Bleach © Tite Kubo

Just Playing
Chapter 12

Previously:

"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.

Hours Ago – Location: Kuchiki Mansion – Shinigami Women's Association

"Hey…now it's not fun anymore. Karin is back to her original size." Rangiku complained to the rest of the women in the SWA. Lexy was with her.

"Ah, Mayuri-sama gave me something else. He told me to give it to Hitsugaya-taicho." Nemu pulled out another bottle reading 'Hitsugaya Toushirou: Growth'. "It was created from Karin's original potion, but with tweaks. Mayuri-sama said that Hitsugaya-taicho always wanted to grow tall."

Everyone gathered around, a glint in their eye.

"Matsumoto-fukutaicho, is it possible for you to convince Hitsugaya-taicho to drink this?" Isane Kotetsu asked Rangiku.

"Ah, I think I can do that, right Lexy?" Rangiku winked at Lexy.

"Of course! That means Toushirou-nii-chan is going to be tall!" Lexy said, throwing her hands in the air.

"Right!" Rangiku grabbed the potion and went off on her way.

Location: Tenth Division Barracks

"Ne, Matsumoto-san,"

"Mo, Karin-chan! Just call me Rangiku! You've been calling me that for the longest now! We're best friends, so call me Rangiku! Ran-gi-ku!"

"Ah, yes…Rangiku-san?"

"We'll work on that, but that's good enough."

"So…Rangiku-san, why do you have to go see Toushirou?"

"Hmm? No particular reason really. Just some paperwork…" Rangiku said, looking down at Lexy who was giggling uncontrollably.

Karin raised an eyebrow of suspicion, but dropped it. Opening the door to Toushirou's office, the three walked in. Toushirou looked up slightly from his work.

"Oi, Toushirou, what happened after I fainted?" Karin asked him. "And uhh…sorry about my brother." She scratched her cheek.

Rangiku sat in the back with Lexy, whispering some things to Lexy. Lexy nodded her head and headed out the office.

"Not much. And don't worry about your brother. And about your shikai keep practicing it." It was more words of encouragement from Toushirou.

Rangiku sat there, mouth agape. She never knew Toushirou had it in him to encourage people…unless it was to groups in general, but personally? No way!

"I know that. I was planning on doing that from the start. But I'm asking…did the fire burn out from your ice?"

Toushirou thought back to his defense being breached by the blue fire. But after Karin fainted, he was able to take the fire out easier.

"…yeah."

"Great! That's a start!" Karin cheered for herself.

"Toushirou-nii-chan!" Lexy came in with the potion.

"Wha-"

Before Toushirou could even finish his word, Lexy crashed the potion into his mouth, forcing him to drink it. It wasn't Lexy's idea mind you. In fact, it was Rangiku's idea. Lexy just followed it like a 'good kid' and listened to an 'adult'.

"Wha-what are you doing, Lexy!?" Karin yelled at her.

"Eh? But Matsumoto-nee-chan told me to do this." Lexy was tearing up.

"Eh?" Karin looked back at the already now gone Rangiku. She looked back at Toushirou, where Lexy stopped shoving down the potion, thinking it was now bad since Karin was yelling at her now.

"So-sorry, Toushirou-nii-chan." Lexy was tearing up more.

Toushirou coughed. "Damn that Matsumoto!"

Suddenly, a light enveloped Toushirou's body, glowing bigger by the second and finally coming to an end.

"Tch, it must be from Kurotsuchi Mayuri." Karin said. "Lexy, don't ever do this again, okay? That potion is bad, very bad." Karin was comforting Lexy.

"Okay…"

Karin looked up to the now tall Toushirou. "You look great, Toushirou." Karin joked. "Now you're tall, like you always wanted to be."

"Shut up." Toushirou noticed that the world around him seemed slightly smaller than usual.

"Your reiatsu has increased." Hyourinmaru noted.

"Yeah, I can feel it."

"The potion does seem to do that…"

"Tch." Toushirou sat down and continued his work.

"Is…is Toushirou-nii-chan mad?" Lexy asked.

"Hmm? Probably, yeah. I should pro…ba..bly…"

"Eh? Karin-nee-chan! What's wrong!?" Lexy cried.

Karin fainted once more to the ground. Toushirou looked up to see Karin on the floor.

"Karin!?" He got up immediately to assess what was wrong with Karin.

"K-Karin-nee-chan!"

Toushirou finalized that she fainted from exhaustion once again. Maybe he really should just take her to Unohana. He was going to get an earful from Ichigo now…and Rangiku was gone now. Toushirou looked at Lexy.

"Lexy, get on my back." Toushirou told Lexy.

Lexy reluctantly nodded her head and climbed his now broad back. Toushirou picked up Karin bridal style and started to make his way towards the 4th division. He shunpo-ed quickly and entered the 4th division barracks. People looked at him weirdly, whispering and such about him. His new form was getting quite the compliment.

"Unohana-taicho, Hitsugaya-taicho would like to see you." Isane said.

"Tell him to come in then." Unohana said.

Toushirou walked in with Karin in his arms and Lexy on his back. His new form did nothing to faze Unohana's face. She was staring at the fainted Karin.

"Unohana-taicho. I apologize to see you like this, but Kurosaki Karin has fainted twice from exhaustion in one day."

"Lay her down and let me evaluate her then." Unohana ordered of the young captain.

Lexy climbed off Toushirou's back. Toushirou placed Karin on the floor carefully. Unohana stood up and walked over to Karin.

"Hmm…she's just exhausted. Nothing more. I can refill her energy."

"Please do." Toushirou said.

Unohana looked up to him and then bent down to Karin. She moved her hand across Karin with her hand glowing. Lexy watched with great curiosity. After a few minutes, she was done.

"She should wake up later feeling refreshed." Unohana said.

"Thank you, Unohana-taicho."

"Of course, Hitsugaya-taicho."

Toushirou picked up Karin and Lexy and shunpo-ed his way back to his division office.

"Hmm? Oi! Toushirou! Is that really you!?" He knew that voice all too well.

"It's Hitsugaya-taicho to you."

"No way! How did you grow up that fast!? And why is Karin with you!? Like that!?" Ichigo yelled at him.

"Shut up, Kurosaki."

Ichigo quickly shut his trap.

"Ichigo-nii-chan?"

"Hmm? What?" Ichigo answered Lexy.

"It wasn't Toushirou-nii-chan's fault. Believe me!" Lexy said, defending Toushirou. "It was my fault! I made him like that! I made his drink a drink from that weird man!" Lexy said.

"Weird man? Drink? Wait…you don't mean…no way! You drank a drink from that Kurotsuchi!? That's why you're like that!? It still doesn't explain why Karin is like that."

Toushirou had a tick mark. "Then take your sister, Kurosaki." Toushirou tossed Karin towards Ichigo.

"Eh? Whoa, wait, hold on – oof!" Ichigo caught Karin. "Oi, wait, Toushirou!"

"It's Hitsugaya-taicho to you!" Toushirou shunpo-ed off with Lexy.

"Hah!? Why does he have to be so complicated? Well, that doesn't matter. Where am I supposed to put Karin? Maybe I should find Rukia again." Ichigo shunpo-ed off to look for Rukia.

End of Chapter

AN – I really love this at the moment. Toushirou being tall and Karin being short. Ahh, another idea for another story – no. But I do love the ideas of opposite. And you'll be seeing a few more in the future.