A/N: Alright, I'm gonna clear up a few things for you guys since I got some confused reviews. Hinamori isunder the control of Kuroki. You see, she has no controlof her actions like a human puppet. But she keeps slipping in and out of his grasp. Will she submit to him or break free? Also since the votes are in I have sadly decided to kill Tsubasa. It is such a heavy and fleeting loss, but hey someone's got to die. But what will happen to our poor, poor, little Yoru? Only time will tell, so stay tuned to find out.
Chapter Twelve
"Iye! What have you idiots done?" Rangiku screamed in pure, utter agony. She could not believe what they had done. How could they? No. How dare they? How dare they have the audacity to do such a horrible thing? This was such an incriminating and deceiving act that, in Rangiku's book, they should never ever see the light of ever again until the day they die.
The strawberry blonde's grey haired boyfriend suddenly popped his head through the door after he heard her horrific screech. "Oi, Ran-chan, what's wrong?," Ichimaru asked with his usual foxed faced grin plastered on his face.
The Tenth Division fuku-taicho cried, "Renji and Hisagi drunk the two bottles of sake I bought yesterday. That cost me about 1900 Kan. Do you know how long it took for me to save all that up since I rarely get paid?" Matsumoto continued to ramble on as the foxed faced taicho stared in awe at the two, halve naked, bakayaros sprawled out on the floor. He let out a small snort trying to suppress a laugh. The Third Division Taicho knew that if he laughed his sweet, sweet Ran-chan would surely kill him or take him on another hellish shopping spree. He shivered at the thought of that.
"Oh, and they also got Taicho drunk," the strawberry blonde said, surprisingly, calmly. She pointed to the intoxicated, white haired boy randomly dancing in the corner of the room.
That was it. After seeing the short, tense, uptight, overprotective, bad-tempered, workaholic kid captain get drunk for the first time he let out a long, well deserved laugh. After the cackling Gin looked back at Hitsugaya and his smiled faded completely. He quickly fixed his gaze on Matsumoto and said, "Ano… Ran-chan, why is chibi-taicho….. strippin'?" Oh god, Ichimaru thought. This will forever haunt me for the rest of my life. Think happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts. Ran-chan in a bikini. Ran-chan in a bikini.
"Eh?" The strawberry blonde whipped her head around to gape at Toshiro. "Taicho put your clothes back on!" I swear I am so going to kill Hisagi and Renji for this.
"But they're itchy and hot," the drunken taicho whined. He giggled and started prancing around like a little school girl. Yep, Gin was definitely going to have nightmares about this for a very, very long time. He grimaced as his crystal blue eyed girlfriend tried her best to stop her extremely intoxicated taicho from getting completely naked. There are some things that she didn't want to see in this lifetime, especially since she already has a boyfriend. "One" is enough. "One" is enough.
"What's with all the damn racket?," an annoyed voice rang out. Apparently, some people were trying to sleep at this time. The groggy girl rubbed her violet irises to see the disturbing scene unfolding in front of her.
Matsumoto asked, "Rukia-chan, what are you doing up so late?" Oh so clueless this fuku-taicho was.
` The chappy loving shinigami rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You're the one who woke me up with that screeching of yours. Rangiku-san, who are you yelling at in the middle of the night?"
"Gomen, but Renji and Hisagi drunk all my expensive sake and they got Taicho drunk."
The younger Kuchiki took a quick glance at the extremely hammered child captain and got a good feeling who it really was. She sighed heavily and said, "Guys that is definitely not Hitsugaya-Taicho."
Ichimaru questioned, "He's short like chibi-taicho. He's got spiky, silver hair like chibi-taicho. This is probably how chibi-taicho would act when he gets drunk. How is he not chibi-taicho?" He lightly tapped his chin in curiosity. Hmm, is Rukia-chan tryin' to play a trick on me?
The violet eyed brunette added, "That's Hyorinmaru." The older shinigamis' minds were starting to draw blanks. Since when did Hyorinmaru look exactly like Toshiro?
"Ano, Rukia-chan, Hyorinmaru is Taicho's zanpakuto. Plus, he's way taller than Taicho and looks nothing like him," the strawberry blonde stated. Okay, I know Rukia is bad at drawing like her brother, but I didn't know she had bad eyesight as well. This girl needs glasses, big time.
