Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

Author's Note: I've kept you all hanging long enough. It's time for me to update this story! Special thanks to Samantha, tlg, Pieps XD, MoonLightView, Maya-chan2007, BLEACHISAWESOMEANDIMAWESOME XP, Tamashi Aisuto, AznInvasionGirl, Supreme cookieeater NANCY, becomeafan, Lady Krystalyn, KnowledgeandImagination, i-is-animefreak, Neko-cheung, applestoapples, WhitePrincessOfHope, icyangel27 for your reviewing in the last chapter. Without any further delays, here is chapter twenty-one. Enjoy!

LEGEND

"Talking." "Thinking." Flash Back.

The Greatest Treasure

Chapter Twenty-One: Reasons to Fight

All of a sudden, Aizen Sosuke turned around and raised his sword out, defending against two almost surprise attacks. His eyes narrowed at his new opponents standing in front of him. "So, you two decided to join the battle, Abarai Renji and Hisagi Shuhei."

"Abarai-kun, Hisagi-san," Momo said.

Without a moment to waste, Hisagi and Abarai both used brute force to collide with the general and overpower him. Sensing danger, the princess moved out of the way so that the two knights force Aizen against the wall. As they are holding the taller man in place, the red headed knight glanced back at the peach girl and exclaimed, "Hinamori, take Hitsugaya away from here!"

"N-Nani?"

"We'll hold Aizen off," Hisagi added as he and Renji began to have difficulties holding him in place.

"B-But...what about you?"

"Just go already!" Renji yelled. Aizen struggled to break free, but neither of them are going to let him do that. They kept the general against the wall.

With a nod of agreement, Momo rushed over to Hitsugaya's side. Bending down on one leg, the princess put his sword back in its sheath on his back and carried her now unconscious boyfriend by draping an arm around the back of her neck. Slowly, the princess and the thief made their escape from the battlefield using Jidanbo's personally made entrance. Minutes after, they left the scene.

"Now that they're gone, let the real battle start!" Renji declared.

Aizen then grinned. "I wonder about that...Abarai-kun."

Without any warning, Hisagi made the first move. He tried slicing his head off with his sword, but the General of the Royal Guard ducked. Renji made the next move by vertically cutting him down, but the older man anticipated his move. He rolled to the side. "Hn, two against one is a bit unfair," Aizen said.

"Cut with the crap!" Renji retorted. "We have known you ever since we joined the Royal Guard. You know how to deal with multiple opponents against you Aizen."

"I'm glad to hear that someone has been listening to all my lectures."

Sensing danger from the side, Aizen's sword soon clashed against Hisagi's. "We're going to defeat you and restore peace to this kingdom," Shuhei said.

"Now I can't let that happen; I have so many plans ready to be achieved once I become King of Seireitei," he explained. "Getting rid of the Trio Knights, Aisu no Ryu, and that Rukongai girl are my first priority."

Renji growled with anger while Hisagi just frowned.

"What's wrong? Do you both have a problem with my plan?"

"Yes," Renji replied as he tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade. "You're going down!"

Just as he charged at the General of the Royal Guard, Aizen said, "After learning under me for so long, you have yet to understand the true extent of my strength."

He then placed his sword in front of him, blocked and parried against his attack. Using this moment, he swung his sword towards his body. Just as it is about to make contact with Renji's clothes, he sensed danger and took a quick step to the side. If it weren't for his quick reaction, Sosuke would have lost his wrist to Hisagi's sword. The oldest Trio Knight cursed under his breath, "Damn it, I almost had him."

"Well, that's unfortunate; I don't think you'll be able to get another chance to do that to me."

"Don't let his words get to you Hisagi-san," Abarai commented, "and concentrate on defeating him."

"You make it sound so easy," he replied.

"Oh, believe me; I wish it was."

Aizen merely grinned. He might as well toy with them for a bit. Chances for his primary opponent to return to the battlefield and fight him once more are very high. "Let's see how far you can go, shall we?"

When Momo decided to stop running, she slowly laid Hitsugaya down to rest on his back in front of her. Noticing that he is still bleeding, the princess looked back and forth in search of something to use as a bandage. However, all she sees are damaged walls, broken glass and vases, and other unusable stuff lying around. Worried, she resumed her attention to the unconscious thief. He is still breathing. "There has to be something around here I can use," she said. "If I don't help Toshiro, he might bleed to death."

All of a sudden, she thought of an idea. Taking a sleeve of her kimono, she ripped the whole section out. She tore it a few more times in order to make thin strips. Once she is done, Momo turned to the unconscious thief. She gulped, thinking of the fact that she is going to see him half-naked for the first time. She suddenly shook her head back and forth. "Now is not the time to be thinking of such things!" she mentally thought. "His life is hanging in the balance!"

Suddenly, she saw a hand twitch. Slowly, a pair of emerald-teal eyes opened. "Momo...? W-What's...going on?"

"Toshiro, you're alright," she happily replied.

