A few days later, at a captains meeting, Kurotsuchi Mayuri brought up the occurrences that consisted of appearances and disappearances on his computer system of a hollow like form. The place was located in a desert in the living world that was so arid that life had not passed through in a long time. The thing about this was, due to this fact, there really was no reason for the hollow, if there really was one, to reappear in the same place.

"Why exactly didn't you bring us to our attention sooner," Soifon griped, her eyes showing great disdain for the man.

"Why?" Mayuri's voice remained calm about the whole matter. "I had to gather data of course… I believe that there was no point in sending someone, if we could possibly gather more information."

"It isn't like you to be concerned with the life of others," Isshin murmured, narrowing his eyes also at the man.

"Well… I like gathering data, and as that is all that I am allowed to do since I have been banned from my experiments for two more months at least, due to the fact that I scared that candidate for lieutenant of yours… really… I doubt that if this is so that he could make a good lieutenant… all I am able to do is gather data," the man bemoaned.

"You got what you deserved," Tousen suddenly commented. "I would not have allowed any of my division to go to yours."

"My, my, my… one might think that the child's white hair was caused by the fright I gave him," the man suddenly snarked.

"Enough…" the general stamped his staff down. "The best division to investigate this matter at this point in time is the tenth."

Kurotsuchi shrugged his shoulders at them. "So long as I can monitor their progress, I am fine with this."

"Too easy…" Shunsui murmured, tipping his hat. He whispered into Isshin's ear. "He has something planned, I would not be surprised."

"Papa has it handled," Isshin smirked at the man, his smile not going away. However, something was defiantly bothering him about the situation, and it had nothing to do with the twelfth division.

M

To say that Matsumoto was livid about not getting to go on the mission was an understatement. She was throwing a major fit that included throwing things at her taicho and the second seat. "Exactly why is it that I don't get to go!"

"Because!" Atsuo snapped. "You didn't finish your paper work like you were supposed to. Plus, we plan on taking Toshiro Hitsugaya with us."

Matsumoto suddenly paused at this revealing of facts. "Our rookie? It will be his first living world mission, won't it? I don't believe that he had many chances in academy to go."

"This is why you shouldn't get upset!" Isshin chattered at her, a big goofy smile on his face. "Papa-san will bring you back something!"

"How… it is a complete desert," Matsumoto muttered as Toshiro came into the room.

"Exactly what do the three of you want me to do while you are on the mission?" the white haired boy asked.

Matsumoto's eyes suddenly went wide. "Do we have any gear that is the right size for him, so that he doesn't get sick?"

"Matsumoto…" Toshiro shook his head at the woman. "I doubt that you would want an unseated shingami with you on this mission. Don't try to butter Isshin taicho into letting me go."

"Actually," Atsuo commented. "This mission consists of…"

"Atsuo-san, papa-san, and Shiro-chan!" Isshin suddenly glomped onto Toshiro, causing the boy to suddenly move his knee up into the mans groin. "Oww!"

"Serves you right," Matsumoto muttered as Toshiro headed to hide behind her.

"There must be a mistake though," Toshiro suddenly commented, peeking his teal eyes from behind her, giving an icy glare to the taicho.

"No mistake," Atsuo commented. "This is going to be your first mission to the living world as a member of this division."

The small boy stepped out from behind Matsumoto, his arms folded. "I am sure there are plenty of…"

"Nope… you're going," Atsuo shook his head while Isshin laughed. "The three of us."

Toshiro gave him an odd look, but was interrupted by Matsumoto. "You need some things added to your uniform, as it is the desert."

"What do you mean?" Toshiro shook his head, a slightly amused look coming to her face.

"I'll be right back," the woman commented. They waited a few minutes, then came back with some wraps. "Taicho and Atsuo-san already have one for when they go to such places, you need one as well."

"We don't have much time, Matsumoto," Isshin commented. "We leave in a couple of hours through the gate."

"I know, I know… you two need to go and get yours too," Matsumoto commented as she wrapped the white piece of cloth around Toshiro's head so that only his eyes showed though.

"What the…" he closed his eyes, the stopped himself from seething out some words. "Matsumoto… this is overly warm. Why do I have to wear it?"

"Because…" Isshin suddenly commented. "The desert is a hot place to go to. The white of the cloth reflects the heat off your head and keeps the sun from beating down to much. It will also stop your skin from burning too much. There are other reasons for this too."

