Chapter 24: Priorities

Kissing was always a way of showing passion and love. But that was only for the two. But why are there people outside the Administration office of the 10th squad?

Matsumoto, Ganju and a just arrived Rukia where standing outside the window half covered. The only thing you would see was their eyes and hair because there was a desk covering them.

Matsumoto's eyes where wide, and she was silently laughing. Ganju was blushing, as if he was intruding in something private. Which it was! Rukia was blushing too, but she kept her poise and watched quietly.

Toushiro and Karin was still in a passionate lip lock and they didn't notice, giving the circumstances. When they finally stopped, the three watchers ducked behind the wall for cover. Karin was out of breath.

"Are you okay?" asked Toushiro, he too looked out of breath but he was smiling. Karin grinned, and blushed.

"Sure. What made you?" she asked. Toushiro looked puzzled. "Kiss me, I mean."

Nervous laughter. Toushiro too was blushing now.

"I-I missed you. And I don't have to ask you if I have to kiss you, right?" asked Toushiro, pretending to be worried.

"Of course not, Baka!" boomed Karin. They laughed. Matsumoto, who was still behind the wall, felt her jaw dropped to the floor.

They both sat down on the couch. There was more silence, and Karin was happy that way. It seemed like minutes before Toushiro turned to Karin and went a little more closer, their thighs touching.

Karin, almost instinctively, rested her head against his shoulder. Toushiro turned beet red, because Karin didn't seem conscious that she did it. A drop of sweat dripped from his forehead as he saw that their hands where close to each other.

His hands shook as he wrapped his hand around hers. And she responded by entwining hers with his.

Toushiro looked at her, and smiled. He didn't know, but she fell asleep on his shoulder. Her head was close to his that he could smell her hair. It didn't smell like anything. No wonder, there wasn't any shampoo in Rukongai.

He rested his head on hers, and wished the moment could last longer.

It's going fast isn't it?

What do you mean?

I mean… The first second we were looking for each other…

And the next we are sitting like a true couple on a couch.

Don't act like you don't know though…

What?



She is still a Ryoka. Therefore, she is not welcome here.

Toushiro stifled a gasp and his head shot up, his hands almost un-entwining from Karin's.

"That's right. What will I do?" he asked no one in particular.

He released his hand from Karin's and rested her on the couch, for a few seconds starring at her calm face, and he felt his face stretch in a small smile.

Suddenly, Matsumoto burst into the room, almost waking up Karin, who just stirred and mumbled something incoherent.

Hitsugaya glared at her icily, worthy of Hyourinmaru. Matsumoto did not stir under the stare but she looked worried. He was about to ask he what was up when he saw a hell butterfly hanging on her finger.

"Taicho." said Matsumoto, her mouth barely opening. Hitsuagaya gulped, something was definitely wrong for her to talk like that.

"What is it?" he asked, wishing against his whitey-chan hair that it wasn't about Karin.

"Taicho." she repeated. Hitsuagaya lost it and cried,

"WHAT!?" he cracked, not standing the suspense at all.

Matsumoto frowned, not wanting to tell him. But she had to because her taicho looked angrier than ever.

"You are called forth to the sotaicho. It's about the ryoka. I meant Karin and Ganju." she said quietly, and spotted Karin lying on the couch.

Hitsugaya felt his heart skip a beat.

Does he know?

How the HELL will he know?

He started breathing fast, never feeling more pressure in his mind. This was inappropriate for a taicho, mainly for him because he was known to be cool under pressure.

Matsumoto scrunched her face as she watched her taicho slightly hyperventilate silently. She went forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You couldn't have hidden it forever. Sooner or later, they would know. And it just so happens that he chose it today. Face the music, taicho." she said, smiling a bit.

Toushiro looked at her, they were in level now, in height I mean. He couldn't understand where all the wisdom was coming from but he agreed with her.

"I still don't know what to do." he said, before he could stop himself.

Oh f! That shouldn't be what a taicho says.



The hell. Im cracking.

"Tell them the truth, they probably wouldn't understand. But I know you will do the right thing." Then she exited the room.

Hitsugaya scratched his head.

Why do people always say that line, then smile, then end up leaving the room. Do they actually think it was helpful? Hell no! It was confusing.

But he knew full well that Matsumoto was right. There was always an answer for everything. It was just the answer of priorities.

Priorities, huh? For him, priorities where always his squad, Sereitei, and Soul Society. Never in his whole life did he think that one day, priorities would point to a single girl.

That was Karin. He looked over at her again.

Karin. All his life, he has been treated like a kid. A genius, true, but still a kid. The only people who actually thought he was higher was Matsumoto and his squad, but that was barely. But Karin, sure at the start she treated him like a elementary student. But still, she didn't ever doubt that he had romantic feelings inside his tough shell.

