The first part of this chapter was originally included in the last one, but I moved it to here so that the other one would seem more filler xD And in any case, I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter we've ever had. Extra early, too! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I can't think of anything amusing. All my creative juices have been wasted on this collection of chapters that basically mess around with Hitsugaya Tōshirō's head. Ta-ta.

OOO

I was quickly discovering that Kisuke Urahara was one of the most eccentric people in the world.

He had arrived through my bedroom window in a stripy hat, clogs, and a coat. And a black cat. And a cane. And a slightly perturbing mischievous grin on his face. He had greeted me like and old friend and talked like a girl whose seven-year-old voice I remembered for being slightly masculine.

"Hey, Mitsuki-chan! Let's check that suit of yours!"

I had wanted to tell him not to call me that, but I had a sneaking suspicion that he wouldn't listen anyway.

The cat talked too, with a deeper and rougher voice, even though she was female. And she transformed into a tall, beautiful, dark-skinned, purple-haired, light-eyed woman with nice legs and a bare arse. Actually, make that a bare everything. I stared at her as Tōshirō squawked and turned around, telling her to get some clothes on and to stop doing that.

I wasn't impressed. Mainly because of who was in the room.

And then she told me that she'd been brainstorming with Urahara about the whole fandango and that she really needed a dress. I shrugged and leant her a black strappy one that was about six sizes too big for me and that I only wore around the house. She thanked me and told me as she was shimmying into it that she believed that I had outgrown my gigai and was as such 'stuck', or that it had malfunctioned. As soon as this came out of her mouth, Urahara leapt forward and shoved the heel of his hand into my forehead.

"What the- ouch, god dammit!" I shrieked, holding the front of my head as Urahara put on a thinking voice and held his chin. He brought out a fan and held it over the bottom half of his face. The thing didn't match his black Goth glove, which appeared to have a flaming skull on it, as best I could tell from between my fingers.

"Tōshirō, please tell me they have a serious side." I muttered to him, hand still rubbing the sore spot on my forehead.

He just looked at me out of the side of his eye and smirked slightly. "Stop pouting."

"Only if they stop behaving like lunatics," I retorted, keeping my voice down.

"Okay, people, I think we're going to have to run some tests..."

Tests? I wondered. Tests... ugh.

"What sort of tests?" Tōshirō asked, arms crossed.

"Oh, nice tests. Painless tests. They would just be to see what has gone wrong since your last re-haul," replied Urahara, looking at me now.

"How long is that?"

He adopted the I'm-trying-to-be-all-mysterious voice again. "Only a few decades, that's why it is so confusing... all of your suits are custom-built for you. They are my most advanced models, to date the only gigai that I have developed which age and replicate all bodily functions, including things like an irregular heartbeat or hiccups."

He could've skipped out that last one, right? But then again, at least he didn't say "basically you breathe, eat and shit"

"You mean you made the illusion all the more convincing."

"Mitsuki, you yourself chose to live every other life cycle without any memories."

My mouth opened slightly as I considered this. So my memories would come back, or could be called back.

I tried to figure out what I would do, Eva, I mean. I wanted to see how much I was actually like myself. If we made the same choices, did the same things, had the same philosophies... I was morbidly curious as to how I might act if I was Mitsuki.

And then suddenly I get an idea.

"Urahara, are you going to try and get my memories back?"

Urahara shrugs as he waves his fan around. "I don't see how that would help in any case if we can't get you out of that gigai."

Tōshirō frowned at the madman. "I thought you said it was risky and needed an incantation?"

"It is and it does, my little Captain friend. However, the incantation is placed upon this special glove... Although I suppose whatever changed must also have rendered this redundant." And with a flourish he took off his glove. He even put down his fan on my desk and looked at me seriously. "I'll go and look around, investigate a little. Call me when you're going, Hitsugaya."

