"Let me go?"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya was stunned, never expecting that Retsu Unohana would send him to stop that Ryoka.
"Although that person can contend with the Kikōō, whose power is equivalent to the combined power of millions of Zanpakuto, it's not quite at that level..."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya believed there were more important matters at hand than dealing with the Ryoka... therefore, he somewhat declined the offer to deal with Ichigo Kurosaki...
It wasn't that Tōshirō Hitsugaya was afraid to deal with Ichigo Kurosaki, but rather that in Tōshirō Hitsugaya's eyes, although Ichigo Kurosaki's performance was amazing, it wasn't yet up to him Captain-level, to deal with. He was looking for an opportunity to enter the fray and help Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai deal with the other squad captains. Unfortunately, his compatibility with Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai was extremely poor. At the moment when Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai Shikai...
"Of course, besides you, who else can stop that Ryoka now?"
Retsu Unohana nodded slightly. With several captains rebelling, Captain-Commander Yamamoto tied up, and the other captains Retsu Unohana, Soul Society had little fighting power left besides Tōshirō Hitsugaya. As for Retsu Unohana... she was just a weak woman who wasn't very good at fighting... As for the vice-captains...
"Well..."
Retsu Unohana looked at the squad captains standing behind her, barely supporting her, and sighed helplessly. These vice-captains were completely useless...
"I see."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya, of course, noticed the miserable state of the vice-captains. He sighed helplessly. The fact that these vice-captains could still stand there and not run away in the face of the full power of the captains already proved their courage. As for trying to snipe Ichigo Kurosaki under this high density of Spiritual Pressure, that was a bit too much for these vice-captains to do... And right now, besides these vice-captains, he was the only one who could be considered a combatant. As for Retsu Unohana... In Tōshirō Hitsugaya's mind Retsu Unohana was not considered a combatant at all.
As a rookie captain who hasn't lived in Soul Society for many years, Tōshirō Hitsugaya has no idea how terrifying Retsu Unohana is. In his eyes, Retsu Unohana is just a gentle older Kaidō who specializes in magic but isn't good at fighting, and is kind to everyone. Although this older sister occasionally exudes a dangerous and frightening aura, that alone cannot change the impression Retsu Unohana has in Tōshirō Hitsugaya's mind.
Leave it to me!
After Tōshirō Hitsugaya understood, he nodded slightly and, without further delay, headed straight for Ichigo Kurosaki in the distance.
"Okay! I'll leave it to you, Captain Hitsugaya. Good luck!"
Retsu Unohana waved goodbye to Tōshirō Hitsugaya 'Tōshirō Hitsugaya retreating figure, cheering him on as she waved farewell.
"Please! Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya!"
First Division Vice-Captain, the millennium-old Vice-Captain Chōjirō Sasakibe, gently wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead and bowed slightly in the direction Tōshirō Hitsugaya was heading.
Go, Captain!
Rangiku Matsumoto waved continuously at Tōshirō Hitsugaya's retreating figure, her heaving breasts swaying with her movements.
"Don't worry! Captain Hitsugaya will handle this perfectly."
"Let us, the ones without the fighting ability, quietly watch this battle to the very end!"
Retsu Unohana comforted the vice-captains behind her. Although she also wanted to help Tōshirō Hitsugaya, she truly felt powerless to do so.
"Indeed, we have no choice but to observe quietly now. The level of this battle is completely beyond our reach; it's no longer something we can get involved in."
Chōjirō Sasakibe wholeheartedly agreed with Retsu Unohana's words and secretly gave her a Retsu Unohana up. He couldn't help but think to himself that Retsu Unohana truly deserved to be the first Kenpachi-sama, the first in the Gotei 13 to be hailed as the First Kenpachi Soul Reaper in Soul Society (excluding Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai ). Even her acting skills were top-notch in Soul Society.
"What terrifying Spiritual Pressure!"
After rescuing Rukia Kuchiki, Ichigo Kurosaki didn't choose to retreat immediately. Standing atop the high execution platform, he gazed at the several squad captains engaged in fierce combat in the distance. He felt the passionate clashes between the captains and the constant sweat pouring down their faces. A flicker of desire flashed in his eyes. Ichigo Kurosaki knew this was an instinct hidden within him—a yearning to constantly clash with the strong, to continuously strive for improvement, to relentlessly pursue progress! The most... primal instinct of humankind!
