They slouched off, one on either side of the road.

Both were wrapped up in their little world of resentment and worry: Karin at her brother, Hitsugaya at the increasingly frustrating feel of uselessness in the human world. Neither noticed the lithe figure shadowing them.

When they reached Urahara's shop ten minutes later than usual, neither noticed that the door was ajar.

Karin yanked the front door open and threw her schoolbag on the floor as per usual. "I'm here."

"We're here," said Hitsugaya, unslinging his bag from his shoulder. Then his frown deepened. "Where is everyone?"

Before Karin could answer him a shrill ringing sound echoed about the dim and cramped space. Hitsugaya flipped his phone open. "Yeah."

There was an urgent spate of talk on the other end, to which Hitsugaya only grunted replies. Then he shut his phone and said to Karin, "Go down the ladder and start your training. There's something I need to supervise."

Karin scowled. She waited for Hitsugaya to pull her shinigami form out of her body. As he held her hand with his own gloved one they both heard a familiar voice.

"What are you two doing?"

Karin and Hitsugaya turned to see Ichigo, arms folded, eyes blazing. Hitsugaya recovered first. "I'm holding her hand."

"I can see that." Ichigo stomped down the one step. "Why are you doing it?" He reached for their joined hands and pulled them apart.

Only to realize he hadn't pulled them apart.

"Wha-" he stammered, then twisted around to stare at Karin, holding Hitsugaya's hand. And then at Karin, unconscious. "What the bloody, freaking, insane hell happened?"

He whirled on Hitsugaya. "You made my sister a shinigami?!"

"I chose to be a shinigami, Ichi-nii." Karin was not about to stand for stupid accusations. "He has nothing to do with this."

Hitsugaya's face was set and he shook Ichigo off. "I have to meet Matsumoto. Karin needs to be in training in the basement. And as for you... I think you have an elsewhere to be."

Ichigo was stunned when Hitsugaya carried Karin's body into the little side room where Ururu was waiting, her eyes wide with overhearing the little confrontation. Karin took the chance to hop downstairs.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Was that your brother yowling away upstairs?" Yoruichi asked when Karin had shimmied to the bottom of the ladder.

"The one and stupid." Karin sighed. "He knows now."

Yoruichi gave a very feline shrug. "He has to, eventually. Better for him to release all the anger now than-"

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, KARIN?!"

Karin and Yoruichi shielded their ears. Ichigo was furiously glaring at his sister, his hands gripping the thin shoulders beneath the shinigami uniform. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? It's not a game, Karin, it's about responsibility and, and life and death and – gods, Karin, what made you do this?"

"I had to, Ichi-nii, there was no other way," said Karin evenly. She pulled away from his grip. A silent ring of spectators had gathered: Renji, Sado, Urahara, Tessai, Ikkaku, Yumichika, even Jinta. Yoruichi stood behind her student, her unspoken support greatly appreciated by Karin.

"What do you mean no other way?"

"You weren't around, Ichi-nii. You weren't there with the family-"

"Oh this is not gonna be about me-"

"Be quiet, Ichigo. Let her talk." Renji's solemnity startled the orange-haired teenager. Sado's eyes echoed Renji's words.

Karin took a deep breath. "Over summer, I was attacked by hollows. Many times. I managed to escape, and sometimes some of us could take down the weaker ones. But when I was alone, or with Yuzu... when a hollow appeared I was helpless. I couldn't protect myself at all. All I could do was run."

"I would've protected you," protested Ichigo. He was no longer shouting, but the hurt was evident in his tone. "You didn't have to do this. You shouldn't have to do this, Karin."

"You weren't around, Ichi-nii. You can't be around all the time," Karin insisted. "And now stronger hollows are appearing and, and they make me nauseous and ill and I just keep feeling the helplessness grow. I hate it, Ichi-nii. I hate that I can't be of use."

"You're not useless." Ichigo was still now. Karin looked into warm brown eyes, so like their mother's.

She looked down again. "I was. I couldn't protect the family like you could, and Daddy had to keep worrying about why I kept falling sick so often and... When Hitsugaya offered me a way out of the predicament I had to take it."

"So it was him," said Ichigo.

The bald shinigami placed his hands on his hips. "Look, Ichigo, I haven't been watching her progress, but I believe in Hitsugaya-taichou's assessment. If he offered her a chance to be a shinigami, I'm sure he had his reasons."

