Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait...for those of you who actually waited. I have a lot of stuff on my plate right now, and it is difficult to write the next chapter and get it up within the time I wanted to. I hope you enjoy it. I tried to keep everyone in character.

Please review and let me know what you think!

White Phoenix

Chapter 5


Hitsugaya could slowly feel relief flow into his shoulder blades as he swung his sword over his head, the blade shimmering in the afternoon sun. He had not realized it before, but having the hilt in his hands gave him a feeling of satisfaction; there was control.

With a little effort, he swung his blade forward, sending a small rivet into the earth. A nearby tree crackled under the pressure from the swing, but held tight to the spot. Hitsugaya watched the tree, and suddenly became jealous; if only he could have a strong grip when there was imbalance in his life.

The sun bore down upon his back, drawing sweat from his skin. It was uncomfortable, therefore he loosened his outfit; his sash lay discarded on a boulder with his captains' robe, and the small wrap around his waist had been retied to lessen the constriction. It was more comfortable that way. There was a large gap in his shirt; part of his upper body could be seen.

"Nng…I'm guessing she is not done with her list yet." Hitsugaya grunted to himself as he placed himself in idle position, his sword poised strait out in a perfect horizontal line. He prided himself on his stances and sword positions; they were a mastered art.

He swung again; each time a picture flashed inside of his mind. There could be no stopping the visual of the night she died, and the blood that stained his hands. Each time Hitsugaya tried to wash the blood away, it continued to return. Would it ever truly vanish?

He threw his blade forward again. Relief was coming quicker than he thought. He was grateful that Rukia had not shown up before now, otherwise she might have run off crying. No..she's tougher than that. But still…

Rukia. Hitsugaya knew he would not be alone for much longer. He enjoyed being by himself, for the most part. He put himself into position again.

In the shadows, amongst the tall trees, someone was watching him.

--

Rukia dashed out of the office and out into the open, trying to search for the direction the reiatsu was coming from. It was hard to tell; it was well dispersed and made it hard to detect the exact location. She grumbled in frustration.

"Maybe I should check with Unohana-taicho really quick." Rukia quickly used shunpo to dash over to Squad 4's headquarters, and was relieved to see Unohana standing outside of the infirmary. She had a distant look on her face.

"Oh, hello, Rukia-fukutaicho." Unohana greeted her cheerfully, but Rukia could tell something was troubling the sweet captain.

"Hello, Unohana-taicho." She said, bowing her head. "I was wondering if Hitsugaya-taicho came by this way at all this afternoon."

"No, he has not, I'm afraid. I went to visit him earlier."

Rukia's eyes widened. "Really? Is everything okay?"

Unohana smiled and tilted her head slightly. "Yes, everything seems to be fine."

"Seems to be?" Rukia asked. Unohana nodded.

"Hitsugaya…you know him. He is a closed book. Even when he is happy many people cannot tell by his facial expressions. For a child he is uptight."

Rukia had to agree with her on that one; it seemed no matter what was going on, Hitsugaya always had to be serious about everything. She faintly remembered a time when he broke the rules. When he helped them with Aizen was the only time that came to mind.

"Yes, indeed he is." Rukia sighed.

"Was it something urgent?" Unohana asked out of the blue. Rukia turned and gave her a solemn look.

"Well, I was supposed to report back when I finished my assignments…and he was nowhere to be found. I felt a large pulse of his reiatsu earlier, and I thought I would come and find him."

Unohana nodded. "I did sense a rise in his aura. It felt as though it was coming from behind the gardens around the back of the infirmary. There is a pretty large clearing over there with many trees. Maybe he retreated for a while."

Rukia was obviously confused. "Um…wouldn't he have concealed his reiatsu if he wanted to be alone?" Unohana simply shrugged and looked out over Sereitei.

"I would not know that. Maybe you should go and find out for yourself."

Rukia nodded. "I shall."

