Author's Note:
Alright, everybody; welcome back for chapter 10! I hope everyone's ready for some humor, sweet moments, suspicions, and sword fights! I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it :-)
Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho; Onto the chapter we go!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All credit goes to Tite Kubo.
The three days that Karin was gone were both beneficial and anxiety-inducing for Toshiro. He'd spent a lot of time performing Jinzen, and training by himself in order to re-focus his mind. Hyorinmaru had been pleased to see him, and it felt good to reconnect with his zanpakuto.
Most importantly, though, was that the training had helped distract him from his worry over Karin. The time he spent in the Study Chamber was when he felt most relaxed; but at the Kurosaki clinic, it was a different story entirely. The weird dreams had come back as soon as Karin had left, and he could hear a gentle, feminine voice calling out to him in his inner world every night; or rather, not just to him, but him and Hyorinmaru. He had a feeling it was Karin's zanpakuto spirit trying to reach out, and connect with them, but he wasn't sure. During the day, he was distant, and short-tempered; oftentimes thoughtlessly pacing around the living room, and fiddling with the bracelet Karin had given him for his birthday. Ichigo had even gotten on him about wearing a path into the carpet, and to stop acting like an over-protective mother hen. This, of course, quickly devolved into a heated argument between the two, with Toshiro claiming that Ichigo didn't have any ground to stand on when it came to acting like a mother hen due to his extreme over-protectiveness of his sisters; and Ichigo retorting by asking Toshiro why he even cared so much about Karin's well-being, anyway, as it wasn't like she was anything to him other than a student.
This had resulted in a tension-filled atmosphere for most of the evening. It was only after Isshin's moderation between the two worried men that they'd been able to apologize to each other. Toshiro knew that Ichigo was just as anxious about Karin as he was, and that the anxiety was taking a toll on them both; while Ichigo knew that Toshiro considered Karin his best friend, and he was sure that the worry was hitting the young captain just as hard as it was hitting him. in the end, they'd been able to forgive, and move on; much to everyone's relief.
Finally, in the afternoon on the final day of training, Toshiro received a message from Yoruichi via his communicator. Running downstairs, he glanced quickly around the living room, before finding everyone in the kitchen eating lunch. Upon his sudden entrance, everyone's heads whipped toward him; Kazui's wide eyes and, face with mouth full of food, looking perplexed while all of the adults looked expectantly at the young captain.
Smiling slightly at them, Toshiro nodded in confirmation. "She did it. It was hard on her, but she did it. They're going to say goodbye to everyone, and then they'll head back. They should be home for dinner tonight."
Ichigo sported a wide toothy grin while Isshin and Kazui jumped up from the table, and fist-bumped the air. "That's my baby girl!" Isshin hollered as Yuzu and Orihime hugged each other excitedly.
Feeling his smile widen at the scene before him, Toshiro put his communicator back in his pocket, and turned to leave. "I'm gonna head back over to Urahara's, and see if he needs a hand with any of the final upgrades to the training room. I'll be back with Karin for dinner." he said before turning, heading to the front door, opening it, and running off.
Isshin and Ichigo smirked at each other in amusement; enjoying the young captain's returned good mood. "There goes the mother hen, off to make sure his chick is okay." the strawberry said; his voice laden with humor. Everyone at the table chuckled, and Isshin smiled as he stared at the front door; the white-haired captain having accidentally left it open in his hurry to get over to Urahara's. "Don't tease him, Ichigo. He cares about her, and he's been worried. They have a special bond, and I know you understand what that's like." he said; looking back over at his son.
Ichigo sighed good-naturedly in response; smiling at his dad. "Yeah, I get what he's been going through the past few days. It's not easy when you know your friend is doing something dangerous, and you can't do anything to help."
Isshin nodded in reply before getting up, and closing the front door; smiling softly as he looked through the glass. 'It's good to see you smiling again, Toshiro.'
