Watari hummed as he padded down the hall with 003 buzzing around his head. He had thought about going and playing some games in the arcade that was in the rec. room but decided that he should take a relaxing bath first. Then he would challenge Tsuzuki and the others to some games.

Turning a corner he spotted the bathes and got ready to get in. In a flash he was dressed in nothing but a towel and darted out into the spring. He dove right into the hot water and floated to the top. He splashed around before pausing.

"Wait, wasn't there Tsuzuki's pail in one of the cloth baskets, 003?" Watari asked placing a finger to his chin.

The pleasant owlet hooted as it rested on the scientist's head. Tsuzuki's stuff was there but there was no Tsuzuki in the water or around. Curious, the blond got up and started to walk around with a firm grip keeping his towel on. He looked around the forested area that surrounded the place and walked around.

"Tsuzuki?" he called out.

No answer.

"Tsuzuki?" he raised his voice.

He sighed then noticed that he was near the fenced off springs. Thinking that the foolish shinigami could have gone in there he started to climb the fence. He started to hear a "Ki~~ Ki~~" sound down from below. (note: In Japanese 'Ki Ki' is the sound a monkey makes) He looked down to see a lemur that was a coffee brown with purple eyes. It was waving its arms as it jumped in the air, as if trying to say something.

"What a fascinating specimen," Watari tried to go down to examine the creature but he slipped.

Tumbling down 003 grabbed a hold of his beloved scientist and flapped with all of his might but the man fell into a spring. The little owl lost his grip and was flung into another spring.

"What happened?" Watari sat up in the shallow spring rubbing the back of his neck.

He felt some eyes watching him as he noticed that his body felt different. Looking over his copper eyes met with black ones. He blinked a bit before noticing that the child in front of him was a naked as the day he was born. The boy didn't say anything just pointed to Watari causing him to look down.

The scientist leapt to his feet looking at himself. He was a woman, with a well-proportioned body. He had good birthing hips as one could put it, with medium sized breasts his hair covered his/her bust. He then realized that he was almost posing in front of a very, innocent minded youth and a lemur that looked like it just passed out from a nosebleed.

Terazuma strode down the hallway with Hisoka on his heels. He didn't know that Tatsumi asked for Hisoka to watch him during the trip as Wakaba watched Tsuzuki, until the youth told him. And since he had insisted that he go to the bathes, Hisoka had to come along as well. When they came to the hall that lead to the bathes they were startled to find a very pretty blonde walking with a boy that couldn't have been over 8 years old. They blinked as she passed by them blushing a little.

"Didn't the old lady say that we were the only ones here?" Terazuma asked pointing back to the two that just turned a corner.

Hisoka only kept on walking while saying, "Maybe she was mistaken."

When the two got in they noticed that Tsuzuki's stuff was well put away. Hisoka smiled slightly, that would be the first time he would be bathing with the other shinigami. The two were quick to wash up before going out for a good soak. Once out they noticed a lemur with a towel on its head. The two of them looked at each other before going into the water. The slender monkey looked like it had something against Terazuma as if he was thwarting his plans of world domination.

"What's your problem you primate?" Terazuma huffed as he splashed the creature.

Hisoka frowned, "That was mean." The youth walked over and picked up the flustered monkey. He smiled slightly when the lemur grabbed a hold of him with twinkling eyes that reminded him of Tsuzuki. The deep brown primate pulled on Hisoka's arm as it gestured over to some where. The young shinigami decided it would be best to see what was upsetting his new friend.

"Oh please you're not honestly going to see what grubs for brains wants, are you?" Terazuma settled himself in the water.

Hisoka wanted to shout at the man but decided not to when he spotted a very pretty golden cat. She was all curled up and happily asleep in a nest of leaves as the lemur jumped to her. He started to shake the feline awake with little comforting kiss. The golden cat purred as she woke up and looked at Hisoka with brownish gold eyes. It seemed that the cat was really happy to see someone because she leapt into Hisoka's arms purring very loudly.

"Wow, hey there. Nice to meet you too," the shinigami youth stroked the long fur.

The lemur then started to pull at Hisoka's arm again pointing back to the hotel. The blond's eyebrows creased when a thought passed through his mind. What if these two animals belonged to that woman and her child? Perhaps they had forgotten them. Walking back with the cat in his arms Hisoka thought it would be best to return the animals before they could get in his hair.

"Where do you think you're going?" Terazuma asked seeing the cat, "Care to explain?"

Emerald eyes narrowed, "I don't need to explain anything to you. Remember I'm the one who is watching you, not the other way around."

He snorted, "Whatever."

When Hisoka got to the dressing room the lemur took the cat and waited in a corner with the feline. Hisoka thought it was strange for a monkey and a cat to have manners. Soon as he was dressed he picked up both the animals and started down the hall. It was a little difficult finding the woman and the room she was in. After he had tried every room he had knocked on he was resorted to asking Watari if he had seen anyone.

