Sorry i took a bit longer than usual to update. just had a lot to do, or wanted to do, so i kinda post on it for a bit. But i like the reviews for the last chapter by the way! it was quick! good job people. Keep reviewing. Keep them coming.

Oh and i'm thinking of making a family tree chart, but decides to do it later, after more things come to light.

Anyways, here's the next chapter, which might enlighten you on some topics and questions you may have, as well as, of course, raise more questions for you! Hehe...

ENJOY!:D

Chapter 12: A Trip Down Memory Lane

"Oy, Toshiro," Karin called over to Toshiro, who was walking in front of her, Ichigo off to the side and in between them, closely watching them while holding Rukia in his arms. Sho was eating ice cream and had one hand connected to Karin's as she held him so that he won't get lost, Rangiku squealing off to the side at his cuteness.

"Hm?" Toshiro asked, not looking back at her as he walked in front of everyone, his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest.

"How long do you think it'll be?"

Toshiro stopped walking and opened his eyes as he looked up to the sunny, blue sky.

"Judging by the looks of it, I'd say at lest about 5 minutes, maybe less." And he closed his eyes and continued the walk once again.

Karin nodded before looking down at Sho, who was making a mess of his face and shirt as he eat his vanilla ice cream. Karin smiled as she pulled out a white cloth, with a red tsubali flower embloed to the side of it on it, from her left jean pocket and bent down to whip his face with it.

Once his face was cleaned, Sho smiled brightly at his mother, showing her his ever sparkling white teeth before he began to eat again, but this time with more care so as to not make his mother have to pouch him for being careless.

5 minutes later, Toshiro stopped, causing the others to also come to a stop as they all ether bumped into him, or his out straightedge arm, which held them back from going on any farter than that. Toshiro had his eyes opened and focused on the ground in front of him as if expecting something to jump out of it any minute now, his face serious.

"Taicho?" Rangiku asked as she watched Toshiro staring holes into the ground before them.

"What gives Toshiro?" questioned Ichigo. "Why'd you stop us?"

Karin held tightly onto Sho as she too, looked at the ground before them.

Sho looked up at his mother confused before looking where she and his father were looking, and dropped his ice cream just as crimson red magic circles appeared on the ground in front of them, opening a black hole in the middle of it as out came the zombies from earlier.

"What the hell?!" Ichigo and Renji shouted out together as everyone got out of their gigais and drew their zanpakutos.

"Where'd they come from?" Renji questioned.

"Weren't you or were you not paying any attention to any of this at all, red head?" Tatsuki asked as she took out her zanpakuto and made for the zombies. "They came out of those red circles on the ground."

The gang began to cut down their enemies, but Karin was doubled over and hand her hands on her head, looking as if she was in so much pain.

"Ka-san?" Sho questioned her, worried as he tried to touch her in hopes that it'll help ease the pain.

Karin opened her eyes and looked at her son with warmth in her eyes. "I'm okay, Sho," she said, before closing her eyes again and covering her ears.

Sho didn't look convinced as he looked to Toshiro, who stared right back at him. The two of them nodded and Sho took out his own zanpakuto and held it in front of him for protection. He took out any zombies that came their way.

The closer the zombies came to Karin, the more she covered her ears in pain.

"Karin, are you okay?" Ichigo asked as he fought off another zombie.

"Yeah," Karin answered, still in pain. "Just… just a bit more…"

Toshio looked at her again before finishing off his target.

"What are they saying?" Toshiro questioned her. the others, besides Sho (who already knew about Karin's powers), looked at Toshiro in confusion.

"…Help," Karin answered. "They want help. They didn't want to be turned. Well, some of them didn't anyways… Seems that they've already moved on, but was forced to come back. Ah!" Karin winched at the sheered pain in her head. She then dubbled over and passed out.

"Ka-san!" Sho shouted as he ran to her.

"Karin!" Ichigo also shouted and ran to the fallen Karin, slipping her out of Sho's embrace, causing the boy to frown at the older man's actions before meeting his father's blue eyes.

Toshiro stared at his son in warning before turning back and decided to finally finish off the zombies so that Karin won't have to suffer anymore. He took a deep breath before releasing his shikai.

