CHAPTER 1

Awakening!

Ichigo opened his eyes. The first thing that Ichigo became aware of was the He had head splitting headache, the second that he was blind, or that it was completely dark. He hoped it was just very dark. He tried to remember, but his mind was fussy and blurred. The only thing that he was sure of was that he didn't know where he was and why he was there. Slowly his sight came back and he could finally see what was above him. It looked like the ceiling was made of stone, a dark and somehow damp looking stone. With his arms supporting him from left and right, he managed to slowly lift his body into a sitting position. Turning his head left and right he realize that he was sitting on the wet floor of a sewer or something similar. He shivered. The sewer was over flown with water and he was pretty wet. Ichigo wondered if he could get sick in his soul form or if souls didn't get sick. He decided to stand up, even thought that wouldn't help him much with his already wet clothes, and looked around ones more. Ichigo decided that he didn't like the place. It was cold, wet and seemed to be endless with no change at all.

Ichigo went through his memories again, but still his memories came up blank. The last thing that he remembered was his use of Mugetsu. His power output had been so strong that it had started to blow up and disintegrate everything around him. After that nothing, everything became dark. He did not possess the memories that could be able to connect his situation then with his situation now. He could not fathom how he had arrived from a battlefield into a sewer. Ichigo decided to stop thinking about it for now. It was clear that the answer wouldn't be found in his memories and he had no desire to stand here in this wet, cold sewer all day, so he started to move and explore. It wasn't like he had anything to do anyway and the sooner he was able to leave it the better.

Ichigo wasn't sure how much time had passed when he was finally about ready to give up for the 'day'. Ichigo wasn't so sure how much, but he believed that hours had already passed while he had searched for a way out. Still he wouldn't give up just jet, because giving up would include another not so liked part of that choice. It would mean that he would have to sit down and take a break. He didn't want to sit down when the floor was over flown with water, so he chose the other opinion. He was about to start walking again, when he suddenly heard someone or something breathing. To tell the truth Ichigo wasn't really picky right now, anything would do, even a hollow, as long as it could talk. He needed answers and finally someone or something could maybe give him some. Maybe god had decided to finally stop messing with him, Ichigo believed that was one of god's favorite pastimes and had decided to answer his prayers. Ichigo desperately hoped that the person or being could talk and give him answers to his questions. Ichigo started to walk. His steps quickened till he started to move in a light jog. The breathing of the creature or person was getting louder. The human or being must have heard him arrive, how not with the sounds of splashing water, and asked:

"Brat, what do you want? Why did you come here?"

The being must have mistaken Ichigo for someone else, since he didn't consider himself young enough to be called brat anymore. Still he moved toward the sound of the voice, not really caring who this brat was, since the joy that the being could talk had overthrown any other rational thought Ichigo might have had. This being could even talk in full sentences, what made it even better, with his luck Ichigo wouldn't have been surprised if he had gotten a being that couldn't talk in full sentences or even talked another language all together. If his character had allowed it, he might have jumped in joy, since it didn't the only real change in his body language was the small smile that had started to form on his face. He finally arrived at the source of the voice and stared, with a bit of surprise, since he hadn't thought about it, at bars, like some king of prison bars. A cage if one would call it such, since it clearly wasn't made for humans, was stretching from one side of the room to the other. It was enormous in size and the bars were thick but also far apart. A human could have easily slipped between one of them and flee the cage. This being he was about to meet was probably much bigger than him in size. He finally spotted the prisoner of said cage. It was a gigantic red fox with nine tails, if he counted them correctly. The fox like creature looked at him and snarled:

"Who are you? You are not the brat. Are you one of the foolish human being, who wish to control me?"

"To your first question my name is Kurosaki Ichigo and to your second question: Why would I want to control you? I have something much more important to do than that. I have a few questions that I would like to get answered."

The fox looked suspicious, but also curious. It seemed to decide to indulge the 'human' for now. Ichigo noticing that the fox stayed quiet and waited for his questions he started.

"First I hope you will give me your name and the second and for me much more important question: Can you tell me were exactly I am?"

The fox looked at him a little surprised. It seemed that it had thought Ichigo would ask some different questions.

"I am called Kyuubi no Kitsune, or Kyuubi for short and am the most powerful being in this dimension. Right now we are residing inside the mind of Uzumaki Naruto, my jailor." Ichigo mulled over the information he had gotten. How had he managed to enter another mind and how was he able to leave.

