The air outside the hospital was crisp, and Toshiro allowed himself a brief shudder as he hurried down the steps and into the street beyond. Shinigami clustered in small groups moved busily past him and the few that noticed his being there quickly put aside what they were doing and bowed deeply in respect, though Toshiro didn't really pay them any notice.

Toshiro tugged his snowy white haori closer to his body in the hope of extra protection against the surprisingly chilly winds, but nothing seemed to work. He walked sullenly through the Forth Squad barracks, and sniffed around for a hidden path around the Third. He found one and sneaked on by the Third, but was forced to tread through the Second as the muddy path came to a sudden halt in the form of a completely vertical wall that stretched up into the sky.

As much as Toshiro tried to steer his mind on to a more happy subject, all Toshiro could think about was Hinata. Sweet, kind Hinata, spirited away by the tall and brooding arrancar that had attacked the Seireitei two days prior to today. Toshiro had remained in the hospital the entire previous day, despite Unohana saying earlier that he'd be ready to leave in a few hours, because the wise healer became concerned about his mental state when he kept jolting out of sleep with a hoarse cry. A painful cry. She'd eventually sedated him in order for him to get some decent rest, and Toshiro still felt a little groggy on his feet.

He'd told her everything about the dreams; how he'd felt horrific pain and unbearable fear. But...he hadn't told her about one thing. In the last few seconds of almost every dream, he'd heard a voice. A distant, wavering voice that seemed to come from everywhere but nowhere at the same time, and danced around his ears like a whisper travelling on the wind. And then he'd feel pain and wake with a loud scream, and whatever the voice had said would simply erase from his mind.

It was very confusing and Toshiro didn't care to be confused at the moment because he had a captain's meeting to attend, and he had a feeling the Captain-General wasn't going to be nearly as considerate about his mental state as Unohana was.

The hall in which the captain usually met was huge and towered over Toshiro like a sky scraper. He could hear the hushed murmuring of voices within the large wooden doors and guessed that the rest of the captains were already inside. It was almost time for the meeting to start, after all, and no-one wanted to face Yamamoto's wrath for being late. Toshiro climbed up the stairs and gently pushed open the door, and found that his previous thoughts had been correct; the only captain missing was Zaraki Kenpachi, and that was probably because half his squad had gone crazy with battle lust when the arrancar had arrived, and were now missing. Either dead or genuinely lost.

"Ah, Hitsugaya-taichou!" Ukitake exclaimed and Toshiro wandered over to his side, and his face was sober.

"Good morning, Ukitake."

"And what a cold one it is! I don't remember Spring being so cold." He complained, and his eyes twinkled good naturedly.

"Climate change?" Kyoraku suggested and Ukitake blinked at him.

"That wouldn't affect us, Kyoraku." Ukitake reminded the flowery captain and Kyoraku went "Ah..." in realization. Toshiro looked from one to the other and wondered how they could be so cheerful after what had just happened. A few good shinigami had died during the arrancar attack, though none of the high-ranking officers, and several were injured, like Kuchiki Rukia and Kurosaki Ichigo. But then Toshiro realized his opinion on things was extremely biased, with Hinata having been kidnapped.

Toshiro was very quite as the captains waited for Zaraki's arrival, and when he finally did lumber through the door with a hellish fire burning in his un-covered eye that dared anyone to question his lateness, Yamamoto thumped his walking stick against the ground and immediately what little chatter there was stopped.

"The situation is grave!" Yamamoto bellowed and Toshiro felt himself being to wake up, becoming more alert, shaken temporarily out of his depression by the commanding voice of the Captain-General. "Arrancar of Espada level have broken through our defences. Soi Fon, report."

Soi Fon stepped forward a pace and all eyes instantly fell onto her small but lethal structure. "A total of four Espada-ranked arrancar attacked. Kurosaki Ichigo fought and was defeated by at least two of them, and Kyoraku-taichou and Ukitake-taichou battled with a huge arrancar named 'Yammy'. The identities of the others are unknown. 'Yammy' killed many low-ranking shinigami with his reiatsu..."

