"Taichou..." Matsumoto whimpered as she carried her captain into the fourth division.
"Matsumoto..." Toushiro responded. His voice cracked, causing a few blood escaped into his lips.
"Taichou, save your energy. Don't talk. We are near to the fourth division."
Toushiro grunted and said, "Who... Who is she?"
Matsumoto looked down to her captain, tears flowing freely into her cheeks as she put a brave face to him, "Do you like her now Taichou?" She joked. "But I don't know. She saved our life. I'm sure if she didn't arrive, both of us will be dead."
Toushiro on the other hand, closed his eyes. He's really weak. He can feel his body slipped away. He knows that he's was going to die soon.
They both arrived in the fourth division, Matsumoto shouting for help. A few shinigami helped her to place her captain in the bed, some prepared the tools for healing.
"Matsumoto-fukutaichou!"
Matsumoto turned around and saw Isane-fukutaichou behind her.
"Isane! Save taichou please!" Matsumoto pleaded, as she dropped into her knees asking the fourth division fukutaichou to save her taichou.
Isane automatically lowered herself. Kneeling as the same level as Matsumoto, "Matsumoto-fukutaichou. We are going to try our best to save Hitsugaya-taichou. But now, could you please step out of the room first. I know you wanted to be here but..."
"I understand... Just do everything to save him..." Matsumoto sobbed.
Isane nodded understandingly as she helped the strawberry blonde fukutaichou to stand into her feet.
"Komiko-san, please assist Matsumoto-fukutaichou outside. And please do heal her wounds!"
"Hai!"
Matsumoto was ushered outside of the room as Isane prepared herself to tend the icy-taichou.
X.X
"You're quite strong young lady. You're much stronger than the icy captain." Buzz-b muttered as he cached his breath.
Karin on the other hand is still on a fighting stance, blood dripping from the side of her waist.
"Amaterasu, I don't think I can last long. He's too strong."
"Giving up already young master? You haven't released your full power. We are just using the 1/4 of it and you manage to slice some part of him."
Karin sigh and looked at the man in front of him. His element is fire and so she is. Fire can't beat fire but Ice can.
"Maybe I can use Hyourinmaru to finish him? Don't you think Amaterasu? Hyourinmaru?"
"Do as you please young master." Hyourinmaru said in the back of her head.
Karin smirked and pulled another sword in her back.
"Another sword of yours?" Bazzle-B asked. "You can't kill me even you pulled a dozen of it."
"Are you sure?" Karin asked, casting him a challenging look.
Bazzle-B howled into laughter, "You are weak. You have nothing against me."
Karin gritted her teeth and launched herself forward.
"Hi no Ringu!"
A circle of fire appeared around Bazzle-B and without a second, the circle of fire released a blade like fire and stabbing him in the different parts of his body.
"You're done." Karin smirked at the wide eyed Bazzle-B.
"Ryusenka!"
Karin stabbed Bazzle-B directly to the heart. Ice burst into him causing him to be trapped inside a huge block of ice.
"He's dead." Hyourinamaru growled.
Karin sighed in relief as she put her swords back into her back. Every time she took a step, she winced at the pain she felt in every part of her body.
"Okay, what to do next?" She asked, putting a hand on her wound located in her waist.
"We should find the guardian." Amaterasu suggested, "but before that, let me heal you."
"Okay."
Karin's hands glow suddenly and the wound in her side begin to patched up.
"Wow. How did you do that?"
"I have a power to heal. Though it's not really strong."
"It looks like I'm completely healed. Thank you, Amaterasu."
Karin closed his eyes and begin to feel the icy taichou's reiatsu.
"His reiatsu is low." Karin murmured as she walked down to the street of seireitei.
His reiatsu leads her into the 4th squad. Karin, who was till unsure on what she's doing, looked around as if she's was on a horror movie. Alerted in a dumbed way.
"Young master, stop hiding like that! When other shinigami saw you in that state, they will assume that your not from here!" Amaterasu hissed, "And please, hind your reiatsu, the soul society didn't need to know that your nervous!"