She was the only one who was able to break it. Rarely would you find him smiling. But she made him smile, laugh like an idiot, and kiss a girl.

Over and over again. It was hard to think which was more important. Karin… Or Soul Society.

He wasn't asked to choose yet. He wasn't even sure they were going to ask it. But still, he knew he had to choose sooner or later.

His mind started to ache, and that wasn't a good sign. He knew he had to leave soon or the sotaicho will freak.

Toushiro knew he couldn't talk to the sotaicho with his head full of thoughts about Karin. So with a last look at her, he swept out of the room, leaving a barrier around the door.

He knew she couldn't exit the room like that or a person could come in, because she didn't know Kidou.

He looked around before leaving and saw Matsumoto sitting beside Ganju on the steps. They looked over at him, but decided not to say anything, which Toushiro was extremely grateful for.

Toushiro ran out, and made his way around Sereitei, finding it harder to go around, now that his senses where blocked by thoughts out what to do.

"Damn that old bastard." He muttered, and destroyed the nearby wall.

HT/KK

Ikkaku wiped his sweat and grinned evilly. Ichigo was hanging on his shoulder like a rag doll, because he lost his consciousness. Yumichika was still dragging Renji, who looked dirty because he was sweeping the ground.



"Let's put them in the 4th squad." said Ikkaku. Yumichika eyes Ikkaku's katana.

"Why don't you use that scar healer thing on your sword's hilt?" he asked. Ikkaku scoffed.





"Im not using that valuable thing on this asses." he said in reply. Yumichika shrugged and continued dragging them to the 4th squad.

Then suddenly a huge crash of the wall made them stop.

"What the…?" muttered Ikkaku.

He dropped Ichigo unceremoniously on the ground and shunpoed to the place where the sound came from. There he saw Hitsugaya looking angrier than he was the last time he saw him.

"Histugaya taicho!" he cried in surprise. Hitsugaya looked at him and continued running away.

Ikkaku scratched his head, then he went back to Yumichika who was wrinkling his nose at Ichigo and Renji in a "Eww, ugly!" way.

"What happened?" asked Yumichika as Ikkaku landed next to him.

"Hitsugaya taicho looked angry. And it seemed he was the one who smashed the wall. Do you think it's about… You know?"

Yumichika shrugged again and said,

"Whatever it is, it's definitely driving him crazy to break a wall. How ugly."

Ikkaku smirked and picked up Ichigo again.

"You're right. Who cares anyway."

Then they shunpoed to the 4th squad, eager to see if Karin and Ganju where there.

HT/KK

Hitsugaya finally arrived in the front of the 1st squad. He was late, he knew. But he didn't care either.

He pushed the door, and saw himself being greeted by none other the Yama-jin.

"Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Hitsuagaya taicho." He said, sounding very formal as usual.

Us? Who else was here?

He looked around and saw standing like a real noble, Kuchiki Byakuya taicho, his hair in the usual kenseikan. Beside him was Soi Fon taicho, looking sinister indeed.



He stood beside them, but he was greeted by neither captains.

"Do you know why you are here?" he asked all of them. Soi Fon nodded. Byakuya didn't do anything. Toushiro just remained silence.

"Hitsugaya taicho, do you know what a ryoka is?" he asked, his tone still formal. Byakuya looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Unwanted visitors." replied Toushiro. Yama-jin opened his eyes, and Toushiro felt his insides burn.





"Unwanted visitors." repeated Yama-jin, his tone now growing into a growl. "Now, I have called you three here for a reason. That is because you have been associated with these ryoka."

"I do not understand, sotaicho. I have been associated with them, but I certainly did not help them." said Byakuya coldly. Obviously, he had been busy with something and was interrupted with a meeting that was useless for him to even attend.

Yama-jin looked at him.

"I know that. But I also know that you know something about Hitsugaya taicho and Kurosaki Karin." he said, calmly but sternly.

Toushiro froze. He sucked the words in slowly. He knew. And he couldn't do a thing to deny it.

"How did you know?" asked Byakuya. Yama-jin stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"I don't know myself, but I have my sources." he just said.

Maybe it's true when they say walls have ears.

Maybe that's why Sereitei has a million walls in the first place.

No.

Yama-jin was now watching Toushiro, and so was Soi Fon and Byakuya.

"Tell me, are my sources true?"

Toushiro bowed his head. Was he going to say the thing that will lose him his job?

He had to choose.

He had to choose his priority.

Karin… Or Soul Society?

Somehow he knew the answer, he was just finding a hard time saying it out loud.



Priorities, huh? For him, priorities where always his squad, Sereitei, and Soul Society. Never in his whole life did he think that one day, priorities would point to a single girl.

"Yes, sotaicho. It is true." he said, his voice firmer than he intended.

There was silence.