XX-level Hokage

Kisuke Urahara's smile gradually disappeared, replaced by a serious expression. He carefully considered his words before speaking: "Mr. Kurosaki, you've already heard about what happened to me, haven't you?"

Ichigo unconsciously frowned, turning his face away from Kisuke Urahara, who was originally looking at him.

All of us, including Rukia Kuchiki, were used by this guy; that's an undeniable fact. "Hmm," Ichigo responded softly.

"So, that's why I came here specifically." Saying this, Kisuke Urahara reached out and took off the hat he always wore, placing it on his chest.

At the same time, under Ichigo's gaze, he knelt down on the ground!

Ichigo's eyes widened, unable to comprehend the situation before him. Although Urahara Kisuke seemed like just a suspicious convenience store manager to him, judging from his past deeds, this guy was actually quite an extraordinary figure.

Then now Urahara Kisuke.

"I really am so grateful." Kisuke Urahara knelt down in front of Ichigo and bowed his head deeply.

Yoruichi, standing to the side, didn't seem inclined to do anything. Judging from her expression, she probably guessed from the beginning that Urahara Kisuke would do this. Yoruichi also didn't say anything to Ichigo. This wasn't a question of whether she, having also used Ichigo and the others, had the right to speak, but rather whether...

Whether Ichigo is willing to accept Kisuke Urahara's donation is a personal matter; he has complete freedom to accept or refuse.

Finally, Ichigo let out a deep sigh.

"Don't be like this," he said helplessly. "It's over and done with. I'm not angry. Actually, you didn't do anything particularly bad. Regardless of your intentions, it's an indisputable fact that you've given us a lot of help and made us stronger. That's the only thing I'm grateful for, so you don't need to apologize."

Rather, if Ichigo were truly angry or resentful of Urahara Kisuke because of this, how could he have spoken so casually with him before Urahara Kisuke brought up the topic?

Unlike Aizen, Sousuke, or Urahara Kisuke, who never showed their emotions, Ichigo, still a boy, always wore his feelings on his sleeve.

"However, there's one thing you did right: I also thought to myself that if you didn't apologize when we got back, no matter who you are, I'd give you a good punch in the face!" Ichigo raised his fist, his tone joking but also full of sincerity.

"...That's really Mr. Kurosaki's style," Kisuke Urahara murmured.

"Since you've already said so, I accept it, so don't overthink it," Ichigo said sternly.

"Mr. Kurosaki, your attitude makes me feel even smaller." Although he said that, you could clearly feel that Kisuke Urahara breathed a sigh of relief, and the hard look on his face disappeared.

The fact that Kisuke Urahara could react this way to Ichigo's forgiveness means that he still has a conscience.

Not only that, Kisuke Urahara continued, "Not only Mr. Kurosaki, but I also have to go see Ms. Kuchiki later. It's the same there. I'm very sorry."

"Ah, right! That's it! I was just about to say that!" Ichigo immediately said as soon as Urahara Kisuke mentioned it. "But I already thought of it before I even said it, you..."

This guy is actually quite sincere.

"Be brave enough to take responsibility and admit your mistakes. You'll dare to do it again next time!" Kisuke Urahara snapped open his folding fan, held it in front of his face, and spoke in his usual carefree tone.

"I'll hit you!!" Ichigo raised his fist threateningly.

"Speaking of which, Ichigo, you looked so bored just now. What were you thinking?" Yoruichi, who was standing to the side with her arms crossed, hadn't forgotten the original topic and brought it back up again.

Even Ichigo himself only realized what Yoruichi was saying after his eyes were filled with glue.

“Speaking of which… since you’re here too, Yoruichi, I might as well tell you. I was thinking that we’ve been in Soul Society for too long and it’s time to go back.” Ichigo shared his thoughts.

"Ah... this..." Yoruichi drawled, as if she was thinking about something. "Is there something inconvenient?" Ichigo asked.

"No, I was just thinking, since we've come all this way, how about we take this opportunity to have some special training in the Soul Society?" Yoruichi's lips curled into a sly smile. "?" Ichigo asked, puzzled.

"I can get Mashiro to teach you, I mean really teach you, not just to fool you. Mashiro is really strong." Yoruichi's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"??" Ichigo's face was full of doubt, and he was suddenly shocked: Was he just fooling me before?

Chapter 161: True Hyaku vs. Ichigo

Second Division Training Grounds.

"Are you sure, Ichigo-kun?" Mashiro looked at Kurosaki Ichigo in front of her with a meaningful smile on her face, a smile that carried a hint of amusement. Seeing Mashiro's expression, Ichigo felt a chill run down his spine, as if he were being attacked by some unknown force.

