After only a brief moment, he noticed the glare had faded significantly and slowly opened his eyes.
The scene before him left him rooted to the spot in shock.
The original forest had vanished, replaced by a laboratory constructed of steel.
He looked at the grass beneath his feet, then surveyed his surroundings, realizing the situation immediately.
This was his laboratory!
"Whew..."
A heavy breath reached his ears, snapping him back to reality.
Tessai Tsukabishi's hands were tightly clenched, his breathing ragged.
In front of him, a patch of grass had appeared out of thin air on the steel-plated floor.
Scattered across the grass were the captains who had fallen victim to Aizen's Hollowification experiments, all unconscious.
"Hollowification... it is one of the answers I reached while researching ways to strengthen a Soul Reaper's soul."
Kisuke Urahara lowered his hood and walked toward a wall in the lab.
A combination lock was mounted on the wall.
Hearing Kisuke's words, Tessai turned and watched his movements in silence.
As he entered the code, Kisuke explained, "During this research, I created a substance capable of instantaneously breaking the boundary between Hollow and Soul Reaper, allowing for a new state of creation."
"With this, we should be able to treat Hirako and the others!"
With a click, a small hidden compartment the size of a box opened in the wall.
Kisuke reached inside.
Tessai's brow furrowed. "What is this substance?"
"I have named it—the Hōgyoku."
Kisuke turned around and held the object up before Tessai's eyes.
It was a sphere no larger than a fingernail, radiating a faint, eerie glow.
A mostly diamond-shaped transparent barrier had been placed around the sphere.
Looking at the substance known as the Hōgyoku, Tessai unknowingly broke out in a cold sweat.
He felt a powerful sense of pressure emanating from the Hōgyoku.
It was an intensity that almost made it difficult to breathe.
"No, it's not pressure, and it's not Spiritual Pressure either!"
With sweat dripping down his face, his voice dropped, carrying a slight tremor.
"It is an incredibly powerful existence!"
"The Hōgyoku is flaunting its existence without restraint, almost as if it intends to displace my own presence!"
He snapped his head up, eyes wide with terror as he looked at Kisuke.
"Lord Urahara, just what kind of monster have you created?"
"Yes, Grand Kido Chief Tessai, you're right." Kisuke nodded, his expression darkening. "I have created something monstrous that does not belong in this world."
Tessai glanced at Shinji Hirako and the others on the ground.
"In that case, can it truly save Captain Hirako and the rest?"
"No!"
Kisuke's answer made Tessai's eyes tremble.
He looked at Kisuke in utter disbelief.
Kisuke explained, "I said before, this is little more than a gamble. Using the Hōgyoku to restore Hirako and the others has a twenty percent chance of success at best."
"What? Only twenty percent?" Tessai gasped.
Kisuke's face grew somber, his voice filled with resentment. "The string of soul disappearances was orchestrated by Ren Shihoin and Sousuke Aizen. Their only goal was the Hollowification experiment; I doubt they ever considered a cure..."
He looked away from the Hōgyoku toward the captains lying on the floor, a flicker of resolve in his eyes.
"Besides, we have no other options."
At that moment, a hand wrapped in bandages appeared out of thin air.
Taking advantage of the moment Kisuke's attention wavered, the hand snatched the Hōgyoku from his grasp.
"I see. So there's no other way."
Snapping to his senses, Kisuke whipped his head back, only to see the large hand clutching the Hōgyoku, poised to depart.
Caught in a panic, his mind went blank. Casting all thought aside, he lunged to reclaim it.
"What—"
But the owner of the bandaged arm showed no hesitation. Having secured the prize, they retreated several steps, creating distance.
When did they arrive?
He hadn't sensed a thing!
Amidst his shock, Kisuke turned his head, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks.
Standing there was a person completely covered in bandages.
Such a striking feature allowed Kisuke to immediately identify the intruder as a member of the Stealth Force's General Staff.
The one known as—Mū!
"Damn it! Give it back! Hirako and the others are counting on it!"
In an instant, Kisuke understood the situation.
Ren Shihoin must have sent a subordinate to wait in ambush within his own laboratory!
Curse it, why didn't I think of that!
With a sharp ring, he drew his Zanpakutō and charged at Mū.
Mū glanced at the Hōgyoku in his hand, remaining perfectly calm in the face of Kisuke's assault.
"So, without this thing, these captains are as good as dead, right?"
Just as Kisuke closed the distance and swung his blade, a massive force erupted from behind him.
[SYSTEM: SHINRA TENSEI]
A powerful energy slammed into him as a low voice echoed through the lab.
Caught by the sudden impact, Kisuke was unable to mount any resistance and was sent flying.
*CRASH*
Kisuke slammed into the wall, blood spraying from his mouth.
A tearing pain ripped through his internal organs; he had no idea how many ribs were broken.
The sheer agony nearly made him lose consciousness.