We both nodded and the other two moved away and out of the room, closing the door, leaving us staring at each other with a foot between us. I frowned at him unhappily. He looked apologetic as he took my hand and pulled me down to sit next to him on the bed. I was reminded of the first time we kissed – only days ago! It seemed like years – as he settled down next to me, cross-legged. I slipped off my trainers so I could curl my legs up onto the bed. He pulled me to lean against his shoulder and I looked at the collar of his shirt, watching his chest rise and fall.

Then I remembered Urahara's gigais, and felt alienated as I realised that we were both just sitting in suits. There was suddenly so much distance between us and I reached for his side, lowering my face until I could smell him.

Was this really his scent? I remembered it vaguely, but it might all just be a fabrication. Of course, someone who doesn't smell of anything is really weird.

I wondered how much better it would be if we weren't wrapped up like this. I wanted to kiss him with nothing in between. I wanted his real lips, real eyes, a proper hug... I sighed. I wondered if I would ever be able to have a proper relationship with this boy. It was funny, I had never truly respected the sort of girls who did things with boys that they barely knew... I had changed.

Tōshirō's question, I remembered it now. '...if you could, who would you choose?'

What would I do if Hiroko was taken down, and the insider too? If the choice was actually left up to me... I had spent so much time being told what to do (mainly "stay here") I hadn't really considered my future and what I would like to do with it now. Apart from, of course, regaining my memories. But would I go to Seretei? Would I try to integrate back into my old life, if I even could? Would I visit my friends, tell them about this tragedy, all my family dying in a 'car crash', and then tell them I was going to live with relatives?

Suddenly I missed all my old friends terribly, remembering a smile here, a laugh there, a yawn...

Would I visit Aaron again? Would I do that to him, and me? ...And Tōshirō?

No, I shook my head. As much as I wished it was otherwise, no matter how I sliced the situation, I couldn't have both. It was the past (my friends, my family, Aaron) or the present and future (my real identity, my memories, Seretei, Tōshirō). And no one should live in the past.

"I choose you," I told him quietly. "I think I always knew I was going to chose you. I felt guilty for choosing someone I haven't known that long, truly don't know that well, over people that were my family for years, friends for years..."

"Love-interest for years," He finished for me. I chuckled lowly.

"That makes it sound so grown-up, like a character in a book."

"It wasn't a crush, though, was it?"

I sighed and shifted. "No, it wasn't, but..." I gathered my courage and looked up at him. I was trying to tell him that I hadn't liked Aaron, I had loved him, and that I cared for Tōshirō more than I could say right now. I hadn't known him very long, true, but that was no factor when it came to emotions. And as much as it might have been better to never feel this way, it was totally out of my control, and I didn't regret it for a second.

He smiled. I thought he understood, but knew that I would find out later anyway. I looked at him as he leant down rubbed noses with me, still smiling. I laughed shakily and pushed him away.

"Now go and kill the bad people, and then come back here to me."

He sneaked forward for a kiss and I indulged him before firmly making sure he was away from me. As I watched him leave, taking his gigai this time, I thought how anti-climatic this all was. I thought that there was meant to be tears and tense music. Instead I'd told him to bugger off and go and risk his life on my behalf.

Well. I supposed it was actually his job, so that meant a clear conscience for me.

"Now, Mitsuki-chan, it's time for those fun tests I told you about!" Urahara burst into speech as he shoved his way into my room, possibly breaking my door in the process.

"Yep, good times," I said with a hint of cheerful sarcasm.

OOO

I had never been so cautious entering what I considered to be my home. I found myself automatically treading lightly and slowly, aiming for stealth. I had no idea what I was expecting, to hear an evil cackle from around the corner? To stop and glance around the corner like those human films? I shook my head in self-disgust. I needed to act normal.

I needed to act like I felt nothing for Mitsuki, like I suspected nothing, like I was at ease and simply enjoying a break from my mission.

No one could be trusted. I couldn't reveal anything. I had to put my poker face on and keep it there, at least until it was too late and we were all locked inside a room with the Commander. Because then, there would be no escape.

