A Night of Chaos

In the large library of the Tsunayashiro Clan

The candlelight burned quietly. Sōsuke Aizen sat amidst a pile of books, an open document resting on his lap, his fingers slowly tracing the edges of the pages.

His Captain's Haori was neatly folded and placed to the side, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing faint ink marks on his forearms from long hours of reading. The surrounding piles of books almost completely engulfed him.

The door was pushed open, and as Gin walked in, his gaze first swept over Aizen, then down to the stacks of bookshelves beside him, taller than a person. He stood in the doorway, a smile playing on his lips as always, but his eyelids twitched slightly.

"Captain Aizen, someone has taken over the affairs of the Third Division, so I came to pick you up." Gin took a few steps forward, tilting his head to look at the open pages of books beside Aizen. "Haven't you found the information you wanted yet?"

Aizen looked up. "I found it a long time ago."

He closed the book on his lap, his fingers slowly tracing the cover, as if caressing a newly fired piece of porcelain. "It's just something to pass the time while I wait for you."

Looking at his reluctant expression, and then at the overwhelming pile of books filling the room, Yin recalled the scene when the two of them first entered this room that morning:

At that time, he followed Aizen through the layers of corridors in the Great Archives, to the deepest part of the Forbidden Books section. Aizen pushed open a heavy wooden door, behind which was an extremely spacious room, with bookshelves filling all four walls, stretching from the floor to the ceiling.

Yin stood at the doorway, looking at the densely packed spines of the books, and casually asked a question.

"So many books and materials! Where are all of Kisuke Urahara's banned books? Why aren't they even labeled?"

Aizen was lighting a candle on the wall at the time, heard this and replied without turning his head, "What are you talking about, Gin? All the books and documents in this room—they all belong to Kisuke Urahara."

Yin squinted and remained silent for a long time.

Back in the present, he looked at Aizen sitting in the middle of the pile of books, and his eyelids twitched again.

"That Yoruichi guy, how many chapters can he even call this?"

He resisted the urge to say those words aloud. Aizen stood up and put his Captain's Haori back on.

"Let's go."

"Yes."

As the two emerged from the Great Archives, the sun was setting. Gin, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, turned his head to look at Aizen's profile.

"Captain Aizen, you've already faked your death and escaped. Where do you plan to rest tonight?"

"The Pure Tower Residence Grove," Aizen's voice was pleasant. "That's an area the Gotei 13 are forbidden from entering under any circumstances. True to its name, it's a tranquil place. It'll also be a good preparation for tomorrow's operation."

Yin paused for a moment, then quickly caught up.

"Tomorrow's... operation?"

"Oh." Aizen turned his head, his tone as if he were talking about something trivial like what to have for dinner. "I forgot to tell you, I plan to execute Rukia tomorrow. Is there a problem?"

Silver's smile remained unchanged. "How could that be? No problem."

Gin escorted Aizen to the entrance of the Pure Tower Residence Grove, watching the heavy stone door slowly close before him, then turned and walked back along the corridor he had come from towards the Third Division.

The sound of footsteps echoed off the stone wall, one after another. The smile on his face had vanished without him noticing. Yin lowered his voice and clenched his teeth.

"Are you kidding me? This guy has his limits when it comes to being capricious. He's always bringing forward the execution date, and this time he's moved it to tomorrow—this way, both sides will be caught off guard."

He quickened his pace and headed towards the Third Division's office.

As night fell, Gin led Kira across the stone-paved streets of Seireitei. His mind was still racing through all the possible scenarios for tomorrow's execution, but every branch of the process hit the same problem—there wasn't enough time, no matter how he calculated it.

Just as he reached the vicinity of the Third Division's barracks, a figure emerged from the side alley, walking steadily.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya stood in front of Gin, his eyes as cold as a winter blade, and Kira instinctively stopped in his tracks.

"So you two are together after all." Tōshirō's gaze swept past Gin and over Kira.

"Captain Hitsugaya." Kira bowed slightly.

Yin looked at the brat in front of him, but his mind was still calculating tomorrow's situation, and he really had no interest in dealing with him.

"Why are you here blocking my way so late at night instead of sleeping?"

As Gin was thinking, Tōshirō spoke:

"Just as I expected, only Kira's cell could be opened from the outside with a key. If he was trying to escape by sneaking away, isn't his method a bit too naive, Ichimaru?"

