I'm really not the number one slacker in Soul Society.

"Greetings, Master of the House."

Kisuke Urahara bowed cautiously, and Yoruichi, who was hidden inside his coat, was jolted awake and immediately opened her eyes with displeasure. Just as she was about to tap him on the head with her cat paw, she noticed that someone was standing opposite her.

"...!"

Startled, she sprang to her feet and landed on the ground. With a thud, she transformed back into human form and performed a somewhat awkward greeting: "Yoruichi Shihōin, the 22nd head of the Shihōin clan, pays respects to Ancestor Urahara. I am deeply apprehensive about any oversights I may have made."

According to the rules, even the direct descendants of the Five Lords, or even the heads of the family after the next generation, need to say a long string of lines when paying respects to the ancestors of each family (the main content includes, but is not limited to, praising the greatness and glory of the ancestors, etc.). But given Yoruichi's personality, how could she remember something she would never need in her entire life? So, while learning this lesson, she slipped out to play.

And now I've actually seen it...

As the saying goes, "You only realize how little you know when you need to use it," and during the bow, Yoruichi used her almost unparalleled speed to launch into a mental whirlwind, trying to recall some reliable etiquette details—

As expected, I still couldn't remember a single word...

"There's no need to be so serious."

Urahara Ryouka said in a clear, cool voice reminiscent of flowing ice springs, "Being spontaneous isn't a bad thing; you can certainly be more free-spirited."

"But……"

“Even when I’m alone when I’m meeting the Soul King, I don’t pay too much attention to etiquette,” Urahara Ryouka said calmly. “In the end, excessive etiquette is just a boring drama for others to see, and there’s no need to care about it.”

"..."

Ye Yi was speechless for a moment.

Although she, as the head of the Shihōin Temple, had read many records related to Urahara Ryōka, this was the first time she had seen her in person like this.

The impression it gives is... somewhat subtle in various senses...

"Anyway, that's how it is, Miss Yoruichi..." Kisuke Urahara whispered from the side, "Our ancestor just looks a little cold, but he's actually a very kind person."

"Yeah……"

Following Urahara Kisuke's example, Yoruichi adopted a more casual posture.

Seeing that Urahara Ryoka didn't seem to care at all, she finally relaxed a little.

She didn't care about the title of "noble ancestor" or the strength of a transcendent being; her wavering attitude had another reason.

—Because she hadn't met Urahara Kisuke's family much.

The two met in their youth. Kisuke Urahara, who had run away from the Urahara family, encountered Yoruichi Shihouin, who was out traveling, while wandering in Rukongai. After a series of exchanges in various forms that were difficult to put into words, their mutual affection had long since reached its peak, with only a few bond events yet to be unlocked.

For example, meeting the parents...

According to Kisuke Urahara, his parents and almost all his direct relatives within three generations died in the battle against the Hell Blade, so there was no hope of meeting his parents in the strict sense. There are very few people in the world who can claim to be Kisuke Urahara's elder, and Ayaka Urahara is the most senior among them.

In this situation, even the fearless Shunshin would find it difficult to back down...

After glancing at Yoruichi, Urahara Ryouka looked at Urahara Kisuke and said indifferently, "Not coming back for hundreds of years to take a look back, not much conscience, but good taste."

“Ahem… Ancestor… This isn’t the time to talk about this kind of thing…” Kisuke Urahara coughed and stepped forward, saying, “I discovered a very serious problem in the human world, and I came back to report it to you.”

"What is it?" Urahara Ryouka glanced at him, and before he could answer, she continued, "Is it about the Asura Clan?"

Kisuke Urahara looked up in surprise: "...Ancestor, you already knew?"

“The changes in Hell cannot be hidden from my eyes. I noticed them when the Asura Clan was first established.”

Urahara Ryoka said, "But given its size at the time, it was hardly a force to be reckoned with, so I didn't interfere much."

“But the Asura Clan seems to have amassed a force of over a hundred…” Kisuke Urahara scratched his head. “That should be considered quite a force to be reckoned with… right?”

"Don't worry, I have my reasons for letting the Asuras roam freely here."

Without hesitation, Urahara Ryouka said, "I will personally go to the messenger soon to discuss a solution."

"I see……"

"Wait, what did you say?"

Mizhen swallowed hard: "What does the messenger want?"

"Didn't I make myself clear?" Kisuke Urahara repeated with a puzzled look, "Our ancestor is going to personally meet with the current messenger to discuss matters concerning the Asura Clan."

If it could be shown, Mima's face would probably turn green at a visible speed.

Although there are many words that can be used to express my feelings at this moment, I will choose the shortest and most direct word.

send!

Wait, calm down. Let's find a time machine first... no, let's think positively.

Who knows if I'm the only messenger in the world... Urahara Ryouka might not even come looking for me.

Besides, my identity as a messenger was personally bestowed by the King of Spirit, so it's incredibly prestigious and perfectly legitimate. There's no reason for me to be afraid.

In short, it's not a big problem, don't panic.

Panic won't help anyway!

He swallowed hard, feigning ignorance: "So, the ancestor of the Urahara family is going to discuss a strategy for defending against the enemy with the messenger... it should be a strategy for defending against the enemy, right?"

"Although I really want to give you a definite answer, I can't be sure..."

Kisuke Urahara shrugged: "Keep listening."

Mima nodded, and Urahara Kisuke continued.

.......................................

