and tentacles slink out of its mass like grabbing hands. They multiply, growing and growing until the gnarled and twisted ooze is no longer liquid, but something solid.

It is treelike, yet not. It is bleach white and towering - like bone.

The tentacles have not stopped. They continue to multiply and multiply.

And they reach for her.


"-ura-dono? ...kura-...no?"

Green eyes fly open and burn painfully. Sakura shoots out of the water gasping and sputtering. Her hands reach out to grab anything but she ends up clutching nothing but air. She flails slightly, water splashing in her franticness but she manages to get a hold of the edge of the tub in her reckless movements.

Hauling her weight out of the water, Sakura lifts herself up to sit on the edge of the tub, nearly slipping and falling back in. Her heart is racing and she's momentarily dizzy, her eyes tearing up slightly from the burning sensation of water against her naked eyeball.

There were so many questions going through her mind - and then she realizes she had not only fallen asleep, but been drowning .

"Sakura-dono, are you alright?" Comes the deep voice of Tessai. He is just outside the door and the reason Sakura had awoken. He also sounds very worried.

"Y-yes!" Sakura is quick to answer, throat raw from swallowing so much bathwater. She coughs a little. "Is everything okay?"

How much time had passed? She could have sworn she had just closed her eyes a second ago.

"Are you okay? You've been in there for quite a while and I heard worrisome noises." Tessai asks from beyond the door.

She is very much not alright, but she didn't actually drown so she supposes she's better than that.

"I-I think I fell asleep." Sakura says, a nervous laugh bubbling out of her.

Tessai is immediately alarmed at that, which is understandable really. It might have been wiser to keep that part to herself.

"I'm fine though, really! I-I'll be right out!" Sakura desperately tries to defuse, climbing out of the tub, minding her leg.

"Sakura-dono, please be careful! You might have been severely hurt or worse!" He admonished her. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'll be fine, really! I'm sorry to worry you!" She pulls the plug from the tub and grabs her towel, wrapping it around her body. "How long was I in there for?"

"It's been about half an hour." Tessai says. "I didn't hear anything while I was passing by and became worried."

"I'm sorry!" Sakura apologizes, face turning red. "I completely lost track of time."

"Don't apologize, Sakura-dono, I'm relieved that you weren't hurt." Tessai is very sincere and understanding. Sakura is touched by his compassion, but feels mostly embarrassed. Ninja reflexes.

"Can't say the same about my pride." Sakura jokes, pulling her shirt over her head.

Tessai lets out a small laugh. "Dinner is ready when you get out."

Oh, she completely forgot about that.

"Oh, o-oh god, I'm so sorry I totally forgot! I fell asleep and then-"

"Do not worry yourself so much, Sakura-dono. Come join us when you are ready." Tessai reassures her.

"R-right, I'm coming out right now, I'll be there in a second. Please start without me!" Sakura pulls on her pants frantically as she speaks, wrapping her towel around her head in an attempt to dry her damp hair. She exits the bathroom to an empty hallway. Tessai has already left. For such a large man, he is quite quick and quiet on his feet.

Sakura shivers a little at the cold air, throat and nose still stinging. Something niggles at the back of her mind, like she's forgetting something and can't figure out what it is. After making sure she has all of her stuff, she doesn't dwell on that thought long.

Sakura makes a quick trip to her bedroom to drop off her laundry before heading back downstairs. When she arrives, everyone is already eating, which she is grateful for. If she had managed to make them wait even longer because of her, she would absolutely die from the guilt.

"Glad you could join us." Kisuke greets her pleasantly, through humor is clear on her face. Sakura can't help but wonder if Tessai said anything about her tiny… incident.

"Sorry for the wait." Sakura returns with a small smile. She sits down at the table across from Kisuke and next to Jinta once again. The boy gives her a dirty look as if asking why she had to sit there of all places, but doesn't say anything, too busy shoveling rice into his mouth.

And so begins another meal with the Urahara shop. Its a pleasant one, aside from the glares being sent her way via Jinta. They chat idly amongst each other, and Sakura vaguely picks up that business is slow from the conversation between Tessai and Kisuke.

It must be , Sakura thinks, when your shop is so hard to find. She doesn't mention this fact out loud.

After dinner is done, she manages to shove her way into dishes duty, though not without a fight. Eventually Tessai gives in, probably getting the sense that Sakura wanted to make herself useful. Minor chores were a good counterbalance to the copious amount of guilt she seemed to be accumulating. Working it off was exactly what she needed. Also it was about time she did her job. For being someone who they hired as their live in housekeeping, she sure wasn't allowed to work that much.

