Yato's footsteps echoed through the Seireitei as he ran, his senses acutely attuned to the spiritual energy surrounding him. He could feel the distant surges of power, giving him a hint of the confrontations that were unfolding. It was clear to him that Ichigo was most likely engaging in a battle with Ikkaku, mirroring events from the original storyline.
Yato: 'Looks like Tatsuki's in a fight too...but her opponent's spiritual energy is unfamiliar to me. Can't rely on the anime's events this time, especially since Tatsuki never set foot in Soul Society in the original story...and judging by the reiatsu's strength, she's probably up against a lieutenant or officer.'
As Yato continued to dash through Seireitei, he racked his brain for any additional anime events that might help him identify Tatsuki's opponent. He was inclined to think it was a lieutenant since not all of the Soul Society officers had been introduced in the original story, and he knew most of them were no match for his companions, especially now that they were slightly stronger than their anime counterparts.
Yato: 'Sasakibe, Omaeda, Isane, Nanao, Yachiru, and Nemu are definitely out...all those lieutenants are usually seen close to their respective captains...Renji's going to wait for Ichigo after Ikkaku's defeat, so it can't be him either...that leaves Izuru, Momo, Iba, Hisagi, and Matsumoto...'
Suddenly, amid his thoughts, a group of shinigami came running in Yato's direction.
Shinigami 1: "Hey, you!"
Yato: "Huh?"
Shinigami 2: "What are you doing here all alone?"
Yato: "Oh, I'm sorry. I heard about the Ryoka and thought I could help out somehow." - He spoke innocently, trying to appear unassuming.
Shinigami 3: "Which division are you from?"
Yato: "My name is Toya Kaniyasa. I'm with the 4th Division." - He almost smirked, having switched his own name around in an attempt to deceive the shinigami.
Shinigami 1: "This place is under the jurisdiction of the 9th Division. You shouldn't be here. Go back to your division and await further orders."
Yato: "I'm sorry... I just thought I could help..." He lowered his head, feigning a sense of remorse as the shinigami passed by him, running in the opposite direction.
Once they were all out of sight, Yato let out a sigh and continued on his way, returning to his thoughts about Tatsuki's potential opponent.
Yato: 'The divisions that patrolled the Seireitei the most during this period were the 3rd, 5th, 9th, and 11th divisions... Iba will only move when the captains start to act, but that only happens when Renji, a lieutenant, loses his fight against Ichigo, which means that if Tatsuki wins, the captains will hunt us down earlier... things are just getting worse...' - He thought, sighing. - 'Matsumoto will be busier assisting Hitsugaya, and probably Momo will be close to Aizen until he stages his own death... so the only ones left would be–' - Before he could complete his thoughts, a voice caught the young man's attention.
Hisagi: "It was quite a performance... but you forgot a small detail about the 4th Division." - A shinigami with black hair jumped in front of Yato, and the young man immediately recognized the man with the sleeveless Shihakushō.
Yato: 'What a pain...' - He sighed. - 'So Tatsuki is fighting Izuru... well, at least it's someone I think she can beat... so...' - He looked back at the 9th Division lieutenant.
Hisagi: "Members of the 4th Division prioritize carrying a medical kit over their zanpakutōs." - The man spoke seriously as he put his hand on the hilt of his zanpakutō. - "Not to mention, in a time like this, I doubt anyone from the 4th Division would willingly go to the front lines against Captain Unohana's orders." Hisagi's expression was stern, and he held his hand firmly on his zanpakutō's hilt. He was fully aware of the situation, and his duty as a lieutenant was clear – to protect the Seireitei from any potential threats.
Yato: "If I said I forgot my medical kit, would you let me pass?" - He asked grumpily, no longer caring to maintain the act.
Yato couldn't help but roll his eyes slightly at the situation. It seemed his attempt to deceive the 9th Division lieutenant wasn't going as smoothly as he'd hoped. The stern look on Hisagi's face told him that this shinigami was not one to be trifled with.
