Toshiro examined Hanatarou's face for what seemed like the thousandth time that afternoon and grimaced. He could barely see Hanatarou's actually face beneath the layers of bandage that had been wrapped around his face, again and again and again. Only one of his eyes were visible but above that was a small cut covered in healing ointment. A tube emerged from the bandages covering his mouth and trailed across the floor and connected to a life support system that was keeping the poor boy alive. Toshiro was immensely glad Hinata hadn't seen him in this state; she would've been traumatized. Heck, Toshiro was unnerved by his appearance.
There was a knocking at the door. Toshiro was glad for the excuse to stop observing the battered and bruised seventh seat. "Enter."
The door opened and Toshiro's heart skipped a beat. Hinamori Momo stood a few weary steps inside the ward and gently pushed the door closed with her foot. Her hands were supporting a tray, on which two cups of what appeared to be tea sat steaming. She walked over and set the tray on a near by table. Toshiro's eyes never left her figure.
"How are you, Hitsugaya-kun?" Hinamori asked and she looked away from the cups with a smile on her face.
Toshiro hesitated before responding. "...Fine, thank you. And you?"
"Better then ever. The pills really worked; I can sleep soundlessly now." She informed him.
"Thats great."
A stifling silence fell. Toshiro stared at his hands; they were very boring and he quickly grew tired of making up patterns in his finger nails. Hinamori watched the steam slowly rise from the liquid bubbling inside the cups. And for the briefest moment that cruel determination sparked in her eyes but was gone before Toshiro noticed it.
"...Hitsugaya-kun..." She said quietly and Toshiro stiffened. "I understand, you know?"
He blinked. "Understand what?"
She smiled. "That you don't love me, you big dummy."
Toshiro's eyes widened slightly; then he frowned and his eyes narrowed. "...I'm sorry."
"It's alright, Shiro-chan. I understand how you feel and I'm sorry for making you suffer. I sensed that maybe you didn't like me as much as you said you did about a month ago, and when I saw you worrying so much over Hinata-chan..." She heaved a heavy sigh. "I just knew. And it's alright. To be honest, I don't think I loved you as much as I thought, either. Maybe I was just clinging to your friendship; my heart was broken, after all. I...I just needed someone, and you were always there for me." Her eyes sparkled. "You saved me...and I guess I mistook my gratitude for love." She took a few steps forward and stared him in the face. "I'm sorry, Shiro-chan."
"You have no reason to apologize," Toshiro insisted and he chose to ignore the infuriating nick-name. "I shouldn't have left this go on for so long. I was being a coward."
Hinamori smiled. "So...we're all good?"
"If you are."
"Then we are." And Hinamori grabbed the tray and practically skipped over to his side. Her face was positively radiating happiness and relief, relief that this was all over and they could get on with their lives. Toshiro felt the same way, though only a small percentage of it showed on his icy exterior. He stood up and took a cup and Hinamori took the other; she tucked the stray under her arm and they both sat down beside Hanatarou's sleeping form.
Toshiro took a swig of what appeared to be tea and his eyes widened. It was delicious! It was almost like lemon aid, with a bubbling quality to it, but the taste was entirely different; it had a watermelon-like tang to it. Convinced the liquid wasn't tea, Toshiro pulled away from his lips and inspected the surface. It was a pale pink colour with little black seeds floating on the surface. They looked like watermelon seeds.
"Hinamori, what is this?" He inquired.
"You like it?" Hinamori giggled. She still hadn't taken a sip of hers. "I made it this morning."
"It's delicious," He said firmly, before taking another long sip. The liquid tickled his throat; he could feel it travelling down through his chest. He licked his lips, not wanting to lose a drop of the heavenly drink. It was definately one of the greatest fizzy drinks he'd ever tasted in his long life.
"Thanks." Hinamori beamed. "I gave some to Hanatarou-kun, and it worked perfectly."
Toshiro froze, the cup half-way to his lips. Had he heard correctly? "...What?"
"Hmm? Oh, I gave some to Hanatarou-kun. He almost died; the experiment was a huge success. I put more in your cup, so you should probably pass out; he kept yelling and screaming for help but no-one could hear him."
Horror twisted Toshiro's insides. "Hinamori...? Are...are you saying you're the one that poisoned Yamada?"
She nodded. "Of course. And the one that poisoned you, Shiro-chan."
His grip on the cup went limb and it slid between from fingers and shattered on the floor. The poisonous fluid pooled on the cold titles as Toshiro stared, wide-eyed, at his childhood friend, her friendly smile, her twinkling eyes; and the insanity that boiled just beneath the surface, hot and red.
