A/N: Oh my word, that took much longer than I thought! I really did jinx it last chapter! Well...school did B(... So yeah, I'm sure by now you have all noticed that my story is drastically different from the filler, huh? And it will STAY that way! Bwahahaha! Although I'm keeping some things like Byakushi's betrayal, Hyourinmaru's amnesia, blah blah blah, I'm totally changing some things too. Like Tobiume's personality. She started off timid and cute in the beginning of the filler and now she's just...scary...Although her closet yaoi fangirlism is funneh (she said Muramasa was INFATUATED with Ichigo...roflroflrofl!). Anyways, once again, thanks so much for the reviews and the patience, although I kindly ask you to put down your pitchforks...eheh! ^-^;;
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach...yet...
超越愛：朱雀と青龍
Transcending Love:
The Vermilion Bird and Azure Dragon
Chapter 4
Of Fiery Friends, Villainous Motives, Accidental Tonsures,
And Smack-happy Zanpakutos
"Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves."
—Italian Proverb
Karin ducked as another fireball went whizzing over her head. Okay, maybe she shouldn't have asked Tobiume to "bring it on," because she took it quite literally. Now their fight had escalated onto the roof.
"Gah! Stop biting me!" Karin turned her eyes towards the garden to see Haineko's teeth latched firmly onto Hitsugaya's head as Matsumoto attempted to pry her off. Well, so much for their help. Dodging to the side, Karin took that opportunity to try and locate the others. She sighed when she saw Isane and Ikkaku trying to put out Yumichika's hair rather than helping him (besides, their fanning made the fire BIGGER). As another one of Tobiume's fireballs barely missed her once again, Karin rolled to find that Ukitake and Shunsui were incapacitated as well. How, she had no idea, but she had a feeling it had to do with a frantic Yumichika.
"How did you know about my first fireball?" Tobiume asked quietly as she continued to hammer Karin with more flaming plums.
"Rangiku saw it and told me to get down," Karin said, once again trying not to get nailed, which was becoming increasingly difficult due to fatigue. Tobiume blinked in surprise.
"I—I don't think Matsumoto-san said anything," she murmured, halting her attack, "She looked awfully surprised at being knocked over. Not to mention you were the only one who was talking at the time." Now it was Karin's turn to blink as she skidded to a halt.
"You mean I'm hearing voices now!?" she exclaimed, "Great, first ghosts, then hollows, and now voices! If I wasn't so damned used to this I would have checked into an asylum or some other nuthouse a long time ago!" Tobiume smiled to herself.
"You're funny." Karin stopped mid-rant at the quiet comment.
"Thanks?" she asked, blushing.
"You're welcome," Tobiume replied, smiling even wider, and Karin returned it tenfold.
"I bet your wielder is this nice too, huh?" Tobiume's face fell slightly.
"Yes, she is…"
"Then why'd you leave?" Karin asked, confused.
"I just wanted a little freedom," Tobiume sighed, "to go where I wanted to and make many friends like my wielder did. You're my first, non-zanpakuto friend besides my wielder, in fact. Not to mention I want to show her how everything isn't as nice as it should be. I don't want another 'Aizen Incident'."
"Wow," Karin murmured, "I'm sorry. I guess I would feel the same way too."
"Yeah," Tobiume nodded, "but do you think I did the right thing?"
"Hey," Karin said reassuringly, "If you hadn't, I wouldn't have met you!"
"Or be in this situation."
"Meh, good point. How about we agree that I'll let you keep your freedom if you let me keep mine?"
"Well," Tobiume said thoughtfully, however, she was suddenly interrupted by a powerful reiatsu ripping across the roof top that she and Karin were perched on, causing them to nearly fall off.
"What the hell?" Karin asked, clinging to the shingles to keep from slipping.
"It's Muramasa-san," Tobiume said, eyes widening with worry, "Karin-chan, don't let him see you or feel your reiatsu!"
"Right," Karin mumbled, allowing herself to slip towards the other side of the 4th Squad's barracks from the roof as Tobiume joined Haineko, the shinigami, and the newly arrived Muramasa in the gardens.
"Did you find the girl?" Muramasa asked calmly once Tobiume had joined him and Haineko, who had just let go of Hitsugaya's head at this point.
