CHAPTER 4

"Betrayal exists since the beginning."

This had been Aizen's quote of his life since then. Brushing back his hair like usual, he headed for the mountain by the most west of Soul Society. Day by day, which was like forever in our eyes was nothing in soul society.

Today's Aizen's 300th 'birthday' starting from the day he arrived here. And they had met for 250 years and properly started to be trained by her for 220 years now. He's strong enough to beat a vice-captain of the 13 squads however, they were all based on skills. If someone from the 13 squad uses mere brute strength, he's no match for them.

They have zanpakutou but not him.

When Aizen reached up to the peak of the mountain, he stood there and looked out for the sun rise. He enjoyed this feeling of utmost height. He felt as if he has absolute control over every inch and piece of land that he could see. He loved to be the puppet master of the lives standing below him. What's best of all, no one could challenge his place.

A light flashed through his eyes as quickly as lightning as he went on with his thought.

"You still have a lot to learn." A voice that sounded like tingles of the best made bells touched his ears. He turned around to find Mizuno sitting on a branch of a tree. "If you can be satisfied so easily by just having the feeling you had awhile ago, you still have a long way to go."

"What do you mean Ai?" switched to his gentle face, he smiled at Mizuno with tenderness in his eyes.

"But at least I can see you have perfected your smile. I congratulate you for that." Mizuno jumped down and walked towards Aizen. "Here."

Slightly taken back from the unruly wrapped……gift…he supposed and hoped that he had guessed right. He caught it with ease and slowly opened the 'gift'.

A pair of dark brown slim squared glasses.

"What is this for Ai?" He asked.

"Three uses: 1. If you plan to put on that face of yours for the rest of you life in front of others, I suggest you to use that. Because no matter how you have perfected that fake smile of yours, it is still very much fake to me. 2. I believe today is the day that you said it before, your 300th birthday to soul society right? So happy birthday. 3. It is also a congratulation present for you to finally got rid of me because I successfully passed the entrance test for academy of shinigami." Mizuno crossed her arms in front of her waist and began to count with her head slightly cocked to the side.

"I didn't know one thing can have so many…reasons to be a presents." You might as well say the last real reason why you have one gift for so many reasons. You just didn't want to spend money on things, instead, you will spend more at the sake bar. But of course, Aizen was smart enough not the say that. "Thank you Ai, I am surprised that you still remembered that one-time I told you about my birthday."

"I didn't." Mizuno replied immediately.

Aizen sweat dropped at the back of his head. "Then how come……"

"Who wouldn't know that today is your birthday when you have a big piece of paper written down stating about wanting a gift for your birthday covering your face therefore when you wake up that's all you can see?!" Mizuno liked Aizen, put up a fake smile.

So…in another words, Ai is angry. No wonder she talks so much today.

"I'll treat you to sake and sushi buffet tonight." He offered.

Mizuno continued to stare at him.

"And I will make sure that I will pay for it this time." Smile, smile and continue to smile.

Suddenly, Mizuno sighed.

"Doushitanno?" he asked at her sudden change of face.

(Doushitanno – What's going on? – close to this meaning).

"You've grown too tall." The old Ai came back, Aizen thought. By now, the woman he thought who was strong and still is, only reaches his chest. "Thank you for your comment. Now, would you like to explain to me why and how in the world do you mean by the academy? I was so sure that I did not see you go and take the entrance test nor applied for it."

"I did."

"When was that? Please kindly remind me." Aizen tried to remember…wait a minute…the paper Ai gave him two months ago saying it was another…it couldn't be… "I thought it was me who wrote the entrance test."

"Hai." Mizuno continued to reply without any shame on her face.

"And you said it was you who got accepted."

"Ah…sou yo" She nodded once.

"……………."Aizen was left speechless, he was smart and intelligent enough to now figure out what was going on. Ai used him to pass the writing test. "I thought u knew the answers to those questions you gave me."

"Ah…I did…but…"

"You were too lazy to write the answers and to think for yourself."

"I was too lazy to write the answers and to think for myself." They both said the answer out loud together.

Aizen sighed heavily. "I will go take the test too."

"No you are not." Mizuno's words paused Aizen on his tracks.

He turned around and frowned slightly. His eyes turned slightly dangerous. "What do you mean?"

"I am going alone and you are going to continue to train. You are still not mature enough to face what you will be facing." She walked and stood in front of him, looked up with her hands slightly combed through his velvet brown hair, pulling down a few strands here and there. "I will wait for you in there. Work your way up and find me. Matte iru kara."

(Matte iru kara – because I will be waiting)

"I have found another boy who reminds me of you, I believe you two will meet some day…"

"So you are leaving me alone right?" he asked with the shiver in his voice liked the first time they had met. It did not matter if she had found another because she had left them both behind. He began to feel slightly sympathized with the other unknown though he had felt a pang of anger when she said that.

Without replying his question, she turned around leaving him behind.

Trying to find her inside that 'place' is like trying to find a needle in the ocean, why?! Why is it that every time when he almost catches up on her, she will depart just like today!? Why is it that when he almost has his fingers touching her clothes, she will disappear just like today!?

Anger and an unexplainable feeling flashed through his eyes. He clenched his left fist but not the right. As much as he wanted to crush those glasses, somehow, deep inside him had made him stopped.

After a few taking ins of deep breath, he looked up to the path where Mizuno had went. There was no more signs of her whatsoever, but her light lavender scent still remained in the air. He lifted his left hand and felt what she had done with his hair and bitterly smiled at the corner of his lips.

She did left him something – a mask. He then put those glasses on and looked once more out to the direction of the sun rise. I will find you. That's a promise.

The rays of the sun shone on Aizen, he stood there like the proud Apollo and his Mother Marie's smile reminded us the Aizen Sousuke we know today – Captain of the 5th division.

(Author's hint: the flower language of lavender means "waiting for love")

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