Suddenly, the dust cleared to reveal a Chikasumi no Tate blocking Yammy's fist, and while Yammy pulled back in confusion, Ichigo was startled to see Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin standing over him, with the former apologizing for taking so long as he dispersed his shield, a subtle, shimmering ripple in the air.
Annoyed by this, Yammy complained about how many insects keep getting in his way and claimed that getting between him and Ichigo meant they were asking to be killed first, but found himself being grabbed by the wrist and slammed headfirst into the ground by Yoruichi when he attempted to punch them.
Asserting that she would tend to Orihime, Yoruichi took a pouch of medicine from an affirming Urahara.
When Yammy bolted up and furiously attacked them, Urahara and Yoruichi disappeared with Shunpo right before his punch impacted the ground where they were standing, rupturing the area beyond it in the process.
A surprised Yammy was swiftly backfisted in the cheek and kicked in the back of the head by Yoruichi before she clenched her hands together and brought them down on top of his head, which caused Yammy to fall to his knees and stuns him long enough for Yoruichi to leap into the air and come down on him with a leg drop that resulted in Yammy collapsing face-first into the ground.
Wincing in pain, Yoruichi began walking over to Orihime while Urahara tended to Ichigo.
With Ulquiorra watching impassively, Yoruichi knelt beside a bruised Orihime, who asked her about Ichigo's condition and was told that he was fine as Yoruichi gave her a pill to swallow.
Upon noticing Yammy's hand twitching, Yoruichi criticized him for not being a graceful loser but was astonished when Yammy got to his feet and began charging a red Cero in his mouth that he proceeded to fire, creating a powerful explosion.
Despite a laughing Yammy proclaiming that Yoruichi had been obliterated by this because no one could dodge his Cero at such close range, he was shocked to see Urahara standing in the dust cloud with his Shikai, Benihime, outstretched.
The dust cloud cleared to reveal Yoruichi and Orihime unscathed behind Urahara, who responded to an incredulous Yammy demanding to know what he did to survive the Cero on the other side of a deep fissure in the ground by explaining that he would have put the others in danger if he had deflected the blast and instead used something similar to offset it prior to firing Nake, Benihime at a startled Yammy, the crimson energy singing through the air.
Suddenly, Ulquiorra appeared in front of Yammy with Sonído and deflected the Nake, Benihime with his hand by pushing it into the air, to Urahara's surprise. When Yammy expressed his gratitude for this, Ulquiorra slammed his hand into Yammy's gut.
When Yammy questioned what this was for, Ulquiorra admonished him for losing control like this since he could not possibly defeat Urahara and Yoruichi at his level prior to opening a Garganta with Descorrer so they could retreat, the massive black void tearing open behind them.
Yoruichi accused Ulquiorra of running away, but Ulquiorra countered that this was a foolish taunt because she knew the odds would be heavily in his favor if she and Urahara tried to fight him while protecting Ichigo and Orihime.
After declaring that their mission was over and that he would tell Aizen the Substitute Shinigami he was monitoring was trash who was not even worth killing, Ulquiorra disappeared into the Garganta alongside Yammy.
…
Inside the Los Noches, Hueco Mundo,
Espada meeting hall,
"Ulquiorra, show us everything you experienced in the living world." Aizen glanced in the direction of Ulquiorra and ordered him, his voice calm yet absolute.
Ulquiorra nodded, stood up, and pulled out his left eye, a quick, gruesome gesture, crushing it in his hand to initiate Solita Vista, with the fragments spreading around the room and showing everything Ulquiorra experienced to Aizen and his fellow Arrancar in their minds, primarily the defeat of Ichigo Kurosaki, the battle playing out in a silent, vivid mental projection.
"It seems this boy is really not worth killing." Aizen spoke with a mild smile on his face and then glanced at Ulquiorra and added, "You did a good job."
Ulquiorra affirmed this and reiterated his specific orders to kill Ichigo only if he proved to be a threat to the Arrancar.
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez became annoyed, his teeth gritted, and accused him of being compassionate and claimed that he would have killed Ichigo with the first strike had he been the one to go to Karakura Town instead.
As Ulquiorra looked back to glare at him, his green eyes cold, Grimmjow angrily criticized Ulquiorra for not using his permission to kill when he had it, something he could not see himself or the other Arrancar doing and which he did not understand the logic of.
Eero was sitting on seat number five, looking at the progression of the meeting intriguingly, the drama playing out predictably before him.
At this moment, Shawlong Koufang concurred with Grimmjow by noting Ulquiorra should have killed Ichigo simply because the latter stood up to him regardless of his threat level, followed by Grimmjow turning to Yammy to observe he had sustained significant injuries, and it seemed more like they could not kill Ichigo rather than them choosing not to.
Though an annoyed Yammy reminded him it was Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin who proved too powerful for him to handle, Grimmjow simply claimed he would have easily killed them as well, his voice rough with arrogance.
Before Yammy could initiate a fight over this, Ulquiorra told him to calm down and clarified Ichigo was not a problem to them at the moment.
With Grimmjow confused by this, Ulquiorra explained that Aizen was concerned about Ichigo's growth rate rather than his current power level since Ichigo possessed tremendous potential before elaborating that Ichigo's powers were extremely unstable and that he might prove useful to the Arrancar if he did not simply destroy himself in the future, which was why Ulquiorra let him live, and when an incredulous Grimmjow questioned what they would do if Ulquiorra was proven wrong and Ichigo stabilized his powers in time to fight them, Ulquiorra bluntly concluded that he would deal with Ichigo in this scenario and asked a stunned Grimmjow if they still had a problem.
In response, Aizen granted responsibility for Ichigo to Ulquiorra and instructed the latter to do as he likes, with Ulquiorra accepting this as Grimmjow fumed silently behind him, his frustration a palpable spike of reiatsu.
...