Chapter 84

In this Seireitei subway construction project, the wild boar 'Bonnie' from the Ganju put in a lot of effort, and the whole boar looked thinner and thinner every day.

However, in the dark tunnel, neither Yoruichi, who was supervising the work, nor the others who were working with their heads down, noticed that Ichigo the simple blueprints in his hand... crookedly.

After several days of intense work, the tunnel project has finally reached its final stage. According to Yoruichi's estimate, it's only a few meters away from being completely completed.

Seeing this, Yoruichi told everyone to stop what they were doing and go back to the Shiba Clan to rest for a day and recharge for tomorrow's infiltration.

The next day, during the day.

As a ray of light shone down from above, the group finally managed to enter the Seireitei after overcoming numerous difficulties.

As everyone crawled out of the tunnel and breathed in the fresh air, Uryū noticed a problem: the surrounding environment was completely different from Yoruichi's description.

There were obvious signs of death in the surrounding area, and even tall buildings, which had absolutely nothing to do with the "wilderness Senzaikyū" that Yoruichi had mentioned.

At this point, everyone also noticed the problem.

Yoruichi immediately called out to Ichigo, "Ichigo, don't you have a map? Something's not right here!"

Hearing this, Ichigo picked up the map in confusion and said, "Yeah, I dug according to the map, didn't I?"

Everyone stared at the blueprints in Ichigo's hand, falling into a long silence. Then Orihime whispered, "Ichigo, you're holding the blueprints upside down!"

Upon hearing Orihime's words, Ichigo quickly took the blueprint in his hand and checked it several times. He then realized that he had indeed held the blueprint upside down, and his entire face quickly turned red.

When Ganju saw that Ichigo had taken the blueprints upside down, he rushed over and started arguing with Ichigo. But before they could exchange more than a few words, Chad covered their mouths.

Chad then gestured for the two to look, and there stood a large sign outside a large building not far from them, which read, "11th Division, Internal Training Grounds, No Unauthorized Personnel Allowed."

Yoruichi looked at the familiar characters and instantly knew where she was. Then the others exchanged glances, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Seeing this, the group stopped blaming each other and quickly activated the concealment device that Yoruichi had originally planned to use to infiltrate the Senzaikyū. Then, they carefully left the 11th Division's barracks, hugging the wall.

Fortunately, because the Seireitei was under martial law, Kenpachi Zaraki had already led his squad members on patrols looking for fights. The squad members who remained in the divisions were either handling official duties that their captain never touched, or training in the training grounds.

No one noticed, and no one expected, that someone had successfully infiltrated the heart of the 11th Division.

And so, the group successfully slipped away from the 11th Division and arrived on the streets of Seireitei.

Fortunately, it's daytime now, and there are still some ordinary rogue spirits on the streets. Otherwise, at night, Ichigo would be easy targets.

After everyone realized they were temporarily safe, they began to criticize Ichigo blushed and complained back and forth with them.

Clearly, everyone had forgotten that, apart from Yoruichi the cat and Ichigo Ganju, the clothes they wore were completely out of place with the style of the surrounding Ryukon.

Furthermore, their noisy behavior was a stark contrast to the cautious demeanor of everyone around Seireitei, which attracted the attention of the surrounding wandering spirits.

Furthermore, thanks to Xuanxin's management and efforts over the years, the rogue souls within Seireitei now have a much better attitude towards the Shinigami.

Soon, these guys, who didn't look like "locals," were quickly reported to the Grim Reaper squad that was patrolling nearby by several middle-aged women.

Less than five minutes after the report was made, a fully armed squad walked towards the group. Just as the group was about to turn away, they heard...

"Stop! Don't move! Who are you people?!"

Seeing the Shinigami surrounding him, Ichigo had no choice but to step forward and stammer as he spoke to them.

However, Ichigo's guilty look clearly said it all; the Shinigami had already placed their hands on the hilts of their swords, ready to grab him first.

Just then, Ganju, who had been annoyed with the Shinigami, suddenly shouted, "Stop talking nonsense, let's fight them!" He then pulled Ichigo, pulled out a handful of sand, and threw it towards the Shinigami.

Seeing the Shinigami crouching down to rub their eyes, Ichigo quickly urged everyone to run away.

However, what made Yoruichi uneasy was that the group of Shinigami did not rush to catch up, but instead sent some signal into the sky.

As the signal flare soared into the sky, the entire Seireitei came to life.

