The Best Illusions
"Aizen-taichou…"
Every time he came near her, every time he entered her line of sight, every time he reappeared after an absence, it was always the same.
"Is it really you, Aizen-taichou?"
She had spent the most time with him the last few years. Everyone in Soul Society would say that she was the closest one to him. And she had not suspected at all.
"I thought you passed away…"
As she was supposed to. As everyone was supposed to.
"I'm sorry…you must have been worried, Hinamori-chan."
She started sobbing into his chest. Something he had not predicted.
"…you lost some weight…I really am sorry."
She was this blind? She had believed in him enough to totally discount the child Hitsugaya's version of events?
"I didn't mean to hurt you this much…"
Her feelings had been irrelevant.
"But I wanted you to understand…"
He wanted to know. He wanted to know just how deep she was in his illusion.
"You were the only one for this."
True.
"There was something I needed to do."
Also true.
"In order to accomplish that, I needed to hide. For that, I faked my own death."
The best illusions bore some resemblance to truth.
"It's okay. It's all right."
And not even he could break this one, now.
"I'm so thankful you're alive."
He could see that. She'd creased his haori where she'd been holding on to it.
"I don't want anything else…"
She really didn't, he realised.
"…Thank you, Hinamori-kun…"
There was only one way to deal with this.
"I'm very proud to have you as a subordinate…"
He had done his work well. Too well. She had been cracked by his 'death' and shattered by his reappearance. She was useless.
"Thank you Hinamori-kun…"
No, that was not true. She hadn't seen anything, even when he'd given her all the clues. Even when it was staring in her face, she had maintained his illusion.
"I really do thank you."
For that, she had been useful. For that, he would do her a final kindness.
"Goodbye."