Doesn't this seem familiar? I bet you can all guess what I'm going to say.

*deep breath* I'M SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY! I promised myself to get another chapter up after exams, but then I got caught up in summer classes. Gah, they're so freakin' hard! Okay, not really, but really draining. And recently, I've just committed myself to writing my very first novel. Like, original story idea, because as my friend BrightBurningFlames always say, all my fan fiction would make one heck of a long novel. Anyways, that sort of distracted me for a while, so it's been a while since I've gotten back on track of fan fiction. (Plus the new Kuroshitsuji Season…don't even get me started on that. this note will never end if I do)

Anyways, now that the lame excuses are over. Time to move onto the story!


In the eyes of another-Unohana Retsu

I pride myself upon being a healer, and should like to believe that I am a good healer. I wish to help all that come under my care, and make sure that everyone leaves it as healthy as they can be. However, it always saddens me when I cannot heal a person, or worse, when I cannot save a life.

Yet another occurrence that often leaves me saddened is when I cannot cure a person of plagues of the mind. They say one can hide nothing from a doctor, and this is true in that I always know when a patient is wounded, or even troubled by more than just a physical wound. Yet a doctor can only heal the physical injuries. The mental, they can do nothing for but offer support and hope for the patient to find their own way through.

One person that always seems to be plagued by such problems is the Gotei 13's youngest shinigami. Never have I ever seen that boy without one thing or another on his mind. His scowl is always in place, and unless he is required to use them, his eyes are always turned inward, and very thoughtful. Yet that does not surprise me. A boy of his standing is likely to have many confusing thoughts, especially one that is rumored to be the reincarnation of the Heavenly Guardian that blesses Soul Society every few centuries. In his case, the last reincarnation occurred a millennium and a half ago, and he is more full-fledged than the last. I am sure we can expect great and astounding things from him.

The boy has always been interesting to me. He is, I admit, one of the most difficult patients I've ever dealt with. Incredibly stubborn, and difficult to persuade to lie and relax for more than a few hours. He seems to find it a weakness to have to come and see me at all, as if he believed that he should be able to recover himself. It always amuses me how he tries to argue his way out of long stays. I've always found this childish quirk of his rather endearing, but never a cause for worry. He heals fast, and has rarely needed to stay longer than a night.

Yet recently, he has been vanishing mysteriously, and returning with minor injuries every time. I had my suspicions, and was sure that they were correct one day when he came in, his arm frostbitten and fractured. The boy was vague on how he'd received the injury, and looked more troubled and distracted than ever. I'd accepted his weak excuse of falling on ice out in rural Rukongai, and did not press him further. I knew better, however. Even though it was winter, there was no way that he could have sustained such an injury from anything other than his zanpakutou.

I couldn't help but hope that if he were trying to achieve bankai, he would come to see me for his injuries and not leave them hidden before they become worse.

I confess, I care for the boy, almost as a mother might her son, since I have never had children of my own. I care for every one of the shinigami here, but in Hitsugaya Toushirou's case, I feel an odd sense of maternal protectiveness toward him, similar to Ukitake-taichou's feelings. When he came to inform me of the boy's disappearance yet again, and a strange sight he'd witnessed in Rukongai, I couldn't help but inwardly pray for his well-being. Bankai training is dangerous, unwieldy, and draining, and with Hitsugaya's powerful zanpakutou, it could only be worse. I hoped that he would be successful, and come to the fourth when he returns so I may help him recover from the injuries he must have sustained.

And, looking into Jushirou's eyes, I could tell that he felt the same.


Part Eleven

There were a few things that Toushirou noticed at once about his bankai. First of all, it was very strong, and very hard to control. He had barely navigated toward the ground, and touched down, before the whole area was frozen under a thick layer of ice. Ice glittered off every blade of grass, and frost crept along the ice, as if further emphasizing the cold in the area.

The other was that bankai was very draining. It had broken after he had touched back to the ground for only a little while. He had been shocked, but Hyourinmaru told him that he should have expected it. After all, a new bankai was always hard to maintain, and he had been deprived of days of rest and food.

"Still, if I can't maintain if very long, how am I supposed to fight with it?" Toushirou had replied, frowning. Hyourinmaru laughed. "You must train, of course."

Toushirou scowled more. "You are still as frustrating as ever. Tell me, how do I summon bankai?"

Hyourinmaru was greatly amused. "Do not tell me that after everything, you did not realize?'

Toushirou's cheeks flushed slightly. "I…well…"

Hyourinmaru spared him the embarrassment, and stopped chuckling. "Of course, you call out the name that you know in your soul. In my bankai form, I have a new name, for I am different. Yet at the same time, I am still the same Hyourinmaru that you have always known. Call that name that you know that fits with this."

Toushirou thought about it for a moment. The answer came easily to him, as if he had been born with in at the tip of his tongue. "Daiguren Hyourinmaru."

Hyourinmaru hissed in approval.

Toushirou remained behind for several more days. Part of him wanted to train alone with his bankai, for his eagerness to know it better could not wait. Another part of him feared the reactions he may receive when he returned to Seireitei.

He put that at the back of his mind for now. He had more pressing problems. His bankai could reform over and over again easily with the presence of water. However, without water, there was a limit upon it. The limit came in the form of three four-petal ice flowers that hovered behind him.

"What the?" he'd gasped when they first appeared. Hyourinmaru had laughed. "Do not worry, it is only a measure of how much water is left for you."

"How much water is left for me?" Toushirou repeated.

Hyourinmaru gave a hiss of assent. "Yes. You have seen how I affect the weather, and how you affect the weather. We do so because we draw power from the moisture in the air and sky. Without an abundant source of water, there is a limit to what we can do…for now."

"For now?" Toushirou asked, confused. Hyourinmaru chuckled. "Oh yes, do you really think that we are at our limit? There is an endless stretch of sky left undiscovered. One day, you may learn to form your attacks without relying on the atmosphere, but for now, these flowers will tell you how much water is left for your to use."

