Chapter 12: My name
Summary: My name is Kurosaki Karin. 17 months and some after my brother lost his powers I… died. After training so hard in almost two years to become stronger and protect my family back in Karakura, I needed to leave them after a freaking car accident. But I'm not worried. My life here in Soul Society just began. [HitsuxKarin]. Maybe I'll write stories for another partners, too.
Disclaimer: I don't own Tite Kubo's Bleach, and its characters.
We're now on the Academy arc, and here are the list of teachers and the subject they're teaching:
Gengoro Onabara-Hakuda
Fujita Aoi-Hoho
Izuru Kira-Haiku
Ashikaga Yuuta-Kido
Higuchi Isamu-Zanjutsu-Tanaka Rin
Kuchiki Byakuya-Calligraphy
Previously on Hitsugaya Karin…
"Byakuya-sama? Do you need to go? Is everything okay?" Nanami asked.
He looked at the woman sitting on the bed. "Hai. It's just… Ono Mami told the elders about our secret and…" Nanami tensed. "… The elders want to meet you. Tonight."
"How did she found out? Oh, Byakuya-sama, what should we do?"
"Don't worry. If they're willing to meet you, then it's not because they want to kill you. Let's just talk to them about your other concern. As for Ono, my grandfather banished her, and won't be entering Seireitei ever again." Byakuya answered.
"I guess, I better go look for an outfit base on their taste." Nanami went out of her bed, dragging the comforter with her. She didn't realize that only her front side is being covered when she turned around facing her cabinets.
Byakuya flash stepped towards the girl and ripped the comforter out of her hands. He dipped his head and bit her ears. "We still have a lot of time…let's…"
Nanami sat stiffly beside Byakuya. The stares and whispers of the Kuchiki elders make her want to just ran away and tell them that all of this is a joke.
"Grandfather, I have received your message. And what are you going to do about it?" Byakuya asked while looking proudly at Ginrei as he wrapped one arm around Nanami's waist.
Kuchiki Ginrei looked at his grandson. "Even though Miss Kobayashi is the reincarnation of your wife, they are still two different people." Nanami flinched because it's true. "Tell us, Byakuya, do you love this girl because of who her present self is, or is it because she is your wife's reincarnation?"
Nanami looked at her husband. "I met her just three weeks ago in this form, grandfather. Indeed, she is very different from Hisana," He looked at the woman beside him, "But those differences made her more lovelier than her past self. My Nanami is a strong woman. The way she wrote in my calligraphy class is the same as how I taught Hisana before but in Nanami's, I can see the determination and happiness in her every stroke. If I could love the same person in different life times, wouldn't that love become stronger?"
He lifts his head and met every pair of eyes in the room to show how sincere he was.
Satisfied with the answer, Ginrei looked at Nanami. "And you, Kobayashi-san, what do you feel about my grandson?"
Nanami sighed and straighten her back. She is poise like the true lady of the house. "I loved him when I was Hisana, Kuchiki-sama, but I never did get to love him to the fullest. I wanted to give all the love Hisana can't muster, and now that I know that my sister is safe, giving it to him is very easy. The Hisana you know died and was reborn into a different person capable of giving more happiness. I have given sorrow back then, I guess I was reincarnated to amend that."
Ginrei looked at the elders who began whispering. Byakuya caught Nanami's hand under the table and squeezed it. As someone told something to Ginrei, the whispers faded. "We just want to ask the two of you how you feel, but it doesn't mean that the decision we made will make you happy." He looked at his grandson. "You are the head of the Kuchiki clan, and it's your job to produce an heir. We've been waiting for so long for you to remarry again but now that Kobayashi-san appeared, this folders," He gave Byakuya the folders, "Are not necessary, right?"
Byakuya opened the folders and saw different resumes of wife applicants. He nearly throw it away, instead he put it on the table in front of him, and then looked at Ginrei and shook his head.
"As I thought," he muttered, "We have decided that Kobayashi-san will need to become your official wife in this lifetime, and an heir is…"
"If you will hear what I'm going to say, Kuchiki-sama." Nanami interrupted. When Ginrei nodded, she continued. "I am delighted to marry Byakuya-sama again, but carrying an heir while I am attending the Academy is not plausible."
"And you want to continue attending the Shin'O Academy?" One of the elders asked.
"Hai. I told myself before that I am going to be stronger and stronger so that I'll have the chance to be with him again. I want to make myself worthy of his love."
"But Nanami, you are." Byakuyas said. Nanami blushed.
"You don't need to be a shinigami, Kobayashi. You will be the lady of the house."
