The Greatest Case in Seireitei (1)

"This is my son, and the future head of the Shihoin House, Shihoin Yota." Sennichi introduced the young man beside him casually, then turned and walked into the house. "Come on in, all of you!"

"Is that really how you introduce the future head of the Shihoin House? It doesn't seem very credible." The other party's relaxed demeanor made even Ukitake unable to help but complain. He lowered his voice as much as he could, whispering to Lin Nan and Kyoraku beside him.

Lin Nan bowed his head slightly and replied in a low voice, "If it weren't for those priceless ornaments on them, I would have thought they were imposters."

Kyoraku gave a light cough. "That's just how the head of the Shihoin House is; he's famous in the Soul Society for being easygoing. So, you don't need to be too formal."

Shihoin Yota was all smiles, waving at the group:

"Shunsui, you've grown again! You've made a lot of progress lately, haven't you? It's been a long time since I heard your brother complaining about wanting to beat you up!"

Kyoraku's face fell, and he glared at Yota with resentment. "I honestly can't tell if you're praising me or insulting me."

"Shunsui's older brother is my subordinate, and we have a very good relationship. You two don't need to be strangers." After teasing Kyoraku Shunsui for a moment, Yota turned to Lin Nan and Ukitake. "Come on! Father is still waiting. You need to listen carefully to what we're discussing today!"

The group followed Yota into the house.

He holds such a high position, yet he has absolutely no arrogant noble airs. There are quite a few people with such high contrast in the Soul Society! Just like Katori... Lin Nan thought as he walked.

Thinking of Katori, his mind couldn't help but wander. I wonder where she is now? How is the 8th Division mission going?

Sennichi signaled for the group to sit down, then gave Yota a look.

Yota immediately turned back and tightly shut the doors of the main hall. He then stood guard on the spot to prevent anyone from suddenly entering.

Seeing this, the young men couldn't help but feel tense again.

"No need to be so nervous. I'm being this cautious only for the sake of secrecy," Sennichi said with a casual laugh, noticing their tension.

Following Sennichi's gesture, the three took their seats. Candied fruit and hot tea had already been prepared on the small tables in front of each of them.

"I wonder what matter the House Head has for us, to have us come here specifically?" Lin Nan asked seriously.

Since the other party had made such secret arrangements—even dismissing the guards for the sake of confidentiality—there was no need for him to beat around the bush.

"I believe you have already heard how serious this incident is. I brought you here because I want you to become my secret agents, to privately investigate and collect all suspicious information and movements within the Spirit Arts Academy."

"But, for work like this, aren't you afraid that we, as new students, will mess things up?" Lin Nan immediately countered.

"Shouldn't this kind of work be handled by experienced people who are good at infiltration?"

"There's no other way! My new unit hasn't fully taken shape yet, and they aren't quite ready for the task." Sennichi said with a touch of melancholy, picking up a piece of candied fruit from the tray beside him and chewing it.

"There's some in front of you, help yourselves—besides, they are all new faces within the Spirit Arts Academy, so they are only suitable for lurking on the periphery for now. They are still a bit lacking when it comes to gathering intelligence."

"You are students, and new ones at that; not only can you move around the Spirit Arts Academy openly, but you also have many opportunities to gather information. That is exactly why I have my eye on you."

Lin Nan and Ukitake listened quietly, while Kyoraku, off to the side, pinched a piece of candied fruit and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Lin Nan pondered for a moment, still hesitant. "What you say makes sense, but I'm still worried that with our status, we won't be able to access any truly useful information."

Sennichi leaned back in his chair casually. "That doesn't matter. Intelligence needs to be aggregated and analyzed. You just need to remember to report any information you gather to the lurking agents as soon as possible."

"Sigh, the new unit isn't finished, and the incident happened so suddenly that I didn't have time to plant moles in the Spirit Arts Academy. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have to trouble you."

Ukitake, lost in thought, asked, "Then, sir, what kind of information do you want us to look for?"

Sennichi, still holding a piece of candied fruit, freed his index finger and waved it in front of him. "No requirements. Anything you hear or see that you find unreasonable is fair game."

"Even hearsay can be reported. In any case, you don't need to worry about the follow-up investigation; my people will handle that."

Off to the side, Kyoraku, who was busy stuffing his face, said vaguely, "As long as we don't look too deliberate or act like we're particularly interested in certain things while we're scouting, right?"

Sennichi's eyes lit up, and he nodded. "Little Shunsui is still very clever; you hit the nail on the head."

"However, you must be careful not to get too involved and try to keep your presence to a minimum. This incident is not that simple. You must keep a low profile at all times."

"The number of Asauchi lost this time is enough to equip one and a half divisions. If the enemy can swap out so many Zanpakuto without anyone noticing, they might also do something unfavorable to you."

Hearing this, Lin Nan suddenly asked, "If we do discover clues about them, how does the Seireitei plan to deal with it? The enemy has the means to swap out so many Asauchi right under the nose of the Seireitei; they must be very troublesome."

"What if the other party notices our actions and takes action against us in private? We are just new students; I'm afraid it will be hard for us to protect ourselves."

Sennichi chuckled and tossed away the fruit pit he had finished eating.

"It's fine. In fifteen days at most, my first batch of Stealth Force members will complete their secret training. By then, they will be able to provide you with close protection."

I didn't expect to actually be present for the founding of the Stealth Force? Lin Nan thought to himself. This feeling of "witnessing history" gave him an indescribable sensation.

Ukitake was puzzled by Sennichi's words and raised his hand to ask, "Close protection... wouldn't that make it easier to alert the enemy?"

"Hmph, little one, why do you think I named them [Stealth Force]?" Sennichi grabbed a handkerchief and wiped his hands. "The first batch to complete secret training happens to be the Punishment Force, which is perfect for protecting you in secret."

He grabbed his cane, struggled to stand up, and walked slowly in front of the three.

"Because the identity of the enemy is currently unknown, I went to such great lengths to invite you to my home. It is so that no one knows you have had any contact with me."

"Starting tomorrow, the three of you must hide yourselves well, and I will handle the safety matters. This incident can be called the biggest case in the Seireitei! You must be careful and cautious."