Ch4 "Sneaking Out"

Author's Note: "There may be a delay in the next few chapters, as A.) I was sick this weekend, and B.) I'm getting three wisdom teeth pulled this week so I will be out for two days. I love all the support this story is getting and I love you guys so much."

Next Morning Kuchiki household

Karin woke up with a lazy yawn as she stepped out of bed. She looked across to see the empty bed usually inhabited by her twin sister. Karin felt a pang of guilt and worry. She made her way downstairs as Rukia and Ichigo were already there. Karin took a seat next to her adoptive father as he read the newspaper though he accidentally rammed his horn through the paper.

Rukia came in with a plate of food and placed two plates on the table and removed the newspaper that Ichigo was trying to shake off. Rukia sat down across from Karin. Rukia then said "Karin…" Karin looked up as her adoptive mother spoke. "You can still play soccer but that's it, El Diablo will take you to school and watch you all day." Karin nodded as Rukia got ready to go to school. She kissed Karin on her forehead and got ready to go out the door. Before she could do so the phone rang and she answered it. "Hello?" She said as she answered the phone. "Heyy Miss Kuchiki its Tessai…I have news about Yuzu"

Flashback: That morning

Rukia awoke naked in her bed, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and Ichigo just sat in bed with his head lowered. She knew Hollows didn't sleep; he probably was just idling. She heard the phone ringing and she got up yawning as she threw on her Chappy themed rabbit. Her bare feet padded on the hardwood and tatami flooring as she reached the phone. "He…yawn Hello?" She asked with the sleep still in her voice."Hello there!" Came a sing song voice and Rukia grew a tick mark. "What do you want Urahara-San?" Rukia replied as she hid the annoyance in her voice.

"No fun…" the shopkeeper pouted as Rukia tapped her bare feet. Urahara cleared his throat and continued. "It's about Yuzu." Rukia paid rapid attention as worry filled her heart. "How is she?" She asked in a hushed voice so as to not upset Ichigo. {"He rampaged through all of Hueco Mundo yesterday after we got back."} Rukia shuddered at that memory still freshly implanted on her mind.

"Well…we have confirmed she is indeed awakening Quincy abilities. I would put her as an Echt-class of Quincy." Rukia tried to wrap her brain around it "I see" she replied. "Now I don't know the extent of her abilities. But she is more stabilized now you can come pick her later on today."

"Okay thank you." Rukia said as she quickly hung up the phone and turned around and found Ichigo standing there as she just fell into his arms. "Oh Ichigo…I tried to give them a normal childhood as tears fell from her eyes." Ichigo rubbed her head and comforted his mate. Rukia pulled away after a few minutes "We will have to prepare them…most likely Karin has an inner hollow. I have limited knowledge of Quincy arts. Maybe Uryū can help with Yuzu when the time comes."

Ichigo growed when his Quincy friend's name came up. Rukia rolled her eyes and lightly kicked Ichigo in his shin. She regretted this as she hoped around in pain as Ichigo had no idea what to do so he just stood there watching on. "Don't just stand there! Do something! Get the ointment!" Rukia shouted in pain and annoyance.

Flashback ends

Rukia shook her head as she turned her head away from the phone. "Yes, what is Tessai-San?" She asked with both hope and worry. "Yuzu-Chan is awake and doing well and asking for her Chappy the rabbit." Rukia breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled. I will bring it to her later on when I pick her up.

Karin overheard and also breathed a sigh of relief that her sister was safe. Then another thought hit here {"Oh shit I promised Tōshirō I would meet him after school."} She bit her lip as she struggled to come up with a plan she noted El Diablo was looking at her. Karin gave him a sly smile and he just reached over and rubbed her head much to her protest.

Rukia left and kissed Karin again on her forehead as she then kissed El Diablo on his forehead. El Diablo then kneeled down and Karin climbed on his shoulder with a blush she wrapped her arms around his neck as he used a Sonído to get to the school. He dropped Karin off a few feet away as Karin waved and then entered the school. As Ichigo watched on, he hid his spiritual pressure as he spotted Tōshirōentering the building after looking around.

Tōshirō POV

I arrived at the school a few minutes late. I look up at the sky and everything is so peaceful here in the world of the living. Something catches my eye. I see Karin waving to some of her friends. I catch myself staring too long and shake my head. {"I can't….I can't be here for much longer they will find out sooner or later."} Something else catches my eye. I swore that I saw a Vasto Lordes standing on the corner watching Karin. I have to warn her. I quickly rush into the building and after getting lost I get escorted by a teacher to my class.

POV ends

Karin looks up and sees Tōshirō come escorted by a random teacher. The teacher explains he got lost and the math teacher nodded in understanding. Tōshirō sits down in his usual seat. Karin passed him a note under the desk which he catches and reads.

