XX-level Hokage

As one of the five noble families, Shiba Ganju had some knowledge of the different squads' styles. He covered his forehead in slight pain.

However painful it may be, there is still a way out.

"Alright, I'll see if I can find a chance to stay later. I'll go to the site again tonight to check on the situation." Giving a conclusion so hastily is certainly a headache.

However, there are advantages to this as well. The scene of the incident will no longer be subject to overly tight security or protection; it might even be opened up entirely. Getting to the scene would also be relatively much easier.

The Seventh Division found no clues, but fortunately, Shiba Ganju never expected anything from them in the first place. With his family's secret techniques, Shiba Ganju had more confidence in his own abilities.

As for finding an opportunity... that's easy to find. "Team leader!"

With that, Shiba Ganju raised his hand. "I'm going to the restroom!"

Disappearing during work hours is very noticeable, but disappearing openly during rest periods is perfectly acceptable.

Even if Shiba Ganju didn't appear by the time they were about to leave, these people would just assume he had diarrhea, and then ask the Seventh Division to tell him that he was better and would go back. After all, they were all from the same unit, so this was no big deal.

"Oh, Kakine."

Upon hearing this, the field team leader immediately looked over, recognized the speaker as Shiba Iwagi, and nodded without much thought. However, before he could even give permission...

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed outside the dojo, followed by the dojo gate being flung open. Several members of the Seventh Division appeared, their auras fierce.

No, he should be said to be anxiously shouting at the Fourth Division members who were still resting inside the dojo entrance, "Stop resting! Get up now!!"

Not only the field team leader and the members of the Fourth Division, but even Shiba Ganju was startled.

Chapter 120: The Wind Dies

At first glance, seeing their imposing manner, he thought he had been discovered. However, after observing them more closely, he realized that their expressions seemed a bit off, and that wasn't the case.

The field team leader gestured to the resting group, then walked towards the door and asked, "What's wrong?"

It is said that in the past, the Fourth Division was indeed the lowest-ranking division among the Thirteen Divisions, and anyone from any division could bully the members of the Fourth Division.

However, such a situation seems to have disappeared many years ago. Now, even the members of the Eleventh Division treat the Fourth Division with great courtesy. It is the first time that the field team leader has ever seen someone so blatantly overstep their authority and issue orders without even using honorifics.

"Sorry, it's an emergency." The Seventh Division member, looking anxious, casually brushed it off without any sincerity, and then immediately said, "Please come with us. We need your strength now. Of course, besides you, we have already sent a request for assistance to the Fourth Division headquarters."

Before they could even explain the situation, they had to drag these people somewhere.

In the wooden corridor supported by ancient trees, the members of the Seventh Division led the way, running ahead, while the members of the Fourth Division had no choice but to grit their teeth and keep up. Only as they continued forward did they gradually begin to feel a sense of familiarity mixed with absurdity.

Even though the barracks are different, they can still recognize the building with the open door in front of them... Isn't that the captain's office?

When the members of the Fourth Division finally arrived at their destination, their pupils contracted instantly and they gasped several times as their eyes fell on the captain's office.

A chill ran down my spine, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

"...Yes, as you can see, the captain and vice-captain... have been attacked! Although they are not dead yet, their condition is extremely dangerous, and we need you all to treat them immediately!! Please!!"

The Ninth Division's base. "Eliminate them!"

Hisagi Shuhei shouted this as he leaped high into the air.

Now that Ichigo was no longer the same person he was a few days ago, he naturally understood what Hisagi Shuhei's powerful shout meant.

He immediately stopped in his tracks, standing atop the building. He turned to face Hisagi Shuhei, gripped the hilt of Yue's sword with both hands, and pointed the blade at Hisagi Shuhei, ready for battle.

The reason Ichigo didn't continue running away was because he feared that Hisagi Shuhei's Zanpakuto was just the type that was designed to deal with this situation.

After all, according to Yoruichi, Zanpakuto are not just like Renji Abarai and Ikkaku Madarame, which only change in appearance and are essentially physical attack types. There are many more mysterious and unpredictable types.

As expected, the Zanpakuto in Saki Shuhei's hand changed. The straight Zanpakuto in his hand fell softly like rubber in an instant, but in that process, it instantly transformed into a long black chain.

