Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto; Masashi Kishimoto does. I Do NOT own Bleach; Tite Kubo does.

***Warning: Spoilers for the current Manga and Anime; as of June 20, 2009.*

Author's Note: Quite a few flashbacks this chapter.

Previously:

Aizen nodded. "She is indeed. However; her relationship with Hitsugaya-Taichō could prove troublesome."

Tousen stared at the both of them through covered eyes. "And how do you plan to do that Aizen-sama?"

Aizen Sōsuke grinned slightly and loosened his robes slightly. "I'm going to give her what she desires most." His eyes glinted in the pale light of the room. "My Love."

Chapter IX

Hollow


Time skip Four Years

The sun shone through the window laying its warming rays across her face. Hinamori Momo stirred slightly while cuddling her body back against the other lying beside her. Four years ago she had been delivering signed papers to her Captain's office. She had found him sitting behind his desk with a strange almost sad hue to his eyes.

Flashback

He had glance up at smiling somberly. "Hello Momo-fukutaichō." He said. She smiled at him like she always did and made to hand him the stack of papers when he waved her hand away. "Momo-chan…I'm…I've been oblivious to something for quite a while now. And it took Ichimaru-Taichō pointing it out for me to see it."

Her heartbeat quickened as he stood up and walked around the desk to stand in front of her. "W-what do you mean Aizen-Taichō?" she asked, short of breath. She let out a small gasp as she felt his arms encircle her.

"That you have feelings for me…" he seemed to pause for a moment while drawing in a shuddering breath. "…And that I have been ignorant of them. It saddens me that you couldn't tell me Momo-chan." He trailed off as she stared at him with a blush dusting her cheeks.

"Aizen-Taichō;" she found herself asking, "w-why do you keep calling me 'Momo-chan?"

He smiled at her in the way that made her soul sing and her body burn. "Because I have feelings for you to Momo-chan…."

Flashback End

After that they had spent the entire night sharing things about each other. They had quickly agreed that no one in the Gotei Thirteen could know about their relationship; Central Forty-Six had forbidden intimate relationships between superiors and subordinates.

He had held up to her every expectation and been a perfect gentleman; they hadn't even made love until three months into the relationship.

Sighing she rolled over and snuggled into his bare chest. She soon fell into a light sleep; missing the smirk upon his face.

Over the past four years Kurotsuchi Mayuri and his 'daughter' and Vice Captain Kurotsuchi Nemu had labored on the ideas of replicating chakra; with continued failures. The only things that were capable of transferring over were the 'Chakra Control' exercises: Tree Climbing and Water Walking. They both worked the same way they had while alive; only increasing reiatsu control. Though Mayuri had disregarded both exercises as useless; Shinigami could already dash across water with Shunpo and could levitate anywhere in the air by controlling their energy.

In the darkened labs of the Twelfth Division his frustration mounted.

Meanwhile in the Human realm Kurosaki Ichigo stared in horror as he watched the girl fall into the rising river.

Flashback

When Orochimaru was granted early graduation he expected some sort of commotion. After all it couldn't be every day that a prodigy blazed through the academy. He, however, was wrong. Before he had came to the Seireitei the current Tenth Division Captain had blazed his way through the academy course nearly as fast as the current Third Division Captain.

When the head of the academy consented to his early graduation he was given a simple paper with the location of his new squad on it. Curiously enough he had been accepted into the Tenth Squad under Hitsugaya Toshiro-Its Captain; and Matsumoto Rangiku- Its Vice-Captain.

He arrived early to settle into his new modest sized room; much larger however than the rooms the academy provided. The bed was large enough for one person to sleep comfortably. There were three empty bookcases along far wall. Next to the bed stood a nightstand with a lamp and directly on the other side of that was a desk and chair.

As he sat his single bag of belongings down he glanced around again; Noting the door to the bathroom and a closet stocked with the standard garb of the Shinigami. "Yes; this will be fine for now."

He stood before the Captain as he scrutinized him. The short white haired Captain shook his head and sighed. "Orochimaru-san; welcome to the Tenth Division. I'm your Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro. You may address me as Hitsugaya-Taichō; Understood?" he asked.

Orochimaru nodded. "Hai, Hitsugaya-Taichō."

He stared at him for another moment before shaking his head. "Normally after being recruited you would undergo more training with a senior officer; followed by another exam before you would begin your duties as a member of the division." He paused running a hand through his snowy hair. "However, before you can go through that you must participate in one Hollow Hunt. Where a group of academy students are guarded by upper members of the Gotei Thirteen and kill their first Hollows." He glanced over at his Vice-Captain's desk where she was humming as sipping a saucer of sake. He wrinkled his nose and continued. "Since you skipped through the rest of the academy; Matsumoto-Fukutaichō will accompany you to the Human realm to complete it. Understood?"

Orochimaru nodded.

"Good, now go prepare." Hitsugaya turned and glanced out the window as Orochimaru disappeared in a Shunpo.

He turned again when he didn't hear any other movement. "Matsumoto." She continued humming. His irritation rose when he received no response. "MATSUMOTO!" he growled out.

Startled she dropped her saucer onto a pile of paperwork. She grinned cheekily at him. "You need something Taichō?"

They stood on a building overlooking the congested streets of New York City. He stood staring in wonder at the strange buildings and even stranger modes of transportation. 'Truly this world is much more advanced than my own.' He thought.

