"Yes, I helped him get the anklet thing off of him..." Eiji explained to Renji and Momo, pushing a loose strand of hair out of his face. He was in the living room alone with Momo and Renji, keeping his eyes diverted away from them. That bastard told him that he wouldn't get in trouble.
"You're not in trouble." Renji reassured him. "We just want answers."
"How did you get it off?" Momo asked
"The tools in the shed." Eiji said. "It was practically lodged into his skin. He said he didn't care how much it hurt and that I should just get it off. It ripped out some skin and but he didn't care. He was bleeding a lot but we bandaged him up and he went on his way."
"Did he... mention anything?" Hinamori asked and he hesitated. "Ei-chan."
"... he said that I shouldn't be surprised if we never hear from him again."
"And you just let him go?" Renji asked.
"He's a shinigami, it's expected..." Kirishima huffed. "You know how he is. He's righteous until the bloody end even if it means he gets hurt."
Momo sighed. "I guess you're right."
"Wait... what tools?"
"We have a shed out back." Momo explained to Renji. "Hitsugaya liked to make stuff in his free time. Our grandmother used to do carpentry."
"He still uses it." Eiji said. "Made his girlfriend an easel,"
"Girlfriend?" Renji echoed
"Yeah, he didn't like talking about her but you needed the right way to pull information out of him." Kirishima smirked and wiggled his eyebrows.
"Ei-chan!" Momo sighed in disbelief
"What?" He shrugged.
"Wait, stop." Renji said. "I'm assuming by girlfriend you mean Kurosaki Karin?"
"Yeah. The human girl." Eiji snapped his fingers
"So you know about her?" Renji asked
"Yep. It was hard to drag out of him but I got it." He said. "Didn't think he had it in him... and a human girl at that."
"... Do you know about Kusaka Sōjirō?" He asked
"Yeah but... that's a name I haven't heard in a while." Eiji huffed.
"Who was he?" Renji asked
"Hitsugaya's friend from the academy. He passed on." Eiji said. "Passing on isn't technically... Correct but politically it makes sense."
"Politically?" Renji asked. "Do you know what happened to him?"
"He was killed," Eiji shrugged and Renji and Momo looked at each other, shocked by the revelation. "I don't know how exactly but apparently it was either him or Tōshirō. Seireitei was even involved apparently."
"When did he tell you this?"
"Nearly a year ago... he was really upset about being put on probation so he just... checked out."
Eiji huffed as he finished loading up the vegetables onto the cart matched to the horses. "That's the last of it," Eiji looked up at the sky. It was practically night time and they were districts away from home in Northern Rukongai. This was a last minute supplier because the western region was experiencing draught and there was a food shortage. Hitsugaya was visiting home for a few weeks which was odd for a captain. He did not say anything and helped out around the tavern then locked himself in the shed when he had nothing else going on.
Hitsugaya sunk onto the ground, reaching into the bag that was strapped around the horse and pulling out a bag. "Dude, that's mine." Eiji said and Hitsugaya shrugged before taking out a joint and lighting it without hesitation.
"It's not like we're making it back tonight." He shrugged as he let out a cloud of smoke into the crisp winter wind. "May as well camp out the night."
Eiji let out a chuckle out of shock. "Uh... who are you and what have you done to Hitsugaya-taichō?"
"Don't call me that for the hundredth time." Hitsugaya shook his head. "And as you can see right now, I'm on probation so I'm technically not a captain. You're not my subordinate."
Eiji sat next to him and took the bag, inspecting it. "You have the biggest one."
"That's what she said," He joked poorly, the effects of the cannabis kicking in and Eiji laughed before taking out another joint and putting the bag on the ground. Hitsugaya handed him his lighter and Eiji took it before lighting his own.
"I thought you quit." Eiji said
Hitsugaya gave him a look and shook his head. "I quit tobacco." He clarified but paused for a second. "But I haven't been able to focus lately so I'm back on it." The fact that this annoyingly disciplined guy was back on it shocked Eiji. "Feels like I'm being watched every fucking second."
"Why are you acting like a criminal?" Eiji asked and he didn't answer. "Your paranoia is more concerning than usual."
Tōshirō sighed. "We should start a fire. I'm not cold but —"
"My reiatsu is keeping me warm, no worries." He said
"Hmm... still getting stronger?"
"It's useful for getting chicks." Eiji wiggled his eyebrows. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes but Eiji could tell he had a boyish smile on his face from what he said. "It works, doesn't it? I'm a magnet at this point."
"My piece of advice... don't become a shinigami." Hitsugaya said. "You'll spread STDs in the barracks."
