Chapter 31 Persimmons and Strawberries 8

Kurosaki Utsuki didn't go to help.

It's not that she realized that her brother could easily solve this little trouble, but because she had a bigger trouble here, specifically a Hollow that exuded strong malice.

And the spiritual pressure is not low.

Considering she didn't see any wandering spirits nearby, this Hollow that was so close to her could only be coming for them.

"Yuko, Xia Li," Kurosaki Utsuki stood up and looked directly in the direction of the hollow, "I'm going to go to daddy's place. You guys just wait here for brother to come."

Although the sisters were a little confused, they agreed immediately.

Kurosaki Utsuki quickly walked into the woods - if this hollow was targeting her sisters, she could counterattack with a sneak attack, but she hoped that it would be tactful and be attracted to her.

Less than a minute after she walked out, a huge claw slapped her from behind.

Very good, then she won't hesitate -

No, wait a minute. Or should she wait a minute? This attack wouldn't hurt her anyway. She could just resist for a moment and wait for her brother to come and save her. After all, he had promised her yesterday that he would protect her, words that seemed like a foreshadowing of future plot developments.

It just so happened that this Xu was also very talkative and was willing to chat with her to pass the time. Although his words were condescending and intimidating, expecting her to show an expression of fear, at least he did delay the appearance of her brother.

"Utahiki!"

Kurosaki Utsuki, caught in the Hollow's grip, heard the cry and, cooperating, tugged at the Hollow's claws, looking up. An orange-haired Shinigami, carrying a large sword, had just arrived, his face etched with nervousness. But after noticing that she wasn't injured, at least not with a trace of blood on her white dress, he relaxed slightly and turned to examine the Hollow holding her.

Then, let her see up close how far her brother has grown and what level of power he can use—

A young man suddenly appeared in front of Xu.

Kurosaki Utsuki raised her eyebrows slightly. Of course she could tell that it was a part of the Hollow, and the smell of spiritual pressure was exactly the same.

But the orange-headed Death Agent who was waiting on the opposite side did not see through everything at the first time. He just stared at the "boy" in a daze, his surprise beyond words.

"What's going on—isn't this the guy by the river six years ago—"

Kurosaki Utsuki's mind exploded instantly.

Six years ago, by the river, the brother lost consciousness and the mother was killed by Xu.

How else could that be!

These words made her understand the truth of what happened in the past, and then her head drooped heavily.

She heard her brother calling her name worriedly, and also heard Kuchiki Rukia explain the nature of this Hollow using bait to attract people with spiritual powers, but no sound was made, no response.

Of course, she was not unconscious, she was just trying hard to suppress her murderous intent.

The person who noticed the bait "boy" six years ago was most likely her nine-year-old brother. After attracting the attention of the Hollow, her mother, who as a pure-blooded Quincy should have been able to easily deal with the Hollow, suddenly lost all her power for a reason that Ishida Ryugen had refused to tell her until now.

That kind of guy, my mother was killed by that kind of guy——

With her mind filled with murderous intent, Kurosaki Utsuki didn't notice when she was rescued. She was even carried in her "brother's" arms and ran away. The spiritual pressure that was constantly colliding with her from behind gradually faded away, and she bit her lower lip, leaving a bloody mark.

She wanted revenge, she wanted to avenge her mother with her own hands...but her brother should also have the right to revenge. She had already received so much from her brother, and she couldn't take this right away from him.

So... you have to be patient, just be patient.

The fleeing "Kurosaki Ichigo" finally noticed that the girl in his arms had her eyes open, and immediately frowned and acted like himself: "Utahiki? Utahiki, are you awake? When did you wake up--"

But before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by the girl's cold voice: "Are you Yihunmaru?"

The "artificial body" is an artificial body, and the "Gimonmaru" is an artificial soul that corresponds to the "artificial body". Although she didn't use it, she had heard about the product from Urahara Kisuke.

The boy's running footsteps suddenly stopped.

"How did you—"

"Don't tell my brother," Kurosaki Utsuki rolled over from the boy's arms and jumped down, her face expressionless. The wound on her lower lip had already healed. "Wait for me here."

"Gimonmaru"—or rather, the boy who was a "transformed soul" that had recently been given the name "Soul" by Kurosaki Ichigo—had no time to respond. In the blink of an eye, the girl in the white dress in front of him completely disappeared, along with her breath.

·

The battle situation was a bit one-sided.

Standing quietly at the top of the tree, Kurosaki Utsuki concealed all her spiritual pressure, but raised her left hand slightly and aimed at the direction of the hollow - she could skip the step of drawing the bow and directly shoot the spiritual arrow.

Her brother had been seriously injured, but he was still holding on, even asking Kuchiki Rukia to stop helping him. She understood that feeling and felt a little bit of the same way. If there was a chance to kill her enemy, she would definitely not want anyone's help.

The Shinigami who had fought her brother before was also there, and it looked like he had been badly injured. Now that she had gradually calmed down, Kurosaki Utsuki thought about it and realized that the man's injuries seemed to have been sustained in order to protect her.

"elder brother……"

Your strength shouldn't be limited to this level. Cheer up quickly, swing your sword, and swing your soul blade for your mother and for everyone in the Kurosaki family!

…

He swung the knife with hatred and regret.

Kurosaki Utsuki gasped softly, the bloodshot in her eyes like the whistle for the start of a match. Then, she quickly raised her hand, aimed, and released, accurately striking the mask of the Hollow as it attempted to escape back into Hueco Mundo from above.

Amid the Hollow's painful howls, Kurosaki Utsuki hid her spiritual pressure once again, then brushed off the non-existent dust on her hands - but in just a moment, the Hollow not far away was blown away by the wind like dust.

The three people on the ground were stunned at the same time.

"What was that just now?" Kurosaki Ichigo widened his eyes. It was only for a moment that he had the thought, "I can't kill the Hollow this time and avenge my mother." The Hollow was actually killed by someone else, and he only saw a flash of light.

"Was it an arrow?" Kuchiki Rukia frowned. "The spiritual pressure appeared too briefly. I didn't catch it."

"Looks like a professional." The Investigating Death God, still on a mission, rubbed his chin and, after a moment's thought, decided to ignore it. It would be best if he didn't mess with someone who could fire an arrow with that level of power.

Moreover, after the fight just now, he already roughly understood his goal and the reason why Kuchiki Rukia still wanted to stay in the human world... So he would help her delay for a little longer. After all, he was also optimistic about this orange-headed Shinigami agent.

·

When Kurosaki Utsuki and Kurosaki Ichigo returned to the Kurosaki family's tombstone, Kurosaki Isshin had already returned there, and his two sisters were sitting on the side of the road to rest.

"Kurosaki Ichigo" first greeted his sisters, and then went to the tombstone to pretend to pay his respects.

Earlier on the way, he'd accidentally let slip that he'd been stuffed inside a doll, and then Kurosaki Utsuki had warned him, "If you tell me what you just discovered, I'll sew you into a five-centimeter miniature doll forever." Considering the dolls he usually lived in were at least twenty to thirty centimeters tall, he decided to keep quiet and pretend nothing had happened.

Anyway, the affairs of the Kurosaki family should be resolved by themselves, and he, an outsider, doesn't want to get involved...mainly because he can't win.

So when Kurosaki Utsuki also came to the tombstone, he also gave up his position quickly and decisively, and retreated three meters to avoid being affected by any unexpected situation, and even looked away from him.

The orange-haired girl didn't pay any attention to him. She just clasped her hands together devoutly and whispered, "Mom, I did it."

Kurosaki Isshin appeared behind her, but this time he didn't act funny like usual. His tone was serious but also contained some relief: "Can you finally let it go?"

He knew what had just happened.

Kurosaki Utsuki curled the corners of her mouth.

"What are you talking about, Dad?" She laughed. "This is just the beginning."

·

A few minutes later, Kurosaki Utsuki found the strange Shinigami who had just separated from her brother. He had just given her brother some simple treatment and was now sitting by a tree to heal himself.

Kurosaki Utsuki released a little spiritual pressure, and when the other party noticed her presence and nervously reached for the hilt of the sword, she had already appeared beside the other party.

"Don't be nervous. If I want to kill you, I won't give you time to react."

She said this lightly, then placed her hand on the other person's shoulder and began to use Kaido to help with the treatment.

"This is a thank you gift."

Realizing she had no hostility, the Shinigami relaxed and turned to look at her. After a moment, he spoke, "Your instant movement is so powerful, why did you pretend to be caught by the Hollow?"

She wasn't pretending to be caught, she just didn't fight back...

"Because my brother just said yesterday that he would protect me, I want to give him this chance."

"Even if he dies?"

"If that time comes, I won't just stand by and watch." Kurosaki Utsuki smiled, "The enemy is the murderer who killed my mother. It's very hard for me to endure, but that's my brother's battle. I can't interfere in the middle of the battle."

"That last arrow... no, it's nothing." The Grim Reaper tactfully paused, even raising his hands to indicate it was harmless. "I won't report you, but Kuchiki's bosses will surely send more people over. By then, I'm afraid the situation won't be so easy to resolve."

"Yes, I know." Kurosaki Utsuki nodded, "I'll find a way when the time comes."

…I’ll ask Manager Urahara to find a solution again.

·

It suddenly started raining on the way back.

It was on the bus. It was already dark outside the window. It was already dinner time. Kurosaki Utsuki was sitting by the window. Kurosaki Ichigo was beside her. He lowered his head, thinking about something, and his brows were furrowed.

Not long ago, when she was alone with Hun, she heard him complain that her brother always had such a bitter and resentful expression, which was very tiring to act out... She had never paid much attention to it before.

"Hey, brother."

The people around her suddenly raised their heads and looked at her: "Ge Xi?"

Kurosaki Utsuki took a deep breath, looked into the eyes of the boy opposite her, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

"Can you smile at me again?" she whispered.

"It was the smile that always lit up my world when you and mom came to visit me in the ward."