167. Battle of Wits and Bravery

Why?

Why did he have to notice him?

The thought had barely sprouted in his mind before Naruto crushed it, for Aizen Sosuke was already standing before him with a smile, and pondering such things was now useless.

He did not know how Aizen Sosuke had taken notice of him; he only knew that he could not hesitate, could not lie, and could not deny his own fear... because he knew all too well that with his own abilities, it was absolutely impossible to deceive Aizen Sosuke's eyes.

Therefore, he could only speak the "truth"—even his physiological reactions had to be genuine, uncontrollable, without the slightest hint of a guilty conscience or an attempt to cover things up!

"I..." Naruto swallowed with difficulty, his heart racing faster and faster, "I'm afraid you... are also here to take me to that Seireitei place..."

"Menma! What are you saying!" Ishikawa's face changed drastically, and he hurriedly apologized, "Forgive me, Captain Aizen! This child only arrived in the Soul Society today, so he doesn't understand many of the rules..."

"It is no matter."

There was not a trace of anger on Aizen Sosuke's face; instead, he showed concern: "Has something happened?"

"This..." Ishikawa was momentarily at a loss for words, appearing hesitant.

"It's that man!" Naruto spoke first, pointing his finger at Hanama Natsu, who was quietly shielding others in the crowd, "He said that if I failed the assessment, he would come for me and drag me to the Seireitei to give to some Three Great Noble Families... Right! He also said he remembered Grandpa Ishikawa; he was threatening Grandpa Ishikawa!"

"Oh?"

Aizen Sosuke adjusted his glasses, his gaze shifting to the now pale-faced Hanama Natsu.

Hanama Natsu was pinned to the spot by that seemingly gentle gaze, cold sweat instantly soaking his back—for some reason, he always felt an inexplicable dread toward this captain who was usually so generous to others. It wasn't that he had discovered anything, but rather his own innate intuition about people—in fact, it was this very talent that had allowed him to cling to the nobles of the Seireitei.

"K-kid, what nonsense are you spouting! When did I ever say I was going to take you!" he stammered in a panic.

Just then, a petite and swift figure flashed out from behind Aizen Sosuke like a gust of wind, instantly blocking the space between Naruto, Ishikawa, and Hanama Natsu, cutting off the latter's line of sight.

The newcomer was also dressed in the Shinigami uniform, wearing the haori of a lieutenant. Her short, deep purple hair was tied into a neat bun, and while her features were delicate, her eyes were exceptionally sharp. At this moment, she was staring at Hanama Natsu with undisguised fury.

"7th Seat Hanama!" Hinamori Momo's voice was crisp but carried an icy pressure, "Please explain: what is your purpose in threatening a child who arrived in the Soul Society only today, as well as a common resident of the Rukon District, and attempting to present him as 'merchandise' to the nobility? This is a grave violation of the Gotei 13 regulations, and an even greater blasphemy against the beliefs held by Captain Aizen!"

Her voice was not loud, but it carried clearly across the entire assessment grounds, causing all the whispering to cease instantly.

"Lieutenant Hinamori..." Hanama Natsu forced a smile, "You've misunderstood. 'Merchandise' is far too exaggerated. Just now... I was only joking with them..."

"Joking?" A frost covered Hinamori Momo's soft, beautiful face, "Is this a matter for jokes? Have you considered how much damage such behavior causes to Captain Aizen's reputation?"

Hinamori Momo had long heard rumors about Hanama Natsu's connections with nobles in the Seireitei and the perverse hobbies some nobles had for child concubines, but she had never taken much interest in matters outside of Captain Aizen, so she had previously let them slide... However, she never imagined that Hanama Natsu's connection to the nobles was that of a "broker"!

Indeed, it was possible that the child was lying, but the boy had only just arrived in the Soul Society today; what reason would he have to risk his own safety to frame a Shinigami of the Gotei 13?

Hinamori Momo bit her lip lightly; to her, the right and wrong of the matter were already painfully obvious.