"Yes, but she got away," Tobiume said sadly, praying that Karin could hide her reiatsu, "I'm sorry."
"Is this true, Haineko?"
"I guess," Haineko shrugged, "couldn't really tell because I was busy chewing on whitey's head."
"You better not have rabies," Hitsugaya grumbled, rubbing his scalp. Haineko stuck her tongue out at him.
"Alright then," Muramasa said slowly, closing his eyes in thought, "Let us head back and think about our next move."
"Yessir," Haineko and Tobiume said in unison as they followed Muramasa back to their lair, using shunpo. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto exchanged worried glances as the former asked:
"What in the name of Soul Society does he want with Karin?"
Meanwhile, sitting on the other side of the Fourth Division, Karin wondered if Muramasa and the others were gone.
"Guess I'll just have to find out." Standing up, she proceeded to walk through the front door to make it back to the gardens, but before she could get very far, she heard the sounds of laughter. Curious, she crept up to a room and opened the door. Inside, on a bed, was Rukia Kuchiki, and next to her was some boy Karin could have sworn she'd seen before at a convenience store.
"So then," the boy was saying sheepishly, "I tripped, and the pie splattered Ganju in the face! It was funny, but I kinda felt bad for it."
"Thank you for telling me these stories, Hanantaro-kun," Rukia said, still laughing, "I feel much better now!"
"Er…Rukia?" Karin asked, stepping into the room slowly, "What are you doing here?"
"K—Karin?" Rukia gasped, turning beet red, "It's not what it looks like! I'm not a shinigami, I swear!"
"I already know," Karin said, laughing, "Toshiro told me everything about the soul reapers, which was after I saw Ichigo sneaking out once."
"That idiot! Can't he even comprehend the meaning of subtlety!?" Karin laughed again at Rukia's irritated expression.
"Not in the years I've know him," she chuckled, "It used to piss me off, until I started wondering what he would be like if he didn't try to be delicate! The image scared me so bad I stopped getting mad at him!" Rukia was thoughtful for a minute.
"Oh my God, you're right," she said, eyes widening in horror.
"That is scary," Hanataro murmured shyly from across Rukia's bed.
"Yeah," Karin said, turning to the bashful healer, "By the way, the name's Karin."
"H—Hanataro," he mumbled, averting his eyes and blushing.
"Nice to meet you, Hana," Karin said cheerfully, "Um…Do you or did you, by any chance, work at a convenience store or something near the Kurosaki Clinic?"
"Eh?" Hanataro asked confused, "Do you mean in the real world?"
"Yep!"
"Maybe," he muttered. Karin giggled.
"C'mon! No need to be shy! Did you?"
"Yeah," Hanataro said slowly, "but that was to keep an eye on things in Karakura Town. Nothing more…"
"Still," Karin said, "it's nice meeting you again!"
"T—thanks," he replied as Rukia stared at Karin.
"Why are you here anyways?" the Kuchiki asked.
"I'm looking for Ichigo," Karin said, pausing, "Do you know what happened, Rukia?" Rukia's face fell and Hanataro lowered his head solemnly.
"I was the last person to see him," Rukia whispered as Karin sat down in an empty chair next to her bed, "I was fighting my own zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki, and was badly hurt. Ichigo was about to help when this man, Muramasa, showed up. I lost consciousness shortly after I heard something about him being a zanpakuto. I—I think they might've started fighting after that…"
"Is there a possibility he could have been sealed?" Karin asked, quietly. Rukia's head shot up.
"How do you know about that? I don't even know what it is entirely…"
"Ukitake-taicho told me."
"Ah, I see," Rukia said, leaning back against her pillows, "He's the captain of my division."
"Then you must be really lucky," Karin said, "He's really nice!" Rukia smiled.
"Thank you."
"So," Karin asked, "Could Ichigo have been sealed?"
"I suppose, but…" Rukia stopped, unsure if she should continue.
"Yes?"
"You'll have to ask Kurotsuchi-taicho…" Karin didn't know why, but the name sent shivers down her spine. Suddenly, the door to Rukia's room opened.