Toshiro jumped up and backed away. He couldn't believe it. Bed Wetter Momo, his Bed Wetter Momo, the woman he had always viewed as his older goofy sister, she was seriously trying to kill him, to kill him-
No. She wasn't 'trying'. She had. It was only a matter of time.
Hinamori slowly rose from her chair, making soft and delicate movements that reminded Toshiro of a ghost. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could he was suddenly overcome with weariness, so sudden in its coming that Toshiro staggered backwards and fell against the wall. His chest began to throb. His breathing became laboured. He felt like there was something kind of blockage in his throat, clogging up his airway. He couldn't breath properly.
And suddenly Hinamori was there. She gently touched a hand to his cheek and he flinched. It didn't feel the same.
"Oh, is it painful?" She asked and she sounded genuinely surprised. "I'm sorry, Shiro-chan. I didn't mean to make it painful." And as though to make up for the pain, Hinamori brushed her lips against his forehead. And then his legs gave way and he slid down the door, gasping for air and clutching his chest. Sweat ran down his face and dripped off his nose. Hinamori stared down at him with a sad expression on her face.
D-damn it...Toshiro thought furiously. I-I'm gonna die...crap...damn it, Hinamori...!
"H-Hina...m-mori..." He gasped and she knelt down so she could hear him. "Wh-why...?"
"Hmm? Aizen-taichou asked me to, Shrio-chan. He visited my dreams while I was sleeping! Isn't he amazing?"
So, Toshiro reflected grimly. Aizen had taken Hinamori's mind and pounded it into oblivion when he'd departed, leaving both him and her for dead. She'd really gone off the deep end. She didn't seem to care that Toshiro was dying right in front of her and that she'd be executed for killing a captain; no, all she cared about was Aizen Souske, brilliant, wonderful, charming Aizen Souske.
And Toshiro knew the moment she said those words that the Hinamori Momo he knew died alone with Aizen's captaincy over fifth division.
0-0-0
"Cero."
The pale skinned arrancar raised his hand and from his palm shot out a fiery beam of red-hot light; it cut through the air and smashed into the ground and it exploded on impact. The force of the blast sent Hinata sprawling in the dirt; rocks cut into her arms and legs and she winced in pain. With a soft groan she forced herself onto her legs and looked to the skies; and lunged to the side as another cero came blasted towards her. She rolled across the grassy ground and slammed into a tree. Her mouth opened in a silent scream of pain and she lay motionless in the dirt, gasping for air.
Ritsuka cursed and scrambled to his feet and sprinted forward. The slim arrancar frowned at the boy's running form and shot a cero directly at his back; it was a small cero that wouldn't kill, just injure. It hit him squarely in the bend of his back and he let out an involuntary cry of pain. He tripped over his own feet and staggered forward before falling head first into the grass less then a meter away from Hinata, who was climbing to her feet.
"Ritsuka-kun!" She yelled frantically and she crawled forward, reaching out-
"I'm fine," He growled and he harshly smacked her hand away. Hinata made a whimpering sound by accident and her eyes filled with hurt.
"Ritsuka-kun! Hinata-san!" Junichi called from across the smoking field and his eyes were wide with fear. He took a step forward, wanting to help his injured friends, but Hinata cried for him to stop.
"No! J-just run, Junichi-kun! Hurry! They'll s-shoot you!"
"Get help!" Ritsuka added stupidly. As if anyone could come to help two stray students, when the entire academy was being attacked?
Junichi hesitated before nodding to Hinata and turning on heel and racing into the school building. Hinata wriggled onto her knees, then onto her feet. Ritsuka did the same, though his back throbbed with every movement. He glared fiercely at the demonic being floating in the sky.
"Oi, Ulquiorra!" Yammy exclaimed after shooting his fifth cero at the panicked students fleeing through the gate. Their screams sent shudders of excitement up his mind. "Is that 'er?" He demanded and he shoved a fat sausage finger at Hinata and Ritsuka, cowering in the shadow of the trees.
Ulquiorra followed the giant man's gaze and looked Hinata directly in the face. And she stared back and though her fear was obvious, so was her defiance. He looked away and closed his eyes.
"Yes, Yammy. But the boy is garbage. Do with him what you will."
"Que Suerte (what luck)!" Yammy bellowed. "That saved us the trouble of searching the whole damn place!" And he kicked off and sailed through the air like a missile and crashed into the ground with a deafening thud. The ground lurched and Hinata let out a frightened squeal, flinching away from the creator he'd created. Yammy emerged from his collum of dust and grinned victoriously, barring his huge, sharp fang-like teeth. Ulquiorra touched lightly against the ground behind him and his face was impassive and uninterested.
