Chapter 13: Yamamoto Family

Karin's POV

I entered Toushiro's house after Soifon-taicho's subordinate escorted me. I was questioned about what happened the day of my death since it was a bigger issue than what I expected.

"Welcome back, Karin-san," I smiled at Hinamori-fukutaicho who greeted me. "The twins already went to bed, while Shiro-chan went out on a mission with Kuchiki-taicho. He asked me to look after the three of you for tonight since Rangiku-san has some business to take care of."

"Good evening, Hinamori-fukutaicho," I greeted back. "Thank you for taking care of my twins."

"Well, I am their aunt. We're family," she smiled at me. "I am not sure if you heard, but I'm Shiro-chan's adopted sister. You can just call me Momo. Have you eaten?"

"Yes, I have. Thank you for asking," I responded. "When will To- Hitsugaya-taicho be back?"

She chuckled at my question and responded, "Karin-san, you don't need to force yourself to address him that way. At least not yet, save it when you enter the academy. And to answer your question, he'll be out for two days at max. They actually went after two captains who were sent to Hueco Mundo to investigate."

"Who will look after the twins during that time?" I asked her.

"Oh, Soutaicho assigned you and the twins under the care of Ukitake-taicho during the day," she informed me. "You will still stay here every night but someone from Thirteenth will probably come over here early tomorrow."

"I see," I nodded in understanding and then silence came between us.

"Can we talk?" I sat down beside her when she asked that question. "I'm sorry. I just can't take the sight of my brother having an inner struggle. It's triggering unpleasant memories."

"Inner struggle?" I asked briefly but I suddenly realized what she meant. "Gin-san."

"I think he's still indenial," Momo-san told me. "Not the part where he's the twins' father, but the truth about his biological parents. He has been treating Rangiku-san more formal than how he used to treat her."

"Anyone would be in shock after finding out the truth," I sat down on the couch. "I know I was, when I heard Gin-san whispering how Rinka inherited his wife's eyes."

"Have you guys talked?" Momo-san asked and I shook my head. "Then, can we talk?"

I looked at her because of that. She smiled slightly and look down.

"I hated you," she confessed to me. "Twelve years ago, for a whole year, it was snowing in Seireitei. The weather was down, and it happened after my brother was banned to go to the World of the Living as punishment for teaching you how to control your reiatsu secretly. A year is no big deal when you are a soul, but that year felt like a century."

"Rangiku-san and I was sure that it was caused by him but when we confront him about it, he would just glare at us and continue working. Work: for that long year, that's the only thing he would be doing. He couldn't sleep, he was not eating well, his reiatsu would just be flaring more and more. He knew he caused it, but he didn't care. But the weather got worse," Momo-san shivered as she continued her story. "Seireitei was almost buried in snow. That's when the Soutaicho decided to intervene. He got Unohana-taicho knock Shiro-chan out. They imprisoned him in one of the detach buildings in the hospital. He was out for a week, and that was when we saw the sun in Seireitei again. For that one week, I helped Rangiku-san with her work as his proxy. We accidentally stumbled upon one thing, and it all started making sense."

"What thing?" I asked and she looked at me with a sad smile.

"It was an engagement ring with a beautiful black diamond stone," I froze at what she said. "Rangiku-san and I knew at that exact moment that Shiro-chan is going through unpleasant feelings because of rejection. But I didn't know it was you, nor did Rangiku-san."

"I was determined to figure out who rejected him," she gave out a small chuckle. "But I never saw him with any other female other than the officers, common friends, and granny. He treats them all the same so it couldn't be any of them. I only figured out that it was you when I visited him on his sleep. He was having nightmares, but he was calling out your name."

"The moment that he woke up, I forced it out of him," Momo-san continued. "He cried, with a short confession of, "She doesn't feel the same way and it hurts more than what I experienced in hell". He's a captain, he's literally been to hell and made it back here a lot of times without a scratch. I've never seen him so weak or devastated until that day."

