I watched from the sidelines as Karin instructed her team and constantly shouted at them. I wasn't sure but it looked like she was trying to fill empty positions on her team. I leaned against the fence amused by what I was seeing. She didn't dodge around other players she simply went straight and she didn't care who was in her way. But looking back that had always been her style of playing, I remembered the one time that we had played together, and how even though she had been injured she still played her hardest to help her team win.

While players were switching out Karin suddenly grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it off revealing her red sports bra and tight abs underneath. She quickly wiped the sweat off her face, and then ran after the ball throwing her shirt across the side lines. I felt my cheeks heat up, with Rangiku as my lieutenant I shouldn't have been embarrassed, but this was Karin. This was Kurosaki's little sister and I knew he would strangle me if he knew I was watching his sister right now. Luckily I heard my phone beep and I quickly pulled it out my pocket, it was just a hollow and it was about five miles from where I was. I quickly swallowed the soul candy and ran in the direction of the hollow. I tried to flash step forward but I immediately felt like my legs were tangling together, "Damn it!" I cursed slowing down to a steady run; I still wasn't used to my abnormal height or the long legs that came with it. I sighed almost wishing for the days when I was mistaken for a child because of my height. About a year ago I had hit a growth spurt and much to Rangiku's amusement I couldn't walk around the Seireitei without tripping over my own feet.

The head-captain constantly wondered what had happened to me, and he somehow came to the crazy conclusion that some unknown force was behind it. I could have cared less about that kind of thing, all I knew was that I was happy that my body had finally caught up with my age, I was tired of having to explain to people that even though I looked like a child I wasn't. I was about a hundred sixty years old, and if Urahara was correct about soul bodies aging ten time slower than humans then I should look at least sixteen, in fact I should have looked sixteen four years ago when I first met Karin. My mind pulled up a mental image of Karin's smiling face and I shook it from my head as the hollow walked in my sights.


I returned to the school just in time to see Karin power kick the ball at the goal, leaving her goalie with the only option of ducking before the ball hit her in the face. "Alright, you guys that's enough practice for today. I'll decide on the new players tonight and notify you all tomorrow." She announced, all of the girls let out a sigh of relief walking to the locker rooms whispering amongst themselves. I walked over to my Gigai (who was drooling after all the players) and switched places with the soul pill. Karin walked over and snatched up her shirt, I turned away with my back towards her crossing my arm and blushed for some reason.

"Toshiro, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing." I replied still not looking at her.

"There is too something wrong, I walk over and you look away. So what's wrong?"

"Nothing." I insisted, "Just put your shirt back on." She was quiet for a second.

"Oh my gosh Toshiro is that it, you're embarrassed because I'm only wearing a sports bra."

"No!" I protested.

"Then look at me."

"I don't want to."

She sighed, "Okay fine, I have my shirt back on now I promise." I turned my head cautiously and looked over my shoulder. She stood there with her hands held innocently behind her back with a smirk on her face, and still no shirt on! I blushed furiously and turned my head back around. I heard her laugh and then the rustling of fabric as she truly did put her shirt back on. She seemed to be unable to stop laughing as she picked up her soccer ball and placed it in its bag. I couldn't really explain why I did what I did next, it was just a sudden spontaneous action. I scooped her up and threw her over my shoulder, she squealed and grabbed the back of my shirt tightly, "Toshiro what are you doing?" She demanded trying to push herself up. I jumped a little so she lost her grip and flopped helplessly on my back, "You're sweating, so I'm going to help you cool down." I said walking towards the school. Once inside I turned right down the hall where a big sign read "pool". Karin seemed to recognize where we were going and she started squirming, "Toshiro, you can't be serious?"

"And why not?" I mused pushing open the door to the pool and walked to towards the deep end. "Toshiro, I swear I will never forgive you if you do this." She threatened her hand gripping my shirt tighter, "I'll beat you up I swear!" Her voice was becoming more frantic and I chuckled, "Toshiro please don't" She begged as a last minute resort. I shifted her so that she was cradled in my arms, and seeming to think that her begging had made me reconsider she relaxed and leaned her head against my chest. I leaned down close to her ear whispering, "It's too late for you to beg." Her eye's widened and I threw her in the pool. She resurfaced sputtering and thrashing around, I started laughing so hard that my sides started hurting and I kneeled down near the edge of the pool. She quickly grabbed the front of my shirt shocking me, "I will drown you." She spat pulling me into the water with her. We played around for about an hour trying to force the others head underwater, until we became too tired and climbed out of the pool laughing.
We walked back out into the warm sunlight heading back to the soccer field to retrieve our bags. "Do you have a place to sleep?" Karin asked swinging her bag over her shoulder.

