Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Naruto. Only the OC is my idea, her backstory, abilities, appearance, etc. I do not make any money from this story. This story is a sequel to "in your eyes", if you haven't read that, please do so first other wise this one isn't going to make as much sense. A bridge story in between them is "the best present."

Slowly his eyes opened, turning onto his back he found himself needing to shield his eyes from the sun's light. He blinked a bit as he sat up, taking in the scenery around him. His clothes consisted of hakama, and a kimono shirt, there was nothing on his feet. He stood from his spot and found himself surrounded by straw and mud huts. The ground was covered with sandy dirt, nothing looked familiar to him.

"Hey buddy, you got any money on ya?"

The question was posed from someone behind him. He turned to face the man and blinked, feeling around his legs and chest he surmised, "no. I don't believe so."

"Eh, I can't rob a blind man," the guy dismissed.

'Blind? I can see him just fine,' the new comer thought to himself.

"You got a name?"

"Neji Hyuga," Neji introduced himself as he looked the man square in the eye, hoping to remedy the man's idea that he was unable to see him. The man was about six feet tall, with blonde hair and green eyes. He was dressed in similar attire to himself except his clothing was slate blue. The man smirked before reaching for Neji, who easily evaded the attempt.

The man scowled as he threw another punch at Neji, which he easily caught in his open palm wrapping his fingers around the man's fist.

"Something I need to correct about your prior statement: I'm not blind," Neji informed him before placing his foot on the man's chest and leaning back. In effect flipping the man over his head and releasing him once the man was eye level with the ground the momentum carrying him over Neji's head. The man landed with a crash into pile of empty wooden barrels. Neji threw his own weight forward, getting back onto his feet and turning to face the man.

The blonde man got himself back up and charged at Neji with a makeshift weapon. Neji evaded his attack, he delivered a blow to the man's wrist using the side of his hand, causing the attacker to drop the weapon. The brunette was quick to kick the weapon away then deliver a kick to the man's chest.

'What is this place? The people are so violent,' Neji thought to himself as he observed the man getting up he then grabbed a nearby child and positioned himself so the kid couldn't escape. His hand pressed against the girl's forehead, pushing the front portions of her black hair into her eyes. The girl was wearing a tattered grey kimono, nothing on her feet and she hadn't bathed in a while, that much was certain. She trembled and whimpered as he demanded, "I'm done with this! Give me everything you have. Jewlery, money, whatever you've got that could get me a meal or the kid gets it."

Neji's mouth became dry while his expression remained unaltered. His stomach tensed, he didn't have anything of value, and although he was more agile than this man there was no way he'd be able to reach that girl in time.

Then it was as if his body moved of its own accord. In the time it took to blink, he was in front of the man and had delivered a five-finger special to the man's face, square between his eyes. The blow caused the man's grip on the child to loosen, and she managed to free herself from him. The man hit his head on the front of a hut. Neji picked up a nearby rock and poised it threateningly over the man's head.

"Never threaten children in front of me," Neji stated, he momentarily watched the man squirm before lowering the rock and throwing it away from both of them.

Neji turned away from the man and headed towards the girl, "stay down until we've left the area. Don't follow us."

He looked to the dark-haired girl, offering her his hand and a smile as he suggested, "how about you stay close to me until we find your parents?"

The girl's trembling eased as she accepted Neji's hand, and he pulled her to her feet. Neji gave her a kind smile as he headed off away from the man.

"Where are we going mister?"

"My name is Neji Hyuga," Neji advised the child and he gave a heavy sigh as he admitted, "I don't know."

The rest of the area was like barren wasteland, the girl gently gripped Neji's kimono sleeve. He turned his head to her and responded with, "Hmm?"

"You're new here, huh?"

"Yes, I suppose," Neji agreed, he stopped walking and knelt in front of the child before inquiring, "but I'm guessing you've been here a bit longer?"

"A full season," the girl answered and admitted, "I don't remember anything before waking up, not even my name."

"Hmm, that's interesting. I wonder why I can recall my name and you are unable to recall yours," Neji pondered out loud. He smiled as he offered, "If you'd like, I could name you."

He didn't need to wait for an answer as the girl's face instantly lit up at this proposed solution, it caused warmth to spread within his chest as he inquired, "do you know where we are?"

"We're near the border of Sakahone the 76th district of Rukongai," the little girl replied as she pointed directly ahead of them.

'Rukongai? I've heard that before,' Neji thought to himself. He blinked and held his forehead feeling as if his head would split open.

"-I suppose with time you get used to it," a brunette woman with amber eyes commented. Her smile was broad, but half invested. He could tell because although her eyes were light in colour there was pain, darkness within them. The smile wasn't one of joy but one to give a false sense of her being alright. But then a thought came to her that caused her face to brighten, "but the strongest of all of us is the first division Captain, who also holds the title of Captain-Commander."

"Interesting, so not only does that one person take responsibility for their entire barracks, it sounds like they'd be similar to our Hokage. Responsible for the entire village," he offered the comparison.

"Not just that, the entirety of soul society in essence. The whole Seireitei, and all of the Rukongai districts. If Soul Society falls, it would mean the apocalypse for all worlds in existence," she concluded.

"Mister Hyuga?"

The girl was gently grasping his hand that was holding his forehead. He gave her an assuring smile as he soothed her, "I'm alright. I think—I may have remembered something."

She seemed to calm at this as she returned his smile and nodded a little, "What'd you remember?"

"A woman who told me that Rukongai is part of soul society," Neji revealed. He glanced to her and suggested, "shall we keep going?"

The girl became a bit shy, her eyes downcast. "What is it little one?"

"My feet hurt," she replied.

Neji gently scooped the young girl into his arms and headed off again towards the border of Sakahone, the memory of the brunette with amber eyes driving him to keep moving.