Squad Zero

Silence fell. For a moment, Urahara did not know what to say. Meeting Sōgo Shihoin had left Kisuke Urahara, who had always considered himself a genius, feeling rather inadequate.

"Sis, you didn't come looking for me today just to introduce me to your lover, did you?"

"There must be something more important you need to do, right?"

Sōgo Shihoin did not continue discussing strength. He turned and asked his sister.

"I told you, he's my underling!"

Yoruichi Shihōin glared at Sōgo with a smile that did not reach her eyes.

"Oh my~"

"I know I was wrong, sis~"

Sōgo Shihoin raised both hands again. Yep, that confirmed it-he was French.

"True, I didn't come just to see you. I came to pass along a message and pick you up while I was at it~" Yoruichi Shihōin sighed helplessly. Her little brother was great in every way, except that he had a mouth. "The application was approved. We're going to train with Squad Zero, but they said that while training was fine, we absolutely had to bring you."

"That fake monk gave the order, didn't he?"

Sōgo Shihoin asked with a disdainful look.

"That, I don't know." Yoruichi Shihōin shrugged. "You'll have to find out yourself."

"Then let's go~ It's been ages since I went to play at Squad Zero."

Sōgo Shihoin nodded lightly and spoke casually.

"Same as always, then?"

Yoruichi Shihōin asked Sōgo Shihoin.

"The old method is our only option."

As Sōgo Shihoin spoke, he ran into his room, looking as though he was searching for something.

"What are they even talking about?"

Listening to the encrypted conversation between the young lady and young master of the Shihoin clan, Kisuke Urahara found it genuinely difficult to follow.

"Ta-da! A spiritual pressure-suppressing sleeping bag! What should you do if the spiritual pressure you unconsciously release attracts Hollows while you're camping outdoors? Have no fear! That's when you can use this sleeping bag, a secret treasure even by Soul Society's standards. Once you're inside, you won't give off the slightest trace of spiritual pressure. You can fool even Hollows."

Just as Kisuke Urahara was puzzling over it, Sōgo Shihoin brought a strange-looking sleeping bag out of his bedroom.

"So you really do live up to the name 'Heavenly Gifted Armament Stewards.' You even have bizarre tools like this."

Kisuke Urahara marveled at the strange sleeping bag, which ordinary people would never have any use for and nobles had no need to use.

"I heard it was originally made so every Soul Reaper could use one, but in the end, you know how it goes. It cost too much, and ordinary Soul Reapers' lives weren't worth..."

Sōgo Shihoin climbed into the sleeping bag as he spoke.

"Sōgo, you're talking too much."

Hearing Sōgo Shihoin's words, Yoruichi reminded him.

"Ah! Sorry, just pretend I never said that~"

Sōgo seemed to realize something. He gave Kisuke Urahara an apologetic smile, then zipped the bag shut from inside.

"His spiritual pressure really disappeared."

Sensing the disappearance of the spiritual pressure around him, Kisuke Urahara stared at the sleeping bag with shining eyes.

"I'll let you study it later. For now, let's head to Squad Zero~"

Yoruichi hoisted the sleeping bag onto her shoulder and gave Kisuke Urahara a thumbs-up.

"So this is your old method?"

Looking at the smiling Yoruichi Shihōin, who resembled a human trafficker, Kisuke Urahara found the sight rather hard to watch.

"Yep! Ever since we were little, I've always been the one responsible for carrying Sōgo."

Yoruichi Shihōin nodded lightly, looking pleased with herself.

"No, that's not something to be proud of, is it?"

There were so many things to call out that Kisuke Urahara did not know where to begin.

"Let's not waste any more time."

Yoruichi Shihōin spoke to Kisuke Urahara, then used Shunpo to race toward the meeting point.

