Outside the examination room, Tōshirō Hitsugaya stood somewhat nervously, waiting for the three examiners to enter.
" Tōshirō Hitsugaya, please come in."
After waiting for a while, the vice-captain of the First Division Chōjirō Sasakibe, came out of the examination room and addressed Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
"Okay, okay."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya nodded nervously and stepped into the examination room.
"Greetings, examiners. I am Tōshirō Hitsugaya from the Tenth Division. I am here today to participate in the captain's examination, hoping to become the captain of the Tenth Division."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya bowed respectfully to the three examiners and began to speak.
"Hey, hey, hey~ Why are you saying all that nonsense? Since we're here, we know you're here to participate in the team leader assessment. Otherwise, why do you think we, who are usually so busy with work, have gathered together?"
Just as Tōshirō Hitsugaya entered the examination room and bowed to the three people in front of him, Tōshirō Hitsugaya slightly irritable female voice rang in his ears.
"Forehead..."
Upon hearing the voice, Tōshirō's expression changed slightly. He immediately raised his head and looked at the speaker with some nervousness.
"What are you looking at? Hurry up and show yourself!"
That irritable person was none other than the only female captain in the entire Gotei 13 who didn't wear her Shihakusho properly— the Third Division Captain, Kūkaku Shiba.
" Captain Kūkaku, don't be so impatient. Hitsugaya is still just a child."
Just as Kūkaku Shiba was impatiently urging Tōshirō Hitsugaya, one of the three examiners, the Fourth Division Captain Retsu Unohana, smiled gently.
" Sister Hana, you're just too gentle."
Kūkaku glanced at Retsu Unohana's gentle demeanor and pursed her lips.
"Wouldn't it be better to be gentler?"
"Isn't being gentler a better way to showcase a woman's charm?"
"If Kūkaku isn't a little gentler, she might never get married!"
Retsu Unohana still had that smiling face, but the words that came out of her mouth were like sharp swords, piercing through Kūkaku's heart.
"In short, the assessment begins. Tōshirō Hitsugaya, please demonstrate your strength before us three examiners, according to the assessment requirements."
Sitting between the two women, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai listened to their verbal sparring, his brow furrowing slightly, and began today's assessment.
"Okay!
" Bankai! Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya drew his Zanpakuto from his waist and immediately unleashed his Bankai.
Instantly, a terrifying chill filled the entire testing room.
"Um?!"
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who had been keeping his eyes half-closed, slowly opened them as he felt the biting cold.
The next moment, a fierce and the Heat Spiritual Pressure erupted from the Old Man Yama sitting on the futon, instantly landing on Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
"Bump!"
Faced with this immense Spiritual Pressure, one of the three timers floating above Tōshirō Hitsugaya's head shattered instantly...
"Strong! Completely surpassing me, not even in the same league. He can suppress my Hyōrinmaru simply with his Spiritual Pressure. If... the Captain-Commander were to unleash his Zanpakuto, or even Bankai, I wouldn't even be able to complete the unleashing of my Zanpakuto..."
For the first time Bankai, Tōshirō Hitsugaya felt a qualitative difference in strength. At the same time, Tōshirō Hitsugaya finally understood a truth: Bankai is not the end of the path of Soul Reaper, but the beginning of the path of a Soul Reaper.
"It seems my path of cultivation still has a long way to go..."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya was overwhelmed by Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's power. He realized his own weakness and understood that he might have failed the test.
"The result of Tōshirō Hitsugaya's first assessment is... Pass!"
Just as Tōshirō Hitsugaya was about to bow and greet the captains and prepare to go back and train hard for another battle next year, the three examiners, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, Retsu Unohana, Kūkaku Shiba, simultaneously announced that Tōshirō Hitsugaya had passed the test.
"Huh? Why? I'm clearly as weak as a child in front of Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya looked at the examiners in front of him with a puzzled expression.
"You're clearly just a child..."
Kūkaku sat up from her futon, went to Tōshirō Hitsugaya, patted his head, and began to speak.
"Having this level of strength at this age is already more than enough. As for your future training, Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, please continue to train diligently while guiding the Tenth Division!"
Retsu Unohana said with a smile.
"In short, starting today, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, the former Third Seat of the Tenth Division, will be the new captain of the Tenth Division."
Captain-Commander Yamamoto stood up and announced the results.
"Yes, sir!"
"I will do my best! I will give it my all to guide the Tenth Division into the best division ever!"
Facing the three examiners, Tōshirō Hitsugaya clenched his fists and silently made a vow.
"Um..."
The Captain-Commander nodded slightly, then gripped his cane and left the assessment room.
