CHAPTER 368: CHAPTER 368: TRUTH AND LIES

"Urahara Kisuke, I’m looking for you this time for one thing."

Captain Yamamoto’s voice was calm but carried an undercurrent of coldness. Though Kisuke had been officially exonerated for the incident a century ago, the old captain hadn’t forgotten the consequences of his actions. The research on the Hōgyoku, even if unintended, had led to disasters far beyond repair—chief among them, Aizen’s ascension and the catastrophic war that followed.

Even if Kisuke had played a pivotal role in Aizen’s defeat, the Soul Society paid a heavy price. The damage from that chaos could never be overlooked.

"What’s the matter?" Kisuke asked, completely unbothered by Yamamoto’s cold attitude. He was more intrigued than offended, especially curious about what had led the Captain-Commander himself to summon him back from the Human World under such secrecy.

"What do you know about the battle from a thousand years ago?" Yamamoto asked without wasting time.

Kisuke’s expression shifted slightly, but he didn’t hesitate to answer.

"I know what I’m meant to know. But since I wasn’t there myself, a lot of the finer details are still unclear. May I ask why you’re bringing this up now, Captain?"

Before Yamamoto could respond, Kyouraku Shunsui—who stood at his side—explained in a measured tone.

"A while ago, the Eighth Kenpachi, Azashiro Soya, escaped from Muken. I followed his trail to Hueco Mundo and encountered Kyo Mazuru. He told me some things... things we can’t ignore."

Understanding dawned in Kisuke’s eyes.

"So he told you as well." he said quietly.

That single sentence made both Yamamoto and Shunsui narrow their eyes.

The weight of Kisuke’s words was considerable.

Feeling the tension from the two captains, Kisuke continued, voice still calm.

"To be honest, what I know also came from him. I’m not sure I know more than either of you. Maybe even less."

Shunsui was visibly surprised by that response. Yamamoto, too, hadn’t expected that even Kisuke’s understanding of the situation originated with Mazuru. If everything they knew came from one source, how much of it could they truly rely on?

"Then in your opinion," Yamamoto asked, "do you think what he said is true or false?"

Even though he had his own doubts about Kisuke’s methods, the old man couldn’t deny the man’s intelligence. If anyone could see through lies, it was Urahara Kisuke.

Kisuke folded his arms, his gaze thoughtful.

"Whether it’s true or not... we’d only need to investigate the shadows of Seireitei to find out. But if what he said is correct, and the so-called ’Invisible Empire’ has been hiding within Seireitei’s shadow all this time—watching us for over a thousand years—then any direct action could trigger a full-scale war."

His voice remained level, but his words struck hard.

"A direct conflict could help us expose them... but let’s not forget—they’ve had over a millennium to prepare. Even with the Soul Society’s recent efforts to strengthen itself, we’ve only had a year or so since the last conflict. It’s not enough."

Shunsui and Yamamoto were already aware of this danger. It was why they had chosen to meet Kisuke far from Seireitei, deep in a remote corner of Rukongai—away from potential prying eyes.

Kisuke continued.

"Aizen said something interesting before he was sealed."

The moment the name ’Aizen’ was mentioned, both captains grew tense.

"A millennium-old feud is about to come to an end. I’m curious... how will the Soul Society face an enemy lurking in the dark..."

Kisuke’s tone was almost identical to Aizen’s—eerily calm, arrogant, cryptic.

"That’s what he said." Kisuke confirmed.

Even though Yamamoto and Shunsui didn’t want to admit it, Aizen’s words echoed Mazuru’s warnings. And with Kisuke validating that connection, it became harder to dismiss them as lies or misdirection.

"If all this is true, we’re in big trouble." Shunsui muttered, exhaling slowly.

On one hand, Hueco Mundo loomed as a visible, powerful threat. On the other... within Seireitei itself, an unseen enemy had been hiding for generations. An enemy that could be watching them right now.

That was the terrifying part.

The Invisible Empire wasn’t just a tale of the past. It might still be here—buried in the very fabric of Seireitei.

Any wrong move could spark a war they weren’t ready for.

Kisuke’s voice turned serious again.

"To be honest, I don’t know where that guy stands now. But before he turned against us, he came to me privately... and asked me to develop something."

"What kind of something?" Shunsui asked cautiously.

Even Yamamoto seemed eager to hear the answer.

"A tool to prevent Bankai from being stolen."

There was a brief silence.

For a moment, even Yamamoto didn’t know how to respond. That kind of technology could change the tide of battle. It also meant that Mazuru was planning for this war long before anyone else even noticed its shadow.

In the quiet tavern on the outskirts of Rukongai, Kisuke said much more than he usually would. Normally, he was tight-lipped—someone who buried knowledge deep inside and chose to act on his own terms. The existence of the Invisible Empire was something he had known for a while, but he hadn’t informed Soul Society.

He didn’t trust them.

And he feared that even whispering the truth could trigger the Empire’s wrath prematurely.

But this time, because Yamamoto had come to him directly—and had shown caution by meeting far from Seireitei—Kisuke had no reason to withhold anything.

Once they finished, Kisuke returned to the Human World.

Yamamoto and Shunsui, upon returning to Seireitei, didn’t breathe a word about the Invisible Empire to anyone. However, Yamamoto did convene a captain-level meeting to announce something else.

To better prepare for future threats, especially from Hueco Mundo, he ordered a large-scale joint training operation across all thirteen divisions.

Due to the limited space inside Seireitei, the training would take place in the wilderness beyond Rukongai.

It was a strategic move.

A preparation for something far darker on the horizon.

Something that had been waiting... for a thousand years.

*****

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