Karin met Toshiro for an early lunch the same day she had met with Retsu Unohana. She finished her demonstrations of Iyashinomizu later in the morning and with all the use of her reiatsu for healing that one badly injured boy from the Rukongai, she was most definitely hungry.
Toshiro came up to his quarters to eat with his girlfriend and she told him the entire story of all that had happened this morning.
"Unohana-taicho seemed quite pleased…and happy," said Karin. "I am also now going to assist squad 4 here in the seireitei as well as go on healing missions to the Rukongai."
"I'm sure she wishes you were one of her regular squad members," said Toshiro. "With your abilities, you might even have been ranked as an officer already."
"You think so?" she asked.
"Definitely," he stated.
Following lunch, the two lovers made their way back downstairs so that Toshiro could attempt to teach Karin shunpo as he had promised. After checking in with Rangiku in the office, they headed out to the squad 10 training grounds.
Karin stood near the middle of the training grounds while Toshiro stood in front of her, just like any other teacher would.
"Shunpo really isn't that difficult. You've already somewhat learned how to control your reiatsu. If you hadn't, you wouldn't be able to release Iyashinomizu. The fact that her water no longer follows you along the ground and is suspended in mid-air is a great example of how you use your reiatsu. You probably really needed to try in the beginning, and now it has become more subconscious and automatic. It's the same with shunpo," explained Toshiro.
"Except instead of concentrating my reiatsu on my zanpakuto, now I'll use it on myself, right?" asked Karin.
"Exactly. On your feet," noted Toshiro. "It may be a bit awkward at first...perhaps even hard to control the steadiness of it and you'll crash a couple of times, but once you learn how to control it, you'll be just fine."
"Hm," noted Karin trying to take it all in.
"Watch me. I'll slow it down a bit so you can see me move," said Toshiro. And just then, he stood in a ready position and moved across the practice field faster than any normal human could run.
"Ok, stay there," Karin said. "I'm going to try." She took a ready position. Ok, concentrate on reiatsu on my feet. Now...move!
Karin wasn't trying to go in slow motion or anything and by the time she took a few steps, she was already on top of Toshiro - literally. They both tumbled off of the practice field and Karin landed squarely on top of him. When she pushed herself up, she could see that she was now straddling him.
"Toshiro! Are you alright?" she frantically said.
He didn't say anything, but started laughing. Karin couldn't help but start laughing as well once she could tell that there was no harm done.
"At least you have the general hang of it," Toshiro said. "All you have to do now is refine it and practice to increase your stamina."
"My stamina?" repeated Karin as she started getting up off of Toshiro.
"If you plan on using shunpo to go anywhere, you'll want to be able to sustain it for more than just a burst, "said Toshiro.
"I guess that makes sense," Karin agreed.
"I don't think you need me to watch you run back and forth this afternoon," said Toshiro. "If you don't mind, I may head back to the office and get a few folders of paperwork done while you stay here."
"No, absolutely, please go," said Karin. "I just needed you if I could get it going at all. Now at least I know how to turn it on. Are you sure your squad won't need the field?"
"You may have a few squad members join you on their own time. Most of them are on one assignment or another so not too many are around. That's why we're not having any formal training today," said Toshiro.
"I'll meet you at home tonight then," said Karin as she pecked him on the lips.
"You know where to find me if you need me," said Toshiro, then turning and walking away.
Karin turned her attention back to the training ground and the new skill she wanted to acquire and control. I think I used too much reiatsu to get going last time. I'm going to try less reiatsu and see where it takes me.
She stood ready and just barely energized her feet. ZIP! She almost immediately moved about 20ft in the direction she had stepped.
Ok, not quite enough. She turned back to face the direction she had just come. A little more... ZIP! And she moved about 30ft almost instantaneously.
And so the afternoon went on like this with Karin practicing her shunpo. After a while, she did get the hang of how much reiatsu she should apply to begin as well as how much she needed to apply to sustain a particular speed. Stopping was still the main sticking point with her not quite turning off the reiatsu soon enough to stop where she intended. By the time it was the end of the work day (Karin could tell by the number of Shinigami who seemed to be walking by the training grounds seemingly headed home), she was satisfied with what she had accomplished that day.
She began to slowly walk off the training field and towards the barracks and home. I wish I could practice more tomorrow, but I'm in squad 4 tomorrow, she thought to herself.
Another thought then crossed her mind. Maybe I can practice my shunpo just going places around here...
She took a ready position and used her shunpo to get near the front door of the barracks. When she came to a stop, she looked down and saw none other than Toshiro on his rear in front of her on the ground.
"Toshiro, what are you doing down there?" she asked innocently.
"I wasn't expecting anyone to suddenly appear right in front of me. If I hadn't jumped, you probably would have knocked me down anyway," he explained.
Karin turned several shades of red. She hadn't even realized she was the cause of his being on the ground. "Sorry," she said. "I really have gotten much better than earlier."
Karin held out her hand and helped him up. He immediately jumped close to her and pecked her on her lips. "I can't wait to see. But for now...dinner."
