Author's note: So just as I promised, the next chapter is here. Unfortunately I haven't made an illustration for this. I might post something later. Fortunately I made a breakthrough with chapter 11, so it shouldn't take too long before I can post it. Unfortunately that only means that the troublesome place has bee moved to chapter 12, so no promisses on that. That was enough ranting, now enjoy the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
On the Frozen Plain - First steps
Bankai was something few shinigami ever attempted and even fewer gained. There wasn't much generally known about it and few books were written describing the Final Release, much less textbooks instructing how to obtain it. Hitsugaya had to visit the Great Library several times before he located one that seemed actually useful. Equipped with the knowledge he found there, he found a secluded spot in Rukongai to begin his materialization training. He didn't want to do it on the Second Division's training grounds; they were usually observed by Onmitsukidou members practicing stealthy surveillance. Hitsugaya didn't want anyone to know what he was up to. Materialization was something only the more powerful of lieutenants attempted. A child and a mere Sixteenth Seat trying the same would be considered hopeless and childish, if not outright deluded. Even the librarian looked at him oddly when he wanted books about Bankai. He played it down as mere academic curiosity.
He looked over the fields surrounding him. There wasn't a single person around. Good. He could begin. He started with contacting his zanpakutou.
"Hyourinmaru?"
"Little one?" the dragon replied readily. Contacting him was now much easier than it used to be once, but still not at the level he would need to achieve Bankai.
"Are you ready?"
"Always. You can stop stalling now." Toushirou had to chuckle.
"Then let's begin." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He concentrated on his link with Hyourinmaru, mentally grabbing the dragon. Then he tried to pull him out. Unsurprisingly, it didn't work. He pulled harder. He imagined the spirit appearing next to him in the real world. He visualized him standing on the grass next to him. Then he opened his eyes. There was ice in abundance around, but no sign of a dragon. Well, it was as he expected on his first try. He took a little breather and tried again.
By the end of the day, he was completely exhausted, his surroundings completely frozen and he didn't get even a shimmering outline of Hyourinmaru's form. He tried not to feel down about it, this was supposed to take ten years, but he still couldn't help but feel a little bit down. Maybe it was because he was used to learning everything so much faster than anyone else. It looked like he should learn more patience first.
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Shortly after the fight with Oomaeda, it was time for another officer's tryouts. Hitsugaya joined them again. This time he did much better. He won the Hakuda match without releasing his reiatsu, finished fifth in the shunpo race and he managed to stay awake during the stealth portion. Though he was still taken out from the behind because he failed to notice another competitor sneaking up on him, while the other shinigami could find him easily thanks to his trouble with concealing his reiatsu. But overall it was a success. Instead of the Sixteenth Seat, he was now awarded the Tenth. And no derogatory comments were added to the letter informing him of his promotion besides 'work on your reiatsu control. It's atrocious.' That was probably the best part.
But with higher rank also came new responsibilities, as he soon learned.
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Hitsugaya was walking towards where he was supposed to meet his new unit. Being once again a commander of something was supposed to be an honor and promotion, but Hitsugaya was given a task no seated officer liked: being put in charge of a squad composed entirely of new recruits. Hitsugaya was convinced that this assignment was Oomaeda's revenge for making him look weak in front of Soifon-taichou. The fat lieutenant was still smarting from his public humiliation, but he didn't dare to challenge Hitsugaya to a rematch.
Hitsugaya tried not to think about any of the horror stories he had heard from his peers. According to them, new recruits liked nothing better than getting themselves in danger needlessly and then making you look like an incompetent commander when you lost half of your unit on the first mission. He sighed. He could already imagine how it was going to be: the new recruits would absolutely refuse to obey a child, rush headfirst into danger on their very first mission, get massacred and make him look like an especially inept excuse of an officer when he'd lose his whole unit. He could only hope that he'd manage to convince them that he was a competent leader and a strong and skilled shinigami and they'd better learn to obey his orders before they'd be assigned their first mission. He sighed again. He'd have to hope they wouldn't have to fight any Hollow for the next year, which was an unlikely prospect.
He looked at the paper in his hand, listing the names of his new subordinates. It was all he knew about them; their Academy records got lost somewhere in the Seireitei bureaucracy. He should look for them later. Or maybe not. He should assess their abilities himself, it would tell him more than any test results. So who were the sods he got stuck with? Kanzaki, Otonashi, Enjouji, Hamada, Kawasaki, Eishima, Mori, Kusanagi. Some of the names sounded familiar. Maybe he knew some of them at the Academy? It was possible.
Before he could remember, he arrived at the place where the new recruits were gathered. Unlike the Fourth, which gave the newbies time to adjust, the Second immediately divided them into units and considered them ready for duty. Captain Soifon didn't like wasting time on anything, which was usually good, but Hitsugaya felt that this was one occasion when it wasn't good. In his opinion, if the recruits had more time to adjust, they would have better chance of survival. In Soifon's opinion, if they didn't survive, they would have been just hindrances anyway and it was better if they got weeded out early. It sounded awfully cold to Toushirou, but it wasn't like he could do anything about it.
He banished such morose thoughts and began calling for his new underlings. In other parts of the room several of his colleagues were doing the same, so there was quite a chaos in the room. But then a tall woman approached him, introduced herself as Hamada Okimi and asked where her commanding officer was. Hitsugaya suppressed his irritation and explained that it was him. She looked at him skeptically, but said nothing. After that a large man arrived and introduced himself as Otonashi Satomi. He thankfully didn't say anything, but the look he was giving Hitsugaya wasn't exactly approving. After that Kusanagi Ritsuko appeared and smiled at Hitsugaya warmly, but something in her eyes reminded him of Matsumoto too much. She looked like she'd much rather use him as a dress-up doll then obey his orders. Mori Makio and Kawasaki Wataru arrived together. Mori tripped over his own feet and from Kawasaki's reaction it looked like it was a common occurrence. Great. A klutz was the last thing the unit needed.
And then the last two members of his team arrived and Hitsugaya immediately realized where did he hear their names before. Enjouji Yoshitsuna and his faithful sidekick Eishima Kayaku, the two banes of his Academy life. They looked even more arrogant and smug in their new shihakushou than they used to and Hitsugaya's first instinct was to bolt. Then he got a grip of himself. I'm their superior officer now, he reminded himself. They can't bully me anymore. It would be insubordination. In fact, I can now get back at them for everything they put me through. He had to stop himself from smiling. Yes, that was a very alluring idea.
"What do we have here?" Yoshitsuna sneered in greeting. "That little shrimp actually graduated?"
"Yes, Enjouji-san, four years ago," Hitsugaya informed him in his best icy tone. "And don't call me 'shrimp.' It's Tenth Seat Hitsugaya and I'm your commanding officer, so don't speak to me in such tone unless you want to be in trouble for insubordination." He expected Yoshitsuna's face to twist in horror, but it showed only disdain and cruelty.
