I do now own bleach or its characters.

Toshiro Hitsugaya stood before the Senkaimon gate, watching as bloodied and beaten Soul Reapers flowed through from the living world. He felt as if he couldn't breathe, as if a great hand was holding his lungs in its grasp stopping him from inhaling. He couldn't stop searching through the crowed, looking for her long brightly colored hair, looking for her smile, her bright eyes. Behind him he could hear his Lieutenant and Ukitake calling out to him.

He was grasping his hands tightly around the soft blue scarf he wore, she had given it to him once for his birthday. When the gate suddenly closed he felt his heart sink, his knees give way and hit the hard ground, she suddenly felt very cold. He couldn't breathe again, the hand that had held his breath was crushing the life out of him and as he gasped for air the realization hit him, she was gone. The last words he had said to her, those cruel and unfair words, those were the last she had heard from him. Not soft words of love, not confessions or reassurances of a long life still to come, but harsh and spite filled words. Words that he never should have said to her, she who had stayed with him through the bad times, who had been as loyal to him as she was to her own Captain.

He could hear Ukitake calling to him, he felt his warm hand on his shoulder. Someone was in front of him asking him if he was alright, speaking to him and calling his name. But even with all the commotion around him happening he couldn't stop staring at the gate, he couldn't breathe, and he couldn't believe that she wasn't there.

"Shiro-Chan!" she saw him cringe at her use of his nickname, his reaction made her smile brighten. She was on top of his desk in an instant, sitting legs crossed, hands holding her cheeks, bright eyes staring at him. He looked up from his paperwork at her, "Whatchya doing Shiro-chan?" Her face wasn't a child's any longer, she was taller, almost as tall as he was but not quite; her hair was longer like Rangiku's had been, but instead of pinned up all the time she often let it billow around her wildly; her smile was as bright often the brightest thing he would see on most days; and the little knick knacks that she wore reminded him of the accessories that Rangiku had worn. The young woman Yachiru had become was a strange copy of his former Lieutenant, it wasn't surprising though the two had been as close as sisters. Having grown up around all men Yachiru had become a strange type of girl in her teens. Rangiku seeing that the men of the 11th had much too much influence upon the blossoming young women took her under her wing, and to the dismay of Yumichika and Kenpachi, had shown her 'the ways of the women.'

They had been inseparable for a long time, and Hitsugaya had gotten used to Yachiru's random visits where she would often give Rangiku a reason to skip out on paper work. However, now he wondered why she was here, Rangiku was…..she had been gone for months. Hitsugaya glanced at the bright girl with the pink hair and eyed her, suspicious of her presence.

"Paperwork….the same thing you are supposed to be doing right now," he said his eyes going back down to the papers in front of him. For the past few months Yachiru would show up every few days, it had been happening since he had come back from the 4th Division. He really didn't understand the fascination that the younger girl had with him.

"That's boring, feathers always does it, he says that I have terrible handwriting," her smile brightened.

"I don't doubt that," Toshiro said as he continued to look down.

"Shiro-chan? Can I see your scar?" she asked innocently.

"No." Almost every day since she had fist glanced the scar across his chest she had requested to see it.

"Please?"

"No Kusajishi!" he stopped writing. "Besides….. you can see it on my face," he whispered.

"That's not the scar I'm talking about," she said, her voice no longer joy filled and carefree, but serious and more somber than he had ever heard before. His head snapped up to look at her but she was gone, his papers strewn across the room from her speed. He stared at the place where she had just been not fully grasping her words.

"No that is not how you play kick ball!" cried Yachiru.

"What are you taking about I kicked the ball!" Ikkaku yelled at her.

Toshiro sighed, he really hadn't wanted to come to the 11th division barracks but he needed the Lieutenant's, or in this case Yumichika's forgery, on a document. As he rounded the corner of the building he stopped, his eyes scanned the courtyard and took in the scene before him. Ikkaku was standing behind Jade, who looked like she had grown an inch since he had seen her last. The little girl was wearing a dark blue yukata with a pink sash, her hair was longer and partially pinned up by a beret, something he knew Yachiru had done. Yachiru was crouching down in front of the toddler holding the soccer ball, that he himself had brought back from the living world for Jade. Today Yachiru's pink hair was pulled back with wisps of it flying freely in the breeze. Toshiro glanced past the three to his target, Yumichika had a table set up under a temporary tent and was sitting doing paperwork, every now and then he would glance over at the trio.

