Chapter Text
He smiled as he rested his back on the very cold chair that restrained him from moving. Even though every one could see the red chains that bound his body, he knew he couldn't move in this situation, but thankfully they still allowed him to talk. His body felt like it was floating as he rested his head on the chair. Even though he knew what was happening to his body, he also knew that there was no way they would believe him.
The moment Kurosaki Ichigo used the Final Getsuga Tensho on him, he knew that the boy would win. To Aizen, he didn't really hate the Ryoka boy; there was just something about him that made Aizen interested in him. Kurosaki Ichigo never failed to surprise him every time the boy pulled a stunt like that. Aizen didn't really want to fight the boy, but he didn't have any other choice since Ichigo had already affiliated himself with the Gotei 13. Aizen always thought that no one could fight him; he knew that all his plans were working. But who knew that there would be one human who could turn his plans upside down?
He remembers how Kurosaki Ichigo could pull the other captains and the Visoreds on his back the moment he stepped into the fake Karakura Town, protecting the boy as everyone proceeded to attack the Espadas. Would they believe it if Aizen said that Kurosaki Ichigo, a human hybrid, could damage the Hogyoku? That the Hogyoku itself chose the boy to destroy them? Aizen couldn't understand how the Hogyoku would decide like this, as if the Hogyoku knew what it desired—it desired to be destroyed by the hand of a powerful person.
Aizen could only think to say thank you if he ever saw the boy again. It was really uncharacteristic of him to say thank you to anyone, but Ichigo was exceptional, that’s what Aizen thought. As he always thought, there was something about the boy that made everything around him look at him as if he were like a sun rising in a brand new daylight. And Aizen curiously wanted to feel what it felt like to feel that warm daylight.
But now here he is sitting in the very chair that sealed on his power and only a small light coming from the above of the Muken that's the source of the light, he scoffed a little as he remembers how those Central 46 escalated his seal to 20,000 years. How could they be sure that he was still alive at that point? Aizen himself could start to feel as if something was pulling him and his chest would start to beat slowly inside his ribcage. To Aizen he is not really afraid to die, but this time once he vanished he wouldn't be reincarnated again, at this point this is his final stage. And of course no one would notice that, all they know knew he was acting again to fool them, Aizen wishes that he's also acting about this.
Right now, all he can do is to close his eyes and hope that he could still open his eyes again.
—
It's been a month since the war ended, and everyone is acting as if nothing happened. Ichigo knows how the captains managed to knock out all the people in Karakura Town, but he's still surprised that some of his friends remember those events. Ichigo begged Urahara to erase their memories of the event, but Tatsuki punched him in the face, saying it wasn't his decision to make whether they wanted to forget or not. They know that protecting the town caused him to lose his powers, and he couldn't deny that.
He knows that Chad, Ishida, and Inoue are secretly battling with the Hollows every day, even though they won't admit it to him. It pains him that he can no longer see or feel the Hollows around. He has also started to notice how Karin is becoming more sensitive to the Hollows in their town. Ichigo misses his Zanpakuto; he misses how shitty Shiro sounded, and the Old Man. He misses the white buildings in his inner world and the weight of his Zanpakuto in his hand.
And then suddenly, the memory of the battle flashes in his mind. There's something wrong with how Aizen is kneeling on the ground, bowing his head as if Ichigo is a saint, and how Aizen smiles at him before Urahara seals him. He can't understand how those small expressions on that bastard's face make Ichigo feel that something is going on.
He still remembers the feeling of how lonely and empty Aizen's Zanpakuto felt, as if it were already dead inside, just like its master. Ichigo tries to brush off those thoughts, but every time he remembers that feeling, he can't help but feel a twitching sensation in his stomach up to his chest. The memory really pains him, to think how the self-proclaimed god could be so empty inside, or is it just another illusion of his to make Ichigo feel pity for the man? Ichigo really doesn't know.
