At the moment when the 2nd Ward's CCG Defense Battle had just concluded, when the One-Eyed Owl had retreated; Kaiko deliberately chose to personally track it.
From the very first time the One-Eyed Owl appeared, he had felt an intense sense of familiarity, the shape of its kagune was remarkably similar to Yoshimura Kuzen's.
His initial suspicion was that the One-Eyed Owl was either Kuzen himself or Kuzen's child with that human woman.
If it were just Kuzen, he wouldn't care. The lives of CCG investigators meant nothing to him.
But if it truly was Kuzen's child with that woman…
That would be an entirely different story.
There were only two possible outcomes for a hybrid between a human and a ghoul:
A Half-Human (like those in the Sunlit Garden) or a Half-Ghoul (born with a kakuhou and capable of using a kagune).
If it was a Half-Ghoul, then it was exactly what the Washuu Clan had been desperately seeking.
In truth, the half-humans of the Sunlit Garden were nothing but "failures."
The true purpose of the Washuu's human breeding experiments was to create naturally born Half-Ghouls.
The "failures", those who lacked a kakuhou were simply repurposed and assigned to the CCG and V as combat personnel.
But Kuzen's child was not part of the Washuu lineage.
That meant they were a threat, perhaps the greatest threat to the Washuu Clan's rule.
To confirm the true identity of the One-Eyed Owl, Kaiko followed its movements until it finally came to a stop.
In reality, Yoshimura Kuzen had long since noticed Kaiko tailing him.
He intentionally halted in a deserted location and reverted to his human form.
"Kuzen… So it really was you."
Upon seeing Kuzen's familiar figure, Kaiko exhaled slightly, feeling a sense of relief.
Had it truly been Kuzen's child, things would have been far more troublesome.
"It's been a long time, Kaiko."
Unlike his usual kind and gentle expression, Yoshimura Kuzen's face was now completely cold and indifferent.
"Come now, Kuzen, no need to be so distant, We haven't even been bothering you lately, have we?"
"You're free to attack the CCG as much as you want, just don't go saying things you shouldn't."
Kaiko's tone was casual, almost friendly, as if he were simply reuniting with an old acquaintance.
"If you're just here for small talk, then I'll be leaving now."
Yoshimura Kuzen clearly had no intention of wasting time with him.
"Fine, fine. We'll have a proper chat some other time."
Kaiko smirked faintly, his words carrying a hint of mocking sarcasm.
Then, he too disappeared into the darkness.
At first, Kaiko had confirmed that the One-Eyed Owl was indeed Yoshimura Kuzen.
However after receiving a detailed report from the 2nd Ward's CCG branch regarding the battle…
He began to have doubts.
The previous appearances of the One-Eyed Owl had been brutal and merciless, it slaughtered investigators without hesitation.
But this time…
Not a single investigator was killed.
The contrast was too obvious.
Kaiko knew that a kakuja could alter its own form.
So, it was entirely possible that the One-Eyed Owl from before and the One-Eyed Owl today were not actually the same person.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Byakuya had fought both the One-Eyed Owl from this battle and the one from the 24th Ward siege.
Perhaps he could provide some insight.
"No."
Uchiha Byakuya shook his head without hesitation.
"The One-Eyed Owl that attacked the 2nd Ward today was no different from the one I fought in the 24th Ward."
He had no intention of exposing Yoshimura Kuzen or Yoshimura Eto.
His tone was calm and steady-without the slightest hesitation, making it impossible to detect any deception.
"I understand."
Even though Kaiko still harbored some doubts, he had no concrete evidence.
For now, he set the matter aside.
"Now then, the matter of the 'Cleaner' is officially entrusted to you; Additionally, you should begin forming a 'Zero Squad.'"
Kaiko continued in the same manner.
"You may select its members at your own discretion, but prioritize half-humans from the Sunlit Garden."
Kaiko returned to the main topic-the role of the Cleaner.
[Ding! Host has successfully completed 'Task 1: Become the Cleaner.']
[Reward: 100 Attribute Points!]
[Task 1 completed. Activating Task 2.]
[Task 2: Establish the Zero Squad and expand it to three members.]
[Task Reward: 10 Attribute Points]
"Then let's have Arima serve as the vice-captain of the Zero Squad; As for the other members, I'll select them when the time is right."
Uchiha Byakuya nodded in agreement.
Although he didn't want Arima Kishou to become the heartless killing machine he was in the original timeline, appointing him as vice-captain didn't contradict that goal.
Because in the end, he was the true authority of the Zero Squad.
It was he, not Arima, who was bound by the restrictions of V as the Cleaner.
But at the same time, his power was great enough to defy those restrictions.
By bringing Arima into the Zero Squad, he was actually helping him.
"That works, Arima's strength is unquestionable-it's just that he lacks motivation; I'll leave him to you."
Kaiko agreed without hesitation.
Then, he added:
"Since you rarely return to the Sunlit Garden, you should take some time to interact with the children; If any of them show promise, consider them as potential candidates for the Zero Squad."
"Understood."
Uchiha Byakuya nodded.
Even if Kaiko hadn't suggested it, he had already planned to do this.
Since he had come all the way back to the Sunlit Garden, he wasn't in a hurry to leave.
"That's all for now, when the organization requires your services, I'll send someone to inform you."
After finishing, Kaiko slightly lowered the brim of his hat and then departed.
He didn't provide Uchiha Byakuya with the standard V Organization uniform because his role in the CCG had to be maintained.
The identity of the Cleaner was a secret that could not be exposed.
Watching Kaiko's figure gradually disappear, Uchiha Byakuya's expression remained unreadable.
Afterward, he wandered through the Sunlit Garden.
The place was expansive, almost like a vast estate, with lush greenery everywhere.
The half-human children ran around playing and laughing among the flower fields and grassy courtyards.
On the surface, it looked like a peaceful, beautiful paradise.
Some of the younger children greeted him warmly, and he returned their greetings with a friendly demeanor.
Then-
By chance, he encountered two particularly special children.
A boy and a girl, both lying on the grass, looking around ten years old.
At a single glance, he recognized them immediately.
These two were Furuta Nimura and Kamishiro Rize.
Of course, Kamishiro Rize's real name wasn't actually "Kamishiro".
She had later adopted the Kamishiro surname after being taken in by her foster father, Kamishiro Matasaka.
Her true name remained unknown.
But one thing was certain; She wasn't a Washuu.
If she had been born into the Washuu Clan, she wouldn't have been in the Sunlit Garden.
Furuta Nimura was the same.
Since he wasn't a direct descendant of the Washuu Clan, he was denied the surname 'Washuu' and given the family name 'Furuta' instead.
Simply put, every child in the Sunlit Garden was of low status-at least when compared to the Washuu Clan's direct bloodline.
At that moment, Furuta noticed Uchiha Byakuya approaching.
With a cheerful smile, he sat up and greeted him:
"Nii-san!"
Uchiha Byakuya found Furuta particularly intriguing.
After all, in the original timeline, Furuta was an exceptionally complex figure.
"What's your name?"
He asked, looking directly at Furuta.
For a brief moment, Furuta almost answered instinctively:
"Wa-"
But he caught himself just in time, quickly correcting his response:
"My name is Furuta Nimura! What about you, Nii-san?"
[Ding! Host has encountered key figures 'Furuta Nimura' and 'Kamishiro Rize.' Hidden Quest Unlocked: 'The Traditions & Injustices of the Washuu Clan'!]