DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH OR FRUITS BASKET. I DON'T PROFIT FROM THIS STORY.

Previously…

And curiously, so did Kyo. In a puff of orange smoke that for a moment blocked the pair from his sight. It was only when the smoke dissipated a few seconds later that Toshiro knew that Kyo hadn't actually disappeared.

Tohru was seated on the ground and in front of her sat a very familiar orange cat, nestled atop the clothes Kyo had been wearing not a second before.

Layers

"Now he's naked. Wonderful." Toshiro mutters to himself. He idly watches Kyo fumble for his clothes, his back facing a stuttering Tohru, her face aflame with embarrassment. Not that the boy was any better, his own red flush spreading all the way down his back, looking like a bad sunburn. Their only saving grace was small cloud of orange smoke that – thankfully – covered Kyo's dignity, and allowed him dress with some semblance of privacy. Toshiro was sure that Tohru – had she not been blindsided – would have left the boy to do his business in peace, but as it was she was too occupied with apologizing to even think of leaving him alone.

The turn of events wasn't all that surprising, really. Well, okay, he didn't expect Kyo to turn into a cat. But the fact that he can, not surprising, at least not for Toshiro. With people like Yoruichi and Komamura running around the Sereitei, it's hard to be surprised nowadays. Especially since Kurosaki came into the picture. The teen brought trouble wherever he went. Rangiku once joked that he should come with his disclaimer 'Warning – interact with at our own risk. Kurosaki Ichigo is not liable for any injury, maiming or death that may occur.' She had laughed herself silly, "Imagine it, Taicho! We could print it off and hang it around his neck!" and thus ensued another bout of insane laughter.

She didn't take it kindly when Toshiro proudly presented her with her own 'disclaimer' the next day.

What truly surprises Toshiro, was Tohru's reaction to the whole debacle. She didn't turn away from Kyo or completely shut down at the disappearance of her friend. Quite the opposite. she had pulled the orange cat away from its nest of clothes and made him comfortable on her lap. She had even scratched him behind the ears and carded her fingers through his fur, all the while whispering to the content feline. The pair of teens had treated it as something normal and on some level, it even seemed like a welcomed experience. All it all it had been rather surreal for Toshiro.

He now knows what's causing the towns reiatsu to fluctuate. That's one question he can cross off the list and he can already feel the burden lifting off his shoulders, He's finally making some progress and it feels damn good. But in a way, it also feels wrong. Toshiro shakes his head. No, not wrong. That's not the right word. It feels…incomplete, like a night without stars. The flare of reiastu felt like it had the day before when the hollow attacked, but it felt different to the few flares before that.

'Alright,' Toshiro thinks to himself, 'let's back track. What happened before Kyo changed?'

'Kyo was chucking a tantrum outside'.

'Tohru followed him.'

'They talked for a few moments'.

'Kyo hugged Tohru and-'

Toshiro eyes narrowed, leaning against the tree behind him. Was that the catalyst? Something as simple as a hug? If that was the case it would explain why Tohru was so unaffected by the whole situation. If you combine Tohru's innate clumsiness with such close living quarters, you have a recipe for disaster. But that also raises the question.

Is Tohru the problem?

It makes sense, in a way. He's seen Kyo being hugged by a few of his classmates - mostly when there ribbing him- and he hadn't changed then. That ruled out the possibility of the change occurring because of any physical contact between Kyo and another person. Toshiro's experience with Tohru told him that she was quite affectionate with her friends, often hugging Uotani and Hanajima, but in all his time here, he hasn't seen her hug any of the Sohma's. Though that could be explained by her living situation being a secret from her classmates, if she were to be too friendly with Kyo or Yuki someone could start asking questions. Not to mention the fallout that would be 'The Prince Yuki Fan Club.' Toshiro feels a shudder go through him at the thought.

Toshiro returns his attention to the teenagers below. They seemed to have overcome their embarrassment and were now chatting as if nothing happened. Toshiro frowns as a thought comes to him. It would be impossible for Tohru to be the source of the problem. There had been plenty of contact between himself and Tohru the night he saved her from that car. If Tohru had any sort of power to change people it certainly hadn't worked then.