"You are my superior? There must have been a mistake."
"There wasn't a mistake," Hitsugaya assured him. "And you are going to address me with due respect or I am going to make your life hell."
"There must have been a mistake," the bully insisted. "My cousin Marechiyo would never allow something like this." Marechiyo? Hitsugaya blinked in surprise. Did he mean Oomaeda something long no-one cared to remember Marechiyo? As in their lieutenant? The fat guy who already disliked Hitsugaya? If those two really were related and on good terms, it didn't bode well for him. But knowing his usual luck, they probably were. And now that he looked at Yoshitsuna better, he could see certain familiar resemblance. Both were about the same height and both were large, though Yoshitsuna wasn't fat but muscular. And there was also similar setting of their jaws and eyes. He suppressed a sigh. It looked like commanding a squad of new recruits would suck even more than usual.
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Though Yoshitsuna did complain to his cousin, he achieved nothing. The unit assignments were the work of Captain Soifon and she didn't like her orders messed with. Even the vice-captain could do nothing about it. But he at least promised Yoshitsuna that he'd make sure his new superior wouldn't bully him. The recruit considered it an invitation to complain about every little thing and Hitsugaya found himself called to the fukutaichou office and dressed down too often. Despite being able to defend his actions most of the time, he usually got berated that he should be more accommodating towards nobility. The lectures made him resent their fat pig of a lieutenant even more than he originally did.
He wanted to complain about Yoshitsuna too, but he had little reason. Despite his bad class ranking, Yoshitsuna turned out to be a competent shinigami, very good in Hakuda and Hohou. For a newbie, anyway. His position in class had been determined by his bad academic performance and mediocre Kidou, caused mostly by his inability to remember the incantations. Even Kayaku performed well in the field, excelling in stealth. And though their behavior showed their quiet contempt of him, they never went so far that they insulted him directly or disobeyed an order and Hitsugaya needed a better cause behind a complaint he would show to Oomaeda or even Soifon than 'they looked at me funny.' He could just imagine how well would that go. For the time being, he could do nothing but bear it.
But aside from the personal trouble, he had also a reason to rejoice. After a little over a month of trying, he achieved his first success in the field of materialization. At the end of a day filled with effort, he managed to make Hyourinmaru show in the real world for the first time. It was only an outline so faint he could barely see it and it lasted for less than a second, but it was finally something. It proved to Hitsugaya that he could do it, banishing the lingering doubt. He continued his training with renewed enthusiasm.
He also continued his training sessions with Ikeda. Though he was able to beat her in combat most of the time now, she still had a lot to teach him. She was now showing him new tactics and teaching him how to spot an enemy and be always on guard, mostly by attacking him at random times. Hitsugaya couldn't count the occasions when she got the drop on him.
Then his unit was deployed into the field for the first time, with the orders to purify a Hollow that had been spotted in Rukongai. Hitsugaya felt a sense of dread settle in his stomach as he listened to the Hell Butterfly that relayed the message. Though his subordinates all performed adequately as individuals, they had no sense of teamwork. It was caused mostly by Yoshitsuna thinking he should be in charge and that he was the best. He wasn't. That was Kanzaki, followed closely by Hamada. Yoshitsuna was third, but Kusanagi threatened to take his position. But in Yoshitsuna's mind the ranking was completely different. That was why Hitsugaya knew that this mission could end only in disaster. But he couldn't refuse it. He could only hope that Yoshitsuna and Kayaku wouldn't do the exact opposite of his orders out of spite. He barked commands at his subordinates and led them out of Seireitei. He could only pray that Yoshitsuna wouldn't do something too reckless and that he would be fast enough to save anybody who would need it.
They arrived at the assigned location shortly. South Rukongai, 16th district. Finding the Hollow itself was easy too. Its reiatsu wasn't hard to follow. Actually fighting it with a bunch of brats who obeyed him only under direct threat of grievous bodily harm would be trickier.
"We'll split into three groups and surround it, so it can't run," Hitsugaya decided. "Kanzaki will lead the first one and take Otonashi and Kusanagi. Hamada will lead the second one and take Enjouji and Eishima." He pitied Hamada for having to deal with them, but if he wanted to keep the teams of comparable strength, this was the best solution. "I will take Mori and Kawasaki." They were the weakest of his unit and he wanted to keep them close where he could protect them.
"Why am I not a team leader?" Yoshitsuna asked angrily.
"Because I said so," Hitsugaya informed him. Now was not the time to argue with the pampered noble. "You are now Hamada's subordinate and you are going to obey her, or you have a case of insubordination on your head. Understood?" Yoshitsuna made a sour face, but nodded. "Good. So now everything is clear, Kanzaki's group will flank the Hollow from the right. My group will flank it from the left. Hamada's will stay here. Once everybody is in position, we'll move at the Hollow together." The two team leaders nodded in acknowledgement. "Then go."
It took Hitsugaya's group a long time to arrive at their destination. Mori tripped twice on the way. Sometimes Hitsugaya wondered how did he ever make it to the Gotei 13. But before Hitsugaya could give the order to move, they felt a surge of reiatsu. It was familiar. It looked like Yoshitsuna was bored waiting for the order and attacked on his own. He cursed silently. He could have expected that Hamada wouldn't be able to rein in the young nobleman. But now was too late to do anything about it.
"Move!" he shouted firing the kidou signal for Kanzaki's group to do the same. At that moment he realized something. The reiatsu was coming right from where they had left Hamada's group. And the Hollow was still where it used to be. What was going on?
He understood it soon enough. A flock of little birds attacked them. They were strange birds. Their beaks, talons and even feathers were sharp and they had little bone masks on their heads. Detachments, Hitsugaya realized. Hollows with detachments were rare; he hadn't encountered one since the last Academy exercise. They also tended to be a pain to defeat. And this one promised to be the same. The birds moved very fast, attacked with ferocity and there were an awful lot of them. Hitsugaya slashed left and right, but even with his speed he couldn't block every one of them. The painful screams from behind him showed that the two rookies were faring much worse.
Hitsugaya cursed. He had to come up with a way to protect them or they would be torn into pieces. He turned around to see Mori on the ground, hiding his head in his arms. He wasn't even trying to fight anymore. Five birds were perched on his unprotected back, tearing into his flesh. Hitsugaya cut them with his zanpakutou, but they were soon replaced with new ones. And Hitsugaya was attacked too.
There was no choice anymore. "Souten ni zase, Hyourinmaru!" The blast of icy reiatsu immediately froze the birds on his back. It also stifled the two rookies, but they were of no use in the fight anyway. Hitsugaya sent ice dragons flying in all directions. He quickly managed to clear the immediate area, but there were more birds flocking, preparing to attack them again.
"Bakudou #73: Tozanshou!" The inverted blue pyramid appeared around the two fallen shinigami. That should be enough to protect them. The birds weren't strong enough to break through such a powerful barrier.