Ichigo wanted to ask why Aizen didn't kill him before he used the Final Zangetsu. He didn't understand how Aizen kept taunting him during the fight and why Aizen seemed to fight as if he wasn't afraid of being stabbed or decapitated. Ichigo was really confused, and his curiosity was killing him. He wanted to ask Aizen why he behaved that way. But Ichigo could no longer visit the Soul Society; he couldn't even see his shinigami friends or sense his dad's shinigami power. Ichigo wanted to visit Getaboshi and ask if there was a way to visit the Soul Society, but he knew that if he asked, Urahara would question why he wanted to go there.
"The bastard really keeps invading my mind, the fuck is this!"
He is frustrated with how he keeps thinking about that butterfly asshat and how those smiles keep flashing in his mind. Ichigo is clearly losing his shit at this moment if these thoughts keep appearing.
"Ichii-ni! Lunch is ready!" Ichigo blinked at Yuzu's shout as he tried to brush off thoughts of a certain brunette.
Ichigo sat down on the couch and looked at the food that Yuzu was preparing. His stomach started to growl as he smelled the delicious aroma of whatever Yuzu was cooking. As always, Yuzu managed to grab some new ingredients to cook, and it always ended up tasting so good.
Right now, the house is really quiet. Ever since the shinigami powers on his dad already returned, his dad has been busy, frequently going in and out of the Soul Society. He’s also been trying to save the Shiba Clan’s reputation for the past few decades. Karin is busy with her soccer practice and often comes home late at night, and Ichigo knows that Yuzu will stay in her room all night for her foreign online class. In the end, Ichigo ends up alone on his bed, staring silently at his ceiling, hoping that Kon will kick him or say something to snap him out of his thoughts. He’d be honest that he misses the perverted stuffed toy.
That night, Ichigo tried to find something to do to pass the time. He was so busy researching that he didn’t notice his dad finally coming home.
"Ichigooooo!!" Poor Ichigo didn’t even dodge the attack and ended up slamming into the table.
"God damn it, Dad!! You need to stop doing that! Stop breaking our table!" Ichigo threw his book at his father, who easily caught it and smiled widely at his son.
Sometimes Ichigo wanted to punch his dad in the face. Ever since he couldn’t sense any spiritual pressure, his dad kept attacking him to help him regain his timing to dodge. But every time he was off guard and couldn’t sense his dad, he ended up slamming into the door, the wall, or worse, the table. It hurt like hell, as if his bones might break if goat face kept attacking him from behind.
"Awww, don't be like that! I know you miss me!" The audacity of his dad was really so great that Ichigo wanted to slap himself mentally.
"Who misses you?? Why are you so early though? Usually, you come back past 11. It's still 9." His dad shrugged as Isshin grabbed a glass of water and sat on the chair closer to where he was sitting earlier.
"We have a problem. Actually, it's Central 46's problem."
"Oh? That's not new, is it?" Isshin just sighed and brushed his hair. Ichigo realised that his dad looked so tired. He's not usually this tired even when he's busy in the clinic. I guess being the head of the clan is not that easy.
"It's about Aizen." Ichigo raised his brows as he looked at his dad, who was looking at him.
"What? What about him?"
"They couldn't find the Hogyoku on him, but they can still trace the Hogyoku's power in him."
"Maybe he eats it," Ichigo comments, causing Isshin to scoff. Then he commanded Ichigo to take a seat in front of him. Ichigo scowled as he grabbed the chair and stubbornly crossed his arms.
"The problem is, they want to release him. They believe that you're the only one who can withstand his hypnosis, thanks to his Zanpakuto. They're having trust issues, and now they want Aizen under your care. They also want Aizen to hand over the Hogyoku. They tried to remove the Hogyoku but couldn't find it."
"Huh?! And how does that make them sure that the bastard isn’t doing some shit inside his head? And I can't even feel spiritual pressure, Dad! No, I'm not working again."
