Latest Update:December 11, 2022
Summary: After regaining his Shinigami powers, Ichigo couldn't wait to see everyone again. However, an unexpected incident in the dangai leaves him in a strange land with no way to get home. His only option was to learn what he could and find someone who could help him and hope Urahara could pull through for him. Ichigo x Tsunade
Link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14128312/1/Unexpected-Visit
Word count:88k
Chapters:11
Kurosaki Ichigo had been through a lot since the fiasco with Aizen. He'd managed to save Karakura and put a stop to the mad man's plans involving his town. That wasn't to say everything had gone without a hitch, beating Aizen had been a herculean task. He knew deep down that Aizen had wanted to be beaten, but that didn't mean it could be done without sacrifice. Due to his protective nature, he'd taken it upon himself to protect Soul Society and as a result had given up his Shinigami powers in one final attack. Mugetsu by itself hadn't been enough but thanks to the quick thinking and foresight of Urahara, the man had been sealed away.
Losing his power had done more emotional damage than he could have accounted for. He knew he'd lose the ability to see his Shinigami friends but it was a price he was willing to pay. Day in and day out he went through life as an ordinary man, but he soon found himself missing his old life.
It wasn't until much later that his old life would somehow catch up to him and he was once again pulled into the schemes of another mad man. Ginjo Kugo had reached out to him, taught him how to hone a dormant power within him under the guise of giving him his own power. He should have known that it was too good to be true, but the thought of regaining his power was too tempting.
In the end, the worst case scenario had come to pass. His friends and family had been brainwashed by the 'enemy' of the Fullbringers and Ichigo had soon found that it was all a ploy by the man that had reached out to him. His new power had been stolen and for the second time, he had been broken.
That anguish didn't last however, as the familiar scene of a blade piercing his chest replayed itself and he found himself with the power of the gods of death once more. Even with his stolen power, Ginjo was no match for the second substitute and soon found himself face first in the concrete below them.
Ichigo stared down at the bloody and broken form of Ginjo, who stared back at him with defiance clear in his eyes. If nothing else he had to admire the man's refusal to double over and die. He was on death's door but his anger kept him from crossing to the other side.
"It's over." The orange haired man said, raising Zangetsu high into the air. Ginjo refused to close his eyes and die a coward and in doing so, saw the blade stray from its path in order to block a strike from Tsukishima.
Ichigo kept a single hand on the handle of his Zanpakuto as he held back the attack. The black haired man's arms were shaking and his legs were on the verge of giving out but he managed to stay standing. Ichigo's eyes strayed from the man's angry face down to his chest. The white shirt he wore was bloodied, a red stain flowing down from the hole that had been seemingly punched through him. In a way it reminded him of when Ulquiorra had activated his second release and had black fluid flowing out of his hollow hole.
"I'm not sure which one you is worse." Ichigo spoke in a chilling tone, looking from Tsukishima to Ginjo. "I thought you would have been taken care of by now."
The Fullbringer didn't rise to the bait, instead pulling back and dashing forward with another strike. It was mildly impressive that even with a hole in his chest he was capable of moving around, even more so that he could still swing his blade. Regardless of how impressive his strength of will was, it wasn't enough to overcome the Shinigami.
Sparks flew in different directions with every clash of their blades. Ichigo effortlessly intercepted each attack, knocking it off to the side before readying up and blocking the next. Taking a step back, Ichigo swung horizontally, going on the offensive for the first time.
Tensa Zangetsu clashed with Tsukishima's Book of the End, the impact hard enough to send the Fullbringer soaring through the air and crashing into a tree.
Making his way over him, Ichigo rested his Zanpakuto on his shoulder, angrily looking down at the broken man.
"It won't be as easy for you as it was before Tsukishima." He spoke. "Just stop."
His words fell on deaf ears however. Gripping his chest, the Fullbringer got himself upright and held his blade with both hands. At that moment, there was nothing on the man's mind but saving the man who had taken him in as a child. He owed Ginjo a debt, and he would do everything to repay it.
"Have it your way." The Shinigami muttered. Had Tsukishima been in fighting condition, he still would have lost. Now that he too was on death's door, predicting his attacks and overpowering him was child's play. His opponents movements were uncoordinated and erratic, no doubt in part to the pain he must be feeling at the moment.
Bringing his Zanpakuto up, he blocked a diagonal slash and maneuvered it off to the side. With his defense broken, Ichigo kicked the man in the center of the chest. Tsukishima tumbled on the ground but once again stood up, this time even ignoring the protest from the former leader of Xcution.