Captain Aizen was such a noble existence; he would never allow anything to tarnish him...

"Momo."

Aizen Sosuke spoke at the perfect moment, causing Hinamori Momo's hand, which had been pressing against the hilt of her Zanpakuto, to freeze.

"Captain Aizen..."

Hinamori Momo looked at Aizen Sosuke, who raised a hand to signal her to stop. He paced forward a few steps, faced the crowd, and spoke in a resonant voice:

"The duty of the Gotei 13 is not only to protect the Seireitei, but to protect the entire Soul Society. Therefore, the residents of the Rukon District are also those we are sworn to protect." His voice was steady and powerful, clearly reaching everyone's ears, "Thus, at least within my 5th Division, I will never allow a Shinigami to bully commoners."

"This is a promise I, Aizen Sosuke, make to you all in the name of the 5th Division Captain."

Having said this, he turned to Hanama Natsu: "Hanama."

"Captain Aizen!" Hanama Natsu jumped, hurriedly stepping forward and standing with his head bowed in solemnity.

"Regarding your actions, I will initiate an internal investigation. Once the results are out, I will decide on your punishment. Until then, all your duties are suspended. Do you have any objections?"

"None!" Hanama Natsu was always one to read the room; even though he was gnashing his teeth at Naruto and Ishikawa, he dared not offer any rebuttal at such a critical juncture.

"Lieutenant Hinamori." As if he had peered into Hanama Natsu's thoughts, Aizen Sosuke instructed, "Go and collect Hanama's seat officer insignia. While you are at it, take this old gentleman to register his name and address, and send someone to check on him every month to ensure he remains safe and sound."

At these words, Hanama Natsu felt a chill run through him and buried his head even lower, while Hinamori Momo, filled with reverence, shouted loudly:

"Yes! Captain Aizen!"

Clap.

Clap, clap.

Clap, clap, clap...

In the crowd, scattered applause gradually began to rise, merging into a single wave.

Aizen Sosuke wore a look of slight embarrassment, his hands pressing down slightly to signal that there was no need for applause. However, the applause did not die down; instead, it grew even louder. It was not just the residents of the Rukon District; even the other 5th Division members present were clapping with all their might, their faces filled with admiration.

This was their captain! A man of absolute justice, noble character, and such stature that one felt ashamed in his presence, yet could not harbor the slightest jealousy! They swore to follow Captain Aizen for the rest of their lives!

Ishikawa was moved to tears, his old eyes streaming as he muttered, "Captain Aizen... Captain Aizen..." Naruto, standing beside him, was also clapping frantically and nodding repeatedly—he had been the first to start the applause, looking for all the world like a man whose grievances had been redressed, finally witnessing the arrival of a righteous judge.

"Old gentleman, please come with me."

As the applause gradually faded, Hinamori Momo wore a gentle smile as she led Ishikawa away to register his information. Perhaps out of trust in Aizen Sosuke, she did not take Naruto's hand this time, leaving him where he stood.

Then.

Naruto suddenly realized that he was now in a situation where he was alone with Aizen Sosuke.

Aizen Sosuke seemed to have no intention of moving, a faint, elusive smile playing on his lips as his gaze followed the backs of Hinamori Momo and the departing Ishikawa.

"Hinamori-fukutaicho is truly a kind person," he suddenly remarked.

"She is," Uzumaki Naruto nodded instinctively, smoothly adding a compliment, "Captain Aizen is an even better person. Thank you, my lord."

"But why..." Aizen's tone shifted, sharp as a cold blade striking from behind, "are you still so afraid of me?"

A chill instantly crawled up Uzumaki Naruto's spine, shooting straight to his brain.

The expression on Uzumaki Naruto's face froze. Aizen remained that same smiling figure, but his gaze had shifted from the distance to rest back upon him, filled with a sense of scrutiny.

"Your fear is directed at me," Aizen said gently, as if discussing a trivial matter, "can you tell me the reason?"

