Moshi, moshi!! Zerolr here sipping on her coffee mug mmmmm This is the beginning of one of the most dramatic parts I written in this fic so far the appearance of Hollow Ichi!! I warn you folks this is were the "T" rating comes in. Depending on how it flows even that might go up. Reviews! Reviews!

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Chapter six - Trapped & Longing

Renji gazed at Rukia while she slept in a simple futon inside Urahara's shoten shop. He racked his brain wondering what could of happened to her that would have made her travel and decide to stay here. He noticed tears slip down her closed eyes. He wanted to wipe them but with that curious blonde fan waving jerk constantly peeking it was quite impossible to do so with dignity and a straight face.

"Will you mind your business!" He rasped at the store owner in a harsh whisper. The shoji screen door that held the snooping pair of eyes quickly slapped shut.

"That's it for today," boomed Gai-sensei, "My beloved students you all did well," he dried off a tear, "Soon enough all of you will hold to my record."

"I can hold it now and establish a new one!" called Rock Lee who refused to stop. Tenten and Neji collapsed at the same time landing side by side.

"I'm beat!" cried Tenten. She looked over towards her team member and giggled, "Talking about beet, you're red as one! Just look at your face, Neji!"

"I know, I know, you don't have to remind me." that last thing he needed was to be reminded of how his pale white complexion, would redden for even the slightest simulation of blood.

Tenten noticed as he sat up and straighten out the long scattered mane of jet black hair. Why hadn't Ino told her to take pictures of Neji? Of course Hinata and Neji are cousins, but they're from different families right? And even though the conflict within the Hyuuga family had settled, there was still that awkward distance that could be seen between them. Regardless it's not like Ino's words are law. She'll just have to talk to Hinata and take that unnecessary burden off her shoulders.

"Oiiiiii Hinata!" called Gai-sensei who was almost ready to march off.

"Good afternoon Hinata-chan" called Lee," he switched from his left hand to his right something he did about every hour.

"Hello everyone," she replied to them all in a small voice.

Hitsugaya Toushiro settled laid back on Orihime's couch fiddling with his phone. He caught such an exhilarating rush sorting out phone numbers, downloading ring tones and playing cell phone games. There was almost no end to what was left to do. To add to those pluses he's always constantly aware of all the incoming signals of the hollows since he's always looking into his phone. He had saved a pass history of all prior appearances in folders in order of date and status.

"Taicho!" sang Matsumoto. She had quickly adapted to the human world wearing a pretty spring dress, the latest in fashion. She walked up to her captain and bent down so that her eyes could be level with his, "Orihime's almost done with dinner! You'll see how wonderful she cooks! I've tasted some leftovers she's had from yesterday, it's delicious," she chirped

"What is it?" he asked lifting a brow in question. The phone slightly lowered to give her attention but not out of sight.

"Well," she put a finger to her lips, "she doesn't give names, they're all original recipes!"

"Original…sounds scary" he looked back at his phone losing all attention to his vice captain.

She walked back into the kitchen and saw Inoue tearing over her boiling pot of mystery soup.

"Oh, you're still weeping?!" moaned Matsumoto softly, "Don't cry anymore, I'll hit him real hard it's completely uncalled for." She put her arm around her friend and she cried into her chest and Matsumoto softly sighed patting her back soothingly.

"I-I care for him, but he doesn't," she began between sobs, "And he cared for Rukia, but she doesn't…It's so sad"

Is that so, thought Matsumoto to herself.

"Arigato Gozaimas!" Spat Rock Lee upon receiving a bento from Hinata. Neji was dumb shocked to find she had bothered to make bentos for all of his team members, including Gai sensei.

"Hinata-sama, there was not need for you to do this!" he blurted feeling awkward and embarrassed. He had never got over the fact that a head branch member was always doing favors for him. Tenten whacked him over the head.

"Baka!" she shouted banging him, "Show some appreciation, thank her instead!"

"Oh, ah," Neji placed both hands on the ground in front of him, and bowed properly, "Thank you very much for the bento Japanese boxed lunch, Hinata-sama,"

Hinata overwhelmed by the display, waved her hands frantically in front of her, "Oh! No, no, no! It's okay, I wanted to do this for you and for every one. I'm always making bentos for Kiba-kun and Shino-kun all the time," she smiled and placed a hand softly on top of Neji's. "It's okay; don't give me so much respect at least not in front of your friends.