"Ichigo."
Said man turned to see Rukia watching on, her arms crossed in front of her with a fierce look on her face.
"Neither of them stand a chance against you as you are now. Hurry up and finish them off." She ordered.
Under normal circumstances, this would have begun a trade off of words between them. Each taking turns insulting or belittling one another, now however, she was completely right. He'd paid them enough attention and it was time they paid the price for their actions.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." He replied. Turning his attention back to his opponent, Ichigo raised his Zanpakuto above him.
A light green circle appeared below Tsukishima, indicating the usage of Bringer Light. Ichigo narrows his eyes and sighs. The black haired man disappears from his spot, only to reappear in front of the Shinigami. At least, that's what he had counted on.
Having easily seen through the attack, Tsukishima faced nothing but empty space. All he could see was the visage of Rukia staring at him with an uncaring look on her face. Ichigo stood next to him, blade still raised in the air. The Book of the End user turned his head and witnessed the next moment as if it were in slow motion.
Ichigo's cold brown eyes stared down at him with ill concealed fury as he followed his trajectory. His lips moved, uttering two words but they fell on deaf ears. The Shinigami as well as Ginjo who was helplessly watching the battle heard the name of the attack and braced for the shockwave that was sure to come.
"Getsuga Tensho."
Black and red energy coated Zangetsu, and with a mighty swing, the battle ended. A horizontal pillar of energy consumed everything in its path, turning it into particles in the wind. The pillar of darkness died down and not even the remains of Tsukishima's Fullbring remained.
"Then there was one." He muttered, staring at Ginjo. The Fullbringer had gotten back on his legs, knees shaking as he struggled to maintain a standing position.
The former substitute Shinigami looked at the large burnt area where one of his longest lasting friends had just been.
"Tsukishima." He said in a rough tone, the pain in his voice noticeable to everyone. The man clenched his fist in anger and sorrow, and turned his gaze to the person responsible for his demise.
"So you are capable of showing emotion for someone else." Ichigo noted. At one point, he probably would have felt for the man, but now…
Everyone in the vicinity felt the shift in the atmosphere the moment he finished speaking. Ginjo planted the large Zanpakuto into the ground, using it as a form of leverage for himself. Gripping the handle as hard as he could, he kept himself upright, his eyes still focused on the spot where his friend lost his life.
Ichigo had to admire his resilience, but that wouldn't be enough to save him. After all the lies and betrayal, he wasn't in the most forgiving moods. The memory of the man's Zanpakuto piercing his chest and sucking away his Fullbring was still too fresh in his mind.
"Stay down Ginjo." He warned, giving the man one final chance to stop.
Just like with Tsukishima, his words had been ignored. Lifting the blade up onto his shoulders, Ginjo finally turned his attention to the orange haired Shinigami. His eyes were ablaze with unrestrained fury. His knuckles were almost white with the amount of force he was exerting on the handle.
"You have only yourself to blame for this Ginjo." He yelled out. "You wanted revenge against the Shinigami for betraying you but your mistake was getting my friends and family involved in this mess. If you want revenge, do it yourself when you get to Soul Society."
Ginjo let out a loud yell, calling forth all of the available power left in his body. His Zanpakuto dragged behind him as he ran, hoping to use the momentum of his speed to turn his body for added force. When he was within reach, Ginjo swung horizontally, intending to cut the young man in half.
Blade met flesh but no blood was spilled. Ichigo's hand had extended out and caught the blade with little effort. In his current condition, even a child could have put more force behind the attack. Ginjo's jaw clenched and his teeth began to gnash against each other as he realized years worth of plans were about to go down the drain.
Ichigo stared back with a stoic look on his face and spoke. "It's over."
Still having Cross of Scaffold gripped in his left hand, he pulled the man forward, making him stumble in the process. With a simple swing of his right hand, a large deep gash appeared on the chest of the leader of Xcution. Blood flew into the air from the open wound, staining the ground beneath them.
The irony was not lost on him that he'd essentially done the same thing to Ginjo that Aizen had done to him during their first encounter. The only difference was…Ginjo wouldn't be getting up.
Ginjo's body reverted back to its pre-bankai state as his body collapsed to the ground. Images of the life he lived, every good and bad moment passing him by in a fraction of a second.
Ichigo's eyes followed his body until it collided with the ground, bouncing twice before staying completely still. The slight rising of his back continued for four second before there was no movement.
He let out a sigh of relief and released his bankai, reverting back to its usual shikai state. It was finally over, Ginjo and Tsukishima were dead, meaning everyone should be right in the mind again.
