Chapter 18: Five days before the end
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. I just borrow some scenes on the manga and twist it into something that will blend with my story.
We're on the "The Thousand Year Blood War".
Previously on Hitsugaya Karin… Living World, Karakura Town, Japan…
"Ichigo!" A shout came down from the sky, and Ichigo turned around only to be hit by a green puffball.
"Nel? What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked as he hugged the crying toddler.
"Ichigo, Hueco Mundo…was attacked… by a beard man and troops…" Nel said between her sobs.
Another person fell from the sky and landed with his head. "What the! Wait, your Pesche, right? What's happening here?"
"Ow, and I was planning to surprise-attack you. Oh well, you are Kurosaki Ichigo."
"Can you please look at me?! I don't want to see your ass!" Ichigo shouted. "Nel was telling me something about Hueco Mundo and I was listening seriously…"
"Hueco Mundo was under attack…" Pesche said.
"… I already know that…" Ichigo said. "Come to my house and I'll call the others. You can explain there."
"Gengoro-sensei, Yamamoto-soutaicho gave us the order. The qualifying test may begin. A new enemy surfaced and they declared war on Soul Society." Shin reported to his former sensei.
"Very well. Will the Captains have time for the interviews? The Test will commence tomorrow. I'll inform the teachers."
"Hai. Thank you." Shin and Nanami bowed. And walked out of the empty classroom.
"Are you ready, Shin?" Nanami asked as they walked down the hallway.
"A little. But we've been learning for six years. We can do it like Karin." Shin answered.
"I'm a little nervous. What if something will happen tomorrow? I don't think I can do it." Nanami fidgeted.
"Do you want to marry Kuchiki-sensei?"
"Of course I do! All of these are for him…but now it's not only for him, it's for Soul Society, too." Nanami answered. "I'll spar with Karin-chan so that I'll have some practice."
"Is it okay for you to have done that?" Jugram Haschwalth asked his king. Yhwach just finished killing to of his vanguards.
Yhwach smiled. "They're dispensable. If I want more vanguards, I could easily make them." He walked up a stair and opened a door. Inside it was the chained Harribel, the leader of the Arrancars after Aizen's defeat. "Five days from now, the Soul Society will be ours."
"Hai, Yhwach-sama. It will be ours."
Ichigo, Orihime, Sado, and Uryu were with Nel and Pesche in Ichigo's room. Pesche told them what happened after Aizen's defeat. "Harribel-sama basically ruled the Hueco Mundo after Starrk and Baraggan-sama died. But one day, she suddenly disappeared. The Hueco Mundo was attacked by people who called themselves Wandenreich, and many of the Arrancars either got killed or joined them as their vanguards."
"He's right, Ichigo! We need your help!" Nel said.
"Don't worry, Nel-san. We'll going to help you. Right, Inoue?" Ichigo asked.
"Hai, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime answered.
"If Ichigo's helping, then count me in." Sado answered.
Uryu was silent. "I'm sorry but I can't help you."
"Ishida-kun!" Orihime was shocked.
"It's not that I don't want…"
"Yes, it's because you can't help a shinigami, right? Anyway, I only called you here because I don't want you to feel like you've been left out." Ichigo said jokingly to lighten the mood.
"What did you say, Kurosaki? Are you picking a fight with me?"
Karin entered the Tenth Division and saw Toshiro buried in stacks of paper again. She started to seat in a chair near him and automatically helped. Silence permeates the office as the two goes on a daily routine they established since Karin became part of the Division.
Rangiku walked in to find the two doing their work. She saw that even her papers were in front of Karin. She's really a big help. Oh well, I'll ask taicho if I could have the Division members to spar. That way, I could be of help… "Hitsugaya-taicho. Hi, Karin."
"Hi, Matsumoto-fukutaicho. Where have you been?" Karin answered.
"Oh, here and there. I see you're already doing my work. Thank you." Rangiku said.
"Yes. If I won't do it, Toshiro would, and he'll spend his entire day here again. You should help him! What will happen if got sick?!" Karin said.
"You're such a sweet girlfriend, Karin-chan. Taicho, are you paying back all her sweetness…with you know…during the nights." Rangiku asked.