Rangiku yawned stretching out her sore muscles. "After we finish here lets go shopping;" she giggled to herself. "It's been forever since I came to New York."

Orochimaru glanced at her, his serpentine eyes blinked. "Is that really proper, Matsumoto-Fukutaichō?" he asked.

She turned towards him; her oversized assets jiggling as she did. "What Taichō doesn't know won't hurt him." She grinned.

Orochimaru feigned blushing and turned away slightly.

He heard her chuckle under her breath. She glanced at the sky before turning back to him. "Alright for this test you must demonstrate proficiency in all aspects of being a Shinigami; from there Taichō will decide how to progress your training and duties." She tilted her head and winked at him through her strawberry-blonde hair. "Let's start with Hakuda, as facing a Hollow with just your hands would be a terrible idea; you'll spar against me instead." She said. "Now when I say stop you will." She finished by sliding into a fighting stance.

Orochimaru mimicked her by falling into the stance of the hebi that he used while alive. He noted Matsumoto's quirked eyebrow and fluidly slid into the academy stance. He heard her call out for him to start.

He shot forward; aiming a punch at her head. She ducked and swiveled to the left; her foot leaping up to catch him in the stomach. He felt the air leave his lungs as he was tossed back. After regaining his bearings he used Shunpo to flash behind her intent on aiming a kick to the back of her knee. The slight flicker of her form was the only warning her had before her fist slammed into his cheek. He skidded away and briefly glared at her. Shooting forward again he brought his fist back for a punch. Right before his fist made contact her form flickered before disappearing.

She reappeared behind him her foot raised high to deliver a blow to his head. She brought her heel down on top of his head; only for it to pass right through it. 'Impossible, his Shunpo is fast enough to leave after images?!' she thought in dismay as he appeared behind her his fist moments away from hitting the back of her neck. Soundlessly she shunpo'ed behind him and chopped the back of his neck; rendering him unconscious.

He woke up to her face hovering inches above his own. He forced his eyes to widen as he shot upright. Breathing quickly he took a few calming breaths. "How did I do; Matsumoto-fukutaichō?" he asked.

She studied him for a moment before shrugging. "Alright; you even surprised me with the speed of your Shunpo. It's a wonder they didn't sort you into the Second Division." She replied.

She crushed the small disk between her fingers. "Now Hollows will be attracted to this area; if I see you growing tired or believe I need to intervene; I will."

An echoing howl raked through the sky. Small jagged cracks started to open up and admitting various Hollows into the Human Realm. He counted eight so far.

He drew his Zanpakutō and held it before him. The first Hollow; a kind of deformed centipede charged. Shaking his head he held his arm out in a first with the index and middle fingers pointing out. He pushed his reiatsu into his arm and made a slashing motion. "Bakudō no Ichi: Sai" The centipede paused before its legs locked together and its body rolled into a ball with a few sickening cracks. It skidded to a stop in front of him. Calmly he raised his Zanpakutō and tapped the centipedes head with the hilt. It screeched as the soul was engulfed in a white light and sent to Soul Society.

The next one; an ape-like monstrosity came charging blindly. He grasped the hilt with both hands; tightening his grip as it approached. It raised its arms intending to smash him. Quickly he used Shunpo to appear behind it. The Simian screamed as its arms fell off in two clean slices. Using Shunpo again he stabbed it in the head; purifying it.

Five of the rest came at him at once; each screaming and drooling at the sight of the new Shinigami. Shaking his head he began gathering reiatsu. And starting to chant; "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!" He stopped holding his palm out as a wave of yellow energy crashed into the hollows head-on. "Hadou no Rokujuu San: Raikouhou"

The last Hollow shaped like a velociraptor twisted its head to stare at him through one eye and seemed to glare at him. It bared its teeth and gathered energy in its mouth. The Cero glowed a rustic orange color before the hollow roared releasing it at him.

Again gathering reiatsu for a Kidou he called out; "Bakudō no Sanjuu Kyuu: Enkosen." A green shield of reiatsu jumped up in front of him completely blocking the Cero. The Hollow seemed Shocked for a moment before it growled opening another portal and stepping in.

Orochimaru stared at it impassively. "Running away?" he asked it.

It stared at him; red eyes stabbing daggers into his soul. "Those were some of my best subordinates; Shinigami. Rest assured I will be back for you one day."

Then the portal closed and it was gone.

'I-impossible…Its energy was similar to Chakra…could it be...?' he thought as the hollow vanished.

Author's Note: Sorry about the last chapter and all. Eight More years Till the Soul Society Arc. (In story terms. So really a few chapters if I can manage it.) On the Orochimaru Matsumoto fight…hmmm you can't expect a rookie recruit to best a Fukutaichō on his first go now can you?

Those were my first real fight scenes. Sorry if they were terrible. And Updates are going to be coming later; but they will probably be longer.

Translations:

Hakuda – Hand-to-Hand combat

Hebi – Snake

Shunpo – Flash Step

Hohō – Step Method

Hadō no Rokujuu San: Raikouhou – Way of destruction number Sixty Three: Thunder Roar Cannon

Cero – Zero

Bakudō no Sanjuu Kyuu – Way of Binding Number Thirty Nine: Arc Shield