"Turn in your badge."
The shinigami pressed her lips into a firm line. Nonetheless, she did as the voice said and briskly untied the fukutaicho badge from her right bicep. She tossed it a few feet from her, watching as it skidded across the stone floor.
"In addition to your removal from your seat, you are on probation from all Gotei 13 activities. Every request must be approved by your captain, and then the soutaicho. You are required to attend weekly meetings with your captain to receive assessment. Is that clear?"
She nodded but did not speak, and apparently that was satisfying, because someone dismissed her and there was a shuffling of chairs up above that indicated they were leaving.
She waited until the last door closes with finality before making her own exit.
Final. Such are the judgments of the Central 46.
"Seems like a waste."
There was a small lull of silence, where captains shuffled papers and sighed and looked down at the table nondescriptly. Most of them cannot help but agree.
"It's just a snag," responded Kyoraku. "I'm sure this was just a misunderstanding. Kurosaki will get back on track."
Soifon was less forgiving.
"Kurosaki threw off the balance. She's irresponsible."
"Irresponsible doesn't mean that she needs to be removed from office," replied Komamura. "She is an adept shinigami, albeit reckless."
The captain of the 10th sat back in his chair as the other captains deliberated over the issue of Kurosaki Karin. He had pre-decided not to speak at this meeting, being that he would probably be biased, and therefore not taken seriously. He sighed. For the best, he supposed.
"You're all forgetting that Ichigo and Shiba-sama are hardly good examples for the girl," interjected Hirako. "What do you expect from a family like that?"
Several captains nodded in agreement. It was true that the family had little of a track record in terms of doing what they were supposed to.
"No excuse," Soifon proclaimed mercilessly. "She blatantly disregarded Hitsugaya-taicho's orders. If he had not intervened, Kurosaki could have wreaked countless havoc in the Human World."
Toshiro flinched. Soifon had meant to praise him, but all Toshiro felt was guilt. This entire mess was his fault.
"Regardless," Ukitake murmured, "Kurosaki is an adept shinigami and she should be treated as such. She is not a criminal."
"Not yet," Soifon muttered. "Where is Byakuya anyway? She's his charge."
"Lecturing the poor girl probably," Kyoraku responded, smiling a little.
It was normally quiet in the 6th Division, but today Karin found new appreciation for the lack of sound.
She traced the cool wood of the floor, allowing her fingers to spread across the boards, thoughtful.
Byakuya watched her with his usual unreadable expression. His displeasure was clear enough.
When he accepted the younger Kurosaki into his division, Byakuya had been prepared for a challenge. The girl was headstrong and determined—every bit of her living up to the given Kurosaki and the unclaimed Shiba. She also tended to have a reckless streak, like her ancestors before her.
Yes, Kurosaki Karin was everything Byakuya had expected. And more.
What Byakuya had not expected was her unwavering focus, concentrated loyalty, and resourcefulness. Kurosaki Karin was every bit her brother's sibling, her father's daughter—but there was more to her that neither had claim over, an originality that belonged to Karin only.
"Kurosaki," Byakuya murmured.
Karin lifted her head and met her captain's eyes. There it was—her gaze, like steel, that encompassed her entire personality. An unbreakable, but flexible will.
Byakuya pursed his lips and withdrew from his sleeve Karin's lieutenant badge.
"The Central 46 has temporarily removed you from a division seat," Byakuya mused.
"Yes, taicho."
Byakuya fell silent once more, looking over the badge with reserve.
"I will be keeping the position of fukutaicho open until you are taken off probation."
Surprise lit Karin's face, her eyebrows arching in disbelief.
"Taicho. . . You don't have to do that for me. . ." Karin looked down, folding her hands in her lap.
"I believe you have been punished enough for your reckless decisions in the Human World. Fulfill the requirements of your probation, and you will be reinstated as fukutaicho of my division."
Karin bowed deeply, her forehead almost touching the floor.
"Thank you, Kuchiki-taicho."
Byakuya stood and set the badge at Karin's bowed head.
"Do not disappoint me, Kurosaki Karin," he spoke, before exiting the room.
Karin sighed and closed her eyes, fighting the urge to stay where she was for all eternity, committing to rot in the small 6th Division room.
She sat up and stared at her badge plaintively.
The number six glared up at her, mockingly, shaming her for her mistakes.
"Shut up," she said, shoving the badge in her shihakusho.
She had enough shame weighing on her than to have an inanimate object contributing.
Stiffly, the young shinigami stood and walked over to one of the doors that led to the division's gardens.
It was cool outside, close to autumn.
Karin sat down on a bench and considered a maple tree, wistful to see and speak with her sister.
It was hard, living a world away from her twin. She and Yuzu could communicate almost without speaking, so in tune they were. But with Karin's indiscretions, she would be lucky if she got leave to visit within the next hundred years. Kyoraku was a benevolent soutaicho, but Central 46 would definitely be keeping a close eye on her activity from now on.
