The Howling Dog Chasing the Moon

After Ichigo slashed down several weak Bleach along the way, he gradually realized that the bigger the battle, the more trouble it would attract. So Ichigo learned to advance stealthily. Although the route was not straight, the time spent taking detours was much less than the time spent entangled with enemies.

Following this circuitous route towards the Sokyoku Hill, Ichigo unknowingly arrived at the edge of the area belonging to the 6th Division.

As soon as Ichigo entered the area, he noticed that the surrounding buildings were different from usual, appearing much more magnificent. His intuition told Ichigo this place was definitely troublesome, so without any hesitation, Ichigo turned around and prepared to leave.

It was at this moment that Ichigo encountered a familiar red-haired man again. Considering Renji's fighting strength, Ichigo knew that this was not an opponent he could defeat in a few moves, Ichigo decisively chose to retreat.

However, Renji was no ordinary Bleach. As Vice-Captain, his combat experience was far more acute than that of ordinary Bleach. Having just returned from special training, he sensed Ichigo's presence and used his familiarity with the neighborhood to block Ichigo's escape route.

Renji Abarai belongs to the 6th Division, 6th Division is a noble division. The place Ichigo into was the noble district, which falls under Renji Abarai's jurisdiction. Coincidentally, Ichigo, who was just about to leave, ran into Renji was returning from special training.

"So it was you, the one who seduced Rukia!" Renji's anger flared the moment he saw Ichigo.

"Don't talk nonsense! What do you mean by 'temptation'?!" Ichigo retorted to Renji, his face flushed. "What we did was help each other in the face of life and death, not temptation!"

"I don't care, Rukia is going to face Sōkyoku Execution because of you, and you bear undeniable responsibility!" Renji accused.

"I know, I came to Soul Society to save Rukia!" Ichigo tried his best to explain. He also saw that Renji and Rukia's relationship was unusual; no one else would have said so much for Rukia.

"Save Rukia! Yes, as long as we arrest you, the culprit, Rukia's punishment will definitely be reduced!" Renji drew his Zanpakuto and pointed it at Ichigo Kurosaki. "Die, you orange-headed devil!"

"What orange-haired guy? I have a name, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

For someone as disobedient as Renji, Ichigo decided that he could only teach him a lesson with his sword. The straps on Zangetsu loosened, and Ichigo launched the first attack on Renji.

"The Roar, Zabimaru!"

Zangetsu and Zabimaru, two large swords, were crossed vertically and horizontally. This time, unlike in the World of the Living, Ichigo could no longer suppress Renji.

Renji wore a smug smile. "In these ten days, I've trained to the point where I can fight a squad captain!"

If Tsuna were there and heard Renji say that, he would definitely burst out laughing. Poor Renji had no idea that the difference between captains was as vast as an ocean, and how could he possibly lump them together like that?

"The captain is really impressive."

Ichigo had no concept of Captain-level strength at all. As soon as he obtained the power of Bleach, he grew under various Captain-level training. Ichigo pushed Renji away with all his might, took control of the slashing space, and unleashed a spiritual pressure slash.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

A vertical blue crescent moon hurtled towards Renji. Instead of extending Zabimaru, Renji kept Zabimaru as one, accumulating spiritual pressure on it, and biting at the Zabimaru moon like a python's fangs.

Getsuga Tensho propelled Renji several meters before finally fading away. In that instant, Renji's Zabimaru swung over, mid-range being his preferred fighting range.

"I've already told you, your fighting style is ineffective against me!"

Ichigo was pushed several meters away by the tip of the snake Zabimaru Zabimaru before Renji finally withdrew it. Ichigo hesitated; based on this exchange alone, he should use Bankai to finish off Renji quickly. However, the spiritual pressure unleashed by Bankai as a beacon in the darkness. Even if he defeated Renji, whether he could escape was another matter.

Renji, however, didn't think as much as Ichigo. He put away Zabimaru for only one purpose: to Zanpakuto horizontally, and his spiritual pressure suddenly became violent.

"Bankai!"

A pillar of light enveloped in spiritual pressure illuminated the darkness of Seireitei. As the light faded, Renji Abarai slowly appeared. Renji wore a red vest, which was coiled around by a giant bone snake with bright red fur on its head. The snake's mouth, nearly three meters long, could crush an enemy to pieces.

"Hihio Zabimaru!"

A smug smile appeared on Renji's face. His and Ikkaku Madarame's efforts had not been in vain; he had finally obtained the name of his Bankai 'Zanpakuto. Now he would use this culprit who had caused Rukia so much suffering to consecrate the sword.

"Really, then there's nothing left to hide." Renji's burst of spiritual pressure had already attracted the attention of the Seireitei, so Ichigo decided to deal with Renji, his opponent, in the fastest way possible.

The same spiritual pressure erupted, but unlike Renji's exaggerated Bankai, Ichigo concentrated all his spiritual pressure into his Shinigami Uniform and the black katana. "Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu!"

"That's exactly how it should be!"

Renji swung his bone club, and the giant snake surrounding him immediately charged towards Ichigo, its mouth wide open and its sharp fangs pointed at him.

Before going to the World of the Living, he had never craved power so much. But when he saw a guy with an orange haircut who appeared out of nowhere fighting his captain, whom he had been gazing at from afar, with Bankai, he desperately craved the power of Bankai. He longed to stop being that stray dog gazing at the moon and wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with the moon in the sky.

As Renji moved, Ichigo also made his move, rushing towards Renji at a speed that was almost imperceptible to the naked eye. As for the menacing bone snake, Ichigo simply dodged lightly and continued to advance close to the bone snake's body.