It took Yin a moment to realize what he was talking about.

"Kira was taken out of the cell because the Third Division had a lot of paperwork piled up today. If I didn't release Kira, would you do all that paperwork for me? When we went to get him, the cell guards were lying on the ground, Momo Hinamori's cell had a big hole in it, Abarai's cell was also demolished."

I was the only one who used the key to open the door, brought the Lieutenant out, and then conveniently locked the cell door again.

Now this brat is standing in front of him, questioning him about why he "sneaked away"?

Just as Gin was about to explain, Tōshirō spoke again:

"Luckily, I arrived before Hinamori." His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, and Reiatsu began to seep from his body. "I'll kill you before she gets here."

Yin's smile was still on his face, but the thought in his mind had already shifted from "What should I say to this brat?" to "What on earth is this brat saying?"

"No, I only mentioned one person, is it really that big of a deal?"

Just as he was completely puzzled, a series of hurried footsteps came from behind Tōshirō. Momo Hinamori rushed out of the shadows at the alley entrance and stood between the two of them, her chest heaving violently as if she had run a very, very long way.

Her eyes were red and swollen, her lips were trembling, but her hands were tightly gripping Tobiume.

"Hinamori?" Tōshirō's voice held a hint of surprise. "Step back, Hinamori. You're no match for him. Let me handle this. Step back now!"

Looking at Hinamori's face, which was filled with hatred, and then at Tōshirō's anxious expression, Gin suddenly felt that today's events had finally become somewhat interesting.

"That little brat's probably completely infatuated with Aizen, and she's come looking for revenge. That kid's here to stop him, huh? Perfect."

Silver's fingers twitched imperceptibly, ready to draw his sword at any moment. He was already having a headache today because of Aizen's decision, so this was a good way to relieve his boredom.

Hinamori gripped the hilt of Tobiume's sword and drew it.

The blade was drawn—but it wasn't aimed at Gin, but at Tōshirō.

Silver's finger froze in mid-air. Tōshirō's expression also froze.

"Hinamori?" For the first time, confusion appeared in Tōshirō's voice.

Hinamori gripped the Tobiume in both hands, the tip of the knife pointing at Tōshirō's chest. Her voice trembled, but each word seemed to be held firmly by something.

"Captain Aizen's... grudge... Why... did you kill the captain?"

Silver's eyebrows twitched slightly. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze shifting from Hinamori to Tōshirō, and then back to Hinamori.

"How could this little girl think that kid is the murderer? That's interesting."

Hinamori's tears slid down her cheeks, and she gripped the blade tremblingly.

"I know the whole truth. From this letter the captain left behind—" She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket, the pages rustling slightly between her trembling fingers.

"The captain said the real purpose of the execution was not to kill Rukia. This execution was deliberately orchestrated by someone who wanted to seize the Sōkyoku."

The Sōkyoku, unleashed only during the Sōkyoku Execution, possesses a Zanpakuto, and Sōkyoku execution rack is also defensively designed to withstand damage from Zanpakuto of equal strength. During the execution, that power amplifies several times over—"Her voice choked slightly," and "And the one who intended to use this power to destroy the entire Soul Society— "

It's Tōshirō Hitsugaya!

Tōshirō's face was filled with disbelief, and Gin's smile faded slightly.

"What is this little girl saying? She actually believes such a ridiculous thing?"

But when Gin glanced at Kira standing beside him and saw that his Lieutenant also had a visibly shocked expression, his eyelids twitched again.

Hinamori continued reading the letter, "The letter also said: I will meet with him tonight to stop his attempt."

If that doesn't work, then I'm prepared to draw my sword. If I die—" Her voice finally broke down, trembling as she said, " Hinamori- kun, please carry on my will. This isn't an order from me as the Fifth Division Captain, but a request from a man to you."

Yin's eyelids twitched again as she listened to those words.

"No way, Aizen can write such cheesy lines?"

Gin carefully examined the letter in Hinamori's hand. The edges of the paper cast an unnatural shadow in the candlelight, as if viewed through a very thin mist.

Yin squinted, understanding everything.

"So that's how it is, a letter constructed from Kyōka Suigetsu. In other words—most of the letter's content is something she imagined herself. Then this little girl..."

