4-4 Aizen's Secret Machinations

Urg!

Ngh...

Hold on a minute...

Kaname?!

............

Tell me, why did you do that...to Kensei?

You betrayed him! Your own captain!

He didn't betray him.

He's actually quite loyal. As a matter of fact, Kaname was just loyally following my orders.

You, of all people, can understand that. So please don't hold it against him, Captain Hirako.

So...suke!

I should have known it was you.

You mean you were on to me? That was very good.

When did you suspect?

From the beginning. From the time you were in your mother's womb, and maybe even before then.

To be perfectly honest, I always felt you were someone dangerous, someone who could never really be trusted.

And as long as we're telling the truth here, that's the real reason I chose you to be my lieutenant. I only did it to keep an eye on you, Sosuke.

Yes. I must thank you for that, Captain Hirako.

I depended on your deep distrust in me to make sure you kept watching. That's what made misleading you so simple.

During this past month, when you were so aware of my presence, it wasn't me who was following you.

What?!

I have a very useful ability. I can make anyone mistake any phenomenon for something else, at will. That is the true power of my Zanpakuto.

I refer to it by the common term "complete and utter hypnosis."

You're saying you hypnotized me?

You are a sharp intellect, Captain Hirako.

But you're suspicious, and that gave me an opening. You never received me as your second-in-command the way the other captains did. If you had, perhaps you might have been able to see through me.

However, you did not.

The fact is, you never realized that, at a certain point, I switched places with a completely different person.

You were too arrogant to believe that I was smart enough to be one step ahead of you. Because you never really knew who I was, you now lie there, completely helpless.

Sosuke!!!

Er...gah?!

I wasn't actually sure it would work, but thank you, Captain, for going for my cheap taunt.

Sosuke! What's going on?!

I see no reason to explain, Captain.

I believe it's time to finish you off, dear Captain Hirako.

In the end, I hope you'll remember one thing.

Any betrayal you can see is trivial. What is truly frightening and much more lethal...

...is the betrayal you cannot see.

Goodbye. I must commend you. You people have provided wonderful research material.

Gh...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Well...

Unexpected guests. How very interesting.

So, Lieutenant Aizen, what have you done?

Nothing.

As you can see, I happened upon the members of the soul investigation unit. They seem to have been injured in battle. I was merely trying to save their lives.

Injured in battle?

You call these injuries? You're dancing around the truth.

This is Hollowfication.

I see.

Your reputation surely precedes you. To tell the truth, I'm glad you came tonight.

Stop!

Clear out of the way, Captain Urahara!

Hado 88: Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!!!

Bakudo 81: Danku.

It can't be.

My Kido was stopped by a lieutenant using a Danku with no incantation?

Tessai...

Forgive me. It seems I let him escape.

Erh...raaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Shinji!

We must deal with Sosuke and the others, but later. First, we need to treat Captain Hirako and his group!

Hm, perhaps. But with the Hollowfication so far along, we can't treat him here.

Captain Urahara. Forgive me, but it appears you know more about this situation than I thought.

If that is the case, then I assume you may also know how to undo all of this.

Yes, I know. But the technique is risky.

I see.

We'll have to transport all eight of them in their current condition. We can take them to Squad 12's barracks.

But in their current condition? They can't move. How can we...?

We will use time-stop and teleportation techniques.

Both of the techniques are strictly forbidden.

Which is why I suggest that you close your eyes and stop listening for the next few moments.