'Perhaps it both of them?' Toshiro watches as Momiji wanders out the of house to join Kyo and Tohru. The smile on his face is teasing and he immediately hones in on Kyo, grabbing the older teen in a vice like grip. "He doesn't change when he's hugged by Momiji." Toshiro mutters to himself as Kyo's indignant squawks of protest grow louder. "So why did you change before?" Toshiro moves away from the tree and squats down behind some shrubbery, continuing to observe the group of teens. "They are family, even if they are distantly related, maybe blood ties prevent him changing?" It's a definite possibility, it would explain why Kyo would be able to brawl so openly with Yuki without any fear. "If that's the case, then why can the other students hang off him like-" Toshiro cuts himself off, his widening as realization dawns on him.

How could he have missed it?

Today was the first day Toshiro had seen a girl hug Kyo Sohma.

The only people to hang off Kyo were boys. They would throw themselves on him and tease him mercilessly until the boy would lose his temper and throw them off before giving chase. He shied away from any girls that got close to him. Tohru, Uotani and Hanajima being the only exceptions. The reasons were obvious for Tohru; she was already aware of what could happen if she got to close. Uotani and Hanajima were easily explained, they wouldn't be caught dead hugging Kyo.

The change wasn't caused by anyone person in particular, it wasn't Kyo's or Tohru's doing. It all had to do with gender.

Toshiro watches closely as the teens head inside, Momiji still clinging to Kyo's side. He cocks his eyebrow and clicks his tongue.

When was the last time he saw any of the Sohma's hug someone of the opposite gender?

Maybe blood relations play a role in all of this. Momiji obviously knew what had happened between Kyo and Tohru and yet he didn't bat an eyelid. The Sohma family was huge so keeping a secret of this magnitude would impossible, so it's unlikely that the whole family is aware of the problem. But that would mean that only a portion of the Sohma's would be affected by the phenomenon, which then implies that there would be more than one person responsible for the reiastu fluctuations in Kaibara.

That's it! Toshiro clicks his fingers. That's what feels so odd about this particular spike of reiastu, it has a unique signature that's different to other spikes throughout Kaibara. Its only because he is so close to the originator that he can feel it this time. "It must be tied to his own reaistu, its leaking through whenever he changes," Toshiro bites his thumb and smirks. "If he were ever to get a Zanpaukuto, its spirit would definitely be a cat."

Theories are all well and good, but the Soutaicho would want evidence.

He fishes his phone out of his pocket and makes a call. "This is Hitsugaya Taicho, I need all of the data pertaining to Kaibarra Town of Japan."

The world is quiet and yet so loud at the same time. Her brain is in overdrive, synapses firing and fizzling out as they try to make sense of this. There's a muted ringing in her ears, only broken by the sound of her shoes slamming into the hard pavement beneath her. The pain reverberates through her bones until it settles as a dull ache that is both nuisance and a welcomed reprieve. She doesn't hear Hiro in the back ground, his pleas for her to stop, don't make it through the thick fog she has surrounded herself with. If Kisa were in her right mind, she would have been told herself to stop. That this was ridiculous and she was acting like an idiot.

Because she really is acting like an idiot.

It's not as if this affects her in some meaningful way. She never had any contact with him. How could she? She was barely a glimmer in her parent's eyes when he was around. So why is she being like this?

"Kisa, stop!" Hiro's hand grasps her shoulder and forces her to a sudden stop. He keels over one hand still on her should while the other rests on his knee as he struggles to catch his breath. "Jesus." He mutters quietly and shakes his head. She is suddenly aware of her labored breath and erratically beating heart. Her hand finds her chest and clutches her shirt in a vice like grip, as she sucks in a deep breath. Her other hand falls to Hiro's shoulder, who in turn reaches up and gives it a soft squeeze before righting himself. He gives her a few moments to collect herself before speaking. "Well, that was bit of an over-reaction, huh."

Kisa shrugs and clicks her tongue. "I think it was within reason."

