Notice: Wednesday, May 18, 2011—So far for today I have uploaded chapters 28 & 29. Yesterday I posted chapter 27 so if you didn't check in yesterday then you might want to go back.
Watching Karin
By fate they met in Karakura Town. He helped win a soccer match due to her stubbornness. Luck allowed him to save her life. Now Hitsugaya can't get Kurosaki Karin off his mind. So he watches over her, unfortunately he isn't the only one watching.
Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach, I don't. I also do not make money from writing fan fiction.
Chapter 29: Fetch the Girl
Captain Kuchiki approached Head Captain's office, His Lieutenant was behind him. Not far behind them was Captain Hitsugaya.
"Captain's what are you doing here? I already have a report on the battle," Head Captain Yamamoto looked at the three soul-reapers curiously.
"Head Captain," Kuchiki spoke up, "I have just learned that Ichigo Kurosaki, has a sister with spiritual powers that are possibly equal to his own. She has gained the abilities of a soul-reaper and has a zanpaktou."
"This is interesting news. Where did you learn this from?" Captain Yamamoto asked.
"Former soul-reaper Kisuke Urahara is training her, Captain Hitsugaya Just informed me. He has been in contact with Urahara since coming back to the soul society," Kuchiki told his half-truth.
Hitsugaya had to fight the urge to faint. Had Byakuya Kuchiki just lied to the head captain? He kept his composure and maintained his icy demeanor.
"Very well, since you have made contact with Urahara about this, would you go get the girl? Captain Hitsugaya?"
Kuchiki spoke up again, before Hitsugaya had the chance agree, "Head Captain Yamamoto? I would like to go retrieve this Kurosaki girl."
"Very well, bring her here directly. I would like to see this newest soul-reaper." Head Captain Yamamoto's face almost gave a hint of curiosity.
"I shall go with you Captain," Renji volunteered.
"No," Kuchiki said flatly.
"Your captain is right, you must stay here in case we are attacked again. Your division needs you." Yamamoto agreed with the Captain of Division Six.
The three left their superior silently.
'Why would Captain Kuchiki have lied to the head Captain? His duty was clear. I should have been imprisoned for withholding information...and if the nature of our relationship has been discovered possibly executed,' Hitsugaya doubted that Kuchiki was unaware at this point of any of the facts that could have been gleaned from the phone. He kept his place and waited for the worse.
Preparations to open a gate to the living world were made. The gate was opened. When Kuchiki walked out he found himself not far from that place he had found his sister, that time, with that orange haired soul reaper. The captain rarely came to the living world, yet he always seemed to be here to drag someone back to the soul society.
It was already dark out. It generally takes a few hours to open the gate, but something had been interfering this time. Kuchiki followed the soul ribbons. He easily found the strange Little Shop. The man let himself in. There was Urahara calmly sipping tea, at a small table near the back of the shop.
"Greetings Captain Kuchiki," He did not get up or even turn to greet the man, "Please come sit and have some tea."
"I've come to collect the Kurosaki girl," Kuchiki had no time for Kisuke Urahara's foolishness.
"Oh I am afraid that's not possible, not right now," He waived Kuchiki to come and sit. Kuchiki put his hand on the hilt of his zanpaktou, "That isn't necessary captain." Still not looking, "It would be impossible for you to take her right now she's having a nightmare."
Kuchiki was a little confused. How could her nightmare stop him from taking her. Suddenly Kuchiki felt the crushing sensation of her raw spiritual power being released. He heard a young girl screaming. This horrible sensation of doom was communicated to the two men. Kuchiki found that his ears were ringing painfully his heart was about to stop. He staggered a bit. Than the pressure lessened.
"You'll probably want that tea now," Please sit and when things calm down a bit I'll explain everything.
Kuchiki finally obliged. Kisuke poured him some dark liquid. The two men sipped quietly. From his vantage the captain saw a small figure huddled in the corner of her room. Her eyes were open and there was a look of terror that almost made him shudder. The tiny room was dark, but there seemed to be a faint light surrounding the girl. She was looking in the direction of the two men, but she didn't seem to see anything.
Kuchiki recognized that there was at least one barrier up around the girl. As if reading his mind Urahara volunteered an explanation, "We have to keep two barriers on the girl. She has already broken one that keeps her from moving in her sleep." The other is to contain her power. If not you and I and everybody with in a hundred yards would be unconscious now." As if to punctuate this another outburst came this one was stronger than the last one.
Kuchiki could barely think, 'What raw power, how could this be possible?' He gritted his teeth in pain. Both men watched the poor frightened girl. She collapsed and the spiritual tremors subsided.
"Phew that was a really bad one. I think it's over, but let's just give her a few minutes just in case she is not finished." Kuchiki could hear sorrowful moaning coming from the girl. He noted that Urahara looked worriedly in her direction.
"May I ask, you a question?" Captain Kuchiki's stony expression did not show the pity he was feeling for the girl, but Urahara sensed it.
"Do you want to know why she is having such horrible nightmares?" Kuchiki nodded, "That child has suffered horrors I don't even want to imagine." The captain was surprised to see Urahara shudder at the thought.
"Karin was attacked on two occasions by the same hollow. It somehow had the ability to infiltrate her mind. While in there the monster sexually assaulted the girl. She told me it only happened once, but I feel she is lying about that, to me and to herself."
Kuchiki was shocked out of his normally unemotional state, "How could that have happened? I have never heard of anything such as that? Hollows are only interested in-"
"Feeding. Yes I know. Karin divulged some insight into that, but now seems to have suppressed all memories of the event, that is probably why her nightmares are so bad."
Urahara filled Kuchiki in on the things he had learned from Karin. Suddenly a small figure sidled up to Urahara. She was in a black kimono. Kuchiki looked and saw the little girl still crumpled on the floor, but she was not moving.
The girl took Kisuke's Hand, she whimpered "Mr. Urahara."
She buried her head into his shoulder and cried. Urahara was not at all surprised.
"How?" That was all Captain Kuchiki could say.
"Oh yeah, she's full of surprises. She can break powerful kidou without even thinking about it." He put a hand on her shoulder and comforted her. She put her arms around his neck and asked, "Who is that man? He scares me."
Kuchiki half raised an eyebrow at this. Urahara explained, "It's OK he's a soul-reaper like your brother." The captain did not like being compared to that substitute soul-reaper, but he chose to let it go since the girl seemed to relax a little. "This is Captain Kuchiki. He's going to take you with him to the soul society," He was speaking to her as if she were a much younger child, but at that moment she seemed to have reverted to the mental state of a five year old.
"No," she sobbed into the man's shirt. Urahara further surprised the captain by picking the girl up and rocking her. He shushed her. She stopped crying and rested her head lovingly on his chest, "I don't want to go there Urahara."
"Toshiro is there though, you want to see him don't you?" The girl nodded. Urahara knew that Kuchiki was aware of Captain Hitsugaya's secret so he did not see the point in hiding anything.
He rocked the fragile girl back to sleep. She snored softly, and cuddled the man. His heart ached to let his little pupil go, but He realized that things were getting too dangerous for her here.
He handed the girl over reluctantly, "I doubt that she will have another nightmare tonight. She rarely has two in a single night."
Captain Kuchiki felt very uncomfortable holding the girl. Karin unconsciously nuzzled his shoulder trying to make herself more comfortable as she slept. He turned to leave, "I will make sure that nothing bad happens to the girl."
Urahara felt the emptiness of losing one's child. He knew he'd see her again, but things would be different. He sighed and went to look after the girl's body.
