Chapter 67: Tailing Aizen?

Chapter 67 - 67: Tailing Aizen? Rukongai, Inudaka District— "I got a new sword, Sōsuke!" The silver-haired boy proudly showed off the blade he had just acquired. "Where did this come from? It doesn't look ordinary." The brown-ponytailed boy inspected the sword in his friend's hands. It clearly didn't resemble the ones he'd seen Shinigami use, and he could vaguely sense something unusual about it. There was no way a forge in Inudaka District could've produced such a weapon. "Of course not! That esteemed person really appreciated me. He said I'm a rare genius who's perfectly suited for this divine blade, so he rewarded me with it!" The silver-haired boy beamed. "With this sword, I'm definitely going to become a Shinigami!" "You don't even know who that person is, Kato. There's no such thing as a free dinner in this world," the brown-ponytailed boy frowned, kindly reminding him. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about the sword. "Naturally, I'm still too weak right now to be told their identity. But once I become a Shinigami, I'll repay them properly!" Kato didn't seem to care. In his mind, someone like him had nothing to lose. As long as he could become a Shinigami, any price was worth it. "Once the Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy opens up for new students again, let's take the entrance exam together," Kato continued. "I'm not going. Seems like I don't have much talent in spiritual power," the brown-ponytailed boy said with a helpless smile. He had already made up his mind just moments ago—to leave the Inudaka District. The weak cannot resist the invisible future. And he was still weak. All he could do was accept his small role in the world and avoid danger wherever possible. Under the cover of night, the rooftops of the shack-filled slums looked even lower than usual. A faint creak barely disturbed the stillness. Carrying a cloth bundle, the brown-ponytailed boy carefully peeked out from the door. After confirming that the street was empty, he gently closed the door and briskly left. Aizen Sōsuke was a cautious person. The moment his friend pulled out that mysterious "divine blade," he had already decided to leave the Inudaka District. Even more so after seeing how the so-called "divine blade" was meant to grow—by being fed with its wielder's own blood. It was clearly an ominous weapon. Without hesitation, he resolved to leave the district that very night. As for where to go next, Aizen had considered it carefully. This time, he wanted to move to an area with better public safety. He had only stayed in the Inudaka District to sharpen his combat awareness. The district was known for its poor security. Fights were frequent and rarely questioned. But compared to places like Kusajishi or Zaraki, it was still relatively safer, making it an ideal place for him to train. All of this had been in preparation for eventually taking the entrance exam at the Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy. He didn't know what the criteria were for admission, so he had to do everything he could to boost his chances. After leaving his residential area, Aizen headed straight for the mountain path. There was a shortcut here that very few people knew about. He had to leave Inudaka before sunrise. Based on his calculations, the person who gave Kato the "divine blade" would be focused on Kato for now and probably wouldn't notice him just yet. But once Kato realized he was missing tomorrow, that mysterious benefactor might start investigating. And then he'd be in real trouble. But he couldn't afford to stay either. That blade had already tasted Kato's blood—who's to say it wouldn't start hungering for others' next? He had to leave as soon as possible. Fortunately, the larger beasts of the forest didn't come out at night. Aside from the rough terrain, the journey was going smoothly. As he neared the forest's edge, Aizen pulled a small knife from his bundle and cut off his ponytail. Then he trimmed the bangs at the front of his face. Next, he retrieved a pair of square-framed glasses from the bundle and put them on. The glasses were something he'd found. They were old-fashioned, with thick frames that covered much of his face. Once he put them on, his entire aura changed. He now looked like a harmless, gentle youth. Then he destroyed the cut hair, preparing to leave the forest. That's when his body froze. In that instant, his scalp and back tingled as if countless ants were crawling all over him. There was a shadow standing in the treetops ahead! Bathed in moonlight, he saw the figure's outfit: a white haori draped over black Shinigami robes. A Shinigami! Aizen couldn't even tell when the person had arrived. His mind spun rapidly, analyzing the situation. And then came the worst-case scenario— What if this Shinigami was the one who gave Kato that "divine blade"? What if he'd been followed from the moment he left the house? Everything he'd done since would've been seen. Nanatsuki stood on the treetop, looking puzzled. He hadn't expected to run into Aizen tonight. He was here searching for traces of the Kasumioji Clan. He'd planted "surveillance points" within the Kasumioji household and had recently overheard some secrets. Apparently, the Kasumioji were researching and developing a secret weapon. One that seemed to require the involvement of many spiritually gifted souls. Upon hearing this, Nanatsuki quickly pieced it together using his memories from his past life: the Kasumioji Clan was likely developing the Makō Blade1! The Makō Blade, like a Zanpakutō, possessed extraordinary powers, but its philosophy was entirely different. Although the Makō Blade granted immense strength, it also continuously drained the user's spiritual energy—and even life force. These blades were alive. Their wielders were merely sustenance. The more wielders a blade consumed, the stronger it became. Creating such a malicious blade that grew by devouring life was an unforgivable crime. If exposed, the Kasumioji Clan would definitely face judgment from the Central 46. So Nanatsuki had begun investigating. But the information he'd overheard was vague and fragmented, and this area didn't have any surveillance points. What's worse, members of the Kasumioji Clan wore cloaks of invisibility when acting outside—making them nearly impossible to track. That's why he still hadn't found the place where the Makō Blades were being made. But tonight, he did find someone unexpected. [Status Interface] [Name: Aizen Sōsuke] [Talent: SS] [Reiatsu: lv40] [Fame Level: Stranger] [Status: Panicked] So young, and already his Reiatsu rivaled that of Nanatsuki's own disciples. 'Impressive as always, Aizen Sōsuke.'