"While doing nothing? I was Hisana, but I hate to be weak. I hate to just sit there and wasting my time." Nanami said firmly.
"If that's what you want. Six years from now, or even sooner, if you manage to graduate and become a part of Gotei 13, Byakuya will going to marry you." Ginrei said.
"Arigato, Kuchiki-sama." Nanami stands and bowed.
The next day…
Karin's classes were so boring. Her class is full of peoples who want to be in her good graces, thinking that she can control the Gotei 13 if she wanted. The only eventful class she had was Kido. She looked at the damage wall of the Academy's training grounds.Why do I always manage to do a spell correctly but always on a wrong target?
"What was that?" Shin asked Nanami. He looked around the Calligraphy class one more time. When did it become like this? Girls, girls everywhere. He blushed. Again.
"There is a high possibility that the explosion was caused by Karin-chan." Nanami answered as she concentrated on writing the character 水 (water).
Shin studied Nanami's choice of word. Weird. From the first time I went in this class, she always writes Senbonzakura or anything related to that flower… What could she be thinking this time? "Nanami-san, are you thirsty?"
Nanami lifts her head. "Huh?"
"You keep on writing water over and over again, for the past 30 minutes." Shin responded.
Before Nanami could say anything, a voice behind them said quietly, "Abe Shin, if all you do is talk to Kobayashi during this class period, could you please disappear."
"Ah, Kuchiki-sensei, I-ah- was asking Nanami-san how to write water in… I'll zip my mouth." He said when Byakuya glared on his way.
"I told you yesterday that I'm going to teach you how to communicate with your zanpakutos. Go on and sit somewhere." Tanaka Rin told her class. They were on one of the indoor training halls. "Get you body relaxed."
Karin sat on one of the corners, her aura says 'if you don't want to die, find your self another corner'. She relaxed herself after that and listened to her Rin-sensei's instruction.
"Cross your legs, and put your practice swords on your laps. I want you to relax as much as possible. Now close your eyes."
Karin closed her eyes and was plunged into that burning place of her dreams. "What the? This is my inner world? Then that voice…"
"Karin-chan. You are here!" A voice from the fire resonated.
"You. Are you my zanpakuto spirit?" Karin asked.
"I am. I've been waiting for you to realize it but you're too slow."
"Wh-what the! What do you mean by that?" Karin said angrily.
"Just like what I meant." Her zanpakuto answered.
Karin found where the voice was coming from, but like all the time she could find the spirit, its always surrounded by fire, and the only visible thing she saw were the eyes.
"Zanpakuto-san, can… I see you?" Karin asked.
"Looked closely Karin. Come closer and you'll see." The voice replied. Karin took a tentative step towards the voice. "Come on, Karin. The fire won't hurt you."
Karin walked all the way, and she could see her for the first time. A lady, sitting on a rock, with crimson hair flaring like the fire itself, the tips are blue. She wore a black kimono with a reddish orange haneri and obi. "Hello, Karin. Welcome to your inner world."
"T-thank you. I… what shall I call you?" Karin asked.
The spirit smiled. "Are you trying to trick me, Karin-chan?"
"No! I just don't know what to call you."
"You can call me what ever you want for now. The only time you could call my name is when your life is in danger or if it's what you truly want." Karin wanted to say that she wants to know but stopped. "You'll going to practice your techniques with me from now on Karin-chan."
"I could practice? Isn't that supposed to be only when I called you?" Karin asked.
The spirit stands up and pulled out a sword. "From now on, you'll use this sword and I will teach you and break the order of events. That's my decision. My power, your power, is strong that you might hurt not only yourself, but everyone around you once you call my name." She gave Karin the sword. "Attack, Karin. Show me what you got."
Nanami is on her Hakuda class, and she's just sitting and staring in a space. Her mind wonders to her Zanjutsu class.
"Go on and sit wherever you want, and close your eyes. Concentrate but relaxed." Higuchi-sensei said.
Nanami sat and crossed her legs. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. And she was propelled into a place called inner world. She opened her eyes and saw her own world for the first time. She took a step, looking around her, and she realized that she's walking on water.
The water suddenly vibrated and small waves went into her way. "Nanami-san… again, someday…."
And Nanami was forced out of her inner world.
"Nanami-san, are you okay?" Shin asked. "You're spacing out again."
"I'm sorry. I just remembered something. The bell already rang. I need to go. Bye, Abe-san." Nanami got up and leave Shin alone.
Shin followed the girl with his eyes full of worry, and he remembered what happened after yesterday's events.
