ANs Will be at bottom of story from now on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Bleach, but I do some fish in my freezer and bleach for my laundry. Don't you think that counts for something?

Jiryokou © Dahlia Derbyshire

Naruto and Bleach © Kishimoto Masashi and Kubo Tite respectively

(Nearby Konoha Gates)

Kon was a pervert, and that fact was known by every person who had ever met him. Thus, he reacted naturally when he saw Hinata. Her curvaceousness caused him to gape, hunched over slightly. He was unaware of the drool that ran down his mouth; all that he thought about was Hinata in comparison to Orihime. He wasn't sure who he liked better…

The little devil (though not really little in Ichigo's body) was prepared to run forward to hug Hinata and bury his face in her bosom tightly. Unaware of Rukia still being as perceptive as ever, he rushed forward. A small arm blocked his path, and he ran right into it. Rukia's arm throttled at his neck, causing him to fall over to the ground.

"Behave!" Rukia stated, crossing her arms.

Kon pouted, rubbing his/Ichigo's neck in pain. "Why? Onee-san?"

Rukia briskly ignored him, turning her attention back to the obviously confused Hinata. She sighed, puffing out her cheeks in effort to relieve stress. She stepped forward to Hinata, holding out both hands in front of her, clapping them together once for dramatic effect. "Listen, I need to see Ichigo now. There's urgent news from Soul Society that he needs to here, and I'm pretty positive he's here somewhere."

Hinata, much brighter than some perceived, decide to milk the situation. She wanted to know more about this girl, and her connections with Ichigo. Rather than giving any information, she countered with questions of her own. "Why are you so sure that he's here?" She asked.

The girl's brows furrowed as she looked Hinata up and down. Was this girl serious? Rukia wasn't entirely sure how to answer, for she didn't want to give out too much information all in one sitting. However, Hinata did look very official, and held herself with a certain esteem that Rukia thought she could trust. Though the answer she would give was disappointing. Nervously, and half-ashamed of herself, she fiddled with her fingers and stared at her feet. "Well, I think he fought the same thing that transported me here. Damn Jiryokou…" She mumbled, turning to look up and see if Hinata believed her. Hinata paid no attention to the last, hardly audible comment.

Indeed, that story was very believable to Hinata. She smiled, and nodded. "I know where he is, I was walking with him just a moment ago." She made a gesture with her hand, walking in the general direction she had come from. Rukia, and the whining Kon trailing behind her.

(Somewhere Else)

Naruto was now doing his best to take Ichigo into consideration. If what Ichigo said the truth, and shinigami really did exist (an ideal that made Naruto grin), then there was no reason to be angry. Though the whole height thing still peeved him, Naruto was sure he could learn to get over it. He was more interested in the shinigami-part of the situation. Though despite all the overwhelming questions he had to ask, it seemed fate had other ideas for his time.

Aside from the strange feeling in the air near the Konoha Gates, the patter of feet (or more like paws) turned their attention to an approaching figure. This was the first time Ichigo had ever seen such a huge dog. Riding on the horse-sized canine was a boy who looked the same age as the rest of them. He wore some type of leather-ish jacket (a good choice, Ichigo thought) and had two fang-resembling marks on his cheeks. Like all the other shinobi, he had a steel-plated band, and looked very unfriendly.

"Yo." Kiba called as Akamaru pawed towards the group. He grinned at Naruto, remembering the little 'pep talk' he had given him. A part of Kiba wondered how that went, but the more sensible part knew there was no time to talk. Only time to explain. Big things were happening, things that he doubted even Kakashi could foresee. He felt guilty to be the one to tell them. Hiding his rowdy emotions was a difficult task. So much was going on!

"Hey." Naruto and Sakura greeted in unison. Kakashi gave a brief nod of his head. It was then Kiba spied a mysteriously tall, orange-haired guy who looked very close to their age. Kiba tilted his head to the side, stopping Akamaru as they approached. His movements were jerky as he slipped off Akamaru's back, only taking a brief second to look at Ichigo suspiciously. He had never seen someone who wore clothing like that before. Was it a new style?

