Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

Upon hearing this, the surrounding temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

"You bastard..."

Ichigo Kurosaki was thoroughly enraged by Sasuke's words, his forehead veins bulging with anger, and he raised his Zanpakuto at Sasuke.

"You want to attack me?" Sasuke sneered, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes.

The moment he finished speaking, his figure swayed slightly.

Ichigo Kurosaki only felt a blur before his eyes, and Sasuke had already disappeared from the spot.

The next second, a bone-chilling coldness came from behind, and the icy blade was already pressed against his back.

Kurosaki Ichigo froze, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

"With your current half-baked strength, you're not even worthy of being my opponent." Sasuke's voice rang in his ears, calm yet full of pressure.

Just as Sasuke was about to sheathe his sword, an incredibly powerful and suffocating spiritual pressure suddenly erupted from the Kurosaki family's house!

This spiritual pressure had no specific attack intention, yet it was like an invisible mountain, heavily pressing down on Sasuke, carrying a warning meaning.

Sasuke paused, his pupils contracted, and his eyes instantly sharpened.

He suddenly looked up at the seemingly ordinary house.

Are there more experts?

He remained silent for a moment, then slowly sheathed his Zanpakuto and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment!"

Rukia's voice was weak as she struggled to speak urgently, "Will you report what happened today to Soul Society?"

Sasuke stopped walking, but did not turn around.

"Report to Soul Society? Write those boring documents?"

He turned his head to the side, his tone full of impatience, "Don't joke around, I'm not that free."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure flashed again and disappeared completely into the night, as if he had never been there.

Only a deathly silence remained at the scene.

After a long while, Ichigo Kurosaki finally recovered from his shock. He glanced at the direction where Sasuke had disappeared, and then looked at Rukia on the ground with a complicated expression on her face.

He scratched his head, put down the huge Zanpakuto, grinned, and tried to break the dull atmosphere.

"Hey, I'm saying... is your companion the legendary 'tsundere'?"

"That kid talked so tough, but he still left without doing anything."

Upon hearing this word, Rukia's already pale face instantly flushed with anger.

“What do you know? That guy is a complete bastard!” she retorted angrily.

"Yes, yes, you bastard, you bastard." Kurosaki Ichigo waved his hand dismissively, then dropped his nonchalant expression and became much more serious.

He walked over to Rukia, squatted down, and frowned deeply as he looked at the gruesome wound on her abdomen and her blood-soaked clothes.

"Seriously, what are you planning to do next? You're so badly injured, are you alright?"

He asked somewhat nervously, "Would you like to come to my house to rest for a while? My sister should be able to find the first aid kit."

"No need."

Rukia struggled and staggered to her feet.

She curtly rejected Ichigo's suggestion, saying, "Mortals and Shinigami cannot have too much contact; that's the rule."

Rukia turned around, ready to leave, but paused slightly as she took her first step.

Her gaze subtly swept towards the direction of the Kurosaki family's residence; the powerful, mysterious spiritual pressure she had just felt emanated from there.

Who exactly is that spiritual pressure?

Friend or foe?

Chapter 16 Urahara Kisuke

"Okay, okay, this is such a hassle."

"Don't die in some random corner, Rukia!" Kurosaki Ichigo complained loudly.

Rukia turned around and saw Ichigo Kurosaki impatiently carrying the disproportionately large blade, but there was a hint of concern in his eyes beneath his orange hair.

She didn't say anything more, but just gave Kurosaki Ichigo a deep look, and then, dragging her heavily injured body, she disappeared into the night.

Only after the petite figure had completely disappeared did Ichigo Kurosaki turn his gaze away, looking down at his own attire and the exaggeratedly large sword in his hand.

"What kind of mess is this..." He scratched his head in distress and let out a long sigh.

……

On the other side, in the quiet streets of Karakura Town.

Rukia Kuchiki leaned against the cold wall, each step causing excruciating pain in her abdomen, and cold sweat soaked her forehead.

At this moment, she had lost all of her death power and was even weaker than an ordinary soul.

"It's not possible to return to Soul Society for the time being." She gasped for breath, beginning to calmly consider her current situation.

The most urgent task is to find a place to settle down and find a way to restore spiritual power.