'Had you not pulled that stunt Ginjo…maybe things would've ended differently.' Ichigo thought to himself, allowing the massive cleaver to rest on his back once again. He smiled to himself at the familiar sensation of once again carrying Zangetsu.
Turning around, he noticed most of the Captain's that had come to see him beginning to head back into the Senkaimon. Toshiro looked back and nodded to him respectfully. Giving the boy a single handed wave, Ichigo turned to the sole Shinigami who had decided to temporarily stay behind.
"Ichigo." Rukia greeted with a small smile on her face. "It's good to see you again."
The smile on his face widened marginally at her words. "Yeah. It feels good to be back." He replied. "So…everyone gave a bit of their energy to get my powers back?"
Rukia nodded happily. "That's right. We…"
"Oi Rukia…hurry it up we gotta get back. He can talk to us tomorrow, isn't that right Ichigo?" Renji yelled from the front of the Senkaimon. "And don't forget to bring the body." He called out afterwards.
The petite Shinigami frowned at the task that had been metaphorically dropped on her lap but shook her head and turned her attention back to her friend.
"Well, what do you say? Can you stop by tomorrow?" Rukia asked, looking behind him to the bloodied form of Ginjo.
"Yeah, I'll be there. I'd love to see everybody again." He replied honestly.
Nodding at his response, Rukia lugged the dead body behind her and made her way to the gate, only stopping once to look back at him before disappearing from view as the Senkaimon closed behind her. Now alone, Ichigo looked up at the night sky and couldn't help but chuckle. After everything that had happened, for the first time in a while, Ichigo felt truly happy.
After what could be considered the best night's sleep of his life, Ichigo was ready to make his return to Soul Society. The thought of chatting with Rukia and Renji, Toshiro, hell even Kenpachi and Byakuya filled him with glee. After a good breakfast courtesy of Yuzu, he made his way over to Urahara's.
Pushing the doors open, he was greeted to the sight of a grinning Urahara. The man quickly pulled out his trust fan and covered the bottom half of his face as he usually did.
"Well, if it isn't Ichigo…how are you doing?" He asked, pretending he didn't know about the man regaining his powers.
On regular occasions, the man's eccentric nature would usually annoy the substitute Shinigami, but today he would make an exception. Flashing him a small smile, Ichigo shook his head and chuckled.
"Doing better now…You know why I came here right?"
Urahara nodded and waved his hand.
"You need to get to Soul Society right?" He asked. Not waiting for a response, he led his student down to the training grounds where he once learned and began to process to open a Senkaimon for him.
Ichigo watched, anticipation flooding his being as the shopkeeper worked. Within seconds, a flash of light illuminated the area, a horizontal line formed in the air before expanding into a large rectangle of light.
Urahara stood aside and motioned his left hand towards the gateway, with a pleased look on his face.
"Go on Ichigo… enjoy yourself, you definitely deserve it." He said, tossing a small green orb which was easily caught out of the air.
Ichigo rolled the soul candy in between his fingers for a moment and popped it in his mouth. His physical body and soul separated at once, allowing him to pass through the gate without issues. Adjusting the cleaver like Zanpakuto on his back, he took a step into the gate.
"Well…let's get going then." He said to himself. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the corridor with each step. As he walked, his mind began to wander. How much had changed in the year and a half that he'd been gone? How would some of his friends react when he arrived? What would Ukitake say? By now he'd surely know he knew of the purpose of the badge.
All those questions ran through his mind as he continued forward. For a few minutes, things were uneventful. However, like everything that happened in his life, things soon began to go awry. Ichigo felt himself begin to shake but soon realized it wasn't him, but rather the entire corridor. Looking around frantically, he stopped and came to a realization.
The room was beginning to get brighter. That only happened when the kototsu was approaching, but he didn't see or hear anything. The shaking continued, and seeing no other choice he dashed forward in an attempt to make it to the other side. The longer he ran, the more he frowned as he began to notice almost no distance was being covered, yet the light was beginning to get brighter.
Frowning in confusion, he stopped for a split second. "Bankai!" He yelled, flooding the area with his reiatsu. Now in his best form, he dashed away at full speed but the problem persisted. The tunnel seemed to not end.
Trying to keep his balance, he moved as fast as he could but soon encountered another problem. Part of the wall next to him expanded, resembling a balloon that was taking in too much air. Knowing nothing good ever came of a scene like that, he crossed his arms to prepare for the incoming explosion.