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Watching as Todoroku Kaze disappeared before her eyes, Karin collapsed in an exhausted and bloody heap on the ground. She'd had to push herself far beyond her limits, but she'd done it; she'd achieved her Bankai within the three-day time limit. 'Told you I wouldn't let you down, Toshiro' she thought as she slowly lost consciousness; just barely registering that she'd been picked up, and was being carried somewhere, before blacking out. She woke up stripped bare, and soaking in the hot springs of the Study Chamber; her wounds having been healed by the steaming water. Looking to her right, she saw Yoruichi soaking with her; the dark-skinned woman's eyes closed, and her head leaning up against a boulder. Groggily, Karin blinked a few times to clear her vision. "Yoruichi?" she said, causing the older woman's eyes to open, and focus on her; a smile appearing on her face. "Welcome back, Karin; you were out for a while. How are you feeling?"
Karin took a moment to process what her teacher had said, and examine how her body was feeling. "Pretty good, actually. Wasn't I pretty heavily injured when I blacked out?" she asked; to which Yoruichi nodded. "Yeah, you were. You suffered a lot of blood loss, and you had some serious wounds; but I knew that if I let you soak for long enough, everything would heal up. Do you think you're ready to say goodbye to everyone, and return home, or should we stay a bit longer? I want to make sure you're completely healed before we leave."
Rising from her seat, Karin stretched and moved her body before nodding in confirmation. "Yeah, I think I'm good. I'm just a little sore, but nothing a good night's sleep won't take care of. All the major wounds are healed. Come on, let's get going." she said; grabbing her clothes, and quickly dressing herself.
Yoruichi smirked, and rose from the water as well; getting her own clothes back on. 'You just want to get home to see your boyfriend; don't you, Karin?' she thought amusedly as she followed her pupil across the terrain, and over to the sealed door of the Study Chamber. She unsealed the door, and the pair made their way back over to the Seireitei. It took them a while to track everybody down, but Karin was able to find, and say goodbye to, almost everyone. Matsumoto had been especially sad that she was going, but wished her good luck on furthering her Bankai training. She'd also asked the young Kurosaki to tell her captain that everything in the division was okay, and that they were all looking forward to his return. Karin had smiled, and said that she would pass along the message, but her stomach turned at the thought. Even though she knew it was coming soon, she really didn't want to face it until it arrived.
The only person they were still hunting for now was Momo, whom her captain said was grabbing a late lunch with Izuru. Deciding it would probably be easier to just stay and wait for the 5th division lieutenant rather than tracking her down, Karin and Yoruichi chatted with Shinji for a while, before Momo finally made an appearance about an hour later.
Seeing the raven-haired Kurosaki and former 2nd division captain, a large smile made its way onto her face. "Karin! How'd it go?! Were you able to do it?" she asked; walking up to the young woman, and giving her a hug.
Karin hugged her back, and smiled. "Yeah, I did! it went pretty smoothly, all things considered. I felt like I was gonna die on multiple occasions, but I got through it. Yoruichi and I are actually on our way back to the world of the living, so I wanted to stop over to say goodbye. I promised I would, after all." she said; smirking good-naturedly at the pretty young woman. Momo smiled back, before motioning for Karin to follow her.
Curious, Karin obliged, and the two women walked out of the 5th division captain's office while Yoruichi and Shinji talked; Momo stopping once they were out of earshot of her captain. Looking over at Karin, Momo gave her a speculative look. "Karin, can I ask you something? It may be impertinent of me, but it's important." she said; locking eyes with the young woman.
Looking surprised, but nodding in agreement, Karin put a hand on her hip; holding the lieutenant's gaze. "Yeah, sure. What's on your mind?"
