Hey guys, it's been forever. I know. I suck at keeping up with my stories, but what can you say whenever you even touch a computer and your parents complain about being on it all day. :P So yeah. here's the next chappie, hope you all enjoy it. xD

Oh, and I just realized what I have been forgetting to do these past couple of chapters...

Diclaimer: Don't own it. Lol, If I did, I'd be making bank. xD hahaha, and we'd be having lots and LOTS of 'unconventional' pairings on our hands. teehee~

Chapter 4

HOW THE HELL AM I GOING TO GET HOME?! (part 2! XD)

Ichigo walked into the candy shop and headed straight to the back, through a side door, and plopped his baggage on the ground- said baggage only managed to make a thudding noise as it hit the ground.

"hah..."Ichigo sighed. He wasn't sure why the heck he'd was even doing this. He was a substitute Shinigami for Pete's sake, not an errand boy for whatever mischief the Hat-n-Clogs idiot had in mind. Ichigo looked at his 'baggage' and scrutinized him. The man didn't actually seem that old now that he looked at him. His white hair shone silver with some blue tint in it, but Ichigo knew some other young men with white hair, so this didn't come as a surprise to him. The only difference was that they were 'dead' by definition. Ichigo moved the body around a bit, observing his torso, arms, legs- just his body in general- trying to find any sort of wound that might have caused the man's death.

"Ara~ I don't want you poking any holes in that body right there, Ichigo. At least, not until after I do so~!" Kisuke Urahara walked into the room with his hands followed by Yorouichi. Ichigo backed away from the body and let the crazy scientist poke and prod at the man.

"So, what's the verdict? He's dead right?" Ichigo asked, already aware that the pulse of life had left the man a long time ago. "Can you figure out how he died?" Kisuke stayed silent as he picked up the body and took it underground, to one of his secret labs. Even Yorouichi looks serious, meaning that this wasn't an ordinary death.

Once they all reached Urahara's lab, they could see he went straight to work, sticking needles into the body, setting up the equipment and bringing out hospital tools. Ichigo would've asked where the hell he had obtained them, but knowing the crazy old man, he could probably get anything he wanted, no strings attached.

"So?" Ichigo asked.

"He's not dead." Uarahara replied, never stopping his work.

"Ahhh, I knew it. I mean, there was no pulse or any- wait, what?! How the hell is he not dead?!" Ichigo was incredulous. This guy couldn't be alive! Could he?

"He's alive, very much so. Unfortunately for him, though, his soul was forcefully ejected from his physical body. His soul is out there somewhere, and his body won't be able to hold out much longer without its core." Ichigo sighed.

"Let me guess, you want me to find it- the soul?"

"Actually, no. I have a plan..."

At Seiretei...

Gintoki stood tall before the commander, staring back at his beady eyes as the old man scrutinized him. He may seem stupid, but Gintoki knew this was the time to stay silent. He wouldn't be the first to speak, especially since the old man looked like he wanted Gintoki to make a mistake, just so he could condemn the man.

"What is your purpose?" The old man questioned, raising his reiatsu a bit to intimidate Gintoki and establish who was stronger, but Gintoki seemed unaffected.

"I have no purpose here in Seiretei, and I'm not completely sure how I managed to get here either if you're gonna ask that too." Gintoki looked around lazily.

Everyone here is so suspicious all the time.

"Don't presume you're free to go just because you did nothing wrong yet." A woman spoke up. Gintoki rolled his eyes and turned to look at the new voice. Of course, the only person here who was that snarky and rude was Soifon.

"Yyyyeah, sure Soifon. Don't get your panties in a bunch." Gin retorted lazily. Having dealt with Kagura and the other women, he had developed a thing for disgusting comebacks- to ward them off of course. Though, that usually didn't work since all the women he knew were just as dirty minded as any perverted old man he knew.

"Why you insolent-!" Soifon blushed and stepped forward, but the Commander stopped her with his reiatsu.

"Captain Soifon, please refrain from speaking out of turn!"

"Yes Commander!" She dropped to one knee, her face bright red but contorted in anger.

Hitsugaya looked over the white haired man in front of him. His features honestly could pass as a (beautiful) demon, but his demeanor had Hitsugaya sure the man was human. Dull red eyes turned and stared back at Hitsugaya, but the man made no other effort to acknowledge the captain's presence.

"Commander, am I permitted to ask a few questions?" The old man nodded. "Gintoki, if you truly at not dead, do you remember your life in the human realm?"

"Well yeah..."

"One last thing, why is it that even though you're in your spirit form, you're able to withstand all the reiatsu pressure the Commander has released?" Gintoki was taken off guard. He didn't even realize the old man was doing that already.

"Well, er... I'm not sure." A drop of sweat rolled down his forehead. "I guess I'm strong? Ahahaha..." Gintoki looked away. Maybe that's why he felt the sudden blood lust bubbling up from his inner mind. He was trying so hard not to show it or make any faces as he struggled suppressing his inner demons.

They all assumed their positions, stock still, silently observing one another. Gintoki eyed all the captains. He couldn't tell exactly the timeframe or arc of Bleach he was currently in. That is, until his eyes made contact with Aizen.

Oh crap...! Gintoki thought, the color draining from his already pale face. He was about to freak out, but then someone burst through the meeting room doors.

"Sorry for the intrusion, Commander, but I suppose the situation called for it." Gintoki was mildly surprised.

"Oh, well would you look at that!" Urahara tipped up his hat to look at Gintoki. Their eyes locking momentarily in a fierce gaze. "You're exactly why Ichigo and I are here."

"So you're with the traitor?!" Soifon shouted, standing up and getting into battle position.

"Silence!" Yamamoto bellowed. "You know very well the consequences of disobeying my orders and coming back here after being banished, Urahara. What is so important that you had to break the rules I have set?!" Urahara merely smiled at the old man.

"I just had to confirm that you hadn't killed that man there yet, commander."

"What're you implying?"

"What I'm trying to say here is that you cannot kill this man. He doesn't belong in this realm. Or even this dimension."

Finally someone speaks up! Gintoki thought to himself.