Chapter 377: Ichigo's New Life
Ichigo was somewhat surprised by the man who suddenly pushed the door open.
Who would come to see a doctor looking so energetic?
He seemed even healthier than Ichigo himself.
But he shouldn't jump to conclusions - perhaps the man's illness wasn't visibly apparent...
He raised his head, coughed deliberately, and said:
"Sorry, sir, the old... ahem, the doctor isn't in right now. If you need urgent medical attention, you could go to Ishida Hospital - it's not far from here."
Hearing this, the man raised his eyebrows.
"The doctor isn't here?"
"Heh, no problem!"
"Is a doctor really such an inconvenient thing?"
"Young man, why don't you examine me instead!"
Saying this, the man smiled and walked inside, confidently finding a chair to sit down.
Then he patted his chest:
"Come on, examine me!"
"..."
Little Ichigo's eye twitched.
He'd encountered a weirdo.
Though he really wanted to complain, this was his family's clinic after all - he couldn't be rude to guests.
He closed his eyes, shook his head helplessly, and prepared to explain that he was just a child without medical qualifications.
But when he opened his eyes, he saw the strange man had somehow already moved right in front of him.
"Wah!!"
Little Ichigo was startled and instinctively stepped back several paces.
Under his astonished gaze, the man crouched on the floor, staring at him with a somewhat eerie smile.
"Seems like you don't want to examine me?"
"I..."
"Hmph, no matter, I understand. Novice doctors facing conditions they can't figure out tend to instinctively rely on authority - it's quite normal in our medical field."
"But since this is a hospital, and you're unwilling to examine me, I'll examine you instead!"
Ichigo felt his scalp tingling.
Was this man some kind of madman?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in that instant.
He had to escape... lead this man away from home to protect his sisters.
If a conflict broke out here, his sisters might come out to see what was happening, and that would be dangerous.
Though still young, Ichigo already displayed extraordinary calmness when facing danger.
Just as he prepared to act, he heard the man say:
"Young man, can you see things ordinary people cannot?"
"Such as... souls?"
Hearing this, Ichigo showed a surprised expression.
He looked at the man, his mind in turmoil.
"How do you..."
Only his father knew about his ability to see souls.
His two younger sisters also knew, but they were too young to fully understand such matters, let alone spread the information.
"How do I know?"
The man crossed his arms, showing a proud expression:
"Because I am the culmination of this world's wisdom, mastering both astronomy and geography!"
"All the world's secrets become transparent before my extraordinary intellect!"
As he spoke, the man had somehow already climbed onto the chair, sitting on the backrest with his feet planted firmly in the seat.
Anyone else would have fallen from such a position long ago, yet he sat as steady as Mount Tai.
Looking down from his elevated perch, the man adopted a mysterious demeanor and slowly declared:
"Young man, your condition is already quite severe."
"...Severe?"
"Yes, quite severe."
The man nodded.
"Within your body, a power is brewing, taking form."
"This power is known as 'Reiatsu'!"
"It is precisely because of this Reiatsu that you can see things others cannot."
Ichigo blinked.
Reiatsu...
Though it sounded a bit mystical, he had to admit the explanation held some logic.
The man continued:
"Normally, having a talent for Reiatsu isn't a bad thing. It's like being able to bend your thumb outward or roll your tongue... just another form of innate ability, though compared to those ordinary talents, Reiatsu is exceedingly rare."
"The problem is, your Reiatsu talent is too strong."
"If things continue like this, your Reiatsu will keep growing, becoming stronger and stronger. Eventually, your body won't be able to withstand the increase, and you'll turn into a Reiatsu bomb, blowing everything around you to pieces!"
Ichigo frowned slightly.
Turn into... a bomb?
The man interlaced his fingers, resting the backs of his hands under his chin, and smiled:
"Of course, I can tell at a glance that you're a brave child. Perhaps you aren't afraid of such a fate."
"But, don't forget, when you explode, there's a high chance your parents and sisters will be nearby."
"At that moment, what might happen becomes truly worth anticipating..."
Ichigo's pupils contracted.
