Aizen lay on the ground, staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
The pain in his arm served as a reminder that what had just happened was real.
Satoru had indeed mastered the Captain-Commander's fist technique.
Aizen had taken dozens of attempts before accidentally grasping the mechanics of this move, yet Satoru had replicated it effortlessly…
For the first time in his life, Aizen began to doubt himself.
…Am I actually just average in talent?
As he pondered life's mysteries, Satoru rushed over, fussing over him while helping him up.
"Ah, Sōsuke, you okay? Man, I thought your defense was solid—figured my punch wouldn't even budge you! Didn't expect you to go flying like that!"
Aizen: "…"
If only Satoru had toned down that grin even slightly, he might have pretended to believe him.
"Satoru… did you really just learn that move?" Aizen couldn't help but ask.
Satoru nodded. "I swear on the Captain-Commander's arm—just learned it."
Aizen pressed his lips together.
Though the oath was bizarre, he knew Satoru well enough—the guy wouldn't lie about something like this.
After all the help Satoru had given him these past days, Aizen felt he should find a way to repay him.
Originally, he had planned to research useful techniques while improving his own strength, then teach them to Satoru.
But now, it seemed this guy's comprehension was no less impressive than his own. The abilities he had spent so much time researching might have already been figured out by this guy long ago.
After some thought, Aizen concluded that if he wanted to repay Satoru, he might have to rely on the research he was currently conducting.
Silently making up his mind, he decided to accelerate the pace of his experiments. Even some of the more ethically questionable tests were now pushed onto the agenda.
Noticing Aizen's distracted expression, Satoru patted him on the shoulder.
"Sōsuke, are you really okay?"
"...I'm fine. Not dead yet."
Aizen echoed Satoru's earlier words in response.
Satoru grinned, then pressed further, "Check your body thoroughly. Make sure there aren't any hidden injuries."
Though Aizen saw no real need, he still followed the suggestion, circulating his Reiatsu through his body once.
"Don't worry. I've checked—nothing's wrong," he replied.
Only then did Satoru nod in satisfaction.
Watching him, Aizen frowned slightly.
Something felt off… as if this guy was scheming again.
He'd have to be more cautious around him from now on.
...
...
Leaving the dojo, Satoru sought out Kinoshita.
Kinoshita wasn't surprised by his visit.
Inside the teacher's dormitory, Kinoshita gestured for him to sit down.
Under Satoru's expectant gaze, he began, "A minor noble family affiliated with the Kuchiki clan was attacked today."
"Reportedly, their main duty was to protect Sōjun's safety at the Shin'ō Academy."
"The fact that they were targeted means someone has their sights set on Sōjun… For his safety, the Kuchiki family sent envoys to retrieve him."
"Satoru, you should be careful."
"Most students at the academy know you're close with Sōjun. Those targeting him might come after you next."
Hearing this, Satoru frowned slightly.
A few seconds later, he smacked his palm. "I've got an idea!"
"Huh?" Kinoshita blinked, unsure what Satoru was even referring to.
Under his bewildered stare, Satoru smirked. "Starting tomorrow, I'll spread the word that Sōjun Kuchiki is under the protection of his homeroom teacher."
"That way, no one will bother targeting me!"
Kinoshita: "???"
If he weren't currently outmatched by Satoru in combat, he'd have broken this bastard's legs right then and there!
...
Leaving the teacher's dormitory, Satoru closed one eye and activated the tracking Kidō he had secretly placed on Aizen earlier.
Back in the dojo, when he had gone to help Aizen up, he had seized the opportunity to attach the spell.
Later, when he asked Aizen to check his own condition, it was also to test whether he could detect the Kidō.
Fortunately, Yoruichi's expertise was reliable—despite directly attaching a Kidō to someone, it remained completely undetected.
While marveling at this, Satoru resolved to frequently inspect his own body in the future, ensuring no one had secretly planted anything strange on him.
In his vision, the small light representing Aizen remained stationary in the student dormitory.
Returning to check, he confirmed Aizen had indeed washed up and gone to bed.
The figure on the bed was the real deal—no Kidō substitute or any other trickery.
The next day was no different.
By the third day, Satoru couldn't help feeling a bit guilty as he set up the tracking Kidō spells.
With Aizen's ever-changing methods and sharp eyes, would he really remain undetected while casting tracking spells on him every day?
Fortunately, that night, Aizen finally made his move.
Around one in the morning, Aizen quietly got out of bed, pretending to go to the bathroom.
After reaching the door and confirming his roommates were asleep, he draped himself in a plain linen commoner's outfit and left the dorm.
Satoru waited about ten minutes after Aizen's departure before getting up.
From beneath his mattress, he pulled out a black cloak—a divine artifact borrowed from Yoruichi that could mask most of his spiritual pressure.
Combined with the concealment techniques he'd learned from Yoruichi and the spiritual pressure suppression methods he'd picked up from Aizen, he was practically invisible now.
Climbing over the dormitory wall, Satoru narrowed one eye, and a map unfolded across his vision.
A small dot of light was moving toward the outskirts of Rukongai.
Suddenly, he felt like Conan tracking someone with his glasses—the only thing missing was a solar-powered skateboard.
Following Aizen's path, he pursued him all the way to a small hill in South Rukongai.
From a distance, he could already sense violently clashing spiritual pressures.
A flicker of surprise crossed Satoru's eyes.
Shinigami were fighting… and in large numbers!
Concealing his presence, he cautiously moved closer.
On the hillside, dozens of Shinigami were locked in fierce combat, divided into two factions.
The leaders on both sides wielded power at the level of high-ranking officers.
Satoru instantly concluded that this was a battle between the Gotei 13 and rebel forces.
Then, he spotted Aizen.
Dressed in his plain linen clothes, Aizen stood silently in the shadow of a large tree, observing the battlefield.
As the fighting descended into chaos, he suddenly stepped forward and appeared on the battlefield.
A flash of his blade—a rebel fell before he could even react.
Watching this, Satoru couldn't help but question everything.
Aizen had been sneaking out night after night… just to help the Gotei 13 fight rebels?
This was… unexpectedly wholesome.
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