Oh. Hi there. Haven't seen any of you in a while, huh? How long has it been? Year and a half about? PHEW.

So so sorry about such a long and unexpected hiatus. It's just that FanFiction for me has been running out of good stories, and I myself have kinda lost motivation to write anything :/ But I'm back to both expand my reading horizons and try and update and write stories.

Here's just something I thought of while thinking about Toshiro's subordinates. This story is in the P.O.V. of one of them. Hope you enjoy :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Because if I did it would suck.

I see my captain every day.

It's an unavoidable fact; all us subordinates have a daily training session here in the Tenth, with the Captain overseeing us to make sure all goes well.

His short stature standing above us for a better view of us, his big round eyes filled with a cold gaze that sweeps across the training field, round face set in a permanent scowl.

I hate seeing my captain.

I am a Shinigami. I have been for a good while now. I know that the Soul Society will forever be willing to take whoever they feel has the power to fight, no matter the physical qualities of the person. But I don't think I'll ever be used to the fact that that also extends to the young. Call me old fashioned, but I always saw children as something to protect and treasure. They hold the youth and innocence of the world that the old have lost over the years, and with that comes a need from me to protect and preserve the naivete for just a while longer. The fact that they can usually barely protect themselves makes that urge grow stronger.

But then I saw my captain.

He was -is- young, startlingly so, but he was by no means weak or innocent. I watched as he took out a Hollow that had thrown countless Shinigami like flies with one flick of his wrist, with the same cold, merciless scowl on his face. Any trace of the sweet child that he might have been was gone.

At least, personality wise.

But then I see him, and cringe.

How could a child be put in such a position? How could it be that a child had to be the one with such power? Why so early? Why strip this young one of the happiness of childhood? The innocence that we should protect?

So I close my eyes, and instead listen.

Yes, listening to him is much easier on myself. Hearing that gruff, authoritative, no-nonsense voice of an adult, the voice of a man giving the orders, taking the stress, purifying souls that need saving, is much better than seeing the child with the bags under his eyes, attacking monsters that could one day kill him.

But I have to open my eyes.

And when I do, I cringe.

Author's Notes:

Well this was short ._. And I'm not sure if it's that good ;w; Oh well I guess. Hoped you enjoyed it anyways. :)

Side Note: I do plan on updating More Than One Side. I do. Really. But it will most likely take a while. However, now that I'm actually thinking about how to go on with it, I think I might not take forever ^^;

~Winter Lover In The Snow