Ichigo's Swelling

"Who are you? I've never heard the name Tsuna in the Seireitei!" Rukia's face showed wariness. She still maintained a degree of defensiveness toward the suddenly appearing Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"There's plenty more you don't know. Do I have to tell you that there's even a former squad captain among us?" Tsuna said.

Isshin choked on his water and hurried into the bathroom. He had gone through so much trouble to put on that act with Masa—Tsuna better not spill everything at once.

Tsuna had no idea what the Kurosaki couple was hiding. Wouldn't it be better to kick Ichigo back to the Shiba Clan to inherit the family estate? Perhaps Isshin felt guilty about leaving without a word all those years ago.

Since Isshin did not want to reveal himself for the time being, Tsuna simply diverted Rukia's attention. "I know plenty of captains. I'll introduce you sometime."

Captains? Plenty of them? In the World of the Living?

Rukia's mind was nearly overwhelmed. She had never heard of any captains skipping work and running away from the Soul Society.

Though she remained doubtful, Rukia still told them the truth. "It's not that I don't want to use Shikai. I can't. That Zanpakuto isn't my Zanpakuto!"

Tsuna used Flash Step to appear before Ichigo, put on his gloves, and punched Ichigo's soul out of his body.

"Damn it, Tsuna! What are you doing?!" Bleach Ichigo asked, rubbing his head. If it had been someone he did not know, Ichigo would have already slashed at them.

"Strange. Ichigo's spiritual pressure really does come from you." Tsuna circled Ichigo once and confirmed that the faint fluctuations of spiritual pressure around Ichigo belonged to Rukia.

"The spiritual pressure is mine, and that Zanpakuto is made from my spiritual pressure, but it isn't Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia said with certainty. There had been no response when she called out to Sode no Shirayuki. After the Zanpakuto pierced Ichigo's chest, it had absorbed her spiritual pressure along with it. Otherwise, she would not have ended up in such a miserable state.

"Interesting."

If nothing unexpected had happened, then the person behind this incident had used Rukia's spiritual pressure to forge a blade and secretly swapped out her Zanpakuto.

As for why, perhaps it was to inject Rukia's spiritual pressure precisely into someone's creation—Ichigo Kurosaki's body.

"You can't move around easily in your current state. I'll ask the shopkeeper for a Reigai for you to use." Tsuna stood up. His purpose in coming to the Kurosaki Residence had already been accomplished.

"The shopkeeper?"

"The former captain of Squad 12, Urahara Kisuke..."

At the Urahara Shop, Kuchiki Rukia, now wearing a Reigai, respectfully thanked Tsuna and Urahara. "Thank you both for your help. I am deeply grateful."

"Is this really the time to thank us?" Urahara asked with rare seriousness. "Miss Kuchiki, do you know the consequences of giving Bleach powers to a human?"

"Sokyoku Hill? I had no choice at the time." Rukia gently shook her head. She had already accepted the fact that the Seireitei would condemn her. "At the very least, before anyone from the Soul Society comes, I intend to train Ichigo into a qualified Bleach."

Even now, Rukia remained concerned with the duty she had originally been assigned in Karakura Town. She wanted Ichigo Kurosaki, who had absorbed her spiritual pressure, to take over her work.

"Ichigo doesn't lack combat experience. At most, it'll take him two days to get used to Bleach work." Tsuna propped up his chin and asked, "But can a Bleach who doesn't know the true name of his Zanpakuto really be considered a true Bleach?"

At Tsuna's words, Rukia realized something. "Is it because of the obstruction formed by my spiritual pressure?"

"So tomorrow, take Ichigo around and familiarize him with a Bleach's duties. The day after tomorrow, I'll help him find the Bleach power that belongs to him."

Two days later, after school.

Just as before, Rukia enrolled in Ichigo's school as a transfer student. In only one day, she had familiarized Ichigo with Konso work. As for fighting Hollows, Ichigo did not need Rukia to teach him at all. With that enormous Zanpakuto of his, he cut them down one at a time, and the expression on his face gradually grew more arrogant.

"Tsuna, I heard you're going to train me? Better be careful, or I'll cut you down in one slash." Ichigo grinned. Only when facing Tsuna did he show such smug arrogance.

"Heh. If you can land even one slash on me, I'll do whatever you want," Tsuna said disdainfully.

"Fine. Once I hit you, you'll tell me everything about my old man and mom!" Ichigo had still keenly sensed that Isshin and Masa had not told him the whole truth.

"No problem. Gather at the Urahara Shop."

All of Ichigo and Tsuna's classmates with abilities gathered beneath the Urahara Shop. The moment they entered the underground space, Ichigo voluntarily took a punch from Rukia, and his soul emerged from his body, transforming into Bleach form.

With his massive blade slung over his shoulder, Ichigo arrogantly pointed at Tsuna. "Come on, Tsuna. I can finally fight you!"

Ichigo had wanted to fight Tsuna for a long time. In the past, he had always been restrained by the three-attack limit and never made a move against Tsuna. But now it was different. His Zanpakuto had no restrictions on attacking. In Ichigo's imagination, this would be a thrilling, all-out battle.

"Do you have to be this excited?" Ichigo's current strength simply could not interest Tsuna.

"Quit talking and draw your sword!" Ichigo was practically trembling with excitement. "Forget it, take this!"

