The plan was simple.
Ichigo and Rukia would exit through the Senkaimon first. Jumping on his feet and slipping into his shinigami robes, Ichigo would act out a stage worthy performance of good health and athletic mastery, and with Ishida, Chad and Orihime tagging behind, he would request to return home, only to have Rukia force her way into the party and take the position of escort. She would not accept no as an answer, and, backed into a corner, Ichigo would grudgingly allow her to come along. And then they would disappear through the blinding whiteness of the Senkaimon; and they would never come back.
About fifteen or so minutes later, Renji would charge to the gates with is face twisted with rage, and he would demand they open the damn thing because he couldn't stand the fact that Ichigo was alone with Rukia. And the guards, trembling from head to toe, would hastily carrying out the powerful carrot top's request, and, thus, Renji was free.
Two hours later, Ikkaku and Yumichika would arrive with their heads held high and their zunpaku-to flashing in the mid-morning sunlight, and they would bully their way through into the real world under the guise of going on a hollow-hunting spree, with a permission form from their captain flapping in Ikkaku's grip.
And once night had fallen, Toshiro would finally make his escape. He would discard his captain's haori and replace it with a plain brown cape, meant for nothing other then fending off the chilly night air. With his face tucked deep behind the folds of his cape, he would fight his way through the guards, and though the guards were all highly trained and battle-ready, his being a captain would render them powerless. And then he would vanish through the inter-dimensional portal, and leave his life as a shinigami and a captain behind in his office.
But like all plans were, it was much easier to mumble about it in the shadows of Ichigo's room then it was to actually carry it out, and as much as discovered when Ichigo tried to put things in motion.
Four days had passed since Hinata's kidnapping, and Toshiro was a bundle of nerves as he sat in the waiting room of the hospital with Rukia by his side, and she was quietly leafing through a magazine, though she hardly glanced at the pages. She, like Toshiro, could think of nothing other then when Ichigo planned to act out his part of the plan. Toshiro cast her a weary glance, and she returned it with an icy stare. Toshiro took the meaning, and nodded sullenly. Mentally, Rukia chuckled. Since Hinata's disappearance, Toshiro's icy exterior had melted somewhat, and his more childish side was being to squeeze through.
"Kurosaki-san, please! You're not ready leave!"
The squeal of the nurse caused both Toshiro and Rukia to perk up instantly, and a moment later Ichigo came stumbling into view with a tiny female shinigami clinging to his arm, and she was wearing the peach-coloured, knee-length uniform of a shinigami nurse. She looked about to burst out into tears, her face flushed with frustration and her eyes watery with panic, and Ichigo looked torn between the urge to yell and the knowledge they had to escape without a fuss.
"I feel fine!" Ichigo snapped, and the nurse flinched. Ichigo immediately softened. "Look," He pressed and his voice was noticeably kinder. "Yuzu and Karin-my sisters-are probably worried sick about me, and dad'll go crazy running the clinic by himself. And I can stand just fine!" He exclaimed and he kicked out a leg to further strengthen his point. "I don't hurt at all." That, of course, was a lie, but it was a well done lie and the nurse's face seemed to regain some colour.
"Kurosaki-san," A sweet but dangerous voice cooed, and Ichigo froze. "What are you doing?"
"U-Unohana-san!" Ichigo blurted stupidly as the silky haired captain came into view, and she looked as cheerful as ever, with her cheeks elegantly lifted in a smile dripping with honey. But there was a darkness behind the mask, and anyone with any sense at all didn't dare provoke it. Unfortunately for Ichigo, in order to get out of the hospital, he was going to have to do some serious prodding and hope to every god in the sky that he wasn't blown to bits before he was out the doors.
"Kurosaki-san," Unohana dipped her head respectfully. "Please answer my question."
"W-well," Ichigo fumbled and he desperately tried to form an excuse. "I want to go home." Smooth.
