Sora Inoue's Resolve

The next day, Tsuna's group of three arranged to meet at Orihime Inoue's house again.

"Huh? Arisawa, Sawada, Kurosaki, you're here again? Welcome." Orihime stepped aside to let everyone in, then asked, "Didn't you finish all your homework? What brings you here?"

Tsuna raised the fruit in his hand. "You live alone, so it's more convenient for us to hang out here. Tatsuki and Inoue, wash this fruit first."

"This is far too generous." Orihime took the bag. Fruit was not cheap; this bag must have cost quite a bit.

"Never mind that. Come on, Inoue, take me to the kitchen." Tatsuki linked arms with Orihime affectionately.

This was something Tsuna and the others had discussed beforehand. Tatsuki would first distract Orihime, while he and Ichigo would talk to Sora Inoue.

The two approached the corner where Sora Inoue was crouching. As expected, he was still there, quietly watching Orihime's life.

"Can we talk, Inoue's Brother?" Tsuna asked softly, trying to minimize the chance of Orihime noticing.

"You can see me?" Sora Inoue, who had long accepted that he was dead, asked in surprise.

"Inoue's Brother, you refuse to move on because you're worried about Orihime, aren't you?" Ichigo couldn't help asking.

"You're Orihime's classmates. You should know how I could possibly feel at ease leaving a middle school girl to live by herself." Sora Inoue sighed, his face full of worry.

"But if you don't move on, you'll turn into a monster once the Chains on your chest disappear. When that happens, Inoue will be the one in danger!" Ichigo said according to his understanding.

"A monster?" Since it concerned Orihime's safety, Sora Inoue's expression immediately became urgent. He looked at the Causal Chain on his chest. "This?"

"Tsuna, those Chains still seem pretty long..." Ichigo looked at the chain over a meter long hanging from Sora Inoue's chest. It was obvious it would not disappear completely anytime soon.

Tsuna naturally knew that Sora Inoue would not turn into a Hollow anytime soon. According to the original plot, he would only be devoured by a Hollow and become one after Orihime entered high school. In other words, he had remained in this soul state throughout Orihime's middle school years.

There was something unusual in Tsuna's eyes. Normally, it was completely impossible for a soul to endure in the World of the Living for so long. Yet Sora Inoue had held on through his concern for Orihime, only gradually becoming hollow after she kept praising Ichigo in front of him, until he was devoured by a Hollow.

Could Sora Inoue be different from other souls somehow?

Tsuna used Reishi behind him to examine Sora Inoue and unexpectedly discovered faint spiritual pressure in his spirit body. Perhaps that was the key to how Sora Inoue had endured for so long.

"Tsuna, how is it?" Ichigo asked with concern.

"Inoue's Brother, you have spiritual pressure. That has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that you can remain in the World of the Living for a long time, maybe one or two years. The disadvantage is that your spiritual pressure may attract the attention of Hollows. There's no telling whether, after devouring you, a Hollow might turn its attention to Inoue." Tsuna analyzed.

"Hollows are the monsters you mentioned?" Sora Inoue asked.

"That's right."

"Then what should I do?" Sora Inoue looked deeply troubled. He was indeed worried about his sister, but he did not want her to die at the hands of monsters either.

"Normally, after a soul ascends, it goes to a place called the Soul Society. There, you can live a second life as a soul. Since you already have some spiritual pressure, you only need to choose to become a Bleach. Once Inoue dies naturally, you'll be able to meet her again in the Soul Society." Tsuna offered Sora Inoue a suggestion.

"Wait until Orihime dies naturally? But until then, I still can't stop worrying about Orihime..." Sora Inoue's mood sank.

"Don't worry. Ichigo will take good care of Inoue." Tsuna said, patting Ichigo on the shoulder.

"Hey, Tsuna, why me?" Ichigo protested in a low voice.

"Should I take care of her? Tatsuki would beat me to death." Tsuna calmly stated a fact that Ichigo was powerless to refute.

"But... but..." Ichigo racked his brains for a reason, but that was still somewhat difficult for him.

"You're Ichigo?" Sora Inoue asked excitedly. "Orihime mentions you every day. So you're that person."

When Tsuna and the others had come yesterday, Sora Inoue had assumed they could not see him. All his attention had been on Orihime, and he had not noticed Ichigo's name at all.

"Inoue mentions me?" Ichigo could not understand it. He had not known Orihime for very long, yet she mentioned him every day.

"That's right. Orihime said you were like a ray of sunlight shining into her world. Ever since meeting you, she has smiled much more." Sora Inoue answered very seriously.

"Me? Am I really that amazing?" Ichigo did not know what expression to use for the complicated feelings in his heart.

"Ichigo, you have no idea how attractive your kindness is to people living in darkness," Tsuna said.

"Um, although this is very rude, could I ask you to take good care of Orihime? I'm sorry, I have nothing to give you. I can only offer you my most sincere gratitude." Sora Inoue performed a standard Dogeda to express his thanks to Ichigo.

"Get up. Even if you didn't ask, I would do it."

Ichigo was a little embarrassed and flustered. Tsuna hurriedly stopped his movements; he was making too much noise.

