amaotonovel Chapter 680 No matter how you look at it, it couldn't possibly be Bankai.
Chapter 680 No matter how you look at it, it couldn't possibly be Bankai.
"That's fine then. Take good care of my little brat and don't leave any potential problems." Yuko glanced at Chadu, seemingly having no intention of taking him away, and turned to leave.
Kyoraku Shunsui couldn't help but ask again, "What exactly are you thinking?"
This time, he wasn't trying to stop Yuko; he was asking the question instinctively.
"Is it for the young lady of the Kuchiki family, or is there some other motive?"
If it were just those few kids, he wouldn't be so nervous.
But when it comes to this woman and Kisuke Urahara's group, he has to think carefully about whether others have also entered the Seireitei and gone into hiding.
You know, Kisuke Urahara's side isn't weak either!
If the captains and vice-captains who left a hundred years ago were still alive, even the current Gotei 13 would find it extremely difficult to deal with them.
Not to mention that the enemy is now in the dark while we are in the light.
As for what Yuko said about Captain Aizen, Kyoraku Shunsui still couldn't believe it.
“As I said, at least you will listen to me carefully.” Yuko paused and turned her head slightly. “We did come to save Kuchiki Rukia, but at the same time, we also want to clear the name of Aizen Sousuke from a hundred years ago and reveal his true colors.”
Kyoraku Shunsui was speechless. He considered himself to be a good judge of character, and whether from a rational or emotional perspective, he couldn't completely deny Ikuko's words.
Well, except for the most important piece of evidence.
Yu Zi saw his inner hesitation and smiled, "Like this, I don't need you to truly believe me. As long as you have even a slight doubt in your heart, that's enough."
"Be careful, lest someone else reaps the benefits in the end."
Kyoraku Shunsui narrowed his eyes slightly. After a long while, he sheathed his Zanpakuto and raised his hands in surrender: "I'm about to throw up. You're not here to mess with my mentality, are you?"
He was starting to really want to believe Yuko!
Because with her abilities, there was absolutely no need for her to try to persuade him; simply injuring him would be enough.
He couldn't think of any reason or excuse.
Yu Zi waved her hand casually: "Probably. Stay true to your style, and remember to hold back when it comes to fighting."
"...What do you take me for?" Kyoraku Shunsui's lips twitched.
“What else could he be but a useless old man?” Yu Zi didn’t even glance at him, staring into the distance.
Ise Nanao nodded frantically in agreement behind her; if she weren't Ikuko's enemy, she would have agreed too.
Just as Kyoraku Shunsui was about to retort, Ikuko suddenly said, "See?"
Kyoraku Shunsui was taken aback: "What?"
Yuko turned around with a smile: "It's over now, that battle over there."
"Hmm?" Kyoraku Shunsui's eyelids twitched, and he quickly sensed towards Kurotsuchi Mayuri's direction.
No way……
That's the team leader, you know.
Kyoraku Shunsui's eyes widened, a bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead, and his expression was one of disbelief.
Lost? !
No, is it a lose-lose situation?
Even if it's a lose-lose situation, the fact that the captain lost to a Quincy brat is already quite telling.
Kyoraku Shunsui was genuinely surprised: "Hey, hey, hey, I didn't realize you had such a capable guy among your men."
Yu Zi nodded calmly: "Your shock is reasonable, but it is also only natural that the villains would lose to the protagonist group."
Kyoraku Shunsui's expression froze, and he said blankly, "What is that...?"
"Who knows."
"Didn't you say that yourself?!"
"See you later." Yu Zi ignored him and waved before turning and disappearing from their sight.
Kyoraku Shunsui looked embarrassed: "What's this...?"
He looked at Chad lying on the ground and was completely baffled.
Are you just going to abandon your own people and hand them over to him like that?
Is this a sign of trusting him and wanting to gamble on his choice?
Finally, he sighed and said to Ise Nanao behind him, "Anyway, let's lock this guy up for now."
Ultimately, that was their original plan: if they couldn't deal with Yuko directly, they would take care of the others first, and then force her to show herself.
He was following orders, so it wasn't a violation.
Ise Nanao pushed up her glasses and asked curiously, "Captain, was that really Bankai just now?"
"How could that be?" Kyoraku Shunsui denied it without even thinking. "No matter how you look at it, it's just a charade."
