Author's Note:

Greetings, my beautiful readers! Here's chapter 4 of After All These Years. I hope you're enjoying the story so far, because I'm really enjoying writing it :-P

Just as a heads-up, there will be multiple time skips throughout this story; as we will be covering almost a year's worth of events, and I didn't want this fic to be sixty chapters long, lol.

As in previous chapters, I'll be putting the English translations of the Japanese names used in this story at the bottom of every chapter they are mentioned, so check them out if you're interested. Certain words have specific translations which I chose myself, but I will note that I do not speak a lick of Japanese; therefore, all of these translations are courtesy of Google Translate. Take from that what you will X-D

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All credit goes to Tite Kubo


Six and a half months later…

The next several months flew by for Karin. Toshiro had arrived right before the end of the spring semester; so, once finals were over, she was able to devote quite a bit of her time during summer vacation to training with him. After the fall semester had started up, they continued their original routine of attending classes during the day, and training at night. Karin had gotten lucky, and only had to pull a few all-nighters at school recently; so, she hadn't missed hardly any training. It was now mid-November, and everyone was looking forward to Christmas break. It had been a grueling six and a half months, but she'd finally perfected her form, and her zanjutsu skills had improved significantly. She could now fight on par with Toshiro, with Hyorinmaru sealed; a fact she was quite proud of, given her lack of both professional training and 'learn-on-the-job' experience. Her brother had been able to teach himself, in large part, due to his inability to stay out of conflict; a problem she did not have. So, it was really cool for her to see just how much having a teacher was helping.

Toshiro had brought in Yoruichi for advanced Hakudo training, and he'd also been teaching her Kido as well. She realized quickly that she had natural talent in Kido, something she suspected Toshiro knew would be the case. She caught on quickly, and was making good progress in it. She could now perform relatively high-level Kido spells, and even Kisuke had commented on her affinity with it. He had said she resembled Rukia in that way, as Rukia had also shown great proficiency in Kido.

All in all, she could tell he'd put a lot of thought into how her training was structured so she would stay well-rounded, and evenly proficient in everything.

She couldn't deny that she'd also very much enjoyed having her old friend back. She'd almost forgotten just how well they got along. Yes, their personalities were opposite in many ways; but they had the same sense of humor, and they just seemed to connect in a way that Karin had never experienced with anyone else before. She felt instinctively that she could trust him, and talk with him about things she didn't feel comfortable telling her family. She valued his advice; finding him to be wise beyond his years, and a good judge of people and situations. He was very analytical, and could read people well; something she attributed to his persistently skeptical view of others around him.

She had fun teasing him all summer about his hatred of hot weather, and even managed to drag him to the beach one day with her and her family. Even though he'd clearly been miserable in the heat, he'd gone along with it; much to the shock of her father and brother.

She couldn't deny that she'd enjoyed seeing him take a day off, for once, and she did her best to incorporate him into as many beach games with her family as he'd been willing to participate in.

She'd enjoyed his reaction to her asking him if he thought her bikini suited her, too. Teasing him was one of her favorite hobbies, and the opportunity had been there for the taking when they got to the sandy coast; so, she'd taken it. She remembered laughing as he stuttered, and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Ichigo and Yuzu had cracked up watching him trip over his own words before walking away in an annoyed huff, and her dad had smiled slyly; clearly amused as well.

The day had ended up being enjoyable for everyone, and the break was much needed by all. Toshiro spent a considerable amount of time in the ocean to keep himself cool, and, while he was nothing more than her friend, Karin had felt no shame in admiring his new physique throughout the day. She may be a tomboy, but she still appreciated a pretty face, and toned body, when she saw one. He was hot, and there was no getting around that blatant fact. Her female classmates watched him like a hawk, and the males all looked at him with resentment and envy for the attention he got. So, she stuck to him like glue during school to help him deter the unwanted attention. Even though he hated the summer, they'd both been glad to not have to deal with that nuisance for a few months.

