Note: Alright, sorry for the late update. xD; Thanks to D R A G O N L I L I E S for reminding me to finish this chapter. xDD;
Also, here's something that I realized recently. xD; *SPOILER*The Tsubasa crew have defeated Fei Wang Reed, and the clones are dead. -sniff- So this is R!Sakura. But, there is one feather needed to be collected and destroyed, because the C!Sakura is dead, and the power in the hands of an enemy is very bad. -nodnod-
I hope this was worth the wait. Please, read and review. -brick'd-
Also, please tell me if I screwed up on certain honorifics. It's morning here, and I should be in bed. xD; But anyways - I hope I didn't mess up. Thanksss~
Summary: BleachxTsubasa crossover. Two dense, hot-tempered males, with the two that love them dearly. But the temperamental ones can't seem understand. It's up to Fai and Ichigo to help one another get the ones they love to see it. IchiHitsu, KuroFai.
Warnings: Ohkay. Some severe Fai!Angst is in this chapter. xD; It kinda needed to be that way... Anyways. Might seem a bit out of character. (means I don't know which characters, they just might be. xD; So that's a warning.) And... Yeah, not much yaoi here, but there will be soon. ;) Promise~
Pairings: IchiHitsu, KuroFai.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Tsubasa.
Ichigo lay back on the bed, his arms crossed behind his head as he stared silently at the ceiling. Thoughts were running through his head quickly, causing his brow to furrow in irritation. The note from Urahara that had splattered all over his window – his clean window, mind you – had confused him somewhat.
-----
The two shinigami lay sleeping on the furniture. The room was clean in appearance, and a peaceful silence had settled over the room- SPLAT.
Ichigo sat bolt upright with a shout of surprise, his chocolate-coloured eyes wide and his breathing coming in quick pants.
"Calm yourself, Kurosaki. There's something on your window." The teen forced himself to calm down when he noticed a glowing, ocean-coloured gaze focused on his face in annoyance.
"A-Ah, right." Ichigo glanced at the red coloured liquid on the glass pane, and the important message finally revealed itself.
'Please don't go to school tomorrow~ We need you to keep our new friends company! Pretty please? With sugar on top~?'
Ichigo stared blankly at the words, before sighing.
"I guess we have no choice, Toushirou."
"It's Hitsugaya-taichou."
"Yeah, sure. Anyways, we have to keep them company? Ugh…"
"There's more to the message." Hitsugaya pointed out, a tinge of weariness entering his rough voice. Ichigo blinked momentarily, before turning to face the glass again.
'I knew you'd agree, there's nothing you wouldn't do for me~'
Ichigo sighed, shaking his head.
"What a weird old man… How would he know we would agree… Ugh…"
"Hn."
"Let's go back to sleep. It's way too early to get up, and that stupid old man just had to send the message at this time, didn't he?" Ichigo grumbled to himself, taking the blanket and throwing himself back down onto his pillow, tugging the blanket over his shoulder.
"Night, Toushirou."
"It's Hitsugaya-taichou. And… Isn't it morning?"
"Shut up."
"Boke."
"I'll let that one slide, because I'm tired." Ichigo muttered, before his ochre eyes slid shut, and he fell back into slumber. The white-haired taichou followed not long after, and the room became peaceful once more, in appearance and sound…
Well, except for the words in the colour of blood decorating Ichigo's window.
-----
"Oi. Kurosaki. We should go to Urahara-san's." Hitsugaya's voice broke through the mass of muddled confusion, and Ichigo blinked his ochre eyes in surprise.
"Hm… Alright. I'll clean my window later." The teen stretched his arms fitfully before throwing his legs over the side of the bed.
"Are you already ready? I thought you were still asleep, cause you're a…" Ichigo abruptly stopped speaking at the icy glare he gained from the little taichou – he didn't want a fight this early in the morning.
"Yes, I have been for a while now. You didn't notice, because you were daydreaming." Hitsugaya replied in irritation, a vein pulsing in his forehead.
"Hm… Alright, I'm going to go take a shower."
"Hn."
