Entrusting Her to You?

At the training ground the next day.

"I'm coming, Sōgo!"

After spending the entire night remodeling Kirin Palace, Kisuke Urahara's eyes were bloodshot. He looked positively brimming with energy.

"All right."

Sōgo nodded lightly, absentmindedly used Shunpo to appear in front of Kisuke Urahara, then absentmindedly punched him in the stomach.

"Urgh-"

Kisuke Urahara clutched his stomach, feeling the intense pain and churning stomach acid, then fell to his knees, his eyes rolling back as he lost consciousness.

"Leave Soul Society, huh?"

Ignoring the unconscious Kisuke Urahara kneeling before him, Sōgo looked up at the training ground's ceiling, pondering something.

By the time he finished thinking and came back to himself, Kisuke Urahara had begun foaming at the mouth.

I'll take him to the healing hot spring!

With that thought, Sōgo hoisted Kisuke Urahara onto his shoulder and headed toward the healing hot spring. After Kisuke Urahara's strenuous remodeling efforts all night, the hot spring had been completely divided into men's and women's sections. Sōgo casually tossed Urahara into the men's hot spring, then sat beside it and continued pondering.

"Um, Sōgo, if something's on your mind, why not tell me about it? Perhaps I might come up with a few good ideas."

Half-dead, Kisuke Urahara crawled out of the hot spring and spoke to Sōgo with a wry smile.

"It's really nothing major."

"Just work hard on your training here and improve yourself. You don't need to worry about anything else."

Sōgo Shihoin smiled at Kisuke Urahara, then turned and left the hot spring, leaving Urahara with a dashing view of his retreating back.

No, if you keep training me this 'absentmindedly' every day, I'll probably die pretty soon, won't I? Isn't that something I have to worry about? Besides, won't Miss Yoruichi worry about you acting like that too?

The corner of Kisuke Urahara's eye twitched as he watched Sōgo Shihoin's retreating back. He had indeed come here to improve himself, but he hadn't come to get beaten up. There was a huge difference between the two.

"What did you say?"

Sōgo, who had nearly left the hot spring, turned and asked Urahara.

"N-nothing."

Looking at Sōgo Shihoin's smiling face, Kisuke Urahara shook his head gently. He hadn't noticed anything unusual about Sōgo at all. He wouldn't say a thing.

"Really? Good." Sōgo Shihoin nodded in satisfaction, then smiled faintly at Urahara and said in the gentlest of tones, "If my sister catches on, you'll die."

"Understood, Lord Sōgo!"

Kisuke Urahara's heart clenched. He could feel that the man before him was serious.

"As long as you understand. Now, please work hard over the coming days!" Sōgo Shihoin lifted one corner of his eye mask slightly, revealing his narrowed eyes, and smiled. "As long as you behave yourself, I'll make sure you return to Soul Society safely. After all, this old man isn't some kind of devil."

"U-understood."

Feeling the terrifying spiritual pressure emanating from Sōgo, Kisuke Urahara nodded stiffly.

Anyway, let's get through this month safely first!

Sōgo Shihoin planned to send his sister off first, then discuss things properly with the members of Squad Zero.

Over the following days, Sōgo Shihoin trained Kisuke Urahara in an orderly fashion. On the third day, he struck Urahara in the neck, knocking him unconscious. On the fourth day, it was his head. On the fifth day, he kicked and broke all four of Urahara's limbs. On the sixth day, it was his cheek. On the seventh day, it was the full package... After that, the week's training repeated. Apart from the first day, when Urahara attacked and Sōgo was responsible for dodging, Urahara was conscious; on every other day, he was instantly taken out with a single blow, without any suspense.

Half a month passed like that. Under Sōgo Shihoin's training, Urahara's spiritual body grew stronger and stronger. By now, an average captain's hand-to-hand techniques could hardly pose a threat to him...

"What have I even done over this past half month?"

"Soaked in the hot spring? And... soaked in the hot spring?"

Kisuke Urahara lay in the hot spring, his eyes lifeless.

With Sōgo Shihoin's help, during the half month since Kisuke Urahara had arrived at Squad Zero, he had spent more time in the hot spring than everywhere else combined. There was an upside, though: Kisuke Urahara had essentially analyzed most of the structure of this hot spring that could heal injuries. Given time, he could absolutely use Benihime Kai's power to build a healing hot spring infinitely close to this one.

"Ahh..."

"Isn't this pretty nice?"

"Once you two return to Soul Society, you won't have time to take it easy like this."

With a contented sigh, Sōgo Shihoin sat down beside Kisuke Urahara, enjoying the comfortable sensation of the hot spring water surrounding his skin.

"Huh?"

"Sōgo, why have you come to soak in the hot spring with me too?"

As Kisuke Urahara looked at Sōgo Shihoin beside him, beads of fearful sweat instinctively formed on his forehead. It felt just like a student suddenly running into his teacher.

"What? Am I not welcome?"

Sōgo smiled faintly at Kisuke Urahara and asked.

"No, no, of course you are!"

Kisuke Urahara hurriedly waved his hands, smiling in slight panic.

"I'm counting on you to look after my sister over in Soul Society." Ignoring the flustered Kisuke Urahara, Sōgo Shihoin dropped his usual playful expression and spoke somewhat seriously. "I can tell that my sister really trusts you. She's probably genuinely taken you in as her little brother. Since you've gotten my sister to open her heart to you, don't do anything to break it. Otherwise, you'll die."

"Hahaha... Sōgo, why so serious all of a sudden? I'm not quite used to this..."

Kisuke Urahara smiled smoothly, but this time, Sōgo was unexpectedly serious.

"I-I understand. Please rest assured about that."

Looking at Sōgo's serious expression, Kisuke Urahara nodded lightly to show that he understood.

"Good. If I find out you've broken my sister's heart in the end, I'll kill you." Sōgo Shihoin stood and waded toward the bank. "Well, enjoy the rest of your soak alone! You can't relax with me here..."

"Sōgo, are you entrusting her to me? Could something be wrong with your health?"

Looking at Sōgo Shihoin's retreating back, Kisuke Urahara thought for a long time before finally mustering the courage to ask.

"Entrusting her to you?!"

"Ah..."

Sōgo Shihoin turned around and froze briefly at Kisuke Urahara's words. Then he recalled what he had said. It really did sound a little like he was entrusting something important to someone before his death.

"I'm not entrusting her to you! And don't get any other ideas. If I find out you've gotten handsy with my sister, I'll still kill you. I just won't be able to return to Soul Society for a while... I'm counting on you during that time."

Sōgo Shihoin explained to Kisuke Urahara with a touch of agitation.

"Understood. Please rest assured about that!"

Kisuke Urahara looked at Sōgo Shihoin and spoke with complete seriousness.

The next arc is tentatively the Hueco Mundo arc. The protagonist will leave Soul Society and go run wild in Hueco Mundo for a while.

By the way, do you all prefer Tier Harribel or Nel?

(End of chapter)