Hisagi: "Sorry, but I can't let you through. Orders are orders, and we can't have unauthorized personnel wandering around in these times. Now tell me who you are and what your goal is here at Seireitei."
Hisagi's voice remained resolute, and his hand remained firmly on the hilt of his zanpakutō.
Yato knew he was running out of options. He reluctantly drew his zanpakutō, keeping his expression neutral as he locked eyes with Hisagi, who had already unsheathed his own blade.
Yato: "Usually, when you ask others to identify themselves, you'd lead by giving your name first, wouldn't you?"
Hisagi: "Shūhei Hisagi, Lieutenant of the 9th Division." - He stated firmly, drawing his zanpakutō with precision.
The tension in the air grew thicker as Yato and Hisagi stood there, sizing each other up. The silence became almost unbearable until Hisagi's narrowed eyes revealed a certain discomfort. Just as the silence was becoming oppressive, Yato broke it with a comment that carried a hint of mockery.
Yato: "What? I just said that's the common thing to do... never said I'd do the same..." - He smiled somewhat smugly.
Hisagi's scowl deepened, clearly unimpressed by Yato's response.
Yato had already figured that a showdown with the lieutenant was inevitable, so he deliberately engaged in small talk, biding his time. He waited until he was sure that his invisible threads were strategically positioned around the lieutenant's arms and back. His mind was racing, calculating the best moment to make his move while keeping a casual facade.
Without a word, Yato sprinted toward the lieutenant, launching an attack with his Zanpakuto that seemed all too obvious. The lieutenant instinctively moved his own Zanpakuto to parry, but then he felt his hands were ensnared by something. In that split second, Yato murmured the name "Ōkagetsu," causing his zanpakutō to shift into its Shikai form. Yato accelerated suddenly with Bringer Light and executed a powerful slash and the sudden surge of reiatsu intensified the attack, making the slash even deeper, reaching from the lieutenant's shoulder down to his waist.
Hisagi: "What?!" - He shouted, gritting his teeth in pain.
After striking the lieutenant, Yato intentionally unraveled the threads that had bound him, keeping his gaze fixed on the lieutenant from a safe distance. His mind raced as he assessed the situation. The surprise attack had worked, but Yato knew he couldn't let his guard down.
Hisagi: 'But what just happened...?' - He thought as he resumed his stance, his zanpakutō pointed at the intruder. 'Is that his zanpakutō? He didn't use any release command, yet...'
The lieutenant began to question the strange occurrences.
Hisagi: 'For a brief moment, I couldn't move my arm... Could it have been the ability of his zanpakutō...?' - He couldn't help but feel unease creeping in.
As Yato watched Hisagi's perplexed expression, he couldn't help but let out a faint, smug smile.
**
As Ichigo and Ganju observed the two Shinigami who had jumped in front of them, one of them began to perform a dance that, in the eyes of the duo, appeared rather ridiculous. This prompted an awkward silence after the dance concluded.
Ikkaku: "What the hell are you waiting for?! I was doing my lucky dance to give you some time to get out of there!! Don't just stand there!!"
Ichigo: "Huh... who is this guy?" - He muttered, clearly puzzled by the strange behavior.
Ganju: "Hey..." - He muttered to Ichigo.
Ichigo: "What...?"
The two of them began to argue in hushed tones.
Ganju: "What do you think?! We should get out of here!!"
Ichigo: "Run?! What are you talking about?!"
Ganju: "These guys are on a whole different level!! Can't you feel their Reiatsu?!"
Ikkaku: "Hey, what are you two whispering about over there?" - He asked with a smile. - "Well, take all the time you want to discuss, it won't increase your luck."
Yumichika: "But if we wait, someone might end up coming here, and then we'll have to share all the credit." - The shinigami with feather-like adornments around his right eye said.
Ikkaku: "Huh? That's true... All right! You have... until I finish my dance!!" - He said, getting ready to dance again.
Ganju: "If you want to fight, then you're on your own!! I'm outta here!!" - He shouted at Ichigo as he quickly left the sandy ground, running as fast as he could away from there.
