"Yawn—"
Hiding behind a wooden plaque, Ishikawa secretly yawned.
If he had a choice, he really didn't want to be here, but the old geezers from Central 46 insisted he participate in the current trial.
Calling it a trial was a bit inaccurate; strictly speaking, this trial was more of a formality, serving to establish authority.
Similar trials had been held many times before, and Ishikawa had rarely participated. The reason he was dragged here today was entirely because the subject of the trial was somewhat special.
"How dare you, Mayuri!"
"You, what have you been looking around for since just now?!"
"What are you even thinking?!"
"Don't forget where you are."
"…"
Facing the accusations from all directions, the man in the center of the room remained unfazed, even showing an impatient expression: "So noisy. I'm not like you useless people; even if I doze off, all the surrounding information will be imprinted in my brain without missing a single detail."
"What…"
"However, that's only if what you say has any value. Since you are the sages of the Central 46, I beg you, stop being so foolish as to measure me by your standards of judgment." Mayuri's eyeballs constantly rolled in his sockets, making him appear extremely peculiar.
"Ru-rude fellow!"
"Do you even know your place?!"
"…"
This guy is as arrogant as ever.
Ishikawa, behind the wooden plaque, curled his lips and glanced at Mayuri through the plaque, a strange glint in his eyes.
His attire, like his neurotic arrogance, had become even more bizarre.
No wonder these sages insisted he participate in this trial. Having experienced a captain's massacre before, and now trying a well-known madman of the Seireitei, they might be afraid that this guy's screw might suddenly come loose… and he might learn from Aizen and massacre the Central 46…
"My place? Of course I know. While I'm wasting time with your boring trial here, the overall technological development of the Soul Society is being delayed second by second… Thinking about this makes my heart ache."
Seeing Mayuri's brazenness and complete lack of fear, the anger of the Central 46 finally reached its peak, and they all shouted in fury.
The market-like clamor made the originally drowsy Ishikawa feel as if countless ducks were quacking in his ears, making him agitated.
"Kurotsuchi Mayuri, how dare you openly defy the court and show no remorse for your mistakes."
Ishikawa's calm voice overpowered all the clamor in the room, clearly reaching everyone's ears: "I request that the chief judge strip him of his position as head of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, demote him to deputy head, and appoint Urahara Kisuke as the head."
At these words, the noisy underground council hall immediately fell silent.
The sages, who had been furious and intent on punishing Mayuri, couldn't help but look towards Ishikawa's location, their eyes clearly conveying the meaning of 'you're serious.'
Although the evidence in this trial was conclusive and the impact extremely negative.
But honestly…
They only wanted to grant Mayuri leniency, like the previous Central 46, and then have him do some shady things for them. After all, the previous members of the Central 46 had already proven that this guy was really useful.
But now, a single sentence from Ishikawa had put them all on the spot.
As for the charges…
It felt a bit like old news being brought up again. The charges against Mayuri in this trial were not about him hacking into the Great Spirit Book Gallery, or his past human experiments on Quincies. Instead, it was about Mayuri burying Reishi bombs in the Squad Members' bodies and making them self-destruct when Ichigo and others first invaded the Seireitei.
Regarding this matter, even after a long time, the Gotei 13 was still polarized.
One side believed that such an act was too heinous and must be severely punished; while the other side believed that the most fundamental tenet of the Shinigami was 'not to consider one's own life alone,' and that such sacrifices were perfectly acceptable for annihilating the Ryoka!
Most of the Shinigami in the Thirteenth Division leaned towards the first view, but departments with special circumstances, such as the Punishment Force of the Second Division, believed that it was an honor if they could stop the Ryoka with their lives.
Within the Twelfth Division, there was also polarization. The ordinary Squad Members of the Twelfth Division unanimously believed that Captain Mayuri was wrong, and many even chose to transfer Squads; but most members, originating from the Maggots Nest, were members of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute whose minds were somewhat problematic to begin with, and they unanimously believed that their director was not wrong at all.
