《Itachi Rebirth: A Shinigami Tale》


 Chapter -1 - 0: Itachis Valediction

    Sasuke Uchiha watches his brother dumbfoundedly and unable to move as Itachi Uchiha slowly makes his way towards his kid brother. The bright light emanating as a result of the Edo Tensei''s release was not enough to keep Sasuke from wholeheartedly watching his brother. Itachi''s footsteps, although weak, echoed throughout the cavern.


    "I have told you the whole truth. I won''t have to ever again. I have always lied to you and asked¡­"


    Itachi momentarily loses his balance as he speaks but keeps looking forward towards Sasuke as he weakly walks towards him. More pieces of Itachi''s body are starting to separate themselves and fly away like shredded paper being blown by a strong breeze.


    "...for forgiveness while keeping you at a distance...because I wanted to keep you out of this."


    Itachi wobbles as he keeps treading forward towards Sasuke. Sasuke''s body would not move as he could only watch as his dear brother approaches him all the while disintegrating pieces at a time into the air. Itachi slowly lifts his right forearm and weakly opens his hand, extending his index and middle fingers out partially.


    "But now I think that perhaps you could have changed father, mother, and the rest of the Uchiha as well. If I had only come to you from the start, looked straight into your eyes, and told you the truth, then I wouldn''t have to stand before you as a failure telling you all of this. But, I want to impart at least this much truth to you."


    Itachi takes one last step and puts himself right in front of Sasuke. Itachi raises his right arm higher and dotingly extends his index and middle finger to Sasuke. But that quickly changes as Itachi ??r?sses the back of Sasuke''s head with his whole hand. Itachi leans his forehead in closer to an immobile Sasuke that is too overcome with emotions to say a single word back.


    "You don''t ever have to forgive me. And whatever you do from here on out know this."


    Itachi and Sasuke meet foreheads, looking at each other eye to eye. Itachi has an affectionate smile on his face as he looks into Sasuke''s sorrowed eyes.


    "No matter what I will love you always."


    Those were the last moments Itachi remembered with Sasuke as he finally departed into the afterlife. Itachi finally felt like a heavy weight was lifted from his shoulders. Itachi basked in the white light coming down from the heavens as he felt his ethereal body, now weightless, rise towards it. He closes his eyes and lets the warmth around him consume his being.

 Chapter 1 - Hanging Dog

    Itachi slowly opens his eyes as sunlight glares above him. He sits up from the ground and notices his change in attire. The red cloak he donned in his edo tensei was replaced with cheap rags. Itachi gazes at his surroundings. In the distance, he notices what appears to be a town. "Is this the afterlife?" Itachi ponders. As Itachi stands up to gain a better view of his surroundings, he notices a difference in his chakra. Itachi tries to mold chakra. "Hmm... my chakra feels different."


    Itachi temporarily shelves his curiosity testing his chakra and proceeds towards the town in the distance.


    Itachi arrives at the town. The streets were filled to the brim with various people all dressed similarly in rags and torn clothing. As he''s walking, he notices a red banner suspended above him that says District 78. While he stops to look at the banner, he feels a slight push from someone behind him. He turns around, noticing a skinny boy with black spiky hair and black eyes who looks about 10-12 years old on the ground.


    "Hey! Watch where you''re going old man!"


    "My apologies." Itachi helps the boy off the ground. After being helped up, the boy shakes the dust off his clothes.


    "You can''t just stand in the middle of the street," the boy said slightly less annoyed. "Why were you just standing there?"


    "I was looking at the sign."Itachi points up at the banner above them.


    "Eh, why were you staring at that? Ya new here or something?." The boy takes a closer look at Itachi''s clothes and stares at him with curiosity.


    "Ah now that I see it, your rags still look new. Did you just arrive here?"


    "I suppose. Where am I?"


    "Eh, You''re in Hanging Dog, District 78. You were pretty unlucky to show up here ya know. This is one of the worst districts in Soul Society.


    Itachi thinks to himself, "Soul Society? This confirms I wasn''t summoned to the living world again. So this really is the afterlife." Itachi feels a shred of relief.


    "Look, we can''t just talk in the middle of the street, come on, we can go to my place!" the boy said looking at Itachi''s slightly dazed expression.


    Itachi thinks about it and decides it is a good idea to follow him as he has nowhere to go at the moment.


    Itachi started following the kid to his home, taking turns through the alleys and eventually arriving at the boy''s house after a silent walk. Upon approaching the premises, Itachi sees the house was a worn down shack littered with pieces of rock and wood scattered across the front yard. The roof was just b?r?ly held up by deteriorating wooden beams and there was no door, only a ripped blue curtain that served as a substitute for one. Itachi momentarily questions to himself, "Could the afterlife really have such poor living conditions like the living world?" His train of thought is interrupted by the young boy.


    "By the way, I am Shou Itsuki, and you are?" Itsuki asked interrupting Itachi''s thoughts.


    "Uchiha Itachi" Itachi replies.


    "Since you weren''t born as a soul here how''d you die?" Itsuki asked curiously.


    Itachi was silent for a moment. The young boy''s intentions seemed innocent enough and was most likely asking out of curiosity but he didn''t want to have to explain himself fighting his younger brother to the death then dying and being brought back by a corrupt snake sage and then dying again.


    "I died of an incurable illness."


    Realizing he might have been prying too deeply on a s?ns?t?v? topic, Itsuki didn''t question him any further.


    "Well come on in!" He said leading Itachi into his home.


    Itachi enters the shambled house. The floors creaked as he took his first step through the curtains and out of the corner of his eye, he notices a mouse scurry away into a hole in the wall. He looks around and sees there are at least 10 kids living here with Itsuki. Some kids were sprawled on the ground sleeping while others were playing some sort of game with pebbles.


    "I know it''s crowded, but we actually have it lucky here." Itsuki reaches into his pocket and pulls out half a roll of moldy bread.


    "Here, have this for now. It may not look like much, but around these parts it''s hard for people to get food."


    Itachi accepts the piece of bread and stuffs it in his pocket.


    "Souls can get hungry?" He questions.


    "Well it depends on the strength of your spiritual pressure. Stronger souls will get hungry and require food for sustenance more often. If your spiritual pressure is really high like a shinigami''s, you have to eat a lot. I may not look it but I have a strong spiritual pressure so I actually have to eat!" Itsuki says feeling proud of himself.


    "Shinigami?" Itachi looked at him and asked.


    "Yeah! Shinigamis are these really strong people with swords who- " Itsuki is cut off as a young boy who appeared to be around 8 years old runs through the curtain with a panicked look on his face.


    The boy catches his breath briefly before yelling, "ITSUKI I NEED YOUR HELP!"

 Chapter 2 - Hollow

    "Calm down and tell me what happened Ryo!" Itsuki asked as he saw the panic in his friend''s eyes.


    "Me and Sora were playing in the woods when a hollow appeared. Sora distracted the Hollow long enough for me to get away to try to find a shinigami but there weren''t any nearby so I came back here!" Ryo was noticeably overwhelmed by his fear and was starting to break out in a cold sweat.


    "What!!, where is it!."Itsuki says. Ryo starts to regain his composure and signals Itsuki to follow him. Hurry, It''s this way! Itsuki and Ryo take off towards the woods.


    "I''ll go as well." Itachi quickly runs after the duo into the woods. Itachi quickly catches up to the boys as they reach the foot of the woods. Itsuki and Ryo turn around to see Itachi behind them.


    "What are you doing here!? This doesn''t concern you, go back! You don''t know what-"


    "GRAAAAAAAAAUUUURRRRR!!!


    Itsuki is cut off as a terrifying, inhuman roar can be heard echoing through the trees.The boys are shaken by this roar as cold sweat runs through their back.


    "Is that the sound of a hollow?" Itachi ponders as he stares towards the general direction of the roar.


    Itsuki tells Ryo to stay put and runs off towards the direction of the roar.


    Ryo reluctantly obeys and stays put, knowing he would only get in the way. Ryo finally turns to Itachi.


    "Mister who are you? Did you just arrive here?"


    "Yes" Itachi replies while still looking towards the direction Itsuki took off in.


    "Mister, I am sorry to ask this of you, but can you please help big bro." Itachi nods and goes deeper into the forest.


    Shortly, Itachi arrives at a clearing and sees who he ?ssumes is Sora with his back against a tree and Itsuki running straight towards the hollow. Several feet in front of Itsuki is a 2.5 meter tall green hollow. Itachi examines the situation from the bushes.


    "That monster with the mask must be the hollow mentioned earlier." Itachi thinks to himself.


    The hollow slowly extends its arm towards Sora to grab him. Itsuki, begins to mold his reiatsu into his hand, creating a small orb of reishi and hurls it at the hollow''s face. The orb flies towards the Hollow''s face but before it makes contact with the mask, the hollow reacts promptly and raises its arm to block it. Itsuki stands there paralyzed by fear as the hollow stares at Itsuki while radiating its killing intent. Itachi quickly reaches into his pocket and pulls out the stale piece of bread he received earlier. He throws the stale, rock hard, cut of bread at the hollow and it bounces off the back of the hollow''s head. The hollow redirects its attention towards Itachi as Itachi emerges from the bushes.


    "Get out of here! Both of you!" Itachi''s stern voice snaps Itsuki out of his daze. Itsuki and Sora both make a run towards the bushes with the hollow paying no attention to them anymore.


    The hollow lets out another roar and charges straight towards Itachi. Itachi recalls what he just saw with Itsuki molding energy into an orb and thinks back to basic chakra control training with molding chakra towards a specific body part. Itachi controls his reiatsu, channeling it towards his feet and legs. As the hollow enters striking distance of Itachi, Itachi side steps. Inexperienced with controlling reiatsu, he jumps farther than he anticipated, almost losing his balance as he lands. The hollow turns and attempts to attack him once again.


    "This energy appears to be fundamentally the same as chakra but the control is different. My body isn''t used to it yet." Itachi recalls the basic water walking and tree climbing exercises for chakra control as a reference.


    "Unlike those exercises, the margin for error is significantly smaller and requires greater precision...the appropriate way to control this power seems more akin to the body flicker technique." He starts concentrating his energy to the soles of his feet and legs, narrowly avoiding the hollow''s strikes as he adapts to the control.


    "Although crude, I am starting to understand how to use this. However, I can''t be on the defensive the entire time." Itachi scans the surrounding area for anything he would be able to use as a weapon. "There''s nothing but rocks and branches." After avoiding several more of the hollow''s strikes, Itachi takes advantage of an opening to dash toward some rocks scattered on the ground and in one fluid motion he picks them up. Itachi channels reishi into his palms and arms and skillfully throws a few rocks at the hollow. The rocks inflict no lasting damage and only serve to further enrage the hollow.


    "No, this method isn''t enough. I have to mold energy into the rock as well." After focusing his reishi in the same manner as before, he also channels it into the rocks and throws them all at the hollow towards various parts of its body. The hollow prioritizes blocking the rocks that were aimed towards its face and ignores the ones that hit its body.


    "The hollow is very protective of its mask...could that be?" Itachi wonders as he picks up more rocks and throws them all towards the hollow''s mask. The hollow uses its arms to block all the incoming projectiles, and charges toward Itachi with its guard up around its face.


    "That confirms the mask is its weakness. Now to get around its sturdy defense...". Itachi suddenly switches into an offensive stance and closes the gap between himself and the hollow.


    The hollow reacts to Itachi''s aggressive action and lowers its guard to punch Itachi.


    "Now''s my chance." Itachi infuses even more reishi into his feet and pivots around the punch at the last possible moment allowing him to get close to the hollow''s body. In this opening Itachi created, he quickly channels reishi into his hands and jumps into the air, aiming an uppercut towards the hollows mask. The hollow is b?r?ly able to react to Itachi''s speed and attempts to move away from the strike. However, it was unable to fully dodge the blow and is struck towards the side of its mask, cracking it.


    Itachi gains some distance between him and the hollow and catches his breath.


    "All of that effort and I only managed to crack its mask? I''m getting used to controlling this energy but it isn''t perfect and I''m burning through far more than I should in comparison to using chakra..."


    The hollow''s rage intensifies as it realizes its mask was damaged.


    "GRUAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH" The hollow screams even louder than the first time.


    ---------------------------------------


    "There, I found it!" A young man in his twenties looks towards the forest as he senses the hollow''s reiatsu and hears its roar. The young man was wearing a black Kimono like robe with a white sash tied around his waist, white socks and brown sandals. Strapped to his side was a katana. He dashes into the forest and upon arriving close to the clearing with the hollow, he is surprised by what he sees.


    "What the-" He notices a young man who looks like he is in his 20s fighting the hollow. He had long black hair and onyx eyes, he was wearing rags with no sandals. He looked worn out, and reiatsu could be felt leaking from him unnecessarily.


    "Amazing, this soul isn''t even a shinigami and is able to actually hold his own against a hollow. Not to mention his spiritual pressure rivals seated officers." The man runs closer to the clearing. As he gets closer, he notices a crack on the hollow''s mask. "What the..he actually inflicted damage on the hollow with that level of reiatsu control."


    ------------------------------------------


    Itachi was continuously evading the hollow''s strikes, while ignoring the pain he was feeling throughout his body.


    "This hollow has gone into a berserk-like state. It''s movements are becoming faster and sharper. I won''t be able to keep up for long against this rate" the fatigue starts to hit him as Itachi''s unstable reiatsu continues to leak out as he evades.


    "The hollow is faster than me at this point. I am b?r?ly able to dodge its attacks only because of its linear attack pattern. Running away isn''t an option at this point." Itachi''s body feels sluggish and a wave of lethargy dulls his movements. The hollow attacks in this brief moment of weakness, sending a punch straight towards Itachi''s ?h?st. Unable to evade in time, Itachi molds reiatsu into his arms to try and block it. Despite his attempt, the strike sends him flying towards a tree several meters backwards.


    With a loud thud, Itach slams into the tree and falls down. Legs trembling, he manages to get himself up as the hollow starts charging towards him. Itachi stands there with blood dripping from his forehead and mouth, as he faces the oncoming hollow.


    "I''ll have to evade this strike." Itachi flares up his reiatsu once more. His eyes start changing as the hollow approaches. Time appears to slow down in front of him as he sees the hollow approaching him with its reiatsu becoming visible to Itachi. His eyes suddenly become red with a black circle and three distinct tomoe around the pupil. Just as the hollow is about to strike Itachi, he darts to the side avoiding its charge and the hollow runs headfirst into the tree, temporarily stunning it.


    Itachi''s eyes lose their color as they revert back to normal. Itachi falls to the ground and takes a knee as the fatigue catches up to him. Itachi turns back around at the hollow as the hollow is preparing to strike.


    "HADO #4: BYAKURAI!" a nearby voice shouts.


    Just as the hollow is about to hit a defenseless and fatigued Itachi a line of lightning appears and strikes the hollow before it makes contact, sending it stumbling backwards. Smoke is seen coming out of the holes in the hollow''s arm that were made as a result of the lightning.


    "Hey you alright?" A young man stares at Itachi as he stands between him and the hollow. The young man briefly inspects Itachi''s body and after seeing no fatal wounds, he shifts his attention towards the hollow. The mysterious man runs towards the stunned hollow with his blade unsheathed. The hollow sees him approaching attempts to defend itself while it recovers. However the speed of the young man''s sword far surpasses its reaction, and before it realizes it, the hollow''s mask split in two. The hollow takes one more step back as its body slowly disintegrates into a black dust and fades away. The young man sheaths his sword and walks back to Itachi.


    Itachi analyzes the man approaching him. "This must be a shinigami. He seems quite capable."


    "Thank you for your ?ssistance." Itachi wipes the blood from the side of his face and stands up.


    "No problem, just doing my job. You know you''re pretty strong. I''ve never seen a regular soul face off against a hollow and hold their own for that long." The shinigami inspects Itachi''s injuries closer.


    "How did this guy evade that last strike like that? If he hadn''t, I probably wouldn''t have been able to save him on time¡­" the young man mused as he walked towards Itachi.


    "My name is Sato Ryuji, what''s yours?"


    "Uchiha Itachi." Itachi replied.


    "Here, hold still Mr. Uchiha." Ryuji extends his hand towards Itachi''s forehead, as a light green glow appears on his palms.


    Itachi feels the pain in his body start to subside. "This must be a shinigami''s equivalent to medical ninjutsu." Itachi thinks to himself.


    "You are what they call a shinigami I presume?"


    "That is correct! Wait... have you not seen a shinigami before? Are you new to Soul Society?" Ryuji curiously asked.


    "I have recently arrived to this world" Itachi replies without much emotion.


    Ryuji is surprised by this. "This guy...he has a lot to work on in terms of reiatsu control but his battle instincts are amazing."


    "Well you can certainly handle yourself in a fight. Tell me, are you interested in becoming a Shinigami?

 Chapter 3 - Preparation

    "A shinigami..." Itachi thought for a moment before responding. "I''ll think about it."


    "Well you certainly have the talent and skill to become one." Ryuji said.


    "If you are interested, then come by to the academy near district one for your entrance exams."


    "What will the exam cover?" Itachi asked.


    "Don''t worry, it''s a simple test of your reiatsu quantity and control" Ryuji replied.


    "Is reiatsu the energy I feel inside my body?"


    "Yes, reiatsu is the spiritual energy circulating in your body. With enough control, you can channel it and create techniques like the one you saw me use earlier. Of course, we mainly use our zanpakuto to fight as it is our main method of fighting." Ryuji said as he pointed to his sword.


    "I see, thank you for saving me, I will consider it." Itachi said before turning around to head back.


    " Wait, if you are interested, the exam will be held about 45 days from today." Ryuji said.


    Itachi turned around for a moment and acknowledged Ryuji''s statement with a nod before making his way back to the district.


    "Becoming a shinigami...even after death the weak still struggle to find peace." Itachi pondered before finally arriving back to Itsukis house.


    "Hey!, You''re back! Are you alright!!" Itsuki ran forward seeing Itachi arriving with his haggard appearance.


    Itachi nodded before saying "What about you?"


    "Yeah I''m fine, thanks to you. What happened to that hollow? Did you kill it?!" Itsuki asked.


    "No. A shinigami found me and dispatched of the hollow." Itachi replied.


    "Wow you held off a hollow and got to see a shinigami fight!" Itsuki said with awe in his eyes.


    "I heard that the entrance exam is happening in a month and a half. I''ve been preparing for a long time so I can pass it!" Itsuki proclaims with a determined look on his face.


    "Why do you want to become a shinigami?" Itachi asked


    "I want to be able to protect people who can''t protect themselves. Many souls are killed by hollows and I watched some of my own friends be killed. When I become a shinigami, I will be able to protect. " Itsuki said resolutely.


    "It seems even after death, the weak still struggle to find peace..." Itachi thought as he looked at the boy''s determined face.


    "Why don''t you join me?" Itsuki said snapping Itachi out of his thoughts.


    "Yeah, the fact that you were able to live against that hollow shows that you have the spiritual strength to attempt the examination". Itsuki states looking expectantly at Itachi, awaiting an answer.


    Itachi thought for a moment. "Even in the afterlife, perfection doesn''t exist. I was born into this world again. My life did not end even after I died. I won''t lose faith in the person I''ve become before my death as I realized who I truly was. This may be but a pipe dream but like a nameless shinobi who protects peace from within its shadow, I will become a shinigami who protects peace." Itachi ends his train of thought and replies to Itsuki.


    "I will take the exam as well, but there are things I must clarify beforehand. I will meet you at the testing location in 45 days."


    "Okay, I will leave ahead tomorrow, let''s just get some rest for today!" Itsuki said before leading Itachi into the house.


    "Sorry I know there isn''t much room but try to just find an area to lie down" Itsuki looked apologetic to his savior, but like most of the children in these districts, he was very poor and Itachi understood that. Itachi simply nodded and found a corner to rest. He rested his back against the wall and closed his eyes to rest.


    "A lot happened today, and I am still able to use the Sharingan... Does that I am able to use my ninjutsu as well? I will find out tomorrow." The weariness of the day took over his body, as he instantly fell asleep.


    --------------


    Itachi woke up the next day, and noticed Itsuki packing his few belongings into a sack. He had some food left which he ended up passing most of it over to the kids in the house.


    Itsuki turned to the corner to see Itachi awake. He walked over to Itachi and handed him a little bit of the bread.


    "I know you have strong soul, and you should be able to hold on for a while, but here is some food anyway.


    Itachi didn''t stand on ceremony as he accepted the gift. "Thank you." Itachi said with a slight smile.


    Itachi stayed until Itsuki faded into the distance. Once he was gone, he looked at the kids and bid them farewell before making his way to the forest.


    Itachi approaches the foot of the woods and is momentarily reminded of the hollow he had just fought there yesterday. Paying close attention to his surroundings, Itachi enters the woods. After finding a suitable place to practice, he sits down in a meditative position. He brings his palms together and closes his eyes. Itachi concentrates on his reiryoku and lets it flow as reiatsu through the reishi in his body. He channels it throughout his body with his energy flowing from his core, moving along his meridians and veins, to every part of his body. As Itachi inhaled and exhaled in a harmonious rhythm, he gained greater insight towards his reiatsu control.


    After a few hours, he finally opened his eyes and let out a breath. Itachi closed his eyes once again to continue his practice. After a few more hours, Itachi opened his eyes to see that the sun had set.


    "I''ll test it out now." Itachi thought to himself before closing his eyes. He focused his reiatsu into his eyes.


    *Giiiiiiin*


    His eyes had changed as they were no longer their usual black color but radiated a piercing red color, with three tomoe in a circle pattern encompassing the pupil. The moment he opened them, everything brightened up as he was able to see the reishi in the surrounding environment.


    "It seems that I can still access my Sharingan." Itachi thought to himself before closing his eyes and deactivating his sharingan.


    Itachi stared at the stars before standing up. " I should rest for today and continue my practice tomorrow."


    He looks around and finds a large tree that towered over the rest of the trees and decides on using it for rest. Itachi channels his reiatsu into his feet and runs up the tree then stops halfway near a thick branch. He feels a bit wobbly but regains himself as his feet cling to the tree. Just like with chakra control, his body was starting to adjust to control reiatsu.


    "My body hasn''t completely adapted yet. It seems I need to practice some more." He rests his back against the tree and sits on the branch. He closes his eyes and falls into a slumber.


    --------------


    The next morning.


    The sun glares once again over the horizon, bathing the forest and town in light. On a tree near the edge of the forest was a young man sleeping with his arms crossed and his back against the tree. The sunlight hits the side of his face as he slowly opens his eyes. He turns to the side and leans back over the air, his body turning and falling off the branch, however just before his feet fall off the branch, they cling to the bottom of the branch. He starts walking upside down across the branch and back to the trunk, walking vertically down the tree before reaching the ground.


    "Still not adequate, but I have time." Itachi thought to himself.


    The next thing he wanted to try out were his previous ninjutsu. "I should try making a shadow clone." In the same way where one splits their chakra to summon a clone of oneself, Itachi forms his fingers into the clone seal and splits his reiatsu equally to summon a shadow clone.


    "Shadow clone jutsu"


    A puff of smoke and reiatsu appears next to him. As the smoke clears, a copy of Itachi can be seen standing. Itachi recalls how shadow clones retain information and experience and decides it would be good to use them for training purposes to progress his reiatsu control faster.


    He looks at his clone and nods "Let''s begin." Immediately the clone leaps backwards to distance itself and prepares for combat.


    Itachi brings his palms together and forms a series of seals.


    "Fire style: Fireball jutsu."


    Itachi kneads his reiatsu and focuses it through ?h?st and lungs. He takes in a breath and spits out a mass of flames. A giant fireball emerges from his mouth and heads towards his clone.


    *GIIIINN*


    The clone activates his sharingan and dodges the fireball before charging towards Itachi.


    Itachi also activates his sharingan and two begin sparring. The two continued their spar for 30 minutes, strenuously using their reiatsu, after which the clone vanishes in a puff of smoke. The disappearance of clone sends a wave of lethargy washing over Itachi as he feels the clone''s experiences and mental fatigue take over. He drops to his knees and begins panting in laborious breaths.


    "So this is my limit right now¡­" Itachi says to himself as he wipes the sweat from his forehead.


    "A shadow clone, Sharingan, one fireball jutsu, and 30 minutes of sparring. It''s better than yesterday but nowhere near optimal." Itachi once again sits in his meditative stance to recover his reiatsu. He meditates for an hour before catching his breath once again.


    "I don''t have my illness plaguing me, so I should focus on improving my body as well" Itachi thought to himself as he started running towards the town and fields. He continued his run for hours before stopping and resting. Once he rested he got back up to continue his run. Once he finished his run Itachi went back to the forest and started his tree climbing exercises. As soon as he finished, he sat back down in meditation to recover. Night fell once again, and Itachi climbed up the tree and marked it before laying it to rest.


    Itachi continued his training for the next 28 days. He also used some of his time to get information about the first district. When Itachi had felt comfortable with using shadow clones, halfway into his training, he used a shadow clone to gather the information and relay it back it him and learned the directions to various districts and correct paths to reach them. Itachi looks at the calendar marks made on tree and realizes that the academy entrance exam was approaching.


    "I should leave now. I only have 15 days to travel." Itachi thought before jumping off and making his way to town.


    He stopped by Itsuki''s house to visit the kids to say his farewell. He was not very familiar kids so he kept his greetings short. After taking care of this he headed out of town towards the 77th district.


    He continued his path through the districts, occasionally resting for a few hours before making his way again. He always kept his guard up through the forest to ensure he was ready if a hollow attacked. However, as he passed through the forests he noticed that that he encountered no hollows.


    "Seems that hollows are a rare phenomenon. The one that I saw on my first day here seemed to have been an unlucky encounter."


    Itachi also noticed that the living conditions have gradually improved through each district with the districts going into the single digits having drastically improved conditions. The structures were much more organized and well built, there was an abundance of food available, and the affluent lifestyle created a generally gratified atmosphere. However Itachi still noticed hints of discrimination between the noble families and the commoners.


    "These people in the higher districts are obsessed with organization, obsessed with their family name, and obsessed with themselves. They limit themselves to judgement based on their preconceptions and appearances and because of this, there is such a huge disparity in the lifestyle between districts. They focus on the trivial and have lost sight of what is most important¡­"

 Chapter 4 - Entrance Exam

    Itachi took one more look around before continuing his way further inside the first district. As Itachi walks through the district, he feels the gaze of many people on him. Itachi ignores it and keeps walking down the main road of the district. Up ahead he sees a huge, multiple story building with golden roofs in the distance. As Itachi gets closer he sees a giant courtyard with a multitude of people walking through the pathways. The entire area was the size of a small town. He sees a sign above the gate that says "Shin''¨­ Academy.


    Itachi arrives at the gate of the academy and observes the many students from the academy traversing the school grounds with their white and blue or red shihakusho. He sees a particularly large gaggle of students grouped at one side of the courtyard. Itachi makes his way through the unorganized crowd and sees various people not in uniform holding orbs of varying brightness. Itachi senses a great amount of reiatsu being exerted from this area.


    "This orb must be related to the entrance test." Itachi muses as he spends a few more moments spectating the exam before finding the nearest sign up stand. He makes his way over to the sign up stand. He stands behind an examinee as the line slowly dwindles.


    As he awaits his turn, a group of examinees make their way over. There were three people, A young man dressed luxuriously was in the center. He was walking over with his hands behind his back with two other young men following closely behind. He had an arrogant and proud look on his face as he strode over. He looked at some of the examinees in line as a hint of mockery flashed across his eyes.


    "Hmph, every piece of trash thinks they can join the academy." He ruthlessly stated as he stared at the common class examinees. The examinees had no choice but to hold in their anger as they saw the Kenseikan in his hair and knew this was someone from one of the four great noble families. The young noble saw their faces and laughed.


    "A bunch of gutless worms actually think they can become shinigami!" He walked past the examinees. The nobleman made his way to the front of the line and looked back at the line before completing his sign up. As he looked back, he noticed the person behind him with an expressionless face with cold eyes and noticed that he had even worse garbs than some of the common folk.


    "What''s your name?" He asked with a slight hint of ridicule. To the noble''s dismay, Itachi ignored him and walked to the front to start his sign up papers. The young noble was fuming inside seeing he was actually ignored by this beggar trash.The instructor hands Itachi an orb. At first touch, Itachi doesn''t notice anything remarkable about the orb. It was a pale blue, nearly transparent sphere that was a bit on the heavy side.


    "Go wait for the rest of the examinees to receive theirs." The proctor instructed.


    As the proctor continued handing out the orbs, the young nobleman stared at Itachi with anger in his eyes. Itachi ignored him and walked over to the side and studied the orb in greater detail.


    Once the final examinee received his orb, he joined the others in the line and awaited the proctor''s instructions. The proctor got out of his seat and walked over to the examinees. He cleared his voice and began speaking.


    "This exam is to test your reiatsu potency and control. You are to pour your reiatsu into this orb. If you are able to light the orb, you pass. Do you have any questions?"


    A few of the examinees raise their hands.


    "Good! No questions! We can begin!"


    Itachi channels his reiatsu and focuses it into the orb, letting a steady stream flow into it. The orb glows brilliantly and the proctor writes a few notes down. A few moments later the proctor concludes the examination. "Okay that is enough!"


    Itachi stops pouring his reiatsu into the orb. The orb dims down and returns to its original color. The proctor goes in order of the examinees.


    The proctor walks to the nobleman and gave him his score.


    "Kuchiki Daiki. Pass, Class 1." He nodded approvingly "Well done."


    "As expected of someone from the Kuchiki clan." The proctor thought in his head.


    Daiki looked at Itachi with scorn in his eyes. "This is the level between us." He thought in his head.


    "Uchiha, Itachi. Pass, Class 1. Well done."


    "Amazing... such a talented individual comes from that barbaric district." The proctor thought.


    A trace of shock appeared in Daiki''s eyes as he stared at Itachi.


    "What?! He''s on the same level as me?! How can that be?!" He thought to himself as he gritted his teeth.


    "Pass, Class 2"


    "Fail, please try again next time"


    "Pass, Class 3"


    Daiki''s followers also passed and ended up in class 3.


    ¡­


    The proctor finished evaluating the rest of the examinees then handed each person who passed an identification slip with their name and class designation.


    "Take this and go into the main building. Then go to hall B and pick up your equipment and class information. After you finish, go to hall A for your orientation. That is all."


    The proctor dismissed the passing students and sent them on their way. Itachi takes his slip and makes his way towards the main building. As he is walking, Daiki suddenly appears in front of Itachi.


    "Hey! Don''t get ???ky just because you were lucky enough to be chosen for Class 1. Make sure you remember your place!" Daiki said with a cold look in his eye before turning around and leaving.


    "Itachi!" A voice calls out from behind. Itachi turns around to see it is Itsuki running towards him.


    "How did your exam go? I couldn''t see you very well because everyone in the crowd is too tall for me¡­"


    "I passed." Itachi replies.


    "Awesome! What class are you in? I''m in Class 1! Pretty good right?"


    "Class 1."


    "You too? That''s great! We get to be in the same class!" Itsuki said with a wide grin.


    Itachi simply smiled and nodded.


    "You are picking up your uniform too right? Let''s go together!" Itsuki said


    "Very well." Itachi gave a quick response.


    "Hey by the way, who was that fellow that was talking to you? Itsuki asked


    "No idea." Itachi gave a calm reply as he continued his way over.


    Itsuki paused for a second and didn''t ask any further questions. Both Itachi and Itsuki continued through the courtyard towards the main building. The duo finally made it to the main hall. Itsuki looked around before asking a student for directions towards Hall B. The student pointed to the left side of the building. Itsuki thanked the student and the duo made their way towards the hall. Upon reaching hall B, they saw a small line that led to a counter. The two waited in line for a few minutes before they arrived at the front.


    "Identification slip please." The receptionist asked.


    Itachi handed over his identification slip. The receptionist looked it over then looked at Itachi head to toe before making her way over to a back room. Several moments later, she came back out with a folded blue and white shihakusho, and a small book.


    "The book has all the class descriptions and who your instructor will be. It will also provide the location of various training grounds and facilities accessible to you as a class 1 student. You will receive one shihakusho for now. If it''s torn or damaged, please come back here to receive a replacement." She handed itachi the items before yelling out "Next!"


    Itsuki walks up to the receptionist and receives his shihakusho and book while Itachi waits for him. After he receives his materials, the two of them make their way towards hall A.


    The duo arrive at the lecture hall. The two look around the room at the many rows of desks that were lined up in a stairway style cascading format much like an opera theater. Itachi and Itsuki find a couple of empty seats next to each other and sit down. They wait several minutes as the hall fills with new students. A few minutes after the hall is full, an old man wearing a black shihakusho with white robe over it makes his way to the podium in the center of the hall. Upon seeing this man a few discussions in the room quieted down. He waited for a few moments before yelling "Silence!!!". The remaining talking students immediately shut up, bringing the hall to a silence.


    Good morning! On behalf of Academy founder Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto and Chief Instructor Gengoro Onabara, it is my great p???sur? to welcome you all to Shin¨­ Academy. I''m delighted to see those of you who made it past the entrance exam. I hope you will discover over the next six years the opportunity the academy provides to nurture, educate, and train the future shinigami of the Gotei 13. The next few years of your life will be filled with challenges and opportunities. We at the academy hope you find your path and excel in becoming a fine shinigami.


    The instructor continues his speech for another half an hour before he dismisses the students to their respective classes.

 Chapter 5 - First Day

    Itachi and Itsuki walk down the hallway to their classroom.


    "Hey, wait!" Itsuki stopped Itachi.


    "We should change into our robes, mine are somewhat decent, but your clothes are completely torn" Itsuki suggested.


    Itachi nodded and went to the bathroom at the end of the hall and changed his rags to the shihakusho. By the time Itachi had gotten out, Itsuki had also changed into his uniform. They both then continued on their way to the classroom. As they enter the classroom, they see what looks like a smaller version of the lecture hall they were just in. A few of the other students were already seated. Itsuki heads towards the middle of the class to find a seat but notices Itachi heading towards the back of the class and instead follows him. The two find their seat and watch the other students enter the room. Daiki enters the class and notices Itachi sitting at the back. He glares at Itachi and head towards the front of the classroom. As the last of the students trickling in find their seat, the instructor enters the class. The instructor had the appearance of a middle-aged bald man with glasses and a glowering face.


    "I am your instructor, Gengoro Ounabara! This Freshman Class One took the top scores in the entrance exam. In other words, you are in the advanced class! Rather than merely serve your future squads, train hard to excel in your various pursuits!"


    The instructor went on for another few minutes about the values of shinigami then goes onto taking roll.


    The instructor begins calling out the names of the class 1 students one by one. A couple minutes he calls the last name on his roll "Uchiha, Itachi."


    After he finishes the roll, the instructor looks at the students and nods before explaining the rest of the class materials.


    "There are four main subjects you will primarily focus on during your six years at the academy. These are Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hoho and lastly, Kido.


    "Zanjutsu will entail enhancing your ability to fight with your zanpakutos. The zanjutsu is the basic fighting styles of the zanpakuto. You will receive your asauchi tomorrow. Treat these asauchis as your partners, as you will carry them for the rest of your life. This class will be held in the Zanjutsu training hall, this will be your first class of the day". Ounabara said before taking a brief look at the students. After seeing that everyone was properly paying attention, he continued his lecture.


    "The next class will the Hakuda class. This class will teach you an unarmed close combat style of fighting." Ounabara continued.


    "Taijutsu..." Itachi thought to himself as listened to the lecture.


    "The next class will Hoho. Hoho is a defensive technique vital to shinigami. Once mastered one can traverse great distances with a few steps. Your fourth class will be the kido class. Kido are advanced spells that can be used for direct combat or support. Lastly remember the commandment of the shinigami: Do not seek beauty in battle. Do not seek virtue in death. Do not make the mistake of considering only your own life. If you wish to protect that which you must protect, slice the enemy you must defeat from behind."


    Before Ounabara dismisses the class he adds on, "Here at the academy we won''t teach you to fight for the sake of your superiors or family. As a shinigami, you should give your life to protect your friends and humanity! That is all for today!" Onoubara finished his lecture before giving the class a reminder.


    "Go to the dorm building located on the west side of the academy. Report to the dorm manager and get your room ?ssignment. You may also spend the rest of the day visiting the various facilities that the academy has to offer" Ounabara finally concluded his lecture.


    The students gradually make their way through the door to leave the classroom. Itsuki and Itachi head towards the dormitory area.


    "Yo Itachi! You think we''ll be roommates?" Itsuki asks.


    "Not sure." Itachi replies.


    The two engage in small talk as they walk to the dorms and are met with multiple lines of people waiting to be admitted. Above the lines are signs dividing up the dorms by year and class number.


    "Look Itachi! Class 1 has their own dormitory!" Itsuki points to the line and the building behind it.


    Itachi glances at where Itsuki is pointing at and sees a 3 story building that looked much nicer than the others. The duo enter the line and wait for their turn.


    A few moments later a voice yells "Next!". Itachi walks up to the desk and presents his identification slip. After glancing it over the receptionist gives Itachi a form to fill out for the rooms. Itachi quickly fills out the form given to him and receives the key to his room.


    "You''re in dorm 3S."


    Itachi takes the key and goes up the stairs to the 3rd floor. He walks down the hall and reaches his room. Upon arriving to his room, he sees a tatami floor, a short legged table with a floor cushion, and a small closet for his things. To the right of the entrance is another door leading to the bathroom. "Small but comfortable." Itachi thinks to himself.


    "First I should go to the library to collect more information about this world." He gets up and heads out of the dorm room.


    As Itachi leaves the main building of the dormitory, he sees Itsuki being confronted in the courtyard by Daiki.


    Itachi immediately heads towards Itsuki.


    He turned to Itsuki and asked "Something wrong?"


    "I was on my way to the training field and this guy suddenly came up and stopped me!"


    Daiki stared at Itachi before saying "Hmph. I told you to remember your place. Just because we are in the same class doesn''t mean we are equals."


    Itachi remained silent and looked at him as if he was looking at a clown. However, Itsuki could not take it and flared up.


    "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!!"


    Daiki turned back to Itsuki.


    "I said remember your place, trash!" Daiki said with scorn in his eye.


    Itsuki could no longer hold himself back and charged at Daiki. He gathered the reiatsu into his palm and charged at Daiki. The reiatsu orb was much larger than the orb that he made in the forest.


    Daiki sneered at this charge and evaded Itsuki''s attack with ease. He pivoted around his punch and struck out with his own reiatsu attack. Unlike Itsuki''s crude attack, Daiki had a much more refined and concentrated form of reiatsu in his palm as he struck towards Itsuki''s ?h?st. Due to his momentum, Itsuki was unable to dodge in time as he panicked.


    However just before Itsuki was struck, a hand reached out from the side and grabbed Daiki''s wrist. Daiki was stunned as he saw his attack being stopped with such ease. He turned to the side to see it was Itachi who had grabbed his wrist. He struggled but was unable to free himself from Itachi''s grasp.


    "You!!!..." Daiki glared at Itachi with malice in his eyes. He prepared to use his left to strike, however a voice interrupted them. "You there!! Stop!" A teacher that patrolling nearby noticed the scuffle before he rushed over. He was very annoyed, since this was the first day and there was conflict between the students. He made his way over and stopped the fight from continuing. He was just about to berate the students when he noticed the kenseikan pin in Daiki''s hair.


    "Fighting outside the training grounds and arena is forbidden. It''s great that you want to test yourself, but do so within the confines of the rules. If the rules are broken again, then you will be punished!" He said to both Itachi and Daiki.


    "Hey, that''s not fair, this guy started it!" Itsuki suddenly blurted out as he pointed to Daiki.


    "I don''t care who started it. Break the rules again and you will all be punished." The teacher gave them a stern glare before leaving.


    By this time Itachi had already let go of Daiki''s hand. Daiki stared hatefully at Itachi.


    "Hmph... you got lucky this time." He said before leaving the premises.


    "How was that fair? We were only defending ourselves!" Itsuki complained to Itachi.


    "It is most likely because of his identity." Itachi replied


    "Eh, His identity? What do you mean?" Itsuki questioned.


    "When the instructor got close, he looked at his hairpin and paused. Outside the academy he also declared his noble status. It seems that some of the noblemen hold much greater influence here than expected. That instructor didn''t want to only punish him so instead he warned the three of us instead."


    "But that''s not fair!" Itsuki complained.


    "In the short time I spent here in Soul Society, I''ve seen life is far from fair. The souls living here hold onto and worship family names. These things limit us and limit our capacities. It is foolish for them to fear what they have yet to see or know." Itachi replied and reminded Itsuki.


    Itsuki clenched his fist then he nodded.


    "Thanks for saving me." Itsuki mumbled to Itachi.


    Itachi smiled and nodded.


    "Watch yourself." Itachi reminded him one last time before bidding farewell and making his way to the library.


    The library was a small building located near the center of the academy. Most students that joined the academy would focus most of their time with physical or kido training. Many of the noble family children already had access to the information provided in the library. Due to this, the library was rarely frequented in the academy. There was a single receptionist inside the building. Because it was the first day, he didn''t expect any visitors. He was lying back on his seat with his eyes closed. He was reading his book, when the door suddenly opened. He was surprised to see that someone actually visited the library during the first day.


    Itachi walked up to the receptionist and inquired about the books related to the history and geography of soul society.


    "Is there any rule to check out the books" Itachi asked.


    "You can only check 3 books as a first year. But you are free to look at as many as you want as long as you are in the library"


    Itachi nodded and made his way over to the left side of the library and started browsing through the books.


    The receptionist went back to reading his book.


    "Coming here was the right choice. The books here contain a much more in depth knowledge about this world." Itachi thought as picked up a multitude of books about the history of Soul Society. After he grabs a large stack, he makes his way to a table and places the books down.


    "I can''t spend too much time here. There is still the matter of getting stronger." Itachi thought before he activated his sharingan.


    His hands moved at a rapid speed flipping through the pages as he continued to read the books. After 30 minutes he had already read 10 books as he put them to the side stacked neatly.


    "Is he crazy? What the heck is he doing? He looked towards Itachi who was already sweating and breathing heavily in the corner.


    "Why is he sweating like crazy reading books?" He thought to himself.


    Itachi finally finished the 11th book before his sharingan receded.


    *Huff* "It looks like thats my limit for today". He put the books back on the shelf and headed to the exit. He looked at the receptionist and thanked before leaving the library.


    "Since I already know where the buildings for the classes are, I should just rest for the day." Itachi turned around and walked back towards the dorm.


    He noticed that Itsuki was also making his way over to the dorm and headed towards him.


    Itsuki saw the fatigued Itachi approaching and was surprised. "Why does he look so worn out already?"


    "Hey, what happened? Where did you go?" Itsuki asked.


    "The library. You are back already?" Itachi replied briefly before asking Itsuki.


    "Yeah, I just visited the different facilities, I just want to go to sleep. But enough about me, what the heck happened to you. Why are so winded after visiting the library?" Itsuki curiously asked.


    "I read a lot of books." Itachi replied before heading to his own dorm.


    "Uh...okay?" Itsuki saw that itachi didn''t continue and headed to his own room.


    Itachi laid down on the mat and stared at the ceiling. "What a long day." Itachi thought to himself before slowly closing his eyes and drifting into sleep.

 Chapter 6 - Early Sacrifice

    ------------------


    A young nobleman was seen walking towards the training academy. The students around him stood clear after seeing his irritable eyes. He eventually made his way to the training field.


    "That damn Itachi...he isn''t better than ME! HE IS A WORTHLESS PEASANT!" Daiki thinks to himself as he channels his reiatsu and flares it at a training dummy in the field. The dummy''s head blows up.


    "Damn that guy!!!"


    "Oh? What made a young scion of the Kuchiki so angry?" a calm voice came from the side.


    Daiki turned around to see two men and a woman walking towards him.


    "Hmph. What do you want Taro?" Daiki scoffed at the noble.


    "Hey now! That''s not how you talk to a friend!" Taro smiled at Daiki.


    "Shut up! What friend!" Daiki blurted out.


    "Hey watch your tone!" A second noble said from the side.


    Daiki looked at the other two before saying "Oh look the servants of the Shihouin. You should watch your place when you''re speaking to me!"


    The young noble was about to retort before Taro placed his hand in front of him "Calm down Kenta."


    Kenta looked at Taro and then at Daiki before turning away.


    Daiki didn''t continue and just bid his farewells.


    "That guy is as arrogant as ever..." Kenta said watching Daiki depart.


    "He seems angrier than usual. What do you think Daiyu?" Taro said, turning to the woman.


    "Hmm..." Daiyu simply nodded.


    Taro looked back at Daiki and smiled.


    ---------------------------------


    Dawn slowly approaches, sending a cascade of light into Itachi''s room. He slowly wakes up and puts on his shihakusho. Itachi feels a light rumbling in his stomach. "I haven''t eaten anything in a while." Itachi thought to himself. He goes to the bathroom and rinses his face with water and leaves his room.


    Itachi goes to the cafeteria and lines up for breakfast. He picks up some onigiri with seaweed and miso soup then heads to an empty table. Itachi eats his breakfast then looks up at the clock and sees it''s almost time for class. Itachi throws out his trash and walks down the hallway to the classroom.


    As he approaches the door, Daiki Kuchiki also approaches the door at the same time. Daiki glares at Itachi and Itachi shows no visible reaction on his face. A curious Taro Shihouin who was following Daiki notices this and gives Itachi a smug smile before walking into the classroom with Daiyu Feng and Kenta Omaeda right behind him. "I see... so that''s what happened." Taro thought to himself.


    Itachi enters the classroom and sees Itsuki is already in his seat and goes to sit down next to him.


    "You have a good morning Itachi?" Itsuki asks glumly as Itachi sits down.


    "Nothing spectacular." Itachi notes a hint of despondency in Itsuki''s voice. Before he has a chance to question it, Gengoro Ounabara walks in. The class silences as he clears his throat at the podium.


    "Good morning class! Today will be a long day so I hope you are well rested! We''ll be doing a brief lecture on Soul Society history then go onto the basics of zanjutsu and hakudo in addition to picking your asauchis!"


    Ounabara wastes no time in diving straight into the lecture as the students frantically take notes to keep up. Itachi paid little attention to the lecture as he had already read about it the day before. Instead, his mind trailed off back to his life in the world of the living and his academy days during then and his life following it. He thought about how Sasuke might be doing and if Naruto was successful in changing Sasuke''s perception of the world. Ounabara notices Itachi was staring out the window and not taking notes and asks him a question, disrupting Itachi''s trance.


    "Uchiha Itachi! Tell me the purpose of the Senkaimon!" Ounabara shouts across the classroom mid lecture. Daiki sneers as he anticipates Itachi to answer incorrectly. Itachi regains himself and calmly responds.


    "The Senkaimon is a dimensional gateway that shinigami use to enter and leave Soul Society. In order to pass through it, a jigokucho is needed."


    "An acceptable answer, Uchiha." Ounabara was a bit shocked to hear Itachi''s correct response.


    "Maybe he was paying attention." Ounabara thought to himself before he continued the lecture.


    The classroom was a bit surprised as they stared at Itachi.


    Daiki pulled a long face, not expecting Itachi to be able to answer correctly.


    Itachi spaced out once again as Ounabara continued his lecture.


    --------


    "We will now be going over Zanjutsu, the fighting style in using your zanpakuto!" Ounabara goes into detail on the basic forms and stances used in wielding a zanpakuto.


    "Before your blade becomes a zanpakuto, it is considered an asauchi. An asauchi is the form your zanpakuto takes when it is in its sealed state without a name. Over time as your asauchi develops with your soul, a separate spiritual entity will inhabit the blade and tell you its name. It is from then on it will be called a zanpakuto. For this reason, once you receive your asauchis today, you are expected to carry it around with you everywhere you go in order to imprint your soul onto it."


    Ounabara finishes his lecture and takes the class to the armory. There, the students line up as they wait to receive their asauchi. Itachi is handed his and he looks at his reflection on the blade. Ounabara tells the class to sheath their asauchis.


    "It is forbidden to unsheathe your blade on academy grounds." Ounabara warns the class.


    Ounabara signals the class to follow him and they head towards the zanjutsu training hall. The students are given wooden practice swords and line up in front of Ounabara.


    "I''m going to show you the proper form in swinging your blade. These will only be the absolute basics. Once your asauchi develops into a zanpakuto, from then on you have to hone your skills by yourself using the basics."


    Ounabara picks up a wooden sword and stands in the middle of the zanjutsu hall and gets into a stance.


    "Pay close attention. Notice how my left foot is slightly behind the right with my left heel slightly raised, both feet are parallel, h?ps are straight forward, shoulders are relaxed, and my spine is perpendicular to the floor at all times. And make sure your center of gravity stays centered between your feet."


    Ounabara shifts his sword and explains what he is doing.


    "Keep your left hand in line with the middle of your body even as you attack."


    Ounabara raises the sword above his head while holding it with both hands.


    "When you strike, do it as if you are going straight through your opponent and fully stretch your arm to reach out with your blade."


    Ounabara demonstrates the sword slash slowly then does it once more with a faster speed.


    "Okay! Starting from the left, the first ten students step forward with your swords and get into the stance!"


    Itachi was part of this group and steps forward. He centers himself as he positions his feet and thinks back to similar drills he practiced with the sword during his time in the Anbu Black Ops. The swords were one handed instead of two but the concept was relatively similar. Ounabara walks down the line of students and looks at their feet position. He lightly kicks the feet of those who were too wide apart or too narrow and observes their center of gravity.


    "Relax your shoulders!" He says to a student.


    Ounabara proceeds down the line and sees Itachi''s stance. He makes no comment and walks back up to the center of the room.


    "Now perform the slash I demonstrated and keep doing so until I say to stop!" Ounabara orders.


    Itachi raises the sword above his head and executes the basic forward slash. The sword makes a whipping sword as Itachi performs the technique with no wasted movement. Itachi resets his position and does the slash over and over again.


    "Amazing. Just by watching it a few times, he is able to execute it to such an advanced degree." Ounabara thought to himself before checking the other students. After giving some pointers to the rest of the students he has them step back and the other students in the class have their turn. Daiki stares at Itachi with contempt as he steps forward to do the training drill.


    After the rest of the class finishes the training, Ounabara calls a short break before they do hakuda training. Ounabara leaves the training hall momentarily. Several minutes into the break, Daiki sees this as his opportunity to approach Itachi. He storms towards Itachi who is standing by himself near the back of the hall. Taro notices Daiki heading towards Itachi and watches.


    "Itachi! You are lucky that the teacher saved you that day. But this class allows the students to spar. Let''s see how you escape this time!"


    Itachi looks at Daiki blankly as the rest of the class catches onto the commotion. The two have a staredown until Itsuki walks up to Itachi''s side.


    "Hey don''t you-" Itachi places his hand in front of Itsuki before he finishes. Itsuki looks at Itachi in shock but decides to say nothing more. Daiki sneers at Itachi.


    "Ready to be put in your place now you peasant!"


    A young woman in the corner was also looking at the confrontation with some interest in her eye.


    "Ah, so this is why he was so pissed that day. But if he won, why was he so angry?" Taro smiled as he thought to himself.


    "Did that guy really provoke a noble? Is he out of his mind?" Some students whispered to each other.


    "That Uchiha guy is in trouble." Another student whispers.


    Daiki glares at Itachi before charging at him. He sends a right hook enhanced with his reiatsu towards Itachi''s face.


    "Pathetic." Itachi says to Daiki before dodging away from the fist at the last moment, after which he grabs onto Daiki''s shoulder with his left arm and he flips into the air using Daiki''s shoulder as a springboard. Itachi lands behind Daiki still holding his shoulder and in one fluid motion, uses the force of his momentum to throw Daiki to the ground. Daiki rolls several meters across the training hall before his body skids to a halt.


    Daiki remained laying on the ground in shock of what just happened. His head was spinning and he just b?r?ly remembered Itachi grabbing his shoulder before he blacked out. Daiki shakily gets up from the floor and looks back at Itachi who is standing across the hall.


    "Why is he all the way over there?" He thought to himself still in a daze.


    "Wow, what just happened?" the students were shocked. The fight ended too quickly for some to even see what happened.


    Taro''s eyes were wide as he witnessed the battle. "Daiyu, did you catch his technique?" He asked.


    "It looked similar to the Taketonbo but the execution was different¡­" Daiyu said seriously while looking at Itachi.


    Kenta was also shocked as he looked at itachi. "What was that?" He thought to himself.


    Taro looked at itachi with some trepidation. "Could I also beat Daiki that easily?" He thought to himself.


    During this scuffle, Ounabara had returned as he could hear Daiki''s voice from outside the hall. He witnesses Daiki about to throw a punch at Itachi and sees Itachi counterattack flawlessly with a high level Hakuda technique. Ounabara flash stepped to the center of the hall in the space between Itachi and Daiki.


    "THATS ENOUGH!" Ounabara stares at Daiki. "Kuchiki Daiki! "If you can walk, go to the nurse''s office! I''ll deal with you later."


    "Yes sensei¡­" Daiki leaves the zanjutsu hall with a defeated look. However, before he exits he looks towards a young woman standing with her back to the wall.


    The young woman notices his gaze and looks toward him. She gave him a cold look.


    "Akemi-.." Daiki said.


    "Don''t talk to me. Your actions disgrace the Kuchiki family." Akemi coldly replied.


    Daiki breaks eye contact and sulks away to the nurse''s office.


    "The rest of you! Go to the Hakuda training hall and DO NOT DO ANYTHING until I get there!" Ounabara commanded the rest of the class. Before Itachi has a chance to move Ounabara flash steps over to him and puts a hand on his shoulder.


    "Stay here and wait until the rest of the class leaves. We need to have a talk."

 Chapter 7 - One Sided

    The class quickly cleared out leaving only Itachi and Ounabara in the classroom. Itachi showed some surprise in his eyes before reverting back to his calm state. "Body flicker technique? No, it was different..." Itachi thought to himself before looking at Ounabara.


    Ounabara was also a bit surprised to see Itachi''s calm face. "Why is this kid always so calm?" Ounabara thought before he questioned Itachi.


    "Do you know why I told you to stay here?"


    Itachi looked at him before saying "You are curious about the nature of my technique." Ounabara was once again surprised to hear his response. However, he kept his thoughts aside and continued.


    "Yes, how did you know?"


    "If it was just for the fight, you would have kept the other student here as well. Although I beat him, I kept my reiatsu suppressed and avoided hitting anything vital so he would have recovered after a short moment. You still sent him to the nurse, and kept me back here. It was likely because you wish to inquire where I learned my techniques, as I am not someone of the major households." Itachi responded.


    Ounabara was astonished "What analysis. Just with me stopping him he figured out so much. He remains calm and level headed and coupled with his combat proficiency, it''s as if he has lived through battles his entire life. I read his files. He came from the remote rukongai districts. There''s no chance of him learning much there. Where did he pick up his techniques?" Ounabara thought to himself.


    "Where did you learn that technique?" Ounabara questioned.


    "Someone who was like an older brother figure to me taught me before he passed away." Itachi replied thinking back to his younger days training with Shisui.


    Ounabara was quiet for a moment before he said, "I see, well you certainly have high talent in hakuda techniques. You don''t have to be too pensive. I only stopped you because I was curious about your technique. Your Hakuda skills are definitely impressive. I look forward to seeing your aptitude in the other fields as well." Ounabara smiled before leaving the room with Itachi.


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The class was waiting in the Hakuda training hall. Itsuki was very nervous as he stood in the corner.


    The rest of the class was patiently awaiting the arrival of the instruction. Some were even looking at their new asauchi. A moment later footsteps could be heard as they saw Ounabara and Itachi approaching. Itachi joins the rest of his classmates and Itsuki breathes a sigh of relief that Itachi wasn''t in trouble as Ounabara stands in front of everyone.


    "This next lesson will be in Hakuda. I''m sure you all know how to punch and kick but there is a proper way to do it in addition to a few other forms and techniques. After I demonstrate, pair yourselves up with a sparring partner and practice."


    Ounabara gets into a fighting stance. He explains the importance of balance just like in zanjutsu training earlier then executes a punch and then a kick slowly. Ounabara emphasizes the proper form in doing both actions as he does them again much faster.


    "Okay now that you''ve seen the basics, I''m going to show you some techniques. But before that," Ounabara points to a corner of the room with shelves packed with various sizes of sparring gear. "Put those on." He finishes.


    "Good you''re all geared up. I need a volunteer now." Ounabara scans the whole class with his eyes. A young man raises his hand.


    "Shihouin Taro. Get up here." Ounabara nods before inviting Taro up to the front. Taro makes his way through the students and stands next to Ounabara.


    "I''ll demonstrate to you all proper defensive techniques. In order to do so, it will have to be in a combat situation. Shihouin, I want you to strike at me." Ounabara says. Taro''s eyes light up in excitement.


    "Yes sensei!" Taro takes a quick backstep, surprising the instructor with his footwork.


    "So he''s already accustomed to hoho? As expected of the Shihouin family." Ounabara thinks to himself before he gets into a defensive stance with his arms out and up in front of him. Taro leaps forward again and executes a round kick with his right leg straight towards the side of Ounabaras head. Ounabara shifts his arms higher to block the kick but Taro feints his round kick and takes off the ground with his other leg to kick Ounabara''s open side. Ounabara sees this coming and notices the shift in balance in Taro''s form and leans in. He grabs the ?h?stpiece of Taro''s sparring gear and throws him onto the ground. Taro hits the ground and rolls backwards. He quickly regains his composure and stands back up.


    "Okay that''s enough! Let me explain to you all what I did and how I reacted." Ounabara says to the class as Taro relaxes from his stance. Ounabara continues, "Shihouin initiated an attack with his right foot towards my head. Naturally I respond with both my arms to the left side of my body to block the attack. However, that attack was a feint and he switched his position mid air to attack with his left. Ordinarily you couldn''t block an attack like that since your arms are already in position to block the first kick. An excellent feint on Shihouin''s part. However, because of the difference in battle experience, I noticed the flaw in his feint which was his temporarily unbalanced center of gravity as he switched to kick with his other leg. So I used that opportunity to counterattack. I don''t expect you all to be able to do that yet at your current levels as this is something gained through experiencing many battles." Ounabara finishes his analysis and tells Taro to rejoin the rest of the class.


    "Now I want you all to get into pairs or groups and spar with each other for the remainder of class. Practice the basic punches and kicks and look for your opportunities to block, dodge or counter attack." Ounabara moves to the side of the training hall as the class spreads out looking for sparring partners. Itsuki looks around for Itachi and sees him by himself. He walks towards him but before he has a chance to get his attention, Taro confronts Itachi.


    "Hey Uchiha! I saw how you thrashed Daiki earlier. You know the Shihouin family is known to specialize in Hakuda and can be considered the most proficient in all the major families. I won''t lose to anyone when it comes to close combat." Taro boasts to Itachi.


    "So you wish to spar?" Itachi questions, staring at Taro.


    --------------------------


    Itsuki tries to get closer but a burly man blocks his way.


    "Hey now I won''t let you interrupt Taro''s fun. You''ll have to go through me." Kenta says while looking down at Itsuki.


    "Fine!" Itsuki gets into his fighting stance. Kenta stands there without changing his stance. Itsuki charges at Kenta but Kenta simply extends his arm out and grabs Itsuki''s head. Itsuki tries to break free but is unable to as Kenta lifts him up and throws him onto the ground, knocking the wind out of Itsuki. Itsuki shakily stands up only to see Kenta with his hands crossed across his ?h?st. He continues his attempts to no avail. Kenta counters every one of his moves. Itsuki eventually tires himself out and is no longer able to get up.


    "You won''t be able to beat me so just stay down" Kenta sneers before turning his attention towards Taro''s fight.


    "Damn I''m too weak...I need to train harder!¡­" Itsuki thinks to himself as he sits up. He looks towards Itachi and Taro''s spar.


    ---------------------


    Taro takes a quick step towards Itachi, demonstrating his hoho prowess. Itachi doesn''t react and remains stationary.


    "You''re full of openings!" Taro exclaims as he gets within striking distance of Itachi. Taro aims a sharp punch to Itachi''s ?h?st. Before the punch hits, Itachi quickly sidesteps the strike. Taro''s expression turns to shock at Itachi''s swift movement. Itachi sends a low sweeping kick from the side. Taro, unable to regain his balance on time, stumbles from Itachi''s counter. His face turns ashen at Itachi''s counter. He rolls a few feet as he hits the ground before jumping up again. He turns back towards Itachi who is still standing without a fighting stance. He waits for a few seconds before charging at Itachi once again and sends a round kick with his right foot towards Itachi''s face. Unperturbed by this attack, Itachi steps forward and catches Taro''s leg before the kick reaches full momentum. At the same he uses his right hand to grab Taro''s shihakusho before turning around and flipping Taro over him and slamming him into the ground.


    "He''s so fast!" Taro thought to himself before being lifted and thrown to the ground.


    The faces of Daiyu and Kenta were filled with shock as they watched Taro being defeated with ease.


    ----------------


    For the next 5 minutes, Taro continued to charge at Itachi, with each attempt easily countered by Itachi.


    "This sparring session is over!" Ounabara calls out. "Put your sparring gear back on the racks. Class is dismissed."


    Taro looks back at Itachi and sees he had already taken off his sparring gear and was walking towards the gear racks. Taro takes off his helmet and puts his head down in loss, wide eyed as he realizes he could not land a single hit on Itachi. Daiyu and Kenta walk up to taro.


    "Taro¡­" Daiyu attempted to console Taro but she had no words. Taro sighs.


    "Don''t say anything, I wasn''t even a match.That guy is too freakish. Everything I threw at him he just countered with ease. I don''t think he even tried against me." Taro responded.


    "Hey, just because he beat you at hakuda, doesn''t mean he''s better right? There are still Hoho, Kido, and Zanjutsu techniques. That guy doesn''t look like he belongs to any of the major families. He probably didn''t ever have access to Kido or Hoho Techniques. I am sure you could defeat him if it came to those arts!" Kenta said attempting to console Taro. Taro snaps with noticeable agitation in his voice.


    "Were you not watching that fight?! The way he sidestepped and moved around me...That was Hoho! I''m from the Shihouin family whose previous head, Yoruichi, was known as the flash goddess because of her unrivaled use of Hoho techniques in all of Soul Society! Yet this guy who doesn''t even have noble blood outclassed me so easily!" Taro takes a few breaths and regains his composure.


    "Listen, you two. Thanks for trying to console me but just give me some time alone for the rest of the day." Taro takes off the rest of his gear and walks towards the gear rack, leaving Daiyu and Kenta standing there.


    Akemi glanced at Itachi.


    "So he does have some skill." She thought to herself before turning away.


    Itsuki was shocked at Itachi''s performance and could only stand there watching him as he left the training hall.


    Itachi made his way toward the library. He greets the librarian as he enters and makes his way towards the historical section.


    "What the... it''s that fellow again." The librarian was surprised to see Itachi walk in.


    The librarian was still recalling the scene of Itachi becoming extremely fatigued from flipping through books.


    Itachi continues his way towards the left shelf. He picks up a few books on the noble families of Soul Society and quickly reads through them with his sharingan.


    "He''s doing it again..." The librarian thinks to himself as he peeks over his book to look at Itachi.


    He watches as Itachi flips through the books. After thirty minutes Itachi once again became tired and walked out of the library.


    "Why does he get so tired from reading? If he comes back again, I''ll just ask him." The librarian thought before getting back to reading his own book. Unaware of the librarian''s thoughts, Itachi starts to head over to the dorms.


    ---------------------------------------


    "I''m not as tired as yesterday since I''m not fatigued from travel and the testing. "I should check out the other training areas." Itachi thinks to himself.


    Itachi changes directions and makes his way towards the training fields. He observes some upperclassmen performing kido but is interrupted as he feels someone tap on his shoulder. He turns around and sees it is Itsuki.


    "Itachi. Can you train me?"

 Chapter 8 - One Look

    Itachi looks at Itsuki, his eyes filled with determination and expectancy. Itachi thinks about it for a moment and recalls his talk with Itsuki back in Rukongai on why he wanted to get stronger.


    "Ok I can train you." Itachi replies to Itsuki. Itsuki''s face brightens with excitement.


    "We can start right now." Itachi points to an open area of the training field. The two walk to the center and Itsuki gets into his fighting stance. Itachi looks at Itsuki''s form.


    "Your feet are too wide apart. Your shoulders are too tense. Remember what was told to us in class." Itachi points out. Itsuki nods and fixes his stance.


    "Now attack me whenever you''re ready." Itachi says to Itsuki.


    Itsuki runs at Itachi and winds his arm back to throw a punch. Itsuki throws the punch and Itachi grabs his wrist.


    "You''re leaving yourself wide open and making it obvious what moves you are going to do."


    Itachi lets go of his wrist and Itsuki takes a couple steps back. He goes for Itachi again with a kick but Itachi takes a step back and dodges it.


    "Okay I see the main problem. His execution is passable but he lack the proper body strength and speed even with his reiatsu augmenting it¡­" Itachi thinks to himself while Itsuki tries to land several more blows on Itachi but misses each one. An idea pops into Itachi''s head as he dodges a few more strikes. "If I remember correctly, Might Guy had an unorthodox method of strengthening his body by constantly wearing weights. This might work with Itsuki to get his body much stronger and faster in a short time." Itachi thinks as he catches one of Itsuki''s punches. The two continue sparring for another twenty minutes.


    "Okay that''s enough." Itachi lets go of Itsuki''s wrist.


    "We''re done already?" Itsuki questions.


    "For now. I have another method for you to get stronger much faster. Come with me." Itachi signals Itsuki and Itsuki gives him a confused look before following. They leave the training field and walk across the courtyard to the training hall storage area. They hear noise coming from inside one of the sheds and they go to check it out.


    Inside the shed is a man sorting through various training equipment. He notices Itachi and Itsuki walk up to him and smiles.


    "Can I help you two?"


    "Do you have any weighted clothing we could use?" Itachi questions. The man thinks for a moment then responds.


    "We do have different weighted gear you can use. Give me one second." The man goes to the deepest part of the shed behind some shelves. A minute later he comes out dragging a bag across the floor. He makes it to where Itachi is standing and pants.


    "In these bags are old training equipment the omnikitsudo donated to us years ago. The academy had plans to involve them in the curriculum but they were forgotten about." The man reaches into the bag and pulls out what appears to be ankle weights.


    "If you wish for beginner weights, then these would be best. A lot of these weights were donated by the Omnikitsudo." He pulls out some weights showing them to Itachi and Itsuki.


    Itachi holds them in his hands to test the weight. "These are too light. Are there any pieces of gear with adjustable weight that we can use?" Itachi asked.


    "Hmm. Adjustable weight, huh. There is something that comes to mind. One moment." The receptionist reaches into the bag to pull out some dusty ankle weights.


    "Here, you can try using these. They were a prototype made by Urahara Kisuke about a hundred years ago. The more reiatsu you release into them, the heavier they get. They don''t really get checked out that often since they are a bit difficult to use. Without proper control, they can be a bit tricky. I don''t mind giving a couple pairs of these to you. Just be careful with them."


    Itachi takes the weights from the man. They were very light as they had no reiatsu activating them. Itachi thanks the man and he and Itsuki walk outside the shed.


    "Put these on." Itachi says to Itsuki as he hands him the weights. Itsuki takes the weights and is visibly surprised by how light they are. He wraps them around his ankles. Itachi also puts them on. He pours some reiatsu into the weights and he feels them get heavier. Itachi tries to raise one of his legs but struggles to get his foot more than ten centimeters off the ground. As he places his foot back onto the ground, the concrete below him cracks. Itsuki stares at Itachi wide eyed at what he just saw and looks back at his weights, scared to pour any reiatsu into them. Meanwhile Itachi reduces the reiatsu going to his weights and tries to walk. "I understand now why these were considered hard to use. If you don''t always precisely control the amount going into them, you''ll be unable to move." Itachi looks back at Itsuki.


    "Put just a tiny amount amount of reiatsu that you can control into these and keep it like that." Itachi says to Itsuki. Itsuki looks back down at his weights and focuses just a small amount of reiatsu into them. Immediately he is shocked by how heavy they have become and he tries to take a few steps. Itsuki walks to Itachi slowly.


    "I''m supposed to wear these all day?" Itsuki questions as he looks down at his legs.


    "Wear them all day except for when you sleep. If you feel like they are getting too heavy you can always lower the reiatsu going to the weights. They also strengthen your ability to control your reiatsu and be able to multitask.


    "Ok, what''s next?" Itsuki asked.


    "For now let''s go to the cafeteria and get something to eat. After that just get some rest for the day." Itachi says.


    Itsuki nods in agreement and the two of them head towards the cafeteria.


    -----------------------------


    The next day, Itachi and Itsuki head to class with Itsuki out of breath by the time they made it to the door of the class.


    "You''re letting your reiatsu leak too much into your weights. Lower it again." Itachi tells Itsuki as they walk into class. They take to their seats and watch as the rest of the class fills with students. The instructor walks in and does his morning greetings then proceeds with a short lecture on Soul Society history.


    "Today''s class will focus on Kido and Hoho. Kido is the advanced spells that all Shinigami are able to use. There are two distinct styles of kido that will be taught. The first will be Hado which will focus on destructive spells. The second will be Baukudo which will focus on supporting spells." Ounabara introduces before explaining the differences between hado and bakudo. After the lecture he makes an announcement.


    "First we will be focusing on Kido. By the time you graduate from the academy, you are expected to be able to do Hado 31 without incantation and Bakudo 30. Now class, we will head to the kido training field."


    Ounabara signals the class to get up and they all move to the training field. They arrive to an open area with 10 training dummies lined up. Ounabara stands in front of one as the class stands behind him.


    "The first spell i will show you will be Hado 1: Sho" Ounabara says before point towards a dummy.


    "Hado 1: Sho!" Ounabara yells out as a burst of reiatsu towards the dummy. An invisible force kocks the dummy back. After a few moments the dummy recovers back to its previous state.


    "Next is Bakudo 1: Sai" Ounabara introduces the spell before point a dummy once again.


    "Bakudo 1: Sai!" Ounabara yells while keeping his finger raised towards the dummy. The dummy''s arms are then restrained by an invisible force. A brief moment later, the binding releases and the dummy recovers to its original state.


    "These are the two spells you will be practicing today. You are all part of the advanced class so I expect good things from you. Now get into single file lines in front of the dummies. Every 10 minutes I''ll have you swap places with the person behind you. Begin!"


    The students scramble to line up behind the dummies. Daiki, Akemi, Taro and several others line up in front of the dummies.They raise their arms up, point towards the dummy and shout.