It's true that Ichigo could withstand Aizen's hypnosis and see the real Aizen, but Ichigo still doubted that. Unohana-taicho said that he's the only one who hasn't seen Aizen's Zanpakuto, and they don't want him to look at its Shikai. However, even if he looks at or touches the sword, there's nothing he can feel. The Zanpakuto is already empty and its spirit is starting to fade. Those memories again made Ichigo shake his head.
"No, Dad, I'm not working on that piece of shit. I'll end up killing that man if he's so near me, so no, don't ever think of that."
"Ichigo, look, son. I know how much pain he caused you, but this is different. Something is wrong with Aizen." Ichigo frowned at that. His dad sounded concerned or was he just being an idiot again?
"What do you mean?" Ichigo couldn't help but ask..
"I also don't understand, but Unohana checked on him last time before they dropped him in the Muken. You know doctors' work—checking on patients' records. When Unohana gave me the reading on Aizen's record, there was something wrong with his heart. Unohana said that he couldn't breathe properly, as if he were drowning. It wasn't a case of asthma or someone who's having a cardiac arrest, but his symptoms showed that he could die at any moment."
That made Ichigo snap his head and look at his father. Die? That man will die? Are they sure about that? And they were talking about Unohana-taicho here—her special healing skills are so good, and her work is like that of a highly professional healer. But upon hearing this news from his dad, he felt that he wanted to see the man and give the final verdict himself to see if they were really telling the truth.
"And... are you sure that he's not faking it? You know, he can even fake his own death." Ichigo was still crossing his arms while looking at his father.
"That's why we need your help; you can see through him."
Ichigo twitched his eyes at that. Didn't that sound so... intimate? Like Ichigo could see through him like an open book or something. And still, he couldn't deny that the man really did something to his mind. Ichigo didn't know why he kept thinking of that man and was still mad at him. It was really annoying.
"And before you say something about your condition, Urahara is already working on how to restore your power." That made Ichigo stop and look at his dad, who was grinning.
"You knew this? And didn't say anything to me?" Ichigo stared at his dad, who was still looking at him.
"Urahara said that it's better for you not to know about any of this. He wanted you to act like a normal person without having to deal with these problems. I also wanted you to feel like you didn't have to go around slashing every hollow you see. Be a normal person, even though you know you're not."
"Is this the reason why Getaboshi didn't even check on me?"
It sounded ridiculous, but yes, he was really mad at the candy shop owner for not even checking on him or visiting him. It was like Urahara had been avoiding him. And then, knowing that he'd been busy restoring his power and didn't say anything, Ichigo had the urge to punch Getaboshi in the face for being a dickhead. And his dad too—both were good at hiding things from him.
"Did he also know about this Aizen problem?"
"Yes, that's why he's been rushing to complete the item to restore your power."
Ichigo sighed at that. He was going to have to do some work again. How had things turned out like this? The enemy of the Soul Society would end up in the care of the Hero of the Soul Society. Ichigo's life was really too good to be true..
—
Muken is really a dark and quiet place, as Aizen can only hear his own breathing, the footsteps outside, and the keys dangling. Although he has no plan to attempt an escape, and even though they have restrained his power, he can still sense the upcoming spiritual pressure.
As Aizen slowly opens one eye, he sees the very familiar pink kimono and the others, including the former Captain of the 10th squad, who, surprisingly, is the father of Kurosaki Ichigo. Aizen hadn't expected such a visitor and certainly hadn't expected these two to bother visiting him. He isn’t expecting any visitors anymore.
"What a pleasure to have you two here. What's the reason for your visit?" His voice is slightly different due to being silent for so long and not having anyone to talk to. He can feel his throat aching, but he doesn't show any discomfort.
"Ahhh... Sou-chan... how are you doing here? Are you feeling comfortable in that chair?" Kyouraku really knows how to be annoying, but Aizen didn't mind as he replied nonchalantly.
"The chair is good, and maybe you can have one too if you want to try." Aizen grinned as he squinted his eyes at the other, and thankfully, Isshin cleared his throat.