Momo took a deep breath; closing her eyes for a moment before focusing back on Karin. "I have to ask…is there something going on with you and Shiro? I know it's not my place to poke my nose in, but…the way you talked about him when we first met; you seem to know him better than I do, which I didn't think was possible. You understand him in a way that not many people can, and I couldn't shake this feeling that there was something more between you two than what was on the surface. Rest assured, if there is, your secret's safe with me. He's extremely important to me, and I would never do or say anything that would put him in harm's way; I just need to know." she asked as she held the raven-haired Kurosaki's steady gaze.
Looking contemplative for a moment, Karin examined the young lieutenant's face. She couldn't see any malice, ill-intent, or jealousy in her eyes; instead, what she saw reminded her of how Ichigo looked at her and Yuzu. Momo was just looking out for the person she considered her family, and Karin couldn't fault her for that; so, she decided to be honest with the pretty Shinigami. She was confident that Momo would keep her mouth shut, so she didn't see any danger in coming clean to her. With her mind made up, Karin nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, there is. It developed slowly, and we've only been together officially for a couple of months, but you were right."
Momo was sure the shock on her face must have been evident, because Karin was looking at her with a slightly amused smirk on her face. Blinking a couple of times as she processed the information, Momo couldn't help the worried look that made its way onto her face. "You know he won't be there for much longer, right? Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy for you two; I never thought Shiro would find someone he could open up to. It's just that I care about you both, and I don't want to see either of you get hurt."
Karin's amused smirk faded to a sad smile as she nodded in reply. "Believe me, we're both painfully aware that we don't have much time left; but it would've hurt, regardless. Even before we got involved, I think we were both in too deep already." she said, before breaking eye contact with the young lieutenant to gaze unseeingly at the ground; her thoughts elsewhere.
A moment of silence passed between the two; Momo sensing that Karin had more she wanted to say, but was looking for the right way to say it. So, she gave the raven-haired woman the time she needed until she was ready to speak again.
Another minute of silence went by before Karin brought her gaze back to Hinamori; walking over to the older woman, and putting a hand on the lieutenant's shoulder. "I love him, Momo, and I want to enjoy the time I have left with him, but can I ask you to do me a favor?"
Momo nodded in reply; her gaze locked on Karin's. "Of course. What can I do?"
Karin smiled gratefully at the young woman; thankful for her caring and gentle nature. "Please look after Toshiro when he comes back. I don't know what leaving is going to do to him, but I do know he's going to need his friends. Take good care of him; I just want him happy."
Momo smiled sadly back at Karin, before pulling the younger woman into a hug. "I promise I will. I'm happy Shiro's finally found someone who can love him the way he deserves, but I'm so sorry that things are the way they are for you two."
Karin gave the older woman a squeeze, before the two separated. "I know, Momo…and thank you."
Both women smiled warmly at each other, before Yoruichi and Shinji emerged from the office. "What are you two lovely young ladies discussing? You disappeared so quickly!" Shinji asked; smiling first at Momo, and then at Karin. Momo brushed it off, and told him they were just discussing how the training went, which Karin appreciated.
The raven-haired Kurosaki couldn't deny that she found the 5th division captain to be pretty creepy when it came to his behavior with women; but she also found him amusing, so that evened out her opinion of him on the whole.
Looking over at the dark-skinned woman next to him, Karin cocked her head to the side; a smirk on her face. "We ready to get going? I think we've said all of our goodbyes now."
Yoruichi smirked back at her; nodding in reply. "Yup, it's time to head back. I told Captain Hitsugaya that we'd be back in time for dinner, and it's already 6:30."
Nodding back at the older woman, Karin gave Momo one more hug, and shook Shinji's hand before following Yoruichi out of the 5th division barracks; waving to the captain and lieutenant as she went. "Bye Momo! Bye Shinji! Take care of yourselves!" she hollered, before disappearing from their sight completely.
The two women arrived at the senkaimon a few minutes later; finding the gate already open, and waiting for them. Karin took one last look at Soul Society; imprinting it into her mind, so she could picture where her Shinigami friends were, and where Toshiro would be, whenever she thought of them.