Amidst the scrubbing of dishes, exhaustion made itself known. It became painfully clear when she rubbed her tired eyes with a suds covered hand. That… was the painful part.

The sting of soap in her eyeballs brings her back to earth and she manages to finish the dishes without further incident. Her short "nap" in the bath had clearly done nothing for her energy levels or awareness. It did a lot to her "ingested bath water" levels though. This level of fatigue… was not normal. Very quickly her exhaustion had gone from sort of tired to dead man walking.

Finishing up the dishes and shutting off the lights in the kitchen, Sakura wishes the rest of the household good night. They all reciprocate, minus Jinta whose far too absorbed into the show he's watching, though Sakura wouldn't have expected a response anyways. Kisuke also stares at her a little longer than she'd like before wishing her a goodnight and returning to his newspaper.

Sakura slips away from them with very little on her mind. The fatigue eats away at her conscious mind faster and faster to the point that she barely recalls walking up the stairs and entering her room. Everything seems very distant as she pulls her futon out of the closet and spills it onto the floor. Like static, her mind is fuzzy and her grip on consciousness grows more and more distant. Without permission, her body collapses on top of her covers and she falls into unconsciousness.

Sakura doesn't dream again.


When Sakura awakens the following morning, it's like a train has hit her into another oncoming train. Her body aches and her eyes are so heavy she wonders if someone has hooked 30 lb dumbells to her eyelids without her knowledge. With a groan of pain and discomfort, she manages to pry them open only to close them again when fabric scratches their surface. How much torture were her eyes going to experience before it was deemed enough? Was this karma for lying?

Rolling over from her splayed out dead man's float position atop her futon and onto her back instead, Sakura can only imagine how awful she looks. If it's anything like she feels, then… not wonderful. Her head is pounding and her leg and stomach throb. It's like the world worst hangover after the world's stupidest night out.

Shivering, Sakura peeks over at the open window. She had left it open when she left to go shop yesterday, and now the cold morning air was punishing her for it. Every part of her disagreed with the notion of getting up from her place on the futon, but she fights through the "ugh" nature of her condition. Sitting up and wiping the crust formed around her eyes, Sakura approaches the window and slams it closed. Its early in the morning. Too early.

"Coffee…" Sakura croaks quietly to herself. Coffee would have to wait until later, but it didn't stop her from wanting a cup.

She gets dressed and goes against her pleading, groaning body. If every fight with a Hollow ended this way, Sakura greatly pitied Ichigo for having such a job. This was an absolute nightmare.

Pulling on a pair of long sweatpants (with some unrefined hopping and paint) and a sweater, Sakura goes downstairs, making a stop in the bathroom in the hall to do her business and wash her face first. She looked just as bad as she expected herself too. Rubbing her tired, ringed eyes, Sakura lets out a deep sigh before splashing her face with a handful of water.

Exiting the bathroom, she creeps downstairs as quietly as possible before making a beeline to the front door. It seemed like she was the only one awake at this time, which was preferable. She'd rather not have anyone see how bad she looked this morning. She picks up her sandals and pads through the halls to the back door. The storefront was currently closed and she didn't want to meddle with that, just in case.

When she slips into the outside world, the air is chilly, but she isn't too bothered by it. She's also already far too committed and too tired to turn back. A little bit of wind wasn't going to kill her. So with only a minor feeling of regret, Sakura makes her way down the back alley behind the store, and down the street.

Her leg twinges slightly in pain, a reminder of her encounter. Despite her unorthodox sleeping position, the status of her 'grabbed' leg was overall in better shape but would definitely take a while longer for it to recover completely. It wasn't so wise for her to be walking on it like she was, especially without being able to heal herself. It was pretty hypocritical of her as a doctor, but she has things she needs to do, and she wasn't about to wait 3-6 weeks for them.

Testing the waters once again just to be sure, Sakura channels her medical chakra into her leg once more, only for it to disperse the moment it gets near her injury. She barely suppresses a groan. Nothing had changed on that front, unfortunately.

A brisk walk around the neighbourhood would stretch her stiff muscles, and while it didn't necessarily help with everything else, it was better then just lying around doing nothing. Usually she went for an early morning jog, but being that her leg was the way it was, a walk would suffice. Inaction made her stir crazy and often only served to make her feel worse in the end. Though granted, at 5 am she probably would have been better off sleeping more. If it proved to be an issue later, she would just have a nap.

All of this was also a perfect opportunity to get a real grasp on the world she found herself in. So far she had just been speculating more than anything, and even just starting at the area around her was better than nothing.

