Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I would kick the anime scriptwriters in the head for making Ichigo so OOC at the end of the Hueco Mundo arc. That SO DID NOT happen. Er, so, yup, I don't own Bleach, nor do I own a fair amount of this chapter's plot.

Summary: HitsuHina xXx Ep. 60 alteration: She struggled to keep her composure although nobody else was around, praying that he would open his glowing green eyes. "Just wake up, please…" (Summary edited, AGAIN. I can't seem to find one that satisfies me...)

Pairings: Hitsugaya x Hinamori, one-sided Matsumoto x Ichimaru, implied Ichigo x Rukia

Genres: Romance, angst, drama, and slight humour if you squint.

Author's Note: Hello, I hope someone's reading this… XD Anyhow, this first chapter was more or less taken from the anime, though I made quite a few changes. Also, I did most of this from memory, so if it's not perfect…well, I'm not expecting it to be. The time I watched episode 60 and read those manga chapters was a LONG time ago. I've been dwelling on this idea for maybe...over half a year now, so I really want this story to be successful, although honestly, I'm really nervous about posting it... Anyhow, please enjoy the first chapter!

Perfecting Timing by HawkofNavarre

Chapter 1 – Broken Ice

"W-what the hell happened here?" Hitsugaya choked out in disbelief. The Central 46… Dead. Every single one of them was…dead.

"Taicho… How is this even possible?" his Fukutaicho asked, equally as shocked, absorbing the scene with wide eyes.

Blood stained the room everywhere. It was a sight that Hitsugaya wanted to forget, but there were reasons he could not. What kind of insane conspiracy was this? Every person in this room who had one been on the Central 46 was dead. Who could of killed them? Was it Gin? The short captain could not take that sly smile out of his mind. He knew that Ichimaru was hiding something, and now he had to find out—especially because he'd almost hurt Hinamori.

Hitsugaya glanced at Matsumoto worriedly. She was biting her lip and he could see her knuckles turning white due to grasping the hilt of her zanpakutou so tightly. This was probably affecting her more that it was himself. Hitsugaya knew of the close bonds she shared with the captain of the third division.

"This is… crazy," he commented lowly, at a loss for words. There was absolutely nothing that could describe how totally out of control this was becoming. It was frustrating being right in the middle of it.

The silver-haired prodigy took a step closer to one of the tables. He swiped his index finger across one of the pools of blood and rubbed it against his thumb. The crimson substance crumbled to the ground. That could only mean one thing in Hitsugaya's mind.

"It's dry, to the point where it turns black and crumbles. They've already been dead for at least two days," Hitsugaya observed aloud. This was becoming more and more screwed up by the minute.

What the hell is going on here? Matsumoto and I were the ones who broke in, so how…?

How is everyone dead?!

"You mean…"

"Yes," the tenth captain answered calmly, although he was feeling much more frantic than he sounded, "every decision passed down by the Central 46 recently, has been nothing more than a fake!"

Matsumoto let out a sharp breath, as if she hadn't wanted to admit that to herself. "Then Kuchiki's execution, and…"

He nodded. "Now the question is who could have done this and controlled the decisions passed by the so-called 'Central 46.'"

"Hello, Hitsugaya-Taicho, Matsumoto-Fukutaicho,"

The two who held the highest rankings of tenth division, standing in the middle of the deep room, turned back to the entrance. The person who stood there was a male with blond hair, part of it covering half of his face.

"Kira! Was it you who did this?" Hitsugaya demanded before he could stop himself, though he was not really expecting an answer.

The vice-captain of the third division only faced the other direction and walked out the door.

"Wait!" he called though it had no effect. "Damn it!" The young shinigami flash-stepped up the stairs and dashed after Kira, his lieutenant trailing after him.

-

I don't understand… Hinamori thought desperately. She had been a mess ever since her captain had died. They'd tried to lock her in the fourth division while she had been unconscious, but as a master of Kidou, she'd gotten out easily. Evading the seated officers of the healing division was a whole other matter, though Hinamori had escaped without difficulties in that area as well.

The vice-captain was thoroughly confused. Aizen-Taicho had written in his letter that Hitsugaya was the one that killed him. Her captain never lied, so it just had to be her childhood friend behind this!

He was the one that murdered Aizen-Taicho, but then…why was Hitsugaya-kun surprised when he saw the Central 46? She had to wonder that. Matsumoto was just as shocked, if not more, and Hinamori was certain that whoever had done this must have had an accomplice.

"Nice'ta see ya, Hinamori-Fukutaicho," greeted a familiar voice.

