The Shihōin Clan / The Tokoyo Clan, Wardens of Hell

After finishing the bandages, Momo Hinamori looked up at Tokoyo Misao's back.

"Why is Misao still standing over there?"

Izuru Kira had just finished bandaging himself and breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart immediately tightened again.

He often watched Tokoyo Misao at work.

It was obvious that Misao was on guard against something. Kira immediately whispered:

"There are more enemies. Watch your surroundings."

He immediately began chanting under his breath:

"Light, bend our footsteps. Hide us silently between reality and illusion. Let our reflected forms become a mirage, an intangible illusion."

"Bakudō #26: Kyokkō!"

A curtain of Reishi light enveloped the area.

Like a mirror, the curtain reflected their surroundings, concealing them.

From outside, it looked like an ordinary street, with nothing there.

Tokoyo Misao kept his eyes fixed on the end of the street.

He hadn't helped just now because there were a great many Hollows ahead.

He narrowed his eyes and estimated their number.

One hundred and twenty.

Chapter 35: The Shihōin Clan

Under the cover of night, two figures, one tall and one short, walked down the street carrying bundles large and small.

Both wore long black robes that wrapped their bodies tightly.

They were none other than Kisuke Urahara, the manager of the Urahara Shop, and his employee Tessai Tsukabishi.

They were using Reishi-concealing robes to move in secret.

Tessai Tsukabishi turned toward the two streets beside them and asked quietly:

"Manager, is it really all right for us not to help?"

"There are over a hundred Hollows. The trainees can't possibly handle them."

Kisuke Urahara turned to look as well.

He had, of course, long since noticed the hundred-plus Hollows gathered on the neighboring street.

And only seven members of the Shin'ō Academy of Spiritual Arts trainee squad remained. Their losses had been severe.

He sighed. "Even now, I haven't found where Sōsuke Aizen is hiding."

Someone had definitely tampered with things to cause such an anomaly, and that person was very powerful. It was highly likely that Sōsuke Aizen had planned it.

But ever since packing up and leaving, he had carefully searched the surrounding area and found nothing.

"If we rush in to help, we'll very likely fall into a trap."

"A man like Sōsuke Aizen wouldn't make such a big move just to deal with a bunch of trainees, would he?"

Kisuke Urahara now believed he had dragged this class of students into trouble.

He was convinced that Sōsuke Aizen had gathered over a hundred Hollows, many of which had even absorbed Soul Reaper powers, to draw him and the other captains hiding in the World of the Living into action.

After all, none of them were weak, and they were now completely hidden in the shadows.

Putting himself in Aizen's position, Kisuke Urahara would have made the same choice.

"I understand. It's just that the great nobleman named Tokoyo Misao might really die here," Tessai Tsukabishi said again.

Though he had been hiding in a room at the Urahara Shop earlier, he had also extended his senses and checked Tokoyo Misao's Rei'i Grade.

And in the instant the door opened, he had caught a glimpse of him. Misao didn't even have a Zanpakuto yet; the blade at his waist was only an Asauchi.

How could someone at that level possibly handle so many Hollows?

Kisuke Urahara turned his head and spoke quietly:

"Let's go. All I can do is notify Soul Society and have them send help as quickly as possible."

"That's all."

As he spoke, he started walking. He reached inside his chest and pulled out a black wooden tablet, then used his finger to write on it: Trainees under attack by Hollows.

After writing those words, he clenched his hand and crushed the black wooden tablet.

With that done, he led Tessai Tsukabishi away from the area without looking back.

In Soul Society, at the Shihoin Clan residence.

The clan head, Yushiro Shihōin, was sitting at his desk, playing with a small black cat.

Suddenly, the black kitten's tail rose and went stiff.

"Sister, what's wrong?" Yushiro asked in a panic, addressing the black kitten as his sister.

The next moment, the black cat's expression turned deadly serious.

She jumped to the floor, and a puff of smoke appeared with a pop.

When the smoke cleared, a dark-skinned woman with purple hair stood there.

She was Yushiro's own elder sister, the former clan head, Yoruichi Shihōin.

Yushiro hurriedly took off the robe that marked him as clan head and draped it over his sister, then asked again in confusion:

"Did something really happen?"

Yoruichi Shihōin frowned at the words appearing in her palm.

"Yushiro, have someone notify Captain Ukitake. Tell him the academy students have been surrounded by Hollows and suffered heavy casualties."

"The students are under attack? What does that have to do with us?" Yushiro didn't quite understand.

Soi Fon was now captain of the Second Division.

Although Soi Fon belonged to a noble house subordinate to the Shihoin Clan, her clan no longer held any position in the Gotei 13.

Those academy students had nothing to do with their family.