Therefore, the discussion about Mayuri's actions focused on whether the individuals arranged for self-detonation had such a willingness.
Regarding this point, since all those Squad Members died, it is now impossible to confirm, which is why Mayuri was so fearless.
Although Ishikawa knew very well that those Squad Members were absolutely unaware that their captain had pre-buried bombs in their bodies.
It wouldn't be difficult to confirm; all they needed to do was bring the surviving individuals, Orihime and Ishida Uryū, here for confirmation. But the Central 46 had no intention of actually trying Mayuri, so they naturally wouldn't conduct an investigation.
Ultimately, this trial was just a formality.
On one hand, it was to grant Mayuri leniency, and on the other, to put an end to the negative impact caused by this incident and prohibit Mayuri from similar actions in the future.
As for things like 'human research' on Quincies, this was originally done with the Central 46's consent. Even if everyone present had been replaced, they would not dig up this matter for discussion, because the root cause would not change with personnel changes.
Ishikawa ignored the gazes of the sages and, looking at Mayuri's calm expression, added fuel to the fire:
"Anyway, from a research perspective, Mayuri's level is completely inferior to Urahara Kisuke's, and his mental instability makes him truly unsuitable for his current position."
Mayuri, who had been indifferent, instantly darkened when he heard that his research level was inferior to Urahara Kisuke's, and his gaze turned gloomy towards the wooden plaque with the number 38 carved on it.
"I'm inferior to Urahara Kisuke!?"
His reaction made the sages, who had intended to stop Ishikawa, swallow their words. Although they had no intention of punishing Mayuri, seeing this rude scoundrel get flustered gave them a secret thrill.
"Isn't that so?"
Ishikawa, hidden behind the wooden plaque, flipped through the documents in front of him: "To my knowledge, before the battle with Aizen, Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai gave Urahara Kisuke an order to try and stabilize the Black Portal, to bring it to a complete state, allowing Captain-level individuals to enter Hueco Mundo."
"And the reason Captain-Commander Yamamoto didn't use the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, but instead gave the order to the already renegade Urahara Kisuke, was precisely because the Shinigami Research and Development Institute couldn't do it."
"Of course, I know that after you arrived in Hueco Mundo, you also opened a semi-permanent Black Portal passage using the leftover technology of the Espada, and claimed its stability far surpassed Urahara Kisuke's passage, but this cannot erase the fact that Captain-Commander Yamamoto bypassed the Shinigami Research and Development Institute and directly entrusted the matter to Urahara Kisuke."
Ishikawa casually slapped the documents onto the table and asked: "Do you admit this point?"
Mayuri's gaze grew even gloomier upon hearing this, because no matter how unwilling he was to admit it, the fact that Commander Yamamoto bypassed him to find Urahara Kisuke was a great humiliation to him!
As for defenses like 'I'm different from Urahara Kisuke, I haven't focused on Black Portal research,' Mayuri's personality would absolutely not allow him to say such a thing, because in his view, what best proves a scientist's research level is comprehensiveness!
"And after that, the Transference Barrier that moved Karakura Town to the Soul Society was also entirely built by Urahara Kisuke; although the Shinigami Research and Development Institute participated this time, it would have been better if they hadn't, as they merely acted as assistants. Researchers of the esteemed Shinigami Research and Development Institute actually created equivalent models of Karakura Town like… construction workers."
Ishikawa originally wanted to say 'like humble construction workers,' but as the words reached his lips, he felt that it was mocking himself… After all, the most famous construction worker in the entire Soul Society was himself…
Slap~!
Ishikawa looked at the gloomy Mayuri and threw another document in front of him: "Finally, the Kido that sealed Aizen was also created by Urahara Kisuke. The Shinigami Research and Development Institute merely added icing to the cake, supplementing the items he made in an emergency."