Toshiro tuned out. He knew what happened, as Matsumoto had filled him in during the brief periods where he wasn't sleeping or trembling uncontrollably or wolfing down head medicine. She'd spoken to Rukia, whom had regained consciousness before his departure, and she'd told him everything about the attack on her, Renji and two other vice-captains, all of which were in good enough shape. But then Soi Fon said something that caught his attention and suddenly he was clinging to every word.

"...arrancar captured an Academy student by the name of Hyuuga Hinata. The reason is unknown. Her current condition is unknown. That is all." And Soi Fon stepped back into the line and Kyoraku let out a low whistle.

"An Academy student? Why would Aizen want to kidnap a little girl?" He wondered aloud and he stroked the few hairy whiskers decorating his thick chin. "It doesn't make any sense."

"This is Aizen Souske we're taking about," Kurotsuchi Mayuri snapped. "He must have a reason."

"It doesn't matter." Yamamoto thundered and Toshiro's insides went cold. "She is no longer of any concern to us."

"But So-taichou, is Aizen took Hyuuga, then wouldn't he be experimenting with hollowfication?" Toshiro asked and he was struggling to keep his voice even and neutral. "Like he did with Hirako Shinji?" Urahara had long since spilled the beans on how Hirako Shinji and his group of hollow-shinigami had been the victims of Aizen's master plot to create insanely powerful arrancar, but he was yet to give up their location or even confirm they were still alive.

"Perhaps," Yamamoto admitted but his tone clearly voiced his doubt. "but she is out of our reach now. To go in and try to rescue her might result in unnecessary casualties and loss of battle-strength. Hyuuga Hinata remains where she is."

Toshiro eyes sizzled. "But-"

"Hitsugaya," The Captain-General boomed and his voice filled the entire room deafeningly. "I am aware of your emotional attachment to Hyuuga Hinata, but you are a taichou of the Gotei 13. My decision is final." There was a note of finality in his voice that not even the bravest of shinigami would challenge, and Toshiro was no fool. He balled his fists and gritted his teeth and glared at the ground, wanting more then ever to viciously attack the elderly warrior that stood before him with his eyes firmly closed.

"Yes, sir." He grunted.

The rest of the meeting continued without Toshiro saying a word and though Toshiro pretended not to notice, he was very aware of Ukitake's concerned glances and worried fidgeting. Toshiro half wanted to thank the man for his concern, and half wanted to smack him across the face for being annoying fatherly. He also noticed Unohana watching him wearily from time to time but her elegant gaze always left his face before he could be sure of his theory.

When the meeting finally ended, Toshiro sped towards the door, only to be stopped as Yamamoto's crackly voice reached his ears.

"Hitsugaya, wait here a moment." The elderly shinigami ordered and Toshiro's feet automatically froze where they were. He slumped against the wall and watched with open disappointment as the gigantic wooden doors slammed shut behind Ukitake and trapped Toshiro in the massive room with the most powerful shinigami in the world; the man who, at this moment, Toshiro loathed above all others.

"Face me." Yamamoto ordered when Toshiro continued to sulk beside the entrance, and reluctantly the boy pulled himself up right and walked over to Yamamoto, his eyes cold as the ice he commanded. Yamamoto sighed.

"Forgive me, Hitsugaya."

Toshiro gave a shameful start. "Wha-!"

"Unohana-taichou alerted me of your 'feelings'," Yamamoto continued and Toshiro tugged at his sleeve. "I understand how hard to is to let the one you love go."

Toshiro looked away and refused to meet the unnerving stare of the Captain-General. "She might still be alive." Toshiro hissed and his voice was low with anger. "I want to save her."

"I know you do. But you can't. She is in Aizen's hands and to go alone would be suicide. We need all the warriors we can get for the battle this coming winter, Hitsugaya; and that means all the taichou."

