Second chapter's here just like I promised! Thank you soo much for such lovely reviews! Lovely messages like does are the ones that keep me writing. I hope you enjoy reading!

Declaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of it's characters (only my OCs)

Looking for… The only one

22 months later

'It's been long, but a long worth living for. I've been dreaming of today for some time and I don't want to see illusions anymore. I'm not scared anymore either, at least not right now. But I am nervous. I don't need to question you again. For the first time, I'll feel what you felt and hear with my own ears. I won't even hesitate on believing it for another second. I've finally come this far to see it, but what will happen then? Will he recognize it in me as well? No. I don't want to ask you anymore. I want to see it with my own eyes for now on.'

It was still early on the afternoon and squad ten's barracks were calmed compared to the last few weeks. It'd been over a month that the squad was running without a lieutenant. Its previous one had received a promotion to a higher seat as Captain of squad three and she had been there ever since. Squad ten's lieutenant seat has been empty for the time, and because of this matter, the squad's most skilled officers have been busier than ever, trying to impress their Captain to obtain the open seat. But this was no easy goal to reach. There were few who deserved this seat more than other.

Hard working and compromised officers from squad ten who dedicated their time and effort on the squad and made it their priority were the only ones who could ever obtain this seat. At least this was what their third seat Hiromu Ariwa thought of this matter.

A full dedicated man trying to reach his final goal on becoming the squad's next lieutenant. The Captain was well aware that Ariwa was the only one who could actually take the duty as lieutenant, but there were complications in the Captain's head that were stopping him from doing it. And so, the squad had been stuck with an indecisive Captain, an empty lieutenant seat and an impatient third seat waiting for a promotion. Nothing Shiro could have ever imagine.

The silver haired child anxiously looked all over the barracks for that only door that seemed almost impossible to find through the squad's commotion. He wouldn't even dare get closer to any of the other officers from the squad to ask for directions and not been taken seriously in the process. It was true that he seemed to be a little to young for a Soul Reaper, but Shiro couldn't even get what that even had to do with finding the Captain's office.

His quest seemed endless just by the look of the infinite hallways that he still had to go through. He started to think he wasn't going to get anywhere if he didn't tried asking another squad member. After short minutes, the boy decided to give up and find an officer he could actually rely to.

He decided to ask the first Soul Reaper he could spot, and so it happened that this Soul Reaper, with a very serious aspect, wearing glasses with paper and files at hand, seemed to look very reliable. At least more than the others.

Shiro quickly hurried to the man since it appeared he was in a hurry.
"Am... excuse me, sir?" he called out from behind him. The man slowed his pace before spinning his head in response of who requested him.

The man frowned. "Yes, can I help you?"

"Yes! I've kind of been trying to find someone who can help with directions. Would you happen to know how to get around?"

Supposing that would have been the case, the man decided to help the strange boy. "So it would seem, yes."

"Really? That's great!" Shiro's heart rose in excitement while the man started down at his unnecessary reaction. "Would you happen to know where Captain Hitsugaya's office might be?"

The man's brows rose.

"What business awaits you there?" he suspiciously ask.

"Huh?...Am, well you see I ...can't exactly tell you, but... oh! Yes! I'm a new transfer officer. And I was suppose to meet up with the Captain today."

"Transfer?" he repeated.

"That's right!"
"I never heard they were going to transfer anyone into the squad. Which squad are you from?"

"I-I'm... from squad 3." all the questions only made Shiro feel even more nervous.

"With Captain Matsumoto?"

"Yes! Oh, I almost forgot..." Shiro searched inside his shuhakusho and got out a sealed card for him to see."She wrote this herself and told me to give it to him personally."

He observe the card in Shiro's hand and saw that it was surtenly addressed to Captain Hitsugaya, but he couldn't help thinking it all seemed like a joke to him. Even so, that card seemed like serious matter so he decided to go along with it since the boy had to deliver the card himself.

"Very well." he turned back around. "If you may follow me."
I smile was drawn in Shiro."Thank you so much, sir!" he bowed down to him.

"You may call me third seat Ariwa."

"Yes, sir!" he happily replied and followed Ariwa from behind.

The office wasn't much furter from where there were, even so, Shiro knew he would have never found his way if it wasn't for Ariwa. Before opening the door leading to the Captain's office, Ariwa looked back at Shiro. "Please wait here for a second." he kindly ask him and Shiro couldn't do any more than to nod in approval.

