Uryu Ishida arrived at his destination. It was a secluded area somewhere in the forest surrounding Karakura Town. He placed his bag down by the river at the base of a waterfall.
"Excellent," Uryu said to himself, surveying the serene surroundings. "Now I can train without anyone bothering me."
His peace was abruptly shattered by a loud, familiar voice. "Hey! There he is!" came the shout from the bushes.
Out from the foliage emerged Orihime and Chad, the former waving eagerly. "Hey! Uryu!" Orihime called out, her smile as bright as ever.
"Inoue? And Chad?" Uryu's surprise was evident.
The group sat down on a pair of rocks by the river. Orihime quickly launched into an explanation of their unexpected visit.
"Training?" Uryu repeated, still processing the sudden intrusion.
"Yeah! We need to train so we can go to the Soul Society. Want to join us?" Orihime asked with an infectious enthusiasm.
Uryu paused, contemplating the implications. "I noticed your spirit energy had increased, but I had no idea you were thinking of this. Who is your teacher? Whose tutelage are you under?"
Chad spoke up, clearly flustered. "Well, you see, it's not quite a who..."
Uryu raised an eyebrow, confusion evident. "Actually, our teacher's right beside you," Orihime added, pointing to the ground next to Uryu.
Uryu's confusion turned to shock as he whipped his head around. "What!? Has he cloaked his presence? What power!"
The black cat perched next to him spoke up, its voice calm and authoritative. "It is I."
"What the hell!" Uryu exclaimed, eyes wide.
"It's a kitty," Chad remarked, his tone as even as ever.
"I can see that! Why is it talking?" Uryu demanded, his mind reeling.
"Pointing? How rude," the cat responded, its tone carrying a hint of disdain.
Realizing his outburst, Uryu quickly calmed himself and adjusted his glasses. "I'm sorry. Forgive my outburst."
"Indeed. Just because a cat spoke. What a disgrace," the cat replied, its voice dripping with sarcasm.
Uryu's temper flared again, and he swatted at the cat. "Stop talking!"
The cat easily dodged Uryu's attack, leaping gracefully into the air. "Try to be more adaptable. Take a lesson from the girl. Now, let's get to the reason why we are here."
"Yeah, Uryu! What's the big deal about a talking cat?" Orihime chimed in, her cheerful demeanor undiminished.
"Well, it is a little unusual," Chad conceded in his usual quiet tone.
Orihime quickly turned her frown into a bright smile. "You're planning to rescue Rukia too, right? So let's do Mr. Yoruichi's training together!"
"Who's Mr. Yoruichi?" Uryu asked, still skeptical.
"The cat!" Orihime answered, holding up Yoruichi for emphasis.
"I see." Uryu's demeanor turned sour. "Thanks, but I decline."
Orihime's face fell slightly as she set Yoruichi down. "How come? Mr. Yoruichi's amazing! He tracked you here by your spiritual presence."
"I'm sure he is very skilled, but I'm sorry. It's not that I don't trust Mr. Yoruichi's powers; I just want to be alone."
Orihime's always happy demeanor soured as well. "Anyway, you were wrong. I never had any intention of rescuing Rukia. I'm just here to train because I'm angry about losing to a Soul Reaper. That's all. Rukia means nothing to me."
Yoruichi began to walk back toward the city. "There you have it. He's not going to the Soul Society. Then we have no further business here."
"But…" Orihime started, but was interrupted by Chad.
"Let's go, Orihime," Chad said, his voice gentle but firm.
Orihime quickly turned around to Uryu before leaving. "Uryu, if you change your mind, let me know. We'll be waiting."
She quickly ran to catch up with Chad and Yoruichi. Uryu watched her leave before sighing deeply. "I'm sorry, Inoue."
He knelt down and opened the box he had placed by the river. A large beam of light emanated from it, casting an eerie glow on his face.
"This training can't be witnessed by anyone," Uryu murmured.
Back under Urahara's shop, Ichigo screamed out in despair. He tried to attack Urahara, but Tessai simply sat on top of him, impeding his movements.
"What the hell! I'm gonna die, you idiot!" Ichigo yelled, his voice echoing off the cavernous walls.
Unfazed, Urahara responded, "Do you have to make such noise? You'll wake up the neighbors."
"Shut up! Do you know what you just did? You cut my soul chain! I need that to return to my body!" Ichigo's voice was frantic.
"I know," Urahara replied calmly.
"So you did it on purpose!" Ichigo's eyes widened in horror.
"Yes, and now that soul chain has been severed, Kurosaki, you can't return to your body. You're gonna die," Urahara said, his tone matter-of-fact.
Urahara knelt down to Ichigo's level, meeting his eyes with a serious expression. "The encroachment of the chain will begin soon. When it reaches your chest, it will eat a big hole there and then you'll become a hollow—the end!"
"What!? Are you serious?" Ichigo's shock was palpable.
"Oh, you didn't know? How awkward!" Urahara's unserious tone contrasted sharply with the gravity of his words. He closed his fan and smirked. "But don't worry, there is a way to survive after your soul chain has been cut. But only one way. You must become a Soul Reaper."
Ichigo looked at Urahara with bewilderment but listened intently.
"That's right. Objective two is about regaining your Soul Reaper powers. When it's over you'll become a full-fledged Soul Reaper again. So, let's begin 'Objective Two: The Shattered Shaft'!" Urahara declared.
With a wave of his index finger, Urahara made a massive hole appear beneath Ichigo and Tessai. They both plummeted down, with Ichigo crashing into the walls before rolling into the middle of the hole.
"It's pretty deep, huh? I worked really hard," Urahara called down the hole, his voice filled with pride.
In the hole, Ichigo grunted as he tried to get up. "Damn, that hurt." As he tried to use his hands, he noticed that his arms were completely bound. Black spiritual fabric pinned with iron shafts bound his arms tightly. "What the hell is wrong with my arms?"
Tessai sat at the edge of the hole, his hands clasped together and fingers intertwined intricately. "Bakudo No. 99 - Kin."
"I'm sorry, Ichigo Kurosaki, but until this objective is complete, I have to bind your arms," Tessai explained.
"Now come back up here with your arms bound. That's objective two." Urahara called down.
"Are you crazy!? There's no way I could do that!" Ichigo's voice was filled with disbelief.
Urahara's expression turned serious. "Are you sure you want to waste your time arguing? The encroachment has begun."
Ichigo looked down at his severed soul chain. The ends of the spiritual metal had transformed into mouths with sharp teeth that began eating away at itself. "That's not good…"