XX-level Hokage

"Is that so?" Mashiro put down her teacup, leaned forward slightly, and looked intently at Yoruichi. "And you? How do you feel after opening that door in your heart?"

Yoruichi's breath hitched. She knew what Mashiro meant. Their relationship had long surpassed that of teacher and student and lovers. It was more like a game that had lasted for a hundred years, a game of mutual pursuit and struggle.

"Hmph, same to you." Yoruichi avoided Mashiro's gaze, but the curve of her lips betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

Mashiro smiled and didn't pursue the topic further. All she wanted was confirmation that Yoruichi, her pawn, remained under her control.

That's enough. A noble's guesthouse.

This is a temporary residence specially arranged for Inoue Orihime, Kuchiki Ruki, and others.

When Mashiro pushed open the door, Orihime and Ruki were sitting together, talking quietly.

Upon seeing Mashiro's appearance, both of them instinctively stood up, their eyes filled with a hint of tension and awe.

"You two, there's no need to be so tense." Mashiro wore a gentle smile, a smile enough to put anyone at ease. "I just came to see you before I set off."

Her gaze first fell on Namikaze Orihime.

“Inoue-kun,” Mashiro’s voice was gentle, yet carried a knowing power, “your ability is very interesting. It’s not just simple healing.”

Rather, it is a rejection of the phenomenon itself. A force sufficient to negate reality.

Upon hearing this, Orihime was shocked. She had never imagined that her abilities would be interpreted in such a profound way.

"Have you ever thought about where the limits of this power are?" Mashiro smiled, but in Orihime's eyes, that smile seemed to carry a certain magic, guiding her to think about the essence of her ability.

"I..." Orihime was somewhat speechless. She was only using her power out of her instinct to "protect," but had never truly explored its origins.

"Think it over carefully." Mashiro didn't say anything more; she had achieved her goal. She wanted to plant a seed called "possibility" in the heart of this candidate for "god."

Then, Mashiro's gaze shifted to Rukia Kuchiki, who was standing to the side.

Mamoru's attitude towards the girl who started the whole incident is even more meaningful.

“Kuchiki-kun.” Mashiro’s voice regained some of its calmness. “You are like a pebble thrown into a calm lake. Although small, it has created ripples that are enough to overturn everything.”

Rukia's body trembled slightly; she didn't understand the deeper meaning behind Masahiro's words.

“Never underestimate your own existence.” Mashiro looked at her, a complex light flashing in his eyes. “Sometimes, it is not those high and mighty kings who change the world, but rather pebbles like you with unwavering beliefs.”

Mashiro's words, like a warm current, flowed into Rukia's heart.

She had always felt guilty for her weakness and the trouble she caused her brother and Ichigo. But Mashiro's words made her examine her own worth from a different perspective for the first time. Looking at the two girls with different expressions, Mashiro felt a sense of satisfaction.

Observation, guidance, and laying the groundwork. This is her "preparation for battle."

She turned and left without saying another word, leaving Orihime and Rukia standing there, lost in deep thought.

Mashiro didn't do anything. Anyway, there was still plenty of time. She just needed to plant a seed in their hearts, especially for Inoue. Because of the sudden change in his identity, Inoue's previous affection for her had now turned into respect and estrangement.

The afternoon of the third day before the decisive battle.

The leaden clouds were thicker than the previous two days, pressing heavily over the Seireitei, without a breath of wind. The air seemed to have solidified, and a suffocating, impending, deathly silence permeated every corner.

An eerie silence fell over the entire Seireitei. Everyone was in their positions, and all preparations were complete.

They await the bugle call to battle. Second Division, underground training grounds.

Kurosaki Ichigo stood quietly in the center of the field, his eyes closed and his breathing steady and long.

After the second day of "sword Zen" and the battle of will, he could clearly feel the flow of the three forces within his body: the steadiness of the Death God's power, the ferocity of the Hollow power, and the faintly visible resilience of the Quincy's power.

They were no longer conflicting torrents, but had reached a delicate balance under the will of this "king." "Are you ready, Ichigo-kun?"

Mashiro's voice came from across the room, still with that languid tone, but Ichigo could sense an undeniable sense of pressure emanating from it.

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clearer and more resolute than ever before. "Come on," he replied in a deep voice.