In the end, they stayed at the beach for most of the day, and grabbed some shaved ice as a treat before they left. That day had been Karin's, Toshiro's, and Yuzu's last real day of freedom before the start of the fall semester in mid-August. After that, it had been back to business as usual, but she and Toshiro still tried to hang out and talk for a little while every night before bed; a routine they both enjoyed. Despite their differences, they'd developed a strong bond and solid friendship over the months, and they now knew each other better than they knew themselves.

So, all in all, she couldn't have been having more fun. Even now, as she was being overpowered, and slammed into the ground by Hyorinmaru in its Shikai state, she couldn't think of a single place she'd rather be.

Toshiro had decided that she was ready for the next level, so today was the start of her training facing his Shikai. What Toshiro didn't know, however, was that she had a surprise of her own up her sleeve that she'd been planning on saving until she really needed it.

"Get up, Karin. We're not done yet."

'Speak of the devil', Karin thought to herself. Dragging herself out of the newly formed crater in the ground, she looked across the room to find Toshiro casually standing on a piece of ledge, looking down at her with his usual disinterested frown; Hyorinmaru in his right hand, and once again in its sealed state.

Struggling to pick herself back up, Karin slowly climbed out of the crater. They'd been at it for six hours, and she was starting to get fatigued from all the dirt she was being forced to eat by her teacher. 'Damn, I always underestimate him…and his love of making me struggle. Maybe it's time for that surprise', she thought to herself.

Getting back on her feet, and centering herself, Karin locked eyes with the young Captain; shooting him a smirk.

Toshiro gave her a small smirk in response. He always enjoyed seeing that Kurosaki stubbornness in Karin come out. It made her easy to train, in some ways, because her stubbornness and refusal to accept defeat allowed him to push her to her absolute limit every single training session. Yes, she was sore, and in pain; yes, she was exhausted; but she still gave it everything she had every single day. To him, that was invaluable.

"Well, Karin? Are you going to come at me head-on again, or have you finally learned to strategize a little when dealing with a stronger opponent?" he asked; his smirk growing.

While the taunt got under her skin – mainly because she knew he was right, and she didn't want to admit it – Karin let it go, and picked up her zanpakuto from its spot on the ground by her feet.

"Alright, Toshiro. You want me to step it up a bit? Fine, I will." she replied, with a smirk on her face as she held her zanpakuto horizontally off to her left; the sword's hilt in her right hand.

Toshiro's smirk vanished; replaced by a confused frown followed by a look of surprise from realization. 'There's no way she's acquired it already…has she?' he thought; watching his student closely.

"Cover the earth with your ferocious roar, Todoroku Kaze!" she said, swinging her now glowing sword across the front of her body in one fluid motion as a strong gust of wind erupted from the blade; almost blowing Toshiro off his feet, and eroding a few of the tall rock pillars nearby.

Toshiro had needed to shield his eyes from the current of wind, but when he looked back up, he saw Karin now wielding her Shikai. The tsuba changed from a cloud design to what appeared to be silver and black jagged stripes inside of a dark blue circle, while the katana itself had changed color to a dark stormy grey with a pure white edge; now sporting one thin wind current circling up and down the entire blade.

'So, her zanpakuto is wind-based. Interesting; I thought it would be fire, given her temperament.' He thought, taking in the change. He was quite surprised that she had been able to achieve her Shikai on her own so quickly, as he suspected she already possessed it before he had arrived to start formally training her. 'Really, though, I shouldn't be surprised. She is a Kurosaki, after all.' he thought again; a new smirk forming on his face.

Locking eyes with his student, he raised Hyorinmaru. "Well, that was unexpected. I won't say I'm not impressed, Karin, but now it's time to see how well you know how to use it."

Smirking back, Karin readied herself; shifting into position. "Bring it on, Toshiro. I've been looking forward to this." she replied.

Only a moment's silence passed before Toshiro moved in for the first strike; his blade making contact not with Karin's zanpakuto, but the protective current of air circling it. 'Interesting. The wind current acts as a protective buffer for the blade and its wielder; the force and strain of the opponent's impact is completely negated, and the wielder doesn't even feel it. That's a huge advantage in terms of fatigue management, and energy expense.'

