XX-level Hokage

If he unleashes his full power within manageable limits, he won't be able to protect anyone but himself. If he completely unleashes his power without restraint, it might even cause irreversible damage to himself.

But now, in order to repel or even kill Gin Ichimaru while protecting Rangiku Matsumoto, he even pushed himself beyond his limits in a fit of rage, without realizing it.

The room, barely the size of a duty room, remained unchanged on the side where Matsumoto Rangiku was, while the side without her was completely destroyed.

Buried by ice, this is something that even under normal circumstances, it would be difficult for Toshiro Hitsugaya to do, even if he held his breath and exerted all his strength.

"Matsumoto, hang in there!!"

Hitsugaya Toshiro, who landed next to Matsumoto Rangiku, shouted at her.

But Matsumoto Rangiku just lay there motionless on the ground, unresponsive no matter how much he called out to her. "That's it."

It seemed as if a voice was whispering something in Hitsugaya Toshiro's ear, reminding him of something. He stopped wasting his time and instead placed his fingers near Matsumoto Rangiku's neck.

The contrast between Matsumoto Rangiku's warm body and Hitsugaya Toshiro's icy fingers made it even clearer for Hitsugaya Toshiro to feel the pulse of Matsumoto Rangiku's life.

"There is still hope."

A slight relaxation appeared on Hitsugaya Toshiro's tightly furrowed brows and icy expression. He placed his fingers on the spot on Matsumoto Rangiku's body where she had been stabbed and was bleeding profusely.

With a soft clicking sound, an ice flower formed from congealed blood bloomed at the site of Matsumoto Rangiku's wound.

From an emergency perspective, this is definitely not a good solution, but it is the limit that Hitsugaya can do. Even so, it is better than continuous bleeding and letting the vital oil keep flowing out of the body.

First, take emergency measures, then immediately contact the Fourth Division. If they act quickly enough, Matsumoto Rangiku might still be able to...

"Captain Hitsugaya, aren't you taking things a little too easy?" "What?!"

"Shoot him, sharpshooter!!"

A deafening explosion resounded from the center of the Ice Cross.

Ice fragments scattered and dispersed, creating a cloud of ice dust that glittered in the sunlight.

What suppressed all this light was a blinding white light, like a fish piercing the early morning sky, which suddenly appeared from the center of the ice cross.

By the time he noticed, Toshiro Hitsugaya's right shoulder had already been pierced straight through by a slender blade as long as a child's. Toshiro's eyes widened in shock as blood spurted from the pierced area.

He was sent flying past Matsumoto Rangiku along with the slender blade, crashing heavily into the wall of the captain's duty room. No, to be precise, he was pinned to the wall of the captain's duty room by the slender blade.

"As expected, whether as a Shinigami or as a captain, you're a bit too young, Captain Hitsugaya."

The man who emerged from the icy dust was virtually unharmed, except for a few ice stains on his shihachi uniform. A cold smile lingered at the corner of his mouth, transforming into a sinister, venomous grin.

"Otherwise, you wouldn't be unable to protect your own vice-captain, and you wouldn't be unable to avenge your own vice-captain. Why not use blood and pain as sustenance to learn what growth is all about?"

On a tall building not far away, Mashiro watched the battle between the two, and then muttered to himself, "Toshiro is still too young, both in strength and intellect. His Zanpakuto's power is stronger than that of immortality, almost on par with the old man, yet he performs like this. If he were truly at the old man's level, it would be much more convenient."

Chapter 128: Unexpected (Part 2)

"Hopefully this stimulus will have some effect, I hope..." "Ichimaru Gintoki, you?!?"

Hitsugaya Toshiro, nailed to the wall, had a face full of pain, his brows furrowed deeply, and bright red blood oozed from the corner of his mouth and slowly flowed down.

The fact that his right shoulder, which was holding the sword, was pierced, rendering his right hand powerless, is more a testament to Hitsugaya Toshiro's extraordinary ability than that he managed to keep the Zanpakuto from falling out of his hand.

Clenching his teeth and staring intently at Gin Ichimaru, he raised his left hand and pressed it against the slender blade piercing his body, seemingly trying to force it back down.

It can be either pulled out or broken.

"It's Captain Ichimaru, so you're calling him by his first name? Well, I don't really mind."