Yet the obsession in his mind forced him to endure, keeping him awake.
'Was that... a repulsive force?!'
He struggled to his feet, eyes bulging as he searched for Mū and the Hōgyoku.
But the laboratory was now devoid of any other presence.
The Hōgyoku, Mū, and even the hidden attacker had vanished completely.
Only the captains, their fates unknown, and the groaning Tessai remained on the floor.
"Damn it! Damn it all!!"
Kisuke's eyes nearly burst with fury as he let out a harrowing cry.
"Ren Shihoin! I will never forgive you!"
......
...
"What... what happened here?!"
"This is quite an unexpected sight!"
The bright moon hung high in the sky.
Cold moonlight spilled down, illuminating a clearing in the forest.
Shunsui Kyōraku and his three companions reached the front lines after a hurried trek.
As they entered the woods, they had felt a sudden burst of Spiritual Pressure.
Alert and on edge, the four of them had picked up their pace, yet when they arrived, no one was in sight.
Neither Hirako and the other captains who arrived first, nor Kisuke, nor even Tessai were anywhere to be found.
Before them lay only a patch of bare earth, standing out starkly against the surrounding forest.
Shunsui adjusted his straw hat, hiding his sharp gaze in the shadows.
"I could sense the Grand Kido Chief's Spiritual Pressure just a moment ago, but now it's gone..."
Beside him, Ukitake crouched to examine the clearing.
The edge of the grass had been sliced cleanly, creating a dividing line from the sunken brown earth ahead.
"It looks as if the entire space was transported elsewhere."
He ran his fingers along the soil at the boundary.
He picked up a small clump of the brown earth.
Sensing the lingering traces of Spiritual Pressure, Ukitake's handsome face turned grim.
Retsu Unohana walked to the other side of the clearing, noticing that even the exposed tree roots had been severed with smooth, clean cuts.
After observing for a few seconds, she walked over to Ukitake's side.
"With so many captains gathered here, no matter how powerful the mastermind is, they couldn't have eliminated them without a sound."
"But now, there isn't a single trace left. Combined with this artificial clearing... the conclusion is almost certain."
Ukitake stood up and looked at his senior, his expression heavy.
He nodded, though clearly finding it difficult to accept.
"This clearing was undoubtedly formed by a forbidden space-time Kido... and from the residue of Spiritual Pressure, it was the Grand Kido Chief's doing."
Chōjirō Sasakibe approached, his face equally somber.
"We can now conclude that the Grand Kido Chief... no, Tessai Tsukabishi and Kisuke Urahara conspired to ambush and murder the captains who came here!"
"They even used a forbidden technique to transport all evidence of the captains' existence elsewhere in an attempt to destroy the crime scene."
Hearing this, Shunsui suddenly looked up.
He glanced at the moon and let out a soft sigh.
"Really now..."
"Why would Kisuke and Tessai do such a thing? There's no point in wondering about it now."
He looked around at the faces of Ukitake and the others.
His gaze eventually settled on Sasakibe.
"These are just our conjectures. We still lack decisive evidence."
"Lieutenant Sasakibe, once we return to the Seireitei, go to Squad One and report the situation to Old Man Yama."
Sasakibe nodded. "Understood."
Shunsui then turned back to Ukitake and Unohana.
"Senior, Jūshirō, let's head to the Squad Twelve barracks."
"Kisuke doesn't know about our movements yet, nor does he realize he's been exposed..."
"If he truly committed these acts, there should be evidence left in his laboratory."
"If we're lucky, we might even find the man himself."
Ukitake and Unohana nodded in unison.
Their decision made, the four did not linger. They used Shunpo and vanished from the clearing instantly.
Not far away, Aizen and his two subordinates watched the movements of Kyōraku's group in silence.
He had seen everything from the moment the four arrived until they departed.
He adjusted his glasses, a hint of surprise touching his face before he chuckled.
"I didn't expect more captains to arrive, especially Captain Commander Yamamoto's direct protégés."
Behind him, Kaname Tōsen frowned. "This wasn't part of the original plan."
Gin Ichimaru looked away, his face wearing its usual squinty-eyed grin.
"Close call, close call. If we had been just a bit slower, we might have been caught red-handed."
He looked at Aizen, his voice teasing.
"To pull off something like this so suddenly... there's only one person who comes to mind."
"Lieutenant Aizen, you've certainly chosen quite the dangerous partner."
Hearing this, the smile never left Aizen's face.
He nodded, his voice gentle. "Yes, this was the work of my meddling senior, Ren."
"If we weren't careful, his little schemes might have cost us dearly."
"You're right, Gin. He is a dangerous senior indeed."
Tōsen asked, "Lord Aizen, how shall we proceed? Should we retaliate?"
Gin also looked at Aizen with curiosity, waiting for his response.
Aizen turned to his two subordinates and shook his head unexpectedly.
