Guiding Ichigo Kurosaki

Steam rose gently from the hot spring under the moonlight, Renji Abarai's sleeping face appeared peaceful in the misty vapor. Liu Hao covered him with a thin blanket and turned to signal Momo Hinamori to follow.

The two traversed the ruins of the Training Base and arrived at the Training Ground on the other side. Even before they got close, the sounds of intense collisions were already clearly audible.

In the center of the arena, the orange-haired boy Ichigo Kurosaki, was fighting a man dressed in black wielding a giant Zanpakuto —his Zanpakuto's materialized form, Zangetsu. The intensity of the battle far surpassed the duel between Renji Abarai and Zabimaru.

Each swing of Zangetsu carried a heavy, oppressive force; the massive blade tore through the air, leaving numerous wounds on Ichigo Kurosaki's body. Despite being constantly injured, Ichigo Kurosaki never fell, rising again and again to retaliate.

However, Momo Hinamori keenly noticed a certain incoordination in Ichigo Kurosaki's movements—his attacks were not decisive enough, and his defense relied too much on Zangetsu's attack rhythm, as if he was hoping that his opponent would give him a specific opening.

"If he continues like this, he'll probably be killed by his own Zanpakuto before he even finishes training for Bankai!" Momo Hinamori couldn't help but say.

Liu Hao gazed at the battlefield, his voice calm. "There's no other way; this is something he has to go through. At first, he only cared about himself and never considered the Zanpakuto's thoughts; later, he became dependent on the Zanpakuto, always expecting Zanpakuto to help him. How could he possibly gain the Zanpakuto's approval with this kind of mentality?"

"What kind of mindset is needed to reach the level of Bankai?" Momo Hinamori asked curiously.

Moonlight streamed through the broken roof, casting dappled shadows on Liu Hao's face. He remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke:

"Zanpakuto is an extension of the user's soul; its primary purpose is to protect the user. As the master of the Zanpakuto, the user must not only understand the Zanpakuto but also be in harmony with Zanpakuto will."

He paused, his gaze never leaving Ichigo Kurosaki: "In battle, you should treat your Zanpakuto as your partner, but you can't rely on Zanpakuto too much. After all, Zanpakuto is merely an extension of the user's soul, a power derived from the user's own. Since it's your own power, you naturally need to control it yourself."

"That's why," Liu Hao turned to look at Momo Hinamori, "Bankai requires the Zanpakuto to yield and reveal its true name. That's not conquest, but recognition— the Zanpakuto recognizes that you have enough willpower and strength to bear its entirety."

Momo Hinamori thought to herself, "These conditions... are really hard to control."

"Yes," Liu Hao sighed softly, "If you don't master it, you'll ignore the Zanpakuto's intentions; or you'll become overly reliant on the Zanpakuto and lose faith in your own power."

His gaze returned to the battlefield. At that moment, Ichigo Kurosaki was once again Zangetsu, crashing heavily to the ground. But almost the instant he landed, he flipped himself up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes burning with an unyielding flame.

"At first, Ichigo Kurosaki couldn't understand Zanpakuto, and couldn't achieve a true connection with it; now, he relies on Zanpakuto too much." Liu Hao's voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself, "So Zangetsu's test for him is to make him shatter those dependencies with his own hands and prove himself through his own strength."

After saying that, he strode towards the center of the battlefield.

"What are you going to do?!" Momo Hinamori asked in surprise.

"Go add some fuel to the fire." Liu Hao said without turning his head. "With his current level of training, he won't be able to achieve Bankai before tomorrow's execution."

Zangetsu noticed Liu Hao's arrival and stopped attacking. Ichigo Kurosaki followed Zangetsu's gaze, a hint of confusion appearing on his tired face.

"Liu Shu, what's wrong?" he asked breathlessly.

Liu Hao stopped a few steps away from him, the moonlight illuminating his serious face.

"If you continue like this, you'll never achieve Bankai."

Ichigo Kurosaki was stunned. After a few seconds, he asked urgently, "Then how can I achieve that?!"

"Although your strength has made a qualitative leap under Zangetsu's training," Liu Hao's voice was calm yet extremely penetrating, "Yet your Reiatsu and your mind haven't grown. You think that with Zangetsu's training, you'll definitely be able to achieve Bankai —but I regret to inform you that with that mindset, it's impossible for you to achieve Bankai."

"Why?" Ichigo Kurosaki's voice was filled with confusion and anxiety. "Was my training method wrong?!"

Liu Hao took a step forward, his gaze as sharp as a knife, staring directly into Ichigo Kurosaki's eyes:

"It's not that your method is wrong, it's that your mindset is wrong."

