Inside the underground training room.
Kisuke Urahara's expression was grave. Looking at Ichigo Kurosaki, who was still in his Shinigami state, he shook his head. "Mr. Ichigo, revert to your human form first. Do not expose your Reiatsu this time."
"Okay, but I can't control it very well yet..."
Ichigo Kurosaki obediently did as told.
"The Seireitei sent people to look for Miss Soifon; they just left."
Kisuke Urahara spoke very quickly, "They have already become suspicious. If they discover a strange Shinigami like you with unstable Reiatsu here, they will definitely question it to the end."
He paused for a moment, looking toward Soifon and Yoruichi. "You two don't show your faces for now. Ichigo, wait until late at night before quietly leaving through the back door and taking the long way back to your family clinic."
Ichigo Kurosaki took a deep breath. The Shihakushō on his body dissipated into Spirit Particles, reverting him to a plain t-shirt and trousers.
Late at night, the streets of Karakura Town were exceptionally quiet.
Ichigo Kurosaki looked left and right like a thief, then squeezed out of the alley behind the Urahara Shop, walking quickly toward the Kurosaki Clinic.
Just shortly after he left, three figures quietly appeared under the streetlamp at the alley entrance ahead.
Byakuya Kuchiki stood in the center, with Isane Kotetsu and Rangiku Matsumoto standing to his left and right, blocking Ichigo Kurosaki's path.
Ichigo Kurosaki's footsteps faltered. He forcibly suppressed the urge to turn and run, lowering his head to pretend he didn't see these three fellows dressed in strange clothes.
En, ordinary people can't see Spirit Bodies, so I can't see them.
Reciting the method Kisuke Urahara taught him in his mind, Ichigo Kurosaki walked past Byakuya Kuchiki.
The moment he brushed past Byakuya Kuchiki, the sound of breaking air exploded.
Byakuya Kuchiki didn't even turn around; he simply waved his right arm seemingly casually, delivering a sharp hand chop straight at the back of Ichigo Kurosaki's neck!
His body moved before his consciousness could react; Ichigo Kurosaki jerked his waist forward, and the hand chop grazed the tips of his hair as it swept past.
"Can't you not see us?" Byakuya Kuchiki's cold voice rang out. "Why did you dodge?"
"Just now, you wanted to pretend you didn't see us." His gaze fell upon Ichigo. "The Reiatsu fluctuations on your body—what is going on?"
"Reiatsu?" Ichigo Kurosaki took a step back. "What are you talking about..."
Byakuya Kuchiki wasted no more words. He raised his right hand, aiming at Ichigo Kurosaki.
Six huge yellow light sheets appeared out of thin air and instantly closed together, firmly imprisoning Ichigo Kurosaki in the center!
"Wait!"
Ichigo Kurosaki exclaimed.
"Regardless of what you say, you are very suspicious. We will take you to a quiet place for interrogation first."
Byakuya Kuchiki turned and walked toward the imprisoned Ichigo Kurosaki.
Interrogation?!
In a split second, a powerful Reiatsu erupted from within Ichigo Kurosaki's body.
Crack—
Those six light sheets, sufficient to bind a Vice-Captain level Shinigami, shattered like fragile glass and dissipated into Spirit Particles.
Out of instinct, Ichigo Kurosaki switched into his Shinigami form.
Opposite him, the three placed their hands on their Zanpakutō, staring vigilantly at this strange Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki.
"You are not the resident Shinigami of Karakura Town. Who exactly are you?!"
Byakuya Kuchiki drew Senbonzakura and pointed it at Ichigo Kurosaki.
At the same time, Rangiku Matsumoto and Isane Kotetsu also took a step forward. "Where is Captain Soifon? Did you do something to her..."
Ichigo Kurosaki's throat felt like it was blocked by something. He wanted to explain, but he couldn't.
If he spoke, wouldn't that expose the fact that Soifon gave her power to him?
