Bleach © Tite Kubo

Just Playing
Chapter 11

Previously:

"What about soccer?" Karin asked.

"…Another time."

"Ah, you're no fun at all. Then, I'll see you later Toushirou!" Karin ran out the office in search for Rangiku and Lexy.

"Your mind is still on the thought of Karin and you both dying. With that new kido spell, it should prevent that."

"Yeah…"

"But Karin…suddenly getting her zanpakuto in the middle of…this. It's odd. But then again…the Kurosaki family is odd."

Yuzu was happy to see Karin back to normal. Everyone was…except for Kurotsuchi. He was dissatisfied by the fact that the potion didn't last forever.

"Nemu."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama."

"Give this to…Hitsugaya-taicho. And find him after two weeks to monitor him."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama."

Toushirou's mind was still on Lexy. He still wondered how she got here and if she really was from the future…why was her name still 'Lexy'? It should have been something different. The kido spell he learned…he thought of telling Izuru about it. Izuru was the best at kido more than anyone in Seireitei. But there must have been a reason for Lexy to tell him about it rather than Izuru. Lexy did mention herself that it was Karin and him that would die later.

"You are thinking too much."

"Maybe you're right."

"But Kurosaki Karin's zanpakuto. That spar we had, she is very…kind. Maybe kind to a fault."

"It seems her style of fighting is that to be graceful. She has a fire element zanpakuto. Have you ever talked to her zanpakuto?"

"Shakunetsu no Taiga. That is her name. It means Scorching Tiger. She has the features of a mature person. It seems it is expected of her to be like that if Kurosaki Karin's fighting style is graceful."

"One more time!" Toushirou yelled at Karin.

Karin lifted her sword. The hilt was a blood red color, and black strings fell from the hilt, an orange bead at each end. Her sword was the average size of a katana, very much different from Ichigo's sword. Karin learned a bit on how to use her zanpakuto's skills of fire. As well as shunpo with Yuzu. It was pretty hard really. The person teaching them was someone from the Shinigami Academy. Yuzu had it pretty easily. Karin had a hard time learning it but she eventually got it.

"Raise from the flames, Shakunetsu no Taiga!" Karin released multiple lines of flames towards Toushirou.

Toushirou dodged it quickly, freezing the flames. Karin was at a great disadvantage because her flames were freezing up from the ice that Hyourinmaru held.

"Tch."

"Hyourinmaru's ice freezes my fire Karin."

"Yeah, we need to make so it doesn't freeze. Hey…can you make your fire cool?"

"What?"

"People associate fire with heat…but fire can also be cool."

"I believe I can, Master."

"Great, let's test it out, Shakunetsu no Taiga."

"Yes, Master."

"Yo, Toushirou! I think we may need to cool it down a little!" Karin smirked.

Toushirou didn't know what she meant.

"Go! Shower upon the rains of fire! Shakunetsu no Taiga!" Karin jumped in the air and swung her sword clockwise, stopping at 12 o'clock.

Her sword had changed it's shape to that of a longer form of a medieval sword with fire surrounding the hilt up to the handle and trailing down a few inches. From her sword, blue fire shot out in multiple directions. Toushirou quickly made an ice defense to protect him from, what he assumed to be, hot fire. But rather than the fire dying out, it stayed on his ice shield, seeping through and making holes in his defense.

"What?" Toushirou looked up to see Karin falling from the sky. "Tch." He shunpo-ed his way to grab her before she would break any bones.

"Ugh…dang…that took a lot out of me…" Karin said faintly.

He noticed the blue fire, it wasn't red fire like usual.

"Hyourinmaru. What is this?"

"I don't know. But we should quell it before it gets worse."

Toushirou immediately froze the whole room over, the blue fire slowly dying out. He picked up Karin again.

"She seems to have fainted."

"That just means she has a long way to go before she can master that."

Toushirou brought her to Rangiku's room. Since Karin had fainted like this, then there was no point in continuing training the rest of the day.

"Karin, that was dangerous."

"I didn't think that was going to happen. But that move seems great!"

"You have no control over my Shikai yet, Karin."

"Yeah, but practice makes perfect. That's how I became a star in soccer."

"Indeed. That is true."

"Karin-chan!" Yuzu came to Rangiku's room after hearing that Karin fainted.

Rangiku was already in the room with Lexy. "How did this happen to Karin-chan!" Yuzu asked desperately.

"Now, now, calm down. She just fainted. Taicho said that it was because she released her shikai." Rangiku pointed a hand up.

"Oh." Yuzu sighed. "Let me check her just in case." Yuzu checked her twin for any conditions.

"Will Karin-nee-chan be alright?" Lexy asked.

