Captain Kurotsuchi tapped his fingers impatiently on his desk as he waited for his lieutenant. "NEMU!" he called again, yet still there was no reply. Where is that useless girl?

"Taicho?" his lieutenant entered the room. Her long black hair, which was kept in a braid, was held at the end by a large, red bead. Her black shihakusho came down only to above her mid-thigh, and she wore white, fingerless gloves on her hands.

"Finally!" he exclaimed, "Where have you been, Nemu? Never mind that, are you caught up on the situation?"

"Yes sir." She answered, "It's just as we feared, there's trouble in the Rukon District. An explosion took place just twenty miles outside the south gate."

Kurotsuchi cursed and jumped out of his seat, scattering his paperwork over his dark, messy office. "Clean this mess up." He ordered his lieutenant as he dashed out the door. Making his way through the Seirietei, the captain of squad twelve came to the south gate. Glancing at the gate keeper, he ran out into the Rukon District and down to where the explosion was supposed to have taken place.

He hadn't gone tree miles, though, when he noticed Rangiku, the lieutenant of squad ten making her way toward him. He noticed she was carrying something. As she got closer, Kurotsuchi realized it was Toshiro Hitsugaya, the young captain of squad ten.

Kurotsuchi's eyes widened as he noticed the blood covering the child captain. His white, captain's haori was tattered and torn, as was his shihakusho. "What happened?"

"I'll explain later," She said hurriedly, "but please, taicho, go and inform Unohana taicho of Hitsugaya taicho's condition." As if in response, the young captain groaned and, with a bloody hand, clutched his lieutenant's pink scarf she wore draped over her shoulder's

"Of course." With that, the captain of squad twelve turned and flash-stepped away.

"Hold on taicho." Rangiku spoke to Hitsugaya as she cradled him closer to her.

Kurotsuchi dashed through the door of the squad four barracks, running onto Lieutenant Isane. "Where's Unohana?"

"In her office." She answered, quite perplexed by the fact that the captain of research and development was in the healing department barracks. "Is something wrong?"

Not replying, the captain dashed pasted her and burst into the office of the squad four captain. "Unohana, get a place ready for Toshiro Hitsugaya, he's severely injured."

The motherly-looking captain got up from her desk, wasting no time with questions, she ordered her subordinates to get the medical room ready for the patient.

Rangiku ran as fast as she could through the Seirietei. She knew the squad four barracks lay near the north gate. Rounding the North corner, she ran into Captain of squad thirteen, Jushiro Ukitake.

"Rangiku?" he then noticed the small figure in her arms, "Shiro-chan!?"

"Please, Ukitake taicho," she pleaded, "I'll explain later, but now I have to get my captain to squad four."

"Of course, I shall go inform Yamamoto sotaicho."

Both parted, Ukitake headed to the squad one barracks. He put on a burst of speed; Hitsugaya was like a son to him. Ever since the boy had entered the thirteen court guard squads, he had taken to the young one, and even more so when Hitsugaya had become the youngest Shinigami ever to become a captain. He wondered what could have possibly happened to the child protégée.

Ukitake came to the Squad one barracks, "Ukitake taicho of squad thirteen, requesting a meeting!" he bellowed.

"Enter!" boomed the voice within.

Rangiku was almost at the barracks, she couldn't believe how long it had taken her to get there. But she did have a fair sized wound on her leg, and she was carrying her unconscious captain. It's a good thing you're light. She thought. Making her way up to the raised wooden floor of the barracks, she tripped. The young captain clutched her scarf even tighter and groaned. Rangiku looked down at him, in his unconscious state, he really looked more like a small, innocent child.

"Hold on, taicho" she whispered, then she burst through the doors. "UNOHANA TAICHO!"