Despite saying that, Gin Ichimaru, with a smile on his face, casually stirred the Zanpakuto in his hand a few times.

Hitsugaya Toshiro let out several cries of pain, but because he was forcing himself to suppress them, they sounded more like muffled noises in his throat. "I know what you want to ask, isn't it? You just want to know why I'm so strong, why I took your attack head-on without being hurt?" Ichimaru Ginichi said.

He said with a playful expression, "By the way, when did you start to take it for granted that I'm weak?"

Without a second thought, he ripped his Zanpakuto to the side, the snow-white blade slicing straight through Toshiro Hitsugaya's right shoulder.

Although Toshiro Hitsugaya landed back on the ground, blood gushed out from his right shoulder, splattering onto the wall. Behind Toshiro Hitsugaya, it seemed as if a blood-red wing had sprouted.

"The reason I like ambushes is simply because it's often the easiest and least strenuous way to deal with the enemy. But I don't recall ever saying that I'm bad at head-on combat."

The slender blade slowly retracted, its cold surface unstained by a trace of blood. "At least Captain Hitsugaya, you're still far from being able to subdue me with your Shikai."

Hitsugaya Toshiro clutched his right shoulder, which had been pierced and torn apart. Even with his left hand covering the wound, blood continued to gush from between his fingers, dripping onto the ground like raindrops.

Although Hitsugaya Toshiro didn't say anything, he had to admit that Ichimaru Gin's mockery was correct.

Because Gin Ichimaru always prefers to attack from behind and stab people in the back, he has always given Toshiro Hitsugaya the impression that he lacks the strength to resort to such methods.

That's why they ended up in this situation.

But while Toshiro Hitsugaya may be young and impetuous, he does have one redeeming quality.

That is, being able to clearly recognize one's own mistakes and correct them. "Solution!"

Centered on Toshiro Hitsugaya, the crimson frost mist suddenly dissipated. Beads of sweat, trickling from his forehead due to pain, condensed into snow-white ice crystals. Carazine-

The shoulder that Hitsugaya Toshiro was holding was bleeding profusely, and the bleeding blood was enveloped by the blood-red mist and turned into red ice.

Carazine carazine carazine carazine

The blood-red, extremely cold ice extended along Hitsugaya Toshiro's arm until it completely froze his right hand, which was holding the sword, along with the hilt! Hitsugaya Toshiro's right hand transformed into a blood-red dragon's head, with Hyōrinmaru being tightly bitten in the dragon's mouth.

Instead of gushing out blood-red feathers, it was the sudden unfolding of broad and magnificent ice wings that ripped the wall behind Toshiro Hitsugaya flying.

Toshiro Hitsugaya's eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of frost.

White breath escaped from Toshiro Hitsugaya's mouth, transforming into an icy voice: "Daiguren Hyōrinmaru."

Since you say the power of your initial release isn't enough, then I'll just unleash the power of my release directly.

Since you crippled my arm to prevent me from using my full strength, then I'll let Hyōrinmaru take over my right hand and control the power.

Toshiro Hitsugaya never doubted his power; at all times, he and Hyōrinmaru were of one mind. Centered on Toshiro Hitsugaya, the ground began to crackle and spread outwards, gradually turning white.

Not only the ground, but everything in the surrounding landscape experienced the same phenomenon. Frost began to gradually cover the ground and all the buildings.

It even spread directly towards Matsumoto Rangiku, who was not far from Hitsugaya Toshiro.

This is the power of Toshiro Hitsugaya; once unleashed, it will disregard his own will. It forcibly alters the surrounding environment, dragging the area centered on Toshiro Hitsugaya into an ice age – the Daiguren Hyōrinmaru.

It can be described as... an extremely cold hell.

"I will end this battle immediately!"

Hitsugaya Toshiro's eyes flashed with a chilling killing intent. Without the slightest hesitation or pity, he raised his Zanpakuto and swung it down heavily. Once he unleashed its full power, Hitsugaya Toshiro could only protect himself in this icy world.

Even if this power was used to kill Gin Ichimaru, if the battle dragged on for too long, Rangiku Matsumoto would also be drawn in. Therefore, this wasn't just empty threats; Toshiro Hitsugaya had to end the battle immediately.