“Very good.” Mashiro nodded in satisfaction. Yoruichi, standing beside her, gave Ichigo an encouraging look.

Power is something easily obtained. "Mashiro slowly raised his hand, a high-density Kido spiritual pressure gathering in his palm. "But control is the key that distinguishes a warrior from a beast. Prove to me that you are not merely a beast wearing a mask."

Before she finished speaking, the power of her demonic arts erupted instantly! "Hado #88: Flying Dragon Strike the Thief - Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon!"

Without the slightest incantation, a massive bolt of lightning, powerful enough to level mountains, hurtled towards Ichigo with destructive force!

Ichigo's pupils constricted sharply. He could feel the deadly power contained in this attack! Mashiro wasn't testing him; she was conducting the most brutal "final exam."

"Etherealization!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Ichigo roared, and the complete Hollow Mask instantly covered his face.

A violent spiritual pressure erupted from him. He held the Locked Moon Blade horizontally in front of his chest and poured all the power he could muster into the blade!

Chapter 227: The Expedition (Part 2) "Crescent Moon Sky Slash!"

A crescent-shaped slash, darker and more concentrated than ever before, roared out from the Heavenly Lock Moon and collided fiercely with the enormous lightning cannon!

"boom--!"

The deafening roar caused the entire underground training ground to tremble violently.

The violent spiritual pressure shockwave spread wildly in all directions, tearing countless cracks into the hard walls.

Ichigo's body was thrown backward by the enormous impact, and the ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch, but he still held on tightly. His will was highly focused, and he did his best to maintain the stability of the Hollowfication Mask, while also controlling the output of Getsuga Tenshou, and fighting against Mashiro's Kido.

He could feel the White Ichigo within him roaring, yearning to tear everything apart. But the "King" within him suppressed it with an even stronger will.

"Not enough!" Mashiro's voice rang out again, and the power of the lightning cannon in her hand increased even more!

"Damn it!" Ichigo gritted his teeth, feeling his arms trembling. The edges of his Hollowfication mask began to ripple slightly due to the intense consumption of spiritual pressure.

But he didn't give up. He thought of Rukia, Chad and Ishigaki, and all his companions waiting for him in the mortal world. "I... will never lose!"

An even stronger will erupted from the depths of his soul, and the almost out-of-control spiritual pressure miraculously stabilized again, even becoming more concentrated!

Finally, as the two forces dissipated into the air, Ichigo knelt on the ground, panting heavily. His Hollowfication mask slowly faded, revealing a face that, though tired, was full of confidence and determination.

He succeeded.

Under extreme pressure, it maintained its "prime position".

"Congratulations on your graduation." Mashiro's figure appeared before him without his noticing, a satisfied smile on her face. Throughout the Seireitei.

In the final moments before setting off, everyone is saying goodbye to the past and facing the future in their own way.

Inside the barracks of the Ninth Division, Vice-Captain Shuhei Saki stood alone before a small memorial stone. It was erected to commemorate their former captain, Kaname Tosen.

He gently wiped the dust off the stone tablet, his eyes filled with complex emotions. Dongxian's death had once made him doubt "justice," but now he had found his own answer.

"Captain Tosen...I will protect Seireitei." He murmured softly, his eyes filled with determination.

Inside the 10th Division's barracks, Matsumoto Rangiku was carefully folding a silver scarf and placing it in her bosom.

That was the only thing Gin Ichimaru left behind. She didn't know why Gin betrayed her, nor where he was now, but she was going to fight, to find the answer, and also to... put an end to this longing that had haunted her for nearly a hundred years.

In the courtyard of the 13th Division, Jushiro Ukitake was gently giving his final instructions to his two Third Seats, Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentaro Kotsubaki.

"While I'm gone, I'm entrusting the affairs of the team to you." His tone was as gentle as ever, but his two devoted subordinates saw a hint of farewell in his eyes. They forced back their tears and nodded heavily.

First Division, Captain-Commander's Office.

Yamamoto Genryu Shigekuni stood alone in the empty office.

He wasn't wearing the haori that symbolized the Captain-Commander's authority; he was simply dressed in ordinary Shinigami robes. His aged gaze seemed to pierce through walls, seeing the entire Seireitei and the land he had protected for a thousand years.

Countless images flashed through his mind.

