Two Days Later…
Seireitei : Research and Development Center, Division 12 Barracks
"Kisuke! Kisuke!!"
Hiyori's voice rang down the metal halls like an alarm bell. She came tearing through the barracks of the Twelfth Division, a folded report clenched tightly in her hand. Perched on her shoulder, a hell butterfly twitched its wings, seemingly unbothered by her frantic sprint.
She skidded into the main research hall, a cavernous chamber lined with glowing monitors, neat rows of test tubes, and delicate instruments humming with life.
Her sharp eyes darted across the room, searching for a certain straw-hatted idiot. But instead of messy blonde hair, her gaze caught a pale, painted face.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi hunched over a dissected specimen, his long fingers moving with surgical precision. He hadn't so much as glanced up at her entrance.
"Oi, Kurotsuchi!" Hiyori barked, hands curling into fists. "Didn't you hear me yelling?! Where the hell is that fraud Kisuke?!"
Mayuri finally shifted his golden eyes toward her, expression as flat as glass. "I did hear you, Lieutenant Sarugaki. But I don't answer to barking dogs. My research does not pause for your tantrums." His gaze slid back down to his work, dismissing her entirely.
A throbbing vein appeared on Hiyori's forehead. The urge to plant her sandal into his face was almost irresistible. Almost. Grinding her teeth, she stormed past him toward the inner chamber.
"Kisuke!!!"
She shoved the door open, ready to scream again, but the words died in her throat.
There he was. Urahara Kisuke, Captain of the Twelfth Division. Sprawled out in a lazy chair, his striped hat tipped over his face, chest rising and falling in an exaggerated snore.
"You dirty bastard," Hiyori growled. "Pretending to nap while I'm tearing this place apart looking for you, huh?!"
She leapt high and came down hard, both feet slamming square into his gut.
"Ghh..!" Kisuke's eyes bulged, his body folding into the chair as a strangled gag escaped his throat.
Hiyori didn't stop there. She grabbed him by the collar and throttled him mercilessly. "Don't you dare ignore me again, you fraud!"
"L-Lieutenant..Hiyori..!" Kisuke tapped desperately against the chair, eyes watering. At last, she released him with a huff.
"Cough...cough!" He doubled over, hacking and wheezing, then sat up, fixing her with watery eyes that looked far too close to tears.
"What?!" she snapped. "Don't look at me like that. Next time, I'll finish the job." She folded her arms, chin lifted defiantly.
Kisuke adjusted his hat, brushed off his haori, and managed to summon his usual, maddeningly calm tone. "Well then… what's so urgent, Hiyori?"
Her expression darkened. She thrust the report forward.
"Message from the field. Captain Yoruichi and Captain Isshin are returning. The mission's complete."
Kisuke's eyes narrowed. "…And?"
"They caught their target. But Captain Shiba and most of the lieutenants who went with them are in critical condition." Her tone lost its usual bite. "The Captain-Commander's called for an emergency meeting."
For once, Kisuke didn't answer with a joke. His gaze sharpened, the weight of the news sinking in. Then, without another word, he vanished in a flash step, a shadow disappearing down the corridor.
"Tch!! hey! Wait for me, you baldy!" Hiyori shouted, darting after him.
Seireitei : 5th Division Barracks, Lietenant's Office
The mood in the 5th Division was nothing like the storm of the 12th. It was quiet. Too quiet.
Gin Ichimaru leaned lazily against the window frame, arms folded, that ever-present foxlike grin stretched across his face. But his tone betrayed a hint of unease.
"Word's spreadin' quick, Liuetenant. Yoruichi and Isshin bagged their prize, but the squads are a mess. Captain Shiba's barely holdin' on, an' most of the lieutenants are half-dead." He tilted his head, one eye cracking open slightly. "Can't help but wonder… That man's arrival ain't gonna mess up our little plans, is it?"
Across the room, Sōsuke Aizen closed a thick book with deliberate calm. He lifted his gaze to Gin, a faint smile curving his lips.
"Plans, Gin, are never disrupted by a single man. They are only… adjusted." He stood, straightening his haori with practiced ease. "If Minato has been brought here, it is because I allowed it. His arrival is nothing more than another step toward the future I intend to shape."
Gin's grin widened, though the edge in his voice lingered.
"Heh. Guess ya always see ten moves ahead, Taichō. I'll leave the worryin' to you, then."
Aizen's eyes glinted with quiet amusement. "That would be best."
The sliding door rattled open. Shinji Hirako stepped in, brushing through his long hair, trying to fix the mess it was, his expression masking the tension in his eyes.
"Aizen. Gin. Quit whisperin' like schoolgirls and let's go. Captain-Commander's called for all of us. Emergency meeting."
Gin gave a low whistle as he pushed off the window. "Guess the fun's startin' sooner than expected."
Aizen's smile never faltered. Calm. Collected. His presence filled the room as he stepped forward to follow Shinji. Gin trailed after, grin in place, his unease tucked neatly behind it.
The pieces were already on the board. The game was only beginning.
---
10 Minutes Later…
4th Division Barracks
The soft hum of Kidō echoed across the ward, the green glow of healing hands weaving through blood, broken bones, and shredded flesh. The moans of wounded lieutenants filled the chamber as healers rushed between beds, their faces tight with strain.
Captain Retsu Unohana stood poised in the center of the storm, her calm presence anchoring the chaos. Her palms glowed vividly as she pressed them into Isshin Shiba's chest, her reiatsu flooding into his battered body.
Isshin jerked violently, teeth grinding as the healing energy spread through his veins. "Ghhh...Arghhhhn!"
Unohana's gaze was unflinching, but her words were measured.
"Captain Yoruichi. These wounds… the reiatsu that inflicted them. It is familiar. The same traces linger in Kensei's body." Her dark eyes shifted toward Yoruichi. "Don't tell me.."
Yoruichi stood with her arms folded, mask of composure drawn tight though her heart still raced. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You're right, Captain Unohana. It was him."
Her words hung heavy in the air.
Unohana's brow furrowed slightly. "And the platoon you took with you? If they are not here, does that mean…?"
"They didn't intervene," Yoruichi cut in softly. "The battles escalated too quickly. I wasn't about to let them throw their lives away."
Silence. Only the sound of Isshin's ragged breathing filled the space.
Unohana's eyes lingered on Yoruichi a moment longer, as though weighing her words, before turning back to her patient.
"It's alright. You should go. The Head-Captain will surely need your report."
Yoruichi gave a brief nod and strode out, vanishing into the corridors of the 4th Division.
---
Outside the 4th Division :Seireitei
"Yoruichi!"
The familiar, teasing drawl stopped her mid-step. A shadow appeared at her side, shifting awkwardly from the use of Shunpo. Urahara Kisuke.
"You're in one piece," he said, exhaling in relief. "That's good. Had me worried for a second."
Yoruichi smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Worried? Don't tell me you thought I'd get killed out there while you were napping in your barracks."
Kisuke scratched his cheek sheepishly, hat dipping lower. "Heh. Guess I should've known better. You'd probably outlive us all just to spite me."
Their banter lasted only a heartbeat before his tone shifted, serious.
"The emergency meeting's already been called. We're expected."
"I know," Yoruichi replied, glancing toward the distant First Division headquarters. "The meeting hall, right?"
Kisuke shook his head. "Not this time. Central 46 has taken over jurisdiction. We're to report to their council chamber."
Yoruichi's expression hardened, her hand tightening into a fist. "Tch. So the elders are meddling in this already."
Kisuke didn't reply. He simply walked beside her, his silence all the confirmation she needed.
Central 46 Chambers ..Seireitei
The air was cold inside the subterranean council hall. Shadows fell heavily across the towering walls, broken only by pale lantern light and the glow of faintly burning braziers. Rows of judges and sages, the faceless elders of Central 46, sat high upon raised seats, their expressions hidden in shadow, their authority suffocating.
Beneath them, in the cavernous space of the chamber, the Captains of the Gotei 13 stood in two lines facing one another, while their Liuetenants stood on one side, group together and watching the trial with all seriousness. Their white haori gleamed starkly in the dim light, the air thick with tension and whispered speculation.
At the center, bound tightly in kido-forged restraints, sat the man of the moment. His arms and legs were locked to a chair, seals glowing faintly against his skin. His golden hair hung over his face, casting a shadow over his expression.
Silence reigned, oppressive and unyielding. The only sound was the soft shuffle of Captain-Commander Yamamoto's staff as he stepped forward to address both Central 46 and the assembled captains.
A/N: Enjoy🤝