Chapter Four
"So... no one knows what is wrong with her?" Rukia nodded at Abarai Renji's question with a sad sigh as she did paperwork. The rokubantai fukutaichō had decided to join Rukia for lunch that day at the thirteenth but he had no idea that there was indeed something wrong happening and that it was to the infamous Kurosaki Ichigo's little sisters. "That's sad. Does Ichigo know any of this?"
"Isshin only told him yesterday according to Yoruichi." Rukia said. "Odds are we will have to bury him because Ichigo is going to murder him. That is before he comes in here storming the place for his sister with that huge ass sword of his." Renji chuckled. He could not argue with that logic. He nodded in agreement as he continued to eat lunch.
"Where are they anyways?" He asked.
"I dropped them off at the Fourth this morning before coming here." Rukia said as she skimmed through another document to sign. "Kotetsu-fukutaichō did say they would not take long."
"I'm sure they are on their way." Renji said before snatching the page away.
"Oi!" Rukia protested at the act, glaring at her best friend.
"Eat. The paperwork can wait." Renji said motioning to the stack beside her. "Besides... shouldn't Ukitake-taichō be helping you?"
"I sent him back to his quarters." Rukia said. "He wasn't feeling quite well today. And this paperwork is due today."
"You have a terminally ill captain and you basically run the thirteenth on your own." Renji pointed out. "No one is going to give a shit if you are a day behind." There were many occasions where the thirteenth were pardoned and exempted from duties – especially not-so-pressing paperwork – because they were understaffed and under the leader of a sick captain. Not many graduates liked coming to the thirteenth after Shinō Academy.
Rukia looked sceptical before sighing, opening her lunchbox and picking up her chopsticks. Renji smiled, victorious at his conquest before they ate their food together and had a more light hearted banter about the hijinx that occurred in their different divisions. Rukia could always count on Renji to keep her at ease no matter the time or happening around her.
During their fun and laughs, Rukia heard a knock at the office door. "It's open." Coming in was Hitsugaya-taichō with Yuzu following close behind. "Hitsugaya-taichō... Yuzu?" Rukia asked, slightly confused as Renji stared at the two with a question clear in his eyes.
"I found her at the fourth." Tōshirō explained.
"They made me have some herb before the exam and the side effects are kicking in." Yuzu yawned sleepily before looking at the couch. "You don't mind if I..."
"No, go ahead Yuzu." Rukia said, noting the young girl's sadness. She motioned to the couch and Yuzu nodded before lying down, just about going to sleep like a night light. Rukia looked at the two before motioning to the door and Hitsugaya nodded before walking out the office. Rukia stood up and slapped the chopsticks out of Renji's hand when she noticed he was not following her.
"What the... oi!" He hissed at her.
"Shh!" She hushed him, pointing at Yuzu. "Come here." She whispered.
"But what does that have to do with me?" Renji whispered back just as harshly.
"Would you just—" She tugged on his arm and the rokubantai captain sighed before following her out, closing the door behind him. Now the three of them stood just outside the office in the corridor looking out into the courtyard.
"Hitsugaya-taichō... what happened?" Rukia asked.
"Kotetsu-fukutaichō said she was finished running tests on her." Tōshirō informed her.
"Okay... but where is Karin, her sister?" Rukia asked. Tōshirō looked to Yuzu first who was knocked out in that instance before turning back to the two lieutenants. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"She's being kept at the fourth overnight for more testing but I have a feeling she can be transferred to the twelfth if this persists." Tōshirō explained. "They fear that her zanpakutō is corrupt which explains why she has been having memory loss and why she randomly attacked Yuzu with her shikai."
"Wait... corrupt zanpakutō?" Renji echoed in disbelief. "And she obtained shikai?"
"It is extremely rare." Tōshiro explained. "Apparently zanpakutōs can be evil from the onset since they have their own personalities but that only happens when the soul it manifests in is evil in itself. Karin may be having a different case so they want to keep her for more tests."
Rukia huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This is bad."
"I just need to understand... how did she go missing for two weeks and none of us were notified?" Hitsugaya asked. "Were you told anything?"
