XX-level Hokage

That night, Rukia sneaked into the family library, wanting to know who Lord Paijin really was.

Moonlight streamed through the paper window as Rukia walked among the bookshelves. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. In the corner of the room hung a portrait.

The woman in the painting bears a striking resemblance to her, with long purple hair and a gentle smile. Below the portrait is the inscription: Kuchiki Hijiri.

Rukia's heart raced. She reached out to touch the portrait, but then heard footsteps behind her. "Who gave you permission to come in?"

Byakuya's voice rang out in the darkness. Rukia turned around and saw him standing in the doorway, the moonlight casting a silvery glow on his cold face.

“I…I’m sorry.” Rukia lowered her head. “I just…” “Go out.” Hyakuza interrupted her.

Rukia walked quickly outside, and as she passed Byakuya, she caught a faint smell of alcohol. This was the first time she had ever smelled this scent on Byakuya.

The next day, Rukia developed a high fever.

Perhaps it was because she had been caught in the rain for too long, or perhaps it was because she had been frightened the night before, but she lay in bed feeling completely drowsy. Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside her door. The footsteps lingered outside her door for a long time, but no one pushed the door open to come in.

"Lord Byakuya," came the butler's voice. "You've been standing here for two hours." "Has her fever subsided?"

"I just took your temperature, and it's gone down." "Okay." The footsteps faded into the distance.

Rukia opened her eyes and looked at the closed door. She knew it was Byakuya. He was always like this, clearly caring about her, but never showing it.

After recovering from her illness, Rukia trained even harder. She began to understand the expectations and pain hidden behind Byakuya's strictness. That afternoon, she stood in the courtyard again practicing Kido. This time, without waiting for Byakuya to speak, she began training on her own. "Hado #4, White Lightning!"

A white bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, more dazzling than ever before. Rukia turned around and saw Byakuya standing under the eaves, his face still expressionless, but his eyes seemed to have softened a little.

"Not bad," he said. "That's enough for today."

Rukia nodded and was about to leave when she heard Byakuya say again, "Tomorrow... I'll teach you the 33rd Kido, Azure Fire Fall." This was the first time Byakuya had offered to teach her a new Kido.

Rukia paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, Byakuya-nii!"

Byakuya turned and left, but this time, his steps seemed lighter than usual. Rukia watched his back and suddenly felt that perhaps one day, she could truly become a Shinigami worthy of the Kuchiki name.

In the courtyard after the rain, cherry blossoms fluttered down. Rukia reached out and caught a petal.

She recalled the smile of her real sister in the portrait, a smile that seemed to hold a tenderness she had not yet fully understood.

“Sister,” she whispered, “I will try my best. For Byakuya-nii, and for you.” In the distance, Byakuya stood at the corner of the corridor, quietly watching Rukia in the courtyard. In his hand he held a hairpin, the one that Shinichi loved most in his previous life.

“Feizhen…” he murmured, “She really looks like you.” A gust of wind rose, swirling up fallen petals from the courtyard.

On this rainy evening, two lonely souls seemed to have found a subtle connection. Although neither of them was good at expressing themselves, the bond of family had been quietly growing within them without them even realizing it.

The next day, early in the morning.

Rukia woke up from her sleep.

Looking at the cramped space inside the closet, he let out a soft sigh.

Chapter 47: The Parrot

The morning sunlight streamed through the streets of Karakura Town, but Ichigo Kurosaki had no time to appreciate it.

He ate his bread as he walked briskly toward the school, his brow furrowed and his mind preoccupied.

The scene from last night still lingered in his mind, that faint, self-healing face. He still didn't know how he and Rukia had made it home alive. When he asked Rukia, she gave only a vague answer.

"Hey, Ichigo!" A familiar voice came from behind. Ichigo turned around and saw his friend Keigo running towards him. "What's wrong? You look terrible," Keigo asked with concern.

"It's nothing, I just didn't sleep well," Ichigo said dismissively, not wanting his friend to get involved in these supernatural events. After school, Ichigo was walking home alone when he suddenly heard a piercing scream.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a brightly colored parrot perched on a tree branch by the roadside, repeating in a hoarse voice, "Die! Die!" Ichigo frowned; the parrot gave him an ominous feeling.

Just as he was about to leave, the parrot suddenly flew up and swooped down towards him.

Ichigo instinctively raised his hand to block, but the parrot pecked him hard on the arm, and blood gushed out immediately.

"Damn it!" Ichigo cried out in pain, trying to catch the parrot, but it nimbly dodged and flew away into the distance. Back home, Ichigo quickly treated his wound, but a sense of unease lingered in his heart.

