"Baldy, what are we going to Squad 5 for?" Hiyori asked lazily.
"Obviously to see whether Aizen turned my old division into a complete mess," Shinji replied as if it were only natural.
More importantly, he had a hidden spot near the Squad 5 barracks.
Hiyori looked at him like he was insane.
"Oi, even I know this—and I wasn't even in Squad 5. Didn't you dump all the work on Aizen back then?"
"That was to keep him busy so he wouldn't have time to pull anything," Shinji defended himself.
"Yeah, yeah, keep talking. Didn't work, did it?" Hiyori scoffed.
"How was I supposed to know he was hiding his Zanpakutō's true ability? If it weren't an illusion-type, there's no way he would've escaped my notice!"
Shinji sounded confident—after all, he had once torn through Bakudō #26: Kyokkō used by Aizen.
"…I feel like if it wasn't an illusion-type, that'd actually be even worse," Hiyori muttered.
Then she smirked.
"Aren't you worried Aizen might be doing the same thing as you—hiding in Squad 5?"
"Impossible," Shinji snorted. "Both Tsuna and Urahara agree—Aizen's hiding somewhere no one can reach."
"Where?" Hiyori's curiosity immediately spiked.
"You? You can't keep a secret to save your life. If I tell you, the whole world will know."
"You damn baldy—if we weren't supposed to stay hidden right now, I'd beat you to death!"
The two headed straight toward Squad 5.
Unlike Rose, who carefully avoided patrols, Shinji moved openly. Whenever they encountered Shinigami, he seamlessly layered Kyokkō with Sakanade, ensuring no one noticed them.
His mastery of Kyokkō was exceptional—otherwise, he never would have detected Aizen back then.
"Squad 5… I'm back."
Standing at the entrance, Shinji spoke softly.
"Listen to you—like some old man reminiscing," Hiyori immediately mocked.
"…Something's off."
The moment they stepped inside, Shinji frowned.
The entire division was in disarray.
Shinigami moved about without order—nothing like the disciplined structure Aizen maintained.
Despite everything, Shinji had always acknowledged Aizen's administrative ability.
Even if Aizen had "died," the division shouldn't have fallen apart like this.
…What is the lieutenant doing?
A flicker of irritation rose within him.
If a lieutenant couldn't hold things together when the captain fell, this was the result.
He sighed.
He wasn't part of the Gotei 13 anymore—otherwise, he would've replaced such an incompetent lieutenant without hesitation.
They slipped deeper into the barracks.
In a cluttered storage room, Shinji had once created a hidden chamber—a place to slack off during work.
After recruiting Aizen as his lieutenant to monitor him, Shinji had stopped using it altogether. Over time, it became buried under piles of junk.
Which meant—
Even Aizen didn't know about it.
The only problem was its location—deep within the barracks, requiring them to pass through most of the building.
But that wasn't an issue.
Back when he constantly played mind games with Aizen, Shinji had already mastered Kyokkō to perfection.
Now, with Aizen absent, no one could see through him.
As they moved through the corridors, Shinji glanced into the administrative rooms.
He nodded slightly.
Everything was neatly organized.
So routine operations weren't the issue.
That left only one possibility.
Passing by the captain's office, Shinji paused.
The door was open.
Inside sat a black-haired girl, eyes dull and unfocused.
She stared blankly at a piece of calligraphy Aizen had left hanging on the wall.
Her lips moved slightly.
"…Captain… Captain…"
She repeated the word over and over.
Hiyori, who had bumped into Shinji, was about to snap—but seeing his gesture, she followed him inside.
Shinji didn't recognize the girl.
She must have joined after he left.
Then he noticed the armband—
Squad 5 Lieutenant.
As he listened to her muttering, it became clear.
Another victim.
Another girl completely deceived by Aizen.
Irritation surged.
As lieutenant, she should be holding the division together—not sitting here drowning in despair.
What was this supposed to accomplish?
But there was nothing he could do.
In the end, Shinji turned away.
Out of sight, out of mind.
The truth was—
Hinamori Momo couldn't do anything.
Under Yamamoto's orders, Ryoka capture required captain-and-lieutenant teams. Solo engagement was forbidden.
For a lieutenant whose captain had "died," that restriction alone was suffocating.
But when she heard Squad 7 had captured a Ryoka (Yasutora Sado), her desire for revenge overwhelmed her.
She rushed toward the Tower of Repentance—
Determined to avenge Aizen.
Instead, she disrupted Komamura's operation and was knocked unconscious by him.
When she woke up, she was back in Squad 5.
New orders followed:
Lieutenant Hinamori Momo was forbidden from leaving until the execution.
Squad 1 even stationed a Shinigami there to stop her if she tried to act recklessly again.
And so—
She remained in the captain's office.
Lost.
Empty.
Unable to act.
Unable even to avenge the man she admired most.
With her completely withdrawing from her duties, Squad 5 gradually fell into chaos.
Tasks requiring approval went untouched.
Morale collapsed.
With the captain dead and the lieutenant broken, the division had no direction.
Deep in the storage room, Shinji silently moved boxes aside.
For once, Hiyori didn't argue.
She had been a lieutenant too—back when Kirio Hikifune left Squad 12. Even while yelling at everyone, she still kept things running until Urahara showed up.
Shinji activated a hidden Kidō.
A concealed chamber opened.
He let out a quiet breath of relief.
If this still worked, it meant Aizen had never found this place.
Shinji's Kidō skills were no joke—he could even cast high-level spells without incantation during the Thousand-Year Blood War.
Inside the room, they finally relaxed.
And immediately—
"What the hell is this junk?" Hiyori picked up a random trinket.
"Stuff I picked up in the Human World back then," Shinji explained. "Didn't catch on in the Soul Society, so I left it all here. It's basically a collection of things from a hundred years ago."
Shinji flopped onto a recliner, crossed his legs, and placed a small hat over his face.
He looked completely worn out.
Hiyori stared at him.
Then kicked his knee.
"Ow—! What the hell, you brat?!"
"Baldy… you're worried about that lieutenant outside, aren't you?"
Shinji paused.
"…No. I don't even know her," he said. "I'm just thinking… she's another girl completely fooled by Aizen."
"Can't be helped," Hiyori said, scratching her head irritably. "From the outside, Aizen had way more charisma than you. Calm, refined… convincing."
"Hey, can you not make this personal?"
"…That was mild compared to what I usually say."
She snorted, then suddenly asked:
"If we succeed this time… will you come back? To Squad 5?"
If Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, and Tōsen Kaname were all removed—
That meant vacancies.
From her perspective, returning to their old divisions wasn't just about hiding.
It was preparation.
Only Love seemed purely nostalgic.
The others… had intentions.
"Don't be ridiculous," Shinji said flatly. "We're Hollowfied. The old man would never allow us to return and 'taint' the Gotei 13."
But Hiyori saw right through him.
If he truly had no intention of returning, he would've rejected the idea outright.
Instead—
He blamed Yamamoto.
Which meant—
He did want to come back.
Hiyori sighed.
Squad 5 already had a lieutenant.
If she returned with Shinji…
What would she even be?
Return to the Soul Society—
Or stay in the Human World?
For once—
Even she couldn't decide.
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