"He was already trying to find a way to compromise because of your situation for your relationship to work. For all he confessed, I realized how much he's in love with you, so I hated you," the lieutenant paused. "How could you break my brother's heart just like that?"

"I'm sorry," I responded. "It seemed to be the right choice for me when I found out about my pregnancy."

"I no longer hate you, Karin-san. I understood where that decision came from when I found out about the truth about the parents of the twins," Momo-san clarified. "I was aware of it before we even found you in Rukongai. I knew then that you didn't break his heart just like that. That's why I was sticking around the twins, so I can help them grew fonder to my brother. Since I knew that the truth will come out sooner and later."

"You knew but you didn't tell Toushiro?"

"Well, I assured Shirohi that I won't disclose their secret," she replied with a shrug, but looked down after pausing. "But if I am to be honest, the main reason why I stayed silent is because I didn't know how I would approach my brother just to tell him the truth. My existence itself is one of the reasons that he couldn't forgive Ichimaru-taicho."

"Gin-san did say that," I agreed with her. "He told me there's no way Toushiro would ever forgive him because of what he did to you, and his betrayal towards Rangiku-san. He's convinced from the start that Toushiro would not accept him, or even at least acknowledge their blood relationship."

Rangiku's POV

My hand is shaking as I open the door of a unfamiliar familiar house. A bitter sweet smile broke out of my lips as I entered. I spent 25 years on this house since I gave birth to my son. Gin didn't want Toushiro to be raised inside Seireitei back then, so he got a house in a safe district in Rukongai.

A tear escape my eye when I saw everything to its original place, and the fact that it was clean made me more emotional. It's like it's been taken care of even after all these years of it being vacant. My legs gave up on me as I saw my son's room with the same decorations I installed back then.

It's not your fault.

I was awakened from my thoughts when Haineko spoke to me.

"That jerk," I said to no one. "None of this would have happen if he opened up to me. I'm his wife! I should've been by his side."

All of the memories with the house just came flooding my brain and I couldn't breathe as I was crying so hard. I was always curious as to why I always seem to be restless when I was not around my captain. I loved his company, and I didn't like not seeing him. I was too comfortable being with him. The immediate attachment I felt when I saw him again, was it because I'm his mother?

I spent the night just walking around the house and reminiscing. Gin erased my memories sometime after Toushiro was born. We did not even celebrate his first birthday. Which means up to now, we never celebrated his birthday as a family. Did he only celebrate it with my mother and Hinamori? He never did have a proper celebration even after joining the Gotei 13 because he wasn't fond of parties. Every year, he would treat the division a simple dinner and go home to his grandmother with Hinamori.

I'm a horrible mother. How the hell am I going to approach him again as his mother? Do I even have the right to become his parent right now?

It was nearing dawn when I left the house to go back to Seireitei. I diligently finished my paperworks by sunrise and went to the captain's quarter to cook them breakfast. Shirohi and Hinamori were already awake by the time I entered that they volunteered to help me. I am assigned to be their bodyguard today, along with Ukitake-taicho so I'll be hanging around them. Hinamori left with us after breakfast as she went back to her division for her work as the four of us went to Thirteen.

"Rukia-nee!" Karin-chan called out as she saw her by the entrance of the barracks. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Rukia-san!" the twins greeted.

All of us went to Kuchiki's office to hang out. The twins were playing chess against each other, while Karin-chan is busy filling up forms needed for her admission to the academy. I spent my half day with them, but left after lunch because of work duties.

Papers are already piling up when I arrived at the office, but I didn't think twice about doing it. Even though I always think that the papers are troublesome, I do know what to do with them. When Isshin-taicho was still on position, he already taught me how to do all kinds of papers our division always receive even before Toushiro came here.

The day he entered the division, almost all of our members were in disbelief as they thought he was just a kid but boy did he prove them wrong. It didn't take him long before he rose up in ranks and actually gain respect from others. Looking back now, I am happy he chose to follow me as I was the one who found him. He used to look up Isshin-taicho, and he even trained under him to polish his zanjutsu. When he became the Third Seat, he was already taught how to run the division in our absence. He was uptight since the beginning of his shinigami career, and the only time I saw him chilling was when he met Karin-chan and started spending time with her.