"Oh, totally. It's not as if you looked, I don't know, insane just now."

"I did not look 'insane'!"

Hiro shrugged and made a 'so-so' motion with hand. "Just a little bit."

She huffs and turns away from him, keen to remove herself from his presence. .

He stops her before she can even take a step. "Calm down Usain Bolt."

Kisa glares at him and wrenches away from him. "This is no time for jokes Hiro!"

"It isn't the time to have break down either!" Hiro says, becoming frustrated with Kisa. His voice is getting louder and a few bystanders have turned to look at them. Noticing this, Hiro guides Kisa to an secluded alley away from prying eyes. When they're completely out of view he rounds on her. "How do you think that looked, huh? You running off like that was down-right idiotic and possibly the worst thing you could have done."

The girl scoffs. "How do you figure?"

Hiro rolls his eyes. "Well, for one, you looked like an utter lunatic taking off like you did, I mean, come on Kisa! You could have at least been polite and excuse yourself before leaving. You didn't even say goodbye to your precious 'Sissy'" he made quotations marks with his hands as he said this. "Your reaction to him has done more harm than good. Tohru obviously sees him as a friends if she was willing to introduce him to you. You've most likely given her doubts and put a strain on their friendship!"

"Doubts she should have!" She interrupts him angrily.

"That's not your decision!" Hiro throws his hands in the air in a frustrated manner. "You're being ridiculous! Yes, this is a confusing and scary situation, but we don't know the full story. The others obviously know more about this then we do. We should wait and talk to them about what's going on before jumping to hasty conclusions."

"B-but," Kisa stutters. She rests her back against the alley wall and sinks her hands into her hair. "It's so unnatural."

"Because were the picture of normal." Hiro says sarcastically, he is leaning on the wall opposite her. The pair are quiet for a moment, each off in their world. The sounds of the street slowly trickle down to the spot in the alley and the street lights flicker to light just as the sun sets on the horizon. The late night shoppers will be coming out soon, as well as a few groups of people looking to let off steam. Hiro kicks off from the wall and rolls his shoulders. "Well, I guess we'll just need to do better next time."

"Next time?"

Hiro nods. "Next time we see him. I doubt-"

"You can't be serious, Hiro." She slowly steps away from the wall and faces him. She has an incredulous look on her face. "You're going to see him again?"

He looks at her bewilderedly. "Well, yeah. Its freaky, I admit, but doesn't that make it all the more interesting? I mean, think about it-"

"I don't want to think about it." Kisa mutters darkly and stares at the ground.

Hiro ignores her. "He shouldn't be here, and yet, he is! It's been years but he still looks the exact same, like a day hasn't passed. It's fascinating.".

Kisa meets his eyes and everything is silent. She lets out a sigh and moves forward, only stopping when she stands beside Hiro. She doesn't look him; her eyes are focused on the busy people on the street. They pass by, without a care in the world. A few lucky people are already carrying shopping bags, having found a few bargains already. Others look as though they are just leaving work and are on their way home. They've loosened their ties and their jackets tossed haphazardly over their shoulders. Just a normal night.

For them, at least.

Kisa isn't so lucky.

"It isn't 'fascinating'" Kisa practically spits out the word and Hiro's hearts stops as she looks at from from the corner of her eye. There's an unexpected fire behind her eyes and snarl curls lips. "It's grotesque." She snaps and Hiro's heart breaks and suddenly everything is loud and it rushes by them in a blur. Kisa looks him up and down, her look is disapproving and downright insulting. "If you think this is so exciting, you're not the person I thought you were." she shakes her head. "The Zodiac are a freaky bunch of people. But you, Hiro? If you really want to know more about this and are actively going to seek him out? You're not a freak," her eyes turn to the ground before meeting his once. "You're sickening."

"Fuck you." His voice is quiet, but steely. Hiro's eyes bore into hers, daring Kisa to continue her tirade.

She huffs out a small laugh and moves to the end of the alley. "No. Fuck you, Hiro." She leaves without another word.

"You're certain this boy is the cause of fluctuating reiastu in Kaibarra?"

