" Rukia, has your application to go to the World of the Living been approved?!" Ichigo Kurosaki walked up to Rukia Kuchiki and said softly, "Can you go to the World of the Living now?"
After finishing his own business, Ichigo Kurosaki went to find Rukia.
"Who... are you!?" Rukia looked at Ichigo Kurosaki, a hint of confusion flashing across her face.
"Huh!? What are you talking about!? Rukia!" Ichigo Kurosaki looked at Rukia Kuchiki with a "Are you kidding me?" expression after hearing Rukia's words. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki! Ichigo Kurosaki! Have you forgotten about me?"
" Ichigo..." Just as Ichigo Kurosaki was telling Rukia his name, a voice sounded behind him, "Oh! Kūkaku- nee, Rukia's application been approved?"
" Rukia? What application?" Kūkaku Shiba, her clothes covered in ice shards, was taken aback by Ichigo Kurosaki's words. "I don't remember anyone applying to me for anything recently?"
"Sigh... really, Rukia, that idiot, didn't she even apply?" Ichigo Kurosaki sighed helplessly upon hearing this. " Kūkaku- nee, could you please give me a pass to the World of the Living? I need to take Rukia World of the Living to find Captain Sōgo Shihoin, who's on vacation World of the Living."
"Oh, giving you a pass to the World of the Living is quite simple." Kūkaku Shiba's lips curled up slightly. "Tell me, who is this Rukia? Which family does she belong to? I've never heard of her before."
"Huh? Which Rukia could it be? It's Rukia Kuchiki, of course!" Ichigo Kurosaki stared at Kūkaku Shiba in disbelief. " Kūkaku, who do you think Rukia is?! Don't joke around like that, okay? At least remember who your squad's lieutenant is, right?"
"Really? Really? So you're a child of the Kuchiki Clan? A child of the Kuchiki Clan is quite a good match for you!" Kūkaku Shiba smiled slightly after hearing Ichigo Kurosaki's words. " Ichigo Kurosaki, should I go and propose marriage to the Kuchiki Clan on behalf of my older brother and Uncle Isshin? If it's the Kuchiki Clan, I think my older brother, as the head of the family, would definitely agree to your proposal."
"Huh? If you're just teasing me, Kūkaku, then stop! It's really boring." Ichigo Kurosaki looked at Kūkaku Shiba with a helpless expression. " Rukia, why don't you talk to Kūkaku- nee about it?"
As Ichigo Kurosaki spoke, he turned around and looked at the spot where Rukia behind him. However, when Ichigo Kurosaki turned around, he found that there was no one behind him at all.
" Rukia!?" Ichigo Kurosaki raised an eyebrow, looking behind him where there was no one. "Seriously, where did Rukia go in such a short time? How could she disappear in the blink of an eye?"
"By the way, Ichigo!" Just as Ichigo Kurosaki was wondering where Rukia Kuchiki had gone, Kūkaku Shiba spoke up again, " Ichigo, who was that woman standing next to you just now? Could she be the Rukia Kuchiki you mentioned? Don't lie to me! I don't remember any girl from the Kuchiki Clan. But looking closely, she does resemble Byakuya's deceased wife. Could it be... that girl is Byakuya's illegitimate daughter?"
Kūkaku Shiba looked at Ichigo Kurosaki that said, "I think something secret has happened."
" Kūkaku- nee, what nonsense are you spouting?" Even now, Ichigo Kurosaki still thought Kūkaku Shiba was joking. "She's Rukia Kuchiki! Byakuya Kuchiki's adopted sister!"
"Huh!?" Kūkaku Shiba looked surprised after hearing Ichigo Kurosaki's words. "That girl is Byakuya Kuchiki's adopted sister?"
"Yeah! What's wrong?" Ichigo Kurosaki asked Kūkaku Shiba with some confusion.
"Hahahaha..." Kūkaku Shiba didn't answer Ichigo Kurosaki's question; she just burst into laughter. "You mean that iceberg Byakuya Kuchiki would take in a stepsister? Hahaha... That's hilarious! Is this the latest Soul Society joke? Okay! I admit it, maybe it's because hundreds of years have aged me, and there's a generation gap between me and you young people, but... however... this joke is just too funny! Hahaha... I must say, Ichigo Kurosaki, you have a real talent for stand-up comedy. Why don't you consider starting out as a stand-up comedian? Hahahaha..."
"Fine! I'll take that as a compliment." Ichigo Kurosaki looked at Kūkaku Shiba was laughing heartily, and suddenly felt a little tired.
