The night before the mission, Isshin found he couldn't sleep. He wasn't afraid of Aizen and he wasn't afraid of death, but something was defiantly bothering him. Perhaps because he was one of the few who knew not to place any trust in the man. Of course, Toshiro was also worried, which was evident from the abundance of noise on the roof, making it seem as if a raccoon was on the roof, trying to get in. This caused Isshin to finally stop trying to fall asleep and join his fukutaicho on the roof.

"Sorry if I woke you up, Isshin-san taicho," the white haired boy murmured. "I couldn't sleep…"

"Well, neither could I," Isshin stated. "Something bothering you?"

"That letter…" Toshiro didn't flinch about what he wanted to talk about.

"I told you not to worry about it as it was just a bad dream," Isshin suddenly laughed.

"Just a dream… no, dreams are not just dreams. They are a part of who we are, and tend to be at times quite prophetic. They have a way of coming true," mumbled the fukutaicho.

"Perhaps your dream stemmed from your worries?" Isshin hated lying to the small boy.

"Or it wasn't a dream and you lied, trying not to worry me," came the blunt reply as Toshiro watched the stars.

"Did you know… the stars are the same in the living world and Soul Society? One would think they would at least be mirrors of each other," Isshin smiled.

"So?"

"We'd be looking at the same thing, you and I," Isshin smiled.

Of course, Toshiro had to thing about this new concept, whether it was another of his taicho's just plain crazy ideas, or whether it was just plain crazy. However, he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess that works. I've always liked the stars."

"I've kind of noticed your infinity for them," Isshin sighed, leaning back and lying down next to the small sub-taicho.

"Ne, taicho?" innocence was prevalent there.

"What…" Isshin hoped there were no more questions pertaining too the mission.

"If something were to happen to you, who would replace you as captain?" Toshiro suddenly asked.

"I really don't know,"

"I don't think I could handle a stranger stepping into your shoes," the boy let out a small yawn.

"Nothing…"

"I've already told you…" Toshiro started.

"… not to make promises you don't know you can keep," Isshin finished. "Are you thinking about a captaincy spot?"

"You're not gone yet, so I don't want to think about it, because… I don't know… it is rather depressing," Toshiro suddenly hopped off the roof. "I am going to head to bed."

Isshin watched as the boy left, his zanpaktou speaking up. "His Bankai is still rough, and he needs a little more self confidence in himself, but he would make a great captain."

"I know that too well. I also don't want what small bit of his childhood he can get out of life to suddenly disappear."

"Isshin… fool, you don't think that won't happen if something happens to you?" The zanpaktou's words rang rather true.

M

The next day, the twelfth division taicho was surprised to be joined in the research and development center by the fukutaicho of the tenth. The boy watched the communication screens carefully, then piped up. "How does this work?"

"You are not to touch anything," the scientist hissed.

"The child in you wants to push a button Hitsugaya," the dragon laughed.

"It does not… I do not want to push a button." The boy didn't know where the dragon got the idea from.

"I can sense that you are curious though… very curious…" the dragon hummed.

"I just want to know how it works," Toshiro stated. "Is that to much to ask?"

"Yes, it is in fact," Maori snapped. "You shouldn't be in here."

"Isshin-san taicho and the general gave me permission to be in here and participate in the communication relays," the boy stated.

"Would you like to say hello to your taicho?" the person with spikes on his forehead suddenly stated, handing Toshiro the receiver set.

"Do you think I am a child that needs to be pacified?" Toshiro narrowed his eyes, yet his temper remained in check.

"Well, your taicho wants to say hello," green blobby commented.

Toshiro put the system to his ear and mouth. "You wished to speak to me taicho?"

"Hello Shiro-chan!" Isshin called in from the other line.

" … Taicho… This isn't the time for games," the boy muttered. "You are on a serious mission.

"I know, I know…" Isshin laughed.

"Do you?" Aizen replied through to. "I have to say, you don't seem to be acting it. Can you believe, Fukutaicho Hitsugaya, that Gin almost went on this mission. It would have been a complete disaster if that had happened."

"I guess so… behave your self taicho," Toshiro stated firmly.

"Shouldn't it be the other way around," Isshin stated, only he quickly found the receiver had been given back.

M

Isshin found himself stepping out into the living world the next day, along with Aizen taicho, the man he knew he could not trust. A flash through his mind made him wonder if Gin had planned this, but then his mind told him that wasn't so, that Gin had thought of this as a way to save Ran, and it had back fired on him. Which meant Ichimaru was not likely to seek any kind of help again.

Storm clouds seemed to be gathering around the town that they currently identified as a number, as the significance of the area had always seemed slim. Aizen glanced up at this. "Lucky me it is cloudy."

"Ahh, yes," Isshin said dryly. "You're supposed to have a water based zanpaktou. Rather stormy though…"

"Yes," Aizen stated rather coolly.

Isshin then heard the sound of a hollow coming to him, "I believe that it is that way."

"You could go first," Aizen stated.

"I won't turn my back on you…" Isshin stated firmly. "I think you know I don't trust you."

"Too bad you've already turned your back on me… I hoped to make this much more… how to put it… so that you won't think it was me who did this," Aizen smirked.

"What do you…" Isshin suddenly found a sword piercing him from behind, yet Aizen was still in front of his eyesight.

"My zanpaktou isn't water, it is an illusion zanpaktou," Aizen smirked.

Isshin felt something burning within him, as if his powers were being sealed off. "You bastard… Gin was a tool in this, wasn't he?"

"Not this time. I didn't like how I was losing control of one of my pets as I was. It was bad enough that he has that infuriating infatuation with your third seat," Aizen stated, shoving Isshin away. "But Tosen happened to catch him making plans with you."

"Bastard… that is what you are. How do you plan on explaining this?" Isshin glared at the man, trying to draw his zanpaktou, but the voice had become ever so distant.

"Illusion, Isshin-san taicho," the man smirked. "Having Ran as a pawn to manipulate Gin has been a good thing though, and because of this, I had planned on getting rid of you. That, and under the right mentorship from you, there is no way that young Hitsugaya would ever not have suspected me. But with you gone, he is more likely to suspect just Gin."

"You wanted to turn him to your side?" Isshin asked. "You wanted him into your squad, did you not?"

"Yes, I did actually," Aizen wiped off his sword. "I may still get him under my control if I can place the right captain into tenth squad. I need to find the right candidate."

"Hitsugaya Toshiro is the right candidate, and I have the feeling that he will step up, whether I want him to or not," Isshin smirked.

"The child can't have learned Bankai. It took Gin forever, and…"

"You forget Aizen, that Toshiro had entered the academy at a much younger age then Ichimaru Gin. He also had someone who believed that he was more then just some tool, or some animal," Isshin spat, suddenly finding himself falling.

"You'll find yourself in a world of hurt when you hit the ground. Goodbye."

M

The research division suddenly found itself in chaos, as they had lost contact with the two men. The young second of the tenth division was actually showing worry on his face. Static covered all the screens.

"So… it went off around the time Isshin-san taicho commented on the storm clouds," one person stated.

"Storm interference… that is rare…"

"Should we start preparation for a rescue team?"

Toshiro's eyes suddenly went wide, but he found a hand grabbing him. "I don't need a cry baby around my division. And no, you won't be allowed to go on a rescue mission if there is one, as you are incapable and a child… not to mention, you've been left in charge of your division. Not get out of my site."

Toshiro glared at the man as he left the room.