Toshiro nodded stiffly. He saw the logic in what Yamamoto said. Honestly, he did. But he didn't want to. For some childish reason he wanted to think Yamamoto was purposely abandoning Hinata because he simply couldn't be bothered to attempt a rescue-mission; because he disliked the girl and wouldn't mind seeing her dead; because he had a grudge against Toshiro and wanted to see him suffer. Anything. He just didn't want to believe it was the logical decision to leave Hinata with Aizen, and let the wicked man do whatever he wanted to with the lavender eyed girl...

"I'm glad you understand." The Captain-General soothed. "And Hitsugaya, I am truly sorry. I truly am."

Toshiro felt some of that childish stubbornness die inside him and he forgave Yamamoto somewhat, touched by his kindness. He had never expected the most powerful man in the after life to be...to be so empathic, in a way. Toshiro suddenly found himself wondering if Yamamoto had been forced to leave someone behind before and that was why he knew how exactly Toshiro was feeling, why he was being so patient with the boy-captain. Again, a piece of his loathing and stubbornness vanished and Toshiro began to feel guilty for becoming so furiously enraged at Yamamoto.

"Sorry for my rudeness," Toshiro mumbled and he couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed.

Yamamoto chuckled, and surprised Toshiro even further. Yamamoto could laugh? "Think nothing of it. I have more yet to tell you, though." His voice suddenly grew bitter. "Ichimaru Gin invaded my office during the arrancar attack and gave me a message to pass onto you. He says its room 12-2-7."

Toshiro blinked in confusion. "What does that mean?"

Yamamoto shrugged. "He said it would help you in the future. I don't understand it myself. You may leave."

And with that, Toshiro's feet carried him out of the room while his mind drifted away to ponder over Ichimaru's message. The numbers were what got him. He didn't care much for the 'room' bit; just the numbers. He felt like he should've known instantly what those numbers meant...those selection of numbers, perhaps arranged in a different order, meant something very important to him. Or someone close to him, at least...

Thinking hard, Toshiro let his body go where it wanted and when he finally came to, he realized he'd walked straight back into the Relief Station and was standing outside Hanatarou's old room.

The entire room, of course, was blocked off because everything within had been devoured by the ferocious flames of Tobiume, Hinamori's zunpaku-to. Matsumoto and himself had both come close to being gobbled up by the ravenous flames, and Toshiro, for a few terrifying hours, had believed Yamada Hanatarou had also been destroyed along with his room. But by some miraculous twist of fate the bed had tipped over in the blast and Hanatarou's unconscious form had rolled through the side door and into another room entirely where he was immediately whisked away by near-by healers, leaving his bed to burst into flames. At the moment, Hanatarou was sharing a ward with Kurosaki Ichigo.

Kurosaki. Toshiro hadn't visited him at all during his time in and out of the hospital bed...it wouldn't hurt to stop by and make sure the orange-haired idiot wasn't trying to get high on medicine, would it?

Toshiro went to the reception desk and asked what room Ichigo was staying in, and the kind lady in her peach-coloured nurse outfit pointed down the hall while giving him directions. He thanked her briefly and then headed off to Ichigo's room, and found that the door was slightly ajar and that he could hear the voices floating out from within.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo was mumbling and he sounded annoyed, but also a little concerned. Frowning, Toshiro inched closer and peered through the gape, only to discover Ichigo was the only person in there awake. Hanatarou was lying in a bed close by, and his eyes were gently shut and his breathing was soft and even.

"Kurosaki?" Toshiro said and as he pushed the door open, Ichigo gave a start and glared hotly at Toshiro.

"Geez, Toshiro! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Ichigo barked and Toshiro twitched.

"Again, Kurosaki, it's Hitsugaya-taichou! Honestly, it's not that hard to say!"

Ichigo rolled his amber eyes. "Whatever. Come in."

"Thanks." Toshiro grunted and he fell back in the chair beside Ichigo's bed. Toshiro considered questioning Ichigo about talking to himself but decided not to, as Ichigo would either deny it or refuse to reveal why. "So...how are you?"

Ichigo shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling. "I feel okay, I guess. Inoue came here from Karakura and healed me, you know. Ishida and Chad are with her, too. They're all asleep somewhere.." Toshiro's frown hardened. Ichigo seemed strangely distant.

