Heading to the Visored Headquarters

A night breeze swept across the ruins of Karakura Town, stirring up fine dust. Ichigo Kurosaki stood rooted to the spot, gazing in the direction Grimmjow had vanished, his eyes filled with resentment and defeat. The battle was over—no, it was abruptly halted. Being forcibly stopped at the very moment when victory was about to be decided was a feeling even harder to accept than defeat itself.

"Liu Shu..." Ichigo Kurosaki turned his head, his voice filled with confusion.

Liu Hao patted him on the shoulder, his tone calm. "Alright, the enemy has retreated, we should head back too. Let's talk about it when we get back."

Renji Abarai glanced around, then at his still-healing wounds, and nodded. "I'll head back to Urahara Shop now. See you tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll go back with them." Rukia Kuchiki said, walking over to Ichigo Kurosaki and looking at him with concern.

Ichigo Kurosaki didn't say anything more, but silently followed behind Liu Hao and Rukia, walking towards the Kurosaki Clinic. His steps were heavy, his shoulders were slightly slumped, and his whole being was shrouded in a low-pressure atmosphere.

When they returned to Kurosaki Clinic, it was already dawn. The first rays of morning light streamed through the windows into the living room, illuminating the dust motes in the air. Isshin Kurosaki had already prepared hot tea. Seeing the three of them return, he simply nodded without asking any questions—he could tell the outcome of the battle from his son's expression.

Rukia said goodnight to Isshin Kurosaki and went to her room to rest. Only Liu Hao and Ichigo Kurosaki remained in the living room.

Ichigo Kurosaki sat on the sofa, his hands clenched tightly, his knuckles white from the force. He lowered his head, staring at the wood grain on the floor, and after a long while, finally spoke, "Liu Shu, I..."

"I know what you're trying to say," Liu Hao interrupted him, his tone gentle but direct. "You're trying to say that the Getsuga Tenshō you used back then was imitating that thing inside you. So when you used it, it came out again to erode your will, right?"

Ichigo Kurosaki looked up, surprised, at Liu Hao, and nodded.

Liu Hao sat down in the chair opposite him, picked up his teacup, and gently blew on it to cool it down. "Have you ever thought about why he didn't immobilize you like he did before?"

This question stunned Ichigo Kurosaki. He carefully recalled the battle just now—indeed, when he used Getsuga Tenshō, the Hollow within him did not forcibly seize control as before, but only affected his will, making him feel uneasy and fearful.

"Why?" Ichigo Kurosaki asked, puzzled.

"Because he's protecting you in his own way," Liu Hao put down his teacup, his gaze turning serious. "When he encounters someone who isn't instantly fatal, he'll cause trouble, trying to make you accept his power. But when faced with a truly deadly danger—like the moment Grimmjow was about to release his Resurrección just now—he tacitly allows you to use his power."

Ichigo Kurosaki frowned, clearly not fully understanding the explanation. "But I did feel at the time that if I used it more often, it would definitely come out."

"Did he tell you he was coming out?" Liu Hao countered.

"Uh..." Ichigo Kurosaki opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. Indeed, the voice had never explicitly said "I'm coming out," but had only been tempting and whispering, trying to influence his decision.

Liu Hao continued, his voice becoming low and serious. "He is actually your Zanpakuto, Ichigo."

These words struck Ichigo Kurosaki like a thunderbolt. His eyes widened, and he almost jumped off the sofa. "What?!"

"Let me finish," Liu Hao raised his hand to signal him to calm down, "Before you were born, your mother Masaki, was attacked by a Hollow. The Hollow's power remained within her. After you were born, that power was inherited by you and fused with your Soul Reaper Powers."

He paused, allowing Ichigo Kurosaki to process the information. "When you awakened your Soul Reaper Powers, he naturally awakened as well. However, because he fused with the power of a Hollow, the way he guided you in using your Zanpakuto... might have been a bit flawed. Just like you thought you understood him, but in reality, you never truly understood him."

Ichigo Kurosaki's breathing became rapid. This explanation was completely contrary to what he had always believed, but for some reason, something deep inside him told him—this might be the truth.

"No, that's not right," Ichigo Kurosaki shook his head, trying to refute, "Liu Shu, it's not like that. My Zanpakuto originally belonged to Uncle Zangetsu, but later he somehow took over the power center. And his appearance also caused my Hollowfication state later—he appeared when I fought Byakuya Kuchiki!"

His voice was urgent, as if he were defending some important belief.

Liu Hao looked at him, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes, but his tone remained calm. "Silly child, you believe that your so-called Uncle Zangetsu is your Zanpakuto, right?"

