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Gotei 13 – 12th Division Barracks
The Department of Research never slept. Hushed voices, hurried footsteps, and the steady clatter of instruments filled the sprawling barracks, every seated officer buried in reports, data, and experiments. The recent disturbances across Soul Society had left the division's workforce stretched thin, working through day and night without pause.
Yet, amidst that chaos, a discordant sound drifted out from the Captain's chambers.
Soft snores.
Kisuke Urahara lay slumped across his desk, hat tilted sideways, arms dangling limply over scattered documents. The glow of his office lamps barely illuminated the half-empty wine bottle by his elbow.
A ray of morning sunlight broke through the window, crawling across his face until his eyes twitched open. With a groan, he straightened, fingers scratching at his unkempt beard before he yawned and stretched. His joints cracked audibly.
He blinked blearily at the bottle, then smiled faintly. Without hesitation, he tipped it back, draining the last of its contents in a single gulp.
He needed it.
For five days, he had barely rested. Soul Society was unraveling, or so his calculations told him. And as Captain of the 12th Division, the burden of answers fell to him.
Dark rings circled his eyes. He'd lost weight. The playful air he always carried seemed thinner now, like a mask cracking under strain.
Three years ago, Central 46 had made their grand judgment. The man they believed responsible for the disappearances across Soul Society had been caught.
The 5th Division's research later laid out perfectly damning evidence, trails of reiatsu, distorted testimonies, and fragmented reports, all pointing to him- an innocent Minato who'd been arrested and sentenced earlier on looked to be the cause of the disappearances.
Kisuke still remembered the second trial vividly. The sentence had been brutal, two thousand years of imprisonment. Yoruichi, himself, and a handful of others had fought to defend the man, to challenge the Council's certainty. But against the faceless, robed elders of Central 46, their protests had carried no weight.
If not for the personal intervention of the Captain-Commander, Minato would not have lived at all. His execution had already been prepared. And yet… three years later, the disappearances had not stopped.
If anything, they had worsened.
Souls continued to vanish from Rukongai without trace. Hollow attacks occurred in bursts, scattered and disorganized, as if deliberately staged to pull the Gotei 13 in every direction at once. Every clue pointed to a carefully orchestrated hand moving in the shadows.
Kisuke rubbed his temple, exhaling slowly. He knew what the others didn't. He had dug too deep. Hollowfication.
Someone was experimenting, forcing transformation, using Rukongai souls as raw material. That was the only explanation that fit the evidence. The disappearances, the unstable Hollow surges, the lingering traces of corrupted reiatsu, it all aligned.
But Kisuke hadn't spoken up. Couldn't speak up.
Because the tools used for such experiments, the foundational schematics, the devices capable of twisting souls toward Hollowhood, had been born of his research. Ideas he'd drafted, abandoned, buried.
Yet someone had unearthed them.
No matter how he framed the truth, no matter how carefully he spun the facts, the moment he revealed Hollowfication, suspicion would fall squarely on him. And this time, the Captain-Commander might not be able to shield him from Central 46's blade.
Leaning back in his chair, Kisuke stared at the ceiling, fatigue pressing down heavier than any sake.
Someone was pulling strings in the shadows. The identity of the culprit didn't even matter compared to how his work had been unearthed by them and their reason for all of this… And just how much closer have they come in the shadows, while they wasted time chasing the wrong man?
His smile flickered faintly back into place, but it was thin, brittle. The mask of the clown Captain still worked on others, but not on himself.
'Why do you keep asking questions that you know the answers to, Kisuke..' A soft voice resounded in his ear. Benihime, his zanpankutou spoke to him.
' You know me, Benihime. If I don't figure out every possible scenario, things could go south..'
'No. You're deflecting because deep down you don't want your answers to be the truth. You know what is happening, Kisuke. You know why, you just don't want to find out who's doing it. From the moment you birthed that thing, you knew this was going to happen..'
