Torn in the Darkness

Hey everyone, sorry that I had taken so long to upload a story. I had been so busy with other things and also this writers block was pretty bad. I started to write this story before Congratulations and I decided to upload the first chapter for all of you. Hope you enjoy!

Rating: T

Series: Naruto/Bleach crossover

Summary: Ichigo has to complete a very difficult mission to defeat Orochimaru - delivered to him by captain-commander Yamamato Genyruu Sai in order to be an eligible candidate for the position of captain. However, during the fight, Orochimaru plants a curse mark on Ichigo's neck. If that is bad, things get worse as Ogichi, the hollow within, threatens to take over Ichigos body! Will Ichigo ever complete his mission or join one of the conflicting dark sides that await him?

Warnings: This story contains spoilers from Naruto Shippuuden, and very few spoilers from the Arrancar arc. Also, some characters may be OOC. Rated T for language, violence, and darkness.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Naruto. They are copyright to their own creators. All I own is the storyline.

Chapter 1: The Curse Mark Revealed

Lieutenant Ichigo Kurosaki, 13th protection squad:

Defeat Orochimaru, a powerful and wanted ninja known throughout the living world. He is known to be one of the three legendary ninja known as Sannin. You must do this alone without any help whatsoever. Should you succeed in this mission, you might be eligible to become a captain.

Yamamato Genyruu Sai

Captain-Commander

Ichigo rolled his eyes as he unfolded the paper scroll and stuffed it in his black shuhakushou. He had read the scroll more than 50 times even though he was pretty sure of himself that he could defeat this guy regardless of the large number of warnings that he had received from his captain, friends, family, and fellow subordinates.

"He's too dangerous, Ichigo. Be on your guard at all times."

"You sure you don't want help?"

"Ichigo, are you sure you want to do this mission alone? He may be a ninja but he is the most dangerous of them all. Who knows what tricks he has up his sleeve. You are sure to be killed."

Despite his confidence about this mission, Ichigo just saw it as boring and a waste of his time. However, since the scroll was delivered from the captain-commander himself by his own captain and since he had heard that this ninja had hurt so many innocent people, he was obligated to complete this mission no matter what he thought.

Leaning against a tree, the shinigami took a deep breath as he looked around his surroundings. He was told that the ninja would be somewhere in this area of Konoha Forest based on close surveillance from the development and research unit. Taking another look around, Ichigo realized that the coward just was not arriving. "Heh, I am just wasting my time on this good-for-nothing mission," he muttered to himself.

He started to daydream about his friends, family, fellow subordinates, captain...and girlfriend. He and Rukia had been in a relationship for about seven months, starting shortly before he was appointed as the lieutenant of 13th division. Ever since, they had been completing missions and training together. Every time they were on a break from their mission, they would do things together as a couple - cuddling and making love. Ichigo missed her so much, and he had hoped that when he finishes this mission he would spend quality time with her again.

Suddenly, a rustle among the trees snapped him out of his daydream. Grabbing his zampakutou, he looked around, snapping his head in all directions. When everything went quiet, he took a deep breath again and leaned his zampakutou against his tree. "Heh, must be the wind or something," he mumbled as he rubbed his eyes out of boredom and slightly out of fatigue. "God this is hopeless."

That was when a kunai was shot just inches from his shoulder; Ichigo winced with surprise and grabbed his zampakutou once again. "What the fucking hell?" He nearly shouted as he started to stand up.

"Well, well, well," a voice sounded from a branch of a nearby tree." Ichigo looked up and saw a ninja with a metal forehead protector and glasses smirking back at him. "Who the hell are you?" Ichigo asked, tightening his grip on his sword. "Are you this Orochimaru guy that I had been sent to hunt down?"

"No, I am not," He corrected with an evil chuckle, "My name is Kabuto Yakushi, but I work for Orochimaru as his medical assistant and spy. If you want to find the one you are looking for, he is right behind you."

