Intro: Another chapter... writing quite quickly these few days... because, well, I want to get this done with, so I can start on another one... I could leave this one alone for a while I suppose, but I don't want to have 3 unfinished works to be working on... heheh. So anyway, this chapter, um, a bit of history revealed, and oh yes, Ichimaru, Tousen and Aizen return, although he doesn't play much of a role. Some implied GinxRan though.

Disclaimer: The usual. Don't think anyone here would ever claim to own Bleach anyway.

When Kumatsurou woke up, he was lying in a bed, a hospital room. Sitting up, he looked around him in surprise. "Where… am I?"

"4th Division… baka."

Kumatsurou recognised the voice and the offensive vocabulary immediately. "Nii-san!" He turned around, noting that the burns from the battle had healed as he did so. "What happened? Last thing I remember was… Hyoubikaritatsu…" Kumatsurou fell silent. What had happened in that fight? He knew they had fused their soul cutters successfully, but what had happened after that?

"It worked for a while, then the whole thing just blew up, well, something like that. Haven't seen Yamamoto yet, and according to Unohana and Isane, we had just collapsed from exhaustion. No one else saw it." Toushirou's voice carried a slight bitterness in it. Kumatsurou knew why. All those hours we put into it, especially Nii-san. All the time we put into this fusion attempt, and then it stuffed up. He must be feeling really bad about it…

"Shirou-chan! Are you alright Shirou-chan!" Hinamori burst through the ward door, and leapt onto his bed. "I was so worried! What on earth happened? People are saying that you fought Yamamoto-taichou! You couldn't have been that stupid could you! I thought you were smarter than that! Answer me Shirou-chan! Why won't you answer me? Did they take your brain out? Did they fry it and turn it into mush? Shirou-chan!" All this was said in one breath, and when the anxious vice-captain finally stopped, Toushirou backed away slowly.

"Baka Momo. I'm fine. And I couldn't answer you because you wouldn't shut up."

"Don't be so mean taichou! She was just being concerned about you!" Matsumoto sounded reproachful as she approached the beds.

"Hey! Hey! What about me? Isn't someone worried about me?"

"Eh… not really Kumatsu-kun. You're more mature than taichou, I can trust you to take care of yourself." Toushirou glared at the blonde vice-captain, who giggled. "Well, I think it's true."

"If I were you… I'd" But no one got a chance to hear what Toushirou would do if he was about twice as tall, grew his hair out, dyed it, and grew large boobs, because at that exact moment, a piercing alarm began to ring.

"Alert! Alert! This is an emergency situation! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill! The traitor Aizen has been spotted at the East Gate of Seireitei, with a bunch of Menos. Everyone is to report to their battle positions immediately! I repeat, this is NOT a drill!"

Toushirou looked at his brother, then at the two females. "Let's go, Kumatsurou. Matsumoto, Hinamori, stay behind us, the Menos are too strong for you to fight!" The blue haired boy nodded and leapt out of the bed, following his brother as the two of them ran from the 4th Division hospital to the East Gate, Matsumoto and Hinamori following at a distance.

"Ah… look what we've got ourselves here? Two little vice-captains, running after they're even littler captains, aren't ya a bit inexperienced to be goin' off to fight those nasty Menos?" Matsumoto would have recognised that voice anywhere. Stopping, she looked up, and there, on the tower of the building, she saw it. Him. The pale blue hair, tightly shut eyes and never-fading smile.

"Ichimaru…" Hinamori shrieked when she saw him. "Go Hinamori-san, go find taichou, and tell him I'll be there later. I have something to do first."

"But, Rangiku-san, I should help you! You can't survive if you-" She was cut short by the determined beauty.

"No, don't bother, just go off and tell them I'll be there soon." As Hinamori nodded reluctantly before speeding off, Matsumoto watched as Ichimaru leapt deftly to the ground.

"Well there Rangiku, you're bein' awfully brave-like, to stay with me here, all alone and the like."

"Gin, we need to talk…" Matsumoto froze, this man, this man that she had known from childhood, and had always loved as a friend, what had happened to make him this way? The Gin she knew, was a strange, secretive boy, but always on hand to help his friends, this he had proved to her many times in their childhood. Why… why did you betray everyone? She stared at him, wondering the same thing that she had been wondering since he had left Soul Society, "Why… why did you do this, Gin?"

For once, the smile faltered. "Now now Rangiku, I can't be goin' off and tellin' ya all my secrets, can I?" He paused, before grinning again. "I have my own reasons for doin' this, and I've been havin' no regrets about it at all."