A scream caught in Hinata's mouth. Yammy's reiatsu...was crushing her. She could feel it weighing on her shoulder, dragging her down. Her arms trembled. Her mouth quivered. Her eyes refused to blink. All she could do was stare in blind panic as the enormous creature that was Yammy sauntered over with his head held high and eyes burning with anticipation.
But suddenly his expression turned sour. Gin had spoken Hinata like she had abilities that rivalled Aizen's, a goddess in the flesh; but what Yammy saw was not some all-powerful, flesh-bound deity, all he saw was a scared little girl trembling in her boots. His eye brow twitched and he turned on black haired, emerald eyed partner.
"Oi, Ulquiorra!" He yelled in outrage. "What's with this! That bastard Ichimaru said she was gonna be strong!"
"He also said she had no control over her abilities." Ulquiorra reminded him coldly. "She doesn't know how to use them yet."
Yammy snorted in disgust. "Pah! Then this is just a waste of my time! Why even send us!"
"Because she is protected by powerful people." Ulquiorra explained and he looked to the sky, his dark green eyes dull. And a second later there was a flash of light dancing on metal and Yammy let out a cry of surprise as a sword had brought down upon his head.
The force of the blow crushed the earth beneath Yammy's feet but didn't actually wound him. With a grunt he flicked the attacker away, who skidded across the ground and came to a abrupt halt beside Hinata and Ritsuka. Hinata gasped.
Kurosaki Ichigo's scowl was set in stone. He glared furiously at the two arrancar and he gripped his sword's hilt till his knuckles shone white. Power radiated off him like warmth from the sun and Hinata shivered. "You alright, Hinata-san?"
Hinata just nodded. Her throat felt like sand paper.
"Stay back, alright? These guys...are dead meat!"
Ichigo raised his huge sword out in front of him in one lightning-quick motion and yelled: "Ban...Kai!"
And suddenly Ichigo was lost in a burst of reiatsu that sent dirt and dust shooting towards the sky. His reiatsu was hot and heavy and clung to Hinata exposed skin like sweat; and then the dust began to settle and Ichigo's tall, muscular form came into view. Clad in the blackest black Hinata had ever seen, with a jet-black katana clasped firmly in his hands, Ichigo was more then intimidating; he was down right scary.
"Tensa Zangetsu!" Ichigo hissed the name out through gritted teeth. His amber eyes blazing with battle lust. Yammy's grin only widened at the sight of Ichigo and his obvious power.
"Heh heh! This is Kurosaki Ichigo, isn't! Aizen-sama would be over the moon if we brought him back too!"
Ulquiorra said nothing. He just stared icily at Hinata, studying her form and features. She didn't look dangerous at all; her limbs were scrawny-looking and she was pitifully small, and yet he could feel a strange presence surrounded her. It was a light and peaceful power that flowed like water...but beneath it was something darker, something violent; something that raged like the hungry waves on a storm-scared sea. Though his face never changed, Ulquiorra found the girl both interesting...and even a little frightening.
Yammy thrust his hand forward in an attempt to the pound Kurosaki into the ground; but Ichigo's hand flashed up and Yammy's huge fist thudded against it, doing no damage. Ichigo smacked the hand away like it was nothing more then a nuisance and then...disappeared.
Yammy screeched in agony as his arm was suddenly ripped off and clapped against the ground. Blood gushed from the wound, dark red against the pale blue of the torn sky. Behind him, Ichigo rested his sword on his shoulder and watched Yammy, his amber eyes practically glowing with their intensity; waiting for the huge man to stop hollering like a baby.
Ulquiorra sighed. Idiot, Yammy. Always rushing in without thinking or testing his opponent's skills. It's a wonder you're even in the Espada, with a brain like that.
"YOU BASTARD!"
Yammy whirled Ichigo and with a maddening scream he attacked. Ichigo leapt into the air and did a fancy twist, landing softly a metre away while Yammy's was lost in a shower of dust and rock, the earth shattering like broken glass at his touch. Eyes burning with fury, Yammy raced forward and screamed bloody murder.
And the fight continued; Yammy swung wildly at Ichigo with his one remaining arm and Ichigo danced out of his reach, swooping in unexpectedly to carve his blade into his flesh. Yammy's movements were broad and choppy, Ichigo's swift and smooth; they almost seemed to be dancing. Ichigo launched himself into the air and kicked Yammy harshly in the side of the head, just below his ear; and in response,Yammy howled and lashed out. Ichigo blocked the blow with his sword and then his lips moved, forming words that Hinata could barely hear.
"Getsuga...Tensho!"
