In the Seireitei's 1st Division barracks, Yamamoto Genryūsai stared at the smear of bright red on Unohana Retsu's finger, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Didn't I tell you to be mindful of the degree? Why is there still blood?"
"This is my blood."
Unohana knelt formally on the floor, her voice barely suppressing excitement, as if still immersed in the moment Kensei Kenzuru had managed to cut her. A thousand years… those who could cross swords with her were few, let alone leave a mark on her.
Heh heh, I truly look forward to seeing how far this child will grow.
Seeing Unohana was almost reverting to her malevolent self from a millennium ago, Yamamoto lifted his cane and tapped the floor lightly.
Ahem.
"My apologies. I got a bit carried away."
Unohana instantly reverted to her gentle Yamato Nadeshiko image, straightened her posture, and began reporting the day's events to the Captain-Commander. Hearing about Kensei's talent in the way of the sword, Yamamoto remained as steady as Mount Tai—What kind of scene haven't I seen in my time? But when he heard the words "Reiatsu at the 4th grade," his perpetually narrowed eyes snapped open. His cane thumped against the floor, causing several fine cracks to silently spiderweb across it.
"Captain Unohana, are you certain?"
It was rare for Yamamoto to press for confirmation. The reason was simple: the current Gotei 13 paled in comparison to its founding days, to the point where even the Central 46, under the Royal Family's purview, dared to order him around.
He had once placed his hopes in Kyōraku Shunsui, but unfortunately—firstly, the Kyōraku family were high-ranking nobles, and making him the "sword" could easily cause unrest; secondly, Kyōraku himself was the type to "fish for three days and dry the nets for two," doing the bare minimum to get by.
His first disciple was a lost cause; his second disciple, Jūshirō Ukitake, had the strength but was a sickly invalid. The other new Captains each had their own issues. Just as Yamamoto was nearly giving up hope, suddenly seeing a glimmer of potential for reforming the Soul Society—how could he not be shaken?
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"Kensei, be careful these next few days."
Aizen, who had finished showering first, was already dressed and sitting on his bed in meditative cultivation, casually offering a reminder. The news of Kensei's spar with Captain Unohana today would undoubtedly spread. Who knew how many people would become restless? If he wasn't careful, it wouldn't be strange for certain individuals to set their sights on him.
"Be careful? Careful about what?"
Kensei, who was in the middle of taking his clothes off, clearly didn't understand. Hearing this blood pressure-raising reply, Aizen sighed and opened his eyes, preparing to patiently explain things to this "humanoid creature"—and then he saw Kensei's near-perfect physique, every proportion seemingly meticulously sculpted.
"Hmm? Why'd you stop talking?"
Kensei waved a hand in front of Aizen, who had frozen into a statue. Aizen's eyes snapped shut. He took a deep breath, forcing down the turbulent waves inside him.
"Stop waving… I'll talk to you, you blockhead, in a moment."
After uttering this somewhat double-edged remark, Aizen fell silent like a monk entering deep meditation. Confused, Kensei could only go take his shower first.
Listening to the sound of water from the bathroom, Aizen's tense body collapsed onto the bed as if its spine had been removed. The turmoil in his heart caused the spiritual pressure around him to shatter like a mirror. If Kensei had been present, he might have thought he'd crossed into the wrong world—since when did Aizen have a brown high ponytail, and clothes that seemed barely able to contain…?
Losing his composure twice in one day because of the same person… Aizen could no longer tell if Kensei was a companion bestowed by heaven or a torture device specifically sent to torment him.
Reapplying his self-created illusion Kidō, Aizen resumed the familiar appearance Kensei knew and returned to his upright sitting posture. Only after Kensei finished his shower and resumed his daily teasing did Aizen slowly open his eyes.
"Why do you think Captain Unohana specifically came to the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy to find you today?"
"Obviously because I'm handsome, dashing, and exceptionally talented. Captain Unohana wants to recruit me under her wing~"
Aizen shot him an exasperated look and gave up on trying to guide his thinking.
"You sparred with Teacher Inoue in the morning, and by afternoon, a Captain-level figure shows up at your door—either Captain Unohana was drawn by the thrill of the hunt, or the Gotei 13 is in urgent need of talent, and not just ordinary geniuses at that. Even so, that shouldn't warrant such direct attention from a Captain…"
He paused, glancing at Kensei, who was pretending to think seriously. A sudden idea flashed in his mind.
"You came from the Rukongai. Tell me, are there large-scale conflicts happening in the Rukongai right now?"
Kensei racked his brain, recalling what he'd seen and heard on the journey from District 80 to the Seireitei, and nodded affirmatively.
Aizen's eyes grew brighter, his speech gradually speeding up:
"It seems there's been an uprising in the Rukongai. But a mere uprising could be quelled by sending two Captains. The fact it hasn't suggests the Captain-Commander is being restrained—the only ones who could hinder him are the Central 46, or rather, the Royal Family and the nobles. It's even possible some Captains aren't supporting the Captain-Commander. Otherwise, they could quell the rebellion covertly, as they wouldn't face severe punishment anyway."
At this point, Aizen looked at Kensei, who seemed to still be catching up, and patted his shoulder sympathetically.
"Congratulations. You're about to face most of the Soul Society's upper echelons. Unless something unexpected happens, you'll be summoned by the Captain-Commander tomorrow."
A hint of schadenfreude tinged Aizen's words. Despite knowing Kensei for such a short time, he'd already suffered quite a few setbacks because of him. Seeing Kensei's "constipated" expression now did much to soothe Aizen's previously frustrated mood.
"Sōsuke, you can't just leave me to die!"
The more anxious Kensei became, the brighter the amusement in Aizen's eyes, though his face maintained an expression of "Sorry, can't help you. Good luck."
However, how could such a minor problem stump the brilliant and clever Kensei Kenzuru? He suddenly revealed a mysterious smile, looking utterly in control.
"Haha, Sōsuke, don't underestimate me. My wisdom is not beneath yours. Let me ask you—is the Captain-Commander summoning 'Kensei Kenzuru'?"
Though the question itself was correct, a sense of foreboding rose in Aizen's heart.
"I hereby name you Kensei Kenzuru, and I shall be Aizen Sōsuke. That way, I'm safe, right?"
…To think I believed he could come up with a good plan. I really am an idiot.
Aizen silently burrowed under the covers, ignoring Kensei, who was marveling at his own "world-shaking intellect."
The night passed without incident.
The next day, before Kensei could even step through the academy gates, he was grabbed by Teacher Inoue, who had been waiting at the entrance, and hurriedly dragged off towards the 1st Division barracks. Watching his retreating back gradually disappear, Aizen turned and walked into the academy, a subtle curve lifting the corner of his mouth.
Kensei would be quite busy from now on, with little energy left to focus on him… It seemed the first step of his plan could finally be taken.
He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, glanced towards the Central 46 chambers, symbolizing the Soul Society's highest judicial authority, and smiled mockingly.
A fragile cage might be able to confine an aging tiger…
But can it lock down a young, spirited dragon?