A/N: I'm back! I know I haven't responded to any reviews yet (on vaca - I haven't had Internet for almost two weeks) so I'll get right on that after I post this. This is another light-hearted chapter... but be prepared! I've prepared an angsty-ish one next (though I haven't decided which out of the two I have to use). And I've decided to start accepting drabble ideas/requests if you have them. I can't garuntee I'll get to them, but I want to keep Handle with Care going as long as possible.

On a more serious note, I'd like for eveyone reading this to think about Japan, and the problems they're having. Even if all you can do is take a moment to recognise and pray for them, that's enough.

Disclaimer: I own none of the rights to Bleach and unfortunately never plan to.

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Chapter Three: Undercover

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Karin swung her sword in her hands absentmindedly, letting her feet take her to the training grounds without thinking. She had walked this same route from her division's headquarters a million times: through the cobbled walkway, past the ninth division, through a back alley that she technically wasn't supposed to know about, through a few bushes, past the brunette in said bushes, over the… wait. Brunette?

Karin stopped walking and turned to the line of shrubbery, standing on her tip toes to try and get a better view of the shadowed figure. All that was visible was the small of the person's head and part of their body. Not really enough to distinguish who they were, or why they were lurking around her division's sparring area. Deciding to further investigate, Karin moved in.

She paid mind to sneaking over quietly, her footsteps only whispers on the dirt. The closer she got, the more she could make out. The figure was actually a girl and, by her size, she didn't look much older than Karin. She had chocolate brown hair pinned up in two buns and a sash strapped to her arm with a flower Karin couldn't match to a division. And as soon as she got within arms-distance, Karin reached out her hand and dropped it on the brunette's shoulder.

"Sup, stalker."

"Ahh!" The girl yelled, whipping around in a flurry of short-curses, screams and splutters. "I-I wasn't doing anything! Nothing, I swear! Honest, I was just…" the girl stopped when she recognized Karin; when Karin recognized her back, she pulled her brow in confusion.

"Hinamori?" she asked. "Hinamori Momo of the fifth division? What on Earth are you doing all the way over here? Isn't your division all the way-"

She was cut off when Hinamori's hand that shot up like a snake, clasping a hand over her mouth. "Shhh!" she hissed, looking around. "You'll get us caught!"

"Couugth?" Karin asked, her voice muffled by Hinamori's hand, "Couggth buf wyysatt?"

Hinamori looked confused. "What did you say?"

"I surad," Karin repeated, "couuufsh byauf wauft?"

Hinamori leaned in closer to try and understand. Karin rolled her eyes and swatted Momo's hand off her mouth.

"Caught by what?" she yelled.

"Shhhhh!" Hinamori said in urgency, waving her hands in front of her face, "You have to be quiet or he'll hear us!"

"Who'll hear us?"

"Shiro-chan of course!" said Hinamori, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Do you want him to come over here and find us?"

That got Karin's attention.

"What..." she scrambled over to Hinamori's spot in the bushes, shuffling until she could see through the leaves, too. "Toushirou's where?"

Hinamori moved up beside her and pointed through a few twigs to a gap in the foliage. "There!"

Karin focused her eyes until she could see Hitsugaya through the branches and twigs. He was out on the training grounds, but he wasn't exactly training. He was pacing back and forth on the dirt field, making hand motions and appearing to talk to himself. His white hair was in disarray, like he had been running his hands through it, and he looked frustrated.

"What the heck is he doing…?" Karin mumbled to no one in particular, leaning in and using her hands to push back some of the bush for a better view.

"I don't know!" Hinamori answered, throwing her hands up in the air. "He's just been like that, pacing, for hours! I just came to ask about a report he filled out for my division on our training ground time slots, and when I saw that this was his time I came over here and found him like this! Like, like…" she grasped for a word but couldn't find any. "well, you see. I'm worried about him, Karin."

Karin nodded, watching Histugaya walk compulsively. "Yeah," she agreed. "But... why are you in the bushes?"

Hinamori blushed and looked down. "I-I didn't want to interrupt. He looked really pensive I just, I don't know. I thought it'd be rude."

Karin raised an eyebrow. Hinamori blushed a deeper shade and Karin just decided to let it slide. Instead, she stood up. "Alright then, so why don't we just go talk to him now? If he's been here for hours he's clearly not getting anywhere anyway."

"No!" Hinamori said, grabbing Karin's wrist. "We can't! What if it's something really important? Or something we're not supposed to hear?"

Karin looked down at Hinamori, then back at the clearing where Hitsugaya was. "You care that much?"

Hinamori nodded and Karin sighed, plopping back down on the dirt ground. "Fine then," she said. "I guess we'll just wait together for him to finish."

Hinamori smiled – weakly, but gratefully. She shifted in her spot on the ground, giving more space for Karin to join her. Karin grinned and moved over beside the brunette. After a few minutes sitting in silence waiting for their friend, Karin got bored and yawned, turning to Hinamori.

"So," she began, "what's new with you?"


A/N: What Toushirou was thinking/debating over is up for spectulation. Who knows, I might just write another chapter from his POV if I can think of something good. Oh, and no Hinamori-bashing in the reviews please. She's not my fav, but she's growing on me. Peace and love, people, peace and love.