A wave of pure black reiatsu poured out from Ichigo's sword and cut into Yammy's wrist; with a roar he leapt back and blood flooded out from his wrist-wound, splattering across the grass like crimson rain. Ichigo clasped his sword firmly in his hands and took a step back as he prepared to rush himself forward, back into the battle-
"Cero."
A blast of emerald green light shot out from Ulquiorra's lazily raised finger and bowled right into Ichigo, and the shinigami was lost amongst the blinding flash of green. And suddenly Hinata heard a bone-chilling roar of a hollow and a horrific reiatsu filled the air, hard and heavy and so thick Hinata could barely breath. A powerful surge of black reiatsu sliced through the green cero and the attack shattered. The energy steadily cleared and Ichigo stepped out and onto the lawn, breathing hard but still steady on his feet-
Hinata's air skipped a beat.
Ichigo was wearing a mask so akin to that of a hollow, Hinata thought her eyes had been deceiving her. But it was very clear, the bleach-white skull glued to his face, thick red stripes running down the sides like trails of long since dried blood; and Hinata felt a shudder of fear ripple up her spin and she inched closer to Ritsuka, who was trembling from head to toe. Ichigo's eyes were black and red, and a hellish fire sizzled in their depths.
"Ulquiorra." His voice was...strange. It sounded like two voices merged together, Ichigo's and another shriller voice. Hinata stared. And then she saw something; a flickering and faded image of... of Ichigo, standing behind Ichigo, only this other Ichigo had white hair, grey skin and black eyes with murky yellow irises. Their gazes locked and his eyes widened slightly; and then he was gone.
"Kurosaki Ichigo." Ulquiorra replied in his flat, emotionless voice.
The hatred between the two was as obvious as the moon was round.
"U-Ulquiorra," Yammy huffed. "What the hell-"
And suddenly Ulquiorra struck Yammy in his guts so hard that it broke the skin and the giant crumbled to the floor. Ulquiorra stared down at him with his eyes narrowed into something that wasn't quite a glare but certainly not far from it.
"You are a fool, Yammy. You don't stand a chance against Kurosaki Ichigo without releasing your zunpaku-to; and Aizen-sama ordered us not to do so." Yammy growled but Ulquiorra just continued like he'd heard nothing. "There are shinigami coming. I can feel them and they are weak. Dispose of them."
"I'm not 'yer fucking slave!" Yammy snarled and Hinata flinched. But Ulquiorra stood his ground with that same look of barely suppressed contempt drilling into the big man's forehead.
"Dispose of them, Yammy."
His tone was so grave, so chilling, that Hinata was sure Yammy would've jumped off a cliff had Ulquiorra requested it. Something close resembling fear flickered in Yammy's eyes and with a curt nod he scrambled to his feet and then disappeared.
Ichigo started. "Oi, matte-!"
And then Ulquiorra was attacking him, his sword drawn in a movement to quick for the eye to catch and the metallic hiss of metal against metal rung throughout the yard. Ichigo grunted as the power behind Ulquiorra's strike forced him back a pace and Ulquiorra stared into the boy's eyes, green against amber, both burning with hatred. And heated respect.
"Aizen-sama ordered Yammy and I to complete this mission in the least amount of time as possible." Ulquiorra explained and Ichigo snarled. "There for, I will be the one to fight you, for fighting Yammy would take far to long."
"And you think..." Ichigo seethed. "...that the fight will end quickly if you're my opponent!"
"Of course." Ulquiorra replied frostily. "It will take me less then fifteen minutes to erase you from existence."
And then Ulquiorra threw Ichigo off his blade, and as the teenager slipped and slid across the muddy ground, Ulquiorra sprung, and the brutal brawl began.
0-0-0
Toshiro was fading.
He could feel himself slipping away, minute by minute. The poison tearing at his organs. Slowly ripping him apart from the inside. He had long since collapsed and was now curled into a ball shuddering with pain, his skin deathly pale and eyes frighteningly dull. And all the while Hinamori simply sat close by and hummed merrily to herself and stared out the window, watching the sunlight dance across the room, sitting on the edge of Hanatarou's bed.
And then Toshiro stiffened as he felt her gently stroke his hair. He didn't look up, for he feared what he would see in her face. Her eyes. Her smile. When he looked at her he saw a sinister and twisted woman that was not Hinamori Momo, but an impostor drowning in her own insanity.
"It'll be over soon, Shiro-chan." She promised and her fingers brushed against his sweaty cheek. "You'll die in a minute or so. Then the pain will stop. Okay? Won't that be good? No more pain and as much watermelon as you could possibly want."
