Kaito smiled knowingly, returned to his room, and activated his Six Eyes to meticulously scan the area surrounding the house.
He hadn't paid much attention to his immediate environment before, but Aizen's sudden appearance made him realize that while the grand crisis of the timeline hadn't erupted yet, danger was almost certainly lurking in the shadows.
After confirming that there were no immediate threats or hidden watchers around, Kaito stroked his chin and turned his gaze toward the wall, thinking of Ichigo in the other room.
That boy was the ultimate wild card who would eventually shake the foundation of the Soul Society. He was a unique existence possessing the latent powers of a Shinigami, a Hollow, and a Quincy all at once. Aizen's grand obsession was to blur the boundaries between Hollows and Shinigami to break through the natural limits of his own strength. That pursuit would eventually give rise to the Arrancars and the Visoreds, yet the most perfect hybrid combination in existence was currently living right under Kaito's nose.
As long as Ichigo survived and grew, the events of the Bleach world would proceed as destined. And as long as there was chaos on the horizon, Kaito would have more than enough time to quietly build up his own strength.
"You little rascal, you're in luck," Kaito muttered with a chuckle. "You've stumbled upon an extraordinary sensei."
Dismissing the thought, Kaito collapsed onto his bed and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Kaito was aggressively shaken awake. Opening his bleary eyes, he found himself staring into Ichigo's perpetually stern little face.
Kaito deliberately let out a massive yawn, rolled over to face the wall, and grumbled, "If you have a report to make, make it. If not, beat it. Your sensei is still half-asleep."
Ichigo's face flushed bright red with anger. "You're not my sensei! Stop talking nonsense, or I'm going to tell my mom that you promised to teach me how to pick up girls!"
Kaito smirked. Hey, that's an interesting threat.
If he didn't teach the kid how to navigate life and romance, what was he supposed to do—teach a human toddler how to fire an energy blast? How can you learn to run before you can walk?
Kaito rolled back over and looked at Ichigo, speaking with mock gravity. "Oh dear, our little Ichigo has really grown up. Look at you, learning how to threaten people. I wonder if Ms. Kurosaki will be happy to hear about this. Besides, you called me 'Sensei' entirely of your own free will. Are you really trying to take it back now?"
"That's only because you promised to teach me how to talk to girls! You haven't taught me anything, so why should I keep calling you master?"
"Oh, so you admit you only called me Sensei to learn how to pick up girls?" Kaito asked smoothly.
"Yeah!"
Seeing Ichigo's clenched fists and furious expression, Kaito's grin widened. He reached under his blanket, pulled out his phone, and casually turned the screen to show Ichigo an active audio recording interface.
"Very well. I'll just go find Ms. Kurosaki right now and play this back for her. Let's see which one of us she handles first."
Ichigo's face instantly dropped. The very leverage he had tried to use against Kaito had just been flipped back onto him. He could only glare at Kaito with pure, helpless frustration. Kaito, meanwhile, thoroughly enjoyed the classic dynamic of you hate me, but you can't beat me.
Bullying Ichigo was truly an elite pastime. Kaito jokingly reflected on his daily routine: Did I bully Ichigo this morning? Did I bully Ichigo this afternoon? Will I bully Ichigo tonight?
Kaito reached out to ruffle Ichigo's hair. The boy instinctively flinched away, but knowing Kaito held the recording over his head, he reluctantly stopped and let Kaito pat his head.
"Haha, that's my good student! Don't worry, I'll teach you everything I promised in due time. Don't be in such a rush."
Ichigo stubbornly kept his head down, clearly not buying a single word.
"Alright, alright, drop the long face. Let's get down to business. What brings you into my room this early anyway?"
"Mom said she needs to talk to you. She wants you to get up right away."
Since it was Masaki Kurosaki asking for him, Kaito didn't dawdle. He tossed the covers aside and got out of bed.
The two walked into the living room together. Seeing Masaki waiting for them, Kaito asked directly, "Ms. Kurosaki, did you need me for something?"
