Admiration (Bleach Fanfic)

Captain Level Mission

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?"