Saketsu and Hakusui.
They are the two Reiatsu Nodes symbolizing the source of a Shinigami's power.
Being completely destroyed was equivalent to sentencing a Shinigami to death.
Byakuya's gaze slowly shifted from Ichigo to Sasuke, a flicker of inquiry in his eyes.
"Is that so." He didn't ask further, merely giving a faint acknowledgment before turning to Renji.
"Renji."
"Yes!" Renci responded immediately.
He stepped forward, his sword hilt slicing through the air. A faintly glowing door slowly opened within the night.
That was the Senkaimon leading to the Soul Society.
"Hey, Uchiha brat." Renji's voice was somewhat hoarse, "You're not coming back together?"
Sasuke stood quietly in place, allowing the cold rain to slide down his pitch-black hair.
"No." Only when Renji seemed about to press further did he finally turn his face, "I can't return until the 13th Division sends someone to Karakura Town."
Renji was choked by these words. He let out a derisive laugh, seeming to want to say something, but ultimately just clicked his tongue in displeasure.
He said no more, turned, and followed Byakuya and Rukia into the Senkaimon.
The light gate slowly closed, completely isolating the two worlds.
The rain from the sky seemed to have lost its last restraint, suddenly becoming denser.
Just then, a set of unhurried wooden clogs movement, splashing through puddles, approached from afar.
A lazy voice sounded.
"Ara ara, Sasuke-kun, that was quite ruthless."
Urahara, holding an oil-paper umbrella, strolled out leisurely from the street corner.
He came to the barely breathing Ichigo, slowly crouched down, and placed two fingers on his neck, as if checking for signs of life.
Sasuke glanced at him, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
"Annoying." His voice was somewhat blurred by the rain, but the impatience in it was extremely obvious.
Urahara didn't mind. He looked up, chuckled softly, and stood.
"It seems there's still hope."
Sasuke didn't respond, just silently watched Urahara hoist Ichigo's limp body onto his shoulder.
"Let's go."
…
Inside Urahara Shop.
The warm light drove away the chill from outside. The air was filled with the faint scent of tea.
"Speaking of which, Sasuke-kun, why did you do that just now?"
Urahara pushed a steaming cup of tea toward Sasuke, breaking the silence, the smile still on his face.
Sasuke didn't answer immediately, just stared at the wisps of steam rising from the tea cup.
After a long while, he finally raised his head. His pitch-black eyes looked directly at Urahara as he countered, "You asked me to go with you precisely so I could save that orange-head, didn't you?"
Urahara's fan-waving motion paused slightly. He then laughed again, lightly tapping the fan against his palm.
"Oh ya, Sasuke-kun is truly clever. But this method, isn't it a bit too..."
"Too extreme?" Sasuke took over his words, his tone growing impatient, "You weren't going to intervene. Did you expect me to confront Kuchiki Byakuya head-on?"
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharpening.
Although his current strength was considerable, forcibly saving someone from under a Captain-level Shinigami was still rather far-fetched.
The smile on Urahara Kisuke's face stiffened momentarily, "That may be true, but..."
Sasuke interrupted him with a cold snort.
"What I did was the only option in that situation. It ensured his survival, gave Kuchiki Byakuya no immediate reason to act, and, incidentally, solidified the favor you owe me."
He picked up the tea cup and took a small sip.
"Killing three birds with one stone, no?"
Urahara looked at the young man in front of him, who was analyzing everything so logically, and was momentarily at a loss for words.
Just as he was silently marveling, a shrill howl suddenly came from the guest room in the back.
"Ow…! It hurts! What's wrong with my body?!"
Immediately after, Tessai's steady voice came from behind the door, "Manager, Kurosaki Ichigo is awake."
Hearing this, Urahara walked into the guest room, immediately putting on his lazy smile.
Sasuke, on the other hand, merged into the corner like a shadow, his arms crossed.
Ichigo's memory was somewhat chaotic. The last image seemed to be Sasuke's cold face and the excruciating pain piercing his body...
He looked at the man before him, his voice hoarse, "Geta-boshi? Is this your place?"
Urahara snapped his fan shut, "Correct. How do you feel, Kurosaki-san? Tessai-san has been busy working on you all night."
Ichigo ignored his teasing. He clutched the bandages tightly wrapped around his wound, his eyes dim, his voice full of dejection.
"Did you save me?"
"Ara, that phrasing surprises me." Urahara bent down, resting his chin on his fan, looking at him with interest, "It sounds like you wish I hadn't saved you."
"That's not what I meant..." Ichigo turned his head away irritably.
"However, strictly speaking, the one who saved you this time wasn't me." Urahara's tone suddenly shifted.
Ichigo whipped his head around, his face full of confusion.
'Not him? Then who?'
The smile on Urahara Kisuke's face grew even more meaningful. He slowly straightened up and then unhurriedly stepped to the side.
He completely exposed the figure he had been blocking to Ichigo's line of sight.
In that instant, all expression froze on Kurosaki Ichigo's face.
That person is...
Uchiha Sasuke.
He was leaning obliquely against the wall in the shadows by the door, his arms crossed, his eyes calmly meeting Ichigo's gaze.
"You..." Ichigo's voice was raspy. A surge of anger instantly overwhelmed his reason.
He suddenly tried to sit up from the bed but strained the wound on his abdomen. The intense pain made him grunt, and he fell back powerlessly.
"Why?!" He roared, using all his strength, staring intently at Sasuke, "Why did you attack me?!"
Seemingly annoyed by the noise, Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He didn't respond.
"Now, now, Kurosaki-san, calm down. Your wound might open." Urahara fanned himself, unhurriedly stepping between the two.
"How can I calm down?!" Ichigo's fist slammed hard onto the bed board, "Make him explain! Why did he do that?!"
"Well..." Urahara tapped his chin with his fan, smiling at Ichigo, "Let me ask you a question, Kurosaki-san."
"If you saw someone about to fall off a cliff, holding onto only a vine that's about to break, what would you do?"
Ichigo was stunned, "Of course, pull him up!"
"But if you pull him, the vine will break immediately, and both of you will fall." Urahara's smile remained unchanged.
"Then..." Ichigo was speechless.
"In that situation, there is one most effective method." Urahara's fan pointed toward Sasuke in the corner, "That is, before he climbs the mountain, break his leg with a stone first."
Ichigo's pupils contracted sharply, "What did you say?!"
"With a broken leg, he naturally can't climb the cliff anymore, so he won't be in danger of falling." Urahara's tone was still light, "Although the process is painful and seems cruel, the result is that he survives. Tell me, is the person who acted an enemy or a lifesaver?"
Ichigo stared dumbly at Urahara, then looked at Sasuke, who hadn't said a word from beginning to end. His mind was in turmoil.
"I..."
"It seems you already have an answer." Urahara reopened his fan, covering half his face, "The most effective method isn't necessarily the gentlest, Kurosaki-san."
---
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