The wandering spirits on the surrounding streets quickly hid, and small squads rapidly converged on Yoruichi's side to surround her. Yoruichi even noticed that several Executive Militia had already approached from the rooftops in the distance.

"Damn it, we're surrounded!"

Soon, Ichigo, Chad, and the others clashed with the first wave of surrounding squads. Fortunately, Ichigo and his companions were no longer the same as before, and easily dealt with the surrounding Shinigami.

Moreover, Yoruichi noticed that the Shinigami weren't going all out; instead, they were trying to capture a few people alive. [It seems Xuanxin has given the order to take them alive.] Yoruichi thought to herself.

However, Yoruichi soon discovered that the defeated Shinigami did not stay where they were waiting for rescue. Instead, the uninjured Shinigami quickly regrouped into squads, leaving behind medical personnel, and then chased after them once again.

A small number of Shinigami even gave up the chase and instead constructed the 'Tenteikūra' to quickly share Ichigo and the others' movements with everyone.

This is no longer the Grim Reaper unit that fought independently in its various squads! This is clearly a well-organized war machine.

After countless attempts to break free from the Grim Reaper's encirclement, Ichigo and the others leaned wearily against the wall, panting. Just then, Ganju called out from the side...

"No, when did these Grim Reapers become so difficult to produce!"

Upon hearing this, Ichigo exclaimed, "Indeed, these Shinigami are far superior to those lazy Japanese police officers in the World of the Living!"

"Stop talking, run! Death is chasing us again!" Orihime shouted in terror.

Upon hearing this, everyone had no choice but to run away again, and even as they ran, they didn't forget to continue complaining about how troublesome these Grim Reapers were.

Listening to everyone's complaints, Yoruichi, who was following behind them, felt like she wanted to die.

[You, Shihoin Genshin! All those years of military preparations you've made have not only failed to defend against Aizen, but have now been used against me!! After this is over, I'm going to team up with Unohana to keep you confined to your quarters for a month!]

As their strength gradually waned, the complaints within the team disappeared, leaving only the heavy breathing of everyone.

At that moment, Yoruichi suddenly became alert. Yoruichi noticed that the Shinigami chasing her were gradually slowing down, as if they had completed their mission. This unusual behavior made Yoruichi uneasy.

[Could it be that what happened ahead...? That would be troublesome. Hopefully, that woman Unohana ahead will be alright.]

As Yoruichi had predicted, two figures, one in black and one in white, appeared in front of them.

In an instant, everyone noticed the white haori hidden under the floral jacket, and their faces turned serious. But Yoruichi's expression was the opposite of everyone else's.

Yoruichi looked at the familiar figure ahead with surprise, but regained her composure once more.

[Although it's not Unohana, Shunsui Kyōraku would be fine too!!]

But in that brief moment of relaxation, Ichigo had already led Chad and the others towards Shunsui.

"Wow, young people really don't know how to respect the elderly and care for the young, but their drive is quite good."

However, Ichigo and his companions, who were already exhausted, were no match for Shunsui Kyōraku, who was rested and waiting for them.

In just a few rounds, everyone was knocked to the ground and unconscious.

Seeing this, Vice Captain Nanao Ise, standing behind Kyōraku, adjusted her glasses and began preparing to pass the message to the Executive Militia. However, before she could finish constructing the Kidō, she was interrupted by Shunsui Kyōraku, who was standing to the side.

"Captain?" Nanao frowned in confusion.

Shunsui Kyōraku dusted himself off and then said to the empty alleyway beside him, "Yo~ long time no see, sister-in-law."

"Captain, what are you saying? Besides the two of us, where else is there..." Before Nanao could finish speaking, a black cat emerged from a corner that Nanao hadn't noticed.

With a puff of smoke, the black cat transformed into a beautiful woman with purple hair and wheat-colored skin, much to Nanao's astonishment.

"Long time no see, Captain Kyōraku."

Shunsui Kyōraku pulled down his straw hat and pointed at Ichigo and the others on the ground, saying, "Sister-in-law, I rarely get involved in these troublesome matters, but if you think you can rely on these kids to save people, I'm afraid it's a bit too much."

Hearing this, Yoruichi looked at Ichigo and said, "He's not quite there yet, but young people always grow, and besides, we're here for him, aren't we?"

The two then exchanged glances, their faces revealing knowing smiles.

Shunsui Kyōraku didn't say anything more, but silently moved aside to make way for Yoruichi, and then made a "please" gesture.