"So there you are," Hitsugaya said, leaning against the doorway, "Tobiume said you 'escaped.'"
"How'd you find me?" Karin asked, smiling broadly nonetheless.
"You stopped concealing your reiatsu as soon as Muramasa left."
"Oh…"
"Did you find her, Taicho?"
"Yeah, she's talking to Kuchiki-san," Hitsugaya called to his lieutenant at the end of the hallway.
"Thank God! Ukitake-taicho, Kyoraku-taicho! Everybody! She's over here!"
"'Bout time we found her," Ikkaku grumbled once everyone filed into the room. Well, everyone except Yumichika. "Oi! Get yer pansy-ass in here!"
"NO!"
"C'mon," Ukitake said consolingly, "You don't look that bad, Ayasegawa-san."
"NO!"
"Ayasegawa," Hitsugaya growled, "Get your ass in here or I'll tell Kenpachi you chickened out again!"
"Fine," Yumichika snapped, "But don't you dare laugh or I'll post those pictures of you that Rangiku took, all over Seireitei!"
"Pictures?" Hitsugaya glared at Matsumoto, who pretended to look innocent, as Yumichika slowly slipped into the room. Karin nearly died containing her laughter, and even the polite Ukitake and Isane were trying not giggle. Before them, stood Yumichika, who was completely bald on the top of his head while the rest was burnt and frazzled. Apparently Isane and Ikkaku put the fire out, but not quite fast enough for the poor, crispy peacock.
"Well," Karin said, face about to break from trying to be serious, "At least your face is still attractive…"
"But my HAIR is ruined!"
"Then just wear a hat," Matsumoto squeaked, laughter threatening to bubble forth. "Nobody needs to see the top of your head."
"Does anybody have a hat?" Yumichika asked, looking pitiful. Shunsui walked over and plopped his straw hat on top of his head.
"There you go," he said lazily, "a hat!"
"I hate all of you…"
"So," Karin said, once Yumichika sulked into a corner to mope, "what was that about? What does Muramasa want with me?"
"I honestly don't know," Hitsugaya said, "Maybe he's interested in that Kurosaki reiatsu?"
"I doubt it," Ukitake said, scratching his chin thoughtfully, "Even though that explains why we can't find Ichigo." Everyone was silent for a few minutes, each thinking to themselves.
"Maybe," Isane finally spoke up, "It has something to do with her zanpakuto?"
"That would be the case if she had one," Matsumoto pointed out. Karin, however, suddenly remembered that she wanted to test what Tobiume said.
"Oh, Rangiku," she said, "I forgot to thank you for warning me about Tobiume's sneak attack!" Everyone stared at her, confused.
"What are you talking about?" Matsumoto asked, "I didn't say anything!"
"But I heard the voice of a mature woman," Karin protested, realization starting to dawn on her, and frightening her, "She said, 'Get down!' and my body seemed to move immediately!"
"Karin," Hitsugaya said, furrowing his brow in concern, "How long has this been going on?"
"It just started," she replied, looking around at everyone in the hopes of learning anything about her predicament.
"Have you ever had any weird dreams?" Rukia suddenly asked, her face darkening, "Any at all?"
"Besides the one with the dancing pickles?"
"Yes."
"Nope."
"Alright then," Ukitake said, "it seems like a one time thing so far, but please, Karin. Let us know immediately if you have any bizarre dreams or the voice returns."
"Okay," she said as Ukitake smiled encouragingly.
"Well," Hitsugaya said, yawning, "let's turn in for tonight, and see if Unohana found out anything from Mayuri when she gets back tomorrow." Silently agreeing, everyone wearily made their way towards the door and back to their temporary rooms, well, except Karin.
"You can stay here tonight, Karin" Rukia said, "There's an extra bed on the other side of the screen."
"Thanks," Karin said, yawning. Before she turned in, however, Ukitake approached her and pulled out a lollipop.
"Here," he said cheerfully, "A little bit of sugar before bed helps people to sleep better!"
"Thanks!" Karin said eagerly taking the treat and sticking it in her mouth. Suddenly, Ukitake yelled happily at Hitsugaya, who was just walking through the door while everyone sleepily followed.
"SEE, SHIRO-CHAN!!! EVEN SHE APPRECIATES ME!!!"
