"Since everyone's fine, I'm heading back. If I stay away any longer, Soi Fon won't be able to keep things under control."
Yoruichi casually tossed Hitsugaya into Matsumoto Rangiku's arms and idly picked at her ear, clearly bored.
Compared to Kyōraku, Ukitake, and Hitsugaya—who were all covered in injuries—Rangiku, who had been sealed earlier, was almost completely unharmed.
"The Captain of Squad 2… is with you?" Kyōraku asked curiously. No wonder there had been no news from the Stealth Force for two days—their leader had already defected.
"What, you got a problem with that?" Yoruichi shot back bluntly.
"Nope." Kyōraku answered without hesitation.
"I'll head back with you as well. Ginjō, if anything comes up, just let me know," Tsunayoshi said.
"No problem!" Ginjō thumped his chest confidently. Something like this was nothing to him.
"Please wait a moment, Mr. Sawada," Ukitake called out. "There are some matters regarding this incident I'd like to ask you about."
Tsuna hesitated. There wasn't really anything secretive about it—Aizen was simply hiding within Central 46. It was only because Ukitake and the others didn't know that they were so eager for the truth. Tsuna himself wasn't particularly interested.
"Just tell them, kid," Yoruichi said. "Building goodwill with allies isn't a bad thing. The fact they've traced things this far means they've already picked up the trail. Besides, this isn't the place to talk. Head to Squad 4—and get your injuries treated while you're at it."
"Perfect timing. There's something in Squad 4 we'd like you to take a look at," Kyōraku added.
"Please, Mr. Sawada, we would greatly appreciate your guidance," Ukitake said respectfully.
Seeing Ukitake like this, Tsuna found it hard to refuse.
"Fine. Let's go. The sooner this is done, the sooner we can rest."
As they moved, Tsuna cast a subtle glance toward the Central 46 Chambers.
From within, a refined, gentle-looking man seemed to be gazing back at him through countless layers of obstruction.
"So… Sawada Tsunayoshi. This world just became a bit more interesting."
The one speaking was Aizen Sōsuke.
Even while hiding within Central 46, he had already obtained detailed intelligence on the Ryoka who invaded the Seireitei. Without much thought, he deduced that the one who had broken his hypnosis was the mysterious Sawada Tsunayoshi.
If things proceeded exactly according to plan, that would be ideal. But slight deviations were equally entertaining.
To Aizen, such "unexpected variables" were nothing more than seasoning—small amusements in an otherwise dull existence.
Squad 4
When the Shinigami of Squad 4 saw Tsuna standing among several captains, they were stunned.
Wasn't this the Ryoka who caused chaos in Squad 4?
He got caught?
Then why are the captains the ones injured? Even Captain Hitsugaya is unconscious…
Why doesn't this guy have a single scratch on him?
With this many captains here… he's not about to cause trouble again, is he?
Seeing the mix of shock, confusion, and vigilance around them, Kyōraku laughed.
"Looks like you're quite popular in Squad 4, Tsunayoshi-kun."
"You want that kind of popularity? I can drop by Squad 8 instead," Tsuna replied.
"Haha… I'll pass." Kyōraku smiled wryly. He knew exactly how Tsuna earned that "reputation"—and had no desire to see Squad 8 suffer the same fate.
"Mr. Sawada Tsunayoshi, I didn't expect you to return to Squad 4 so soon."
As they approached, the barracks doors opened. Unohana Retsu stood there with a gentle smile, accompanied by her lieutenant, Kotetsu Isane.
Tsuna noticed Unohana's hands resting over the spot where he had cut her the deepest. Combined with her serene smile, it sent a chill down his spine. His steps slowed slightly.
"Mr. Sawada?" Ukitake immediately noticed.
"Well… you guys go ahead and get treated. I'm hungry—I'll head back to eat first and come later."
No one believed that excuse.
Before Kyōraku or Ukitake could respond, Unohana spoke first.
"Mr. Sawada Tsunayoshi, the food in Squad 4 is both nutritious and abundant. Why go out of your way elsewhere? Or… is Squad 4 some kind of dangerous place to you?"
Her narrowed eyes made Tsuna uneasy. He was particularly bad at dealing with people like her.
Kyōraku's gaze flicked between Tsuna and Unohana, as if realizing something.
"Oho~?"
"Kyōraku Shunsui, think carefully before you speak," Unohana cut him off instantly, her cold gaze sharp as a blade.
As the Head Captain's disciple, Kyōraku knew exactly who Unohana really was. He had no intention of provoking her—especially not if it meant she might "visit" Squad 8 for a spar.
