Chapter 90: Interested in Visiting Hueco Mundo?
The next day.
As the first rays of sunlight spilled in, Satoru opened his eyes and rolled out of bed.
Several bundles lay on the floor beside his bed.
The night before, he had packed up everything he wouldn't need for the time being.
That way, when it came time to move, things wouldn't be too hectic.
Incidentally, the bundles by Aizen's bedside had also been packed by him.
In the past, Aizen would never have let anyone touch his belongings.
Though confident in his secrecy, he knew better than to take unnecessary risks.
If any personal items were to expose his identity, it would spell disaster.
But now, Satoru already knew most of what he was up to.
There was no point hiding anything from him anymore.
While washing up, Aizen spat out his mouthwash and lowered his voice:
"I'll be gone for a couple of nights soon. Keep an eye on things for me."
"Experiments?" Satoru asked, his words garbled as he rinsed.
Aizen shook his head. "Need to capture a few Hollows for spirit particle experiments."
"Preferably, I'd like to get my hands on a Menos."
"Unfortunately, Menos invasions into Soul Society are rare. Hard to come by."
Satoru chewed on his toothbrush, deep in thought.
In Ichigo Kurosaki's era, Rukongai was littered with spirit particle monitoring devices set up by Squad 12.
The moment a Hollow breached Soul Society, the devices would detect it instantly, alerting Shinigami to eliminate the threat.
But right now, the Department of Research and Development hadn't been formally established, and Squad 12 didn't have that level of authority.
So how would they know if Hollows invaded Soul Society?
Would they only find out after the Hollows caused enough chaos in the border regions to draw attention?
Satoru fell silent.
Given Soul Society's track record, that was entirely possible...
As he pondered, Aizen finished his morning routine.
He raised a hand, smoothing the curls over his forehead to let them fall slightly forward.
This hairstyle made him appear more frail, more harmless.
Those who sought greatness had to perfect every detail.
When he had time, he planned to buy a pair of non-prescription glasses to complete the meek scholar look.
After adjusting his hair, he glanced at the man beside him.
"Satoru, would you be interested in visiting Hueco Mundo?"
Satoru stiffened.
He quickly checked the abilities he'd synced from Aizen's records.
Still third-level spiritual pressure—no upgrades.
For a moment, he'd thought Aizen had somehow ascended overnight to transcendent captain-level strength and was ready to conquer Hueco Mundo.
"You have a way to get to Hueco Mundo?"
"Yes."
Aizen nodded. "At the borders of Rukongai, where space is more fragile, we can simulate a Hollow's spiritual pressure and use a Kido ritual to create a passage similar to a Garganta to reach Hueco Mundo."
"Originally, I planned to improve my strength a bit more before going to Hueco Mundo."
"But if you're willing to join me, that changes things."
"With our combined strength, as long as we don't encounter any special Menos Grande, there's nowhere in Hueco Mundo we can't go."
Aizen's tone brimmed with confidence, which clashed oddly with the deliberately cultivated scholarly demeanor he projected.
Satoru nodded. "Alright, call me when you're ready."
He wasn't particularly interested in Hueco Mundo.
An endless silver desert—if there were a sea, it might be worth visiting as a scenic spot, but just sand? Not much appeal there.
But remembering how Aizen had stayed up late designing that game program for him, Satoru agreed without hesitation.
Hearing this, Aizen's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
As Satoru turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something and turned back. "By the way, Sōsuke, have you decided which squad you want to join?"
"If you haven't made up your mind yet, how about Squad Two?"
"Hmm..." Aizen looked thoughtful.
If possible, he wanted to join a squad where he could slack off.
Ideally, one where he could disappear for days without anyone noticing.
Unfortunately, the Gotei 13 wasn't that lax an organization.
After some consideration, he shook his head. "Squad Two is too busy."
"If I had to choose, Squad Twelve would be a good option."
"Captain Hikifune is quite skilled in research. During her tenure, she's recruited many intelligent people into the squad."
"If I could bring them all under control..."
Watching Aizen's lips curl into a smirk, Satoru suddenly felt a spark of anticipation too.
Not to mention that Kirio Hikifune was already a shrewd individual, and the future Kisuke Urahara was no pushover either.
Putting these people together would probably be quite entertaining.
On his way back from the water room to the dormitory, Satoru was stopped by two classmates.
They told him a member of the Onmitsukidō was waiting for him outside the dorm.
Stepping out, he saw Suì-Fēng standing quietly under a nearby tree, holding a box.
"Yo, Soi Fon, good morning."
Suì-Fēng frowned slightly. "Lord Satoru, I've changed my name to Suì-Fēng. Please don't call me by that name anymore."
Before she had changed her name, Satoru had always referred to her with terms like "girl." Now that she had a new name, he suddenly started calling her Soi Fon.
This guy was clearly doing it on purpose.
Seeing Suì-Fēng's irritated expression, Satoru smiled.
No wonder elementary school boys liked teasing girls—this angry look was genuinely amusing.
Wait, did that mean he was on the same level as elementary school boys?
As Satoru was stunned by this realization, Suì-Fēng opened the box.
"Lord Satoru, I've brought the uniform you'll need after joining the squad."
Peering inside, Satoru saw a neatly folded black shihakushō.
Looking at the uniform, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
After all this time in this world, he could finally wear this.
Even though it was just the standard Shinigami uniform, it made him feel a little excited.
Next to it was a set of clothes with distinct Onmitsukidō characteristics—narrow sleeves and tight pants.
With just one glance, he immediately crossed that outfit off his future wardrobe list.
Compared to the shihakushō, the Onmitsukidō attire was way too plain—completely lacking in style.
Taking the box containing the clothes, Satoru nodded in satisfaction.
"Good work, Suì-Fēng."
"Thank you."
Hearing this, Suì-Fēng blinked in surprise.
Seeing Satoru's earnest expression, she averted her gaze slightly, unaccustomed to such direct acknowledgment.
"N-no… it's nothing. Just doing my duty as a subordinate."
Noticing her reaction, Satoru suddenly asked, "By the way, where's Yoruichi? Why isn't she with you?"
At the mention of business, Suì-Fēng straightened her expression.
"Lady Yoruichi is currently undergoing treatment in the hot spring cave."
Treatment?
Satoru frowned.
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