It was all his fault, all of it. Hitsugaya sat outside the operation theatre at 4th division with his head in his hands.

That morning…

"Taichou!"

"What Matsumoto?"

"Taicho, I saw Gin in Rukongai!"

"Don't Matsumoto"

"Really"

"But Taichou"

"I'm not interested in being tricked into going to the bar or something, Matsumoto fukutaichou."

"I'm not joking."

"go away"

"please"

"GO AWAY" The temperature plunged and he stormed from the room. Matsumoto fell to her knees and burst into tears. The winter war had passed and though Gin's body was never found everybody believed him dead. Hinamori was once more in a coma and there seemed to be nothing he could do but wait, and he despised that.

Hitsugaya wondered around the compounds, " damn that woman, can't she leave me alone?!" He sighed, he knew he was her taicho and she had suffered from Gin's betrayal but he had suffered too right? No doubt Hinamori was only in a coma he still suffered right? He knew that was no excuse, he cared about Matsumoto and he knew he had probably hurt her feelings but he'd talk to her later. After about an hour, he returned to find Matsumoto gone, probably to the bars, or so he thought.

Meanwhile…

"Hey there" said a fox-like voice. "Not happy to see yer ol' lover?" Matsumoto froze. "Leave me alone" She was terrified, she was alone and there was no taicho to help her along this time, he had left. Gin caught her wrist and she snatched it away and spun "LEAVE ME ALONE". Gin smirked "so where's yer darlin' prodigy? Slumberin' without cares? Aw… come on…We'll go have some fun shall we?"

"You're a traitor, Gin, I'm not"

"Yer don't love ol' me anymore?"

"Go and die Gin"

"Aw… Ran-chan"

"Don't call me that"

"My little kitty cat"

In a fit of anger she swung round, Haineko dissolving into ash. "Shoot to kill, Shinsou" Gin's sword shot straight through her stomach just before Haineko's ash entered him and blew him apart. "Well that was unexpected" were Gin's last words. Swirling darkness overcame her and Matsumoto collapsed.