A/N: This is set after the Shinigami vs. Quincy war (The Thousand Year Blood War) which is still in progress at the moment. For those who want to avoid spoilers, it would be good to catch up with the manga as there are a couple of them in here. There are a few shinigami and soul society "theories"/"rules" that I've sort of just made up myself but I've explained them where need be so please cut me some slack for those. I apologize.
Hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Kyoraku Shunsui stood on the large balcony of the first division watching sunlight slowly covering Seireitei. This new day would signify two months since the end of their war against the Quincy. They had started rebuilding the demolished buildings in Seireitei and looking over the landscape, Kyoraku couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia, as he looked at these new buildings, which appeared familiar yet, so different at the same time. But these differences were for the better and Seireitei was moving on to a new chapter, a better future.
"Things have definitely changed around here, haven't they Yama-ji?" Kyoraku spoke as he raised his head up to the heavens, closing his eyes, feeling the soft breeze, the early birds' chirping, the –
"Matsumoto!"a shout pierced through the calm atmosphere, stirring the loud screeches of birds as they flew from their resting places.
"Yare yare, looks like I spoke too soon," Kyoraku chuckled as he turned to look in the direction of the tenth division barracks, "looks like some things can't be changed after all."
"Taaichooo, don't shout! It's too early for that!" a groggy feminine voice groaned as a strawberry blond head of hair popped up from the couch. "Ah, my heeead!"
"Matsumoto," the male voice growled, gritting his teeth as he tried to control his frustration. "Could you please explain to me why I've turned up to work to find my office smelling like sake, bottles all over the floor and my lieutenant passed out on the couch?"
"Aw, but Taicho! Kira and Shuhei came over last night and I just had to serve them something! We can't have people thinking that the tenth division is inhospitable!"
"Save it Matsumoto," the young captain huffed in annoyance. "Now, where are the reports I asked you to complete for the Soutaicho? Did you do them?"
"Pfft! Of course I did! How can you doubt your lieutenant, Taicho?"
"Oh? Then how do explain the mountain heap of paperwork under that couch?"
The strawberry blonde woman quickly jumped up from the couch she'd been lying on, "ah…e-eto, um…" stuttering as she watched her captain's fists clench and eyebrow twitch in frustration. "Ah! I've just remembered my urgent and highly important mission at the dango shop! Sorry, gotta run! Catch you later Taicho!" Matsumoto squeaked as she mad a made dash for the door.
"Bakudo no san-ju! Shitotsu sansen!" The next thing Matsumoto knew, she was pinned up against the wall by three yellow triangles. "I'm not letting you get away with it this time, Matsumoto! There's no way I'm going to hand in another postponed submission request to the Soutaicho this month!"
"Mou, but Taicho! It's not like Kyoraku-soutaicho really keeps track anyway!"
"Shut it Matsumoto, you're not the one that has to deal with his lieutenants. When I come back from this captains' meeting I expect to see two piles of completed paperwork sitting on my desk, is that clear?"
"Haaai," Matsumoto groaned.
"Now, get to work." Hitsugaya snapped as he turned to leave his office.
"Taicho," Matsumoto began in a serious tone, "Hinamori's awake," her eyes becoming concerned as her captain's back as his shoulders stiffened.
"…I understand, thank you Matsumoto," the young captain murmured before he flash stepped from the room.
"…well, I suppose that will be all today," Kyoraku smiled as he looked at his captains, his gaze stopping on the youngest among the group. "I'm glad we were all here bright and early today, right on time thanks to our lovely wake up call this morning from the tenth division captain," he chuckled. "Dismissed."
"Tch. Annoying old man," Hitsugaya muttered as he began to leave with the other captains
"Excuse me, Hitsugaya-taicho," a soft voice stopped him.
"Unohana," Hitsugaya nodded to the older woman.
"I suspect you are already aware?"
"Yes, is she– how is she?"
"She is still a quite weak and fatigued, however this disorientation is to be expected from patients who have been in a coma for such prolonged periods. Her physical injuries have healed nicely. My lieutenant has been monitoring her, she is now allowed visitors. Will you be visiting today?"
"No. No, I…"
Unohana's expression softened as she stared at the downcast eyes of the young captain. "I understand. You may come whenever you are ready. She will be staying at the fourth division for another two weeks."
"Thank you Unohana," Hitsugaya nodded towards her in gratitude.
"You are always very welcome, Hitsugaya-taicho," Unohana smiled kindly.
