Bleach : I Pick Up Attributes in Seireitei

Kensei turned around and walked back along the path he had come from.

A gust of wind swept through the woods, letting out a low whimper.

This forest was excessively quiet. It even lacked the chirping of birds or the humming of insects; the only sound was the snapping of dead branches beneath his feet.

After walking for a distance, he came to a halt.

Those Seated Officers should have been right around this area of the woods.

These Seated Officers were old comrades he had personally trained. They had followed him for many years and wouldn't make such an oversight.

The only explanation was that they had met with some misfortune.

Kensei quickened his pace. Then, he smelled the scent of blood in the air.

Subsequently, he saw the first corpse. It was his Fourth Seat, Eijima Shinobu.

Eijima Shinobu's back was resting against the trunk of a dead tree. His head hung low, and his hands still maintained the posture of drawing his sword.

His fatal wound was on his chest—a piercing strike had accurately penetrated his heart.

The wound was clean and neat, showing no signs of a struggle. Even his expression remained in a state of high alert, only carrying a trace of confusion.

It was as if he had been killed before even realizing the danger.

Kensei's breathing grew heavy.

He closed his Fourth Seat's eyes, stood up, and looked at the second and third corpses not far away.

The Third Seat and the Sixth Seat.

They too appeared to have been slain before they could react.

The enemy was strong—so strong that they didn't even have room to react.

However, there was still one person missing...

The surrounding wind suddenly stopped.

The woods ceased swaying, and the sunlight seemed to grow somewhat dimmer.

Kensei stood up straight, his hand resting on his Zanpakuto.

The next moment, darkness surged from all directions.

It was a bizarre darkness that blotted out the light; even sound vanished completely.

Kensei raised his guard to the absolute maximum. At this moment, he couldn't even hear his own breathing. The beating of his heart disappeared into the darkness.

Kensei gripped his Zanpakuto tightly. Spiritual pressure circulated frantically within his body as he attempted to shatter this influence.

Within this pitch-black void, he could not sense the enemy's position or predict which direction an attack would come from. Yet, he knew something was lurking in this darkness.

The next moment, a sharp blade pierced his chest.

The blade thrust upward from below, running straight through his chest.

He didn't feel the pain until the tip of the blade protruded from his chest.

The darkness dissipated, and sunlight once again spilled into the withered forest.

Kensei lowered his head and saw the bloodstained tip of the blade jutting out of his chest.

Blood dripped along the blade, blossoming into a thick, dark red stain on the dead leaves beneath his feet.

He wanted to grip his Zanpakuto, wanted to counterattack, but his fingers refused to obey.

The blade was pulled out, causing Kensei's body to sway before he collapsed forward.

He lay on his side on the ground, his eyes wide open in a deadly glare.

Turning his head slightly, he only saw Tosen Kaname standing beside him, the hem of his Shihakusho stained with blood.

"To... sen..."

Kensei's lips parted slightly, but he could no longer produce a sound.

Tosen Kaname did not answer.

The sound of Suzumushi returning to its sheath was exceptionally crisp in the silent forest.

He turned around, turning his back on Muguruma Kensei who lay bleeding profusely on the ground, and walked in the direction of Aizen.

"The mission here is complete. It is confirmed that Muguruma Kensei has lost his ability to resist. Aizen-sama, please issue your next orders."

Aizen stood at the highest point of the hill, currently holding the transparent prism that sealed the Hogyoku.

The Hogyoku slowly revolved within the crystal, emitting a peculiar energy.

Aizen looked at Muguruma Kensei lying immobilized on the ground not far away, a curve forming at the corners of his mouth.

"You did well, Kaname."

At this time, Hasumi Ren stood behind Aizen.

A gentle breeze blew by, ruffling the hem of his clothes.

From last night to daybreak, and then to noon, he had been constantly following Aizen.

Aizen had not let him leave, nor had he given him any opportunity to act independently.

Aizen brought him along for all the deployments, completely locking down his time.

"Lieutenant Aizen."

Hasumi Ren finally spoke up.

Aizen did not turn around; he merely tilted his head slightly. The blue light from the prism cast a cold reflection across his glasses.

"What are we going to do next?"

"Hasumi Ren, you do not need to worry. Simply follow orders with peace of mind."

Hasumi Ren fell silent for a moment.

"There is one thing I still do not understand. If Tosen Kaname's assassination of Muguruma Kensei is part of the plan, Kuna Mashiro has already returned to the Seireitei."

"She saw with her own eyes Royd disguised as Muguruma Kensei. Right now, this intelligence is on its way to the Captains' assembly."

"An emergency meeting of the Gotei 13 will definitely be convened. All Captains will be present."

"And if I, as the Lieutenant of the Fourth Division, am absent without cause on such an occasion..."

He raised his head, looking in Aizen's direction.

"Lieutenant Aizen must have considered this matter long ago, right?"

The smile on Aizen's lips deepened slightly. He replied with an absentminded question.

"That is only natural."

