Under the current circumstances, Uehara Shiroha's best course of action was simply to enjoy life—to sit back, relax, and wait for the moment of inevitability when he would stand at the pinnacle of all existence.
Of course, along the way, if there was an opportunity to profit from the chaos, he wouldn't mind playing the fisherman, reaping the benefits while others struggled.
And when he was bored, he sought out entertainment—witnessing the birth of legendary moments, watching fate unfold in real-time.
Meanwhile, in the human world, Kurosaki Ichigo lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, thoughts running wild.
Everything that had happened today was unbelievable.
For as long as he could remember, he had always been able to see ghosts—something that most people could not. It had never bothered him too much. If anything, he had grown used to it.
But lately…
Those spirits had become clearer, more frequent, more persistent. Their presence was stronger than ever, and it was beginning to feel like they were surrounding him.
And then today happened.
That thing—a massive, grotesque creature—had appeared before him.
It was unlike anything he had ever encountered before.
It was monstrous, almost like a cockroach blown up to terrifying proportions, grotesque and horrifying. It had ferocious eyes, a terrifying white mask, and an aura so oppressive that he could feel his very soul trembling.
Worse yet, ordinary people couldn't even see it.
That meant that no one else could even hear its piercing, unnatural screech or feel the air shudder with its presence.
For the first time, Kurosaki Ichigo felt true fear.
But what was that monster?
Why had it been chasing a little girl's ghost?
And who was the girl who had appeared out of nowhere and slain the monster in a single stroke?
His mind raced as he replayed the events over and over again.
Just as he was deep in thought, the window to his room slid open, a cool night breeze filtering in.
A black butterfly fluttered into the dimly lit room, its wings barely making a sound.
And then—
A girl leaped inside.
She had short black hair, a petite frame, and wore a traditional black robe that looked like something out of a samurai drama. A sheathed sword rested at her waist.
Ichigo's eyes widened.
He recognized her instantly.
The girl from earlier.
The one who had saved him.
The one who had cut down that monstrous being like it was nothing.
But what the hell was she doing sneaking into his room in the middle of the night?!
As he tried to process the absurdity of the situation, the girl remained completely focused. She barely even acknowledged his existence, her sharp gaze scanning the room like a predator searching for prey.
Then, her eyes narrowed as she muttered under her breath,
"It's nearby... Very close."
Ichigo sat up, blinking in disbelief.
"What do you mean 'close'—close to your head!"
He snapped his leg up in a swift kick, aiming straight at her.
The girl's reflexes were impeccable. In a blur of motion, she caught his leg with ease, blocking the attack like it was child's play.
Her violet eyes widened in shock.
"You—"
She stared at him, genuine confusion flashing across her face.
"You can see me?"
She tightened her grip slightly, as if testing something, before adding,
"And your attack actually worked on me?!"
Ichigo scowled.
"Of course, I can see you! What kind of stupid question is that? And why the hell are you sneaking into my room like some burglar?!"
But the girl didn't respond immediately.
Internally, she was stunned.
Had it not been for her teacher's rigorous training, she might not have been able to react in time to that sudden attack.
Something was definitely strange about this boy.
Her spiritual awareness hadn't even picked up on him, yet he had been able to touch her, hit her, physically interact with her—which meant he had spiritual power.
So why had her senses failed?
Ichigo, meanwhile, was glaring at her.
"Oi! Are you even listening to me?"
The girl finally sighed, rubbing her temple as if dealing with a headache.
"I am Kuchiki Rukia," she introduced herself at last. "I am a Shinigami, a Death God from Soul Society."
Ichigo scoffed.
"I don't believe you. You're probably just a special kind of ghost. I've seen tons of ghosts in my life, but I've never seen a Death God before. They don't exist."
Rukia's eye twitched.
This fool…
Without hesitation, she bound him using a kidō spell, sealing him immobile in an instant.
Ichigo struggled, his eyes widening as an invisible force locked his body in place.
"Oi! Oi! What the hell is this?!"
Ignoring his protests, Rukia calmly performed a Soul Burial on a lingering ghost nearby.
Then, she casually flipped open a small notebook.
She began explaining.
