Sorry this is extremely short but there have been a lot of really long ones and if I don't pace myself I'm going to catch up with myself-which is ridiculous. It's already 90k words and I keep adding stuff. THere are so many details to hit ifeverything is going to come together at the beginning of the anime
Toshiro sheathed Hyorinmaru slowly. He was looking around the landscape of frozen trees and ice-coated earth with some satisfaction. There was nothing for his father to criticize this time. His shikai was perfect. Kido, shunpo and every other part of shinigami training had given him at least some sort of challenge, but it was like Hyorinmaru was a part of him. The ice flowed from the slightest thought, acting exactly as he intended.
"Not bad," Gin said from just behind him.
That was code for perfection in his father's book so Toshiro allowed himself the slightest smile, before he turned to face Gin. "I want to fight hollows," he said. There was no point in trying to give reasons or arguments, no point in even asking nicely; Gin would either agree or he wouldn't. That was the end of it.
For a moment Gin just looked at him, smiling that same smile Toshiro hated so much. He always felt like there was something else, behind the smile, something cold and empty, that was judging him without any sentiment, deciding his value without any concern for their relationship or anything else, nothing but cold, hard facts.
"Your mother won't like it," Gin said finally, and Toshiro knew he would be allowed to try if he wanted to. This was his chance to back out.
"She'd be pretty mad about Hyorinmaru if she knew," Toshiro answered.
Gin shrugged, granting the point. "Fighting hollows is never a game, even the weakest hollows, even with me there, there is always a chance something could go wrong; you could be killed."
Toshiro raised his head. "I don't want to play games anymore. I'm ready to fight for real."
"We'll see if we can find you one next time," Gin said, turning back toward Seireitei.
Then he vanished, and Toshiro raced after him. One day he would win the race. One day he would surpass Gin in everything. He would, one day he would show him, and he would win.