Toushirou had nodded, accepting the fact. He was in no hurry to move too quickly. He was already awed by the abilities and power of his bankai. Soon, he'd learnt how to keep up bankai for extended periods of time, how to fly and maneuver with his newfound wings, and utilize the new powers granted to him. Use of ice had never been so simple. He felt that he barely even had to concentrate. The most fleeting thought could mold into a dangerous attack.

Which meant he had to learn control all over again. This time, however, it was control of something much larger, and much more unwieldy. But he never complained. He enjoyed every minute of training.

That is, until spirit hunger did its work. He couldn't keep this up for long, since he had used a lot of reiatsu in achieving his bankai, and he had not eaten for days. He was very aware as his energy began to deplete, and so, before he'd become so weak that he might not be able to make it back to Seireitei, he set off back to the city.

He hadn't been prepared to be greeted by the giant gatekeeper when he'd arrived, but as soon as he'd stepped in sight of the western gate, a loud booming voice called out in relief, "There you are, Hitsugaya-kun! Thank goodness you're okay!"

"Hello, Jidanbo," Toushirou replied, allowing the smallest smile of reassurance flash across his lips for a moment. He then arranged his face into an emotionless mask, so as not to let his exhaustion show. Though he was normally very good at hiding all his feelings, he must have still looked tired, or uncomfortable, because Jidanbo only patted him on the shoulder gently with one hand (though it still made his knees buckle), and let him through. "What were you up to?" Jidanbo asked as he watched him walk through the gate. "Not anything bad I suppose?"

"No," Toushirou said, almost defiantly. He was well aware that others might think that. Jidanbo's next words, however, surprised him. "I knew you weren't doing anything bad. Ukitake-taichou went out to find you personally earlier, and he reported that he'd seen you, and you were fine. He'd told us not to worry, but I think some people still couldn't help but do so."

Toushirou's ears perked up at this news. "Ukitake-taichou, huh?" he repeated absently. If Ukitake had told the others not to worry, it would mean that he had seen the maze, likely some time while Toushirou was stuck within it, which also meant that he likely knew everything now.

"Well, good to see you again, Jidanbo. I'll come and visit you again soon, if I can," Toushirou said. He continued down the street, waving over as shoulder as Jidanbo called out a final goodbye as well.

He had barely entered the grounds of thirteenth division when two loud voices issued out, "Hitsugaya! You're back, thank god!"

He turned to see Kotsubaki Sentaro and Kotetsu Kiyone run up to him. "Kotetsu, Kotsubaki, it's…ow! Get off of me!" he hissed, for the two had just thrown themselves over him and began sobbing, "Oh it's been horrible! We've had overflowing paperwork, and Ukitake-taichou was sick for the last few days, so we had to do the captain's, lieutenant's, yours, and our paperwork! And we had to constantly make trips to the fourth to get supplies to care for Ukitake-taichou, not that we're complaining!" they added loudly, "But-"

"I get it!" Toushirou yelled. Their complaints were making him feel guilty for walking out like that. But the guilt was quite overridden by the headache he was getting from the their loud voices. "I'm sorry. But I'm exhausted. I'll do your paperwork for a bit to make up for it later? Just let me rest first."

The two stopped whining, and stepped back. "Yosh! By the way, Hitsugaya, Ukitake-taichou says to go see him as soon as you return."

Toushirou nodded. His brain was feeling rather dull from exhaustion, but he was still aware enough to realize what this likely meant. Without another word to the two fourth seats, he made his way toward the captain's office.

"Come in," a voice said before he'd raised his hand to knock. He blinked, surprised, and pushed the door open.

Ukitake was sitting at his desk. A smile of relief crossed his face as Toushirou entered the room. The captain was looking slightly pallid, due to recovering from another minor bout of sickness. "Ukitake-taichou, forgive me for my absence from duty. I…I was…"

He trailed off, unsure why he hesitated. Didn't Ukitake already know?

Ukitake saved him from further indecision. "I already saw. And felt, if I might add. It was quite cold, which might have attributed to my recent bout of sickness, though of course, I don't blame you!" he added, seeing Toushirou about to apologize. "May I be right in guessing that you were taking the liberty of an extended training session?"

Toushirou nodded mutely. Ukitake pressed on. "A rather special training session?"

Toushirou nodded again, and Ukitake's smile widened. "And would I be right in guessing that it yielded successful results?"

The boy pursed his lips, hesitating. Slowly, he nodded a third time. Ukitake let out a small gasp and delight and surprise. "Well, Hitsugaya-kun. I must admit that you never cease to astound us all. To this day, I have never met a shinigami that has succeeded in achieving bankai so young and in such a short amount of time! Allow me to offer you my congratulation."

Toushirou's eyes widened at the captain's words. "Thank you," he said, rather awkwardly, unsure of how to react, and more pressing matters weighing upon his mind. "How many people noticed I was gone?"

Ukitake smiled. "I think you'd be pleased to know that not many people made a fuss about it, especially to the higher ups." Toushirou nodded, and he continued. "Of course, the division noticed, but I assured them that you were taking an extended leave. Other than that, only Unohana-taichou, Matsumoto-fukutaichou, and Hinamori-fukutaichou knew that you were gone, and only Unohana-taichou guessed what you were up to, at least, to my knowledge that is all. I told the lieutenants what I told the division. I thought you'd like to inform them personally, if you wished."

Toushirou nodded gratefully. "Thank you, taichou."

Ukitake smiled at his thanks. 'It was no trouble. Once I realized that you were fine, and what you were doing, it was no trouble. I daresay that some other higher ups might have noticed your absence as well, but they haven't commented on it, so I don't know whether they have guessed. I assume that you don't want them to know," Ukitake added, gazing curiously at the boy.

Toushirou shook his head. "No." he didn't feel the need to provide a reason why, and Ukitake did not ask him for one. He only gave a nod of understanding, and then, much to Toushirou's surprise, pulled open a drawer to his desk, and pulled out an assortment of different snacks. "Here! I thought you might like them. You're probably tired and weak. I'll let you take the day off to recover! Oh, and this arrived in the division mail," he added, and handed him a cloth wrapped package. Toushirou smelled the familiar rural scent of Rukongai and a hint of amanatto clinging to the package, and knew at once what it was. "Thank you," he said quietly. He took the snacks without complaint this time, because as soon as he'd seen them, he felt the raw, ravaging hunger that had haunted him for days claw at his insides. Ukitake grinned knowingly.