    "Hado 1: Sho!, Bakudo 1: Sai!" Akemi, Daiki, and Taro are able to perform the hado and bakudo with ease. With prior knowledge from their respective families. Basic hado and kido were drilled into them long ago. Akemi''s hado was the strongest, as it sent the dummy back over 5 meters before it recovered. Her Bakudo restrained the dummy arms while making creaking noises.


    The class was not to surprised Akemi''s skill, since she was considered the most talented in the class by her peers.


    Ounabara nods as he watches the students pick the technique quickly. "As expected of the nobles, they already have prior knowledge in basic kido techniques." He guides a few of the students in line by correcting their reiatsu control.


    Itachi was standing in the back silently. He had already activated his sharingan when the teacher performed the techniques. He continued observing the students and picking up the technique. "These techniques are similar to jutsu." He thinks to himself before closing his eyes and deactivating his sharingan.


    10 minutes passes and the next set of students line up in front of the dummy. Itachi, Itsuki, Daiyu, Kenta, and the rest of the students line up in front of the dummies. With the exception of Itachi, the rest of the students raise up their arm and point towards the dummy and shout.


    "Hado 1: Sho!". The noble students are able to perform the technique with no trouble. After a few tries Itsuki is also able to get the hang of the technique as he starts firing it with relative ease.


    Ounabara looks through the students and watches them perform the technique. He nods before looking over to itachi who remains standing. "Hmm, is there something he did not understand?" Ounabara thinks to himself before making his way over to Itachi.


    Itsuki is very happy with his success as he looks over to Itachi. "Why is he just standing there, there''s no way he doesn''t understand this right?" Itsuki thinks confused looking at Itachi standing still.


    Taro is also surprised to see Itachi simply standing there with no expression. "What is he up to?"


    Daiki sneers at Itachi. "So what if he''s good at hakuda? With no experience there''s no way he can best me at Kido techniques!"


    Taro looks at Daiki without saying anything and looks back towards Itachi.


    Ounabara walks up to Itachi to offer some pointers. But before he is able to say anything, Itachi calmly points his finger without raising his arm towards the dummy.


    Hado 1: Sho, Itachi quietly says before a burst of invisible force strikes the dummy and sends it flying over 10 meters before hitting the fence behind it. A few moments later the dummy recovers itself back to its original position.


    The class looks at Itachi with stunned faces. Ounabara was also surprised with Itachi''s technique. However, before they recover they once again hear Itachi''s voice.


    "Bakudo 1: Sai." Itachi points to the dummy and recites the spell. An invisible force is sent towards the dummy as it locks its arms. The force of the restriction was too great for the dummy as the arms snap off the body.


    "Hmm, too much force. I overestimated the required amount. I need to repress and control the flow of the reiatsu more." Itachi thought to himself.


    Taro was also shocked at Itachi''s talent in Kido.


    Akemi was also surprised, her Hado had sent the dummy flying over 5 meters, but Itachi''s had went and slammed into the fence. Not only that, his Bakudo completely snapped off the dummy''s arm. She looked at Itachi with some reservation. His talent was scary.


    A few minutes later the dummy fixes itself once again before going back to its position.


    Ounabara coughed before heading to the front of the class. Ounabara signals the class to once again rotates with the next set of students.


    -----------


    After an hour, the class finishes their last cycle of kido practice and Ounabara calls for a short break. He leaves the training field temporarily and the students talk among themselves. Itsuki approaches Itachi.


    "Hey Itachi that was amazing haha, you really showed those nobles." Itsuki says to Itachi.


    Itachi remains silent and just looks at him with a stoic expression.


    Itsuki smiles awkwardly before changing the subject "Hey next is the Hoho class. Should I keep my weights on?" he asks.


    "It''s up to you to decide what you can and can''t handle." Itachi replies. Itsuki nods as the instructor comes back.


    "Looks like his kido skills are also very strong." Taro sighs before turning away.


    The students continue talking amongst themselves, send occasional glances at Itachi before a voice is heard.


    "Break is over! We are going to the hoho practice field. Let''s go!" Ounabara signals the students and they all follow. They walk through the courtyard then around the back of the academy. They see an open field.


    "Here I''ll show you how to properly use Hoho. Remember Hoho is the ability to incorporate speed and agility in our movements. The greatest expression of this technique will be when you are all able to use the flash step. Watch me carefully as I demonstrate the basic steps.


    Ounabara stands facing the open field in front of him. He takes a single step forward but instead of traveling the distance of a regular step, he traveled several meters forward with great speed.


    "The goal is to gain the most distance in the least amount of steps." Ounabara demonstrates it one more time then stops.


    "Now I''ll show you the flash step." Ounabara says. Itachi once again activates his sharingan to watch Ounabara closely as he performs the technique. Ounabara suddenly disappears from sight and reappears halfway across the field. He vanishes again and appears right back. To most of the students, his movements were too fast for their eyes to follow but Itachi tracked and analyzed each of Ounabara''s movements.


    "To get from his position to the center of the field took him only two steps and back again was also another two steps. He concentrated reiatsu to his legs with such precision to increase his speed much like the body flicker technique but there is a huge emphasis on taking less steps. So that''s how he flashed behind me yesterday." Itachi thinks to himself before deactivating his sharingan.


    "All of you spread out on this field. I''ll be going around watching your performances." Ounabara says before flash stepping to the middle of the field. The rest of the students pan out. Itachi finds an area by himself. With the image of Ounabara''s flash step still clear in his mind Itachi focuses his reiatsu to his feet. For now he stops channeling his reiatsu into the weights and focuses on just his legs. He looks ahead to an empty area in the distance and takes a step forward. Itachi suddenly vanishes, then reappears in the place he was looking at. "Five steps. I can do better." Itachi looks back to where he was originally standing and tries again. Itachi vanishes and reappears. "Three steps this time. I am getting the hang of it. It also helps me control my reiatsu better. I should try flash stepping with the weights on as well". He channels his reiatsu into the weights and begins practicing once again. Itachi was feeling the strain of practice as his control was split between the steps and the weights. He begins to feel the exhaustion as he continues his practice.


    Ounabara walks around the training field looking at each student. He sees Daiki, Daiyu, and Taro performing hoho at an advanced level. "Those three are very close to learning the flash step." Ounabara keeps walking around the field watching the other students stumble and fall and gives them pointers. Out of the corner of his eye he catches a fast movement. He looks to his left and sees Akemi Kuchiki disappear and reappear several meters away. "Oh she already can flash step? Impressive." Ounabara keeps watching the other students and then his eyes open with shock as he sees Itachi flash stepping back and forth in an area with minimal steps. "Amazing, his technique is near flawless. I expected him to be at around Akemi''s level but...this far exceeds her technique. This kind of talent is very rare. And he''s someone with no background or status. He reminds of that Hitsugaya kid from all those years ago."


    Itachi notices Ounabara approaching him and stops his training. He was already panting from the excessive training.


    "Uchiha. Again you surpass the expectations I had set for you." Ounabara compliments Itachi. Itachi nods as he receives the compliment. "Thank you". Ounabara smiles and heads towards the other students.


    Itachi bends over and tries to catch his breath for the next few minutes. He could feel pain in his feet and legs from the added weights.


    A few minutes later Ounabara''s voice was heard.


    "Okay that''s enough for today! You are all dismissed!" Ounabara shouts from the middle of the field and his voice echoes.


    Itachi starts to make his way towards the dorms as Itsuki walks up to Itachi.


    "Hey that was amazing, you already have grasp over the flash step!?" Itsuki questions.


    "No, I am still taking too many steps. The goal of the technique is to use the least amount of steps to move." Itachi replies. Itsuki nods and memorizes Itachi''s explanation.


    "Were you also using the weights during the practice?" Itsuki questions. Itachi nods.


    "Wow! How did you split your control so well between the technique and keeping the weights active?" Itsuki questions.


    Itachi gives Itsuki more pointers before bidding farewell and continuing his way towards the library. Itsuki notices Itachi looked very tired and decided not to pester him about training and bids him farewell and heads towards the training field.


    The librarian was very expectant as he awaited the arrival of the strange book-reading individual.


    "Hmm the classes were over so he should be arriving soon." He thought to himself before looking towards the door.


    Just as he was finishing his thought, the door opened and Itachi walked in. Itachi greets the librarian with a nod as he walks past.


    "He''s here!" The librarian watches itachi go towards his usual corner and pick up his book. He waits for him to start flipping pages like crazy.


    He waits a brief moment and realizes Itachi just reading like a normal person.


    "How come he''s not flipping pages?" He thinks to himself feeling slightly disappointed.


    -----


    Itachi.


    "I am too tired to activate my sharingan. I''ll finish this small book for now." He picks up a book about the academy history and its Alumni. He sits down in a chair and starts reading the book.

 Chapter 9 - Training

    The next day.


    Itachi sits down at his desk waiting for the instructor to arrive. A few minutes later, Ounabara comes in through the door and stands at the podium as he greets the class.


    "Today will be a simple day. We will go over several topics on Soul Society and hollows." Ounabara says to the class.


    For the next thirty minutes, Itachi listens to the lecture but doesn''t take many notes. He had already read these things in the library and it was mostly review for him. Itachi stares out the window and starts to daydream. ''When Sasuke passes away, is it possible I will ever meet him here?'' Itachi shakes the thought then goes over various training scenarios in his head he could do after class.


    Itachi''s daydreaming is interrupted by Ounabara raising his voice.


    "Remember there is no class for the rest of the week! Spend your free time wisely! If you don''t train and study consistently you will fall behind! Class is dismissed."


    Itachi remains seated for another few moments and thinks to himself. ''These classes are starting to become unnecessary now, just like the shinobi academy did. I might as well send a shadow clone in my place next class. It should be good training as well'' Itachi gets up from his desk and is greeted by Itsuki as he walks out the door.


    "Hey Itachi! You want to spar today?" Itsuki asks eagerly.


    "Alright." Itachi replies. After leaving the classroom the two head to the hakuda training hall.


    Itsuki takes off his weights before he readies his stance. He charges at Itachi and they begin their fast paced spar. Itsuki sends a relentless stream of attacks to no avail, as Itachi counters them with ease through various applications of grapples and footwork. They continue their spar for thirty minutes as Itachi continues to give various pointers in regards to Itsuki''s form and strikes. Itachi starts to notice Itsuki''s blows becoming dull and sloppy.


    "This is enough sparring for today. Next session you should keep your weights on to help with your physical strength and reiatsu control. Your end goal should be to be able to fight while maintaining steady reiatsu flow to your legs." Itachi says when Itsuki is unable to get up.


    "Okay." Itsuki nods in agreement and takes a moment to catch his breath.


    "Remember you only just started training. You can only improve from here on out." Itachi said as Itsuki sits down for a moment to relax.


    Itsuki gets back up after his short break and he puts a little bit of reiatsu back into his weights. Itachi and Itsuki spar for another 5 minutes before Itsuki has to take another break again.


    "It is incredibly hard to focus while using these weights. They are easy to maintain while I''m sitting in class or walking through the courtyard but in an actual fight I keep making them overly heavy¡­" Itsuki attempts to sit down to rest again. As Itsuki sat down, he felt his legs throbbing with pain now that he stopped moving. He releases the flow of reiatsu on his weights.


    "Hey Itachi I think I''ll call it a day. I''m about at my limit. I''ll probably go to the library and study a bit on what Ounabara lectured earlier." Itsuki says as he gets back up.


    "That''s fine. I plan on training a bit longer." Itachi remarks. Itsuki waves and heads towards the library. Itachi exits the hakuda hall and sees the kido training field in front of him. He notices multiple paper targets set up and a lone student practicing on them. The student was firing red orbs from his palms, a technique that Itachi had never seen before. Intrigued, Itachi goes closer to watch.


    "Hado 31: Shakkaho!" The student yells. He raises his arm straight in front of him with his palm facing the target. A red orb forms and launches towards the target. Upon impact, it explodes and as the smoke clears the target is incinerated. As the student wipes the sweat from his forehead, he notices Itachi observing him out of the corner of his eye.


    "Hmm, you are?" The young man stops his practice and looks inquisitively at Itachi.


    "Pardon me. I was interested in your hado spell." Itachi replies.


    "Ah, it''s not a problem then, It''s a spell you can learn once you reach the higher classes anyway". The youth smiled and replied.


    "Could you show me how to perform the technique?" Itachi asked.


    "Yeah, I don''t mind showing you. By the way I''m Ukitake Tatsumi. I''m in my 6th year." Tatsumi held out his hand.


    "Uchiha Itachi. 1st year." Itachi shakes Tatsumi''s hand.


    "Ahhh you''re a new student then. Well this technique might be difficult for you to pull off at first so don''t worry if you don''t get it on your first try. First thing to know is the incantation. I''ll show you the hado while using the incantation. It is a lot stronger with the incantation and easier to use but takes longer to perform. Now watch carefully" Tatsumi raises his palm up towards a target as he concentrates his reiatsu.


    "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado 31: Shakkaho!"


    A large amount of reiatsu surges around Tatsumi''s palm. Itachi activates his sharingan at this time to observe it in greater detail. He sees a greater mass of reiatsu than before being condensed into a red sphere. The red sphere is launched at the target and the explosion is greater than before.


    "Phew...that drains a lot out of me." Tatsumi comments. Itachi deactivates his sharingan as Tatsumi turns around to look at him.


    "You think you want to give it a go?" Tatsumi asks. Itachi does not reply but simply steps up next to Tatsumi. He raises his palm at a target.


    "Okay so the incantation goes like-" Tatsumi is cut off as Itachi starts reciting it.


    "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado 31: Shakkaho!" Itachi says as a giant red orb of reiatsu is shot towards the target. As it hits the target, it explodes and Itachi takes a knee to the ground in fatigue. ''I put too much reiatsu into that while also trying to maintain reiatsu flow to my weights. I should deactivate the weights while I learn new kido.'' Itachi thinks to himself.


    Itachi looks back up and sees Tatsumi offering a hand to help him up. Itachi takes his hand and stands back up as he deactivates his weights. ''I should be able to do it much easier without having to focus on the weights now.''


    "I can''t believe you got that on your first try!" Tatsumi compliments. "The first time I tried, it blew up in my face!" Tatsumi laughs awkwardly. Itachi couldn''t help but let out a faint smile upon hearing this.


    ''I''ll try it without incantation now.'' Itachi thinks as he extends his palm out in front again and concentrates.


    "Hado 31: Shakkaho." A smaller red orb shoots out of his palm. Upon hitting the target, a smaller red explosion is formed. Tatsumi looks at Itachi with surprise.


    "Uchiha you''re really talented! You did that without an incantation! It" He exclaims.


    "If it isn''t a bother, would you be able to show me other kido?" Itachi questions. Tatsumi shakes his head and replies.


    "Ah sorry I''m just about at my limit. I''ve been training all day. But the next time we see each other I can show you." Tatsumi replies


    "Thank you for the lesson." Itachi says to Tatsumi. Tatsumi smiles and waves goodbye as he leaves the training field. At this point the sun was already beginning to set and the training field was getting darker. Itachi looks around.


    Itachi starts walking towards the Hoho training field. The field was large with plenty of open space. Itachi looks around.


    ''No one around. It''s a great time to practice''. Itachi thinks before summoning a shadow clone.


    "Lets begin." he says to clone before they distance themselves. He reactivates his weights and the two begin to spar


    Itachi starts to weave a series of hand signs.


    Rat-Tiger-Dog-Ox-Hare-Tiger!


    "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Itachi breathes out a volley of fireballs that fly towards his clone. The clone flash disappears from view and reappears to the left of Itachi send a kick towards his ?h?st. Itachi blocks the strike and uses the force to propel himself backwards. After recovering his balance, he steps forward and disappears, and reappears in front of his clone sending his right fist forward. The clone parries the swing and pivots around to send an elbow strike towards Itachi. Itachi uses his left palm to block the clones elbow before sending a kick towards his side. The clone is unable to block the strike on time and is sent flying back. The clone recovers and stands up once again to face Itachi.


    ''Enough of the warm up. Let''s try this with the sharingan.'' Itachi and his clone activate their sharingan before beginning their spar once again. Fifteen minutes pass as Itachi and his shadow clone continue using their Hoho and Hakuda techniques to fight each other. Eventually they both tired out and the clone disappeared as Itachi falls backwards panting and sprawled out on the ground.


    ''Once I become more proficient at kido, I''ll see if there is a way to incorporate it with ninjutsu.'' Itachi thought to himself as he laid down. Itachi continues to stare at the night sky for several minutes before he decides to get back up and starts heading towards the dormitories. On his way in, he sees an exhausted Itsuki also making his way over to the dorms. He nods in greeting.


    "Hey Itachi. I reviewed some material at the library, then went for a run at the field. How''d your session go?" Itsuki asked.


    "Alright." Itachi replied.


    "Well we have the next few days off before classes again. Can we spar again tomorrow? Itsuki asked.


    Itachi nodded in agreement before bidding his farewell and going to his room.

 Chapter 10 - Training Part 2

    The next day.


    Itachi meets up with Itsuki outside the dorms.


    "Hey Itachi! Ready for some training!" Itsuki asks full of energy.


    Itachi nods and the duo head over to the hakuda training hall. When they arrive, they notice the hall already had a few students practicing their techniques with each other.


    ----------


    "You are wide open!" Taro says as he sends a punch flying to Kenta''s ?h?st, knocking him back a few feet back before he falls.


    "You are too strong..." Kenta grumbles as he begins to stand up.


    Taro smiles and extends his hand to help Kenta up.


    "You are definitely improving, don''t worry" Taro says. "Daiyu, are you ready?" Taro looks towards Daiyu but notices she is looking towards the entrance. Taro turns around to see Itachi and Itsuki walking in. He stares at Itachi with some reservation. He sighs for a moment before turning towards Daiyu.


    "Come on. Let''s continue".


    Daiyu looks at Taro and nods before she readies her stance. They both begin their spar.


    ------


    "Itachi, lets begin!" Itsuki say''s before he positions himself. He looks at Itachi who remains standing in place and lunges towards him. Itachi easily repels all of Itsuki''s attacks while he offers pointers in between strikes.


    "Your reactions are still too slow. This kick also leaves you wide open here." Itachi strikes towards Itsuki sending tumbling back. Itsuki''s stay''s lying on his back taking heavy breaths.


    "Lets keep going" Itachi says.


    Itsuki nods and gets up. He prepares his stance and charges at Itachi once again. The two once again begin to spar.


    --------------


    Taro finally stops sparring with Daiyu and looks towards Itachi.


    "His combat experience is incredible... He doesn''t even have to prepare a stance. He just counters everything." Taro thinks to himself.


    "I''ve decided." Taro declares


    Daiyu and Kenta both look towards Taro in confusion.


    ------------


    Itachi and Itsuki finally finish their spar. Itachi still remains standing with no sign of weariness.


    "That''s enough for today." He looks towards Itsuki. Itsuki agrees and the two of them begin to leave.


    "Itachi wait!" A voice comes from behind. Itachi and Itsuki both turn around to see Taro.


    Itsuki stares doubtfully at Taro who walks over. ''I wonder what he wants?'' He thinks to himself before looking over at Itachi who remains placid.


    "I have a small request. I was wondering if you could have a quick spar with me?" Taro asks Itachi. Itsuki is a bit surprised to see Taro come and ask for a spar. Kenta and Daiyu are also a bit surprised to hear Taro''s request. Itachi nods before heading towards the center of the room. Taro''s eyes gleam with excitement as he heads over to face Itachi.


    "Thank you for agreeing." Taro smiles before he readies his stance. He looks at Itachi who once again remains standing passively. ''That same position again...'' He charges over towards Itachi with his fist. Itachi sees the fist coming and easily blocks it with his palm before sending a kick towards his ?h?st. Taro focuses his reiatsu towards his feet and flashes away from Itachi. He gathers his bearings and flashes once again towards Itachi, sending a flurry of punches. Taro continues using his flash step and other techniques, trying to gain the upper hand as he slowly begins exhausting himself. As they continue to spar, Taro notices that Itachi hadn''t moved from his original spot. ''He remained standing in the same spot while countering all my strikes...'' Taro''s widens his eyes as he thinks to himself before moving back. "Itachi please try harder, I wish to see your true skill!" Taro requests solemnly.


    Itachi stays quiet for a moment before replying.


    "As you wish."


    Taro readies himself while setting his entire concentration into the final bout. He stares at Itachi, however, just as he is about to move, Itachi appears in front him sending a kick towards his ?h?st.


    ''Too fast!'' Taro thinks to himself before he is sent flying towards the wall.


    Kenta and Daiyu both rush trying to grab Taro before he hits the wall. They don''t have enough time to react as they see Taro about to hit the wall headfirst. However just as he is about to the wall, Itachi flashes next to Taro, grabbing his shihakusho and stopping him from hitting the wall. He sets him down and begins heading towards Itsuki.


    "Thank you for the spar!" Taro gets up and thanks Itachi wholeheartedly.


    Itachi turns around and nods before they leave the hall.


    -


    "Taro are you alright!" Kenta and Daiyu rush over in a worried tone.


    "Yeah, I wasn''t even a match. It just shows you there are hidden talents everywhere. The Shihouin are supposed to excel in close combat and speed, but look how easily he was able to deal with me. I thought he already showed his potential last time, but it looks like we''ve b?r?ly begun to see it. I can continue to improve by fighting against someone like him. This spar showed me many flaws in my techniques." Taro says while standing up. He begins to head towards the exit.


    Kenta and Daiyu were both surprised to hear such a high evaluation from Taro. As much as they refused to believe it, they knew he was right.


    "We need to continue to train!" Taro laughs as the group exits.


    -------------------------


    The next three days were spent with Itsuki and Itachi training together. Itachi also ran into Taro and sparred with him. After three days, it was time for Itachi to go to class. Itachi makes a hand seal and a puff of smoke appears in front of him. The smoke clears and an exact copy of Itachi is standing in front of him. Itachi nods to the shadow clone and the shadow clone makes its way towards class. He could already feel the fatigue from summoning the clone as it took up half of his reiryoku to create it. ''Today will have to be a light day.'' Itachi decides that he would leave his weights in his room to lesson the strain on his spiritual pressure and he heads towards the kido training area.


    Around 30 minutes later, Itachi leaves the building and heads towards the kido field.


    Itachi arrives and sees no one around. He figures it is still a bit early and starts to set up paper targets on the poles. Itachi does a few minutes of shooting the targets with Hado 1: Sho.


    "Uchiha! It''s nice to see you again!" A familiar voice is heard calling out to Itachi. Itachi turns around to see Tatsumi.


    "It certainly has Ukitake." Itachi replies as Tatsumi walks up to him.


    "No need to be so formal with me. Just call me Tatsumi." Tatsumi pats Itachi on the back. "Right Itachi?"


    Itachi lets out a slight smile. "Very well then, Tatsumi."


    "I thought freshman had to go to class today? What''s wrong? Does class bore you so much that you''re ditching?" Tatsumi says jokingly.


    "I''m not ditching." Itachi replies.


    "Okay so last time we talked, I taught you hado so this time around I''ll teach you bakudo. Which ones have you been taught already?" Tatsumi questions.


    "Only bakudo 1 so far."


    "Alright how about I teach you Bakudo 4: Hainawa for a start."


    Itachi nods and Tatsumi faces one of the targets. He raises one of his hands up in the air.


    "Bakudo 4: Hainawa!" Tatsumi releases a yellow rope of reiatsu from his hand and it ensnares the pole holding up the dummy as Itachi watches intently with his sharingan activated. Tatsumi releases the rope from the pole and faces Itachi again as Itachi''s sharingan deactivates.


    "Okay. So the way I did it is-" Tatsumi stops talking as he sees Itachi raise his hand in the air.


    "Bakudo 4: Hainawa." Itachi creates a yellow rope from his hand that extends towards the pole and wraps tightly around it. He then releases the rope and then faces towards Tatsumi.


    "Ready for the next one." Itachi says to Tatsumi who has a surprised look on his face. Tatsumi regains his composure shortly and replies.


    "Well I guess I should have expected you to get it on your first try. Okay I''ll teach you a harder one this time." Tatsumi faces towards the target again as Itachi reactivates his sharingan. Tatsumi raises his hand out with his index finger pointed. He draws a triangle in the air.


    "Bakudo 30: Shitotso Sansen!" The triangle Tatsumi drew in the air materializes and shoots towards the target. It expands and pierces through the paper target in three different points, ripping it off the pole and pegging it to the fence behind it. Tatsumi releases the binding and the target falls to the ground. Itachi deactivates his sharingan as Tatsumi turns back around.


    "Just go for it." Tatsumi says, already expecting Itachi to be able to perform the bakudo. Itachi steps up and raises his hand with his index finger extended and draws a triangle in the air.


    "Bakudo 30: Shitotso Sansen!" The triangle materializes and pierces through the target, sending it to the fence. Itachi releases the bakudo and looks back at Tatsumi''s stunned face.


    "You really are one to leave people speechless. How do you learn so quickly?!." Tatsumi exclaims. Itachi remains silent and they both continue practicing their kido techniques.


    "Is it possible to use multiple kido''s at once?" Itachi asks.


    "Yes, I heard it was possible. Some advanced practitioners can use double incantations to cast two kido spells at once. Of course, if you can''t cast them at the same time, just cast them back to back." Tatsumi explained.


    ''So it''s possible, then if I were to combine it¡­.'' Itachi thinks to himself.

 Chapter 11 - Training Part 3

    -------


    Itachi''s Clone''s Perspective


    Itachi listens to Ounabara''s lecture on hollows but starts to drift off as he has already read about it previously. Itachi couldn''t help but think about his previous training with Tatsumi and realizes he hasn''t had a mentor figure in his life since Shisui. Itachi''s thoughts are cut off as Ounabara raises his voice for an announcement.


    "That concludes the lecture for today. I now have an announcement regarding two important events that will be conducted later this year. The first one is a field exercise. You will be grouped and deployed to the human world while the sixth years lead you. The barrier corps will set up multiple areas where your groups will fight practice hollows. I''ll explain more in detail when we get closer to the actual date. Also there will be a tournament held before your final exams but I don''t have the exact details on that yet as this is the first time the academy is holding a tournament like this. I''ll provide you this information after your field exercise. For now we will continue Zanjutsu and Hakuda classes!" Ounabara finishes his announcement as the class starts to exit the lecture hall to go to the Zanjutsu hall.


    --------------


    Real Itachi


    Itachi and Tatsumi finish their kido training. The two rest for a bit before Tatsumi makes a suggestion.


    "Hey your kido talent is amazing. But how about a quick spar as well? There is something important coming up soon. I have to practice as much as possible." Tatsumi asks Itachi.


    Itachi nods and faces Tatsumi. Tatsumi readies his stance and signals for the spar to begin. They both rush forward sending attacks.The two of them appear equally matched, swapping blows with each other with neither party able to land a decisive one. The spar continues for a few minutes with Tatsumi stunned once again at Itachi, who despite being just a first year, is able to keep up with him who was already in his sixth year.


    Thirty minutes pass and the two of them are still going even blow for blow. Itachi starts to tire out as he is not used to the toll his body is taking with half of its reiryoku in a clone. Itachi notices his stamina wavering and his movements slowing down and decides to wrap up with sparring. Itachi steps back and signals the stop of the sparring session.


    "Alright let''s call it here for today." Itachi says while panting.


    "Phew...Itachi there aren''t a lot of sixth years that can push me that far in sparring." Tatsumi says as he wipes the sweat off his forehead.


    "I''m nowhere near your level yet Tatsumi." Itachi says humbly as he takes a seat on the floor to catch his breath. ''Having half of my reiryoku spent is more draining than having half my chakra was when I was a shinobi...'' Itachi thinks while catching his breath.


    "Well Itachi I think that is enough training for today! I plan on going back to my dorm and studying for a test that is coming up. I''ll see you around." Tatsumi waves goodbye and walks off towards the dorms. Itachi continues resting for a few more minutes while digesting the new techniques he learned today. A thought stays lingering in Itachi''s mind as he sits in the training area by himself. ''Combining two kido techniques¡­'''' Itachi stays on the ground thinking about it for a few more minutes before getting back up. ''This isn''t something that can rushed. I should see if the library holds any more books about Kido techniques'' Just as he was going to head towards the library, Itachi felt his stomach grumble. ''My reiryoku is running low. I should get something to eat first.'' Itachi instead walks to the cafeteria. He quickly eats his favorite onigiri meal before making his way to the library.


    -----


    Itachi''s Clone


    Ounabara goes over the basics again and a few other techniques such as disarming and parrying. Once he finishes his explanation, he lets the students pick their partners and begin their practice.


    Itachi and Itsuki wield their wooden swords and start their sparring session. Itachi still easily overwhelms Itsuki. Each of Itsuki''s strikes is dodged by a hair as Itachi weaves between slashes then disarms Itsuki with his own sword. The class finishes their spar with one another and returns the swords.


    "Wow! Itachi you''re really good at Zanjutsu as well." Itsuki comments while getting up.


    "No. These are only the basics from class. With the way you are fighting, you are simply flailing your sword around. It leaves you with far too many openings." Itachi says as he offers pointers to Itsuki before putting the sword away. Itsuki nods at Itachi''s suggestions before putting away his sword.


    "We are going to the Hakuda hall next!." Ounabara says before taking the class towards the Hakuda hall.


    Ounabara does a demonstration for the class on defensive stances and counterattacks.


    "Alright pick your partners again. I will come around to see your form and technique."


    Itsuki gets into his fighting stance as Itachi stands prepared to block his attacks. Itsuki bombards Itachi with a multitude of fast strikes and Itachi notes that Itsuki''s speed and power has increased dramatically since they first started training with weights the previous week. Itachi decides to go on the offensive and knocks Itsuki to the ground. Itsuki gets back up and switches to a defensive stance to try to take Itachi''s blows but each time, Itachi finds an opening and knocks Itsuki back down.


    As Ounabara walks around the class pointing and correcting the students as they spar he walks to Itachi to see him standing upright while Itsuki is on the ground catching his breath. He notices Itachi giving pointers to Itsuki. He listens to the Itachi''s suggestions and nods his head in approval. He moves along to the rest of the students and gives them pointers.


    "Alright that''s enough for today. Keep studying and training hard! You are dismissed." Ounabara says before he exits the room. Itachi and Itsuki put away their sparring gear and leave the training hall.


    "What will you be doing for the rest of the day?" Itsuki asks Itachi as they walk towards the dorm.


    "I''m going back to my room for a bit." Itachi replies.


    "Okay! I''ll continue my training. I''ll see you later!" Itsuki says before taking off.


    Itachi walks up the stairs up to his dorm room. He enters his room and closes the door behind him. As the door shuts, he vanishes into a puff of smoke.


    After finishing his meal, Itachi starts heading towards the library. He nods at the librarian and walks to the shelves that contained the books on Kido spells. He sits at a table and begins reading the book. As he is reading, he feels a surge of information and mental fatigue enter his mind. ''So this is what we did in class today. And there is a field practice exercise coming up followed by a tournament. I should alter my training regimen.'' Itachi thinks to himself before going back to his book.


    As Itachi read through the book several more ideas and combinations appeared in his head. ''There are a lot of applications for the bakudo spells. Hainawa can be used even in offensive ways. I could try to thin it out and use it like wire string for a tighter and deadlier hold...I could also combine it with Tsuzuri Raiden or keep them in place while I do a full incantation Shakkaho...It could also be used to hold them still for Shitotso Sansen to garuntee landing¡­'' Itachi ponders on various kido combinations as he reads through the book. Itachi finally finishes reading the books, and leaves the building.


    He enters his room and lays down. ''I should begin my new training regimen soon'' Itachi thinks to himself before closing his eyes and falling asleep.


    -----


    For the next 6 months, Itachi followed his improved training regime. On class days, he would send his shadow clone in his place to learn any new class material that was taught, While sending his real body to the kido training field to train with Tatsumi. Itachi''s body adapted to constantly being at half strength, allowing for more precise control of using reiatsu in battle as he sparred with Tatsumi each day while learning new kido spells from him. On his days off, Itachi would spar with Itsuki and help him improve. From time to time, Taro would challenge Itachi and Itachi would accept, completely dominating Taro but noting his great improvements from each bout.

 Chapter 12 - The Field Exam Begins

    Itachi wakes up and gets ready. He makes sure to have his asauchi be his side before leaving the dormitory building.


    ''It''s already been six months. The field examination begins today'' Itachi thought to himself before making his way over to the classes. He sees Itsuki by the entrance and greets him.


    "Hey Itachi, are you ready?" Itsuki asked a bit nervously.


    "We have been preparing for six months. It should be fine" Itachi replied.


    "Yeah, it''s just this is the first major test. I heard a good result can get you good remarks towards your graduation." Itsuki replied.


    Itachi remained silent and the duo walked into the class. The class was filled with the first students. The day of the field exam was very important so many of the advanced class students arrived early discussing the nature of the test with each other.


    A few minutes later, Ounabara arrived in tow with 6 sixth year students and a shinigami. Itachi looks towards Tatsumi who was one of the the sixth years leading that would lead the first years. He wasn''t surprised to see Tatsumi as he had spoken with him about the exam during their training sessions.


    "Everybody, settle down!" Ounabara said with a stern voice.


    The commotion settled, and the class was fully silent.


    "I hope you are all ready for the field trip today. I will be ?ssigning you groups, and each of you will be led by a sixth year. You are to listen to him and follow their instructions properly." Ounabara said.


    "The first group will be Daiyu Feng, Kanzaki Kyoraku, and lastly, Uchiha Itachi!. You three will be led by Ukitake Tatsumi." Ounabara announced. Ounabara proceeded to tell the other group names and introduce their leaders.


    "Alright now that you all have your groups, meet with your group leaders.


    "Nice to meet you all. You can all just call me Tatsumi. We''ll wait here for further instruction before we deploy." Tatsumi looks around and sees Ounabara talking with the sixth year instructors about the exercise. He looks back at Itachi and makes small talk with him while they wait.


    "This should be easy for you Itachi." Tatsumi says to Itachi.


    "You''re overestimating my abilities." Itachi replies humbly. Tatsumi laughs in response to this as he had personally been training with Itachi and knows how talented he is. The rest of the group also introduced themselves. Daiyu was already familiar with Itachi due to Taro''s sparring sessions. Kanzaki introduces himself to Daiyu and Itachi.


    The conversations in the classroom are broken by Ounabara''s voice.


    "During this field exercise, you will be deployed with one other group to a section of the human world sealed off by the barrier corps. There will be practice hollows there that the sixth years will instruct you on how to defeat. You are to listen to their instructions as if they were your instructor!" Ounabara announces to the class. During the announcement, the shinigami goes to each of the group leaders and hands each of them a hell bu??erfly. After Ounabara''s instructions, the groups go outside to the courtyard. Tatsumi uses his hell bu??erfly to open a senkaimon. Their group enters the senkaimon and soon find themselves in the world of the living.


    As Itachi takes his first steps in the world of the living, he is shocked by the architecture. He was expecting it to look similar to the villages in the shinobi world but it looked completely different. He spent a few moments taking in the surroundings. He regains his composure as Tatsumi gives his orders to the group.


    "Okay so our mission here is to find the several practice hollows scattered within this barrier and defeat them. In order to do so, you will have to use teamwork. I recommend you-" Tatsumi is cut off as Itachi points out a practice hollow walking down the road about fifty meters away. Before Tatsumi has the chance to tell the group what to do, Daiyu rushes towards the hollow.


    "Wait! You guys need to work as a team for this!" Tatsumi says as his words fall on deaf ears. Itachi looks to Kanzaki who looks back at Itachi and shrugs his shoulders. Itachi signals Kanzaki to follow him and chases after Daiyu.


    ''I''m going to prove that I''m strong enough to keep up with Taro!'' Daiyu thinks to herself eagerly as she runs towards the practice hollow. Itachi quickly catches up to Daiyu and stands in front of her.


    Daiyu and the hollow fight each other but Daiyu appears to have the upper hand. Her speed was more than enough to dodge its attacks and after several minutes of striking it, she finally takes it down. Daiyu catches her breath as she looks over the body of the destroyed practice hollow. Tatsumi flash steps to his group.


    "Good job is what I would ordinarily say but...THIS IS A TEAM EXERCISE!" Tatsumi says as he glares at Daiyu. Daiyu looks back at Tatsumi apologetically and Tatsumi regains his composure as he clears his throat.


    "You guys lucked out. That was one of the weaker practice hollows. If that had been a stronger one, fighting it one on one would have led to someone getting hurt." Tatsumi says to the group.


    "This time, I want you all to try to find a practice hollow through sensing its reiatsu. In order to do so, you must-" Tatsumi is cut off by Itachi.


    "There is one about forty two meters to the left of us behind a building." Itachi comments.


    "Okay good we know where the next one is. Now remember, TEAMWORK." Tatsumi orders.


    Itachi looks to the group.


    "If everyone doesn''t mind then I have a plan." Itachi says. Tatsumi looks at Itachi and nods. Daiyu also reluctantly agrees to listen as Kanzaki huddles in to listen to what Itachi has to say. Tatsumi listens to Itachi''s plan and gives a nod of approval. The three of them go towards the hollow''s location as Tatsumi tails behind them.


    Itachi lands behind the hollow, making a sound as he touches the ground to attract the hollow''s attention. The hollow turns around and sees Itachi by himself.


    "Bakudo 4: Hainawa." Itachi launches a yellow rope towards the hollow as it is swinging its arms and cuffs it by the wrists. Then from the side, Kanzaki appears and quickly slashes the hollow''s ankles with his asauchi, bringing it down to its knees. Daiyu appears above the hollow and lands a finishing blow through the hollow''s mask. The practice hollow falls to the ground and stops moving. Clapping could be heard from the distance as Tatsumi walks towards the group.


    "A great plan with beautiful execution! That is the teamwork I am looking for!" Tatsumi compliments. As Tatsumi was about to give his next set of instructions for the group, a loud roar could be heard in the distance. Itachi recognizes it as the roar of a hollow and looks towards the area where it came from. A hell bu??erfly could be seen flying towards Tatsumi. Tatsumi extends his finger and when the bu??erfly lands on his finger, his face turns grim.


    "You three stay here. I need to check this out." Tatsumi says as he flash steps away towards the location where the roar was heard.


    Itachi and the group wait silently for a few moments. Roars can be heard from the distance followed by small explosions. Itachi tries to feel the reiatsu of Tatsumi but as he does so, he senses the overwhelming reiatsu of something sinister. During this time, Daiyu was also sensing reiatsu and could detect Taro''s. Itachi could see the panic on Daiyu''s face.


    "We need to go over there now." Itachi says as he looks back at Kanzaki who is relatively calm despite the situation. Daiyu nods in agreement and the three of them run towards the commotion together.


    Upon arriving, Itachi sees a large hollow fighting members of the barrier corps. Daiyu notices Taro with his group in the corner shaken up as another large hollow approaches them. Daiyu flashes towards Taro with Kanzaki following her. Itachi focuses his attention on the other hollow fighting the barrier corps and he activates his sharingan.


    ''Something is wrong with these hollows...they should not be this strong¡­'' Itachi''s thoughts are distracted when in the corner of his eye he sees two faint souls hidden from sight to normal eyes and suppressing their reiatsu. As Itachi starts to focus on them, he hears a faint voice call his name.


    "I-Itachi..."


    Itachi turns around and at the corner of a building, his eyes see the vanishing spiritual pressure of Tatsumi. Itachi flash steps to Tatsumi and his normally stoic demeanor turns into shock as he kneels down and sees his injuries. In a raspy voice, Tatsumi speaks to Itachi.


    "My dying wish Itachi...keep moving forward as a shinigami. I realized after months of sparring with you that you have long since surpassed me. I taught you everything I know and it was b?r?ly enough for someone of your talent....this is the end of the road for me." Tatsumi''s hand slowly falls from Itachi''s shoulder as he loses strength.


    "See you friend...I leave the rest to you¡­" Tatsumi''s body goes limp as Itachi tears up. This was an all too familiar moment for him as he remembers his last moments with Shisui.


    -----


    "Take it as a gift, my dying wish." Shisui says with a smile on his face to Itachi who had a look of concern to his friend who just gave him his remaining sharingan.


    "What''s with that look of yours? Even like this I can still see your face easily, you know." Shisui places his hand on Itachi''s shoulder.


    "A worried expression just doesn''t look good on you. You must always remain calm, my friend. That is what Uchiha Itachi is. I''m positive you can do this. So don''t worry it''ll be fine." Shisui reassures Itachi. Itachi stares at his friend wide eyed then closes his eyes as he looks down in remorse.


    "I will carry on your will to the Uchiha¡­" Itachi declares.


    "From now on, you may be forced to walk down a long and dark path, one that is filled with pain and suffering. I have to apologize...that I can''t be with you through it all. Still. I hope you don''t falter from your path. And keep moving forward as a leaf ninja. I believe in you."


    Itachi couldn''t help but clench his teeth in anguish upon hearing this as Shisui continued talking.


    "Whew...Thank you...For everything. I guess this is the end of the road for me. But this will pave a new way for you¡­ And give you new power." Shisui pauses for a brief moment as somber silence fills the air before continuing.


    "Well. Itachi...Now, the time has come... Make a new way for yourself with your own hands. You can do it¡­ I know you can¡­"


    "See you friend...I leave the rest to you¡­" The voices of both Shisui and Tatsumi merge as Itachi closes his eyes and wipes his face with his arm. As he opens his eyes again, the standard three tomoe pattern of his sharingan is replaced with three spiraling curves. Itachi stands back up looking at the lifeless body of Tatsumi.


    "Rest in peace, Tatsumi." Itachi stands up and turns around, looking at the hollow attacking the barrier corps.


    "Shisui...this is my path as a shinigami." Itachi says to himself as he flash steps towards the hollow.

 Chapter 13 - Unfortunate Circumstances

    Itachi recognizes a familiar sensation in his eyes. ''Mangekyou¡­ I awakened it once again.'' He approaches the hollow and sees it about to attack one of the injured barrier corpsmen. Itachi reacts swiftly and flash steps in to grab the man then flash steps back out. The hollow follows Itachi''s movements and runs towards Itachi. Seeing this, Itachi puts the man down.


    "Bakudo 4: Hainawa." Itachi releases a yellow rope and entangles the hollow''s legs, causing it to fall. Using this opportunity, Itachi grabs the man and takes him to a safer spot. Itachi looks back at the hollow which was tearing off the rope. ''It''s best I fight this without my Mangekyou abilities'' Itachi''s Mangekyou sharingan reverts back to its standard three tomoe pattern and Itachi rushes back in towards the hollow.


    The hollow reacts to Itachi''s movement and jumps towards Itachi while throwing a punch. Itachi waits and dodges it at the last second. ''This hollow moves way too fast for a regular hollow. They shouldn''t be this strong¡­'' Itachi notes as he gains distance from it. In the corner of his eye, Itachi catches a glimpse of something. He turns his head and sees the blurry reiatsu of two human figures who were concealing themselves. ''Who are they?'' Itachi questions before the hollow starts to charge at him, shifting his attention.


    "Bakudo 4: Hainawa." Itachi releases his bakudo spell but unlike the normal rope, it comes out as thin as piano wire. The wire wraps tightly around the hollow, slightly digging into its skin but not enough to cut through all the way. Itachi moves the wire to his mouth and casts hand seals.


    Snake -> Rabbit -> Dragon -> Tiger


    "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu." The reiatsu wire rope in Itachi''s mouth ignites and spreads to the wire wrapping around the hollow. The flames burn through the hollow''s thick skin and it lets out a loud roar as it burns. The hollow becomes infuriated and breaks out of the wire, injuring itself more in the process as the wire digs into its skin before snapping. The enraged hollow flails its arms wildly as it is engulfed in flames before crashing into a nearby building. Itachi runs towards the building to inspect the damage done to the hollow. Upon arriving at the hole it made, he sees the hollow had severe burn marks but no mortal damage. The hollow, who was no longer on fire, sees Itachi and leaps towards him. Itachi reacts quickly and jumps out of the way in time. As a result, the hollow punches the ground, creating a huge crater and sending out a shockwave that causes the building to collapse.


    -------


    Daiyu and Kanzaki hear a huge crash behind them as they make their way to Taro''s group. Taro and his squadmates were paralyzed by fear as the hollow displayed its killing intent to them.


    ''I can''t let Taro get hurt!'' Daiyu rushes in anxiously to fight the hollow as Kanzaki follows.


    "Hado 4: Byakurai!" Daiyu shoots a lightning blast from her fingertips, hitting the hollow''s back. The hollow turns around unscathed and sees Daiyu and Kanzaki heading towards it. Kanzaki and Daiyu split positions as they attempted to attack the hollow from separate sides.


    Kanzaki goes for the attack first, unsheathing his blade and aiming for the hollow''s ankles to cut it down. As Kanzaki''s asauchi makes contact with the hollow''s skin, it makes a small cut no deeper than a centimeter before the hollow grabs Kanzaki. During this time, Daiyu jumps at the hollow from the other side to try to get its mask but the hollow reacts and swats her out of the air.


    Daiyu heard her entire body crack as the hollow made contact with her. She goes flying into a nearby building, creating a huge hole in the process. As she lays in the hole, she tries to look up back towards the hollow but coughs up blood as she passes out.


    Meanwhile the hollow was still holding Kanzaki with a crushing grip. Kanzaki tried to struggle out of it but the hollow''s strength was too much as his ribs started to break under the pressure. Kanzaki let out a yell in pain before he vomited a large amount of blood. Kanzaki passes out from the pain and the hollow opens its mouth as it leans in to eat Kanzaki.


    ------


    ''Why does this hollow have this level of strength and durability¡­'' Itachi questions before he distances himself further away from the hollow.


    "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado 31: Shakkaho!" Itachi recites a full incantation. During this time, the hollow notices Itachi''s presence and rushes towards him. Just as the hollow is about to strike Itachi, Itachi casts Shakkaho at point blank range. A huge explosion of red energy results from the clash. Itachi jumps out from the smoke. The smoke clears and Itachi sees the hollow''s mask was cracked and chunks of the hollow''s arm were missing from the explosion. ''So that wasn''t enough.''


    The hollow suddenly moves with a great burst of speed. Itachi tracks it with his sharingan, surprised it is moving even faster than before. Itachi quickly retaliates as the hollow winds up a punch.


    "Bakudo 8: Seki." Itachi creates a round shield of energy in front of him. The hollow''s punch hits it but upon contact, the hollow is blown back and staggers trying to regain its balance.


    "Bakudo 4: Hainawa." Itachi wraps the rope around the hollow while it is off balance.


    "Hado 11: Tsuzuri Raiden." Holding the rope with one hand, Itachi sends a surge of electricity through it, paralyzing the hollow as it falls backwards on the ground. Itachi sees his chance to strike and jumps into the air. He draws his asauchi and jumps down onto the hollow''s face, piercing straight through its mask and killing it. The hollow''s body slowly dissipates as Itachi sheathes his blade again. He takes a deep breath and turns around to see Daiyu and Kanzaki both unconscious and the other hollow heading towards Taro''s group. Itachi checks to make sure Daiyu and Kanzaki are fine before picking them up and rushing towards Taro''s group. ''A few broken bones but nothing major. I''ll place them away from the danger but still within my immediate protection range''. Itachi thinks before he looks back at the other hollow to see it had already been killed.


    ---------------------


    "Interesting." A figure lurked in the distance on top of a building and, He seemed to almost blend into his surroundings.


    "Those eyes are indeed something that I have never seen before...but apart from those eyes, that student was able to kill a hollow that I created that would give even seated officers some difficulty¡­Gin let''s check out this strange eyed individual." Aizen signals Gin to follow him and the two of them jump down from the building they were standing on.


    ---------


    ''Damn it!'' Taro looks up at the huge hollow in front of him that was walking towards him. It has already knocked Daiyu and Kanzaki out of the way as it focused its killing intent on Taro who was paralyzed with fear. The hollow reaches its hand towards Taro to grab him but is interrupted as its arm is cut into multiple pieces and a man with glasses stands in front of Taro.


    "Shoot to kill, Shinso!" Out of nowhere, a long blade extends rapidly towards the hollow''s head and decapitates it. The hollow doesn''t even have time to realize what happened as its body starts to disintegrate back into spiritual energy.


    Taro sat on the ground dumbfounded as he stared at two figures in front of him wearing Gotei 13 Captain robes with the numbers "6" and "3" on them.


    Aizen turns around and extends a helping hand towards Taro as Gin helps Taro''s other two squadmates up. Itachi arrives at the scene with an unconscious Daiyu and Kanzaki on his shoulders.


    ----------


    Itachi arrives at Taro''s location and see''s the two shinigami standing beside the group. ''These two...'' Itachi narrows his eyes as he thinks about the two figures he saw on top of the roof.


    ''Their reiatsu signature is very similar...and that haori...they are both captains. Why were these captains just watching during the fight?''


    "I am Aizen, Sosuke. Captain of the 5th Division."

 Chapter 14 - Aftermath

    "Uchiha, Itachi. Thank you for saving us." Itachi greets Aizen and Gin.


    "With your skill, I am sure that you wouldn''t have required our ?ssistance." Aizen replies to Itachi. Itachi analyzes Aizen and Gin with his sharingan still active and thinks back to the hollow attacks.


    "Captain Aizen and Captain Gin. I''m curious as to why they would send two captain class shinigami to deal with a hollow attack." Itachi asks as he looks at the captains. Gin maintains his sly expression as Aizen simply smiles before answering.


    "Actually, It was a coincidence that we were both in the area. It was for part of an investigation that was ordered for us specifically to do but I can''t go into heavy details on that which I''m sure you understand." Aizen replies calmly.


    ''No that can''t be it...they were just standing there watching the hollows kill us. Captain Aizen is definitely lying. These two are definitely harboring ill intentions. It is illogical for two captain class warriors to coincidently be in this area. This was meant to be a training exercise, that is monitored by the barrier corp and the academy personnel, So the chances of the hollows appearing are already nil. Even if they are here by coincidence, it does not explain why they chose not to act when Tatsumi died. No matter what kind of realistic training it is, there should be no cause for death. With their strength they should have been able to save him with ease. Between the hollows attacking and these two captains showing up "coincidently," it would only make sense that there is some relation between the hollow attack and them. Captain Aizen...he is dangerous.'' Itachi thinks as he stares directly into Aizen''s eyes. Aizen stares back into Itachi''s eyes intrigued by the unique pattern. At this moment, Itachi puts Aizen under a subtle time activated genjutsu. Aizen notices Itachi staring at him for an unusually long time.


    "Are you alright?" Aizen walks up expressing his concern.


    Itachi nods and thanks him for his concern. "I''m fine...the fatigue is catching up with me is all." Itachi reverts his sharingan back.


    ''Oh so his eyes aren''t always like that? I wonder what secrets those eyes hold.'' Aizen ponders before speaking to Itachi again.


    "Of course, these hollows are not something students can normally deal with. I''m not an official exam proctor but we will conclude the field exam here given the current circumstances. Let us return to the academy". Aizen says before opening a senkaimon. Aizen and Gin pick up the unconscious bodies of Daiyu and Kanzaki before leading the class back through it.


    "By the way, your eyes are very interesting. I have never seen anyone with such eyes in soul society" Aizen asks nonchalantly.


    Itachi pauses for a moment to think about a proper answer as he would need to disclose enough information for Aizen to be satisfied but not reveal his actual power.


    "My eyes are part of what is called a bloodline limit. They let me see fast moving objects in battle much easier and to some extent give me some predictive capabilities."


    Aizen seemed satisfied by the answer and didn''t question it further. When the group arrived they noticed Ounabara is already there waiting for the students arrive. The rest of the first years were also gathered, they were looking towards Itachi and Taro''s group.


    "I heard a real hollow managed to get into the field exam. It killed multiple barrier corps Shinigami, and 2 of the sixth years." The students murmured among themselves.


    "Silence!." Ounabara yelled out. "We will conclude the field exam here. Classes are dismissed for the rest of the day!"


    Aizen and Gin are escorted by Ounabara inside the academy and they drop the students off in the nurse''s office before going into the dean''s office to explain the situation.


    The other students slowly start to disperse from the courtyard. Itachi decides to go to the nurse''s office to check on Kanzaki and Daiyu. Before he gets a chance to move, he feels a hand on his shoulder. Itachi turns around to see it is Taro.


    "Mind if I come with you?" Taro asks without his usual energy. Itachi nods and they both go to the infirmary.


    They arrive to see a few shinigami performing healing kido. One of the nurses notices them and tells them to wait outside. As they both walk back outside, Kenta approaches them.


    "Taro! Are you alright! What about Daiyu?" Kenta asks with a worried look on his face.


    "I''m fine...they are healing Daiyu right now." Taro replies. Itachi looked down the hallway to see Aizen and Gin walk out of the dean''s office with Ounabara behind them. As they walk by, Aizen gives Itachi a light smile as they lock eyes before passing by. Ounabara stops at Itachi and tells him to follow him to the dean''s office. Itachi complies while Taro and Kenta look at him confused.


    Ounabara and Itachi enter the dean''s office and Itachi is told to take a seat. An old man sitting at the desk in front of Itachi welcomes him.


    "Hello Uchiha Itachi." The old man offers a warm smile.


    "Raise your head young man. What you did today was very commendable. Captain Aizen told me about your actions. You took down a powerful hollow by yourself and saved a member of the barrier corps. Ounabara and I talked briefly about your performance in class and have come to the decision to graduate you early from the academy. We believe that experience in the squads will be much better for you than the academy training. But graduation won''t be for another two months. I also highly recommend you participate in the upcoming Academy tournament. There will be plenty of high ranking shinigami watching and you''ll have a lot more options to where you''ll want to join when you graduate. That will be all, you are dismissed."


    "I understand headmaster. Thank you." Itachi is dismissed from the office and walks back out into the hallway. Taro and Kenta were no longer standing in front of the nurse''s office. Itachi walks by to see a sign posted on the door saying "no visitors." He could sense the reiatsu of Daiyu and Kanzaki and was relieved they were still alive. Itachi walks across the courtyard towards his dorm but halfway across, he notices Itsuki out of the corner of his eye running towards him.


    "There you are Itachi! I got back with the first group and was dismissed early but then I heard about what happened and then I couldn''t find you!" Itsuki says frantically.


    "I''m fine Itsuki." Itachi had an empty look in his eyes and Itsuki noticed. He decided not to pester Itachi anymore and Itachi walked back to his dorm. He laid down and thought about the events that occurred.


    ------


    The next day, classes were canceled and a memorial service was being held in the courtyard for the students who died in the exam. Itachi sees a picture of Tatsumi and the other 6th years being displayed in the courtyard. The scene of Tatsumi''s death plays through Itachi''s mind but he is snapped out of his daze by Taro approaching him with Kenta and a heavily bandaged Daiyu behind him.


    "Itachi. I couldn''t move against those powerful hollows yet you were able to fight one off and defeat it as all I could do was watch as my 6th year mentor was killed by them¡­ Thank you for saving us." Taro suddenly bows his head to Itachi out of respect. Daiyu does the same and Kenta looks at them both shocked before joining in.


    Daiki watches as Taro bows his head. ''Uchiha Itachi...so even my rival bows his head to you¡­'' Daiki thinks to himself as he watches from a distance before leaving the courtyard.


    -------


    "The Academy tournament has finished its final stages of planning and will happen exactly two months from today. All years of students are eligible. There will be high ranked officials from the Gotei 13 appearing including lieutenants and captains who will be spectating. We don''t have a full list of who will be showing up but the confirmed captains will be Captain Soi Fon and Captain Kuchiki. Brackets will be decided on the day of the tournament through a lottery pull system. I expect all of you to train hard and do well in this tournament for you are the advanced class and will help you be in good graces with the captains who are watching."


    Ounabara dismisses the class and Itsuki and Itachi walk through the courtyard.


    "Itachi I want to fight you in the final match!" Itsuki says to Itachi with a determined expression.


    "You''ll have to train harder then Itsuki." Itachi replies and Itsuki nods his head in acknowledgement. The two of them head to the training grounds and begin to spar with each other.

 Chapter 15 - Tournament Part 1

    For the next two months up until the tournament day, Itachi and Itsuki trained diligently. Itachi no longer sent shadow clones to class and trained with his full power. Itsuki began increasing the weight on his training weights more and more and Itachi notes how quickly Itsuki is progressing in his strength, speed and technique. Even Itsuki''s confidence rose with the training and Itachi notices that he was not the same weak boy anymore at the beginning of the semester. He also sparred with Taro at times. Itachi spent the rest of his effort mastering his kido and reiatsu control.


    Two months quickly pass and the tournament approaches. Itsuki and Itachi both make their way towards the arena. When they arrive they see quite a few students who were lined up to participate. This was a good opportunity for some of the students to showcase their skill in front of the shinigami who came to spectate. There were a few first years from the advanced class that Itachi recognized such as Taro, Kenta, and Daiyu. He also saw Daiki and Akemi waiting in the lines. The rest of the students were mostly 5th and sixth who were close to graduating from the academy. A . Inside the arena, a large crowd could be heard already inside and more people from various parts of Rukongai and Sereitei were entering the arena. The line wasn''t very long and there were not as many students participating as they thought there would be.


    "I expected over a hundred people but there looks to be only half of that" Itsuki comments as he looks at the line.


    "It''s mostly those who are close to graduating and those who wish to make a good impression on the special guests" Itachi replied.


    "Captain Kuchiki of the sixth division and Captain Soi Fon of the 2nd division. Some of the strongest shinigami in the soul society. Can''t believe they will be spectating us." Itsuki said nervously.


    "Just do your best." Itachi said calmly.


    "Not everyone is calm like you" Itsuki said shaking his head and following behind Itachi.


    The two of them wait in line until it is their turn to register. Itachi registers his name and then goes to the break room. He and Itsuki look up at the monitor after the line clears and the brackets appear on the screen with the students'' names and year.


    "Looks like I''m fighting a 3rd year." Itsuki says while reading the bracket. Itachi looks for his name on the screen and sees he is matched up against Kenta Omaeda.


    The announcer enters the middle of the arena and greets everyone as the arena quiets down. His voice could be heard through the speakers in the break room.


    "Welcome everyone to the first annual Shino Academy Tournament! We''ll get straight to the point! The rules of this tournament are simple! Participants are to fight in one on one matches. The use of your asauchi is allowed. The winner of the matches will be decided when one of the participants is rendered unconscious or unable to move. You are not allowed to kill your opponent. All matches up to the quarter finals have a five minute time limit. Any match after that has no time limit. If both participants are still standing at the end of the time limit, the one who has taken the least damage is deemed the winner. NOW THE TOURNAMENT WILL BEGIN!!!!!" The announcer finishes and the crowd cheers loudly.


    The announcer names the first two students fighting. They enter the arena as the other participants watch from the break room. Itsuki has his eyes glued to the monitor while Itachi is paying attention elsewhere. He notices there is a VIP area and in the VIP area of the audience, five individuals could be seen watching, three of which were wearing captain''s haori. Itachi makes them out to be Ounabara, the headmaster, Captain Aizen, Captain Soi Fon, and Captain Byakuya.


    Some of the students also noticed the captains.


    "Wow looks its captain Aizen, I didn''t know he was coming today. One girl said with her eyes shining.


    "Yeah, he is always the most approachable. A lot of people want to join the 5th division."


    ''Aizen, so he came.'' Itachi thought to himself before turning away.


    Itachi looks back at the monitor and sees the students are still fighting. After three minutes pass, a winner is named and the announcer declares the next match.


    "For the next match, first year Omaeda Kenta and first year Uchiha Itachi will be fighting!" The announcer says. Itachi glances at Kenta and nods before standing up and heading to the ring.


    Kenta started panicking the moment he saw the roster. Why was he the one to fight that abnormal fellow. Taro had told him that Itachi was the one who killed the hollow that almost killed him. He wouldn''t even stand a chance.


    "Why me¡­." Kenta felt depressed. He thought this would be his time to show off in front of Captain Soi Fon.


    He looked towards Taro who stood helpless. He didn''t have any advice for his friend.


    "Uh, Just give it your all Kenta. I am sure as long as you try your best, you will be fine.." Taro said, smiling helplessly.


    Kenta simply nodded before making his way over to the fighting ring.


    Itachi was already waiting for him in the ring. Kenta reassured himself and knew he could only try his best. He slapped himself and drew his sword.


    "Captain Kuchiki, Captain Soi Fon, thank you very much for making time and coming to the event." The Headmaster said with a slight nod.


    "Of course." Soi Fon responds.


    Captain Kuchiki simply nodded and continued watching the fights.


    "Captain Aizen, it is surprising to see you came as well" The headmaster commented.


    "I am sorry for intruding, but it is interesting to see new events adopted into the academy." Aizen said while smiling.


    "No, It is our p???sur? to have you here." The headmaster quickly replied.


    The announcer moves out of the ring. "LET THE SECOND MATCH BEGINNN!"


    Itachi stands there observing Kenta before Kenta finally charges over towards Itachi.


    "Bakudo 4: Hainawa!" Kenta shoots a yellow rope of energy at Itachi. Itachi side steps to dodge it but Kenta appears next to him and draws his asauchi. He swings his sword but Itachi kicks the sword out of Kenta''s hand and it lands several meters away behind Kenta.


    A smoke cloud forms from the blast and Kenta is seen jumping out of it with burns on his hand. Kenta lands and picks his asauchi back up. He turns around to see the smoke cloud still there. He could sense Itachi had not moved from the spot. ''Did I manage to hurt him with that?'' Kenta questions to himself. Itachi remains standing in the smoke cloud until it clears and Kenta is shocked to see Itachi''s shihakusho slightly damaged but Itachi himself was unscathed. Kenta with his asauchi drawn, charges at Itachi and goes for a horizontal slash.


    Itachi puts his hand on the handle of his sheath asauchi and waits. Kenta executes the slash but Itachi dodges it by a hair''s width by crouching down. With Kenta''s body now wide open, Itachi hits Kenta in the stomach with the hilt of his asauchi. Kenta is winded from the blow and loses his balance. He staggers back but Itachi jumps forward, putting his hand on Kenta''s shoulder as he does a front flip over him. In the process, he grabs Kenta''s shihakusho and flips him with him. Itachi lands on his feet and with the momentum, throws Kenta to the ground. Kenta hits the ground hard as the ground cracks slightly and is knocked out from the impact. The crowd is shocked by the performance and was silent at first. The announcer looks at Kenta who was completely unconscious.


    "INCREDIBLE! UCHIHA ITACHI HAS KNOCKED OUT OMAEDA KENTA!" The announcer declares and the crowd cheers.


    "So this is the star student of the first year class?" Byakuya questions and looks to Ounabara who nods. Soi Fon remains silent and Aizen watches Itachi closely. ''Uchiha Itachi...those eyes of his... he said they were a part of his bloodline. For the past two months, I''ve done research on every major bloodline in Soul Society yet no family has the ability to change their eyes like that...also his last name "Uchiha" did not exist in 12th division''s database until this point¡­I wonder if the students in this tournament would even be able to push him to use those eyes again.''


    "He was also the one who fought and killed the hollows that interrupted the exam and managed to kill one of them before Captain Aizen showed up." Ounabara adds in.


    "He is very proficient in Hakuda." Soi Fon points out. "I look forward to his next fights."


    A couple of shinigami pick up the unconscious Omaeda and take him to the infirmary. Itachi walks back to the breakroom. He was just in time to see the announcer mentioning the next match on the bracket.


    "IN THE NEXT ROUND, FIRST YEAR SHOU ITSUKI WILL BE FIGHTING THIRD YEAR SATO JIRO!


    "Looks like I''m up!" Itsuki says to Itachi as he walks to the fighting area. Itsuki stands at his spot and looks across at the man standing in front of him. He was a lot bigger than Itsuki but Itsuki was confident that his training with Itachi would prove him to be strong enough to fight him. The announcer jumps back from his spot.

 Chapter 16 - Tournament Part 2

    The match begins and both of the students draw their blades. They both stand in their spots with their blades in front of them. A moment passes and they charge at each other and clash swords. Itsuki matches Jiro blow for blow. Jiro was surprised that Itsuki and him were evenly matched in Zanjutsu. They continue to rally slashes until Jiro thinks he finds an opening and performs a vertical slash to try to hit Itsuki. However, Itsuki manages to sidestep it and retaliates with a side kick, catching Jiro off guard and pushing him back several meters. Jiro regains his balance just in time to see Itsuki raising a hand and performing his kido technique.


    "Hado 1: Sho!" Itsuki releases a force from his palm. Jiro manages to dodge the technique as he jumps into the air and comes down on Itsuki with a sword slash. Itsuki blocks the attack with his own blade and sparks fly as they continue to clash blades with each other. At one point, Itsuki manages to get some distance from Jiro. ''This is getting nowhere. I''ll end this quickly.''


    "Hado 11: Tsuzuri Raiden!" Itsuki''s blade is cloaked in a bright light and a steady surge of electricity crackles from it. Jiro charges again at Itsuki and they both clash blades. This time however, Itsuki''s blade cuts clean through Jiro''s blade. The top half of Jiro''s blade goes flying and lands a few feet away. Jiro was visibly shocked as he held only half an asauchi. Itsuki puts his lightning charged blade up to Jiro''s face. Jiro drops his sword on the ground.


    "I concede." Jiro says with his head low.


    "AAAAND WE HAVE OUR WINNER!" The announcer yells out as the crowd applauds.


    Jiro picks back up his asauchi and walks towards the broken part of his blade and picks it up before leaving the ring. Itsuki returns back to the break room.


    "As expected of the results of your training." Itachi says to Itsuki as he approaches.


    "It''s all thanks to you!" Itsuki gives Itachi a large grin that Itachi couldn''t help but smile back to. They both watch the monitor as the next participants are called up on the bracket.


    "FIRST YEAR FENG DAIYU AND FIRST YEAR KUCHIKI AKEMI WILL BE FIGHTING NEXT!" The announcer calls out. Daiyu looks to Taro who gives her a reassuring look.


    "Good luck out there!" Taro says to Daiyu. Daiyu nods and joins Akemi in walking out to the ring. The two of them get to their places and stand facing each other. ''Captain Soi Fon is here watching me and Taro believes in me. I won''t lose this!'' Daiyu thinks to herself.


    Soi Fon looks towards Daiyu, who was one of the members of her clan.


    "LET THE MATCH BEGIN!" The announcer calls out.


    Brimming with determination, Daiyu charges in at Akemi. Daiyu unleashes a flurry of punches and kicks at Akemi. Akemi puts up her guard as she blocks and deflects each blow.


    ''I have her on the defensive! Now I just need to-'' Daiyu''s thoughts are interrupted as Akemi suddenly flashes in front her, landing a solid punch to her stomach. Daiyu is sent flying back several meters before she is able to regain her balance and land.


    Daiyu looks at Akemi who is walking towards her slowly. ''She''s full of openings. I can feint her then strike from behind to land a decisive blow!'' Daiyu plots in her head. Daiyu does a flash step in and winds up a punch. Akemi puts up her guard to block the punch but Daiyu flash steps behind Akemi and prepares to do a kick to the back of Akemi''s head.


    "Bakudo 8: Seki." Akemi turns around and raises her arm. She creates a small barrier at the point of contact where Daiyu was aiming at. Daiyu kicks the barrier and suddenly she goes flying backwards across the ring. Daiyu hits the ground and goes rolling back several meters before she is able to get back up again.


    "Bakudo 1: Sai." "Bakudo 4: Hainawa." As Daiyu tries to stand up she finds her arms restricted and immediately after that, a yellow rope wraps around her, rendering her unable to move. Daiyu falls back down on the ground and struggles to break free. After a few seconds of struggling, Daiyu realizes she can''t break free and lays still on the ground. Before she tries again, Akemi lands in front of her pointing her blade at her head.


    "You''ve lost". Akemi says as Daiyu realizes her defeat and concedes.


    "THE WINNER IS KUCHIKI AKEMI!" The announcer concludes the match.


    "I would expect nothing less of Akemi." Byakuya says with no change in his expression or tone.


    "How disappointing. Daiyu was too hasty and made poor decisions that match. I expected more out of her. I''m hoping Taro displays a better performance." Soi Fon comments. Aizen remained quiet with a soft smile on his face.


    The next few rounds went by fast with Daiki winning his against a 2nd year and Taro winning his against a 4th year. Kanzaki lost against a 6th year named Setsu Tomo, dropping him out of the tournament.


    The brackets move up and it is once again Itachi''s turn. Itachi is paired against a 4th year. He once again wins with relative ease.


    "FOR OUR NEXT MATCH, FIRST YEAR SHOU ITSUKI WILL BE FIGHTING FIRST YEAR KUCHIKI DAIKI!"


    "Hey those two are both from the advanced class just like one of the other previous matches. Who do you think will win." A few students discuss.


    The announcer yells out. Itsuki looks at Itachi with a somewhat nervous expression as Daiki had always been the one berating him and Itsuki could never win against Daiki previously.


    "Over the past few months, I have watched as you developed and I am impressed with how far you''ve come. Acknowledge yourself and you will succeed." Itachi reaffirms to Itsuki.


    Itsuki''s nervousness is replaced with determination as he walks out to the ring.


    Daiki and Itsuki meet at the ring. They lock eyes and stare each other down. Daiki is surprised at the level of confidence Itsuki was displaying as he has always seen Itsuki as a weak low class peasant. ''This can''t be the same Itsuki who I beat earlier in the year right?'' The announcer leaves the fighting area and makes his announcement.


    "LET THE MATCH BEGIN!" The announcer yells out.


    Itsuki and Daiki both charge at each other. They engage in close quarters combat and go even for each other blow for blow. For the next thirty seconds, there was nothing but Hakuda. Eventually, Daiki starts to gain the upper hand and overwhelms Itsuki. Itsuki is forced to retreat backwards.


    "What''s wrong? Scared to fight me you third rate peasant!" Daiki berates Itsuki as Itsuki retreats. Itsuki ignores the comment and puts his hand up.


    "Oh you''re going to use Kido now? Go ahead and try!" Daiki taunts at Itsuki.


    "Wait one moment please." Itsuki says. Daiki''s eyes widen and he gives Itsuki a confused look. Itsuki bends down and lifts up the leggings of his shihakusho. Underneath he reveals his leg weights. Itsuki unhooks his leg weights from his ankles and lifts them up to around shoulder height while keeping his reiatsu inside of them.


    "WHA-" Daiki is cut off as Itsuki delivers a swift punch to Daiki''s face, sending him flying. Daiki rolls on the ground and regains his balance. While still on his knees, Daiki looks up to see Itsuki already standing right in front of him. Daiki''s eyes open wide in shock and anger as he sees Itsuki looking down on him.