"This is a Hollow," she said, pointing at an illustration of a grotesque monster. "Hollows exist between Soul Society and the real world, only emerging when they sense the presence of prey—souls that they can devour."
She turned the page, revealing another drawing.
"And these are Shinigami, whose job is to exterminate Hollows and maintain the balance of souls."
Ichigo, still restrained, stared at the horrifyingly abstract illustrations in disbelief.
His eye twitched.
"What the hell is that…?!"
The drawings were so awful that he could barely tell what he was even looking at.
They looked like scribbles drawn by a three-year-old.
He gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to scream.
"Oi… Did your P.E. teacher teach you how to draw?!"
At the Court Army Base
Meanwhile, Uehara Shiroha watched the scene unfold through his perception.
He shook his head in mild disappointment.
At first, he had been pleased.
In the original timeline, Rukia had been kicked down by Ichigo the moment she appeared, landing flat on the ground in a rather embarrassing pose.
This time?
She had dodged the attack effortlessly.
That meant his training hadn't been in vain.
However…
When he saw Rukia's "masterpiece" of an explanation guide, Uehara Shiroha felt a wave of despair wash over him.
As someone recognized as an artistic genius in Soul Society, he wanted to disown her on the spot.
This was a disgrace.
Michibane, sitting beside him, giggled at his expression.
She picked up a neatly sliced piece of fruit, gently feeding it to him as he continued watching.
"Is it that bad?" she asked teasingly.
Uehara Shiroha exhaled slowly, his fingers pressing against his temple.
"Let's just say that Rukia's painting skills have transcended the appreciation of this era."
Michibane chuckled, satisfied with his reaction.
Meanwhile, Uehara Shiroha leaned back, his golden eyes gleaming with anticipation.
The real show was just beginning.
The next part was going to be even more exciting.
Just as Rukia finished explaining the basics of Hollows and Shinigami, a deep, guttural roar shook the night air.
The sound was bone-chilling, primal—like a beast on the hunt.
Kurosaki Ichigo froze, his body stiffening as a sense of dread crept up his spine.
That feeling—the same one from earlier in the day—had returned. A terrifying pressure surrounded him, making his heart race.
A bad premonition settled in his chest.
"Didn't you say there was another Hollow nearby?!" Ichigo demanded, his voice sharp with urgency. "It's here! Go and kill it!"
Rukia's brow furrowed slightly.
"I did come here following its Reiatsu," she admitted.
But then, confusion flickered in her eyes.
"Yet… for some reason, I couldn't sense it until now. It's as if some powerful force was blocking my perception."
She narrowed her eyes, her mind racing.
"This… feels familiar."
She had experienced something like this before—but this time, something about it felt different.
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Ichigo snapped. "The damn thing is right there! Can't you hear that loud roar?!"
As the monstrous sound echoed again, the ground trembled, and the distant crash of breaking buildings rang through the air.
Ichigo's heart pounded.
His family was here.
His father, Kurosaki Isshin.
His younger sisters, Kurosaki Yuzu and Kurosaki Karin.
Were they safe?
His body tensed as panic surged through him.
Rukia's eyes suddenly widened. She rushed to the door, her body moving on instinct. The moment she stepped outside, a gust of wind slammed against her face.
And then—
She felt it.
A crushing, monstrous Reiatsu.
It was right here.
Far too close.
At this distance, she should have sensed it long ago—so why hadn't she?
She cast a quick glance at Ichigo.
Something about this boy was off.
He had some kind of power—a force that interfered with her own spiritual perception.
At the same time, Kurosaki Yuzu, barely eleven years old, staggered toward Ichigo's room.
Her small frame trembled as she pushed herself forward.
Unlike ordinary people, she had some spiritual awareness. She could see ghosts, though not clearly. To her, they were like faint outlines, silhouettes in the dark.
But this thing—this monster—was something else entirely.
She could barely make out its grotesque form, but she felt it.
Its presence was like an oppressive shadow, suffocating her.
And now—
Her sister Karin was in its grasp.
Yuzu had tried to protect her, but she had been too weak.
She gasped for breath, pushing herself up the stairs, ignoring the burning pain in her limbs.
"Onii-chan…" she whimpered, voice breaking.