"Ikkaku is right, Ichigo," Yumichika said. Karin was surprised; the elegant shinigami had spoken less than five sentences to her throughout their acquaintance. He went on. "She is a natural at shunpo and her zanjutsu is improving each time I see her. Hitsugaya-taichou knows what he is doing."

"But she's so young!" Ichigo protested weakly.

Karin prodded him with Yuutsubame. "I'm also a Kurosaki, Ichi-nii. The shinigami thing? It's in our blood."

"Dad and Yuzu aren't shinigami, Karin. You are. And you're risking your life. I can't be protecting you if you go out risking it."

Neither Kurosaki saw the fleeting exchange of looks between Urahara, Tessai and Yoruichi.

Karin stepped forward. "Ichigo."

Her brother looked at her, startled by her seriousness. She inhaled sharply. Then she stomped on his foot, as hard as she could, and added a punch to his gut.

She yelled as he coiled into a ball, "Why do you think you have to protect me, Ichi-nii? I can protect myself! There is a war coming, and you can't just keep taking on the responsibility of protecting everyone! You won't have the time or the capacity!! Why do you think we're training?! Because we know we can contribute! I can't fight Aizen or, or an arrancar, but I can keep the hollows at bay until reinforcements arrive! I found my responsibility." She knelt to glare into Ichigo's eyes. "I found what I can contribute to the safety of my town, my family, my world. Don't force me to let it go. Don't take it from me."

"She's right," said Yoruichi, helping Karin to her feet. Ichigo struggled up on his own. The slim woman looked at Ichigo. "She may not be as powerful as you in terms of reiatsu, but she is more technically adept. And she isn't as risk-loving as you think, Ichigo. She knows when to attack and when to retreat."

There was a long, tense moment.

"I can't do anything about this, can I?" Ichigo finally exhaled, shoulders slumping.

"Nope." Karin's tone was suspiciously upbeat.

Ichigo scrubbed his hair. "I don't know what dad and Yuzu would say if they ever find out. And you," he said, a finger pointing at Karin's nose, "don't you dare die or do anything stupid like that. If you die, I'm telling."

"I won't." She grinned when he roughed up her hair, like he used to when he was younger. "And I'll tell too if you die."

"Like I will. And remind me to kill Toushiro when I meet him again. Doing this behind my back..." he muttered to himself as he went to the ladder. Urahara passed him a small container, which Ichigo pocketed.

Karin jogged up to her brother and gave him an impromptu hug. "Thanks, Ichi-nii."

"Yeah, yeah..."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"I knew it," Tina crowed softly when Hitsugaya left the dingy shop. She slid behind the lamppost as quickly as she could, noting that Hitsugaya was frowning at his cell phone. She wondered why.

Briefly she debated following him, but decided to peek in the shop to find out what happened with Karin.

That tomboy was not getting away with intercepting Tina's efforts.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Ichigo dodged the slim girl coming into the shop. "Ururu!" he called out. "Customer!"

"Yes!" The petite but deadly brunette kid came out from the side room, quickly sliding the door closed. "Good afternoon, how may I help you?"

"Uh... hi." Tina was a little stunned – how did the girl know she had entered?

Ichigo waved Ururu goodbye as he dashed off to the warehouses again.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Karin was on her third circuit trying to tag Yoruichi when they all heard the explosion upstairs.

Urahara was the first up the ladder, followed by Yoruichi and Karin.

The shop was in splinters. "Ururu!" Urahara caught the girl up in his arms. The girl opened her eyes and blinked tiredly. The shopkeeper bent to listen to the whispered words then passed her to Tessai who had followed from the basement.

Yoruichi stepped up to Urahara, her long fingers on his bicep. "How is she?"

"She's tough, you know that." Urahara hissed out a breath. Karin suddenly crumbled to her knees, shaking and sweating. Hearing the sound of tumbling merchandise Urahara turned around, instantly apologetic. "Karin-chan, I'm sorry, I forgot you were behind me."

"It- it's okay," Karin breathed out. The onslaught of killing intent had taken her by surprise. What was more impressive was that Yoruichi hadn't even flinched, hadn't even blinked, as if nothing had happened.

Wow.

I'd say.

Yuu, didja feel that too?

Sure did, girlie. Wouldn't want to face off with the red princess there. Wouldn't mind facing her though.

Yoruichi-san?

Not her. The other one.

His sword is female?

A very pretty one too, to judge from what I feel. Hmmmrr.

You just growled. No way am I gonna face his sword just cos you wanna flirt. Pervert.

