XX-level Hokage

"Guess what?" Mashiro reached out and stroked Yoruichi, then stopped talking. "Tch!"

Yoruichi gently bit Mashiro's hand.

"However, this training is not without its benefits. Its most important significance is to enhance Ichigo Kurosaki's courage and confidence. As long as he has enough courage to fully master the power of the Shinigami, it is only a matter of time, and he may even be able to advance to master that power," Mashiro said softly.

"When did you become like Urahara, so fond of keeping people in suspense?" "I just suddenly learned."

Seeing Mashiro chuckling, Yoruichi knew she wouldn't get any more information and had to change the subject.

"Speaking of which, I've always been curious, among the original captains, who was stronger: you, Captain Unohana, or the Captain-Commander?" Yoruichi asked. "Isn't the answer obvious? Of course, Captain Yamamoto is stronger. Yachiru excels in martial arts but lacks strength, while I have a special ability. Overall, compared to..."

Captain Yamamoto is even capable of taking on two opponents at once.

However, precisely because of his immense power, Captain Yamamoto is actually the least dangerous of the three of us. After all, the fragility of the Three Realms limits his effectiveness. "Mashiro said softly.

Chapter 56: Shiba Kukaku

A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the special training came to a successful conclusion.

Mashiro dumped Ichigo and the others onto Yoruichi, then vanished like a phantom.

"We've arrived, this is it." A black cat, with elegant steps and a slight sway of its tail, spoke in a deep and magnetic voice, its gaze fixed ahead, "There are people here who can help us infiltrate the Seireitei."

Behind the black cat were four people, three men and one woman, unlike the common stable triangular combination of two men and one woman.

"Wow, it's huge!!" Ichigo exclaimed involuntarily, looking at the building in front of him. Indeed, it was huge. Orihime was also very surprised.

She had long, smooth, brown hair, and her brown eyes were full of amazement. Her bangs were slightly long, covering her forehead just right, and she wore a pair of light blue flower-shaped hair clips. However, what was most eye-catching was undoubtedly her full breasts, making people wonder if she drank milk every day to have such a proud figure.

"What's the big deal?" Shi Youyulong pushed up his silver-rimmed glasses and said, trying to appear calm.

He had short, midnight-blue, center-parted hair covering his ears, and deep blue eyes hidden behind glasses. He was tall and slender, dressed in white clothing with blue stripes and a shawl, though this wasn't actually his preferred style. Although he tried to appear calm, he was clearly overwhelmed by the magnificent mansion before him. His stubbornness was merely a way of deliberately going against Ichigo Kurosaki.

"What? Uryu, you look surprised too, don't you?" Ichigo bluntly exposed him.

"No! How could that be!! Who's surprised? Don't talk nonsense!!" Ishida Uryu instantly became agitated, his face turning bright red, as if he'd been stepped on. In just two sentences, Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryu were already exchanging barbs, thankfully only verbally, without one drawing a sword or the other nocking an arrow.

The fact that a fight broke out on the spot can be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

Of the four, only one remained relatively silent, simply standing aside and watching Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryu engage in a war of words.

He is Chad, with brown skin and a muscular build like a small mountain. His curly brown hair is neither too long nor too short, just enough to cover his frightening eyes, making one wonder whether it's better to show them or hide them.

He wore a short-sleeved shirt, and on his left shoulder was a tattoo of a winged heart entwined with a snake, the ribbons of which bore the inscription "Amoree Morte." Compared to the other three, he not only had a different skin tone, but was also taller and more robust, and appeared much older than his actual age, seemingly different from the others.

We're not on the same channel.

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. It's pointless." The black cat, walking in front, was getting impatient with the noise from the two behind him. He turned around, his face full of helplessness. "You're not going to kill anyone like this. After this is over, find a place and have a good fight. Whoever survives is right."

"W-Is this how you mediate a fight, Yoruichi-san?!" Chad Yasutora was so shocked by Yoruichi's bizarre method of mediating that he couldn't help but shout loudly.

"Heh." The black cat's lips curled slightly upward, a playful smile appearing on its face. Clearly, it was deliberately stirring things up. "Anyway, it's getting late. Ichigo, go knock on the door." Yoruichi flicked her tail and gave the order.

"Huh? Why do I have to go?" Ichigo scratched his head, looking reluctant, but in the end he obediently walked towards the mansion that made people's hearts tremble just by looking at it.

The mansion before me looks like it stepped out of a period drama, full of antique Japanese charm.

Putting aside other factors, its all-wood structure, coupled with its ridiculously large footprint, makes it an extremely rare find in the history of modern Japanese architecture.

