XX-level Hokage

However, his smugness and arrogance, as well as his terrifying remarks, all vanished in the next second, like a duck with its neck caught in its throat, leaving him speechless. A huge look of disbelief appeared on his pale face.

…I don’t really care what your purpose is, and I don’t want to know. “White Ichigo showed such a level of self-awareness, which was the fear that almost drove Ichigo to the brink of despair, but when the same level of self-awareness was presented to Mashiro, Mashiro didn’t even have the interest to take a second look.

Her demeanor seemed to suggest that listening to even one more word from Haku Ichigo was a waste of time, revealing an absolute indifference.

At this point, a slightly profound smile appeared on Mashiro's face, calm and polite yet possessing a strong sense of aggression. "If you enjoy this endless chatter, then why don't you answer one of my questions?" Mashiro's tone was flat, yet every word was sharp and to the point. "What?" Ichigo's voice carried a hint of doubt and confusion.

"Why are you here? Your appearance and the Zangetsu that Yoruichi described to me, the one who trained Ichigo to unleash his power, are completely different individuals. So, where is that Zangetsu now?" Mashiro looked at Ichigo calmly, her expression seemingly unwavering yet undeniably pressing, and continued, "What I want to see is that Zangetsu, not you."

Just then, a loud metallic scraping sound suddenly rang in Mashiro's ears. It was the sound of a blade slicing through the wind and splitting raindrops. "Hmm?" Mashiro looked in the direction from which the sound came.

Almost simultaneously, the figure of Ichigo, who was originally in front of Mashiro and talking to Mashiro, disappeared, replaced by a pure white figure wielding a white blade and pressing in at high speed from the side.

"You're the anomaly of this world, aren't you?! You're the one who needs to be eliminated!! Don't act like you're the master, you bastard!!!!" The lightning-fast speed seemed to make even the air tremble, filled with violence and rage.

The moment you realize it, both the wind and the rain have been cut off. You can even clearly see a clear line of attack in the wind and rain that cuts everything off. It is the embodiment of extreme speed and power.

Although he looks like just a recolored or reversed version of Ichigo, with the same outfit and wielding the same blade, he even seems more arrogant, unrestrained, and unruly than Ichigo.

However, the difference between him and Ichigo was completely and utterly exposed in that one strike. In fact, it could be said that with the same power and the same blade, Ichigo was merely clumsily imitating him!

Shadows intertwine!

However. Thump! Bang!

A meaningless sound suddenly rang out, and the rain was blown away by the impact of the spreading hemisphere.

White Ichigo, who was wielding his sword, stared in astonishment. His strike... had actually been blocked by a mere two fingers?!

In the inner world of a Shinigami, it is the most essential manifestation of pure origin, and also the place where the Zanpakuto resides.

So far, Ichigo has been to that place several times. Moreover, through his training in the Transcendental Body, he even materialized "Zangetsu" into the real world. However, Ichigo still only has a vague understanding of that place, or rather, he is completely unaware of it!

That is why, when Mashiro disappeared into that vortex, theoretically having gone into his inner world to do something, Ichigo felt a deep-seated fear and unease.

This kind of terrifying feeling wasn't because I had sensed anything, but precisely because I hadn't sensed anything at all! What was happening in my inner world, what changes were taking place there, and what was happening to Uncle Zangetsu there? I couldn't sense any of these things at all, even though they were things happening to me, things that were happening in my most important inner world.

Yet, one feels like an outsider, as if one knows nothing, unable to sense anything. This is precisely the source of the greatest unease and fear.

"I see. You didn't even know what sword Zen was? Kisuke and Mashiro didn't even teach you that before." Yoruichi said, arms crossed, with a mix of emotion and boredom.

"So until now, all you can do is worry, and you don't even know what you can do or whether you can reach your own inner world." Yoruichi's words carried a hint of disappointment.

At this moment, Ichigo had no time to respond to Yoruichi.

