Chapter 103

Returning home alone, Ichigo felt a little out of place.

For the past few months, Rukia and Senna had been by his side every day. Whether it was going to school or handling other matters, they were always together.

Now, with both of them gone all of a sudden, Ichigo felt an odd sense of emptiness.

That was the power of habit. Rukia and Senna had used these past few months to make Ichigo used to having them in his life, and now that they were gone, even if only temporarily, Ichigo struggled to adjust.

He wasn't the only one—Yuzu and Karin, his two sisters, were also feeling a little out of sorts.

"Onii-chan, how long will it take for Rukia-nee and Senna-nee to come back?" Yuzu asked.

"Hmm... probably about a week," Ichigo estimated conservatively.

After all, even though the Shinigami could repair things with reishi, the damage in Soul Society was extensive, and it would take time.

"A week, huh?" Yuzu's little face fell.

Even Karin, who was usually stoic, couldn't help but look a little down.

Isshin, ever the odd one, dramatically sighed.

"Could it be... I'll have to cook again?"

Ichigo was covered in black lines.

Yuzu, darkly glaring at Isshin, said coldly, "What? Are you saying my cooking isn't as good as Senna-nee's?"

Isshin immediately changed his tune.

"Of course not! Papa loves Yuzu's cooking the most!"

Yuzu huffed, barely satisfied by that.

Over the next week, Rukia and Senna did call home, but they said they needed a few more days before they could return.

This only deepened everyone's longing.

...

Meanwhile, in Soul Society...

Yamamoto Genryūsai looked at Hitsugaya Tōshirō with satisfaction.

"Captain Hitsugaya, due to your outstanding performance during the Zanpakutō rebellion incident, I hereby assign the Tenth Division to escort the Ōken."

Hitsugaya straightened up immediately.

"Yes, Commander-General. I will ensure the safety of the Ōken!"

Yamamoto nodded.

"Go. Remember, the Ōken must not fall into anyone else's hands. With its power, one could create terrifying things."

Hitsugaya nodded again and left the First Division.

Yamamoto watched him leave, a smile on his face.

But as the saying goes, if nothing goes wrong, something will go wrong!

The so-called Ōken was a spiritual seal jointly managed by the Four Great Noble Houses. It could briefly grant the power of the Soul King.

However, using the Ōken came at a price: any Shinigami who used it would age rapidly, or even die.

Because of its danger, the Ōken had to be relocated and resealed every fifty years. This time, the captain escorting it was none other than Hitsugaya Tōshirō, personally recommended by Yamamoto Genryūsai!

(Of course, this is an original addition. The movies were fan-created too, so I'm blending movie elements, manga, anime, and novel lore here. Some differences are normal.)

Yamamoto, so confident in his choice, never expected that what was supposed to be a simple mission to build up experience would go south fast!

"Old man! Something's gone wrong!"

Kyōraku Shunsui burst into the Captain-Commander's office, visibly anxious.

"Calm down, Shunsui. How many times have I told you to remain composed?" Yamamoto chided as he took a sip of tea.

But the moment Shunsui spoke...

"The Ōken escort team was ambushed. The Ōken is missing, and Captain Hitsugaya is nowhere to be found!"

Yamamoto spewed his tea everywhere, jumping to his feet in shock.

"What?!"

Shunsui looked at him with a deadpan stare.

Weren't you just telling me to stay calm?

"What exactly happened?" Yamamoto asked, more serious now.

Shunsui recounted the events as best as he could.

Yamamoto fell silent for a moment.

"Send Soi Fon, along with the Onmitsukidō, to the World of the Living to investigate immediately. We must find both the Ōken and the missing Captain Hitsugaya!"

"As for the Tenth Division, confiscate all their Zanpakutō for the time being!"

"Yes!"

Knowing how serious the situation was, Shunsui immediately flash-stepped away to deliver the orders.

Meanwhile, the entire Tenth Division was placed under house arrest.

Back in the World of the Living...

Ichigo sensed Soi Fon's reiatsu arriving in the area. Without thinking, he rushed over.

What surprised him was that Soi Fon was inside a barrier.

Ichigo didn't hesitate—he drew his Zanpakutō and sliced the barrier open, stepping inside.

Immediately, he was surrounded by members of the Stealth Force.

Ichigo quickly sheathed his Zanpakutō and spoke calmly.

"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, a friend of your Captain Soi Fon."

The moment he said that, the Stealth Force lowered their weapons. The name Kurosaki Ichigo carried a lot of weight in Soul Society—everyone knew how many times he'd saved the Gotei 13.

Soi Fon, having heard the report and sensed Ichigo's reiatsu, flash-stepped to his side.

"Soi Fon!" Ichigo waved at her.

Soi Fon was about to smile back, but seeing the Stealth Force around, she cleared her throat and kept a stoic expression.

"Continue your search. And remember, don't get too close to this area!"

"Yes!"

The Stealth Force followed orders and quickly dispersed.

Once they were gone, Soi Fon couldn't hold back anymore. She threw herself into Ichigo's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, pouting.

"Last time I returned to Soul Society, you didn't even come say goodbye to me!"

Ichigo quickly held her and explained.

"There were too many people around, it wasn't convenient!"

Soi Fon huffed, unconvinced, but Ichigo quickly changed the subject.

"Right, Soi Fon, what's going on here?"

Soi Fon rolled her eyes but explained anyway.

"The Ōken was stolen. We were sent by the Captain-Commander to investigate in the World of the Living."

Ichigo blinked.

"The Ōken? What's that?"

