Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or the characters. They are Tite Kubo's no matter how much I wish they were mine. This is, of course, with the exception of my OCs.
Please see A/N at the end of the Chapter for details or information.
Chapter 7: Seireitei, White-Walled City
Fourth Division Barracks, Seireitei, Soul Society
Kyoraku had never met, seen or heard of a boy such as the one he looked at now. Snow white hair, porcelain skin and filled to the brim with such power it was nigh impossible to contain. So much so it had nearly killed him and everyone else in the room with him.
Even now, Kyoraku could feel that power brimming under the surface and it sent chills down his spine. To think such a young boy like him was so powerful without any training at all. Reiatsu of such a like was rare, and for good reason. Those souls in possession of it had a tendency to die young.
The boy appeared peaceful there he lay on the hospital bed, chest rising and falling steadily in tune with his breathing. It looked like he was only sleeping, as if he would wake any moment, but three days had passed since the incident with the orb and he had yet to even twitch his eyelids.
"Here again, Captain Kyoraku?" Unohana, Captain of the Fourth and undoubtedly the best healer in all of Soul Society, came up beside him, a clipboard tucked under her arm.
She looked impeccable as always, but Kyoraku had known her for many years and was able to see that she was tired. Her mouth was set a bit tighter than usual, her eyes were harder and her stride less assured.
Kyoraku glanced at her and tipped her his straw hat in greeting.
His gaze turned on the boy again. "How is he?"
Unohana returned the gesture and looked at the boy as well. "He's perfectly healthy. All his injuries have healed."
"But?"
"He will not wake."
Kyoraku's brow crinkled. "Why?"
She sighed and scribbled something on the clipboard. "Reiatsu overload. The sudden manifestation and use of his Reiryoku overwhelmed him and now his spiritual power is in disarray. Out of control."
"Doubt it ever was in control to begin with."
"True."
"Do you think it'll be long?"
Unohana shrugged and shook her head lightly. "Hard to say. We'll just have to wait and see."
Kyoraku shot her a brief glance. She seemed uncertain and worried. It was such a rare emotion for her to display that Kyoraku couldn't help share her unspoken fears. The thought of what the boy could become, what could happen to him….
He made no comment - there was no need for words - and simply nodded, tipping his hat over his eyes as he looked at the boy's prone form. "I suppose so."
Headmistress' Office, Spiritual Arts Academy, Seireitei, Soul Society
Matsumoto rubbed a sore spot on her shoulder as her eyes surveyed the room. It was still deep frozen, ice covering the floors, walls and ceiling. A fiber thin layer of snow lay upon the ice, like white powder or sugar except really, really cold.
Shinigami from Squad 12 was hard at work chipping it away, but they kept slipping on the ice and the snow. The ice was unusually dense and hard, and they were struggling to remove it. After three days they weren't even halfway done. Only recently had they removed a little over ¼ of the ice. It was a horrendously slow process and many of the Shinigami was annoyed and tired, and really, really cold.
A momentary dizzy spell forced Matsumoto to support herself against the wall. The ice bit into her immediately and sucked the heat from her body like a leech. She winced and pulled back her hand immediately. Damn, the ice was really cold!
That kid…
She knew he was powerful; she had felt as much the first time they met. But this - she shook her head and rubbed the now slightly blue hand on her tigh to get the blood flowing again - this was on a completely different level.
His Reiatsu was so immense it had nearly crushed her and Shiori, and him too. It had burst from his body and cracked his skin as if he was an egg. He had collapsed in a heap after he lost complete control over himself, bleeding and breathing heavily. She thought for sure the kid was dead.
That wasn't the most surprising bit though. Oh no, not even close. Not only did Toshiro utterly wreck the room, he shattered the orb too, something no one had ever done or thought possible. Considering who had made it, it shouldn't have been.
"Matsumoto! There you are!"
She jumped in surprise and turned around. Leaning against the frame of the doorway was Isshin Shiba, the leader of Squad 10 and her Captain.
Isshin let out a long whistle as he stepped into the room. "You weren't kidding. What a mess!" He came up next to her and spun 360 degrees, taking in the entirety of the room. "He even blew out the door!"
