***Later at the Gate***

Ichigo was about to go through the gate with his group when Senko came running. "WAIT!" She yelled and they all looked at her. "I'm going too. They need a replacement shinigami there. I'll be taking over for Rukia. I was already approved."

"Where's your Gigai?" Yoruichi asked and Senko just shook her head.

"I don't have one. Did you forget? Somehow my Spirit form and my body were fused, Yoruichi-Chan."

"Ah! That's right! How could I forget?" Yoruichi jumped on top of Senko's head, her ears and tail twitching. "Alright, let's go."

"Ichigo, Ukitake wanted me to give you this!" Senko handed Ichigo the combat badge. "It'll make it so that you can separate from your body without a pill!"

"Ah! Let's go."

"ALRIGHT!" Orihime chimed. "ONWARD!" The group walked through the gate and came back in the real world. They started falling, seeing as the gate opened up in the sky, but were caught in a gooey ball.

"Jinta home-run!" Someone yelled and they were sent flying downwards.

"Tessai Catch!" Someone else said and they were caught. The ball opened up and they were on a large mat. Urahara was sitting up at the front.

"Welcome back!" He chimed and everyone looked at him. He suddenly started apologizing to Ichigo and Ichigo accepted the apology, but asked him why he didn't tell him the truth.

"Was it because you thought I would turn away?" Ichigo asked.

"Correct~" Urahara chimed and Ichigo elbowed him in the face. Urahara was going around and dropping people off near their house. Senko stayed with Ichigo on the mat.

"Well, Kurosaki, this is your stop." Ichigo nodded and jumped off, Senko about to jump off too, when Urahara tossed her a gigai. "You will need this, even if people with even the slightest bit of spiritual pressure can see you."

"Thanks." Senko said and jumped off, racing to find Ichigo.

"Why are you following me?" Ichigo asked when he noticed Senko.

"Because, I have nowhere else to go, and legally the one that escorted me out of Sereitei is supposed to look after me." Senko explained.

"What? I didn't know that!" Ichigo protested and Senko glared at him, making him draw back. "alright! I'll find a way for you t stay at my house..."

"YAY!" Senko jumped up and shouted, scaring a few birds away. "Wait here..." Senko ordered and Ichigo stopped. A few minutes later, Senko came back wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. "Well? Shall we get going?" Senko chimed and Ichigo nodded, heading to his house and knocking on the window. Another Ichigo sat up and opened the window and was saying something about a 'Nee-san' which freaked Senko out. She elbowed the other Ichigo in the gut and sent him flying. "WHAT IS THAT THING?! IT LOOKS LIKE YOU!!" Senko yelled. Ichigo just sighed and slapped the badge to the look-alike's head. A small green pill came out and Senko looked at it curiously.

"Shut up." Ichigo said and flopped on his bed, but a strange noise caused him to quickly act, pushing Senko into the closet, shutting the door, and seemingly resting on his bed.

"GOOD MORNING, ICHIGO!" Isshin came bounding into the room and tried to kick Ichigo, whom effortlessly caught it mid-strike. The two started fighting and Senko could hear two other voices. When things quieted down, Ichigo let Senko out of the closet.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"Sorry, my family is a bit erotic..." Ichigo explained and Senko just nodded. After a while, She adjusted to his family, soundly sleeping when Ichigo's dad came in to wake him up. Soon enough September first came around and Ichigo was staring at his broken lion plushie, named Kon. The two bickered a bit then Ichigo agreed to take Kon to Ishida for him to fix. He then noticed the charm his dad gave him. He went downstairs and tossed it to his dad, whom sowed it on to his uniform. Ichigo quickly left for school, Senko following in a uniform she found. Even though it was a guy's uniform, she made it work by putting her hair into a samurai ponytail, bandaging her chest, and slipping on her glasses. Sure, she has hips, but a vest would work to cover it. She found one and put it on, climbing out the window and following Ichigo's Reatsu to his school. Two thugs tried to stop her because of her hair color, and they both were sent to the hospital with cracked skulls. Senko continued running towards the school, and when she got there, she saw the principal.

"Hi?"

"Are you enrolling here?" The principal asked.

"Umm... yeah..." Senko said. "My... umm... cousin goes here. Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"I see. Well, come into my office and we will get you set up." The principal turned and Senko followed.

***In the classroom***

"Alright! We have two new students joining us today." The teacher said and Shinji walked in. "ehh? Only one? It says here that there are two new students..." The teacher motioned to Shinji to go to the board. He did and started writing on the board. He explained what his name meant.