"She was invited to a soccer camp during the school year. The school was the one who was sent the invite and everything." Rukia explained. "But Yuzu got concerned when she wasn't calling after a week. She called but her phone was off. People kept telling her she was probably overreacting and maybe they took their phones so that they could focus better since it was a training camp. In the end, Yuzu convinced Isshin to call the camp and they claimed that the camp was for the summer and not winter. The winter schedule for this year was for boys apparently."
"What?" Renji questioned.
"They had sent out invites, the camp was reputable and it was an international programme... it just wasn't at the time the invite mentioned. They knew who Karin was because she is part of the national team and played Under 17 one of those years... they thought it could have been an administrative error by sending the wrong dates but they didn't think it would cause much harm since she would go and they would just send her back." Rukia said.
"But she never arrived..." Hitsugaya noted.
"The soccer camp was in Chiba and the personnel claimed no girl showed up... only boys." Rukia said. "Someone had intercepted the mail and changed the dates then took her before she got there."
"But her friends play soccer." Renji said. "They would have known. Wasn't any of them going for the boys' camp?"
"They don't play on a national level. They just play for fun." Rukia explained. "I'm pretty sure she was better than them at some point."
"So what happened next? Urahara and everyone else went out to look for her?" Renji asked.
"They searched for three days after that and found her in an abandoned warehouse in the outskirts of Yokohama." Rukia said. "Kisuke knew it couldn't have been a regular kidnapping because she is practically at the level of a low ranking shinigami which is much stronger than an ordinary human being."
"This is bad because imagine the mundies snooping through this." Renji said
"Hardly. Yoruichi said Urahara took care of it so we don't need to worry about any rogue humans making a fuss." She reassured him. "Word getting out to people like the quincies would have been bad."
"I was thinking of seeing Ukitake-taichō to see what he knows..." Tōshirō suggested. "Kotetsu-fukutaichō did say it has happened before, a long time ago. Perhaps he knows because he is one of the longest serving captains in the Goteijūsantai."
"He is in his quarters." Rukia awkwardly said and Tōshirō nodded before turning to the door. "Ano... Hitsugaya-taichō..." The Captain of the Tenth stopped in his step to hear what Rukia had to say. "How do you know Yuzu and Karin?"
There was a long silence in the air before he decided to speak. "I used to play football with her." With that, he flash stepped out of the office, leaving a rather stunned Rukia and a confused Renji behind.
"Wow, Yuu... loosen up a bit." Karin laughed, mocking her twin as she loosened her fighting stance while Yuzu looked kind of sad, rubbing her arm where Karin had kicked her. It had been ages since Karin laughed, since she had smiled, since she was genuinely happy with life. It felt like millennia ago.
Why am I remembering this now? Karin thought sadly.
"I'm bad at this, Karin-chan!" Yuzu complained.
"Hey, it's your fault. You wanted in." Karin taunted and Yuzu bowed her head sadly. Karin sighed, dropping her stance completely and walking over to Yuzu. "Yuu... I am not good at this either."
"That's a lie." Yuzu huffed. "You're good at everything!"
Karin chuckled. "You kicked my ass last week in zanjutsu, I can barely hold a sword. And don't get me started on cooking and cleaning or getting along with other people."
Yuzu giggled sadly. "If you were a bit more serious then you could do better. I'm weak."
Karin held her sister by the shoulders. "Yuu... you don't have to be me or Ichi-nii to be strong. There are different kinds of strength and you have your own. I won't lie, I was less than thrilled when you wanted to train with me but you have pleasantly surprised me." Yuzu cracked a small smile. "There's that smile." Karin said and Yuzu giggled happily. "Tell you what, if you can land one hit on me then you can..." Karin began to hack, holding her chest. This was extremely difficult to say. "You can... take me out shopping." Yuzu gasped in shock. "And you can... pick out the clothes." Yuzu squealed happily before getting in position.
"Well hurry it up!" Yuzu said. "I am dying to see you in that pink dress I saw last week."
"I will regret creating a monster." Karin said. That was two years ago. It was funny how much they had grown since then but Karin wished things could stay the same.
You see this, Kurosaki Karin? The door before her revealing this memory closed in her face. Things cannot remain the same forever... your humanity is slowly fleeting from you.
Karin jolted awake, grabbing at her chest as her heart pounded against her ribcage. She kept hearing the voice over and over again, holding at her head. Where she was did not even matter... she just wanted all of this to stop. She was slowly losing her mind.
