It took a couple of weeks for tenth division third seat to convince Toshiro to go and visit his grandmother. The boy had been completely nervous, not to mention apprehensive of what his grandmother would think. Rangiku also knew that the boy probably didn't want to be seen by those in the area, thus they went early in the morning, planning on leaving in the evening.

Of course, Toshiro hauled all the division paperwork with them, much to Rangiku's annoyance, and to Isshin-san's complete amusement. The man commented that he might have to order him to take a vacation, to which Toshiro gave the man a confused look. When the two of them arrived, Matsumoto found that she absolutely adored the old lady, as the woman had the warmest heart she had ever imagined.

She also smirked when she saw the small boy actually smile as the woman greeted him, wrapping him in a hug, almost as if the old granny was the one person whose touch he actually felt comfortable with allowing. She also saw his eyes lose the hardness and coldness that he put on to show everyone else. The woman gave Rangiku a small bow. "Thank you for taking care of my grandchild."

"Oh… no need to thank me," Rangiku smiled back at her. "I didn't do anything really."

"Perhaps… but Hinamori has told me that Toshiro is rather attached to you and feels he owes you something. I take it that you are the one who convinced him to go to the academy?" the old woman smiled, holding onto her grandson, whose cheeks suddenly flushed slightly from embarrassment.

"Well… all I told him was there was a voice that was calling him," Rangiku smiled.

"I know from what my grandson told me the day that he left that you did so much more… even I owe you my thanks. Hinamori also, though she really doesn't know, as Toshiro has made it clear this is one of the things he doesn't want to tell her about," the grandmotherly woman smiled. "Not that I can blame him. Let me fix you some tea."

The old woman then hurried off, while Matsumoto put a finger on her chin. "I was sure she would comment on your haircut and the lieutenant's badge."

"She wouldn't because that is bad manners… and isn't it bad manners for me to bring it up," Toshiro suddenly asked.

"Don't get how it is," Matsumoto muttered, as she watched the old woman bring back a tray for a tea ceremony. She carefully ground the tea, then mixed it.

"So who is your taicho, little one?" the old woman finally got around to asking as she handed each one a cup of tea.

"Isshin-san…" Toshiro muttered, blowing on his cup of tea.

"Is he the man who came by when you were depressed after achieving shikai?" the woman suddenly asked.

"Yes…" Toshiro muttered, then glanced at his cup.

"I didn't know you were depressed," Matsumoto suddenly got surprised.

"I would rather not talk about it Matsumoto," the small boy muttered.

"So, what have you done lately?" the old woman smiled, only to have Toshiro clam completely up, biting his lip. The old woman shook her head, then turned to Matsumoto. "Would you dear, enlighten me. My grandson tends not to be very talkative about certain things."

"He got a haircut, drives taicho nuts and is second rank," the woman smiled.

"I see… that is good to know," the woman smiled.

"Didn't Hinamori tell you on one of her visits?" Toshiro suddenly frowned.

"Yes… but I like hearing from you too. Though I do understand why you don't come by. I could send care packets to you in tenth division," the woman smiled.

"There isn't…" Toshiro started, only to be interrupted by Matsumoto.

"That is wonderful, isn't it Toshiro-kun?" the woman smiled, causing the boy to flinch. His grandmother smiled.

"I am glad he has someone to take a stand for him," the woman smiled again. "Because he doesn't take them for himself."

"Granny…" Toshiro muttered, then glanced away. "So… what did Hinamori think about my receiving rank? Did she tell you?"

"Toshiro… understand me that…" the grandmother closed her eyes. "No… you probably already know, though Momo-chan doesn't know yet herself, or realized it. Do you really want me to confirm your fears?"

"It is better knowing then not knowing, isn't it?" the small boy sighed.

"She is majorly proud of you, for going through the academy. She couldn't stop talking about the amount of danger that you would be in, how much she wished you were in her division, or home here with me. Also… the part she doesn't realize is… she is rather bitter. She feels that she is the older sibling, yet your achievements of late make her feel like she can't be that. I don't think she realizes that you're the one who has always taken on the older brother role, not her. Hers is more… a mothering type, or a type of kindness that she can't help but show everyone."

"I figured as much," Toshiro's eyes were filled with sadness. Matsumoto placed a hand on his shoulder.

"So… the better question to ask would be what does your grandmother think of what you have done… oh, and your haircut. You were making such a big deal of it not being her who cut your hair, weren't you?" Matsumoto raised an eyebrow, just as the small boy's cheeks flushed again.

