Bleach: No cheat codes, he joined Aizen's side.

Chapter 166, Page 164: I will go, in my own way!

The meeting with Aizen took place at the Shinigami Academy.

The sun was shining brightly, and the True Central Spiritual Arts Academy, having just experienced a brutal battle, was only now beginning to recover its strength.

Many of the original teachers in the academy died in the Hollow invasion a few days ago.

At Higashino Shuichi's suggestion, Tsunayoshiro Kanbara also agreed to Higashino Shuichi's proposal to select members for the Sword Hunters by becoming their teacher.

After all, it's not good for the Sword Hunters to always be without members.

Riding on the prestige gained from Higashino Shuichi's intervention in the Soul Society's crisis, which resulted in the killing of Hueco Mundo's Lord Barragan, Tsunayoshiro Kanbara still had some confidence in the training plan that Higashino Shuichi had mentioned.

Therefore, although Higashino Shuichi's real purpose was to come here to see Aizen, he still had a cover identity on the surface.

The reason why the two of them have to make their meeting so complicated is simply because Aizen, for his own twisted sense of humor, didn't let Gin Ichimaru fall into the Kyoka Suigetsu.

In order to prevent Gin Ichimaru from knowing Hideichi Higashino's true identity, Hideichi Higashino and Aizen could only meet in this underground manner.

After all, opportunities for Aizen to openly meet with Shuichi Higashino on behalf of the Gotei 13, like last time, are rare.

"A resolution to establish a special class, Daylight, within the True Spiritual Arts Academy?"

Sitting in the teachers' lounge of the Shinigami Academy, Aizen finished reading the resolution issued by the Central 46th Division, which was handed to him by Higashino Shuichi, and then spoke.

As one of the most senior teachers at the Shinigami Academy and the captain of the 5th Division of the Gotei 13, Aizen naturally took on some management responsibilities given the current shortage of teachers at the Shinigami Academy.

"Well, I think the relationship between the Shinigami Academy and the Gotei 13 is still too strained. The young Shinigami who graduate from the Shinigami Academy have to go to the Gotei 13 to start missions right after graduation. The casualty rate is still too high. After all, not all vice-captains have that much time to teach their team members advanced techniques like swordsmanship and demon-slaying."

Moreover, even if they had the time, the varying skill levels of the members in each squad would make it difficult to provide targeted instruction.

Shuichi Higashino answered fluently.

But Aizen showed no intention of listening to Higashino Shuichi's explanation. "The truth?"

Higashino Shuichi's eyes met Aizen's, revealing a few of his pearly white teeth. "As expected, I couldn't hide it from Lord Aizen after all. The truth is, the soul modification project that Mayuri Kurotsuchi and I collaborated on before was a great success this time. Mayuri obtained a lot of useful data."

According to his prediction, the next phase of the experiment could begin in less than five years. However, since this phase involves a leap in abilities, the selected test opponents could not be the same as this time, where just some ordinary soldiers or Shinigami could be chosen to fill the numbers.

But Lord Aizen, as you know, there are only so many Seats, and most of them reside permanently in Soul Society and rarely go to the past world. It's definitely not convenient to make arrangements for a single Seat of the 13th Division Shinigami at that time.

So I thought, instead of waiting for the right opportunity like this time, I should take the initiative and train a group of Grim Reapers myself who meet the requirements, and then send them to designated locations under the guise of missions or internships.

In this way, time, location, and even personnel become controllable.

Higashino Shuichi laid out his plan in its entirety. His plan to modify souls did not conflict with Aizen's, so Higashino Shuichi had no intention of hiding it.

The benefits of doing this are obvious. For example, although Aizen said that this was just a spur-of-the-moment action, in reality, both the reaction of Soul Society and Mayuri Kurotsuchi's countermeasures were within Aizen's expectations.

Before Higashino Shuichi could even take action himself, Aizen solved the major problem of this first experiment for him.

However, despite his actions, Aizen still held Higashino Shuichi's behavior in utter disdain.
"So you're still fixated on that plan you once had to develop complete technology?"