"If the Shinigami Research and Development Institute is only at this level, needing Captain-Commander Yamamoto to constantly seek help from an outsider, then is there truly a need for you as director?"
As Ishikawa's words fell, the entire underground council hall immediately fell into silence.
Even the sages, who initially had no intention of punishing Mayuri, nodded in agreement, finding Ishikawa's words quite reasonable.
For the Gotei 13 to seek help from an outsider, especially a former traitor, was an incredibly humiliating matter, both for the Gotei 13 and for the Central 46.
Let alone them, Mayuri, sitting below, was infuriated by Ishikawa's repeated mentions of 'Urahara Kisuke,' yet he couldn't refute him.
After all, everything Ishikawa said was an undeniable fact; in their several encounters, he had always been one step behind Urahara Kisuke.
Squad Members, crimes, Shinigami Research and Development Institute…
None of that mattered to him!
Even being locked in Muken was acceptable; he could immerse himself in studying the prisoners there.
But to say he was inferior to Urahara Kisuke, and to present irrefutable evidence, made Mayuri feel incredibly uncomfortable.
"Although what Amakado said makes sense, I cannot agree with the point about Urahara Kisuke resuming his position as the head of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute." A rather youthful voice broke the silence, and when they saw who spoke, the gazes of the assembled sages became somewhat peculiar:
"Although Urahara Kisuke has merits, his secret research into Hollowfication and the creation of such a dangerous substance as the Hōgyoku mean his merits are completely insufficient to offset his mistakes, so I do not agree with him resuming his position as head of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute."
Ishikawa nodded: "That was indeed my anxiety and lack of consideration, but my anxiety stems from being too disappointed with the performance of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute."
They understood!
The surrounding sages immediately realized that these two siblings had come to the underground council chamber to play good cop, bad cop.
Ishikawa changed the subject, looking at Mayuri on the central judgment seat and saying: "At this time of need, your mistakes and shortcomings can be temporarily overlooked, but punishment is still necessary."
Shortcomings?
Mayuri's eye twitched, but in the end, he didn't retort, instead carefully observing the wooden plaque with '38' on it, his eyeballs darting wildly in their sockets.
His expression made Ishikawa wonder if this guy would wait for him at the exit of the underground council chamber.
Want to fight after school?
"To my knowledge, after the Aizen battle, you requested compensation from the Gotei 13 for the reconstruction losses of Karakura Town, and this compensation was to be paid in installments by increasing research funds monthly.
Given the shortcomings of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, this money will no longer be paid; only a portion needs to be given to the families of the deceased."
"Absolutely no similar incidents can occur in the future, and the act of privately capturing people from Rukongai for research must be terminated."
"Furthermore, to prevent similar incidents from happening again, I hope the Shinigami Research and Development Institute can address its shortcomings, develop a sense of urgency, and raise the alert level for the Soul Society.
Any unusual activity must be detected and reported immediately."
"This alert level is not just for Shinigami; given the examples of human invasion, Quincy invasion, and Fullbringer invasion, appropriate preparations must be made.
Upon detecting any abnormal Reishi reaction, an alarm must be issued immediately."
"You are no exception regarding Hueco Mundo.
If there are individuals like Fullbringers or Quincy invading Hueco Mundo, to prevent situations like Aizen ruling Hueco Mundo and leading Arrancar to attack the Soul Society from happening again, it must be reported immediately, and relevant personnel must be dispatched to stop them."
Ishikawa's words stopped Mayuri's darting eyeballs, and a strange glint flashed in his eyes as he looked at the '38' wooden plaque.
"Do you have any objections to these punishments?"
"No."
Mayuri bared his teeth, revealing a mouthful of gold teeth and gums: "Do I need to inform the Everything Store of the supervisory results?"
"…" Ishikawa.
"…" The sages.
Did he go too far?
The sages watched Ishikawa's reaction with interest, as if enjoying a show.