Jumping back to assess the weapon from a closer distance, he heard her speak as she raised her zanpakuto; pointing it straight at him: "Category 1: Eaburetto."

Toshiro immediately dodged right, just missing a direct hit by an incredibly condensed, high-speed bullet-like current of air generated from the sword. The speed was incredible; much faster than he was anticipating. By his estimates, it rivaled the speed of Gin Ichimaru's Shikai. Glancing quickly at his left arm, he noticed the sleeve of his captain's haori was torn, and his arm had a small cut on it from the air current. Looking past his arm over to the spot where the air bullet had traveled, he saw a huge trench in the ground from the wind projectile. 'Okay, then. So far, long range weapon able to inflict significant damage; attacks delivered at high speeds. Good defensive abilities, but probably not as effective or useful in close-range melee-style combat situations.'

"Not bad, Karin. Let's see how many tricks you have up your sleeve." He said, a small but excited smile on his face.

Karin returned the smile with a smug, self-satisfied look of her own as she shifted into a defensive stance upon her teacher releasing his own Shikai: "Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

Now, Karin was very excited. It was finally time to really test her skills.

EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F

After a full two hours of continuous battle between teacher and student using their Shikai, Karin was completely exhausted. It had been an awesome training day, but her numerous injuries and fatigue from expending so much energy were taking its toll on her now.

Sealing Todoroku Kaze, she barely had enough energy to sheathe her sword before the extreme fatigue set in.

Toshiro could see Karin's legs shaking, and her breathing was far too loud. Knowing she was most likely ready to pass out, he quickly sheathed his own sword, and shunpo'd over to her; catching her as she collapsed into his arms.

"Alright, Karin, that's enough for today. Time to go home, and get those wounds tended to." he said as he gently picked her up bridal-style, and began walking back to the entrance.

Karin relaxed, and snuggled a little more into his arms; barely able to keep her eyes open. Every bone in her body felt like it was on fire, and she had numerous cuts and gashes which were bleeding steadily. She knew none of them were life-threatening, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell.

Slowly, she lifted her head up just enough to look at her teacher's face. Toshiro, feeling her head move, looked down at her in response. With an exhausted and unsure smile on her face, Karin asked, "Did I do okay today, Toshiro? Be honest, am I getting any better? I hope you're not bored with training me."

Toshiro was surprised; he wasn't used to seeing Karin vulnerable, and unsure of herself. He thought he'd been pretty forthcoming in his praise of her during training today, but he also knew he wasn't the best at positive reinforcement, either. He may not have been as forthcoming as he thought he'd been. Wanting to reassure her, he gave her a small, affectionate smile. "You did great today, Karin. I was very surprised, and more than a little impressed. You're already much better than when we started, and I'm sure you'll keep improving. Be proud of your accomplishments; you've earned it. I'm proud of you, and I'm glad I get to be your teacher."

Karin gave him a small smile back; this one more self-assured, but still just as soft and affectionate. "Thanks, Toshiro. That means a lot." she replied; lifting her head from his shoulder, and giving him a kiss on the cheek before closing her eyes once more, and finally passing out from exhaustion.

Toshiro could feel the warmth on his cheeks, and his stomach suddenly felt tight. 'Calm down, Hitsugaya. She's your friend, and your student; don't get embarrassed over something like that. She probably didn't mean anything by it.'

Trying to get rid of the blush he was sure was resting on his cheeks before he came into view of Isshin and Ichigo, Toshiro took a few deep, cleansing breaths; at least somewhat effectively calming himself down a little. Gradually, he felt his face cool off as he got closer and closer to the strawberry and his former captain.

Looking over his shoulder upon hearing footsteps, Ichigo almost had a heart attack seeing his little sister bleeding, and unconscious in the 10th division captain's arms. "Karin?! Oh my god, is she okay?! Talk to me! Where is she hurt?! Is she bleeding out?!" he asked in rapid succession; running over to his sister and her teacher in a blind panic.

