Chapter 100: The Wedding of Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara

One month later.

The Hidden Leaf Village suddenly became lively.

Every household hung lanterns and decorations.

Every villager’s face wore a smile.

Not for any other reason.

Only because the wedding of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, was drawing near.

This showed just how beloved Hashirama Senju was.

“I’ve benefited from Hashirama’s fame—if I were marrying alone, they probably wouldn’t be this happy.”

Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Izuna stood atop the Hokage Rock, gazing down at the sea of people; for the first time, his eyes revealed an expression of envy.

Uchiha Izuna felt the same envy.

Leading the Anbu granted power, but it also caused those around to gradually distance themselves.

After all, such an extraordinary force naturally instilled fear in ordinary people.

“Lord Madara, I don’t think so. Of course, your Master deserves respect, but many among them are also offering blessings to Itachi.”

“Rather than stand aloof here watching, why not step into the crowd and listen for yourself?”

“I believe the outcome won’t disappoint Itachi.”

Chu Yang appeared behind the two brothers, smiling as he handed them a scroll—their contents unknown to him, entrusted by Hashirama’s brother, Tobirama Senju, to deliver to Uchiha Madara.

“Kid, I heard Itachi’ve already mastered the secret techniques of the four other ninja villages?”

Uchiha Madara took the scroll from Chu Yang’s hand, eyes twinkling with amusement, “Those are secret techniques with completely different chakra natures. In just one month, even Tobirama Senju would find it hard to accomplish, wouldn’t he?”

Chu Yang replied sincerely, “I learned them under my Master’s guidance, but I still owe Itachi thanks—without Itachi, I never would’ve had the chance to study these techniques.”

Uchiha Madara chuckled, “Itachi praise your Master and flatter me at once—such a young boy, yet so perfectly polished.”

Chu Yang grinned sheepishly.

Uchiha Izuna asked, “Did Itachi come here because of the wedding?”

Chu Yang nodded, “The customs of the Senju and Uchiha clans for weddings differ. Since Itachi two plan to hold your ceremonies together, Itachi must settle the details—otherwise, it might turn into a farce.”

Uchiha Madara frowned impatiently, “I already said—do whatever suits Itachi. I don’t care about these things.”

Chu Yang scratched his head, looking troubled, “The problem is… Hashirama also said the same thing…”

“That fool Hashirama!” Uchiha Madara laughed bitterly, shaking his head, then nodded, “Fine. I’ll go discuss it with him. I’ll try not to make things harder for Itachi youngsters.”

Chu Yang exhaled in relief, grateful, “Thank Itachi very much, Lord Madara.”

Uchiha Madara’s gaze suddenly fixed on Chu Yang, studying him for a long moment, then said slowly, “Don’t call me ‘Lord’ anymore. Call me Master, just like Itachi do Hashirama.”

Chu Yang froze.

What’s this sudden twist?

Chu Yang’s hesitation darkened Uchiha Madara’s expression. He coldly said, “What? My strength is inferior to Hashirama’s, so I’m not worthy to be your Master?”

The bone-chilling chill snapped Chu Yang back to his senses. He immediately waved his hands, “I didn’t mean that at all—it’s just sudden, and I’m a bit stunned…”

“Brother, stop scaring him,” Uchiha Izuna laughed lightly. “He can’t decide this himself. Itachi should talk to Hashirama about it.”

“True enough,” Uchiha Madara nodded, no longer pressing.

Chu Yang couldn’t shake the feeling that these two brothers were playing good cop and bad cop—targeting him.

“Just now, Master Tobirama received word—the other four Kage will attend in person to offer their blessings.”

Chu Yang quickly voiced his main reason for coming, eager to put distance between himself and the two brothers.

“Blessings? The fact that the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, Uzumaki Kushina, is marrying Hashirama has them restless, hasn’t it?”

“They just want to see how the Hidden Leaf is doing—still not ready to give up!”

“Let them come! After this wedding, their last lingering ambitions will be crushed into dust!”

After Uchiha Madara finished speaking, Chu Yang made an excuse to leave.

Uchiha Izuna watched his retreating back, then turned to Uchiha Madara and said, “Brother, weren’t we supposed to take things slowly? Why the sudden impatience?”

Uchiha Madara shook his head, “I just wanted to test this boy’s attitude. If he resists even becoming my disciple, how could he ever marry a woman from the Uchiha clan?”

Uchiha Izuna sighed, “For the sake of the clan’s survival, Itachi’ve gone to great lengths.”

Uchiha Madara smiled, “The current situation is already good enough. As for Chu Yang… that’s my greed. I’ve never envied Hashirama—not until now, when it comes to taking a disciple.”

The two brothers chatted a while longer, then set off together toward the Hokage’s office, where Tobirama Senju still handled affairs.

Everything would return to normal only after the wedding.

The news that the four Kage would attend in person delayed the wedding by several more days.

Several days later.

Caravans from the four great nations gradually entered the Hidden Leaf Village.

Smaller nations, led by the Land of Iron, formed an alliance to celebrate the wedding.

The Hidden Leaf had allocated the Seven-Tails to them—a great favor, granting those small nations the power to unite and rival the Five Great Nations.

This was the most practical way to achieve peace.

If the four great nations attending was a sign of submission, the alliance of smaller nations was genuine gratitude and blessing.

Chu Yang could tell from their expressions.

The four Kage went straight to the Hokage’s reception room upon arrival.

As they passed Chu Yang, their gazes were no longer as friendly as before.

A single Nine-Tails was enough to shatter all their sense of security.

As Hashirama Senju’s only direct disciple, Chu Yang was responsible for hosting and attending to these important guests.

Once they entered the room, Chu Yang remained outside, guarding the door until Tobirama Senju arrived.

The Uchiha brothers were there too.

These three men were likely the three most dangerous people in the entire Hidden Leaf!

Hashirama Senju was absent.

Clearly, they saw him as an inconvenient nuisance.

With his overly kind nature, he would indeed hinder their performance.

Chu Yang suddenly felt a pang of pity for the four Kage.

For they were about to face a humiliating situation—unable to argue, unable to fight.

Tobirama Senju patted Chu Yang’s shoulder, then pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Izuna followed closely behind.

A chilling aura made Chu Yang’s skin prickle with goosebumps.

He quickly shut the door.

A final gesture of respect for the four Kage’s dignity.

Chu Yang stood outside, hearing not a single sound.

It was unnervingly silent.

The future Second Shodai were also waiting outside.

They looked even more tense than Chu Yang.

Time passed second by second.

Those outside dared not even breathe loudly.

Creak~~~

The door opened.

The guards outside immediately rushed forward.

Chu Yang turned and saw the four Kage slowly walking out.

Was it his imagination, or did their faces look pale?

The four Kage said nothing, and under the escort of guards, hurriedly departed.

Chu Yang entered the room and saw Tobirama Senju and the Uchiha brothers sitting calmly.

Chu Yang grinned, “Judging by the Kage’s reactions, Master must’ve said something quite extraordinary.”

Tobirama Senju’s lips curled slightly.

Uchiha Izuna laughed brightly, “We did say some harsh things—scared those guests half to death.”

“But now they should see reality clearly, before they end up humiliating themselves.”

Uchiha Madara stood, coldly saying, “Hmph! A bunch of fools. This peace we’ve granted them is only because we’re willing. If they can’t even grasp such a simple truth, how dare they make demands?”

Chu Yang asked in surprise, “What demands did they make?”

Tobirama Senju’s eyes flashed with cold light, “Each of the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga clans—they each demanded one clan member…”

“Tsk tsk. So they’re targeting the Kekkei Genkai…” Chu Yang shook his head helplessly. “These people are truly greedy.”

Uchiha Izuna sneered, “So we gave them a warning.”

Chu Yang smirked, “I hope these lords still have the appetite to attend the upcoming wedding.”

