Innocent *Toshiro Hitsugaya Love Story*

Chapter 16: Training Program

Aika's POV

I clutched my shin from the stinging pain I felt. I looked over to my opponent. He lowered his head and charged at me as I screamed.

*Earlier That Day*

"Good bye! And thank you for healing me!" I called to the Squad 4 member who had taken care of me for the past week. I flash stepped back to Squad 10 and immediately went to Captain Hitsugaya's office; just like he said to. I knocked on the door.

"Enter," the captain's voice called. I slid open the door and bowed.

"Hello, Captain Hitsugaya. I have fully recovered from my injuries," I stated. He nodded and then stood up.

"Recently, the other captains and I have decided to start a training program to prepare the squads for an opponent such as the one you fought. Squad 10 will fight today at 5:30. So, I suggest you ready yourself and get your Zanpokto before then," he said. He turned away from me and continued to speak, "Considering you have been healing for a week, you may also want to freshen up." I gasped and I felt myself blush with embarrassment. I covered my gaping mouth.

"Yes sir!" I quickly said and then hurried to my room. I can't believe he said that to me! Was he saying that I smelled? Oh, I hope I don't! I ran through my room, jumped over my couch, and rushed into the bathroom. I slammed the door and quickly stripped down and showered for half an hour.

I came out of the steam with my hair dripping water down my back. I dried my hair slightly and changed into a blue-purple kimono with light blue and red roses on it with a light pink obi. I brushed through my hair, dried it completely, brushed it again, and then finally tied it up. I tied my butterfly hairpiece in my hair also. I sat at my desk and rubbed a little lotion on my face. I wonder if Captain Hitsugaya is still upset with me? I rubbed my face with a tissue and then lied on the couch. My head was enveloped in stuffed animals. I grabbed the book off of the armrest and flipped it closed to see the cover. Famous Poetry. My favorite book of poetry. I flipped to one of the many bookmarked pages and read.

A Dream Girl by Carl Sandburg

You will come one day in a waver of love,

Tender as dew, impetuous as rain,

The tan of the sun will be on your skin,

The purr of the breeze in your murmuring speech,

You will pose with a hill-flower grace.

You will come, with your slim, expressive arms,

A poise of the head no sculptor has caught

And nuances spoken with shoulder and neck,

Your face in pass-and-repass of moods

As many as skies in delicate change

Of cloud and blue and flimmering sun.

Yet,

You may not come, O girl of a dream,

We may but pass as the world goes by

And take from a look of eyes into eyes,

A film of hope and a memoried day.

I smiled when I finished reading it. I looked at my clock. It read 4:57. I set the book back in its place in my bookshelf and quickly changed into my Shihaksho. After changing, I scanned the room for my Zanpokto and saw it leaning against the wall near the door. I grabbed it as I walked out the door and then flash stepped to the Squad 10 training arena.

I stood in line with the rest of the squad as we waited on a few people who were late. Once everyone was there, Captain Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Takara, and Hajime walked in front of them.

"I would like to personally thank you all for coming to training on such short notice," Captain started. "Today, you all will be placed up against either 3rd Seat Hyata or 4th Seat Ryusaki and will be observed by Lieutenant Matsumoto or myself. You will also be going through two tests: offense and defense. Now, you will all be divided into two groups." He quickly scanned through the line and then pointed at two people. He pointed to the boy. "I would like all of you to the left of him to step to the left and-" He pointed to the girl beside him. "Everyone to the right of her step to the right." The two groups parted like the Red Sea. I was on the group sent to the left. Captain Hitsugaya and Hajime walked over to my group and Rangiku and Takara walked over to the other group. We all quieted down when Captain Hitsugaya arrived.

"As you all probably know, you will all be sparing against 3rd Hyata in two test: a test in offense and a test in defense. Both test for every Squad member in this group will be evaluated by me," he stated. "We will have all of the seated officers in order by their ranks go first and then all of you that are not seated will go after them in alphabetical order. So first..." He trailed off of his sentence as he scanned over the crowd again to see who was in it. He pointed at me. "5th Seat Mori, will you come up here?" I nodded and walked up to him. "You will be first to go up against Hajime."

I bowed as I said, "Yes, Captain." I then followed Hajime away from the rest of the squad and then was handed a wooden sword.

"We're not killing each other," spoke Hajime. "So there's no need for blades. All we'll get is bruises." He smirked to me and I smiled.

"You will first be displaying defense!" Captain Hitsugaya shouted from where the rest of my group was. I nodded and looked to Hajime. I unstrapped my Zanpokto and set her to the side.

"Ready Blondie?" I took a deep breath and nodded. 

He grinned and then rushed towards me. I blocked his first attack but then he quickly smacked at my shin. I wailed and nearly fell. I stumbled away from him when he caught up to me again. I blocked his next three attacks but from his fourth, I missed and he hit the same shin, make pain shoot up through my leg. I wailed and fell to the ground. He came at me again and I rolled away. He ran up to me and swung towards my head, but I barely blocked his attack with my sword and then pushed his sword away, knocking him off balance. I quickly jumped up and stumbled away about fifty feet. I fell to the ground soon after that. I clutched my shin from the stinging pain I felt. I looked over to my opponent. He lowered his head and charged at me as I screamed.

Suddenly, I saw a flash of white in front of me. I realized that Captain Hitsugaya was standing in front of me. "That's enough, Hyata." I saw Hajime walk from the other side of Captain and sit on a nearby bench. He took a drink of water and poured some on his head. Captain Hitsugaya turned around and held out his hand.

"You will do your offense test after all of the others complete their defense," he stated as I took his hand. "And don't be concerned that you are a bad fighter. You're not. I noticed that Hajime was getting carried away while he fought you. I had told him not to do so. You did just as well as I had expected from you." I smiled. He had destroyed my worries before I could even assist them.