The younger Kuchiki signed in defeat. "Didn't you look at his eyes and see that they were crimson, instead of turquoise. I guess that baka strawberry didn't tell you guys anything, did he?" The two confused shinigami nodded. Tell us what?
"Indeed he did not," a mysterious voice agreed. What the hell was that? The trio quickly glanced at one another in suspicion. "I'm over here." Hints of annoyance could be heard in it's voice. Rangiku, Rukia, and Gin looked over at the figure towering over the unconscious, baka ryu. Toshiro is definitely not going to be happy when he wakes up to find out what Hyorinmaru did to his body.
There was an eerie, dead silence throughout the room. Neither the taicho, the fuku-taicho, the unseated officer or the mysterious man spoke for a while. Finally, one of them got the courage to speak. "Who are you?," the grey haired man asked. His tone was calm, but slightly menacing. More so, Ichimaru wanted to know why this guy was here, was he a friend or foe, did he pose a threat to them and their mission, and was he sent by Yamamoto to take them back to the Soul Society to be incarcerated and possibly be put up for execution.
He stated firmly, "I am Daigaren Hyorinmaru, Hitsugaya's bankai." I knew his reiastsu felt similar to chibi-taicho, but in a way it's more powerful and colder, the Third Division Taicho thought. His piercing, crimson gaze was like no other. It was so cold and emotionless, that it practically cut them down to size. About tens times worse than Hitsugaya's famous death glare.
"Ah, so you're the guy Hyorinmaru-san was taking about earlier," the young noble confirmed.
The elder kori ryu shifted his gaze towards the drunken, but thankfully unconscious baka ryu. His gaze softens a bit as he watched Hyorinmaru soundly sleep. "I guess my little brother has made a mess of things again. He's always getting into trouble." What am I going to do with you?
"Brother?," Gin started. "Can zanpakutos even have siblings?"
"Ukitake's zanpakuto is a pair of twins. So I guess we can have siblings since I got stuck with him."
The Third Division Taicho asked, "How is Hyorinmaru, chibi-taicho?"
"At times like this when Hitsugaya is training with me, for some unknown reason he let's Hyorinmaru inhabit his body, so he won't creep people out when he's unresponsive. This has only happened a few times before, but usually when my little brother is in control Toshiro's body, he can end up in some pretty awkward situations. It kind of like how Kurosaki let's that mod soul- Kon, I think, use his body."
"Ano…, Daigaren Hyorinmaru, where's Taicho?," Matsumoto asked quietly.
"After training for hours, I decided that we should take a break. Even though Toshiro protested against it, I still got him to sit down. I left for about ten minutes and when I returned I noticed that he had collapsed. So I took him to a cave and now he's recovering from the reiastsu loss. But don't worry, he'll wake up soon." Taicho must be training really hard. Well this is Hina-chan we're talking about after all.
The elder kori ryu's crimson gaze fell back on Hyorinmaru. He crouched to his younger brother and flicked him in the forehead. "Itte," the younger kori ryu groaned. His eyes popped open to meet and identical set of piercing, crimson eyes. "Onii-san?"
Daigaren Hyorinmaru signed. "Yes, its me, you drunken fool."
"Demo, Onii-san, what are you do here?," he asked. "You never let anyone see what you look like. Only Yuki-chan and Shiro-chan are allowed to see you."
"That's not important right now. Now, come on." The older ryu hauled his brother up. Hyorinmaru stumbled a bit before getting his footing. "Now put your clothes on and go sleep in the other room."
"Demo Onii-chan…..," the baka ryu whined.
"Hyorinmaru!," he bellowed. Everyone flinched at his harsh tone. "You know Toshiro will kill you if you leave his body in such a profane state. Sober up, get dressed, and go to the other room!"
"Hai, Onii-san." The kori ryu grabbed his clothes and staggered out of the room.
Daigaren Hyorinmaru turned his attention back to the trio of awestruck shinigami. "Sorry about that. This doesn't happen often, but I wonder how he got so drunk? What did you guys give him?" All eyes were on the guilty strawberry blonde who was currently finding the floor more interesting at the moment.
"Err, Ran-chan….," Gin started.
The crystal blue eyed fuku-taicho confessed, "He might of got his hands on some vodka and whiskey." She could not meet the ryu's accusing, crimson gaze.
The elder kori ryu's eye starting twitching. "You gave my little brother vodka and whiskey. Don't you realize that that's hard alcohol."
