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Chapter Eleven - Motives and Musings

Captain Hitsugaya made his way through the Rukongai like a man possessed. There was a determined expression in his teal eyes and even though Matsumoto couldn't see this from her position behind her captain she was well aware of the fact that something was definately different about him. There was a frenzied feeling as she followed the snowy-haired youth through the forests of the Rukongai and she found herself wondering what exactly it was that he was hiding.

For his part Hitsugaya was resisting the urge to quicken his flash-step and elude his vice-captain. He didn't want her to find out about his connection with Midori but at the same time he didn't want to arouse her suspicion by running off. He knew that he was faster than his subordinate and could escape however she would be suspicious of his motives if he chose such an action.

The young captain clenched his hands into fists as he realized that it was simply a no win situation.

"Why did she have to show up now?" Hitsugaya thought to himself as he used his flash-step to quickly travel through the districts of the Rukongai. "Why, after all this time?" Hitsugaya had completely forgotten his life in the world of the living after death had mercifully set him free from the hell that he had been enduring.

So why had Midori shown up now and threatened his tenuous grip on happiness?

"Halt!" one of the guards called out as his gaze fell upon an unfamiliar figure slowly walking toward the spot where he was standing.

Midori briefly halted her advance toward the tree that was surrounded by a glowing blue aura and her gaze shifted to the group of Shinigami who were guarding the site. A smirk appeared on her face as she took in their numbers however it did not dampen her resolve.

She would break the seal.

"So," a calm voice called out, drawing everyone's attention to a silver haired man wearing a shihakusho and a white haori. The man's eyes were narrowed to the point that it was impossible to see his pupils and there was a fox-like smirk on his face. "You're the one everybody's all riled up about huh?"

Midori eyed the captain calmly, not even remotely concerned by his presence. Nothing would stop her from breaking the seal now that she had managed to locate it, not even a captain class Shinigami and an entire squad of soldiers. Without breaking eye contact the woman pulled a sword from the sheath that she wore in her sash and held up the blade.

"Paint the skies with blood, Gaka no Tamashii!"

"Oh my," Squad Three Captain Gin Ichimaru said as he gazed at the blade that the woman was holding. The blade was shimmering with a rainbow of colors and was truly breathtaking.

"Do you feel that Captain?" Matsumoto asked as both she and Captain Hitsugaya slid to a halt. The young captain nodded, his gaze focused in the direction that the eerily familiar reiatsu was radiating from. Midori was fighting someone and Hitsugaya knew that this did not bode well.

"Matsumoto!" he snapped, instantly gaining the attention of his subordinate. "Let's go!"

"Right!" Matsumoto realized that they didn't have a moment to spare now that the intruder had engaged in battle. Not to mention the fact that she could feel a familiar reiatsu involved in the battle that was raging not far from the spot where they were. "Gin," she thought to herself as she followed along behind her captain.

Doubling the speed of their flash-step it wasn't long before the two Squad Ten officers arrived in the clearing. Matsumoto gasped as her gaze fell upon the scene of utter destruction that was awaiting their arrival in the clearing. Midori stood in the center, sword in hand, surrounded by bodies.

"GIN!" Matsumoto internally screamed as her gaze fell upon her childhood friend. He was lying on the ground, a short distance from his fallen subordinates.

"Why?" Hitsugaya snarled as he drew Hyourinmaru from the sheath that he wore across his back.

"Don't look at me like that," Midori said in a calm voice, her gaze locked on the young boy's face. "An unforgivable crime was commited here and these people were trying to hide it. But I intend to make sure that all of Soul Society pays."

Holding the tip of Hyourinmaru pointed toward the sky, Hitsugaya whispered, "Reign over the frosted, frozen sky, Hyourinmaru!"

Midori was forced to jump back as the dragon of water and ice descended from the heavens and a new respect for the child formed in her mind. It was true that he was fighting for the wrong side but his skills could not be denied.

Swinging her blade in a sideways arch in front of her Midori released a burst of reiatsu that was blood red in color. Hitsugaya jumped back, blocking the attack with the blade of Hyourinmaru, however he couldn't fail to miss the smirk that had appeared on Midori's face.

Instinctively glancing down at the hand that held Hyourinmaru he saw that several cuts had appeared on his arm. He sucked in his breath as he felt the wounds for the first time however he refused to allow the pain to distract him from the battle. Shrugging off the wounds the young boy jumped into the air and once again launched the ice dragon in the direction of his opponent.

Midori effortlessly dodged the attack, landing lighty on the ground a few feet away from the spot where the ice dragon had collided with the ground. Gazing over at her opponent she could tell that he was fighting to hide his emotions as well as holding back.

"It seems somehow fitting that your power is ice," Midori said in a quiet voice, fixing Hitsugaya with a strange look.

