Bleach : I Pick Up Attributes in Seireitei

"Before that," Urahara lowered his voice, "you need to sound Aizen out."

"Everything he's doing now is to draw the Seireitei's attention to those Quincies."

"If the Seireitei and the Wandenreich really clash head-on, at what point does he plan to initiate his Hogyoku project?"

"If we don't figure these things out, we'll be in a very passive position."

"You're right."

Hasumi Ren stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window was the 4th Division's inner courtyard, where several squad members could be seen carrying medicine packets across the stone path.

"Aizen recently told me that the Hogyoku experiments are nearing maturity. Since they're almost ready, his next step will inevitably be to accelerate the process and then look for an opportunity to seize the one in your hands."

"This move with the Wandenreich might just be his way of distracting the Gotei 13."

"Moreover, he hasn't informed me in advance about anything he's done recently."

Hasumi Ren turned around.

"He has probably started to guard against me."

"But you're right, we need to know his plan."

"We need to at least know the general outline to prepare in advance. I'll try asking him and see how he reacts."

Urahara nodded, pushed the door open, and left. The door clicked shut gently behind him, and quiet returned to the clinic.

Hasumi Ren sat back at his desk, pondering carefully.

Probing Aizen's intentions was easier said than done; it required extreme caution.

Ever since the incident with the fake Tosen Kaname, although Aizen hadn't held Hasumi Ren accountable in any way, Hasumi Ren could feel that the relationship between them had grown somewhat delicate.

Aizen was now more careful when assigning tasks and much more measured when revealing information.

But right now, with the fake Tosen Kaname exposed, the shadow of the Quincies surfacing, and the Hogyoku project steadily advancing, it was also the time when Aizen needed capable subordinates the most.

How Aizen would balance his need for manpower against his wariness was exactly what Hasumi Ren intended to test.

At dusk, Hasumi Ren left the 4th Division and headed toward the barren mountains west of the Rukongai.

He didn't walk fast, organizing his thoughts along the way.

Inside the secret laboratory, the moment Hasumi Ren pushed open the stone door, he heard more than one voice.

He paused his steps.

Aside from Aizen, there was someone else in the lab who surprised him slightly.

Aizen was currently facing away from the door, his posture relaxed as he flipped through a document.

Beside him stood a slender, silver-haired youth wearing a Shihakusho.

Hearing the noise, Ichimaru Gin turned his head.

"Oh, Hasumi Ren-senpai."

Ichimaru Gin narrowed his eyes, a trace of surprise flashing across his face before a cryptic, faint smile crept up the corners of his mouth.

"This is... truly unsurprising."

Gin drew out the end of his sentence.

Hasumi Ren's gaze lingered on Gin for a moment before shifting to Aizen.

"Hasumi Ren, you're here just in time."

He placed the document in his hand onto the examination table, raised a hand, and pointed gently at Gin.

"Ichimaru Gin, a newcomer to the 5th Division. From now on, he is also one of us."

"During his time in the 5th Division, Gin has already proven his worth."

"He approached me on his own accord and expressed his willingness to join our cause."

Aizen chuckled softly, raising a hand to gesture for the two to come closer.

"Gin is a rare talent as well, and I have high hopes for him. However, Hasumi Ren,"

He paused, looking into Hasumi Ren's eyes.

"You should already be quite familiar with him, shouldn't you."

The words were spoken casually, but they made Hasumi Ren's heart clench.

Hasumi Ren knew what Aizen was implying. Aizen had known about his interactions with Ichimaru Gin for a long time.

Now, by bringing Gin into the lab and airily piercing that paper-thin veil in front of both of them, Aizen probably just wanted to gauge Hasumi Ren's reaction.

"Indeed," Hasumi Ren said. "We crossed paths once during a mission in the Rukongai."

"It must be more than just a passing encounter. The two of you ought to have a deeper connection."

Aizen's finger traced lightly over the document, as if recalling something amusing.

Gin's narrowed eyes opened just a sliver.

He didn't say anything, but Hasumi Ren could sense that his body had gradually grown slightly tense while Aizen was speaking.

"We did converse a bit."

Hasumi Ren's voice didn't waver in the slightest.

"This kid's ambition isn't small. To use him, one must exercise utmost caution."

"Furthermore, he seems to have quite a few grievances with your actions."

The curve of Aizen's smile deepened.

He was clearly satisfied with Hasumi Ren's blunt and unfiltered attitude.

Hasumi Ren withdrew his gaze from Gin and locked eyes with Aizen.

"Aren't you afraid he might ruin your plans by letting him in just like this?"

