Author's Note: Thank you all for enjoying this chapter! I will answer your reviews in the end of this chapter! – Reiuji

Chapter 3: The Enemy of our Enemy

"Aizen… Sousuke..!"

17 months ago, Aizen Sousuke was defeated by the Mugetsu technique of his opponent, Kurosaki Ichigo. But to his dismay, it did not really defeat him. It merely weakened him while his opponent lost all his powers from this one attack that was supposed to be lethal. Wait, lethal? No. Aizen was immortal. No one and nothing could kill him. All thanks to the Hougyoku. Although he had no control over it anymore, it still prevents anyone from killing him.

What made him angry was the fact that Urahara Kisuke sealed him. Urahara Kisuke. Aizen clenched his fists a little. He hated that man. He hated him for outsmarting him every single time. When they were at the academy, he would always beat him in chess. In intelligence classes, Aizen always came second while Urahara Kisuke came first. Everywhere Aizen was always number two. Always.

"Captain…" interrupted him the voice of the fifth division's Vice Captain, Hinamori Momo. That reminded him how he ended up in this situation. He was free. Free. However, not free to do whatever he wanted, but free so he could finally get his revenge at that one man and his twisted empire: Juha Bach.

It would be euphemistic if one said that the Captains were shocked. The Captains were severely weakened, but all anger was written on all of their faces. How did this happen? How was Aizen free again? How? How?

Their glare fell to Vice-Captain Hinamori who stood close to him, gazing at Aizen worryingly. She slightly tugged at his Shihakusho, but the traitor did not react.

"Hinamori.." sounded the voice of Captain Hitsugaya. "Did you-"

"Yes." was her quick and swift response. She looked at him in pity. "Sorry, Shiro-chan. Trust me." She returned her glare to the Vandenreich soldier Aizen had called Haschwald. Her glare became cold, void of any emotion. Haschwald smiled. His initial shock had ceased.

"Well well." he said and smirked. "I really thought I would never see you again… Sousuke." Aizen's glare darkened at that last part.

"I thought they locked you up for 20,000 years, never meant to ever be free again." Haschwald continued. "Like a caged bird."

"And yet, here I am." Aizen countered. "What exactly makes you think that I would've served these 20,000 years?"

"True, true." Haschwald complied. "You made yourself a name as a genius. So tell me something, Sousuke." The addressed did not move.

"Why did you decline the proposal His Majesty and I made for you when we came down to your dirty hole?" he asked, smiling victoriously. It was obvious he was trying to mock Aizen, get a reaction out of him.

Aizen still did not move, but he was boiling with rage inside as he realized that it was that man and Haschwald that made the proposal he declined. Not because he declined; after learning that it was them, he was glad that he declined. No, Aizen was raging so much because they once more tried to subjugate him. To use him as their puppet and then throw him away. Touché, eh?

"Disappointing, Haschwald." Aizen finally responded with a slight smirk of mockery. Haschwald's smirk ceased.

"I expected you of all people to know my character and the fact that I do not like serving under someone. You disappoint me, Haschwald." His voice was more and more condescending as he spoke the last part. The blonde Vandenreich soldier's glare darkened a little.

"I hope you are not here to talk, Sousuke. Don't waste my time."

"I assure you I won't be wasting your time. I'm here to prevent you from killing these Captains." Aizen spoke. "Get away from here, Haschwald."

He smirked. That smirk turned into a great, maniacal laughter. The Captains stared helplessly at that scenario. Neither of them was capable to interfere. They could only watch as Soul Society's greatest traitor and Captain Hirako's Vice-Captain conferred with the Vandenreich soldier named Haschwald.

"What makes you think you are in a position to give orders, Sousuke?" Haschwald asked as his laughter finally ceased. "Rumour has it that you lost your Zanpakuto when you were sealed… Kyouka Suigetsu, was it?" he mocked. The Captains widened their eyes. Aizen had lost his Zanpakuto? They were not told this. Only Hinamori stood firmly by his side.

"Captain Aizen does not need a Zanpakuto to defeat you, Quincy." she stated coldly. "He has capabilities that are beyond anyone's imagination." Haschwald smirked.

"And I assure you, I am not a pushover." she added, wanting to draw her Zanpakuto. Aizen put his hand on hers, preventing her from doing so.

"Enough, Momo." he commanded. It was the first time he used her first name, making her confused. "But Captain-" she interjected. He looked at her and smiled warmly, as when he was still her Captain.

"Let me handle this."

"Stepping in for your lapdog, Sousuke?" Haschwald ridiculed.

"Do not speak of her." Aizen commanded darkly. "Order your men to retreat or I will make them." They laughed out loud in mockery, pointing fingers at Aizen. He sighed. They were foolish for not listening.

"Bakudo No. #63: Sajousabaku.*" he said coldly as yellow reiatsu streams caught the Quincies in surprise and tied them all up. Only Haschwald was left. The Captains stared in awe. Aizen spoke just one command, but multiple sajousabaku came out. When did learn that?

"Do I need to repeat myself?" he interrupted their thoughts. "Retreat now." Haschwald was not impressed.