Matsumoto brushed some ice and snow from his shoulder. "Yeah, it's pretty impressive."
"Impressive?" he stared at her. "No, this is terrifying!" He didn't sound scared in the slightest. "Oh, and by the way, Rangiku, I need your help with some paperwork."
She blinked. "You came all the way here for that?"
"Uh, yes?"
For a moment she just stared at him. As always, he was too lazy to do his paperwork himself and relied on everyone else to do it for him. Not this time, though.
She snorted and shook her head. "Do it yourself, Captain. I'm on sick leave, remember?"
"Oh, I know." Isshin flashed her is trademark big smile, but then he suddenly sobered up and became very serious. "Matsumoto, Yamamoto has called a Captain's Council."
Matsumoto stilled and met his darkened gaze. "The kid?"
He nodded. "In a way. Ms. Shiori is still in the Fourth and probably won't get out in quite a while. We'll need to find a substitute principal in the meantime and then there's the matter of, well…." He gestured around the room, brow pinched in a momentarily display of uncharacteristic worry and contemplation.
They stood in silence for a few seconds as they both took a moment to take in the almost total destruction of the room. Matsumoto once again questioned the fact that she - and most importantly, the kid - was still alive. Lord knows what Isshin was thinking about.
Matsumoto broke the silence with a heavy and over-exaggerated sigh. "I understand. I'll see to it that the work gets done."
Isshin's smile returned as if it had never been gone and he gave her two thumbs up. "Great! I'll leave it in your hands then, Lieutenant!" He spun around and sauntered out of the room, waving at her over his shoulder, seemingly without a care in the world.
Matsumoto stared after him reprehensively, shaking her head slightly. The man was lazy and irresponsible to a fault, and took few things seriously, but he was a Captain for a reason. He was truly one of the strongest in the Gotei 13 and for that he had her respect. He was also one of the kindest men she knew and she had a feeling this whole incident plagued him more than he let on. If only he actually did his job.
Behind her, one of the Shinigami cursed loudly as a chip of ice he cut lose smashed down on his foot. His lips were blue and his hands shook violently.
Matsumoto exhaled slowly and stood still for several seconds before she too left the room. In her wake, she left a plume of white steam in the deep, biting chill.
It was dark and quiet. He couldn't hear or see anything even though his eyes were open. Or at least, he thought they were. It was hard to tell and truth be told, he didn't really care right now. He was warm - so very, very warm - and comfortable and all alone. But, strangely enough it wasn't lonesome. It felt like he was floating through a temperate sea, weightless and without fears, doubts and worries to drag him down to the bottom. Like he was unburdened for the first time in forever. It was such a refreshing change.
Main Hall of the First Division Headquarter
Yamamoto Genryusai was his usual stoic self, but the air of frailty the ancient leader normally carried himself with had evaporated. In its place was a grim demeanor and an aura of severity. It was clear to all present that today's Captain's Council would be no laughing matter.
The ancient shinigami regarded all twelve of the gathered Captains one by one, his red eyes lacking any apparent emotion. Five minutes had passed since the last of the Captains, namely Isshin of Squad 10, had arrived, yet the Head-Captain hadn't uttered a single word, not even in response to Kyoraku's and Ukitake's greeting.
The Captains stood still as stone and waited passively, some more so than others, until finally, Yamamoto deigned to speak.
"In the recent weeks there has been a resurgence of Hollows throughout Rukongai." Yamamoto's voice was booming and echoed through the room, yet it never rose beyond normal volume. The Head-Captain continued, skipping any and all pleasantries.
"They are moving closer to Seireitei and now appear between District 30 and District 50. That is further than they have been in years. As Shinigami it is our duty to defeat them, yet they move into our territory and more and more of them appear in the Living World."
Once again, his gaze traveled over each Captain in turn, searing into them as if they blamed and berated them for that fact, as if they had failed somehow. And every Captain met that gaze without looking away or flinching.
"Patrols will henceforth be doubled and a portion of our forces will be relegated into pushing back the encroaching beasts. Byakuya and Tosen, this will be your task." For a brief moment, Yamamoto's attention focused on Byakuya, lingering there until the younger man gave a stoic nod in response. Tosen was offered a cursory glance as he too gave a slight affirmative dip of the head.