Hasumi Ren's pupils contracted slightly.

Aizen had already started walking away, heading toward where Muguruma Kensei had fallen.

"I have already sent a squad member to take your place."

"His build is similar to yours. With a slight adjustment using Kyoka Suigetsu, no one will see any flaws when he stands behind Unohana."

"Under the influence of Kyoka Suigetsu, he will perfectly play the role of Hasumi Ren on your behalf, so you do not need to worry about anything."

Aizen turned his head back, looking into Hasumi Ren's eyes.

"He will attend the Captains' assembly in your stead. He will handle everything that requires your presence."

"From now on, you will remain here, stay by my side, and assist me in completing the subsequent plans."

"So you do not need to worry. The Fourth Division Lieutenant will not be absent without reason."

Aizen watched Hasumi Ren's reaction with a faint smile.

"And the subsequent plans are?"

"You will know very soon."

Hasumi Ren watched Aizen walk step by step toward Muguruma Kensei lying in a pool of blood, his gaze hardening.

He had been completely unaware that Aizen had arranged a body double in advance.

This meant that Aizen had been preparing today's plan for a very long time, and he had been guarding against him the entire time.

Aizen was certain that Hasumi Ren would make certain choices at a critical moment.

And now, Aizen had tied Hasumi Ren firmly to his side. In name, it was to participate in the subsequent plans; in reality, it was to sever all his ties with the Seireitei.

He could neither send a message to Urahara Kisuke nor corroborate any claims at the Captains' assembly.

Looking at Aizen's back, a deep chill welled up in Hasumi Ren's heart.

'I just hope Urahara Kisuke manages to notice something.'

...

Within the Seireitei, inside the Captain-Commander's assembly hall.

After receiving the emergency notification, all the Captains had assembled, arriving more punctually than for any routine meeting.

The large-scale disappearance of souls in the northern Rukongai, the eyewitness report of a Quincy, the deployment of Captain-class Soul Reapers.

These three events combined made everyone present wear solemn expressions.

Kuna Mashiro stood at the very front of the crowd, panting heavily.

"The above is the entirety of the situation I witnessed in the 80th District of the North."

"After being exposed, that Quincy used a shadow space to escape. Kensei ordered me to return first and report."

"All ten members of the Ninth Division's advance squad, including one Seated Officer, died in the line of duty. The residents of three settlements in the northern Rukongai have disappeared on a massive scale, leaving only their clothes scattered at the scene."

"Kensei engaged the enemy, but the enemy was actually capable of transforming into Kensei's exact likeness, and could even release his Shikai. After being repelled by us, he hid inside the shadows and vanished without a trace."

She took a step forward and bowed her head, saying:

"The situation is urgent. Captain-Commander, please issue an order for reinforcements immediately!"

Yamamoto Shigekuni sat upright in the seat of honor, his hands resting atop his cane, his eyes cast downward.

"A Quincy. This is the second incident. First, the Third Seat of the Fifth Division, and now an entire squad of officers along with the residents have been completely wiped out..."

"Captain-Commander."

A voice rang out from outside the assembly hall.

Urahara Kisuke pushed open the doors to the assembly hall. Standing behind him was Shihoin Yoruichi, her arms crossed over her chest and her expression stern.

Behind the two of them were none other than the Grand Kido Chief, Tsukabishi Tessai, and the Deputy Kido Chief, Ushoda Hachigen.

Yamamoto raised his eyes, looking at Yoruichi.

"The Kido Corps... You brought them here; do you have something to report?"

"Yes."

Yoruichi took a step forward.

"Urahara Kisuke has important intelligence that needs to be reported directly to the Captains' assembly. It concerns our judgment regarding this incident in the Rukongai."

"The two from the Kido Corps met us on our way here. They are also quite concerned about the matter in the Rukongai."

Yamamoto fell silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Urahara walked to the front of the group and held up a document in his hand. It was the internal data from the joint investigation into the Quincy traces conducted previously by the Second and Twelfth Divisions.

"Thank you, Captain-Commander. Everyone present should be well aware that the Twelfth Division and I have been tracking the so-called unidentified spiritual pressure fluctuations for some time now, as well as the recently emerging traces of suspected Quincy activity."

His voice carried a heavy tone.

"I heard Lieutenant Kuna Mashiro's report just now. An eyewitness account of a fleeing Quincy and Captain Kensei's pursuit—these are indeed powerful and compelling pieces of evidence."

"But the situation this time is absolutely not as simple as a mere Quincy attack."

"From the initial spiritual pressure fluctuations, to the cause of death of the Fifth Division's Third Seat, and then to the large number of Rukongai residents who vanished recently—certain details of these cases contradict the known methods of Quincies."

"From this, I suspect that beneath the layer of evidence pointing toward the Quincies lies another, much deeper layer of darkness."

He looked at Yamamoto, enunciating every word.

"We must proceed with caution."

Yamamoto was silent for a moment.

"Are you saying that, aside from the Quincies themselves, we have other enemies?"

