Urahara laughed it off. "Of course not."
Urahara Kisuke closed his notebook and looked up at Hasumi Ren. The excitement in his eyes from earlier had faded.
"What you've shown me is far more valuable than I imagined."
"Looking at this data alone, it certainly isn't earth-shattering." Urahara took a deep breath. "But you achieved these enhancements while completely conscious and in total control. There was no loss of control, no breakdown."
His voice lowered. "Those failed subjects that Aizen forced into Hollowfication using the Hogyoku—some collapsed the moment they Hollowfied, while others barely held on for a short time before ultimately meeting the same fate."
"They couldn't control that power."
Urahara looked at Ren. "But you're different. You can Hollowfy while maintaining a clear mind, making precise judgments, and executing complex techniques."
"That is what makes this so precious."
"However, I must warn you not to use this ability in front of others for now."
"After all, the current Seireitei, especially the noble families, would have major objections to this kind of power."
Ren nodded. "Speaking of which, do you still have any of those potions from before?"
Urahara paused. "Potions?"
"The ones you secretly used on me."
Urahara's expression turned slightly awkward. "Ahaha... I do have some in stock. How much do you need?"
Ren thought for a moment. "All of it."
Urahara was stunned. "All of it?"
"Yes. Consider it compensation for using me as a test subject."
Urahara smiled bitterly. "You really never let yourself take a loss, do you?"
But he didn't refuse. "No problem, I'll give it all to you later."
"Besides, your constitution might be the key to fighting that man."
"However, there is one thing about Aizen that puzzles me..."
"I've been tracking these disappearance cases for a long time—souls in the Rukongai, Soul Reapers of the Gotei 13."
"If it's truly as you say, and Aizen is pulling the strings behind the scenes, how is he doing it?"
Urahara turned, facing him sideways. "Many of the locations where these disappearances occurred are in areas secretly controlled by the nobles. I always assumed the noble families were conducting some sort of experiments."
He paused. "Those nobles aren't fools; they have their own intelligence networks. To pull off so much right under their noses and even pin the blame on them..."
"But if the true mastermind is Aizen, how did he manage to deceive everyone and carry all this out without making a sound?"
Ren fell silent for a moment.
Then, he spoke slowly. "Hypnosis."
Urahara was taken aback. "What?"
Ren looked at him, enunciating every word. "Aizen's Zanpakuto is not the running water-type he makes it out to be. Its true ability is complete hypnosis, the absolute control of the five senses."
Hearing this, Urahara Kisuke stared at Ren in disbelief.
"Complete hypnosis?" His voice was slightly hoarse. "Controlling... the five senses?"
Ren nodded. "Yes."
Urahara's breathing quickened.
Countless thoughts churned wildly in his mind.
If this was true, if Aizen truly possessed such an ability...
Then everything made sense.
Why the disappearance cases had yielded no results after years of investigation.
Why the trail would inexplicably go cold every time he pursued it.
Why the evidence always ultimately pointed to irrelevant places.
It wasn't because the man was hiding too deeply.
It was because, even if he was standing right in front of you, no one would be able to see him.
Urahara suddenly realized something, and his face instantly turned pale.
He whipped his head around, scanning their surroundings.
The cavern was empty, containing only him and Ren.
But... who knew?
Perhaps right now, Aizen was standing in some corner, quietly watching them.
Urahara's hand instinctively dropped to his Zanpakuto.
Ren watched his reaction and gently shook his head. "Relax, he isn't here."
Urahara snapped his gaze back to him. "How do you know?"
Ren remained silent for a moment.
Urahara paused, seemingly realizing something. "Your Zanpakuto?"
He looked at Ren, a complex look flashing through his eyes. "Can your Zanpakuto... discern the abilities of other people's Zanpakuto?"
Ren didn't answer, simply looking at Urahara in silence.
Urahara stared at him for a few seconds before suddenly chuckling. "No wonder..."
He walked over to a protruding rock and leaned against it. "So, did you sense that there was something wrong with Aizen before?"
Ren shook his head. "Only starting from that joint mission."
"Just as you said, Aizen has Kyoka Suigetsu. He can make anyone see whatever he wants them to see."
"Right now, even if you and I stood in front of Head Captain Yamamoto and pointed at Aizen, calling him the mastermind, the Head Captain might not even be able to see us."
Urahara fell silent.
He knew Ren was right.
If Aizen truly possessed this ability, exposing him would be nearly impossible.
Urahara looked up at Ren.
For the first time, true solemnity appeared on his face. "Your current situation is very dangerous."
Ren nodded. "As you said, he has already started making his moves against me."
Urahara's brow furrowed. "Aizen also has a Hogyoku in his possession. His actions indicate that he isn't simply testing the Hogyoku's power."
"He wants to use the Hogyoku's power to forcibly shatter the boundary between Soul Reaper and Hollow, allowing himself to evolve to a higher plane of existence..."
He paused. "Although those test subjects failed, if he continues his research, there's no guarantee he won't succeed."
He looked at Ren. "When that time comes, the entire Soul Society will be in danger. After all, we still don't know what his ultimate goal is."
Ren remained silent.
*Urahara is right,* he thought. *The Aizen from the original story had indeed nearly accomplished it.*
Urahara continued. "But your existence might provide a turning point."
Ren looked at him. "What do you mean?"
Urahara's gaze sharpened. "Aizen tried to use the Hogyoku to force you into Hollowfication, but there was no reaction."
"This proves that the power within your body has already surpassed the scope of what the Hogyoku can influence."
"You have an innate Hollowfication constitution, where Soul Reaper powers and Hollow powers coexist perfectly. In theory, this is impossible to achieve, but you've done it."
"Your constitution and your Zanpakuto might be the key to defeating Aizen."
Ren looked at him and spoke slowly. "What you're saying makes a lot of sense, but Aizen has already noticed me. He will definitely continue to make his moves."
"Shouldn't I first consider how to survive until that day comes?"
Urahara paused, then sighed. "You're right."
He reached out his hand. "Rest assured, despite our previous misunderstandings, I am on your side."
"From now on, I will find a way to keep you safe. This is no longer just your problem."
Ren looked at his hand, silent for a moment.
Then, he grasped it.
After a brief silence, the two let go.
Ren looked at him. "Tell me, what do you have in mind?"