Soul Society Attacks

After Ichigo gradually mastered the power of a Bleach, Tsuna enjoyed a rare period of peace. All Hollows were left for Ichigo and Rukia to deal with. With a new direction of his own, Tsuna got a medical record from the Ishida Residence and once again threw himself into secluded training.

This time, Tsuna had no opponent—only himself. However, he had invited two assistants: Kukaku Shiba and Hachigen Ushōda, both masters of Kido. They had come specifically to reinforce the barrier around Tsuna.

After a transmission through Bakudo #77: Tenteikūra, Kukaku Shiba and Hachigen Ushōda acted together, raising a cubic barrier from underground.

This was originally the underground space beneath the Urahara Shop, and Tsuna had buried himself even deeper below it. Now, the day of his emergence had arrived.

"Congratulations on coming out of seclusion, Sawada-sensei." The moment Tsuna stepped out of the barrier, he heard Urahara's sleazy voice.

"What wind blew you here, Shopkeeper? Don't tell me you came all this way just to greet me?" Tsuna did not believe Urahara would make a special trip for that.

Yoruichi immediately cut off Urahara before he could beat around the bush and said to Tsuna, "Kid, people from Soul Society have arrived. The 6th Division. Ichigo and Rukia ran into them just now."

"The 6th Division?" Tsuna closed his eyes and sensed the area. There were indeed two unfamiliar spiritual pressures in Karakura Town. "Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai? Do we need to notify Uncle Isshin?"

"Haha, I'm already here, kid Tsuna." Isshin's voice came from afar, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared before Tsuna. "Hurry up, get moving. Time to watch the show."

Isshin looked entirely like someone eager to watch the drama unfold. Tsuna swept his gaze over Urahara and Yoruichi, and both wore the sly expressions of people waiting to enjoy a good show.

"Doesn't the Shopkeeper have an invisibility cloak? Why not just wear that and go? Did you really have to wait for me?" Tsuna asked.

"How could Kisuke's cloak compare to your Illusion? It's inconvenient to chat in it, too. Byakuya may be a brat, but he's still a captain. A little gadget like that won't fool him." Yoruichi leaped onto Tsuna's head and urged, "You've just come out of seclusion, so hurry up. Don't hold things up."

The instant Yoruichi settled on Tsuna's head, her fur stood on end. Her entire body puffed up in alarm, and she sprang aside in fright before landing on Tsuna's shoulder.

"Kid, what's wrong with you?" Yoruichi's eyes were full of terror.

"What do you mean, what's wrong? Don't you like standing on people's heads, Yoruichi? Here."

As Tsuna spoke, he reached to lift Yoruichi from his shoulder onto his head. Yoruichi immediately used Flash Step to return to Urahara's arms. "Don't even think about it."

Urahara stroked Yoruichi and could still feel the trembling coming from her body. It was an instinctive reaction born of inner fear, the biological instinct she had developed after becoming a cat.

"Tsuna has gained quite a lot from this seclusion." With a little thought, Urahara could guess the reason Yoruichi had reacted this way. Tsuna had become so powerful that even Yoruichi no longer dared to provoke him casually.

"Let's go." Smiling broadly, Tsuna summoned the Trident of Mist. A wave of mist swept over them, and they vanished from where they stood, leaving behind Kukaku Shiba and Hachigen Ushōda under immense pressure.

In the night of Karakura Town, at the entrance to a park, Ichigo stood before Rukia with Zangetsu raised in front of him, confronting two people across from them. Ichigo's physical body had long since fallen in a corner.

Standing opposite Ichigo and the others were two men in Shinigami Uniforms. One had long red hair, black goggles on his head, and all kinds of exaggerated tattoos over his body. The other wore a white captain's haori over his Shinigami Uniform, with ornate accessories in his hair and an air of nobility about him.

They were Renji Abarai and Byakuya Kuchiki, captain of the 6th Division. Their purpose in coming to the World of the Living was to take Rukia back to Soul Society.

"Great, we made it in time." Isshin and the others hid some distance away, watching Ichigo with delight.

"Are you really this comfortable just watching? Once all of Ichigo's people gather, whether those two can return to Soul Society safely will be another question."

Tsuna was not as optimistic as Isshin. Ichigo had a group of rather capable companions around him. If they all attacked together, they might truly be able to take down Byakuya and Renji outright.

"Don't worry, Tsuna. We've waited so long for this chance; we won't let anyone interfere so easily. Miss Tatsuki is in Riruka's dollhouse, while Ishida Uryū and Yasutora Sado are doing their usual training with the Visored." Urahara looked as though everything was going according to plan.

"What about Inoue?" Tsuna asked. Given Orihime Inoue's personality, once she noticed Ichigo's spiritual pressure, she would definitely rush over at once.

"She's sleeping soundly at home," Isshin said.

Tsuna looked suspiciously at Kurosaki Isshin. "Uncle, don't tell me you personally knocked out your own future daughter-in-law?"

"Get lost. Masa was the one who handed her the juice, and the medicine came from the Urahara Shop. It has nothing to do with me," Isshin said righteously.

