A Meeting at Night

Soon, Shinji Hirako and Aizen had walked out of the Ninth Division's gate and left along the path they had come from.

Kaname Tōsen also stopped in his tracks.

He flicked his fingertips, and the letter turned to dust under the influence of his Reiatsu.

When Aizen's Reiatsu appeared in the Ninth Division, Kaname Tōsen was prepared.

As expected, Lord Aizen had indeed come to see him.

The letter included a time and place, and he was to meet with someone later for further instructions.

In the distance, another low growl came from the direction of the underground prison.

It's that Adjuchas.

When this Adjuchas was brought in, Kaname Tōsen sensed it.

Its Reiatsu felt somewhat familiar, like one of Lord Aizen's experiments from some time ago, but I never expected it to end up here.

Shinji Hirako also appeared just now. He has been causing a lot of interference with Lord Aizen's plans recently, which is probably related to today's events.

Later, Kaname Tōsen gathered his thoughts and walked away, waiting for night to fall.

At night, on the west side of Rukongai, there is an abandoned warehouse.

Kaname Tōsen stood in the shadows of the warehouse and waited patiently.

It was very quiet all around, with only the sound of the wind and the occasional chirping of birds in the distance.

Soon after, footsteps approached from afar.

Very light, very slow.

It's like someone taking a walk and accidentally wandering here.

Kaname Tōsen the shadows and bowed slightly to the newcomer.

"Lord Aizen."

Aizen's figure appeared under the moonlight.

"Yes, it's been a long time."

Kaname Tōsen straightened up and listened quietly to Aizen's words.

"Being confined at home must be tough."

"Your subordinate is incompetent and has caused you trouble, sir."

"No, what you did didn't have any impact. There's no need to worry about it."

Aizen looked at him, his gentle eyes devoid of any emotion.

"Furthermore, Kensei Muguruma's punishment of you was very lenient; he didn't pursue the matter further, which shows that he still trusts you, which is good."

"Continue to build good relationships with your teammates; this will lay the foundation for your future role as captain."

Kaname Tōsen agreed softly, paused for a moment, and then asked in a low voice.

"Sir, have you summoned me here today with a new task?"

Aizen did not answer immediately.

He turned around, walked to the broken window of the warehouse, and looked out at the quiet night.

His voice came through, calm and composed.

"Yes, do you still remember the Punishment Force soldiers who stopped you that day, Amamiya Shin?"

Kaname Tōsen was slightly taken aback.

Of course he remembered, but why would Aizen suddenly bring it up?

"What does Lord Aizen mean?"

"Try to recall his Reiatsu; does it seem familiar?"

Kaname Tōsen frowned slightly. Come to think of it, it does seem somewhat...

Then, Kaname Tōsen's expression froze; he remembered.

He had even gone to the Spiritual Arts Academy to investigate this person's information, but in the heat of the moment that day, he hadn't made the connection.

Now that Aizen had asked him that, he finally understood.

"Is it... that student from the Shin'ō Academy?"

After Kaname Tōsen speaking, Aizen's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Is it really him?"

"Yes."

Kaname Tōsen answered truthfully, his expression showing slight surprise.

Aizen recalled that long ago, during the World of the Living Konsō, the Sixth Seat of the Fifth Division made a probing attack, and at that time, Wang Xun could only barely parry.

And now, they're actually able to spar with Kaname Tōsen?

"He's actually able to stop your attacks?"

Upon hearing Aizen's question, Kaname Tōsen frowned in thought, recalling his battle with Wang Xun.

"This person is quite strong, almost at the level of a high- Seated Officer. I unleashed my Zanpakuto at the time, but I still couldn't defeat him in a short period of time."

Aizen turned around.

"It seems he's made considerable progress during his time in the Second Division."

Aizen silent for a moment.

"Anything else? Did you discover anything unusual?"

Kaname Tōsen a moment.

"I don't know his Zanpakuto abilities yet, but it's not easy for him to defeat Amamiya Shin and hold out against me for a while until Kisuke Urahara appeared."

"Apart from that, nothing else was found."

Aizen listened quietly without saying a word.

After a long silence, he spoke softly.

"During your confinement, have you heard anything about this person?"

Kaname Tōsen was slightly taken aback.

"Never heard of it."

Aizen smiled slightly and said softly.

"This person is currently Kaidō in the Fourth Division, and it seems that Captain Unohana values him highly."

Upon hearing Aizen's voice, Kaname Tōsen was stunned.

Fourth Division?

Wasn't he from the Second Division? How did he end up in the Fourth Division?

Kaname Tōsen frowned slightly, somewhat unable to understand.

"Sir," he began hesitantly, "You mean..."

Aizen turned around.

"I was just thinking, how could a fifth-time graduate of the Shin'ō Academy, who has only been in the Second Division for a few months, simultaneously gain the favor of Unohana..."

"I thought he wouldn't have any more outstanding performances, but now, it seems there are some new surprises."

Kaname Tōsen listened in silence, then seemed to be deep in thought.

"You said that he appeared at Amamiya Shin's place that day to participate in the investigation. Could there be another reason behind that?"

Aizen chuckled, somewhat surprised by Kaname Tōsen's sudden idea.

"No, it has nothing to do with this. You're overthinking it."

Kaname Tōsen silent for a long time before raising his head and speaking in a deep voice.

"Sir, should I investigate this person's background further?"

Aizen looked at him.

A subtle hint of helplessness flickered in those gentle eyes.

What's going on? We're actually going against him.

"No need for now, this won't affect our plans."

As he passed by Kaname Tōsen, he paused for a moment.

"Get rid of Adjuchas in your team first, then we'll make other plans."

Upon Kaname Tōsen nodded slightly.

Aizen had already walked out of the warehouse, taken a few steps, then suddenly stopped, but didn't turn back.

He gazed in the direction of the Seireitei and uttered a soft sentence.

"Recently, the development of the Hōgyoku has encountered some bottlenecks. You'll need to put more effort into this aspect."

Kaname Tōsen was taken aback by what he heard, and then solemnly responded.

"Yes."

Then, Aizen walked away.

His figure gradually blended into the night and disappeared.

It was quiet all around, except for the wind, which whistled softly through the dilapidated window frames of the abandoned warehouse.

Kaname Tōsen stood still and waited quietly.

Then, he lowered his head and returned to the Seireitei in another direction.

At the same time.

Inside the temporary dormitory where Wang Xun was located in the Fourth Division.

Although encountering Aizen caught him somewhat off guard, it didn't dampen his cheerful mood as he reflected on the day's events.

During the treatment he received from Captain Unohana, he gained nearly two thousand points of Reiatsu and fragments of Kidō experience.

[Spiritual Might: Rank 7 (Experience: 9350/12000)]

[Kidō: Iv5 (Experience: 3850/8000)]

If I could participate in this Kaidō of recovery treatment every day under Captain Unohana's guidance...

Then, reaching level 6 in the Kidō is just around the corner.