Chapter Text
He was enjoying his afternoon tea, content with the development of his experimental data, when a heavy reiatsu slammed down on him out of nowhere. It was already thick and massive to begin with, but he was still able to make his way outside his office despite the fact that the reiatsu was getting heavier and heavier by the second.
Once outside, he saw that all his subordinates were lying on the ground unconscious.
Worthless, all of them, but necessary to have a squad running.
He directed his focus upwards instead when another wave caught him by surprise, making him fall to one knee. His hand shot out to steady him on the ground.
Never had he imagined anyone could match his own colossal amount of reiatsu, let alone force him to his knees! Looking back at the sky with wide brown eyes, he saw something like a shooting star heading to the West, and in the blink of an eye, the onslaught of reiatsu was gone.
Shunpoing to where he had last felt the reiatsu, he stumbled upon the Shiba Estate. Using a kido to conceal himself and his reiatsu, he jumped into the sky and saw in the distance a large crater.
Annoyance overtook him, making him almost want to eye-roll. However… only a child would eye-roll, and he had perfect control over every part of his body.
He couldn’t believe he wasted his time to seek whose reiatsu this belonged to, only to stumble upon a failed piece of firework from the Shiba family.
Turning around, he went back to his squad. His subordinates would be confused, and would probably need a fatherly hand to recover.
~
A meeting had taken place soon after, as the heavy reiatsu had alerted all Captains. If he hadn’t known it came from a firework gone wrong, he would’ve thought this was one of the few meetings that wasn’t pointless.
Alas, being surrounded by imbeciles, and therefore adjusting his own demeanor, was something that came naturally to him.
An investigation would start, led by the 7th and 9th division.
He was glad he didn’t have to waste his time on such unimportant matters, as he still needed to iron out some defects in his experiments.
~
He thought today would be another day at the Academy as usual, until he felt the reiatsu signature of Kaien Shiba enter his field of awareness. It annoyed him immensely that Kaien, a Lieutenant and a Clan Head, had been called back to the Shiba Estate due to political circumstances concerning Noble affairs back in his Academy years. The Clan Head had missed the graduation ceremony, and therefore missed his speech and the release of his Shikai. There would be other opportunities, of course, but the boy was the only one ranked 4th or higher that wasn’t under his influence yet.
But he could be patient. Hasty decisions rarely led to satisfactory outcomes.
However, he was curious as to why Kaien would visit the Academy at this time of year…
Waiting in front of the door while his reiatsu was coiled tightly around him, he heard snippets of something like an uncanny resemblance, a charge, and teaching, but he couldn’t really make something out of it.
Knocking firmly yet gently on the door, he called out softly, “Onabara-sensei, Aizen Sousuke at your service.”
When he heard a voice telling him to come in, he opened the door.
The first thing his eyes fell on was something he hadn’t sensed.
There was a boy standing next to Kaien, yet his senses told him there was nothing there. The similarities between the two were astounding as well, the features on their faces almost completely the same if not for the eye-color, hairstyle and the weird crumbled face mask that covered the boy’s left cheek. On top of that, this boy had no reiatsu, which wasn’t possible. Even the smallest soul had a tiny sliver of reiatsu. The only other option was that this boy had mastered his reiatsu control completely.
Interesting.
But it wouldn’t do to be impolite.
“Ah, good afternoon Shiba-fukutaicho,” Aizen said, tearing his eyes from the boy to the Shiba before bowing in a perfect 35° angle. Low enough to respect a Clan Head, yet high enough to underline his superiority as Captain in front of a Lieutenant.
Facing the instructor next, as a well-respected instructor was still less important than a Clan Head of a Great House, he greeted him as well while bowing at a 30° angle. It wouldn’t be smart to convey more respect to an instructor than to a Clan Head, yet he was certain such subtleties were wasted on the likes of Kaien.
After his part of the greetings were over, he waited for only a second before he went on, knowing full well Kaien wasn’t going to bow when it was him that interrupted their conversation, “My apologies, I wasn’t aware you were in a meeting. I could come back later if you prefer.”
