The conversation with his aunt made Ichigo feel better. The pain of the small taicho's death wasn't washed away, but now he felt like he was doing something constructive in memory of the young man he considered to be like a younger brother. He headed back to Toshiro's room expecting Karin to be sitting on the bed looking around the room, or moving about looking at things. Instead he heard a young female voice sounding quite upset. "Please Rangiku-san! All I'm asking for is some of his art work? Surely it isn't as big of a problem as you're making it out to be!"

"Hinamori! You told me why you wanted those pictures. I don't think..."

The orange haired teen stepped over to the doorway and peered in. A young female was speaking to Matsumoto Rangiku and her facial features were twisted up. Ichigo raised a finger and pointed at the girl. "I know you. You're that girl that Toshiro stabbed back during the Winter War."

He watched as the girl turned to look at him with a look of horror. "You... who are you."

Rangiku twisted her head around as the corners of her mouth attempted to form a smile. "Oh... Ichigo. Hinamori, this is the Substitute Shinigami... Kurosaki Ichigo. I told you that Karin is his little sister."

Ichigo's head tilted as this Hinamori person twisted her head around to look at his sister with a rather horrified look on her face. She then looked back at Ichigo with a similar look. "I take it that you don't like me? Is it because I mentioned what happened during the war?"

"I never said I hated you."

"Ichigo... this is Hinamori Momo. She is fukutaicho of the fifth division."

"Oh..." Ichigo reached up a hand to scratch the top of his head while he frowned. "Something is bothering you though."

"I won't let you replace Shiro-chan!"

The young teen took a deep breath as he looked at the girl. "You and Toshiro were close, aren't you. I kind of got that though from the way he acted that day."

Rangiku folded her arms across her chest. "They honestly weren't any where as close as they used to be."

Momo turned to look at Rangiku as her eyes began to water. Ichigo took a deep breath and folded his arms across his chest. "Come on Rangiku-san... surely you can be nice to her about that. Toshiro did in fact die."

"Please... his artwork Rangiku."

"No Hinamori!"

The orange haired teen took a deep breath. "What art work? If she wants a few pictures, surely it can't hurt can it?"

"She doesn't simply want a few pictures he drew. She wants all of them. She wants to put together a showing of said art work in his memory. It's too soon though. I mean..."

Ichigo looked around the room. "Rangiku-san... where is his artwork?"

The female took a look towards the bookcases. "His sketchbooks are over there. I even put the one in his desk there as I've not had the heart to look through them yet."

"All of his artwork though happens to be in sketchbooks and not any other form?"

"Yes..." The woman suddenly kept avoiding eye contact with him.

"Then you gave them to me already." Ichigo watched as Rangiku suddenly turned towards him with a horrified look.

"Ichigo... surely you don't mean to give Hinamori them? I know I said you can have the books, but..."

The orange haired teen heard the strain in her voice. "I never said I would give them to Hinamori-san. After I get his books transported to the world of the living I can look through the pictures for you and make notes of everything that is in them as I can."

"What about the art show though! I mean..." The young female looked like she was going to cry.

Karin let out a sigh from where she sat on the bed. "Ichi-nii... I know that Momo-san and Toshiro weren't blood related, but they did think of each other as siblings. I'm sure you have your reasons, so could you explain them to her. She may take things better if you do."

Ichigo's head twisted back to Momo to see that her watery eyes had become even more wet. "All right. Hinamori-san... can you tell me though why you want the art show? I may be able to better explain things to you. Also... your exact relationship with Toshiro... that might help too."

"Taicho and Hinamori were foster siblings and grew up with each other." Rangiku's words caused Ichigo's head to suddenly shoot up as the tone of voice seemed to contain some sort of anger.

"Yes... Shiro-chan and I grew up with each other. Um... well... Shiro-chan... he was really good at his art work. He always denied it though, so he never shared his work with others."

The fukutaicho of the tenth looked away. "His art work was his way of escaping without feeling like he was doing something childish."

"I honestly don't disagree with Hinamori's idea that there should be a display of his artwork." Ichigo could hear Rangiku drawing her breath. "Rangiku-san is right though in saying that it is too soon." Two brown eyes looked towards the sketchbooks he now noticed on the bookshelves. "This isn't something you can just throw together. Plus... there may be some pictures in there that Toshiro would have preferred given to people."

