XX-level Hokage

Ten fragments swirled around Ichigo in the air, their golden and silver light intertwining to form a dazzling cocoon of light.

Then, the fragments began to rapidly assemble, pages emerging from the light, eventually transforming into a tattered ancient book that floated before Ichigo. The book's cover was dark brown, engraved with intricate patterns, and it had no title.

It automatically flipped to the middle page, which contained no text, only a slow, flowing crimson light that gradually coalesced into a few lines of text: [Core Host Confirmed: Kurosaki Ichigo]

[Fusion Progress: 10/?] [Final Trial: Activated]

Ichigo stared in shock at the ancient book floating in front of him, and suddenly the smile of Tsukishima Hidekuro flashed through his mind—the man who had always been hiding behind the scenes, guiding him to access the Manifestation and the fragments.

He finally understood.

Hidekuro Tsukishima's true purpose was never to use the fragments, but to guide him towards the path of "becoming a host." The light from the ancient book grew brighter and brighter, slowly approaching Ichigo's chest.

Ichigo could feel the four powers within him—Shinigami, Hollow, Fullbring, and human will—resonating strongly with the ancient texts. He knew that the previous battles were just the prelude.

Chapter 304: The Trial (Part 1)

The tattered ancient book floated in the center of the hospital rooftop. The patterns on its dark brown cover shimmered with a blood-red glow, and each line seemed to writhe like a living creature, radiating a suffocating energy fluctuation.

Kisuke Urahara immediately deployed a red barrier. The Kido runes spun rapidly in the air, but turned into tiny specks of light the moment they touched the light of the ancient book, unable to hold for even half a second.

Yoruichi's golden eyes were fixed on the ancient book, her fingers pressed against the short sword at her waist, her entire body tense: "It is filtering you, using your memories and your will."

"Consider this a trial. Once your consciousness is controlled by it, you will become the true core vessel."

But their warning came too late.

The ancient book suddenly opened automatically, and flowing light and shadow appeared on the yellowed pages, projecting the scene onto the rooftop like a projector—it was six-year-old Kurosaki Ichigo, standing in the pouring rain, watching his mother, Kurosaki Makoto, being torn apart by Hollows.

The cold rain mixed with blood, forming dark red puddles on the ground. Young Ichigo stood there, his face filled with terror and helplessness, his cries stuck in his throat.

"Ichigo, run!" Shin's voice cut through the rain, carrying his last bit of strength, but the young boy seemed nailed to the spot, unable to even move a step.

Ichigo's body began to tremble violently.

This is the deepest scar in his heart, the root cause of his countless nights of being awakened from his dark dreams.

But the next second, the scene suddenly changed. Black Hollow power suddenly erupted from his body. A Hollow mask covered half of his face. He reached out and easily tore the Hollow apart.

Makoto stood behind him, though battered, she was unharmed, and looked at him with concern. "Mom..." Ichigo subconsciously took a step forward, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.

This scene was something he had imagined countless times in his "what if" moments—if he had the power back then, his mother wouldn't have died; if his mother were still alive, his life wouldn't have so many regrets.

[Trial Act One: The Moment of Choice]

In the scene, True Throat extends her hand to him with a gentle smile: "Ichigo, come here, Mom will take you home for curry rice."

Ichigo felt as if an invisible hand was tightly gripping his heart, the pain making it almost impossible for him to breathe. He could clearly feel that if he nodded, if he "chose" this reality, his mother would come back.

But just as he was about to reach out, Rukia's face suddenly flashed through his mind—the girl who passed on the power of the Shinigami to her, the Kuchiki Rukia who was waiting for him to save her at Twin Hills; Chad and Inoue's faces flashed through his mind—his companions who stayed by his side when he lost his power; Ishida's face flashed through his mind—his "brother" who always helped him at crucial moments, despite calling him a "rival".

