Plans for Wang Xun

As night fell, the Second Division Captain's Office was brightly lit.

Yoruichi sat upright at a large sandalwood table, a thick stack of confidential documents spread out in front of him.

The flickering candlelight cast swaying shadows on her face, highlighting her furrowed brows and solemn expression.

The contents of the document are shocking.

This is a special report compiled by the Stealth Force), documenting the mysterious disappearances of residents in various districts of Rukongai over the past decade.

And a record of a case involving the disappearance of the Soul Reaper.

The vast majority of cases were marked as closed in the reports, but Yoruichi knew that most of those so-called closed cases were just hastily dealt with.

The security in the back area of Rukongai is practically nonexistent. The battles and killings between the spirits are cruel and chaotic, and a large number of spirits disappear every day.

That place is a gray area beyond the reach of law and order, and also a favorite source of material for certain forces.

No one is paying attention, and the source cannot be traced.

Yoruichi's fingers traced the unfamiliar names, her fingertips feeling slightly cool.

She discovered that the proportion of disappearances involving the Soul Reaper has been rising in recent years.

The last few pages of the report listed some circumstantial evidence and suspicious leads, but ultimately nothing came of it.

Because it involves high-ranking nobles.

The Stealth Force is nominally directly under the Central 46 Chambers, but in reality, the Central 46 is composed of nobles.

They can even bypass normal procedures and directly issue orders to call up Stealth Force to carry out certain special missions.

This is precisely the root cause of Yoruichi's obstructed investigation.

Whenever a clue points in a sensitive direction, it always encounters invisible resistance.

Unexpected delays in document archiving, witnesses suddenly changing their stories or disappearing, and even some action records that should be kept confidential are inexplicably lost.

Even the case of Amamiya Shin is no exception.

Yoruichi's mind flashed back to a scene from a noble meeting not long ago.

Representatives of the Tsunayashiro Clan once proposed expanding the Shin'ō Medical Institute, claiming that they wanted to create a high-standard medical facility specifically for the aristocratic class.

At the time, this suggestion didn't attract much attention, but now, in retrospect, it may have had a deeper meaning.

"Those bastards..."

Yoruichi cursed under her breath, just then there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open a crack, Kisuke Urahara peeked in, carrying a file folder in his hands.

"Here he is. How's the investigation into Amamiya Shin going?"

I guess so.

Urahara walked in, closed the door behind him, and placed the file bag on the table.

"The inspection of the Fourth Division is complete; it was done personally by Lieutenant Yamada."

He opened the top folder, took out several analytical reports filled with data and charts, and spread them out in front of Yoruichi.

"The collapse of the soul has been barely suppressed, but the damage to the consciousness is permanent. Lieutenant Yamada said that he rarely sees this level of soul destruction."

Can you determine if it was done manually?

"I can't do it."

Urahara shook his head.

Yoruichi's eyes turned completely cold.

"Therefore, this matter can only be characterized as a soul collapse caused by an experimental accident."

"Since a member of the Tenth Division is missing, this is the only way to handle it for now."

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

The candlelight crackled, casting the shadows of two pensive figures on the wall.

Yoruichi leaned back in her chair, looked up at the wooden beams on the ceiling, and let out a long sigh.

"I always felt there was something suspicious about it, but in the end I couldn't find anything. It's really frustrating."

"Life is unpredictable, Captain Yoruichi, don't take it too hard."

At that moment, Kisuke Urahara suddenly changed the subject.

"Speaking of which, have there been any noteworthy developments in aristocratic circles lately?"

Yoruichi pondered for a moment, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"Now that you mention it... the Tsunayashiro Clan has indeed been making some moves lately."

She sat up straight and lowered her voice.

"About a few months ago, they held a meeting of nobles and proposed a plan to expand the Shin'ō Medical Institute, claiming that they wanted to establish a high-level medical research institution specifically serving the noble class."

"Recently, this plan has been brought back to the agenda."

"Furthermore, they've already been working on poaching people from the Fourth Division. Their initial choice for the headmaster was Captain Unohana, but of course, she was rejected outright."

At this point, Yoruichi couldn't help but let out a sneer.

These guys are really bold.

"Then their attention turned to the Fourth Division's vice-captain, Kiyōnosuke Yamada."

Urahara raised an eyebrow.

"Lieutenant Yamada... He is highly skilled in the fields of Kaidō and soul medicine, and he possesses a vast amount of medical records and case data from the Fourth Division."

"This suggestion just feels a bit off."

"That's what I think too."

Yoruichi's expression turned serious.

"There's one more thing. Captain Unohana offered to send Wang Xun to the Fourth Division for further training... Do you think that's normal?"

"Could it really be that they only valued his talent for the Kaidō and were simply taking a chance on him?"

Urahara stroked his chin, lost in thought.

"Captain Unohana... that First Kenpachi, her invitation to Wang Xun at this time is indeed intriguing."

Yoruichi also wore a thoughtful expression.

"Do you think... it's possible that Captain Unohana has also sensed something, or perhaps she has other plans?"

Well, who knows?

Urahara smiled.

"Captain Unohana experienced the darkest era of Soul Society and witnessed too many conspiracies and betrayals. Her choice to extend an olive branch to Wang Xun at this time may not be a coincidence."

He looked at Yoruichi, his tone becoming serious.

"But at least one thing is certain: Captain Unohana meant no harm."

"Furthermore, Wang Xun joining the Fourth Division is also a good thing for us."

"Why not let him try to make contact with the Fourth Division? He might discover something."

Yoruichi's expression softened slightly upon hearing Wang Xun's name.

"That kid is really interesting. I read the previous mission report; he was able to defeat Amamiya Shin in his Shikai state head-on, and he also held his own against Kaname Tōsen in their second battle..."

"His strength is already close to that of the vice-captain; his growth rate is extremely fast."

Yoruichi glanced at Kisuke Urahara and suddenly smiled.

"What, you seem to think highly of him?"

"Yes, I always felt there were other surprises in him."

Urahara readily admitted that a certain expectant light flickered in his eyes beneath his hair.

He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open a crack.

A night breeze swept in, rustling the documents on the table.

Yoruichi also stood up, walked to his side, and looked out at the boundless night.

The candlelight flickered in the wind, as if foreshadowing the coming storm.

They all sensed that something was brewing in the shadows.

All they can do is prepare as much as possible before the storm arrives.

Cultivate trustworthy partners and accumulate the power to change the situation.

"Oh, right." Urahara suddenly remembered something and turned around, "Did Wang Xun agree to go to the Fourth Division for further training?"

"I agreed."

Nod at Yoruichi.

"I will arrange a time for him to report for duty, the sooner the better."

"Now we'll see what Captain Unohana wants to teach him."