"You are supposed to kick the ball and then run around the bases not just kick it!" Yachiru yelled placing the ball back in front of Jade and Ikkaku.

"I think you have the rules wrong!" Ikkaku said.

"Do not! Renji told me that this is how Ichi plays it in the living world!"

"I still don't think you're playing this game right!" Ikkaku scratched his head staring down at the black and white ball.

"I am so!"

"Are not!"

"Am so!" Yachiru picked up the ball, Jade reached for it, when that failed she began hopping up and down attempting to grab it from Yachiru's grasp.

"Not!"

"Too! If you think I'm not then….."

"What are you doing?" asked Toshiro.

Ikkaku and Yachiru looked up at him, Yachiru had just pulled her arm back ready to fire the black and white circle at Ikkaku's head. Jade's head turned towards the Capitan, upon sighting him the toddler clapped her hands together and happily gurgled.

"Shiro-chan! You were in the world of the living tell us how to correctly play kick ball!" cried Yachiru bounding over to him and grabbing his shihakusho sleeve.

"What? I don't know that game," he said.

"OH please please please….." she whined.

"Kusajashi I don't know what game you are talking about!"

"Ohhh," she groaned, "I'll just have to go ask Renji." She smiled brightly at him and then with a burst of wind and a swirl of dust she was gone and the ball was bouncing on the ground. Jade giggled at the burst of wind that had blown her hair sideways.

"Is there something that we could assist you with Capitan Hitsugaya?" asked Yumichika standing from his desk and leaving the shade of the tent.

"Yes, I need a signature on these," he said handing several documents over to him. Toshiro crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for the 5th seat to complete them. He looked down when he felt an awkward tugging at his robes. Jade had made her way over to him and was staring up at him with a smile.

"Shiro…." She said pointing at his face. "Shiro…."

"That's Capitan Hitsugaya…." He said.

The little girl stared at him for several seconds she opened her mouth twice then closed it again before smiling and saying, "Shiro…." She smiled larger and then ran back over to Ikkaku, who was now sitting under Yumichika's tent his legs crossed and his sword besides him. Jade began tugging on his sleeve and pointing at Hitsugaya calling out his name. "Shiro…Shiro!"

"Yeah kid I know," Ikkaku said with a nod, he glanced over at Hitsugaya. Jade nodded and then sat down next to Ikkaku imitating his scowl.

"She's gotten taller," Toshiro said after several moments of silence.

Yumichika looked up from his paper work, he glanced between the girl and the Capitan. "Yes we're going to have to get her new Kimono's soon," he said. "She seems to have an attachment to the colors pink and blue."

"That's just because she's around the Lieutenant all the time," scoffed Ikkaku.

"Tenant!" cried Jade happily. "Tenant!"

Yumichika smiled, glanced up at Toshiro once more, and then returned to his paperwork. There were several moments of silence between the group, while Jade played in the dust on the ground drawing different shapes.

Finally Toshiro broke the silence with his question, "Do either of you know why Lieutenant Kusajishi has been coming to my barracks lately?"

Yumichika stopped writing, Ikkaku glanced up and then away, and Jade didn't acknowledge the question at all. Toshiro knew that they were keeping something to themselves. "Well?" he asked.

"We actually don't know, but the Capitan did say that she's been running off on her own a lot lately," Yumichika said. "Been talking to a bunch of different people seems like…. you're the third person to ask us that same question."

"Who else has she been visiting?"

"Hisagi Shuuhie and Nanao Ise," Ikkaku said.

Realization dawned upon him, those two had also been in Hueco Mundo when they lost Rangiku. "Has she been visiting them since we returned?"

"Yes, she sat with Nanao for three days straight while she was in her coma, visited Hisagi every night, and afterwards she would come over to see us and Jade," Yumichika said. "It's becoming a regular thing with her now."

"Does she ask you about it?" Toshiro asked before he could stop himself.

Yumichika stiffened once more and his pen stilled, there was a moment of silence before Ikkaku replied, his voice slightly quieter. "Yeah….she asks about Ran a lot."

"What do you say….."