"If the desert is hot, why are they having me go? My zanpaktou needs water, doesn't it?" Toshiro shook his head at them, then found that Matsumoto had pulled something else out from under her pile of wraps. She swung the bag over his shoulder.

"This medical bag contains water to help you from getting dehydrated," Matsumoto smiled.

M

Upon entering the dessert, Toshiro found that he hated the dessert. The air was so dry that he felt like he was chocking on his own air tube. The air was also quite warm, and he wondered if the same thing would happen to him as had happened in Aizen's mailing room. Isshin noticed his discomfort. "Just be sure to keep drinking the water every so often… that was your mistake that one time."

"Hai," Toshiro muttered, walking on the right of Atsuo's side. That was when all three of them felt a burst of reiatsu coming from below their feet, the hollow being felt, then disappearing. The next thing they knew, the ground began to shake. Atsuo grabbed Toshiro around the waist and moved to the right, while Isshin moved to the left, just in time to see a wall of sand come out of the ground.

Atsuo set the small boy down, then called out to the man on the other side. "Taicho! Taicho!"

Toshiro stopped and listened, then shook his head. "I don't think he can hear us, and I don't think we can hear him, either because of the wall, or because of something happening to him. I think that we should try getting around…"

Atsuo watched as the boy stopped, then glanced away. "I believe that you were going to say that we should go around the wall and try to get to Taicho?"

"Hai," Toshiro mumbled, rubbing his sandal into the ground. He suddenly felt Atsuo rub his hair.

"Toshiro… you idea was a good one. Don't be afraid to speak you mind. Even if what you have to say isn't correct, or the best idea, it is better then saying nothing, correct?"

A small smirk came onto Toshiro's face. "Unless it is something that I might get my mouth washed out with soap again?"

Atsuo let out a small chuckle and began walking along the wall, fully expecting that the white haired boy would follow him. "So, you're starting to get a sense of humor?"

The two of them walked for some time, their steps starting to come heavy to them. Toshiro suddenly glanced backwards. "Lieutenant Tomo… I think the wall is following us…"

"Why do you say that?" the man sighed.

"Because, I think that if this phenomenon was actually big, those in the living world might have noticed it from the distance, but as it is… might it look like a sand tunnel? Or a mirage?" Toshiro suddenly commented.

This caused the man to stop short, then turn towards Toshiro Hitsugaya, causing the other to crash into him. He was about to say something, when the wall suddenly collapsed. The spiritual pressure was felt again and Toshiro moved to stand with his back to his commanding officer, thinking that was the best move. However, Atsuo was making another preparation to grab the small one if need be.

That was when the reiatsu suddenly disappeared, and sand popped up, seeming to cage them in. Toshiro whipped out his sword, yelling out his release command. However, as Hyorinmaru hit the sand barrier, an electric shot suddenly shot through the ice, shattering it, and heading straight into Toshiro's arm.

Atsuo spun around just in time to see the zanpaktou drop from the boys hand and the boy collapse to his knees, his teal eyes focused on the burn on his hand. The sand that was touched by the ice was replaced by more sand. Toshiro's eyes closed. "I wonder if it has duel ability because the sand is grinding against each other, causing something like when Hinamori rubs my hair to much, but stronger…"

"Possibly…" Atsuo muttered, trying to find where the hollow mask was located.

"And… that might be messing the communication with that mans computer…" Toshiro sighed. "We can't feel the reiatsu through this. Taicho might have headed in the opposite direction?"

"How did you know about that? We didn't tell you twelfth division was having the problems," the man muttered, his eyes becoming anxious as he read the pattern.

"I read the report for our mission… figured I might as well since I was going too," Toshiro muttered. "I can't move my right arm… and thing is… something must have happened to taicho, as if he had gone in the other direction, wouldn't the wall have ended sooner?"

"But… wouldn't it have wanted to finish him first, he is a taicho, isn't he?" the man suddenly bent down and pressed his hand against Toshiro's arm, only to have the boy wince.

"Not if it wants to take out the weaker opponents first… or it knocked him unconscious or made it so he was caged in somehow so that thing could come back later," Toshiro muttered. "I have to wonder how we'll get out of this…"

Atsuo though suddenly tensed up, then shoved the small boy down, causing Toshiro to get a mouth full of sand into his mouth. The next thing he knew, something had pierced his shoulder. He also felt blood splatter from above him, telling him something had hit Atsuo.