"It's nothing major, Kaito," Masaki replied with a gentle smile. "Isshin is out at the moment, and I'm not feeling very well. I was wondering if you could head out and buy some medicine for me."
Hearing that she was unwell, Kaito's mind immediately raced. Had Aizen already done something to her? Or was there a Hollow drawing near? In the original timeline, Masaki Kurosaki ultimately lost her life to a Hollow, though according to his calculations, it shouldn't be time for that event just yet.
"Ms. Kurosaki, what exactly are your symptoms? How about I take you to the hospital for a proper checkup? It's always safer to be thorough."
Masaki shook her head softly. "No need, Kaito. It's just a mild cold and a bit of a fever. Some standard over-the-counter medicine will do fine. Actually, why don't you take Ichigo along with you? I'm worried he might catch whatever I have if he stays in the house."
Kaito discreetly swept the area with his Six Eyes. After confirming that there were no spiritual anomalies or hidden threats near the household, he looked at her earnestly. "Ms. Kurosaki, if anything feels off while we're gone, call me immediately. I will rush back instantly."
Masaki nodded gratefully. "I understand. Go on then, and be careful on the road."
"Let's go, Ichigo. I'm taking you along to grab your mom's medicine."
"Hmph, I don't need you to take me anywhere. I can buy medicine for Mom by myself."
Kaito leaned down, getting right into Ichigo's personal space, and whispered into his ear, "Ichigo-Chan, you really don't want your mom finding out your little secret, do you?"
Ichigo's face flushed crimson again. Completely defeated, he could only stubbornly look away, refusing to make eye contact.
"Come on, Ichigo, let's go." Kaito straightened up and took Ichigo's small hand. This time, although the boy still refused to look at him, he obediently followed along.
"Goodbye, Mom. I'll bring the medicine back to make you feel better right away," Ichigo called out, turning back to wave before they stepped through the door.
Kaito glanced down at the boy. Living with the Kurosaki family for this long had given him a firsthand view of just how deeply bonded they all were. The immense love in this household was precisely why Ichigo's personality would fracture so severely after losing his mother.
Kaito didn't want to see that tragedy unfold, but he also harbored lingering doubts. If his interference fundamentally altered the trajectory of the world, could it trigger unforeseen, dangerous anomalies that might put him at risk? If the consequences outweighed the gains, it might not be worth it.
But then, Kaito looked down at the stubborn little kid walking beside him.
For the sake of this brat... I guess I'll just have to step in and rewrite fate when the time comes.
Originally, Kaito had planned to wait until he fully mastered the Reverse Cursed Technique before making any major waves in the plot. He shook his head to clear his mind of the heavy thoughts and focused on the path ahead.
The local clinic was located in a somewhat secluded part of the district, making it quite a long walk for the duo. The sky overhead was growing increasingly dark and overcast, threatening rain.
Wanting to quicken their pace to get the medicine and beat the storm, Kaito subconsciously went to pull Ichigo along faster. However, the moment he gripped Ichigo's hand, he noticed the boy's entire body had locked up. He was incredibly tense.
Sensing something was amiss, Kaito stopped and looked down. Ichigo's eyes were locked onto the distant silhouette of the clinic ahead, his face pale and laced with anxiety.
"Ichigo, what's wrong?"
Hearing Kaito's voice, Ichigo snapped out of his trance. He swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly. "No... it's nothing. I'm just a little tired from walking so much. Can we take a break?"
It didn't sound like a casual request; Ichigo was staring up at him with wide, pleading eyes. It was obvious the boy was terrified of the building in the distance.
Was there some kind of danger hiding inside that clinic? Logically, Kaito had already cleared out the major threats in this immediate area. Had Ichigo encountered something bad here previously? Kaito couldn't quite piece it together.
"If your legs are giving out, just wait for me right here," Kaito said gently. "I'll run ahead, grab the medicine, and come right back."