Time passed with exasperating slowness.
Aizen had spent the last few days exploring the forest, trying to understand the nature of this new world. However, his body, limited in physical capabilities, was beginning to impose restrictions on him that he would never have bothered with before. Fatigue was mounting, and although his mind remained sharp, his stamina was humiliatingly reduced. But the worst part wasn't the fatigue; it was the hunger.
The first day had been enough to show him that he couldn't simply ignore human needs. With his Reiatsu fragmented and his strength sealed in this new body, he couldn't afford to ignore the biological demands that had previously been irrelevant to him. He needed water and food.
He stopped on a rise in the terrain, surveying his surroundings with a calculating gaze. In the distance, the forest stretched out like a wall of shadows and thick foliage, with the evening light filtering through the branches. The breeze carried an earthy scent, accompanied by the constant rustle of leaves and the distant murmur of water. If there was a stream nearby, finding it should be his priority.
"Surviving in this state is a test of adaptation," he thought. "If my power is still within me, buried beneath this weakness, then it's a matter of finding a way to unearth it. But before that, I must ensure my permanence in this environment."
The first step was water. Following the slope of the land and observing animal tracks, he came to a small pool fed by a thin stream. The water looked clean, but he didn't trust its appearance. He took a minimal sip, alert to any sign of discomfort. Hours later, when he saw that his body wasn't reacting negatively, he allowed himself a larger drink.
He knelt by the edge and studied his own reflection in the water. Her youthful face stared back at him, flawless and calculating. His gaze hardened as he noticed the lack of a hollow in her chest, further confirmation that her nature had changed. But then, he closed his eyes and focused,
remembering that there she was. Weak, repressed, but still present. His power was like a crystal trapped in a rock; not destroyed, but encapsulated.
"I am not a mere human. No matter how hard this world tries to make me conform to its rules, my essence remains intact."
Food was the next problem. He couldn't afford to weaken further. He carefully observed the plants growing near the pond, differentiating those that looked edible from those that might be poisonous. He tasted some bitter leaves, swallowing them without a grimace. They were insufficient. He needed protein.
Using dry twigs and a fragment of his clothing, he improvised a trap. Aizen had never needed to resort to such primitive methods, but his knowledge was extensive and his mind capable of adapting. He designed a simple noose to catch a small animal, placing it on a path where footprints indicated frequent traffic.
Night fell, and with it, the cold became more noticeable. Leaning against a rock near the water, he kept his mind constantly active. He reflected on the nature of his limitation. His power hadn't disappeared, that much was clear to him. He felt it within him, trapped like a crystal embedded in a rock. Shunpō had shown he could still manipulate spiritual energy, albeit poorly.
"If I restore one ability to its optimal level, the others may begin to restructure from it. The connection with reishi is the key."
He reflected as he waited, unwilling to expend energy unnecessarily.
Hours later, with the moon high in the sky, he went to check his trap. To his frustration, the mechanism had failed. Something had been cunning or strong enough to escape before the rope could fully grasp it.
Aizen stared at the shattered trap, his expression impassive but his thoughts in turmoil.
"How ironic..." he reflected disdainfully. "I've manipulated the most powerful minds in the Seireitei, reduced those who stood in my way to ash, and now I can't even catch a simple rabbit."
With an exasperated sigh, he cleared his mind, pushing aside any feelings of self-pity. After all, it's irrelevant in something as trivial as this. Even if this were his last chance for a final meal, he wouldn't let his emotions get the better of him. He never did, and he never would, or else he wouldn't be the man he once was.
"A flaw is nothing more than additional information. If the method is wrong, it's corrected."
For a moment, he considered the most obvious solution. Kyōka Suigetsu was still with him. One illusion, one distraction, and the creature would be his without effort. But then, his gaze dropped to the hilt of his sword. The thought was irritating.
"I will not lower my power to such a triviality."
He could have used the sword, but he didn't. Not because he had any qualms about killing, but because it was a matter of principle. He wouldn't allow this world to reduce him to relying on what remained of his power for something so insignificant. No, if he had to hunt, he would do it under his own power. Using his Zanpakutō for something as trivial as capturing an animal seemed like an unnecessary waste. Kyōka Suigetsu was a tool of absolute control, not simply a means to compensate for his initial hunting failures.
The next morning, he checked his trap a second time. This time, a rabbit had been caught. However, the execution was still poor. The animal had partially freed itself, leaving traces of its presence before escaping.
"One error corrected leads to another that still needs to be resolved. Gradual progression."
Aizen felt no frustration. He was only gathering data. He adjusted the trap's design once more and set out to continue perfecting his methods. Survival wasn't a matter of brute force, but of adaptation. And if anything defined him, it was his ability to evolve under any circumstances.
The forest remained calm, unaware of his presence. But Aizen was not unaware of his. And if this world thought it could subdue him with hunger and physical limitations, it was mistaken. This was only a passing phase.