Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

Author's Note: Momo and Toshiro are sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes ma--Oops, I went overboard with that. xD Special thanks goes to my grateful reviewers: KnowledgeandImagination, BLEACHISAWESOMEANDIMAWESOME XP, LookThroughTheGlass, AznInvasionGirl, tlg, Samantha, The Sweet Peach, Theanimegurl4ever, Neko-cheung, Kaye. Shirogane, MoonLightView, Mariliisa, WhitePrincessOfHope, chococat450, Pieps XD. There was HitsuHina love in the last chapter and there is going to be more in this one. Well, everything's all said; happy reading and enjoy!

LEGEND

"Talking." "Thinking."

The Greatest Treasure

Chapter Thirteen: Rebellion

Toshiro opened his eyes to find Momo sleeping right next to him in the futon. Extending an arm out, he began brushing her soft raven hair aside. He smiled and turned his body on its back, staring up into the ceiling. Last night, the princess came into this room and lifted him out of his depression. And in that same night, they have also declared their love for one another. Officially, they have become lovers. Never in his whole life he would imagine to be involved in a romantic relationship despite having so many other issues to worry about. Suddenly, he felt something resting against him. Hitsugaya looked over to see his beloved princess cuddling. Using an arm, he held her close and kissed her on the side of her head. Her body began to stir a bit before a pair of chocolate brown eyes opened. "Ohayo Toshiro..."

He smiled. "Good morning Momo. Did you have a nice sleep?"

Hinamori smiled back before she started stretching her arms and legs out. "Yes, it is the best sleep I ever had!"

Hitsugaya gave a short laugh. Wrapped in each other's arms, the two lovers pulled and pressed their mouths together. They closed their eyes as they are engaged in sharing their love together. Toshiro slowly got on top of Momo and continued to kiss her with fiery passion until they are out of breath. Once they were done, they looked at one another and smiled. "Let's get up and make breakfast," Hitsugaya suggested. "I'm starving."

Momo slowly nodded with agreement, still feeling a little dazed from their make out session. Toshiro got out of bed first while his peach sat up to fix her nagajuban. The two lovers kept their eyes on each other in case one suddenly decides to make a move. When she is done, he guided the princess back to her room. After giving her a short kiss and watched her go inside. He then put his arms together behind his head, walking back to his room. He got changed into a light green yukata with dark green bamboo leaf patterns. It is tied together with a single dark blue sash.

Once he went out into the kitchen, he saw Momo, already out and chopping some vegetables on the cutting board. The white haired teenager let out a grin before creeping up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, rested his chin on her shoulder, and whispered in her ear, "I smell peaches over here."

Momo smiled, knowing that her boyfriend is trying to tease her until he started nibbling on her neck. The peach girl let out a yelp. "Toshiro, c-cut it out! I-It tickles! I-I can't make breakfast if you keep...keep d-doing that!"

Hitsugaya stopped. Using a hand, he made the girl put down her knife on the counter and turned her body around. They bodies are soon pressed together. In his eyes, Momo is the most beautiful woman he has ever met. Even if she's not wearing her purple yukata with light pink cherry blossom patterns, tied together with a red sash, it would change his opinion. "Then I blame you for being so irresistible."

He gave her a kiss. "Oh, you're wearing that yukata," Hinamori noticed.

"Yeah, the one Obaa-san got me and it seems like I'm not the only one who had the same idea."

The princess looked down at the clothes she is wearing, resumed her attention to Toshiro, and smiled. "I suppose so..."

Smiling back at his girlfriend, the two lovers resume to their duties: making breakfast. It is when a third person entered the kitchen. "Good morning!"

Momo took a brief glimpse at Rangiku before tending to her food while Toshiro is standing right next to the princess, glared at his tall friend. "You overslept again," he commented.

Matsumoto took a seat at the kotatsu in the living room next door.

"Well, it can't be helped that I came home la--" She stopped and turned to the white haired teenager. "Wait a minute, you just spoke to me."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, trying to understand the meaning in her statement. "Yes, I just spoke to you. What is wrong with that?"