"Soten ni zase, Hyourinmaru," Toshiro chanted under his breath as he released his shikia, causing his zanpakuto to change and for the sky to have turned cloudy dark around them as ice began to fall from the heavens. Toshiro then froze all the zombies before cutting all of them up with one, single slash right through the middle.

"Wow," Sho whispered, dazzled by what he'd seen. 'Okaa-san was right,' he though in amazement. 'Otou-san's powers are also so cold and deadly, yet beautiful at the same time, while Okaa-san's on the other hand, is just a mess of red blood everywhere.' Sho sweet dropped and sighed at that though of that as a picture of his mother all covered in red and the blood of her enemies scattered around her forms from way back into the past came to mind.

He'd snapped out of it when Toshiro patted him on the head; bring Sho out of his thoughts as he looked up at his father.

"She may always be found truanted and covered in red blood, but that doesn't mean it's not beautiful," Toshiro whispered to his son, eyes still on Karin's form in Ichigo's arms.

Sho smiled up at his father before Toshiro took his hand away and they both walked to Ichigo, who still held Karin's pale and fragile body in his arms, everyone looking worried for Karin's safety and heath.

Toshiro scrolled once he got a better look at Karin's form.

"Let's take her back to Urahara's," Toshiro ordered as he and Sho started walking towards the shop.

Ichigo and the others caught up to him.

"Wait Toshiro!" Ichigo called after him.

Toshiro stopped and turned his head back to them, looking board as his arms was once again crossed over his chest in the manner of an old man.

Ichigo and the others caught up to him. "What's going on, Toshiro?" Ichigo demanded. "What's wrong with Karin? What's her powers?"

"Yeah Taicho," Rangiku added in. "Because Karin-chan graduated earlier and with special reasons, no one besides you seems to know the ture extent of her powers, Taicho, since you've trained her yourself, and in secret too no less." She smiled shying as she looked down at Sho, who was next to Toshiro, a glint in her eyes.

Toshiro ignored that last little part of her words and stared at them for a moment before turning back around again, and Sho saw him close his eyes to try and calm himself down from all these stress.

"I'll explain it once we get to Urahara's," Toshiro answered before heading out once again.

Sho looked up at his father's calm face as the man tried to fine peace within himself. 'I so don't ever want to take your job after you, Old Man,' said Sho. 'Definitely not looking forward to it, ever.'

'Well too bad,' Toshiro said back. 'You're the only one who's powers can hold up to mind when counted. And because your the only one among your siblings to have your hair tuenrd from black to snow white minutes after you were born. Not to mention, that blood that flows in your vein, the one the is for eternally and not exactly genetic...'

'You mean when my emotions goes down Hell's lane and I loss control, do they listen to me and obey my words and orders,' Sho pointed out. 'also, I never asked for this cursed blood! Now, because of it, no matter how many times I've diesd and get reincarnated or reborn, it's always into the same, god damn insane Family!'

Toshiro sighed and looked down at Sho, a small smile on the corner of his lips as his eyes sparked. 'Well, none of us really ever asked for it ether, or has a chose it it for that matter. All it is is because of the fact of how we were first created and given life when the Universe came to be. Just be happy that you're not that high up in it.'

Sho Chuckled. 'Yeah, like you, who has so much paperwork to worry over, trying to finish it on time, and others to worry about, being so high up and in the top 7 too no less, heck even the top 5! Way a go Dad!'

Toshiro sighed and gazed his eyes away. 'Very funny. But yeah, well. It has it's draw backs... Anyways,' he looked back at Sho again. 'Like it or not, it's a yeah well, welcome to the Family, welcome to the Madness all over again...And I meant when you need it most will your powers work for you.'

Sho let out a chuckled at that. 'Well then, where was it when I found myself in terrible troubles and got myself killed? Where was it when I most needed it to save my life, Old Man?'

'…I blame that gene on your mother. She's the one connected to the family, being a direct decedent and all that...' Toshiro tuned and stared off to the sky. 'And to think, the first time you came to life, she kicked me for it saying that you weren't our son! Now look at you!' Sho chucked at that. 'I mean really, I know I pulled you out and suffered from her beatings for it, and I damn well know that she'll never betray me, not without me knowing about it anyways, or for a good cause. But really? My clone of all things? And I took a pounding for it!'

'Yeah, yeah, I'm an unwanted child. I get it.' Sho looked off to the side.