"Kyuubi, do you know why I am in this boy's mind and how I can get out again?" Ichigo asked. It was a bit weird having a normal conservation with a gigantic red fox, but right now Ichigo could care less. As long as he got answers, he wouldn't have cared even if the being had been a talking chair, though he might have thought that he had gone crazy if that had happened.

"I do not know why you are here but I do know how you can get out. You could rip of my seal and I could get us both out of this hellhole!" The Kyuubi grinned and Ichigo was only too aware of the fact that it almost looked exactly like his hollow's. Still even if he had wanted to help Kyuubi free himself he couldn't.

"Sorry Kyuubi, even if I wanted to free you I wouldn't be able to do that! The seal is made in such a way that only your 'jailor', the one you reside in, can rip the seal away and free you. You would need to make you 'jailor' do that to free yourself." Ichigo had noticed that Kyuubi had gotten angry, but as soon as the the explanation had left Ichigo's lips he had calmed down again. Ichigo was thankful that Rukia had giving him lessons about sealing, even if he hadn't really listened at that time, and he couldn't really understand this piece of paper, he could still understand the intentions of the seal through the reiatsu that resided inside it. He would have probably been burned to crisps had he tried to free Kyuubi by ripping it away. He would probably still be able to unseal Kyuubi, using his overwhelming reiatsu resources, but that would have probably also damaged the soul of the 'brat' in which he right now resided.

"You really are a weird human. The most humans would be scared of me!" The Kyuubi suddenly stated, showing curiosity that would often come hand in hand with the saying: "Curiosity killed the cat!"

What had really caught the Kyuubi's attention was that this Ichigo before him looked and felt somehow different than normal humans or ninjas. If it was only about Ichigo's clothes the Kyuubi really wouldn't have been bothered, since from what he had seen through Naruto's eyes and what he had seen himself, weird clothes and looks were a part of being a ninja, they all looked weird in their own way and often had even weirder tastes.

"Why should I be scared of you?" Asked Ichigo somehow perplexed. "You can't really do anything to me behind these bars right?!" He stated, but Kyuubi noted that it was with no malice. "I don't think that you really just attack random ether and even if, I am pretty confident in my own abilities!"

Kyuubi didn't know why but he somehow trusted Ichigo's words and he was also somehow touched that not all beings thought of him as evil and insane. Kyuubi gave the boy a questionable look for his last statement and Ichigo gave him an answer to his unasked question.

"I am not fully human so you can expect more from me power wise than from a normal human." Kyuubi nodded. He had noticed how the voice had broken at some part of his answer but he didn't pry. That was something that humans did, always trying to know everything, even at cost of another's privacy.

Still Ichigo noticed Kyuubi's curiosity and decided to tell him. It was not like the Kyuubi was a human anyway, so the rules that soul society had created weren't applying.

"My father is a Shinigami, and with that so am I, at least a part of me is! It is pretty complicated, since the heritage of a shinigami only affects the soul and not the body." That was the first time that Ichigo realized that he wasn't in his human body, but in his soul form. He looked down at himself. He noticed the bandaged that covered the upper half of his body. He was still Mugetsu! Why? He had been told that Mugetsu wouldn't hold long and then he would have lost all his reiatsu, but that couldn't be since he still was Mugetsu. What had happened? What could have possible stopped the process of him losing his reiatsu.

With a sigh he stopped his track of thoughts, like before he probably wouldn't find answers right away. Instead he should thing about what he was right now and what he could do. He remembered that he was Mugetsu and Mugetsu was him combining with Zangetsu and Shiro. Zangetsu and Shiro where both part of his sword and like he had told Aizen, he had become Zangetsu himself. That meant that he had become a sword, right?! He thought about creating a replica of Zangetsu. It didn't take long for a Zangetsu's bankai form to appear in his hand. Next he focused on himself. Could he also turn into a sword? He thought about changing into a sword form and it didn't take long for his body to suddenly dissolve and reform. This time a pitch-black sword instead of a human body, still all his senses still functioned without trouble, expect his sight. It was like he had eyes everywhere. He now could even see every direction without 'turning his head'. He could even see everything behind him, where normally the back of his head would be. Also he couldn't really move in this form. He noticed that he could hover and float, but he couldn't really walk, with not having legs and all. The feeling of his body was all messed up. He didn't feel his body, like the arms and legs and everything else, like normal but different, like he was really a sword. Had Zangetsu ever felt like that? Ichigo turned back into the human shaped while those thoughts weightened him down. He would never be able to ask Zangetsu. He was Zangetsu now and even if he could turn back, he would probably lose all his reiatsu and the old man with them.