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but Kiba quickly cut him off. He held up a hand in effort to stop his friend from uttering a single word. "Just listen to me, I'm not here to chat like I was earlier." He said, nodding solemnly. He gulped, an action that stiffened the bodies of those around him. (Everyone except the confused Ichigo, of course.) He gently brushed Akamaru's fur coat before continuing. He didn't make eye-contact. "Tsunade's…she's…she's been dismissed!"

A sort of rage for the issue boiled up inside of Kiba; a rage he could not control. He briskly craned his neck to look at Naruto, knowing he would be affected by most. Naruto's shock was no surprise to Kiba. "Some guy named Danzo is the 6th Hokage! I don't know him, but he's known as a pretty shady character. I can't believe this!" Kiba kicked at the dry Konoha dirt.

"Danzo?" Naruto and Sakura breathed. They had heard of Danzo, more than anyone could imagine. Sakura's breaths felt caught in her throat, and Naruto's fists were beginning to ball up. Both of them agreed that this was blasphemy.

Kakashi merely sighed. "I have a really bad feeling about this…" He mumbled. He knew exactly who Danzo was, and although the old man had good intentions, his means of meeting said intentions weren't very honorable. The ROOT was a dangerous group that nobody wanted to mess with.

Ichigo watched the interaction between the four. This whole 'Hokage' business seemed to be critical. He shifted his weight to one leg, scratching his chin as he watched. This 'Danzo' character seemed to have a lasting effect on everyone. A very bad lasting effect. It seemed nobody really had a happy face whist talking about him. It was intriguing, and Ichigo wondered if Danzo was anything like Aizen. That thought brought him to a whirlwind of bad memories, and the reminder that Aizen was still at large. He had to get soon, and fast! Yet, he felt an eerie obligation to the people of Konoha. It was so very suspicious…

"And that's not all!"

Kiba's voice pulled Ichigo to shore from drowning in his memories. He quirked an eyebrow in response. 'What more does he have to say?' He asked himself, crossing his arms. He couldn't imagine what else there was. The information he had already shared seemed so major. Just how much worse could the situation get for this nin? Nonetheless, Kiba went on, jumping onto Akamaru's back.

"He's given permission to hunt Sasuke as a missing-nin!"

Ichigo took a moment to watch the scenario unfold. The moment those words were uttered, a light dimmed in Sakura's eyes. Had he been looking away, he would have missed it. Lately, he found his eyes often strayed towards Sakura with an interest. She and her friends were all so mysterious. This 'Sasuke' person was obviously dear. Naruto had a pale look to him, and Kakashi (yes, even Kakashi) had lips that curved downward.

Naruto seemed to be reacting much more than the others. He took a step forward, swiping his hand in front of him as if to dismiss this from ever happening. "No! They wouldn't do that! Granny Tsunade would never let this happen!" He gulped, looking to Kiba for answers. He found none. Kiba was just as hurt as the rest of them. The seriousness of his look countered Naruto. At that moment it felt as if the weight of air was pushing down on Naruto, crushing him. His knees shook, desperately attempting to keep his body up. In the midst of all the news, he managed to say a few words: "What the hell do you mean? Why is this happening?" He couldn't help it; his knees gave in and became the only things holding him up.

Their friend shrugged, gently stroking Akamaru in a way that was laden with remorse. He wished he could have done something to stop this all from happening…if only there had been a way to delay Danzo from taking the position, and to bring Tsunade back.