Toshiro turned his gaze to his son and Sho met his sometime later, hummer in his eyes.

Toshiro sighed and closed his eyes again. 'Yep, defiantly from your mothers' side of the family all right. That glint in your eyes that Hiroki always gaves off whenever he's being his usual trickster self. Truly, the god of Kitsunes indeed, that Namikaze prodigy…'

Sho happily smiled. 'I do love my uncle!'

Toshiro looked up at the sky once again. 'Yeah. You and your mother both, my boy,' he said as he remembered back the old times. 'You and your mother both.'

'Ya still sore on that topic dad?' Sho questioned.

'Don't talk to me in that kind of langue, mister.' Toshiro glared at the boy.

Sho backed off a bit. "Well, I'm just saying, you're not so innocent in that category ether, Old Man," Sho said out loud, a bit too scared of Toshiro to have relied that they still had audiences around them and that he'd just spoken those words out loud for them all to hear. But Sho was too scared of pissing off his father at that moment to have realized his mistakes. Everyone knows that his father's beatings were worse than his mother's when counted. Her's were only life lessons, his was down right damn torture! Scaring you for life! Everyone knows that the kind ones are always usually the ones most feared duel to their brains working better. And as his mother always says, not everything is as it seems. Not matter how beautiful, fragile and harmless the rose may appear, it still has thrones. It's up to you to realized it and avoid it, or fall right into it. That's why she says it's better to be with people who doesn't have hidden agendas and put up fake kindness and smiles. And because of that, his father is so feared by all. And he should know, having seen it happen before with that Shigofumi boy and the King of Hell all those years ago. Hell had litterly frozen over that damn day. That damn wedding day... The screams could still be heard ringing through the darkest corners of Hell even to today... Sho shuddered that those memories. His father may be called the cold and emotionless god of ice and winter, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't feel things. He only keeps them in, barring them deep within himself. And only somethings to close to his heart for comfort could get him to snap or set him off the bars. For example, Mom. And when he snaps, he really snaps. No one can escape him once he's been set off. And Sho doesn't what to see that happening again or experience it again, that kind of terror, ever. Especially not when it's directed at him.

"What was that, Sho-kun?" Rangiku asked from her place right beside him.

Sho closed his eyes to calm himself and relax a bit. "Nothing, Rangiku-san," he said in a calm and childish tone, or as cute and childish as he can mange at the moment, having just had those kinds of conversations. "Nothing at all. Just thinking back to my Old Man, is all."

"Oh, about?" Rangiku asked excitedly.

"Matsumoto," Toshiro warmed as he glared at her from out of the corner of his eyes.

"It's okay Taicho," Sho happily spoke up.

Toshiro's mouth twitched in irritation and clinched his fist together tighter so as to not hit the boy like how his mother tended to be with him whenever he stepped out of line. That was Karin's thing, not his. She was the wild princess who's always covered in red, be it her own clothings or blood of her own or her enemies, she has it all. He on the other hand… Toshiro sighed in defeat.

Sho smiled and started telling Rangiku about what was on his mind, with Toshiro watching and listing to them out of the corner of his eyes.

"Well you see," Sho began. "Both my parents had fallen in love before they'd met each other. My mother's love was unrequired since it was her own older cousin and teacher that she was in love with, and she knew that he'd only ever see her as his baby cousin/sister. Always a child and never a grown woman who fully understood the cruelties of the world, even as she was growing up, in his eyes. My father on the other hand, also fell in love with a woman who betrayed him, causing him to suffer tremendously because of it."

"Ohh, this is interesting!" Rangiku squealed.

"Such a story!" Rukia joined in.

"Can you tell us more, please?" the two begged the younger boy with pleading eyes.

Sho sweet dropped and smiled awkwardly. "Of course," he said.

"How did the woman betray him?" Tatsuki suddenly asked.

Sho looked down, sad. "She used him," he answered. "Knowing all too well that he loved him, she'd used him and his feelings for her to get what she'd wanted. And once she was done with him, she threw him away, not knowing that he was going to proposed that day and that he was finally going to tell her everything about him."

"Everything about him?" Tatsuki questioned as they finally got to the shop and walked in.

Sho nodded his head. "Hai," he said.