Ichigo leaped high into the air. Without waiting for Tsuna to prepare, he launched his attack directly. Deep down, Ichigo also believed that he could not defeat Tsuna yet, so he chose to seize the initiative.

Ichigo's great blade swung down with a fierce gust of wind. With a clang, it was blocked by a palm-length dagger.

Beside that dagger, Tsuna held two more identical daggers between his fingers, while a long sword hung at his waist.

Asari Ugetsu's Irregular Four Blades, Tsuna's Rain Flame Fullbring, consisted of one long sword and three short blades. It had been the weapon of the first-generation Vongola Guardian of Rain.

Ichigo's hand trembled. No matter how hard he exerted himself, he could not force the blade down even a fraction further. He had considered the gap between himself and Tsuna before, but was the difference really this great?

"It's not over yet!"

Ichigo retreated a step and used what he had learned over the past two days, wrapping spiritual pressure around his Zanpakuto before attacking Tsuna once more.

The two short blades danced around Tsuna's fingertips. One easily blocked Ichigo's Zanpakuto, while the other reversed direction and knocked Ichigo's Zanpakuto flying.

The instant his blade left his hand, Ichigo used the momentum to flip backward into the air. A black longbow appeared in his hands, and he fired an arrow directly at Tsuna from midair.

After gaining Bleach powers, Ichigo no longer had to be so reluctant to use his Fullbring.

Tsuna raised an eyebrow. Ichigo's battle instincts were indeed rather strong. He had immediately used an attack method Tsuna had not expected, but it was still not enough to trouble him.

A short blade shot into his hand again, its edge covered in blue Rain Flames. Tsuna nimbly dodged Ichigo's attack while catching the arrow shaft with his dagger. As the blade slid across the arrow, Rain Flames covered its entire length, and Ichigo's attack came to a halt beside Tsuna.

Tsuna gave it a light flick, allowing Ichigo's Fullbring arrow to fall aside and explode. When he looked back toward Ichigo, he saw something he had not expected—Ichigo had placed his Zanpakuto against his Fullbring bow!

Ichigo infused the spiritual pressure of his Fullbring arrow into his Zanpakuto, wrapping the blade in that spiritual pressure until it became an incomparably huge arrow.

Their gazes met, and Ichigo released the bowstring, firing his strongest arrow at Tsuna.

"Interesting."

Tsuna threw all three short blades out at once, then drew the long sword at his waist and swept out a stream of Rain Flames. Covered in Rain Flames, the three short blades transformed into several dragon-shaped flames and charged at Ichigo's arrow.

Nine-Headed Dragon: Utsusegawa!

Over the years, Tsuna had long since perfected the techniques Asari Ugetsu had casually created, allowing him to use them freely without any obvious weaknesses.

Nine blue dragon heads bit down on Ichigo's arrow. Under the calming properties of the Rain Flames, that terrifying-looking arrow completely lost its forward momentum and fell to the ground.

It was not even over yet. Beneath the Nine-Headed Dragon's coverage, a faint layer of frost appeared over the Zanpakuto that had fallen to the ground. Before long, Tsuna's Nine-Headed Dragon would completely freeze the blade. If this continued, Ichigo's challenge against Tsuna could only end in failure.

Of course, Ichigo would not accept defeat just like that. With a shout, strength burst from beneath his feet. He immediately seized the hilt of his Zanpakuto and, relying purely on brute force, tore it free.

Ichigo roared as he swung his blade at Tsuna. Unfortunately, Tsuna was Ichigo's friendship and bonds, so Ichigo could not suddenly unleash the power to defeat Tsuna in an instant.

Instead, Tsuna used Flash Step to appear behind Ichigo. He lightly shook the raindrops from his long sword and calmly withdrew his Fullbring.

Standing back-to-back with Tsuna, Ichigo watched his Zanpakuto split in two. A line of blood appeared across his chest, and a huge amount of blood sprayed from his torso.

"Ichigo!"

Seeing Ichigo severely injured, Orihime Inoue could not hold herself back any longer and rushed forward, Soten Kisshun already poised to activate.

Tsuna swept a glance at her, and the figure beside Orihime immediately understood, stepping in front of Orihime Inoue.

"Tatsuki, what are you doing? Ichigo is already hurt!" Orihime cried, trying to circle around Tatsuki. Only when something happened to Ichigo did Orihime Inoue resist so proactively.

"Orihime, don't you understand yet? Tsuna and I have known Ichigo the longest. Whoever hurts Ichigo, we still wouldn't hurt him." Tatsuki turned to look at Ichigo on the ground. "Trust Tsuna, and trust Ichigo too."

Likewise, Uryū quietly shifted his footing and blocked Chad's path. If Chad made the slightest unusual move, he would intervene.

Lying on the ground, Ichigo stared blankly at Tsuna as he crouched before him. Expressionless, Tsuna directly pointed out what Ichigo was thinking.

"Wondering why the gap between us is so huge?"

"Why should borrowed power be stronger than someone else's?"

"Your power is in your heart. Find him, then learn his name!"

With a ding, Ichigo saw Tsuna sever something shaped like a chain.

"I've cut your Chains of Fate. If you don't want to become a Hollow, then find your Zanpakuto."

"Think of Aunt Masa, Uncle Isshin, Yuzu, Karin..."

Accompanied by Tsuna's almost hypnotic voice, Ichigo fell into a deep sleep. In his inner world, the sunlight was brilliant...