Disclaimer: Bleach © to Kubo Tite.

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Prologue

She knew the truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart.

He remembered the lost look in her eyes when she was first told of Aizen's true intentions; of how he betrayed Soul Society, resided in Hueco Mundo, threatened the fate two worlds with the vicious Arrancar, and nearly took away her life with just one thrust of his Zanpakuto.

She had refused to believe her former captain's wicked deeds initially. She had held on tightly to her belief that it was all Ichimaru Gin's doing, not her beloved captain's. She had clung desperately onto that belief, but soon found it slipping away from her grasp, as much as she hated to accept the truth.

Then—after months, maybe years worth of fighting and losing lives—it was all over. The threat of the Arrancar was gone, as well the existence of Aizen himself. Peace began to settle back into Soul Society and the human world. Reconstruction began, through repairing the buildings and erasing what memories that needed to be erased.

But there was always an aftermath. The aura of Soul Society itself was never the same. There was almost some sense of paranoia that resided in the air, as though the thirteen squads were suspicious of each other and wary of any more cases like Aizen's. His vice captain, Matsumoto-fukutaichou, had appeared to be relieved with the end of the threat, but he could sense the sadness and longing in her eyes whenever she thought she was alone; she was constantly sighing and staring out the window, and drinking more sake than usual. He wasn't blind; he knew she was one of the few people, if not the only one, to ever care about Gin. But that didn't make him seem any more of a traitor in Hitsugaya's eyes.

Then there was her—Hinamori: the worst victim of Aizen. The one who had been brutally betrayed and nearly mortally wounded. He watched in silent pain as she had constantly refused to eat or talk, her body frame growing weak and fragile as she had begun to waste away. Even through the busy work and reconstruction that had been occurring, he had still found the time to visit her every day in the fourth division headquarters. It was one of the only times when he wished he could have the ability to comfort someone with gentle words, to heal her broken heart.

But he only had his Zanpakuto, and his fierce will to protect—yet it was something that he had failed to do for the first time in his life.

The other squad members couldn't bear to watch Hinamori—the once cheerful and almost naïve young girl, deteriorate slowly into nothingness. They tried in vain to search for something to help the girl, though it was Hitsugaya himself who searched the hardest. Yet nothing seemed to prevail.

Then the decision was made. The general of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto-taichou, proposed that Hinamori Momo be sent away to the mountains in the North for personal rehabilitation and treatment.

"For how long?" Hitsugaya grunted, after hearing the proposal.

"For a hundred years, at the very least."

Hitsugaya's green eyes widened in surprise, and he opened his mouth to protest.

"Hinamori-fukutaichou's well being and treatment are not for you to decide, Hitsugaya-taichou," Yamamoto said gravely, before the young captain could speak. "Furthermore, no one is allowed to accompany the fukutaichou to the mountains other than those assigned for her treatment. You will stay here in the Seireitei and continue with your duties, Hitsugaya-taichou."

He still remembered when he last saw her, the image of her pale and fragile form still burned in his mind as she was brought away by half a dozen specially appointed shinigamis to help her recover. Nearly every captain and lieutenant was gathered there to see her off.

She had looked at him with deeply shadowed eyes, her eyes dark with regret and sorrow.

"I'm sorry, Shiro-chan," was all she said.

He remembered his fist unconsciously clenching as he watched her disappear, and the feeling that a great part of himself had gone along with her.

"No, Hinamori...I'm sorry..."

The realization that he could never see her again after a hundred years finally began to settle in.

"...for not being able to protect you."

His heart turned into ice. He knew it was the only way to keep going from them on.


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