How would she act, he wondered. Would she ignore his presence because they shouldn't really know each other, would she perhaps wave, or would she smile and act as if they were best friends? He knew that the last option was entirely possible, because she was a good manipulator and an outstanding liar, and a seconds hesitation from him – especially at a crucial moment, like her escape attempt – was all she would need. She would either get past him or slip through his guard to take care of him.

But she had no idea how deep in shit she truly was. In fact, Tōshirō was quite unconcerned about her fate. He found himself more preoccupied with Mitsuki's, but he knew that Urahara would have answers for him soon. And once they all knew just who exactly she was, Commander would make one offer or another, and Mitsuki could decide her future.

He wouldn't deny her anything. Even if, when push came to shove, she chose her old life, he would do nothing to complain. How could he? She deserved control and freedom, like anyone else.

But he trusted her, he supposed, to not have lied to him with her answer just an hour ago.

He started to flash-step. Arriving at his Division, he quickly checked his paperwork, signed a few urgent documents that Matsumoto had been charged to send to him this week during his mission, and then poked his Lieutenant awake. She flailed about a little about having a man in her room, before Tōshirō reminded her that he had always been the one protesting her having males in her bedroom. She was adamant, but he let the injustice slide because she was severely hungover (how she did it in such a short period of time he didn't want to know) and he didn't need that right now. He focused on telling her to get ready for the meeting, and then explained lowly Urahara's information. Matsumoto nearly fell off the bed in horror.

"What a shame..." Her musical voice commented, and Tōshirō knew that she was referring to Mitsuki's life. This was confirmed as she went on. "Young intelligent girls like that usually do have everything to lose, except they don't."

He knew she was thinking of herself... of Hinamori. He shrugged in reply and left her to get change into clothes that didn't stink of alcohol and sweat – she had clearly gone into one of her favourite seedy bars.

Half and hour later and they had finally arrived in front of First Division. Tōshirō was in fact early, but he assumed that Yamamoto wanted to talk to him. He hadn't written a report because of the sensitive nature, and with the insider, nothing was ever going to be written down. Although they hadn't spoken of this meeting either, Tōshirō knew his leader well enough. He wouldn't be surprised if the next twenty minutes turned into and investigation, if he himself was suspect. Yamamoto had never been knocked off his pedestal, and he did his job very well.

Everyone was indeed innocent until proven guilty, but if something arose, you and and everyone else could be responsible or an enemy. It wasn't that Yamamoto didn't trust his subordinates, but he kept a cool head and was detached.

Tōshirō, who hadn't bothered to hide as he entered the building, left Matsumoto behind as made his way through the large assembly hall and into Yamamoto's reception area. As he arrived, Yamamoto's Fourth Seat – his name escaped Tōshirō, though he recognised him and nodded – waved him through into Yamamoto's office.

"He's been expecting you," The man said as he went back to fiddling away behind his desk. Tōshirō wondered if he was late.

He knocked twice on the door before entering. He looked up and saw Yamamoto alone standing in front of a window to his right. The old man didn't turn around, but when he spoke his voice was heavy.

"It seems I took the wrong course of action, Hitsugaya-Taichou."

Said Captain waited for the Commander to elaborate. Was he talking about leaving Mitsuki alone? Had something already happened? Tōshirō felt a rising tide of panic.

"I should have dedicated more to finding the Shimatsu survivors... No, I should have exiled them long before they started murdering the innocent."

Tōshirō was surprised. He hadn't known that there had been any indication of the Shimatsu being a bit iffy before the blood feud.

"They had already shown questionable behaviour?"

He had been in his job too long; he now had the ability of making anything sound better than it was. Could 'treason, murder, kidnapping, torture, and all around insanity' be put any more reasonably than 'questionable behaviour'? Tōshirō doubted it.

"Yes, but we turned a blind eye. It was only a few instances, and they insisted that it was those individuals, who were dealt with accordingly."

