I do not own Bleach … :) and I do not earn any kind of money from this snippet.
This chapter has been Betaed by Szayel's Angel! Thank you very very very much!
Because this update comes after a long period of absence I will make a short summary for the last two chapters.
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Summary: Aizen is discovered by Ichigo through an unlucky phone call and is forced to leave. Before he can do that he's attacked my Matsumoto who slashes his gigai's throat. Karin can only watch the horrifying image as shock takes her in its claws. Then Aizen, freed from the gigai, injures Matsumoto and approaches Karin. Before they can talk, Momo appears, but, just like her friend, does not stand a chance against Aizen. Aizen leaves the human world after he knocks Karin unconscious, moving his residence in Hueco Mundo where he dethrones Grimmjow and retakes his place as leader of Hollows.
Karin wakes up on a hospital bed and a strong feeling of desperation overtakes her when she realizes what had really happened. One month of hidden emotions and lies passes. Yuzu seems more affected than her, on the surface, and acts like a drama queen, while Karin can only watch as her family spoils the wrong sister.
Through a strange dream the idea of training with Yoruichi is implanted in her head and she asks the Goddess of Flash for help. Meanwhile in Soul society The Captain of the 12-th Squad investigates Aizen's stay in the human world and finds out he had a carnal relationships with an unknown female. The scene ends with him asking Nemu to investigate the matter.
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To break is all I know
Chapter 28: The setting sun
"I don't even know why I'm scribbling this nonsense on a piece of paper no one will ever acknowledge. My diary consists more of me complaining about Rukia's once-a-month aggressive behavior than being serious.
But this time I write here because I don't know what to do, I don't know who I should approach with this matter, so why not write in a forgotten place. Father is too disgusted to talk about this topic, Yuzu is in the worst mood possible and Karin barely comes home these days, and when she does, it's either to take a shower, or to grab something from the fridge. I think Aizen managed to become a taboo subject in our house.
I guess I am somewhat disappointed with Karin and I'm definitely judging her as much as father and Yuzu, but I'm equally worried she'll do something drastic. No matter how strong a person is there is a limit where sanity metamorphoses into insanity.
And Karin is one hell of a tough nut. I cannot understand what she's thinking, what she might do in the next second; what's the purpose of her words. Sometimes just hearing her talk makes me feel a little hazy.
Only when I saw her that day standing in front of Soul Society's elite without batting an eye, as Yuzu was throwing at her the worst insults a woman can get, I realized the girl standing there was not my sister, but someone matured. She was a changed woman, a strong one, but at the same time… she scared me."
Kurosaki Ichigo's diary
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Three weeks later
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"KARIN!" screamed the cat-like woman as she watched the black haired twin do her regular dose of one-armed-push-ups "It's time to take a well deserved break. You'll be no good to me half tired anyways"
She stopped and pushed herself up with the help of her supporting hand. Her black, freshly trimmed hair, wrapped in a high ponytail, waved around her frame.
Yoruichi smirked, studying the new layer of muscles Karin had acquired through her training and enjoying the perks of being the source of those obvious improvements. Or so she liked to think. The usual black shorts Karin wore for training gave little space for imagination and therefore Yoruichi always amused herself with having Jinta around and seeing him blush at the sight. She could not blame him. Where Yuzu was cute and had feminine shapes, Karin was downright sexy. Strong, lean, long legs, slim hips, average sized bust, but with perfectly round, firm breasts, long neck, framed by delicious black hair and dark, intense eyes.
There were moments when Yoruichi asked herself what was so special about the girl. As she said, Karin was sexy but so were many other female Shinigami she had trained. Soi Fon for example (even if sexy was not the exactly right world for the captain) had a more beautiful face, not so angular. She might have had smaller, almost inexistent, assets, but she definitely attracted more attention. Yet Karin had phased her form the second she asked to be trained.
At first she thought the intense, Kurosaki like, eyes were at fault for the short moment of weakness which lead to accepting Karin as apprentice, but as time passed she realized she liked Karin more than her previous pupils. While Soi Fon had been perfect from every perspective, a true prodigy, her blind adoration became quite annoying sometimes. On the opposite side was Ichigo who was complaining every single time about every single thing in every single way.
