A/N Hey guys sorry for the wait. I had some things going on, and I lost motivation for a while. But now I'm back! In the previous chapter, Karin gets saved. And we find out who the mastermind behind the Unknown attacks is! This chapter, we delve into Hitsugaya's past. Think of it as one of those fillers in the anime, only it's a few chapters long. So we'll have to sidetrack off the main story for a while. Hope that's okay with all of you, and besides, some of your questions will be answered! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Kubo Tite does.
Centuries ago...
A young boy, about the age of five, with an unusual shock of white hair and stunning teal eyes, ran through the yard, squealing happily. Behind him chased an older man with matching white hair and mischievous amber eyes that almost looked red.
"Raargh! I'm a big, scary monster!" the man growled loudly, in a playful manner. The child laughed and ran, nearly tripping over his small feet. Their shouts echoed through the air, accompanied by a fit of giggles as the man caught up to the child and swept the little boy into his arms, swinging him around.
"Finally, caught you! It's time to eat!" the man exclaimed, baring his teeth teasingly. The child squealed as he leaned as far away as possible from the man, a wide grin on his face as he struggled in the strong grip around his waist.
"Alright, that's enough now sweethearts." came a soft, kind voice. The child turned his head to see a beautiful lady with silky black hair and the same teal eyes as his. She walked towards them, smiling amusedly. The man set the child back down on the ground, and he ran to the woman, smiling broadly.
"Kaa-chan!" the child exclaimed happily, hugging her legs. The woman bent down and picked the child up in her arms, pecking him on the forehead.
"Hello my precious sweetie." She cooed, and the child giggled. She set him back down, and he spun around happily, dashing towards their house.
His name was Hitsugaya Toushiro. He liked his name, since it was given to him by his mother. Speaking of his mother, her name was Hitsugaya Fujioka. He loved her tremendously, and always enjoyed it when she cared for him.
As for his father, his name was Tsukikenshi. Apparently, he had no first name of his own, so Hitsugaya inherited his mother's.
Tsukikenshi, or known affectionately as Tsuki by his mother, was the CEO of a major business that had branches all over the world. Thus, their family was actually quite well-off, though Hitsugaya was nowhere near to becoming a spoiled brat. His father made certain of that.
Both of his parents wished the very best for him, to be excellent in his academics and athletics, yet humble and kind. Hitsugaya wanted to meet their expectations, despite feeling a small burden on his shoulders from that.
Despite his age, he was actually already quite talented. He could read books which were thicker than those for an average five-year old child, and with minimum pictures. He could understand some of the political things his father often talked about when he was conversing with his colleagues, and could speak long sentences with slightly limited vocabulary.
His father liked to play sports, and thus Hitsugaya learned many things from him, including Tsukikenshi's favourite sport, soccer.
He was even learning the basics of cooking just by watching his mother cook their everyday meals.
His father called him a prodigy. His mother called him a sweetheart.
And Hitsugaya loved them both.
Hitsugaya soon became seven years old. He enrolled in an elementary school, topped his level for his studies. Skipped two grades and joined the seniors. Yet he still beat them all in his academic results, therefore being the best in the whole school.
It wasn't only his academics which he excelled in. Even his fitness level was on par with an average middle school student. He joined the soccer club, and helped bring back the championship trophy during their nationals for elementary schools.
He even helped out in the kendo club at times, as his father had enrolled him in kendo and karate classes outside of school, for 'self-defense'.
The teachers called him a prodigy. His classmates called him a genius.
But even with all the praise showered upon him, Hitsugaya had no friends.
It wasn't everyday one found a white-haired, teal-eyed boy besting everyone in his school. Some of his schoolmates called him a freak behind his back, though he could actually hear them. But he didn't care.
He had admirers, he had people who envied him, he had people who supported him in everything he did. He had a few acquaintances.
But not a close friend.
He had no one he could trust with all of his secrets, no one to let out his feelings to when he was stressed. But he never really cared about that either.
He had his parents. They were all he needed.
As Hitsugaya slowly grew older, he became more aware of his strange ability to see spiritual beings. Meaning, ghosts.
It first began to affect him when he was around three. The figures were often blurry and their words were just soft murmurs. At five, they became clearer and sharper, and he could see their distinct features, as well as hear their words. Because he was young, and curious, he would often wave or shout a greeting to the ghosts he passed by, earning him questioning gazes from both his parents and the people around him.
At seven, they became so clear, Hitsugaya often had a hard time ignoring them.
The ghosts apparently knew that he could see them, and liked to follow him around, trying to get him to respond. He did respond at times, when he was alone, and he enjoyed hearing their stories or their pasts. They were all different, though some he wondered if they were just tall tales.