If his mother had survived, he wouldn't have craved power out of guilt; he wouldn't have met Rukia on his way home from school; he wouldn't have become a substitute Shinigami; he wouldn't have gone to the Soul Society, wouldn't have met the Gotei 13; he wouldn't have experienced those battles, nor would he have had those companions.

"Is this your trial?" Ichigo raised his head, looking at the ancient book floating in the air, his voice hoarse but firm, "Using the 'what if' scenario I desire most to make me deny who I am now?"

A perfect future requires no regrets.

The voice of the ancient book sounded again, and Shin in the scene took another step forward. "Choose, Kurosaki Ichigo. Go back to the past where your mother was, or..."

Should we continue down this path with regrets?

Ichigo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The coldness of the rain, the warmth of his blood, his mother's last smile, the bonds between his comrades... all the memories intertwined in his mind. He slowly opened his eyes, looked at the image of True Touhou reaching out his hand, and shook his head: "I'm sorry, Mom."

He turned away, no longer looking at the "perfect" scene. Behind him came real shouts, the sound growing fainter and fainter until it disappeared into the rain.

When he turned his head again, the light and shadow on the rooftop had vanished, and on the first page of the ancient book, blood-red characters slowly appeared: [Trial Passed: Accept the Past]

[Integration Progress: 11/??]

Urahara Kisuke stared at him in shock, his mouth agape, unable to utter a word for a long time: "You...you actually refused? That was a chance to save your mother!" Ichigo wiped away his tears, the vulnerability in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by determination: "If saving my mother requires me to forget Rukia..."

Chad, Inoue, and the others need me to deny who I am now, so I'd rather live with this regret. My mother's death wasn't a mistake; it was a part of my life. It's this pain that made me who Ichigo Kurosaki is today.

Ye Yi nodded, a hint of approval flashing in her eyes: "You've passed the first test. It was testing your acceptance—accepting your imperfect past, accepting your regrets."

But they all knew this was just the beginning. The ancient book suddenly trembled violently, the second page was turned, and light and shadow were once again projected onto the platform.

This time, the scene shows Rukia Kuchiki, bound to the execution platform, her spiritual pressure growing weaker and weaker, while Aizen Sosuke stands in front of her, wearing a white captain's haori, with a meaningful smile on his face.

Ichigo stood in the scene, holding Zangetsu, but instead of rushing towards Aizen as he remembered, he listened quietly to Aizen speak.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, you possess the powers of a Shinigami, a Hollow, and a human—you are an unprecedented being." Aizen's voice was seductive. "The rules of the Soul Society bind you, and the Gotei 13 suspect you. Why do you still fight for them?"

Ichigo remained silent in the scene, while Aizen continued, "Come with me, and we will create a new world together. There, you can possess absolute power, no one can question you, and no one can hurt the people you care about."

You will no longer feel as powerless as you did when you lost your mother, no longer be able to watch someone important to you being executed while you can only struggle.

The next second, the scene suddenly changed—Go stood on the top of the palace in Hueco Mundo, wearing a Hollow mask on his face. Behind him were Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, and other Arrancar, who knelt on one knee and shouted "King" in unison.

On the ground of Tokishiro, the members of the Gotei 13 lay scattered about. Byakuya Kuchiki and Genryu Shigekuni Yamamoto were both seriously injured and lying on the ground. Rukia stood in the distance, her eyes filled with disappointment and pain.

Chapter 305: The Trial (Part 2)

[Trial Act Two: The Struggle for the Right Path]

The voice of the ancient book rang out again: "Choose this path, and you will gain eternal power and never lose someone important again."

You can rule Hueco Mundo, learn to control the Soul Society, and make all the rules you don't like disappear. This is the most powerful path, and also the most "perfect" path. Ichigo's breathing became rapid.

The power in the image was something he had once longed for—when he lost the power of death, when he watched his companions get injured and was powerless to help, he had fantasized more than once about whether he could protect everyone if he were strong enough to control everything.