The neighbourhood the Urahara shop resides in contains mostly apartments and homes, Sakura notices. Devoid of children and mostly residence to working adults and seniors. Observing this, Sakura wonders what made Kisuke decide to set up a candy shop here of all places. Especially when a grocery store was stationed not too far from there. Seemed a little redundant, but that wasn't any of her business.

She walks around the block for a while, taking note of certain landmarks for future reference. If at all possible she would like to refrain from being lost again like last night. God knows she didn't need more thing working against her.

In her thoughts, she nearly misses the elderly woman carrying groceries up the hill ahead of her. The bag she's holding are recognizable to Sakura, being from the grocery store from the base of the hill she had just passed. The womans breaths are laboured and she looks to be struggling, pulling at Sakura's heartstrings severely.

"Um, excuse me ma'am." Sakura calls out to her before she can think, walking up to the woman in question. "Would you like some help?"

The woman turns to her in surprise, but quickly returns a kind smile to Sakura, though not without a hint of strain. "That's very kind of you," She says, eyes crinkling upwards. "but please don't worry yourself."

"It's not a problem! I'm walking in the same direction anyways!" Sakura offers a smile as pleasant as she can through her headache.

"That's..." The woman responds, unsure. "I'm sure you must be busy."

"Not at all! I was just taking a small walk around the neighbourhood." Sakura replies, waving a hand. "And even if I was busy, it still wouldn't be a bother."

The woman looks thoughtful for a moment, before letting up and handing Sakura her two bags. "Thank you so much my dear, I feel bad shrugging the work off onto you, but hills like these are so hard at my age."

Sakura takes the groceries from her extended hands and offers a bashful grin. "Ah, you don't have to thank me, you just looked like you were in pain."

The woman lets out a sad sigh. "Once upon a time, a hill like this would be nothing for me, but age is a nasty thing." She gives Sakura another warm smile. "I'm Yumie Horikoshi, what's your name my dear?"

"I'm Sakura Haruno." Sakura beams, bowing slightly as they begin to walk. "It's nice to meet you Horikoshi-san."

"Sakura Haruno huh? How apt." Yumie chuckles. "Your parents must be quite the people."

Sakura Haruno, huh, your parents must have had a wacky sense of humor. Kisuke's voice echoes as a reminder of their first meeting, and Sakura lets out a tiny laugh.

"My dad used to joke that they found me at the base of a cherry blossom tree," Sakura recalls fondly. "I would have believed him if he didn't also have pink hair."

"Its natural?" Yumie inquired, eye wide. "I would have never thought."

"I get that alot." Sakura says good naturedly. Once upon a time she would have thrown a fuss over people's comments on her hair color, but she was older now, and it didn't matter as much as she used to think. If people thought she was unassuming and underestimated her because of such a frivolous thing, it was their funeral. Though, she does vaguely remember getting defensive at Kisuke's comment. That had been… just an unfortunate day and Kisuke had not made the greatest impression

The incline of the hill is much steeper then before, and Sakura has to slow her pace to keep in line with Yumie.

"I don't think I've ever seen you around before." Yumie states, eyeing Sakura up and down. "I feel like I would have. You're very memorable."

"I just moved in." Sakura informs, smile wobbling slightly. Moved isn't exactly the most accurate word, but it's as close as she can get. Busting out 'I manifested out of thin air recently' in everyday conversation is maybe a good ice breaker, but not good for much else.

"Ah, that must be it, well it's very nice to meet you regardless, Sakura-san." Yumie smiles kindly and returns a similar bow. "I'm very fortunate such a fit and lovely young lady like yourself offered to help this poor old woman in her time of need. It's a bit embarrassing to have someone carry my groceries of all things, but I'm just not as capable as I used to be."

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about." Sakura says. "I don't think theres anything wrong with asking someone for help when you need it."

"I suppose that's true." Yumie agrees. "I just wish hills weren't so hellish ."

Sakura lets out a snort of humor. "Unfortunately hills are always hellish, and they somehow manage to get worse with age."

The two of them chat idly during the trek to Yumie's homes and Sakura finds her incredibly amiable and easy to talk with. The woman has an aura of gentleness around her that's so incredibly reminiscent of Sakura's own grandmother, she can't help but find herself opening up to her. There's also something else about her that reminds Sakura of someone else she knows, but she can't quite put her finger on who. Well if there's one thing that's certain, unlike

Sakura's grandmother who would gasp at even the most minor swear, Yumie has no problem snarking about anything. Sakura can only hope she's a fraction as charming as Yumie when she gets old.