Ouch.

"What sort of crimes were they?"

"Mostly petty. Theft, bribery... but no less than a week before it all started, an adolescent was found in one of the poorest districts, assaulting a young girl."

Yamamoto didn't need to say what sort of assault it was, nor did he need to confirm that it was a male who had done this. Tōshirō swallowed his disgust and the harsh comment that surfaced. He listened very intently as he watched the older man's back.

"Someone so young had only been out of the Shimatsu compound twice... His actions showed a deep-rooted problem within the clan. I suspected that most of the clan was corrupt at this point, and began an investigation... But I was too late to save the Arima." He finally turned around and walked towards his large desk, sitting down. He looked up at Tōshirō. "I had had no doubt that it was the Shimatsu that killed Mitsuki, but now that the child is possibly alive it makes it entirely possible that the Shimatsu merely invented this excuse."

He gestured for Tōshirō to sit down, which he did slowly as he thought.

"But there was a reason that they targeted the Arima. There has to be, and they also wanted to remain in Seretei. They were deluded, but they definitely believed their enemies to be responsible for something."

"Perhaps they did kidnap Shimatsu Tsubaki, but only to protect her. As I recall, her and Arima Mitsuki were in the same Academy class and they trained together."

It made sense. "Then perhaps that was why the Arima put forward that Mitsuki had died; when in fact they must have known that they were going to war. But why they did so... They were outnumbered and outclassed."

Yamamoto leant forward and rested his elbows on his desk.

"And that is where I truly made my mistake, Hitsugaya-Taichou. I was unwilling to act unless things had been proven. I should have gone with my instincts and protected the Arimas, who had never shown any signs of instability."

Yamamoto had that smooth talking ability too, 'instability' was almost as good as 'questionable behaviour'

"You could not have known, Yamamoto-sama. Although it is regrettable, not much else could have been done."

"It is true that once I began to see that they would stop at nothing, we intervened and began protecting those we could and fighting off the Shimatsu. But we were already too late: they had mobilised so quickly."

There was silence for a minute, and Tōshirō knew that he was reliving the events in his mind. He was glad that it had all been before his time; no doubt it would have given him nightmares.

"In any case, we need to know if the Arima is indeed that. Once she recovers her memories, we can ask her for her account for events. It may even be that Tsubaki told her about her clan and consented to being taken away."

"If so, I pity her. I would not want the deaths of so many on my shoulders."

It was as I said it that I realised that Yamamoto considered the deaths on his, because his reaction to my innocent reply was a slow nod and the tension that had surrounded him lessened.

"Someone so young must not have accepted the extent of the corruption in her clan. In any case, we must move on from the past and consider the present," Yamamoto changed subject fluidly. I nodded in agreement.

"As you may have guessed, I worked with Urahara and had sent three separate groups to him for protection and relocation. It had been too risky to keep them here in Seretei because of the survivors of the Shimatsu clan, and we suspected that others from outside were working with them... A suspicion that was not misplaced, it seems. However, I did not know whom I had managed to save, because I could not meet with them. It was perhaps better not to know.

"Things began to decline after two hundred years, when Urahara began reporting to me that one group had vanished. Another fifty years passed, and he reported the second group had been attacked and that only one had survived, and was being sent to relocate near the other group. For safety reasons, the third group was not informed of this. As a result, they have been followed from a distance for a long time by the remainder."

What? My mouth nearly dropped open. Instead I just managed to contain my reaction to a widening of my eyes.

Yamamoto paused. "I take it that you did not know this?"

I shook my head mutely, before clearing my throat and speaking. "No," was all I managed to say. Who could it be? I wondered.

"It seems now that Shimatsu Hiroko had been working her way towards Arima Michiyo for some time. I have no doubt that she is who I met yesterday. She will face the consequences of what she has done."

I agreed whole-heartedly with this last statement. "And what of the insider? Urahara spoke as if there is only one."

