Yoruichi Shihōin felt like she'd had a very, very long dream.
In that dream, she kept cutting down her own companions with her own hands.
Thank goodness Urahara Kisuke was there—he kept comforting her the whole time. If not for that, Yoruichi feared she would've collapsed long ago.
She remembered Kisuke's embrace being warm… and it felt like this was the first time Urahara Kisuke had ever held her like that.
Even when the two of them trained together in the past—even when she'd been so exhausted she'd collapsed on the ground, unable to move—Urahara Kisuke had never once come over and held her like this…
Yoruichi also remembered that Urahara Kisuke talked with her about many things, from shared experiences long ago, to the hardships they'd endured together afterward.
They had hidden and moved in secrecy in the Human World—both to help Hirako Shinji and the others clear their names and find a way to convict Aizen Sōsuke, and also to carry out that hazy, intangible "will of the Soul King."
Sometimes, Urahara Kisuke would even deliberately say certain details wrong, as if testing her—but she remembered everything.
They were inseparable comrades-in-arms, and she had always trusted Urahara Kisuke.
Even after Urahara Kisuke went to the West Administration and started making moves Yoruichi couldn't quite understand… she still trusted him.
Urahara Kisuke told her he was still holding to the Soul King's will.
Yoruichi only smiled and said nothing. She told Urahara Kisuke that kind of line might fool others, but he shouldn't try it on her—she wasn't stupid.
Yoruichi told Urahara Kisuke:
"I know you have your own thoughts. The Soul King's will might not necessarily be correct. At the very least, looking at this unstable situation, it might not be the optimal answer. You said that to me yourself—have you forgotten?
I don't know what you're thinking right now, but at the very least… you can trust me."
After she said that, Urahara Kisuke fell silent.
Yoruichi didn't know what was going through his mind, but those were her true feelings.
She believed, absolutely, that Urahara Kisuke would never do anything that harmed Soul Society.
As long as that was his purpose, Yoruichi Shihōin could be his firm support forever.
"Of course, Yoruichi… I've always trusted you~"
After that silence, for the first time, Urahara Kisuke reached out and gently stroked Yoruichi's cheek.
Yoruichi felt the unusual warmth in the center of his right palm.
It was strange—her heartbeat, for the first time, started to become irregular.
Was it because his hand was a little rough?
It didn't feel like the hand of a researcher… more like the hands of someone who had lived through countless battles.
…But when you do experiments, you sometimes injure your hands, so a bit of roughness wasn't that unusual, right?
That was what Yoruichi told herself.
At least… that right hand made her feel truly at ease.
She relaxed completely, playfully letting the full weight of her head settle into his palm.
Sometimes she even rubbed her cheek against it—like a real little cat.
In that dream, Yoruichi didn't know how long she enjoyed that comfort.
It must've been a very, very long time…
So long she nearly sank into it.
In all the centuries she'd lived, she had never experienced a moment this warm.
Lying in Urahara Kisuke's arms, being gently held by him—she didn't need to think about being the head of the Shihōin clan. She didn't need to worry about her responsibilities as Second Division captain. She didn't need to care about Menos, Arrancar, Quincies…
She only needed to be herself—empty her mind completely.
Because everything… Urahara Kisuke would shoulder it at her side.
At one point, Yoruichi even thought—if she could lie there like this forever… maybe that wouldn't be so bad.
She really was tired.
She wanted to rest for a while.
Then the dream ended.
Yoruichi's eyelashes trembled slightly. She slowly opened her eyes—only to find that the one holding her wasn't Urahara Kisuke at all.
"…Why is it you?"
For some reason, she should've been angry, yet her tone was surprisingly flat.
"Well, that's a long story," Higashino Shuuichi said with a smile. "Where would Yoruichi-taichō like to start?"
"From the beginning. Everything."
Yoruichi remained lying in Higashino Shuuichi's arms, staring at him without blinking.
"Then… shall we start with the moment you entered Tokyo-dō carrying Sakahone Saizō's reigai (spirit body)?" Higashino Shuuichi said.
