NOVEL WEB Chapter 6: CHAPTER 6
"That is..."
"The Quincy you mentioned—Kurosaki Kanbaru—not only knows we're hiding here in Karakura Town..."
"He's also aware of the Hōgyoku."
"And—he knows the true face of Aizen."
Urahara Kisuke unfolded his fan with a soft snap, half-concealing his expression, his tone unusually serious:
"Yoruichi."
"These things…"
"Are you absolutely sure he knows them for real?"
He turned slightly, facing Shihouin Yoruichi.
It wasn't that Urahara didn't trust her. But this kind of intel… was far too dangerous to accept without scrutiny.
"I'm sure," Yoruichi replied, her arms crossed casually as she leaned against the doorway.
"That's impossible!" Tessai Tsukabishi exclaimed, eyes wide behind his square glasses.
"Even Soul Society doesn't know where we're hiding!"
"To stay off the grid—family, comrades, old friends—we've cut off everyone."
"Even Hirako Shinji only knows we're somewhere in Karakura, not the exact location."
"But the real issue is..."
"How does a living Quincy know Aizen's true nature?!"
Tessai's voice trembled slightly, his disbelief growing.
How terrifying was Aizen?
Just look at their current state.
Hirako Shinji and the other ex-captains, punished and transformed into Vizards, had been nearly destroyed in Aizen's early experiments.
And the rest of them—forced into exile, cut off from the Gotei 13.
Worse still, no one in Soul Society suspected a thing.
Aizen Sōsuke—the smiling, polite, unassuming Fifth Division captain—was playing 3D chess with the universe. Manipulating pawns, kings, and queens alike.
Every move, every outcome, chained together perfectly without a single crack.
Even background characters who appeared once might secretly be within his web of schemes.
He was that kind of monster.
So then—
How could Kurosaki Kanbaru, a half-blood Quincy nobody knew existed, see through that?
"That kind of intel…"
Urahara's fingers tightened on the brim of his striped bucket hat, the shadows on his face deepening.
"Yoruichi-san."
"If Kanbaru already knows about Aizen… and the Hōgyoku… and us—"
"Then answer me this."
"Did he tell you on purpose?"
At that, Yoruichi's golden eyes narrowed, a glimmer of realization flickering in her gaze.
Could it be… she was baited?
"Well," Urahara said lightly, "instead of guessing…"
"Why not ask him directly?"
"Don't you agree, Kurosaki-san?"
The quiet remark sent a ripple through the air.
Yoruichi and Tessai turned in unison.
She threw the door open.
And there, standing outside, was a young man.
Calm. Silent. Holding a box.
Inside the crystal-sealed casing, a gem glowed ominously—dense, blue-purple, pulsing faintly with unstable spirit energy.
"Kurosaki Kanbaru?!"
"The Hōgyoku?!"
Yoruichi and Tessai shouted in unison.
"Apologies for the sudden visit," Kanbaru said politely, his voice calm.
"I hope I'm not intruding."
"It's not an intrusion," Urahara replied with a half-smile. "It's more like a shock."
He studied the boy—no, the man—in front of him.
Yoruichi's warning echoed in his head. And the sight of the Hōgyoku—in someone else's hands—sent a chill even down his spine.
"Please," Urahara gestured, "come in."
"There's quite a bit I'd like to ask."
"And I imagine you have questions for me too."
"For instance—how to use the Hōgyoku."
As wind stirred his coat, Urahara casually adjusted his bucket hat with meaning.
Kanbaru gave a slight nod and stepped inside.
After sitting down cross-legged, he was silent.
Urahara scratched at his messy blond hair and said, almost absently:
"By the way… is there something on my face?"
"You've been staring at me ever since you came in. Kinda makes a guy self-conscious."
Of course, Kanbaru wasn't about to say he was analyzing Urahara's character entry.
> [Urahara Kisuke has learned a harsh truth from his not-so-short life.]
[To defeat Aizen, one must develop goldfish memory, anticipate Aizen's anticipation of your anticipation, and hope to counter his sword swing in the final prediction layer.]
[Also: don't be fooled by the smile. He's got a black belly for days.]
A black-bellied Urahara? No kidding.
Look at that drawer, for example.
Kanbaru's gaze shifted.
In the corner sat a suspicious-looking pile of… research tools.
Urahara noticed.
His smile froze.
Crap. He forgot to stash that away.
"Ah… that," Urahara stammered, his fan half-open in defense.
"That's just a prototype research item. For, uh… special purposes."
Inwardly, he screamed: Don't touch that! Don't guess! Don't narrate!
> [This object is highly durable and ergonomically "structured" to explore the edge between craftsmanship and degeneracy.]
[High EQ: A rare spiritual artifact—The Holy Grail.]
[Low EQ: Let me show you what real stitching looks like.]
"I get it now." Kanbaru clapped once, eyes clear. "This must be the Holy Grail, right?"
"Right."
"Definitely the Holy Grail."
Urahara: "…"
You think you're funny, don't you?
Yoruichi had already scooted farther away from Kanbaru, arms crossed, snorting with disdain.
Only Tessai examined the pile with quiet reverence.
His gaze sharpened behind his glasses.
…This could be a phenomenal training tool for iai techniques.
"Cough. Ahem."
"Let's ignore that for now."
"Check this out instead."
Urahara awkwardly slid over a small box to shift topics.
Please. No questions.
Just move on before I hit something.
Kanbaru opened it curiously.
> [Miniature ultra-high-definition surveillance equipment. Basically self-explanatory. Megapixel count's so high, you'll feel like you're spying with Byakugan.]
[Fun tip: Kurosaki Masaki sleeps in the nude.]
[But do you really need this? Nah. You can just barge in anytime anyway.]
WHY are these entries like this?!
What happened to basic decency?
Am I… am I not righteous enough as a person?! Damn it!