A/N: Part 3! In which Matsumoto watches and everyone else ... continues being suspicious of their new taichou.
Thanks to: KatonRyuuka, Rachel Noelle, shohei, rose-of-alabaster, phppsmss, emeraldteardrops, AngeKillua, and Little Patch of Heaven
#14: Initiation (pt.3)
The tenth division's training grounds had been stage to great a many sparring fights, a few of which Matsumoto herself had performed in. But right now she merely sat on the side ranks, along with her fellow officers, and felt giddy right to her bones.
So what if she took some measure of pride in the fact that she had been the one to recruit that white-haired boy and now found he had exceeded everyone's expectations? What if her ego blew up to cosmic proportions at the idea that she had been the first to see the potential he held (however coincidental that had been) and practically made him taichou?
Exactly.
She was awesome.
But, somehow, she seemed to be the only one thinking that. Around her the expressions on the faces of her colleagues could only be described at skeptical at best, and even then Matsumoto was lenient.
"There's no way that kid can win against Tanabe-san", one person said as they watched the both of the aforementioned take their respective places at opposite ends of the battlefield.
"Why so sure?", Matsumoto asked, because she really didn't know them to be this prejudiced.
"Aw, c'mon, Matsumoto-san, he is a kid", Ooka Sanosuke answered from his place a few seats to her left, "He is at least a head shorter than even our youngest members. How can you take him seriously?"
"Well, if everyone in the Gotei 13 were to be judged by their appearances instead of their talents you'd have never made the academy", she answered evenly, and laughter erupted around her.
Ooka only smiled faintly. "Not everyone has attributes they can shove under their superior's nose to get an edge on their colleagues."
"Ooka-san!", a girl exclaimed into the guffaws of the men around her, offended on Matsumoto's behalf, "Don't take this out on others just because you are dissatisfied!"
"It wasn't me who started it", he replied coldly, shrugging his shoulders.
But Matsumoto wasn't in the mood for verbal battles, not when there was a much more interesting battle going to take place any second now. Leaning forward a little Matsumoto estimated what chances Tanabe would stand against his new superior.
His sword was wind-based, so they pretty much stood on equal ground, element-wise. Hitsugaya would under no circumstances use bankai here, that much was for certain, so maybe, if he was lucky, Tanabe could put in a few hits after all.
Not that she doubted Tanabe Seiichi's swordsmanship at all. She knew that he was a force to be reckoned with – he hadn't gotten his seat because it had been on sale and he hadn't held it up until now because nobody had tried to usurp it. His forte was brute strength, and although his body wasn't, his mind was quick and sharp.
On the other hand she'd had high expectations for that white-haired kid since the first time she had seen him, and whatever has gotten him through academy in barely a fraction of the time other people needed, it would probably show itself now.
"Ooka-san", Matsumoto said after a moment of consideration, a small smile playing on her lips, "let's make a bet."
Hushed silence enveloped the people around her, but she kept her gaze on the field below.
"What kind of bet?", the man answered after a second, his voice betraying no emotion whatsoever.
"If that kid wins this fight, you are going to apply for the position as fukutaichou."
There was a sharp intake of breath coming from Ooka, and Matsumoto had to struggle a little to keep the smirk off her face. She knew that the man was one of Tanabe's loyal followers and applying as fukutaichou would be considered a breach in both hierarchy and trust, as everyone had expected for Tanabe to automatically move up the ranks once a new taichou was installed. (Not to mention that it would probably kill him to be forced to work directly under someone not even half his age.)
But Matsumoto was really getting tired of this whole men codex thing.
"Fine", Ooka, agreed, albeit grudgingly, "Then, if he loses, I want you to file a complaint against him at the first division."
That had Matsumoto actually turn her face to look at the man, her brow furrowed. She knew of course where he was coming from with that but hadn't expected him to be that underhanded in his tactics.