Isshin, who had a sleeping and filthy Kazui in his arms, merely shook his head, chuckling at his son's paranoia.

Toshiro rolled his eyes at the older Kurosaki, still not used to this over-protective big brother side of Ichigo. "Calm down, Kurosaki, she's alright. She's exhausted, and injured, but the injuries aren't too serious. She'll be just fine after a healing session with Orihime, and some rest. Do you really think I would critically injure her?" he asked; not happy Ichigo could believe him capable of, and be okay with, such a thing.

Ichigo forced himself to calm down, locking eyes with the young captain who was glaring and scowling at him. Of course he knew Toshiro would never allow Karin to be hurt that badly. He knew the young captain well, and would trust him with his life, if need be. However, that knowledge and trust still didn't negate the big brother instinct in him.

Sighing, Ichigo offered an 'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have over-reacted like that' smile to the young man. "Of course not, Toshiro. I know you'd never hurt Karin like that. I'm sorry, it's just instinct. She's my little sister, ya know?"

Toshiro gave an understanding nod in return, his facial features softening slightly. "I understand that. Apology accepted, Kurosaki."

Glancing past Ichigo, Toshiro smirked upon seeing a comatose and filthy Kazui snuggled up in his grandfather's arms. "So, how was Kazui's training session today? He looks beat." he asked.

Ichigo's face lit up with its usual radiance whenever he talked about his son's progress during training. "The little tyke did great today! His hand-eye coordination is really coming along; he's a quick learner. I think he should be able to attain his Shikai by Karin and Yuzu's birthday."

Toshiro gave Ichigo a small smile in response. "He takes after his father, then; I had a feeling that would be the case. All you Kurosakis are really something."

Ichigo raised a curious eyebrow, an intrigued smile on his face. "What do you mean by 'All you Kurosakis'? How did Karin's long training session go? You guys were here hours before us."

Toshiro's smile didn't grow much, but Ichigo could see the pride in the young captain's eyes. 'Typical Toshiro: emotionless façade, but he does have feelings buried deep beneath that icy surface.' Ichigo thought; an almost imperceptible smirk on his face as the young captain began to speak. "You guys should be proud of her. Today was her first day of training against Hyorinmaru in its Shikai state, and she held her own pretty well for quite a while. I found out that she's already attained Shikai, as well; she released it more than half-way through our training session. She's a formidable opponent, even without it, and she has good control of it. It needs refining, but I think she'll be a powerhouse soon enough, just like you and your father."

Ichigo beamed again, this time at his sister; pride and affection in his eyes. "That's awesome to hear, Toshiro; I'm glad she's doing so well. To be honest, I'm surprised she already has her Shikai, given how little time she's actually been a Shinigami."

Toshiro nodded in response. "Yeah, I was surprised, too, and I was even more surprised to find out that it's a wind-type zanpakuto; more suitable for defense and long-range attacks. I thought for sure It would be fire, or a melee-style, given both her personality, and family history."

Ichigo gave a contemplative nod in response. "Huh. Yeah, that is interesting. Karin is a very face-things-head-on kind of person, so I would've thought a melee-style weapon would've been more up her alley. Go figure. That's still pretty cool, though. I wonder what her Bankai will end up being like?" he said contemplatively.

Hearing Karin groan slightly in Toshiro's arms drew both of the boys' attention back to the matter at hand, which was getting her and Kazui home. Deciding they could discuss further at another time, they all gathered up their necessary belongings, and headed home.

Toshiro decided to Shunpo Karin home, so Orihime could take care of her more serious injuries before the young mother had to tend to Kazui; so, Ichigo and Isshin brought Karin's body back with them while Toshiro's gigai followed close behind him.

Upon their arrival home, Orihime had Toshiro take Karin straight into her room. The older woman laid a large towel down over the bed, and had him lay Karin down on top of it.