Two sharp blades, resembling bamboo dragonflies, were attached to the ends of the black chain. As Hisagi Shuhei pulled down forcefully, the two blades began to spin rapidly between his neck and neck.

They charged towards Ichigo from the left and right along bizarre routes. "—Ichika Die!!"

Ichigo frowned slightly, focusing intently on catching the wind blades approaching him from both sides. The good news was that they weren't some strange or unpredictable special ability.

The bad news is that, although it's still a physical ability, it's even more troublesome than those of Renji Abarai and Ikkaku Madarame. Changes like "Wind Death" can already be categorized as a type of unorthodox weapon, and its trajectory is even more unpredictable. The two blades, one on the left and one on the right, seem to come riding the wind yet also cleave through the deadly aura brought by the gale.

Ichigo remained motionless in the position, maintaining his stance, which might have made an uninformed person think he had gone mad. However, just before the two wind blades were about to cut into his body, Ichigo suddenly moved!

He forcefully leaned towards the rooftop beneath his feet, leaping and tumbling to dodge the wind blade attacking from the left. Using the momentum, he held his sword in one hand and smoothly thrust out the Zan Yue, colliding with the wind blade that followed closely from the right.

Regardless, Zangetsu's size advantage was undeniable. Accompanied by the ear-piercing sound of blades clashing and exploding sparks, the wind blade on the right had no chance against Zangetsu and was sent flying.

Ichigo has never played with the Wind Death, but he has played with the Bamboo Copter.

Knowing that once a bamboo dragonfly takes flight, its trajectory is unpredictable; even the slightest change in the wind will cause it to change course.

Not to mention, the tail of the Wind-Dying Beast, now resembling a bamboo dragonfly, is connected to a chain that seems to have no effect on its movement. What does this mean?

This means that you have control over the lock! Hisagi Shuhei, the chain wielder, can adjust the trajectory of the wind at any time.

Once Ichigo has assumed the appropriate stance, Hisagi Shuhei will immediately change his flight path to make it difficult for Ichigo to defend himself.

Therefore, he gave up on dodging and counterattacking before the wind-death reached him, when the wind-death's trajectory could no longer be decisively changed in an instant.

This tactic is actually quite simple; the key lies in the psychological qualities of the respondent.

The Grim Reaper's Touch, capable of injuring with a single touch and killing with a single contact, tore through the wind and hurtled towards him, feeling as if a red-hot iron chopstick were being pierced directly into his eyes. Few could overcome their instinctive fear and refrain from looking away.

Hisagi Shuhei neither praised nor paid attention to Ichigo's response. He remained silent, simply gripping the black chain with both hands and pulling on it forcefully.

For him, unleashing the Zhanwan Blade and using the Wind Death technique to counter the enemy already signified a certain resolve. It was a resolve to take down the enemy at all costs.

For Hisagi Shuhei, battle was by no means a pleasant thing; on the contrary, it was a rather terrifying and frightening thing.

Therefore, the battle itself is not something to be praised or exciting; all that remains is the tragedy of burying the enemy or oneself.

What's so noteworthy about such a battle?

What seemed like a simple action, however, was that as the black chain was passed along, the scythes attached to both ends of the chain moved as nimbly as if they were on an invisible track in the air.

One blade Ichigo dodged, another he repelled. Both blades continued to spin in the wind, neither falling. Or rather, even if they fell, it wouldn't matter; Hisagi Shuhei could summon them at any time.

Chapter 121: Defeat!

Splash splash ...

With a crisp clang of chains clashing, the rapidly spinning wind blades hurtled towards Ichigo once more. "Damn it, this is so troublesome!"

Ichigo used the same tactic as before, only reacting when the wind blades were right in front of him.

But as if to say that the same move can't be used twice, this time, just as the wind blade was about to reach Ichigo's eyes, Hisagi Shuhei suddenly pulled the chains.

It's like hitting the brakes on a train that can't turn back... no, it's like forcing it to reverse.

The extremely smooth cutting process was suddenly interrupted midway. This caused Ichigo to miss his chance to dodge.

In that brief moment, the wind attack struck again, and Ichigo could only knock one of the blades away despite his best efforts.

Another sword, the Wind-Slaying Sword, aimed directly at Ichigo's head. If Ichigo hadn't reacted quickly enough, his head might have been severed.

