CHAPTER 225: A Blatant Call

The Seireitei had many houses with massive open yards. In one such yard, under a tree, Yoruichi curled on the ground, intending to borrow the place for the night. The hour-long nap at Kazuya's mansion wouldn't cut it for the physical and mental abuse she received at Aizen's hands.

She needed more sleep!

Yet, barely an hour later, her sleep was interrupted by a whisper, "Pet…"

Yoruichi groaned and tried to filter out her childish Hollow's voice, treating it as a background noise.

"Pet!"

"PET!"

"PET!!!"

"Please, shut your mouth." Yoruichi snapped at her Hollow, who was more or less equivalent to a human child in terms of intelligence. "Your pet isn't here."

"Go… Go to Pet. Sleep with Pet…?"

"He is sleeping with someone else."

Her Hollow hissed, enraged at the thought of imagining her so-called Pet going to someone else's side. "Pet ours… take Pet back."

Yoruichi was quite tempted to go to the Living World and bother Shinji's group for tips to keep her Hollow from being so damn noisy.

'I don't think they can help me.'

Her Hollow was unique for embodying her feline nature more than its Hollow nature. She doubted any Visored would have a Hollow as unique as hers.

"Go to PET!"

"I swear I'll kill you if you said Pet one more time."

"Pet…?"

Yoruichi groaned and plopped her head on the floor. Her Hollow was so dumb that threatening it made her look like a fool. It seemed impossible to convince the moody creature, but she had to find a way to silence the Hollow. It was her only choice as Kazuya, in Momo's room, would be busy doing lewd things.

'I'll go to him later.'

"Okay…"

Yoruichi's eyes widened. Her Hollow's response showed its frightening growth. In one day, it had began to understand and speak basic sentences.

After sleeping for a few hours, Yoruichi headed back to the dorm to fulfill her Hollow's wishes. Just as she reached the dorm building, the ecstasy-filled cries of Momo and Rukia reached her ears.

'This guy…'

She had no words for her companion. It didn't take a detective to predict Rukia would end up in his bed, but she didn't expect the day to come so soon.

Rukia and Momo's lewd cries filled her mind with obscene images. Images that her Inner Hollow also had access to.

"Grrrr."

Judging from its growl, her Hollow didn't enjoy her Pet getting frisky with anyone.

"Pet mating… I hate it.."

'Why does it matter?'

Yoruichi suddenly winced, feeling a pang in her chest. A mixed feeling of jealousy and possessive rage washing over her. Her Hollow transmitted its feelings to her, letting her resonate with its instincts.

Forcefully cutting off the connection, Yoruichi let out a sigh. 'I don't care what your instincts say. You'll not try to be possessive of him.'

"Pet ours…"

'No, he is not. He isn't a toy who belongs to you or anyone.'

"Pet… we need Pet."

Yoruichi sighed for what felt like the tenth time. Dealing with her Hollow exhausted her more than thinking about Aizen's schemes.

'What did he do to get this level of affection?'

"Pet? Pet!"

'...'

***

Meanwhile, on a hill stood a lanky young man with his hands tucked in his pocket. The night breeze caressed his face, sweeping away the messy bangs and revealed a pair of cold eyes.

"Aizen-san," he whispered, addressing the man concealed by a high-level Kidō spell. "The strongest Shinigami shouldn't move in the shadows."

Aizen tore the shroud with a hand, revealing himself and Gin, both carrying smiles on the opposite ends of spectrum — one considerare, polite even, and the other extremely sinister.

Gin tilted his head. "The strongest has to be smart, or he'll get devoured by the envious fools coveting his wisdom."

"Snakes, you mean," Muramasa retorted before shaking his head. Seeing Gin's smile ticked something off in him, making him go against logic and reason.

After all, it didn't matter to him whether Gin was a snake or a lion.

Aizen raised a hand, gesturing to the two to stop bickering. "Muramasa, I'll come out of the shadows once you take away Yamamoto's Zanpakutō Spirit."

Until then Aizen had to remain the mastermind in the shadows. Although many people had begun doubting him, none had the evidence to prove his guilt. 

Those who did are now either dead or exiled.

Muramasa shook his head. "I'm working to uphold my end of the bargain. You mustn't forget yours."

Aizen stepped forward and stood by Muramasa's side, looking down upon the Seireitei as if the collective nation of Soul King's subjects were nothing more than an insect.