"Shinoreijutsuin is in need of a new principal after recent events." Yamamoto hardly skipped a beat, gaze now fixed on all of them at once.
The meeting continued and lasted for another twenty minutes as information, orders and schedules were discussed and assigned. Once all was said, Yamamoto declared the meeting adjourned with a loud rap of his wooden staff.
As the Captains shuffled out of the room, Kyoraku, Unohana and Ukitake remained behind. All three received questioning glances from the others, with the exception of Kenpachi and Mayuri who hadn't stuck behind long enough to see them linger. But in time, the three were alone in the large room with the ancient Head-Captain.
Fourth Division Barracks
Momo set the fruit basket on the nightstand next to his bed, then she dragged the chair from the corner closer and sat down. She carefully brushed a strand of white hair out of his face, hand hovering over him for a moment, before she folded her hands in her lap.
He was sleeping so quietly, so peacefully, that Momo feared he was dead. It worried her so much that she occasionally had to lean over him and check if he was still breathing, even if she knew that, rationally, it was a stupid fear to have. She had been constantly and continuously assured by the Fourth division Shinigami that he was fine and would wake any moment. That he was just tired.
If only that moment was now.
She was still uncertain of what to think about this recent development. Shiro - her Shiro-chan, her little baby brother - here, in Seireitei and in the Fourth no less! No one had told her how he ended up in the bed, not even Captain Unohana whenever Momo asked. It was all so hush hush and she didn't like it one bit.
So hush hush in fact, that even her own Captain, the all-knowing Aizen, didn't know the story. But he had reassured her anyway and given her a couple of days free so she could deal with the whole thing. So kind, as always.
Momo caught herself blushing and hurriedly grabbed an apple and a plate from the basket. She started to peel it with the knife she'd brought with her.
Toshiro didn't have any visible injuries and as far as she could tell, he was unharmed. The only thing she could think of was that he was sick and had fallen ill with something. Dreadfully, she wondered if it was something very serious, but she told herself to remain calm.
Certainly, they would inform her if it was. Certainly.
Had they informed Granny? The question hit her and for a moment, she stopped peeling the apple. She hoped they had. Maybe Granny was the one who brought him to Seireitei or informed someone who could help, like Jidanbo. Him and Shiro had always been close for reasons unfathomable to Momo, but she was glad he had at least one friend.
As she continued to peel the apple, Toshiro's eyelids suddenly twitched and a tiny sound escaped him, something reminiscent of a sigh. Momo almost dropped everything in her hands and only barely caught herself.
She leaned forward and stared intently at him. Was he waking up?
"Shiro-chan?" she whispered, but no response was given. He was completely still again.
Momo felt her face and shoulders drop. Her grip on the knife tightened and she closed her eyes for a second as she sunk back into the chair. For a split second, she had been so happy. This was the first time he'd made a sound or moved in any noticeable capacity.
She opened her eyes and looked at him again. He looked like a kid, so sweet and innocent. Was he dreaming of anything? If he was, she hoped it was a good, peaceful dream. A happy one. He deserved to be happy and she wanted to see him be it for a change.
She wanted to see him smile when he woke up. She wanted to see him pout and hear him tell her he wasn't a kid when she served him breakfast. Apples and watermelons and a glass of juice. She wanted to talk with him and laugh, like they used to do.
"Please wake up soon, Toshiro."
He wasn't alone anymore. Perhaps he never had been and just hadn't noticed until now. All around he could feel this all-encompassing presence, brushing his skin and his hair. It was as if the temperate sea had taken form and was now wrapped protectively around him. A serpentine blanket.
There was a low thrum vibrating through him, soft and oddly comforting. He knew with certainty that it came from the presence that surrounded him. He didn't know how he knew, he just did, but that wasn't the strangest thing of all.
The thrum was filled with emotions. Emotions that radiated off the presence and bathed him just as much the thrum made his body quiver with those very same emotions. Whoever the presence was, it was sad.
