Aizen Sousuke slowly retracted his fingers and clenched his fist again, but the corners of his mouth gradually curved into a smile, seemingly self-mocking, yet somewhat appreciative.
At this moment...
The shame and anger of Aizen Sousuke were imaginable.
A kid he had always looked down on, even considered a mere pawn, had been manipulating him, the mastermind, all along. That kid must be secretly mocking him, right?
No wonder...
Mr. Yakushi Kabuto never dared to underestimate Uehara Naraku. In fact, right after Uehara Naraku graduated from Shin'o Academy, he hurriedly hid within the Soul King Palace!
Aizen Sousuke couldn't help but speculate that perhaps Yakushi Kabuto previously suspected Uehara Naraku as well, yet held a glimmer of hope for Naraku...
Aizen Sousuke cast aside his feelings of shame and anger, realizing he had no time for such unproductive emotions. He needed to think of a strategy...
Now he had discovered Uehara Naraku's true identity.
Yet Uehara Naraku was unaware that he had uncovered everything.
If manipulated correctly, there might still be hope, such as continuing to incite Uehara Naraku to reveal his true self, leading to an inevitable clash with the Quiet Spirit Court?
Underground beneath the Hollow Night Palace's laboratory.
Just as Aizen Sousuke was contemplating these matters, Black Zetsu beneath the ground was startled to hear Aizen Sousuke speaking to the Hogyoku...
Aizen Sousuke certainly suspected Uehara Naraku.
Given Aizen Sousuke's wisdom, he was bound to deduce Uehara Naraku's other hidden attributes through Naraku's concealed power.
"Finally suspicious, are you?"
Black Zetsu's eyes narrowed slightly, a sinister smile appearing on his face: "Secrets that remain hidden forever don't exist in this world, and how could Hogoromo, who knows these secrets best, not have a contingency for their revelation?"
Aizen Sousuke discovered it just a bit too early!
Moreover, the most troublesome part was Aizen Sousuke's Hogyoku, which could actually alert Aizen Sousuke!
Yet it's not surprising...
Because the person the Hogyoku fears...
Should be a god feared by everyone in this world!
The sole problem is, Black Zetsu also needed to probe a bit, to see exactly what kind of thing Aizen Sousuke's Hogyoku was—ideally finding a way to infiltrate Aizen Sousuke's body and uncover the Hogyoku's function!
If the Hogyoku were to make Aizen Sousuke doubt it as well...
That would be entirely detrimental to their plan of monitoring Aizen Sousuke!
However, Uehara Naraku seemed to mention before that the Hogyoku was a living entity, though also merely a fortification tool...
"Forget it, thinking about it is too troublesome..."
Black Zetsu's smile widened more ominously: "When someone is pondering a problem, you should give them the answer they want, adhering to their mindset, making them less inclined to seek alternative solutions.
Hogoromo gave us an answer.
Now it's time to give Aizen Sousuke an answer."
This is the best way to manipulate others.
As long as Black Zetsu tells Aizen Sousuke the information he wants, perhaps it will make Aizen Sousuke believe everything is still under his control!
Months passed.
Aizen Sousuke was still contemplating how to deal with Uehara Naraku.
Lately, Aizen Sousuke preferred to stay in the secret chamber alone more often, as he still hadn't devised a suitable plan.
"Lord Aizen."
A shadowy figure emerged from the depths of the secret chamber.
"Hmm?"
Aizen's expression was somewhat displeased.
"I sincerely apologize..."
Black Zetsu lowered its head, a faintly mocking smile playing at its lips: "Hehehe... Lord Aizen, I know this isn't the time to disturb you...
But yesterday, while surveilling Urahara Kisuke, I devoured a White Zetsu who was reporting to him. From its memory, I uncovered a very intriguing secret, one I'm sure you'll find interesting..."
Black Zetsu slowly raised its head to look at Aizen Sousuke, the mocking smile on its face deepening: "The little Patriarch of the Uehara Race you have always valued... may not be as simple as we imagined!"