The day was over and Hitsugaya had to return back to his assignment the next day. His time had elapsed on this case but he managed to find enough to have an idea what was going on. Which is why he prepared the last piece of his contribution to this investigation: instructions and a picture. After writing on the parchment paper, he sealed the envelope closed with wax and summoned a hell butterfly. "Put me in touch with Ayasegawa Yumichika."

Karin left the house early the next day.

Which meant Yuzu had breakfast alone and went to school alone that day. It was pretty lonely and lousy. She barely looked at her phone because it was a barrage of texts from Kei and Midori and she had no idea how to face either of them. She made it to school and sat at her seat quietly. Almost immediately, Kei who was with the other guys towards the back of the class, went over to her and pulled up a chair.

"... did you... see my texts?" Kei asked and Yuzu nodded quietly. "Look, I don't know what's going on between you and Karin and I don't know what set her off but she had no right to talk to you like that no matter how angry she was. You were trying to help her —"

"That's where you're wrong..." Yuzu sighed.

Kei looked confused. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Yuzu said. "Only that she's right."

Kei frowned. "Don't tell me you're icing yourself out too." He said and Yuzu didn't bother looking up at him or answering. "Yuzu!"

"Uehara-kun, I'm tired of doing this." Yuzu sighed. "Whatever it was we were doing... I think we should stop."

Kei frowned. "I don't care about that. I care about you and Karin. We're friends —"

"No, we were never friends." She said. "You and Karin and everyone else were friends. I forced myself in. I have no genuine connections with anyone and if you feel like I do, I must've faked it. So let me be. I'm done pretending."

Kei was just confused and was about to speak but the bell ring and he huffed in annoyance before standing up and walking back to his seat.

You're straying down a very dangerous path... Kyōgetsu told her.

Aren't you the one who says I'm the bearer of the truth? Yuzu asked

And what is the truth? What you have convinced yourself... or the real problem you are too scared to confront?

Yuzu immediately blocked her out afterwards as the class began.

Lisa was concerned. It has been two days since Mashiro returned back home. Her hair was a weird mixture of brown and green and she was more hyper than usual: Not the annoying brand of hyper but the concerning, overcompensating one. She was naturally hyper so her looking like she was putting effort into it was off.

"I had a great day at the kindergarten." Mashiro buzzed. "Yuko-chan made me the cutest little card as if she didn't puke on me a few weeks ago. I love those little demons!"

Lisa raised an eyebrow at her and Mashiro ignored it, teeming in her seat but Lisa could see past it. "You're not dying, are you?"

"Not anymore than usual." Mashiro shrugged and Lisa narrowed her eyes at her. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding! I'm as healthy as a fox."

"It's... it's ox." She said and Mashiro shook her head. "Healthy as a... never mind. Look, you've been acting weird since you got back."

"What makes you say that?" She asked

"For starters, your hands are shaking." Lisa pointed out.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You have the steadiest hands of all of us here... omnitsukidō training." She said. "You only visibly shake when you're angry."

"Pfffft!" Mashiro scoffed. "And why would I be angry?"

"Many reasons." Lisa said. "You didn't see Kensei or the others at all while you were there?" The mask fell. "There it is."

"Kensei is a bitch."

"Vulgarity... a new one. I like it." Lisa noted. "What did he do?"

"For starters, he made it ten times harder by not vouching for me and then he tries to patch everything up by asking me to rejoin the ninth and share second seat with his current lieutenant." She said.

Lisa raised an eyebrow at that. "Does he have that authority?"

"He said he would speak to the sōtaichō."

"... are you going to?"

"Of course not." She shook her head. "And his division gave me every reason not to. Reminded me why I was going to leave in the first place."

"Why? Were you harassed?"

"Wouldn't be the ninth if I wasn't." Mashiro said. "He hasn't learned a single thing."

Lisa sighed. "Between Kensei, Rose and Shinjii, I don't know who is the bigger asshole."

"Definitely Kensei." Mashiro said. "Nothing in that head but audacity and stupidity."

Lisa chuckled. "Hard agree." There was a knock on the door. "Hachi!" Mashiro blinked at her. "What? I'm comfy,"

"Hachi is at work." Mashiro said

"Damnit. Would I be an asshole to send you?"

"Do you see the hair?"

"Can I be an asshole?" She changed her question and Mashiro rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll be a good person for once." She stood up to go get the door. Mashiro went back to eating lunch as the door swung open. "Mashiro! Do you remember tacky peacock head's name?"

"I'm right here, you tasteless imbecile!" The new voice yelled.

