Kisaragi stood silently beside Tatsufusa's cot, his Six Eyes still subtly monitoring the recovering officer's spiritual energy. But his outward focus belied the storm raging within his mind. The insidious nature of the injury, the unseen attack… it all pointed with chilling certainty towards Sosuke Aizen. The pieces clicked into place with a sickening finality: the disappearing souls, the unusually aggressive Hollows, and now this targeted, internal spiritual decay. This wasn't a random occurrence; it was a deliberate act, an early tendril of Aizen's grand, malevolent design reaching out into the unsuspecting world.
Aizen… he's started already, Kisaragi thought, a knot of dread tightening in his stomach. The timeline was skewed, the butterfly effect of his reincarnation flapping its wings with unsettling force. The very nature of the spiritual disruption he had witnessed in Tatsufusa, the way it eroded from within without any external wound, screamed of an unnatural, manipulated process. It echoed, in a nascent form, the Hollowfication he knew would plague Soul Society decades later.
A dangerous thought wormed its way into his consciousness: If he's experimenting with Hollowfication this early, and if he somehow detects that I can heal its initial stages… what would he do? The implications were terrifying. He, a mere Sixth Seat, possessing a unique ability that could potentially disrupt Aizen's plans, would become a target. He needed to be stronger, far stronger than he currently was.
His achievements in the Fourth Division, his mastery of healing kidō, his unique original spells – they were impressive, even placing him on a level comparable to some Captains in terms of skill and understanding of reiatsu. But he lacked the ultimate weapon, the final evolution of a Zanpakuto: Bankai. It was the one crucial element separating him from the true Captain-class shinigami, the power needed to truly protect himself and perhaps even influence the unfolding events.
Bankai… I need to achieve Bankai. And soon. The thought solidified into a firm resolution. His future plans, once vague notions of navigating this altered timeline, now coalesced into a singular, urgent goal: to unlock the full potential of Byakko and ascend to a power level that could contend with the looming darkness. The quiet path of healing, while still his duty and passion, would now be intertwined with a desperate race against time to acquire the strength necessary for survival.
Lost in these heavy contemplations, Kisaragi almost missed the subtle shift in Tatsufusa's breathing, the slight twitch of his eyelids. It was Captain Unohana, ever vigilant, who noticed first.
"He is stirring," she announced softly, her gaze sharp but gentle as she observed the returning signs of consciousness.
The room fell silent, all eyes fixed on the recovering Third Seat. Tatsufusa groaned softly, his eyes fluttering open, unfocused and disoriented. He blinked slowly, trying to make sense of his surroundings.
"W-where…?" he mumbled, his voice raspy.
"You are in the Seventh Division infirmary, Tatsufusa-san," Love said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Rest easy. You were injured during the patrol."
Tatsufusa's eyes slowly focused, his gaze settling on Love, then Unohana, Isane, and finally Kisaragi. A flicker of confusion crossed his face.
"Captain… Unohana-taicho? What happened?" he asked, his voice still weak.
Unohana approached the cot, her presence radiating a soothing calm. "Rest now, Third Seat. But if you are able, we would appreciate you recounting the events of your mission."
Tatsufusa nodded slowly, a faint furrow in his brow as he struggled to recall the details. "We were… surveying the outskirts of the Rukon District. Reports of increased Hollow activity… We encountered a large pack, more aggressive than usual. They attacked without any real provocation."
He paused, his eyes clouding with the effort of remembering. "We engaged them… it was chaotic. I was trying to cover the others… when suddenly…" He trailed off, a look of bewilderment on his face.
"Suddenly what, Tatsufusa-san?" Love prompted gently.
"I… I felt a sharp pain in my back," Tatsufusa said, his voice strained. "Like… like I'd been struck by something… but I didn't see anything. No reiatsu flare, no blade… nothing."
His eyes darted around the room, a hint of fear creeping into them. "I turned around immediately, but there was no one there. At the edge of my vision… I think… I saw two figures… in black cloaks. They were… far away, disappearing into the shadows. I couldn't make out their faces… and I couldn't sense their reiatsu at all. It was like they weren't even there."
A palpable shock rippled through the room. The Seventh Division healers exchanged stunned glances. Love's sunglasses, which he had briefly removed, were now back in place, obscuring his reaction. But Kisaragi felt a jolt run through him. No reiatsu at all? Black cloaks? His mind raced. Reiatsu concealment on that level, especially with cloaks, was a technology he knew was primarily developed much later, spearheaded by Kisuke Urahara after he became a Captain. The fact that these attackers possessed such means now, so early in the timeline, sent a shiver of cold dread down his spine. Could Aizen have already developed his own prototype? The butterfly effect… it's far more potent than I imagined.