Karin, by comparison was quite different. Like the other two, she was a prodigy, that much had been obvious from the first two moves she had taught her, but not the type of prodigy who gets cocky and forgets about the final goal. No. She was a fast learner, a hard worker and a cold minded strategist. In one word: perfect. For three weeks Karin had been training her Shunpo to get on par with hers, she was pretty far from such an accomplishment, but during the fighting session she didn't rely on Shunpo only; just like her brother, she worked perfectly under pressure therefore combing all she knew: fighting style, shunpo, dirty tricks and so on.
Thinking about it Yoruichi realized the girl was just like her form many points of view, when fighting was concerned at least. She was less pervy that much was obvious and didn't have the urge to go around naked, but she was not a prude either.
Karin stretched her back and stared at Yoruichi, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"Are we starting the Shunpo training?" she asked, watching the goddess with interest.
"Yes" answered Yoruichi, raising from the ground and preparing her clothes for combat "Let's see if your speed improved Karin"
The girl took a step back and got into position. As always it was perfect.
Yoruichi fiddled with her fingernails probably trying to see how patient Karin can be. The girl didn't move from the spot or abuse her moment of inattentiveness. Contrary to what she thought, Karin actually seemed to have resigned herself with trying dirty tricks, since they usually did not work.
Yoruichi released an annoyed sigh, closing her eyes for a moment, and that was when Karin attacked at full speed.
"Nice one Karin" she announced as she flash stepped away from the punch threatening to send her through a couple of rocks.
The girl didn't speak. Karin seldom said anything during fighting. As she had confessed in one of the breaks, talking was a distraction for her and a luxury only the strong ones afforded to have.
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"I can't believe you got the guts to stand before me and lie to my face" barked Isshin between bared teeth.
"This is unlike you Isshin-san. We both know your daughter has potential …" said Urahara from behind his fan, protecting his face from any unwelcomed punch.
"I don't giv-" began Isshin, fuming all over the place.
"Come with me and I'll show you why Yoruichi is training her" commanded softy Urahara.
Isshin released a sigh but followed the older Shinigami in his underground training ground. Even if he was not the happiest man to have his daughter put in danger, not training her could prove to be even more dangerous. Only after Aizen had (quite literally) infiltrated their family he had been put face to face with the ugly truth of not being able to protect them continuously.
"I understand your concerns Isshin, but right now, having Karin here, teaching her how to fight against possible enemies and strengthening her talents is the best possible outcome" spoke Urahara as he began to walk towards a place where clashes could be heard.
Without losing the frown, Isshin stuck his hands deep inside the pockets of his trousers.
"I know, but don't expect me to be happy about this best outcome"
The shop-owner closed his fan and stopped abruptly. Without further notice he turned around and pinned Isshin with one of his rare serious glares.
"You and Ichigo are the ones who kept them in the dark about Soul Society and Shinigami business" commented the man dryly.
Isshin gulped loudly and took a step back. An angry Urahara was one thing, but an angry intense Urahara was no good news.
"This best outcome I'm talking about has been dictated by your inability to understand the situation properly. You were both too busy strangling them in a tight leash that you failed to notice the danger creeping around them and because of that one of your daughters has fallen in love with Aizen and the other was at his mercy and in mortal danger barley two months ago."
Isshin didn't speak. What could he say? He wondered. Everything said by the shop owner was true. If he had been more careful, if he had told Karin and Yuzu about Aizen and his crimes, about his looks things would have unrolled differently; he was sure of that. But he was in no position to think about the past when the said past was already too far to be changed.
"I know" he whispered "I had been wrong, but all I did was for the best."
The excuse sounded so dry in his ears.
"The path to hell is paved with good intentions" stated Urahara plainly.
Isshin cringed.
They began to walk again, this time in total silence. None of them said anything, probably fearing another session of strong, unnecessary words, until they reached a cliff where they could see the battlefield perfectly. While Urahara fiddled with his fan, Isshin studied the field and the two persons too submerged in training to feel his presence. He doubted Yoruichi didn't feel his reiatsu from a mile, but Karin, not being as experienced or as strong as her trainer had no chance. Plus adding the intense pressure the training must have given to her, it was no surprise.