"Kurosaki Isshin, how's your son?" Isshin certainly didn't expect Aizen to ask about Ichigo, and the audacity to ask about his son was surprising. Though his son is doing fine, there's no way in hell he'd answer that question.
"Aizen, do you mind if we ask where the Hogyoku is?" Aizen looked at Isshin with steady eyes, not flinching even when he felt something tugging at his chest.
"Straight to business, are we?" Aizen's voice sounded calm despite the aching in his chest; he didn't want any of these people to see his weakening state.
"Isshin, how about you step closer and take a look at me? And tell me what you see." It was a command, but Isshin complied, taking a step closer to look at the man.
Isshin could still feel the power of the Hogyoku, but he couldn't sense its nature. There was something going on beneath the clothes Aizen was wearing. Isshin could see the man's calm face and knew that Aizen was hiding something. The calming breath of the other, who steadily looked at Isshin, didn't seem bothered that Isshin and Kyouraku were releasing some spiritual pressure. He just leaned there and silently looked at them.
"So, what do you see? I know you feel it, but the Hogyoku is no longer here. It's just a remnant of its power that lingers on my body."
"And you think we'll believe that?" Isshin closed his eyes and glanced at Shunsui beside him.
"I'm not asking you to believe me," Aizen said, tilting his head to glance at the other captain.
"That's the problem, actually. I mean, Central 46 wanted you to remove the Hogyoku from your body, but the Hogyoku is nowhere to be found. They think that it's still inside of you, and they want to release you."
Aizen silently looks at the former captain in front of him. The resemblance of Ichigo and Isshin's face is really hard to see, but those eyes look too familiar—the same eyes that Aizen saw on Ichigo. By the news he was hearing, surely Central 46 is really dumb. They really didn't want to believe what they already think and still wanted him to be released. For what purpose of the Hogyoku, already damaged? All the pieces are buried inside Aizen's body. Even if he says something like that, he's sure that no one would believe him. No one would believe he was dying.
"Ahhh... Are they really going to release me? That really sounds so desperate, don't you think?" Aizen took a deep breath before he settled his back on the chair he was sitting on.
"It's already decided, whether you like it or not, we'll release you right now, but there's also one thing you need to know. You'll be going to the human world."
Aizen really doesn't have any idea what's going on here. He was just sitting on this throne when Isshin handed him a sealed bracelet for the second time, and then Shunsui unlocked all the chains on his body. He's thinking if these two are plotting something. He didn't stand up and just looked at the two with a confused expression. But Isshin just grabbed him, causing him to stumble on his feet. He feels his whole body beginning to tear as he sways his hand away, causing Isshin and Shunsui to look at him. They're about to say something, but seeing how Aizen finds it hard to stand up and how he breathes shallowly, Isshin looks at the brunette, who's trying to regulate his breathing. In this kind of scene, Isshin knows something is different about Aizen, but he doesn't comment as he secretly looks at Shunsui to the side, and thankfully the captain just nonchalantly stands there.
"Mr. Kurosaki, I have known that I have been sitting in that chair for a while and couldn't regain my footing, so could you at least give me a heads up and not grab me like that?" Aizen said as he took a deep breaths while looking at Isshin, who just shrugged his shoulders.
After Aizen finally controls his breathing, and the three of them already walk outside the Muken, Aizen looks at the sealed bracelet on his wrist as he can feel that his power is limited. So, Isshin really sealed his power with one of Shiba's sealed bracelets. What a beautiful bracelet this is.
The moment Aizen finally stepped outside the Muken, he couldn't help but take a deep breath and smell the air. He also realised that Urahara Kisuke was standing in front of him, hiding behind his ridiculous fan.
"Ohhh!~ Welcome back to the land of the soul, Aizen-san," Urahara cheerfully greeted, still hiding behind his fan. Aizen just looked at him with a slight squint in his eyes.
"What are you even doing here?" Aizen snapped at the ever-cheerful Urahara Kisuke.