But he remained steadfast in his belief, his gaze burning as he replied, "Yes, Mashiro, I want to see just how big the gap is between me and you guys!"

His tone was full of youthful passion and resilience. "Alright then~, don't cry later," Mashiro said softly.

She also wanted to take this opportunity to see for herself just how much Ichigo had grown. Half an hour later.

"Crescent Moon Sky Slash!!!"

With such a powerful shout, Ichigo suddenly swung his black sword down.

A deafening roar followed, and an enormous, incomparably large, black-red crescent moon suddenly erupted from the jet-black blade.

The immense spiritual pressure slash was like an indestructible barrier, rushing straight towards Mashiro, who was calm and composed in front of him, like a raging beast.

The dark crescent moon moved straight ahead, leaving a clear scorch mark on the ground—a testament to how space was torn apart and the earth scorched wherever it went.

However, something incredible happened right before Ichigo's eyes.

The girl standing in front of the crescent moon, Mashiro, didn't even try to dodge. She didn't even draw her sword; she just stood there, unmoved, like a towering mountain.

Only when the crescent moon was close enough to reach her did she casually raise her hand. Unbeknownst to her, a blue light had already wrapped around her hand, the light like a dancing sprite, exuding a mysterious and powerful aura.

She simply raised her hand, as if to dispel some trivial dust, and with a casual wave of her palm, the jet-black crescent moon, powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rocks, was torn apart and dissolved into scattered spiritual particles in the air, leaving not a trace.

"This is impossible!" This was the first thought that flashed through Ichigo's mind, filled with extreme shock and disbelief.

Throughout the entire history of Soul Society, very few people have mastered the Release technique. This was something Yoruichi Shihouin said before training him in it. This means that once someone masters the Release, they possess a formidable power that is at least among the top in Soul Society.

As it turns out, even if he had learned the technique, he still wouldn't have been able to defeat Aizen Sousuke. But with his current abilities, he shouldn't have been so thoroughly defeated without even being qualified to fight someone with a sword.

"Was it because I went easy on him?" This was the second thought that popped into Ichigo's mind.

If it's not the opponent's fault, then it's my fault. Is it because this was just a cut, because the opponent hasn't drawn their weapon yet, that I subconsciously held back and didn't unleash my true abilities to avoid accidentally killing them?

Of course, it's meaningless to just think about it. That's what battle is all about. No matter how strong or weak the opponent is, you can only get a final answer through continuous battles.

So, Ichigo consciously increased his power, disappearing from his original spot as if he had teleported. When he reappeared, he was already to Mashiro's left and behind.

Generally speaking, when people are attacked from the diagonal rear opposite their dominant hand, their reaction time is about half a beat slower.

Ichigo swung his Zanpakuto forcefully at Mashiro, leaving a black trail in the air. A jet-black crescent moon shot out from the Zanpakuto once more!

What Ichigo didn't know was that the usual approach didn't apply to the girl in front of him. It wasn't because of her dominant hand or anything else, but because no matter whether he attacked from the left or the right, from the front or from behind, relying on that was simply a waste of time.

Mashiro didn't even glance at Ichigo; she simply took a step back and dodged the massive crescent-shaped slash.

The jet-black crescent flew past Mashiro at a distance of only a foot, and a few traces of black spiritual pressure, like sparks, swept past her without even touching the hem of her clothes.

Then, without changing her expression, Mashiro lightly kicked Ichigo's open body.

Ichigo frowned, tensing his body and expression. With incredible speed, he adjusted his posture and swung his sword upwards with a backhand strike.

His attack missed again, and Ichigo consciously increased his power once more, his spiritual pressure erupting from his body like boiling magma. Mashiro leaned back, dodging Ichigo's Crescent Moon slash once more. She felt the wind whipping past her eyes as she seemed to lose her balance...

She gently fell towards the ground, but just as she was about to hit the floor, she braced herself with her hands, performed a graceful backflip, and created distance between herself and Ichigo.

Mashiro was the one who retreated, but Ichigo felt absolutely no advantage, not even the slightest bit of superiority. Mashiro, having distanced herself and stood up again, simply looked at Ichigo, a light smile playing on her lips, a smile that held an all-knowing understanding.

It was as if all she wanted to see was Ichigo wielding his Zanpakuto, nothing more, as if Ichigo's attacks were nothing more than child's play.

Ichigo was puzzled by Mashiro's demeanor, which made him unconsciously want to understand her thoughts, causing him to react a beat too late. By the time he realized it, Mashiro had already disappeared.

With a deafening explosion, the dust-filled air was torn apart, and the gust of wind that rushed towards him felt like it was cutting into Ichigo's skin. Something was hurtling straight at him, moving faster than he could perceive.