Kakashi, from that moment on, was determined to bury his true emotions. His mind was racing with thoughts, but his face remained emotionless. Sasuke could be considered a little cousin to him. Kakashi had taken the time to teach Sasuke the Chidori, and to nurture his skills. This was how Sasuke repaid him? The man sighed, walking to Naruto and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Sasuke is a missing-nin. Being hunted until death is the usual punishment. It was because of you Tsunade had always been so lenient." He paused, closing his eyes. The darkness of his eyelids was oddly comforting at the moment. "Now that she's unable to resume her position of the Hokage, the protection Sasuke had from death is gone."

While all of their words passed by, Sakura said nothing. As it was, breathing became more of a chore. Her heart was heavy with the news. She always held Sasuke so dear, everyone knew that. (Not including the confused newcomer, Ichigo.) Her hands held over her chest, as if to hold her heart together. It was so close to breaking… The more she thought about it all, the more a typical emotion ballooned inside of her. Hatred. Hatred for the man who was putting a bounty on Sasuke's head, and for all the people who were going along with it. Her hands willed themselves into tight fists, her eyes narrowing with a disgusting look.

Out of nowhere, she voiced her thoughts. "I'm going to see Danzo. Someone has to stop this." She nodded to herself, swiveling to face the other way. A quick hand to her shoulder stopped her, only making her emotions more intense. Expecting for the hand to be Kakashi's, she shrugged it off violently.

Ichigo grimaced, rubbing his hand. "What the hell is wrong with you? I don't know what's going on, but even I can tell this is no time to be so stupid! Storming to this 'Danzo', and beating the living daylight out of him won't. Solve. Anything!" He made a wild gesture with his arms in the direction she had intended to go.

The roseate frowned. Somewhere in her gut, she knew Ichigo was right. Although his little outburst was not appreciated (especially by Kakashi, who was already prepared to stop her), his words were true. What he said made sense. Still, Sakura didn't want to admit they were right. In her eyes, the situation was not fair. Tsunade hadn't woken up yet and so soon she was being undermined. Already someone had taken her place, no doubt intending to lead Konoha into a period of dark times. Why was it she was the only one who could see that?

She realized that wasn't so when Naruto pulled himself up from the floor. "I'm going with you, Sakura!" The look on Kakashi's face made him obligated to continue. He strode forward, standing beside Sakura. His blue eyes were boring into Ichigo's. His respect for Ichigo was lost. How could someone just stand aside like he was suggesting? Naruto wouldn't stand for that. "I can't stay calm. I won't let anyone lay a finger on Sasuke, especially not Danzo!"

The sight was odd. Naruto and Sakura agreeing on something… Ichigo frowned as he watched the two take steps away from the group. They seemed so determined, as if their life was nothing up to this point; as if their true destiny started right then and there.

Both Kakashi and Kiba took a stand. They approached the duo, each grabbing the hand of one and pulling them back. Kakashi was first to speak. "This is exactly what Danzo wants. He knew you would react like this."

"Don't be morons. Think." Kiba cleanly stated, releasing Sakura's hand. He took a step back, allowing Kakashi to continue with all the talking from now on.

"Naruto, Sakura, I know this is hard for you." He let go of Naruto. He glanced at each of them as he said there names in earnest. They had to know this was serious. "I know you can't just sit around and leave things like this, but you have to. The Jounin haven't voted yet, therefore Danzo is the Hokage for the time being. If you rush up to him, he'll become defensive and throw the both of you in jail. Just take a moment to breathe and think rationally."

The defiant duo didn't listen. Naruto and Sakura pulled themselves away, still determined to talk to Danzo. They wouldn't let the empty threat of jail fool them. They both declared their departure and headed away. The only obstacle was Kiba and Akamaru, who currently stood in their path.

The blond boy ground his teeth. "I swear, if you try to sto-"

"Naruto, you have the Kyuubi locked inside of you." Kakashi's words stopped them both dead in their tracks, forcing them to turn and look him in the eye. (Nobody noticed the peculiar look of curiosity on Ichigo's face as Kakashi continued.) "If you go to him, you'll be playing right into his hands. He'll lock you in the village, you and Sakura both, and then you'll never be able to find Sasuke."