Like you weren't flirting with the dragon's wielder yourself, bimbo.

Shut up, fishface.

Make me, whiner.

"Karin, Ururu said there was a girl about your age who was taken away. Brown hair, slim, had an English accent, kind of pretty."

"Tina? What was she doing here?" Karin checked her response, then added, "Who or what took her?"

Urahara raised his hat a fraction. "Probably hollow. The blast was very probably a cero blast, since I can't locate shell fragments about the shop. And besides, the place stinks of it. JINTA!"

"Yes, boss!"

"Clean it up. Deadline: twenty-eight minutes."

"What!?"

"And the reward: the tickets to the next big game."

"I'm on it, boss!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Tina felt groggy and sick.

She was moving... but she wasn't moving any part of herself. Something held her in tight bonds, cutting into her arms, and there was a stench of rotten fruit hanging around her.

Then she passed out again.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Karin pushed past Sado and said firmly, "I'm going after her."

"No you're not," chorused Urahara and Yoruichi simultaneously. The shopkeeper nodded at Sado and Renji. "Keep her here."

"How do you plan to track her when you don't even know what she looks like?"

"Souls leave signatures to the attuned eye, Karin. You should know that by now." Yoruichi said. She tied her hair back in the usual style, then turned a glare on Karin. "Stay here."

Urahara didn't signal his longtime partner but both ran off at the same time. Within seconds neither could be seen.

"Wait!" Karin yelled abruptly, dashing out the door.

Renji followed, his red hair flowing in the stiff breeze. "What is it, Karin?"

"They're going the wrong way!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Hitsugaya was irritated. "You said it was here."

"They're late. How is that my fault, taichou?" replied Matsumoto, almost flippantly. "Besides, it's not like you have to be there to watch her train."

She peeked at his expression from the corner of her eye. To her intense disappointment he was as impassive as ever. If anything the almost-permanent scowl deepened.

After two minutes he spoke up. "Ichigo has found out."

"You've seen Ichigo? How is he?"

"He's alright. But there is something that is bothering me." He turned his ice-blue gaze on his lieutenant. "Is there another shinigami in the Kurosaki family?"

"What? No!" denied the strawberry blond vehemently. Damn, has he found out? "Why do you ask?"

"Urahara-san or Yoruichi-san mentioned telling 'Kurosaki' about Karin's training. I thought they meant Kurosaki Ichigo, but he had no knowledge of it whatsoever." He bit his thumb knuckle, deep in thought. "But when I visited this morning I couldn't feel anyone else's reiatsu besides Ichigo, Rukia and Karin's."

"Perhaps there is another Kurosaki household in this town?"

"Then why did he or she need to be notified of Karin learning to be a shingami?" Hitsugaya countered.

Matsumoto made sure her face betrayed nothing.

Hitsugaya's scowl softened. "I can't wait. I'm going for a walk."

"But, taichou-"

"Call me when and if they finally get here."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Renji was agitated. "I'm not as brilliant as Yoruichi-san at tracking, but even I can tell she's headed in the correct direction."

"No. She's. Not." Karin pulled away from his restraining hands. She furrowed her brows slightly, scenting the air. "I can feel Tina nearby."

"Tina?"

"The girl," Sado replied on behalf of the brunette girl now straining her senses. "Her classmate."

Karin swerved round to face Renji. "Look, Abarai-san, I know I'm right about this. I swear if the hollow is too strong I'll just run away. Heck, maybe I'll run away anyway; it's not like I like Tina any more than she does me."

Renji hesitated.

"What's happening?"

Sado and Renji tilted their heads upwards, only to see Hitsugaya hop down from the roof of the nearby ceiling. Karin didn't bother to look around, but she said, "Tina was here. She's been taken."

"Tina?" Hitsugaya tried to recollect the face that went with the name. "Who's Tina?"

"The girl you kept calling Tammy this morning? The one that was trying to get you to ask her out?"

Renji kept that tidbit of news aside to share with Matsumoto.

Karin's back was rigid. She asked, still not turning around, "I'm going after her. You coming along?"

"It's too-"

"If you dare say it's too dangerous..." Karin's head snapped around for a second before she took off. Dust swirled in her wake.

Hitsugaya grimaced. "She never waits." Pulling himself out of his gigai, he told the two to keep watch over the shop and try to contact Urahara and Yoruichi. Then he followed the neon-brilliant glare of Karin's reiatsu.