"But I don't have time for your nonsense." Ichigo Kurosaki Kūkaku Shiba seriously. " Kūkaku- nee, I need to talk to you about something serious. I really need to go to the World of the Living with Rukia Kuchiki. Could you please give me a pass?"
"I can issue you a pass..." Kūkaku Shiba said, then suddenly burst into laughter, "Pfft, hahaha... But, but I can't issue a pass to someone who doesn't exist."
"Sis, could you please stop laughing?" Ichigo Kurosaki said helplessly to Kūkaku Shiba.
"Don't worry, your sister, being a member of the Shiba Clan, one of the Five Great Noble Clans, has received professional training and generally doesn't laugh." Kūkaku Shiba waved her Ichigo Kurosaki, "Unless she can't help it... hahaha..."
"..." Ichigo Kurosaki looked at Kūkaku Shiba, who was laughing hysterically, his mouth slightly open, and finally shook his head helplessly.
"I'm going to find Byakuya Kuchiki." Ichigo Kurosaki left with those words.
"Wait for me, Ichigo!" Kūkaku Shiba tried to grab Ichigo Kurosaki's shoulder, but she missed. "Pfft, hahaha... hahahaha... no, I have to stop, but... hahaha... I can't take it anymore, I want to die..."
Kūkaku Shiba clutched his lower abdomen, slumped to the ground, and struggled to suppress his laughter.
Ichigo Kurosaki swaggered into Byakuya Kuchiki's mansion.
" Ichigo!" Upon seeing Ichigo Kurosaki, the servants quickly made way for him, allowing him to enter the Kuchiki Ichigo Kurosaki.
"Thanks~" Ichigo Kurosaki thanked one of the servants and walked towards Byakuya Kuchiki's house.
At this moment, Byakuya Kuchiki is offering incense to his deceased wife Hisana Kuchiki.
"Hey! Byakuya!" Ichigo Kurosaki greeted Byakuya Kuchiki as if they were old friends. "Where did your sister Rukia go?"
"..." Upon hearing this, Byakuya Kuchiki coldly looked at Ichigo Kurosaki. Byakuya Kuchiki had two sore spots in his life: one was insulting his honor as a nobleman, and the other was joking when he was offering incense to his deceased wife!
" Bankai! Senbonzakura: Kageyoshi!" Without a word, Byakuya Kuchiki drew his Zanpakuto and unleashed his Bankai!
"Void!" In an instant, one after another, huge blades rose from the ground, and the next second they transformed into countless beautiful cherry blossom petals. Although these cherry blossom petals were beautiful, they were extremely deadly, and each one could take a life.
" Byakuya, what are you doing!?" Ichigo Kurosaki kept using Shunpo, flashing through the sea of flowers. Although the sea of flowers was already moving very fast, Ichigo Kurosaki was moving even faster.
" Ichigo Kurosaki, hasn't anyone told you? I hate it when people joke with me while I'm offering incense to my deceased wife." Byakuya Kuchiki looked at Ichigo Kurosaki with icy eyes. "Even if you are the next head of the Shiba Clan, I won't show any mercy. Of course, my actions against you have nothing to do with the Kuchiki Clan behind me; I'm simply acting as a husband."
"Hey, hey, hey!" Ichigo Kurosaki Byakuya Kuchiki's serious expression. " Byakuya, I'm not joking, I'm telling you the truth. Don't you remember? Rukia Kuchiki is your adopted sister! You can't forget your own sister, can you? She's Hisana's sister, whom you personally welcomed back to the Kuchiki Clan!"
" Hisana sister..." Byakuya Kuchiki's eyes suddenly flickered after hearing Ichigo Kurosaki's words. It was as if he were once again meeting that woman in the white kimono under the cherry blossom tree, the woman holding his hand and whispering softly in his ear. Strange... what was she saying? I can't remember...
Byakuya Kuchiki instantly realized the problem. At that moment, he knew there was something wrong with his memory. His intuition told him that something was missing from his mind. The next second, a strong sense of incongruity swept over his entire body.
" Rukia." Byakuya Kuchiki murmured Rukia's name. The next moment, the shower of cherry blossoms vanished completely, and a Zanpakuto returned to Byakuya Kuchiki sheath.
"Looks like you remembered, Byakuya!" Ichigo Kurosaki Byakuya Kuchiki had retracted his Bankai.