"And Rukia?" Rukia stopped and faced the captain, who had a pleasant glow on her face.

"Yes?"

"Please…watch for anything unusual with Hitsugaya. You will be around him the most." Unohana pleaded casually, and then added, "I know that you will be able to help him put his life back together."

Rukia had a doubtful look in her eyes. "I'm not sure about that, but I will do my best."

Rukia bowed respectfully, and then disappeared behind Squad 4's headquarters. Unohana stood still and turned her gaze back out at her home.

"I know you will, Rukia. Your blades of snow and ice are not the only things you have in common."

--

"Come on, Renji…you can move faster than that!" He dashed from side to side, only the sword slightly visible.

"No I can't, you bastard! Look at these wounds! Are you blind!?"

"No, I'm not blind! But you know that no matter what your condition you can't make excuses!"

"I can make as many fucking excuses as I want!" Renji growled.

"No…you…can't!"

Renji was flung backwards, and hit a nearby rock. Blood oozed from his new wounds, and his re-opened ones. He felt pain surging through his body.

Blood was spattered on the ground between them, most of which belonged to the red-head now sliding down the rocky surface that caught him mid-flight. Ichigo sighed heavily and threw his blade over his back.

"You'll never improve like this."

Renji barely moved; he looked up long enough to give Ichigo a dark scowl. Ichigo was not phased.

"I'll never improve period if you keep beating me up." Renji argued, fighting to stand up.

Ichigo shook his head. "How else will you become stronger? Pain is all psychological."

"Oh, right." Renji laughed as he supported himself with his sword. "And so is all of this blood that I'm losing. And you, too. It's just all in my head, isn't it? You're a figment of my imagination…thank Sereitei."

The two glared at each other fiercely as if one was hoping the other would burst into flames at any moment. Neither did, to their dismay, and the silence continued to float between them like an obnoxious cloud.

"I'm trying to help you, you know." Ichigo replied, a little softer than before. The air became lighter as Renji dropped his shoulders and closed his eyes.

"I know, and I appreciate it."

Renji had been practicing for several hours now, even before Ichigo arrived to help, and he was exhausted. Ichigo, though not a true Shinigami, had incredible power, and Renji considered him a formidable opponent. His legs shook underneath him.

"Don't go soft on me, Renji." Ichigo ordered. "You need to be your hard-headed self in order to win."

Renji gave him an arrogant scowl. "I was not being soft, asshole. If I do not thank you, I would be dismissing my Shinigami training." Ichigo could only smile.

"Whatever you say. Now, keep that 'Shinigami training' in the forefront of your mind and come at me again."

There was a rise in spiritual pressure as Renji lifted his sword into the air for what seemed the millionth time. He refused to fall down before Ichigo; for if he did, he already failed.

"If that is what you wish." Renji said quietly, and then howled "Here I come!"

--

"Hyorinmaru…give me strength."

Hitsugaya wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his hand; his shirt was now folded neatly on top of his sash and robe. The sun gleamed down relentlessly, and he felt as though the glade he sat in was where the heat was strongest. A sigh escaped his lips.

Still no sign of Rukia, and he had hoped silently that she would show up so that their physical training could begin. Her reiatsu was there, but it was faint. He grew irritable.

A twig snapped among the trees; Hitsugaya stood up, sword drawn and ready to fight, until he saw the raven haired girl emerge from the shadows quietly. He guessed she felt like she was disturbing him.

"Welcome, Rukia."

Rukia glanced around at the lush green that surrounded her. Each blade of grass shimmered in the sunlight, and blotches of light squeezed through the gaps in the trees. A few wild flowers grew in the center; it felt peaceful.

Then, she caught sight of her new captain standing near the edge of the trees, the shadows playing off of his face as the leaves danced in the breeze. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes trailed over him; the sweat on his torso glistening in the sun, his muscles tensing as he sheathed his sword, and the intensity in his blue-green eyes as he looked up across the clearing.