"Later, Toushirou."
"It's Hitsugaya-taichou." Came the automatic response.
"Sure, sure. I'll be back." Ichigo waved it off, and sauntered breezily out of the room, heading for the bathroom. The door shut silently, a click signifying the lock being put in place.
"Boke." Hitsugaya mumbled under his breath, stalking over to the bed. He clambered onto it and lifted himself onto the window ledge, sliding open the dirtied pane of glass. Cool, morning air rushed in to greet him, soothing his annoyance ever-so-slightly.
"It's going to be a long day…"
"It's time to get up!" Urahara and Fai's voices chorused loudly. Syaoran and Sakura's eyes shot open, and blinked rapidly at the light that entered their vision. Mokona, who was curled in the Princess' arms, yawned widely – what do you expect, that thing's got a mouth the size of a watermelon – and stretched it's stubby little arms.
"Good morning, Fai-san, Kisuke-san!" Sakura smiled brightly, as Syaoran nodded respectfully at the two older blondes. Mokona waved cheerily, bouncing onto Fai's shoulder and clinging to his neck.
"Good morning to you, Sakura-chan!" The two men sang out again, before stomping issued from just down the hallway. In mere moments, the ninja's bulk appeared in the doorway, and he glowered balefully at the two.
"I never would have thought it was possible, but there is actually someone who is as annoying as you, stupid mage." Kurogane snarled, his crimson eyes burning with annoyance.
Urahara and Fai turned to face the irritable ninja, and the shinigami allowed the right side of his lip to curl slightly more than the other.
"Good morning sunshine, the Earth says hello." He snickered, gaining a growl from the ninja and many unrestrained giggles from Fai. Mokona grinned at the black-haired man.
"Someone's a grumpy puppy in the morning!"
"G-Good morning, Kurogane-san." Syaoran tried not to stumble over his words as he attempted to calm down the ninja, who looked quite ready to rip Urahara's head from his body.
"Hmph. Mornin', kid, hime."
"Anyways!" Urahara clapped his hands together, stepping away from Fai and turning to survey the group.
"You guys aren't going to school today. Instead, you're going to be hanging out with our friends!"
"Which 'friends' are you talking about?" Kurogane asked suspiciously, narrowing his blood red eyes.
"Ichigo-kun, Renji-kun, and Hitsugaya-kun, of course! Now… Syaoran-kun, Sakura-chan, you two are going to be with Renji-kun. Kurogane-kun, you're going to be with Ichigo-kun. And, Fai-kun, you're going to be with…" Urahara paused for dramatic effect, and then Fai finished his sentence with a loud –
"Shirou-chan!" In Ichigo's room, the white-haired taichou felt a shiver run up his spine, as if someone was talking about him…
"Of course! Ichigo-kun and Hitsugaya-kun are going to be coming here when they're ready, and we're going to have to get Renji-kun out of bed." Urahara nodded wisely, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Wai wai! Thank you, Kisuke-kun!" Fai cheered, throwing his long arms around the man's shoulders in a brief hug, before turning to face the others. Kurogane's eyes held a bit of uncertainty to them, which Fai understood.
'It will be better this way – we might find a lead on the feather if we split up.' Fai mouthed to soothe the fuming ninja. Kurogane blinked once, and nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement.
"Alright, let's all get ready, and we'll meet our friends!" Fai and Urahara began clapping loudly.
"Shut up, you stupid bastards!" Kurogane thundered furiously, causing both of the teens to wince and sweat drop.
Just a typical morning for the Tsubasa crew…
"Come on, Kurosaki."
"I'm coming!" Ichigo grumbled, his long strides easily helping him catch up to the quick taichou.
"So… Do you think we're going to be with the entire group?"
"Why would he send for both of us, then?" Hitsugaya responded blandly, his teal eyes seeming somewhat unfocused.
"Hm…" Ichigo hummed thoughtfully, before the Juuban tai taichou gave an exasperated sigh.
"Don't think too hard, or your brain might implode from overstraining it."
