Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to the wonderful Tite Kubo-sensei, while my OC… well, naturally belongs to me. This is my first Bleach Story, and as usual this is going to be slightly different from the Bleach canon. Just wanted you all to know that.

Thoughts

Speaking

Hollow Speaking

Zanpakutou Speaking

A Shinigami's Tale

Prologue

Emptiness… that was what Toshi felt after some time. Was this what death feels like? He did not know… though he had expected to be sent to heaven or something. He was an avid follower of the Shinto religion, and he half expected some messengers from heaven to show up and bring him to wherever he was supposed to go after death.

After a while, he opened his eyes and blinked at what he discovered for himself. He was standing in a ruined temple, the place where he and his team were sent for an important archeological dig in South America. Wasn't he supposed to be dead? He did not know what was going on… but the clinking of chains alerted him to something. He looked down and saw some kind of hexagonal plug over where his heart should be, with a chain that is severed, and he could see that the other half of the broken chain was located below a pile of rubble, and to his shock, he could see a hand, smeared with blood sticking out of an exposed part of the rubble.

He then remembered… what transpired during the expedition. There was a small tremor off the coast of Peru which shook the foundation of the ruins that they were exploring. Most of the archeological team got out… but unfortunately, he did not, for he risked his life to save the leader of the expedition from a falling ceiling piece that was shaken loose by the tremor.

Though he supposed it is rather… ironic and fitting that he died in a ruin. It's a bit morbid, now that he thought about it, but… he supposed that there was nothing he could do about it.

After all, he is the son of Hana and Benkei Kitano… two rather up and coming archeologists from Japan. Being the only child means that he gets his fair share of attention, though he really hates the time when he is in his university. Some of his peers, almost regarded him snidely, sometimes saying that he only got in because of his parents and he had an unfair advantage over them all.

He really got upset over those remarks, but he forced himself to ignore those remarks, and proved them wrong by graduating with honors with his own effort. Shortly after, his parents sent him along with a friend of theirs to Peru to uncover the mystery of the Macchu Pichu… and that is where he was now, up till his death.

Wondering why he was still here, he started wandering through the ruins, and figuring out that he was a spirit, or ghost right now, he started exploring the site once more. It was a thrill of course, since being able to pass through walls, he is able to explore deeper into the ruins, and who knows…. He could probably see most of the world's ruins easily! But then he sighed, since he knew, even if he could do that, or found some ruins that were still undiscovered, he won't be able to be acknowledged as its finder.

He then shook his head at such thoughts. After all, he wasn't a person that was after fame or fortune of that sort… though it would be nice if he did. Shaking his head to clear himself of such thoughts, he began to venture deeper into the ruins… unaware that something was watching him from the shadows.

The figure in the shadows had a sinister gleam in its eyes, its face grinning as it had found some food. This newly formed ghost… seemed to have some reiatsu in it… making it even sweeter. It soon slithered slowly out of the shadows and started stalking after Toshi, eager to make him its meal.

As he wandered deeper into the ruins, Toshi stopped every now and then, to study the parts of the ruins that he and his team did not get a chance to study, due to the events that had caused his early demise. After some time, something niggled at the back of his mind, and he had a feeling that he was being watched by something… or someone.

He started to look around, as the feeling of nervousness increased, and he got the feeling that something… something evil was stalking him. He did not know why he felt this way, but he knew that if he did not quickly get out of here, he would be in deep trouble.

At that moment, he decided that his current safety is definitely more important than his curiosity… and he quickly turned and ran towards the entrance…. just in time to evade something striking the spot that he once occupied. He quickly put some distance between whatever had just struck the spot that he was a few moments earlier and turned to get a look at his assailant… and froze in front of the abomination that was facing him now.

It looked like a serpentine like monster, with body patterns that resembled the venomous pit vipers found everywhere in the world. What makes it different than any normal snake is that it is as large as those movie snake monsters. Secondly it has two hands on its sides, ending in sharp claws and its fingertips look like they were dripping with some kind of liquid.