A moment after crossing his arms, a portion of the wall exploded before more began to explode in rapid succession. He could feel his arms beginning to burn from the continuous blasts but was forced to keep his hands up.
"Shit…the hell's going on?" Wondered out loud. Blast after blast continued pushing him in a certain direction, front or back, he couldn't be sure at this point. After the fourth blast, he'd been sent airborn where the assault continued. It couldn't be the work of some enemy that he was aware of, Aizen was locked up and Ginjo was dead so what the hell was going on?
The explosions had made easy work of the upper portion of his Shinigami clothing, making the burns begin to spread throughout his upper body.
'I can't die like this…not after everything.' He thought angrily. His vision was quickly fading and he knew if the assault didn't stop, he would pass on in the void between worlds. As his world faded to black, he never noticed the moment he impacted with part of the wall, nor when the color of his eyes changed to resemble his hollow. The sounds of ongoing explosions reached his ears even as he lost consciousness but what happened next was a mystery to him.
xxxx
"Damn…" A throbbing pain in his head was the first thing he felt when he came to. Opening his eyes slowly, his right arm was quick to shield his face from the bright rays of the sun. It took a second for his brain to process three things.
First, he was still alive. Second, he was no longer in the gateway that connected the human world and Soul Society. Finally, his hand looked completely normal, with no traces of charred flesh to be found.
Groaning as a dull pain filled his body, he shifted himself into a seating position and took a moment to look himself over. His upper body was still bare but unlike his hands, there were a few scrapes littering his forearms and chest, along with part of his ribs and if the pain he felt on his back was any indicator, his back as well.
Ignoring the pain for the time being, he glanced around taking in the new environment. All around him he could see nothing but trees. He could hear singing from the birds above and the rustling of the leaves as a cool breeze penetrated the surrounding area. With a grunt, he dusted his bottom half off and picked up his Zanpakuto which had been embedded into a nearby tree.
Resting Zangetsu on his shoulder, the man leaped up onto the nearest branch and then the next until he reached the peak of the tallest tree he could find. He'd clearly been spit out somewhere and to his knowledge, neither Soul Society nor Karakura had a forest that was this large nearby.
Making it to the top of the tree, Ichigo's confusion grew when he realized he had no idea what he was looking at. Below him was a sea of trees stretching out for miles and in the distance, only a relatively small patch was cleared out. He could make out an old looking building resembling one of the many shrines that littered Japan, but other than that it looked more like an updated version of a section of the Rukongai.
"Alright calm down and think" He said to himself, trying not to panic. "Time passes by differently in the dangai…did I get sent somewhere into the future?" He asked out loud before shaking his head. "No that can't be right, when we saved rukia we ended up arriving earlier than we had expected."
He pinched the bridge of his nose and felt a headache coming on. He glanced up at the nearby town and hopped off the tree. There was only one way to know where he was and that was to make his way into town and hope he recognized something.
Landing on the ground with a soft 'thud' Ichigo, felt the breeze on his upper half and frowned. He'd need to find a new set of clothes as he couldn't go around shirtless everywhere he went. Sighing, he began the small journey to the town up ahead, hoping for the best.
The walk didn't provide any sort of hints as to where he might be. It was all just trees for a large part of the journey until he made it to the dirt path that led to the entrance of the town. There was a large gate at the entrance with a large name plate at the very top. It somewhat reminded him of the large sign above Kukaku's house, just without the large hands on the sides.
'Mujun-cho' the Kanji at the top read.
While it was good to have a name, he didn't recognize it. It couldn't have been in Tokyo as it seemed like a very old school city. Maybe he did get tossed somewhere in time and ended up in Kyoto?
With still no answers to his questions, he made his way inside and took note of everything. Apart from the area, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. People were going about their day, setting up their shops, and others walking about entering loud establishments.
"Well they're advanced enough to have some sort of gambling hall." He muttered. He could hear people yelling both in triumph and disappointment from within the building. Continuing his walk, he ignored the looks he was receiving, instead focusing his attention on the shops.
He could read what each shop sold, but it was the prices that alarmed him. Not the amount themselves but rather the currency accepted. The shops advertised low price items for only a handful of 'ryo'. He knew Japan used to use ryo back in the day but the ones here didn't look like the ones he saw in the history books at school. The currency resembled modern day yen coins and bills from what he could make out as he passed the stands.
'I don't have money on me, and even if I did it would be worthless here.' He thought with a grimace. The only good news was that now he knew he couldn't be in Japan nor anywhere in Soul Society for certain. The bad news was, now he didn't know where the hell he could be.