Turning back to Yoruichi, she nodded once, and they entered through the gate; the senkaimon closing behind them.
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They arrived at Urahara's a moment later; the senkaimon depositing them in the middle of the training room under Urahara Shop. Looking around, Karin spotted Toshiro at the end of the chamber, near the entrance; still in his gigai, with grease smudges on his face, and standing on a platform at the top of the Study Chamber wall on the inside, behind the panels. He seemed to be helping Kisuke with installing something, as they could see the ex-captain flitting in and out of the exposed area; tools in-hand.
Smiling, Karin and Yoruichi made their way over to the two boys; chuckling to themselves once they were close enough to hear the pair.
"Dammit, Urahara, how many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that! Is this just entertainment for you, now?!" they heard Toshiro holler as they watched him hoist Kisuke back onto the platform; catching him from what they assumed would have been a very long fall behind the paneled wall.
Urahara scratched his head childishly; a big, guilty-looking smile on his face. "Sorry, Captain Hitsugaya, I just really thought I could get around you this time!" he said; glancing over Toshiro's shoulder.
The young captain growled at the shopkeeper, before clenching his fists, and bringing one up in front of Kisuke's face. "What made you think that the tenth try would end any differently than the last nine! I swear to god, do that one more time, and I'm not grabbing you again!" he hollered at the now smirking ex-captain before noticing that Kisuke was pointing at something behind him. Turning around, his face adopted a look of surprise, followed by a small smile. Seeing Karin standing in the training room with Yoruichi just a short distance away, he took off running, and disappeared behind the wall completely; emerging just a couple of minutes later from a hidden door at the bottom of the wall.
Walking over to him, Karin put her hands on her hips, and gave him a cocky smile. "Well, you seem to have been busy while I was gone. Looks like your faith in me was justified; I killed it over there." she said; her eyes dancing with playfulness.
Toshiro smirked back at her, before putting his arms around her waist; with Karin bringing hers to his chest. "Of course it was. I thought you would've learned by now that I'm never wrong." he replied in a teasing tone; watching as she rolled her eyes at him, before he leaned in, and kissed her. Having her back in his arms, he felt his body relax in a way it hadn't for three days. All of a sudden, all of the pent-up worry melted away, and was replaced by gratefulness that she was back, safe and sound.
Pulling away from her, he released her completely, and looked her up and down; a small smile on his face. "I'm glad you don't seem to have any injuries. Did Yoruichi have you use the hot springs to heal up?"
Karin smiled, and nodded in reply. "Yeah, I was in that water every day. Thank god it was there, or I would've been in serious trouble. My injuries after the end of each day were pretty extensive, so those hot springs were quite literally a life-saver." she replied as Yoruichi walked up beside her.
The two women smiled at each other before the dark-skinned woman shifted her gaze to Toshiro. "She did a great job, Hitsugaya; you should be proud of her."
Toshiro nodded, before smiling softly over at Karin. "I am." he said; his voice gentle and sincere.
Karin smiled back at him; walking up, and giving him a kiss on the cheek before turning towards Kisuke, who was making his way over to them. "I'll be right back; I just wanna catch up with what Kisuke's been doing in here while I've been gone." she said as she walked off to meet the ex-captain halfway.
After watching her go, Toshiro turned back toward Yoruichi; adopting a more serious look. "How did everything go? Was it the way you thought it would be?" he asked, as Yoruichi nodded in confirmation. "It was a good thing you weren't there. It would've been hard for you to see her like that. She handled herself very well, but I won't lie to you, and tell you that I was never worried about her. She almost bled out a couple of times, and some of her wounds should have been fatal. It was only her force of will, and later awakening Blute vene, that got her through. Her zanpakuto spirit is incredibly strong; I would even go so far as to say it may be the strongest wind-type zanpakuto currently in existence…which, given her lineage, isn't really surprising." she replied; her gaze locked on the young captain's.
Toshiro nodded in understanding; one specific question on his mind. "Do you think she's the same as Ichigo?"