"Yeah- Hey!" Ichigo pulled out of his 'zoned out' mode and glowered at the white-haired boy.
"I'm just trying to help you."
"You're doing a shitty job of it." Ichigo muttered under his breath, pursing his lips.
"Let's just go." Hitsugaya sighed, shaking his head in annoyance.
"Fine, fine." Ichigo grumbled, and the two walked the rest of the way to Urahara's in silence.
"They should be here any minute now, my friends!" Urahara chimed brightly, gesturing widely with his arms.
"Hai, Kisuke-san." Sakura smiled charmingly up at the blonde, who tipped his striped hat at her.
"Such a pleasant little girl. She's a keeper." He winked suggestively at Syaoran, who blushed a bright, cherry red as the girl cocked her head in confusion.
"Now now, Kisuke-kun, please don't tease Syaoran-kun too much." Fai laughed, slinging an arm around Urahara's shoulders.
"After all, he's still young!"
"F-Fai-san!" Syaoran stammered incredulously, scandalized by the blonde's words.
"Would you two just shut up?" Kurogane barked angrily, narrowing his crimson eyes in the direction of the two – annoying – blondes.
Fai opened his mouth to shoot back a mocking response when a few knocks echoed through the room.
"Urahara? We're here." Ichigo's voice drifted through the door, and Urahara slid himself out of Fai's grip and almost skipped towards the door. He opened it calmly, flashing the orange-haired teen a large grin.
"Good morning, Ichigo-kun, Hitsugaya-kun." Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes at the way-too-happy-to-be-sane man clad in hat and clogs.
"We could have just spent time with these people if we were at school, Urahara-san."
"Well, I want you guys to show them around town."
"We could just have one tour guide, and have us all together." Hitsugaya pointed out, quirking an eyebrow.
"Well, you could, but it's more fun to get to know one of them! Then they can tell you all the secrets about their friends!" Urahara laughed joyously.
"Anyways! Kurogane-kun, you're going with Ichigo-kun." The two mentioned males glanced at each other, and sighed in defeat. The ninja stalked over to Ichigo, towering over him somewhat.
"Mokona, you're staying with me." The white 'manjuu bun' cheered happily, before throwing itself out of the room, waving briefly at its friends before it vanished.
"Syaoran-kun, Sakura-chan, you're staying here until Renji-kun can take you guys out. And, that means…"
"Oh… No…" Hitsugaya mumbled in an undertone, attempting to disguise a look of dawning horror that was beginning to creep across his face.
"Fai-kun, you're going with Hitsugaya-kun!" Urahara announced gleefully, stepping out of the way just in time – the cheery blonde flung himself forward and literally glomped the white-haired taichou to the ground.
"Yay! I get to be with Shirou-chan!"
"Get off of me, bakayaro!" Hitsugaya roared, shoving at Fai's shoulders until the blonde gave in and moved away, standing up and brushing himself off. Hitsugaya slowly pushed himself to his feet, glaring at Urahara.
"Why did you stick me with the blonde twit?"
"Well, you two need to become better acquainted! So, this was the best way. Since you two don't get along well, you should-" Urahara began to explain, his right hand turned towards the ceiling. Said hand was curled into a fist, with the index finger pointed at the ceiling above.
"Save your breath, your explanations are worthless. Come on, boke." Hitsugaya snapped, gesturing stiffly at Fai before walking off.
Kurogane and Ichigo watched them go with odd looks in their eyes, before the ninja scoffed and looked away. Fai glanced over his shoulder and winked, before mouthing 'I'll tell you everything I learn later'. Ichigo nodded briefly, shooting the blonde a grateful smile before turning his attention back onto the ninja.
"Come on, we should get going too. They're going north first, so let's go west."
"Oi – Ichigo, we'll come with you." Renji's voice caused Ichigo to tense momentarily, before he turned to face the red-haired shinigami.
"Sure. We're going west."
"We'll come. You two are Syaoran and Sakura-chan, right?"
"Hai, Renji-san." Syaoran responded, smiling ever-so-slightly up at the taller male.