"At least in part. I believe that he is contributing to the problem, but is he the solely responsible? No. that would be impossible."

"And why is that?"

"As you know, every anomaly in Kaibarra has been stored for analysis. After leaving the Sohma residence, I read through the back logged data and found that each spike of reiastu has a unique signature."

"Those entries go back many generations, Hitsugaya. Are you telling me you have studied them all?"

"Only the relevant one's, I've reviewed the records of the past four generations. Sir, there are thirteen different signatures' and one of them matched Kyo's today."

"Do they follow a pattern?"

"In terms of spiking? No, they don't. There are no set dates for a certain spike to occur, they're completely random. The only pattern I can discern is the signature itself. It doesn't change from generation to generation, they have stayed the same for at least the three hundred years."

"And I suppose you have an explanation for that?"

"Only a theory sir. As you know, Zanpakuto's choose their wielders and the beings that reside within them are ancient. There have been several Shinigami who have wielded Hyourinmaru before myself and the same can be said after my passing. Hyourinmaru will choose a new Shinigami to bring him forth." Toshiro smiles when he feels a soft rumble in his chest, no doubt it was Hyourinmaru's doing. "I imagine the same concept is occurring here. A person is chosen to embody a spirit of some sort, until the day they die. That spirit then finds a new host."

"It's a sound theory, but the why and how have not been answered. Do you believe only the Sohma family are connected?"

"I believe that there are at least a few Sohma's involved. It is doubtful that the entire family is aware of the situation, it is far too large for a secret of this magnitude to be kept."

"It's safe to assume that these Sohma's are a part of the thirteen spikes that we need to find then."

"Actually, sir, there are only twelve to find, including Kyo's today."

"Oh? And why is that."

"I've found that it is not uncommon for one of the signatures to become dormant for a certain period of time, the longest I break was about ten years. One of the signatures has been inactive for a number of years now, so it shouldn't pose a threat of resurfacing anytime soon."

"Hmm, be that as it may, you should still be cautious during your investigation. Focus your attention on the Sohma's, they are the best lead we have at the moment and are our best bet of getting to the bottom of this. Get as close as you can to the Sohma's without arousing suspicion. Do not tip your hand Hitsugaya, we don't needn't know what you're doing."

"Of course, sir."

"I await your next report."

The other end clicks and Toshiro lets out a sigh of relief. Verbal reports are always taxing, especially if they have to be given directly to the Soutaicho. As loathe he is to admit it, he prefers reporting his findings to Ukitake or Kyouraku. Ukitake is far more pleasant to deal with, while Kyouraku prefers to talk about anything but the mission, mostly women and sake. With the Soutaicho there is always the chance of being on the end of a verbal tongue lashing, depending on the old man's mood. Toshiro had been on the receiving end of a fair few, almost all of them caused by of Rangiku and her activities during missions, which consisted of shopping sprees with the divisions credit card. She always made up for it afterwards though. The last time this occurred, she had gotten him a green scarf for him to wear during the winter. She said it matched perfectly with the lining of his haori and after comparing the two, he was inclined to agree with her.

With that thought in mind, Toshiro scrolls through the contacts in phone and selects Rangiku's number. It high time he checked in with his Fukutaicho.

He had honestly forgotten all about it.

After he'd moved out of the Sohma Compound and into his modest home, Kazuma found that he didn't have enough room for all of his possessions. So he made the decision to pack up and move all non-essentials into a rented storage unit. It had been a no-brainer really. All he had to do was show up, pack the boxes into the unit and then leave. The bi-weekly fee was automatically withdrawn from his account and he had never been contacted by the company itself. The fact that he rented a space completely slipped his mind.

Until Toshiro showed up, that is.

It reminded him of something he had long ago, something so precious that he wondered how he ever forgot about it. It was only after he searched his house from top to bottom that he remembered what he had done with it.

Now it was just the matter of finding his key.

The perky smile the receptionist had given him when he wandered into 'Storing Bytes!' quickly fell when he approached the desk.

"Sir, are you telling me that not only have you lost your key, you also don't know which unit is yours and you can't find your original paperwork?"

