XX-level Hokage

"As I just mentioned, it seems the Grim Reaper is determined to trap us and wait for someone to flee. In other words, they've redeployed a significant portion of their forces to the periphery. The good news is that the defenses of the core area where we need to launch our operation have become weaker, allowing us to act with a bit more confidence and boldness. Isn't that good news?"

Chapter 82: A bald man suddenly appeared from the crowd

A corner of the Third Division's headquarters.

A spiky orange head cautiously peeked out, quickly glanced around, and then swiftly withdrew. The retracted head smacked its lips, its wide eyes seemingly deep in thought.

Meanwhile, Tan's bespectacled male companion in the corner frowned and looked at him in confusion, wondering what he was up to.

After thinking for a few seconds, the orange-haired hedgehog repeated the action he had just performed.

However, this time it wasn't nearly as swift as the last one. Because...

It was too fast just now, I didn't see anything! Let me take another look.

After taking a closer look several times, the spiky-haired man stepped back, uttering a somewhat wistful remark. "Sure enough, the security is much more relaxed now than that night..."

If their actions within the Seireitei a few nights ago were on hard mode, then this can be considered easy mode.

That night, death was everywhere. Teams of death patrolled tirelessly, and you could easily run into one of them if you weren't careful.

But today is different. Along the way, although there were also Grim Reapers patrolling, it was only a little more serious than the usual patrols.

As expected, considering that they may have already succeeded and that their next objective is most likely to be to leave Seireitei rather than continue operating within it, most of the troops were redeployed to guard the exits and edges of Seireitei to prevent them from finding any loopholes and slipping out.

"However, these Grim Reapers don't know, and neither do we know where Kuchiki-kun is." Ishigaki Yuuryu pushed up his glasses and sighed.

His tone was as if to say that if he had a choice, he would rather have Rukia Kuchiki been rescued by them, since they were now racking their brains to figure out how to escape.

I also don't want to face this situation where things seem more relaxed and I can move freely, but in reality, I've still found nothing. There's no point in talking about it now. Let's go see if we can find any clues.

Seeing no Grim Reapers patrolling the area for a short time, Ichigo, with his orange spiky hair, felt relieved. He called to Uryu Ishida and they emerged from their hiding place, heading in a direction that felt both familiar and unfamiliar.

The reason I say it's familiar is because just two or three days ago, he was right here, only a step away from Rukia Kuchiki. If he had been a little stronger back then, Rukia Kuchiki probably wouldn't have been kidnapped by the mysterious person.

The reason it's described as a trap is because even including this time, this is only his second time here.

Moreover, the last time was at night, and now it's daytime. The same scenery can present a completely different appearance at different times, but the traces of damage caused by the battle that night are still clearly visible.

The walls, the ground, the buildings—everything was in a terrible state, and there wasn't time to fix it; it was cordoned off with orange and black police tape. Ichigo looked at the police tape used for isolation, several question marks flashing through his mind.

Seeing such modern treatment in a place like Seireitei suddenly caught him off guard.

Does this thing really fit the style of Seireitei? "Kurosaki-kun."

As Ichigo walked out with him, Uryu Ishida let out a soft sigh, seemingly in a bad mood, and called out to Ichigo again.

"What's wrong?" "Idiot!"

Ishida Uryu gave him a speechless look.

"This is the enemy's headquarters! Can't you be a little more self-aware? The enemy is already here, and you're acting like nothing's wrong. Do you think you're a cat with nine lives?!"

Ichigo's pupils constricted sharply as Ishida Uryu's reprimand reached his ears, and he instinctively grabbed Zangetsu, which he had been carrying on his back. "Where is the enemy?"

He stopped instinctively before he could even finish speaking.

He subconsciously looked in the direction Ishida Uryu was looking, and for a moment he was almost blinded by the light.

Under the sunlight, a certain spot emitted a dazzling light, like a light bulb. The intense light even fell directly around Ichigo's eyes, making it almost impossible for him to open them.

"Hmph, I didn't expect you to find out. You're quite vigilant! No wonder you're the traveler who kidnapped Rukia Kuchiki." A man's voice rang out from that direction.

Immediately following the flash of two dark figures, two figures landed on the other side of the ruins, which were cordoned off by police tape, in front of Ichigo and Uryu Ishida.

