Incident Reporting Desk -- Sixth Division

"Double The Trouble":

The morning light streamed through the windows of the Sixth Division office building, casting long streaks of gold across Yorusuke's neatly stacked paperwork. Yorusuke, the Fifth Seat of the division, was seated at his desk, diligently reviewing reports with an expression that was as focused as it was tired. He enjoyed the quiet rhythm of these early hours, where the hum of Soul Society felt distant and unobtrusive.

A distant commotion disrupted that rhythm, the muffled sound of hurried footsteps echoing through the corridors. Yorusuke’s pen paused mid-signature as the door to his office flew open, revealing a panicked Renji Abarai.

“Yorusuke,” Renji said, his tone pitched with irritation and dread, “you’re not going to believe this.”

Before Yorusuke could ask what was going on, a voice cut through the air like a storm.

“Captain Kuchiki! Lieutenant Abarai! I demand immediate attention!”

Renji groaned audibly, turning to face the source of the disruption. Yorusuke followed suit, standing to get a better view. Storming into the Sixth Division headquarters was none other than Nobuyuki Hojo, a lower-tier noble known for his obsession with antiquities. His wide eyes darted around the room, and his hands gesticulated wildly as he clutched what appeared to be an empty display case.

“Renji, this one’s yours,” Yorusuke muttered with a smirk, sitting back down.

“Don’t even start,” Renji shot back through gritted teeth before plastering on a forced smile. “Hojo-sama. How can we help you this morning?”

“How can you help me? How can you not help me?!” Hojo shrieked, slamming the display case onto a nearby table. “I have been robbed! Do you know what was in this case? An irreplaceable artifact from the early days of the Soul Society—a ceremonial dagger passed down through my family for centuries!”

Renji’s eyebrow twitched, but he managed to keep his voice steady. “That’s very unfortunate, Hojo-sama. Can you tell us exactly what happened?”

“I woke up this morning and found my private gallery in disarray! The dagger was gone, along with several smaller items of little value.” Hojo’s voice wavered dramatically, as though he might faint from the sheer horror of the crime. “This is a disgrace to my name and an insult to my family’s honor! I demand that you find the culprits immediately!”

Yorusuke, who had been silently observing the exchange, finally spoke up. “Hojo-sama, was there any sign of forced entry?”

Hojo spun on his heel to glare at Yorusuke. “No, but that only proves the sophistication of the thieves! They must have bypassed my security system entirely. Professionals, no doubt.”

“Or someone with a key,” Yorusuke suggested.

Hojo spluttered indignantly, but Renji quickly stepped in to diffuse the tension. “We’ll investigate thoroughly, Hojo-sama. If you could provide a list of the stolen items and any other details, that would help us narrow down our suspects.”

“Fine, fine!” Hojo huffed, pulling out a long scroll from within his robes. “Here’s the inventory. But I expect swift action. I won’t have my reputation tarnished because of your incompetence!”

Renji took the scroll with a forced smile that barely masked his frustration. As Hojo stormed out of the office, muttering about negligence and dishonor, Renji let out a long sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. “Why do these nobles always make everything sound like it’s life or death?” he grumbled.

“Because to them, it is,” Yorusuke replied dryly. He walked over to Renji, glancing at the scroll. “A ceremonial dagger, some trinkets, and a painting of a phoenix. This doesn’t look like the work of ordinary thieves.”

“Tell me about it,” Renji muttered. “Feels too specific.”

Yorusuke nodded thoughtfully. “This might be tied to that string of robberies we’ve been investigating. The Robin Hood group.”

Renji’s eyes widened slightly. “You think so? But they haven’t hit an honorable noble before, just shady nobles and merchants.”

“Maybe they’ve expanded their targets. Maybe someone’s trying to frame them, or maybe the Hojo clan is not a honorable as we all believe.” Yorusuke suggested. He tapped the scroll lightly. “Either way, we should start by inspecting Hojo’s gallery. He may have overlooked something important in his panic.”

Renji groaned again but nodded. “Fine. But you’re coming with me. I’m not dealing with him alone.”

“Fair enough,” Yorusuke said with a small smirk. Yorusuke couldn’t help but feel a flicker of excitement beneath his composed exterior. For all the monotony of paperwork, moments like this reminded him why he had joined the Gotei 13 in the first place. The thrill of uncovering the truth, of bringing justice to light—it was a calling he couldn’t ignore.

And if they were dealing with the Robin Hood group, this investigation was bound to get interesting.