That evening, Sora returned with a pile of ingredients. To celebrate his two new disciples, he cooked a grand feast.
"I wish the professor could get new disciples every day!" Kana Azashiro's cheeks were puffed out like a hamster hoarding food.
After tasting the food, her little brother Sōya's eyes lit up. He finally understood why his sister rarely came home for dinner anymore after she started coming to the dojo.
Although he wasn't a glutton, he could recognize this as a rare delicacy.
"The professor's cooking is even better than the master chefs who prepare banquets!" Sōya exclaimed.
Aizen Sōsuke watched this harmonious scene with complex feelings. After a day of conversation, he had gathered a lot of information and understood that there were no dark conspiracies here.
It was just a legitimate swordsmanship dojo.
The students' freedom was not restricted; they went to school and went home as they pleased, though a few of them lived at the dojo regularly.
Having cleared up the situation, Aizen was no longer in a hurry to leave.
His original plan was to find a higher-ranking district to develop steadily for a while anyway. His Spiritual Pressure was growing quickly and required a lot of food to sustain his body, which was only available in more prosperous areas.
This place seemed peaceful and resource-rich. Moreover, the teaching staff was excellent, with a First Generation Captain in residence. It was a perfect place to grow.
Just then, Sora received a notification.
[Aizen Sōsuke's affinity level has increased. Current affinity level is Cold.]
The Affinity Level needed to reach Friendly before he could receive feedback from a disciple. "Cold" was a level between "Hostile" and "Stranger." If he hadn't recruited Aizen, Sora wouldn't have even known this level existed.
Sora's heart settled. It seemed Aizen had given up the idea of leaving. It was the right move to bring him to the dojo first; his affinity could be raised later.
"Sōsuke, are you getting used to it here?" Sora said. "My apologies. I was in a hurry to get to the academy this morning and didn't have time to show you around properly."
"It's very nice here. Everyone is very kind and has patiently answered my questions. Shinji even taught me some sword stances," Aizen said with a faint smile.
"That's good. If you need anything, just let me know," Sora said with a smile. "Since you're not an academy student and don't have a place to stay in the Fugai districts, you can live here at the dojo. We don't have many people, so there are plenty of spare rooms."
"Thank you so much. I am very fortunate to have met you, professor."
"I hope you'll feel at home. We'll start your swordsmanship training tomorrow. Is there anything else you'd like to learn?"
"I will learn whatever the professor thinks I should learn. My knowledge is limited; I believe the professor's judgment is the most correct."
"Then let's learn all four arts: Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kidō. We'll build a solid foundation in everything before you go to the academy."
A few days later, Sora still hadn't found the location where the Kasumiōji family was forging the Bakutō via his monitoring points.
This type of "monitoring point" had limitations. It was a fixed observation point that couldn't be moved remotely, and its duration depended on the amount of Spiritual Pressure invested.
The Kasumiōji family members always moved in stealth cloaks when conducting such secret activities. To find them, he'd need to have a monitor placed exactly where they chose to reveal themselves.
However, the Soul Society was too large, and the locations he could place monitors were limited. Not all areas had shadows, and with his current Spiritual Pressure, he couldn't cover every shadowy corner.
"Sōsuke, back when you were in Inuzuri, did you hear about anything unusual? Like souls going missing?" Sora asked, watching Aizen swing his wooden sword. He thought that with his keen observation skills, Aizen might know something.
"Professor, in a place like Inuzuri, disappearances and deaths happen every day," Aizen said, stopping his practice. "You weren't actually looking for me that night, were you? You were there for something else."
"You found me out," Sora laughed. "You looked so nervous, I just played along and couldn't resist teasing you a bit."
"..." Aizen was a little helpless. This professor had a wicked sense of humor. He felt as though he had been fighting a battle of wits with himself that night.
"Under the circumstances, it was understandable to be nervous," Sora continued. "But from your actions, it seemed you were trying to leave Inuzuri, and you even altered your appearance before coming down the mountain."
Aizen thought for a moment and decided to tell him about the "divine sword." It would be a good way to test his new Professor's attitude towards such things.
The reason he could navigate the most dangerous districts of Rukongai was because he paid great attention to the intelligence around him. Sometimes, seemingly insignificant information was the key to solving a problem.
He stared into Sora's eyes and said, "I was indeed preparing to leave Inuzuri. It's too difficult to get food there."
"However, if we're talking about unusual events... I did encounter one just before I left."
"I know someone who gained the favor of a certain 'great lord' and was given a 'divine sword'."
"But while this sword could increase one's strength, it also needed to be fed with its wielder's own blood and Spiritual Pressure."
Sora's heart stirred. The "divine sword" Aizen described sounded exactly like a Bakutō.
It was highly likely that the Kasumiōji family was finding souls with spiritual aptitude to feed their weapons!
"You are very sharp," Sora praised him. "That 'divine sword' is most likely not a good thing. Choosing to avoid it was a wise decision."
He now understood that Aizen had been trying to flee that situation. "This information is very important. I want to go and confirm this matter. Sōsuke, can you lead the way?"
"Of course."
Night, Inuzuri District—
Katori Sora followed Aizen Sōsuke back to his former residence.
"Professor, someone has been here since I left," Aizen said, inspecting the door and window.
Before he had left, he had tied a single hair to both the door and the window. If someone had come in without noticing, the hair would have been broken.
But the hairs were currently intact.
His judgment that someone had entered was not based on the hairs, but on another reason entirely.
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