Tobirama Senju stood, speaking with deep meaning, “They will.”

Three days later.

The grand wedding ceremony was held.

As Tobirama Senju had predicted, the four Kage attended the wedding with full smiles, showing not the slightest trace of reluctance.

They appeared genuinely joyful—as if they themselves were getting married.

Four new people.

Hashirama Senju and Kushina Uzumaki.

Madara Uchiha and another woman named Uchiha Maai.

They became husband and wife before the eyes of countless witnesses.

Chu Yang did not know whether Madara Uchiha liked this woman, but at least he did not seem to dislike her.

……

The Soul Society.

A long time had passed since the incident involving Hongo Yosuke.

Kosei First Senior High had just finished its midterm exams.

Chu Yang was unquestionably the top student in his class.

Kurosaki Ichigo was third in the class.

In the school-wide ranking, Chu Yang remained first, while Kurosaki Ichigo dropped to fifteenth.

Excellent academic performance, outstanding physical ability, uninterested in socializing, solitary.

Classmates often compared the two, who shared a similar demeanor.

In a certain sense, Kurosaki Ichigo had become Chu Yang’s backdrop.

Whenever others asked, Kurosaki Ichigo claimed he didn’t care, but in truth, his curiosity about Chu Yang was stronger than that of any other classmate.

Because no one else had seen Chu Yang fight Hollows barehanded.

Kurosaki Ichigo still remembered it vividly.

Why is this person so strong?

What was that Quincy technique the Shinigami mentioned? Do I have similar power?

These questions had plagued Kurosaki Ichigo for some time.

He had originally had no interest in power at all.

But because of Chu Yang, Kurosaki Ichigo had quietly developed a sense of rivalry.

Just as Kurosaki Ichigo was mentally competing with Chu Yang,

he coincidentally met Rukia again.

Rukia was chasing a Hollow.

Kurosaki Ichigo had no intention of getting involved, but thinking of Chu Yang, he inexplicably followed.

He discovered the Hollow was attacking his own family.

Fortunately, his appearance caused the Hollow to shift its target.

Ichigo tried to counter, but was instantly knocked flying.

He was no match for it.

“So this is what it feels like to fight a Hollow?”

Kurosaki Ichigo was covered in blood, yet his mind was clear—his thoughts were filled with images of Chu Yang fighting Hollows.

Why?

How could he do that?

But I cannot?

As the Hollow was about to kill Ichigo, Rukia intercepted the fatal blow at the last moment.

“Idiot, if Itachi keep zoning out like this, Itachi won’t be able to protect your family!”

Kurosaki Ichigo finally snapped back to reality and urgently asked Rukia what he should do now.

Rukia plunged her zanpakutō into Ichigo’s body.

All of Rukia’s Shinigami power was forcibly absorbed into Ichigo.

Ichigo became a Shinigami!

Facing the charging Hollow, Ichigo raised his zanpakutō; his terrifying reiatsu poured like liquid mercury.

With a single slash, Ichigo cut the Hollow in half!

After slaying the Hollow, Ichigo had no time to celebrate before his vision went black.

When he awoke again, it was the next morning.

Strangely, neither his father nor his two sisters remembered anything from the night before.

“Was it all just a dream?”

Looking at the house as if ravaged by a tornado, Ichigo dismissed the idea.

What happened last night was real.

On the way to school, Ichigo sometimes stared at his hands, unable to believe they had slain a Hollow the night before.

“I wonder… who’s stronger, me in Shinigami form or Yang?”

Curious, Ichigo pushed open the classroom door.

His gaze turned toward Chu Yang—and he saw an unexpected figure.

Ichigo froze.

Rukia stood beside Chu Yang, laughing and chatting with him.

She was wearing the school uniform!

“What’s going on?”

Lunch break.

The three gathered on the school rooftop.

Rukia explained her current situation to Ichigo and Chu Yang.

Ichigo finally realized he had absorbed all of Rukia’s power.

Chu Yang scratched his ear—he had known the full story all along.

