[Fifth Division, Captain's Office]
Under the soft light, that man was sitting upright at his desk.
Sosuke Aizen wore that signature gentle smile on his face. While smoothly reviewing the mountain of documents piled up before him, he patiently gave quiet instructions to his vice-captain beside him, Hinamori Momo.
Watching this warm and harmonious scene, Kurosaki Ichigo, hidden in the corner, could not help but let out a faint, strange smile at the corner of his lips.
He remembered it clearly. During the special training under Aizen, his teacher had deliberately mentioned this vice-captain.
According to Aizen, she was a young girl who held an almost blind admiration for him.
But in truth, at that moment Ichigo had keenly sensed that his teacher did not actually enjoy that kind of admiration as much as he appeared to. There was even a trace of distance hidden beneath it.
The reason was simple, just like the sentence Aizen had once told him: Admiration is the furthest distance from understanding.
Blind admiration only turns the other person into a myth, piling on all kinds of perfect filters that do not even exist, and in the end, the two drift further and further apart on a spiritual level, unable to truly understand each other.
That feeling, Kurosaki Ichigo understood very well. You could even say he had lived through it himself.
Back when he was in high school in Karakura Town, he had been troubled by it.
Because of that "cool delinquent" look and his constant full-score ranking, he had a group of extremely fanatical girls at school.
Those girls had no idea what kind of person he really was. They did not know what he liked or disliked. They did not even know why he got into fights. They simply blindly praised him as a perfect idol.
Being placed on a pedestal and showered with fake compliments felt exhausting and irritating.
In his view, even though Aizen was smiling right now, the thoughts in his heart were probably not much different from how he had felt back then.
It was not that Hinamori Momo was bad. It was just that goodness built out of admiration felt too unreal, too hollow.
Ichigo knew very clearly that Aizen was not as flawless as he appeared on the surface. That man had ambition, had methods, and even had a side hidden in the dark that others did not know about.
But he was just as certain that the feelings and expectations Aizen had for him were real.
That man had even told him about something as secret as the Hogyoku without holding anything back, placing all his trust on him.
Since that was the case, as a man, what reason did he have not to fight for his teacher?
Before coming to Soul Society, his goal had been simple: Save Inoue and Rukia.
After coming to Soul Society and witnessing the darkness and complexity here, his goal gained one more heavy mission.
Help Aizen achieve his objective.
As for Urahara Kisuke, Shihoin Yoruichi… Even if they were not lackeys of the Royal Palace, they were destined to stand on the opposite side of him.
At this moment, that belief in Ichigo's heart had become absolutely firm.
Defeat everyone standing in the way between him and Aizen.
That was something he, Kurosaki Ichigo, would definitely accomplish!
Time passed second by second.
Ichigo simply stood quietly in the corner, watching Aizen and Hinamori interact.
He knew very well that with Aizen's unfathomable strength, he must have already noticed his arrival.
Since his teacher did not immediately send Hinamori away or expose his presence, there had to be a deeper reason.
All he needed to do was wait patiently.
.
.
.
And that wait lasted a full two hours.
Until late into the night, Ichigo did not show a trace of impatience.
Even though he was anxious about the situation outside, Aizen's long-term guidance had finally taught him how to stay calm.
In fact, he had already vaguely guessed why Aizen was deliberately leaving him there.
It was a silent punishment for his reckless behavior yesterday.
Clearly, Aizen did not approve of his decision to charge straight at Rosse head-on without thinking.
But instead of scolding him directly, he chose this silent method to make him reflect on the importance of patience and strategy.
On this point, Ichigo understood, but did not completely agree.
Some things, some lines you cannot cross, are above life itself.
Faced with the humiliation from Rosse and the miserable state of his companions, if he could still swallow his anger for the so-called bigger picture, then he would not be Kurosaki Ichigo.
He knew it had been foolish. There had been no chance of winning. It might even have ruined everything.
But if he had to do it again, he would still put on the mask.
On this matter, Ichigo did not think he was wrong. But he also did not think Aizen was wrong.
There was no contradiction.
Aizen advising him to learn restraint and patience came from a teacher's care. He wanted him to grow more mature, to one day stand on his own.
Ichigo accepted that kindness and was willing to learn humbly.
But just as he insisted, everyone has their own path.
He did not agree with absolute rational restraint, but that did not stop him from respecting the one who guided him.
Finally, along with a light "Good night, Captain Aizen," the long-waiting Kurosaki Ichigo saw Hinamori Momo leave with a blissful smile, hugging a stack of documents in her arms, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.
In the large captain's office, only Aizen remained.
Seeing this, Ichigo, whose nerves had been tight all along, felt his whole body tense as he prepared to take off the concealment cloak and reveal himself.
However, just as he was about to step forward, Aizen, who had been lowering his head to tidy the desk, suddenly lifted it. His eyes casually swept toward the corner where Ichigo was hiding, and he gave an extremely subtle signal with his gaze.
That look was faint, yet filled with layered meaning.
Thanks to the tacit understanding built during their previous training, Ichigo instantly grasped its message.
He immediately pulled back his step, held his breath, and silently moved a few steps deeper into the shadows, suppressing his spiritual pressure to the absolute limit.
Almost the very next second after he hid himself—
Creak!
The door was pushed open again. A tall figure draped in a white haori stepped in, carrying the chill of the night.
The moment he saw who it was, Kurosaki Ichigo's pupils shrank sharply, his brows knitting tightly together.
This captain, he knew.
You could even say the impression was carved into his bones.
'But why him?'
'Kuchiki Byakuya?'
This captain who had just been rumored to have led the extermination of the Shihoin family, who was said to be on very close terms with Rosse, why would he quietly visit the Fifth Division alone at such a sensitive hour of the night?
'Has he discovered something? Or does he have another purpose?'
Just as Ichigo's thoughts churned wildly, trying to guess his intent, Aizen, seated behind the desk, set down the brush in his hand.
He adjusted the black-rimmed glasses on his nose. The gentle smile on his face did not falter in the slightest as he calmly asked the very question hidden in Ichigo's heart, "Captain Kuchiki, visiting so suddenly at this late hour without prior notice, may I ask what brings you here?"
"Disturbing Captain Aizen's rest late at night is indeed presumptuous."
Kuchiki Byakuya stood in the center of the room, his face as expressionless as an iceberg that had never melted in ten thousand years.
He did not exchange pleasantries or small talk. Instead, he looked directly into Aizen's eyes and, in the calmest tone, threw out a question that would make any other Shinigami drop their jaw:
"My purpose is simple. I only wish to ask Captain Aizen one question in person."
He paused, his voice cold and firm, "In the coming turmoil, will you support Captain-Commander Yamamoto…"
"Or Captain Rosse?"
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