Seniors and Juniors

"It's enrollment season at the academy, and they're short on teachers. The academy asked me to come help out. Since there was nothing major going on in the division, I took a few days off."

Aizen had a gentle demeanor and spoke with unhurried elegance. At a glance, he seemed like an exceptionally good person, someone who naturally inspired goodwill.

If Kenma had not known his true nature, he might really have been fooled by that hypocritical act.

Helping out?

More likely, he wanted to pick out useful tools from among these new students.

Kenma's gaze fell on the silver-haired boy.

The boy's familiar appearance gave him a powerful sense of déjà vu, adding a few more guesses to his mind.

Noticing Kenma's gaze, Aizen shifted slightly, surprise appearing on his face.

"Senior, I discovered this child during the earlier assessment. His name is Gin Ichimaru. I brought him over to introduce him to the teachers."

The young Gin Ichimaru politely bowed to Kenma, looking like a shy child.

"Greetings, my lord."

His eyes remained narrowed, though the faint smile on his face had diminished somewhat.

Kenma nodded lightly in response.

So it really is Gin Ichimaru!

He had not expected him to have infiltrated Aizen's side so early.

Kenma did not believe a single word Aizen said.

However, combined with memories from his previous life, he could still discern some clues from certain events.

Since Gin Ichimaru had already come to join Aizen, that meant Aizen had begun creating the Hogyoku!

Kenma's expression remained unchanged. "Sosuke, for you to personally bring him here, this child must be highly gifted."

"As expected of Senior. You saw through it at a glance."

Aizen praised him with genuine sincerity.

"Senior, don't underestimate him just because he is young. Gin possesses Excellent Aptitude. Despite his age, he already has the Spiritual Pressure of a professional Shinigami. He is intelligent and quick-witted, undoubtedly a true genius."

As though he had seen Seireitei's bright future, Aizen's expression was utterly natural and exceptionally sincere.

After speaking, he added a joking remark.

"His future achievements will be limitless. He will certainly far surpass an ordinary person like me. He may even surpass Senior one day."

"You're being too modest."

Hearing Aizen say that, then thinking of all his imposing performances in the future, Kenma felt strangely complicated.

Pretending?

Still pretending?

If you're an ordinary person, then most of the Shinigami in Seireitei aren't even fit to be compared to pigs and dogs.

Aizen seemed to notice Shisui beside Kenma only then. His gaze landed on Shisui, and the lenses of his glasses reflected white light, hiding one of his eyes.

"Senior, this child is?"

"Like you."

Kenma was brief and to the point.

Aizen nodded and sighed. "Senior's judgment cannot be wrong. It seems Seireitei will soon see another rising star."

Then he smiled gently at Shisui. "You and Gin are both freshmen of the same class. Please take good care of him in the future."

After chatting for a few more sentences, Kenma left with Shisui.

Watching Kenma's departing figure, Aizen's lips curled into a faint smile again.

Gin had been watching Aizen's every movement. Seeing this, he asked, "Is that Shinigami special? Why are you paying him so much attention?"

"It's nothing."

Aizen shook his head lightly.

He remembered that when they had studied at the academy, this senior, who had been known as an outstanding student alongside him, had been quite resistant toward him.

Though they appeared peaceful on the surface, how could the vigilance revealed through the other man's subconscious movements escape his notice?

Yet when they met again today, he sensed a subtle change in this senior.

Perhaps it was confidence, or perhaps the deliberately concealed wariness and fear toward him had disappeared.

"Is it because he joined the Shikokuin Family?"

"How ridiculous."

Aizen turned around and walked toward the school buildings without looking back.

"Gin, let's go. The teachers inside must be getting impatient."

"Yes."

On the other side, Shisui noticed that Kenma's pace had quickened considerably as they walked.

Remembering the faint tension he had just sensed, doubt immediately arose in his heart.

After they left the academy gates and the number of people on the road had thinned, he asked uneasily, "My lord... that person just now..."

"Shisui, you must be careful around him in the future."

Kenma spoke without turning around, his voice carrying an unprecedented gravity.

"Yes, my lord."

Shisui nodded, then asked in confusion, "I observed that his words and actions were gentle and kind. He looked like a good person. Does he have some special trait?"

"A good person?"

Kenma snorted. If Aizen were a good person, there would be no evil people in the world.

"Shisui, do not be deceived by that friendly exterior. That act is merely a mask he uses to disguise and conceal his nature. Beneath it, he is a cold and ruthless person."

Shisui only half understood, but seeing Kenma speak so solemnly, he raised his guard to the utmost.

Kenma warned, "I remember that he is currently teaching part-time at Shino Academy. If you see him at the academy in the future, stay far away. Do not provoke him. The same goes for that kid beside him. And never believe a single word he says."

"Understood."

"One more thing: never watch his sword release."

Kenma remembered that Aizen had taken advantage of his teaching position to release his Zanpakuto before the academy students in public many times.

Shisui asked, "Why? Is his Zanpakuto ability special? Like the Sharingan of our Uchiha Clan, where you fall for it as long as you meet his eyes?"

Kenma turned his head and looked at Shisui with a strange expression.

Shisui's heart stirred, and astonishment appeared on his face. "Did this Subordinate guess correctly?"

"That's right."

Kenma nodded heavily and sighed.

After knowing Kenma for so many days, this was the first time Shisui had seen such an expression on his face.

Kenma explained, "His Zanpakuto is called Illusion. Although he tells others that it is a water-type blade whose ability merely refracts light to create illusions, its true ability..."

"Anyone who witnesses Illusion's release even once will be successfully brainwashed and hypnotized by him. Everything they hear, see, and perceive from the outside world can be altered by him, turning them into puppets under his control."

As far as Kenma knew, this was one of only two abilities in Soul Society that could affect people's brain nerves.

And those only two abilities both happened to be in the Fifth Division. It had to be said that fate worked in strange ways.

Shisui was also startled by this terrifying ability.

"So powerful? Wouldn't that make him invincible?"

With such a terrifying ability, Shisui could hardly imagine what in the world could defeat him.

"Powerful though it is, it cannot be called invincible."

Kenma chuckled inwardly.

There were countless powerful figures in Soul Society. Even though Aizen was truly strong, he was not invincible.

"At the very least, there is someone openly known in Soul Society who can suppress him. Otherwise, he would not have remained so restrained until now."

Naturally, Kenma meant Soul Society's strongest Shinigami of the past thousand years, the Captain-General of the Gotei 13 who guarded Seireitei!

Shisui suddenly realized something, and his eyes gleamed as he looked at Kenma.

"Then what about you, my lord?"

Not only could he see through that man's ability, but judging from their earlier interaction, he had not seemed confused in the slightest. He had been completely composed.

With such confidence, just how powerful was he really?

"Haha."

Kenma chuckled twice, his meaning unclear.