As Toshiro watched his taicho, he knew that something was bothering him. He was still exuberant and obnoxiously cheerful, but his tone was of kilter a bit, which caused the small fukutaicho to worry. Rangiku didn't seem to notice at all, except perhaps to offer her taicho sake to drink, but she always did that normally.

"Taicho…" the small boy finally got tired of the change in the atmosphere. "Are you mad at me for saying I wouldn't ever call you… that again?"

"Hmm… oh, Shiro-chan?" Isshin glanced up from the paperwork he had been working on. "No, I knew that you were joking at the time, and didn't mean it. Call me it again when you feel comfortable."

"Hyorinmaru told me that," Toshiro stated.

"You have a very wise zanpaktou… be sure to listen to him," Isshin stated, then was surprised to hear Toshiro chuckle.

"He is wrong sometimes you know," Toshiro got up from his desk and suddenly placed a hand on Isshin's shoulder and shook it a little. "Are you upset taicho, that your idea didn't go over as you had hoped?"

"You were right, it was a dumb idea," Isshin muttered. "What of it?"

"I had fun though,"

This caused Isshin to glance up in shock, a small smile spreading on his face. "Is Toshiro Hitsugaya actually admitting that he had fun? Don't worry about it, I'll plan something new, and I'll get your genius mind to help me with it, so it isn't such a flop."

"Ne, taicho… I am right though that something is bothering you?" came the child's voice, leaning up against him to watch what his taicho was doing.

Isshin suddenly paused, then spoke up. "Yes, Toshiro, something is bothering me. I wish I could tell you about it, but the last person I confided in… well, lets just say the business is tricky and at this point, the fewer who know, possibly the better. Understand?"

"Hai…" came the partially rejected reply.

"The fact that you had fun though explains the change in your mood. I like you all around, but I like seeing you happy like this," Isshin smiled, giving the boy a quick hug, again finding he did not tense up. He then thought of something. "You've been visiting your grandmother?"

"Hai… Matsumoto threatened to pour sake down my throat," Toshiro stated, going and taking his seat again.

"I will have to have a word with her," Isshin suddenly grumbled.

"You fell for it taicho," came the quiet reply, to which Isshin's head shot up. He had yet to figure out how the small punk could keep such a straight face.

"Anyways… you've gotten over your fear then?" Isshin asked, changing the subject.

"No… but running away does nothing, and Matsumoto did threaten me… once, about going and visiting grandma with me and embarrassing me while she was there, if I didn't go… and on purpose. Her on purpose is always worse then her accidental…" Toshiro stated, glancing at the time. "If you don't leave now, you'll be late for your captain's meeting."

"Yay, oh joy of all joys. I have to go and deal with twelfth division wanting less regulations on their experiments, or something like that," Isshin sighed. "Behave yourself Shiro-chan."

"When do I not?" came the smart reply.

"Try when you are at your most mischievous, and then at those times I am most likely to find myself glued to my seat," Isshin muttered.

"Hai," Toshiro stated, continuing to work.

M

Isshin arrived at the meeting, and took his place, his charisma not at all down shooting. He waited for everyone to get there, and for the agenda to go on. It was then that Yamamoto spoke up. "Twelfth division has brought to our attention that there is an anomaly accruing in the real world that we have decided to send to captain level shingami on, to assert the problems. Do I have volunteers?"

"I volunteer," Gin stated.

"I veto Ichimaru Gin going as he may be a captain, but he is extremely childish in his ways," Byakuya spoke up.

"Something's wrong… the mission came to early…" Isshin's zanpaktou spoke up.

"I know, but I am still volunteering." Isshin nodded his head. "I think that I would be able to keep him under control, I have known him for some time now."

Isshin was quite sure that he felt that Aizen's eyes were on both of them, but he also felt something like eyes, but not quite settling on him. Yamamoto nodded his head. "I will leave details of the mission with your lieutenants."

"That isn't good either," Isshin's zanpaktou spoke up. "Toshiro is going to find out quicker then you want him too."

"I know…" Isshin could only shake his head at this. Something was bothering him a lot about this whole mess. The one thing he could think of was giving both Toshiro and Rangiku huge hugs once he got back to the office, as that might calm his anxieties.

M

Isshin wasn't the only shingami with anxieties. Gin left the captain's meeting and headed over to his division, where he found Kira preparing some sake. "Oi… taicho… Tosen taicho said that he would like to have a drink with us after the meeting."

"I see," Gin murmured, knowing where all of this was going to go, however, he sat down and pretended as if nothing were amiss. He held a hand to his chin. "Or perhaps I don't see…"

"Taicho…" Kira then realized what the man was getting at. "Taicho, don't make fun of the fact that he is blind!"

"Why not? He is a major stick in the mud and needs to learn to laugh," Gin smirked. He heard footsteps in the hallway and knew them to be Shuhei's and not Tosen's. The two men stepped through the doorway. "It is good to see you too! Dried persimmon?"

"Yes… Hisagi… you should have lieutenant Izuru show the set up that Ichimaru Gin has set up for them," Tosen stated, indicating that they should go and look now.

As soon as they disappeared, Gin cocked his head. "What do I owe this pleasure to today?"

"Well… are you thinking of turning on Aizen-sama?" Tosen stated.

"I don't understand what you are saying there. Keep in mind, I am rather indecisive about such things," he watched as Tosen poured something into all four drinks. "Are you going to poison all of us?"

"Poison is a strong word for what I am going to do for you. You'll live, but I guarantee that none of the four of us will be fit for duty the next few days," Tosen quickly smirked. "You know that you can't refuse the drinks?"

Gin was about to say something about this, and changing out the cups when Kira and Shuhei came back in. He then inwardly glared at Tosen as Kira and Shuhei started to drink. Tosen smiled at the two. "So, what did you think about the system he's set up."

"Ingenious sir," Shuhei muttered threw his drink as Tosen also took a drink.

Gin went and took a drink of his won, just as Tosen said something more. "That is one of those few things that proves that Ichimaru Gin is a prodigy. Most of the time he just acts childish, but don't let this childishness of his deceive you, he just hasn't had a chance to grow up, or he refuses too."

Kira glanced down at the ground, letting his sake spin around in the small cup. "Reminds me of Hitsugaya, except his case is the exact opposite."

"How so… I see him act childish plenty of times, around his captain," Hisagi murmured into his drink.

"That's just it, around his captain he does. Hinamori-san, well, you remember her telling us about him," the third division lieutenant spoke up.

"About his pranks of spitting watermelon at her?" Shuhei smirked.

"Seemed more, every time I think about it, his way at getting back her for treating him like a child, rather then him acting like a child," Kira suddenly stated. "But when I saw him the other day at the games that captain of the tenth planned out, Hitsugaya was acting weird, and seemed…"

"To be enjoying himself?" Tosen suddenly asked.

"How would you have known, you weren't there," Gin stated.

"Taicho can't see either, Gin Taicho," Hisagi commented.

"I inferred from what Kira told me is all," Tosen stated.

"Speaking of deceiving looks," Gin stated, almost laughing. "Just because he can't see, doesn't mean that he doesn't see."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Hisagi bemoaned, becoming confused suddenly.

"Don't ask," Kira stated, letting out a sigh. "The entire third division has had to get used to him saying very backward things that have no meaning."

Tosen chuckled though, realizing fully well that Gin's so called backwards saying had plenty of meaning to them. It was a habit the blind man had recognized that Ichimaru had somehow, whether intentionally, or unintentionally, picked up from Aizen. Unlike Aizen's double words, Tosen felt he could see around Gin's easily.

M

Toshiro was sitting at his desk when the paperwork was delivered to him, about the mission to the living world. He snapped the folder open and began to glance over it, frowning as he did so. It was right at this time that Isshin walked through the door. "When were you going to tell me about this?"

"I see the paperwork and information arrived before I could get back," Isshin stated firmly. "Before you ask, I know your at captains level, but they don't know that…"

"I wasn't going to gripe," Toshiro stated, snapping the folder shut. "I know that no one knows, and even if they did, I am still having problems controlling my abilities. Is this what you were worried about taicho?"

"Toshiro, I told you I couldn't tell you, didn't I?" Isshin sighed, going and taking the folder from the small hand. After he read it over, he handed it back. "I trust you have a good idea of what I need on this mission."

"Of course, a lot of good luck, and a trip to the twelfth division for a power inhibitor," Toshiro smirked. He then became serious. "The thing that I was thinking about was, will taicho come back alive."

This statement from the child shingami caused Isshin to look him straight in the face. "You know I can't make any promise to that…"

"It was a volunteer mission. There was a reason you felt you had to volunteer. I am not blind to that," Toshiro glanced at the ground, not wishing to look his taicho in the face. "I mean… you know how I feel about the people around me dying… you wouldn't possible have forgotten about that, had you?"

"I hadn't forgotten about it, I just hadn't thought about dying… thanks very much for bringing that one up kiddo," Isshin glared at the boy, his face dropping.

"Hyorinmaru and Hitsugaya have a bad feeling about this," Toshiro stated under his breath, but Isshin heard him anyways, before the boy set down the folder and took out of the room. Isshin let out a sigh, knowing this would be hard on him, every time this happened.

M

Isshin was in the office late that night, when the message came to him from the fourth that the captains and lieutenants of the third and ninth divisions had become ill. This meant that someone else had to step up for the mission, and that person was Aizen. Toshiro had returned from wherever he had gone to sulk, and had also received a message. Isshin glanced up in time to see Toshiro turn pale. "Toshiro, what ever is the matter."

"Nothing…" Toshiro crumpled the letter, but his taicho shunpooed over and took it from the small boy.

"He goes, he dies," Isshin read the paper, knowing whom had sent it, and why. "It's just Gin being in a foul mood because he now can't go on the mission because he is ill. Doesn't want me to go either."

"Taicho… that wasn't a funny prank…" Toshiro started, only to have Isshin place pressure onto the small boy's neck to knock him out for enough time, enough time to speak with Gin. He shunpooed over to the fourth division to visit with him, most sneakily.

"Gin… why send Toshiro the message and not me?" Isshin stated, glaring at the man sitting in the bed.

"More convincing…" Gin muttered, half awake.

"How can sending this be more convincing to me," Isshin murmured.

Gin shook his head. "Toshiro… convince you."

"I can't back down from the mission, you know that… not without evidence," Isshin narrowed his eyes, being hopeful.

"Have none…" Gin's mouth had lacked his usual grin since he had ended up here. "Wish…"

"You wish you did," Isshin sighed. He then saw Gin hold up a finger.

"Toshiro…" Gin stated, then held up two fingers. "Matsumoto…"

Isshin sighed, closed the door and went and pulled a chair up to the bed. "I was actually thinking about that as soon as I got the message of who would be replacing you. Don't worry, I will talk to her about it, in case something does happen."

"Will happen," Gin murmured. "Always has…"

"One of these days that man is going to get it for all he's done," Isshin stated.

"I should too…" Gin glanced at the ground. "Did you know that I killed the third seat of the fifth division before me?"

Words were hard to get out due to the flu that had hit the four, so Isshin knew what Gin had said had to be extremely important to him. "I figured as much. Self protection?"

"No…" Gin glanced away, as if he didn't think so.

"You were a kid then Gin, are you sure that Aizen didn't manipulate you in some way that made you feel like it hadn't been in your self defense," Isshin however, received no response.

M

Before the mission was to take off, Isshin decided to take Toshiro to the ice crème parlor, to settle some of the anxiety that the boy was happening. He also invited Hinamori Momo and her taicho to come, but was not at all surprised when only the lieutenant of the fifth showed up, rather nervous about the whole thing. She watched carefully as Toshiro and Isshin both enjoyed their ice crèmes.

"Shiro-chan seems to be enjoying himself," Hinamori murmured.

"It's lieutenant Hitsugaya," Toshiro muttered through a mouthful of ice crème.

"That was completely impolite, speaking with your mouth fool Shiro-chan!" Hinamori admonished.

"You should see taicho… not only does he speak with his mouth full, he chews with this mouth open," Toshiro murmured.

"That is completely rude!" Hinamori wrinkled up her nose at Isshin.

She had expected to have Isshin make some off hand comment, or Toshiro to complain about what she had said, but instead, she found that it was Toshiro that made the off the wall statement. "Well… in some settings, it is considered polite to the chef to eat as loud as possible."

"So…" Hinamori was confused.

"Those are the times taicho does it," Toshiro was suddenly pointing his spoon at her. The look on his face said that he couldn't understand why she didn't get it.

Isshin though chuckled. "You were trying to make a joke again, weren't you?"

"I didn't do a good job of it, did I?" Toshiro muttered into his food.

"It helps if people know what you are talking about, and if the person you are joking about doesn't every so often pretend to have a bad habit just to annoy people," Isshin chuckled. "Even I didn't know that you weren't being serious."

The small boy moped about this, and was surprised when Hinamori spoke up. "Kira was right when he told me. I just didn't want to believe it."

"Believe what?" Toshiro suddenly gave her a look of shock, his eyes having some of the innocence she remembered him having when he was extremely small.

"I didn't want to believe that you were getting along so well with your taicho, so much so that you were opening up to him," Hinamori gave a half smile. "Aizen-taicho… he…"

"You're upset because you can't get close to your taicho, aren't you?" Toshiro stated. "I am still working on it, Hinamori…"

"But you're a lot closer then I am," the girl sighed. "You make friends so easily…"

Toshiro blinked at this, thinking back to the Rukongai days when he had thought that about her. "Taicho went out of his way with me Hinamori."

"No he didn't. Everyone…" Hinamori found herself interrupted by Isshin.

"What Toshiro was trying to say is, you make friends a lot easier then you think," the man smiled.

"But…" Hinamori had a sad look on her face.

"Aizen is a stick in the mud," Isshin stated.

"Don't say that about taicho!" Hinamori pouted.

"He didn't mean anything derogatory about it, Momo-nee-chan," Toshiro suddenly piped up, making an odd face.

"All right, tell me what you think he meant by that," Hinamori muttered.

"Being a stick in the mud just means that he is really rigid and by the book. Isn't that one of the things you like about your taicho?" the white haired boy asked.

"Yes…" Hinamori glanced at the ground, her ice crème melting.

"Then understand it will just take longer to get close to him," Isshin stated, thinking that he hoped she never did.

"Hold on… Toshiro… did you just call me nee-chan?" Hinamori suddenly brightened.

"So what if I did?" Toshiro muttered. "You're making a big deal out of it, which I don't understand. It was a slip of the tongue, nothing else."

"Oh…" Hinamori got a bummed out look, as Toshiro got a slight flush to his cheeks. "You are such a child…"

"I am not!"

"You are too!"

"Oi, oi! No arguing you too, or I'll have to say that both of you are like children," Isshin muttered, letting out a sigh. "Toshiro, I promise that I'll come back."

"Don't make promises you know you can't keep taicho, even if you know that is what I want to hear," Toshiro muttered.

"What is this about?" Hinamori stated.

"I got a bad feeling is all," Toshiro stated firmly.

"Maybe I should go with taicho…" Hinamori stated.

"I'm not going, so why should you?" Toshiro suddenly snapped.

"Oh, let me guess, because you pretended to learn Bankai, you are so much better then me?" Hinamori put her hands on her hips. "You are defiantly childish, Hitsugaya Toshiro!"

"Why is it when you use my last name, it is when you are mad at me!" Toshiro glared at her.

"Because you are a little kid!" Hinamori stated.

"I went through the academy! You promised, Hinamori, you promised!" Toshiro had a hurt look on his face.

"Enough!" Isshin groaned. "Hinamori, you should eat your ice crème before it melts."

"Hai…" she glanced down, and the conversation seemed to be forgotten. After they had finished, she gave Toshiro a hug, and was surprised he didn't tense up when she hugged him, thus letting her squeeze him tighter.

"You're hurting me," Toshiro muttered, only to be ignored.