~ Light Of Hope ~ (A Toushiro Hitsugaya Fanfic)

48.5. " Extra Chapter - Lost Child (Part 1) "

One morning in Soul Society, a white pillar of light suddenly appears somewhere at West Rukongai. A five-year-old boy with white hair and torquiose eyes appeared from it.

"Uwaahhh!! Daddy!! Where are you?!", the little boy said as he cries.

He scans his surroundings and found the place familiar to him.

(*sniffle*) "Daddy might be back at Seireitei right now."

The little boy stands up and walks. He seems to know his way as he manages to sneak around until he reached Gates of Seireitei. He approaches one of the guards and looks up at him.

"Who might you be?", the guard asked raising an eyebrow.

"M-My... -hiro... ummm... I-I'm here to see my daddy.", he stuttered.

"No one is allowed to enter kid. Go home and wait for your dad there."

"M-My daddy lives here...", he nervously said.

Then Rangiku who happend to visit Toushiro's grandmother on his request happened to see them.

"What's going on here?", Rangiku asked.

"Matsumoto-fukutaichou! You see, this child...", the guard said as he looks at the little child.

Rangiku follows his gaze and approaches the child. She bends down to his height and carefully looks at him.

"Eh?!! Taichou you shrunk!! How adorable!! (>▼<)", Rangiku said. (Is this one of Kurotsuchi-taichou's experiments? Did he make him drink that shrinking potion? He did say he was going to talk to Kurotsuchi-taichou earlier.), she thought.

"Matsumoto-fukutaichou?", the guard called, snapping Rangiku out of her thoughts.

"It's okay, I'll take him from here."

Rangiku heads straight to the 12th division barracks to look for Mayuri and asked one of the staff if he's around.

"Sorry Matsumoto-fukutaichou, Kurotsuchi-taichou went somewhere. We don't know when he'll be back.", a 12th division member said.

"Guess it can't be helped. I'll come back later then.", Rangiku mumbled.

On her way back to the 10th division office, the child fell asleep so she carried him. By the time she arrived, she gently places him on the couch and drapes a blanket over him. She makes her way towards Toushiro's table and saw that there are still some paperworks left.

"What should I do? Taichou can't do his paperwork like this...", Rangiku mumbled and started to organize the documents. "Arghh!! What should I do?! If only you didn't shrunk!!", she said out loud.

(*cross popping veins*) "Who shrunk??", a familiar voice asked.

Surprised, Rangiku whirls around and saw Toushiro standing by the door with his arms crossed and an irritated look on his face.

"Taichou! You're back to normal!", Rangiku said.

"What are talking about? I just went out to give some documents to the Head Captain. If you meant me being back here then yes, obviously.", Toushiro said.

"Ahh thank goodness... I thought you..... wait, what?!!", Rangiku said as she suddenly came to a realization. "You mean... you were here all along?! You didn't follow me to check on your grandmother?", she asked with a surpised look on her face.

"Even if I wanted to, I still have a ton of paperwork to sign. If I leave them to you then nothing would be finished in time. So I asked you to go in my place."

"... if you didn't shrunk then who?"

(*cross popping veins*) "As I asked you last time... who do you think shrunk?!"