The ghosts liked him, though Hitsugaya sometimes found it rather creepy when they stalked him everywhere.
He joined middle school when he was ten, and eventually he became busier, and thus was unable to talk to the ghosts around him. This resulted in him having to chase them away when they became too annoying, much to his sadness.
Even in middle school he was the best of the best, skipping another two grades.
And it was then, at the age of ten, did he first encounter a Hollow, and a Shinigami.
Hitsugaya was walking back home from his soccer practice in school. It was late evening, and he was looking forward to going home and relaxing in a nice, warm bath. The city was crowded and he slowly maneuvered his way through the hordes of people returning from work or going out for dinner.
It was then he heard soft sniffling from an alleyway and turned to see a young female ghost with a chain on her chest.
He moved to her, and she was squatting on the ground, crying.
"Are you okay?" He asked her, crouching down in front of her.
The ghostly girl perked up, tearful eyes wide with surprise. "You're..." she whispered. Hitsugaya patted her head, a little stunned to feel actual hair.
"Why are you crying?" He asked her gently, giving her a small warm smile. The girl swallowed, lowering her head, refusing to speak.
Behind him, Hitsugaya heard a little boy say, "Look Mommy! That guy's talking to the air!" He heard a sharp hush from an older woman. He decided to ignore it.
"Is there a problem?" He tried, gazing at the girl before him in concern. She hesitated, biting her lip, then slowly nodded, looking almost fearful. "What is it? You can tell me, I won't hurt you." He coaxed.
"I..." The girl stammered, sniffling again. Then she flinched and clutched her head, trembling. Hitsugaya frowned, about to ask her what was wrong, when he suddenly heard it.
A long, loud moan that sent chills up his spine.
Hitsugaya jolted upright, looking around for the source of the strange sound. The people around him didn't seem to have heard it. Was it just my imagination? he wondered, his frown growing deeper. He glanced back down at the frightened girl. Perhaps not, seeing how scared she is.
There's something terrifying out there.
The moan came again. Hitsugaya flinched at how close it sounded now and whipped his head from side to side, scanning the area for anything suspicious.
His insides squirmed, and he grimaced, backing away slightly. "I-It's coming," the girl whispered, her voice breaking. Tears streamed down her face. "It's coming to get me."
"What's coming to get you?" Hitsugaya asked, a sense of foreboding flashing through his head. Things were getting quite out of hand. They had to leave.
Now.
"T-the monster," The girl gulped, sobbing. "T-the monster which made that sound. It's coming to eat me." Hitsugaya stared at her, mouth going dry.
Then he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. "You have to get out of here then," he said, pulling her into the streets. "I'll take you to my house for the time being. Come on."
The girl seemed shocked that someone would actually help her. Then she nodded tearily, sniffing. "Thank you... Onii-chan..." Hitsugaya gave her a small smile back.
But that was when the ground trembled, and the moan from before became a roar of hunger and anger. People screamed as the buildings around them were suddenly streaked with deep, grating claw marks. Giant footsteps appeared in the ground, and a lamppost collapsed. A white mist shrouded the area.
Hitsugaya was hit by an onslaught of biting wind and covered his face with an arm, grunting. The girl clung to him tightly, whimpering in fear.
And through the mist came a monster.
Hitsugaya could only stare with mounting horror as the monster gazed around with bright poison yellow eyes through its white mask. Its arms with lined with thick muscle, and a long pointed tongue flicked out of its mouth. It opened its mouth and let out another long howl. Hitsugaya saw rows and rows of jagged teeth.
Deadly claws tipped each finger and toe, and a long barbed tail swung behind it, slamming into the buildings.
Hitsugaya couldn't breathe. His heart was thumping wildly, his breath stuck in his throat as he stared at the towering monstrosity in front of him. It was so close-
"O-Onii-chan..." the girl whimpered, gripping his arm even more tightly. Hearing the girl's terrified voice snapped him out of his own frozen state, and Hitsugaya slowly backed off, pushing the girl back as well.
"Move back slowly," he hissed to her, edging back. The girl complied, gulping in her fright.
The monster seemed to be searching for something, sniffing the air like a dog.
"Go! Now!" Hitsugaya snapped, and pulled the girl into a sprint, keeping a tight hold on her hand. They ran through the streets quickly, and Hitsugaya risked a look back.
The monster's yellow gaze met his own wide teal one.
"I fOunD yOU, LitTle GIrL...!" it grinned malevolently. Hitsugaya stumbled in his shock. The monster could speak.
