On his way to school, Ichigo passed by numerous ghosts. To avoid drawing their attention, he kept his focus straight ahead and acted as though he didn't see them. However, when he encountered the little girl he had helped before, he greeted her warmly. She responded with a charming smile and a friendly wave.
Seeing her smile, Ichigo felt a growing anticipation to acquire his Zanpakuto and help release her spirit so she could finally rest. The only issue was he wasn't sure when Rukia would arrive.
'She could come today or tomorrow. Honestly, I don't know. But given the circumstances, it probably won't be too long,' he thought, hopeful that it wouldn't be much longer before he could assist her.
As he walked, Ichigo focused on honing his perception beyond his five senses. He closed his eyes, tuning out the ambient noise by canceling out sounds, numbed his sense of touch, and held his breath to eliminate his sense of smell.
With his senses effectively blocked, Ichigo began to rely on the energy within his body. Through this heightened spiritual awareness, he detected the presence of various entities around him. He could sense everything from humans to animals, but most notably, he became acutely aware of the ghosts in his vicinity. By raising his spiritual energy, he was now able to sense the ghosts scattered throughout his surroundings with increased clarity.
He smiled and opened his eyes. 'This guy is incredibly talented,' he thought. 'It's surprising he even lost some matches before. If he gave his full effort, he'd probably be as strong as the Soul King without even trying. He honestly reminds me of Frieza'
Ichigo finally arrived at school. He walks in and looks around. Not much happened in this school but it was certainly nice to see it in real life. He went to his classroom, sliding the door open Ichigo saw his friends sat together.
In the series, only two people in the group were ever really useful. Well, at least in the first half of the series. Orihime had her moments and at least got to be a part of the final chapters, unlike Chad. Chad was last useful during the Soul Society Arc, and even then, he was more of a punching bag than a hero, getting pummeled by a Captain in what was almost too predictable a turn of events.
'Oh, he was in the Fullbringer Arc too, but honestly, he was just the guy who connected Ichigo to that other dude, whose name escapes me at the moment,' he thought, the memory fuzzy as he tried to recall it.
His eyes scanned the room, quickly landing on his friends, already seated and talking. Keigo turned around at the sound, his face lighting up with a grin as he sprang to his feet.
"Yo, Ichigo. You came early today. That's surprising," Keigo said, his voice carrying a bit more energy than usual.
Ichigo gave him a flat stare, adjusting the strap of his bag over his shoulder. "Do you have to be this loud? It's 7 a.m., you know."
Keigo let out a mock sigh and shrugged his shoulders. "Man, do you have to be so gloomy? It's 7 a.m., the start of a brand-new day!" he teased, flashing a grin that only slightly concealed his excitement at seeing Ichigo.
Ichigo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in annoyance as he walked further into the room. "I don't see how you can be so energetic this early. You'd think you'd have enough sense to realize it's still too early for that."
Keigo laughed, unfazed by the remark. "Hey, someone's got to keep things lively around here, right? Besides, you need to lighten up a bit, Ichigo." He plopped back down on his seat, still grinning like he had all the time in the world to bother his friend.
Ichigo shook his head with a slight smirk, the tension in the air making him almost feel at ease as he made his way toward Orihime and Tatsuki. As he approached, Tatsuki's eyes narrowed, her glare sharp enough to cut through steel. He felt the heat of her stare but chose to ignore it, knowing all too well the fire that simmered beneath her cool exterior.
Orihime, as always, was the calm amidst the storm. Her smile was as bright as ever, a beacon of warmth on an otherwise chilly morning.
"Good morning, Ichigo," she said cheerfully, her voice carrying a gentle melody, as if she were untouched by the brewing tension.
"Hey Orihime, it seems you're doing fine on this nice morning, unlike someone else," Ichigo teased, his eyes flicking over to Tatsuki, who was clearly not amused.
Tatsuki clenched her fists, her glare intensifying as her voice grew cold and biting.
"You do know I'm in front of you," she snapped, her words laced with venom. If looks could kill, Ichigo would've been obliterated long ago, his body reduced to dust under the weight of her scorn.
"Did you hear that, Orihime?" Ichigo asked, pretending to look around innocently, his lips curling into a grin as he dodged Tatsuki's venomous stare. The usual banter was as familiar as ever, a routine he almost looked forward to.
Orihime's soft giggle rang out, sweet and melodic, as she watched her two friends bicker. The playful exchange was a constant in their lives, and though Tatsuki and Ichigo rarely saw eye to eye, it was clear they both cared deeply for one another in their own way. After a moment, the tension began to dissolve, and the trio fell into a comfortable silence, the calm after the storm.
Ichigo, having enough of the back-and-forth, turned and walked away, his pace slow and relaxed. He sat down, laid his head back against the cool stone wall, and closed his eyes, letting the quiet of the morning wash over him.
'That felt nice,' he thought, the peace settling deep into his bones, the weight of the world momentarily forgotten as he allowed himself a rare moment of rest.
'Alright. So what am I gonna do? I most definitely plan on making every woman in this story my girl. Even that femboy, not gonna lie. Just kidding. How am I gonna go about it though, I sadly have no system,' he thought, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan.
...
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...
'Damn, I really don't have a system. I thought it would arrive as soon as I said that. Oh well, fuck it. Let's work with what we have,' he thought, frustration creeping in as he let out a small sigh.
Class started a few minutes later, but Ichigo wasn't the slightest bit interested. His pen scratched across the paper, not taking notes on the lesson, but instead jotting down ideas on how he could become stronger in this world. His focus was solely on improving himself.
He understood that he had a lot of untapped potential. In the original story, he could have done so much more to increase his strength, but he had squandered those opportunities. Now, he was determined to change that, aiming to become the perfect being, sharp in every way.
So strong, even the Soul King would bow down to him. But deep down, he knew it wouldn't be easy.
'Then again, he was the one who killed bro, now that I think about it. Well, I need a week or two to get ready,' he thought, his resolve hardening. He'd train, get stronger.
Ichigo was ready to unlock his true potential. How would he do that? Well, first and foremost, he needed to start working out. His body had to be in peak condition. Meditating would help him center himself and clear his mind and better his connection with his Zanpakuto.
Sword training was non-negotiable, and most importantly, he needed control—over his powers, his mind, and his body. Without that, nothing else would matter.
TO BE CONTINUED