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Karakura Town, Sannomiya District.
In the early morning, office workers and students streamed out of their homes, crowding every corner of the city, making it incredibly noisy at this hour.
But not all places were so lively. Urahara Shop, located just one street away from the main road, had a deserted path outside, where only an elderly person with heavy steps would occasionally walk by every half an hour.
Yet, even these strolling elders wouldn't spare Urahara Shop a glance.
In front of Urahara Shop, a red-haired little boy chased a little girl with two pigtails, swinging a broom in his hand.
"Who's afraid of a dummy like Tsukabishi Tessai… I only sweep because I want to sweep, not because he… Hm?"
The broom the little boy raised froze in mid-air. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't swing it even slightly, as if it were held by an invisible hand.
"Tsk tsk tsk, a distinguished guest has truly arrived."
The shop's sliding door slowly opened, and two men, one tall and one short, walked out. The shorter one, who was speaking, was Urahara Kisuke.
"Shinta, Ururu, stop playing around."
The sturdy man next to him reprimanded the two children: "Prepare to welcome our esteemed guest."
"Yes."
The little girl, called Ururu, nodded, while the little boy looked at the broom suspended in mid-air. He saw a hand, which had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, gripping the broom, and behind the broom was a human head.
That's right.
Just a human head.
The newcomer seemed to have his body concealed by refracted light, with only one hand and his head exposed.
"Little Redhead, you shouldn't take advantage of girls so casually."
Ishikawa smiled gently, meeting the gazes of the two children, then released the broom.
"Hmph."
Shinta retrieved the broom, pouting, and said, "I don't want to be lectured by an adult who runs naked in the street."
"..."
Ishikawa's eye twitched slightly, and the smile on his face faltered for a moment.
Hmm… he's still a child… no need to fuss over it. At most, I'll just tell him to be careful once he gets to Soul Society!
"Shinta, don't talk nonsense."
Urahara Kisuke reprimanded him, then moved aside the shop door and gestured, saying, "Ishikawa-sama, please come in and rest for a bit. After spending a month in a place like Hueco Mundo, you must be very tired, aren't you?"
"Shopkeeper Urahara's information is truly as well-informed as ever."
Ishikawa chuckled, not surprised in the slightest.
Although this guy was in the Human World, he had full knowledge of Soul Society's movements, so it was normal for him to know that he had been trapped in Hueco Mundo during this time.
However…
Ishikawa carefully observed Urahara Kisuke, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.
Sure enough, it wasn't him?
Upon arriving in Hueco Mundo, he immediately encountered Aaroniero and Nnoitra, so he hadn't had any conversation with the Fujiwara siblings. Therefore, even now, Ishikawa didn't know why those siblings were trapped in Hueco Mundo.
Although he had a chance to take them with him during the half-minute he controlled Nnoitra, he could conceal his Reiatsu and evade Nnoitra's detection, but the siblings couldn't. In the end, he could only choose to abandon saving them.
Before leaving Hueco Mundo, Ishikawa had tried to search for them but found no trace of the two siblings. If nothing unexpected happened, they were likely killed by Nnoitra, used as tools for his venting.
Although he hadn't figured out why the Fujiwara siblings were trapped in Hueco Mundo.
But one thing Ishikawa was certain of: when he first arrived in Hueco Mundo, someone was secretly observing him the entire time, until his battle with Nnoitra ended and he concealed his Reiatsu to escape, that subtle sense of being watched completely disappeared.
The reason Ishikawa chose to conceal his presence in Hueco Mundo for that month, besides guarding against Aizen, was also due to that inexplicable sense of being watched.
Not many people could monitor Hueco Mundo, and Urahara Kisuke was one of them.
However, upon seeing Urahara Kisuke, Ishikawa had a faint feeling that the person who was monitoring him was probably not Urahara Kisuke.
…
After entering the shop, Ishikawa went directly into the back room and changed out of the tattered cloak Tier Harribel had given him into a brand new set of black work clothes.
Donning the loose work clothes and black boots, Ishikawa felt utterly comfortable from head to toe.
"How does it feel?"
Urahara Kisuke looked at Ishikawa as he emerged from the back room, opening his folding fan and grinning strangely, "Don't treat it as a consumable item so casually this time, okay?"
Consumable item?
Ishikawa, who had just walked out of the back room, froze for a moment, then his face darkened.
"Since you discovered it, as a partner, shouldn't you have come to help me?"
He had only treated the black work clothes Urahara Kisuke gave him as a consumable once, and that was during his battle with Ginjō Kūgo.
"Ishikawa-sama, did you forget that I am still a 'most wanted criminal' in Soul Society?"
Urahara Kisuke adjusted his hat brim: "Last time, when you fought those two Fullbringers, both the Supervisory Team and the Technology Development Bureau focused their attention solely on you. In that situation, I could only choose to stand by and watch." He then chuckled, "Besides, with your strength, Ishikawa-sama, I believe you would definitely survive."