"I knew I was right!" she appeared suddenly in a surge of dust.

Yumichika's hand slid and the signature he had been writing was messed, Ikkaku jumped a foot in the air his arms now posed in a frightened tree like position, and Jade had stood up and ran over to the bright haired Lieutenant yelling "Tenant! Tenant!"

Yachiru had a bright smile plastered on her face, her hands triumphantly on her hips, her hair falling from the bun she had tied it up in, and the pink sash around her waist blowing in the wind. "I was right we were playing the correct way!"

"Play play!" cried Jade as she jumped up and down in front of Yachiru.

"Yep yep play play!" Said Yachiru grasping the little girls hands and lifting her higher with each jump. "And it's baldy's turn to catch!"

Ikkaku glared at Yachiru and scoffed, then he stood and grumbled, "whatever."

"Play play!" yelled Jade. "Chika too! Chika too!"

"You hear that feathers you have to play too Jade's orders!" Yachiru said scooping up the toddler and holding her under her left arm. "You have to!"

"That is absurd Lieutenant I will not…."

"Come on Yumichika don't fight you know you're going to play either sooner or later," said Ikkaku, who had taken his place thirty feet in front of Yachiru's kicking spot.

Yumichika glared and then sighed, he pushed his chair back and gracefully glided to where Ikkaku was, "I would like to be pitcher."

"Yeah right not in this lifetime," muttered Ikkaku.

"Ikkaku!"

Toshiro watched the four of them as they prepared to play the ridiculous game from the human world. However his eyes somehow wandered back to Yachiru, particularly the sash that was tied to her waist. It looked oddly like the one Rangiku used to have, but he knew that it wasn't, that one was safely tucked away in a secure desk drawer waiting for its inheritor to come of age. He stared at Yachiru as she happily danced around with the small silver haired child in her arms, and in an instant he saw something else, an older woman with a different child. But with a blink it cleared and he saw only Yachiru and Jade once more.

Ikkaku glanced at him once but before he could ask Toshiro was gone. Deciding that the game should begin Ikkaku pitched the first ball towards the pink haired teen, who had placed Jade on the sidelines. The game began and continued for several hours, more and more people joining every now and then. Ikkaku noticed how Yachiru's smile widened whenever someone new would join the game, he also noticed the way the Yachiru's eyes would drift in the direction of the 10th Division every few minutes.

The world around him suddenly disappeared, "Guess who Shiro-chan!"

He felt his eye twitch beneath her hands, "Kusajishi…."

"Aww how'd you know!"

The world came back as she removed her hands and perched herself a top his desk right next to the stack of papers that he was supposed to be finishing. "You're the only one who comes here in such a manner," he said.

"Oh…." She leaned back and swung her legs back and forth, "that's so depressing Shiro-chan, being here all alone like that. You should come play with me and Jade sometime," she said brightly.

"I do not have time for 'play' Lieutenant Kusajishi….and neither do you…." He looked up and noticed her standing near the bookshelf in the corner. She was reading the titles on the ends walking along the long shelf gracefully. The light streaming in through the window lit up her hair and brightened her face.

"Shiro you have so many books, do you read them all?"

"I have….I've read most of them, there are only…."

"I wish I could read like you do Shiro-chan I always find it so boring," she ran her delicate fingers over the edge of the bookshelf.

"You can't find every book boring."

"Well I did…but….sometimes Ran-chan would read to me and then it wasn't as boring….but other than that I didn't think much of them," she said.

"Well maybe you just need to find someone to read to you again," he said going back to his paperwork. In an instant he knew he should have kept his mouth shut, "Oh Shiro-chan would you! I'd love that!"

He looked up at her , "Wait Kusajishi I never said…."

"You can read to me and Jade like Ran-chan did, though Jade usually falls asleep….I'm so happy I'll find a book and then we can start!"

And with that she was gone again back through the window.

Yumichika's footsteps were silent as he padded down the 11th Divisions Barracks. He turned the corner to see a light on in the Lieutenant's office, which was strange due to the fact that Yachiru almost never used her office. Mostly it was he who used it for his own purposes, as he came closer to the door he heard clattering and rummaging. He peeked through the doorway and saw clutter thrown everywhere, papers, folders, ink bottles, and brushes.