    "YOU PIECE OF-" Daiki is cut off as a foot smashes into his face.

 Chapter 17 - Tournament Part 3

    [In the VIP area]


    "Those weights were Kisuke Urahara''s prototype, were they not?" Aizen comments. "I remember they never were officially approved for use in the curriculum because the reiatsu control was too hard to manage for a student. It is quite commendable that he was using those the entire time."


    Soi Fon became slightly annoyed hearing that name before commenting.


    "His flash stepping is still sloppy as he takes too many steps. But his natural speed makes up for the lack of technique in that regard." Soi Fon says as she watches Itsuki''s movements. "Ounabara I didn''t think you would train your students physically to this extent."


    Ounabara shook his head.


    "I only taught him basics. Most of the time, he is sparring with Uchiha Itachi. I ?ssume the weights were his idea as well." Ounabara replies.


    "Uchiha Itachi. He is a very talented individual indeed¡­" Aizen states as he watches the fight.


    Byakuya remains silent with no input but he couldn''t help but feel mildly irritated at Daiki''s behavior in battle.


    -----------------------


    Daiki goes flying before landing on his back. He pulls himself up. ''It''s only been 8 months, how is he already this strong!'' Daiki thinks to himself.


    "Don''t get full of yourself just because you landed a lucky hit!" Daiki says as he unsheathes his blade. Itsuki unsheathes his blade in response to Daiki.


    A moment passes before both of them charge towards each other. They exchange a few blows before Daiki loses ground. Itsuki uses this opportunity to send another kick towards Daiki''s ribs, once again pushing him back. Daiki places his left hand over his ribs while panting. He flares in anger and points his other arm towards Itsuki.


    "Bakudo 4: Hainawa!" A crackling energy rope flies towards Itsuki. Itsuki puts his reiatsu into his left hand using it to grab the energy rope before pulling Daiki towards him.


    Daiki is caught off guard by Itsuki''s action as Daiki is moved from his position. ''Damn.'' Daiki thinks to himself. He has no time to react and release his bakudo as a fist comes flying towards him while being pulled in. Daiki is struck in the face and goes flying back.


    Itsuki, with his arm still extended from the punch, points his hand towards Daiki who is flying back.


    "Hado 4: Byakurai!" Itsuki shouts as a stream of lightning is sent towards Daiki. It hits Daiki in the ?h?st and shocks him as he falls to the ground.


    "You-." Daiki says before attempting to get back up. However he is unable to recover, dropping his asauchi and falling back over.


    "THE WINNER IS SHOU, ITSUKI!!"


    The crowd cheers as Itsuki begins making his way over to the waiting room. He looks at Itachi before beaming at him, " I did it! With my own power!"


    Itachi nods and smiles lightly complimenting Itsuki on his win.


    ---


    In the arena, a group of ?ssistants help Daiki up as they carry him on a stretcher towards the waiting room. Daiki laid there crestfallen. He didn''t expect to lose to someone who he was able to defeat with ease 8 months ago. As he is being carried out he makes eye contact with Akemi who remains silent. He knew what it had meant. Not only did he lose to someone who stood no chance against him 8 months ago, but he had lost in front of the family head, who had come to spectate.


    -------------


    [In the VIP area]


    "Not bad. He is quite talented." Aizen comments as Byakuya and Soi Fon remain silent.


    "That student is not bad. Well done Ounabara!" The headmaster smiled as he complimented.


    ''Amazing, I know he improved quite a bit, but I didn''t think it was to this extent.'' Ounabara thought to himself.


    -------------


    [In the crowd]


    "Did you see that? He actually beat a noble student!" Some students discussed amongst themselves.


    "I can''t believe he actually won."


    The students continued their murmurs before the referee walked to the center of the stage.


    He waited a moment and looked at the crowd who was quieting down before announcing the next match.


    "FIRST YEAR SHIHOUIN TARO VERSUS SIXTH YEAR HIDEKI EIJI!"


    Taro looks at his match, he takes a deep breath and enters the ring. He was slightly nervous. He was facing off against a sixth year who seemed very strong based on his previous matches.


    "You''re right" Taro regains his confidence. He looks toward Itachi for a moment before making his way into the arena.


    Taro and Eiji both face each other as the announcer starts the battle.


    "May the best man win." Eiji said with confidence.


    "Indeed" Taro replies.


    "LET THE MATCH BEGIN!" The announcer yells out.


    Taro gets in an offensive stance and then charges at Eiji at full speed. He throws a punch at Eiji but Eiji dodges to the side at the last second. He counterattacks with a swift punch to Taro''s torso, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying back. Taro lands on his feet and looks back up at Eiji who is still standing there smiling at him.


    "Give it your all Shihouin!" Eiji says to Taro. Eiji gets into an offensive stance of his own and flash steps in front of Taro''s face. He performs a round kick with his right foot. Taro sees this and raises his arm to block it.


    "Bakudo 8: Seki!" Taro says as a shield forms around his arm. Eiji has a faint smirk as he shifts his weight from the right side of his body to the left, retracting his right foot and kicking immediately with his left. Taro falls for the feint and gets kicked clean across the ring. He lands on the ground and rolls a bit before catching himself. As he tried to get back up, he feels blood trickle from the side of his head and a surge of dizziness hits him. He looks back up to see Eiji right in front of him. He suddenly feels a great pain in his ?h?st as Eiji quickly jabs him with the hilt of his asauchi before collapsing. Eiji catches Taro''s falling body and lays him on the ground slowly.


    "AND THE WINNER IS HIDEKI EIJI!" The announcer yells out. The medical shinigami pick up Taro''s limp body as Eiji walks back to the breakroom. As he enters, he meets eyes with Itachi before walking up to him. He puts his hand on Itachi''s shoulder and whispers.


    "What was that about?" Itsuki asks Itachi, confused about what just happened.


    "It''s nothing." Itachi says as he quickly regains his composure.


    On the monitor, the next fight was displayed and the announcer called it out.


    "THE NEXT FIGHT WILL BE FIRST YEAR KUCHIKI AKEMI AGAINST FIRST YEAR SHOU ITSUKI!"


    "Looks like I''m up!" Itsuki walks towards the ring determined. He had won two matches already and felt his second wind going. He sees Akemi walking in the same direction and gives her a determined look.


    "If you think I''ll be like Daiki, you''re sorely mistaken." Akemi gives Itsuki a cold look. The two of them walk out into the ring and get into their places.


    "LET THE MATCH BEGIN!" The announcer yells out.


    Itsuki gets into a defensive stance but Akemi makes no change to hers. The two stare each other down for a few moments until Akemi decides to make the first move. She flashes in front of Itsuki, catching him by surprise with her speed. She lands a solid punch but Itsuki manages to block it with his arms. Itsuki gets sent flying back and feels his arms tingling from the force. ''I knew she was strong but I didn''t think she was that strong!'' Itsuki lands but Akemi follows up just as he lands with a kick. Itsuki is able to react in time to the kick and dodges it. Itsuki counterattacks with his own kick and the two of them clash blows back and forth using only Hakuda. As the brawl drags on, Akemi gains the upper hand and lands a solid punch to Itsuki''s gut, sending him flying. Itsuki regains his balance and lands to see Akemi unsheathing her blade.


    "Why don''t we skip the warm up now?" Akemi says to Itsuki. Itsuki responds by drawing out his own blade.


    With their last sword clash, Akemi launches a round kick at Itsuki but Itsuki has the same idea and launches a kick of his own. A shockwave of pressure emanates from the kick before both Itsuki and Akemi back off. Itsuki was panting heavily as he had used a lot of his reiatsu for the clashes with Akemi just to match her blows. He looked at Akemi who didn''t look tired at all.


    ''I can''t give up now¡­'' Itsuki holds his blade in both hands and focuses his reiatsu into it.


    "Hado 11: Tsuzuri Raiden!" Itsuki recharges his blade with electricity and holds it out in front of him. Akemi holds her blade out with one hand and points it at Itsuki.


    "I will admit you''ve done okay to make it this far. But as a member of the Kuchiki family, let me show you the difference between you and I. Hado 11: Tsuzuri Raiden!" Akemi''s blade is supercharged with lightning even greater than before. Itsuki flash steps in to strike at her and Akemi cuts cleanly through Itsuki''s asauchi.


    "When two reiatsu''s clash, the greater one will come out on top." Akemi says while looking down at Itsuki who was crouched down on the ground, exhausted from reiatsu usage with his asauchi cut in half. Akemi points her blade straight to Itsuki''s face. Itsuki remains silent without moving a muscle. In an instant, Itsuki transitions from his crouched position into a low sweeping kick, catching Akemi off guard as she drops her asauchi. She falls to the ground and Itsuki jumps up in the air to land a drop kick on Akemi. Akemi reacts promptly to Itsuki''s slower movements and she faces her palm to him.


    "Bakudo 9: Geki!" A red light shoots out and paralyzes Itsuki mid air, rendering him unable to move. Akemi quickly gets back up and puts a palm on Itsuki''s paralyzed body.


    "Hado 1: Sho!" A great force goes through Itsuki''s torso and he is propelled at great speed straight into the arena wall. Upon impact, Itsuki is knocked unconscious.


    "WINNING BY A KNOCKOUT, KUCHIKI AKEMI!" The announcer yells out. The crowd applauds loudly as Itsuki''s unconscious body is picked up by the medics.


    Akemi gets up before blowing the dust off her clothes and makes her way to the waiting room.

 Chapter 18 - Tournament Part 4

    The crowd remains abuzz after watching the match. Itsuki was able to easily defeat Daiki Kuchiki, but was easily defeated by Akemi who was in the same grade.


    "Wow, he lost so easily. Is this the true power of the noble families."


    "She''s only in her first year. I wonder who is stronger between her and that Uchiha fellow. And we can''t forget that crazy strong sixth year. He defeated all of his opponents in an instant." The students continued their conversation as the medics carried Itsuki back.


    In the next couple matches, Itachi and Hideki both face their opponents and easily win their matches moving them towards the semi final round. After the match, the winners were given thirty minutes to rest up as much as possible. The students in the stands also took a rest and moved about, talking about the various fights they witnessed.


    "It''s already at the semi-finals. I can''t believe two first years made it this far in."


    "They are from the advanced class. All the students there are exceptional."


    "Yeah, but they are competing against that sixth year who has much more experience."


    --------


    "Well, there are certainly some exceptional students that joined this year" Aizen commented with a slight smile. Byakuya remained silent but took a slight glance at Akemi. He was naturally expectant of someone from his clan. Soi Fon also remained silent,


    "Yes, they are certainly much more talented" The headmaster commented.


    Ounabara nodded along with the headmaster''s statement.


    ''I wonder if the finals will force Uchiha to use those eyes'' Aizen thought before looking towards Itachi''s direction.


    --------


    Thirty minutes quickly passes before the announcer reaches the stage.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen we are finally in the semi-final round. With us right now, we have Uchiha, Itachi, who easily swept through every opponent using his exceptional Hakuda and Hoho techniques! And we have the exceptional young lady of the Kuchiki, who also swept through her opponents with ease, Kuchiki, Akemi!!!! LET THE FIRST SEMI FINAL MATCH BEGIN!!!!!"


    The crowd roars in cheers as Itachi and Akemi make their way towards the ring. The two position themselves a few meters away.


    "Time to show you the distance between us" Akemi comments before unsheathing her sword and charging towards Itachi.


    Akemi coats her sword in electricity before slicing vertically towards Itachi. Itachi does not visibly react and maintains his stance. He looked at the oncoming Akemi without the slightest change in his expression. He watched as Akemi swung her sword. Right before the blade made contact, Itachi disappeared from his spot. Akemi was shocked but she still managed to turn to her side to see Itachi''s fist flying in towards her face.


    "Bakudo 8: Seki!" In the last moment Akemi crossed her arms in front of her and casted her kido. Itachi''s fist struck towards the shield with great force, forming cracks as his hand is rebounded away. Itachi follows up with a quick jab and shatters the shield, forcing Akemi back a few meters. She still managed to find her footing, but before she could fully recover, Itachi once again appeared next to her. Akemi reacts promptly and tries to slash at Itachi multiple times. Itachi dodges each slash by a hair''s width and finds an opening. Itachi grabs Akemi''s wrist just as she was about to slash at him again and sends a solid kick towards her torso. Akemi grits her teeth as she feels her ribs shake from the force and is blown back as she tumbles across the arena. Itachi remained standing at his spot, choosing not to pursue while watching Akemi get back up.


    The audience suddenly became quiet. Everything happened too quickly and Akemi was the only one that was injured. The silence is broken by the murmuring of students in awe of what just occurred.


    "He''s so fast!"


    "I can''t believe he can already used hoho to that degree"


    "What the hell? Is he really a first year like us?" The students continued discussing.


    "But she can still use her kido right?" A first year student asks.


    "Are you an idiot? Did you see him move? There is no way he will give her any chance at using Kido." A fourth year student replied.


    "But what else can she do? She clearly is not going to be able to beat him in close combat, so kido is her only choice" the student retorted.


    ''So she wasn''t strong enough...'' Aizen thought to himself before he made a comment about the fight out loud.


    "I can see how he is the strongest. It is quite remarkable that he was able to attain such a level of combat proficiency in less then a year." Aizen smiled.


    Byakuya nodded in agreement. He was also slightly surprised at Itachi''s performance. He knew that Akemi had prior training in the families and was taught the basics of the four schools before coming to the academy.


    "Yes, his flash steps and close combat techniques are definitely above the other students. But how is his kido?"


    Ounabara remained silent. He knew that Itachi''s talent in Kido was on par if not greater than his hakuda proficiency.


    -------


    Itachi watches a struggling Akemi get back on her feet. He knew this was just a school event. There was no need for him to attack someone who was still on the ground. He waited for Akemi to get back up. Akemi slowly struggles and gets up. She was shocked. She was expecting Itachi to be only slightly better than her at Hakuda, but the gap in skill surprised her. Akemi winces as she feels a pain in her torso from the last kick. If Itachi had continued attacking, she definitely would not be conscious. Akemi was relieved that she had another chance to fight but also infuriated that Itachi was not taking her seriously.


    ''The family head is watching me...I won''t lose this.'' She thought to herself.


    "This is far from over." Akemi said to Itachi before raising her hand. Itachi remains idle and watches her movements.


    "Bakudo 37: Tsuriboshi! A bull ball of energy flies out towards Itachi. Six ropes fly out from the orb, latching on the ground. The energy in the center solidifies and stretches outward into an elastic cushion before it wraps around Itachi and locks him inside a cocoon-like object.


    The audience stares shocked at the sudden turn of events. The students make comments to each other.


    "Amazing that was a spell we never learned!"


    "This must be the benefit of being part of the noble family."


    "Wow, I can''t believe he was caught."


    Daiki had also woken up at this point and stared at the monitor in front of him displaying the fight. He had a grin on his face as he watched Itachi get trapped by the bakudo.


    ''Yes! I got him.'' Akemi felt elated. She calmed her breathing before preparing a hado to finish him off.


    "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of-


    Just as Akemi was about to finish her chant, the cocoon burst as it was cut into shreds and Itachi was standing in the center. Itachi sheaths his sword and vanishes instantly from Akemi''s view. As Akemi tries to comprehend what just happened, shei suddenly feels a heavy hit to the back of her head before blacking out. The arena falls silent as Akemi falls unconscious to the ground with a loud thud.

 Chapter 19 - Tournament Finale

    The crowd roars in applause as Itachi makes his way back to the waiting room.


    "I can''t believe he actually cut through that bakudo so easily!"


    "Now I want to believe that he let himself get caught." Some students discussed amongst themselves.


    ------------------


    VIP Area


    Aizen remained silent with a smile on his face. He looked at the disappearing kido that Itachi had cut through. When he walked out there was no change in his eyes. ''So even after that, she still wasn''t able to force him to use his eye technique''


    Byakuya remained silent. Although he was somewhat disappointed at Akemi''s loss, he knew her opponent was far stronger. However, she had still managed to surprise him with her final technique. To be able to use such a level of kido after a year at the academy showed her potential.


    Soifon looked towards the exiting Itachi. ''His final shunpo was flawless. With his technique and demeanor, he would be an exceptional recruit for the 2nd squad.


    -----------------------


    Once the match is done, the announcer declares the winner and sets a 30 minute break for both participants to rest.


    ----------------------------


    "Itachi!!" A voice calls out from behind him. Itachi turns around and sees Itsuki standing at the doorway. Itsuki takes a seat next to Itachi.


    "I knew you would make it to the final round! And I know you''ll win this! Although that sixth year looks kinda tough too. Nothing you can''t handle though right?"


    Itachi replies with a nod and looks back up at the monitor which was now displaying the final bracket. He looks at Eiji''s picture and remembers him occasionally meeting with Tatsumi sometimes. Suddenly two medical shinigami barge through the entrance to the breakroom.


    "You can''t leave the medical ward so early! You haven''t been fully checked yet!" One of them scolds Itsuki while the other one grabs him. Itsuki gets dragged out of the break room as Itachi watches him struggle and waves goodbye.


    Suddenly another person takes a seat next to him where Itsuki originally was sitting. It was Hideki Eiji.


    "I look forward to our match Uchiha." Hideki comments.


    "Likewise." Itachi replies. Hideki gets up and walks to the other side of the break room while Itachi enters a trance-like state as he remembers the previous matches Eiji was fighting in. Just like Itachi, Eiji had also won his matches easily without using his asauchi or kido.


    ---------------------


    "LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, THIS IS THE FINAL MATCH OF THE FIRST SHINO ACADEMY TOURNAMENT. YOU CAN JUST FEEL THE TENSION IN THE AIR BETWEEN THESE TWO COMPETITORS. THEY BOTH MADE IT THIS FAR WITHOUT BREAKING A SWEAT! BUT THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE WINNER. WHO WILL IT BE? FIRST YEAR UCHIHA ITACHI OR SIXTH YEAR HIDEKI EIJI! LET THE MATCH BEGIN!!" The announcer yells out.


    Neither Itachi or Eiji make a move as the match starts. The two of them lock eyes and the crowd grows silent as they feel the tension in the air. Eiji starts to slowly ramp up his reiatsu and Itachi does the same.


    From the VIP stand, Ounabara and the captains have surprised looks on their faces from the reiatsu they were feeling.


    "This doesn''t feel like a fight between two students. This feels more like a fight between two seated officers.


    ''Could this be the fight?'' Aizen grins.


    Both of them stop flaring their reiatsu. The instant they stop, they disappear from the arena. They reappear again, with blades drawn out and clashing swords. They both disappear again, leaving behind a dust cloud. This continues several more times before they stand back in their original places.


    "I think that''s enough for a warm up don''t you agree? I know you and Tatsumi were sparring partners and Tatsumi always spoke highly of you. I thought he was just exaggerating your strength at first but after seeing your performance and witnessing it firsthand, I can finally believe it." Eiji holds his blade out in front of him with one hand and puts his other hand on the back end of the blade.


    "I was already pretty strong before but after Tatsumi died, it opened my eyes and I trained even harder. Uchiha, you are the only student in this entire academy who this is worth using this on!" Eiji''s reiatsu flares up even higher and Itachi''s eyes widen as he sees Eiji''s sword glowing.


    Eiji flashes into Itachi and the two of them clash blades. Itachi could feel the heat emanating from the blade and his hands started to shake from the difference in raw power. Itachi flashes backwards to retreat but Eiji does not let up and keeps slashing at Itachi, forcing him on the defensive.


    ''I won''t beat him with raw power alone. I need to find out what his shikai does while outmaneuvering him.'' While clashing with Eiji a few more times, Itachi thinks of a plan in his head. He suddenly feels his Asauchi crack and decides the time to execute it is now.


    "Bakudo 21: Sekienton!" A huge cloud of black smoke erupts from where Itachi is standing, covering a large section of the ring. Itachi suppresses his reiatsu as Eiji tries to sense him out to no avail.


    "Bakudo 4: Hainawa." Two wire strings made from reiatsu latch onto Eiji''s legs. Eiji looks to where the ropes are connecting to. ''So that''s where he is.'' Eiji thinks to himself. Eiji raises his sword in front of him with the face of the sword pointing to where Itachi is standing.


    "Tendou no Yari!" A large ray of reiatsu shoots from the sphere in the sword. The wire strings from the Hainawa burn away as the beam travels above the ground. The beam hits the ground and the shockwave clears most of the smoke from the arena. Eiji looks into the dust cloud made from his blast but still can''t sense Itachi.


    "Hado 31: Shakkaho!" A red orb of energy comes at Eiji from his left side. Eiji reacts fast enough to block it with his blade. As the hado makes contact with his zanpakuto, an explosion of red smoke is created by the collision. Itachi suddenly appears on Eiji''s left side and delivers a side kick. Eiji blocks the kick with the face of his sword but is sent flying back from the force. He lands on his feet and the two of them stare each other down again.


    Itachi raises his arm out in front of him with his palm facing Eiji. Eiji puts his sword out in front of him again.


    "Hado 33: Sokatsui!" A blue blast of reiatsu is shot out towards Eiji.


    "Tendou no Yari!" Eiji shoots out another blast from his zanpakuto. Itachi''s hado is completely overwhelmed by the blast and Itachi raises his other arm up.


    Eiji breathes heavily as he looks at where Itachi landed. As the dust settles, Itachi''s figure is seen standing up. His Asauchi was broken into two pieces and his right arm was bleeding and burnt. Itachi sheathes what''s left of his Asauchi and walks out from the rubble.


    ''He''s powerful but he lacks stamina. He doesn''t seem very good at reiatsu control when his shikai is active. Based on his previous reaction to blocking my hado, I know how to handle this now.'' Itachi thinks as he observes Eiji.


    "Bakudo 21: Sekienton!" A black cloud of smoke erupts from Itachi''s position and covers half of the ring. Eiji jumps back to the clear other half of the ring and watches for where Itachi might come from.


    Suddenly a red light is seen from inside the smoke. From the red light, a red sphere of reiatsu is launched at Eiji. Eiji blocks it with his sword, creating a large cloud of smoke upon impact. Eiji notices movement in the corner of his eye and turns to his right to see something emerging from the smoke. Instinctively, Eiji swings at it, only for his face to turn to shock as he realizes what he just swung his sword at. He sees Itachi''s broken zanpakuto emerge from the smoke, floating in the air from part of his shihakusho that he ripped up and tied to the handle.


    Itachi appears behind Eiji who was now completely wide open. Itachi jumps up and delivers a solid spinning kick to the back of Eiji''s head. Eiji''s zanpakuto reverts to its unreleased state as Eiji lets go of it while being sent flying across the ring and lands in the ground head first. Eiji''s limp body remained lying on the ground for a few moments without a single movement.

 Chapter 20 - Recovering

    The crowd was silent as they watched Eiji''s body fall to the ground. The announcer had no words as he waited for Eiji to possibly stand back up and continue fighting.


    ''So it takes more to push you to your limit and use those eyes again¡­'' Aizen''s grin slowly vanishes as he is disappointed he did not get to see Itachi use his eye technique.


    "His zanpakuto reverted back to its sealed state. This match is over." Byakuya comments.


    The crowd and announcer spend a few more moments waiting for a possible response from Eiji. The silence is broken by the announcer.


    "I DON''T BELIEVE. I CAN''T BELIEVE IT! SIXTH YEAR HIDEKI EIJI, WHO HAD HIS SHIKAI WAS TAKEN DOWN BY UCHIHA ITACHI! LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! THE WINNER OF THE FIRST SHINO ACADEMY TOURNAMENT IS FIRST YEAR UCHIHA ITACHI!"


    "I cant believe there are two such talents in the academy. One who has already awakened his Shikai this early, and another who beat him regardless." Aizen says with a smile.


    "Indeed" Even the silent Byakuya spoke up. It was indeed rare to find such a talent at the academy.


    "He has such an advanced proficiency in Kido, Hakuda and Hiho." Soi Fon commented.


    ''I should definitely recruit this student early. I doubt there is much the academy can teach him at this point.'' She thought to herself before turning to the headmaster.


    The audience cheers as Itachi stands in the middle of the arena looking around. He was a bit uncomfortable with the situation as he stood there. A couple of medical shinigami run into the ring and pick up Eiji to take him away.


    "Congratulations Uchiha. Meet me in my office after you have your injuries checked." The headmaster says to Itachi.


    "Thank you headmaster, I will." Itachi replies as the headmaster leaves the arena. He was a bit surprised. ''I wonder what the headmaster has in mind.'' he thought to himself before leaving with some of the medic.


    He makes his way over to the infirmary. He notices Itsuki and Taro were both there and sitting up. Daiyu and Kenta were both at Taro''s side. They watched as Itachi entered. They looked at him with some respect in their eyes. This first year student had not only won the tournament, but he had defeated a student who had already awakened his Zanpakuto. They had seen the sixth-year get carried in earlier. He was still unconscious.


    Itachi sat down and allowed the medic to heal his arm with kido. "The worst injuries are to your arms. I was able to heal most of the burns and stop the bleeding. But there is still a slight fracture in your arm. However, it''s nothing one or two days of rest wouldnt recover. Just wear this temporary sling for today.


    Itachi wore the sling and looked at his fully bandaged arm. ''Shikai, what a powerful weapon. Not only did it break my asauchi, it managed to injure my arm to this extent even after I blocked the attack using bakudo. I should be more careful. However, I managed to overcome it without using doujutsu¡­. It seems I have to elevate my strength further.


    "Alright that should be everything. Take care for a few days, alright?" The medic said to Itachi as he packed up his supplies.


    "Thank you very much. By the way, how is Eiji?" Itachi asked.


    "He should wake up very soon. He is quite the sturdy fellow. He only suffered some mild injuries on his body with the biggest being where you kicked him to knock him out. Anyway, take care of yourself and congratulations on winning." The medic replied before leaving.


    Taro and Itsuki made their way towards Itachi who was sitting down.


    "Congratulations, Itachi" Taro followed up. Daiyu and Kenta also congratulated him and they began their conversation.


    "Itachi, your skills should definitely allow you to graduate early. You should take this opportunity and speak to the headmaster about it." Taro suggested.


    "Really, you can graduate while still in your first year?" Itsuki questioned.


    "Yeah, don''t you remember Ounabara talking about it, although it''s incredibly rare, it''s possible to graduate while still in your first year. Captain Ichimaru of the third division graduated in his first year. There was also Hitsugaya, Toushiro who joined the 10th squad. He also graduated in a single year."


    "Amazing, so Itachi will be able to graduate early." Itsuki replied.


    "That''s right. It is difficult but definitely possible. My family on the other hand will most likely pull me out by next year, based on my growth". Taro said with slight excitement.


    "What?! You can do that?" Itsuki questioned.


    "The great noble families have a lot of influence, so they are able to do it." Taro replied. Eiji woke up as the group continued their conversation. Itachi notices Eiji waking up and walks over. Eiji slowly gets up and looks at Itachi.


    "Uchiha, good fight. I can''t believe I lost despite awakening my Zanpakuto." Eiji said, slightly ashamed. He worked hard to awaken his zanpakuto yet he still lost to a first year.


    "Just superficial. I should be fine by tomorrow. How about yourself." Eiji said, looking towards Itachi''s right arm. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to be so heavy handed, but you were really strong and I had to go all out." Eiji apologizes.


    "It''s alright. It should heal soon" Itachi replies.


    "Wow, I can''t believe you managed to awaken your Zanpakuto so early. I thought it generally takes years." Taro Interrupted.


    "Well, I just got lucky" Eiji smiled and replied.


    "Wow, I wish I had your luck then" Taro Snided.


    "Then are you going to be graduating this year as well?" Itsuki asked.


    "Yes, I spent six years properly learning all the fundamentals, It shouldn''t take anyone longer than 6 to be able to graduate. Besides I don''t have anything left to learn. It''s time to join the Gotei 13." Eiji said with an expectant look in his eye.


    "Did you have a specific squad in mind?" Taro asked.


    "Well, I am hoping to join the 10th squad. But normally it''s difficult to choose your squad."


    "Oh, then I hope I get accepted". Eiji said.


    Taro nodded but didn''t say anything further. He knew if Eiji requested to join squad 10, they would definitely accept him.


    Itachi was also a bit curious, he had some information about the squads, but he hadn''t made a concrete decision on which squad to join. ''So it looks like if you don''t show enough skill or potential to stand out, you would be placed in a random squad.''


    Itachi asked Taro a few more questions before he bid his farewells and left the infirmary. The others tried to persuade Itachi to rest a bit more, but were unsuccessful in doing so. He had already been treated and he still had to meet with the headmaster.


    ''In terms of joining a squad, the 2nd division works best with my previous experience. But for whichever one I join, I need to avoid the fifth division.''. Itachi thought to himself as he made his way over.


    Itachi arrives at the headmaster''s office and just as he is about to knock on the door, a voice calls out to him from inside.


    "Come in Uchiha." It was the voice of Ounabara. Itachi walks in and closes the door behind him. He sees the headmaster and Ounabara in the room. To Itachi''s surprise, Captain Soi Fon was also in the room. The headmaster signals for Itachi to take a seat.


    "Itachi, how is your arm?" The headmaster asked first as Itachi sat down.


    "I was told it would be healed fully in a few days." Itachi replied.


    I feel as though there isn''t anything the academy would be able to teach you. It would only be an hindrance to your growth if you were to remain here. I believe with someone of your talent the best experience would be to join a squad and polish your skills further."


    The headmaster reaches to a drawer in his desk and pulls out a paper. He hands the paper to Itachi. Itachi looks at the paper and reads the words on it. ''The Shino Academy certifies that Uchiha Itachi has successfully completed the Shinigami Training Course and is herewith awarded this certificate of training.''


    Itachi was a bit surprised. "This...?"


    "Captain Soi suggested that there is no longer any need for delay. It''s best for you to graduate as early as possible."


    Soi Fon nodded.


    "Congratulations, you deserved it." Ounabara adds in.


    "Thank you sensei." Itachi replies back. He was still slightly surprised that the captain of the second squad would ?ssist in his early graduation. ''If I recall, the 2nd Division is responsible for ?ssassinations, policing, scouting, and message couriers.''


    "One more thing." The headmaster says as he reaches under his desk and takes out a neatly folded black robe.


    "Since you''re no longer a student, you''ll be given this standard shinigami shihakusho." The headmaster hands Itachi the robe.


    Soi Fon steps up and looks at Itachi with a cold gaze. Itachi stands up from his seat and meets her gaze.


    "Uchiha Itachi. Now that you''re officially a shinigami, how would you like to join the second division as part of the executive militia?

 Chapter 21 - Prelude

    ''The executive militia. If I recall, the second squad is also integrated with the Onmitsukido. How ironic.'' Itachi thinks to himself as he remembers his time in the Anbu Black Ops back in Konoha.


    "This job is not a typical shinigami position. If you choose to join, I will explain further in detail. This position also may require you to make some difficult decisions, and you will have to get your hands dirty." Soi-Fon said in a cold voice.


    ''Protecting peace through its shadow...is what I''ve strived to do as a shinobi. This position is very well suited for someone like me. It will also allow me the chance to train my skills freely'' Itachi thinks for a moment before accepting Soi-Fon''s offer.


    "Thank you. I accept." Itachi replies.


    "Be at the courtyard at noon in 2 days." Soi-Fon says before nodding her head and vanishing from the room.


    ''Teleportation? No, that was shunpo.'' Itachi was slightly surprised at Soi Fon''s speed.


    "Itachi, congratulations once again. I hope that the 2nd division is correct for you." The headmaster says.


    "Thank you headmaster for your support." Itachi replies with a slight bow.


    "No. This was all through your own talent and efforts. The headmaster replies.


    Itachi bows one more time before leaving the room.


    "He''ll become a Captain one day." The headmaster says as he watches Itachi depart.


    --------------------------------


    Guest Hall


    In the central room of the hall, a figure was seen sitting in the middle of the room. Behind the figure was a young woman and a young man standing with their heads down.


    "Captain Kuchiki, I apologize for my loss." Akemi said straightforwardly. She had given it her all, but was no match for Itachi''s strength.


    "I also apologize for my loss" Daiki also quickly added on.


    "Akemi, your strength was simply too low compared to his. I had witnessed the final fight. Not only was his proficiency in close combat much higher than yours, his kido techniques were also far greater. Train harder from this. You will remain in the academy for a few more months. Focus on honing your strength, and I will arrange something for you." Byakuya said calmly.


    "Thank you for your guidance" Akemi replied and moved back.


    "As for you, your performance was disgraceful. The Kuchiki clan is one of the four noble houses. We must set the standard for all shinigami. It is fine to be arrogant, but you have nothing to show for your words. You will remain here until further notice. Make yourself scarce." Byakuya says, slightly raising his voice.


    "Yes!. I am sorry Captain Kuchiki!" Daiki was terrified. He promised to work harder before quickly departing the building.


    "I see you are still not settled with your loss. If my guess is correct, then the other captains have already made plans to have him graduate early. If you wish to get stronger then adjust your mind and train harder." He says before getting up and leaving the building.


    Akemi nods and follows behind.


    ------------------------------------------------


    Itachi leaves the building and starts heading back towards his dorm. As he makes his way over he notices Byakuya Kuchiki walking in tow with a few guards and Akemi in the back. Akemi notices Itachi, she bends her head down slightly before nodding in greeting. She never suspected Itachi to be so strong. He beat every competition on the way, and according to the clan leader there''s a high chance that he was already recommended for early graduation. They stop before Itachi.


    Itachi nods back at Akemi. He turns to Byakuya and bows his head. "Captain Kuchiki."


    Byakuya looks at Itachi holding the Shihakusho before commenting.


    "It seems that Captain Soi Fon has requested your early graduation."


    "That is correct." Itachi replies


    "Don''t become complacent." Byakuya says before walking away.


    ''What a long day'' Itachi thinks to himself before drifting into sleep.


    ------------------------------------


    Itachi woke up the next morning, his arm felt a lot better so he decided to take off the sling and put it away. He leaves the bandages on and exits the dorm. He notices Itsuki who walks up to him in greeting.


    "Yo Itachi! How is your arm?" Itsuki asks.


    "Almost healed completely." Itachi replies and the two make their way downstairs.


    "How about getting a bite to eat" Itsukis asks.


    Itachi nods.


    The two converse as they walk over to the cafeteria.


    "So, what happened yesterday. You left the infirmary quickly after getting treatment." Itsuki asks.


    "Huh!!. So you will graduate early after all. Congratulations!" Itsuki says.


    "Given your growth, I believe you should be able to by next year." Itachi says.


    "I should, but I think I will stay and continue honing my strength. I spoke with Eiji yesterday, and he made a good point. It will be much better for me if I were to display a sufficient amount of strength before attempting to graduate. I want to be able to choose the squad I get selected into." Itsuki says.


    "Not a bad plan." Itachi replies.


    "So anyway, which squad will you be joining?" Itsuki asks.


    "I will be joining the second division." Itachi replies.


    "The second division with captain Soi Fon. Why that division?" Itsuki was slightly surprised. He learned from Taro that the second division was a stealth corps unit. They also focused on gathering intel and scouting for hollows and the general line of work was generally more dangerous than the other divisions.


    "It is suitable for me." Itachi replied.


    "I see." Itsuki says.


    "Itachi, hey!" Taro greets. Kenta and Daiyu simply nod and sit down.


    "So Itachi, what happened yesterday. You left fast!" Taro asked.


    "The headmaster wanted to see me. I''m graduating early." Itachi replied.


    "That''s great, have you thought about which division?" Taro asked again.


    "Yes i will be joining the second division, and I will be leaving tomorrow." Itachi said.


    "What, tomorrow?, that''s sooner than normal, how did it happen?" Taro.


    "Captain Soi Fon recruited me." Itachi replied.


    The group naturally understood but were also shocked that Soi Fon went out of her way to personally have Itachi join. It seems the captain had favored Itachi''s talent and ?ssisted him in graduating earlier. Daiyu especially was surprised. The second division captain was also from the Feng clan like her. There was a one hundred percent chance that she would join the 2nd division as most of her clan members do. She didn''t think Itachi would also join the 2nd division.


    "The second division. Congratulations!" Taro said.


    "I can''t believe this is the last day. But I suppose we will meet again in the future. The Shihouin clan has a close affiliation with the second division. Taro said.


    "I can''t believe this is your last day. But it''s true, the sooner you get real experience, the stronger you can get right?" Itsuki added, slightly saddened. Itachi had been the one to ?ssist him and help him reach the level he was at. But he knew that he had been taught the foundations, the rest was upon him to improve. The mood turned slightly somber.


    "Let''s not get emotional, this is Itachi''s last day. Taro said.


    "Right!" Itsuki perked back up.


    Itachi smiled.


    The group continued their conversation. By evening, they had bid their farewells. Itachi made his way to the courtyard. He walked up to the memorial site that honored the students that had passed away from the last field exercise. He looks at Tatsumi''s name and gives a slight bow. He notices Eiji was also walking towards them.


    They both remain silent standing in front of the memorial.


    "I heard you are leaving tomorrow?" Eiji broke the silence and asked.


    Itachi nodded and continued looking at the memorial.


    "Thank you." Eiji said before leaving.


    Itachi stayed at the site for a few minutes. He cleared his head and turned around before making his way back towards the dorm.


    He notices a figure standing near the dorm. He was surrounded by a group of students with excited faces. The figure turned towards Itachi and gave a warm smile.


    Itachi looked at the figure and paused.


    ''Aizen''

 Chapter 22 - Onmitsukido

    "Please give me one moment," Aizen smiled and dismissed the students. He made his way over to itachi.


    "Uchiha, that was an excellent fight. Your skills have improved since the last time" Aizen said.


    "Thank you, I still have a lot to work on." Itachi replied.


    "Nonsense, you are easily one of the most talented individuals I''ve seen." Aizen replied.


    Itachi remained silent. He didn''t want to continue this conversation with Aizen.


    "Anyway, Uchiha I know Captain Soi Fon has already ?ssisted with your early graduation. If you are interested, the fifth division will welcome you with open arms." Aizen said.


    "Thank you for the offer, but I have already accepted to be in the 2nd Division." Itachi replied with a slight bow.


    "That''s a shame, It seems Captain Soi Fon beat me to it." Aizen said.


    "I apologize," Itachi replied.


    "Well anyway, take care of yourself Uchiha." Aizen said bidding his farewell. He walks past Itachi and continues on his way.


    Itachi turns around and looks at Aizen''s departing figure. ''I already told him it was part of my bloodline. Two months with the resources available to captains, there''s no doubt that he has researched it. He came to the tournament, but the instructor didn''t mention it, so he attended without prior notice. Did he come for me? Was he trying to see if the other students would be able to force me to use my sharingan? He also kept himself from inquiring about it now, but my instincts tell me he is interested. What is he planning? Or am I overthinking it. Either way I will be ready.'' Itachi thought to himself as he turned around and made his way back to his dorm.


    After entering his room he laid down and looked at the ceiling. ''Almost a year here.'' Itachi closes his eyes and drifts into sleep.


    The next morning, Itachi changed into his shinigami shihakusho and flung his Asauchi to his back. Before leaving the dorm, he checked out with the dorm manager. One last time, Itachi went back to the memorial site of Tatsumi.


    ''It was a good six months. I couldn''t have gotten this far without your help.'' Itachi leaves his academy shihakusho at the memorial and stays there until late morning. ''It''s almost noon, I should go meet with the Captain.''


    Itachi walks to the other side of the courtyard where he was supposed to meet Soi Fon. He looks around for her but doesn''t see her. Instead, he notices a large man with a large purple collar he has never seen before who was snacking on fried rice crackers. Itachi approaches the man and notices the lieutenant badge as he gets closer.


    The man notices Itachi approaching him. He stops eating his fried rice crackers and greets Itachi.


    "You must be Uchiha Itachi right? The Captain told me to wait here for you. I''m lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda! Captain Soi Fon is busy today so I''m here in her place!"


    "It is nice to meet you Lieutenant Omaeda." Itachi bows his head in respect. Omaeda reaches into his bag of rice crackers and puts one more handful in his mouth and scarfs it down before giving Itachi further instruction.


    "Captain wanted me to test you somehow but didn''t specify how. So I came up with something! I''m going to flash step to the division barracks and you need to keep up with me! Despite my plump exterior, I am the fastest in the second division not counting the Captain!" Omaeda boasts and laughs. "But just for you I''ll slow down a bit so try to keep up!"


    Itachi nods in compliance and Omaeda stuffs his bag of rice crackers into his shihakusho. He suddenly vanishes from his spot and Itachi follows.


    The two of them enter Seretei and run on top of the buildings at great speed. ''Despite his looks, he is very agile.'' Itachi notes. Omaeda looks behind him and sees Itachi keeping up. "Not bad, not bad!" Omaeda says as he speeds up with Itachi maintaining the same distance behind him. In a short amount of time, they reach the 2nd Squad barracks.


    "Here we are Uchiha!" Omaeda says as they walk inside. "Just pick any empty room and then I have a few tasks for you!"


    Itachi nods and walks down the hall. The hallway was very clean but also silent with not a single person to be seen. Itachi sees a room with no name on the door. Itachi goes into the room. It was a lot larger than his dorm room at the academy. Itachi didn''t bring a lot of things with him, only bringing his Asauchi. He takes a brief look before exiting and going back to the main hall to meet Omaeda.


    "Ok Uchiha, I have your first mission which is also your second test! It will be a test of speed like the last one!" Omaeda declares. Itachi nods and waits for his orders. Omaeda pulls out his wallet and takes out 100 kan. He gives it to Itachi. Do you remember where the store was on our way here?


    "Yes." Itachi responds with a little bit of doubt. ''The store?'' He had kept an eye out during their trip to the barracks and noted the surroundings. Although the store wasn''t as important he had still noted it.


    "As fast as you can, I want you to go to the convenience store and get me a 5-pack of fried rice crackers. Any flavor or brand will do but IT CANNOT BE FISH FLAVOR!"


    "Understood." Itachi vanishes from his spot and goes out the door. He quickly arrives in front of the convenience store. ''This important mission is errands. Is this some kind of test?'' Itachi questions as he goes in.


    ''So it was just an errand'' Itachi thinks to himself. Even he was somewhat baffled. ''Calling his errands an important mission? What were this man''s priorities¡­.''


    "Not bad Uchiha. I could have done it faster but you did okay!" Omaeda quickly opens one of the bags, causing a mess of crumbs to spill all over the floor. As he is about to put a cracker in his mouth, he feels a great amount of pain at the back of his head and drops all his crackers on the ground.


    "OOW OW OW!" Omaeda yells out. Soi Fon steps out from behind Omaeda.


    "YOU LAZY OAF! WHY ARE YOU WASTING THE NEW RECRUIT''S TIME BY MAKING HIM DO YOUR STUPID ERRANDS! LOOK AT THE MESS YOU MADE!" Soi Fon scolds Omaeda who starts to get on his knees and sweep the crackers off the floor. Soi Fon looks back at Itachi.


    "Come with me. I need to fully ?ssess what you are capable of before I send you out on missions." Soi Fon gestures Itachi to follow her. The two of them walk down the hall in silence. At the end of the hall, they approach a large room filled with shinigami dressed in all black with their faces covered in a mask.


    "I want to get you out on the field as quickly and efficiently as possible." Soi Fon says as she gestures at two of the shinigami to step up. The two of them stand in the center of the room.


    "These two have been a part of the executive militia for only a year. You are to fight both of them at the same time. I will warn you now these two are nothing like academy students. If you hesitate, they will not show mercy. I''ll step in if I have to but be prepared and do not hold anything back!." Soi Fon warns Itachi. Itachi nods before approaching the two of them.


    There were no words exchanged between the two of them. Without warning, they both lunge at Itachi with their blades drawn. Itachi narrowly dodges the blades and feels blood dripping from a cut on his cheek. ''These two are fast. If it was just one I could deal with it but two of them is a problem.'' The two shinigami don''t let Itachi catch his breath as they keep swinging their blades at him.


    Itachi continuously dodges the strikes of the two shinigami. ''Their speed is amazing. And their teamwork is also very good.'' He narrowly evades most strikes with a few managing to graze his clothes.


    ''I''ll have to end this now.'' Itachi''s eyes suddenly emit a red glow. As the two shinigami try to stab at Itachi, he grabs both of their arms mid thrust and redirects them away from him.


    ''What are with his eyes?'' Soi Fon thinks as she observes Itachi''s movements. ''He was just b?r?ly able to keep up with those two, but now he is reacting to them easily?''


    Itachi points both his hands at the two shinigami. "Bakudo 4: Hainawa." Two ropes catch the shinigami and Itachi pulls them together and slams them against each other.


    Soi Fon decides to step in. "That''s enough." Soi Fon says as Itachi releases his Bakudo and his eyes return to their original onyx.


    "You held up better than expected." Soi Fon comments. "Your fighting skills are fine but your flash stepping still needs work. Your footwork is better than the rest of the shinigami who graduate the academy but that is not enough for the Executive Militia. She didn''t ask about Itachi''s eyes. Although she was curious, it wasn''t important enough to her.


    "Yami get over here! The rest of you are dismissed!" Soi Fon yells out to the rest of the shinigami in the room. Within an instant, they all vanish from the room without a sound. One shinigami is left in the room. He removes his mask.


    "Yami, Shun reporting." He says as he kneels on the ground.


    "Stand up. You are going to be Uchiha''s mentor from now on. I want him caught up on flash stepping. The academy can only teach so much. I want him ready as fast as possible."


    "Yes Captain!" Shun replies. Soi Fon nods then suddenly vanishes from the room, leaving just Itachi and Shun.


    "Itachi right? You can just call me Shun. No need for formalities." Shun''s cold look softens as he extends his hand out to Itachi. Itachi shakes his hand in response.


    "So you''re not officially a part of the Executive Militia yet. This is like your probation period. That last test was to see how well you react in a life or death situation which you passed. However, the Captain wants your flash stepping to improve. We''ll be doing grueling training to get you caught up so you can be a full member of the executive militia. Sounds good?" Shun questions Itachi who replies with a nod.


    "By the way...what was the deal with your eyes?" Shun asks curiously.


    "It''s an ability of mine. I can react to attacks much easier." Itachi replies.


    "Oh that sounds handy. How long are you able to use it?." Shun comments.


    Itachi thinks about what he just said. Back when he was still alive, he had always kept his Sharingan active as both a way of not getting caught off guard and to somewhat mitigate his blindness. ''I haven''t been using my Sharingan nearly as much in the Academy as I had no need to. However, keeping my Sharingan up all the time now would be advantageous in the Onmitsukido.''


    "As long as I need to." Itachi says as he closes his eyes and opens them again. His eyes emit a faint red glow and Shun looks into them.


    "Now would be a good time to start training." Shun says while still looking into Itachi''s eyes. Shun then flash steps backward and reappears at the other side of the room.


    "Follow me outside." Shun says to Itachi. Itachi nods and the two of them vanish out of the room.


    Shun and Itachi reappear again outside in the 2nd Division training field.


    "You kept up well. It''s like your technique improved from just watching me!" Shun compliments. "Okay watch how I move." Shun vanishes from his spot then reappears at the end of the field then back again to his original spot.


    "As you probably learned about footwork in the academy, flash stepping is far more efficient when you take less steps. Here, we take that to the extreme. However, if you use too few steps and your body can''t keep up, you will fall flat on your face. Get good enough at flash stepping however and¡­" Shun suddenly reappears a few meters away from his original position but leaves a brief image of himself in his original spot. "I''m only able to make one. I''ve seen Captain Soi Fon make at least ten before."


    Itachi, who has been analyzing Shun''s technique with his sharingan, gets ready to attempt it.


    "This reminds me of how Shisui''s body flicker worked...except his afterimages were tangible¡­"


    So, that''s the proper technique to this...?''


    Itachi vanishes from his spot and reappears behind Shun, leaving an afterimage in his original spot. Shun is left with a shocked expression on his face as he turns around to see Itachi is both behind and in front of him.


    ''One afterimage exerts a lot of strength. I''ll need to train considerably more to create more than ten.''


    "Wow..I''ll let the Captain know you''re ready to show her your improvement by tomorrow. We''ll be at the same room we met in earlier tomorrow morning at 0500." Shun says.


    "But why don''t we spar for the rest of the day so I can show you some other things." Shun suggests.


    "That sounds good." Itachi replies. The two of them back up from each other and get into a fighting stance. They continue sparring and practicing until dusk. Itachi kept his sharingan active during the entirety of the training. By the time he reached his room, his exhaustion washed over him.


    ----------------------------------------------


    "Yami told me about your drastic improvement over the course of one day. Show me." Soi Fon says to Itachi.


    "Yes Captain." Itachi replies as he quickly moves backward from his original spot, leaving an afterimage in its place. Soi Fon''s eyes widened in surprise as Itachi had learned how to create an afterimage in only one day. She quickly regains her composure and comments.


    "This is acceptable." Soi Fon says as she vanishes from her spot then reappears, but this time, holding a neatly folded outfit.


    "This uniform is a symbol that you''ve been accepted as a part of the executive militia. You are to wear it instead of your standard shinigami shihakusho while you are part of the executive militia. Go put it on and come back here in one minute. I''m sending you out on your first mission immediately." Soi Fon orders Itachi.


    "Yes Captain." Itachi replies as he vanishes from the room to go change.

 Chapter 23 - First Mission

    Itachi arrives back in the room wearing his new uniform.


    "Good. Welcome to the Executive Militia. Since this is your first mission, I will be the one giving it to you. But after today, Yami will give you your missions. Now then, your first mission is to go to district 3 and scout the area for hollows. There have been an unusual amount of hollows appearing in that district. If you encounter hollows, send a hell bu??erfly back to report it and the other divisions will take care of them. Your mission is to scout, not fight so don''t unless you absolutely have to. That is all." Soi Fon says as she vanishes from the room.


    Yami slides his mask back over his face and nods at Itachi. The two of them step out of the room and head towards district 3. They converse briefly on the way to their target location.


    "This will be a good opportunity to test how stealthy you are. Although based on what I''ve seen of you, you move like you are adept at being discrete. Have you been trained in this before?" Shun questions Itachi.


    "I know the basics." Itachi humbly replies.


    "Basics huh?" Shun says as they both arrive at a forest clearing in the third district. They sense several hollows nearby and conceal their presence.


    "I''ll go south you go north. We''ll check this entire forest within a hundred kilometers and meet at this exact spot at sunset. If something unexpected happens, use the kido flare then quickly go back to the meeting spot. If I am not there within 10 min then leave immediately." Yami says as he hands Itachi a small cylinder.


    "Understood." Itachi replies. The two of them separate and go on their own way. As Itachi silently jumps through the trees, he reaches a clearing where he sees two hollows. He notes it and keeps going through the forest, encountering dozens of more hollows within the hour. ''Why are there so many here. I can understand one or two of them can show up but this many? Something is wrong¡­''


    As Itachi traverses the treetops, out of the corner of his eye, he notices something coming towards his head. With his sharingan constantly active, Itachi easily dodges it by leaning backwards and a blade hits the tree trunk next to him. He looks to his left and sees a masked figure looking at him. The masked figure flash steps away and just when Itachi was about to give chase, a large hollow, towering at roughly 10 meters, smashes through the trees towards Itachi. Itachi jumps out of the way but he feels a presence suddenly appear behind him. Itachi turns around to see the masked man as the masked man drives a blade through Itachi''s ?h?st.


    Suddenly, Itachi''s body starts to break down into crows and the masked man becomes confused at what just happened. Before he realizes it, he feels a blade touching his neck as Itachi was right behind him.


    "Not good enough." The masked man whispers as the hollow from earlier comes crashing through the tree trunks at both of them. The hollow winds up a punch but before it could fully throw it, its arm was cut off. It makes a loud crash to the ground and the hollow roars out, only for its roar to be cut abruptly as a blade goes through its mask into its head.


    "I thought you and your partner split up?!" The masked man questions.


    "We did." The figure on top of the decaying hollow jumps off it onto the branch Itachi and the man were standing on and looks at the man straight in the eyes through the holes in his mask. The man collapses to the ground and Itachi who was originally holding his asauchi to the man''s neck vanishes in a puff of smoke.


    The real Itachi, who was standing in front of the passed out man, bends over and unmasks him. Itachi ties him to a tree using Hainawa and releases the genjutsu. The man wakes up and looks up at Itachi. He tries to move but can''t due to being binded.


    "So the executive militia isn''t just all talk I see." The man comments. Itachi ignores his comment and leans in looking him in the eye with his face no more than 6 inches away. His eyes glow for a brief moment. The man looks at Itachi''s eyes and loses his focus. His eyes dim and he falls under an illusion.


    "Who are you and what do you have to do with these hollows." Itachi asks the man who was now under genjutsu.


    "My name is Kogura Tome. I was sent here to test hollow cultivation." Tome answers, still under genjutsu.


    ''Hollow cultivation. What?'' Itachi thinks to himself. ''Why are there shinigami ?ssisting in hollow growth?''


    "Who do you work for?" Itachi asks.


    "I work for...I-I w-w-work for..w-or-k f-ffffffff." The man''s face starts to contort and his head begins to glow. Itachi recognizes what is going on and jumps out of the way as fast as possible.


    Shun strides through the trees and notes the hollow locations. ''There shouldn''t be this many...this is unusual. There are too many in the area. I might need to kill some of the solitary ones to lower their numbers.''


    Shun stops at the edge of a forest clearing to see a couple of large hollows aimlessly walking around it. Shun suddenly feels the cold edge of a blade on his neck.


    "You''re out of your league, stealth corps." A man whispers next to Shun''s ear as he cuts the blade through Shun''s neck.


    "W-what?" The man is shocked that his blade went through Shun''s body entirely. ''An afterimage?'' The man turns around and Shun delivers a fierce kick to his head, knocking his mask off. He covers his face with one of his hands and has his blade drawn out in front of him with his other.


    As both of them stare each other down, waiting for the other to make a move, a large explosion in the distance interrupts their concentration.


    ''That came from Itachi''s direction¡­'' Shun thinks as he looks back at the man who had a panicked look on his face.


    ''No...that explosion was from the revelation seal...why would it go off now?'' The man reveals a strange bracelet on his arm and points his hand at Shun. Shun instinctively jumps back as both of the hollows in the clearing come bursting through the trees. The mysterious man uses this chance to escape and quickly leaves the area while Shun tries to fight off two large hollows.


    ------


    The trees that once stood in the area were reduced to ashes. Itachi stood in the clearing with his arms out in front of him. He managed to cast Enkosen just in time to block a majority of the blast but his uniform was in tatters and he had minor burns scattered across his body.


    ''That explosion...was from a pre planted kido meant to set off only when certain information was revealed. It''s similar to the curse seal.'' Itachi looks around and sees his burnt surroundings. He tries to find the body but cannot find it. ''Must have been completely incinerated by that blast. Hollow cultivation¡­'' Itachi''s thoughts are cut off as he someone out of the corner of his eye watching him. Itachi looks around with his Sharingan and notices someone behind a tree trunk trying to conceal their presence.


    ''That person there...it''s not Shun. It could possibly be an accomplice to Tome¡­'' Itachi flash steps towards the man, leaving an afterimage in his place.


    ''Who is that guy?'' The man behind the tree trunk looks at Itachi, seeing he is not moving. Suddenly he hears someone land next to him. He quickly turns his head and his eyes meet Itachi''s gaze. The man falls to the floor and Itachi picks him up, putting him over his shoulder. ''It''s not sun down yet but I should find Shun immediately and report this.'' With his free hand, Itachi sends out the small flare and then vanishes as he flashes back to the original meeting spot. Once he arrives he takes out the hell bu??erfly and sends a message back to the 2nd division.


    He waits at the meeting spot for a few more minutes before another figure lands in front him.


    The new figure was Yami.


    "Itachi, what happened??" Yami asks as he looks towards the figure Itachi is carrying.


    "This is an ?ssailant I ran into in the forest. He may have something to do with the large amounts of hollows in this area. He had an accomplice, who unfortunately perished. They seem to have kido placed in them that explodes to prevent specific information from being leaked." Itachi said.


    "So that''s what the explosion was earlier. For these guys to use a method like that..." Yami ponders for a moment before sending a message back as well with a hell bu??erfly.


    "Itachi, we will group and wait to receive further instructions before acting."


    "Understood." Itachi replies and the two vanish.

 Chapter 24 - Reconnaissance

    Itachi and Shun both find a resting place near the outskirts of the forest. Itachi applies a balm to some of the burns. He was surprised at how effective they were in healing his injuries.


    "So Itachi, is this the other guy?" Shun asked, pointing towards the unconscious man.


    " Yes, he is related to the other ?ssailant we saw." Itachi replies.


    "Did you try to get any information?" Shun asked.


    "No, they seemed to have some sort of seal placed on them. The enemy I interrogated exploded when he was just about to answer. Although I have not heard of a technique like this in soul society." Itachi answered.


    "There isn''t a technique like it." Shun said gravely.


    "The only thing I can think of is something was placed inside. And the only division that would cook up something like this would be the twelfth division, which is also known as the research and development division." Shun continued.


    "Itachi, the only thing I can think of is that there is a group of deserters here, who happen to be prior members of the twelfth division."


    "I see, so what is the plan now?" Itachi asked.


    "Since we don''t know what they are planning I will need to ascertain our next step with the captain. There are also numerous hollows here. So we will send the information of the group of hollows in the area. Most likely the option now would be to wait for reinforcements." Shun replied.


    "Itachi you remain here. I will provide the information of the hollows and your location, so you can meet with the other shinigami and ?ssist them in dispatching the hollows. I will take the deserter back to the barracks to see what we can do." Shun said.


    "Alright. If you need to wake him up, just hit him with a heavy jolt of reiatsu." Itachi replied.


    "Okay. Be careful" Shun said before grabbing the man and vanishing from the area.


    Itachi sat against the tree and looked towards the sky. He had his own thoughts on the matter.


    ''Hollow growth? Why are deserters raising the hollow''s strength? What reason did they have for leaving? No matter how much I think about it, I feel that there is a key point I am missing.''


    Itachi sat alone busied with his thoughts.


    Meanwhile, Shun finally arrives back at the second division barracks. He walks in with the masked man slung over him. ''Wow, I don''t know what Itachi did, but this guy didn''t even show signs of waking up. I travelled quite fast as well.'''' Shun thought to himself as he made his way over to the central building.


    He enters through the main door. He sees captain Soi Fon already dispatching some other members to various locations. He walks up and greets her.


    "Captain." Shun says as he bows.


    "Hmm, how was the mission? Where is the newcomer? And who is that?" Soi Foin asked, slightly frowning. She was slightly surprised as well. Although the mission seemed dangerous, it was not something that would be difficult for someone like Shun and Itachi.


    "Captain, there were some unexpected variables during the mission. It seems the reports were false. There were dozens. Although they are all relatively low leveled. It seemed strange to see such a large group of hollows together." Shun replied.


    "What?! How did a large group of hollows go unnoticed." Soi Fon questioned.


    "This¡­ we don''t know. The only clue we found are two shinigami who were at the scene. They became hostile the moment they saw us. One died, but Itachi was able to capture the second one." Shun replied as he dropped the individual in front of Soi-Fon.


    "Then quickly wake him up and interrogate him!" Soi Fon commanded.


    "Captain, we cannot." Shun quickly responded.


    "Why not?" Soi Fon asked.


    "This, we deduced that there might be a strange weapon embedded in these men that explodes when they try to reveal certain information. The other man who was with him perished before Itachi was able to get any specific answers about who their leader is." Shun replied.


    "What? How can such a weapon exist? Is this someone''s zanpakuto ability? Soi Fon asked.


    "No, but there is a chance that these deserters were members of the twelfth division" Shun replied.


    "The twelfth division. That damn exile who changed it 60 years ago. I knew they would crop up trouble." Soi Fon said, annoyed.


    Shun remained silent. He knew all too well about the Captain''s dislike towards the twelfth division and that particular person.


    "Fine, Invite someone over, I want this taken care of as soon as possible. And as for the reinforcements, I''ll go ahead and send word for someone to head to the forest to ?ssist Uchiha."


    "Yes Captain!" Shun replied and gave a quick bow before leaving the room. Soi sent out the hell bu??erfly towards Squad 11. When it came to direct combat, they had the highest strength and would dispatch the group of hollows without too much trouble.


    ------------------


    "Hello, I am Akon, the 3rd seat of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute."


    "Welcome. We suspect this is a deserter from your division. Please confirm whether the deserter is a member of the twelfth division." Shun said.


    "Hmm... I don''t know all the people in our division, but I remember this guy. He was usually following Nobutoshi Shin, who was also a deserter. This can''t be the only thing right?" Akon asked.


    "No, of course not, at the moment his origin is of little importance. He had a partner who we also fought, and right as he was about to speak, he exploded. I don''t know any kido spell that is able to do such a thing. So the only thing I can think of is that it''s a weapon. And the twelfth division is usually leading in such practices. We have knocked this man out because we are afraid of the situation occurring once again." Shun explained.


    "Exploding man..." Akon murmured. ''Captain Mayuri indeed created something similar. But it was more a side project to him''. He thought to himself.


    "By the way, who knocked him out?" Akon asked.


    "Hmm, It was my partner, why?" Shun replied.


    "Although I am not as skilled at examining injuries as the 4th division. I can see that arent any distinctive physical injuries. He may be unconscious, but it''s almost as if he is asleep." Akon commented.


    "It could be his zanpakuto ability, but either way none of your concern. Just examine the prisoner to see if there is a similar explosive." Shun said quickly, changing the subject.


    "Alright, alright. Akon no longer pressed it and continued examining the body. Yes there is a seal placed on him as well. It looks like it was coded to explode if certain words were uttered." Akon replied.


    "Can it be removed?" Shun asked.


    "Of course, it''s a piece of cake. Although It is somewhat unique and novel, it''s not at the level where it could stump me. Besides me there are also 3 or 4 others who could easily remove this" Akon said proudly.


    "Enough bragging, just remove it" Shun retorted.


    "Fine." Akon quickly went to work. A few moments later, he was able to quickly dissolve the seal.


    "Alright, you can go ahead and do your questioning." Akon said moving to the side.


    Shun walked up to the man and struck him in the ?h?st with reiatsu.


    "Gurgh!" the man opened his eyes and sat up, feeling pain in his ?h?st. He looked around. The last thing remembered was a sudden figure appearing behind him and he passed out. He was unable to move and he looked towards Shun, who had a cold look in his eye. He shuddered a bit before noticing Akon who was standing in the corner.


    "Alright now let''s talk." Shun said coldly before sending Akon out.


    He had a cold expression as he made his way over. He may seem nice to others, but he had his fair share of battles. He had killed many shinigami and hollow alike and participated in interrogations. The was the real Shun, who is part of the stealth corps.


    ''Wow, this guy is ruthless enough.'' Akon thought.


    The guards outside remained standing without an expression on their face.


    Around 10 minutes later, the screams slowly died off and Shun made his way out of the room.


    "Discard his body." Shun said to the guards nearby. But before they went into the room, Akon interrupted.


    "Wait, since he used to be a member of our division, do you mind if I take him with me? We can run a few tests on him." Akon suggested.


    Shun thought for a moment before nodding.


    Akon thanked him and exited the hall with the corpse and let out a sigh. ''At least you can be useful in your death.'' Akon thought as he left the squad 2 barracks.


    Shun made his way back to Captain Soi Fon and reported his findings. He confirmed the suspects to be deserters of the twelfth squad. He confirmed that the deserters were testing something with the hollows. Soi Fon nodded.


    "Good, go back and ?ssist Itachi and clear the hollows. I''ve already sent word. Assistance will be provided to you when you arrive. Go!" Soi Fon said.


    ------------


    Squad 11 Barracks


    "I can''t believe this, my first official mission!" the shinigami exclaimed.


    "Quiet down!" the other replied. Besides, weren''t you in the 5th division very recently, why the sudden transfer."


    "I didn''t get enough missions to train and raise my strength. Besides If I want to surpass that person, I need to train everyday." He commented.


    "I see, well good luck newbie."


    "Iba, where are we meeting the second squad scout?


    "Hmm, I think he should be near the forest entrance. We received the location from the 2nd squad.


    The two made their way over.


    -----------


    Near the forest entrance


    There was a small fire, and a young man was seated at the top of the tree. He looked towards the distance and saw two approaching shinigami. He received a message that reinforcements would be arriving to ?ssist him.


    He gave a brief look before he flash stepped towards their direction.


    The two were making their way over before a figure suddenly appeared before them.


    Itachi gave a quick look to see the 11th division badge on one of the members. One was a big man, with a distinctive haircut and a light mustache. He was wearing sunglasses and smoking out of a pipe. He carried a small sword and the hilt was poking out of the uniform. The other was a young man with long crimson hair. He had quite a few tattoos and was wearing shades as headgear.


    "Are you the scout we were supposed to meet. I am Iba, Tetsuzaemon. 4th seat of the 11th Division."


    "I am Abarai, Renji, of the 11th Division."

 Chapter 25 - Hollow Extermination

    "I am Uchiha, Itachi, Squad 2." Itachi introduces himself to the two shinigami. Itachi br??fs them both quickly on the situation with the hollows just as Shun arrives back from the second division.


    "So this is the other guy then?" Iba asks, looking at Shun, who was panting slightly from traveling back and forth between the division and the forest at full speed.


    "I''m Yami Shun." Shun says to Iba and Renji. "I ?ssume Itachi already briefed you on the situation so I''ll get to the point. We''ll split up into two man teams to deal with the hollows. Itachi, you take red hair and deal with the hollows to the north. I''ll take shades over here and deal with the hollows in the south."


    Itachi nods before flash stepping out of his stop.


    Renji grumbles about being called red hair before following Itachi.


    Iba nods and follows behind Shun.


    "Hey Itachi, how many hollows have you killed?" Renji suddenly asks.


    Itachi is a little surprised at the sudden question, but he replies with no change in expression. "Not too many."


    "Ah, well I have killed a lot, so don''t worry" Renji replied nervously.


    ''He looks very tense, and it seems like he is still relatively new at this. Good thing the hollows aren''t very strong unlike the ones back from the field exercise...'' Itachi thinks to himself before replying.


    Itachi nods and replies "Then I''ll be counting on you." Just as he replies, he hears a few roars coming from the distance.


    He instantly speeds towards the hollows, the moment he reappears, he takes into account the location of each hollow based on the roars. He looks back and notices Renji tailing far behind in the distance. ''Looks like I went too fast.'' He waits a moment before Renji finally arrives slightly panting.


    "Wow, you are really fast!" Renji comments.


    "My division focuses on speed so we can perform missions more efficiently" Itachi replies.


    "Right." Renji replies.


    Renji hears roars from the forest and begins to move in their direction. However, just as he is about to, Itachi makes a gesture for Renji to stop and points ahead. About twenty meters away, stood two large hollows, both towering at about five meters.


    "I''ll take one you take the other." Itachi says to Renji.


    "Sounds good to me." Renji replies as he draws his blade. Itachi vanishes from his spot and appears on top of the hollow''s head. He quickly stabs through the hollow''s mask without the hollow making a sound or realizes what happened before flash stepping out.as Renji watches in awe.


    "He''s good. I won''t fall behind " Renji says as he charges in towards the other hollow. The hollow takes notice of Renji and turns around to swing at him, only for its hand to be cut off from the rest of its arm. Renji charges in one more time and the hollow lets out a deafening roar.


    ''That roar is going to attract more hollows¡­'' Itachi thinks to himself as he watches from the trees.


    "My sunglasses¡­" Renji says in despair as he takes them off his forehead. "Dammit!" Renji yells as he charges back in at the hollow. Another three hollows come bursting through the trees near Itachi''s side and run towards Renji.


    ''I should step in now.'' Itachi thinks as he jumps off the branch he was standing on. He lands on the back of one of the hollows and cuts through its neck quickly. Itachi looks ahead and sees the other two hollows still charging towards Renji, who was still fighting.


    "Hado 31: Shakkaho." Itachi raises both his hands up in front of him. Two red orbs are fired from his palms and hit the hollows in the back, incinerating their upper halves. During this time, Renji managed to defeat the hollow he was fighting. He turns around and sees Itachi standing over the bodies of three defeated hollows.


    ''This guy took out three hollows behind my back while I was trying to fight off one?'' Renji thinks as he looks at Itachi.


    "There should be a few more up ahead." Itachi says before flash stepping away.


    "Hey wait up." Renji yells as he tries to keep up with Itachi.


    ---------


    "Never got your name." Shun says to Iba as he jumps through the trees.


    "Iba Tetsuzaemon." Iba replies to Shun. Shun nods before making a gesture to stop. The two of them look past the trees and see two large hollows in a clearing.


    "I''ll take the one on the right." Iba says as he jumps out from the trees.


    "Sure thing." Shun flash steps to the hollow on the left. He quickly decapitates it and looks over at Iba who had just finished killing his hollow.


    "There''s more further in." Shun comments as he and Iba disappear into the forest.


    They kill through a few more before charging towards the rest.


    ------


    After half an hour of killing dozens of hollows, the two groups meet back up to discuss.


    "All of the hollows have been cleared on our end." Renji says.


    "Good, we finished with our side as well" Iba responds


    "Great, then we will inform you if new news comes up. Thank you for the ?ssistance."


    Iba nods and the two return to their squadrons.


    "So Renji, how was the mission." Iba asks.


    "It was great. I have never fought this many hollows at once before." Renji replies.


    "It''s good that you experienced it. Sometimes you may face similar situations, so you have to be ready." Iba said


    "Yes sir." Renji says.


    "So how many were you able to slay?" Iba asks, smiling.


    "A few, but not as many as that Itachi guy.." Renji replies.


    "Oh? He is a scout mostly. Did he have that much strength"


    "Yes, he was able slay so many Hollows so quickly. Not only that, he was very good at using kido!" Renji replies with a hint of envy, as his own kido skills had always been lacking.


    -----


    "What''s next mission Shun?" Itachi asks.


    "Nothing for now. We''ll go back to the squadron and wait for further instruction. If you''re not tired out from fighting hollows, we can get some training in." Shun suggests Itachi. Itachi nods and they quickly return to the barracks.


    The two arrive at the barracks and make their way towards the training fields.


    "Since both of us will most likely be working together on this mission, we should work on teamwork tactics." Shun says to Itachi as they walk down the hall on the way to the training field.


    "I do have a few ideas in mind for that¡­" Itachi says as he remembers the times he was partnered with Kisame and Juzo.


    They walk outside to the training field and stand facing each other.