No longer starting with Hyōrinmaru, but directly from the air above Ichimaru Gin, a blue ice dragon appeared once again, accompanied by a distant and majestic dragon roar.

With a deafening, azure roar, it lunged fiercely at Gin Ichimaru.

Although it appears to be the same ice dragon, all the elements that make up this ice dragon have changed, and the power it possesses is also vastly different from before.

With a deafening roar, the ice dragon slammed heavily onto the earth, and a massive ice cross suddenly unfolded on the ground.

This time, Toshiro Hitsugaya was not careless. He lashed the ground with his ice dragon tail and stretched out his ice arms as he swooped down towards the spot where the ice cross had landed.

However, at the very instant that Toshiro Hitsugaya arrived above the ice cross etched into the earth, a dazzling, cold light suddenly pierced through it.

In an instant, Toshiro Hitsugaya felt his vision become somewhat blurry.

But in reality, accompanied by the howling wind, something was approaching at a terrifying speed.

The cold light that pierced through the Ice Cross swayed like a laser beam, as if a giant tornado had been created using lasers.

Everything that the cold light touched—whether it was buildings, ice blocks, or trees planted around them—was precisely and evenly sliced ​​apart.

Toshiro Hitsugaya couldn't dodge in time; a cold glint flashed across one of the ice wings on his back. Then...

The icy wing cracked silently...

"Have you heard that my divine spear's maximum extension limit is 100 times its original length, hence the name 'Hundred Spears'?" A ghostly voice sounded behind Toshiro Hitsugaya.

Toshiro Hitsugaya felt his heart suddenly tighten, and he instinctively looked behind him.

"Have you ever heard that, in addition to being able to instantly extend and change the length of my blade to assassinate an opponent, I can also enhance the speed and power of my attacks, using it like a whip?"

It's not about slashing the blade, but rather whipping it around like a whip. Just imagine the difference between casually swishing down a thin twig and forcefully flicking it with your wrist, and you'll understand.

The spear is so long that Gin Ichimaru can wield it with ease, even swinging it like a whip. The cutting power it displays is five to ten times that of an ordinary slash.

It's a laser powerful enough to tear everything apart.

"You're really too weak, Captain Hitsugaya."

Chapter 129: Speculation

The divine spear, which had been swinging at a terrifying speed, suddenly stopped.

The blade, a hundred times longer, slowly retracted. Slowly and gracefully.

But with the gushing of blood, Toshiro Hitsugaya, his wing ripped, plummeted straight to the ground, still looking back. Fast, incredibly fast!

It was over in the blink of an eye, before the opponent even realized it. That was Gin Ichimaru's true strength.

The wide sleeves fell down, concealing the short Zanpakuto, which was as short as a wakizashi, and Gin Ichimaru also landed on the ground.

Without even glancing at Hitsugaya Toshiro behind him, he murmured with a touch of melancholy, "I truly... deeply regret." To prevent his power from harming Matsumoto Rangiku, Hitsugaya Toshiro had to end the battle immediately.

Or perhaps the battle will end.

"Emergency report!!" First Squad Barracks.

It seems that from a certain moment on, bad news has been pouring in from all directions. And now, what's being reported is also bad news.

However, the difference this time is that at least some of the bad news contains some useful information.

"An urgent report from the 10th Division: Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya and Vice-Captain Rangiku Matsumoto have been attacked. Toshiro Hitsugaya fought the attackers but was unfortunately defeated."

"Where are the attackers?!" Tosen Kaname was slightly startled and immediately stood up to ask.

Leaving aside the missing Third Division Vice-Captain Kira Izuru and Fifth Division Vice-Captain Hinamori Momo.

Without mentioning Hisagi Shuhei, the vice-captain of the Ninth Division who was previously confirmed to have been defeated by the Ryoka Kurosaki Ichigo, at least the captain and vice-captain of the Seventh Division were seriously injured by an attack from an unknown person.

As predicted, the Tenth Division was also attacked. The report submitted at this time mentioned that Toshiro Hitsugaya was involved in the attack.

The fact that the attackers had engaged in combat suggests that someone nearby was likely involved in the fight, thus providing a breakthrough in identifying the attackers.

"It is reported that

The reporter hesitated for a moment, but gritted his teeth and blurted out the unbelievable news: "It's the Third Division Captain, Gin Ichimaru!"