He felt that Kanzaki's group was fighting now too. He cringed when he imagined how they were faring. There was only one thing he could do now: Destroy the main body. Fortunately he could feel where it was. He shunpoed towards it as far as he could.
He arrived there swiftly. He was a bit surprised that it didn't look like a bird. But the appearance of a giant nest full of eggs moving around on many tiny legs was somehow appropriate. As he arrived, many of the eggs broke and the little birds flew out. They immediately charged at Hitsugaya. The boy just swung Hyourinmaru and sent an ice dragon at it, making it as powerful and fast as he could. It shot right through the birds and hit the nest head on. It was immediately frozen and shattered.
The moment the main body was destroyed, the little birds dissolved into spiritrons too. Hitsugaya sighed in relief. The danger was over. But the mission wasn't. If even he was torn and bleeding, how did his subordinates fare? He didn't even bother to look and immediately called for the Fourth. Then he slipped into shunpo to check on his subordinates, wondering how high the casualties were.
He checked on Kanzaki's group first. All of them were torn and bloodied, but they weren't missing any body parts and neither of them seemed in danger of bleeding out either. At least something was good. Hitsugaya left them to their own devices and shunpoed to Hamada's group. The woman immediately started giving a report that they were suddenly attacked by a flock of birds which had disappeared just as suddenly. Yoshitsuna was holding his face, which was bleeding badly. His shihakushou was in ribbons and his skin scratched horribly, but he wasn't in danger. Kayaku looked worse, but even he would live until the Fourth arrived.
That left only Hitsugaya's own group to check on. Within moments, he stood next to the inverted blue pyramid and dispelled it. He knelt next to his two subordinates. Mori was lying prone on the ground, Kawasaki was sobbing.
Hitsugaya checked on Mori first. He was the one worse off. A closer look revealed that it was really bad. A major artery had been torn. It was a wonder he hadn't bled out yet. Hitsugaya quickly applied the Bakudou for emergency closing the wound. It stopped bleeding immediately, but the spell wouldn't hold for long. Hitsugaya quickly applied the general healing spell to strengthen the patient and prayed that the Fourth would show up soon.
It felt like an eternity before they finally showed up, though Hitsugaya knew that they actually made a pretty good time, considering how slow the members of the Fourth usually were. Hitsugaya was grateful that he could finally let Mori in their care. He had managed to keep the youth alive, but he knew he wouldn't have been able to for much longer.
Then was the time to assess the result of the mission. The Hollow had been purified, which made it a success, but every single member of his unit was wounded and in the care of the Fourth, including him. But at least nobody was dead. Yet. The healers weren't sure about Mori's chances. And Yoshitsuna's face was going to scar, so though they managed to save his eye, the nobleman was in a bad mood. Even the assurances of one of the nurses that scars make a man look more manly didn't help. Yoshitsuna had been always proud of his handsome (in his opinion) face and the scars were a terrible blow to his ego. He was bound to take out his frustration on somebody.
Hitsugaya sighed. Should he consider the mission a success or not? Granted, it could have been much worse, but it also could have been better. He decided to wait and see.
Finally, the next day a healer informed him that Mori was going to recover. Toushirou sighed in relief. So there were no casualties. That made his first mission with a rookie unit better than usual. It didn't matter that it would take over a month before Mori would be able to resume his duties. He was alive. Now they just had to heal, wait until they were released from the Relief Station and find out what did his subordinates learn from it.
It turned that overall they became more serious. It was no surprise. First brush with death tended to have this effect on people. They became more dedicated to their training. But some became also more fearful. Especially Kawasaki. The boy paled whenever he heard the word 'Hollow.' It didn't improve even after Mori returned. Hitsugaya wondered whether the boy would be able to fight a Hollow again or whether he would flee in terror.
And then there was Yoshitsuna. The experience seemed to change him for the worse, if that was even possible. Once the initial shock wore off, he began boasting that he had killed the highest amount of the little birds, despite it being completely untrue. And every time he retold the story, he painted himself as a better warrior, eventually claiming that he had been the only one fighting while his comrades could only scream and hide. That didn't endear him to anybody and it even caused a fight with Hamada, which Yoshitsuna lost. Being a sore loser, he took his frustration on the weaker members of the team, especially Kawasaki and Mori. Hitsugaya did all in his power to stop him, but every time his back was turned, Yoshitsuna did something again. Punishments didn't stick, only making him more bitter. Complaining didn't help, because Oomaeda always sided with his precious cousin. And Soifon didn't care. Hitsugaya could only watch helplessly as his unit was slowly falling apart and dread another disaster. He felt it was inevitable.
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Hitsugaya studied the shimmering apparition in front of him. He concentrated hard to make it visible. So far, his materialization training was progressing well. Hyourinmaru's appearance in the real world was still very faint, but the dragon was now clearly recognizable and Hitsugaya could keep him that way for several seconds. Considering only months passed since he had begun the training, he considered it a huge success. According to the books on the subject, it usually took well over a year to reach this stage.
Despite his concentration, he noticed a slight disturbance in his surroundings. He quickly shunpoed away, letting Hyourinmaru's materialization dissipate. He reached for the hilt of his sword, but let go of it again when he recognized the intruder.
"Ikeda-sensei!"
"You should be more aware of your surroundings," she scolded. "I was here for two minutes before you noticed me." Hitsugaya looked at the ground in shame. "Aside from that, what were you doing?"
"Uhm..." Hitsugaya didn't know how he should answer. He trusted the woman, but should he tell her the truth? Training materialization at his age sounded absurd even to him. Would she laugh? Would she tell him to drop a useless pursuit?
"You don't need to be shy with me," Nagami said. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I can hazard a guess. From where I stood, it looked like you were training materialization." Toushirou felt like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He wasn't even sure why. He wasn't doing anything illegal or immoral. Inappropriate, perhaps.
"Why do you look ashamed?" the woman raised an eyebrow. "That's quite an accomplishment."
"Uh... you don't think I'm crazy?" Hitsugaya asked.
"Well, do you honestly want me to answer this question?" she countered. "But I don't think that trying to better yourself is a crazy thing to do."
"Thanks," Hitsugaya smiled.
"For what?" she questioned.
"For not laughing at me," he explained.
"Did you think I would do that?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Well..." Toushirou trailed off. Nagami shook her head.
"You did," she stated, sounding a bit disappointed. "Do you know me so little?"
"Sometimes I think I don't know you at all," Hitsugaya answered sincerely.
"You wound me. After all the time we spent together..." She didn't sound too wounded.
"But we never really confided in each other, did we?"
"We didn't," Ikeda agreed. "I'm not one for confiding in anybody."
"Neither am I."
"It's a good thing, the less people know about you, the less they can use against you," Nagami said.
"You sound paranoid when you say that," Hitsugaya remarked.
"But it's true."