"Shinsei?" I blinked at the paper and gasped when it hit me. "It's really under our division? How come I've never been there before?"

It was the town Karin-chan moved into, and where the twins have been living in their lives. It's a pretty normal town, and the reiatsu level is not on par with the atmosphere of Karakura. It's a peaceful and safe town so not one shinigami has been posted as guard in the past.

"Would it be okay if I do it?" I've been thinking about what captain asked me days ago.

I do want to do it.

I woke up from my thoughts when I heard a knock from the door. An unseated shinigami escorted Soifon-taicho inside, along with Orihime and Tatsuki, to my surprise.

"Soifon-taicho?" I looked at her in confusion.

"Inoue Orihime and Arizawa Tatsuki are key witness to Ichimaru's hearing the day after tomorrow," she started explaining. "Soutaicho thought it'll be better of they are to stay here at the Tenth Division, so he assigned you to accommodate them. Will that be okay?"

"Of course," I didn't hesitate. "We do have a lot of spaces here."

She left them in my care, and I welcomed them to our division. It hasn't been long since we saw each other. I served them tea and asked them to wait a little as I finalize today's papers. After which, we went to the Thirteenth and had dinner with the twins, Hinamori, and Karin-chan. Both of the humans decided to stay in my house which is not that far from captain's quarters. Hinamori stayed there after escorting them back from Thirteenth while the three of us came home.

Toushiro's POV

I just got back from Hueco Mundo with Kuchiki, Muguruma, and Hirako. It wasn't that hard for us because of Kuchiki's bankai, but it turns out that the two visored got trapped into endless pit of hallows in Hueco Mundo. It was tiring, and I immediately went back to my quarters after reporting to the head captain.

"Welcome home, Shiro-chan," Hinamori greeted me as I entered that made me confuse. "I stayed with them since Rangiku-san got assigned to accommodate the human witnesses for Ichimaru's hearing."

"Oh," I nodded in realization. "I'm here now. You can go back."

I just walked passed her and headed to my room. My shihakusho is dirty and I wanted to shower so I went to my room to get fresh clothes but I was frozen as I entered.

I didn't know how to react, my body just froze at the sight of my bed. Karin is sleeping with our twins hugging her. But they are all snuggled in one side, making a part of the bed free, as if they were waiting for me to join in.

"Cute, isn't it?" I woke up to my thoughts when Hinamori appeared beside me. "Take a picture, Shiro-chan."

"Didn't you leave?"

"I wanted to see your reaction about this," she sheepishly smiled at me. "Fine, fine. I'll leave now, but why don't you join in?"

I want to, I really do. But I might woke them up and ruin their mood. So I just took a picture and went to my closet for fresh clothes. I noticed Rinka kicking away the blanket so I fixed it in place, and made sure they were covered. I moved in silence and left the room to the bathroom for a shower.

After showering, I went to lie down at the couch in my living room. I wanted to talk to them. To Karin. To Ichimaru. To Ukitake. And even to Matsumoto. But I don't know how to start, I don't know what to say.

"Genius, my ass," I hissed at no one. "Why the fuck am I not able to start a conversation with them?"

"Conversation with who?" I jolted up in shock as I heard someone ask behind me.

I blinked as I saw Karin who was looking at me with questionable eyes.

"Karin," I sighed in relief. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"I got up to go get a drink," she responded. "I was about to go back when I saw you here. I heard you went to Hueco Mundo, did you get injured?"

"I'm fine," I looked away. "Go back to bed, it's not even pass midnight yet."

I felt her nod and turned away from me. I gritted my teeth, but I couldn't stop myself from flash stepping to her and hug her from behind in front of the door of my room.

"Didn't you tell me to go back?" she asked me.