However, as a death god who has lost his power, staying in the mortal world in spirit form for a long time is not only dangerous for himself, but his soul will also be eroded by the air of the mortal world and eventually dissipate.

"Damn it." Rukia bit her lower lip in frustration. "I really don't want to go to that swindler unless it's absolutely necessary..."

But right now, it seems there are no other options.

In the present world, only Kisuke Urahara could provide her with a special vessel—a prosthetic body.

The so-called "artificial body" is a disguised body invented by the Technology Development Bureau, which allows Shinigami who have lost their powers or need to hide their identities to live in the human world like ordinary humans.

It can not only isolate the soul from the erosion of the mortal world, but also help the Grim Reaper slowly recover his spiritual power.

Although there's a high chance that the unscrupulous businessman will rip you off...

She raised her head, discerned the direction, and, relying on her memory, staggered toward that inconspicuous corner of Karakura Town.

She didn't notice.

A hundred meters away, on the edge of the rooftop of a tall building, another figure stood silently like a sculpture.

Uchiha Sasuke hadn't actually gone far.

He just watched, watching that figure walk step by step in a certain direction.

Finally, as the figure turned the corner and was about to disappear from his sight, Sasuke's lips slowly curved into a barely perceptible smile.

He muttered a few words to himself.

"...That saves trouble."

The next second, his figure also disappeared, leaving only an empty rooftop.

Night gradually fell, and the dim moonlight could barely illuminate the secluded street corner.

Rukia, dragging her tired body, finally arrived at a dilapidated general store.

Seeing this familiar place, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, raised her hand, and prepared to knock on the door.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch the wooden door, a figure appeared silently beside her like a ghost.

Rukia froze instantly.

He turned around abruptly, and after seeing who it was, he looked on warily.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you've been following me?!"

Sasuke didn't look at her. He crossed his arms and his gaze was completely drawn to the wooden sign that read "Urahara Store," his eyes revealing no emotion.

Hearing Rukia's question, he seemed to snap out of his daze and said in a tone tinged with sarcasm, "Since we're comrades, isn't it only natural for me to inquire about your injuries and make sure you arrived at your destination safely, Miss Kuchiki?"

These words left Rukia speechless, her face turning pale and then red, unable to refute them.

Sasuke slowly shifted his gaze from the signboard to Rukia's small face.

"Kisuke Urahara, right?"

Rukia's pupils suddenly contracted: "How do you know that name?!"

It's important to know that Kisuke Urahara was expelled from Soul Society more than a hundred years ago.

How could a newcomer who has just graduated from the True Spiritual Arts Academy know this name?

Sasuke didn't answer her question, but simply walked past her and glanced at the seemingly ordinary general store.

"Looks like I've come to the right place."

Just as the two were locked in a standoff and the atmosphere was tense, the old wooden door of the shop suddenly opened by itself.

A man wearing a green and white striped fisherman's hat, holding a small fan in his hand, half-covered his face, peeking out and revealing only a pair of smiling eyes.

"Oh dear, you two distinguished guests, it's not appropriate to quarrel in front of my humble shop. What's the matter? Why don't you come in, have a cup of tea, and talk it out?"

……

Inside, the dim light cast a warm glow over the fragrant aroma of tea.

"Thank you for the hospitality." Rukia sat upright on the tatami mat, holding a warm teacup in both hands, and politely expressed her gratitude.

Sasuke leaned against the wall, silently surveying the room and the seemingly harmless man before him.

"Not at all, Miss Kuchiki, your presence is an honor to our humble establishment."

Kisuke Urahara still had that same smiling face. He tapped his palm lightly with his fan. "So, can you tell me what wind blew such an honored guest as you to my humble place? Judging from your appearance, you seem to have encountered quite a bit of trouble."

Rukia put down her teacup and solemnly explained how she lost her powers and her request for a prosthetic body.

"Oh, I see."

Urahara Kisuke listened without changing his smile, as if it were all within his expectations. "But to transfer the power of a Shinigami to a human is a serious crime. Miss Kuchiki, you are truly audacious."

He made teasing remarks, but his hands moved quickly as he called out to the inner room, "Xiaoyu, Shentai, bring out the goods prepared for the guests!"

Soon, two children struggled to carry out a humanoid object, which was the artificial body Rukia needed.