After all these years, Isshin Kurosaki had come to terms with reality. Regardless of how many unseen hands had orchestrated Ichigo's birth, the fact remained: Ichigo was his son. Nothing could change that. Isshin sighed, "Urahara, I told you from the start; this child has his own life. I won't interfere with the path he chooses. Now that he has chosen to become a Shinigami, I entrust his future to you."
"Don't worry, Captain Shiba. With Ichigo's potential, it won't be long before he surpasses us," Urahara reassured him.
"Let's hope so."
With a simple exchange, the two men had decided Ichigo's path. Then, they turned their attention back to the battle unfolding in the park.
Under Ikkaku Madarame's pressure, Ichigo's combat awareness, instincts, and even his spiritual pressure were increasing at an astonishing rate. His rapid growth startled even Ikkaku.
Fueled by a surge of competitive spirit, Ikkaku gripped his Zanpakutō in one hand and its sheath in the other, occasionally switching their positions as he unleashed a torrent of attacks, his two-sword style engulfed Ichigo in a whirlwind of blades.
Cuts appeared across Ichigo's body, crimson blood flowed freely. Yet, the pain only served to heighten his focus with each wound.
"Hahaha, kid," Ikkaku roared with laughter, sending Ichigo reeling back with a powerful blow, "regardless of what the future holds, I approve of you now. You're worthy of inheriting Shino's spiritual power."
He hadn't expected to encounter such a worthy opponent while in the World of the Living, dealing with his sister's predicament. Looking into Ichigo's eyes, he sensed a kindred spirit, someone who shared his love of battle.
"Now, I'm going to get serious!"
With that, he placed his Zanpakutō's sheath against the hilt and shouted, "Extend!"
"Well, well, if it isn't Fifth Seat Madarame and Sixth Seat Ayasegawa. If I'm not mistaken, there shouldn't be any Eleventh Division missions in the World of the Living right now, should there?"
Just as Ikkaku was about to release his Zanpakutō, Kisuke Urahara emerged from the shadows, strolling towards them with a mischievous glint in his eye. While Ichigo's growth had been impressive, his spiritual power, after all, was derived from Shino Madarame. Under such circumstances, was his Zanpakutō truly a Zanpakutō, or simply a weapon formed from his spiritual pressure? That this Ichigo could hold his own against Ikkaku, who had been subjected to the "Limiting Seal," was already a pleasant surprise. However, if Ikkaku were to release his Zanpakutō, Ichigo would be utterly helpless. To prevent Ichigo from suffering a devastating blow, Urahara had decided to intervene.
Seeing Urahara, Yumichika Ayasegawa instantly moved to Ikkaku's side, his hand resting on his Zanpakutō as he glared at the newcomer. Ikkaku, too, shifted his attention to Urahara.
"Shopkeeper Urahara?"
Instead of Ikkaku, it was Shino Madarame who spoke first and addressed Urahara with familiarity.
"Shopkeeper Urahara?"
Hearing his sister's address, Ikkaku looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Yeah, big brother. This Gigai I'm using, and some of the other cool stuff I have, I bought them all from Shopkeeper Urahara. He told me he has strong connections in the Seireitei and can get things that most Shinigami can't."
Observing his sister's enthusiastic introduction, Ikkaku's brow twitched, then he sheathed his Zanpakutō. It seemed Shino was unaware of Urahara's true identity. This, however, was a blessing in disguise. Ikkaku knew that if a conflict were to erupt, even with Yumichika by his side, they wouldn't stand a chance against this man.
"Captain Urahara," Ikkaku said, bowing respectfully, "I'm grateful for your care of my sister."
"Oh my…" Urahara hid his mouth behind a paper fan as a wave of unease washed over him. He hadn't anticipated that the key to his plan was the sister of Fifth Seat Madarame. Ikkaku Madarame himself wasn't a concern. It was the individual behind him that worried Urahara. If Ailin were to interfere and disrupt his carefully crafted plan… He quickly dismissed the thought. He had already dealt with the aftermath of the Mod Soul attack decades ago. He knew that lurking within the Seireitei was another expert in Dangai research, someone who possessed several captain-level Mod Souls. So far, that individual hadn't exposed themselves. To avoid provoking them, Urahara hadn't used the Dangai in years.
