Crows x Souls

“These greater beings then seek others even greater than themselves to shelter them. This is how Gods are born. But make no mistake. They all still abide to me.” — Aizen Sōsuke. 

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[4th Division, Unohana’s Office] 

Unohana calmly sipped the tea set before her by her protégé as she listened to what Isane was saying. 

“Yachiru seems to think that Captain Itachi is hiding from her.”

Both women chuckled, finding it extra funny because they knew just how persistent the little Lieutenant could be. 

“It’s a bit surreal when you stop to think of it, doesn’t it, Captain Unohana?” 

“What is, Isane?” 

“Geniuses, I think.” She replied. 

“And why do you say so?” Unohana asked in turn. 

“I’ve seen my own fair share of geniuses but somehow it seems that the number of geniuses seems to increase with every passing century.” Her motions stopped as she put together her words whole at the same time thinking them over. “And lately it feels like there are a few Academy students that might fit that bill.”

Unohana put her cup down with a clack with a warm smile on her face and turned to look at Isane, her student of centuries past. “I believe you are wrong, Isane.”

“Captain?” 

“Geniuses. They make it harder for anyone after them to be called one. The brighter one shines, the darker the shadow that is placed on the next one. And I don’t think there are so ‘many’ people who can achieve such a feat under that kind of pressure.” She said wisely. 

Isane’s mouth opened but no words came out other than a simple “Oh,”. 

Unohana looked at her with a knowing and slightly teasing smile. “If you want to know if someone's a true genius, remember the last one and compare them to it and see how high they stand.”

She didn’t have to think much before she realized what her Captain was getting at. If she went with that train of thought, the only person that fit that bill was the Captain of the 2nd Division. And if she were to follow through and actually compare, it was rather disappointing that even her thoughts seemed to fall short.

Unohana noticed this and chuckled. “There’s a reason they call them geniuses after all.”

From Unohana’s words, for anybody else to be considered a genius they will have to be judged by the standard of genius that Itachi had set and that by itself was already a very stringent prerequisite. 

“Speaking of which, he stopped by a few hours ago looking for you but you were with the Head Captain at the time.”

“Did he now?” Unohana didn’t think much of it because she knew he’ll come back if the reason for his previous visit was important and knowing Itachi there was a huge possibility that it likely was. 

Isane’s words about geniuses reverberated in her mind and it brought out two different sets of memories when she recalled them. 

Two different types of geniuses they were. Zaraki was a type of combat genius that she had only seen in two people in her long life of living while Itachi was a genius overall. He was smart in ways that left even her stunned at times, most times with her having to remind herself that he was less than a hundred years old. 

His mentality aside, he had developed a sense and style of combat that was very hard for most to achieve. Even among the current Captains, only a select few had a style of combat that was unique to them and not one that was birthed by the nature of their Zanpakutō. 

But then geniuses were the most flawed of the people. Zaraki and Itachi both. 

“As unfortunate as it sounds, geniuses have the hardest time with things most people would consider mundane.” She muttered, more to herself than her listening protégé. 

…… 

[POV: With Aizen Sōsuke] 

Aizen’s defect to Hueco Mundo wasn’t without its own issues but being who he was, such issues were already accounted for before their eventual setup. The only thing that couldn’t be fully planned for were the few surprises he got in consideration of a small group of Hollows, two in particular. 

But then again, even with the most thought out plans, there were variables known as inevitabilities that couldn’t be planned around but mostly accommodated. 

He doubted the fools of the Seireitei, even with all the time that has passed, had figured out the shadows of the true extent of his plans. 

They might know the end goal(after all he told them himself) but the lengths he would go for it were all wild speculations to them even after all the things he did as a Shinigami. Except he won’t spoil their fun just yet. He’ll let them speculate for now. 

The only thing he was most concerned about at the point wasn’t the Soul Society or any of their dour Shinigami, instead it was a simple exiled man and what he had in his possession.

Kisuke Urahara and his version of the Hōgyoku. 

What he had come to realize after working with Hōgyoku for so long was that it had a will of its own that could not be subverted or worked around. It could only be accommodated to – an inevitability he recognized all too late. 

And it was that very will of the Hōgyoku that yearned to be whole that Aizen was planning to cater to. 

Where the will of the object came from Aizen couldn’t fathom and that thought angered him so much when he learnt of this little quirk of the little jewel in his possession. 

It meant that he had to supplement his will to that of the Hōgyoku, accepting that the Hōgyoku’s will was above his. THE WILL OF HIS OWN CREATION ABOVE HIS!

The realization of this enlightened Aizen on one of his greatest flaws and made him accept it as what it was – A simple part of him. 

His arrogance, while it still remained, would never be a part of his downfall. He couldn’t control the whims of the Hōgyoku, instead only catering to it, but he would be dead if he allowed his own soul traits to do the same to him. 

And if whatever will was in the Hōgyoku thinks it could lord over Aizen, then obviously it has forgotten which of them dreams of godhood. 

Now as for acquiring the other part of the Hōgyoku, a believable and true deception. 

“We’ll be going for the Hōgyoku soon. Best you all get ready.”

His words silenced the whispering conversations that were happening around the table they all sat at. 

“And to that end we'll be looking for a few… comrades to fill in the spots left.” He said. “Our presence here is already drawing the stronger Hollows towards us and if we are lucky we can find a couple of commendable comrades to aid us.”

Whether he meant those words or not nobody commented on them and just nodded their heads. The more hyperactive Hollows let out malevolent cheers. 

Aizen watched all this with his thoughts kept to himself. He briefly wondered if anyone here was up to the task but immediately shut down that idea. If they were up to the task then they wouldn’t be here in the first place. 

Even with how utterly incompetent they were, he admitted that the Shinigami had some figures of brilliance that he enjoyed playing over. He hated them as much as he acknowledged them, even despite their lacking strength. 

Kisuke Urahara, Itachi Uchiha and Yamamoto Genryúsai – were at the top of such a list of people. 

Their intelligence varied as was the way they approached obstacles in front of them. For all his strength, Aizen found Yamamoto the most boring of them, with him being the most cautious and cowardly of the three. 

Kisuke Urahara’s genius was the only thing that made Aizen put him above Itachi as the former was the only one Aizen would grudgingly accept had an intelligence that was a bit lower if not equal to his. His weakness  was the deficiency of his moral attitude, something that Itachi surprisingly had in spades. The latter traveled to Hueco Mundo after predicting Aizen’s moves to investigate if he had any influence or seat of power in this boring world without anyone from the Soul Society knowing. Unfortunately, he was right but he had been too early. 

Yes. For all their spineless bickering(in the restraint of his own arrogance) Aizen would admit that the Shinigami were rather remarkable with these few individuals in their midst. 

… which was why he knew they would fail. The rules of the Shinigami will be the same shackle that will bear them down and snuff out any chance they might have ever had of overcoming him, no matter how impossible such a scenario was. After all, who could overcome a natural force or subjugate it?

“So what are we doing first? Are we going after the exile Shinigami first or the group of failures?” Zommari Rureaux, one of the Hollows present asked. 

“Patience, my dear Espada.”

The Shinigami and the exiled had their army so it was only fair he had his. Hollows with the powers of Shinigami in their grasp. If anything, Aizen respected their strength. 

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