Aizen's interception halfway through was something Su Feng had not expected.
But Renji Abarai's response also satisfied him greatly.
"Captain Aizen, please forgive me!"
Renji Abarai declared resolutely, "I have only one goal in this life: Captain Su Feng!"
There was no doubt about it.
That single finger shattering his blade earlier had left an indelible impression on him.
Until he completely surpassed Su Feng, Renji Abarai would never casually change his goal.
"Captain Aizen, you're being rather unfair."
Su Feng joked, "These are all talents I painstakingly discovered one by one from Rukongai's enormous population."
"How can I let you poach them so easily?"
Captain Aizen laughed. "I was presumptuous."
"It seems I should also go to Rukongai and uncover some hidden talent. The Fifth Division has not received any fresh blood in a long time."
The brief exchange seemed unremarkable on the surface.
But Su Feng understood inwardly that Aizen's attitude toward him was no longer what it had been when he had first become Captain of the Ninth Division.
As for whether Aizen had discovered the incomplete Hogyoku within Renji Abarai's soul—
Su Feng guessed he probably had not.
After all, Kisuke Urahara's original purpose in sealing the Hogyoku within someone else's soul had been to guard against Aizen's scrutiny.
If it could be discovered so easily, Kisuke Urahara would not have been qualified to contend with Aizen at all.
Before leaving, Su Feng seemed to remember something and turned back to remind him.
"Oh, right, Captain Aizen."
"I recently registered with the headmaster and became a specially appointed Kendo instructor at the Soul Reaper Academy. When the time comes, don't blame me for stealing your classes."
Because of his fondness for calligraphy, Aizen taught calligraphy at the Soul Reaper Academy.
He had held that position since