But now, he had no choice but to take a risk. He would deal with Aizen first, then focus on uncovering the identity of the one hiding in the shadows.
After all, he was intimately familiar with the Twelfth Division's research equipment. Once he knew who was monitoring the Dangai, finding them would be a trivial matter.
"Captain? Big brother, did you say something wrong?"
Shino Madarame looked at her brother, confused by his address.
"Shino, watch your manners," Yumichika Ayasegawa reprimanded her, pulling her aside. "Captain Urahara is the former captain of the Twelfth Division."
"Fifth Seat Madarame, Sixth Seat Ayasegawa, I'm no longer a captain. I'm just a shopkeeper now, running a small business in the World of the Living. Please, call me Shopkeeper Urahara."
Despite his internal turmoil, Urahara maintained his amiable facade, not revealing a hint of his anxieties.
"Fifth Seat Madarame, Sixth Seat Ayasegawa, regarding your reasons for coming to the World of the Living…"
"I believe I have some insight into the matter."
"Rest assured, I'll handle things for Ichigo and Miss Shino. As long as there isn't any major commotion in Karakura Town, the Seireitei won't discover Miss Shino's situation anytime soon."
"I promise I'll find a way to restore her spiritual power as quickly as possible."
Reassured by Urahara's words, Ikkaku and Yumichika chose not to press the issue. After witnessing Ichigo's strength and hearing Shino's explanation, Ikkaku had abandoned his plan to kill Ichigo and reclaim his sister's spiritual power. The Madarame Clan valued honor. If Ichigo hadn't intervened, Shino would be dead. Now, she had merely violated a Seireitei decree. It wouldn't necessarily result in her death. It was Shino who had come out on top.
Moreover, Urahara's promise to find a solution filled them with hope. After all, he was the former captain of the Twelfth Division, renowned for its scientific prowess.
While Urahara was conversing with Ikkaku and Yumichika, a black cat emerged from the shadows. As Ikkaku and Yumichika opened a Senkaimon back to the Soul Society, the cat, just as the portal was about to close, dashed through.
Urahara watched the cat go and smiled. He had contacted Yoruichi through his Hell Butterfly, informing her of the situation. It was to buy time for her arrival that he had engaged Ikkaku and Yumichika in conversation.
The truth was, restoring transferred spiritual power wasn't a simple matter. If it were, Isshin Kurosaki wouldn't have spent ten years as an ordinary human. From the start, Urahara hadn't intended to restore Shino's spiritual power. But, just as Isshin's spiritual pressure had slowly returned after Masaki's death, once Ichigo's Shinigami powers, derived from Shino, faded, her powers would naturally return.
For now, the priority was to have Yoruichi meet with Ailin.
He was certain that the researcher hiding in the Twelfth Division wouldn't have anticipated that he hadn't used the Dangai to open a Senkaimon. Instead, he had utilized the Seireitei's existing Senkaimon, bypassing their surveillance.
This was his attack strategy!
As for their return trip, Urahara had no concerns. If Aizen was still interested in the half-formed Hōgyoku in his possession, he would send someone to the World of the Living to capture Shino Madarame. Then, Yoruichi could hitch a ride back to the Seireitei.
…
Under the cover of night, a black cat leaped across the walls of the Seireitei, effortlessly evading the Shinigami patrols. It was Yoruichi Shihōin, the former captain of the Second Division.
Having visited Ailin before, during Rukia's incident, she was familiar with the route to his new home. However, as she descended from the sky, preparing to land, countless golden lights shot towards her.
"Dangerous!"
The lights, upon closer inspection, were countless osmanthus-shaped blades. They reminded her of Byakuya Kuchiki's Senbonzakura. But these blades were far more potent. Their size alone indicated an attack power far exceeding Senbonzakura's cherry blossom blades.
Of course, the true power of Zanpakutō like Senbonzakura and these golden blades lay in the sheer number of their projectiles.