Beep beep.

"Yes?" Haschwald suddenly spoke. "…as you wish, Your Majesty." He looked over at his tied up men. "His Majesty ordered us to retreat." He turned back to Aizen who lifted the bakudo.

"You are lucky, Sousuke." Haschwald said as a portal opened. "But remember this… you merely picked the wrong side of the war." Those were his words as he and his men stepped through the portal that closed immediately.

And after that… silence reigned once again. Everyone's eyes were on Aizen, who still stared coldly at the spot the Vandenreich had departed.

"Captain Aizen", Momo broke the silence. "Is everything alright?" Said "Captain" shrugged slightly, looked at his former subordinate and nodded. Then there was silence once more.

"HEY!" a juvenile voice yelled suddenly. It was Hitsugaya Toshiro, Captain of the tenth division. "Just where do you think you're going, Aizen?" he growled.

"Shiro-chan, he-"

"Back off, Hinamori!" Hitsugaya interjected. "This man is a condemned traitor. And you.. you.. YOU FREED HIM!"

YOU FREED HIM!

YOU FREED HIM!

YOU FREED HIM!

These three words echoed in everyone's ears. Their looks became infuriating, even Hinamori's Captain was furious.

"Hinamori", he spoke coldly. "You have just committed an act of treason. What could you possibly say to justify this?"

She was shaking. Slowly she lowered her head and clenched her teeth, not being able to utter a single word.

"Captain Aizen", she whispered shakingly after a while. "He…"

Everyone was looking at her, anticipating her response. Hirako was right, she had committed treason by freeing the most dangerous prisoner inside the Avici prison.

"He… is the only one capable of saving us… at this point." she finished. Everyone's eyes widened. Just what was this girl saying? "Don't you see…?" she whispered.

"Without him, you would have died today…"

"NONSENSE!" screamed Hitsugaya at her explanation. "Just why did you have to free him!? He is the man who nearly killed you twice! He is the one who betrayed your loyalty, everyone's loyalty! He is responsible for the suffering of countless people! And yet… yet you still had to free him!?"

"You're wrong!" she screamed back. "I did it because I had no other choice!"

"I would rather die than be saved by a criminal, Hinamori." Hitsugaya responded coldly. Soifon, Komamura and Hirako nodded in agreement. The senior Captains, meaning Unohana, Ukitake and Kyoraku, remained silent.

That was the moment Aizen stepped in. "This is most.. Illogical." he commented on Hitsugaya's statement. "If you fall, the Seiretei falls."

"AS IF YOU CARE!" Soifon countered. "As if you care about innocent lives, about the people you used and abused!" She pointed to Hinamori who still had her head lowered. Aizen regarded Hinamori with a quick stare before looking back at the Captains.

"You are right, I don't care about the Seiretei, or the Gotei, or any of the Shinigami institutions." he agreed. "But I hate this one man and his empire. Juha Bach is my worst enemy." This confused the Captains. They mumbled something amongst each other, only Hinamori shut her eyes, knowing.

"As you know, Kurosaki Ichigo, savior to Soul Society and the Living World, was taken prisoner by the Vandenreich." he added. "Shigekuni Genryuusai Yamamoto has fallen to Juha Bach as well. There are no lynchpins anymore to protect all three worlds."

"What are you trying to say…?" Kyoraku suddenly spoke.

"I'm saying that all three worlds will fall one by one if this continues." Aizen said. "I cannot allow this to happen." Soifon chuckled sardonically.
"For your own selfish motives, eh?" she asked.

"Perhaps." he answered. "But tell me this… someone who has committed way too many sins should be punished, should he not?"
"What are you-"
"Just answer, Captain Soifon." Aizen commanded.

"Y-Yes. Of course sinners should be punished!"

Aizen smirked and turned to the other Captains. "And you, Captains of the Gotei 13, are you of the same opinion as your fellow Captain?"

Hesitatingly, they all nodded. What Aizen said made a lot of sense.

"So we agree on something. Now tell me this: Juha Bach has committed cardinal sins, has he not?" Again, all Captains nodded.

"And I have the same cause as you do, Captains. I too want to bring judgement upon this man. It's as simple as that."

Hinamori looked up. She had never seen her beloved Captain so fired up. Even when he led the Espada in the Winter War, he seemed disinterested at best.

"Captain Aizen, what are you planning…?" she asked whisperingly.

"The answer is simple, my dear Hinamori-kun." he replied with a smirk. "Without Kurosaki Ichigo, you are hopeless. He cannot stand up to Juha Bach at this point. I am the only one who can read him and his dirty tricks like a book."

"Get to the point, Aizen!" demanded Captain Hirako.

"I will win this war for you.." Aizen stated, slowly lowering his hair to how it originally was before he betrayed the Gotei.

"...by succeeding Shigekuni Yamamoto as Captain-Commander."

to be continued

SexXysangokittygrl05: Thank you for reading this chapter. I explained this and more in the PMs :)

kamji: Yep, that's the reason. Stay tuned for that.