Bleach: I'm picking up attributes in Seireitei

Fifth Division barracks, vice-captain's office.

Aizen Sousuke sat alone at his desk, the moonlight streaming through the paper window and reflecting a cool light onto his glasses.

His fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound.

"Wang Xun..."

He murmured the name.

The conversation we had at the training ground that afternoon is now playing clearly in my mind.

The white-haired boy's flawless expression, subtle movements, and cautious answers.

"The spiritual power is controlled at around level 12, but the fluctuations are slight. It's hard to say whether it's being deliberately concealed."

"The incantation for the Crimson Fire Cannon is quite precise, but the spiritual pressure output is slightly insufficient. It seems that the power has been intentionally reduced."

"After showing delight at the vice-captain's invitation, he hesitated and declined, which may indicate that he had his eye on other teams, but it seemed a bit deliberate."

Aizen picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

"What are you hiding, Wang Xun?"

He got up and walked to the window, looking in the direction of the True Central Spiritual Arts Academy.

Aizen's thoughts drifted back to many years ago.

At that time, he was just an ordinary member of the Fifth Division.

He is exceptionally talented, but never boasts about it.

Every task was completed just right, neither so badly as to cause dissatisfaction nor so well as to attract attention.

He carefully controlled his behavior, like a spider lurking in the shadows, quietly weaving its web.

Until he mastered the illusion of a mirage.

Until he discovered the secret of the Hogyoku.

"Speaking of which, you're somewhat like me."

Aizen murmured to himself, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"Hide, observe, and react appropriately at the right time."

"I just don't know how deep your capacity truly is."

Aizen returned to his desk and turned to another page of the report.

It records all of Wang Xun's grades over the past five years since he enrolled.

The historical achievements of Zhanquan Zougui, as well as the results of theoretical and cultural courses, are listed in detail.

Overall assessment: Below average in the elite class, but with the potential for steady improvement.

Aizen chuckled softly.

He recalled their encounter a few days earlier in the valley of West Second District.

Did he really not notice us at the time?

Aizen had always harbored doubts.

If he did discover it, how did he find out?

"An unusually keen perception of the spiritual energy fluctuations of the Kido? No, that doesn't seem like it... Could it be that it senses the power of the Hogyoku?"

Aizen pushed up his glasses, and a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes behind the lenses.

Regardless of which one it is, it is worth further observation.

But observation requires a closer distance.

What's needed is a little testing.

The moonlight moved, illuminating his serene profile.

His expression remained gentle.

But it added a touch of playfulness.

The dean of the Shinigami Academy is concurrently held by the third seat of the Fifth Division, so as the vice-captain of the Fifth Division, Aizen could easily check some of the academy's arrangements.

He pulled out the schedule for this semester from the Academy of Spiritual Arts.

"Soul Burial Practice in the Present World, Elite Class of Five Reincarnations, in three weeks."

In the present world, the appearance of the unpredictable is the most suitable place to arrange an accident.

Aizen picked up his pen and began writing something on a sticky note.

With a creak, the office door was pushed open.

Aizen subtly placed the note aside, and when he looked up at the person who had arrived, a gentle smile was already on his face.

"Captain Hirako, you're still up so late?"

Shinji Hirako leaned against the door frame, his long golden hair gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

He tilted his head, scrutinizing Aizen with his unique, slightly lazy yet sharp gaze.

"You weren't asleep either, were you, Lieutenant Aizen?"

Hirako walked in slowly, drawing out her words.

"What kind of paperwork requires our 'Clerical Dragon' to work tirelessly through the night to complete? Do you need my help?"

He walked to the table, picked up the document on it that recorded the schedule for this term of the Shinigami Academy, and began to read it.

"It's just a routine arrangement for some spiritual arts academy internships, Captain Hirako."

Aizen smiled.

"These are trivial matters that you shouldn't need to worry about."

Hirako looked through it once and found nothing unusual.

His eyes flickered, and he placed the document on the table, seemingly oblivious to the conspicuous sticky note on the table beside him.

Like a mirage or the moon's reflection in water.

Hirako withdrew his hand and tucked it into the sleeve of his shihaka uniform.

"A small matter? There are no small matters when it comes to student safety."

He snorted.

"Moreover, things have been quite unsettled in both Rukongai and the human world lately, with an increase in the number of souls disappearing without a trace. I wonder if those incompetent officers in the 10th Division who are in charge of security patrols are actually doing their jobs properly."

He walked halfway around the desk, finally stopping opposite Aizen. He leaned down, his usually half-closed eyes now fully open, staring directly at Aizen.

"I heard that there was a big fire in the second western district of Rukongai. The 12th Division sent people to investigate and found abnormal spiritual pressure fluctuations. But unfortunately, they can't find out who did it."

Aizen frowned slightly, his expression serious.

"That's really bad. It's possible that a Shinigami was secretly training Kido over there and it happened by accident."

"That's hard to say."

Hirako straightened up, his tone not clearly directed at anyone.

"Speaking of which, there have been many more cases of Hollows attacking Shinigami and Rukongai spirits lately. Strangely, our support team always receives the news inexplicably late."

"This is indeed our dereliction of duty. The Captain-Commander even called me over and gave me a dressing down. Tell me, why did this happen, Aizen..."

"I'm sorry, Captain Hirako, I will do my best to investigate which part went wrong, and this kind of thing will not happen again."

A brief silence fell between the two, the air in the office seemed to freeze, with only the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Hirako stared at Aizen for a long time, and finally clicked his tongue.

"never mind."

He turned around and walked towards the door.

"Aizen, you better remember, do your job properly and I won't cause you any trouble."

He stopped at the doorway, turned his head to the side, and the moonlight illuminated half of his face, while the other half was hidden in shadow.

"But if you are really plotting something that is detrimental to Soul Society, then I will personally find you out."

After saying that, he opened the door and went out.

Aizen sat there, the smile on his face gradually fading.

He took off his glasses, took out a piece of velvet cloth from his pocket, and slowly wiped the lenses.

His glasses were spotless, reflecting his calm eyes.

"Captain Hirako," Aizen murmured to himself, "your intuition is as sharp as ever..."

Unfortunately, intuition cannot be used as evidence.

He put his glasses back on, finished writing the note, carefully folded it, and put it into a specially made envelope.

The envelope was unmarked, but he knew it would be in the hands of someone he could command the next morning.

He has already drafted special arrangements for the fifth reincarnation's on-the-world internship.

After doing all this, Aizen walked to the full-length mirror in his office.

The person in the mirror is neatly dressed and has a gentle expression. Anyone who sees him would think he is a humble and reliable leader and partner.

The moonlight moved, illuminating the entire mirror surface.

Aizen, reflected in the mirror, had a subtle smile playing on his lips.

Aizen, seen through the mirror, still wore that gentle smile.

The mirror and the outside world overlap and merge.

They are indistinguishable.