Author's note: HEY EVERYONE! Im back with another chapter! Thank you for the follows and favorites! I really appreciate it!

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Chapter VI

Sour Berry

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It was already nighttime in Soul Society, and the young captain of the 10th division had decided to, for once, heed to his lieutenant's advice. At least in part. Toshiro was heading to the 5th division, he told Matsumoto he would only stop by and talk to Hinamori, but the lieutenant was well aware her captain was just too cocky to admit he took her advice.

Of course, he would not be using his Bankai to parade around. That had caused enough trouble when Renji and Rukia had witnessed it firsthand and mistook him for an older brother. Imagine the chaos the gossipers of Seireitei would ensue if he had actually done what Matsumoto suggested. He huffed in annoyance on his way. But truth was, Toshiro was far too disturbed about Karin's zanpakuto spirit and the seeming familiarity it had with Hyorinmaru.

Matsumoto wasn't being unreasonable to suggest a frank conversation.

Still…

Toshiro knew the Kurosaki temper quite well. Stubborn as stuck mules. If Karin refused to talk about the topic, there would be little he could do, and he would have just exposed himself without any profit.

Yet he was risking this possible ridicule. And based on what? He wondered annoyed at himself. Was he being too naive to expect Karin, who had been antagonistic this whole time, to just reveal something as personal as that?

"She is still Isshin's daughter." - Matsumoto's words pounded on his mind. Ugh. There was that too. She was the daughter of his former captain.

He knew she said that as an encouragement. But honestly, it only made everything worse. Perhaps Kyoraku really was sensible when he denied Toshiro his request of having Karin in his division. There was far too much baggage.

Just as he remembered his captain, Toshiro approached the barracks of the 5th division. He could hear some faint voices in the distance, did the whole soccer party just finish? He could see two people sitting down in front of the building, back leaning against the stone wall.

He could see the green medical kit crossbody bag of the 4th division in one of the people. Who was that one again? Toshiro tried to recall his name to no avail. But he did notice, that the young man was sitting next to Karin. Indeed. She really resembled Isshin in many ways, more so while wearing the shinigami robes and smiling cheerfully while she conversed.

The black-haired Kurosaki was sitting next to the 3rd seat Hanataro Yamada, who had grown taller, but not bulkier, looking as shy as ever, while Karin seemed engaged in their conversation.

"So your sword can heal when it cuts?" She asked him quite amazed. Hanataro nodded bashfully. "That's pretty awesome!"

"Ah n-not that awesome I have o-offensive capabilities as well… it absorbs the wounds it has healed and I can release them into a single blast." He tried to explain.

"Huh! Really? That's is curious." She tapped her chin. "What would that even mean…to absorb a wound…" She did recall some of the lessons from Urahara and Yoruichi about Reishi. "I guess..energy can only be transformed like in physics. I just never thought of wounds as a type of energy. I wonder if my dad does anything similar in his clinic. You are quite unique Hanataro!" She grinned brightly at the boy, who could not help but blush at Karin's beaming positivity.

"O-oh…You are too kind Kurosaki-san!" He waved his hands in front of him, in an adorable fit of panic and embarrassment. Karin giggled.

"Nah! I mean it!" She patted Hanataro's back gently.

Toshiro frowned. Around him, she had been nothing but sass and talk-back. But with this flimsy little man, she was all smiling. "Tch. Double standards."

It wasn't the first time Toshiro had seen her smile. In fact, if not for their latest meetings, he would be able to say she was constantly kind and cheerful around him. The difference in the attitude between Karin then and now, annoyed him.

Karin's eyes moved slightly as she saw Toshiro approaching, her smile faded into a neutral expression as she observed Toshiro. Hanataro, on the other hand, looked surprised at the white-haired captain's appearance. "C-captain Hitsugaya! W-what are you doing here?"

Toshiro's eyebrows furrowed.

"I could ask you the same question. I thought the 4th division had patients to treat instead of chit-chatting around."

Hanataro's shoulders tensed up slightly at Toshiro's coldness.

"O-oh I-I…I was just going back to the 4th's barracks when I saw Kurosaki-san teaching everyone how to play ball…it looked fun…"

"I'm glad you enjoyed it Hanataro! We can play again whenever you feel like it!" Karin grinned again, trying to encourage the shy shinigami. She looked back at Toshiro with a little pout showing her unamusement at how Toshiro made her newest colleague so nervous.

The tension was easily palpable. The two soccer players glared at each other, unwavering, and poor Hanataro was caught in the middle.

"Aah…I..hmm I should g-go." Hanataro was feeling absolutely awkward.

"Yes." Toshiro muttered dryly. Karin turned her head to Hanataro and smiled again waving him goodbye.

"I will see you later, then! It was nice meeting you!"

Toshiro could still see a little rosy color on Hanataro's cheek as the 4th division 3rd seat bowed his head bashfully.

"It was nice meeting you too, Kurosaki-san. Excuse me c-captain Hitsugaya." Hanataro bowed his head once again to Toshiro and rushed off, towards his division's barracks.