Once she was in safe hands, and settled on her bed, Toshiro left Orihime to do her healing session while he got back into his gigai, showered, and got ready for bed.

He was only in the bathroom for about thirty minutes, but that had apparently been enough time for Orihime to complete Karin's healing session. When he came out of the bathroom, he saw her motioning for him to come in to Karin's room.

Cocking a curious eyebrow, but complying to the silent request, he made his way over, and into the room; drying the nape of his neck with his towel as he went.

Upon reaching the doorway, he slung the towel around his bare shoulders as he gave a soft smile to the now awake Karin. Ichigo and Isshin must have gotten back while he'd been showering, because she was now back in her physical body.

Karin herself had cleaned up quickly in the one shower the clinic boasted, and was dressed in her PJs; snuggled up in bed, and looking completely exhausted.

Quietly, Toshiro made his way over to the bed, and sat down on the edge next to her. "How are you feeling? Did I over-due it today in training, or do you think you'll be able to move tomorrow?" he asked; sarcasm in his voice, but also slight concern.

Karin chuckled lightly, waving a hand in the air. "Eh, I'll be fine with a good night's sleep. Don't worry about me; I'm tougher than I look. I might be sore tomorrow, but I'll live."

The young captain gave her a skeptical but humorous look in reply. "Make sure you're telling me the absolute truth, Karin, because I'm going to keep pushing you as hard as I can for as long as I can. So, with that in mind, I'll ask again: How are you feeling?"

Releasing a small sigh of resignation, Karin conceded, and gave him the completely honest answer. "Okay, Okay. In truth, I could use a rest day tomorrow. How about we do something, just the two of us? Yuzu keeps badgering us about how we never hang out outside of training, school, and the house. Wanna go somewhere, and do something fun; make a day of it?" she asked; excitement in her eyes.

Strangely, he liked the sound of that more than he thought he would. She was right; they really didn't spend any time together outside of the usual settings of Urahara's, the house, and the classroom. She was already much farther along in her training than he'd realized, anyway, so where was the harm in taking just one day off to rest? "Sure, that sounds like a good idea. What would you like to do? As long as it's not anything involving crowded places, I'm up for it."

Karin smirked at her teacher, very aware of his extreme dislike for masses of people, and crowded spaces. "Don't worry, Tosh, I won't subject you to your worst nightmare. How about we head down to the old soccer field in the morning whenever we both wake up, and play a one-on-one game? It's been ages since we played together. After that, we could go for a nice long walk; maybe grab a late lunch somewhere in town? How does that sound?" she asked.

Toshiro smiled good-naturedly at her. "That sounds good to me. If we stay out long enough, would you like to go back to the old railing we used to sit at, and watch the sunset?"

Karin's face lit up at the mention of their old spot. She always thought back to their brief time together when she was a kid whenever she passed that railing. Seeing him there watching the sunset was one of her earliest memories of him, and thinking about that time brought back many other good memories as well. "That's a great idea! Yeah, let's plan on ending the day with that."

Toshiro smiled, and nodded his head in agreement. "Great, we've got the day planned, then; more or less. So, now that that's decided, you should get some rest. You must be drained."

Karin nodded her head, but grabbed a hold of his wrist as he got up from the edge of her bed.

Looking down confusedly at her, Toshiro waited for her to say something; noticing she had something on her mind, but was either hesitant to say it, or didn't know how to.

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke. "Hey, Toshiro?" she said; lifting her head up to look at him.

Toshiro raised a curious eyebrow in response. "Yeah? What is it? Do you need something?" he asked; slightly concerned now.

Taking on a slightly bashful countenance, Karin dropped her gaze to her blankets. "Well, kind of. I have a favor to ask, of sorts."

Toshiro nodded slowly, silently urging her to continue; knowing she could see him from her peripheral vision.

Tightening her grip on his wrist slightly, Karin looked back up at his face; locking eyes with him. "Would you mind staying with me for a little while? I know it's a strange request, but…well, the truth is, I've been having some pretty bizarre dreams lately, and they keep waking me up in the middle of the night. I'm just wondering if having another presence here for a little while might help."