"…I have ID."

Yeah, he never found the key.

After combing through the files on the computer the receptionist gave up and asked him to wait on one of the courtesy lounges as they left the room. They returned twenty minutes later having located the business' copy of his contract in the archive room. A very embarrassed Kazuma exited the building half an hour after he had entered it, spare key in hand.

The padlock on his unit was rusted over, most likely caused by exposure to the weather, and made a whining sound when he slides it from the shed lock. He grabs a ridge of the roller door and throws it open causing dust to fall from the door. Kazuma coughs and waves his arm, trying in vain to dispel the cloud of dust. He can hear rats scuttling around the unit, surprised the sudden burst of sunlight in the previously dark unit.

When his coughing finally subsides, Kazuma opens his eyes and takes in the state of his belongings. Naturally, they were covered in dust and a few of the boxes looked as though they were buckling under the weight on the cartons on top of them. Some of them had been chewed through, but that didn't matter, he doubted that he would miss much of the items stored here, but it wouldn't hurt to look through them all. If he throws out or donates most of it, he might even able to cancel his rental and store the rest at home.

Kazuma claps his hand together, a smile spreading across his face. "Let's get started."

"It's not fair Taicho! I have to do all this paperwork while you get to have fun in the world of the living." Rangiku sulks on the other end of the line. "I have to do all my work and your work, I haven't gone out in weeks. My social life is suffering Taicho!"

"Welcome to my world." He snickers. "You regularly leave me to pick up your slack, it's about time you got some of your own work done."

"How rude!" She says with a huff. "I help –don't you make that face Hitisugaya Toshiro – from time to time. Besides, your workload is huge compared to mine. I don't understand half the documents I'm signing."

Toshiro frowns and sits on the lounge in his living room. "Isn't anyone helping you?" Someone should have been.

"Eh," He didn't need to see her to know that Rangiku had shrugged her shoulders. "Kurotsutchi is meant to be checking in on me, but you know how he is. He's probably caught up in some experiment of his."

Toshiro sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. This is exactly why he requested Kurotsutchi not be the one to supervise Rangiku's stint as temporary Taicho. "That man is irresponsible."

"I'm sure he's just busy Taicho-"

"Busy not doing his job? It's unacceptable for him to neglect his duties, especially ones handed to him by the Soutaicho. He should be helping you."

"Taicho... everything's fine. I've got it all under-control, nothing to worry about. The division is still standing at least, the paperwork isn't up to the ceilings so that's a plus-"

"That's not the point!" He's louder than he intends to be, almost shouting down the phone at her. There's an indignant huff on the other end of the line and he rushes to fill the silence. "Look, I didn't-"

"You don't think I can do this on my own? Is that it?" Her voice is rigid and cold.

"What? No-"

"I may not always be the best Fukutaicho at times, but I am when it counts. I can get through paperwork, I can train the division members and the new recruits." She clears her throat with a huff. "I keep my appointments and supervise the night watch, as well complete those asinine tasks you usually take care of." Rangiku sighs and voice grows quiet as she continues. "I can do this Taicho."

The fact of the matter is; she shouldn't have to and they both know it. Toshiro lets his head rest on the bac of the lunge, one arm sluggishly thrown over his eyes. It's grown dark and the only light in the room is from the glow of the moon. "I know you're more than capable, Rangiku." His voice is as quiet as hers. "What I meant to is you shouldn't be doing this by yourself. It's too much to handle and soon you're going to be overwhelmed. This time of year things get crazy, everything starts to pile up and-" He pauses and gives a small laugh. "lord knows I wouldn't be able to get through it without you by my side, supporting me - or distracting me." Rangiku laughs and Toshiro grins to himself. "The point is you need support and if Kurotsutchi isn't giving you that, we need to find someone who will. Your life shouldn't revolve around work Rangiku."

Rangiku gasps dramatically. "Did I just hear Hitsugaya Toshiro say that? Stop the presses! We've got a new headline story!"

"Rangiku-" His brow twitches.