"I can see that," Unohana informed him, and it sounded like she was talking to a five year old kid. "but I can't allow you too yet. Your injuries were very severe. Walking about like this could cause a number of organs to rupture, if you're not careful."
"I'll get Inoue to heal me when I get home," Ichigo promised. As he spoke, said teenager popped her head around the door, and her grey eyes lit up when they found Ichigo's face. Behind her came the slim and serious-faced Ishida Uyruu, and behind him was the enormous Sado Yasutora, and his Grandpa's necklace jingled as he moved.
"Good morning, Kurosaki." Ishida said coldly as Orihime skipped merrily forward with a loud "Kurosaki-kun, good morning!" and she grinned up at the tall man, who smiled down at her in reply. Sado went 'Hmm', and Rukia jumped out of her seat and darted to Orihime's side. Toshiro remained where he was and his expression was indifferent. He stared out the window and allowed his thoughts to wander.
"Kurosaki-san," Unohana said and her voice cut through the happy reunion like a knife. They all fell silent and instantly turned their attention to her. "I understand you willingness to go home, but I can't allow you to simply leave. I need to give you a check up first, and I want Inoue-san to heal you with me present. After that, and only after that, may you leave."
Ichigo opened his mouth to speak but Rukia and Ishida shot him warning glances, and he slapped his mouth shut. Though somewhat sour about the compromise Ichigo followed Unohana down the hall, and Orihime hurried after him, humming warmly under her breath.
Rukia heaved a heavy sigh, and Ishida shook his head, and his dark blue bangs bounced by his ears.
"Kurosaki...he's such an idiot!" He hissed and Rukia nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, he is."
"Hmm." Went Sado, and Toshiro was too absorbed in his own thoughts to take notice of the conversation.
Unohana, it seemed, was unusually reluctant to let Ichigo leave. After being healed by Orihime twice, Ichigo's physically strength went up, and he was very nearly a hundred percent all over again, despite being a little tired. And even so, Unohana persisted that she wanted to keep Ichigo under her care for a few days longer, and finally Toshiro stepped in.
"Unohana, I understand your concern, but Kurosaki is obviously recovered and no longer needs to remain here." He said emotionlessly, and Unohana's face seemed to harden and her smile grew somewhat strained. "You haven't got a reason to keep him any longer, and his family will start to worry if he doesn't return soon."
Unohana, trapped as she was, had no choice but to release Ichigo, and, as planned, Orihime, Ishida and Sado all left with him, with Rukia dogging along as an escort. Ichigo, predictably, complained about her being there but Rukia dismissed his protests with a wave of her hand, and they all departed with Renji watched from the side lines, and his gaze was fiery. At first, Toshiro was impressed by Renji's acting capability, but then he realized that the gaze directed after Ichigo was far to passionate to be fake.
About two minutes later, Renji let out a savage howl and stormed over to the Senkaimon, and Toshiro couldn't help but notice that in the original plan, he'd been told to wait for at least fifteen minutes before making his assault on the guard's minds and confidence. With a chuckle, Toshiro readjusted his position on the roof's rough yellow tiles, and watched in amusement as the guards scattered this way and that, and the Senkaimon gave a resounding groan as it was forced open before it was ready.
Toshiro winced, and hoped that it wouldn't make such a massive noise when he made his get away that night.
Waiting for Ikkaku and Yumichika to make their appearance was tedious and extremely boring, and in no time at all Toshiro was spread out on the roof with his hands tucked under his head, and his eyes lazily tracked the fluffy white clouds as they flew steadily across the sky. His thoughts drifted as thoughts do, and before he knew it he was thinking over Ichimaru's message.
Room 12-2-7. What was that supposed to mean? The numbers were familiar, but another then that Toshiro couldn't understand the message's significance. It was more then likely that Ichimaru was plain out messing with him, and was looking forward to some kind of rise or retaliation, but there was also the slimiest chance that he was truly and purely trying to assist Toshiro. As for the reason why, Toshiro did not know. But he was game to find out.
Room 12-2-7...
Room 12-2-7...