Sitting here every day, judging this and that… these people were happy to watch some excitement.
"Hmm… it's not impossible."
Although exposed, Ishikawa didn't change his voice, still using that deep and authoritative tone: "Ishikawa of the Everything Store is extremely capable; sending him to handle it is not out of the question, but don't be too stingy with the compensation."
Ishikawa's words made both Mayuri and the sages present roll their eyes; this guy was quite eccentric in some ways.
He could easily use his sage identity to accumulate wealth if he wanted to, though it might seem a bit undignified to members of these ancient families… but it wasn't entirely unheard of; as long as it wasn't too excessive, fellow colleagues would turn a blind eye.
But Ishikawa had never done so; instead, he worked diligently to earn appropriate compensation.
Precisely because of this, the sages of the Central 46 actually held a great deal of goodwill towards Ishikawa, fully acknowledging his right to represent Rukongai in that position.
Ishikawa, meanwhile, ignored everyone's gazes, feeling somewhat speechless in his heart, sensing that more and more people seemed to be aware of his sage identity.
However, the purpose of this trip was perfectly achieved.
Without knowing the exact timing of the 'incident,' the intelligence from the Shinigami Research and Development Institute was extremely important to Ishikawa.
He had to react immediately to the Wandenreich's invasion of Hueco Mundo; only then would it be possible for Cirucci and her companions to survive.
As for cutting research funds…
Actually, Commander Yamamoto had asked him to find a reason to do it.
Due to the increased research funds for Mayuri, the General Squad's finances had recently been in the red, so Commander Yamamoto asked Ishikawa to find a reason to cancel the increased research funds.
Anyway, the Shinigami Research and Development Institute's research funds had always been extremely ample…
Not because they were given a lot, but because these people dared to sell anything, having a lot of extra funds.
…
After the meeting, to avoid being blocked by Mayuri, Ishikawa left the Central 46 through a secret passage in the Pure Cleanse Tower Forest Residence.
After leaving, Ishikawa didn't linger in Seireitei but left directly, returning to his Everything Store in Rukongai via a transfer pillar.
As his vision blurred, Ishikawa appeared in the backyard of the Everything Store.
"Yo, Ishikawa, you're back!"
The villains who were fighting on the various arenas in the backyard paused their movements and greeted him.
Ishikawa ignored them and looked towards the Wan Shi Wu Tavern, his mouth twitching slightly.
Then, he pushed open the door and entered the Wan Shi Wu Tavern.
The usually boisterous tavern was now incredibly quiet, and at the central table sat a woman with a bold posture and a fiery figure.
Around her stood three people; two of them were momentarily stunned when they saw Ishikawa.
"Brat, what took you so long? This old woman has been waiting here for half a day."
"Uh…"
Ishikawa chuckled, quickly walked over, picked up a sake pot, and while pouring, said: "I was busy with work, wasn't I? If you had told me you were coming earlier, Kukaku, I would have waited here for you."
"Well, I also only decided to come after getting a temporary message from Yoruichi."
Kūkaku laughed heartily, then pointed to the three people behind her: "Aren't I bringing you a few people? The guy with the weathered face wearing a bartender's uniform is said to be good at mixing drinks; he should be able to help out in your tavern.
As for the other two, keep them as muscle."
"…" Ishikawa.
How he wished Kukaku had sent him a few women instead of three grown men.
And two of them even had some past grievances with him.
Not big ones…
Just that they almost killed him once.
Ishikawa looked up at one of them, who grinned: "Heh, long time no see."
"Sigh—"
Seeing this, Ishikawa sighed.
He knew that Ichigo must have asked Urahara Kisuke, and Urahara Kisuke then found Yoruichi, and Yoruichi, feeling awkward talking to him directly… found her big sister… and finally sent these three troubles to him.
But then again…
In the entire Soul Society, besides Kukaku's Shiba and his own place, no matter where these three went, they could easily be killed!