Both his father and Kisuke Urahara had said that a Shinigami giving power to an ordinary person in the World of the Living was a grave crime; even Soifon was no exception.
This hesitant reaction of his, falling into the eyes of Byakuya Kuchiki's trio, was tantamount to a tacit admission.
"As expected..."
Rangiku Matsumoto's voice turned completely cold. She was just about to rush up to take him down when she was stopped by Byakuya Kuchiki.
"His strength is considerable. I will handle it."
The moment his voice fell, the Zanpakutō in Byakuya Kuchiki's hand transformed into tens of thousands of cherry blossom blades, sweeping toward Ichigo Kurosaki.
Facing this overwhelming attack with no blind spots, Ichigo Kurosaki could only rely on instinct, gripping that huge Zanpakutō with both hands and swinging it forward clumsily.
Ding, ding, ding—
Dense sounds of metal colliding merged into one.
The cherry blossom blades grazed Ichigo Kurosaki's body, but they could only stir up a layer of pale blue Blut Vene patterns on him, unable to break his defense at all.
"What kind of defense is this..."
Byakuya Kuchiki frowned. This orange-haired Shinigami before him—even if he stood still, his Shikai could not break his defense.
However, the other party's "posturing" of clumsy blocking seemed more like he was mocking him.
"As expected... you have some skill."
Byakuya Kuchiki's voice grew colder. He raised his hand, and the sky-filling cherry blossom blades seemed summoned, re-condensing into the form of a Zanpakutō.
He judged that the current attack power of his Shikai could not penetrate the opponent's defense; perhaps it was the ability of this orange-haired brat's Zanpakutō.
"Where are you hiding Captain Soifon right now?"
"Tell us now, and you still have a chance to live."
Holding Senbonzakura in a reverse grip, the blade pointing down at the ground, Byakuya Kuchiki issued a final ultimatum to Ichigo Kurosaki. If he persisted in not speaking, he would use Bankai.
Ichigo Kurosaki gripped Zangetsu tightly with both hands, holding it firmly across his chest, his short orange hair fluttering slightly in the current of Reiatsu.
It was impossible for him to say. Moreover, the pressure Byakuya Kuchiki gave him wasn't great; Ichigo Kurosaki decided to knock the three of them unconscious and take them back.
Perhaps Mr. Urahara had some little trick to wipe memories.
Seeing Ichigo Kurosaki being so stubborn, the chill on Byakuya Kuchiki's face intensified.
"Bankai..."
At this critical moment...
"Stop!"
A familiar shout stopped the four people in the standoff.
Yoruichi Shihōin, holding Soifon, appeared like a ghost on the eaves by the street.
"Put your swords away first." Soifon broke free from Yoruichi's embrace, standing weakly beside her. "You are not enemies... stop for now."
Yoruichi released the hand holding Soifon, letting her stand on her own.
"Captain Soifon..."
Rangiku Matsumoto and Isane Kotetsu looked at Soifon under the moonlight with complex gazes. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed that this person with such weak Reiatsu was Soifon.
"How can your Reiatsu be so weak..."
Byakuya Kuchiki frowned tightly, then slowly turned his head to look at Ichigo Kurosaki. "Also, who exactly is this Shinigami? Why has there never been a record of him before?"
Such a powerful fellow, yet he has been in the World of the Living all this time without anyone discovering him.
However, since he was someone Soifon and Yoruichi knew, he could barely agree to stop.
Byakuya Kuchiki lowered the hand holding the sword to his side but did not sheath it.
"Little Brother Byakuya, this is an accident..."
Yoruichi Shihōin supported Soifon as they jumped down from the roof, intending to make up a random reason to muddle through.
Seeing that Soifon needed Yoruichi's support even to get down from a house, Byakuya Kuchiki showed a rare bit of schadenfreude: "You didn't happen to give your Shinigami powers to this yellow-haired brat, causing you to become so weak, did you?"
____
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