Hinata woke with a blistering headache and to the sound of a heart monitor beeping endlessly beside her bed.
She opened her eyes but found the sunlight too strong and hurriedly closed them. She tried again but took it slower this time and found herself able to withstand the light after blinking several times. The ceiling Hinata stared at was wash-white and dancing with sunlight. She forced her stiff neck to move and she saw the heart monitoring machine sitting patiently beside her, and several other beds all lined up in a perfect row, though only hers appeared to be occupied. She twisted round to look to her right, and saw two girls lying asleep in the beds beside her. They looked familiar but at this angle Hinata couldn't see their faces properly.
What...happened...? Hinata thought wearily. Her entire body ached and her shoulder seared with pain when she tried to move it, though luckily the pain was brief. She heard footsteps, which didn't help her headache. She groaned. She wished she was asleep; she'd been having one of those rare sleeps where she didn't dream about talking wolves or ill-tempered ravens or some weird guy with a mullet...
"Oh! You're awake!" A cheerful but somewhat nervous sounding female chirped and Hinata blinked again. The woman standing over her was extremely tall and kinda busty, with a head of wild silver-grey hair. Two beaded strands hung by her neck. Her eyes were a pretty shade of amber and though the anxiety was clear inside them there was also a warm, bubbling kindness. Hinata had glad she was in the care of this woman, and not someone colder.
"I'm Kotetsu Isane, Yonbantai fuku-taichou (vice-captain). How do you feel?" She asked.
"O-okay, I g-guess." Hinata croaked. Her voice was rusty and crackled, like she'd been singing for hours and it had finally gave way. Isane offered a small, timid smile.
"I'll go tell Unohana-taichou. And Hitsugaya-taichou," She added and she sounded like she was reminding herself. "He stopped by so see you."
"T-Toshiro-kun..." Hinata whispered dreamily. Isane's eyes widened slightly but she said nothing and quickly retreated to report to the said captains. Hinata snatched the chance to observe the other girls. The one closest was blond and pretty-looking, and she was beginning to twitch and groan softly. Then suddenly her eyes snapped open and she bolted upright, her eyes wide with fear and confusion.
"H-hi." Hinata said softly. She felt it was impolite to say nothing.
Blondie glanced at her briefly and looked away with a dismissive 'hmph' but suddenly looked back, her eyes widening even further. "Hyuuga Hinata!" She snarled and she made Hinata's name sound like an insult. Hinata stared at her for a moment before recognizing her bitchy way of talking.
"M-Maaka Bunko-san?" Hinata was stunned. The person she'd supposedly 'beaten' was sitting right before her with her eyes wide as dinner plates and face white as a sheet. Hinata's heart began to race. Would she remember Hinata's attacking her?
"What are you doing here!" Bunko demanded as she recoiled slightly, as though Hinata was some infectious disease. "How'd you get a wound like that! What the hell could you have done to end up like that!" She didn't sound concerned. Rather frightened for her own safety.
"A-a hollow..." Hinata said slowly, carefully. She was waiting for Bunko to leap up and shout "SHE DID IT!" while jabbing an accusing finger at Hinata's face. So far so good, but for how much longer?
"A hollow? You tried to fight a hollow? You baka!" Bunko laughed in earnest. "You could've gotten killed! Only shinigami can fight hollow so there's not point in trying to show off." Then she realized something. "What am I doing at the Relief Station?" Evidently, she did not remember getting attacked at all but was able to tell where she was. Being a noble, Hinata guessed, she'd been here before.
"Y-you w-w-were attacked." Hinata explained.
Bunko's lip curled. "Oh yeah. Some bastard beat me up. I'll kill him!"
"Y-you d-don't remember w-who?"
"No, you twit! If I did, I would've up and gone the moment I woke up!"
"O-oh..."
At that moment a beautiful woman entered with Kotetsu Isane in tow. Her hair was silky and black and plated skilfully down her front. Her eyes were a gentle shade of ocean-blue and her skin was smooth and creamy. An air of peace and calm drifted around her and Hinata's felt her heart slowing to a more reasonable rate. She flashed the two girls a motherly smile.
"Hello, girls. It's good to see you've woken up." Unohana Retsu said and her voice was just as calm and peaceful as her aura. "Maaka-san, do you feel well?"
"I do." Bunko said stiffly and Hinata wondered if Bunko was aware of how arrogant she sounded. As though she was forcing herself to fake respect for the amazing woman standing in front of her. "I want to go home."