"How rude of you, Aizen-san. Not even a greeting? Hai hai... I'm here to give you a tour of the human world!" Aizen's eyebrows lifted slightly as he continued looking at Urahara, then shifted his gaze to Isshin, who was scowling at Urahara. Aizen was sure he could clearly see Ichigo in the scowling face Isshin was making.
"Come on, Urahara, open the senkaimon already."
With that, Urahara finally opened a senkaimon. Aizen stared at the senkaimon in front of him. It had been a long time since he last ran through the dangai. It took him years to learn how to open both a garganta and a senkaimon, and ever since, he had been travelling using a garganta.
As they finally set foot in the human world, the three of them stopped at Urahara's shop. Aizen was not very familiar with the human world and its terms, so he decided to just follow Urahara, with Isshin following behind them.
—
Aizen stared at the gigai that Urahara Kisuke had created for him. The gigai was wearing a black long-sleeve turtleneck and black slacks. Overall, it was dressed entirely in black, with a silver necklace hanging around its neck. The gigai was even wearing glasses, though Aizen knew that Urahara might be aware of his eye condition, as every shinigami knew about it.
"May I know who decided on this style?" Aizen asked, narrowing his eyes at the gigai before looking back at Urahara, who was grinning at him.
"Yoruichi-san! She's the one who visualized the style and thought it would suit you!" Urahara replied cheerfully. Aizen sighed softly, nodded thoughtfully, and bent down to examine the gigai.
Aizen carefully inspected the gigai. This would be his first time using it, and the fact that Urahara Kisuke had made it made him uncertain. He wasn't sure if Urahara would do something crazy to his gigai form. His body felt weirdly comfortable in the gigai, and the height was just right. He could still feel a heaviness in his chest, but overall, the gigai made him feel... normal? It was strange to have this gigai.
"You look… good enough." Aizen slowly turned his head as Yoruichi wrapped a white towel around her naked body. This kind of scene didn't even make Aizen snap his head to look away.
"Yoruichi-san! How bold of you to get naked in front of Aizen-san!" Aizen sighed at Urahara's dramatic effect as he stood beside Isshin, who handed him the bracelet to seal his power again.
Aizen continued to silently listen to what Isshin and the others were talking about—how Aizen would stay in the Kurosaki household and that Ichigo agreed to this arrangement. The fact that the boy still couldn't sense any shinigami power or hollows made Aizen wonder how Ichigo would perceive him. But then Urahara held a blanket, which Aizen assumed had a sword hidden underneath. Urahara explained how that sword held the shared power of some Captains and Lieutenants who were willing to share their power with Ichigo. Aizen was also shocked to hear that even the Captain-Commander had given the boy his power; that was not what he expected.
While the four of them—Aizen, Isshin, Urahara, and Yoruichi—walked to the Kurosaki household, Aizen just silently followed behind Isshin. He didn't know what to do, but he knew deep inside that he wanted to meet the boy again. Yeah, except he knew that Ichigo would throw something at his face, or worse, punch him. Maybe Aizen would choose the first option, though.
The moment Aizen saw the house, he decided not to go inside. Isshin thought that Aizen might run away or something, but Aizen just pointed out that he had a sealed bracelet on his wrist. Isshin nodded at that, and then they entered the house. However, Aizen remained standing outside and closed his eyes, trying to feel the new air that touched his skin. The Human world was really fascinating; he could hear the chirping birds and the sound of the wind rustling through the trees. Aizen's ears suddenly twitched as he heard voices on the other side of the door. He could hear a father and son arguing inside, and Aizen smiled slightly in amusement.
As the door opened, Ichigo blinked at the man standing outside. When the man turned his head, Ichigo glanced at the very real gigai Aizen in front of him. Is that Aizen? Normally, Ichigo would jump in and punch that face, but when he looked at it, he couldn't move. That fucking face is gorgeously hands—okay, what the fuck, Ichigo? Did he just think that this butterfly traitor is handsome? Oh, for God's sake!
Ichigo glanced at the gigai form of Aizen. He couldn't look away from the creature in front of him. Sure, Aizen is handsome; Ichigo would be honest about that, but he didn't really think that this traitor would look good with this kind of style. It wasn't like Aizen didn't keep his original look, but the last time Ichigo saw him with eyeglasses was on top of Sokyoku Hill, and he had just broken his own glasses. Ichigo wondered if it was really necessary to break them. But now, here Aizen was, standing in front of him, wearing a black long-sleeve turtleneck, black slacks, and a silver necklace around his neck. Ichigo wasn't sure how to react.
"So... everything is already settled then?" The silence finally broke as Urahara clapped his hands, causing Ichigo to look at the candy shop owner.
"Settled what?" Ichigo snapped as he glanced at his father.
"That you two would be staying here."
"What? Huh? Did I hear that right? Staying here, with this bastard? Dad?!" Ichigo jabbed his finger to point out where Aizen was still standing, Aizen who was perfectly positioned close to their door.
"You're shitting me." Ichigo just looked at the three in front of him, except Aizen, who was looking at him with amusement.
"Actually, no. Karin and Yuzu will stay with me. You two will stay here, and once the agreement for breaking the Hogyoku is fulfilled, Aizen will return to Muken."
Aizen just narrowed his eyes at that. Why didn't they believe that the Hogyoku was already damaged? Why didn't they want to check his body and see if the Hogyoku was no longer there? And now they were going to torture the boy for having Aizen stay with Ichigo.
"Now, now! We'll leave you two alone!" Ichigo wanted to protest, wanted to punch Getaboshi in the face, but Urahara had already shunpoed away. Then Yoruichi tapped Ichigo on the shoulder, transformed into a cat, and caused Ichigo to scowl. Isshin looked at his son with a pitying look.
"Now son, just remember, no killing... and you, Aizen, try to be civil for once," Isshin said as he exited the door, leaving a very angry Ichigo and Aizen, who was just standing still.
Ichigo is fuming; he's aching to grab his hair and shout, but he couldn't—not when there's a traitor inside his house. Ichigo snapped his head to look at Aizen, who has been strangely quiet the whole time. Ichigo wondered why Aizen didn't oppose this idea. Was the bastard enjoying this? Ichigo really wanted to stab him.
"You! I don't fucking know what to do with you!" Ichigo pressed his fingers against Aizen's chest, causing Aizen to look at Ichigo with wide eyes. Ichigo stared at the man, who immediately changed his expression to a calming look.
"Why don't you say something about this? Did they also cut out your tongue so you can't speak?! Or are you enjoying this bullshit?!" Ichigo was really mad now. He didn't quite understand why, but seeing how calm the bastard was really irritated him.
"Ichigo. I, myself, didn't understand this whole thing, but to answer the first question, I don't know what to say to make you feel better about this whole agreement or whatsoever. Second, I can still talk, but choose not to, so that you don't think we're sharing the same air. Well, I guess we already are. And third, yes, I'm really enjoying this."
Ichigo couldn't help but curl his fist on that black turtleneck as he stared at Aizen. The bastard was really getting under his skin, making him vibrate with anger. The audacity to sound so calm while saying those words! Ichigo couldn't bear the thought of this man staying alone in this house. He was going insane and would end up burning the house to the ground. Just hearing him talk like that made Ichigo want to punch his face.
He angrily let go of the man's shirt and walked out, leaving Aizen looking at Ichigo's back. Finally, he could breathe properly, taking a deep breath as his heart beat loudly inside his rib cage as if it wanted to jump out of his lungs. He gently brushed his chest and settled in. Still standing alone in the living room, he didn't even know what to do.
Aizen really didn't want to anger the boy. He wanted Ichigo to see what he is now. He wanted Ichigo to look at him without that scowl on his face. Aizen wants Ichigo to feel that he was dying, that the Hogyoku was already damaged and nothing could save Aizen from dying. He just wanted to take a rest Aizen was really tired of acting strong, and maybe... maybe he could show what's under his illusion.