Aizen's voice echoed in his mind: "Power is not a means, but an end. Only by possessing absolute power can you protect what you want to protect." In the scene, Ichigo raised his hand and easily knocked away a resisting Shinigami, his face expressionless.

But Ichigo noticed that Ulquiorra behind him had empty eyes, Grimmjow was full of resentment, and Rukia's eyes were full of tears and disappointment. He had gained power, but lost all his bonds.

Power...it is indeed very attractive." Ichigo murmured to himself, his fingertips trembling slightly. He could feel the ancient book tempting him, using his fear of "powerlessness" and his desire for "protection" to lead him to choose this path of "power".

In the scene, Ichigo reaches out to him, cracks gleaming on his Hollow mask: "Come, Kurosaki Ichigo. Choose the power, and we can be together again..."

There will be people who can hurt the people we care about.

Ichigo slowly raised his hand, as if to touch that "powerful" version of himself.

But just as his fingertips were about to touch the screen, he suddenly clenched his fist and took a step back: "I refuse."

“I pursue power to protect my comrades, not to rule them.” Ichigo’s voice grew firmer. “If the price of power is to disappoint Rukia, frighten Chad and Inoue, and turn Ishida into an enemy, then I don’t need that kind of power.”

The image shattered like glass, and on the second page of the ancient book, the blood-red characters reappeared:

[Trial passed: Stay true to your principles] [Fusion progress: 12/??]

Kisuke Urahara breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. "Your spiritual pressure fluctuations were very unstable just now. I thought you were about to be controlled by it." Ichigo shook his head, feeling a wave of dizziness. These two trials hadn't drained his physical strength, but rather his mental energy. He could feel the ancient book penetrating deeper into his...

Explore his subconscious, uncovering his deepest desires and fears.

“It’s not over yet,” Yoruichi suddenly said, glancing warily at the ancient book. “It’s accelerating, as if it wants to finish the selection as soon as possible.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the third page of the ancient book was turned. This time, there were no images, only a line of blood-red text that appeared directly in Ichigo's mind.

[The Trial, Act Three: The Question of Truth] [Why do you fight?]

The question is very simple, and Ichigo can answer it almost without thinking: to protect his family, to save his comrades, and to maintain the balance between the human world and the Tokishin world.

But the next second, more questions flooded in, piercing his consciousness like needles: [Fighting to protect others—is this really what they want to see?]

[Because of your battles, Rukia was executed and taken to Hueco Mundo, Chad and Ishigaki were seriously injured multiple times. Is this your so-called "protection"?] [If you had chosen an ordinary life, not becoming a Shinigami, not coming into contact with supernatural forces, wouldn't your family and friends have been able to stay away from danger and live a peaceful life?]

A happy life?

Ichigo's body froze.

These were questions he had asked himself countless times in the dead of night. He always told himself that the fight was for protection, but in every battle, someone would be injured, and someone would be in danger.

If he hadn't become a Shinigami, Rukia wouldn't have been judged for "unauthorized teaching of Shinigami powers"; if he hadn't gone to the Soul Society, Aizen's conspiracy might not have been exposed so quickly, but Inoue and Chad wouldn't have been involved; if he hadn't received Fullbring training, Tatsuki wouldn't have been parasitized by the fragments.

"I..." Ichigo opened his mouth, but found himself unable to speak. He had always believed that his fight was correct, but now, after being asked this question by the ancient book, he began to doubt whether he was just satisfying his own desire to "become stronger" and whether he was using the name of "protection" to drag the people around him into danger.

"Admit it, Kurosaki Ichigo, your fighting is just to compensate for your powerlessness, just to lessen your guilt." The ancient book's voice was laced with sarcasm. "If you truly cared for them, you should relinquish your power and return to an ordinary life."