Sorrow, guilt and shame and loneliness - so, so much loneliness - surrounded him. He wanted to stretch out his hand, reach with his body and mind, and help the presence. Soothe it. Make it feel loved. Those emotions, the pain. Crushing. Overwhelming. Powerful He wanted to make them go away because he knew them. Recognized them.
They were his.
But he couldn't. He was too tired, too at peace, to move. And the presence, despite its depressive emotions, coiled around him and changed its sad thrum to one of comfort and hope.
Distantly, he thought he heard a voice whisper for him to rest, and he couldn't help but comply and sink further into the sea, any and all worries whisked away by the current.
"I'm here, always. Now, rest, little one."
Main Hall of the First Division Headquarter
"Why did you ask us to remain?" Ukitake asked as the door closed behind the last of the Captains. "Is it because of the boy?"
Yamamoto didn't respond and remained seated in the exact position he'd been in for the entire meeting. Cross-legged on a mat. Instead it was Unohana who replied.
"Yes, Ukitake." She looked at him grimly and Ukitake quickly understood that the situation was a lot more serious than he had initially assumed.
"Is he-?"
"No," Kyoraku came to stand directly beside him, adjusting his straw hat as he did so. "Still breathing."
Ukitake sighed with relief. "Good." He looked at Yamamoto. "Then what's the problem?"
Yamamoto dipped his head at Unohana who cleared her throat. "The boy - Toshiro Hitsugaya - very nearly died. Principal Hirata and Lieutenant Matsumoto almost got crushed by the sheer force of his Reiatsu. His body was unable to contain the full focused force of it. It started leaking out dangerously and would of completely broken his body had his focus not shattered when he panicked."
Kyoraku let out a long whistle. "Well, damn."
Unohana nodded. "Indeed. The force and power he possesses is of a like I haven't seen in centuries. It's already Captain class."
"But he can't control it." Ukitake said with a sigh. Kyoraku and Unohana's silence was answer enough. "I assume he'll join the Academy."
Kyoraku and Unohana exchanged looks and turned to the stoic Yamamoto. The Head-Captain had his eyes closed, but opened them as he spoke. "He cannot be allowed entry as he is now."
"What?" Ukitake stared at the other three in confusion. "But he has to! Letting someone with so much Reiatsu roam free and untrained could attract hordes of Hollows. It would surely kill him, not to mention the damage an outburst can cause to others! He's a child and he's in need of our help!"
Yamamoto banged his staff on the floor and the sound it caused reverberated through the room. Ukitaka stiffened, but quickly relaxed his shoulders and dipped his head. "Apologies, Head-Captain Yamamoto."
"The boy's Reiatsu is too strong and too rampant to be trained as it is. Any attempt at doing so, will kill him and possibly many others." Yamamoto's gaze burned into the three of them, predominantly focused on Ukitake before they shifted to Unohana. "Therefore, Unohana will seal a portion of it away."
"What!?" all three exclaimed at once.
Seal? Ukitake could hardly believe his ears. In all his millenia of life, Yamamoto had never made such a suggestion. Then again, no individual like that boy had appeared before, at least not to Ukitake's knowledge. The only one who came close was perhaps Zaraki.
"He's a potential asset for Seireitei we cannot afford to lose." Yamamoto said and rose to his feet slowly.
"But school term has already started and with the incident, the instructors will be reluctant to accept him." Unohana shook her head. "The entire school and most of Seireitei will have learned of it by now, and though we can chalk much of the damage up to a 'malfunction with the testing apparatus', some will not be so easily fooled or accepting. Then there's his age. He's not a hundred, he's not even half that yet."
What? Really? But then-
Kyoraku steadied his straw hat. "You sure it's wise to make a Shinigami of a child? It's not exactly fun and games."
"The decision is made." Yamamoto responded. His voice made it clear that there was no room for discussion. "You will sponsor his entry into the Academy, Ukitake, and the three of you will ensure his education completes."
Before any of them could protest, Yamamoto left the room through the back entrance without as much as another word. They were left staring after him in silence for a long time. Yamamoto's mind had been made up a long time ago and nothing they said or did could change it.