Aizen knew why Higashino Shuichi sought out Mayuri Kurotsuchi for a collaboration, because Higashino Shuichi initially approached himself as a collaborator, but after being rejected, he went to Szayelaporro. It wasn't until Szayelaporro clearly stated that he had no interest that he finally approached Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

Aizen simply couldn't understand why, given that Higashino Shuichi's spiritual pressure had surged after absorbing Barragan's Hollow Core, almost reaching his own level, coupled with Higashino Shuichi's own abilities and various methods, Aizen wouldn't be surprised if he were told that Higashino Shuichi could now have a proper fight with him.

So, under these circumstances, is it still necessary for Shuichi Higashino to develop that "Disruption of Manifestation" technique?

Aizen felt that Higashino Shuichi was too obsessed with acquiring power, even more so than Aizen himself.

"Yes, Lord Aizen, but I'm just curious about what kind of Fullbring technique I can develop using the fragments of the Soul King's body that I currently possess. That's all."

This is probably one of the few sources of enjoyment I can find.

Higashino Shuichi didn't even need to ask; he could read his boss's thoughts just from Aizen's tone.

However, Higashino Shuichi was also suffering in his heart. He didn't have any abnormal scientific research skills, nor did he have the talent of Aizen. If he wanted to survive successfully under so many powerful people in the future, he would naturally have as many trump cards as possible.

Didn't you see that he was almost killed by Barragan's black technology this time?
If he hadn't used the fabricated future to leave himself a trump card that even he himself had forgotten, Higashino Shuichi would probably be crying for help from his "father," Kuruyashiki, in hell right now.

"Fun? Hmph~ Indeed, fun is quite important."

Higashino Shuichi's answer made Aizen feel a sense of empathy.

Once you reach their level of skill, having fun is indeed the primary driving force.

Then, Aizen suddenly changed the subject. The smile on his lips remained, but his gaze toward Higashino Shuichi suddenly turned sharp.
"So, you didn't find any fun in the Spirit King's Palace?"

Aizen didn't even ask Higashino Shuichi if he had been to the Soul King's Palace, but directly confirmed this fact, not intending to give Higashino Shuichi any chance to use sweet talk.

Fortunately, Higashino Shuichi never intended to do that in the first place.

"Those people in the Spirit King's Palace are ultimately a bit boring. They just sit there, guarding a few empty palaces. I find it utterly unpleasant to be inside."

"That's what I'm saying," Higashino Shuichi replied.

"Really? So it's such a boring place?"

"This is truly a place that shouldn't exist."

Aizen showed no surprise at Higashino Shuichi's answer, as if everything was expected.

"But to be honest, Lord Aizen, although I didn't stay in the Soul King's Palace for long this time, that monk named Hyosube Ichibei invited me to join the Zero Division."

"Hahahahaha!"

Before Higashino Shuichi could finish speaking, Aizen burst into laughter, as if he had heard something utterly absurd and hilarious. "Then why did you reject him?"

Aizen knew the answer without asking the outcome, because he had already learned about some of the rules of the Zero Division from the Great Spirit Book Corridor. He knew that once someone chose to become a member of the Zero Division, their entire body would be replaced by the power of the Spirit King, known as the King Key.

The reason why the members of the Zero Division were able to possess such extraordinary combat power was precisely because of the existence of the King Key.

However, it is obvious that Higashino Shuichi's body has not been replaced by Wang Jian at this moment.

Therefore, Higashino Shuichi definitely rejected Hyosube Ichibei's invitation.

"Becoming a member of the Zero Division might be the dream of most Shinigami, but it's definitely not mine."

It seemed like Higashino Shuichi answered Aizen's question, but it also seemed like he didn't answer anything at all.

Because answering Aizen's question would be extremely difficult, it's better to pass the buck back to Aizen than to cause him headaches.

Anyway, as long as you still want me to do things for you, you have no choice but to trust me.

This is where the brilliance of Higashino Shuichi's answer lies.

"It's a pity I couldn't go with you."

Aizen naturally understood Higashino Shuichi's implied meaning, so he chose to change the subject.

"But it's not like there's no chance, Lord Aizen."

Higashino Hideyoshi gave Aizen a bright smile.