"I'm not the one who gave him the alcohol. They did." Rangiku pointed to the two wasted, halve naked bakayaros sprawled out on the floor on the other side of the room. Daigaren Hyorinmaru grimaced at the site of them.
"Oh well, I guess he will have to sleep it off," he sighed. "I best be getting back to Toshiro before he wakes up. Take care of my little brother and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, okay."
"Sure…," Rukia, Rangiku, and Gin all said simultaneously. They were still a bit unsure what to say.
"Sayonara." And with that he returned to his inner world to tend to the unconscious chibi.
{In Huecho Mundo}
Dammit! Come on, move, you stupid body. Damn you, Kuroki! The said assailant quickly entered the room were he had the sweet peach chained up. Karitoriki let out a haughty laugh as he approached her. "Ah, such sweet, pure innocence. How it can be twisted and tainted so easily into something so grotesque and evil, it amazes me. I guess that's how Aizen-sama got you to do his dirty work, ne Hinamori-kun. I guess that's how naïve you really are. You believed some ink and a piece a paper over your best friend-wait, let me rephrase that. Your childhood friend. The one and only person that you have known for your entire life. You held your sword to that little, white haired brat's neck accusing him of murdering your oh-so-innocent-and-completely-perfect taicho who turned out to be a traitor and the Soul Society's biggest threat. The very same threat that made Hitsugaya stab you in the same place that Aizen-sama did on the day of the winter war." Momo glared at him and spit in his face. "I guess you still have some will power left in you after all. But like I said earlier, I will break you." Kuroki remove the whip he had hidden in his pocket. She cried out as he violently lashed her with his whip. After what had seemed like hours of agony the merciless fiend finally ceased his torturing to the sweet peach. A sinister smile was placed on his face as he gazed upon his handy work. Hinamori was hanging there limp and unresponsive. Her clothes were in tatters and each bleeding gash was worse than the one before. She wheezed and coughed up blood as her body ached for salvation. Momo finally gathered up the strength and looked Karitoriki in his cold, dead eyes. "You will submit to me, Hinamori Momo." He let out a small snort and exited the room. Leaving Hinamori in peace, but fighting to stay conscious. She was trying hard not to slip back into the darkness that would soon engulf her.
"Hinamori-chan," a voice called out. The sweet peach slowly lifted her head to see a small cat staring back at her. {A/N: Yoru is the Yoru from Shugo No Chara. So adorable yet so mischievous.} Who is he, Hinamori thought.
"Who are you," she said in a raspy tone. She wheezed and the metallic smell of fresh blood filled the tiny cat's nostrils.
"I'm Yoru. Tsubasa sent me." His eyes were suddenly down casted after he spread the word.
"Y-Yoru-chan, where's Tsubasa?," Hinamori asked slowly as if she had not already feared the worst.
With his head held down, Kusoyoruneko said softly, "Tsubasa is dead."
Flashback:
"Tsubasa-chan! Tsubasa-chan! Please wake up," Yoru pleaded. Tears were spilling down his cheeks as he continued to cry out for his master.
"Yoru," the green haired arancar hissed. "Stop yelling in my ear. I want my last moments of life to be peaceful." He gave his zanpakuto his signature snake like smile to ease the tension.
The little cat cried, "Demo Tsubasa, you can't die!"
"I have lived a long life. Maybe this is a way that I can atone more my sins. To feel the pain I caused all those poor souls. To die with honor."
"Demo Tsubasa-"
After Tsubasa heard the desperation in his zanpakuto's voice, he decided to flick him in the nose to lighten the mood. He chuckled, which sounded more like he was gasping for air, and said, "Yoru, you know that crying will get you no where. After all, you're a cat, not a mouse. Anyway, I need you to go help Hinamori. Kuroki has probably beaten her for trying to escape to satisfy his sick pleasure. I also want you to help the shinigami when they get here. Make sure Kuroki doesn't go through with his plan. I need you to keep my promise…" Tsubasa gave his faithful zanpakuto one last look before dying a peaceful death.
As you wish, master. Yoru whipped the last of his tears and went in search for the sweet peach.
End of Flashback:
After the terrible tale was told Hinamori could not even meet the tiny cat's gaze. It's all my fault. It's all my fault. "Gomenasai, Yoru-chan," she murmured softly.
