In the Squad 4 relief station, Hasumi Ren stood by a bed, lightly resting his fingertips on the wrist of a Squad 5 member.
"Your injuries are no longer a concern. Take your medicine on schedule, and you can return to duty in three days."
Ren pulled his hand back, his voice flat as he turned to attend to the next patient.
The Squad 5 member hurriedly thanked him, discreetly slipping a tiny, folded slip of paper into Ren's palm.
Ren's fingers paused slightly. The paper felt cool against his skin, faintly radiating a familiar Spiritual Pressure.
Showing absolutely no change in expression, he gave a slight nod.
He then turned and walked with steady steps toward a side room at the back of the clinic.
Closing the wooden door of the side room to shut out the noise outside, Ren slowly unfolded the slip of paper.
It held only a single line of pale blue text forged from Spiritual Pressure—a direct order.
In three days, an abandoned mine in District 59 of North Rukongai. Tosen Kaname will lead the squad; you will accompany him. Gather experimental resources and disguise the operation as a Hollow attack. Tosen Kaname will provide the details.
Though brief, the message carried startling implications.
Aizen had located a noble stronghold secretly conducting prohibited techniques and soul experiments.
He wanted Ren and Tosen Kaname to wipe out this facility and frame it as a Hollow assault.
By doing so, they would completely distance themselves from the incident while seizing all the base's resources and research findings.
Since such experiments were strictly forbidden by the Soul Society, the nobles involved wouldn't dare bring it to light; they would simply have to swallow the bitter pill in silence.
It seemed Aizen had issued orders like this quite often in the past.
For this mission, Tosen Kaname was leading, and Ren was playing support.
Aizen's motives couldn't be clearer.
Tosen was his trusted confidant, responsible for overseeing the entire operation. Ren, a talent Aizen had taken an interest in, was assigned to assist—a perfect opportunity to test his loyalty and capability.
Ren squeezed the paper in his palm, giving a jolt of Spiritual Pressure. The note instantly dissolved into fine spirit particles, scattering into the air without leaving a trace.
Not a single trace of emotion crossed his eyes, leaving only a deep calm.
It was actually the perfect opportunity to initiate the plan he had prepared with Urahara Kisuke.
Ren closed his eyes, mapping out his strategy.
Aizen's arrangement for tonight was undoubtedly a golden opportunity dropped right into his lap.
Tosen Kaname seemed quiet, upright, and unyielding.
In reality, his heart harbored an all-consuming obsession and hatred capable of burning everything down.
His weakness lay hidden in a past unknown to anyone else.
And that very point was the breakthrough Ren had long since calculated.
Pushing open the side room door, Ren returned to the clinic, his face as calm and expressionless as before.
Night fell, cloaking the Seireitei in a quiet darkness.
Ren silently made his way to Sokyoku Hill.
Under the moonlight, the massive Sokyoku execution stand gleamed with a cold, icy light. Layers of barriers acted as invisible walls, isolating this area into the loneliest forbidden zone in the Seireitei.
In the underground cavern beneath Sokyoku Hill, artificial light poured down from the ceiling, illuminating the vast cave.
Ren slipped through the hidden passage and entered the cavern.
His steps suddenly halted.
He knew Urahara Kisuke was already inside waiting for him.
Following the path down for a hundred meters, the massive underground cavern came into view.
The faint blue shimmer of the minerals cast light over a scene of total devastation, making it an eyesore.
The experimental tables that Urahara Kisuke had meticulously set up were violently overturned on the ground.
The cavern's stone walls were densely covered in horrific sword gashes.
The entire underground cavern no longer resembled the laboratory of old; instead, it had become a complete training ground for swordsmanship.
Urahara Kisuke stood in the center of the cavern, staring blankly at the destruction before him.
Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned around, his eyes locking onto Ren.
He stared in a daze for a long moment before finally asking, "What happened here?"
Ren walked up to him, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Third Seat Urahara, I'm sorry. Captain Unohana and I moved our sparring sessions here. I didn't have time to mention it to you beforehand. I hope it isn't an issue?"
Urahara Kisuke's gaze swept over the sword gashes once more, his lip twitching slightly.
Unohana Retsu, the first Kenpachi who had lived for a thousand years, was practicing her swordsmanship in his secret laboratory?
Urahara took a deep breath, suppressing a wave of helplessness. After a brief silence, he nodded slowly, his tone carrying a touch of resigned acceptance.
"Of course... you can."
He paused, looking at Ren before adding, "But next time, it would be best to let me know in advance so I can pack away this experimental equipment beforehand."
Ren bowed slightly, his posture sincere.
"I will definitely inform you in advance next time."
Urahara waved his hand, letting the mess go. He walked over to a relatively intact stone platform, brushed off the dust, and sat down.
The lazy smile that usually hung on his face had completely vanished, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness.
"I looked into that matter," Urahara said grimly, his low voice echoing through the hollow cavern. "Regarding Tosen Kaname's past."
Ren stepped up to the opposite side of the stone platform and stood tall, his expression turning equally grave.
This was the real business he and Urahara had agreed upon, and it was the core key to bringing down Tosen Kaname.
Urahara looked up. Beneath the brim of his hat, his eyes lacked their usual cunning, showing only an elusive, complex emotion.
"Tosen Kaname comes from the Rukongai. Like you, he's of civilian origin."
"The turning point that drove him to Aizen was likely a female Soul Reaper named Kakyo."
Ren didn't interrupt, quietly listening as Urahara laid out all the details.
"What Tosen Kaname hates has never been a specific noble, but rather the corrupt system of the Soul Society itself."
"He sided with Aizen not merely out of pure loyalty, but perhaps because Aizen promised him he would overthrow all of this."
Urahara lifted his head to look at Ren, the weight in his eyes deepening.
"We can't say Aizen and Tosen are entirely wrong. The system of the Soul Society certainly has its flaws. But the path they've chosen is wrong."
"Hollowfication experiments, slaughtering souls... For the sake of their so-called justice, they've trampled on countless lives. That in itself is just another brand of evil."
"That is why they must be stopped."
Ren listened quietly, understanding perfectly.
He could see Urahara Kisuke's internal struggle.
Urahara saw through the corruption of the system but lacked the power to overthrow it.
All he could do was patch the leaks within the existing framework as much as possible—such as stopping Aizen's extremist actions.
"Then, Third Seat Urahara, are you suggesting..." Ren spoke up, his voice steady. "We can use the matter concerning Kakyo to set a trap?"
Urahara Kisuke nodded, a flash of ruthlessness crossing his eyes.
This was the first time he had ever shown such a resolute side in front of Ren.
"Exactly. Tosen Kaname's obsession and his reason for being loyal to Aizen both seem to stem from Kakyo's unjust death and his deep hatred for Tsunayashiro Tokinada."
"And the experimental stronghold Aizen is sending you to happens to be the private property of a noble branch family connected to the Tsunayashiro clan."
"It contains not only spirit energy resources but also records of forbidden soul techniques secretly researched by the Tsunayashiro family."
"This is precisely what we can use to our advantage."