(Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters.)

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Chapter 1

Blood

"Hinamori!"

She did not stop running toward an enemy the young captain could not see. Hitsugaya chased after her.

"Hinamori!"

She did not answer, she kept running as if she couldn't hear him.

"Hina…"

Hinamori stopped suddenly.

"…mori…"

She turn around slowly and faced the young captain, her expression was blank.

"Goodbye…" Her words were ice cold, without emotion.

"Hinamori, you've got to stop." His voice had a hint of fear.

Hitsugaya approached her to grab her arm, but then a blade almost from no where drove itself thru Hinamori's back, thru her heart. Hitsugaya's eyes widened as Hinamori choked on her own blood, her wound dripped blood onto the ground. The blade pulled itself out of Hinamori's back, still glistening with her blood it disappeared as it came. Hinamori slumped over and Hitsugaya caught her in his arms.

"No…no…"

He placed his hand on her bloody chest.

"It can't be, she can't be dead."

His eyes watered up and tears started to flow from his eyes. He raised his arm to wipe away the tears and got Hinamori's blood on his face.

"I wasn't able to protect her…"

He broke down into another fit of tears, he couldn't stop. Hitsugaya held Hinamori close to him.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't save you…"

He lowered his head, tears ran down his face and onto Hinamori's cold dead face.

"I wasn't strong enough to save you!"

His white captain's robe was now stained with Hinamori's blood.

"I'll never forgive myself, I'll never forgive myself."

A dark figure approached Hitsugaya and Hinamori.

"Captain Hitsugaya." The voice was cold and unfriendly.

"Captain Hitsugaya." The voice had become familiar, it was someone knew. Hitsugaya opened his eyes and recognized the familiar face of his assistant captain, Matsumoto.

"What are you doing in my room?"

Matsumoto straighten up and placed her hands on her hips.

"This is the office captain, you fell asleep finishing paperwork last night."

Hitsugaya looked down he was at his desk, with the unfinished paperwork all over his desk.

"Right."

He looked worried. Matsumoto picked up her cup and took a sip. She gave a questioning look to her captain.

"By the way, when I walked in you were all restless, tossing from side to side, you were calling out. Are you okay?"

Hitsugaya took a sip from his cup. He placed his cup back on his desk and looked away from Matsumoto.

"It's nothing."

"That's not what I think."

Matsumoto move around to face her captain, she bent down so they would be at eye level.

"It's seems like you were having a nightmare."

Hitsugaya leaned back in his chair, he crossed his arms across his chest.

"It's nothing. Just drop it and help me with this paperwork."

Matsumoto stood up and walked behind Hitsugaya. She bent over and embraced him from behind. Hitsugaya's straight face harden into an annoyed frown.

"You can trust me with anything, I'll listen."

She released her captain from her embrace, she smiled. Hitsugaya rubbed his head. He turned to face Matsumoto.

"Will you just grow up? Are you going to help me or what?"

Matsumoto couldn't help but smile. She picked up a stack of paper and moved over to the sofa and sat down. She began filling out the paperwork. Hitsugaya sighed and began filling out the paperwork. Matsumoto looked over at Hitsugaya.

"Have you heard from Hinamori recently?"

Hitsugaya looked up from his work, he furrowed his brow, he was worried. Matsumoto continued.

"She left this morning, we don't know where she went."

Hitsugaya saw brief flashes from his dream: Hinamori running, her face before she died, and him holding her bloody corpse.

"Is something wrong Captain Hitsugaya?"

Hitsugaya snapped out of it.

"It's nothing."

He stood up and started walking toward the door. Matsumoto set her paperwork aside.

"Where are you going?"

Hitsugaya opened the door.

"I'm going for a walk."

He stepped out the door and closed it behind him He walked down the hall until he was sure Matsumoto wouldn't hear him, then he ran down the hall to the 5th company office. Renji was waiting outside the door.

"Assistant Captain Renji, what are you doing here?"

Renji turned to face Hitsugaya.

"Same as you, I think, looking for Hinamori."

Hitsugaya nodded.

"You two went to school together didn't you…"

Renji crossed his arms.

"Yeah, well I have to get back to my office."

Renji started to walk back to the 6th company office.

"Find her, Captain Hitsugaya."

Hitsugaya looked to the side.

"I will."

Hitsugaya walked into the 5th company office. It was empty like he expected, He walked over to the desk hoping to find a note she had wrote to her Captain Aizen. Aizen was off in the human world doing some business. There was no note, Hitsugaya left the office as he found it.

"Renji!"

Hitsugaya ran down the hall after Renji. Renji stopped and turned to face the young captain.

"What's wrong?"

Hitsugaya stopped running.

"Renji has the whole soul society been checked?"

Renji scratched the side of his head.

"Well, we searched the Seireitei."

Hitsugaya raised his hand to his chin then lowered it.

"Thanks, Renji."

Hitsugaya headed out toward Rukongai. Renji headed back on his way. Hitsugaya made it to Junrinan, where he grew up. The house was still there, but no one lived there anymore, the old woman left before Hitsugaya went off to school. There was a light coming from inside the house, even though it was supposed to be vacant.

"That's strange…"

Hitsugaya walked up to the door and push it open.

"Hello?"

There she was. Hinamori was sitting at the table they used to eat dinner at. Hitsugaya walked inside.

"Hinamori?"

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(I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. )