Rukia shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts. This was her captain.

But…he has no shirt on…

She wondered if being shirtless, in Hitsugaya's case, was illegal. Then she mentally slapped herself; since when did she ever notice this man as anything more than an irritable, grumpy captain? Rukia knew that even though he was attractive, there was no changing his cold attitude. Then again, she had a fondness for Ichigo at one time, and he was almost a mirrored image to Hitsugaya, save the white hair and height.

She wondered if she had an attraction to the withdrawn, strong, serious guys.

When Hitsugaya caught eyes with her, Rukia continued to stare, still shocked, but blinked once or twice to acknowledge him. She strained to swallow.

"H-hello taicho." She mumbled, nearly incoherently.

"Welcome." He said again, knowing she did not hear him the first time. Hitsugaya stepped out into the sun and headed towards her, leaving her frozen still. "Are you ready for your physical training?"

Rukia nodded quickly. "Yes."

"Very well then," He said, stopping a few paces away from her. "First I want you to do some regular exercise."

Rukia scrunched her nose. "Exercise?"

She saw a flash of frustration cross Hitsugaya's face, and she instantly wished she kept her mouth shut. There never seemed to be a time when she said the right thing at the right time. In embarrassment, Rukia lowered her eyes.

"Yes, exercise. If you do not strengthen your body, how will you ever fully reach bankai? It takes more than just mere mental strength."

Rukia stared at Hitsugaya with disbelieving eyes. It had been the first time since she became his temporary captain that his eyes did not seem so…hollow. It had only been several days, but she could see the difference.

She nodded lightly. "Okay. What do I need to do?"

Hitsugaya grabbed the hilt of his sword and turned his head to the direction he came from; on the other side of the clearing, a shadow shifted amongst the tree trunks and vanished. Neither Hitsugaya nor Rukia could make out who—or what—it was, but it was gone. He turned his attention on the young girl standing before him.

"You are ready now, then."

"Yes, taicho."

Hitsugaya loosened the grip on his sword and crossed his arms. "Okay. Starting now, I want you to do two-hundred push-ups, two hundred sit-ups, three-hundred jumping jacks, and I want you to run from the west wall of Sereitei to the east."

Rukia could only give him a cold look; he honestly expected her to do this? It sounded more like he was trying to get rid of her for the day more than training her to become stronger. She bit back any sarcastic remark and stood rigid.

"Yessir."

Hitsugaya, noticing the look on her face, added, "I want you to do all of this before you come to my office in the morning. I will allow you more time to arrive, obviously. But this must be done before you see me. We will go from there. I do not have time to waste on these exercises."

"Okay."

Rukia was stunned. Not only was her captain allowing her to be late, but he was giving her time to practice before her day started with him. Though it sounded selfish, she knew the reason. Hitsugaya was not the temporary one; he had his duties to attend to.

"You are free to go now," Hitsugaya said, waving her off as he turned his back against her. "I suggest going to bed early so you can get up early. Those routines are not easy."

Like I actually assumed they were, Rukia thought to herself before bowing respectfully to Hitsugaya. He did not see , but it was habit.

"Thank you, Hitsugaya-taicho. This means a lot to me."

"Do not dwell on it. I am doing as I am told."

Hitsugaya felt a sharp pang of guilt as he turned to look into the raven-haired girl's violet eyes; there seemed to be a glint of disappointment among the slivers of light reflecting from the sun. He said nothing more, for he feared the wrong words would slip past his lips.

"Have a good evening, taicho." She whispered as she turned around and walked back through the thick grove of trees. Hitsugaya stared after her silently.

--

Renji gasped for air; he felt as though every last ounce of oxygen was being sucked out of him. Ichigo stood a distance away from him.

"I am not sure what that was," Ichigo said, inhaling sharply, "but it left me winded. Good job."

Renji smiled triumphantly, but frowned when Ichigo gave him a displeased glance. "What?"

