"Oh my, I was so careless. I actually forgot Senior Kōga was still here."
Aizen looked at Kuchiki Kōga, who was slowly getting up, his face showing a look of extreme, false surprise.
Beside him, Tōsen Kaname tilted his ear and said softly, "He used healing Kidō to heal his own injuries. What a difficult man."
"Since he can still jump around, it looks like he won't easily become Vice-Captain Aizen's experiment material."
Ichimaru Gin squinted his eyes, lifted the Zanpakutō in his hand, and pointed the tip at Kuchiki Kōga's chest.
The dangerous aura was unmistakable.
"Then, should I cut him down again? If I do it a few more times, he might not get up."
Aizen shook his head lightly, the smile on his face still gentle.
"No need, Gin."
"Letting him cause a little more trouble for the Seireitei is more advantageous for us."
"Right now, my interest lies with someone else."
His sharp gaze passed through his lenses, moved away from Kuchiki Kōga, and landed on Kenma's group of three in the distance.
'Interesting. This is truly... an unexpected development.'
Kenma's gaze turned to Kuchiki Kōga. The wounds on his body were no longer bleeding and were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. In the blink of an eye, he was almost recovered.
"Such beautiful healing Kidō."
"Unfortunately..."
Kenma's expression showed a trace of pity, and he slowly shook his head.
'It's a pity... such an outstanding genius, and he doesn't even know he's being manipulated from the shadows.'
'Next, he'll be manipulated by others into doing who-knows-what, and in the end, he'll be killed or sealed by the Shinigami of the Gotei 13.'
'Such a cruel reality is truly too miserable for the proud Kuchiki Kōga.'
"Kenma, what are you pitying now? Are you pitying me? How dare you put on such an arrogant air in front of me."
Kuchiki Kōga shouted loudly, full of anger. But as he spoke, the fury on his face gradually calmed and returned to normal.
Muttering something, his face then flashed between joy and sorrow. He walked to the side.
With a light leap, he jumped onto the wall. His figure flashed, and he had already used Shunpo to leave.
"What on earth is wrong with that guy?"
Fushiguro Toji looked confused. He couldn't understand at all why the enemy, who was screaming for blood just a moment ago, would suddenly change his expression and leave as if no one else was there.
And Kenma, the leader of the three, had actually ordered them not to stop or kill the man, just letting him leave safely. It was truly beyond comprehension.
Shisui's crimson Mangekyō Sharingan stared fixedly at Aizen's group of three, his voice laced with tension.
"Is there any question? The people opposite us must have done it."
"So it's like that." Toji sighed. He had vaguely felt it.
Looking at them now, the three people opposite them were clearly not to be trifled with.
Kenma retracted his gaze and looked back at Aizen. "Sousuke, it looks like you're playing that Kōga fellow for a fool."
"A very convenient ability."
Faced with Kenma's "praise," Aizen's heart stirred, but the gentle smile on his face remained.
"It's nothing."
"My Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu, is a water-type. It uses the moisture in the air to reflect light, creating illusions for the enemy. It's a fairly good Zanpakutō."
"You're lying again!"
Kenma's expression was full of certainty. He frowned and asked, "Sousuke, why are you always spouting lies? What, is telling the truth so disadvantageous for you?"
"Why would you say that, Senior?"
Aizen raised an eyebrow. The interest and curiosity in his eyes vanished, replaced by a perfectly crafted look of confusion and naivety.
"Does Senior have some misunderstanding about me? You keep saying I'm lying, one time after another, denying me like this... Are you dissatisfied with me about something?"
Kenma shook his head, sighed inwardly, and said, "Aizen, did you know? Every time you lie, you like to pause."
"Especially when someone asks you a question, you always like to start with a negative phrase like 'It's nothing,' pause, and then add the rest of your sentence, as if you're thinking about what to say next to supplement the denial."
"In those situations, everything you say is, basically, a lie."
"It's conclusive."
Hearing Kenma's words, Aizen's eyes widened slightly. The words he had been formulating caught in his throat, and he paused for a full two or three seconds.
Beside him, Tōsen Kaname and Ichimaru Gin also glanced sideways at Aizen.
The gentle smile on Aizen's face had vanished without a trace. Then, a new smile curled his lips.
But this smile, though faint, exuded a dangerous aura compared to the one before.
"Even these little habits that I myself overlook... Senior, you were able to notice them."
"Senior, your observation of me is truly meticulous."
"Sousuke, it's because you are too deliberate," Kenma said. "Every time I see you, I feel like you're wearing layer upon layer of masks, constantly disguising yourself."
"On top of that, my situation is special. After I became suspicious of you, I found you more and more suspect, and your actions more and more deliberate."
"But I'm probably the only one in the entire Seireitei like this. Other Shinigami, I assume, wouldn't pay attention to such trivial details."
Aizen pushed up his glasses, his expression carrying a trace of emotion. "I was too naive back then. I thought what I was doing was seamless, only to find now that it's full of flaws."
"I must admit, I underestimated the people of this world. It seems my experiences these past years have been too smooth, and I've unconsciously become this arrogant."
"Senior, thank you for pointing out my oversight."
After this sigh, his face, which was half-smiling, showed a strong curiosity.
"Senior, when did you first notice something suspicious about me? And when did you fully confirm my suspicious nature?"
"From the very beginning," Kenma said.
"Oh?" Aizen raised an eyebrow. "Could Senior elaborate?"
"From the very beginning, before you and I had even come to Soul Society."
"I see." Listening to Kenma's nonsense answer, which said everything and nothing, Aizen wasn't annoyed or embarrassed. He just nodded lightly.
"Thank you for clearing up my confusion, Senior."
"In that case, your deliberate avoidance of my Zanpakutō before... was that also because of this?"
"Yes and no." Kenma's voice grew heavy.
"I've said it, Sousuke. You are too deliberate at times."
"Back in the Shin'ō Academy, or after joining the Gotei, you always liked to release your Zanpakutō in front of others."
"Especially when large groups of Shinigami were gathered, or when you saw newly recruited Shinigami. At those times, you never tired of it."
"Over time, anyone could reach this conclusion: Aizen Sousuke's Zanpakutō definitely has a problem."
Hearing this, the smile on Aizen's face became even more dangerous and mysterious.
"Then, Senior... do you know what my Zanpakutō's true ability is?"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]