Chapter 34

(General P.O.V)

"That..."

Tessai muttered, sighing and removing his glasses. He rubbed them on his t shirt and then looked at Ash in quiet contemplation. The teen's knowledge of things that were supposed to be secret was... worrying. Because it meant that maybe the future events that he revealed to them, might all come true.

"That was quite a tale."

Urahara stated in a neutral tone.

"One I am not so sure I believe."

Yoruichi added from where she was leaning on the doorframe in her human form. She was frowning while staring at the ground.

"What part?"

Ash asked. He had gotten Urahara to agree to help him but Ash had known that was only half the battle.

The other half was getting them to believe he was telling the truth. The fact that he had been met with skepticism and in Yoruichi's case even hostility was concerning.

"Oh I don't know." She said sarcastically.

"How about everything? Like the part where Old man Yama dies."

Yoruichi bit out.

"Stiff with his rules and even crueler in their execution he may be, but he is a force of nature." She begrudgingly complimented.

"And you just told us that he dies in a few years to a Quincy god?"

"Then there is that whole Quincy bullshit as well." She stated, pushing off the wall in an unreasonable burst of anger.

"They were eradicated years ago. What remains of them is a few sorry souls with a shared broken history."

Ash did not have an idea why Yoruichi specifically was so... agitated by the information he had given them. It almost felt as if to her, the fact that Ash had the solution to what had forced them out of Soul Society years ago grated on her nerves. She was making it too unnecessarily personal.

"Look," Ash started, knowing that arguing with her would only make her dig in her heels more.

"I know it's hard to believe." He said amiably.

"But how else would I know about your Shunko? Or that Urahara's Zanpakuto is named Benihime? Or Tessai was the captain of the Kido corps, or that there are four main dimensions in this universe? The human world, Hueco Mundo, Soul Society and Hell?"

"Maybe you're a spy sent by Aizen to gather Intel."

Yoruichi countered, making Ash sigh.

"Then why would I tell you where Ichigo is? He is the only one who can stop Aizen because he has not been exposed to Kyoka Suigetsu. The fact that I told you he's stuck in hell so that you rescue him would be giving away a tactical advantage!"

He implored, frustration leaking through his tone.

Tessai looked to be in thought at that while Yoruichi was still looking at him with open distrust.

"Even if I was, Aizen knows Urahara is smarter than him. He would see me coming from a mile away. And the fact that I revealed everything that is going to happen would be a stupid move for him. Aizen is the type of person who would take advantage of that knowledge and counter any plans you might have to deal with him." He looked deep into Urahara's eyes.

"I'm telling you, I am not a spy."

"I have a question."

Tessai said. All eyes in the room turned to him.

"You speak so intimately. As if you know every single one of us, the gotei 13, Aizen and his army. Even Ichigo and his friends. Why is that? Can knowledge of what happens in the future really give you such insight into our personalities and behaviors as well?"

Ash breathed out. Shit. He couldn't tell them that he had watched their lives play out on a screen. He also couldn't tell them that he had consumed more than a fair share of bleach fanfics back when he had a life. Back when his dad was alive. Ash couldn't do that because while he believed in their strength of mind, knowing that every bad thing that had happened to you was actually the result of a Japanese man's creative mind was more than he could expect others to handle.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Ash looked up at Urahara.

"Kisuke... I am telling the truth. I cannot explain everything to you as that involves secrets I cannot exactly disclose." He heard Yoruichi snort.

"But if you believe me...you will not regret it."

Urahara spent a few seconds looking deep into Ash's eyes.

"The Hogyoku is not here."

"Rukia."

Ash muttered.

Urahara nodded.

"I will organize it to be brought to us and we can start the process after we've done some tests."

Urahara finally decided, making Ash slump his shoulders in relief.

"Thank you."

He muttered.

Yoruichi and Tessai looked at each other and said nothing.

"I will go make sure Jinta has not destroyed the shop."

Tessai excused himself. Yoruichi on the other hand stared at Ash with indescribable look on her face before nodding to Urahara and leaving the room.

"Wait! Yoruichi..." Ash spoke up, stopping her on her tracks. The purple haired shinigami looked over her shoulder.

"Tell...Isshin and Ichigo's friends that although he's stuck in hell, he's... he's alright."

Yoruichi's eyes softened somewhat. She gave a curt nod, slid the door open and closed it behind her.