Adding a bit of timidity to the mix was always better than to come across too heavy. First impressions were important, after all…
“No, no, you came just in time. I wanted to go over the graduation process for next week if you had the time. I would like you to make a speech at the end of the graduation, like you do every year, but surely you had already expected as much, right?”
Who did Onabara take him for? Of course… Such an oaf…
“Oh I wouldn’t dare to presume anything, but I did prepare something. However, if I interrupted something here, I can always return in a few hours? It is undoubtedly uncommon for the Shiba family to visit the Academy this time of year. I wouldn’t dare interpose.” He let his eyes lock on the young boy’s red ones. Aizen was confident he had never seen the boy before, but there were a lot of Shiba members he had never met, so a twin of Kaien was a possibility.
“You aren’t interposing at all. Mugetsu and I were just about to leave,” Kaien said, and Aizen couldn’t help but feel slightly taken aback by the short answer. The Shiba had ignored his silent inquiry as to why they were here as well. Was the Clan Head too stupid to notice such intricacies? No… As Clan Head, it would be mortally dangerous if such details were lost on him… meaning Kaien had ignored him consciously.
That begged the question as to… why? Did the Lieutenant not trust him, or dislike him? Or did he not want the boy interacting with him? It all begged to question… Why?
Kaien went on without missing a beat, “Thank you for making time for us in these busy days, we will not take up more of your precious time.”
The Shiba Head bowed at an appropriate angle of 30°, yet the younger Shiba only nodded. Aizen blinked at the obvious disrespect, adjusting his assessment from moments earlier. A twin from Kaien was out of the question. He knew the Shiba family was boisterous and extraverted, but Kaien was trained in the arts of polite interaction. As Kaien’s twin, Mugetsu should have also been trained heavily, as a Lieutenant could die easily, making Mugetsu the next Clan Head.
Nodding was something done to friends… not superiors.
A branch family member then… they wouldn’t be as trained as the main family. However… Kukaku Shiba had been proclaimed as a lost cause, her volatile nature not refined enough to play the Noble game, yet she was still in line to be the next Clan Head should Kaien not produce an heir or die in battle.
“Aizen-taicho,” Kaien bowed to 20°. The gall! His bow to the instructor was lower than to him – a Captain and thus his superior! Controlling his emotions and his facial expressions, he mirrored the 20° as well, not stooping so low as to bow much less than the first time around, “Shiba-fukutaicho, Mugetsu-san.”
They left the room quickly, and Aizen almost narrowed his eyes as Mugetsu hadn’t even nodded to him.
He wondered what could have triggered such disrespect towards him… Aizen had been perfectly pleasant with Kaien when the times asked for it, and he had been perfectly pleasant here as well…
It was certainly food for thought as he focused his attention on the instructor again.
~
It wasn’t often he was taken by surprise so completely, but now, this very moment, he was.
Standing in the air, hidden by a quadruple layered kido to hide his presence, he was astounded by what he was seeing.
The heavy reiatsu was already dying out, but still he had to re-cast his kido eight times, as each wave of massive energy shattered layer after layer. He didn’t come near the boy, the power behind the young Shiba equally beckoning him as warding him off.
He even had to put a protective barrier around him so he would not fall from the sky when a certain wave reached its highest energy point.
This boy had denser reiatsu reserves than him.
Unknowingly, a smirk edged its way on Aizen’s face, and even when he became aware of it, he let go of the need to control himself. He had never met someone with such great reserves, and this was only a boy. He watched with hawk-eyes how Ganju carried the boy back to their estate.
He didn’t even feel annoyed by the fact his earlier assessment was wrong again. This child had no control whatsoever, yet how come he didn’t feel a sliver of reiatsu when they were in Onabara’s office?
He needed to get into that boy’s life as soon as possible, feeling himself almost go giddy with the mysteries and potential. Getting his claws into that boy climbed up on his priority list, and he was already formulating a plan to get what he wanted.
Shame the Shiba Head didn’t feel a lot of respect towards him… but he was positive he could sway the Lieutenant one way or another…
~
Waiting for the perfect time was something he prided himself in, but the giddiness inside him almost made him a bit too eager.
