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"Hoo—"
Outside West 1 District, near the northern Shiba residence.
Standing under the banner held open by two giant arms, Ishikawa's face flashed with hesitation.
A full week had passed since he returned to Soul Society from Hueco Mundo, and throughout this week, he had been hesitating whether or not to tell Kukaku about what he had seen and heard in Hueco Mundo.
Because…
Shiba Kaien had always been the pride of both Kukaku and Ganju; whenever they mentioned their elder brother, a look of pride would appear on their faces.
If possible, Ishikawa didn't want Kukaku and the others to know about this.
Most importantly…
He failed to kill the opponent!!
"Young Master Ishikawa?"
Just as Ishikawa was hesitating how to speak, two tall figures slowly approached from a distance, carrying a pile of ingredients. It was Kin'en and Hiriko: "What are you standing here for? Why don't you go inside?"
"Uh…"
Hearing this, Ishikawa opened his mouth, then chuckled, "I was just about to go in."
"You've come at a good time. We're just about to prepare lunch. Stay and eat with us," Kin'en lifted the food in his arms, then looked left and right at Ishikawa, asking confusedly, "Isn't Young Master Ganju with you?"
"He took a few of his subordinates and went to West 1 District to play," Ishikawa shook his head.
Although he intended to truthfully inform Kukaku and the others about his experience in Hueco Mundo, Ganju's overly impulsive personality made Ishikawa hesitate whether or not to tell him.
After some deliberation, Ishikawa had sent Ganju to West 1 District before coming here.
Because with Ganju's personality, once he knew that a Hollow was wearing his elder brother's face, there was no telling what foolish thing he might do.
Ishikawa decided to let Kukaku decide whether or not to tell him.
Following behind Kin'en and Hiriko, Ishikawa descended the stairs and arrived at the long corridor at the bottom.
As soon as he entered the hallway, Ishikawa was taken aback.
"Decided to come in?"
Shiba Kukaku, leaning against the hallway, exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "I was just thinking, if you didn't come in within ten minutes, or if you turned around and left, then even if I had to chase you all the way to the Everything Store, I'd still make you taste my fist again after so long."
"It seems…"
Ishikawa observed Shiba Kukaku's expression and sighed, "Someone came before me, didn't they?"
"Kin'en, Hiriko, go make lunch. This busy man will stay here for lunch," Shiba Kukaku didn't reply directly.
Instead, she instructed Kin'en and Hiriko, then looked at Ishikawa and said, "Come here." With that, she pulled open a nearby sliding door and walked inside.
Ishikawa quickly followed suit.
As soon as Shiba Kukaku sat down, she went straight to the point: "Regarding my elder brother, Ukitake came here the night after your report, dragging his sick body, and told me everything." She then looked at Ishikawa and said exasperatedly, "Leaving Ganju aside, do you really think I'm the kind of person who would impulsively rush to Hueco Mundo?"
"Besides…"
Shiba Kukaku took a puff from her pipe, tapping it against an ashtray nearby, "That was just a Hollow. You didn't need to fight desperately because of it."
"I wasn't fighting desperately, I just happened to run into…"
Ishikawa instinctively showed a faint smile, but before he could finish, he was interrupted by Shiba Kukaku.
"Come here."
"Huh?"
Ishikawa, who had just sat down, stood up with a confused look and approached Shiba Kukaku.
"Kneel down."
Ishikawa's mouth twitched slightly, but he still knelt down without hesitation.
The next second…
Bang—
An incredibly familiar fist slammed onto Ishikawa's head, sending him sprawling onto the floor the moment he knelt down.
"Next time you try to placate me with that smile, I'll shoot you to Seireitei with the Flower Cannon!"
Shiba Kukaku pressed Ishikawa's head with one hand, rubbing it against the floor, while her face darkened, "Do you take me for one of those Captains of the Gotei 13? If you didn't want to fight, with your Reiatsu concealment skills, you could walk all over Hueco Mundo without being discovered."
"I thought that compared to Ganju, you, this scoundrel, at least knew how to restrain yourself and wouldn't cause trouble impulsively like him."
"I didn't expect that when you, this scoundrel, get impulsive, you're even more exaggerated than Ganju. Do you think Hueco Mundo is Rukongai? Fighting an Arrancar in a place like that, and an Arrancar on par with a Gotei 13 Captain-level, are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"…" Ishikawa.
To be honest…
Ishikawa had already anticipated being pressed and rubbed on the floor the moment Kukaku told him to kneel.
When he was being pressed and rubbed, he instinctively mobilized his Reiatsu for defense, but after hearing Kukaku's words, Ishikawa dispersed his Reiatsu, trying to make it more comfortable for Kukaku to rub…
Shiba Kukaku released her hand, and a strange glint flashed in her eyes, as if she had thought of something: "Hueco Mundo is far more dangerous than you imagine. You were lucky this time not to encounter those truly terrifying guys, otherwise, no matter how good your Reiatsu concealment skills are, it would be very difficult to leave Hueco Mundo safely. You should know that besides detection circuits, there are many other ways to find someone."