"That's right!" Ichigo Kurosaki said confidently, "Back then I—"

"Back when you fought Kenpachi Zaraki, he took you into your Inner World and had a fight with the guy in your current Inner World, teaching you how to treat Zanpakuto," Liu Hao continued, each word crystal clear. "Have you ever thought about why it was him you fought, and not that Uncle Zangetsu?!"

Ichigo Kurosaki was stunned.

This is a question... he had never thought about.

Liu Hao pressed on, his tone carrying a certain compelling force. "Only Zangetsu can tell you how to treat him in order to gain his support. Just like how I'm talking to you now—how could anyone else know what I want to say to you?"

Silence fell over the living room. The morning light grew brighter, but Ichigo Kurosaki's heart sank into deeper darkness. A terrible, subversive possibility surfaced in his mind, one he dared not contemplate.

"Then... then..." His voice trembled, "Who is Uncle Zangetsu?"

Liu Hao's answer was simple and direct, "That's another power within you."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the city gradually awakening. "Remember what I said—that Hollow power has merged with your Soul Reaper Powers. So the real Zangetsu is that guy you despise, that you fear, that you want to destroy."

He turned around and looked at Ichigo Kurosaki's pale face. "Precisely because he is Zangetsu, the more you rely on 'Zangetsu's power,' the easier it is for him to occupy the center of your power, replacing what you call Uncle Zangetsu, and appearing in your Inner World. You rely on Zangetsu, yet you reject him, never trying to understand or acknowledge him, yet you want to use him—so, in this situation between comrades, what do you think he would do?"

This question was like a key, unlocking the deepest confusion in Ichigo Kurosaki's heart.

Those whispers during battle, those awakenings in dangerous moments, those temptations that tried to influence his decisions... all of this makes sense if viewed from the perspective of "a partner being misunderstood and rejected."

Ichigo Kurosaki lowered his head, covering his face with his hands. After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice filled with self-doubt. "Liu Shu... am I a complete failure? I don't even know who my true Zanpakuto is..."

"No," Liu Hao walked to his side and patted him on the shoulder, "You were just misled by appearances. But it's okay, it's not too late to realize it now."

He paused, his tone hardening, "Let's go to the Visored's base. There, we'll rediscover your Zanpakuto and that power that has always been disguised as 'Zangetsu'."

In the early morning in Karakura Town, pedestrians began to move about the streets. Office workers hurried to the station, students carried their schoolbags to school, and shops gradually opened for business. After a night of fighting, the city still maintained a superficial calm.

Liu Hao and Ichigo Kurosaki crossed the streets and headed towards the edge of the city. Finally, they stopped in front of a dilapidated Warehouse.

The Warehouse looked like it had been abandoned for a long time; the corrugated iron walls were covered in rust, most of the windows were broken, and the door was ajar, the hinges making a harsh scraping sound. There were no other buildings around, only a barren open space overgrown with weeds.

"Are they in here?" Ichigo Kurosaki asked skeptically. This place really didn't look like a habitable place.

"Yes," Liu Hao nodded, "They deliberately increased their Reiatsu so that you could find them—didn't you even notice?"

Ichigo Kurosaki scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. "Mainly because I didn't experience it myself..."

This is not an excuse, but a fact. Recently, his attention has been completely preoccupied with the void within his body, and his perception of the outside world has become dulled. Moreover, the members of the Visored control their Reiatsu very well; even when they release it intentionally, they keep it at a level that ordinary people cannot detect, but those with keen spiritual senses can perceive.

Liu Hao shook his head and pushed open the slightly ajar Warehouse door.

Squeak--

The door hinges creaked as it opened inward. To Ichigo Kurosaki's surprise, the interior of the Warehouse was completely different from the exterior—not the dilapidated scene he had imagined, but a spacious, clean, and well-equipped Training Ground.

Lighting fixtures hung from the high ceiling, illuminating the entire space. The floor was paved with a special material capable of withstanding strong impacts. Various training facilities were installed on the walls, and some complex-looking instruments were piled up in the corners.

The most eye-catching figures were the few people standing in the center of the field.

Shinji Hirako, with long blonde hair and bangs covering half her face; Hiyori Sarugaki, with short hair, wearing a high school uniform, and a disgruntled expression; Lisa Yadōmaru, wearing glasses, looking quiet and intellectual; Kensei Muguruma, with a serious expression, wearing a leather jacket; Love Aikawa Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, with flowing long hair and an elegant demeanor; Mashiro Kuna, who looks like a little girl, but whose eyes reveal a maturity that doesn't match her appearance; Hachigen Ushōda, a large man who is always smiling.