"Breaking news tonight. Hitsugaya Toshiro, resident workaholic and all around stick-in-the-mud, has stated that 'Life shouldn't revolve around work.' We spoke to Histugaya's incredible beautiful Fukutaicho to hear her thoughts on this unbelievable turn of events. More on this at seven tonight."

"It's eight o'clock at night." Toshiro can't help but tease her.

"This just in. Hitsugaya needs to learn to keep his mouth shut."

She's not totally oblivious you know?

I mean, yes. Some things do get by her, but everyone misses a few things here and there. No one is perfect. She misses the little things, like a boy flirting with her or one of Shigure's jokes that always send Kyo into a profanity filled rant, with a few death threats thrown in for good measure.

She misses them because they don't seem to matter, at least not to her. They don't make her stop and just think for a few minutes, they don't make her question and reevaluate occurrences in her day-to-day life. So why brother dwelling on the little things when she has bigger and better things on her mind?

You see, Tohru has this picture, an ever growing picture that canvases her mind and is an endless source of inspiration and hope to her. She's heard others say it's like a puzzle. That you find the missing pieces and slowly fill in the blanks.

Not for Tohru.

It's not a jigsaw puzzle, she doesn't find missing pieces and add them to the collection. It's illogical. Puzzles are limited, they have a border, an unsatisfactory ending that came much too quickly. There's no room for editing, no room for growth and that stifling feeling grows like a plague from the pit of your stomach.

And then it consumes you. You're at a wall that's too high to climb, and it doesn't matter because you're too tired to try. So you keep trundling on, the same thing day in and day out, until it's over.

Congratulations, you're two-dimensional. Your name is rectangle and if you follow me I can introduce you to this nifty guy called the rhombus.

So no, it's not like a puzzle, that's much too depressing and, quite frankly, stupid.

It's more like painting.

Do you know why?

Because it has layers.

You start with the base, a blank canvas that is only bare for the briefest of moments. The first splash of colour is stark contrast against the previously pristine backdrop, but then another follows, right beside the first, the two of them against the world. They keep coming and coming and its hard and fast. Some are violent and spatter across the canvas, the castoffs staining the other colours. Others are gentle and cusp the outer edges of their counterparts, lifting them up and letting them shine brighter. Its childish - just like the artist behind the artwork – and crudely delightful.

It matures over time and so do the colours. There are new ones, no longer limited to the habitual red, yellow and blue. They mingle and green comes through, along with purple and a bit of pink, and if you look closely you might just see a bit of indigo peeking its way through. Waiting for its time in the sun. And just when you think it's done, that the artist is finally satisfied with the end result and their palate will finally retire, something new comes along. It barges its way through and settles down with a huff and a puff. The artist throws their hands in the air and picks up their brush once more and sets to work finding the perfect place for this new addition.

For the longest time, Tohru's picture only had one person. Her father, standing tall and proud outside the family home. His smile is like the morning sun and never fails to warm her heart and drive her to do her best. Then her mother enters and the picture changes. They're outside the Kaibara High and her father has one hand resting on Kyoko's shoulder while the other encircles her waist. Her mother is leaning back into his chest and is showing off her famous smile – that is bordering on a smirk - and her hand making a piece sign. They're attending her graduation.

This is what drives Tohru to do the best she can, so she can hold her diploma proudly.

Her grandfather is there two, lingering in the background, offering her his unwavering support and love. Her aunt and her family made brief appearances but were soon painted over and forgotten. Hana and Uo stood at her parent's side, both looking pleased. Uo is wearing the Red Butterfly jacket that Kyoko bestowed upon her many years ago.

That's when it got interesting. Three new figures made their debut and somehow share centre positon where her parents. Shigure, Kyo and Yuki huddle together, with the older of the three standing behind the teenagers, his arms are folded and his trademark grin is firmly in place. Yuki looks proud and is offering a helping hand, while Kyo stands uncomfortably and offers his own hand. His head is turned, determinedly looking away from her.

Their zodiac counterparts rest on their shoulders, with Shigures resembling a puppy rather than a fully grown dog.