All of a sudden, the older woman left her seat, ran up, and gave her short friend a big hug from behind. She happily exclaimed, "I'm so glad you returned back to normal!"

"Matsumoto, let me go!" Hitsugaya exclaimed, struggling to break free from her death-killing hug.

She let him go and immediately turned to the raven haired girl. "Momo, you must be a miracle worker! What is your secret to getting him out of his depression?"

"Iie, it's really nothing," the princess replied. "I-I just told him that if he never needed anything, I would be there to listen to him. So yeah..."

Suddenly, Rangiku arm hooked around Momo's neck and pulled her towards her chest. "What are you talking about? There has to be something more to that. You're only giving me the vague details!"

"Matsumoto, leave her alone," Toshiro retorted. "She needs to look after our food or else they're going to get burnt."

The older woman frowned and released the peach girl. Folding her arms over her chest, she walk off, saying, "You're so stingy, Hitsugaya!"

Hitsugaya shook his head with minor frustration as Hinamori merely smiled with amusement. Not including the start of hers and Toshiro's romantic relationship and the loss of Obaa-san, everything's all back to normal. "Breakfast is ready!" Momo called out.

"Alright then, let's eat!"

Later in the day, he informed Momo and Rangiku that he will be going out for a bit because he had an important errand to run. After he is done, he will meet with them at the grave site, ready to give their respects to the recently deceased grandmother. He ran through the streets of Rukongai, avoiding any collision into anyone or anything until he stopped in front of a bar. It is the same bar Matsumoto works at and he usually goes when he trades his stolen items with the money dealer.

He remembered one of his former neighbours mentioning about his grandmother being stabbed to the heart and explain about the unnatural condition of his old home. Toshiro's eyes narrowed. There is only one possibility to that could have done this: the mysterious dealer. "It has to be him; I can't think of any other option," he thought.

Hitsugaya opened the slide door and entered the bar. As always, it is crowded as ever and it's only mid-afternoon. "Yo Hitsugaya, you're here again!" called out a regular customer.

"Hey Toshiro, you're looking well today," another person commented.

However, the boy didn't pay any attention to anyone. All he cared about is speaking with the money dealer. The Rukongai citizen walked past the two citizens, approached to the bartender, rested an arm on the counter, and asked, "Is he here right now?"

"Yes he is; right now, he's in the back room," she replied.

With a nod of thanks, the white haired teenager walked to the back of the bar. He knocked on his door and opened it. Toshiro walked in and closed the door behind him. His eyes soon met with the dealer's appearance; his identity hidden somewhere under that dark hooded cape. "Why Hitsugaya, what brings you here?" he asked. "Oh, you're empty handed for onc--"

"Let's cut to the chase," Hitsugaya interrupted, slamming a hand on the table. "Did you or did you not murder my grandmother and destroyed my house?"

All of a sudden, the dealer put up his hands in mock stance. "Now I'm hurt; you think it is me who has caused you your recent suffering?" he questioned. He put both hands on the table and leaned over to the glaring emerald-teal eyes of Hitsugaya Toshiro. "Let me tell you something: don't go around and accuse them without any proof."

He sat back down on his seat and folded his arms.

"He's lying. He's obviously lying." Toshiro just narrowed his eyes and glared at him. He could tell if someone could tell a fib or not; he had many prior experiences to that which involve a certain strawberry orange haired friend of his.

"I totally understand your sediments. Like everyone else, you lost someone important in your life. With that, your emotions have become drowned in pain and suffering. But don't worry Hitsugaya, you always have your friends to look after you."

"Shut up with the crappy excuses! I know you're lying to me! You murdered my grandmother!"

The client and the dealer fell silent. "Really? Is this how I get treated after being so generous with you?"

"So this is how you're going to play it." The white haired teenager turned around and began leaving the dark room. Just as he is about to leave, Toshiro said to him, "Until I expose you of your crimes, expect me not to come here with goods to trade. I can always go to someone else to do business with."

Once he left the room, the money dealer just snorted. "We'll see whose the one who will get exposed first...Aisu no Ryu."