Karin nearly choked on her lollipop.
Karin…open your eyes…
"Mm…mph…"
Karin…can you hear me?
"Mm…just five more minutes, Mom…."
THWACK
"I'm not your mother so wake up, dammit!"
"OW!" Karin said, sitting up and rubbing her head where a fan had connected, "What the hell was that for!?"
"For ignoring me while I'm trying to have a civil conversation!" A beautiful woman in an expensive-looking, vermillion-colored kimono glared at Karin with two blazing, orange eyes as the concussed girl sat up. Her long black hair was done up in an elegantly regal topknot with a thick bun and loops while the rest of it cascaded down her back, save for two tresses on either side, which fell down her chest and were tied with two large, ceremonial beads. In her right hand, was the elaborate fan she hit Karin with.
"Who the hell are you?" Karin asked, glowering at the woman, "Get out of my room!"
"I believe," the woman said curtly, forcefully turning Karin's head with one hand to look at her surroundings, "That you are in my room." Karin gasped. Instead of the hospital room in the 4th Division, they were in a large, grandly ornamented chamber that looked like it was from an ancient painting of a palace. On one wall, there was even a giant picture of a misty, Japanese garden, which, Karin realized, when some cranes took flight, was actually real.
"How did I get here?" Karin asked, startled, "Take me back, now!"
"It's your choice to leave," the woman said simply, sitting down upon a decorated settee that looked like it was from China or something. "You came in, you can certainly leave."
"I came here?" Karin asked, surprised, "All by myself?"
"Well," the woman said hesitantly, "I guess I kind of helped…"
"Oh?" Karin asked, narrowing her eyes.
THWACK
"Oh, stop being so mistrustful, Karin," the woman snapped, smacking Karin on the head with her fancy fan yet again, "I'm your zanpakuto for crying out loud!"
"My…zanpakuto? But I'm not dead yet, let alone a shinigami!"
"So?" Well, that explained everything. Karin scowled, this was just too weird.
"Alright then," the Kurosaki sighed, "What's your name, anyways…?"
"I can't tell you that," the woman said, lightly fanning herself, "Sorry, girly."
"Why not?" Karin grumbled, "Am I not 'worthy' of your power, or something?"
"It's too dangerous right now," the woman growled, "it's precisely what Muramasa wants, so don't take that tone with me, or I might just tell you." Karin gulped. It's not good when someone threatens to give you what you want.
"Sorry," she mumbled lowering her head. Her zanpakuto smiled softly.
"That's better," she said, cheerfully, "now, let's see if we can speak like we're polite for once."
"Okay," Karin said slowly, thinking of a good question, "Um…is there anything I can call you by to make things less awkward?"
"Glad you asked," the woman answered, "You may call me 'Su' for now."
"Okay," Karin said, "Su it is!" Su smiled pleasantly.
"So, is there anything else you want to know?" Karin thought for a moment.
"Why does Muramasa want me to learn your name?" she asked gravely.
"He wants to confirm my identity," Su answered vaguely, not meeting Karin's eyes.
"Why?" Karin asked, "Do you owe him money or something?" Su turned and leaned in close to Karin, looking directly in her eyes. Karin withstood the urge to draw back in fear as Su began to whisper.
"He wants revenge." Karin's eyes widened as a million thoughts flooded her mind at once. However, she didn't have time to ask anything before the temperature suddenly dropped.
"What the?"
"You need to go," Su replied cheerfully, "Your friend is in trouble."
"What!?" Karin asked as her zanpakuto glared at her for hesitating.
"If you don't hurry," she snapped, "He'll freeze all of Seireitei! We'll talk more tomorrow now GO!" Before Karin could protest further, the room and Su began to fade as her and Rukia's quarters came into focus and an icy chill nearly knocked her off her toes.
"Oh, man," she groaned, "I hate the cold…"
A/N: Well, so ends this chappie! I forgot to mention too that I will not be doing anymore Zaph's Dictionary-thing until the very end of this story...so pray you never see it! Mwahahaha! ...gomen... ANYWAYS, tune in next time, my friends, for Cold Feet, Black Blizzards, Frozen Clouds, and Rude Awakenings!