The people present were instantly startled by Yoruichi. However, those with a discerning eye quickly recovered; the situation wasn't as bizarre as Hanatarō thought.
"Piercing Point? Or Collapsing Point?"
Piercing Point, which concentrates force into a single point to pierce the enemy, and Collapsing Point, which uses a single point to diffuse one's power throughout the enemy's body—both are special Hakuda techniques.
It was just that Ukitake wasn't entirely sure which one Yoruichi had used. This wasn't due to poor eyesight, but rather because Yoruichi's strike had targeted Ichigo's internal organs, and her goal wasn't to kill him.
"You delivered a powerful anesthetic directly into his internal organs." Ukitake looked at Yoruichi, who was carrying the unconscious Ichigo on her shoulder, and continued, "Are you trying to treat him, Yoruichi?"
Ukitake's single sentence saw right through Yoruichi's intentions. It couldn't be helped; Ichigo was different from the other brats. He existed as a crucial link in their plan, especially after defeating Zaraki Kenpachi—he was already very close to Urahara's highest expectations.
But this idiot definitely wouldn't go with her obediently right now. Left with no choice, Yoruichi had to resort to such extreme measures.
A motionless burden was always better than a hot-blooded youth frantically dragging you down.
"Ukitake..."
Before she could give Ukitake any hints, Kuchiki Byakuya interrupted, "Do you think I will let you do that?"
What Ukitake could see, Byakuya naturally could as well. If Yoruichi kept him occupied, the two of them might actually manage to escape entirely. But now, trying to leave while carrying an unconscious guy was simply looking down on him too much.
"Oh? What a big boast, little Byakuya. When we played tag in the past, when have you ever beaten me?"
Playing tag? Who wanted to play with you! That unbearable past was definitely one of the rare humiliations in Byakuya's life—no, perhaps his only humiliation.
If it were a few decades ago, he might have actually been affected by Yoruichi's words. Of course, back then he might not have been able to do anything to her anyway, but now...
"Why don't we find out!"
As soon as the words fell, their figures blurred. When they reappeared, Byakuya was already standing in the middle of the bridge, while Yoruichi, carrying Ichigo on her back, seemed a bit slower.
Behind him. Byakuya's eyes shifted slightly as if he could see what was happening behind his back. With a flick of his wrist, his Zanpakutō swept out to the right, his body smoothly turning around. The entire motion was completely fluid without the slightest hesitation. Almost the instant Yoruichi appeared, the blade slashed toward her—it was fast to the extreme.
Except, it didn't hit...
For the first time, an expression called surprise appeared on Byakuya's eternally unchanging face. Could it be that the shadow behind him just now was an afterimage left before Yoruichi moved? He hadn't captured her position a step ahead; rather, Yoruichi had waited for him to arrive before making her move?
Still as arrogant as ever, but a brat is still a brat! Yoruichi looked at Byakuya's back from a distance. His speed had indeed increased, but sometimes being slower yielded unexpected results.
"You're talking pretty big yourself, Yoruichi."
The smile on Yoruichi's face instantly froze. The person she least wanted to face was now blocking her path. Playing the predator waiting in the shadows—that was indeed Kōe Shihouin's style!
If possible, she really wanted to just dump Ichigo and leave. It couldn't be helped; Kōe understood her far too well. But her understanding of Kōe didn't seem to be as deep as she had thought.
Assuming her chances of escaping this situation alone were ninety percent, bringing Ichigo along dropped it to fifty percent. Even so, Yoruichi had no intention of putting Ichigo down. The plan was one thing, but on the other hand, when had she ever admitted defeat to this guy?!
Many thoughts, little time. For Yoruichi, her actions moved even faster than her mind. The moment Kōe uttered his first word, her toes had already shifted direction.
But it was still too slow. Although Byakuya had been tricked, his reaction was not slow. He was confident that even without Kōe, there was no way Yoruichi could beat him this time! *What a meddlesome guy!!*
"You think you can escape with that level of Shunpo?"
Yoruichi's eyes went wide as she abruptly looked back. It was hard to tell if she was angry at Byakuya's double mockery or shocked by the seamless coordination between Byakuya and Kōe.
A block of wood and a sly fox working together? No matter how you looked at it, these two didn't seem like people whose paths would ever cross!
Except, this time it was her turn to look at empty air. Byakuya used Shunpo to flash right in front of Yoruichi, while Kōe tactfully stepped back a few paces to make room—he had even retreated before Byakuya made his move.
Another slash came down. This time, Yoruichi truly seemed unable to react. A wound opened diagonally from her abdomen to her left shoulder, the swift force of the blade sending blood flying upward. Byakuya's strike was even faster than before.
The current Kuchiki Byakuya was no longer the boy from back then. At the same time, this Yoruichi was no longer the untouchable Shihōin Yoruichi from a hundred years ago!
Just as Byakuya sighed inwardly, the wound symbolizing her defeat suddenly vanished from Yoruichi's body. Even Yoruichi herself seemed as though she had never existed.
A white cloth, split in two, fluttered to the ground. The right side suddenly darkened for a moment. Byakuya glanced over but didn't see anything land on his arm, nor did he feel anything.
"The Shihōin Clan's secret technique, Utsusemi."
Byakuya recognized and even knew how to use this special type of Shunpo. But he had to admit, even knowing it, he hadn't noticed a single flaw just now.
Utsusemi—the cicada sheds its empty shell, but in that instant, it remains near the shell. Therefore, the shadow that appeared on his arm just now wasn't a hallucination. That woman must have used him as a stepping stone to shift her position once again.
But where was she? Just as Byakuya scanned his surroundings, hoping to prove himself once more, a sudden commotion erupted atop the tall building behind him. Looking back, he saw that Kōe had cornered Yoruichi once again.
Yoruichi was feeling a bit desperate. Not only had she been caught by Kōe again, but the seamless coordination between Kōe and Byakuya—one advancing while the other retreated, one pressuring while the other blocked—made her doubt herself. Did she and that dead-fish-eyed Urahara even have this kind of synergy?
It was hard to say, really hard to say. After all, aside from training and sparring together, they hadn't actually cooperated much in real combat. Although their mutual understanding meant they definitely wouldn't drag each other down, it was unclear what heights they could reach, especially in this kind of unplanned coordination.
*So, Kōe Shihouin, what exactly have you been doing since you got back?! I told you to spend less time bothering Unohana, and you ended up hanging out with Byakuya instead? Are you really that obedient?!*
This time, Yoruichi didn't choose to dodge again; she attacked directly. Actually, the current timing was perfect. Byakuya hadn't spotted her in advance, so as long as she could shake off Kōe, she could take Ichigo and leave.
As for why she didn't just run away... perhaps it was out of jealousy?
How could Kōe possibly know what Yoruichi was thinking? No matter how much synergy they had, or how well he understood her thoughts, he could never have guessed she was thinking on that level.
However, as best friends, their choices this time were surprisingly identical. At the exact moment Yoruichi threw a punch, Kōe's fist met hers—not as a forced reaction, but in perfect, simultaneous synchronization.
As for why this happened? Perhaps it was because Kurosaki Ichigo had arrived exactly as expected, and Yoruichi, too, had let her guard down exactly as expected...