Kyuubi had quickly recovered from his shock that the 'human' before him had been a shinigami when the human had become quiet. His feelings had quickly returned to curiosity when the boy had dissolved and then reformed into a sword. It was a beautiful sword, pure black and somehow reflecting light that didn't seem to exist. Then it started to hover and float and soon the sword changed back into the 'human', who looked distressed and saddened.

Kyuubi didn't know what to do. He somehow had the feeling that he should comfort the boy, but how and more important why should he do that?! He decided against it and since this 'human shinigami sword-thingy' had woken his curiosity, he decided to ask its name. With that he would at least know what to call the 'boy' before him.

"What is your name boy?" The Kyuubi asked.

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki" Ichigo was ripped out of his thoughts with that question, but answered, his usual scowl on his face. Somehow he knew that Kyuubi couldn't and wouldn't attack. He didn't know why but he had always trusted his gut feeling, or how his hollow called them 'instincts' at least in those matters. Still he waited for that hateful comment about his name in connection with that hateful fruit 'strawberry' to come up. When it didn't and the Kyuubi only gave a short nod he was relieved. The scowl lessened. Ichigo was sure he would have attacked the Kyuubi, with or without the cage in between if that hateful comment had come out of his mouth. Kyuubi felt like he had suddenly passed some sort of test he hadn't even been aware of.

Ichigo suddenly noticed that his head seemed to be heavier than usual. He tried to see the cause. It didn't take him long to notice that his hair had undertaken a growth spurt, if something like that was even possible and now his hair went to his knees and it was black! He didn't really have the time to look at Mugetsu's outwards appearance when he had been fighting with Aizen, but this, this he had never expected. He had known about the bandaged with one quick look down, but nothing else. Now he had for the first time found out that this form's hair was long, very long and black. He just knew someone was laughing up there about his reaction, having grown and dyed his hair just to mess with him again.

He muttered under his breath something like: "God only wants to mess with me. He always does that, or maybe Urahara. He would surely do something like that to me too." The kyuubi, having watched Ichigo's reaction, when he had suddenly tucked his hair, was confused, but left it be. It probably wasn't really important anyway!

Two days had come to pass and still no changes had occurred. His only entertainment was Kyuubi, since there was nothing else to do than talk to him. They had become friends, getting to know each other to long talks. It was more of a survival tactic to not go insane, with nothing else to do and all. He pitied Kyuubi to have been trapped in this hellhole for so long, with nothing to do at all. It wasn't hard now, to understand why exactly Shiro had wanted to be let out so often. It also wasn't that much of a surprise that Shiro had been insane. He regretted not letting Shiro out more often, but what was done was done, he couldn't change it anyway.

He snapped to attention when he suddenly felt a pull. It almost made him grin. It felt like when he was trying to pull his reiatsu out for use, but a little different. That would mean that this was the child (Nasuke? He couldn't really remember) calling for his, he believed Kyuubi had called it Chakra. If that was the case then he only needed to follow the pull and It would lead him to a natural door to the outside. He watched as some of the Kyuubi's chakra was also leaving, the red chakra flowing out of the cage almost lazily. He decided to follow it, beforehand bidding Kyuubi goodbye and thanking him for talking to him. It didn't take him to long to reach his destination. It also wasn't that hard to know what his deduction had been right. He had arrived in a bright, white with chakra glowing room, the chakra flowing outside through the huge gates. The gates weren't wide open, like the ones he had ones seen in his inner world. He had problems even fitting through the gap, but he somehow managed to finally reach the other site. The first things he noticed were the sunlight warming his cold skin and the wind going through his hair almost like a loving caress after the cold and dark sewer he had been trapped in.

Aepürhlstü#hl

Naruto, with Jiraiya instructions, was trying to control Kyuubi's chakra, trying to call open it for his use. Kyuubi's chakra answered his call, but soon Ichigo noticed that it wasn't the only thing that had suddenly started to follow his call. Something else, almost unnatural, like it didn't truly belong to him was trying to resurface. Still something told him that he shouldn't let something else come to the forefront and tried to push it down again. This, he didn't know what exactly it was, did not, like he had hoped, let itself be pushed down. Naruto soon noticed that he was not able to subdue it and gave in, at least reassured that it wasn't the Kyuubi. It felt weird. At first it was like a pressure from within and then the 'it' left and Naruto would have sworn that he heard a weird sound and as quick as the pressure had appeared it disappeared. Black thick smoke started to gather in front how him, swirling like a small tornado and then starting to form a shape, which started to resemble more and more a human form. It didn't take long for the smoke to fully form the 'human'(?) that stood before them now. He, because it looked like a male, had long black hair and a bandaged upper body. Still the most startling were his eyes, which were a bloody red, somehow giving one the impression that he was wise but also powerful and kind. Still Naruto fidgeted a bit in front of this 'man'(?) since he had a feeling that this man was able to look through one's eyes right into ones very soul and maybe more.

