“Whoa—”
Pure white moonlight bathed young Ichigo as he swung the long sword in his hand.
He looked up at the dispersing dark clouds, unable to believe that he possessed the power to change the very weather with a single strike.
“Getsuga Tenshō…
that’s so cool!”
His small eyes sparkled with wonder.
Nine is an age full of fantasy; although Ichigo had been more mature than most due to his ability to see ghosts from a young age, he hadn’t yet lost his childhood innocence.
At this moment, feeling as though he had become a hero from a manga, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride.
“Oh!
Mom!”
Ichigo quickly snapped back to reality.
There was something far more important to do.
He rushed to help his mother up, and despite his small frame, he easily hoisted her onto his shoulder.
“She’s so light…
no, it’s that I’ve become stronger.”
He tossed the two swords onto the ground; they were far too much of a burden for him now.
At that moment, Ichigo thought he heard two faint, ghostly sighs, but he paid them no mind.
His priority was to carry his mother home so that his father, a doctor, could provide immediate treatment.
“Ichigo!!”
Before he could move, a familiar voice called out.
Looking up, Ichigo beamed with joy.
The newcomer was his father, Isshin Kurosaki.
“Dad!!” With a hint of a sob in his voice, Ichigo cried out, “Quick, save Mom!!”
***
Kurosaki Clinic.
His mother had been safely transported to a nearby hospital.
Although the power of Blut had stopped the bleeding, the effect was temporary, and she had already suffered significant blood loss before that.
She was currently receiving a blood transfusion.
“Don’t worry, Ichigo.” Isshin Kurosaki patted Ichigo’s head with a bright smile.
“Masaki…
Mom will be fine.
She just needs some proper rest.”
“But…”
“No ‘buts,'” Isshin said, his tone shifting.
“By the way, was it you who protected your mother?”
“Yeah…”
“I think so.”
“We’ll discuss the details in a bit.
Let’s wait for Urahara to arrive so we can analyze exactly what happened to you.”
Shortly after, the Urahara Isshin had mentioned arrived at the hospital.
The three of them found a private room and began their conversation.
“So, to summarize…
Mrs.
Kurosaki’s powers vanished because of that so-called Quincy Progenitor, which is why she was injured,” Kisuke Urahara concluded.
“Then, young Ichigo’s powers awakened, he killed the Hollow, and saved Mrs.
Kurosaki.”
“Yes,” Isshin Kurosaki nodded.
“Masaki mentioned to me before that once the Quincy Progenitor awakens from his slumber, it takes nine years to reclaim his power.
It seems likely that he is reclaiming the power of his descendants.”
“That point still needs investigation.
Are you still in contact with Mr.
Ishida?”
“Ryūken?
I’ll go ask him when the time comes.”
“And then, there is Ichigo.” Kisuke Urahara looked at the boy.
“What do you think about all this, young Ichigo?”
“Huh?” Ichigo scratched his head.
“What do you mean, Mr.
Urahara?”
Through a brief introduction, Ichigo learned that Kisuke Urahara and his father had both once been Shinigami, but had ended up here for various reasons.
After his father’s confirmation, he understood that Urahara had once saved his mother’s life and was a good person.
“Now that you’ve obtained power through your awakening, what do you intend to do with it?”
“…What do you mean?”
“I don’t know why you awakened at this age, but your power is considerably formidable.
Forget the living world—even in the realm where souls belong, the Soul Society has never seen an existence quite like you.”
“If you are willing, you can attain immense power,” Kisuke Urahara said with a solemn expression.
“However, the more power you possess, the more danger you will encounter.”
“…”
“If I didn’t have power, Mom might not be here right now,” Ichigo said after a moment of silence, his expression resolute.
“I don’t know what kind of powers I might encounter in the future, but I need strength. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
I need the power to protect my family!”
“…Heh.” Kisuke Urahara smiled.
Meeting Ichigo’s determined gaze, he spoke softly, “In that case, I shall be the one to provide your Shinigami guidance from here on.
I look forward to working with you.”
***
Although many things had happened and some things could never be recovered, life had to go on.
Ichigo’s daily routine didn’t change drastically; his life remained largely the same as before.
The only difference was his place of training, which shifted from the karate dojo to the basement of the Urahara Shop.
The curriculum changed to the four arts of the Shinigami: Zankensoki, and his training partners shifted from ordinary people to two of Mr.
Urahara’s friends, Yoruichi and Tessai.
After being discharged from the hospital, Masaki Kurosaki didn’t utter a single word of reproach, nor did she ask too many questions.
She had already learned everything from her husband.
When she saw Ichigo, she instead said with a look of pride, “Our little Ichigo has grown up; he can protect his mother now.”
This gave Ichigo an even stronger longing for power.
With great strength, he could better protect his mother and everyone else.
The most direct manifestation of this desire was that in the week following Masaki’s discharge, Ichigo trained so relentlessly that even Kisuke Urahara claimed he couldn’t keep up with him.
“Ichigo—”
A month had passed since that rainy night.
Having just finished his training, Ichigo heard his mother’s call.
He jogged from the room to the living room, where he saw Masaki sitting across from a silver-haired man.
His father sat beside them, his expression grave.
“This is your uncle, Ryūken Ishida,” Masaki introduced.
“He is a Quincy.”
After a month of training, Ichigo had gained a basic understanding of the Soul World.
Beyond the physical reality where humans resided, there were normal souls and souls possessing great power.
There was the Soul Society where Shinigami lived, and the world where souls who had fallen and become Hollows resided: Hueco Mundo.
These three realms constituted the current Three Worlds.
Among humans, there were also those who mastered great power: the Quincy.
His mother, Masaki Kurosaki, had once been a Quincy, but had lost her powers for a certain reason.
“Uncle…
Uncle Ishida!” After a moment of stunned silence, Ichigo shouted happily, “Hello, Uncle!”
Since he was a child, Ichigo had never met any of his relatives, whether from his mother’s or father’s side.
The two of them had always seemed like loners; he had never heard of any siblings or grandparents.
When he asked his parents as a young child if he had any grandparents, the answer was always that they were already gone.
Now that an uncle had suddenly appeared, Ichigo was thrilled.
Aside from his parents and sister, he finally had more family.