"Alright, let's go! We've got all day, and a lot to do." Renji grinned wolfishly at the two, before turning and latching onto Ichigo's upper arm.
"Come on, Strawberry – let's go."
"Shut up! Stupid Pineapple!"
"You're a bastard!"
"Prick!"
"Would you two stop arguing?!" Kurogane snarled angrily, stalking towards the pair.
"Just show us around already, idiots." The two shinigami glanced at each other, before nodding dejectedly and slinking off.
"Come on, this way." The two children nodded frantically before scurrying after the pair, Kurogane stomping along not far behind.
Urahara watched them go, his frown hidden behind his famed paper fan. A figure made his way silently towards the blonde, coming up beside him.
"Ah… We've split them up. It'll be harder now for them to get a hold of any of them, with Renji-kun and Ichigo-kun looking after the main group, and a taichou looking after the blonde. They will not be able to get hostages unless our friends are beaten, which I sincerely doubt will happen, unless something goes wrong."
"Of course, sir."
"Let's go wait for Jinta and Ururu to wake up, Tessai. Then, we can discuss things."
"Yes, sir."
"Wow… There are so many buildings!" Sakura commented, awed by the sight of so many structures lining the street.
"Yeah. In some areas of Karakura, though, we've got forests and parks." Ichigo replied briefly, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he strolled casually down the sidewalk.
"I think this place is very nice. What do you think, Kurogane-san?" Sakura glanced over at the silent ninja, her brow creasing slightly when she gained no answer.
"Kurogane-san? Are you alright?"
"I'll catch up with you guys later. I saw something back there I want to check out." Kurogane stated darkly.
"You should stay with us, Kurogane-san." Ichigo glanced back at the ninja stiffly, gaining a cold-hearted glare.
"Where can I meet up with you guys?"
"We'll be stopping for a moment just up the street – there's a small pavilion. Meet us there soon, we don't want to have to wait longer than we need to."
"Yeah yeah, sure. I'll meet you there soon." Kurogane's lip curled gleefully, and he spun around, racing off down the sidewalk. Syaoran and Sakura watched him go, clearly wary – they did not know why the man would leave their group, but it must have been for a good reason.
"Come on, let's go this way. It's not much farther. Your friend will be fine – he's got his blade with him." Ichigo sighed, nodding in the direction of the pavilion.
"Hai, Ichigo-san." The teens chorused.
Kurogane sped back towards Urahara's shoten. There had been something that he had seen out of the corner of his eye, and it looked somewhat familiar.
'Hopefully it's something interesting…' The ninja thought to himself, before he skidded around the corner of a building and entered the alleyway silently, coming out into an unnaturally large square clearing between buildings…
And was met by a pair of masked faces looking at him, their hungry gazes clear to the male.
"Bring it on."
Hitsugaya twitched slightly at the silence that came from the blonde. He had been asking questions ever since they had left the shoten. Things like 'How is your hair spiked?' and 'Why do you look like a kid?', and – the worst one, the one that pried way too far into his personal life – 'Do you like anyone?' Way to be blunt.
He had tried to evade answering the questions, but the blonde had been insistent enough that he had gained a lot of new information on the white-haired taichou.
"Oi. Is something the matter?" Hitsugaya inquired in a seemingly bored tone, glancing up at the blonde out of the corner of his glistening eyes.
"Hm? Oh, I'm fine." Fai replied absently, the fake smile still present on his pale face.
"Something's wrong." The taichou sighed, shaking his head as he stopped walking. Fai continued for a moment, before noticing that Hitsugaya was watching him from behind. He stopped and turned to face the boy, confusion evident on his face.
"I know something's wrong, baka. Are you going to tell me, or are you going to act this way throughout the entire time I have to spend with you?" Hitsugaya snapped coldly.
"I'm worried about them!" Fai blurted out, forcing his smile to widen.
"Why are you worried about them? They'll be fine, especially your large friend – he seems to be talented with a fighting aspect."
"Yes… But I feel like a mother to Mokona, Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan… And Kuro-daddy is the father of our family…" Fai sighed, his mismatched eyes glazing over for a moment.