“I merely wanted to know how you were doing, but I didn’t know how to go about it, so I’ll be frank. There are rumors you and your family have been attacked by a hollow or by another monster. Obviously, those are either lies or exaggerations, but I do want to know if you and your family are all right.”
By suggesting that the boy came across as a monster, he could give the Shiba incentive to train the boy to learn control as soon as possible, knowing how lax the Shiba’s were otherwise … And by conveying his thoughts about how those were lies or exaggerations while also asking how his family was doing, Aizen would come across as trustworthy and compassionate.
“You’re right, they’re exaggerations. And yes I’m doing fine, and my family is fine too.”
Kaien wasn’t even looking at him, but the scowl on his face said enough.
Aizen had overstepped his boundaries already, and reined in his giddiness. Standing still, he said, “Ah, I’m glad to hear that. Please forgive my curiosity. You looked so stressed earlier, but I guess it must have been my imagination. If I could do anything to help though, never hesitate to ask.”
He waited until Kaien at least looked at him before continuing, “That being said, I guess I will take my leave. It was nice having this chat with you, Shiba-fukutaicho. I will be returning to my division now.”
It was risky, but with Shiba’s you always needed to take risks. It was one of the reasons why Aizen never bothered with them before. Walking away, he really hoped his words would be enough to sway the Lieutenant. He had not come all the way to the 13th division and waited for hours just to be brushed off in mere minutes.
“Aizen-taicho! Wait!”
The smirk never made it to his face as he turned around, replacing the anticipation with a questioning expression, “Yes, Shiba-fukutaicho?”
“Actually, there is something I need help with.”
Delight filled him at the success. Of course he hadn’t lost his touch, nobody would stay unmoved by his charms.
~
The boy was an enigma, and more than once he wondered how the boy could have stayed hidden up until now.
When the boy wasn’t doing anything, there wasn’t even a sliver of reiatsu perceptible, yet last session the brat was able to hear his Zanpakuto’s name, even if the boy was somehow fused with it. Tensa Zangetsu…
Yet that hadn’t been the most peculiar aspect of last session… the boy had built up his reiatsu from nothing to such a high level in such a short time, unable to control it at all.
Kaien’s explanation about the boy’s condition did not clarify why he felt no reiatsu at all unless he touched him directly. The pathways were indeed filled to 1/3 of its potential, making him giddy once more…
Mugetsu…
His memory was perfect, like everything about him, but this was the first time he felt like the boy would be worth his time with every mystery that came with him.
No one had ever made him feel this enthusiastic before.
~
Once the control was there, they began training in kido.
Unfortunately, no one was as perfect as Aizen. The boy was so terribly abominable he was almost tempted to drop this side-project of his, but the thought of that horrendous classmate of his made him suggest the use of higher level kido.
The results were just…
Marvelous.
~
“Mugetsu is a ward of the Shiba Clan, but is not yet officially family. For now, it is Mugetsu without last name, but that can change, and he lives in the Shiba Estate,” Kaien said to the instructor after the entrance exam was over.
He hadn’t expected that, honestly. Of course Aizen knew that the Shiba family was one of the few Noble Houses where there were none accepted within the family if it wasn’t through marriage or birth, but it had nothing to do with politics at all. Isshin Shiba had once spilled why while drunk. It had something to do with the strange “claiming” ability of the Shiba’s. Apparently, once a person is “claimed”, they were more in tune with the emotions of the other “claimed” family. They could recognize the other as “family” without them knowing each other as well. Such a pointless ability, really. However, when there’s a single person objected to a claim, it could lead to too much stress on that person and the newly made family member. The hearts, linked as they were, would not be able to handle that stress for long, causing early-death situations…
Honestly, it was bothersome in every aspect… but the Shiba’s were protective of their big family for more reasons than just their morality.
So Mugetsu not being part of the Shiba family was something he hadn’t expected, as the boy was a uncanny copy of Kaien. Was there really someone objecting?
