"Don't let your hot blood rush to your head like that. On my side, I can help train you at any time. Beneath the captain's office is my laboratory. That place can temporarily be used for your training," Aizen smiled, but then shook his head again.
"However, are you not planning to take part in tonight's events at all? Over on Rosse's side, they won't let slip an opportunity to target Inoue Orihime."
"I'm going. Of course I'm going tonight. But I'll try my best not to expose myself. Inoue did save Captain-Commander Yamamoto after all. He's safer in the Eighth Division than by my side. I'll do my best to stop them," Kurosaki Ichigo grinned.
He had already thought it through.
Since Shihoin Yoruichi wanted him to enter the game at this moment, he would deliberately not enter at this moment.
As long as he was careful not to show himself, Inoue Orihime would actually be even safer.
After all, whether it was Rukia or Inoue Orihime, they were both pieces aimed at him and Aizen. The key was to make him cause a disturbance.
To save people, he would cause a disturbance, but that definitely wouldn't be now.
This time, the enemy was in the open and he was in the dark. He was going to fight this well-prepared battle properly.
"As long as you're clear on that, it's fine. Take this," Aizen nodded in satisfaction, and at the same time took out a Hollow mask from his robes and handed it to Kurosaki Ichigo.
"What's this? A Hollow mask? The pattern's kind of nice," Kurosaki Ichigo took it curiously and looked it over.
"Do you remember when you trained for Bankai several times, after it ended, you asked why the training space was a complete mess?", Aizen said with a smile.
"Huh? That was really my doing? I was fighting my Zanpakuto in there. I had no idea what was happening outside. Those bastards ganged up three-on-one. I got beaten up badly every time," Kurosaki Ichigo muttered in dissatisfaction.
If he only had one kind of power inside him, he would have already succeeded in achieving Bankai.
But to train Bankai, one had to conquer their own Zanpakuto.
And every time his Zanpakuto manifested, there was one representative for each of his three powers. He had to defeat all three to truly achieve Bankai, which undoubtedly increased the difficulty.
Of course, he also knew that what he had just said was said out of frustration.
After all, if he really only had one kind of power, he wouldn't deserve to step into the threshold of Bankai so quickly either.
"This mask is the thing that appeared on your face at that time. I've researched it. Inside it is contained your original Hollow power," Aizen nodded lightly.
"Sensei, you know I don't understand all these messy concepts. Just tell me how to use it."
Hearing that this was a mask generated from his own face, for some reason, the way Kurosaki Ichigo looked at the mask in his hand became much more familiar and pleasing.
"Put it on your face and you'll undergo Hollowfication. But remember, without special training, you absolutely cannot wear it for too long, or there's a risk of losing consciousness," Aizen said in a serious voice.
"So it's a tool that can make me lose control but greatly boost my strength. Got it. Aizen-sensei, thanks!"
The corner of Kurosaki Ichigo's mouth lifted slightly as he strode toward the door.
The time was almost up. He should head back to Rukongai. If Yoruichi discovered that he had gone missing, that wouldn't be good.
"Between you and me, why say such things. I can promise you that in this incident, you will be the main focus. But once you are in danger, even if I have to give up the position of Fifth Division captain, I will step in to protect you. Ichigo, this is my promise to you," Facing Kurosaki Ichigo's departing back, Aizen solemnly made his promise.
"I know. Don't worry. There won't be a time when I need Sensei's help. Sensei, trust me!"
Just before taking the final step out the door, Kurosaki Ichigo stopped. He had no intention of turning around, only raising his right hand and giving a thumbs-up.
After doing that, he opened the door to the captain's office and vanished in an instant.
After meeting Aizen, his convictions only became firmer.
With his teacher supporting him from behind, what was there left for him to be afraid of?
And only after Kurosaki Ichigo had completely left did Aizen's eyes cool down faintly.
To be honest, regarding his feelings toward Kurosaki Ichigo, how much was real and how much was fake, even he himself couldn't tell.
Kurosaki Ichigo was undoubtedly a true genius, an unreasonable existence that heaven chased after to feed.
The other party's growth speed far surpassed his own talent.
It was just a pity that Kurosaki Ichigo, perhaps due to his age, or perhaps because he had been influenced since childhood by the foolish environment of his family, did not possess the quality called ambition.
This made Aizen feel both relieved and somewhat regretful.
Relieved that Kurosaki Ichigo was already firmly in his grasp, and that no matter what happened, it was impossible for him to betray him.
Regretful that without ambition, no matter how strong his talent was, Kurosaki Ichigo could only be an executor. He would never become a player outside the chessboard, and would never be able to be his companion on the same path.
Within the entire three realms, the only existence qualified to be his companion was indeed Rosse.
Aizen knew clearly in his heart that although he was confident he was not inferior to Rosse, as he himself continued to grow, Rosse would certainly be growing as well.
And the Rosse's talent was not inferior to his. Even if time continued to move forward, even if he gained an extra hundred years, Rosse would also gain a hundred years. The gap between the two would not necessarily shrink.
Confidence was confidence. Reality was reality.
If he truly ended up defeated in the end, perhaps he would let Kurosaki Ichigo inherit everything of his, and launch the final charge against Rosse.
'Kurosaki Ichigo, can you do it?'
'With the favor of fate upon you, can you, in the end, surpass me who abandoned everything to become strong?'
Aizen didn't know the answer, but he would wait and see.
———
One hour later, the sky was about to grow dim.
Kurosaki Ichigo, who had been waiting to the point of impatience, finally waited for Yoruichi's return in a civilian house in Rukongai.
This time, when Yoruichi reappeared, he could clearly see that the black cat she was disguising herself as was limping a bit.
Although nothing was said on the surface, Kurosaki Ichigo was already feeling disdain in his heart.
'Weak.'
'Too weak.'
It had only been a few hours. Even if that Rosse was strong in battle, it shouldn't have been enough to beat a captain-level fighter to the point of not being able to walk.
In his mind, Yoruichi had completely become the representative of someone who was weak yet loved to play around.
Of course, in essence, she was his enemy. This point would never change, and he would firmly remember it.
"Mr. Yoruichi, I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Kurosaki Ichigo said somewhat impatiently, perfectly fitting a teenager's temperament.
"Ah! Ah! Sorry! Sorry!"
Black cat Yoruichi offered a perfunctory apology, her gaze drifting, very clearly still savoring what had just happened.
After personally experiencing it once, she did indeed find that kind of thing not that frightening, and even somewhat refreshingly pleasant from head to toe.
If it weren't for the fact that there were still matters to deal with on Rosse's side tonight, she would have wanted to play all night.
But it was precisely because there were matters on Rosse's side that she had heard a major piece of news.
"However, I found out an important piece of information related to you!"
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