XX-level Hokage

"It mainly depends on which squad it is. Some squads are very relaxed, while others are very busy. My squad, the 13th Squad, is quite busy," Rukia replied.

"I see. I remember Aizen from the Fifth Division would go to the used bookstore in the western part of Rukongai when he was on vacation." Mashiro licked the cream off her lips. "That guy from the Sixth Division..."

The head of the Iceberg family... I heard he sometimes sits in a daze by a withered cherry tree in the courtyard?

The porcelain cup clinked against the tray. Rukia was momentarily surprised and nervous. Just then, Mashiro pushed over a strawberry daifuku.

"Don't be nervous." Mashiro chuckled, resting her chin on her hand. "In a way, your older brother is related to me."

"Um, Mashiro, could you tell me your real name and identity?" Rukia asked, increasingly convinced that Mashiro was a big shot in the Tokami world.

"My name is Shinji, so you should know me, but let's not talk about that now." Mashiro suddenly leaned forward, the bell at the end of her hair brushing against Rukia's hand. "Does Byakuya ever comb his sister's hair himself?"

"Pancreas~"

"He really enjoyed combing hair back then."

As they walked through the brightly lit arcade, Rukia's cuffs were reflected in the glass of the claw machines, turning a warm orange hue.

Mashiro handed her three game coins: "Give it a try? Mashiro used to take you to play this all the time, right?" The coins slipped through her fingers, bouncing and rolling into the shadows on the ground.

Rukia's pupils contracted slightly. "You don't even know about my sister."

"I really like giving hairpins to orphans in Rukongai; this is the one I suggested to her." Mashiro bent down to pick up the coin and said softly. This name felt like a sharp blade piercing her heart.

Rukia suddenly grabbed Mashiro's wrist, and a chill condensed between them: "What exactly are you?" Her exclamation interrupted her questioning.

At the end of the street, housewives carrying shopping bags fled in terror as a virtual creature with seven human arms tore apart a vending machine.

Rukia instinctively reached for her waist, but then remembered the Zanpakuto she had left in the hiding place. "Use this!" Mashiro ripped off the bell from her braid and threw it to her.

Lapis Lazuli deployed a barrier in the air, pinning the Void's tentacles to the ground.

Rukia seized the opportunity to leap up, ice flowers blooming from her fingertips: "Hado #4: White Lightning!" As the thunder pierced through the Hollow's mask, Mashiro was leaning against a telephone pole, recording something.

As Rukia landed, the remnants of the Hollow had already dissipated into spirit particles in the night sky.

She turned to look at Mashiro and found her intently writing something in a small notebook. "What are you writing down?" Rukia asked as she approached.

Mashiro closed her notebook, chuckling and shaking it: "Battle stats, huh? Your White Lightning's power increased by 12% compared to last time, and your reaction speed is 0.3 seconds faster." Rukia was taken aback: "Last time? Did we fight before?"

Mashiro didn't answer directly. Instead, she tucked the notebook into her sleeve and looked up at the night sky: "Rukia, do you know why Hollows keep appearing in Karakura Town?"

Rukia frowned: "Because the concentration of spiritual particles here is high, it easily attracts Hollows."

“That’s right, but that’s only the surface reason.” Mashiro turned to face Rukia, her eyes turning serious. “Have any unusual spiritual pressure fluctuations been detected in the Tokishin World recently?”

Rukia recalled for a moment: "Indeed, the Technology Development Bureau reported detecting some unusual spiritual particle flows, but the cause has not yet been determined."

Mashiro nodded: "I suspect someone is secretly manipulating Hollows, trying to disrupt the balance between the human world and the Tokishin World." Rukia's heart tightened: "You mean someone is planning a large-scale invasion?"

“It’s very likely.” Mashiro sighed. “That’s why I’m here to investigate this matter.”

Rukia looked at Mashiro's eyes and asked, "Who exactly are you? Why do you know so much about the Soul Society?"

Mashiro smiled slightly: "I've already said my name is Mashiro. As for my identity..." She suddenly turned and pointed into the distance, "Look, fireworks!"

Rukia looked in the direction she pointed and saw dazzling fireworks blooming in the night sky. When she turned back, Mashiro had disappeared, leaving only the lingering sound of a string of bells.

"She got away." Rukia clenched her fists, filled with doubt. The next day:

Rukia arrived at Urahara Store.

"Yo, Ms. Kuchiki, welcome." Urahara greeted her with a smile, waving his fan. "Mr. Urahara, I have something I'd like to ask you." Rukia said directly.