“Mugetsu-kun, forgive my curiosity, but how did you end up living in the Shiba Estate when you don’t yet bear the Shiba name?” Aizen asked, making sure he sounded softer to come across as if he was afraid of stepping on toes, knowing Kaien wouldn’t ever give information about his family freely. It was also the reason why he waited until Kaien was distracted, as he was now with Mugetsu’s test results.
Mugetsu was waving his hands with a scowl, “I crashed into their backyard a little over a month ago. I don’t have any memories prior to that moment, only the word Mugetsu. So it may be that Mugetsu isn’t even my name, but whatever. Kaien and I look quite similar, so we’re trying to figure out if I’m related to the Shiba’s or not, but it has been a slow process on that regard.”
So the power that had made him fall to his knees a month ago belonged to Mugetsu?
A powerhouse, and no memories?
Giddiness filled him up once more. How utterly exhilarating.
Just the potential this boy had was unthinkable, and the fact he was a blank slate, ready for Aizen to knead and mold to his liking…
This was like getting an early birthday present.
~
The boy was improving fast, and Aizen needed to be careful not to let other Captains get their hands on him. Something told him Mugetsu would graduate within the year if it weren’t for his awful control of the lower levels of kido. If the other Captains caught wind of the upcoming genius, the possibility of Mugetsu choosing the 5th would get slimmer.
The sooner Mugetsu would succeed in his kido exam, the better, but he already knew he needed to make arrangements for a kido-fight rather than performing every hado and bakudo on a puppet going from 1 to as high as you could.
Suggesting the kido-spars with Mugetsu would also form a bond between them, and instill respect into the brat when he saw how great Aizen’s capabilities were.
Mugetsu improved even faster than before due to the fights, not that he could even leave a scratch on the Captain, but the boy was actually using his brains. Maybe he wasn’t a Shiba then…
Once discussed with Kaien about his idea for letting Mugetsu graduate early using the deviation protocol, Kaien easily agreed. Mugetsu, however, didn’t, but Aizen didn’t care what Mugetsu wanted.
The kido-battle would take place a week before the official exams, so no other Captains should be present. How Yamamoto got wind of it eluded him.
Who was he kidding, of course it didn’t elude him. He was fairly certain Onabara invited the Soutaicho…
As Mugetsu caught sight of them, he smiled encouragingly to his student, but only got a scowl in return. He had hoped he had earned a bit of respect from the boy already, but alas. He got time.
When Onabara gave his explanation, the boy slowly turned to Aizen, the gears visibly clicking inside his mind, and Aizen couldn’t help but smile softly again.
He either came across as helpful, encouraging and smart, or cunning and scheming. Aizen preferred the first, but Mugetsu had shown him he could be sharp and intelligent as well.
Despite the fact that at least Mugetsu used some tactics, the fight was boring… until it wasn’t. A glint entered Mugetsu’s eye as he raised his reiatsu higher and higher. Unfortunately Kaien broke the barrier and ran towards his charge as the teacher couldn’t move anymore, but the mad grin on the boy’s face made Kaien falter.
Mugetsu didn’t even notice Kaien as he raised his hand and powered for a Raikoho… on a defenseless Shinigami. Anticipation filled him at the prospect of Mugetsu being not so morally white, but of course Kaien interrupted the boy.
Losing his interest once more, he noticed how the boy once more stumbled. Inwardly sighing, he shunpoed over and made sure Mugetsu would take his medication while also pretending to be worried.
~
Gin’s knock on his door had him almost sigh with irritation. His Lieutenant knew he did not want to be disturbed at the moment, as he was having a breakthrough with the problem of creating Arrancar without having the Hogyoku. He reined his irritation in, however. There was no knowing who would listen in, even if his quick scan of environment left only Gin in his vicinity.
“Come in.”
Only it was Mugetsu that entered instead of Gin.
Concealing his surprise with a kind smile, he said, “What can I do for you, Mugetsu-kun?” Maybe the boy had finally thought over his proposition of making him a seated position if he joined the 5th… Aizen even neglected to tell him which position, as it would entice Mugetsu to know more and thus come to him.
“Yeah, for starters, stop smiling,” Mugetsu said, which left Aizen momentarily perplexed.