The sliding of the office doors jolted the strawberry blonde lieutenant out of her nap and seeing her captain at the door, she hastened to wipe the drool from her sleep of her face and his desk. "Ah! Taicho! Back already? Um…ah…how was the meeting?" Matsumoto fake beamed as she tried to quickly place her only four sheets of complete paperwork on top of the two unfinished piles.
"It's fine Matsumoto, you have the rest of the day to complete it," Hitsugaya said absent-mindedly.
Matsumoto dropped her smile when she saw her captain's downcast expression. "Did you go to see Hinamori?"
"No…not today," Hitsugaya murmured. Matsumoto looked at him sympathetically, "Taicho…you know it's not your fault, Aizen's illusion fooled all of us and Hinamori would never blame you! She's all healed now and that's what matters–"
"I'm going out. Finish those reports," Hitsugaya interrupted abruptly as he reached back for the door.
"Wait, Taicho–" but he had already flash stepped away. Matsumoto sighed, "stupid kid." She pushed back the chair and stood. "Looks like I've got to take things into my own hands." She paused to stare pointedly at the piles of paperwork. "And you can wait.
"Good morning Hinamori-san, did you sleep well?" Isane greeted cheerfully as she drew back the curtains.
"Good morning Isane-san, yes I did, thank you. How are you this morning?" Hinamori smiled faintly as she softly replied, her voice still groggy from sleep.
"Very good. Let me help you sit up for breakfast. I even managed to convince the cooks to make a watermelon juice especially for you." Isane winked as she changed the incline of the bed.
"Hinamoriii?" a loud voice rang out from the hallway. "Hinamori?"
"Looks like you have a visitor," Isane smiled just as the door was flung open.
"Ah! There you are! Good morning Hinamori!" Matsumoto beamed as she rushed to the bedside.
"Rangiku-san! Please keep it down, this is a hospital." Isane chided as she placed Hinamori's breakfast on the table. "Well, I'll leave you two to it then."
"Thanks Isane!" Matsumoto called as Isane left the room.
"Good morning Rangiku-san," Hinamori smiled.
"Look at you, all healthy and conscious! You'll be coming along to the Women's Association teahouse gatherings in no time! Oh, I've missed you so much!" Matsumoto squealed as she hugged Hinamori tightly. "So, how are you feeling this morning?"
"Still a bit tired, but much better than yesterday. Wow, I can't believe I've been asleep for months! I guess I have a lot of catching up to do huh? How have you been Rangiku-san?"
"Oh you know, same old, same old. I'm good, sake night with Kira and Shuhei every two days, training the newbies now and then, following Taicho around, trying not to get my butt frozen on paperwork due dates. Taicho's been doing well, he's been getting more respect from the lower ranks – and about time too!"
"That's good to hear, I'm glad." Hinamori murmured.
"Hinamori…" Matsumoto started when she noticed her friend's forlorn expression. "I'm sorry Taicho couldn't come to see you today. I'm sure he would have if he coul–"
"It's alright, Rangiku-san, I…I don't think I want to see him," Hinamori whispered as she turned her head away.
"What? Why? Hinamori–"
"Rangiku-san!" Hinamori wailed, tears streaming down her face. "How could I face him? I've been a horrible friend! I doubted him, I attacked him, I accused him, I–…He must hate me!"
"Hinamori! Don't think like that! It's not your fault! Taicho could never hate you! You two have grown up together, you're practically family, Taicho would never sever a bond like that."
"B-but…w-what if…" Hinamori continued to sob.
"Shh, shh, shh…Don't worry, Taicho will come around, everything will be fine. Trust me." Matsumoto said as she wiped the tears off of Hinamori's face.
That was it. She'd had enough. This was getting beyond ridiculous. It had been almost two weeks since Hinamori had woken up and her captain had yet to visit her.
Matsumoto smashed her sake cup on to the bench top and stood up so abruptly that her barstool crashed onto the floor, startling the other customers in the bar. She grabbed the sake bottle and downed the rest of the alcohol in one gulp before marching out of the bar.
It was time to take things into her own hands.
After Matsumoto's incessant whining and her physical barricading of his home and the tenth squad office during the past three days, Hitsugaya found himself hovering uncomfortably outside the fourth division's entrance.
"She's been waiting for you, Hitsugaya-taicho," was Unohana's gentle greeting when she saw him.
"You have a visitor, Hinamori-fukutaicho."
Thinking it was Rangiku-san or Nanao-san, Hinamori quickly put away her book only to gasp loudly when she saw white and turquoise enter the room.
They sat wordlessly with an uncomfortable silence looming over them.