He sat cross-legged in the training ground of the Second Division, with his black sword on his lap. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind of all distractions and enter his inner world.

Power Zen is a method of bringing one's own thoughts into the Zanpakuto, actively entering one's inner world to converse with the Zanpakuto.

These are the forms that Shinigami, who obtained the "method" of Zanpakuto, underwent over many years in order to communicate with their Zanpakuto.

The Shinigami can usually find out about the true abilities of their Zanpakuto and how to use those abilities by asking the Zanpakuto in this way.

As for how to further develop and utilize the Zanpakuto's abilities, that's what a Shinigami should be doing. In other words...

"If you haven't used Sword Zen even once until now, then all the techniques you've used using Zangetsu have been learned through brute force. Being able to learn Sword Zen through this opportunity can be considered a gain." Although Yoruichi usually seems unreliable, even resorting to fists and feet whenever possible, and finding ways to use them when necessary, she is still a Shinigami who has undergone systematic learning and has fully understood the art. In other words, Sword Zen is the most basic foundation for her.

This point cannot be denied simply because Yoruichi doesn't like using her soul sword.

Chapter 165: Xu Bai (Part 1)

Soon, a sense of weightlessness, reminiscent of when he had once entered his inner world, returned, and Ichigo found himself back in that familiar realm. Before he could even steady himself and assess his surroundings, the intense battle unfolding not far in front of him immediately drew his attention. The object of his fear, the source of the constant whispers in his ear—the Hollow (Hollow White) that sought to seize his body—was now frantically wielding...

He brandished his Zanpakuto.

Accompanied by the roar of the wind and the scattered gusts, the powerful slash struck his opponent at a terrifying speed.

In stark contrast to Ichigo's Getsuga Sekijutsu, pure white crescent moons continuously radiated forward, pouring down like a torrential rain.

Centered on Ichigo, everything—buildings, streetlights, billboards, utility poles—was struck and destroyed.

Cut in half, they fell to the ground under the force of gravity, leaving a scene of utter devastation.

Ding ding ding ding ding ding!

It sounded like the crisp sound of a sword being sheathed, particularly noticeable in the raging storm, but it wasn't actually that; it was the sound of a blade striking something hard.

One slash, two slashes, three slashes, four slashes, five slashes, six slashes, seven slashes—even Ichigo himself had to admit that those were slashes far superior to his own, yet they were blocked with ease.

It was so easily blocked by just two fingers.

Because all the slashes were blocked, an equal number of crisp sounds were produced. The scene unfolding before his eyes gave Ichigo a sense of unreal illusion.

Why did he feel fear? It was for a very simple and obvious reason: because Ichigo was stronger than him. This applied to his individual abilities, skills, and even his so-called instincts.

Yoruichi once said that all of his techniques were learned through brute force. That's true.

The so-called Crescent Moon Strike is not a skill that is naturally unlocked as one's abilities improve. Rather, it is something that Ichigo learned from fighting it. It was precisely because he clearly realized that his previous victories might have been just luck that he felt fear.

However, the Hollow that Ichigo feared was now completely suppressed by Mashiro, who had forcefully pried open the door and invaded his inner world. Just as she had completely suppressed Ichigo, who had already broken free, without even drawing her sword, the Hollow was now in the same predicament in front of her.

Similarly… without even having that person draw their Zanpakuto, they completely neutralized White Ichigo's attacks. "Aaaaaah!" White Ichigo roared, his voice filled with anger and resentment.

Accompanied by the howling wind and booming sound, the dust that spread in the wind and rain was instantly cut into several pieces.

White Ichigo, with a speed far beyond Ichigo's reach, once again swung his sword at his enemy. Unlike his previous battles with Ichigo, which were casual and even somewhat playful, White Ichigo was so focused that he didn't even realize Ichigo had entered the inner world, nor did he notice that Ichigo had landed on a tall building nearby, jumping and watching the battle unfold.