Ariwa slid open the paper door quickly closed it behind him without even letting him see what awaited him at the other side. His hand trembled just by the thought of it, and his heart rose it's speed. After all those years of endless training and recovery, he wasn't ready. He had left behind so many things for that moment, he never thought he was going to finally face it. He felt weak to ever think he was going to give up half way there, but there was something that kept him going, and that was his promise. The promise he made to her that night. He had to keep it, or else, he could never face her. So, he could never turn away. He had to face him and get it all over with. Or at least try.

...

"Good day, sir" Ariwa greeted the Captain who sat behind his desk.

"You're back too quickly." he replied without glaring up at him. Ariwa stood next to his Captain's desk to glare at the appers he attended. It seemed he was still reading those reports.

"I've got what you asked for, sir." he handed out his files ot Hitsugaya who let go of his work to grab Ariwa's papers. He slightly looked over them before placing them on his desk, next to the other piles of documents.

"You didn't have to bring them right away, Ariwa." said Hitsugaya remembering he had just ask for him to bring him the papers that same morning.
"My apologies, sir. I had enough free time and decided to do you this favor."

"I understand. But please focus on your work as a third seat and not anything else. Remember last time you missed a warm up section and I had to call in another officer to substitute you."

"Please understand, sir, that I only do this due to the lieutenant's absence." he fixed his glasses.

Hitsugaya let go of his work. "But you're not a lieutenant, you're a third seat and I want you to be a third seat for the time being. I can do must of this things by myself, or at least until a new lieutenant is promoted."

Ariwa rose a brow. "Haven't you decided yet from the candidates?"
Hitsugaya sighed, he didn't like the pressure Ariwa put in him. He knew he was desperate to hear him call his name, but the truth was, he didn't actually like to deal with such matters when he was so worked up at such time.

"I heard the Captain General it's looking forward your decision."
"Then he'll have it when I make a choice, but for now, that matter is none of your concern."

There was silence between the two Soul Reapers before Ariwa was able to speck up. "Understood sir, please excuse me." he bowed down and proceed to leave the office, frustrated once more for his failed attempt. And so, he remembered. 'That's right, that kid is still there.' glaring back at his Captain, who had gotten back to his papers, he tried to remember if he had ever mention anything about the new transfer, but nothing came to mind. He couldn't help feel strange for the situation. 'Would Captain Matsumoto be sending a transfer to fit the lieutenant's seat?'

Ariwa turned back to his Captain."Sir, I almost forgot..." Hitsugaya raised his head."There is someone here to see you."

Ariwa slid open the door finding a solitary Shiro starring down at his feet and rising his head in surprise for his sudden appearance. He felt his heart burst out of his chest; after all, he wasn't ready.
"Come on in." he invited the little frighten Shiro who almost wrinkled his Captains note in his hands. Shiro mutely nod to Ariwa once he finally found the courage to go in.

His first sight of him was his silver hair, just like his. His aqua-green eyes, just as he imagined them and his height... he seemed to be taller than he expected. Shiro could only greet him with a frighten look and Hitsugaya frowned confused to see such strange yet strangely familiar child.

Hitsugaya shoved past all curious thoughts that suddenly drowned his head and spoke up to the little boy. "Yes?"

Frighten to see it was his turn to speak up, he swallowed his insecurity to bring in his valor.
"C-Captain Hitsugaya...?" he asked

"Yes?" he asked once more to the small officer who seemed to be shaking under his shihakkusho.

His heart over flown with happiness, his eyes widened in amazement and a big smile was drawn upon his face.
"Oh, thank goodness, it's really you!"

Despite the distance between the Captain's desk and the boy, Hitsugaya was still able to see the tears that flood up in his eyes. 'Is he... crying?'

"...I-I'm sorry..." Shiro dried his tears in his shihakusho's sleeve."What I meant to say is..." he continued while Ariwa and Hitsugaya covered him in confused stares.

After he was able to calm himself down, Shiro bowed done to begin a proper introduction. "It's a honor to finally meet you, sir."

'This kid is definitely something new' repeated Hitsugaya in his head.

"Please excuse me sir, but Captain Matsumoto wanted me to deliver this here." Shiro showed him the note in his hand, leaving all childish emotions behind. "She apologizes for not being able to come. We hope you excuse us. She wrote this letter explaining herself for any inconvenience."

Hitsugaya glares at Ariwa, but before he could even ask him to, Ariwa already grabbed the letter from the boy's hand and handed it over to his Captain by his desk. Hitsugaya cautetiously opened the letter and red though it quickly. Just by it's first glance, he could easily read it was indeed from Matsumoto due to the exagerated amount of embarrasing hearts and 'xo's all over. There were other papers behind Matsumoto's letter he seemed to recognize as a profile.