Toushirou rose and turned to leave. But as he did, Ukitake called out, "Three more things, Hitsugaya-kun."

Toushirou paused, and turned to look questioningly at the captain. His face was grown more serious. "I'd like you to pay a visit to Unohana-taichou as soon as you've recovered somewhat, or you can go now if you have the strength. Bankai training is usually dangerous, and it'd be wise to get a check up."

The boy nodded once, trying not to let his dread of visiting the sterile hospital halls show on his face.

"Also, if you don't mind, pay a visit to Hinamori-fukutaichou and Matsumoto-fukutaichou. I'm sure they'd be glad to see you and, how should I say this…might stop badgering our officers about your return."

Toushirou blinked. He hadn't thought really about what those two would do in his absence, but somehow, their actions didn't surprise him. "I shall do that," he answered.

"Thank you," Ukitake said. "And lastly…I don't know if you'd noticed, but bankai will considerably change your reiatsu. You were surprised that I could sense you so quickly when you arrived, weren't you?"

The boy was taken aback that the captain had noticed, but gave a sharp nod of assent. The older man smiled. "Well, I thought I'd bring it to your attention. It would help you if you wanted to keep your achievement a secret."

Toushirou had no idea really why the captain was helping him like this, but he gave a murmur of thanks. Even in his rather tired state, he did notice something different. He could feel Ukitake's reiatsu much better now, and feel that it was less reined in than usual. Despite that, he did not feel crushed in the slightest. This made him understand what Ukitake had meant. His reiatsu had peaked as his powers broke into a new level. "Thank you, Ukitake-taichou. I will keep that in mind."

Ukitake nodded. "That is all. You may go now, and recover. Shall I expect you to be on duty tomorrow morning?"

Toushirou nodded. Despite feeling more exhausted than ever, with the prospect of much needed rest lurking appealingly in the near future, he was still quite sure that one day of rest was all he needed. Besides, he didn't want the division to be any more curious about him than they already were.

Ukitake was rather surprised, but he nodded. "Good. I expect that some officers missed your company."

Toushirou agreed silently as he made his way from the office. He thought for a moment of going to see Unohana now, but he felt that he simply didn't have the energy. Trudging to his room, he dropped his stash of snacks, placed Hyourinmaru in its stand, and collapsed on the futon. "That was an interesting experience," he murmured.

Hyourinmaru growled in agreement, and the boy was soon fast asleep.


It felt almost strange to go back to a mundane routine that used to be his everyday life. But after years of snatching training time at any available moment, and trying to finish paperwork as fast as possible without mistakes so he could once again pick up his zanpakutou, having no need to do so felt oddly foreign. He wasn't used to being allowed to take more time for paperwork, and not needing to head out as soon as he handed it in.

To compromise, he decided to continue his new routine. He would do the work quickly and diligently in the mornings, as he had done for the past few years, and allocate the afternoon to training, or, if he was particularly exhausted, a nap.

Toushirou had to admit, his favourite times were still the times when he could devote himself to training, when he could lose himself in the rush of power and the feel of cool liquid freezing to ice, molding and shaping to his needs and wishes. Training became a whole new experience with bankai. He trained himself to use his wings to fly, and to hold his bankai for long periods of time. He developed strategies of how best to use his ice and wings to his advantage. And he learnt new techniques from Hyourinmaru.

The first technique Hyourinmaru taught him was Ryusenka, a simple attack that froze whatever he stabbed in a giant, flower-shaped ice structure. He remembered trying it for the first time on a fallen log, and nearly falling over from shock at the giant ice structure rose up from the ground. He further had to shield himself with his wings to prevent himself from being pierced by flying shards of ice that came about when the structure shattered to pieces.

Hyourinmaru had said that it could destroy whatever was within range with one stab, because the ice can spread to such great volumes and encase more than just the target within it's frozen clutches. Of course, they had to be weak enough that they couldn't break out of the ice, which lead to Toushirou's determination to learn full control and power over the technique, not only to make sure that the target wouldn't escape, but to make sure he didn't accidentally cause destruction.

He also taught him the Guncho Tsurara, another simple technique used to freeze water into sharp spears of ice and launch them at an opponent in the same move. It saved the time of have to convert moisture to ice and then shaping it.

Though these techniques were probably the least of what they could do, Hyourinmaru was quite happy with their progress, and their new bond. Not only could he help the boy climb to much higher planes of power, his bond with Toushirou had strengthened considerably. Now, he could contact the boy so much more easily. He could feel the boy's every feeling, and hear his every thought. They held nothing back. Hyourinmaru had to marvel at how close they have gotten.

This is good, master, Hyourinmaru said to him as Toushirou let out a huff and dissolved his bankai after a while of practicing. He liked calling Toushirou master. He had thought that he'd have a hard time adjusting, and accepting Toushirou to be master at first. Yet he was proven wrong. His will easily conformed to his idea, and he had to admit, he truly saw the boy as master. You are nearing being able to hold you bankai for an hour.

"That's if I was only holding it, and not doing any attacks with it," Toushirou said, sighing as he slumped back against a rock in his exhaustion. Hyourinmaru chuckled at the boy's annoyance. You expect too much out of yourself. To be able to hold it for an hour with the amount of training that you have done should be quite exceptional.

For a normal shinigami, Hyourinmaru added silently to himself. Here, once again, was a sign that Toushirou was so much more. The dragon hesitated for a moment, wondering, as he often did, whether he ought to tell the boy all.

Toushirou noticed the dragon's sudden mood change. 'What's wrong?"

Nothing, master, Hyourinmaru replied. The boy would find out, one day. The legend of the Heavenly Guardian isn't a deeply hidden secret. It was there, always ready for anyone to question or speak of it.

