Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo. The only original characters I do own are Satoshi Hitsugaya, Naomi Yoshida-Hitsugaya, Miyako Hinamori, and Tatsuya Hinamori.

Synopsis: The remake of After Years Apart. All it takes is a promise to bring two people back together whether it has been broken or not. This is a tale of friendship, anger, sorrow, and love between two friends who promised to spend the rest of their lives together after spending ten years apart.

Author's Note: Just like Forget Me Not, this story is a remake of one of my previous written stories. Compared to After Years Apart, this story's length is longer and the plot is more dramatic. You'll see what I mean as you read the chapters. This story is dedicated to all my supporting fans and all the HitsuHina fans out there! Without any further delay, here is the first chapter of The Faithful Promise.

LEGEND

"Talking." "Thinking." Toshiro's Narration.

Promise. By definition, it means to declare that something will or will not be done. Though they're made, sometimes they ended up being unfulfilled. One promise I made to a friend has a meaningful story behind it. Not only it brought all sorts of trouble, but it brought us back together after many years of being apart. The events that lead to that faithful promise and our lives onwards started when I was only four years old...

The Faithful Promise

Chapter One: The Younger Days

Toshiro Hitsugaya is sitting on a chair in the kitchen, hugging his favourite blue winged dragon stuffed animal. At the same time, he is watching his loving parents scurry back and forth. They are getting everything ready before the guests for the reunion party arrive. "Oh, they're going to be here at any minute now," the dark haired woman said worryingly. "Satoshi-kun, how do I look?"

"You look just fine, Naomi-chan," the white haired man replied. "You don't need to worry about your appearance so much. Besides, Tatsuya and Miyako-chan are only coming over."

She stopped and turned her attention to him. "Yes, but when was the last time we saw them?"

Satoshi Hitsugaya folded his arms and thought for a moment. "Um, around five years ago..."

"Oh my gosh, it has been five years?" she exclaimed. "That's so long ago! So many things happened over the past five years! They could have done so many exciting things during our years apart while we were just busy raising our son here!"

Toshiro just tilted his head over to one side, wondering if he has something to do with the conversation they speak of. However, it didn't take long before something else got his attention. Smelling something strange, the white haired boy followed the foul stench and noticed that smoke is starting to come out from the oven. He suddenly said to his parents, "Something is burning."

"Burning?"

When Satoshi and Naomi noticed what their child is referring to, both parents became alarmed. With a high pitched squeak, Naomi ran over to the counter to put on her oven mittens while her husband opened all the windows in the room and turned on the exhaust fan. By the time the oven was opened, they saw their beloved meal is now ruined. The female Hitsugaya let out a defeated sigh. "I guess having burnt chicken for dinner is out of the question now," she said. "What should we do, Satoshi?"

"I suppose we have no other choice, but to make something else."

"Hn, we could make some fried fish and vegetables."

"Well, let's get everything ready," Satoshi said while walking over to the refrigerator.

Naomi nodded with agreement. "Okay."

As the white haired man is taking out the necessary ingredients to make their meal, the young mother turned to her son. "Why don't you go upstairs and get changed, Lil'Shiro?"

"Do I really have to?" Toshiro asked. "I look fine the way I am."

"Yes, little one. We're going to introduce you to our best friends since middle school. So, you have to look nice."

"Okay..."

Hitsugaya turned his body to the side and jumped onto the ground on his feet. With a single look at his smiling parent, he left the kitchen to get changed into a new pair of clothes in his bedroom. Naomi folded her arms and let out a snort. She turned to Satoshi and said, "Ou, I just want to hug him! He's so cute when he talks like that!"

After he finished cutting the vegetables with his knife, the dark eyed husband looked at his wife and cracked a smile. "When Toshiro grows up a bit, he's going to hate you for saying those things about him."

"Yes, but he can't hate me for a long time." She walked up to him and cuddled against his back. "Besides, he's our perfect little child."

All of a sudden, they heard the door bell ring.

"Ah, it must be them!" Satoshi stopped what he was doing and turned off the exhaust fan. He then joined Naomi, who is answering the door in the front entrance. By the time he arrived, he heard a pair of delightful squeals. "Miyako-chan, is that really you? You sure look different from the last time we met."

"I should the same thing about you, Naomi-chan!" the raven haired woman excitedly replied.

She nodded and turned her attention to her friend's husband. "Tatsuya-kun, it's nice to see you again."

"Same here; where's Sat-Oh never mind, there's Satoshi."

The two men engaged in a firm handshake. The male Hitsugaya asked, "Hey Tatsuya, how have you been doing these days?"

"I've been doing well, actually. How about you?"

He smiled. "Not too shabby myself."

"That's good to hear."

As the two families get reacquainted with one another, Toshiro walked downstairs to find them talking with one another. With his blue dragon still in his arms, he said, "Oto-san, Okaa-san, I finished changing just like you said."

Upon hearing the additional voice, the Hitsugaya and Hinamori families stopped and looked over to see the white haired boy watching them. While Tatsuya raised an eyebrow, Miyako started cooing at the child. "Aw, who is this little boy?"