Ichigo turned around with a jolt and was face-to-face with a tall, thin man with long black hair and a very pale face. He wore a cream-coloured kimono, and the look in his eyes resembled somewhat of a snake. Ichigo shuddered slightly at the appearance and the creepy reiatsu emanating from the thin man standing before him. "So this is Orochimaru," he muttered to himself. "Now I know why they say that he is dangerous."

"What they say is correct, my friend," Orochimaru said in his very sly tone. Ichigo winced for he did not realize that this guy had really good hearing. "However, I will not let you take me down so easily."

"Heh, I had a feeling that you might say that." Ichigo smirked. "Well if it is a fight you want then it is a fight you will get." He pointed his zampakutou in front of him, where the cloth protector at the hilt started to revolve and tighten around his arms. An aura of blue light surrounded his body as his eyes shone brightly with the same colour. "BAN...KAI!" He screamed as the light exploded in all different directions. Orochimaru and Kabuto shielded their eyes from the impact.

Once they uncovered their faces, they stared in awe at what they saw in front of them. There, Ichigo stood in his bankai with his coat flapping behind him and his long, black, slender sword prepared for battle. There was a look of confidence in his eyes as he glared icily at the snake-like ninja in front of him. "Tensa Zangetsu."

Orochimaru laughed. "I don't know what the hell just happened, but you don't look that much different from what you were before." Nearby, Kabuto added another chuckle to his master's statement. Furrowing his eyebrows, Ichigo snapped, "Don't you dare underestimate me! You haven't seen anything yet." Then Ichigo smirked and continued, "Oh, by the way, you should know the name of the person who will defeat you right here, right now. My name is Ichigo Kurosaki; pleased to meet you."

Kabuto suddenly landed between the two. "I will take care of this cocky son of a bitch, Orochimaru." Said man just snickered softly and replied, "very well, Kabuto." Then he jumped onto the branch of a nearby tree to observe the fight. Ichigo growled. "Wait a minute! My fight is with you, you fucking coward! I came here to fight you - not some bastard like him." He averted his eyes to Kabuto at the emphasis of the word.

Kabuto chuckled once again and replied, "I am sorry but you can't fight Orochimaru without going through me first. If you don't like it, then too bad." Ichigo rolled as his eyes as he prepared himself to attack this obstacle that was stopping him from trying to complete his mission. He had no choice but to fight this guy. This was just perfect.

Kabuto once again chuckled as he encircled the glaring shinigami. "My, my," he said slyly, "Ain't this a sad sight? You have a sword and I am unarmed." Ichigo raised his eyebrow as he tightened his grip on his blade. "Cut the crap! Let's get this over with!"

"As you wish," Kabuto smirked as he leaped into the air so fast before Ichigo could make a move. Calming his mind, Ichigo was ready for any blow that would come near him - a blow very much like eight kunai zooming at him with full speed. Using shunpo, he managed to dodge the attack, and then he raised his sword over his hand and sliced it down in front of him, screaming, "GETSUGA...TENSHOU!" A powerful, black and red beam of energy shot out of his sword, but it barely missed his moving target.

"You cowardly bastard! Come down here and fight me like a real man should!" Ichigo shouted as he executed another Getsuga Tenshou from his blade.

Falling down from the smoke, Kabuto landed on the ground with a thud and Ichigo smirked. However, he gaped at the sight of a piece of wood. "What the hell?"

Averting his eyes upward, he noticed his opponent dive down towards him in an attempt to punch him in the chest, but the shinigami dodged the attack with a flash step.

Kabuto winced but he had barely dodged another blow from a swing from Zangetsu. Growling, he tried to send a turning kick up against the shinigami's robes but that was immediately dodged by another flash step. "Stop mocking me, kid..." The ninja hissed as he jumped towards the tree branch that his opponent was standing on. A lilac aura formed around his arm as he tried to repeatedly swing it towards his adversary, who kept dodging his every move, smirking every time.