These developments were strange. Apparently, Sasuke was more than Ichigo had originally perceived him to be. The shinigami raised his eyebrows as the group went on and on. It seemed every conversation led to Sasuke. To make matters worse, Kakashi mentioned a beast. Naruto had a beast inside of him? 'Just what are you shinobi hiding…?' He thought to himself, crossing his arms and absent-mindedly scratching his chin.

(Half-a-mile Away)

Sai felt weak, and defeated. His little 'talk' with Danzo had left him scarred. The conversation replayed itself in his mind over, and over again. He couldn't ignore it. Danzo's voice just sounded so cruel, and unjust. The way he spoke of Naruto, as if Naruto was an animal. How could the beloved hero of the village be something so little to Danzo? Naruto was Sai's comrade, and friend. Sai would do nothing to betray him!

Yet his resistance was failing. The seal on his tongue paired with his invincible contract with ROOT made Danzo's wishes reality. It was even more vital now that Danzo was the Hokage. (News always traveled fast in Konoha.) If Sai was ordered to keep an eye on Naruto and prevent him from leaving the village, then that was what he would do. 'Don't expect me to do it happily, Danzo,' he thought to himself, fighting the urge to spit at Danzo's tent as he briskly walked away. First thing was first, he had to find Naruto.

(Back at 'Somewhere Else')

Despite his questions, Ichigo was left with nothing. His new allies were severely lacking in the information department. They told him absolutely nothing. Instead, Kakashi merely disappeared, and Sakura and Naruto sped off. (What they were speeding off to? Ichigo would never know.) He was left with Kiba and that huge canine. Unfortunately, their first ever conversation started off on a bad note when Kiba blurted out:

"So…are you really a strawberry?"

It was a stupid question, and Ichigo had heard it so many times. Kiba had a hard time of controlling his laughter, clutching his stomach as he hopped onto Akamaru's back and rode off and away into the horizon. Yet again Ichigo was alone, with nothing and nobody. He didn't count Zangetsu, the Zanpakto was silent and never said a single syllable.

The shinigami decided to take a little walk. He started off pacing, trying to piece together everything he knew about Sasuke and Danzo. In the end, he came up with a sizeable conclusion. Sasuke was obviously close to the two teens, a closeness that Ichigo felt with Rukia. They were comrades, they had to be. Obviously, Sasuke did something and he was gone. Both Naruto and Sakura had feelings of abandonment, and had no way to vent except for random arguments with their sensei. Whatever was going on, it was juicy. Especially when Ichigo took consideration of Naruto's 'condition'. Just what was this 'Kyuubi'? Who could he visit to find out more?

Ichigo's doppelganger, otherwise known as Kon, was a sketchy figure. Hinata wasn't sure what to think about him. His eyes always looked in inappropriate places, and he never had anything interesting or useful to say. It was always the same disturbing comments. Rukia was not at all affected by Kon. 'It must be something I'll have to get used to,' she thought to herself. Hinata was under the impression that Rukia and Kon would be staying for quite a while.

Rukia, despite what Hinata thought, was thoroughly annoyed. With every word Kon managed to spout, she fought the urge to kick, punch, or bite him. Anything she'd do would only harm Ichigo's body, and that was bad. Orihime was not around to heal anybody. They were left to fend for themselves, and to stay alive in this strange place.

"So, where exactly are we?" Rukia inquired, her mind pestered by the fact she felt lost. She was a highly-esteemed shinigami, for Pete's sake! She should be back in Soul Society, back with her fellow shinigami! Not in this strange place where she sensed absolutely nothing. It was unbearable to think she, of all people, was completely oblivious.

The Hyuuga smiled. "You're in the Land of Fire, Konohagakure." She looked over her shoulder at Rukia to give a brief, yet warming smile. "It's really nice here, you'll get used to it."

