"Yo, Osu! Back so early today?"
"Hey, Osu, you're looking better every day, huh?"
"Sothing good happen recently? You're even humming!"
As the days passed, the people of the Rukongai began to notice a change in Yushima Osu. Once listless and hollow-eyed, the man had started to regain the light that once shone from him when he'd first entered the Shin'ō Academy. That spark of confidence had returned.
And alongside his spirit, his body was visibly improving as well.
"Shuuichi-sama! I'm back!"
Bursting through the door, Osu grinned ear-to-ear as he called out to Higashi Shuuichi, who sat flipping through the latest issue of Seireitei Bulletin.
"You seem in a good mood today, Osu," Shuuichi said, closing the magazine and looking up.
"Hah! That's 'cause I paid a visit to Squad 9 and gave a proper beatdown to every guy who used to mock !"
Osu was practically bouncing, gesturing wildly.
"You should've seen their faces when I revealed my Shikai! Their eyes almost popped out of their skulls! Hahaha!"
Shuuichi shook his head. This kid did have talent—especially after nearly half a year of targeted physical conditioning under Shuuichi's brutal but effective regi.
Still, Osu's personality... could use so polishing.
"You only just unlocked your Shikai yesterday, and you're already strutting into other divisions to show off. What's next? When you achieve Bankai, you gonna walk up to a captain and say, 'Mock the poor at your peril'?"
"Hahaha, honestly? Not a bad idea, Shuuichi-sama! I an, if you could take on five captains and co out alive, I figure once I get Bankai, taking down two of them at once isn't too much, right?"
Shuuichi stared at him, blinking slowly.
What conversation are we even having right now?
"You're dreaming if you think you'll beat two captains. Hell, you should be grateful if you can take down one."
But Osu's eyes lit up.
"So you an... even you believe I'll be able to beat at least one captain once I've mastered Bankai?!"
Shuuichi could only sigh.
This guy doesn't even hear what I say.
"Whatever. Did you bring what I asked for?"
Best to change the subject. And to his credit, Osu did bring the goods.
"Of course, Shuuichi-sama!"
He reached into his satchel and pulled out a set of props: a pair of glasses, a custom facial mask fabricated from Gigai residue, and a replica Zanpakutō.
Only soone with access to the 12th Division could've gotten these.
Sure, Urahara Kisuke could make them too, but given his recent exile, his supply stock was running thin. Shuuichi suspected the surplus Urahara used in the canon tiline had all been "borrowed" by Yoruichi Shihōin during a century of casual infiltration and looting of Soul Society.
After all, with her pedigree and prowess, she could co and go almost at will. Even post-defection, Yoruichi wasn't the type most Shinigami would dare detain. And those with the power to stop her? Likely wouldn't, for various reasons—Aizen included.
Hell, Shuuichi figured Aizen probably wanted Urahara to keep poking around. It gave him the pretext he needed to eventually force the Central 46 into harsher decisions.
Especially since Urahara's exile was comparatively mild—less damaging than the Kudō Clan rebellion that had rocked Soul Society not long after.
"Still, Shuuichi-sama... Are you sure about entering Seireitei with like this?"
Seeing Shuuichi don the disguise, face and aura transford, Osu couldn't help but hesitate.
"Of course," Shuuichi nodded. "So matters I must discuss with your current captain personally. Anyone else, he'll never trust."
"...I guess."
Osu scratched the back of his head, nervous.
Higashi Shuuichi might be disguised, but he was still a wanted man. If discovered, it wouldn't just be him who paid the price. Osu had only just begun tasting the joy of having power—he wasn't ready to let go.
"Relax," Shuuichi assured him. "The Seireitei barrier system flags dense spiritual particles, not true reiatsu signatures. You'll log in as a 12th Division experintal subject. With this disguise? They won't suspect a thing."
He wasn't bluffing either. If not for that damned barrier, Shuuichi would've barged into Seireitei half a year ago.
It wasn't until he beca a fugitive that he understood just how inconvenient security protocols could be.
Seeing Shuuichi's confidence, Osu let out a resigned sigh and pivoted the topic:
"...Alright. I'll sneak you in tomorrow. But tonight, shouldn't we start the usual training?"
"Of course."
Fully disguised, Shuuichi gave a nod, and just then—a Reishi construct descended from the ceiling, its spiritual pressure calibrated to match Osu's current level.
Shuuichi opened his palm, chanting smoothly as a crystalline prism blood into existence around the two combatants.
Bakudō #73: Tozanshō.
A downward-pointing tetrahedron of pure energy sealed the space. Given Shuuichi's level, there was no way Osu would be able to break through.
It was the perfect makeshift arena.
With Osu locked inside battling his training dummy, Shuuichi sat back down and resud flipping through his magazine.
Seireitei Bulletin, the brand-new publication spearheaded by the new Captain of Squad 9—Tōsen Kana—was surprisingly well made. It had a modern feel.
And, perhaps because it was championed by a fresh captain, nearly every major seated officer had shown support by contributing.
Captain Yamamoto Genryūsai had written a samurai code essay.
Vice-Captain Sasakibe Chōjirō submitted an article on Western pastries.
Captain Ichimaru Gin penned a column titled "That's Just Ridiculous."
Captain Unohana Retsu contributed an introspective piece on ikebana (flower arrangent).
Captain Aizen Sōsuke submitted calligraphy examples.
Captain Ukitake Jūshirō began serializing a novel titled "Twin Fish."
And that was just the start.
As he read, Higashi Shuuichi chuckled to himself.
Even in a society built around death, the need to write, to create, to tell stories... never fades.
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