“Until I regain my power, I’ll stay here for a while. I hope Itachi’ll keep this secret.”

Rukia looked at Chu Yang, feeling uneasy—she didn’t think he was the type to be easygoing.

“I know. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.” Chu Yang yawned and headed for the stairs.

“Itachi’re just going to agree like that?”

Rukia stared at him, dumbfounded.

“What else should I do?” Chu Yang turned back, bewildered, then walked off.

Rukia turned to Ichigo: “I thought he’d demand something from me, since I’m a Shinigami.”

“He’s not that kind of person.” Ichigo shook his head and headed for the stairs. “Alright, I’m heading back too…”

Before he finished speaking, Ichigo felt a powerful punch to the back of his head.

“Itachi bastard, Itachi just attacked me!”

Kurosaki Ichigo spun around in anger.

He suddenly saw his own body lying on the ground—he looked down and realized he had become a spirit.

“Itachi’ve just become a Shinigami and still don’t know many things. Itachi need training.”

Meanwhile, Chu Yang, aware the plot had begun, considered whether to intervene.

He was interested in zanpakutō and kidō powers.

His counterparts in other worlds needed such power too.

The best way to obtain zanpakutō and kidō was to follow Kurosaki Ichigo into the Soul Society.

Lost in thought, Chu Yang didn’t notice he collided head-on with a student while descending the stairs.

Miraculously, neither of them was hurt.

It was as if two walls had collided.

Chu Yang looked up at the boy towering over him by a full head.

Chad!

Chad had been troubled lately.

Ever since he acquired a parrot from a friend, he had become extremely unlucky.

It wasn’t just about choking on cold water.

He narrowly escaped being crushed by falling objects or hit by cars.

Every incident was a near-death experience.

This left Chad distracted, so he went to the rooftop for fresh air—and collided with Chu Yang.

“Sorry,” Chad instinctively grabbed Chu Yang’s shoulder to apologize.

He realized Chu Yang stood perfectly steady, not even swaying.

“I’m fine,” Chu Yang waved his hand, studying Chad’s pale face. “Itachi look exhausted. Haven’t Itachi been sleeping well?”

Chad opened his mouth but hesitated, then shook his head, saying he was alright.

Chu Yang smiled. “I heard the parrot Itachi brought to school is the cursed one that’s been making headlines lately?”

Chad asked in surprise: “How do Itachi know that?”

“I said I heard it,” Chu Yang patted Chad’s shoulder. “If anything strange happens, tell Kurosaki Ichigo—he can handle it.”

“Ichigo?”

Chad was about to ask why, but Chu Yang was already far away.

After school, Chad walked home along his usual route, but now he carried a delicate birdcage containing a parrot.

The parrot was unnaturally silent, and occasionally its eyes revealed a human-like gaze.

Neither the man nor the parrot noticed that Chu Yang silently followed behind them.

This parrot housed the soul of a human child named Yuuichi.

Yuuichi’s soul had been forcibly stuffed into the parrot’s body by a Hollow.

This was done for revenge.

When the Hollow was still human, it was a murderous criminal who once targeted Yuuichi and his mother; Yuuichi’s mother was killed trying to protect him, and Yuuichi, in his panic, tripped the killer, causing him to fall from their balcony to his death.

Filled with hatred, the killer became a Hollow and began seeking revenge on Yuuichi.

This was a creature evil to the core, both in life and death.

In Rukia’s words, it deserved to be sent to Hell and punished for eternity!

Chu Yang wanted to handle this Hollow—once a murderer—himself.

And perhaps run a small experiment.

He had no choice; lately, he hadn’t found any other Hollows to experiment on.

He hadn’t encountered a single Hollow.

One must admit, the Shinigami’s efficiency was impressive.

Chad’s home was far from school; taking a bus would be faster, but he still chose to walk.

He knew that if he went into crowded areas, he might endanger innocent bystanders.

In recent days, the accidents he’d caused had been far too numerous.

After walking a while, Chad suddenly felt a pang in his chest—the same sensation he always felt before disaster struck.

