Standing outside the unremarkable convenience store, Ryūjin briefly glanced around before walking straight inside without wasting a word.
Inside the shop, Kisuke Urahara sat lazily behind the counter with a book in hand, looking exactly like a deadbeat boss avoiding work.
The image reminded Ryūjin of Kakashi obsessively reading Icha Icha Paradise.
Meanwhile, the other disguised employees, Tessai Tsukabishi, Ururu, and the others, busied themselves with cleaning shelves and organizing the store.
At first glance, everything looked perfectly ordinary.
"Boss, we have a customer here. At least pretend to work a little."
Ururu, holding a broom in her hands, finally could not tolerate Kisuke Urahara's laziness anymore and called out in annoyance.
Only then did Kisuke Urahara lazily put down his book, stretch his body, and walk toward Ryūjin.
"What can I do for the customer?" he asked casually.
"Mr. Urahara, I have something important to discuss with you. If you don't mind, we should talk in your 'basement.'"
Ryūjin spoke with a faint smile.
The moment those words were spoken, Tessai Tsukabishi, Ururu, and the others immediately stopped what they were doing and stared at Ryūjin with obvious vigilance.
The laziness on Kisuke Urahara's face also disappeared instantly.
He looked directly at Ryūjin while remaining outwardly composed, though inwardly he had already become cautious.
This man had exposed his identity immediately.
And the word "basement" clearly carried another meaning.
The other party obviously knew this convenience store was only a disguise.
"I wonder what exactly the customer wants to discuss?" Kisuke Urahara asked while staring at Ryūjin carefully.
"Soul Society," Ryūjin replied directly. "More specifically, entering it."
Kisuke Urahara's pupils shrank slightly before he smiled again.
"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Kisuke Urahara, I've already said this much. Quit pretending," Ryūjin said with a helpless shrug. "It's obvious I know who you are."
"Then tell me," Kisuke Urahara replied while adjusting the brim of his hat, "who exactly am I?"
"Kisuke Urahara, former captain of the Twelfth Division of the Gotei 13 and founder of the Research and Development Bureau. Later framed by Sōsuke Aizen after attempting to rescue Shinji Hirako and the others, then exiled from Soul Society."
Ryūjin paused briefly.
"Want me to continue?"
"That's enough."
Kisuke Urahara finally dropped the act.
"It seems the customer isn't ordinary after all."
Then he narrowed his eyes slightly.
"So who are you?"
"Someone who can help you deal with Aizen," Ryūjin answered flatly.
Kisuke Urahara shrugged lightly.
"I think the customer has misunderstood something. Right now, I'm merely trying to survive peacefully in the Human World."
Ryūjin sighed.
"Yeah, figures."
To Kisuke Urahara, Ryūjin Uchiha was a complete unknown who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Someone as intelligent as Kisuke Urahara would never trust him so easily.
And Ryūjin had neither the patience nor the interest to slowly earn that trust.
He preferred faster methods.
Buzz!
The instant that thought crossed his mind, Ryūjin stopped wasting words.
The pattern in his eyes shifted directly into Kotoamatsukami.
He looked straight at Kisuke Urahara and altered his will.
The heavily guarded Kisuke Urahara instantly changed his attitude.
"This way, please."
He gestured politely toward Ryūjin, causing Tessai Tsukabishi, Ururu, and the others to stare in shock as he personally led Ryūjin toward the hidden passage.
"Mr. Urahara, are you seriously bringing him down there? Who even is this guy?" Ururu asked while gripping her broom tightly.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Kisuke Urahara gave only a simple response before continuing onward.
Ururu and the others exchanged glances but said nothing further.
They understood Kisuke Urahara well enough.
If he made a decision, then there was definitely a reason behind it.
Soon, Kisuke Urahara brought Ryūjin into the massive underground space beneath the shop.
The two sat across from each other and finally began discussing serious matters.
"Mr. Ryūjin, what exactly do you need from me?" Kisuke Urahara asked directly.
Ryūjin answered by releasing the chakra within his body.
Kisuke Urahara's brows furrowed instantly.
"This spiritual pressure... no, that's not right."
His expression became serious.
"This spiritual pressure is extremely strange. I've never encountered anything like it in all my years in Soul Society."
Hearing that reaction, Ryūjin's eyes lit up slightly.
Kisuke Urahara had mistaken chakra fluctuations for Spiritual Pressure.
In other words, he had subconsciously identified Ryūjin as a Shinigami.
That confirmed Ryūjin's theory completely.
Spiritual Pressure was merely another form of energy fluctuation.
The true difference between humans and Shinigami lay there alone.
That meant this problem could absolutely be manipulated.
"As you can see, my spiritual pressure is somewhat unique," Ryūjin said casually. "If I enter Soul Society like this, it'll attract too much attention. I need you to modify it."
"So that it blends in properly."
"Modifying spiritual pressure isn't difficult," Kisuke Urahara replied calmly with a nod.
Ryūjin was secretly pleased.
As expected of the man capable of creating something as absurd as the Hōgyoku.
Once this issue was resolved, Ryūjin would be free to move around Soul Society however he pleased.
For the next three months, Ryūjin remained at Urahara Shop while Kisuke Urahara continuously worked on adjusting his chakra fluctuations.
Three months later.