"Hmm? Yeah, it seems like it. Just a lack in energy. We should get her something to eat when she wakes up." Yuzu sighed in relief again.

"So, Yuzu-chan, how is your training? I heard you met your zanpakuto yesterday."

"Ah, yes. He is very funny! His name is Apollo."

"Oh? That's nice then!"

"Apollo? He looks…shiny." Lexy said.

"Yes, he did look very beautiful." Yuzu said.

"Karin!" Rukia came in. "Is she alright!?"

"Ah, Rukia-san. Yes, Karin-chan is okay."

Rukia sighed in relief. "Yuzu…I think you should know that…Ichigo is back."

Yuzu's eyes widened. "Ichigo!?"

"Ichigo is back!?"

"Who is Ichigo?"

"Wh-where is Ichigo?" Yuzu asked. She learned that Ichigo was also a shinigami long before she came here.

"He's in a meeting at the moment…with the captains." Rukia informed.

"Oh…can we…can we see him later?"

"Yeah."

"Ichigo is back…" Rangiku said to herself.

"Who is Ichigo?"

"Ah, Ichigo is Karin-nee-chan's and Yuzu-nee-chan's older brother."

"Oh. Then…Ichigo-nii-chan?"

"Right!"

An hour later, everyone could feel a certain reiatsu leaking. Everyone knew who it was, well, anyone familiar with his reiatsu anyway. Ichigo wasn't informed of Karin and Yuzu yet, even in the meeting. When Rukia got word of the meeting coming to an end, she shunpo-ed her way quickly to Ichigo.

"Yo, Ichigo." Renji said to Ichigo.

"Yo, Renji."

"Hey, you heard about your sisters?"

"Hah!? No, why would I?"

"What!? You mean…you don't even know that they're here!? Dude, your dad sent them here!"

3…

2…

1…

"WHAT!?" His yell could be heard throughout Soul Society.

Rukia was too late in informing Ichigo. By the time she got there, Ichigo looked at Rukia.

"Oi, Rukia! You know about my sisters!?"

"Ah, yeah. I came here to tell you that. Also, Karin fainted."

"What!? Then take me to her! Where is she!? Who did this to her!?"

"Ichigo, calm down." Rukia kicked him in the side. "I'll explain while we get there."

Ichigo rubbed his side.

They made their way to Rangiku's room. Ichigo learned that Karin and Yuzu were training to be substitute shinigami like him. And that it was his dad and Urahara…most likely, that sent them here. Ichigo crashed into the room.

"Karin!" He boomed in the room.

"Ah, Ichigo!" Rangiku said.

"Eh? This is Ichigo-nii-chan?"

"Ichigo…"

"Yuzu?"

Yuzu had tears pouring out of her eyes. "I-We missed you!" Yuzu went to hug Ichigo.

"Ah…sorry…Yuzu." Ichigo returned the hug, trying to calm Yuzu down. "By the way…who is that?" Ichigo looked at Lexy.

"Ah, this one? That is Lexy, the guardian of Karin." Rukia informed.

"Lexy? Guardian? Of Karin?"

"Nice to meet you, Ichigo-nii-chan!"

"Ah, nice to meet you too. By the way…who did this to Karin?"

"Well you see, Taicho and Ka-" Rangiku said but was cut off.

"So it was Toushirou." A dark aura formed around Ichigo.

Rukia kicked him again. "Shut up and listen."

"Well, Taicho and Karin were sparring, but it seemed that Karin-chan used a new skill which caused her exhaustion." Rangiku finished cleanly.

"What!? So they already have their own zanapakutos!?" Ichigo was shocked to learn that his younger siblings were in his footsteps at such a young age.

"Yeah, Ichigo. My zanpakuto's name is Apollo." Yuzu told him excitedly. "I'm also training under Unohana-taicho."

Ichigo nodded his head with a slight bit of disapproval. "But…it's dangerous." Ichigo said.

"I know, but if I can help people from injuries…" Yuzu said.

"First off…" Ichigo seemed calm. "Let me take care of that Shorty!" Ichigo ran off to find Toushirou.

"Baka Ichigo!" Rukia chased after him.

Rangiku chuckled. "My, aren't they lively.

"Ichigo-nii-chan ran off with Rukia-nee-chan." Lexy said, blinking multiple times.

"Eh?" Yuzu was left dumbfounded.

"Toushirou!" Ichigo smashed the door to his office down.

A tick mark appeared on Toushirou's forehead.

"You! You made my sister faint!" Ichigo pointed an accusatory finger at him.

More tick marks formed. "It's Hitsugaya-taicho to you. And it wasn't my fault she fainted. She used a new skill and it used up too much of her energy." Hitsugaya informed, keeping a cool head.

