At the same time.
Fifth Division.
At his desk, Aizen held a brush, calmly writing characters.
Creak—
The wooden door behind him was pushed open.
A ray of sunlight poured in.
Tōsen Kaname closed the door behind him.
A soundproofing barrier was cast.
Then, he knelt on the ground, hands on his knees.
His voice was slow: "Lord Aizen, the plan is proceeding smoothly."
"Tsugikuni Yoriichi has already entered the game; he won't be able to interfere with us for the next ten years."
Aizen did not speak, continuing to write.
The room was silent.
Only when a page was finished did he slowly put down his brush.
Without turning around, his refined voice echoed through the room.
"Kaname, you are mistaken."
"Our plan was not successful."
"Yamamoto Genryusai still values him, and the Five Great Noble Families still value him."
"The hypnosis on the Forty-Six Chambers did not achieve the desired effect."
"Exiling him to Hueco Mundo..."
"This is meaningless."
The original plan was to use Kaneda Takeshi's death to imprison Tsugikuni Yoriichi, thereby cutting off the influence of uncontrollable external factors on himself.
The Hōgyoku experiment was at a critical juncture.
If the probability of success decreased due to the appearance of one or two Shinigami, Aizen would not have wasted a hundred years researching the Hōgyoku.
Silently suppressing him and making him disappear was the best course of action.
However...
The plan failed.
After a review, Aizen realised that he had underestimated Tsugikuni Yoriichi's moral compass.
If an ordinary Shinigami killed a colleague, their first thought would surely not be to inform others, but to conceal the truth.
After all, it concerned their future.
Even some Shinigami with a sense of justice would hesitate slightly at the moment of action.
After killing someone, they would then have thoughts such as whether to surrender or to flee...
Hesitation—is a human instinct.
And these were precisely the keys to the plan's success.
If Tsugikuni Yoriichi had shown even a hint of hesitation, Yamamoto Genryusai, given his personality, would have thrown him into prison to await judgment.
Once in prison, it would have been Aizen's territory.
Using Kyōka Suigetsu, he could manipulate the Forty-Six Chambers' verdict and control everything about the opponent without even moving a finger.
This was his calculation.
The details were also perfect.
Theoretically, Tsugikuni Yoriichi had no way to escape conviction.
The result...
Something unexpected happened after he killed Kaneda Takeshi.
Not only did Tsugikuni Yoriichi not conceal the truth, but he even got ahead of him, gathered the captains, and firmly insisted that he was the murderer...
His attitude was so resolute that the Forty-Six Chambers had no room to intervene.
This sudden change caused Aizen's entire plan to collapse.
Because it went against human nature.
It went against common sense.
It was like a person who is hungry needing to eat, but the food is poisoned.
He, however, simply ignored it and resisted hunger with sleep...
This led to the fact that after Tsugikuni Yoriichi decisively confessed, regardless of whether Kaneda Takeshi had become a Hollow, Yamamoto Genryusai would label him as someone who dared to take responsibility and valued loyalty.
With this naturally good impression, plus the assistance of other nobles...
Even if Yamamoto Genryusai's judgment was severe, he would consider their thoughts.
—It was a miscalculation after all.
A ripple appeared in Aizen's calm eyes.
Picking up the inkstone, he silently ground the ink.
Instantly, a soft rustling sound echoed through the room.
Tōsen Kaname knelt behind Aizen.
Hearing these words, he suddenly felt the atmosphere around him change slightly.
After a while, Aizen's voice continued unhurriedly:
"Although it didn't succeed, it didn't fail either."
"It was merely a plan I devised on a whim."
"Although Kaneda is dead, he still left us a valuable set of data..."
"A Shinigami whose moral compass rivals Yamamoto Genryusai's, and whose talent is similar to his..."
"Interesting."
"This child, perhaps, could become an arrow piercing Yamamoto's heart; let's observe him for now."
"We'll talk when he returns from Hueco Mundo."
"Before then, there's no need to pay him any more attention."
Rustle...
The sound of grinding ink abruptly stopped.
Aizen slowly turned his head.
His eyes reflected Tōsen Kaname, head bowed, listening silently.
The light around them flickered slightly with the breeze.
He nodded slightly:
"Also, don't forget the cleanup work for this plan..."
"Yamamoto Genryusai won't give up easily."
"Although I believe I won't be discovered, there are always some loose ends in the world..."
"Kaname, you should know who I'm referring to."
"He is the only breakthrough."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Tōsen Kaname responded decisively, lowering his head, his words clear and firm: "Yes!"
"I will dispose of him immediately and ensure not a single piece of evidence is left!"
"Very good." Aizen smiled warmly, his gentle eyes making his demeanour even more refined, yet also revealing a hint of transcendence from the mundane.
A strand of brown hair on his forehead swayed in the wind as he nodded: "Go on and be busy."
"I hope to hear good news within three months."
As his voice fell, Tōsen Kaname slowly raised his head.
His pale eyes faintly gleamed with resolute light.
Click—
After he turned and left, whoosh—a gust of wind swept through the room.
The curtain by the window was lifted.
The air returned to an eerie silence.
...
"Damn it!"
"Why is there a Tenth Division Shinigami in my Eleventh Division?"
Out in the suburbs, Gojoshibe Kenpachi glared at the red-haired figure before him, complaining incessantly.
His gaze swept over the other's indifferent eyes, and a feeling of being disdained inexplicably surged within him.
He was the captain of the Eleventh Division!
Normally, who didn't treat him with utmost respect?
But this suddenly appearing Shinigami showed no trace of nervousness, no fear, no apprehension in his eyes.
There was no emotion at all.
One must know, ahead was Hueco Mundo!
Your calmness makes me, the captain, look stupid...
What was that old man Yamamoto thinking?
Gojoshibe Kenpachi was extremely vexed.
He even started to feel that he was nothing special.
He had intended to stall for time, but ultimately, under the watchful eyes of the Second Division's Correctional Force, he was forced to lead his team into Hueco Mundo.
Yoriichi followed behind, sword in hand.
Due to the quiet nature of the departure, no friends came to see him off; only Rukia watched silently from a distance.
A bleak wind brushed against her cheeks, and a gripping pain inexplicably surged in Rukia's chest.
Yoruichi Shihouin, beside her, keenly noticed this and let out a soft click of her tongue.
Yoruichi wore a black battle suit, which stood out conspicuously in the boundless wilderness.
She half-squatted, placing a hand on Rukia's shoulder, a bright smile on her face.
Gently rubbing Rukia's slightly delicate cheek, Yoruichi said playfully:
"Don't worry, little Rukia."
"With his strength, as long as he doesn't encounter multiple Vasto Lorde in Hueco Mundo, he generally won't be in danger."
"Perhaps when he returns, our two families can become relatives."
"What do you think of the name Shihouin Rukia?"