She whirled around quickly. "I-Ichimaru-Taicho! I was not aware that you were here,"

"S'okay. Come with me, will ya? There's someone I want ya ta meet," Ichimaru told her cheerfully, a wide and scary smile upon his face. With that, he turned and walked away, expecting her to follow.

Hinamori remembered Hitsugaya's warning, but dismissed it without hesitation. She could not trust his word anymore. The fifth division lieutenant stalked after Ichimaru Gin.

-

Catching up to Kira was proving to be more difficult than Hitsugaya had originally thought. Sure, he could run fast enough to keep up with the guy, but he didn't think he could stop him with sheer sprinting power alone. They we now travelling the rooftops of Seritei, and he and Matsumoto had to stop him somehow. He'd wanted to save reiatsu at first, just in case he'd have to fight using full strength, though shunpo now seemed like the only option.

He silently signalled Matsumoto with his left hand, flicking it softly behind him, and he was certain she'd seen it. Concentrating just enough of his spiritual energy into his feet to get in front of Kira, he stopped the running vice-captain in his tracks.

"Kira, tell us what we want to know," the young Taicho demanded calmly. The blond didn't seem to be affected. His eyes lay still, unfazed, unmoving.

"Don't you have something better to do than interrogate me, Hitsugaya-Taicho?" asked Ichimaru's lieutenant casually. Hitsugaya did not like the way this was going. "Shouldn't you be worrying about Hinamori-Fukutaicho instead of me?"

He felt it.

Hitsugaya's blue-green orbs widened in panic. He could feel her reiatsu nearby, spiking just slightly before it was masked again. His heart was beating so heavily he could hear it in his head.

It was moving. Hinamori was heading somewhere… She was heading to—the Seijoutou-Kyorin! Why was she going there? Had Aizen told her to? —No, Aizen was dead! Damn it!

For a split second, it felt hard to breathe as panic washed over the silver-haired boy. No, he had to focus. Hinamori could get hurt if he didn't go at that moment. Without a so much as a regard to Kira, Hitsugaya took off once again, gaining and breaking eye contact with his own vice-captain for just an instant. She knew what to do.

Reiatsu didn't even matter to him anymore. He had to get to her, and shunpo was the quickest way. Stupid Bed-Wetter Momo… he thought as he rushed in her direction. You'd better not get hurt.

-

Rangiku flipped a lock of her strawberry-blonde hair over her shoulder. Kira was one of her closest friends, yet she had no idea why he was doing what he was. A faint breeze passed by the two of them, and she watched the hair that lay over his left eye sway just slightly. The tension was thick in the air as the two vice-captains stared at each other. Matsumoto wanted to know what he was thinking. His face was so indifferent while she glared at him through nearly spiteful eyes. She wanted to know—what was going on?

"You shouldn't glare, Matsumoto-san. You look much better when you're smiling," he commented casually, still glancing at her through his emotionless orbs.

"Why are you doing this, Kira?" she asked, ignoring his statement.

"I'm only following orders," was the blonde's simple answer.

"Wh…What?" Matsumoto gasped out in disbelief. Orders?! He was following orders?! Exactly whose orders?

Kira said nothing more of her inquiry though he continued to look at her ceaselessly. "Matsumoto-san, I believe you haven't seen my Shikai yet."

"Yeah? So what?" she questioned loudly.

"No matter, I don't mind showing you as well," Kira decided as he pulled out his zanpakutou from its sheath. "Raise your head, Wabisuke."

Suddenly, he flew at her with the intent to win the battle he'd just started. The tenth division's lieutenant was caught off guard for a moment, but managed to pull out her own zanpakutou in time to block the attack. He didn't stop with that one attack, launching a flurry of downward cuts at her. However, Matsumoto was fast and her sword countered each blow. As he finished off his bout of slashes, he stepped back and faced her with his once again neutral face.

"Are you done already?" the busty woman asked before the zanpakutou she held in her hands grew exceptionally heavy, crashing into the roof of the house they were fighting on. Growling in frustration, she attempted to lift the fallen blade, but it was to no avail.

Her friend said nothing to answer her earlier question and proceeded to explain his Shikai. "And that, Matsumoto-san, is the power of my Shikai. How many times did you block my sword just then?"

"Why should it matter?"

"It does, actually. It matters greatly, in fact," he informed her. "You see, Wabisuke doubles the weight of anything it cuts, and objects fall to the ground as though they were bowing. Hence, Wabisuke."

"So what?" Rangiku asked as she did before. "If I can't hold my zanpakutou, then I'll just not hold it."

Finally, finally, Kira's face displayed surprise. Take that, you indifferent emo! she cheered in her head. Though Izuru was one of her awesome drinking buddies, she wasn't particularly fond of him at the moment.

