Hollowfication Experiment

Tōsen Kaname stood there in silence, almost blending into the darkness of night.

His eyes were half-closed, and his slender figure made him seem less like the Fifth Seat of the Ninth Division and more like a ghost wandering through Soul Society.

After Kakyō was killed by Tsunayashiro Tokinada, revenge became Tōsen Kaname's sole motivation for staying alive.

"Yato." The blind Seated Officer gave a slight bow without exchanging pleasantries, then turned to lead the way.

One addressed the other casually by surname, while the other used an honorific.

Their difference in status was immediately clear.

This was not merely the gap between a Third Seat and a Fifth Seat. Within Aizen Sosuke's organization, Uchiha Yato's position was higher than Tōsen Kaname's!

Even with Tōsen's seniority, he could not ignore Aizen's blatant regard and favoritism toward Yato.

Under the night sky shrouded in thick fog, the two exchanged only a few simple words. Most of the time, they spent rushing along. Both were high-ranking Seated Officers, with astonishing speed and stamina, and they soon reached their destination.

"This is Northern Rukongai, District 31, Dragon Plain." Relying on the sensation of spiritual pressure, Tōsen Kaname pointed toward the distance. "The experiment is being carried out in that valley."

"Tch, District 31 has pretty good security. Won't it be too conspicuous?"

"They aren't local residents. The people below deliberately captured them from Kusajishi District and only brought them here under cover of darkness."

Uchiha Yato nodded and asked no more questions.

Inside the valley, more than a dozen people had their hands bound behind their backs in a hastily erected shack. Black cloth was wrapped around their heads, covering their ears and eyes.

Tōsen Kaname dug into part of the shack and pulled out a silver case.

"Yato."

"Thanks."

Uchiha Yato accepted the items Tōsen Kaname handed him: a bone respirator and protective goggles, both finely crafted.

Tōsen Kaname also put on his protective gear. Then he drew a knife from the silver case.

Swish!

The blade passed across someone's skin, slicing it open.

Uchiha Yato saw it clearly. The instant the wound appeared, the Reishi in the air trembled violently and forced its way into the person's body in an irregular manner.

It broke down in the blood, settled into the bones, fused within the internal organs, and finally began to hum deep within the soul!

"Ahhhhhhh—!"

The injured person began to roar. White liquid poured from his eyes, mouth, nose, and ears, resembling asphalt as it tried to solidify and form a mask!

This was a Hollow's spiritual pressure, a Hollow's mask. He was about to transform from an ordinary soul into a Hollow!

However, at a certain moment during the critical transformation, the surging spiritual pressure suddenly calmed.

Pop.

Like a balloon inflated to its limit, the man abruptly vanished, completely transformed into Reishi. Only his empty clothes, shoes, and socks remained where he had stood.

Yato's Sharingan spun furiously, elevating his dynamic vision to a terrifying degree as he rapidly wrote down every minute change.

"He was a wandering swordsman and bounty hunter from Kusajishi District." Tōsen Kaname's knife rested against the empty clothes. "His spiritual might was ranked twentieth. He had strong muscles and bones, but after being expelled from Shin'ō Academy, he fell into a path of crime without any honor."

"Sounds like you're finding an excuse for killing, Tōsen."

"No, Yato. I'm merely stating his life story. Besides..."

The blind Fifth Seat's tone remained calm, without the slightest fluctuation.

"Killings carried out in the name of righteousness are justice."

The Hollowfication Experiment continued. Uchiha Yato simply sat down and focused on recording everything.

Recording every detail of the Hollowfication process was the task Aizen Sosuke had given Yato, and the Sharingan was particularly suited to it.

That blade capable of forcing a soul to transform into a Hollow was also one of Aizen's proudest creations.

It was said to have been made by compressing the souls of a Soul Reaper and a Hollow, then forcibly inserting the resulting crystal deep into an Asauchi. As long as it cut the skin and came into contact with blood, it would force Hollowfication.

With Kyoka Suigetsu and his heaven-defying intellect and martial prowess, Aizen Sosuke had already established an underground organization of formidable scale. Yet now, only Uchiha Yato and Tōsen Kaname had the qualifications to come into contact with its core secrets.

Thus, Yato could be said to hold several positions at once. He had to bury himself in his work as a Third Seat while also finding time to complete Aizen's tasks.

With half the night gone, Tōsen Kaname finished all the experiments. He burned the clothes, shoes, and socks to ashes, leaving not the slightest trace behind.

The protective goggles and mask, the Hollowfication Blade, and the experiment records were placed in the silver case and buried underground. Several hours later, someone would come to transfer them and store them somewhere secure.

Tonight's task was complete. Yato yawned and said casually, "Tōsen, I'm heading back. Want to go together?"

"No, Yato. There's a prison nearby under the Ninth Division's jurisdiction. The inmates have been restless these past two days, so I happen to be going to check on them."

Uchiha Yato let out a soft laugh.

That was the drawback of being a double agent. You had to handle both sides' work properly. Without some real ability, it was impossible to pull off.

He said goodbye to Tōsen Kaname and returned by the same route.

The fog remained thick. Scarlet Eye stayed in its First-Stage Shikai state, and the Three Tomoe revolved within Yato's eyes.

Along the way, he encountered scattered patrol members from the Tenth Division. However, because of the Sharingan's genjutsu, they could see only gravel and weeds, unable to discern Yato's true form.

At last, the young man arrived outside Black Ridge Gate, preparing to enter Seireitei.

Just then, a patrol team happened to approach from the front. Led by a low-ranking Seated Officer, it had two squad members positioned on either side—the standard three-person formation.

As the Tomoe revolved, Yato strode past them.

But suddenly, he stopped.

A soft sigh came from within the thick fog.

"Surprised? You can clearly see me, yet your companions act as though I don't exist."

Yato received no response.

"Stop pretending."

A bloody hue flashed in the young man's eyes. This was not the scarlet of the Sharingan, but a chilling killing intent!

"You're very good at controlling your expression, but your pupils have been constricting the entire time. The movement is extremely slight, but with these eyes of mine, I can still see it."

The squad member on the left side of the three-person patrol team gave a slight tremble. However, he did not turn around. He continued following his Seated Officer outward.

Stopping would mean exposing Uchiha Yato's deception. Facing a Third Seat renowned as a genius, the squad member knew that his team would almost certainly meet disaster.

"I'm sorry, but under these circumstances, I can't let you leave."

Yato's voice continued to come from the darkness, slipping into the squad member's ears.

"Is that your Soul-Cutter Sword's ability?"

"You distort light and observe your surroundings in another manner. Because of tonight's heavy fog, you've been using this ability the entire time."

"It happens to counter my eyes."

"Looks like we're both unlucky."

Uchiha Yato gently stroked his Soul-Cutter Sword and slowly drew it. Scarlet Eye gave off a melodious hum, excited by the slaughter that was about to begin.

"Third Seat of the 12th Division, Uchiha Yato." He assumed the purest fighting stance, his expression calm. "State your name, squad member."

Outside Seireitei, amid the thick fog of the deep night, the young squad member loudly announced his name under the astonished gazes of his companions.

"I am Sasaki Kazunobu! Squad Leader Yano, sound the—!!!"

His speech was extremely rapid, and his reactions were no slower. He wanted to have his companions send out a signal in the shortest time possible.

However, no matter how fast his voice was, it could not outrun Scarlet Eye's blade.

"As expected." Uchiha Yato's tone was solemn. "Men with the character Ichi in their names are all incredible."

The blade's radiance flashed past, and the killing intent was like a startled swan.

Amid splattering blood, the battle ended in an instant.

The night remained deep and dark.