"That's really reliable!"
Retsu Unohana followed closely behind the Captain-Commander and left the assessment room.
"Good luck, kid!"
Kūkaku Shiba patted Tōshirō Hitsugaya on the head, and then left the examination room with the departing Captain-Commander and Captain Retsu Unohana.
"Um!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya waited patiently until the three left, then he finally let out a sigh of relief.
"From today onwards, I am the captain of the Tenth Division?!"
"Why does it feel so unreal..."
"Even now, I still feel like I'm in a dream. My Bankai isn't fully developed, and this body can't yet withstand my full power..."
Some people suffer in silence because they lack talent, while others are simply too talented. Tōshirō Hitsugaya is the type whose talent is too great. Because his talent is so great, his Spiritual Pressure is too strong, and his own spirit body cannot withstand it at all. This is Tōshirō Hitsugaya's current situation.
"But this is good too, Captain Isshin, I have already inherited your mantle."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya clenched his fist and smiled slightly.
Just as Tōshirō Hitsugaya clenched his fist and chuckled to himself, Kūkaku Shiba, who had left, suddenly returned.
"These are the clothes Uncle Isshin left for you~"
Kūkaku Shiba, holding the haori that Isshin Shiba had made in the likeness of Tōshirō Hitsugaya before leaving, came to stand in front of Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
" Captain Isshin give it to me?"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya looked at the haori in Kūkaku Shiba's hand, his eyes unusually sparkling, like the expression of a child seeing their delighted toy.
That idiot kept believing you could pass the test.
For some reason, Kūkaku Shiba felt a surge of displeasure and put her haori directly on Tōshirō Hitsugaya's head.
"Waaah..."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya, suddenly covered by the haori, frantically tried to remove it from his head, which made Kūkaku Shiba smile slightly.
"I'm leaving~ Don't look for me unless it's absolutely necessary."
After finishing speaking, Kūkaku Shiba ignored the flustered Tōshirō Hitsugaya and turned to leave.
" Captain Kūkaku Shiba!"
Just after Kūkaku stepped out of the exam room, she heard Tōshirō Hitsugaya's voice beside her.
"Hmm?" Kūkaku frowned and turned around. "Didn't I tell you not to look for me unless it's absolutely necessary?"
"Thanks!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya bowed deeply to Kūkaku Shiba and expressed his gratitude.
"..."
Let's go!
Kūkaku Shiba looked at Tōshirō Hitsugaya. Then she turned around gracefully, waved her hand, and indicated that Tōshirō Hitsugaya did not need to see her off. However, this time Kūkaku did not tell Tōshirō Hitsugaya not to come looking for her unless necessary.
"The stupid uncle found a stupid heir..."
Kūkaku stretched, looked up at the clear sky over Seireitei, and smiled slightly.
"I... I've finally become the team leader!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya stared at the haori in his hand, his body trembling slightly.
"No, I have to get back to my unit first."
Tōshirō put on his haori, puffed out his chest, and then used Shunpo to quickly run towards the Tenth Division barracks.
"Um?"
When Tōshirō Hitsugaya arrived at the gate of the Tenth Division barracks, he found that no one was on duty that day.
"Those idiots..."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya's eyes twitched slightly as he looked at the scene before him, and veins bulged on his forehead. He could already imagine the lawless Rangiku Matsumoto leading the members of the Tenth Division in drinking and partying wildly during the time he was away from the squad.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya, his face ashen, walked into the barracks step by step, checking each room one by one.
"Not here, not here either, could it be in the locker room...? No, absolutely not, then it can only be in the conference room."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya searched the dormitory, the training ground, the toilet, and the changing room, but none of these places were occupied—not a single person!
After checking all the places, Tōshirō Hitsugaya finally focused his attention on the conference room. Since none of the other places were occupied, only that place could possibly hold so many people.
"Ran... ju!!!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya let out a sinister shout and pushed open the conference room door.
"Puff puff puff..." The next second, several party-grade paper confetti canisters exploded in front of Tōshirō Hitsugaya. Rangiku Matsumoto, whom Tōshirō Hitsugaya had been searching for, led the entire Tenth Division in shouting in unison, "Congratulations! Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Third Seat, has become the new Captain of the Tenth Division!"
"You..."
Looking at the group of grinning squad members in front of him, Tōshirō Hitsugaya didn't know whether to get angry or laugh. They were just a bunch of idiots!
" Tōshirō ~"
"I just heard you call my name. So, now that you've become the captain of the Tenth Division, you really want to share your joy with me?"
Just as Tōshirō Hitsugaya was giving a helpless, wry smile, Rangiku Matsumoto suddenly rushed over and did a chest-bumping maneuver.
"Forehead..."
After being attacked with face wash, Tōshirō Hitsugaya's expression changed drastically. Rangiku Matsumoto Matsumoto's actions were so outrageous that he almost suffocated.
"Enough! You idiot!"
"Leave a few people here to pack up; the rest of you can go do what you're supposed to be doing."
"I've simply gone from being Third Seat holder to captain. Our jobs won't change, and neither will our future lives."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya pulled his head out of Rangiku Matsumoto's raging torrent and then addressed the group of soldiers.
"What? No way!"
"How about we just take one day off? Just one day..."
After hearing what Tōshirō Hitsugaya said, Rangiku Matsumoto's expression changed, and she started acting cute towards Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
"No!"
Absolutely not!
Tōshirō Hitsugaya ignored Rangiku Matsumoto's temptation and spoke coldly.
"Why? When Captain Isshin was around, he would definitely give us time off!"
Rangiku Matsumoto gently wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes and began to preach.
"Do you think who was doing your work when Captain Isshin gave you time off?"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya wasn't particularly angry at first, but after hearing Rangiku Matsumoto's words, his anger flared up.
Normally, the routine of the Tenth Division is that Rangiku Matsumoto would go to Isshin Shiba to act cute whenever she wanted to rest. Unable to resist the temptation, Isshin Shiba would give Rangiku Matsumoto a day off, and then Rangiku Matsumoto's work would become Tōshirō Hitsugaya's work, and so on in an endless cycle. But this kind of thing will never happen in the Tenth Division again, because from today onwards, the captain of the Tenth Division will be Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
"Yeah?"
What a pity!
"Ah, Little Momo, you've come at the perfect time~ But I'm sorry, I can't go shopping with you~"
"Because our captain is petty and narrow-minded, he won't allow me to go."
Just as Tōshirō Hitsugaya was secretly pleased with himself, Rangiku Matsumoto gave up on continuing her pursuit of Tōshirō Hitsugaya. She pulled a petite and cute girl who had just entered the Tenth Division's meeting room and began to speak.
" Little Momo?!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya had been holding his chin up, gradually realized something was amiss when he heard the Little Momo.
"I saw that there was no one at the entrance of your Tenth Division, and it was a bit noisy here, so I came in by myself. Is that alright?"
The petite girl bowed slightly to Rangiku Matsumoto and spoke obediently.
"It's okay~ It's okay~"
"You've come at the right Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya wouldn't let me go with you, I'm so sad..."
Rangiku Matsumoto, clinging to the petite girl's arm, spoke through sobs.
" Shirō ~ Sister Rangiku, can't you really go shopping with me today? There's a book I've been wanting to buy."
After Tōshirō Hitsugaya turned to the side, he saw his childhood friend, Momo Hinamori.
"You..."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya looked at Rangiku whistling beside him and felt his blood pressure rising.
"Huh~ Shirō, is that a haori you're wearing? Have you become a captain?"
It was only after facing Tōshirō Hitsugaya Momo Hinamori discovered the captain's haori on Tōshirō's body.
"Um!"
Seeing Momo Hinamori's surprised expression, Tōshirō Hitsugaya was secretly delighted, but he remained expressionless and nodded.
"Congratulations! Congratulations! I just noticed, honestly, why didn't you tell me sooner? I didn't bring a gift. Oh no, I'll go buy one right now..."
Momo Hinamori was genuinely happy that Tōshirō Hitsugaya could become a captain, and she excitedly ran towards the gate of the Tenth Division.
" Hinamori, slow down, I'll go with you..."
Rangiku Matsumoto watched Momo Hinamori skip and hop excitedly away, and prepared to chase after her.
"Where are you going, Rangiku?"
However, before Rangiku Matsumoto could leave, Tōshirō Hitsugaya grabbed Rangiku's arm first.
Hehehehe...
Rangiku Matsumoto turned around, looked at Tōshirō Hitsugaya's gloomy face, and forced a smile.
"Let's have a good talk..."
Tōshirō spoke, ignoring Rangiku Matsumoto's resistance, he pulled her toward the captain's room.
"This is outrageous! The captain forced himself on the kind older sister! Help me!"
Rangiku Matsumoto screamed in agony, her heart-wrenching cries echoing throughout the Tenth Division barracks.
"I can't hear you! I can't hear you!"
The members of the Tenth Division covered their ears, pretending they hadn't heard anything.
Their practiced manner made it seem as if this was commonplace in the Tenth Division.
(End of this chapter)