"You... what are you saying?!"
He widened his eyes and shouted instinctively.
Because of him, causing the deaths of his parents, Yuzu, and Karin... such a thing must never happen!
After a brief moment of panic, Ichigo suddenly realized something:
"Wait, how can you claim what you're saying is true?"
"How?"
The man curled his lips, raised a hand, and snapped his fingers.
With that motion, dozens of light barriers suddenly materialized in the air.
Under Ichigo's astonished gaze, these barriers whooshed toward him, instantly crisscrossing through the gaps between his limbs and torso, trapping him firmly in place.
Feeling the power emanating from these barriers, Ichigo understood instantly.
These barriers indeed felt very similar to the power within his own body...
Though there were subtle differences, they were fundamentally the same!
With some difficulty, he turned his head to look at the man sitting on the chair.
"Just who... are you?"
Hearing this, the man grinned:
"I am a traveler from another realm, the watcher of worlds, a meteor traversing the Three Realms, the master of paradise..."
"My name is Satoru Mikami!"
...
...
In the night, young Ichigo quietly climbed out of the window and left his home.
He made his way through the streets of Karakura Town, eventually arriving at the foot of a mountain.
From a distance, he could see the man standing there with his back turned, waiting silently.
"...Mr. Mikami?"
He tentatively called out.
Though he could see spirits, he was still just an eight-year-old child. Seeing this eccentric man standing with his back to him in the middle of the night was still somewhat frightening.
Hearing the voice, the man nodded:
"Not bad, you are teachable."
"It seems you have deciphered the code I left you before departing."
"...Code?"
Ichigo wore a puzzled expression.
He recalled the scene when this fellow had left during the day.
After demonstrating the power of Reiatsu to him, the man named Satoru Mikami reached out and patted his head three times, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.
Having done so, the man walked away with his hands behind his back.
As he walked, he said:
"Tonight at three o'clock, come to the mountain in the west, and I will teach you the art of immortality!"
Though unsure what had gotten into this guy, the light prison that had restrained him was certainly no illusion.
To understand the power within himself, Ichigo felt he had to go and see what the man intended to do.
Satoru turned his head:
"I tapped your head three times and walked away with my hands behind my back, meaning I wanted you to come to the back mountain of Karakura Town at three in the morning."
"This is profound thinking. At your age, being able to see through this shows your exceptional potential!"
Ichigo raised a questioning eyebrow:
"Didn't you tell me outright to come here at three?"
"Well, I was just giving you a reference answer. If I hadn't told you, what if you couldn't figure it out? Wouldn't I have been standing here all night for nothing?"
"..."
Ichigo took a deep breath.
Though still young, he had already experienced the taste of high blood pressure.
Suppressing his urge to retort, he looked at Satoru:
"Mr. Mikami, you said you could teach me how to control the power within me."
"About that, I have a question I'd like to ask you."
"Hmm, go ahead and ask. Answering the questions of those I'm mentoring is also part of my duty as a mentor."
Satoru nodded.
After thinking for a few seconds, Ichigo said:
"I want to know - why are you helping me?"
"What happens to me, what happens to my family - these things shouldn't have anything to do with you, right?"
Hearing this, Satoru seemed somewhat surprised.
"You little brat, are you really eight years old... Your thinking is quite mature."
After a moment's thought, he added:
"Of course, still far less mature than me!"
At Satoru's evaluation, Ichigo showed a slightly proud expression.
In fact, all of this was a way of thinking he had learned from LSP games.
He never expected it would actually come in handy in real life.
Under his gaze, Satoru adopted a serious expression:
"Since you've asked so sincerely, I'll tell you."
"Ichigo, in this world, there exist many dangers."
"Terrifying monsters, evil spirit energy users, aliens disguised as humans..."
"These beings are constantly coveting our Earth, constantly looking for ways to destroy our wonderful lives!"
"To deal with these beings, I've formed an organization of spirit energy users."
"The organization's name is... um... it's... Vongola!"
"We of Vongola have the mission to fight against these invaders, protect those important to us, and protect our beloved Earth!"