Her voice resounded in his consciousness, which caused the man to lie back down and rub his forehead. 'If you believe he Hogyoku has the ability to do that, then can it do vice-versa?' Benihime's question was a question Kisuke already had answers to.
'Its not impossible...' He thought for a couple of moments, and then his eyes lit up. 'So that's what it is. It's no wonder. Using garganta's to infiltrate the soul society.. it all adds up.' Benihime went silent after a moment. She was his muse after all. Her job was to inspire.
Kisuke was drawn out of his stupor the next moment however when a figure rushed into his chambers, holding onto a long report in his hand.
"Captain! Captain!"
The third seat, Akon barged in without even knocking. Kisuke raised a brow. The young man paused and took a deep breath. "New reports suggest missing Shinigami from the 11th Division at their post during a mission. Whatever was attacking the Rukongai has now turned it's attention to us Captain. What do we do?"
He handed over the report to Kisuke who read through for a couple of moments. A small smile slowly formed on the man's face. "I think I have an idea Akon. Tell Mayuri and Hiyori to head out to the scene... And send out a hell butterfly to the Captain Commanders office.."
Kisuke grabbed his captain's Haori and then stormed out, giving instructions to the young man.
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An hour later..
Omnitsukido Barracks - 2nd Division..
Yoruichi sat on a small futon in her office, her Captain's robe draped loosely over her tanned slender frame that was wrapped in a black kimono. Soi Fon sat beside her solemnly. Her desk was covered with paperwork of all sorts. The past few years had not been easy for any Captain. Not even someone like her who'd rather be out pranking or napping than doing her duties. The dark circles under her eyes were enough proof.
She had no idea when she had even picked up drinking as a habit, but she found, it helped clear her thoughts when she needed it. But today was different. Kisuke Urahara, the idiot, and closest friend was suggesting an idea that would literally zap joy back into her now boring world.
Her eyes lit up in joy for a moment when he finished his words. "Yoruichi! You there?!" Kisuke waved in front of her face, snapping her out of her stupor. "Y-yes! Whew! Hahahaha!" Her pupils dilated for a moment and then she burst out in a rather boisterous laugh.
"Haven't been excited like this since like forever. Jeez. Walk me through the plan again!" Yoruichi sat up excitedly. Soi Fon by her side lowered her head and sighed. Yoruichi had become docile for the past three years, only focusing on her responsibilities as a Captain and Clan head. Something had changed after her encounter with that fugitive, bringing out a side of her that Soi Fon had come to respect even more.
But in just a day and a few words, the bastard Kisuke undid it all.
"Can we get a little privacy?" Kisuke raised a brow, gesturing towards Soi Fon. "What?! Lady Yoruichi-"
"Would you step out for a moment, Soi Fon?" She wanted to protest, but a stern look from Yoruichi kept her mouth shut. She walked out slowly not forgetting to send darting glances towards Kisuke.
"Heh heh.. How many times do you think she's stabbed me in my sleep with her Suzumebachi in her dreams?" Kisuke chuckled, scratching his head. If looks could kill, Soi Fon alone would've killed him more than a million times. That was a lot of glares from one person..
"It might sound crazy but..."
"Oh just go on!"
Yoruichi was too eager. Her ears perked up like a cat. "I think someone closely connected to the Gotei 13 is responsible for all of this." Kisuke's face turned serious. Yoruichi raised a brow and then sighed.
"I thought about it sometime ago, Kisuke. But trying to figure out who's responsible with absolutely no clues would be a pain in the ass for now."
She placed her hands on her chin and then spoke.
"The Who doesn't matter, Yoruichi. We need to think several steps ahead. Even if we caught him now, there'd be absolutely no way to uncover the extent of the damage of his work. We need to do this the other way round.."
"You mean?" Yoruichi raised a brow.. "We need to take away his toys. That should force him out into the playground. And we'll be there to play with him.."