Ichigo's life underwent drastic changes, and Ethan, out of boredom, watched the entire process unfold.
Although Ichigo's early battles were not particularly impressive and there were many moments that left him speechless, Ethan had no intention of revealing himself to guide him for now. Any teaching would have to wait.
"You two really are fated to meet."
"…"
Besides Isshin, who was secretly observing as Ichigo's father, there was another familiar figure this time, Ryuken, who had grown more mature and cultivated the ability to maintain a calm expression no matter the situation.
Watching these two children, who had a complicated history, compete in Karakura Town to see who could hunt more Hollows, Ethan's evaluation was simple. Uryuu really was a brat.
"You are quite a failure as a father."
"…"
Facing Ethan, Ryuken always felt an inexplicable pressure, even though Ethan had never displayed anything particularly intimidating in front of him.
"I never wanted him to become a Quincy…"
As a pure-blood Quincy family, by the time the lineage reached Uryuu, it was no longer entirely pure. After losing Masaki, Ryuken did not follow his mother's wishes to marry another pure-blood Quincy. Instead, he chose Katagiri Kanae, who had grown up with him, and they had Uryuu.
By choosing a wife whose Quincy blood was less pure, Ryuken had already decided that the Quincy line should end with him. He never intended for Uryuu to inherit Quincy powers, which was why he never taught him.
Furthermore, because of Yhwach, almost all mixed-blood Quincies lost their powers. Although Kanae, like Masaki, did not die as she had in the original course of events, she also lost her powers and could not train her son into a proper Quincy.
Besides, she always respected Ryuken's decisions. Since he had made up his mind, she did not object.
Unexpectedly, Uryuu still walked the path of a Quincy. He learned various Quincy techniques from his grandfather and believed he was the last remaining Quincy, completely unaware of his father's situation.
"How interesting. Two fathers who did not want their sons to follow in their footsteps made what they thought were the right choices, only to find that after going in circles, their sons still walked the same paths."
Although they stood far away, the three of them had sharp spiritual perception. Just from the fluctuations of spiritual pressure, they could roughly judge the situation of the battle in the distance. The two young men were fighting fiercely, and this competition had already deviated from Uryuu's original script.
Aizen, and likely Kisuke as well, had intervened. This competition was clearly aimed at Ichigo. Uryuu was only an addition.
"Do you know, if I were the Soul Reaper responsible for this area, the first thing I would do after resolving the Hollow crisis would be to kill Uryuu."
Uryuu's actions this time completely clashed with Ethan's values. Although Ethan would not rush over and kill him, it was difficult for him to maintain any good impression of the boy.
Ryuken, who had been standing calmly, suddenly felt immense pressure. He could sense that Ethan was serious.
"Now it is no longer just a matter of whether you want your son to inherit Quincy powers. If he continues acting like this, I cannot guarantee I will not do something to him next time I see him."
"…"
After being unexpectedly lectured, Ryuken had already decided to go home and properly scold his son. Isshin, on the other hand, chose to remain silent and focused only on the battle that was nearing its conclusion.
The appearance of a Gillian caused Rukia to panic briefly, but Ichigo once again displayed astonishing potential and directly cut down the Gillian.
"Speaking of which, that Gillian was rather weak."
"Yes, but thinking about it, that is probably normal."
Aizen wanted to test how far Ichigo could evolve and verify his theories. Meanwhile, Kisuke wanted to train him, so the strength of the enemy had to be controlled. If a monster that was too strong was released and crushed Ichigo instead of helping him grow, that would be absurd.
As usual, the aftermath was handled by Kisuke. After Ichigo and the others left, Ethan also parted ways with Isshin and the rest. He then stood at a street corner, quietly waiting for Kisuke to pass by.
"Oh my? Are you waiting for me?"
"Yes."
"Ah, the freeloader is here again."
"…"
Ethan had always stayed at the shop, but because he was so elusive, it gave the impression that he only visited occasionally. As a result, the two new shop assistants, Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsumugiya, thought he was merely a friend of the manager.
