Now, as Uehara Shiroha watched with detached amusement, the "little apple" had finally ripened to perfection. Aizen, playing the role of a diligent "fruit farmer," had begun to swing his metaphorical sickle, harvesting the power he so desperately needed for his own evolution.
This evolutionary process unfolded with crystal clarity before Shiroha's enhanced perception, every nuance visible through his observation Haki. The methodology struck him as undeniably clever—perfectly aligned with Aizen's character as the consummate strategist and intellectual.
For hundreds of years, the masterful manipulator had planned with painstaking precision, gathering resources from across the spiritual realms to forcibly pioneer a pathway of evolution that no Shinigami had ever attempted. Even by Aizen's exacting standards—a man who pursued perfection in all things—this evolutionary approach was both elegant and feasible, a testament to his brilliance.
Yet Shiroha recognized a fundamental truth that Aizen, in his hubris, had overlooked: sometimes excessive complexity and perfection become liabilities rather than assets. Power that appears flawless on the surface often harbors catastrophic weaknesses beneath.
This reality remained invisible to Aizen in his current state. Through his observation Haki, Uehara Shiroha could clearly perceive what the self-proclaimed transcendent could not—that Aizen had already begun to drift from his moorings, his legendary self-control fracturing under the influence of the Hōgyoku.
The pursuit of perfection beyond established limits carried an inevitable cost: the gradual erosion of rationality itself. Evolution that transcended natural boundaries would invariably burn away the original framework of consciousness—a price that such radical transformation demanded.
Shiroha recalled how, in the original timeline, Aizen had personally executed Tōsen Kaname—not out of necessity or betrayal, but simply to sever ties with his past and with the Shinigami identity he was abandoning. For the creation of a truly new self, everything old and familiar had to be discarded without sentiment or hesitation.
This ruthless shedding of the past was, in some ways, perfectly logical. New power demanded new vessels, unencumbered by outdated limitations. But what price would Aizen ultimately pay for this transformation? What essential aspects of himself would be sacrificed upon the altar of transcendence?
While contemplating these questions, Uehara Shiroha casually tested the backdoor he had previously installed within the Hōgyoku's complex structure. Everything appeared to be functioning normally—Aizen remained oblivious to the subtle infiltration of his prized possession.
As expected, he hasn't noticed a thing, Shiroha thought with satisfaction. The hidden modification would only gradually manifest its effects after the Hōgyoku achieved perfect integration with its host.
Had Aizen maintained his previous state of hypervigilance and analytical clarity, there might have been a slight possibility he would discover the tampering. Even failing direct detection, the old Aizen's wisdom and paranoia would likely have led him to suspect interference and implement countermeasures.
But the current Aizen, intoxicated by imminent godhood, had abandoned his former caution. He was completely unprepared, having lost the absolute calm and perfect rationality that had defined him for centuries. This vulnerability represented just one of many prices he was unknowingly paying for his transformation.
Through the combined application of the Mind Gem and his enhanced version of Unlimited Blade Works, Uehara Shiroha had effectively placed the Hōgyoku under his indirect control. The original Unlimited Blade Works ability would have been insufficient to influence something as powerful and complex as the fused Hōgyoku, but Shiroha's abilities had evolved far beyond their original parameters.
After system enhancement, his Unlimited Blade Works had been elevated to EX classification—a supreme capability that transcended the baseline version from which it had been derived. Additionally, the relentless training regimen he had imposed upon hundreds of shadow clones, working day and night without respite, had dramatically improved his proficiency with the ability.
As a result, Shiroha's Unlimited Blade Works had expanded beyond merely controlling conventional weapons—it could now extend its influence to specific treasures and artifacts of great power. Meanwhile, the Hōgyoku's unique nature as a semi-sentient entity with its own will made it vulnerable to the influence of the Mind Gem, creating the perfect confluence of circumstances for Shiroha's plan.
Through the combined power of the Infinity Gem, meticulous advance preparation, and a measure of fortunate timing, Uehara Shiroha had managed to establish firm control over the complete Hōgyoku without directly claiming it. His reasons for not immediately asserting this control were multifaceted.
Primarily, he felt no urgent need to complete the special task and claim its associated rewards. The proficiency level of his EX-ranked Unlimited Blade Works had already reached the Great Perfection level—a plateau that proved resistant to further improvement despite the continuous practice of his shadow clone army.
Abilities at the highest tier seemed to follow different rules of development, making it exceptionally difficult to progress beyond certain thresholds of mastery. Nevertheless, even at its current level, this trump card made Shiroha confident that he could face even the most formidable transcendent beings without disadvantage.
With this capability in his arsenal, Uehara Shiroha's strategy emphasized steady progression—gradually improving his base attributes while methodically exploring the potential for life evolution at his own pace. Unlike Aizen, who rushed headlong toward godhood, Shiroha recognized the value of consolidating each level of power before advancing to the next.
His current challenge wasn't a lack of top-tier abilities, but rather a shortage of EX-class capabilities with perfect proficiency—or ideally, skills that transcended even the perfect level of mastery. While completing new special tasks and claiming their rewards would certainly enhance his overall strength and foundation, the immediate impact would be relatively minor compared to his existing capabilities.
Even with additional EX abilities, surpassing the effective combat potential of his Great Perfection level Unlimited Blade Works in the short term would prove challenging. In his current state, Uehara Shiroha assessed himself as roughly equivalent to a Yhwach with both of The Almighty's pupils activated—already possessing an absolute core ability and ultimate trump card that placed him at the pinnacle of the Bleach universe's power hierarchy.
His strategy was clear: by raising his mastery of Unlimited Blade Works to its absolute limit, he would achieve functional invincibility within this world. Additional rewards remained desirable but not critical to his immediate plans.
The situation paralleled Aizen's own choices after merging with the Hōgyoku. Though the transformed Shinigami had gained the ability to absorb other souls to enhance himself—a defining characteristic of Hollows—he disdained the idea of consuming the relatively paltry power of the Espada or Gotei 13 captains, focusing exclusively on Ichigo Kurosaki as a worthy source.
This selectivity stemmed from a simple calculation: even as the Primera Espada, Aizen already possessed more raw power than all ten Espada combined. Absorbing these "ants" would yield no qualitative improvement to his capabilities, merely adding negligible quantities to an already vast reservoir.
Uehara Shiroha operated under similar principles. The accumulation of standard task rewards represented mere "icing on the cake" for someone at his level. An additional S-rank or even SR-rank ability could not meaningfully improve his combat effectiveness at this stage of development.
What truly mattered were legendary-tier abilities and artifacts—and more specifically, top-level capabilities with extraordinarily high proficiency ratings. He had reached the point where consolidating his foundation and refining his core abilities yielded greater returns than accumulating miscellaneous task rewards.
With this strategic clarity, Shiroha had committed to patience—methodically pursuing the complete Hōgyoku acquisition task to achieve maximum completion and optimize the benefits it would eventually yield. Additionally, he recognized that unlocking the Hōgyoku's full potential, merging with it, and awakening its complete power would represent a major undertaking requiring careful preparation and timing.
Unlike Aizen, who rushed toward transcendence with reckless abandon, Shiroha would move with calculated precision, ensuring that each step in his evolution remained firmly under his control.