His eyes counted the amount of people walking in front of them, some seemingly better off than others. He now found himself in a delicate situation. There were plenty of ways to get information, none better than simply listening to the locals. This seemed to be some sort of vacation style town, meant to attract the populace. That meant there'd be people from all walks of life, in other words, valuable sources of information.
Noting that there was no one behind him, he looked forward at the people walking ahead of him and mentally apologized for the inconvenience he was about to cause them. Taking a deep breath, he disappeared from his spot in a burst of speed. Moving in a zig-zag pattern along the road, his hands stealthily reached into people's pockets, pulling out bills and coins as quickly and gently as he could.
He covered the entire street in a fraction of a second and hid himself away in a nearby alley, keeping himself pressed against the wall.
In his hand were a handful of green bills that closely resembled the ones used in the early nineties. He had denominations of 200 and coins ranging from 5 to 100. He wasn't sure if it was a lot but it was certainly more than he came with. Stuffing them into his pocket, he walked down an adjacent street until he found a clothing store.
The door chimed as the wood collided with small hanging beads, alerting the shop keeper that someone had arrived. An old man sat behind a wooden desk, a bored look on his face that soon changed when he saw Ichigo.
"I don't know how much you've had to drink, kid but you need a shirt to be in here. Beat it." He said in a gruff tone.
Ichigo frowned but didn't give a snarky answer in return. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the wad of bills he'd relieved the tourists of and flashed them back and forth.
"Had a bit of a run in with some people and unfortunately my shirt didn't make it. I figured I might as well stop and get a new one here." He said, fabricating a story on the spot. Shrugging, he turned around, letting the wound on his back be seen. "But if you don't want the business that's fine with me."
The substitute didn't even get the chance to take a step before the shopkeeper called for him to wait. Smirking in satisfaction, he quickly wiped the look off his face before turning around with a similar bored expression on his face.
"Yeah?"
"If you were attacked by shinobi it's a different story. I thought you had just had too much to drink. Go ahead and pick out what you want." He replied in a somewhat apologetic tone.
"Thanks"
'Shinobi' He wondered curiously as he walked through the many racks of clothing. His eyes locked onto what seemed to be dojo style clothing which included the top and bottom halves of Keikogi. They even had a set in black which was almost exactly what he needed.
Inspecting the material, his mind wandered back to what the shopkeeper had said. He assumed he'd been attacked by shinobi which made no sense to him. Grabbing the articles he needed, he made his way back to the counter and placed them down to check out.
"So…you guys have a shinobi problem around here?" He asked casually, fishing for information.
The old man shook his head. "Sort of. Rogue low level shinobi from neighboring villages sometimes prey on tourists who get lost. Anyways, that'll be 800 ryo."
Placing the exact amount on the table, he took the clothing and threw it on, securing it with the white fabric that came with it.
"Ok, so rather than Shinigami, I'm dealing with shinobi. He mentioned they're from villages, that means no matter where I go, they'll most likely be the driving military force." He deduced.
Walking down the street, he nodded at some people who made eye contact with him and continued forward. Sniffing twice, he followed the scent of miso soup to a small restaurant down the road. Pushing aside the small flaps that fell from the doorway, he caught the attention of a young woman who quickly stopped in front of him.
"Good morning." She greeted happily. "Just one?"
He nodded.
"Perfect, right this way."
He was led to a small countertop on the left side of the room, right next to a small group of men who by the looks of things, had been drinking for a while now. Thanking her, he placed Zangetsu down in between his legs and sat down. A small cup of water was placed in front of him and after ordering the daily special, he rested his elbow on the counter and used his hand to support his head.
While it might look like he was resting, his ears were carefully listening to any and all chatter.
"I think we should visit Yugakure next…" He heard from somewhere behind him. He made a mental note to remember that name in case it was important and continued listening. "I've heard their hot springs are incredible and since they don't have a shinobi force anymore, we're less likely to be bothered."
A village without a form of protection? He wasn't from here and he knew that couldn't be a good idea.
"Yeah that's ok with me." He heard a male voice reply to the woman. "From there we can finally get to Konoha."
Konoha? Was that another tourist village? He wondered. The sound of a plate being placed in front of him broke his musings. The young woman had returned with his food already.
"Thank you."
Taking a careful sip of the broth, he savored it and couldn't help but nod, it wasn't half bad. While eating, his mind was still reeling from what was happening and everything he'd learned so far. Wherever he was, ninja's seemed to be the military force, but it was clear not every village utilized them.