Karin leaned back on the wall, crossing her arms. Toshiro stood there for a while waiting for her to address him. And when she didn't he gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"What are you doing?" He spoke first, not quite able to hide his displeasure in his tone.

"Sitting down."

"You know that's not what I mean."

Karin glanced at him, unbothered.

"No, I don't. In fact, is pretty much the opposite. I cannot understand you at all."

"You shouldn't go around causing a ruckus! You just arrived!".

Karin frowned and turned her face away.

"You are overreacting. Captain Hirako doesn't mind and he is the one responsible for me."

Toshiro glared at the obvious jab at his authority.

"Really you are just so feisty it is hard to tell what is actually on your mind." Karin pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What do you mean?"

Toshiro blinked a little confused and furrowed his brows. Karin sighed shaking her head.

"Are you a friend or not?" She asked him so straightforwardly that it caught Toshiro off guard.

"Why does that even matter?" Karin frowned in response to his question.

"It matters!" She splurted before sighing and shaking her head. "Forget it."

Toshiro looked down at the girl, she seemed troubled now. Hugging her legs and supporting her chin on her knees, lonely as a lost puppy. It was a pitiful sight, and for one reason or another Toshiro did not have it in him to leave her alone like that. He sighed in defeat and sat down next to her.

"You seem to be mingling well with the others. Matsumoto said you are teaching everyone how to play soccer." He tried to sound optimistic.

"I have to mingle. Things have changed enough and I don't know what's going to happen to me from now on, at least I can find some company."

She didn't seem to need much to start a conversation after all. But her words made Toshiro realize the stress she must have been through these last few days. After all when he met her, she was just a normal girl with unusually high reiatsu who was moderately aware of shinigami thanks to her brother. But now she was literally dragged into this world by people she didn't know, with abilities no one can comprehend. No one can even give her a proper explanation even if they tried. He felt guilty, after all he was the closest thing she had of a familiar face here, and yet he was the one to pull her away from her family and friends without care. Why did he even volunteer to be responsible for her? Egoism. His gaze lowered to the ground filled with guilt. He was truly selfish, only thinking about his own questions, he never stopped to think about the part he had played in this situation.

"I'm sorry…." He frowned trying to find adequate words. "For my actions. I think I might be responsible for ….how you are feeling now."

Karin looked at him surprised. She did not expect him to just…apologize like that.

"I am just as confused as you are now. I feel a barrier in the connection between me and Hyorinmaru and I became so focused on solving it that I became blind to others around me. So…I suppose I owe you this much."

"You don't owe me anything. You are simply doing your job." She spoke halfheartedly, from all the living Kurosakis, Karinw was surely the most level-headed one. As emotional as they were, Karin would hardly wear her heart on her sleeve.

"No, I owe you at least this courtesy." Toshiro insisted while shaking his head. "The time I spent in the world of the living, was the closest thing to a normal life. And it was thanks to grandma Haru…and you." He turned his face away, looking up to the sky as he reminisced.

"I had fun then. As annoying as it was to be mistaken for a kid." He rolled his eyes. "And you made grandma Haru less lonely too. So…thank you."

Karin looked away, her expression already thawing.

"Ah yeah. I took my friends there often. They really liked the snacks she prepared. I…" She scratched her chin a bit sheepishly. "I thought I would see you there again, but you never showed up again." A small smile formed on Karin's face. "Regardless…I'm glad I met grandma Haru. Ah! By the way, you were right!".

Toshiro turned to her a bit confused as to what she meant.

"About what?"

"Candied beans are really tasty." She smiled at him light-heartedly. Toshiro looked surprised at the sudden comment. "You used to eat them every time we visited grandma Haru. After you left I was curious and started eating them myself." She huffed turning up her nose. "I was determined to eat all of them so when you came back there would be none left for you. That would have been your punishment for vanishing, eating all your old-man food."

Toshiro was surprised she remembered such feeble detail. His lips parted in pleasant bewilderment before they stretched into a thin line as his eye twitched in mild annoyance, in complement to Karin's teasing.

"Shut up". His response made Karin giggle.

"How nostalgic…". Her eyes became mellow as she looked down. "I guess that was a way of remembering you too."

Toshiro looked at her as one watched a puzzle slowly coming together. She had this air of loneliness around her, but also some unseen burden she carried. She shrugged before unfolding her arms and placing them on the cold stone floor.

"I don't know, I guess...I admired you then."

"You used past tense. You don't anymore?" Toshiro frowned. Was he that disappointing?

Karin shook her head lightly.

"Who knows. Sometimes I see in your eyes the boy I knew from my childhood, I think I will always admire that boy making snow fall on a sunny day." She turned her eyes to him and observed him quietly for a moment, Toshiro grew restless under her steady gaze that didn't feel, unlike embers.

"Sorry to disappoint you." He huffed arrogantly trying to mask the sudden rosy tone that colored his cheeks. Karin smiled and chuckled.

"I will only be disappointed if I cannot be your friend again." She stood up and offered him a hand. Toshiro couldn't help but think back to their first meeting when he was the one to pull her up.

