Chapter Six
"Matsumoto!" Tōshirō yelled, red faced with anger and holding a bottle of sake up. The blonde, voluptuous fukutaichō, Matsumoto Rangiku bounced in happily, tearing through the walls and heading for the office she shared with Hitsugaya.
"Taichō!" The woman bounded happily towards him, aiming at jumping him to smother him in her breasts but Tōshirō stepped to the side, letting her sail past and crash into the desk. "Taichō!" Matsumoto was weeping now. "Why didn't you catch me?"
"Because you are not supposed to throw yourself at people, idiot!" Tōshirō tsked before an anger crack appeared on his head. "And how many times have I told you to stop hiding sake in my office!" He motioned to the bottle in his hand. "And I found it under the damn floorboards!"
"You're no fun, taichō!" Matsumoto said. Tōshirō groaned in annoyance before draining the alcohol in the nearby kitchenette sink and tossing the bottle in garbage bin.
"Tch!" Tōshirō hissed. "I'm stepping out for a bit."
"Do you need me to join you?" Matsumoto asked, standing up and rubbing her head.
"What I need you to do is finish up the paperwork." Tōshirō said before picking up his zanpakutō and hanging it on his back.
"Eh? But taichō... paperwork is so boring!" Matsumoto complained.
"Then why are you even a vice-captain?" Tōshirō asked.
"You're acting as if I promoted myself!" Matsumoto argued.
"Well I sure as hell didn't promote you." Tōshirō said before turning to the door. "Hold down the fort while I'm gone." He shunpō-ed out of the office and out of jūbantai.
Is there a reason why you did not tell her that you are going to check on those Kurosaki girls?
Ah... Tōshirō cryptically answered Hyōrinmaru in his head.
The dragon, as usual, was tired of his bullshit. ... Well?
You know why... Tōshirō scoffed. You know everything.
As true as that may be, I wish to know for the sake of your sanity as to admitting this to yourself. Hyōrinmaru said.
I do not wish to get in trouble again. Tōshirō said as he moved quickly through the city.
But is it worth it to you? Silence. What will happen if you see her again?
Tōshirō sighed, shaking his head. It was bound to happen. I will cross that bridge when I get there.
"Good morning, Kurosaki-chan." An unseated shinigami walked into the room where Karin was being held. Karin sat cross legged on the bed, staring out the window. "Should we get your test results by the end of today and things are in order you can return to the world of the living." The shinigami turned to the bedside table to see that the food brought to her an hour ago sat there untouched. "Eh? Kurosaki-chan... you did not touch your food."
The shinigami was then kicked from behind and grabbed by the neck. The more she blinked and blinked, the more the figure of Karin seemed to fade on the bed. Karin knocked her out cold and pulled her into the nearby closet. The girl looked terrible with bags under her eyes and a lifeless, zombie-like gaze under her face.
Now continue... Karin did not respond to the voice but obeyed.
Karin walked into the halls, immediately putting on a much more natural look on her face. Patients were allowed to walk around the Fourth provided they were closely monitored but seeing a nurse without her was a bit questionable but not suspicious. "Kurosaki-chan?" The girl looked to the female shinigami before her. "Uh... where is your designated nurse?"
"She let me walk around without her because she had other duties to attend to." Karin said. "Is there a problem?"
"She should have assigned you to a different nurse in that case. You look tired. You need supervision." The woman said. "Let me accompany you."
"Very well..." Karin nodded, letting him walk beside her for a while until they were deep in the barracks of the Fourth division.
"We should turn back here." The woman instructed.
"Why... what happens here?" Karin asked.
"The vice captain's office is just around the corner." With that, Karin knocked him out cold with a kick to the face before sneaking forward to the captain's office. She slipped in and searched for her zanpakutō until she found it. She picked it up and walked out. She went over to the woman she had knocked out and pulled her into a nearby closet.
"Alter, Angetsu..." Karin released her shikai. "Hide." Karin whispered. One of Angetsu's blades turned into dust in the wind, moving towards her face and forming a mask. In the mirror, when she looked, she saw herself but once she stepped into the hallways...
"Ah, Fukazaki-san. I take it Kurosaki-chan was fine when she went back." Another shinigami said to Karin.