A vein popped on Toshiro's temple, but his face is also heating because of the innuendo. "If you're not going to help us, go away!"
"I'm hurt, Taicho." Rangiku said. Karin just shook her head and continued doing her work. "Anyway, if I remember it right, the soutaicho asked us to get ready for the war. What are you doing there doing paper works instead of preparing the Division?"
Toshiro's eyes widened. "Right! How could I forget that?"
"Its okay, taicho. Finish those papers and follow me when you're done. I'll tell them to warm up." Rangiku said, and then she's gone. Her voice can be heard ordering the members of the Division to get ready for some sparring.
Karin and Toshiro exchanged looks. They find it hard to believe that Rangiku is taking the initiative. "Did I remind you that one of these days, the Academy exams will start and every Division will be busy for the recruiting?" Karin asked.
Toshiro's eyes closed and he massaged his forehead. "No, you didn't. It's not your fault."
Karin stands up and placed her hands on Toshiro's shoulders. She began to massage his tense muscles. Toshiro sighed with the feeling of his girlfriend's hands on him. "After, why don't you go lay down on the couch and take a little nap? It will help you refresh. I'll finish this work. It will be bad if you're not on a good shape when the war starts."
Toshiro opened his eyes. "B-but…"
"Don't make me force you, Toshiro." Karin said.
"…Thank you…"
Nanami entered the Kuchiki Family Manor. She's been living here since she passed her first semester on her first year in the Academy. At first, she refused to leave her house but Ginrei-jii asked her to consider. Karin urged her to go back home where she belongs, and Byakuya's 'It's okay if you don't want to live with me' made her do it.
"I'm home." She called out even though the people in the house rarely greet back.
"Welcome back, Nanami-san." Ginrei answered back.
Nanami was startled. "Kuchiki-sama!"
Ginrei looked at the girl. "Follow me, Nanami." He said and walked into one of the rooms in the manor. He sat on a throw pillow, and indicates the pillow in front of his for Nanami. Nanami sat down. "I heard that tomorrow the exams for the graduating class would begin."
"Hai, Kuchiki-sama." Nanami answered.
Ginrei reached for the teapot beside him and pour on the teacups he set in front of him. He offered Nanami a cup and picked his up and drank slowly. He set the cup down. "Are you ready, Nanami?"
Nanami sipped, and put hers down, too. "I am, Kuchiki-sama. I can't ready to serve the Soul Society, especially with the up coming war."
"The war… so you're going to take this test for the Soul Society and not to prove your worthiness as Byakuya's bride?"
"Grandfather, my wished is to be with Byakuya-sama's side at all times and I can't wait for that day to happen. But that day won't come if I don't stand up and face the enemy. I want to protect this world for my family and I. I want to protect Soul Society."
A small smile graced the old man's lips when he heard Nanami's address to him. He sipped his tea, and spent the day talking with Nanami about various things. I asked her to live in this house so that I can watch over her. I know that the elders won't touch her if she's in the main house's protection, but she and Rukia became this house light. They brought happiness in these tight surroundings. I hope that this war will end with us victorious.
"Captain Commander, the enemies, could they possibly led by Yhwach?" Unohana asked Yamamoto.
"You're right. He's back to get his revenge on Soul Society. I should have killed him back then." Yamamoto answered.
"…" Unohana was silent. The two looked at the door when they heard a knock.
Rukia opened the door to the Captain Commander's office. "Ah… I'm sorry for interrupting."
"You didn't interrupt anything, Kuchiki-fukutaicho. Please enter." Yamamoto said.
Rukia walked in and bowed in front of the two captains. "I just want to report something, soutaicho. It's from Ichigo."
"Let's hear it." He said.
"Ichigo told me that Neliel Tu Odelschwanck appeared with Pesche Guatiche on the Living World to deliver a news that Hueco Mundo was attacked by a group who called themselves Wandenreich. He, together with the two Arrancars, and Inoue Orihime and Sado Yasutora, are going to Hueco Mundo. Uruhara Kisuke is with them." Rukia reported.
"Hmmm. So they call themselves Wandenreich. If you can contact Kurosaki, tell him to gather intelligence and avoid any battle as possible. Tell him that we need his help any day. We don't know when he and his army will going to attack." Yamamoto said.
"Thank you for the information, Kuchiki-fukutaicho." Unohana said before Rukia can ask anything.
Rukia looked at her for a second, and then nodded and bowed. She walked out of the office.
"I'll send Hell Butterflies to the captains regarding this matter. I can't pull them from their Division while they're getting ready for the war. Unohana-taicho, you may return to your Division."
Unohana bowed, and walked gracefully out of the First Division.
"Teachers, tomorrow, we will start the examination of our students. The top classes are our priorities. We don't have enough time to test all the students. We don't know when will the war starts, but Soul Society need our students' help in the war." Gengoro said to the teachers in front of him. "Please tell your students about this, and get the sparring pairs ready for the Hakuda and Zanjutsu. Announce it today so that our students can practice." He hands out the schedules for exam.
Graduating Class: Classes 1-3 –morning; Classes 4-6 –afternoon
Day 1- Hoho
Day 2- Kido
Day 3- Hakuda
Day 4- Zanjutsu
Others start on Day 5 through the next days.
Byakuya and Rukia walked home together. The night is calm like nothing will go wrong at any moment. The silence between the two is not because of sadness but because of contentment. When Nanami moved into the Manor and left her house for the Kurosaki family, the two Gotei 13 members would not fail to come home during dinner. They don't want Nanami to eat alone.
"We're home." Rukia said.
Nanami's already there to greet them. "Welcome back. How's your day?" She smiled at Byakuya and turned around to lead the two to the Dining Room.
"Its okay, onee-sama, even though it's a little bit hectic than usual because of the upcoming war and the exams tomorrow." Rukia sat on her designated seat. "How about you, onee-sama?"
Byakuya sat on the family head's seat. He looked at his wife for an answer. (He refused to call Nanami anything but that.) Nanami sighed. "After the meeting and Shin and I delivered the soutaicho's message, I got home and drank tea with Granfather. After that, I just read my Kido notebooks. I need to review them because I don't know what are the schedules yet."
"You didn't attend the remaining of your classes?" Byakuya asked.
Nanami took a seafood platter, and put some of the contents on her husband's plate, and then she offered it to Rukia. "I didn't. I was planning to rest a bit but by the time Grandfather and I finished the tea, it's already well into the afternoon and I need to instruct the cook what we're eating today. Byakuya-sama, I set aside some of the food she cooked for us and told them that it's for them. Is that okay?"
"Nanami, you've been doing that since you came here." Byakuya said as he pick a fish meat from his plate and put it in his mouth.
"Nii-sama's right, onee-sama. It's very admirable of you."
Nanami blushed. "Not really. I just don't want any food to be wasted. I barely survived in Rukongai, you know."
"Yes, it's very hard living there." Rukia answered. Nanami bowed her head. "But, onee-sama, let's talk about this danger you'll be facing. I want to assign someone to be your guard." She pops a shrimp on her mouth.
"No need, Rukia! For the next few days, The Gotei 13 will be surrounding me because of the examination. I don't need a bodyguard." Nanami exclaimed.
"…" Byakuya silently chew his food but his mind is running.
"Byakuya-sama, you really don't have to." Nanami recognized the look on her husband's face. "I will be perfectly alright. I'm going to be more careful and alert. The two of you should focus on the war more."
"I didn't say anything, Nanami." Byakuya said smoothly.
"But you're thinking about it." Nanami answered.
Rukia smiled at the bickering couple. They really love each other, and onee-sama is really a good influence on my brother's mood. She sighed when she thought about Ichigo. Ichigo, you idiot… be careful…
A/N: Another chapter! Yehey! I just want to tell you that the title doesn't mean that the fan fiction will end on five days. Do you understand? Okay, good.
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I hope you'll like this chapter, too, minna. It's on the transition phase so please bear with me. The next chapter would be the test, and some parts of what happens on Ichigo's group while they were in Hueco Mundo. Please bear in mind that I'm either paraphrasing the manga, or improvising things. LOL. It's because of the Internet connection.
Bye-bye, Eurielle 2