Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

Synopsis: Aisu no Ryu, a notorious unidentified thief who is known to steal many valuable items from the people of Seireitei. His greatest catch and treasure; stealing Princess Hinamori Momo from her kingdom even if it's only an accident.

Author's Note: I'm here again with yet another multi-chapter HitsuHina fan fiction! Much like the other times before, I have decided to try something new. This story takes place in an alternate world where the land is ruled by kings, queens, princesses, knights, thieves, and so on. I hope you enjoy it. This fan fiction is dedicated to all my supporters and all the other HitsuHina fans out there. Without any further adieu, here is the start of The Greatest Treasure.

LEGEND

"Talking."

The Greatest Treasure

Chapter One: Aisu no Ryu

It is a clear and starry night. The wind is calm; the weather's perfect. However, in the wealthy streets of Seireitei, it is nothing but silent. "He has struck again!" someone cried out, disturbing the neighbourhood streets. "This time, the notorious thief, Aisu no Ryu has stolen the sacred glass phoenix!"

"What?" another person asked.

"The glass phoenix is stolen this time?"

"Another family has been robbed of their valuables!"

As people are becoming more alert to the situation, it is a good chance to make his grand escape. Hidden in the shadows of darkness and dressed all in black from head to toe, leaving only his glowing emerald-teal eyes to be visible to the public's eye. With the stolen item completely wrapped in a black cloth and in his possession, the thief swiftly jumped from building to building. From time to time, he would change his course so that his movements less predictable. Eventually, he decided to run to his final destination on ground level.

"He can't have gotten far," said a voice. "Besides, he has the glass phoenix in his possession."

The dark dressed thief stopped and quickly turned at the next corner. Cautious, he looked over and saw two guards defending the border walls to the commoner country.

"We better hurry up and find him."

He raised a fist up and coughed onto it. After clearing his throat, he called out in an impersonated voice, "Requesting for back up! Requesting for back up! Aisu no Ryu has been found! He's headed towards the Eastern Gate!"

The two guards looked at one another and then left their post. Sticking his head out, the thief found the obstacles to be clear from getting into danger. A grin formed on his lips. "Heh, child's play..."

With that said, he fled towards the direction where the moon stood and shone down on the land below.

"We're terribly sorry for leaving our post!" both guards apologized as they continuously bowed down to their superior. "However, we were only listening to your instructions. You wanted us to assist the other guardsmen, who are at the Eastern Gate, in the capture of the thief."

"You fool!" he yelled. "I never told you such orders! That bastard must have done yet another impersonation of me!"

"I-Impersonate?" one of them asked.

The low class guards looked at one another and then to their superior. The other further questioned, "He can do that?"

He slapped a hand right at his face and slides it downward, showing an angry impression. It nearly scared the pants off his subordinates. "Of course he can pretend to sound like someone else! If he couldn't, the thief would have been caught a long time ago! Damn it, this is the fifth expensive item he stole from the people of Seireitei this past month!"

"That is correct," said a voice. The three guards turned their heads to the side and instantly froze. Approaching them are none other than the elite guards who are hired to protect the heart of the kingdom, the palace. "G-G-General Aizen and C-Captain Ichimaru!"

"At the rate all this is going, our thief is bound to start thinking about stealing valuables from the palace," Aizen Sosuke stated.

Eyes then widened with disbelief. "The Hinamori Palace? That's terrible!"

A grin formed on Ichimaru Gin's face. "I know; that would be terrible news if Aisu no Ryu successfully steals the late King and Queen's precious valuables they left behind for their beautiful and only daughter, the princess." The gray haired man then turned to his superior. "However, we won't let that happen, right General Aizen?"

Aizen just showed a simple smile. "Of course, Gin. For the sake of our princess, we'll put our lives on the line to protect Princess Hinamori's life and her treasures."

"I heard the recent news; Aisu no Ryu has successfully stolen the glass phoenix from the Ino family."