There was also a small circular hole located on its chest, something that looked strange, and yet so… fitting for a monster to have. Finally, its face was covered with a skull white bony mask, oddly with even teeth, but what was chilling was the twin unblinking yellow eyes that was sinisterly sizing him up, and Toshi had a sinking feeling that this being… whatever it is… was out to get him.

"Hssss… how interesssting… I actually misssssed…." The snake like creature hissed in amusement. "Not bad for a newly deceasssssed ssssoul… but don't be to happy, mortal… that wassss your only freebie…. Nexxxt time I won't missss."

Toshi slowly backed away from the monstrosity as it hissed, and was shocked to hear words come out from its mouth. "Y…you can s… speak? W… who… what are you? Don't come closer! I'm warning you!" He said as his voice trembled, a mixture of false bravado and fear was rising up from deep inside his heart.

The monster sniffed the air for a moment, and then hissed in pleasure. "Ahh, you are afraid of me…. Good… and yes, I can ssspeak, foolisssh mortal. All of my kind can… well, perharpssss not all of ussss… but ssssome of ussss…."

It paused for a moment, before speaking once more. "I and my kind are known assss Hollowssss to ssssome… but that issss not important now… what isss more important…. IS TO HAVE YOU FOR DINNER!"

The snake like Hollow shrieked and lunged towards Toshi once more, and he quickly dodged, not wanting to become food for this… Hollow or whatever it called itself. He managed to dodge to the side, but one of the Hollow's fingers managed to catch him on his side, tearing a gash on his shirt, and the liquid burned against his skin.

He winced as he gripped his side, and he was caught up in his pain, that he did not notice that the chain that hung from his chest was starting to corrode, small mouths slowly eating up sections of it, until they disappeared.

After dodging for some time, the snake like Hollow somehow managed to catch up, and gripped his leg, causing him to fall down flat on his back, hissing in pain as its touch, and the liquid, which he suspected to be some kind of acid.

The Hollow hissed in amusement as it peered down on its soon to be dinner, its acid like venom dripping from its mouth, unknowingly landing on Toshi's Chain of Fate, further corroding it, which Toshi did not know, but felt a burning pain against his chest.

"Nowhere to run now, little morsssseel… now… why don't you jusssst accept your fate and let me eat you." The Hollow hissed triumphantly as it was quite fond in playing these kind of mind games with its potential prey.

"Is that so…. Hollow?" A new voice soon interrupted them, and both of them turned to see the intruder, and the Hollow hissed in anger at what it saw, and Toshi gazed in amazement at the person who stood there.

The person who stood there was a brown haired young man wearing a black hakama and uwagi with a white belt, and he had a katana which he held in one hand.

"Shinigami…" The Hollow hissed in anger at the interloper, as it had interrupted a potentially delicious meal for it. "There issss no busssinesss for you to be here… you have interrupted my meal…. Ssssomething that I disssslike…. You'll pay for thissss, with your ssssoul!"

With that, the Hollow lunged forward, intending to devour the Shinigami that dared interrupt its meal, and was looking forward to it. He had heard of how other Hollows who had eaten Shinigami would have a significant increase in their powers.

The Shinigami just snorted as he shook his head. "Predictable… I thought living this long would have made you somewhat smarter… but I guess I was wrong…" He then dodged the Hollow's attacks rather effortlessly, and managed to land several slashes against the Hollow's body, making it shriek in pain. "…then this means… your end."

He then dodged again, making a feint before he delivered a vertical chop at the Hollow's mask, slicing it effortlessly into two, and the Hollow disappeared, before he turned to Toshi, and slowly approached him.

Toshi tensed slightly as the person who the Hollow called a Shinigami approached, his katana still in his hand. "That… that thing called you a… ShiniGami… right? You are… a Death God? Are… are you here to take me… to hell?"