"Well, that happened." Kyoraku sighed and scratched at his stubble. "You think the old man has a purpose in mind for the kid?"
"Don't know." Ukitake shot Kyoraku a look. "But I don't like this. He's a kid!"
"A powerful kid." Unohana added. "One who's powers would go to waste without training. If this is the only way to give him that, then so be it."
Ukitake shook his head. "It still doesn't feel right."
Despite Unohana's words and her stoic expression, he could she had her doubts too.
"Eh," Kyoraku shrugged nonchalantly and tipped his hat back in his signature way, "who knows, maybe the kid'll enjoy it. Carrying around that much Reiatsu and that strong of a spirit ain't never easy. It'd be best for him to use it. Plenty of people go mad or die when they can't. Better for him to be a Shinigami and use his powers to help those in need, than rot in Rukongai."
Both Ukitake and Unohana had to concede the point, and together with Kyoraku, they too left the room, the door closing behind them with a loud boom.
Something had changed. It's the first thing he noticed when a semblance of awareness - or what amounted to it wherever he was - returned to him. The presence moved around him and it brushed soothingly against his mind, filling him with comfort and peace.
"Worry not, little one, worry not."
But he could not comply. Around him, he could feel the sea shift and swirl. It almost felt as if some of it was being dragged away. Or more accurately, like someone were building a dam, slowly laying down the bricks and separating a portion of the sea from the rest.
At first, it was barely noticeable, but as more bricks were laid and the speed of which they were, increased, it became impossible to ignore.
The presence coiled and stretched, and a low growl reverberated through and around him. Still it tried to calm and soothe him, even as he twisted and squirmed in the rapidly cooling sea, unable to see anything or get a true sense of what was happening.
But suddenly, a thousand things happened all at once and his senses was overwhelmed.
An earsplitting roar emitted from the presence and it surged over him, wrapping around him just as the sea exploded into motion. He could see nothing, but he could hear and feel, and that was more than enough to know that chaos reigned and that all was wrong.
Huge portions of the sea rushed past him, forcibly dragged through an opening in the dam. Without warning, he suddenly found himself in the middle of a violent, unrelenting torrent that tore into him from all sides. Were it not for the presence, it would surely have ripped him limb from limb.
But even the protection the presence offered wasn't complete, and he screamed – just as the presence did (oh, what a horrible sound) – as the very core of his being shook and groaned. Familiar pain and sensations, intense but less so than before, stabbed at him from all sides and buried into his flesh. It was just like in his dreams, like when he held the orb, but instead of coming from within and without – pulsating everywhere – it rushed past and through him. Leaving him.
The sea, he now realized, wasn't a sea, not truly. It was a part of him, a piece of his very soul and being, and of the presence too. And it was being taken from him, from them, sealed deep behind a dam he couldn't go over.
The presence wrapped tighter around him as the torrent grew more and more violent. The pain it brought lessened more and more until it was but a distant throbbing, the sea a faint roar in his ears. In its stead, he felt a different sort of pain, one that wasn't his, but at the same time, was.
"Shhh," the presence sounded close, closer than ever before. It was pressed up against his skin, his head and his ears. He could hear pain in it, but also relief. "It's alright, little one, it's alright. It may hurt, but no lasting harm will come. We are saved."
"I-it's yours."
Ours….
"W-why do I feel-"
"Shhh, little one, there- time- answers-"
"What!? I can't hear you! It's all broken up!"
The presence spoke again, but he could hear nothing but jumbled, drowning words. It tried again and again and again, but for each try, its voice grew fainter until he could make out no words at all. All that was left to remind him of its existence was the lingering pain and the press of its closeness, but in time, even that faded and he was suddenly all alone.
He drifted in darkness without sensation or any idea of time, his mind detached, but then, distant and almost imperceptible, another voice called.
"Please wake up soon, Toshiro."
It was empty.
The first thing Toshiro noticed when he woke up wasn't the warmth or the press of the sheets, the heaviness of his body or the sunlight that peered through the blinds of the window. No, the first thing he noticed was that he was completely and utterly alone.
The room was empty.