"You can't yet, I'm afraid, dear. You were attacked. Tell me, do you remember anything from when it happened?"
"No." Bunko grunted with a slight roll of her eyes. "I don't. Not a thing. It's all black, but I do know something beat me up. So can I go now?"
Unohana's smile never left her face but Hinata could've sworn it was beginning to strain. "I said no, dear. Now for Hinata-san..." She looked away from Bunko and to Hinata, who was still lying down. She would've sat up out of respect but her shoulder just would not allow her to do so. "How do you feel?"
"O-okay, I guess." Hinata repeated exactly what she'd said to the vice-captain. "M-my shoulder hurts a-a-a lot, t-though..." She hoped she didn't sound bratty but Unohana didn't seem to mind.
"That's to be expected, dear. You almost died due to blood loss. Hitsugaya-taichou is very worried about you," She added and Hinata visibly perked up. "He wanted to rush in here but I told him you needed rest. Now Soi Fon-taichou pulled him aside just before Isane got to us. I expected he'll be in a minute, though-ah."
She looked away and Hinata flowed her gaze and found herself blushing. Toshiro rushed over, leaving a short woman with long black hair and sharp blue eyes standing by the door with a somewhat sour expression on her face. Her black hair was tied back into 'pony-tails' with bandages normally used for wrapping wounds. Hinata noticed the haori draped over her shoulders and bit back as shudder. That woman was a captain!
"Hyuuga! Are you alright?" Toshiro demanded and his eyes swept over her, widening ever so slightly even he noticed Hinata's heavily bandaged arm. His fists clenched.
"H-hai, I-I'm okay..."
"I see." And he visibly relaxed, though his fists remained clenched. Hinata tried to image him sitting in the waiting from with Unohana-taichou, brooding over her condition with a strained and concerned expression on his face. She failed. She just couldn't image him stressing over anything.
"Taichou~!" Someone sang and suddenly the most voluptuous and sexiest woman Hinata had ever seen was standing beside Toshiro. Her breasts were gigantic and her hair was long and wavy and strawberry blond in colour. Her eyes were a pretty blue and her full lips were curved into a somewhat seductive smile. A vice-captain badge was tied around her waist, connected to a pink sash, with the kanji for 'ten' written on it and Hinata felt a stab of jealous somewhere within her. To think Toshiro was spending whole days with someone was beautiful as that...
But also...she seemed a little familiar.
Her eyes lit up when she saw Hinata. "Well, is this Hyuuga Hinata-chan? Nice to meet you! I'm Matsumoto Rangiku, Juubantai (Tenth Division) Fuku-taichou. Taichou was reaaaaalllly worried about you being hospitalized! He literally dropped his paperwork and-"
"Matsumoto..." And Hinata was scared by just how icy his voice was but Matsumoto didn't appear fazed, though she did close her mouth. She kept smiling like no tomorrow, however, and risked a giggle, despite knowing very well that her captain was pissed at her.
Toshiro glared at her for a moment longer before turning to Hinata and instantly he took on a kinder persona. "Madarame and Aysegawa are outside. They're the people who saved you; do you want to meet them?"
"P-please," Hinata said. She wanted to thank them for saving not only her life, but Kimi's and Ahiko's too. She wondered briefly where they were and guessed they were still at home.
"Please wait," Unohana-taichou said suddenly and Toshiro stopped half-way into giving Matsumoto instructions. "Soi Fon-taichou, is there something you need?"
"I need to question Maaka and Kagurashi." The short woman replied coolly and her eyes never left Unohana's face.
"I don't remember anything!" Maaka snapped. She was furious about both being ignored and the fact Hinata was getting so much attention.
"That's for me to determine." Soi Fon flashed back.
"Soi Fon-taichou, could this please wait for another time?"
Soi Fon looked ready to protest but quickly changed her mind and, with a curt nod, whisked out the door with a whirl of her captain's haori. Hinata didn't say she was glad to see the icy woman leave.
Soi Fon wasn't all cold and business, though, because a second later the men who'd saved Hinata's life came through the door and Soi Fon was obviously to one who told them they were needed.
They were exactly as Hinata remembered them. The bald-guy had his sword's scabbard resting on his shoulder and looked somewhat annoyed but curious at the same time. Feather-guy tossed his hair 'beautifully' and smiled charmingly at Hinata.
"Hello, Hinata-san. I'm Aysegawa Yumichika. This is Madarame Ikkaku. We're of the Jyuuichibantai (Eleventh Division). Nice to meet you...officially." Feather-guy said and Hinata offered a small smile. Ikkaku made of 'pfft' sound.