He raised his hand, pointing to the Zanpakuto in Ichigo Kurosaki's hand. "Zangetsu is an extension of your soul. Its purpose is first to ensure your safety, and secondly to do its utmost to prevent you from experiencing sorrow. But it is not something you can rely on. The only thing you can rely on is yourself—to control your own power, and thereby conquer and master it."

Ichigo Kurosaki frowned. "But if I don't believe in Zangetsu, how can I understand Zangetsu? Isn't that a contradiction?!"

"I told you, Zangetsu is an extension of your soul." Liu Hao's voice became even sterner. "You don't even believe in yourself, so how can you believe in it? Besides, believing in it and relying on it are two completely different things."

He stepped forward, extended his finger, and touched Ichigo Kurosaki's chest—not a physical touch, but a kind of spiritual guidance.

"Trust it, fight alongside it, but don't depend on it. Give it all your power and let it use it as it sees fit," Liu Hao said, emphasizing each word. "Remember, this is your battle, and it is your partner. It can cooperate with you in battle, but it shouldn't dominate the fight. Understand?"

Ichigo Kurosaki fell silent. He looked down at the Zanpakuto in his hand, its blade reflecting his tired and confused face. After a long while, he finally answered softly, "Uh... I understand, Liu Shu."

Liu Hao withdrew his hand and took a step back. His expression remained serious, but a barely perceptible hint of anticipation flashed in his eyes.

"I've come to inform you of something." His voice regained its calm. "Rukia's sentence has been changed—tomorrow at noon."

Ichigo Kurosaki's body jolted violently.

"Renji has finished his training. After he rests, he will head to rescue Rukia. I also need to prepare." Liu Hao's gaze swept over Ichigo Kurosaki's wounds, and his voice suddenly carried a hint of disappointment. "And you, you still don't even know what to do. You're truly disappointing."

He turned around and started walking out. His footsteps echoed softly in the empty Training Ground.

He spoke softly as he walked, but his voice was clearly audible to everyone:

"Perhaps we shouldn't have been so naive as to think you could help us. After all, you don't even know how to face your own power."

These words were like a needle, piercing the deepest part of Ichigo Kurosaki's heart.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

Then--

Boom!!

A violent Reiatsu erupted like a volcano. Centered on Ichigo Kurosaki, the ground cracked instantly, and rubble rose upwards. His already battered Zanpakuto shattered completely under the impact of this force, turning into countless fragments that scattered in all directions.

But in his hand, a brand new Zanpakuto quickly materialized—not a physical form, but a temporary blade made purely of Reishi.

Ichigo Kurosaki raised his head, his usually vibrant eyes now burning with a resolute light. He looked at Liu Hao's retreating figure, his voice soft yet exceptionally firm:

"I can definitely do it."

Then, he turned to Zangetsu.

"Uncle Zangetsu, come on." He gripped the Reishi blade tightly. "We don't have time to waste."

A barely perceptible smile curved the corners of Zangetsu's lips. It didn't speak, but simply raised its hand, and an ordinary Zanpakuto from the edge of the Training Ground flew into its grasp.

The next moment, its figure began to blur and split. One, two, three... Dozens of Zangetsu appeared simultaneously in the Training Ground, each wielding Zanpakuto, each with equally sharp eyes.

"From now on, Ichigo, I won't hold back anymore." All the Zangetsu spoke at the same time, their voices echoing in the Training Ground like a chorus of harmonies.

"Come on!" Ichigo Kurosaki roared, charging into the forest formed by Zangetsu clones.

Liu Hao returned to Momo Hinamori's side without glancing back at the battle behind him. But Momo Hinamori noticed that the corners of his mouth turned up slightly for a moment.

"Is he... alright?" Momo Hinamori asked worriedly.

"Trust him," Liu Hao said calmly. "It's possible."

"Okay." Momo Hinamori nodded.

Liu Hao turned to her, his expression turning serious. "Next, I will use my abilities to hide us. Whatever you see, don't make a sound. In the end, I will give you an explanation."

Seeing Liu Hao's serious expression, Momo Hinamori took a deep breath. "Okay."

Liu Hao raised his hand, his fingertips tracing complex paths in the air. Pale blue light flowed from his fingertips, enveloping the two like Water Curtain. As the light shifted, their figures gradually became transparent, eventually disappearing completely into the air—not invisibility, but some higher level of concealment, even the presence of Reiatsu was perfectly erased.

The two left the Training Base and infiltrated the Seireitei again. The night was still deep, but a hint of dawn was breaking in the eastern sky—dawn was approaching.

They moved silently near the Tenth Division barracks, like two ghosts that did not exist in this time and space. Liu Hao seemed to know every corner of the Seireitei like the back of his hand, always managing to avoid the patrols and choose the most secluded routes.

