Admiration (Bleach Fanfic)

The Melancholy of Isshin

Rest was what the fourth division taicho had told Toshiro to do. However, Toshiro happened to not be able to find the ability to rest and instead was sitting up in the bed, his back resting against the headboard. He had zoned out, thinking about the simple things, like the nice quiet that the division brought, or the fact that Hyorinmaru was in the mood for singing old songs in an old dialect because the dragon felt the mood was suited for this.

He was surprised when Unohana came into the room, again smirking as she did so. She had something held behind her back. Two teal eyes opened wide with shock for a few minutes, Toshiro then had his own smirk to add. "You've been planning something with Isshin-taicho, haven't you?"

"More of he's been doing the planning," the division taicho smiled, then frowned. "Lieutenant Hitsugaya… would you mind telling me why you passed out like you did and were so cold?"

Toshiro thought about it, but remembered something that Isshin had told him. "This is a secret Shiro-chan, a trump card to come into play when you most need it. Plus, you'll want to work on perfecting it, before you go and show it off."

"I can't even tell Hinamori?" Toshiro remembered replying.

"Well… you can tell her I suppose," Isshin stated, almost as if he had thought that telling her might not be the best idea. "She is having a party thrown for making second rank in fifth division just like you did. You should be well enough to attend then, and tell her, if you so choose."

"Something is up with you though taicho…" Toshiro had raised an eyebrow. "There is something about telling Hinamori that you aren't telling me, isn't there?"

"Don't worry about it, Shiro-chan," Isshin had smiled.

At this Toshiro's outward appearance suddenly changed on Unohana. His eyes lost the coldness he usually had and seemed more childlike, and he had a big grin on his face. "I wouldn't have a clue why I passed out like I did!"

Unohana kept a straight face, putting on a smile herself. "That is nice. Here… a summer kimono… your taicho had Matsumoto pick it out for you."

Toshiro's face suddenly turned back to normal. "What…"

"And when you decide to tell me what you are hiding from me, I will listen," the woman stated smoothly, not losing a beat. "And I hope you will be more careful next time, as I get the idea that you are… how to put it, likely to try whatever it is again, am I correct?"

"Hai…" the boy stared at her in disbelief. He felt a cold sweat cover his body, much like whenever he had tried hiding something from his grandmother. How did such types of people always know? Unohana left then, not pushing for the truth, as she possibly felt that pushing his buttons was not a good idea.

The white haired fukutaicho was rather floored that she hadn't dug into him on the matter of why he had come to be in there. As he stared, he suddenly saw Isshin peeking in past the doorway, a wide grin on his face. He was dressed in a yukata, and leaned against the wall.

"So how is my son feeling right now?" he suddenly asked. "It seems he is day dreaming again and staring off into space… again."

"Ehh… taicho?" came the startled reply, two eye going wide, then the complete opposite. "I am not your son!"

Isshin quickly got a hurt look on his face, but just as quickly, it left. "What ever you say! Shiro-chan is always right!"

"Stop making fun of me!" came the snappish reply.

"You could go ahead and ask him if he would allow you to adopt him," Isshin's zanpaktou abruptly sung in his ears.

"No, as much as I would like to make him my own, he would take it the wrong way, as he just learned Bankai, and would assume that was the reason," the tenth division taicho responded.