"Yes..." Karin responded, closing the door behind her. "She was perfectly fine."
Yuzu waited in the reception area, same spot as yesterday waiting for Kotetsu-fukutaichō to tell her about Karin's test results. Yuzu hated hospitals... which made no sense considering she lived in a clinic. But she hated them in the sense that the people she cared most about always ended up severely hurt.
Out of the two, Karin was born with a lot of health issues while she was born healthy. She was born underweight with lung problems and epilepsy from pre-natal injury on her brain. Karin was hospitalised for a good time in their childhood and once their mother passed away, Karin promised to never make anyone worry ever again. After taking up soccer, her health began to improve and they were able to monitor her seizure triggers better when she got older so she ended up being stronger and more assertive. Yuzu was so happy that she had come a long way and was always amazed by how perseverant she was.
So it hurt seeing her hospitalised. The young girl fidgeted in her seat, staring out into space and wondering when the madness would end. I have to stay positive... everything will be fine. Yuzu thought to herself quietly.
"Fukazaki-san, I don't remember Kotetsu-fukutaichō assigning you to errands." Yuzu looked to the reception to see a random shinigami talking to the tenth seat.
"She personally informed me so I should." The woman said.
"Fukazaki-san, surely the fukutaichō would have told me."
"Well she forgot, she has a lot to do anyway so I'm not surprised it slipped her mind, Matsumara-san." Fukazaki insisted.
Yuzu's eyes squinted at the lady, feeling something wrong. Since when do shinigami from the Fourth except the captain and vice captain carry around zanpakutōs? Yuzu commented.
They don't... Her zanpakutō spirit said.
Immediately, Yuzu was on high alert, watching this person. She caught a glimpse of her side reflection in the mirror behind her on the other end of the reception – a red and black mask on her face and raven hair tied up in a ponytail high on her head.
"Let me check with the fukutaichō first." Matsumara-san picked up her phone to make a call and Yuzu could see a ghost of a hand reach out for the zanpakuto in the reflection.
"Karin-chan, stop." Yuzu called, attracting attention of both. Yuzu unsheathed her katana, raising it and the illusion broke as Karin unsheathed her zanpakutō to block. The mask fell away from her face, revealing the cold, blank stare she remembered from two days ago, before rebuilding itself back onto the bladeless nodachi she held in her left hand.
Before Yuzu could gather her thoughts, Karin swung first. Yuzu ducked to the side and blocked the swing of the second blade with her katana. She flipped backwards and avoided the next slice as Karin charged forward. "Bakudō #4: Hainawa!" Yuzu chanted after she shunpoed out of a direct line of fire but Karin cut the energy ropes into shreds like they were nothing.
Damnit! Yuzu began to tremble as Karin swung for her over and over again. It was hard to keep up with two swords at once considering mindless Karin was suddenly a master swordsman.
Are you scared, Yuzu-chan? Her zanpakutō spirit asked and Yuzu did not respond. Are you scared, Kurosaki? It asked more condescendingly but Yuzu could not muster up the courage to answer. Yes, she was scared. She was terrified even. How can you expect to save your sister if you are always afraid?
I am weak. Yuzu thought sadly. I can't beat her.
And you think I am here just for fun and games? The spirit laughed.
You refuse to tell me your name. Yuzu gritted her teeth as Karin shattered through her defense with a devastating blow and disarmed her.
And I don't think I will until you truly live up to your resolve. The spirit said. What is your resolve?
"Hōkai-suru..." Karin whispered and her blades turned into dust and disappeared into the wind, leaving behind the hilts.
Oh God... Yuzu thought as Karin charged forward for her. Feeling like a sitting duck, she braced herself for defeat. She was a failure. She cannot even save her own sister. She was a disgrace.
"Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyōrinmaru." Karin's eyes visibly dilated, turning around to attack but it was too late. Ice encased her and trapped her, causing her zanpakutō to fall out of her hands and revert back to its sealed form. Her trance was broken as she blinked continuously, trying to make sense of everything.
"Tō... Tōshiro?" Karin stammered tiredly as the ice began to melt away. "What... happ–" Karin did not complete her sentence as she lost wind, falling forward. Tōshirō used shunpō to race forward and catch her before she hit the ground.