"So… You're telling me… You feel like they're your family? You're the mother, ojii-san's the father, and those three young ones are the 'children'?" Hitsugaya's voice was incredulous as he stared at Fai. Said blonde nodded, a slightly embarrassed smile taking place of the ever-fake one.
"Why? They aren't related to you. Do you just feel so attached to them, that you cannot bear to see them injured?"
"H-Hai, Shirou-chan… I really don't know what I would do if something happened, and I wasn't there to save hi- them." The blonde corrected himself quickly at the end of his statement, his mismatched eyes blinking warily. The white-haired boy quirked an eyebrow, but ignored it.
"It's Hitsugaya-taichou." The boy responded automatically, before his teal eyes narrowed slightly. Both remained silent as they continued walking, the cool air of morning causing goose bumps to rise on Fai's arms.
"Hm… You worry too much… Did you ever think of taking the blunt route?" The two of them rounded a corner, and Fai's eyes widened in bewilderment.
"The blunt route?"
"… Baka." Hitsugaya sighed in exasperation. "Did you ever think of telling them how worried you are? Maybe they could help dispel your fears of them dying."
Fai could not help the snort of disbelief that escaped him.
"I would, but I can't. See, if I tell them that I'm worried sick about them, then they will become worried about me if I seem ill, and it doesn't do any good. Especially with Kuro-pon – he's so loyal to his Princess and his country, and when we get back there, he's going to stay, and I'm going to worry for the rest of my days. Even if he knows, he won't care…" Fai rambled on and on, and the taichou almost growled at the note of 'I'm-angsting' in the blonde's voice. It was clear he had been this way before, but he had gotten over it. He was glad he had not been there when the blonde had acted this way – it was annoying.
"I'm a fool…" Fai mumbled under his breath – the statement was clearly not meant for the taichou's ears, but he heard it anyways.
"Don't talk about yourself so coldly, Fluorite." Hitsugaya's tone made Fai glance at him in surprise. The taichou's voice had gone soft, and his eyes looked somewhat distant.
"If you really think you're that bad, then nothing good will ever happen to you. I think you, of all people, should know that by now."
"What brings you to that conclusion?"
"Your little friends, Sakura-san and Syaoran-san, spoke to me the other day. They're worried sick about you too, Fluorite. The boy told me about your past, and how in the beginning, you blamed yourself for everything, and you were hard on yourself. You did not allow yourself to feel anything towards anyone, because you were afraid."
"… You're very intelligent, for a young boy, Shirou-chan." Hitsugaya bit back an angry retort when he noticed the thoughtful look on Fai's face.
"I'll allow it, this once. But don't push your luck, Fluorite."
"Aw, come on, Shirou-chan – you know you love it when we call you by your adorable name!" Fai laughed brightly, easily evading the elbow that was almost shoved into his hip.
"Behave, or I'll send you right back to Ichigo-kun." The blonde chuckled in a mocking warning, and the white-haired taichou growled vehemently.
"Shut it, Fluorite!"
"Now now, is that any way to talk to a friend?"
"Who said you're my friend, bakayaro?!"
"Aw, is someone pouting?"
"Shut up you stupid bastar-" The phone in Hitsugaya's pocket began to beep frantically, and the white-haired taichou stopped dead in his tracks, tugging it out and flipping it open.
"… Two Hollows, slightly southwest of here, engaged with a non-shinigami… Assisting a Privaron Espada…" The boy shut the phone with a loud noise and shoved it back into his pocket, before drawing out the candy dispenser.
Fai watched in dull bemusement as the boy's soul separated from his body, and the new soul within Hitsugaya's body stayed close to the blonde.
"Fluorite, stay here." Hitsugaya commanded sternly, before his form flickered and vanished. He reappeared on a roof nearby, his stony gaze examining the area before he caught the telltale sign of the reiatsu of his enemies. Hitsugaya wasted no time – he vanished once more, heading straight for the scene.
Fai stayed in place for a few minutes, allowing the soothing silence of the calm town to overcome him before a shriek interrupted his moment, and – against Hitsugaya's will – took off towards the fight. The body behind him stayed still for a moment, before slowly following Fai.