"Sit upright in the frosty heavens, Hyōrinmaru!"
Just as Ichigo Kurosaki was experiencing the passionate clashes of the captains, an ice dragon several meters long rose from the ground, soaring into the sky and charging towards Ichigo Kurosaki on the execution platform.
"Um?"
With his attention completely focused on the battle in the distance, Ichigo Kurosaki and struck squarely by the ice dragon, knocking him off the execution platform and crashing into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"It's over!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya watched with confidence as Ichigo Kurosaki was struck directly by his Hyōrinmaru. Although Ichigo Kurosaki could block the attack of the Kikōō, it was only to the extent that he could block the Kikōō. If it were him, he could do it too, or even better. He could not only block the Kikōō, but also instantly use the principle of the opposite attribute between swords to counterattack and injure the Kikōō. Ichigo Kurosaki, on the other hand, could only block the Kikōō, which meant that the opponent was at most only that level. Caught off guard, he was already finished after being hit directly by Hitsugaya Toshiro's Hyōrinmaru.
"It's over? What are you talking about?"
Just as Tōshirō Hitsugaya was brimming with confidence, a massive crescent-shaped slash emerged from the crater where Ichigo Kurosaki had fallen, heading straight for Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
"What?"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya was caught Ichigo Kurosaki's unexpected strength, which not only left him unharmed but also unable to dodge. He could only Zanpakuto to his chest, intending to withstand Ichigo Kurosaki's attack head-on.
Almost the instant Tōshirō Hitsugaya Tōshirō Hitsugaya his Zanpakuto to his chest, the strike hit him.
"Boom!"
With a deafening roar, Tōshirō Hitsugaya Tōshirō Hitsugaya propelled by Ichigo Kurosaki's slash, sliding dozens of meters down the cliff until his feet plowed two deep furrows into the ground, burying half his legs in the mud before he finally stopped.
"This power?!"
After taking the full force of Ichigo Kurosaki's slash, Tōshirō Hitsugaya's hands trembled slightly. He knew he had been too overconfident; his opponent was no pushover, a Captain-level shinobi who had definitely surpassed the threshold of a Soul Reaper captain. And... for some reason, Tōshirō Hitsugaya sensed a familiarity in Ichigo Kurosaki's slash, as if it had been unleashed by that man himself...
"I'm sorry, it was my carelessness! You are a worthy opponent."
" Ryoka, state your name!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya shook his head, dispelling the familiarity and doubt that lingered in his heart. He looked intently at Ichigo Kurosaki, who emerged from the smoke and dust, looking slightly disheveled but actually unharmed, and began to speak.
"Ha?"
"Who are you, brat? You dare to attack me without warning?"
Ichigo Kurosaki looked closely and realized that the person who had ambushed him was actually a brat who was less than 1.5 meters tall. He immediately felt a surge of anger.
"Kid?!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya, who had been calm, suddenly became enraged after hearing Ichigo Kurosaki address him that way.
"I'm not some brat?!"
"I am... Gotei 13 Hitsugaya, the captain of the Tenth Division of the Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya!"
"Report your name, Ryoka! I do not kill nameless people!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya glared angrily at Ichigo Kurosaki. He hated being called a brat more than anything. Actually, according to his age, he should have grown up long ago, but... his talent was too good, his Spiritual Pressure was just too strong. Converted to human years based on his current Spiritual Pressure, he was indeed only seven or eight years old... but in reality, he was already quite old, at least much older than the human Ryoka before him. In fact, at his age, he could easily be the traveler's grandfather...
"Ha?"
"Is the Soul Society now employing child labor?"
"Aren't there any police officers here?"
"Isn't this illegal?"
Ichigo Kurosaki completely ignored what Tōshirō Hitsugaya had said and continued talking to himself.
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Fine... I'll explain one last time!"
"First of all, I'm not a child. I may look young, but I'm much older than you."
"Secondly, according to your World of the Living way of speaking, I am a police officer!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya is a straightforward person; he won't be happy unless he explains Ichigo Kurosaki.
"I see."
"Ahahaha... I'm so sorry!"
" Rukia did tell me, 'Don't judge a book by its cover.'"
After hearing Tōshirō Hitsugaya's explanation Ichigo Kurosaki finally understood.
"Do you finally understand?"
"In that case, state your name!"
