TZC: Racing Waves (28 Zanpakutou)
Popular wisdom had it that Toushirou never went to the beach. He was grumpy and cold and positively un-childlike. His zanpakutou was ice, for goodness’ sake!
Popular wisdom was, as usual, utterly wrong.
Every year, Toushirou went to the beach with the one being who never left him-namely, Hyourinmaru-as his only company. They did go in winter, but then the rumors about Toushirou and summer were absolutely correct.
The Tenth division was very fond of summer vacations. Camping trips. Long-term missions. Anything. But, that was neither here nor there.
Anyone on the same beach as the Tenth’s captain and his zanpakutou-and they made sure that no one ever was-might be rather surprised at their activities. Popular wisdom, after all, held that any time off those two had was always, always spent training.
That was popular wisdom: zero, ice lords: two.
They did not train, swim laps in the ocean (Toushirou had yet to figure out exactly how the rumor-maker expected him to do that), or freeze the water so no one else could swim in it. Toushirou and Hyourinmaru actually spent their time on the beach racing the waves.
Toushirou swam out past the breakers, with Hyourinmaru (manifested physically for the occasion) lazily pacing him from above. They picked a wave the same way they picked a target in battle, focused and calculating. The only thing missing was the edge of killing intent. Then the wave arrived, and all trace of the battle-ready captain and zanpakutou vanished. Toushirou swam for all he was worth while Hyourinmaru swooped and dived through the air above him.
They always lost to the wave. And they always arrived at the beach together, breathless and laughing like loons.