"I don't think you've ever seen my Shikai either, have you, Kira?" she pointed out, the question being entirely rhetorical. "Roar, Haineko!"

Immediately after the words left her mouth, the blade of her zanpakutou rushed into ashes, floating around her, still clutching the hilt.

"Now, Kira, I think it will be fun watching you defeat something you can't hit," the buxom strawberry-blonde stated teasingly, smirking all the while. However, she couldn't shake the questions that grew inside of her. Gin, what exactly do you plan to do to this kid?

-

Hinamori was didn't know what to say. She shouldn't be here! It wasn't right! Besides, she had already broken enough rules today as it was. "Ichimaru-Taicho, this… Isn't this the Seijoutou-Kyorin? No one but the Central 46 are allowed in here…so…why are we…?"

"Patience, Hinamori-chan," he scolded her with a frighteningly large smile as they approached one of the towers. "Don't worry, will ya? The person who wants to meet ya is right in here."

Gin continued into the tower, spinning to face the door when he reached the back of the empty-looking house. Hinamori nodded lightly at his reassurance and climbed the steps in uncertainty. She glanced around the Seijoutou-Kyorin again, slowly walking up step after step.

"Ano…where is this person, Ichimaru-Taicho?" she asked as she stood mid-way through the giant hollow room.

"Turn around, Hinamori-chan," the captain that vaguely resembled a fox told her cheerfully, his eyes still closed and the corners of his lips still lifted.

So she did.

"A-A…" she choked in complete shock, unable to get the words out.

There he stood, his body entirely unscathed and totally alive. He smiled at her warmly—not the creepy and suspicious smile that Ichimaru-Taicho kept giving everyone—and her heart began beating wildly. There was no blood, no bruises, and no cuts. It was just he with his brown hair, welcoming eyes, black-rimmed glasses, and captain's haori. It was he. It was truly he.

"It's good to see you again, Hinamori-kun," her Taicho greeted her kindly.

Hinamori so was overwhelmed with joy that she couldn't speak. She could feel her eyes burning, tears begging for release, so she let them. Water slid down her face as her lips curled up into a relieved smile, trips dripping hesitantly off her chin. He wasn't dead, he was alive and well, but she still had to know if it was true. She still had to know if her captain was truly her captain. Only a few days ago had she seen him sprawled across the wall of Seritei, motionless and bloody. It scared her thinking about it again.

Her legs started moving, forward and forward. "A-Aizen-Taicho…" she finally squeaked out as she reached her precious captain she grasped his robes, pulling herself close to his body to feeling his radiating warmth. It couldn't be possible for him to be dead. Hinamori could feel him right in front of her. "I-I thought…you were dead, but you're not! You're alive, Aizen-Taicho! I'm so glad!"

"I'm sorry, Hinamori-kun, for making you worry," he apologized sincerely, wrapping his arms around her to put her in his embrace, "but I had to fake my death for my plans."

"Nn," the fifth division Fukutaicho said for emphasis while shaking her head. She knew Aizen had good intentions all the time, and if he couldn't tell her what he had been doing, it was okay. He always did the right thing. "It's fine. You're here now, and that's all that matters."

She was so happy.

"Thank you, Hinamori-kun, for all that you've done," Aizen said gladly. She barely felt his right hand leave her back as she lifted her head to look at his handsome face. The female shinigami offered him a watery smile.

"However, I don't need you anymore,"

His visage turned cold and sinister, and Hinamori's eyes widened. She had never seen that look on her captain's face before, ever.

A blade ran viciously through his chest, and suddenly Aizen-Taicho was fading away. He wasn't warm anymore, nor was he there at all. The clothes in her hands disappeared and his presence before her washed into nothingness. As his image descended into the air, she spotted the assaulter that had attacked her captain in front of her.

Shirou-chan.

There stood the boy captain wielding his zanpakutou, mixed emotions playing on him.

Her mouth involuntarily fell open in astonishment. What had Shirou-chan just done? Aizen-Taicho… Aizen-Taicho… Aizen-Taicho was gone again! He had left because Hitsugaya had attacked them!

"My, my, you came much earlier than expected, Hitsugaya-kun,"

Amongst Hinamori's raging thoughts, she heard her captain and whirled. Much to her relief, he was there standing next to Ichimaru-Taicho whose sly expression remained unchanged.

"Ara, sorry about that, Aizen-Taicho," Ichimaru spoke to his former captain. "It looks like Kira-kun hold him off that long."

"Aizen-Taicho!" she shouted in glee. She didn't care much for Hitsugaya's presence at the moment.