"Lieutenant what are you doing!" he cried throwing open the door

Yachiru's head popped up from behind the desk, her long hair was loose around her shoulders and in her mouth was a large sucker. "Oh….fweathwers…" she mumbled. "I was wooking fwor something."

"Obviously Lieutenant, but what exactly are you looking for?"

She glanced around the room and then her eyes settled back on him, "I'm nwot swure where it is."

Yumichika narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together, "Then why are you looking for it in here?"

Yachiru looked around again, finally taking the sucker out of her mouth and pursing her lips together. "Well the last time I remembered having it I was in here," she said as she scratched her head.

"What are you looking for!"

"What's all the shouting for?" Kenpachi appeared in the doorway with Ikkaku behind him.

"The Lieutenant is looking for something Capitan and she is making a serious mess while doing it," said Yumichika with a grimace.

Kenpachi looked up at the girl, who was standing in the middle of the mess scratching her head, "Yachiru?" She didn't appear to have heard him, "Yachiru."

"Hmmm?" she didn't turn around to look at him.

"What are you doing?"

She stopped her movements and stilled, she didn't move for several moments and then she turned around a bright smile on her face. "I'm looking for something Ran-chan left me!"

The three men stared at the girl, Ikkaku had stiffened while Yumichika seemed to have been pushed back by her words. "But I can't find it," she said again scratching her head. "I know maybe it's under the bed," and with another gush of wind she was gone and the office window was open.

Yumichika stared at the open window, "Capitan?"

"Let her be, she's doing the same as everyone else and I don't care to interrupt her," Kenpachi said turning and walking out of the room.

"Ikkaku should we…."

"No leave it alone," he said before disappearing back to their bedroom.

Yumichika stared back at the open window, "I wonder what she was looking for?" Blowing out the lanterns he decided that he would deal with the mess in the morning. He too then returned to his room without a word.

Atop the roof a young snowy haired Capitan reflected upon the girls words, 'I'm looking for something Ran-chan left me!' She had mentioned that she was looking for a book possibly it was one that his Lieutenant had left, she had been looking for it all night. He had watched her search through countless boxes and drawers to no avail.

"Shiro-chan!" he didn't react to her this time, it was becoming too often of an interruption. She wasn't only visiting every few days now, no currently she was visiting every other day. "Shiro-Chan!" her voice was too unique for him to be able ignore.

"Shiro…" she had perched herself at his side, her hands clutching the armrest and her chin resting on top of them. She took one look at what he was doing and sighed, "Always the same Shiro-chan."

He had stopped trying to correct her long ago, it was useless, she would promise to use his professional name and then she would completely and utterly forget the next moment. Suddenly she stilled her eyes stopping on a piece of paper that was halfway hidden under the rest. He followed her eyes and recognized what she was looking at, he was about to cover it up, but before he could reach it she had snatched it up and was examining it.

She was silent the entire time she read it and then finally turned around, "Shiro-chan are you getting a new Lieutenant?" her voice was somehow serious, something that was a rarity.

Toshiro looked away from her in shame and embarrassment, he didn't want to, not so soon after Rangiku's death, however the head Capitan wanted him to choose a new subordinate by the end of the month. "I've been given orders," he said.

"Orders?" she raised an eyebrow and then looked back at the list in her hand. She frowned once and then crumpled up the list in her hands. "Nope none of these Shiro-chan you'll just have to get another batch."

"Kusajishi you can't just do that!" he pushed his chair back and stood up.

Yachiru's perfectly manicured eyebrows shot up into her hairline. She had gotten a rise out of him, something that didn't happen often. Her face broke out into a wide smile, "Shiro-chan if you wanted me to help you then you should have just asked me to!"

His jaw dropped, "What….I…never…when did you…..you assume…."

"It's written all over your face Shiro-chan! Alright I agree I will help you find someone to become your new subordinate! But let's start tomorrow I have a SWA meeting tonight and I have to tell Nanao what cookies to bring!" Once more she disappeared, her speed was truly something to be marveled at.

Toshiro sat back down remembering how she had beat everyone who had ever challenged her as a child; how she had been carefully watched by Capitan Kuchiki and how even the Goddess of the Flash Yoruichi had been impressed by her speed. He wondered what they would say now if they saw her, what the Former Nobel woman would do once she realized that she was now considered mediocre and how deep Byakuya Kuchiki would frown knowing that a girl from District 79 had surpassed him in her teen years.