This is the drawback of Renji's Bankai. The giant bone snake looks terrifying, but its Activation is far inferior to that of Zabimaru in his Shikai state. Once he encounters an enemy like Ichigo Kurosaki who excels in speed, Renji will quickly fall into a disadvantageous position.

Seeing that Zabimaru couldn't keep up with Ichigo's speed, Renji became ruthless. He injected red spiritual pressure from the bone club, which was rapidly transmitted through each bone of the giant snake. Renji directly controlled the snake's head to perform a dragon head-turning maneuver. The scarlet spiritual pressure gathered at the snake's head, and a beam of light like Cero shot out from the snake's head.

"Higa Zekkou!"

Renji is ruthless. His first target for this "Looking Back at the Moon" attack was Ichigo Kurosaki, but his second target was himself. Once Ichigo dodged, Renji himself became the target of his own attack.

As expected, Ichigo caught Renji 'Renji attack perfectly, Flash Step to dodge it and leaving Renji completely exposed to Ichigo's attack range.

With just that one move, Ichigo could tell that Renji had just learned Bankai, and that he didn't seem to have fully mastered Bankai ability.

As expected, Renji didn't think about what to do after Ichigo dodged the attack. He just wanted to chase Ichigo and did it subconsciously. Facing his own Higa Zekkou, Renji quickly controlled the nearest few joints of his body to block in front of him.

With a thud, Renji was somewhat disheveled after the bombardment. He realized that he had been tricked by Ichigo. With the help of the Higa Zekkou, he had already retrieved the bone snake back to his side.

Renji's battle instincts came into play. No matter how fast Ichigo was, as long as he kept Zabimaru around him, even Ichigo's superhuman speed posed no threat to him.

However, this puts Renji in a passive defensive position. Once Orochi launches an attack, Ichigo will rush to his side, and Renji can only continuously unleash the Higa Zekkou to launch ranged attacks on Ichigo.

A series of red beams ripped through the Seireitei night sky. The Higa Zekkou completely missed Ichigo after he Bankai; Renji was only wasting his spiritual pressure.

"That's enough. I can see you care about Rukia. I will rescue Rukia!" Ichigo said from his high position in the air.

"What a joke! I'll save Rukia!" Renji shouted angrily. What was the point of his Bankai if he couldn't save Rukia?

A crimson spiritual pressure Renji around Renji, the giant serpent once again opened its ferocious maw towards Ichigo, and the Higa Zekkou was ready again.

Ichigo began to understand why Tsuna always said to beat him into submission before reasoning with him. Renji was currently in a state of near madness and couldn't listen to anything Ichigo said.

"Fine, I'll end it here."

The tip of Tensa Zangetsu cut a line deeper than the night, and Ichigo swung his arm forward with all his might, sending a black crescent moon hurtling towards the crimson cannon fire.

Without any violent impact, the black Getsuga Tensho easily erased the crimson flames from the Seireitei night sky and flew straight towards Renji.

The difference was stark; a pure difference. Renji, who had just learned Bankai and unleashed his ultimate Renji multiple times, was utterly powerless against Ichigo and could only coil up Orochi to meet the impending onslaught.

The black crescent moon engulfed Renji and his Bankai, and its influence spread to two streets in Seireitei, leaving a crescent-shaped mark across the ground.

And Renji? Once again, Renji lay amidst the ruins like a defeated dog. The giant snake coiled around him, without Renji's spiritual pressure, was shattered by Getsuga Tensho, turning into fragments scattered around.

Renji's vision blurred, and Ichigo's figure appeared before him. It was as if Renji had once again seen Ichigo's pity through Ichigo eyes. What a joke! It was one thing when they were in the World of the Living, but now that Ichigo had learned Bankai, he was no weakling!

Ichigo Renji when he saw Renji's lips move slightly, and spiritual pressure was once again injected into the staff in his hand, "Higa Zessou!"

All the bones scattered around Renji were summoned by Renji, floating up with a red spiritual pressure. Each bone had a sharp spike like a fang. Before he knew it, Ichigo had fallen into the center of Renji's trap.

All the sharp fangs stabbed at Ichigo from all directions at once. This was Renji's ultimate move when he was in dire straits, used only when he was fighting desperately against his opponent.

Renji stared intently at Ichigo, and then a scene that filled him with despair unfolded. Ichigo didn't even glance at the incoming fangs; with one hand, he wielded Tensa Zangetsu, transforming into a blur as each strike precisely severed one of the incoming fangs, instantly shattering Renji's last struggle.

It's obvious that Byakuya Kuchiki didn't tell Renji the details of his fight with Ichigo. Otherwise, Renji wouldn't have used Higa Zessou in a last-ditch effort. Ichigo's speed was enough to cut down even the spherical Senbonzakura. Higa Zessou was far inferior to Byakuya's Senbonzakura in both density and strength.

Renji released his grip on the bone club, and the Hihio Zabimaru transformed back into Asauchi and lay beside him. He had lost; he had no other options left and could only let the orange-haired man do as he pleased.

Ichigo didn't finish off Renji, but looked at Renji earnestly and said, "Rukia, I'll save her!"

Watching Ichigo's departing figure, a glimmer of hope appeared in Renji's eyes. If it were him, perhaps he really could do it.

"Save her, please, save Rukia, escape Soul Society, and never come back..." Renji's voice trembled with a hint of tears.

"I will," Ichigo said.

Suddenly, dozens of enormous blades rose up from both sides of the street, blocking Ichigo's path.

"Since when has it become an outsider's place to interfere in the affairs of our Gotei 13?"

A cold voice rang out beside Renji. Byakuya Kuchiki appeared next to Renji, glanced coldly at the Roar stray dog, and spoke to Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Scattered, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."