White Ichigo's power and skills were already far beyond Ichigo's reach, but what was now unfolding before him was the power of someone who completely surpassed and suppressed White Ichigo—Mashiro's power.

This finally made Ichigo realize what it meant to say, "Mashiro-sama is really strong."

This finally made Ichigo understand why Kisuke Urahara had agreed so readily back then, even giving him the look of someone who had gotten a great deal.

One small detail to note is that Crescent Moon Slash is essentially a combination of compressing and amplifying spiritual pressure, ultimately releasing a slash composed of ultra-high-density spiritual pressure from the tip of the blade.

So why did White Ichigo's slash make a crisp "ding" sound, like a sword being sheathed, when it was blocked? The answer is that White Ichigo was not using a simple Getsuga Tenshou, but a variation of Getsuga Tenshou. He enveloped the entire Zanpakuto with spiritual pressure and released its maximum destructive power the moment it struck the object.

It is essentially still a Crescent Moon Strike released through amplification, but it can have the greatest destructive power in the shortest distance.

If this move had to be given a name, it would probably be called Black (White) Fang Thrust. However, even such a move couldn't harm the girl not far away.

The attack, carrying a spiritual pressure that, once released, could tear everything in its path, was easily blocked by two fingers.

No, saying it was blocked isn't quite accurate, because the Crescent Strike was indeed released and it did destroy the surrounding area; it just didn't hit the intended target.

That's because, without exception, just before the strike is released, Mashiro's two fingers will suddenly extend and strike the side of the Zanpakuto with perfect accuracy.

Although the Zanpakuto was only knocked away by a hair's breadth, a slight error can lead to a huge mistake. The slashes would often fly out of the air from the closest distance to the girl, merely cutting through the surroundings in a flashy but useless way. That's why it made such a crisp sound.

But if that's the case, wouldn't it be better to just create distance and use a simple Crescent Moon Charge? However, the fact that White Ichigo didn't do that means that he had already tried it before Ichigo arrived here, and it was completely useless, even less hopeful than the current offensive.

With a roar, Ichigo broke through the brief distance between him and Mashiro, and mercilessly slashed at Mashiro with his Zanpakuto, which was wrapped in spiritual pressure. However, his roar was only halfway through before it turned into an unbelievable and comical sound.

"Gah?"

The newly descending spiritual pressure... was easily caught by two fingers!

Mashiro simply raised two fingers and stopped Ichigo's imminent attack. This disparity was far more absurd than an adult bullying a child; it was a world of difference.

Not only that, before the Crescent Moon was released by Ichigo in a desperate act, the two fingers that were holding the Zanpakuto were pulled back with lightning speed, and then the wrist was turned to strike the side of the Zanpakuto directly.

The Zanpakuto in Ichigo's hand was flung away, and the spiritual pressure wrapped around it was like a bomb that had been forcibly detonated, turning into a storm that blasted to one side.

The glass curtain walls of the high-rise buildings in front of the storm shattered and collapsed like a waterfall under the force of the storm, accompanied by a series of explosions that shook the eardrums, creating a spectacular scene.

However, while the attack was indeed impressive, it could only be considered a "defense" of absolute suppression, rather than an "attack" that decisively defeated White Ichigo.

Therefore, Haku Ichigo, having quickly rallied, launched another offensive.

In an instant, it was as if he had six hands at the same time. The white blade disappeared from his hands, and all that could be seen was a dense barrage of slashes intertwined like shuttles. But this was nothing more than repeating the previous failures time and time again.

It's as if to say that no matter how many variations or tricks White Ichigo uses, Mashiro can always remain calm and unchanging, constantly suppressing him.

Compared to the speed at which Ichigo swings his sword, Mashiro's speed in raising her hand to defend is so slow that even an ordinary human could see it clearly. Yet, she can accurately hit the side of the blade every time, sending it flying.