Ichigo sighed. "Don't get cocky just because I congratulated you on one thing. You still have a while to go."

"I know that, idiot." Renji replied hotly. "But because I have been moving slow winding you is something to party over."

Ichigo knew Renji was right; since his injuries slowed him down considerably, being able to knock the wind out of his opponent was a great feat. He nodded and smiled at his tattooed friend.

"True. So, in light of that, let's go get a drink. We'll train some more tomorrow."

Renji's smile matched Ichigo's. "I think I can handle that."

They walked next to each other as they headed for the exit, neither really saying much. The silence nearly choked them; Ichigo cleared his throat. "So, how do you feel about Rukia's new position?"

Renji passed him a side-glance. "I'm glad she is able to learn from a captain like Hitsguaya-taicho. He may be a stiff but he is good at his job. I know she'll learn a lot."

Ichigo agreed whole-heartedly. "Yeah, I think so too. I passed by her earlier today on my way to meet you here. She was on her way back to Hitsugaya's office. Something was bothering her…she seemed…fidgety."

"What do you mean by that?" Renji asked, kicking a small rock out of his way. He was sick and tired of those damned rocks now and was glad to be rid of them for the day.

"I mean she seemed distracted."

"She was distracted because of her new position Ichigo. A blind man could see that."

Ichigo snorted. "No, it was a different kind of distraction. She had already finished her errands for Hitsugaya by then, so I wonder what it could have been?"

"You know Rukia. She's quite the closed book sometimes. It's hard to tell what she is thinking unless she says it." Renji stated as though he knew every corner of Rukia's mind. Then again, Ichigo thought, Renji had known her since they were children.

"True." Ichigo agreed. "I might have just been assuming too much regarding the circumstances. She's probably fine."

Though Renji and Ichigo did not pass on their doubts to one another, it was evident on their features that they did not fully believe their own words. They exited the training grounds without any more discussion regarding Rukia.

"I will see you tomorrow morning, Renji." Ichigo called out as they parted ways. Renji waved his hand behind him, not looking back.

"Yeah yeah. I'll be there after my rounds."

--

"Izuru, I need you to help me do this."

Izuru stared at her, his eyes half-closed against the darkness. It was hard to see much of anything in the room, except for a small candle that was dwindling; it had been lit for a while. The pair of eyes staring back at him through the shadows were narrowed, and seemed full of intent.

"I don't think we, or you, should. You could get in serious trouble."

There was a sigh from the room, and Izuru flinched. "It's just this one thing, Izuru. I don't need anything more from you. I can't go to anyone else."

"You could," He said dryly, "I mean, I'm not your only friend. And why can't you do it?"

"You are the only friend who might actually help me," She whispered loudly, tapping the floor impatiently. "And the reason I cannot do this myself is because I have a previous engagement I cannot miss."

Izuru mulled it over for a moment, his teeth digging into his lower lip. "Fine." He agreed, "But after this I am not helping anymore. And if I get caught, I'm sending them strait after you."

A rustle of clothes was muffled; someone had stood up and walked to the door. "That's fine, just so long as something can be done. Even the small things can cause big problems. I trust you Izuru."

With that, the door opened, revealing the milky moonlight that hung thickly in the air, then it was gone. Izuru glanced around the room and crawled hesitantly towards his desk. The candle flickered at the gust of air he brought with him.

"I guess I better do it tonight, while I have time…I can't believe I'm doing this." He said, blowing out the candle and standing up. He found his way blindly to the door, and opened it to reveal the moonlight again. There was a solemn, distant look in his eyes.

"…I'm sorry, Rukia."


Author's Note: Well, a little bit of a cliff hanger. : I hope you enjoyed it, and that it was at least somewhat interesting. Please review, and let me know what you think! The next chapter will be up within the next two weeks. I appreciate all the support I've been given. Some more reviews would be nice, since its nice to read some encouragement.

EvilMoose