With what little strength she had left, she stumbled into Ichigo's room.
"Brother…!"
Ichigo turned just in time to see his little sister collapse onto the floor.
"Yuzu!"
Her delicate frame shook violently, and her lips quivered as she reached out toward him.
Her voice was weak—almost desperate.
"K-Karin… she—"
She sucked in a trembling breath.
"She tried to protect me… but that thing—"
Tears welled in her frightened eyes.
"Please, Onii-chan… save her…"
And with that, she lost consciousness.
Ichigo froze.
A sharp, twisting pain coiled in his chest.
He clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms.
But at that moment—
He was still bound by Rukia's Kidō.
His rage, his fear, his desperation—none of it mattered.
He couldn't move.
Ichigo fought against the invisible bindings, his muscles straining.
And then—
He saw her.
Karin.
His little sister.
She was dangling helplessly in the air, held tightly in the clawed grip of a massive Hollow.
The monster towered over them, its hulking figure grotesque and twisted.
A long white mask covered its deformed face, and its breath came out in slow, rasping hisses.
Its soulless eyes locked onto Ichigo.
And in that moment—
Ichigo snapped.
A roar of pure fury erupted from his throat.
With an explosive burst of strength, he did the impossible.
He broke free.
The Kidō spell shattered, its binding force obliterated under his sheer willpower.
Rukia's eyes widened.
"Impossible!"
Kidō was designed to bind souls—it wasn't something that could be overcome with mere physical strength.
Yet Ichigo had done it.
She didn't have time to process what had just happened.
There was no time for questions.
She lunged at the Hollow, unleashing a strike of spiritual energy, her blade glowing with power.
But the Hollow was smart.
It used Karin as a shield.
Rukia hesitated—just for a second.
And in that second—
The Hollow counterattacked, sending a devastating shockwave through the air.
Rukia gasped, her body flung back as pain tore through her.
Ichigo's eyes widened in horror.
Rukia staggered, blood dripping from her side.
She couldn't fight anymore.
Which meant—
There was only one option left.
She lifted her Zanpakutō, her grip tightening despite her injury.
"The only way now… is for you to take my power."
Ichigo's breath hitched.
"If you let me pierce your soul with this blade," Rukia continued, "you may gain the power of a Shinigami. But there's no guarantee. If you fail, you will die."
She fixed him with a serious gaze.
"It's your choice."
But to Ichigo, there was no choice to make.
"Give me the damn sword, Shinigami!"
Rukia's lips curled slightly.
"It's Rukia Kuchiki."
Ichigo took a deep breath.
"And my name is Kurosaki Ichigo."
He grabbed the sword.
And stabbed himself.
The world exploded into light.
The moment the blade pierced his chest, an unimaginable power surged through him.
A blinding Reiatsu erupted, engulfing everything in a brilliant white light.
The Hollow lunged forward, sensing an easy feast.
But—
As the light faded—
The Hollow's right arm was gone.
Ichigo stood tall, clad in a Shinigami uniform, a massive Zanpakutō gripped in his hand.
The Hollow shuddered.
Ichigo's golden eyes gleamed with raw power.
And then—
With one clean strike—
The Hollow was cut down.
Rukia, still kneeling, could only stare in shock.
"I only meant to give him half my power," she murmured, dazed. "But he… took all of it."
Her fingers trembled.
"Kurosaki Ichigo… who the hell are you?"
At the Court Army base, Uehara Shiroha sat comfortably, watching the legendary scene unfold before him.
The moment had finally arrived.
This was the birth of Kurosaki Ichigo—the man who, in the future, would wield his Crescent Moon Getsuga to cut down the entire Bleach world in a single strike.
Uehara Shiroha raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of amusement and intrigue.
"So… it's finally happening."
Ichigo had taken his first step toward greatness.
But there was one problem.
Ichigo Kurosaki was an idiot.
That reckless fool had caused Rukia to lose her Shinigami powers.
Not that it was Rukia's fault—no, Uehara Shiroha knew better than to blame her.
From the moment Rukia Kuchiki had set foot in the human world, Ichigo had been attacked by a Hollow.
And not just any Hollow.