The dense sounds, like the clanging of metal being struck, echoed incessantly in this inner world.

Ichigo, who had landed on a nearby building, watched the scene unfold before him, momentarily forgetting to breathe.

Because White Ichigo always suppressed him with absolute dominance, he never even thought about what it would be like if White Ichigo were suppressed one day.

That's why he found it so hard to believe when he saw this scene unfold before his eyes.

However, the moment the illusion of Ichigo's absolute dominance in his mind was shattered, Ichigo instantly understood. So that's how it is; it was simply because he wasn't strong enough.

If he were strong enough to suppress White Ichigo, strong enough to leave him no way to fight back, then he could lock Whitego in a cage just like this. Then he wouldn't have to be afraid anymore. A determined glint flashed in Ichigo's eyes, as if he had found the key to overcoming his fear.

"Is that so? Is that what you think now?" Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice appeared behind Ichigo.

Ichigo instinctively leaped to the side, creating some distance between himself and the voice, before observing the source of the unfamiliar yet youthful voice.

Appearing behind him at some unknown time was a man who appeared to be quite young, but whose face was obscured, wearing a dark hooded hood. From beneath the hood that concealed his face, one could vaguely see a softly curved, youthful chin, exuding an air of mystery.

Chapter 166: Xu Bai (Part 2)

"And who are you? Did you sneak in with us? Where's Uncle Zangetsu?!" Ichigo asked anxiously, his unease growing stronger. He was trying to find a clue from this strange young man, something about his inner world, something about "Uncle Zangetsu" whom he relied on.

However, the young man didn't even glance at Ichigo. He stood where Ichigo had just been, jumping down with Ichigo to watch the fierce battle between Mashiro and Hollow Ichigo below.

Then, in a slightly melancholy and worried voice, he said, "I have been thinking about what the right path is, and I still haven't been able to find the right choice."

His words carried a profound philosophical meaning, which only made Ichigo more confused.

"What...what are you talking about! Who are you?!" Ichigo raised his voice, his tone tinged with impatience, eager to know the answer.

"But this incessant rain seems to be saying that our choice is not correct. But is the path that has appeared now the right one? Won't we lose more by pursuing power too much?" The young man continued to mutter to himself, seemingly immersed in his own thoughts, completely ignoring Ichigo's question.

"...I'm asking you what you're even saying!!!" Ichigo's patience had reached its limit, and he almost roared.

"Ichigo, I'm scared, I feel a deep fear." However, the young man's words trembled slightly this time, and his voice was full of weariness and helplessness.

The voice came from the side, and the young man in black vanished in an instant. "What?"

Before Ichigo could dodge, he felt himself being blasted away by an invisible force. A strong sense of weightlessness enveloped Ichigo, and he could only watch as the unfamiliar young man in black gradually disappeared into the distance.

"Our choice, their will, which one is right? Perhaps the only one who can choose is Ichigo, but Chiba must remember Ichigo, no matter what, never put yourself second, never give up your right to pursue happiness, that is our only wish." The young man's voice faded into the distance, eventually disappearing into the rain.

Ichigo instinctively reached out towards the young man in black, as if trying to grab him, to grasp that vague answer and guidance. But just as the young man in black had appeared, as a shower of phosphorus swept past, the young man in black vanished as if he had never been there, leaving Ichigo full of doubt.

Meanwhile, Ichigo, accompanied by a powerful impact, crashed onto the ground (wall), kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

"Oh, you're here too, Ichigo-kun." When he heard the voice calling his name, Ichigo realized that he had landed on the battlefield where Mashiro and Hollow Ichigo were fighting.

At this point, Ichigo no longer needed to worry about getting caught up in the fight between the two.

The battle was over in the short time it took him to exchange just a few words with the young man in black.

Or rather, from the very beginning, if it were truly a simple matter of thinking, the battle could have ended cleanly and decisively in just a few words, because the difference in strength between the two sides was simply too great.