"There used to be seven, but I discovered their identities before long, except for the last one, who evaded me. But now, I think I know."

At this point Yamamoto turned his eyes towards me very slowly and gave me an intense, pointed look, but kept silent. It was then that I realised who had been missing from this meeting: his Lieutenant, Chōjirō Sasakibe. The man had even been present when other Lieutenants hadn't been allowed, he was practically a Captain. My heart sank, because Yamamoto had trusted this man.

As the full implications of another betrayal this deep into the centre of the Gotei Thirteen hit me, I winced inwardly. Yamamoto wasn't going to take this lightly and would probably tighten his iron grip. And any relationship with Mitsuki would no doubt be frowned upon, at the very least... At worst, it would be forbidden. The Commander surely wasn't going to allow something so 'frivolous'

But maybe he would show a little kindness to her, a little lenience.

Perhaps.

OOO

My breath was slightly quickened, but I was no longer afraid, or even nervous.

Shimatsu Hiroko was about to pay. There was no escaping it now, and I had no doubts that the Commander General alone could take her down, as well as his own Lieutenant. With all of us here, it was impossible.

In fact, the only thing that concerned me about this meeting at all was if Hiroko would say something about Mitsuki and I. Any damage right now wasn't exactly what we needed. But on the other hand, the woman wasn't to be trusted, and if I saw a negative reaction, I could deny it. And Mitsuki would understand.

Of course she would.

I watched Yamamoto's face, deliberately avoiding staring at the man standing behind him. I glanced around at the other Captains.

Kuchiki was going to love this.

My gaze returned to the other end of the hall, were Shimatsu (clothed in Shinigami garb, even though she was still in her gigai, probably to hide her distinctive features) was being led through some side doors. She had two Shinigami keeping pace with her, but she was not bound in any way. They looked more like bodyguards than watchdogs. She walked quite slowly and calmly, her eyes met mine as she started passing through us, but she didn't react. She sat down carefully in the chair facing Yamamoto, in the midst of us.

Trapped.

But Shimatsu Hiroko was totally unaware of this as she looked up at Yamamoto calmly. Her two guards, who had stood either side of her chair, now moved fast as they acted in unison to perform a strong binding Kidō. Shimatsu Hiroko looked down in surprise as the blue chains slithered around her arms and even around her stomach, a look which turned to disbelief and horror as she started feeling the drain on her reiatsu. Her eyes looked back up at Yamamoto, but after a second I realised she was actually looking at Chōjirō.

He can't help you now...

I saw the traitor's fear in my periphery as four more guards appeared behind him and performed the same incantation, leading him to stand next to his co-conspirator. I saw the reactions of my fellows: some watched without comment, stoic; others froze in shock; some merely raised an unconcerned eyebrow; and a couple of Lieutenants let out little gasps. I ignored this and watched with a little relish as his Zanpakutō was taken away. It was quite symbolic; touching another's 'soul' was either very taboo or very intimate.

The guards then dragged the gigai off her, and I saw how uncomfortable it must have been for the tall woman. Her hair was particularly red and her eyes a cat yellow. Her skin was much paler and, on the whole, she looked nothing like Arima Michiyo.

Shimatsu Hiroko's eyes found mine, and I stared at her dispassionately as Yamamoto began to speak.

"Gotei Thirteen, we are here to discuss the fate of Shimatsu Hiroko and the traitor who aided her in the murder of all the remaining Arima survivors," Yamamoto's voice was strong and hinted at contained fury, but it didn't escape my notice that he couldn't bring himself to say Chōjirō's name. "As we all witnessed, the Shimatsu clan launched a genocide campaign against the Arima clan. Only two dozen survived, including who we believe to be Arima Michiyo and her daughter, Arima Mitsuki, the heir of the clan."

"I had coordinated with Urahara Kisuke to relocate the survivors onto Earth in three separate groups who had no contact with each other."

Nobody asked why they hadn't remained here; the reason was staring at them all in turn.