Karin grinned sheepishly as she scratch her head. "Okay, okay. Calmed down Amaterasu."
She regained her composure and started to moved inside the squad barracks. "So, this place is like their hospital." She mused.
"Ah, excuse me."
Karin stopped in her tracks when she heard the someone approaching her. She turned around quickly to face the one who called for her.
"Are you from here? I think it's my first time to see you."
In front of her is a short male Shinigami with blue eyes and chin-length black hair, with bangs framing the side of his face. He wears a standard shihakushÅ, with the medical kit worn over his shoulder.
"Who are you?" The man asked again.
Karin gulped as she think for a better name, "Uhhh, Rin... Yeah, my name is Rin."
"Rin huh?" The man scratched his head, "Well then, Rin, I'm Hanataro Yamada. What are you doing here at the 4th? You looked like your lost. Are you a new recruit? What squad are you in."
Karin gritted her teeth in annoyance, completely forgetting her nervousness. He asked to many questions!
"Uhm, Yes, I'm a new recruit."
Hanataro eyes widened and smiled brightly, "Wow, welcome Rin. Which squad are you in?"
Karin who looked shock tried to avert her gaze to Hanataro looking for a clue about squads.
"Uhmm..."
Her mind remembered the white haired guy when she saw them. His uniform has a kanji sign of number ten.
"Tenth."
Hanataro happy expression turned into a serious one.
"Crap, did I say something wrong?" Karin asked herself.
"You're visiting Hitsugaya-taichou." He asked.
Karin nodded, remembering her father and her zanpakutous favor. To locate Hitsugaya Toushiro.
"Well, he's really not in a good state right now Rin-chan. But we are trying our best. His reiatsu is extremely low..."
Karin nodded understandably, "Well, I'll just visit him on the the other."
Hanataro smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm sure he'll get through this. I should get going now Rin-san. Nice meeting you."
Karin returned his smile and bowed slightly as she watched Hanataro to walked away.
X.X
Matsumoto waited outside her taichou's room. She can feel that his reiatsu is still extremely low.
"Taichou..." She sobbed, tears falling freely in her cheeks. It was like loosing Gin all over again.
"If only I'm stronger enough." She gritted, wiping her tears away.
"Ran..." A familiar voice rang into her head.
"Haineko... We need to get strong."
"I know. Let's train for a better Ran. I'm sure will managed to get bankai."
Matsumoto smiled slightly, "If only this fight is easy as drinking sake..."
Haineko laughed, "maybe as easy as drinking sake through your nose."
Matsumoto smirked to her zanpakutous voice. Running a hand, in her hair.
After an hour and a half of waiting, her Taichou's door opened, revealing Isane with a serious expression in her face.
"Isane!" Matsumoto yelped.
"Matsumoto-fukutaichou."
Matsumoto immediately recognize the look in Isane's face. Something is wrong.
"We tried everything..." Isane started, looking for a right words on how she would tell the situation to the worried lieutenant.
Matsumoto nodded, tears still flowing through her eyes.
"His body almost gived up, but we still manage to supply him some reiatsu. Though I'm not saying that he's away from danger. He's in the critical condition, Matsumoto-fukutaichou. I want to be honest with you, he might not last long..."
And with that, Matsumoto broke. Hugging the fourth squad lieutenant, who sympathetically hugged back. She can't take it anymore. First Gin, and now her taichou. Even though she slacked off all the time, she deeply cared for him. He was not just her commanding officer but her best friend, her trusted buddy and if possible, she looked at him as her own son.
"One more thing..."
Matsumoto detached herself into Isane. The said fourth lieutenant frowned as she looked at Matsumoto.
Isane took a deep breath and Matsumoto repaired herself.
"He's in coma."
And before Matsumoto could reply, she fainted.
Author's Note: It looks like this story will have more chapters that I've expected. Thank you for all the people who viewed, reviewed, follow and fave my story! I feel so loved!
I'm sorry about some of my Japanese Translation. I just use the google translator for it. Hi no Ringu means Cirle of fire.
Please read and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach