Chapter 23: Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, Su Xiao
Su Xiao stepped into the residence and casually slid the door shut behind him.
"Although we're not exactly good people, there's no need to keep the lights off, is there?"
From the two people inside the room, Su Xiao had already identified them through their aura.
"Bai Ye, why do you always insist on placing yourself on the side of evil?"
The figure in the darkness spoke—it was Aizen.
"Because I'm not hypocritical."
"..."
Aizen chuckled, feeling that Su Xiao was calling him hypocritical. Since the three present were all on the same side, Aizen didn't bother to put on his usual kindly facade.
An oil lamp was lit, casting a dim yellow glow across the room. Besides Aizen, Ichimaru Gin was also there, wearing his perpetual smirk.
"So, it's just the three of us against the entire Soul Society? If that's the case, I'm opting out."
Su Xiao sat cross-legged by the wooden table at the center of the room, with Aizen and Ichimaru Gin on the other two sides. In front of Ichimaru Gin was a plate of persimmon cakes, which he occasionally nibbled on—his favorite snack.
Su Xiao naturally knew the extent of Aizen's influence, but for now, he had to act ignorant.
"Of course not, but at the moment, we really do only have four people."
Aizen wouldn't let Su Xiao back out, or rather, this was a ship of thieves—once you boarded, there was no getting off.
"Four people. What a formidable force. The good news is, we actually have five."
"Five?"
Aizen's brow furrowed. Having Su Xiao join was a necessity due to circumstances, but if Su Xiao had recruited a Shinigami on his own, Aizen would never allow it.
"That guy's name is Kage. I have control over his life and death. He doesn't know about your affairs, and his combat power is roughly at the captain level. He's not from the Gotei 13."
"Any issues?"
Although Aizen was short on manpower, he was cautious.
"Do you think I'd gamble with my own life?"
"In that case, we'll decide based on the situation."
"Fine."
Su Xiao didn't hide Kage's existence. In fact, he would need Kage's combat power soon enough. Rather than skulking around, it was better to be straightforward.
"Bai Ye, there's something I need to ask clearly."
"What is it?"
Su Xiao lit a cigarette. There was no need for pretense here.
"How strong are you in combat?"
Aizen asked casually, but this was actually a question he was very eager to know the answer to, since Su Xiao had never shown his hand.
"If I were to rank the thirteen captains by strength, I could take down anyone below the seventh without issue."
"Oh?"
Aizen looked somewhat surprised. In his estimation, having Su Xiao at vice-captain level would already be a pleasant surprise, given he was a researcher.
"If I couldn't protect myself, how could I have infiltrated the Gotei 13? Speaking of which, if we go to war with Soul Society, who's going to deal with Old Man Yamamoto Genryusai? You're not expecting me to handle him, are you?"
Hearing Su Xiao's words, Ichimaru Gin stopped chewing his persimmon cake.
"Do you want me dead?"
"Then how about you take him on, Aizen?"
"..."
Aizen smiled. He couldn't handle Yamamoto Genryusai either at this point, but he then began to outline his series of plans.
Before going to war with Soul Society, Aizen had already spent years building his influence in Hueco Mundo. Currently, Aizen was in a covert phase. As for why he was lying low in the Gotei 13, the goal was simple: to perfect the Hogyoku.
If he obtained a complete Hogyoku and merged it into his body, Aizen's strength would rapidly increase according to his desires, provided his will remained unshaken.
In short, the Hogyoku was a simplified version of a wish-granting device, enhancing the user's power based on their intentions, within the bounds of possibility.
Su Xiao had no interest in the Hogyoku. In his view, it was highly unstable. He could never understand its principles, and honestly, could strength born from the Hogyoku really be reliable?
Aizen craved the Hogyoku. There were two creators of the Hogyoku: one was Urahara Kisuke, and the other was Aizen himself.
Urahara Kisuke had created an incomplete Hogyoku, but before him, Aizen had already produced a half-finished version. Whether by coincidence or fate, both of their Hogyoku were incomplete.
After creating the Hogyoku, Urahara Kisuke realized its danger and sealed it inside a baby girl in the Rukongai. That baby was named Rukia.
Now, Aizen's goal was to seize the Hogyoku within Rukia, merge the two incomplete Hogyoku, and attempt to create a complete one.
Whether it was Rukia's encounter with Kurosaki Ichigo in the Human World or her capture, everything was orchestrated by Aizen. He even killed everyone in the Central 46 Chamber and used Kyoka Suigetsu to hypnotize the relevant parties.
As the Gotei 13's judicial body, the Central 46 Chamber was now under Aizen's control, allowing him to sentence Kuchiki Rukia to death.
Aizen's plan was intricately layered. From the current situation, there were no flaws.
"That's roughly my plan. For now, we can't shake Soul Society, but with a complete Hogyoku, it'll be different."
After laying out his plan, Aizen looked at Su Xiao with a smile.
"So, after all this, your goal is just that half-finished Hogyoku inside Kuchiki Rukia?"
"Exactly. I've prepared many backup plans for this..."
Aizen briefly explained the contingency plans.
"After all that scheming, your aim is simply to seize the Hogyoku and incidentally cultivate an opponent?"
Su Xiao felt that Aizen enjoyed manipulating others. Ordinary people couldn't pull off what Aizen had done—he had the entire Soul Society dancing in his palm.
"This is safer. If..."
Judging by Aizen's expression, he seemed ready to launch into a detailed explanation of his grand scheme. Su Xiao waved his hand. He wasn't good at scheming, and listening to it gave him a headache.
When Su Xiao explained alchemy, Aizen also got a headache. And when Aizen narrated his grand plan, Su Xiao felt the same way—clearly, they were mutually torturing each other.
Ichimaru Gin remained calm, having eaten who knows how many persimmon cakes.
"The plan has reached its most critical stage. The three of us need to play different roles."
Aizen pulled a letter from his pocket and handed it to Su Xiao.
"In the next few days, I will be 'killed.' Ichimaru Gin will play the role of the 'murderer.' And as my close friend, Bai Ye, you need to be 'hostile' toward Ichimaru Gin and investigate the cause of my death."
Aizen finally revealed the reason he had summoned Su Xiao here. The letter in Su Xiao's hand was written by Aizen to his vice-captain, Hinamori Momo.
The letter had three main points: first, that Aizen sensed his life was nearing its end; second, to tell Hinamori Momo to be 'strong'; and third, to frame Hitsugaya Toshiro.
The key driver of all this would be that little rabbit, Hinamori Momo.
"Murderer?"
Ichimaru Gin seemed intrigued, taking the letter from Su Xiao.
"If there are no issues, we'll proceed with tonight's plan."
Aizen seemed in good spirits, as his long-prepared plan was finally coming to a close.
"Your role is way too easy—you get to be a dead man."
Ichimaru Gin tossed the letter aside. In this plan, he had the worst role, being the prime suspect in Aizen's murder.