"Hurry!" He told the girl urgently, pushing himself to move faster. The girl panted hard, her eyes brimming with frightened tears.
Hitsugaya heard heavy footsteps behind them, and knew that the beast was chasing them.
Then there was a sudden tremor, and the monster came down in front of them from above, grinning all the while.
The girl screamed, and Hitsugaya skidded to a halt, quickly turning back the way they came. His fear was mounting, higher and higher at an alarming rate.
"YoU caN'T EscApE fRom mE, hUmAN boY!" the beast cackled. Hitsugaya flinched, and tripped over a rock. He slammed to the ground, and his karate instincts kicked in, quickly rolling and getting back on his feet again.
He staggered, breathing hard as he pulled the ghost girl behind him. He didn't know how he was going to protect her, but he knew he had to, in any way. The monster took a step forward, licking its lips.
Hitsugaya moved back, the girl moving with him.
"AhhhH... YoU hAve soME nIcE ReIAtsU, hUmAN...!" the beast grinned, yellow eyes glowing darkly. Hitsugaya gulped. Reiatsu? What was that?
"I'lL eAT yoU BOth!"
And then the monster charged.
"Run! Go!" Hitsugaya yelled, pushing the girl forward desperately. She took off with a terrified wail, and Hitsugaya sprinted after her. The monster was on their heels, rapidly gaining.
We won't make it alive, Hitsugaya thought, fear stabbing his heart.
Escape, escape, escape! They had to escape. That was the only thing that was important. Nothing else mattered.
He could feel the monster's breath now.
Faster. Faster, faster!
Adrenaline stemmed through his body, and he grabbed the ghost girl before swinging her into his arms in a bridal style, running as fast as he could.
Faster than he ever had.
But it was futile. The monster grabbed him by his waist with a large, meaty hand. He dropped the girl as he was raised into the air. "RUN!" He roared at her, wincing as the grip on his waist tightened painfully.
The girl hesitated for a split second, then ran off down the streets, disappearing round the corner.
"Oh wEll... I'lL cAtcH hER lAtER." the monster shrugged. Hitsugaya struggled in its grip, and hissed when its finger pressed against his chest agonisingly.
"L-let me go...!" He gasped out, glaring ferociously at the beast. It grinned, and pushed harder against his chest. Hitsugaya felt his ribcage strain, and his lungs felt about to burst. He couldn't breathe.
He gasped for air, trying to slip out of its hold, but failing. A harder press. And Hitsugaya screamed at the pain of it, thrashing in its grip, coughing and choking violently.
"YoU'rE a SmAll, pUNy hUmAN. YoUNg. AnD yET yoU hAVE sO MucH PowER," the beast mused, watching with a pleased gaze as Hitsugaya slowly grew limp in its hold, unable to breathe. "a DeLIcioUS fiND."
Hitsugaya felt his head roll to the side. His vison grew blur, his head light, body numb. He was dimly aware of the beast opening its mouth, adjusting its grip so it held onto his thin arm. He hung there in the air, motionless, his body screaming for help, for rest.
The mouth grew nearer still.
I guess this is how I'll die... Tou-chan, Kaa-chan... I'm sorry...
"I don't think so, you ugly Hollow." Came a confident voice.
Before Hitsugaya knew what was happening to him, the weight on his arm was gone, and he was falling. A brief bout of panic flashed through him.
Until someone caught him.
"Don't worry little guy," the voice told him soothingly. "You'll be alright now."
Hitsugaya didn't know who the voice belonged to, and was certain he never heard such a voice before. And he was rather annoyed by how the person who caught him called him 'little guy'. He was not little, for god's sake.
Through his lidded gaze, he saw glowing black eyes which looked like obsidian. A mocking grin.
The monster, which the man had referred to as a 'Hollow', let out a pained bellow. "M-mY aRm! CuRSe YoU, ShInigAMi!" it screamed, enraged. A howl.
And then it abruptly stopped.
Hitsugaya heard the unmistakable sound of a sword being drawn in what seemed like a nanosecond, then slicing.
Silence.
Hitsugaya blinked dazedly as he was set down on the ground by his rescuer. The monster had been killed. His chest still ached with a numb pain, his body sore. He definitely needed to check for broken bones.
A familiar face appeared in his blurred vision, and he realised that it was the ghost girl from earlier. She was crying tears of relief. "Onii-chan! I'm so glad you're alright!" she sobbed, hugging him tight. Hitsugaya managed to lift up his arm and pat her on the head, slowly forcing himself into a sitting position. His body screamed at him, and he winced.
"You alright kid?" came the man's voice, and Hitsugaya couldn't stop himself from scowling.