As he thought back he had always remembered Matsumoto complaining about how fast the 11th Division Lieutenant was. How when she wanted to dress her up and do her hair it would take hours to find and catch the girl before she could even begin. He remembered how he had often walked in on their "Girl Times" and had wondered why women were so complex.

As he sat in his chair not touching his unfinished paperwork he thought about a lot of things. But most of all he wondered why Yachiru Kusajishi had made herself his unofficial replacement Lieutenant.

"Damn it Kusajishi where are you!" Toshiro stood atop the 11th Division Barracks searching the training grounds. There wasn't a spot of pink anywhere, she was gone and with her had gone his list of potential Lieutenants.

He had finally been able to narrow the number down to five, all were men. He had been sitting at his desk sipping his favorite brand of tea while looking over the applicants again, when Yachiru had popped out of nowhere. After five minutes of questioning and evasion she finally realized what he was up to, seeing the candidates files and the list she had grabbed them all and then taken off out the window. He had been able to chase her for only a few minutes, then he had lost her. Frustrated at the fact that she was playing keep away with his files he had rushed over to the 11th already knowing that she wouldn't be there.

He looked down at the lines of men doing drills and practice sparring, in the corner of the training grounds was Yumichika's famous tent. Toshiro jumped down from the barracks roof and flash stepped over to Yumichika.

"Ayasegawa do you know where your Lieutenant is?"

Yumichika looked up, "No Sir, I haven't seen her since lunch time….."

"She took Jade and wandered off, said something about going to some field," Ikkaku said as he plopped down next to Yumichika's desk, his sword slung over his shoulder.

"A field?" Yumichika repeated.

"Yeah some place where she used to play….out in one of the closer districts I used to have to go get her when she fell asleep out there," Ikkaku said scratching his head.

"Where exactly is this field?" Toshiro asked.

"No no you can't eat that Jay jay," Yachiru said to the toddler. Jade had taken the picture from Yachiru's hand and had attempted to place it into her mouth. "You have to choose one of them!"

As Toshiro watched the scene before him, he thought long and hard about how Yachiru Kusajishi had remained a Lieutenant for almost forty years. Instead of reading the files she had stolen and choosing a Lieutenant for him based upon performance and recommendation, she was taking the pictures of each candidate, holding them up to Jade, and then asking the child to pick one. All he could do was stare at the two females in awe.

"No no don't do that Shiro-kun will get angry," Yachiru wrestled one of the pictures of out Jade's grasp attempting to stop the child from ripping it in half. "Boy you're almost no help at all!"

The little girl giggled and clapped her hands, and then crawled over to Yachiru to lie down on her lap. She snuggled into the fabric of Yachiru's shihakusho and fell asleep almost instantly. Yachiru stared down at the little one and clicked her tongue against her teeth, "I swear no help at all."

Yachiru picked up the papers in front of her and began to actually read the information rather than just chose by picture. Toshiro watched her for several moments amazed; the way her face became serious as she contemplated; the curve of her back as she leaned on one arm; the flare of her curvaceous hips no longer that of a child; the way her hair blew in the wind and contrasted the green of the plants around her.

Finally after a while Yachiru threw the papers to the side and took to running her hands through Jade's silver hair. She smiled softly down at the younger girl, and Toshiro saw the big sister side of her shine through. He stood up and softly moved through the tall green grass around them.

The sound of movement caught Yachiru's attention; she looked up and saw him coming towards them. He didn't speak as he entered their little clearing and sat down with them, his back against Yachiru's back. He picked up the pile of papers that she had discarded and began going over them silently. After a while Yachiru leaned against him, "Sorry Shiro…I just wanted Jade to approve."

"She's too young to approve."

"That's not true, we were young like her once, we knew more about…."

"We shouldn't make her know more yet….not until she has to," he said. Yachiru stopped petting Jade and put her hand at her side.

"I promised myself and Ran-chan that I'd protect her…" She looked down when he touched his pinky finger to her's.

"We will, don't worry, nothing will happen to her," he said.

Yachiru looked down at their pinky fingers entwined in the grass. She smiled and leaned her head against him, "Yeah nothing."