12-2-7
12 27...
Toshiro blinked.
12 27.
That was a date!
27, 12
27th of December
It was Hinata's birthday!
Toshiro sat up with a jolt as he realized this information, but no sooner had he figured it out did Ikkaku suddenly appear by his side with a cry, and he was roughly thumped over the shoulder.
"Hey there, Hitsugaya-taichou!" The bald-man hollered. Toshiro didn't respond, as he was too busy massaging his throbbing shoulder and gritting his teeth against the pain.
"Now, now, Ikkaku." Yumichika's voice floated on the air and tugged at Ikkaku's attention, and the eleventh division swung round and faced his feathery friend. "We need to hurry. Taichou said he'd come and kill us if we weren't gone in ten minutes, remember?"
Ikkaku huffed and he rested his scabbard on his shoulder. "It's the fuku-taichou's fault for being in the way. Had she been watching, she wouldn't have been kicked."
Yumichika sighed, and then with a quick nod to Toshiro he shunpoed down to the gate and shoved the documents signed by Zaraki Kenpachi in the guard's face, who swallowed nervously at the sight of Ikkaku with his eyes burning with a hellish fire. And then they leapt into the whiteness, and disappeared, with Hell Butterflies fluttering hastily after them.
As Toshiro watched them leave, his face grew grave and shadows danced across his features. With them gone, he was the last one. And unlike them, he hadn't a life outside the walls of the Seireitei. He couldn't go back to Granny, as that would get her involved in a situation of life and death-and imprisonment. Hinamori was insane and was currently residing in the Relief Station, and she was bolted to the bed with the firmest and thickest straps Toshiro had ever seen.
His entire life was his career as a shinigami and if he chose to battle his way through that door after moon-rise, then he would be destroying his life, piece by piece, with complete and utterly willingness.
But he would go.
And damn his life with that final decision.
0-0-0
The sky was inky black and the stars twinkled dimly. Shadows lurked in every corner and stretched across the walk ways, wide and menacing. The Seireitei was eerily silent as light after light was blown out, and swords were tucked away in their scabbards and uniforms were swapped for flimsy sleep wear.
Toshiro felt strangely numb as he folded up his haori and laid it gently on his pillow, folded in such a way that the kanji for 'ten' faced the ceiling. He touched it lightly and wondered briefly about how his life would be after abandoning his position as captain. He wouldn't be able to return home. Possibly never, depending on the out come of his rescue mission. If he was successful and got Hinata out of there as well as some juicy information, Yamamoto might let him return. Might. But if he didn't return with some kind bait for the Captain-General, he would most likely be labelled an outlaw and hunted down. And then there was the chance he would die, and if that happened then, well, he certainly wouldn't have to worry about the Captain-General anymore.
With a bitter chuckle, Toshiro patted his haori one last time and then climbed to his feet, and crept stealthily from his room and down the hall. He grabbed a cape from the storage closest, and draped it over his shoulders and zipped it up at the neck. It was cold and he pulled it close.
As silent as a mouse, he snuck through his office, and then into Matsumoto's. He almost had a heart attack when he saw she was still there; but after a moment he realized she was lost in a deep slumber, and wouldn't have noticed his being there even if he'd been screaming at the top of his lungs. There was an empty sake bottle tipped over on the edge of her desk, and her hand was reaching out towards it as though she meant to drink it. Her wild, wavy blond hair cascaded over her face and Toshiro could only just see her eyes softly closed, and her cheeks were a little rosy.
With a pang, Toshiro realized that he might never see Matsumoto again. The thought filled him with grief, and for one horrifying moment, Toshiro wanted to cry. He coughed and gave himself a stern shake, and then, on an impulse, he reached out and stroked the hair out of her eyes. She mumbled but did not wake, and Toshiro smiled.
"Thanks for everything, Matsumoto." He said quietly. And then he dashed out the door, and soundlessly closed it behind him. Matsumoto continued to sleep, and was blissfully unaware of her captain walking out of her life.
