I do not own Bleach

Chapter 27 Goodbye's

As soon as the Garganta closed Hinata took off. The others eyes went wide as she vanished. In a matter of moments, she was at the top of the hill. Her eyes quickly took in the sight of everything before her, once again resting on Ichigo. She was at his side before anyone even saw that she was there. Everyone was still talking when one by one the top of the hill went silent as they all saw her. She sat cradling Ichigo's head, allowing a little of her spiritual pressure to flow into him to keep him awake until Orihime could come.

Tears made paths down her face as she gently rocked. "I told you, Ichigo, he was too strong."

He slowly opened his eyes and croaked, "But I couldn't let him take Rukia." His eyes began to close.

"Don't sleep Ichigo! Orihime is on her way!"

He gave a tired nod. A hand fell on her shoulder. Looking up she saw Aunt Kitty. "You did good kid." Aunt Kitty reached down and ruffled Ichigo's hair.

. . .

Yamamoto's eyes narrowed as he looked at the girl that had appeared. She had long, bright orange hair that was falling out of a pair of silver chopsticks. She shared an uncanny resemblance with the Ryoka boy. She had a Zanpakuto hanging at her side and was dressed like his Shinigami, but he made a point of knowing everyone who entered into the court guard squads and with her silent entrance along with that outrageous hair he would definitely have remembered her. Hands still resting on his cane, he went to take a step forwards when all of a sudden Yoruichi was in front of him. She had a hard look in her eyes that seemed to dare him to try and approach the girl. It was only a moment before she vanished again, appearing at the side of the young girl and resting a hand on her shoulder.

He shifted his eyes from the scene when Shunsui appeared at his side. "She's an interesting one, isn't she master?"

Yamamoto's eyes went back to the scene in front of him. "You know who she is?"

Shunsui gave a chuckle, "I wouldn't say I know her. She wandered into my barracks and gave me a hug from behind. Her name is Hinata Kurosaki."

"Why didn't you report her?" He looked back at his former student with a slight raise of his eyebrow.

Again a chuckle, "I wasn't sure she was a Ryoka until I saw your reaction and Yoruichi's defense until just know." With a smile on his face he also flashed stepped away to stand by the girl.

Yamamoto was surprised that when he looked back up he saw Jushiro was also standing by her along with a weeping Matsumoto who had draped herself across the girl's shoulders. His eyes narrowed some more when with a quick look around revealed that more people also knew who she was. Hand tightening on the head of his cane, he looked forward. Who was this girl, and how did she have a Zanpakuto? It hadn't come from the Kuchiki girl, that was sure, but how else could she have gotten it?

. . .

Hinata sat at the top of the hill of Rukia's execution three days later. Her eyes searched across the land before her. The whole place was filled with sorrow. After making sure that Ichigo was being healed, Hinata had found herself being dragged off by Rangiku who had drunk herself into a coma over three days, and after dropping her off to a frustrated Toshiro, she had left. She had looked in on Ichigo and her friends who were all in a deep sleep.

So she sat up on the hill gently swinging her legs. She glanced over her shoulder towards the men who were hiding in the woods behind her. They had been following her since Rangiku had pulled her away. Well, if they wanted to play hide and seek then it was her turn to hide.

. . .

Hinata gave a giggle. That was too easy, she gave a sign. What was she to do now? As she had run to hide she had lost her way. She wasn't sure where she was any more. As she walked down the hall, she felt a pulse of anguish. Hinata stopped and looked into the door beside her. There was a girl in a hospital bed, her eyes barely open as tears poured out. Hinata walked over. The girl on the bed didn't seem to even notice her. Hinata found her hand reaching out to touch the girl without her knowing. At contact, Hinata jerked her hand back. There was a dark taint to the girl's soul that was identical to the evil man's spiritual pressure. Hinata looked back at the girl whose eyes seemed to focus on her.

"Help me." A weak voice croaked out.

Hinata cast a look around. She wanted to help her but the feeling of darkness made her hesitate. She took a deep breath before touching the girl again. Her hand jerked back once again.

The girl's tears increased, "Please."

Hinata thought for a long time about what she could do. She gave a nod as she realized what she needed to do. She performed reiraku and watched as all the ribbons appeared. Hinata quickly sorted through the ribbons until there were few left in the room. Once she found the girl's, she grabbed it. Just like she had thought, there was a black thread attached. Pulling Niko out, she sliced the thread.