Chad glanced warily around, when a loud honk erupted behind him.

A runaway truck was charging straight toward him.

Another car accident!

Chad reacted instantly, lunging sideways into an open lot; as he fell, he clutched the birdcage tightly to his chest.

“Beep! Beep! Beep!”

The frantic honking, accompanied by a rushing wind, shot past Chad like a speeding train.

THUD!!!

The truck slammed directly into a roadside pole; half the cab collapsed instantly.

“Phew~~~”

Chad, sitting on the concrete, exhaled deeply. “That was too close.”

“It wasn’t close—it was aimed at Itachi.”

Chad looked up to see Chu Yang walking past him. “Yang, how are Itachi here?”

Chu Yang didn’t answer. He walked steadily toward the runaway truck.

“What do Itachi mean, ‘aimed at me’?” Chad stood, clutching the birdcage, and followed Chu Yang.

The two reached the truck. Chu Yang pointed at the cab. “Take a look.”

Chad stared into the cab—his face turned pale.

The cab was empty!

This was a truck with no driver!

“Leave here now. Itachi might get hurt later.”

Chu Yang pointed toward the alley entrance.

“What do Itachi mean?”

Chad asked, tense.

Chu Yang shook his head. At the end of the street, a humanoid Hollow with blue skin had appeared.

He ignored Chad and walked forward alone.

Chu Yang gathered wood chakra into a wooden blade in his hand, then wrapped it in Armament Haki.

Finally…

He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly—and his breath became a ribbon of radiant light, brilliant as a galaxy.

This was the pinnacle of breathing technique.

Source Breathing!

A terrifying aura spread from Chu Yang, surging outward like a tidal wave.

The Hollow froze in place, its body trembling.

This human was not a Shinigami!

It felt no trace of Shinigami power from him.

But—

Death loomed over it like a shadow!

That terrifying aura wasn’t spiritual pressure—it was merely aura, nothing more.

How many battles had he fought? How many enemies had he killed to accumulate such a fearsome aura?

For the first time, the Hollow feared an ordinary human.

Chu Yang moved faster.

His silhouette, bathed in twilight, stretched into a trail of lingering light.

With Source Breathing enhancing him, the wooden blade seemed to gain a living spirit.

He slashed!

Chu Yang was already behind the Hollow.

Sword energy wrapped around the Hollow, shimmering like a galaxy drowning it in light.

“Aaaahhh!!!”

The Hollow screamed not from pain, but from terror.

It could feel the parts touched by the light ribbons crumbling away—by this rate, it would be utterly destroyed within ten seconds.

Chu Yang reversed his grip and plunged the wooden blade into the earth, leaning on the hilt as he observed the scene closely.

“Source Breathing has broken through its current bottleneck, becoming a higher-dimensional power. In effect, it now closely resembles the damage a Zanpakutō inflicts on spiritual beings.”

“If combined with a Zanpakutō, it would form an incredibly terrifying power.”

“Most importantly, Source Breathing improves daily—I still haven’t felt any limit. If this continues…”

As he thought, the screams beside him abruptly ceased.

Chu Yang looked up and saw a monstrous, terrifying gate hanging in the void.

The Gate of Hell opened, dragging the murderer’s soul into the abyss.

Chu Yang froze.

He had assumed Source Breathing would annihilate the Hollow entirely—but this wasn’t what happened.

“Next time, I need a stronger Hollow for testing. This one didn’t even last.”

Chu Yang sighed, disappointed, then left the alley.

Moments later.

Rukia and Ichigo were drawn to the area by the intense spiritual pressure and saw the Gate of Hell hanging in the sky.

They just caught the moment the murderer’s soul was pulled into Hell.

Rukia’s face was filled with shock.

“There are no Shinigami nearby!”

“What happened?”

As Rukia panicked, Ichigo spotted Chad standing at the street’s edge.

He rushed over.

“Chad, why are Itachi here?”