It was his second encounter with a Hollow in sixteen years.
That wasn't coincidence.
Not even close.
Uehara Shiroha's Observation Haki had already detected the three most dangerous masterminds watching from the shadows.
Urahara Kisuke
Aizen Sōsuke
Ichibē Hyōsube
These three old foxes were lurking in the darkness, pulling strings.
Rukia's fate had already been decided the moment she arrived.
No matter how cautious she had been, she never had a choice.
She was meant to lose her power.
Her encounter with Ichigo Kurosaki was not an accident.
It was predetermined—set into motion by forces beyond her control.
From the beginning to the end, Rukia was nothing more than a pawn in a grander scheme.
Helpless. Disposable. Controlled.
Uehara Shiroha's golden eyes darkened.
He was not pleased.
No one toyed with his apprentice without consequences.
Even if it was Aizen, even if it was Ichibē, even if it was Urahara Kisuke…
They would pay.
Eventually.
He had already noted their names in his little black book.
Far away, hidden beneath the veil of night…
Urahara Kisuke observed the events with a complicated expression, his hat casting a shadow over his unreadable gaze.
He whispered to himself,
"I didn't expect you to awaken your power like this."
His fingers tightened slightly around his cane.
"I hope… I won't need your strength next time."
The plan had worked.
If everything continued as expected, he could successfully conceal the Hōgyoku.
And then—
Everything would be fine.
But…
Urahara wasn't a fool.
He knew Aizen was too cunning to let things proceed so smoothly.
And more than that—
Uehara Shiroha's arrival in Karakura Town had changed everything.
There were too many variables now.
If things went wrong, he might have no choice but to rely on Kurosaki Ichigo in the future.
He didn't want to.
But he needed a backup plan.
Meanwhile—
Aizen Sōsuke sat in front of a monitor, watching the chaotic battlefield unfold with a calm, almost amused expression.
The corners of his lips curled into a small, knowing smile.
"The original choice was correct after all," he murmured to himself.
Ichigo Kurosaki was awakening exactly as planned.
This was his doing.
The Hollow attack.
The timing of Rukia's arrival.
Everything had been orchestrated to push Ichigo toward his latent potential.
But then—
Something unexpected had occurred.
Something that went beyond his original calculations.
A variable had entered the board.
And that variable…
Was Uehara Shiroha.
Aizen's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of his chair.
"Did he come to Karakura Town because he noticed my plan?"
His eyes gleamed with intrigue.
"Or is it for something else?"
His voice lowered, almost whisper-like.
"The power of the Soul King… Could it be that there is more than one?"
For over twenty years, Aizen had been secretly investigating Uehara Shiroha.
He had tested him. He had studied him.
And he had come to one conclusion.
Uehara Shiroha had abilities no Shinigami should possess.
Abilities that surpassed even Bankai.
Abilities that felt too similar to something else.
The power of the Soul King.
Aizen's sharp gaze flickered with excitement.
This…
This was interesting.
At that moment, a quiet voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Lord Aizen," a soft, silky tone drawled.
Ichimaru Gin stood beside him, his fox-like smile in place.
"That boy—Ichigo Kurosaki," Gin murmured. "He ain't that special, is he?"
He gestured at the monitor, where Ichigo stood victorious, his new Zanpakutō gleaming in the moonlight.
"His power ain't all that impressive," Gin said lazily. "So why go through all this effort just to make him stronger?"
Aizen chuckled.
"Oh, Gin," he murmured.
"If that were the case…"
His voice took on a deeper, more menacing tone.
"Then Uehara Shiroha wouldn't have come here at this moment."
Aizen's expression sharpened.
"Did he sense my plan? Or does he have his own reason for being here?"
His fingers steepled together as he considered the possibilities.
"Either way," he mused, "it seems the power of the Soul King may not be as singular as we once believed."
A thrill ran through him at the thought.
At his side, Tōsen Kaname stirred.
His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
"So, Lord Aizen… does this mean… our plan can begin?"
Aizen's smile widened.
"Not yet," he murmured.
"But soon."
His gaze darkened, his mind already racing ahead.
Everything was still going according to plan.
Except now—
The game had become even more interesting.
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