Things were moving quickly. Ukitake encountered the orange haired ryoka when going to visit Rukia and he was taken away by a familiar face for training. Yoruichi stated she would make him stronger that Byakaya Kuchiki in 3 days. It would be interesting but it meant that he couldn't question him or Rukia. With a sigh he ordered help for the other two ryoka and wondered how his friend was doing.

Shunsui didn't have much luck on his end either. Yamamoto was obviously shocked by the news but there was nothing he could do about it. Shunsui had to smile though when he could easily see that the fact annoyed the man.

"I cannot order central 46 to be searched," He told him, "And with war time orders, ryoka and constantly changing dates of Rukia Kuchiki's execution the soul society is a mess. I hate to have to leave Hitsugaya but there is nothing I can do to change the situation."

"Alright yama," Shunsui nodded,

The student knew his teacher and the student knew when his teacher was trying to so something he shouldn't. He stressed there was nothing he could do about the situation but said nothing on what they could do. Yamamoto wanted them to rescue Hitsugaya.

"Shunsui," Unohona called.

"Hmm," He looked round with a blink, "What is it?"

He had felt her outside the door she had stopped while passing to listen.

"You were speaking to Yamamoto about Aizen and Hitsugaya correct?"

"Yeah…" The man said sheepishly, "I know your report said-"
"I believe you." She interrupted him.

"What?" He blinked.

"But you reports said that it was defiantly Aizen's body…" Nanao looked at her questioningly.

"I looked over it again," She said, "Something isn't right and your explanation. It fits."

"Then I suppose you'll want to help us," Kyoraku smiled.

"Of course."

"Welcome to the Hitsugaya rescue squad,"

"I wish you would take things more seriously." Nanao sighed.

"This is him serious." Unohona smiled.

Renji and Matsumoto got impatient. They went in search of the ginger themselves. It was difficult but the tracked his spiritual pressure to a training ground under sogyoku hill.

"Training for Bankai in secret." Renji mused, "Sounds like fun."

"You," The ginger looked round, "Get out of here! I'm saving Rukia whether you like it or-"

"I know." Renji stopped him.

"What are you doing here?" Yoruchi came out from the shadows looking between the two that had barged in.

"You!?" Rangiku stormed up to Ichigo ignoring his zanpactou spirit, "Spill! Everything to do with the time you saw my captain!"

Ichigo stumbled back from the fury of the strawberry blond, "Y-your captain?"

"Rukia said you saw Captain Hitsugaya while she was in the world of the living," Renji came over to help calm down Matsumoto, "Would have looked about 10 to you. White hair."

"Oh!" Ichigo clicked, "What did Rukia say his name was…Toushiro, right?"

"You did see him?" Rangiku looked up.

"Yeah…didn't look like he was in very good shape," He looked away seeing his woman cared about the kid a lot it probably wouldn't be nice for her to hear, "We did't get much time to talk and all he managed to tell me was not to let Rukia go back to the Soul Society before that other guy showed up."

"Who was the other shinigami?" Yoruichi asking seeing how this was the first she'd heard of it.

"Erm…" Ichigo shook his head and tried to remember, "Black guy, purple dreads…had a white hiori so was a captain I guess."

"Captain Tosen?" Renji blinked.

"But…"Rangiku shook her head, "It just doesn't seem like something he's do…"

"None of this seemed like anything Aizen would do either though." Renji sighed.

"Aizen?" Yoruichi questioned.

"Yeah," Renji looked round, "We think he's behind everything. Rukia's execution and we know he's behind Histugaya's disappearance."

"Wait, wait wait," Ichigo stopped it, "What the hell's going on?"

They had to explain it to him although through the little speech Yoruichi stayed quiet.

"So this Aizen guy took the kid and is now trying to get Rukia killed?" Ichigo growled,

"He's been torturing my captain for a month," Rangiku told him,

Ichigo growled, "Guy needs to be stopped."

"There's obviously something he needs by killing Rukia so stopping the execution will hopefully help stop his plan." Yoruichi came in.

"Me and Ichigo'll see to the execution," Renji said and looked to Rangiku, "Captain Kyroau and Ukitake can see to getting Hitsugaya back."

"Alright." Matsumoto nodded.

"Wait, there're some captains in on this too?" Ichigo looked surprised.

"Aizen's a dirty traitor," Renji told him, "Of course there are."