Ichigo reached Chad, but his attention was drawn to the parrot in his arms—he sensed a human soul inside.

Chad recounted everything that had happened, then took Ichigo to see the driverless truck.

“It was a Hollow!”

Rukia appeared silently behind them, startling them both.

“Your classmate killed a Hollow.”

“It’s not surprising he could do that—but…”

Rukia trailed off mid-sentence.

She stood frowning, her eyes filled with worry and confusion.

“Yang told me Itachi could handle this…”

Chad solemnly handed the parrot to Ichigo.

During the soul’s purification, they learned the full story.

The next day.

At school, Rukia found Chu Yang and asked for details about yesterday’s battle with the Hollow.

Chu Yang simply said it was much like the last time.

Although she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, Rukia’s intuition told her that Chu Yang was lying.

Questioning had to end here.

Her relationship with Chu Yang wasn’t close; if she pressed further, she couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t rage.

Moreover, whenever she faced Chu Yang, she often felt an inexplicable heart palpitation.

This palpitation had nothing to do with romantic feelings—it stemmed from primal fear.

Rukia deeply didn’t want to admit it, but her fear of Chu Yang was objectively real.

Shinigami are exceptionally sensitive to spiritual energy.

Rukia’s fear originated from Chu Yang’s soul.

She suspected Chu Yang’s soul concealed a tremendous secret.

After school.

For the first time ever, Rukia didn’t return to Ichigo’s home—she went to an unremarkable general store.

The shopkeeper was a middle-aged man wearing a fisherman’s hat, always smiling at everyone.

The moment he saw Rukia, he became enthusiastic, beginning to hawk the store’s wares.

“Itachi know my current state—don’t make such pointless jokes, Urahara-san!”

Rukia glared at him.

“Alright, alright, I apologize.” Urahara Kisuke raised his hands in surrender. “How’s the Hollowfying Shell? Still comfortable?”

Rukia stretched her body and nodded. “So far, it’s fine.”

“Of course it is—everything in my shop is top quality.” Urahara Kisuke stood up and shouted into the back. “Yūu, bring out the Soul Burial Pills from the warehouse!”

“Yes, Urahara-san!”

A soft, delicate voice came from inside—so faint Itachi’d miss it unless Itachi listened closely.

After a while, a little girl with twin pigtails walked out holding a Soul Burial Pill and handed it to Rukia, who waited nearby.

“Here’s the Soul Burial Pill Itachi asked for. Itachi know what to watch out for—no need for me to repeat it.”

Urahara Kisuke claimed he wouldn’t say more, yet couldn’t help rambling on with advice to Rukia.

Rukia finally couldn’t hold back and interrupted impatiently: “Urahara-san, I came here for another reason.”

Urahara Kisuke looked at her in surprise. “What is it?”

“It’s about a human.” Rukia recounted everything that had happened since she met Chu Yang, and specifically mentioned the terrifying Jidong she felt toward him.

Urahara Kisuke fell silent for a moment, then smiled. “Actually, humans like him, though rare in the Human World, aren’t unheard of.”

“Time always produces individuals with talents beyond even Shinigami’s imagination.”

“For instance, Kurosaki Ichigo, who now fulfills your Shinigami duties—he too possesses extraordinary potential.”

Rukia seemed convinced by Urahara’s explanation and nodded silently.

“As for the heart palpitation…” Urahara spread his hands helplessly. “I’m a lifelong bachelor—how could I possibly understand the accidental sparks of young love?”

“Itachi’re putting too much pressure on me.”

Rukia exploded like a startled cat, jumping up in anger. “I already said it’s not that!”

“Oh…?” Urahara rubbed his chin, his gaze suddenly deepening.

Just as Rukia thought he might say something serious, he suddenly spoke: “Maybe the Hollowfying Shell is just old and worn out.”

“Forget it.” Rukia didn’t want to hear any more of his nonsense. She thanked him and left the shop without looking back.

Watching Rukia’s retreating back, Urahara Kisuke’s expression grew grave.