"Inoue's Brother, can you rest easy now?" Tsuna asked.

"I suppose I have no choice, young man. Even if I disagreed, you would find a way to deal with me, wouldn't you?" Sora Inoue asked with a smile.

"Inoue's Brother, you're quite perceptive."

"You need some basic skills to make a living in society." Sora Inoue turned toward Tsuna. "Thank you."

"All right, Tsuna, let's go call Inoue over." Ichigo urged anxiously.

"Let me watch Orihime leave? All right..."

Sora Inoue had not even finished speaking before Ichigo interrupted him. "That's not it! We're letting Inoue see you one last time. That should fulfill her wish, right?"

"See me?" Sora Inoue touched the tears that did not exist on his face and said excitedly in deep satisfaction, "Orihime really didn't misjudge you. Ichigo, Orihime's future is in your hands."

That look from Sora Inoue made Ichigo even more flustered, while Tsuna watched the show from the side with a grin. The way Sora Inoue looked at Ichigo was clearly the way an older brother looked at his future brother-in-law.

"Kurosaki, Sawada, the fruit is ready." At that moment, Orihime emerged carrying the washed fruit.

"Inoue, come here! We've got a surprise!"

Amid Orihime's repeated exclamations of surprise, Ichigo impatiently pulled her in front of Sora Inoue's photograph.

Just as Orihime was completely confused, Ichigo and Tsuna placed their hands on her shoulders at the same time.

After practicing in advance yesterday, Ichigo had already learned to initially draw upon his spiritual pressure. Together with Tsuna, he channeled spiritual pressure into Orihime.

Orihime only felt her vision blur. Her pupils trembled, and tears instantly fell from the corners of her eyes.

"Brother, I missed you so much!" Orihime said through sobs. She could not even hold on to the fruit in her hands, but Tsuna swiftly reached out and caught it.

"Orihime, I'm sorry..."

The Inoue siblings cried as they poured out their feelings. They both knew this might be the last time they saw each other. Tsuna's group did not rush Orihime, merely waiting quietly.

They talked until evening. This meeting was finally coming to an end. Two bags of tissues had already been discarded beside Orihime, filled with her tears.

"Let's stop here, Orihime." Sora Inoue spoke softly, then looked toward the two supplying spiritual pressure. "Thank you, gentlemen, and thank you to the other classmate as well."

"Thank you, Kurosaki..." Orihime thanked them through tears as well. Being able to see her brother one last time had completely cleared away the gloom in her heart.

"Lastly, I'm counting on you, Ichigo." Sora Inoue suddenly singled Ichigo out. Even Orihime, dense as she was, sensed that something was off in his gentle, entrusting tone.

"Brother, what are you talking about?!" Steam practically rose from Orihime's blushing face as she frantically waved her hands in front of herself. She wanted to shut Sora Inoue up, but there was nothing she could do.

"You talk about Ichigo's good points every day. Your brother heard every single word." Sora Inoue gently stated a fact that dealt Orihime a devastating blow.

Orihime was blushing too hard to say anything at all. She even wondered why her awful brother had not disappeared yet.

"Don't worry, Inoue's Brother. We'll invite Inoue to Ichigo's house more often. I'm sure Aunt Masa will be very happy." Tsuna added at the right moment.

"Huh? Mom? Why?" Ichigo's reactions were sometimes slow and sometimes fast.

Upon hearing about Ichigo's mom, Orihime nearly fainted. Fortunately, Tatsuki quickly caught her.

Seeing Orihime like this, Sora Inoue became even more certain of his suspicions. He smiled slightly and said, "Then this is goodbye. Be happy, Orihime."

Sora Inoue floated toward the door. After asking Ichigo and Tatsuki to take care of Orihime, Tsuna followed him out. Sora Inoue was waiting for him outside.

"Can't you ascend directly?" Tsuna asked. He had changed his appearance, now dressed in a suit and idly playing with a Black Blade in his hand.

It was still Sora Inoue. If it had been another soul, Tsuna would not have bothered talking and would have simply performed Konso.

"Regardless, thank you. My wish in life was to watch Orihime grow up. Perhaps that is why I cannot ascend."

Sora Inoue looked at the Chains on his chest. Because he was a spirit, he and Orihime could meet again, but because of those Chains, he had to leave Orihime behind.

"Rest easy. You'll see each other again in a hundred years." As he spoke, Tsuna pressed the sword hilt against Sora Inoue's head.

"A hundred years is too long. Mr. Tsuna, is there any way for me to witness Orihime's growth? I will pay any price!" Sora Inoue asked with a steadfast gaze.

Looking into Sora Inoue's eyes, Tsuna understood that what trapped him was his obsession from life. How could meeting again after a hundred years count as resolving that obsession?

Tsuna carefully recalled Sora Inoue's few appearances. Perhaps there really was a way?

"Even if you become a monster?"

"A Hollow?" Sora Inoue had remembered the name of the monster. "Please, Mr. Tsuna!"

"I understand. But let me be clear first: I'm not confident I can do it," Tsuna said.

"I'm already dead anyway."

If he failed, then he would simply be dead. Looking at the carefree man before him, Tsuna felt the power of obsession for the first time.