At the entrance of the mansion hangs a plaque that reads "Shiba Residence." However, what intrigues people the most is the enormous chimney that towers into the clouds behind the house. An uninformed person might think that this house is a transformation of Sun Wukong, and that chimney is his tail that has nowhere to go.

thump thump thump

Without a doorbell, Ichigo could only pound on the door, making a loud noise in an attempt to get the person inside to hear him. But after knocking for a while, there was no response from inside.

"Yoruichi-san, is anyone actually in here?" Ichigo couldn't help but turn around and look at the black cat, muttering softly, "You didn't forget your appointment and brought us here while she was away... Ah, Ichigo!!!"

Before he could finish speaking, Ichigo suddenly lost his balance.

As he unconsciously knocked on the door while speaking, the door, which had been silent until now, suddenly creaked open. Caught off guard, Kurosaki Ichigo missed his target and fell into the doorway like a kite with a broken string.

Immediately afterward, a foot darted out from the doorway and landed squarely on Ichigo's face, sending him flying like a ball! Black Cat, Orihime Inoue, Chad, and Uryu Ishida all watched helplessly as Ichigo traversed a graceful arc through the air. Uryu Ishida deserves special mention; he was directly in Ichigo's path, yet instead of helping him, he acted as if nothing had happened.

He dodged to the side.

Ichigo brought the car to a complete stop with his face; the sight was painful to watch.

"Damn it, couldn't you have just scooped me up?! Don't dodge away!!" Ichigo roared, rubbing his nose in frustration. "I told you I'm here, I'm here! Can't you hear me? Stop knocking! So annoying!!"

Even louder and more penetrating than Ichigo Kurosaki's roar was a soprano voice emanating from the mansion, filled with the pent-up rage of someone who had been trespassed on and constantly harassed.

"Who the hell is this? Come here and get your ass over here! Let me see how many lives you have to dare cause trouble in front of the Shiba family's house!!"

Upon hearing this, Ichigo Kurosaki, who was usually fearless, inexplicably hesitated and instinctively shrank back. The door opened, revealing a scantily clad, curvaceous, and sexy woman standing in the doorway.

Her black hair was parted in two strands, her figure was curvaceous, and her clothes were even more eye-catching. She wore a red short top with a spiral pattern in the center, wrapped in a white long skirt, and had a tattoo of the character "空" on her left arm.

"It's been a while, Kukaku. How have you been lately?" At the crucial moment, it was the black cat Yoruichi who jumped out to save the day. With a leap, it landed lightly in front of Shiba Kukaku and greeted her familiarly.

"Hmm? It's Yoruichi." Shiba Kukaku was slightly taken aback, her eyes widening, and her previously overly aggressive demeanor instantly softened considerably. She reached out and picked up the black cat, Yoruichi nestled comfortably in her arms, her tail gently brushing against her fair arm.

"It has been a while since we last met. Why did you suddenly decide to come over today? Speaking of which, since it's you, why didn't you just come in? Why did you knock?"

“No, no, no, today's situation is a bit special. I didn't come alone; I brought a few guests with me,” Yoruichi explained, wagging her tail. Hearing the black cat's words, Shiba Kukaku finally noticed the high school students standing at the door, too intimidated by her earlier aura to even breathe. “Y-hello,” Inoue Orihime was the first to recover, greeting him somewhat timidly.

Chapter 57: The Shiba Family (Part 1)

Then, the other three also greeted Shiba Kukaku respectfully. "Oh, hello everyone."

After casually replying, Shiba Kukaku finally glanced at Ichigo, who was sitting on the ground rubbing his face after being kicked away by her.

At first glance, she didn't notice anything, but the moment her eyes met Ichigo's, her body trembled slightly, her eyes widened slightly, and her brows furrowed slightly.

"?

Ichigo noticed the subtle change in Shiba Kukaku's expression and was somewhat puzzled.

"Anyway, let's go inside and talk. It's not right for us to just stay at the door." The black cat said, patting Shiba Kukaku's arm with its tail. "We're supposed to be guests, but we're acting like hosts."

"Alright, then come in with me."

After giving Kurosaki Ichigo another deep look, Shiba Kukaku turned and walked into the mansion. The three little ones, the two little ones, and the big one quickly followed.

Kurosaki Ichigo quickly scrambled to his feet and, urged on by Chad, hurried to catch up. But as expected, he still felt that Shiba Kukaku's gaze was slightly strange. "Speaking of which, where's your younger brother?"

Shiba Kukaku led the way, carrying the black cat. She didn't say where they were going. Because of the initial shock, the four of them only dared to follow silently behind.

Yoruichi and Shiba Kukaku, on the other hand, chatted as if no one else was around, "Oh, training."