Surprised but intrigued, he gave his answer without even thinking. "Yeah, I'll stay for a bit. Want me to pull up a chair?" he asked.

Karin's face relaxed, and Toshiro could see the relief on it. "Thanks, Toshiro; and no, I'm not having you stay in a chair. If you're gonna be in here for a while, I at least want you to be comfortable. Come over here." she said as she patted the spot next to her on the bed.

At first, Toshiro was hesitant; not quite sure how to feel about it. Finally, though, he grabbed one of Karin's English books from her school bookshelf, and crawled onto the other side of her bed; propping himself up with some spare pillows as he situated himself next to her.

Karin turned over in her bed to face him, and closed her eyes; a relaxed smile on her face.

Instinctively, Toshiro reached over with his left hand, and started running his fingers through her silky dark hair; feeling her relax from the soothing motion. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, something so out of character for him, but he didn't question it. All he cared about was that Karin knew he was there, she was relaxed, and she felt safe. So, as he continued to comb his fingers through her hair, he opened up her English textbook with his right hand, and started reading; listening to the steady breathing of the young woman next to him.

EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F

After about a half an hour, Toshiro looked back over at Karin to check on her.

She had fallen asleep, and he couldn't help noticing how peaceful she looked. The Karin he was used to was overflowing with life, and always on the move. This Karin, however, was quiet and calm. 'I'm not used to seeing her this tranquil.' he thought to himself as he watched her, continuing to comb his rough, calloused fingers through her soft and silky hair.

Sitting there in the quiet, he decided to take some time to examine some things that had been weighing heavily on his mind lately.

Even though Matsumoto had been correct all those years ago when she had asked him if he was interested in a girl from the human world, he'd vehemently denied it. He hadn't wanted to be persistently badgered by his lieutenant about the subject when he himself wasn't even sure what he was feeling. After all, she'd only been an eleven-year-old kid at that point in time.

Even so, he'd thought of her often during the many years he was away; especially after their last meeting when Yuzu had asked if he was her boyfriend. That had thrown them both for a loop, and they'd denied it in unison; but he knew they had a connection. They seemed to understand each other in a unique way, and he found that strangely fascinating. Coming back all these years later, he thought those childish feelings would have disappeared with time, age, and separation; however, he had been surprised to find that those feelings hadn't gone away; they'd actually grown.

Upon first seeing Karin in school over six months ago, he couldn't deny that he'd found her incredibly attractive. She'd grown into a beautiful young woman; and, even though he usually presented himself as a cold and emotionless person, he was still a man at the end of the day. However much he tried to fight it, or deny it, he still had the same feelings and emotions that any other person did.

When he'd first started training her, he thought it would be easy to keep those feelings in check; but the more time he spent with her, the more those feelings were growing. He loved being around her, and the time they shared brought him joy he hadn't ever felt before. While her personality and temperament drove him crazy at times, being opposite to his in many ways, he found it oddly appealing as well. He relished the playful banter they exchanged every day, and she seemed to be able to read him, and understand him, on a level no one else had ever achieved; not even his childhood friend Momo, or Rangiku. He felt comfortable with her; able to talk freely about anything that was on his mind, no matter how serious or embarrassing the subject was. She had all the qualities he lacked, and balanced him out perfectly; she completed him, and brought out the best in him.

He knew he had to keep all of these thoughts to himself, but it was getting harder and harder to do so. He wasn't sure what to do, and it was weighing on his mind.

Ultimately, he would have to return to Soul Society after his mission was complete; he knew that, and so did Karin. He didn't want to hurt her by telling her how he felt, and then leaving. They had bonded significantly over the past several months, and he considered her his best friend; he didn't want to destroy that relationship. So, he merely enjoyed the time they spent together, and contented himself with being able to admire her when she either wouldn't, or couldn't, notice; like now.

