Admiration (Bleach Fanfic)

Saying Goodbye

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?"