Karin wondered what Urahara wanted as she walked to the small shop after the end of the school day. She did not mind either because she planned to call Hitsugaya once she was there. This just made it a lot more easier than finding an excuse to head on over. She slid the door open and found Urahara, Tsukabishi-san and Yoruichi seated with someone other person inside: a shinigami who was wearing what looked to be red and yellow false eyelashes? But there... are only four on one ey- Never mind. Karin gave up trying to understand the stylistic choices of some off these shinigami. Between this guy's reed eyes, Urahara's straw hat and whatever demon compelled Renji to actively get rid of his 75% of his hairline for some face tattoos was beyond her.

"So... more bad news?" Karin asked.

"Not necessarily." Yoruichi said

"Why so doom and glum, young girl?" Tessai followed up

"Do you ever say hello?" Urahara complained finally once he had the space to and Karin rolled her eyes before sitting down. "Karin, this is Ayasegawa Yumichika."

"Hello, Karin! I'm a friend of your brother's." He smiled

Karin blinked at him. "I don't exactly like my brother but... okay." She deadpanned and Yumichika frowned. "Any reason why you asked to see me?"

"Well, you'd be eager to know but I was sent here by Hitsugaya-taicho to deliver a message." Her face instantly lit up with interest at that. "Huh, I should have started off with that than your negative energy causing my handsomeness wrinkles."

Were all shinigami this dramatic? She was starting to think Hitsugaya was the only sane person in Soul Society and that said far too much considering he used to have hissy fits over someone calling him short when he was 4'6. "What's the message?"

"He would like you to take a look at this photo." Yumichika said and Karin was confused on what that had to do with anything as he reached into his pocket to pull out an envelope. He slid it across the table to Karin.

Karin opened the sealed envelope and pulled the picture out. Her eyes fell on the picture and her brain flashed to white as disoriented voices echoed through her head but one was clear in particular; her own: Please stop! You're killing her! STOP! She blinked as she shook out of it and stared down at the picture then back up at Yumichika. "No..." She shook her head. "Who is this supposed to be?"

"I didn't look at it." He shrugged. "He had strict instructions that the envelope must arrive to you sealed. I had to see Kuna Mashiro to deliver a message in the same respect. I would not like to make him angry... plus, those things are a pain to seal. Who still uses wax? I'm nosy but I'm not thirsty."

"Maybe it's one of the people he suspects that was working with Aizen." She shrugged, putting the picture back in the envelope.

"Well, can we see the picture?" Yoruichi asked. "Maybe we can identify him?"

"Uh... I don't think that's a good idea." She said. "Especially if he is wrong in the first place and it turns into a manhunt. We already have very little leads to focus on a rando. I have multiple drawings of my time at the factory so I can just cross reference with that." She put the envelope in her book bag. "I really wish I could help but... my memory is still a little fuzzy."

"If... you're sure." Yoruichi watched the young girl suspiciously but let it slide.

"Well, that was a waste of my precious time." Yumichika huffed. "I was supposed to have a beauty nap today."

"Well, that's a shame." Karin frowned. "Um, Urahara, do you mind if I have a Hell Butterfly?"

"Why, would you like to speak to him about the picture?" He asked

"Yeah." She nodded. "But I have to go for soccer practice soon and this is in case he is busy. I don't want to catch him at a bad time."

"Very well, I can arrange one. Give me a second." Urahara stood up and walked into the backrooms.

A few minutes later, he walked out with one in a jar and gave it to her. "Thanks! I have to run. Sorry for the trouble." She stood up and walked out of the shoten and felt winded as she moved, feeling her vision blur slightly only to bump into Jinta who was outside. "Oh, you still exist."

"I could say the same about you." He said and Karin sighed, getting ready to walk away. "You lied back there."

Karin froze in her tracks and turned to look at Jinta. "Uehara-chan is already at soccer practice... seniors don't go after the high school tournament is over." Karin sighed, shaking her head. "What are you hiding? Did you recognise the person?" Karin said nothing as she walked off, leaving Jinta in the front yard of the shōten.

Aizen Sosuke leaned his head against his hand as he sat on his white throne. He stared at his helper entering the room who bowed before him. "Has everything been cleared?"

"Not a trace left, Aizen-sama." He said. He was wearing a spiked, metallic face mask that covered his whole face and a long, flowy black cloak.

"Excellent work."

"Thank you." He stated. "Now that I have diligently served you, may I have your permission to complete my own pursuits?"

"Ah... the ōin is being transferred soon." Aizen said. "But my informants told me that the squad in charge of out this year is Jūbantai. Does that not damper your plans?"

"I was hoping for a better outcome, but I accept that challenge greatly." Aizen could hear the smirk beneath his helmet and could tell he was getting cocky.

"Go well then. You know where to return to." Aizen said. "Take Yin and Yang with you... I would like to test my experiments in a more... demanding environment."

"It shall be done, Aizen-sama," He nodded

"And Kusaka?" Aizen smirked. "I would like you to return one of my puppies home. It is your fault that she got lost in the first place."