The old man had said the word 'rogue' meaning they had likely abandoned their village and were off doing their own thing. It was unlikely that the city he was in had shinobi as it seemed to be a tourist attraction more than anything else. Tapping the wooden surface with his fingers in a rhythmic fashion, Ichigo pondered his next move.
He'd gotten this much information but now what?
"Think Ichigo…what would Ishida do right now?" He questioned himself. The image of the well groomed quincy appeared in his mind, pushing up his glasses in his usual condescending way.
"I'd see if there was a library to gather more information" The mental version of Uryu stated as a matter of fact. The tapping stopped, a library would surely tell him everything he needed. With a course of action in mind, he finished eating quickly, and went to pay for the meal.
The same young woman who had led him to his seat smiled. "Well, what did you think?"
"It was good, best I've had." He replied.
"Perfect, that's what we aim for here. 400 ryo please."
Dropping the coins in the small tray laid out, he watched her fetch the change and took the opportunity to ask.
"You wouldn't happen to know where I can find a library or a book store around here would you? I'm on vacation and my little sister asked me to see if I could find something specific for her." He asked as genuinely as he could.
The young woman nodded and pointed outward. "Yeah, if you go down the street, make a right just past the gambling hall. There's a big building that says 'books' on the door, anyone's free to walk in but I don't know if they'll sell any of the books." She said apologetically.
"No worries. I'll figure it out once I'm there. Take care." He said, waving over his shoulder as he made his way out.
Following her directions, he kept his eyes peeled, looking for the building in question. Wherever he was, they seemed to use the same language so finding the library shouldn't be too hard. With a burst of Shunpo, he made it to the exact point the girl had said and just as she'd told him, there was a rather large tan building with the simple kanji for 'book' on both of its blue doors.
Walking up the steps, he pushed the doors open and took a look around the large room. It was a two story building with light green tiled floors, tall brown shelves spaced far apart, and a second story with more of the same brown shelves. Quietly walking to the librarian who was oddly enough writing on a scroll, he cleared his throat.
The elderly lady looked up and gave him a warm smile before responding in a subdued tone.
"Welcome young man. Is there something specific you're looking for?"
"Where can I find geography and history books?" He asked.
The old woman stood up and turned 180 degrees before pointing upwards towards a brown shelf on the second floor.
"Right up on that shelf just to the right of the stairs. Geography is on one side, and history on the other. I'm not sure if you're looking for a specific book but if you are and can't find it, come ask."
Nodding, he made his way towards the stairset and began his ascension. On the second floor were a few empty wooden tables for people to read at. White signs on the wooden shelves gave the names of the section he was in and with a few more steps, he stopped at the geography section.
Crouching down, his eyes scanned the spines of the books on display, hoping to find one that could shed some light on these villages. His index finger ran horizontally across a number of books until he came upon one that caught his attention.
'Geography of the world'
The title was in large bold letters with the background showing a mountain top. It wasn't much to look at but it would definitely shed some light on what 'Yugakure' and 'Konoha' were. Stepping to the other side of the bookshelf, he was met with much more books, all detailing some sort of history.
Most made no sense to him but like the geography book, two specifically caught his eye.
'History of the Hidden Villages' and 'Chakra through the ages'
Grabbing the blue and black books, he took his selections to the small table and began with geography. He didn't have to turn many pages before the world seemed to stand still. The map he was looking at didn't resemble anything on the globe he was familiar with. There was no Japan, no UK, no America. Instead, a massive landmass with a few islands along the coast took its place.
The map was labeled, with the largest or most influential being bolded. The big five that stood out to him were the hidden stone, mist, leaf, sand, and cloud. In between them were a few other 'hidden' villages one of which was Yugakure. Rubbing his now sweating hands along his pants, he turned the page and began reading as much as he could.
The book didn't offer much other than the environmental factors and plant life of the villages but it did paint a bigger picture of where he was. Currently, he was far west in what was known as 'fire country'. The area was known for its luscious forests and great weather.
'That explains the forest I woke up in' He thought to himself. Closing the book, he rubbed his brow and took a deep breath before pushing the book aside. Cracking open the history book, he scanned page by page, absorbing as much as he could. What he found left him dumbfounded.
His deduction about the military had been correct. Most hidden villages employed their own shinobi which served as their primary defense force. Each major village had a 'kage' which basically acted as the ruler of the village and commander of their forces. Konoha was the first major village, created by two men named Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.
According to the book they were two of the strongest shinobi in recorded history, one with the ability known as 'Mokuton' and the other with incredible ocular power known as the Sharingan.