"Hirako-kun, it's backwards..." The teacher commented on the transfer student's name.

"Ah! Yes! Well, that's one of my many talents!" Shinji stated.

"Well, you should say that in your self-introduction..." Shinji just smiled and the door opened again to reveal a long, silver-haired teen with blue-rimmed glasses, and a sort of girlish looking face panting at the doorway.

"Sorry I'm late... I got lost trying to find the room..." Ichigo broke out of his thoughts when that all-too-familiar voice rang out. He looked up to see Senko standing there in a guy's uniform, disguised as a guy. "Ehh? Ichigo?" Senko looked at Ichigo and the teacher glanced at the two.

"You two know each other?" the teacher asked and Senko nodded her head.

"Yep, we are cousins on the mother's side." Senko lied. Ichigo just stared and nodded.

"Alright, well, introduce yourself." The teacher stated and Senko nodded.

"Well, I'm Nishimura Senko, I'm sixteen. I like to read Shonen Jump, and draw." Senko smiled and half of the boys just stared at her.

"'Senko'? That's a girl's name..." Shinji commented and Senko glared at him.

"Well, my parent's wanted a girl, but they got me, so... yeah..." Senko rubbed the back of her head and The teacher motioned to the two seats available, one behind Ichigo, and one next to him. Shinji sat next to Ichigo and Senko sat behind him.

"Well, Kurosaki, looks like I'm sitting here from now on. Let's be friends." Shinji said and Senko glared at him.

"You touch my cousin, I'll personally kill you..." Senko fumed, but kept quiet. Shinji noticed something about Senko and smirked.

"Alright, Senko-Chan." Shinji stated and both Senko's and Ichigo's eyes widened.

"How did you...?"

"Ehh? How did I what? I called you 'Chan' because you look like a girl." Shinji lied, but Senko and Ichigo didn't pick up on it.

"Oh... right..." Senko eased into her seat and continued glaring at Shinji the rest of the day. When they got back, Senko explained that she could make it so that his family believed that Senko was a cousin. Ichigo agreed and Senko took out something in her pocket and handed it to Ichigo. "Get them to drink this, two drops per person, and they should see me as a cousin." Senko explained and Ichigo nodded and ran off. Senko went towards Urahara's shop to ask him some questions.

"My, my, to what do I owe this visit?" Urahara asked when Senko walked in.

"Well, I was sort of wondering... why do I have the feeling that Shinji isn't someone good?"

"Shinji?" Urahara asked and Senko explained what happened. "Oh. Well, if I knew this Shinji, I would tell you."

"Alright... I believe you..." Senko stated and then turned and left.

"Shinji, what are you planning?" Urahara muttered when Senko was out of earshot. "And do you know that Senko has half of the Hogyoku inside of her?" Urahara sighed and continued his business.

***Kurosaki household***

Someone knocked on the door and Ichigo looked up. He had done exactly what Senko told him to do. Yuzu got up and opened the door.

"Senko-Chan?" Yuzu blinked and Senko smiled.

"Hiya."

"Karin! Karin! Dad! Come look! Senko's here!" Yuzu called. Karin and Isshin came running and saw Senko standing there, smiling. Isshin proceeded to grab her and pulled her into a hard hug.

"LET GO YOU CRAZY DOLT!" Senko yelled and punched Isshin to make him let her go.

"Why are you wearing a guy's uniform?" Karin asked.

"Because I hate skirts... and it looks better." Senko explained.

"Where's all your stuff?" Yuzu asked and Senko thought for a second.

"It got lost on the plane." Senko explained and Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Ichi-Nii, aren't you going to say hi to our cousin?" Karin asked.

"Fine... Hi."

"Hello again." Senko walked in and looked around. "This place didn't change much..."

"Ah! Well, we are just about to have dinner, please sit!" Yuzu chimed and Senko sat down across from Ichigo.

"Well, because we are out of clean rooms to have you sleep in, would you mind sleeping in Ichigo's room?" Isshin asked and Senko nodded.

"I wouldn't mind." Senko stated and Ichigo looked at her. "As long as Ichigo doesn't mind..." Everyone looked at Ichigo and he sighed.

"Fine..." Senko hugged Ichigo and felt really sick. She let go of him to clutch her stomach and started coughing. Isshin got up to help her when she coughed up blood. Yuzu and Karin were shocked and Senko quickly lost consciousness.

ut oh... what happened to Senko? will she be alright? find out next time!