Believe it or not, Rukia had knowledge of Konohagakure. Well, not the village specifically, but of the land. It was an Elemental Nation, far back in time. They must have been centuries behind, many centuries! She bit her lip, worried. If Ichigo was indeed in this world, was he aware that they were currently unable to get back? The only way to return back to normal time was currently in said time, no doubt lurking on the streets of Karakura Town. Still, this would prove an interesting conquest. Ichigo was probably the first shinigami to ever go this far back in time. Did he know of all the History he was witnessing?

Without being heard, Rukia cursed under her breath. "Damn Jiryokou…"

Up until that point, Kon had remained suspiciously silent. He'd merely been starting at Hinata's backside when a spark in the air hit him. He heard the familiar footsteps. Ichigo was close, maybe even too close for comfort. Kon said nothing about this; he didn't want to leave Ichigo's body. There was nothing else to go into! The stuffed lion was back in Ichigo's room, so obviously far away from where they were! He bit at his nails, thinking of ways to divert the group's attention. He wanted to stay on two feet for as long as possible. He would have to milk it.

Kon opened his mouth to say something, anything, but was rudely cut off. Neither Hinata nor Rukia had been paying attention to him, they'd been focused on the path ahead. It was Rukia who, out of the two, first felt Ichigo's Reiatsu. "That's him!" She mumbled, stepping up her pace.

Hinata fell behind when Rukia and Kon bounded past her, Kon eagerly trying to sway Rukia's mind. "No, that can't be! I think I'd know if Ichigo was close!" He told her.

"Stuff it, Kon." Rukia blabbered, unaware of the irony. She simply wanted Kon to be quiet so she could focus. And indeed, he was silent, and she did focus. She led the other two pass piles and piles of debris and crowds of people to a semi-open clearing. She could recognize that head of orange hair anywhere. "ICHIGO!"

He heard her voice, how could he not? Rukia's voice was so loud and obnoxious; Ichigo couldn't believe he had almost missed her! He turned, shocked to see her there. Why was she here, of all places? Not to mention he was under the impression she intended to stay in Soul Society after her rescue. If anything, he was offended. She had made it so clear she intended to stay in Soul Society, yet here she was, obviously not in Soul Society. His brows furrowed, and he chose to ignore Kon trailing behind her. (Though he had to admit, the pleasure of knowing he could have his body back was nice.)

"What the hell, Rukia?" Ichigo spat. Hinata winced at his harsh language. The exchange of happy greetings was lost. He was not happy to see Rukia for a multitude of reasons. Yes, secretly he was relieved to know that she still existed, but that was beside the point.

Rukia narrowed her eyes, sprinting towards him. He was still as tall as ever. She poked his chest. "Don't use that tone with me, substitute shinigami." (The fact Hinata had just learned that shinigami were real didn't phase anyone. Not even when the blood left her face and a loud gasp left her lips was she noticed.) Rukia's mocking tone caused Ichigo to roll his eyes. "We can talk about this, just find us a place where we can speak without being bothered."

The one place… Ichigo had to think about it thoroughly. What was the one place they could go where they'd never be noticed? The one place where they'd be completely ignored and nameless?

(Ichigo's Tent)

Nobody ever bothered Ichigo in his tent. He had learned that lesson the hard way. Thus, when it came to him, he was quick to lead them all towards it. For reasons unknown, Hinata decided to tag along. (Though it wouldn't make any difference, he intended for her to be a guard outside of his tent.) The space seemed all the more cramped with both Rukia and Kon inside. Zangetsu currently lay behind the real Ichigo, who had his legs crossed. Rukia sat adjacent to him, formally sitting on her ankles. Whereas Kon was sprawled out on the ground, not really caring what they'd talk about. (He was peeved. Soon they'd have to find a new body for him, and nothing would ever be as comfortable as Ichigo's.)