"I'm not a kid." He snapped, turning to face whoever it was that had saved him from certain death.
A man who looked to be in his early thirties sat cross-legged on the ground beside him, a sheathed katana lying on his lap. His slightly spiked hair was thick and shiny black, and his eyes shone with humour and concern. The strangest thing was that he was wearing a black Shihakusho, as though he was cosplaying as a samurai of some sort.
"Oh, you can see me," The man's grin grew wider in delighted surprise. "No wonder that Hollow wanted you for dinner."
Hitsugaya felt his brow twitch. "Of course I can see you. Who wouldn't?" He scowled, slowly checking himself over for broken bones. Luckily, he had none, though his wrist hurt. He must have sprained it.
"Ordinary people," The man lazily answered, his grin still there. Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, bewildered. What did that mean? "Your friend here asked me for help to save you. I'm surprised you told a spirit to run away, when you're a human."
"What, and you aren't?" Hitsugaya scowled. "She was crying and scared, since that monster was hunting her. I just wanted to protect her, that's all."
"Wow, pretty brave for an elementary student. Well, I gotta-" the man was cut off by an agonised yelp escaping his lips when Hitsugaya kicked him in the groin.
"I'm not an elementary student! I'm in middle school!" He yelled, extremely frustrated. The ghost girl was staring between the both of them, looking blank.
"Ow... N-nice kick..." The man groaned, doubling over in pain.
"I can kick you again, asshole." Hitsugaya growled, lifting a foot up in emphasis.
"Wow, what a foul mouth! What did your parents teach you, how to swear and be rude to your elders?" The man grimaced, frowning at him.
"My parents are the best in the universe, but I just happened to pick up this foul mouth of mine from my father when he gets angry with his work, and right now I am angry at you." Hitsugaya shot back, glowering at the man.
"Why?" The man asked, bewildered.
"Because you haven't explained to me what just happened. What was that monster? Why was it after this girl? And who, or what, are you?" Hitsugaya demanded, clenching his fists.
The man ignored him, proceeding to pick up his katana and approach the girl. "Hey!" Hitsugaya snapped, irritated.
The next thing that happened left him speechless. The man pressed the back of his hilt against the girl's forehead, pulling back to reveal a shining stamp imprinted on her skin. She gasped, eyes widening, and then she slowly faded into small bright particles of light. A butterfly with dark purple wings came up from the ground where the girl once stood, and fluttered up into the sky.
Hitsugaya stood there, shell-shocked. He stared after the butterfly, watching as it flew higher and higher into the skies, till it became a speck, and then disappeared.
"Wh-what did you just do?" He asked, after finding his voice again.
"I sent her to a safer place," the man replied, a soft smile gracing his lips. "And to answer your questions, that monster earlier was called a Hollow, evil spirits which feed on Plus souls, like that girl. That's why it was chasing her, so it could feed on her and become even stronger." He tucked his katana back into his belt, and turned away.
"Wait!" Hitsugaya said, watching as the man slowly began to walk away. He ran after him and grabbed his sleeve. "What are you?" He whispered, staring up at him. It was still taking a while for Hitsugaya to process the information, after the shock of seeing the girl disappear in a flash.
Literally.
The man stopped in his tracks, and Hitsugaya let go. A grin was delivered to him.
"It is my job to exterminate the Hollows," the man said. "My name is Shiba Tetsura,"
"I am a Shinigami."
And with that, he disappeared.
After that first encounter with the Hollow, Hitsugaya began to have more similar incidents occur to him. One time he had been practicing soccer with his teammates, when a Hollow appeared and went straight for him. The same man from before appeared and saved him again.
Another time, he had been going out to buy groceries when a different Hollow ambushed him and nearly ate him. Again, the 'Shinigami' came and rescued him.
Hitsugaya was tired of being Hollow food. He wanted to ask the man who kept saving him why he was being targetted and how he could move so quickly, but the man kept disappearing the minute the Hollow was slain.
It annoyed Hitsugaya.
He prayed that it wouldn't get any worse. Being chased around by Hollows and having all that supernatural shit happen around him was already enough.
But he was wrong.
A/N Ha... So that was the beginning of Hitsugaya's life in the past. He had really high reiatsu, like Ichigo xD The next chapter, we're going to delve into the beginnings of his problems (and what caused his nighmares), so keep this story in your alert list! Thanks for reading guys!
I am so so so sorry for the late update. I was really busy, and I will continue to be till maybe around June, especially since my exams are just around the corner. But I will try to update as often as I can. Do review guys, so I know you're all still there with me I hope you guys can understand ;-;