When Hitsugaya caught up with his friends at the grave site, they have just finished cleaning the family tombstone. Hinamori is the first to notice his presence. "Shiro-chan! Ah, you even bought flowers!" Momo said, running up to the white haired teenager.

Hearing her call him by his nickname, Toshiro gave her a short glare before sighing with defeat. It is going to take a long while before she finally stops saying that ridiculous name. "Yeah, I just thought Obaa-san would love to have them."

Handing the princess the bouquet, Momo took a moment to sniff them. She smiled at her boyfriend. "They smell nice."

He smiled back. "Of course they do."

"Hurry up you two," Matsumoto said to the young lovers. "I don't have a lot of time to do this. I need to go to work in about thirty minutes!"

Hinamori and Hitsugaya took a deep look at one another before joining Matsumoto who is standing right in front of the grave. Standing in a straight line with Toshiro at the center, he walked up and placed his bouquet of mixed flowers in front of the tomb. After taking a step back, the three friends placed their hands together and silently paid their respects. "Sorry for making you worry about me Obaa-san," he thought. "I haven't been myself over the past two days, but I'm alright now."

He opened his eyes and took a glimpse at Momo, who is still praying. With a faint smile, he looked at the gravestone. "Thanks to Momo, I can now move on with my life."

Toshiro took another look at his girlfriend to see her talking with Rangiku at the side. He turned back to his previous focus. "Just like Oto-san, I'll never forget you. I owe you everything for making me the person I am today."

"Oi Hitsugaya, you better not be reciting some sort of life story. They're going to be sick and tired of listening to you if you do that!" Matsumoto said.

"Shut up Matsumoto! I don't want to hear that from you!" he yelled back. "Sorry, I have to stop my talking here. I have to return to my usual lives being myself and the thief, Aisu no Ryu."

The teenager fell silent, thinking if he has finished saying everything in his thoughts. "Continue to look after me from above, okay?"

"Are you done?" Momo asked.

He turned to the raven haired girl and nodded. With one final look at his family tombstone, he let out a gentle smile. "Ja ne. I'll talk to you some other time."

Joining up with Matsumoto, the three friends all left the grave site and headed their way back to Rukongai.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," the money dealer said. Slowly, it opened, allowing a man dressed in a dark brown hooded cloak to come into the dark room. "Why look what we have here? It has been a while since we last met."

"Of course, it really has," he replied, standing in front of him and the table. "So, is there an important matter you need to discuss with me?"

"No, but consider it as...a forward notice."

"Really?"

"Yes, be sure to have the ten million kan ready because we, the people of Rukongai, are going to hand over the great notorious thief that you are not able to catch for so long, Aisu no Ryu."

From under his hood, a grin appeared on the brown cloaked man's face. "How interesting...how were you able to get them to go against him?"

"Isn't that obvious? I just had to use the reward as bait."

"I see," he replied. "Then I look forward to that, however, are you sure you'll be able to capture him?"

"Just send me your most trusted guard and leave the rest to me," the dealer said.

"Very well then, I'll send him over when the time comes."

The money dealer grinned and shook hands with him. "It's nice working with you General Aizen."

The elite member of the Royal Guard put down his hood on his shoulders, revealing his face. He merely smiled back. "No, thank you for help us," Sosuke said. "After three long years, Aisu no Ryu will finally be caught."

References

Futon - A Japanese style flat bed, Ohayo - Good Morning, Nagajuban - a white robe underneath the kimono. Sometimes it is worn to sleep, Yukata - a casual summer kimono worn by both genders, Obaa-san - Grandmother, Kotatsu - a low table with a built in heater underneath, Iie - No, Aisu no Ryu - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief, Oto-san - Father, Kan - the currency used in the Bleach universe

Author's Note: O.o WTF?! It turns out that the money dealer has been working with Aizen the whole time! Gah, that's not good. How will Hitsugaya fair against his two greatest enemies? Well, stay tuned for the action packed chapter fourteen which will be posted early next week (if I finish it on schedule). In the meantime, please review by pressing the pretty and shiny green button below! Thanks.