Seireitei – First Division Barracks
Not just the Fifth Division's secret chamber—the mysterious ranking video had appeared all across Seireitei.
In the First Division headquarters, a deep, weathered voice broke the silence.
"What… is this?"
A pair of long, white brows, thin as willow branches, hung over a face deeply lined with age.
Seated at his desk, the Head Captain, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, had been meticulously handling division affairs when an unexpected, transparent screen materialized before him.
His aged yet sharp gaze turned cautious.
A few moments ago, a massive, two-meter-tall projection had appeared without warning.
And on the screen—
The exact same ranking video that Aizen and his subordinates were currently watching.
"Ranking the Top 15 Strongest in Bleach?"
Yamamoto read the text with an impassive expression.
Bang!
His wrinkled hand slammed against the wooden desk, his displeasure evident.
To him, this was nonsense.
For a thousand years, he had been the undisputed strongest Shinigami.
Regardless of who made these so-called "rankings," there was never any debate about who stood at the top.
It was an irrefutable fact.
Because of this, Yamamoto had zero interest in power rankings.
In fact, he had once banned discussions of such topics in official settings, considering them pointless distractions.
Yet now, this sudden projection had him thinking of only one person—
Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
The eccentric scientist whose unpredictable experiments frequently defied common sense.
Was this… another one of his unauthorized "research projects"?
A flicker of irritation passed through the Head Captain's aged eyes.
"Chōjirō."
His voice was low yet forceful, carrying the weight of an order.
"Contact the Research and Development Bureau. Find out exactly what's going on!"
"Understood, Head Captain!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe bowed respectfully and turned to leave.
However—
Before he could step away, the screen flickered again.
And then—
The ranking countdown officially began.
---
[No. 15]
The Greatest Mind – Kisuke Urahara
---
"Kisuke Urahara?!"
The moment that familiar name appeared, a rare ripple of emotion flickered through Yamamoto's otherwise unshaken gaze.
Instinctively, he raised a hand—
"Wait, Chōjirō."
His lieutenant halted mid-step, turning back.
"Head Captain… do you suspect that Kisuke Urahara is behind this?"
As Yamamoto's longtime second-in-command, Chōjirō could read his thoughts with a single glance.
"Yes."
The Head Captain's brows furrowed slightly.
"If anyone could pull off something like this, it would be him. But the question is… why?"
Kisuke Urahara.
The brilliant mind behind the Research and Development Bureau—a man of unparalleled intellect.
For over a century, his name had faded into history, sealed away in the depths of Yamamoto's long memory.
Ever since his exile from Soul Society, Urahara had seemingly vanished, leaving behind no trace.
And now, after one hundred years, his name had suddenly resurfaced—
Through this mysterious ranking video.
For the first time in a long while, Yamamoto found his curiosity stirred.
"Fifteenth place…"
"If he was merely showing off, he wouldn't rank himself this low. And to begin with… his combat ability shouldn't even qualify for the top fifteen."
Yamamoto's voice carried a rare tone of contemplation.
Not out of disrespect—but simply based on judgment of power.
Urahara's scientific achievements were undeniable—after all, he had founded the Research and Development Bureau.
But in terms of raw combat strength—
Urahara's track record was lackluster.
He rarely ever fought.
So how… had he made it onto this list?
"Should we keep watching?" Chōjirō suggested.
Even he found himself drawn in by curiosity.
For a brief moment, Yamamoto remained silent.
Then, his sharp gaze locked onto the screen once more.
"Continue watching."
His torch-like eyes burned with the imposing authority of the strongest Shinigami.
---
Karakura Town – Urahara Shop
"What the hell is this?!"
Inside the cluttered Urahara Shop, a burly man dressed in traditional work attire nearly dropped his tools in shock.
Tessai Tsukabishi removed his old, reflective glasses, staring in disbelief at the floating projection.
"Ranking the Top 15 Strongest in Bleach?! Boss, you made the list?!"
A moment ago, a transparent screen had suddenly appeared in the shop.
Tessai's first reaction was that it had to be another one of Urahara's pranks.
But then he remembered—
Just minutes ago, he had force-fed Urahara some experimental medicine.
At present, his beloved boss was holed up in the bathroom, suffering the consequences.
Which meant—
Urahara wasn't responsible for this.
"Could this be… the Gotei 13's doing?" Tessai frowned.
A projection of this scale—
Only the Research and Development Bureau could pull something like this off.
Had their movements been exposed?
The thought made Tessai's expression turn grim.
"Oi, what are you rambling about?"
A voice came from the bathroom.
The door creaked open, and a pale-faced Kisuke Urahara emerged, clutching his stomach in agony.
"Boss, did you even wipe properly?" Tessai sniffed the air and took a step back in disgust.
"You've got some nerve!"
Urahara scowled.
"If you hadn't force-fed me that drug, I wouldn't have been in there for an hour!"
Though his tone was complaining, there was no real malice behind his words.
This wasn't the first time Tessai had pulled something like this.
And then—
His sharp eyes finally caught sight of the floating projection.
"…Huh?"
His reaction was identical to Tessai's.
His first thought was:
"Is this a trap set by the Gotei 13?"
"Could be…" Tessai muttered.
"But if so… since when did the Research and Development Bureau get this advanced?"
Urahara narrowed his eyes.
Reaching for a nearby bottle of soy sauce, he casually tossed it at the screen.
To his shock, the bottle passed straight through the projection, leaving it completely unaffected.
"Well now…"
His eyes gleamed with newfound interest.
And then—
The screen flickered again.
A new scene appeared—
A dense forest, the ground scarred with explosions, as if a battle had just unfolded.
A moment later—
A figure stepped into view.
Clad in wooden sandals, gripping a Zanpakutō…
Kisuke Urahara.
From behind him—
A crimson flash shot toward his back.