"Master..."
Masatsuki Aozaki called out softly.
"Hm?"
Yamamoto turned to him, his expression questioning.
Seeing Masatsuki hesitate, a flicker of expectation rose in Yamamoto's heart.
This brat... So he's not completely heartless after all.
Did I impress him?
But under Yamamoto's watchful gaze, Masatsuki Aozaki let out a long sigh and spoke slowly.
"Old man, I'll admit... you do look pretty damn cool right now."
Hearing this, Yamamoto secretly felt pleased with himself.
But before he could bask in that pride, Masatsuki's next words struck like a sudden blow.
"But... if you keep this up, don't blame me when the barracks are reduced to rubble."
"What?!"
Yamamoto's face twisted in alarm as he quickly turned around.
Before his eyes, the 1st Division barracks lay in ruins—shattered tiles, charred beams, and lingering embers painting a scene of utter devastation.
The proud stronghold of the Gotei 13 had been swallowed by flames, its collapse imminent.
...
"That damn old man is unbelievable!"
"He burned down the barracks himself, and now he wants me to pay for the repairs?!"
Masatsuki Aozaki sprawled across the table, his face full of frustration.
"And the worst part? He had the audacity to call it an 'advance payment' for my protection fee! The nerve!"
"As if it's set in stone that I'll end up fighting Zero Division."
"Hah! Has he ever stopped to consider that he's so old, a strong breeze might shatter his bones?"
"Why would I ever need his protection? Don't you think so, Aizen?"
...
Deep beneath Seireitei, inside a secret underground laboratory—
Masatsuki Aozaki vented his frustration to Aizen, ranting about a certain greedy old man.
Aizen, meanwhile, sat silently before a massive screen.
The pale light reflected off his glasses, creating a glare that concealed his eyes.
He was reviewing data intently, only giving an occasional, half-hearted nod to show he was technically listening.
"...Who did you just say you're about to fight?"
Aizen suddenly asked, his voice calm yet oddly sharp.
"Zero Division! What, are your ears going bad now?"
Masatsuki shot back, irritated.
"?!..."
Aizen's body stiffened for a solid two seconds—
Then, in an instant, his head snapped up, his eyes widening in shock as he stared at Masatsuki Aozaki.
Is it finally happening?
"Zero Division?!"
His voice trembled slightly.
"Yeah! Didn't I tell you? I'm heading to the Soul King Palace soon."
Masatsuki tilted his chin upward, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"The Soul King Palace?!"
Aizen's breath hitched. His expression, usually unreadable, was now filled with unconcealed excitement—
Like he'd been waiting a very long time to hear those words.
But before he could speak, Masatsuki Aozaki shook his head and laughed.
"Relax. We're just going for a little sightseeing tour. No one's starting a war."
...A tour?
For a split second, Aizen just stared.
Then realization dawned.
What a waste of my excitement.
After a brief silence, he added in a calm tone,
"If you get the chance, don't forget to gather intel on the Soul King Palace and Zero Division."
"If I can obtain detailed information about them, I might be able to devise some countermeasures in advance."
Upon hearing this, Masatsuki Aozaki showed no sign of joy. Instead, a trace of pain flashed across his face as he looked at Aizen and asked,
"Aren't you even a little worried about my safety? I'm your best friend!"
Aizen merely glanced at him before withdrawing his gaze, focusing back on his own matters without a word.
Masatsuki Aozaki: "?"
What's with this attitude?
As he pondered whether to secretly swap Aizen's beloved tofu snacks with the eggs he despised the next time he was away, Aizen suddenly looked up. A flicker of exasperation flashed in his eyes as he spoke with a hint of amusement,
"You sly and scheming bastard. Since you've decided to go, you must be confident in your ability to survive."
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a knowing smirk.
"That means the chances of you running into danger are pretty low. Of course, that doesn't mean it's impossible."
"But you've evolved into a being beyond even me—how could you possibly lose to them?"
Masatsuki Aozaki raised an eyebrow and let out a small chuckle.
"Oh… so you really have that much faith in me."
He walked over to Aizen, a smug grin spreading across his face.
Aizen gave him a flat look and responded,
"I only have faith in myself and the Hōgyoku."
"After all, the Hōgyoku is my creation."
But Masatsuki Aozaki simply slung an arm around Aizen's shoulder, waved a hand dismissively, and grinned.
"Come on now, no need to be so shy, Aizen-chan. There's nothing wrong with being honest with your good friend."
Completely ignoring Aizen's twitching eye, he continued speaking as if he hadn't noticed.
Aizen's expression darkened.
You little—stop giving me such ridiculous nicknames!
Though he was inwardly exasperated, he maintained his usual composed demeanor, adjusting his glasses as he replied indifferently,
"If you're just here to talk nonsense, you can leave now."
Masatsuki Aozaki, however, didn't leave. Instead, he suddenly asked with a serious expression,
"Sōsuke… we're good friends, right?"
Aizen frowned slightly. After a brief hesitation, he answered,
"Reluctantly… I suppose."
Masatsuki Aozaki pressed on,
"And good friends should have each other's backs, right?"
Aizen's lips curled into a barely noticeable smirk.
"I wouldn't know about having each other's backs, but if you want me to stab you twice, I'm quite skilled at that."
Masatsuki Aozaki sighed helplessly and, after a pause, called out Aizen's name again,
"Sōsuke…"
"I'll be leaving everything in your hands while I'm gone!"
Aizen fell silent for a moment before replying in a low voice,
"Is that really all you wanted to say? Words like that shouldn't be coming from you."
He paused, then added coolly,
"Trust and dependence are the habits of the weak. For people like us, they're unnecessary."
Masatsuki Aozaki grinned, stood up, and asked teasingly,
"Do you really believe that?"
"…Of course!"
Aizen's response was a little sharper than usual, his irritation clear.
He knew this kind of conversation didn't suit his persona. It was a sign of weakness, yet he couldn't entirely suppress his emotions. This felt too much like a farewell, and that wasn't something he wanted to hear.
As that thought crossed his mind, his brows furrowed, a vague frustration welling up inside him.
However, at that moment—
Smack!
Masatsuki Aozaki's palm landed heavily on his shoulder.
The sheer force behind it was enough to shake him, but strangely, it carried an oddly reassuring weight.
Aizen narrowed his eyes, about to reprimand him for his rudeness, when he saw Masatsuki Aozaki grinning at him with a comforting smile.
"Relax, Sōsuke. There's nothing to be afraid of."
"This old man's life is tough—I won't die over something this trivial."
"Just wait for me. I still owe you a boss fight, and there's no way I'm dying before we finish it!"
…He could've left that last sentence out.
Aizen silently retorted in his mind.
He had no objections to Masatsuki Aozaki referring to himself as "old man."
According to Masatsuki Aozaki, friendship was an unstable concept—a quantum entanglement that could shift between "father" and "son" at any given moment.