The library was quiet and empty, with a few windows letting in some sunlight. Aizen had never seen anyone else perusing the books, which meant he could reasonably expect to be left to read in peace. With quiet determination, he went back to the last shelf he had looked at. Since many of the books were handwritten, they had no spines or titles. He would have to read these carefully.
Aizen selected two of the handwritten books and sat down with his back to the wall. He opened his journal, hoping to find something worth writing in it. The musty odor told him that these books hadn't been opened in a while. But he was intrigued as he read the handwritten notes from the very first captain of Squad 5. "So the first captain kept a journal too," Aizen thought to himself. "I doubt that my journal would generate enough interest to be kept here." As he kept reading, he learned that this captain had fought against the race Aizen knew as the Quincy.
"This is interesting, but I am learning nothing about myself or about my shikai," Aizen mentally reprimanded himself. Still, he couldn't stop reading until the last page. The first captain had evidently come from the human world as a young adult, discovered some latent spiritual power, and joined the Shinigami. Reading this journal caused Aizen to wonder more intently about his own ancestry.
Looking toward the window, he realized that he had lost track of time. He would have no time to go to the dining hall for dinner. He sighed and decided to read the other book he had chosen. This one seemed more like a history of Squad 5. From what Aizen could make out of the blurred text, the first captain had died in battle against the Quincy. He had never found the woman he had loved in the human world, but he had planted an apple tree in the middle of Squad 5's sector in memory of her. Aizen knew that tree, for he had spent many quiet afternoons sitting under it and practicing his calligraphy.
The first captain had been described as a handsome, quiet young man with a refined, courteous demeanor and a natural affinity for poetry and calligraphy. As Aizen finished reading this brief history, the tip of a photograph peeked out from the two rear pages, which had become stuck together. His jaw dropped, and he heard himself say, "This..." For a moment, Aizen thought he was looking at a picture of himself without glasses. Quickly he turned the photo over to read the back. Some of the text was worn from age, but he could clearly make out the year and the name Sousuke.
Aizen was flabbergasted. Could it be that he shared more than a given name with the first captain of Squad 5? Had he finally learned something about his ancestry? Excitedly, he wrote as much as he could in his journal. Perhaps he would ask Aunt Mitsuko the next time he went to Rukongai #15. He gingerly returned the two handwritten books to their shelves. It was now dusk, making it difficult for him to read anything else today.
Closing his journal, he left the library and headed back to the Squad 5 office to lock up. He was greeted by Tousen, who was holding a Thermos. "Sir! You weren't at dinner tonight, were you?"
"No, Tousen-kun. I was in the library reading. Before I realized it, I had missed the dinner hour." He tried to stifle the soft rumbling in his stomach.
"You must have enjoyed what you were reading, I guess." The young man held out the Thermos to Aizen. "The kitchen manager said I could bring you this since you weren't at dinner. I used some of the spices and vegetables you brought me to make a vegetable soup. Those yellow carrots worked really well for that."
"Thank you for the soup, Tousen-kun. I look forward to tasting it."
"Of course, Sir. The kitchen manager said we can save you some of the leftovers whenever you want, if you just return the Thermos when you're done."
"That is very kind of all of you in the kitchen. I shall bring you the Thermos tomorrow."
Tousen bowed. "We should be thanking you, Sir. Since you brought those ingredients and talked to the kitchen manager and me, everyone's morale is a lot better than before."
"That is good to hear. Now, I think I shall return to my quarters and enjoy this soup. Thank you again, Tousen-kun. Good-night."
"Good night, Sir." With that, the two parted ways and Aizen returned to his quarters.
This had been a long day for Aizen. Once he was inside his quarters, he found one of his blue soup bowls and poured some of Tousen's soup into it. Aizen held the bowl a few inches from his face and slowly inhaled the aroma. He smiled faintly as he remembered the food back home and at the Blue Indigo. The soup, now just the right temperature to eat, was a colorful mix of yellow and orange carrots, chopped onions, and a few flakes of pepper. Aizen marveled at the intricate blend of flavors and textures as he sipped the soup. Tousen was becoming a fine cook, but Aizen pondered how much better the youngster could still be.
"That was good," Aizen thought contentedly to himself. The rumbling in his stomach had stopped, much to his relief. He closed the empty Thermos tightly and set it on the study table. It wasn't quite time for bed yet, so Aizen decided to go for one last walk around the Squad 5 sector before calling it a night. He always enjoyed the nighttime walks, especially when he could see the stars.
The sidewalks were quiet, with most of the new recruits done with their outdoor duties for the day. The moon was so bright that Aizen had no trouble seeing where he was going in this area of the Squad 5 sector. He had deliberately chosen to have his lieutenant's quarters as far away from Hirako's captain's quarters as possible. He was beginning to dislike Hirako more every day, and he wasn't quite sure why. Aizen tried to put this thought out of his mind as he looked up at the stars. Growing up, he had spent many spring nights at the town garden, lying down on a blanket and gazing at the stars while Aunt Mitsuko watched him. Young Sousuke had often fallen asleep during these trips to the garden, but he always woke up in his own bed. As he had gotten older, however, the star-gazing trips to the garden had stopped.
Even now, he often wondered just why he had left the comfort and security of home. His trips to the library had been only somewhat successful so far. Aizen closed his brown eyes pensively and took a deep breath before continuing his walk. He'd stop at the apple tree before returning to his quarters. As he passed the shower facilities, he was greeted with a mixture of delight and surprise by two of the young girls who had been at his training earlier in the day.
"G-good evening, Lieutenant!" the girls stammered. "What a surprise to see you here at this hour." They chuckled nervously and looked away.
"Good evening," Aizen replied softly. "The sky is beautiful tonight, is it not?"
"Yes, yes it is, Lieutenant," the girls agreed.
Aizen pointed to his left. "If you are looking for the barracks, they are in that direction."
"Oh yes...you're right, of course," the younger girl breathed. "Sorry to bother you. We still don't quite know our way around."
"I understand," Aizen said simply. "A good night to you." With that, he continued on his walk.
"Did we look too silly in front of the lieutenant?" Aizen heard one girl ask the other.
"Probably. But he didn't seem to mind."
Aizen gave a slight smile as he headed to the apple tree. Now that he knew a little more about the apple tree, he'd probably enjoy his visits to it even more. The spring breeze brushed against his cheek, carrying the aroma of the apple blossoms. He could hardly wait until the apples started growing again. Picking fruit from the Rukongai #15 garden had always been one of his favorite community events.
It didn't take long for him to reach the apple tree. Once he got there, he lowered his head and closed his eyes pensively. "Good night, my ancestor. I hope you do not mind if I continue to learn about you." Satisfied with his walk, he returned to his quarters. Now seemed like a good time to turn in for the night. Morning would come soon, and tomorrow looked to be a busy day. He still had questions to ask, books to read, and revenge to plan.