If Kōe—who had already left Squad 4 and was on his way to Squad 13—could hear Aizen's thoughts right now, he would undoubtedly give the man a thumbs-up. Aizen was Aizen, after all. From just a handful of details, he had managed to deduce the vast majority of Kōe and Urahara's intentions.
But that was to be expected. If Aizen couldn't think that far ahead, Urahara wouldn't have been driven out of the Seireitei in the first place. Kyōka Suigetsu was merely a supplementary tool; the man's true weapon was his intellect.
Yet, just as Aizen suspected, this was an open scheme. Kōe's existence was both crucial and entirely irrelevant. The true key to finding the Hōgyoku lay in Urahara's own mind, and given his inherently unpredictable nature, it wouldn't be surprising no matter what the eccentric shopkeeper decided to do.
In the manga from his previous life, Aizen had deduced the Hōgyoku's location by tracking Urahara's movements in and out of Soul Society and analyzing his research records. Even then, the process had taken an agonizingly long time.
This was partly because Urahara hadn't had many options to begin with. He needed a secure sanctuary, but he couldn't keep the Hōgyoku on his own person. Hiding it within the Seireitei was practically his only viable choice.
But now, with Kōe acting as a wildcard, it was almost as if Urahara himself were operating inside the Seireitei. Tracking down Rukia wouldn't be nearly as easy this time around. The only remaining breadcrumb for Aizen might be the seemingly inexplicable fact that she had been adopted by Byakuya and subsequently assigned to Squad 13.
Under these circumstances, Kōe really didn't need to interact with Aizen all that much. His invitation for Aizen to co-teach at the academy was indeed a probing tactic, but it wasn't his primary objective.
Whether Aizen agreed or refused, whether he was physically present or absent—none of it actually proved anything. That was the most headache-inducing aspect of Complete Hypnosis. There was simply no way to distinguish reality from illusion.
The real reason he had invited Aizen was purely experimental—an attempt to explore a possibility that might save the Shiba couple. Of course, this was only the first step, and merely a first step at that. For this particular endeavor, he only had a starting point and an end goal; the path in between was fraught with uncertainty.
So, compared to the deeply calculating Aizen, Kōe was currently extremely relaxed. The most important thing right now wasn't to endlessly overthink things, but to drink!
"Leave one bottle! Just leave one bottle for me, Lieutenant Kaien!"
Over at the Squad 13 barracks, no matter how much Third Seat Kōtsubaki Sentarō begged, he couldn't stop Kaien from confiscating his entire stash of alcohol. *Why? Why did those two have to come to Squad 13 to drink?!*
"Lieutenant Kaien, with the Captain's health, is he really allowed to drink?" Rukia asked in confusion. She was carrying a crate of sake, walking alongside Kaien, who was carrying one of his own.
It had been a while since she joined Squad 13, but she hadn't actually had many opportunities to see Ukitake. Almost the entire Seireitei knew about his frail health.
"It's not the Captain. It's Captain Kyōraku and..." Kaien paused for a moment before continuing, "As for the other one, just call him Lord Kōe when we get there."
*Lord Kōe?* Rukia searched her memory. She had never heard of this name before. He wasn't a captain or lieutenant of the Gotei 13, nor did it sound like a famous noble family.
But to be drinking casually with two captains, this person had to be someone of significant status. Rukia couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
Navigating the winding corridors, the two arrived at a wooden pavilion situated over a stream. This place was known as the Ugendō, which served as the Squad 13 Captain's quarters. It was here that Ukitake Jūshirō usually spent his time recuperating.
Just as they stepped into the pavilion, before she even had a chance to clearly see the people inside, a hearty voice called out to her.
"You're moving a bit slow today, Kaien." The voice belonged to a man who didn't sound very old, and he quickly took notice of her as well. "Making a little girl help you carry such a light load? That's not very gentlemanly of you, Kaien."
Judging by his tone, he was on very good terms with Lieutenant Kaien. Rukia slowly raised her head, her eyes meeting a face beaming with a bright smile. He was wearing the uniform of a Shin'ō Academy instructor. *So he's a teacher at the academy?*
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kōe Shihouin. It's a pleasure."
"H-Hello, Lord Kōe!" Not expecting him to greet her first, Rukia hurriedly set down the crate in her hands and bowed deeply. "I am Squad 13 member Kuchiki Rukia. It is an honor to meet you!"
"It must be exhausting, being stuck with a lieutenant like Kaien who loves bossing people around."
"Eh?" Rukia froze for a moment before frantically waving her hands in denial. "No, not at all! Lieutenant Kaien is a wonderful lieutenant!"
"Hahaha!"
Kōe burst into laughter. Rukia's overly cautious and earnest reaction was simply too adorable. Even Kyōraku offered a slight smile; he always appreciated that kind of childlike innocence.
"She rates you quite highly, Lieutenant Kaien," Kōe said, shooting Kaien a teasing glance.
Ukitake chimed in with a warm smile. "Kaien is indeed an excellent lieutenant. He's been a tremendous help to me."
By now, Rukia finally realized that Lord Kōe had merely been teasing her. She lowered her head in utter embarrassment. She had even dragged Lieutenant Kaien into it! Her flustered reaction just now had been completely humiliating!
Kaien, however, was entirely unfazed. It would be far stranger if Kōe *didn't* crack a few jokes at someone's expense. If nothing else, spending enough time around the man was a guaranteed way to develop a thick skin.
"You've seen her now, so are you going to agree to my request or what?!" Kaien demanded, feigning annoyance. *Though, considering he's in a joking mood, he'll probably agree, right?*
Kōe didn't respond immediately. He pinched his chin in thought, his gaze lingering on Rukia for a long moment before he finally spoke. "If you and Miyako come along as well, I'll agree to your request."
"Huh?" Kaien hadn't expected Kōe to make such a condition. He blinked in surprise. "Are you serious?"
"Why would I joke about that?" Kōe asked, spreading his hands. "Unless... were *you* joking with me earlier?!"
He looked entirely unserious, but if Kōe said he meant it, then he definitely wasn't joking. Kaien thought it over for a second, then nodded. "As long as we don't have any urgent missions, Miyako and I will come along."
"Then it's settled. I'll let you know in advance when to come over," Kōe said with a smile. He gestured toward Rukia with his chin. "Now, take Rukia and head out for a bit. I imagine she has quite a few questions for you."
Having her inner thoughts so casually exposed, Rukia ducked her head even lower. She had no idea what Kaien and Kōe were discussing, only that it somehow involved her.
"We'll take our leave for now, Captain," Kaien said, subtly tugging at Rukia's sleeve. The two of them bowed to Kōe, Kyōraku, and Ukitake before quietly exiting the pavilion.
Watching Kaien and Rukia disappear from the Ugendō, Kōe reflected on the encounter. He hadn't expected to cross paths with Rukia this early in the timeline. Furthermore, it seemed they would be interacting quite a bit in the foreseeable future.
Kaien's involvement was destined to bring immense hardship into the girl's life. However, if anyone was truly to blame, it was Kōe himself and Urahara. Through their machinations, they had inadvertently forced her onto a path fraught with suffering.
All he could do was offer a silent apology in his heart—a preemptive *sorry* for all the pain she was destined to endure in the future.