After cleaning up the traces at the scene, the group bathed in the glow of the setting sun as they headed back to the Second Division barracks.
The streets of the Rukongai grew increasingly lively and peaceful along the way, with more and more souls coming and going.
Though dressed plainly, these souls wore expressions of deep contentment.
They walked at a leisurely pace, no longer troubled by the need for food or clothing, enjoying a carefree life after death.
No one knew that a rather intense battle had just taken place in a dilapidated house on the outskirts of the Eastern Rukongai.
Several squad members walked at the front, discussing the recent battle in low voices, their tones filled with lingering fear and confusion.
Only Urahara Kisuke, Hasumi Ren, and Soi Fon fell to the rear of the group, the atmosphere between them tinged with an imperceptible subtlety.
Urahara Kisuke had his hands tucked into his sleeves, having already returned to his usual lazy and undisciplined demeanor.
His pace was neither hurried nor slow, but he occasionally cast sidelong glances at Hasumi Ren beside him, a hint of undetectable probing hidden in the depths of his eyes.
Inside his sleeves, his fingertips rubbed against the vial of concoction hidden deep within, his mind repeatedly calculating Ren's earlier performance.
*'Did Ren actually notice something just now? Why did his gaze fall on my sleeves?'*
*'The concoction I developed shouldn't have any traits that could be easily detected.'*
*'My movements didn't reveal the slightest flaw either.'*
*'Furthermore, I specifically chose this mission for Ren to join so I could mask the traces of my concoction within the dissipating spiritual pressure of that Menos.'*
*'This way, no one should have been able to notice a thing.'*
*'But Ren's reaction makes me wonder if he actually sensed something amiss.'*
*'But... how could he have done that?'*
After a long silence, Urahara Kisuke decided to test the waters.
His tone was as casual as idle chatter, without the slightest hint of deliberation.
"Ren, after the battle ended just now, did you sense any unusual fluctuations in spiritual pressure?"
"After all, that Hollow died far too bizarrely, and the spiritual pressure within its body seemed a bit off."
Urahara's words seemed to be discussing the recent incident, but in reality, he was subtly probing Ren.
He was testing to see if Ren had noticed the spiritual energy fluctuations from the concoction—which shared the same origin as the Hollow's spiritual pressure—and checking if he had discovered any anomalies in their surroundings.
Hearing this, Ren didn't pause his steps in the slightest. He merely turned his head slightly, glancing at Urahara Kisuke with a flat, emotionless tone.
"No, aside from the residual spiritual pressure of that Hollow, I didn't notice anything unusual. Are you asking because you found something, Third Seat Urahara?"
Ren spoke candidly, without the slightest evasion.
However, the gaze he fixed on Urahara Kisuke carried a similarly faint, almost imperceptible scrutiny, as if he were sizing him up or trying to confirm something.
Of course, Ren couldn't possibly tell the truth.
Not only had he noticed the anomaly, but he also clearly remembered that the direction the motes of light dissipated from was exactly from Urahara Kisuke's sleeves.
The system had prompted that he absorbed fragments of Hollow spiritual pressure diffusing in the air, and the source was clearly not the massive Hollow that had died in front of them.
*'What kind of strange scheme is Urahara Kisuke pulling now?'*
Although the outcome was beneficial to him, the underlying reasons only made Ren vigilant.
This suddenly reminded Ren that a guy like Urahara Kisuke was, in fact, just as dangerous a character as Aizen Sosuke.
It was just that, unlike Aizen, he was more inclined toward maintaining a stable status quo.
Even though he had quite a few interactions with him, their relationship seemed decent, and they worked together.
That didn't mean he didn't need to keep his guard up around him.
Furthermore, although Urahara Kisuke's behavior just now was subtle, Ren could feel that Urahara was testing him.
Since the other party was unwilling to be honest, there was no need for him to take the initiative to expose it. It was better to watch and wait, to see exactly what he was trying to do.
Urahara Kisuke caught the scrutiny in Ren's eyes, and his heart sank slightly.
But he maintained his lazy smile on the surface, raising a hand to scratch his head and laughing it off, smoothly changing the subject.
"Is that so? Perhaps I'm just being too sensitive."
"After all, that Hollow died too suspiciously. I just feel like something is off, but I can't quite put my finger on it."
He deliberately slowed his tone, pretending not to care at all, but the hands inside his sleeves quietly clenched tighter.
At this moment, he was certain: Ren had absolutely noticed something.
Yet, regardless of how Ren had noticed, it didn't cause Urahara to feel the slightest bit of hesitation or caution; instead, it made him even more curious.
Because right now, in his eyes, Ren harbored even more secrets worth uncovering.
The two didn't exchange many words, and their tones were extremely flat.
But the subtle probing between them was like a silent contest, permeating the space between them.
All of this was observed by Soi Fon, who was walking beside them.
Soi Fon frowned, occasionally stealing a glance at Ren, then at Urahara Kisuke, her eyes filled with wonder and confusion.
Back in the house, the way the two looked at each other was already a bit strange.
On the way back, she deliberately walked behind them, listening to their conversation.
Although it seemed like they were just casually discussing the recent incident, the atmosphere between them was so bizarre that it was incomprehensible.
After holding back for a long time, Soi Fon finally couldn't take it anymore. Taking advantage of a moment of silence, she quietly tugged at Ren's sleeve and lowered her voice.
"Ren, what exactly was going on back in the house, and with what you two were just talking about?"
"Why did Urahara ask those questions? Are you two hiding something from me?"
Soi Fon had a straightforward personality and couldn't hide her thoughts.
Seeing how the two were acting, the doubts in her heart surged like a tide, and she couldn't help but want to ask for clarity.
In her view, if there was any anomaly, the group should all know about it together; there was no need to hide things from each other.
Ren looked down at his sleeve being tugged by Soi Fon, then at her face full of confusion. The scrutiny in his eyes faded slightly, and his tone softened a bit.
But he only shook his head gently.
"It's nothing. Third Seat Urahara was probably just asking casually, he didn't mean anything by it."
*'Some things are better left until I've confirmed them myself before making any plans.'*
*'Besides, there's no need for anyone else to know about these matters.'*
Hearing this, the confusion on Soi Fon's face didn't dissipate; instead, it grew thicker.
She frowned, staring into Ren's eyes, as if trying to read something from his expression.
But Ren's expression was far too composed, without the slightest flaw, and she ultimately couldn't find any clues.
Helpless, Soi Fon could only gently let go of his sleeve, muttering in a low voice.
"If something really is going on, you can tell me. I can help too."
Ren returned a smile and said softly.
"Yeah, don't worry."
Seeing that Soi Fon was no longer asking questions, Ren didn't say anything more. He cast his gaze back into the distance, his expression returning to its previous composure.
However, the doubts in his eyes still hadn't faded.
Urahara Kisuke took all of this in. The smile on his lips remained unchanged, but the thoughts in his mind grew increasingly complex.
*'It seems Soi Fon noticed the anomaly too, but Ren covered for me.'*
The rest of the journey passed in silence, and the group soon arrived at the Second Division barracks.
The few of them followed Urahara Kisuke, heading together to the Captain's office to report the details of this mission to Shihoin Yoruichi.
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