No matter how brilliant Urahara was, he could never have guessed that Kōe had orchestrated this entire series of bizarre events simply to save two people who were originally destined to die in the future.
Equally baffled were Aizen and Ichimaru Gin, who were frequently traveling between Hueco Mundo and the World of the Living. Because Hollowfication had reappeared in Soul Society, the search for Urahara Kisuke and his associates had resumed during this time—and, of course, they were also looking for the missing Shiba Miyako.
Naturally, Shiba Miyako was indeed missing. However, the truth was not as the Seireitei speculated—that she had fled as Urahara's accomplice. Instead, as a victim, she was currently right here in the Seireitei.
"Tōsen sent word. The new batch of test subjects was wiped out by Komamura in an instant."
While Aizen and Ichimaru Gin conducted their search in the World of the Living, back in Soul Society, Squad 7 Captain Komamura Sajin and Squad 9 Captain Tōsen Kaname were clearing out the Hollowfied products appearing in the Rukongai.
In reality, what Tōsen and the others were currently facing were Shinigamification products. However, only a very small number of people could clearly distinguish the difference between the two, and Komamura Sajin was obviously not one of them.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri was likely one of the few who understood the discrepancy. Yet, even though people like him and Kōe had been proven uninvolved in the incident, Central 46 was still unwilling to let them participate too deeply in the matter.
"Those are not a new batch of test subjects, Gin," Aizen explained with a smile. The Hollows currently in Soul Society were primarily there to cover up his lies. Of course, testing their functionality against a large number of Shinigami was a nice bonus, but with a captain personally leading the charge, such tests were rather unnecessary.
"My mistake, a grave mistake." Ichimaru Gin raised his hands in a gesture of apology, then continued, "So, are we just going to help Shihouin Kōe for free?"
On that night a month ago, when Kōe had said, "I would be truly honored," Gin had been ready to welcome their newest member. He hadn't expected the man to follow it up with, "Assuming Captain Aizen can prove that his Hōgyoku won't end up as a stagnant, defective product in the future."
Was this Kōe wavering? Gin felt that Aizen's words had indeed taken effect, making Kōe no longer obsess over pursuing the Hōgyoku created by Urahara. But at the same time, Kōe's words were a reminder to Aizen: *'You might not necessarily reach the heights that Urahara Kisuke has.'*
Did those words shake Aizen? To be honest, Gin himself wasn't sure. But it was after that exchange that the two of them began an unconventional cooperative relationship.
Simply put, it was a policy of mutual non-interference. Kōe would search for a method to probe the Hōgyoku, and Aizen would not provide any high-profile assistance like mobilizing the Sōkyoku.
Aizen would continue advancing his Shinigamification experiments, and similarly, Kōe would not invest any effort into it—at least not until the Hōgyoku in Aizen's hands could rival the one Urahara had created.
To put it bluntly, this kind of cooperation meant they would just leave each other alone and avoid messing up each other's plans. But from another perspective, it was also a maximization of resources. After all, fundamentally, neither of them could prove that the other was on the right track.
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket." That was also something Kōe had said that night. Aizen shared the same sentiment on this point; the fact that he hadn't driven Urahara to his death back then suggested he realized he himself might be making a mistake.
"This isn't for free. As long as Kōe can make a breakthrough, it benefits us as well," Aizen smiled. "Besides, as it stands, he has already given me quite a bit of inspiration."
"Keeping Shiba Miyako by your side? Without the assistance of Kyōka Suigetsu, that is a very difficult task, Mr. Shihouin."
"Aside from 'Goddess of Flash', my friend Shihouin Yoruichi has another nickname—'Monster Cat'. It originated from a type of training she underwent back in the day... So as long as Captain Aizen doesn't expose me, no one in the Seireitei will ever discover that Shiba Miyako is right by my side."
That conversation was still vivid in his mind. It was the first time Aizen had learned the origin of Yoruichi's feline moniker. It seemed that Urahara Kisuke wasn't the only one; Shihouin Yoruichi, who stood alongside him and Shihouin Kōe, was not to be underestimated either.
"How is Kōe doing in the Seireitei?" Aizen asked casually.
Gin's expression instantly turned rather strange as he replied uncertainly, "He should still be torturing that cat of his, right? Do you need Tōsen to go confirm?"
Aizen shook his head. It was perfectly fine for Kōe to become a cat slave—for the time being, at least.
Meanwhile, in a dormitory at the Shin'ō Academy in the Seireitei, Rukia stared at the black cat leisurely wagging its tail on Kōe's lap, her heart burning with even more frustration. "Big Bro Kōe, how can you still be so relaxed at a time like this!"
"And why are you so anxious? I told you, summer is here, you need to drink more water," Kōe said helplessly, acting as if Rukia's agitation was genuinely just because of the hot weather.