"Kaname, Gin... this makes things much more interesting, doesn't it?"
"Let's head back. We wouldn't want to keep my senior waiting."
Just as the three of them set off, they came to a sudden halt after only a few steps.
Aizen stood on a low slope, peering ahead.
Behind him, Tōsen placed a hand on his hilt, his expression severe.
"Lord Aizen, I sense bloodlust."
He was about to draw his Zanpakutō when Aizen reached out to stop him.
"There's no need to draw your sword, Kaname. Those approaching are our allies."
Aizen chuckled, his gaze scanning the seemingly empty space before him.
"Shisui, how much longer do you intend to hide?"
As the words left his lips, light flickered across the empty ground, revealing four figures.
The leader was none other than Uchiha Shisui.
He slowly lifted the fox mask from his face, revealing a youthful countenance with crimson eyes glowing in the night.
Within those eyes, the pinwheel-like patterns spun slowly, appearing eerily beautiful.
"Aizen, we aren't that close. Don't call me by my name."
"No problem, Shisui."
Aizen smiled, though his form of address remained unchanged.
His gaze swept over the three people behind Shisui, a hint of surprise flickering beneath his lenses.
The three of them varied in height and build, all wearing Stealth Force uniforms and fox masks that hid their faces and Spiritual Pressures.
But with Aizen's experienced eye, he could tell at a glance that these three were far from ordinary.
Their movements were crisp, their auras refined, and most importantly, they radiated an intangible air of confidence.
Without a doubt, they were powerful individuals.
Truly impressive.
Since when had his senior recruited such exceptional subordinates?
Aizen pushed up his glasses, a light smile on his face, but his curiosity only deepened.
Shisui's brow furrowed when he heard Aizen continue to address him so familiarly.
Despite his irritation, he didn't waste time arguing over such trivialities.
He looked at Aizen and asked bluntly, "Why didn't you stop Kyōraku and the others?"
"My Lord drew them out specifically to take the opportunity to wipe them out."
"Aizen, with your intellect, it's impossible for you not to have realized that. Why didn't you act?"
Shisui's voice was cold.
He had brought these three masters from the Stealth Force with the intent of weakening Yamamoto's forces.
The Third Raikage, the Third Kazekage, and Konoha's Kakashi Hatake were all elite ninja who had received power from Ren. With Shisui himself involved...
With Aizen's cooperation, they could have easily killed Shunsui Kyōraku's group right here.
If these four protégés of Yamamoto were eliminated, their future tasks would be much easier.
But Aizen, despite being present, had watched them leave. It was clearly intentional.
This was the source of Shisui's anger.
At Shisui's interrogation, Aizen's smile faded, replaced by a cold hardness in his eyes.
"Shisui, I don't recall ever becoming your comrade."
"And I certainly don't recall becoming a subordinate of Ren Shihoin who must obey your orders!"
Beneath his lenses, Aizen's eyes sharpened.
Paired with his otherwise soft features, it created a bone-chilling sensation.
Shisui's killing intent surged, and his hand naturally drifted toward the short blade at his waist.
"I see..."
Sensing the faint killing intent leaking from Shisui, Tōsen immediately went on guard.
*SHING!*
A blade cleared its scabbard as Tōsen stepped in front of Aizen.
Aizen gently brushed Tōsen aside, took two steps forward, and looked at Shisui.
"What is it, Shisui? Do you intend to strike me now?"
"Though I'd advise you against such arrogance; it only exposes your weakness."
Even with such simple movements and his usual gentle voice, Aizen projected an overwhelming pressure onto Shisui's group.
'As expected of the man the Lord is so wary of. He truly is dangerous.'
Given the power Aizen displayed, even if the four of them could win, it would be a Pyrrhic victory.
Their own deaths mattered little, but the Spiritual Pressure from the battle would surely draw back the recently departed Kyōraku and the others.
That would ruin the series of plans Ren had set in motion.
Various possibilities flashed through Shisui's mind, but he eventually pulled his hand away from his sword.
His killing intent dissipated instantly.
"Fighting you now would be more trouble than it's worth."
Having said that, Shisui didn't plan on staying any longer.
He glanced at the three behind him and gave a slight nod. "Let's return and report."
*WHOOSH!*
The four of them flickered and vanished from the spot.
Before leaving, Shisui suppressed his bloodlust and gave Aizen a meaningful look.
'Be grateful, Aizen.'
'Tonight, you've kept your life.'
Seeing the four depart, Gin Ichimaru shook his head with a laugh.
"So scary... the look Shisui-kun gave us before leaving was dripping with killing intent."
"He seemed like such a normal person back at the academy... well, only on the surface, anyway."
He looked up at Aizen with a smile.
"Don't you agree, Lieutenant Aizen?"
"You're right, Gin."
Aizen paused as if recalling something.
He looked down at Gin, the corners of his mouth curving upward.
"He truly is a terrifying child."
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]