Your humanity is fleeting... Anytime she closed her eyes, he was always there, waiting for a moment when she would lower her guard.
Don't fall asleep... Karin told herself.
"Ah, Shiro-chan." Jūshirō Ukitake smiled at the younger captain after sliding open the shogi doors of his quarters. The elder captains of the Goteijūsantai took a liking in the young Captain... especially Ukitake who often used to give him candy much to his dismay — or secret pleasure when it was amanatto. Tōshirō noted that Ukitake looked more pale than usual. He was starting to feel that he should have approached Kyōraku-taichō instead. The man was very helpful despite his obvious laziness.
"Good day, Ukitake-taichō." Tōshirō greeted with a nod. "I feel like I'm intruding. I should..."
"Not at all!" Ukitake smiled before opening the door wider and letting the younger captain in, coughing into a handkerchief. "You are always welcome, Hitsugaya-kun."
"Thank you, Ukitate-taichō." Tōshirō thanked him before sitting down on the floor at the table where Ukitake was working. He assumed Rukia sent him here because he was not well enough to work but it was not the first time Hitsugaya has seen the man sneak out some paper work to do at home. "Did Kuchiki-fukutaichō not say you should rest?"
"Shiro-chan, if I sit idly then what is the point of my captainship?" Ukitake asked with a polite smile.
"Retire maybe?" Tōshirō suggested.
"Blasphemy!" The old man laughed. "I've been ill since I was a child. There's nothing they can do about it. Should I just spend my days awaiting my death?" The young captain said nothing because he knows that Ukitake is right. "So... to what do I owe this pleasure, Shiro-chan?"
"What do you know about zanpakutō corruption?" Hitsugaya went straight to the point.
"Uh... a lot actually now that I think of it." Ukitake said. "There is a whole history to it but it was never written down because it was too... risky."
"Can you at least explain to me how people acquire corrupt zanpakutōs then?" Hitsugaya asked.
"There are three known ways, Shiro-chan. A zanpakutō can naturally be evil and connect with a soul that shares the same qualities. Another would be in a rare case of hereditary where in a specific family line, there will be a generation where an offspring will have an evil zanpakutō regardless of how pure the soul it connects to is but that only works amongst nobility where zanpakutōs are simply passed on from generation to generation. Then the third one is basically how a zanpakutō became corrupt in the first place which is indoctrinated corruption."
"So the zanpakutō becomes evil over time?" Tōshirō questioned.
"Ah." Ukitake nodded. "Remember, zanpakutōs are like people and people are not born evil in most cases. Experiences turn people evil, other people influence people to become evil. That is in fact how natural corruption begins. You know that your zanpakutō, Hyōrinmaru had a soul it was connected to before he manifested in you, correct?" Hitsugaya nodded. "Imagine the wielder before you had evil motives and end up changing Hyōrinmaru to do its bidding."
"Hyōrinmaru would be evil as well." Tōshirō stated.
"Yes." Ukitake nodded. "Once the wielder dies, the zanpakutō moves on to the next person. Most of us already complain how our zanpakutōs have a personality of their own that clashes with our own... imagine an evil one."
"Can this cause the zanpakutō to take control of their wielder?" Hitsugaya asked.
"Only powerful ones can but provided that their wielder has recently attained shikai." Hitsugaya's eyes widened in shock. "A shinigami with a weaker zanpakutō that is evil can simply tame it because it has no power to control them even if they are new to it. They will merely act as an annoying sound in your head to sway you to do something else. Stronger ones however take advantage of their wielder's new found inability to use them so they merely take over." Hitsugaya's hands clenched at his side. "Are you okay... Hitsugaya-kun?"
"Ah..." Hitsugaya nodded.
"Is there a reason why you need this information?" Ukitake asked him.
"Just something I stumbled across recently in the passing." Hitsugaya said.
"Okay." The older man decided not to pry. "Allow me to add that indoctrination can happen in another way but that one is hearsay." Ukitake said. "A folk tale once stated that as a soul can corrupt a soul and a soul can corrupt a zanpakutō... a zanpakutō can corrupt a zanpakutō as well."
Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at Jūshirō. "Is that even possible?"
"Once upon a time in my youth, zanpakutō corruption was considered a myth because it was an old folk tale told to us children to be good. But now one has to wonder what are myths and what aren't."