“You’ve hit the jackpot, Yumichika! I told you, one of the things criminals love to do most is go back to the crime scene!” “Yes, yes, but I always feel that you’re more likely to have stumbled upon the truth by accident, Ikkaku-kun.”

Two men fell from the height; one of them wore a feather ornament near his right eye and a garment consisting of a neck guard and sleeves.

But indeed, what's more concerning than him is the other person who fell with him... "Okay—"

Ichigo squinted and couldn't help but squeeze out a sound from his throat.

"well--"

"So what's so good about it, you stupid raccoon?!" "What a shiny head!!"

That's right, the one that was shining brightly in the sun, like a light bulb, was a round, bald head.

Judging from their conversation, it can be inferred that the two of them had probably been waiting nearby since early morning, hiding somewhere like Ichigo and Uryu Ishida.

However, they seemed completely unaware of their own...

Its fatal flaw is that when it's hiding in a corner, it's not noticeable because of the angle and obstruction. Up to this point, it can be said to be perfect.

But as soon as he came out from the corner, Shi Youyulong immediately noticed the shiny bald head.

Why hide something with such a fatal flaw?! At least don't hide in such a high place; find a place where you can block out the sun, okay?!

"##!"

With red eyeshadow at the corners of his eyes, the already narrow-eyed, bald man—Banmu Yijiao—suddenly revealed several prominent blue veins on his smooth, round head.

"I'll kill you, you little brat!!"

I had originally planned to at least gather some information before drawing my sword, but now I've completely forgotten about that.

Madarame Ikkaku transformed into a bolt of lightning, accompanied by a cold light even brighter than the light from his head, severing the barrier separating the two sides with a single strike.

But the strike didn't stop there; it continued its momentum, reaching directly in front of Ichigo and slashing down with unstoppable force from his front! "Blocked it!"

With one hand holding a sword and the other holding a scabbard, Madarame Ikkaku whispered as if talking to himself.

The strike he delivered, though merely a simple, level slash, was executed with utmost seriousness. Even within the Eleventh Division, comprised entirely of battle maniacs, few could so easily block his attack. Yet, this very act unfolded before their very eyes.

His sword struck the excessively large kitchen knife, but Ichigo blocked it firmly.

However, instead of being enraged, he couldn't help but reveal a wild smile of excitement.

"That's good!! If you didn't even have this much strength, wouldn't it have been a waste of our energy to wait here for you for two hours?!"

"You guys actually waited here for four whole hours! How bored are you?!" Ichigo forcefully shoved Madarame Ikkaku back into the air.

Ban jumped back a few times from one corner to dissipate his strength and came to a steady stop.

Ichigo was initially a little worried because no one was waiting for him there, but when he heard that they had been there for four hours, he suddenly felt less serious for some reason.

Even Ichigo knew that one shichen equals two hours, and two shichen equals four hours. In other words, that shiny bald head had been shining there for a full four hours!! If someone didn't know the truth, they would have thought it was their own omen of death that had been flashing there nonstop.

Chapter 83: The Battle of the Bald

"Idiot, are you deaf or something? Can't you understand what others are saying?!" Ikkaku Madarame placed his hand on his neck, twisting his neck and body, making a crackling sound.

The sound was loud, and at the same time, Yu Jin said in a slightly rude tone.

"I told you, these four hours weren't wasted, didn't you hear me! If you're hard of hearing, then start listening now." After finishing his activity, Madara turned his blade towards Ichigo from one corner.

"I am Madarame Ikkaku, the 3rd Seat of the Zaraki Division. I'm the one who's going to kill you next. Don't die without ever knowing who killed you! Madarame Ikkaku...?"

"The guy who taught me how to fight always says 'tell me your name' at the end. Because someone who's destined to die on the battlefield will at least want to know who killed them."

"Is that so? While I didn't intend to kill you, I'll introduce myself anyway. Kurosaki Ichigo, that's my name." Hmph, you really have plenty of leeway. I hope you stay this arrogant!

Madarame Ikkaku was a complete battle maniac. Before Ichigo arrived, Ayasegawa Yumichika had probably emphasized to him many times that if he really managed to capture someone, he should achieve this or that goal before the battle and try to extract as much information as possible from his opponent.