None of them knew quite how soon it would be before it was brought to their attentions, nor did they quite expect it to come from the person that it did.


He went to see Momo a week after his return to Seireitei. As he expected, she'd shrieked loudly and instantly pulled him into a crushing embrace. He winced slightly, and mumbled, "Oi, bed-wetter, I can't breathe!"

"You shut up!" Momo snapped, and from the way her voice was choked up, he strongly suspected that she'd begun to cry. "How could you disappear on us like that? We thought you got attacked somewhere and seriously injured or something! And how come you didn't come to see me sooner, so I could stop worrying?"

"Didn't Ukitake-taichou say that I was fine? Or maybe Matsumoto or Kotetsu?" Toushirou asked, wriggling out of her embrace. He had run into Matsumoto when he had gone to the fourth. Unohana hadn't been there at the time, and he was checked by her lieutenant, Isane. Momo sniffed and wiped her eyes and nodded. "Yes, but I was still worried you know! One day you were there, the next day you weren't. What were you doing?"

Toushirou's heart sank. He knew that this question was going to come up. He berated himself for not thinking up of an answer before coming to see her. "Umm…training," he said half-truthfully.

"What kind of training would let you disappear for ten days?" Momo asked, her voice rising slightly in bewilderment and annoyance, now that she'd gotten over the fact that he might have been hurt.

"Special training," Toushirou said vaguely. "I thought I'd take an extended leave to get away from my duties for a bit."

"That's not a good thing!" Momo exclaimed. "You're the third seat! You're supposed to be more responsible!"

"Well, I thought I'd learn to let the fourth seats learn how to deal with the division for once," Toushirou shrugged. "It was originally suppose to be Kotetsu and Kotsubaki's job anyways."

Momo's expression softened slightly, and she sighed. "Fine, fine, I forgive you. Yeesh, I can never stay mad at you for long."

'That's because you're too immature to be properly mad," Toushirou said nonchalantly.

"Now, that was mean!" Momo pouted, and punched him playfully on the arm. A silence passed between them, and then Momo shivered slightly. "Winter's really cold this year."

"Really?" Toushirou asked. He hadn't noticed the cold. He wondered if it had something to do with spending so long trapped in a maze of ice, or his achievement of bankai. Momo nodded, and then gave him a sideways look. "Whatever special training you've done, it must have been effective. Your reiatsu seems…different," she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I can't place it. It feels sharper, and heavier, and colder."

Toushirou's eyes widened, and he felt slightly nervous. He supposed that it must have showed upon his face because the cheerful lieutenant quickly grinned and said, "I bet I'm imagining things. I think the cold is getting to me. Well, I have to go. Aizen-taichou expects me to finish a mountain of paperwork before dinner." She grimaced, and quickly added, "Not that I'm complaining! It's my responsibility. I think I'll have to stop slacking off and reading random myths all day."

"Myths?" Toushirou asked, confused. "What kind of myths are you reading about that's taking you away from your precious lieutenant work?"

Momo shrugged. "Aizen-taichou left it in the office, and I was reading about it. It's interesting, you know. My favourite one was the Legend of the Heavenly Guardian."

There was a moment of silence. Toushirou blinked. He couldn't understand why his heart suddenly started beating furiously at her words, or why he felt a strange need for her to tell him more, and yet at the same time, fearing what she would say. His fists clenched tightly, though he tried he keep his face blank and bored as he asked, "The Legend of the what-now?"

Hyourinmaru stirred. He did not speak to Toushirou, but merely observed, startled at this sudden development. What did Hinamori Momo know? What effect would her words have on Toushirou?

"The Legend of the Heavenly Guardian!" Momo exclaimed. A smile alighted across her face again, but it was a rather sad smile. "It's such a tragic tale. Legend says that Guardians of Heaven descended to Soul Society and taught the first shinigami how to use their powers. It says that one guardian came more often than the others, and helped build Soul Society. They called her a white angel. But one day, she vanished. Some say that she died, and even today, her spirit wanders the lands of Soul Society, watching over the world that she helped build. Some say that every few centuries, she is reincarnated among the ranks of shinigami, ready to…Hitsugaya-kun, are you okay?"

Toushirou blinked, and realized that he had been clenching his teeth together. Perspiration had beaded upon his forehead, and he had begun to tremble. He sucked in a deep breath, and tried to slow his pounding heart, which was beating in earnest now. He realized that Momo was still waiting for an answer. 'Uh…yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You looked like you were in pain…" Momo looked him over anxiously.

"I hurt myself during training yesterday, and one of my injuries were just acting up again," Toushirou muttered. It wasn't a complete lie. He had hurt himself, but that was by no means the reason for his shaking.

"Really? Then you should go to the fourth!" she exclaimed. "You shouldn't keep these things hidden."

Toushirou nodded absently. "Okay. By the way, where the heck were you reading about that?"

"What? Oh, the legends. It was just an old mythology book that Aizen-taichou left lying around. I just flipped it open randomly, and read that one. It wasn't anything important. Aizen-taichou said I could borrow it. You wouldn't believe all the odd things that are in Soul Society's myths and legends! There's stuff about the formation of hollows, and how zanpakutou came to be, and random heroes or extremely powerful shinigami who did all kinds of heroic acts like retrieve some legendary weapon from some distant lands, and shinigami and zanpakutou switching places and such. There's also stuff about odd races of people that are river spirits demons, other realms, and such. They were all very interesting, but I doubt any of them are true. Well, as I said, I have to go! You go and get yourself checked-up, 'kay? See you!"

She waved and dashed off, leaving a dazed Toushirou behind.

Hyourinmaru now prodded against Toushirou's consciousness. Master, are you all right?

Toushirou blinked. 'I…I don't know. I feel really odd…"

Is that so? Hyourinmaru questioned. He felt his nerves tighten slightly, and a shiver of anticipation run through his body.

"Yes…I can't explain it. It's sort of like this odd anxiety, and that story that Hinamori told…I feel like I know it. But not as if I've heard it before, but I just know it." The boy frowned, and ran a hand through his white locks in frustration. "I don't understand!"