Seeing that Yoruichi had no intention of getting up, he couldn't be bothered to push her away. Besides—she wasn't heavy.
"I never went to Tokyo-dō."
The moment the words left her mouth, Yoruichi regretted them—because of course she could have gone to Tokyo-dō, if she'd unknowingly stepped into Higashino Shuuichi's trap on the way to Yokohama…
Higashino Shuuichi just kept smiling.
As Yoruichi listened to his explanation, she kept overlapping Higashino Shuuichi and Urahara Kisuke in her mind.
Why?
They weren't alike at all—so why did she have this strange illusion?
And why could she lie in Higashino Shuuichi's arms so naturally right now, without the slightest urge to resist?
That wasn't right.
Only when Higashino Shuuichi laid out his entire plan to her did Yoruichi finally understand.
"…You were using me."
"I wouldn't put it that way, Yoruichi-taichō," Higashino Shuuichi shook his head. "I just wanted you to speak the truth to me."
Then he added, quietly,
"Do you know? Sometimes… I truly envy Urahara Kisuke."
"What do you envy about him?" Yoruichi asked.
"I envy that he can always hear you speak to him from the heart, Yoruichi-taichō. In front of me, you won't do that. You doubt me, question me—sometimes you even strike at me without hesitation, trying to kill me.
But you'd never do that to Urahara Kisuke."
There was a trace of sadness on Higashino Shuuichi's face.
"That's because—"
Yoruichi started to explain, but Higashino Shuuichi cut her off.
"Because you two are childhood friends. Because you have an incredibly deep bond.
I know all of that—because not long ago, you told me yourself."
So the Urahara Kisuke from before… was Higashino Shuuichi?
Yoruichi's gaze darkened.
All of a sudden, she didn't dare face what she'd felt earlier.
Before, she believed it was Urahara Kisuke, so she'd accepted it as natural… but now she was being told the one she'd been leaning on was actually Higashino Shuuichi—
A wave of guilt surged up inside her, and she immediately pulled herself out of his arms.
Higashino Shuuichi didn't look surprised at her withdrawal. In fact, to him, she should've done it long ago—he simply didn't know why she'd dragged it out until now.
But it didn't matter.
"Still, Yoruichi… have you ever considered that Urahara Kisuke might not be the same Urahara Kisuke anymore?"
Higashino Shuuichi only needed to proceed with the plan as intended.
There was no corner that couldn't be pried open. If something claimed to be unbreakable, you only needed to plant a seed of doubt inside it.
"…Not the same Urahara Kisuke…"
Yoruichi repeated the phrase under her breath.
"People change, Yoruichi. Just like me—don't you now think I'm not the same person I used to be?
You think I've sided with the Tsunayashiro clan. You think I truly betrayed Soul Society—so you struck at me.
And I, at first, thought you had betrayed Soul Society, betrayed the ideals we once had—so I laid this plan against you.
But what was the result?
I didn't side with the Tsunayashiro clan. The ones I'm truly helping are Kyōraku Shunsui, Kuchiki Byakuya, Shiba Kūkaku, and those like Kisaragi Shūsuke who were once wrongfully condemned.
And you all never stopped searching for evidence of Aizen Sōsuke's crimes.
None of us changed."
As he spoke, Higashino Shuuichi walked to the window. Outside was a stretch of beach and an endless sea—this was the villa where Matsumoto Rangiku and Kisaragi Shūsuke lived.
Higashino Shuuichi wasn't arrogant enough to bring Yoruichi Shihōin—like this—straight to his own home with Kabuma Sayako. Even if nothing happened… something would definitely happen.
"So, Yoruichi—since you can doubt me, why can't you doubt Urahara Kisuke?
All these years… have you ever truly stepped into Urahara Kisuke's heart? Has he ever told you everything?"
Higashino Shuuichi delivered a killing blow.
In the script he'd prepared for himself, there hadn't been a line like that.
Because even Higashino Shuuichi had believed Urahara Kisuke and Yoruichi were the kind of pair who shared everything.