Immediately the other girl's breathing leveled as her eyes closed and her tears stopped. "Thank you."

. . .

Hinata carefully approached her target with silent steps until she jumped on his back. "Shunsui!"

There was a slight huff of air before the larger man turned back and looked at her with a chuckle. "Hinata, my dear! Where have you been?"

"I was with Matsumoto, and I'm playing hide and seek with two men."

"Oh, are you. Have they found you yet?"

"Nope, I haven't seen them in a day!"

Shunsui gave a chuckle. "Old Man Yama ain't going to be happy about that."

"Is it because I'm winning? And who is Old Man Yama?"

With another chuckle he pulled her off his back and placed her in front of him. "Old Man Yama is the man in charge here, and I bet he has all your friends being followed."

Hinata tilted her head. "Why?"

Before Shunsui had a chance to answer though, Jushiro entered. Hinata skipped over to him giving him a great big hug. He gave a laugh as he reached down and ruffled her hair. "How are you doing little one?"

"I'm doing well! Right now I'm playing hide and seek with two men!"

With that Jushiro looked up at Shunsui with a question in his eyes that was answered with a nod. "Well, that sounds like fun."

For the next several hours, both men sat and listened to the girl as she rambled on about her life as a high school student. When she stopped mid-sentence they both looked questioningly at her. "I have to go now. Looks like they have almost found me." She gave each of them a hug. "See you soon!"

Not two minutes after she left a member of the stealth squad appeared. "Have you. . ."

Both men laughed, "You just missed her."

With that, the man vanished again.

. . .

Rangiku sat staring out the window. She wasn't sure how long she had sat there. All she could remember was dragging the orange haired girl off to drink and then nothing else. She wasn't sure why, but the orange haired girl brought her comfort. She was the only one who seemed to believe that Gin wasn't evil.

"You know he did it for you."

Rangiku jumped at the voice. She turned to see the very object of her thoughts standing there. "What?"

The girl smiled down at her. "He wants what's best, but he thinks this is the best way."

Rangiku was still trying to wrap her mind around what the girl had said when she whipped a bottle out from behind her back. "I got this from Shunsui, and I thought you might like it." The girl looked out the window before a frown formed on her face. "Sorry, got to go; they almost found me!" With a wave she was gone.

Rangiku looked to where she had gone before throwing the bottle back. When a member of the stealth force appeared she was already too drunk to even talk to him.

. . .

Hinata found herself atop another hill. Ahead of her was a large man who had the face of a dog looking solemnly at a grave. He felt familiar to her, but as his sadness and sense of betrayal rolled off of him she walked up. She silently grabbed his hand.

He flinched at the sudden touch, and looked down to see a strange girl holding his hand. He tried to pull it away but found that even with all his strength he wasn't able to pull his hand back.

The girl looked up at him. "It will be okay."

He froze. "What?"

"You are sad about your friend who ran away with the bad man, right?"

"How do you know that?"

"You both came to stop Kenny, right?" With his nod she continued, "Even though his spiritual pressure scared me, I could tell that you had a strong bond. If he is truly good, he will come back."

She stated it so clearly that he found he couldn't refute her statement. "What is your name, girl?"

"Hinata, Hinata Kurosaki."

"Sunshine?"

"Yep!"

He gave a nod. "That is a good name. I am called Sajin Komamura."

They stood like that for a moment longer with her hand still in his, except he found that he was desperately trying to hold to her steady hand now.

"Captain Komamura?"

Sajin looked back to see Hisagi standing there. Hisagi gave a look of confusion at Hinata before standing beside them both. "Will caption Tosen ever come back?"

Sajin gave a look at Hinata before looking back into the distance. "Undoubtedly. And when he does, we will knock the cobwebs out of his head."

They all stood there for a long time before Hinata let go of his hand. "Sorry, but it looks like they have almost found me." She gave each of them a hug before she vanished.

They were still standing there when the stealth squad showed up. "Have you. . ."

They both pointed in the direction they had thought she had gone before a nod from the man and he was gone.

. . .