The world outside his office was as silent and still as the one inside, and Toshiro fit in perfectly. Despite being a warrior, Toshiro had always been good at hiding his presence because of his size, and was light on his feet because of his structure. He darted in and out of the shadows in the blink of an eye, and in a matter of minutes he reached the Senkaimon, and the guards gossiped amongst themselves as Toshiro silently approached.
There were five and all were male. Three were very big, with muscles growing on muscles, and one was very small with his skin clinging to his bones, and the last was grossly over-weight and his front was covered with crumbs. The gate itself was guarded by two of the big guys, one with blond hair and one with black, and Bone-guy pressed himself against the wall and smoked several feet away. The other big guy and Fat-guy were walking along the top but they weren't really paying attention to their surrounds. Fat-guy's main concern was the rapidly emptying chips bag clutched in his fat fists, and Big-red-head was too busy admiring himself in his square mirror.
Toshiro, of course, took this all in in a second, and with a flick of his ankle he launched himself into the air. He touched down gently behind Fat-guy and smacked him hard in the back of the neck. His body gave a violent jerk and then his eyes rolled into his skull, and he crumbled to the ground. Big-red-head whirled round and his hand flashed to his sword, but Toshiro was already there, and his fist cracked against his forehead. The blow knocked him unconscious instantaneously, and with a spasmodic twitch he, too, fell at Toshiro's feet.
And suddenly Toshiro was standing between Blond-guy and Black-guy, and he hit them swiftly in the side. The wind was knocked out of both and they collapsed in a gasping heap, and Toshiro's foot made contact with Blond-guy's jaw, and he fell limp. Then he spun round and poked Black-guy in the forehead; and his grey eyes went suddenly dull and he dropped off into sleep.
Bone-man gapped in horror at the white-haired captain and rather then making for his sword, he stumbled backwards and held his arms out in front of him, as though that would stop Toshiro's advance.
"H-Hitsugaya-taichou!" Bone-guy gasped. "P-please stop! T-this is madness!"
"I know." Toshiro kicked the man in the stomach, and he keeled over. And then with a quick jab to the head, he, too, lost consciousness, and Toshiro was free to do as he pleased.
Toshiro placed his hand upon the huge pair of double doors, and poured his reiatsu inside. Without actual permission, the doors wouldn't open no matter how hard he banged on them, and the only way to force them open was to trick them with his reiatsu, which it recognized immediately as that of a captain. A Hell Butterfly fluttered to his side, and Toshiro took a moment to examine its delicate black wings before doubling his efforts.
And then doors flung open once again, and in a brilliant flash of white light, he was gone.
0-0-0
On the eve of the fourth day of Hinata's abduction, Aizen walked briskly down the hall and gently pushed the door open with an echoing click. He strolled purposely inside, and snow crunched loudly underfoot, and icicles glinted dangerously from the ceiling, and they all seemed to be pointed directly at his head. Aizen ignored their threatening stance and walked right up to Hinata's bed, which looked like a miniature winter wonder land, with her reiatsu coating every surface with a glistening sheet of ice and snow. The entire structure glimmered like diamonds and Aizen blinked as the breath-taking show of lights dazzled his eyes.
After growing accustom to the impressive glow, Aizen allowed himself a smug smirk as Hinata's appearance came into view.
She was changing.
Her skin had always been pale, but now it was chalk white, and the snow's brilliant white hue paled in comparison to the milky gleam of her smooth skin. Her hair had grown out at an amazing rate and fanned out around her torso; and it was now jet-black, and only blacker still against the frosty background. Her lips were the faintest shade of purple and were forever curved in a timid smile.
His plan was working. In the past few days her reiatsu had suddenly spiked, and now surpassed that of Yammy in his release form. Aizen grinned. His plan was working perfectly. Never had a plan of his run so fluidly, without so much as a single interruption. Hinata was a brave and solid girl but when pushed into a corner, she could do nothing but cower in the darkness and pray to be saved. It was meek and she knew it, but her personality hindering her progress of changing.