It's not long before they reach their destination, as Yumie points out an apartment building that is stark against the early morning sky. Sakura blinks at it and

"I can take it from here now dear." Yumie tells her, taking the groceries back from her hands. "Would you like to come in for some tea? I'd like to give you a proper thank you."

"Ah, I should probably head home." Sakura says, apology tinting her voice. "I'm working as a live in housekeeper right now and I should probably return sooner than later."

"Ah, then I certainly won't keep you then." Yumie offers Sakura an understanding smile. "Feel free to come by whenever you feel like it, Sakura-san, your company is a joy. My grandchildren are all off to university now and it's nice to have someone so young to talk to again; it keeps me modern you know, hearing what you young folks get up to."

Sakura is not sure what 'university' is, but she surmises it has something to do with either school or work. She also doesn't mention that what the 'young folks' get up to in this world are most likely completely different from anything associated with Sakura. Unless of course Yumie wants to hear about knives and ninjas. As they speak, something catches Sakura's attention from her periphery.

"Of course! I would love to come by sometime. Talking with you has been a blast." Sakura returns her attention to Yumie, beaming. She tries to shove away the thought that once she returns to her world Yumie will likely never see her again. Her smile loses a little bit of its luster at the thought. It's fine, they had only just met, after all.

"I'm in apartment 235 if you ever want to stop by for a visit. I hope to see you again soon, Sakura-san." Yumie gives Sakura one more smile and heads through the apartment doors with a small little wabe. Sakura returns the gesture with a little wave of her own, waiting until she's out of sight before doing what she needs to do. Immediately, she rounds on the person she had actually intended to track down on her little morning excursion.

"I certainly didn't expect to see you here so soon, Sakura-san." Rikishi says, just as transparent as he had been when she first met him; physically that is. Nothing about him has changed in the past two days, with his dark brown kimono pants and shirt and still bald head. He smiles at her kindly, and Sakura can't help but return one of her own.

She makes sure to look around for any onlookers before answering him. It wouldn't do for her neighbours to think she was mentally… unsound.

"I actually would have liked to have visited sooner, but some… things happened." Sakura says, sliding into the oh-so-familiar alley of their first meeting. The garbage can she had barrelled into has since been re-erected, but it's outer body has many dents and scuffs that were not there before. That was her fault.

"I see you've met my daughter." He says.

Oh.

Oh, of course.

"Horikoshi-san is your daughter?" Sakura gawks, pieces coming together just a second too late. The familiar smile, this apartment building… of course they were related. How did this keep happening? And his daughter, at that… "Rikishi-san… you've been dead for a long time huh?" She says.

Rikishi smiles sadly and strokes his beard. "It is what is is, my dear." He sits down against the alley wall in a rectangular spot clear of refuse and garbage. Sakura wonders if he keeps that area tidy himself, and if so, if he can touch things in the physical world. "I certainly didn't expect you to meet my daughter of all people, especially in such a short time." He says.

"I just happened to meet her on my walk. She was struggling with some groceries so I helped her out." Sakura says, then lets out a exasperated laugh. "I can't believe that this type of thing has happened twice now. I'm half expecting to meet my long lost sibling at this rate."

"You're such a good child." Rikishi beams, and then curiosity overtakes his features. "And twice? What have you been up to in these last two days, Sakura-san?"

"A lot." Sakura admits, sitting on a clear garbage bag full of shredded paper across from him. She has some stuff to say, so better to make herself comfortable. "Some things have happened that I'd actually like to talk to you about, Rikishi-san."

The curiosity on the mans face doesn't budge an inch. He strokes his beard. "I'm all ears."


Oh my GOD sorry for this wonky ass update schedule. I'm trying to write as much as i can and often as i can, but im such a perfectionist it take SO long to finish a chapter. Im also not really a writer and this is the first BIG writing project ive ever tackled so, uuuuuh yeah sadkaksf. Im an artist first and fore most really.

Thanks to all of yall who are reading and reviewing this story, it means soooo much to me. That sweet sweet validation helps me out so much, and without it i dont know if this chapter would be done as quick as it has been haha. Considering I once took nearly a year for chapter 3, i'd say i did alright for this one HAHA.

So, things are starting to Happen. Sakura has to deal with the newfound knowledge of soul society, hollows and shinigami, and that really throws a wrench into her plans. Kisuke nearly scares her into punching him in the throat, she has a spooky dream and Rikishi makes his return! His Daughter also makes an appearance! What a great lil fam they are.

Maybe one of these days I'll end a chapter NOT in the middle of a conversation.

Thanks for reading folks! It means the world to me, stay tuned for more! And hopefully things will really begin to Turn Up soon.