Kisuke drew the Zanpakutō hidden inside his cane and slashed toward Ichigo's broken blade.
Ichigo instinctively raised his sword to block, only for that strike to cut away even half of the little guard he had left.
"Kurosaki-san, if you don't take the next test seriously, you really will die."
Urahara's words were spoken lightly, but the killing intent coming from him made every hair on Ichigo's body stand on end.
"Awaken, Benihime."
Kisuke released his Zanpakutō for the first time.
For a while, Ichigo desperately fled in front while Kisuke Urahara chased after him from behind.
As he ran, Ichigo's state of mind slowly began to change.
He remembered how Renji Abarai had asked him for the name of his Zanpakutō before, and he also remembered how Urahara had just called out Benihime's name when releasing his blade.
Then he stopped and turned around to face Kisuke Urahara head-on.
Ichigo began to resonate with the Zangetsu within his heart.
For the first and only time, he spoke Zangetsu's Shikai release command.
"Forget fear. Look forward. Move ahead and never stop. Retreat, and you will age. Hesitate, and you will die. Call my name. My name is… Zangetsu!"
A massive slash mixed with sky-blue reiatsu shot out from Ichigo's broken blade.
Kisuke Urahara turned sideways and avoided the slash, then quietly looked at Ichigo.
As the fluctuations of reiatsu dispersed, the shape of Ichigo's Zanpakutō changed.
It no longer looked like the oversized cleaver from before.
Instead, it had become a giant butcher's knife without a guard, its handle wrapped in white bandages.
Looking at Ichigo's Zanpakutō, Kisuke Urahara smiled.
The true purpose of the third test was to make Ichigo learn the name of his Zanpakutō and achieve a true Shikai.
Ichigo weighed Zangetsu in his hand.
"Hat-and-Clogs, you'd better dodge properly. I'm not going to hold back."
As he spoke, he swung Zangetsu at Kisuke Urahara, unleashing another slash.
"Sing, Benihime."
After sensing the power of that attack, Urahara quickly changed Benihime's released form and summoned a blood-red shield before him.
The unnamed Getsuga Tenshō directly shattered half of the Blood Mist Shield, carving a huge trench behind Kisuke.
His hat was also sent flying by the force of the slash.
Looking at the heavily damaged Blood Mist Shield in front of him, Kisuke Urahara spoke with lingering fear.
"Oh my, oh my. Kurosaki-san, your slash really is terrifying. You nearly killed me."
After this period of training, Ichigo finally completed his training to recover his Shinigami powers.
At the same time, Yoruichi had also successfully completed her special training for Orihime Inoue and the others.
Ichigo's group returned home and began making their final preparations for the coming battle.
"Ichigo, if you run into trouble in Soul Society, you can go to West Rukongai and seek help from Kūkaku Shiba. She is the current head of the Shiba Clan, and also your cousin. Remember, the next time you fight someone, don't be too reckless. First, you need to announce your family background in time. But in Soul Society, you'd better announce the Shiba name instead of the Kurosaki name. Understood?"
Isshin Kurosaki earnestly taught Ichigo.
Facing his father's heartfelt instructions, Ichigo nodded as if he understood, though he clearly only half-understood.
Seeing his son react like this, Isshin could not help feeling sorrowful again.
Had he really raised Ichigo wrong?
A thought even began to appear in his heart.
Should he start over and make a new son?
After everyone finished saying goodbye, Ichigo and the others officially set out for Soul Society under Kisuke Urahara's arrangements.
...
Soul Society.
Inside the Captain-Commander's tea room, Kazuma, who was bored out of his mind, immediately sensed Yoruichi's reiatsu.
As the advance scout heading to Soul Society, Yoruichi arrived one step ahead of Ichigo and the others.
After all, using a Senkaimon was much faster.
After sensing Yoruichi's location, Kazuma rushed over with lightning speed.
Yoruichi was standing on a mountaintop, leisurely licking her paw, when a figure suddenly appeared and picked her up.
"Yoruichi-san, it looks like your plan has begun, hasn't it?"