But Matsumoto was nothing if not confident. "Alright", she said, nodding her head in emphasize, "Content's up to me?"
"Yes, but I want to read it before you make it official."
As if that would ever happen, Matsumoto thought, but merely nodded again.
The people sitting around them slowly started to turn their attention away again, but the atmosphere remained somewhat strained. Sighing Matsumoto watched as the last preparations were brought to an end down on the field, then held her breath until the first clash of swords would echo over the grounds.
But her lungs demanded air long before any sound came at all.
Both Tanabe and Hitsugaya were standing still in their respective ends of the battlefield, neither making even the tiniest movement to unsheathe their swords anytime soon. Apparently they were engaged in a battle of wits, judging by the way they were glaring at each other, as though daring the other to draw his weapon first.
Matsumoto should have brought some popcorn...
Tapping her foot against the ground she watched as the air practically frizzled between the two opponents, and for a moment she wondered whether they waited for anything to blow up before one of them would move a finger.
And then, all of a sudden Tanabe grasped the hilt of his sword and whipped it out – not a second too soon, as it turned out, because he had to block Hitsugaya's attack instantly.
A few cheers erupted in the crowd as they watched the swordplay taking place and developing in front of them, as swords clashed and blows were delivered, as patterns were found and immediately destroyed. The difference in height and mass between the fighters was compensated by superior speed and agility, so the battle continued in a balanced fashion.
And Matsumoto knew that even Ooka had to admit now that the boy had at least some measure of talent, to be able to stand up against Tanabe with such ease.
Chancing a glance to her right she noticed Ooka to indeed be spellbound by the display of power in front of him, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly opened. Matsumoto almost patted him on the shoulder, but refrained from doing so on behalf of the man's somewhat distorted sense of pride. Instead she trained her eyes back on the field again, and watched little sparks fly as the swords crashed together.
After another few minutes of rather intense sparring the two fighters broke apart and put some distance between them to resume their glaring match. Matsumoto felt the strong urge to roll her eyes. To think that they could be partying right now...
What felt like an eternity later one of the two finally moved. Tanabe, who hadn't lost his cool even though he had so badly underestimated his opponent, straightened and – to everyone's surprise – sheathed his sword.
A collective gasp echoed through the audience, and even Hitsugaya seemed puzzled for the longest moment, before he straightened as well.
"As I told you before", the older man said loud enough for everyone to hear, "I am a seasoned fighter. I have served the Gotei 13 longer than you have been capable of conscious thought."
After sheathing his sword as well Hitsugaya crossed his arms over his chest, probably expecting another insult or something along those lines.
But Tanabe chose to leave them all in suspension a little longer.
When he spoke again, his voice was still gruff, but Matsumoto was almost certain she heard something like admiration ring in it.
"I have to wonder then", Tanabe said, stroking his beard, "What exactly makes you think I wouldn't notice it when you hold back this much of your true power?"
Another gasp rushed through the rows of spectators and low whispers arose among them.
Matsumoto could see Hitsugaya smirk at his opponent.
"I didn't do it for your sake", he said, sounding somewhat pleased, but didn't deem it necessary to elaborate, apparently. Tanabe nodded his acceptance anyway, leaving Matsumoto to wonder if, after all, the man wasn't quite as insensitive to other people's reiatsu as she had taken him to be.
In little flocks the audience started to pour onto the field, until what probably amounted to be the whole of the tenth division was standing around their highest seated officers.
Conversation was loud and fast and pretty much unintelligible since everyone tried to talk at the same time all over again, and the tension in the crowd was still thick enough to poke it with a club.
"Let's give him a chance, at least", Tanabe bellowed through the noise and earned somewhat reserved assent by the majority of the people around him.
With slight laughter Matsumoto walked up to her new taichou.
"That was kinda cool", she said, and extended a closed fist towards him.
He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow, but after a second his features relaxed into a faint smile.
"I guess", he answered and bumped the knuckles of his right hand against hers.