Rangiku, lowered her gaze. "Again… once again… you never used to tell me everything Gin, and you still won't now. I thought of you… almost as a brother. You brought me that food on the day we met, when I was starving, you saved me…"

"I'm… so… hungry…" A blonde girl was lying on the ground, the area around her was barren, the trees were dead, there was no sign of life, no creatures, no plants. After a day of trekking through this wilderness, she had finally collapsed. What's… wrong with me? You're… not supposed to get hungry in this place. That was what she had been told. That was the truth she had come to accept over her many years in Rukongai. But suddenly, one morning, she had felt an incessant pang of hunger, which hadn't left her, even as she tried to eat more than normal. It was overpowering, and after a day of looking for food, she had succumbed to it. As she lay there, she groaned. Her lips were so parched, her throat so dry, there was no way she'd make it. Then she heard it.

"Here… eat." With what little strength she had, the girl looked up into the face of a pale haired boy. "The fact that ya fainted from hunger means… ya have it too right? Power?"

"You… too?"

The boy smiled, it was a smile that she would always remember for the rest of her life. "Yeah… me too." He smiled even more widely. "Ichimaru Gin. Nice to meet ya."

As she ate the food that Gin had with him, Matsumoto found her energy returning. The boy, his eyes were strange, always closed it appeared. With her mouth full of food, she questioned him about this. "Mffhow do ymmfffou see if your mmmfeyes are clommffsed?" He seemed to have no trouble answering the curious question.

"Easily. Don't worry about it Rangiku." As they spent more time together, one thing became blatantly obvious. You never tell me anything, Gin.

"I guess I shouldn't have expected you to tell me this time either." Matsumoto looked at the former 3rd Division Captain, who appeared to be shifting uncomfortably.

"Ah Rangiku… I wouldn't worry 'bout it too much, ya probably wouldn't wanna hear my answer anyway." He was about to continue, when a quiet voice interrupted.

"What are you doing Gin? We have our orders, and you were never told to fraternise with your childhood sweetheart." Tousen Kaname stepped out of the shadows, his dark face angry.

"Tousen-taichou!" Matsumoto's heart sank, this man would be much less lenient with her than Gin was. She drew her sword, preparing to defend herself.

"It is useless. Break her limbs. Suzumushi Form 2: Benihikou." Matsumoto couldn't even scream as a wave of swords materialised above her and descended with lightning speed. A gasp escaped her as her sword fell from her bloodstained hands, the swords from Tousen's attack piercing her body.

"MATSUMOTO!" Kumatsurou ran up, a look of shock and horror on his face. Hinamori had come running to him and Toushirou, saying something about Matsumoto and Gin. Although he had hurried back as quickly as he could, he could do nothing to stop the body of the woman he loved being turned into a pincushion.

"Young Hitsugaya… it seems you've become a captain in our absence. However, that does not change things. Leave now or suffer the same fate as she did."

Kumatsurou's fists were clenched, his voice shook as he spoke. "I'll… make you pay for what you did to her… what you did… to Rangiku!" An explosion followed, and when the smoke cleared, Kumatsurou was standing there, his captain's coat lay in pieces on the ground, and he was surrounded by a field of crackling electricity. His usually gentle and laughing eyes blazed with a silent fury that could be likened to fire.

No way… his power, it's increasing rapidly! This… he's far beyond captain level now! The blind traitor could not hide his surprise, and ever-smiling accomplice now wore a frown. "I'll… kill you!" Kumatsurou raised his arm, and with a flick of his wrist shot a massive blast of lightning at the two Shinigami. The power was comparable to the final attack of his Bankai, Seigyokuden Raibikaritatsu, but it required absolutely no charging. Tousen and Ichimaru dodged the blast, but only by an inch.

"What's happening to him? That power… it's incredible!" All around him, the stones were disintegrating. Kumatsurou's body shot out snakes of lightning, which blasted at the structures around him. "He's totally out of control!"

Kumatsurou screamed, and another massive blast of electricity was shot out, this time demolishing the nearby 9th Division building. Toushirou and a frightened Hinamori ran up to the scene of destruction. "Shirou-chan… what happened to Kumatsurou-kun? Why's he… destroying everything?"

Toushirou didn't answer, instead, his eyes were full of fear. No… not again! This can't be happening… not again!

It had been back in their early Rukongai days, before Toushirou ran away and met Hinamori, while they still lived together. Toushirou had only ever seen it happen once, and after that day, he hoped that he would never again see it happen.

"Baka Kumatsurou… why do you always play around with that locket?"

"You know why Nii-san… it's our one last memory of Okaa-san…"

"That doesn't mean you play around with it all the time. Grow up already."

A new voice joined their argument. "Now looky here… it's the baby and his brother out for a walky again. And whaddaya know? The blue haired baby's got his priceless little necklace again!" Toushirou sighed. Jimekko always had a tiring habit of showing up whenever his foghorn voice wasn't wanted.

"What is it this time, Foghorn?"

The bully's eyes narrowed. "I've told you not to call me that, punk. As punishment, I think we'll take away your baby brother's play toy." Grinning, the older boy advanced on Kumatsurou and snatched the locket away.

"No! Give that back to him, stupid Foghorn!" Toushirou got up angrily, he wanted to bash the guy up, but Jimekko was twice his size, and had a bunch of friends equally as large.