"To strengthen the organization's power and cultivate more excellent fighters, that's why I sought you out."
"Ichigo, you possess talent beyond ordinary imagination. You'll definitely become an outstanding spirit energy user in the future."
"When you have sufficient power and obtain the qualifications, you can join Vongola and become a Gangstar like me!"
Ichigo: "..."
Leaving aside whether the latter parts were true or false.
That organization name was clearly made up on the spot, wasn't it?!
It was definitely made up just now, right?!
Once again suppressing his urge to retort, he asked:
"Then, how many members does our organization have right now?"
Satoru looked up, thinking for a long time.
Then, showing a confident smile, he looked at Ichigo:
"Including you who will definitely become a formal member in the future, we already have two people."
"This organization was definitely just formed, wasn't it?!"
Ah, damn.
He ended up retorting after all.
Ichigo had a complicated expression, feeling like he'd been Komamura'd.
Though exasperated by this man called Satoru Mikami, considering the spirit energy within him that could explode at any moment and endanger his family, Ichigo still chose to learn from this guy.
Seeing Ichigo agree, Satoru nodded with satisfaction.
Then, under Ichigo's surprised gaze, a flash of light suddenly enveloped him, and his body split apart front and back.
In front stood Satoru wearing a black kimono, white Captain's Haori, with a sword at his waist.
Behind him lay the original Satoru, who had suddenly collapsed like a broken puppet, devoid of breath.
What... was this situation?
Looking carefully at the newly emerged Satoru, he suddenly gasped.
Soul...
This guy actually managed to separate his soul from his body somehow!
How could such a thing happen... When the soul leaves the body, doesn't that mean death?
And what's with that sword at his waist?
Before Ichigo could process what was happening, Satoru had already drawn his Zanpakutō.
"Wait, you... what are you going to do?!"
Seeing Satoru walking toward him with the long sword in hand, Ichigo instinctively stepped back.
Satoru then grinned and let out a gentle laugh:
"Hehehe... I'm going to help you become an adult..."
"Don't be afraid. It might hurt a bit at first, but it'll be over soon."
"This feeling is really amazing!"
What feeling?! You'd better be talking about training to control power!
Without hesitation, Ichigo turned around and tried to run.
But before he could take a step, he was pinned to the ground by an immense force.
Tears welled up in Ichigo's eyes as he looked at Satoru sitting on his back, laughing joyfully.
This has to be a joke... This has to be a joke!
Under his terrified gaze, Satoru gripped the Zanpakutō with both hands and thrust it into his back with a squelch...
...
...
Carrying his backpack, Ichigo walked home along the familiar path he had taken countless times.
After eating the meal prepared by his mom, he smiled.
"I'm done eating!"
Chanting the closing phrase with his hands together, he put down his chopsticks and went to his room to do his homework.
After finishing, he said to Kurosaki Masaki:
"Mom, I'm going to play with Mizuiro and the others!"
"Okay, be careful on your way~"
Masaki waved her hand and showed a gentle smile.
Leaving home, Ichigo crossed several streets.
After making sure no one was following him, he started running quickly.
Soon, he arrived at the back mountain of Karakura Town.
From a distance, he could see someone sitting under the shade of a tree playing games.
Seeing this, Ichigo showed an exasperated expression.
How old is he already, still so addicted to games? He's not as determined as I am.
He snorted and activated the power within his body.
With a snap, his soul separated from his body.
Raising his hand, he pulled out an exaggeratedly large cleaver from his back that looked too big for his small body.
Then, he stomped his foot and vanished into thin air.
Using Flash Step, he appeared in front of Satoru and swung his sword fiercely—
"Take this!!"
"Take this P!!"
Faster than Ichigo, Satoru suddenly extended his PSP.
The game console hit Ichigo in the stomach with a dull thud.
Ichigo was sent flying backward, crashing into the distant forest with a loud boom that kicked up a cloud of dust.
Watching Ichigo fly away, Satoru grinned.
No wonder that old man Yamamoto enjoyed bullying him so much back in the day.
It really is satisfying.