Confused as he was about the direct approach, he said, “I beg your pardon?” Maybe he had misheard…
But a huff made him think otherwise, “You don’t fool me, Aizen. Your smile is as fake as your image. Everyone may seem to think you’re a kind-hearted, caring Captain who wouldn’t hurt a fly, but you don’t fool me. You have perfected your smile, and it only irritates me, so stop pretending you’re happy all the time.”
He blinked a few times, astounded by the accurate description of his smile and situation. No one had ever confronted him this way before, and certainly not a student. Letting his perfect smile fade, he reluctantly admitted he needed to reassess the boy. Again. Mugetsu was much more clever than he had given him credit for, seeing through him like clear glass.
No… the boy had only seen through his smile… not himself… not fully.
“It was also your idea to use our training sessions on Sunday to fight only using kido, which was conveniently exactly the kind of exam I was given. I feel like you use your smile to hide how intelligent and cunning you are, aren’t you. Onabara said only one other person had graduated this way, so how did you know? The Academy has existed for centuries, so were you purposefully looking for a way to let me graduate early? Why did you even want me to graduate so early? And why even pretend at all?”
Without the calming effect his own perfect smile had on him, his annoyance made a sliver of reiatsu escape him. Aizen pushed it down as soon as he could, but the damage was done.
Frustrated by his own slip-up and the fact the boy was starting to distrust him, he tried to school his expression to cold neutrality instead of his perfect smile. He wondered what could have happened that Mugetsu was suddenly so distrustful towards him. Had he not helped the boy learn control over his reiatsu? Had he not taught the boy various other subjects of the theory classes so that the boy could easily skip them? Was the boy not grateful for all the things Aizen had done for him? Why come to conclusions as if Aizen was after something, even if he was?
Where had he gone wrong?
Pinching the bridge of his nose to hide his swirling emotions, he began to formulate a theory. If Mugetsu saw his smile as being fake, then it would be reasonable to conclude the intention after his every action was fake as well.
So the boy would respond well with honesty then…
“I have to apologize to you, Mugetsu-kun. I cannot answer all the questions you’ve asked me. It is true that I smile a lot,” Megumi was bleeding to death in his arms, “but that has something to do with my past. At the time, my smile was my only way of survival,” Megumi was crying in her chair, again, because of him, “and I will not divulge in it further. Please understand even I want to keep things hidden.”
Maybe throwing in a compliment would work as well. “It is remarkable, however, that you have seen through it, as nobody else ever saw through it at all, and I have been in the Gotei 13 a lot longer than you might think. Maybe one day I will tell you the reason, but for now, please forgive me if I smile too much. I will pay attention to it as to not further aggravate your feelings towards it.”
Letting the cold indifference wash over his face when looking up again, he saw how Mugetsu’s eyes had widened slightly at the difference in personality.
He then explained the reason he had suggested the kido-battle and how he knew about it, silently inquiring which division he was going to choose.
“About that, I actually wanted to join the 7th division, but Kaien took away my freedom of choice. He made a deal with Onabara to only let me graduate if I choose the 5th or the 13th, as both you and Kaien know of my condition.”
He quirked an eyebrow at the stupid yet welcome decision Kaien had made. He could work with that, finally given the opportunity to start creating a rift between Mugetsu and Kaien, “That seems rather bold and inconsiderate of him. Everyone knows a Shiba can’t and shouldn’t be contained. Freedom of choice is one of the most important things to your family.”
Mugetsu swung his arms in the air, “I know, right!”
The boy was acting like such a Shiba that Aizen almost had difficulty hiding his aversion. Too loud… too boisterous… he had hoped Mugetsu would be different…
“I don’t want to speak bad of him or come across as if I’m ungrateful. He just wants to protect me. He fears I’ll end up as a test subject in the 12th , if I’m not careful.”
Megumi practically flew into his open awaiting arms, the stench of chemicals clinging to her as she started sobbing and thanking him over and over again, “That is indeed a valid concern of his. The 12th division, and certainly its Captain, does enjoy dissecting anything remotely different from the standard. However, I do want to know what caught your interest in the 7th division specifically.”