Toshiro gritted his teeth. Squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to cry. He really, really did. Hinamori...what had happened to her? Why was she doing this? How could this have happened to the innocent little girl he used to know, the one that saw the world through a veil of daisies and roses and pretty pink haze? The one who thought there was no badness in the world and couldn't bare the thought of hurting someone else, especially someone she loved. Like Toshiro, her 'adopted' brother...
Aizen Souske...If I survive this, I swear I'll fucking kill you...
And then the dying captain heard a voice. A voice he knew off by heart, a voice that taunted him everyday, a voice he could trust his life with: the voice of Matsumoto Rangiku stalking down the corridor, calling his name. His name!
Hope, bright and white and beautiful, bloomed in Toshiro's chest. His eyes popped open and his face regained some colour. If he could call to Matsumoto, he might be saved. And if he wasn't, then at the very least Hinamori wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else. Her killing spree would end and she would be locked up good and tight, barred from ever carrying out Aizen's deeds again.
"Ma...Matsu...moto.." Toshiro gasped. His voice was faint, so, so incredibly faint. He could barely hear himself. He coughed. "Matsu...M-Matsu..."
"Ah, now, now, Shiro-chan," Hinamori whispered and she quickly knelt down beside him. "There's no need to talk-"
"Matsumoto!" Somehow he found the strength to shout. But the moment the sound left his body he knew that he wouldn't be able to raise his voice again; his throat was like razor blades, so painful it made him want to weep.
Hinamori's eyes flashed in fury and suddenly he was being bashed against the wall with her hands locked around his throat. She leant in close, oh so close, so that her lips were just about brushing against his ear...
"Shut up." She hissed. Her grip tightened. Toshiro's eyes grew wide. She was cutting off his air pipe completely; he couldn't even gasp. White specks twirled across his vision and Toshiro realized he was fainting, both from the poison and from air lose. He had no strength left; he couldn't lift his arms to fight back. It was over. Hinamori was going to kill him. He...he would never see Hinata again.
And he didn't even get to say he loved her.
"Taichou?" Matsumoto! The door to Hanatarou's room and Hinamori torture chamber suddenly opened to reveal the strawberry blond and busty form of Toshiro's vice-captain, her expression soft and curious...only to turn horror stricken when she saw what Hinamori was doing.
"TAICHOU!" She shrieked and she charged. Hinamori's hand released his throat and as Toshiro fell, he fainted. He took in Hinamori leaping at Matsumoto with a savage, almost inhuman howl, Matsumoto's look of pure shock, and the cold surface of the tiles before he disappeared into the darkness and knew no more.
0-0-0
"Abarai-kun!"
"Huh?" Abarai Renji looked up from his lunch to see his blond, blue eyed friend Kira Izuru racing towards him and his face was white as a sheet. Beside him, Kuchiki Rukia rose to her feet and studied the Third Divisioner with a worry and concern etched into her features. "What's wrong, Kira? You look horrible."
"The Academy!" He gasped as he came to a awkward stop and he bent over, gasping for breath and dripping with sweat. "The Academy!"
"The Academy what!" Rukia pressed and Renji stood also. He didn't like where this was going at all.
And then they spotted Hisagi Shuhei, the Ninth Division vice-captain, hurrying over with the same panicked expression as Kira. Renji tensed and prepared himself for the worst possible news, for only something devastating could've caused Hisagi to pull such a face.
"What's happened, fuku-taichou!" Rukia demanded.
"The Academy has been attacked by Espada!"
0-0-0
The Captain-General's eyes glinted dangerous in the fiery sunlight as he silently rose from his seat. Walking stick at hand. Eyes hard and face expressionless.
"What brings you here..." His voice was dripping with contempt as the silver haired figure came strolling into view, clad in white and zunpaku-to strapped to his waist. "...Ichimaru Gin?"
The fox-faced ex-shinigami grinned and opened his eyes. Bright blue and bubbling with amusement.
"Nice to see you to, So-taichou."
!I own neither Bleach nor Naruto!
Fufufu! It's all happening! Toshiro's lying unconscious, dying; Hinamori's trying to kill Matsumoto; Ichigo's battling it out with Ulquiorra; Hinata is seeing strange images of Hollow-Ichigo; Yammy's gone to kill some shinigami (Renji, Kira, Hisagi and Rukia, perhaps, as they race to help Ichigo!); and Gin is confronting the so-taichou with his mocking grin and dazzling blue eyes.
I have decided to just post this now because it was hell to write, and if I don't, it'll be days before chap. fifteen is up, but I'll go back to the two-by-two chap upload after fifteen.
Thanks for reading! Please review! And don't hate me for the cliffy! MAAHAHAHAHAHA!
[HOLY COW! 39 reviews! X3 Thank you so much!]