His red haired companion gave his pale blond haired friend a weird look. He then kissed between his teeth and turned his head to the side. "There goes another precious item stolen from us. Cheh, guards these days; they completely suck!" Abarai Renji exclaimed.

Kira Izuru placed a finger between his lips and told him to lower the tone of his voice. "Shh, the princess is sleeping. Besides, we too might not stand a chance against the thief. He's quite smart, you know."

"Oh yeah? We just have to wait and see when he tries to steal a valuable item from here!"

"Aisu no Ryu is going to steal one of Oto-san's and/or Okaa-san's precious treasures?" exclaimed a voice, surprising the two Royal Guards of the Hinamori Palace.

"H-Hime-sama!" Kira exclaimed, seeing the raven haired princess leaning against the side of the door sill.

The guards immediately bowed down to her. Renji apologized, "We're sorry for disturbing your slumber, your highness!"

Hinamori Momo just gave them a warm smile and replied, "There is no need for formalities Kira-kun and Abarai-kun. Besides, we practically grew up together. Please, just call me Hinamori."

Kira and Renji both straightened up and nodded with agreement. "Why are you up so early? It is only one hour past midnight."

"I can't help but overhear from the other guards that have been running past my chambers," Momo said. "Is it true that Aisu no Ryu stole another precious item from our people?"

Another nod is received from Kira. "Yes, I'm afraid it is true Hinamori-kun."

She then tilted her head slightly forward as she raised a hand up and placed it against the bottom of her lip. "I see."

Knowing that she is worried, Renji raised a fist and placed it against his chest, getting her attention. "Don't worry about it Hinamori," he said. "We'll capture the thief in no time and return all the valuables back to their respectful owners! Besides, neither General Aizen nor Captain Ichimaru has sent out any members of the elite Royal Guard to capture him."

Hinamori then smiled and placed her hands together. "In that case, we still have a chance to defeat him, right?"

"That's right!"

"That's great!"

"It sure is great!"

"Well anyways, you better get back to sleep," Kira suggested. "You have a lot of work to do in the morning."

Momo nodded with agreement. "Thank you Kira-kun and Abarai-kun for making me feel better. I'll see you in the morning. Oyasumi."

"Good night, your highness."

"Night," Renji said.

With a short bow at her two childhood friends, the princess retreated back inside her chambers. After closing the door behind her, Momo leaned against it and let out a sigh. Looking up into the shining moon through the transparent window, she thought about the one person whom she does not understand.

"You made your first appearance as our enemy three years ago. You stole the sacred ink portrait from the Kobayashi family. During that time, it is when our kingdom is currently going through tough times; the King and Queen have both passed away due to a bad illness. Even though order in Seireitei has improved thanks to General Aizen's guidance, your thievery has not changed. Aisu no Ryu, the notorious thief, why do you continuously steal valuable items from the people of Seireitei?" she asked. "Is it for pleasure? Is it for money? What is your motive exactly and...are you also planning to steal me and my parents' precious treasures in the near future?"

She fell silent for a moment, knowing that there is no one there to answer her question. Eventually, Princess Momo has come to a resolve.

"There's only one way to find out; when he does try to steal my family's treasures, I will be there to catch him personally!"

References

Aisu no Ryu - Ice Dragon, the notorious thief's codename, Oto-san - Father, Okaa-san - Mother, Hime - Princess, Oyasumi - Good Night

Author's Note: Have you figured out Aisu no Ryu's identity yet? I'm pretty sure you have a good idea who it is. xD There are a lot of ideas I want to incorporate into this story. So, if things go the pace I want it to go, expect this fan fiction to be a little lengthy. This will also mean that the HitsuHina love is not likely to happen until later in the story. For now, I'll keep it to fluffs and friendship. (Sorry! You just have to be patient.) In the meantime, please review! I want to know what you think of this story. Thanks.