It was Hitsugaya who finally broke it.
"You seem to be recovering well."
Startled by hearing his voice after so long, Hinamori quickly regained her composure and smiled faintly at him. "Hai, I'm feeling much better. You've cut your hair, Hitsugaya-kun, and you've grown too, you're nearly taller than me now."
"Tch. It's been so long, of course I've grown. You've been asleep all this time, you haven't grown a bit."
Hinamori smiled sadly, "…I've missed out on so much, I've missed you…"
"Hinamori…"
"Shiro-chan…you must hate me…"
"Baka, what are you on about now Bedwetter, just focus on getting better…Hinamori, I…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not being able to protect you, I'm sorry for–" He was cut short as Hinamori reached out and enveloped him in a tight hug.
"Shh…Please don't say that Shiro-chan, it was never your fault. Let's move forward together, there's so much ahead of us in the future, we'll leave this pain behind."
"Tch. You're the one to talk – how are you supposed to do that if you can't even get yourself out of the infirmary."
"Mou, Shiro-chan! Baka! You ruined the moment. Ba-ka!" Hinamori whined as she smacked his arm.
"Oi, Hinamori. That's Hitsugaya-taicho."
Matsumoto chuckled quietly to herself as she peeked at the couple through the slightly opened door. Finally. These kids were going to be just fine – stupid they may be at times, but they have each other.
Two weeks later Hinamori got a haircut, leaving the tenth division captain flushed when she went to deliver reports to his office, as he realised that the only word to describe her was: adorable. This, of course, did not go unnoticed by Matsumoto, who not so subtly hinted to her captain that the third division's Kira Izuru and the fourth squad's Ogido both had their eyes on the fifth division's lieutenant.
That was how Hitsugaya Toshiro found himself standing outside the fifth division's office one evening fidgeting with his zanpakto strap and nearly jumping when the screen door slid open.
"Hitsugaya-kun?"
"Let's have dinner tonight," he blurted.
"Sure!" Hinamori beamed, oblivious to his nervousness. "Has Rangiku-san eaten yet? Maybe we should find her – oh! Which reminds me, Kira-kun and Abarai-kun are just finishing off their reports for Hirako-taicho. Let's wait for them and we'll all go together!"
"No, I meant dinner, by ourselves, as in just the two of us…" his voice trailed off as he saw the realisation in Hinamori's eyes.
"…Are you asking me on a date?"
"No! …I, I mean…"
"Then what's the occasion?"
"I'm simply asking you out for a private dinner as something other than friends with the intention of becoming more than friends…"
Hinamori giggled, "that's an awfully complicated way of describing a date, Hitsugaya-kun."
"No! It's not that! It's just a…a…"
"A date?"
"…H-hai."
"Then, I'd love to, Hitsugaya-kun."
Two weeks later they had their first kiss.
Hinamori shyly pecked him on the cheek before quickly turning around and scampering into her home as she usually did after their dates. However, this time, Hitsugaya caught her wrist and pulled her back to him before lowering his head and placing his lips gently over hers.
"Yoshi Matsumoto!" Renji exclaimed while pumping his fist from his hiding place on the sloped rooftop.
"Alright you lot, pay up, pay up!" Matsumoto demanded gleefully as she thrust out her hands towards the small group of shinigami around her. She chortled as she watched them groan while they dug into their robes for money, and gave an invisible toast of sake to Renji as they eagerly counted their winnings, she laughed even harder when Ikkaku slipped on the ice and fell off the roof – wait. Ice? Then, she noticed the sudden drop in temperature and gulped.
"Oh?" came a highly unamused male voice from behind them.
"E-eto...Taicho…"
"You guys were betting on us?!" cried Hinamori while she tried to cover her deep blush.
"Souten ni saze, Hyourinmaru!"
It goes without saying that the fourth division had to work overtime that night with the sudden influx of several severely frostbitten shinigami.
Hinamori felt her whole body heat up, her heartbeat increase rapidly and tingles in her fingers and toes when Hitsugaya gave her one of his rare genuine smiles after he opened up her birthday present for him: a turquoise scarf that she had knitted herself, complete with the odd hole or two where she had accidently dropped a stitch. She continued to stare at him dumbfounded, his smile was breathtaking.
"Ne, Rangiku-san?" Hinamori asked one day as Matsumoto brushed her hair for her. "What does it feel like to be in love?"
Matsumoto smiled whimsically as an image of a grey haired man with ice blue eyes came to her mind. "You never want to be without them, you want to spend every moment with them, you find yourself observing their different expressions, you know when their excited, you feel pain when they're upset, you get a tingling feeling when they smile at you and when they…."