The implications were terrifying. If Aizen had access to this level of stealth technology already, his experiments and manipulations could be far more advanced and widespread than Kisaragi had anticipated.
Finally, Captain Unohana broke the silence, her voice calm but carrying a new weight of concern. "Captain Aikawa, this information is… disturbing. The lack of a discernible attack, the cloaked figures with concealed reiatsu… this is not typical Hollow behavior."
She turned to Love, her gaze direct. "I believe it is imperative that we report this incident, along with Sixth Seat Shiba's unusual findings regarding the nature of Tatsufusa-san's spiritual disruption, to Captain-Commander Yamamoto immediately."
Love nodded slowly, his usual easygoing demeanor completely gone, replaced by a grim resolve. "I agree, Captain Unohana. This… this feels wrong. Too calculated. Tatsufusa is a strong shinigami. He wouldn't go down like that to a stray Hollow."
He looked at Kisaragi, a newfound respect tinged with worry in his hidden eyes. "Sixth Seat Shiba, your… unique perspective might be the key to understanding what the hell is going on here."
Kisaragi met Love's gaze, a sense of grim determination hardening his own. The quiet life he had envisioned in the Fourth Division had just been shattered by the encroaching darkness. His path to Bankai had just become a desperate necessity, a race against a hidden enemy whose machinations were already casting long shadows over Soul Society. The game had begun, and Kisaragi Shiba, armed with his Six Eyes and a growing sense of foreboding, was now a player, whether he liked it or not.
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Captain Unohana's earlier pronouncement hung in the air, solidifying the shift in the room's atmosphere from one of cautious relief to one of grave concern. Love Aikawa, his usual laid-back demeanor completely shed, ran a hand through his towering pompadour, a rare sign of his inner turmoil.
"Damn it," he muttered, his voice low and rough. "Cloaked figures… no reiatsu… this stinks to high heaven." He fixed his gaze on Tatsufusa, a protective anger flickering in his reddish-brown eyes. "Don't worry, Tatsufusa. We'll get to the bottom of this."
Isane stepped forward, her usual composed demeanor tinged with a professional unease. "Captain Unohana is correct. This deviates significantly from standard Hollow encounters. The lack of spiritual pressure is particularly troubling. It suggests a level of concealment we rarely encounter." She glanced at Kisaragi, a silent acknowledgment of his earlier assessment of the unusual nature of the injury.
Kisaragi nodded slowly, his Six Eyes still tracing the subtle fluctuations in Tatsufusa's spiritual energy, ensuring his recovery remained stable. "The method of attack was also… efficient. A single, debilitating strike without any discernible reiatsu signature. It speaks of precision and a deliberate intent to incapacitate without causing overt spiritual damage – until the internal disruption began."
He hesitated, the weight of his suspicions pressing down on him. He wanted to voice his fears about Aizen, but without concrete proof, it would sound like wild speculation. For now, he would focus on the facts.
"Captain Aikawa," Kisaragi continued, his voice measured, "when you report this to Captain-Commander Yamamoto, it might be prudent to emphasize the lack of any detectable spiritual pressure from the attackers and the unusual nature of Tatsufusa-san's internal reiatsu disruption. These details may be crucial in identifying the perpetrators."
Love nodded grimly. "You're right, Sixth Seat. This isn't some random Hollow attack. This feels… orchestrated." He turned to Unohana. "Captain, I'll dispatch a messenger to the First Division immediately. This needs to go straight to the Old Man."
Unohana inclined her head. "That would be wise, Captain Aikawa. Lieutenant Kotetsu and I will remain here with Sixth Seat Shiba to monitor Tatsufusa-san's condition and gather any further insights upon his full recovery." Her gaze then turned to Kisaragi. "Kisaragi, your initial assessment and your successful application of your new kidō have been invaluable. Continue to observe him closely."
"Hai, Captain," Kisaragi replied, a sense of grim purpose settling within him. The quiet world of healing had been shattered by the intrusion of a shadowy threat. His accelerated path to power, the pursuit of Bankai, now felt less like a personal ambition and more like a vital necessity. He needed to be ready for whatever darkness was beginning to stir in the heart of Soul Society.
As Love moved to dispatch his orders, a heavy silence descended upon the infirmary once more. The gentle hum of healing energy within the Seventh Division barracks now felt tainted by an undercurrent of unease. Kisaragi's Six Eyes, usually focused on mending and restoring, now felt like a tool for detecting unseen threats, a silent sentinel against the encroaching darkness. The encounter in the outskirts of the Rukon District was more than just an isolated incident; it felt like the first tremor of a coming earthquake, and Kisaragi Shiba knew, with a chilling certainty, that the foundations of Soul Society were beginning to tremble.