"Eh?" Now the tiny, black cat was very confused. "Hinamori-chan, why are you apologizing?"
"Because it's my fault!," Momo yelled. "It's all my fault! If I had not let myself get captured, Tsubasa wouldn't be dead. You would still have your wielder. People are always getting hurt because of me. First Hitsugaya-kun and now Tsubasa. Just go, Yoru. I don't want any more people dying at my expense!"
Hinamori-chan must have a troubled past. "Tsubasa tried to help you because he thought it was the right thing to do. He didn't want you to die because he wanted to atone for the sins he's committed in the past. To right the wrong. My master has always been a very cold and cruel person since his sister, Miyako, was killed. I guess he started to have a change of heart because you reminded him so much of Miyako-chan. And I can't just leave you here because Tsubasa asked me to keep his promise. The promise he couldn't keep to Miyako and the promise he could not keep to you." He slowly approached her and started to pull at the black bracelet around her wrist. That was a bad decision. The bracelet suddenly zapped the tiny cat. "Itte! What the heck was that?"
The sweet peach sighed. "It's no use, Yoru-chan. The bracelet is using my reiastsu to deflect you. Every time someone starts to pull at it the spell gets stronger and the bracelet tightens itself more around my wrist. The more I try to resist the weaker I get. That bastard is the only person that knows how to get it off." Yoru looked disconsolate. If only I wasn't such a tiny cat I would be able to help Hinamori-chan. When Momo saw this she gave him a small smile. "Ano, Yoru-chan, since you're too small to get me out of these chains how about you spy on Kuroki. See what kind of tricks he's got up his-" Hinamori stopped because she started to cough very violently. Blood splattered the floor as she continued to gasp and gag.
"Hinamori-chan," Yoru cried. "You shouldn't talk anyone especially after what Kuroki did to you." He glowered at the site of her tattered clothes. He slowly came to were her wounds were as his paws started glow.
"What are doing?," she asked.
"I giving you some of my reiastsu so you won't be so weak."
Hinamori said strictly, "Stop it! All my reiastsu is just going to that god forsaking bracelet." The tiny cat flinched at her surprisingly, harsh tone. The sweet peach had realized what she had done and sighed heavily. "Gomen, Yoru-chan, I don't know what came over me. I just don't want you wasting your reiastsu when it can be used for something else."
"It's okay."
"Anyway, you should before Kuroki comes back. He'll surely kill you if he sees…." Her head was hung down and she was becoming very fatigue at the moment.
Now the tiny cat was a bit concerned. "Hinamori-chan, are you okay?" he asked.
Momo raised her head slowly to meet Yoru's confused and anxious gaze. Her vision was hazy as well. "Gomen, Yoru-chan", the sweet peach said once again. "I'm just a little tired." Damn this retched bracelet! "Now go on, Yoru. Find out what else Kuroki is planning."
"Hai!" Kusoyoruneko gave her a small salute and flew out the room. Arigato, Yoru-chan. Gomenasai, Tsubasa.
{Next Day In The Urahara Shop}
"Hyorinmaru did what?," Toshiro yelled. I swear when I get my hands on that baka ryu, I'll strangle him and wring his neck.
His fuku-taicho reassured him. "Now Taicho don't be too mad. After all it's not like he went outside and did all that. Besides Daigaren Hyorinmaru came in and straighten him out. So alls well that end well."
"But it was pretty funny, ne Ran-chan?," Ichimaru suggested. "Thinkin' that chibi-taicho was drunk for the first time was hilarious." Snickering from Rukia and Ichigo behind Gin.
Now the silver haired boy was very confused. "Daigaren Hyorinmaru?"
"Well, yeah. He just suddenly appeared in the room out of thin air over Hyorinmaru," the violet eyed noble added.
The strawberry blonde asked, "Didn't he tell you?" Now this is very strange. Why wouldn't he tell Taicho?
"No," the turquoise eyed taicho said slowly. "But he shouldn't have come here." The chibi eyes were down casted and his hands were clenched in tight fists. He couldn't even look up at the strange glances he was getting from the four other shinigami.
"What do you mean, Toshiro?," the orange haired strawberry question. Calling Hitsugaya, Toshiro, earn him a icy glare, which he clearly ignored {like always}. "What's wrong with him being here? Hyorinmaru always popping up when ever he wants."