Ichigo blinked a few times to adjust his eyes to the bright colors that had not exited in the dark and cold sewer before taking in his surroundings. A young boy with blond hair and whisker like marks stood before him. Next to him stood a man, he wasn't sure about the age, with long white hair. Next to him was a small river and surrounding them was a forest. He closed his eyes and toke a deep breath, relishing in the smells and sounds all around him before opening them again and focusing them on the white haired man before him.

"Who are you?" The man all put demanded. If he compared chakra with reiatsu this man would probably be about fuku-taicho seat.

"I am…" Ichigo noticed the distorted tone in his voice and tried to correct it. He didn't like to hear himself as if thousands of people were talking at the same time. He tried again, this time succeeding in using his, well the distorted voice was now his normal one, old voice. He didn't tell them his real name, since now that would have probably a lie. He wasn't really fully Ichigo Kurosaki anymore, or was he? Zangetsu and Shiro still had been a part of his soul after all, and with that, they were a part of him. Well he would give the name of this form for now, maybe telling them later.

"I am Mugetsu, and who are you?"

"My name is Jiraiya and next to me is Naruto!" The man, no Jiraiya, said. Ichigo's head quickly moved to regard the blond boy, Naruto, a second time.

"So you are Naruto." He said out loud, not really noticing that Jiraiya tensed next to him. Ichigo was curious what had happened to Naruto to create the inner world as a sewer. "Do you know how I landed myself in your inner world?" The tense and suspicious looks from Jiraiya soon changed to confused looks, however still not letting his guard down.

"What do you mean with inner World?" was the question Ichigo got in return. Ichigo sighed and shortly replied: "The place where you meet the Kyuubi. The sewer if you want to call it that." Naruto's eyes widened. "Did you meet the Kyuubi?" He asked wondering if that could really be true, curiosity and fear mixing together.

"Yes I meet and talked to him. He was the only being I could talk in the time I was trapped in your inner world. It was quiet interesting. Still I pity him for having to life in there with nothing to do but wait and watch. It is great to be outside. Standing and sitting in water for more than two days wasn't any idea I would have ever had." He got no reaction till Jiraiya asked: "What exactly are you that you were able to stay in his inner world like you call it? I only know of a few bloodlines that have such power!" Ichigo looked at him, almost like he was judging his character and sighed before making his decision: "I am not allowed to tell you. You probably wouldn't believe me anyway, but if it puts your mind at ease I will assure you that I won't hurt anyone, till they give me any reason to." Ichigo said his voice soft but strong. He would never harm a person without a reason and if this person before him was to judge him without even knowing anything, then he wouldn't stand for it.

Jiraiya nodded accepting that was as much information as he would get for the time being. He also somehow trusted this 'man' before him, somehow knowing that he would keep his promise.

"I would very much like it if you could find a way to send me home. I also believe that somehow this is your responsible, since someone must have summoned me, do you not believe so?!" Jiraiya didn't want to anger the being before him and nodded:

"We don't know who summoned you, or how we will send you back, but be sure that we will search for a way." Ichigo nodded, satisfied for now. A yawn escaped him; finally the sleepless nights were catching up to him. Worry had stopped him from falling asleep.

"Follow me. I will bring you to the hokage. He will probably have a solution for this problem." Ichigo nodded, a bit confused about what a hokage was, but knowing that in this world, it obviously wasn't his, the hokage was probably was some sort of leader he accepted and followed.

It didn't take them long to arrive at the city. What unnerved Jiraiya was that Mugetsu had not made a single sound throughout the walk, even the best ninjas were not able to move so silently. Even his baggy pants didn't seem to make a sound. He wouldn't have noticed Mugetsu's presence even if he had walked next to him, had he not know beforehand that Mugetsu was somewhere next to him. Jiraiya's feelings didn't stop even after entering the city. The only strengthened. The shinobis were all attentively watching them, what was normal since it was a stranger, but it was the normal civilians seemed to ignore him, even almost running into him, before they suddenly changed their route as if moved by an invisible force. He also couldn't feel any chakra from this man, normally that would mean that this man next to him was dead. Even those with the ability to suppress their chakra would not be able to stop a bit from flowing out. He could feel nothing from this man. His instincts had also gone in overdrive when this man had stood before him. They screamed of powerful predator and danger, telling him to move as far away as possible. Jiraiya let out a breath of relieve when they finally arrived at their destination and quickly moved in, with the destination of the hokage's office in mind. It only took his name and appearance to be allowed to visit the hokage. One could image Sarutobi's surprise when Jiraiya, Naruto and a very weird(?) stranger came in. This stranger didn't seem to posses even slightest bit of chakra at all. Like Jiraiya his instincts quickly sprung to actions and were alert and ready right away.