Kusaka smirked. "Dead or alive?"

"Alive of course. She is an asset." Aizen said. "But if she has undergone any maturation of the seal then kill her. She knows too much."

"Well, that was a long and pointless trip." Yumichika said after entering Hitsugaya's office. "The boss is not going to be happy you plucked someone out of his division for that... especially his most dashing soldier."

"I can handle Zaraki-taichō." He nodded.

"The girl said she didn't know who that was," Yumichika said. "At least she wasn't sure, her memories are still a bit hazy." He pulled out a note from his pocket and gave it to him. "And this is from the vizard."

"I greatly appreciate the effort. Thank you."

"But next time, let someone else be the errand boy. That was an utter waste of my time." He said before leaving Hitsugaya's office. Hitsugaya was glad that his plan was successful. Ayasegawa's eagerness to do the task helped... because lord knows had he sent Rangiku or anyone else, they would be far too nosy.

Hitsugaya took the little envelope and opened it up, revealing the note. Tōshikō-kun... from the very first line, he was agitated with that dammed vizard.

Your concerns are correct. Yes, Hyōrinmaru was part of the clan of dragons. They were intended to go extinct in the spirit realm but us shinigami have very little understanding of how the spirit realm works. Yes, as I had said before, a zanpakutō spirit is not inherently good or evil... just neutral and then conditions dictate the path in which it takes. The dragons were not always an evil clan... so for a zanpakutō to want to return to itself, it is possible to split and shed off its corrupted nature.

That being said... if you know any two people who use the same zanpakutō, that is false. One is a byproduct from splitting often caused by corruption after dormancy for millenias. Hence why corruption is referred to as the millennial curse... because corruption does not always last, it fades back to neutrality as years go by. So the second one takes on the form of darkness.

As for whether Soul Society recognises the phenomena, I can't say. It's just as rare of zanpakutō corruption. Less than even. But Soul Society is an old civilisation and some things don't stand the test of time... or get lost in meaning as the centuries go by. So if someone has been executed for holding a duplicate... I would not be surprised.

Hitsugaya looked up as a hell butterfly approached him. "Hitsugaya-taichō speaking."

"So... what the hell was that all about?" No greeting, a typical Karin way to start a conversation.

"You got the picture."

"Yes."

"Ayasegawa said you didn't recognise him."

"I can't exactly say much when you scribble don't let anyone else see this... burn it after you're done at the top." Karin said.

"So... what's the truth?"

"That you have a shitty taste in friends!" She scathed. "Hitsugaya, what. The. Actual. Fuck?"

Hitsugaya sighed heavily. "So it is him."

"Do you know what he did to me!" Karin yelled

"Karin, I'm so sorry..."

"No! No, we're not apologising. We're working. We're finding his ass." Karin said.

"I told you I was taken off the case..."

"But we have a name and a face."

"It's complicated and you know that. I told you what happened."

"But this was years ago! Why does it have to be complicated?" Hitsugaya stayed quiet. "Hitsugaya?" He said nothing. "Hitsugaya!"

"Give me until next week after I have completed my current assignment."

"Fucking hell, Tōshirō!" She spat.

"I'm really sorry. That's all I can offer." He said. "You've seen how poor administration is here. I need time or else I'll waste time butting heads here." She fell silent and Tōshirō was concerned she hung up.

"You know... for a system that has failed over and over and over again, you sure do have faith in it." She said, the hurt and pain finally showing through. "Call me when Hitsugaya Tōshirō can come to the phone... I don't want to talk to Hitsugaya-taichō." The line went dead. Frustration bubbled up inside of him after that... but he could not be angry because she was right. It wasn't even the first time she mentioned it.

"You sacrifice so much for Soul Society." Karin told him as she sat on her bed, staring out at the snow piling up outside. Hitsugaya was sitting at her desk, writing something . "But it never feels like you're... recognised for your accomplishments."

"You think so?" Tōshirō asked.

"You work really hard." Karin said. "And so much responsibility is placed on you."

"Well I have a duty." He said. He heard shuffling before Karin came beside him to see what he was writing. "Are you bored?"

"Just curious." She said. "I'm always thrown off by the traditional characters you write with and the neat ass calligraphy. I'd offer to help —"

"Your handwriting is practically ineligible so pass." She smacked him in the back. "Sorry, I was just joking." She rolled her eyes as she knelt on the floor.

"If you didn't go to Shinō Academy... What do you think you would be doing right now?" She asked.

"No clue." He said. "Probably carpentry since that was what my grandmother was doing."

"Do you think about what life would have been like if you hadn't taken that path?" She asked.

"No." He said.

"How come?"

"There's more things I appreciate about my life than what I dislike and I wouldn't change it for anything." He put it simply.

"But that path brought you pain as well." He paused his writing before turning to look down at her. "You said it was snowing out when they executed your best friend, correct?" He didn't like where this was going but he nodded. "Do you remember the day?"