Hyourinmaru blinked in slight surprise. So Toushirou already felt familiarity with the Heavenly Guardian legends. Hyourinmaru wondered how much he'd be able to remember of his past incarnation. Perhaps not all the thoughts the boy had in the beginning about the odd plain of ice were sightings of his inner world, as Hyourinmaru had thought. Perhaps he really had been dreaming, at times, about the death of the first Guardian.

Hyourinmaru shook himself. He had to stop doing that. He had to stop separating the two. They were the same person. He had to stop referring to Toushirou as Toushirou, and the Guardian as the Guardian, as if he had two separate masters. He needed to stop making comparisons.

Yet, as he had realized when he granted Toushirou bankai, he had begun to realize that Toushirou, despite being the reincarnation, was a different person. He may have a similar look to the Guardian, and a similar attitude, but at heart, he is different. The person he is now was molded by his past experiences, and his past experiences were certainly not the same as the Guardian's. Despite having the same soul, he can never have the same heart.

For a moment, Hyourinmaru felt a pang of grief at this realization. He knew at that moment, that all these years, he hadn't allowed grief to completely consume him due to the fact that he had held on to the small hope that he would have his master back, in whole and completely like she had been. Only now did he realize that this could never happen. The same person can never be truly reborn twice. Even if they regained all their memories, even if they regained their physical form, they can never be the same.

Hyourinmaru? Toushirou's voice penetrated the dragon's thoughts anxiously. He must have sensed the sudden change in the dragon's mood. Hyourinmaru looked up at the winter sky above him, the winter sky that belonged to their inner world. He thought, for a moment, that he could make out the shape of the Heavenly Guardian in the clouds above. He felt as if he could hear her last words again.

"My true reincarnation will far surpass me in power…I hope you can have an even stronger bond with him than you have with me"

As the words faded, he saw the clouds change, the condensed moisture twisting until the shape he now looked upon was that of Toushirou.

Hyourinmaru?

Yes, master, I am here. Forgive me; I was distracted for a moment.

The boy nodded. "It's nothing. I guess I should go to the fourth now. I'm beginning to wonder if I fractured my wrist."

He grimaced inwardly, and began walking to the fourth. Hyourinmaru remained silent, and it was Toushirou who brought up the subject of the Guardian again.

"Hyourinmaru, do you know anything about the Legends?"

Hyourinmaru hesitated. Yes, Master, I do, he answered at last.

What are they about? Toushirou asked, switching back to speaking mentally as they approached the fourth, and shinigami were around to listen.

The dragon hesitated again. I think that it would be better if you first researched about it on your own before asking me. I am curious to see what you would make of it, and what assumptions you will take away.

Toushirou hissed. Do you always have to be so difficult? I thought that we were over secrets.

We are. However, this is a rather delicate and complicated matter, and I would prefer if you first found out from a source other than myself.

I fail to see how a simple legend could be so complicated, Toushirou thought. Yet even as he thought that, he knew he couldn't agree. He couldn't explain how every time he thought about the words of the legend, his breath hitched, and he began to feel that odd anxiety and strange familiarity. To be honest, those feelings scared him slightly. He'd always been a serious person. Myths held no stock for him. So why was he reacting so to this one?

Hyourinmaru growled slightly. You would be surprised, master, at how some of the simplest things could be more complicated than you would ever imagine.

Later, Toushirou would wonder if it had been coincidence, or fate had been determined to go against him. His visit to the fourth, for a simple sore that he hadn't noticed until now, brought up a whole set of more complicated matters.

It turned out that he'd not only fractured his wrist slightly, he'd dislocated it. The reason he hadn't felt it was because for some reason, the numbing cold of his abilities kept it back. He didn't tell Unohana this, but he could tell that the woman noticed.

She gave his a cursory glance as soon as he came into the room. She then clicked her tongue impatiently. "Hitsugaya-san, if you will insist upon training, please at least make sure you aren't hurting yourself all the time."

Toushirou nodded. He sat silent and without complaint as she checked him over, and muttered healing spells. Soft reiatsu enveloped his wrist, and he sat, slightly lulled by its gentle healing warmth.

At that moment, the calm was disturbed as someone suddenly poked his head in. "Unohana-taichou?"

Both boy and captain looked up to see Isshin. He had a grin upon his face as he let himself in. "There you are. I was looking all over the fourth for you."

Unohana gave Isshin her usual smile. "Is there something I can do for you, Isshin-taichou?" she asked.

"Not much. I was wondering if you could give me some basic medical supplies."

Unohana gave him a suspicious look. "Why?"

"Always suspicious," Isshin chuckled. "Some of my men are going to the world of the living on a mission. I thought I'd give them something to aid them. Apparently, there are some very powerful hollows running around."

"Ah, the hollows that Aizen-taichou mentioned in Karakura town."

Isshin nodded. 'I always believe in being prepared."

Unohana smiled. "Of course. If you would just give me a moment to finish patching Hitsugaya-kun up…"

"Alright."

Isshin left while Unohana finished healing his wrist. Then, fixing him with one of her sternest gazes, she said firmly, "No strenuous activity for a week, Hitsugaya-kun. You need to give your body a chance to heal."

Knowing that she was referring to his bankai training, he nodded resignedly. Despite knowing that the healer meant well, he couldn't help but already miss the thrill of his bankai.

Isshin's head popped back in. "So, is Shiro-chan done?"

Cold reiatsu swirled around the room as Toushirou glared at the man. He only grinned rather cockily at him, and ignored him. Toushirou pursed his lips for a moment, but other than that didn't let his irritation get the better of him.

'Yes, if you'll wait here, I shall send someone to give you your supplies, Isshin-taichou."

"Sure thing!" Isshin said, waving as Unohana left the room. Toushirou, seeing no reason to stay, began to walk out too.

"Hold it right there!" Isshin's hand shot out and snatched the back of the boy's collar, dragging him back. The boy stumbled and gasped at the uncomfortable restriction against his chest. "What the hell?"