He knocked on the door, "Watari-san… You in there? I have a question for you."

When the beautiful blonde answered the door to Watari's room Hisoka's face blushed a little. He decided it was best not to ask what she was doing in Watari's room and just hand over the animals.

"Umm, Ma'am, you forgot your… pets at the springs," he bowed while handing them over to her.

"Why thank you Hisoka.," the woman took the animals and shut the door.

The youth blinked before returning to the bathes. That was weird, he didn't think that he knew her, or that she knew him.

When he got back to the springs he noticed that Terazuma wasn't there. He frowned when he heard a yelp and a splashing noise. Grumbling, "You better not be messing around with Tsuzuki again, or you'll both get it," Hisoka hurried to the spot that he had heard the noise coming from. Pulling himself up into the forested area he then thought to himself, "Wait, I don't think I've seen Tsuzuki at all… but his stuff is still there and now Terazuma-san is gone as well. Something's up and I'm going to find out what it is."

Tying his towel tighter around his waist, the shinigami spotted the fenced off springs. Remembering what the old woman said he wanted to stay away, but the towel floating in one of the springs was worrying him. So resigned to the fact that he would have to check it out, he worked his way through the barbed wire. Soon as he feet landed on the other side and he was fully out of the barbed wire fence, Hisoka's footing began to slip. He looked down to see that he was on a very angry looking turtle with, pointy ears? He gasped as he started to fall back wards and into one of the many springs.
~~~~~~~~~

Tatsumi sighed as he tucked the files under his arm. There was something bothering him. Yes he did send them to a rather nice hotel mainly because he didn't want to see Tsuzuki sad, and yes they were suppose to be back that day but so far none of them had shown up. Then he heard something, something that was very out of place. It was the sound of maybe a skateboard running down a rail. He's heard that sound only when he was on the job and it involved being around a lot of teenagers. Looking up he's eyes widened in shock. There was a brown lemur monkey using a turtle as some kind of snowboard down the railing and they were heading strait down for him. The psychotic monkey stuck out his tongue to the side as his eyes narrowed. He looked like he was aiming to hit Tatsumi! The secretary was quick to throw up his shadows when the monkey and his "transportation" were flung into the air. The turtle slammed in to the black wall that was slightly see through as the lemur managed to get over and wrap onto Tatsumi's head. The man was instantly being cuddled like he had just done something wonderful or the monkey was really glad to see him. He pulled the primate off to take a look at him while the turtle with, pointy ears?, skidded down the wall of shadows.

Taking a good look at those amethyst eyes and the dark colored fur was making the shinigami worry. Then he saw the look on the primate's face. It was pouting and he became flustered.

"N-no way! Tsuzuki-san?!" Tatsumi exclaimed taking a better look of the monkey in his hands.

"Aa, Tatsumi," a meek voice came from the side. "Did you do any kind of research behind those hot springs you sent us too?"

Now almost fearful the secretary looked to the side. There, now standing before him was a very beautiful woman. Dressed in Watari's clothing, she pulled a little boy's hand closer to her like a mother would to her child. The boy looked innocent and lively, but shy considering that he was looking sheepishly around her leg. In one of her arms was a very pretty cat that had a startling resemblance to Wakaba.

"Wa-Wa-Watari-san?" Tatsumi was actually afraid to get an answer.

The woman nodded slowly.

Tatsumi wasn't sure if he could handle this right now, "Wh-who's what?"

"As you can see I'm female now, Wakaba-chan turned into this cat, 003 was turned into this boy here, Terazuma is the turtle with ears," he pointed to the angry reptile. "Tsuzuki is the lemur and Kurosaki-kun is…"

"He's what?"

Suddenly Tsuzuki jumped from Tatsumi's hands and leapt over to 003. He grabbed something white and fluffy from the boy's arm and started cuddling it. The shinigami secretary was about to inform Watari that he/she had yet to answer his question when Watari pointed down with a whispered, "He's still angry."

Tsuzuki wouldn't stop cuddling the white ball of fur so Tatsumi had to take it away from him. The Tsuzuki lemur looked really up set and pouted causing the shinigami to reassure the animal that he'll get his friend back soon. Emerald eyes clashed with blue, Kurosaki Hisoka was the cutest, most cuddly miniature white rabbit that Tatsumi had ever seen. Sure Hisoka looked mad but that only added to his charm.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Tatsumi was holding back the urge to cuddle the rabbit.

Hiso-bunny looked like he would draw blood if Tatsumi even dared to do such a thing. He had to put up with 003-boy holding him the way there and Tsuzuki cuddling to him every chance he got. This little bunny has reached his limit. And when Tatsumi patted his head he did the first thing that came to his mind. He bit down on the tender flesh of Tatsumi's finger.

The secretary pulled his hand away shocked. Kurosaki-kun had just bit him very hard and it hurt. That was such an outrageous act that he couldn't believe that THAT animal was truly the shinigami he worked with. Tsuzuki-lemur jumped up and climbed up Tatsumi's pant leg. He reached out took Hiso-bunny and then went over to Tatsumi's injured hand. The brown lemur then proceeded to show the mini rabbit the bleeding wound on Tatsumi's hand. Even though it was rapidly healing the monkey still lectured the white fluff ball with a series of monkey talk.

Hiso-bunny didn't care, he wanted out of that form and now! He didn't care if someone got bitten once they disserved it. So when Tsuzuki's finger waved in front of his face, Hisoka tried to bit him only to be dropped by a panicked primate. He dropped down softly on his feet as Tsuzuki wrapped around Tatsumi's head again with a frightened look. He glared at the turtle that looked angry as well. Terazuma-turtle pulled into his shell. The psycho rabbit in front of him just bit Tatsumi and looked like he would gladly go for more flesh if anyone attempted to get near him.

"Watari-san," Tatsumi managed to peel Tsuzuki off of his face. "Do you think you can remedy this?"

Watari shrugged, "Possibly, but I'm going to have to have a sample of the water of each spring that we fell into." She smiled menacingly, "And who better to do that but the very same man that had sent us there."

"You can't be serious."

Watari picked up the very pissed off Hisoka by the scruff of the neck and held him up, "You want to say that to him?"

"Fine I'll do it! Just give me some sample tubes and I'll get it for you."

"That's a good boy," Watari gently settled Hisoka back down on the ground.
~~~~~~~~~