"Ahaha! Did you really think you could beat me? Weak!" Kurogane laughed raucously, Ginryuu flashing through the air as it sliced through the stomach of one of the large Hollows. It howled angrily, swinging a clawed hand at the ninja, who flipped backwards to avoid the attack.
"How pitiful! I don't see why they need so many shinigami in this place – you are all so weak!" Suddenly, the ninja's crimson eyes widened, and he spun on his heel to block the attack that had come from behind him. His gaze met with that of the Privaron Espada's, and he was swiftly kicked backwards through the air. All the air in Kurogane's lungs was expelled in a pained grunt, and he struggled to regain his breath as he sat up.
"Ah, you do realize that those are very weak Hollows? You haven't dealt with Menos Grande, Arrancar, and you definitely have not dealt with Espada." The Privaron chuckled darkly, advancing forward with zanpakuto in hand.
Kurogane finally pushed himself to his feet, taking a deep breath before flashing the former Espada a dark grin.
"Finally, a challenge. Bring it on, freakshow." The two blades connected with a loud grating noise that set Kurogane's teeth on edge. Of course, in the heat of the battle, he had forgotten about the two Hollows that were in the area, and he yelped in pain as a long wound was opened in his back. The Privaron Espada launched a powerful roundhouse kick towards Kurogane's face, and the ninja was sent flying into a nearby wall, shattering the bricks.
As the dust began to clear, Kurogane's bloodied form was revealed, laying on top of the broken bricks. His blood red eyes stared in astonishment up at the cloud ridden sky, and his body denied his frantic requests to move, to somehow pull himself to his feet and save himself.
The former Espada laughed cynically as he advanced on the prone form of the ninja, who was still struggling to rise and fight back. The creature raised its zanpakuto and held it in a vertical position over the unnerved ninja, with the tip of the blade pointing down at his chest.
"Prepare to die."
Hitsugaya's shunpo carried him quickly towards his destination, but he wasn't fast enough.
He arrived just in time to hear the three final words the Privaron spoke.
"Prepare to die." Hitsugaya's eyes widened in shock – the ninja was sprawled on a pile of bricks, his body laying limp. The frantic twitches that his body was giving off, though, were a clear sign that he was attempting to rise and protect himself. If he interfered, there was a chance that he would get injured. His best bet was to just allow the Privaron to stab the ninja, then call for the assistance of Inoue Orihime once he dispatched the Hollows.
Hitsugaya was preparing to go through with this plan, when he suddenly stiffened. Fai's words were replayed within his mind, as if they were there to make him feel guilty for his plan.
-----
"H-Hai, Shirou-chan… I really don't know what I would do if something happened, and I wasn't there to save hi- them…"
-----
The white-haired taichou felt the blood pounding in his head at the memory, and he knew what he had to do.
After all – the blonde clearly loved Kurogane.
Shinigami were supposed to help people, no matter if they were strong or weak.
And he couldn't allow Kurogane the chance to die, nor allow Fai the chance to have his heart broken in two for the second time.
Hyourinmaru was unsheathed in a bright flash, and the taichou lunged forward just as the blade plunged downwards.
Ichigo leaped up into the air with surprise, as the skull 'keychain' hanging off his waist began shrieking 'Hollow! Hollow! Hollow!' over and over again. Renji's phone began beeping repeatedly. People around them glanced at the group like they were meant to be in an insane asylum or something.
"Two hollows and a Privaron Espada, south of here. Attacking someone who is not a soul, nor a shinigami…" Renji blinked in surprise, before standing.
"Let's go. We'll keep in our bodies until we get there, because we can't leave you two behind." Ichigo followed Renji's example, and gestured at Syaoran and Sakura. The red-haired shinigami began running out of the pavilion, Ichigo hot on his heels.
"Come on! They should be this way!" Renji's voice carried back towards the two foreigners, who followed the two.
"Renji-san? I think this is the way Kurogane-san went!" Syaoran called out to the shinigami fukutaichou.