"Why is she looking at him like that?" Matsumoto thought to herself as she caught sight of the expression on Midori's face. It was in this moment that she caught sight of the woman's eyes and she fought back the gasp that wanted to escape. "Those eyes. . . they're his eyes. . ."

Ignoring the taunt Hitsugaya launched himself toward the woman, holding the blade of his sword out in front of him. Midori raised her own sword, blocking the initial blow, however she was forced to go on the offensive as Hitsugaya rained down blow after blow.

Midori fought to block the barrage of attacks and somehow managed to regain the upper hand. Effectively switching places with the young captain she went completely on the offensive, swinging her sword like a woman possessed.

Hitsugaya blocked the series of blows from Midori's sword and then used the chain attached to the hilt of Hyourinmaru to bring her blade to a grinding hault. Midori briefly glanced down at the chain that was wrapped around her sword, following it back to Hitsugaya, and then pulled her sword free.

"I must admit that you have skills child," Midori said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "But that alone won't be enough," she added in the same quiet voice, her hand reaching for the piece of mask that was perched on the side of her head.

"What the. . ." Hitsugaya whispered, unable to tear his gaze from Midori.

"Shunsui!" Captain Ukitake called out as he ran across the courtyard of Squad Eight. He knew that he would be able to find his best friend lying in the shade of his favorite tree and for once he was glad that Kyouraku was such a slacker. That one overwhelming character trait really came in handy at times like this when Ukitake really needed to find his friend.

Pushing his hat further back on his head Kyouraku focused his gaze on his best friend. "What is it Jyuu?"

"Captain Unohana informed me that Toushirou left the infirmary earlier," Ukitake said, a concerned expression in his kind eyes.

"Well I'm sure the kid knows what's best," Kyouraku said calmly, attempting to releave some of the anxiety that his friend seemed to be plagued with.

"That's not why I'm here," Ukitake said as he came to a stop. "Reports are coming in that there is a tremendous battle being fought out in the Rukongai." An intense look appeared in the Squad Thirteen Captain's eyes at this point. "District 63 to be precise. I think that Toushirou went after the invader."

"Well then what are we waiting for?" In one fluid motion Kyouraku jumped to his feet and began walking toward the gate that led out of the courtyard. "If that's the case then the boy genius is going to need our help."

"Right," Ukitake said, quickly falling into step behind his friend. They would be disobeying their orders by leaving the Seireitei however the threat seemed to be out in the Rukongai and if that were the case then two of their fellow captains needed their help.

The choice between obeying orders and helping their comrades was simply no contest.

"It shouldn't have came down to this child," Midori said as she removed her hand from the piece of mask and was surrounded by a vast aura. "I didn't want to fight you like this, I hate using these powers. They aren't natural and quite frankly they scare me but I will save him and nothing you do will stop me."

"Save who?" Hitsugaya snapped as he watched the woman undergo a strange transformation. Her appearance changed, as well as her clothes, making her appear much more like a Hollow than a Shinigami.

"Toushirou Hitsugaya," Midori said in a reverent whisper, his teal eyes briefly flashing to the tree that was glowing with an immense blue aura.

Matsumoto gasped as she heard the name that escaped the lips of the former Shinigami. What could she possibly mean? She was fighting against Toushirou Hitsugaya and at the same time vowing to save him. Clearly the woman was insane.

A far away look appeared in Hitsugaya's eyes, the eyes that were an exact match for the very woman that he was fighting. Seemingly forgetting that Matsumoto was still around he whispered, "That's all that's ever mattered to you isn't it? Finding him. Did it ever occur to you that maybe he doesn't want to be found?"

"Silence!" Midori screeched, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "You don't know what you're talking about child!"

Hitsugaya could tell that he'd struck a nerve with her but he found that he didn't care. This woman had transformed into something else even before becoming a Hollow and he found that he had always known the reason why. The disappearance of her husband had unhinged her and then, when he had grown to look exactly like his father, it had became more than she could bare.

"It was because I looked like him," the young captain said in a quiet and somewhat tremulous voice. He had always possessed this knowledge, tucked safely in the recesses of his mind, but this was the first time that he had ever admitted the fact to himself. "That's the reason why you hated me so much. . . it was all because of him."

"I never hated you," Midori said, regaining some of her composure. "I loved you with all my heart and then you, too, left me. You left me all alone Shirou-chan!"

"You killed me!" Hitsugaya snarled, his narrow eyed gaze focused on his 'mother'. "You slit my wrists and watched me die!"

Matsumoto gasped, her eyes widening in horror, as she realized what it was that her captain had just said. This woman, this Hollow who was attacking Soul Society, was the woman that had killed him. Then she thought about the woman's earlier words and everything fell into place.

This woman was Captain Hitsugaya's mother.

A/N - poor Hitsugaya, couldn't keep the secret. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and share your thoughts. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.