Bleach: No cheat codes, he joined Aizen's side.

Chapter 46. A Belated Realization
The story goes back a month, when Yun Jingyao and his team captured three spies sent by the 13th Division of the Gotei 13 to infiltrate the area.

According to the interrogation results, the earliest of these three undercover agents can be traced back to nineteen years ago, but they only recently got the opportunity to come into contact with the Mo Yao knife.

Unfortunately, he was discovered by Yun Jingyaojue as soon as he made his move.

For the remaining month, Yun Jingyao did not hold back and directly used these three undercover Grim Reapers as experimental subjects.

While the Baku-yōdō (貘爻刀) requires the user's consent to replace the Zanpakutō (薒艹刀) and unleash its true power, it merely relies on its evil aura to corrupt the user, without taking the user's will into account.

In order to develop a way to avoid this side effect, a Shinigami who can firmly resist the corrosive effects of the Tapir Blade is also essential.

Under such intense and continuous corrosive effects, two of the undercover Grim Reapers were unable to withstand it and died prematurely. Only one Grim Reaper named Ruyue Qinyue struggled on, but ultimately could not escape the calamity and was completely controlled by the mind in the past few days.

Those Moyao Dao followers were sent to monitor Ruyue Qinyue and prevent her from rebelling.

"So, is that old fellow Yun Jingyao worried that if I find out about this, he'll be even more reluctant to accept the Mo Yao Blade?"

After learning this information, Higashino Shuichi immediately understood why Kumoi Yosuke had concealed his intentions.

However, this behavior is somewhat like burying one's head in the sand.

Even without the advantage of foresight or Aizen's help, given his experience of doing dirty work for the Kasumioji family for so many years, it would be impossible for Higashino Shuichi to abandon his Zanpakuto and accept the Baku-yōtō.

Unless Higashino Shuichi had no other choice but to go to the ends of the earth.

As for the next guy named Kisaragi Qin Yue, Higashino Shuichi felt he didn't need to think about it anymore; he was doomed.

It's just a matter of whether he dies in the secret training ground of the Kasumi family or on the experimental table.

The former provided valuable experience to those Moyao Dao followers;
The latter provided Yun Jingyao with experience in improving the Mo Yao knife.

Higashino Shuichi quietly withdrew from the Kasumi family's secret workshop, his feelings complicated.

He had no intention of taking pity on this poor Grim Reaper and saving him.

These Grim Reapers should have been prepared for this when they accepted the undercover mission.

Higashino Shuichi was pondering; nineteen years ago was a very delicate point in time.

Because he joined the Kasumi clan exactly twenty years ago, following Aizen's instructions.

Although there is a year's difference between the two, if a possible period of preliminary investigation is added, the time is just right.

Suddenly, Higashino Shuichi, who was walking on the main street of Seireitei, stopped in his tracks, his heart starting to race.

Just a moment ago, a harmless face flashed through his mind.

Kisuke Urahara
If we must point out any mistakes Higashino Shuichi made in the past, then the fact that he was forced to stay in the Second Division barracks unconscious and receive treatment from Urahara Kisuke twenty years ago after his battle with Shihouin Yoruichi must be included.

At that time, Higashino Shuichi was carrying the sword case containing the Baku Yao Dao Lei Huo.

When Higashino Shuichi woke up, he immediately checked the sword case and found that there were no signs of it being tampered with. He also mistakenly believed, because of the previous situation with Ishiiwa Kyusuke, that as long as the Baku was in his hand, it would immediately replace the Zanpakuto. In addition, Urahara Kisuke's friendly attitude towards him later also contributed to this.

This led Higashino Shuichi to accept the fact that the Baku Yao Blade, Lei Huo, had not been exposed. Even after he corrected his misconceptions about the Baku Yao Blade, he subconsciously ignored this incident he had previously considered safe.

Looking back now, it's clear that Kisuke Urahara certainly didn't leave the Raiho sword untouched. It's likely that while Shuichi Higashino was unconscious, Urahara had already stripped Raiho bare.

Perhaps because of the short time, he didn't figure anything out, but the chilling aura emanating from the Mo Yao Blade was undeniable.

"Thinking about it now, I understand why the questions he asked me back then seemed so strange. Was he testing me?"

Higashino Shuichi belatedly realized this.

This also explains why Yoruichi Shihouin never contacted him again after that incident, and even Soi Fon Shuichi Higashino had only seen him a few times. Soi Fon had only secretly come to see him a few times during his vacation, without Yoruichi's knowledge.

But after that, probably Yoruichi discovered this behavior, and until now, Soi Fon has never come to see Higashino Shuichi again.

The reason for this is probably that Kisuke Urahara found out something afterward.

The matter of the Mo Yao Dao has nothing to do with me, but I am definitely a suspect in it.

In particular, he later worked almost openly for the Kasumi family, and whenever the Kasumi family sought him out, they couldn't avoid Unohana Retsu.

Although Retsu Unohana is not a talkative person, as long as Higashino Shuichi thought that the person who was following up on this matter was very likely Kisuke Urahara, he had no doubt that Urahara was able to find out about it.

Who is Kisuke Urahara? He is the intellectual pinnacle of the Bleach world, on par with Aizen.

"However, Kisuke Urahara probably doesn't know much either, otherwise there would be no need for him to plant a spy in the Kasumioji family."

After the initial panic, Higashino Shuichi mentally reviewed the whole story and calmed himself down.

One thing Higashino Shuichi must admit is that the Kasumioji family is truly excellent at keeping secrets. If Higashino Shuichi didn't have the advantage of foresight, and if Aizen didn't have Kyoka Suigetsu, the Kasumioji family would still be a complete mystery to the entire Soul Society.

The family's status as a top-tier noble family, second only to the five great noble families, also endowed them with unparalleled "resistance."

Even if the dignified Gotei 13 had guessed something, they wouldn't dare to openly launch an investigation into the Kasumioji family.

"But this means I have to make some plans in advance."

Having thought everything through and knowing that he was safe for the time being, Higashino Shuichi couldn't help but start making plans for his future.

Originally, the matter of the Kasumi family's Baku sword should not have implicated him at all, because Higashino Shuichi had neither used the Baku sword nor participated in its production; he had only followed the Kasumi family's orders. There was no way to punish him for such a matter.

If Seireitei wanted to hold Higashino Shuichi accountable for the Baku sword incident, he could simply claim ignorance.

But things are different now. With Kisuke Urahara's connection, at least Shuichi Higashino knew about the existence of the Baku sword twenty years ago, and he absolutely cannot erase that fact.

If those people were even more ruthless, comparing Higashino Shuichi's actions twenty years ago, they might even discover that Higashino Shuichi wasn't on vacation in the human world at all, but secretly went to Hueco Mundo.

This raises another question: how did Shuichi Higashino get to Hueco Mundo?

Then, the problems that will be unearthed along with it will only increase.

Therefore, Shuichi Higashino now has to find a way to clear his name.
(End of this chapter)