"Language, Hitsugaya-kun," Isshin said, smirking. The boy only glared at him, and he laughed. "I've got questions for you."

He released the disgruntled boy, who quickly shifted his robes, and then crossed his arms, putting his hands in his sleeves. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, would you like to tell me what you were doing those few days that you were gone?" he asked. Toushirou's eyes narrowed slightly. So Isshin had noticed as well. "No."

"Wow, outright rejection," Isshin said, scratching his head. "I guess it's on to guessing. Would I be right in assuming it has something to do with why your reiatsu is wilder and heavier than before?

Toushirou's eyes widened slightly. How could Isshin have noticed so quickly? He checked his control. It was as tight as usual, and other than his little outburst earlier, he hadn't let it appear any stronger than a third seat's should.

"So I was right," Isshin said triumphantly. "And no, it's not that your control is bad. Well, sometimes it is, like when I called you Shiro-chan," the temperature dropped here, as if to prove his point, "but it's just that you'll probably need far tighter control to fool the captains. You've achieved bankai, haven't you?"

For a wild moment, Toushirou considered denying it. But there really wasn't any point. Isshin already knew. So he only nodded stiffly.

He gasped as he felt a strong hand slam into his back. "Wha-"

"I knew it!" Isshin was laughing and thumping him on the back. "I knew it! You really are a prodigy! It wouldn't surprise me if you were really that incarnation of the Heavenly Guardian!"

"I'm the what?" Toushirou exclaimed. There it was again, that strange sensation. The strange, twisting anxiety clawed again at his insides.

"Oh, sorry," Isshin said, grinning. "It's an old saying. Every few centuries, a shinigami of unnatural talent will appear in Soul Society. Some say that he or she is the reincarnation of a white angel, a Heavenly Guardian. It has its roots in the legend of the Heavenly Guardian."

"But isn't it just a legend?" Toushirou asked, crossing his arms. Isshin smiled mysteriously. "Sure, if that's what you want to believe. Legends are only as true as you want to believe them to be."

Toushirou raised an eyebrow. "So what do you believe?"

"I see no reason why it can't be true," the captain said, rubbing his scruffy chin. He grinned widely. "Well, you better go! Oh, and do me a favor and visit Ran-chan sometime soon. She is simply dying to see you, Shiro-chan!"

The boy gave the man a cold glare that would have sent shivers down any other shinigami's spine, but Isshin only allowed his grin to grow wider, especially as the scowling boy turned around and walked out in a forced dignified manner.

"What a funny kid."


Hyourinmaru watched as for the next few months, his master tried to push the Heavenly Guardian problem out of his mind. Though he thought it'd irritate him, he found amusement in it. It reminded him again that no matter how mature or accomplished Toushirou was, he still had child-like qualities, such as feigning ignorance.

You're going to have to face the truth some day, master, he thought to himself.

Of course, the dragon did not voice this to Toushirou. After achieving bankai, he no longer felt the need for the next step to come very soon. Not yet. He would wait, wait for the boy to physically mature before prodding him further upon his road of destiny.

The boy, for his part, had little time to consider everything else, what with training and running the division. Ukitake had fallen sick again (though it was not as serious as the other times), and he was buried up to his neck (literally, due to his small stature) by paperwork. The two fourth seats tried to help, but their help turned out to be much bickering and little work, leaving Toushirou frustrated and with a pounding headache.

Slamming his fist down, he startled the two. "If you two aren't going to work silently, get out of here!"

"We're sorry!" they chanted together, and shut their mouth, though they compromised by giving each other death glares. The boy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. I wish I could have something else to do. Anything…

Be careful what you wish for, Master, Hyourinmaru commented.

"Hitsugaya-san?" a voice asked politely. The occupants in the room turned to the door to see Kuchiki Rukia. She gave them all a politely bow, and said, "Excuse me, but Matsumoto-fukutaichou wants to see you."

"Why?" Toushirou asked, confused. Rukia shrugged. "She didn't say. I was just passing by, and she told me to pass the message on to you."

"Great, probably just another pointless meeting planned by Matsumoto." But he couldn't say no. She was of higher status, and therefore greater authority. And perhaps it was important. He stood up, and after giving the two fourth seats a glare and note to make sure that the office is still in one piece when he returns, he left for the tenth division.

He entered the division without much trouble. Some of the shinigami stared at him curiously, while others whispered to each other behind their hands. But the boy ignored them all. He was concentrating on following the trail of Matsumoto's reiatsu to where she was.

As it turned out, she was in the captain/lieutenant's office. Tenth division was different from his in that lieutenant shared an office with the captain.

He sensed several unfamiliar reiatsus as he approached the door. He paused for a moment, sifting through his memory, wondering if he'd sensed any of them before…

"Hitsugaya! What a lovely surprise!"

The door was thrown open, and there stood Matsumoto Rangiku, grinning widely, and holding a bottle of sake.

Toushirou twitched slightly. His annoyance rose when Matsumoto suddenly pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, smothering his face with her rather well endowed chest so that he couldn't breath, and began crying, "I missed you so much! Why, why haven't you come to see me? I've only seen you once for the past month or more!"

Pounding his fists against the woman's shoulders, the boy tried in vain to push her off. His struggles just caused her to squeeze him tighter, and it was only when he began to get dizzy from lack of oxygen and began to go limp that Matsumoto finally seemed to realize that the boy couldn't breath, and released him with a sheepish look.

Toushirou gasped gratefully for air, feeling as if he'd never get enough of it. He staggered for a moment, recovering from the lack of oxygen, before bestowing one of his iciest glares upon Matsumoto.

"Firstly, don't hug me when I show up! I'm not a teddy bear, or whatever those humans seem so found of hugging."

"But you're cute enough to be one," Matsumoto pouted. Toushirou ignored her pointedly, and Hyourinmaru's chuckles that echoed through his mind. "Secondly, you shouldn't be drinking on duty, and lastly, you told me to come here. Why are you so surprised?"

"I did?" Matsumoto said, frowning.

"Kuchiki to told me you wanted to see me."