"That Hollow wearing my elder brother's face, it's just a Hollow. It doesn't represent the Shiba family, much less Shiba Kaien. You absolutely don't need to risk your life because of it."
Ishikawa remained silent. Kukaku seemed indifferent, but when she mentioned that Hollow, he could clearly sense an uncontrollable surge of anger and fury. The reason she spoke this way in front of him was simply because she didn't want him to go looking for trouble with that Hollow again.
"Do you have some kind of special fetish, you bastard?"
Shiba Kukaku looked at Ishikawa, who was lying motionless on the floor, and rolled her eyes, "Get up. If Kin'en and Hiriko see you, they'll think I'm abusing you."
"…How can you call it abuse?"
Ishikawa got up, didn't bother to wipe his face, and sat next to Kukaku, chuckling, "Kukaku is right to teach me a lesson. I promise I won't be impulsive again next time."
"Do you even believe that yourself?"
Shiba Kukaku pouted, picked up her pipe, lit it, and took a puff.
She had always observed Ishikawa's changes, and she could say she understood his personality better than anyone else.
Although he usually appeared gentle and mild-mannered, with strong self-control, when impulsive, he was crazier and more terrifying than anyone else, completely disregarding the consequences.
If it were in Soul Society, she could barely support Ishikawa from behind, but in a place like Hueco Mundo, even the Shiba family couldn't provide him with any help.
When she heard about this from Ukitake, she already understood that the reason Ishikawa fought that Hollow was not because of some commission, nor was it an accidental encounter, but because of her and Ganju.
Upon hearing this, Shiba Kukaku's first reaction was not anger, or gratitude towards Ishikawa, but rather fear!!
Although she didn't particularly like Ishikawa's personality when they first met, finding it somewhat hypocritical and annoying.
However, despite his flawed personality, Ishikawa had always been diligently trying to change, and he genuinely interacted with them. Unbeknownst to her, Kukaku had already come to view Ishikawa as family, just like Ganju.
There was no need to express gratitude, but a lesson was absolutely necessary, because if what Yoruichi and Kisuke said was true, then the current danger level of Hueco Mundo was chilling just to think about. She didn't want Ishikawa to risk going to Hueco Mundo again because of her.
Thinking of this, Shiba Kukaku glared at Ishikawa: "You can continue to take commissions from that piece of shit Golden Seal Association, but don't take any more commissions related to Hueco Mundo. If I find out you've gone to Hueco Mundo again, then don't come to me anymore. I'm too lazy to collect your corpse!"
"Mm."
Ishikawa nodded. Unless absolutely necessary, he hadn't planned on going back to Hueco Mundo anyway.
He had already finished researching everything he needed to.
To research the life forms of Hollows, Ishikawa only needed to invest experience points into the Hollow Mark; he didn't need to go to Hueco Mundo, much less come into contact with Hollows.
Shiba Kukaku's tone suddenly shifted, and she asked, "Have you had fewer commissions lately?"
"Mm."
Ishikawa nodded. Just like previous years, commissions in West Rukongai had become increasingly scarce after winter began at the end of the year.
Although he had obtained transfer stakes from Urahara Kisuke, he had no storefronts or suitable receptionists in the eastern, southern, or northern districts.
Furthermore, since Commander Yamamoto allowed him to freely move within Seireitei with a 'Special Pass,' Ishikawa had been diligently expanding his work scope within Seireitei these days, leaving him no time to prepare for opening shops in the other three Rukongai districts.
However, Ishikawa wasn't in a hurry.
Because Nishijin Ori and others, who had been idle for some time recently, were already planning to invade Eastern Flowing Soul Street. Once they unified the latter numbered areas of Eastern Flowing Soul Street, opening his own shop would save him a lot of trouble.
"Then this winter, continue your Kido training here with me."
Shiba Kukaku paused, then continued, "With your current Reiatsu strength, you are already capable of casting top-tier Kido numbered 90 and above. However, you should also understand the saying 'don't bite off more than you can chew.' I will teach you these Kido, but the Kido you focus on this winter will still be those you learned last winter."
"After we finish eating, come with me to the Ōkaku Training Hall. I want to see your mastery of those Kido."
Ishikawa nodded at her words, not refusing.
Although he really wanted to use this winter to visit other Squads besides the Sixth and Seventh Divisions, and try to meet more female Squad Members.
As for why the Sixth and Seventh Divisions were excluded, it was because the areas where the Sixth and Seventh Divisions were located were still restricted zones for Ishikawa.
The Sixth Division was the Nobility Squad, and its barracks were built next to the Nobility Street. Ishikawa did not yet have permission to enter that area.
The Seventh Division, on the other hand, was the Inner Court Guard Unit, specifically responsible for guarding various important locations in Soul Society. Ishikawa likewise did not have permission to enter.
But since Kukaku wanted him to stay and train, Ishikawa wouldn't refuse. Anyway, those female Squad Members wouldn't run away, and he could make friends with them sooner or later.
