Toshiro remained still with fear and shock, Renji and Rangiku had fallowed his line of sight and gasped in astonishment as they too looked at the unmoving body on the floor. He didn't need conformation, Toshiro already knew whose body was laying there motionless so when Rangiku and Renji recovered themselves and were now racing towards the body he knew who they would find. Something deep within Toshiro told him to go, to leave the scene, that he shouldn't…couldn't be there; but there he stayed as unmoving as the figure before him.

"It's…..it's Hissori sir" Rangiku confirmed his thoughts in an unsteady voice.

"She's not breathing and it's easy to tell that she's lost a substantial amount of blood" Renji said as he kneeled next to Hissoris' body.

"There's no sign of her brother either but judging from Aohinotes' spirit pressure earlier, I think it's safe to say that he's no longer a threat" Rangiku finished. Toshiro turned around facing away from the scene and nodded.

"Very well then, grab the….get Hissori and head back to Uraharas'" he ordered and then vanished. Rangiku wiped away a few stray tears and then turned back to Renji.

"Come on…we should get out of here" she said only getting a nod of agreement from Renji as he picked up the, still unmoving and frightfully cold, body of Hissori. Soon after they were then on their way back to Uraharas' shop with an undisturbed silence between them.

When Renji and Rangiku were back at the shop everyone fell silent as they walked through the door. Kisuke and Tessai were on their feet almost immediately and were ushering them to the room in the back.

"Where's Captain Hitsugaya?" Kisuke asked

"He….we don't know" Rangiku replied as Renji walked away once Tessai took Hissori.

"I see…" he muttered and then left Rangiku as he turned and closed the door. Rangiku stood frozen in the hallway as silent tears streaked her face, sometime after she went to her room.

Renji walked back through the front room and ignored the never ending questions that flowed from everyone's mouths and headed straight for the door.

"Renji!" Rukia called as he walked through the door and was gone by the time she made it outside.

Toshiro was simply walking around in the forest trying to gather up all his thoughts, so many thoughts and feelings seemed to bombard him at once. Hissori was gone he grasped that much and although he didn't want to he had to accept it, shinigami died all the time….but not all of them were Hissori. He held his head then shook it trying, and failing, to force away the memory of her lying on the floor motionless, unmoving, dead.

"Why" he said unsteadily as his knees gave way and he fell to the forest floor "Why her!" He was frustrated and angry at Hissori, Rangiku, Renji, himself, EVERYTHING! Toshiro felt tears stinging at his eyes and quickly wiped them away.

Sometime after that Toshiro finally made his way back to the small shop, although it was well past dusk he didn't seem to notice. He walked through the front door and noticed the Renji and Rangiku were missing, a suddenly surge of worry pulsed through him as he wondered if they made it back.

"Captain Hitsugaya!" Rukia exclaimed as she rose to her feet "You're alright! After Renji and Rangiku came back and you weren't with them we star-"

"Where is Urahara?" Toshiro questioned cutting Rukia off after he breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the two lieutenants made it back alright.

"Wha- oh he and Tessai are in the back with Hi-"

"Ah Captain Hitsugaya there you are" Kisuke said interrupting Rukia as he walked into the room.

"Where is…." Toshiro started and trailed off finding it impossible to finish the sentence.

"Come with me" Kisuke said as he turned and was now walking down the hallway from which he came. Toshiro fallowed immediately after him and almost bumped into Kisuke as he stopped abruptly and turned to face him.

"She lost a lot of blood and suffered countless fatal wounds" Kisuke started and Toshiro balled his hands into fists as he listened to what Urahara had to say "We did all we could and we're still unsure if she'll make a recovery but we've got her breathing again so there's at least some good news. You can go and see her if you want she's in that room." Urahara pointed at the door and Toshiro was instantly in front of it. He took notice that Kisuke was walking back down the hallway and he put his hand on the door knob. After a brief moment of hesitation Toshiro opened the door and stepped inside the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

On the bed laid, a still unconscious but breathing, Hissori, he felt the tears prick his eyes again as he made his way over to the bed and sat on the edge just as she had done for him not so long ago.

"Hissori…." Toshiro said in a tone that was barely audible