"W-What's happening?" Just as he is tried to sit up, the white haired thief winced in pain and clutched his arm on his shoulder. It soon followed by the pain coming from his right abdomen. "It-te..."

"You shouldn't strain yourself," Momo suggested. "Your wounds needs to be treated!"

Turning to the worried princess, he said, "I-I have to finish the battle or else...we'll live through one hell of a life."

Without any warning, Hinamori grabbed a hold onto his injured shoulder causing the younger teenager to let out a short yell.

"Oi, what was that abou--"

Hitsugaya didn't finish his sentence and looked into the peach girl's eyes. Even though she didn't say a thing, he knew what she is trying to tell him. "I know what you're going to say to me. So, there is no point trying to stop you. At the very least, let me help you get back into the battle in the best condition you can be."

The tension in his body soon ceased, allowing the girl to start bandaging him. Once she is done, the two lovers sat together in silence as their heads were laid low. "Arigato...Momo," he finally said.

Feeling her cheeks heat up a bit, the princess timidly replied, "You're welcome Toshiro."

Aisu no Ryu raised his head, looking at the girl and asked, "What happened while I was unconscious?"

"Kira-kun and Rangiku-san are fighting against Ichimaru while Abarai-kun and Hisagi-san are dealing with Aizen. They told me to take you away from the battle."

"I see."

Momo let out a sigh. She is glad to see him alive and well. However, it is only a matter of time before he's ready to go out into the battlefield once more. It is about a few minutes later that he picked up his sword from the ground. As he slowly got back on his feet, Momo quickly stood up to support him.

"Daijobou...I'm alright," he replied. "I've been through much worse than this."

Suddenly, Hinamori started leaning against his uninjured shoulder. Hitsugaya stopped and glanced at her. She said, "Please promise me that you won't die."

He turns to face the Princess of Seireitei. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he leaned over and gave her a kiss. Momo's mind turned into a blur as the feelings of worry and pain were replaced with blissfulness and love. Eventually, she started kissing him back, returning his sediments. As they both wrapped their arms around one another, the two lovers became engaged in their make out session. Just as they are in the peak of their heated moment, Hitsugaya suddenly pulled away from Hinamori and winced in pain.

"Toshi--"

Holding up a hand in front of her, he gave her a faint smile and said, "I'm alright. I almost forgot that I have injuries that are in the middle of closing up."

"Oh..."

There was a brief moment of silence. "Just to let you know, I can't promise you that I will come back alive because I don't want to give you false hopes."

Feeling a little depressed, Hinamori slowly tilted her head forward and began staring down at her feet. "I-I understand..."

"But I will tell you one thing..." Momo looked up again. "I will forever and always love you."

The princess gave him a faint smile. "Me too, Toshiro."

He gave a short nod of agreement. "I have to get going; the others need my help to putting an end to Aizen's plan."

Hinamori kept silent for a while before she replied, "Hai."

Kira narrowly dodged Ichimaru's attempt to pierce through his head. In retaliation, the pale blond haired knight started swinging his sword towards his face. Anticipating his movements, the grinning gray haired captain used various side and back steps to dodge his attacks. "What's wrong Izuru?" Gin asked. "Is that all you've got?"

His opponent just frowned. The captain's grin widened. Without another word, he made a move on Kira. At first, he thought that his superior is going to attack from the front. So, he has already came up with the appropriate defense strategy against his assault. Remembering what he taught him, Trio Knight knew the type of battle style his superior uses. So, there is nothing for him to surprise him with. However, he wasn't where Kira anticipated him to be. Instead of attacking him from the front, it turned out that the Royal Guard member came from behind.

"Don't tell me you have already forgotten? Never turn your back against your opponent," he said.

All of a sudden, Kira gasped for air as Ichimaru's sword pierced through his chest with his blade. "S-Shit..."

It is moments later; the grinning captain withdrew his sword from the young knight's body, sending him to fall on the ground. "It turns out that you still have a lot to learn before you start facing the Captain of the Royal Guard, Izuru."

He then turned to see his childhood friend, standing nearby. Matsumoto kept her eyes on him and waited. "Gin...why are you on Aizen's side?" she asked. "Don't you even care about the people who you have grown up with in Rukongai?"

"Gomen nesai Ran-chan," he replied. "I have my reasons."

She then raised her sword up in front of her. "In that case, I have no other choice, but to defeat you."

"We'll see if you're able to do that."

Without any further exchange of words, both swordsmen rush forward and crossed blades with one another. "You never change, Gin. You always liked to do whatever you want even if it means leaving your friends behind."

A young ten year old girl fell back and landed on her bottom. Wincing in pain for a few moments, the strawberry orange haired female glared at the standing eleven year old boy and exclaimed, "Argh, can't you be a little more gentle Gin?"

"Sorry Ran-chan, but I'm showing you how tough a battle can be and it's only the beginning of it," he explained. Walking over to the girl, he extended a hand out to her. "Are you still sure you want to learn swordsmanship from me?"