Seeing Tōshirō Hitsugaya Ichigo Kurosaki helplessly and then repeated the question that had been interrupted earlier.
"Me?!"
"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, and I'm a human! Remember that!"
As he spoke, Ichigo Kurosaki Zanpakuto high above his head. Now that he was certain that Tōshirō Hitsugaya was not a child laborer, things were much easier, and he could finally act freely.
" Getsuga Tenshō!"
The next second, a huge blue crescent moon pierced the sky, heading straight for Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
" Getsuga Tenshō?"
"I see."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya watched as Ichigo Kurosaki Zanpakuto high above his head, using that incredibly familiar gesture and uttering the name of that incredibly familiar Ichigo Kurosaki. His eyes reflected the azure light emanating from Ichigo Kurosaki's slash, and he finally understood everything.
If someone still doesn't understand after seeing Ichigo Kurosaki's Ichigo Kurosaki and hearing the name of his attack, then they shouldn't be a squad leader.
However... Tōshirō Hitsugaya isn't the kind of person who would go easy on Ichigo Kurosaki identity...
"So you're Captain Isshin's son?"
"No wonder he possesses such terrifying strength at such a young age."
As Tōshirō Hitsugaya spoke, he swung his Zanpakuto, creating a massive, ferocious ice dragon, and charged towards the ice dragon released by Ichigo Kurosaki.
"Boom!"
With a deafening roar, the slash vanished into thin air, and the ice dragon turned into countless ice shards, which, along with the explosive blast, blew towards Ichigo Kurosaki and Tōshirō Hitsugaya were standing at opposite ends of the sky.
"So the power was indeed affected?"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya sighed helplessly as he looked at the ice shards flying everywhere. Under normal circumstances, that ice dragon would have been more than just a match for Ichigo Kurosaki's Getsuga Tenshō. So... the root cause was the increasingly hot weather.
"I thought I was far enough away from Captain-Commander Yamamoto and the others, but it seems that's not enough... Captain-Commander Yamamoto's strength is truly unfathomable. It seems my training journey has only just begun."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya reflected on the gap between himself and Yamamoto, accepting the fact that he was still very weak.
"However, now that my abilities have been affected, I can't afford to procrastinate any longer."
"Now that things have come to this, I no longer need to abide by the regulations of the Gotei 13..."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya felt the oppressive Spiritual Pressure in the air. He knew how urgent time was; he had to deal with Ichigo Kurosaki as soon as possible. Otherwise, if he continued to drag things out until Captain-Commander Yamamoto fully unleashed his power, he would be in an even more passive position...
" Bankai! Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!"
After figuring it out, Tōshirō Hitsugaya didn't hesitate and immediately completed his Bankai!
In an instant, Tōshirō Hitsugaya's body was encased in ice. Dragon wings sprouted from his back, dragon claws grew from his limbs, and a dragon tail emerged from his back. The Hyōrinmaru in his hand emitted a powerful freezing aura that seemed capable of freezing everything in the world and plunging it back into an ice age. At the same time, three ice crystals used for timing floated above his head...
Because his body is not yet fully developed, Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Bankai is not complete. In the words of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, it has great potential, like a Bankai that is just born.
" Bankai?!"
Ichigo Kurosaki Ichigo's eyes flickered as he looked at Tōshirō Hitsugaya Bankai.
"Since that's the case... then I have no choice but to Bankai!"
Ichigo Kurosaki Zanpakuto level with his chest, aiming it at Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
" Bankai! Tiansuo· Zangetsu!"
The next second, Ichigo Kurosaki was enveloped by Spiritual Pressure that resembled pitch-black flames. His Shihakusho instantly transformed into a stylish trench coat, and his Zanpakuto into a magnificent samurai sword.
"You actually learned Bankai?"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya was slightly taken aback as he looked at Ichigo Kurosaki, who had already mastered Bankai.
Is this difficult?
Hearing the surprised tone in Ichigo Kurosaki Tōshirō Hitsugaya's voice, Kurosaki Ichigo asked.
"It's not a question of whether it's difficult or not... How old are you this year?"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya's eyelids twitched as he listened to Ichigo Kurosaki's words. He, who was known as a genius who was only seen once in a hundred years in Soul Society, had spent decades learning Bankai, while Ichigo Kurosaki, who was born in the World of the Living, seemed to be very disdainful, which made him feel a little unbalanced.