Ichigo closed his eyes, and the faces of each of his comrades flashed through his mind—Rukia told him at Twin Peaks, "I believe in you"; Inoue told him in Hueco Mundo, "Kurosaki-kun, you must come back"; Chad said, "We will help you" when he lost his power; Ishida said, "Don't give up, you are my rival" when he was confused.

He suddenly smiled, a smile of relief.

“You’re wrong.” Ichigo opened his eyes, looking at the ancient book with a determined gaze. “I fight, indeed to protect, but not just to make up for my own powerlessness.”

I fight because Rukia believes I can save her, because Inoue and Chad are willing to face danger with me, and because Ishida is willing to fight alongside me.

He took a step forward, looking directly into the light of the ancient book: "They weren't passively drawn into danger; they actively chose to fight alongside me." - Rukia

Choosing to trust me, and choosing to protect everyone with the Twin Heavens Shield, Chad chose to become stronger, and Ishigami chose to stand by my side. Our bond is not built on "staying away from danger," but on facing danger together.

"I fight because I believe in our bond, which can overcome all difficulties. I believe that no matter how much danger we face, we can walk together."

The ancient book flickered, and the text on the third page slowly changed.

[Trial Passed: Understanding Bonds] [Fusion Progress: 13/?] [Final Host Compatibility: 65%]

Kisuke Urahara looked at Ichigo with admiration in his eyes: "You saw through its trap. It wanted to make you doubt the meaning of your fight, to make you feel guilty, and thus to be controlled by it."

Just as Ichigo was about to speak, he suddenly felt a sharp headache.

The fourth page of the ancient book is turned, and this time, the scene is a world "without Ichigo Kurosaki".

Rukia successfully completed her mission in the human world and returned to Soul Society to continue being the young lady of the Kuchiki family. She escaped execution and the battles of Hueco Mundo, wearing a serene smile. Orihime Inoue inherited her grandmother's flower shop, spending her days with flowers and occasionally shopping with Tatsuki, living a normal high school life. Chad continued boxing, becoming a professional fighter and sweating it out in the ring. Uryu Ishida inherited Quincy's responsibilities, but only needed to deal with a small number of Hollows, avoiding the Arrancar and Aizen.

Everyone lived a happy, peaceful, and safe life.

Chapter 306: The Trial (Part 2)

[The Fourth Act of the Trial: The Meaning of Existence]

The ancient book's voice echoed once more, carrying a final allure: "This is a world without you. Everyone is happy, without battle, without danger, without loss. Your existence is merely an obstacle to their happiness. What is the meaning of your existence?"

Ichigo looked at his "happy" companions in the picture, but felt a strange emptiness. Rukia's smile was calm, but it lacked the vibrancy she had in the real world;

His smile was sweet, but lacked the strength he showed when facing danger; Chad's eyes were focused, but lacked the determination he showed when fighting alongside him; Ishigami's expression was indifferent, but lacked the sharpness he showed as a "rival".

"This is not happiness." Ichigo shook his head, his voice firm, "This is just peace, not happiness."

He pointed to Rukia in the picture: "Her smile has no light because she has never experienced fighting alongside us, never felt believed in or needed; her smile has no power because she has never protected someone important with the Twin Heavens Shield, never discovered how strong her courage is; Chad and Ishida's eyes have no bond because they have never faced despair with their comrades, never understood the meaning of fighting side by side."

"Happiness isn't about escaping danger, but about having someone willing to stand with you when facing it; it's not about not losing anything, but about having someone willing to help you get back up after you've lost something." Ichigo's voice grew louder and louder. "My existence may have brought danger, but it has also brought growth. For them, this bond of fighting and growing together with me is more important than peaceful happiness. That's the meaning of my existence."

The ancient book trembled violently, all its pages turning simultaneously with a rustling sound. The energy fluctuations on the rooftop reached their peak, and a crimson light enveloped the entire rooftop.

[Final Trial Passed: Value Confirmed] [Fusion Progress: 20/?]

[Final Host Compatibility: 100%]