Urahara closed his fan, gesturing for her to come to the inner room for a detailed discussion. After listening to Rukia's account, Urahara shook his head. "You don't know either?" Rukia said regretfully. "No, no, it's something I can't tell you."

Chapter 58: The Trial with Orihime

"Why?" Rukia asked, puzzled.

"You'll see when the time comes," Kisuke Urahara said, covering his mouth with his fan and laughing. "Okay~_~" Rukia replied helplessly.

But there's no way for her to return to the Soul Realm right now.

The next few days passed peacefully, and soon it was Saturday.

The first rays of morning sunlight shone gently through the gap in the curtains onto Orihime's bed, waking her from her slumber.

Orihime rubbed her sleepy eyes, stretched, and a new day began. She felt a little excited because she and Mashiro had made plans to go out and play together yesterday.

After quickly washing up, Orihime changed into a pink dress. As she twirled, the hem of her dress swayed gently. Looking in the mirror, she styled her hair into a cute ponytail.

After confirming that she was in good condition, Orihime picked up a small backpack containing essential items such as her wallet, phone, and sunscreen. Before leaving, she made sure to check that her keys and the door were locked.

Stepping outside, the fresh air invigorated Orihime. She took a deep breath and set off for her new home.

Along the way, birds sang merrily in the branches, and roadside flowers swayed gracefully in the breeze, making Orihime very happy. Before long, she arrived at Makoto's house.

She gently rang the doorbell, and soon the door opened, revealing Mashiro's beautiful and gentle face to Orihime. "Orihime, you're here so early," Mashiro greeted her with a smile.

"Hehe, I'm so looking forward to shopping today!" Orihime said with a smile as she walked into Mashiro's house.

Mashiro's house is neat and tidy, filled with a warm and cozy atmosphere. When did Mashiro learn to do housework?

Orihime was puzzled. In her memory, Mashiro's house had always been very messy, and she would tidy up the house for Mashiro whenever she had free time.

"Has Mashiro finally learned to tidy up her room?" Lying on Mashiro's soft bed, with a faint orange scent wafting from her nose, Orihime asked with a smile. "No, my cat tidied it for me," Mashiro replied truthfully.

(“Ah Qiu!” A black cat suddenly sneezed in an alley not far away.)

"Mashiro, you're really joking. You don't even own a cat, okay? Besides, what breed of cat would clean a room?" Orihime said helplessly. "Fine, don't believe me then. Hmph, these days, nobody believes the truth anymore," Mashiro sighed, lying down next to Orihime.

Mashiro wasn't lying; she asked (or forced) Yoruichi to tidy her room. After all, Yoruichi had tidied her room back in Tokami World as well.

Having cleaned countless rooms, it's like I've returned to my old ways.

After a brief chat, the two set off.

Hand in hand, they walked towards the shopping street, chatting and laughing. Along the way, Mashiro and Orihime shared the funny things that had happened to them recently, while Orihime recounted some of her recent experiences. Their laughter echoed through the street.

We finally arrived at the bustling commercial street, where people came and went and all kinds of shops were on display.

Mashiro and Orihime first entered a jewelry store. The store had a wide variety of jewelry, including exquisite earrings, pretty hair clips, and fashionable bracelets.

Orihime picked up a pink hair clip, held it up in the mirror, and turned to ask Mashiro, "Mashiro, what do you think of this?" Mashiro looked at it carefully, smiled, and said, "It suits you very well, Orihime. Wearing it, you'll look like a cute princess."

Upon hearing this, Orihime smiled shyly and decided to buy the hair clip. Then, they continued browsing in the shop, and Mashiro also chose a pair of small earrings for herself, even though she didn't wear earrings and didn't even have pierced ears.

After leaving the jewelry store, their stomachs started growling.

So they found a snack shop that looked very unique. The shop was full of people, and the air was filled with the aroma of various delicacies. Mashiro and Orihime ordered some local specialties, such as crispy fried chicken cutlets, soft and chewy takoyaki, and refreshing fruit juice.

While enjoying the food, Mashiro and Orihime talked about their dreams.

Mashiro says she wants to become a designer (designing the rules of the world is also design), to create unique things. Orihime hopes to open her own flower shop someday, bringing happiness and joy to people through beautiful flowers. The two encourage each other, cheering each other on for their dreams.

After eating and drinking their fill, they continued shopping. Next, they went into a clothing store. The store had a variety of styles of clothes, including sweet and cute, simple and fashionable, and unique and individual styles.

Mashiro and Orihime wandered through the pile of clothes, trying on one after another. Orihime tried on a white dress with delicate floral patterns embroidered on the hem, and came out to ask Mashiro's opinion.

