The Hōgyoku Is placed Within Me

"Hey... Nani???"

Tessai Tsukabishi's eyes widened in shock.

He adjusted his glasses, put them back on, and asked in disbelief, "Mr. Yoruichi actually has a marriage contract with that Kuchiki Shinji from the Kuchiki family?"

Although he had long known that the relationship between the Kuchiki and Shihouin families was special—so close that they were practically one entity—he never expected that Shihouin Yoruichi, the former head of the Shihouin family, would have a marriage contract with Kuchiki Shinji, the future head of the Kuchiki family.

"Ah, that was many years ago."

Shihouin Yoruichi flicked her tail, narrowed her eyes, and said, "I really miss it... I wonder what that brat looks like now."

Her golden pupils seemed to reflect the image of a young man.

Unlike the reserved and refined Byakuya Kuchiki, Yoruichi had always been more interested in the precocious and mature Kuchiki Shinji.

"If you remember him so clearly, it seems this Kuchiki Shinji is no ordinary person."

Urahara Kisuke opened his folding fan, half-hiding his face, showing only his eyes.

"He's an interesting guy. You'd better not treat him like a simple kid."

Shihouin Yoruichi rolled her eyes and suddenly changed the subject: "We should try to contact him. If he's willing to help us, it'll save us a lot of effort."

"Oh? Looks like Yoruichi-san is planning to go in person. Could it be that after hearing about her fiancé's return to the human world, her heart as a young girl can't wait anymore?"

Urahara Kisuke teased with a mischievous grin—only to be met with a flurry of flying cat claws.

"Take this—Rocket Cat Flying Claw!"

"Hiss… my face…"

After a brief commotion, Urahara Kisuke sat on the floor, his face covered in scratch marks, his hat askew, looking utterly defeated.

"Say one more word, and I'll rip your face off."

Yoruichi, perched on the wooden floor, shot him a warning glance before leaping up, opening the door, and leaving.

The moment Yoruichi left, Tessai Tsukabishi immediately leaned in, kneeling beside Urahara Kisuke.

"Boss, tell me—what's the deal with Yoruichi-san and Kuchiki Shinji's marriage contract?"

"Logically speaking, even if there was a marriage contract, shouldn't it have been between Yoruichi and Byakuya Kuchiki? Their ages are closer."

Tessai was incredibly curious about the past.

On one hand, he wanted to know why Yoruichi had a marriage contract with Shinji instead of Byakuya.

On the other hand, he wanted to understand why such an arrangement had been made.

After all, Byakuya Kuchiki was already a captain and the head of the Kuchiki family. Compared to the quiet and unknown Shinji, wouldn't Byakuya have been the obvious choice?

Unless… there was some hidden secret behind this.

"Ahem, it's a long story… If you want to know, there's a price."

Urahara Kisuke shielded his face with his folding fan and gestured for money with one hand.

A black line appeared on Tessai Tsukabishi's forehead.

"Fine. Three months—I won't take any salary for three months, deal?"

"No, not enough. At least a year."

"A year is too long! Half a year, at most!"

"Alright, half a year it is."

"You're lucky, this is an easy way to learn about the past of the Kuchiki and Shihouin families… It's a long story…"

Urahara Kisuke's gaze turned nostalgic, as if lost in memories.

What he failed to notice was that the closed door behind him had silently cracked open.

A black cat was squatting there motionlessly, staring at them.

Yoruichi's golden pupils slowly turned scarlet.

She licked her paw lazily.

"Hunting time begins."

---

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In the middle of the night, someone knocked on the door.

Expressionless, Kuchiki Shinji got up and opened it.

There, standing unsteadily with a bottle of alcohol in her hand, was a disheveled woman in revealing clothing.

"Who are you?"

She looked familiar…

Shinji took a closer look—and almost cursed.

Who else could have such a voluptuous figure besides Matsumoto Rangiku, that bold and uninhibited woman?

But what the hell was with this drunken appearance?

"How heartless… Shinji-kun already forgot about me?"

Matsumoto Rangiku leaned against the doorframe, preventing Shinji from closing it, grinning playfully.

"Why are you still in the human world? And… how much did you drink?"

