Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Naruto. Only the OC is my idea, her backstory, abilities, appearance, etc. I do not make any money from this story. Some characters may be a bit out of character.


A figure stood in the middle of a laboratory, it stood roughly 6'1 and possessed a toned lean build. He wore black clothing with a white trim, his short brown hair was swiped back with a strand hanging down, only one of his brown eyes were visible. He observed something within a large glass cylinder, a smile spreading across his face.

"It's going quite well," another man's voice stated.

"Indeed," the brunette man answered as he continued to observe the contents of the cylinder. Curiosity prompted him to ask, "how long do these usually take?"

"Roughly eight to ten weeks if you're seeking a child, twenty if you wish to have an adult clone. I strongly recommend a child as they're easier to teach and control," the second man replied.

The man smiled as he confirmed, "A child would be perfect."

From the shadows a slightly smaller figure with a lean build and spiky hair slinked away from the scene, their only thought being, 'I have to report this.'

Meanwhile in Konoha, Neji groaned into the pillow as Chiaki's fingers dug gently into the knotted muscles. He let out a sigh as relaxation took him and he closed his eyes, the petite girl straddling his lower back, hovering over his body. She shifted herself to the other side of the bed and laid down, opening what appeared to be a handheld phone, she began tapping buttons.

"What ya doing?"

The question came in a tone that appeared to be between sleep and awake. Chiaki smiled a little as she replied, "With the transceiver repaired, I'm sending my report back to Soul Society." She flipped the device closed and turned so she could face him.

Neji's eyes snapped open, he turned to look at her and asked, "you and Kisuke repaired it already?"

"Sure did. I used to be part of the 12th division, a long time ago," Chiaki stated with a small wink. She giggled before adding, "Actually it was about 110 years ago. I was just a new academy graduate back then. I'm one of the youngest to attend and graduate in history, although I was unseated back then. I completed the academy in just three years, half the usual time. For a brief period, Kisuke was my Captain. Then I was under Sui-Feng in the Onmitsukido before I took my current position."

Neji was now intrigued, laying so that he was facing her he asked, "So what why did he stop being your Captain?"

"He was exiled. Framed for the Rukongai experiments that – monster was doing," Chiaki answered, her fist clenching slightly when she paused to find a suitable word for the man responsible.

"You said before that the same guy murdered your mother?"

"Yes. While she was pregnant, he cornered her, and ran her through. She lived just long enough for us to be delivered surgically."

Neji blinked while his eyes grew wide as he sought clarification, "you were a twin?"

"Yes. I had a fraternal twin sister, Mizuki. She and I were both adopted by Shunsui Kyoraku when we were very young. For a time, we were kept at the first division under Head Captain Yamamoto's supervision. When we were no longer in danger, he entrusted us to Shunsui. One of the very few whom he believed could stand up to any other Shinigami in Soul Society."

Neji smiled a bit as he observed, "Those in the highest positions of power often surprise you when someone vulnerable has no one else."

"Hmm?"

"He's off training with his Sensei right now, but the guy who freed me from the shackles of fate, Naruto Uzumaki—he's an orphan. The day he was born the nine tails fox demon attacked Konoha, and left Naruto without any parents or relatives to raise him. So The third Hokage took charge of making sure that Naruto was cared for. He hired a nanny to tend to him, ensure he received medical care if needed, and as he grew up he had some of the ANBU Black Ops watching over him. Then there was also Iruka sensei, the instructor at the academy who took an interest in Naruto and became kind of like a big brother figure in a sense. The Third Hokage protected an orphan, your Head Captain protected twin orphans. I'm seeing a pattern," Neji explained.

"That was really kind of your Hokage, but I think Yamamoto's involvement was strictly because my mother's murderer wasn't caught at the time of the crime being committed. Even though they're not medial specialists the kido corps building is near the first division. So if something were to happen to us, if for example we stopped breathing, the kido corps could provide kaido until a medical unit arrived. At least that's my reasoning," Chiaki stated.

Silence fell between them before Neji addressed what was bothering him, "you never mentioned Mizuki before."

"My mother isn't the only one that was killed," Chiaki revealed. She leaned back looking up at the ceiling and added, "not from what that monster did to our mom—but about ten years ago when he and two other former Captains betrayed Soul Society and left for the hollow world of Hueco Mundo—she had caught onto one of them. We never figured out who delivered the killing blow… but she was ran through in multiple vital points. What hurts the most is she left behind my newborn nephew. So the cycle of growing up without a mother continues on. I try to be a mother figure to Tetsuya, but I'd be lying if I said that I have a clue about raising a child."

"I don't think anyone ever truly has the answer to how to raise a child. You just do the best you can with what you do know and seek out answers you don't have if they're needed. Each child is different. I had enough babysitting jobs as Genin to know that much," Neji offered.

Tears glistened in Chiaki's eyes before spilling over to the corners of her eyes. Neji gently pulled her in close to himself, embracing her then cursing when he heard someone knocking at the door. He remorsefully looked to Chiaki, kissing her hair and apologizing as he left the bed to open the door. Chiaki took a few steadying breaths and over heard Neji and someone called Shikamaru engaging in conversation.

The other voice she now knew to be Shikamaru's advised, "the Hokage has asked that you and someone named Chiaki come see her. It's regarding some information I gathered earlier today."

"Alright, we'll make our way over as soon as I've dressed," Neji agreed.

"Where is this Chiaki at? I can go tell her to meet you there," Shikamaru offered.

"Thank you but that won't be necessary," Neji declined.

Chiaki stifled a laugh as she thought, 'yeah, you told Neji to see Tsunade, you kinda low key told me as well.'