Yoruichi shook her head in reply. "If by that, you mean does she have an inner hollow, then the answer is no; it doesn't look like she does. I think Ichigo is the only trifecta, but I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up developing more quincy abilities, along with her Shinigami powers. She's not as powerful as Ichigo, but she's definitely in a class above most captains. Her sheer amount of reiatsu is incredible."
The young captain nodded once more, before relaxing his facial features, and looking at Yoruichi with grateful eyes. "Thank you for the report, and for stepping in as her Bankai instructor; I appreciate it. Most of all, though; thank you for bringing her back safely."
Yoruichi smiled back at him. "You're welcome, Captain Hitsugaya. It was my pleasure to train her in your stead." she replied, before shifting her gaze from Toshiro to the young Kurosaki and Kisuke, who seemed to be discussing a high-level Kido spell; that is, if Karin's excited expression was anything to go by. She always got a certain look when talking about Kido spells; you could tell it was a bit of a passion for her.
With her smile shifting to a small smirk, Yoruichi nodded over to the two standing behind the young captain, and Toshiro looked over his shoulder at them; a slight smile adorning his own face. "I hate to interrupt her lesson, but I should probably get her back home; the family's been worried about her." he said; making his way over to the pair.
Seeing the white-haired man coming, Kisuke brought his fan up to his face. "Ah, is it time for the two love birds to depart? I'm sure you want to enjoy what alone time you have left, but make sure to behave yourselves. We wouldn't want any unintended consequences, now, would we?" he said playfully; his voice practically dripping with sarcasm.
A vein in Toshiro's forehead throbbed as his body shook; fists clenched as he glowered at the ex-captain. Karin stood next to him, blushing heavily, and looking flustered. "Kisuke, shut the hell up; I've had just about enough of you today. One more comment like that, and Yoruichi will need to thaw out your frozen corpse, understand?" the young captain said in a deep, threatening tone.
Kisuke laughed in reply, fully enjoying himself. "Ah, your reactions were just perfect! You two are so predictable!" he said; only further provoking Toshiro's ire. The young captain growled at the shopkeeper, before seeing a fist fly directly into Kisuke's face; knocking him off balance, and sending him flat on his back.
A red-faced Karin glared down at him while Toshiro stood next to her; a slightly stunned look on his face. "Kisuke, stop pissing me off, and cut the crap!" she hollered as she watched the former captain slowly get up off the ground, holding his now-bleeding nose. "Man, I thought you were taking it so well. I didn't expect to get punched in the face." he whined; flinching as he tried to wipe the dripping blood. "You really are just like your brother. This reminds me of when he elbowed me in the face."
Karin huffed in reply, before grabbing her boyfriend's hand, and dragging him with her towards the training room entrance. "Thanks for coming with me, Yoruichi! Kisuke, when we come back for training later, you better be ready to grovel!" she hollered from the door; a now-amused Toshiro following behind her.
After the young couple was out of earshot, Yoruichi looked over at her longtime friend; a good-natured, curious expression on her face. "You just couldn't help yourself, could you? What purpose did that serve?" she asked; observing him carefully.
Kisuke met her gaze; a slight smile on his face. "Partly just for entertainment," he said, before his smile melted to a frown. "but also to remind them that they really don't have much time left. Now that Karin has her Bankai, Soul Society will want him back soon. They should make the most of the time they have left." he replied; looking over at the entrance thoughtfully.
Yoruichi followed his gaze; focusing on the place her pupil had just exited. "Even though it's only going to lead to more pain and suffering for them both when he leaves?" she asked; shifting her focus back to the shopkeeper.
Urahara was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "It's far too late for them to avoid it. All they can do now is make the most of it while they can." he said, before turning back toward the hidden door in the paneled wall. "Go get some rest, Yoruichi. I'll finish this up, and then we can drink some sake before they come back." he said; waving a hand as he disappeared behind the wall.
