It seems I'm being pushed out again.
Haruki felt that Aizen must have some plan in mind, but it didn't require his involvement.
Well, if I'm not needed, then I'll just head to Las Noches and play some city defense or farming games.
Since Aizen had given him full authority over Las Noches, Haruki decided to focus on building a brand-new Espada.
This reminded him of some game ads from his previous life—
"Build your own strongest army!"
Strongest might be a stretch, but it shouldn't be too hard to make them stronger than the original Espada.
At the very least, with Szayelaporro Granz, a Vasto Lorde, the new Espada would already be a significant upgrade.
Haruki didn't return to Las Noches immediately. Instead, he stayed in the Seireitei for a day to see which captains the Gotei 13 would send to Hueco Mundo.
Back at the 5th Division, Haruki saw Tōshirō Hitsugaya training.
Haruki walked over and greeted him, "How's the training going?"
Hitsugaya was surprised to see Haruki approach. He sheathed his Zanpakutō and didn't answer the question. Instead, he asked, "Did something happen earlier?"
"You already know?" Haruki raised an eyebrow, then admitted, "Yeah, the Seireitei is about to make a big move tomorrow."
"But it has nothing to do with you. You're better off staying in the division and continuing to be the genius kid."
"You..."
Hitsugaya looked at Haruki, as if he had something to say.
"What is it?" Haruki asked, noticing his hesitation. "Something on your mind?"
"...No, it's nothing." Hitsugaya shook his head.
"Such an un-cute kid." Haruki ruffled Hitsugaya's hair, and after the latter dodged away, Haruki left.
As he walked past Hitsugaya, his expression darkened. Behind him, Hitsugaya watched Haruki's retreating figure.
A look of confusion flashed in his eyes, but he eventually shook his head and returned to his training.
"That kid..."
Haruki thought to himself. Hitsugaya, despite his young age, was very perceptive. Plus, he was familiar enough with Haruki to notice some inconsistencies.
Originally, Aizen had used Kyōka Suigetsu to have someone impersonate Haruki. While Kyōka Suigetsu made it easy to disguise someone, perfectly mimicking a person was difficult.
You had to know their habits, personality, and even with a dedicated stand-in, over time, some cracks would inevitably show.
For example, in the original storyline, when Aizen faked his death and used his Zanpakutō as his corpse, Unohana gradually noticed some inconsistencies.
Unless you were in close contact, these inconsistencies were hard to spot.
Aside from physical details, behavioral and personality quirks were also tricky.
Another example was when Aizen used a bald subordinate to impersonate him and follow Aizen around. If someone who knew Aizen well, like Shinji Hirako, had been paying attention, they might have noticed subtle differences in mannerisms and speech.
So, when Aizen used Kyōka Suigetsu to have someone impersonate Haruki, he made sure the imposter kept a low profile and avoided close interactions with acquaintances.
Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be a problem. After all, Haruki had only been in Hueco Mundo for a month. If the division was busy, it wouldn't be unusual for him to avoid socializing for a month.
Aside from Rangiku, none of the other vice-captains had time to drink every day.
However, even so, the imposter seemed to have aroused Hitsugaya's suspicions.
Hitsugaya was now a member of the 5th Division. No matter how reclusive the imposter tried to be, he still had to come to the 5th Division, and that meant interacting with Hitsugaya.
So, it was natural for Haruki to feel that something was off with the imposter.
Hitsugaya's observational skills were sharp. Otherwise, in the original storyline, Aizen and Gin wouldn't have specifically chosen him as an audience for their act.
Haruki entered Aizen's office and brought up the issue.
Aizen seemed to have already noticed. He calmly said, "You don't need to worry about this."
"I plan to transfer Hitsugaya to the 13th Division."
"Oh?" Haruki was surprised. "Do you think Hitsugaya has no more use?"
"On the contrary, he still has value," Aizen said indifferently. "It's just that controlling him is too easy. As long as you and Momo are in the 5th Division, Hitsugaya won't escape our grasp, no matter where he goes."
"I see..." Haruki thought for a moment, then said, "Sending him to the 13th Division is to have him replace Shiba Kaien, or even Ukitake Jūshirō, right?"
"Are you planning to make a move on Shiba Kaien?"
Aizen's strategy was to place his agents in high positions to facilitate his plans.
For example, Gin Ichimaru had become the captain of the 3rd Division, and Kira Izuru, who was now in the 4th Division, would eventually transfer to the 3rd Division. This way, both the captain and vice-captain of the 3rd Division would be under Aizen's control, effectively making the entire division his.
The same logic applied to Hitsugaya.
It was well-known that Ukitake Jūshirō, the captain of the 13th Division, was in poor health and had already considered retiring, waiting for Shiba Kaien to grow into the role and take over.
But now that Shiba Kaien was trapped in Hueco Mundo, if he didn't return, the vice-captain position in the 13th Division would be vacant.
If Hitsugaya could become the vice-captain of the 13th Division, he would likely succeed Ukitake as captain.
This would bring another division under Aizen's control.
However, this would also throw the Soul Society's storyline into chaos.
Haruki narrowed his eyes.
If Hitsugaya became the captain of the 13th Division, who would lead the 10th Division?
Surely not him?
No! Absolutely not!
He wouldn't become anyone's captain, especially not Rangiku's. That woman was lazier than him. If both the captain and vice-captain slacked off, would they have to leave all the work to the third seat?
Haruki had already decided that if the position of 10th Division captain ever opened up, he would never take it!
"It's not that I'm making a move on Shiba Kaien."
Aizen said softly, "It's that a Hollow has already targeted him."
A Hollow had already made its move...
Indeed, Hueco Mundo was a chaotic place. A wounded Shinigami separated from the main force would be a prime target for Hollows.
In Hueco Mundo, a Shinigami who could survive for thirty seconds was practically a legend.
...
[Check Out My Patreon for 30+ Extra Chapters!!!]
[p.a.t.r.e.o.n.com/rosewhisky]