Chapter Text
Needing to get his mind off his current preoccupation with his teammate/rival/friend, Ishida Uryuu attempted, for once, to actually take said man’s advice and try to relax. However, after a good hour of attempting via the usual methods… i.e. practicing marksmanship and sewing, it was quite obvious to the archer that that avenue was a complete and total failure. That was likely why he relented to reading a manga he’d found lying about his flat while trying to clean the place… of all the invisible dust particles that may or may not have existed in the first place. He couldn’t remember where it had come from, exactly, though he had a strong suspicion a certain orange-haired shinigami had left it during one of their study sessions. Not that that much helped Uryuu get his mind off said shinigami, but it was the only option he could find, really. Of course, it might well have been one of Renji’s too, as the red head had taken an almost obsessive liking to manga during his many trips to the living world. Actually, based on where it was, it was probably something stashed away on his last trip back to the Soul Society, Uryuu thought. He was just glad that Ryuuken’s mad attempt to restore his powers was successful. Not paying it any more attention, the Quincy sat down on his couch to read the tale of a young ninja, his comrades, and their adventures.
He must have fallen asleep while reading, as when he awoke Uryuu felt as though his head was about to explode. “I must have fallen off the couch or something,” he thought to himself. That is, of course, before realizing he was no longer on the couch, that is to say he was no longer in his flat, nor anywhere close to Karakura town that he could recall. Instead, he found himself resting in the branches of an ancient, mossy tree. Trying to stem his panic, he opened his senses and tried to discern his location from the area’s ambient reishi… which was a complete failure. On a positive note, he didn’t sense anyone else around, though this compounded the issue of what the hell he was doing in the middle of a forest in what looked like Edo period clothes. They seemed oddly familiar to him, though he couldn’t think why at the moment. Deciding to rise from his current sprawl, the archer balled his left hand so as to better aid his rise from the branches, except there was, he noticed, something in his hand. A note, from the looks of it, though he didn’t recognize the penmanship… until he actually read it.
To whom it may concern,
If you are reading this, my plan has been a success and you have both considerable spirit energy and a strong will. You will be met with challenges and character-building exercises that aren’t completely guaranteed to leave you alive, but you should be ok for the time being. The data you generate will be of great use to me and my research. It’s much appreciated, I assure you. Isn’t it a great feeling to contribute to science like this?
Sincerely,
Kurotsuchi Mayuri
Squad 12 Captain and Second Generation Head of the Department of Research and Development
It would seem that the Seireitei’s resident mad scientist had found an ancient ninja sealing tag that still worked and made a sort of …trap with it. Joy. His luck was just flipping fantastic.
Well, thinking he should probably get moving and figure out what all the psychopath had done this time, Uryuu jumped from the branches and nearly landed on a bespeckled young man with silver hair tied back in a ponytail. At this, the archer’s mind whirred, bringing to mind images of a character in the manga he had been reading before falling asleep… only as he thought about it… no. Not even he would… ok, yes, yes he would if he figured a way how. With an internal sigh, though maintaining his attempted mask of stoicism, he greeted the other man.
“Hello Kabuto. What are you doing here?”
“I was about to ask you that Sasuke. Lord Orochimaru has been looking for you.”