I couldn't find the words to respond so I just hugged her tighter. I didn't want to let go. To be honest, I still couldn't grasp to the fact that she's here. That it's real that she's staying with me. For twelve years, there wasn't a time when I didn't want her in my arms and now that I finally do, I don't want the moment to end. I always knew that even if a century passed, it's still Karin and it will always be her.

"I missed you," I whispered as I burried my face on her neck. "Karin."

She didn't respond, but she didn't struggle out of my hold either. I do not know what she's thinking, but all I could hope for is that she's not thinking about leaving me out of her life again. The twelve years that passed felt so empty without her. And considering our situation now, I refuse to be left out again.

"Let me go," she whispered but I didn't do it. "The twins might wake up if they realize I'm not in bed with them."

"What do I need to do for me to be included in your life with the twins?"

I felt her flinched inside my arms and sudden fear consumed me. Was she thinking about excluding me again? Will she leave my side the moment I'm relieved from my official duty to the twins? It's funny how she can immediately make me fear something. I knew I was whipped, even back then, but I don't complain about it. If it's Karin, I'm willing to be anything.

"Please don't tell me you're going to exclude me out again," I begged as I tightened my hug. "I'll work hard, I'll do anything you three wish for. Please."

"Will you really?" she finally responded. "I'm pretty sure that you know what the twins want. Are you going to recognize Gin-san as your father?"

I flinched.

"I'm grateful of him, I ain't ashamed of admitting that," I responded. "Everything he did for the twins, for you, and for me, I can say it's lucky for us that he's around. He's my father, that I get now, I can awknowledge that."

"But?"

"But I don't think I can change the way I'm treating him," I confessed to her. "And it's not because of him, it's about me. I grew up with Granny and Hinamori. I never had someone look after me like a father would, at least not on my knowledge back then. I d-don't know how to be a son to a father, Karin. And it's been driving me crazy."

"Toushiro."

"Since I found out about the truth, I have been trying to figure out how I should change the way I'm treating him," I continued. "But I, I just ended up treating him colder than ever. I didn't even know how to thank him when he saved me back when we went to rescue Shirohi. I can't treat him well, and guilt is consuming me."

"No one expects you to adjust quickly," I paused when I heard what she said. "You didn't know, and your life just went upside down. No one's actually expecting you to adapt to the change in a snap. Gin-san understands if you can't acknowledge him."

"I hate that he does," I snapped. "He can do many things for me, I'm sure of that now. With my memory back and all, I don't doubt his sincerity towards me. But I'm pathetic, I can't even say thank you for saving me."

"How was him as a father when you're still a family?"

I paused as my times with him flooded my brain. Back to when the happiest time of my every day was when he came home from work and play with me. I didn't notice how did it happen, but Karin is already facing me as I doze off. She was wiping tears from my eyes and I didn't even realize I was tearing up.

"This is the first time I've ever saw you like this," Karin told me. "You miss him, don't you?"

I do, and I hate that I can't say that to him, or to my lieutenant. I calm myself down and let go of Karin.

"Go back to sleep," I told her. "I'll go finish some papers in the office."

It was cowardly on my side, but I didn't wait for a response and flashstepped away. I found myself on my office, expecting a mountain of paperwork left u finished, but I was a little bit taken back when I saw my desk clean. I just shook my head and laid on my couch. I'll just sleep here tonight.

The next morning, I was about to go back to my house when I felt familiar reiatsus at the barrack's cafeteria. I went there and saw Karin with the twins, Matsumoto, Inoue, and Arizawa. They are about to eat breakfast as I saw my lieutenant distributing food.

"Ah, Good morning, Toushiro-kun," Inoue greeted when she saw me. "Come join us for breakfast."

"Good morning," I greeted them.

"I'll get you your usual morning tea," Matsumoto volunteered. "And bagels, too. You must be tired from your mission."

"No, I'm okay," my response got me a few glares from them so I took it back. "I mean, I'm not tired. I'll have the breakfast."

As I sat down with them, I noticed how they were not rushing to eat and all. Weird. If I am to be honest, I thought that they'll be out of here today as soon as they wake up.