That left him with one question in his mind, though. 'Am I going to be miserable when I go back to Soul Society, because I won't have her around?'. Deep down, he knew the answer was yes, and he didn't know what to do. He hadn't wanted to admit it at first, but he knew that he'd fallen in love with her. It pained him to know he'd have to leave her at some point in the not-too-distant future, and he didn't know how to handle that reality.

'Well, I still have at least another few months here. I'll give it some serious thought soon, but not right now.' he thought as he gazed at the vivacious beauty sleeping soundly next to him.

The moonlight shone through the window, and illuminated the room; casting an ethereal glow on her peaceful face, and soft features.

Toshiro moved his hand from Karin's hair to gently stroke her cheek, and tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear; a soft, affectionate smile on his face.

Carefully, he got his legs under the covers, and resituated himself in the bed; book in hand. Turning to look at the sleeping girl next to him again, he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Sleep well, Karin…I love you." he whispered; smiling gently as he picked up where he'd left off with his reading.

EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F

It wasn't until a few hours later that Yuzu peaked in to her twin's room to make sure she was alright, and sleeping soundly. She'd been hearing Karin waking up in the middle of the night recently, but tonight it had been quiet. So, Yuzu wanted to make sure Karin was okay.

Upon opening the door, she wasn't expecting to find Toshiro sound asleep in the bed as well; cuddled up next to Karin, with his right arm wrapped around her waist, and his left arm under her pillow. She noticed the English textbook laying haphazardly on the floor, and realized he must have fallen asleep unintentionally.

'It's about time.' she thought to herself. She'd instantly seen the chemistry between the two of them when he'd returned to the world of the living, and even back when they were all kids, too; so, she'd been trying to 'encourage' them to spend some quality time together outside of the normal routine ever since Toshiro's arrival. She'd forgotten, however, how stubborn and set in their ways they both were. So, that task had proven to be harder than she'd anticipated. Her plan B had been to 'coincidentally' leave them alone in the house as much as possible, which she'd been able to pull off quite often so far. This, though…this was definitely a step in the right direction, in her opinion. 'While this isn't exactly what I had in mind, I'll take it!' she thought to herself.

As quietly as she could, she snuck back to her room, grabbed her phone, and took a picture of the sleeping pair. 'This is so freaking cute! Totally saving it, and sending it to Karin later...when she's ready for it.' she thought to herself; a mischievous smirk on her face as she stealthily closed her sister's door once more; tip-toing her way back to her own room.


How did you all like Chapter 4?! I'm not great at writing fight/action scenes, so I hope I did a decent enough job with their training section. That's something I'm still working on…my brain thinks more in terms of romance than action, lol. As you can probably tell, this is when Toshiro starts seeming a little OOC because of his growing attachment to Karin. We've never really seen him soft on anyone before, so there's really no hints on how he would behave with a love interest. So, I'm doing my best to incorporate his original personality with a softer side of him that only Karin gets to see on a regular basis. I'd love to hear if you guys think I'm doing a good job with it, or if he seems too expressive. The idea is that he's been with the Kurosakis for quite a while now, so he feels relaxed, and more at home with them now; able to open up a bit more than he normally can as a captain.

As for Karin's Shikai, I wanted to do something other than what I've read in numerous stories in the past. Most people give her a fire-type zanpakuto, which does make sense, given her personality. I wanted to experiment with a different train of thought, though, and I'm very proud of where this took me. Her zanpakuto abilites; and, more specifically, her zanpakuto spirit, connect with Toshiro's in Chinese mythology, so pay close attention, and see if you can guess what her zanpakuto spirit is. It won't be revealed for another several chapters, so you'll have to wait a bit if you can't figure it out! There will be, and already has been, hints throughout almost every chapter in this story, though, so read carefully.

Can't wait to hear your thoughts! Chapter 5 is on its way soon!

EF-F

Translations:

Todoroku Kaze = Roaring Wind

Eaburetto = Air Bullet

Zanjutsu = Swordsmanship

Hakudo = Hand-To-Hand Combat

Kido = Demon Arts