A/N: Hello! Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters. I only own Yuki and Kimiko.

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Chapter 3

While that was going on, let's go find Yuki.

In the middle of a forest, a wooden shack was just out there, looking lonely and cold and sad. And it was. At least, the stuff inside it was.

Yuki's navy-blue eyes opened at last to the wooden shack's interior. It was small, and just like the outside, cold, sad, lonely, and dark. Yuki shivered and said out loud to no one in particular, "Why is it so cold in here?"

"Oh, don't mind the temperature," the same voice said. "It's because it's in the forest…"

"Where am I?"

"The middle of the forest…I won't tell you where, though…"

"Oh…"

"You are Hitsugaya Yuki…it's lovely to meet you…my name is Kusaka Soujiro…I was an academy friend of your father's…"

"Oh, it's nice to meet you too, Kusaka-san…" She shivered again.

"It's alright. You're safe with me…"

"No, it's not that…it's just…how did you know my name?"

"Like I said, I knew your father…"

That still doesn't explain anything…Yuki thought.

"But are you sure he's even your father?" Yuki's stomach gave a violent lurch. "Do you even have any parents?" Yuki started trembling. "What if he just found you and adopted you? Probably to kill you later on in life?" Yuki held her head. It hurt so bad.

"Not…true!" Yuki managed to gasp out. "He is my father! He told me!"

"What if that's a downright lie?" Kusaka continued calmly.

"It is not!" She started to grit her teeth.

"Really? He lied to me…"

Yuki eyes snapped open.

"He claimed Hyourinmaru, his zanpaktou, all to himself…that zanpaktou is originally mine…he nearly killed me for it…"

Yuki wrapped herself into a ball against the wall and held her head with her eyes shut tight and teeth barred.

"Just think about it…it all seems to fit, doesn't it?"

Yuki didn't respond. She heard Kusaka leave.

What about all the good times we had? Yuki asked herself.

*FLASHBACK 1*

Little three-and-a-half-year-old Yuki was eavesdropping in on a meeting just between her father and the Soutaichou. She heard a voice saying, "Hitsugaya, she cannot stay in Sereitei. She is not a Shinigami…When she graduates from the Academy, I will personally make sure that she is transferred to your division…so that she stays under your supervision for the rest of your life…"

What? They were going to be separated? Yuki's big, innocent eyes reflected fear.

"She can stay with any relative of yours…"

"She can stay at Oba-san's…"

Oba-san's? Yuki thought. Now that might be interesting…

Yuki was transferred to her great-grandmother's house the very next day. Luckily, the elder respected the girl and took great care of her.

*FLASHBACK 2*

About four years later, six-and-a-half year old Yuki was peeling apple skins with her grandmother on the front porch. The girl heard a thump, and then another. Then a scream and a few more of both.

"Oba-san?" Yuki asked.

"Yes, dear?"

"I think it's a hollow…"

"A few hollows…it's an invasion…something the hollows do when they are very hungry…"

"I have to go find Daddy!" Yuki suddenly said. She pointed to a couple of Shinigami.

Yuki ran off to go find her father. Toushirou usually visited on the major holidays, like Christmas and Easter and stuff like that. Yuki ran everywhere. She was getting more terrified by the minute. This, unfortunately, set off her captain-sized reiatsu. And you know what that means…

The hollows closed in around her, hungry for her reiatsu. She struggled to stay alive. She was now on the ground, struggling for breath and life.

I'm going to die…It's too late…She heard some calls for this 'Taichou!' and some feet running around, to, and from her. Her eyesight was blurry and she could barely see a thing. She had this gash on her chest that wouldn't stop bleeding.

"…Daddy…"she whispered. She immediately got a couple of answers in response. A dog was licking her face.

"Sammy, calm down…"

"No, let him. The girl's injured…"

"She's the girl Taichou cares about so much…"

"Daddy…" Yuki muttered a little louder. It was her father she needed.

"Yuki!" That was voice was familiar. She felt a hand on her cheek. "Yuki! You alright?" Yuki felt a warm, soothing feeling in her stomach. The person was healing her.

Yuki was able to open her eyes for a short time. She looked up to see her father's face. She smiled weakly. She noticed that her father had her in his arms with his right hand, his free arm, hovering over her stomach, healing it.

After the fighting died down completely, Yuki passed out and Toushirou took his daughter to the division four barracks along with a few other citizens that were injured.

*FLASHBACK 3*

Four days later, Yuki, who was all healed, was once again eavesdropping in on a meeting between only the Soutaichou and her father. She refused to look at anything but her bare feet.

"…Soutaichou, you know how much she means to me…it's my job to protect her and care for her. I would like for her to be transferred to Sereitei now." Her father's voice was commanding and stern. "She was severely wounded in the hollow invasion, and if I hadn't come along, she wouldn't have survived."

Yuki was mad at herself for running off to find her father like that. It was her fault, not his. She would have to pay the consequences for her own actions.

There was a short silence while her father waited for Yamamoto's answer. The Soutaichou sensed Yuki's spiritual pressure and sensed her feelings.

"All right, Hitsugaya. I will let her live in the tenth division barracks with you…"

"Thank you, Sir…" Toushirou gratefully said, while Yuki let a small smile slip.

And that very same day, Yuki was in her own room in the tenth division barracks. The very next day, she donned a red and white Academy uniform.

*FLASHBACK 4*

Yuki, now just turned seven, was in the training field. She was practicing her kidou, and wasn't having any luck so far.

"Relax your arm, Yuki…" Yuki jumped out of her skin and slowly turned around to come face-to-face with her father.

"What?"

"I said, relax your arms and shoulders. Concentrate." Her back was to his chest. His arms wrapped around her little ones. She said the incantation, her spiritual pressure forming in her hand, she let it go, and it hit the target dead on. Yuki's lightly tanned face light up to evening sky.

*FLASHBACK 5*

Two years later, at present time, Yuki was about to go on a mission.

"You'll do great, Yuki. Trust me!"

"Bye Dad!"

Yuki gave her father one last hug and one last smile before running off join her class mates.

*END FLASHBACKS*

There was an intense silence in the little shack. Then the only thing you could hear for miles was Yuki's cries for her father.

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A/N: Review, please! I'm sorry it's so short. Next one will be longer!