    "So what are the ideas you have? I''m a bit surprised because you always came off to me as a lone wolf kind of guy." Shun asks Itachi.


    "There are formations we can call out depending on the situation. It will play to our strengths while effectively disrupting the opponent long enough to land a decisive blow." Itachi explains the rest of the formation''s plan to Shun. Shun thinks about it for a moment and nods his head in approval.


    "Okay I can get with this plan. But I''m confused about one of your techniques. It''s not like any kido I''ve ever heard of." Shun questions. Itachi doesn''t give Shun a verbal reply but instead starts weaving hand signs very quickly.


    Shun looks at Itachi with surprise. ''Hand signs?''

 Chapter 26 - Stealth Corps Code

    The following day after training -


    Itachi and Shun wait in the meeting room for their orders. Soi Fon arrives and they both stand up and bow to the Captain.


    "At ease you two. We''re going over the mission now." Soi Fon says then continues, "I sent the information Yami pulled from his interrogation to the Inner Court Troop. They did some research and scouting while you two were fighting hollows and managed to come up with a location for this guy." Soi Fon stops for a moment and looks at Itachi.


    "Normally I wouldn''t put someone so new on something this important but your performance so far has been above expectations so this will be a good experience for you. You also had a key role in the mission''s success by capturing one of the ?ssailants last time. And, since you have Yami with you, this should be done without too much trouble." Soi Fon says as she looks at Yami. She hands Yami a scroll. Yami opens the scroll and reads what is on it.


    "Those are the coordinates you are to go to. It''s an old warehouse in the second Rukongai district. The Inner Court Troop deduced that the man who is behind these stuff is Nobutoshi Shin and he is using that as his base of operations. Central 46 was informed and made this a kill order. Both of you are to depart immediately and ?ssassinate him." Soi Fon says to Itachi and Shun.


    "Yes Captain!" Both Itachi and Shun say as they vanish instantly from the room.


    In a short amount of time, they reach the warehouse in Rukongai. They conceal their presence and hide out of sight behind some buildings. Shun looks around and sees a few guards patrolling the fence.


    "I haven''t got a chance to see how well you perform at infiltration but so far your concealment of reiatsu is perfect. I''d like to test you here." Shun says to Itachi


    "I am average." Itachi nods and replies.


    "Well aren''t you humble. You go in first I''ll follow behind."


    Itachi nods and vanishes from his spot. He reappears on top of the fence right above where a person was patrolling. Itachi jumps down from the fence with a noticeably loud thud as he hits the ground. The person hears him and turns around, looking straight into Itachi''s Sharingan.


    Before he had the chance to utter a noise, he fell to the ground. Shun appears behind Itachi.


    "While you dealt with that guy, I did a quick scout around the warehouse. There are no other guards and there is an open window at the top of the warehouse. We can sneak in through there and exit through there once we kill the guy." Shun gestures to go to the roof and the two of them jump up to the roof of the warehouse. In front of them they see the window cracked open just enough for a person to fit.


    Shun approaches the window cautiously but Itachi grabs his shoulder and stops him.


    "It''s a trap." Itachi says while he looks through the window with his Sharingan. Shun immediately senses something underneath them and both of them jump off the roof of the warehouse.


    From the fire and smoke of the destroyed warehouse, a lone figure of a person could be seen inside, slowly walking out. Itachi watches with his Sharingan and Shun has a confused look on his face.


    "This guy''s reiatsu...it''s like a shinigami...but something is off¡­" Shun comments. Itachi remains silent and keeps observing.


    "So they send two fodder shinigami after me? I was hoping to at least fight a lieutenant. You two won''t do at all¡­" A voice murmurs from the smoke. The person walks out and is completely visible to both Itachi and Shun.


    "Is this Nobutoshi?...His sclera are completely black and his eyes have a menacing yellow glow much like a hollow''s¡­" Shun gets into a fighting stance.


    "We need to kill him now Itachi." Shun flash steps in with his fastest speed and lands a solid kick to the side of the man''s head. Nobutoshi takes a few steps back but quickly regains his balance.


    "I guess if I kill you, maybe your Captain will show up?" Nobutoshi gives Shun an ominous smile. Itachi appears behind Nobutoshi but Nobutoshi flares his reiatsu and lets out a loud roar, pushing both of the shinigami back. Itachi regroups with Shun as Nobutoshi stares at both of them.


    "No...I won''t kill you...I''LL MAKE YOU MY TEST SUBJECTS!" Nobutoshi says as he starts laughing maniacally. Shun looks at Itachi and Itachi looks back at him.


    "Formation C." Itachi says. Shun nods and gets ready.


    "Formations? Do your worst!" Nobutoshi says as he regains his composure and faces both Itachi and Shun. His face later turns to confusion however as he sees Itachi draw his blade and cut straight through Shun''s back.


    "Hado 33: Sokatsui." Itachi fires a blue blast of reiatsu at Nobutoshi, creating an explosion and sending Nobutoshi flying back towards the warehouse. Itachi and Shun watch patiently to wait for a counterattack.


    Instead, Nobutoshi lay face up on the ground looking at the sky. "I wanted to use them, but instead I''ll just kill them!" Nobutoshi yells as he gets back up. He looks back at Itachi and Shun with killing intent.


    "This guy is persistent...let''s do formation B." Shun suggests.


    "Formation B. Understood." Itachi starts to weave hand signs as Shun casts a bakudo.


    "Bakudo 21: Sekienton!" A large cloud of smoke erupts from where they are both standing. Nobutoshi lets out a smirk and charges in straight towards the smoke.


    "Fire style: Fireball Jutsu."


    As Nobutoshi approaches the smoke, he sees a large fireball emerge from it. Nobutoshi stops in his tracks and tries to block the fireball with his hands. He manages to hold onto it briefly before dispelling it with his reiatsu. At this time, Shun points his hand at Nobutoshi.


    "Bakudo 4: Hainawa." As the fireball dissipates, Nobutoshi feels his body suddenly confined as his arms are pressed tightly against his body.


    "Bakudo 37: Tsuriboshi." Nobutoshi soon finds himself covered in an elastic substance and struggles to break free. In this time, both Shun and Itachi positioned themselves to be at opposite sides of Nobutoshi for a pincer attack. They both charge in with their blades drawn and cut through both the bakudo and Nobutoshi. A large amount of blood gushes from the cocoon and a deafening, beastly scream is let out.


    "Now the real fun starts." Nobutoshi says in a distorted voice. He vanishes from his spot and reappears in front of Itachi.


    ''He''s fast. Faster than Shun.'' Itachi thinks as Nobutoshi throws a punch at him. Itachi is able to dodge the punch thanks to the Sharingan''s increased reaction speed and Itachi manages to throw his own punch at Nobutoshi. Nobutoshi dodges the punch and the two of them start to rally punches and kicks between each other. ''I may be able to keep up with his speed but his power is a different story. I can''t keep blocking like this¡­'' Itachi says as he feels the force of the punches and kicks reverberate through his body. Itachi manages to find an opening and makes some distance between himself and Nobutoshi.


    Nobutoshi sees what Itachi is doing and quickly closes the gap between them. He charges straight towards Itachi and lands a solid punch to Itachi, only for Itachi''s body to suddenly start breaking down into crows and flying away.


    Shun appears next to Nobutoshi and sends a kick towards his face. Nobutoshi blocks the kick and grabs Shun''s leg. As he grabs Shun''s leg he feels a sharp pain in his ?h?st. He lets go of Shun''s leg and looks behind to see it was Itachi who stabbed him.


    He glares at Itachi and releases a large amount of Reiatsu, blasting both Shun and Itachi away from him. Itachi gets his balance back and lands. He looks back up at Nobutoshi and notices something going on with where he just stabbed him. He sees the stab wound seal back up and heal.


    "Instantaneous regeneration...a trait that some hollows use¡­" Shun says as he appears next to Itachi. Shun and Itachi watch as Nobutoshi starts emitting a foul reiatsu and his body slowly transforms. His arms and legs become the same color as his mask and a hole starts growing in his ?h?st.


    "He''s transforming into a hollow?!" Shun looks at Nobutoshi but is unable to get near due to the sheer amount of reiatsu being released that is pushing him back.


    "Instantaneous regeneration with immense power and speed...even my genjutsu seems to have a limited effect on him because of the difference in reiatsu¡­" Itachi keeps observing Nobutoshi, going over many scenarios in his head in rapid succession in order to form a plan to beat him.


    "Itachi, I''m going in. The only way to kill this guy at this point is a strike through the head. Even if I die, make sure you finish him off." Shun says to Itachi before flash stepping in. Shun delivers a heavy kick aimed at Nobutoshi''s chin. Nobutoshi takes one step back from the force of the blow but retaliates by grabbing Shun''s face. A red light starts to emit from Nobutoshi''s hand towards Shun''s face.


    At the last moment, Itachi appears and cuts off Nobutoshi''s hand, cancelling the cero. He grabs Shun and flash steps away before the reiatsu in the dislodged hand explodes, knocking back Nobutoshi in a large red explosion.


    Itachi puts Shun down and Shun gets up. He gives Itachi a disappointed look.


    "You could have killed Nobutoshi there. But instead you saved me."


    "Letting you die there just for a chance to kill Nobutoshi is not worth letting a comrade die. If you deemed Nobutoshi someone who you need to give your life to kill, you haven''t found his weakness. Every technique, every enemy has a weakness. We simply need to find it." Itachi replies to Shun with a stern look.


    Shun''s expression softens slightly. "That way of thinking may work for you but it''s not how we do things here in the Executive Militia. I''m sure you know about how we use an ally''s death as an opening to kill our target."


    Itachi does not reply to Shun and looks back at Nobutoshi who was getting back up from the explosion.


    "His reiatsu keeps rising. We''ll do formation A." Itachi says to Shun. Shun nods and charges in, with Itachi close behind. Both Itachi and Shun are taken by surprise as Nobutoshi disappears from their line of sight. Nobutoshi reappears with a loud boom sound next to them.


    With great speed, Nobutoshi swings his arm at Itachi. Itachi looks at Nobutoshi directly in the eye.


    ''Genjutsu: Sharingan.''


    Nobutoshi ignores it and continues his attack on Itachi. Itachi''s Sharingan manages to let him react to it and b?r?ly dodge it as he steps back. Shun jumps in to attack Nobutoshi but gets grabbed at the waist. Nobutoshi lets out a roar as he charges another cero and a bright light envelops Shun.


    ''Even if I kill Nobutoshi, the reiatsu that is built up in its hand will still go off and kill Shun.'' Itachi jumps over the hollows head and attempts to cut off its hand again. However his blade only b?r?ly scrapes across the surface of the hollow''s skin. Itachi could only watch as the cero is fired from Nobutoshi''s hand and envelops him entirely.


    As the smoke cleared from Nobutoshi''s hand, Nobutoshi released his grip and all that was left were a pair of legs.


    ''Why did my blade bounce off its skin? Does it have some sort of skin hardening technique?'' Itachi looked back at the remains of Shun''s body. ''My weakness let another comrade die...I...''


    Itachi looks back at Nobutoshi who was glaring at Itachi. Itachi closes his eyes briefly and reopens them, activating his Mangekyou Sharingan.


    In that brief instant, Itachi catches a glimpse of Captain Soi Fon.


    "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi." Soi Fon draws out her Zanpakuto and stabs Nobutoshi in the back with it. She winds her arm back and stabs the same spot again.


    "Nigeki Kessatsu." Nobutoshi''s body suddenly starts to glow and break down. His hollowfied state disappears and his human body starts to break down as well. Before Nobutoshi has a chance to fully disintegrate, he whispers one last sentence as he looks at Itachi.


    "Sixty...years...exile¡­" Nobutoshi murmurs to himself quietly before his body vanishes. Soi Fon didn''t hear his voice but Itachi understood clearly when he saw his lips move with his Sharingan. Itachi deactivates his Mangekyou Sharingan and looks back at Soi Fon.


    Soi Fon ignores Itachi and goes to Shun''s remains. Several other Executive Militia shinigami arrive on the scene.


    "I want this place cleaned up immediately!" Soi Fon yells out. The shinigami immediately start clearing the area out.


    "Now.. now.. Captain Soi Fon let me take care of this. I''ll gladly take whatever is left in that warehouse!" A voice suddenly appears behind Soi Fon. Soi Fon turns around and sees Captain Kurotsuchi.


    "I would also love to study the remains of that shinigami over there." Mayuri points towards Shun''s remains.


    "You can take the warehouse but those remains stay with us." Soi Fon gives Mayuri a cold look and the two of them engage in a brief staredown.


    "No need to be so hostile to each other." Another Captain appears next to them and gives a soft smile.


    "And what are you doing here Captain Aizen?" Soi Fon instead focuses her attention on Aizen.


    "Wouldn''t anyone come to investigate if there was a large hollow reiatsu that could be felt from Seretei?" Aizen replies while still smiling.


    "Fine. Just don''t stand in our way." Soi Fon says as she walks away from Aizen.


    She heads towards Itachi who remains staring at what is left of shun.


    "Are you saddened by his death?" Soi Fon asks.


    Itachi remains silent. He had seen death numerous times and had even participated in his own family''s massacre. Although he was saddened, he kept his composure.


    "Don''t be, remember our creed, If your comrade is being defeated, you should see it as an opportunity. Rather than standing in the way, you should stab the enemy in the back. And if the enemy is so far above your level that you cannot even manage that, then you should let your comrade die. That is the way of the Onmitsukid¨­." Soi says coldy before walking away.


    Itachi remains standing, thinking about his own past.

 Chapter 27 - Maggots Nest

    "Captain Soi Fon." Itachi calls out. Soi Fon stops walking but doesn''t turn around.


    "I can acknowledge the mistakes I made in this battle. My past self may have lived by the way of the Onmitsukido, but that is something I didn''t realize until the moment before my death. Using your comrade''s life to take another, is what the Onmitsukido sees as "correct." But what they define is correct is simply their "reality," not my own."


    Soi Fon turns back around hearing this and walks back to Itachi, looking him in the eyes.


    "Uchiha, you are without a doubt a gifted individual. When I saw you fight, I noticed your battle hardened demeanor. I thought you had a certain "ruthlessness" within you, one that I could nurture to one day surpass even myself. However, it appears I misread you entirely and that darkness you harbor is nothing more than a remnant of your past self." Soi Fon turns back around and starts walking away but then stops.


    "Also, I don''t care for what is right or wrong. I execute my orders for the sake of Soul Society. I eliminate every enemy that will stand in the way of the Gotei 13. I don''t distrust your loyalty but if you were to one day become an enemy of Soul Society, you too will become my enemy. Now stop wasting time. The mission is complete so go back to the barracks." Soi Fon says then continues walking.


    Soi Fon''s words sink into Itachi''s head. ''I know that all too well...I became the enemy of Konoha for the sake of Konoha¡­''


    Aizen walks up to Itachi and interrupts his deep thought. He looks at Itachi and sees his eyes are still changed.


    "Everything okay Uchiha? I''m sorry your comrade had to die in that fight. But you came out relatively unscathed. That is quite an impressive feat. I could feel that reiatsu from Sereitei. It''s definitely something even a lieutenant would have struggled with." Aizen says to Itachi with a slight smile.


    "I can cope with it." Itachi replies.


    "I don''t mean to pry, but based on your conversation with Soi Fon, it appears you two have conflicting philosophies."


    "It''s understandable in this line of work. The Captain has never been one to value camaraderie."


    "Indeed...But you seem to value your comrades. That is quite commendable. If you one day switch divisions, Squad 5 will accept you with open arms." Aizen says, giving Itachi one last smile before walking away. ''You''re becoming someone who I might need to monitor, Uchiha.''


    Itachi stared at Aizen''s Captain haori and the symbol imprinted on it as he walked away. After Aizen disappears from view, Itachi vanishes from his spot and makes his way back to the barracks.


    -------


    For the next five years, Itachi was ?ssigned on various ?ssassination missions. Most he would go alone but some he was ?ssigned as a group, even having Soi Fon join a few times. During the times Soi Fon joined, something bothered her about Itachi''s methods. Despite him always successfully eliminating the target(s), he would always prioritize saving a teammate over going for the kill.


    In his spare time he researched for clues regarding the incident 60 years ago.


    Itachi sat alone in his room, sitting on the tatami mat and reading a book about past events in Seireitei.. ''That man mentioned something about sixty years ago...So multiple Captain and Lieutenant level shinigami went missing. Urahara Kisuke was exiled for performing taboo experiments but the details of the experiments are not specified here...there was something Nobutoshi knew that must be only accessible in confidential records. I seemed to have reached a dead end.'' He hears a knock on his door and his name called out.


    "Uchiha. The Captain wishes to see you immediately in the meeting room." A voice calls out from behind the door.


    "I''ll be there momentarily." Itachi says as he closes his book and walks out. He closes the door behind him and then vanishes from view, making his way to the meeting room with great haste.


    He opens the door to the meeting room and sees Soi Fon standing by herself. Itachi closes the door behind him and bows.


    "Uchiha. Your performance has been far above my expectations. However, I don''t think you are a proper fit for the executive militia. But I also don''t want your skills to go to waste. The third seat who was in charge of the Detention Unit was killed recently and we are in need of a replacement. Uchiha Itachi, you are hereby promoted to third seat, the Corps Commander of the Detention Unit. Leave your Executive Militia uniform outside your room and change back to your regular shinigami attire. I''ll see you in front of the Maggot''s Nest." Soi Fon says then leaves the room.


    Itachi goes back to his room and changes clothing. He looks back at the book he was just reading and tries to piece things together. ''I''ll do this later.'' Itachi leaves his room and leaves a neatly folded Executive Militia uniform outside his door before flash stepping away to the Maggot''s Nest.


    Itachi meets up with Soi Fon shortly at the entrance to the Maggot''s Nest. He sees two guards outside guarding the entrance.


    "Leave your Zanpakuto with the guards." Soi Fon says as she hands one of them her Zanpakuto. Itachi does the same and follows her through the door.


    Itachi and Soi Fon walk through a long dark hallway until they reach another door.


    "Beyond this door, are people who were deemed a threat to Soul Society. A lot of them roam around freely and you will most certainly be attacked. We leave our zanpakuto at the front in the event one of them somehow gets a hold of our weapon. Inside here, only Hakuda is permitted. I wouldn''t have chosen you for this job if I didn''t think you could hold your own here." Soi Fon says as she unlocks and opens the door.


    Itachi follows and walks out in a huge room. As the door shuts behind them, Itachi could feel the gaze of every inmate.


    "They know better than to cause trouble while I''m here. But they don''t know you. Once I leave, they will definitely attack you. Anyway your mission as Corps Commander here is to patrol the grounds. Make sure these guys aren''t trying to escape. If they attack you, deal with them using the necessary actions." Soi Fon hands Itachi a small book with a key inside.


    "In that book is a list of protocols in case certain events happen, what you should be doing on your patrols, and other things. Keep it with you at all times."


    "Yes Captain." Itachi replies. Soi Fon turns around and exits. As soon as she shuts the door, the inmates start to group up in front of Itachi. One of them takes a step away from the group and walks towards Itachi.


    "So I''m guessing you''re the new guy in charge huh? You ain''t nothin special." The inmate taunts at Itachi. Itachi does not reply and maintains his stoic composure.


    "A tough guy huh?" The inmate suddenly charges in at Itachi. He throws a punch that Itachi is able to dodge with ease. Itachi grabs the inmate by the head and smashes him into the ground.


    Itachi looks back up at the rest of the inmates. Another one, who was looking right at Itachi, starts to run at him but falls to the ground immediately. ''I need to show sufficient strength to dishearten any attempts of riot.''


    "Before my eyes, all of your attempts to fight me are useless." Itachi says with a cold gaze. A majority of the inmates start backing off but a couple dozen remain standing in front of Itachi. There is an eerie silence for a few moments as they face each other. The silence is broken as one of the inmates starts to yell and the others follow suit as they charge at Itachi.


    Itachi runs into the fray, dodging each attack while simultaneously counterattacking, with each strike knocking an inmate out instantly. In a matter of seconds, the group of inmates were lying unconscious on the ground. The other inmates who chose not to join the fight started walking away back to their cells.


    Itachi pulls his manual out of his shihakusho and begins to read through it quickly with his Sharingan. ''Okay I understand what I have to do here.'' Itachi begins to walk through the compound. The prisoners avoid making eye contact with him after what they have just seen him do. Near the end of his patrol he sees a prisoner in the corner huddled down. As Itachi walked closer, he noticed pieces of rock that were chipped away from the wall.


    "Hey, stand up." Itachi says to the prisoner. He remains crouched down and doesn''t move an inch. Itachi leans in to place a hand on his shoulder when the man suddenly jumps up from his spot and delivers a spinning kick to Itachi. Itachi blocks it but gets sent skidding back with his feet remaining on the floor. The man makes eye contact with Itachi. ''This man...he''s blind. I can''t use my genjutsu on him.''


    "If I kill you, I can finally leave this place!" The man starts laughing and runs at Itachi. ''He''s physically much stronger than the rest of the other prisoners.''


    The man keeps moving in at Itachi and throws a punch at Itachi''s face. Itachi dodges it and jumps back. The man jumps forward at Itachi again but Itachi dodges it again. He grabs the man''s robe and flips him over. The man manages to reposition himself skillfully to land on his feat and flips Itachi over his head. Halfway through the flip, Itachi breaks free of his hold and lands. Itachi makes eye contact one more time with the man.


    "You fight well despite your lack of vision." Itachi says. The man begins chuckling.


    "Yeah so what? I lost my eyesight over a hundred years ago. Right now I can see more than any person who has actual working eyes can." The man leaps at Itachi. They engage in a short clash of punches and kicks. ''A hundred years ago...he might know about the incident with the missing Captains then.'' During their brawl, Itachi strikes a conversation with him.


    "Do you know anything about the Captains who went missing sixty years ago?" Itachi asks him while parrying his blows.


    "Listen, none of the other inmates in here are a real challenge for me anymore. If you can knock me out I''ll stop trying to escape and tell you what I know." The man says.


    "Fine." Itachi suddenly vanishes from his spot. In his place he leaves an afterimage.


    "I can sense the real one out!" The man turns around and delivers a spinning axe kick to Itachi behind him. He is surprised when his foot makes contact with Itachi but his presence is no longer there.


    "The afterimage technique...why does it have mass and why can I sense each one?" The man questions as he senses three Itachis surrounding him.

 Chapter 28 - Visit to the 11th Division

    The man stands still as he tries to sense out the real Itachi from the fake ones. ''That one!'' He turns around quickly and delivers a spinning kick to Itachi. Itachi blocks with his arm and the man goes in for a punch on Itachi. Suddenly the man feels a sharp pain at the back of his head and he falls to the ground.


    An hour later later he wakes up and finds himself back in his cell with Itach waiting outside. "


    "Tell me what you know." Itachi asks him. The man begins to laugh maniacally and looks at Itachi.


    "I don''t know anything, I just wanted to fight you."


    Itachi doesn''t say a word and turns around and walks away from him. ''This was a waste of time. I should have known better thinking these mentally unstable prisoners actually have information.''


    For the next month, Itachi continued with his regular patrol duties at the Maggot''s Nest. The Maggot''s Nest became very quiet with little trouble occuring in the past month with Itachi either physically disciplining them or putting them under genjutsu.


    Itachi one morning receives a letter at his door saying his time off request was approved. He leaves his room and decides to go for a walk through Seireitei. As he leaves the barracks he hears a voice calling his name from behind him.


    "Yo Itachi! It''s been a while!"


    Itachi turns around and sees Taro Shihouin approaching him.


    "It''s weird how we are in the same squad but I haven''t seen you in a long time! I heard you got promoted to 3rd seat Corps Commander of the Maggot''s Nest! Congrats!" Taro says to Itachi.


    It had already been 10 years since he last saw Itachi. Although they had both joined the same division. They had completely different responsibilities. It was only recently that he heard that a new 3rd seat was chosen for the Maggots Nest, and that 3rd seat went to Itachi.


    "You''re still the same lively person you were in the academy Taro." Itachi replies to him.


    "Haha. I heard that the maggots nest is filled with some crazy psychos. How are you faring in there?" Taro asks.


    "It''s fine. I was able to subdue them" Itachi replies.


    "Amazing, as expected of you right" Taro says jokingly.


    Itachi remains silent.


    "Besides that, how have you been? Taro asks as the two walk together.


    "Good. and yourself?" Itachi replies and questions back.


    "It''s been going good as well. I was pulled out 2 years after you graduated. I''ve joined the second division and have been training since. In fact, I am already able to communicate with my zanpakuto." Taro says proudly. "What about you, how is your training going? What''s your shikai?" Taro asks curiously. He knew Itachi was one of the most talented shinigamis he had seen. He had already expected Itachi to have an elementary mastery over his sword.


    "I haven''t been able to communicate with my zanpakuto spirit yet." Itachi says as he puts his hand on his asauchi and looks at it.


    "That''s weird. With your talent, I was sure you would have already been able to communicate with your sword." Taro was a bit surprised. He never expected that Itachi was unable to even communicate with his sword.


    "Well with how strong you are, I''ll have no chance of catching up to you if you had an actual zanpakuto!" Taro laughs and pats Itachi on the back.


    "Anyway, I have to leave on a mission so I''ll see you around!" Taro walks away leaving Itachi behind. ''Hmm, I am still unable to connect with my Zanpakuto. Maybe if I witness more shinigami that use it?'' Itachi thinks to himself as he leaves the barracks.


    Itachi walks down the open streets of Seireitei and looks around. ''I haven''t had a lot of free time. It wouldn''t hurt to explore a bit more.'' Itachi walks a few more blocks down and sees a small building with a sign on it reading "Dango." Itachi walks in and buys a large box of dango. As he begins to walk out, he notices a familiar red spiky haired individual sitting down. The person looks at him and waves.


    "Itachi! It''s been a while. Take a seat here!"


    "How have you been Renji?" Itachi asks him as he sits down in front of Renji. He opens his box of dango and takes a stick out.


    "Well my favorite Taiyaki place was closed so I figured dango would be the next best thing. I didn''t take you for a dango person." Renji says, pointing out Itachi''s large box of dango. There is a short silence as they eat their dango which is broken by Renji.


    "How have things in your squad been? I got promoted to sixth seat recently!" Renji says proudly.


    "I''m in the third seat now." Itachi replied calmly.


    Renji looks surprisingly at Itachi. ''He became a third seat so quickly. It''s only been 10 years''


    "Amazing, you are already a third seat. Your strength must have grown by a lot. " He says.


    Itachi remains silent and takes out one stick of dango from the box and begins to eat.


    At that moment an idea suddenly pops into Renji''s head. He looks towards Itachi before asking.


    "Itachi, how about a quick spar?. I recently awakened my zanpakuto and I want to see how much stronger I''ve become." Renji suggests, wanting to capitalize on this chance to fight Itachi. Itachi thinks about Renji''s offer briefly. ''Perhaps fighting against Renji''s shikai would give me insight on how to awaken my own''. Itachi accepts Renji''s offer.


    "Really, that''s great!" Renji says with excitement in his voice. He had been training incredibly hard over the 10 years. He wanted to see how much stronger he had become. He still remembered the scene of Itachi being able to effortlessly kill multiple hollows within seconds.


    "We can go to the training rooms in the 11th division barracks!" Renji gets up excitedly from his seat and takes off, prompting Itachi to follow him. Itachi shakes his head as he puts his unfinished stick of dango back into the box. The two make their way towards the barracks.


    Renji and Itachi arrive at the 11th squad barracks. Itachi notices the squad members around the division. They all looked violent and brutish. Some of their fighting styles looked barbaric. Turning his attention away, Itachi puts his box of dango to the side before they walk into an open training field at the center of the barracks. Other members of the 11th squad begin to gather around as they see Renji and Itachi preparing to fight.


    "Look at his armband. Is that someone from the second division?"


    "Yeah, what is he doing with Abarai?"


    "Looks like they are about to spar."


    A figure drinking in the distance notices the commotion and turns around. He was a bald man. The sun was completely reflected on his scalp. He had a red mark on each of his eyes.


    "What are they doing?" He asks the figure next to him.


    "Looks like Abarai brought in someone to spar with." The second man replied.


    "Really.. Let''s go watch Yumichika!" The bald man quickly got and walked towards the crowd.


    "Alright." the second man replied before following behind.


    -----------------------


    "We may be sparring but I''m not pulling my punches!" Renji shouts enthusiastically before drawing out his zanpakuto.


    "Neither will I." Itachi replies firmly, getting into his own fighting stance.


    "Howl, Zabimaru!" Renji yells out as he aims his zanpakuto at Itachi. His zanpakuto begins to glow and extend rapidly, transforming into multiple segmented blades.


    Itachi sees the incoming attack and jumps up in the air to dodge it. Renji quickly reacts and whips his arm up, enabling Zabimaru to rise back up towards Itachi. Itachi flash steps out of the way of the blade to Renji''s shock and reappears in front of Renji. He delivers a heavy side kick into Renji''s abdomen, sending him flying back several meters before crashing into a fence. Renji jumps out of the debris and sends his zanpakuto after Itachi again. Renji smiles as Zabimaru makes contact with Itachi''s figure only for it to fade away as his blade goes completely through Itachi. Renji immediately senses Itachi on his left side as his zanpakuto is still retracting. Unable to defend himself, Renji takes a harder kick to his side and gets sent flying across the training field, tumbling across the ground until he is stopped by a wall. Renji shakily stands back up as his zanpakuto reverts back to its sealed state.


    "Damn it! The gap between us is that large?! He defeated me in two strikes!" Renji curses himself as he sheaths his sword.


    "Your weakness lies in the handling of your shikai." Itachi comments as he approaches Renji. Renji looks at Itachi confused.


    "At the third strike of your shikai, it retracted, leaving you wide open. I used that as my opening to strike you."


    Renji''s mind begins racing as he visualizes the entire fight again and the large opening that he left for Itachi to attack him. His thoughts are quickly cut short however as a voice yells out from the side.


    "Not bad!" The bald man steps forward from the audience of people watching the sparring.


    "Hey newcomer! I like your moves so why don''t we fight!!" A bald man jumps into the training field from the sidelines with his zanpakuto resting on his shoulders.


    "Ikkaku you''re going to fight too?!" Renji looks at him surprised by his abrupt appearance.


    "Hell yeah!" Ikkaku runs at Itachi with his zanpakuto drawn. Itachi flash steps out of the way and reappears in the center of the field.


    "You''re a nimble one aren''t ya?!" Ikkaku looks at Itachi and stands in place with his zanpakuto out in front of him. Itachi was a bit surprised. The bald man attacked him without much warning. ''What a violent division.'' He thought to himself as he readied his stance.


    "Extend, Hozukimaru!" Ikkaku holds his zanpakuto horizontally out in front of him opposite to the sheath slams the two together. His blade glows and he rushes in at Itachi. Itachi observes his zanpakuto closely with his sharingan and sees it has changed its form into a polearm as he swings it at Itachi. Itachi dodges the initial swing but Ikkaku lets out a smirk as his zanpakuto breaks into segments and wraps around Itachi. The bladed tip of the segment stabs straight through Itachi''s body only for his body to vanish. Itachi reappears behind Ikkaku and sends a kick at him, only for it to be blocked as Ikkaku reforms his zanpakuto and blocks it. Ikkaku''s feet skid a few feet away from his spot from the force of the kick but he turns around and grins.


    "Lemme ask, what''s your name? I''m 11th Squad Junior Adjutant 3rd class. Madarame Ikkaku!." Ikkaku says as he grins at Itachi, deeming him worthy to introduce himself to.


    "2nd Squad Corps Commander 3rd class. Uchiha Itachi." Itachi replies formally to Ikkaku.

 Chapter 29 - Power and Knowledge

    Ikkaku''s eyes widened upon hearing that he was also a 3rd seat. He was surprised because not many shinigami in high positions would spend their free time like this.


    Ikkaku charges back in at Itachi excitedly as this was a rare opportunity to fight a strong opponent. Itachi ducks down and executes a low sweeping kick at Ikkaku''s legs. Ikkaku jumps into the air to dodge and swings his zanpakuto down at Itachi. Itachi twists his body to just b?r?ly avoid the attack while still on the ground and leans back into a kick, hitting Ikkaku in the chin and launching him upward into the air. Ikkaku snaps out of his daze just as Itachi appears behind him.


    Ikkaku swings his zanpakuto at Itachi while still in the air. Itachi blocks it with the sheath of his zanpakuto. Ikkaku''s eyes widen as he notices another Itachi appear above him when he had just made physical contact with Itachi who was still in front of him. Unable to block in time, Ikkaku prepares himself as Itachi delivers a solid axe kick to Ikkaku''s head, launching him back into the ground face first.


    Ikkaku looks up and sees Itachi standing above him. Ikkaku smirks and wipes the blood dripping from his nose.


    "HAHA. This is great!" Ikkaku shouts as he runs back in towards Itachi. Itachi ?ssumes a defensive stance as Ikkaku attacks Itachi with a fast flurry of jabs from his zanpakuto. Itachi watches as the zanpakuto approaches his face with great speed and with his sharingan, analyzes the path it will take. Itachi weaves his body between each jab by just a hair''s width and finds an opening through Ikkaku''s onslaught of attacks. Itachi grabs Ikkaku''s wrist, stopping his flurry, and jumps up into the air to deliver a round kick to Ikkaku''s head. Ikkaku takes the kick directly but is not knocked back as much as Itachi anticipates he would. Ikkaku remains standing with his feet firmly planted on the ground and gives Itachi a bloodlusted look and grins as he grabs Itachi by the shihakusho and throws him over his shoulder towards the ground behind him.


    Itachi is surprised by Ikkaku''s sudden reaction but manages to reposition his body mid fall and stops his face from slamming into the ground by putting his hands out in front of him to catch his fall. Itachi lands in a partial handstand and in a fluid motion, turns his body by moving his hands, delivering several helicopter kicks to a surprised Ikkaku. Ikkaku loses his footing as he steps backwards to regain his balance. Itachi jumps back upright and stands with his back facing Ikkaku. Ikkaku sees his chance and runs towards Itachi and jabs forward with his zanpakuto. As Ikkaku leans in to jab Itachi, Itachi closes his eyes and senses Ikkaku''s spiritual pressure and tries to predict his movements.


    Itachi turns around quickly and steps slightly to the side to dodge the jab and as he spins, he kicks his foot at a wide open Ikkaku, hitting him directly in the chin with a rising back kick. The force of the kick could be felt through the training field as Ikkaku is launched high into the air. Ikkaku drops onto the floor and his zanpakuto reverts back to its sealed form. Itachi takes a deep breath as he looks at the unconscious Ikkaku but immediately feels a sharp pain in his side.


    Itachi puts his hand to his side where the pain is and feels the warm sensation of blood leak onto his hand. ''So I didn''t dodge that last attack all the way then? I must not be used to relying on reading spiritual pressure instead of my eyes in battle. Or perhaps I underestimated Ikkaku''s abilities?''


    Yumichika immediately rushes over to check over Ikkaku''s pulse before sighing in relief. Renji runs over to Itachi and congratulates him on his victory over Ikkaku and hands him a roll of bandages. Itachi thanks Renji and begins to patch the wound on his side but his attention is diverted as he notices Ikkaku getting back up after being unconscious for only a short time. Ikkaku shakily walks over to Itachi. He grabs the hilt of his zanpakuto and removes a lid off the end, revealing a gelatinous substance.


    "Haha! That was one hell of a fight. Use this ointment to stop your bleeding!" Ikkaku says as he points the hilt of his sword at Itachi. Itachi thanks Ikkaku and he applies the ointment, noticeably stopping his bleeding. Itachi finishes wrapping his wound and walks towards the box of dango he left at the edge of the training field. He and Renji begin to walk towards the exit of the training fields when Ikkaku yells at him before he completely leaves.


    "Stop by another time for our rematch!" Ikkaku shouts at Itachi from across the field. Itachi looks back and waves, acknowledging Ikkaku''s request, before he turns back around and exits the 11th division barracks with Renji walking with him.


    "Amazing Itachi, I can''t believe you were able to defeat Ikkaku. You''ve improved a lot since I last saw you. You didn''t even release your zanpakuto." Renji says.


    "No, I am still unable to release my zanpakuto." Itachi replied.


    "What?! You mean you have just been relying on your Kido and Hakuda till now? Renji asked with a shocked expression on his face. He had never expected someone like Itachi couldn''t use his zanpakuto but was already strong enough to fight the third seat. And he knew that Ikkaku was also most likely the strongest third seat and close to some lieutenants in power. Itachi simply nodded with a calm face.


    Renji mistakenly ?ssumed he had brought up a sore subject so he quickly added on.


    "Ah don''t worry too much, our captain also doesn''t use a shikai when he fights. "


    "What is the exact process for activating one''s Shikai?" Itachi asked.


    Renji noticed that Itachi didn''t have much of an expression and replied.


    "Well, I suppose it''s knowing the name of your soul."


    "Name of my soul?" Itachi murmured.


    "In the academy they talked about it right?" Renji asked.


    "Yes, Imprinting my soul onto my sword" Itachi Replied.


    "Exactly, over time the bond between you and sword will grow, and your sword will give you its name. Have you spoken with your zanpakuto? Renji questioned again.


    "No." Itachi answered.


    "Well, I don''t really understand it as much, but one day I just heard Zabimaru calling out to me." Renji said.


    "I see. Thank you Renji." Itachi said before taking his leave.


    "No problem. Hey, If you ever want to spar again you are free to visit the 11th division" Renji says. Itachi turns around and nods before making his way back to the 2nd division. He takes this time to digest everything he learned.


    ''Imprinting my soul¡­ How can I rely on a sword or soul to form. I always relied on my eyes and jutsu. When was there a need for me to rely completely on tools. Itachi thought to himself.


    He made his way towards his barracks.


    Once he arrived at the barracks, he excused his substitute who had temporarily taken over his duties in the Maggots nest. He arrived at his room and sat down cross legged placing his sword in front of him.


    He stared at his asauchi for several minutes. ''I have the knowledge, but is it the shinigami who must be acknowledged by his zanpakuto or the zanpakuto that must be acknowledged by the shinigami?''

 Chapter 30 - Reaffirmation

    Itachi continued staring at his sword for half an hour before looking away. ''I don''t know whether I will be able to activate my zanpakuto or not, but for now it''s best for me to improve my abilities another way.'' Itachi thought to himself before closing his eyes for rest.


    He woke up the next morning and began his patrol into the Maggot''s Nest. The inhabitants were much more docile this morning. Everyone''s eyes still had lingering fear when they looked towards Itachi as he walked around. Some didn''t even want to make eye contact, afraid that they would once again have those weird nightmares.


    After making sure everything was calm, Itachi left the area and went towards the training fields. He placed a few training targets down throughout the fields when he arrived.


    ''I spent numerous hours in the academy looking through various Kido spells. I am surprised all of them were used in such a rigid method. The best thing now is to increase my strength by evolving my kido. Let''s start with Shakkaho.'' After deciding his training routine, Itachi focused his breathing and began his practice. He continued his practice with Kido for a few hours before getting weary. Itachi continued his practice for the next few days. He studied and changed his most used spells to better fit him in combat.


    ''I need to be able to practice these techniques in combat. Just practicing here won''t benefit me much. I should ask the captain to see if I can take other missions while I have a substitute watch the Maggot''s Nest.'' He thought to himself. Once he finished his training, he went back to the Maggot''s Nest to make sure the prisoners were still behaving.


    ------------------------------------


    Two years pass as Itachi continues his training while performing his duties as the third seat. He adapted numerous variations to his Kido spells.Furthermore, at this point, none of the prisoners dared to act up. A majority of them even remained in their cells everytime Itachi passed by.


    Soi Fon had also visited the Maggots Nest during these two years to check Itachi''s performance. She was surprised to see how obedient and docile the prisoners had become. During her visit Itachi had requested if he was allowed to go on combat missions or hollow extermination missions. Soi Fon thought for a minute before agreeing to his request. She had seen how well Itachi had handled his prisoners, so she allowed his request to take missions from time to time.


    ---------


    A few months later Itachi had finally taken a mission to kill hollows. He made sure that none of the prisoners had any plans to cause a scene and tasked several other competent guards to take his place for the routine patrols. He even placed a few of the more dangerous ones in a genjutsu before leaving the second division towards the Rukongai districts.


    Itachi had arrived a few moments early and waited for the other shinigami.


    ''According to the hell bu??erfly, I will be receiving reinforcements from the tenth division.'' He waited a few moments before He noticed someone approaching from the distance. He watched as the figure dashed over towards his location at high speeds. The figure finally landed near him and Itachi got a closer look. It was a short young boy with spiky white hair and turquoise eyes. He walked over and greeted himself to Itachi.


    "You must be the second squad member ?ssisting me with the mission. It''s nice to meet you. I am Hitsugaya, Toushiro, third seat of the 10th squad." He introduced himself. He was slightly surprised when he looked at Itachi''s eyes, they were red with a unique pattern that almost looked like a wheel. ''What strange eyes''


    "It''s nice to meet you as well. I am Uchiha, Itachi, 3rd seat of the second squad." Itachi introduced himself and remained silent.


    Itachi was slightly surprised. He wasn''t surprised because of how young Toushiro looked, as he knew that shinigami aged much slower than average humans. There were all sorts of prodigies in the world, and clearly this kid was one of them. What he was surprised at was that a third seat had come himself for this mission. Itachi had already scouted the area and analyzed the strength of the hollows. Although the hollows were relatively high level compared to most, Itachi did not deem them a large enough threat where it required two third seats to participate in the mission.


    "I have already scouted the area for the hollows, there are 10 hollows that I spotted in the forest." Itachi said.


    "That many?!" Toshiro replied.


    "It is indeed strange," Itachi said.


    "Why have there been so many hollow sightings in soul society in recent years?" Toshiro said


    Itachi remained silent. He had a strong guess as to who was responsible. ''Aizen''. He had a lot of time reading through the archives all information accessible to him over the years, but had found no correlation between Aizen and strange hollow sightings. ''How is he doing it?''


    "Lets try to just finish this as quickly as possible." Toshiro suggested.


    Itachi nodded and the two dove into the forest.


    -------------


    Itachi and Toshiro both run into the forest and enter the clearing filled with hollows. The hollows notice their presence and they all look in their direction, fixating their killing intent towards the duo. Toshiro responds by drawing his zanpakuto.


    "Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!" Toshiro yells out as he makes a slashing motion with his blade, releasing a large ice dragon towards the group of hollows.


    Itachi looks at Toshiro''s shikai and is impressed by its power. ''His shikai feels much stronger then Ikkaku''s.'' He thinks to himself before diving into the battle.


    The ice dragon collides into three of the hollows in the front of the group, creating a large explosion of ice and a cold mist fills the area. Three circling red lights are seen glowing in the mist as Itachi runs towards the hollows, holding three red orbs of reiatsu.


    "Hado 31: Shakkaho!" Itachi throws the three circling orbs of red energy at one of the hollows. The orbs condense as they hit the hollow and erupt into a bright red explosion. Toshiro watches in surprise at Itachi''s technique. ''That was Hado 31? I''ve never seen it used like that before.''


    Itachi notices another hollow running directly at him and he puts his hand on his asauchi to prepare for a counterattack, only for the hollow to stop moving as it is encased in a block of ice.


    "There''s still more." Toshiro says as he appears next to Itachi and points at more hollows running towards them. Out of that group of hollows, Itachi notices three of them were relatively close together.


    "Bakudo 4: Hainawa."


    Itachi rushes into the group of hollows and shoots out a rope of reiatsu that wraps three of the hollows together. The hollows struggle to break free of the rope as Itachi draws his blade. He jumps towards their heads then disappears and lands on the ground behind them. As Itachi sheaths his blade, the hollows'' masks split open as blood gushes from them and they collapse to the ground.


    Meanwhile, Toshiro charged at the two other hollows in that same group, positioning himself where the hollows were lined up directly in front of him.


    "Ryuusenka!"


    Toshiro points his blade out in front of him as he pierces straight through both hollows, causing a large flower shaped ice formation to erupt from the stab wounds.The ice shatters with the hollows'' bodies and Toshiro looks for the last hollow.


    "Hado 33: Sokatsui!" Both Itachi and Toshiro simultaneously fire a large blue blast of reiatsu at the last hollow. The hollow could only watch helplessly as it was swallowed by the intense wave of energy.


    "That''s the last of them right?" Toshiro asked.


    Itachi nodded and replied. "Thank you for your ?ssistance."


    "No, even without me, you would have been able to handle it with ease." Toshiro quickly replies. He had never seen anyone use kido in such a way.


    "Matters aside, I am surprised that a high level seated officer like yourself was the one that arrived as ?ssistance. The request I sent stated a rough estimate of the hollow''s strength" Itachi commented.


    "I did receive the notice about the mission. The reason I came personally was due to the location." Toushiro replied.


    "The location?" Itachi asked back.


    "The West Rukongai District 1 is where my grandmother lives." Toshiro answered.


    "I see, I am sorry I questioned you," Itachi said.


    "It''s alright. I would have done the same" Toshiro replied as he glanced at Itachi. ''His eyes still have that strange pattern¡­''


    "If you don''t mind me asking, why are your eyes like that. If you don''t want to answer that''s fine I don''t intend on prying."


    "It''s an ability of mine that helps me in combat, but I''ve mastered it to the point where I can keep them on most of the time for little cost." Itachi replies. Toshiro nods as he accepts the answer.


    There was a brief moment of silence as the two departed the forest. The two began to converse as they returned.


    "By the way, that kido you used in the beginning, that was Shakaho right?" Toshiro asked.


    Itachi nods in response.


    "I saw three light spheres, how did you do that?" Toshiro continued


    "It was simply a different application of the spell. " Itachi answered.


    "A different application?" Toshiro was curious. He had never considered or thought about changing the spells.


    "I spent time thinking about how to diversify my spell usage," Itachi replied. He had still been unsuccessful with communicating with his Zanpakuto. Due to this, he simply focused more of his efforts towards his spells and his free hand combat.


    "It is interesting, but why go through so much just for some spells." Toshiro replied. Itachi remained silent. Toshiro saw that Itachi remained silent and didn''t pursue the topic.


    "Thank you for your ?ssistance, I will take my leave to report the mission''s completion. Take care." Itachi said before disappearing from the spot.


    ''What a character.'' Toshiro thought before returning to the 10th division.


    ---------


    Back at the 2nd division, Itachi returned to his room and laid down. ''Hitsugaya and his shikai are powerful yet have so much untapped potential. Is this the power I''m missing from not having awakened my zanpakuto yet? No, I shouldn''t worry about what I can''t reach right now and focus on what''s in front of me. I still have a lot more improvements to work on with other aspects of combat.''

 Chapter 31 - Loss

    3 years later


    ----


    In the 13th division main hall, the 13th division captain was facing his two subordinates: a young man and a young woman. The woman stood silently behind the man, while waiting for the captain to speak.


    "Her entire squad was obliterated," he said to the two.


    The two shinigami were stunned as they listened.


    "Because even the observational personnel were slain, we¡­.. Still know nothing about the enemy''s power. We are forming an ?ssault squad¡­.. We should be ready in 2 days." The captain said solemnly.


    Just as he finished, the young immediately turned towards the exit, ready to leave.


    "WAIT KAIEN! CALM DOWN! We still don''t know anything about the enemy!" The Captain immediately called after him.


    "So just because we don''t know anything, you want me to sit here and wait like an idiot. Just wait for the ?ssault squad and hide in here?!" Kaien replied furiously.


    "... We¡­. only know two things about the enemy. It doesn''t travel alot¡­ and the location of its lair."


    An hour later, the trio arrived at the hollows layer. As they approached they saw a six-limbed creature with a large, flame-patterned mask and a flock of tentacles on his back. It slowly walked out before speaking.


    "I smell fresh meat. Doesn''t smell too bright though, heehee should be tasteful nonetheless. HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE!!" The hollow said before charging towards Kaien.


    ---------


    The next day,


    Itachi stood next to Omaeda and slightly behind Soi Fon with the rest of the detention unit in the meeting room sitting on the floor in front of her as she was about to go over a few new policy changes for the unit. As Soi Fon is about to start the briefing, a hell bu??erfly flies into the room. Soi Fon remained silent as the message was transmitted into her head. ''So Lieutenant Shiba died¡­''


    Soi Fon sends the bu??erfly back out to deliver a response then turns to Omaeda and reaches out to hand him a scroll.


    "Omaeda, you finish the-" Soi Fon suddenly stops mid sentence and then looks at Itachi.


    "Actually, Uchiha you finish the meeting. The rest of the briefing is on here. Finish it up then report back to your regular duties. I''ve been summoned." Soi Fon tells Itachi as she hands him the scroll before vanishing from the room. Omaeda looked at his Captain shocked and felt disheartened that she preferred to have Itachi finish the briefing over her lieutenant but he held back his tears and remained silent. Itachi is a bit taken back by the sudden leave but he brushes it off and continues with the briefing. He had already been to these meetings before so he understood the basic outline.


    --------


    Soi Fon arrives at the main hall of the First Division Headquarters. As she enters, she bows in respect to the Captain Commander who was waiting patiently.


    "Captain Soi Fon, welcome. Take your spot and while we wait for the other Captains to show up."


    Soi Fon looks around and sees the only other Captain there is Ukitake, which was understandable because he was the reason this meeting was being called. Soi Fon goes to her spot and the three shinigami in the room wait in silence as the other Captains begin coming in until twelve captains are in two separate lines facing each other and Yamamoto begins the meeting.


    "Yesterday, the lieutenant of Squad 13, Shiba Kaien, was killed by a hollow. This isn''t the only incident of this scale that has been seen in recent years. Adding to Kaien''s death, we are now missing four lieutenants. I am mandating that we have at least three of these four positions filled in with potential candidates by the end of the week. You are all dismissed now."


    The Captains begin to walk out of the hall but Soi Fon catches up to Ukitake and gets his attention.


    "Captain Ukitake, you have my condolences." Soi Fon said without much change in her expression.


    Ukitake was still saddened. He was unable to save his lieutenant even though he was there. He accepted Soi Fons condolences and continued on his way. However before he got very far, he once again heard Captain Soi Fon.


    "Captain Ukitake. I may have a potential lieutenant candidate for you in my squad." Soi Fon says to Ukitake.


    Ukitake turns around surprised. He never expected the 2nd division captain to be one to recommend someone to him.


    "I appreciate the offer Captain Soi Fon. But I feel this candidate you are talking about may not fit with our Division''s ideals." Ukitake says politely as he declines Soi Fon''s offer as someone from the Onmitsukido won''t be ideal for a leading figure in the Thirteenth Division.


    "That may apply to most people in my Squad but this one''s different. In terms of combat ability, he is nearly unmatched, but his morals stray from the ways of the Onmitsukido. This has led to several issues with him in the past during his time in my executive militia but I didn''t want his talent to go to waste so I moved him to 3rd seat and Corps Commander of the Detention Unit. He would be a better fit in your squadron as a lieutenant." Soi Fon recommends.


    "Well Captain Soi Fon, if you approve of him joining the Thirteenth Division this much, I''ll gladly welcome him in." Ukitake replies, curious about who she could be recommending.


    "By the way what is the name of this individual." Ukitake asks before they part ways.


    "Uchiha, Itachi." Soi Fon says before vanishing.

 Chapter 32 - Promotion

    ''Uchiha Itachi...'' Ukitake thought to himself before returning to the 13th division barracks.


    -----


    Itachi concluded the meeting and the members of the detention unit began to leave and return to the Maggot''s Nest. Itachi felt Omaeda''s jealous gaze but as he turned to face him, he quickly looked away and quickly crammed down a bag of rice crackers. Itachi gave him a light smile before leaving the room.


    Itachi walked down the long hallway leading outside of the barracks. During this time, he thought about his training and developing new ways to use kido. ''So far I''ve been trying to develop techniques that were either just Bakudo or just Hado...but what if I were to combine two using a dual incantation¡­'' Itachi''s thoughts are interrupted as he sees a hell''s bu??erfly flying towards him. Itachi reaches his hand out and it lands on his finger. ''So the Captain wants to see me urgently. I wonder what for.'' Itachi thinks as he turns back around to head to the Captain''s office.


    Itachi walked into the center office, and could see Soi Fon sitting behind a desk while shuffling through a large stack of papers in her hands. She was looking through a list of profiles from her squad.


    "Who would be a good fit¡­.." she mumbled to herself. She sensed someone''s arrival and looked up to see Itachi standing at the entrance. She gestured to him to come in.


    "Captain, you wanted to see me?" Itachi asked as he walked up to her desk.


    "Yes, I have some news." Soi Fon replied.


    Itachi remained silent and waited for the captain to finish.


    "There was an incident very recently that was also the reason that the captains were called to a meeting today. It was because of the death of Lieutenant-Captain Shiba of the 13th Division."


    Itachi was surprised. The death of Lieutenant was indeed surprising as they were generally the second strongest in their squads and the death of one was a great loss of strength.


    "Was a hollow involved with his death?" Itachi asked.


    "Yes, and a hollow that powerful rarely appears in Soul Society." Soi Fon answered.


    "This probably isn''t the reason you called me here with the instructions to report immediately." Itachi commented, questioning the Captain''s intentions of summoning him only to talk about a lieutenant''s death.


    "Of course not. The reason I called was because I recommended you to the Thirteenth Division Captain to be their new Lieutenant." Soi Fon replied.


    "What lead to you recommending me?" Itachi asked as he maintained his stoic demeanor but on the inside, he was surprised as he had not had any thoughts about increasing his rank at the moment. The only thing he was focused on at the moment was increasing his strength and gathering information. Although he would have more access to information, he did not want to bring too much attention to himself on his suspicion of Captain Aizen whom he still hasn''t found concrete evidence in relation to the hollows from the field exercise.


    "I won''t beat around the bush Uchiha. Although your strength is great, your ideologies conflict with the way of the Onmitsukido. This was also the reason that I made you the warden of the Maggots Nest, but I am sure you already realized this." Soi Fon replied.


    "Yes." Itachi already figured out why he had been promoted to third seat. He also had a verbal clash with the captain due to this reason in one of his earlier missions years ago.


    "It would be a shame to see your abilities wasted for this position, so I recommended you to the thirteenth division. Of course, this is just an option, I won''t force this upon you. So the choice is with you. I will allow you until the end of the day to make your decision. You are dismissed. Soi Foi said before signaling Itachi to leave.


    Itachi walked out the room and made his way towards his room. ''A lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division¡­''


    ------


    The day passes and Itachi heads to the main hall, he walks into the main office to see Soi Fon seated behind her desk. She looked up towards Itachi.


    "So, you''ve made your decision?"


    Itachi nodded with a determined gaze.


    "I accept."


    "Good, then I will inform Captain Ukitake about your arrival. In the meantime, take a seat. I need you to fill out these forms before you are processed into the Thirteenth Division. It''s a hassle but it''s part of the procedure especially because you are switching divisions. Soi Fon said as she pushed a stack of paperwork towards Itachi. Itachi sat down and began signing papers for the next half an hour. As he finished his last signature, he stood back up.


    Itachi made a quick bow to Soi Fon. "Thank you for everything."


    Soi Fon''s cold gaze lightened slightly as she nodded.


    "Now get out of my office Lieutenant Uchiha."


    Itachi turned and left the building. As he walked back he ran into Taro and Daiyu. He conversed with them for a few moments. He informed them about his transfer to the thirteenth division as the Lieutenant . They both congratulated him and wished him the best. He bid them farewell and made his way back to his room. He lied down and stared at the ceiling. He thought about many things during his time at the second division. He thought about the future. And finally he closed his eyes and fell asleep.


    -----


    The next morning, Itachi stood at the front of the Division Thirteen barracks. As he walked through the courtyard, he felt the eyes of various shinigami looking at him. He paid it no heed and walked into the main hall. When he entered the room, he saw a tall man standing near a bonsai tree. He had white hair with black eyebrows and a somewhat emaciated appearance.


    "Ah, you must Uchiha. Captain Soi Fon informed me of your arrival." Ukitake says upon seeing Itachi walk in.


    "Yes, Captain Ukitake. Uchiha Itachi reporting." Itachi says as he bows. Ukitake looks at him for a moment.


    "Ah, you don''t have to be that formal with me, Uchiha. You won''t have to be as formal as you were in the 2nd division." Ukitake says as he walks towards Itachi. He reaches his hand out to Itachi. Itachi looks back up and shakes his hand.


    "Come with me, I''ll introduce you to some of the squad members who are currently here." Ukitake says as he gestures to Itachi to follow him. Itachi nods and he follows. The two of them walk down a long hallway leading to a door. Ukitake opens the doors and gestures for Itachi to go first. Itachi walks through and sees a large group of people in front of him talking among themselves. The door closes behind him and Ukitake stands in front of them. He quiets them down before speaking.


    "Everyone, I would like you all to meet the newest member of our squad. He transferred over from the Second Division. Come forward and introduce yourself." Ukitake looks at Itachi who was standing behind him and Itachi steps forward in front of the group of people.


    "Hello, I am Uchiha Itachi. I''ve been ?ssigned as the Lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division starting from today. I look forward to working with all of you.??? Itachi says to the group of shinigami in front of him who were giving him awkward stares. There was an awkward silence and tension in the room. Itachi realizes it must be because their previous lieutenant just died and they haven''t acknowledged an outsider from a different division as their lieutenant.


    "Okay everyone, how about we all disperse for a moment. I need to show Uchiha around the division." Ukitake says with a smile on his face. The shinigami acknowledge their captain and slowly trickle out from the room.


    "This was my mistake, Uchiha. I was hoping there would be a slightly warmer reception. Please forgive them. Ukitake said apologetically.


    "That''s okay captain, I can see in their eyes how much they admired the previous lieutenant." Itachi replied.


    "Thank you for understanding, I was going to have someone show you around, but she is still rather dispirited, so if you don''t mind, I will show you around for now. Ukitake said.


    "Thank you," Itachi replied before following behind the captain.


    ------


    In the span of half an hour, Ukitake introduced Itachi to the facilities and duties he would be performing as the lieutenant.


    "Alright Uchiha, you will be responsible for day to day operations of the division. There may be times when you would be required to go on missions too dangerous for normal shinigami. You haven''t met them yet as they weren''t at the reception earlier, but the two third seats Kiyone and Sentaro will also ?ssist with the general day to day things."


    "Alright if--" Before he could finish, Ukitake suddenly keeled over and started coughing.


    "Captain!" Itachi quickly appeared by his side. "Are you alright?" he asked.


    "Ah.. yes" Ukitake weakly replied. "I will just need to rest for a bit."


    "Please allow me to ?ssist you back." Itachi replied before helping the captain up and ?ssisting him to his room.


    As he was approaching the room, he saw two shinigami walking towards the room as well. One was a female with short, dark blonde hair. She was wearing a collared shirt under her shihakusho and white gloves. The other was a tall man with black hair and a short goatee, he was wearing a thin headband and two white straps around his shoulders.


    The two looked towards Itachi and their captain who was coughing. They immediately rushed over towards Ukitake.


    "Captain, are you alright?!" The two said at the same time as they approached.


    "Ah.. you two. Don''t worry, I am alright¡­" Ukitake replied.


    "Sir.. This is?" Kiyone questioned.


    "Yes.. this is the new lieutenant of the thirteenth division, Uchiha, Itachi" Ukitake replied.


    "I see. Nice to meet you, we will take it from here" Kiyone replied


    "Ah.. Uchiha, before I go, I forgot to give you your lieutenant badge. It should be on my desk in the main office, feel free to pick it." Ukitake said before the two shinigami ?ssisted him back to his room.


    -------


    Itachi began walking back towards the main office. He noticed a short shinigami with short black hair standing by the entrance of the room. He hadn''t seen this shinigami in the welcome reception. He tried his best to memorize each individual as he would be responsible for their activities in the division.


    Itachi approached the young woman.


    "Hello, can I ?ssist you?" Itachi asked.


    The young woman was startled at Itachi''s question. She was completely inattentive to his arrival. She was waiting outside the captain''s office so she could speak to Captain Ukitake..


    "I am sorry, I don''t think we have met. I am Kuchiki, Rukia."

 Chapter 33 - Duty

    "I am sorry, I don''t think we have met. I am Kuchiki, Rukia." Rukia Introduced herself.


    "Uchiha, Itachi, It''s nice to meet you." Itachi Introduced himself. ''A Kuchiki.. Like the Captain of the sixth division?'' Itachi thought to himself.


    "I am sorry, but I don''t think I''ve seen you before." Rukia replied.


    "I am new to the squad, I will be the Lieutenant." Itachi says.


    Rukia was startled, she had actually come to speak to the Captain about the lieutenant that would be joining. "I see." Rukia said despondently before quickly leaving.


    Itachi watches Rukia walk away as he could not think of anything he could say at the moment to console her. He entered Ukitake''s office and saw a brand new lieutenant''s badge on the table. He walked up to the table and picked up the badge and placed the badge on his arm. He also notices a list of things that Ukitake needed to do. ''The Captain isn''t feeling well so I''ll do this instead for today.''


    Itachi sits down at the desk and begins going through various paperwork, including shinigami files, duties tasked to shinigami, and contracts for future renovations to the division. After thirty minutes of tedious work, Itachi sorts out the papers and signs them. Suddenly, Kiyone and Sentaro come into the office.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha! There you are! What are you doing here?" Kiyone asks as she and Sentaro walk up to the desk. They are surprised when they see all of Ukitake''s paperwork filled out and completed properly.


    "Lieutenant, you did a good job here!" Sentaro says enthusiastically as he goes through the papers.


    "A lot of this isn''t much different from what Captain Soi Fon had me do. The only difference is it is for the entire squadron instead of a singular corps." Itachi said as he neatly stacked another pile of papers.


    "For now, you two check on the Captain. I''ll finish up things in here." Itachi said to the two third seats.


    "Yes Lieutenant!" The two of them replied then ran out of the room.


    "Hey, maybe he''s not so bad," Kiyone said as they two dashed back to Ukitake''s room.


    "Yeah!" Sentaro agreed.


    ------


    ''They''re a hyperactive bunch aren''t they.'' Itachi thought as he rose up from his seat and weaved a hand sign.


    A puff of smoke appears next to Itachi and a clone emerges from the smoke. ''It''s been a while since I''ve had a clone do work for me. I can do this while I explore the division grounds more.'' Itachi''s clone sat down and started working on the paperwork as Itachi left the room.


    It was already late afternoon when Itachi left the building. ''Maybe I should get to know some of the squad members.'' He headed over to the training fields first and saw a few shinigami practicing their sword skills.


    The shinigami saw Itachi approaching and became nervous when they saw the badge on his arm. ''The new lieutenant'' they thought to themselves. Truth be told, they weren''t excited about having a new lieutenant so soon after the death of their previous Lieutenant. It hadn''t even been that long since he was replaced. Not only that, this was someone from the second division. All members of the second division were ruthless in their tactics, with no regard for their comrades. A complete opposite of their division''s ideals.


    "Your form is off." Itachi said to the shinigami.


    "Hmm?" One of the shinigami was surprised. They weren''t expecting Itachi to suddenly point out their flaw. Itachi approached the shinigami.


    "Your stance is too stiff." Itachi said before continuing his explanation and pointing out all the errors.


    The shinigami thought for a moment before reviewing Itachi''s pointers.


    "Th..Than you Lieutenant!" he said quickly bowing.


    "As for you, you and you" Itachi pointed to the rest of the shinigami and pointed out their errors.


    "Thank you Lieutenant!" The group all said together while bowing.


    "Continue working hard" Itachi replied before leaving the field. The shinigami watched Itachi leave with a hint of respect.


    "Maybe he''s not so bad right?" They said to each other.


    "Yeah."


    On his way out of the field, he noticed Rukia sitting under a tree with a solemn expression. He made his way towards her.


    Rukia noticed someone approaching in the distance. It was the new lieutenant of the 13th division. "Lieutenant." She bowed in greeting before quickly departing.


    ''Hmm¡­ seems the loss was hardest on her.'' Itachi thought to himself as he watched her leave.


    Itachi continued his rounds around 13th division, ?ssisting numerous shinigami with their training.


    ----


    Over the next few weeks, Itachi continued with his Lieutenant duties and gradually gained the appreciation of the division. One morning, he sat at Ukitake''s desk and finished up the last of the paperwork. ''Not a lot today so there is no need for me to make a clone. I''ll have plenty of time to train after this.''


    Itachi''s thoughts are interrupted as he senses someone approaching and he looks up at the door. An unseated officer runs into the room panting with panic written all over his face.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha! I-I just came f-f-r-ff-" The shinigami stutters as he tries to catch his breath. Itachi gets up from his seat and gives him a concerned look.


    "Calm down and breathe then tell me what is happening." Itachi says reassuringly to the panicked shinigami. The shinigami looks at Itachi and takes a few slow deep breaths.


    "This morning, we were sent out to patrol an area in Rukongai district three where hollows were appearing. A large group of hollows attacked us and Kuchiki got separated from us. There are still three more of us out there looking for her but it''s difficult with the high amount of hollows in the area." The shinigami said, out of breath but able to fully articulate what he was originally trying to say.


    "Understood. I''ll go out there and tell your squadmates to report back to the barracks. I''ll deal with the rest." Itachi says as he vanishes from the room before the shinigami even has time to reply.


    In a short amount of time, Itachi arrived at the district. He sees a path of broken trees in the forest and follows the path. As he follows the path, he hears a hollow roar nearby and feels the presence of three shinigami. Itachi jumps quickly through the trees and sees a hollow holding a shinigami while two other shinigami are on the ground. The shinigami in the hollow''s hand kicks and screams as he is inched closer to the hollow''s mouth. The hollow opens it''s large mouth but in an instant, its head is split in half and the shinigami finds himself freed from its grasp.


    "L-Lieutenant Uchiha!" The shinigami exclaims as he sees Itachi. Itachi ignores him and checks on the other two shinigami on the ground. He manages to wake one of them up but the other one is still unconscious.


    "You two. I am taking over this mission. Take your unconscious squadmate and report back to the barracks and get your injuries looked at in the infirmary. I will find Kuchiki and clear the rest of these hollows out." Itachi orders.


    "Yes sir!" The two shinigami reply as one of them mounts their unconscious comrade on their shoulder before they run back to the barracks.


    Itachi closes his eyes and does his best to sense Rukia. After a few moments Itachi opens his eyes again. ''Found her.'' Itachi flash steps out deeper into the forest.


    -----


    ''My lack of strength was the reason Kaien died...I need to get stronger and I''ll do it by defeating these hollows alone!'' Rukia runs into a clearing filled with strong hollows. ''This is how I will redeem myself!''


    Rukia charges into the group of hollows and draws out her zanpakuto.


    "Dance, Sode no-" Rukia freezes as an image of Kaien''s face appears in her head and she remembers her zanpakuto training with him. Her hands begin to shake and she drops her zanpakuto on the ground.


    The hollows in the clearing notice Rukia and charge in at her. A large hollow at the front of the group punches Rukia and she goes flying across the field until she is stopped by the trees. The force of her landing against a tree knocks the tree down and she feels her breath taken out of her.


    The other hollows continue to run at her. Rukia tries to stand up but feels a sharp pain in her torso and can''t move. As the hollow lunges in at Rukia with its gaping mouth, ready to bite her, she closes her eyes. ''I''m sorry Kaien...I let you down.''


    Rukia tries to mentally prepare herself to get struck by the hollow but seconds pass and she realizes she is not getting attacked. Rukia opens her eyes and sees she was moved from her original spot. She sees a figure standing in front of her with his back facing her and she notices the lieutenant badge on his arm.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha?" Rukia questions. Itachi doesn''t respond but instead raises his hand up, pointing a finger at the incoming hollows.


    "Hado 4: Byakurai." Itachi shoots a thin, highly concentrated bolt of reiatsu at one of the hollows. He maintains the form of the bolt and makes a swiping motion with his arm, cutting through the hollows like a hot knife through bu??er.


    The bodies of the hollows stop moving and collapse on the ground. Itachi looks at the bodies of the hollows. ''Again, there are more of these hollows. And they seem to get slightly stronger each time¡­'' Itachi redirects his attention to Rukia who was staring at Itachi.


    "Kuchiki, are you able to stand?" Itachi asks her. Rukia tries to get up but she winces in pain as she gets halfway up.


    "I-I''m fine Lieutenant. I can get back on my own." Rukia says as she shakily stands up all the way.


    "No you''re not. Allow me to ?ssi-" Itachi reaches forward but his hand is swatted away by Rukia. Itachi looks into her eyes and sees they were filled with pain. Not the pain from the injuries from the fight, but from the pain of losing Kaien.


    "I can do it by myself-" Rukia suddenly falls over unconscious and Itachi catches her.


    "I''m sorry I had to resort to this." Itachi says as he reverts his sharingan before carrying an unconscious Rukia back to the barracks.

 Chapter 34 - Black

    Back at the Thirteenth Division


    Itachi returned to the Thirteenth Division barracks and dropped Rukia off at the infirmary. He checked on the other shinigami to make sure they were okay before heading back to the office.


    The next day, Itachi sat in the office, signing more papers, when he sensed Rukia about to knock outside the door.


    "Come in." Itachi said firmly. A bandaged up Rukia entered and closed the door behind her. Itachi makes a gesture for her to take a seat. As Rukia sat down, she began to apologize.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha. I''m sorry for the way I acted yesterday on the mission. I shouldn''t have left my squadmates behind and because of that, I jeopardized their safety and my own. I thought I could redeem myself for Kaien''s death but¡­" Rukia stops talking.


    "Kuchiki. I wasn''t there to experience it but I was informed about the details of Lieutenant Shiba''s death. I understand you did what you did because you feel like you weren''t strong enough to keep him from dying. However, you will become stronger if you are able to forgive yourself and accept what happened. From what I''ve been told, you are strong willed but tend to keep your feelings bottled down to yourself. But no matter how strong you may be, don''t take it all on yourself. Because if you do, you will surely fail, as what happened on this mission. In order to fulfill your duty as shinigami, remember that your comrades are at your side." Itachi said to Rukia, who was listening to him intently. She replied with a nod as she had no words to respond as everything he said was true. Rukia stood up and turned around towards the door but Itachi stopped her.


    "One more thing before I let you go." Itachi adds on. "Lieutenant Shiba''s life didn''t end when he died. He cared deeply about his squadmates and those who were close to him. His life will only end if you lose faith in the division he left behind."


    Rukia pauses and looks back at Itachi with tears in her eyes.


    "Thank you Lieutenant." She said before leaving the room. Itachi gave her a soft smile back as she exited.