"Start talking, Rukia." Ichigo wasted no time. As soon as they were all seated, Hinata standing outside, he began. Something was going on. "I want to know what's going on. What are you doing here? More importantly, why am I here?" He rested his elbows on his knees, leaning his head down to exasperatedly sigh. It wasn't even half-way into the afternoon and he was already exhausted.

She shook her head. "That's such a stupid question. You should know what's going on, Ichigo. This all ties back to the very last thing we were both doing before we were pushed into the past."

"Pushed into the past? You don't mea-"

She held up a hand to stop him. "Yes, I do mean it literally. But that doesn't matter right now. The Hollow you fought, the extremely strong one called 'Jiryokou' did this. He sent us here using his strange powers." She nodded knowledgeable, going on, "I was in Soul Society when I was ordered to Karakura Town. I wasn't the only one ordered. Renji was too. We went down, and ran into Kon." She gestured to the doppelganger. "He had no idea what was going on. Apparently you had gotten to Jiryokou first. I went as fast as I could to assist, but the last thing I saw was your orange hair. You were gone, vanished. Renji distracted Jiryokou so I could make a plan, and when I got one we all fought…but…"

Ichigo tilted his head to the side. "But what?"

"But Jiryokou was always one step ahead of us. Always. One moment he'd be under my blade, and the next he was right behind me, unharmed. The whole in his chest was the last thing I got a chance to look at before I was thrown into a tree. Kon was with me, apparently he tried to take on Jiryokou himself." Rukia took a breath, pleased to see how well her explanation sounded. But it wasn't enough for Ichigo.

He bit his lip, looking away. "So it's Jiryokou who's doing all of this?" He sighed, turning back to look at Rukia. "Is there a chance you and Kon aren't the only two who were fooled by Jiryokou? What about Renji?" The thought of having some back-up in this strange place put an ounce of hope. Ichigo was desperate for home, despite all the exciting developments.

She shook her head dejectedly. "Sorry Ichigo. I know Renji…" Rukia paused out of instinct. Did she really know what happened to Renji? "…He's smart. He would have realized what was happening and gotten out to call for help. No doubt Jiryokou been stopped…and killed…"

It came quick to Ichigo, and it was obvious. If Jiryokou had died… "So we're stranded here forever?" He yelled, standing up. He hastily strapped Zangetsu to his back. "I can't…I won't allow this. Some dumbass Hollow can't beat me, I won't fall into his messed up mind game!" He angrily headed for the tent flap, throwing it aside. (Thankfully, without hitting Hinata again like earlier.) He stopped to poke his head in at his two friends.

"Kon, get up. We're going to find you a new body."

The scene looked so strange to Hinata. She watched as Ichigo hastily exited the tent. She opened her mouth to ask him what they were going to do, when a feminine hand reached out and pulled him right back into the tent. With a loud 'thump', she knew he'd fallen to the floor.

"Jeez! Rukia!" Ichigo blundered.

"Shut up, Ichigo, just shut up! You don't know half of what's going on, so don't make rash decisions without consulting us first, your team!" She told him, rubbing her hand gingerly. Pulling Ichigo back in was a lot of work. "We might as well stay here and decide our next move."

He sighed, pulling himself up to kneel. The ground was hard, and he couldn't believe he had rested on it so easily before. "Fine, whatever." He told Rukia rudely as he crossed his legs again, making sure to push Kon aside to give him more room. "Where exactly is 'here'?"

"Finally, a sensible question." Rukia said, smirking. She gestured around them (pretending the tent didn't separate them from everything outside) and said, "'Here' is an Elemental Nation. A part of Japan's history. You've probably been told your in a village called 'Konoha', but there's much more to it than just that. Konoha is the Hidden Shinobi village of the Land of Fire. There's several other lands, and most of them have their own villages as well. We're literally walking among our history."

Ichigo quirked his eyebrow. "So we're still in Japan?"