The brutality of the bloody battle a thousand years ago, the founding of the first Gotei 13, and... Mashiro, whom he personally picked up and then banished, who has now returned to the game in a way he cannot control.

Mashiro Indigo

Two juniors he had watched grow up had now become the most uncertain factors, capable of overturning the balance of the three realms. Yamamoto Genryu Shigekuni slowly closed his eyes.

When he calmed down again, all the emotions in his eyes had transformed into a deep and terrifying determination, like a lava-like mass.

No matter what kind of enemy lies ahead, no matter what price he has to pay, he will use his remaining flame to burn away all enemies that threaten the Seireitei.

As night fell again, Makoto stood alone on the roof of the First Division barracks, looking down at the brightly lit Seireitei below.

Looking down over the entire Seireitei, she could feel countless powerful spiritual pressures accumulating in their own ways, waiting to erupt at dawn.

"All the actors are in position," Mashiro murmured softly, a deep and dangerous smile playing on her lips that no one could decipher. "Then, tomorrow... let this grand show begin."

The night breeze blew by, lifting her pure white captain's haori, and behind it, the Third Division's emblem looked particularly mysterious in the night.

The next day. In front of the boundary gate.

The moment to set off has finally arrived.

Before the enormous interdimensional gate, the seven captains and their adjutants had assembled, dressed in their battle attire, standing silently in their positions.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, Kyoraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jushiro, Kuchiki Byakuya, Zaraki Kenpachi, Soi Fon, Utamura Sajin, and... Mashiro.

Each of them emanated an immense and solid spiritual pressure, powerful enough to distort space itself. Retsu Koronohana and Eri Kurotsuchi, representing the remaining troops, also came to see them off.

Unohana Retsu's face still wore that gentle smile of a benevolent leader, but her gaze swept over each of her comrades who were about to set off, as if she wanted to etch their images into the depths of her soul.

Yamamoto Genryu Shigekuni walked to the front of the group. He did not give any impassioned speech or say anything superfluous.

He simply turned slowly, and with his aged yet powerful gaze, took one last look at the warriors behind him who had entrusted their lives and honor to him.

Then, he turned back to face the gate, which emitted a ghostly blue light and led to the final battle stage. "Charge!"

An aged yet resonant voice, like a war drum, heralded the start of the battle. Yamamoto Genryuchi Shigekuni strode forward, the first to enter the interdimensional gate. His silhouette, stretched long and thin in the blood-red setting sun, was now completely shattered. The calm before the storm had come to an end.

Chapter 228: Leisurely Time (Part 1)

The bizarre, distorted, and chaotic space of the broken boundary seemed to fall silent under the steady steps of Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.

When the light from the portal finally dissipated behind everyone, what greeted them was not the battlefield filled with smoke and killing that they had expected, but rather... a peaceful night.

The air, belonging to the present world and carrying the smell of dust and car exhaust, was completely different from the pure and spiritually charged atmosphere of Seireitei. The neon lights of the distant city streets bathed the night sky in a warm, orange glow.

The chirping of crickets and the occasional sound of passing car engines form the background music of this mundane world. This is Karakura Town.

The captains who came to meet the enemy looked at this land, which was both familiar and unfamiliar, with different expressions.

Kenpachi Zaraki's face showed undisguised disappointment and frustration. He had thought he could have a good fight as soon as he stepped outside.

Kuchiki Byakuya frowned slightly; the chaotic atmosphere of the mortal world made this high-ranking nobleman, who had long resided in the Seireitei, feel a slight unease. Only Kyoraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushiro remained calm and composed, as if they had simply changed locations to enjoy tea and wine. "Oh dear, it seems we've arrived too early." A soft, familiar voice came from the shadows at the street corner.

Kisuke Urahara, brandishing his signature folding fan and sporting a relaxed smile, slowly walked out. Behind him stood the burly, serious-looking Tessai Kishiriya.

"Welcome to Karakura Town." Urahara Kisuke's tone was relaxed, but his eyes, hidden beneath his hat brim, were as sharp as an eagle's. "It seems Aizen is still enjoying his last moments of peace in Hueco Mundo."

Captain-Commander Yamamoto's aged gaze fell on Kisuke Urahara. He didn't say a word, but the invisible pressure he exuded made the surrounding air freeze.