Chapter 10: Sake, Yakiniku and Enka

Kokichiro Takezoe, Jun'ichiro Hayashi and Sannosuke Chiba, the third, fourth and fifth seats of the 10th Division, respectively, wandered the avenues of Rukongai listlessly as they patrolled the peace. Nothing really ever happened in the Junrinan District, probably the most uneventful district of them all, and they couldn't help but drag their zori sandals as the time slowly passed. As three guys patrolling together, they often wondered why their Captain, more often than not, got to patrol with their charming and busty vice-captain. They sighed unanimously at their misfortune.

"Hey bro," said Sannosuke to Kokichiro, the eldest of the group. "Let's stop by and get something to eat, yeah?"

"We just started," reprimanded Jun'ichiro, probably the most responsible of the three. "The Captain will have our hides strung up with the laundry if he catches us slacking. Even though we don't have the same reputation as the 11th Division, we still have our pride as 10th Division members."

"Jun is right," sighed Kokichiro. "Even though nothing ever happens here...even though every time we patrol this area we just end up walking up and down the avenues from dawn to dusk...even though the most exciting thing that's ever happened to us while patrolling this area was helping an old man cross the street...!" He took a deep breath with his eyes blazing and nostrils flaring as he clenched a fist into the air. "We must make our captain proud!"

"Right!" said the other two, catching his spirit and raising their fists in the air. They patrolled with pride for a few more minutes.

"Hey bro," said Sannosuke, with another heavy sigh. "Let's stop by and get something to eat, yeah?"

"Aw, don't start--" huffed Jun'ichiro. But, Kokichiro raised a hand to silence them.

"You hear that?" They all strained their ears to listen. A soft, lamenting tune flowed among the murmur of the noises in the street. They followed it and saw a young woman sitting on a barrel in front of a restaurant.

Though it wasn't her intention, people misinterpreted her sad face as she waited by the side of the street for Zennosuke to return. To pass the time, Karin decided to entertain herself with a tune. But she didn't know any songs that would suit the situation and so just made one up. Karin relayed a sad song about a girl orphaned from birth who had crooked teeth due to childhood illness, was dirt poor, who's puppy just got run over, who was separated from her love, accidentally killed in a fluke accident and was now lost, alone and hungry.

Then people mistakenly believed that the song was about her, clucked their tongues, wagged their heads and dropped more coins for her. The song actually brought tears to Kokichiro's eyes.

"That's--" he sniffed. "That's just too miserable!"

"Bro!" wailed Sannosuke wiping his nose on his sleeve. "It wouldn't be a bad thing if we took her in and fed her, would it?"

Karin's ears perked up as she listened to the conversation of the three shinigami nearby and thought to herself, What am I, a stray cat?

"I guess not," sighed Jun'ichiro, clearly the most logical thinker of the group. It would be their good deed for the day.

And so, Karin received yet another free meal, despite the fact that she insisted she had money--Zennosuke's money--to feed herself. They took her to a yakiniku restaurant and bar where she had twelve plates of meat and eight bowls of rice. Her companions watched in astonishment at how much someone of her stature could eat.

"You must have been really hungry, kiddo," said Kokichiro.

"I eat to fill the emptiness," said Karin, taking a swig of tea to wash it all down. Though she was referring to the bottomless feel of her stomach, again she was misunderstood.

"That's just too sad," said Kokishiro, shaking his head and sighing.

"Alas, the hardships of love," said Jun'ichiro before quoting a string of ancient love verses. When he was finished, the others applauded politely.

Karin wondered if she was an idiot magnet.

"That was lovely," nodded Kokishiro.

"Let's have a toast!" said Sannosuke, waiving the server over to bring alcohol. "To the underdog!" The crook of each arm swung around and wrapped Jun'ichiro and Karin in head locks, nearly choking them.

"Do you think we should?" asked Jun'ichiro tentatively. "We're supposed to be on patrol."

"I'm underage," said Karin tentatively eyeing the sake.

"Nonsense," said Sannosuke, waiving their concerns aside. "Shinigami don't get drunk and we're just having one toast."

000

In the end, "one" became "a lot." Aside from drinking, the rest of their time was spent singing, badly, while holding up their chopsticks like microphones. Surprisingly enough her companions were into old enka love ballads from the '50's and '60's-- all of them her father's favorites. She had heard him sing them in the bathroom since she was little. By the time they were finished, it was closing time for the restaurant. Much to the chagrin of the owner and the servers, their group was still drinking in the corner.