But during those conversations—when he'd replaced Urahara Kisuke—Higashino Shuuichi discovered the truth didn't seem to be that simple. Urahara Kisuke had the same bad habit as Aizen: he liked to posture.
When he had something weighing on him… he really kept it bottled up.
Then he couldn't blame Higashino Shuuichi for changing the script on the spot and swinging the hoe hard.
Yoruichi fell silent. She wanted to refute him, but then she remembered that everything between her and Urahara Kisuke had already been learned by Higashino Shuuichi—she might be able to lie to herself, but she couldn't lie to Higashino Shuuichi.
It was ridiculous.
And yet it was true.
"See? You don't know, do you?" Higashino Shuuichi said softly. "That's why I said I truly envy Urahara Kisuke. At least he—"
"Enough. Don't say any more!"
Yoruichi felt like her mind was in chaos.
Emotionally, she told herself she should trust Urahara Kisuke. Even if he kept things from her, he must have his reasons.
But rationally… she couldn't deny that Higashino Shuuichi's "temptation" had taken root.
Why hadn't Urahara Kisuke told her his true plan?
Was it because he didn't trust her, or—
Yoruichi told herself again and again that it was impossible, but just as Higashino Shuuichi predicted, once a seed of doubt was planted, it would sprout.
And besides, Higashino Shuuichi had already put Yoruichi under such prolonged mental pressure before this.
He'd pushed even someone as strong as her to the edge of collapse.
At this point, whether Higashino Shuuichi was truly the "traitor" she once thought he was… no longer mattered as much.
Because through his actions, Higashino Shuuichi had already rooted an impression deep in her heart:
That he was a "good person."
Now, all that remained… was to see how Urahara Kisuke would respond.
But Higashino Shuuichi believed that even Urahara Kisuke might not be able to catch this overt scheme.
Because Higashino Shuuichi knew it was true—Urahara Kisuke did keep secrets from Yoruichi. These two were the pure "childhood friends" type through and through.
So why would Urahara Kisuke hide something from Yoruichi?
There was only one likely explanation:
Urahara Kisuke believed the truth might not be a good outcome for Yoruichi.
If so, then even if Yoruichi went back and confronted him, with Urahara Kisuke's personality, he still wouldn't tell her the real content.
Otherwise, he would've said it long ago.
Yoruichi woke in the morning, and left in the evening. Higashino Shuuichi didn't try to keep her.
Because everything he wanted to know… he already knew.
Only—
"You're really just letting her go?" Higashino Shuuichi said toward the direction she had left. "I remember the condition we agreed on: we cooperate—you get what you want from Yoruichi Shihōin, and I get Urahara Kisuke's exact location from her.
Now I've gotten what I wanted… but you still don't seem to have Urahara Kisuke's location.
Let me offer a friendly reminder, Aizen-sama—tailing Yoruichi Shihōin back will definitely not be a good idea~"
Once Yoruichi was fully outside his spiritual senses, the air beside Higashino Shuuichi rippled, and Aizen Sōsuke's figure appeared.
"Shuuichi," Aizen said, gazing with him at the crimson sunset sinking toward the horizon, "have you considered that perhaps… I'm not so interested in Urahara Kisuke's location anymore?"
Aizen continued, "For now, the Hōgyoku can stay with him. What I'm truly curious about is what Urahara Kisuke intends to do with those reigai (spirit bodies)."
In Aizen's mind surfaced Urahara Kisuke's face.
In the past, he always believed that with Urahara Kisuke's talent, serving Soul Society alone was a waste.
But now it seemed that over in the West Administration, Urahara Kisuke had discovered something truly extraordinary—so much so that he'd changed his methods, at least a little.
As for whether it would end up as Aizen imagined…
Who knew?
But at the very least, Aizen was looking forward to it.
He hoped Urahara Kisuke, like Higashino Shuuichi, would bring him a huge surprise.
Because only then would this world become more interesting.
And only then, on the path where he would someday stand proudly above Soul Society's heavens, would there be challengers worthy of his attention.
"Urahara Kisuke… don't disappoint me."
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