49  CHAPTER 50: A Tactical Nuke

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Yoruichi observed the young man, intrigue sparkling in her golden eyes. Shinigami (Soul) aged strangely in the Soul Society, but humans (Quincy) were not renowned for their longevity, at least the one she was familiar with. Despite appearing no older than twenty-five, he wielded Reiryoku rivaling that of a Captain-Class — she found this fact hard to swallow.

"Is he really the one?" Doubt, unmasked and raw, crept into her voice as she questioned Kisuke. "You weren't pulling my leg about this, right?"

"Nope."

Kazuya's eyebrows shot up, a flash of surprise in his eyes. "I didn't think Urahara-san was fond of talking cats. One of your crazy inventions?"

Kisuke opened the paper fan and concealed his smirk. "Yoruichi-san is a natural cat I found in the Shihōin mansion. Some pussies are irresistible, they say."

"Shihōin? Don't tell me this is Yoruichi Shihōin…"

The slightest widening of Yoruichi's eyes betrayed her surprise. "You seem rather well-versed in our ways. Who enlightened you about the Seireitei? A friend, a family member, or a stranger from the other side?"

Skipping the flimsy pleasantries, she dived straight into the crux of the matter.

Before Kazuya could utter a response, Kisuke smoothly interjected, "Yoruichi-san, let's offer our guest a seat first. I wouldn't want any rumors about my shop lacking in common courtesy."

With a graceful sweep of her paw, Yoruichi motioned towards a cushion set opposite to her. "Take a seat."

Kazuya moved forward at Tessai's gentle push, the door sliding shut behind him.

"Relax, guys," he muttered, calmly settling down under Yoruichi's intense stare. "I'll reveal everything, but first, stop acting like I'm here to steal your candies."

Kisuke couldn't help but chuckle. "He is telling you to chill, Yoruichi-san."

Yoruichi snarled, baring her feline fangs. "What? I'm as calm as a moon's reflection on a still pond. It's you who looks uncomfortable."

Deflecting the blame towards Kazuya was a convenient way to downplay her own impatience.

In response, Kazuya merely shrugged. "Urahara-san, promise me one favor in exchange for my information. I can guarantee the information will be helpful in your ongoing battle against Aizen."

Kisuke paused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He was not one to be easily indebted, but the stakes were too high to dismiss this offer. While he had faith in Yamamoto's power, he doubted that Seireitei would anticipate a threat from their most peaceful-looking captain. Things might escalate too far by the time they realize their mistake.

Aizen's Hollowfication experiments and his Kyoka Sugetsu made him such a terrifying wild card in his eyes.

Kisuke bobbed his head in agreement. "If it's within reason, the always charming and trustworthy Kisuke Urahara will lend a hand. Just once."

Yoruichi swiveled to face Kisuke, a hint of warning in her tone as she spoke, "Careful with the promises you make."

Being a former noble and former commander of the 2nd Squad, she was well-acquainted with individuals exploiting favors for their own malicious purposes. Though she didn't take Kisuke as the careless type, a note of concern lingered.

"I know what I'm doing." Kisuke dismissed her worries with a wave of his hand and a playful tap on the table. "Now, time for you to uphold your end, Kazuya-san."

The easy acceptance from Kisuke was an unexpected curveball. Still, Kazuya remained stoic, all business, with no room for playfulness.

"I know a lot about Aizen because… I used to be a Seated Officer serving Aizen. Even that didn't protect me from becoming a part of his plan. I ended up embroiled in his 'Hollowfication', consumed by a Hollow soul planted in mine."

Thus, he unveiled the first chapter of his twisted tale — a narrative that would have been impossible without his meta understanding of this world.

"Wa… Wait, what do you mean you died? Is this—"

"—Reincarnation," Kisuke concluded Yoruichi's sentence, his face a mask of grave seriousness. "A flawed reincarnation, where the soul retains its memories. I have encountered a few such instances during my study, though none significant enough to raise alarm."

Kisuke had delved into the deepest reaches of Shihōin's family archives, seeking the most obscure knowledge concerning the spiritual world — like the god of Shinigami being an anchor of three realms, a husk of his former self. A god who was massacred by five noble families out of fear for his power.

Seeing Kisuke deep in thought, Kazuya smiled appreciatively. There was an undeniable pleasure in the company of razor-sharp minds that saw profound meaning in the most nonsensical words.

'It's easy to bullshit with the genius ones.'

He crossed his arms and nodded his head. "Exactly. I reincarnated as a Hollow."

His bold declaration was meant to be a calculated nuke on their minds, to provoke a reaction. He awaited their responses with an impish gleam in his eyes. Even under dire circumstances, his natural trickster spirit couldn't be suppressed.

Kisuke remained composed, his eyebrows arching in bemused interest at the outrageous claim. In stark contrast, Yoruichi reacted like a storm — hissing, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks, her tail standing straight in agitation. She looked ready to carve his face apart with her claws.

"Even a blind Shinigami can tell the difference between a Quincy and a Hollow. Do you take us for fools?!"

His tale of betrayal had her entranced until he shattered the illusion with an outlandishly false claim. As a former Shinigami, she knew all too well the intricacies of souls and the delicate balance of realms. The notion of a soul reincarnating with its memories was well within the realm of plausibility, but a Quincy claiming to be a Hollow? That was nothing short of ridiculous.

"Ease up, Yoruichi-san," Kisuke implored with a calming gesture and glanced at Kazuya. "Yoruichi-san isn't known for her patience but for her vicious actions as the Commander of Onmitsukidō. Kazuya-san, I won't be able to hold her back if you don't provide a reasonable explanation."

Unwittingly, Kisuke and Yoruichi had slipped into the timeless 'good cop, bad cop' dynamic.

Kazuya calmly took the cup of tea under Yoruichi's calm gaze. "I intended to explain but Shihōin-san interrupted me. Let's put that aside for now. Urahara-san, can this house conceal Reiatsu? What I am about to do may alarm Quincy and Shinigami alike."

"It can," Yoruichi said and got up, walking to the door. "I have no interest in your lies anymore."

Just as she reached to slide open the door, she stopped as if struck by a bolt of lightning. The Reiatsu of a Hollow, mightier than her own, seized her attention like a vice.

Whirling around, she saw Kazuya surrounded by a sky blue Reiatsu. Even though she couldn't see his face from her position, she could see the horns coming from the side of his head.

He looked over his shoulder, smiling after giving them the shock of their lifetime. "Shihōin-san, do you believe me now?"