"Let's eat first! I'm starving too, Tsunayoshi-kun!"
Without hesitation, Kyōraku hooked Tsuna's arm, effectively restraining him. He had already figured it out—Unohana's attention was entirely on Tsuna. As long as Tsuna took the heat, Kyōraku would be safe.
"Indeed. Mr. Sawada, please try the cuisine of Soul Society," Ukitake added, pushing Tsuna forward in perfect coordination.
Ginjō and Tsukishima had originally intended to help Tsuna slip away—but after this commotion, they were swept along with the group into Squad 4.
Inside the barracks, Rangiku took Hitsugaya off for treatment, while Tsuna and the others headed to the cafeteria.
"Tsuna… what's with that woman?" Ginjō whispered. Even he could feel how terrifying Unohana's presence was.
"Don't worry about who she is. Just remember this—never provoke her," Tsuna said. After a pause, he added, "If you want to improve your execution techniques, though… you could try asking her."
"Someone who can teach me that?" Ginjō scoffed. "My execution method comes from my Zanpakutō. How could anyone teach it?"
"She can strip a person down to the bone in an instant—while keeping them alive," Tsuna said calmly.
"…That strong?" Ginjō frowned. His own methods focused on maximizing pain. Turning someone into a skeleton instantly… could that even count as an execution technique?
At the dining table, Tsuna stared at his bowl, completely uninterested in eating.
Anyone being watched by a sharp, unrelenting gaze would lose their appetite.
"Not hungry, Mr. Sawada?" Ukitake asked with concern.
Tsuna suppressed his irritation. Ukitake meant well.
"Forget it. Just finish your treatment quickly. Ask whatever you want after that."
Kyōraku and Ukitake only had superficial injuries. Unohana treated them directly in the cafeteria with Kaidō, and their visible wounds were nearly gone. The rest would heal naturally over time.
After a brief exchange with Unohana, Kyōraku led Tsuna and the others underground.
"This is Squad 4's secret operating room," he explained. "Only Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Isane are allowed inside. This is why we brought you here."
At the end of the cold underground corridor was a small room.
In the center stood a bed.
A figure lay upon it—completely motionless.
Calling it a corpse would be more accurate.
Tsuna recognized the face immediately.
Aizen Sōsuke.
Raising an eyebrow, Tsuna understood why Kyōraku had brought him here.
"After your warning, I connected all the clues," Kyōraku said. "The only conclusion I could reach was that Captain Aizen of Squad 5 is one of the masterminds."
"But his corpse is right here before us. Captain Unohana said she noticed something strange about it—but couldn't pinpoint what."
"Intuition," Unohana added calmly. "Every trace of Reishi tells me this is Aizen Sōsuke… but my instincts say otherwise."
"After what happened with Captain Hitsugaya… you suspect this corpse…" Ukitake immediately understood.
"That's right," Kyōraku said seriously. "I suspect the body we're seeing isn't Aizen Sōsuke. This is either an illusion… or we've already been placed under his hypnosis."
He had even started using Aizen's full name—his suspicion now solid.
Kyōraku truly lived up to his reputation as a future Head Captain candidate. With only fragments of evidence, he had nearly uncovered the truth.
"Tsunayoshi-kun," Kyōraku asked, "can you tell us—is there an illusion here? And… is Aizen Sōsuke the one behind everything?"
"Demon Spade's Demon Lens."
Tsuna activated the mirror and glanced at the corpse.
Beneath the illusion, the truth was revealed.
It was a corpse—but not Aizen.
It was an unfamiliar stranger.
Interesting…
If Tsuna remembered correctly, this should have been Kyōka Suigetsu's illusion. The fact that Aizen used a real corpse instead—was it because of him? Had Aizen kept Kyōka Suigetsu in reserve?
Tsuna scanned everyone in the room. Aside from lingering injuries, none of them appeared to be under active hypnosis.
"The one lying there is fake," Tsuna said bluntly. "That corpse has been tampered with by illusion."
The captains exchanged glances before Kyōraku spoke again.
"Then I'll have to trouble you to dispel it."
"You sure?" Tsuna asked. "The moment it's undone, Aizen will know."
Without needing to maintain the illusion, Aizen would immediately realize that the Seireitei had discovered his fake death.
Kyōraku fell into thought.
After all, Tsuna wasn't one of them. Without seeing the truth firsthand, he couldn't fully trust his words.
Only by confirming that Aizen was truly behind everything could he proceed with the next steps.
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