"Heh heh, Kensei-kun, I feel you have some misunderstanding about me. I'm not a bad person, so why are you on guard against me?"
Looking at Aizen's sincere face, Kensei Kenzuru felt utterly baffled. Kubo never specified in the manga when Aizen started down the path of treachery; he was just depicted as thoroughly blackhearted from his very first appearance.
Could it be that Aizen is still a good guy at this point? Sigh, Kubo, Kubo, you've really done a number on me.
"You're right. I should trust you as much as I trust the Captain-Commander won't lose a hand."
What kind of analogy was that?
Giving Kensei a strange look, Aizen suspected his words held some deeper meaning, but he couldn't quite grasp it yet.
"So, Sōsuke, let's find a place and have a fight!"
Huh?!
What kind of mental leap was required to suddenly blurt out something like that? Aizen simply felt mentally exhausted at this point. Honestly, even scheming against those Captains would be easier than dealing with Kensei. Although the Captains were currently stronger than him, they were at least logical, normal people. But this guy Kensei was not only stronger than him, his train of thought also seemed to operate with almost zero logic.
"Does Kensei-kun, with his 4th-grade Rei'i, intend to bully the weak? Such behavior would shame the face of the 4th Division Captain."
Aizen tried to appeal to reason, but unfortunately, Kensei wasn't buying it at all.
"Just the two of us. If you don't tell and I don't tell, who would know? If someone finds out, it must be you who spread it. Then I'll just beat you up again, simple."
Aizen's breath hitched. If he weren't currently no match for Kensei, he would definitely teach this guy a lesson.
"Why doesn't Kensei-kun go find someone else?"
Taking a deep breath to calm his inner turmoil, Aizen tried to divert Kensei's attention away from himself. Kensei, who had his head resting on his hands, recalled the fearful looks his classmates gave him and shook his head.
"When two people are separated only by a river, they will try every means to get closer. But if an impassable chasm lies between them, then they can only go their separate ways."
"Where did you copy that from?"
Aizen flatly exposed Kensei, who was trying to act profound. Who would believe a brain like his could come up with such words?
"That's pure, original work, I'll have you know!"
"Heh heh."
"Sōsuke, this isn't the way back to the dorm, is it?"
The street they were walking on now was similar to the one they took back to the dorm at noon, but there were differences. Only when they stopped at an open space enveloped by a barrier did Aizen explain to Kensei.
"This is Training Ground Number 5. The barrier shields it, blocking most people's prying eyes."
"There's a place like this? And how do you know so much about it?"
"The flyers handed out during registration all have introductions. It would be strange not to know, wouldn't it?"
Watching Aizen pull out an Asauchi from somewhere as well, Kensei was somewhat curious if people in the Soul Society just carried several swords on them as standard. Purely from a talent perspective, Aizen was among the top tier in the Soul Society, later mastering Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō. Unfortunately, right now, both of them only knew Zanjutsu, so they could only swing their swords at each other, and even their use of spiritual pressure was crude.
"5th-grade Rei'i. You're really keeping a low profile, Sōsuke."
If not for Kensei, Aizen would still be quietly and discreetly developing at the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy until Hirako Shinji later sensed a hint of something amiss. Deep down, Aizen had always harbored pride, even arrogance. Being someone who entered the academy with 5th-grade Rei'i might not be unprecedented, but it was certainly unparalleled. Moreover, his spiritual pressure was still increasing at a not insignificant rate. This sense of pride filled his heart, even making him feel he and Shinigami weren't the same species.
Kensei's appearance created a crack in that inner pride. It turned out he wasn't the only anomaly; there was an even more exaggerated existence than himself. Although this guy's brain wasn't quite normal, he was indeed the only one Aizen could currently acknowledge as a peer.
Aizen rapidly learned Kensei's techniques, refined them, and used them to counterattack Kensei, only for Kensei to learn them right back. The two talent monsters continued their assault, pushing each other to their current limits. The originally smooth ground was now pitted and scarred, hard to believe it was the work of just two individuals who had just begun their journey as Shinigami.
"Time to end this, Sōsuke."
Aizen's spiritual pressure density ultimately couldn't match Kensei's; he was the first to feel fatigue. Hearing Kensei's words, he violently retreated to create distance, preparing to face Kensei's impending attack.
"Distance only has meaning when two opponents are evenly matched."
Instantly understanding the implication, Aizen's pupils contracted. The Kensei before his eyes vanished, and a hand had already landed on his chest. He could even feel Kensei's breath by his ear.
"If it were like this, I could touch your heart in an instant."
Aizen naturally knew Kensei spoke the truth. If this were a true life-or-death battle, he'd probably already have dispersed into spiritual particles. But feeling the warmth transmitted through Kensei's hand on his chest, Aizen's expression darkened, and his spiritual pressure uncontrollably surged.
*That's just unfair. Breaking through to 4th-grade Rei'i now? Is Aizen the real protagonist here?*
Blown back by the sudden surge of spiritual pressure, Kensei stared at Aizen in disbelief, momentarily unsure which of them was the one with the cheat. Watching the gradually calming Aizen, Kensei recalled the strange sensation when he had touched Aizen's chest earlier and offered a well-meaning reminder.
"Sōsuke, you didn't train your pectoral muscles properly. Do you have, like, a fatty chest or something?"
"What did you say?"
The already calming spiritual pressure surged violently once more. Kensei, somewhat depleted, was naturally no match for the newly upgraded, refreshed Aizen and could only be subjected to his onslaught.
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, Sōsuke, you just wait!"
Looking down at the still-defiant Kensei beneath him, Aizen, having vented his anger, felt a wave of fatigue and simply lay down on the ground next to Kensei. Kensei stopped his complaints; it was all just for show anyway, and Aizen hadn't used excessive force.
"I just said your pecs weren't toned well, that's all. At most, I'll work out with you later. I'm a fitness expert, you know."
"Shut up."
Enjoying a moment of quiet, Aizen Sōsuke temporarily set aside his inner scheming and abruptly asked a strange question.
"Kensei, what is our relationship right now?"
"Don't talk. Keep eating."
Aizen was taken aback, not understanding what eating had to do with his question, but instinct told him Kensei's words carried an unpleasant meaning.
"I'm serious."
"For now, I guess we're friends. At least you're not pretending to be the same as you are in the academy in front of me."
"For now, huh..."
"After all, it's not impossible we could become father and son someday later."
Completely speechless, Aizen simply got up, inwardly consoling himself that it was just mental training. Remembering he shared a dorm with Kensei, Aizen felt another headache coming on, convinced Kensei was sent by heaven to torment him.