"I know," Hitsugaya sighed. He knew too many people who would use anything to make his life miserable.
"So how long have you been training?" Nagami asked.
"Just a couple of months."
"A couple of months?" she raised an eyebrow. "Really? You are quite far along for that."
"Thanks," Hitsugaya replied.
"I don't even know how long it is since you graduated."
"Well, let's say that some of my former classmates are now my subordinates and others are still at the Academy."
"Really?" She was taken aback. "That's unbelievable."
"Yes," he nodded. "That's why I thought you would laugh."
"Kid, that's no laughing matter."
"I don't think it is. I just have some bad experiences with people."
"Everybody does," Ikeda answered philosophically. Hitsugaya wondered what her bad experience was, but he didn't ask. He knew that she wouldn't answer.
"Well, kid," she said after a moment, "it's nice that you're training materialization, but what about your other skills? Aren't they getting rusty?"
"Do you want to see?" he asked with a challenging smirk.
"Of course." Without another warning, she attacked. Hitsugaya blocked. Soon, they were enveloped in another sparring match.
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One morning, Yoshitsuna strutted into the training grounds even more confidently than usual. Hitsugaya felt a touch of unease. Though the arrogant young aristocrat was prone to boasting, this time he looked like he had something to back it up. Did he convince Oomaeda to do something unpleasant for Hitsugaya? It seemed possible. The boy schooled his expression, not letting his worries show.
"Now that everybody is finally here," he shot a sharp glance to Yoshitsuna, reminding him that he was two minutes late, "we can begin today's training."
"Enjoy your last day of commanding me," Yoshitsuna smirked, "You won't order me around tomorrow anymore." Hitsugaya felt a sense of dread. Did the bully really convince his cousin to remove him from his position? He tried to keep his face impassive when he asked:
"And why do you think it is so?"
"I'm going to be promoted today," the young nobleman announced proudly. Hitsugaya felt a weight lift from his chest. So he wasn't in trouble without knowing it. But it brought another question.
"What makes you think you are going to be promoted?" Yoshitsuna had been in the Second Division for mere months and despite his talent, his abilities weren't exceptional.
"I've achieved shikai yesterday," Yoshitsuna announced proudly. If it was true, it would make him the first of the group. "Now I can be a seated officer. Soon, I'm going to outrank you." It was obvious from his expression that he was very much looking forward to that day. Hitsugaya doubted that it would ever happen, but if Yoshitsuna really did achieve a seated position and was transferred out of his unit, he would be only glad for it. He didn't like the nobleman's presence any more than Yoshitsuna liked his.
"That's good for you," Hitsugaya said.
"And bad for you," Yoshitsuna grinned. "Because now I have shikai, I can beat you."
"Oh?" Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. He was used to Yoshitsuna's boasting, but this was too much even for his standards. Surely even he must have noticed the difference in their power. Or did he lose his contact with reality completely? It was plausible. "What makes you think you will ever be able to do it?"
"What?" Yoshitsuna's expression reminded Hitsugaya of Kenpachi. "I'm not one for talking, so I can just show you."
"Then show me," Hitsugaya prompted, motioning for his other subordinates to empty the training grounds. He welcomed the challenge. It would be an excellent opportunity to put the conceited noble in his place.
The two opponents stood facing each other, both holding their zanpakutou on guard.
"Begin," Hitsugaya prompted.
"Your funeral," Yoshitsuna smirked. "Kazenihirugaeru, Umashippo!" Wave in the wind, Horsetail. Releasing already? At least Yoshitsuna realized that without his shikai he stood no chance. But he couldn't afford to get lost in his thoughts. He had to keep his eyes on the man and guess what his shikai did, lest he might lose. And that was something he couldn't allow to happen.
Yoshitsuna's wakizashi glowed with green energy before it changed shape. Instead of a blade, there were now countless whip-like strands with little fishing hooks on their ends. The whole thing resembled a horse's tail very much. Hitsugaya wondered what its ability could be. It didn't seem too dangerous as a melee combat weapon, so it probably had some kidou technique. But as to what, he could only guess. It was probably activated by the hooks. He should avoid getting hit by them.
"Well, aren't you going to release too?" Yoshitsuna prompted.
"There's no need," Hitsugaya replied evenly. If he wanted to show his superiority, he had to defeat Yoshitsuna with a sealed blade. "You won't see my shikai unless you make me use it."
"As you wish!" Yoshitsuna called and attacked. He shunpoed behind Hitsugaya and swung his weapon. Though his speed increased greatly when he released, he still couldn't touch Hitsugaya. The boy stood a good distance from Yoshitsuna and observed the results of the attack. Where some of the strands touched the grass, the blades turned brown. So the Horsetail had some special ability. Most likely poison.
Yoshitsuna realized that his prey had escaped and attacked again. This time he tried it from the front. Hitsugaya dodged. The strands lengthened and nearly hit him, but a fast shunpo saved him. A second shunpo brought him face to face with Yoshitsuna before the man could react. Hitsugaya swung Hyourinmaru down, cutting into the strands of his zanpakutou. Yoshitsuna tried to punch him, but Hitsugaya ducked under his fist. Then Yoshitsuna counterattacked with the strings that still remained attached to the hilt and Hitsugaya had to shunpo hastily again.
He stopped to observe the results of his attack. Half of the horsetail was gone, but that still left plenty of strands to fight with. Yoshitsuna, seeing what had happened to his weapon, roared in anger.
"You're going to pay!"
His next shunpo was faster than the previous ones, but still nothing Hitsugaya couldn't match. Once again, he flash-stepped into Yoshitsuna's guard. He jumped high, stepped on the nobleman's wrist and kicked his face with his other foot before shunpoing away.
Yoshitsuna's nose was red with blood and his eyes with fury. The sound he let out didn't even sound like human voice. He abandoned all pretense of strategy and charged at Hitsugaya head-on. The boy waited until he came close before acting. One shunpo brought him to Yoshitsuna's side. He slammed Hyourinmaru's hilt into the noble's wrist with all his might. Something snapped and Yoshitsuna dropped his sword, Umashippo returning to its sealed form. It's blade was chipped. Yoshitsuna roared and punched at Hitsugaya, but his abilities were too low to touch the prodigy. Hitsugaya made a short work of him.
Yoshitsuna was kneeling on the ground, alternating between cradling his broken wrist and trying to stop his nose bleeding.
"Did you have enough?" Hitsugaya asked sharply. Yoshitsuna glared. "Do you understand what did just happen?" The only answer was another glare. "You lost control," Hitsugaya explained. "That is something that must never happen. I still remember the rush I felt when I first released Hyourinmaru, but that is something you must never give in. Otherwise you would think you're unbeatable and charge into fights mindlessly and end up defeated just like you did today."
"Don't lecture me," Yoshitsuna spat. "You won't be my commander tomorrow anymore."
