XX-level Hokage

"Perfect timing! You will witness firsthand the arrival of true peace in Karakura Town at this very moment."

“Peace?” Ichigo took a step forward, his voice filled with suppressed anger. “Tying people up and stripping them of their consciousness, is that peace? Odagiri, look at these people! They just want to live life their way, is that wrong?”

Xiaoyuqie's lips curled into a very faint smile, but there was no warmth in that smile.

"Living your own way? Does that mean like Representative Moriyama, publicly opposing me on television and inciting citizens to create chaos? Does that mean like that high school student, holding up a sign and causing trouble at the school gate, disrupting the community order?" He raised his hand and pointed to the prisoners on the magic circle node. "Their so-called freedom will only plunge Karakura Town into endless quarrels and conflicts, while what I'm doing is simply preventing tragedy from happening."

Yincheng sneered, and the energy of his Fullbring technique began to condense in his right hand, golden light flashing in his palm.

"Preventing the tragedy? You tie people up here and use the power of the fragments to erode their consciousness, and you call that preventing the tragedy? Odagiri, you've been completely blinded by your own obsession!"

“Obsession?” Odagiri’s eyes suddenly sharpened. “If this is an obsession, then it’s because of the tragedy five years ago!” His voice suddenly rose, filled with years of suppressed pain. “My daughter, Yuko, was hit by a stray bullet on her way home from school five years ago because of a gang conflict! She was only twelve years old. She just wanted to go home early to eat the curry rice I made. Just because of those people’s freedom—the freedom to carry weapons at will, the freedom to fight in the streets at will—she was taken from me forever!”

His shoulders trembled violently, and the light from the shards on his chest flickered. "If there had been stricter controls back then, if everyone had followed the rules, Yuko wouldn't have died! If there weren't so many differences and conflicts in this world, there wouldn't be so many people like me who lost loved ones!"

Ichigo's heart sank. He finally understood that Odagiri was not simply a power-hungry individual, but a father consumed by pain.

The fragment chose him because of his deep-seated desire to "eliminate conflict," and this desire, distorted by the fragment, became an extreme obsession with "unity."

“Mr. Odagiri, I understand your pain.” Ichigo softened his tone. He could feel the struggle within Odagiri—the conflict between paternal love and obsession, the tug-of-war between reason and fragmented power. “I know better than anyone the pain of losing a loved one. But have you ever considered that if Yuko were still alive, would she want to see you do this? Would she want you to protect this city by hurting others?”

"Shut up!" Odagiri roared, pressing his hands down sharply. "You don't understand! You've never lost the most important person in your life, how could you understand my feelings!" As soon as he finished speaking, the light of the magic circle suddenly intensified, and the silvery-white light surged wildly. The prisoners on the nodes groaned in pain, their faces turned pale, and their eyes gradually lost focus.

"Oh no, he's accelerating the operation of the magic circle!" Yoruichi's figure instantly transformed into a black shadow, rushing towards the center of the magic circle. Her speed was as fast as lightning, and the spiritual pressure of the Shinigami was gathered at her fingertips, preparing to directly destroy the fragments.

Just as she was about to touch Odagiri, a white barrier suddenly rose from the magic circle, like an invisible wall, and violently bounced Yoruichi away.

Yoruichi flipped in the air and landed steadily on the ground, but a trace of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.

Yincheng immediately activated his Fullbring Technique, sending a golden energy blade toward the barrier. However, the blade was instantly deflected the moment it touched the barrier, grazing past Ichigo's ear and striking the rooftop railing with a piercing metallic clang.

“It’s no use.” Odagiri’s voice returned to calm, even with a hint of pity. “This magic circle is connected to my consciousness. As long as I don’t stop, you will never be able to break through the barrier, unless…” He paused, his gaze falling on Ichigo, “unless someone can prove that differences and freedom do not lead to conflict, but that is impossible, because freedom inevitably brings chaos, this is an eternal truth.”

Ichigo looked at the prisoners struggling in agony, and at the growing obsession in Odagiri's eyes, and knew he couldn't wait any longer. Forcibly breaking the barrier would harm the prisoners, but if he delayed any longer, the entire population of Karakura Town would be "purified" at midnight.

Just then, a familiar resonance suddenly resonated within him—the spiritual pressure of the Shinigami surged in his left arm, carrying the warmth of the Shikai that Rukia Kuchiki had taught him.