He looked back at her and took her hand. However, like last time, they felt the sudden surge of energy flow between their hands. Toshiro had foreseen that might have happened again, so he wasn't taken by surprise, instead, he gripped Karin's hand a little more tightly.

"Did you sense it too?" He asked, Karin nodded.

"I did."

There was a moment of grave silence between them as they held each other's hand.

And then they heard a very angry and familiar voice shouting not far from them.

Ichigo had arrived.

It all happened very fast, Renji and Rukia had come to visit Ichigo as they would normally. And naturally, Karin was the hot topic of the week. As soon as Ichigo heard Karin was taken into Soul Society, he rushed after. Took him some time to find her, and he was almost panicking thinking of her being away from her family without Yuzu or their father, alone.

But she wasn't alone. In fact, she was …holding hands with Toshiro Hitsugaya.

As if Ichigo's older brother instincts weren't strong enough, they surely became a lot worse at the sight before him.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SISTER RIGHT NOW!"

"Ichi-nii!"

"Kurosaki!"

They both called startled.

"What are you doing here?" Karin asked, she was happy to see him, but his pissed-off expression banned all possibility of a wholesome reunion right now.

"I came to bring you back home!" He snarled at Toshiro and walked over to them, taking Karin's hand away from Toshiro's.

"W-what?" Karin was utterly confused. She thought they had explained everything to their dad, why was Ichigo so mad? She couldn't understand.

"Wait a minute Kurosaki!" Toshiro protested.

"WHAT THE HELL do you think you're doing with my sister in the middle of the night you punk? What are you trying to pull?!" Ichigo accused as he pulled Karin behind him.

"What do you mean what I'm trying to pull? I didn't do anything!"

"We were just talking! Don't be such a butthead!" Karin joined in and tugged on Ichigo's haori.

"You can't just kidnap my sister out of the blue! Doesn't matter if we were comrades once, I will not forgive anyone that puts my family in danger!"

" You need to calm down right now!" Toshiro was more on edge as Ichigo escalated the situation.

Ichigo's eyes darted from Toshiro to two figures that came from the 5th division's barracks. Hinamori looked distressed and panted a little from rushing to get her captain to appease the angry strawberry.

Hirako Shinji grinned, as he walked toward them without a care in the world.

"Aah long time no see, Ichigo."

"Hirako…" Ichigo frowned. "Are you involved in this too?" Shinji chuckled and shrugged.

"Involved? Why do you talk as if we kidnapped your sister? She came here willingly."

"Because she doesn't know any better." Ichigo retorted. But Karin frowned at that and kicked him in the shin.

"I don't know any better? I think YOU are the one that has no idea what's going on!"

"Karin!"

"Now now, why don't you both calm down huh? Ichigo, you can go talk to the commander, he will explain everything you need to know.

"Fine! But Karin is coming along! I'm not taking my eyes off her until we are home!" Ichigo relented, somewhat. Karin rolled her eyes.

"Alright Karin, get on my back." The older brother commanded. Everyone just stared at him as if he had something ludicrous. "Cmon there is no time to waste, we are going to use flash step to get to the old man."

Shinji laughed.

"You really ARE clueless Ichigo! That will not be necessary."

Ichigo blinked confused.

"I already know flash step." Karin spoke up crossing her arms. "Yoruichi-sensei taught me."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "You've been….training?"

Toshiro rolled his eyes again. "That's the whole point of her coming here Kurosaki!"

Ichigo was a little embarrassed by his ignorance. But he wouldn't show it, especially when he had to take his sister back. Still, Hirako managed to cool him down long enough for him to talk to Kyoraku.

The new commander did his best to explain to Ichigo what happened. But the substitute shinigami was adamant about taking his sister back.

"Kurosaki-kun you must understand this is the safest place for your sister." Kyoraku tried to appeal to Ichigo's rationality.

"Yeah, I know very well how safe Seireitei is." Ichigo glared.

"Ichi-nii I'm not as weak as you think I am! You can't protect us all the time!" Karin spoke up and Ichigo looked at her surprised and even a little hurt. Hirako, Toshiro, and Kyoraku could all feel the tension between the siblings rising.

"Truth is Kurosaki-kun, ever since you lost your powers years ago, your sister developed her abilities, just like you, to protect your family. Let us help her like we helped you."

Ichigo laughed sarcastically.

"HAH! As if! I'm NOT going to let my little sister be used in your games!"

"Show a little more respect and lower your voice Kurosaki!" Toshiro protested.

"I'm not showing squat! If you all think I'm gonna sit back and let you all play with my fami-"

The doors of Kyoraku's office burst open. Toshiro's eyes widened at the nostalgic presence.

"Captain…Kurosaki!"

Kyoraku's smile vanished as he spoke in an enigmatic tone.

"Ah, long time no see…Isshin."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this week's chapter! It was quite wholesome, right? Anyways! My birthday was this Friday (July 15th) so I'm still eating lots of cake to go along with HitsuKarin sweetness 3

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I'm already working on the next chapter so I will see you guys soon!

Thanks for reading!ヽ(o＾▽＾o)ノ