Yoruichi watched him go; sighing lightly before making her way toward the entrance, and heading upstairs to find Tessai.
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As soon as Karin opened the door, her father came flying out of the kitchen; followed by the rest of the Kurosakis. "My wonderful daughter has returned! Oh, Karin how we've missed you!" he hollered as he threw himself at her.
Karin nonchalantly stepped to the side with a bored look on her face; letting her father soar past her, and on to the asphalt outside. Sighing as she heard Isshin cry that his beloved daughter no longer loved him, she made her way over to the rest of her family; replacing her frown with a warm smile. "It's good to be home; I missed you guys." she said; giving each of her family members a hug, one by one.
When she got to Kazui, he looked at her with excited eyes. Giving his aunt a hug, he launched right into the questions. "What was Soul Society like? Did you meet lots of people? Was training really hard? Did you meet Mr. Toshiro's lieutenant?"
Karin chuckled at the small boy while Ichigo shook his head amusedly; a smile on his face. "Take it easy, Kazui. Let Aunt Karin at least get back into her body, and sit down with us for dinner before you start interrogating her."
Karin smiled appreciatively at her older brother before returning her attention to her nephew. "Soul Society was cool, but I'm glad I'm back. I really need some edible food, and something other than a rock to sleep on. I'll tell you all about it over dinner, okay?" she said; watching as the young boy nodded enthusiastically.
Once she was upstairs, Ichigo looked to Toshiro, who's gaze was on the place where Karin had just disappeared. "Feel better now that she's back, Toshiro?" he asked in a teasing tone; watching as the young captain's gaze shifted over to him.
Toshiro nodded his head in confirmation. "Yeah" was his only reply as he moved his attention back to the stairs.
Ichigo took a moment to study him; observing every detail closely. The young man's stoic demeanor was back, but Ichigo could see how much more at ease he was now. The tension in his body was gone, and there was the faintest hint of a smile on his face. Just having Karin around seemed to put the 10th division captain into an almost perpetually good mood; which, up until recently, had been rare for him. He was usually blunt, serious, and never smiled. Since coming here, though, he'd been relaxed, relatively friendly, and actually seemed to be enjoying himself. He joked more, laughed more, and was even willing to join in on some of the family activities that he would normally dismiss as frivolous. 'Come to think of it, this is the most I've ever seen him smile, too. The Toshiro that's been staying with us all these months is a Toshiro I've never seen before.' he thought; watching as the young captain walked over to his pupil, who had just come down from her room. What used to be his rare smile adorning his face as he followed Karin into the kitchen.
While he may never have been the most intuitive person when it came to relationships, Ichigo couldn't help the unsettled feeling that had been in his gut since first expressing his concern to his father the night that Rukia showed up. 'I hope I'm wrong about this.' he thought as he followed them in, and took his seat at the table with the rest of the family.
The next hour was spent with Karin telling them about her time in Soul Society, the people she'd met, her training, Yoruichi's guidance at the end of each day, and the test her zanpakuto spirit had put her through. Ichigo remarked on how similar her training experience had been to his, with Karin telling him that Yoruichi had said the same thing.
Once everyone was finished with dinner, Orihime got up, and started clearing the table. "Are you going back to Urahara's tonight, Karin, or are you going to wait until tomorrow?" she asked, a cheerful smile on her face.
Karin nodded her head in reply. "Yeah, Toshiro and I are gonna head over there now, actually. We won't be doing too much training, since it's getting late, but I want to test out my Bankai before tomorrow."
Upon hearing that, Kazui launched up from his seat. "Daddy, Grandpa, can we go, too?! I wanna see Auntie Karin's Bankai!" he said enthusiastically; bouncing up and down with a big, hopeful smile on his face.
Ichigo looked first to Isshin, who nodded, then to Toshiro and Karin. "What do you guys think? It's your training session, and we don't want to get in the way. Would it be okay for us to bring Kazui over to watch?"
