Disclaimer: NaruYaoi does not own the characters or plotline of Naruto. NaruYaoi owns only their collective insane minds and ideas as well as the occasional original character. The Writers of NaruYaoi do not claim ownership over any copywrited material and simply write for fun. NaruYaoi is not making a profit off this story nor any like it.

A/N/T: Right, so I find Hanatarou adorable and I think that it's horrible that he is seen as such a weak character, so I'm going to do what I can to change that. Hopefully while still managing to keep him in character (mostly at any rate). Please let me know what you think. Also, I'm looking for a beta for this fic only. Please let me know if you are interested.

Writers: Tenchi

Warnings: Character death

Pairings: None (yet)

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It was raining. The chill water fell freely in the forested world that Hisagomaru lived in. The pale furred creature shook itself to free the water droplets from its fur before hopping up into the branches a large tree, curling up close to the trunk, out of the worst of the downpour. A delicate pink tongue lapped at a black paw, further removing water from its coat.

-

Hanatarou sank to his knees in the bloodstained battleground, hands clutching at his upper arms as he sobbed. Dead. They were all dead because of him, because he couldn't fight. The small Shinigami looked at the Zanpaktou that was on the bloody earth beside him, even though he wasn't touching it, he could almost hear Hisagomaru telling him to pull himself together. He ignored it, looking up at the last remaining hollow. It would kill him, he knew, even as badly injured as the creature was, it would still manage to kill him. He closed his eyes and waited for the final blow to fall.

-

Hisagomaru stood on its branch and hissed at Hanatarou's determination to just die. "Baka!" it hissed, swiping at the air with sharp little claws. "Don't make their deaths in vain!" The small creature leapt off the branch and onto a higher one, working its way deeper into the tangles of the tree branches.

-

Hanatarou's eyes snapped open, but it wasn't the battlefield that he saw. He was cradled in the branches of a large tree, curled up next to a stone basin that was filled nearly to the brim with crimson liquid. He recognized it as the world of his Zanpaktou, but beyond that, he was lost. Was this what happened to Shinigami when they died?

Quite suddenly, there was extra weight on his head and sharp little claws digging into his scalp. "Hanatarou-no-baka!" his zanpaktou's spirit hissed at him.

"Hisagomaru-san! Itai! Stop!" the Shinigami flailed his arms in an attempt to get the creature off his head. The spirit leapt clear of the flailing Shinigami and landed on the rim of the stone bowl.

"Are you really going to just lay there and die after every fought so hard to protect you?" Hisagomaru asked, golden eyes narrow. "I thought they were more important to you than that."

"They are!" Hanatarou protested weakly, "But what can I do? I can't use you to fight a hollow! I'd only make it stronger!"

A black paw swiped out and left four gashes along Hanatarou's left cheek. "That's why you're here! Raise me up in judgment, Hanatarou! We both will fight!"

-

Hanatarou opened his eyes. The battleground was still there, and so was the hollow. No more than a few seconds could have passed, for the hollow had barely moved closer. The 4th division Shinigami took a deep and stood, his bruised and battered body protesting. His hand reached for and found the hilt of Hisagomaru.

Hanatarou lifted his sword up before him, blade pointing towards the heavens. "Arasoiuttaeru, Hisagomaru."

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Arasoiuttaeru - To rise up in judgment against (according to a Japanese Online dictionary. If someone has a more accurate translation or better word for the meaning, let me know and I'll change it.)