Warmth; the power of emptiness swirled around his right shoulder, carrying the wildness that Ulquiorra left within him; the energy of Fullbring condensed in his chest, carrying the bonds of Ginjo and Orihime; and the will of humanity, like a solid barrier, firmly bound these three distinct powers together, allowing them to coexist harmoniously.

Ichigo suddenly opened his eyes, a gleam of resolute understanding flashing in his dark golden pupils. He recalled his battle with Byakuya in the Soul Society, his duel with Ulquiorra in Hueco Mundo, and the days he spent training with Ginjo and the others in Genjutsu—every power within him represented a kind of "difference," and it was precisely these differences that allowed him to break through his limits time and time again, protecting those he wanted to protect time and time again.

"Mr. Odagiri, you say that differences inevitably lead to conflict?" Ichigo slowly walked forward, without launching any attacks, but simply releasing the power within his body.

The Shinigami's spiritual pressure manifested as a pale blue mist, the Hollow's power as black patterns, and the Fullbring energy as golden specks. Human will, like a transparent barrier, enveloped these three forces, creating a strange yet harmonious scene.

"Then look at me now."

Odagiri's pupils suddenly contracted. He could clearly sense that the three powers within Ichigo were completely different, even mutually repulsive, yet under Ichigo's control, they cooperated perfectly without any conflict.

This scene completely overturned his understanding of "difference".

“Differences themselves are not the problem.” Ichigo’s voice echoed in the night sky, carrying a firm strength. “The problem lies in how we deal with differences. Forcing uniformity will only make people lose themselves and create more resistance and conflict; but learning to be inclusive and understanding will allow different forces to come together and create true harmony.”

He stretched out his hand, palm up, toward Odagiri, "Mr. Odagiri, put down the shards. Let's prove together that a Karakura Town that embraces differences is better than a 'unified' Karakura Town, okay?"

The light from the magic circle began to flicker erratically, and the silvery-white light stream became disordered.

Odagiri's expression struggled between pain and hesitation; his eyes were sometimes sharp and sometimes dazed, and the fragments in his chest emitted a piercing shriek, as if resisting something.

"Yuko." He murmured his daughter's name, two tears streaming down his face. "If it were you, what would you want your father to do?" Just then, soft footsteps came from the edge of the rooftop.

Everyone turned to look and saw a little girl in a pink dress standing in the moonlight. Her figure was semi-transparent, clearly a spirit.

The little girl had her hair tied in two pigtails and a sweet smile on her face; she was none other than Yuko, the girl Odagiri had mentioned. "Daddy," Yuko's voice was soft, like cotton candy, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Yuko!" Odagiri turned his head sharply, tears instantly blurring his vision. He wanted to rush over and hug his daughter, but his feet seemed rooted to the spot, and he could only watch silently as his daughter stood not far away. "You... how did you get here?"

"I've always been by Daddy's side." Yuko skipped and hopped to the edge of the magic circle. Her figure passed through the white barrier without being affected by anything.

"I see my dad working so hard in every stage to make Karakura Town a better place, and I'm so happy. But Dad..."

Her expression suddenly turned serious. "Yesterday, when I saw you tie up that old lady, she was crying the whole time. She just wanted to buy her grandson his favorite milk. And that high school boy, he just didn't want to wear his uncomfortable uniform; he wanted to wear his favorite jersey to the game. Dad, what you did made a lot of people unhappy. This isn't what you really wanted to do, is it?"

Xiaoyuqie knelt on the ground, covered her face with her hands, and suppressed sobs escaped from between her fingers.

"I'm sorry, Yuko. Daddy was wrong... Daddy just misses you so much. Daddy just doesn't want to see anyone else leave like you did..."

“Dad, I know you miss me.” Yuko walked to Odagiri’s side, reached out her small hand, and gently placed it on his shoulder. “But the way to remember me isn’t to make more people sad. You can do many things, like building a soccer field at the school so everyone can play soccer together; or opening a curry shop in the neighborhood so everyone can eat Dad’s curry rice. That way, Karakura Town will become warmer, everyone will be happy, and I will be happy too.”

Odagiri's cries grew louder, and the light from the shards on his chest gradually dimmed.

Finally, the fragment floated out from his chest, spun a few times in the air, and then transformed into a quiet page, gently landing in Ichigo's hand. As the fragment departed, the light of the magic circle rapidly dissipated, the silvery-white light gradually faded, and the prisoners bound to the nodes slowly opened their eyes.

Qing's pained expression disappeared, and her eyes regained their clarity.

Yoruichi and Ginjo immediately stepped forward and untied the vines binding the prisoners.