Mashiro's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Orihime, you look absolutely stunning in this dress! You're like a princess straight out of a fairy tale." Orihime's face lit up with a radiant smile, and she decided to buy the dress.

Mashiro also chose a simple T-shirt and jeans for herself. She felt that this combination was both comfortable and stylish. The most important reason was that she and Hinata Mashiro had the same problem: they were not used to wearing skirts.

After walking around for a while, they felt a little tired, so they found a coffee shop to rest. The coffee shop had an elegant atmosphere, with soothing music playing in the air.

Mashiro and Orihime ordered two coffees and some desserts, and sat by the window, enjoying the street view outside. In the coffee shop, Mashiro and Orihime chatted about some fun things that happened at school.

They reminisced about the happy times they spent with their classmates, and those wonderful memories brought smiles to their faces.

Orihime also shared some books she'd been reading recently with Mashiro, and Mashiro recommended a movie she'd recently watched. After resting, they decided to browse some other shops.

This time, they entered a handicraft shop. The handicrafts in the shop were very exquisite, including hand-woven baskets, hand-painted postcards, small wooden ornaments, and so on. Mashiro and Orihime were deeply attracted by these handicrafts. They carefully appreciated each piece, as if they could feel the maker's heart and emotions.

Orihime took a fancy to a small, hand-woven pendant. It was heart-shaped and adorned with sparkling beads. Orihime thought it was very cute, so she bought it and planned to hang it on her schoolbag.

Mashiro chose a hand-drawn postcard with a blooming sunflower on it. She planned to send the postcard to her good friend to express her longing and blessings.

As dusk settled, the lights on the shopping street came on, making the entire street even more vibrant and colorful. Shiro and Orihime realized it was time to go home, so they reluctantly left the shopping street.

On their way home, Mashiro and Orihime reflected on their shopping experience that day and felt very happy and satisfied. They made a promise to go shopping together again next time and continue to enjoy such wonderful times.

Hand in hand, the two walked home under the streetlights, their silhouettes casting long shadows on the street, as if recording their deep friendship and this unforgettable day.

When they reached the crossroads where they would part ways, Mashiro and Orihime said goodbye to each other. Orihime said to Mashiro, "Mashiro, thank you so much for today. It was such a wonderful day with you."

Mashiro smiled and replied, "You're welcome, Orihime. I'm happy too. See you next time!" After saying that, the two waved and walked towards their respective homes.

[Inoue Orihime's Affection +5, Reward: Starting Points +5] [Name: Inoue Orihime]

Gender: Female; Zanpakuto: None

Special Ability: Shield Shun Six Flowers (Rejection of All Things) Identity: Fullbringer

Optional Route: Lover's Affection Level: 90

Affection level: 10 (starting points +1)

(Already obtained)

Affection level: 50 (starting points +3)

(Already obtained)

Affection level: 90 (starting points +5) (already obtained)

The materialization of soul power hidden within the six-petaled light blue pair of hair clips that Orihime always wears; the names of the Rikka members are all related to flowers.

They are responsible for attack, healing, and defense skills respectively, and are occasionally used by Orihime to search for other targets.

Three-Day Shield Formation - Fireless Chrysanthemum, Plum Blossom, Lily (Defensive Move) Defense Technique: Rejects attacks "outside the shield." Fireless Chrysanthemum, Plum Blossom, and Lily return to their positions.

The vertex of the inverted triangle is then covered by an orange-yellow triangular shield to defend against attacks, but it is only effective against very powerful attacks and will shatter after a single defense.

Double Heaven Return Shield - Shun Ying, Xiao Ying (Healing Technique) Repair Technique: Rejects all adverse effects "within the shield". An orange-yellow barrier is opened between Shun Ying and Chang Pu to surround the object to be protected. The protected object inside the shield can heal wounds, regenerate severed limbs, and remove the control state.

Lone Sky Shield Slash - Tsubaki Oni (Attack Technique) Attack Technique: Rejects the "material combination" inside and outside the shield. The Tsubaki Oni transforms into an orange-yellow flying blade that cuts and separates material objects. Moreover, regardless of whether the attack is successful or not, it will disappear into thin air and reappear on the hairpin.

"Done." Mashiro chuckled softly.

Chapter 59: The Soul's Struggle

The summer afternoons in Karakura Town are so hot they feel almost solid, with cicadas chirping incessantly among the treetops, as if even the air itself is melting.

Sunlight pierced through the sparse clouds, dappling the old wooden eaves and reflecting onto the narrow streets, adding a touch of warmth to the otherwise dreary afternoon.

The golden hue, however, brought no coolness whatsoever.