"What I think is that I am very proud of the young man I see in front of me. To many, he looks like a child, but my Hitsugaya Toshiro has always… even as a child, been different from the others. There is a maturity there that many people choose to ignore, but others get mad at, but this is what makes you who you are. That haircut… it helps make you look older," the woman commented.

Toshiro's cheeks turned even redder, his mouth not bothering to open. The woman gave him a small smile. "The only thing that I ask is that first, you think of yourself every now and then, and think about what is best for you, and not necessarily what is best for others. I also ask that, even though you are as mature as you are, that you remember that it is all right to act like a child sometimes."

The old woman then pulled out something from her sleeve. "I found this while I was preparing the tea."

Toshiro fingered the wooden top. "Arigotto, grandmother."

"Ehh… a toy?" Matsumoto peeked over.

"Not a toy…" Toshiro muttered, narrowing his eyes at the woman, an irritated look on his face. He got up and went into the other room, trying to avoid the two women, having an idea where the conversation was going. While he was within hearing range still, he wanted to pretend that he couldn't hear.

"For most children, yes… it would be a toy," the grandmother sighed. "For Toshiro, it was an escape, something he was good at… that no one else could take away, that no one could say wasn't wrong."

"I am not quite following," Rangiku shook her head.

"Toshiro participated in the top spinning competitions and is still undefeated by any of the other locals. While most children would see it as a child's game, he saw it as something he could be good at, something that no one could take away," the woman smiled. "And since adults also participated in the competition, it didn't seem he was being childish, now did it?"

"I guess not," Matsumoto sighed.

Toshiro suddenly poked his head around the corner. "Matsumoto… about the paperwork you gave me… one of them is from the Shingami Women's society…"

"Just feel it out…" Matsumoto muttered.

"But…" Toshiro made a face at her, and Matsumoto suddenly got a surprised look on her face, which turned to irritation.

"What did I tell you about doing paper work! This is supposed to be nice and relaxing!" the orange haired woman muttered. Toshiro's granny laughed though.

"I'm not just doing paper work… I'm working on a project too," Toshiro sighed.

"A hobby?" Matsumoto grinned.

"No… but it is a project," Toshiro shook his head.

"Please tell me it isn't another trap on Isshin-taicho for trying to sneak attack you?" the woman stated.

"No… but thank you for reminding me I have to think of a new one," Toshiro suddenly let out a chuckle.

"I believe that my miscreant grandson has come up with some sort of serious trouble," the grandmother whispered.

"How serious of trouble could he be causing?" Matsumoto sighed.

"You might be surprised…" the old woman stated.

"I don't know him very well… but what could top sticking taicho's shoes to the office floors for a week?" Matsumoto suddenly chuckled.

"Matsumoto!" came the complaint and a red face as the grandmother gave him a look.

"You might be surprised," the woman sighed.

M

A few days later, over in fifth division, a bunch of the females received mail, which caused quite a few became overly ecstatic. "It's in Aizen-taicho's handwriting…"

"But it says random words…" one of the girls stated. "And they aren't signed."

"Did you get one Hinamori?" one of the girls, who had also been there the day Toshiro had come to the academy spoke up. "You know Aizen-sama's handwriting best, as you were one of the ones who took his calligraphy class."

"Ahh… let me see…" Hinamori commented. "It looks like his handwriting… but…"

The girls watched as Hinamori turned pale, then saw a small picture drawn of a face with the cheeks being pulled on either side, a tongue sticking out. "That isn't like ours…"

"Shiro-chan," Suddenly the letter crumbled, and Hinamori tossed it across the room, hitting Aizen taicho as he came into the room.

The man uncrumpled the paper and let out a sigh. "I see a certain someone did a similar trick as he did back in the academy. I'll have to have a word with his taicho about this."

M

Isshin and Toshiro were hard at work at their paperwork, when the fifth division captain came into the room. "May I have a word with you… I am always tempted to use your last name."

"Toshiro… could you…" the goat bearded man started, however…

"Actually… since this is about him, I think he should stay," Aizen placed a stack of papers onto Isshin's desk. "He's done this before and I had to talk to the headmaster about it, but the headmaster wrote it off as his age."

"This looks like your handwriting…" Isshin narrowed his eyes. "No signature…"

"It does look like my handwriting… I can't find any flaws… which is what is scary about this. The only signature was this one," the man stated, pulling out the crumpled one. "It was sent to Hinamori in particular…"

"Are you trying to tell me that Toshiro is able to mimic your handwriting?" Isshin sighed.