"Yes... but..." The young female looked at the ground as she continued to frown.

"If you rush this then people's feelings are going to get hurt."

"I should be the one that gets to go through the pictures though! I'm his sister! I'm his family!" The look Momo gave Ichigo reminded him of a puppy dog.

"Excuse me?" Rangiku's voice rose up as Karin let out a sigh. "You..."

"Rangiku-san! Now isn't the time!" Ichigo's brown eyes looked at the woman to see that her facial features were twisted up in anger. He couldn't though place where the anger was coming from. He turned back to see Momo swallow before tilting her head down as she rubbed on foot into the ground. The orange haired teen then watched as she turned on her heals and headed out the door. One of his hands reached up to rub the back of his head. "Anyone care to explain?"

"I honestly don't know. I've been picking up quite a bit of animosity between Rangiku-san and Momo-chan ever since she came in here demanding the pictures." Karin moved her feet in a steady rhythm as she looked at the ceiling. "She didn't seem to be just in morning either. There seemed to be some unresolved feelings of jealousy, spite and anger."

Rangiku took a deep breath. "That..." The woman shook her head. "Karin... how did you know that Toshiro and Momo were siblings despite not being blood related? Did he tell you?"

'Not exactly. He talked more about his granny and that wasn't much. No... I just got this feeling."

"I see..."

Ichigo went and sat down next to his sister. "Is there anything I should now? If Hinamori-san needs closure, then..."

"... she should have thought about resolving things with him before he died." Rangiku snapped. The anger quickly left her face as a hand went up to rub her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I really shouldn't be this angry at Hinamori. It's just..." The woman let out a deep breath of air. "Things haven't been going well for the two of them. They rather grew apart over the years. Mostly it was Hinamori growing apart from my taicho, but he realized after the Winter War that..."

The woman's eyes closed. "I'm sorry. Perhaps I'll tell you two some other time. Things weren't going well for the two though and taicho really tried his hardest."

Ichigo felt his facial features twist up with worry. "Was... was she part of the reason why he struggled forming relationships with other people? Was it because he struggled with the relationship between him and his sister?"

"Yeah. I honestly think she was part of his problem. Not all of it mind you, but... I'll explain more later." The woman took a deep breath. "Thank you for telling her no as well."

"Her idea about displaying his art work isn't a bad idea though. I'm not talking about anytime soon. It... I guess it would be a step in the healing process."

Rangiku looked at him for a good few minutes. "Ichigo... if I were to allow his pictures to be shown, it would have to be for the right reasons and at the right time. It... it can't be on a whim. That's honestly what is going through Hinamori's head right now. She's trying to find some quick way to get rid of the pain and pretend yet again that it doesn't exist."

"What doesn't exist?" Ichigo's eyes widened in confusion.

"Hurt feelings Ichi-nii." Karin pushed herself up from the bed. "Thank you for showing me Toshiro's room Rangiku-san. I feel I got to know him a little better, though I also got the feeling he was struggling with knowing himself."

"Actually... sharing it with you helped me Karin."

Ichigo crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Aren't I like that too? Trying to pretend that hurt feelings don't exist? I avoided the funeral didn't I?"

"Ichigo... you're problem isn't you trying to pretend that negative feelings exist. You're simply all to aware that they do exist." Rangiku smiled. "Are you going back with your sister?"

"No... as I told Ku-chan, I am going to send Karin back. I may ask Rukia to take her. I'll have a message for you to give to my teachers Karin." He watched as his sister gave him a look telling him she wasn't pleased with being turned into his errand girl. "I'll work on packing the boxes up and arranging to have them brought to the world of the living. I've also got to apologize for missing the funeral."

"Ichigo... you've already apologized to me. I think the only other person who it matters to that you need to apologize to without them telling you upset them is Ukitake. He..." The woman smiled. "Why don't you take Karin-chan to see him before you send her back to the world of the living. He... to be honest he's taking taicho's death the worst. He really cared about him."

The orange haired teen looked at his sister. "Well... that isn't a bad idea. It would be hard for you to meet him otherwise as he is usually ill. I am planning on asking Rukia to take you back anyways."

"And what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well... he's Rukia's taicho."