The Unforgiven from Shinigami
7:10 a. m.
This is the time when the Shinigami are on duty. Apart from the soldiers on leave, there is basically no one else in the barracks.
Aizen isn't on vacation today.
Shiraishi came, then left, and when he returned, he wasn't wearing his conspicuous Captain's Haori and Shihakushō. Instead, he was completely wrapped in a black cloth from head to toe, resembling a mummy.
To prevent any surveillance methods from being used inside the house.
He peeked through the crack in the door, making sure there was no note or barrier, before gently opening the sliding door.
Inside is Aizen's bedroom, which is very simple, with a small table and a standing lamp.
There was nothing else.
Shiraishi's heart sank.
If that's the case, Kūkaku might not be hiding here.
Despite his thoughts, he still decided to come in and take a look. He opened the closet, and on the top shelf were neatly folded blankets, and on the bottom shelf were his Shihakushō and Captain's Haori.
Shiraishi tried moving things around or searching for hidden compartments, but to no avail.
His gaze shifted to the table, which he easily lifted and touched all over, but the table remained unresponsive.
I turned the light around and removed the lampshade.
The bedroom has no hidden spaces or enclosed areas; it's a very simple bedroom.
Knowing this, Shiraishi sighed inwardly and decided to try his luck in Gin Ichimaru's bedroom and Kaname Tōsen's bedroom.
Then there's the three people's work area.
If there's no result, then continue monitoring.
If Kūkaku is hiding in Seireitei, someone must feed her.
If there's no movement, it means the person might be hiding in Hueco Mundo.
He didn't believe that Aizen had gone to so much trouble to hide it just to give Kūkaku one more night to live.
Shiraishi put everything back in its place, stepped outside, closed the door, and then headed towards the Third Division with a Steel Tempest.
The team barracks were also very quiet.
Gin Ichimaru's room is simple in style, without even a small table, just a standing lamp, and the mattress is laid directly on the tatami.
The upper shelf of the closet was empty, while the lower shelf held Shihakushō and Captain's Haori.
Shiraishi couldn't find any hidden compartments, so he had to leave. The next room was Kaname Tōsen's.
Unsurprisingly, there were no results.
Kaname Tōsen's room was even simpler, without even a lamp, just a straw mat and a blanket that looked like it had been used for many years and was faded.
Shiraishi searched the entire room but found no hidden compartments, so he had to give up and run back to the Fifth Division to monitor Aizen's actions.
His ability to conceal his Reiatsu allowed him to stay very close, just outside the window.
Being so close made Shiraishi sense something was amiss; Aizen's immense Reiatsu seemed to be mixed with some other power.
It's impossible to determine whether it's correct.
Because Aizen's Reiatsu is so immense, maintaining such keen perception could easily cause him to hallucinate.
He gently wiped the sweat from his forehead, noticed other Reiatsu passing by, so he used Steel Tempest to leave, and once the others were gone, he landed back on the ground.
The room was quiet, except for the soft scratching of the brush on the paper.
Aizen was focused on his work, and when he did speak, it was always to instruct Momo Hinamori on how to do things.
Shiraishi then went to the Third Division and the Ninth Division, taking turns without stopping. All three of them were handling official business and basically did not leave.
Around noon, Aizen stopped reviewing documents, turned to Hinamori, and said, " Hinamori, it's time to eat."
" Captain Aizen, Hitsugaya in the hospital. I want to go see him."
Momo Hinamori was a little embarrassed, "I'm afraid I won't have time to make you lunch today."
"It's nothing," Aizen replied with a smile, secretly wishing Hitsugaya stay in the hospital for a few more days.
Momo Hinamori's lunch was... well, let's just say it wasn't very good.
Aizen couldn't directly say that the food was too strong, so he could only grit his teeth and swallow the dishes.
Who would have thought that beneath Momo Hinamori's cute appearance, she has such a strong palate for food, with all dishes being extremely salty, and she can easily eat a whole bowl of rice in one bite.
Aizen has decided to learn how to cook while Momo Hinamori is away at noon, so as to avoid further suffering to his tongue.
"Then I'll take my leave." Momo Hinamori stood up, bowed, and walked towards the door.
Aizen tidied up the documents on his desk and left the office.
Shiraishi waited patiently for a while, then climbed in through the window. In three seconds, he quickly surveyed the entire office, even taking out every book to check for any hidden mechanisms or barriers.
Finding nothing, he left the Fifth Division and searched the office of Gin Ichimaru in the Third Division, then searched the office of Kaname Tōsen in the Ninth Division.
The three of them did not set up any darkrooms in their work area.
Shiraishi had no choice but to keep watch.
Kaname Tōsen's midday routine consists of eating, returning to the barracks for a nap, and so on—very regular.
Then look at Gin Ichimaru, who has a rather unique personality. He lies directly on a thick tree branch, with his hands behind his head and his eyes half-closed, making it unclear whether he is asleep or not.
After waiting patiently for a while, a bold idea suddenly popped into Shiraishi's mind.
Gin Ichimaru has no loyalty to Aizen, and he might be able to use Rangiku Matsumoto to coerce him into revealing Kūkaku Shiba's whereabouts.
The idea was tempting, but after careful consideration, Shiraishi rejected it.
Gin Ichimaru is not someone who is easily intimidated. He is patient and intelligent, and he is unlikely to betray Aizen before the situation becomes clear.
If, in the end, the threat fails and instead exposes your hidden advantage, then things will not go well.
Shiraishi quietly retreated from there, then went to monitor Aizen's actions, repeating this process until nightfall.
He found nothing unusual, but he wasn't discouraged; the trio had managed to stay in Seireitei for so many years without being exposed.
Putting aside the Kyōka Suigetsu, to a large extent, they were all fulfilling their responsibilities as team leaders very well, without any major flaws.
If it doesn't work during the day, surely it'll slip up at night?
With this thought in mind, he endured the cold wind all night and the warm wind all day.
As the sun set, the trio remained largely silent, as if nothing had happened, continuing their daily routine.
The calm only deepened Shiraishi's suspicions. The situation in Seireitei was unstable, yet the three traitors were actually working diligently.
They definitely have something to hide.
Kūkaku will most likely be imprisoned in Hueco Mundo.
Shiraishi made up his mind to go to Hueco Mundo and leave without continuing to monitor Aizen.
Aizen in the corridor paused, looking towards the sky to his right.
Behind her, Momo Hinamori asked, " Captain Aizen, is there something over there?"
"It's nothing, just the sunset."
Aizen said, turning his gaze away, "Yesterday I learned how to cook noodles from the chef in the kitchen. I'll make you some noodles tonight."
"Eh, really?"
Momo Hinamori looked on in disbelief.
"Of course, I can't always eat the food you cook for me."
Aizen smiled slightly, his mood improving, and the feeling of being watched but unable to pinpoint his location disappeared.
Just as he had guessed, Shunsui Kyōraku held a skeptical attitude towards what happened back then.
Now, having noticed something amiss in Byakuya Kuchiki's report, their suspicions about him have greatly intensified.
When Aizen was plotting to poison Tsunayashiro Tokinada, he had already considered this possibility. Instead of trying to hide it, he decided to target Kyōraku.
It was Kisuke Urahara and his group's sudden action that was outside his plan.
However, it was also quite interesting.
Aizen pushed up his glasses; the more opponents there were on the chessboard, the more interesting it became.