    Itachi looked back down at his desk with a lingering thought in his head. ''When Captain Ukitake told me about the hollow that killed Kaien Shiba...why are there hollows that are able to kill even lieutenants?''


    Itachi pushes the thought to the back of his head as he continues on his paperwork.


    Over the next five years, things were quiet in Soul Society. The amount of strong hollows appearing in Rukongai were still a problem but it was nothing the shinigami of the Gotei 13 couldn''t handle. During this time, Itachi honed his skills with Kido, Hakuda, Hoho, and Zanjutsu. Despite his diligent training, he still was unable to imprint on his zanpakuto and communicate with it. He disregarded it and continued training his other skills.


    One morning, Itachi sat in the office with four shinigami standing in front of him. Itachi had just finished giving them their mission briefing before they left for Karakura Town to investigate a hollow disturbance.


    "Yes Lieutenant Uchiha!" The shinigami reply in unison as they leave the room and head to the main Senkaimon. Itachi looked back down at his desk and continued his paperwork.


    An hour passes and a hell bu??erfly flies into the office. Itachi looks at it in confusion as he reaches his hand out for the hell''s bu??erfly to land on. Itachi''s eyes widen as he receives the message. He grabbed his asauchi and vanished from the room, making haste to the Senkaimon to go to the human world.


    Itachi arrives on an empty street in Karakura Town. The area reeked with the smell of blood. Itachi looked around and saw the limp bodies of the squad that was deployed. Itachi tried to sense their spiritual pressure but could not. Instead he sensed a strong, sinister spiritual pressure down the street. Itachi activated his sharingan and looked at it. It had a black hollow mask and was relatively humanoid with a white body. However, it''s hollow hole was filled and it had two blades for arms.


    ''What is that thing?! It looks like a hollow but it feels like a shinigami¡­'' Itachi doesn''t make any sudden movements as the hollow remains standing down the street from him. Suddenly the hollow lets out a deafening roar and dashes towards Itachi.


    Itachi is surprised by its speed but was able to react to it thanks to his sharingan. Itachi pulls out his sword and blocks the arm blades of the hollow as it attacks him. He continuously dodges the attacks while sending out his own. He keeps his distance by attacking with his various kido.


    He retreats back before quickly weaving hand signs and breathing in ''Fire Style: Fire ball jutsu''


    He breathes out a massive fireball towards the hollow. The hollow completely ignores the fireball as it charges once again towards Itachi. The hollows come out the other end with a few burns on its body.


    ''Superficial Injuries'' Itachi thinks as he maintains his distance. Itachi points his finger towards the hollow. Hado: 4 Byakurai. A small beam of lightning shoots towards the hollow.


    The hollow waits as the beam approaches before dodging to the side. Itachi swings his fingers to the right, slicing horizontally with the lightning. The hollow vanishes from its places before appearing over Itachi and swinging down with its blades.


    Bakudo: 39 Enkousen. A spinning shield appears over Itachi palms, blocking the attack just as it is about to hit him. However, the strike completely shatters the shield, forcing Itachi to fly back.


    The hollow continues its chase, forcing Itachi back further. ''I need a big attack...'' Itachi thinks to himself before steadying himself and retreating further.


    He turns around and points his hand towards the hollow "Bakudo 4: Hainawa" A crackling energy flies towards the hollow binding it. He clenches the rope before inhaling.


    ''Fire style: Dragon Flame Jutsu.'' Itachi breathes out a stream of flames that travels along the rope.


    Before the flames are able to reach the hollow, it breaks free from its binding and charges forward at Itachi.


    ''This thing is strong...this isn''t something I can defeat with the seal still on me.'' In between the hollow''s strikes, Itachi finds an opening and kicks the hollow, pushing it back.


    "Bakudo 21: Sekienton!" A large cloud of smoke erupts and covers the area. Itachi makes some distance from the hollow and pulls out a denreishinki.


    "This is Lieutenant Uchiha, Itachi of the Thirteenth Division in Karakura Town requesting removal of the spirit restriction seal." Itachi says. As he waits for a reply, he senses the hollow coming at him again.


    Itachi jumps back again and the hollow roars, emitting a shockwave that clears the smoke from the area. Itachi looks back at the denreishinki. ''It looks like it will take a while for them to reply.''


    Itachi puts the device away and holds his blade in front of him with one hand and performs a hand seal with the other.


    "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu." Itachi exhales flames onto his blade that light his blade on fire. The hollow charges at Itachi again and goes for a jab with one of its blade arms. Itachi parries the blow and counterattacks with a quick slash through the hollow''s side. Itachi''s eyes widen as he sees the deep gash he inflicted instantly close. ''Instant regeneration?!'' The hollow spins around and sends a back kick at Itachi. Itachi tries to block it with his asauchi but it snaps in half from the force and he gets sent flying down the street. Before he has a chance to regain his footing, the hollow puts one foot forward and leans in with its horns facing Itachi. A large amount of reiatsu begins to build up and a red glow is emitted from between the hollow''s horns.


    ''Cero?!'' Itachi manages to regain his footing. As the hollow charges the cero, Itachi receives a voice message on his deirenshiki.


    "Thirteenth Division Lieutenant Uchiha Itachi, your request has been accepted." The voice says.


    "Gentei Kaijo!" Itachi yells out and he feels a large amount of power return to his body. Itachi sees the hollow ready to fire a fully charged Cero and prepares himself to dodge out of the way. Suddenly, the hollow disappears from its spot and reappears directly in front of Itachi with a loud booming sound. The hollow fires its cero at point blank range, completely enveloping Itachi in a red light...

 Chapter 35 - Black and White

    A figure could be seen in the shadows, watching intently at the fight. He was a tall and thin man with silver hair. His eyes were narrowed into slits and he had a wide mocking smile on his face. This was the Captain of the Third Division, Ichimaru Gin.


    ''Impressive, Lieutenant Uchiha. You''re able to hold off that hollow with only twenty percent of your power available to you.. Not bad... but if you want to beat that thing, you are going to need to undo the spirit seal.'' Ichimaru thought as he continued watching the fight.


    -------------


    "Gentei Kaijo!" Itachi says a small black insignia of the thirteenth division appears on his ?h?st. It suddenly turns bright, releasing all of Itachi''s reiatsu at once. Just as Itachi is enveloped by the cero, a red spectral ribcage forms around Itachi, protecting him from the cero blast.


    A huge dust cloud is formed covering the two figures, once the dust cleared, Itachi could be seen standing in the center of the rib cage without any damage on him. His eyes were no longer the normal sharingan and there were three spiral curves around the pupil. The rib cage however had some slight cracks appear on its surface.


    ''Mangekyo Sharingan. Even with the seal released, this is a huge drain on my reiatsu. Something is different. Originally when I used Susanoo, not just my eyes, but my whole body was in pain. But now, it feels no different than if I were to use kido.'' Itachi was surprised at this development. He knew he had access to his Mangekyo Sharingan, but there was never a need for him to use it. He also thought his eyesight would once again deteriorate if he used it, so he avoided using this power. However, during the fight, It was too much of a gamble for him to take the cero head on.


    ''I should carefully analyze it later, for now I should focus on the enemy. Instant regeneration is troubling. I''ll end this fast.'' Itachi thought.


    The hollow charges back in at Itachi and with its arms, cuts at the susanoo ribcage. Its arms bounce off it but it keeps trying to slash at Itachi. Suddenly, a large skeletal arm manifests at the side of the rib cage and punches the hollow. A large cracking sound is heard as the hollow''s bones are crushed by the force of the blow. Blood erupts from its body and it gets sent flying down the street. The hollow lay on the ground and its body starts to wriggle as its wounds heal at a rapid rate.


    The hollow suddenly roared as it jumped back up and disappeared, before appearing next to Itachi, slicing horizontally at Itachi''s figure. However, before the blade reached his body, it was stopped by the Susanoo''s ribcage. From inside the Susanoo, Itachi raises his arm and points his finger at the hollow. His finger begins to glow with a yellow light.


    "Bakudo 4: Hainawa." A rope of light shoots from Itachi''s fingertip and wraps around the hollow.


    "Bakudo 61: Rikujokoro." The rope of light that was tightly wrapped around the hollow transforms into a sturdy six segments of light that trapped it in place, unable to move a single muscle. ''Now, burn away.'' Itachi thought before closing his left eye. He looked at the immobilized hollow as he gathered a large amount of reiatsu into his right eye.


    "Amaterasu!" Itachi says as the hollow is suddenly struck with black flames that continuously grow as they burn the hollow.


    The hollow writhed in rage as it mustered all of its strength to break through the kido binding to escape as it was continuously burned by amaterasu. Even as its body tried to repair itself, the flames were burning it away faster than it could heal itself. Within moments, the hollow''s screaming died down as its body was turned into ashes, with even the ashes being burned away into nothing.


    ''What an interesting ability...his zanpakuto broke earlier in the fight after taking a strong hit. Perhaps he can use his shikai without his zanpakuto being in a stable, physical form.'' Gin thought as he watched the fight.


    He was surprised to see the sudden rib cage form around Itachi. However, he simply believed it to be Itachi''s zanpakuto ability. All zanpakuto abilities were different. ''A shield based zanpakuto. It''s quite sturdy to be able to block a cero at point blank with only a few cracks here and there. But he used that ability without even a release command.'' Gin smirks as he continues to watch Itachi. ''So he learned bankai did he?''


    --------


    After putting out Amaterasu''s flames to keep them from spreading anywhere else, Itachi deactivated his Mangekyou Sharingan, reverting them back to their regular three tomoe form. Shortly after, he falls to one knee panting heavily.


    ''My eyes may be fine, but the reiatsu drain my Mangekyo uses was larger than I expected'' Itachi thought to himself. He looked slightly to distance. He only looked for an instant, but he noticed a familiar spiritual pressure. Although the person had hid it completely, there was no it would escape his eyes. He looked back, pretending to have not noticed. He looked around before finding his broken zanpakuto at the side of the street and put it back in its sheath before leaving the area.


    ------


    Gin stared at the pile of ashes as Itachi caught his breath. There was no longer any sign of the hollow, and the area was completely silent. Gin watched as Itachi left, but he didn''t give chase. He was only there to observe the fight and report it back to Aizen. ''I guess I''ll tell Captain Aizen it was a failed experiment. It did lose to a lieutenant after all. He destroyed it so quickly after breaking the seal. Interesting...'' Gin thought to himself as he grinned.


    --------


    "Ah, Gin you''ve returned. Shiba Isshin was able to deal with White. How did Black fare against Uchiha Itachi?" Aizen asked as Gin returned back to their hideout.


    "It was a failure. Uchiha completely destroyed it, even with the augmented instant regeneration you put on that one in place of the self destruct. Once he released his seal, the hollow stood no chance." Gin replied. "However, it appears he has access to his shikai now. Some strange bone structure that surrounds him. I suspect he already has his Bankai."


    "Not bad, anything else?" Aizen continued.


    Gin thought for an instant about the black flames that had appeared on the hollow.


    "Nope. Nothing." He replied with his same wide smile.


    "Uchiha Itachi has grown a lot. As expected. I look forward to his future growth. There are more things I want to test." Aizen said as he walked out of the hideout.


    ----


    Itachi returned to the Thirteenth Division Barracks and explained to Captain Ukitake what happened. Captain Ukitake relayed the events to the other captains for further investigation while Itachi resumed his regular lieutenant duties for the next week. During this week, Ukitake''s health had stabilized and he was able to help Itachi in kido training.


    One evening, after sitting in the office all day doing paperwork, Itachi decided to go out into Seireitei for a break and left the two third seats to finish the last bit of paperwork he had left.


    Itachi flash stepped and quickly arrived at his favorite dango shop but is slightly saddened when he sees it was closed temporarily for renovations. He looked around for another place and an amanatto shop caught his attention and he walked into the store.


    As he entered, he noticed a familiar short figure with white hair sitting at one of the tables. Itachi ordered a small bag of amanatto then took a seat in front of Toshiro. Toshiro looked up, surprised to see Itachi.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha, I didn''t expect to see you here." Toshiro said with a glum expression on his face, looking down at the table.


    "Something on your mind Hitsugaya?" Itachi asked, noticing his expression.


    "A week ago, Captain Shiba went missing. So far, Lieutenant Matsumoto has been taking his spot temporarily but I will be the next Captain because I proved my ability to use bankai." Toshiro said.


    "Congratulations then Captain Hitsugaya." Itachi said. However, Toshiro''s expression did not change.


    "I may have bankai, but at the same time, I don''t feel ready for Captain quite yet." Toshiro looked back up at Itachi. "I remember your skill from years ago when you were still in the Second Division. Now that you''re a lieutenant, I ?ssume you''ve been training hard. I wish to fight you." Toshiro declared to Itachi. "I need to test myself to make sure that I''m truly ready for this role."


    "I think you are ready to take the Captain''s position. But I''m curious myself on how my abilities will fare against a Captain level opponent. I will accept your challenge." Itachi replied.


    The two of them finished their amanatto and Itachi followed Toshiro back to the tenth division barracks. Itachi and Toshiro stood facing each other in the middle of the training field as people from the division began to gather around.


    "Isn''t that the lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division?"


    "Why is he here?"


    "Are they about to Duel?"


    Toshiro puts his hand on the handle of his zanpakuto and Itachi closes his eyes and opens them again, revealing his Sharingan. There is a brief silence and tension in the training field as the two of them stared down at each other. The silence is broken when Toshiro pulls out his zanpakuto.


    "Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!" Toshiro yells out, releasing his zanpakuto and summoning a long dragon of ice at Itachi. Itachi feels the temperature in the area drop severely. ''He''s gotten a lot stronger.''


    "Bakudo 81: Danku." Itachi doesn''t move from his spot and a large rectangular barrier forms in front of him. The ice dragon collides with the barrier, creating a massive explosion of ice in front of Itachi that begins to seep past the sides of the barrier.


    Toshiro appears above the barrier and shoots another ice dragon at Itachi. Itachi notices in time and raises his hand at Toshiro.


    "Hado 63: Raikoho." A bright, yellow orb of reiatsu forms in Itachi''s hand and exerts a large shockwave of electricity at the ice dragon. The two impact, creating an explosion of electrified ice crystals that fill the air with a cold mist.


    Toshiro charges through the mist and swings his blade multiple times at Itachi with each swing being narrowly dodged as Itachi reads his movements with his sharingan. Itachi tries to jump away off the ground but is unable to as his feet have been frozen to the ground. Toshiro approaches Itachi and puts the tip of his blade up to his ?h?st.


    "This is my win, Uchiha." Hitsugaya says to Itachi.


    "Not quite." Itachi replies and his body begins to break down into crows, surprising Toshiro. Toshiro turns around and sees Itachi rematerializing behind him. Toshiro swings his blade at Itachi but Itachi blocks it with his own blade and counters Toshiro with a kick, knocking him back a few meters. Itachi feels something cold in his hand and realizes his blade was becoming encased in ice.


    "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu." Itachi ignites his blade, melting the ice that was starting to cover it.


    "Not bad, Uchiha." Toshiro charges in again and swings his sword in a wide arc, summoning another ice dragon to charge at Itachi.


    ''His offense is strong but he has a longer start up when he uses the ice dragon. That will be my chance.'' With his other hand, Itachi weaves a hand sign in front of him.


    "Fire style: Fireball Jutsu!" Itachi breathes out a huge ball of flames that collides with the dragon, evaporating it in the blast and filling the air with steam. The steam in the air begins to cool down shortly and ice crystals begin to form as the steam clears up. Toshiro winds his zanpakuto back again to shoot another ice dragon but Itachi flashes towards him and swings at Toshiro. Toshiro manages to react in time and parry the blow.


    "I wouldn''t expect anything less of you, Uchiha." Toshiro says to Itachi with a slight smile. Itachi''s eyes widen as he realizes his feet are frozen to the ground and his body begins to encase in ice.


    "Think again." Itachi says with a slight grin and his body begins to glow inside the ice. Toshiro''s eyes widen upon realizing what is happening.


    "When did he-" Toshiro jumps back and Itachi''s body explodes, engulfing a majority of the training field and blowing back the spectators who were standing too close to the fight.


    Shortly after, the smoke clears and Toshiro is seen down on one knee, panting, covered with moderate burns and Itachi is standing in front of him.


    "You covered yourself in ice at the last moment to reduce the damage. Impressive." Itachi says to Toshiro. Toshiro shakily stands back up.


    "I understand now. In the last attack when your fireball hit my ice, you used the steam to swap yourself with a clone. You''re something else Uchiha. You were a step ahead of me the whole time. I think I should show you what I am truly capable of." Toshiro replies to Itachi as he holds his blade out in front of him.


    "Bankai."

 Chapter 36 - Prologue

    The spectating shinigami get up from the ground after being thrown back by the shockwave of Itachi''s shadow clone explosion.


    "Bankai? Did he say he is going to use bankai?!"


    "Isn''t he going a bit too far?"


    "Yeah...no I''m not sticking around I''m getting out of here!" A few shinigami said as they watched the sparring session escalate.


    The shinigami began to urgently leave the training field as the temperature drops further.


    "Bankai!" Toshiro yells as his body is covered by an ice cold reiatsu. Ice forms around his arm and sword handle and up his shoulder, taking the form of a dragon head. From his shoulders, large wings begin to sprout from his back.


    "Daiguren Hyourinmaru!" Toshiro says as his bankai finishes forming. Itachi stared at his bankai, amazed by its power being it was the first time he has seen a bankai up close.


    -------


    Some distance away, two figures were seated opposite to each other. One was a tall and thin man with white hair and black eyebrows. He had a slightly pale face and sunken eyes. The other was a tall shinigami with wave brown hair. He was wearing a Sugegasa straw hat and a pink, flowered lady''s kimono, which he drapes across his shoulders and over his captain''s uniform. They were playing shogi while eating and drinking. There was a young lady standing in the corner. She was a slim and youthful girl wearing a normal shinigami outfit. She was also wearing a pair of glasses whilst carrying a book. She had a serious expression on her face as she remained standing.


    "So Ukitake, how is the new lieutenant?" Kyouraku asked while sipping his sake.


    "Very strong and he''s also very disciplined. I am also surprised at how efficient he is." Ukitake replied.


    As the two continued talking, they felt two massive waves of reiatsu near the Tenth Division barracks.


    "This reiatsu is?!" Ukitake said slightly surprised as he looked towards the Tenth Division.


    "Oh not bad, is this the new captain of the 10th division. Who is he fighting that he even released his bankai." Kyouraku.


    "Hmm, the other one feels like Uchiha¡­ Why are the two of them fighting?" Ukitake replied.


    "Shall I investigate? The young woman asked.


    "No I''ll go. Besides, there''s no doubt that this reiatsu already alerted the old man. I''ll let him know I will investigate. Take care of things here Nanao" Kyouraku said still with his lazy expression.


    "Yes sir" Nanao replied.


    He sent a message to the other captains alerting them that he would take care of it.


    "Oh, then let me join you." Ukitake replied while smiling.


    Kyoraku and Ukitake got up and the two vanished from their spot.


    --------


    "Uchiha, don''t hold back!" Toshiro charges in at Itachi with his sword in front of him.


    "Bakudo 21: Sekienton." Itachi creates a large smokescreen that fills the area then jumps high into the air above the smoke screen as Hitsugaya is still inside.


    "Heart of the south, eye of the north, finger of the west, foot of the east, Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado 31: Shakkaho!" Itachi shouts as three spiralling orbs rotate around his palm and he throws them at Toshiro. Toshiro notices Itachi in the air performing the incantation. ''Did he just combine Bakudo 58 with Hado 31?!'' Toshiro jumps away from the spiraling orbs coming at him but they proceed to follow him as he flies through the air. ''I see. He used the reiatsu homing capabilities of Kakuishitsujaku and combined it with his upgraded version of Shakkaho which means this blast will keep following me.'' Toshiro turns around to face the attack and swings his sword, creating a large arc of ice that collides with the blast. A red explosion occurs as the two attacks collide, covering the area in mist.


    Two figures escape out of the mist and face each other once. The mist clears and Toshiro begins the attack. He raises his zanpakuto into the air and swings down his blade, creating an enormous ice dragon that rushes at Itachi.


    "Bakudo 81: Danku." A large, transparent wall forms in front of Itachi to block the attack. The dragon collides with the wall and it holds off the dragon momentarily. Shortly after, the barrier cracks and the ice dragon breaks through and collides with Itachi, creating a huge explosion of ice. Toshiro looks into the icy mist created by the collision but his face turns to shock when he sees two large glowing orange eyes and a humanoid-like ethereal figure.


    "Not bad." Itachi says as Toshiro stands in awe of the large orange figure surrounding Itachi. Itachi raises the arm of the Susanoo up in the air and beads of reiatsu begin to form in its palm.


    "Alright that''s enough!" A voice suddenly interrupts both of them.


    The two look towards the owner of the voice. They see Ukitake approaching them from a distance.


    "It''s good to spar once in a while, but you don''t have to go all out like this right?"


    Itachi nods. He receded his reiatsu and deactivated his sharingan.


    Toshiro also complied and reverted his zanpakuto back to its asauchi state.


    "Sorry for the disturbance. I''ll take my leave first." Toshiro made a quick bow to Ukitake and Kyouraku.


    "Uchiha, that was a good battle. It''s a shame it ended so quickly, but hopefully we will finish it someday." Toshiro said as he looked at Itachi.


    "Indeed." Itachi replied.


    Toshiro nodded and left.


    Itachi turned to Ukitake. "I apologize for the disturbance captain."


    "Don''t worry about it Uchiha, just remember to keep the spar simple." Ukitake replied with a smile.


    "Understood." Itachi replied before leaving.


    "Hmm.. That''s him huh? Not bad. He''s definitely skilled and still very young. He will definitely go far." Kyouraku commented.


    "I believe so as well. His talent in Kido is the most impressive I''ve ever seen." Ukitake said.


    "The fact that he can already use Kido in the eighties as a vice captain is impressive enough. But he used it without the incantation." Kyouraku mused. He had seen the scene when Itachi had used his bakudo to block an attack from a bankai.


    "What if I told you I had just taught it to him a few days ago." Ukitake replied.


    "What?!" Kyouraku was surprised. "A few days to use Danku at that level? He''s some kind of genius, much like Hitsugaya who already became a Captain despite being so young.This is a good sign for soul society to have such talented youngsters."


    -------


    Itachi returned to his compound. He digested the battle he had today and reviewed it over.


    ''So that was a bankai'' Itachi mused as he entered his room. ''It rose his strength by at least five times and forced me to use Susanoo in that fight. Looks like I have to train harder.'' Itachi thought to himself as he fell asleep.


    --------


    17 years have passed.


    There were no new events in Soul Society. It seemed after the strange hollow incident in the human world, things had quieted down. During this time, Itachi had continuously trained, increasing his limits on his Mangekyo Sharingan further than he ever had before when he was still alive. He also continued his training under Ukitake to learn even higher levels of Kido and master them up to eighty nine while also making sure to perform his duties properly.


    Itachi enjoyed this time of peace. He never liked conflict and it was great for If he could avoid it whenever the chance. He also frequented the dango shop for his favorite snack and also often ran into Renji from time to time. Renji by this point had remained as the 6th seat in the 11th division.


    -----


    During one rare encounter, Itachi had run into Renji during his personal day.


    "Itachi, It''s been quite some time since we met, let''s eat!" Renji said enthusiastically.


    Itachi smiled and nodded.


    The two continued talking before they were interrupted by a hell bu??erfly.


    "Eh what''s this¡­" Renji said.


    Itachi held up his finger so the bu??erfly could land.


    "It''s an invitation." Itachi said, narrowed his eyes and frowned. The invitation was by Aizen to all vice captains for a gathering in the fifth division.


    "What is it for?" Renji


    "A gathering for all Vice-Captains at the fifth division. It''s hosted by Captain Aizen." Itachi replied.


    "Then this will be a chance to test yourself against other lieutenants." Renji says excitedly.


    Itachi remained silent. He found something strange about the invitation.


    "Captain Aizen will also be demonstrating his shikai. Itachi said calmly.


    So what do you think Itachi? Will you be attending." Renji asked.


    "I won''t be able to attend." Itachi replied.


    "Why not. It''s not everyday all the lieutenants get together right?" Renji inquired.


    "Well my Captain is still ill and lately it''s been getting worse. A lot of his responsibilities usually fall into my hands. I will be dealing with a heavy workload in the coming days so I will not be attending." Itachi replied.


    Renji nodded and the two of them walked down the streets of seireitei looking for a taiyaki shop.


    After eating with Renji, Itachi returned to the main hall in the thirteenth division and resumed his work. ''Something is strange, but I don''t know what. There''s no proof or reasoning, but I instinctively feel that something is amiss. Demonstrating his zanpakuto? The best course of action for now would be to avoid him using my work as an excuse. It''s best to avoid Aizen as much as I can. I''ve searched all these years, but there is no proof I could find directly linking to him. I don''t know what he is planning, but whatever it is I have to be ready.'' Itachi thought to himself as he continued his work.


    --------


    A few days later at the Fifth Division, a big hall was filled with the Gotei 13 lieutenants.


    They were talking amongst themselves enjoying the rare atmosphere of having a day off.


    "I cant believe there isn''t any sake here." Grumbled a young woman with wavy blonde hair and a busty ?h?st. She was wearing her shihakusho loose, revealing her massive br??sts.


    "Rangiku please behave yourself. Said a young man with blonde hair, with bangs parted over his left eye.


    "Quit being so uptight" Rangiku replied lazily, slightly annoying the young man.


    "Kira, Rangiku be nice" A voice said from the side. It was a young woman with brown eyes, and standard Shinigami robes, with her black hair pulled into a bun held in a tied cloth. She was carrying a tray of snacks.


    "Momo, you''re too nice." Kira replied.


    However before she could reply, a pink blur raced by her picking up all of the snacks on her tray. She stuffed them all into her mouth, enlarging her cheeks. It was a very small, young girl with pink hair, dark pink eyes and a perpetual blush on her cheeks. She looked pleadingly at Momo to give her more snacks "More, More!"


    "Wait a moment Yachiru!" Momo said smilingly before she went back into the room and brought out another tray. Yachiru''s eyes gleamed as she quickly grabbed the tray and dashed out of the building.


    "Yachiru, wait-" Momo quickly called. However Yachiru had already disappeared into the distance. She smiled helplessly as she watched Yachiru disappear into the distance.


    "Haha! What did you expect, Hinamori?" A laughter was heard from the side. It was lieutenant Iba, of the 7th division. He was familiar with Yachiru''s antics. He was surprised she stayed as long as she did.


    "It''s always rowdy when we come together." Another lieutenant commented as he walked in.He was a tall and lean-built man with dark grey eyes, short black hair and three scars straight over his right eye that lead down his cheek, as well as a blue-striped tattoo running across his left cheek and over the bridge of his nose.


    "Hisagi, you''re late," Omaeda said from the side while eating his bag of chips. "When is this starting anyway, I have things to do!"


    "Hmph, have more patience." Nanao replied.


    Omaeda grumbled but remained silent.


    "Come on, let''s all relax, It''s been a while since we have all gotten together right." A young woman tried easing the situation. She was tall with gray eyes and short messy silver hair with strands on the right side of her face that are shoulder-length and styled as two thin braids. She wears a thin dangling red earring on each ear and a standard Shinigami uniform with her lieutenant badge on her left arm.


    "Not all of us here, where is the Thirteenth Division lieutenant? The First and Twelfth division lieutenants are missing too. Omaeda said.


    "It''s true but those are special circumstances. The first division lieutenant doesn''t go anywhere without the captain''s permission. The 12th division''s lieutenant is never seen during gatherings like this. As for the thirteenth division, he covers a lot of the responsibilities of the captain, so it''s understandable that they aren''t present." Nanao replied. The group continued their conversations before Aizen arrived in the hall. He had a warm smile on his face as he arrived.


    "I hope everyone is enjoying themselves." Aizen said.


    "Thank you for having us Captain Aizen!" the lieutenants bowed and responded.


    "No need to be so formal. Please relax." Aizen continued.


    "Now I''ve invited you all here so we get to know each other better. However, it seems that we are missing a few people." Aizen said.


    "Sorry captain, it seems they were unable to make it." Momo responded.


    ''So he didn''t come.'' Aizen thought to himself.


    "It''s no problem. After all,it was last minute." The pleasantries continued before Aizen once again went in front of the group. Now everyone please pay attention. This is my zanpakuto.


    "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."


    ---------


    7 Years Later


    Rukia Kuchiki stood in the office in front of Itachi, Kiyone, and Sentaro, awaiting her orders for an upcoming mission.


    "Kuchiki. You are being ?ssigned a change of duty." Itachi said, reading a piece of paper with the information. Rukia looks at him surprised.


    "A transfer order?" Rukia questioned.


    "No, no, no. It''s not as big as a transfer! It''s only a mission in the human world. You did it once before when you first came here and was my ?ssistant!" Kiyone added in. Rukia''s confused expression does not go away as she tries to remember and there is an awkward silence in the room.


    "How can you not remember?!" Kiyone exclaimed, breaking the silence.


    "Maybe it was so disgusting, she decided to forget about it! Right Kuchiki?" Sentaro added in.


    "Shut up!! Just get out of here and plant yourself in the garden or something!" Kiyone yelled back at Kotetsu.


    Itachi shakes his head as he watches the two of them argue but his attention is diverted when he senses someone approach the door.


    "The place you will be designated is a spiritual area in a place called Karakura Town. With your abilities it shouldn''t be difficult at all." Ukitake said as he peeked his head from behind the door.


    "Captain?!" Everyone in the room exclaimed upon seeing him.


    "Weren''t you supposed to be resting?" Itachi asks him, surprised that he was standing up right now and was able to walk to the office considering the poor state he was in yesterday.


    "Oh no. I feel good today! Besides, although it will only last a month, I thought Kuchiki would be worried so I came here to send her off myself." Ukitake replied.


    "Oh...Thank you so much!" Rukia said, getting on her knees and bowing to Ukitake.


    "You don''t have to be so formal." Ukitake said with a light smile on his face. "By the way, have you told Byakuya?"


    "Ah...no not yet...I think that if I did, Captain Kuchiki would tell me not to inform him of such insignificant things. So I would rather go without telling him." Rukia said with a sorrowful look on her face. Ukitake notices and crouches down on one knee to look her eye to eye.


    "It''s okay. If that''s what you want, let me tell Byakuya instead. Don''t worry about it!" Ukitake said to her reassuringly. Rukia''s face brightened up as everyone in the room smiled. Itachi finished reading off the mission briefing to Rukia and everyone said their temporary goodbyes to her as she walked to the Senkaimon, ready to take on her new mission.

 Chapter 37 - Invaders

    ''It has to be near here, I can feel strong spiritual activity'' Rukia thought to herself as she moved towards the direction of the source. She saw a house with its lights still on. She went inside to try and track the spiritual fluctuation.


    "It is near" she mused to herself. However before she could react, she felt a foot suddenly strike her from behind.


    "It is near my ASS!" A voice suddenly said as she fell down. She turned around to see a young man pointing and yelling at her. He was fairly tall with a slim build, peach skin and brown eyes. His most discernible trait was his spiky orange hair.


    "You.. can see me¡­? She was surprised that a human was able to see her. And not just see her, but he was also able to attack her.


    -----


    After Rukia was sent to the human world, life in the Thirteenth Division stayed relatively the same. For the next month, Itachi continued his lieutenant duties.


    Itachi sat at his desk organizing papers. It was nearing the end of the day but there was one thing on his mind. Kiyone and Sentaro walk in and ask if Itachi needed any help but Itachi tells them he doesn''t need any.


    "Isn''t Kuchiki supposed to return today?" Kiyone asked him.


    "She was. We haven''t had any contact from her for the entire month but I ?ssumed no news is good news. However it''s worrying that she hasn''t come back earlier. I''ll talk about it with the Captain later when he is feeling better." Itachi replies.


    "Well Captain Ukitake is actually up and about, walking around the complex if you want to speak to him!" Sentaro added in. Itachi nods and gets up from his seat.


    "I''ll go talk to him. Actually if you two could finish organizing these files for me it would be much appreciated." Itachi said as he walked to the door.


    "Yes Lieutenant Uchiha!" Both of the third seats said enthusiastically as Itachi closed the door behind them.


    Itachi walked around the complex for a few minutes while trying to find Ukitake''s location. He picks up on his spiritual pressure and sees him looking at the pond. Ukitake notices Itachi and waves for him to come over.


    Itachi approached Ukitake as he looked at the pond.


    "Feeling better Captain?" Itachi asked him as they stared into the pond with several koi fish swimming about.


    "Much better. By the way, did you, Kiyone, or Sentaro put in a work order for koi fish in this pond? I don''t remember these being in here." Ukitake asked as he crouched on the ground to get a better look at them.


    "I don''t recall ever doing that. I go over their work too and they haven''t made such an order. I''m just as confused as you are." Itachi replied, also staring at the mysteriously appearing koi fish.


    "By the way, has Kuchiki come back yet? I haven''t seen her around." Ukitake asked Itachi. Itachi shook his head.


    "No. That''s what I wanted to talk to you about. I don''t take her for the type to be late and it''s worrying." Itachi said.


    "Well I''m sure she''s okay. If she doesn''t return in a few days though, I''ll have to relay this to the other divisions and maybe the intelligence unit can locate her." Ukitake said as he got up from his crouched position. He smiles at Itachi reassuringly. Itachi nods his head in acknowledgement.


    "Care to join me on this walk?" Ukitake asked Itachi.


    "Of course Captain." Itachi replied and the two of them began walking around the Thirteenth Division as the sun set.


    ----


    Another two months passed and Rukia did not return. Ukitake had sent out a request for her to be found but no information was returned to them about Rukia''s whereabouts.


    "I''m really worried about Kuchiki. But she''s strong. I''m sure there''s an explanation for all of this right?!" Sentaro asked Itachi nervously, hoping for some kind of reassurance.


    "I''m not so sure anymore." Itachi replied bleakly. "I can only hope for the best at this point. If the situation isn''t improved soon, I will head to Karakura town to find her. " Itachi said. However, right at that moment, he received a message from a hell bu??erfly to appear in front of the Central 46. Itachi was surprised but still heeded the order and left for the central 46 building.


    -------------


    When Itachi arrived, he saw a figure already standing in the center of the room. It was none other than the Sixth Division Captain, Kuchiki Byakuya.


    "Captain Kuchiki." Itachi greeted with a slight bow.


    Byakuya nodded and remained silent.


    He stood in front of the massive panel of elders. Itachi had knowledge of this group known as Central 46. It was a powerful group that oversaw all the judicial and legislative decisions of the Soul Society.


    "Uchiha, we called you here because we received important news regarding a shinigami from your division."


    Itachi remained calm and waited for the elder to speak.


    "It is news regarding Kuchiki Rukia." The elder spoke.


    Itachi was surprised. However, he didn''t notice that Byakuya also slightly jolted.


    "According to the information we have received, Rukia Kuchiki has broken the laws of the shinigami, by transferring her powers to a human!" the elder said.


    "Uchiha, Itachi, we have informed you of this matter, since your captain is bedridden. Kuchiki, Byakuya, you are hereby selected to travel to the human world to retrieve the criminal."


    "As you command." Kuchiki replied.


    "Please wait. As the lieutenant of the 13th division, Kuchiki is under my command. As such, I feel that I should be the one to retrieve her." Itachi said.


    "Denied. The order has already passed. You are dismissed!" The elder no longer said anything, simply signaling the two to exit.


    Itachi walked out reluctantly.


    "Captain Kuchiki, I will take my leave." Itachi didn''t wait for a response before heading towards the Thirteenth division.


    ''The order was to retrieve her, so I won''t have to worry too much. I am not going to be able to change their decision. The only thing I can do Is hope that Captain Ukitake can influence their decision.'' Itachi thought to himself as he arrived at the main hall.


    He was greeted by Kiyone who was standing outside the main hall.


    "How is the captain?" He asked Kiyone.


    "He is still resting. What happened?" Kiyone asked.


    Itachi explained the content of his meeting, by the end Kiyone was stunned.


    "Don''t do anything at this point. Inform me if anything urgent appears, or if the Captain wakes up." Itachi said before walking into his office.


    Kiyone nodded and returned to Ukitake''s room.


    -------


    A day later. Itachi receives news of Rukia''s capture and rushes towards the confinement cell. He walked into the jail and saw Rukia, who was sitting in the center of the room. She was wearing white robes and she looked like she lost weight.


    "Kuchiki." Itachi said.


    Rukia slowly lifted her head up. She looked towards Itachi standing outside the cell. She felt slightly overwhelmed.


    "Vice-Captain¡­" Rukia was about to say something but remained silent.


    "Kuchiki, how did this happen?" Itachi asked.


    Itachi narrows his eyes. Based on her story, there should be no reason for heavy punishments to be issued. He bid his farewells and left the hall. He runs into Renji on the way out. However, he simply nods in greeting before making his way out.


    Renji looks back as he sees Itachi leave. He turned around and headed towards Rukia''s Cell.


    -------


    Itachi left the building and moved towards the First Division barracks. He was greeted by the First Division Lieutenant who stood outside the main hall.


    "I''d like to meet with the Captain Commander." Itachi declared.


    "Uchiha, whatever you have to say, I can relay it for you. The Captain Commander does not just meet with anyone who requests to see him."


    "I see, then please pass on this message." Itachi told what he had to say to the First Division Lieutenant Sasakibe before making his way back to the barracks.


    ''The sentence should not be that harsh based on what I gathered from Kuchiki. She is also from the Kuchiki clan, so it would make sense if Captain Kuchiki did something about her sentence.'' Itachi thought to himself as he made his way back to his office.


    ------


    "Lieutenant Uchiha! Take a look at this!" Kiyone hands Itachi the paper. As Itachi reads it, his normally calm composure changes into shock. Sentaro hovers his head above Itachi''s shoulder and shouts in surprise upon reading it.


    "What?!!! Kuchiki is being executed?!!!!" Sentaro yelled right next to Itachi''s ear. Itachi looks at him sternly and Sentaro gets down on his knees and apologizes. Itachi ignores him and continues reading.


    "She is being charged with Unauthorized lending of shinigami power and late return. And for those reasons she is being sentenced to death? Not only that, but her death is being held at the Soukyoku, which is primarily only for Captains who have broken the law. Something isn''t right here¡­why is her sentence so severe." Itachi said out loud, still analyzing the situation.


    "I don''t understand it myself either, but-" Kiyone is interrupted as a loud voice echoes throughout Seireitei


    ATTENTION ALL CAPTAINS AND LIEUTENANTS. YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUIRED FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING. I REPEAT¡­ ALL CAPTAINS AND LIEUTENANTS, YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUIRED FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING.


    "We''ll figure it out later. Is Captain Ukitake well enough to attend the meeting?" Itachi asked Kiyone. Kiyone shook her head.


    "No he can''t get out of bed today." Kiyone replied.


    "Very well. Send a hell bu??erfly saying he is ill. I''m sure they''ll understand. In the meantime, I''ll go by myself." Itachi ordered to Kiyone, then vanished from his spot.


    -----


    "Abarai and Iba!" Momo said sitting on the floor with her back against the wall as she saw Renji and Tetsuzaemon enter the waiting room.


    "Hinamori. You''re the only one here?" Renji questioned, looking around.


    "I think so¡­" Momo replied. Suddenly the door opens up behind them and Rangiku enters the room.


    "What do you expect? All the Captains and Lieutenants are scattered around Soul Society with their own missions. It''ll take at least half a day to gather everyone." Rangiku commented as she entered the room. "Though...I can''t find my Captain and my head hurts."


    "Rangiku, who is your Captain?" Renji asked.


    "It''s that Hitsugaya fellow." Tetsuzaemon added in.


    "Oh you mean that kid prodigy? I think Uchiha told me about him. Apparently he and Uchiha did an all out sparring session that went too out of hand and got in trouble with the Captain Commander later on for it." Renji commented, vaguely remembering the story Itachi told him years ago in a dango shop.


    "Oh? Lieutenant Uchiha fought him? That''s impressive. I think I was on a mission with him over twenty years ago back when he was in the Second Division. Although I never got to see him fight." Tetsuzaemon replied, remembering the hollow extermination mission.


    "By the way, Abarai, have you seen Captain Aizen?" Momo asked Renji as he finished his conversation with Tetsuzaemon. Renji freezes momentarily and remembers the secretive talk he had with Aizen about the suspicious nature of Rukia''s execution.


    "N-no...Haven''t seen him." Renji quickly replied. Hinamori looks down on the ground, disappointed.


    The door opens again and everyone looks to see Itachi has arrived.


    "Ah! Uchiha!" Renji exclaims as Itachi walks into the room with all eyes on him. Itachi looks around the room at the other lieutenants.


    "So not everyone is here yet I see." Itachi commented as he walked over to Renji.


    "How''s it going Uchiha?" Renji asked Itachi.


    "Well my Captain is still sick so I''m just here by myself. But how are things holding up with you?" Itachi asked Renji, knowing about Renji and Rukia being childhood friends.


    "I guess I''m hanging in there¡­" Renji replied bleakly.


    "Abarai, do you find anything strange about Kuchiki''s execution? The premises and the nature of it are too severe." Itachi commented as he leaned closer to Renji. "Being sentenced to death with a Captain''s punishment. Is that not suspicious?" Itachi asked. Renji began sweating bullets as what Itachi said was very close to what Aizen had said previously


    "Uh huh...yeah." Renji replied, even more unsure about what was going on.


    For the next half an hour, the Lieutenants all sat quietly in the waiting room, waiting for their Captains to return from the meeting. Suddenly, the silence is broken as a loud alert sounds throughout the building.


    ALERT ALERT. INTRUDERS IN THE CITY. ALL PERSONNEL SHOULD REPORT TO THEIR STATIONS. I REPEAT. ALERT. INTRUDERS IN THE CITY.

 Chapter 38 - Strawberry

    "What?!" Renji yelled out in surprise.


    "Intruders?!" Hinamori also exclaimed.


    Itachi notices Yachiru jump out through an open window. ''She seems to have the right idea.'' Itachi thought to himself. Itachi flash steps silently out of the room and reappears outside.


    Itachi looks around and tries to sense his surroundings. ''Where are the intruders¡­?'' The sky begins to brighten and Itachi looks up into the sky. He sees a brightly glowing orb and with his Sharingan, he is able to make out six separate reiatsus in the orb.


    ''That orb with those people in it...are going to collide with the Shakonmaku?'' Itachi continues watching as the large glowing orb makes contact with the barrier surrounding Seireitei. A vortex begins to form where the orb breached the barrier and Itachi sees the six reiatsus inside begin to split up. He keeps track of where the largest reiatsu was falling to and its trajectory. Itachi looks towards one particular light flying out of the orb. ''That''s the strongest reiatsu I can sense.'' Itachi quickly moves towards its direction.


    ''Intruders at a time like this....'' Itachi thinks to himself as he dashes over to where the reiatsu landed.


    -----


    ''Damn...where did he go? According to Ikkaku, the guy who went after Ganju is the fifth strongest in the division. I have to go and help him but...I can''t find him anywhere!!!! AHHH this sucks!'' A young man with orange hair, shinigami robes, and a large sword mounted on his back runs through the streets of Seireitei.


    The orange haired young man stops running as he hears the cries of crows from behind him. He stops in his tracks and turns around, only to see a large flock of crows flying towards him.


    "What the hell is going on?!" The man says as he tries to swat the crows away with his giant sword. He notices the crows begin to concentrate into the spot in front of him and a human-like figure begins to form from the crows.


    "Who the hell are you?" The man asks, as the ?umulation of crows take shape into Itachi. Itachi does not reply and instead charges straight in at him.


    Ichigo looks at the figure that appeared before. He didn''t even feel anything approaching. ''Is that his zanpakuto ability?'' The orange haired shinigami thinks to himself.


    The figure finally solidifies and he takes a closer look, only to see that he had bright red eyes with a unique pattern. ''What the heck is up with his eyes¡­ No, I have to focus on the fight. I can''t properly sense his reiatsu so I can''t tell how strong he is.. But, I can''t back away!'' He thinks to himself as he draws his Zanpakuto. The sword resembled an oversized khyber knife instead of a formal katana. It has no tsuba and no proper hilt; The sword is about as tall as he was and had a black blade with a silver edge.


    Itachi stared at the invader for a few moments before drawing his blade and slashing at the invader. Before the strike lands, the invader swings his sword, b?r?ly blocking the strike. However, Itachi uses this to his advantage and delivers a kick to his stomach, knocking him back into a wall. The orange haired man quickly gets back up and raises his sword again.


    "Are you a Lieutenant?" He asked Itachi.


    However Itachi remained silent and pressed his attacks. He wasn''t going all out, saving a majority of his strength to analyze the opponent.


    "So you''re the silent type huh?" He questioned.


    "You know you''re alone, so why do you not run?. You won''t be able to beat me." Itachi asked, remembering that he originally fell from the sky with another reiatsu signature with him.


    "So you can talk. Unfortunately for you, I cannot afford to escape." The orange hair shinigami responded.


    "What is your purpose for coming here?" Itachi asked the mysterious shinigami.


    "I''m here to rescue Rukia! And if you''re going to stand in my way too, I''ll have to beat you too, just like Ikkaku!" The orange hair young man resolutely responded.


    Itachi furrows his brow. ''So he beat Ikkaku. He doesn''t seem all that injured either and I don''t feel any malicious intentions from him¡­''


    "Why do you care so much about her? She''s merely a traitor to soul society now." Itachi questioned further, trying to test Ichigo. "Who is Kuchiki to you?" Itachi continued, curious to know a bit more about him.


    "She is someone who changed my life and I''m going to return the favor. I won''t let her die, no matter what!" The man said firmly as he charged in at Itachi. A small smile appeared on Itachi''s face as he said this.


    Itachi stood still as the young man raised his giant sword in the air and cut through his body, only for it to dissipate into a flock of crows. The crows began to fly around Ichigo again and Ichigo stood in the middle, trying to find where Itachi went as the sky around him turned into a bright red as all other colors changed into an inverted grayscale.


    "I only want to talk." Itachi''s voice echoed around Ichigo as his body became to reform partially from the crows, showing his face and upper body.


    "You want to rescue Kuchiki right? If that didn''t go the way you wanted it to, what would you do?" Itachi questioned as his body continued forming from the crows.


    "That doesn''t matter to me! I''ll do whatever it takes!" The orange hair shinigami exclaimed.


    "What if Kuchiki didn''t want to return. She submitted herself to Soul Society in order to keep you from getting killed. Are you going to throw your life away against her last wishes? Even if you managed to somehow rescue her and she did decide to go with you, you will be facing the entirety of the Gotei 13."


    "Like I said, that doesn''t matter to me! I''m gonna save her even if I have to fight each and everyone one of you!" The shinigami replied.


    "You are still a child. Everything you''ve said is just wishful thinking. You came here with other people. Are they prepared to throw their lives away for her?" Itachi replied.


    "It''s not just me, but everyone else who came with me! We all made a promise to save Rukia and none of us are going to go back on our word!" The orange haired shinigami yelled as he looked into Itachi''s eyes. The image of a blond haired knuckle headed ninja appeared to Itachi for an instant.


    "You''re just like him¡­" Itachi said quietly to himself. The orange haired shinigami looked at Itachi confused as the area returned back to normal and the crows disappeared.


    "What the hell are you doing?! You were going to fight me weren''t you?" The shinigami questioned, raising his zanpakuto up in front of him.


    "No I''ll be going now. There''s something else I need to take care of." Itachi said as he turned away. He takes a few steps then stops and turns his head to look at him one more time.


    "What is your name?" Itachi asked.


    "Kurosaki, Ichigo."

 Chapter 39 - The Crow and the Cat

    "Kurosaki Ichigo, the way you are now, you are not strong enough to fight the Gotei 13. Become stronger or the only outcome will be you and your comrades'' deaths." Itachi said before walking away.


    "Hold on! Who the hell are you?" Ichigo questioned.


    "Lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division, Uchiha Itachi." Itachi replied as his body broke down into crows and disappeared.


    "Uchiha Itachi¡­" Ichigo said to himself, watching the crows fly away. Ichigo was confused. He didn''t know who that shinigami was or why he left so suddenly. ''I can tell by our clash. He is far more powerful than me. Why did he just leave?.... I don''t have time to think about this, I have to find Ganju!'' Ichigo thought as he turned back around and continued running in order to find where Ganju went.


    ---


    Itachi slowly made his way back to the Lieutenant waiting room, thinking about the conversation he just had with Ichigo. ''Rukia, I see you found a good friend while you were in the human world.''


    On his way back, he caught a small movement out of the corner of his eye. He quickly turned his head and saw a black cat quickly jumping across the tops of buildings. ''Cats don''t have reiatsu signatures like that¡­it''s hidden well, but it can''t escape my eyes.'' Itachi thought, looking at the strange black cat with his sharingan. Itachi remembers one of the other reiatsu signatures that fell by itself from the sky earlier. ''So that must be¡­!''


    Itachi flash stepped and appeared in front of the cat. The cat silently looked back at Itachi. The two of them stared at each other before the black cat suddenly vanished from its spot. ''That cat can perform shunpo?! Not only that, but it''s movement is exceptional¡­'' Itachi thought as he chased after the black cat.


    "I''m not trying to fight you! I only want to talk." Itachi exclaimed as he chased after the black cat. The black cat looked back at Itachi but as it looked back, it collided into something in front of it. The cat looked in shock as Itachi was in front of it and as the cat looked back again, the Itachi behind it disappeared in a puff of smoke. Itachi grabbed the cat by the scruff and looked it in the eyes.


    "I only want to speak to you." Itachi demanded. "As much as you want to play tag all day, I''m sure you have things you need to do as well. This will only take a moment."


    "Fine." The black cat replied and asked back. "Your flash stepping is impressive for a lieutenant. Who taught you?"


    "Captain Soi Fon, when I was previously in the Second Division." Itachi replied. "But that''s not what I''m here to talk about. I just ran into Kurosaki, Ichigo who I am sure is with your group." Itachi said. The cat was slightly surprised. With this guy''s strength he would''ve easily subdued that boy.


    "Great. Now, would you mind letting me go?" The cat asked as it was still being held by its scruff. Itachi nodded and placed the cat down.


    "Okay.. lets talk." The cat responded. The cat still seemed slightly suspicious. ''He is fast, but if I use my full speed, I should be able to flee quickly. If things don''t work out and we end up fighting, I can''t afford to fight him and have someone notice it.''


    "Who are you? No offense to Kurosaki, but he doesn''t seem like the one behind the plan. After my exchange with him, his goals are very straightforward and he charges in head first. He doesn''t know the true strength of the entirety of the Gotei 13. I mistakenly ?ssumed he was the strongest. But I now see that you are hiding your strength." Itachi said. The black cat looked at Itachi curiously before responding.


    "Not bad, you are able to estimate my strength. Are you really just a lieutenant?" The cat asked.


    Itachi remained silent but furrowed his brows, changing the topic.


    "I do not know what you are truly here for, but at the moment our goals align, so I will ?ssist with you rescuing Kuchiki."


    "Why am I to believe what you are saying? As a lieutenant of your squad, shouldn''t you be upholding the values of the Gotei 13?" The black cat asked, looking at Itachi''s lieutenant badge and still suspicious of Itachi.


    "That is true, even with the dark side and inconsistencies that Sereitei is run by. However, Kuchiki is a comrade who I believe is being subject to foul play. I will not hesitate to save her and I can attest that my Captain and the seated officers of the Thirteenth Division believe just the same." Itachi replied.


    "Your help is appreciated but not needed currently. I must get going now. We''ll most likely meet again." The black cat responded, now more open to Itachi''s offer after hearing what he had to say. "By the way, what is your name?"


    "Uchiha Itachi." Itachi replied.


    "Call me Yoruichi. We''ll definitely meet again." Yoruichi said before turning around and walking away. Itachi becomes surprised upon hearing that name as everything clicks in his head with the cat knowing shinigami ranks and being able to flash step.


    "Shihouin Yoruichi¡­?" Itachi questioned. The black cat turned around and looked at Itachi one more time before vanishing. ''So they have someone like her ?ssisting them?'' Itachi thought to himself as he flash stepped the other way back to the waiting room.


    Itachi reappeared outside the lieutenant''s waiting room to see the lieutenants gathered outside. Those who were still left there were shocked to see him.


    "Uchiha? Where did you go?" Kira asked.


    "I went to check on my Captain, to make sure the invaders didn''t land close to him, for he will struggle to defend himself in his sickly state. In fact, I might return there again as we must secure our battle stations." Itachi replied. Kira nodded


    "Wait, Uchiha!" Hinamori exclaimed. "Have you seen Renji? He disappeared around the same time you did."


    "No. I didn''t run into him." Itachi replied before vanishing from his spot to return to the Thirteenth Division. On his way back, Itachi was still thinking about his meeting with Ichigo and Yoruichi. ''I hope you succeed, Kurosaki Ichigo.'' He thought to himself.


    ----


    Ichigo was rushing towards the Senzaikyu. According to Ikakku, Rukia was being held at this prison before her execution. ''Damn I have to hurry.'' Ichigo thought to himself as he quickened his pace.


    "Damn Ichigo, calm down!" A voice came from behind. Two figures were following Ichigo. One was a tall muscular man with chin-length black hair and partially missing left eyebrow. He was wearing a vest, scarf, bandanna and pair of goggles. Right next to him was a small male shinigami with black hair and blue eyes. The trio finally arrived near the entrance to the Senzaikyu. However, before they could continue, they were greeted by a shinigami standing at the entrance of the stairs.


    "Long time no see, remember my face?" The shinigami said.


    "Abarai, Renji." Ichigo responded.


    -----


    Back at the meeting hall


    "I don''t know¡­ we were at the meeting hall and Renji just disappeared." Momo said. "I tried to find him, but all I found was this in his office." Momo continued, holding up a Sixth division Lieutenant badge.


    "His badge¡­" Kira stared at the badge. "Do the captains know about this?"


    "I was going to tell Captain Aizen, but I didn''t want Renji to get in trouble." Momo replied. "Where would he go at a time like this?"


    "I don''t know, he has been moody lately because of Kuchiki. I hope he''s not doing anything foolish." Kira replied.

 Chapter 40 - Interference

    A blood soaked Renji ran at Ichigo and grabbed Ichigo''s shihakusho.


    "I never won once...against Captain Kuchiki...ever since Rukia left, I trained everyday but I still failed. Fighting to get Rukia back is nothing but an impossible dream for me. Kurosaki...I''m probably shameless for doing this." Renji''s legs wobbled as he held onto Ichigo''s shihakusho a bit longer.


    "Please...you have to save Rukia!" Renji exclaimed. Ichigo looked down at Renji who was still grasping his clothes.


    "Yeah...you''re not the first one to ask me. I''ll definitely save her." Ichigo reassured Renji. Renji looked back up at Ichigo.


    "Someone else asked you?" Renji asked, curious about who else would want Rukia saved.


    "Before I met you here, I ran into another Lieutenant. Uchiha Itachi. We fought earlier." Ichigo replied. Renji was surprised upon hearing this.


    "You fought Itachi?! There''s no way he was fighting you seriously. I''ve sparred with him dozens of times and haven''t won a single time. He never even used shikai against me. It''s always been with only Kido or Hakuda. I''ve never seen his full strength but he''s definitely above the rest of the lieutenants¡­" Renji let go of Ichigo''s shihakusho and tried to stand up on his own but ended up falling forward on the ground. ''So even Itachi wants to save Rukia too¡­'' Renji thought to himself. He was happier knowing that Itachi was on their side. He smiled before his consciousness faded.


    Shortly after Renji fell, Ichigo also collapsed, with Ganju and Hanataro appearing moments later and recovering Ichigo.


    "Damn I can''t believe he was able to fight a Lieutenant level opponent and win" Ganju said with a shocked expression.


    "Ichigo... what is he?" Hanataro commented, questioning Ichigo''s strength.


    "I don''t know," Ganju sighed before he picked up Ichigo and carried him away.


    -----


    Renji was carried back to the lieutenant meeting room. Kira stood over the unconscious Renji as he looked down. He was saddened that he was unable to ?ssist Renji on time.


    Hinamori clutched her mouth in shock looking at the giant sword wound across Renji''s ?h?st.


    "This... " She had no words to explain her feelings.


    "Momo, hurry up and contact the 4th Division, and ask for a higher officials'' ?ssistance." Kira said.


    "R..Right!" She nodded. However, before she could contact, a figure suddenly appeared behind her.


    "There is no need. Throw him in jail." A cold voice came from behind.


    "Captain Kuchiki!" The both said at the same time.


    "He fought the enemy alone, and since he did so, he had no reason to lose. I don''t want an idiot in my division who can''t understand this." Byakuya said before leaving the room.


    Hinamori was ready to retort before she felt a hand clamp her shoulder.


    "I am sorry sir." Kira said, bowing down.


    "How scary." A voice came from the side.


    "Captain Ichimaru!" Momo said.


    "Don''t worry, I will contact the fourth division." Gin said before leading Kira away from the room, leaving Hinamori.


    Hinamori stood in silence looking down at Renji. However she was suddenly interrupted as a voice came from behind her.


    "Wow. How did Abarai get beaten so badly?" It was a shinigami with frosty white hair and white Haori over his shinigami apparel.


    "Toshiro!!" Momo shrieked.


    "I am already a captain, so you should address me as such." Hitsugaya replied with a deadpan expression.


    "Enough of that, how come none of you captains make any noise when you walk?" Hinamori said, still startled at his entrance.


    "By the way, why are you here?" Momo asked.


    "I came to warn you. Watch out for the Third Division" Hitsugaya said solemnly.


    "What.." Momo said. Confused at Hitsugaya''s sudden suggestion.


    "Look, just be careful okay." Hitsugaya said before leaving the room.


    ------


    Itachi had already returned to the barracks and checked on Kiyone and Sentaro, who were still at the Captain''s bedside. For the remainder of the day and the next day, Itachi sat at the office, thinking about his next move. ''The Captain will most likely help try to free Kuchiki once he is well. But for now, it appears I am on my own. Until the captain wakes up, I''ll have to rely on Kurosaki Ichigo to reach Kuchiki.'' Itachi began sorting through papers until he fell asleep at his desk.


    Itachi is awoken when he hears yelling coming from Ukitake''s room. ''hmm?!'' Itachi springs up and runs outside and sees a member of the inner court troup on the ground in front of Ukitake''s room.


    "What?! Aizen was murdered?!" Ukitake yelled as he exited the room. "When? Who did it? Why?"


    "T-this morning. The criminal and their motive are still unclear." The inner court troup member replied nervously.


    Itachi was surprised upon hearing this. ''Were my suspicions about him wrong? Or did someone else catch him in the act and ended him ahead of time¡­?''


    "Damn why did it have to be during my sleep...unforgivable¡­" Ukitake scratched his head and noticed Itachi standing there staring at them.


    "Ah Uchiha! I''m better now. It appears I missed a lot during the time I was sick." Ukitake looked back at the inner court troupe member. "You can leave now. I will have my Lieutenant fill me in."


    The inner court troup member nodded and vanished from the spot. Itachi filled Ukitake in on what has been happening for the past few days and his brief meeting with Ichigo and Yoruichi.


    "Captain, I feel that there is definitely foul play involved in the whole situation. The execution is completely unheard of for such a crime." Itachi said.


    "I understand what you mean. In all my years as a shinigami, there has never been such a harsh punishment for such a crime. Unfortunately, the central 46 orders are absolute. It doesn''t matter how one feels.


    "But it''s great you found individuals with similar motives. I am always impressed at your judgement Uchiha. Come on, we have to do what we can to save Kuchiki as well!." Ukitake said after being filled in.


    "Now what are we to-" Ukitake is cut off as both he and Itachi feel a massive spiritual pressure being released.


    "That''s from the direction of the Senzaikyuu." Itachi commented as both he and Ukitake looked in that direction.


    "It''s definitely Captain Kuchiki''s reiatsu. Come on we should go there. He might be confronting those invaders." Ukitake said and both he and Itachi vanished from their spot. On the way there, Ukitake suddenly keels over and begins coughing once again. He coughs out a bit of blood but quickly wipes it away.


    "Captain!" Itachi turns around and rushes over to Ukitake.


    "Uchiha, I am fine, go without me, I''ll catch up shortly. It seems I am not as well as I thought I was." Ukitake said. Itachi nodded and flash stepped away towards the Senzaikyuu.


    ----


    "Please stop big brother!!!" Rukia cried out, as Byakuya was about to deliver the final blow to a bloody and beaten Ganju. As Byakuya held the hilt of his blade back, ready to swing Senbonzakura at Ganju, However, just as he is about to strike, he feels someone grip his wrist, preventing him from swinging his hilt. He turns around to see the person that stopped him.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha?"

 Chapter 41 - The Noble and the Prodigy

    "With all due respect, that is enough Captain Kuchiki." Itachi said, still grabbing onto Byakuya''s wrist.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha!" Rukia exclaimed, surprised but also happy to see him there.


    Byakuya quickly freed himself and flash stepped away from Itachi. He reappeared a small distance away.


    Byakuya was surprised to see the person who had actually stopped him but he quickly reverted to his calm state.


    "I am surprised to see that you actually stopped me. Iit seems you''ve hid your strength quite well." Byakuya commented as he didn''t expect Itachi to catch him like that.


    "I am afraid you are wrong, Captain Kuchiki. It is not that I hid my strength. There was simply never a situation in which I was forced to use my full strength." Itachi calmly replied.


    "Hmm, I suppose. But do not think stopping me once means we are at the same level." Byakuya said as the two of them continued to stare at each other.


    "You can''t stop me, Uchiha. You''re only a lieutenant." Byakuya said, breaking the silence.. "This invader will die. If you continue standing in my way, I shall also treat you as an enemy that must be eliminated." Byakuya said before flashing in front of Itachi and placing his fingers in front of Itachi''s ?h?st.


    "Hado 4: Byakurai." Byakuya said as he casted his kido.


    A stream of lightning shoots into Itachi''s ?h?st and exits out the other side of his back.However, just as Byakuya finishes firing, Itachi''s figure suddenly dematerializes into crows and he reappears behind Byakuya. Byakuya quickly turns around as Itachi delivers a solid kick, aiming at his head. Byakuya blocks the kick with his free arm but gets sent sliding back a few feet.


    ''What was that... Is that his shikai? No...he hasn''t drawn his blade yet." He thought as he readjusted himself.


    "It seems that I have underestimated you. Very well" Byakuya said as he held his sword up in front of him.


    "Scatter, Senbonzakura" Byakuya said. With the handle of his zanpakuto pointing in Itachi''s direction. A stream of flower petals launches towards Itachi.However, Before the petals have a chance to make contact with Itachi, Itachi vanishes from his spot and reappears behind Byakuya. Byakuya turns around and redirects the petals back at Itachi, only for Itachi to dodge again and reappear back in front of Byakuya. ''He''s dodging my attacks so easily...in that case¡­'' Byakuya points his zanpakuto handle in Itachi''s direction.


    Byakuya puts even more force into his swing as a large stream of petals come together forming an orb that flies towards Itachi. Itachi quickly weaves a sign with his hand and inhales.


    "Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!" He exhales a large sphere of fire that crashes with the petals. The fire completely shatters the attack forcing the petals to scatter.


    ''Crows...Fire¡­? What are his abilities? His sword has remained the same. And he hasn''t called anything out.'' Byakuya thinks to himself as he prepares his next attack. He points his palm towards Itachi.


    Hado 33: Sokatsui." Byakuya said, releasing a large blue wave of energy at Itachi who didn''t even flinch at the coming attack.


    "Bakudo 81: Danku." Itachi with his sharingan, read''s Byakuya''s movements and managed to cast Danku at the same time Byakuya casted Sokatsui, causing the large blue wave of energy to be stopped by a sturdy transparent barrier. Byakuya''s eyes widened upon seeing Itachi block his attack. ''He''s able to cast Bakudo in the 80s without an Incantation.?!'' Byakuya thought as he jumped back after his attack failed.


    "Try all the kido you wish, but my eyes will see through all of them." Itachi said as he and Byakuya met eyes in a moment of silence.


    "Do you not care about your own sister?" Itachi asked, breaking the silence. "I understand she is not of your flesh and blood, but as her older brother, you should be protecting her, no matter what happens."


    ''Uchiha, you would not understand as you are not of nobility. The Kuchiki Clan is one of the four noble houses that set the standard for other shinigami. Rukia has broken the law and it is my duty to uphold it." Byakuya replied.


    "You nobility are all the same. No wonder Daiki and Akemi ended up the way they were." Itachi said, remembering his days in the academy with them years ago. "You people have lost sight of what is important in your own fog of ignorance."


    "Do not compare me to them Uchiha. I am at a level they can only dream of achieving¡­ But you''ve certainly grown, Uchiha, more than I expected." Byakuya commented as flower petals began to swarm around his blade, reforming it to its original state. "But if you''re really going to side with the invaders, I will no longer hold back." Byakuya holds his blade out in front of him facing the ground but a figure suddenly appears behind him, grabbing his shoulder.


    "Captain Kuchiki, I believe that should be enough for now right?"


    "Captain Ukitake. Why are you interfering?" Byakuya asked as he looked behind him, surprised to see Ukitake was also here to stop him. Before Ukitake has a chance to answer, a massive reiatsu is felt approaching them from above.


    Byakuya and Ukitake look up to the sky where the reiatsu was coming from. Itachi also looked up and immediately recognized who was approaching.


    "It''s about time, Kurosaki Ichigo." Itachi said as Ichigo landed. Ukitake looked surprised upon seeing Ichigo''s face. ''Kaien¡­?!''


    Ichigo runs past Rukia momentarily and checks up on Hanataro and Ganju before going back to her. "I came to save you, Rukia."


    Rukia did not respond but continued to look at him with dreary eyes.


    "Why are you making that face for? I came to rescue you so you should be happy!" Ichigo exclaimed.


    "Dummy...I told you not to come...I forbade you¡­" Rukia replied, beginning to tear up. "Now you''re wounded everywhere...you dummy."


    "Get mad however you like later¡­" Ichigo responded. He turns around and faces Byakuya. "After I defeat him!"


    Itachi and Ukitake stand back as they prepare to watch Ichigo fight Byakuya. Ichigo notices Itachi and looks at him but Itachi shakes his head.


    "You''re not ready to fight him yet, Kurosaki." Itachi said. Ichigo looked back at Itachi.


    "I told you before, I''m not running away! I''m going to defeat Byakuya and drag Rukia out of here!" Ichigo yelled. He turns around and faces Rukia briefly. "I''m not going to listen to what you say so don''t bother, idiot!" Ichigo said, pointing a finger at Rukia.


    "So you''re just going to ignore the rescuee''s opinion?! What kind of rescue attempt is this?!" Rukia retorted.


    "Shut up! You''re being rescued so stop babbling!" Ichigo yelled back. Rukia calmed down and regained her composure.


    "You''re still the same, ignoring everything I say¡­" Rukia said.


    "Of course! You nag and worry about me when you should be worrying about yourself!" Ichigo turned back around and faced Byakuya again.


    "So this is the guy you told me about..." Ukitake whispered, leaning in towards Itachi. Itachi replied with a nod and continued watching as Byakuya flared his reiatsu at Ichigo while walking towards him.


    ''He won''t listen to reason. It''s best to let him try. I will step in if needed.'' Itachi thought.


    "Not even a budge? It seems you''ve grown stronger. I don''t know how you''ve acquired the power of a shinigami, but you should have returned to your life as a human...but now you''re throwing your life away." Byakuya commented as he walked towards Ichigo.


    "I''m not throwing my life away. I''m going to defeat you, and then go home!" Ichigo declared.


    Without another word, Byakuya vanished and reappeared behind Ichigo. As he draws his blade out to stab Ichigo from the back, Ichigo reacts in time and blocks it.


    "I saw that, Kuchiki Byakuya!" Ichigo grinned.


    "I see...you''ve improved much more than I thought. So let me show you the difference in our strength!" Byakuya raised his blade straight up in front of him.


    "Scatter -" Byakuya is interrupted as his sword becomes wrapped in cloth. Everyone except Itachi is shocked when a slender, dark skinned woman appears in front of Byakuya.


    "So that really was her you met!" Ukitake commented, remembering the briefing Itachi had given him prior to coming here.


    "You¡­!" Byakuya looked at the woman in front of him surprised.


    "Yoruichi."

 Chapter 42 - Rescue

    "Wait who is that?!" Hanataro asked, confused about what is going on.


    "No...but I''ve heard that name before. That''s Shihouin Yoruichi...the ex commander of the onmitsukido and the ex general of the executive militia¡­" Rukia replied in awe of what was going on.


    "Shihouin Yoruichi, I haven''t seen your face in a while. It''s been a hundred years since your disappearance. Everyone thought you had died." Byakuya commented, regaining his composure.


    "Yoruichi...move aside I have to defeat him!" Ichigo said, raising his zanpakuto again. Yoruichi turned her neck and looked back at Ichigo.


    "Defeat him? By yourself? Idiot!" Yoruichi said as she vanished and reappeared in front of Ichigo, jabbing him through the torso with her hand.


    "What are you doing...Yoruichi¡­" Ichigo gasped before collapsing forward. Yoruichi catches him and mounts him over her shoulder.


    "It''s a drug isn''t it? You released a strong tranquilizer into his body. You''re trying to save him, Yoruichi." Ukitake commented.


    "I won''t allow it." Byakuya interrupted. "I won''t allow for that shinigami or for you to leave freely."


    "Oh? When did you learn to talk big Byakuya? You never did win against me in tag." Yoruichi smiled back.


    "Should we try again¡­?" Byakuya replied. The two of them suddenly disappeared, with their vague afterimages appearing in different spots on the bridge. As Yoruichi''s foot touched the ground, Byakuya suddenly appeared behind her.


    "You can''t escape me with that level of shunpo." Byakuya commented. Byakuya raised his blade in the air, ready to cut down as Yoruichi turned around. Byakuya''s eyes widened as Itachi suddenly appeared in front of him. ''Was Uchiha always this fast?'' Byakuya thought to himself as he stared at Itachi who was standing in front of him.


    ''Genjutsu: Sharingan.'' Itachi''s eyes met Byakuya''s and Byakuya''s zanpakuto dropped out of his hand onto the ground. Byakuya himself shortly followed and collapsed onto the ground.


    "Hmph. I could have escaped that Itachi." Yoruichi commented. "But thanks. It still would have been a hassle to get away from him while holding Ichigo."