He knew perfectly well her palpitation had nothing to do with romance or a faulty Hollowfying Shell.

Urahara Kisuke understood: only when a Shinigami’s soul is utterly crushed by another’s could such primal fear arise.

Such a disparity could never exist between a normal human and a Shinigami.

“Fascinating. Truly fascinating.” Urahara Kisuke chuckled softly, stretching out on the tatami. “I thought Kurosaki Ichigo was trouble enough—now there’s another?”

“Aren’t Itachi going to go see him?”

A tall man with glasses and a small beard suddenly appeared behind Urahara Kisuke.

Urahara Kensei, former Commander of the Onmitsukido in Soul Society—known to all as the Great Onmitsukido Master.

And Urahara Kisuke, who appeared carefree and unserious, was the former Twelfth Division Captain of the Gotei 13 and Director of the Technical Development Bureau.

Both had been falsely accused over a century ago during the Hollowfication Experiments and were forced to flee Soul Society, opening this general store called “Urahara Shop” in the Human World.

“Something this interesting? Of course I’ll go see it myself.” Urahara Kisuke slapped his thigh, his smile vanishing instantly, replaced by grim seriousness.

“Could this be another experiment by Aizen…?”

One a.m.

Chu Yang suddenly opened his eyes while asleep in bed.

A figure stood before his window, watching him with a smile.

Seeing the man in the fisherman’s hat, Chu Yang showed no surprise.

He sat up silently, leaning against the headboard, frowning. “I hate being disturbed while sleeping. Second only to being disturbed while eating.”

Chu Yang’s calm composure made Urahara Kisuke even more intrigued. “Normally, people in this situation either scream or rage—don’t they do something?”

“I was about to.” Chu Yang grinned. “Itachi think I’m just chatting with Itachi?”

“No!”

“I’m warning Itachi ahead of time…”

“Why Itachi’re going to get beaten!”

When Chu Yang unleashed his killing intent, Urahara Kisuke finally understood what Rukia meant by heart palpitation.

His neck felt as if gripped by invisible hands.

A suffocating sensation.

And it came from the soul level.

If Urahara Kisuke felt this, how much worse must Rukia have felt?

A momentary lapse.

A sharp blade was already pressed against Urahara Kisuke’s face.

Cold pierced to the bone.

It was a wooden sword—but Urahara Kisuke felt it could tear him apart.

CLANG!!

The wooden sword was blocked by Urahara Kisuke’s cane.

But the wall behind him exploded violently, as if struck by an invisible force.

Chu Yang’s room now had a massive hole.

The wind blew in, and the temperature plummeted.

“Your morning temper is worse than I imagined.”

Urahara Kisuke still wore his carefree grin, even in this tense moment, teasing Chu Yang.

“Someone who invades a man’s sleep at midnight has no right to say that.”

Chu Yang’s voice turned icy. His aura shifted again; hot breath burst from his nose and mouth.

Urahara Kisuke’s expression hardened. He finally dropped his smile, his face grim.

What kind of power is this?

He had never seen anything like it. He couldn’t even confirm if it belonged to the Fullbring.

As the Source Breath erupted, the force on the wooden sword multiplied instantly—far beyond Urahara Kisuke’s expectations.

The floor beneath Urahara Kisuke cracked. He could barely withstand the pressure and took a half-step back to deflect it.

But the moment he moved, the pressure on his cane surged like a tidal wave.

Layer upon layer, wave upon wave, nearly drowning him.

BOOM!!

He was slammed into the center of the road. The ground collapsed several meters instantly; cracks spread outward, forming a vast spiderweb of fissures.

“Cough… cough…”

Urahara Kisuke pushed aside rubble from the deep pit. He looked disheveled, but wasn’t seriously injured.

“No Zanpakutō. No Shikai. No Bankai. Just Fullbring—and still this much power?”

“And he’s not even exhausted. A regular Shinigami couldn’t match him—minimum Vice-Captain level.”