"It was years ago." He said, evading the question altogether. "Execution dates are not recorded... especially when they are meant to be secretive."

"Did they ever tell you what the problem was?" She asked and he shook his head. "... you have so much faith in Soul Society yet they always let you down."

"My opinion on them doesn't matter. They do more good than harm." He said.

"That sounds like an opinion." She pointed out. "It's your birthday and you're working overtime." He looked at her as she stood up. "Then you have to leave bright and early for your next mission."

"You know I don't celebrate my birthday." He reminded her. The only reason why he was here was because Matsumoto had come to tell her the previous year during her holiday that she was looking for a gift for him and had no clue what to get because he was so difficult and no physical items from Soul Society excited him. He came by to visit in January where he experienced her wrath of hiding that from her and had no intentions of facing it again hence he was here with her on the 20th.

"Doesn't it get tiring?" She said. "Forcing yourself to not indulge in anything?"

"What's the alternative?" He asked her.

"Whatever you want it to be." She smiled. "You're still young."

"... they killed him on the 19th." He admitted and Karin froze visibly. "He never got a grave for me to pay my respects. He was planning for us to do something to celebrate my birthday... but then I got to see another day when he passed on. I couldn't live with that guilt knowing that I was allowed to see another day. So I stopped caring about it."

The room fell silent and Tōshirō huffed before turning back to finish the document he was penning but Karin took the pen. "That's enough."

"Kurosaki." He muttered. While they were past the stage of referring to each other by surnames, he still did it only to show his annoyance.

"Tōshirō... you are allowed to want to enjoy yourself." She said as she went to sit on the floor by the side of her bed. "You came here for a reason so there must be something you want to do outside of writing a damn paper." He turned to look at her. "We can do whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" He asked for clarification and she nodded. He sighed before standing up and joining her on the carpet. "I would just like to enjoy your company." Karin smiled before resting her head on his shoulder.

"You have ink on your hand." She pointed out and he lifted his writing hand to look at it. He never understood how writing with ink and a felt pen was so easy for him but with these modern pens, he always smudged himself. "It's because you write like a child." As if she had read his mind, she mockingly provided an answer. He looked at her before smirking mischievously and rub it against her face. "No! I don't want." She giggled as she tried to wrestle him away.

He always dreaded having to leave. It reminded him that this momentary bubble of comfort and happiness was exactly that... momentary. He fixed his shihakusho, looking around to see if he left anything behind before putting on his new green scarf which was a lot more warmer than his last one. His gaze turned to Karin who was partly sleeping on her bed, quietly snoring. He could tell because she was still tossing and turning quite a bit.

He hated this.

How long would this even last? He can't keep stringing her along like this. They both knew for the longest that this was not going to end well and they agreed that despite this, it was worth trying. But the more years passed by, the more he realised that they were running out of lifelines. She probably noticed he was up because her eyes opened slightly.

"Tōshirō?" She hummed sleepily and he crouched down to meet her eye level. "Were you just about to leave?" She groggily said.

"I have to go." He whispered.

"Can't you stay until morning at least?" She offered and he sighed before kissing his forehead.

"I'll see you again soon." He promised her. "Go back to sleep, okay?" She hummed before drifting back into sleepiness. He would have liked nothing more than to be there right beside her but he had obligations, just like she did and one day, they would have to decide who gets priority.

He flash stepped out of her room through the window and closed it before dropping down to the ground. It was cold out but he did not mind the walk, he would rather be with his thoughts as he mulled over the state of this small town. If he had survived, where would he have grown up? What would he be up to right now? Would he be in this dilemma or just content?

The only reason he never entertained these thoughts because it means absolutely nothing. He would have never been the person he is today and he would have never met the people he did... more especially the black haired bomb who dropped into his life. The Kurosakis were a personality — he knew this because of the father and suicidal blockhead named Ichigo. Yuzu was the only normal one and even that was by a stretch. Karin was everything he never thought he would like about a person yet here he was, completely enamoured by her and all her eccentricities. He would have to give up on her one day because she deserved much more than he could offer.

"Hitsugaya-taichō." He stopped as he was surrounded by several footmen in black outfits covered from head to toe with the only identifying thing being a band around their left upper arm with a pasque flower insignia.

It was the omnitsukidō.

"You have been summoned to return to Soul Society immediately." Suì-Fēng ordered rather intimidatingly. While others would have thought this was simple procedure, he had not told anyone his whereabouts. Hitsugaya kept things simple and put his sword on the ground before raising his hands in surrender. The two personnel behind him did not hesitate in tying his hands behind his back. While Hitsugaya knew he was not in major trouble, it was safe to assume that this was the last time he would ever see Karin again.

And he was correct. That winter was the last time he saw her.