    "Miss Shihouin I do not doubt your skill. You are renowned as the flash goddess after all. I only intervened so as to not take any unnecessary risks." Itachi replied. "However, it would be best if you left now. Captain Kuchiki has powerful reiatsu and will recover soon."


    "You don''t have to be so formal with me, Itachi. We''ll most likely meet again. I''ll leave things here to you to clean up." Yoruichi smiled and left. Itachi turned back around to see Byakuya who was just now getting back up.


    "What did you do to me?" Byakuya questioned, holding his head with one hand.


    "I calmed you down, Captain Kuchiki. The invaders can''t be killed yet, especially since they may have information regarding the murder of Captain Aizen." Itachi replied. Byakuya remained silent for a moment before turning his back and walking away.


    "Where are you going Byakuya?!" Ukitake yelled, confused about his behavior.


    "I''ve lost interest." Byakuya responded, before vanishing from sight.


    "There he goes...doing whatever he wants." Ukitake scratched his head, confused.


    Itachi walked across the bridge over to Rukia, who had an empty look on her face.


    "Kuchiki you alright?" Itachi asked. Suddenly, Rukia falls over but Itachi manages to catch her.


    ''She must have been struggling to stay up with Captain Kuchiki''s spiritual pressure out like that.''


    "Sentaro, Kiyone come out!" Ukitake suddenly yelled. Two figures leap out from under the bridge and land in front of Ukitake.


    "You called, Captain?" Both of them responded simultaneously.


    "So you did come after all? How long were you here?" Ukitake asked.


    "I''m very very sorry, but I respect Captain too much and couldn''t help but follow you!" Sentaro yelled out.


    "Captain I feel exactly the same way...no I respect Captain even more!" Kiyone retorted, not wanting to be outdone by Sentaro. The two of them started to bicker but Ukitake calmed them down.


    "Kiyone, please contact the fourth division. We have someone here who is wounded. And Sentaro, take Kuchiki back into the prison." Ukitake ordered.


    "Yes sir!" The two of them replied before splitting up. Sentaro approached Itachi and Itachi handed Rukia over to him. As Itachi passed Rukia over to him, Sentaro looked Itachi in the eyes.


    "We''re definitely going to get Kuchiki out of here right?!" Sentaro asked.


    "Of course we are." Itachi replied. Sentaro gave Itachi a look of determination before carrying Rukia back into the prison.


    "Umm..uh¡­" Hanataro tried to speak but the words wouldn''t come out of his mouth.


    "You''re trying to ask "Why are you helping us?" Ukitake responded. "Of course I''d help. As Uchiha mentioned earlier, Aizen was murdered and you may be sources of information or suspects. So I can''t let you die here. Furthermore, you tried to rescue a member of my division. For that, we couldn''t just watch that man die."


    Ukitake looked back at Itachi. Without a word, Itachi nodded and the two of them vanished from the bridge.


    Later that night, Itachi spent most of his time in the office with Ukitake, who was feeling much better. As they sat in the office, a hell bu??erfly flew in with a message. Ukitake and Itachi both looked at each other, confused.


    "Why would the execution be pushed to tomorrow?!" Itachi asked. "This doesn''t make sense at all. I''ve seen Central 46 make questionable decisions but this is unreasonable. There has to be something else going on."


    "You''re right...something is definitely off. And now we are pressed for time even more." Ukitake commented.


    "Well whatever is going on, getting Kuchiki out of there is our priority." Itachi said. Ukitake nodded in agreement.


    "It appears we need to take more drastic measures since this is happening. I have just the plan for that. Sentaro! Kiyone!" Ukitake called out. The two third seats quickly arrive in the office.


    "What is the plan Captain?" Itachi asked.


    "We are going to stop the execution. Follow me, I''ll explain the details on the way." Ukitake said as he walked out of the office with Itachi, Sentaro, and Kiyone all behind him.


    The group ran across Seireitei before stopping at a remote area with older buildings. The group approached a door with the Shihouin symbol on it.


    "You three wait out here. Only I know how to undo the seal." Ukitake ordered. The three of them stood guard while Ukitake entered alone. They waited in silence for hours, with the sun rising and Ukitake still not emerging from the strange room. The group continued waiting for several more hours when they suddenly felt a massive reiatsu coming from Sokyoku hill.


    "This is bad! The execution is starting!" Sentaro yelled.


    "You don''t have to yell! We can all hear you!" Kiyone yelled back.


    "Both of you¡­" Itachi gave the two third seats an agitated look and they immediately quieted down. "Captain, how are things looking in there?"


    "Sorry to make you wait this long." Ukitake said as he walked out of the room. "We have been left with no choice. This is the only way."


    Itachi looked at the strange contraption Ukitake was holding. It was a tall, shield-like item with a long cord connected to it. ''So this our plan against the Sokyoku?''


    "Let''s go and destroy the Sokyoku!" Ukitake declared.


    "Yes sir!" All three of them responded in unison as they all vanished from their spots.


    The group ran through Seireitei with urgency. As they neared the hill, they could feel the massive reiatsu being released. Itachi stared at the hill with his sharingan and could make out a massive bird shaped reiatsu forming in front of Rukia. ''Are we not going to make it in time? I should separate from them for now and try to block that thing with my Susanoo-'' Itachi''s thoughts are cut off as he notices another familiar reiatsu scaling the hill. ''Is that...Kurosaki Ichigo?''


    "Captain, I''m going ahead. I''ll see what I can do to stall it." Itachi said as he sped up and vanished without waiting for a response from Ukitake.


    On the Sokyoku Hill


    Rukia was slowly raised up on the stand held by support beams. The kido corps stood surrounding the Sokyoku, which was encircled by thick ropes wrapped around the halberd, piercing into the ground. As the execution began, the Kido Corp unsealed the ropes surrounding the Halberd, causing them to unwind and fly off the hill.


    As the S¨­kyoku activates, emitting an immense amount of flames, it rises into the air, pointing towards the victim, who is held before it by support beams. The flames, enveloping the halberd, reveal its true form; a massive, phoenix-like entity.


    Rukia watched as the phoenix rose. Numerous thoughts appeared in her head. She thought back to when she met Renji. She thought back to when she was adopted by the Kuchiki clan, the guidance provided to her by Kaien, the time spent with Itachi mentoring her, and Ichigo''s rescue.


    She closed her eyes and readied herself for the execution. ''Thank you.'' She thought, ?ssuming it was her last moments.


    However, the attack she was expecting did not arrive, Instead what stood in front of her was a figure surrounded by an ethereal skeleton.

 Chapter 43 - Battle on the Hill

    As the ethereal skeleton formed, an orange haired individual appeared next to her.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha and Ichigo?!" Rukia said, shocked at their sudden appearance.


    "Itachi?!" Ichigo looked surprised when he saw Itachi at the top of the stand with him. Itachi gazed at him with his sharingan briefly before turning back around and facing the large flaming bird heading towards them. ''He''s gotten stronger.'' Itachi thought to himself.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha!!" Omaeda exclaimed. The rest of the captains and vice captains were also surprised to see Itachi.


    "Susanoo!" Itachi''s eyes change as a large ethereal rib cage appears around his body.


    A large skeletal arm suddenly grows from the left side of his body and grabs the bird''s beak, stopping it from moving any further.


    "He stopped it.." Soi Fon said. "The Sokyoku is supposed to have the destructive force of over a million zanpakuto. That shouldn''t be possible?!"


    "Looks like he made it on time." Kyoraku commented as he smiled. ''Ukitake should be arriving soon.''


    -------


    "Lieutenant Uchiha, you shouldn''t have come..." Rukia said, tearing up. "And Ichigo, you idiot, I told you not to come!!"


    "What!? Don''t give me that crap!" Ichigo replied.


    "You know you can''t win, you should''ve stayed behind." Rukia continued.


    "This isn''t the time for that.We have more pressing matters to deal with." Itachi said as he sighed as this was an inconvenient time to start arguing.


    "I..I am sorry," Rukia said, keeping her head down.


    The Sokyoku was still being held by Itachi. It struggled around to try and free itself. However, The susanoo''s grip made it completely immobile.


    Just as it continued to struggle, two cables flew up from the ground and attached itself to the Sokyoku.


    "Captain Ukitake?! Kiyone also!" Isane exclaimed as she saw where the cables came from.


    Shunsui and Nanao appear beside Ukitake and Shunsui pulls out his zanpakuto. He inserts his into one part of the cable and Ukitake inserts into another part of the cable.


    "Captain Kyoraku too?!" Isane called out, confused. Yamamoto opened his eyes in surprise as Ukitake planted the shield firmly on the ground.


    "Stop them! They want to destroy the Sokyoku!" Soi Fon yelled at Omaeda. But it was too late and the two Captains poured their reiatsu into the shield. Their reiatsu traveled up the cable and into the Sokyoku.


    Itachi watched the scene and nodded as he was expecting Ukitake''s arrival any moment. He turned to Ichigo.


    "Kurosaki. I can tell you''ve gotten a lot stronger. Break the stand, I''ll deal with this." Itachi ordered Ichigo as he held back the Sokyoku. Ichigo nodded and shoved his zanpakuto into the stand and poured his spiritual pressure into it. The shinigami watched in shock as the Sokyoku dispersed and the stand was destroyed. Itachi used the moment of the explosion to quickly grab Rukia. He slung her over his shoulder then flash stepped from his spot and landed down and prepared to flee.


    "Why are you just looking at them, you fools?! Catch them!" Soi Fon yelled at the lieutenants who were just standing there watching. The three lieutenants who were there, Sasakibe, Isane, and Omaeda, made haste and appeared in front of Itachi with their zanpakuto drawn and released. They were slightly nervous as they faced Itachi. Omaeda knew that Itachi was already strong from his first few years at the second division and Isane was not as proficient as the other lieutenants in combat. As a member of the fourth division, she spent much of her time practicing healing Kido. Sasakibe was the only one who remained calm. Itachi had no change in expression as the three of them approached him. He gave them all a quick glance. In the next moment, they all keeled over, falling on the ground unconscious and he continued on his way. However, before he went any further, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path.


    "Captain Soi Fon." Itachi said, staring at the figure.


    "Uchiha. It''s disappointing to think you would side with the invaders." Soi Fon said with a stern expression.


    "These invaders and I share a common goal to save a comrade. I wouldn''t expect you to understand, Captain Soi Fon. Comrades are simply tools for you to accomplish your mission objective by any means. It appears that this battle was unavoidable." Itachi replied.


    "Don''t be naive Uchiha! You were ready for this the moment you acted." Soi Fon commented as she removed her Captain''s haori.


    ''I won''t be able to fight properly like this.'' Itachi thought to himself as he turned towards Ichigo.


    ".....Kurosaki, take Kuchiki!" Itachi said as he threw Rukia over to Itachi.


    "Wait what¡­?" Ichigo said as he saw Rukia flying at him. He quickly grabbed her and ran.


    Just as he was running, A figure suddenly flashed over to him, about to strike. Ichigo noticed the approaching reiatsu.


    "What the hell are you guys doing?! This is-" Rukia is cut off as Ichigo quickly pulls her back to draw his zanpakuto to block Byakuya.


    "I can see you, Kuchiki Byakuya!" Ichigo said as the two clashed. Out of the corner of Ichigo''s eye, he sees a red haired figure just arrive at the scene.


    "Renji catch!" Ichigo yelled as he pushed Byakuya away before throwing Rukia.


    "Oh no you are not doing this agaaiiiiiiinnn!!" Rukia yelled as she flew through the air. Renji managed to catch her but he and Rukia looked angrily at Ichigo as she was being tossed around like a ball.


    "Don''t just stand there. Run!" Itachi ordered as he held back Soi Fon. Renji nodded and ran with Rukia to leave the Sokyoku hill.


    "You think I''ll just let them walk away Uchiha?" Soi Fon said as she left an afterimage in her place and flash stepped towards Rukia and Renji.


    "Wait Soi Fon!" Ukitake called out, only to be interrupted by Yamamoto. Just as Soi Fon caught up to Renji, Itachi appeared in front of her, blocking her way.


    "Captain, I''ll deal with her!" Itachi yelled back to Ukitake. Ukitake nodded as he turned back to face Yamamoto, only to be grabbed by Shunsui and taken down the cliffside.


    "Uchiha...I told you before that if you were to become my enemy, I would not hesitate to kill you." Soi Fon glared at Itachi. Itachi returned her cold gaze with his own. Without saying anything more, the two of them charge at each other, engaging each other using purely Hakuda and Hoho.


    Itachi and Soi Fon continue exchanging blows, glaring at each other as they collide forearms. Upon collision, they both flash step backward and then forward towards each other again. Soi Fon throws a quick right jab that Itachi twists his body to dodge in the air. In the air, Itachi aims a round kick towards Soi Fon''s face. Soi Fon ducks back to dodge it as Itachi lands back on the ground. The two of them lock eyes again and charge in at each other with a punch, with both punches narrowly missing the other as their arms go by their faces.


    The two of them vanish again and reappear a few meters away and start grappling again. They continue blocking and dodging each other''s attacks until Itachi manages to land a solid kick to Soi Fon''s torso, sending her flying back. Soi Fon regains her balance and looks back up at Itachi in shock. ''Did he just outmaneuver me in Hakuda?!''


    "Your strikes are worthless before my eyes." Itachi commented, walking towards Soi Fon.


    "Don''t mock me Uchiha! I''m just getting started!" Soi Fon yelled as she charged in at Itachi. She throws a punch at Itachi, which Itachi blocks. Suddenly Itachi appears behind Soi Fon and kicks her. Soi Fon manages to block the kick but skids back a few meters from the force. Soi Fon looks in confusion at the two clones of Itachi in front of her. ''Afterimages? No...afterimages don''t have mass so why are they able to strike me?'' Soi Fon was surprised, she had never seen a technique like this.


    Three more afterimages of Itachi suddenly run from behind Itachi and Soi Fon finds herself surrounded. ''I don''t understand. Each of these is an afterimages created by a flash step. But each of these afterimages have their own spiritual pressure...is he moving between the afterimages with such precision that I can''t tell them from the real one?!'' Soi fon was shocked.


    Itachi looks to the distance before he pauses.


    The afterimages created by Itachi begin to fade away and the real Itachi is left standing in front of Soi Fon.


    "Why did you stop?" Soi Fon asked, confused.


    "I''m no longer your opponent it seems." Itachi said as he turned his back to Soi Fon.


    "What¡­?" Soi Fon was confused, but she placed her hand on her zanpakuto, ready to draw it and strike Itachi from behind when a masked figure suddenly appeared and grabbed her, pushing her off the Sokyoku hill.


    "Release me! Who are you?!" Soi Fon struggled as she fell with the masked figure.


    "Don''t make a fuss. You''re still careless like before." The figure said, pushing their scarf down revealing their face.


    "You...Yoruichi?!" Soi Fon exclaimed as they both fell.


    After watching Yoruichi take Soi Fon with her, Itachi looked in the direction that Ukitake and Kyoraku went in to run away from Yamamoto. He quickly glanced in Ichigo''s direction and saw him keeping up with Byakuya. ''Kurosaki should be fine. But the Captains will need my help against the Captain Commander.'' Itachi thought as he vanished from the top of the hill.

 Chapter 44 - Thousand Year Flames

    After watching Yoruichi take Soi Fon with her, Itachi looked in the direction that Ukitake and Kyoraku went in to run away from Yamamoto. ''They will need my help against the Captain Commander.'' Itachi thought as he vanished from the top of the hill.


    Itachi made his way into the old district below the hill. As he approached, he suddenly felt the massive reiatsu of Yamamoto. ''So this is the Captain Commander''s power. It is very fierce. It gets even worse the closer I get.'' Itachi thought as he rushed to the site.


    Itachi arrived on time to see a collapsed Nanao and Yamamoto drawing his zanpakuto along with the two other Captains who were facing him. Yamamoto noticed Itachi''s presence as he arrived.


    "What are you doing?! Get out of here!" Ukitake exclaimed upon seeing Itachi.


    "Hmph another child who has yet to teach the world. Begone!" Yamamoto said as he focused some of his spiritual pressure over Itachi.


    However, contrary to Yamamoto''s expectations, Itachi was unfazed by the spiritual pressure. He drew his blade and readied himself. ''This won''t be like other battles. Any ??pse in concentration will end in my demise.'' Itachi thought to himself.


    "Oh?" Yamamoto was surprised that a lieutenant was able to stand in his spiritual pressure. He was also a little surprised at Itachi''s eyes. However, as a man with over a thousand years of experience, he shrugged off his curiosity. Yamamoto glared at the two captains and Itachi


    "Captain Commander, I ask you to stop this." Itachi inquired, attempting to stop the fighting. "Kuchiki''s execution-" Itachi is cut off abruptly by Yamamoto.


    "I won''t forgive anyone who doesn''t obey the law." Yamamoto declared. "The time for talk is over."


    "Reduce all creation to Ash, Ryujin Jakka." Yamamoto''s sword began to ignite in a bright flame as he exerted a massive fiery reiatsu.


    "What''s wrong? Don''t you want to release your swords? Or do you want to be burned without challenging me?" Yamamoto asked. Ukitake and Kyoraku look at each other briefly.


    "We have no choice, let''s go Ukitake!" Kyoraku said.


    "All waves, rise now and become my shield, Lightning, strike now and become my blade. Sogyo no Kotowari!"


    "Flower Wind Rage and Flower God Roar, Heavenly Wind Rage and Heavenly Demon Sneer!" Katen Kyokotsu!"


    Kyoraku and Ukitake both release their zanpakuto simultaneously and stare down with Yamamoto while holding their released dual zanpakuto.


    "Itachi, get out of here! We''ll handle this." Ukitake said as he and Kyoraku charged in at Yamamoto.


    The three of them begin to charge in at each other only for a large lightning blast to strike at Yamamoto, surprising both Ukitake and Kyoraku. Itachi appears and stands next to Ukitake and Kyoraku.


    Yamamoto clears away the smoke caused from the attack, revealing his unscathed body. He glares at Itachi and flares his reiatsu further.


    "That Raikoho you used just now without incantation was executed well. However, a kido of that power will not be enough to harm me." Yamamoto further increased his reiatsu at an unfazed Itachi.


    "The fact that you are able to stand means you are many steps above your fellow Lieutenants. However, if you continue to act foolish and aid Ukitake, I will end you here as well." Yamamoto said. Itachi remained silent as he thought of his plan of action quickly in his head. ''The heat generated by his reiatsu is too intense for me to engage in close quarters combat with hakuda or zanjutsu but factoring in his years of experience, it would be foolish to fight the Captain Commander in either of those styles. I''ll use long range tactics and support Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyoraku.'' Itachi closes his eyes briefly before opening them again, revealing his Mangekyou Sharingan.


    "Very well, show me what you can do, Uchiha. It appears that three of Soul Society''s most talented individuals will burn away at my hands today..." Yamamoto raises his blade into the air then swings down, engulfing the area in a massive torrent of flames. The two captains raise their reiatsu in response as Itachi focuses his gaze at the approaching flames.


    "Amaterasu!" A black wall of flames suddenly appears in front of Itachi, blocking Yamamoto''s fire from reaching the three of them. Yamamoto looked surprised upon seeing Itachi''s fire.


    "Black flames that can burn away at even my own?" Yamamoto continued to release greater flames from his zanpakuto that began to overpower Amaterasu. As the flames approached Itachi, a rib cage formed around him to block out the heat.


    Upon contact with the rib cage, Itachi raised his arms out in front of him as he felt the heat burning through his flesh. ''He got through Amaterasu with the raw power of his flames. This stage of the Susanoo is not enough to block it.''


    Kyoraku suddenly appears behind Yamamoto and slashes at him with one of his zanpakuto. Yamamoto stops releasing his flames at Itachi and jumps out of the way.


    "Taimatsu!" Yamamoto waves his sword and creates a large inferno that blocks the wave of flames Ukitake released at him. The inferno swallows up Ukitake''s blast and makes its way towards the Captains. Both Captains raise their hands out in front of them, ready to cast Danku but stop as Itachi appears in front of the Captains and an armored half body of reiatsu surrounds the Captains and Itachi. Itachi, with his susanoo, puts forward a shield in front of them to block the incoming blast.


    The blast collides with Susanoo''s shield, causing it to explode in a huge column of flame. Yamamoto looked in surprise as Itachi, Kyoraku, and Ukitake were completely unharmed. ''His zanpakuto? No, he hasn''t even drawn his yet, it''s something else. That shield completely blocked my attack.''


    ''In terms of raw reiatsu and power, the Captain Commander is still stronger than all three of us combined. I wouldn''t have been able to fully block that attack without the Yata Mirror¡­'' Itachi thought to himself.


    "Ukitake, you told me your lieutenant was strong but I didn''t realize he was this strong." Kyoraku commented, observing the ethereal body surrounding them.


    "I''m just as surprised as you are. I''ve never seen Itachi go all out." Ukitake replied.


    "Captain Kyoraku, Captain Ukitake. I have a plan to subdue the Captain Commander but I''ll need your help." Itachi said. Both Captains agree and Itachi br??fs them quickly on his plan while protected by the Susanoo.


    "Well I hope that works." Kyoraku responded after hearing the plan.


    "You brats are quite troublesome." Yamamoto said as he flared his reiatsu further. From inside his Susanoo, Itachi raised both his hands in front of him, with the Susanoo mirroring Itachi''s movements and also raising both of its hands in front of it. A large amount of reiatsu begins to gather inside the Susanoo''s hands.


    "Hado 88: Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!" From the susanoo''s hands, the mass of reiatsu forms a large lightning blast shaped like the head of a dragon. In response, Yamamoto raises a hand in front of him.


    "Bakudo 81: Danku." A large barrier appeared in front of Yamamoto. The blast collides with Yamamoto''s barrier and continues pressing against the barrier. Cracks begin to form in the barrier as the blast of lightning explodes. From the smoke, Kyoraku and Ukitake appear on both sides of Yamamoto.


    "Bakudo 63: Sajo Sabaku." Both Ukitake and Kyoraku summon large bright chains that bind Yamamoto from both sides. Yamamoto opens his eyes and releases a large blast of reiatsu around him, knocking back both the Captains and burning the chains away. The moment Yamamoto frees himself from the chains, Itachi appears in front of Yamamoto and the two of them lock eyes.


    "Tsukuyomi."

 Chapter 45 - Spiritual World

    The world around Yamamoto begins to swirl around and he suddenly finds himself pinned to the stand of the Sokyoku in the same manner Rukia was. Around him, the environment was an inverted grayscale and the sky was a bright red.


    "Where is this?!" Yamamoto questioned. He was surprised. The moment he looked into Itachi''s eyes it seemed as though space and time had warped, bringing him into another world. In front of him, a lone Itachi stood, holding his zanpakuto. Yamamoto struggled to break out of the restraints but couldn''t move at all.


    "Captain Commander. We will talk here, and you will listen." Itachi ordered as his voice echoed through the world of Tsukuyomi.


    "Kuchiki''s execution...there is something wrong with it. Don''t you yourself find it strange she is receiving a Captain''s punishment for her crime? There has to be something going on within Central 46 and I''m sure you realized it too." Itachi said, hoping to get Yamamoto himself to cancel the execution.


    "That may be the case, Uchiha. But that may also not be the case. And for a thousand years, it has been my job to uphold the orders passed down to me by Central 46, even if I don''t necessarily agree with them. You are a thousand years too young to be lecturing me on my loyalties. What you, Ukitake, and Kyoraku are doing now is treason! Now release me from-" Yamamoto demanded but was cut off as Itachi stabbed through his torso with his zanpakuto. Yamamoto grunts in pain but maintains his composure.


    "It appears you cannot be reasoned with. So you leave me no choice, Captain Commander." Itachi commented as he stabbed Yamamoto.


    "You''re a thousand years too young if you think an illusion like this will break me Uchiha!" Yamamoto yelled. In that moment, Yamamoto found himself surrounded by dozens of Itachis. This time, two Itachis stabbed at Yamamoto''s body. Yamamoto grunted in pain but held himself together. Another Itachi joins and all three stab Yamamoto simultaneously.


    "In the Tsukuyomi, time and space, even physical mass, I control them all." Itachi said as he stabbed Yamamoto again. "The next year will be nothing but this." Two more Itachis stab Yamamoto. "Over and over."


    Yamamoto''s face begins to wince at the pain as he is stabbed hundreds of times.


    "This is only an illusion. I have withstood far worse in my entire lifetime." Yamamoto said in between being stabbed several more times.


    "Time and space. Even physical mass. I control them all. Telling yourself it is an illusion will do you little good. Pain is pain. Do you feel it any less deeply by thinking it''s not real? How long will it be, I wonder. Before your spirit is broken. Even you, Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, who has lived for over a thousand years. Can you really persevere through it?"


    For what seemed like hours, Yamamoto was continuously stabbed thousands of times. Eventually, the stabbing stopped and a lone Itachi stood in front of Yamamoto, who was beginning to pant heavily.


    "Only 11 months, 30 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds to go." Itachi said as dozens of Itachis began to reappear around Yamamoto again. Yamamoto''s eyes widened in disbelief as what he perceived to have been hours passed was only a single second.


    ---


    "Those two...they''re just standing there?" Kyoraku questioned as he looked at Yamamoto and Itachi.


    "I trapped him. Do it now!" Itachi said, looking back at the two Captains.


    "Now''s our chance!" Ukitake said as he raised his palm out in front of him and began to channel his reiatsu. Kyoraku nodded and did the same.


    "First song: Halting Fabric. Second Song: Hundred linked Bolts. Final Song: Great seal of-" Ukitake and Kyoraku are cut off as a massive surge of hot reiatsu is released from Yamamoto and Itachi is sent flying back. Itachi covers himself with the Susanoo''s rib cage to protect himself as he lands. Itachi looks at Yamamoto surprised. ''He broke out of Tsukuyomi through sheer reiatsu and willpower. However even he must not be unscathed. He was in there for an entire month out of the year that I had originally planned.''


    Yamamoto glared at the two Captains and Itachi while panting heavily. ''That brat...that was no ordinary illusion.'' Yamamoto suddenly collapses and takes a knee as he tries to stand back up. Itachi does the same as he expended a large amount of reiatsu to keep Yamamoto in Tsukuyomi.


    "To all Gotei 13 Captains, Lieutenants, and the Ryoka. This is Vice Captain of the Fourth Division, Kotetsu Isane. I request your attention for a little while. I hope you can all hear me. This is an emergency message from Captain Unohana and myself. Everything I am about to tell you is the absolute truth." A voice is heard in everyone''s head simultaneously. Everyone there calms down and listen intently to what was being told to them. Itachi grits his teeth upon hearing about Aizen. ''I was right about him. Yet he did such a good job hiding the evidence and manipulating everyone, including myself.''


    "What are we going to do? We don''t have time to mess around here." Kyoraku asked Yamamoto. Yamamoto gave him a tired look and shakily stood up. Ukitake and Kyoraku ran over to help him as Itachi looked towards Sokyoku hill with his Sharingan. ''I need to go there now.'' Itachi thought to himself as he flash stepped away from the three Captains and quickly went to the hill. On his way to the hill, he could sense Renji and Ichigo''s reiatsu fading but also noticed another large reiatsu heading towards the hill. ''Captain Komamura is heading there too. If he can hold Aizen, Tousen, and Gin off then I can group up with him.''


    ---


    "Aizen!!!" A large towering figure appeared behind Aizen as he was talking to a b?r?ly conscious Ichigo. A large sword being held by a floating arm manifests itself and cuts down at Aizen. Aizen turns around and a huge explosion of rock and dust erupts from the impact. The smoke clears and Aizen is seen holding the edge of Komamura''s zanpakuto.


    "It''s been a long time since you showed your face. What changed your mind, Komamura?" Aizen asked with a smile on his face. Komamura looked at Aizen angrily.


    "How can you smile like that Aizen?!" Komamura yelled as he threw a punch at Aizen. Aizen swiftly jumped away as Komamura''s punch shattered the ground. Aizen lands a few feet right next to Tousen. Komamura looks angrily at Tousen.


    "Tousen...if you have anything to say, say it now!!" Komamura yelled as Tousen remained silent. "So you have nothing to say...you leave me no choice Tousen!" Komamura swung his sword up in the air.


    "Bankai!" Komamura yelled. Itachi arrived at the hill and saw Ichigo and Renji on the ground, both b?r?ly alive and saw Aizen appear in front of Komamura as he was about to use Bankai. Komamura looked in shock as Aizen appeared in front of him.


    ''Impossible...he was just right next to Tousen¡­'' Komamura thought as he saw Aizen raise his hand.


    "Hado 90: Kurohitsugi." A large black box surrounded Komamura as his body was impaled by black spikes. The black box quickly receded and Komamura fell to the ground.


    ''So Aizen was this powerful...that kido he used was forbidden.'' Itachi thought as he observed the situation.


    "Using hado in the 90s! That''s scary. When did you learn how to use those techniques?" Gin commented.


    "No, I failed. That wasn''t even a third of its potential. As expected, the 90s are difficult to use." Aizen commented as he walked over to Rukia. Before picking up Rukia, he glances at Itachi.


    "So nice of you to join us now, Lieutenant Uchiha." Aizen said. "Would you also like to meet the same fate as Komamura?"

 Chapter 46 - Showdown on the Hill

    "So nice of you to join us now, Lieutenant Uchiha." Aizen said as he turned to Itachi. "Would you also like to meet the same fate as Komamura?"


    Itachi arrived, panting heavily as he used his sword for support.


    "Aizen.." He said.


    Aizen smirked. "Gin, Kill him." Aizen ordered as he walked towards Rukia. "Now, lets begin." Aizen said, picking up Rukia.


    Itachi instantly rushed towards Rukia, only for Gin to suddenly appear in front him.


    "Sorry but it looks like I have to kill you now." Gin said, swinging his sword towards the approaching Itachi.


    Itachi waited until the last minute before raising his sword. He parried the strike to the side and stabbed towards Ichimaru''s ?h?st.


    "Wow." Gin said before narrowly dodging Itachi''s strike with a sidestep as Itachi''s blade cuts the fabric of Gin''s robe.


    "Even with those burns, you''re still quite fast. It would be scary fighting you at full strength." Gin commented as he smiled and took a few quick steps back. Gin raised his sword and pointed it at Itachi''s face. In an instant, Gin''s sword grew and Itachi quickly moved his head. Itachi backs away and feels blood dripping from his cheek. ''I won''t last against him in a drawn out battle. Not only that but I still have to deal with Aizen by myself at least until the other Captains catch up.'' Itachi thought as he looked at Aizen who was lifting up Rukia. Green spikes began to protrude from the ground as Aizen talked to Rukia.


    "Yes...Kuchiki Rukia. When you were discovered in the real world, the first thing I did was exterminate Central 46. Isane probably told you that Aizen faked his own death and hid then later murdered Central 46. But that is a mistake. After you were discovered, I immediately killed off Central 46 and cast Kyoka Suigetsu on the conference room. I made it appear as though the Central 46 committee was still alive and were continuing their conference so even if somebody came into the room, they wouldn''t notice a change. Unless there is permission from the inside, not even captains can be inside the room. So we made sure that either myself, Gin, or Tousen were always in the room and acted as the committee, manipulating all the commands. In order to ?ssure your capture, I made sure it was two guys from the Sixth Division and made sure your gigai was destroyed to separate you from the humans. Then, I decided to use the Sokyoku to dissipate your spirit so I could take the Hogyoku. The only times the conference room was ever empty was during the Captains meeting. Afterwards I faked my own death so that I could stay in the room soon after. Because there, I decided there was a chance Kurosaki Ichigo would interfere with the execution." Aizen went on as he prepared to extract the Hogyoku from Rukia. Itachi diverted his attention away from the fight to pay attention to what Aizen was saying until Gin interrupted him.


    "Where do you think you''re looking in our fight?" Gin said as his zanpakuto extended again towards Itachi''s face. Itachi reacted in time and parried the blade away from him as he closed the distance between him and Gin.


    "Oh you can react to my speed now?" Gin commented as he backed away and retracted his zanpakuto. With his free hand, Itachi weaved a hand sign.


    "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu." Itachi exhaled a large sphere of fire at Gin. Gin''s normally closed eyes opened, revealing his sharp bright blue eyes as the fireball made contact with him and exploded. Itachi looked to Rukia and saw Aizen had just pierced her ?h?st and withdrew a strange object from her. ''What is that thing? My sharingan can''t distinguish what exactly it is.''


    "Surprising...I didn''t think it would be this small." Aizen commented as he withdrew his hand from Rukia''s ?h?st and the hole in her ?h?st began to close.


    "Not bad Uchiha." Gin said as the smoke cleared. His left hand was burned but he was otherwise undamaged from the attack. "Your attack wasn''t as strong as I thought it would be though. Are you tired from your last battle with Yamamoto perhaps?" Gin questioned as he aimed his zanpakuto at Itachi again, this time piercing through his body forcing Itachi to fall to the ground.


    "Gin, when you''re done there, kill her." Aizen said as he held Rukia''s body up in front of him. Gin smiled and turned to Aizen.


    "Alrighty." Before Gin could lift his arm halfway up, however, he found his body unable to move as if there were large metal stakes holding him down by the joints. Suddenly Itachi''s body dematerialized into crows and Gin realized what was going on. ''I see, he got me..'' Gin thought to himself.


    "Sorry Captain Aizen, it looks like he bested me.." Gin smiled as Itachi rushed towards Aizen and mustered the last bit of his strength to summon his susanoo. A skeletal figure wraps around Itachi''s body and manifests a blade. Itachi slashes down at Aizen with his Susanoo''s blade but Aizen manages to slip away as he lets go of Rukia. Itachi quickly appears next to Rukia and carries her in his arms while the susanoo''s ribcage surrounds them both.


    "I guess I''ll just deal with both of you at once then." Aizen smiled as he raised his hand up and a black orb of reiatsu appeared in his hand.


    "Hado 90: Kurohitsugi." Itachi found himself surrounded by the same black reiatsu that downed Captain Komamura. The box surrounded both Itachi and Rukia as black spikes pierced from every side. As the black box began to dissipate, Aizen saw a pair of glowing orange eyes as a large half body humanoid figure surrounded in armor protected both Itachi and Rukia.


    Shortly after, the Susanoo began to dissolve and Itachi keeled over, dropping rukia. The susanoo was only able to soak in so much of the damage before his reiatsu reached its limit. He felt pain in every part of his body as blood leaked through his clothes.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha!" Rukia got up and checked his injuries. She sighed in relief, since he was still alive.


    "Interesting Uchiha, so that''s your zanpakuto ability." Aizen said. He recalled what Gin had told him twenty years ago. A shield that protects the user from harm.


    "It''s definitely powerful. Or perhaps it''s your own strength that kept you in one piece from a Hado in the 90s. But It looks like you pushed yourself to perform that technique. Gin..finish it" Aizen said.


    The genjutsu on Gin shattered since Itachi had exerted most of his energy. He looked at Itachi and Rukia''s direction before gripping his sword.


    "Shoot to kill, Shinsoo!" Gin''s zanpakuto suddenly expanded and flew towards Rukia.


    Itachi no longer had the strength. He had not only fought Soi-Fon, but Yamamoto and Gin and finally used the last of his strength to use the Susanoo. He watched as the sword pierced past him. However, it was not Rukia that the attack struck. A figure held her in his arm, as he used his left hand to keep the sword from piercing any further.

 Chapter 47 - Farewell

    B-Brother!" Rukia exclaimed as she was surprised to see Byakuya''s sudden arrival. Itachi smiled and got back up to his feet. However, his body still trembled from the injuries.


    "Oh my¡­ that''s the second time I failed to kill you." Gin said with a sly smile on his face.


    "Gin, move." Aizen said as he moved his hand towards his sword. However, right as he was ready to unsheath it, two figures suddenly appeared behind and below him.


    "Move and you''re dead." Soi Fon said, placing her sword at his neck.


    "Very well," Aizen said as he remained still and three giants appeared at the scene to stop Yoruichi and Soi Fon.


    "What will you do? Even the two of you can''t fight them while keeping me under your custody." Aizen commented. In that same instant, another giant came in from the sky with a woman on his back.


    "Kukaku!" Yoruichi said, smiling.


    "Hey Yoruichi! I was getting bored so I came to see how you were doing!" Kukaku said as she charged a hado. "Hado 63: Raikoho!" A large blast of lightning shoots from her palm and blasts one of the giants away while the giant she rode on dealt with the others.


    "This is the end, Aizen. You have been completely surrounded." Yoruichi said. Just as she finished. The Captains and Lieutenants of Gotei 13 completely surrounded Aizen.


    "Woo...this is getting chaotic...what to do." Gin commented to himself as he observed the situation only for his arm to be grabbed and a zanpakuto put to his neck as Lieutenant Matsumoto appeared behind him.


    "Don''t move." Rangiku ordered.


    "Whoops, sorry Captain Aizen. I got caught." Gin commented with a smile on his face as Aizen glanced in his direction.


    "Don''t you see Aizen? There is nowhere you can run." Yoruichi said as she glared at Aizen.


    -----


    As the other members of the Gotei 13 arrived, Ukitake approached a wounded Itachi and helped him up.


    As the rest of the shinigami surrounded Aizen, Itachi stared at the sky. Even without his sharingan active, he felt something was about to happen as a strange mass of reiatsu began to gather above them.


    "It''s time." Aizen said while smirking.


    Itachi narrowed his eyes as he realized what was happening. He quickly turned to Yoruichi. "Get away!"


    Yoruichi had also realized what was about to happen before warning Soi-Fon. The two quickly moved away from Aizen as the light surrounded him. A large hole ripped open in the sky as countless amounts of Menos peered through the newly created rift and a few lieutenants rushed towards Aizen.


    "Stop!" A voice came from behind the lieutenants, prompting them to stop in their places.


    "That light is called Negacion. Once that light comes down, all is lost and their world is separated from ours. Aizen has become untouchable." Yamamoto said to the lieutenants. As the three traitors were lifted off the ground and carried up to the Menos, Aizen and Ukitake shared one last exchange.


    "Aizen, how low you''ve fallen!" Ukitake yelled as he looked up at Aizen.


    "Since the beginning, no one has ever stood in the heavens. Neither you nor I...or even God himself. But that emptiness on the throne will be filled from this day forth." Aizen said as he removed his glasses and swept his hair back and looked down on the shinigami below him. "I will be the one to stand in the heavens."


    "Goodbye, to all the shinigami and humans. And to you Kurosaki Ichigo, for a human you entertained me very much." Aizen said as he looked at Ichigo. He turns his head and looks at Itachi before leaving through the Garganta. "And you...I look forward to seeing what you are truly capable of, Uchiha Itachi."


    ----


    After Aizen''s departure, Itachi could no longer hold on and fell to the floor, unconscious.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha!" Rukia exclaimed, rushing to his side.


    "Kuchiki, don''t worry!" A voice said from behind.


    "Captain Unohana!" Rukia said.


    "His injuries are numerous, but not life threatening if he is treated immediately. I will have someone ?ssist Lieutenant Uchiha with his injuries. In the meantime, Captain Kuchiki wishes to speak with you." Unohana said.


    "Brother¡­" Rukia mumbled. She looked at Itachi and then Unohana. She knew there was nothing she could do at this point and she walked over to Byakuya.


    ----


    The next day


    Itachi woke up in the 4th division infirmary. He was wrapped in bandages. His injuries had mostly healed. He got off the bed and put on his Shihakusho. He left the room noticing the many 4th division members running around. The incident with the invaders had caused quite a few injuries.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha!! You are awake" A shinigami ran up to Itachi. Itachi nodded in response.


    "Sir, are you sure you are okay to move about?" He questioned.


    "I am fine, take care of the others." Itachi replied as he walked out of the infirmary.


    "Wait you can''t leave the-" The 4th Division shinigami''s words are left on deaf ears as Itachi ignored him and walked away.


    Itachi arrived at the thirteenth division barracks. He went to his room before laying down. He thought about everything that happened. In only a week, all of Seireitei had experienced a massive upheaval. ''Gin and Aizen were to be expected. But what I didn''t expect Tousen to have also betrayed us.''


    ---


    "Ichigo, take this." Ukitake mentioned before the group could leave. He handed Ichigo a strange looking wooden badge with a skull on it. Ichigo looked at the badge curiously.


    "This is a badge certifying you as a substitute shinigami. Soul Society does have laws regarding the emergence of a substitute shinigami. You are receiving this badge because you''ve been deemed positive in value to Soul Society." Ukitake said. Ichigo''s confused expression lightened up as he thanked Ukitake before turning to Itachi.


    "Itachi, thanks for all your help." Ichigo said. Itachi nodded in response and the group of humans left to return back to the living world.


    "You gave him that badge. Are you concerned there may be another incident?" Itachi asked, vaguely remembering the first substitute shinigami, Kugo Ginjo, from many years ago.


    "I guess I''m just being on the safe side. He seems like a good kid though. What do you think, Itachi?" Ukitake responded.


    "He''s someone who values his comrades. As long as he doesn''t shoulder everything alone, he won''t become drunk on power like Ginjo." Itachi replied. Ukitake nodded in agreement at his answer and the two of them returned back to the barracks. As they returned, Itachi immediately went to the training fields to hone his skills for the potential upcoming battle with Aizen. After about an hour of practicing kido, Ukitake showed up to the training field.


    "Your training seems to be going well, Itachi." Ukitake said as he approached Itachi. "There probably isn''t a lot I can teach you but, is there anything I can help with?" Ukitake offered, remembering Itachi keeping up with both him and Kyoraku against Yamamoto.


    "Actually Captain, there is something I need you to teach me the incantation." Itachi replied.


    "Sure Itachi. What is it you want to learn?" Ukitake asked, curious about what was left for Itachi to learn.


    "Hado 90: Kurohitsugi."

 Chapter 48 - The Invitation

    "Hado 90?!" Ukitake asked, surprised. "Why the sudden interest in learning that?"


    "I wish to learn the full incantation of the spell." Itachi continued. "When I arrived on Sokyoku Hill, I witnessed Captain Aizen use it once against Captain Komamura and once again against me. So far, I''ve been able to copy exactly how Aizen did it. But in his words, the skill was nowhere near its perfected state and I ?ssume it is because he didn''t use an incantation. I''ve already tried looking for information on the incantation but it''s been locked away in Soul Society''s record library."


    "You can already use it?" Ukitake looked at Itachi dumbfounded but shook it off quickly and sighed. "I guess it''s to be expected of you. First you hold your own against the Captain Commander and now here you are learning forbidden kido." Ukitake stopped for a moment to think and scratched his head.


    "Alright Itachi. I have no problem teaching you. You have already mastered Kido in the 80s and I trust you won''t abuse this power. But remember, using Kido in the 90s is forbidden. Please refrain from using it unless you absolutely have to."


    "I understand Captain." Itachi replied.


    "Alright good, then I''ll give you the incantation. I''m sure you are aware but I recommend you don''t practice that kido here. Reiatsu of that magnitude will easily be sensed throughout Seireitei." Ukitake said as he reached into his pocket and took out a small piece of paper. He quickly wrote down the incantation and handed it to Itachi.


    "Get rid of this when you''re done." Ukitake said before walking away. Itachi nodded and looked at the incantation briefly before burning it away moments later. ''I''ll need a quiet place to practice this later...for now I''ll just work on training with what I already have.''


    -------


    The next day, Itachi had prepared his day to continue his training when he received a notice to meet the Captain Commander.


    ''A notice from the Captain Commander?'' Itachi thought to himself before leaving the training ground. Captain Ukitake was resting so he informed the 3rd seats about his departure before exiting the barracks and made his way over to the first division. He entered the main hall, noticing Yamamoto who was seated in the center of the room with a cup of tea.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha of the Thirteenth Division, reporting." Itachi said as he bowed.


    "Uchiha Itachi, raise your head and take a seat. I''ve made some tea." Yamamoto ordered as he gestured for Itachi to sit on the cushion in front of him.


    "Yes sir." Itachi replied as he sat down. Yamamoto poured him a cup and handed it to Itachi. Itachi thanked him and took a sip. The two of them sat in silence briefly. ''The Captain Commander called me in for tea? No that can''t be right.''Itachi thought to himself.


    "You must be aware that you weren''t called here to simply have a tea party with me. I called you here personally in response to the abilities you demonstrated and the threat of Aizen. As you know, Aizen has affected a majority of Soul Society with his zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu. Captain Ukitake is ill again so I cannot ask him so instead I chose to ask you directly. Have you seen Kyoka Suigetsu?" Yamamoto asked.


    "No I haven''t. I remember Aizen inviting all the lieutenants for a team building exercise a while back but I declined it as I had to take care of Ukitake''s duties since he fell ill." Itachi responded.


    "Is that so? Then I have an important role for you, Lieutenant Uchiha. I''ve seen your power for myself. You can withstand my reiatsu and your own is easily at a Captain''s level. You will be key in stopping Aizen, as you have not yet seen his zanpakuto." Yamamoto said as he took another sip of tea before continuing to speak again.


    "Perfect Hypnosis¡­" Itachi said to himself as he stared at his cup of tea. ''So Kyoka Suigetsu''s ability affects the opponent''s five senses simply by seeing it. If anything, it''s very similar to how I cast genjutsu with my Sharingan. That must explain why he brought Tousen with him, as he is blind and is therefore not affected by Kyoka Suigetsu...No that can''t be it. Aizen''s power is strong enough that even if someone like Tousen was to oppose him, he would swiftly cut him down. The way I am now, I''m not sure if I could beat him.''


    Yamamoto noticed Itachi was staring blankly at his cup and called to him to snap him out of it.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha, I have a question regarding your abilities. That illusion you trapped me inside of and tortured me for a month straight. After Aizen left, I was bedridden for several days and Captain Unohana had to treat me. That was no power of your zanpakuto was it? It''s those strange eyes of yours. Of the thousands of years I''ve lived, I have never once encountered someone with your eyes." Yamamoto asked. Itachi could feel tension in the air as Yamamoto brought up what happened in Tsukuyomi.


    "I apologize for putting you in Tsukuyomi, but it was a last ditch effort to stop someone of your power. There was no possible way for me, Captain Ukitake, and Captain Kyoraku to have fought you otherwise." Itachi said as he bowed his head. The tension in the air lifted and Yamamoto''s expression softened again.


    "So that technique is called Tsukuyomi? I''ve never heard of such a thing. But regarding what you did to me there, I''ve decided to overlook it. You mentioned inside there that you could control time, space, and physical mass. I will acknowledge that if you had d?s?r?d to, you could have killed me." Yamamoto mentioned and Itachi remained silent.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha, I''m considering making you a Captain. As you know, we have several openings since those three traitors left. Due to the wartime we are in, I have authority to bypass the requirements as we are in need of replacements. Do you have bankai? I believe I remember seeing you release your shikai with that skeletal figure." Yamamoto asked. Itachi shook his head in response.


    "I have neither shikai nor bankai. For some reason, I have been unable to imprint upon my zanpakuto. It''s something that has bothered me for years now but I''ve always pushed it to the back of my head as I''ve found other ways for me to increase my strength." Itachi replied. Yamamoto''s eyes opened upon hearing this. ''This youngster is fighting at a Captain''s level without having attained even a shikai?''


    "Hmm that is indeed strange." Yamamoto said as he took another sip of his tea. "I''m sure you are aware of the zero division. In that division there is a man who forges the zanpakuto and another who names them. I''ll see what I can do to relay a message to them about it. You will be our ace in defeating Aizen and we will need you to become stronger than you already are."


    "What about the new substitute shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo? It''s unlikely he has seen Aizen''s zanpakuto as well and his reiatsu is at a Captain''s level." Itachi mentioned.


    "How observant of you. We will need him to fight as well. But he is a last resort. This is Soul Society''s problem and I do not need someone from the living world handling our issues-" Yamamoto replied but was interrupted as Lieutenant Sasakibe walked in.


    "Captain Commander. I do not mean to interrupt your tea ceremony, but there is a request from Central 46. They wish to speak with you immediately." Sasakibe said as he kneeled on the ground.


    "How troublesome. Fine, I''ll be there briefly. Lieutenant Uchiha, you are dismissed. Send in a bu??erfly if you do choose to become a Captain as I won''t be in the office for a while." Yamamoto said as he gestured for Sasakibe to clean up the tea ceremony. Itachi bowed one more time before leaving the hall.


    ''Become a captain¡­''

 Chapter 49 - A New Mission

    Itachi made his way back to the 13th division barracks. He went to Ukitake''s office and knocked on the door.


    "Come in." A voice came from behind the door.


    "Captain. I have to inform you of something." Itachi said as he walked in.


    "Is it about the promotion?" Ukitake asked, smiling.


    "I¡­" Itachi was surprised. He had just received the news himself.


    "Haha, it''s because I was the one of the few who recommended you." Ukitake said laughing.


    Itachi remained silent.


    "Me, Kyoraku and the oldman all witnessed your strength personally. It would not be an exaggeration to say you surpassed all of the lieutenants and a lot of the captains already. I met with Kyoraku and we both agreed that you are ready to be a captain." Ukitake said.


    "Thank you Captain, I will consider it." Itachi replied.


    "Great, take your time and think it through."


    Itachi left the hall and went towards the training field. He still had time to think about the Captain-Commander''s offer. ''Becoming a Captain will grant me access to information that has previously been kept from me, information that could have originally helped me find out Aizen''s plan ahead of time. Right now, Soul Society is in a weakened state due to the betrayal of three Captains. I will accept this offer.''


    ----


    During the next three weeks, Itachi continued training and performing his lieutenant duties. One morning while sitting at his desk, a hell''s bu??erfly appeared with a message.


    ''So my promotion to Captain has been accepted but postponed until Central 46 finishes refilling and reorganizing and I''ll most likely be ?ssigned to the Fifth Division. I see...also it appears Zero Division won''t be helping in regards to my zanpakuto currently. As to be expected of them, they were never ones to ?ssociate themselves with the lower problems of Soul Society that do not immediately threaten them.'' Itachi thought as he read through the message from Yamamoto. As he finished reading the message, Ukitake walked in.


    "Captain Ukitake, how was the meeting?" Itachi asked.


    "Well...not so great. Aizen had sent Arrancar to attack the world of the living. The Captain Commander decided that it would be best to send an elite squad of shinigami to stay in the human world for the time being to serve as a deterrent and to protect them if the Arrancar were to return. And you''re on that squad, along with Kuchiki, Lieutenant Abarai, and Madarame." Ukitake responded as he handed a scroll to Itachi containing the mission information.


    "When do we leave Captain?" Itachi asked as he accepted the scroll.


    "Tomorrow morning. Don''t worry about today''s paperwork Itachi. I''m feeling much better so I can deal with it. And I''ll have help from Kiyone and Sentaro as well. Rest up until tomorrow." Ukitake replied.


    "Thank you, Captain." Itachi said as he left the office. As he walked back to his room, he read the mission information on the scroll. ''A mission to the human world...Aizen what are your goals? He sent two Captain class arrancar to scout for him...No I remember he had an interest in Kurosaki Ichigo. Is he planning to use him for something?''


    ---


    The next morning, Itachi woke up and waited outside the Thirteenth Division barracks. A few minutes later, Rukia showed up.


    "Sorry I''m late Lieutenant." Rukia apologized.


    "You''re not late. Are you prepared for this mission?" Itachi asked. Rukia firmly nodded in response. Without another word, the two of them vanished from their spot and headed towards the main Senkaimon.


    Upon arriving at the main Senkaimon, they were greeted by the kido corps. Itachi and Rukia waited for a few more minutes and five more figures showed up. Itachi raised an eyebrow at the people who were there.


    "I was expecting Renji and Ikkaku but¡­" Itachi looked at the three other people who were with them. "Captain Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Matsumoto, and Ayasegawa?"


    "Well if Ikkaku was going, I would come too naturally." Yumichika replied.


    "It''s not often we get together like this so I thought it would be fun!" Rangiku added on.


    "Matsumoto is going so here I am¡­" Toshiro sighed.


    ''Is this some sort of picnic...'' Itachi thought to himself.


    "This is a powerful team we have ?ssembled." Rukia commented as she looked at the people around her.


    "That may be so but we need to be cautious. These arrancar aren''t ordinary hollows." Toshiro said. "As the only Captain here, I''ll take the lead. Do you all have your Gigais prepared?." Toshiro asked. The rest nodded.


    "Great, then let''s be off." Toshiro said.


    Toshiro began walking towards the open Senkaimon and released a hell''s bu??erfly. Itachi and the rest of the group followed him and walked through the gate, becoming enveloped by its bright light before arriving at the human world.


    ---


    The group of shinigami arrived in an alleyway next to Karakura High School.


    "Now that we''re here, we''ll need to use Gigai to blend in. Everyone get yours ready. After we change, we will go into Karakura High School and blend in with the students while we locate Kurosaki Ichigo." Toshiro ordered. After changing into Gigai, the group of shinigami walked towards the school.


    "Is this necessary? Why are we wearing this? Couldn''t we just wait for Kurosaki to come out and then approach him?" Itachi said as he looked at the school uniform as he had never seen such a style of clothing before.


    "We have to approach him as soon as possible, so let''s just meet him now." Toshiro replied and lead the group into the school.


    "How convenient that these Gigai come with the school uniform." Rukia commented.


    "Yes, well there was research done prior to-" Toshiro stopped talking when he noticed Ikkaku brought his zanpakuto with him.


    "Madarame...put your zanpakuto away!" Toshiro angrily said. "This is a school, you can''t bring a real weapon here¡­"


    "Fine! I''ll just use one more "school appropriate." Ikkaku said as he noticed a group of students dressed in white robes holding wooden swords wander behind a building An idea popped into his head and he immediately ran after them.


    "Where is he going?" Toshiro asked, starting to show irritation on his face.


    ''Don''t worry Captain. He''s already coming back." Renji said as he pointed to Ikkaku returning around the corner with a wooden sword.


    "Oh where did you get that sword?" Yumichika asked curiously.


    "Don''t worry about it. Come on let''s go!" Ikkaku said as he slung his sword to his waist.


    The group continued walking through the school while receiving various strange looks and stares from students as they walked through the hallways.


    "Hey what classroom was it again?" Ikkaku asked loudly.


    "How the hell should I know? Where''s the memo?" Renji replied and looked at Toshiro.


    "I gave it to Matsumoto." Toshiro replied. "Matsumoto where did you put it?"


    "One sec Captain." Rangiku said as she began looking through her pockets and eventually her bosom as she remembered she stuffed the memo into her cleavage earlier. "Ah...it disappeared."


    "Disappeared? What do you mean disappeared?!" Renji questioned angrily.


    "Everyone calm down...we just need to search for his reiatsu." Yumichika pointed out, attempting to defuse the situation. Itachi shook his head at the shinigami fighting amongst themselves.


    "He''s in class 1-3." Itachi interrupted. The other shinigami with him stared at him and fell silent.


    "I see. Well, let''s go to this class 1-3 then." Ikkaku said.


    "Have any of you seen Rukia?" Renji asked as he started looking around. "I swear she was just with us when we entered.


    "That''s true, she was just behind us. Hold on, she has been here before hasn''t she? She couldn''t have gotten lost¡­" Rangiku said.


    "She can group with us later. For now we''ll go to 1-3." Toshiro ordered.


    "I don''t want to be in a Gigai anymore. These uniforms are too tight¡­" Rangiku complained as they walked down the hallway.


    "You can just snip them a bit like we did." Renji suggested.


    "Yeah right! How would I be able to carry my bokutou like that?" Ikkaku exclaimed. "This is all your guys'' fault! How am I not allowed to bring a real weapon with me?"


    "It''s not our fault...geez it''s the law." Rangiku replied.


    "Well it doesn''t make sense! Who the hell would outlaw carrying swords around?!" Ikkaku yelled louder.


    "Shut the hell up guys!" Toshiro yelled. "We need to be quiet and act normal so as to not draw attention to ourselves."


    "Okay, but what about that Itachi over there? He has a whole hoard of girls following him!" Renji pointed to the back of the group where Itachi was being followed by a large group of girls.


    "Look at that new guy!"


    "He''s so handsome!"


    "Look over hereee!"


    "Look at his hair. It''s even longer than mine!"


    "I hope he asks me out to prom!"


    The group of girls exclaimed as they began to crowd around Itachi. Itachi ignored them and their comments.


    "Uchiha?! What are you doing? You''ll blow our cover." Toshiro grumbled.


    "I didn''t do anything." Itachi said, unable to make sense of what was happening. The girls started staring at him the moment he entered.


    "Wow Uchiha. I didn''t realize you were such a ladies man." Rangiku teased as they continued down the hallway a few more classrooms down until they arrived in front of 1-3.


    "Alright we''re here. Go on, open it up!" Ikkaku said to Renji. Renji opened the door and looked at Ichigo who was standing in front of the classroom with a confused look on his face as he saw the shinigami standing at the doorway.


    "Yo! How ya been Ichigo?" Renji asked.

 Chapter 50 - High School of the "Dead"

    "Renji?! Ikkaku?! Yumichika?! Rangiku?! Itachi?! Toshiro?!" Ichigo blurted out in surprise.


    "It''s Captain Hitsugaya¡­" Toshiro replied with a look of irritation.


    "Why are you guys here?" Ichigo asked.


    "To prepare for the war against the arrancar." Renji replied.


    "The what?" Ichigo looked at Renji confused.


    "You fought them and don''t have any idea you dumbass? Those were the guys who nearly killed you yesterday!" Renji responded. As Ichigo tried to wrap his head around the situation, he was distracted as another figure appeared in the window.


    "Rukia!" Ichigo looked at her surprised.


    "Long time no see Ichigo!" Rukia smiled back at him.


    "Rukia you''re-" Ichigo is cut off as Rukia jumps from the window sill and kicks Ichigo in the face. The rest of the shinigami and students watched as Rukia continuously slapped Ichigo.


    "We were supposed to stay undercover¡­" Toshiro grumbled.


    "I think that we are already past that..." Ikakku replied as he pointed to a flock of girls staring at Itachi from outside the room.


    "I''ll stop this." Itachi said as he changed the topic. He begins to walk to Rukia and Ichigo but stops when Rukia rips Ichigo''s soul from his body and jumps out the window.


    ''Oh no...'' Itachi thought.


    "Hey what happened to Kurosaki?" One student questioned.


    "That woman just beat the crap out of him and he keeled over?" Another one added.


    "It must be because of those dangerous looking people! Look at that guy with the funky red hair."


    "That short guy has silver hair! He looks like a grade schooler."


    "Why is one of them carrying a wooden sword?"


    "Check out that chick with the huge br??sts." The boys said as they drooled over her.


    "Why is that dude bald?"


    "The guy with the long black hair is kind of cute." Some of the girls commented.


    "Hey you''re right that guy is bald!"


    "Bald¡­ Bald¡­ Bald...Bald."


    "Don''t worry about it too much man...they have no idea what they''re talking about." Renji tried to reassure Ikkaku.


    "No no no...I can''t let this one go Renji." Ikkaku said as he began to draw his wooden sword out. "Whoever called me bald, get over here right now! I''ll cut you in half!"


    "Then I shall ?ssist you Ikkaku." Yumichika commented as he stepped up next to Ikkaku. Toshiro and Itachi watched from the sidelines. Toshiro''s face began to contort with anger as he tried to suppress it and veins started to pop out on his head.


    "I really wish this was someone else''s job right now¡­" Toshiro said as he stared angrily at his subordinates. Some of the bolder girls walked towards the group, more specifically Itachi.


    "Hey, are you new?"


    "Did you just transfer over?"


    "You''re really cute!"


    "Are you single?"


    "Who''s the bimbo!! She''s not your girlfriend is she?"


    "Uchiha¡­." Toshiro grumbled. ''How is the most silent person in the group drawing in the most people?! What happened to covert? Wasn''t he in the second division!'' Toshiro thought to himself.


    "Captain Hitsugaya. I''ll fix this." Itachi calmly reassured Toshiro. Toshiro looked at Itachi and nodded, and the veins popping out of his face began to recede. Itachi walked in front of Ikkaku and Yumichika and looked at the students.


    "Who the hell is this guy?"


    "Hey look, he''s walking over here." Some girls blushed.


    "Is he trying to pick a fight with us as well?"


    "Hey what''s up with his eyes?"


    "Why are they glowing like that?"


    The students commented amongst themselves as they looked at Itachi. Suddenly all of them fell to the ground and the spectating shinigami watched in shock.


    "Itachi, what the hell did you do?" Renji asked.


    "I put them to sleep. When they wake up in a few minutes, they won''t remember what just happened as if it was a dream." Itachi replied calmly.


    "Well at least this can''t possibly get any worse-" Toshiro commented but is cut off as another person enters the room looking down at her clipboard.


    "Sorry I''m late for class. I hope you all enjoyed your lunch. Now let-'''' The teacher looked up from reading her clipboard and froze as she saw all but a group of students lying on the floor.


    "Shit¡­" The group said.


    "Why is everyone asleep? Oh you must be the new¡­. students?" The teacher said as she looked at the group.


    "Why are you holding Kurosaki?" The teacher continued her questions with panic in her voice.


    "This¡­." Renji was speechless. He quickly turned to Itachi.


    "Itachi, put her to sleep too. We can leave out of the window." Renji whispered. Itachi gave Renji an indifferent look.


    "Very well." Itachi said as he looked straight into the teacher''s eyes and she collapsed.


    "That''s it. We''re leaving." Toshiro angrily yelled at the whole group and jumped out of the window. The rest of the group looked at each other before following him out.


    ''What a day..'' Itachi thought to himself as they exited.


    "I can''t believe we got out of that mess¡­" Toshiro sighed as the group of shinigami walked down the street.


    "We didn''t even have to wipe anyone''s memories. Uchiha did it for us." Yumichika mentioned.


    "I still wanna fight those little punks!" Ikkaku yelled as he put his hand on his wooden sword.


    "Where are we going to stay now?" Rangiku asked. There was a brief moment of silence as everyone looked at Toshiro for what to do next. Toshiro looked back at them nervously.


    "Captain you have no idea where we are going to stay do you?" Rangiku asked.


    "Hey how about we crash at Ichigo''s place?" Renji suggested. "That''s what Rukia did when she lived here."


    "And you think he''ll just allow us to stay there?" Yumichika asked.


    "Well-" Renji is cut off as he felt something vibrate briefly in his pocket and quickly pulled it out to read it. "Oh it''s from Rukia. We''re clear to stay in Ichigo''s place. But¡­"


    "But what?" Toshiro asked as he leaned in to read the message.


    "Are we seriously doing this Abarai?" Toshiro asked as the group of Shinigami stood on top of the Kurosaki household''s roof.


    "Yup we just wait for our cue. Ichigo should be going upstairs to his room any minute- Hey Itachi where are you going?" Renji asked as he saw Itachi jump down from the roof without saying a word.


    "You guys just do what you want." Toshiro sighed as he followed Itachi off the roof.


    "But the entrance¡­" Renji said dejectedly.


    ---


    "What the hell are arrancar?" Ichigo asked Rukia who was sitting on his bed. "Why did they attack us?"


    "I guess that''s our cue." A voice said from the ceiling. Ichigo looked up at his ceiling confused as Renji, Yumichika, Rangiku, and Ikkaku''s heads popped out from the light fixture.


    "The hell did you guys do to my light?!" Ichigo exclaimed.


    "Don''t worry about it. Let me explain to you what the Arrancar are with a diagram." Renji said as Rukia pulled up a few hand drawn pictures and they began explaining it to Ichigo.


    "And we suspect Aizen has set his sights on you." Toshiro added in, appearing on the window sill.


    "Captain Hitsugaya you finally made it. I knew you were horrible at scaling walls." Rangiku commented upon Toshiro''s arrival.


    "Wait where is Itachi?" Renji questioned. ''Wasn''t he with you."


    "No idea." Toshiro replied before continuing the explanation of Arrancar to Ichigo.


    ---


    "Karin, Yuzu! I''ll be in the garden if you need me!" A tall man with spiky black hair, brown eyes, and thin facial hair yelled as he walked out into the backyard. He stops as a flock of crows fly past him merging together, forming a figure in front him.


    "Kurosaki Isshin...no...Shiba Isshin. So this is where you went." Itachi said to the man.


    He had recognized this person. It was the previous captain of the 10th division who had disappeared over 20 years ago.


    "That''s not a name I''ve heard in a while." Isshin replied as he looked seriously at Itachi. "I go by Kurosaki now. You must be Uchiha, Itachi. I heard your eyes were sharp, I can''t believe you actually noticed me."


    Itachi remained silent.


    "You''re probably wondering how I know you. I heard a lot about you from Hitsugaya when I was still a Captain. And from Urahara..."


    "Urahara?" Itachi asked, curious about how Urahara knew Itachi. "Are you referring to Urahara Kisuke? How does Urahara know about me? Itachi continued.


    "Do you remember that strange hollow you fought from roughly twenty years ago? It was a humanoid looking hollow." Isshin replied.


    Itachi nodded.


    "I fought the one with the white mask. What I didn''t know at the time was that there was a second hollow that was also sent out. They were both Aizen''s creations, I''m sure you are aware by now. Urahara mentioned this to me after I seeked help from him. I won''t go into the details but because of that, I lost my shinigami powers." Isshin continued.


    "I see...the roots of Aizen''s plans are certainly spread far¡­" Itachi said as he remembered his fight with black masked hollow.


    "Uchiha do me a favor. Keep my presence here on the downlow. I know Hitsugaya and Matsumoto are here. But I''m no longer a Captain. I''m simply the father of Ichigo now." Isshin said.


    "Also when you get the chance, go to the Urahara shop. Urahara wishes to speak to you." Isshin reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Itachi. Itachi accepted the paper and opened it up, revealing the shop''s location.


    "Very well." Itachi responded and put away the piece of paper into one of his pockets. He nodded at Isshin before jumping over the house back into the front yard where Renji was just leaving and walking onto the main street.


    "Ah, Itachi." Renji commented as Itachi landed on the ground. "We can''t stay at Ichigo''s so I''m going to Urahara''s. He''s the guy who brought Ichigo up to a sufficient level to do battle. And there are some other things I need to talk to him about. You got a place to stay at?"


    "I also need to see Urahara Kisuke, so I''ll be coming with you." Itachi responded. Renji nodded and the two of them walked down the street.

 Chapter 51 - The Arrancar Arrival

    "So this is the place huh¡­" Renji said as he looked at the old wooden exterior of the building with the words "Urahara Shop" posted on a sign on the roof. There were several large metal doors covering the exterior of the shop, indicating it was closed.


    "Guess we''ll just wait out here for it to open up I guess." Renji commented as he sat down in front of the shop and leaned against one of the metal doors. Itachi continued to look at the shop and activated his sharingan.


    ''There are four reiatsu signatures inside...they must have some reason for not letting us in. It''s understandable considering Urahara is considered a fugitive to Soul Society.'' Itachi thought to himself as he deactivated his Sharingan and waited outside with Renji.


    ----


    "They are still out there sir!" A young red haired boy said as he spied on the two shinigami standing outside.


    "They must be troubled....I wonder what they want from me? And they''re both lieutenants from Soul Society?" A blond man in a white and green striped bucket hat replied.


    "Hey one of them is staring at the shop. Woah.. It looks like his eyes are glowing red." The red haired boy said, surprised. Boss I think he can see us. He is staring at us like he can".


    "Red eyes? I see, So it''s him then...okay let them in." The man said.


    ----


    Itachi stood in front of the shop, looking at the sky while Renji was still sitting down with his back leaned against the metal door. Suddenly, one of the metal doors began to rise and the two of them looked at it curiously as a tall, lean blond man with a dark green robe walked out.


    "Uchiha, Itachi right?" The man said as he looked at him before turning to look at Renji. "And Abarai, Renji as well. Now what would two lieutenants of the Gotei 13 want with a shopkeeper with me?"


    "I talked to Isshin. He told me to see you, Urahara." Itachi replied.


    "Well yes, I have been meaning to speak with you." Urahara responded. "But what about you Abarai?"


    "I wish to train under you. I witnessed myself how strong Ichigo had become from your training." Renji said as he bowed his head.


    "Well, take a seat inside for now, Abarai. There are quite a few things I need to talk about with Uchiha here." Urahara said as he turned around and gestured for them to follow. The two of them followed him inside and Urahara took Itachi to a back room while Renji looked around the shop.


    ''What does he need to talk to Uchiha for..?'' Renji wondered as he looked around the store.


    ----


    Urahara and Itachi sat down in a brief moment of silence before he started to speak.


    "I saw you fight that black masked hollow about twenty or so years ago. You certainly have some interesting abilities that may come in handy against Aizen. The first thing I must know about are your eyes. Eyes like yours haven''t existed in the history of all of Soul Society that I''ve dug through. From the limited data I gathered from your fight, I''ve came to the conclusion that your eyes give you some sort of precognition and that the bone structure you summoned was not from your zanpakuto, but from your eyes." Urahara said. Itachi narrowed his eyes. ''Urahara Kisuke, his intelligence is impressive'' Itachi thought to himself.


    "Your analysis is correct, Urahara. I''m impressed with the information you gathered with limited intel." Itachi nodded. "I''ve been curious myself as to why I''ve run into nobody else with my eyes. I come from an entire clan of people whose eyes match my own." Urahara''s eyes widened briefly upon hearing that there could be more people with Itachi''s abilities. Itachi closed his eyes then opened them again, revealing his sharingan.


    "These eyes are called the sharingan. There is another ability they possess that your analysis did not see." Itachi said as the room began to fill with crows. The crows surrounded Urahara before coming together to form multiple figures of Itachi standing around Urahara.


    "Aizen''s zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu, allows him to place those that see his zanpakuto under perfect hypnosis. My eyes can do something similar when someone looks into them. However, Aizen''s ability seems to be permanent. I''m not sure if this is the case, but his Kyoka Suigetsu seems to work in the same way my genjutsu works. If so, I should also be immune to it while I am using my sharingan as there is no illusion that my eyes cannot see through." Itachi said as he reverted his sharingan back and the multiple copies of Itachi standing around Urahara dissipated.


    "What an interesting ability¡­" Urahara commented as he looked around the room then back at Itachi''s normal eyes. "I''ll certainly need your help for my plan, but there is something I want to test first."


    "And what would that be?" Itachi questioned.


    "For this plan of mine to work against Aizen, you must be sufficiently strong enough. And by that, I mean you must be able to force Aizen into a corner with your power. Why don''t we-"


    "We got trouble. There''s an arrancar outside." Renji said before leaving to go outside the shop.


    "This is perfect. Deal with the arrancar outside and I''ll gauge if you''re strong enough." Urahara said. Itachi nodded before vanishing from the room and reappearing outside next to Renji.


    Itachi looked at the arrancar in front him.


    ''This one should be no problem for me. However, there are 5 others. In addition, there''s one that is far stronger than the others as well¡­'' Itachi thought to himself.


    "Renji, call for a limiter removal." Itachi said as he activated his Sharingan and jumped up to meet the Arrancar.. "The others will struggle fighting these guys if they aren''t at full power."


    "Uh...yeah." Renji replied as he pulled out his denreinshinki.


    "Are you here to stop me, brother?" The long, blond haired arrancar asked Itachi. "I am Yylfordt Granz, Arrancar 15."


    Itachi looked at the arrancar briefly before looking away in a different direction where he sensed the greater reiatsu. ''I need to get over there¡­''


    "Don''t just look away when you''re about to die!" Granz said as he charged in at Itachi only for Itachi''s body to break down into a flock of crows. Itachi appeared behind him and cut at Granz, only for him to stop it with his own blade.


    ''This limiter is troublesome but I don''t have time to deal with him.'' Itachi thought as an ethereal ribcage began to manifest around him and a skeletal arm punched Granz away. Granz raised his guard up in time to block the punch. Granz regained his balance in the air and wiped the blood dripping from his lip.


    "Not bad, I actually felt that one!" Granz yelled as he took a step towards Itachi, only to fall to one knee and began to cough up blood.


    "You bastard¡­" Granz looked at Itachi angrily as he wiped more blood from his mouth and raised his blade in front of him.


    "Skewer, Del Toro!" Granz yelled as his body morphed and a yellow reiatsu began to envelop him. As the reiatsu diminished, his upper body and head was surrounded by thick armor with two sharp horns on his head.


    "Now die!" Granz charged at Itachi with his horns. His horns managed to slightly crack the ribcage of the susanoo but could not penetrate any deeper. Itachi raised his palm and coldly stared at Granz.


    "Hado 90: Kurohitsugi."


    A large black box surrounded Granz as several black spearlike protrusions lacerated all sides of the box. The box disappeared shortly after and the bloody, limp body of Yylfordt Granz fell to the ground as the armor surrounding him from his resurreccion eroded away.


    ''That kido just now...was the same one Aizen used against Captain Komamura.'' Renji thought to himself in awe of what he just saw. The Susanoo around Itachi faded away as Itachi landed on the ground next to Renji.


    "Renji, go help the others, they''ll need your help while the limiter is being removed." Itachi said to Renji.


    "But what about you?" Renji asked.


    "There''s someone I need to deal with." Itachi said as he looked in Ichigo''s direction.

 Chapter 52 - Retreat

    Itachi rushes to Ichigo''s. Just before he reaches he hears a voice from a device in his robes.


    "The application license for limiter removal has been accepted."


    As Itachi jumped through the air, he felt a surge of reiatsu flow through his body and made his way to Ichigo even faster.


    ---


    "You call that a Bankai? Don''t depress me like this shinigami! It seems the only thing your bankai increases is your frickin speed!" A tall man with spiky light blue hair and eyes said as he hovered over a cloud of smoke and dust on the ground.


    The man''s eyes widen as the cloud of dust suddenly clears and reveals an orange haired individual grasping his blade as black reiatsu swirls around it.


    "Getsuga Tensho!"


    The spiky, blue haired man raised his arms up to block the blast as it makes contact with him, causing a huge explosion in the air.


    "What the hell was that? That little trick wasn''t in Ulquiorra''s report." The blue haired man smiled.


    "So it was enough to take care of your depression, Arrancar?" Ichigo replied with a grin while heavily panting after the attack. He fell to one knee shortly after and held his face as the whites of his left eye began to turn black.


    "Kurosaki!" Itachi said as he appeared next to Ichigo. He looked at Ichigo and saw he was alright despite being heavily bruised.


    ''Something is not right with his reiatsu¡­'' Itachi observed as he noticed one of Ichigo''s eyes transforming. ''It''s...almost hollow like.''


    "Itachi¡­that guy there is strong." Ichigo said, still panting. "I''ll take care of him, look after Rukia!."


    Itachi looked down the street and saw Rukia lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood. ''Her reiatsu is low but she''s still alive. I''ll have to do remedial first aid now so she can be properly taken care of later. But¡­'' Itachi looked back at Ichigo. ''He''s in no shape to hold off that Arrancar.''


    "The hell are you two whispering about?" A voice said from behind Itachi. Itachi quickly turned around and saw the blue haired arrancar in front of him with a malicious grin on his face.


    "You seem stronger than that trash over there. Why don''t you fight me instead."The arrancar said as he threw a punch at Itachi''s face. Itachi side stepped to dodge the punch and vanished from his vision.


    ''What the hell?! He''s fast. Where did he-'' The arrancar''s thoughts were cut off as Itachi appeared over his shoulder, grabbed his jacket and threw him over his head and onto the ground, creating a large crater.


    "Fancy moves you got there, shinigami." The arrancar grinned as Itachi looked at him. Itachi''s eyes widened as a garganta began to open behind the arrancar and a familiar face appeared from within.


    "It seems there are two shinigami who are worth killing!" The arrancar laughed as he put his hand on his blade but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.


    ??Grimmjow, put your blade back where-" Tousen is cut off as Itachi appears behind him. Tousen pushes Grimmjow away and draws his own blade to block Itachi.


    "The hell?!" Grimmjow exclaimed as he regained his balance and saw Itachi and Tousen locking swords.


    "Uchiha, Itachi. Stand down for now. I am merely here to return with Grimmjow for violating Lord Aizen''s orders." Tousen said as he and Itachi continued to clash swords.


    ''This situation is not advantageous for me. I have to deal with both Tousen and that Arrancar. If it was just me alone I think I could manage that. But Kurosaki is still down there and Kuchiki will die if she does not get treated. I was originally hoping to capture Tousen so that he may be interrogated about Aizen''s plans, but that won''t work in this situation.'' Itachi thought to himself as he distanced himself away from Tousen.


    Itachi''s eyes began to swirl as he activated his Mangekyou Sharingan and looked at Tousen.


    "Amaterasu."


    Tousen, with his increased sensory capabilities from being blind, sensed Itachi''s build up of reiatsu heading towards him. He quickly mustered up all his strength to dodge and moved his body to the left. Tousen''s left arm suddenly caught on fire as black flames began to envelop his arm.


    ''These flames are not normal. They won''t go out and burn hotter as time passes.'' Tousen thought as he felt the flames travel up his arm. ''This leaves me no choice.'' With his other hand, Tousen drew his blade and quickly cut off his arm just below the shoulder.


    "Grimmjow, we''re leaving now!" Tousen grunted as he tried to open up another Garganta but stopped when he saw a large fireball coming towards him. Grimmjow appeared in front of Tousen and cut the fireball in half.


    "Like hell I will! If you''re so scared of this guy then leave on your own! I''ll kill him myself!" Grimmjow yelled as he charged at Itachi. Just as his blade was about to reach Itachi, it is stopped by a ribcage.


    "You think a few bones will keep you safe from me?!" Grimmjow yelled as he continued to cut at Itachi''s susanoo. From inside the susanoo, Itachi pointed a finger at Grimmjow.


    "Bakudo 61: Rikujokoro."


    Six beams of light slam into Grimmjow''s torso and stop him from swinging his sword. As Itachi looks at the trapped arrancar in front of him, his attention is diverted as he notices the sky rip open above him. ''This again?!''


    "You think something like this can stop me shinigami?!" Grimmjow yelled as he flared his reiatsu.


    "Grind." As a wave of reiatsu began to flood over Grimmjow, he was stopped as a yellow light enveloped him along with Tousen.


    "Grimmjow, what you''re doing now is in direct violation of Aizen''s orders. As I said earlier, we are going." Tousen grunted as he held the spot where his arm once was.


    "Tch...alright." Grimmjow scoffed as the light of the Negaccion carried him up. "Black flames, Black shockwaves. So what?! You shinigami wouldn''t stand a chance against my released state!" Grimmjow yelled just before he passed through the Garganta.


    "Welcome home, Grimmjow." Aizen said, looking down at him from his high seated throne. Aizen glanced at Tousen who was standing next to him and was now missing an arm.


    "And who might have done that to you? It couldn''t have been Grimmjow." Aizen commented as he raised his hand up and two low ranked arrancar came to Tousen''s side and began treating his wound.


    "No, Lord Aizen. It was Uchiha Itachi. He interfered with my retrieval of Grimmjow." Tousen replied before directing his frustration at Grimmjow. "And what about you? Shouldn''t you be apologizing to Lord Aizen?"


    "Nope." Grimmjow replied indifferently.


    "It''s fine, Kaname. I''m not upset at all. I would ?ssume someone like you with a fiery spirit would take responsibility for their actions if I''m not mistaken, Grimmjow?" Aizen asked.


    "You are." Grimmjow replied.


    "Lord Aizen, I request that this one be executed! For he is only seeking to cause discord!" Tousen angrily responded.


    "You just don''t like me and that''s all there is to it. Or perhaps you''re still sour cause you got your ?ss handed to you by that Uchiha guy! I could have taken both him and Kurosaki on but you had to hold me back with your righteous-!" Grimmjow taunted but was interrupted as Tousen lunged at him and cut his left arm off.


    "Hado 54: Haien."


    "God dammit! I''ll kill you!" Grimmjow yelled in rage as he prepared to draw his sword.


    "Grimmjow, if you choose to ?ssault Kaname here, you won''t leave here alive." Aizen interrupted. Grimmjow grit his teeth as he looked at Aizen before turning around and walking away.


    "Kaname, make sure you get that wound properly treated." Aizen said as he got up and walked away from his throne into a hallway.


    "Playing around with your subordinates I see?" A voice said from around the corner.


    "Ah, Gin. So you were watching." Aizen responded as he and Gin walked down the hall into an open room.


    "Uchiha is causing you more trouble than you anticipated isn''t he?" Gin asked.


    "Perhaps. But he is a minor inconvenience at best."


    "Then would you like for me to take care of him?" Gin suggested.


    "There''s no need for that. Bring Kaname here. I want to try something with him." Aizen responded as he pulled out a glowing bright ball inside of a cube.

 Chapter 53 - Guidance

    "Kaname." Aizen said as he saw the approaching figure.


    Tousen was still a bit riled. His arm was missing. He still had a slight fear from Itachi''s attack. If he was a step too late, then he would have perished.


    "Lord Aizen, what is it you request of me?" Tousen asked while bowing his head.


    "Your battle with Uchiha. I''m curious as to how he had managed to dismember the arm of one of my unification officials." Aizen asked as Tousen continued to bow his head.


    "He was far stronger than I anticipated. He attacked me with some sort of flames. These flames could not be extinguished and burned with the intensity of Yamamoto''s if not greater." Tousen responded as he grasped where he had to cut off his own arm.


    "So he had an ability like that? How interesting. But seeing that your entire body is here, I''m ?ssuming the flames need time to spread." Aizen commented to himself. "Kaname, I will bestow upon you the chance to redeem yourself and grant you greater power. Do you remember what I offered you when we first left Soul Society? I will offer it to you once again. However, it is still up to you if you wish to accept it." Aizen said as he held the Hogyoku up to Tousen. Tousen raised his head, and although he could not see, he knew what was in front of him. He hesitated for a brief moment before kneeling down.


    "I will accept it, Lord Aizen, for this will be true justice." Tousen resolutely responded as his body began to glow.


    Aizen watched Tousen slowly begin his transformation, he instructed some arrancar to keep watch before leaving the room.


    "Oh so he accepted that?." Gin said.


    "It was only a matter of time. Though it seems that Uchiha played a part as well." Aizen replied.


    "Is that so.."


    "Flames as hot as Yamamoto''s¡­ Come along Gin, There is something I must test." Aizen said as he walked off. Gin watched Aizen walk off, following behind.


    -----


    A week later


    "Uchiha, where are you going?" Renji asked as he and Chad sat down on the ground, tired from training in Urahara''s underground area.


    "I''m going out for a patrol. " Itachi responded. Renji waved goodbye to him as Itachi vanished from the room.


    As Itachi traversed the rooftops, he sensed nothing out of the ordinary. No hollows or arrancar. The streets were silent with few cars and people walking about. After traversing another kilometer or so of rooftops, Itachi spotted something strange out of the corner of his eyes, a large warehouse that was completely covered by a barrier. He lands on a nearby building and continues to study the barrier. He notices the ants, cats, and birds all instinctively moving around the building.


    ''This is so strange, that a barrier like this erected in the city, yet it gives off almost no spiritual pressure. I wouldn''t have noticed a barrier like this without the Sharingan. This barrier seems to erase the existence of whatever is in it.'' Itachi thought to himself. He waited for a few minutes and continued analyzing the barrier from afar and the various cats and birds interactions to it when a figure approached the building.


    ''Thats... Kurosaki''s friend.'' Itachi thought as he watched as the young woman approached the building. She stood there for a few moments before placing her hand on the barrier.


    "Stop." Itachi said as he appeared next to her.


    "Eeek!" Orihime shrieked as she quickly turned to her side. She immediately recognized Itachi and breathed a sigh of relief.


    "You''re.. Lieutenant Uchiha." Orihime said as she regained her composure.


    "Miss Inoue." Itachi nodded to greet her before continuing. "How did you find this place?" Itachi asked.


    "I felt that the spiritual pressure in this place was different, so I came to explore." Orihime replied. She didn''t expect to run into Itachi here. She didn''t even sense his arrival next to her. It''s as if he was completely invisible.


    "I see, I too came because of the abnormal pressure here."


    "Is it because of this barrier???? Orihime asked.


    Itachi was slightly taken back. ''She is able to see the barrier?.


    "Yes." Itachi replied.


    "Are you able to break it?"


    "Yes, however it would alert the caster inside." Itachi said. Although he could see the barriers, he was unable to see how many people were inside the building.


    "The barrier works similar to my own power, so I should be able to go inside." Orihime said as she placed her hands against the barrier. Suddenly, her fingers began to slide through and she walked straight through the barrier.


    Itachi looked at the barrier one more time before placing a hand on it. ''It appears I''ll have to resort to other methods to get past this.''


    "Inoue, go on without me. I''ll catch up shortly." Itachi said. Orihime nodded in response before heading deeper into the warehouse.


    -----


    "Hachi, what''s wrong?" Shinji asked as his comrade began to display a look of distress on his face.


    "Someone...has slipped past and entered through my barrier¡­" Hachi replied nervously. The group of people nearby looked in shock at what Hachi had said and began to gather around him.


    "Was it a shinigami?" Love asked.


    "No. My barrier couldn''t have been broken into by a shinigami, not with their kido." Hachi replied. Suddenly his eyes widened as he felt another person enter the barrier.


    "This can''t be...someone else has also come through the barrier, except this time it was through force¡­" Hachi said as the other people looked at him surprised. ''Strange...my barrier is supposed to gradually restore itself in the event that it is broken but it''s not closing...In fact, it feels as though the barrier is eroding.'' Hachi thought as beads of sweat began to roll down the side of his face and he could no longer contain his nervous look.


    "They''re here¡­" Hachi said as everyone in the group turned around to face a large staircase with two individuals walking down it.


    "A human?! No wait...that person with her is-" Kensei exclaimed.


    "SHI- SHINIGAMI!" A young girl with short spiky hair shouted as she charged towards him, completely ignoring Orihime.


    "Hiyori, wait!" Ichigo called out.


    She unsheathed her sword and swung at Itachi''s head.


    Itachi remained completely calm as he watched the sword heading for his face. In response, he grabbed her arm, dispelling the attack and countered with a palm strike to her ?h?st, sending her flying back down the stairs.


    A figure appeared behind Hiyori, catching her at the bottom of the staircase.. She instantly felt enraged as she looked back up and looked at Itachi.


    "Let me go Shinji!!" Hiyori yelled out.


    "Calm down, Idiot. Think carefully before you attack. That guy isn''t a normal shinigami. He broke through Hachi''s barrier" Shinji said as he looked up at Itachi.


    "Orihime, Itachi!" Ichigo rushed forward and stood in front of the group, who were tense and ready to jump in to fight at any moment. "Don''t attack them, they''re my friends."


    The group acknowledged Ichigo and the tension in the air dropped as they watched Orihime, Ichigo, and Itachi talk to each other briefly, with Orihime explaining to Ichigo what he had missed in regards to the findings of Aizen''s plan.


    "It''ll be alright! I''ll be the one to stop Aizen!" Ichigo said to Orihime reassuringly. Before walking away he looked at Itachi and remembered his fights against Gin, Grimmjow, and Tousen.


    "Itachi, can you help with my training?" Ichigo asked. Itachi looked at Ichigo and nodded.


    "Piss off shinigami! We don''t need you here!" Hiyori angrily shouted as she approached Itachi. She glared at Itachi as Itachi returned to her a look of indifference. ''This woman...no all of these people. They are former Captains and Lieutenants of the Gotei 13. What kind of training could they be helping Kurosaki with¡­'' Itachi thought as he looked back at Ichigo.


    "I don''t think he has what it takes to train with us anyway!" Hiyori exclaimed.


    "Didn''t he just kick your ?ss?" Ichigo replied smugly. Hiyori glared at Ichigo angrily before looking back at Itachi.


    "Whatever dumbass. If you want to train with him so badly go ahead. But you won''t be getting trained the right away unless it''s from us." Hiyori yelled as she walked away from them.


    "Let''s go Itachi!" Ichigo said as he began to run towards the open field. "I''ll catch ya later, Inoue!" Ichigo and Itachi quickly made their way to the middle of the open field, surrounded by b?r? rocks on each side.


    "Ichigo!" A voice yelled from nearby. Itachi and Ichigo turned their heads to see it was from Shinji.


    "You sure you want to show this guy that power? I get he''s your friend and all, but we''re not on as good terms with Soul Society as you." Shinji said.


    "Yeah, we can trust him." Ichigo replied. Shinji shrugged his shoulders before taking several steps back. Itachi looked curiously at Ichigo and he activated his sharingan as Ichigo brought his hand up to his face and a black reiatsu began to leak out. ''This power, it''s almost hollow like. Just like the state he was in after fighting Grimmjow originally¡­''


    The reiatsu in the area spiked around them as Ichigo donned his hollow mask. Itachi is briefly reminded of his fight against Nobutoshi when he was still in the Second Division. Itachi prepared himself as Ichigo charged at him.


    Ichigo raised his sword into the air above Itachi before swinging down. As he swung down, Itachi managed to side step out of the way as the ground cracked and debris flew everywhere from the impact.


    ''That mask has certainly increased his power and speed.'' Itachi thought as he looked at Ichigo''s mask before counterattacking with a swift kick to the ?h?st, sending Ichigo flying back through several rocks.


    Ichigo quickly got back up on his feet and raised his zanpakuto in front of him, only for his mask to suddenly break. Ichigo began to pant heavily and leaned against his zanpakuto to hold himself up.


    "It seems you can only hold the mask for around five seconds." Itachi commented as he approached Ichigo.


    "Yeah. I''m just going to rest a bit then we''ll continue again." Ichigo said as he stood up straight again.


    "Kurosaki, how did you learn to control a hollow''s powers." Itachi asked.


    "Well the Vizards there put me in a barrier and kept me at bay while I fought in my zanpakuto world against my inner hollow." Ichigo responded. "His last words to me...were that if I really wanted to control his power, to not die until he showed up again¡­"


    "Your hollow spoke to you like that?" Itachi questioned. Ichigo nodded in response.


    "It''s kind of weird because I''m essentially looking at a mirror image of myself."


    "That hollow of yours is strange. I may not have been able to imprint upon a zanpakuto, but I''ve done countless amounts of research over the years in order to try to do so. Your hollow manifested itself in your Zanpakuto''s world. Perhaps upon manifesting within your soul, it gained some sort of individuality that most hollows don''t have." Itachi commented. Ichigo looked at Itachi with a confused gaze.


    "Individuality? Before I got this mask, he would try to take over my body. It happened in my fight against Byakuya and almost happened against Grimmjow but I stopped it¡­"


    Itachi paused for a moment before responding.


    "In those fights, you were pushed beyond your limit, correct?" Itachi asked. Ichigo nodded.


    "You and your hollow are one in the same. It cannot live without you, as you cannot survive without it. You may have conquered it but have you ever fully acknowledged it as being part of you, much like a zanpakuto?"


    "You expect me to let that thing take over me?" Ichigo questioned anxiously. Itachi shook his head.


    "No. Acknowledge yourself, and all aspects of yourself. Then you will become strong. Strong enough to defeat Aizen, like you told Inoue."


    Ichigo looked at Itachi before looking down at his zanpakuto. ''Acknowledge my hollow like I''ve acknowledged Zangetsu?''


    "Itachi, I''m all rested. Are you ready for round two?" Ichigo said with a grin as he pulled his zanpakuto out of the ground. Itachi nodded as he drew his blade and prepared to clash with Ichigo once again.

 Chapter 54 - An Unexpected Enemy

    Two weeks later


    Ichigo continued his training at the Visored''s hideout. During the two weeks, Itachi showed up nearly every day to train with him and give him advice in fighting.


    ''He''s grown very fast in these couple of weeks.'' Itachi thought to himself as he parried blows from Ichigo''s zanpakuto. ''He''s already corrected most of the mistakes I''ve shown him in his technique and he can wear his mask for far longer.''


    Itachi and Ichigo clashed blows one more time before creating distance between each other. As Itachi got ready again, he felt a vibration in his shihakusho pocket and pulled out his denreishinki. ''I''m being recalled back to Soul Society? This soon?'' Itachi thought as he sheathed his blade.


    "What''s up Itachi?" Ichigo asked as he withdrew his hollow mask.


    "I''m being called back to Soul Society. Unfortunately our training will have to stop here for now. But you''ve improved drastically. A little bit more training and I think you could fight Grimmjow." Itachi commented.


    "Leaving so soon Uchiha?" Shinji said as he appeared next to them and put a hand on Itachi''s shoulder."I''ve been watching you guys train. You may not be a Visored, but you did a good job with this kid. You''re not bad, Uchiha."


    Itachi nodded to Shinji in acknowledgement and waved Ichigo goodbye as he vanished from the room.


    "I guess I''ll take over from here. Hiyori''s still bu??hurt that you chose to train with Itachi over her." Shinji laughed loudly.


    "I heard that dumbass!" A voice echoed from across the training room.


    "Let''s get started." Shinji said to Ichigo as he donned his hollow mask.


    --------


    Itachi had taken a Senkaimon back immediately after leaving the warehouse and found himself at the main Senkaimon of Soul Society. He quickly made his way to the Thirteenth Division Barracks where he was greeted by Captain Ukitake.


    "Welcome back." Ukitake said with a smile. "How was your trip to the human world?"


    "It went well. But I am confused as to why I was called back immediately with little detail in the message." Itachi responded.


    "Well, there has been a massive influx of hollows that are appearing throughout Rukongai and it is suspected to be a result of Aizen''s takeover in Hueco Mundo.. However, these hollows are far too strong for normal shinigami to handle and even seated officers are struggling. The other Divisions are short on manpower, especially the Tenth Division, as both the Captain and Lieutenant are in the human world."


    "Understood Captain. I will deal with the hollows." Itachi replied.


    "I''ve sent the coordinates to your denreinshinki already. You''ll meet up with two others and help them take care of the hollows in that area." Ukitake said. "Now go."


    "Yes Captain." Itachi nodded then vanished from the spot.


    "Santen Kesshun, I reject!" Orihime said as she put her hands in front of her. A triangular barrier formed in front of her as a hollow''s attack was repelled off the barrier.


    "Hado 33: Sokatsui!" Rukia said as she fired a large blue wave of energy at the off balance hollow.


    "It was a good idea coming here for training, Kuchiki. I didn''t expect to be fighting so many hollows though." Orihime said as she retracted her Santen Kesshun.


    "There is still one more that was reported here. So let''s-" Rukia stopped mid sentence as she saw a large hand reaching for Orihime''s head. Her eyes widened as she ran to Orihime to try to push her out of the way from the strange looking hollow. The hollow was about the size of a tall human, and had gray skin with spiky black hair. In the middle of his b?r? ?h?st, was a hole.


    She b?r?ly pulled Orihime away as the large fist was about to strike her. The hollow''s strike misses and hits the ground, causing the ground to shake as it cracks beneath them. The shockwave from the punch sends the two women flying back, separating them. As Orihime regained her balance, the hollow appeared in front of her. As he reached for her neck, he felt an increase of reiatsu from his side.


    "Dance, Sode No Shirayuki. Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" Rukia punctured the ground with her blade, creating a large ice circle as she took a battle stance with the ice forming around her blade. Soon after, a large wave of cold reiatsu swept over the hollow, encasing him in ice and preventing him from moving.


    "Inoue, get out of there!" Rukia yelled as she sensed the increase of Reiatsu from the hollow. Inoue nodded and ran towards Rukia just as the ice around the hollow shattered. The hollow looked at the two women and raised his palm to them as a red energy began to gather. As Rukia watched the light, she began to run towards Orihime to try and protect her as the Cero was fired.


    Suddenly, the beam stops just before Orihime as a figure stood in front of it, diverting the Cero in two separate directions as if cutting it in half.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha?!" Rukia exclaimed, surprised at his timely arrival. Itachi dispelled the Cero and looked at the hollow in front of him.


    "You''re no ordinary hollow." Itachi commented as he and the hollow in front of him locked eyes. ''This one is far above the arrancar I fought in the living world. An Espada perhaps?''


    "No. I am simply an Arrancar created by Lord Aizen. I am Bliksem, Strider. You must be Uchiha, Itachi. Lord Aizen has mentioned you quite a bit. You are a thorn to his side that must be destroyed." The arrancar said as he charged at Itachi as he drew his blade.


    Itachi and the arrancar clashed blades, only for Itachi''s body to suddenly dematerialize into crows that began to circle around him.


    Strider began to swing at the crows flying around and swatted them away. As the crows disappeared, he felt a sharp pain in his arm as blood erupted from just under his shoulder and the arm holding his blade separated from his body.


    Immediately as his arm separated from his body, a feeling of rage took over Strider as electricity began to leak from his body and his reiatsu rose drastically, freeing him from the genjutsu.


    "You little shit! I''ll kill you!" Strider angrily yelled as lightning began to leak from his severed arm and the area where his arm was cut.


    "Smite, Ira Dorado!" The separated arm immediately reattached itself back to Strider as his body glowed brightly until his entire body was clad in golden armor as it emitted electricity. Itachi could feel the air around him charged with electricity. Itachi looked curiously at the Arrancar in front of him. ''This doesn''t make sense. Why would Aizen send a single Arrancar out to Soul Society...Is he like Grimmjow and simply not following orders? No, there has to be another reason. I''ll weaken him first and put him under genjutsu again and find out what Aizen is really up to.''


    "Cero Relampago!" Strider raised both of his arms as lightning began to swirl around them, concentrating into a ball. A loud crackling sound could be heard as the Cero was fired in a large ray of yellow reiatsu. ''I can dodge this but there is a small town several kilometers away that would still get hit by this attack. I''ll have to block it.'' Itachi thought to himself. He activates his Mangekyou Sharingan and a large half body humanoid figure appears and blocks the blast, creating a huge explosion that covers the surrounding area in smoke and lightning.


    With the Susanoo, Itachi waved its arms, causing the smoke in the area to clear up. As he looked at Strider, Strider suddenly vanished and reappeared above Itachi''s Susanoo.


    "Die!" Strider yelled as he flared his reiatsu again. "Milagrera la Cadena!"


    Out of Strider''s body, several golden chains infused with lightning emerged and launched towards Itachi''s Susanoo.


    "Yasaka Magatama." Itachi reacted by raising his Susanoo''s arm and creating a chain of reiatsu orbs that fired at the chains, destroying them and hitting Strider in the process. As Strider fell to the ground, Itachi pointed a finger at him.


    "Bakudo 61: Rikujokoro." Six beams of light slammed into Strider''s torso, catching him before he hit the ground. As he was suspended in the air, Itachi walked towards him as his Susanoo faded.


    ''Tell me why you''re here and what Aizen''s plans are.'' Itachi ordered as he placed the weakened Arrancar under a genjutsu.


    "I was created as a test. To test...Uchiha Itachi''s power for Lord Aizen. Lord Aizen will manifest the power of the Hogyoku...to create the Ouken." Strider replied.


    ''I already knew this information from Yamamoto. It seems Aizen doesn''t even let his stronger subordinates know of the specific details of his plan.''


    "Uchiha, what is going on here?" A voice said from behind Itachi. Itachi calmly turned around having already sensed who it is.


    "Captain Soi Fon. I have already dealt with the threat." Itachi mentioned as he gestured to the Arrancar who was still trapped in the Bakudo.


    "So you caught this Arrancar. I''ll bring it back to the Second Division for questioning." Soi Fon said as walked towards the Arrancar.


    "That is not necessary Captain. I have already interrogated him. He was created by Aizen only as a test." Itachi said. As Soi Fon approached the arrancar, she heard it mumbling the same sentence over and over.


    "Then kill it. This thing has a Captain level''s reiatsu and is a threat to Soul Society. I could feel its spiritual pressure all the way from Sereitei." Soi Fon said as she turned her back and began walking away.


    "By the way Uchiha¡­" Soi Fon added as she stopped walking. "Have you been in contact with Miss Yoruichi?"


    "No. I haven''t seen her since the invader incident." Itachi replied.


    "I-I see...l-let me know if you find her¡­" Soi Fon said nervously before disappearing. Itachi smiled briefly but his expression quickly turned cold when he looked back at the arrancar.

 Chapter 55 - Escort

    ----


    At the Thirteenth Division Barracks


    "Uchiha, I''m glad to see you''re alright!" Ukitake said upon seeing Itachi return from the fight. "I sensed a large reiatsu coming from your direction but it seems you had no problems dealing with it."


    "It wasn''t a problem at all. But I am curious as to why Kuchiki and Inoue are here. I thought only I was called back." Itachi asked.


    "Ah those two. Inoue wanted someone to train with and Kuchiki was no longer required in the living world so she offered to help her train. They decided to help defeat a few hollows for training but I didn''t expect them to run into a hollow that strong."


    "That was no ordinary hollow. It was an Arrancar, created by Aizen as a test." Itachi said as he made his way over to a side desk and sat down. "I''ll include more details about it in the report."


    "Well I''m glad you made it back safely and helped Kuchiki and Inoue. Sentaro and Kiyone have finished the rest of the paperwork so there is nothing left for today after your report so go ahead and relax. I''m going back to my room for a long awaited nap." Ukitake mentioned as he walked out of the office.


    ''It was an arrancar, however its strength was greater than the one I fought outside Urahara''s shop.'' Itachi thought to himself.


    ----


    1 month later


    "You seem like you have a lot on your mind, Itachi." Ukitake said, breaking the silence between them. "It''s not like you to seem worried."


    "It''s not that Captain. I was just reflecting on the training I did with Kurosaki back in the living world." Itachi replied. ''It reminded me of how things could have been¡­with Sasuke.''


    Itachi looked at Itachi''s expression and decided not to pry. Despite Itachi having been in the Division as a lieutenant for over twenty years, he still knew nothing about his backstory.


    As the two continued walking, a hell''s bu??erfly flew between them with a message. Both Itachi and Ukitake looked at each other as the message played.


    "Kuchiki! We''ve just received the report!" Ukitake yelled at Rukia who was in the center of the training grounds with Orihime. Head back to the living world! The arrancar have appeared again!"


    "Yes Captain!" Rukia replied as she ran out of the training grounds.


    "Wait Kuchiki, I-" Inoue cried as she chased after Rukia.


    "Inoue, even if you go through the Senkaimon with me, you''ll end up in the dangai because you don''t possess a hell''s bu??erfly." Rukia said as she turned around.


    "Inoue, it is important in situations like this you remain calm." Ukitake said as he and Itachi approached her.


    The living world


    "Bankai again? Are you trying to bore me to death? Did you forget your bankai couldn''t even touch me?" Grimmjow laughed as he faced Ichigo. "I''d rather face that other guy who messed up Tousen! Where the hell is he?!"


    "He''s not here. But don''t worry about him. I''ll be more than enough for you now. I''m not the same person I was a month ago." Ichigo replied. "By the way, what happened to your arm."


    "Heh, I felt I could take you on with only one arm so I threw it away. And to prove to Tousen that I can beat that guy he lost to, even with only one arm! But I should have thrown them both out so maybe you would stand a fighting chance!"


    "Then I guess I don''t have to go easy on you." Ichigo said as he glared at Grimmjow and put his hand over his face.


    -----


    At the Visored Hideout


    "Shinji, you think that dumbass Ichigo is going to get beat up?" Hiyori asked.


    "You would know if you had actually decided to train with him. But his progress¡­" Shinji said before stopping. ''When he trained with that lieutenant, he grew at a remarkable rate. He''s able to use his mask for several minutes at a time after only training with him for a couple weeks. And he increased that even further in the month he trained with me. But it wasn''t just his hollowfication that got stronger, his basic fighting skills increased. Damn, I should have watched them longer. The hell kind of training did that Lieutenant do?''


    Grimmjow stared in shock at Ichigo as he donned his mask. His reiatsu was drastically increased and darker.


    "What the hell is that?!" Grimmjow yelled, confused.


    "You''ll find out soon enough, Grimmjow." Ichigo said as he vanished from Grimmjow''s sight and disappeared before instantly reappearing in front of him.


    Grimmjow pulled his blade out in time as Ichigo slashed down at him, sending Grimmjow flying at high speed towards the ground.


    ''What the hell?! Is he...pushing me back?!'' Grimmjow thought as he tried to regain his balance in the air. Suddenly Ichigo appeared behind him and he was unable to turn around to block in time.


    "Getsuga Tenshou."


    A large black arc appeared to cut through the sky as Grimmjow emerged from the black reiatsu, covered in blood.


    "You little shit...so you''ve gotten stronger! This is what I was waiting for!" Grimmjow exclaimed with a large grin on his face.


    "Grind, Pantera!"


    Soul Society


    "Inoue, the Dangai has been stabilized and you''re now able to pass through it. I''ll send two shinigami with you to escort-" Ukitake is cut off as Itachi walked past him and towards Orihime.


    "Captain, If it''s okay with you, I will escort her back to the human world." Itachi suddenly spoke up. He had a strange premonition after seeing Orihime''s ability, If he had noticed it, there is no mistaking that Aizen had as well. Her ability was more than healing, and under Aizen''s control, it may lead to trouble.


    Ukitake was a bit surprised, but he still consented.


    "Very well. That way, after you escort Inoue, you can join the other shinigami in battle." Ukitake nodded, trusting Itachi''s decision to go with Orihime instead of taking a Senkaimon by himself straight to the human world.


    "Thank you very much! I''ll be leaving now!" Orihime cheerfully said as she ran into the Senkaimon, with Itachi right behind her.


    "I appreciate you coming with me, Lieutenant Uchiha, but you didn''t have to." Orihime said as she and Itachi ran through the dangai. Itachi remained silent as they kept running but then instantly stopped running.


    "Inoue, stay close to me." Itachi said urgently as he turned around towards the darkness of the Dangai.


    "Come out." Itachi said.


    "Only one person for protection?" A voice echoed from the darkness. "Soul Society is no longer competent. It seems they are not aware that danger is said to be at its highest during times of travel."


    Itachi activated his sharingan and watched as a figure stepped out of a Garganta.


    "How unorganized. But also convenient for me. I wanted to stay and chat." A slender man with pale skin, messy hair, and green eyes emerged from the darkness.


    "I only have business with that woman there." Ulquiorra said as he looked at Itachi, who was standing in front of Orihime. ''Those eyes...he must be Uchiha Itachi.''


    "Where are my manners. Allow me to introduce myself to you. I am Cifer, Ulquiorra." Ulquiorra said as he began to unzip his jacket, where he revealed a tattoo of the number four. "Lord Aizen mentioned you, Uchiha Itachi. It appears Soul Society isn''t as incompetent as I had originally thought, sending a lieutenant in with that woman. However, you alone are not enough to defeat me."


    "You said you have business with her. Why do you wish to take her?" Uchiha asked, still looking at Ulquiorra and not letting his guard down.


    "You are much calmer than I thought. However, it is not you I wish to speak to." Ulquiorra raised his arm and a red lightning sparked around his hand. In an instant, a blast of energy was launched at Itachi creating a large cloud of smoke that filled the dangai. As the smoke cleared, an ethereal skeleton was surrounding Itachi.


    "Oh, you managed to block that?" Ulquiorra questioned with no change in expression on his face.


    ''This arrancar here is an Espada, a high ranking one at that. He purposely aimed that blast at me in a way that if I dodged, it would have hit Inoue, resulting in me having to block the attack myself. He''s not trying to kill me, he''s gauging me. If I were alone, this wouldn''t be an issue, but another issue arises with two large reiatsus fighting inside of the Dangai like this¡­''


    "Whatever it is that you want with Inoue, I won''t let you." Itachi replied as his Susanoo manifested into a humanoid form, growing skin over the skeletal structure.


    "Yasaka Magatama." Itachi fired several large orbs of reiatsu from the Susanoo''s hand at Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra dodged out of the way and appeared behind both Itachi and Orihime with a single step of Sonido.


    "Sorry, but I''ll be-" As Ulquiorra grabbed Orihime''s wrist, the walls of the Dangai around him began to melt. The entire Dangai began to shake as it started to collapse on itself. His stoic face is turned into surprise as he sees Orihime''s wrist that he was holding begin to melt and Itachi''s body also began to melt. As he held the liquified arm of Orihime that dripped between his fingers, his hand began to melt in the same manner.


    ''What''s going on? Why is everything around me melting?'' Ulquiorra quickly opened a Garganta back to Hueco Mundo. As he turned around to face the collapsing Dangai before entering the Garganta, he saw nothing around him was melting. Neither Itachi or Orihime were there and his hand was still intact. ''Where did he go!? Was that just an illusion?'' Ulquiorra thought to himself. ''When did he cast this on me?''


    ''I must report this to Lord Aizen.'' Ulquiorra thought as he stepped into the Garganta back into Hueco Mundo.

 Chapter 56 - A Returning Threat

    "Aaaghhh!!!" Grimmjow and Ichigo yelled as they continuously charged at each other, both parties covered with injuries but Grimmjow having the worst of the two.. As Ichigo''s zanpakuto clashed with Grimmjow''s arm, his blade began to sink into this arm. Grimmjow looked at Ichigo angrily as blood dripped from his arm. As he was losing the clash, Grimmjow kicked Ichigo in the torso, sending him flying back. As he regained his balance mid air, Grimmjow aimed his elbow at Ichigo.


    Several green spikes shot out from his elbow at Ichigo. As the spikes all convened towards Ichigo, he deflected them all away with several quick swings of his blade, causing the spikes to fall to the ground as the ground cracked below them.


    "I don''t know how the hell you got so strong in a short amount of time, but let''s see you block this!" Grimmjow raised his arm in front of him and a blue light began to charge in his palm.


    "Eat a Gran Ray Cero and die, Kurosaki!" Grimmjow laughed as he fired the blue blast at Ichigo. Ichigo prepared himself as he poured his reiatsu into Tensa Zangetsu. As his blade, now overfilled with reiatsu began to leak out, he swung it.


    "Getsuga Tensho!"


    Ichigo fired a large arc of black reiatsu at Grimmjow, clashing with the Gran Ray Cero briefly as the two blasts pushed against each other. Eventually, Ichigo''s blast overcame Grimmjow''s and Grimmjow found himself swallowed up by the blast. From the explosion, Grimmjow''s body fell from the sky to the ground below.


    Ichigo followed and landed on the ground near a heavily injured Grimmjow.


    "I''m not done yet, Kurosaki!" Grimmjow yelled as he ran towards Ichigo. In response, Ichigo raised his blade and prepared to slash down at Grimmjow. As Grimmjow was within striking distance of Ichigo, he collapsed and skid across the ground past Ichigo. Ichigo stopped his swing halfway through has he felt another familiar reiatsu in the area.


    "He''s back¡­" Ichigo said to himself as he sensed the reiatsu and began running full speed towards it.


    ----


    Hueco Mundo


    "Oh you''ve returned, Ulquiorra. But why are you empty handed." Aizen questioned, surprised at Ulquiorra''s failure.


    "Forgive me, Lord Aizen, but Uchiha Itachi was far more crafty than I anticipated. Allow me to show you." Ulquiorra said as he plucked his eyeball out of its socket and crushed it in his hand. Aizen smirked as Ulquiorra''s memories began to play for him.


    "So he has that ability does he?" Aizen commented. ''Looking at his eyes can put those under an effect similar to my Kyoka Suigetsu. How interesting.''


    "Very well. Ulquiorra. Take Kaname and Starrk with you to the living world and retrieve Inoue. If Uchiha is still with her, bring him to me or kill him it does not matter. I would prefer the former but if he dies, so be it." Aizen ordered. "Tell Starrk not to look into Uchiha''s eyes. Also, all three of you are allowed to fight at full power if needed."


    "Understood, Lord Aizen. But what if other Captains from Soul Society are to show up?" Ulquiorra asked. "With this many high ranking Espada showing up at once in the living world, they are bound to take action."


    "I have that taken care of already. Nothing an army of menos grande sent to Soul Society cannot stall." Aizen replied with a smirk.


    "Yes, Lord Aizen. I will not fail you this time." Ulquiorra bowed before leaving through a garganta.


    "You seem to be having fun with this." Gin commented as he walked out from behind Aizen''s throne. "But don''t you think it will be bad if they go all out in Karakura town? They might wipe out the entire city. Then what souls will we use for the Ouken?"


    "It won''t get to that point. I expect the battle to have ended before it gets that far. Remember, the shinigami also want to protect human lives as well." Aizen replied with a smile. ''Uchiha Itachi...you are making this far more entertaining than I had planned for it to be.''


    ----------


    "Mr. Uchiha, why were we suddenly attacked?" Orihime asked.


    "He was most likely sent by Aizen but not even I know the exact reason why he wanted you. The reason he stopped was because of a technique of mine. Now come, I need to get you somewhere safe. We''ll go to Urahara''s shop." Itachi said as he sensed the large reiatsus nearby fighting. ''This reiatsu...is Kurosaki''s. He''s certainly grown since our training. The other reiatsu must be that Espada, Grimmjow. And I can sense a bit further away, Captain Hitsugaya and the others fighting.''


    "No, I need to help Kurosaki! He might be hurt." Orihime said as she began running in Ichigo''s direction only for Itachi to stop her by appearing in front of her.


    "I understand your d?s?r? to protect him, but right now, the Arrancar are after you. Kurosaki can certainly hold his own without us. For now, we need to-" Itachi stopped talking as he sensed a large reiatsu appear behind him. He turned around in time to draw his blade and saw a familiar face as he clashed swords.


    "So you''ve returned to try and take Inoue again?" Itachi said as he blocked Ulquiorra''s blade. Ulquiorra quickly backed up from Itachi. ''He''s not making eye contact with me. Did he figure out my genjutsu?'' Itachi noted.


    "That is correct, Uchiha Itachi. However, I am not alone this time." Ulquiorra said as another Garganta opened behind him.


    From the Garganta, two more figures walked out. Itachi recognized one of them as Tousen and the other was a tall man with brown wavy hair and a faded goatee.


    "Uchiha Itachi. Surrender over that woman now."

 Chapter 57 - Mirage

    From the Garganta, two more figures walked out. One was a tall man with brown wavy hair and a faded goatee and the other was Tousen.


    "Lord Aizen has grown interested in your abilities, Uchiha Itachi. He requested that I bring both you and Inoue to Hueco Mundo with me. But if you are to resist, we will not hesitate to kill you." Ulquiorra said as Tousen and the other Espada walked up next to him.


    "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!"


    A large wave of cold reiatsu flooded the three of Aizen''s subordinates and encased them in a thick layer of ice.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha, Inoue are you alright?!" Rukia yelled as she ran towards them.


    "Stay back!" Itachi yelled as the ice shattered and Rukia was grabbed by the neck by Ulquiorra.


    "Stay out of this." Ulquiorra said to Rukia as he prepared to impale Rukia with his hand. Before Ulquiorra could impale Rukia, he immediately let go of Rukia as a black blade nearly slashed Ulquiorra''s hand.


    "Kurosaki Ichigo." Ulquiorra said as Ichigo grabbed Rukia and retreated next to Itachi. As Ichigo carried Rukia, she looked up at his face, seeing the hollow mask and couldn''t help but feel a sense of both awe and fear. Ichigo put Rukia down next to Orihime and stood next to Itachi.


    "Can you still keep fighting? You just fought an Espada." Itachi asked as he noticed a part of Ichigo''s mask was cracked away.


    "Yeah, I can still keep going." Ichigo said as he put his hand over his face and refreshed his mask.


    "For some reason, their goal is to capture Orihime. This will be an uphill battle, trying to fend them off while protecting her. Are you ready?" Itachi asked.


    "I won''t let them hurt or take any of my friends." Ichigo said resolutely as he put his blade in front of him.


    "I will deal with Uchiha as I cannot look into his eyes." Tousen said to Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra nodded and looked at the other Espada. "And what will you do, Starrk?"


    "I guess I''ll go for the woman." Starrk replied unenthusiastically. "But that Uchiha guy isn''t going to let us past so easily is he¡­"


    "Just don''t look into his eyes." Ulquiorra responded as he turned to face Ichigo.


    "Kuchiki, take Inoue to Urahara''s Shop." Itachi ordered.


    "Yes, Lieutenant!" Rukia responded as she and Orihime began to run away. Itachi looked at the enemies in front of him. ''That one named Starrk seems to be the strongest if I were to base it solely on reiatsu. I''ll have to trap him first.''


    There is a moment of silence as the two parties face each other, as if waiting for the other to make the first move.


    Itachi breaks the tension as he raises his finger and points it at Starrk. "I''ll deal with you first." Itachi said as Starrk looked at his finger, anticipating some sort of kido.


    As Starrk stood there, Tousen charged at Itachi and Ichigo charged at Ulquiorra. He and Itachi clashed blades as they flash stepped around the area.


    "So you''ve gotten your arm back." Itachi commented upon seeing Tousen''s new arm. It was white and hollow like. "No...you were given a new arm."


    "This is all...for justice." Tousen replied as he pushed himself away from Itachi and reached for his face. Itachi looked at him curiously as Tousen''s reiatsu began to flare up and covered his face with a white mask with a single black line down the middle. Immediately after donning his mask, Tousen charged at Itachi at full speed, clashing again with Itachi but this time pushing Itachi back.


    "I am no longer the person you fought before. Prepare to die!" Tousen said in a warped voice as he continued his ?ssault on Itachi.


    ''His speed, and power have drastically increased. He also has the power of Hollowfication, just like those Visored. And visual genjutsu wont work on him...'' Itachi thought. As Itachi continued to hold off Tousen''s blade, a glowing orange humanoid figure began to surround him. With the Susanoo, Itachi swatted Tousen away, sending him flying across the skies of the city.


    ''This will cause too much damage to Karakura town if we continue to fight like this. I''ll have to end this now.'' Itachi flared his reiatsu as armor began to form around the Susanoo.


    "I will end this." Tousen said as he launched forward at full speed towards the Susanoo, only for his blade to deflect off the armor. Tousen continued to use sonido consecutively as he appeared all around the Susanoo and tried to cut it at different angles, only for each attempt to pierce it fail as his blade would bounce right off.


    "Yasaka Magatama." Itachi raised an arm of the Susanoo as a string of reiatsu shot from its palm towards Tousen, enveloping Tousen in a large blast of orange reiatsu. Shortly after being hit, Tousen emerged from the blast, with his mask half broken and his body bleeding and burnt.


    "For Lord Aizen...for justice!" Tousen said as he raised his zanpakuto upside down in front of him. "Suzumushi Hyakushiki, Grillar Grillo."


    Tousen''s body suddenly became wrapped in a dark reiatsu as his body morphed. As he grew in size, black fur began to surround his body as he grew several new appendages and a hollow hole. His originally plain mask began to shift into a shape resembling a cricket''s head.


    As the dark reiatsu faded, Tousen opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings. A grin appeared on his face, revealing a row of spiky teeth.


    Itachi stared directly on as Tousen slowly opened his eyes.


    "Hahaha!. I can see! So this is the sky! The clouds! The-" Tousen''s grin vanished as the sky began to turn red and the clouds became black. As he turned to see Itachi, he found himself unable to move, as if several large metal rods were impaled through his limbs.


    "You may have gained your vision, but what have you lost as a result? You''ve always been one to preach about justice back in Soul Society, but what does your "justice" truly mean? Your "justice" is simply an illusion, not of your own world, but of Aizen''s. Your "justice" is merely a vague concept shaped by someone else." Itachi''s voice echoed.


    "And who are you to preach me of justice. That right is reserved for Lord Aizen! If his justice is my world, then I will swear by it!" Tousen grunted.


    "I see. If that is your answer, then your world will be devoured, in the world of Tsukuyomi." Itachi said as the sky began to swirl around. Soon Tousen found himself freed from the metal rods but instead, his entire lower body was submerged in water. As he looked at the water, he saw his reflection, not of his hollow body, but of his shinigami one. Tousen continued to look at the reflection, only for it to be covered by a reflection of the moon.


    The world around Tousen began to shake. Tousen looked in the sky, only to see the moon falling towards him. Tousen could only watch as the moon came so close, that it swallowed the red sky until it eventually crashed into the ground in a massive explosion. As Tousen felt his body dissolving at a rate that even his instantaneous regeneration could not keep up with, he felt a sharp pain in his ?h?st and the apocalyptic world around him vanished.


    Tousen looked down at his ?h?st and saw a large, glowing blade sticking out from it. As Tousen turned his head around, he saw Itachi''s armored Susanoo, holding a gourd where the blade was coming from. His vision began to fade away as his soul was absorbed by the blade and sealed within the gourd.

 Chapter 58 - Despair

    Ichigo and Ulquiorra continued to clash swords. As they fought, Ulquiorra glanced over at Starrk and saw that he had not moved from his spot. ''Why is he just standing there? He didn''t look into his eyes...so why would-''


    "You shouldn''t be looking the other way!" Ichigo said as he swung his blade at Ulquiorra''s face. Ulquiorra ducked away to avoid a fatal blow but a cut forms on his cheek and drips with blood.


    "Kurosaki Ichigo, you''ve grown faster than anticipated." Ulquiorra said as he wiped the blood from his face. As Ichigo prepared to charge at Ulquiorra, Ulquiorra raised his palm towards him and a green light began to form.


    "Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo yelled as he swung his blade towards the green beam of reiatsu heading at him. His zanpakuto and the Gran Ray Cero clashed and cancelled each other out in a massive explosion of black and green reiatsu.


    "It appears Tousen has just fallen to Uchiha and Starrk is currently not in the right state to fight. I''ll have to wrap this up here." Ulquiorra said as he flew high in the air and raised his blade in front of him.


    "Enclose, Murcielago."


    The sky became dark as black and green reiatsu fell like rain on the city. Ichigo looked up in surprise at Ulquiorra''s massive reiatsu as it rained down on him.


    ----


    "Starrk wake up!" A small arrancar girl with light green hair yelled at Starrk, who was standing completely still and unresponsive.


    "Dammit I said wake up!" The girl yelled as she punched Starrk in the throat.


    "Gahhh!" Starrk yelled as he grabbed his neck from the pain. "Lilynette? What are you doing here?!"


    "I followed you. And here you are taking a nap during a mission you jerk!" Lilynette yelled back.


    "That Uchiha guy...I didn''t look into his eyes...so why was I-" Starrk remembered the moment just before he felt his entire body shackled to the ground with heavy chains where Itachi pointed a finger at him. "So that''s how he got me."


    "Lilynette, go back to Hueco Mundo. I need to finish my part of the mission. Looks like things are getting out of hand." Starrk commented as he felt the rain of Ulquiorra''s reiatsu hit his skin.


    "Fine¡­" Lilynette replied before running off to open another Garganta.


    "Now...to find that woman." Starrk closed his eyes and focused on the surrounding reiatsu with his Pesquisa.


    "Found her." Starrk said as he vanished from his spot with a loud boom.


    ----


    "How are you holding up Itachi?" Ichigo asked as Itachi appeared next to him after quickly finishing up his fight against Tousen. Both of them looked up at Ulquiorra who was flying high above them.


    "We''ll have to coordinate our attacks to fight him." Itachi suggested as he manifested his armored Susanoo.


    "I''ll attack him from a distance with long range attacks. When you find an opening, hit him with everything you have." Itachi said. Ichigo nodded as Itachi began to infuse reiatsu into his eyes.


    "Amaterasu."


    Ulquiorra''s pesquisa managed to sense the oncoming Amaterasu and he instantly used Sonido to leave his spot. With his sharingan, Itachi tracked Ulquiorra''s movement and continued to follow him with Amaterasu as Ulquiorra continued to b?r?ly dodge it with consecutive use of Sonido.


    ''This guy''s fast. I can b?r?ly keep up with that speed.'' Ichigo thought as he watched Ulquiorra vanish and reappear as he tried to dodge amaterasu by leaving Itachi''s line of sight. Eventually, part of his arm catches on fire with Amaterasu but Ulquiorra kept moving despite the loss of momentum.


    Itachi stopped amaterasu as Ichigo found an opening to charge in at Ulquiorra.


    "Getsuga-" Ichigo said as he began charging his zanpakuto with reiatsu only for Ulquiorra to immediately cut off his own arm and throw it at Ichigo.


    As Ichigo dodged the burning arm, a thin green light appeared right in front of his head. Barely able to react, Ichigo moved his head to the right as half of his mask shattered and the spear flew past his head.


    "Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of Lunacy. Boil Forth and deny." Itachi said as he began an incantation while Ichigo attempted to fight Ulquiorra.


    As Ichigo tried to comprehend what had just happened, Ulquiorra appeared in front of him, grabbing him by the face before throwing him down to the ground, completely shattering Ichigo''s mask. As Ulquiorra stood high above where he threw Ichigo, he sensed a large increase in reiatsu building up from behind him.


    "Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness!" Itachi finished as he raised his right arm into the air pointing upwards, with his Susanoo mimicking the exact movement.


    Ulquiorra immediately charged toward Itachi, only for his body to be surrounded by a massive black box that towered over the rest of Karakura town.


    "Hado 90: Kurohitsugi!" Itachi said, causing the large object to implode upon itself before disintegrating.


    As the hado began to disappear, Itachi panted heavily as his Susanoo''s armored state reverted back into a ribcage.


    -----


    Rukia and Orihime ran through the streets as they sensed the massive reiatsu behind them increasing as the shinigami and Espada continued their fight.


    "Kurosaki¡­" Orihime mumbled to herself, worried about how he could make it out of it.


    "He''ll be fine, Inoue. Lieutenant Uchiha is with him after all." Rukia reassured Orihime.


    "Yeah I guess you''re right...he did protect me from that Arrancar in-" Orihime and Rukia immediately stopped and their faces turned grim as a figured appeared in front of them.


    "Shinigami. I''ll be taking that woman behind you. Don''t make this more difficult than it already is." Starrk said as he flared his reiatsu, causing both Rukia and Orihime to tremble as they struggled to stand up.


    "Howl, Zabimaru!" A voice yelled from behind Starrk. Without turning around, Starrk reached his hand behind him and grabbed the blade before it could reach his head.


    "El Directo!" Another voice yelled as a figure appeared to the side of Starrk. As the figure''s fist, enhanced with reiatsu was about to hit Starrk, with his free hand, he knocked the figure backwards and through several buildings.


    "Rukia, Inoue! Get out of here! Urahara set up a barrier around his shop so go there now! Leave this guy to me!" Renji yelled as he retracted his zanpakuto out of Starrk''s hand.


    "You guys are really making this difficult for me¡­" Starrk shook his head.


    "Inoue, I''ll help Renji, you go to Urahara''s Shop." Rukia said as she drew her zanpakuto. Orihime clenched her fists at her own powerlessness in the situation but nodded as she ran away from them towards Urahara''s shop.


    "Renji are you ready?" Rukia asked as she raised her zanpakuto up to release its Shikai. Renji nodded as he also raised his zanpakuto up.


    "Bankai!"


    ----


    Itachi stared into the dark green reiatsu that was enveloping the area. With his Sharingan, he could make out Ulquiorra''s shape. But it was far different from its original form.


    Suddenly, Ulquiorra appeared in front of Itachi, grabbing Itachi''s Susanoo''s ribcage as he dragged Itachi towards the mountains away from Karakura Town, before throwing him down onto the ground, creating a massive crater as rocks and dust flew into the air from the impact.


    Itachi shakily got up from the rubble as his Susanoo''s ribcage which had protected him from the impact had shattered. He looked at Ulquiorra who was hovering above him. His appearance completely changed to reveal his white body with a hollow hole in the middle that appeared to be dripping out a black substance, his waist and legs covered in a black fur, and his hollow mask transformed into two horns at the top of his head.


    "I will show you...true despair, Uchiha Itachi." Ulquiorra said as he landed in front of Itachi. "Not even Lord Aizen has seen this form. I had no intention of revealing it in this battle but your power is to be commended." Ulquiorra continued as he walked to Itachi. Itachi stood silently and watched as Ulquiorra put his hand up to his ?h?st.


    As Ulquiorra raised his arm, two bright chains of reiatsu sprung up from the ground, wrapping around his arm and body. Itachi immediately jumped away and raised his palm towards Ulquiorra.


    "Hado 73: Soren Sokatsui!"


    A large blue blast shot out of Itachi''s palm, enveloping Ulquiorra''s body in a large explosion. Before Itachi had a chance to land, Ulquiorra appeared behind him and grabbed him by the neck.


    "An attack of that level is not enough to harm me. It appears casting that technique on me earlier cost you a significant amount of reiatsu. You are less than half the spiritual pressure you originally were." Ulquiorra commented as he gripped Itachi''s neck harder, causing Itachi to grit his teeth and squint from pain. ''That technique he performed on me earlier...causing me to use my Segunda Etapa...the damage it did to my body was too much to heal fully and would have surely killed me otherwise.'' Ulquiorra thought as he grasped Itachi''s neck.


    "I was mistaken to have initially underestimated you as a threat to Lord Aizen. I must deal with you now before you have a chance to grow further." Ulquiorra raised his other hand and a green light began to glow in his fingertips as he raised it to Itachi''s ?h?st.


    "Do you have any last words, Uchiha Itachi?" Ulquiorra asked as he loosened his grip just enough for Itachi to speak.


    "Get out of my sight." Itachi responded as his body began to glow. Ulquiorra''s eyes widened as he let go of Itachi as a large explosion of reiatsu began to erupt from Itachi''s body, covering the area.

 Chapter 59 - Overcoming Despair

    From the light of the explosion, Ulquiorra emerged as he jumped out of it, with an arm missing and the damage spread through his body. Ulquiorra looked at the crater that resulted from Itachi''s act of self destruction.


    "It appears that true despair was too much even for you, Uchiha Itachi." Ulquiorra said out loud to himself. His wounds began to slowly heal and his arm started to grow back.


    Suddenly, the ground erupted from behind Ulquiorra, causing him to turn around. Ulquiorra was surprised when he saw Itachi was behind him as Itachi swung his blade at Ulquiorra, prompting him to raise his arm in response to block it with his hierro.


    "You''re still alive...my pesquisa didn''t sense you. You hid your spiritual pressure well for me not to notice." Ulquiorra commented as Itachi''s blade pushed against his arm. Suddenly, Ulquiorra disappeared and reappeared behind Itachi. As Ulquiorra was about to strike Itachi from behind, Itachi turned around and parried the blow. Ulquiorra disappeared again and reappeared behind Itachi once more as Itachi continued parrying his attacks.


    ''In terms of raw speed, he is faster than me. But I can read his movements well enough with my Sharingan to react. At the rate this is going though, I won''t get anywhere parrying his attacks like this¡­'' Itachi thought to himself as he continued blocking Ulquiorra''s onslaught of attacks.


    "This is getting nowhere." Ulquiorra commented as he backed away from Itachi and raised his arms out in front of him. In his hands, a green javelin of reiatsu formed.


    "Amaterasu!" Itachi concentrated the black flames towards Ulquiorra as he was forming the javelin. Ulquiorra quickly raised the javelin in front of him and spun it quickly, causing the black flames to fan away from him as he spun it. Parts of the javelin eventually caught on fire, causing Ulquiorra to let go of it as the reiatsu burned away.


    "A trick like that won''t work on me again." Ulquiorra commented as he quickly reformed another javelin and threw it at Itachi. Itachi quickly moved his head as the javelin flew past him. In the next moment, a large tower of green reiatsu exploded behind him.


    "This attack has always been hard to control. But I won''t miss it again." Ulquiorra stated as he created another javelin to throw at Itachi. Ulquiorra suddenly vanished and reappeared to Itachi''s side.


    "I would have rather not used this up close." Ulquiorra said as Itachi turned to face him. As Ulquiorra prepared to jab Itachi with the attack, a large armored figure surrounded Itachi and raised a shield in front of him, creating a loud screech as Ulquiorra''s attack collided with the front of the shield.


    Both Ulquiorra and Itachi''s Susanoo became engulfed in a green reiatsu as it exploded into a massive towering column of energy.


    -----


    Orihime continued running as she felt the reiatsu of Renji and Rukia in their fight against Starrk. ''I should be getting close to Urahara''s shop...I just need to-'' Orihime''s thoughts are cut off as she felt both Rukia and Renji''s reiatsu drop.


    ''No...they''re hurt and I''m just running away leaving them¡­'' Orihime stopped in her tracks and turned around to go back, only to see a tall man with long brown hair standing in front of her.


    "Don''t make this difficult. You''re coming with me." Starrk said as Orihime looked at him in horror.


    "I...have to save my friends! I won''t go with you!" Orihime yelled back at Starrk. Starrk scratched the back of his head and looked at her.


    "Your friends aren''t dying. They''re unconscious, but alive. However, if you don''t come with me peacefully, I might change my mind and go finish the job." Starrk replied. Orihime paused for a moment and looked down at the ground in disappointment of her powerlessness.


    "I''ll...go with you¡­" Orihime said regretfully. Starrk nodded and opened a garganta.


    ----


    The smoke from the explosion began to clear. From within the smoke, the glowing eyes of the Susanoo shined through. Ulquiorra jumped out of the smoke, with heavy damage spread through his body.


    Itachi stood inside the armored susanoo, heavily panting as parts of the susanoo''s armor began to crack and dissipate. ''I blocked most of it from the front but it still hit the rest of the Susanoo. I can''t hold it for much longer. I need to end this now.''


    "Uchiha Itachi...your defense is certainly remarkable. But how long can you last before you fall?" Ulquiorra said as he charged in at Itachi at full speed. Itachi raised the Yata Mirror in front of him to block the attack, only for Ulquiorra to vanish and reappear behind the Susanoo and strike the armor, causing more of it to crack. Itachi turned around and swung the Totsuka blade at Ulquiorra, narrowly missing at Ulquiorra maneuvered away and used Sonido to reappear on the other side of Itachi again and chip off another piece of armor.


    "Heart of the south, eye of the north, finger of the west, foot of the east, with light, divide this into six!"


    As the Susanoo''s armor continued to get peeled away by Ulqiuorra, Itachi finished the dual incantation for both Hado 58: Kakushitsuijaku and Hado 61: Rikujokoro. Six bright beams of reiatsu appeared and targeted Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra noticed the beams and immediately jumped away from them, only for the beams to split apart and follow his reiatsu from different paths as they tried to bind him.


    "A homing attack?" Ulquiorra questioned as he stopped his ?ssault on Itachi''s Susanoo and continued to dodge the Bakudo. "A technique of this level...won''t work on me." Ulquiorra continued dodging the beams as he manifested another green javelin in his hand. As the beams converged on him, with a swift slice he cut through all six of the beams.


    In that same moment, a sharp pain was felt from his ?h?st as a blade pierced him from behind. Ulquiorra turned his neck and saw Itachi had stabbed through him with some sort of reiatsu coming out of a gourd.


    "I can''t...move my body..." Ulquiorra grunted as he felt his body melt into the blade and into the gourd.


    Immediately after, Itachi fell to one knee as the Susanoo around him vanished. He panted heavily as sweat and blood dripped from his face.


    ''I''m at my limit. I wouldn''t have been able to hold the Susanoo for another moment. That Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer was not an easy opponent. I hope...Inoue made it safely¡­'' Itachi thought as his vision began to darken and he collapsed on the ground.

 Chapter 60 - Information Regarding the Novel

Will not be uploading this week and will instead do back to back uploads all of next week up to the end of the Aizen fight. Thank you for your patience.

 Chapter 61 - Regroup

    Itachi slowly opened his eyes as the sunlight hit them. Remembering what had just happened, he quickly sprung up, and realized he was in Urahara''s shop.


    "Ah, Itachi you''re awake. That was one hell of a battle you had, I could sense it while I was helping Captain Hitsugaya fight the other arrancar that showed up." Urahara said as Itachi rubbed his eyes.


    "Uchiha, you are finally awake." Toshiro said.


    "How long was I out." Itachi asked.


    "Just a day." Toshiro replied.


    "I see. Then Miss Orihime¡­" Itachi continued. However from their attitudes he could already deduce what happened.


    "That Espada was too strong. He defeated both Renji win a single blow." Toshiro said.


    "Mr. Uchiha, don''t worry. You don''t have too many physical injuries, it seems like it was mainly over exhaustion of your reiatsu." Urahara commented.


    "I see. Thank you for bringing me here." Itachi replied.


    "It was no trouble."


    "Uchiha, I know you just woke up, but I need you to come with me, the Captain Commander would like to have a word with us regarding the situation." Toshiro interrupted.


    Itachi nodded wearily as he shakily got up from the bed, with Toshiro helping him up and mounting his arm over his shoulder for support before flash stepping away.


    Itachi and Toshiro arrived at Inoue''s house. As they entered into an empty room with a large monitor setup for communication to Soul Society, Itachi saw the faces of Rukia, Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Matsumoto standing there. Itachi noticed the solemn atmosphere in the air as he entered. Renji had an especially downcast appearance. He noticed Itachi enter the room and walked up to him in greeting.


    "Itachi, are you alright?" Renji asked.


    "Yes, I''m fine. What about you?" Itachi asked.


    "I¡­" Renji looked down and clenched his fist. He was unable to stop the Espada from capturing Orihime.


    "Renji, it''s not your fault." Rukia came up to console him.


    "She is right, don''t beat yourself up over it." Itachi added.


    "Uchiha stay here, I''m going to go get Kurosaki." Toshiro said as he vanished from the spot.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha, I''m glad you''re alright." Rukia said with relief in her voice. Both she and Renji were bandaged up but seemed generally okay. Itachi nodded silently in response as he began to piece together that Orihime was not there and something happened to her, which explained Renji and Rukia''s injuries.


    A few moments later, Toshiro arrived with Ichigo with him.


    "Matsumoto, connect us." Toshiro ordered. Rangiku nodded and turned on the monitor.


    Suddenly, the Captain Commander''s face showed up.


    "Please report." He said sternly. Toshiro bowed before giving his report.


    "Several of the Espada appeared and attacked us. At first the reason for their attack was unclear but it was a diversion as according to Kuchiki, another group of Espada showed up with the intent of kidnapping Inoue, to which they succeeded." Toshiro finished.


    "What¡­" Ichigo said in disbelief as he clenched his fists.


    "This was my fault this happened, Captain Commander." Itachi added in as he stepped up to the monitor. "I was the one who escorted Inoue through the Dangai. While I was there, we were confronted by the Espada, Ulquiorra. I had managed to get away from him but he followed us to the world of the living and brought another Espada with him along with the traitor, Tousen. With ?ssistance from Kurosaki, I was able to defeat Tousen and Ulquiorra, but the third one, Starrk, managed to slip by me somehow and took her."


    "It wasn''t your fault, Itachi¡­" Renji interrupted. "Even with my Bankai, that Espada defeated me so quickly. I wasn''t strong enough to protect her. From here on out, I Abarai Renji, Lieutenant of the Sixth Division, will go to Hueco Mundo and retrieve Inoue."


    "I will accompany him and do the same." Itachi added in.


    "That''s enough!" Yamamoto interjected. "Inoue has been captured and that is quite unfortunate. But right now, the Arrancar are preparing for war. All members of Hitsugaya''s advanced guard return to Soul Society at once!"


    "Captain Commander...does that mean you are abandoning Inoue?" Rukia questioned.


    "Indeed. There is no point in weighing the life of one person against the fate of the entire world." Yamamoto responded.


    "Captain Commander...my deepest apologies but I cannot obey that order." Rukia replied.


    "I expected as much. This is why I prepared ahead of time." Yamamoto replied confidently as a Senkaimon gate opened up in the room behind everyone. From the gate Captain Kuchiki and Captain Zaraki emerged from the light.


    "That''s how it''s gonna be¡­" Kenpachi said as he stared at everyone in the room.


    "Do not resist, if necessary we have orders to bring you by force." Byakuya said coldly.


    "I get it...I won''t ask for Soul Society''s help, but at least tell me how to get to Hueco Mundo. Inoue is our friend and I''ll go save her myself." Ichigo demanded with firm resolution. Yamamoto paused for a moment before replying.


    "I forbid it." Yamamoto replied. "I will not permit you to act selfishly and die like a dog. Your power will be needed in the upcoming battle. Stand by until you receive further orders."


    Ichigo stared at the monitor in disbelief as the other shinigami walked by him and entered the Senkaimon.


    "I''m sorry...Ichigo." Rukia whispered to him before entering the Senkaimon.


    "Do what you need to do, Kurosaki. For the sake of a comrade." Itachi said as the Senkaimon closed.


    ----


    "Welcome back. I see you were successful in your mission." Aizen said as he sat high on this throne, looking down at Starrk with Orihime right behind him, with Yammy, Luppi, and Wonderweiss also standing nearby. Mounted over his shoulder, was the unconscious body of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.


    "How strange. Kaname and Ulquiorra didn''t come back with you." Aizen commented as he looked at the group of Arrancar in front of him. Starrk placed Grimmjow''s body on the ground before bowing in respect.


    "I regret to inform you that Tousen and Ulquiorra were defeated by Uchiha Itachi with help from Kurosaki Ichigo." Starrk replied. Aizen raised his eyebrows and a faint smile appeared on his face.


    "So Uchiha bested them both? I find that hard to believe. How is it you''re still alive?" Aizen questioned.


    "Before the fight, Uchiha had immobilized me with the point of a finger. Before I knew it, I was unable to move as if I had rods jammed into all of my limbs. If Lilynette had not hit me, I would not be standing here today." Starrk replied.