"But……"
“There are indeed Zanpakuto that can remain in their Shikai state without needing a Shikai phrase, that is, Zanpakuto whose Shikai is permanent.” Kyoraku Shunsui interrupted her and explained, “For such Zanpakuto, as long as you know the name of the Zanpakuto once and enter a state of synchronization with it, the Zanpakuto can remain in its permanent Shikai state.”
"But Bankai is different. If Shikai is the synchronization of Zanpakuto and Shinigami, then Zanpakuto symbolizes half of Shinigami."
"Bankai is the autonomous evolution of the Zanpakuto, and it may have already taken a different path from that of the Shinigami," Kyoraku Shunsui continued to explain. "It requires the Shinigami to use powerful means of conquest to activate, and it is the Shinigami's ultimate technique."
"At least to my knowledge, there has never been a precedent of successfully achieving Bankai without using the Liberation Word."
"...I see." Ise Nanao seemed a little lost in thought. "Should we report this to Captain-Commander Yamamoto?"
Kyoraku Shunsui blinked: "What?"
Ise Nanao said, "There might be a traitor among the captains, and there's also Captain Aizen's affair."
"..."
Kyoraku Shunsui stumbled, sweating profusely, and said, "I'm telling you, Nanao, doubting a general before a battle is a big taboo; it could easily sow discord."
"Furthermore, you were too young and inexperienced a hundred years ago to know much about Kisuke Urahara and his group. In short, it's not a simple matter."
"I see……"
At this point, Ise Nanao also realized that she had been making some assumptions.
but……
“But speaking of which, you’ve really grown up, Nanao-chan.” Kyoraku Shunsui looked her up and down without any attempt to hide it, “in every sense of the word.”
Ise Nanao's expression froze, her face turning cold: "Die!"
……
Next, Chad and Uryu both fell, and Orihime... how did Orihime end up with those guys from the Eleventh Division?
Yuko rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of a headache.
But it's alright, at least the Eleventh Division are all idiots and don't have any bad intentions.
Yoruichi... Yoruichi's presence isn't so easy to sense.
In her normal state, Yuuko's perception is stronger than that of most Shinigami, but if there is no battle or spiritual pressure, she cannot accurately lock onto targets. In addition, Yoruichi is a master at concealing her aura and does not carry Yoruichi's blood.
Yuko wasn't worried about Yoruichi's safety. Putting everything else aside, if she couldn't win, it wouldn't be difficult for her to leave.
After all, Yoruichi's reputation as the "Flash Goddess" wasn't earned for nothing.
As for Ichigo...
Ichigo's location is...
That direction leads to the Palace of Repentance.
There was no obstruction from the captain along the way, it seems that most people were still capturing the traveler in various places, trying to find her location.
They didn't entirely intend to wait passively for something to happen.
What if their target isn't Rukia? Wouldn't that be a disaster?
……
However, the Palace of Repentance is not entirely unguarded.
That was Byakuya's spiritual pressure; the two had already clashed.
Having just fought Kenpachi Zaraki, Ichigo is now facing Byakuya Kuchiki. This is no longer a matter of luck; as long as Ichigo's goal is to rescue Rukia, encountering these captains is only a matter of time.
The problem is that Ichigo is no match for Byakuya right now.
In comparison, Ichigo has a slightly higher chance of winning against Kenpachi Zaraki now.
Because of Kenpachi Zaraki's passion for fighting, he always unconsciously suppresses his spiritual pressure to fight his opponents to his heart's content, and he might be unexpectedly defeated by Ichigo when he unleashes his full power.
But Byakuya doesn't have this problem.
The battle situation was almost one-sided, with Ichigo gaining a strong advantage. After several battles, Ichigo's spiritual pressure was undoubtedly close to that of a captain. Under normal circumstances, he could even go toe-to-toe with a captain for several rounds without any problem.
But the key point is that the captain's strength is not just due to his high spiritual pressure level.
The Grim Reaper's strongest technique. Unless Ichigo can instantly unleash his Bankai, there is absolutely no chance of victory.
Kenpachi Zaraki is, after all, a special case. Let alone Bankai, that idiot doesn't even know Shikai.
When she fought him a hundred years ago, Yuuko wasn't surprised because his Zanpakuto seemed to have been picked up from other Shinigami without any systematic understanding.
But even though he's become the team leader, he still doesn't know how.
That would be incredibly stupid.
Kenpachi Zaraki's spiritual pressure level is not low; he's a natural monster, but he's not very bright.
