And the next day Toshiro's training did begin in earnest. He wondered how his training to become Head-Captain would begin. Well what does one think when they think of the Head-Captain? They think unlimited and unmatched power. So Toshiro assumed that it would be taught combat training. Maybe sword fighting, kido, or even hand to hand but whatever it was he was ready. But the little Captain was in for a big surprise.
"File these." Said Yamamoto placing a file and some papers before Toshiro. He sat on a small desk next to the Head-Captain and was going to work along with him. The little Captain let out a sigh as looked over the stake of papers. He wasn't one to complain but he thought this ridiculous. He had paperwork to do at his own barracks, and if he thought that was bad the Head-Captain's was ten times as worse.
He not only had his own paperwork to deal with but had to file and collect papers from all the other divisions. So Toshiro was sitting there going from one paper to the next. Denying a claim from Squad Eight to have an open bar every night, to signing a document against Squad Eleven's roughness with other Squad's. It was tiring work.
Yamamoto was quiet the whole time and didn't speak one word for several hours.
"It's Noon." Is what he finally said when he finally did.
"What?" asked Toshiro turning from his work to the Head-Captain.
"It's Noon." He repeated." Go down to Squad Four and meet with Captain Unohana, she will instruct you next." Toshiro looked at him confused as Yamamoto reached over and took the papers he'd been working on away from him." Get moving Captain."
"Yes, sir." And Toshiro headed out of the office and on his way. Yamamoto stayed back and went over the documents.
Toshiro headed over to Squad Four, entering and finding the staff going about their regular tasks. The first person he came across was Isane.
"Lieutenant." He said getting her attention." Where's your Captain?"
"Captain Unohana is in here office." Said the tall Lieutenant, pointing him in the right direction. Toshiro nodded his thanks and headed to her office, knocking three times as he stood before the door.
"Come in." said a voice on the other end. Toshiro opened the door to see Unohana sitting behind her desk." Captain Hitsuguya." She greeted with a smile." Your just in time."
"Time, time for what?" he asked confused. Unohana walked out from behind her desk and into the middle of the room.
"Your lesson."
"Lesson? What lesson?"
"Your lesson in healing." She said going to the door." Follow me." She opened the door and headed out. Toshiro stood there confused and hurried to catch up with her.
"I didn't know this was a requirement of the position." Said Toshiro when he caught up to her.
"It's not." She said looking back at him." But the Head-Captain and I agreed that if you're going to take the Dangerous position as Leader of the Gotei 13 its best you have a knowledge of at least moderate healing techniques. That way you don't need to rely on me during battles." The two walked into the hospital ward where there were several injured Soul Reapers waiting to be treated." This is where your lesson begins."
Unohana walked over to a man holding his bleeding arm.
"And what happened to you?" she asked.
"Training exercise gone wrong ma'am." He responded.
"Let me see." The Soul Reaper showed her his arm, with a bloody cut running along his forearm." A slight laceration." She said to Toshiro." A minor cut." Then she held up her hand and the miracle of healing began. Toshiro watched as her hand glowed green and that aura forced the man's wound to heal." There, all done."
"Thank you ma'am." Said the Soul Reaper as he got up. Toshiro watched the man walked off as if he'd never been hurt at all.
"The Key." Said Unohana getting his attention. "Is to concentrate your energy into your hands. Though it's not like the energy you expel with fighting, this is a more nature less primordial. Would you like to see it again?"
"Yes." He nodded." I would."
Toshiro followed Unohana around her Squad as she tended to wounds both large and small. And each time she healed them within a few moments. Today was just a crash course for Toshiro, as Unohana later explained it would be some time before he could be able to do anything.
Then just like with Yamamoto before Unohana was finished with Toshiro's lesson.
"Go to Captain Ukitake at Squad 13." She told." There your next lesson will begin." Toshiro nodded to her expressing his thanks for her time and headed out to the Thirteenth's squad's barracks.
And when he arrived there was Ukitake sitting down in front of a chess board.
"Welcome Toshiro!" he greeted." Please take a seat." He motioned to the spot across from him.
"I didn't think I was coming here to play games." He commented seriously.
"Oh but this is no ordinary game." Said Ukitake with a smile." This is a game of strategy, designed to test your abilities in war." Toshiro nodded, this was probably the thing that made the most sense to him all day.
"Alright." He said sitting down.
"Excellent." Smiled Ukitake." It's your move." Toshiro looked down at the board and picked up one of his pawns, when he moved it forward the game had begun.
And they were there for some time, going back and forth in their game of wits taking each other's pieces. Then game went on for some time but eventually it ended.
Toshiro placed his Queen down on the board.
"Checkmate." He announced. Ukitake looked at the board strangely but upon further examination he found it to be true. His King was trapped by both Toshiro's Queen and Rook.
"Well done Toshiro." He chuckled sitting back. Looking at the outcome of the game Toshiro had won but had lost many pieces in the process, some very useful pieces." Although you did lose some valuable pieces in the battle." Toshiro looked to the edges of the board where they had their lost pieces placed. What Ukitake said was true but Toshiro had taken more of his than the other way around.
"Casualties of war." He said looking back up at his fellow white haired Captain." I kept my eyes on victory in the long run."
" Perhaps in time you'll learn to spare some pieces." Ukitake responded. Toshiro was silent but nodded his understanding.
"What is it I have to do next?" asked Toshiro." What is my next task?" Ukitake turned and looked out the window.
"It's getting a bit late." He answered." Why don't you go back to your barracks and get some rest?"
"But what about-"
"There will be time later for more. But for now you should rest." Toshiro nodded again, go up and headed out the door. Before leaving he nodded to Ukitake thanking him for his time.
