bookpub Chapter 127: The Arrangement of Protection and Investigation
Chapter 127: The Arrangement of Protection and Investigation
Chapter 127 - The Arrangement of Protection and Investigation"So Kyōraku Shunsui asked us to protect Shiba Kaien?"
In the wide, dimly lit underground chamber, Muguruma Kensei asked bluntly.
As soon as they returned to the World of the Living, Higashi Shuuichi immediately relayed Kyōraku's request and the intel he had gleaned from Kurotsuchi Mayuri to the rest of the exiled Shinigami—though he kept his suspicions to himself.
"No wonder you dared to open a Garganta so close to us. I suppose Kyōraku must have cleared it with Ukitake Jūshirō beforehand?" said Urahara Kisuke, his eyes narrowing at Shuuichi.
"Exactly. Otherwise, I would've just found a random corner and snuck back the old way." Shuuichi shrugged.
That was the inconvenient thing about Garganta compared to Senkaimon—it was too loud, too obvious. Soul Society's sensors would pick it up instantly.
"Hey, hey—are you two done flirting?" Kensei interrupted, annoyed. "Isn't the actual question whether we're going to protect Shiba Kaien or not?"
"The future head of the Shiba Clan..." muttered Hirako Shinji, now fully stable after mastering his Hollowfication. He turned to Shihōin Yoruichi, rare to be seen in her human form. "Would you say this is a statement from Kyōraku? If we protect Kaien successfully, maybe it opens the door to returning to Soul Society?"
"Doubt it," Kisuke said before Yoruichi could answer. "At most, this reflects Kyōraku's and Ukitake's personal stance. Influencing the Head-Captain? Not likely."
Yoruichi nodded in agreement. "We all know the Head-Captain's nature. Once he's labeled us traitors, there's no going back—unless we can prove that the Hollowfication incident was orchestrated entirely by Aizen Sōsuke. Just showing we've mastered Hollowfication isn't enough."
"So they want us to protect Shiba Kaien without even offering compensation?" grumbled Sarugaki Hiyori, leg propped up, her expression openly hostile.
Among all the Visoreds, she was the most resentful of Soul Society's betrayal.
"It's not entirely without benefits," offered Yadōmaru Lisa, pushing up her pink-rimmed glasses. "With a Captain's backing, we'd get direct access to Kaien. If we can earn the Shiba Clan's favor and show Soul Society our sincerity, it might pave the way for our return."
"In that case, what's the debate?" Kensei jumped up. "Count me in. First chance I get, I'm punching Aizen in the face."
But no one echoed his enthusiasm.
"What? Don't tell me none of you want to go back?"
"It's not that," Shuuichi interjected. "But protecting Kaien in the World of the Living is tricky—for us."
"How so? We've all mastered Hollowfication. In non-combat states, we look exactly like regular Shinigami. Honestly, we're stronger than we were before."
"You idiot," scoffed Kuna Mashiro, rolling her eyes from beside Kensei. "You forgot what gigai actually do?"
"They make us look human?"
Mashiro groaned, facepalming. Even she, the former Vice-Captain, was embarrassed by her former Captain.
"Gigai also isolate us from external spiritual particles. That means unless Kisuke sets up one of his special barriers, Soul Society's sensors can't detect our Reiatsu. And if we don't remove the gigai, we can't replenish our Reiatsu—or sense other spiritual beings effectively.
"And even if we do remove them, we can't appear as Shinigami. Soul Society still sees us as traitors. If anything happens, we'll have to pretend to be Adjuchas-class Hollows. Luckily, aside from Aizen, no one's seen our Hollowfied forms or felt our Reiatsu."
Shuuichi added, "But that also means our combat potential is... questionable at best."
And that was just the others. Shuuichi's situation was worse—his Hollow form was known in Soul Society. He couldn't fight openly unless Kisuke deployed a spatially cloaked Reiatsu suppression barrier in advance.
Thankfully, Shuuichi had an edge: he could fully contain his Reiatsu within his Zanpakutō. Even without Hollowfication, his swordsmanship alone could threaten most opponents.
"So nothing works, huh?" Kensei growled. "Then what are we even talking about? Screw it. Let Soul Society handle their own problems. We should stick to the plan—increase our Hollowfication duration, train our Reiatsu, and when the time comes... destroy Aizen!"
But Kisuke, not Kensei, was the one in charge.
After a long pause, Kisuke finally spoke.
"No, we'll protect Shiba Kaien."
His voice left no room for argument.
"Lisa is right. If we can win over the Shiba Clan, one of the Five Great Houses, it could be a game-changer in exposing Aizen. But we can't walk blindly into this. What if this is another trap Aizen set for us?"
"What's your plan then, Kisuke?" asked Hōjō Tetsuzaemon, eyes burning with the kind of hate that only someone who had seen a loved one die at Aizen's hands could have.
Kisuke glanced around at everyone, then focused on Shuuichi.
"We'll split into three teams.
"Team One: Shuuichi, you'll lead Kensei, Matsumoto Rangiku, Kisaragi Shūsuke, Saya, and the Fullbringer Nagazawa Satomi to protect Kaien. Too many Captains would destabilize the World of the Living. That team is enough.
"Team Two: Yoruichi, take the others—everyone but Tessai and myself—and investigate the source of that armored warrior Shuuichi encountered. He was part of the same deal, right? If he's man-made, then there's a lab somewhere. I suspect it's connected to the stolen Asauchi.
"Team Three: Tessai and I will head west—to the Nishisō Bureau. Their development team's Captain took a lot of my old re
Then they heard Shuuichi had become Squad 11's Vice-Captain.
They ran straight to enlist.
By the time they passed the entrance trials... Shuuichi had already defected.
So hearing he might be in the World of the Living reignited every smoldering dream.
Only Yumichika noticed the gleam in Yachiru's eye.
She had a plan—and it involved using them to find Shuuichi so that Zaraki Kenpachi could finally settle his score.
Yumichika wasn't concerned.
From what he'd heard, Higashi Shuuichi was reasonable, measured.
Even in his escape, the casualties had been minimal.
And besides... what were the odds they'd just stumble into him in the human world?
Too slim.
"Say, Vice-Captain Kusajishi," Yumichika asked, "I heard we'll be wearing new tech from the Research Division for this mission?"
"Yep~ A new type of gigai, lets you blend in with humans."
Yachiru grinned. "Apparently, the investigation might involve special humans, so walking around as Shinigami might spook the targets. So Captain Kyōraku is requiring everyone to disguise themselves as humans first!"
"Special humans, huh..."
Yumichika fell into thought.
Somehow, he had a bad feeling.
This investigation would be anything but ordinary.