"Maybe I won't, but your new commander is going to tell you the same," Hitsugaya shrugged, "So you should better take this advice to heart. You shouldn't release your zanpakutou again until you are sure you can stay in control."
"I said don't command me!" The aristocrat now sounded like a petulant child, which he was.
Now Hitsugaya couldn't just take it anymore. He released his reiatsu, making it hard for the noble to breathe.
"Maybe you would be promoted soon, but for now, you are still my subordinate and what you said just now was insubordination. And I am going to report it and don't think your cousin is going to save you, so you'd better keep your mouth shut and don't dig yourself deeper."
Yoshitsuna didn't answer. He was shivering in the frigid air. Deep inside, he was scared of greater power.
"Now," Hitsugaya continued, "get to the Fourth. And the rest of the unit, we'll be training now."
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Yoshitsuna was punished for the insubordination by being denied promotion and having to stay under Hitsugaya's command. The boy wondered which one of them was being punished. If Yoshitsuna used to be bad before, after releasing his shikai he had become insufferable. He was strutting everywhere, boasting his shikai and bullying his squadmates even more than he used to before acquiring it. Hitsugaya did all in his power to stop him, but the moment his back was turned, Yoshitsuna bullied somebody again. And Kayaku assisted him enthusiastically. It was almost like being at the Academy again.
The boy wanted to tear out his hair in frustration. It was impossible to make the young noble behave. No matter what Hitsugaya did or threatened to do, Yoshitsuna just complained to his cousin Marechiyo and it was Toushirou who ended up reprimanded. It was a blatant case of power abuse from the lieutenant. Hitsugaya tried to complain to Soifon, but she told him that a good commander should be able to keep order in his unit no matter what and he shouldn't go crying to her again. She did scold Oomaeda, but it helped only for about a month. After that the captain completely forgot about the whole matter and things returned to how they used to be.
Matters turned even worse when Yoshitsuna had unleashed his shikai during a sparring session and hit Hamada with it, in retaliation for the fight he had lost earlier. The poison in the little hooks of Umashippo turned the girl's skin sickly brown, making her flesh slowly decay. Unohana-taichou had to work overtime to save her and even with all her skills, it would be months before the girl would be able to return to active duty. Hitsugaya wanted to punish Yoshitsuna for it, but the arrogant noble claimed it had been an accident and Toushirou was unable to prove otherwise. If he didn't know Yoshitsuna as well as he did, he would have believed it had been an accident too. Because he did know him, he could only watch him and pray he wouldn't unleash his power on anyone else.
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Suddenly receiving summons to the lieutenant's office because of some urgent and important mission wasn't so unusual. Sometimes bad things happened unexpectedly and the resulting situation had to be dealt with swiftly, but when Hitsugaya saw so many high-ranked officers of the Second assembled, he immediately understood that this was no regular emergency. His suspicion was confirmed when Oomaeda briefed them on the problem.
One of the high-ranking members of the Punishment Corps had committed a crime; the fat lieutenant didn't disclose what it was. The criminal ran away with his former comrades in hot pursuit. He managed to shake them off, killing several in the process. And now Oomaeda wanted the best of the Second to assist the Onmitsukidou in apprehending the culprit. When the Seventh Seat pointed out that it was highly unusual and captain Soifon probably wouldn't approve, Oomaeda replied that the situation was highly unusual and the Captain was away, so they should better obey him. Hitsugaya suspected that the not entirely competent lieutenant had messed up and wanted to cover it up before Soifon comes back and finds out. He didn't say it aloud; he didn't want to be in even more trouble with the lieutenant than he already was. And besides, he was sure that Oomaeda just dug himself deeper, because there was no way Soifon was going to be happy with this.
The briefing was concluded when Oomaeda told them where the culprit had been seen last and they were sent on their way. It was only then that Hitsugaya realized that the lieutenant didn't tell them anything about the culprit and his abilities. The mission would have been much easier if they knew what his zanpakutou could do, but it was too late now to ask.
They soon arrived at the place the rogue was spotted last and met with a leader of a Punishment Corps team, who wasn't happy to see them. It was obvious despite his mask. But he didn't say anything and directed them to where the latest sighting of the fugitive occurred. There they were met by another Onmitsukidou ninja who wasn't as unhappy to see them, probably because he had just lost a subordinate who had spotted the criminal. He informed them that they narrowed down the area the fugitive could be hiding in and that they had him surrounded. They didn't want to actually attack him, because he was stronger than most of their members. The Onmitsukidou unit commander ordered them to take positions around the perimeter and then gave the command to move forward.
Hitsugaya was moving alongside one masked member of the Shadow Ops, trying his best to be stealthy. But he was failing miserably. He could feel the occasional spikes in his reiatsu and his companion could too, judging from the disapproving glances he was shooting him above his mask. Hitsugaya smiled at him sheepishly and concentrated on maintaining at least this level of control over his power.
There was suddenly a flare of reiatsu somewhere on their right. Toushirou turned that way, but it was over almost as abruptly as it appeared. Yet he was sure what he had felt. A fight had just happened there. Hitsugaya's first instinct was to race there, but then he remembered that he should stick to the group strategy. He didn't receive orders telling him to abandon his position and join the fight. Maybe there was no need and the fugitive was already subdued. He shot a glance at his companion. The Onmitsukidou agent was standing calmly, not showing a sign of agitation. Toushirou envied him his composure.
"Attention," a voice spoke right beside his ear. The boy jumped before he realized that it was just Bakudou #77: Tenteikuura. The commander was issuing new orders. "Fugitive spotted at area 15. Teams One and Three, move onto his position and eliminate him. Others, tighten the perimeter around the area." Hitsugaya was neither in Team One or Team Three, so he moved alongside his partner to tighten the perimeter around the patch of forest the fight had happened in. Then he waited for what would happen next.
Another spikes in reiatsu informed him that there was another battle going on. He breathed in sharply when he recognized one of them as belonging to Ikeda-sensei. He was worried about her. How would she fare about somebody who had defeated the elite of Onmitsukidou? But Ikeda was good. Though she had never confirmed it, Hitsugaya was convinced she used to be one of the best in the Punishment Corps, before she had left them for reasons unknown. She would be fine.
Then the fight ended. Hitsugaya waited for another report telling them how did it end, but it didn't come. He felt that it was a bad omen. If the culprit had been killed or captured, they would be informed that they weren't needed anymore. The fact that no message came signified that the battle didn't go their way. He couldn't help but worry about Ikeda. Was she alright?
He waited alert, his senses searching for the smallest sign that somebody was near. Somebody might call him paranoid, but as Ikeda-sensei beat into him mercilessly, there wasn't such a thing as being too cautious. Especially not in a combat situation. Therefore he was the first one to notice a person heading their way, despite their suppressed reiatsu. They were still stepping on some dried leaves and rustling the branches. He shunpoed to intercept them.
The person was leaning on a tree, catching her breath. When Hitsugaya appeared close, she turned around. He recognized her immediately.