"However, a number of insiders had been working with what we suspect to be the sole Shimatsu left," Here he nodded towards Hiroko, who by now had sweat on her forehead and white knuckles from gripping the chair arms too hard. "There were seven, and soon six had been discovered; I am sure you can guess who they were."

There was a chorus of nods and murmured agreement. There had been a total of six executions in the last three centuries that hadn't been Shimatsu.

"But one remained, my own Lieutenant, Chōjirō Sasakibe. He aided Shimatsu Hiroko in locating the Arima around Earth. It was only this last week that Shimatsu found Arima Michiyo. She murdered the clan head and as of today, we have a possible two survivors left: the heir, Arima Mitsuki, and another survivor from another group. However, Arima Mitsuki has had her recollections locked away so as to lead a normal human life, made possible by Urahara Kisuke's modified gigai. This also means that she cannot leave and thus prove her identity, and Shimatsu Hiroko also managed to masquerade as her victim for days before coming here, still using the name Arima Michiyo."

At this point Yamamoto paused, inviting questions. I didn't recognise the voice, but I recognised the inquiry:

"Why didn't she take care of Arima Mitsuki?"

Yamamoto nodded. "While we have no conclusive proof that she is indeed Arima Mitsuki, we also don't know if she is in fact Shimatsu's daughter, Tsubaki. As you all recall, she was the starting point of the feud. We believe that she consented to be taken into protection by the Arima."

More signs of agreement.

"Therefore, Shimatsu came here to be exempt from suspicion as she coordinated with her insider an attack on the child, but as I called this assembly, Chōjirō Sasakibe was not able to leave and take care of the guards who rescued her, led by Tenth Division Captain."

I nodded this time and spoke up.

"I had been sent on a mission on Earth following an usually high rate of attacks by Hollows. As it turned out, I had been placed close to the survivors and was called in to protect them once Shimatsu contacted Seretei and informed them that they were being 'chased' by the Shimatsu."

I saw little reaction to this, and decided not to bore with details of the rescue.

"Hitsugaya-Taichou also reported an unusual Hollow with holes in its mask; a technique of Chōjirō Sasakibe. It was at this point that I suspected something was amiss, and I contacted Urahara who confirmed my suspicions.

"And now, it is time to sentence Shimatsu Hiroko and Chōjirō Sasakibe. Do you have anything in your defence?"

A few beats of silence.

"What are you going to do to her if she is my daughter?"

The voice was quiet, but unmistakable. I was somewhat surprised that Hiroko was concerned at all (she had arranged to have her tortured), but it seemed that she did have some latent humanity in there somewhere.

"She will not be harmed, and if she so chooses, she will be accepted back into Seretei."

The woman nodded. "Then I have nothing more to say."

Yamamoto turned towards Chōjirō, but he didn't need to ask again and the man seemed to know that there was no point in defending himself.

"Then you are hereby sentenced to execution for sedition, treason, torture," –here he turned towards his Lieutenant– "Murder, conspiracy and aiding and abetting fugitives. This order will be carried out tomorrow at 0800 hours."

Yamamoto banged his staff against the floor, and it was over.

I turned my head back to look at them as they were being led away, Shimatsu Hiroko had her head held high, but Chōjirō looked simply terrified and was crying silently. I stopped a sneer and lead Matsumoto out of the assembly room.

It was over, I repeated to myself.

I turned to my Lieutenant. "Matsumoto, I'm going back to Earth. You have to stay here and do paperwork."

I glared at her to contradict or disobey me, but for once, she didn't argue. She looked a little like a kicked puppy as she placed a hand on my shoulder for a second. "Just be there, Taichou."

She didn't need to say for who.

OOO

I know that a lot of this chapter is Yamamoto explaining as succinctly as possible what you already know, but can't make it any shorter. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon!

And were you all surprised by who the insider was? I chose him because we barely see him, so it was more plausible.

I hope you enjoyed. Ciao.