His question was both genuine as well as a diversion from discussing the 12th division. The boy proceeded to explain about wanting to help Rukongai become a better place. Such gibberish, yet Aizen let his own eyes widen as if astonished before explaining that the Gotei 13 didn’t work that way. Of course, like any other Shiba, the boy lost his temper and paced around his office, “But there must be something I could do! It’s not right! Why doesn’t the Central 46 take action!”
It was perhaps time the boy learned about how corrupt Soul Society really was, “Because the Central 46 only makes changes to the laws when it is in their best interest. What happens in Rukongai doesn’t concern them.”
And as predicted, Mugetsu almost slammed his fists on his desk at the hopelessness of it, “Then I’ll make them concerned about it!”
Aizen let an irritated scoff escape his lips, “Don’t be foolish, you’ll never achieve anything from them that way.” Maybe it was also time for his first morally gray lesson, “The only way to make them do your bidding is if you layer it with something they want, which is most of the time money, power or influence. And you are in no position to give them either of these things.”
The slamming of Mugetsu’s hands on the table had Aizen almost eyeroll. It had taken the Shiba one second longer than he had predicted…
However, it was time to spin his webs around the boy, “Mugetsu-kun, calm down. The only thing you could do is joining the 7th division in their missions to the Rukongai and try to change things there, acting within the law.”
The anticipated outburst of how he couldn’t join the 7th almost made him laugh with how easy Mugetsu was making this for him, “You are allowed to join with other divisions in missions, you know.”
After explaining the workings, Mugetsu still didn’t realize he could achieve this by joining the 5th as he prattled on about Kaien this Kaien that… “Shiba-fukutaicho doesn’t own you, Mugetsu-kun.”
“Well, if I’m to join the 13th, I may as well be. He doesn’t trust me, he said so himself.”
For the amount of brains Mugetsu possessed, he sure could be dimwitted… however, the knowledge of Kaien not trusting the boy was worth the effort of staying calm. Laying his elbow on the table, his head resting on his hand, Aizen thought it natural to let a dribble of annoyance bleed onto his face, “Have you ever even considered joining the 5th? Shiba-kun allowed that too if I heard right.”
The bark of laughter made his irritation spike, though he remained in control. After Mugetsu explained why he wouldn’t consider the 5th, he finally understood where Mugetsu was coming from… Never had he imagined Mugetsu’s lack of self-confidence in the art of kido would be the reason for his reluctance to join the 5th, even if the boy was already better than most of his subordinates. He said so a second later, but the distrust in Mugetsu had him categorize it as flattery.
Pity.
Laying out the two options before him, accentuating the negative aspects of the 13th and the positive ones of the 5th without laying it on thick, he finally saw hesitance and contemplation on the boy’s face.
“Don’t you fear I will lose control again and end up in the 12th?”
It was so hilarious how easy Mugetsu was making it for him that Aizen was only aware of his grin showing itself a second too late, Megumi was yelling at him, throwing bottle after bottle until he ran away, “You experienced something you never want repeated again, so I trust you’ll do anything in your power to do better. And if the way you displayed your approach to fulfil your ambitions is the way you normally work to solve your problems, I have no doubt you’ll succeed. Either way, I will never let the 12th get their hands on you.”
It was perhaps one of his most honest answers ever, and Aizen himself almost reeled from the emotion-laced answer.
Mugetsu’s eyes widened, however, and bowed, before leaving.
Even if it was sloppy… it was still a bow.
This was the first time Mugetsu had bowed to him.
So… the way to get to Mugetsu was to be as honest as possible…
This would be more troublesome than he had thought, but if that was the way to get to Mugetsu, then he would. He wasn’t yet sure what to do with this potential, but if Mugetsu was able to get him to his knees with reiatsu output alone, then there were only two options really.
The boy needed to die, or he needed to choose Aizen’s side.
Megumi’s lifeless eyes stared straight at him.
How troublesome… he thought he had dealt with the emotional backlash of that day already. Sighing at the upcoming migraine, he went outside and excused himself for the day.