Recently, Urahara Kisuke's mood had been more pleasant than ever before.
As a Soul Reaper of Squad 2, he was exceptionally talented, possessing immense spiritual pressure and mastery over all four arts of combat.
However, he did not actually enjoy a life of fighting and bloodshed.
For Urahara Kisuke, his life's creed could be summarized in two words: slacking off.
If a task could be completed in ten days, he would never finish it a single second before the ninth day, twenty-third hour, and fifty-ninth minute.
Every second he could stall was a second of bliss.
But even so, his exceedingly high mission success rate led to a steady stream of promotions.
He rose from an ordinary soldier to a Seated Officer, eventually becoming the Seated Officer of the Third Unit—the Detention Unit.
Although he wasn't the primary head yet, the farsighted Urahara could already see that day coming.
It wouldn't be long before his abilities forced him into the position of Corps Commander of the Detention Unit.
At first, Urahara considered failing a few missions to ensure his grand plan for slacking off could continue smoothly.
However, since most missions for Squad 2 were tied to the Onmitsukidō, the stakes were high.
Success was one thing, but failure often meant an extremely high casualty rate.
Even if one were lucky enough to survive, injuries would often make it impossible to remain in the Gotei 13.
Out of concern for his teammates' safety, Urahara had no choice but to minimize the number of missions he took.
Nevertheless, the position of Corps Commander of the Detention Unit was practically within his grasp.
Seeing his future looking bleakly bright, Urahara was wallowing in dejection.
Then, a savior descended from the heavens.
A great man from Shino Prison directly rescued him from his misery.
The troublesome Maggots' Nest, through Naraku Sora's maneuvering, was entirely relocated into Shino Prison.
The formerly retired Soul Reapers were once again putting their talents to use, throwing themselves into the grand construction of the Soul Society's order.
Initially, Urahara didn't think the man looked like a particularly good person.
But Naraku Sora's operation truly gave him a pleasant surprise.
The primary duties of the Detention Unit were resolved in one fell swoop; from that day on, there was no more Maggots' Nest.
In the days that followed, there were no missions, no scrolls to review, and even attendance checks were waived.
Urahara felt as though his long life of slacking had reached a state of transcendence.
However, when a person is idle for too long, their mind tends to wander.
Just as he was looking for some entertainment, Shihōin Yoruichi brought another piece of unbelievable news.
Based on the foundations of the Maggots' Nest, a brand-new scientific research institution would be established.
It would specialize in researching equipment for Squad 2 and the Onmitsukidō, as well as relevant Kidō.
The former Detention Unit was to be reorganized into a research team.
When he heard the news, Urahara almost let out a snort of laughter.
He had never had such a wonderful start!
He had no real hobbies; during his idle slacking time, he enjoyed tinkering with small inventions and creations.
His main focus was exploring the unknown.
Now that the Maggots' Nest was being converted into a research institute, he could not only slack off happily but also devote himself to the career he loved.
A double win!
Soon, Urahara was so immersed in this wonderful life that he couldn't pull himself out.
There was no need for fighting, and no need to bury himself in a mud pit for three days and nights to gather intelligence.
Even better, he didn't have to fight his former colleagues bare-handed just to maintain internal stability.
During the day, he only needed to stay inside the Maggots' Nest to research things that interested him, and at night, he would return to his quarters to simply inventory the day's gains.
Then, he would brew a pot of hot tea and sample a few pastries.
Being a winner in life was nothing more than this, right?
While Urahara was enjoying his life, he unexpectedly discovered something in the logistics warehouse of the Maggots' Nest—
Several perfectly preserved Hollow corpses.
One had to understand that Hollows, like Soul Reapers, were composed of Reishi.
Once they died, their bodies would typically break down and turn back into Reishi to return to the cycle.
Usually, only special Kidō or equipment could preserve them intact.
By that same token, Hollows were an excellent research material.
Many scientific experiments were related to them.
Looking at the disorganized materials, a bold thought popped into Urahara's mind.
'If I secretly cut off a little bit for research, surely no one will notice?'
With a heart full of trepidation, he used his exquisite anatomical skills to separate a few parts he might need next.
