Chapter 23

Reborn Monster

NORMAL POV

The whole group was on their way to Rukongai, but somehow their teleportation gadgets didn't work and ended up being on the train.

"Jeez Ishida, you should work on that portal thing more," scolded Ichigo

"Yeah, seriously. Now we have to travel by train, plus we would be screwed if someone saw us with swords and weapons," said Renji and scratched his hair.
It was true. They looked like a bunch of normal teenagers but they had hidden weapons and swords.

"Wouldn't we go to jail for holding weapons?" asked the worried Orihime, who, unlike everyone else did not have a sword.

"Don't worry Orihime, we can just easily knock them out," assured Rangiku

"That's not a good thing Rangiku," sighed Rukia

"Oi Hitsugaya, what's wrong with you?" asked Ikkaku from his seat. Hitsugaya's been silent and just staring at the landscapes window.

"Yeah, we could've rested for at least an hour or two at the station but you said no and we all ended up being on the train until daylight," yawned Ichigo and was immediately hit Rukia. Before Rukia could say anything, Hisagi spoke up.

"Kurosaki. It may be hard for you to understand but with every second, minute, or hour that we rest, Hinamori's somewhere suffering for us," said Hisagi and his eyes pleaded Ichigo to understand but he didn't quite get it.

"Hinamori's strong! I know her! She can go through anything and—," before Ichigo could even finish he was pushed against the train door by Hitsugaya.

"You think she's strong but only because you once fought with her, you don't know anything about her or what she's feeling." Hitsugaya's icy look pierced Ichigo's.

"You're the one who forgot about here for years and years, don't suddenly think you're her boyfriend," yelled Ichigo

"Stop it, both of you," shouted Rangiku, "Ichigo, apologize, now."

Ichigo looked at Hitsugaya who looked distraught, and he could see it so easily that Hitsugaya's life was slowly crumbling without Hinamori.

"Hey, sorry for saying such insensitive things. Something must've been wrong with me…" mumbled Ichigo

"Hinamori, she doesn't like hurting people," mumbled Ikkaku and that caught Hitsugaya's attention.

"What do you mean? Isn't she like merciless?" asked Yumichika

"She is, but everytime she cut me or hurt me, her eyes were full of pain," said Ikkaku

Hitsugaya hung his head down and slumped down on the train seat

"Hey, Hinamori will be fine," said Rangiku, "She'll keep fighting, I know it."

All Hinamori knew was to kill. That's all she really remembered. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Yes. She was going to kill them all. But only one thing stopped her.

The boy with white hair, illuminated with his aquamarine eyes.

Without thinking, she whispered his name, so quietly that no one, not even her could hear it.

What was his name, she wonders seconds later. But it was her who forgot what she said moments ago.

Hitsugaya Toushiro

"Hey Toushiro, wake up, we're here," said Ichigo while shaking Hitsugaya. The white haired boy slowly opened his aquamarine eyes, and shook Ichigo's hands off his shoulders, "I'm really sorry about what I said before. I don't know what came over me."

"It's not a problem, we're all worried about Hinamori. In times like this, we need to work together and we shouldn't be creating problems," assured Hitsugaya and walked past Ichigo.

"He must be really worried about her," muttered Ichigo and walked out with Hitsugaya

The others were waiting on the platform. They all looked tired and dead, especially Matsumoto. She had eyebags as dark as the night sky. Hitsugaya noticed this and felt guilt for pushing them past their limits, honestly, even he was surprised how he could be standing properly.

"Hey, we should rest. We're in Rukongai already, so let's stay a bit undercover," suggested Hisagi and Hitsugaya nodded in agreement.

They separated in to groups, and signed in to different hotels.

Matsumoto, Rukia and Orihime were together, while Hitsugaya was with Ichigo and Renji. Hisagi ended up with Ikkaku and Yumichika.

Back in the girls room, all three of them were at different places in the room. Matsumoto was lying on the bed, Rukia on the sofa and Orihime on the floor. All three of them were dead tired, but everytime they closed their eyes they would see Hinamori crying out for help.

"I can't do this anymore," cried Orihime clutching a pillow, "Why her?"

"Yeah it's not fair. I just keep hearing her scream over and over and over again, it just doesn't stop," mumbled Matsumoto

"What are we going to do? We don't even know where the damn place is," stressed Rukia as she grabbed to check her phone

Matsumoto's phone started vibrating in her pocket and she checked it to find a new message from an unknown source. It was some map to a random place, she sighed and was about to put it back in her pocket when it buzzed again. This time it wasn't a map, but a message.

"Ran-chan, every minute you waste, is a minute closer to your death. It's hide and seek. Better find me soon, before she finds you."

"She?" muttered Matsumoto and stood up when she got a good idea of what was going on. She geared up, ignoring the confused looks from the girls, "Get ready. We're going in for the kill."

"What are you talking about?" asked Rukia as she started putting her gadgets back on

"Aizen isn't going to come and kill us," said Matsumoto and stopped moving, she clenched her fists, trying to suppress her anger

"If he isn't going to come after us, then who's possibly going to come assassinate us? I'm pretty sure he doesn't have any strong agents ever since…." Then Rukia realized it to, not knowing what to do, she broke down in gasps, "He's not really going to…"

"Going to what?" asked Orihime

"He's going to use Hinamori."

"How?" questioned Orihime again

"As a tool. As a killing machine. As an assassin," mumbled Matsumoto and fumbled with her guns. She didn't notice how much her hands were shaking, and she couldn't even feel the fear that was boiling inside her.

The way Hinamori killed before. It was inhumane.

It was a monster's killing.