It was undeniable: Hinamori Momo was in love with Hitsugaya Toshiro.
They are at Seireitei's New Year's Eve festival and Hinamori is squealing in glee as she pulls him along from stand to stand excitedly. Looking at Hinamori's delighted smile as she claps her hands ecstatically after he wins the gigantic panda for her, Hitsugaya realises that he had fallen for this girl a long time ago.
As they sit on one of the rooftops cuddled together, sharing a blanket, watching the New Year's fireworks display like the shinigami on other rooftops, Hinamori peers up at Hitsugaya and smiles. "I love you, Toshiro."
Hitsugaya looks down at her but she has already turned her head up, grinning up at the fireworks in the sky. He is stunned and positive that all of Seireitei could hear his rapidly beating heart. Watching the colors of the fireworks dance across Hinamori's smiling face, Hitsugaya knows that he is already irrevocably in love with her. So, he bends down to kiss the top of her head and whispers, "I love you."
All good things come to an end.
That is Kyoraku Shunsui's first thought as he stands above demolished buildings with Aizen Sousuke before him tossing away the body of Hirako Shinji as if it were a tissue. He had been released secretly by a quincy and had managed to escape during the chaos of the war. Now, he has led an army of Espada and Reigai into Seireitei.
Despite the defeating the Espada and Reigai, none of the shinigami are without severe injuries and although Aizen had been inflicted with several serious wounds, no one knew what else he had up his sleeve. Kyoraku surveyed the remainder of his own army noting the invalids: ten lieutenants down, seven captains down, Kurosaki Ichigo…down. He and Ukitake are barely able to walk after their battle with the reigai of Yamamoto-soutaicho. Suddenly a roar is heard as Zaraki Kenpachi raises his zanpakto and charges towards Aizen, only to be cut down a moment later. They were fighting a losing battle.
Down on the ground, amongst the rubble, Matsumoto is holding on to a severely injured Hinamori, who watches as her captain's body falls on to what had been the fifth division office. "Hirako-taicho," Hinamori whispers as a tear slides down her cheek, leaving a clear trail on her ash-covered face.
"Kuso," Hitsugaya growls, gritting his teeth as he watches Zaraki's body fall next to Hirako's.
The next moment, there is a loud cry as Renji releases his bankai and charges towards Aizen with Hisagi, their captains.
"No! Stop! Stop!" Kyoraku is screaming frantically, but it is two late. Twelve lieutenants down, three captains remaining.
Hitsugaya watches as the four bodies fall to the group and looks around him at the multitude of fatally wounded shinigami scattered amongst the debris, at Hinamori's injured body, her tears, and he makes up his mind.
"Matsumoto."
"Hai, Taicho."
"Please lend me some of your reiryoku."
Matsumoto gasps and her eyes widen in shock, "Taicho, please tell me you're not going to–"
"Matsumoto! There is no other way – we don't have any more time!"
"Please, don't do this, Taicho! Think about Hinamori!"
"If I don't do this, no one will be saved. Do you trust me Matsumoto?"
"But, Taicho–"
"Matsumoto-fukutaicho, your captain has asked you a question!" His calm exterior has broken and Matsumoto must accept the gravity of the situation.
"Hai, I trust you Taicho."
"Then, please lend me some of your reiryoku."
"Hai," Matsumoto whispers. Her body is trembling and her hands are shaking as she presses them against her captain's chest forcing them to be steady, and her voice quivers as she begins the incantation, trying to hold in her tears. She feels reiryoku flowing through her body and disappearing into her captain's and when she has finished, she falls to her knees and allows her tears to fall, watching helplessly as her captain heads towards Aizen.
Many of the fallen shinigami look on when they see the ice wings of the tenth division captain carry him before Aizen. Suddenly, everyone is overwhelmed by an incredible, powerful and flaring reiatsu.
Kyoraku looks up at the young tenth division captain and smirks. "Finally."
Hitsugaya raises his ice-clad arms and points his zanpakto towards the sky. "Bankai."
The sky has turned black, thunder roars above and lightning sparks amongst the clouds. Hitsugaya stands beneath this, his wings have grown and have turned crystal clear with tinges of blue. His wings and armor of ice are now refined and smooth; the details in them are more defined. This, is Hitsugaya Toshiro's hidden bankai.