"Ikeda-sensei," he smiled. So she was alright. He felt a great weight lift from his heart. At the moment his Onmitsukidou partner landed next to him.
"You shouldn't have left your position," he scolded.
"But somebody was coming," Toushirou defended. "What happened?" he asked Ikeda, who had walked over to them during their conversation.
"A battle," she answered. Hitsugaya blinked. There was something wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it. In the next moment the Onmitsukidou ninja collapsed, his head cut off by Ikeda's zanpakutou. Hitsugaya jumped back in shock.
"Ikeda-sensei," he whispered. The woman shunpoed behind him and tried to take his head too. He blocked with Hyourinmaru instinctively. Ikeda attacked again, this time raising her reiatsu. Hitsugaya blocked, but the strength behind her strike pushed him back. And Toushirou understood what was wrong. It wasn't Ikeda's reiatsu. It wasn't Ikeda. Just somebody who looked like her. Somebody who killed Onmitsukidou agents. Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed.
"You are that criminal," he spoke. "What have you done with Ikeda? And how do you look like her?"
"So that was her name?" the shinigami wearing Ikeda's face asked. Toushirou noticed the past tense and a sense of dread settled in his stomach. "I can take the appearance of anyone my sword hit. And I'm no criminal!" he shouted angrily. "And you are in my way."
The rogue attacked with lightning speed. Only Hitsugaya's reflexes honed during countless hours of training with Ikeda saved him from being cut in half. He silently thanked his teacher for them and promised to avenge her. They exchanged several blows, with neither of them gaining the upper hand. Then the murderer suddenly shunpoed away. Hitsugaya pursued him. He wasn't sure why the man was running, but he was determined not to let him get away. Yet the former Onmitsukidou agent was gaining. No matter how fast Hitsugaya went, the distance between them grew. But there was still a faint trace of reiatsu in the air he could follow.
Then he realized that he was getting closer. The fugitive had stopped. Perhaps he was tired or maybe he had a wound Hitsugaya didn't see that was slowing him down. Whatever the case, Hitsugaya considered it lucky for him.
Hitsugaya saw him standing in the middle of a clearing, a tall figure in torn and bloodstained Onmitsukidou uniform, clearly waiting for him. He didn't look like Ikeda-sensei anymore, something Hitsugaya was grateful for. He moved to jump in front of him, but something warned him about danger from the behind. He twisted his body and swung Hyourinmaru to block. He managed to only deflect the enemy's blade so it didn't plunge into his heart but only slid across his ribs painfully. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the image of the man standing in the clearing dissipate. An afterimage, he realized. Very advanced Hohou technique he had only heard about. If that man had mastered it, it meant that he was very, very good. Hitsugaya realized that he was now alive only because the rogue had considered his nameless Onmitsukidou partner the greater threat. Well, the prodigy was determined to correct the misconception.
"You're good to have blocked this," the man spoke. "But you shouldn't have followed me here. You could have survived."
"You shouldn't have hurt Ikeda-sensei," Hitsugaya replied, looking for any sign that the man was about to attack again. "You could have survived."
"Big words for such a little one," the criminal scoffed. "Do you have what it takes to back them up?"
"Why don't you find out for yourself?" Toushirou prompted. He shunpoed to the side without waiting for the man to move first. It turned out to be a smart move. The unknown man's zanpakutou cut the air in the spot he had been standing a moment before. Hitsugaya shunpoed behind him to attack, but the man he sliced in half turned out to be another afterimage. And then he had to block another stab from behind.
This went on for several minutes. The two combatants would use shunpo to try to catch the other one off guard. Hitsugaya acquired several wounds, but none of them serious. Then he managed to score a hit too, when he surprised the murderer with attacking from a crouch and aiming at his knees when the man had clearly expected an attack at his kidneys. The tip of Hyourinmaru sliced through the muscle in the upper calf before the ninja shunpoed to safety.
"That was a nice move," the rogue commented, testing how his leg worked. It wasn't good, his use of the limb was hindered. Hitsugaya saw it and attacked, but he could still shunpo alright and escaped. "But this isn't going to save you. Let's get serious. Warau, Noumen!" Smile (or rather sneer), Noh mask. Energy swirled around the man and his reiatsu rose, but otherwise little seemed to happen. Only the blade of his zanpakutou changed color to a lighter shade. Hitsugaya knew that it didn't mean anything. His Hyourinmaru didn't change much when released into shikai too. Speaking of which...
"Souten ni zase, Hyourinmaru," Hitsugaya called his own release. He couldn't afford to hold back against this opponent, especially when he had released. The man was clearly on lieutenant level and he wasn't a slouch like Oomaeda.
"Kiesaru, Noumen!" Disappear. The fugitive's form suddenly became transparent and in the next moment vanished instantly. Hitsugaya tried to locate him by his reiatsu, but he found out that he couldn't. Though he could still feel the other's man's reiatsu, he couldn't pinpoint its origin. The best he could get was 'somewhere nearby.'
He shunpoed. He didn't care where, he knew that if he stayed on one spot too long, the enemy he couldn't see would strike him down before he realized what happened. He frantically searched for a way out of this situation. He had to pinpoint his opponent location somehow. If sight and reiatsu sense didn't work, what was left?
"You said you weren't a criminal, so why are they after you?" Hitsugaya called. Maybe if the man answered, he could find him by sound.
"They said I was unstable." The voice seemed to be coming from everywhere at once, like an echo reflected from multiple surfaces. Hitsugaya cursed silently. This didn't work too. But if the man kept talking, it would give him time to come up with another plan. "After I've served them for so long, they wanted to lock me away! But I won't go to the Maggot's Nest!" As Hitsugaya listened to the rant, he thought that the people who called him unstable probably were onto something. He certainly didn't sound completely sane.
"What's the Maggot's Nest?" he asked, trying to keep the man talking. His eyes were darting back and forth, trying to find a clue to where his invisible opponent was.
"It's..." And at that moment Hitsugaya noticed it. The grass bent and moved unnaturally at a certain place. That was where the man was standing. He seized the opportunity and attacked. A quick shunpo brought him at the spot and he swung Hyourinmaru wildly, but he was too slow. The man dodged at the last moment. Realizing this, Hitsugaya dodged too, but he still felt the murderer's blade cutting into the skin on his back. So this didn't work. But at least, for a moment, he had an idea where the man was. But the grass wasn't reliable enough. It didn't cover the whole clearing. He needed something else. Something that would show him where the rogue was much more clearly than the blades of grass. Fortunately he knew just how to accomplish it.