"Tsuna, wait a moment. There are a few little bugs that need dealing with." Urahara Kisuke spotted the Surveillance Spirit Bugs hidden in every nook and cranny at a glance, confirming even further that Aizen was pulling strings behind the scenes.

"No problem." They were only a few bugs. Tsuna did not even need to swing his Trident; a single glare made the Surveillance Spirit Bugs see exactly what they were meant to see.

Fortunately, everyone was within Tsuna's Illusion. No matter how much noise they made here, Ichigo's side could not detect them.

"Rukia, come back with us now. There's still room for negotiation," Renji shouted anxiously. He and Rukia had been childhood friends, and he had always admired her. His concern was plain to see.

"I absolutely won't allow you to take Rukia back for punishment! Rukia was clearly protecting Karakura Town, yet she has to bear criminal charges? What kind of joke is that?!" Ichigo roared. He already knew why Renji and Byakuya had come.

"Stop, Ichigo. From the moment I gave you my Bleach powers, I knew this day would come. Bleach cannot pass their powers to humans. That is Soul Society's law. Let me return with them and accept judgment." Rukia calmly stepped out from behind Ichigo. She accepted her fate with a peaceful expression, and she did not want Ichigo to be hurt because of her.

"Did you hear that, idiot? Your obstruction will only make Rukia's crime worse!" Renji said.

"But..." Ichigo looked at Rukia with deep concern. Afraid that she would be treated unfairly, he continued to argue, "No. What if your judgment is unreasonable? I'm going to Soul Society with you. I'll prove Rukia's innocence myself."

The veins on Renji's forehead throbbed. He was nearly unable to endure it any longer. Because of Ichigo, Rukia had lost her powers. Because of Ichigo, she had to face judgment. And now the culprit wanted to go to Soul Society too?

"What a joke! Do you think Soul Society is somewhere you can go whenever you want?!" Rage surged through Renji as he drew his Zanpakuto, pointed it at Ichigo, and shouted.

"Then I can't let Rukia go with you. She lost her powers because of me. We should bear Soul Society's punishment together!" Ichigo stepped forward and blocked Rukia behind him, making his resolve clear.

Renji could no longer hold back. Every second they delayed made Rukia's crime more serious. Since Rukia would not leave with them, then he would take her by force!

Renji attacked with Flash Step, stepping in and slashing down at Ichigo. Ichigo raised his blade to block, and the two rapidly exchanged strikes. Ichigo's massive sword was not the least bit slower than Renji's katana. Their Zanjutsu was evenly matched as they traded more than a dozen blows at close range.

Renji's expression gradually became hard to maintain. As the Vice-Captain of the 6th Division, he could not quickly defeat a human who had gained Bleach powers only two months ago.

Renji felt his back growing hot. It was where Byakuya Kuchiki, his division captain, had scorched him with that cold gaze.

Renji simply stopped caring. He ran his palm along the blade of his Zanpakuto and shouted, "Roar, Zabimaru!"

Renji's Zanpakuto transformed into a segmented, serpentine blade shaped like a ladder. Its body consisted of six sections, each with a sharp fang-like protrusion, and every section could extend and retract freely, granting it the flexibility of a snake's tail.

Renji swung Zabimaru upward. His spiritual pressure rose after Shikai, and the sudden attack caught Ichigo off guard, sending him flying into the air.

"Now you know how strong I am, idiot!" Renji shouted with a ferocious expression, finally venting some of the anger in his heart.

"Honestly, that idiot Ichigo." Isshin, who was watching from the shadows, spoke with frustrated disappointment. After all the training Ichigo had gone through lately, he should not have been sent flying so easily.

"Idiots have their own way of thinking. Just watch, Uncle." Tsuna trusted Ichigo. Unless the gap in strength was too great, Ichigo rarely did anything foolish in battle.

Ichigo easily flipped over in midair and stood suspended in the air, looking completely unharmed. He raised Zangetsu at Renji and said arrogantly, "Come up here and fight. Don't wreck the buildings!"

With his temper, Renji could never tolerate such provocation from Ichigo. Without another word, he extended Zabimaru and whipped it toward Ichigo while using Flash Step to charge after him.

"See, Uncle? Ichigo has a plan," Tsuna said to Isshin.

"You understand him better than I do, kid. Huh, Byakuya's moving," Isshin said.

Ignoring the battle overhead, Byakuya walked straight toward Rukia Kuchiki. Beneath his cold gaze was a trace of tenderness that was almost impossible to notice.

"Come back, Rukia," Byakuya said calmly.

"Brother, since Ichigo has made up his mind, he won't let me leave so easily," Rukia said.

"Him? A Bleach who only just gained his powers?" Byakuya did not believe Ichigo could stop him. Ichigo might not even be able to defeat Renji. "Let's go. We're returning."

Just as Byakuya turned around, a gust from a sword strike landed before him. It had no power and merely stirred up a little dust, but it had been casually swung out by Ichigo during his battle with Renji. It proved that Renji was putting no pressure on Ichigo at all.

Byakuya looked up with an icy gaze so terrifying that Renji's hair stood on end. Renji hurriedly swung Zabimaru like a lasso and said, "Captain, I'll finish this right away!"