Ichigo walked over to Yuuki, put the page in his pocket, and said softly, "Mr. Yuuki, Yuko is right. The best way to remember the deceased is not to repeat past tragedies, but to carry their hopes and make the world a better place."

Odagiri raised his head, his eyes blurry with tears as he looked at Yuko's soul.

Yuko gave him a sweet smile, then her figure gradually became transparent, finally turning into a beam of light and disappearing into the night sky. "Daddy, live well, okay?"

Odagiri reached out, trying to grasp his daughter's figure, but only grasped air. He slowly stood up, looking at the rescued citizens, a deep sense of guilt on his face.

"I'm sorry... I will turn myself in, and I will take responsibility for everything I've done."

As Yoruichi left the city hall, she landed on Ichigo's shoulder, her golden eyes filled with contemplation.

Yincheng walked to the side, toying with a coin in his hand, his eyes serious. "In other words, the hosts we encounter next may all be like Odagiri, hiding a secret pain. Simple force won't solve the problem; we need to find a way to help them untangle the knots in their hearts."

Ichigo gripped the pages of the book in his pocket, feeling the faint energy emanating from them through his fingertips. He gazed at the distant night sky, where the lights of Karakura Town twinkled in the darkness, like countless warm eyes.

"Healing wounds is indeed difficult, but as long as there is a glimmer of hope, we cannot give up. After all, what we are protecting is not just this city, but also..."

The light in everyone's heart.

A night breeze swept by, carrying a hint of coolness.

Chapter 302: The Resonance of Pain

The midnight air in Karakura Town carried the coolness of early summer, and the wind rustled softly across the tin roof of Urahara Department Store.

Moonlight fell on the pages of the book, spreading a soft silver glow, making it impossible to tell that just a few hours ago, this fragment carried a chilling power capable of twisting hearts. "It seems you've grasped the key to 'purification.'" A folding fan suddenly appeared from behind, gently tapping Ichigo's shoulder.

Kisuke Urahara was wearing his signature green and white striped yukata, holding two steaming cups of matcha in his hands, but his usual playful smile was gone, and his eyes were full of seriousness.

Ichigo took the teacup, feeling the warmth on his fingertips, which slightly dispelled the chill of the night.

"I wouldn't say I've figured it out completely, but I've discovered that the core of the fragments is the host's pain. As long as they can face the pain directly, instead of being consumed by it, the fragments will lose their power." He looked down at the tea foam swirling in his cup, recalling the way Odagiri knelt on the ground, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart.

Urahara folded his fan, leaned against the chimney on the roof, and said in a deep voice, "But things are probably not that simple. I used Kido to monitor the spiritual pressure fluctuations throughout Karakura Town and found that the remaining fragments are transmitting signals to each other—they are not looking for hosts on their own, but are looking together for a core container, a person who can hold multiple fragments at the same time."

“Core container?” Ichigo frowned, his teacup pausing in his hand. “You mean, the fragments are actively gathering together?”

“It’s not just converging, it’s evolving.” Yoruichi’s voice came from the shadows. She landed lightly on the tiles, the hem of her black outfit still damp with night dew. “The previous fragments only amplified the host’s obsession, but now, they are absorbing energy through the host’s pain, growing stronger and stronger. What’s more troublesome is…” She paused, her golden eyes shining brightly in the night, “Judging from the spiritual pressure trajectory, this core container may have already appeared.”

As Yoruichi finished speaking, Ichigo's phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. The moment the screen lit up, Orihime Inoue's tearful voice came through the receiver: "Kurosaki-kun! Come to school quickly! Tatsuki... Tatsuki is acting strange! She's locked herself in the playground, and there are strange lights all around her!"

"Ryuki?" Ichigo's heart sank, and his fingers tightened instantly around his phone.

Ryuki Arisawa—that girl who was stronger than boys since childhood, who would help Inoue drive away the thugs who bullied her, and who would mercilessly point out his flaws when he practiced karate, whose eyes always held an indomitable determination—how could she be involved with the fragments?

"I'm coming right away!" Ichigo hung up the phone, grabbed his Zanpakuto that was lying to the side, and ran towards the school.

Urahara and Yoru exchanged a glance and immediately followed, the three figures leaving rapid afterimages in the night.

The gate of Karakura High School was ajar. When Ichigo pushed the door open, he felt a strong spiritual pressure coming from the direction of the playground. The spiritual pressure was mixed with sadness, self-blame, and the cold energy unique to fragments. And it wasn't just one, it was three!