The Tenth Division Taicho sighed. "It is forbidden for Daigaren Hyorinmaru to be seen by anyone else than his wielder. It drains no only his reiastsu a lot, but also a little of mind. That's why he shouldn't have come and for the hundredth and one time, it's Hitsugaya-Taicho, Kurosaki." Why you little-
Zangetsu: Ichigo don't even think about it.
Kurosaki: Why not?
Zangetsu: Do you want to get pneumonia and severe fourth degree frostbite?
Kurosaki: Is there even such a thing as fourth degree frostbite?
Zangetsu: Well in Hitsugaya-Taicho case, there's probably a tenth degree frostbite if you make him made enough. Which you are certainly and currently doing.
Kurosaki: ….
Zangetsu: So if I were I would stop pissing him off!
Kurosaki: Sure, old man. I'll do that.
Zangetsu: I'm serious, Ichigo. That boy posses powers beyond compare and beyond your caliber.
Kurosaki: Are you insulting me, old man?
Zangetsu: Yes, I am. Now get your back into the serious matter at hand.
"Oh yeah," the chappy loving shinigami added. "I do remember Hyorinmaru saying that only you and Yuki-chan were allowed to see Daigaren Hyorinmaru last night."
His crystal blue eyed fuku-taicho questioned, "Taicho, who's Yuki-chan?" Could Taicho have a sister? He would have said something about her…. unless something bad must have happened. Or could it be even a- dare I say, a love interest? No. Taicho would never betray Hina-chan like that! And he definitely wouldn't deceive me into thinking that he loves her. But who is this Yuki-chan person? Hmm….
Well I guess this time would be better than any other to tell the origin of Yuki-chan. The chibi confessed, "Hitsugaya Yukina is my great-great-great grandmother and the original Heavenly Guardian." That confession certainly made so eyes pop. It was strangely straight forward, unlike the usual little-boy-who-tries-to-hide-everything attitude.
Gin stammered, "S-So you're a descendent of the Heavenly Guardian too."
"Yep."
"Ano, Hitsugaya-Taicho who told you about Yukina?," Kuchiki asked.
Suddenly Hitsugaya turquoise eyes were down casted. "Daigaren Hyorinmaru told me about Yukina and my mother and father the other day."
"So what happen to your mom and dad?," the baka strawberry asked. That was a extremely bad idea. I mean how dense can this substitute shinigami get?
The chibi had his hands clutched in tight fists and his nails were slicing into his palms. He looked up and he had the most frightening look in his eyes. Toshiro's bright, turquoise irises were glowing and the whites of his eyes were completely crimson. He gritted his teeth and hissed, "They were murdered." After that Hitsugaya left the room without another word. The spot where he was standing was covered in ice and the temperature had surely dropped about 36 degrees. Death glares were shot to the confused Kurosaki.
"What?"
Tensa Zangetsu and Sode No Shirayuki: You.
Hollow Ichigo and Shinsou: Mother{colorful word}.
Zangetsu and Haineko: Idiot!
"Ichigo," Kuchiki and Matsumoto growled. Then the two punched the poor, baka strawberry. Ichimaru just stood in since. Enjoying the site of two women pounding down on this poor substitute shinigami. "You idiot!," the strawberry blonde and the violet brunette yelled. "Just what in the hell were you thinking?"
The Third Division taicho added, "Ya really screwed up things this time, Kurosaki. Think you've been just added to his list."
"L-List of what?" the substitute shinigami asked in a shaky tone.
"List of people to violently kill, maim, mutilate, exterminate, disfigure, execute, destroy, eradicate, slay, eliminate, abolish, massacre, assassinate, slaughter, butcher, annihilate, obliterate, terminate, deface, harm, cripple, fatally injure, and most definitely, viciously murder. Basically a list of when the day you'll die. It depends on what ya did to either him or Hinamori-chan to determine the day. Mostly likely if ya did something ta Hinamori-chan it'll get ya on the list. But I guess in your case it's a lot different. I was on that list a lil' while ago til' just recently. The only people left on the list are Kira, Aizen, and that arancar, Kuroki Karitoriki."
"What did Kira do that was so bad to get on the list?"
"You really don't wanna know. Let's just say that my fuku-taicho is only still alive because Hinamori-chan had to go to a Shinigami Women's Association meeting." Hey, how did Gin find out about that? I should have given Yachiru-chan more candy to keep her big mouth shut.