Seeing this, Yoruichi didn't say much, but simply thanked them and left with the unconscious group.

Watching Yoruichi disappear into the alley, Vice-Captain Nanao asked, "Captain, how are we going to explain this to the Captain-Commander?"

"Hey, Little Nanao, don't be so nervous. We're in charge of logistics; capturing the enemy has nothing to do with us."

"But even so, we still need to report to Captain Shihoin!" Nanao exclaimed anxiously.

Seeing Nanao's anxious look, Shunsui Kyōraku grinned mischievously and said, "That's your job, Little Nanao."

"Huh? My job! But wasn't it you, Captain, who let them go?! You..."

"Oh, oh~ you could just tell Captain Shihoin that the Ryoka was kidnapped by Yoruichi, wouldn't that be enough?" Shunsui Kyōraku said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yoruichi? Could it be that the person just now was...?" It wasn't until this moment that Nanao realized what was happening.

But when Nanao turned around, Shunsui Kyōraku was already walking a distance away with his hands in his pockets, muttering, "It's their business, I can't interfere~ I'd better go drink~"

Nanao Ise was left alone, standing there in a disheveled state. In the end, she had no choice but to take heavy steps and grit her teeth as she walked towards the Second Division.

After an unknown amount of time, when Ichigo and the others woke up, they found themselves soaking in a hot spring.

On the rocks by the shore, Yoruichi was standing next to a white cat, and the two cats were now huddled together, seemingly talking about something.

Chapter 84

"Hey~ Orihime, is this the big white cat you were talking about?" Ichigo called out softly to the awakened group, who then hid behind the rocks on the shore, watching Yoruichi and Xuanxin.

Orihime rubbed her eyes and said, "Yes~ that's the one! Doesn't it look beautiful with all that white fur?"

Everyone nodded in agreement and quietly hid behind the rocks, watching the interaction between the two cats, one black and one white.

At this moment, on a rock some distance from the hot spring, a scene completely opposite to that of the previous night is unfolding. In short, the balance of power has shifted.

A few Yoruichi tried her best to please Xuanxin to cover up her guilty conscience, and today it's Xuanxin's turn to please Yoruichi.

In fact, Xuanxin did not expect that when his designed defense system was fully operational for the first time, the one that was attacked was not Aizen, but his own wife.

So, faced with Yoruichi, who exuded an aura of "I'm really angry right now!", Xuanxin had no choice but to use all his skills to please Yoruichi.

Just as Xuanxin was engrossed in grooming himself, a splashing sound coming from the hot spring interrupted their pleasant moment.

Soon, Ichigo emerged from behind the rock, rubbing his arm, saying as he went, "I told you, don't press down so hard, this rock is slippery!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Orihime and the others emerged from the hot spring like schoolchildren who had made a mistake. Seeing this, Yoruichi pointed to the table next to her with her paw and said, "There are towels and changing rooms over there. Take care of yourselves."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. Soon, the group, having changed their clothes, reappeared before Xuanxin and his companion.

Now that Ichigo had regained his energy, he stepped forward and pointed to the white cat next to Yoruichi, saying, "Yoruichi. Orihime, is this the 'girlfriend' that Orihime saw that night?"

Upon hearing this, the air between the two cats instantly froze.

Xuanxin's licking motion froze in mid-air, his bright eyes darting back and forth between Yoruichi and Ichigo with an expression of disbelief.

Yoruichi, who was lying to the side, immediately turned her head away, not daring to look at Xuanxin's shocked expression, otherwise she was afraid that she would burst out laughing and expose their identities.

Ichigo clearly didn't notice Xuanxin's shocked expression, or perhaps he did notice but didn't take Xuanxin seriously. Instead, he stepped forward and asked, "Hello? Hello? Can you speak? Can you understand what I'm saying?"

Ichigo each word Ichigo spoke, Yoruichi trembled more violently.

Xuanxin gave Ichigo a deep look, then took a few steps forward, elegantly tucked his fluffy tail around his feet, raised his paw, and beckoned to Ichigo, signaling him to lower his Ichigo.

"Huh? Why are you making such a fuss? Just tell me directly! There are no outsiders here."

Ichigo clearly hadn't learned his lesson, or rather, he hadn't expected that the couple's deception methods could be so perfectly synchronized, so he once again lowered his head without any guard.

"Whoosh--"

There were no techniques involved, just pure numbers and pure speed! In everyone's eyes, Xuanxin's claws left afterimages in the air.

"Ahhh! What are you doing?!"