'Ok, so rather than Zanpakuto and kido, these people use chakra which is a combination of spiritual and physical energy.' He thought. That explained why everyone was able to see him despite being in spirit form. Continuing his studies, he found that while some villages were allied, some were still in conflict with each other and battles between villages weren't so uncommon.
Flipping the page, he looked for the history of Yugakure and grinned at what he saw. They had abolished their shinobi forces. A story began forming in his mind just in case he ever needed to identify himself and Yugakure would be the perfect cover for him.
After three hours of reading, he shoved the two books aside and began going over the one about chakra. What he learned was fascinating. By all accounts someone like him shouldn't exist. He had no chakra, no chakra system or anything vital to life. Now that he thought of it, even the air around here had a slight difference to it now that he focused on it. It seemed…denser but still light at the same time.
Everyone was born with chakra but not everyone could use it. The people of this world had spiritual and physical energy within them manifesting in the form of chakra that would power 'jutsu'. In a way it was similar to reiryoku as everyone had a certain amount within them. They could even shape it the way his people could.
The one difference he saw was that people seemingly had an affinity for an element depending on their chakra and usually where they were from. Creating dragons out of water and earth were only two of the many examples in which chakra could be used. A basic technique was using it on one's own body to stick to surfaces, a useful ability but they couldn't walk on the air by creating footstools with chakra it seemed.
The book went into detail about the different types of applications such as ninjutsu which was elemental based attacks, Genjutsu which allowed people to cast illusions on others or even inanimate objects. That made him pause for a moment, that meant someone like Aizen could be around as well, though he highly doubted it. Aizen's illusions went far beyond what was described in the book. Genjutsu had counters that were generally known among the shinobi populace, Kyoka Suigetsu was virtually inescapable.
Another hour of reading passed before he closed the book and rested his head on his hands, covering his eyes with his palms. The only logical conclusion he could come to was that the dangai had spit him out in a completely new dimension. His fingers gripped his head tightly, it wasn't fair. He'd just gotten his powers back, he'd just gotten the chance to see everyone again, and it had all been taken away.
Exhaling, he forced himself to remain calm. His friends knew he would be going, and when he didn't arrive they'd investigate. Urahara would figure something out, he always did. Taking a second to compose himself, he went over everything he'd read. The history books had mentioned something about the fourth Hokage being able to teleport via his signature jutsu. It wasn't much to go off of, it was all he had. Maybe Konoha visiting Konoha would prove beneficial.
He placed the books back in their respective slots and made his way out. The sun was a lot brighter and much higher in the sky than when he'd entered the building. Walking down the steps, he wondered how he would go about entering Konoha.
It was considered the strongest of the five major villages and one as strong as that wouldn't simply let him enter with no questions asked. He'd most likely be questioned thoroughly and while he had a story fabricated, it wasn't solid enough yet. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the few bills he still had on him. Compared to the prices around him, he had enough for a few weeks if he was frugal.
Still, if he was stuck here, he might as well be comfortable. Rubbing his chin in thought, he stepped back as two women entered his peripheral vision.
"...a bad idea, Lady Tsunade. You already owe a lot of money, you know you have terrible luck." He heard the black haired woman say.
Glancing to the left as they passed, he looked over the two. One was a woman with short black hair and carried a small pig with her. She wore a dark gray robe that was held together by a lavender sash along with some low heels.
The other woman, Tsunade, was a blond with two low pigtails and two bangs framing her face. He was reminded of Rangiku in the sense that she was very well gifted in the chest department. She wore a light gray low cut shirt that left little to the imagination in regards to her cleavage, and was also held together at the waist by a dark sash. Over that she wore an open green robe with the kanji for 'gamble' on the back. Her pants came down to her calves and like the other woman, she wore the same style heels.
Recognition flashed through his mind as he remembered her name. The history book had mentioned both Hashirama and Tobirama Senju and also mentioned one living member of their clan named…
His head turned towards them, specifically the blond. She was from Konoha, if anyone could help him it would be her. He stopped that train of thought a moment later. He couldn't simply go up to her, it would look suspicious. He'd need to be careful about how he approached.
'She's a chronic gambler.' He noted, remembering the other woman's words. 'If she's here for any reason, it'll be for that. Meaning I'll be able to catch her in the hall.'
Different world or not, gamblers were the same anywhere. They'd stay in a casino as long as it took for them to win, and most of the time it took longer than a few hours. Nodding to himself, he turned away towards a nearby inn to book a place for the night and get some rest.
xxxx
When night fell on the city, Ichigo emerged from the Inn feeling a bit more rejuvenated. He'd had a few hours to rest and think up a course of action. He recalled that Tsunade was an accomplished medic, one of the best in the world. The fact that he didn't have a chakra system would surely interest her since he would be an impossibility in the world. He'd rather not reveal that bit of information just yet but if need be, he would.