"I figured I'd stay at Urahara's shop." I replied with shrug, picking up my own bag. We walked in silence out of the school gates and down the road heading towards Karin's house. "You could stay with us." She said suddenly, "I can move back into Yuzu's room and then you could take Ichi's old room." I thought it over for second, "If your family wouldn't mind I would really appreciate it. Abarai has told me horror stories about the time he stayed at Urahara's shop." I shivered dramatically and earned a laugh from her. It felt so good to be away from my duties as a captain and just be myself even if it was only temporary, the only thing I dreaded was the mountain of paperwork that would be waiting for me due to Rangiku's lack of work effort. "I'm sure they won't mind." She assured me, kicking her soccer ball through its bag. We talked about random topics the rest of the way, though by the time we reached her front door we were red in the face from arguing, "Dad, Yuzu I'm home! And I have guest!" She called as she opened the door to what I saw was the living room. Just then a man came running up to Karin with his arms wide open yelling, "Karin, my baby girl you're finally home!" Karin immediately jumped in the air and kicked her father square in the chest sending him crashing to the floor, "Karin, how could you attack your loving father?" and he started crying dramatically.

"Because you're being weird and I have a friend here who needs a place to stay so stop with all the theatrics!" She shouted, I stared wide-eyed wondering if this was a nightly routine. Mr. Kurosaki jumped up and walked over towards us, "And who is this?"

"Dad, I said stop. You know Toshiro you met him. HE's one of the captains that gave Ichigo his powers back." I suddenly remembered, I had only caught a fleeting glimpse of Mr. Kurosaki on that night so it was no wonder that I hadn't registered that it was Kurosaki's father. "Toshiro Hitsuguya, captain of squad ten." I stated automatically, Karin rolled her eyes at my formality.

"Oh-ho so you're the kid captain, not so kid anymore though are you? Yeah now I remember you have that ice Zanpakuto, Hyorimaru." I scowled when he referred to me by my old nickname. Luckily Karin saved me from having to talk to her father.

"He's going to sleep in Ichi's room." Yuzu gasped from the kitchen and I knew exactly where her thoughts had gone causing me to blush, "And I'm moving back in with you, Yuzu! Geez don't jump to conclusions! Come on Toshiro I'll show you to your room." She grabbed my wrist and led me out back into the hallway and up the stairs grumbling something about how she would kill for a normal family. She opened the first door on the landing and pulled me inside. I had been here twice, Once during the first Arrancar invasion and then once again after the fullbringers had been suppressed. The later had simply been for a short meeting informing Kurosaki about what had happened in the seventeen months that he had been powerless. Though looking at the room now nothing had changed much, the comforter on the bed was now blue, the desk held an assortment of sports magazine most pertaining to soccer, And the shelves that were wedged in the corner now held soccer trophies and an assortment of knick knacks. "So this is your room now" she said flopping on the bed closing her eyes.

"If it's my room then why are you sleeping on my bed?"

"Because I'm tired after you nearly drowned me this after noon." She grumbled throwing and arm over her eyes. I walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. She poked me in the side and I jumped, "hmm you're ticklish?" She smirked and removed her arm from over her eyes. She reached out and grabbed both of my sides causing me to jump again. I immediately grabbed her wrists and very skillfully twisted my body till I was straddling her, I quickly placed both of her wrists in one of my hands and pinned them over her head while my other hand was poised my other over her stomach, though not touching. She sucked in a breath of air and stared wide-eyed at me, it was my turn to smirk, "Are youticklish Karin? I saw her swallow hard and squirm, apparently anticipation alone was enough. When my hand touched her stomache her eyes grew wider, and I proceeded to tickle her. She squealed and laughed, trying to squirm out of my grasp. When I saw tears forming in the corners of her eyes I released her, I stood with my knees touching hers looking down at her smiling. She pushed herself up onto her elbows and glared at me, "Was that payback for me kicking you?"

"Nope, trust me. You'll know when I've received payback because it will be ten times worse." I saw her shiver and I smiled wickedly. She scrambled off the bed and walked to the door where she turned to me once more, "Dinners at seven, there should be some of Ichi's cloths in the back of the closet that might fit you."

"Thanks." I saw a hint of color rise to her cheeks and she opened the door. Mr. Kurosaki and Yuzu tumbled in; they both regained their composure and crawled back out with Karin screaming at them, "What the hell! You guys are so annoying!" She slammed the door behind her and I chuckled, that was the Karin I knew and loved. And that thought alone scared me, even though it made me feel warm inside.