But when that moment actually arrived, Madarame Ikkaku had long since forgotten all those things; all he could think about was: Let's fight to our hearts' content!! Besides...

In his mind, the only thing he probably still remembered was the rule: "State your name if you come, for I do not strike nameless nobodies."

At the moment the swords clashed, Ichigo also felt the rising fighting spirit of Madarame Ikkaku. It was because of this that he instantly realized that Madarame Ikkaku was not the kind of opponent who could be communicated with through words.

Or rather, if they want to communicate with him, they must at least defeat him first. If they don't defeat Madarame Ikkaku first, then they can forget about doing anything.

That's why, when Madarame Ikkaku assumed a fighting stance, Ichigo raised Zangetsu without even thinking.

Then, both of them abandoned their companions and charged at each other! "Kurosaki-kun!!"

The fighting spirit and emotions conveyed by the clash of swords are something that Uryu Ishida, who wields an archery skill, can hardly comprehend.

That's why, when he saw Ichigo draw his sword and attack without saying a word, he couldn't help but curse Ichigo in his heart as a "brute!"

But the battle had already begun, and there was no way to back out halfway. Even he knew this. Raising his hand to summon his spirit bow, he prepared to go and help, to join forces and defeat Madarame Ikkaku first.

As expected, perhaps because Madarame Ikkaku's bald head was so eye-catching, people naturally overlooked Ayasegawa Yumichika, who was traveling with him and had fallen behind at the same time.

Just as Ishigawa Yuyu was about to take action, Yumichika Kousegawa naturally stepped in front of him.

“Ikkaku and the other two are having a great time right now, so could you please not go and disturb them?” Ishida Uryu stopped and warily eyed Ayasegawa Yumichika.

He pointed his spirit bow at Ayasegawa Yumichika. "Personally, I don't want any unnecessary conflict. It would be best if you could step aside. That being said, if you insist, then I'll have no choice but to..."

"Are you sure you're not mistaken about something?"

"The moment you stepped into Seireitei, the moment you stood on this land that should never have existed, the premise of so-called unnecessary conflict... simply ceased to exist. Your statement is rather arrogant, human."

Before Yumichika Segawa could even finish speaking, his figure, which was blocking Uryu Ishida's path, suddenly became blurry.

Even though Ishida Uryu reacted instinctively by using the Quincy's secret technique, the Flying Leg, Ayasegawa Yumichika was caught off guard and launched the first attack because the two were too close together.

Ishida Uryu still hadn't fully grasped the situation.

At extremely close range, Ayakawa Yumichika's face flashed into view.

Ishida Uryu himself felt himself being gripped by five slender fingers. An astonishing force struck him, dragging him along with brute force.

Even though Yuryu struggled desperately, he was still instantly pulled away from the battlefield where Ichigo and Madara were fighting.

Then, he was thrown out, and after a brief, unsettling feeling of suspension, Shi Youyulong, carried by the irresistible inertia, slammed hard against the wall behind him before finally coming to a stop.

"Forehead-"

Squeezing a sound from his throat, Ishida Uryu stared sternly at Ayasegawa Yumichika, who casually dusted off his hands. "So strong."

Unlike the arrogant yet striking power of Ikkaku Madarame.

Ayasegawa Yumichika is the kind of person who doesn't show off his strength. At first glance, he seems very weak, but in reality, he is excessively strong and can shock anyone when he suddenly makes a move.

"I've heard that there's a Quincy who uses a bow in the Travellings. You must be the one I'm talking about. I've heard of Quincy before, but this is the first time I've actually seen one. ...Aren't you going to draw your sword, Shinigami?"

Slightly out of breath, Ishida Uryu, adjusting his breathing, retorted defiantly, "If you want to force me to draw my sword, you'd better see if you have the strength."

Ayasegawa Yumichika extended his finger towards Ishida Uryu, and the light of Kido appeared at his fingertip.

Oh right, according to Ichigo-kun's rules, I should state my name first. Remember, the Shinigami who defeated you is the 5th Seat of the 11th Division—Tsugisegawa Yumichika.

boom--!!

It sounded like air being compressed together and then detonated, or like the sound of an explosion that broke the sound barrier.