"Are you sure? He could be the one being attacked." Ichigo added on to his friend's statement, worry coating his voice for a slight moment.
"Hai – I'm sure Kurogane-san went this way! He's probably caught in the fight!" Syaoran responded, fighting to keep a calm tone.
"All shinigami get the call, right? If Hitsugaya-kun gets there fast, Kurogane-san should be fine… Right?" Sakura cried out fearfully.
"Of course, hime – Kurogane-san will be fine, I'm sure of it."
"And Toushirou is too stubborn to die." Ichigo tacked on, to calm down the worried hime.
"That's Hitsugaya-taichou for you." Renji chuckled for a moment, before they all skidded around a corner and continued running.
"Now, come on, guys – let's hurry up! It's a pity you two can't shunpo, it would make it a lot faster."
"Sorry, Kurosaki-san." The two children apologized profusely.
"Nah, don't apologize – I'm sure they're perfectly fine. After all – they've got nothing to lose, right?" Ichigo forced a calming smile to come across his features as he glanced back at Syaoran and Sakura, who nodded back at him gratefully.
'I have something to lose… But I can't let them worry… Please, be alright.' Was the final thought that crossed Ichigo's mind as the group hurried around the corner of the building, stopping to watch the scene before them in silence.
Fai's strides continued to get longer and longer before he broke into a fast run, easily maneuvering around the crowds of people all clustered together. They were all fleeing from the sudden explosions in the area behind them, which Fai was racing towards as if his life depended on it.
Finally, he slammed on his 'brakes' and skidded to a stop. Hitsugaya's body came up silently beside him, watching the dust with a solemn gaze.
His mismatched eyes darted around the area, surveying it in silence before he tentatively crept forward, preparing to enter the destroyed clearing.
"Prepare to die." He heard the deep voice as the small clouds of dust disappeared entirely, and his breath hitched in his throat.
'Kuro-sama… No!' Fai's heart almost shattered as the zanpakuto plunged downwards.
Kurogane's blood red eyes closed as he waited for the inevitable…
Which didn't come.
Instead, there was a loud grating noise as the two zanpakutos connected. The Privaron drew the blade back in shock, stumbling at the powerful slice aimed at his midsection.
"Souten ni zase… Hyourinmaru." Hitsugaya raised his arm high in the air, and brought the blade down. The shimmering, blue aura surrounding the steel vanished and was replaced by an ice dragon that blasted out from the tip of the zanpakuto. The former Espada regained its composure, and easily evaded the attack.
The form of the creature vanished, and when it reappeared beside the taichou, another – painful to the ears – grating noise shattered the air. Hyourinmaru struck the blade aside and stabbed the Privaron Espada through the stomach.
The creature howled in pain, narrowing his eyes at the taichou.
"You're a captain, little boy." It hissed in irritation, leaping backwards to avoid another attack by the tendo. Hitsugaya remained silent, his face contorted into a look of concentration and even disgust. The final one was directed at the Privaron Espada with discontent, causing it to snarl angrily.
Suddenly, it vanished.
Hitsugaya's teal eyes widened - the creature was not like a normal Arrancar - it was stronger. Cursing inwardly, he glanced around frantically, and spun around just in time to lock zanpakutos with the Privaron. His position was awkward, however - Hitsugaya's upper body was twisted around, while his lower body remained planted firmly on the ground... Facing in the opposite direction.
"Why are you here? That bastard Aizen would not send a Privaron Espada without reason." The tendo barked, enraged. The Privaron swiftly pressed down on Hyourinmaru, causing Hitsugaya to grit his teeth from the discomfort. The creature then struck, batting Hyourinmaru out of the way and striking Hitsugaya across his revealed side. Said shinigami bit back a cry of pain, and spun around to face the Privaron, moving his blade quickly to strike it across the midsection.
"I'm in a fraccion, little taichou." The former Espada responded snidely, leaping backwards and avoiding the slash with a laugh.
"Who do you work for?"