Urahara got up.

"Follow me Ash Kun, we have some tests to carry out. Don't want you exploding because we missed something."

Ash blinked.

"Wait, you mean now?"

Urahara stopped and looked back at him.

"But of course."

"And what was that thing about exploding?"

Ash asked as he followed him out.

"Don't worry about it." Urahara waved his hand.

"It won't happen. Probably."

That did not exactly sound safe but Ash had come too far to let this end here. Luckily, he had 4 chances to make this happen.

Ash had already checked the Ouroboros Interface and the mission completion was termed as Pending in brackets at the end of the text box. Seems like an agreement made with only words did not serve as a contract.

"Umm so can we stop by the shop?"

He asked following after Urahara through the corridor.

"The Contract."

Urahara said, making Ash stop, a little surprised.

Urahara chuckled and looked back.

"I suspected that it was important. We're on our way there."

He assured.

"Oh."

Ash said. He still hadn't gotten a correct answer on why Urahara had a contract with him. Or why they had a small significance to the Ouroboros Interface.

"When I created that spatial formation, I knew one of two things would happen." Urahara begun to explain, already knowing what was going on through Ash's mind.

"The formation was set to locate Ichigo, by sending out a pulse through the reishi to scan and bounce off his unique energy signature. Then a stable rift would be created, connecting both spaces and allow him to walk right through."

"That's genius." Ash complimented.

"You based it off an arrancar's Pesquisa."

"Pesquisa?"

Urahara wondered, just as they arrived at the shop's counter.

"Oh it's an unique ability that allows them to send out a pulse of their Reiryoku up to a certain range before pulling it back, giving them a clear view of their surroundings."

Urahara quickly wrote something on a piece of paper and once again, Ash could perfectly read it despite not being able to do so for any other written Kanji. The Ouroboros Interface was being selective in what he could understand.

Ash held up the paper and frowned unsurely.

"Huh...there is just one sentence. 'In exchange for knowledge, I will give Ash-Kun, power.'"

Urahara pointed at a poorly drawn box on the piece of paper.

"I believe in simplicity. Drawing a fancy contract takes time you know...and money for the printer."

Ash blinked, deciding not to pay attention to Urahara's weirdness. He took the offered pen and signed his name before hardening his finger and slicing his palm. Then he dripped blood on top of his signature.

The paper burst into blue flames. Ash felt a certain energy connect him and Urahara. Fascinating.

"Excellent work. Now follow me."

Urahara told him, walking out of the shop and deeper into the building. Jinta stuck his tongue out at Ash. The older teen looked away, ignoring him but waving at Ururu.

"So you never really truly answered me. Why the contracts?"

Ash asked for the second time. This time Urahara stopped and turned towards him.

"You seem awfully interested in that subject."

"Just curious."

Ash answered.

It was easy to see that Urahara did not believe him but the Soul Reaper simply turned and continued walking.

"The contract was just in case the plan worked, but not in the way I wanted."

Ash scrunched up his eyebrows.

"Explain."

"Think of it like this...the reishi pulse is like the bait. Ichigo was what I wanted to capture but he's not the only one in the pond. Just the most likely to notice. So the Contract was just incase someone else came through."

Ash stopped.

"Someone you could use."

He concluded.

"Exactly." Urahara responded shamelessly.

"It was that or kill whoever it was. The formation was meant for one way travel."

Ash supposed he couldn't fault the man. Urahara was a soul reaper who had survived for many years in a world filled with monsters that devoured others. You not only needed power, brains but also a certain degree of ruthlessness.

And his answer had finalized the idea that had been cooking in Ash's mind. If Ash could figure out a way to also introduce contracts in his looping, then maybe he could negotiate tasks for rewards in whatever world he made it to.

He could imagine drawing up a spiritual contract with a ninja to acquire Chakra. Or one with Issei to acquire the boosted gear in exchange for helping him get a girlfriend or get laid or something. Urahara's contracts seemed to contain a spiritual touch, which meant that if Ash could learn to use them, then finding a way to acquire even more power in each world he looped to, would be easy.

"Hey, I have a request, can you teach me how to draw up a contract using my Reiryoku?"

He asked, just as they arrived in the underground training chamber.

"Why certainly, Ash-Kun. But it will cost you."

Urahara's smile made Ash feel as if he was making a deal with the devil.