The woman pondered this for a moment. "Ah, that's right! Well, I didn't know if you'd come. I said it was a joke."

The boy growled slightly in frustration. So she hadn't requested him. He was really wishing that he'd just stayed back and listened to Kiyone and Sentaro bicker instead.

"My, my, this is a surprise," a male's voice said. The two shinigami turned to see none other than Isshin and Aizen Sousuke of the fifth division walking toward them. The two men seemed to have just been in the middle of a conversation.

Toushirou bowed respectfully. "Isshin-taichou, Aizen-taichou," he greeted politely. Matsumoto waved.

"How's the sake?" Isshin asked, grinning at Matsumoto and causing Toushirou's eye to twitch in annoyance and surprise. He was a captain, and he wasn't reprimanding her for drinking?

"Great as ever, taichou," Matsumoto said.

"Why are you letting her drink on duty?" Toushirou muttered. Isshin heard him, and said, "Come now, everyone needs a break and some fun once in a while, ne, Hitsugaya-kun?"

Toushirou didn't reply, but knew that the man could tell from his expression that he didn't agree one bit. "So, how's training been going?"

The boy narrowed his eyes at the captain. He noted how Aizen had turned his eyes sharply toward him, and though his smile remained pleasant, his eyes suddenly became very curious.

"It is the same as ever," Toushirou replied carefully. Isshin raised an eyebrow. "Surely you've achieved more than that now," he said, hidden meanings coating every word.

"Surely I have," Toushirou said, slightly defiant. He didn't know what possessed him to say it. Perhaps it was because Isshin acted so carefree all the time that he forgot that he was a captain. However, before he could begin to feel the need to apologize for his rudeness, Isshin began roaring with laughter. "Nice comeback, kiddo."

"Oi," Matsumoto said. "I was talking to him, taichou! Stop coming in and interrupting all the time!"

"Ah, sorry, Ran-chan. I'll go back to having a boring old man's conversation with Aizen-kun then," he said.

"Now that was rather cruel of you, Isshin-san." Aizen said, looking sideways at Isshin. "I'm not quite that old."

"Well, you know what they say, the more that one sees, and the older they grow. I'm sure you've seen more than your share of bloodshed." Isshin was also regarding Aizen through the corner of his eyes.

The smile seemed more pasted on Aizen's face now, and his eyes took on a clouded look. "Let us not bring up such sober topics." He gestured for the captain to walk ahead. The captain frowned, and obliged. He waved. "See you around, Hitsugaya."

As they walked past, Aizen paused and gave Toushirou one glance. "Congratulations, Hitsugaya-kun."

Toushirou blinked in surprise. Aizen smiled rather secretively. "I heard from Unohana-taichou that you were successful in your endeavor. Such an amazing achievement, and I'm sure you still have so much potential left. I have no doubt that you'll be successful in unleashing your tremendous power."

"What do you-" Toushirou was unsure of how to answer the captain. Isshin had stopped, and turned to stare at them, his eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion. Matsumoto was hollering into the room, where slightly drunk voices were questioning her on why she was taking so long.

"Yes," Aizen said, smiling openly again. "I'm sure that you will astound us all before long."

He turned away, leaving the boy to stare confusedly at the captain's retreating back. Power? Sure, he was considered a prodigy, but he did not think that constituted as to him being powerful. He may have achieved bankai, which only a handful of shinigami has ever managed to do, but still…he did not think that he was powerful in any sense. The captain's words left him mystified and perplexed.

Hyourinmaru, glancing through Toushirou's eyes, growled silently under his breath. His eyes had taken into account what the boy had missed, or thought irrelevant. He saw Isshin's dark look as he questioned Aizen, and he had saw the flash of anger that crossed his face for a moment as the other captain replied. It left the dragon puzzled. What could it mean? Why was Isshin offended by Aizen, who hadn't seemed to have done anything wrong?

Shaking his great head, and regretting that he had not had a chance to speak to Engetsu, Hyourinmaru turned his attention back to his master, whom Matsumoto had suddenly grabbed hold of and was dragging into the office.

"Oi, let go!" the boy yelled.

"Hey, Matsumoto, who did you bring?" a loud, rough voice said. Toushirou looked toward the speaker. He recognized that bright red hair. He had only seen him a few times, but enough to know him.

"Abarai Renji," he muttered. Renji's eyes widened at him. "Hey, isn't he too young to drink?"

"Yeah, Matsumoto-san," a voice said rather timidly. Toushirou recognized Kira Izuru. Why are all of Hinamori's friends here? he wondered. She better not be here.

He scanned the room quickly, and felt slight relief when he saw no sign of the lieutenant of the fifth division. He did see a man with dark black hair and three scars running down one side of his face and a '69' tattooed upon his cheek. There was also a bald man with a rather fearsome look, and a person whom Toushirou knew to be a male, despite his rather feminine appearance, and his choice of using brightly colored feathers as eyelashes. He knew he must have seen them somewhere before, despite not knowing their names. They were rather hard to miss.

"Oi, who's the kid?" the bald one asked.

"Don't you know?" the feather-wearing one said. "Hitsugaya Toushirou, current child prodigy of the Gotei thirteen and third seat of the thirteen division."

The bald man gave him a cursory glance. "Huh, I don't see how he's a prodigy. Just short."

The temperature plummeted in the room as Toushirou fought to control his ever growing annoyance. He noticed how Matsumoto hid a slight shudder, Izuru shook, and the tattooed man gave Toushirou a curious look. "Is it just me, or is it cold in here?" Renji asked.

"It is?" the bald one asked. He seemed to be the only one quite unaffected.

"Well, the temperature did take a slight dip, Ikkaku," the one wearing the feathers spoke. "What a shame. The cold is not good for my skin."

"Quite worrying about your looks, Yumichika!" the one named Ikkaku snapped.

"Who the hell are these people?" he muttered to Matsumoto. Despite the way she acted, he had to admit that she was the only one he actually felt comfortable talking to.