Karin sighed.
Too quickly had things gotten out of hand. Too quickly had she reacted without thinking, letting her spiritual energy explode out of her with uncontrollable force.
Karin cradled her head in her hands. How embarrassing.
Toshiro had been so mad, livid to the point of expelling her from all Soul Society activities; even though he technically did not have the power to pass such a decision. If Karin hadn't been unconscious, she would have been stunned that Toshiro even brought her back to Soul Society, deigning even to carry her through the gate himself.
Toshiro. . . She would have to face him soon and apologize. Another exhale left Karin's mouth. She was not looking forward to that encounter; he was bound to chew her out since she had not been lucid during the time of his greatest fury.
What was worst—Karin had no defense for her behavior. She would have to take every critique and comment in stride because she was in the wrong.
Karin wrinkled her nose. What an unsavory place to be—wrong.
Pride was one of Karin's choice enemies, and in this particular situation, it was certainly not an ally.
She chewed on her bottom lip, wishing again that she could go to Yuzu for advice. She couldn't talk to Toshiro because of—well, obvious reasons. So, it seemed her only rational option was her brother.
Karin rolled her eyes. Advice from Ichigo? She might as well go ahead and resign any hope of being reinstated.
Still, she went.
It was somewhat of a dual mockery and practical joke that Ichigo did not hold a captain's seat in the Gotei 13. Instead, he was Renji's fukutaicho.
Karin found her brother laying down on one of the 8th Division walkways. He seemed to be sleeping in the afternoon sunshine.
"Oi," Karin greeted flatly, sending a sharp kick to her brother's side.
Ichigo's face twitched with a wince and he slowly opened brown eyes to view his younger sister.
"What?" he asked unceremoniously, closing his eyes again.
"I need your opinion on something."
Karin watched as her brother's face remained expressionless, but she knew better. Ichigo, despite his stubborn and thick-headed skull, wasn't stupid. He knew why she had come, and he was carefully weighing his options.
Eventually, her brother conceded and sat up, clearing his throat.
"Well?" he asked gruffly.
Karin sat next to him, letting her feet touch the grass of the division courtyard.
"I'm sure you've heard about my . . . indiscretion," Karin muttered, picking at her shihakusho.
Ichigo sighed.
"Who in Soul Society hasn't?" he returned gracelessly. "It was pretty reckless."
Karin bit back a blush of shame.
"Like you're one to talk. What should I do to fix it?"
It was silent for a few moments, but then Ichigo said, "You know, I've screwed up plenty of things in the past. Defied all sorts of orders and commands and rules. . . How pissed is Byakuya?"
Karin shrugged.
"He said the sentence I got from the Central 46 was enough punishment."
Ichigo scoffed and rolled his eyes, leaning back on his hands.
"Figures," Ichigo spat. "He always had a soft spot for you."
Karin frowned, but she understood her brother was only speaking in old bitterness from how Byakuya had treated him in the past. It was all water under the proverbial bridge, now.
Ichigo waved aside his words, forehead puckered in thought.
"What I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't do anything. You've already messed up. Apologize where you need to and try to do right until they take you off probation."
"I was afraid you were going to say that. I hate waiting," Karin said, her tone frustrated.
Ichigo grinned and clapped his sister on her shoulder.
"Don't we all, Karin. Impatience runs in our blood."
Karin shared his smile, appreciative.
"Thanks, Ichigo."
"No problem."
"Oi! Ichigo!" came a new voice, brusque, as it emerged from an inner office.
The redhead who appeared laid sights on not one, but two Kurosakis and grinned.
"Karin! I didn't know you were here." He smiled and bowed at the waist a little. "To what do we owe the honor?"
Karin nodded good-naturedly at Renji Abarai, captain of the 8th Division.
"I came to see my brother. He was sleeping on the job. Is that how you run your division, Renji?"
Renji put his hands on his hips and glared at Ichigo.
"You do have work to do, you know."
Ichigo shrugged.
"I got tired."
"Tired, my ass," Renji muttered, his gaze slipping back to Karin. "Since you're here, little troublemaker, how 'bout a game of soccer?"
Karin's expression pained a little at the new nickname, but she nodded, eager. She hadn't gotten to play soccer since before she left on the mission to the Human World.
"Sure thing. 8th against 6th, right? We'll school you."
Renji shook his head, grinning.
"Not a chance. Meet you at the field in ten."
Ichigo watched as the two went to prepare for their soccer showdown, slightly amused. Weird, how similar those two were.
"Yo, Ichigo!" came Renji's voice from within the division offices. "You playing or are you going to sit out there on your ass?!"
Ichigo smirked in answer and rose from his spot to join his friend and captain.
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