Gin's laughter drifted over from the other side of the lab table, tinged with the slight grievance of being misunderstood.

"Senpai, those words are far too hurtful. My admiration for Lord Aizen is completely genuine."

"Saying such things right to his face, isn't that just slandering me?"

Aizen chuckled, breaking the bizarre tension between the two, and raised his hand to signal them to quiet down.

Aizen reckoned that right in front of him, there was merely a senior spy and a junior spy putting on a show for one another.

Jokes aside, there wasn't a single good person among them.

"Alright, you will be comrades from now on. There is no need to bicker."

"I have my own judgment regarding Gin's abilities and character."

Hasumi Ren sat down across from him.

Gin also dropped his playful demeanor and stood quietly by Aizen's side.

Aizen picked up the document he had been reading earlier and placed it in the center of the lab table.

"The Hogyoku experiments are nearing maturity. It is time to push forward."

His tone grew serious, shedding the lightheartedness from a moment ago.

"The test results from this phase indicate that the Hogyoku's Reiatsu output frequency can now stably maintain the initial stages of Arrancarification."

"But an initial-stage Arrancar is still far from sufficient, both in terms of morphological completeness and combat power."

He picked up a data sheet, pointing to several key nodes on it.

"The next step requires starting with the baseline of the souls, increasing the richness of the Reiatsu samples, and simultaneously scaling up the number of experimental subjects for large-scale physical testing."

"Relying solely on Hollows from Hueco Mundo and the occasional soul from the Soul Society as materials is no longer enough. I need souls, a massive amount of them."

Silence fell over the laboratory.

Hasumi Ren didn't speak, waiting for Aizen to finish his piece.

"Hasumi Ren."

Aizen looked up, his eyes turning slightly dangerous.

"I need you to go to the Rukongai and capture some souls for me."

"This mission is crucial, which is why I am entrusting it to you."

Hasumi Ren locked eyes with Aizen for a moment.

"How many?"

"For the first batch, thirty."

Aizen stood up and put the data sheet back into the drawer.

"You have full discretion over selecting the targets, but Tosen Kaname will accompany you as an overseer."

"I hope you will not disappoint me."

...

The night was as black as ink. On the wasteland of the 66th District in the North Rukongai, a few dilapidated wooden huts stood crookedly at the foot of the mountain.

This was one of the more remote areas of the Rukongai, far beyond the Seireitei's jurisdiction, and rarely visited by Soul Reapers.

The souls living here were mostly thugs among the vagrants. Those who couldn't survive in other districts would eventually drift their way to a place like this.

Hasumi Ren stood on the hillside, the night wind whipping his Shihakusho around him.

He had long anticipated the task of capturing souls, and thus, he had made some preparations.

This was the location he had scouted out in advance.

"The targets are just ahead."

Hasumi Ren spoke.

"There are a dozen or so vagrants living across these huts."

"These are the targets you selected?"

Tosen Kaname's voice drifted over, his tone laced with a hint of disdain.

Hasumi Ren didn't reply, simply striding down the slope toward the wooden huts.

Tosen Kaname followed closely behind.

In the outermost hut, a burly man was leaning against the wall, dozing off.

Beside him lay several crudely made blades, their surfaces still stained with uncleaned blood.

When Hasumi Ren pushed open the rickety wooden door, the man jolted awake, his hand instinctively reaching for the blade beside him.

"Who's there?!"

"A Soul Reaper from the Seireitei? Why would you come to a place like this..."

His voice trembled with an air of incredulous panic.

Hasumi Ren didn't answer. He used Flash Step to appear beside the man and knocked him out with a single strike of his palm.

Then, Hasumi Ren activated a Bakudo. Bakudo #4: Hainawa.

A glowing gray rope shot from his palm, tightly binding the man's hands behind his back.

His movements were clean and efficient, without a single wasted word or motion.

The people further inside the huts were more alert. Having heard the commotion outside, they had all stood up and walked out with weapons in hand.

"It's a Soul Reaper! Kill him!"

Upon spotting Hasumi Ren, these men roared and charged at him.

Hasumi Ren's figure vanished from where he stood. His Flash Step was so fast that these men couldn't even react.

The iron pipe in one man's hand smashed through the afterimage Hasumi Ren left behind, crashing heavily into the ground.

A second later, a precise chop struck the back of his neck. His eyes rolled back, and he slumped limply to the floor.

Hasumi Ren moved swiftly. Moments later, every single one of them had been knocked unconscious.

Afterward, Hasumi Ren dragged the unconscious men over.

