In a quiet corner of Karakura Town in the Human World, beneath the hum of distant traffic and evening cicadas, Ito Makoto stood before a modest wooden storefront.
A faded wooden sign hung above the entrance.
Urahara Shōten.
"So this is the place…"
After assisting his original body Raizen Kō in Hueco Mundo, Ito had returned to the Human World to resume his Garrison assignment. Remaining in spiritual form for extended periods was impractical. Patrols, surveillance, and long-term positioning required a physical anchor.
He needed a Gigai.
And there was only one craftsman in this world capable of producing a truly exceptional one.
The moment he stepped within the faint perimeter barrier surrounding the shop
A blur of black streaked behind him.
He turned sharply.
A black cat landed silently, tail swaying, golden eyes fixed on him.
Before he could react further
"Whoosh."
A towering man with long hair and dark glasses appeared at his side as if space itself had folded.
From within the shop, the sliding door creaked open.
Out stepped a tall man in wooden sandals, light-green striped hat casting shadow over sharp eyes. His folding fan rested against his shoulder, cane tapping softly against the wooden floor.
It was Kisuke Urahara.
The moment his gaze settled on Ito's Shinigami uniform, the playful indifference vanished.
His cane lowered slightly.
"My, my… a Shinigami officer visiting my humble establishment," he said mildly. "To what do I owe the honor?"
Ito swallowed.
Three former captains two openly, one in disguise surrounding a lieutenant-level officer.
Do I look like Sōsuke Aizen to them?
He raised his hands calmly.
"Former Captain Urahara. Former Commander of the Kidō Corps, Tessai Tsukabishi. And Lady Yoruichi Shihōin."
The cat's ears twitched.
"There's no need for hostility. I'm not here under orders. In fact… I despise what Aizen has done."
The air shifted.
Even Urahara's smile thinned at the name.
"I've come to share information," Ito continued evenly. "Information regarding Aizen's Zanpakutō."
Yoruichi leapt lightly onto his shoulder, claws pressing just enough to remind him she could do worse.
"Talk."
Ito glanced at the closed door behind them.
"…Perhaps inside?"
Moments later, Ito sat cross-legged at a low wooden table, a cup of steaming tea in his hands.
The interior of Urahara Shōten was deceptively simple yet beneath the wooden floor, spiritual density hummed subtly. Reinforced barriers. Concealed laboratories. Spatial distortions layered with precision.
A genius truly lives here…
"Time is precious," Yoruichi said flatly, tail flicking. "Say what you came to say."
Ito set down his cup.
"Aizen's Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu… is not a water-type illusion blade as he once demonstrated."
A pause.
"It is a complete hypnosis-type Zanpakutō."
Urahara's fan stilled.
Ito continued:
"Upon witnessing the Shikai release the moment of activation the target falls under Kanzen Saimin. Total sensory control. Sight, sound, taste, touch, and even perception of Reiatsu."
Silence thickened.
"It was through this ability that he manipulated Central 46 and orchestrated the framing of you and Tessai."
Tessai's massive hands tightened subtly.
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes.
"We suspected as much," she said carefully. "Continue."
Ito nodded.
"Once under complete hypnosis, one remains trapped indefinitely."
He let the weight of that statement linger.
"There is only one exception."
Even Urahara leaned forward now.
"If someone touches the blade of Kyōka Suigetsu before its release, they become immune to that activation."
The room froze.
Not disbelief.
Calculation.
Yoruichi was first to speak.
"And you expect us to accept that on your word alone?"
Ito spread his hands.
"I can't prove it. I only know it to be true. Whether you believe me… is your decision."
A long silence followed.
Finally, Urahara's fan lifted, partially hiding his smile.
"Well now. Regardless of its certainty, such information is… valuable."
The tension eased slightly.
"Now," Urahara continued lightly, "you mentioned a Gigai?"
"Yes."
"Very well. Measurements are required. Please follow me."
In a hidden chamber reinforced with layered Kidō arrays, Urahara took precise measurements of Ito's spiritual wavelength and Reiryoku density. A specialized vessel captured stabilized spiritual particles to harmonize the Gigai's internal structure.
Unlike ordinary issued Gigai, this one would allow smoother Reiatsu flow reducing detection risk.
"Return tomorrow," Urahara said. "It will be ready."
Ito bowed lightly and departed.
Outside, Tessai watched him disappear down the street.
"Can he be trusted?"
Urahara adjusted his hat.
"If he were Aizen's pawn, we would already be surrounded."
Yoruichi remained silent but she did not disagree.
That Night Karakura Town
Ito sat atop the tiled roof of a modest orphanage, legs dangling over the edge.
The city lights shimmered below.
Human life.
Warm.
Fragile.
Inside, a young boy slept among other children.
Kūgo Ginjō.
Ito's Kidō seal suppressed the boy's spiritual leakage preventing Hollows from detecting him. But the seal would last only six months.
After that, Ginjō's abnormal spiritual capacity would surface again.
Not a "Soul King candidate."
That terminology did not belong to this era.
But the boy possessed rare hybrid potential the makings of something unprecedented.
He could become a future asset.
Or a disaster.
Ito exhaled slowly.
In the coming months, he would teach the boy control the basics of spiritual awareness and concealment.
Preparation.
Always preparation.
The Next Day Urahara Shōten
Ito stepped into the completed Gigai.
The transition was immediate and uncomfortable.
Limbs felt heavier. Movement slightly delayed. Breathing required conscious rhythm.
Urahara observed with quiet amusement.
"Well? How does it feel?"
Ito took two stiff steps.
Then stumbled.
"Bang!"
He collapsed face-first onto the tatami.
Yoruichi snorted.
"It suits you."
Ito groaned from the floor.
"Temporary discomfort."
He pushed himself up slowly.
But inwardly, he smiled.
Phase two of Raizen Kō's Human World operations had begun.
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