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Shin, for his part, had no idea Yoruichi was looking for him. He was thoroughly enjoying his time in the World of the Living.
'The World of the Living is a definite improvement over the Soul Society.'
At the very least, there was more to do. Compared to the stagnant, unchanging nature of the Soul Society, it was far more interesting. Of course, having spent so much time there, Shin had simply grown bored of it.
Strolling through the streets and sampling the local cuisine, Shin eventually found himself in a familiar spot: the Urahara Shop.
'Well, what do you know? Urahara Kisuke's little storefront.'
Shin approached the small shop without hesitation. As he drew near, Tessai Tsukabishi, who was minding the store, froze.
"Captain Shin?"
Tessai's expression immediately hardened, his eyes locking onto Shin with extreme caution, as if expecting an attack at any moment.
"Relax. I'm not here to cause trouble for you. If I were, I would've shown up long ago," Shin said, giving Tessai a sidelong glance.
Although Urahara and Tessai's crimes weren't as severe as those of the Visored, they were still wanted men. An encounter with another Soul Reaper was the last thing they wanted, especially one as overwhelmingly powerful as Shin. A fight would be a guaranteed loss.
"I wonder what brings Captain Shin to my humble shop? Are you perhaps looking for supplies for a Gigai?" Urahara Kisuke asked, appearing with his signature fan hiding a shrewd smile.
"You're a well-informed man, Urahara Kisuke. You must know I'm no longer a captain. So rest assured, I'm not here to arrest you, nor will I report your location to anyone."
Shin said to Urahara. In reality, Urahara's hiding spot wasn't much of a secret to certain people in the Soul Society. Many Soul Reapers knew, and besides, the Urahara Shop primarily sold goods to Soul Reapers, maintaining transactions with quite a few of them.
"Old habits die hard. I'll stick with 'Captain Shin' for now." Urahara chuckled, his mind already racing, trying to deduce Shin's purpose for being in the World of the Living.
Urahara was certain that Shin wouldn't appear here for no reason. He had to have a goal.
'I just hope he's not here for the Hōgyoku.' For some reason, a gut feeling made Urahara's thoughts jump straight to the Hōgyoku.
His intuition was spot on, but Shin wasn't there to take the Hōgyoku from Urahara. He did want to obtain it, but he wanted the complete Hōgyoku, not the flawed prototype Urahara had created.
Besides, Shin knew the Hōgyoku wasn't even with Urahara anymore. If he wasn't mistaken, it should already be with Rukia Kuchiki—or more specifically, hidden within her soul.
Then again, that wasn't a certainty. Perhaps Urahara hadn't hidden it in her soul just yet.
Even in its incomplete state, the Hōgyoku would be of considerable use to Rukia. Aizen could use it to break the boundaries between Hollow and Soul Reaper, creating Arrancars. Urahara's version would surely be capable of inducing some kind of change in Rukia.
"By the way, here's a tip for you: Aizen's got his eyes on you. Then again, he always has."
Shin said to Urahara suddenly.
Aizen held Urahara in high regard, and Urahara's location was no secret to him.
Hearing Shin bring up Aizen, Urahara's expression shifted, becoming a touch more serious.
"So, Captain Shin is aware that Aizen is up to no good." Urahara's eyes were fixed on Shin, trying to glean more information from him.
"Is that really so important?" Shin asked Aizen with a faint smile.
"And is it not?"
Urahara narrowed his eyes slightly. If Shin Uzumaki knew Aizen was plotting something, why hadn't he tried to expose him?
What exactly was Shin Uzumaki planning?
"I'm just giving you a heads-up."
After saying his piece, Shin had no intention of elaborating. He turned and left.
Watching Shin's retreating figure, Urahara's expression soured, though he said nothing.
'If Aizen is watching me, I'll need to be more careful.'
Urahara knew he was no match for Aizen; otherwise, he wouldn't have been outmaneuvered by him back then. Urahara was by no means weak—his Zanpakutō was quite powerful—but it all depended on who you compared him to. Against Aizen, he fell short.
Even without the Hōgyoku, the current Aizen had reached the pinnacle of his abilities, standing at the absolute apex of all Soul Reapers.
—
Shin wandered through the World of the Living for a while before returning to his current residence.
His plan was to stay here for a while. The real show in the World of the Living was about to begin, and Shin had no intention of missing it.
A week passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, he'd even caught the sight of a certain orange-haired substitute hacking away at Hollows with an oversized cleaver.
As for Rukia Kuchiki, having lost all her spiritual power, she was now just an ordinary person—or rather, an ordinary soul. Without a Gigai, she was just another wandering spirit in the World of the Living.
'By my reckoning, it won't be long before Byakuya Kuchiki comes to collect Rukia.' Shin sat perched on a tall building, watching Ichigo Kurosaki head home after slaying a Hollow, and fell into thought.
He was right, it wouldn't be long. News of Rukia illegally transferring her Soul Reaper powers to a human had already reached the Seireitei.
It was a major crime, a violation of the rules that couldn't be ignored, and Central 46 had personally taken an interest. When Central 46 got involved, things were never simple.
To preserve the honor of the Kuchiki clan, Byakuya Kuchiki himself was leading a team to apprehend Rukia. Renji Abarai was with him, his heart filled with anger—not at Rukia, but at Ichigo Kurosaki.
The moment Byakuya arrived in the World of the Living, Shin knew. His Reiatsu blanketed the entirety of Karakura Town; not a single ripple of movement could escape his senses.
"They're here sooner than I expected. But that's good. It means I'll get my hands on the Hōgyoku that much faster." Shin's eyes narrowed. He decided not to join the fun just yet—it was still daytime.
While daylight wouldn't affect a Soul Reaper, causing a commotion in broad daylight was too conspicuous. Byakuya would naturally wait until nightfall to bring Rukia back.
"Captain, if we bring Rukia back... what will her sentence be?" Renji asked Byakuya, his voice filled with apprehension.
Byakuya glanced at Renji, his face an emotionless mask, and said nothing. Seeing his captain's silence, Renji's unease only grew. It meant things were even worse than he feared.
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