"Hello everyone!" Urahara greeted them happily before feeling the tight atmosphere around the little group of soul reapers and seeing Karin's pale form in Ichigo's arms. His smile turned into a frown as he shut his fan. "What happened?"

"We got attacked and Karin suddenly fell," Ichigo explained, glaring at Toshiro. "Apparently, she can hear the voices of those zombies and Toshiro, who knew about it since he'd been her secret teacher for all those years, didn't bother to tell us anything about it!"

Toshiro opened his eyes and glared right back at the boy. "The only reason why I didn't say anything was because no one asked and Karin had wanted it that way," he explained himself before walking into the room. "Once Karin wakes up, she'll tell us what she can. Then we'll report in with the So-taicho and the other captains. Until then, I'll explain what I can to you about Karin's ability, the one she'd shown today anyways." Toshiro looked pointedly at Ichigo.

"…Fine!" Ichigo huffed before walking in and laid Karin down on a futon that Urahara had Tenssei prepare for her while the others sat down at the table.

"So, Hitsugaya-taicho," said Urahara. "About Karin-chan's ability…"

"Right," Toshiro closed his eyes. "Karin has the ability to hear the voices of the hollows and others, even spirits in need of help. No matter how far away they are, Karin can tell and can hear them. She can even feel them. Feel when one's coming way before it appears."

"That's an interesting ability," Urahara hind his face behind his fan. "Anything else we should know about, Hitsugaya-taicho?"

"…As of right now? No."

"Why you!" Ichigo got up and made to pouch Toshiro when Rukia and Renji stopped him.

"Sit Ichigo!" Rukia commanded. "You've already done enough!"

"Yeah, after all of what Hitsugaya-taicho did so far, I don't think you should piss him off anymore, Ichigo," Renji added.

"One incident at the supermarket was enough, thanks," Tatsuki finished.

"Tsk," Ichigo tsiked before sitting down, though still glaring at the ever so calm Toshiro, who's eyes were now closed.

"Supermarket?" Yuruichi questioned. "Do I want to know?"

"This idiot tried to attack an innocent child with his zanpakuto, out in public, just because he looked like he was feeling his baby sister up and down!" Renji explained, pointing to the idiot in the story; Ichigo.

"Hey, I had every right to!" Ichigo shouted back and pointed to Sho. "He was hugging her and he," points to Toshiro, "was with them! It's already enough that the boy looks like Toshiro and calls him and my little sister, 'To-san' and 'Ka-san'! Seeing that just made the family bill complete!" Urahara raised an eyebrow at that.

"Shut up Ichigo!" Rukia kicked him with her foot. "Karin-chan already explained to us why it's not possible! She really couldn't have been pregnant without us knowing! And for a boy Sho's age to use abbreviation for namse is totally conman!"

"Not when the boy's a child genies too, Rukia!" Ichigo argued. "For all I know, Toshiro, who was said to also be a child prodigy himself, could have come up with some kind of trick to hind Karin's pregnancy from us! The two of them are in the same division and he even trained her secretly and had asked for Karin to be in his division himself too! Also, the boy looks just like Toshiro and calls then 'To-san' and Karin 'Ka-san', and they knew each other! Not only that, but the boy's a prodigy too! Isn't that just strange to you guys?"

"Shut up, Ichigo!" Rukia had had enough of this and decided to make him shut up himself. "Besides, Sho-kun is Yamamoto-so-taicho's great-grandson! Ether Karin-chan has to be his grand daughter, which we all know is not the case since she is your sister and a Ishiba, or Hitsugaya-taicho would have to be it then! But since he grew up in Rukongai since childhood and lived with Hinamori-fuku-taicho and their Granny, that can't be so!"

"Yeah, and where's the grandfather then, aha?" Rukia and the others stopped their fights. "Well?"

"Am," Rukia looked down trying to think up of something to say to that.

"Yamamoto-so-taicho only has a grand daughter," Urahara spoke up.

The others looked at him. "Really?" they all asked all at once, shocked at the new discovery.

"Yes." Urahara nodded his head.

"Then how come we didn't know about her?" Rukia asked and the others nodded in agreement.

Urahara looked down to Yuruichi, in her cat form, in his lap, sadness in both their eyes.