The parrot's eyes were filled with resentment and malice, as if it wanted to devour his soul. Night fell, and Ichigo lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

He always felt that something in the room was watching him, and that feeling of being spied on gave him the creeps.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew by, causing the curtains to move without any wind, and the temperature in the room to drop abruptly. Ichigo sat up abruptly and saw the parrot standing on the windowsill, coldly staring at him.

"Die! Die!" the parrot cried out again, its eyes flashing with an eerie red light.

Ichigo felt a wave of dizziness, as if something was eroding his consciousness. He struggled to get up, but found himself unable to move.

Just as Ichigo was about to lose consciousness, a flash of white light appeared, and the parrot let out a shrill scream before turning into a wisp of black smoke and disappearing. "Are you alright?" A familiar voice rang in his ears. Ichigo looked up and saw Rukia Kuchiki standing in front of him, holding her Zanpakuto. "Rukia? You're back?" Ichigo asked in surprise.

After school today, Rukia went out to search for Hollows.

“I sensed the presence of Hollows here, so I rushed over,” Rukia explained. “It seems you’re cursed.” “Cursed?” Ichigo looked bewildered.

"That parrot is a spirit possessed by a Hollow. It cursed you and wants to steal your soul," Rukia said solemnly. With Rukia's help, Ichigo gradually learned the truth.

It turns out that the parrot's owner was a lonely old man whose soul, unable to find peace after death, possessed the parrot. Xu then used the old man's resentment to turn the parrot into a tool for cursing.

“We must find that parrot and break the curse, or your soul will be devoured,” Rukia said. Ichigo and Rukia began searching for the parrot in Karakura Town.

They visited the old man's former residence and asked nearby residents, finally finding it in an abandoned park. The parrot stood on a withered tree, its eyes still filled with resentment.

Upon seeing Ichigo and Rukia, it immediately let out a piercing scream and pounced on them. Rukia wielded her Zanpakuto and engaged the parrot in a fierce battle.

The parrot was incredibly fast and its attacks were extremely fierce, but Rukia, with her rich combat experience, gradually gained the upper hand. Ichigo watched anxiously from the sidelines, wanting to help but finding himself powerless to do so.

For the first time, he felt so weak, unable even to protect himself. Finally, Rukia seized the opportunity and severed the parrot's wing with a single stroke.

The parrot let out a piercing scream and fell from the sky: "Rest in peace, your resentment is over."

The red light in the parrot's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sense of relief. It nodded gently, turning into starlight and disappearing into the night sky.

After the battle, Ichigo remained silent for a long time. For the first time, he truly realized that he had stepped into a world full of danger.

"Rukia, I want to become stronger." Ichigo suddenly said. "What?" Rukia was somewhat surprised.

"I don't want to be like this again, just watching you fight helplessly, unable to do anything," Ichigo said firmly. "I want the power to protect myself and others."

Rukia looked at Ichigo, a hint of relief flashing in her eyes. She nodded and said, "Alright, starting tomorrow, I will train you to become a true Shinigami."

The next day, Ichigo began his Shinigami training. He learned how to use his Zanpakuto from Rukia, practiced controlling his spiritual pressure, and gradually mastered the power of a Shinigami.

Although the training was tough, Ichigo enjoyed it.

He felt his own growth and saw hope for the future.

He knew this was just the beginning, and many more challenges awaited him, but he was prepared to face all the unknown dangers.

As the sun set, Ichigo stood on the rooftop, gazing at the distant sky. He gripped his Zanpakuto, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.

"I will definitely become stronger," Ichigo murmured to himself. Rukia stood behind him, watching him silently.

She knew that this boy had embarked on his own path, and the future held endless possibilities. As time went on, Ichigo's training deepened.

Rukia not only taught him how to use a Zanpakuto, but also how to sense changes in spiritual pressure and how to remain calm in battle.

Ichigo gave his all in every training session, and his rapid progress amazed Rukia. One evening, after training, Ichigo and Rukia sat on the rooftop to rest.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed them, adding a touch of warmth to this dangerous night. "Rukia, why did you choose to become a Shinigami?" Ichigo suddenly asked.

Rukia was silent for a moment before replying, "The existence of Shinigami is to protect those who cannot protect themselves, in order to maintain the balance of the world and prevent Hollows from harming innocent souls."

Ichigo nodded, thoughtfully saying, "I understand. I also want to protect my family and friends, and I don't want them to be in danger anymore." Rukia smiled slightly and patted Ichigo's shoulder: "You've done very well. Just keep going, and you'll definitely become an outstanding assassin."

God.

Ichigo gripped his Zanpakuto tightly, his eyes filled with determination: "I will definitely do it." Not far away, Mashiro was strolling around with Orihime.

As they approached the vicinity of Kurosaki's house, Mashiro gently looked up.