"Someone that you would never survive meeting – Aizen-sama has given 'em somethin' special!" Hitsugaya bared his somewhat sharp teeth at the creature, swinging his zanpakuto in a horizontal slice at the Privaron Espada's midsection. The creature easily evaded the attack, landing quite a few metres away from Hitsugaya.
"You're weak, boy!" He chided mockingly, shaking his head in a clear show of cynicism.
"… You sure?" Hitsugaya swung Hyourinmaru back the opposite way, and the ice blasted off of it again. The Privaron's eyes widened at the close range of the attack, and he attempted to step backwards.
The ice dragon roared in glee as it rushed forward, engulfing the stock-still Privaron and encasing it in a solid block of ice. Its form slowly began to fade away, and the dragon continued on to destroy the masks of the two Hollows still nearby, awaiting a command from the former Espada. Their forms disintegrated quickly, and the ice vanished as the zanpakuto was sheathed.
"… K-Kid!" Kurogane finally managed to find his voice, and he forced himself to sit up – finally, his body was obeying his commands once more. The white-haired taichou turned slowly to face him, before doing the one thing that would shock him for a long time.
Hitsugaya took a hold of the collar of Kurogane's destroyed black shirt, and dragged him forward so they were face-to-face.
"You listen here, baka." Hitsugaya ground out between clenched teeth, as his body trembled with anger.
"You need to take better care of yourself – if you continue throwing yourself out for fights, then they could easily break down. The walls would come down, and it would be your fault. You make him worried sick when you do stuff like this. Think next time… And be thankful that there is a 'next time'." Hitsugaya snarled angrily, before standing up straight and releasing the ninja's collar, crossing his arms.
"Kuro-tan! Shirou-chan!" Fai cried out, falling to his knees beside his tall friend. The taichou's gigai moved up towards the three males.
"It's Hitsugaya-taichou, Fluorite." Hitsugaya growled darkly as he slipped back into the gigai, shifting the clothes slightly and rolling his shoulders.
"Oi! Toushirou! Kurogane-san! You two alright?" The orange-haired teen yelled.
"Did you not hear what I just told Fluorite, Kurosaki? Call me by my proper title." The white-haired taichou snarled darkly, glaring balefully in the substitute shinigami's direction.
Ichigo opened his mouth to spill out a sarcastic remark, but before any noise came out, a sorrowful voice interrupted him.
"Kuro-min, answer me." Fai murmured, shaking the ninja by his shoulders. Kurogane did not respond, and Ichigo closed his eyes momentarily, giving an inward sigh. He reopened glistening, ochre eyes and glanced down at the ninja.
Kurogane was shivering violently, and blood stained his face and the area encircling him. His eyes were wide, and the lids trembled with the strain of remaining open. Fai reached down and took a hold of Ginryuu, sliding it silently back into its sheath before wrapping his long fingers around the ninja's wrist, wincing at the fast pulse that pounded through the black-haired man's veins.
After a moment, the blonde slung Kurogane's arm around his shoulder, kept a tight hold on his wrist. He wrapped his other arm around the ninja's waist, and pulled him to his feet.
"Come on, Kuro-min. Just take one step at a time." Fai muttered into the man's ear, and was relieved when his feet slowly began to shuffle forwards.
"Kurogane-san!" Twin voices echoed through the air as Syaoran and Sakura raced for the almost limp ninja, and they took a hold of his free arm, bending it at the elbow and pushing upwards. He was balanced more, and the group began to move forward quickly.
"Oi, this way." Renji's voice carried over to them, and they all took off towards Urahara's shoten.
"It seems that there's been a bit of a flaw in our plans to keep them safe." Urahara sighed briefly, snapping his fan shut and frowning.
"What are you talking about, sir?" Tessai glanced down at the blonde, before the answer to his question burst in through the front door.
The answer was revealed to be a frantic group of three foreigners tugging a limp body through the doorway.
Hitsugaya, Renji and Ichigo followed them in silence, their gazes all focused on Kurogane's battered body.
Urahara stared at them for a few seconds, before grinning slightly.
"Well, it seems you kids had some fun out there."