He watched as Karin lunched into a Shunpo, avoiding Yoruichi's kick by a millimeter. His eyes widened visibly at the sight. When did his daughter become so fast? He was sure this training she was undergoing couldn't have been going for more than one month, yet his daughter's movements were extremely complicated and showed a deep understating of fighting.
"I know Isshin. She is a prodigy at speed. Her reiatsu control is worse than Ichigo's but at speed, she's definitely a pro." He let his fan hide his features, letting only a pair of glowing eyes stare from behind the shadows "She's … strong"
The man didn't answer for a couple of minutes, staring at the scene, half shocked, half proud. His little girl was proving to be as talented as her brother. Isshin didn't know whether to be pleased with this development or angry at fate for blessing another of his offspring with such a burden. With power came the instinct to use it and the camouflaged responsibility of using it wisely. He had desired in vain to be lucky enough not to involve Karin in this tumultuous world. Seeing her obvious talent scattered away any hope he might have had.
"It's not only the speed" he noticed, frowning a little "She has confidence in her moves and the way she attacks reveals no weak point."
"I did not teach her that" said Urahara protectively "I will not take credit for something I did not do."
"I've seen Seated Officers with less control" continued Isshin, not really listening to what Urahara was saying.
"As I said Isshin, your daughter has the potential to become a strong human; if not even stronger than Ichigo."
"What? My son can be overpowered by someone? Never!" The father joked.
An amused smile appeared on the shop owner's lips. Isshin didn't have to see behind the fan, he could actually see Urahara's body relax at the mockery. They continued to watch them for another ten minutes. Then Isshin turned around.
"Already done? Aren't you going to wait for your daughter to finish?" inquired Urahara.
An annoyed grunt passed Isshin's lips "I would rather have her not to know I'm aware of her extracurricular activities"
"Whatever you wish"
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Karin stretched her back, but stopped the urge to rub the new injures she had acquired during training. Her skin arched and her muscles were actually begging for a break and Yoruichi really didn't spare her a second to recollect herself.
As always she was in great need of a hot shower to get the stench of sweat and dirt off her skin. A few bruises appeared on her skin but nothing unrepeatable. When she was sure the bruises were about to heal, her sensei came right back and created new ones. One would think after a month you'd get used to that.
"Well Karin you're really getting better and better" laughed Yoruichi slapping her back just over a painfully large bruise.
The girl cringed a little.
"Well I'm going … Yuzu said something about buying groceries and I really don't want to anger her right now; especially since she's been feeling better these last few days." stated Karin as she gathered her things.
There was no way she was staying with the busty woman anymore than necessary. Three assaults per week were just about what she could handle.
"I heard your sister and Aizen had been all chummy with each other" stated Yoruichi plainly.
Karin didn't answer. The woman blamed her disciple's silence for the sibling love she probably had for Yuzu; though her silence had a totally different reason.
"Naaaahh don't worry she'll be over her obsession in no time. Aizen may be an attractive villain, but once he's removed from the proximity there remains no trace for remembering him"
"I guess" mumbled Karin, clearly not in the mood to talk about Aizen.
She instinctively placed a hand on her chest over her necklace. After she had gotten over her depression a part of her was tempted to throw away all things that could be a reminder of Aizen. And so she did: she threw away the photographs, letters, gifts Aizen had given to her during their short time together. She also deleted his number, the pictures, and the text messages from her phone; and in the end was very allured by the idea of throwing away his ring. But the other part of her, the part that was, still, constantly being a bother by crying after Aizen, denied this little wish.
Karin's hand clenched the cloth covering the ring. After she had decided to keep the ring, nothing could make her wear it on her finger for everyone to see. Plus she would have been a big liar if she didn't confess that this decision didn't come from the shame she felt for actually falling for Aizen's mind tricks. As an excuse she determined keeping the ring would be a good reminder for her infinite idiocy and for any future actions that might involve guys.
If before she had been heartbroken by Toshiro's sudden leave, now what she felt was exponentially worse. Having that ring, hanging over her heart would be the perfect thing to remind her of all that happened and keep her wary. Not once had she realized the situation could be misinterpreted.
