Thank you all for making me feel better about Hitsugaya's OOCness. I think it was necessary to the story and I'm glad you guys thought it was ok. He does it a little in this chapter too, but it's the same deal as last time. Ok, I hope you like this chapter, it was really fun to write. And I finally figured out how to get rid of those annoying spaces! Yay!

"4th squad?!" Karin roared in fury.

"Karin…" Ichigo said defensively.

"4th squad!?"

"Karin please," Isshin pleaded.

"4TH SQUAD!! I'm the top of my class with a sword by a wide margin and I beat the crap out of a 3rd seat every day. My zanpakto means 'black death' for crying out loud! Does that sound like the zanpakto of a healer?!" They were in Isshin's office in 3rd squad celebrating Karin and Yuzu's graduation from the Shinigami Academy. But it was turning into much more of a shouting match than a party.

"I mean, come on!" she continued. "I have a father, a brother, and a best friend who are all taichos, you have all the power in the world to influence this decision and I end up in 4th squad!"

"Taichos don't make these decisions Karin," Isshin tried desperately to explain. "Your teachers do. And Yuzu requested 4th squad, so I think they just saw Kurosaki on the request list and…well, mixed you up." Karin shot him a look of pure poison.

"But Yuzu's in 4th squad too. They didn't accidentally put her in 11th squad now did they?"

"You requested 11th squad?" Hitsugaya asked, and everyone could hear the slight tinge of hurt in his voice. The room fell awkwardly silent at the icy taicho's minute display of emotion. The glass of sake Matsumoto had been in the middle of pouring for Kira was overflowing, but neither of them noticed. Renji nudged Ichigo, who scoffed. Rukia elbowed them both in the stomach.

"Of course she did!" Ikkaku said jovially, completely oblivious to the tension in the room. "11th squad's the best! We get the coolest fights."

"But Ikkaku," Matsumoto chimed in, actively trying to turn attention away from her taicho for his sake. "I'm not so sure you want Karin-chan in your squad! You know she's stronger than you. Aren't you worried she'll take your seat?" Ikkaku turned red.

"No one's taking my seat! Karin, outside, right now, we're duking it out!"

"Clearly you weren't listening," Yumichka said with a flamboyant wave of his hand. "Karin's in 4th squad, so your seat is safe."

"Oh," said Ikkaku, scratching his head in confusion. "Whatever, Karin, where are you? We can fight anyway! Karin?" But she was nowhere to be found. Neither, for that matter, was Hitsugaya.

"Aaaw, do I sense a little romance going on between the short ones?" Yumichka cooed. Both Renji and Rukia had to grab Ichigo's haori to keep him from pouncing on Yumichka.

"Watch what you say about my sister!" he growled.

"Oi, Ichigo," Rukia said in a strained voice, "let it go!" On cue, both she and Renji released him and he barreled head first into the opposite wall.

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu cried, running to her brother's side, while everyone else laughed hysterically.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Hitsugaya didn't know why he felt this way. He hadn't really thought too hard about what squad Karin would want to be in. He couldn't really expect anything from her. And besides, she was in 4th squad anyway, so it didn't really matter. But he was still hurt, and it bothered him that he was hurt.

"Toushiro!" she called from behind, racing to catch up with him. He ignored her, registered how childish it was that he was ignoring her, hated himself for doing it, and did it anyway. Not that it mattered.

"Toushiro," she panted, finally catching up to him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he lied. At least, nothing should be wrong. Karin punched him in the arm. Hard. He stopped walking and stared at her.

"What?" he asked angrily.

"Don't lie to me!" Karin spat. "What's wrong with me wanting to be in 11th squad?"

"Nothing," he said truthfully. "I mean it," he responded to the incredulous look on her face. "It's a battle unit. You're made for battle. It's the perfect squad for you. I just…" he trailed off, not knowing exactly how to finish that sentence.

"You're jealous!" Karin said, realization dawning on her. She grinned broadly. "Wow Toushiro, I didn't know you had it in you." Hitsugaya frowned.

"I'm not jealous!" he insisted, but he was and he knew it.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore does it," Karin said with a sigh. "I'm in 4th squad." She said the last few words as sourly as she could.

"4th squad's not all that bad," Hitsugaya said, eagerly grasping at the change of topic.

"No, it's not," she agreed. "They are vital to Soul Society. I have a lot of respect for them. And it's a great squad for people like Yuzu. But you said it yourself; I'm made for battle. I'm the one that's supposed to need healing, not the other way around." She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Isn't there anything you can do?" she asked hopefully. "You're a taicho, there must be some way for you to get me out of this! Really, I'll take any squad at this point. Except maybe 1st. Yamamoto soutaicho scares the living daylights out of me!" Hitsugaya relaxed a bit. Karin had at least appeared to have forgotten his sudden embarrassing outburst.

"I'll try," he promised.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Back in the 9th squad office, Ichigo and Rukia were discussing Karin's squad placement.

"I can't believe they made a mistake like that!" Rukia said angrily. "Karin's 3rd seat material, maybe even fukutaicho! How could they stick her in 4th squad? She'll hate it there!" Ichigo didn't respond.

"Oi, Ichigo!" Rukia said annoyed. "I'm talking to you!"

"I'm actually glad she's there," he said in an uncharacteristically serious voice. "She'll be out of danger."

"What!?" Rukia shouted, livid. "You're the one who was so dead set on her becoming a shinigami in the first place!" She frowned as a thought hit her.

"You didn't have anything to do with this…did you?" she accused, giving him a death stare.

"Of course not!" he spat. "I know how much she wants to fight. I wouldn't intentionally ruin her future!"

"You're ruining ours," Rukia said darkly. Ichigo scowled.

"Damn it Rukia," he cursed in aggravation, "why do you have to drag that into every single conversation?!"

"Because it's important!" she said pointedly. "Why can't you just suck up your pride and marry me already?!" Ichigo frowned.

"It's not about pride," he said in exasperation. "I've explained this before. I just don't think a taicho and a fukutaicho should…"

"Should what, Ichigo?" Rukia demanded. "Love each other?" Ichigo checked at the word love, but didn't say anything. "And since when you care about things like that? It's just an excuse and you know it! I won't stay your secret forever Ichigo," Rukia said seriously. "Sooner or later, people are going to find out about us, Renji already knows and if you're so blind as to think that the rest of the squad isn't gossiping about us behind our backs, than you're not a very good taicho. I hate hiding in the shadows, pretending that what we're doing is wrong. You're the one who's wrong Ichigo."

"But you're my fukutaicho…" Ichigo protested desperately, but Rukia cut him off.

"I don't have to be!" she reminded him angrily. "I can quit if I want to! I'm sure Karin would love to take my place."

"No way!" Ichigo retorted. "Two Kurosakis!? I don't think the squad could handle that, it's hard enough for them to put up with me!" Rukia grinned despite herself.

"Anyway, you're not allowed to quit, Rukia," Ichigo teased. "That's an order from your taicho." Rukia tried and failed to hide her smile, then gave up and jumped into his arms.

"Why do I put up with you?" she asked, trailing her fingers across his jaw.

"I ask myself that every day," he replied happily.

A little IchiRuki for you all. I've always hinted at it, but I've never actually tried to do it. They definitely won't be the dominant couple, but their story will get weaved in here somehow.