After a few moments of silence, Juushiro turned back to the zanpakuto. "What are your wishes in regards to your master's resting place? Do you have any objections to us retrieving his body to rest back in Soul Society?"
"My master is to remain here,” Hyourinmaru replied,” in this tomb that best fits him. I will not have his body turn to reishi in the Soul Society."
Tsukiro glanced again to the ghostly face of his captain, fiddling with the earring in his hand. He highly doubted that Hitsugaya-taicho would leave him something like this merely as a memento. The captain always had a reason for everything. He believed that held true for him, even in his dying moments. If the earring had a purpose other than what Hyorinmaru assumed, he would most likely find out soon.
Regardless, he raised his hand to his left ear, feeling for the piercing there that had been vacant of an accessory for quite some time. He pinned the dragon earring there and touched it one last time before rising to his feet.
He wanted to ask Hyorinmaru if he would allow him to take the captain's haori back to Soul Society and give it to the lieutenant, but he decided against it. The dragon wanted his master to be left alone and Tsukiro would not anger him any further by asking. He would just have to go back with his eyewitness account and his word.
Tsukiro bowed his head in respect. I'm sorry, Hitsugaya-taicho. I promise that Kita will pay dearly for her sin by my hand. For both yours and Hyorinmaru's sake.
----
They returned to the basement of Urahara's shop with no more incidents, cold and deep in their own thoughts. Even the gate imploding and fading into nothingness didn't do much for them. Juushiro told Tessai and Yoruichi that Toshiro was dead, and most people believed it to be by Kita's hand. Kisuke offered no further comments on that, telling Tessai he was in charge of the shop, and exchanged a look with Yoruichi. He locked himself in his lab.
In the backroom of the shop, Juushiro reminded Tsukiro that it was still dangerous to return to Soul Society with Sousuke after his head, a fact that had largely been forgotten at this point. The boy argued, but the captain changed his words into an order for him to stay there, softening his words a moment later. He would take Tsukiro back when Yamamoto announced Toshiro's death. Tsukiro asked him when that would be. Juushiro didn't have a chance to reply, coughing fiercely into his hand and his vision going fuzzy. Tessai and Yoruichi intervened, sending him to his bed.
When Tessai walked in later to heal his arm further, he found the captain sitting with his head in his hands. He walked back out, closing the door.
Finished in: Belated Sad Report
