Spoiler warning to those who haven't read the manga (yes there are others who doesn't want to be spoiled by it)

"What do you mean he's not dead, I saw his body being stabbed by--"

"Stabbed, yes. Boy, are you unlucky to see what you just saw."

That's what he keeps on saying to himself over and over again, ever since he saw what happened. Toshiro scowled, and slammed his hands on the table loudly.

"Stop avoiding my question and tell me the truth! Are you saying this to make yourself feel better?! Are you telling yourself that Kurosaki is not dead?!"

"I'm not telling myself anything. I confirm that he is, indeed, alive. Also, you did not ask me the RIGHT question."

Toshiro couldn't interpret what he was talking about. One second later, his teal eyes brighten up.

"Why isn't he not dead?"

Urahara smiles. "Bingo!"

"..." Toshiro looked unamused. "Just tell me already."

"It missed." Urahara said simply as he pulled out a mannequin of the insides of the human body, which Toshiro did not notice until now, and pointed at the circle he had drawn on it. "Now, this is where Jaegerjaquez stabbed him and you noticed it missed, just an inch, of his heart." He taps the makeshift heart of the mannequin, "Now if it weren't for your quick thinking skills, Captain Hitsugaya, he was able to survive the attack, for you took him to Inoue Orihime just in time."

Indeed, the circle hasn't hit the heart, Toshiro noted as he stared at the circle with a small frown on his lips.

"But... the hole, it didn't disappear when Inoue healed it. You're suggesting that she healed him fine, but I don't get why the hole is still there."

"Now, you must remember that he is still... a Quincy."

Toshiro was silent at this.

"Quincies, you see, are very... sensitive when they touch a hollow. More like, the hollow taints their soul if killed by one."

"... That means, his soul is slowly being tainted? But, he already has a hollow. What does this mean to him?"

Urahara tilts his hat slightly. "It means he will turn into a full-fledged Hollow, both his Quincy and Shinigami powers will be eaten up by it."

Toshiro's eyes widened in horror at this. "This can't be."

He looked at him roughly. "Yes, it can." He closed his eyes and sighed softly. "Sometimes I wish I'm not right. Also, you two can stop eavesdropping, that's rude." He stood up, walked and opener the door, revealing both Rukia and Renji, who has the expression of shock and disbelief in what they heard. They turned to Captain Hitsugaya, who frowned.

"Almost all of them, Sir." Rukia admits, looking down on her feet. "We are sorry for eavesdropping, but we are very concerned for our friend."

"Inoue called you?" He asked as he watch the two sit around the round kotatsu, Urahara sitting beside him now.

"Yes sir." Renji confirmed. He looks at where Ichigo had been held, worry clear in his expression.

Rukia has the same expression, Toshiro noted. He doesn't blame them. Their friend almost died and is slowly turning into a hollow.

"I'm thankful that he's alive, but... How can we help him, Urahara?" Rukia asked, looking at the shop keeper. "I mean..." She looks nervous. "This... happened before, didn't it?"

Toshiro was the only one confused.

"So, he shared to you what had happened to his mother and father." Urahara stated, but he doesn't look like he minded. He looks relieved by this, what ever they are talking about.

"Yes... it was a very touching story." Rukia's aura changed from gloomy, to flowery as she remembers the story Ichigo told them about his parents.

Renji sweat drops.

"Well, this is similar to what happened."

"Then we already have the solution?" Toshiro voiced out his understanding of the situation.

Urahara nodded. "Yes. It seems you will be the key to make this successful, Captain Hitsugaya."

Toshiro is confused. What does he have that these three doesn't? "Is there something that I can do that you three couldn't?"

"Yes, spiritual pressure that can help stabilize Kurosaki's immediately. Also... We don't have much time." This made Rukia and Renji panic. "Just..." Urahara looked deep into Toshiro's eyes. "Just trust me. We have to save him."

"I can't trust you if you don't tell me what's going on!" Toshiro snapped, glaring slightly in distaste and hidden fear. He does not like what he doesn't know, and this case is something he doesn't understand, which frustrates him. All he wanted, needed, is an explanation on what is going to happen. He's not Kurosaki who would go in head first.

Urahara can see his inner struggle. He frowned slightly. "We will be transferring ALL of your spiritual pressure inside Kurosaki... This will make you temporary a human."

Silence. Toshiro shakily opened his mouth minutes later, and asked.

"When?"

They looked shock.

"You wouldn't mind?" Renji asked as he sat upright, staring at the Captain with wide eyes. "Captain, this is a great sacrifice-"

"He won't be human for too long, I have made a gigai just in case this happened again." Urahara cuts Renji off. "He will be human for a month, I know Captain Hitsugaya has a division that needs him. I will write a letter for Head Captain Shunsui to the situation so that you won't lose your captaincy, Hitsugaya. Also... It's the least we could do, for you to save Kurosaki."

Toshiro nodded slowly. He can deal with this. He can do this. But he has one more question that he needed to ask. "Why me?"

"You have mastered your bankai." The shopkeeper looks amused at the modest blush dusting on his cheek. "You also have better control of your reiatsu now. Mine, Rukia and Renji's spiritual pressure is too familiar with Ichigo's."

"But why couldn't we just combine our spiritual pressure so that I don't have to give all of mine up?" Toshiro asked.

Urahara sighed softly. "I've studied about this before, Hitsugaya, I know how this works. I will explain to you why this wouldn't work if we combine our spiritual pressure to Kurosaki. Just please, trust me."

Captain Hitsugaya stares at the man before him. His intellectual mind told him to question him more, to see if this was safe and to know why it should be him... But his guts told him to do it. Kurosaki saved them all before, why couldn't he return the favour?

He sighed softly and nodded. "Alright."

Thank you for those who followed and favorite this story. it means a lot haha

JokerJake.exe, I'm not being a tease sadly haha, my fingers just hurt and my excitement of posting this had me decided to end it there. Hope you didn't mind xD