"Jiraiya what bring you, Naruto and this stranger here?" Sarutobi asked hoping that he sounded normal and not as tense as he felt.

"The reason we came here is this stranger. His name is Mugetsu. He came out of Naruto's inner world and requests that we find him a way back, since he believes that someone from here has summoned him. I believe that he is from another world or dimension." The hokage nodded in understanding and before looking back at Ichigo, hoping that with his appearance alone he would have more to work with.

"I first need to know what you are so I can know what I need to search for! There are many worlds and dimensions and I can't send you without a destination now can I" Ichigo sighed knowing that if he didn't want to end up somewhere else then he would have to tell him. It was a bit complicated to describe what he was.

"I am a shinigami and a sword." They all stared at him with wide eyes. This boy was the shinigami? And a sword? How could one be both? Ichigo, knowing that he had created quiet the confusion, settled down with a yawn and waited for them to think about it. Sarutobi wasn't sure if he should believe this man. He wanted to believe that this was all just a very back joke but his instincts, body and mind wouldn't let him.

"Can I ask you another question?" Ichigo looked at him before he nodded. "Why don't I feel any chakra coming from you?" Ichigo was a bit surprised but quickly remembered what Aizen had said about transcendent beings and thought about how he should answer this question. He decided that he would give the reasoning that Aizen had used with him.

"It has something to do with second dimensional being not being able to feel a third dimensional being because the second doesn't understand the vastness of power of the third. If you want to I can try to lower my power to the point of you being able to feel it." Ichigo said with a musing tone. Sarutobi didn't really understand what the man had talked about but still nodded.

Ichigo tried to lower his reiatsu level and surprisingly even managed to lower it to the point that the others were able to feel it. Well not so much as feel it, but more like being pressed to the floor as if gravity had suddenly increased tenfold. Such a powerful force emitted from the man that they were near fainting and the building cracked around them. Seconds later Ichigo let his repressed reiatsu go again, letting it disappear from their senses. The shakily stood up taking in deep breathes. Their eyes were wide with disbelieve and fear while staring at him. A knock on the door stopped their staring and Sarutobi quickly said: "Come in!" The person that had knocked came in and fell to his knees while reporting: "Almost everyone in the village has fainted. Only the strongest seemed to have been able to withstand the sudden force that appeared. We believe the enemy is attacking."

Sarutobi looked toward Ichigo in wonder. "How much of your power were we able to feel?" He asked. Ichigo mused about it, really wanted to ask Zangetsu but knowing that he wasn't there anymore so he decided to guess.

"I think I lowered to about half when you were able to feel it." Ichigo unsurely said. He himself didn't know how much power he had. The others around him stared at him again while the shinobi at the door was just confused. Sarutobi noticed his questionable stare and said: "Don't worry, it wasn't an enemy attack. Be careful thought and bring the people who have fainted to the hospital." The shinobi nodded and disappeared. Ichigo yawned again. He was getting really tired.

"I will shearch for a way for me to return I hope. I am quiet tired and hope you have nothing against me sleeping for a bit. Goodnight." Ichigo said, falling asleep while standing. His body quickly turned to smoke again before forming a new form, a pure black and thin sword.

Naruto, his suppressed curiosity finally winning quickly took a hold on the handle. Without the other two being able to stop him in time, he swung the sword. There was no warning before the blade suddenly burned with black fames and vaporized everything in its path. Nothing of Sarutobi's office wall as well as the building next to the wall remained. Naruto hissed at let go of the handle, his hand being burned almost to the bone. Sarutobi, with tears falling down his cheeks, was counting the money he would have to use to repair the damage. He counted himself lucky that at least no one lived in that building. His thoughts returned to Mugetsu. Mugetsu needed to be protected. It wouldn't be good if he fell into the wrong hands, with such power it would be a disaster.

I corrected it!

I somehow have the feeling writing it completely new wouldn't have used up as much time as it does now. Oh well, hope you like the corrected version (even thought it will probably still have mistakes!) better.