Wow... Doughnuts have such an impact on me... I'm stuffed... Ow... my stomach hurts! TOUSHI! HELP! IT HURTS!

Toushiro: URUSAI, STARCLOUD! YOUR FAULT FOR EATING SO MUCH DOUGHNUTS!

YOU'RE STILL SAYING THE DISCLAIMER, TOUSHI-KUN! KASUMI AND SHINSETSU AREN'T BACK FROM THEIR VACATION YET!

Toushiro: FINE! StarCloud-Chan does not own bleach, only Kasumi, Shinsetsu, and their zanpakuto and the stuff she creates. NOW LEAVE ME ALONE STARCLOUD.

Okay! Fine! ON WITH THE STORY!

Fate's Twisted Ways

Normal POV

As their lips met, a shiver went down Kasumi's spine. She kissed back, hoping this kiss could last forever. Toushiro pulled Kasumi closer, deepening the kiss. Kasumi's hands played around with Toushiro's hair, and soon they had to pull apart from lack of air. Kasumi and Toushiro were both blushing deeply.

"Ehehe... I guess it's safe to tell you now... I love you..." Kasumi muttered softly, but Toushiro still heard. He smiled.

"I love you too, Kasumi-chan..." Toushiro murmured, embracing Kasumi. She hugged back tightly, relishing the feeling of his arms holding her. They soon pulled apart, and Kasumi smiled happily. She took a glance at the clock and saw it was now 5:30. Kasumi pulled on Toushiro's arm.

"Toushiro-kun... can you come with me to visit Shin-chan to see how she's doing?" Kasumi asked shyly. And also nervously. Toushiro knew this was a kind of touchy subject for Kasumi.

"Yeah, sure, come on Kasumi-chan," Toushiro entwined his fingers with Kasumi's, and they both walked out to the Eleventh Division. Stopping at the Captain's office, Kasumi poked her head in and saw no one there. But she did see a piece of paper on a table with her name on it. Walking in with Toushiro right behind her, she opened up the note. She read,

Dear Kasu-chan,

Ken-chan and I went to the Fourth Division to see Shinsetsu. Whoever was hurting her hurt her real bad, so she was sent to the Fourth Divison to get her healed. I knew you would come to visit Shin-Shin, so I left a note. Come visit Shin-Shin, you have to ask one of those nurses for Shin-Shin's room.

-Yachiru and Ken-chan
P.S.- I should erase Ken-chan's name, he didn't even help with the note. I'll just leave it there though.

Kasumi smiled at what Yachiru wrote, but was also scared of what had happened to Shinsetsu. Grabbing Toushiro's hand, she pulled him along.

"C'mon, Toushiro-kun, we need to go to the 4th Division," Kasumi smiled sadly. Toushiro nodded, and he let Kasumi drag him along. He secretly liked it, but he will NEVER admit that out loud. Walking swiftly to the 4th Division, they asked a nurse for Shinsetsu's room. The kind nurse gave them the directions, and they thanked her. They stopped at room '08'.

"Sh-Shin-chan?" Kasumi said nervously, poking her head through the door. There was Yachiru and Kenpachi sitting on the chair, watching over a small figure laying down on the bed. Yachiru looked over at Kasumi, her eyes red and puffed from crying. Kenpachi gazed at her in pity. Kasumi, trying her best to hold her composure, walked over and looked down at Shinsetsu.

An oxygen mask was on her petite face. Her hair, with the red streaks, was let down. Her skin was a deathly pale, and she felt cold... a small amount of warmth was in her. Her shallow, raspy breathing was heard. Toushiro gazed at Shinsetsu, shock and worry shown in his eyes. That was when they both noticed her wounds.

There, few inches from her heart, was a deep gash. Whoever inflicted it must've missed. Gashes covered her arms, and one of her eyes were a dark purple. Kasumi, unable to hold her composure any longer, broke down and sobbed. Toushiro rubbed her back soothingly; muttering sweet nothings into Kasumi's ear.

"Arigatou... Kenpachi-kun... you attempted to deflect the blow to her heart, right?" Kasumi whispered, clenching her fists. Kenpachi gazed at her with the same pitying look.

"Yeah... sorry I couldn't stop it completely. I was too late..." Kenpachi replied. Kasumi cried a bit more, wiped her eyes off with her sleeves, and sighed. Everyone's attention was at the door once Unohana walked in.

"Ah, hello Kasumi-san. I see you are checking up on Shinsetsu?" Unohana said kindly, a smile placed on her face. Kasumi smiled back; Unohana was always such a kind person.

"H-Hai... Sh-Shin-chan will be a-alright, right?" Kasumi asked meekly. A serious expression took over Unohana's face, along with regret.

"I am very sorry to say, Kasumi-san... but Shinsetsu does not have much of a chance to live." Unohana replied, watching sadly as Kasumi paled. Kasumi's blue eyes grew wide, and tears formed at the corners.

"Arigatou for te-telling me, U-Unohana-taicho..." Kasumi whispered. Her fists were clenched at her sides, and Toushiro held her in his arms.

"Let's go, Kasumi. We'll visit her sometime else, okay?" Toushiro murmured into Kasumi's ear. Kasumi, trembling, nodded slowly. With the help of Toushiro, Kasumi stood up and walked out of the room with Toushiro right behind her. That left Yachiru, Kenpachi, and Unohana left in the room.

"Unohana... Shinsetsu is dying as we speak, isn't she?" Kenpachi questioned. Unohana sighed.

"Yes... She has only one day left."

With Kasumi & Toushiro

"Kasumi, hush, calm down, it'll be alright." Toushiro said softly, trying to make Kasumi clam down. It didn't work.

"I can't! My sister is dying, and I can't even help! It hurts to see that!" Kasumi yelled, tears cascading down her cheeks. She wiped the tears away, her eyes puffy from crying.

"Gomen ne, Toushiro-kun, for yelling." Kasumi apologized softly. Toushiro brought her in for an embrace, and they stood in each other's arms for quite a while. Toushiro planted a kiss on Kasumi's forehead, causing her to blush faintly. Footsteps approached their location. They pulled apart from embrace and they watched as Yamamoto-Soutaicho, Kuchiki-taicho, and Komamura-taicho walked toward them.

"Sou-taicho." Kasumi greeted. Toushiro said the same thing, and Yamamoto nodded in aknowledgement. Kasumi raised her head up defiantly, her voice not wavering as she spoke.

"Sou-taicho, with all due respect, why have you interrogated my sister Shinsetsu Watsaru?" Kasumi asked. Yamamoto opened one of his eyes.

"I see you know. It is important to find out what could be an enemy in the future, no matter what happens." He replied. At this, Kasumi let her anger take control over her. She just couldn't help it.

"You would let someone get HURT over this matter? Why? They are like your comrades, your friends! You can't just hurt them intentionally for information they might not even have!" Kasumi yelled. Toushiro placed a hand on her back in attempts to calm her.

"Remember your place. Kuchiki-taicho, Komamura-taicho, place her in a jail cell for her to be interrogated later on." Yamamoto said. Kasumi glared at all three of the taicho's. Taking out Mizuhebi and holding it out in front of her, Kasumi murmured,

"Drown them silently, Mizuhebi..."