Note: "I'm grounded, my adoptive Mother doesn't want me around Shinigami or hollows for some reason I think she is a former Shinigami but I don't know."

Tōshirō nods while the teacher is answering the phone. He writes a note and passes it back in response. Note in response: "The only Kuchiki that I'm aware of in the Gotei-13 is Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, I will look into it when I get back to the Soul Society." Karin's eyes widened {"Byakuya? As in kaa-san's ancestor? He is a Shinigami."} After class was over and lunch drew near. The two met at their usual meeting spot, Karin showed Tōshirō how to operate his drink. He put down the drink after a few minutes "So..what are you going to do about your mother?" Karin blinked and looked up at him and thought for a few minutes.

"I've got a soccer game tonight…my dad isn't coming and Kaa-san is at work and then going to pick up my sister." Tōshirō leaned forward with interest {"Her father? Does he have spiritual abilities as well?"} "Where is your sister?" he asked in an attempt to learn more about his newfound partner. "She was really sick lately so Kaa-san took her to one of her friends who I guess is a doctor of sorts." Karin replied. Tōshirō nodded "I see…so sorry about your sister." "It's cool, so yea we can still hunt hollows but have to watch out for my dad." Tōshirō raised a brow, "What do you mean?"

"I'm grounded, remember? Kaa-san had my dad watch me all day." Karin rolled her eyes as she said that. She looked around as a precaution just in case El Diablo was hiding somewhere around here. Tōshirō raised his brow further "I see…oh by the way watch out on your way home…I spotted a Vasto Lordes watching you." Karin spit her drink all over Tōshirō. "A…a…what?" she asked. "A Vasto Lordes…" Tōshirō repeated after wiping himself off "A higher class of hollow…it's so strange they rarely leave Hueco Mundo." Karin nodded her head at that taking in the information.

{"He is most likely referring to Tou-san…"} "I will try my best to help you Tōshirō." Karin said and Tōshirō nodded as thoughts entered his head {"Who is her mother…and father…I need to ask Urahara-san about this matter before I proceed forward."} Give me till 12:00 and we will meet here. Karin nodded at the plan and felt El Diablo watching from afar. She felt nervous but hid it, as the bell rang for the next period.

After school

Karin looked left and right and headed back home. Tōshirō looked longingly after her and shook his head as he walked the opposite direction. Karin made it to a random alleyway. El Diablo appeared before her and Karin hugged him. "P..p…please let me fight alongside him…kaa-San is wrong." She pleaded.

Ichigo just hugged her and patted and nodded his head in understanding. {"Rukia…I think it's best to let her train with Tōshirō."} Ichigo thought as nuzzled Karin much to her annoyance. The moment was ruined by the sound of a hollow. Karin let go of him as he vanished with the sound of a thunder clap rolling into the distance.

Across town at the same time

Tōshirō walked his way down a narrow street towards a familiar candy shop. Outside he spotted two kids, one playing baseball with a broom and the other scolding him for not sweeping. The boy looked up and spotted Tōshirō. Tōshirō felt an oncoming headache which was confirmed when the kid insulted him for his height.

Tōshirō grew a tick mark and was about to retort when the kid was whacked upside the head by a purse. Tōshirō blinked in confusion and looked up to see a petite short woman in a business suit style dress. He instantly recognized her as the woman whom he told a truck slammed into her house. The woman blinked and stared at him.

She instantly ran over and took his hands into her own. "Oh you must be Tōshirō! Karin told me so much about you." Tōshirō blinked as his mind became like a dial-up system and tried to reconnect. "I'm Rukia Kuchiki, her adopted mother. My husband and I are so happy she found a friend." She continued on.

Tōshirō's brain finally reconnected when she said her name. He looked her up and down, {"I do sense faint Reiatsu coming from her…she said Kuchiki….now that I think about it she does look like Captain Kuchiki's former wife…."}. "Ah you must be her mother she told me about." He finally responded as he looked around for her father.

Rukia caught on "Oh my husband is out of town…such a shame he will miss her soccer game." She said with a hint of sadness. {"It's too risky for Ichigo to attended…..Urahara-san had to use a lot of memory replacement last time and that took my whole paycheck…"} she internally wailed at her lost earnings.

Tōshirō felt something was off {"For some reason she feels so familiar but at the same time I've never seen her before."} Rukia smiled and someone called out "Mama….who's that?" Rukia and Tōshirō looked back. He recognized her as Karin's sister; he noted some similarities minus the hair color.

"Sweetie this is Tōshirō, he is a friend and classmate of you and your sister." Rukia said and Yuzu's eyes widened and sparkled. Tōshirō felt another oncoming headache. "Are…you Karin's boyfriend?" Yuzu asked in an excited manner. Rukia intervened immediately. "Yuzu, that's rude. I'm sure they don't have feelings for each other."