When Aizen eventually breaks out of the prism of ice, Hitsugaya realises too late that it was fake. The real Aizen had already broken out of the ice barrier long ago and was now charging towards Hitsugaya with his zanpakto aimed. A flash of brown and there is now a body in front of Hitsugaya, impaled by Aizen's zanpakto. "Hajike, Tobiume," comes a faint whisper from the body. The attack pushes Aizen back, making him withdraw his zanpakto, which releases a spray of crimson from the body as it falls towards the rubble.
"Hinamori!" Matsumoto's cry is heard from the ground. Hitsugaya flash steps and catches Hinamori's limp body.
"Sh…Shi-ro…-chan," comes a barely audible whisper. Hitsugaya looks down at the bloodied body of the girl he had fallen in love with, he looks at her dulled eyes, her tears, her faint smile, and the blood that won't stop gushing. He does not roar and charge straight towards Aizen, he is not the same naive boy that had made those reckless decisions, he has learnt from his mistakes. Instead, he knows that he must remain calm and focus, he must finish this now. So, Hitsugaya smiles sadly and bends down to press his lips against Hinamori's one more time. "I love you," he whispers against her lips before he gently places her in his lieutenant's arms, leaving one last kiss on her forehead. Matsumoto realises what her captain is doing and she crying frantically, "Taicho! Stop! No! Taicho! Taicho!" But he has already gone back to Aizen, Hitsugaya raises his zanpakto to the sky once more. "Omega."
Kyoraku's eyes suddenly in realisation and he stiffens. "Hitsugaya-taicho! Stop!" But it is already happening. The clouds have parted to allow a section of light, from which a whirlwind of white falls. Millions of miniscule blades of ice speed towards Aizen like multiple cyclones. The tiny blades are cutting through Aizen's body, freezing him inch by inch, so fast that he has no time to regenerate. Before long, Aizen's body has turned into a crystal statue and smashes into millions of tiny crystals, raining down on the debris as the sky clears.
They have won the war.
However, their hero, the young tenth division captain is also falling from the sky as his wings and armor of ice shatters. Kyoraku rushes to catch him and brings him to Unohana straight away. Matsumoto is pushing herself across the debris to reach her captain and arrives only to see Unohana's grave expression as she shakes her head sombrely. "He has used up all of his reiryoku, there is none left to help him maintain his reishi…"
Matsumoto falls to her knees and cannot hold in her tears or her wails as she watches her captain's body slowly become translucent.
"…He will materialise on earth in a human body, that is the only way he is able to recover and over time his reiryoku will gradually build up to allow him to return to a shinigami."
Hitsugaya turns his head slowly towards his lieutenant and gives her a faint smile. "I'm sorry Matsumoto…"
"Stop talking and focus on getting your reiryoku back dammit!" Matsumoto wails as tears continue to flow down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry Matsumoto…See you in a few years…"
"You'd better be back in a few years! You still have to return the reiryoku that you borrowed from me! And don't keep Hinamori waiting for too long!"
"Please take care of her..."
"Shut up! I said to focus and get your reiryoku back! You can't leave! I won't allow it!"
"Thank you, Matsumoto…"
"Please don't leave us, Taicho…Taicho!" Matsumoto cried as Hitsugaya's body disintegrated into reishi dust floating up into the sky and faded away. "Taicho! Taicho! Taicho!"
Unohana Retsu and Kyoraku Shunsui lowered their heads as tiny ice crystals from the battle continued to fall around them, the only signs of Hitsugaya Toshiro's presence, and the cries of Matsumoto Rangiku filled the red evening sky.
In a dark room in the Soul King Palace, a young woman sits up in her bed abruptly, her long, silvery white hair falls over her shoulders, her forehead covered in a light sheen of sweat, she is gasping as she clutches onto her necklace. "Toshiro…"
A/N: I hope everything made sense and the time frames and different locations weren't too hard to follow. Please leave me comments and advice and criticism or just general reviews - if you have complaints, that's fine too. I'm hoping to have this down in just a few chapters so that I don't forget the plot I've planned. I know I haven't updated my other stories in aaages but I'm really at roadblocks with them so I'm trying to rework the plots but I'll try to focus on this one for the time being. I hope you enjoyed it.
(May contain some spoilers...) For those who want to know what changes are in Soul Society for this story (what's different from or same as the manga):
Kyouraku is the new Captain Commander. Unohana is still alive and back to old self. Everyone who currently appears to be dead in the manga is alive apart from Yamamoto and Sasakibe. New Vizard captains and lieutenant. Ichigo must remain in Soul Society so no longer lives in real world. Hitsugaya is taller - not super tall, just a tad taller than Hinamori - for now.