Karin and Toshiro shifted their gaze from Ichigo, to each other, and then back to Ichigo again. "Yes, you guys can come watch. Being able to safely watch battles is actually one of the improvements Urahara's made to the training room. You'll see when you get there." Toshiro replied; smirking slightly.
Kazui shouted in excitement while Ichigo and Isshin nodded in reply. "Great; let's get going, then." Ichigo said as they all rose from the table.
Ichigo kissed his wife goodbye, and they all exited their bodies; shunpoing over to Urahara's. When they arrived, the ex-captain and Yoruichi were already waiting. "Ah, good, you're here. I see you brought some guests, too." Kisuke said; his signature fan covering his face.
Karin nodded in reply; a smile on her face as she looked over at her nephew. "Kazui really wanted to come watch, so Ichigo and Dad brought him."
Kisuke snapped his fan shut, and ushered them into the shop. "Wonderful! they can test out the new observation area. This way, everyone." he said; leading them to the chamber entrance. They walked down the stairs, and into the study chamber, before Kisuke motioned to his right at the newly added door on the adjacent wall. "Alright, you three; you'll be going through that door, and up a set of stairs to your left. That's going to bring you to a room with several monitors on either side of it, and a glass window on the front. When you get there, a hologram of the training room will appear from the console in front of you. That hologram will show you where everyone in the training room is located. Once you find Karin's location, just tap on it, and the room will take care of the rest."
Ichigo and Isshin looked skeptically at the ex-captain, while Kazui bolted for the door. "Come on, Daddy! Come on, Grandpa! Let's go!" he hollered as the two men ran after him. "Kazui, hang on! You gotta wait for us!" Ichigo yelled back at his over-eager son, who had already disappeared up the flight of stairs that Kisuke had mentioned.
Watching the two elder Kurosakis take the same path as the young boy, and disappear from view, Toshiro and Karin made their way toward the center of the room; stopping when they reached a suitable distance away from the entrance. All of a sudden, they heard a loud noise, followed by something that sounded reminiscent of a garage door opening. Looking up, Karin saw one of the panels that comprised the room's four walls retract completely, and be replaced by a mobile room that housed her father, brother, and nephew.
Kazui waved to his aunt excitedly, and Karin smiled; waving back at him. Looking over to Kisuke, a curious smile adorned her face. "You built a trolley room, so people could watch battles safely from anywhere in the chamber?"
Kisuke smiled back at her; nodding slightly. "That's right. Just pinpoint on the hologram where the combatants are that you want to watch, and the room brings you to the best vantage point for the location. The glass panel is specially made to withstand severe attacks without sustaining large amounts of damage, and the room moves around using an improved version of a trolley system. Not bad, huh?" he asked, clearly pleased with himself.
Karin smirked in reply; putting a hand on her hip. "Not bad at all, Kisuke. Nice job." she said, before focusing back on her teacher. "You ready, Toshiro?" she asked; a cocky smirk on her face.
The young man gave her a small smirk in return. "Let's see what your new powers can do." he replied; unsheathing his zanpakuto, and readying himself.
Karin unsheathed her zanpakuto as well, and wasted no time; charging in, and clashing swords with her teacher.
Over and over, Karin attached the 10th division captain, but Toshiro parried every strike. He could feel the strength she'd gained during her Bankai training. He could tell it wasn't greater physical strength, though. 'No, this isn't increased physical strength at all; she has more confidence now. It's her will and ferocity that have gotten stronger, and it's translating into her fighting.' he thought as he continued to dodge and block his student's rapid strikes. 'Alright, let's see what she can do.'
Sensing his reiatsu building, Karin jumped back to put some distance between herself and the young captain. Bringing her sword into its release position, she and Toshiro spoke in unison:
"Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"
"Cover the earth with your ferocious roar, Todoroku Kaze!"