OlOlOlOlOlOlO
The next day, as she was asked, Karin reported to squad 4 for her daily duty of helping out those there who were either sick or injured. Unohana-taicho gave her free reign to visit most of the patients currently housed in the barracks to ask if she could help heal them. Karin did as she was asked. She came across small stab wounds from zanpakuto training, open cuts from various assignments, and, of course, a few Rukongai residents who had been brought back for treatment in the seireitei.
At the end of the day, Karin reported back to Unohana's office to tell her she was leaving and to provide her with a report of all that she had done that day.
"Kurosaki-san, thank you so much for all your efforts. Again, I want to reiterate how amazing your power is. I truly wish you were going to stay with us for good. I could use a Shinigami healer like you in squad 4," said Retsu.
Karin bowed in acknowledgement of Retsu's praise of her. "It has been my pleasure, taicho."
Karin was about to turn to leave when Isane burst into her taicho's office.
"Unohana-taicho! There is an emergency case that needs your attention immediately!" Isane shouted.
Immediately, Retsu stood up from her desk and ran out the door. She was followed closely by both Isane and Karin. On their way, Isane explained the situation.
"It is a boy from the Rukongai," she started. "One of the regular patrols found him dying from injuries in the middle of a dirt road."
"Which district?" asked Retsu.
"49th," said Isane.
"Status of the patient?" asked Retsu.
"Open wound in the chest area. We don't think the heart was hit or he'd be dead already. Unconscious with bruises to the facial area. Broken right arm with bone protruding," said Isane.
"Karin, if you think you can do something immediately for this boy, start immediately," said Retsu. "Do not wait for us to examine him. His life may hang in the balance."
"Hai," Karin agreed.
They finally reached the room where the boy had been brought.
"Oh my….," said Karin upon seeing the badly injured boy. She hesitated just a bit.
"What?" asked Retsu.
"It's Temeki," said Karin.
"You know him?" asked Isane.
"My first mission with squad 4 was to the 49th district. I met him there while members of his family were being treated. He…knew who Ichigo was," explained Karin.
Karin spent no further time talking. She pulled out her zanpakuto.
"Restore Iyashinomizu," she said aloud. Her sword became water – and the water immediately covered the entire boy with only his nose and mouth left open to breathe.
"She's not kidding this time," said Isane seeing Karin standing there with her hands out concentrating on the glowing water.
Everyone else who was in the room stood there and watched Karin interact with Temeki. No one said a word – the room was completely silent. Minutes passed.
Both the taicho and fukutaicho of squad 4 watched closely as the bruises seemed to disappear. The protruding bone seemed to move on its own – it went back into place and the skin reformed over top of it. The hole in his chest sealed itself off.
After 20 minutes or so, Karin fell first to her knees then toppled over to the ground. The water surrounding Temeki splashed onto the ground around the table he laid on.
"Karin!" yelled Isane.
"Kurosaki-san," said Retsu, bending down to examine Karin. "She's just depleted. She'll be fine."
Isane let out an exhale.
"Unohana-taicho!" said one of the other squad 4 members standing next to Temeki.
Retsu left Karin's limp body lying on the ground and stood up to look at the boy. His eyes were now open and looking back and forth.
"Don't worry," she said to him. "You're safe. You're in the seireitei, in squad 4."
"But - ," he croaked out, but his voice was not very strong.
"Please…don't speak," said Retsu. "Your life is no longer in danger. Karin Kurosaki used her zanpakuto on you and healed you. You are probably still weak and will need to stay here at least a few days though."
The boy's expression softened at the taicho's words. "Where - ?"
"She's here, on the ground next to you," said Retsu. "Squad 4, can you help lay her on those chairs so she is up off the floor?"
They did as they asked. As they picked her up, Temeki saw Karin Kurosaki, the sister of the savior of the Soul Society, the same Shinigami he had spoken with not very long ago in his home district.
"Karin?" said Isane, now stooping next to her face. "Karin, can you hear me?"
"Hm?" said Karin.
"Are you alright?" asked Isane.
A moment or two passed. "I'm just….so tired," she said.
"Unohana-taicho, do you want me to mop up this mess?" asked a member of squad 4.
"No," she replied. "This is Karin's zanpakuto. I'm sure when she is…."
And just at that moment, the water moved on its own and reformed at the hilt of her sword.
"Exactly," said Retsu. "I expected when she was fully conscious it would reform."
"Karin, you should spend the night here," said Isane. "I will send word to Hitsugaya-taicho."
Karin nodded somewhat barely able to keep her eyes open.
"Take this boy to a room," said Retsu. The members of squad 4 who were present started to prepare Temeki to go to his own room to recover. As they started to move, he threw a mild fit and tried to scream though it was difficult as weak as he was.
"You must calm down. You will re-injure yourself," said Retsu.
He didn't seem to stop.
"What is it?" Retsu asked and moved her ear close to his mouth.
She nodded having heard what he had to say.
"Karin Kurosaki and this boy will share a room as they both recover," said the taicho.