This question instinctively surfaced in Makoto's mind, rooted in common knowledge.
The souls sent to the Soul Society by Shinigami through the Konso ritual automatically form a corresponding spiritual body, inherently mitigating the risk of Hollowfication.
For this reason, the residents of Rukongai lack the chain of fate on their chests—a representation of their soul and inner self.
Yet, Makoto suddenly considered a blind spot: the residents of Rukongai and Shinigami appear similar at first glance, but they are undeniably different.
"Could you enlighten me, Vice-captain Aizen?" Makoto asked courteously.
Aizen's face softened with a slight smile as he replied, "Of course, Vice-captain Senju. The chain of fate on the chest never truly disappears. Instead, it transforms into another form—the Zanpakuto."
"Essentially, both Shinigami and Hollows originate from the same foundation. The difference lies in how they manifest their chains of fate: Shinigami externalize part of it as their Zanpakuto, while Hollows devour it with their obsessions, creating the Hollow hole."
"So, the 'Hollow' that emerges during a Shinigami's Hollowfication process is actually formed from their own soul. I merely provide a catalyst."
Hearing this, Makoto's eyes flashed as he pieced together the underlying logic of Aizen's Hollowfication experiments—his attempt to transcend the limits of a Shinigami.
At its core, Shinigami and Hollows are two sides of the same coin. Aizen's path through the Hogyoku seeks to integrate their traits and take a step beyond, perhaps even completely surpassing their shared foundation.
Currently, Yoruichi's condition, temporarily stabilized by Kisuke Urahara's use of the Hogyoku, remains precarious. Though the Hollowfication process has halted, her spiritual body is still laden with residual "
Pebbles," causing an unresolved conflict that leaves her unconscious.
Although Unohana had been powerless to stop the hollowfication the previous night, this was because the process had not yet been restrained and continued to invade the spiritual body uncontrollably. Without a means to directly observe the microscopic world of spiritual particles, Unohana naturally couldn't find a solution.
In contrast, Makoto's ability to "heal" Yoruichi now seemed less daunting than he initially thought. As long as he could harmonize the conflict between the Shinigami and Hollow aspects within her spiritual body, the problem could be resolved.
In fact, what if a portion of the Hollow structure were intentionally retained, allowing for controlled Hollowfication?
Makoto frowned in thought, placing his green-glowing palm on Yoruichi's body. His hand moved from her forehead to her chest as he examined her spiritual structure.
Wait…
Makoto glanced at Aizen and said with an edge of irritation, "Vice-captain Aizen, please respect the patient's privacy. It's inappropriate to observe the treatment process. Understand?"
"...?"
Aizen silently questioned the double standard.
Makoto… You're directly touching her, but I can't even watch?
Still, Makoto soon pivoted to another thought. "Vice-captain Aizen, you mentioned the Hogyoku can assist me. How exactly?"
Aizen gave him a deep look and replied, "The Hogyoku's power can temporarily stabilize Yoruichi's spiritual body and fully manifest the Hollow structures. However… you seem quite confident, as though you don't even need the Hogyoku to treat her."
"How could I not? I've been racking my brain over identifying the Hollow elements. If your Hogyoku can assist, it would save me considerable trouble!" Makoto responded, feigning ignorance about the Hogyoku's true capabilities.
"I'm glad to be of help, Vice-captain Makoto."
For a moment, the two appeared to share a profound trust in one another, as though each fully believed the other's words.
Aizen enveloped Yoruichi with the Hogyoku's energy and, respecting Makoto's earlier request, turned away, seemingly abiding by the privacy rule.
What Makoto didn't realize, however, was that the Hogyoku allowed Aizen to record every detail of Yoruichi's spiritual body changes, giving him the data he sought.
Thus, whether or not Aizen observed the treatment directly was irrelevant.
Nonetheless, Makoto wasn't concerned about how much this treatment might accelerate Aizen's Hollowfication research. He understood that for someone like Aizen, completing the research was only a matter of time. If anything, this might even reduce the number of test subjects Aizen needed.
The privacy demand was purely out of respect for Yoruichi.
As Makoto removed Yoruichi's upper clothing, he mused to himself, If Yoruichi knew I was undressing her in front of others, she'd probably carry me off in an instant Shunpo.
Soon, under Aizen's slightly bemused gaze at the rustling sounds, Yoruichi was stripped down to resemble a sleek black cat.
Although Makoto harbored no improper thoughts, certain… measurements inadvertently caught his attention.
Wait… Why am I so adept at assessing this?
Makoto paused, reflecting deeply before brushing the thought aside and focusing entirely on his task. His gaze settled on the Hollowfication markers, highlighted by the Hogyoku—numerous white spots scattered across Yoruichi's wheat-colored skin, starkly contrasting against her complexion.
Even without the Hogyoku, Makoto could have discerned the Hollow elements within her spiritual body.
"There's much to do. I only hope Kisuke Urahara's trial and the cleansing of the Hollowfied Shinigami proceed slowly. Otherwise, all this effort might be wasted."
He donned a pair of medical gloves and resumed work, assured that Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu would continue manipulating the Central 46 to avoid any untimely interference.
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