"Not mimic, exactly replicate. Hinamori Momo, on one of his first days, dragged him to one of my classes. He was completely bored out of his mind, and why wouldn't he be… he already has good handwriting. So good, he was able to copy every one of my students hand writing. While it didn't end up with something like this, it was just as annoying."

"Toshiro…" Isshin glared at the small boy, who was looking up, as if nothing wrong had happened. "Do you possibly know what a forgery is?"

"A forgery… this is something that is meant to be an illegal documentation or something that is claimed to be by someone else… I never told anyone the letters were written by Aizen," Toshiro commented. "I've been filling out Matsumoto's paperwork in her handwriting, then she signs it."

Isshin's eyebrow suddenly twitched. "Toshiro…"

Aizen closed his eyes and touched his forehead with his fingers. "Do you know what kind of trouble you could get yourself into… though I do admit you haven't done anything illegal… at this point."

"I refuse to do signatures," Toshiro narrowed his eyes.

"Which explains why every letter is unsigned," Isshin commented, his reiatsu suddenly rising. "Aizen… if you'll excuse me, I need to have a talk with my lieutenant here."

After the man left, Toshiro raised an eyebrow and commented weakly. "Soap?"

"You wish!"

M

Matsumoto had gone out to buy sake and was coming back to the division, when Nanao stopped her. "Oh… good morning Nanao!"

"Good… morning. Matsumoto, I was just looking for you. About the paperwork that you filled out for the Women's society…" Nanao muttered.

"I didn't fill out any paperwork," Matsumoto smiled.

"But it has your signature on it… and it is in your handwriting," Nanao sighed.

"My signature I understand, but my handwriting? Shouldn't it be in Toshiro's handwriting?" Matsumoto suddenly asked.

"What?" Nanao gave her a confused look.

"I get sub-taicho to fill out my paperwork for me," Matsumoto smiled. "Then I go and sign it!"

"Not… not possible. How long has this been going on exactly?" Nanao muttered.

"It's been going on since he came to the division," Matsumoto had a confused look on her face.

"But… but… all of them are in your handwriting…" Nanao commented. "But that does explain the weird comments… it was a survey Matsumoto…"

"Ehh?" Matsumoto became flabbergasted. "So that was what he was trying to tell me when he filled it out. Oops…"

"Matsumoto… at least he wasn't a little pervert…" Nanao muttered, handing a paper to Matsumoto.

"What do you mean?" Matsumoto commented. "Oh… for the question of idea for special project I like… helping abused women out… he got everything spot on… except for the idea for sake not being allowed during office hours… was that your question you submitted Nanao? And…"

Matsumoto suddenly burst out laughing. "I can't believe he answered that for that question! I wish I had thought of that. I am guessing that was twelfth division's sub-taicho's question?"

"He probably actually thought that she meant the punctuation mark in the English language," Nanao sighed. A scream was suddenly heard coming from the office.

"What is going on?" Matsumoto suddenly frowned, the two women hurrying off, just time to have a small white haired boy shoot past them, out the doors.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro, get back here! I am not finished tanning your hide!" Isshin yelled.

"Taicho… what did he do exactly!" Matsumoto asked.

"Rangiku… just the person I wanted to see. STOP handing your paperwork over to your sub-taicho!" Isshin snapped, holding up some pieces of paper. "The little brat is able to mimic… no… as Aizen put it, correctly copy anyone's handwriting! He pulled a really weird prank on fifth division… possibly because Hinamori upset him the other day."

Matsumoto walked over to the desk. "What is with Aizen writing all these bad, one line puns?"

Nanao picked up one of the papers, turning pale. "I think that this is the work of your sub-taicho, Ran-chan."

"What… oh… so that was what he was working on when we went to his grandmothers…" Matsumoto smirked. "I think it is funny!"

"I probably owe him an apology for spanking him like I did, but I get the feeling he rarely ever got spankings," Isshin commented, letting out a groan. "Matsumoto… do you have any sake on you? This is the second time I've decided to drink because of something he's done."

"Hai!" Matsumoto cheered. "Nanao… want some?"

"This is one of those times… I say yes…" the woman commented. "I want to forget about this whole mess. And Matsumoto… please if you do make him do your paperwork…"

"I know… I know," Matsumoto waved her hand, having gulped some down already. "Papa needs to let children be children!"

"Very funny Matsumoto, very funny," Isshin muttered, gulping down his cup in one sitting.

"You need to get him around children his age," Nanao muttered, causing Isshin to have a twinkle in his eyes.