Tatsumi couldn't believe it, there he was in his work clothes, floating over some hot springs. In one hand he held a small mouse that was held in a cage. Watari had suggested that he dipped a mouse in each spring to see what was what. He sighed and took out the mouse, surprisingly the rodent was rather laid back. He sighed and dipped the mouse in the first spring. It came out a turtle, well that was lucky, he got the first one. Getting a sample of the water be dipped the mouse/turtle into the next spring.

After the first twenty he found most of them, but he had yet to find the lemur and rabbit. Sighing as he dipped the mouse/now tadpole into the next spring he stretched his back. He had been at it for hours and his back was starting to hurt. This distraction caused the secretary not to notice the mouse dive down deep into the spring and become a squid. Tentacles quickly wrapped around the shinigami.

"Wa-What?!" Tatsumi screamed as he was hurled into a near by spring.
~~~~~~~~~

//I'm telling you if you touch me one more time when I'm in this form I'm going to bit all of your fingers off,// Hisoka's nose bounced with anger.

//But Hi~~so~~ka~~~!!// Tsuzuki's hands curled into little fists to cover the lower part of his face, //You said as long as I don't stroke your fur the wrong way!//

Hiso-bunny was silent, he really didn't want to be petted.

//Go ahead, pet him,// Terazuma crawled up, //We won't miss you when you bleed to death.//

//Hajime-chan!// Wakaba-neko came trotting up and rubbing lovingly against Tsuzuki, //That isn't a nice thing to say.//

Watari looked over to the huddled animals that looked like there where doing different things, almost like they were holding a conversation. He/she turned back to the little boy that sat snuggly in a big chair next to him/her. The boy was wearing a white pair of shorts, with a long sleeved shirt with black suspenders. He even had a white hat on his head. Watari was only glad that when he/she had turned him/her self and Tsuzuki into little kids that they kept the clothing. 003 was the same size as Tsuzuki at that size.

"Ne, 003?" Watari got the boy's attention, "Do all animals know how to communicate with each other? You know like talk to each other?"

The owl-boy nodded.

"Ah, I see. What interesting information." He/she looked out the window to see a storm building.

The rain was falling fast, thunder and lightening began to stir the heavens up. The lights went out all of the sudden. The room fell silent as Watari gathered 003 into his/her arms. The door to the room flung open as a clash of thunder and lightening lit the room. The scientist screamed in surprise as the boy in his/her arms clung tighter. Animals yelped and scattered around in fear all except for Tsuzuki and Terazuma. Tsuzuki-lemur had Terazuma-turtle over his head. He hurled the poor turtle shinigami at what ever was at the door. With a loud thunking sound everything went quiet.

The lights slowly flickered back on as power was restored to Ju-oh-chou. Watari and Tsuzuki cautiously crept up to see what had entered the room as Hisoka and Wakaba came out of hiding. A beautiful blue chinese dragon, about the size of a tiger cub, was rubbing its head. Around it floated several vials of water samples.

"Ta-Tatsumi-san?" Watari asked a little shocked that he got cursed too.

"What hit me?" Tatsumi's voice asked as the dragon took to the air.

//Sorry, Sorry, you scared me and,// Tsuzuki instantly began apologizing.

"Ah, I see. So it was you Tsuzuki-san," the dragon curled around the lemur nestling into the coffee brown fur while growling menacingly.

"Never mind that, did you get all the spring samples?" Watari asked grabbing the vials from the air, "Even for the one that you fell into?"

The dragon looked up from his position with a toothy grin, "Of course. Unlike you I get my jobs done."

chapter 2 end