And then, there's a rush and people are cramming in and the picture grows and grows until its surrounding her on all sides. All of the Zodaic is present, along with Akira. They have slowly, but surely, embedded themselves into her world.

When it comes to them, Tohru doesn't miss a thing.

Which is why she hesitates adding Toshiro to the picture.

He should be there already; he should have been added as soon as he pushed her out of the way of that car.

It changes just before the brush makes contact. The picture changes and the zodiac look frightened. They've turned to look at where Toshiro should stand, their stances are wary and Kyo and Yuki have withdrawn their hands. Even as the brush pulls back they stare and they can't seem to stop.

Tohru can't add Toshiro yet, because he makes the zodiac uncomfortable. He sets them on edge and they seem to walk on eggshells around him. Tohru has noticed the tensing of their shoulders when he's nearby, the almost imperceptible quickening of their breaths and the rather large sighs that follow the boy as he leaves the room.

Toshiro is the elephant in the room that they can't ignore.

And for the life of her, Tohru cannot figure out why.

As far as she knows, Toshiro hasn't done anything to them, he hasn't acted in an untoward manner to any of the Sohma family. Quite the opposite, he's been quite charming in his own weird way.

So while Tohru wants to add Toshiro to her painting, she will wait. Until she understands what is going on and why it's proving to be such a problem.

Because it seems that Sohma's have more skeletons in the closet than previously thought.

And one of the biggest ones, is a small teen called Hitsugaya Toshiro.

No, Tohru is not totally oblivious.

There are two large piles behind him. One is for the donations bin right around the corner, and the other has a one-way ticket to the garbage tip just outside town.

It's been a few hours now and Kazuma has blown through almost all of the boxes. Currently there are only three left to sort through. He's feeling good about the amount of the work he's managed to accomplish and how much he'll be able to donate. It's mostly kids toys and manga volumes left over from his childhood.

But he still hasn't found what he's looking for, and that's making him frustrated. He hadn't had the forethought to label any of the boxes he put into storage and that as proving to be his undoing.

Maybe he'd thrown it out by mistake.

Perhaps he did it deliberately.

Either way, he'll punch himself if he did.

Kazuma sighs and sits back on his haunches. Sweat is beading on his forehead and he wipes it away with his arm, leaving a grimy smudge in its wake, but he doesn't care. He'd been here since early afternoon and it was now approaching eight o'clock at night. The staff had already come by to tell him that he had less then hour to sort everything out before they locked up for the night. Kazuma rubs his eyes before setting his sights on the last three boxes, each stacked neatly on top of eachother. He lifts himself to his feet with a grunt, ignoring the ache in his legs and trudges towards the boxes. He grabs the first and breathes a sigh of relief, it's light. He puts it on the ground and reaches for the second box and finds it's just as light as the first. When he lifts the box box stops dead. It seems that he had labelled at least one box out of the bunch.

He places the load in his arms to the side before kneeling infront of the last box. Kazuma runs his fingers across the lettering, a wistful smile upon his lips. He removes the lid and he finds it impossible to contain the small sob that escapes him.

"There you are."

Nothing about Sawako and Kouhei this time, I felt that what I planned to write for them didn't work with the pace of this chapter. It was out of place and I wasn't very happy with it.

Okay, I know that Kisa is MAJOURLY out of character, but that's what I need right now. People change when they're confronted with something they don't understand or can't handle emotionally. It kind of like when someone dies and a close friend/family member, starts acting weirdly. Im taking that route with Kisa because it would be unnaturally for everyone to react calmly to what's going on. Having her and Hiro clash about this will help flesh out the plot, I promise!

I know that some of you have been looking forward to the plot actually coming in to play. I promise you that it is starting to move forward now and that Sawako and Kouhei play an important part in that.

I got a little bit carried away with Tohru's part in this chapter. I like how it turned out though!

I got the worst writing block for the very first part of the chapter. I had half of it written out for weeks, but I couldn't make the rest of it flow like I wanted. I finally decided that I needed to scrap what I had so that I could start over fresh. I'm glad I did! It turned out better than what I had originally worked on.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Dragonshenron