Ikkaku: "What? Did you two have a quarrel?" - He asked the orange-haired teenager.
Ichigo: "Something like that..."
It didn't take long for Yumichika to follow after Ganju while Ichigo calmly stepped out of that sandy pit.
Ikkaku: "So... Why didn't you run? Your friend run because he felt our powers were way beyond his, right? If you ask me, I think he made a wise decision."
Ichigo: "If your power is greater than mine... running would be useless. You'd catch up to me for sure. But..." - He reached for the bandaged hilt of the huge zanpakutō on his back. - "...If your power is less than mine, then I just have to beat you. That's how I see it." - He said with a serious tone.
Ikkaku: "I see...Then you're a fool."
With a swift motion, Ikkaku unsheathed his zanpakutō. Without wasting a moment, he advanced towards Ichigo in an attempt to strike him. Ichigo dodged in the blink of an eye, his own zanpakutō unraveled from its bindings, radiating an aura of explosive spiritual energy as he counterattacked Ikkaku. The clash of their blades echoed through the air as the battle intensified.
Ichigo attempted another attack, but Ikkaku blocked it using the sheath of his zanpakutō. Seizing a small opening, Ikkaku lunged at Ichigo again, aiming to strike him. However, Ichigo utilized Ikkaku's own sheath to propel himself upward, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Ikkaku prepared to launch another attack as Ichigo descended, but the teenager executed a mid-air spin, positioning himself for another strike. In a synchronic moment, they both landed their respective hits, creating a brief pause in their intense battle.
Ikkaku: "Just in case... what's your name?" - He asked, a few drops of blood dripping from the cut Ichigo had made above his right eye.
Ichigo: "Ichigo Kurosaki..." - He replied, blood running down from the cut above his left eye.
Ikkaku: "Ichigo, huh? That's a good name..."
Ichigo: "Really? No one's told me that before..."
Ikkaku: "Yes. Men whose names start with 'I' are usually good-looking and talented..." - He grinned enthusiastically. - "I'm the 3rd Seat of the 11th Division, Ikkaku Madarame! Since our names start with the same letter, we should be friends!"
Ichigo: "I don't think so!" - He returned the smile.
**
Chad watched the fight between Tatsuki and the 3rd Division lieutenant while listening to Tatsuki's enthusiastic shouts.
Tatsuki: "Next!!!" - She yelled as she kicked away one of the kidō spells the lieutenant had launched at her.
Izuru quickly realized that trying to fight the girl head-on was quite risky, as somehow she could not only anticipate his movements but also move swiftly enough to dodge, defend, or counter him. It was as if he were facing a skilled member of the Onmitsu Kidō.
In a brief opening from the lieutenant, Tatsuki rushed at him with incredible speed, forcing him to try and defend himself against the spirited girl.
Izuru: "Bakudō #39. Enkōsen!" - He generated a dull yellow energy, forming a large spinning disk of condensed Reiatsu in front of himself.
Meanwhile, Chad contemplated his friend's performance during the fight.
Chad: 'I knew she was strong, but to think that in such a short time she would reach this level... But...' - He continued to observe the girl's actions.
Tatsuki: "Dragon Bazooka!!" - The karate enthusiast advanced towards the lieutenant, paying no mind to the shield he had created. She delivered a kick infused with a bright green reiatsu that not only shattered the shield but also struck the lieutenant, sending him flying.
Chad: 'Where is she coming up with these names...?' - He thought, a comedic sweatdrop forming on his head.
Tatsuki: "Next!!!" - She shouted at the lieutenant.
The lieutenant emerged from the debris, casting an uneasy glance at the spirited girl.
Izuru: 'This girl is way too loud...'
Tatsuki: "Come on, Lieutenant! I haven't even broken a sweat yet!" - She said excitedly, returning to her fighting stance.
Izuru: "I don't have much of a choice...I'll have to take this girl more seriously..." - He repositioned his zanpakutō, muttering. - "Raise your head, Wabisuke."