After all, he was confident in his power. If push came to shove, he was sure he could make it out of a sticky situation.
Patting his pocket to make sure the money was there, he walked down to the gambling hall. Stepping inside, he didn't break his stride as he scanned everyone looking for the woman. His eyes quickly fell onto the blond seated at a card table with two other men and a dealer.
Approaching the table, he pulled the vacant seat across from the blond and tossed some bills on the table. The dealer didn't bat an eye and placed a stack of chips in front of him before placing two cards face up in front of him.
'So they have this game here too.' Ichigo thought, mentally smirking. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn't a delinquent and was relatively gifted in school. Math to be specific. Putting on a stoic facade, he mentally began doing the math in his head as he discreetly looked at everyone's cards.
As the rounds passed by, Ichigo's stack of chips grew while the others shrank. Tsunade was looking at him with suspicion clear in her eyes but refused to quit and leave the table like the others had done ten minutes ago. Tapping the table with a finger a card was placed in front of him and then he shook his head.
The dealer looked towards Tsunade who looked at the substitute Shinigami, and then her cards before nodding. The dealer flipped over a card and Ichigo swore he could hear the woman's teeth gnashing against one another as she went over the target.
The dealer flipped over his own card revealing he too had gone over and Ichigo was declared the winner. Putting on a fake grin, Ichigo collected the chips and made his way to the area where one would cash out and pocketed the couple thousand he'd made. Shortly after leaving the area, he could feel two presences trailing him. They weren't entirely discreet but they wouldn't have been picked up on by a normal person.
Turning left onto another street, he stopped and turned around.
"Can I help you with something?" He called out.
A moment later Tsunade and the young woman with her turned the corner and made their way towards him. The black haired woman seemed nervous and he could tell she was apologizing with her eyes.
Tsunade on the other hand looked at him with a frown on her face. Stopping a foot away from him, she looked up at him with no fear.
"Yeah you can help me with something. You can start by giving me the money you cheated out of me." She accused.
Pretended to be taken back by the true accusation, he frowned and crossed his arms.
"Listen lady, I didn't cheat anyone out of anything. You just can't gamble to save your life." He retorted. The woman next to Tsunade's eyes widened and she began shaking her head frantically.
Tsunade smirked at him, and stepped closer to him, allowing him to smell the strong scent of sake coming off of her.
"Really? Because I've never seen anyone win that much without cheating, you even almost cleared the dealer. So I'll give you one chance to save yourself…" She said as she cracked her knuckles.
Humming to himself, a light went off in Ichigo's head. The woman was drunk out of her mind and was willing to start a fight in the middle of the street, maybe he could use this to his advantage.
"How about a wager instead." He replied.
Tsunade perked up but soon narrowed her eyes. "Fine, but I'm not gonna let you cheat me here too. I pick the challenge." She shot back, poking him in the chest with a finger. In her mind, she already had the perfect. From looking him over she couldn't find anything relatively special about him. No overbearing presence like high level shinobi, nor did he seem like the type to drink regularly to develop resistance. This was her win.
"No shinobi activities. Neither of us gets an edge." He countered.
She smirked. "Fine. See that bar over there?" She said, nodding towards the lively building down the street. "We're gonna have a drinking contest. I win and you give back all the money you stole from me plus a little extra for the inconvenience."
Ichigo narrowed his own eyes, the woman was clearly drunk but if she was willing to drink more, that meant she definitely had high resistance to alcohol. He had to stop the cheshire smirk that threatened to spread across his face at the next thought that popped into his mind. She didn't know he had Zangetsu.
"Fine, but if I win…you take me to Konoha." He shot back, shocking both Tsunade and her companion.
A conflicted look passed through Tsunade and for a moment, he thought she'd tell him to get lost but she didn't. The cocky look she wore soon returned and she huffed, looking away from him. Taking a step forward, she spun him around and grabbed him by the neck, ignoring how high she had to reach to do so.
"Alright, fine. It's a deal, now come on, I want my money already." She said, leading him in the direction of the bar.
Not resisting the hold she had on him, Ichigo let her lead him to their destination. He did however take note of the rather strong grip she had. It wasn't anything he couldn't break out of but it was certainly something to take note of. Behind them, the black haired woman and her pig sighed as they were once again dragged into another situation by the older woman.