Keiji Shibagami rolled his eyes at this new Plus's comments. Honestly, where did he hear such things anyway? Damn those ancient folklore books that told about how Shinigami reap souls and bring them to hell and all that nonsense. He then shook his head and said. "To answer your question…. Yes, I am a Shinigami, and no, I don't send souls to Hell. I am merely a person that is tasked to ferry souls like you to Soul Society, which is heaven to you."

He then paused for a moment, and then said. "And just in time too, since you're Chain of Fate has been corroded quite a bit. A little later, you are in danger of becoming one of them."

Toshi felt a chill run through him at the thought about how dangerously close he was into turning into that… monster, and he breathed a sigh of relief that this… Shinigami had made it in time, before he turned into one. He then said sheepishly. "I suppose I have to thank you, for preventing me from turning me into that… thing. I do have one question though… how do you intend for me to reach Soul Society?"

Keji just smiled as he said. "Well, it involves something we Shinigami call 'Konsou' or 'Soul Burial' if you will. Do not worry, it will not hurt a bit… and when you wake up, you would find yourself in Soul Society."

Toshi absorbed what the Shinigami had to say, and he nodded and said. "I understand… please do it, Shinigami-san. I am ready… but would you do me a favor before you perform a Soul Burial on me?"

Keiji raised an eyebrow at what this Plus said to him, and feeling curious, he said. "Well it depends on what favor you are asking me to do for you. I must admit though, it is rather unusual for a Plus like yourself to ask favors from a Shinigami before a Konsou, but I'll hear you out."

Toshi nodded and said. "Well, Shinigami-san… the favor I am asking you to do is, please watch over my family and my fiancée would you? Since I definitely will not be able to protect them, nor see them once I am in Soul Society."

Keiji smiled to himself at the Plus's comments. From his tone, there was a wealth of affection and love in his tone, which would mean that he was very close and likely loyal to his family, and likely his fiancée as well. Not to mention that he has a rather decent reiatsu signature as well, and his soul was a bit dense as well. No wonder that Hollow was interested in devouring him.

In his own opinion, there was a potential of him to become a Shinigami, and based on the traits that he had, he would be a potential to be a member of the 5th, his own 7th, and even… shudder…. The 12th Division, since he was an Archeologist, someone that is interested in the Sciences. Though why would anyone work with that madman Mayuri Kurotsuchi was a mystery to him as well. It would be best, if he was to go the 12th, he would be assigned to the Shinigami Research and Development Insititute.

He then nodded and said. "Very well, I promise… go to Soul Society in peace." Keiji then raised his Zanpakuto and then pressed it on Toshi's forehead, and a kind of seal appeared on it, and Toshi felt a light sensation flow through him, as a blue glow surrounded him, and he felt free of every burden that he had felt before, a sensation of peace flowing through him, as he was sent to Soul Society.

When the light faded, a single hell butterfly flew away from the site, signifying a complete and successful soul burial. Keiji soon stabbed the space close to him to open a Senkaimon back to Soul Society, mentally noting himself to assign one or two Shinigami of his division to patrol the Tokyo area when he got back to Seireitei.

Once the Senkaimon appeared, Keiji Shibagami, Tenth Seat of the Seventh Division entered, and the door disappeared, leaving empty space where the door had appeared.

End Prologue

Author's Note: A lot of you might find this familiar, and you should, since this is an alternate path of my other Bleach story, An Arrancar's Tale. Basically, this is a 'what if' story, on what would happen if a Shinigami had interfered and killed the Hollow that would have triggered Toshi's Hollow transformation, and managed to perform a soul burial and send him to Soul Society before his Chain of Fate fully corrodes. Just a note though, Keiji Shibagami is another OC, that I created and is part of Komaura-taicho's Squad. As to the three squads that I mentioned in this chapter, those are the three squads I am potentially going to put him in, but I need your views on the subject, so please put them in your reviews. I'll see you guys in the next chapter, and please, keep reading and reviewing, k? Thanks!