Time ticked by. As dawn broke and the streets of Seireitei, the door to the Tenth Division barracks opened.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya emerged, his icy blue hair shimmering in the morning light. Behind him followed Rangiku Matsumoto, her blond hair cascading down her back, her expression serious. The two hurried across the courtyard, seemingly with urgent business to attend to.

"Keep up." Liu Hao's voice rang directly in Momo Hinamori's mind.

They kept their distance, quietly following behind. At the same time, Momo Hinamori noticed that another "self"—the Doll Substitute —also slipped out of the shadows of the Tenth Division barracks, clumsily but resolutely following behind Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto.

The four—or rather, the five—walked through the Seireitei, heading towards some unknown destination.

At the same time, in the hot springs at the Training Base.

Renji Abarai opened his eyes. The healing effect of the hot spring was amazing; a night's rest had mostly healed his wounds, and his depleted Reiatsu had recovered to about 70-80%.

He rose from the hot spring, the rising steam shimmering with iridescent light in the morning glow. After changing into his spare Shihakushō, he headed towards the main Training Ground.

Ichigo Kurosaki is still fighting.

But unlike last night, the battlefield now presents a strange balance. Dozens of Zangetsu's clones are gradually decreasing—not being defeated, but actively merging together. And Ichigo Kurosaki, although he has many new injuries, his movements are becoming more and more fluid, more and more... confident.

He didn't rely on Zangetsu's attack rhythm, nor did he try to predict his opponent's next move. He simply fought, purely fought, as if Zangetsu was no longer an opponent to be conquered, but a partner who honed his blade alongside him.

Renji Abarai turned and walked towards the entrance of the Training Ground. There, Yoruichi Shihōin in her Black Cat form was quietly watching him.

"Are we about to set off?" Yoruichi's voice rang directly in his mind.

Renji Abarai nodded, his hand resting on the Zabimaru at his waist. "Time is running out."

He glanced at Ichigo Kurosaki last time, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Yoruichi- senpai, Ichigo Kurosaki... will he be able to achieve Bankai before his execution?"

Yoruichi Shihōin did not answer immediately. She leaped onto the broken wall beside her, her golden cat eyes fixed on the battlefield. After a long while, she slowly spoke:

"Yes, he can. Kisuke, Liu Hao, and I all believe he has the ability."

"Why are you so sure?" Renji Abarai, puzzled. "Training for Bankai takes even geniuses months or years. And he only has... less than half a day left."

Yoruichi Shihōin turned her head, and a smile seemed to appear on her cat-like face.

"Renji, do you remember when you first stood up and learned to walk?"

Renji Abarai moment, then shook his head. "Who would remember something like that!"

"If you can't remember, it proves you haven't realized it." Yoruichi's voice was soft. "For example, birds are born knowing how to fly, and fish are born knowing how to swim. From the moment they are born, they know what abilities they will acquire—that's instinct."

Her gaze returned to Ichigo Kurosaki: "And that's the kind of person Ichigo is. He was born knowing he possessed that power, so he would acquire it without hesitation. That's why we firmly believe he was able to achieve Bankai in such a short time."

Renji Abarai fell silent. He looked at the orange-haired boy on the battlefield, who fell and rose again and again, and at the inextinguishable flame in his eyes. Suddenly, he understood Yoruichi's meaning.

That wasn't blind confidence, but rather an insight into something fundamental.

"I understand," he said finally, turning to face the exit of the Training Ground. "Then, I'll go first. The Sōkyoku region can't be left unattended."

"Watch out." Yoruichi's voice came.

Renji Abarai didn't turn around; he simply waved and disappeared into the morning light.

On the Training Ground, only one of Zangetsu's clones remained. Ichigo Kurosaki stood facing it, both covered in wounds, but their eyes were equally determined.

"Almost there, Ichigo," Zangetsu said, his voice tinged with approval, "But there's one last step."

"I know." Ichigo Kurosaki gasped for breath, but a smile appeared on his face. "Come on, Uncle Zangetsu. Let me see... everything about you."

Zangetsu smiled as well. It raised the enormous blade in its hand, and the blade began to glow—not by reflecting sunlight, but by a deep, dark light emanating from within, as profound as the night sky.

"As you wish."

The final battle has begun.

On a street in Seireitei, Liu Hao and Momo Hinamori continued to follow Tōshirō Hitsugaya silently. Dawn had fully arrived, and sunlight filled the streets, but a thicker fog shrouded Momo Hinamori's heart.

She had no idea what she was about to see, no idea what the "truth" Liu Hao was talking about was, and no idea what was hidden behind Captain Aizen's death.

But she knew that everything would be revealed when the sun reached its highest point in the sky.

Before that, all she had to do was wait, observe, and remain silent—and then make her own choice.