I sat at my desk drawing diagrams for soccer practice as people filed into the classroom greeting each other. Girls gossiped about the dates they'd had the night before or about how they'd been dumped. The guys talked about the latest video games or argued about which sports teams were better. I sighed with longing, I didn't have what people called friends, except for Yuzu but she didn't really count seeing as she was my twin sister. No, It was more like there were a few people who tolerated my short temper and boy-ish ways, and I could count them all on one hand.

The bell rang and all the groups dispersed sitting down for class. The teacher walked in with an enormous smile on her face, "Class we have a new student joining us today." She said bubbly gesturing for someone to come in. I mentally gagged and leaned my head back to pull my hair into a high ponytail. "My name is Toshiro Hitsuguya; it's a pleasure to meet you all." I froze for a second as snickers sounded across the room because of his formal speech. I slowly lifted my head forward and my gray eyes locked with the cold turquoise ones that I hadn't seen in four years.

"Alright everyone from Karin on please move your selves one seat over." The teacher was annoyingly persistent about keeping us alphabetized, so whenever a new student came into our class we all silently cursed the student even though it wasn't their fault. I picked up my bags and books and moved over one seat never taking my eyes off of Toshiro who calmly stared back. His physical features had changed a lot, he was much taller, his face slimmer, and his hair wasn't as spiky as normal rather it was short and messy. I quickly looked down feeling foolish for staring; it was only Toshiro after all.

The teacher clapped her hands as if we were dogs and turned to the board to continue the lesson from yesterday. I titled my head down creating a wall of hair between Toshiro and me, and I found myself taking notes for the first time in my life. We were about an hour into class when something white slipped under my hair, I looked over at Toshiro who had his back leaning against the wall with his head twisted forward looking like he was taking notes. I picked up the piece of paper and read, Is something wrong? I picked up my pen a scrawled out a quick reply, No, why? and passed it back. I watched as he wrote a reply, and passed it across the aisle, Because you seem upset. Are you mad?

Why are you here? I wrote.

Because I have a mission.

Oh? What?

I'll explain at lunch. I glared at him and he merely shrugged. The rest of class passed with us focusing on our work with a few passing glances every once and a while. Finally the bell rang for lunch, I shoved all my books into my desk and grabbed my lunch out of my bag. Toshiro stood waiting for me while all of our classmates ran out the door squealing and acting like children. I gestured for him to follow me, and we walked in silence down the halls and up to the roof. "Didn't you bring any lunch?" I asked sitting next to the railing so I could lean against it and unpacked my lunch.

"I forgot." He replied sitting next to me and I heard his stomach growl. I smirked and split my sandwich offering him half, "thanks." He said taking it out of my hand.

"There's also a juice box in there, Yuzu always packs one in case I drink all of my water before lunch." I said holding up my half full water bottle. He rummaged around in my pack and pulled out the juice box, "This thing?" He asked skeptically and I nodded watching as he tried to figure out how to open it, "How do you open this damn thing?" he growled frustrated. I laughed grabbing it and very slowly showed him where the straw was and where to insert it. "Thanks." He repeated as he scowled at the little box.

"So what's you mission here?" I asked pulling out my soccer diagrams and a pencil hoping to finish them.

"Well, squad twelve finally finished decoding, filing and analyzing Aizen's notes, and they believe there might still be some Arrancars in Hueco Mundo. The head captain thinks they will be drawn to Karakura town because of the enriched spirit energy here."

"After four years? Wouldn't they attack sooner if there were any?"

"How much did your brother and father tell you about what happened?"

"Not much? " I admitted, "They explained what hollows, Arrancars, and all those other classes of hollows were. And they told me that four years ago this guy named Sosuke Aizen created many really powerful Arrancars and he wanted to destroy Karakura town so that he could get some sort of key and then kill your soul king." He was quiet as he digested this.

"They told you more than I expected." He commented.

"Yeah well I think my dad was hoping that I would want to awaken my powers so I could help protect the town, while Ichi just wanted me to become so afraid that I wouldn't." Toshiro let out a short laugh

"That sounds like something Kurosaki would do. But anyway back to the matter at hand. Something that they didn't tell you is that time passes differently in Hueco Mundo than here, but we aren't sure if it's faster or slower. That's why it doesn't surprise us that they haven't attacked yet."

"So why send a captain?"

"Because we believe they're strong, too strong for a lieutenant and under but not strong enough to warrant more than one captain, Squad twelve believes that there are probably no more than a dozen, and they believe that they might not be working together because from what they could tell these Arrancars are all fracciones, each of a different espada "

"Okay, but why you? Why not my brother who would familiar with the area?"