Yuzu clutched her Chappy bunny doll and bowed her head apologetically. "Am sorry I didn't mean to be rude." Tōshirō lazily brushed it off "It's fine like your mother said we're just classmates." {"For now….what the hell…why did I just think that?!"} Rukia and Yuzu said their respective goodbye's as they got into a taxi cab.

Tōshirō waved and sighed and turned right around and came face to face. With the shop owner of the small candy shop Kisuke Urahara. He jumped and regained his composure as a tick mark grew. "Quit doing that!" Tōshirō shouted as his face grew redder than a tomato.

Urahara hid behind his pop-out fan grinning from ear to ear. "My my, I wonder if I should tell your little girlfriend you're having a temper tantrum." Tōshirō paused and his eyes twitched violently as he sputtered and his mouth grew redder than a chill pepper.

The sound of something hard contacting another hard object was heard throughout Karakura Town. Tōshirō found himself sitting at a table with his arm folded and Urahara sitting across from him with a large bump on his forehead and pressing an ice pack onto it.

"This hurts you know….." Kisuke whined, as Tōshirō 'tch'd' and looked away. As Tessai entered the room and served everybody tea. Tōshirō took the tea and drank it. Kisuke took a sip of his tea and then sat it down as he interlaced his fingers. "So…" he began, Tōshirō sighed as he thought of the best way to approach this.

"That woman outside….she is Rukia Kuchiki?" He asked, "She is why…..my my I didn't think you were into an older married woman." Kisuke teased as the silver haired captain blushed and shook his head. "No no that's not it….I gave my powers to her daughter." "Karin?" "Yes that's the one, she said her mother didn't want her to have anything to do with Shinigami."

"Understandable." Tōshirō blinked at Kisuke's response, not expecting that from him. "What do you mean? Understandable?" It was Kisuke's turn to sigh as he absentmindedly stirred his tea cup before answering. He stared hard into Tōshirō's turquoise eyes. "What I'm about to tell you must stay between us and not even the Gotei nor Central 46 will hear of it." He spoke with firm and a tone that sent chills down Tōshirō's chills.

He nodded in understanding though he wanted to know why, but decided to save it for later. "Good" Kisuke said as he looked around to make sure they were alone. "The reason I said it was understandable for her to not want her children to pursue the life of a shinigami was because of a promise." Tōshirō raised a brow at this. "A promise?" He asked in confusion, Kisuke nodded and continued.

"Karin and her sister are the daughters of a former shinigami and a human." Tōshirō's eyes widened at this {"I knew I felt something familiar from her"} Kisuke smirked already knowing where the short Captain line of thinking was going. "Rukia, while yes, is a former shinigami, she is the adoptive mother of Yuzu and Karin. Their birth father was a shinigami who was killed by a hollow."

Tōshirō's eyes widened further and he fell onto his back. "Wha!" He shouted as he jumped back up. Kisuke smirked and decided to create a lie {"Rukia-San…. I knew you were a shinigami but what confuses me is your relationship to that Vasto Lordes I hope u do come clean soon."} Rukia was exiled to the world of the living.

"For what?" Tōshirō asked as curiosity got the better of him. "What?" Kisuke asked as he drank his tea. Tōshirō grew a tick mark and got annoyed "Why was she banished." Kisuke put the tea cup and inhaled dramatically before speaking. "I have no idea!" He exclaimed as Tōshirō fell over in shock. {"Now that I think about….I forgot Rukia is their adoptive mother."}

Kisuke walked over and poked him with his handheld fan. "Uhh hello is anybody alive in there?" Tōshirō responded by grabbing the still hot cup of tea and smashing it in his face. "YOOOOWWW!" Kisuke shrieked in pain as he grabbed his face.

Across town

The sky outside started getting cloudy as thunder boomed and lightning flashed. People popped out their umbrellas as the rain started pouring down. Karin Kuchiki was in her room getting ready for their soccer game. She received a text from her coach that the game was delayed until the weather cleared up.

She heard the downstairs front door opening and voices. One of which sounds extremely familiar, Karin runs downstairs in her soccer uniform and sees Yuzu. Yuzu was talking to Rukia and didn't even notice Karin standing there. Karin couldn't take it anymore and rushed forward hugging Yuzu in a bear hug and crying into her chest. Rukia watched from afar and she felt a clawed hand gently tapping her shoulder.

She saw Ichigo standing there with a poorly done note he wrote. She took the note and read it to the best she could. Note: "Rukia I believe it's for the best that Karin is trained by Tōshirō. I know how you feel but like you said we need to prepare them for Aizen." Rukia's hand shoke as she looked at her mate, and nodded in understanding.

They need to prepare them for what is going to come. They both knew eventually the Soul Society was gonna come for Tōshirō. But one thing was on Rukia's mind {"What about the Hōgyoku"} Rukia shook her head as Karin got a call from the coach that the weather cleared up.