He tried to sit up, only to find that he couldn't. His body was too lazy, too tired and heavy; too accustomed to lying still. How long had he been out? And why? Toshiro couldn't remember what had happened nor did he know where he was. He couldn't really see straight either, his eyes clouded with sleep.
I dreamed, but of what?
All his thoughts slipped through his fingers like sand. He felt horribly sluggish and unfocused. Out of tune. It was as if he hadn't quite settled into his body after being away in dreamland or something. Yeah, no, that didn't make sense, but coming up with a good analogy was impossible in his current state.
Toshiro lay completely still while he waited for his mind to clear and for his body to fully wake. He wiggled his toes and fingers in an attempt to speed up the process, occupying himself with repeated attempts to recall his dream or any sort of memory of where he was and why. He came up empty on the former.
The Shinigami…. Seireitei…. I remember.
The creak of the door brought him out of his thoughts and he turned his head to see a tall, dark-haired woman enter the room. She smiled when she saw him and walked up to the window.
"How are you feeling?" she opened the blinders. "Good I hope."
"I, uh, am a bit tired." His gaze followed her as she came over to him. "How long have I been out?"
"About a week." She was still smiling he noticed. "Tell me, how much do you remember. Any headaches or memory issues?
"No, I recall."
She nodded. "Any pain or strange sensations?" He shook his head. "Can you sit up?" She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, her perpetual smile warm and open.
Toshiro didn't answer. Instead, he pushed himself into a sitting position. It was surprisingly difficult; his body was still asleep. "Who are you?"
Her hand was still on his shoulder. "Ah, yes, where are my manners. I'm Retsu Unohana, Captain of the Fourth Division and a healer. Me and my subordinates have been taking care of you during your stay here."
"Oh…. Thank you."
"No need for thanks. It's our duty."
The door creaked again and two men entered. They were both tall and one of them wore a white haori, just like the woman. The haori clad man had long, white hair and kind green eyes. He looked a bit emaciated to Toshiro, as if he was ill. The other man was different. He wore a pink kimono, and a lady's at that. And a straw hat.
It was such a strange look that Toshiro was taken aback for a bit, so much so that he didn't register that the white-haired man had spoken until after the fact.
The two introduced themselves as Jushiro Ukitake and Shunsui Ukitake, Captains of the Thirteenth and the Eight respectively. Toshiro responded politely and introduced himself, even though they obviously knew who he was.
Ukitake chatted with him for a bit, asking him how he was, until Kyoraku interrupted him with a pat on the shoulder. "On to more serious matters. I take it you would like to know the result of the test?"
Toshiro's heart skipped a beat and he tried not to cringe. That had been a horribly bad idea and a terrible failure. They didn't need to tell him that. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright." Ukitake said with a comforting smile. "Accidents happen."
Accidents? Major understatement.
"Well," Kyoraku continued without skipping a beat, "you'll be happy to know you've been accepted into the Academy."
"W-what? Really? But I-"
"You didn't think we'd turn you away after such a display, eh, kid?" Kyoraku adjusted his hat with a snort of amusement. Ukitake frowned in what Toshiro assumed was displeasure. "You're in. That is, if you still want to be."
Toshiro fell quiet and looked down at his lap; he didn't know what to say. The sole reason he had come to Seireitei was to join the Academy, to master his powers - his Reiatsu - so that Granny wouldn't die at his hands. Kyoraku spoke as if he had a choice, but that was a lie. They probably wouldn't let him go and he didn't have anywhere to go. He couldn't go home, even if he wanted to.
"I want to." He looked up at Kyoraku and Ukitake with as much determination as he could muster. "I'm in."
Maybe, he told himself, just maybe, the Academy would be different from Rukongai. Maybe he could get friends or be accepted at the very least. It was stupid, pointless optimism, but what was he to do other than hope.
Yeah, maybe it won't be so bad.
"I'll become a Shinigami."
A/N: Well, here it is. I'm really not happy with this, but I just wanted to get it out to you guys, so meh, it's good enough I guess. Now, preview time!
"Next time in 'Tensai! Shinoreijutsuin - Spirituals Arts Academy' Toshiro joins the Academy and quickly excels, but things are not as he expected and he has to face the possibilty that he made the wrong choice."