"It something wrong, Kurosaki?" Toshiro asked directly and Ichigo tensed.

"...The arrancar took Hinata-san, didn't they?" Ichigo mumbled and Toshiro looked away and suddenly the fact Ichigo was talking to himself seemed unimportant.

"Yeah." He confirmed and Ichigo groaned.

"I'm sorry, Toshiro. I tried to get her out of there but I wouldn't. They were just too strong..." Ichigo clenched his fists and Toshiro could guess what was going on in the boy's mind. He was blaming himself, as selfless men like Ichigo usually did. Blamed himself for Hinata's abduction, blamed his own weakness, the fact he wasn't strong enough. Toshiro himself had a trait which Matsumoto described as annoying, to blame himself for things that went wrong, for lives lost and enemies escaping, and thus understood Ichigo's dilemma rather well.

"It's not your fault." Toshiro sighed and Ichigo looked at him surprise. "They were Espada level, after all. You would've needed at least another taichou at your side in order for you to win."

"Oh." Ichigo stared at Toshiro for a minute, his amber eyes curious. And when he spoke again, Toshiro wanted to sink through the floor. "When's the rescue mission?"

"There isn't one." Toshiro informed the bedridden shinigami in a bitter voice. "So-taichou says there's no point in going after an Academy student, especially when we'd have to hack our way through the Espada and Aizen."

Ichigo's face twisted in anger. "So, you're just gonna leave Hinata-san there! Aizen will-"

"I know what Aizen will do, damnit!" Toshiro shouted and Ichigo flinched away, taken slightly aback by Toshiro's sudden outburst. Toshiro glared furiously at Ichigo for a moment longer before realizing what he was doing, and he looked away. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Ichigo soothed. "I shouldn't have said anything."

And then they sat in a suffocating silence, and Toshiro stared at his sock-covered feet. The sandles he was wearing were a little uncomfortably, he noted. They seemed a little tight around the straps and bunched his toes together in a way that made it somewhat painful to walk long distances. Ichigo examined the ceiling and formed patterns out of the small spikes and grooves in the material and eventually created a train-track that went right across the room and snaked out the door.

"...There's another way."

"Huh?"

"There's another way," Ichigo repeated and his voice was somewhat firmer. Toshiro cocked his head to the side to voice his confusion, a habit he'd begun to pick up since meeting Hinata.

"Another way to do what?" Toshiro asked curiously.

"To save Hinata-san, you idiot!" Ichigo snapped and Toshiro's eyes widened.

"What do you mean? The So-taichou-"

"Bugger the old man!" Ichigo snarled. "He's not my boss, and if I have to I'll go try save Hinata-san myself."

Toshiro gapped at Ichigo. Was he seriously suggesting going against Yamamoto's orders? Following the orders given out by the Captain-General was like a second nature to Toshiro, to every shinigami; it was the first thing drilled into them at the Academy and to be reinforced after joining the Gotei 13. It was almost like their religion, in a sense. Yamamoto was god and the shinigami were his humble subjects who followed his every command without question. To go against his orders...

Toshiro shook himself. This was Hinata. Hinata! Ichigo was right. Who cared what Yamamoto thought? He wasn't in love with Hinata, he'd never even met her. He didn't know how kind and loving and warm she was, even to people she hardly knew! Resolve burned in Toshiro's eyes and he nodded to Ichigo.

"I'll help." He promised and Ichigo grinned. "But we can't do this alone. Captain-class or not, we'll need help."

"I know. Renji and Rukia will help, I'm sure, and Chad will come if I do. What about Rangiku-san?"

Toshiro shook his head. "No. I'm not dragging her into this."

"Alright. Look, Rukia's in the next room. Renji's in there with her, so go explain this to them. Renji might get Ikkaku or someone to help us out."

Toshiro began to stand but stopped when a troubling thought occurred to him. "Kurosaki," He said uneasily. "What do we do if someone we asked says no and tried to tell the So-taichou?"

Ichigo didn't answer.