However, this kind of thing was just like cross-dressing.
There was only the first time and infinite times.
Mangled remains.
As the Hollow corpses in the warehouse gradually increased, ranging from ordinary Hollows to Gillians, then to Adjuchas, and finally even Vasto Lordes...
Urahara's boldness grew larger and larger.
Gradually.
His research went deeper, from the nature of Hollow Reishi and spiritual pressure to the utilization of limbs, and even into soul research—a subject classified as taboo by the Soul Society.
Urahara saw the gates to a brand-new world opening for him.
To swim in the ocean of the unknown was the ideal life every researcher dreamed of.
On this day.
He arrived at the laboratory right on time, prepared to continue the work he hadn't finished yesterday—
The development of a new Kidō to hide spiritual pressure fluctuations.
Developing Kidō wasn't particularly troublesome; he could finish his fixed quota in just half an hour each day.
The research after completing his tasks was the real highlight of the day.
The common points between the souls of Soul Reapers and Hollows.
After adjusting the relevant parameters and instruments, a light screen unfolded directly in front of him.
Urahara crossed his fingers and stretched his arms forward, letting out a series of crisp pops from his joints.
Though he usually seemed listless, the moment he threw himself into the research he loved, he instantly became high-spirited.
"Let's start from the third and seventh nodes..."
Just as he was about to begin, a spine-chillingly gentle voice suddenly echoed from outside the door.
"Open up! Inquisition!"
Accompanying the voice was a series of violent bangs on the door.
Urahara's eyes widened, and he subconsciously began to clear away the contraband in the lab.
"Kakyo, how many times have I told you?"
"We are here to investigate a case, not to have a chat."
"On the other side of that door is a heinous criminal. You won't scare him with such a gentle tone."
Before the sentence could even finish, the sturdy door let out an unbearable groan and was kicked open in the next second.
Urahara stood there in shock.
He had placed multiple high-level Kidō seals on that door; in terms of defense alone, it had been reinforced to a terrifying degree.
But even so, it had been instantly breached by the visitor.
Just who was it...?
In the next second, a familiar face burst into his field of vision.
Blazing spiritual pressure swept through the entire laboratory, and a bone-chillingly grim smile rang out:
"Kisuke Urahara, your gig is up!"
Kakyo followed closely behind, holding Suzumushi with both hands, the tip of the blade pointed directly at the lone sinner.
Although the scene in the laboratory was a bit different from what she had imagined.
But this was the first mission she was executing after joining Shino Prison; she had to be fully prepared and could not allow any mistakes.
When he saw the man in the lead, Urahara's eyes went wide. In an instant, he pieced together the sequence of events, and a look of realization dawned on his face.
"It's you..."
Naraku Sora ignored him. He had set so many lures, and now that the fish had finally bitten, he couldn't let it go easily.
First, he sealed up all the contraband in the laboratory, and then he recorded the fingerprints Urahara had left on them.
Then, he turned around and looked at the criminal with a righteous expression:
"Both the witness and the evidence are here. Sixth Seat Urahara, you are under arrest!"
"Wait, I've been framed..."
"Oh? Are you suggesting that these Great Hollow corpses ran onto the operating table by themselves?"
"But..."
"No buts. Welcome to the Shino Prison family."
Seeing that Urahara still wanted to say something, Naraku Sora placed a hand on his shoulder and grinned:
"Kisuke, you wouldn't want anyone to find out about you secretly conducting forbidden experiments, would you?"
Urahara's mouth twitched as a bitter expression crossed his face, as if he could already foresee his tragic future.
He had roughly guessed the other party's goal.
"Lord Naraku, you don't need to say another word."
"I will voluntarily apply for a transfer to Shino Prison right now."
From beginning to end, Naraku Sora hadn't actually done much; he had merely placed some Great Hollow corpses he had no use for into the warehouse.
If anyone was to blame, Urahara could only blame himself for not being able to resist the temptation.
Watching Urahara sign and thumbprint the transfer papers, Naraku Sora nodded in satisfaction.
Before this, he had been agonizing over how to trick this fellow into Shino Prison.
If he forced the transfer, he feared Urahara would just slack off behind his back and wouldn't work sincerely.
If he used power to suppress him, he feared it would be counterproductive and cause the man to become rebellious.
In the end, under Aizen's guidance, he had set a trap that wasn't exactly a trap.
In Aizen's words: to deal with smart people, it was best to hold a bit of leverage over them first, and then treat them with sincerity.
As long as the other party still wanted to exist within the rules of the Soul Society, they wouldn't do anything out of line.
As it turned out, the person who understands you best is definitely one of your own kind.
With the calculating mind outdoing the unsuspecting one, Urahara Kisuke was successfully captured.
On the way back, Naraku Sora looked at the two people beside him and couldn't help but feel emotional.
Shino Prison, which was originally short-staffed, had grown stronger day by day after he took over. First, he used the Maggots' Nest to replenish the rank-and-file soldiers.
Then, a genius Soul Reaper like Kakyo had taken the initiative to join for the sake of atonement.
Furthermore, he heard from Yamamoto that Kuchiki Kōga had also submitted his resignation as a Captain of the direct units, requesting a transfer to Shino Prison.
And now, he had even captured one high-IQ Pokemon: Urahara Kisuke.
Looking at it this way, things were truly booming!
As the Seireitei gradually returned to its usual peaceful routine, the Captain Proficiency Test officially began.
Squad 9, Training Grounds.
Hundreds of Soul Reapers gathered there, peering curiously toward the center of the venue.
In addition to the members of Squad 9, there were soldiers from other squads acting as spectators.
One had to know that although being a Soul Reaper was a high-risk profession, Captains were usually incredibly powerful, and replacements were rare.
The soldiers were naturally filled with curiosity regarding this once-in-a-blue-moon Captain Proficiency Test.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a low, majestic voice instantly spread throughout the training grounds.
"Due to the disappearance of Captain Takeda Goki, the position of Captain for Squad 9 is vacant. Considering the internal stability of the Seireitei, a Captain Proficiency Test will now be conducted. Please bear witness."
"Lieutenant of Squad 9, Muguruma Kensei, please enter!"
Under the gaze of countless eyes, a handsome young man with a robust build and short silver-white hair walked into the training grounds with his head held high.
His confident demeanor made him look very much like the protagonist of an anime.
"Third Seat of Shino Prison, Naraku Sora, please enter."
Looking at the youth walking toward him with a kind smile, Muguruma Kensei's expression gradually became serious.
He had long heard Naraku Sora's name.
He was another rising star of the Soul Society whose fame was at its peak, and the speed of his rise was even more exaggerated than the previous Kuchiki Kōga.
Furthermore, the things he had done were even more staggering.
Suppressing the internal rebellion of the Shihōin clan, presiding over and wiping out the Tsunayashiro branch, confronting the head of the Tsunayashiro family alone, and frontally slaying an Adjuchas that had invaded the Soul Society.
Any one of these was a major event that would shake the Soul Society.
Not only that, but through his extraordinary talent, he had gained the appreciation of Head Captain Yamamoto and become a disciple of the Genryū.
With so many titles bestowed upon one person, even though he was only a Third Seat, the pressure he gave off was not inferior to that of a Captain—perhaps even superior.
But the more it was like this, the more exciting it became, didn't it?
"Lord Naraku."
Muguruma Kensei's voice was low, and his eyes were filled with confidence:
"I hope your strength is worthy of the position of examiner. I don't want to leave a stain on the Captain Proficiency Test that only happens once in a lifetime."
Naraku Sora, standing opposite him, was stunned for a moment. He hadn't expected a pre-match trash-talk session. He then grinned and laughed:
"Rest assured, I won't let you down."
Hearing this, Muguruma Kensei took a deep breath. The muscles on his arms bulged slightly, and a heavy pressure came crashing forward:
"In that case, I won't waste too much of your time either!"
"Because I have already trained to a level where I can defeat Captain Takeda Goki!"
Seeing that both were ready, Sasakibe Chōjirō immediately announced loudly that the assessment had officially begun.
The moment those words left his mouth, an astonishing spiritual pressure erupted within the training grounds.