Practicing Shifting Gears
"You know where Rukia is?"
Kurosaki Ichigo looked at the Shinigami in front of him, his voice filled with surprise.
Led by this man named Yamada Hanataro, the group had taken the opportunity to flee into the underground sewers and evade the many Shinigami pursuing them.
But after hearing their conversation just now, they'd learned that this timid, soft-spoken Shinigami knew where Rukia was—and was willing to take them there.
"You're not lying, are you? You're not planning to lead us somewhere crawling with Shinigami so they can wipe us all out, are you?" Ganju asked, his face full of disbelief.
It was hard to blame him. Given their current situation, Hanataro's decision amounted to a capital offense. Anyone who wasn't an idiot would refuse to help these Ryoka.
"It's true. This sewer leads straight to the area near the Senzaikyū. I want to save Miss Rukia, too."
Ichigo and Ganju said nothing, both of them looking hesitant. Their situation was dire. According to the kid in front of them, even the Captain-level Shinigami had started taking action.
If they were surrounded and discovered by someone Captain-level, escaping so easily would be all but impossible. After all, there hadn't even been a single lieutenant among the squads pursuing them earlier!
"Then lead the way!" Wu Biao, who hadn't said a word until now, grinned at Hanataro.
"But..." Ganju started to say something else, but Ichigo beside him patted his shoulder and smiled. "All right, Ganju. I think we can trust Hanataro, too."
Ganju secretly rolled his eyes. He thought the two of them trusted people far too easily, but he didn't keep trying to talk them out of it.
"But can you tell us something?" Ichigo looked up at Hanataro and asked, "We're enemies. Why did you decide to help us?"
Ganju's mouth twitched. The guy had just said he trusted Hanataro, and then immediately asked what Ganju had been wondering...
Hanataro's face took on a sorrowful look. After a long pause, he began to explain. "Until recently, I was doing odd jobs in the 6th Division. I often chatted with Miss Rukia then. I've heard about you from her, Big Brother Kurosaki Ichigo!"
The three of them froze. Then Wu Biao eagerly moved closer. "What about me? Do you know who I am? Did that mating partner of Ichigo's ever mention me?"
"..." Yamada Hanataro was speechless for a while. Then, looking at Wu Biao uncertainly, he ventured, "Mr. Battle-crazed Idiot?"
"Pfft...hahaha!" Ichigo burst out laughing. He pointed at Wu Biao. "That's definitely what Rukia said! Hahahaha!"
Thump—
"Wahhh, why'd you hit me?" Hanataro lay on the ground, clutching his head and looking up at Wu Biao with tears streaming down his face.
Wu Biao glared at him. "I don't know. I just felt like hitting you!"
"How could you..."
Ichigo's laughter cut off at once. He looked up at the ceiling of the sewer and sighed contentedly. "The wind sure is noisy today!"
After fooling around for a while, Hanataro got to his feet and told them how he'd met Rukia.
"Miss Rukia was gentler than I'd imagined, and she often told me about things in the outside world—so many interesting stories. They were all kinds of stories, but most of them were about one person!"
As he said this, Hanataro looked up at Kurosaki Ichigo beside him.
Ichigo knew the person she'd been talking about was him. His expression couldn't help but grow dim. If only he'd been stronger back then—strong enough to break through Seireitei's laws.
Perhaps Rukia wouldn't have ended up in this situation.
Hanataro went on to tell Ichigo everything about his time with Rukia. One thing in particular made Ichigo wish he could reach her side immediately.
"Although she'd known Ichigo for less than two months, she found it incredible that he was someone she could completely trust! But even so, because she'd changed his fate, he'd been badly injured. There was nothing she could do to make it up to him."
Ichigo's expression turned cold.
Trust?
I'm so weak. Do I deserve Rukia's trust?
And wasn't this all my fault?
Wu Biao rubbed his gleaming bald head and grumbled unhappily, "That Onion Head barely even mentioned me!" But then he broke into a goofy grin, stood up, and patted Ichigo on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's go save Rukia!"
Wu Biao had a habit of not bothering to remember people's names. He usually just called them whatever nickname he'd come up with. Even when it came to Rukia, he'd always called her things like "Ichigo's mating partner" or "Onion Head."
But if Wu Biao remembered someone's name and called them by it in conversation, that meant...they were his friend!
"Yeah!" Ichigo nodded firmly.
"Mr. Kurosaki, Mr. Ganju, Mr. Battle...uh, Mr. Wu Biao, please follow me. The other divisions won't search the underground sewers. As long as we follow them, we can avoid the patrols from the other divisions and go straight to the area in front of the Senzaikyū."
They traveled in silence. With Hanataro, who regularly cleaned the sewers, leading the way, they walked straight ahead for about half an hour before stopping beneath a sewer exit.
"This is the exit closest to the Senzaikyū!"
Ichigo and Ganju nodded. Wu Biao, however, tilted his head, a thoughtful look on his face.
"What's wrong, Brother Biao?" Ichigo noticed his unusual expression and asked, puzzled.
Wu Biao sniffed, murmuring to himself in confusion, "I feel like I've smelled this scent somewhere before!"
The other two exchanged bewildered glances.
Ichigo froze, then asked, "Brother Biao, are you saying there's someone outside?"
Wu Biao nodded, then clapped his hands and exclaimed happily, "I remember! It's that redhead who showed up with the sissy!" With that, Brother Biao ignored the other two and shot out of the sewer.
The redhead was here. He must know where the sissy was, right?
At the thought, Wu Biao grew excited. After all, that was the man who'd made him taste defeat. He didn't care about anyone else, but that...sissy was someone he had to beat himself!
Ichigo paused at the news, then a strange light flickered in his eyes. He slowly said a name. "Renji Abarai?" Then he rushed after Wu Biao, heading for the exit.
He had a score to settle with Renji Abarai, too. He couldn't just let Brother Biao have that opponent.
Renji and Hanataro looked at each other, both bewildered. Hanataro was not only confused but also a little horrified. "Renji Abarai? Did Big Brother Ichigo mean the lieutenant of the 6th Division?"
"Lieutenant?"
Ganju was startled. Anyone at the rank of lieutenant belonged to a completely different level from other Shinigami. If the Third Seat in each division was a one—not counting exceptions like Madarame Ikkaku—then a lieutenant was a ten.
Their spiritual pressure was on a completely different level!
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