Tosen Kaname stood on the hillside, remaining completely silent.

He didn't need to speak. His job was to observe. Aizen had sent him to confirm whether Hasumi Ren carried out the mission properly.

And the targets Hasumi Ren had chosen were all thugs lurking in the fringe areas of the Rukongai, who specialized in attacking others for survival supplies.

No Soul Reaper was willing to govern here, so they survived by plundering. Even left alone, these scum would likely die eventually during one of their own wicked deeds.

As Tosen Kaname watched Hasumi Ren specifically target these people, the feeling of displeasure in his heart grew stronger.

At this moment, Tosen Kaname finally descended from the slope.

"You are wasting time."

His voice was calm, but every word dripped with coldness.

"Lord Aizen's assignment is thirty vagrants. You only need to capture enough people as quickly as possible and return. There was no need to deliberately travel to a place this far out."

"Finding large gatherings of people in a desolate area like this is extremely troublesome."

Tosen Kaname's tone grew several degrees colder.

"If you think capturing these people for the experiments makes you feel better than taking the weak and innocent, that is nothing more than a pathetic excuse to comfort yourself."

"It is meaningless mercy."

"The result is the same; none of them will return. You are simply squandering Lord Aizen's time."

Leaving behind those cold words, Tosen Kaname turned around.

"Time is running short. You had better pick up the pace."

Hasumi Ren stood where he was, watching Tosen Kaname's back disappear into the night.

He dragged the dozen or so Hainawa ropes trailing the unconscious vagrants. After securing these men, Hasumi Ren turned and headed in his next direction.

Soon after sweeping through another hideout, Hasumi Ren had captured the required number.

Before dawn broke, Hasumi Ren returned to the laboratory with his captives.

The vagrants were restrained by sealing formulas, stacked like cargo in the storage area at the deepest part of the lab.

Aizen stood at the lab table, flipping through the Hogyoku's experimental data.

Hasumi Ren approached Aizen and reported on his mission.

Aizen set down the data and let his gaze linger on Hasumi Ren for a moment.

"Kaname has already informed me of your circumstances during the operation."

"His assessment is that you wasted precious time."

Hasumi Ren said nothing.

"But I have taken a look."

Aizen glanced toward the direction where the thugs were kept.

"The materials you brought back are of quite good quality. Strong, robust bodies with abundant Reiatsu; they are very suitable as base materials for the Arrancar experiments."

"Furthermore, the disappearance of a modest number of souls from the outer districts of the Rukongai certainly won't attract the Seireitei's attention."

He closed the file and looked up at Hasumi Ren.

"Therefore, my conclusion is that you did well."

"Regardless of how you went about your selection, the people you brought back meet the experimental requirements, and that is what I need."

Aizen walked back to the lab table and set the file down.

"The process is irrelevant. I only care for the results, and your results are satisfactory."

"Prepare the materials. The Hollowfication experiment can now commence."

Aizen ordered.

Hasumi Ren, Tosen Kaname, and Ichimaru Gin then separated the souls into individual compartments, lining them up neatly.

Aizen brought out the Hogyoku. Prompted by his power, the Hogyoku's glow intensified abruptly, enveloping the captives.

The vagrants' bodies began to tremble violently within the blue light. Reiatsu leaked uncontrollably from their bodies, coming into contact with the Hogyoku's energy.

The instant the Hogyoku's energy surged in, the first vagrant's Reiatsu reached its critical point. He spewed white foam from his mouth as his body began to disintegrate.

Reishi peeled away starting from his limbs, as if layers were being shaved off by invisible blades, before dissolving into tiny motes of light in the air.

The entire process happened rapidly.

After the first vagrant vanished, only a set of tattered clothes remained, drifting lightly to the floor.

Then, wherever the Hogyoku's energy passed, the bodies of the vagrants dissolved into Reishi and dissipated, one after another.

Aizen stood before the containment area, looking at the empty clothes. A profound, meaningful curve tugged at the corner of his lips.

"The souls could not withstand the Hogyoku's power and were completely disintegrated, leaving only their clothes behind. The scene makes it look as though these people simply vanished into thin air."

He walked back to the lab table, picked up the experimental data, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

"Keep these clothes secure. Next, we will need to fabricate a few new traces around the Seireitei."

"Since Captain Commander Yamamoto has ordered heightened patrols, we must ensure that whatever they uncover is enough to cement the conclusion that Quincies exist."

He closed the Kido formula base and looked up at Hasumi Ren.

"This time, you will participate as well."

"It is time for you to learn what our next move will be."