"Yes."

Urahara nodded without hesitation.

Low murmurs of discussion rippled through the assembly hall.

Yoruichi frowned slightly at this moment. What she was concerned about wasn't the conclusion itself.

After all, given Urahara's personality, he wouldn't charge directly into a Captains' assembly to state this unless he was eighty or ninety percent certain.

Kyoraku Shunsui pulled down his bamboo hat, his expression unreadable.

Ukitake coughed lightly, frowning in deep thought.

Urahara continued speaking.

"Regarding this point, I am not making baseless claims. Fourth Division Lieutenant Hasumi Ren."

He turned around and looked behind Unohana.

"He has also conducted an independent investigation into this case, and he is very clear about the suspicious points within. Lieutenant Hasumi Ren, you..."

His voice suddenly faltered.

The person standing behind Unohana wore a Lieutenant's badge on his sleeve. His face was calm, his posture steady—it was indeed Hasumi Ren.

However, as that person looked at Urahara, his brows furrowed slightly.

"I have never heard of what Third Seat Urahara is talking about."

His voice was level, even sounding like there was a hint of offended confusion.

"Based on the information I currently possess, Lieutenant Kuna Mashiro's eyewitness report perfectly aligns with our previous investigation direction. To me, there is nothing abnormal about this matter."

The assembly hall fell completely silent.

Urahara stood frozen in place, staring at his face.

This was Hasumi Ren's face, and the voice was his voice too.

But why did the person standing before him give off such a strange vibe?

It was as if the two of them didn't know each other at all.

With such a long history of friendship, why would he display this kind of behavior and attitude?

Urahara retracted his gaze, looked toward Yamamoto Shigekuni in the center, and then inconspicuously shot a glance at Aizen standing behind Hirako Shinji.

Aizen's posture remained impeccable, a gentle smile hanging on his face.

Urahara narrowed his eyes; a deep sense of doubt was already welling up in his heart.

"Hasumi Ren...?"

At this moment, Urahara Kisuke was a bit unsure of what to say, but he had already sensed that something was wrong.

Right then, he remembered the power of Kyoka Suigetsu.

'Deceiving the five senses...'

'Is the person in front of me really Hasumi Ren?'

Just as Urahara Kisuke wanted to ask something more.

At this time, urgent running footsteps echoed from the corridor once more.

It seemed even more frantic than all the previous messengers.

A Twelfth Division squad member stumbled as he pushed open the doors. His face was deathly pale, and without even catching his breath, he blurted out:

"Report! Emergency situation! Captain Muguruma Kensei's spiritual pressure has just vanished from the monitoring system!"

Upon hearing this, Kuna Mashiro violently whipped her head toward the door.

Her body reacted faster than her brain, her legs already bolting toward the exit.

However, a figure was even faster than her. Hirako Shinji Shunpo'd right in front of Kuna Mashiro and grabbed her shoulder. The force wasn't immense, yet it rooted her entirely to the spot.

"Kuna Mashiro, calm down."

Hirako's voice lacked its usual lazy drawl; at this moment, it was extraordinarily calm and steady.

Kuna Mashiro looked up at him. Her lips trembled, and something swirled in her eyes, though she stubbornly fought back the tears.

"Kensei, he..."

"I know."

Hirako did not say more; the hand resting on her shoulder merely gripped a bit tighter.

Then he turned his head, looking toward Yamamoto Shigekuni, who sat in the seat of honor.

"Captain-Commander, please give the order. Souls have vanished, Soul Reapers have been murdered, and now even a Captain is in danger."

"This incident is no longer an ordinary matter."

Hirako's tone was calm and grave.

"As the backup squad, the Fifth Division cannot just sit by and do nothing."

Yamamoto Shigekuni slowly stood up.

His cane struck the stone floor heavily. A dense, oppressive spiritual pressure radiated from the Captain-Commander's body, suppressing all the noise within the room.

This strongest Soul Reaper, who had guarded the Soul Society for a thousand years, swept his gaze across everyone present; his aged eyes were brimming with commanding majesty.

"Permission granted. I hereby order Hirako Shinji, Love Aikawa, and Rojuro Ootoibashi to immediately form an emergency support squad."

"The Twelfth Division will dispatch one person to accompany them for monitoring."

"Kyoraku, you shall go as well."

Yamamoto looked at Hikifune Kirio, then shifted his gaze to Kyoraku Shunsui.

At this time, Kyoraku turned his head to look at his own Lieutenant.

"Let Lisa handle this matter. The Seireitei also needs manpower."

Hearing this, Yamamoto nodded slightly.

"Then Sarugaki Hiyori will accompany them as the Twelfth Division's special technical support. Yadomaru Lisa, appointed by Kyoraku Shunsui, will also be incorporated into the squad."

"Deputy Kido Chief, Ushoda Hachigen shall go along with them as well."

"From this moment on, the entirety of the Gotei 13 is to enter a state of combat readiness."

As his words fell, his cane struck the ground once again.

"Move out immediately."