Just as Yuko was about to set off, she suddenly sensed Yoruichi's spiritual pressure approaching at light speed and taking Ichigo away from Byakuya Kuchiki.
……
"vomit……"
Ichigo Kurosaki felt like his internal organs were about to be shaken out. He was being carried by Yoruichi like a sack of rice, speeding through the rooftops and alleys of Seireitei, the scenery before him becoming blurry lines.
After an unknown amount of time, the lightning speed finally came to a stop.
Yoruichi threw him to the ground with a thud.
"Ugh~"
Ichigo knelt on the ground and gagged twice before struggling to lift his head and finding himself in a huge underground cave.
The air inside the cave was humid and warm, and in the center was a hot spring with wisps of white steam rising from it.
"Where...is this place?" Ichigo asked, panting heavily, every part of his body aching and covered in blood.
He lost to Byakuya Kuchiki once again, and if Yoruichi hadn't arrived in time, he might have died there.
Damn it! Rukia was so close!
“This is my secret base.” Yoruichi dusted off her hands and explained casually, “Don’t worry, it’s absolutely safe. Not many people know about this place.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a clear, cold voice came from the cave entrance.
"That's not necessarily true. After sensing your and Ichigo's spiritual pressure, I guessed you would come here."
The two looked in the direction of the sound and saw Yuko leisurely leaning against the rock wall at the entrance.
"Auntie!" Ichigo was both surprised and delighted. He struggled to stand up, but was stopped by a look from Yuko.
"Lie down and don't move around. In the state you are, you probably can't even beat Yoruichi."
"Oh, anyone who didn't know better would think you were his mother, so concerned about everything." Hearing this, Yoruichi rolled her eyes and put on a teasing smile.
Ichigo couldn't help but remark, "Yoruichi-san is actually a woman."
Although Yoruichi had revealed her identity during her fight with Byakuya Kuchiki, it still seemed too outrageous no matter how you looked at it.
"Well, what can I do? I'm so close to Masaki." Yuko glanced at the disheveled Ichigo, then turned to Yoruichi and held up two fingers. "Two. I've successfully taken care of two spies."
"I see. It's amazing you still have time for this kind of thing at a time like this." Yoruichi rubbed her forehead and asked, "Speaking of which, two? And who's the other one?"
"Kyoto Raku Shunsui".
Yoruichi's eyes widened: "Really?"
She could understand it if it was Unohana, since that woman wasn't as gentle as she seemed; she was actually a pervert, so it was reasonable for her to side with Yuuko.
But Kyoraku Shunsui?
That guy isn't as clueless as he seems; he's a seasoned captain with a lot of experience.
"Half and half, at least they won't be too hostile towards us."
"..."
Yuko coughed lightly and explained the situation succinctly: "Currently, Chad and Uryu have been captured, but I've asked Kyoraku to take care of them, so neither of them is in any danger. Orihime is lucky; she's stuck with those fighting idiots from the Eleventh Division, so she's not in any immediate danger."
Hearing news of his comrades, Ichigo's heart sank. He struggled to sit up, slamming his fist heavily on the ground: "Damn it! It's all my fault... I'm too weak!"
The thought of Byakuya Kuchiki's overwhelming strength filled Ichigo with a sense of powerlessness and anger.
That's just one of the thirteen captains, and he's already this strong.
Without Auntie and Yoruichi, wouldn't they be unable to move an inch?
Trying to rescue Rukia is simply wishful thinking.
Yuko noticed his confusion and smiled, saying, "Don't say that. You've already done quite well to be able to spar with Byakuya while fighting continuously."
"Moreover, although Chad and Uryu lost, they also defeated a captain."
Yoruichi became interested and asked curiously, "Oh? Who is it? So pathetic."
“The captain of the 12th Division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi,” Ikuko replied. “My knowledge of him is limited to him being the monster Kisuke took away from the Maggot Nest, right?”
Yoruichi nodded slightly: "Yes, it's not surprising that he became the captain with his talent."
"Auntie! Yoruichi-san!" Ichigo suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at Yoruichi and Ikuko.
Yuko turned her head in confusion: "Huh? Even if you want to fight me now, you should heal your body first, right?"
"what?"
"Huh? Didn't I steal your opponent and make you unhappy?"
"No way!" Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle and retort, then lowered his head, clenched his fists, and his eyes darted around.
"...I want to become stronger."
The atmosphere inside the cave instantly became serious.