She shrugged. "Yes, and no. These people don't know this place as Japan. In fact, Japan is yet to be an island. This is all one super-continent." Her eyes glittered with the knowledge. It was strange to think all the meaningless information shinigami were taught actually came in handy. "You must be wondering why there are no Hollows here, and the explanation for that is simple: this place has no Reiatsu."

Confused, Ichigo gaped. No Reiatsu? Didn't everything have Reiatsu? Rukia saw his confusion, and went on, "Well, this place does have it, but the people don't. Times are different here. These people, or ninja more specifically, have a thing called Chakra. It's both physical and spiritual energy. Here people live happier lives, and the Chakra is so strong that Hollows hardly last an hour in this place. Even Jiryokou would have problems with the ninja here."

From what she said, Ichigo was under the impression that Chakra was strong, and Reiatsu was weak. It made him feel small, to think he was surrounded by people that (if what Rukia was getting at was right) could easily squash him like a bug. "In other words, we're weak here."

It was her turn to be nervous. She bit her lip, looking apologetic. "Yeah, basically. Everything but our Bankai is powerless against shinobi that are above the middle level here, whatever that is."

"Chuunin." He responded.

Not knowing what he said, she ignored it. "Gesundheit*"

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck. Things did not look good for him. A little angrily, he thought aloud. "So Jiryokou intentionally sent us to a place where Reiatsu would do no good. A place he knew we'd stick out, and could never win in…damn genius…" Things didn't look too good for the shinigami. For now they were stuck in a world where their powers (most of those powers, anyways) would do nothing. They were literally defenseless sitting ducks. The thought made Ichigo angrily slam his fist into the ground, startling Rukia and Kon. He got up from his spot on the ground. Gently nudging Kon's side with his foot, he said, "Stay here, Kon. Rukia and I will go out and get you a new body." He glanced to Rukia. "Do you have the glove?"

He was referring to the glove that could bring his shinigami form out. Rukia nodded, which was good. Ichigo had the distinct feeling that one day he would need to be in shinigami form. But for now, he felt the villagers needed to be able to see him if he was going to adapt into their society and eventually figure a way out.

Ichigo headed out of the tent, followed by Rukia. Hinata came to attention, lightly following behind them. Both shinigami stopped to turn to her, shaking their heads in unison. Ichigo was about to 'dismiss' her when a thought occurred. They needed somebody who had a vast knowledge of the village if they were ever going to find Kon a new body. Rukia seemingly realized this two, for she kept her mouth closed as well. Albeit Hinata was confused, she didn't say a word. The duo before her looked deep in thought.

Quickly turning to face forward, Ichigo said, "First things first, we find Kon a body. I don't know what we'll do for you, Rukia. It's not like there's any Gigai nearby." He shrugged, and she nodded. She was completely aware of her situation. "The faster we find Kon a body, the faster I can learn more about this place so we can formulate a plan to get out."

Not wanting to crush his spirits, she kept her negativity to herself.

'That's impossible,' she thought.

Author's Note ::

Hola everybody. I'm doing my best to get this out. I've started an outline. To be honest, this story can go wherever I want it to, but I do indeed have a plan.

I'd like it if you guys would leave reviews, or even better: suggestions! Have any characters you want to see? Please, tell me, I'm writing for you.

Anyways, I'm doing my best to get these done on similar days. I'm thinking one chapter, approximately 5,000 words, every week released on Thursday/Friday would be good, don't you?

Once again, have any suggestions, please review and I WILL reply. But only if you ask me a question. If you give me some half-assed compliment, I'm definitely not going to take a minute to respond. But if you have any questions or concerns (that are obvious) I can assure you, I will respond in the utmost urgent manner.

Also, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS. I read them all and my heart soared. I'll do my best to keep this interesting for all of you.

Anyways, Adieux for now!

P.S. I'm having computer issues.

P.S.S. release dates may be easily swayed by this.

P.S.S+S. I feel I should apologize in advance. Hehe…

*pronounced [ga-zoon-tight]