"UUUU! Are you still there Karin?" waved Yoruichi a hand before her eyes.
Karin flinched away. "Oh sorry, I guess I'm kinda tired" she rubbed her temples.
Yoruichi shrugged, but accepted her excuse. Then released a sigh and stared at Karin.
"I heard you and Aizen were pretty close too"
"Umm" grunted Karin unpleasantly "he was that goalkeeper, in the soccer team I'm playing with."
"So you were not close? I don't really know how sports work in the human world"
"No … we were not close"
'Why can't people just let it go already?'
Yoruichi scratched her chin "That's good. Aizen is bad news no matter in what package he comes, although I'm definitely happy your sister is feeling better. But for him to have the guts to go after a Kurosaki … while knowing how dangerous it might be, shows he's just as confident as ever."
Karin threw the school bag over her shoulder.
"I don't think he's the kind of guy to lack confidence. He had always given me the vibe of a winner."
"As unpleased as it is, yes he does that."
Karin tilted her head, confused and asking for an explanation. She had been quite sure that, with the other Shinigami Aizen had been more restrained than with her. Blocking another sigh, Karin concentrated on Yoruichi and her serious expression.
"In the Winter War I fought against him and even if we were three: me, Urahara and your father, on one, him, he hadn't shown, not even for a moment, event the slightest sign of distress. He was clam as a rock and so confident in his abilities that he crushed us in no time. Though I'm not sure due to his confidence he managed to become insanely strong. I remember he was quite a good lieutenant back in the days … up until he got some captains and lieutenants banished from Soul Society, me included, and plotted for a century the destruction of our home, while the others thought he was the cream on top of a cake, but what can I say? Appearances can be deceiving sometimes"
Karin was listening, carefully taking all in. There was no saying when she'll need that information
"An evil genius that's what Urahara's calling him" suddenly realizing she had been rambling for quite a while about things Karin wasn't supposed to be interested in, Yoruichi smirked "Well I guess you don't want to hear an old lady talk about her past."
Karin faked a smile.
"Don't worry, but I should really go. My sister is waiting me." Then she waved goodbye and left the training area.
Luckily she didn't meet Urahara or Jinta, they were probably out buying goods from suppliers, so she was able to leave the shop immediately without any further interruption.
'An evil genius they say?' she thought grimly, staring at the setting sun.
Her fast pace slowed down until she stopped in the front of the river where her mother had been killed. The sun, stuck between two buildings, was staring back at her. Karin could almost swear she had seen a frowning face on the faded golden orb, but after she looked again the impression was gone.
The atmosphere was warm and wet just like the day he had followed her at the library.
'So much time had passed since then' she thought 'and so many things had happened.'
With a last flick of light the sun began to descend slowly, its rays fading behind the gray buildings and a long shadow spread at Karin's feat gently shaping her supple form on the asphalt. Her eyes darted back at the orange orb.
"Are you tired as well, buddy?" she asked, not really waiting for an answer "You must be … you must be really tired to see all these ants' dramas play before you and maybe you would like to tell them of their useless fates. Maybe you'd like to scream at them for being stupid and not seeing what's so clear to you. But you see it all from above and we, some mere human beings, cannot do that. Maybe you've tried to warn me about Aizen, but I did not listen. All those mornings annoying me while I was trying to sleep were your way of communicating with me, weren't they?" the sun seemed to shine a little brighter, then faded behind the hill, leaving the world in the dark "I'm talking with the sun … I've never felt so ridiculous in my life"
Then she grabbed her headphones and adjusted them on her head.
Maybe Kurosaki Karin was unsure of many things, but what she certainly knew was that she had always been strong enough to overcome anything. Her love for Aizen had been deep, that was true, but not blind as she had thought and feared. She had known from the start of his disposition towards evil and had accepted it even before the confirmation. It was her fault for doing so, but not even a second had she regretted it. The months spent with him had been her sweetest memory and, instead of throwing them in a forgotten corner, she had decided to lock them in a box and hide them under the bed; and sometimes she would take it out, unlock it and stare at them with melancholy.