The sun had set when Toshiro finally returned to his barracks.
He let out a sigh as he stood before the door to his barracks, this long day was over and although it wasn't very draining physically it was tedious and that's what annoyed him. He reached his arm forward and pushed the door open.
And when he walked into the office he came upon a strange sight. There was Rangiku along with Nanao, Isane, and Rukia. The four sitting around in a circle in their pajamas.
"HI CAPTAIN!" Rangiku waved at him.
"What the hell is this?" he asked stepping into the room.
"We decided to have a slumber party." Told Rangiku." I hope you don't mind we-"
"Fine." He groaned as he just continued walking." I'm going to bed." And he walked over and into his bedroom, hoping not to be disturbed the rest of the night.
The next day Toshiro was called to the meeting room to find his five teachers there waiting for him.
"Toshiro." addressed Yamamoto." You are here, then he are ready to begin."
"Begin what exactly?" asked Toshiro.
"Another step of your training." Toshiro smirked thinking now he would learn the combat skills he'd need. Yamamoto pointed over to the only chair in the room, the chair he himself sits in for every Captain's meeting.
"Go and take a seat." Toshiro nodded and walked over to the chair. Everyone in the room watched him and he couldn't help but feel strange with the way they were looking at him. He ran his hand across the arm of the chair and then boosted himself up and sat down.
"What's next?" asked Toshiro once he was seated.
"Address them." pointed Yamamoto to the rest of the group, as they lined up in their positions." Address them as if you were Head-Captain and this was a regular meeting. I will be watching from over here." He said walking over to the back of the room.
"I fail to see the relevance of this." commented Toshiro.
"It's how you present yourself." said Sasakibe." The Head-Captain must be able to speak and command his followers, when he speaks all must listen." Toshiro rolled his eyes at the Lieutenant's keenness but he did see a point to this exercise.
"Very well." he said." Captains, fall in!" Of course there were only four to act as the Captains for this exercise so it would have to do." What news is there to rep-" But then Shunsui held up his hand." Yes Captian Kyoraku?"
"Head-Captain." He said in a woosing voice." I'm not feeling so well, can we continue this meeting another time?"
"What?" responded Toshiro confused.
"Head-Captain." spoke up Unohanna." I'm still having issues with Squad Eleven members harassing my hospital staff."
"Well um-"
"Head-Captain I can't get my reports in one time can it wait until next week?" added Ukitake.
"What the-" said Toshiro but stopped as he looked to his left and saw Yamamoto standing there.
"You see the dilemma." said the old man." There will come times when you have to deal with the unprofessional manner of the other Captains. Because of this you must never show signs of confusion or fear, do not stammer answer quickly and direct." The rest of the Captains began to swarm around Toshiro offering their own pointers.
"Be affirmative." added Sasakibe." The other Captains will not listen to you unless they respect you."
"Don't slouch, sit up in your chair." commented Ukitake." You'll look more presentable that way." But no matter how high Toshiro sat up it didn't really changed how he looked, he felt like he was sitting in a chair made for Sajin.
"Let's try again." said Yamamoto as he stepped to the back of the room as the other Captains assumed their positions. Toshiro looked out at them and took a deep breath as he prepared himself again.
For a whole week this process repeated. Paperwork with Yamamoto, Healing with Unohanna, Chess with Ukitake, and speech with everyone. And as the week went on Toshiro grew more and more frustrated, because while he understood the importance of these task he saw them as second rate to the true purpose of being Head-Captain and that was the fighting skill.
And after a whole week of repeating this process he finally snapped.
He sat at his desk next to Yamamoto's going through paperwork, the stack of paperwork getting larger and larger with every day. And now his patients wore out.
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" He yelled slamming his hands on the desk, causing the papers to fly up into the air and then slowly falling back to the ground. Yamamoto however was not surprised.
"Something troubling you?" he asked casually.
"Well to be blunt Head-Captain." Toshiro replied turning to him." I thought when I was going to be trained to take your position; I assumed that I would be trained in fighting."
"An obvious assumption." Told Yamamoto." But fighting is only half of what I do here. My main priority is paperwork." He turned back to his work.
"But I thought our first priority was to the Soul Society." Said Toshiro getting his attention again." Doesn't that mean we should focus more on fighting skill?" Yamamoto opened up his eyes slightly.
"There is some level of politics that have to be taken into account." Told Yamamoto.
"Put our main priority overall is warfare."Toshiro stated. Despite the fact he was right that wasn't the point of these early exercises.
"There is more to my position that just fighting." He looked at Toshiro who continued to pout."You want to learn fighting skill?" asked Yamamoto after short silence. Toshiro turned to him and nodded enthusiastically." Very well then go to Squads Two, Six, and Seven. Learn the basics of Hakuda from Captain Soifon, the art of Shunpo from Captain Kuchiki, and swordsmanship from Captain Kommamura."
"I am already familiar with those skills."
"Then your skills will be advanced. They will teach you a greater way to master those skills, once you have mastered them then I will teach you."
"But master all those skills could take hundreds of years!"
"This entire process is meant to take place over hundreds of years." If you are going to be an effective warrior you must excel in all different categories. I did not get this powerful by sitting around, I had to train hard each and every day. Understand?"
"Yes, sir." Said Toshiro.
"If combat is what you want to learn I'll let you leave early so that you may go and begin that training." Toshiro stood up and quickly headed for the door.
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. "He headed to the door.
"But tomorrow." He said stopping Toshiro in his tracks." You will do all the leftover work from today, understand?"
"Yes, sir." He nodded and then Toshiro walked out the door.