Shinji rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"The Captain always said that the liquor here is delicious, so I decided to stay and taste it for myself."

Matsumoto Rangiku hiccupped and leaned against the doorframe, brushing her long hair seductively.

No doubt, she was incredibly charming.

But…

With those sultry eyes, the unnatural blush on her face, and the overwhelming scent of alcohol…

Shinji's eyelids twitched.

He pointed at Matsumoto Rangiku and warned, "Don't come any closer! Stay right there!"

Matsumoto Rangiku: "…"

What kind of look was that?!

Why… why did he look so disgusted?!

Why did her charm fail?!

Matsumoto Rangiku stared at him, her face full of grievance.

"Wait here."

After thinking for a few seconds, Shinji used Shunpo and disappeared.

Matsumoto Rangiku's flirtatious smile widened. Her drunkenness seemed to fade, and her eyes became clear.

She leaned lazily against the door, muttering softly, " Shinji-kun seems like a very reliable man… but is it really you?"

"Shinji-kun… you're hiding something."

Matsumoto Rangiku was no fool.

Her intuition—her woman's sixth sense—told her that Kuchiki Shinji was hiding something, ever since the soul burial training.

Abarai Renji's Shikai was clearly incomplete and deformed. There was no way he could have defeated two Adjuchas-level Menos Grandes.

So… who killed them?

And from the traces left on the Adjuchas slain in the human world, there was a lingering thunder-type Reiatsu.

This Reiatsu was extremely similar to the one left on the Adjuchas during the soul burial training.

That meant…

It had to be the same person.

And that person…

Was probably Kuchiki Shinji.

Matsumoto Rangiku squinted her eyes and lazily pretended to be drunk.

"Here, take this hangover medicine, then go back to Soul Society and sleep."

Shinji sighed and pushed Matsumoto Rangiku out of the door.

Up in the tree outside, a black cat squatted quietly, licking its sharp claws.

Its golden eyes gleamed as it watched the scene unfold… without blinking.

---

Soul Society, Seireitei.

A hidden underground experimental base.

Multiple screens were arranged in the dimly lit room, each displaying scenes of Karakura Town.

Click!

The door opened.

Ichimaru Gin entered, arms crossed over his chest, and glanced around with a sly smile.

"Captain Aizen."

"So, any results?"

Aizen smiled gently, adjusting his glasses as he walked toward the screens, his gaze fixed on the battle unfolding.

"Ahhh… Kuchiki Shinji. No matter how we test him, we can't seem to find his limit."

Ichimaru Gin's ever-smiling expression remained as he switched to a scene showing Shinji fighting an Adjuchas-class Menos Grande.

"A Zanpakutō with a lightning attribute? That's a rare ability."

Aizen observed calmly, waiting for the fight to conclude before making his remark.

"Yeah, when it comes to lightning-attribute Zanpakutō, we have to mention the lieutenant of the 1st Division, Chōjirō Sasakibe. I really want to see what his Bankai looks like, but it's a pity…"

"Tsk tsk…"

Despite the sigh in his tone, Ichimaru Gin's smirk and teasing eyes were unmistakably laced with mockery.

Aizen, however, was unfazed.

"Unfortunately, Hirako Shinji's group and Urahara Kisuke have remained motionless."

"It seems we need to apply more pressure."

Aizen adjusted his glasses again, the reflection momentarily obscuring his calm, calculating gaze.

After countless experiments, he had gathered enough data.

The Hōgyoku he currently possessed was incomplete, imperfect.

If he wished to evolve into a higher, more perfect lifeform, he needed Urahara Kisuke's Hōgyoku as well. Only by merging the two could he create a flawless Hōgyoku—the key to his ascension.

"Oh? Doing that… isn't Captain Aizen afraid of attracting Soul Society's attention?"

Ichimaru Gin's grin widened slightly, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.

"Don't worry, Gin. For the time being, they don't have the luxury of focusing on us, nor will they even suspect us."

Aizen's gentle smile remained unchanged, as though he were a benevolent elder.

"As expected of Captain Aizen. So, what's the plan?"

At Gin's inquiry, Aizen finally turned to him.

"It's time to release 'White Hollow' in Karakura Town. With its presence, Soul Society will be thrown into chaos for quite some time, leaving them no room to investigate other matters."