The attack was straightforward and open, with no attempt at concealment. Because of this, Ichigo didn't even need to consider whether it was a trick or a cover-up.

Without a second thought, and almost out of control, he swung his Zanpakuto directly forward. His power was unrestrained, pouring out like a floodgate bursting open, transforming into a gigantic crescent moon capable of submerging all the space in front of him.

"Ichigo roared again, concentrating all his spiritual pressure into this one spot!"

Faced with such an attack, even Aizen and Sousuke wouldn't be able to escape unscathed; they would at least have to dodge. Just as this thought strangely flashed through Ichigo's mind, his thoughts were interrupted.

"Ichigo-kun, are you even getting serious? Why are your attacks so weak?" A clear voice, tinged with doubt yet also with a hint of amusement, suddenly rang out.

Ichigo didn't even have time to figure out where the voice came from; he could only feel a heavy punch suddenly hitting his abdomen, so powerful that he could barely breathe.

Compared to the cramping pain in my abdomen, the first thing I felt was the floating sensation of my body being thrown into the air.

Ichigo was blasted away, flying through the huge training arena, smashing through the stone railings surrounding it, and finally, with a loud "boom," his figure stepped directly into the wall surrounding the training arena, forming a clear human-shaped indentation.

"Ah... although I had expected it."

Embedded in the wall as if he had been beaten, Ichigo was still wearing a close-fitting shihaka outfit with red inside and black outside. The zanpakuto in his hand was not the huge kitchen knife style, but a light, thin and delicate samurai sword style.

In other words, although it was just a cut, Ichigo had already used his unlocked ability. This doesn't mean that Ichigo suddenly became serious and couldn't take the fight seriously.

Instead, it was from the very beginning that the other side demanded that he use his "Kai" to demonstrate his full power.

But it is precisely because of this that the result seems so unacceptable.

Yoruichi, with her hands behind her back, slowly limped over to Ichigo's side, her face showing an expression of wanting to see her get a beating. She shook her head and said with a touch of emotion, "But to be beaten up like this is too tragic."

Protect:

Chapter 162: The Essence (Part 1)

Immediately afterwards, without any external help, Ichigo Kurosaki pulled himself out of the wall.

Although he looked disheveled, he had only taken one punch, and his life was not in danger. After all, this was just training, and going to that extent was a bit too much.

Even so, Ichigo, who had pulled himself out of the wall, lay there, breathing heavily as if he were drowning, and it took him quite a while to recover.

Ichigo felt he had been in the Tokonoma World for a while, and thus began to long for home.

Unexpectedly, Yoruichi offered a different perspective. Although Aizen was the enemy of all the Shinigami in Soul Society, now that Ichigo had been dragged into this, no one could guarantee that Aizen wouldn't take action against them.

Furthermore, even if Aizen and Sosuke weren't targeting Ichigo and the other humans, it's always right to increase one's strength and become stronger. Only by becoming stronger can one protect those one wants to protect.

Yoruichi then suggested that Ichigo stay in the Soul Society for a while longer to take advantage of the conditions there for special training, and even proposed that Mashiro train Ichigo.

Ultimately, Ichigo has a very good impression of Mashiro, since they can be considered childhood friends. Although he now knows he has been deceived, he can't bring himself to be angry.

He only knew that Mashiro was very strong, but he didn't have any specific understanding of her strength.

Even though it's said that Ichigo should have witnessed the fight between Mashiro and Aizen, Ichigo, along with Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai, were actually defeated at that time, so they didn't see the heavyweight scene where Aizen ran away as soon as he saw her.

So when Yoruichi brought up the idea, Kisuke Urahara immediately egged Ichigo on to agree.

Ichigo approved of Kisuke Urahara's judgment. Yoruichi had a "you've really gotten a great deal, kid" look on her face, and Kisuke Urahara had an "you really have gotten a great deal" look on his face, which made Ichigo agree without really understanding what was going on.

However, Ichigo also had his own considerations.

He also knew that he had only recently acquired the power of the Grim Reaper and had no way of properly using it.

Many opponents, including Ikkaku Madarame, have commented that he has nothing to offer in terms of skill and power, relying entirely on emotion and brute force.

If I can take this opportunity to learn better ways to use my strengths, that would be even better.

Ichigo is a top student, and precisely because he's a top student, he doesn't consider his behavior normal. The difference between achieving twice the result with half the effort and achieving half the result with twice the effort is significant.

Then, led by Yoruichi, Ichigo arrived at the Second Division's headquarters and found Mashiro working there. After listening to Yoruichi's idea, Mashiro thought for a while and then nodded in agreement to train Ichigo.