Ichigo flash-stepped towards another tree branch and this time he was the one chuckling. "It seems your attacks, though as fast as they may be, don't seem to reach me. In this form, you won't even touch me."

"What the fuck?!" Kabuto winced in frustration. "That's not possible!"

"Sure it is. My bankai form can increase my power five-fold and my speed to immeasurable heights. It's over, ninja."

"I'LL GET YOU YET, YOU LITTLE PUNK!" Kabuto sent dozens more kunai towards Ichigo's way, and they were countered by another Getsuga Tenshou.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru was staring at the battle with interest in his snake-like eyes. He had never expected anyone to make his assistant lose his cool like that. However, he was impressed at the amount of potential this little boy had.

Kabuto, keep it going for a little bit longer, He urged telepathically, for I have a plan for his boy. I want to make him one of my own. It seems that I've found a new body. A snide smirk formed on the ninja's white face.

Kabuto winced in surprise. He knew what his master was implying, but he knew that he could not question his plans. Right, Orochimaru-sama.

"So, what other tricks are you going to have up your sleeve, Kabuto? Because it seems that you've run out of new techniques to kill me with," Ichigo taunted. "If you're done, then I think it's my turn." He had a feeling that he would use one of the binding spells that Rukia had taught him to immobilize this guy. Even though he was not sure how long the ninja would stay after he had cast it, he had to take his chance. Tracing his fingers in various directions in the air, he shouted, "Bakudou 9: Geki!"

At that moment, a red light surrounded Kabuto as he stayed in one place, immobile. "What the fucking hell?!"

Ichigo's smirk widened in triumph as he tightened his grip on his raised zampakutou, and then he lunged towards his frozen opponent. "You're finished!"

Before he could reach him, however, Kabuto disappeared right in front of him. "What the fuck?" Ichigo growled as he looked around for his adversary, "Impossible! How could he de-materialize after that kidou spell? I thought that anyone hit with a binding spell was supposed to remain in his spot."

A shadow loomed over him, shutting him out of his thoughts and rants. Ichigo slowly turned around and his blood turned cold at what he saw in front of him. Orochimaru's neck was elongated like that of a giraffe and it hovered above him, ready to strike. The shinigami poised his zampakutou to defend whatever was coming his way with a look of "bring it on" in his eyes.

The Sannin's eyes glowed an eerie scarlet as they immobilized the lieutenant's body. "What the fucking hell?! I can't move?!" he panicked as he was uncertain what would be coming next. Then, in a flash of light, Orochimaru's neck struck downward like the handle of a hammer and the ninja's teeth, now fangs, sunk into the struggling shinigami's neck. Ichigo shrieked in surprise as Orochimaru reverted back to his normal self and let go of his hold on the shocked shinigami's body.

An excruciating pain shot through the shinigami's body as he barely lifted his arm to feel the back of his neck, but found no teeth marks from where he was bit. Confused, he tried to turn himself to face the ninja before him, eyes widening not only with pain but with shock that still lingered from before. "What the hell did you do to me?!"

"Just a little curse mark that I had put on your neck. Overtime, this mark will take effect and you will be coming to me to seek more power, no matter what purpose it will be. Until that time, recover well." Orochimaru laughed and disappeared in thin air.

"Damn you! I will never join you! Get the hell back here, you asshole!" However, he had disappeared before he could realize it.

The pain increased at an amazing rate, causing his eyes to blur over. "Dammit! Must...follow.." However, he could barely move forward; the pain was too much to bear. Giving in, Ichigo's world went black as he collapsed onto the forest floor.

A/N: Well, based on a couple of reviews for the original Chapter 1, I had to redo the fight scene between Ichigo and Kabuto. I hope that this was better. Please don't tell me about the fact that I had them out of character though because that is pretty much what my style is. Anyway, please review! (And those of you who don't have an account with , you can still review regardless so don't worry about that)

Ciao.