Fifteen Years Later
"Hitsugaya Ryuushiro!" A young boy, aged about 5 years old, skidded to a halt. He could recognize that voice from miles away. He gulped. Turning slowly, he saw the dreaded figure of doom. His mother.
"How many times must I tell you to stop performing shikai in front of other kids? You'll scare them!" A woman with black hair to her waist level chided, hands on her hips. She wore a shinigami's uniform, and in addition, wore a white cape that said "Third" over it.
Ryuushiro pouted, and muttered under his breath, "It's not my fault that they're such scaredy cats. It's only a sword."
"What's that?" she asked shrewdly, black eyes flashing. He jumped, not expecting her to have heard that. He tried giving her the puppy dog eyes. This method works on most females, as they seem to find his pleading teal eyes irresistible. His mother, however, was not like most females. "Don't you give me that look! It's not going to work!" The captain of the Third Division marched towards the little boy and caught a firm hold of his left ear, causing the boy to cry out in pain. "You're going to apologize to them, you hear me?" she said while pulling him by the ear.
"Ah! Ah! Ouch! Ah!" he cried out in pain. Just when things seemed hopeless for the child, a grandfatherly figure appeared. "Ukitake-jiichan!" he shouted, and squirmed and wriggled out of her grasp and hid behind his legs, peeping at his mother's reaction from the side. "Ukitake-jiichan, save me!" he exclaimed, looking up to the retired taichou's face. "What have you gotten yourself into again, you little imp?" Ukitake asked as he ruffled the boy's hair. "Hey, don't mess up my hair!" he complained, putting his hands protectively over his head. The boy has sprouted a croup of thick black hair, with a single white strip down the middle. (visualize a skunk) He would always spike his hair, just like his father. He smiled fondly at the child. Ryuushiro has helped him liven up his retirement days, to say the least. The ex-captain of the twelth division looked at the fuming mother and said, "Now, now, Karin-chan, don't get so angry. He's just a child."
Karin sighed, and Ryuushiro could tell that Ukitake-jiichan had won. "Ukitake-taichou, you shouldn't spoil him too much, you know. He's already spoilt as it is." She turned to Ryuushiro with a stern look, making him jump behind Ukitake again. "I'm not going to punish you, Shiro-chan, I just want you to promise me that you will apologize to the kids, you hear?" she said gently. He peeked out from the side of his 'shield' and nodded. She held out her hand and he plodded obediently to her. As the pair was about to go, Karin turned back to Ukitake and said, "Oh, and please stop giving him so much sweets. It'll spoil his dinner. Let's go, Shiro-chan. Off to find your father." Ukitake watched the mother and son pair leave with a smile. They're like a heartwarming family sitcom, he thought, as he too left the place leaning on his walking stick.
"Soutaichou! There has been an increase in the sighting of Hollows near the coast of Florida!" a member from the scouting team reported.
"Send an order to Kurosaki Ichigo-taichou to get on the case. Ask him to report to me by the end of the day. I'll personally brief him on the case." A young man sat on the chair, supporting his face with his left arm, looking bored.
"Soutaichou! The Eleventh Division has 23 wounded seats, 11 of them in critical condition!" a shinigami from the Eleventh Division reported worriedly.
"Inform Unohana-taichou about the number of causalties. Ask Kusajishi-taichou to see me." That makes it the, what, third time I had to see her this week? he thought, sighing inwardly.
If you count the time where she created a scene at the living world, and you had to clear up her mess, this would make it the FOURTH time you're seeing her this time, a icy voice in his head told him. He rubbed his temples. Since becoming the Soutaichou, he hasn't had a moment's peace. He sighed inwardly again. And it's not like he could get a piece of mind at home either. He had tried to deny the position for Soutaichou, but the candidates were only him and Kusajishi, so, everyone else decided to sacrifice his peace for the sake of Seireitei. Had I known this would happen I would have threatened them with my death..
"Soutaichou! The paper supply at the Tenth Division is running low!" A vein popped. Couldn't Matsumoto deal with the problem of finding more paper?
"Soutaichou! The Twelth Division is found attempting to break prisoner Kurotsuchi Mayuri out of the Penance Tower again!" Another vein popped. He ran his hand through his crop of spiked white hair. Every since he threw him into prison decades ago (for what he did, he ought to have been killed), the next taichou, Kurotsuchi Nemu, has been defying orders to leave him alone and has been leading 'rescue teams'. "Ask her to see me later before dusk," he replied curtly.
"Soutaichou!" cried another.
"What?!" he asked, voice lined with irritation.
"Your wife… Kurosaki-taichou is here." And he cringed at the sight of his wife standing at the door, arms folded. All activities ceased as everyone in the room held their breath so as to not set off the human time bomb.
"Soutaichou!" she called out, with a tinge of indignation. She stared at him in the eye and said forcefully, "In case you haven't notice, it's already past noon." Everyone in the room shivered with fear, fear for their Soutaichou. Kurosaki Karin was known for her insistence on having family meals together (a habit inherited from her father). Hitsugaya Toushiro was in for it. What excuse do you have this time? she thought, sending him the question.
"Well, Kurosaki-taichou, as you can see, I'm still up to my arms in work. Perhaps you can eat with Ryuushiro first. I will join you as soon as I can," he said, appearing cool and collected, as always. Look, Karin, I really can't leave with you right now. How would it look like to the rest of the world if the Soutaichou took lunch break because his wife told him to? he thought, sending it to Karin. Ever since the… incident, they shared a connection, thus they were able to hear each other thoughts when they willed it. Oh, so the great almightly Soutaichou is henpecked? The whole world already knows! Get on with it! Hyourinmaru decided to put in his two cents worth.
Shut it! they thought at the same time (and it seems that they had a connection with Hyourinmaru as well). Just this once, Karin! I'll do the dishes for two weeks, he pleaded. Karin sniffed as she said, "Very well, I see that you're busy. Then please join us at a time you deem fit." She turned and walked around. Everyone in the room heaved a sigh of relief. Hitsugaya cleared his throat and asked, "Well, is there any other urgent matters?" He paused for a second before continuing, "Well, if that is all, please take a short break before resuming your work," and hurried out of the room. One said, "He must have it tough, having Kurosaki-taichou as a wife." Everyone nodded and solemnly saluted him.
Hitsugaya found his wife and child sitting under the cherry blossoms tree, having a picnic. As he approached, he saw Karin stiffen and pointedly looked away. He sighed inwardly again. "I'm sorry, okay? I came as fast as I could. Forgive me?" he said, giving her an apologetic smile. Karin looked at the smiling young man, and her heart melted. She kissed him on the lips and said, "Mo, I could never stay angry with you." He kissed her back, and said, "And I'm such a lucky man to marry a woman who loves me so much." They grinned at each other.
"Euugghhh!" Ryuushiro said. They turned and looked at their child, and ruffled his hair. "Hey! Don't mess up my hair!" he said indignantly. Karin and Toushiro stared at each other, and burst out laughing while Ryuushiro pouted. And they lived happily ever after, Hyourinmaru said. Shut up, they said, but didn't really mean it as they exchange another kiss.
Whoots! It's finished! Actually, to what one of you has commented, i do agree that Hitsugaya is a little ooc... but i thought it makes him seem sweeter? i dunno. sorry if i've crushed your image of Hitsugaya. Well, here i'll like to thank all of you who are reading this fanfic and likes it. Especially those that has been reading this since the very beginning and encouraging me with all the positive reviews. Your comments made me feel more confident as a writer. Arigatougosaimatsu!