Naomi smiled and replied, "He's our son."

Walking to his parents' side, he politely bowed to the guests and introduced himself. "It's nice to meet you; I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Oh my gosh, he's so adorable!" Miyako exclaimed. "How old is he?"

"He's four years old."

"He's four years old, huh? So, he's older than our child."

The two Hitsugaya parents looked at one another before resuming their attention to the Hinamori parents. "You have a child, too?"

"Yes, she's right he-" Miyako looked around in search of her child only to find the little one hiding behind her father's legs. Placing a hand on the back of her shoulder, she gently pushed the raven haired girl aside for everyone to see. "She's our daughter, Momo. She's three years old."

Naomi bent down to get a better look at the shy girl. When she noticed, the child hid behind Tatsuya's legs again. It is when she looked over to see her son curiously watching the girl. A smile cracked on her face. Whenever there are guests visiting, he prefers to play with the other children like him opposed to sitting around the group of adults and listening to their conversations. Naomi asked, "Lil'Shiro, why don't you be friends with Momo-chan and play together for a bit?"

Toshiro nodded with agreement. He walked past the Hinamori parents and leaned over to see the timid chocolate brown eyed girl. Grabbing onto her father's pants, Momo buried her face into it. He asked, "Don't worry; I don't bite."

Remembering about his dragon plush, he held it out for the younger child to see.

"Hyorinmaru doesn't bite either." He smiled. "Actually, he's very friendly."

All of a sudden, he pulled the stuffed animal back and held it against his ear. "Hn, what is it Hyorinmaru?"

After a few nods, Momo became curious. So, she slowly came out of her hiding spot. She timidly asked, "W-What did he...say?"

Upon hearing her voice for the first time, he looked at her and gave the girl a smile. "He says that we should become friends. That way, we can play together whenever our parents visit each other."

"R-Really?"

He nodded and extended a hand out to her. "Yeah, let's go inside and have some fun!"

At first, she was uncertain whether to trust the older boy's words. But nevertheless, she eventually extended her hand out and accepted his offer. Holding hands with her, he began guiding the younger girl to take off her shoes and run deep into the house. After watching the two children, Naomi, Miyako, and Satoshi let out smiles on their faces. "I get the feeling that those two are going to get along just fine," the female Hitsugaya said.

Miyako nodded with agreement. "I think so too."

"Are you sure this is okay to let them play like that?" Tatsuya asked.

"Don't worry, Tatsuya-kun; they're just children. For now, there's no need to worry about those two becoming each other's partner in the future."

"Oh no, I know that tone of voice. You want Momo-chan to marry that kid someday!"

"Really?" Naomi exclaimed. "I think so too!"

The female Hitsugaya turned her attention to her husband.

"Don't you agree, Satoshi-kun?"

The male Hitsugaya let out a deep sigh. "We'll see how things go in the years to come."

Over the next two years, my parents and Hinamori's parents often visit one another. Whenever they come over to the house or vice versa, I get spend time with Momo. At that time, we have already become fairly close friends.

She heard a knock on the door. Excited, the peach girl jumped up from the sofa and ran to answer the door. "Oi Momo-chan, be careful!" Miyako warned. "I don't want you to get hurt!"

"I know, Okaa-san!" the five year old child exclaimed. She took a tall stool from the side and placed it in front of the door. After carefully stepping on top of it, she took a peek through the peep hole to see her parents' family friends at the door. She also saw her close friend at the door as well. With a smile on her face, she pulled back, jumped off, and put the stool back where it belongs. She then unlocked and opened the door. "Ohayo Hitsugaya-san, Naomi-san!"

"Good morning Momo," Satoshi greeted.

"Ohayo Momo-chan," Naomi happily replied. "How are you today?"

"I'm feeling great!" She then turned to the six year old boy. "Ohayo Shiro-chan!"

In response, he gave her a stern look. "Oi Bed-Wetter, didn't I already tell you to stop calling me by that nickname?"

"Lil'Shiro, you shouldn't address Momo-chan like that," Naomi warned. "Show some respect to the pretty young lady."

All of a sudden, he let out a snort. "I don't know about that."

"Toshiro!"

"Don't worry, Naomi-san; I-I don't mind," Hinamori interrupted. "He doesn't really mean it."

She then smiled at the white haired boy.

"Isn't that right, Shiro-chan?"

Hitsugaya let out a deep sigh. Looking away from the peach girl, he mumbled, "Whatever you say..."

Taking hold of his hand, she guided him inside the house. After telling him to take off his shoes, she lead him inside while she left the Hitsugaya parents to do their own thing. Naomi giggled with amusement. "Yep, they're definitely meant for one another."

Satoshi then shook his head back and forth. "You're definitely going to try and influence him, aren't you?"

She smiled happily. "You got that right!"

"I feel sorry for Toshiro."

"He'll thank me later for making that decision for him."

The white haired father then shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know about that..."

"Oi, slow down!" Hitsugaya exclaimed. "I-I can barely keep up with you!"