"Lord Kaien has resigned from his squad! He resigned!"
"You've told me that many times already. Relax, I'm not so old that I've gone senile." Kōe rubbed his ears and continued, "Miyako suddenly went missing. Just let him cool off for a bit."
"B-But I went to the Shiba estate, and Lord Kaien wasn't there at all." Rukia's voice grew quieter as she spoke. "I'm worried something happened to him..."
"He probably went looking for Miyako. From what I know, Ukitake tried to make him stay, but he firmly believes Miyako is innocent, so he insisted on leaving the Gotei 13." Kōe seemed completely oblivious to Rukia's distress. As he continued the work in his hands, he spoke with a perfectly straight face, "It can't be helped. If he stayed in the Seireitei, he would have to accept the fact that Miyako is a fugitive. Leaving is a good thing for him; at least he can do what he wants to do."
Any captain present would know just how laughable Kōe's nonsense was right now. Including Kōe himself, they all knew that there was no such thing as "resigning" from the Gotei 13. Furthermore, from the moment you stepped into the Seireitei, it was very difficult to escape its influence.
Shiba Kaien had been locked up in the Maggot's Nest. This was currently classified information known only to a select few, and Kōe was actually the one who had advocated for this decision.
From the moment the new Hollowfication victim was discovered in Squad 4, it hadn't even taken a full morning to confirm the squad member's identity. Finding the corpse of the Squad 13 member who had died the night before was simply a matter of course.
The reason Shiba Miyako fell under suspicion was not only because she, the 3rd Seat leading the team, was missing from the scene, but also because the corpses found there bore slash wounds from her Zanpakutō.
There were no two identical Zanpakutō in the world. This didn't just refer to their distinct Shikai and Bankai; their unreleased forms were also entirely unique. Much like human DNA, they were one of the most crucial pieces of evidence for identifying a Shinigami.
At this point, the suspicion surrounding Shiba Miyako was more than enough for Central 46 to convict her. Not to mention, Kōe and his accomplices had spent the night installing a hidden compartment in Miyako's officer quarters, stuffing it full of records regarding Hollowfication experiments.
Under these circumstances, even if Shiba Miyako stood up and screamed her innocence, it would be useless. Urahara had done the exact same thing, and there was no need to elaborate on how that ended. Any truths or conspiracies she spoke of would likely be viewed by Central 46 as the foolish slander of a madwoman!
This Hollowfication was carried out by Shiba Miyako, but the true mastermind wasn't necessarily her. Having already suffered a loss once, Central 46 initiated an investigation into all the captains, as well as anyone connected to Urahara Kisuke and Shiba Miyako. To put it bluntly, it was an investigation into Kōe.
When the incident occurred, all the captains were within the Seireitei. At the same time, the Onmitsukidō could guarantee that Shihouin Kōe had never left the Seireitei. Although he had been in contact with Shiba Miyako, he had made no suspicious moves.
If in his past life he had experienced the soul disappearance incident from the perspective of victims like Urahara, then this time he was standing in the shoes of the perpetrator. It was a very bizarre feeling. He even had a bold thought: if he had Kyōka Suigetsu, wouldn't he be able to do whatever he wanted in broad daylight...
*'What a tempting little fairy of a Zanpakutō...'*
*'Stay true to your original intentions, I want to be a good person!'* Heaven knew how many times Kōe had silently repeated those words in his heart during this period, all while steadfastly negotiating with Central 46 to get Kaien locked in the Maggot's Nest.
In truth, no evidence linking Kaien to this Hollowfication was found in either his quarters or the Shiba estate in the Rukongai. However, whether it was Shiba Miyako's identity or the historical influence the Shiba name held in the Seireitei, it was enough to put Kaien in an incredibly awkward position.
Not to mention, given the kid's personality, it was absolutely impossible for him *not* to publicly denounce Central 46's decision. A lieutenant who could practically make any decision in Squad 13 in place of his captain, openly opposing Central 46 and Yamamoto—in Yamamoto's own words, he was a foolish man rebelling against justice.
Punishing Kaien was almost inevitable, but exactly how he would be punished involved far too many factors. This was tied to Central 46's unpredictable attitude.
First of all, pulling up a problem by the roots was something the Seireitei had done many times before. Take the Azashiro family, for example. Not only were the elders and the eldest daughter, who were already Shinigami at the time, executed, but even Azashiro Sōya, who wasn't a Shinigami yet, was implicated.
However, there were also examples of leaving the roots intact, or limiting the punishment to the individual. For instance, how they handled the Shiba family's issues, or how they eventually exonerated Azashiro Sōya.
Central 46 never had a set standard for dealing with problems. Or perhaps they did, but it was a subjective choice made after weighing their current strength, estimating the maximum threat they could endure, and comparing it against their vested interests.
Based on this, the Shiba family standing behind Kaien existed in name only. The only point worthy of apprehension was the reaction of the remaining Great Noble Families. Without the nod of the two priest-lineage Great Noble Families, as well as the already fallen Shihouin family, completely exterminating the Shiba family was absolutely impossible.
This could spare the remaining Shiba Kūkaku and Shiba Ganju from being implicated, but it couldn't get Kaien out of danger. Whether it was exile or execution, Kōe could not allow either to happen.
Yet, looking at Kaien's own qualifications, he was a genius who had graduated from the Shin'ō Academy in just one year. The only other person who had accomplished the same feat was the current Squad 3 Captain, Ichimaru Gin.
Perhaps this level of talent wouldn't have meant much a century ago. Back then, they had the immensely powerful Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, Hikifune Kirio who had already been promoted to Squad 0, and the highly anticipated younger generation of Yoruichi and Kōe. The Seireitei had been incomparably strong, both in the present and for the future.
But times had changed. The powerhouses of the past had either left or died. Two of their most promising futures had defected, taking nearly half of the Seireitei's assets with them in the process. And the remaining one, though seemingly well-behaved, openly threatened Central 46, making him look like a potential hazard no matter how you sliced it.
Their enemies were growing stronger by the day, while they were still recovering their vitality. This was the dilemma the Seireitei faced. Under such circumstances, a captain candidate like Kaien appeared exceptionally precious.
Therefore, Kaien was fully qualified to be sent to the Maggot's Nest. But whether he would actually be sent there was another matter entirely. According to the founding philosophy of the Maggot's Nest, it was meant to imprison those who hadn't committed a crime but posed a threat to the Seireitei. Yet, they hadn't seen Azashiro Sōya locked up in there back in the day. Thus, none of the Seireitei's established rules could be taken too seriously.
All Kōe had to do was suggest the Maggot's Nest as an option. However, he couldn't be the one to propose it. The natural candidate for the job was his good senior brother, Ukitake Jūshirō.
If something happened to Kaien, Ukitake definitely wouldn't sit idly by. Moreover, on the surface, Kaien was completely innocent; at most, he was just a bit stubborn. In Ukitake's eyes, these were all shining virtues in Kaien. Of course, they were in Kōe's eyes as well.
Similarly, Kōe couldn't sit idly by either. So, whether Ukitake came to find him or he went to find Ukitake, he would be able to exert his influence on the man.
At that time, Kaien was under suspicion because of Shiba Miyako. Getting that hotheaded fool to yield was impossible; the only way to solve the problem was to find Shiba Miyako.
Only by finding Shiba Miyako and facing the truth could they truly help Kaien. Naturally, if Kaien remained stubbornly oblivious, Kōe believed Ukitake wouldn't hold back either.
From this perspective, locking Kaien in the Maggot's Nest was currently the best choice for everyone, including Kaien himself. Ukitake should have understood this logic.
Of course, it was fine even if he didn't understand. Kōe trusted that Shunsui would understand and would be able to persuade Ukitake.
Next, Shunsui or Ukitake would go persuade Yamamoto. It wouldn't be difficult to get Kaien locked in the Maggot's Nest to cool off. Then, the three of them could focus their efforts on finding Shiba Miyako—no, it would just be Ukitake and Shunsui.
Kōe had furiously declared to Yamamoto that he wanted to personally hunt down Urahara, vowing he wouldn't have the face to return until he caught the man! Yamamoto had felt deeply gratified, but his ultimate response was still to order Kōe back to the Shin'ō Academy to teach in peace...
Even though he couldn't go out himself, Kōe enthusiastically helped the two of them analyze where Shiba Miyako might have fled. Who could have imagined that Shiba Miyako was actually right in front of everyone the entire time?
"Aside from 'Goddess of Flash', my friend Shihouin Yoruichi has another nickname—'Monster Cat'. It originated from a type of training she underwent back in the day, where she accidentally pushed her body to the absolute limit of control, highly activating her body's Reishi to alter its form. Although she hadn't fully mastered this ability before I left, her body remembered the form from that accidental transformation—namely, turning into a black cat."
This was the intelligence Kōe had shared with Aizen that night, and it was also the method he used to hide Shiba Miyako.
Very few people knew the nickname 'Monster Cat' to begin with, and even fewer knew its origin. As one of Yoruichi's best friends, Kōe had the privilege of witnessing the exact moment this nickname was born.
Transforming into a cat happened while she was practicing Shunkō. The cause was indeed an accident; even Yoruichi, who had managed to do it, was completely dumbfounded at the time.
According to Kōe and Urahara's deductions, Shunkō was a combat style based on the body's crisis response. It demanded extremely high levels of physical strength and agility. Altering one's form was simply a manifestation of extreme agility.
Just as people in the World of the Living who practiced dance year-round developed more flexible bodies, souls in Soul Society were fundamentally composed of Reishi. If one could truly gain complete mastery over their own body, altering its form through the rearrangement of Reishi was theoretically possible.
Unfortunately, Yoruichi couldn't freely decide what form to take. Perhaps both she and Kōe had reached the absolute limits of physical and Reiryoku manipulation, but their methods of expression were entirely different. Kōe used his consciousness to control his Reiryoku, whereas her body influenced her consciousness, turning it into a sort of conditioned reflex. Of course, it was also possible that Kōe's control over Reiryoku hadn't actually reached its limit yet.
Highly activating the Reishi of Shiba Miyako's soul and altering her form in an extremely short amount of time to keep her by his side—without Kyōka Suigetsu, this was the only method Kōe could think of.
As for whether she would be discovered? Perhaps. But relying on this cat transformation technique, Yoruichi hadn't been discovered by the Shinigami for all these years. One had to remember, she didn't have the Reiatsu-blocking Gigai created by Urahara.
Compressing a large soul into a smaller one increased its Reishi density, which better blocked Reiatsu. The price was that, without adapting to it, one would be completely unable to control their altered body.
According to Kōe's speculation, the Gikongan used in the Spearhead Plan years ago might have been inspired by Yoruichi's cat transformation. It compressed the original soul and spirit body into a tiny pill, used to enhance a Shinigami's partial abilities without overpowering the host.
As for whether Shiba Miyako could turn back in the future? If all else failed, he could just have Kurotsuchi Mayuri custom-make a Reigai for her!
Of course, Kōe had a much more important matter at hand right now.
"Are you really not worried about Lord Kaien at all? He might be facing some kind of danger right now and needs our help, Big Bro Kōe."
"I'm actually worried sick." Rukia cast him a suspicious glare. Seeing this, Kōe continued, "Really, look if you don't believe me!"
Kōe held up the half-knitted little sweater in his hands to Rukia and asked with absolute seriousness, "Did I mess up the stitching here?"
Rukia froze for a moment. This was a little sweater Big Bro Kōe was making for his cat. She could tell he was trying very hard.
"Yeah, this part is definitely wrong." Rukia nodded, her finger tracing over the crooked little sweater. "And here, and here, they're all wrong. You need to unravel it and knit it again."
"Is that so? I was wondering why it looked so weird." Kōe patted the back of his head. Roca used to knit so effortlessly back then. Was this some kind of innate talent too?
*'Wait, how did I get dragged into this by Big Bro?!'* Rukia finally remembered her purpose for coming and loudly reminded him, "Is this really the time to be obsessing over something like this?! Big Bro Kōe!"
"Sigh, what's the use of worrying?" Kōe sighed, slowly unraveling the half-finished product in his hands. "I'm very worried too, which is why I can't even knit a little sweater properly."
It turned out Big Bro Kōe was just as helpless. Rukia felt a bit ashamed. Although she didn't know much, she understood that the man before her wasn't in a great situation either. It made sense; otherwise, why would someone capable of sending the current Kenpachi to Squad 4 for treatment on a fixed monthly schedule be stuck teaching at the Shin'ō Academy all the time?
"Blind anxiety will only keep us stagnant, making us unable to accomplish even the smallest of tasks." Kōe's words continued, "You have to understand, not all mistakes are like this sweater in my hands, where you can just erase them and start over at any time."
"I'm sorry, Big Bro Kōe."
Kōe shook his head. "You don't need to apologize. The time just hasn't come yet."
"The time?"
"Yeah." Kōe resumed his knitting, speaking to Rukia with his head lowered. "You need time to make yourself stronger, and I need time to get myself out of the Seireitei. Time will give us the opportunity to correct our mistakes. Have faith in Kaien. He won't become an eternal regret in your heart."
"So, wait quietly. Wait for the day when we can truly fight back."
Rukia understood Kōe's words, yet at the same time, she felt like she didn't. There seemed to be hope in Big Bro Kōe's eyes, but also pity, leaving her unsure if these words were meant as encouragement or simply a lie to comfort her.
Kōe glanced at Rukia before slowly lowering his head. He had already reconnected the broken threads of history, but would the future it wove be any more perfect?
Perhaps it would, or perhaps it wouldn't. But since he had been added to this storm, his rights and wrongs, his merits and faults, could only be left for history to judge once the storm subsided.
Some mistakes couldn't be erased, but they could be remedied. Some people's light might dim, but as long as they were still around, there would be a day for it to reignite. Kōe didn't want to face a day where he regretted not even having the chance to make amends.
So, wait quietly. Wait until the clouds parted, the sun rose, and the storm finally subsided.