"Alright, next up is you."
Tatsuma no longer paid attention to Kisuke, looking towards Yoruichi who was watching from not far away.
"Are you free this afternoon? Or are you also saying your friend's wife is about to give birth?"
Yoruichi shrugged, "Don't worry, I don't have that kind of friend. I'm free this afternoon and can help you lead a team to encircle and suppress the Hero Faction. But since you're asking for my help, you should at least offer some compensation, right?"
Tatsuma thought for a moment and asked, "No problem, what compensation do you want?"
Yoruichi pointed at Ichigo. "Do what you did to him that day, to me as well."
Tatsuma blinked at her. "Activating potential?"
Yoruichi nodded in affirmation. "I heard that within Akatsuki, you can exchange for an awakening slot by accumulating enough contribution points. That shouldn't be difficult for you, right?"
"It's indeed not difficult."
Tatsuma opened his trait inventory and found a white trait to grant to Yoruichi.
As one of the Four Great Noble Clans, Yoruichi's lineage among the Shinigami can be said to be among the most noble. Coupled with her extraordinary talent, after activating her potential, her aura soared. In just a few seconds' time, the momentum around her doubled.
Seeing this, Kisuke was a little envious, looking eagerly at Tatsuma. "Tatsuma, I want my compensation to be the same as Yoruichi's, a potential activation."
Tatsuma tilted his head to look at him. "Compensation? What nonsense are you talking about? Didn't you already receive your compensation? The medical fee just now."
Kisuke: "..."
Please be a decent human being!
Getting inexplicably beaten up, then being forced to help out, and finally getting no benefits whatsoever.
Facing Tatsuma's ruthless oppression, Kisuke naturally couldn't tolerate it.
Without batting an eye, he moved closer to Tatsuma and opened his folding fan to fan him.
"Tatsuma, can we discuss this? Things like working for free are really a bit of a blow to morale."
Tatsuma glanced sideways. "Then I'll give you another chance. As long as you can capture all the Sacred Gear users from the Hero Faction's Eighth Branch alive, I'll help you with activating potential."
Kisuke negotiated, "Capture all of them alive? That's a bit difficult. Can you lower the requirement a bit? For example, capturing 90% of the enemies alive."
Tatsuma narrowed his eyes. "Do you think this is a vegetable market? You're haggling."
Sensing a dangerous aura, Kisuke quickly raised his hands in surrender, his expression a bit helpless.
"Cough! No more haggling. I'll go figure out a way to capture the Hero Faction members alive right away."
He should have just agreed to Tatsuma from the beginning. Going in circles, he didn't gain any benefits, and instead kept getting pushed harder.
After Yoruichi adapted to the new power growing within her body, Kisuke led everyone back above ground.
"Speaking of which, Tatsuma, have you been paying attention to the situation in Soul Society recently?"
Tatsuma shook his head. "No, I haven't. Sirzechs is in charge of matters in Soul Society. He said he'll notify me when there's news."
Kisuke stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Sirzechs, the Satan Lucifer? It seems he's plotting something."
"Sirzechs wants to establish contact with Soul Society and bring it into the Biblical Faction's peace alliance."
"Alliance? I wondered why he was so quiet. Turns out he's waiting for a more suitable time to make a move." Kisuke instantly understood everything.
Seeing this, Orihime, who was eating pastries nearby, blinked and asked somewhat confusedly, "Urahara-san, what are you talking about? I don't understand at all."
"Because he's deliberately being cryptic." Tatsuma raised his teacup and took a sip, his expression calm.
"You have one minute to tell me about the recent events in Soul Society."
Kisuke: "..."
You guys didn't ask, so how did I become the cryptic one?
Kisuke felt a bit weary, but still began to explain as Tatsuma requested.
"The punishment result for Rukia has been decided. In twenty-seven days, she will be executed at Sōkyoku Hill."
"Huh? Why didn't you say something like this earlier?"
Ichigo stood up with a bang, his emotions instantly becoming agitated.
Kisuke spread his hands. "Calm down, Ichigo. I only received the news three days ago."