While she lamented over her boyfriend spending more time with her rival than with her and her fear that she couldn't compete with her rival in her current state, while they in turn complained that their captain never gave them anything important to do and instead always hung out with their vice-captain. They assured her that her lover's heart was true. Karin tried to reassure them that is wasn't because their captain found them unreliable--though she was actually thinking it. They were, however, grateful for her kind words she spared for them despite her own hardships. In the end, they bonded, and she became something of a mascot to them, representing underdogs everywhere.

"So, whatcha gonna to do, kiddo?" asked Kokichiro, his lips slurring his words as he rested his chin in his hands.

"I dunno," sighed Karin, equally as drunk. "I think his childhood friend is in love with him too. And in not so many words, she told me to go away."

"You should've slapped her," said Kokichiro.

"That sucks," said Sannosuke, clucking his tongue and spitting out the toothpick he was chewing on, only to put it back in his mouth because he was too lazy to reach for another one.

"Yeah," hiccuped Jun'ichiro. "She probably thinks she has rights over him, since she knew him longer. Now she's hanging all over him 'cause she can't have him anymore."

"That's not fair. He loves Karin-chan, doesn't he?" asked Sannosuke.

"He's never told me exactly," said Karin with a frown.

"Unless he wants a harem?" he added thoughtfully.

"Certainly not," insisted Karin with a hiccup. With a little pause, she said, "At least I don't think so." The thought of having a face-off with Hinamori over who could keep Toshiro made her giggle as she imagined beating her rival down with a mountain of soccer balls until Hinamori was buried.

"You should go find him!" insisted Kokichiro. "He'd be happy to see you again."

"Not like this," answered Karin, putting her aching head on the table. "He won't be happy that I'm DEAD. I'm supposed to fix this problem myself so he doesn't worry. I wish I could see the Captain Commander."

"Captain Commander Yamamoto?" asked Sannosuke.

"Do we have another?" snorted Jun'ichiro.

"Do you know him?" asked Kokichiro.

"Sort of," said Karin, uncertainly. "He did invite me to see him in Seireitei."

"You're just joking right?" asked Sannosuke. "Not even we rank and file shinigami have much opportunity to see the Captain Commander."

"He told me to come by sometime to chat," she insisted.

"Well then," said Kokishiro, slapping her on the back merrily. Karin fought the urge to throw up for a moment. "All's ya need is an invitation to get into Seireitei."

"We'll take you," volunteered Jun'ichiro.

"Really?" asked Karin, hope shining in her eyes again.

000

The three disguised her in shinigami robes over her kimono and snuck her past Jidanbo, guard of the western gate Hakutomon without incident. Karin warily eyed the giant as he held the heavy stone door open for them to pass. As she stepped inside, she marveled at how different Seireitei was compared to the outside. But she didn't have time to ponder why that was when her companions rushed her into their barracks before she could spotted by another group of shinigami returning from their own patrol. Karin looked up at the crest above the door.

"You're in the 10th Division??" she exclaimed in shock. Karin wondered how Toshiro even got along with his division members.

They each used a hand to covered her mouth and "shushed" her.

"Not so loud, kiddo," said Kokichiro.

"Yeah, the Captain is still out on patrol, but we can't let anyone else see you either," said Sannosuke. "We don't have any other girls 'sides the vice-captain in our division so people will start asking questions." She only had a moment to take a look around. In the Captain's office there were endless stacks of paperwork all over his desk. Along his walls were beautiful scrolls of calligraphy art depicting words such as "discipline," "honor," "devotion," and the like. For a moment Karin felt the weight of her captain's responsibilities. This was where Toshiro worked long hours. The couch was where he probably spent the night sometimes. These barracks were where his division members honed their skills and trained under him. She felt a little tug at her chest before the three ushered her back out again.

They tiptoed their way back out along the shadows cast by the sekkiseki walls until they made it to the double doors of the 1st Division inside the main building. As she walked, Karin could feel herself sober up with the exercise, since spirit wine really didn't make anyone drunk for very long. Her three companions were guarding hers very seriously, in front and on each side, essentially to hide her from view from passers by. Karin was really squeezed on all sides. But they just ended up appearing more conspicuous to people around them, who eyed them suspiciously. Karin could only roll her eyes as they kept walking forward in their tight little circle towards the 1st Division headquarters.