Yoruichi raised her right hand and flicked her little brother on the forehead with a smack.

"Sister, what was that for?" Feeling a little aggrieved, Yushiro put a hand to his forehead.

"When did you become so cold-blooded? Hurry up and notify him. It won't be good if every one of those students is wiped out.

"I also found the information I wanted, so I'm going back to the World of the Living. I'll come back and see you when I have time."

With that, Yoruichi Shihōin turned back into a black cat and headed toward the rear of the residence.

Their family had a permanent Senkaimon leading to the World of the Living. Even the Twelfth Division couldn't detect it opening or closing.

That was the heritage of a great noble clan.

"Stay a few more days, Sister. Besides, we can keep investigating that so-called Tokoyo Clan. What we know now isn't much use."

Yushiro called after her pleadingly.

He had loved following his sister everywhere since he was little. Who could have known he would suddenly become clan head?

He was already struggling with the role, and being shut up in the residence every day, unable to go anywhere, had long since left him thoroughly frustrated.

But Yoruichi Shihōin showed no sign of staying and kept walking.

Yushiro's eyes darted around, and he called out, "About that clan, why don't you come with me to the Thirteenth Division, Sister? We can pass the news we just got to Captain Ukitake while we're there.

"We can also ask him what he thinks about that information.

"Sister, don't you trust Captain Ukitake?"

The black cat stopped. She slowly turned her head and fixed her golden eyes on her little brother, a somewhat gratified look in them.

Though she understood that this was probably just a ploy to get her to stay a few more days, what Yushiro said made sense.

So she turned around and jumped onto Yushiro's shoulder. "Hurry up. This old man is busy."

In her black cat form, Yoruichi Shihōin referred to herself as an old man, and her voice sounded more masculine as well.

"All right!"

Yushiro soon arrived at the Thirteenth Division barracks with Yoruichi, the black cat.

In the tea room, Jūshirō Ukitake looked to be in fairly good health today.

Smiling, he picked up a bag of candy from beside him and offered it to Yushiro.

"This candy is very sweet."

"Thank you, Captain Ukitake." Yushiro didn't stand on ceremony. He reached in, took a piece of candy, and popped it straight into his mouth.

The sweet flavor filled his mouth, bringing a happy expression to his face.

Seeing that made Ukitake even happier. He smiled and asked:

"Lord Yushiro, what brings you here?"

"Oh, that reminds me. I do have something to tell you. I received some news.

"The freshmen doing their practical training in the World of the Living have been surrounded by Hollows. They've suffered heavy casualties and might all be wiped out."

Yushiro spoke indistinctly around the candy in his mouth.

Chapter 36: The Tokoyo Clan, Wardens of Hell

"What!?" Ukitake didn't doubt him for a moment.

After all, the Shihōin Clan represented the Stealth Force and the Onmitsukidō Detention Unit.

He immediately stood, slid open the door, and shouted outside, "Kaien, emergency!"

Lieutenant Kaien Shiba appeared before him in an instant. "What happened?"

"Notify the Fifth Division immediately. The students taking part in the Shin'ō Academy of Spiritual Arts' practical training in the World of the Living have suffered heavy casualties. Go to the Twelfth Division and request a Senkaimon, then head over to support them."

Ukitake rapidly explained the situation without stopping for breath.

Without another word, Kaien Shiba vanished from the spot.

Jūshirō Ukitake returned to the table and sat down, his expression grave and his face deeply troubled.

His division was responsible for guarding the World of the Living, and some of his members were currently stationed in Karakura Town.

If something happened to the students this time and they were all wiped out, it would likely mean his subordinates stationed there had also come to harm.

But because of his health, no matter how anxious he was, he could only wait here.

Fortunately, Kaien Shiba was very strong. As long as he made it there and held out until the Fifth Division reinforcements arrived, there shouldn't be any major problems.

He hoped there was still time.

"Oh, right, right. There's something else I wanted to tell you."

Yushiro had no interest whatsoever in what had happened to the students in the World of the Living.

"Is there something else?" Ukitake's heart skipped a beat.

"It's nothing like that. I've been studying my clan's history lately, and I came across something interesting."

Yushiro himself had taken over as clan head after Yoruichi's defection decades ago.

Even now, he still looked like a child and was in the process of learning.

So it couldn't have been a better excuse.

"Something interesting?" Ukitake paused and repeated the words.

Although he was on fairly good terms with the Shihoin Clan, their relationship shouldn't have been close enough for the clan head to come over and share something interesting with him.

"Mm, that's right." Yushiro nodded as he ate his candy.

He took a small piece of candy from his bag and put it into the mouth of Yoruichi, the black cat in his arms, then continued: