Urahara Kisuke was not at all surprised that Kuchiki Shinji would appear here.
Of course, he was still very shocked by Nelliel's identity.
"Mr. Shopkeeper, Aizen has pinned the blame for Kuchiki Kōga's escape on you."
"Also, news from the Expeditionary Force in Hueco Mundo indicates that Arrancar will soon attack Karakura Town."
Shinji slowly said "He wants to force you to appear, doesn't he?"
Whether it's using Urahara Kisuke to attract the attention of the Soul Society, or using Arrancar to attack Karakura Town, it must all be to force Urahara Kisuke to appear.
Shinji definitely wouldn't believe it if someone said this wasn't Aizen's plan.
In fact, to find Urahara Kisuke, Aizen even used an open conspiracy to leverage the power of the Soul Society, allowing Shinji to find Urahara Kisuke's location in Karakura Town.
But what Aizen didn't know was that Shinji had already established contact with Shihōin Yoruichi and had met Urahara Kisuke, knowing his exact location.
"Forcing me to appear, huh.. To be precise, he probably wants the Hōgyoku in my possession." At this point, Urahara Kisuke pulled down his fisherman's hat, pointed at Shinji, and raised an eyebrow, saying "But the Hōgyoku I had is now with Captain Shinji."
"If possible, could Captain Shinji tell me if you have already gained the Hōgyoku's recognition and been acknowledged as its master?" He looked at Shinji, and after seeing Shinji implicitly confirm it, a faint light flashed in Urahara Kisuke's eyes.
Just as he thought.
Kuchiki Shinji had already gained the Hōgyoku's recognition and was even acknowledged as its master.
During their last meeting, Urahara Kisuke was startled by the Hōgyoku's strong inclination to recognize a master.
And Kuchiki Shinji, having obtained the Hōgyoku and already being recognized by it, quickly became its master.
So, that means..
Kuchiki Shinji has probably broken the limits of a Shinigami and successfully obtained Hollowfication power, right?
Power beyond a Captain-level?
Urahara Kisuke's expression was serious as he looked deeply at Shinji.
The surprises Kuchiki Shinji brought him were simply too many.
Becoming a Captain less than a month after graduating as a Sixth-year student, being recognized by the Hōgyoku, slaying White Hollow, defeating two Captains in the Captain's assessment, and then eliminating the head of the Tsunayashiro Clan who was conducting dangerous experiments.
All these events fully demonstrated Kuchiki Shinji's immense power and terrifying talent.
Furthermore, he now suddenly discovered that the female Arrancar accompanying Kuchiki Shinji was actually a Vasto Lorde Arrancar.
Unbeknownst to him, Kuchiki Shinji had already achieved such terrifying accomplishments and gained such powerful and absolutely loyal companions.
And most importantly..
Kuchiki Shinji had a high probability of having already surpassed a Captain-level and obtained Hollowfication power.
Urahara Kisuke felt very emotional, He glanced at Shinji, secretly thinking that the decision to give the Hōgyoku to Kuchiki Shinji was probably the right one.
However, as the creator of the Hōgyoku, Urahara Kisuke had no idea that helping others Hollowfy was merely a degraded product of the Hōgyoku's power.
That was just one manifestation of the Hōgyoku's power of spiritual reflection, its ability to make desires come true.
He simply didn't know that the Hōgyoku's true power was to help its host continuously break the limits of life, evolving endlessly towards the next dimension.
"Captain Shinji, the Arrancar coming this time are indeed after me."
At this moment, Urahara Kisuke slowly said "My traces have been discovered by Aizen."
"Hmm?" Shinji was slightly startled.
Urahara Kisuke's traces were found by Aizen?
Don't joke around!
He had been able to hide in Karakura Town for over a hundred years.
Even though Aizen knew Urahara Kisuke was in this city, he had been unable to pinpoint Urahara Kisuke's whereabouts, only able to force Urahara Kisuke to appear through various means.
Including White, Menos Grande attacking Karakura Town, and various experiments.
Weren't their fundamental goals all to force Urahara Kisuke to appear?
Despite such exaggerated actions, Aizen couldn't precisely locate Urahara Kisuke, yet now he suddenly says Aizen found him.
What is this if not a joke?
Unless Urahara Kisuke intentionally exposed himself.
Thinking this, Shinji looked thoughtful.
"It seems Captain Shinji has already guessed it, As expected of the man Yoruichi fancies."
Indeed.
Urahara Kisuke's subsequent words confirmed Shinji's guess "I intentionally left traces for him to see."
"Don't worry, I'm not foolish enough to directly expose my location."
"I merely left some subtle traces of my presence."
"Through those traces, Aizen can only roughly determine the area I'm in."
"That is, the Aragai District." Urahara Kisuke pulled out a map of Karakura Town from somewhere, divided into several districts.
Among them, Urahara Shop was located in the Aragai District.
"Which means that even if the Arrancar coming to Karakura Town appear, they will only appear in the Aragai District." Pointing at the desolate valley area on the map, Urahara Kisuke said.
"But why are you doing this?" Shinji asked curiously.
As someone with the same level of intelligence as Aizen, and consistently considered a formidable opponent by Aizen, Urahara Kisuke definitely has his own considerations and long-term plans.. Wait!
Shinji was suddenly stunned.
This guy Urahara Kisuke couldn't have even calculated that I would come to Karakura Town, could he?
"Hold on, you didn't calculate that I would be coming to the Human World recently, did you?" Shinji stared at Urahara Kisuke's face with a suspicious expression.
Until he made him feel embarrassed.
Urahara Kisuke then chuckled awkwardly "How could that be? How could I predict Captain Shinji's actions? That's too outrageous."
"You did predict that I would come to the Human World, didn't you?" Shinji's eyes narrowed.
That unnatural expression, and that guilty tone.
Urahara Kisuke, he really did predict that he would come to the Human World.
But how did he guess?
"Even I could guess it." Shihōin Yoruichi saw what Shinji was thinking from his expression, kicked Shinji under the table, and rolled her eyes "Your slacking off and lazy lifestyle and habits are exactly like that guy Shiba Isshin's."
"Counting the days, it's been so many days since you came to the Human World, So, estimating the approximate time you'll secretly run off to the Human World next, even I can do that, alright."
Shinji: "..."
So my style is that easy to predict?
How do all of you understand me so well?
No wait.
Shinji suddenly scratched his head.
He was clearly here in Karakura Town for official business, so why was it called slacking off?
"Arrancar.. huh." Shinji grabbed Shihōin Yoruichi's foot, looking at Nelliel.
"Shinji?" Seeing this, Nelliel looked up, giving Shinji a puzzled expression, then smiled gently.
Shinji exhaled, his eyes suddenly becoming calm.
Perhaps.
Capturing a few Arrancar is also a good choice.
At the very least, the captured Arrancar can be used as stepping stones for Nelliel's evolution, becoming the steps for Nelliel to cross the Vasto Lorde-class, That's not bad.
Moreover.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's side, Shinji still needs more experimental data to ensure Nelliel can evolve successfully and flawlessly as he envisions.
"Are they surely.. Arrancar?"
"Vasto Lorde?"
----
Resting his right hand on his chin, Shinji stroked Nelliel, his gaze deep.. In Karakura Town, inside a large shopping mall
Shinji sat on a chair with an expressionless face, arms crossed, like a statue.
Ignoring a group of women who were pointing at him, whispering, and looking infatuated, Shinji looked at the shop in front of him.
There.
Kurosaki Masaki and Matsumoto Rangiku were pulling Nelliel, picking out clothes for Nelliel inside.
"It's been three days.." Shinji stretched, causing another round of screams from the women, and many even started taking photos of Shinji directly.
Time, unknowingly, had passed for three days.
The Arrancar had not yet appeared.
"Are those women your friends?" Next to him, a man dressed in office attire and wearing glasses, sat beside Shinji with an envious expression "I see them always looking back at you, Is one of them your girlfriend? Or your relative?"
"Girlfriend?" Shinji touched his nose with a strange expression.
"No?" The young man asked curiously "That's strange, I see them often smiling at you, It's really hard to tell who your girlfriend is Perhaps.."
As he spoke the last words, the young man's mouth suddenly widened, looking incredulously as those beautiful women surrounded Shinji in the middle, smiling as they walked in other directions.
"Are they all his girlfriends?" The man's expression was blank.
"That man just now, is it a friend of yours Captain Shinji?" Matsumoto Rangiku, carrying large and small bags, jumped directly onto Shinji's back and asked curiously.
"Just an interesting passerby." Shinji shook his head, holding Matsumoto Rangiku's thigh, and complained "By the way, Rangiku, have you gained weight recently?"
"Eh???"
"How can you say that!"
"Doesn't Captain Shinji know that weight is a woman's secret? And how can you say I'm fat? I'm sad." Matsumoto Rangiku wiggled unhappily, pouting her face to vent her displeasure.
Matsumoto Rangiku was very confident in her figure, definitely at a devilish level.
He actually said she was fat?
Clearly, all the flesh had grown in the right places.
Damn it!
Shinji freed one hand to rub his nose, his expression strange.
"By the way, Shinji," At this moment, Kurosaki Masaki bounced over, leaning her face in and asking curiously "I've been wondering about a question for a long time, could you answer it for me?"
"What question?" Patting away Matsumoto Rangiku's rebellious hand reaching for his head, Shinji said casually.
"Do you Shinigami not age? Do you not die of old age?" Kurosaki Masaki asked with some hesitation, a hint of doubt and fear in her eyes.
To be honest.
She was very worried.
Ten years later, she would be in her mid twenties.
Twenty years later, she would be in her thirties.
What about fifty, a hundred years later?
And Shinji?
Would he always maintain his current appearance, while she could only slowly age?