"I'm actually surprised that you guys are still here," I told the twins that earned their attention. "I thought you'll be out as soon as you wake up."

"Huh? Are we not assigned under you anymore?" Rinka asked that made me puzzled.

"Are we relieved for our bodyguard assignment, Taicho?" Matsumoto asked that further confused me.

"No, it's not that," I shook my head and answered. "I just thought you will be with Ichimaru first thing in the morning."

Karin frowned as she responded, "Gin-san don't really like the twins spending time in that place. It's still a prison cell, and they are just kids."

I blinked at them and asked, "You guys don't know that he was granted permission to be out of his cell for 12 hours?"

"What?!"

"He asked permission, and he gained enough approval for it to push through," I explained to them. "He's not allowed to leave Seireitei, and the Covert Ops is monitoring him in a safe distance. But yeah, he's out of his cell."

"Then, let's go fi-" "Finish your food, Rinka."

"B-" "No buts. You know how I feel about food waste."

The girl pouted and sat down again. True to Karin's words, we finished having breakfast before leaving. Since Matsumoto was assigned to look after the witnesses, she didn't go with us. It was just the four of us who left the division.

"Do you guys know where he is?" I asked them.

"I do," Shirohi answered. "There's only one division in the whole Seireitei he can walk around without anyone questioning him."

The First Division.

A moment later, Sasakibe-fukutaicho guided us inside the private house of the Head Captain. We entered a big door that led us to a massive inside garden. We found Ichimaru in the middle, sitting in front of two graves. Yamamoto Tora, and her mother's grave.

"Daddy," Rinka called out to him softly, as she wanted to gain his attention.

"Rinka-chan," he beamed at the sight of my daughter.

"Why didn't you tell us that you're free for a day?" Rinka pouted to him.

"Ah, I plan on coming over to you after lunch," Ichimaru responded, but I somehow felt like he was lying. "Anyway, I'd like you guys to meet my mother. Her name's Yamamoto Tora, the child prodigy before me, and she used to wield the strongest gravity-control zanpakto. She was also the former captain of the Ninth Division who retired after she had me."

"Great grandma?"

Why don't you introduce yourself, too, Master? That's your paternal grandmother.

I want to, but I don't dare. Even if I'm here, I still feel excluded from them and somehow it's my fault. I feel so stupid since I know what to do to connect with them but I refrain in doing so because I'm afraid.

We ended up spending the day in the indoor garden. I was only on the side since I acted as the bodyguard of the twins, but I was happy seeing them enjoy playing chess against Ichimaru. Karin was just playing a watcher as the twins teamed up against their grandfather, but still lose the game.

"That's why I told you not to move the knight!" Shirohi argued to his sister.

"Buzz off! You're annoying!" Rinka scolded as she went to switch sides. "I'll team up with Daddy for the next round, you're on your own!"

"That hardly seems fair!" Shirohi glared at her and then looked at me. "Taicho, can you team up with me?"

I blinked as all of them gave him a questioning look.

"Two versus two!" he insisted. "It has to be two child prodigies against two child prodigies for it to be fair!"

"You were teaming up against me," Ichimaru pointed out but he was ignored.

"Or did you not know how to play chess, Hitsugaya-taicho?" I could feel a vein popped out when I heard Shirohi's question.

I said nothing, but I did go to his side so he won't say anymore. But seriously? I'm the reigning champion of Seireitei the last time we had a chess tournament!

That was at least fifty years ago. Aizen's treason is not even revealed then.

Shut up, Hyourinmaru. Nobody asked you.

"Okay! It's on!" Rinka challenged. "Be prepared to lose."

"You better not hold back, Taicho," Shirohi told me. "You're going to lose, Rinka."

"Aren't you two taking this too serious?" Karin raised an eyebrow at them. "It's just a game of chess."

"No, momma. My pride as the first born is at stake," the three of us sweat dropped at Rinka's response. "I have to prove to Shirohi that I didn't live 12 minutes longer than him for nothing."