In this case, however...her shy personality was assisting her transformation greatly. He could just imagine it, Hinata trapped in her own personal hell within her mind, as the arrancar half of her soul seeped through her body like a disease...
He laughed, and his laugh was rich and full and mocking. Oh so mocking. He was so happy. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been this happy. If Hinata's reiatsu continued to grow more and more powerful by each passing hour, then she may very well reach his level. His! They would be unstoppable. Not even Kurosaki Ichigo, with his ridiculous mask and annoying inner fire, would not stand a chance against two Aizens! He laughed again and he felt the hogyuku snicker along with them, down the hall and in the dimly light chamber, hovering in its glass case.
With a single chip missing.
Satisfied, Aizen turned to leave. He felt higher then the entire world, and stronger then ever, and all those blissful emotions showed clearly on his pale face. He was yet to slap his calculating mask back into place and allowed himself their brief period of time to enjoy releasing his emotions for what they were.
"...zen..."
Aizen froze with one foot in the air, and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Slowly, painfully slowly, the chocolate eyed man turned, and drew a soft gasp as bloody red eyes met his, and a sinister smile lifted her cheeks.
Hinata was awake.
But it wasn't Hinata anymore.
0-0-0
Urahara Kisuke's shop was small. Very small. Nothing more then a square box sat in the centre of a dusty patch of land. And as Ichigo strolled confidently up to the door, above which the words 'Urahara Shop' flashed in brilliant green kanji, Toshiro couldn't help but wonder whether the teenager had actually gone to the right shop. Urahara had once been a captain, and for that reason Toshiro had expected his home to be...more...what was the word? Noticeable, probably. He hadn't included the fact Urahara had been on the run from the shinigami at the time in his fantasises, though.
"Urahara-san!" Ichigo boomed as he rapped his hand upon the flimsy wooden door. But the moment Ichigo's fist made contact with the door it bounced, and rolled open obediently. Toshiro raised a thin, white eye brow, while, behind him, Renji made a slightly strangled noise of surprise.
"He knew we were coming, then," Toshiro reasoned as Ichigo frowned hard at the door, and his feelings were clearly seen through the mask of annoyance. "Come on, let's go."
Ichigo marched inside at his cue, and the legs of his sooty black shihakusho brushed against the cold wooden floors. Toshiro wandered in after him, with Rukia, Renji, Sado, Ikkaku and Yumichika close behind. Ishida had refused to join the group for a number of reasons, but the most important one, apparently, had been the fact that shinigami were still his enemy. Toshiro, however, suspected Ishida had stayed behind for the sole reason of looking after Inoue Orihime, whom had wanted to join the rescue party but had been firmly refused by Ichigo. The poor girl had been close to tears when Ichigo had said this so heartlessly, and Ishida had been by her side instantly. Why Ichigo couldn't see the boy's attraction to Orihime which he displayed so obviously when worried, Toshiro didn't know.
Ichigo led them to a trap door which was already flipped open, and Toshiro's scowl hardened. Urahara had definitely known they were coming, and that thought plagued his mind as he followed Ichigo down the shoot and into the hidden underground training facility, a vast desert-like plain with rocky mounds resembling rocks sticking up here and there. Toshiro touched down roughly, while Ichigo made a show of dirt clouding around him like vapour, and Renji laughed aloud as Ichigo attempted to battle away the suffocating mist.
"Welcome back, Kurosaki-san," A voice said pleasantly, and a blond man clad in green and clogs appeared on one of the many rocky mounds, and he was holding his green striped white hat in place. In his other hand he held a cane, though Toshiro couldn't imagine why. "Hitsugaya-taichou, Abarai-fuku-taichou, Kuchiki-san, Sado-san, too, of course."
"Hmm." Sado said; Rukia nodded politely while Renji just rolled his eyes; Toshiro remained silent as he hadn't the slightest idea of how to respond to someone like Urahara Kisuke, and was a little unnerved by the fact they would soon be in the came category.