Yoruichi's fur stood on end the moment she was grabbed, but after seeing that the person was Kazuma, she relaxed.
"Your senses really are sharp. I only just stepped into Soul Society and you already found me. Ichigo and his companions are indeed on their way to Soul Society. They should arrive a few minutes later than me."
"Did you bring the Tenshintai?" Kazuma asked while petting Yoruichi.
Yoruichi frowned in confusion.
"How do you know about that thing?"
The corner of Kazuma's mouth lifted slightly, revealing a confident smile.
"You think your little movements can be hidden from me? Without the Tenshintai to let Ichigo learn Bankai quickly, his current strength would only be enough to deliver his head."
Yoruichi sighed.
"Sometimes I really think you're some kind of monster. It feels like you know all of our plans, and you've already prepared countermeasures in advance. It's honestly frightening! Thank goodness you aren't someone as insane as Aizen."
Kazuma smiled faintly and continued, "But is it really good for you to do this? A Bankai forced out through the Tenshintai has flaws. For Ichigo, growing in the future will be much harder than if he learned Bankai normally."
Yoruichi fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, "There's no helping it. Time is too tight. If we let that kid Ichigo grow step by step, who knows how long it would take?"
Kazuma, however, did not agree.
"You people still underestimate Ichigo's potential. He's basically a walking cheat."
Yoruichi looked at Kazuma curiously, not knowing why he would evaluate Ichigo that way.
She did not refute him either.
In any case, with a monster like Kazuma here, Aizen was destined to be unable to stir up too much trouble.
"Where are you planning to go?" Kazuma asked about Yoruichi's destination.
"Well… this…"
Yoruichi truly had not decided where to go next.
She did not plan to return to the Shihōin Clan, nor did she plan to go to the Second Division.
After all, that little girl Suì-Fēng still held a deep grudge over her defection from Soul Society.
Seeing that Yoruichi had nowhere to go, Kazuma decided to bring her directly back to the Captain-Commander's tea room.
During the journey, Yoruichi, who was in his arms, was shocked to discover that Kazuma's Shunpo was terrifyingly fast.
It had taken almost no time for him to rush from the outer edge of Soul Society straight into the Seireitei.
Compared to him, she suddenly felt that her title as Flash Goddess was a joke.
"Where is this?"
Kazuma quickly brought Yoruichi to an unfamiliar place.
Although she had once served as a captain, she had never entered the Captain-Commander's tea room.
She only knew that this place belonged to the First Division, but as for the exact location, she truly had no idea.
"This is Old Man Yama's tea room. You've never been here?"
Kazuma had assumed Yoruichi knew this place.
Yoruichi looked at Kazuma speechlessly.
"Why would I have come here? I would never drink tea together with you rotten old men! It's perfectly normal that I don't know this place."
Kazuma, who had just been about to take a sip of wine, was nearly choked by Yoruichi's words.
He widened his eyes.
"What rotten old men? Am I that old?"
As he spoke, he gave Yoruichi's cat head a few good smacks.
Yoruichi helplessly rolled her eyes, dodging Kazuma's hand as she said, "Stop messing around! We're talking about serious matters."
Kazuma snorted and continued drinking.
Yoruichi once again looked around the room.
"You've been hiding here recently?"
"What do you mean, hiding here? I like staying here, all right? What would a little girl like you understand?"
Kazuma retorted unhappily.
At that moment, the door of the tea room was gently pushed open, and the Captain-Commander arrived at some unknown point.
He smiled at Yoruichi and said, "He does not like this place. The truth is that I do not allow him to run around. Otherwise, I will hang him up and beat him severely!"
The Captain-Commander's words instantly shattered Kazuma's composure.
He jumped up and pointed at the Captain-Commander's nose.
"Captain Commander! That's going too far! There's a little girl here. Can't you leave me a little dignity?"
Genryūsai Yamamoto laughed heartily and patted Kazuma on the shoulder, teasing him.
"You still care about dignity? Haven't you always been shameless?"
Kazuma was instantly left speechless.
All he could do was glare fiercely at Yamamoto, expressing his dissatisfaction.