"Tensou Juurin!" The clouds that had covered the sky when he had released his sword, thickened and it started to snow. Hitsugaya urged it to snow faster. Soon the ground was covered in a white blanked that would show the murderer's footprints clearly. Unfortunately the former Onmitsukidou agent had no intention of making it so easy for him. He moved with shunpo, meaning that when Hitsugaya spotted his footprints, it would be already too late. The boy only narrowly escaped an attack from behind. Then he paused. How did he know the man was behind him? He couldn't sense him, he couldn't hear him and he couldn't see him. Yet he just knew he was there and he had been right, as a tear in his sleeve proved.
"It's the snow in the air."
"Hyourinmaru?"
"It's filled with your reiatsu,"the zanpakutou spirit explained. "It's a part of me and therefore a part of you too. You can feel when somebody touches it if you concentrate."
"Thanks, Hyourinmaru," Hitsugaya smiled. "This is really helpful. But right now I can't feel him at all."
"You need more practice to be able to find him at distance."
There was no time to gain any experience with this technique now, but it was still better than nothing. The next time he sensed the fugitive behind him, he attempted a counterattack. He spun on his heel and swung Hyourinmaru horizontally. But his wrist was gripped by a big hand and his strike was stopped. He kicked at where he thought the rogue's stomach was. He missed. Then sharp pain blossomed in his chest.
Toushirou immediately knew that the wound was serious. His training in the Fourth let him know exactly which internal organs were stabbed and how much he needed medical treatment pronto. He had only seconds to do something before the wound would render him unable to fight and his opponent would finish him off.
He reacted on instinct. He sent as much of his reiryoku as he could into the blade still piercing his lung. It froze completely immediately. He felt its owner tug at it, throwing him off balance, but he couldn't pull it out. Toushirou felt the hand on his wrist disappear. He capitalized on the opportunity immediately. He swung Hyourinmaru down, cutting through the arm holding the sword. The moment the direct connection between the zanpakutou and its wielder was severed, Noumen's shikai disappeared. Its wielder appeared in front of Hitsugaya, staring at the blood flowing from the stump of his arm stupidly. Hitsugaya stabbed at him, but the man wasn't the elite of Onmitsukidou for nothing. Despite the pain and the distraction, he noticed the attack in time and shunpoed away.
He appeared at the edge of the clearing. Hitsugaya followed him. Thanks to the blade in his lung, he could barely breathe, but he wasn't bleeding, unlike his opponent, who would bleed out soon. Hitsugaya slashed at him. Both of them were severely hindered in their movements, but Hitsugaya still had his shikai released, which gave him the advantage necessary. Hyourinmaru carved a deep gash into the fugitive's chest before he shunpoed away. Hitsugaya followed him again. He was feeling faint thanks to the lack of oxygen, but he still had some strength left. And his opponent was weakening rapidly too. This time Hitsugaya's strike injured his other arm and when the man tried to dodge, he was so disoriented he crashed into a tree. Hitsugaya was upon him in a heartbeat, driving his sword into the murderer's neck.
His strength was waning more than he thought, because he couldn't sever the head from the body completely. But Hyourinmaru had cut through the jugular and windpipe, leaving only the spine untouched. That was a fatal wound even for a high-level shinigami, but Hitsugaya just had to make sure. With the last of his strength he lifted Hyourinmaru again, driving it into the skull through the ear and freezing the brain inside. Then his strength left him completely and he let go of his weapon. His shikai disappeared and with it the strain on his energy. It made him feel a bit less faint, but he still had barely the strength to lift a finger. He collapsed to the ground, making his wound hurt more than it already did. He wished he would faint, but his body insisted stubbornly on staying awake. He couldn't understand why. It wasn't like he had enough strength for a healing kidou. All he could do was lie quietly and hope somebody would find him soon. Considering the reiatsu released during their fight, all nearby shinigami patrols should be checking what was going on.
Until then, he had nothing to do but stare into the dead face of the man he had killed. He had killed a man. Only now the realization came. Before, he had seen him just as an enemy. Somebody he had to kill or be killed. But now he saw him as another human being. Sure, a human being who had hurt Ikeda-sensei... and what was with Ikeda? He hoped beyond hope that she was alright, but he had a sinking feeling that she wasn't. Against an enemy like this, who could take on the face of a comrade or disappear completely and then kill with a single strike, even her abilities weren't enough. There was still the chance that he had merely wounded her, but it was slim. The Punishment Corps attacked to kill. They were trained that way.
The thought about Ikeda-sensei being dead brought a cold feeling to his heart, one he couldn't chalk off to the frozen sword piercing his chest. Tears welled in his eyes, falling to the ground and freezing. He didn't care that crying was childish. Ikeda Nagami meant too much to him. She was the closest friend, the only friend he made in the Gotei 13. In a way, she might have been closer than even Hinamori. Without her, life suddenly seemed bleak.
He felt several spiritual presences appearing nearby. Somebody found them. He supposed he should be relieved, but he felt only numb and cold. He heard voices, but he didn't register what they were saying. They approached closer, but he didn't care. He just wanted to sleep. Then one of them touched him and moved him. Pain shot through him again. This time he mercifully fainted.
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He heard voices. That was the first thought that registered in his mind. Some of the voices sounded vaguely familiar. That was the second. Somebody just spoke his name. That was the third.
Hitsugaya opened his eyes. He was staring at a white ceiling. He was in the Fourth Division's Relief Station. So he had survived the battle after all. He turned his head to see who was talking about him. Three people stood there. He immediately recognized them as Captain Unohana, Captain Soifon and Lieutenant Oomaeda. Soifon was speaking.
"So this little one defeated Eminoshi?" There was a hint of disbelief in her voice. Smile of death? What did it mean? Hitsugaya thought in confusion. Then he realized that it must have been the codename of the rogue Onmitsukidou assassin. It sounded fitting. Smile referred to both his release command and the expression on his face while killing, Death would describe his effectiveness.
"Yes," Oomaeda nodded, for once not munching on his rice crackers. Unohana must have forbidden them in the hospital; even Soifon could never get him to stop stuffing himself. "He fought him all alone."
"And why was he fighting him all alone?" Soifon questioned. "Why was he fighting him at all?" She was clearly angry. Oomaeda either didn't notice it or was too used to such moods in his captain, because his answer sounded completely undisturbed.
"He pursued Eminoshi when he was running away," her second-in-command explained.
"And why was he even in the hunting party?" Soifon pressed. "He isn't Onmitsukidou. Why did you draw on the Second Division? That was an Onmitsukidou internal affair. You shouldn't have dragged outsiders into it."
"I needed more manpower," the fat lieutenant explained.
"More manpower?" Soifon raised an eyebrow. "The Gotei 13 shinigami aren't trained to fight other shinigami. I thought you knew that, but I've apparently overestimated your mental capacity. Thanks to your blunder, we lost eight of them and three others might not recover. And that isn't including the losses in Onmitsukidou."
"But what else I could do?" Oomaeda asked.
"You could have informed me," the captain answered. "I would have dealt with Eminoshi myself and there would have been no unnecessary casualties."
"But your mission..."