The more he thought about it, the more speechless and amused he became. Yet, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Tōshirō stood there, looking at Hinamori's tear-blurred eyes. His voice, no longer carrying the cold, sharp edge he had when questioning Gintoki, became low and deep. "Hin... Mori..."

Tōshirō now found it absurd; this letter sounded completely abnormal. How could Aizen possibly write such a letter?

But Hinamori believed it. She gripped the Tobiume in both hands, pointed the tip at his chest, and tears streamed down her face. Almost without hesitation, she slashed at him.

Tōshirō dodged to the side, and the blade of the Tobiume grazed his sleeve, creating a gust of the Heat wind.

"You idiot—if I die, you'll avenge me? Is that something Aizen would say?!" He shouted as he dodged, his voice shifting from a low pleading tone to an almost screaming accusation. "The Aizen I know wouldn't be foolish enough to go to a battle he can't win, nor would he be a coward who sends his subordinates to their deaths!"

Yin listened from the side, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

"It's true that you shouldn't fight a battle you're unprepared for—but whether you should send your men to their deaths is another matter..."

Hinamori continued her slashing attacks, her tears flying with each strike, splashing onto the stone slabs, only to be dried instantly by the night wind.

"But that's what it says in the letter!" Her voice was hoarse, each word seeming to be ripped from the depths of her throat. "That's clearly Captain Aizen's handwriting... I don't want to believe it either, but Captain Aizen really said that... I... I don't know what to do..." Tobiume's swordplay grew increasingly chaotic, and as she slashed, she cried out her last few words, "Little White..."

Tōshirō dodged the flashing blades, his steps growing heavier. He looked at Hinamori's tear-streaked face, as if something was pressing down on his chest.

Yin stood not far away, his shoulders trembling slightly; he simply couldn't suppress the smirk on his face.

"She's asking the person she just stabbed what to do. What was she thinking?"

Hinamori shouted, Tobiume slashed down. Tōshirō dodged to the side, a resolute glint in his eyes:

No, Hinamori is in no condition to make the right judgment, and Aizen wouldn't write such a letter. Someone must have altered his letter! It must be to drive a wedge between Hinamori and me!

He looked up and saw Yin standing not far away, a smile that hadn't quite faded from her lips.

Tōshirō's expression changed. "Really? Was this your doing too, Ichimaru!"

Silver's smile froze for a moment.

"Huh? How can you blame me for this?"

Tōshirō charged straight at Gin, whose hand was on the hilt of his sword but hadn't drawn it yet. Suddenly, a figure flashed in front of him— Hinamori, sword in hand, blocking Tōshirō's path.

Tōshirō's pupils contracted sharply, but the distance was too close, and he couldn't sheathe his sword in time. His fist, still enveloped in his lingering Reiatsu, slammed heavily into Hinamori.

Hinamori's body flew out like a broken tree branch, crashing into the stone wall and sliding down to the ground. Tobiume slipped from her grasp and clattered onto the stone floor.

"Hinamori!" Tōshirō rushed to Hinamori's side. Hinamori's face was pale, she had lost consciousness, and her breathing was very shallow.

Yin stood not far away, the corners of her mouth unchanged, her voice carrying an undisguised sarcasm:

"How cruel you are, Captain of the Tenth Division. Why did you have to be so cruel to a girl who was so heartbroken that she forgot herself?"

Tōshirō looked at Hinamori's unconscious face, and saw that her hand, which had been gripping the knife too tightly, was bleeding from the cuts.

His pupils blazed with fury, and his face darkened.

"Ichimaru, what exactly is your purpose?"

Yin spread her hands out.

"What could my purpose be? I don't know."

Tōshirō lowered his voice even further, each word sounding as if it had been carved out from beneath the ice.

"Wasn't Aizen enough? Now even Hinamori is being reduced to this state, forced to fight on even while bleeding, pushed to this point."

Yin tilted her head, her eyes narrowing into tiny slits. "Ugh, what are you even talking about?"

"I didn't touch her at all. It was you and her fighting from beginning to end."

Tōshirō didn't utter another word. His Reiatsu exploded from within him, Zanpakuto was drawn, drawing a cold arc of light across the night sky as it slashed towards Gin.

Silver drew his sword to meet the attack. The moment the two swords clashed, he cried out, "No way, you're blaming me for this?"