"Heh heh—"
Ishikawa chuckled, then sat cross-legged on the tatami mat with his shoes still on. Tsukabishi Tessai, who was nearby, instinctively wanted to stop him, but then remembered that this entire outfit, including the shoes, was brand new… so it was fine to step on the tatami with them on.
"Of course, to prevent you from encountering such incidents again, Ishikawa-sama, besides the set you're wearing, I've also made five extra sets of replacement clothing for you!" Urahara Kisuke paused, a sly grin appearing on his face: "However, according to the contract, Ishikawa-sama, you need to provide me with some more research materials."
Research materials…
Ishikawa's eye twitched slightly. Why did that sound so awkward?
"Don't worry, I'll give them to you later."
Ishikawa didn't refuse, instead asking about his other purpose for coming: "Since you know I went to Hueco Mundo, you should also have some understanding of why I went there."
"Of course."
"What happened with the Fujiwara siblings?"
"Five extra portions of blood."
"I don't want to haggle with you. One portion per person. You tell me how the siblings went to Hueco Mundo, and I'll give you two extra portions of blood. Anyway, my current mission failed, and investigating the reason isn't part of my mission content."
"Deal!"
Urahara Kisuke's face immediately lit up with a smile, then his tone shifted, and he said with a somewhat serious expression: "I don't know exactly what happened, because when I went to investigate afterwards, someone had already cleaned up the scene, and I also detected traces of spatial freezing at the site."
"Spatial freezing means that in the frozen area, no matter what happens, it will not cause any damage to the surrounding environment, nor will any Reiatsu leak out; coupled with the fact that the incident occurred in Kagamino, 22KM away from Karakura Town, so even I didn't notice anything unusual when the incident happened."
Ishikawa narrowed his eyes and said, "Is such common knowledge even considered intelligence?"
"Now, now, let me finish."
Urahara Kisuke waved his hand and chuckled, "Although I arrived a bit late, I still managed to restore some Reishi residue using some special methods."
Restore?
Upon hearing this, Ishikawa's eyes flashed with a peculiar look.
If it was just collecting residual Reishi, it wouldn't have caused such a strong reaction from him, but restoring it… as the name implies, it means re-condensing dissipated Reishi through unknown means. Even the Technology Development Bureau in Soul Society might not be able to do something like that.
Moreover, this was in the Human World, where Reishi is sparse.
Indeed, I still can't let my guard down around this guy.
"Although the samples are few, based on my analysis, I found that in addition to the Reishi samples of Shinigami and Hollows, a very special Reishi sample also appeared at the scene." Urahara Kisuke said this, then looked up at Ishikawa and said, "The owner of that Reishi sample, Ishikawa-sama, you are not unfamiliar with him. It is the Fullbringer you had brief contact with last time you came to the Human World."
"A Fullbringer?"
Ishikawa's brow furrowed slightly. The fog of doubt in his heart not only did not dissipate but became even thicker.
He had considered many possibilities, but he had never thought that a Fullbringer would be involved in this matter.
Is it Ginjo Kūgo and his group?
No!
Although Ginjo Kūgo's strength is good, under the pursuit of the Soul Society, he is nothing more than a rat scurrying across the street. Just hiding his tracks is already very difficult. He is simply not qualified or capable of planning such a precise scheme.
Although this incident occurred in the Human World, all signs indicate that high-ranking officials from the Soul Society were secretly involved.
Moreover…
The position of this high-ranking official must be extremely high!
Because whether it was issuing the spatial freezing order, or guiding the Golden Seal Association to find him, and being extremely knowledgeable about Central 46, knowing that the Central 46 would not dispatch the Onmitsukidō for two noble members, plus being able to monitor him while he was in Hueco Mundo…
None of these things could be done by Ginjo Kūgo.
But besides Ginjo Kūgo's group, even if Ishikawa searched all his memories, he couldn't find any information about Fullbringers other than Ginjo Kūgo's group.
"I have finished sharing the information I have. Mr. Ishikawa, I wonder if you…"
Urahara Kisuke looked directly at Ishikawa and said with a serious tone, "Could you tell me about your experiences in Hueco Mundo?"
"Of course."
Ishikawa chuckled, "Three sets of super-light-speed transfer stakes, or…" Ishikawa turned to look at Tsukabishi Tessai, who was beside him, and whispered, "This former Kidō Corps Captain, teach me the two forbidden Kido of time suspension and spatial transfer."
"I advise you not to think about forbidden Kido."
Tsukabishi Tessai shook his head, "These forbidden Kido, which cause temporal and spatial disorder in the Soul Society, will be discovered by Central 46 as soon as they are cast. At that time, you will end up like us."
Tsukabishi Tessai was not surprised that Ishikawa knew his identity.
Because strictly speaking…
This young man could be said to be Mr. Urahara's successor, now the Supervisory Team Captain of the Onmitsukidō's Third Squad. It would be incredibly easy for him to access the files of wanted criminals like them.
"Cannot conceal the fluctuations of the cast?"
"No way."
Tsukabishi Tessai shook his head, "What is affected is not local space, but the Soul Society world itself. That kind of effect can absolutely not be concealed."
"Then it's three sets of transfer stakes."
