"Mmm..."
Isane groggily woke from her unconscious state.
"You're finally awake, Isane."
A gentle voice sounded from beside Isane.
"Captain Unohana!"
After waking up, Isane found herself lying on the gigantic flat creature that was Unohana's Zanpakuto, Minazuki, transformed, and Unohana was looking at her with concern.
Then Isane remembered that she had been taken down in one blow by the Ryoka earlier, and couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed, saying, "I..."
"Don't speak, Isane. Although the impact you received was the smallest, you shouldn't push yourself too hard either."
Unohana advised.
Then Unohana continued to direct Minazuki to fly towards the 4th Division.
"Descend, Minazuki."
Upon arriving at the 4th Division, Unohana controlled Minazuki to land from the sky.
"Are you alright, Captain Unohana! Lieutenant Kotetsu!"
Seeing the two return, members of the 4th Division gathered around.
"I'm fine."
Unohana replied, then looked at Minazuki and said, "Release them, Minazuki."
Hearing Unohana's command, Minazuki directly opened its large mouth and spat out two people. They were Sentaro and Kiyone, who had been injured by Sui-Feng.
However, the two were covered in Minazuki's mucus, looking utterly disgusting.
"Minazuki's internal organs should have healed their injuries, so you can take them both to the infirmary to rest for a while."
Unohana instructed the 4th Division's members.
Unohana's Zanpakuto, Minazuki, could transform into a gigantic flat creature, then swallow injured people into its stomach for treatment. Although this method looked disgusting, it was unexpectedly effective.
Well, Toshiro had also personally experienced this feeling back in the day.
"Such a strong Reiatsu. Is it the Ryoka fighting Captain Kuchiki?"
Isane said, looking towards the direction of the Sokyoku Hill.
"Yes, that's right. And the other Captains are also fighting their own battles..."
Unohana said with a serious expression: "Come with me, Isane. Now, I want to go somewhere..."
At the Seireitei, in the Seijotokyorin, standing atop a stone tower, Toshiro gazed into the distance towards the Sokyoku Hill.
"They've started fighting already? Then it's time for me to act too."
Toshiro murmured to himself.
Saying this, Toshiro leapt from the tower top, landed on the ground, and then, in a swaggering manner, walked towards the nearby location of the Central 46 Compound.
In front of the gate of the Central 46 Compound.
Looking at the tightly closed gate, Toshiro directly drew the Zanpakuto from his back.
Slash!
A flash of reflected light passed, and the gate was neatly cut in two.
"Heh, an opportunity like this, to openly cut down the gate of the Central 46 Compound, doesn't come often!"
Toshiro said with a scoff.
Then Toshiro strode boldly and openly inside.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!
Behind the main gate were numerous smaller doors, and as Toshiro passed, each small door actively opened, whether by design or due to Aizen's manipulation from the shadows.
But Toshiro, fearless due to his skill, walked inside without any qualms.
Central 46 Compound, Underground Assembly Hall.
"This is!"
Seeing the corpses strewn about in the Underground Assembly Hall, Toshiro couldn't help but show a look of 'shock'.
"Not a single survivor among the six judges and forty wise sages? And it looks like they've been dead for quite some time."
Toshiro carefully examined the scene, then began to demonstrate his acting skills, acting as if he had been completely unaware of the slaughter of Central 46.
At that moment, a figure suddenly flickered and vanished in another doorway.
"Who's there!"
Toshiro demanded.
Although the figure vanished in an instant, Toshiro still clearly saw it was Gin.
However, even knowing it was Gin, Toshiro still pursued.
In a spacious hall connected to the Underground Assembly Hall.
Aizen stood on a high platform, looking calmly at the pursuing Toshiro. Gin, who had lured Toshiro here, ascended the platform and stood behind Aizen.
Then Toshiro, with a face full of 'disbelief', looked at the two: "Ichimaru Gin and..."
"Hi, Toshiro."
Aizen waved with a smile, greeting Toshiro.
"Aizen... how can this be... Are you really Aizen?"
Toshiro asked in 'disbelief'.
"Of course. Haven't you seen it with your own eyes?"
Aizen waved his hand and asked in return.
"Aizen, weren't you dead? But why are you mixed up with Ichimaru Gin now?"
Toshiro questioned.
"Dead? How could I die? My ambitions haven't been realized yet, how could I possibly die?"
Aizen's eyes flashed with a sharp light.
"Ambitions?"
Toshiro glanced at Gin behind Aizen, then pretended to scratch his head in annoyance, saying: "I don't know the specifics... but it looks like you've colluded with Ichimaru Gin, and all the recent events in the Soul Society, the mastermind behind them is you."
"My, 'colluded' sounds so unpleasant, Toshiro-kun."
Aizen complained, as if chatting between friends.
"When did you conspire together?"
Toshiro asked.
"From the very beginning."
Aizen answered directly.
Toshiro continued asking: "Was that before you played dead, Aizen?"
"Didn't you understand, Toshiro-kun? I said from the very beginning."
"Ever since I became Captain, besides Gin, I never considered anyone else for my Lieutenant."
Aizen glanced 'affectionately' at Gin beside him.
Seeing this intense bromance scene, Toshiro couldn't help but shiver, covered in goosebumps.
"Hey!!! Aizen, not just me, but your subordinates, and all the Shinigami, have you been deceiving everyone all along?"
Toshiro suddenly asked.
"I don't actually like deceiving people. It's just that none of you could understand my true form."
Aizen said expressionlessly.
"Oh? Your true form? What is your true form like? And what were you like before? What exactly did you experience to become what you are today?"
Toshiro suddenly threw out a series of questions.
Honestly, Toshiro was very curious about what kind of person Aizen used to be, and what he experienced to become what he is today.
Thinking about how Aizen used to smile warmly as he helped others celebrate his birthday, how he used to enthusiastically guide students in calligraphy at the Shin'o Academy, how he used to enjoy teaching others about training problems in front of his squad members...
Toshiro really couldn't understand what was going on inside the mind of someone who spent his life deceiving everyone he met.
No one is born a villain… everyone is the protagonist of their own life.
Perhaps Aizen was once an innocent, kind ordinary person, and only after experiencing certain things did he become this ruthless person who stops at nothing to achieve his goals. Perhaps it was due to other reasons that Toshiro didn't know about...
Hearing Toshiro's words, Aizen couldn't help but pause for a moment, then a trace of recollection flashed in his eyes, and his expression became somewhat dazed.
Just as Toshiro's heart stirred, thinking whether to take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, Aizen snapped back to reality. His daze had lasted only an instant, offering Toshiro no chance to strike.
After a long silence, Aizen actively spoke to change the subject: "Let's not talk about that, Toshiro-kun. Let's discuss other matters."
"Your coming to the Central 46 Compound this time was entirely within my expectations. But although I guessed you would come here, it seems you arrived a bit earlier than I anticipated."
"Oh? You mean you had long guessed I would come here?"
Toshiro's eyes narrowed.
Aizen adjusted his glasses and then smiled: "That's right."