Yuzu stared on utterly frozen in shock in all that happened. Tōshirō walked towards the younger twin. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yes..." Yuzu stammered as she stood up. "Thank you... for saving Karin."
"Kurosaki... she is far from saved." Hitsugaya informed her, a glint of sadness in his teal eyes despite having a straight face on. "Go rest, I'll handle things here." He told her before taking Karin back into the Fourth, leaving Yuzu downcast to her shame.
Karin's eyes fluttered open for what felt like the millionth time yet her surroundings still felt so unfamiliar to her. "Do you remember anything?" Karin jumped up at the familiar sound and looked to her left, seeing a head of white locks and teal eyes staring at her with intensity.
"Tōshirō... what are you doing here?" Karin asked.
"I should be asking you." Tōshirō said, moving from his seat and walking over to stand near the hospital bed but Karin scooted away from him. He blinked at her in confusion and ultimately decided to move away from her. "... Kurosaki?"
"I asked you a question. What are you doing here?" She asked, the venom in her voice showing slightly as she looked away from him.
"I... was checking in." He explained.
"I don't want you here." She claimed.
"Kurosaki... You wounded a shinigami from the Fourth, impersonated her and fought against your sister." Tōshirō said and she looked back at him in shock. He caught the fear-filled gaze in her eyes. "They're fine."
"I... fuck!" Karin said, moving the sheets from over her legs.
"Oi! What are you doing?" Tōshirō questioned.
"I need to see Yuzu... I..." Karin was just about to step out when she stopped herself. "What if I lose my mind again?" Karin's eyes slammed closed as she clutched at her head, her fingernails digging into her skull. "Get out of my head."
I can't... and I won't... The voice laughed.
"Get out!" Karin yelled squeezing her head. "Leave me the fuck alone... I don't want you. Leave me...!"
"Kurosaki!" The raven haired girl was pulled out of her head when her hands were grabbed and pried off of her head. She opened her eyes and Tōshirō was right in front of her, sitting on the bed and stopping her, his teal eyes filled with concern. Karin looked at his neck and the white and green muffler on it. "What's wrong? Should I get someone?
Hee eyes lingered between his neck and his eyes. He still wears it...
He's a liar... don't trust him. The voice sneered at her. You know what he did to you.
"Get away from me!" Karin pushed him away and he backed away again. "I have enough to deal with and I don't want you anywhere near me."
He looked confused. "Kurosaki, should I get Kotetsu for you?"
"Tōshirō, I want nothing from you. You've done enough." Karin said. "The least you can do is fuck off."
"I'll call Kotetsu in on my way out." He relented before picking up the katana he left next to the door and walked out. Karin huffed angrily as the memories came flooding back... all the good but most of the bad. She lied back, hiding her face in her pillow, promising herself that she would not cry. She would never cry for anything even if it meant it would kill her in the long run.
A/N: We finally get a glimpse deeper into the powers of Karin's zanpakutō, Angetsu. Angetsu has six powers (one I discussed in Chapter 2). The one seen here at the beginning is Hide. Angetsu becomes a mask and allows the person wearing it to take the identity of the closest person next to them. More powers will be revealed as we delve deeper into the story.
Omake
"I can't believe the taichō always finds the places I keep my sake." Matsumoto groaned in annoyance as she trudged through the office on another mission to hide the sake. She wasn't going to let him win. "I'm smarter than he is." She said but everywhere she could think of was filled. "Darn it! If I was a short, white haired brat, where wouldn't I look?" She sighed before realising that he wouldn't be able to reach the top shelf.
Kōkichirō Takezoe entered the room and stopped at the sight of the woman standing on a desk chair. "Uh... Matsumoto."
"Shh! I'm hiding my sake." Matsumoto said. "He won't be able to reach the top shelf. It's brilliant."
"... But... he'll know." He said.
"How? He's short."
"He... was short." He corrected her. "He's taller than you now."
"By an inch."
"... Still taller."
"Oh hush up! That pipsqueak will never know."
"MATSUMOTO!" They heard a yell and Matsumoto yelped, slipping off the chair and dropping the sake bottle.
"... This is why you never call the taichō short..." Takezoe shook his head