Shiba Kukaku seemed to be thinking about something, and casually replied, "So diligent?!"

Yoruichi was somewhat shocked. It seemed that she was not only very familiar with Shiba Kukaku, but also knew her younger brother's character very well.

"Hmph, as one of only two men in the Shiba family, if he's not diligent, who is?" Shiba Kukaku sneered, sending a chill down the spines of those following behind.

Now I understand why he's so diligent. Even though we haven't met yet, I already feel a pang of sympathy for Shiba Kukaku's younger brother.

"...Perfect, I'll take you there and let you meet." With that, Shiba Kukaku suddenly turned to the side.

The turn was so sudden that Ichigo and the other three were momentarily stunned before quickly catching up. This suggests that she had originally planned to lead a group of people forward.

After they caught up, the four realized that Shiba Kukaku's words were meant for them. They looked at each other, wondering if they really needed to meet Shiba Kukaku's brother.

Some people are completely baffled.

Shiba Kukaku led a few people to a place that resembled a warehouse. The warehouse was filled with all kinds of training equipment, making it the best training place that fitness enthusiasts dream of. At least when Chad saw this warehouse, his eyes, which were covered by his bangs, lit up slightly.

In this not-so-small training room, there was only one person. Because his back was turned, his face was not visible.

Only his upper body was visible, while his lower body was wearing long pants. His body fat percentage was extremely low due to long-term exercise, unlike Chad's muscular build. He was the type that would appear somewhat thin at first glance.

He used his fists, palms, elbows, and knees to strike the sandbag hanging in front of him at high speed, each punch and strike was so fierce it was astonishing.

Chad Tiger could see that it wasn't just simple punches, but a fighting technique derived from Malay martial arts. Every move was aimed at killing the enemy.

He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that someone had entered the training room, focusing intently on striking the sandbag, his speed increasing faster and faster.

Finally, with a deafening explosion, the sandbag was sent flying!

Kurosaki Ichigo's brow twitched suddenly at the sight. Ishigaki Yuuryu, who was watching, couldn't help but frown.

Chad, watching this, couldn't help but clench his fists repeatedly, as if he also wanted to go up and try it.

The man, who was slightly out of breath and covered in sweat after punching the sandbag, grabbed a water bottle from the side, took a few sips, and then poured the rest over his head.

He turned around to grab a new sandbag and hang it up, only then noticing the group of people watching him from the doorway. His hair was still dripping wet, and it was clear at a glance he was a rather ferocious character.

He had short, neat black hair and a fierce, beast-like gaze. On his right wrist was a swirling tattoo identical to the one on Shiba Kukaku's clothes.

"elder sister?"

Realizing that others had arrived, he stopped training, casually picked up a towel from the side to dry his hair, and asked curiously as he walked over.

"Who are they?"

His gaze swept over Ichigo Kurosaki and his three companions in turn.

It only stopped abruptly when it landed on Ichigo Kurosaki.

He quickly closed the distance between himself and Ichigo, scrutinizing Ichigo's face under Ichigo's bewildered gaze. Ichigo felt a little uneasy, wondering if there was something dirty on his face.

"Who are you?""?

“This is my younger brother, Shiba Ganju.”

Finally, Shiba Kukaku led the group to what appeared to be a reception area. He then introduced Shiba Iwagaku, who had just finished showering and changing his clothes.

Shiba Ganju nodded to everyone. "Hello."

Kurosaki, seemingly oblivious to everyone else, paced back and forth across the table with a cat-like gait. "Kurosaki, you've been acting strangely ever since earlier."

Although there was a suspicion that he was deliberately contradicting Ichigo, Ishigaki Yuuryu's observation skills were quite sharp. He noticed that Ichigo seemed to be acting a bit strange, so he turned slightly towards Ichigo and whispered something to him.

"No, it's not. Didn't you notice how strange the way this family looks at me is?" Ichigo whispered to Yuuryu, turning to him as well.

Both Shiba Kukaku and Shiba Ganju looked at him with strange eyes, as if they had seen something incredible.

What's infuriating is that these two just stared without saying a word. Sitting nearby, Orihime, witnessing the two whispering, had a huge question mark pop into her head: "So...that's definitely how it is."

Ishida Uryu thought about it and realized that it was indeed as Ichigo had said.

Because they only showed strange behavior towards Ichigo, perhaps Ichigo, being the person directly involved, would be more perceptive. "Did you offend them without knowing it?"

"How could that be, you idiots!! This is the first time I've ever seen them, just like you guys!!" Even though he said that, Ichigo couldn't help but start to recall what he had done.

Chapter 58: The Shiba Family (Part 2)

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't come up with a reason. The only possible explanation was the knocking on the door earlier.