Quiet. That’s just how you liked it.

You had been a newly appointed hashira for about three months now. Things were going great. You got along with the other hashira, most of them, and you could see your skills improving by the day.

There was one thing you were worried about, though.

That one thing was Obanai Iguro. No matter what you did, your hard work never seemed to impress him. He would always stare at you with those cold, unblinking eyes, like everything you did annoyed him. You would’ve thought after how long you’ve been here that he’d tolerate you by now, but that wasn’t the case.

================================== Your hands ached as you hit the training dummy again and again with your blade, sweat dripping down your face. It had become a routine now. Train, sleep, eat, repeat.

As if it’d be that easy.

You hadn’t realized that you were being watched, but you felt uneasy as you turned to look behind you. There, perched on top of a tree sat Obanai, his gaze following your every move.

“Your technique is weak, try again.”

He spoke suddenly, his tone disinterested yet commanding.