0-0-0

A raven. Shrieking somewhere in the never-ending sea of black, and the sound echoed eerily around the wall-less prison Hinata was trapped in. No matter which what why she turned, all she saw was black. Just black. Going on and on and on uninterrupted by even the faintest, most pathetic scrap of light.

It was suffocating. The black seemed coil around her and squeeze her tight, crushing her ribs and restricting her air pipe. It weighed down on her like water and every step she took was a massive effort, draining every last drop of her energy. And yet she didn't sweat and she didn't pant and her limbs didn't ache. They just felt heavy, ridiculously heavy, as though she'd been running for five hours straight and had decided to take a rest.

Blinding, Hinata groped for the necklace around her neck. It felt warm, and that comforted her. The inky black world that surrounded her on all sides wasn't uncomfortably hot or cold, but it wasn't comfortable either. The air was silent. Still. There was no warmth from the sun, but there was nothing to spread the cold. There was only the necklace, and Hinata clung to that like a life line. It was her last remaining link to a world of people and flowers and snow that she seemed to have lost contact with all together.

Huddled up on the black floor, Hinata pulled herself close and pressed her lips lightly against the heated stone, and let out a shuddering sigh. The stone smelt like ice and snow and winter in general, and filled Hinata's despairing mind with images of Toshiro, and the icy dragon he commanded. Of course, she'd never actually seen it, but that was what imagination was for. It wasn't hard to think up a threatening dragon made completely of ice twisted through a sky choked with grey clouds, with its bloody red eyes glinting dangerously.

Toshiro-kun...

0-0-0

"How long is she gonna sleep like that?" Gin wondered aloud as the ice crept up the walls and fog danced around his feet, sticking to any exposed skin like glue. The fog around Hinata's sleeping body was so thick that Gin could only just make out her figure, clad in white and sleeping soundlessly with ice and snow forming around her torso.

Beside him, Aizen's chocolate eyes flashed. "She should sleep like that for a couple of hours. Let her be." And with that final order, the tall and imposing Aizen Souske vanished down the hall with a whirl of his white coat. Gin looked after him for a moment, before turning back to Hinata. With the fog obscuring his vision, Gin didn't see Hinata's rosy lips curly upwards in a nervous smile.

0-0-0

Ichigo was tired. With a sigh, he stared out the window and watched the sunlight dance along the silvery window sill. Toshiro had just left with a look of utter determination plastered on his baby-ish features and Ichigo was secretly amazed by Toshiro's willingness to ignore Yamamoto's orders. Ichigo had known, of course, that Toshiro harboured some sort of romantic feelings for Hinata but he'd never thought he'd go as far as to throw his rank away.

But Ichigo didn't care to think about that now. His mind was drifting, drifting to the dream he'd had earlier that morning, where the very person he found disgusting forced him into his Inner World for a heated conversation...

"You!"

Hichigo stood before Ichigo with his black-nailed hands folded across his chest and his black and amber eyes glowing with intensity. They stood facing each other on the rough surface of one of Ichigo's many side way sky-scrapers, pale blue in colour, with the fluffy white clouds rolling past their shoulders. Ichigo was clad in his black shinigami uniform, and Hichigo in his white. Hichigo's face was uncharacteristically serious and Ichigo found the sight a tab troubling.

"Yes, me." Hichigo confirmed with a wriggle of his fingers. "Look, I need to talk to ya."

Ichigo pulled back his lips in a snarl. "No way! Where's Old Man Zangetsu?"

"He's over there watching for rain!" Hichigo snapped and Ichigo followed the hollow's gaze, and sure enough Zangetsu stood on the hilt of a black sword protruding out of the building, and his misty grey eyes seemed far away. Ichigo's worry instantly eased but he wasn't ready to believe Hichigo just yet.

"Why do you want to talk to me?" Ichigo demanded and Hichigo twitched.

"Because something weird is happening, and Zangetsu figured you should know!" He spat back. "Look, that girl. You know, the girl with white eyes?"

"White eyes?" Ichigo wondered. Then something in his head clicked, and he realized Hichigo was talking about Hyuuga Hinata, who was the only girl Ichigo knew who's eyes were anywhere near colourless. Toshiro claimed that they were lavender, and after closer inspection Ichigo had come to agree. Her eyes were a nice shade of pale purple, though Hichigo obviously hadn't paid that much attention to detail.

