Chapter 382: BSUS - 385: Hesitation Means Defeat

Hiroe himself obviously wasn’t the traitor. In fact, just as he had ’deduced’ that Aizen wanted Inoue Orihime, sometimes your enemy was the one who understood you best.

"I could guess he was after Inoue Orihime, so Aizen likely guessed that I needed to enter Hueco Mundo before the final battle. Based on that, anticipating the removal of half of Karakura Town wasn’t out of the realm of possibility."

*Not out of the realm of possibility?* Yoruichi reminded him in exasperation, "You only knew because of Ichimaru Gin’s warning. What possible avenue could he have used to guess?"

"There are avenues, of course. For instance, that Arrancar who fled at the last minute."

Hiroe gave Urahara a helpless nod. Reflecting on the process based on the outcome wasn’t difficult; the hard part was reacting the very moment a change occurred.

"So you’re saying it was that bastard Szayelaporro!" Yoruichi cursed viciously, but then realized something was off. "But didn’t he lack the full picture of the plan?"

"Whether it’s Ichimaru Gin or Szayelaporro, it all boils down to information. Szayelaporro didn’t need to know my exact plan, nor did he even need to make speculations like Ichimaru Gin. The mere fact that he once worked for me is information in itself, not to mention it brought Resen’s existence to light."

Furthermore, Szayelaporro might not have rebelled. Perhaps he simply wasn’t loyal, silently evaluating both Hiroe and Aizen in his heart, or maybe some unexpected incident made it impossible for him to stay hidden. Hiroe already had a rough idea.

It was still too early to slap labels like rebellion or loyalty onto Szayelaporro. A concrete judgment could only be made once Hiroe personally went to Hueco Mundo.

Returning to the current issue of Aizen preemptively taking Karakura Town, one thing was certain: this wasn’t a coincidence where both sides simply had the same idea. It was an adjustment Aizen made after confirming Hiroe’s plan.

"How can you be so sure?!" Yoruichi felt Hiroe was being unprecedentedly sloppy. It felt like she was on an assassination mission, given only a name, and someone randomly pointed at a person saying, *I’m sure that’s what they look like...*

Hiroe couldn’t help but roll his eyes. It wasn’t that he had any issue with his silly wife, but the more detailed he got about this matter, the more he felt the shame of exposing his own dark history.

"After the battle at Sōkyoku Hill, because Aizen took the Hōgyoku, the Seireitei had no choice but to utilize me, the wielder of two Zanpakutō. Looking at the results, Aizen got away with the Hōgyoku, and I was able to exercise my authority in the Fifth Division. Privately, it was a win-win for both of us."

Urahara chimed in to add, "But that’s just a broad concept. It lacks more meticulous thought."

"Exactly. With a different attitude, my needs naturally differ. Correspondingly, if something emerges that represents my stance, one could follow that thread to predict my inevitable actions."

Hiroe continued, "For example, when Arrancar loyal to me appeared in Hueco Mundo, it became very easy for others to deduce that my intended sphere of influence wasn’t simply limited to the Soul Society or the World of the Living."

The external forces envisioned at the inception of the Joint Affairs Bureau included not only humans and rogue Shinigami like Hirako, but also the Shinigamified Hollows—Arrancar—who were extremely similar to Hollowfied Shinigami.

Of course, only Hiroe himself knew about those highly controversial final members. Such a rebellious move wasn’t something a single person could force upon the Shinigami collective just because of one victorious war.

Even Yoruichi, who was already in the know, had only managed to convince herself out of her trust in Hiroe and Urahara, coupled with the example of Roka. One could only imagine just how insane such an idea truly was.

The antagonism between Shinigami and Hollows had lasted far too long. The two seemed to be natural, irreconcilable enemies. Even if one wanted to use them, just like Aizen, the moment the truth was exposed, they would have to discard one of their identities.

"Aizen could figure all that out just from a single Arrancar?"

Yoruichi was highly skeptical. After all, what Hiroe intended to do wasn’t mere exploitation, but to at least make the Seireitei’s higher-ups tolerate the existence of Arrancar, and tolerate the Joint Affairs Bureau’s future contact with them. Anyone who didn’t understand all of Hiroe’s innermost thoughts would probably just treat it as a pipe dream.

"Facts have proven that he can, and it’s not as difficult as you think."

Hiroe gritted his teeth. Analyzing his own actions from the enemy’s perspective really lacked any sense of immersion; it was incredibly frustrating!

"It’s similar to the reason why you’d think it’s a fantasy. Shinigami and Hollows are practically irreconcilable. This isn’t just true for Shinigami, but for Hollows as well."

At this very moment, a similar scene was playing out in Las Noches.

Seeing that Ichimaru Gin was still somewhat confused, Aizen continued to enlighten him. "Hiroe has Shinigami, humans, and finally Arrancar under his command. There are two distinct factions among them. It seems that as long as one side is kept hidden in the dark, a balance can be maintained, but that is impossible."

"Is that so? I actually think it’s not entirely out of the question, and he’s kept it hidden for a long time now."

"No, hiding is merely a means to an end. It will never be the final result, Gin."

After saying that, Aizen shifted his tone and continued, "Let me explain it simply. If we didn’t exist, Hiroe would hold three forces—two in the light and one in the dark. What kind of goal would he use these forces to achieve, and how could that goal be simultaneously recognized by all three parties?"

*What kind of goal could be recognized by all three parties?* Ichimaru Gin thought for a moment, then threw his hands up. "There is no such goal."

"Exactly. Looking at the current three parties, it doesn’t exist, because Shinigami and Hollows cannot be reconciled. Even if one side is hidden, you must simultaneously take actions that represent their fundamental interests. And as it stands now, Hiroe’s foundation is still in the Seireitei."

"Indeed. Even if he hides the Arrancar faction, what can they be used for? Internal friction or eliminating dissidents?! But from the Arrancar’s perspective, when it comes to that point, why would they willingly serve as tools? Furthermore, acting as a tool is only a means. From the Arrancar’s standpoint, they will certainly have their own needs, and those needs contradict the Shinigami."

Aizen nodded in gratification. "Therefore, why would Hiroe want such an ambiguous result? Ultimately having to discard the Arrancar he personally cultivated would simply be a redundant move, wouldn’t it? And the fact is, he did make this redundant move. But since he did it, he must have his reasons—a method to bring all three parties out into the open."

*A method to bring all three parties out into the open?*

*Shinigami, humans, and Hollows having a common goal?*

*Is that really possible?*