Each Making Their Own Plans

Aizen was a very decisive man. The moment he discovered that Kisuke Urahara had contacted Rukia Kuchiki and hidden the Hogyoku inside her spiritual body through a Gigai, he slaughtered everyone in Central 46.

Then, in Central 46's name, he issued orders to have Rukia Kuchiki brought back and sentenced to death, with the most brutal method of execution—the Sokyoku.

Aizen had only one reason for doing this: to extract the Hogyoku that Kisuke Urahara had hidden in her body!

Without question, this carried great risk, but it was also the most direct and effective method. Most importantly, no one else in the Seireitei knew anything about what Aizen was doing.

Under such circumstances, Aizen naturally would not provoke Zhang Miao, that "unpredictable factor"!

Back then, he had gone to great lengths to drive Zhang Miao out of the Soul Society. Bringing him back now—wasn't that just asking for more trouble?

Aizen had no taste for self-torment, so forget Zhang Miao merely injuring Byakuya Kuchiki. Even if Zhang Miao had killed him, Aizen would not have ordered anyone to arrest him.

Besides, the one people would curse was Central 46. What did it have to do with him?

It was rare for things to be proceeding so smoothly. At this point, Aizen intended only to keep himself hidden, wait step by step for Rukia Kuchiki's execution, and then take the Hogyoku.

But Aizen did not know that the reason his plan had gone so smoothly was not because his scheming was so brilliant, but because Zhang Miao had deliberately allowed it!

When Zhang Miao had left the Soul Society for the Living World and released that overwhelming Spiritual Pressure, he had actually been telling Aizen—I've left. Go wild without worry!

And Aizen had not let Zhang Miao's "kindness" go to