"Fifteen!"
Although Ichigo Kurosaki didn't understand why Tōshirō Hitsugaya asked him his age, he still told him the truth.
"Fifteen?!"
Upon hearing Ichigo Kurosaki's age, Tōshirō Hitsugaya nearly threw away the Hyōrinmaru he was holding...
Given Ichigo Kurosaki's talent, even as Captain Isshin's child, and even with the blood of Five Great Noble Clans flowing through his veins, this is far too early...
How long did it take you to learn Bankai?
Tōshirō Hitsugaya continued asking.
"I learned it naturally in battle in just a few days."
Ichigo Kurosaki scratched the back of his head, because he hadn't actually learned Bankai. He just died once and then he learned it—it was that simple.
"Learned naturally in battle?!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya looked at Ichigo Kurosaki's serious expression and slightly opened his mouth. He knew that Ichigo Kurosaki was not lying and that what he said was indeed the truth. However, it was precisely because he knew that Ichigo Kurosaki was telling the truth that he felt as if his heart had been hit by the Explode.
Indeed, the gap between people is often greater than the gap between a person and a 'paramecium'...
" Ichigo Kurosaki, you..."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya's eyelids twitched slightly, as if he wanted to ask Ichigo Kurosaki something more.
"Boom!"
However, at that moment, a whooshing sound rang in their ears, and a dark shadow ripped through the sky, crashing heavily to the ground and creating a huge crater.
"What happened?"
"Are there other enemies?"
Ichigo Kurosaki and Tōshirō Hitsugaya both went on high alert.
As the dust and smoke in the deep pit dissipated, a half-dead figure emerged from it.
" Renji?!"
Ichigo Kurosaki stared at the ragged, half-dead figure lying in the deep pit, his eyes widening in disbelief. He couldn't understand why Renji Abarai, who was supposed to be escaping with Rukia Kuchiki, was here.
"Run... Ichigo... run!"
Renji Abarai's eyes were lifeless, and he kept repeating the words that told Ichigo to escape.
" Renji, are you alright? Cheer up! And Rukia... where is she?"
Ichigo Kurosaki Shunpo to appear beside Renji Abarai and asked anxiously.
"Is that Renji Abarai, the vice-captain of the Sixth Division? Who beat him up like this?"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya didn't take advantage of the moment when Ichigo Kurosaki helped Renji Abarai out of the pit to make any moves. With the situation becoming increasingly unclear, remaining inactive was the best option.
"Cough cough cough..."
" Ichigo, Rukia's alright, but you need to run! There's... there's a monster coming!"
Renji Abarai was still relatively lucid. After hearing Ichigo Kurosaki's question, he gripped Ichigo Kurosaki's wrist tightly and warned him in a deep voice.
"Monster?!"
Ichigo Kurosaki didn't understand what Renji Abarai was saying; he didn't know what the so-called monster looked like.
"So your name is Ichigo Kurosaki?"
Just as Ichigo Kurosaki's mind was in a state of confusion and he couldn't figure out what was happening, a tall figure suddenly appeared behind him, and at the same time, a hoarse and magnetic male voice entered Ichigo Kurosaki's ears.
"?!"
Kurosaki Ichigo Kurosaki, who had been crouching on the ground anxiously inquiring about Renji Abarai's injuries, suddenly stiffened upon hearing the magnetic male voice behind him, his expression changing drastically! He could sense the faint scent of blood emanating from the being behind him, as well as a terrifying killing intent that gave him the hallucination of seeing mountains of corpses and seas of blood! Ichigo Kurosaki knew that the being behind him was definitely a monster! Without hesitation, he surrendered his body to his instincts and subconsciously slashed backward.
"Pfft~"
With the sound of metal piercing skin, Ichigo Kurosaki saw drops of blood falling from mid-air... and a wild, beast-like man who had caught Zangetsu's blade in his hand with his bare hands.
"So it's you?"
The muscular man, with long, flowing hair, standing two meters tall, a fierce face, and an eyepatch over his right eye, looked at his hand, which was bleeding profusely from the Zangetsu. A slight smile appeared on his lips. He had finally... finally found an opponent worthy of his battle.
At this moment, the strongest battle maniac in Soul Society bursts onto the battlefield!
Thank you to reader koonshun527 for the 100-point reward!
This chapter continues with another 5,000 words~
(End of this chapter)