"At that time, you were at a critical point in your Hollowfication training, so I hid this information for fear of you losing control of your emotions."
"Then you should have told me after that." Ichigo was not easily fooled and still complained discontentedly.
Kisuke's expression was calm as he said, "There are many factors I need to consider, and telling you in advance wouldn't have been of much use. Could you have run off to Soul Society by yourself anyway?"
Ichigo: "..."
Ichigo suddenly fell silent.
If it had been a day ago, he would have answered [Yes] without hesitation. But after being severely beaten by Tatsuma, he realized that there are always people stronger than you.
Rushing to Soul Society without any preparation would only put himself in a desperate situation.
"It seems you understand now, Ichigo."
Kisuke pulled down the brim of his hat, covering his eyes, and replied in a deep voice, "What we need to do now is not go to Soul Society to rescue Rukia immediately, but to prepare."
"You don't need to worry about other things, I will handle them. What you need to do is get stronger."
"...I understand."
Ichigo sat down again.
"In short, that's the situation."
Kisuke looked at Tatsuma and said, "Rukia's execution time is twenty-seven days from now. Ichigo and I should head to Soul Society a week in advance."
"Tatsuma, what are your thoughts? Will you depart for Soul Society with us then, or wait for a better opportunity to act?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Yes, I don't know."
Tatsuma repeated it again, his expression calm.
"I'm not sure what level I'll have reached in twenty-seven days. If there isn't much change from now, then I'll just fight my way through and deal with the enemies one by one."
Kisuke: "?"
"What if there's a big change?"
Tatsuma said, "I'll fight anyone I see. I'll be the new leader of Soul Society."
Kisuke: "..."
If he remembered correctly, they were discussing rescuing Rukia, right?
Although he had some other minor intentions, directly fighting his way into Soul Society to replace the leader...
"Tatsuma, causing too big a commotion might attract Squad Zero."
"I know."
After all, that was one of his goals.
As Royal Guard members, they should at least have one gold trait each, right?
After anticipating it slightly in his heart, Tatsuma looked towards Yoruichi who was sitting nearby. "I might need your help then."
Yoruichi pointed at herself. "Me?"
Tatsuma nodded. "Becoming the new leader of Soul Society will cause chaos within Soul Society."
"To avoid a large number of bloodshed incidents, I need the assistance of the Four Great Noble Clans."
Yoruichi was startled for a moment, her eyes widening. "Wait, you were serious just now?"
Tatsuma nodded. "Of course I was serious."
Yoruichi: "..."
I thought you were joking.
Swallowing the pastry in her mouth, Yoruichi, who had been exchanging information with Grayfia, became somewhat confused.
"Weren't we discussing rescuing Rukia? Why did the topic shift to ruling Soul Society?"
Tatsuma thought for a moment and replied, "Maybe because it's on the way?"
Yoruichi sighed, "I feel like you haven't seriously considered this at all. Are you really not joking?"
Tatsuma shook his head. "The more power I can mobilize under me, the better. I plan to use this world as a stepping stone to travel to other worlds in the future."
Yoruichi was stunned. "I didn't realize you had such ambitious goals."
Tatsuma shrugged, "Just finding things to do, otherwise a long life is too boring."
Kisuke couldn't help but say, "Then your method of passing the time is truly astonishing,"
Like Devils, Shinigami are also long-lived beings. Over the past few hundred years, Kisuke had seen many ways long-lived beings passed the time.
Fishing, cooking, drinking, playing games, and some even went down a wicked path to gamble.
However, someone like Tatsuma who sought out other worlds to pass the time was the first.
Tatsuma said, "In short, if the conditions are right, I'll become the leader of Soul Society."
"Are you two willing to help? Or are you planning to refuse and choose to stab me in the back when the time comes?"
Kisuke waved his hand, stating his position, "I never thought of that." I don't want to get involved in troublesome matters."
"As long as Aizen is dealt with, everything after that has nothing to do with me."
Yoruichi said, "I don't really care either, but if Soul Society becomes chaotic, it might affect the Kuchiki clan."