"Wasn't that urgent," she interrupted. "I could have found and eliminated the rogue in under a day and gone back to business. There was no need for this bloodshed."
"Here isn't the place or time for this argument," Unohana's soft voice interrupted them. The pair immediately fell silent. Hitsugaya found it funny. So even other captains were scared of Unohana. "You're disturbing my patient. He's awake." Two pairs of eyes turned to him. Soifon walked to his bed.
"Report," she commanded.
"His lung still hasn't healed fully," Unohana interjected. "Speaking is painful for him." Soifon had little sympathy for subordinates in pain, but she didn't dare to cross Unohana. Hitsugaya took a deep breath.
"I can speak," he whispered. It hurt, but so did breathing. It didn't really matter which one he would be doing.
"Good," Soifon said. "Your report." Hitsugaya nodded and began recounting the events that led to his battle with the fugitive. The captain listened in silence.
"It was stupid going after him alone," she remarked.
"There was no-one to call on. And his trace was cooling," Hitsugaya explained. Soifon's stony face didn't show what she thought about it.
"Continue," she prompted. So Hitsugaya told her how he caught up with the rogue and about their fight. He almost told her what he and Eminoshi had been talking about, but then he realized that it was probably classified and he shouldn't reveal that he'd heard about it. So he just said that he goaded the man into talking.
"You were very lucky," Soifon said when he finished.
"I know," Hitsugaya nodded. "There were several moments when he could kill me and I couldn't do a thing about it. But he was too crazy to take the opportunities."
"Even so, you shouldn't have been able to defeat him."
"I know. It was only when he stabbed me that I knew exactly where he was. He didn't count on me being able to trap his sword. And that I would be able to tell when he was right behind me."
"How were you able to tell?" she inquired.
"It's part of my zanpakutou's power. I can feel the ice around me, almost like an extension of my body. When he disturbed it, I knew. But I'm not good enough with it to locate him at a distance or to be able to fight him without seeing him. I just could tell when he was close and where." Soifon acknowledged the explanation with a nod.
"Still, you shouldn't have been able to defeat somebody of his strength. Eminoshi was better than most lieutenants, if not all of them." Hitsugaya didn't doubt it. With his speed, stealth and ability to look like someone else, he must have been the perfect assassin. Even in direct battle, his strength was devastating.
"What happened to Ikeda?" Hitsugaya finally voiced the question that had been bugging him.
"She's dead," Soifon answered baldly. "She was among those killed by Eminoshi."
Hitsugaya felt as if he was struck by lightning. Ikeda-sensei was dead. He had suspected as much, but hearing it now made it final. His shock wasn't lost on his superior, but Soifon had little sympathy for him. She wasn't in the habit of caring for her subordinates.
"You could have ended up dead too easily," she scolded him. Hitsugaya nodded. He knew it was true too well. "You might have power, but you are too cocky, rash and undisciplined. Kids like you never live long." Then she turned and left, followed closely by Oomaeda. Hitsugaya wasn't sure what to think about it. For a moment, it sounded almost like she was concerned about him. Nah. It was Soifon. She was never concerned about anyone.
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The day he was finally cleared for duty, Hitsugaya walked to the training grounds slowly. He was taking in everything that went on around him. It was infuriatingly normal. Nothing had changed since the last time he had been here, only Ikeda-sensei was dead. Ikeda-sensei was dead and nobody seemed to care. He hadn't been able to attend her funeral, he had missed it while he had been confined in the hospital. It made him want to simultaneously shout in outrage, beat somebody until they noticed and cry like a baby. But he couldn't do it. He was a shinigami, an officer, and he had to carry on his duties despite the grief in his heart. His face showed nothing of his turmoil when he met his unit for their regular training.
"So our esteemed leader finally bothered to show up," Yoshitsuna sneered. Hitsugaya blinked. He didn't even realize when he had stepped on the training grounds. Now he saw that his whole unit was now waiting for him. He had dragged his feet so slowly that he had actually come late. After insisting his unit was punctual for so long, the young noble was bound to milk his tardiness for all it was worth and then some. And that was something Hitsugaya was in no mood for today.
"Quiet," he snapped. "And now everybody's here, we can begin training."
"You're the one who came late," Yoshitsuna sneered. "What's the problem? Couldn't get up in the morning when your mommy wasn't there to wake you up and help you dress? Oh, sorry, she isn't here anymore," he added in a mocking tone. In the next moment he was lying flat on his back, a bruise forming on his broken jaw. Hitsugaya towered above him (quite a feat, considering his height), shaking in rage, his unchecked reiatsu freezing the surroundings and forcing most of his subordinates to their knees. Otonashi fainted.
"Don't ever speak like that again," Hitsugaya growled, oblivious to his unit's predicament. He had his eyes only for Yoshitsuna, who was trembling in fright and struggled to breathe. How dare that jerk speak about Ikeda like that? Didn't he have a shred of decency? Probably not. "Is it clear?" Yoshitsuna couldn't speak. Hitsugaya's unchecked reiatsu was suffocating him. He could only nod. The white-haired boy scared him terribly at the moment.
"Good," Hitsugaya growled. Finally noticing the effect his outburst had on his surroundings, he struggled to suppress his reiatsu. It struck him how stupid and impulsive he had just acted. Punching one's subordinates, who just happened to be his lieutenant's cousin, wasn't a good idea. Sure, Yoshitsuna had it coming for being a mean jerk, but those who had been merely standing around did nothing to deserve it. How could he have lost his temper so badly? But Ikeda-sensei was dead and Yoshitsuna was making fun of it. And watching the young nobleman as he struggled to his feet now, his eyes ablaze with hate and defiance, Toushirou could see that he was going to run to complain to Oomaeda now and then do it again, and probably come up with something even more insensitive. The boy wasn't sure what he would do in that case.
I can't take this anymore, he thought. Yoshitsuna's and Kayaku's sneers and remarks, the trouble with his dysfunctional unit, Oomaeda's scrutiny, Soifon's disapproval of his bad performance as a squad commander, Ikeda-sensei not being here anymore. With her, he had something to look forward to, something to lighten his day, but now this had been taken from him forever. He had avenged her, but now he had the blood of a man on his hands. Sure, Eminoshi had been dangerous, but Toushirou wasn't convinced he had been truly evil. Merely insane. And there was the threat that should he stay in the Second for long, he would be dragged into another 'special operation' again. He knew he couldn't take it.
I'm out of here, he decided. He didn't care that it felt like running. If he had to stay here, he would probably end up killing Yoshitsuna. And he had no desire to get even deeper in trouble than he already was. He wondered what Hyourinmaru thought about his plan, but the zanpakutou spirit remained silent. But no matter what the dragon would say, Toushirou had already decided. He was leaving the Second. But where would he go? It didn't really matter. There wasn't any special skill he wanted to study. He just needed a quiet place to practice the materialization.
The moment the training ends, I'm going to ask around which division is looking for new officers.