Are There Any Surprises?

Chizuru noticed Yuko's gaze, flashed her a grin, and greeted her first. "I'll be counting on you again, Teacher Yuko."

Yuko's lips curved slightly. "I should be the one saying that. I'll be counting on you too."

Her gaze paused on Chad. After giving him a slight nod, she headed toward the podium.

There was a subtle power within that boy. If she remembered correctly, it seemed to be called... Fullbring?

Yuko had always had only a half-understanding of the Soul Society's knowledge. She remembered most of what she had seen, but there was even more she had never seen.

If she remembered correctly, Fullbring was caused when a mother was attacked by a Hollow while pregnant and survived. The Hollow's spiritual power would then leave fragments behind in the mother and ultimately be passed on to the child.

"Damn it!" Ichigo lay listlessly on his desk, clutching his head with both hands, his face full of misery. "Karin and Yuzu are still in elementary school!"

Chizuru's mouth twitched. "You're really an awful big brother."

Chad had never seen Ichigo make that expression before and could not help asking, "Is this teacher very strict?"

"She seems like a very nice person."

Chizuru waved her hand. "Don't worry, don't worry. Teacher Yuko is incredibly gentle."

At least, she had never seen Teacher Yuko get fierce with anyone other than Ichigo.

"Ah, yeah." Ichigo lay gloomily on his desk. "She just deliberately targets me."

That was how Ichigo Kurosaki spent his miserable middle school life, all the way until graduation.

On the first day of high school, before leaving the house, Ichigo Kurosaki, dressed in his uniform, asked his mother, "Mom, you don't have any surprises for me today, do you?"

"Mom?" Isshin Kurosaki leaped from the second floor and launched