"Wait for me, Yoruichi!" Seeing Yoruichi use Shunpo, Kisuke Urahara hurried after her. He could not let this chance to study with Squad Zero slip away. "Don't leave me behind! I can't keep up with your speed~"

Yoruichi and Urahara flickered through the Seireitei like two shadows. Their speed, almost invisible to the naked eye, far exceeded that of ordinary Soul Reapers. Even lieutenant-class Soul Reapers could barely catch a glimpse of their shadows... In terms of Shunpo, both had already reached Captain-level despite their youth.

"Oh, stop lying~"

Before long, the two reached the meeting point, where quite a few children from other noble families had already gathered. Yoruichi did not spare them a glance. She only cared about the liar behind her, who looked out of breath but had actually kept steadily on her heels.

"Haah~ Haah~"

"If you hadn't been carrying someone, Yoruichi, there's no way I could have kept up."

Kisuke Urahara spoke modestly, looking utterly exhausted.

"Hey, Yoruichi~"

Just as Yoruichi was glaring at Kisuke Urahara, a lovely figure approached and greeted her.

"Ah~"

"It's Kūkaku~"

Yoruichi turned to look at the woman, whose features bore some resemblance to Ichigo Kurosaki and whose figure was smoking hot. She tossed aside the sleeping bag on her shoulder and hugged the woman before her.

"Ow~"

The sleeping bag bounced against the ground and made a sound.

"How tragic."

A few drops of cold sweat appeared on Kisuke Urahara's forehead as he watched the sleeping bag.

"You came too, Kūkaku?"

Yoruichi asked Kūkaku.

"Of course. To be precise, pretty much all the children our age from the Five Great Noble Clans came. After all, what's a secret to other people is just common knowledge to us."

Kūkaku gave Yoruichi a slight smile. The two were childhood friends, and their personalities clicked so well that calling them best friends would be no exaggeration.

"That's true."

Yoruichi rubbed the back of her head and smiled.

"Did Sōgo come? That's strange~ I don't see him anywhere!"

Kūkaku glanced at Kisuke Urahara behind Yoruichi, then turned to look around.

"I'm over here, Big Sis Kūkaku."

Lying inside the sleeping bag, Sōgo Shihoin waved at Kūkaku... All right, although he really wanted to wave, the sleeping bag restricted his movements.

"Ah! I completely forgot." Only when Yoruichi Shihōin looked at the sleeping bag on the ground did she remember that she had thrown her own little brother aside. She hurried over and hoisted it onto her shoulder. "Sorry, little brother~"

"Ah~"

"I'm used to it~ Used to it~"

Lying inside the sleeping bag, Sōgo sighed helplessly. He and Yoruichi had been siblings for a hundred years, and he was long accustomed to his sister's carelessness. Usually, he was the one playing the older brother.

Boom! Just as they were chatting, a bald monk with thick eyebrows and large eyes descended from the sky alongside a massive pillar. The moment he landed, the monk raised his hand high like an elementary school teacher and shouted, "Children of the Five Great Noble Clans, gather over here~ Anyone who's late won't get to go on the spring outing... No, I mean, go train~"

"Coming, teacher!"

After hearing the "teacher" call for everyone to gather, Yoruichi Shihōin was the first of all the children from the Five Great Noble Clans to raise her hand. She really was like an elementary schooler. No, to be precise, Yoruichi was an elementary schooler.

"Let's go, Urahara~"

With the sleeping bag slung over her shoulder, Yoruichi Shihōin took Kisuke Urahara by the hand and lined up before the Monk of the Eye. She was first, and not one of her peers from the Five Great Noble Clans dared contest her place.

"Okay."

As one of the few "outsiders" present, Kisuke Urahara felt an inexplicable warmth in his heart.

"Warmth is useless. What matters is strength! Strength!"

Even inside the sleeping bag, Sōgo Shihoin still wore a villainous expression.

"Ow~ That hurts!"

Then Sōgo got hit.

Bleach's timeline is a bit of a mess, so just go by mine~

And please send some recommendation votes my way. A new book really needs them!

(End of chapter)