The younger Kuchiki groaned, "Why did you have to ask such a stupid question? Hitsugaya-Taicho just found out that his parents were murdered. Do you not understand the phase 'they were murdered'?"
"Um…. Well… I….."
"She's right, Ichigo. I'm surprised Taicho didn't try to kill you. He can do some pretty wicked stuff when he's mad." Chills ran down the orange haired strawberry's spine. "I mean look what he did to Kira. He looks worse than Hanataru when Taicho looks his way. You're one lucky, lucky guy to still be alive."
Gin suddenly asked, "Ano, Ran-chan, what was up with chibi-taicho's eyes. The white's were crimson and they were glowing." Chibi-taicho has sure had some weird changes lately.
"Hmmm… I have never seen Taicho's eyes do that before. Well I have seen them glow when he was fighting you and Aizen, but the white's never turned crimson before." Whatever Taicho was holding back it must be pretty powerful.
"Ichigo," the young noble said. "you need to go apologize to Hitsugaya-Taicho." Her voice was stern, but calm.
"But I don't even know where he went."
The violet eyed brunette yelled, "Well go find him, dumbass."
"You know I can't track a person's reiastsu, midget!," the orange strawberry retorted.
"Well we would not be in this mess if it weren't for you! You always have to be so dense when it comes to a sensitive topic."
"Well I didn't think he was going to respond that way!"
"How do you think anyone would respond to what you said, baka strawberry?" And that's how it went on. The two teens continued their usual petty argument while Gin and Rangiku watched helplessly in an extremely awkward and uncomfortable silence. Soon Kuchiki and Kurosaki had their arms crossed and their backs to each other. The two refused to look at one another.
"Um… guys… shouldn't we be lookin' for chibi-taicho," Ichimaru said slowly. No response came from the chappy loving noble and the orange haired strawberry. The grey haired man and the strawberry blonde closed their eyes and sighed heavily at their comrades' actions.
"God, you two fight like an old, married couple," Matsumoto muttered.
They said in unison while shooting death glares at each other, "We Are Not A Couple!"
"Yeah. Yeah. Now kiss and make up so we can go find Taicho before he wreaks havoc on Karakura. Not to mention turn it into a frozen wasteland."
"Ano, Ran-chan…. its snowin', really hard," Gin said while looking out the window.
"Alright, let's go get him."
{Karakura Woods}
Toshiro panted heavily, adding to the thick fog that had already started to form around him. With his zanpakuto in hand, the chibi swiftly sliced through air. Cutting through the mist to see what is unseen. Yet in the most elegant way, but more deadly than it appears to be. The snow lightly falling seemed to freeze anything and everything at its very touch. It never bothered Hitsugaya, though. He was a mighty ice dragon on the outside, but on the inside there was something more than just the icy façade he bestowed to others. Always hiding behind those thick walls he had built around himself long before he entered the Gotei Thirteen. Never showing the real Hitsugaya Toshiro. On the inside there was a fire burning down to his very core. Frozen passion, as some would say.
"I will make them make them pay," Hitsugaya hissed angrily. His turquoise orbs were blazing with rage and fury. He gripped Hyorinmaru so tight that his hands bled.
Hitsugaya Toshiro, a voice rang out.
"Daigaren… Hyorinmaru…," Toshiro whispered slowly. He fell to his knees and gradually started to slip in and out conscious before finally collapsing completely. When the little, silver haired boy awoke he found himself once again in his inner world. "Why am I here?"
"You know why," the elder ryu stated while appearing in front of the chibi. Their icy glares were almost identical, except Daigaren Hyorinmaru's gaze was a bit softer. He knew the pain his young master was going through. The kori ryu said softly, "You know that revenge is not the answer."
Hitsugaya started, "But the people in the twenty-third district-"
"- murdered your parents. I know. I was there trying to save them. I failed and ended up witnessing their demise and my master's. Trying to get revenge on that malevolent district will not bring Yukiko and Mamoru back! I know you want to avenge them just as much as I do, but in the end what good will that do? Of all people you should know that by now." Toshiro hands were balled up in tight fists and his head was hung down. He was trying to do the thing he swore he never let himself to again. Trying not to show the weakness he had always hid behind those stone, cold walls of his. But that very same weakness that he tried so hard to hide was eating him alive. He's falling apart. Piece by piece. Maybe it was too soon to tell him, but he deserved the right to know. If Toshiro hadn't learned the truth he would have never been able to move on and discover his true potential. But in the end he is still just a child. A child that has seen too much and experienced too much pain in the short life span he has had so far.
"Toshiro," Daigaren Hyorinmaru murmured. "It will not make you weak." The tiny, silver haired boy looked at the elder, kori ryu. Tears had creped into the corners of his eyes. It's like the he had read his mind. Toshiro slowly sat down in the snow, brought his knees up to his chest, and wrapped his arms around them. Toshiro cried. Cried out the tears he had kept dormant since the moment he learned the painful truth. Sobs racked his body as he continued to weep for his lost loved ones. There was no longer the mighty Heavenly Guardian, the coldest captain in the Gotei Thirteen, or the great prodigy that made his way through the Shinigami Academy and the ranks in a just a few short years. None of that mattered now. As that was left was a vulnerable, little boy. A child who has accepted his destiny too young and too soon. But with the fate her world put at stake, he will do anything to keep her safe. To protect her. The kori ryu just stood there by Hitsugaya's side in silence. Looking out into the distance because he knows that it is never easy to cry alone.
{Back To The Shinigami}
"Oi, Kurosaki, won't the people in your town think that's its kinda weird that's its snowin' in the middle of spring," The Tenth Division Taicho asked.
"Well a lot of weird stuff happens in Karakura, so I guess they're used to it," Ichigo answered while carrying the snoozing Kuchiki. Rukia got tired of walking because someone woke her up in the middle of the night last night and forced the baka strawberry carry her. She's so cute when she sleeps. Wait, what am I thinking? Rukia is evil! She is an evil, bunny loving midget! E-V-I-L. Evil! But she's still kind of cute in an evil way…
"Oi, Ichigo," Matsumoto said interrupting the substitute shinigami's mental meltdown. "I found Taicho! Hurry up." He ran to the spot where Gin and Rangiku were standing. The strawberry saw the chibi faced down in the snow.
"Chibi-taicho must have collapsed," Ichimaru said stating the obvious. He examined the white haired boy closer. "His hands are also all cut up. Must have been grippin' his zanpakuto pretty hard cause the hilt's all bloody." The grey haired man could swear that the white haired boy's cheeks were wet like he had been crying, but he knew that it was just his eyes playing tricks on him. Or were they…
The strawberry blonde said, "Gin, pick him up so we can get back to Urahara's."
"Demo, Ran-chan, why do I have to do it," the grey haired man whined.
"Because Ichigo is carrying is Rukia-chan and she's still asleep. I could carry Taicho, but then you'd have come with me on another shopping spree. It's your choice."
"…."
"Gin?" She opened her eyes to see that he was gone. "Eh? Where did he go?" The baka strawberry lightly shrugged his shoulders {trying not to wake the cute, but still very evil girl sleeping on his back} with a questioning look on his face as well. The crystal, blue eyed looked around finally discovered why she never got an answer from him. Gin had already picked Hitsugaya up and started running in the direction of the Urahara Shop.
"Oi, Gin! Choto Mate!"
{Urahara Shop}
The chibi woke in a cold sweat and discovered that he was no longer that he was no longer in the woods and that his hands were wrapped in thick bandages.
"Seems like you finally decided to wake up, chibi-taicho," a familiar voice said. Toshiro looked over to the corner of the room and saw Gin just sitting there watching him.
"Ichimaru," the silver haired boy said slowly. His defenses were up.
"Ya sure gave us a scare like that. Runnin into the Karakura woods and makin it snow in the middle of spring. But I guess it's not really ya fault cause Kurosaki brought up somethin' painful. Guess it's not easy findin' out what happened to your parents. He's pretty dense for his age, ne chibi-taicho?"
"Why are you in here," Toshiro asked. Even though he had forgiven the ex-traitor, he was still a bit wary about him. Ya know what. I try to make small talk and this kid answers a question with a question. Seems like I'll never get him ta trust me.
The Third Division Taicho gave him his signature foxed face grin. "Ran-chan asked me to watch over you for a lil' while."
"Well tell her and everyone else that tomorrow we strike." Just hold on, Momo. And please still be okay.
A/N: Ah, after a long wait they are finally going to Huecho Mundo. Just wait and see what happens next. I am also open to suggestions because I kinda get writer's block sometimes along the way. Please review, minna-san!