Moreover…
Ishikawa knew very well that Kukaku was trying to express her gratitude by guiding him in Kido; although in Ishikawa's opinion, Kukaku didn't need to thank him for such a thing, if it made her feel better, Ishikawa wouldn't refuse Kukaku's kindness.
However, the proficiency in mastering Kido…
Ishikawa sighed slightly, because the advanced Kido numbered '60-89' were much harder to master than Ishikawa had imagined.
Aside from 'Hado No. 88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō,' which he had elevated to advanced level with experience points, most of the other advanced Kido, even after a year of training, were still at a Low Level. Only Dankū, which Ishikawa highly valued, had been cultivated to a medium level.
However, he hadn't learned many advanced Hado, only two. Besides Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō, he had only learned 'Sōren Sōkatsui'; even adding Raikōhō, which he already knew and had upgraded to advanced, he only knew three advanced Hado.
Because in Ishikawa's opinion, his offensive methods were already sufficient, and learning too many would only hinder his training. After all, unless it was a situation requiring immediate use, he didn't plan to invest experience points in any Kido.
As for top-tier Hado numbered 90 and above, Ishikawa had only learned 'Kurohitsugi,' which was still at an introductory level…
When he fought Ginjō Kūgo last time, he used an introductory level Kurohitsugi. In fact, if Ginjō Kūgo hadn't been scared away back then, a gentle touch would have… caused the Kurohitsugi to collapse on its own, completely lacking any destructive power.
Unlike Hado, Ishikawa had learned a full five types of advanced Bakudo to deal with any situation, but he hadn't learned any top-tier Bakudo.
The reason was simple…
Because advanced 'Incantation Abandonment' only allowed Ishikawa to unleash the full power of Kido when casting Kido below advanced level. When casting advanced Bakudo and Kido with advanced 'Incantation Abandonment,' some could only unleash one-fifth of their original power; the higher the number, the weaker the power after Incantation Abandonment.
Furthermore, Bakudo are mostly used in battles where every second counts, leaving no time for incantation. Even if top-tier Bakudo were learned, they would have no binding ability whatsoever after Incantation Abandonment.
It was better to focus on improving the proficiency of advanced Bakudo. This way, although the power would be reduced when used with Incantation Abandonment, the binding force could increase with proficiency.
Hado, however, is different from Bakudo. After Bakudo binds an enemy, as long as the binding force is sufficient, there is ample time for incantation.
Ishikawa had also considered whether to use 100,000 experience points to upgrade Incantation Abandonment to top-tier, which would allow him to unleash the full power of both Dankū and Flying Dragon Strike Thief without incantation. However, he ultimately abandoned this idea.
Instead, he took 200,000 from his nearly 240,000 experience points and invested all of it into his Reiatsu.
Reiatsu: Top-tier (200444 / 1000000)
Before his experience points reached the ultimate barrier, Ishikawa planned to invest all of his experience points into his Reiatsu.
Because, after his Reiatsu reached Captain-level, he suddenly had a vague premonition that he might find it very difficult to raise his Reiatsu to its limit with a mere 1,000,000 experience points.
It was as if there was some vaguely foreseeable barrier; the stronger Ishikawa's Reiatsu became, the clearer that barrier became.
This barrier wouldn't necessarily be reached at 1,000,000 proficiency; it might be at 900,000, or 800,000… or even 500,000.
Depending on each person's talent, the upper limit of this ultimate barrier also differs, and Ishikawa never thought his talent in Reiatsu was particularly good…
After all, his initial spiritual power talent was actually inferior to many Shin'ō Academy students.
And when Reiatsu reaches this limit, it is very likely to encounter the situation of being unable to activate Zanpakuto, as was the case before obtaining an Asauchi.
Ishikawa plans to use all future experience points, except for a reserve for emergencies, on his Reiatsu. Once he encounters the barrier, he will then consider other methods for breakthrough.
If according to Aizen's statement in his memory, then besides Reiatsu, the four techniques of Zankensoki also have ultimate barriers similar to Reiatsu. No matter how strong a certain ability of yours is, it will be unable to grow due to the limits of the Spirit Body.
Aizen being able to deduce this suggests that after his Reiatsu reached its limit, he once spent a period of time specializing in one or two of the Zankensoki techniques, using them to try and break through the limit of his Reiatsu, but he still encountered an ultimate barrier.
However, in this process, his Reiatsu very likely broke through a layer of barrier, but ultimately he abandoned this long path and turned his gaze towards external objects!
Although this was just Ishikawa's speculation, the possibility of it being true was extremely high, because based on the conclusions Ishikawa drew from researching Hollows, Shinigami evolved step by step through techniques like Zankensoki to a point where they could be on par with Hollow life forms.
Ishikawa plans to retrace the path Aizen took with the help of the system after his Reiatsu encounters a barrier.
The system is his greatest advantage and his confidence.
For this…
He still needed to make more and more friends!!
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