"Th-thank you f-f-for s-s-saving me, A-Aysegawa-san, M-Madarame-san." Hinata said gratefully and she was surprised when neither corrected her. She expected they had a seat of some sort but if they did, they appeared not to care what she called them despite her being a mere student.
"When you graduate, join Jyuuichibantai." Ikkaku ordered her as he thrust his scabbard forward, like he was pointing a finger at her. "You're a good fighter! We could use people like you!"
"Now, now, Ikkaku, you'll scare her off."
"Shut up, Yumichika!"
"Be quite please," Unohana-taichou said sweetly...but she had changed. Evil and death radiated off her like warmth off the sun and suddenly the room seemed to lack any heat at all. Hinata felt a shudder ripple down her spin and her face paled. Toshiro didn't fair much better.
"H-hai, ma'am." Ikkaku said in a shaky voice. Yumichika simply nodded rapidly.
"Good boys. Now, everybody leave. I need to look my patients over. Hinata should be out in about three days or so. Four, possibly. Now, out you go."
Toshiro and Hinata shared a brief smile before he disappeared out the door with Matsumoto close behind. Outwardly, she was smiling. Inwardly, however, she was frowning and fretting as she battled with the possibility that Toshiro didn't love Hinamori after all.
0-0-0
Hinamori Momo was alone. There was no light in her large room for she had closed her the windows, pulled down all the blinds. She wanted to be alone. She wanted to forget the outside world existed for a while. She wanted to lose herself in the darkness because this way, and only this way, could she remember the dream she'd had that night of him...
Hinamori's muddy brown eyes widened in pure shock. Her Inner World's fields of roses and peach trees were burning, burning before her every eyes, swallowed whole by a raging sea of flames. She was wearing clothes severally sizes too big and a torn and battered cap swirled around her in the hot and heavy winds. The sky was choked with ash and her throat stung with each swallow. She was boxed in by a ferocious ring of fire and the roar of the flames eating her world away drowned out the sound of her own screaming...
And then someone appeared. Someone clad in white with a dark purple sash wrapped round his waist, vanishing into the folds of his clothing. His hair was short and dark brown like her own. His eyes were a magnificent shade of chocolate-brown and his mouth was curved in that forever-there smile, the smile that had won her love so many years ago...
"Aizen...taichou..." Hinamori whispered and her voice was lost amongst the screams of the flames.
Aizen chuckled pleasantly. His lips moved but Hinamori couldn't understand what he was staying. Over head a raven shrieked impatiently and its blood-red eyes scanned the ground, as though searching for someone, someone other then the brunette that was displayed.
And suddenly he was turning around and being swallowed up by the flames.
"Aizen-taichou!" Hinamori cried and she raced forward. "Aizen-taichou! Aizen-taichou! No! NO! Aizen-taichou!"
"I'm sorry, Hinamori-kun." His voice echoed loud and clear inside her mind, as though he was standing right beside her rather then fading away into the black. "But I can't speak with you unless you'll help me."
Hinamori began to cry. "A-Aizen-taichou! Aizen-taichou!"
"Farewell, Hinamori-kun..."
"AIZEN-TAICHOU!"
Hinamori blinked back fresh tears. She loved two men, she realized now; Hitsugaya Toshiro, her childhood friend, and Aizen Souske, a traitor to the Soul Society but...but Hinamori sometimes forgot that. She had loved him since the first day they'd met...the moment he'd gently caressed her head with his hand, the moment she'd seen him smile, heard his voice...Aizen was her own personal angel whom she craved for like a cocaine addict.
Was he entering her dreams? She wondered. Or was this just some random dream brought on by her addiction? Would she ever see him again, in her these dreams of fire and ravens? She swallowed hard and buried her head in her hands. What of Toshiro? He would definitely be concerned about her mental state if she spoke to him of these dreams...and Hinamori feared facing him. They'd fought not long ago and Hinamori was beginning to realize her love for Aizen Souske was greater then her love for Hitsugaya Toshiro.
"Aizen-taichou..." She whispered.
0-0-0
The three and a half days Hinata spent glued to the hospital bed were extremely...boring.
Hinata knew she should've felt honoured; her condition had stabilized without problem and her only symptom was slight shoulder pain and drowsiness but Unohana insisted that she be the one to care for her. Most academy students were left in the hands of unseated or low ranking officers when the injuries were so insignificant, though Hinata guessed her shoulder might of proved a problem. Apparently, quite a few muscles had been ripped apart by the hollow and would take some time to heal; she was lucky her arm wasn't permanently out of use.