"Mr. Ryūjin, I haven't disappointed you."
Kisuke Urahara clapped his hands together with satisfaction.
Ryūjin carefully examined the chakra within his body.
Internally, nothing had changed.
However, once his chakra was released externally, its fluctuation pattern transformed completely into something resembling Spiritual Pressure.
Most importantly, none of his abilities were affected in the slightest.
Kisuke Urahara truly lived up to his reputation.
With this completed, Ryūjin could finally begin the next stage of his plan.
"Mr. Urahara, open a Senkaimon for me."
Ryūjin looked directly at him.
"Send me to Soul Society."
Kisuke Urahara immediately complied without unnecessary questions.
Ryūjin stepped into the Senkaimon, crossed through the Dangai, and eventually arrived smoothly in the Rukongai.
Although Rukongai was technically part of Soul Society, it was not Ryūjin's true destination.
What he actually needed was the Seireitei.
Unfortunately, the Seireitei was protected by the Shakonmaku barrier, and even Kisuke Urahara could not directly bypass it to secretly insert Ryūjin inside.
Even if he could, Ryūjin still would not have done it.
The Seireitei was not somewhere outsiders could casually enter.
The moment an unfamiliar Spiritual Pressure appeared, the Research and Development Bureau would detect it immediately.
Then the entire Seireitei would begin hunting him down.
Ryūjin could certainly force his way inside if he wanted.
With his current strength, aside from Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, nobody in the Seireitei could truly threaten him.
Even against Yamamoto himself, while Ryūjin lacked confidence in defeating him, Yamamoto also would not find it easy to defeat Ryūjin.
But Ryūjin had no interest in turning Soul Society upside down.
He came here to grow stronger, not start a war.
More importantly, obtaining the Hōgyoku required the original storyline to progress properly.
After all, Kisuke Urahara's Hōgyoku was incomplete.
Only after Aizen stole it from Rukia Kuchiki and further perfected it did the Hōgyoku become truly complete.
That meant Ryūjin needed Aizen's betrayal and the events leading into Hueco Mundo to happen normally.
So causing massive chaos right now was not an option.
He needed to enter the Seireitei legally.
For ordinary people in the Rukongai, there were generally two methods.
The first was enrolling in the Shin'ō Academy.
Renji Abarai, Rukia Kuchiki, Izuru Kira, and many others became Shinigami through that path.
Of course, ordinary talent was not enough.
Without exceptional ability, even entering the academy was impossible.
The second method was joining a noble family, such as the Kuchiki Clan.
However, that path was even more difficult.
Noble families considered status, background, and numerous other factors besides talent alone.
Ryūjin had no interest in either method.
They took too long.
Instead, he had another option.
If it worked, he could enter the Seireitei extremely quickly.
And if it failed?
Then he'd simply have Kisuke Urahara adjust his Spiritual Pressure again and try something else.
Throughout Rukongai's history, there had already been examples of people entering the Seireitei through entirely different means.
Some even rose directly to captain level.
The most famous example was Kenpachi Zaraki.
There was also Yachiru Kusajishi, who had been discovered by Kenpachi himself in the Rukongai.
And how had Kenpachi Zaraki been found in the first place?
Because Retsu Unohana personally traveled into the Rukongai searching for talented individuals.
That was how she discovered Kenpachi Zaraki.
Those examples gave Ryūjin a very clear direction.
Especially since the current Kenpachi Zaraki was a complete battle addict.
If he heard rumors about a monster appearing in the Rukongai, there was no way he'd ignore it.
"Alright then."
Ryūjin smirked faintly.
"Time to get started."
Over the next three months, Ryūjin swept through the entire Rukongai from east to west and north to south.
Anyone he could fight, he defeated.
"From today onward, I, Uchiha Ryūjin, am the King of Rukongai!"
He left behind that arrogant declaration in district after district.
"A monster appeared in North Rukongai and swept through the entire area!"
"He's insane! Another freak like Kenpachi Zaraki has appeared!"
"Uchiha Ryūjin, the self-proclaimed King of Rukongai, is ridiculously strong!"
Rumors spread through the Rukongai like wildfire.
Within a short time, Ryūjin became famous everywhere.
And because Kenpachi Zaraki had once walked a similar path, countless people naturally began comparing the two.
When Ryūjin heard those comparisons, he merely sneered dismissively.
"Kenpachi Zaraki? Yeah right. If that bastard stood in front of me, he'd be the one eating dirt."
Naturally, those words spread just as quickly.
The Seireitei soon learned about the massive disturbance happening throughout the Rukongai.
The title "King of Rukongai" reached countless ears.
"The King of Rukongai?"
Most people simply laughed it off.
To many Shinigami, it was nothing more than entertainment and gossip.
But one person reacted differently.
"Uchiha Ryūjin..."
Kenpachi Zaraki narrowed his eyes slightly after hearing the name.
Unlike everyone else, he took the rumors seriously.
He did not care in the slightest that Ryūjin had openly mocked him.
What interested him was something else entirely.
A worthy opponent had finally appeared.
As for Ryūjin being from the Rukongai?
Kenpachi Zaraki could not care less.
After all, he himself had also crawled out of the Rukongai.
If the Rukongai could produce one monster like him, then why couldn't it produce a second?