Ishikawa nodded upon hearing this. If he couldn't cast it after learning it, there was naturally no need to learn it. Anyway, he had already mastered some spatial skills without negative effects, it was just inconvenient to use them normally.
If the side effects were truly as Tsukabishi Tessai said, then even if the Central 46 didn't prohibit it, Ishikawa wouldn't use it casually.
Comparatively, the transfer stakes were more useful.
This way, he could quickly travel between the East, South, and North parts of Rukongai. In the future, when he had nothing to do, he could also go to other areas to take on commissions, earn some experience points, and make friends with Shinigami from various divisions.
Moreover…
After this incident, Ishikawa realized that Seireitei, which he thought he understood well, still had many unsolved mysteries.
He wanted to strengthen his connections in his home base, which is Rukongai, as much as possible.
The waters of Seireitei are truly too deep, and the monsters hidden within are countless. Compared to it, Rukongai can almost be called a paradise in terms of safety.
"No problem!"
Urahara Kisuke agreed readily, "However, this is something Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri created. I probably need to study it for a while. Afterwards, I will find a way to send the transfer stakes to Miss Kukaku."
"Seven sets of clothes should also be sent along with the transfer stakes."
Ishikawa nodded, and then informed Urahara Kisuke about what he encountered after arriving in Hueco Mundo, as well as information about Aaroniero and Nnoitra. He would also report this information after returning to the Soul Society, so Urahara Kisuke would have no difficulty finding it out then.
In Ishikawa's opinion, exchanging this information, which would soon be public knowledge, for three sets of transfer stakes was an extremely profitable deal.
However, regarding Tier Harribel, he would not disclose anything to either Urahara Kisuke or the Soul Society.
He only said that after barely escaping, he recuperated for half a month, then searched for nearly half a month, and finally, after a Hollow tore open space, he killed it and used the resulting Hollow cavity to return to the Human World.
After exchanging information, Ishikawa looked at Urahara Kisuke, who was deep in thought, and stood up, saying, "I have to leave. This time is different from last time. If my Reiatsu disappears for too long after I return, it's highly likely to arouse suspicion."
"Don't worry."
Urahara Kisuke smiled, "Regarding that, I was already prepared. When you arrived here, I had already used the Reiatsu you left behind last time to have 'you' wait in the Sakura Natural Park where you came to the Human World last time. It takes about ten minutes from capturing your Reiatsu to opening the Senkaimon and crossing the Dangai."
"And it has been exactly 6 minutes since you entered my shop, so there is still plenty of time."
Ishikawa was startled upon hearing this and subconsciously released his perception, finding that it was indeed as Urahara Kisuke said…
His Reiatsu reaction was currently in the Sakura Natural Park.
"Thanks."
Ishikawa thanked him. Although it was only a few minutes of disappearance and easy to gloss over, the place he was in before was too special. Urahara Kisuke's measure could save him a lot of trouble.
Although there was plenty of time, Ishikawa did not stay at the Urahara Shop.
Anyway, his purpose for coming here had been achieved, and Yoruichi was not in the shop. Staying there any longer, besides chatting with the recently born elementary schooler to build up favorability, had no meaning.
Upon arriving at Sakura Natural Park, Ishikawa's Reiatsu instantly dissipated, and Ishikawa released his own Reiatsu at the same time as it dissipated.
After about three more minutes.
The void opened like a doorway, and figures in black clothes and masks emerged from it, surrounding Ishikawa.
"Ishikawa, come with us."
Soi Fon's icy voice came from the Senkaimon, but she did not step out of it. Instead, she stood inside the Dangai, waiting for Ishikawa to walk to her.
Seeing this, Ishikawa's furrowed brow relaxed.
Although Soi Fon's tone was cold, this was clearly not the posture for arresting him. Otherwise, with Soi Fon's personality, she would have rushed out of the Senkaimon before the Onmitsukido to block his escape path, instead of standing in the Senkaimon as she was now, letting him approach on his own.
This subtly conveyed her attitude to Ishikawa.
Moreover…
Ōmaeda, that simpleton, was standing behind Soi Fon at this moment, winking at him, as if telling him not to be nervous.
However, after being glared at by Soi Fon, he quickly turned his head away.
"Thank you all for your trouble."
Ishikawa smiled slightly at the surrounding Onmitsukido. The Onmitsukido subconsciously shook their heads, but then realized they shouldn't respond now and all froze in place with their heads tilted.
"Captain Soi Fon."
Ishikawa stepped into the Senkaimon and stood behind Soi Fon, saying, "I have some information about Hueco Mundo that I need to report to you."
"Tell me when we get back. The Captains' Meeting has already started. You will accompany me to the First Division shortly, and you can report there during the meeting."
Captains' Meeting?
Ishikawa was stunned, and his gaze instantly became a bit strange. Although he had long expected to be questioned about his experiences in Hueco Mundo upon returning.
But he really didn't expect that the Gotei 13 would actually hold a Captains' Meeting because of him. No wonder Soi Fon would personally come to the Human World to pick him up with such an arresting posture.
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr