Title: The New Threat
By: James Brake
Setting: Soul Society, after defeating Aizen.
Everybody stood still as and quiet as people walked forward with a coffin and set it next to a big hole, decorated with flowers. The captains and leutinents were there to pay respects to him, the one man they all deeply cared about. Rangiku started to cry as Shunsui embraced her and held her tightly for comfort of such a big burden to bear. Even Gin a person who always finds something to smile about was frowning at this funeral.
"Toshiro Hitsugaya was a very honorable man with great care and respect from his squad, even other captains were close friends to this man. He died to soon as many of you know, he was not able to even live a fraction of his life in the Soul Society. All of us are gathered here to see this very good man rest in peace and wanting the best for him in the afterlife. He was a child prodigy of sorts and was the only one to achieve the rank of captain at so young an age. I along with the rest of you wish him a great passing on, and will miss him as the captain of our beloved squad 10. The man finished his speech and walked slowly back to a line by the coffin. Others walked forward to give their respects.
"I was so proud of him when he became a captain and glad to have him serve with us at the gotei 13. As head captain I give my respects to him not just as a great leader for his squad but a truly good hearted fighter for what was right. Yamamoto started to tear up but walked silently back to the crowd with his cane.
Almost nobody had the courage to go up and speak about Toshiro until Momo came up with flowers. "Lil-Shiro..I mean Toshiro was like a little brother to me when we grew up in the Rukon District. I always wanted him to achieve greatness in the Soul Society, for it made me proud when I got to see him everyday. Even when I was in the deepest pits of my mind wallowing, Toshiro came and dragged me back to reality, he showed me there is more to life than always following, I truly believed those words so I stuck by them and believed in him. It saddens me to see him passing on so quickly but I believe he can truly rest and live a better life in the afterlife. I'm glad to have the honor of meeting Toshiro and growing up with him. Momo finished and set flowers by his grave and walked back to the crowd crying.
By now it had started to rain very hard in the Soul Society, where it never usually rains. Ichigo looked sad at seeing the young captain having died at a young age, Rukia saw Ichigo's sadness and quietly hugged him for both of their comfort. The white coffin was being entered into the ground very carefully to the bottom, once there 3 of the men around the hole used kidou and dirt was atop the coffing and filled the hole. It took awhile but people slowly left the gravesite one by one unti ljust one person remained. Gin Ichimaru remained looking at the tombstone which was white and engraved Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of squad 10. Gin assumed it was made by kidou since the shape and size were very accurate.
"You know Toshiro, you left me before we could have our rematch, I can never sleep at night now knowing you let me down by dieing. Now there is a piece of me that will never be fufilled, it's a shame you were a very good captain I won't deny you that.
Gin was wearing all black and had his zanpaktou laced on his back with a long cloth piece. As Gin turned the light from the clouds reflected not an evil look on his face but a sad and weary one. Gin walked quietly to the barracks of squad three, there was a lot of work to do since he betrayed the Soul Society with Aizen. The wind begins blowing casually during the rain in the sereitai.
Captain Tosen lyed in wait in the shadows until Gin was gone and walked out to Toshiro's grave. "Be this as it may you fought very well young captain, I am proud and I know as part of Aizen's conspiracy you had no choice but to use that technique. All of us are different on the outside but you showed us that we can all be the same inside our hearts. I bid you farewell young captain and wish you well in the afterlife.
Kaname finished speaking and starting walking that turned into a shunpo to the squad 9 barracks. The day progressed very slowly due to the funeral of Toshiro Hitsugaya. Somewhere in the sereitai Captain Ukitake was struggling to make it to the funeral. He cursed his illness for having overslept because his two third seats didn't wake him because they thought he needed more rest. Ukitake's shinigami uniform was covered in blood from his illness but he was determined to go to the funeral. Each step felt like a ton of weight dragging him down, he didn't know how he would make it.
Ukitake's vision was getting blurry as two people walked around a corner and saw him. "CAPTAIN UKITAKE!!!, What happened?, we have to get you back to bed" the voice said as Ukitake couldn't hear very well. Ichigo grab him and we'll take him to squad four for Captain Unohana to take a look at him. Ichigo sighed and grabbed Ukitake and slung him over his shoulder. By now Ukitake lost all will to move and eventually passed out from so much wind hitting him.
Rukia wondered why Captain Ukitake went to such lenghts and why was he out in his condition. Ichigo having no idea where to go asked Rukia if he was headed in the right direction. She nodded and Ichigo kept up his pace to the squad four relief station. It was getting dark and the rain had calmed into cold during the hour.