Muramasa looked at Aizen's face before taking in the view once again. "My master used to train vigorously in these mountains… centuries ago. Why does this nation look the same today?"

Aizen raised his gaze, peering at a certain object in heaven. "It will look the same until someone gets rid of that dead god."

"Dead god? Are you referring to the Soul King?"

Aizen turned around and began walking, ready to leave Muramasa on a note of suspense.

Muramasa bore his cold gaze into Aizen, who remained unflinching. "I can't sense your Zanpakutō. Who did you fight?"

Muramasa was quite curious about the opponent who could push Aizen to the point of breaking his Zanpakutō.

Aizen's back trembled for a moment. He looked over his shoulder. "A Hollow."

Muramasa's eyes widened, then a look of recognition flicked in his eyes. "Did her Reiatsu feel oppressive?"

Aizen caught the look of familiarity in Muramasa's eyes — the Zanpakutō Spirit knew something about the troublesome Cazador. "Have you met her?"

"I almost encountered her when I was wandering around in Hueco Mundo. She came to defend another female Adjuchas—let me correct that. That Adjuchas became a Vasto Lorde before my eyes."

"She has two Vasto Lorde on her side. How fascinating." Aizen assumed a thoughtful expression, breaking into a smile at the thought of meeting her again. "You said almost. Did you not see her?"

Aizen was feeling more and more drawn to the Hollow and her fascinating powers. It was quite tragic that they stood on the opposite sides, for she harbored a deep grudge against him for attacking her home, Karakura Town.

The grudge didn't make any logical sense, but Hollows were never creatures of reasoning. They lived and died for violence, well, apart from a few oddballs.

Muramasa sighed. "No. I escaped as soon as I sensed her… fighting her was extremely risky at the time."

Aizen looked over to Gin. "Search every nook and cranny in Karakura Town."

"Who am I looking for?" Gin asked. "I'll need more than just a female Hollow to find her, you know?"

"Average height, slim build, with long silver hair. Her voice is…" Aizen paused for a second and adjusted his glasses. "You'll realize it's her as soon as you hear her speak."

"What's so special about her voice?" Muramasa asked. "Is she like that guy in the Academy? Kazuya Ishihara, right? His voice is… magic. No other word can describe it better."

Muramasa had been very obsessed with Kazuya Ishihara, hoping his powerful Zanpakutō would harbor an equally powerful Zanpakutō Spirit. A Zanpakutō Spirit that could contend with Yamamoto's Zanpakutō Spirit and help Muramasa free his master.

The plan changed when Muramasa stumbled upon Gin at the Shin'o Academy and met Aizen through Gin.

Aizen nodded his head. "Kazuya's voice shows most effect on females, whereas Cazador's voice mostly affects males."

He had drawn parallels between Kazuya and Cazador the moment he heard Kazuya's voice for himself. But he remained skeptical. After all, they had nothing in common apart from their voices and silver hair. They weren't even of the same race and gender.

What's more, Cazador had watched Yoruichi getting stomped at his hands with an indifferent look, which Kazuya would never do. Kazuya, after all, had a deep relationship with Yoruichi, from the information his spies had gathered.

'They must have inherited the same type of Soul King's fragment.'

This was the conclusion Aizen had drawn after meeting Kazuya. If Kazuya hadn't received such honor from the Gotei 13, Aizen would've snatched the young prodigy for experimentation. Alas, everyone's eyes were on the student for making such a big splash against the invading Arrancars.

Meanwhile, Gin smirked, looking so clearly tempted to stab Aizen's heart in his moment of reflection. He suppressed the urge since he couldn't observe any opening.

"I'll depart as soon as I take a Hollow bounty."

Muramasa hunched low and sat on the edge of the hill. "Zanpakutō Spirits are getting restless because of your Reiatsu. Can you two leave now?"

"Heh." Aizen threw a glance past Gin, towards the series of caves behind him. "Muramasa, don't wait for an opportunity. Make it yourself."

Even though Aizen addressed Muramasa specifically, Muramasa felt like the words contained a deeper meaning.

Gin maintained his smile, even though his fists clenched ever so slightly under his loose sleeves.

Aizen revealed an imperceptible smile, reveling in the thrill of provoking Gin Ichimaru.