"Uh... I don't think it is necessary." Yuzu shook her head as she stared at Rukia who offered for Yuzu to stay at the manor. They were back at the Kuchiki manor after dark and seated in the dining room around the kotatsu, seated under the toasty cushion. Rukia had asked the head servant Kumiko-san to prepare them dinner.
"Didn't you, Karin and Yoruichi plan to go back today?" Rukia questioned back.
"Yes but I would not want to inconvenience you." Yuzu said. "I can always go back to the Fourth. I don't think I'm going to sleep anyway."
"I doubt nii-sama will mind." Rukia said. "You are staying here and that is final. Besides, you won't be inconveniencing us. Other than the staff, only me and nii-sama live here."
"But... Rukia-nee!" Yuzu whined, ready to protest but the door slammed and footsteps were heard in the halls before a tall man stood in the doorway of the dining room. He had a cold stare etched on his face. He was in a shihakushō with a captain's haori. He had a kenseikan in his hair holding it up and a silver scarf around his neck.
Rukia stood up and bowed. "Welcome home, Nii-sama."
"Rukia... who is this?" The authority in his voice made Yuzu shudder in fear.
"Oh, this is Kurosaki Yuzu, Kurosaki Ichigo's younger sister." Rukia said. "Her twin sister is being held at yonbantai for the night so I offered her a place to stay here."
Yuzu stood up and offered a polite smile before bowing. "It is a pleasure meeting you, Kuchiki-dono." She lifted herself up only to meet a cold stare.
"Very well." Kuchiki-taichō said in a cold, insincere tone directed at Rukia that made Yuzu twitch in annoyance. She naturally was annoyed by rich people and how snooty they were and Soul Society nobles who acted so fitted the bill perfectly. He barely acknowledged her greeting!
"Will you be joining us for dinner?" Rukia asked.
"I have work to do, ask Kumiko-san to cover my food for me." Kuchiki-taichō said. "If you need me, I will be in my office." With that, he had left. Yuzu's eye was still twitching in annoyance by how he spoke with Rukia as if she was his subordinate. She could tell that Rukia highly respected him because of the -sama honorific but she was perplexed. My God, she is his sister... not his servant! Yuzu fumed.
"Does he always speak to people like that?" Yuzu scoffed. "The nerve!"
Rukia giggled before sitting down. "Yes, he always acts like that but trust me, he has his heart in the right place."
"He is nothing like you." Yuzu commented as she sat down.
"I am his sister-in-law." Rukia explained. "We are in no way related by blood."
Yuzu was confused. "I thought you said only you, him and your staff lived here."
"My sister – nii-sama's wife – died a long time ago. I did not even know her." Rukia shrugged. "Let me go check on Kumiko-san. I will be right back." With that, Rukia stood up and walked out. As soon as she was gone, her thoughts automatically strayed back to Karin.
Please let her be okay... Yuzu sighed, resting cheek against the table.
Omake
"Damnit, Kisuke! Where are my sisters!" Ichigo stormed into the shōten, wearing his shihakushō and waving Zangetsu around like a madman.
"Oi! Oi! Ichigo! What is going on with you?" Urahara asked, shaking and trying to get away from Ichigo and his rage.
"Where are they!" Ichigo yelled again.
"Soul Society?" It sounded like a question in Urahara's ears.
"What are they doing there!" Ichigo yelled.
"Kurosaki... I can assure you everything is under control." Urahara tried to convince him but Ichigo was not having any of it.
"BANKA–" Ichigo was stopped by a hit to the head by a large metal.
"How many times–" Clank. "Must I tell you–" Clank. "To stop exaggerating you, stupid brute!" Clank! The final hit dropped him to the ground and the raven haired girl standing behind him with the fallen stop sign she found at the front of the store out the door. It was probably the possession of a crossing guard before it broke.
"Tat-suki..." Ichigo muttered in pain.
"Thank you, Arisawa-san!" Urahara sighed in relief but wondered how the hell she hit a shinigami with a stop sign.
"I have an essay for my toxicology class due tomorrow and I have to drive back to Tokyo tonight. And I am not leaving you back here so I can come pick you up later!" She said before grabbing him by the hair and dragged him out of the shōten.
"But my sisters..."
"They're being taken care of!" Tatsuki yelled.