"Your brother is currently busy teaching new recruits how to fight at the soul reaper academy, and he's trying to learn Kido on the side."

"Ichigo is teaching?"

"Yeah I wasn't so sure about it either but with a little assistance every once in a while he's getting the hang of it. But besides him and Rukia Kuchiki I was the only captain familiar with this town, and Rukia refused since she's the one teaching your brother Kido." He stood up brushing the dirt off his pants and turned to look over the railing. It was quiet, the only sound were those of laughter below and my pencil scratching across my paper, "So, have you decided if you're going to awaken your soul reaper powers?" he asked trying to make it sound off-hand.

I sighed expecting this question, "I'm not going to." He looked down at me quizzically, I stood up and looked down over the railing seeing my sister surrounded by her group of friends laughing, "I just want a normal life, it's bad enough that I see spirits I don't want to go around fighting monsters too."

"That didn't stop you four years ago." He pointed out referring to how I would attempt to fight hollows by kicking my soccer ball at them. "Yeah, I know. But honestly, do you realize that ever since I turned fifteen my spiritual pressure has been rising and if I did become a soul reaper my spiritual pressure would reach its maximum level. I'm afraid that if that does happen I'll have spiritual pressure like Ichigo's. Which will attract hollows to me putting Yuzu in danger." I felt tears sting my eyes and I quickly turned my head away hoping he wouldn't see how weak I truly was.

"Has Yuzu shown any signs of having soul reaper powers?" he asked quietly

"No, she can still sense spirits when they're close but she can't see them, dad thinks that the powers skipped over her." Secretly I was jealous, I never spoke of my wish out loud but I wanted the life that Yuzu had. Close friends and not a worry in the world. It took me minute before I realized that Toshiro was staring at me, "What are you staring at, Toshiro?"

"Nothing, it's just that…you've changed a lot."

I rolled my eyes trying to lighten the mood, "It's called puberty, Sherlock." His whole face turned pink and I grinned, "That's not what I meant." He mumbled.

"Uh-huh sure Toshiro, why don't you just admit it? You're a perv and were looking at my body." I teased knowing it would rile him up.

"I was not! I was just noticing that you let your hair grow out."

"Yeah because it's easier to pull back when it's longer but you don't see me staring at you just because you cut your hair."

"And you're taller." He pointed out, his face had turned red by now and it looked like he was about to explode.

"Ha, as if! You grew more than I did!" I pointed out,"you're finally a big boy Toshiro." I mocked knowing that it would agitate him even more.

"You're supposed to call me Captain Hitsuguya, Kurosaki." He barked leaning towards me.

"Don't call me Kurosaki, my name is Karin! And if you think that I'm going to call you captain you'd better keep dreaming." I retorted standing up on my toes trying to look more intimidating but he was maybe a foot taller than me when he was standing up straight and even thogh he was leaned forward it was enough to where I could gain an advantage. We stood like that for a moment our noses almost touching and glaring at each other. I bit my lip trying to keep from laughing and turned away leaning my back against the rail. He broke our silence first, "So do you still play soccer?" He asked still looking out at the school grounds. "Yup! Actually I was made team captain. The old captain graduated and the principle was so impressed with my skills from middle school that he asked me to captain the team." I stated proudly.

"So you're only in your first year of high school and already you have subordinates." He mused turning his head towards me so that I could see a wide grin spread across his face, "Didn't you once tease me about having subordinates?"
"Oh, shut up Toshiro!" I snapped, he merely chuckled and I swiftly kicked him in the butt.

"You're not supposed to do that to a captain, Karin." He groaned, rubbing his backside while I just shrugged.

"You're such a sissy, besides don't forget while you're in my world your title won't get you any perks." He scowled for a second before reaching out and tugging my hair playfully. He seemed to have loosened up a lot in the past four years, obviously maturing from the serious child I once knew into this spirited teenager. "Come on we'd better hurry up and get to class before the bell rings." I said picking up my lunch bag. Toshiro walked ahead of me and just I couldn't resist an open target. I kicked him in the butt once more this time with a little more force, "Ow, what was that for?" He demanded.

"I just felt like it, got a problem with that?"

"You just wait Karin, you'll find that I have a knack for giving payback when you least expect it." He informed me as he opened the door and held it open for me.

"Oh, I'm so scared." I said sarcastically, though I did look over my shoulder cautiously as he followed right behind me back to the classroom.