"..."

Uzumaki Naruto bit his lower lip lightly, like prey cornered by a hunter, his eyes flickering with struggle and hesitation. After a long while, he spoke with immense difficulty:

"Ye... yes... I am indeed very afraid of Captain Aizen."

Seeing Uzumaki Naruto admit it so readily, a glimmer of intrigued light flashed in Aizen's eyes.

"Why?"

"Because Captain Aizen... is too strong." Uzumaki Naruto's tone was earnest, his finger pointing ever so slightly toward the Shinigami in the examination field, "I can feel the 'pressure' on them... but not one of them exerts a pressure comparable to Captain Aizen... no, I should say, all of them combined cannot compare to you."

"That is why I am afraid... because Captain Aizen, you are too strong, so strong that I... I just can't help but feel afraid."

—The truth.

At this very moment, every word Uzumaki Naruto uttered was real, and his reactions were entirely genuine. He had not lied about the reason for his fear of Aizen.

He had once seen in the comments that the most brilliant lie is one truth hidden among ten lies.

Uzumaki Naruto deeply agreed.

And he had taken it a step further in practice.

He decided that all ten sentences would be true; not a single lie would exist. Even when questioning his own heart, he was certain he hadn't lied.

In truth, from the moment he learned Aizen was present, Uzumaki Naruto had been thinking about how to cope—though he couldn't help but be shocked when he saw Aizen walking toward him, he had never pinned his hopes on the luck of not being discovered. He had been preparing for the worst-case scenario all along.

Of course, this wasn't the worst-case scenario yet. The worst would be Aizen reaching out and grabbing him... at that point, he would really have to die with Kurama just to show Aizen... two lives lost in one!

"So, you are sensitive to Reiatsu..."

Aizen looked thoughtful, pointing toward Hinamori Momo's direction, "Then do you feel pressure when facing her?"

"I do, but it is still far less than Captain Aizen..."

"That is only natural. I am their captain; a captain must be stronger than their subordinates to be qualified to lead them," Aizen laughed. At this, he scratched his head, speaking in the tone of a good-natured man, "However, I still hope that someone among them will surpass me. After all, the work of a captain is truly exhausting; I would like to relax a bit too."

"Hahaha." Although the tension hadn't completely dissipated, Uzumaki Naruto still cooperated with a dry laugh.

"The 'pressure' you feel is called [Reiatsu], the result of the difference in Reishi density between souls..." Aizen seemed to notice that Uzumaki Naruto was still troubled by the Reiatsu and kindly explained the basic common knowledge of Soul Society, "Everything in Soul Society is composed of Reishi, and Reishi is..."

After the explanation, confirming that Uzumaki Naruto had roughly understood, Aizen encouraged him:

"However, since you are so sensitive to Reiatsu, it shows you have remarkable talent." Aizen patted Uzumaki Naruto on the shoulder, "When you pass the examination and graduate from Shino Academy, when choosing a division, you might want to prioritize my 5th Division. Although today's first impression might give you some concerns, I have great confidence in our 5th Division."

"I don't even know if I can pass the examination yet..." Uzumaki Naruto acted like an ordinary, reserved child, appearing somewhat embarrassed by Aizen's praise.

Aizen smiled, offered a few more words of encouragement, and said nothing more.

"Menma!"

After a while, Hinamori Momo led Ishikawa back, and Ishikawa waved at Uzumaki Naruto from afar.

"Grandpa Ishikawa!" Uzumaki Naruto also wore an innocent smile, waving back vigorously.

"Oh?" Aizen interjected gently, "Young man, is your name Menma?"

"Yeah!" Uzumaki Naruto nodded with a smile, "I just came up with it when I was registering."

"Oh..."

Aizen gave a low response, looking up thoughtfully at the empty sky. Only when Hinamori Momo and Ishikawa were about to approach did he whisper in a volume that only the two of them could hear:

"I thought... your name was Uzumaki Naruto."