Rangiku didn't take his offer. Instead, she got back on her feet again. Folding her arms over her chest, she turned her body away from the gray haired boy. "Of course I do want to learn! A girl has to learn to fend for herself, you know!"

Young Ichimaru then held up hands out and shrugged. "If you say so, but just to let you know; whether you're a girl or not, I'm not going to go easy on you."

Rangiku pushed him back towards the wall, preventing from advancing any further. However, Ichimaru has other plans. He took a small step back to make her loose her balance. Using that moment of vulnerability, the captain raised his sword up in preparation for a vertical cut. Upon sensing danger, she grabbed a kunai from the side of her sash and threw it towards his direction. However, Gin dodged it by moving away from her target range. The pointy weapon is implanted into the wall, but neither of them bothered to pick it up. They were too busy exchanging sword strikes from one another.

Knowing that their deadlock is not going to go anywhere, Matsumoto decided now is a good time to change tactics. She allowed him to overpower her by not fighting back. Instead, she used this opportunity, to do a body twist and strike from a different angle. Ichimaru instinctively raised his sword up and defended against the attack. Once again, they are engaged in another battle of power.

"What is your reason to fight?"

The two childhood friends sat together on the porch, eating dried persimmons. "Hn, what do you mean?"

"After living with you for so long, I still don't understand what you're thinking Gin," Rangiku explained. "What made you start learning swordsmanship?"

Ichimaru looked up into the sky to see the puffy clouds pass by. "I started learning because of a pretty girl I met."

Matsumoto frowned and then snatched the basket of fruits away from him.

"Ah hey! I'm not done eating."

"You're not getting any Gin."

"What? Why?" he asked, turning to the strawberry orange haired girl.

She walked back into the house. "Shut up! You're not getting any!"

He just sat there and smiled. "That pretty girl gave me a reason to be strong for her, that's why."

By the time Gin overpowered her with sheer force, Matsumoto stepped back and hit against a suit of armor. As the large metal figurine, fell apart and tumbled onto the ground, Rangiku lost her balance and fell on her bottom. Using this opportunity, her opponent swung his sword downwards. She had to think fast or else she is going to get injured. By grabbing a loose metal arm from the side, she held it up above her head and defended against his attack. Suddenly, using her leg, she kicked the front of Ichimaru's ankle, knocking him off balance. He fell down and stood on one knee.

In the meantime, she did a backward handstand with her left hand and got back on her two feet. With the tip of her blade pointed at his neck, the strawberry orange haired woman said, "It's over."

Ichimaru merely grinned. "Try again Ran-chan."

All of a sudden, she felt something is being thrown in her direction. So, Matsumoto shifted her weight off to the side. Wondering what it is, she glimpsed back to see that he has thrown the kunai she used before. At one point, during their duel, Gin must have removed it from its original spot.

"You're now wide open with no way to dodge against my next attack."

"Eh, you're leaving already?"

Twelve year old Ichimaru stopped and looked back at the eleven year old girl. "Sorry Ran-chan..."

Matsumoto then placed her hands on her hips. She turned away and said, "Well, do what you want. I don't care!"

"In that case, once I finish mastering swordsmanship, I'll come back and teach you."

The girl then glanced back at the smiling older child. "Gi--"

"Ja ne. I'll see you again someday."

Waiting at the door sill, she watched her childhood friend slowly leave her sights. It is not long after, he is gone from her life. She knew he won't be returning anytime soon.

"Baka Gin."

"We'll see about that." Matsumoto took two small spheres, hidden between her bosoms, and threw them in front of Ichimaru. Once they made contact with the ground, they exploded causing clouded smokes to fill the air. Using this opportunity, she tightens her grip on her hilt and charged right in. Seeing a silhouette of him through the smoke, the strawberry orange haired woman narrowed her eyes. "This is the end..."

Just as she pierced through that particular area in the smoke, she felt her blade making contact with something. She stood there for a moment. Tilting her head forward, she closed her pale blue eyes. "Sorry Ran-chan..."

Suddenly, her eyes widened. She didn't cut anything. She turned her head to see Ichimaru's presence at her side. "G-Gin..."

Before she knew it, Matsumoto felt something hit against the back of her neck. She soon lost consciousness. Just as she is about to fall on the ground, he caught her with a single arm. Gently placing her down, the Captain of the Royal Guard took one good glance at her before leaving the the ruined hallway alone in silence. "If you interfere any further, the plan wouldn't work out the way things are supposed to go..."

References

Nani - What, Aisu no Ryu - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief, Arigato - Thank You, Daijobou - It's Alright, Hai - Yes, Gomen nesai - I'm Sorry, Ja ne - Good Bye (casual/informal), Baka - Idiot/Stupid

Author's Note: Gah, Kira and Matsumoto are down for the count! On the other hand, what is Gin up to? Who knows...xD As for Toshiro, he's ready to get back into the action. Will he be able to stand up against Aizen and defeat him this time? Please review! Thanks.