Jinta, the little brat who loved giving nicknames, always called him the freeloader. Every time, he received proper punishment, a firm fist to the head.
After disciplining the brat, Ethan struck a pose like those mysterious anime characters who stand at street corners discussing profound topics.
"How about we go back to the shop to talk? It looks like it might rain."
"…"
Ethan was not worried about catching a cold, but getting drenched was still uncomfortable. It was far more pleasant to sit by the heater in the shop, eat snacks, and drink beverages.
"Although discussing this topic in this atmosphere feels a bit strange, it does not matter."
Kisuke played with his folding fan, occasionally covering half his face as he watched Ethan fill the table with snacks. He even opened a bag of dried fish and set it aside.
"I think it is fine."
"Tell me what you think."
A black cat suddenly appeared from nowhere, jumped onto the table, and began eating potato chips. It even grabbed a bottle of beer, tilted its head back, and drank half of it.
"You are so focused on Ichigo. Do you have some plan?"
Behind Ichigo's growth, besides Aizen hidden in Soul Society, Kisuke's influence could be seen everywhere.
Was Kisuke being used by Aizen? No matter how one looked at it, it seemed more like the two were engaged in a confrontation.
Now, Kisuke possessed far more information than in the original timeline. He also knew that Ethan's current strength was unfathomable. Did he still need to cultivate Ichigo?
"This is not really a plan. I am simply responding to the situation."
Since Aizen was watching Ichigo, Kisuke, wary of Aizen, began watching him as well.
Rukia was injured and required a Gigai to recover. Kisuke might have thought it was an excellent opportunity to hide the Hogyoku, but with some thought, he would realize that Aizen's influence was behind everything.
At the same time, he saw an opportunity, a chance to expose Aizen's true identity.
"Since Aizen wants to proceed this way, I will arrange things according to his plan, just accelerating the process slightly."
No matter how intelligent someone is, when events unfold according to a predetermined direction, they will not dwell on minor details. What Kisuke wanted was for Aizen to achieve his goal. As long as the plan continued forward, Aizen would have to act more.
The more he acted, the more mistakes he would make. A rapidly advancing plan would not give him time to correct earlier flaws. When enough flaws accumulated, could he still perfectly conceal himself?
"So you want Aizen to reveal himself?"
Ethan thought for a moment. Although in the original timeline Aizen claimed everything proceeded according to his design, who could say that events were not also moving according to Kisuke's calculations?
In any case, after Ichigo broke into Soul Society, Aizen quickly revealed his true objective. He no longer felt the need to hide. Kisuke proved his innocence and exposed the conspiracy that had been shrouded in layers of deception to the entire Gotei 13.
Once a conspiracy is dragged into the light, the next step is simple, a direct confrontation of strength.
Although Aizen's power was immense and nearly impossible to resist, facing him openly was better than allowing such a terrifying figure to remain hidden in the shadows. Moreover, Kisuke did not merely reveal the truth and stop there.
Aizen's eventual defeat seemed to prove that Kisuke's preparations were highly targeted, though Ichigo's explosive growth also played a major role.
"In short, as long as Ichigo's growth is accelerated and Aizen's plan is continuously pushed forward, then…"
Kisuke finally put away his usual playful smile. At this moment, he carried the dignity of a former Twelfth Division captain.
Unfortunately, the two people opposite him showed no reaction. The black cat, having drunk too much, lay on the table belly up, grabbing whatever snacks it could reach.
Ethan acted as if he had heard nothing, staring at the television and constantly pressing the remote.
"Is there nothing more interesting to watch?"
"…"
He turned to Kisuke and saw him looking slightly deflated. Ethan casually tossed the remote aside.
"Anyway, everything is going smoothly so far, right?"
"Yes."
"Then I will just continue watching."
"Has Mr. Ethan not been bored lately?" Kisuke asked, clearly hoping he would not remain a mere spectator. "Ichigo is a very promising young man."
Ethan looked at him speechlessly as Kisuke once again wore his sly merchant smile.
"Oh my, after all, that is your vice-captain's son."
(To be continued.)