"Hinata-san? What about her?"

"When you were fighting that arrancar, she saw me."

Ichigo's mouth dropped. "What- That's not possible! You're inside here!"

"Most of the time," Hichigo admitted. "but not all the time. When you summon the mask, I can walk around, but I can't touch anything besides you and no-one can see or hear me. I'm pretty much a ghost, only I can do nearly as much as an actual ghost can...anyway, she saw me. I tried to talk to her but I don't think she could hear me."

"...So?" Ichigo couldn't understand how this was important.

"Ichigo, are you an idiot?" The hollow scoffed. "Look, if the girl can see me, then it's only a matter of time before she can hear me. Then she'll figure out how to touch me, and anything you can touch, you can kill."

Ichigo caught his breath as the word rung in his ears like a siren. Kill! Hichigo might actually be killed! Ichigo hadn't even thought that was possible. He himself had fought Hichigo a number of times but never once had his hollow-self disappeared all together. He'd always pop up again sometime later with that smug grin stuck to his face like a poster. Could he really die?

"And if I'm killed while you're using the mask, Ichigo," Hichigo continued gravely. "then your ability to use the mask will be destroyed, and you might die yourself."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "I'll die?"

"It's possible." Hichigo shrugged. "But Zangetsu knows more about that then I do...so go ask him about it..."

"What am I supposed to do?" Ichigo snapped. "Hinata-san's been kidnapped by that bastard Aizen! How am I supposed to stop her from seeing you?"

"Go bloody get her and bring the damn girl back here!" Hichigo shot back and his nostrils flared."I don't care how, just get her back!"

"Why are you so worried about this? Hinata-san probably doesn't care!"

"Because, Ichigo!" Hichigo was practically screeching at his human counter part now, and then entire blue city seemed to vibrate with his anger. Cloud growled menacingly over head and Zangetsu cast them a worried glance. "She can fucking see me! And no human should be able to, alright? It gives her access, damnit! Access!"

Ichigo blinked in confusion. "Access?"

"Yes! Access!" Hichigo roared. "To this world, if she figures out how to! Damnit, Ichigo!"

And Ichigo opened his mouth to speak, but Zangetsu flicked his wrist and the smooth stone beneath him gave way and Ichigo was falling, falling, into a sea of murky grey water that seemed to swallow him whole...

And then Ichigo had woken and had a short chat to himself, only to squeak in surprise when Toshiro suddenly marched through the door with a flicker of concern passing through his eyes. Ichigo mentally groaned and fell back on his pillow and he glared at the ceiling, frowning hard.

Toshiro was going to hate him. No matter what he tried to sell, Ichigo was going on this trip solely to figure out why Hinata could see Hichigo, and to stop it. To save himself. And Ichigo hated that fact. He liked Hinata, he really did; she was a wonderful little girl with a rich and cheerful laugh and warm eyes and a motherly smile, but Ichigo barely knew her. He didn't know her well enough to risk his life, to fight Aizen for her, and but he was going to do it, all for the sake of himself.

And Ichigo closed his eyes, and he tried to push aside the overwhelming disgust of himself gawning at his belly.

! I own neither Bleach nor Naruto !

Hello again, everybody~ Thank you SO much for the nice reviews :D U have no idea how good it feels to know you like the fic. And! The heat wave is finally gone! We had a whole week of days in the late thirties and early forties! (not Fahrenheit, I'm an Aussie!) It was horrible! DX

Hanatarou's not dead. To be honest, I forgot about him xD

So...the Hinata rescue has started. Like when they rescued Orihime...only Orihime's gonna be fighting...maybe...May I ask, does anyone here like Orihime x Ulquiorra? I love Ulquiorra and I'd rather not kill him off, if I can help it. Also, Grimmjow will be making his first real appearance pretty soon, and he and Ulquiorra are gonna be some major characters from there, so keep a look out!

Thanks for reading! Please review!