"Ugh..."
A soft groan escaped Aizen's lips as his eyes fluttered open. The world around him was blurred, colours and shapes melting together in an unfocused haze.
He blinked once. Then again. Slowly, his vision sharpened.
The sky above was dull and overcast. The smell of damp earth lingered in the air.
"Here. Drink this."
A bottle appeared in front of his face. Without thinking, Aizen took it. His fingers were still trembling slightly as he looked up at the one who had handed it to him.
Miyuki.
She didn't say anything more. Just crouched beside him with that usual calm, unreadable expression.
He didn't drink right away. His lips stayed pressed together as his eyes shifted, scanning their surroundings.
This wasn't the battlefield.
The trees were different. There were no signs of a fight.
"Where are Kaito-sensei and Nozomi-san?" Aizen asked, voice dry and hoarse.
He didn't wait for an answer. His sharp gaze swept the area again, already noticing the distance between this place and where he had fought. Someone must have moved him.
Miyuki opened her mouth to respond but stopped halfway.
Because she didn't need to anymore.
A shadow passed over them.
A moment later, two figures leapt down from the treetops and landed smoothly near the group.
Nozomi skidded to a halt, a wide grin stretched across his face. "Yo, you're up! Man, you scared the hell out of us!"
Kaito followed right behind, his expression far more composed. His eyes quickly locked onto Aizen, scanning him top to bottom.
"Good."
"You held up better than expected," Kaito said simply, folding his arms. "Still, don't move too much yet."
Aizen didn't respond right away. He stared at the two of them a moment longer as if he was making sure they were real and not just flickers in a chakra-induced haze.
Only when the tension in his shoulders slowly began to ease did he let out a breath.
He leaned back against the tree trunk behind him and brought the bottle to his lips.
After a few sips, he lowered it and asked, his voice quiet but clear, "Were they from another village?"
Kaito gave a slow nod.
"Yes."
He didn't elaborate, but the way Nozomi and Miyuki remained silent said enough. They already knew. It had likely been confirmed while Aizen was unconscious.
Aizen didn't push further.
He just stared down at the ground, watching how the dirt stuck to his sandals. His hand tightened slightly around the bottle, knuckles going pale.
"I still can't believe you actually killed him!" Nozomi burst out suddenly, his tone part awe, part excitement. "He was a full-grown shinobi! And you, you just bam!" He mimed the motion with his hands, complete with sound effects. "Clean hit to the neck, like a freaking movie scene."
Kaito didn't speak.
He didn't have to.
His glare cut through Nozomi's ramble like a kunai through paper.
The older Genin flinched.
"Ah, right. Sorry. I mean. It was cool, but yeah… not the time."
He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, then took a few steps away and busied himself pretending to check their gear.
Kaito let out a quiet sigh and looked at Aizen again, more gently this time.
"You did what you had to. You survived. That's enough."
But anyone watching could still catch a faint gleam in his eyes. Pride. He was proud. Proud that Aizen was part of his team.
Aizen spoke after a pause, his tone flat and analytical.
"He underestimated me," Aizen muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "If he'd gone all out, I'd be dead right now."
His voice was steady, factual. "He looked at me and saw a child. Didn't even think I was worth full strength."
He clenched his hand around the bottle.
"I used that."
He paused.
"My body's small. But I'm a kenjutsu specialist. My close-range speed is already ahead of most Genin."
He exhaled slowly.
"I just needed one clean step. One sharp opening. I tried to end it in one strike."
His gaze lowered, jaw tightening slightly.
"And it worked."
But the way he said it didn't sound like triumph.
It sounded like guilt.
Like someone replaying the moment over and over again, not to celebrate it but to dissect it.
To find the flaw.
To remind himself it wasn't enough.
Kaito crouched down next to him, resting one elbow on his knee.
"Then don't forget what made it work," he said simply. "He underestimated you. That won't always happen. So next time, don't rely on their mistakes."
Aizen didn't respond immediately.
Then he nodded.
"I won't."
"Good," Kaito replied. Then he turned slightly, calling out, "Miyuki. Nozomi. Monitor the area. We'll be leaving soon."
Finally, he looked at Aizen. "Get some rest. We can't afford too much delay."
With that, his figure blurred and vanished in a flicker.
Miyuki and Nozomi moved in opposite directions, spreading out to scout, but keeping within visible range.
Aizen watched them go, then let his gaze drift to the treetops.
It seems my act worked, he thought quietly. I looked just emotional enough after my first kill. Enough to seem human.
But I also played the role of a prodigy, breaking down the fight, recalling each detail like a shinobi should.
Kaito will pass all of this to Hiruzen. That much is certain.
I didn't come off as arrogant. Just reflective. Like someone trying to find fault in himself.
He smirked faintly, eyes narrowing.
Exactly the image I wanted.
*************
Time skip?