Shin was getting ready for sleep in his dorm room when a shadow suddenly covered his mouth and flash stepped from the dorm. Shin tried to stop the figure from kidnapping him but it's too strong. The figure went in a beautiful and big house and dropped Shin inside a room.
"You must be Abe Shin?" A voice of an old man said. Shin got up from his sprawled position and looked at the man. "Don't worry. I won't do anything bad to you."
"Then why did you abduct me?" Shin asked calmly. The voice of his Gengoro-sensei resounded in his head. Don't show your opponent that you fear them. They'll take advantage of it. Face every opponent with confidence. Show them that you can defeat them.
Kuchiki Ginrei looked at the young boy with interest. "I'm Kuchiki Ginrei. I just need to ask something from you, Abe. And you will receive a reward for it."
"K-Kuchiki! You're Kuchiki-sensei's grandfather." Shin recognized the man.
"You're right." Ginrei said. "I'm going to give you a mission, Abe Shin, and I heard that you are perfect for it." Shin looked at the man suspiciously. "Do you know Kobayashi Nanami well?"
Shin glared at the man. "And what of it?"
"I'm going to tell you an information that needs to be kept a secret. Would you promise not to tell it to anyone?" Shin nodded. "Kobayashi Nanami is a wife candidate of Kuchiki Byakuya."
"Huh? Wife candidate? I thought they were married?" Shin asked.
Ginrei was startled for a moment. "You knew. Oh, well. That's acceptable. Abe Shin, I want you to observe Kobayashi Nanami's progress in the Academy. This is to know if she'll qualify to be Byakuya's wife."
"… She qualifies to be any nobles' wife." Shin looked at the man. "Don't worry, I'll prove it to you." Shin went out of the room and out into a garden.
Before he could flash step away, he heard the man said, "Of course, you're right… Watanabe Shinichi of the Watanabe Clan…"
OMAKE:
Karin is on the 10th Division. She's laying down the couch on Toshiro's office. "Toshiro."
"Hn." Toshiro answered without looking up. He's writing furiously again and Karin is very distractive. A very beautiful distraction, he might stop doing his work again just to kiss her.
Karin sat up. "What is the title of this story again?"
"Hitsugaya Karin." Toshiro smiled when he said the title. I want her to have my last name. Author-san, when am I going to marry her?
"Don't worry, Toshiro-kun, even though it's not on the near future, I'll give you a beautiful wedding."
Toshiro frowned. "Okay. I'll be patient."
"Hey! Toshiro, are you listening?" Karin shouted.
"Huh?" Toshiro looked up. Shit! "Can you please say that again?" Karin pouted. Oh, God. Karin, don't pout your lips like that. Toshiro started standing up.
"Who's the main character of the story again?" Karin asked,
Toshiro walked over to the couch and sat beside Karin. He hugged her waist. "You," then he made Karin straddle him, "and me." Then he put his face where the shoulder and the base of her neck are.
"Mmmh.." Karin looked at the readers. "That's right. The story is called HITSUGAYA KARIN and it's about Toshiro and me." She tilted her head to give Toshiro more access…
A/N: A new chapter! This is for buttmunch2 who requested a part about Karin's zanpakuto. And I dropped a new surprise. I didn't even plan that. Yesterday, I wrote all the ideas I have for my weekend chapters and it's not on the list. It just happened. And if I might add, Shin's reason for looking after Nanami, and Karin, is because they were being bullied. Not because Kuchiki Ginrei told him.
Thank you to the following people, and to my new story followers:
AraShiba
ArtemisKirara7
Artimis1821
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BloodyME-yeah, I want them to do it, but I don't know if someone should come from the 'it' because if that happens, I would need to change the ideas I written down. I'm just experimenting and trying things out.
BootsMaraj
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Kagome Echizen Fan
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KumiTiny- I've read the plot summaries of your stories but I don't have time to read fan fictions now. I converted back to reading manga this past week. But you're right, the story became of an OC's. hehehe
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darkstar2010- thank you very much. Here's another chapter for you.
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Ziya Hitsugaya
Yukitsubasa-You're very much welcome. When you said that it made you laugh, I asked myself 'what happened in chapter 9?' I'm so baka, I needed to reread my own story. And it's my sister's fault why I have to add some humor in the story. She owned the account, and she posted the prologue for Hitsugaya Karin herself. She put the story in the Humor genre.
Yes! Thank my sister for letting me use her account by reading Amnesia. It's already in the falling action part of the story where everything falls in place and a couple of chapters more before the end. Read it too!