Eiji laughed. "I'm not that bad." Tōshirō raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh come on, you know what it's like."
"No, I don't." He said.
"Right, because you're monogamous." Eiji said. Hitsugaya said nothing. "Still the soccer player with the black hair? The hot one with the legs?" The silence continued. "I'm impressed by your dedication to her. The long distance, the lack of communication, not seeing her after weeks or something..."
"Well, that's over." He sighed
"Oh... she dumped you?" Eiji asked. "I'd assume you dumped her but... come on. We both know that's not true. That girl could tell you to bend backwards and you'd do it."
"Well, looks are deceiving." Hitsugaya said and Eiji looked at him in disbelief.
"You're stupider than I thought —"
"No one dumped anyone... I was caught." He explained. "I'm banned from going to the world of the living and I'm not allowed to see her ever again."
"What?" Eiji questioned. "The old man can do that?"
"The old man can do whatever he wants." Hitsugaya scoffed. "... it's bullshit." He huffed silently as he blew a cloud of smoke into the night. "Everything I care about keeps getting ripped away from me. Kusaka... Hinamori... now her."
"Hinamori?"
"She hasn't been the same since Aizen." Hitsugaya said. "She's like a zombie these days. She just goes to work then goes home. I can't even speak to her anymore."
"Well, shit if I knew. She stopped coming home often ages ago after the incident happened." Eiji scoffed and they settled into silence. "You never told me what happened to Kusaka." Eiji said after a while.
"Execution." Hitsugaya did not hesitate. Eiji looked at him with wide eyes. "It was either him or me."
"What did you do?"
"Nothing." He shrugged. "But I can't really say anything because that old hag has eyes and ears everywhere so..."
He's really angry... Eiji thought to himself.
"Hey, Kirishima?" Hitsugaya said. "I was serious about not becoming a shinigami. I'm starting to realise that there are more freedoms out here than in those walls. We didn't have much... but we're more alive out here than in there."
Eiji frowned. "I don't like it when you get like this." He sighed. "I know what he did sucks but... you had start asking yourself the hard questions." Tōshirō turned to look at him. "... how long were you going to keep it going?" The white haired boy didn't reply, reaching for the plastic bag to get a replacement joint. "Tōshirō!"
"... no clue." He admitted as he lit it.
"Were you serious about her?" Eiji paused. "Of course you were, you made her a whole ass easel." Tōshirō said nothing. "She's the daughter of your old captain... who left to be with a human girl. Were you also..."
"No, I wasn't." He said. "I thought about it a lot... and the more years went by, the uglier Soul Society started to look to me. But I'm not going to run away from a battle that I have a hand in. A lot needs to change and I can't ignore it."
"Then, what about her?" Eiji asked. "After a few months, you run off, play house then come back? Isn't it selfish? Humans don't live as long as we do. Should she pack up her life and come here?"
"We both knew... but you're right. I was selfish... fuck it, I still am." He admitted. "That's why I'm not even mad... I'm just tired. I know it's for the best deep down. I just wish that it was done on our own accord and that I could say goodbye."
"And what kind of goodbye were you hoping for?" Hitsugaya ignored his perverted sibling. "Come on, tell me."
"Shut up." Hitsugaya said
"I'm going to cry." Eiji teared up in exaggeration and Tōshirō laughed.
"He didn't elaborate." Eiji sighed. "But he did say it was either him or Kusaka."
"So... if Kusaka didn't die... then Shirō-chan would have?"
A hell butterfly found its way into the house and Renji feared trouble was near.
Hitsugaya felt light sting his eyes as he woke up. "Oh, you're up." Her face looked down at him and she smiled. "You die when you nap. I'd be concerned if it wasn't for your breathing." Hitsugaya sat up and Karin frowned. "You look confused."
"Because I am." He said. "I have no clue what's going on."
"... would you like to talk about it?" She asked as she tied her hair up.
"I'm dreaming you." He said. "You're not real."
"True but... you know me well enough to know what I'd say." She said as she stood up. Hitsugaya looked around and realised he was in the shed. It has been a while since he has been here. Most of his memories of her were here. She liked to paint here. She was using the table to draw, leaning over as she drew.
"Where do I go?" He asked.
"Where is there left to go." She countered. "You're a renegade, a fugitive. It's kill or be killed."
"I thought you'd be helpful." He sighed.
"This is me you're talking to." She straightened back up and turned around. "I've realised that the issue is that you're trying to find the courage to get to your destination. You're not ready to face him yet."
"I'm really not." He said. "There's... too much going on here. I'm happy he's alive... I'm upset that he had to live through all these years in pain... I understand his anger... but what he did to you? How he helped Aizen? I can't ignore that."