"Urahara-san," Ichigo started towards Urahara, but the elderly man waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal.
"Relax, Kurosaki-san. I already know why you're here." Urahara suddenly drove his cane into the ground, and a fierce crack split the sky. It grew and grew and grew and then threw itself open, and a darkness that seemed to squirm as though alive met their eyes. They all stared at the portal with their eyes narrowed and fists clenched as they steeled themselves for what laid beyond.
"Be careful." Urahara advised, and his voice was suddenly gravely serious.
"Alright!" Ikkaku yelled and he sped forward, and he was grinning like a manic. "Let's go kill some arrancar!"
"Wait, Ikkaku!" Yumichika hurried after him with a look of distress plastered to his features. "Don't run like that! It's horribly ugly!"
Rukia rolled her eyes. "Guess we should go," She muttered, and then sped after the eleventh divisioners, with Renji hard on her heels. Ichigo ran after them with Sado by his side, and together they leapt into the murky darkness. Toshiro walked calmly after them, but before he left he looked up at Urahara, who smiled fondly down at him.
"How did you know?" Toshiro asked bluntly.
Urahara chuckled. "I had my cat spy on you guys for a while," The blond man admitted. "She is very observant."
"I see." No, he didn't, but there was no point in trying to get any sense of out 'spying cat'. And so Toshiro leapt up, up into the air, and vanished through the graganta with his eyes slapped closed.
And when he opened the again, he was surrounded by a vast expanse of silvery white sand, and a sky of pitch-black and a moon of wash-white stared down at him with cold, uncaring eyes. A hollow wind whistled across the land with an eerie moan and Toshiro shivered despite the cape pulled tight against his skin.
"Are you alright, Rukia?" Toshiro looked up and saw Renji helping Rukia to her feet, and she brushed the snowy sand off her knees.
"Yes, Renji, I'm fine. Thanks."
A little further away, Ikkaku was jumping from one foot to the other in excitement, and Yumichika was commenting on how hideously ugly Hecto Mundo was, and Ichigo was rolling his shoulders as Sado lumbered to his feet, looking a little bewildered by the scenery.
"Are those trees?" Renji stalked over to a tree-like structure that lacked both leaves and colour. It was a faint watery blue, and only added to the spooky atmosphere of the realm of hollows. He grabbed a branch and tugged it, and his eyes widened in surprise as the tip easily snapped off.
"It seems to be made of out crystal," Toshiro observed as Renji turned to the crystallized twig over in his thick fingers.
"Hey!" Ichigo yelled and everyone looked to him. "Is that a building? Look!" He pointed and Toshiro followed his finger, and gasped.
If it was indeed a building, and it was gigantic. Absolutely gigantic! It resembled a huge, white dome, with several smaller compartments and towers. Never had Toshiro seen such a enormous structure. It was like they were standing a mere hundred or so meters away, but the trees at its base were near invisible, they appeared so small. Toshiro blinked. That thing was messing up his sense of scale!
"Aizen must be there," Rukia declared. "There's no where else for him to hide."
"Then we go there," Toshiro decided.
Ichigo nodded in agreement, and they set off. They ran for what seemed like a life time, and Toshiro's legs were soon shrieking for a rest, but he pushed on. They couldn't afford to stop unless they really needed to... Even so, sweat rolled down his face like rivers and his vision was beginning to blur. Panting, Toshiro risk a glance at Rukia, and saw she was in no better shape. Renji, with his longer and far stronger legs, looked a little better, but the colour had drained of his face and sweat dripped off his chin.
"Kurosaki!" Toshiro called.
"Wh-what?" Ichigo cried back.
"Let's stop! We can't keep running like forever!"
Ichigo was no idiot and immediately he skidded to a halt. And everyone else followed suit. Rukia keeled over and sucked in as much air as her lungs could possibly hold, and Renji waddled over to her side, and each step was an obvious effort.