Aizen's gaze drifted to a particular screen in the corner.

His eyes shone with an odd sense of appreciation.

In the dimly lit screen, a shadowy figure floated inside a culture tank—twisted, deformed, and sporting grotesque horns.

"'White Hollow'…?"

Ichimaru Gin's smirk faltered slightly.

"Isn't it too early? The fusion process isn't perfect yet—there are still flaws. Besides..."

His voice trailed off as his gaze lingered on the ominous silhouette.

"Using 'White Hollow' to test Kuchiki Shinji… isn't that overkill?"

For a brief moment, his usual sly demeanor faded, revealing a hint of unease.

The thing inside that tank was a monster.

"Gin, I've noticed something."

Aizen's voice remained serene.

"You seem to be paying quite a bit of attention to Kuchiki Shinji."

"Oh? Maybe it's just a matter of genius recognizing genius."

Ichimaru Gin's expression didn't change, effortlessly steering the conversation away.

"The sympathy of geniuses…? It's rare for you to acknowledge someone like that."

Aizen's fingers brushed against his glasses. His gaze returned to the screen displaying Shinji's battle.

"But if he dies so easily to 'White Hollow'… that will only prove one thing."

"That I was wrong. That he was just an ordinary man, after all."

Then, Aizen's expression shifted slightly—his usual composed facade cracking for the briefest second.

"Still… there's something interesting about him."

"That boy should have been dead back then… and yet, he's alive again."

His tone was calm, but his eyes glimmered with a twisted sense of pleasure.

"Ah, now that is interesting."

Ichimaru Gin hummed, his usual carefree smile returning.

"Speaking of which, it seems Tōsen has also taken an interest in Kuchiki Shinji lately."

At that, Aizen's eyes gleamed.

"Tōsen, huh…?"

---

Karakura Town – A Room in a Warehouse

In a dimly lit room, a pajama-clad teenager stared at a black cat.

The two locked eyes, maintaining their silent standoff for quite a while.

Finally, the black cat broke the silence first.

"Yo, I was wondering how long you planned to hide. Turns out, you couldn't help but expose yourself so soon."

Shihouin Yoruichi spoke in her usual deep, masculine voice, flicking her tail lazily.

As she spoke, she licked her paw nonchalantly.

"Expose myself? I've been using the name Abarai Renji the whole time. What does that have to do with me, Kuchiki Shinji?"

Shinji's smirk was casual, his tone lighthearted.

There were only a few people who knew his real identity.

Those who did either had no idea what his true name was—or they were as tight-lipped as Saitō Yanagawa.

As for enemies?

He killed them all.

Who was left to expose him?

His job was simple—clock in, work, and slack off in peace.

"Tch, someone like you won't be able to stay hidden for long."

Yoruichi scoffed before suddenly shifting the topic.

"That woman who was practically throwing herself at you earlier… if I'm not mistaken, that was Matsumoto Rangiku, the lieutenant of the 10th Division, right?"

"...How do you know she was 'throwing herself at me'?"

Shinji frowned slightly.

"That girl practically pressed her ridiculously perverted body against your face. If that's not throwing herself at you, then what is?"

Yoruichi countered bluntly.

"She was just drunk…"

"Drunk? Please. That woman wasn't drunk—she had a goal."

At that, Shinji's eyes narrowed.

"So, you noticed it too."

His lips curled into a smirk.

Matsumoto Rangiku was flawless in her act—her portrayal of a tipsy, seductive older woman was Oscar-worthy.

But Shinji knew her too well.

A woman who could drink barrels of sake like water? Who could outdrink entire squads of male Shinigami and only be slightly tipsy?

Would someone like her show up drunk at his doorstep in the middle of the night, practically clinging to him?

Not a chance.

This was clearly a setup to probe him for information.

Women.

Heh.

Shinji exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. Then—

He suddenly froze.

His eyes twitched violently.

"WHAT THE HELL, YORUICHI!?"

"WHY DID YOU SUDDENLY TRANSFORM INTO A HUMAN?!"

"TURN BACK! TURN BACK RIGHT NOW!"

"CLOTHES! CLOTHES, DAMN IT!"