"And you won't." She sighed. "Not because I'm important to you or anything like that's relevant but because what he did was disgusting. I'm not the only person who was in that warehouse."
"... but what about you?" He asked
"What about me?" She asked. "I'm the memory of a girl you knew over a year ago. You can't predict how much I've changed from this experience."
Hitsugaya stood up. "I will avenge you. I didn't protect you and I'm sorry."
Karin bit her lip and laughed before placing the palms of her hands against his cheeks. "I'm afraid you're apologising to the wrong one." She sighed. "It's time for you to wake up, Hitsugaya. Go."
Hitsugaya gasped as his tired eyes fluttered open as he heard footsteps approaching. He let his get adjusted to the darkness before looking out the gaps in the old temple. They're here for me.
"Hitsugaya-taichō! It's the special forces! We urge you to please return to Seireitei." He heard Hisagi Shūhei announce. The door opened and Hitsugaya stepped out.
"I have no intention of obeying." The young captain said before unsheathing his sword. He was damning bridges. He knew but this was much bigger than him. If it meant bringing an end to Aizen's tyranny and bringing the inhumane crimes of his accomplices to justice, he would gladly die for it. With this resolve, he rushed forward to fight them.
"Please stop this." Kira pleaded. "Further actions will be treated as treason."
"Stand down." He warned them.
"We're taking you in to custody." Hisagi affirmed.
"Then die." He threatened before pulling his sword back to land another blow with a burst of reiryōku that sent Hisagi flying.
Karin was glad that no one bothered her at the very least. She was tired of the concern and the stares. She hated being a burden and wished people would stop worrying about her. Karin was concerned greatly for Hitsugaya. The trepidation was getting to her and she hoped that he wasn't doing anything stupid. She hoped that the shinigami were smart enough to follow her clues that way a major crisis can be averted.
But she was concerned as to why Hitsugaya was adamantly hunting him down.
He had no idea what he did exactly... only that he was involved. The safest thing for him to do was to have returned to Soul Society. Something was preventing him from doing so and that meant he wanted to find Kusaka first. "Shit!" Karin hissed as she searched her bedside table, then the drawers and then her desk before she paused.
"Oba-chan!" She called out, coming out of her room and rushing down the stairs. "Oba-chan... do you have my..." The old woman looked up from her cross stitch and nodded. "Did you show it to Hitsugaya?" Again, she wordlessly nodded. "... Shit!"
"Bakudō 62: Hyappo Rankan!" Hisagi declared, aiming at him while Kira charged with his sealed zanpakutō and Hitsugaya blocked as effectively as possible, disregarding his injuries and the pain it caused him. He noticed the spell coming for him and disengaged with a shinigami to dodge the binding but he was unlucky as one managed to impale him from the ankle injury making him slower. It was through his shoulder and he forced it out despite the bleeding. The injuries were not ideal but they would have to take him back kicking and screaming.
Kira asked again and Hitsugaya didn't care. "Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyōrinmaru!" He activated his shikai and a rush of cold air rushed over. Without hesitating, he immediately summoned his bankai.
At the fourth, Isane and her seated officers were at work, trying to help Shunsei treat his injuries. Isane declared everyone to take their positions to stay surgery. Meanwhile, Nanao sat outside, crying. "It's my fault..." she blamed herself. She should have insisted he stayed or want sent with him. She just thought he was goofing off.
"It wasn't your fault." She stood up at the sound of Ukitake's calming voice as him and Kiyone came over.
"It's unusual for Kyōraku to lose. He was either surprised... or legitimately overpowered." Nanao was about to protest. "Once again, it was not your fault. No one could have predicted it. Rokubatai is investigating so have some patience. We'll catch the assailant." Just then, Kuchiki-taichō and Renji walked in. "Huh... finished already?"
"We found ice at the scene." Renji said sadly
"There's no mistaking it... Kyōraku Shunsei taichō was attacked by Hyōrinmaru." Kuchiki said.
"Moreover, we received a report from the land of the living." Renji said. "Sanbantai's Izuru Kira and Kyūbantai's Hisagi Shūhei engaged with him and were severely injured. That being said, the sōtaichō has called for a captain's meeting immediately."
At the sōtaichō's court, the captains stood silently, waiting for their next orders. The situation was grave and it appeared that they have lost another ally. "Hitsugaya Tōshirō is suspected of treason, and is hereby suspended from the goteijūsantai."
"Is that not a bit too... political?" Hirako-taichō asked
"I will accept no rejections!" He denied. "The search for the ōin is to continue and furthermore, capturing Hitsugaya-taichō is of high priority. If he shows any signs of resistance, neutralise him immediately!"
