"Kyoraku..." Toshiro frowned. "Unohana is dead?"
                          
"Toshiro... sit in this chair across from me so that we can talk."
                          
"Why are you reacting the way you are. I don't understand."
                          
"Sit, now." The boy let out a deep sigh and then sat down in the chair across from the man. "Yes, Unohana is dead."
                          
"Why?"
                          
The man folded his hands in front of him. "Have you ever heard the story of the thirteen oni?"
                          
"That's just a story they tell little kids to get them to go to bed and behave. My grandmother never had to tell me the stories to frighten me, but the older kids liked to use them to bully me when I was younger." Toshiro then shook his head. "What does this have to do with anything?"
                          
"It isn't just a story Toshiro." The man narrowed his eyes at the boy. "What else do you associate with the number thirteen." He watched as the boy swallowed. "I take it you know what I was wanting you to think of. Yes, the thirteen oni were the founders of the Gotei Thirteen. The last two remained are now gone."
                          
Toshiro found himself shaking his head and could feel his throat tightening. "I'm a captain, I need to remain composed. Unohana's dead... but... and she's not an oni!" He took a deep breath. "But why is Unohana dead."
                          
"Unohana was the first Kenpachi Toshiro."
                          
The boy swallowed and felt his hands clutch the chair. "But..."
                          
"Yes, yes. I get what you're thinking."
                          
"Then you should know as well as I that Unohana is an oni. I wouldn't call the head... I would call."
                          
"It's all right Toshiro."
                          
"The current Kenpachi killed her, did he not. Why?"
                          
Kyoraku sighed "What did I just tell you about her? Don't hold it against Kenpachi."
                          
"I won't." Toshiro glanced at the ground. "Or will I?"
                          
"This isn't what I wanted to talk to you about."
                          
"I came to see if you had any orders for me." The boy glanced up, a rather hopeful look in his eyes.
                          
"Good. Because I do have an order for you. I don't want you to participate in the upcoming battle."
                          
Toshiro's face had remained emotionless to this point but he could feel his mouth falling into a frown and his eyes widening. "Wait? What have I done wrong?" "You lost your Bankai moron." "Well, I can see what I've done wrong."
                          
"You're not in trouble." The man frowned at the boy. "I'm going to be brutally honest with you here. Without your Bankai, you're not going to be much help to us."
                          
"What if the twelth division can find a way to unlock my Bankai?" The boy's eyes gained a hopeful look.
                          
"The answer is still going to be no. How many people have you lost recently that you cared about? You've not tried to grieve for them. You're not even grieving right now."
                          
"You yourself said that this isn't the time too..."
                          
"You're still a child Toshiro. What I expect of the others is different."
                          
The boy felt his anger suddenly surging forward. "The prior head captain..."
                          
"... of course did things differently. I'm not tied down to the same traditions he is and I have an honest reason for you not going into battle."
                          
"You think I'd be useless."
                          
"Toshiro..."
                          
"I'm going to ask that you not call me by my first name head captain. You're only making my mood worse. Or are you suggesting that you don't think I deserve the captain's rank?"