"Teme! That's just an excuse! Why are you training Karin anyways!?" Ichigo screamed at him.

"Shut up Ichigo!" Rukia kicked him on the side again and bowed to Toushirou. "Hitsugaya-taicho, I apologize for this fool's accusations." Rukia forced Ichigo to bow as well.

"Why do I ha- oof." Ichigo was hit on the side once more.

"We will take our leave now, Hitsugaya-taicho." Rukia said that and dragged Ichigo off.

"To think that he hadn't known of his sisters…"

"…"

"Master? Should we go check on Kurosaki Karin?"

"No. Kurosaki Yuzu should be with her."

"…If you say so Master."

Back in Rangiku's room, Karin was just waking up.

"Ah! Karin-chan! You're awake!" Yuzu glomped Karin in joy.

"Y-Yuzu?" Karin was a bit surprised.

She looked around to see Rangiku and Lexy.

"Matsumoto-san. Lexy." Her eyes softened at their sight. "Sorry for worrying you guys."

Lexy was tearing up pools of tears. "K-Karin-nee-chan!" Lexy joined the hug.

Rangiku was tearing up at the great scene. It was so moving to her.

"I'm just asking, why I had to apologize to him!?" Ichigo yelled from the other side of the door.

"Because it wasn't his fault!" Rukia argued back.

"What!? It was tota-" Ichigo opened the door to the scene. "Eh?" Rukia knocked him over to see why he stopped.

"Oh, Karin, you're awake." Rukia said casually as if it happened on a daily basis.

"Y-Yeah." Karin pried off Yuzu and Lexy. "I-Ichigo-nii?"

Ichigo stood up from the ground, rubbing his neck. "Huh? Oh, you're awake now Karin."

Karin had a lot of her emotions boiled up in her about Ichigo. But seeing him now, in a shinigami uniform, and finally in Seireitei. It sent many waves of emotion to Karin.

"Hey, I'm glad that you're both here but…it's dangerous." Ichigo told his younger siblings.

"I know." Karin said. "But dad sent us here, and that crazy Urahara guy did too."

"Dad? Urahara? Why am I not surprised…"

"Hmph. Ichigo-nii, you should know that Yuzu and I are capable of ourselves." Karin said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Karin was still not amused by Ichigo.

"Oi, Karin, I'm sorry but it's dangerous for you to be here! And I tried to take care of Toushirou too, but Rukia stopped m- ow! That hurts!" Ichigo looked at Rukia.

"It wasn't Hitsugaya-taicho's fault, idiot!" Rukia scolded him.

Ichigo scoffed. "Yeah, like it wasn't his fault."

"Actually Ichigo-nii, I released my shikai and that drained my energy." Karin said.

"Your sister is also training under our very favorite captain, Hitsugaya-taicho!" Rangiku said happily, throwing out confetti.

"Hah!? Karin's training under Toushirou!?"

"Oh, right. I forgot to tell you that." Rukia said.

"Tell me everything you know Rukia!" Ichigo demanded from Rukia.

"No."

"What!? Why!?"

"You should ask me, not demand from me. I'm in a high seated position."

Ichigo scoffed some more. "Yeah right." He was kicked in the side by Rukia once again.

Everyone in the room sweat dropped.

"Ne, Rukia-nee-chan, why do you always hit Ichigo-nii-chan on the side?" Lexy asked.

"Hmm? Well that's because 'Ichigo-nii-chan' is an idiot."

"Hey! You shouldn't be teaching kids those words!" Ichigo told Rukia, earning him another kick in the side.

"Oh." Lexy said.

Karin got out of bed.

"O-oi, if your energy is drained, you shouldn't be getting out of bed Karin." Ichigo told his sister.

"I'm fine. Really." Karin assured her older brother.

"K-Karin-chan…"

"Trust me Yuzu." Karin smiled. "Now I gotta go talk with Toushirou."

"Oh! Let me come with you! Let's go, Lexy-chan!" Rangiku said, letting Karin walk on her own.

"Then…I guess I'll go meet the others again. Kenpachi wants to spar." Ichigo said.

Rukia feared for Seireitei at the words of Ichigo.

"Then, take care of Yuzu for me, Rukia." Ichigo shunpo-ed away.

"Ah! Ichigo-nii!" Yuzu called out for her brother but it was too late.

End of Chapter

AN – I got the name Apollo because he is the Greek god of the sun. He is also associated with healing.

Karin's Shikai release get! If you think about it, Karin is actually a very smart person, rather than brash, like Ichigo.

Last update for this year. Early Merry Christmas readers!