Soi Fon explained everything in detail.

"If you see anyone suspicious in the World of the Living, let us know immediately!"

Ichigo nodded.

"How long can you stay here?"

Soi Fon thought for a moment.

"Just a few hours. Once the investigation is complete, I have to return to Soul Society to report to Yamamoto-sōtaichō."

"I see. I was hoping you could stay a few more days..."

Soi Fon hesitated, then smiled softly.

"I'll take some time off soon and come back to visit."

Ichigo smiled.

"Great! When you do, I'll introduce you to my dad and sisters. We can also go see Yoruichi-san."

Hearing that, Soi Fon's face turned bright red.

"Meet... meet the parents? Isn't that a bit too soon? Besides, Yoruichi-sama hasn't even met your family yet! I..."

Ichigo grinned, teasing.

"Didn't you jump ahead of Yoruichi-san and throw yourself at me?"

Soi Fon bit his ear in frustration, and the two... well, let's skip the details for the next two hours...

"Captain! We've finished the investigation. No clues found!" the Stealth Force reported.

Soi Fon, her face still flushed, spoke coldly.

"Understood. We'll return to Soul Society!"

"Yes!"

As the Stealth Force entered the Senkaimon, Soi Fon turned to Ichigo.

"Be careful, Ichigo. The person who ambushed the Ōken transport might be hiding in the World of the Living. If you see Captain Hitsugaya, don't let him return to Soul Society just yet!"

"Got it. Don't worry!" Ichigo nodded as Soi Fon stepped through the Senkaimon.

With the barrier collapsing, Ichigo sighed and turned to head home.

But just as he did, he saw Hitsugaya Tōshirō staggering toward him, looking utterly exhausted.

Before Ichigo could say a word, Tōshirō collapsed face-first onto the ground.

Ichigo immediately flash-stepped to his side, checked his condition, and began treating his wounds with Kaidō before carrying him back to the Kurosaki Clinic.

Back in Soul Society, Rukia, Senna, and Renji were in charge of confiscating the Tenth Division's Zanpakutō.

Matsumoto Rangiku handed over her Zanpakutō first, then called Rukia and Senna aside.

"Rukia, Senna, listen..."

They moved to a secluded spot, and Rangiku explained what had happened.

"I don't believe Captain Hitsugaya is a traitor. He must have been chasing that mysterious figure. I need your help to figure out who that is!"

Rukia and Senna exchanged glances.

"Geez... these past few months have been more exciting than the last few years combined!"

Senna agreed.

"Absolutely."

Even from Senna's memories, nothing could compare to this kind of life!

Of course, the two women agreed to help and began their investigation alongside Renji.

Back at the Kurosaki Clinic...

Seeing the unconscious Tōshirō, Isshin made some vague excuse about going to treat patients in the countryside and left the house.

Ichigo felt something was off about Isshin's behavior, but he couldn't put his finger on it. For now, he focused on tending to Tōshirō.

Karin, meanwhile, was curious about the boy Ichigo had brought home.

For some reason, she felt like there was some strange connection between her and this boy... (A voice actor joke—Karin's voice actress is Rie Kugimiya, who has worked with Hitsugaya's voice actor many times.)

Ichigo placed Tōshirō on his bed, using Kaidō again to stabilize his condition.

...

After a while, Tōshirō finally woke up, and upon seeing Ichigo, his guard relaxed.

"Where... am I?"

"Don't move. Your spiritual pressure hasn't fully recovered. This is my house, it's safe here." Ichigo said as he continued to stabilize Tōshirō's reiatsu.

"Oh..."

Tōshirō obediently lay back down.

"By the way, Tōshirō, how did you get injured? Whoever did this to you must be strong. Also, Soi Fon told me the Gotei 13 is looking for you and that you shouldn't return to Soul Society just yet."

Ichigo explained the situation.

Surprisingly, Tōshirō didn't say much about why he left alone. Clearly, he didn't want to trouble Ichigo.

Ichigo had helped him many times, and Tōshirō didn't want to burden him further.

It felt a bit like a younger brother sulking at his older brother.

Seeing Tōshirō's reluctance, Ichigo didn't push him.

But he had a feeling... this matter wasn't over, and somehow, he was involved too.

"Alright, get some rest. If you need anything, just call me. I'll be downstairs."

Ichigo left the room, planning to crash on the couch for the night.

Tōshirō watched him go and whispered softly,

"Thanks, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Then he drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Early the next morning...

Tōshirō quietly took off his Tenth Division captain's haori, put on a yellow cloak, and prepared to leave the Kurosaki Clinic without waking Ichigo.

Standing at the door, he bowed deeply to the Kurosaki house before turning to leave.

But he hadn't expected Ichigo to be waiting at the end of the street.

"If you're leaving, you could at least walk out the front door like a proper person." Ichigo said, arms crossed.

"Why do you look like you're carrying a huge burden?"

Ichigo fixed his gaze on Tōshirō's conflicted expression and added,

"You tried to sneak off by yourself. That heavy look on your face... is it because of someone named Kusaka? You were muttering that name in your sleep. Who is he?"

Tōshirō's face changed dramatically, eyes closing as if reliving a memory too painful to speak of.

He didn't answer, choosing instead to brush past Ichigo.

But at that moment, a massive fireball suddenly streaked across the sky!

Ichigo instantly drew his Zanpakutō, stepping in front of Tōshirō.

"Careful!"

He slashed the fireball in half with one clean stroke.

But even as it split, the flames continued to expand in all directions...

(End of Chapter)

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