"And by the way," Rangiku just remembered, "The execution…it's tomorrow."

"What?" Yoruichi stuttered, "B-But there's no way we'll be ready in time."

Ichigo in a sudden movement smashed the zanpactou he was holding.

"You really wanna say that Yoruichi," He spoke, "I just got a whole new reason to get stronger. And I will have Bankai before tomorrow."

"I'll hold you to that, Ichigo." Matsumoto smiled as she left the boys to train.

Hitsugaya slowly opened his bright teal eyes. His mind was hazy and his body ached. He rolled slowly and painfully onto his back trying to strain his mind to remember what had happened to cause this.

"A kid like him shouldn't have been in the Gotie 13."

His mind woke up, he knew that voice. Sitting up and looking round he saw an image in the darkness were he lay. A familiar image to any who knew the two.

Shunsui had spoken as he sat on the hill with Ukitake.

"It's regrettable but none of the other captain would have been caught so easy," Ukitake spoke taking a drink of the tea in his hand, his face now showing any sympathy or real regret in his words, "I suppose he was made a captain for a gimmick then."

"Let's hope Yama picks someone who can actually do the job next time eh?" Shunui said as light heatedly as ever.

Ukitake gave a nod of agreement before the image faded into the darkness.

Hitsugaya was left dumbstruck staring at where they had once been. They…they would never say that really…?

But…was that what he was? He knew he wasn't the strongest captain, in fact he was probably one of the weakest but his powers had yet to grow. Was that really a gimmick? A living gimmick of what the gotie 13 held for the future?

"You know Captain?"

His train of thought crashed and he looked up to a kneeling Matsumoto.

"You could have gone home after the academy," She carried on, "You didn't have to follow me and Momo into the Gotie 13."

"But I wanted to-"

"Protect us right?" She interrupted him with a hiss of venom, "We've been the ones having to dig you out," She snapped, "All the times you've done something wrong, made the wrong order, lost control of your reatsu, who do you think had had to clean up after you? I hate that my duty is to protect such and annoying little brat."

Her image faded after that and Hitsugaya felt like he had been stabbed. He knew what was happening by now, he knew this as Aizen but…it was true that Hitsugaya had made mistakes. Filled in paperwork wrong, gave the wrong order and gotten some of his men killed and lost control of his reatsu and caused an early winter.

Every time Matsumoto was there to pick up the pieces with him…he never thought to the possibility that she didn't want to be there though…

His teeth gritted and a tear fell from his cheek.

"Stop it…"

"If you had just said yes," Aizen walked into the darkness that evil smile adorned.

Something in the darkness grabbed him and pulled the boy up. He didn't feel ground beneath him and he was brought up, face to face with Aizen.

"If you had just said yes all the pain wouldn't have happened." He said savouring the look of the broken boy before him as he fought tears, "You said no to save them but are they really worth protecting?"

"T-that wasn't them" He muttered not too convincing.

The man smiled, "Yes, it wasn't them but was anything they said a lie? Do you want to live as a morale booster, making mistake after mistake and forcing those around you to clean up after you?"

The boy's face clenched with pain tears fell without his permission,

"Shut up!" He barked.

It had been a month. A long ever ending horrible month of pain and more pain. Even a captain of the gotie 13 was reaching his limit. He'd said it to him so many times.

'If you had just said yes.'

If he had said yes where would he be? He'd still be out in the Soul Soicety right? Maybe he should have said yes, even if it was to report everything that Aizen told him. Why didn't he think of that at the time? But like everything he regret it was laid before him.

"What do I have to do…" He muttered a sting of pain from the shards of his pride, "To make this stop?"

A sword stabbed though the boys chest and he froze with pain.

"Don't fight." Was all he said.

The boy's eyes widened as the physical pain disappeared and was replaced by a war inside his mind. Something had entered him and even though his connection to Hyorinmaru was cut off by barrier he could still feel the dragon roar in protest as Hitsugaya felt cold hands on his consciousness.

"Shatter," he vaguely heard Aizen spoke, "Kyogya sigetsu."

With that Hitsugaya felt himself unwilling dragged into darkness.

Authors note: I do not own bleach

I'm not dead! Well a lot of this had been writen and i got really lost as the news before this said but hey i got bored and the rest of the chapter appeared so there might be hope for this fanfic yet