Chapter 4, coming right up.

Please try and review after reading. I don't wanna feel like I'm just wasting my time here. ;)

And just to clear up any possible confusion, bold text within the story represents a zanpakuto speaking.

So here it is again. Enjoy.

Chapter 4: Unsettling News

Twelfth Division Headquarters

The members of 12th squad sat at their monitors trying desperately to find out what the odd new presence in the real world is all about.

"Was it a hollow!?" One of them asked in a baffled tone to no one in particular.

"No it can't be." Another voice rang out.

"How can you say that?! It has all the defining characteristics of a hollow. It's just different. Take your head outta your ass, will ya?!" A third voice yelled agitatedly without looking away from his monitor.

It wasn't very often when Division 12 would be perplexed like this, which has been creating a lot of tension between the researchers already.

It was at times like this that they prayed both for their captain to show up and to never show up at the same time. He almost always would resolve things but his methods of doing so would never exactly be to anyone's favor.

The other squad member was about to reply when the door leading into the room slid open, revealing none other than Kurotsuchi-taicho.

As always, there was an eerie silence in the room now. The atmosphere was even more tense with the expression on Mayuri's face. It was a "smile" as he would call it. But anyone who knew him well enough knew better.

He was very pissed. And was prepared to do anything his sadistic mind could come up with to any one who was to anger him in the slightest.

He was not happy about having to work with Unohana as a "team." He hated to admit it to himself but she was just simply stronger than him. Significantly stronger at that. Which would more likely than not put everything in her favor.

Mayuri could always think his way out of such a dilemma however. Though it will be difficult. There have been many times he just felt like performing some of his riskiest experiments on that damn geezer….

As though he hadn't just been thinking such thoughts, he somewhat pleasantly chimed to every one in the room.

"How are thing going here?'

"Um…" Some one replied tensely. "Not too well sir."

"Oh? And what on earth could not be doing so well?" Mayuri responded as he slowly walked toward the young man, the expression on his face not changing.

The young man obviously was quite intimidated by Mayuri's presence. It was really the first time he spoke with him up close like this. It's terrifying for every one when they first truly meet Mayuri.

Hell, it's terrifying for those with many years of experience with the man.

The squad member was visibly shaking a little and gulped loudly.

"It isn't awfully polite to not reply to your own captain like that you know…." Mayuri chimed in an eerily gentle voice as his left hand suddenly changed color to a dark brown and went for the young shinigami's neck.

Fourth Division Headquarters

Retsu Unohana and Aizen Sousuke stepped into the room holding the unconscious 10th squad captain.

There were several fourth division members working frantically to set everything up for a procedure as well as hooking him up to IVs.

In addition, there was Lieutenant Ichimaru Gin, causally leaning against a corner of the room. His usual smirk not totally gone, but not nearly as apparent as usual. Third seat Matsumoto Rangiku stood next to her captain, her face very serious. A pretty rare sight.

Sure, he was an asshole sometimes. But she would never wish death upon him. There were also qualities she liked about him. Though lately she found such qualities to be rather few in number and far between….

She even stroked the captain's slicked hair a bit. With this, Gin scowled a bit.

'I s'pose I never got to meet him personally. But how can she even have any appreciation fer a guy like that…"

Well, she takes a liking to you, doesn't she? His zanpakuto replied with a hint of sadism in his voice.

Gin decided to not reply to Shinso. The zanpakuto took this as a victory and could only chuckle at Gin's expense. With that, Gin chuckled a bit himself, getting a few strange stares from some of the people in the room.

"I'm sorry but you two need to leave for now." Unohana said impassively to Rangiku and Gin.

Gin began walking out. 'Finally…' He said to himself. He looked back at Rangiku before leaving.

"Ya heard the captain, didn't ya Ran-chan?"

Rangiku didn't reply as she usually was known to. Instead she simply nodded and followed the silver haired shinigami out of the room. Aizen was about to join them when Unohana lightly grabbed onto his arm.

"If you don't mind Aizen-taicho. I think I may need you here as well."

Aizen looked back at Unohana and gave a soft smirk. "I guess I don't have much else to do right now anyway…."

"That's good to hear." She said, still with no real emotion.

"Unohana-taicho!" The unseated fourth squad member yelled as he ran in the room. "I searched throughout the database for a hollow of this description and nothing shows up..."

Unohana gave a light sigh. "Thank you."

What she was about to say next was a bit difficult for her. "Could you bring me Kurotsuchi-taicho please? Tell him I asked for him myself."

"Hai!" The young shinigami said quickly before running off toward the Twelfth Squad.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Aizen asked Unohana skeptically.

"No. But Yamamoto does…."

Twelfth Squad Headquarters

Mayuri reached for the young shinigami's throat. He was frozen in shock, simply letting the captain grab him when he was interrupted by some one bursting through the door.

"My apologies Kurotsuchi-taicho!" The fourth squad member yelled, "But Unohana-taicho requests for you to see here ASAP!"

Mayuri gave a disgruntled sigh and turned away from the young twelfth squad member, his hand changing back to its usual paste-like color.

"Some unsettling news she wishes to share with me, hm?"

Rukongai First District

"This is it." The old lady said to the young Hitsugaya.

The house wasn't too bad Hitsugaya thought. But it certainly didn't compare to his old house. Come to think of it, he still had no idea where he was.

"Um, why am I here?" Hitsugaya asked the lady.

She looked at him, her face now showing a hint of sadness.

'So this boy still doesn't even know that he's dead?' She thought to herself.

She didn't like having to be the one to tell a little boy such grim news. It was the first time she ever had to as a matter of fact.

"Do you know what death is?" She asked in as sweet a voice she could muster.

"Sort of… isn't it where you fall asleep for ever or something."

The granny flashed a small, warming smile. "I guess you can say it's like that. But you see. Every one has what's called a soul within themselves. And when they die, the body stays on earth to 'sleep' just as you said. But that soul is brought here to soul society by a shinigami."

She knew this would probably be over the boy's head so she was prepared to explain it in a better way. To her surprise however, he nodded and seemed to understand.

"Well…is my Mom dead too…and my Dad?" He asked, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

The kind, elderly women kneeled down and simply hugged the young boy.

"Until you find them, you'll have me to keep you company Toushirou. And There's also a girl who lives here who I think you'll learn to like. I promise you'll never be alone."

Hitsugaya simply hugged back, fighting away his tears.

So there you have it for this update. Stick around for more. Please read and review every one. ;)