"Because… she died. A very long time ago. Or so it was thought since no one was able to locate her body. Only fining some blood on the grounds of Rukongai's northern forest as well as a report that she'd come to that place to meet someone. Also, since her zanpakuto, the giant white snake of resurrection, Hanae, was broken into pieces on the ground…" Toshiro put down his cup of tea then, also showing sadness in his hazed, deep green eyes as he remembered back to that night. No one else, besides Sho, who watched out of the corner of his eyes, noticed it as all their attentions were on Urahara. Urahara then turned his gaze towards Sho, who was sitting next to Karin and holding on to her pale hand, having his back turned to them, but having heard them none the less. "But now…"

"…Correct," Sho said ashe closed his eyes and let go of karin's hand. "She is my mother." He turned towards them, showing his deep, blue eyes to them. The eyes that belonged to his mother.

"How?" Yuruichi asked.

"…Her zanpakuto is one of resurrection, remember?"

"But is was broken-!" Urahara protested.

"Into pieces, yes," Sho interrupted, his eyes closing. "And that's how she saves her Mistress. By braking into pieces so that the person there can save her."

"Person?" Rangiku questioned. "You mean…?"

"My father," Sho answered. "Would you like to hear more of that story?"

"Story?" Urahara asked.

Sho nodded his head.

"Yeah," Tatsuki answered. "Sho was just telling us the story of how his parents met when we were on our way here after the attack. He was just telling us how his mother was in love with her own older cousin and teacher, who only saw her as a child whom he cares deeply for, and nothing more."

"While Sho-kun's poor father was used like a tool because of his love for the wrong woman," Rangiku continued. "His first love." Rangiku looked down, sad as she remembered her own first love. 'Gin,' she thought sadly as memories of the man she'd so loved and admired for so long came back to her. 'Why can't I forget you…'

"Everyone learns form their mistakes," Karin whispered as she slowly got up. "There is no ending to learning and knowledge. No matter how wise and old you've become, you'll always make some kind of mistakes, since no one is truly perfect in this world."

Everyone turned towards her and Ichigo quickly made his way over to help her up while Toshiro had to force himself to stay in his place, an action which had not gone unnoticed by the shopkeeper, who smiled behind his fan before looking at the other white boy in front of him. 'Hmm,' he though as he saw the boy sit himself beside Karin.

"Karin, are you okay now?" Rukia asked.

"Yes," Karin answered, colors now back on her face. She then looked towards Toshiro, who had his eyes closed and was sipping his tea.

"Oh good," Rangiku breathed with relive. "You had us all worried there."

Karin smiled at the woman. "Sorry."

"So what did you hear, Karin?" Toshiro asked.

Karin smiled wickedly at him. "You'll know it along with everyone else, Taicho."

Right on cue, a hell butterfly flew in and projected an image of the meeting room, with everyone in it, on the back wall. Something new the 12th Division had invented. Using the Hell Butterflies to spy. All the more reasons why they now had to be more careful and why Toshiro is so stressed out over this.

Erasing people's memories were fine, but, just as Urahara had said, erasing an entire group of millions were not. That's way too much work and a waist of energy. Not to mention, the paperwork that comes after it… who the heck invented this kind of thing anyways?! Why the damn hell did everything have to come with the damn dreaded paperwork?! One cannot ever hope to escaped from, even after death they still follow and hunt you in your sleeps!

Everyone turned their attention to the screen and the meeting began.

'This is going to be just greet,' Toshiro thought. 'I curse the damn day I got talked into creating that damn resurrection stone with the other Shikages!'

Story Question Time!:D

1. Anyone thinking that Toshiro and Sho did that on peruse, waiting untile Karin was done to kill all the zombies?

2. What does Karin mean when she said that they were 'forced to come back' even though 'they've already moved on'?

3. Why did Karin looks so pale after the fight?

4. What are Karin's other powers?

5. what cursed blood is Toshiro talking about that's not genetic?

6. What's the wedding day when Hell froze over, any ideas? (Hint Wedding of the King of Hell. Karin was mentioned)

7. Who was Karin's and Toshiro's first love?

8. What does Sho mean when he said that Toshiro 'was finally going to tell her everything about him'?

9. Who is Yamamoto's granddaughter, resurrected?

~*~ANSWER AND REVIEW~*~ you might just have it right.