As for Bunko and Miyuki...well, they remembered absolutely nothing about being attacked. Miyuki had complained of nightmares, but apart from that her memories were blank. Soi Fon, the Second Division captain, had returned in the hopes of finding information but was only frustrated by their lack of it. She'd left the Relief Station in a fury with her fat vice-captain stumbling after her, shoving hand-fulls of chips into his mouth and his golden chains and rings jingling with every step.
Toshiro came to visit her everyday, too. And though it was clear the Fourth Division members were curious about the fact Toshiro didn't seem to care in the slightest and said flatly that it was none of their business if they asked. Several of the female doctors had confronted Hinata about this and with rosy cheeks and that horrid stutter hindering her words she'd tried to explain they were just friends. Not romantic at all. At all.
"Here's your lunch, Hinata-san." The shinigami placed the tray on Hinata's lap and she smiled at him.
"Th-thanks, H-Hanatarou-kun."
"That's fine." Yamada Hanatarou straightened and smiled back and his face seemed to glow. Hanatarou was only a bit older then Hinata appearance-size, with short brown hair that framed his face and pale blue droopy eyes. They were a lot alike. Both shy and timid and stuttered when nervous, but also loyal to their friends and somewhat confident in their ability to move forward. He was officially Hinata's best friend in fourth squad. He was kind and warm and was the only one who wasn't nervous around Hinata due to the colour of her eyes.
The fact full-fledged shinigami (doctors, maybe, but still shinigami) were frightened and almost unnerved by the colour of her eyes had taken Hinata by surprise. It occurred to her then that perhaps the students at the Academy didn't hate her as much as they appeared to; maybe they were scared by the fact Hinata could see perfectly find without a visible pupil or iris. Of course, she had both; they were just so faint that they blended in with everything else, though her iris did take on a lavender shade.
Hinata picked up her chop sticks and scoped some rice smothered in sauce into her mouth. Her cheeks rose in a smile without her consent. Unlike the hospitals she'd done up around, the food here was edible and didn't want to make you throw up with every second bite. It was all hand-made.
"O-ooshi! (delicious!)" Hinata exclaimed and her cheeks turned rosy. Whoever prepared the meals was a genius in the kitchen.
"You like it?" Hanatarou inquired despite the fact it was clear she did.
Hinata nodded before swallowing the food down and shoving in some more. "Mm-hmm."
"That's good. A-ano..." He frowned ever so slightly. "Unohana-taichou said you're good to go today. She was going to tell you herself...but she sent me inside because I was coming anyway."
"H-Honto (really)? G-great." Hinata quickly finished her meal and placed the tray aside, but not before clasping her hands together and giving thanks for her meal. She made to move out of the bed but stopped when she noticed Hanatarou's sober face.
"...Hanatarou-kun? I-Is something w-wrong?" She asked and her worry showed clearly in her voice.
"...I...I don't have many friends," The brunette boy admitted. "I-I was kinda hoping you'd stay longer. I-it was fun talking to you..."
"I-I'll visit." Hinata promised and Hanatarou immediately perked up. Hinata tossed him a smile and he threw one right back. Hinata was glad she'd met Hanatarou; he was a really good guy, though a little sensitive. He was so nice. And cute. Nice and cute. What was better?
"How 'bout Toshiro?" Okami-san suggested out of nowhere and Hinata yelped in surprise.
"H-Hinata-san?" Hanatarou asked anxiously as Hinata blushed and Okami-san laughed to her heart's content. "What's wrong?"
"N-n-nothing!" Hinata lied and she leapt out of bed. Hanatarou showed her to where her uniform was (she was wearing a standard issue hospital kimono, thin, wash-white material that stopped at her knees) and left her to dress. He then saw her off with a wave before disappearing into the Relief Station to inform Unohana-taichou of Hinata's departure.
And so Hinata realized she had no idea how the hell she was going to get back to the Academy.
"...Oh fish sausage..." She huffed.
0-0-0
Isane screamed and the shinigami assembled jumped in fright.
"Wh-what's wrong, fuku-taichou-dono!" A man demanded.
"Fish sausage!" Isane gasped.
"...fu-...fuku-taichou..."
0-0-0
Did someone just scream? Toshiro blinked but shrugged it off. He must've been imaging things.
