"Oh, it looks like we're in trouble, Shisui-kun."
In the Pure Land space, Aizen and Konan sat before a monitor, taking in the scene playing out in the village. "Just as I expected, you chose this path."
After all, isn't this 'trouble' entirely your doing?
Konan's mouth twitched slightly as she complained inwardly. As a bystander, she knew perfectly well that Aizen was using his faked death to ignite a conflict between Uchiha Shisui and Danzo. No, it wasn't just those two—he was baiting Sarutobi Hiruzen as well.
With the Third Hokage's insight, he would surely discover the subtle irrationalities in the situation. Coupled with the seeds of suspicion Aizen had planted earlier, Hiruzen's distrust of his old comrade Danzo would intensify, further fracturing an already divided Konoha.
What a terrifying strategy of alienation. This Aizen is truly insidious, Konan thought. She turned her gaze to the corpse on the monitor. Even from her perspective, the body looked lifelike, possessing almost no flaws. "Was this the work of Kyōka Suigetsu?"
"That can be considered a real human corpse," Aizen said calmly, as if he had read her mind. "Though, a more accurate name would be a 'pseudo-corpse.'"
"A Gigai?" Konan was stunned, realization dawning on her. Having watched the Bleach series, she knew what a Gigai was; it was indeed indistinguishable from a biological human body.
"Even with complete hypnosis, it is impossible to catch every resident of Konoha in such a short window," Aizen's voice remained steady and gentle, like a spring breeze. "To prevent any unforeseen variables, I prepared this artificial body in advance."
Konan remained silent for a moment before she couldn't help but ask, "So, you've been preparing this plan for a long time?"
"Not especially early, but from the very beginning," Aizen said, his lips curling into a chuckle. "In fact, from the moment I entered Konoha, I had already conceived the scenario of Aizen Sosuke's death."
The moment you entered Konoha?
Konan's expression turned to one of pure astonishment. She remembered Aizen telling her he was only four years old when he entered the Konoha Orphanage. That meant he had been preparing for this day since he was a small child.
This man is truly terrifying.
Her eyes trembled, but to prevent Aizen from seeing through her, she turned her attention back to the monitor. The screen showed Uchiha Shisui sitting in a prison cell, bound by shackles. His face was a mask of anger, regret, and agony, his features twisted in distress.
The young man, still drowning in self-blame for the death of his best friend, had no idea that his fate was being manipulated like a puppet on a string.
Poor child.
Looking at the miserable Uchiha boy, Konan felt a pang of pity. But suddenly, her eyes widened in shock.
On the monitor, Shisui began to retch violently. A cloud of thick white foam erupted from his mouth. The foam seemed to possess a life of its own, spreading across Shisui's face with alarming speed.
"This is..."
The word "Hollowification" flashed through Konan's mind. Aizen, however, seemed to have expected this. He gently pushed up his glasses. "Oh, it seems the gift box I prepared for Shisui-kun has been opened."
Inside the Konoha prison beneath the Hokage's office, Uchiha Shisui felt his consciousness sinking into an endless abyss. Everything was void, shrouded in suffocating darkness.
"Hey, Shisui." A frivolous voice rang out, and a pitch-black figure materialized before him. "You finally found your way here!"
"That voice... is it you again?!" Shisui sounded familiar with the speaker, but his tone was full of resistance. Anyone facing an unknown entity capable of peeking into their heart would feel the same.
"Hmph! You're still as unpleasant as ever!" The black figure sneered. "You're just a piece of trash—so stupid it gives me a headache!"
"What did you say?"
"You're a loser! Think about it: who was it that trusted the village higher-ups so much that he got his best friend killed? Who was it that let those two defective corpses stop him even when his enemy was right in front of him?"
Silence followed. The figure's words pierced Shisui's heart like a blade. But soon, he caught a specific detail. "What do you mean by 'defective'?"
He recalled the two Root ninjas who had intercepted him. Their speed was unattainable even with his Body Flicker technique. And this dark entity seemed to know exactly what they were.
"It means exactly what I said." The figure seemed to smirk. "You couldn't even resist a low-grade, defective Spiritual Pressure. Uchiha Shisui, you are a waste. In that case, just give your body to me!"
The figure blurred, rushing toward Shisui.
Bang!
A heavy, muffled sound echoed through the abyss.
"Deconstruction in progress."
From Konan's vantage point, she could clearly see that Shisui was now completely encased in white. He had lost all human form. Fortunately, Hiruzen trusted Shisui enough not to station guards directly inside his cell; otherwise, the sight would have likely frightened them to death.
Without hesitation, Konan took a photo and sent it to the group: Guess who this is?
Book Artist: "There's no human form left, how am I supposed to guess? Konan-neesan, I think you're just trying to embarrass me."
Curly-Haired Boy: "That's a Hollow, right? A complete Hollow. Whose life is Aizen ruining with experiments now? I hope it's Sarutobi Hiruzen."
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "No, it's Uchiha Shisui."
Book Artist: "Ah, of course. Trust Aizen to only target the people he knows."
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "He looks so pitiful."
Curly-Haired Boy: "Tsk, Shisui. His fate in the original manga was rough enough. Now that he's met Aizen, it's even worse. Wait... if he becomes a Hollow, will he get High-Speed Regeneration? Maybe he can gouge his eyes out and they'll just grow back. He might have actually lucked out."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "I hope he survives."
This is an Actor: "Don't worry, he will get through this. After all, he is the friend I chose. He won't be defeated by such a minor obstacle."
Book Artist: "Spoken like a true Lord Aizen!"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Lord Aizen is so domineering!"
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Lord Aizen, please save this child. Also, how do I find the experimental site for the Level 6 Shift project?"
This is an Actor: "Hmph. I suggest Baidu."
[System Hint: 'The Guy with the Shark Face' has joined the group.]