Chapter 16
UNCLE with a WARNING, RESOLVE within one HANDS
000
Flashback
Inner World.
"Yhwach-ossan, where is the Soul King Palace?" Ichigo asked in his mind, curiosity etched on his face.
"It's in another dimension, Ichigo," Yhwach-ossan replied.
"How do most Shinigami get there?"
"By using Oken, Ichigo."
"Oken?"
"Indeed. Oken is made from the bones and hair of the Royal Guard, altered by the Soul King's power. The Zero Squad is essentially Oken itself. There's another way to forge Oken, though. It requires 100,000 souls from Jureichi, a concentrated Spirit Zone in the Living World."
"Where's Jureichi, Yhwach-ossan?"
"It's where most hollows are drawn to…"
"Are you talking about Karakura Town?"
"That's a possibility Ichigo."
Flashback End
000
July 20th around 7 p.m
Kurosaki Clinic
"Hey, Ishida! What brings you here?" Isshin's surprise was evident as he spotted Ishida Ryuuken approaching the clinic.
"Shiba, what kind of training are you putting your son through?" Ishida's tone was serious.
"Training? Oh, you mean my methods? I'm toughening Ichigo by throwing challenges at him constantly." Isshin shrugged, dismissive of the concern.
"Challenges? Does that include kicking and punching him when he's asleep or just walking around your house?" Ishida's voice was steady, but his eyes sharpened.
"Absolutely. Ichigo needs to stay alert. He must develop fighting instincts, and the best way to do that is through attack." Isshin was resolute.
"Shiba, Ichigo is still a child. He's around my son's age. You need to stop this." Ishida warned, protective of Masaki's son.
"I won't back down, Ishida. Ichigo needs this training, especially with Aizen Sousuke threatening us. Otherwise, this world could crumble." Isshin shot back.
"You want to use your son to clean up your mess? Ichigo isn't a weapon. He has a life outside your battles!" Ishida's voice rose slightly, frustration clear.
"My son is the only one capable of handling Aizen! If he fails, many will die, Ishida! Ichigo must save this world!" Isshin's desperation was palpable.
"Saving the world or saving Soul Society from their own failures? Either way, it's not Ichigo's responsibility, Shiba." Ishida's words were firm.
"Why do you involved in my family affairs, Ishida Ryuuken?" Isshin's confusion mixed with anger.
"Why do you ask? It's because Ichigo was Masaki's legacy!" Ryuuken affirmed, "I'll take custody of Ichigo. He'd be better off without you as a father." Ishida's decision was cold, but his concern for Masaki's legacy was evident.
"You will not take my son!" Isshin's fury was unmistakable.
"Don't worry, Shiba. I'll follow the legal route to gain custody." Ishida was unwavering.
"I'll stop you, Ishida." Isshin's voice was low, a warning.
"Then I'll take it to court, Shiba." Ishida's finality left no room for doubt.
"Is my son with you?" Isshin's tone shifted, filled with urgency.
"He's safer with me than with you, Shiba." Ishida turned and left the clinic, his resolve unshaken.
July 20th , around 8 p.m
Squad 1
Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni sat in silence, memories of his last clash with the orange-haired boy flooding his mind. The sensations of the boy's signature struck a chord, reigniting thoughts of his old adversary, Yhwach, who had once aimed to seize his stronghold, Seireitei.
He could almost see the battle scarring—old memories that had shaped him. Each confrontation with Yhwach felt alive again. Anger, fear, loss. They clawed at him. Could the orange-haired Quincy boy be a reflection of his past? A living reminder of all he'd fought to escape? It made his blood run cold.
Captain of Squad 4, Unohana Retsu noticed the change in him. His restlessness was palpable, and her gentle nature urged her to pry deeper. She approached him, a compassionate look in her eyes.
"What weighs on you, Captain Commander?" she asked, her voice soft, yet charged with urgency.
He glanced at her, hesitation gripping him.
"Remember the Quincy boy? The one with orange hair..…" he began, pausing to gather his thoughts. "He moves like Yhwach. Fights like him. It's unsettling."
Her brow furrowed. "You think they're connected? Could he be carrying the legacy of Yhwach?" she pressed gently, her voice a soothing balm to his turmoil. "That he could be Yhwach's son?"
The thought twisted like a knife in his gut. If the orange-haired boy was indeed Yhwach's son, what problems lay ahead? The possibility felt like a dark cloud looming over their futures. Yamamoto shook his head, feeling the weight of generations upon him.
"That he seeks to avenge his father?" Unohana suggestion hung in the air, thick and toxic.
Yamamoto's gaze hardened. He couldn't afford to underestimate the orange-haired boy. If he were indeed connected to Yhwach, then old grudges would reignite. New battles would erupt.
"Do you remember the day Yhwach fell?" he asked, a distant look in his eyes. Captain Unohana nodded. The memory was vivid for both: the clashes, the losses, the desperate struggle for power.
A shared pain flowed between them. "If the boy truly is Yhwach's son, then he could be here to reclaim what his father lost. This isn't just a conflict of old foes; it's a battle for our very existence." He felt the uncertainty in his voice; the stakes felt higher than ever.
Unohana observed Yamamoto's deepening conflict. She straightened, crossing her arms, and weighed her words carefully. "Yhwach's heir existence could shift the tide." Her voice carried a mixture of caution and resolve.
"What if he's merely a pawn in a larger game?" Unohana cautioned. The implications were staggering. Risk and danger were familiar friends, each step forward now fraught with peril.
He hesitated before revealing his thoughts about the Quincy boy's striking resemblance to Yhwach. It weighed on him heavily.
