"Were you the one who eliminated all those Hollows recently?" Rukia looked at Shin.
Ever since Shin appeared, she noticed that there were far fewer Hollows in Karakura Town, and she and Ichigo often came up empty-handed.
"Probably?" Shin scratched his head.
These past few days, in order to earn Points, he had cleared out all the Hollows in Karakura Town and its surrounding areas.
"What exactly is your purpose?"
"You want to ask why I'm eliminating Hollows, right?" Shin replied.
"Those guys are causing destruction everywhere, devouring human souls, and howling like wolves in the middle of the night. They're not good things."
"Since I have this power, I should make good use of it."
Shin adopted a righteous and honorable demeanor.
"Let's leave it at that for today. I have something else to do, so I'm off. See you next time." Shin didn't wait for their reactions, turning and leaving.
"What's with that guy?" Ichigo felt a slight dislike for Shin.
He had been inexplicably beaten twice by this guy.
Rukia said, "I'm not sure, but for now, it doesn't seem like he's our enemy."
...
Shinohara went to Urahara Shop.
He exchanged some of his information for intel about Shinigami and this world from Kisuke.
However, that guy only revealed the most basic information. He truly was an unscrupulous merchant.
Urahara Shop.
"Solar energy? Suddenly awakened power? Just wants to do good deeds?"
"How credible do you think it is?" Kisuke looked at Yoruichi.
It turned out that Yoruichi had already returned from Soul Society.
"According to our investigation, he indeed only recently displayed this power. We can't rule out that he was deliberately hiding it before."
"Regardless, we should be careful around him." Yoruichi analyzed.
"Hmm... I want you to continue monitoring him." Kisuke said with a smile.
"You really know how to boss people around."
—
Not long after Shin returned home, he spotted the black cat, Yoruichi, again.
'It seems Kisuke still doesn't trust me.'
Yoruichi planned to pretend to be a stray cat this time to approach Shin for long-term surveillance.
Shin walked over, picked up the black cat, and while stroking it, said, "Isn't this the black cat from last time?"
"Even though you scratched me last time, what can I do? I like cats."
For some reason, Yoruichi felt Shin was much more amiable this time. It made her unconsciously want to get closer to him, so much so that she didn't avoid his embrace.
Yoruichi had no idea this was Shinohara's [Black Cat Affinity+] ability at work.
'Damn it... why does it feel so comfortable? I'm not a real cat.'
Watching the black cat look like she was thoroughly enjoying being petted, Shin chuckled inwardly.
'Watch me pet you until your fur falls out today.'
"Here, have some goat milk." Shin took a small plate, poured some goat milk into it, and placed it in front of the black cat.
Yoruichi, as the dignified former head of the Shihōin family, certainly wouldn't lick goat milk like an ordinary cat. She sat up, holding her head high with arrogance.
"Why aren't you drinking? Don't you like it? Goat milk is good for cats." Shin found teasing Yoruichi incredibly amusing.
"If you don't want to drink it, then fine. You'll definitely be interested in this."
Shin then took out a cat teaser and waved it in front of the black cat.
Yoruichi felt that Shin was both amiable and annoying. She felt her dignity being severely trampled, yet she couldn't bring herself to dislike him.
"Meow—"
If it had been anyone else treating her like this, she would have lashed out already.
'This guy is really strange. If I stay any longer, who knows what he will do to me?'
Yoruichi darted away with a "whoosh."
"Huh... why did it run off again?"
Only Shinohara was left, secretly chuckling.
Two days later.
Shin suddenly sensed a Hollow with a considerable Reiatsu.
Upon investigating, he discovered it was Grand Fisher, the Hollow that had killed Ichigo's mother.
Watching Ichigo and the others fight it, he did not intervene. This Hollow should be handled by Ichigo himself.
...
In the following days, Shin only occasionally went out to eliminate a Hollow, sensing Yoruichi following him. However, he didn't care.
These Hollows were too weak, and what he displayed was only the most basic of his abilities.
When Shin was home, Yoruichi would occasionally drop by, and each time, after being thoroughly petted, she would slip away. She was practically like a scoundrel who put on his pants after doing the deed and didn't acknowledge anyone. It left Shin quite speechless.
However, the peaceful life was soon broken.
Shin had just slain a Hollow when a voice sounded from behind him.
"Who are you? I can't feel any Reiatsu from you. How strange."
Shin turned around, it was Ishida Uryū.
The boy was wearing a high school uniform, with short, parted hair and silver-rimmed glasses.
"Then who are you?"
"My name is Ishida Uryū, and I am a Quincy."
"A Quincy, huh? I'm Nohara Shin, just an ordinary person with some abilities. I need to state that I am not a Shinigami."
"It seems you're well aware of the feud between Quincies and Shinigamis." Uryū pushed up his glasses.
Shin said, "Speaking of which, we have a few similarities."
Shin changed the subject, "Looking at your clothes, you're from Karakura High School, right?"
Without waiting for Uryū's answer, he continued, "You must have already discovered Rukia and Ichigo's identities as Shinigami, right?"
"You know them?" Uryū maintained a calm demeanor.
"I guess you could say I know them. I've beaten that kid a few times."
"Are you planning to keep hiding? Aren't you going to do something about the Shinigami?" Shin chuckled.
Uryū showed no expression, but he was somewhat surprised inside.
Because he really wanted to compete with the Shinigamis to prove that the Quincy weren't weaker than them, and that this world didn't need Shinigamis. He just hadn't figured out how to proceed yet.
"I'll give you a lead. You can go to Urahara Shop. They sell all sorts of strange and wonderful things there. Maybe there's something that can help you."
"Urahara Shop?" Uryū murmured.
"Why are you helping me?"
"Didn't I say? We're a bit alike."
Yes, we're both quite good at acting.
"Anyway, thanks." Uryū said and then left.
'This guy sure knows how to act cool.' Shin stroked his chin, watching Uryū's retreating figure.
This way, the original plot where Uryū challenges Ichigo could happen sooner.
Uryū would use the "Hollow bait" to attract a large number of Hollows, thereby engaging in a Hollow hunting competition with Ichigo.
Shin could take this opportunity to hunt more Hollows. Not to mention there was also a Gillian. He just didn't know how many Points that Gillian would give.