"Aging.. This doesn't have much meaning for Shinigami, but Shinigami do indeed grow, it's just that the growth rate is extremely slow." After thinking for a moment, Shinji said.
A living example was right beside him.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya was over a hundred years old and still 1.5 meters tall, as if his height was stuck at that point, which he had been troubled by for a long time.
Rukia was also like this.
Like a large doll, her height was simply stuck at 1.4 meters and never moved again, and her figure was also very thin, her chest flat to the point of self-consciousness.
Because of this, Rukia had cried to Shinji several times, saying she was very troubled by her development and wanted to grow up quickly.
These things.
For most Shinigami, they can only grow slowly through time.
But Shinji actually still has a quick way to achieve it.
As long as the power of the Hōgyoku is used to respond to the inner desires, then accelerating their growth is not impossible.
Including Rukia, if she wanted a good figure.
That's simple too.
Shinji could just divert a tiny bit of the Hōgyoku's power to Rukia, and upon receiving Rukia's request, the Hōgyoku would grant her wish and accelerate Rukia's development.
With the Hōgyoku, fulfilling these wishes are all very small matters.
"As for lifespan." Shinji squeezed Rangiku's hand and added "Logically speaking, as long as spiritual pressure remains abundant, lifespan should have no meaning for Shinigami."
"Shinigami beings that cannot die?" Upon hearing this.
Kurosaki Masaki seemed to lose all fighting spirit and confidence, her entire being seemed to lose its color, presenting a desolate, ash-like hue, and she said very dejectedly.
"Well, you can't say they can't die, Since they are life, they will of course die."
Shinji shook his head "Things like time and lifespan certainly have no meaning for Shinigami, but Shinigami are indeed restricted by lifespan."
"That sounds a bit contradictory, doesn't it?"
"First, Shinigami are special life forms formed by highly compressed and condensed spiritual pressure, possessing all the characteristics of living beings."
"They have heartbeats, bleed, and can eat."
"However, every injury or unbearable damage to spiritual pressure will cause irreparable damage to a Shinigami, which will affect the Shinigami's life and lifespan."
Within Squad Zero in the Soul King Palace, there are Shinigami who have lived from the time the Soul Society was established until today.
So, time really has no meaning for Shinigami.
But most Shinigami don't live that long.
Even Shinigami like Captain Commander Yamamoto, who has lived for over a thousand years, are extremely rare.
Because..
Most Shinigami either die in battle, or they slowly die from weakness after their spiritual pressure suffers immense damage.
For this, you can look at Rukia's older sister, Kuchiki Hisana.
As an ordinary Rukongai Resident, Kuchiki Hisana chose to live with Kuchiki Byakuya for love, moving into the Kuchiki Clan.
However..
Not being a Shinigami, she couldn't bear the pressure emanating from Kuchiki Byakuya.
Even though Kuchiki Byakuya tried his best to suppress his spiritual pressure, trying not to let it leak out and oppress Kuchiki Hisana.
But Kuchiki Hisana was still crushed to death by the spiritual pressure.
As an ordinary Rukongai Resident, she didn't even have the right to stay in the Kuchiki Clan, to stay by Kuchiki Byakuya's side.
It's cruel, isn't it?
But this is what Kuchiki Hisana insisted on.
As long as she was with Kuchiki Byakuya, she could even give up her life.
Therefore..
As long as one can try to avoid situations where the soul or spiritual pressure is damaged, Shinigami don't need to consider things like time.
Therefore..
Shinji became even more resolute in his idea, punch in and out on time, and just slack off when there's nothing to do.
As for fighting desperately, Kyōraku Shunsui and the others are enough.
"It's still going to be like this, isn't it?" Kurosaki Masaki became even more dejected, lowering her head "Then many years from now, will you still look the same as now, while I'll be an unrecognizable old woman?"
The thought of showing an extremely aged face in front of Kuchiki Shinji in the future made Kurosaki Masaki feel a bit distraught.
"I think you don't need to worry so much." Shinji stroked his chin and added "Don't worry, Pure-blood Quincy also have very long lifespans."
Pure-blood Quincy who can use Blut are completely on a different level from ordinary Half-Blood Quincy.
Any physical injury will be repaired by blut.
Including aging, which will be slowed down to a very gradual extent under the effect of Schrifts.
If they also have a schrift, then Quincy can basically be free from the limitations of lifespan.
Among the Pure-blood Quincy of the Wandenreich, there are many who have lived for hundreds of years.
Even if they die, they can be resurrected again.
"Eh? Really?"
Kurosaki Masaki suddenly perked up, asking eagerly "Can I also live a long time, like Shinji?"
Quincy can still be with Shinigami, right?
Just like Shiraki Yuki, and that perverted Shinigami uncle.
"Mm." Shinji nodded, wanting to say something more.
But the next second..
Shinji's eyes shifted slightly.
Suddenly, a spiritual pressure appeared in Karakura Town.