Bleach: I Love Making Friends

"Do you remember Miss Utagawa from back then?"

Urahara Kisuke spoke in a deep voice. "Back then, the Tsunayashiro family went so far as to have one of their own marry Miss Utagawa just to get close to her. For the proud Tsunayashiro family, this was practically an insult."

"That's true," Yoruichi couldn't help but sneer as she recalled the Tsunayashiro family's behavior. "Those people think anyone who isn't a noble is trash. Not just ordinary Shinigami—even lower nobles are considered garbage to them."

"For them to consider someone human, they'd have to be at least an upper noble."

"Exactly," Urahara agreed. "Don't you think this situation is similar?"

"How is it similar?" Yoruichi complain. "The Haruki family has always been a vassal of the Tsunayashiro family. Isn't it normal for the main family to give them orders?"

"True. Based on this alone, I'm only about 30% certain," Urahara said. "But when you combine it with his personal experiences and... his conversation with Aizen, I'm almost certain..."

"Even if Haruki doesn't have a fragment of the Soul King in his soul, at least the Tsunayashiro family and Aizen believe he does."

"And it's probably not just an ordinary fragment."

Urahara's gaze grew profound.

If it were just an ordinary fragment, it might prompt the Tsunayashiro family to act, but Aizen likely wouldn't be so... invested.

"I don't get you," Yoruichi sighed after listening to Urahara.

"Whatever, do as you please. How do you plan to handle Haruki Murakami?"

"Let's start with surveillance," Urahara said with a bitter smile. "Aizen's attitude toward Haruki is probably also 'observation.' If we try to make a move on him, Aizen won't just sit back and let us."

"Then I'll do it? But my identity might be exposed by him."

At this point, Yoruichi grew even more puzzled.

"How did he find me?"

Yoruichi's transformation into a black cat was a secret technique of the Shihōin family. Under normal circumstances, no one should be able to detect it.

Yet, as soon as she appeared near Haruki, the guy picked her up.

"I'm not an omniscient god," Urahara said with a wry smile. "How would I know?"

In fact, he had also been discovered.

If Haruki might have detected Yoruichi by sensing spiritual pressure, what about him?

He had used a cloak that concealed spiritual pressure and added some stealth Kidō to it.

Once worn, it made him practically invisible. No one should have been able to detect him.

Yet, as soon as he approached, Haruki glanced at him and immediately noticed.

Urahara had full confidence in his inventions.

In fact, it was precisely Haruki's performance that made Urahara more inclined to believe his earlier statements.

His suspicion that Haruki possessed a fragment of the Soul King grew even stronger.

Because among the Soul King's powers, the most renowned was the legendary ability to see through everything.

Urahara didn't know what Haruki's goals were, nor did he know what Aizen wanted to use Haruki for. But he knew that Haruki would undoubtedly be an important figure moving forward and had to be kept under surveillance.

At the very least, he needed to be monitored in the human world.

"Don't worry. Even if Mr. Haruki discovers you, he probably won't say anything."

Urahara said.

Sure enough, just as Urahara had predicted, Yoruichi monitored Haruki for three days, during which Haruki made no further attempts to expose her.

Haruki's actions during these three days also left Yoruichi somewhat baffled.

After leaving, Haruki didn't do much. After putting on the Gigai, he simply wandered around Karakura Town, not at all like someone on a secret mission.

Then, on this day, Haruki once again arrived at the Ishida family's doorstep.

He easily infiltrated the estate.

In the fifth training ground, Haruki sat on a tree, watching Sōken Ishida training hard below.

He didn't know how old Sōken was, but he guessed he wasn't yet an adult.

Compared to him, a man in his forties, Sōken was practically a "child."

The greatest advantage of being a Shinigami was...

a long lifespan.

For someone like Haruki, who feared death, this was a tremendous boon.

In other stories, people went to great lengths to achieve immortality, but for him, it was almost within reach.

Just look at Xu Fu, who killed a phoenix and then a dragon in his quest for immortality, only to end up losing both his immortality and his life.

Haruki only needed to strengthen his soul, and his lifespan would increase.

Someone like Yamamoto could live for three or four thousand years without issue.

Orochimaru from next door would be green with envy!

In a few decades, Sōken would become an old man, while Haruki would remain unchanged.

Haruki shook his head. The Quincy of the Wandenreich were different—they were all centuries-old monsters, but because they maintained their spiritual forms in the Soul Society, they showed no signs of aging.

Those with flesh-and-blood bodies were inevitably bound by the passage of time.

Tsk, Haruki felt like he was turning into a poet, his heart growing increasingly sentimental.

He shook his head, then jumped down from the tree.

He landed right in front of Sōken, who was practicing Hirenkyaku, startling the young Quincy.

Sōken fell to the ground, looking at Haruki in shock. "You... who are you?"

Haruki scratched his head, acting "confused." "Strange, where am I?"

Then, he looked at Sōken and said, "You... are you a Quincy?"

"Huh?" Sōken said in surprise. "Of course I'm a Quincy. I'm Sōken Ishida. Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Kurosaki Kōun, also a Quincy, from the Kurosaki family. I've heard of your Ishida family—a rare pureblood line." Haruki clicked his tongue.

That's right. He had no intention of befriending the Quincy as a Shinigami.

The only way to befriend a Quincy was to be a Quincy yourself.

However, this method could only be used on Sōken.

First, Sōken was still young and wouldn't be able to tell if Haruki was truly a Quincy.

Second, Sōken's soul ability was Inheritor of the Quincy. As long as Haruki raised his favorability to at least 60, he could use Quincy abilities in front of the Ishida family.

This way, his identity would be more or less confirmed.

So, when Sōken drew his bow and asked Haruki to do the same, Haruki simply sighed.

"Sorry, I've used the Quincy's final form and have completely lost my Quincy powers."

"I... am no longer a Quincy."