The Visored is all present.

Upon seeing Liu Hao and Ichigo Kurosaki enter together, everyone's expressions subtly changed. Shinji Hirako's eyes narrowed slightly, Hiyori Sarugaki immediately revealed her displeasure.

"Oh, you've finally arrived." Shinji Hirako spoke first, his tone relaxed, but his eyes held a hint of wariness.

Liu Hao smiled and looked around, "Yes, you don't really need to deliberately increase your Reiatsu. After all, I found your location as soon as you showed up last time."

These words made the expressions of the group even more wary. Hachigen Ushōda and Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi exchanged a glance, Lisa Yadōmaru adjusted her glasses, and Kensei Muguruma's hand unconsciously rested on the hilt of his sword.

Hiyori Sarugaki the most direct. She stepped forward, hands on her hips, a look of disdain on her face. "We're waiting for Ichigo Kurosaki, not some nobody like you who just popped out of nowhere."

The hostility in this statement is undisguised. The Visoreds harbor a deep-seated distrust of the people of Soul Society —especially those who once served in the Gotei 13. Aizen's betrayal made them wary of all Soul Reaper, and although Liu Hao was framed by Aizen, he had returned to Soul Society and attended the Captains’ Meeting, which the Visoreds viewed as a betrayal.

Shinji Hirako immediately stepped in to smooth things over, but his tone was also tentative. "Oh dear, don't say that, Mr. Liu Hao Hiyori, you must have come here for something, right?"

"The main reason is that Ichigo's situation is a bit different from yours," Liu Hao stated his purpose directly, ignoring Hiyori Sarugaki's provocation, "So I came along to lend a hand."

"Oh?" Shinji Hirako's interest was piqued. "What's different?"

Liu Hao didn't answer immediately, but looked at Ichigo Kurosaki. Ichigo Kurosaki felt everyone's gaze and looked away uncomfortably.

"The Zanpakuto he's using now is the Hollow within him," Liu Hao said slowly, each word crystal clear, "And you were all forcibly injected with the souls of Hollows. You can defeat the Hollows within you, you can subdue that power just as you subdue the Zanpakuto."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious. "But he can't just subdue that power; he needs to acknowledge it, and in return, make that power acknowledge him. Otherwise, his true Zanpakuto will never awaken."

These words silenced the Visored members. They exchanged glances, seemingly assessing the veracity of the statement. As those who had personally experienced Hollowfication, they knew best the nature of Hollowfication power. If Ichigo Kurosaki's situation was truly as Liu Hao described, then the training methods definitely needed adjustment.

Shinji Hirako pondered for a moment, then asked, "What does he need to do?"

"We need a place to train now," Liu Hao said, his gaze sweeping across the entire Training Ground. "I know you have one."

These words caused Hiyori Sarugaki to erupt again. She took a few steps forward, almost touching Liu Hao, her voice sharp and full of sarcasm:

"Why should whatever you say be the law?! You, a former traitor to Soul Society, just because Aizen's Plan was exposed and Soul Society beckoned, you slunk back to being a dog!"

These words were extremely harsh, but the other members of the Visored did not stop them—because they all shared the same thoughts to varying degrees. Aizen's betrayal had made them distrust everyone, especially those connected to Soul Society.

Liu Hao's smile slowly faded. He wasn't angry, but his eyes sharpened. He looked at Hiyori Sarugaki, remained silent for a few seconds, and then spoke slowly, his tone calm but each word as sharp as a blade:

"Hiyori- senpai, when you escaped Soul Society, I wasn't even born Soul Society yet. But so many years have passed, why are you still so small—are you a legendary Dwarf?"

This statement is like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.

Hiyori Sarugaki's expression froze instantly, then twisted in pain. She hated it most when people talked about her height, and Liu Hao not only did it, but did so in the most insulting way.

"What?! You bastard, what are you saying?!" she roared, her voice filled with rage.

Without hesitation or warning, she drew her Zanpakuto. The blade gleamed coldly under the Training Ground lights, and her Reiatsu erupted instantly, carrying a frenzied killing intent.

She charged toward Liu Hao with such speed that she left a blur in the air. The blade aimed straight for Liu Hao's throat, the movement clean and swift, without any unnecessary movements—this was the fighting instinct of a battle-hardened veteran.

The other members of the Visored remained motionless. They watched this scene with varying expressions—some worried, some wary, and some expectant. They wanted to see just how powerful this person who claimed to be helping them truly was.

Ichigo Kurosaki tried to stop him, but it was too late. Hiyori Sarugaki was too fast; he didn't even have time to make a sound.