"Ogino... Shiro?" he read out loud.
"Yes." he firmly replied.
"So, you're the new transfer?"

"That's right, sir."

Ariwa glares at the boy curiously. Just as he expected, he had competition.
"So, Captain Matsumoto had to move her apointments?" asks Hitsugaya.
"That's right. We hope it's not trouble for you."

It's almost seemed funny to Hitsugaya hearing that his once lazy ass lieutenant was actually taking responsibilities as a Captain, yet still, he decided not to question her autority. He knew very well how hard she'd work for that place.
"No trouble at all. You are more than welcome, officer Ogino."

Shiro, startled to have received a kind smile from his new Captain, nervously bowed once again.
"Thank you so much, sir!"

The Captain stood from his desk. "As you well know, I'm Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya and this..." he pointed out to Ariwa, who stood by his desk. "it's third seat Hiromu Ariwa." he made a small reverence for greeting even if his eyes didn't intended to. "For the time being, the squad it's running without a lieutenant do to circumstances you already know and I suppose it's one of the main reasons of your transferation."

"Y-Yes!" he staumerd.

Ariwa made no sound in his corner, trying to read the papers that lied in his Captain's desk without bringing much attention, but he seemed unable to see the papers clearly. 'I knew I should have checked that note earlier.' were his thoughts of regret.

Hitsugaya picked the papers up and studied them some more.
"I've already read your files a while back and... I can tell, you are very skilled and determined in your work."

Shiro's cheeks burned in blush. Being complimented by his Captain wasn't something he expected to happend on his first day.
"T-Thank you."

"I mean it. Perfects scores in both kido and zanpaku-to studies with only a single year in the academy? It's almost impossible to believe officers as young as yourself could succeed that. If I knew better, I think Captain Matsumoto just gave away one of her best officers."

Shiro chuckled nervously while he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah well, she said something similar right after I told her I wanted to come here."

Hitsugaya stared at the boy, thoughts flying with curiosity."Why did you want to come here?"

Shiro froze. He hadn't put much thought into what he was suppose to do up in that point. Shiro became afraid, knowing that if he said anything, everything could go wrong and all his effort to get there would become a vain intention. He couldn't possibly tell him the truth. He clutch his fist when he remembered they weren't alone. Ariwa was also there. If something slipped out of him, he could be in big trouble.

'Mom... I'm sorry'

"Amm... I guess... I have always wanted to meet you, sir! You've been of such great inspiration to me! You have no idea how much I've been waiting for this day to come!" Shiro had never lied before, nor did he liked to. Only the thought of his words not being completely false was the thing that truly let him smile.

Hitsugaya rose a brow.
"...Well, Matsumoto surtainly never mentioned you were so thrilled about joining the squad."

"...Amm... That's not exactly the kind of thing you mention to your own Captain."

Hitsuagaya chuckled to his comment.
"That's probably true."

Shiro tried to reply a smile to his Captain, but his accomplishment wasn't satisfactory, in result, a weak smile was all that came out him.

Ariwa cleared his throat to call out to his Captain.
"Sir, you still have an appointment to assist to."

"Right. I almost forgot. I should get back to work..." Hitsugaya paused to look at the boy one last time before taking his things and heading to the door.

"It was nice to have you into the squad, Ogino Shiro."

The boy felt uneasy to return a 'thank you' and he simply nodded.

"Ariwa, why don't you show Ogino around the squad? I'm sure he'll want to get to know the place better."

"Yes, sir."

Hitsugaya walked to the door, leaving the two officers back and before he walked out the door, he turned back at Shiro. "I hope you feel welcome."

He left the office, leaving Shiro full of regret.

Ariwa walked out the door as well and seeing him leave so suddenly, Shiro followed him from behind.
"A-Ariwa, aren't you going to show me around?"

Turning his head back at the boy he coldly glared down at the boy.
"I'm afraid I have business of my own that I have to take care of. Perhaps some other time." Ariwa walked away without another word.

A very disappointed Shiro was left behind. Leaning against a wall he hold his chest felling his heart still beating at full speed.
"How could I...?" he asked to himself holding back tears.

He still had a long way to go. His opportunities were endless. He only needed to look for the right chance. When the time came. He hadn't gave up just yet. He still couldn't expect less than what he just witnessed. For once in his life, he was glad he lied. He never expect he recognize him as soon as he saw him. But at least notice anything in him, would surely give him the slightest sign of hope. But of course, there was no way he could ever remember a stranger.

Thank you for reading! I hope you liked! Let me know what you think about it! see ya next chap!