"Ah, right, introductions. Everyone, I'm sure you know that this is Hitsugaya. Over there, the red pineapple top is Abarai Renji, but you seem to know that. The blond is Kira Izuru, which I think you know as well. The guy with the 69 tattoo is Hisagi Shuuhei, the lieutenant of the ninth division."

Toushirou looked at the man. The name brought up a memory. This was one of those rare people that were accepted into the Gotei before graduating, as he had been. The man gave him a nod. He seemed to be the only sane and calm one here. He gave him a bow, which Hisagi acknowledged with one wave of his hand.

"The baldy is Madarame Ikkaku, third seat of the eleventh, and the feather dude is Ayasegawa Yumichika, fifth seat, same division."

"What did you say?" Ikkaku snapped, slapping his bottle of sake onto the desk, while Yumichika crossed his arms and huffed, "How rude, to address me with such inelegant words."

"Eleventh division, huh?" Toushirou muttered. He'd heard his fair share of rumors about that division. Though he wasn't one to believe in rumors, seeing Ikkaku and Renji, he could believe that some of them were true.

"What, you look down upon us?" Ikkaku said, obviously having heard him. He leapt up and strode over to the boy, his face more frightening than before. Toushirou met his gaze steadily, however, and didn't reply. "I'll have you know that if you ever diss me or my division, I won't hesitate to rip you to pieces. Little boys like you should learn to respect- ow! Matsumoto!"

The woman had just smacked him across the back of his head. "Quit talking to the kid like that! And you call yourself a man, bullying younger kids."

Ikkaku was not the only one who glared at her. "I'm not a kid," Toushirou said, and at the same time, Ikkaku muttered, "He's not that much of a kid."

"Hey now, break it up," Hisagi said. "We're suppose to be here to have fun you know."

"Yeah," Kira said. He gave Toushirou a kindly smile. The boy didn't smile back. He rarely ever smiled, but Kira, not knowing this, frowned slightly and his smile faltered. Toushirou wrenched his arm from Matsumoto's grip and crossed them, not meeting the other shinigami's eyes. Other than Yumichika and Renji, every shinigami in the room was of higher status. He wasn't used to dealing with so many high status shinigami in the same room, and even less so when they were all drinking (He'd only ever been dragged to a party once0. Even now, he could see that Kira couldn't hold his liquor in very well, and was going red in the face after only a few gulps of sake. Hisagi, who was doing only a little better, was already starting to act a little off.

"Yeah, well, why did Matsumoto invite a minor then?" Ikkaku asked a little while later, after Matsumoto had finished dragging Toushirou around and showing him the office. He seemed to be quite able to drink. Yumichika, who wasn't drinking, nodded. "Yes, Matsumoto-san. It'd make us look bad if he were caught here with us."

"I don't have any intention of staying here anyways," the boy snapped. "I just came here because I thought Matsumoto genuinely had something to tell me that wasn't a waste of my time."

"Now that was harsh, Hitsugaya," Matsumoto said. Toushirou ignored her. "I'll be going now…"

"Why? I really did miss you! You disappeared for ten days, and you don't even bother to visit me for months after coming back!"

"Why should I?" Toushirou said, frowning. "I don't really have much of a reason to." This was a lie, as Matsumoto did help him on the way of learning bankai, but he wasn't about to admit it to her in front of all the other shinigami.

"I thought we were friends! And I even sparred with you before! Don't you want to have another go at it?"

"Maybe," the boy replied. "One day when you aren't drunk." Ignoring Matsumoto's pout, he turned to go, but stopped as he nearly walked into a black butterfly that was flying toward him.

"A hell butterfly?" Kira said, curious, his eyes slightly glazed and his words slurring together. They watched in surprise as it fluttered toward Toushirou, who, confused, raised a finger to catch it. It landed on his finger, and relayed its message. It was from Kiyone.

"Hitsugaya, please see Ukitake-taichou immediately. There is an emergency."

The worry was evident in Kiyone's voice. And the fact that the message was delivered so clearly, which meant that Sentarou hadn't been trying to hinder it meant that it must have been serious.

Without a word, the boy whirled around and dashed out the door, not giving mind to the confused shinigami still in the office. Having not heard the message, they had no idea what was going on.

"Where are you going?" Matsumoto asked. He heard Ikkaku mutter something like "Wow, that kid's cold. Kinda like Kuchiki-taichou if you ask me. Acts without explanation or so much as a smile."

He didn't care. Leaping onto the roofs, he used them as a quicker means of transport. Soon, he approached the barracks.

Ukitake was waiting before his office. Toushirou shunpoed the last distance and landed in a crouch. "Ukitake-taichou, there was an emergency?"

"Yes," the man said. He was looking quite troubled. "There was an emergency captain's meeting called a few minutes ago. A few months ago, Karakura was infested with hollows. They were exterminated, but for some reason, they've risen up again, worse than before. A team was sent there a few days ago, but connection to them was suddenly lost. They can't trace the team's reiatsu. It was as if they just suddenly vanished."

The boy looked up, tense and confused.

"A team from the Omitsukidou has already been dispatched, but the soutaichou wanted a full-fledged Shinigami on the scene as well. There must have been something serious. They are sending another team from the tenth division. To be sure, however, they wanted one more high-seat officer. They selected you."

Ukitake's face looked troubled, and apologetic. "You are to join them in Karakura town in exactly one hour."


Dun dun dun. So, I hope I haven't lost my touch due to my long absence from this story, and all my stories to be exact. I hope this chapter was at least worth reading after the long wait. And it's long too, so that helps, right? (never mind that all of them are pretty long). A note of time. The first team dispatched to Karakura was a week after Toushirou's return, the team that Isshin mentioned. Since then, one or more teams have cleaned up Karakura, and this is a sudden development.

I have a new poll up for a story project I'm thinking of doing this year (more info on my profile). If you would be so kind as to vote in it, I would greatly appreciate it. It's ten different oneshots centered around our favourite child-prodigy (dodges flying spears of ice). If you have any other ideas, be sure to let me know!

And that's all for rambling. Thank you for reading, and if you'd be so kind as to leave a kind review, I will so ever appreciate it!