Even so, the spinning blade still grazed Ichigo's face, leaving a straight and deep gash. Blood flowed out from the wound and dripped down his cheek.

"I think I can understand it this way."

Ichigo wiped his cheek with the back of his hand, leaving a bright red stain.

His eyes were fixed on Hisagi Shuhei, who was simply holding a chain and swinging it casually, yet was able to launch a continuous barrage of attacks against him.

“So you won’t let me go unless I defeat you here.” Saki Shuhei did not respond.

Is that expression saying, "What kind of sweet dream are you having?" or "I won't say the same thing a third time?" or is it questioning Ichigo, "Do you have a problem with your ears or your comprehension?"

"Oh, I see. I understand."

The pain in his face kept transmitting from the nerve endings to his brain, making Ichigo clearly realize what battle really meant to these Shinigami and these warriors.

That wasn't child's play or amusement; it was a brutal act where only two outcomes existed: defeating or being defeated. No longer adopting a relaxed attitude, Ichigo concentrated his spiritual pressure at his feet.

With a deafening roar, the building beneath his feet was crushed by the immense spiritual pressure, while Ichigo was launched like a rocket straight towards Hisagi Shuhei in the sky!

"!"

Faced with a special weapon like the Wind Death, and a user like Hisagi Shuhei, the more one retreats, the faster one dies.

Therefore, whether you want to get away from him or win, facing him head-on and launching an attack is the best option.

Ichigo's fighting style is still all about sheer force and flying bricks; it's no longer about being extravagant, it's just a wasteful way of releasing spiritual pressure downwards.

The reaction force propels it toward its target.

As Ichigo charged towards him at full speed, Hisagi Shuhei's eyelids twitched slightly.

The chains were pulled backward, and with a sharp clanging sound, the two Wind Death Scythes also suddenly rebounded, retracting inward in an arc like a sharp angle. The retracted Wind Death Scythes were even faster than Ichigo; if Ichigo hadn't stopped there and continued forward, he would have landed his blade on Saki Osamu.

In the instant before the soldier is killed, he will be cut off from the left and right by two scythes.

Ichigo naturally realized this as well.

However, at that moment, he recalled the time when he fought Kenpachi Zaraki, when Zangetsu took him into his inner world and fought against a white figure with a contrasting color.

To be precise, it was the one with the reversed color who used the method of Zan Yue.

Right before Hisagi Shuhei's eyes, Ichigo... actually loosened his grip!

The massive and heavy blade of Zangetsu naturally slipped from Ichigo's hand and fell toward the ground.

Before Hisagi Shuhei could react to what Ichigo was about to do, Ichigo turned and grabbed the hilt of Zangetsu and the white cloth strip that was originally used to wrap the blade as a hilt.

Then, with Ichigo's forceful swing, Zangetsu, suspended by the white cloth strip, began to spin like a rotating scythe of wind.

Because of the extremely rapid rotation, the entire Zangetsu form a semi-transparent black circular fan.

Not only that, Ichigo moved the black round fan left and right, and as the speed increased, it seemed that two black round fans appeared simultaneously on the left and right sides of Ichigo for protection.

When the Death Scythe arrived as promised in front of Ichigo, it couldn't even get close to him before being directly bounced away by the black round fan protection next to Ichigo!

Hisagi Shuhei's pupils immediately contracted, and he instantly realized something was wrong.

Although he dislikes using the Kazeshiki form and ability, it is still his Zanpakuto, and he has several ways to use Kazeshiki.

Just as Ichigo realized after suffering a loss that the same method couldn't be used to deal with Kazeshi twice in a row, he immediately adopted a different approach to fight Kazeshi this time.

Ichigo is not the brainless thug he appears to be; on the contrary, he is quite clever.

When Ichigo got this close, and when Kazeshiro was knocked back, at this distance and in this gap, he no longer had the ability to use Kazeshiro to defend.

When the Wind Death is unleashed, it gains a mid-to-long-range attack range and can apply unpredictable attack routes.

The drawback is that once he is caught in close combat, he is unable to effectively defend himself or even counterattack. Therefore, at this moment, all he holds in his hand is a chain, nothing more.

After deflecting the returning Death Scythe, Ichigo no longer gripped the bandage and spun Zangetsu at high speed. Instead, he threw Zangetsu upwards and leaped up to grab it again.