Bleach: The Captain Part Two & Three, Toshiro Hitsugaya x OC

Chapter 5: It's not about who I am

The phone in my pocket beeped once, notifying me of a message. I'd check it later. Right now I needed to focus on the task at hand.

The wind had picked up, carrying with it delicate little snowflakes that carpeted everything it touched. My robes quickly soaked through, and a lone trickle of water dripped down my forehead and onto the tip of my nose. A quick gust of wind plastered my damp hair to my face; brushing it away was proving to be a difficult task. I pulled an elastic from my pocket and twisted my hair around the band into a makeshift bun. Much better.

A murder of crows perched themselves amongst the trees, silent as the grave. The trees themselves groaned under protest as the wind buffeted them relentlessly. What was it about this place that made me so uneasy? It was like some force was telling me to leave. I shivered a little and adjusted the scarf a little bit higher around my neck, the cold biting at my fingertips. I stuffed my pink hands into the folds of my robes preserve what little heat I had left.

The building seemed as vacant as ever, looking decidedly less eerie in the daytime. At least with daylight on my side, I wouldn't be jumping out of my skin. I reached for the door handle but my fingers hit a barrier, and I jammed them. I clutched my wrist and wiggled my hand to stop the stinging pain I was experiencing.

"Good freaking lord that hurt!" I gasped.

I squinted at the door and noticed the faintest of shimmering. Slowly, hesitantly, I reached my hand out and ran it along the smooth surface of what looked like a force field. I knew for a fact that it wasn't there last night.

Gravel crunched from someone's footsteps close behind me. Instinct had me reaching for my Zanpakuto.

"This is the third time I've caught you snooping around here," an annoyed voice exhaled.

I removed my other hand from the force field and slowly turned around, taking in the strangers appearance.

I was almost sure this was the same man I had seen before. He wore an understated black button-down dress coat and a pressed orange collared shirt. He had a black tie affixed to his neck with a shiny metal clip holding it firmly in place. Grey slacks and polished oxfords completed the ensemble. I had to admit it was an odd match with the barren surroundings. He adjusted the fit of his flat tweed cap and shifted the weight of a sword he had slung over his shoulder.

He was carrying a Zanpakuto.

He stood there unmoving, regarding me with curiosity.

"Captain of the Fifth Division huh? There's some irony." He made it sound like a punchline to his private joke.

"Who are you?"

"I should be asking you that. Why are you sneaking around?" he cocked his head to the side, sizing me up.

"I'm not sneaking around; I'm just looking for some answers."

I waited for his reply, but he continued to observe me quietly so instead, I caved.

"My name is Akira Urahara, and you are. .?"

"Urahara huh? That's very interesting."

. . .

. . .

. . .

Silence.

I relaxed my grip on my sword and threw an incredulous hand in the air. "Seriously?! I just answered your question, and you're not going to answer mine?"

"You're asking me the wrong question, Captain. It's not a matter of who I am, but what I am that you should be concerned about," he frowned.

"and that is?"

"None of your business," he replied shortly.

This was getting me nowhere. I tried the only other question I could think of asking.

"Did you happen to know a man by the name of Yuki Urahara?"

"No." He didn't flinch, blink or bat an eyelash.

"What about Kisuke Urahara?"

He looked to the right and answered too quickly.

"No."

My phone beeped, interrupting the intense staring contest we had entered. I tried to ignore it.

"You'd better answer that." He pushed past me and opened the door. He looked over his shoulder, "and don't bother coming back." He added. The man shut the door behind him, leaving me out in the cold with not much of anything to show for it.

Except for one thing. He knew who Kisuke was, that much I was sure. I tested my hand against the barrier that was still in place. He wasn't going to make it easy for me.

My phone beeped again. I pulled it out and looked it over. One message from a squad member and two from Captain Hitsugaya.

The most recent being,

What good is a phone Akira if you don't answer it?

And the second,

You've got a squad member down in the western sector; they contacted me because you didn't respond to their message. Get over here. Now.

I glanced at the third message, confirming what he had said. Damn it I needed to sort out my priorities. . . And my priorities were standing two feet away from me, shooting daggers with his frosty blue eyes.

"When we get back, you have some explaining to do."