"Make me. " The neighbourhood bully held up the locket tauntingly, before he did the unthinkable. Grinning evilly as he did it, he raised his hand high above his head, and threw the locket down with all his might. Toushirou watched as the item seemed to fall down in slow motion. Kumatsurou got up from his seat, also slowly, and ran towards the falling object, trying in vain to save it. Still in slow motion, the artifact crashed, disintegrating into many pieces. Both the boys looked at the many pieces in horror. Although he rarely showed his true emotions, Toushirou was just as attached to that old memoir of their mother as Kumatsurou was. He opened his mouth to scream at the evil Jimekko, but someone beat him to it.

"I'll make you pay for that…" Toushirou stared in surprise as his brother stepped up, his voice full of a silent fury that he had never seen before. Before his very eyes, he saw sparks, he rubbed his eyes several times, but nothing changed. Sparks were being emitted from Kumatsurou's body. Several people screamed as Kumatsurou took a step forward, a coil of lightning around his left arm. "You are going to regret that… for what little life you have left!" A blast of lightning came from his arm, a rather small one, but powerful enough to seriously injure the boy.

"Kumatsurou! No!" Toushirou ran up to this different brother of his, it seemed as if this was a completely different side to him, and not a very likeable side to his character. Pushing his brother over, Toushirou managed to redirect the blast, which hit a tree, causing a branch to fall next to Jimekko. The guy looked scared, for several reasons. Most obviously, because of the demon-like boy in front of him, and secondly, all his goons had run away already. He followed suit, and ran away.

"Get OFF!" Toushirou felt himself being thrown back by a blast of lightning, and looked in horror as Kumatsurou advanced. "You let him get away… so now I'll have to make do with you I guess… Prepare to-" He stopped in mid-sentence, and Toushirou looked perplexed, but only for a second. Kumatsurou fell forward, and collapsed on the ground. Toushirou ran over to him, breathing a sigh of relief when he found that he was still alive, and apparently back to normal.

No… I can't believe this is happening again. Kumatsurou… and he's so much more powerful now, that time, he had no training and he could blast that tree, now, who knows how much damage he'd cause? "Gin! Get backup, we need to get out of here…" Tousen looked frantic as he tried to avoid another blast, which snatched at his clothes.

"One step ahead of ya…" As Ichimaru replied, two beams of light descended surrounding Tousen and Ichimaru.

"Negation! The Menos are recalling them."

"Shirou-chan, what are we going to do about Kumatsurou-kun?" Toushirou grunted. There was only one thing to do. Otherwise this anger-controlled Kumatsurou could reduce the entire Seireitei to rubble. He had to be stopped, even if drastic measures were required.

"Get away Hinamori."

"What?"

"Get away. Otherwise, I'll get you as well." Without waiting for an answer, he drew his sword. There was a flash as he released his Shikai. "Bankai!" The ice dragon flashed, and ice appeared all around the captain. Large pillars of ice formed in an instant, and a dragon of ice, quite similar to Seigyokuden Raibikaritatsu, was now perching on the right shoulder of Toushirou. "Daiguren Hyourinmaru." I'm sorry... Kumatsurou… but this is the only way.

The rage-filled captain was still blasting away randomly at his surroundings when the attack hit him. In an instant, he was encased in a block of ice, and the rage stopped. Toushirou ran over to inspect him, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the face of his brother had returned to normal. No longer did it bear the lines of fury and hatred that it had bore a moment ago, no longer were the eyes emblazoned with a desire to destroy. The old Kumatsurou was back, the happy, even tempered boy captain was back.

"Shirou-chan! Over here!" Toushirou looked behind the ice sculpture, and saw a terrible sight. Matsumoto… no… Thelong haired vice-captain lay, in a pool of her own blood, with numerous swords still sticking out of her body. That was what made him lose it… I should have guessed. When he thought he had lost another loved one, he just… snapped.

"Hinamori! Call for Unohana immediately! These two are going to need some serious medical attention." Kumatsurou was safe for now, just frozen, but Matsumoto needed help desperately. In a few minutes, a large flying form could be seen approaching, with two figures on its back.

"Oh my, how did this happen?" Unohana was shocked, but directed her vice-captain to help Matsumoto.

"Matsumoto was attacked… by Ichimaru and Tousen, probably, and Kumatsurou… something terrible happened, and I had to freeze him."

"I see… Toushirou-taichou, did Kumatsurou-taichou sustain any injuries apart from the severe frost bite he'll have after he thaws out?" Toushirou shook his head. "Good. Then we only have to tend to Matsumoto-fukutaichou, and place Kumatsurou-taichou in a warm place and wait for him to thaw before we treat his injuries." Toushirou couldn't believe his ears, they were seriously going to just wait for him to unfreeze?

Stuff: Yeah.. bit of a strange ending, but hey... this chapter was getting quite long, (2800 words about) so I decided to end it quickly. And yeah...I dunno, the 'dark evil side' thing is kinda cliched I guess, but it seemed work pretty well to me.