Finding Friendship (Bleach Fanfic)

Making the Announcement

Hana looked at the ground. "So... being selected would be a career boost? That doesn't make much sense."

M

Ichigo knocked on the door to the small taicho's room. "Toshiro?

A sound came from the room of the room's occupant moving towards the door. "Go away Kurosaki. I don't want to speak to you."

Isane took a deep breath. "You have the choice of Ichigo staying the night with you or taking the sleeping drought I've prepared for you."

The door slammed open and two bright teal eyes with bags underneath glared at Ichigo. "I hate you Kurosaki."

Isane handed the medicine to Ichigo and turned to leave. Ichigo frowned at the small taicho and scratched the top of his head. "I figured you would say something like that. I don't believe you though. I think you're just mad at me. We need to talk."

"No we don't." Toshiro walked a few feet away and turned around with his arms crossed.

"You're being quite unfair Toshiro."

"Hitsugaya Taicho... you know that well enough."

"How can I tell you something when I myself didn't know." Ichigo watched as Toshiro turned to look at him. The bright teal eyes revealed the fact the young taicho felt hurt and betrayed. "I've been wanting to talk to you about it ever since I found out. This stupid war got in the way though."

Toshiro turned around. His eyes flashed with anger. How can you be so happy about this? How can you not be angry with him."

Angry with him?" Ichigo's face fell. "I've known since Aizen that my dad was a Shinigami. I've been angry at him for well over a year for not telling me that much. I'm still upset with him. There is something more important to me though then being angry at my dad."

"And what would that be!" Toshiro's tensed up.

"You."

Two teal eyes widened from disbelief. The child taicho's head jerked one way and then the other. Toshiro's mouth trembled as he tried to make sense of what he heard. His small frame jerked away and he headed towards the door.

"Hey... where are you going?"

"Don't know. This is your room... not mine."

"Get your butt back here. I won't hesitate to haul..."

Ichigo's words were interrupted by Toshiro flinching as he tried stepping through the back and slammed into a bookshelf. A few of the books ended up falling off onto the ground. The small child taicho collapsed quickly to his knees and his hands went up to cover his ears. The boy's breathing came in a ragged manner.

Ichigo stepped over and knelt down. He carefully reached down and picked Toshiro up and carried him over to the bed. The small taicho flinched as Ichigo picked the boy up. He set Toshiro on the bed and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder causing the child to flinch again. "Toshiro... I'm going to remove your shirt. I need to have a look at your back."

Toshiro simply stared forward as his arms lay limp to his sides. The pupils of his eyes dilated. Ichigo pulled up the undershirt of the Quincy uniform and received the response of a hissing sound indicating Toshiro was in quite a bit of pain. Ichigo frowned at seeing the bruising on Toshiro's back. "You idiot." Ichigo reached forward and gripped the sides of Toshiro's head gently. "I need you to stay here."

The small taicho's breath came out as a puff of frosting mist. "I..."

"Toshiro... it's the job of the older sibling to look out for their younger siblings."