He continued along the route to the Relief Station but stopped when he saw the very girl he'd been planning to visit walking towards the Fifth Division Barracks with a lost expression on her face. Toshiro allowed himself a small smile as he studied her. Her eye brows were pressing together, her mouth was pouting, her cheeks were pink; she looked so cute. Then he realized what he'd thought and mentally slapped himself and shock his head. Focus, Hitsugaya Toshiro! Focus!
"Hyuuga!" He called out and he started towards her; the lavender-eyed girl looked up and smiled upon seeing him.
"T-Toshiro-kun!" She chirped merrily.
He frowned. "Oi, I told you its 'Hitsugaya-taichou'."
"Oh, sorry." She apologized though the smile never left her face.
"So...why are you heading towards the fifth?" He asked and his question was met with a bemused stare.
"...The f-fifth?" She echoed.
"Yeah. If you keep heading that why, you'll find the Gobantai (Fifth Division) barracks."
"...Oh fiddle sticks..."
"Pardon?"
"I-I'm lost." Hinata confessed. "I-I'm t-trying to g-get back to the A-Academy, but.."
The sides of Toshiro's mouth twitched with eagerness to smile but he managed to keep them in place. "I see. Come on, I'll take you."
"T-thanks."
And the two started walking, and much to Hinata's embarrassment it was in the entirely opposite direction. They passed through the Fourth district in silence and then took a hidden route around the Third which Toshiro claimed that only he used. When Hinata asked why, his cheeks had gone red and he'd refused to answer, though he did mumble something similar to 'Matsumoto...old division...' under his breath. The hidden path took them right past the Second and First Divisions but Hinata was ecstatic when she managed to get a glimpse of the Commander General, who's full name she couldn't remember. In her head, he was just 'Yamamoto-so-taichou'. No first or middle name required.
Eventually they found themselves walking alone the side of the river that flowed right past the Academy, talking and laughing amongst themselves. They darted between the trees that grew along the bank; Hinata hadn't noticed before this time, but many of the trees roots poked out of the ground in wavy patterns, ducking in and out of the soil, and she was careful about where she put her feet.
"...Oi...Hyuuga..." Came Toshiro's voice from behind her. The boy-captain had fallen behind not long ago, apparently lost in thought, and Hinata had known better then to try and lure him out of it.
"Hai?" Hinata said and she turned around to face him, hands together.
"I have something I need to discuss with-" He cut off suddenly as his foot snagged on a root prodding out of the soil and he fell forward, towards where Hinata stood...
...and their lips touched.
For a second they simply froze. Unable to move while their minds processed the fact they were kissing. Then Toshiro jumped back with his cheeks ablaze.
"S-s-s-s-s-sorry!" He stuttered and his cheeks and ears burned bright red. "I-I-I-I tripped!" He quickly stepped over the root and checked the general area for more. "I-I'm s-s-so sorry! I wasn't watching what I was...doing.." He trailed off when he realized Hinata hadn't made a single move since his accidental kissing her.
"...Hyuuga?" He said after a moment. She didn't answer, so he tried again. "Oi, Hyuuga? You alright?"
Hinata's face suddenly went crimson. She couldn't believe Toshiro had just kissed her, had actually kissed her...and then the girl did something she hadn't done in over a month; she keeled over and fainted.
Toshiro, having only known her for a short time, had no idea that Hinata was prone to faint was furiously embarrassed and was immediately alarmed. He whipped out and caught her before she hit the ground and laid her gently on the floor, while pressing a hand to her forehead and checking her pulse with the other.
"Oi! Hyuuga! Don't faint on me! Hyuuga!"
Hinata just mumbled unintelligent things under her breath before dropping off the world completely.
!I own neither Bleach nor Naruto!
Hello peoples! Nice to be back ^^ Thanks for all the nice comments over my absence, they made my day.
Anyway...here's the next boring, uneventful chapter! -*- I was gonna make an arrancar pop up and fight Toshiro and hit on Hinata, but I sent that chap to the story grave yard. It seemed way too random and silly (an arrancar fight right after she's recovered from a hollow? pfft) I added Hanatarou in because I love him and because I think he and Hinata are alike; and because he could become a potential love-rival from Toshiro's point of view X3 I also tried to add a little humour into this...but I've never been good at writing humour. And yes, Isane is terrified of fish sausages. Both in anime and manga. You can't be very far in if she hasn't screamed "FISH SAUSAGES!" yet.
We're getting closer to an important chapter in the plot! *squeals* And Hinamori's dream is random! It has meaning to the plot!
Thanks for sticking with me for so long and reading! Please review! It makes be feel so good!