That's how she decided to look at the past: as a tender memory of what it could have been.
A soft melody began to play and Karin closed her eyes enjoying the peace. Little did she know that the peace she needed so desperately will soon be shaken up and her heart will be put to test yet again.
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"Grimmjow" grunted Nel as the source of her attention turned around looking rather annoyed "Stop pacing the room. It's not normal for you to sweep the floor with your tail like a cat in heat" after receiving no answer she continued to argue, even though the man seemed more than reluctant to listen to any of her advices "I know you're not in your best of moods, but doing this to yourself will definitely not help with our current predicament."
Grimmjow released a pained growl.
"Stop" she commanded.
"I'm so angry right now I could kill every single Shingami, Human and Arrancar in sight" he managed to mumble.
Without faltering, Net rapidly hugged him and brought his head between her two ample possessions. He didn't struggle –who in the right mind would do that- just stood there while Nel caressed his blue tresses under her smooth and calming touch. If she enjoyed it as much as he did, he had no idea, but the hands resting in his hair, massaging his scalp in round well-proportioned circles could make any man purr in pleasure. Still, he refrained himself from doing such a ridiculous thing like purring.
"Big cat" smirked Nel, her fingers pinching the bridge of his nose "If I didn't know you were such an incredible feline, I would swear in front of any God you're one of those abstinent monks I heard live in the human world"
Grimmjow's eyebrow twitched and Nel's smile widened visibly when noticing the other's negative reaction.
Even if he was angry at the way Aizen treated him, there was something that bothered Nel, as well as Grimmjow -although he reticently denied any kind of worry- even more. She had been created long before Grimmjow, therefore knew her leader as well as the previous 1-st Espada had. But the way Aizen behaved was slightly different, albeit not by much; the sharp mind and abnormal charming attitude were still there, yet for an evil over-planning madman he sure liked to stare into space, lost in his own little world, a little bit too much. There were moments when the leader did not even bother to pay attention to what the Arrancars were reporting. Half of the time he looked totally out of it.
She shook the thoughts out. There was no need of further intrusion in matters that did not affect them directly, not in a bad way at least.
"Did you send that message?" asked Grimmjow, sticking his hands in the baggy pockets of the hakama hanging loosely around his hips.
Nel seemed to think for a couple of minutes "Yes I did and Ichigo-chan should have got it till now or so I hope"
"Just like all those love letters I found under your bed with Ichigo as their recipient?" he smirked, happy he caught her red handed for the first time.
"… I - just hope Ichigo gets it. After all it's the only information I could sneak out without being suspected" babbled Nel too embarrassed to deny it. And it would have been in vain judging her previous, quite stupid, crush on the human hybrid.
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Ichigo scrambled through some of his old junk, only to find a strange letter stuck between two old cups of tea. What shocked him was that he didn't own such fancy cups, and furthermore, he had never seen such paper in his entire life, except maybe in a museum. It looked yellowed with age, like parchment. He slowly opened it.
"Ichigo-chan
Don't panic. It's me Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck.
As you/Soul Society probably presupposed you have a traitor lost in Hueco Mundo. Yes Aizen came here and re-enslaved us, though re-enslaved is a strong word. Let's just say he came here and decided to push us, me and Grimmjow if you wonder, around like he never left. He's as strong as always, if not even stronger. I guess you've never succeeded to remove the Hogyoku from his chest, have you?
I must make this letter short, because the way it's being transported leaves me with no other choice. Listen carefully. Aizen wants to attack Karakura, but not to destroy it. I'm not sure what he has in mind, since both I and Grimmjow are being completely kept out of the loop (but eavesdropping comes in handy) I'm also not sure when he'll do that: it can be tomorrow, a month from now or … much later; a specific date … I'm pretty sure not even Aizen decided yet.
For now things here are going smoothly; no new overly-powerful Arrancar appeared. Aizen just gathered some of the remaining Numeros and made 2 new Espada. If I were to judge by their reiatsu alone I would say they're at Aaroniero's leave at their best. Absolutely no danger for a Captain.