“Whether he has a Captain’s strength… still unclear…”

After muttering for a while, Urahara Kisuke sighed deeply, as if relieved. “No trace of Hollowfication. Not connected to Aizen. I couldn’t create something like this—he couldn’t either.”

Urahara Kisuke shouted loudly: “Kid, I apologize for tonight—let’s call it quits…”

Chu Yang appeared silently before him.

He raised the wooden sword and drove it down with full force!

Urahara Kisuke’s pupils shrank sharply.

“Shit!”

In a flash, Urahara Kisuke used Shunpo.

The sword tip pinned his fisherman’s hat deep into the rubble!

The pit sank several more meters.

The ground shook violently, as if a dragon had turned beneath it. In the dead of night, countless people were jolted awake.

The cries of panic from the nobleman and the wailing of the child merged into utter chaos.

Urahara Kisuke darted away, retreating to a distance, rubbing his temples. “This guy’s temper is insane—if we keep fighting like this, the whole street will be destroyed.”

“I should’ve never provoked him so recklessly…”

Just as Urahara Kisuke was pondering how to respond to Chu Yang, Chu Yang ceased his attack, standing motionless and staring at him with icy resolve.

Urahara Kisuke was utterly baffled.

What is he doing?

Did he tire out and decide to take a break?

“Restore this place to its original state,” Chu Yang said, pointing at the ruined street, then walked straight through the massive hole in the wall and returned home.

He went home!

Urahara Kisuke stood stunned.

“What an unusually eccentric young man…”

After muttering that, Urahara Kisuke actually bent down to repair the road—if anyone came out to look, he erased their memory.

Soon, even the hole in Chu Yang’s house was fully mended.

“Mr. Urahara, what are Itachi doing here?”

Urahara Kisuke turned around and saw Rukia and Kurosaki Ichigo standing nearby, watching him.

“Hahaha…” Urahara Kisuke laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. “Nothing much—just took a walk out of boredom.”

I absolutely cannot let them know I got punched into the ground!

Rukia asked suspiciously, “Just now I sensed two incredibly powerful spiritual pressures clashing—I thought a powerful Hollow had appeared here, but only Itachi’re here.”

“Was there a battle here just now?”

Urahara Kisuke avoided their questioning gazes, tilting his head aside. “No, nothing happened here at all.”

Kurosaki Ichigo said, “I just saw Itachi fixing a house—did Itachi break someone else’s home?”

“Who said that?!” Urahara Kisuke denied outright. “I merely noticed this house was in disrepair, so I generously offered to fix it.”

“That’s suspicious, Mr. Urahara,” Rukia walked straight up to him, scrutinizing his face.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now!” Urahara Kisuke wanted nothing more than to flee.

Creak~

The front door of Chu Yang’s house opened.

Chu Yang stood at the threshold, coldly staring at Urahara Kisuke. “Itachi forgot to say sorry.”

Urahara Kisuke: “...”

Rukia hadn’t realized this was Chu Yang’s home; she stared at him in shock, then connected the dots to Urahara Kisuke’s presence here.

Rukia widened her eyes, staring at Urahara Kisuke. “Mr. Urahara… could it be that…”

Urahara Kisuke scratched his head awkwardly. “I was just curious, so I came to take a look—I didn’t expect this young man to have such a violent temper.”

Chu Yang narrowed his eyes, glaring at Urahara Kisuke with clear hostility.

“Sorry,” Urahara Kisuke immediately turned, bowing slightly. “Please forgive my impoliteness tonight.”

Hearing the apology, Chu Yang closed the door, satisfied.

Seeing Chu Yang’s reaction, Rukia wore an expression of “I knew it.” “So the commotion earlier really was Itachi two fighting.”

“Mr. Urahara, could Itachi explain in detail?”

Urahara Kisuke shook his head without hesitation. “No.”

Rukia pressed, “Why not?”

Urahara Kisuke sneered. “He’s just an ordinary human—nothing worth mentioning.”

Kurosaki Ichigo said, “Itachi look really guilty…”

“Shut up!”

(End of Chapter)