"Aren't you too young to be thinking about pride?" I asked her.

"I don't even remember anything about me questioning you about our birth arrangement," Shirohi pointed out but Rinka just rolled her eyes at him.

"Rinka, if you focused too much on pleasing your pride, you won't grow up. Like someone I knew," I glared at Karin because of what she said. "I did not drop a name so hold your horses and glares. I just died, I don't want to be killed again."

"As if he'll harm you," I could hear Ichimaru whisper but I didn't turn to him. "Let's just start."

No One's POV

Juushiro's eyes softened at the sight of the family playing chess in the garden. He was inside the house, in the second floor where a view of the inside garden can be seen. When he realized that Gin will probably be here today, he came over last night and hide his reiatsu. He wanted to join them, but he didn't want to interrupt. He just settled in seeing his son happy playing with the twins and their parents.

"Ukitake-taicho," he turned to Chōjiro. "The Head Captain is requesting your presence on the dining hall."

The guy just sighed and followed the lieutenant. True enough, the Head Captain was indeed there, with a feast on the table. It's probably prepared for the family inside, but he didn't want to pry. He also noticed the papers in front of Genryūsai and realized what's going to happen.

"Did you manage to get it all, Sensei?" he asked him.

"I already worked on it since Gin came back. It was already for final approval, but I did encounter difficulty when the truth come to light," he responded. "But still, I managed to secure them and transfer them immediately. I just called for them for lunch to inform them about this."

Gin, Toshiro, Karin, Rinka, and Shirohi walked in the dining hall after a few minutes. The adults were confused as to why Juushiro was here, but the twins greeted both captain as they sat down to eat.

"I know you won't like this topic, but it's something that we should discuss before Gin's hearing," the Head Captain started. "When he came back, and told me about his plans to surrender, he asked me to gather up his properties and all the lots he's assigned with before Central 46 could even hold them."

"Properties?" Toshiro asked.

"My daughter, Tora, already had properties planned to be inherited by her future generation and entrusted them to Gin. Although, she gave him a lot here in the First Division and in the Third Division, she practically owns twelve more properties all through out Soul Society. Gin did not inherit them as Tora intended to pass it to her future children which she did not have because of Aizen. All I'm saying is that if Gin's hearing happened as soon as he surrendered, the properties would have been confiscated by the court," Genryuusai explained. "So, I collected them back and transferred them for now. All properties that was named after him are equally distributed to both Rinka and Shirohi, with Kurosaki Karin as their guardian, except for one lot in the East District that he himself transferred to Matsumoto-fukutaicho. All properties that are owned by Yamamoto Tora that was assigned to him are all transferred to you, Hitsugaya-taicho. That's including the lot where your grandmother lives."

"What?!"

"Well, the lots that Tora purchased are for her future generations except for Gin," Juushiro pointed out. "Since you are the only grandson, you're the only one who can inherit them. Of course, Rinka-chan and Shirohi-kun are also her descendants, but as of now, you aren't married to Karin-san. That makes them not qualify to the inheritance. Your true origins might have been kept in the dark for a long time, but your parents are married. Even I can't claim them, since we are not married."

"But transferring many properties under my name is too much," Toushiro objected. "Also, Ichimaru's alive. You don't know if ever he plans to have a child again."

"I'm literally on a line of being executed, what makes you think I'll have another child, chibi-taicho?" Gin frowned at him. "And if you can't take that much, you can always marry Karin-chan so that the twins wil-!"

Gin was interrupted when he figured out he couldn't speak. Rinka was silent, but Shirohi was glaring at his grandfather.

"You did not just endorse marriage to our mother just so we can be qualify for some properties," he said darkly that made Karin shook her head and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Calm down, Shiro," she called out to her son. "He was just half-teasing him. Besides, marriage is a mutual agreement. I will not get married for the sake of you both qualifying for inheritance. Let him go."

Gin just laughed silently as he gestured an apology to his grandson. In the end of their lunch, Toushiro left the First Division with twelve properties under his name.