He rushed into the playground, and the sight before him froze him instantly: Ryuki Arisawa stood in the center, her short, dark hair disheveled by her spiritual pressure. Embedded in her chest, wrist, and ankle were three luminous fragments, connected by silver threads of light, like a net tightly binding her. Her eyes were large and still, but devoid of their usual brilliance, filled only with an overwhelming sorrow. Tears streamed down her cheeks, gathering into droplets on her chin, yet refusing to fall—as if even the tears were frozen by the power of the fragments.

"Tatsuki!" Orihime Inoue stood at the edge of the playground, her hands tightly rubbing the hem of her skirt, tears streaming down her face. "Wake up! It's me, Orihime!" She tried to rush over, but Ichigo grabbed her arm.

"Don't go over there!" Ichigo's voice was low, his eyes fixed on the fragments surrounding Tatsuki. "She's been parasitized by three fragments at the same time, and her current state is very unstable. It would be dangerous to get close to her rashly."

Ryuki seemed to hear their voices, slowly raising her head. Her gaze swept over Ichigo and Inoue, but it was as if through a layer of fog, unfocused. "Why...why do you make me think of these things?"

Her voice was soft and trembling, like fragile glass, "I've tried so hard to forget... I've told myself I have to become stronger."

Ichigo's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly remembered something from his childhood—around fourth grade, when Tatsuki had a close friend named Sato Yuki.

Back then, they always went to school together and played jump rope together under the trees by the playground.

But one rainy day, Sato Yuki was hit by an out-of-control truck while trying to pick up an eraser that had fallen in the middle of the road.

From then on, Longgui changed. She began to practice karate like crazy, working harder and stronger than anyone else, as if only in this way could she cover up her inner vulnerability.

It turns out, she had never forgotten.

The pain of losing her friend was buried deep in her heart, but the fragments cruelly dug it out and magnified it countless times.

"If I hadn't made her pick up the eraser that day... if I had grabbed her hand sooner..." Long Gui slowly knelt down, covering his face with his hands, his shoulders trembling violently.

The fragments surrounding him suddenly erupted with blinding white light, and the ground of the playground began to tremble slightly. "It's all my fault. I wasn't strong enough to protect her."

I'm so useless.

The light from the three fragments grew brighter and brighter, and silver threads of light began to intertwine and merge, eventually converging into a larger fragment that hovered in front of Long Gui's chest.

As the fragments merged, Long Gui's aura suddenly changed—the sorrow faded, replaced by a cold, resolute determination. She abruptly raised her head.

The tears in his eyes disappeared, leaving only an empty resolve.

"I want to make everyone strong..." She slowly stood up, the fused fragments spinning in front of her chest, making a buzzing sound, "Strong enough not to lose important people, strong enough not to regret being weak."

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly spread her arms wide to the sides.

A powerful energy wave emanated from her and spread outwards. Ichigo instinctively shielded Inoue behind him and used his spiritual pressure to create a barrier.

But the power of the energy wave far exceeded his expectations. The barrier was shattered instantly, and he and Inoue crashed heavily into the wall of the playground, a burning pain shooting through their backs.

"Kurosaki-kun!" He hurriedly helped him up, his eyes full of worry.

Long Gui looked down at her hands, as if sensing the newfound power. She waved her hand gently, and the bushes at the edge of the playground suddenly began to twist and deform, their branches and leaves becoming sharp as knives, and the vines spreading towards Ichigo and the others like venomous snakes.

"This is power... With this kind of power, no one will leave like Xiaoxue."

"Ryuuki! Wake up!" Ichigo struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth. "This isn't true strength! Doing this will only hurt more people!"

“Harm?” Long Gui turned his head, a hint of mockery in his eyes. “I’m just helping them become stronger. Tell me, besides power, what else can protect those who are important to you? You’ve lost someone important to you, haven’t you? You should know better than anyone how painful the regret of being powerless is!”

Ichigo felt a sudden pang of pain in his heart. He remembered his mother, Makoto Kurosaki, the image of her lying in a pool of blood, and the despair of being able to watch helplessly as he did nothing.

That was the deepest scar in his heart, and Long Gui was experiencing the same pain as him at that moment.

Just then, two figures rushed over—Ishida Uryu carrying the Spirit Bow and Chad Yasutora with his fists clenched and his muscles tense.

"Ichigo! What happened?" Ishida's gaze swept across the modified playground, his expression instantly turning grave. "This is the power of the fragment? She can actually alter reality?"