Hinata found Ichigo at the 11th squad fighting with Ikkaku. She sat in the back and smiled. When Kenny entered, she hopped down to stand by him.

"You're looking well, Ichigo. Have your wounds healed?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah! I'm fully. . ." Ichigo started to say before he found himself being pushed back.

Hinata was standing in front of him with her sword drawn, smiling at Kenny as she blocked his sword.

Kenny's eyes where wide. "Why, what do we have here? You are strong girl!"

He went to swing again, but found that she was gone. He looked up to see Ichigo running away, dragging her behind him.

Hinata gave a cheerful wave while yelling, "Tag, you're it!"

"Hey! Get back here!" Kenny jumped out the window.

Yachiru peeked over his shoulder, "Hurry Kenny, we have to tag her back!"

. . .

Toshiro walked out of the room rolling his eyes. Matsumoto was drinking with Lieutenant Kira. He walked to Hinamori's room and was surprised to find her not only awake, but sitting up in bed. He rushed to her side. "Hinamori!" She turned to look at him as he gave her a gentle hug.

"Shiro!"

"How are you awake!?"

She turned away from him, looking out the window again. "I know it's silly, but an orange angel saved me."

Toshiro's eyes narrowed. Orange angel? But all of this was put aside as he talked to Hinamori; he was just happy that she was awake.

. . .

Ichigo was still dragging Hinata when they ran into Orihime who was frantic because she couldn't find Rukia. Hinata could feel that Kenny was still on their trail as well.

"Ichigo, you should go with Orihime. I'm going to play with Kenny."

Ichigo gave her a side look. "Okay, but make sure you are at the gate when we leave."

Hinata gave a smile before vanishing.

Orihime and Ichigo had been running for a while when she looked at him, "Ichigo, you know Kenny is Caption Zaraki right?"

"WHAT!" Was heard throughout the Seireitei, and a certain orange haired girl giggled as she ran.

. . .

Kenny eventually found her sitting in one of many corridors. She smiled up at him.

Kenny laughed. "Finally I get to fight you!" He drew back his blade and ran towards her; she pulled out her own. With each of their swings long trenches were left in the ground and the surrounding buildings began to fall.

Hinata was laughing as she jumped aside once again, dodging one of his attacks. She didn't think twice as a blur of pink approached her, landing on her shoulder. "Tag, you're it! No tag backs!" Hinata smiled at her pink haired friend.

"Well, I've got to go find someone else now!"

Kenny yelled at the air as once again she vanished.

. . .

Ikkaku was trying to find Caption Zaraki when a voice beside him said, "Tag, you're it! No tag backs!" The next thing he knew, he was flying through a wall, creating a crater two walls over.

He was still trying to orient himself as he heard a laughing Yumichika.

. . .

Hinata made it to the gate just as everyone else was showing up. As they were making their way over to her, she looked back to the two original men who had been chasing her along with twenty others who were all crying as they sat on the ground.

Uryu ran up to her, holding out a bundle of clothes. "Hinata! I made you some clothes to wear back to the real world."

Hinata grabbed them with a smile saying, "I'll be right back."

Ichigo had murder in his eyes when Hinata came back wearing something very similar to Uryu, but more feminine. He was about to grab Uryu when Jushiro appeared. "Ichigo, Hinata, can I talk to you?"

They both walked over. Jushiro took in Hinata's outfit with a raised eyebrow. "These are for you." He held out two wooden badges, one with a skull and a cross and the other a lotus flower with a cross.

Ichigo reached out and grabbed his. "What is it?"

Jushiro, still holding Hinata's badge, looked at Ichigo. "It's a substitute soul reaper badge. Because Rukia won't be there with you any more, it will allow you to exit your human body so you can still fight."

Ichigo nodded his head in acceptance before looking back at the other one. "Why does Hinata need one?"

Jushiro looked confused. "What?"

Before Ichigo could say anything, Hinata grabbed the badge. She wasn't sure what is was but something about it felt off and it made her worry.

Ichigo was looking at her with confusion, but then there was a call from the others saying they were leaving. Hinata quickly ran around giving everyone a hug, even Rukia's brother who seemed shocked by the act. Taking Ichigo's and Uryu's hands, she walked into the gate along with the others.

. . . Side Story. . .

Ever since that day squad 11's training became an intense game of tag.