"What…the hell is going on here?" Hitsugaya demanded impatiently, glaring at Aizen's seemingly impenetrable face. "How did you just disappear, and why did you just draw your zanpakutou on Hinamori? Answer me, Aizen-Taicho! You're dead! We all saw it, so why are you here and what are your intentions?!"

"So many questions, Hitsugaya-kun. Little boys like you shouldn't be so nosy, but if you must know, I suppose I could at least tell you about my Shikai.

Suigetsu has the ability to put one under complete hypnosis. If you are put under my Shikai, I control all five of your senses. Once you are subjected to Kyokasuigetsu, you cannot escape my hypnosis. Of course, you have to see the illusion at least once in order to fall under the spell. Therefore, one who cannot see cannot be hypnotized."

"In other words, Tousen Kaname is also your accomplice," Hitsugaya ground out between his teeth. "You bastards…"

At this point in time, Hinamori had no idea what was going on. What was Aizen-Taicho talking about? His Shikai was of controlling the flow of water, not hypnosis. Furthermore, Shirou-chan had just insulted her captain and tried to kill him! Once was already enough! She could let him get away with this!

"Hitsugaya-kun! You don't have the right to criticize or attack Aizen-Taicho! Apologize right now!" she ordered angrily, her face stern.

Her childhood friend stared back at her incredulously. "Are you even listening, Hinamori?"

"Ah, Hinamori-kun, you have been alive in the world of dead for far too long. You should be thanking Hitsugaya-kun for coming so fast. My, you were supposed to be dead by now," Aizen sighed tiredly. "I guess it's time. Gin, if you would."

"No problem, Aizen-Taicho," the grinning man replied quite happily as he pulled out his zanpakutou. "Shoot 'em dead, Shinso!"

The sword extended greatly, rapidly making its way to a bun-headed Fukutaicho who was to startled to move. Hinamori was so confused. Aizen-Taicho, Ichimaru-Taicho, Tousen-Taicho—she didn't understand any of it! What had they been talking about? Why were they speaking of her death?

"Hinamori!" a boyish voice called in worry, but she barely registered that it was her own name.

Something sharp…something shiny was coming towards her at a great speed, yet she didn't have one thought that told her to move. "Aizen-Taicho…" she whispered in fear. It was all so confusing.

The last thing she saw was a flash of silver before all became darkness.

-

Matsumoto stared blankly at the wall in the tenth's office. Gin, why are you doing this? she asked the wall internally. She let go of a breath she didn't know she'd been holding in and closed her eyes in misery. Memories crossed her mind, all of them filled with the same face she'd known for many years. The lieutenant shook her head, remembering the most recent one.

"I'm disappointed with ya, Ran-chan. You could've held on just a little longer," he commented teasingly as he floated up the pillar of light along with Aizen and Tousen.

She mentally kicked herself. This wasn't something to recall at this moment. Soul Society—well, Seritei in general—was a mess. Three captains had left and those same three were now deemed traitors. Matsumoto would never have guessed it herself. Aizen had always been so kind, Tousen had always firmly believed in justice, and Gin…

She had believed in Gin, and he had betrayed her.

…Or had he? She just didn't know.

"What are you thinking, Gin?" the isolated woman asked herself quietly, a dazed look on her face.

It was then that she realized a Death Butterfly had been fluttering around her for quite some time. The big-breasted vice-captain lifted her index finger to let it land on the tip. The messenger did so immediately and proceeded to transmit the message.

Please come to the fourth division as soon as possible. It is urgent.

A sigh escaped her lips. How tiresome. All she wanted to do right now was mope and drink.

But it's urgent, apparently. I'd better go, she reasoned with her lazy self. She'd use shunpo, she decided in exhaustion. Faster ways to travel were always better.

When she reached the fourth division, indeed, it seemed to be urgent as Unohana-Taicho was already waiting there for her at the front. The healer had a very weary expression she leaned against the doorframe.

"Unohana-Taicho, you needed to see me?" Rangiku questioned the older woman politely.

"Yes," she replied gently. "Hitsugaya-Taicho and Hinamori-Fukutaicho were involved in a fight with two of the three traitors."

Suddenly, Matsumoto was at full attention. "What?! Are they okay?"

"Indeed, they are fine. Hinamori-Fukutaicho is unhurt and should be waking up anytime now while Hitsugaya-Taicho is unconscious with a severe injury and there is no doubt he will recover from it fully," Unohana answered patiently. "However…"

That was just another way of say "but," and Matsumoto did not like "but." "What is it, Unohana-Taicho?"

The kind woman closed her eyes in remorse. "We do not know if he'll wake up."

Author's Note: Yep, so Hinamori's fine and Hitsugaya's in a coma. It's all going to go off the actual storyline from here. Thanks for reading!

Comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.