Chapter 48: Acquaintances

As Mashiro and Orihime approached the Kurosaki residence, Mashiro glanced up at the roof and could vaguely see two figures sitting there. "Still too green," she thought.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on them, making them look like a painting embedded in the sky.

A complex look flashed in Orihime's eyes, but she quickly withdrew her gaze and continued chatting with Shinji.

Mashiro seemed to notice Orihime's unusual behavior, smiled slightly, and said, "Isn't that Ichigo and Rukia? They always seem to be together."

Orihime nodded, a hint of wistfulness in her voice, "Yes, their relationship... seems quite good." Shinji rolled his eyes and asked with a smile, "Orihime, do you have feelings for Ichigo...?"

“No, that’s not true.” Orihime immediately interrupted her, a faint blush appearing on her face. “I just think he’s interesting.” Seeing this, Mashiro simply shook her head and continued walking with Orihime along the street.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the streets of Karakura Town as Mashiro and Orihime walked side by side on their way home. Orihime held a cup of milk tea in her hand, occasionally stealing glances at Mashiro beside her.

"Mashiro-kun, you seem to be watching Ichigo-kun a lot lately," Orihime suddenly said, her tone slightly probing.

Mashiro paused slightly, then smiled and said, "Really? I just feel that Ichigo-kun has changed a lot lately." "Yes," Orihime nodded, "Ichigo-kun always seems very tired lately, and he won't tell me why when I ask him."

Mashiro gazed at the distant sky, her eyes deepening. "Everyone has their own secrets." Just then, a familiar surge of spiritual pressure emanated from her, and a slight smile curved Mashiro's lips.

"Orihime, I suddenly remembered I have something to attend to. You should go back first." Mashiro said, and left quickly without waiting for Orihime's reply. In the days that followed, Kurosaki Ichigo's training became increasingly rigorous.

Rukia not only taught him how to use his Zanpakuto, but also began to guide him in learning Kido and spiritual pressure adjustment.

During each training session, Rukia would patiently correct Ichigo's posture and teach him how to flexibly deal with enemies in battle.

"Try again, Ichigo!" Rukia's voice echoed in the dimly lit warehouse, the surrounding air thick with spiritual pressure. Ichigo gripped his Zanpakuto tightly, took a deep breath, and focused his mind again, trying to sense the fluctuations in spiritual pressure around him.

He slowly swung his Soul Blade, drawing a bright arc in the air, the blade gleaming faintly, about to strike the scarecrow in front of him. "Your movements are too stiff," Rukia pointed out. "Relax, feel the connection between the sword and your spiritual pressure, as if you want to become one with it."

Ichigo nodded, realizing he still had a long way to go. He muttered to himself, "I can do it. I absolutely can't hold anyone back!" Weeks passed, and Ichigo's training gradually began to show results.

He sometimes practiced with Rukia's guidance and sometimes on his own. When fighting the scarecrows, he was able to handle them with ease and remain as relaxed and agile as possible. That morning, Ichigo walked into the training ground again and stood in an open space with several scarecrows in front of him.

During this time, he had learned to improve his techniques and tried to combine different attack methods. He drew his Zanpakuto, bent down slightly, and prepared to begin today's training.

Just as he was about to make his move, a strong spiritual pressure suddenly came from afar.

He stopped what he was doing to confirm it, then turned to look at Rukia, only to find that her expression had become tense.

"That's... the aura of a Hollow!" Rukia immediately became alert, a burning light flashing in her deep eyes. Her hand unconsciously tightened around her Zanpakuto, and she took a deep breath, quickly making a decision. "Ichigo, stay close to me!"

"Understood!" Ichigo followed Rukia closely without hesitation. His heart was racing, and his spiritual pressure surged in the air, seemingly foreshadowing the impending crisis.

The two rushed to the scene and found that the end of the street had been occupied by a giant void.

At this moment, it was tearing apart a building on the side of the street, obvious cracks appeared on the wall, fragments flew everywhere, and the surrounding spiritual pressure seemed to tremble for this Hollow existence.

"It's much stronger than the previous Hollow!" Rukia stared intently, a sense of urgency rising within her; she had to stop it immediately! Ichigo's palms were slightly sweaty, but the fighting spirit burning within him calmed him instantly, and he channeled his spiritual pressure: "Together! Rukia!"

Rukia nodded, gripped her Zanpakuto firmly, and charged toward the Hollow. At the same time, Ichigo followed closely behind. Although his heart was filled with fear, it also drove him to keep moving forward.

"Hado #4, White Lightning!" Rukia shouted out the standard Kido, and lightning flew from her fingertips, striking the Hollow's body with precision. The blinding white light erupted instantly, producing a deafening roar.