"So, our ancestor is setting off immediately?" Kisuke Urahara asked curiously. "A few months ago, in the Divine Sword Cave, I met the messenger. Was that also your request to retrieve it?"

"A divine sword..."

Urahara Ryoka smiled meaningfully, turned her back, and said ambiguously, "That was just a trivial little incident, nothing to worry about."

"..."

Yoruichi Asahi gave Urahara Kisuke a look, roughly meaning, "Was your ancestor so carefree?", to which the latter could only nod with a sorrowful expression.

"In short, this is a major event involving a riot of hundreds of wicked people. If it is not handled properly, the three realms will suffer extremely serious damage... Ancestor, if there is anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to give the order." Urahara Kisuke's expression remained respectful, but his tone became more urgent. "If what those mysterious people say is true, the time of turmoil should arrive within half a year. Please discuss a solution with the messenger as soon as possible."

"No, I will not get involved in this incident."

Urahara Ayaka coldly replied, "The Urahara family is no exception—from today onwards, I will order the family to enter a state of seclusion, with no communication with the outside world, until this incident is over."

Kisuke Urahara was immediately shocked and asked, "Why...why?!"

“I have my reasons.” Urahara Ryouka glanced back at him and continued, “The threat of the Asura Clan is nothing more than a minor ailment. The real trouble lies deep within Hell, and that is the problem the Urahara family should be concerned about.”

“Deep in hell…” Kisuke Urahara’s expression grew increasingly horrified. “Could it be… that those guys have made a move?”

"It's not certain yet, but the probability is not low."

Urahara Ryoka replied, "Therefore, we must maintain observation and be prepared for any eventuality."

Chapter 224: The Plan is Divided into Three Steps

“I see… I understand now.” Kisuke Urahara nodded solemnly, then raised his head and said resolutely, “Ancestor, please allow me to do my part as well.”

"That's not necessary."

Urahara Ryoka immediately rejected Urahara Kisuke's suggestion: "Kisuke, there are other tasks that need to be completed by you."

"Another mission?"

"You immediately and your..."

At this point, Urahara Ryouka suddenly paused, glanced at Yoruichi hesitantly, and then asked, "Wife? That should be right, right?"

That aloof, icy demeanor instantly acquired a layer of gossip...

"This……"

Kisuke Urahara was speechless for a moment.

He turned to look at Yoruichi, only to find that she had already taken a few steps back, her expression inexplicably showing a hint of girlish shyness... well, let's just call this mature and sophisticated gesture shyness for now, but in short, it's probably unlikely that she'll give him an answer.

Kisuke Urahara swallowed hard and gave a rather conservative answer: "It's not quite that level..."

He was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly sensed the gaze behind him becoming increasingly subtle—directing in a rather dangerous direction.

The ancestor before them looked very curious.

Kisuke Urahara took a deep breath, hesitated for a long time, and then simply raised his hands in surrender: "Consider this my request... Can we skip this topic for now?"

"Kisuke, you're already 227 years old, aren't you?" Urahara Ryoka's lips curled up slightly. "Your mindset is so youthful, it's truly enviable."

Kisuke Urahara could only remain silent, bewildered and exasperated.

“Alright, I’m not kidding anymore.” Urahara Ryouka’s expression calmed down again. “Back to the point, I need you and Yoruichi Shihouin to set off immediately to sneak back to Seireitei.”

"Back to Seireitei...?"

Kisuke Urahara scratched his head in confusion: "And it's infiltration... What exactly do you want me to do?"

"The Urahara family is not involved in this incident, but you have already severed ties with the family in name, so you are no longer required to obey this order."

Urahara Ryouka calmly said, "The Seireitei is currently the strongest force in the Three Realms. If the Asuras want to take control of the Three Realms, they must remove this thorn in their side. Given the violent nature of the Sinister, they will undoubtedly aim for a decisive victory and concentrate their strongest forces to destroy the Seireitei from the very beginning. So go back and find a few trustworthy partners to secretly devise some methods to deal with the Sinister... Save as many as you can."

"As ordered."

He didn't ask reasonable and important questions such as "Why make things so complicated?" or "What's the point of operating in secret?" In his experience, his ancestor would never delay telling him what she wanted to say, and if she only gave instructions without explaining why, it meant she didn't want to talk about it at all, so asking would be pointless.

Just do it.

................................................

Let's return to the present, inside the Eighth Division barracks.

“I see, I understand now.” Mima slammed his fist into his palm, a look of sudden realization on his face, and nodded, “So you two were instructed by our ancestor to set up defensive measures for Seireitei. Is that a correct summary?”

—Kisuke Urahara kept his promise to keep things brief, explaining the above to Mima in very concise language, naturally skipping over the details that were not for outsiders to know.

“That’s how it is.” Kisuke Urahara nodded. “I do have a plan… but it’s not something that Yoruichi and I can accomplish on our own. So we need to find some partners who can keep secrets to work with us.”

“I understand the logic.” Mima shrugged and asked, “But wouldn’t this be very inefficient? Given the current situation, you could simply communicate directly with Captain-Commander Yamamoto and move freely within the Seireitei. Why bother with this sneaky, clandestine approach?”

"There's nothing we can do; that's what our ancestor instructed."

Kisuke Urahara coughed lightly, seemingly implying something, and said, "Before Yoruichi and I set off, she emphasized three times that 'before the Fiends attack, you absolutely must not reveal a single word to the Captain-Commander's faction or the 46 Chambers'..."

Then, he crossed his hands in front of his chest, making a neat "X" shape.