"Get out of the Kuchiki Clan, Ichigo Kurosaki!" Byakuya Kuchiki said coldly to Ichigo Kurosaki. "Don't bother me again. As for Rukia, I'm sorry, I don't know her at all."
Byakuya Kuchiki spoke, he closed his door directly.
"Eh!?" Ichigo Kurosaki was shocked to be treated like this by Byakuya. "This is bad!"
"Where am I supposed to find Rukia?" Ichigo Kurosaki scratched his head. At this moment, he had already put the matter of finding Sōgo Shihoin out of his mind. To be precise, finding Rukia was obviously more important than reviving her. This was because Ichigo Kurosaki had just realized one thing: everyone had forgotten about Rukia Kuchiki. The reason Ichigo Kurosaki was certain of this was because of his understanding of Byakuya Kuchiki. Ichigo Kurosaki knew that Byakuya Kuchiki never joked.
"I remember Rukia Kuchiki mentioned that she trained in the Second Division Second Division. Should we go ask Captain Soi Fon about it?" Ichigo Kurosaki frowned. "Wouldn't it be inappropriate to bother her so casually? But never mind... this matter is too important."
Ichigo Kurosaki easily gained access to the Second Division's captain's room thanks to his status.
"Why are you here again, Ichigo Kurosaki?!" Shaoling Fon felt a slight throbbing in her temples as she looked at the returned Ichigo Kurosaki. She gently rubbed her temples and asked, "Weren't you going to the World of the Living to find Sōgo?"
"I'm sorry to bother Captain Soi Fon!" Ichigo Kurosaki Shaoling Fon and apologized. "I did say I was going to the World of the Living to find Captain Sōgo Shihoin, but I have more important things to do now. Captain Soi Fon, do you know where Rukia Kuchiki is? I can't find her at all, and it seems like everyone has forgotten about her."
" Rukia Kuchiki..." Shaoling Fon frowned after hearing Ichigo Kurosaki's words. Unlike the others, she didn't seem to have completely forgotten Rukia Kuchiki. "Why does the name Rukia Kuchiki so familiar? She... she should have trained with the Second Division before. I should know her. Strange, why can't I remember what she looks like!? Let me think... is she a girl who always has an onion-shaped hairstyle!?"
"Ah! Captain Soi Fon, do you remember Rukia?" Ichigo Kurosaki exclaimed excitedly, looking at Shaoling Fon. "That's great! I asked everyone else, but they all said they didn't know Rukia!"
"Huh!?" Shaoling Fon suddenly sensed something was wrong. " Ichigo Kurosaki, are you saying that besides you and me, no one else has any memory of Rukia!?"
"Yes, Captain Soi Fon." Ichigo Kurosaki slightly, indicating that this was indeed the case.
"If that's the case, then this is a huge problem, Ichigo!" Shaoling Fon frowned upon hearing Ichigo. "This matter could very well be a major crisis sweeping across the entire Soul Society! The reason you and I both have some recollection of Rukia's situation is probably because we both received Sōgo's Spiritual Pressure! No matter how powerful the enemies in this world are, they can't possibly have any impact on Sōgo! I spent a long time with Sōgo, so my Spiritual Pressure Spiritual Pressure is mixed with a trace of Sōgo's, which is why I have a slight impression of Rukia Kuchiki. Ichigo, you have Sōgo's Spiritual Pressure directly injected into your body. Right now, you're essentially a concentrated form of Sōgo Shihoin's Spiritual Pressure, so you remember Rukia Kuchiki the most clearly."
"Then what do we do?! Captain Soi Fon, what can we do now?!" Ichigo Kurosaki tensed up immediately after hearing Shaoling Fon's words. "We absolutely have to take back that idiot Rukia Kuchiki!"
"I know! You idiot! I'm thinking about it right now." Shaoling Fon glared at Ichigo Kurosaki Ichigo Kurosaki. "Anyway, what we need to know now is, why are the enemy ignoring everyone else?! And only Rukia Kuchiki's existence from our memories? This is strange. There are clearly many more people in this world who deserve to be erased than Rukia, such as us captains of the Gotei 13. Erasing just one of them should have a greater impact on Soul Society!"
"No time to think! Captain Soi Fon! Stop thinking!" Ichigo Kurosaki shouted. "Instead of thinking here, let's take action! I think we can definitely find Rukia Kuchiki!"
"Idiot!" Shaoling Fon sighed helplessly as she looked at Ichigo Kurosaki, who kept muttering to himself. "It's precisely because we want to save Rukia that we need to know the culprit's motive!"
(End of this chapter)