"There must be an easy way to get there!" Ikkaku roared. Eleventh divisioner or not, Ikkaku couldn't run for so long without getting tired, but he was quite clearly in a better shape then anyone else.
"Yes," Yumichika spluttered."There must be. We all look so un-beautiful, we simply cannot continue like this."
"Yeah," Ichigo panted but he chose to ignore the 'un-beautiful' part of Yumichika's complaint. "Maybe we could-"
And suddenly Ichigo stopped dead. His entire body tensed and his eyes grew wide. Then he began to shake violently, and his eyes rolled his their sockets.
"Ichigo?" Rukia breathed. "Ichigo? What's wrong? Oi, Ichigo!"
But Ichigo couldn't hear her. A shudder rippled through his body, and for the shortest of seconds the strange sensations vanished and he was perfectly fine again; and then he felt the gentle touch of a girl's hand, softly tapping against his rip cage. And then his body exploded with pain and Ichigo threw his head back and screamed bloody murder.
"ICHIGO!" Rukia squealed and she bounded over to him and made a frantic grab for his arm, but Ichigo was no longer in his right mind. He howled and flinched away from her hands, her delicate, slender fingers capable of such a smooth, angelic touch, and fell back into the sand, screaming and wailing and crying. Horrified, Sado, Ikkaku and Renji could do nothing but stare; but Toshiro and Yumichika quickly jumped into action, and the taller, feathery man snatched Ichigo's arms before he could dart away and held him in the sand. Then Toshiro harshly jabbed Ichigo in the forehead, and suddenly he was still.
Ichigo stared uncomprehendingly at Toshiro for a moment, like he couldn't believe the boy was there, and then his amber eyes grew dull and his breathing became even. Toshiro let out a sigh of relief, and gestured for Yumichika to release him. Ichigo was unconscious, and would stay that way for the good half of a day.
"H-Hitsugaya-taichou," Rukia breathed. "What just happened?"
"I don't know," Toshiro admitted and he moved out of Renji's way as the red head dropped by Ichigo's side and tossed him onto his back. Ikkaku joined him, too, and together they lifted the sleeping boy off the ground and onto their shoulders. "But it doesn't matter at the moment. We need to find shelter, and quickly. It's getting cold."
Rukia nodded mutely.
After about half an hour of searching, they found an unusually high sand bank and made camp behind it. They placed Ichigo lightly in the shadows cast by the sand bank, and as the others prepared for sleep, Toshiro volunteered to watch and trudged up the sandy hill, and ignored his leg's infuriated protests.
Groaning, Toshiro slumped down on the edge of the hill and rubbed his eyes. They were here. In Hecto Mundo. Hecto Mundo. He could barely believe Hinata was here! They were really going to save her. The thought rose Toshiro's spirits, but for some reason, there was an ominous feeling of dread gurgling in the pit of his stomach. He swallowed. Something wasn't right.
But Toshiro didn't ponder on it. Now was not the time to worry about superstitious thoughts and feelings. He needed to focus on now, not why. And Ichigo was now. Ichigo and his sudden outburst of pain and anger. What had triggered it, Toshiro didn't have the faintest clue. Ichigo had seemed just fine before leaving. Nothing out of the ordinary. And now...
With a heavy sigh, Toshiro shifting his position in the sand and drew Hyourinmaru, and his icy turquoise eyes were alert for signs of danger.
And from the dome like building, so many miles away, crimson eyes zoomed in on his tiny figure. And her gaze was hungry.
! I own neither Bleach nor Naruto !
*sighs* I lost my will to right for a little there. I tried, but somehow nothing I wrote seemed good enough. But it came back and I managed to right the ending!
What happened to Ichigo will be explained~ *evil chuckling*
Also, Urahara-san's 'cat' will make an appearance soon, and Orihime will make a come back! Both are important in the plot! As will the arrancar, hopefully!
I apologize for taking so long! Please forgive me!
Thanks for reading! Please review!