Neji lifted his head and his eyes fell into Hinata's. It was true during these past three years Hisashi, Hinata's father saw the potential in him and granted the opportunity to train with him. But since then, Hinata was cast away as something least important. She was quite prideful about it, training in secret with her teammates. And he too, had secretly cheered for her. He had learned to see that she was so much more different than her father and her younger sister. She has a warm gentleness that surfaced like a glow radiating from her. But there is this distance that he felt he couldn't break. That famous respect that was literally beaten into him, beat into his brain and body seared and burned into his forehead.

"Sit up, Neji." Hinata pleaded, and he obeyed. Tenten spoon fed Lee with chopsticks for he refused to stop training even to eat. Tenten whispered then something into his ear.

"Oh! Pictures of me?" he practically shouted. Tenten highly embarrassed, smacked him and he fell back. Hinata over hearing Lee's comment blushed furiously. For her this was far worst than an S-rank mission. Taking sexy pictures?! And of her teammates and cousin!?

Oh, but I have to do it! Thought Hinata bravely. Then, I'll have the right to trade them with the other girls and I can have some pictures of Naruto! Ohhhh… Naruto. Naruto, Naruto, Naruto…

Neji looked to his left and he saw Hinata's face turn pass the normal limit of scarlet red.

"H-hey, Hinata? Hinata?" He asked.

She fainted and her body leaned on his shoulder.

"Hinata-sama! He called. He felt her body slip a little and he held her. Although he had thought resting her head on his lap, he let her lie on the grass instead. He looked and saw Gai-sensei was long gone since he received his bento and Tenten was yelling at Lee for some reason. He opened the small black box and saw that she had packed his favorite lunch. His expression relaxed and he looked over to Hinata who was peacefully resting.

Hinata trust me, I don't want to take your place as heir… No, I want something else, something impossible. I want to drop my family name; I want to be free, to do what I want. And I want to do that, with you. I'd hate to see you chained down but I guess you don't see it that way. But then again if you marry Naruto, and if he becomes Hokage, then perhaps, everything will change. Yes, I hope you find happiness with him and I hope that he helps us; he seems to have that power. It seems that he has easier access to that key, the one that can open any cage…

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Am I meant to stay like this? I feel trapped. Completely confused with my thoughts and feelings. I'm not here, I'm not there. I don't belong in either place. Organizing my thoughts so it can sort out my feelings, I noticed that's it's following some type of pattern. The one I can reach, I don't want, but the one that I want that's hanging in front of my eyes I can't reach. Is this my fate? I feel like I die alone, protecting whom I care, doing everyone that favor—yet me, myself, I get nothing. I feel empty filled with desire. Desire for what? Is it physical or emotional? A mixture of both.

Yuzu sniffed over her dinner plate, "Ichi-nii, is not eating anything," she sobbed. Karin sighed and Isshin stood up making funny faces to cheer his baby girl up.

"Dad, you're pathetic," Karin groaned.

Ichigo turned in his bed. He wanted to sleep yet he wasn't sleepy. The maltreated bunny was up inside his closet.

"Maybe, I'll call Ishida," Ichigo mumbled to himself, "See if he could stitch it up for me…"

Heehhh…you let her get away… How stupid. If it were me, you know what I'd dooo…?

Ichigo squeezed his hands against his head. He hated this, was scared shittless by this. It happened once in school in the middle of exams once.

Never letting go, I would have tasted her, sucked on her biting her skin, stripped her, sexed her, and killed her. Eat her, slurped up sucking on her bones and once I'm done with her, I'll take the other one…

Ichigo trembled, "Shut up, shut up," he rasped in a harsh whisper.

She's so much more fuller and well proportioned…you really are stupid…. Heh, hehhhh…you feel it don't you? Desire.

He threw his back out on his bed closing his eyes. Trying to stop in vain the images the Hollow filtered into his mind. Orihime's naked body, his hands trailing every inch of skin, moving over her. Listening to her breathless voice as he penetrated her, raped her.

"No, no…no, no! No! No!" he began shouting, rolling around in his bed. A white hot feeling traveled throughout his veins. Blessed exquisite, this feeling. Whispering dark words into his ear, the Hollow laughed.

YOU are ME, and I am YOU… WE are ONE, WE feel the same. Let me devour you, take over you. I promise I'll treat your body well… heeehh heh heh…

"Nooooooo!!" He screamed out loud.

Karin dropped her chopsticks and suddenly looked up. Yuzu cupped her mouth in shock and Isshin rushed up the steps.

"Ichigo, Ichigo! He cried. Bursting through the locked room, he saw the bed sheets a mess and the window wide open with the curtains blowing in the wind.

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Hitsu doesn't play such a big role in this fic, that's why I wrote this other one where he is an important key. I'm very fond of the little guy...