He Probably Isn't That Stupid, Right?

It was night.

Moonlight flowed like water, its cool glow spilling over the colorful buildings and reflecting a beauty all its own.

Shaken and disbelieving, the onlookers finished watching the match and returned to their temporary dormitories.

But it was destined to be a sleepless night.

They had thought Kisaragi Akira's victory over Kaede Junya was just a fluke. But then he had revealed his brutally powerful side before countless eyes.

Only then did the teachers and students of the Spiritual Arts Academy realize that he was an out-and-out monster!

Whether in Reiatsu or combat skill, there was no one among his peers who could stand up to him head-on.

Just look at Matsushita Takeo, with his thick skin and sturdy build. One flying kick from Kisaragi Akira had left both his arms broken and his chest caved in. He was barely breathing when they carried him away.

The Shinigami on duty stopped the duel at once and rushed Matsushita Takeo to the infirmary. From there, he was transferred straight to the Fourth Division's General Infirmary.

As the teachers and students of the Spiritual Arts Academy struggled to understand how Kisaragi Akira had become so strong, they also began pondering another question.

"What exactly is 'Crow Sits on Plane'?"

In the temporary dormitory, Aizen frowned, deeply puzzled.

In his eyes, the Hakuda move Kisaragi Akira had used in the fight was nothing like what they taught at the Spiritual Arts Academy.

"Why, I came up with it myself, of course!"

Kisaragi Akira grinned and boasted without a trace of shame. "A genius like me picked up plenty of techniques when I fought Shihoin Yoruichi earlier."

"With just a few tweaks, one of the Shihoin clan's secret moves can become your own."

He didn't bother hiding it.

Or rather, there was no need to keep such a small secret from Aizen.

As they spent more time together, Kisaragi Akira realized that Aizen wasn't as ambitious, ruthless, and cold-hearted as he remembered.

Even when he tried to look at Aizen through a biased lens, he came to the same conclusion.

The Aizen of today was simply a little more curious than most. In every other way, he was much like any other student.

Even his talent seemed rather "unremarkable."

Compared to Kisaragi Akira, who had been shining brightly of late, Aizen seemed more like an ordinary tagalong.

No talent, no connections.

He might have been quite exceptional among ordinary people, but in the Spiritual Arts Academy, crowded with talented students, he seemed rather average.

As for his personality, he was gentle and friendly, cautious and meticulous, and rarely turned down a friend's request.

Even someone like Kisaragi Akira got along with him just fine.

Perhaps this was what Aizen was really like.

Kisaragi Akira had struggled to survive in the Nikkotsu District and had seen countless sides of human nature.

If the Shin'o Academy was the human world, then the Nikkotsu District was Hell laid bare.

He wouldn't claim he could understand every last facet of human nature.

But at the very least...

Danger Instinct never lied.

Since they were short on time, the temporary dormitory was a four-person room.

As expected, Aizen and Kisaragi Akira were assigned to the same room. When their other two roommates found out Kisaragi Akira would be staying there, they promptly moved out.

That left only the two boys in the room.

After Kisaragi Akira explained how Crow Sits on Plane worked, Aizen looked at him with a little more surprise.

When Kisaragi Akira had fought Shihoin Yoruichi in a Hakuda match, Aizen had assumed he was merely imitating her techniques after a brief look.

Now he realized he had underestimated him.

Just one firsthand experience, and he had mastered it instantly.

His talent was so extraordinary that it even surpassed Aizen's!

"You want to learn? I'll teach you."

Before Aizen could say a word, Kisaragi Akira began explaining the move without holding anything back, as if showing off, right there on the woven mat floor.

"Actually, Shihoin Yoruichi's moves aren't that hard."

"She even slowed down on purpose. If you analyze the movements starting with her left calf and the right side of her waist, you can break down the whole move..."

Aizen had meant to refuse, but seeing how enthusiastic Kisaragi Akira was, he couldn't bring himself to dampen his spirits.

And yet...

Once he began listening closely, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Not a single detail was wrong.

Akira, is this what you're really like?

After Kisaragi Akira finished explaining the Hakuda technique, Aizen nodded thoughtfully and said in a clear voice:

"Actually, there's something else I'd like to ask."

Kisaragi Akira rubbed his chin and raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you still don't understand?"

"No."

Aizen shook his head. "I want to ask about the disturbance today. What exactly did you do?"

Since he had come along, he had witnessed the whole process of Kisaragi Akira communing with the Asauchi.

Even so, with all his knowledge and insight, Aizen still couldn't understand what had happened to him.

Driven by curiosity, he decided to ask outright.

But the boy sitting on the bed across from him frowned at the question.

"Is it something you'd rather not talk about?"

Aizen lowered his gaze and kept his thoughts to himself.

After all, a Shinigami's Zanpakuto was tied to everything about them. It was perfectly reasonable not to share its secrets with others.

Even Aizen felt the same way.

Surely no one in this world would be foolish enough to casually reveal their Zanpakuto's abilities to someone else?

Aizen wasn't surprised by Kisaragi Akira's reaction.

Although the two had been inseparable lately and seemed like close friends to everyone else, when it came to trust...

Perhaps they hadn't reached the point of confiding everything in each other.

"To be honest," Kisaragi Akira suddenly said with a frown, "I don't know what happened either."

"When I used the ritual to communicate with the Asauchi, my consciousness entered the Zanpakuto Inner World without a hitch."

"Then I returned to the place I remembered best: the Nikkotsu District in East Rukon."

"And in the shrine where I used to serve, a stone statue of me had been placed where the statue of Mimihagi should have been."

"Then my consciousness returned."

Kisaragi Akira recounted everything calmly, without hiding a thing.

As far as he was concerned, it wasn't much of a secret.

Compared to something as ridiculous as having a cheat ability, a secret of this magnitude involving his Zanpakuto barely seemed worth mentioning.

Besides, he truly didn't know what had happened to him.

Rather than struggle to investigate it himself, he might as well tell Aizen outright.

With his curiosity, Aizen would probably find it fascinating.

Aizen looked at the boy in front of him in astonishment. For the first time, he experienced someone else placing their trust in him.

He couldn't quite explain what he was feeling, but it was a peculiar sensation.

"Perhaps..."

Aizen's lips curved into a faint smile.

"To find out what happened to you, we could start with the Nikkotsu Shrine..."

Sorry for the late update today.

As for the relationship between the protagonist and Aizen, I'd like to write it as a friendship. After all, a lot of Bleach fanfiction treats Aizen as a boss to defeat. Looking at him another way for a change might give things a different feel.

Of course, please forgive me if I don't write it well. I'm just a nobody, but I'll work hard to improve.