However, the raven haired girl wasn't listening. Momo slammed the door open and ran into her bedroom while him along. When she finally stopped, she let go of his hand. He let out a relived sigh. Thank goodness, he didn't get hurt in the process. He looked and noticed his friend is looking at a pot with a small grown plant which is perched at the window sill. Glancing back at him, she smiled. "I wanted to show this to you!"

"It's a plant."

"It's not just any plant." She turned her body around and extended her hands out. "It's going to grow into a big and healthy peach tree!"

"A peach tree, huh?"

She nodded. "I'm going to name her Tobiume!"

Toshiro raised an eyebrow. "Tobiume? What a strange name for it."

It is when the younger girl made a face. "I know it's supposed to be an good name for a plum tree, b-but it's sounds cool just like your Hyorinmaru!"

"Hyorinmaru, huh?" he said, thinking about his blue dragon plush that is sitting on his bed at home. He then cracked a smile. "In that case, I think it's a nice name."

She then smiled happily. "I'm glad you think so too!"

"When did you start growing it?"

"Hn, I think I started about a month ago."

"I see."

"I can't wait to eat all the peaches when it finally bears fruit! I'll be sure to give you some to eat too!"

He smiled. "It sounds good to me."

However, all good things must come to an end someday. Because her father accepted a high paying job offer, the whole family have to move overseas in a large city called New York.

Toshiro and Momo stood face to face in front of the Hinamori residence in the early morning hours of the day. He looked down at Hyorinmaru and held him tightly. He didn't want this day to come. However, time wouldn't allow him to change it. He raised his head up to see the teary look of his friend's face. She said, "Well, this is it..."

He slowly nodded with agreement. "Yeah..."

There is a moment of silence. "Um, will we ever see each other again?"

"I-I don't know..."

Momo lowered her head, feeling sad. This may be the last time they will see each other. All of a sudden, she came up with an idea. Running up to the six year old boy, she quickly snatched the dragon plush from his protective arms and held it in hers. "Oi, what are you doing?"

"Can I keep him?" she suddenly asked.

"No, you may no-"

"I know he's important to you," Momo interrupted. "I-I just want to take care of him for a bit."

She then cracked a faint smile.

"I'll make sure to return him when we meet again."

First, he looked at Hyorinmaru and then raised his head to look up at Momo. Other than his parents, he loved his stuffed animal to the point he wouldn't let go. However, thinking about the prospect of seeing his friend again made him think otherwise. Losing his favourite plush is nothing compared to losing his friend. He let out a defeated sigh. "Okay fine, you can hold onto him until then."

Hinamori smiled. "Thank you, I will take very good care of him."

Toshiro let out a small smirk. "You better or else I won't forgive you."

With a single nod, Momo puts Hyorinmaru into the safety of her bag. Walking over to the side, she picked up her potted peach tree plant and returned to her original spot. "In return, can you take care of Tobiume?" she asked, holding the pot out to him. "My parents said I can't bring her with me to America."

He accepted her offer and took the plant into his possession. "I-I guess so..."

"You're the best, Shiro-chan."

"It's not Shiro-chan, it's Hits-"

Before he could finish his sentence, they heard the sound of Miyako's voice. "Momo-chan, it's time to go!"

"I'm coming, Okaa-san!" She resumed her attention to him. "Please don't forget me."

He gave her a stern look. "What makes you think I'm going to forget a Bed-Wetter like you?"

Momo let out a pout before she looked away, trying to hide the blush on her face. She slowly said, "Maybe when we see each other again, we might become even closer friends than now possibly to the point we might...decide to spend the rest of our lives together."

Hitsugaya then shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose..."

Her face suddenly lightened up. "You really mean it?"

He nodded. "It's not like I hate you or anything."

Happy to hear him say those words, she walked up to him and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. Surprised by her action, he placed hand on where her mark is and asked, "W-What was that about?"

"A faithful promise has been made between you and I. I'll make sure to remember and keep it. As for you, you better do the same."

The car started honking. "Um, sure...whatever you say."

"I'll see you again someday, Hitsugaya-kun."

"Oi, it's Hi-" Her words sudden dawned to him. "Wait, you called me by my last name."

After showing him one last warm smile, she turned around to go inside the car. Watching her from the back window, he saw her take out his dragon plush for him to see. She then started waving him good bye. In response, he raised his hand up and did the same.

He whispered, "See you soon, Hinamori."

As I watched her leave in that car, I felt loneliness starting to fill the void in my heart. Losing a friend hurts. However, as I would find out later, that was the least of my worries. It turns out that temporarily losing a friend is nothing compared to the future event that happened after wards. As a result of it, I grew up, forgetting all about her and the precious moments we have spent together.

Japanese Word Translations

Oto-san - Father, Okaa-san - Mother, Ohayo - Good Morning

Author's Note: A sad farewell and the foreshadowing of future events to come. What will become of their friendship? Well, stay tuned and find out in the next chapter of The Faithful Promise. In the meantime, please review! Thanks.