The Sixth Division's hunt for Urahara Kisuke ended in failure—they had lost his trail and returned in frustration, now seeking help from the Department of Research and Development.
And no one was more delighted by the announcement of Urahara's arrest warrant than Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
Mayuri was already deploying every tracking technique at his disposal to locate Urahara.
Standing nearby, Kuchiki Sōjun waited with visible anxiety.
It was the first time Nanatsuki had ever seen him like this. Sōjun had always been known for his mild temperament—his reputation for calmness rivaled even that of Ukitake Jūshirō.
"Don't worry," Nanatsuki said, placing a hand on Sōjun's shoulder. "Urahara's a bit unorthodox, sure—but he's not a villain. He wouldn't harm Lady Aoba."
"I know," Sōjun took a deep breath. "But that's not what I'm worried about."
He knew full well that Aoba was likely safe.
Despite the official story—that she'd been kidnapped—Sōjun understood the truth: Aoba had gone willingly.
And more troublingly, the theft of the Kuchiki Vault's treasures had probably only succeeded because Aoba had helped him from the inside.
The vault was protected by layers of security seals—only members of the Kuchiki bloodline could access it without triggering the wards.
Just earlier, clan elders had confirmed to him that the seals showed no signs of forced entry.
Which meant Urahara couldn't have gotten in… without Aoba.
That realization shook Sōjun deeply.
Even if they brought Aoba home, she'd be punished under the Kuchiki family laws—which were notoriously strict. Unauthorized theft from the clan vault was a major offense. The punishment would be severe, and Sōjun feared she wouldn't be able to endure it.
Now he was torn: he needed to recover the stolen items… but he also wanted to protect his sister from retribution.
"I've tracked his residual Reishi signature," Mayuri announced, pulling up a glowing data screen. "He's fled into Rukongai. We need to hurry before we lose him again!"
"They must be using invisibility cloaks to suppress their Reiatsu," Nanatsuki noted, watching Mayuri work. "But you still found traces?"
"Everything leaves a mark. It's only a question of degree." Mayuri smirked. "I've upgraded the sensitivity of the scanners. Even cloaked movement leaves detectable trails now."
"Captain," he added with a gleam in his eye, "Urahara has access to too many classified secrets from the R&D Bureau. We must apprehend him immediately."
Mayuri even volunteered to join the mission himself.
"Then we'll go together," Nanatsuki nodded.
He already knew—thanks to Aizen—that Urahara had left the Soul Society. But since Urahara had been part of the Twelfth Division, and Sōjun was leading the manhunt, it was necessary to make an appearance and support the Sixth Division's efforts.
Soon, the team followed Mayuri's tracking data deep into a barren grove—and there, they found the location of Urahara's hidden lab.
"This is it!" Mayuri said excitedly. "The Reishi residue is thicker here. He's clearly been operating from this place regularly."
Mayuri used his instrument to detect complex Reishi barrier formulas woven throughout the grove.
"Don't move!" he warned, stopping Sōjun, who was about to step forward. "There are traps!"
"In that case, I'll leave it to you to disarm them," Sōjun said, narrowing his eyes.
"'Third Seat'? Ohohoho…" Mayuri laughed darkly. "I may be getting a promotion very soon."
With Urahara now branded a traitor, Mayuri figured the Vice-Captain position was ripe for the taking.
He pulled a vial of liquid from his sleeve and poured it into empty air.
The moment it hit the space in front of them, the liquid clung to something invisible—triggering the emergence of glowing threads.
Within seconds, an entire web of intricate Reishi formations shimmered into view, like a spider's nest spun across the forest.
"Heh. Not bad. Hiding this much with no one noticing… he's got some talent," Mayuri admitted. "Too bad it didn't work on me."
Even Sōjun's expression tensed. Had he barged in recklessly, he could have paid dearly.
"I see now." Mayuri's eyes lit up. "There's a hidden space here. But these formations are directly tied to a self-destruct system. If we break them, it'll trigger the failsafe inside."
"Then what do we do?" Sōjun asked.
"Simple," Mayuri grinned. "Disable the traps without breaking them."
He was now completely absorbed in what felt like a duel between inventors—himself versus Urahara. He relished the challenge.
After a brief period of intense concentration, Mayuri finally stepped back, satisfied.
"All right. It's safe. You may enter."
He gestured dramatically like a man welcoming guests into his home.
"You all stay here," Sōjun told the Sixth Division troops. He understood now just how dangerous Urahara's Reishi techniques could be.
Nanatsuki, Sōjun, Mayuri, and Akon stepped into the hidden chamber.
Sōjun's heart eased slightly when he saw the place was empty. No Urahara. No Aoba.
Relieved as he was about his sister's safety, the knowledge of what she'd done still weighed heavily.
"Looks like they've already left the Soul Society," Mayuri sighed, visibly disappointed.
He'd known their odds of catching Urahara were slim—but now that the answer was in front of him, it still stung. They'd simply arrived too late.
The lab was a mess. Urahara had clearly left in a hurry, taking only the most important research tools and materials.
"Tch. If it were me, I'd have blown the place up on my way out," Mayuri sneered.
"Wait—what's that?" Nanatsuki pointed to something hanging on the wall.
"A timer?" Mayuri's face suddenly changed.
His gaze locked onto the ticking digits—and his heart dropped.
It was a countdown.
And it was down to two seconds.