The shadows of his past were rising again, and he feared what it might mean for the future. "I can't shake the feeling," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "If that's true… what does that mean for us? For everything?"
Captain Unohana could sense the depth of his turmoil.
He clenched his fists, the tension in the air thick. Yamamoto's mind raced, images of the boy dancing between possibility and fear. The Seireitei, once a fortress of certainty, now felt like a fragile glass. Any disruption could shatter everything he'd built. Memories flooded him—not just of battles fought but of choices made, power forged under duress.
He recalled Yhwach's relentless ambition, a desire for conquest that knew no bounds. Now the thought that his legacy might live on in the boy sent chills through him. If the boy were indeed his enemy, if he were indeed the heir of Yhwach, it would shatter the peace they had fought to maintain. With each heartbeat, the stakes climbed higher. The shadows were not just memories anymore; they were warnings—and Yamamoto was running out of time to respond.
Captain Unohana remained close, her eyes scanning Captain Commander shifting expression. The tension between them was palpable, thick like the fog that sometimes rolled in from the sea. She could see the storm brewing inside him. It was more than just suspicion; it was a haunting burden he carried from years of conflict. The flickering of surprise reflected in her eyes as she reached out, her fingertips brushing against her Zanpakuto pommel, as if grounding herself in the moment. She needed him to open up; she needed to understand the dread that seemed to envelop him.
But there. Amid the storm of doubt, an idea flickered. "What if we confront him? Unmask him before he strikes?" The possibility buoyed their spirits. Captain Unohana's eyes sparkled with belief.
"Together, we can turn the tide. If he has connections to Yhwach, let's find them. Let's expose any weakness." Unohana advised.
That resolve surged through them both. They weren't out of the fight yet. The truth might just be their greatest weapon.
Captain Unohana's gaze fixed on him with resolve. "Let's not cower. We'll uncover their intentions. If we find the truth, we can prepare." Her strength ignited a flicker of hope in him, yet doubt lingered.
"It's indeed good idea," he muttered, a new determination piercing through his fear. Unohana met his gaze, her eyes steady and resolute. "If the boy is truly connected to Yhwach, we gain an advantage. His every move would be laced with that legacy. We need clarity, knowledge." The air thickened with resolve, filling the spaces that uncertainty once occupied. They understood the stakes. Facing a ghost from the past meant confronting truths long avoided.
Yamamoto's heart raced. The weight of the past didn't just rattle him; it threatened to consume him. Each moment spent in uncertainty gnawed at his confidence, instilling fear. What if the boy held the key to unleashing the chaos driven by Yhwach? The thought was paralyzing. He knew he had to act before the shadows of his past became a reality.
Yamamoto's mind drifted to the strategic lay of their world. He thought of allies, the whispers of unknown simmering in the shadows, and the trust he had built with those around him.
"If the boy is anything like Yhwach," he said, slowing down, "we have to be ready for anything. We must prepare ourselves. Gather what we can, and learn all we can about him." Unohana nodded.
They stood united, not just against the fading echoes of their past but prepared to face whatever future awaited them, knowing that truth was the only weapon they had in this relentless game of power－no－a war will emerge.
In that moment, a plan began to form in Yamamoto's mind. "We need to find out more about the boy. Who he is, what drives him. The past may yet hold secrets that can shape our future." His determination solidified. "But we must tread lightly. If he's playing us, or worse, if he poses a threat, we must be ready for war."
Unohana nodded, agreement flickering in her eyes. They shared a silent understanding. Whatever shadows loomed, they could not retreat into them.
"We doesn't know where the boy came from," Yamamoto replied, but doubt crept into his voice. "Not fully. We could all be swept into a war that never truly ended." Yamamoto could feel the tension crackle, strong enough to provoke action. Unohana stepped closer, her commitment clear. "We need to destroy him. For Soul Society." His tone held a quiet strength, a promise.
"Whatever it is, we'll face it together," she reassured him, steady. United, they would confront not just the boy, but the legacy of Yhwach that haunted their steps, pushing them toward an uncertain reckoning.
Sending flicker of Reiatsu to alert his 3rd seat, Okikiba Genshirou arrives to answer his call, "Summon Captain Soi-Fon." Yamamoto ordered him with hardened voice.
"Understood, Captain Commander." Okikiba obeyed.
000
"Captain Aizen, it's not hard to believe you let those old fools from Central 46 meet their end like that," Ichimaru Gin chirped, his grin sharp and sly.
"I didn't eliminate them, Gin," Aizen replied, his voice smooth, almost melodic. "When I reached the Central 46 Chamber, they were already gone. I merely seized the opportunity to explore the Great Archives below."
Gin raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "So, you weren't the one who did the deed? Then who was?"
Aizen's eyes shimmered with a chilling amusement. "I, too, ponder the identity of this individual. It certainly wasn't Urahara."
Recognition flickered in Gin's gaze. "That's intriguing. So there's someone else keeping tabs on Kurosaki Ichigo besides us?"
"Perhaps a Quincy?" Ichimaru suggested, his tone light, masking deeper intentions.
Aizen pondered, tapping his finger. "No, the Quincys rely on bows. Whoever was responsible wielded a Zanpakuto, leaving no trace behind. These were swift, calculated deaths."
"Seems there might be a crafty Shinigami who's outsmarted you, Captain Aizen," Gin said, a broad foxy grin spreading across his face.
Aizen leaned back, considering. "Isn't that delightful, Gin? A new variable has emerged in our game. We must keep an eye on this enigmatic figure. They're an unknown factor, distinct from Urahara and his associates." A faint smile crossed Aizen's lips, revealing a mind alive with intrigue.