"Now that introductions are out of the way," Kaito said, his eyes shifting to Aizen, "let's have a mock battle. I want to get a feel for your combat level."
He gave a slight smile before adding, "You can choose anyone here as your opponent."
Aizen glanced at the three of them: Kaito, Miyuki, and Nozomi.
Then he slowly closed his eyes, thinking for a moment.
When he opened them again, they settled on the blond Yamanaka with a calm expression.
"Nozomi-san," Aizen said politely, "would you be my opponent?"
Nozomi lit up immediately. "Of course!" he grinned, cracking his knuckles. "I was hoping you'd say that."
Aizen gave a respectful nod. "Thank you."
He wasn't foolish enough to challenge Kaito. The difference in their power level was too great. There would be nothing to learn from a one-sided fight. That left his two teammates.
Miyuki interested him. He was curious about seeing the Byakugan in action, but Nozomi seemed eager, almost as if he'd been trying to get chosen. At least, that's what Aizen assumed from the constant blinking and subtle gestures.
So Nozomi it was.
Let's see what you can do, Aizen thought calmly as he stepped into position on the training field.
Nozomi didn't waste time with formalities or offering the first move. Instead, without a word, he drew a kunai and vanished in a burst of speed using the Body Flicker technique.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Aizen, aiming a slash directly at the boy's neck.
Reckless? Maybe. But with their team leader being a Jōnin, not some underprepared Chūnin, Nozomi trusted Kaito to intervene if things got out of hand.
More than that, he was curious. He wanted to see just how fast this so-called genius really was. Graduating the moment he entered the Academy? That wasn't normal.
And Aizen didn't disappoint.
A kunai was already in his hand, perfectly positioned to block the strike. His movement was fluid and precise.
Not bad, Nozomi thought with a spark of excitement.
Without hesitating, he followed up with a sharp kick aimed at Aizen's ribs. But before the blow could land, Aizen vanished with his own Body Flicker, retreating to a safe distance.
He didn't counterattack.
Because this wasn't a street brawl.
Aizen's expression stayed calm and calculating. He wasn't here to win with brute force or hot-blooded charges. He was observing, analyzing, and measuring his opponent's rhythm before committing to a move.
That kind of caution was rare in someone so young.
Interesting, Nozomi thought, adjusting his stance. Looks like this won't be easy after all.
Nozomi quickly hurled a handful of kunai toward Aizen, aiming to test his reflexes.
Aizen didn't waste a second. He responded by throwing his own kunai to intercept them mid-air, the clang of steel ringing through the training field.
But that had only been the setup.
Using the flying kunai as a distraction, Nozomi had already repositioned himself with another Body Flicker, appearing behind Aizen with a silent slash aimed at his back.
Got you, he thought, confident the boy wouldn't be able to react in time.
But before the blade could touch skin, Aizen spun around, kunai already up, blocking the surprise attack cleanly.
Nozomi's eyes widened. What? He sensed me? How?
It didn't make sense.
Aizen had just graduated. He was barely five years old. He shouldn't have the awareness, let alone the experience, to predict a feint like that.
What Nozomi didn't realise was that Aizen wasn't relying solely on sight or instinct.
He could smell him.
Aizen's sense of smell wasn't normal. It was supernatural.
After gaining the heightened olfactory ability of Tanjiro Kamado, he hadn't mastered it yet, but he was steadily improving.
He didn't need to see his opponent to know exactly where they were. The moment Nozomi vanished and circled around, Aizen caught the subtle shift in scent. The wind carried just enough for him to lock onto Nozomi's position.
He's sharp, Nozomi thought, taking a step back.
But he wasn't frustrated.
In fact, for the first time in a while, he was starting to enjoy himself.
"What do you think?" Kaito asked, eyes still fixed on the two sparring figures.
Miyuki stood with her arms crossed, watching intently. "He's a genius," she said plainly. There was no hesitation in her voice now.
She had her doubts at first about the quiet, tiny newcomer who barely looked old enough to be halfway through the Academy. But watching him fight, seeing his awareness and precision, she understood.
Now it made sense why he was allowed to graduate so early.
Looks like we can already start missions with him, Kaito thought, a sense of relief washing over him. He wouldn't have to babysit after all.
"Alright, that's enough, you two!" he called out, already confident in Aizen's combat level and sure that the other two wouldn't be underestimating him anymore.
As Aizen came to a stop, he took a deep breath and turned to Nozomi.
"Thanks for going easy on me," he said sincerely.
"No need to thank me," Nozomi replied, waving a hand with a grin. "You can already keep up with me. No wonder they let you graduate early."
Aizen knew Nozomi was just being modest. He hadn't even used any elemental jutsu or his clan's signature moves. Still, Aizen didn't mention it. He hadn't gone all out either, and there was no need to.
He turned to Kaito. "Sensei, what's next?"
"Let's go grab something to eat," Kaito replied, "We'll talk there."
************
Any quirk?