I will write you as soon as I get new information regarding the attack, but be prepared and pass this massage to your superiors. I would be glad to visit you anytime, but leaving Las Noches means no coming back; plus I'm not sure I can get out alive.
With love,
Your not so little anymore, Nel
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Ichigo handed the letter to a rather strange looking Shinigami, who in response took it to the Commander.
"Interesting" said Yamamoto, scratching his chin thoughtfully "Did you get more letters from this Arrancar you seem to trust?"
Ichigo shook his head, then made eye contact with Soul Society's most powerful –feared- man, holding his intense gaze for a couple of seconds. Then coughed in his hand and stated with a little more passion than a Shinigami talking of a Hollow should have had.
"Nel was an invaluable ally in the Winter War. But answering your question: no I did not receive other letters from her." he checked the other Captain's faces, catching a glimpse of Renji's smirk; a smirk that oozed "Your hollow girl has just become our spy".
Silence enveloped the room.
"There is something else we wish to discuss with you Kurosaki" continued to speak Yamamoto after the dramatic pause created.
"What can be more important than a spy between the enemy lines?" asked Ichigo, sneaking a peak at a rather worried looking Rukia.
She shook her head, confusion painted on her face. Yet for some reason the other captains didn't seem surprised by their leader's statement. They had probably been informed beforehand of what will be discussed in the meeting, concluded Ichigo. The Captains Meetings were really rare and the Captains-Lieutenants were even rarer, so for whatever reason they had been summoned it was of great importance. He had thought it was because of the letter, but that didn't seem to be the case.
The spot behind Toshiro was empty and between Unohana and Byakuya, where was supposed to be the representative of the 5-th Squad, there was no one; both standing as proof of the two girls' extensive injuries.
"It's about what happened to your sisters." cleared Toshiro when he noticed the confusion on Ichigo's face.
The Substitute Shinigami's already deep frown deepened –if possible- a wrinkle cutting his forehead in two. In that moment he looked like a feral lioness, protecting its offspring from predators. And if the obsessive protectiveness he harbored for his sisters had been unknown till that moment to some of the captains, it became quite obvious. There was no doubt whatsoever that Ichigo's family was a taboo subject for him.
"I love that face Ichigo" grunted Zaraki, an equally hideous smirk beginning to form on his lips "It's the face of a warrior not afraid of anything"
Unohana shot an annoyed glare at Zaraki, but didn't comment or bother to condemn the Captain's interruption. Mayuri however was not as diplomatic as his colleague.
"Hmmm … only a barbarian like you could say such a thing when our leader clearly desired to discuss other matters with Kurosaki Ichigo."
"But why was the Shorty Captain allowed to speak and I'm not?" snapped Zaraki angrily at Mayuri.
"Shorty Captain" fumed Toshiro loudly, a vain pulsing at his temple.
"Enough with this" commanded Yamamoto, throwing dark looks at the three involved Captains "Although the head of the Science department is right. My summoning had another purpose than seeing Captain Kenpachi complimenting your looks" he continued, addressing a rather confused Ichigo.
Zaraki huffed; then crossed his hands over his chest eying Mayuri with his darkest glare.
"As Captain Hitsugaya said, it's about your sisters and what happened with Aizen"
"Nothing happened to Yuzu, thank god. And Karin was just at the wrong place at the wrong time" counterattacked Ichigo "I don't see how my sisters are being relevant here."
Mayuri took a step forward.
"I hate to inform you" though the phrase was said with a smirking face that totally contradicted the words "but one of your female siblings had intercourse with Aizen Sousuke … multiple times."
Ichigo looked like he was about to throw up the food he had yet to eat.
"WHAT!?" the scream echoed in Soul Society.
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Sorry for the late update … again, but huh … I've told you how school is my possessive/oppressive husband, right? Well I got my diploma, but right now I'm trying to get in a masters program and handling my job at the same time. Yeah my life didn't get any easier. Hopefully if I get into this program I'll have more time to write.
I'm sorry for taking so long. I really am. And I don't plan to abandon this story. It's my favorite, it's my precious baby. Therefore even if it gets more to update I will always continue this story.
I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and the next one … will definitely be eventful. As you suspected the SS finds out Karin's dirty secret.