The ceiling in the training room clouded over, and a large ice dragon appeared behind Toshiro; releasing an intimidating roar as its red eyes stared directly at the female Shinigami in front of it.
Karin readied herself, and took an offensive stance. "Come on, Toshiro! Push me as hard as you can!" she hollered; watching as Toshiro nodded once before pointing his sword at her. The dragon rose into the air, and headed directly for her.
Grounding herself, Karin stared down the ice dragon that was rapidly approaching. "Category 3: Eakattā!" she yelled; releasing a much more powerful shockwave than Toshiro remembered from previous training sessions. Impressed, he watched as his dragon was shattered to pieces by the sheer size and intensity of the reiatsu slash, and resulting shockwave of wind.
Staring at his pupil as ice particles reigned down over them, Toshiro adopted a small, proud smile. "It looks like Todoroku Kaze isn't holding anything back anymore. Impressive, Karin; that strike seemed much more powerful than before your Bankai training."
Karin smiled back confidently; excitement in her eyes. "That's because it was. Once I subjugated her, and earned her submission and respect, I could feel it instantly. She was suppressing my full potential until I proved myself to her as her master. Now, there's nothing holding me back." she said, before raising her zanpakuto. "Category 1: Eaburetto!"
Toshiro moved immediately, but this time it wasn't fast enough to dodge the attack. He felt a stinging pain at the top of his right shoulder; wincing slightly as he reached up, and covered his bleeding wound with his hand. 'Dammit, her attacks are too fast now for both my natural reaction speed, and Shunpo.' he thought; watching as a satisfied smirk made its way onto Karin's face. "What's the matter, Toshiro? Taking me more seriously now?"
Toshiro stayed quiet as he analyzed the situation. 'I can stay in Shikai, and out-strategize her, but the speed of her attacks will largely negate my abilities. This could drag on for a while, and get pretty messy. Plus, I don't have Rangiku here to utilize Heineko for any of my original attacks or defenses that could be helpful. Alright, then; since it's what she wanted, anyway, we'll go with plan B.'
Locking eyes with his pupil, Toshiro shot her a slight smirk. "Alright, Karin; you get your wish." he said, raising his sword. "Bankai!"
Karin watched as Toshiro's Bankai activated. With a flash of his powerful reiatsu, his ice wings and collar appeared, and ice covered the edges of his captain's haori; as well as his legs and forearms. A large ice ring formed around him on the ground, and ice particles shimmered in the air as they gently floated down around them. "Daiguren Hyorinmaru." he said; fixing his gaze on his student.
The temperature of the room dropped considerably, and Karin could tell it was game on now. 'Alright, time to get serious.' she thought; readying herself. Keeping her focus on her teacher, she brought her zanpakuto up, and pointed it toward the sky; the blade glowing dark grey as her dark blue reiatsu erupted around her. "Bankai!" she said as the ceiling in the training room clouded over. Wind erupted from her zanpakuto, and shot straight up into the sky. Immediately after, a cyclone dropped down from the clouds, and completely enveloped her; sending a ferocious blast of wind in every direction.
Toshiro shielded himself with his ice wings; feeling the surrounding terrain break apart from the force of the gale, and scatter in various directions. It took a moment, but once he was sure there was no more debris flying through the air, he removed his protective barrier; watching as the cyclone dissipated, and catching sight of his pupil. A surprised look appeared on his face, and he took a moment to process everything. 'Wow…this explains a lot.' he thought to himself. 'I think things are about to get a lot more interesting.'
Alright, the pieces are falling into place! Next chapter is Karin's big Bankai reveal, and I hope you'll like it. I'll even be updating the cover for the story with my own, personally-created version of her Bankai. I hope the cover will help you visualize her Bankai's description in the next chapter.
Disclaimer: I only claim credit for Karin's Bankai appearance, and her zanpakuto spirit, on the new cover.
Translations:
Todoroku Kaze = Roaring Wind
Eaburetto = Air Bullet
Eakattā = Air Cutter