Time flowed like sand. Twenty years passed in a blink.
After showing his true reiatsu before Unohana Retsu and Yamamoto Genryūsai, Higashino Shuuichi no longer had to conceal his strength. He could finally live without the burden of hiding every breath of power.
And because Unohana's reiatsu eclipsed ordinary captains, she was the one anchor who made it safe for him.
During these two decades, Tōsen Kaname graduated from the Academy and, as Aizen wished, entered the 9th Division. From then, Aizen shifted the bulk of field tasks away from Shuuichi and onto Tōsen.
But Shuuichi was far from idle.
The one who came to use him was Kumoi Gyoukaku of the Kasumiooji.
As the lead craftsman of the Bakkōtō, Kumoi had his own ambitions. On the surface, he claimed he wanted to help the Kasumiooji house create blades that rivaled zanpakutō, so the family could rise as the "Sixth Noble House."
In truth, he sought to exploit the Bakkōtō's peculiar properties to enslave Shinigami loyal only to him, then usurp Kasumiooji and turn it into Kumoi.
But the flaw was fatal: survival rates for wielders were under ten percent. The success of Sengoku Ryū, who had once mastered Raika, was a miracle. Too soon, that miracle ended—Shuuichi and Starrk cut him down before he could report back.
For twenty years since, Kumoi pressed Shuuichi relentlessly. Under the guise of noble orders, he forced him to hunt "rebellious Shinigami" or those branded as major threats to Soul Society.
At the same time, Kumoi endlessly tried to tempt him: abandon his zanpakutō, take up a Bakkōtō.
Only Shuuichi's caution saved him. Bakkōtō could not strip a blade by force—it required the wielder's consent. Without that, he would long ago have become Kumoi's puppet.
"Compared to him, Aizen almost feels… kindhearted."
Shuuichi rubbed his nose bitterly.
In just these twenty years under Kumoi's orders, he had killed more Shinigami than in all the decades working for Aizen combined. Were it not for the shield of the Kasumiooji, his hands alone would have seen him executed on Sōkyoku Hill a hundred times over.
By comparison, Aizen had once been restrained.
But restraint ended when Aizen shifted research.
With Tōsen's infiltration of the 9th, and unrestricted harvesting of souls in Rukongai, their death toll soared. To cover the damage, Aizen even "thoughtfully" culled packs of Adjuchas in the Forest of Menos each month—delivering specimens for Szayelaporro's work.
With research fueled at such a pace, his Hōgyoku reached completion more than ten years earlier than in the "original" timeline.
And that, too, was thanks to Higashino Shuuichi.
It was Shuuichi who secured access to the Great Spirit Book Gallery through the Kasumiooji, who discovered the Kōmyōdai caretakers.
Aizen did the rest—setting a trap, casting Kyōka Suigetsu, ensnaring the caretaker. From then, the Great Spirit Book Gallery became his garden.
He still had to "clock in" as 5th Division captain, so he couldn't remain there constantly. But enough. Enough to uncover records on the Soul King, and the other half-Hōgyoku created by Urahara Kisuke.
Shuuichi assumed Aizen would repeat history, orchestrating a grand event to steal Urahara's fragment. But he underestimated Aizen's ambition.
With the knowledge of the Book Gallery, Aizen realized how narrow his old view had been. His goal changed. He wanted to peer upon the Royal Guard and the Soul King's Palace.
As for Urahara's half of the Hōgyoku? No rush. Records showed Urahara sealed it away, dismissing it as useful only for hollowfication.
And Aizen still hadn't cracked the seal on his own fragment. So, for now, he could afford patience. He would let Urahara hold it—consider it storage.
But he was not careless. If worst came and he never obtained the other half, then he would continue harvesting souls in hopes of crafting another.
And why not? Urahara had hidden his work from the Gallery's records—proof of backdoors the Five Great Noble Houses had left themselves.
Now, all these threads converged in a single order Aizen sent to Shuuichi:
Force the Kasumiooji into rebellion.
Aizen's aim was simple: reach the Soul King's Palace.
There were two paths. One, rise to the Royal Guard through "special contributions" to Soul Society. But even the Gallery held no clear record of their selection.
Two, hypnotize a Royal Guard with Kyōka Suigetsu, and have them bring him in.
The first was near impossible. The second only required one thing—getting the Royal Guard to descend into Soul Society.
Aizen's answer: engineer an unprecedented rebellion.
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