"What do you mean?"

Aizen thought to himself, "There's another surprise?"
"Although I declined the Zero Division's invitation, they agreed to my request to go to the Spirit King Palace again later. As long as I talk to the person in charge of the Shiba family who is in charge of going to the Spirit King Palace, I can go to the Spirit King Palace again under their guidance!"
"If you wish, Lord Aizen, you may come with me then."

"I hopeful," said Higashino Shuichi.

In reality, he was already plotting how to sell Aizen to the monk for a good price.

This is a golden opportunity for him to rise above his former serfdom and sing his praises!

Anyway, let alone Aizen who hasn't obtained the complete Hogyoku yet, even Aizen in the later Hogyoku II stage might not be able to defeat the monk, let alone break into the Zero Division's territory, the Reiō Palace, alone.

As for the monk, Hyosube Ichibei, who may have had a spiritual communion with the Soul King's will in some unknown way, he would most likely not do anything to Aizen in order to ensure the birth of the future savior, Kurosaki Ichigo.

Therefore, it is foreseeable that Aizen will be severely reprimanded by the monk and then thrown back into Soul Society to begin a new round of enduring hardship and biding his time.

For Shuichi Higashino, this has virtually no impact.

Not only that, he felt that he might also have a chance to gain favor with some of the other Zero Division members in the Soul King Palace by leading Aizen there to be tortured, and perhaps even receive some special gifts.

After all, among the members of Squad Zero, only that stinky monk named Hyosube Ichibei is a machine that is almost completely devoid of emotion; the other members still have their own likes and dislikes.

However, Higashino Shuichi realized that he was still wrong.

His high emotional intelligence statement underestimated Aizen's magnanimity.

His low emotional intelligence stemmed from his misjudgment of Aizen's arrogance.

"Together? Is this the first day you've met me, Shuichi?"

According to the records in the Great Spirit Book Corridor, the members of the Zero Division who live in the Soul King Palace can see everything that happens in Soul Society.

Therefore, they must know me, and they definitely know what I did in Soul Society. They might even be listening to what I'm saying to you right now.

But they chose to invite Hikifune Kiryu, they chose to invite you, but they didn't invite me;
Don't they know about the relationship between you and me?

Upon hearing this, Higashino Shuichi finally understood that Aizen had always been clear about the significance of the Zero Division's existence.

No wonder that when Aizen asked Higashino Shuichi to plan and orchestrate the Kasumioji family rebellion, on the night the Kasumioji family officially rebelled, he didn't make any prior arrangements for the main battlefields that had been pre-arranged.

Because Aizen understood at that time that if the rebellion really attracted the members of the Zero Division, then those people would definitely go straight to Aizen himself, so the battlefield layout was meaningless, and all his arrangements were centered around himself.

In the end, however, Aizen was extremely disappointed by the Zero Division's performance that night.

These are the members of the high and mighty Zero Squad, the elite squad responsible for guarding the corpse of the Soul King, which has been turned into a human pig.

The phrase "detached from worldly affairs" hardly does justice to their indifference.

"No, they definitely know, but in their eyes I might be an arrogant Grim Reaper, so none of that matters."

So, Shuichi, this is the challenge they've issued to me.

They probably also think that my idea of ​​going to the Spirit King's Palace and meeting with them is very naive and ridiculous.

So if I accept going to the Spirit King's Palace with you, I'll lose.

Aizen shook his head, speaking with great confidence, while Higashino Shuichi kept shaking his head inwardly as he listened.

This is definitely an overinterpretation. Hyosube Ichibei was simply acting according to the script given by the Soul King; he had no personal feelings of joy or sorrow.

But then Higashino Shuichi thought again, was Aizen wrong?
Judging from all of Hyosube Ichibei's actions, Aizen's explanation was indeed reasonable and well-founded, leaving no room for criticism, and even making perfect sense on its own.

“But I will still go to the Soul King Palace.” Aizen looked up at the ceiling. Higashino Shuichi knew that Aizen’s gaze was actually fixed on the Soul King Palace, which he had never seen before.

He still looked down at everything with that same aloof pride.
"My way!"

(End of this chapter)