When they reached their destination, all of her companions hesitated. Should they announce themselves first? Was the Captain Commander resting? How should they salute him?

Just as they were about to knock, one of the double doors swung open and the vice-captain of the 1st Division and the figure of a familiar looking old man with a snowy white beard that almost reached the ground were just stepping out. Her three companions let out little cries in surprise. Karin bowed in greeting.

"Captain Commander Yamamoto. I, Kurosaki Karin, newest addition to the 10th Division and the Order of the Daffodil under Captain Hitsugaya have come to report," she said solemnly.

"Kurosaki-san," said the Captain Commander in surprise. "I did not expect to see you here so...soon. Please come in and give your report." Her fellow 10th Division members' eyes went wide and their jaws dropped to the ground.

000

The 10th Division Captain retrieved the little blue orb from his pocket and held it up to the dawn's light. The wind quietly stirred his robes as he stood silently on a random rooftop in Rukongai. He was in an extremely irritated mood this morning. Not only had he spent the entire night rounding up endless hooligans who were causing trouble in the Inuzuri District, hours that he could have spent back in his office attending the piles of paperwork waiting for him, he had also been sneezing for some unknown reason the entire time. His vice-captain poked fun at him and suggested that people were talking about him behind his back.

But perhaps the most irritating factor was that there was still no response from the recipient of his last message. Just as his mind started to wonder what kind of irresponsible, forgetful girl he had become involved with, his vice-captain appeared at his side. She noticed his odd expression and smiled.

"Are you worried about her?" asked Rangiku gently.

"Of course not," was his abrupt answer. But, the slow smile that spread across his vice-captain's face revealed his error in answering so quickly. Not only had he revealed that he was at least thinking of a girl, he had inadvertently admitted that it was the same girl that Rangiku was thinking of. The captain turned away to hide the rosy tinge in his cheeks. Just then, they heard a commotion in the street below. One shinigami had another by the sleeve.

"Kurumadani-san," said vice-captain Kira Izuru of the 3rd Division, trying to steady the visibly shaken Zennosuke with a hand on his shoulder. "Please, contain yourself. I'm not really sure what it is you're saying."

Toshiro's interest was piqued by the name of Karakura Town's guardian.

"You've been patrolling these streets all day. Have you seen a girl about this high," he indicated gesturing about five and half feet tall, "with short black hair wearing a lilac kimono?"

"Well, I don't really recall..."

"Have you seen vice-captain Sasakibe?" asked Zennosuke desperately.

"Well, yes, we were in a meeting together just a few hours ago. Why do you ask?"

"I've asked Hinamori relay a message to him, but I waited and waited outside the 1st Division headquarters and no one came. Surely the Captain Commander has received my message by now."

"Well, the Captain Commander has most likely retired for the night, Kurumadani-san," said Kira plainly. "Perhaps if you wait until morning--"

"No time!" exclaimed Zennosuke, truly desperate. "Oh, I'm such a failure as a guardian!" he wailed. "I accidently exorcised this girl who shouldn't have died and her crazy scary orange-haired brother with his crazy huge zanpakutou is waiting outside of Rukongai right now demanding I return his sister! He said he's gonna raze the city and snap me in half like a twig if I don't come back in one hour! Now I can't even find his sister even though I told her to wait for me right here!!"

The 10th Division Captain leaped down from the roof and soundlessly landed between Zennosuke and vice-captain Kira. He looked directly at Zennosuke with a deadly serious, ice green glare.

"C-c-captain Hitsugaya," stammered Zennosuke.

"What did you do to Karin?" he asked in a low growl.

Author's note: In case you were wondering, "sake" pronounced "sah-khe" is traditional rice wine; yakiniku is grilled meat that you prepare at your table; and enka is a form of old Japanese ballads popular in the 1950's - 1960's (mostly by the singing legend Hibari) but is now associated with gangsters and old people. These three concepts represent her three new friends: one who eats a lot, one who drinks a lot and one who sings (badly). I thought it would be funny to include other members of the 10th Division to have Karin learn more about them, since they're on the same team. They ended up being more like the Three Stooges but their hearts are in the right place. You kinda wonder though where Toshiro gets the patience to deal with them...not surprising he's always hanging out with Rangiku. Ichigo finally makes his entrance in the next chapter (Ichigo vs. Toshiro--a fight I always wanted to see!). Heh. -Kero (10/27/09)