    "I see...well the mission was accomplished successfully. It is quite unfortunate what happened to those other two but they fulfilled their duties." Aizen responded. He looked at Orihime and focused his gaze at her.


    "Inoue, Orihime. Forgive my rudeness. Welcome to our castle of Los Noches." Aizen greeted. Orihime remained silent as she gave him a nervous gaze.


    "Would you mind showing us your power?" Aizen asked and pointed a finger at Grimmjow''s limp body on the ground. "Heal Grimmjow."


    Orihime nodded and cautiously approached Grimmjow''s body. She raised her palms out in front of her and a barrier of light formed around his body.

 Chapter 62 - Debrief

    Itachi and the group return to Soul Society through the Senkaimon. The moment they arrive they are approached by a scout from the first division.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha, Captain Hitsugaya, the Captain Commander is awaiting you." The scout said.


    Itachi and Toshiro both nod to each other before following the scout back to the first division.


    On the way over to the first division Toshiro and Itachi began discussing the Espadas strengths.


    "Itachi, you fought the Espada as well. How strong was that one compared to the others.?" Toshiro asked. He was surprised that Itachi had fallen unconscious after his battle. After fighting Luppi and Yammy, he had seen the strength of the Espada up close.


    "They are strong. However, the one I faced was ranked 4th and possessed some unique abilities. If the Espada are ranked off their strength, I will have no trouble fighting those below his rank." Itachi replied. Toshiro nodded and thought back to how he was b?r?ly able to get past Luppi who was ranked 6th.


    A few moments later, the two arrive in front of the 1st division main hall. A few of the lieutenants were also present outside the hall. However, Renji, Hinamori and Sasakibe were missing from the group. Hinamori was still recovering from her wounds and Sasakibe was standing by the Captain Commander. Itachi had a guess as to where Renji was.


    Itachi and Toshiro entered the hall. The captains were all present and were waiting for Toshiro and Itachi. The two of them entered the room. Itachi takes a quick bow and Toshiro walks to his spot amongst the captains.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha, you were sent with Captain Hitsugaya to the human, please provide your own details of the events encountered." Yamamoto ordered.


    "Yes sir." Itachi replied. He began explaining everything that occurred in the human world. However, he kept the Vizards and their hideout out of his explanation. He also explained the original confrontation inside the Garganta and the fights with the Espada.


    "The rumors are definitely true. The Espada''s strength is definitely on par or above the level of a Captain." Itachi said. "I faced an Espada named Ulquiorra, and the former Captain Tousen. Ulquiorra possessed a unique ability to use his resurreccion a second time, much like a shinigami performing a Bankai after a shikai."


    Komurara furrowed his brow and turned towards Itachi waiting for him to continue.


    "I managed to kill both Tosen and the Espada. Unfortunately, it was far too draining for me to continue and I was rendered unconscious from the strain. Due to this, Miss Orihime was taken by the third one that had accompanied them.


    "It''s not your fault. We did not expect Aizen to have sent that many of his elite force to take one girl. Despite the unfortunate event, you have performed excellently by successfully eliminating two powerful threats." Yamamoto said.


    Komamura lowered his head and clenched his fists. He had failed to see the heart of his friend, and it was still unknown to him as to why he had betrayed them.


    "Until we think of a proper plan of attack, please return to your barracks and rest, as we will be preparing for the war. You are all dismissed." Yamamoto said, striking his cane against the ground, ending the meeting. The Captains dispersed, each heading towards their barracks.


    Ukitake approached Itachi before congratulating him.


    "Uchiha, goodwork, because of you, we have two less opponents to worry about."


    "Itachi, don''t feel too bad. It was not your fault that Orihime was taken." Ukitake said, ?ssuming Itachi was still upset.


    "I understand Captain, but I am more concerned that Aizen went to such lengths to bring Miss Orihime away." Itachi said.


    "Hmm, you are right." Ukitake said, thinking on the subject.


    "Yo Ukitake." Kyoraku said as he approached the duo and looked over at Itachi. "Lieutenant Uchiha, good work."


    "Thank you Captain." Itachi responded to Captain Kyoraku before excusing himself.


    "What a strong lad, If I didn''t know any better, he''s probably already stronger than me." Kyoraku said with a calm look. Ukitake was slightly surprised. He knew Kyoraku was very perceptive. He wouldn''t say something like this unless he meant it. However, thinking back to a couple days before Itachi left for the human world, he seemed much stronger.


    Just as Itachi was returning to the squad barracks, he heard a voice call out to him from behind.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha!"


    Itachi turned around to see Captain Komamura approach him with Lieutenant Hisagi in tow.


    "Lieutenant Uchiha, I was told that you fought with Captain Tosen and you..killed him" Hisagi said nervously.


    "Tousen¡­" Komamura mumbled to himself.


    "You don''t know who you truly are until the moment before your death. Instead of explaining it, allow me to show you the person Tousen was before his death." Itachi said as he activated his sharingan. Both Komamura and Hisagi felt Itachi''s increase in reiatsu and looked at him.


    "Tsukuyomi!"


    The two felt their surroundings change as they suddenly appeared in the human world, standing where they could see Itachi and Tousen''s fight. They saw Itachi dueling with Tosen and the words that were spoken by him and the hollowfication that Tousen underwent.


    "This is all...for justice."


    "I am no longer the person you fought before. Prepare to die!"


    "For Lord Aizen...for justice!"


    "You may have gained your vision, but what have you lost as a result? You''ve always been one to preach about justice back in Soul Society, but what does your "justice" truly mean? Your "justice" is simply an illusion, not of your own world, but of Aizen''s. Your "justice" is merely a vague concept shaped by someone else." Itachi''s voice echoed.


    "And who are you to preach me of justice. That right is reserved for Lord Aizen! If his justice is my world, then I will swear by it!" Tousen grunted.


    Finally, Itachi''s ethereal sword pierced through Tousen.


    The world around Hisagi began to swirl again and Hisagi and Komamura once again found themselves standing in front of Itachi.


    Komamura was shocked at Itachi''s technique. He only looked at Itachi''s eyes and he was placed under a powerful illusion. He had no way of breaking free. ''What is this power? No wonder he was able to defeat Tousen and an Espada.'' Komamura thought to himself. However he still restrained his surprise and thanked Itachi.


    "I see. Thank you." Hisagi said.


    Itachi nodded but said nothing else. He turned around and left towards the 13th division barracks.


    ----


    Itachi returned to the barracks and resumed his duties. The next day, Ukitake came to Itachi''s office.


    "Uchiha, working hard as always."


    "Captain." Itachi stood up in greeting.


    "I received news from the Captain-Commander regarding the battle. He knows he won''t he be able to stop Kurosaki Ichigo from going to rescue Miss Inoue." Itachi nodded in agreement. He anticipated Ichigo would do whatever it took to rescue her.


    "Since we have an Idea of what Aizen is planning, we will be preparing a fake battleground.


    The entirety of soul society had begun to prepare themselves for the upcoming confrontation." Ukitake mentioned.


    ----


    Two days later


    The captain commander had once again summoned all Captains and Vice captains to a meeting. Itachi arrived with Ukitake. He saw the other Vice captains and joined them outside as Ukitake entered.


    "Itachi, how are you?" Kira walked up to Itachi with Rangiku and Hisagi.


    "Good, how are you all." Itachi replied.


    "Still worried about Aizen''s plot. The preparations are being finished as we speak. Thanks to you, they have less overall power."


    "I wouldn''t be so sure about that. Aizen is a cunning man¡­" Itachi replied.


    -----

 Chapter 63 - Tension

    The next day


    Itachi stood with the other Captains and Lieutenants above the fake Karakura Town. In front of them, a large Garganta opened up above them and a lone figure walked through it as another stayed inside. Aizen gazed at the Captains and Lieutenants standing below him and glanced at Itachi.


    "I had originally expected you to join Kurosaki in Hueco Mundo, Uchiha. But no matter. I know this is not Karakura Town and all of you are of no real threat to me." Aizen commented to himself, before shifting his gaze to Yamamoto.


    "Starrk, Barragan, Harribel. Come here." Aizen said.


    Suddenly, three more Gargantas appeared below Aizen. Inside one was a woman with blonde hair and olive skin, and behind her were three other female Arrancar. Next was an elderly man with an olive color left eye and a large scar running down the right side of his face. He was joined by 4 arrancars all bowed down near him.


    The last was an espada Itachi had already encountered. He stood in the air with a lazy look on his face. He was with the same arrancar that had joined him in the human world, a little girl with light green hair and pink eyes.


    At this point, Gin had also stepped out of the Garganta and stood next to Aizen.


    "What a shame Kaname couldn''t be here with us today." Aizen commented as he looked at Itachi again.


    "You must feel very off balance with an empty spot to your side." Gin said with a smirk.


    "No matter, with or without him, it will still be very easy to dispose of them." Aizen said.


    ---------


    The Captains and Lieutenants conversed among themselves, thinking of a strategy to approach the battle. The shinigami became quiet as Yamamoto stepped up in front of them and told them to stay back. The air around them suddenly became hot as Yamamoto''s reiatsu flared and the wood from his cane burned off, revealing his zanpakuto underneath.


    "Destroy all creation. Ryujin Jakka."


    An immense ring of flames swirled around Yamamoto as he launched a large wave of fire at Aizen and Gin, trapping them inside.


    "Now...crush them."


    While inside the wall of flames, a small smile formed on Aizen''s face as Gin commented on the heat before turning to Aizen.


    "So what are you going to do against Uchiha? He took down Kaname and Ulquiorra by himself. Can these three Espada really win?" Gin asked.


    "I don''t expect them to. But I''m sure you remember "him." Aizen replied.


    "I see, that''s why you haven''t brought him out yet." Gin replied.


    Itachi observed silently as four Gargantas opened up next to the pillars that were used to swap Karakura Town. Four hollows appeared from them, prepared to bring down the pillars, only for them to be cut down as Ikkaku, Yumichika, Hisagi, and Kira stopped them.


    In response, Barragan sent four of his own Fraccion to deal with them as he continued to sit on his throne.


    The shinigami and arrancar remained in their places, spectating, when the pillar that Ikkaku was fighting to protect had collapsed. From the shinigami ranks, Komamura suddenly disappeared and rushed over to Ikkaku''s pillar.


    The shinigami and arrancar continued to watch as moments later, Komamura''s Bankai swiftly cut down the arrancar. Both the Espada and Captains saw this as a moment to begin their attack on each other, with Soi Fon and Omaeda confronting Barragon''s fraccion, Ukitake and Kyoraku confronting Starrk, and Toshiro, Rangiku, and Itachi confronting Harribel and her Fraccion.


    "Captain, I''ll handle these three." Rangiku ?sserted as she faced Harribel''s three fraccion.


    Hitsugaya prepared himself to face the espada when Itachi appeared in front of him.


    "Captain, Hitsugaya. Go with Lieutenant Rangiku. I will handle her." Itachi added in. Toshiro looked at Itachi surprised by his sudden initiative to fight the female Espada but decided it would be best to help his Lieutenant then join Itachi later.


    ???Very well. I trust you can handle her. We''ll join you shortly." Toshiro said as he and Rangiku split up to face the Fraccion.


    Itachi remained facing the female Espada in front of him.


    "You have strong reiatsu. I can see why that Captain decided to let you fight me alone." The Espada commented as they clashed blades. Despite being in close proximity to each other, Itachi noticed she was purposely avoiding direct eye contact. ''So Aizen has prepared them for the Sharingan.''


    Itachi and the Espada continued trading blows with their blades until both distanced themselves again. Suddenly from his side, Itachi felt a large reiatsu where Toshiro and Rangiku were fighting. There he saw a giant beast nearly kill Rangiku as Toshiro tried to hold it off with ice in his bankai.


    Itachi briefly turned his attention towards Toshiro and Rangiku, however when he saw the fight, he was relieved. Toshiro would be able to defeat the three arrancar and their beast. In that brief moment, Harribel took advantage of his distraction to strike at Itachi''s ?h?st.


    "Worried about your friends?" The Espada said as she suddenly appeared in front of Itachi and slashed at him. Itachi parried the blow with his sword and counterattacked with a kick. Harribel blocked the kick with the side of her blade as she was sent flying back from the force.


    "I could say the same for you." Itachi replied, referring to the three of Harribel''s Fraccion that were unconscious in a block of ice as Toshiro continued to fight the large beast in his Bankai.


    "I see...Sun sun...Apache...Mila Rose...you all fought well." The Espada said as she began unzipping the bottom of her jacket, revealing the tattoo of the number "3" on her left br??st.


    "I am Tier Harribel, Espada number three. After I deal with you, I will strike down the Captain that attacked my fraccion."


    "Number 3¡­as expected of someone of your caliber." Itachi responded.


    Despite being trapped in the ring of fire, Aizen and Gin remained calm as they watched the battles unfold. They paid especially close attention to Itachi''s fight.


    "Captain Aizen, there is something strange about the way he''s fighting." Gin commented.


    "Indeed." Aizen said, enjoying the show.


    "Ola Azul."

 Chapter 64 - Torrent

    Harribel raised her blade and pointed it at Itachi. From her blade, she fired a yellow projectile of reiatsu at high speed. Itachi quickly sidestepped the projectile, as Harribel suddenly appeared in front of him.


    Harribel slashes at Itachi, creating a large wave of yellow reiatsu that envelops him. Suddenly, the wave of reiatsu dispersed in front of her as an invisible wall of reiatsu was blocking the attack from making contact with Itachi. In response, Harribel quickly backed away as Itachi swung his blade, narrowly missing her face.


    "Lord Aizen mentioned you were the one who took down Ulquiorra and Tousen. You''re still holding back. Trying to save your strength for Aizen? Or perhaps you don''t want to use your stronger attacks as your friends nearby may be caught in it." Harribel mentioned, referring to the lieutenants who were nearby and healing Rangiku after Toshiro managed to trap Ayon in a tower of Ice.


    "The same goes for you¡­" Itachi said, referring to her three fraccion that were still b?r?ly alive but encased in ice. "It appears my previous ?ssumptions about the Arrancar were wrong and that there are some who understand camaraderie."


    Without another word, both Itachi and Harribel vanished from their spots and reappeared at an emptier part of the city.


    "It''s quite a shame, Uchiha Itachi, that you are my enemy and that I will have to end you here with my full power." Harribel stated as she raised her blade in front of her.


    "Destroy, Tiburon"


    A fierce yellow reiatsu swamped the area as Harribel emerged in her changed form, with a heart shaped surge of water surrounding her. Her mask remnants were now mostly gone, with only a few remaining serving as a collar and partially covering her br??sts. Two shark fin-like spaulders were on her shoulders and her blade became massive and took the shape of a shark tooth.


    A faint smile appeared on Itachi''s face upon seeing Harribel''s resurreccion. It was shark-like and reminded him of his previous acquaintance, Kisame. Yet despite the appearance, Harribel''s and Kisame''s philosophies were completely opposite of each other. To Harribel''s surprise, Itachi began quickly weaving hand signs.


    "Fire Style, Fireball Jutsu!"


    "La Gota!"


    The giant ball of flames collided with the dense shot of water, creating an explosion of hot steam that covered the area. From the steam, several more large fireballs emerged, all of which were shot down quickly by Harribel.


    "This can''t be all that you''re capable of." Harribel commented with her blade raised in front of her to block more attacks.


    "Hado 63: Raikoho!"


    Suddenly a large blast of electricity traveled through the steam, its range greatly amplified by the steam''s conductivity.


    "Gahhhh!!" Harribel let out a yell as she was shocked by the attack. With her massive sword, she swung at the attack with her reiatsu, dispelling it and clearing the steam out of the area.


    "Cascada!" Harribel raised her massive sword up above her. From the skies out of nowhere, a massive torrent of water fell towards Itachi.


    Itachi looks up and quickly flash steps away from the water as it hits the ground below, destroying the buildings under them.


    Itachi reappears behind Harribel but she swings her sword behind her in response. Itachi manages to parry the blow with his own blade but is sent flying back.


    "Ola Azul."


    Harribel continues relentlessly attacking Itachi, not giving him time to rest as she fires continues shots of reiatsu at Itachi, forcing him to keep dodging.


    ''I won''t get anywhere with this. Her resurreccion is definitely stronger than Ulquiorra''s first one but pales in comparison to his second¡­'''' Itachi thought as he continued to flash step through her blasts with ease. From far away, Itachi could feel Soi Fon''s reiatsu increase as she used her bankai against her opponent. ''I need to regroup with the others while saving my strength for Aizen¡­'' Itachi vanishes from sight and reappears in front of Harribel, clashing swords with her.


    "Why is someone like you serving under Aizen? Aizen is not the type of man who respects the sacrifices a comrade makes towards a cause." Itachi asked as they continued clashing blades.


    "Hold your tongue shinigami. You do not understand Lord Aizen''s ideals." Harribel responded angrily as she pushed Itachi away.


    Itachi stood his ground and continued parrying and striking. ''I have to retain as much of my strength as possible.'' Even though Itachi had a large quantity of reiatsu, most of his techniques took up too much energy for him to continuously use them. Without a zanpakuto, he had no way to harness his full strength. If he used up his strength, then he would just be a sitting duck in front of Aizen.


    ----


    "Hmm...I think it''s time." Gin commented as he watched the battles from afar. "Starrk seems to be doing okay and a blast like that shouldn''t be enough to kill Barragan. But Harribel against Uchiha¡­ he''s still holding back isn''t he? Trying to save his energy to fight you perhaps?"


    "It does not matter. I do not expect Harribel to be able to defeat Itachi. Only stall for time as "he" comes in."


    "Will he be able to defeat him?" Gin asked.


    "No, but he is easily the strongest espada of all. I created and empowered him much more than the others. He was made especially to counter Uchiha. I want to see how far he will be able to push Uchiha." Aizen responded.


    Gin remained silent. His face showed no emotion. ''In the end, this entire thing is simply a joke to Captain Aizen.'' He suddenly became alert as he stared into the sky.


    Aizen simply smiled as he looked up


    "It''s time."

 Chapter 65 - The Strongest Arrancar

    All of the shinigami on the battlefield stopped in their tracks as a large garganta opened in the sky, one far larger than the others the Espada used to come through. A bright purple eye peered through the garganta as a massive hollow popped its head out. The hollow had a singular purple eye with a bulbous body and below it, were many Menos Grande. Standing in front of the Menos Grande, were two individuals. One appeared to be an arrancar child with blond hair. The other was a tall man with black hair that went down past its eyes and a white blindfold over his eyes was visible underneath his hair. He had fair skin and wore the standard Arrancar attire.


    Suddenly, the childlike arrancar let out a deafening scream, blowing away the smoke cloud that was covering Barragan. Itachi activates his Mangekyou Sharingan in response and attempts to use Amaterasu on the large hollow. His attention is diverted however as the tall Arrancar man who was standing next to the child was suddenly next to Itachi. Itachi turned his head and saw the Arrancar in time to activate the rib cage of his Susanoo.


    The Arrancar threw a devastating punch at Itachi, nearly shattering the ribcage of the Susanoo and sending Itachi flying through several buildings.


    "So Lord Aizen finally brought you out..." Harribel commented as she watched Itachi get blown back.


    "Lord Aizen no longer needs you. I will deal with this one." He replied


    In a swift movement, the Arrancar drew his blade and cut cleanly through Harribel''s torso. As Harribel collapsed down to the buildings below, she looked towards Aizen''s direction, enraged at his betrayal. Aizen met her gaze and simply smiled before looking back at the fights.


    The arrancar that had struck Itachi disappeared and reappeared on the ground next to the rubble where Itachi was buried.


    "Die."


    The arrancar looked down at the rubble and raised his right hand. A red glow began to form in its hand before unleashing it into a massive explosion.


    ---


    "Overkill much?" Gin said as he looked at the giant mushroom of red reiatsu at the other side of the city.


    "If a blast like that could have killed Uchiha, I wouldn''t have wasted my time creating that Arrancar." Aizen replied.


    "Aizen!!!!!" A voice yelled from behind Aizen.


    Aizen and Gin both turned around and were met with Shinji, Komamura, and Hisagi with their zanpakutos drawn. Aizen grinned as he gestured for Gin to stand back.


    "Ryuusenka!" A voice yelled from the side of the Arrancar. The Arrancar did not react as Toshiro, clad in the ice of his bankai, struck the Arrancar, encasing it in a large formation of ice.


    "Uchiha!" Toshiro yelled as he searched the debris for Itachi, trying to sense his spiritual pressure. Suddenly, the ice behind Toshiro shattered as a hand grabbed the side of Toshiro''s face and began to glow red.


    From the rubble, Itachi suddenly burst out, with blood dripping down his face. Before the Arrancar had a chance to fire the cero, Itachi quickly cut off his arm and pushed Toshiro out of the way while kicking the Arrancar back. The arm flew into a nearby building, exploding in a tower of red reiatsu as the cero lost its charge.


    "Captain Hitsugaya, I''ll require your ?ssistance taking this one down." Itachi said as he looked at the Arrancar standing up again. The Arrancar brushed the dust off his shoulders with his other hand and raised the arm that was originally cut.


    Suddenly the arm that Itachi had originally cut off came flying out of the debris from the nearby building and reattached to the Arrancar''s arm.


    "I am Kaulico Jaque, an Arrancar created by Lord Aizen specifically to kill you, Uchiha Itachi." Kaulico said as he drew his sword. Toshiro raised his sword in front of him as Itachi''s Mangekyou pattern began to spin, both preparing themselves to fight.


    "Overpower, Archienemigo." Kaulico said as his body began to glow. A dense reiatsu filled the air around them as Kaulico''s body began transforming. His sword in his left hand merged with his arm, becoming a giant white, hollowfied claw with red pulsating marks traveling up to his shoulder. His shoulder had two armored spikes at the front and the back. The blind fold that he wore changed form and became a V shaped hollow mask covering the center of his face with light amounts of armor surrounding the vital areas of his body.


    "This reiatsu is too much¡­" Toshiro commented quietly to himself. Itachi remained unfazed as he kept analyzing the arrancar in front of him. In terms of raw reiatsu, it was greater than Ulquiorra''s second resurreccion.


    "Uchiha do you have a plan for-" Before Toshiro could finish his sentence, Kaulico appeared next to him, ripping Toshiro''s ice wings off and kicking him halfway across the town.


    "Amaterasu!"


    From point blank range, Itachi unleashed the black flames at Kaulico while enveloping himself inside of the fourth stage of the Susanoo. The flames engulfed Kaulico but Kaulico ignored them and with his enhanced arm, punched the front of Itachi''s Susanoo.


    Itachi blocks the punch with the Yata Mirror but feels the force of the punch reverberate through the rest of the Susanoo as the ground below him shatters.


    Itachi continued to observe Kaulico as his skin began peeling off, taking off the inextinguishable flames as they dropped to the floor.


    ''This Arrancar...is blind and can shed off Amaterasu''s flames. Aizen created a monster.'' Itachi thought to himself as he raised his Susanoo''s other arm.


    "Yasaka Magatama!"


    A string of dense reiatsu beads formed in the Susanoo''s hand and were thrown at Kaulico. Kaulico, using Sonido, dodges at the last moment and reappears behind Itachi''s Susanoo and points its left arm at Itachi. Itachi turns his head to see Kaulico but the Susanoo is unable to turn around in time.


    "Canon del Cero."


    A reiatsu dense Cero is immediately fired from Kaulico''s arm, engulfing the Susanoo as the large ray vaporized the buildings in a line that spanned across the whole town, leaving a large trail of smoke.


    "Sennen Hyoro!"


    "Uchiha I can''t hold this for long. Whatever plan you have, do it now!"


    The smoke from the earlier blast cleared as Itachi flared his reiatsu once more and activated his Susanoo. The Susanoo, unlike earlier, was no longer armored and looked more humanoid with several holes throughout its body. With its arms, the Susanoo clasped its hands together as if forming a hand sign while Itachi raised his hand inside.


    "Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron!-" Itachi said, beginning the incantation for Kurohitsugi.


    "Damn I can''t hold it...there isn''t enough moisture to keep recreating it¡­" Toshiro grunted as he struggled to reform the ice pillars fast enough to keep Kaulico inside.


    "Cascada!" A voice shouted next to Toshiro. Toshiro turned his head, surprised to see Harribel with a deep wound in her torso, ?ssisting in keeping Kaulico at bay. A large torrent of water fell from the sky, giving Toshiro enough water to freeze and continue keeping Kaulico trapped inside.

 Chapter 66 - Unlikely Ally

    "Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness! Hado 90: Kurohitsugi!" Itachi finished the incantation and his Susanoo raised its arms in the air.


    From the ground up, surrounding the icy prison, an enormous black box that towered over the rest of the buildings formed. Several large black spikes impaled the box on all sides before the box began to shrink and recede. Toshiro watched in shock at what Itachi just did.


    -------


    "That was...Hado 90¡­" Toshiro said, watching the kido disappear then turning to Harribel.


    "Why did you help us?"


    "Don''t get the wrong idea shinigami. I only helped because we now share a common enemy in Aizen. Once this is over, I will be going after you. I haven''t forgotten what you did to my fraccion." Harribel replied coldly to Toshiro.


    Toshiro remained silent. Although she helped, he still had his guard up.


    "Itachi we shou-" Toshiro was about to continue when he noticed Itachi staring down at the rubble.


    "It''s not over." Itachi said.


    "What do you mean? That was a full incantation of Hado 90." Toshiro said, stunned.


    "I-I...L-Lord...Aizen¡­" A voice grumbled from the rubble. Toshiro and Harribel both looked in shock at Kaulico who was still alive. He was gravely injured, with deep wounds all over his body and profusely bleeding. His hollowfied arm had several chunks missing out of it and half of his mask was cracked off. His body began to glow red as his reiatsu suddenly surged higher than it was before.


    "How is he still alive after that!!" Toshiro said as he readied his guard.


    "He is still grievously injured." Harribel commented. "Not even his regeneration can heal that."


    "Uchiha, that was quite the attack... But if I die, I AM TAKING YOU WITH ME!!!!!" Kaulico yelled as his body began shining.


    "Lets see you stop this one! CERO MAXIMA!" Kaulico yelled as his body began to glow a bright red color. Itachi appeared in front of both Toshiro and Harribel and with the rest of his reiatsu, tried to summon the armored form. The Susanoo began to manifest itself but there were several holes in it.


    As the three of them prepared to take the explosion, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them. The air around them became hot and a wall of flames suddenly erupted in front of them, covering Kaulico''s body and incinerating it before the explosion could occur.


    "Captain Commander?!" Toshiro exclaimed.


    "Forcing the Captain Commander to step in¡­" Yamamoto shook his head.


    "Captain Commander" Itachi and Toshiro both said at the same time.


    Yamamoto looked towards Harribel as he flared his reiatsu.


    Harribel immediately readied her defence. She knew from the reiatsu that she would be no match for him. ''I''ll b?r?ly be able to escape. But I have to try'' she thought to herself. However, contrary to her expectation, the Captain Commander simply walked past her towards Itachi.


    "Uchiha, you have expanded quite a bit of your strength. Rest for a few moments and rejoin the battle!" Yamamoto said before leaving with Toshiro, with Harribel following at a safe distance.


    "Yes sir¡­.." Itachi complied and landed away from the battle, he sat down and began resting.


    Just as Itachi began resting, he noticed a familiar figure rush towards him.


    "Hachigen." Itachi said.


    "Uchiha, Although I am not too proficient in healing, I should be able to ?ssist you with your recovery."


    "Thank you." Itachi replied as.Hachi began using Kido to heal Itachi.


    ----


    "What a troublesome bunch¡­" Aizen said as he wiped the splattered blood off of his face and looked down beneath him at the unconscious bodies of Shinji, Komamura, and Hisagi. "They''re simply pests at best."


    "Aizen!" Toshiro''s voice yelled from behind him. Aizen turned around and grinned at the remaining shinigami that stood in front of him.


    ''Hmm...Uchiha isn''t with them...how disappointing...I was hoping he would be able to fight me right after Kaulico¡­'' Aizen thought. Toshiro suddenly charged at Aizen, clashing swords with him.


    ---


    Down below in the buildings, Itachi watched the Captains and Vizards team up and fight as Hachigen began restoring his reiatsu. Under Yamamoto''s orders, Itachi was told to rest in the event that Aizen was not taken down so that he may be the last line of defense.


    "Are you worried about them? They''ll be fine. Not even Aizen can face all of them at once." Hachigen said to Itachi as he restored his spiritual pressure. Beside them, were the unconscious bodies of Shinji, Komamura, and Hisagi who were patched up with remedial first aid.


    "You''re wrong. I can see it with my eyes. Inside of Aizen''s ?h?st...he merged with the Hogyoku. Right now I may be the only one who can stop him, but not in the state I''m in. The way things are going now, all the other Captains can do is hold him off as you heal me. The only one who may stand a chance is Captain Commander Yamamoto."


    Hachigen shook his head and continued restoring Itachi''s reiatsu as Itachi watched the Captains and Vizards above him fight Aizen and one by one, fall to his blade.


    "Oh so this is where you all have been hiding." A voice said from behind them. Both Hachigen and Itachi jumped back and turned around.


    "No need to get so defensive. I have nothing to do and I was getting lonely watching the fight by myself so I decided to join you guys." Gin said with his sly smile as he reached towards his blade. Itachi glanced over at Hachigen, who already seemed very tired from healing three people and partially restoring Itachi''s reiatsu.


    "Shoot to kill, Shinso!"


    Both Itachi and Hachigen jumped away from the blade but Hachigen was a moment too slow, resulting in him getting cut in the arm. Gin suddenly appears behind Hachigen and before he has time to put up a barrier, cuts across his back. A large amount of blood gushes from the wound as Hachigen falls to the ground.


    "One down." Gin commented with a grin.

 Chapter 67 - The Rematch

    Itachi suddenly appears behind Gin, aiming a slash for his head. Gin''s eyes open, revealing his sharp light blue eyes as he moved his head b?r?ly in time, only receiving a cut on his cheek. Gin backs aways from Itachi with a flash step and wipes the blood dripping down his cheek.


    "Even when you''re not at full strength, your speed is impressive." Gin commented. Gin raised his sword and pointed it at Itachi.


    "Bankai, Kamishini no Yari."


    In an instant, Gin''s zanpakuto extended. Itachi narrowly dodged the blade as it went past his face, destroying several buildings behind him.


    "Oh you managed to react to that too?" Gin said as he raised his now retracted sword up again. Gin pointed his sword at Itachi again as it extended.


    Itachi quickly flash steps out of the way of the blade and appears in front of Gin. With his blade, Itachi slashes at Gin, only for his slash to be blocked by Gin''s retracted blade.


    "Do you know how long my blade can extend?" Gin asked as he and Itachi clashed swords. "Thirteen Kilometers."


    Itachi remained silent and continued slashing at Gin, keeping him on the defensive.


    "Oh so you think keeping this close to me will keep me from extending my Zanpakuto?" Gin commented as his blade suddenly expanded as he swung, cutting through Itachi''s body and the buildings behind it. Suddenly Itachi reappeared behind Gin, causing Gin to retract his blade and block his attack.


    "Darn I was sure I got you. But you had me with that afterimage. I shouldn''t have expected anything less from someone who was in the Stealth Corps. But no matter how far you run, my zanpakuto will-"


    "Your zanpakuto''s ability doesn''t lie in its length or speed¡­" Itachi interrupted. "Your zanpakuto turns into dust the moment before it retracts, leaving a portion of itself in whatever it hits. I ?ssume the portion it leaves behind is lethal, acting as a poison of some sort."


    Gin''s smile turned into a frown upon hearing Itachi''s summary and he quickly backed away. His smile quickly returned though as a bright red tip of a sword appeared behind Itachi. Itachi turned around and saw that even Yamamoto had fallen for having to resort to use a kido like that.


    ''So that''s Itto Kaso...Hado 96¡­'' Itachi thought to himself.


    "Man...you''re perceptive. How did you find out about that." Gin laughed as he sheathed his blade again. "Anyway it seems Aizen is done with his battle. I enjoyed our fight, Uchiha."


    As Gin finished his sentence, Aizen suddenly appeared in front of him. Itachi and Aizen locked eyes as Aizen grinned.


    "Your illusions won''t work on me, Uchiha. It is simply the will of the Hogyoku, my will, that prevents them from doing so." Aizen said as he tore open his shirt, revealing the Hogyoku implanted into his ?h?st.


    "Aizen!!!!" An angry voice yelled from behind him. Harribel suddenly appeared behind Aizen, with her blade aiming for his head. Without turning around, Aizen swung his zanpakuto, cutting through Harribel''s blade and across Harribel''s body. As her body lay on the floor, Aizen turned around and picked her up by the neck.


    "I have no room for weaklings or traitors in my Espada." Aizen said coldly as he tightened his grip, causing her to cough up blood. As Aizen continued choking Harribel, he suddenly felt a large increase of reiatsu appear next to him as a giant ethereal blade headed towards him. He quickly let go of Harribel and jumped back, losing his arm in the process. As he turned to face what had struck him, he saw a giant armored form surrounding Itachi.


    ---------------------------------------------------


    "Impressive. You managed to cut me." Aizen complimented as he picked up his dislodged arm and reattached it to his body, his wound instantaneously regenerating.


    "But as you can see, I have reached a form far beyond what you could hope to-" Aizen stopped talking as he sensed a massive reiatsu behind him. Both Itachi and Gin turned their attention to the space behind Aizen as a crack began to form in the air. Suddenly, a familiar orange haired young boy burst out, his eyes filled with rage.


    "Kurosaki?!" Itachi exclaimed, his normally stoic demeanor broken as he both saw and sensed Ichigo''s reiatsu. It was far greater than it was when he had last seen him in the human world. His physical appearance had also changed, His hair was now longer, flowing down to his back, and half of a mask covered his right eye, with a strange horn sticking out.


    "Getsuga Tensho!"


    Aizen''s body was suddenly covered by a dense black reiatsu that shot across the entire town, splitting it in half. Itachi watched silently and observed Ichigo''s new form as Gin quickly backed away.


    As the smoke cleared out from the blast, Aizen''s figure was revealed, with nearly half of his body completely vaporized by the attack. Aizen grunted and coughed up blood as he fell to one knee and laughed.


    His laughs were cut short though, as a giant orange blade pierced through his body, before he had time to process what was going on.


    ''The Totsuka blade... can''t absorb him?!'' Itachi thought, surprised that Aizen''s body was still holding on. ''The Hogyoku, it''s keeping my Blade from absorbing him!''


    Suddenly, Aizen''s power began to grow and his body let out a bright light that filled the area as the force of his reiatsu pushed everything back from around him. Itachi''s Susanoo began to wither as he tried to hold the Totsuka Blade on Aizen, but it was too much, resulting in him being sent flying back.


    As the bright light disappeared, Aizen''s body was revealed to have changed. His white sclera were now purple and his hair longer, with a single strand that went down his face that reached his shoulder.


    "Kurosaki Ichigo. What an interesting power you possess. You have far surpassed my expectations." Aizen said as he began walking to Ichigo whose eyes were filled with rage.


    "Don''t give me that shit Aizen! How dare you do that to Nel!"

 Chapter 68 - Altered

    Hueco Mundo


    A fatigued Ichigo kneeled on the ground with blood dripping down his face and half of his Bankai''s Shihakusho missing. On the ground next to him was a small green haired hollow girl, lying face down in the sand, unconscious. In front of him, was the lifeless corpse of an Espada with long black hair.


    "Nel...I couldn''t have beaten Nnoitra without your help¡­" Ichigo commented as he stared at the Espada in front of him. After defeating Grimmjow with relative ease, fighting Nnoitra soon after was too much for him alone, resulting in Nel transforming and fighting alongside Ichigo.


    "The hell?! You didn''t save a strong guy for me?" A voice said from behind Ichigo. Ichigo turned around and saw Kenpachi walking slowly towards him with Yachiru on his back.


    "K-kenpachi? Why are you-" Ichigo''s question was cut off as Kenpachi swung his sword at Ichigo. Ichigo narrowly dodged the hit and tumbled back in the sand.


    "What the hell was that for?! You could have killed me!" Ichigo exclaimed.


    "Well who the hell am I supposed to fight?" Kenpachi complained. As he began walking towards Ichigo they both sensed a massive reiatsu appear next to them in an instant.


    "I''m going to borrow these two." Starrk said as he picked up both Nel and Orihime before Ichigo and Kenpachi had time to react. As fast as he had arrived, he quickly left, using his Sonido.


    "DAMMIT!" Ichigo yelled as he attempted to run after him but immediately fell forward onto the sand unconscious.


    ----


    Several hours later


    Ichigo woke up to a warm feeling surrounding his body. As he opened his eyes, he saw the face of Unohana hovering over him as she healed his injuries and restored his reiatsu.


    "W-where''s Inoue...and Nel¡­" Ichigo grunted as he tried to get up.


    "You need to relax, Kurosaki. Wait until I''m finished healing you." Unohana responded.


    "No...I need to¡­get them back¡­" Ichigo said as he struggled to get himself up.


    "Go back to sleep, Kurosaki." Unohana replied in a serious tone but still maintained her calm smile. Ichigo felt a shiver travel down his spine as he looked at Unohana''s face and immediately went back to sleep.


    Another hour passed and Ichigo woke up. Most of his wounds were healed and his reiatsu was restored. He immediately sprung up from where he was laying down and looked around.


    "Kurosaki, while you were knocked out, Aizen made an announcement. He is going to invade Karakura Town. Inoue and Nelliel are being held at the fifth tower. It also appears that the four of us Captains who came here to Hueco Mundo are now trapped. Currently, Captain Kurotsuchi is working on a solution to reopen the Gargantas." Unohana said.


    "Dammit¡­" Ichigo responded, clenching his fists and looking at the ground. "If we''re unable to go back to Karakura Town...then the least I can do is save Inoue and Nel!"


    Before Unohana had a chance to say anything else, Ichigo vanished from sight.


    ----


    "Inoue! Nel!" Ichigo yelled as he entered the tower. He continued walking through the tower, yelling their names with no response. As he reached the upper floors of the tower, he sensed a massive reiatsu waiting for him.


    "So you made it up here ya little pipsqueak!" A large Arrancar walked out from the shadows. He had tan skin, a ridge lined skull, and fragments of his hollow mask encasing his lower jaw.


    "I don''t have time for you Yammy!" Ichigo yelled as he drew his zanpakuto.


    "Bankai!" Reiatsu swirled around Ichigo, covering him in a black dome. As the dome vanished, Ichigo''s massive sword was replaced with a sleek black one and the top half of his shihakusho was replaced with a long black coat.


    "Tensa Zangetsu."


    "This again? Don''t waste my time!" Yammy retorted as he began charging at Ichigo. Ichigo suddenly vanished from his sight and reappeared behind Yammy, forming a large gash in Yammy''s back as blood began to shoot out from it.


    "You little¡­" Yammy said as he turned around, veins starting to pop out on his face. His reiatsu began to flare up as he took a step forward, only to stop as several bright blue arrows landed on the ground in front of him.


    "Ishida?!" Ichigo exclaimed as Uryu landed on the ground.


    "I can deal with him. You need to go and get Inoue." Uryu said as he aimed his bow at Yammy.


    "Thanks!" Ichigo replied quickly before vanishing from the spot as he continued to travel up the tower at full speed in his bankai.


    In nearly an instant, he scaled the tower, making it to the top floor. Ichigo stood in awe at what he was seeing. In front of him was Orihime, unconscious on the ground. Standing above her, was Nelliel, but instead of her child like form, she was in her ?du?t form. Her green rags were replaced with the standard white arrancar attire.


    "Nel...what the hell is going on here¡­" Ichigo questioned.


    "Lord Aizen has reopened my eyes and given me a second chance to prove myself to him. In order to do so, you must die here, Kurosaki Ichigo." Nel replied coldly.


    Ichigo gripped his sword tightly as he looked into Nel''s eyes. The once cheerful eyes of the little arrancar he had befriended were gone and replaced with cold lifeless ones.


    "Nel...snap out of it!" Ichigo yelled, becoming frustrated. Without saying another word, Nel drew her sword and vanished from sight, reappearing in front of Ichigo and swinging her blade at him. Ichigo blocked her blade with his own.


    "Don''t let Aizen control you like this!" Ichigo yelled as he pushed Nel back. "You have to remember Nel!" Ichigo continued.


    "I exist only to serve Lord Aizen." Nel replied before vanishing then reappearing in front of Ichigo. She delivered a swift kick to Ichigo''s ?h?st, knocking the wind out of him as he was sent hurtling upward through the top of the tower where the blue skies of Hueco Mundo were now black like the night sky.


    "Nel...I don''t want to fight you like this!" Ichigo said as he put his hand over his face. Black reiatsu began to form over his face as tears started forming around his eyes.


    "Declare, Gamuza." A bright burst of spiritual energy covered the night sky, lighting it up with bright pink rays. Her lower body began to morph, taking the form of a centaur as the horns from the mask on her head grew in size.


    "Aaaaghhh!!" Ichigo yelled as he summoned his hollow mask over his face. Ichigo looked up at Nel''s figure with the moon behind her. The power of her form felt greater than when he and Itachi had fought Ulquiorra''s first resurreccion.


    Suddenly, Nel disappears forms Ichigo''s view and reappears in front of him with a white lance in her hand. She jabs at Ichigo in a quick flurry as Ichigo tries to react. Ichigo manages to parry a few of the jabs but several cuts begin forming around his body as the jabs keep coming at him.


    "Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo yelled as he channeled his reiatsu into his sword and swung it at Nel''s lance, resulting in a large explosion of black reiatsu and dust. Ichigo quickly jumped out of the dust cloud, only for Nel to swing her lance, clearing the dust entirely and revealing her body completely unscathed by the attack.


    Ichigo looked at Nel in shock. He hadn''t used his full power in the attack as deep down, he still didn''t want to fight Nel, but at the same time, he realized their power difference.


    Nel suddenly charges at Ichigo, with Ichigo b?r?ly managing to block the tip of her lance as he gets sent flying back into a pillar with her lance pressed hard against his blade.


    "Nel snap out of it! This isn''t you...I don''t want to fight you!" Ichigo pleaded as he tried to keep Nel''s lance from piercing his body. Nel remains silent but responds by flaring her reiatsu and pushing Ichigo through the pillar.


    "Kurosaki. Do you lament the fact that you are unable to save the friend you once knew...or do you lament at your own powerlessness?" Nel asked as Ichigo stood up from the rubble of the pillar, with half of his mask now cracked.


    "No...I am strong enough to save you!" Ichigo retorted as he swiped his hand across his face, rejuvenating his hollow mask.


    "I see...if that is your answer, then I will prove you wrong." Nel responded as she raised her lance straight up.


    "Resureccion: Segunda Etapa."


    A dark pink burst of reiatsu covered Nel''s body as Ichigo watched in horror. Her reiatsu was greater than before, surpassing what Ichigo had originally sensed when Itachi was fighting Ulquiorra''s second resureccion. The remnant of her mask that was on her head was now gone with only the horns remaining. The horns that were once white were now a dark shade of brown. Her upper body was now b?r? with patches of light brown fur covering parts of her br??sts and her sides. Several pink markings glowed on her ?h?st, shoulders, and abdomen. The light colored fur of her bottom horselike body was replaced with a darker brown, transitioning to lighter patches around the legs and underside. Her once purely white lance had lost its physical form, being replaced by only a handle emitting bright pink reiatsu in the form of a lance.


    "What did Aizen do to-" Ichigo''s words were cut off as Nel pierced through his ?h?st. Ichigo''s mask shattered immediately as he coughed a large amount of blood. His eyes grew lifeless as Nel removed the lance out of his ?h?st.


    "Nel.." Ichigo said as he fell to ground lifelessly.

 Chapter 69 - Enraged

    He could no longer feel or hear anything, just the crushing silence as his eyes slowly closed. He thought back to his entire journey and what he came here to do.


    He thought about Orihime who was unconscious and would have no chance of escape without his help. He thought about all of his friends who had risked their lives to come here with him to rescue Orihime.


    Right as he felt like he was about to fade away, he heard a shrill voice inside his head.


    "I told you Ichigo, the moment you show weakness, I will appear. Only this time, I will be the king." It said as Ichigo closed his eyes.


    Nel flicked her weapon to wipe away the blood before turning around to leave. However, just as she took a few steps, she felt an enormous Reiatsu erupt behind her. Ichigo''s body was slowly being covered in a white shell as it lifted him off the ground. The shell moved along his body before covering his face like a mask. Ichigo stood up, however this time giving off a completely different feeling. His eyes were cold and uncaring. His hair had grown down to his waist. He had two horns protruding from the side of his head.


    "Is that Kurosaki?" Nel said as she moved back in a hurry. The reiatsu that Ichigo was giving off was far larger than before.


    Nel readied herself as Ichigo approached. She used all of her concentration on this fight. She was looking for a single opening to mortally wound Ichigo.


    ''His reiatsu are more like a hollow''s now than a shinigami.'' She thought to herself.


    She blinked her eyes and Ichigo had disappeared. He had moved instantaneously right next to her before kick her on the side of her body. She went flying for hundreds of meters before coming to halt.


    ''He''s fast!'' She immediately recovered and tried to position herself, however, just as she was about to do so, Ichigo appeared over head and brung his sword down with the intent to kill.


    "Golpe de Pinza." Nel said as she struck with her lance. The two weapons collided causing a miniature explosion in the area. Ichigo and Nel were both sent back. However, Nel was more injured than Ichigo. Ichigo''s wounds instantaneously recovered as he charged once again.


    ''Instantaneous regeneration!'' Nel thought as she b?r?ly held on. Ichigo was attacking wildly with no regard for his own body. Any strike that Nel made would heal instantly while her own injuries were getting worse by the second.


    She focused her reiatsu in her legs and charged with her lance, knocking Ichigo back. She then used the opportunity to retreat to a nearby hill, She gathered a large amount of reiatsu into her lance as she pointed it up. Her weapon started glowing Pink as the reiatsu concentrated itself at the tip of her lance.


    "Lanza de Luz Galuza!" Nel shouted as a mass quantity of spectral lances flew out of her weapon. The Lances flew towards Ichigo, who watched as they approached. However, the moment that he was about to be struck, he began dodging them with his Sonido. He swiftly moved between the lances as he made his way over to Nel. He threw his sword spinning at her direction as he charged over.


    Nel immediately dodged the sword as it flew past. She was about to defend herself from Ichigo''s frontal ?ssault, when she felt something approaching from behind. She immediately tried dodging once again as Ichigo''s sword flew back into his hand. However, this time she wasn''t so lucky as the sword grazed past her shoulder, injuring her arm in the process. Ichigo grabbed his sword and moved above Nel, while she was still recovering and punched her down towards the ground.


    Nel fell to the ground. Just as she was about to get up, she was pierced by a black sword. Ichigo had once again thrown his weapon down at Nel as she was falling striking her through her stomach. Before she had a chance to remove the blade, he once again appeared above her, stomping the handle of the sword, piercing it down even further.


    Nel screamed as the sword went through her stomach, ripping apart her stomach as it passed through.


    Ichigo then forcefully pulled the sword out once, splashing her blood everywhere.


    He lifted his foot and pressed it against Nel''s face, stomping her into the ground once again.Ichigo continued his ?ssault, slowly breaking Nel''s horns. Finally she could no longer withstand the pressure of his attacks, causing her horns to shatter into pieces.


    The moment her horns shattered, a huge puff of smoke appeared. The smoke cleared, revealing an unconscious Nel, who had once again returned to her child like form.


    "It--Itsygo.." she whispered before falling unconscious.


    Ichigo suddenly froze when he heard those words. A vision appeared in his head as he remembered what Itachi had told him previously.


    --------


    "That hollow of yours is strange. I may not have been able to imprint upon a zanpakuto, but I''ve done countless amounts of research over the years in order to try to do so. Your hollow manifested itself in your Zanpakuto''s world. Perhaps upon manifesting within your soul, it gained some sort of individuality that most hollows don''t have." Itachi commented. Ichigo looked at Itachi with a confused gaze.


    "Individuality? Before I got this mask, he would try to take over my body. It happened in my fight against Byakuya and almost happened against Grimmjow but I stopped it¡­"


    Itachi paused for a moment before responding.


    "In those fights, you were pushed beyond your limit, correct?" Itachi asked. Ichigo nodded.


    "You and your hollow are one in the same. It cannot live without you, as you cannot survive without it. You may have conquered it but have you ever fully acknowledged it as being part of you, much like a zanpakuto?"


    "You expect me to let that thing take over me?" Ichigo questioned anxiously. Itachi shook his head.


    "No. Acknowledge yourself, and all aspects of yourself. Then you will become strong. Strong enough to defeat Aizen, like you told Inoue."


    Ichigo looked at Itachi before looking down at his zanpakuto. ''Acknowledge my hollow like I''ve acknowledged Zangetsu?''


    "Like a zanpakuto, your hollow should not control itself. You control it."

 Chapter 70 - Full Out Assault

    ''I control it¡­''


    ''This power...I will use it like zangetsu.''


    ''I will save Nel.''


    ''I will stop Aizen.''


    "Aaaagghhhh!!!!" Ichigo roared into the sky. Half of his mask began to shatter as his reiatsu flared wildly, kicking up a large vortex of sand. Eventually, his reiatsu stabilized as half of his mask crumbled. The vortex died down and Ichigo stood looking down over the unconscious body of Nel.


    "Kurosaki!" Uryu yelled as he and Orihime ran up behind him. Ichigo turned and faced them and they both stopped in their tracks. His reiatsu was unrecognizable and despite half of his mask gone, he still had the eyes of a hollow and his long orange hair. In his ?h?st was a large hole.


    "Inoue. Take care of Nel." Ichigo said. Before either of them had a chance to say a word, he vanished with a loud boom.


    ----


    "Itachi stay back. I''ll deal with Aizen by myself! I won''t let Aizen hurt anyone anymore!" Ichigo yelled.


    "Kurosaki, that''s enough." Itachi replied calmly as he reappeared next to Ichigo. "I don''t know what happened in Hueco Mundo, but fighting Aizen alone isn''t the answer. You may be stronger than before, but remember why you''re fighting here now. This isn''t like you, Kurosaki. You may have gained control over your hollow, but do not let the bloodlust that drives it drive you. Do not forget the others that helped you get to where you are, otherwise... you''ll end up like Aizen."


    "Ah, I couldn''t have said it any better myself!" A voice said from behind them. Ichigo and Itachi turned around and saw three familiar figures.


    "D-dad?" Ichigo questioned.


    "So nice you three could finally make it. Fighting both Kurosaki and Uchiha would have been a spectacle of its own, but with you three also here, I can truly test my limitless power." Aizen commented with a smile on his face.


    "Remember our plan?" Urahara said as he glanced over at Itachi.


    "Yes...but would that work on Aizen in this state?" Itachi questioned back.


    "I didn''t expect Aizen to have adapted so quickly. But we don''t have a choice anymore." Urahara replied.


    "Just make an opening for me, and I''ll thrash him with everything I got." Yoruichi grinned as she raised one of Urahara''s armor pieces on her arms and legs.


    "Kurosaki." Itachi said, catching Ichigo''s attention as he was talking briefly to Isshin. "Right now, your power is the key to our success. Urahara has a plan but we need to give him time and create an opening. That''s where you come in. Do you remember the formations I taught you in our training?"


    Ichigo nodded as he looked at Itachi, with his eyes filled with determination. The five shinigami readied themselves and faced Aizen who was patiently waiting for them.


    "Are you all ready?" Aizen said with his arms extended out, as if beckoning all of them to come at him all at once.


    "I will start first." Itachi declared as he quickly began weaving hand signs. "Formation B!"


    "Bakudo 21: Sekienton!"


    "Fire Style Fireball Jutsu!"


    As a black smoke quickly filled the area, from his mouth, Itachi exhaled a large and dense fireball that eclipsed Aizen in size. Aizen smirked as he extended one hand out to block it.


    Aizen grabs the fire ball, singing his arm slightly but quickly squeezes down on it, dispersing it as an even more powerful fireball emerges from the black smoke. Aizen keeps his arm extended, his burnt hand quickly healing, as he prepares to grab the second.


    Aizen''s eyes widened as the fireball in front of him disappeared in a puff of smoke, being replaced entirely by Itachi''s figure. An ethereal armored humanoid began to surround Itachi as he cut in front of him with the Totsuka blade, completely dislodging Aizen''s arm.


    Aizen jumped back, surprised that Itachi''s blade could still harm him, when Yoruichi suddenly appeared behind him.


    "Shunko!"


    A bright reiatsu appeared to envelop Yoruichi as she kicked Aizen in the head straight down into the ground. Aizen quickly recovered and let out a burst of reiatsu around him, sending Yoruichi flying back. As his arm and head wound began to regenerate, a yellow chain sprung up from the ground and wrapped tightly around him. Both Ichigo and Isshin appeared next to Aizen with their zanpakutos raised.


    "Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo and Isshin yelled simultaneously.


    A large wave of black and white reiatsu merged into one as the father son duo let out their attack, completely engulfing Aizen and creating a large explosion that towered over the entire Karakura Town. Before the explosion had time to finish, at the tip of his sword Ichigo began charging reiatsu as a red bright ball began to form.


    "Cero!"


    "Amaterasu!"


    The bright red pillar of reiatsu was suddenly turned black as Itachi''s black flames quickly spread throughout its highly concentrated spiritual energy before imploding upon itself.


    From the side, Urahara was preparing his kido, that was intended to seal Aizen away. However, the black flames and reiatsu suddenly were dispersed and pushed away by a strong force as Aizen teleported behind Kisuke, cutting him in the back.


    Everyone looked in surprise that Aizen had emerged completely unscathed and now even stronger. His appearance was similar to his last one but he had two pairs of massive wings like a giant white bu??erfly.


    "Amazing attacks...each and every one of you. However, I have reached a level far beyond your comprehension. You are nothing but insects to me now." Aizen raised his spiritual pressure, causing the air to shake around them. With a swing of his blade, the ground erupted in front of them, bursting with his reiatsu as the shockwave from the swing completely leveled out Karakura Town.


    "Oh? You''re still standing, Uchiha Itachi." Aizen commented as Itachi stood firmly with his armored Susanoo, having blocked the shockwave with the Yata Mirror. Aizen grinned as he teleported in front of Itachi.


    Itachi reacts quickly, slashing at Aizen with the Totsuka Blade and piercing his shoulder.


    "Uchiha Itachi...your blade, it did not cut deep enough." Aizen commented as he knocked the Totsuka blade up and reached his hand at Itachi''s neck, easily penetrating the Susanoo''s armor.


    "Tsukuyomi!"


    Itachi and Aizen locked eyes, looking straight into his Mangekyou sharingan. Their eye contact was broken however, as Aizen grabbed Itachi''s neck and gripped it tight, causing him to close his eyes in pain.


    "Your eyes can no longer affect me. It''s been fun, Uchiha Itachi. But if this is all you can offer me, I am disappointed. Goodbye Uchiha Itachi." Aizen said as he flared his reiatsu once more and cut Itachi''s head off. Itachi''s head rolled to the ground and Aizen let go of Itachi''s body, letting it drop to the floor.


    "Congratulations, Captain Aizen." Gin clapped slowly as he reappeared next to Aizen.


    "Good, you''re here, Gin. Open a senkaimon to the real Karakura Town." Aizen ordered.


    "Of course. But what about Kurosaki Ichigo? I can still feel his reiatsu down there under all that rubble." Gin asked as he opened the Senkaimon.


    "He no longer interests me. Let him live for now, he''s fulfilled his purpose." Aizen replied.

 Chapter 71 - Death

    From a pile of rubble, Itachi emerged as he lifted a large chunk of debris off of him. Next to him, he could see Captain Unohana healing Urahara and Yoruichi.


    "So you''ve been under there all along?" Unohana commented upon seeing Itachi. "After getting the Gotei 13 out of harm''s way, I came to see if any of you were alive after that attack. I couldn''t sense your spiritual pressure at all, Lieutenant Uchiha."


    "My apologies Captain Unohana. I had no choice but to fully hide my spiritual pressure from Aizen while he was under my illusion." Itachi replied. Over forty years ago, while Itachi was still a student at the Shino Academy, he had placed Aizen under a genjutsu that he would be able to activate at any time one day. The Hogyoku prevented Aizen from falling under any of his genjutsu, but with Aizen being put under it before he merged with the Hogyoku and him not being aware of it, Aizen was fooled into thinking he had killed Itachi.


    "Where are the two Kurosakis?" Itachi asked, not sensing their spiritual pressure anywhere.


    "They left. I don''t know the specifics but it appears Isshin had a plan for something with Ichigo inside of the dangai." Unohana responded. "Do you plan on going after Aizen yourself?"


    "At this point, I don''t have a choice." Itachi replied. ''Aizen has become too powerful for me to deal with. I can still damage him with the Totsuka Blade but his power has reached the point where if he is not severely weakened, I cannot seal him...I may have to resort to that¡­''


    "Then allow me to heal you. These two are no longer in any life threatening danger so I can restore your reiatsu."


    Itachi nodded and sat down in front of Unohana as she restored his reiatsu. Within a few hours, Itachi''s reiatsu was fully replenished and stronger than ever. A spirit''s power is increased when the shinigami is pushed to their limit in a dire situation. In his fights against Kaulico and Aizen, Itachi was pushed to that limit without ample time to recover. With his reiatsu replenished properly now, Itachi felt his strength increase.


    "Thank you, Captain Unohana." Itachi said as he got up and opened a Senkaimon.


    ----


    "Gin, the Hogyoku you stole. It does not matter whether it is inside of me or not. For it is rightfully mine." Aizen commented as he walked towards Gin, the hole in his ?h?st regenerating rapidly.


    "Poison of that level, will not kill me. My reiatsu is far too great." Aizen raised his sword up into the air, ready to slash down on Gin. As Aizen''s blade was about to sink into Gin''s body, Gin suddenly vanished from in front of him.


    "Uchiha!" Aizen said, shocked. "How are you still alive?!"


    Itachi ignored Aizen''s question and focused his attention on Gin.


    "Uchiha, you''re-"


    "I watched the whole thing. Joining Aizen for as long as you did with the intent to only kill him, is truly commendable." Itachi said as he put Gin down.


    "I''m curious as to how you evaded death, Uchiha." Aizen said as he slowly walked towards them. "Your eyes do not work on me."


    "That is correct. My eyes do not work on the current "you." However, the "you" that was from over forty years ago when we first met at the academy, my eyes could work on."


    "I knew you were always suspicious of me, but I hadn''t anticipated you would have planned that far ahead. It appears I have underestimated you. However, this will not change the fact that you do not possess the power to defeat me as I am now."


    "Even the strongest of opponents have a weakness, Aizen. Your own hubris will be your undoing." Itachi replied as his eyes glowed red and his Mangekyou Sharingan activated.


    "You will regret facing me once again, you should have used the opportunity to escape!" Aizen said.


    Before Aizen took another step forward, he stopped as a figure landed on the ground in front of him with great force.


    "Kurosaki?" Itachi looked at Ichigo who was standing in front of him. He was in his bankai but his attire was slightly different. He now wore a black gauntlet and the chain of his blade wrapped all the way up his arm. He was also taller and his hair was longer than his original short spiky hair, now covering half of his face. With his sharingan, Itachi could still see Ichigo''s reiatsu but couldn''t sense it.


    "Itachi." Ichigo said without turning around and still facing Aizen. "We''re going to stop Aizen."


    "I''m disappointed, Kurosaki Ichigo. I no longer sense any reiatsu from you at all. Unlike me, you have failed to evolve." Aizen commented on Ichigo''s new appearance.


    "Aizen. Let''s move. I don''t want to fight here." Ichigo said calmly.


    "Such a meaningless proposal. That is only meant for those who-" Aizen''s words were cut short as Ichigo appeared in front of him, grabbing his face firmly as he carried him outside of Karakura Town into a mountain range and launching him into the ground.


    Aizen put a hand on his face in shock at what had just happened as Ichigo stood in front of him and Itachi arrived shortly after.


    "Uchiha Itachi, as I''ve said before, the way you are now, you are currently no match for me. Why bother even coming here." Aizen scoffed as he regained his composure.


    "Fine...I''ll show you something special." Itachi replied. The pinwheel patterns in his Mangekyou Sharingan began to rotate quickly as his reiatsu flared up. His body rose high into the air and became covered in an ethereal large armored head with a tengu nose and grew a large body clad in robes and ornate armor. Out of his back were a pair of giant orange wings.


    Aizen looked up at the giant behemoth figure towering above him and laughed.


    "It''s large but it''s no different than Komamura''s bankai! I''m quite disappointed and confused as to why you would not use a technique such as this for so long."


    "You''ll find out soon enough." Itachi replied as he drew the Totsuka blade out with both hands. Aizen flew up and charged forward at Itachi as Itachi swung his sword horizontally.


    Aizen blocks the slash with his own zanpakuto, but the force of the slash sends him flying into a nearby mountain. As Itachi finished the slash, the tops of the other nearby mountains flew into the air as they were cut off.


    Aizen emerged from the rubble of the mountain he crashed into. He wiped a trickle of blood coming from his lip and grinned.


    "I see. With destructive force of that kind, you fear your comrades may be struck as well. A foolish way of thinking. Uchiha Itachi, you also possess great power and potential. If you had joined me with Gin and Kaname-"


    Aizen''s words were cut short as Ichigo appeared in front of him. With no time to react to Ichigo''s speed, Ichigo slashed across Aizen''s ?h?st.


    "That''s enough from you, Aizen. You''ve been too talkative lately." Ichigo commented.


    "Kurosaki¡­" Aizen teleported to a nearby cliff and glared at Ichigo. "You...abandoned your spiritual pressure for physical power is that it? I will admit for that brief moment, your physical prowess surpassed my own. But physical power will not be enough to protect you from this!"


    Aizen raised his hand in the air and began reciting the incantation for hado 90.


    "Kurosaki." Itachi called as he landed his Susanoo next to Ichigo. "Formation B."


    "Right." Ichigo replied as he vanished from view.


    "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Itachi quickly casted the hand signs as his susanoo shot multiple enormous fireballs at Aizen. Aizen stopped his incantation as several fireballs the size of small meteors flew towards him. Aizen teleported away as the fireballs vaporized the cliff he was just standing on.


    "Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo yelled from behind Aizen. Aizen turned around too late as a large wave of black reiatsu dug into his back and pushed him into another mountain, destroying the mountain in the process.


    From the debris of the mountain, Aizen''s reiatsu burst and flared up even further. Itachi and Ichigo watched as Aizen walked out of the dust cloud. His face was now completely black and the tips of his wings grew mouths. He no longer had the appearance of a human but instead, a monster.


    "You may have bested me, but my power will continue to grow!" Aizen gloated. From one of the mouths on his wings, he fired a condensed fiery ball of reiatsu at Ichigo and Itachi. Itachi quickly summoned the Yata Mirror on his Susanoo and deflected the blast away from them. In the distance, what appeared to be a giant mushroom shaped explosion incinerated the landscape.


    "Kurosaki. We can''t afford to let Aizen keep growing at this rate. I have a plan for removing the Hogyoku from him, but you''ll need to hit him with your strongest attack. If something happens to me, do not worry and continue fighting. It''s part of the plan." Itachi said.


    Aizen quickly charged in at the two of them. Ichigo charged towards Aizen, clashing swords with him briefly as Ichigo vanished while Itachi swung down with his Susanoo''s blade, creating a large ravine in the earth. Aizen emerged from the dust of the impact and flew up the Susanoo''s arm before Itachi had time to pull back. As he was about to make contact with the head of the Susanoo, Ichigo appeared behind Aizen, cutting him in the back. However, Aizen''s wound healed instantly as he knocked Ichigo back with a kick before reaching his arm through the Susanoo''s head, grabbing Itachi out of his Susanoo and causing the Susanoo to disperse.


    As Aizen grabbed Itachi by the neck, he and Aizen locked eyes one more time as an evil grin formed on Aizen''s inhuman face.


    "Your eyes are useless against me!" Aizen yelled as he slashed Itachi in half from the head down.

 Chapter 72 - Ascension

    "Itachi!" Ichigo exclaimed as he appeared behind Aizen and tried to slash him, only for Aizen to turn around and block his slash with his own.


    "One pest out of my way. Only you remain, Kurosaki Ichigo." Aizen and Ichigo continued clashing swords before Ichigo powered through and pushed Aizen away.


    "I''ve had enough of you Aizen¡­" Ichigo said coldly as he raised his zanpakuto in front of him. "I''ll show it to you now...the Final Getsuga Tenshou."


    Ichigo''s reiatsu exploded in a tower of black, white, and blue energy that swirled around him. Aizen observed silently as he watched Ichigo''s transformation. The top black jacket that Ichigo wore was replaced with wrapped bandages and his orange hair turned black and grew to his waist. Black reiatsu constantly spilled out of Ichigo''s arms and body and floated up in the air. Despite Aizen''s ascended state, he was perplexed as to why he still could not sense Ichigo.


    "This...This is impossible! You, a mere human could have never surpassed me!" Aizen exclaimed.


    Ichigo remained silent as he raised his right arm in the air. In his closed hand, a thin black stream of highly condensed reiatsu shot up into the sky.


    "Mugetsu."


    Ichigo swung his arm down as the thin black stream cut straight to Aizen and turned the brightness of the day dark briefly before it dissipated. Aizen, with his body cut in half, fell to the ground as Ichigo also descended back onto the ground.


    Ichigo watched Aizen''s body stitch itself back up as the bandages around him began to crumble and fade. Aizen began to slowly stand up as Ichigo''s long black hair faded away into his regular orange hair. Ichigo fell slowly to the ground on his knees as he felt his shinigami powers vanishing.


    "Kurosaki Ichigo, you have lost." Aizen said as he approached Ichigo with his zanpakuto in his hand slowly crumbling away. "Even the Hogyoku has determined that I no longer need a zanpakuto. It''s over for you, Kurosaki-"


    Just as Aizen was speaking, A bright orange blade pierced straight into Aizen''s ?h?st before he had a chance to finish the sentence. Aizen coughed up a large amount of blood and slowly turned his head to see Itachi inside of his armored Susanoo.


    "How?! How are you still alive! I watched you die with my very own eyes! Your reiatsu completely vanished. Your illusions do not work on me. But why?! Why are you standing here before me!" Aizen yelled out in confusion and rage. Itachi did not reply as the Totsuka Blade began to absorb Aizen''s body.


    "No...this can''t be happening! The Hogyoku''s will! My will! Why is this-" Aizen''s last words were cut short as Itachi''s Totsuka blade fully sealed Aizen away inside of it. On the ground where Aizen was originally standing, a small bead remained. Itachi''s Susanoo dispersed as he slowly walked up to it.


    "So this is the Hogyoku¡­" Itachi picked up the small bead and looked at it with his sharingan before walking over to Ichigo and helping him up.


    "Thanks, Itachi." Ichigo said as he shakily stood up. As he looked at Itachi, he noticed the iris in his left eye had turned completely white. "Your eye. What happened?"


    "It''s a technique that I used as a last resort, much like your Final Getsuga Tenshou. When Aizen killed me, I activated a technique that allowed me to rewrite my death." Itachi replied.


    "Rewrite your death, That''s insane! Well maybe Inoue can restore it back." Ichigo suggested.


    "Maybe...but I don''t know." Itachi replied. Ichigo noticed his expression and decided to change the topic.


    "What happened to Aizen." Ichigo asked.


    "He can no longer be killed, so I trapped him for eternity." Itachi replied.


    ''Although we won this time, if a similar situation arises, how long will I be able to fight. I may be strong, but I cannot bring out my full strength. My mangekyo is no longer usable. The only path left to grow stronger is to awaken my Zanpakuto.'' Itachi thought to himself.


    Just then Itachi felt a faint light coming from the Hogyoku, it slowly enveloped his body and disappeared almost instantly. It continued streaming the light inside his body for a few moments before stopping.


    ''What was that'' Itachi thought as he noticed a faint change in his body. However, before he was able to study it properly, a figure came from behind.


    "What an interesting technique, Uchiha! And good job both of you." A voice said from behind them. Itachi and Ichigo turned around and saw Urahara standing behind them.


    "It''s quite unfortunate I never got a chance to use the kido I developed specifically to seal Aizen away. But it all worked out in the end." Urahara said. "By the way, Uchiha, what happened to the Hogyoku?"


    "I have it right here." Itachi replied as he opened his hand and showed it to Urahara.


    "I''ll be taking that then. I will properly dispose of it this time so we don''t have another situation like Aizen''s." Urahara responded. Itachi nodded and walked to Urahara. As he reached over to hand it to him, the Hogyoku was still glowing. The moment he passed it on to Urahara, it stopped glowing.


    ''This!..'' Urahara noticed the brief gleam in the Hogyoku before it dissiapitated. It seemed as if Hogyoku had provided Itachi with some power. Even though Urahara had created it, he was still baffled at Hogyoku''s nature. It was definitely something he had to destroy before someone else tried to steal it.


    As the group discussed the battle, a few figures ran in from the distance.


    "Kurosaki, Uchiha!" Orihime exclaimed as she ran over with Renji, Rukia, Chad and Uryu who had also followed.


    "Lieutenant, are you alright?" Rukia said as she rushed over.


    "I am fine." Itachi replied. The group sighed in relief seeing the two of them alright.


    "Inoue!" Ichigo said as he rushed over. "Can you try to heal Itachi?"


    "Uchiha, what''s wrong with him?" Orihime asked. She was confused at Ichigo''s question. When she looked over Itachi''s body, there weren''t any significant injuries.


    "His eye, are you able to heal his eye?" Ichigo asked.


    "I''ll try." Orihime said as she walked over to Itachi. "Please relax. Soten Kisshun!" She said as a golden light enveloped around Itachi. She healed his external injuries, however, his eye remained unchanged. She continued for a few minutes, failing to get any results. She eventually stopped and shook her head apologetically.


    "I am sorry Uchiha, for some reason, I can''t heal your eye."


    "That''s alright-" Itachi was about to reply when he suddenly felt an intense pain shooting through his body. He could no longer and think fell forward, passing out.


    -------


    The next day


    Itachi once again woke up in Urahara''s store. He felt that his left eye and body were different. He looked around but there was no one there. Just as he was pondering what happened to him, the door opened.


    "Uchiha, you''re awake. That was sooner than I thought" Urahara said as he walked in.


    "How long was I out?" Itachi asked.


    "Just a few days." Urahara replied. However, he had a strange expression on his face as he looked at Itachi.


    "What happened?" Itachi asked. Why was he just staring at him?


    "Your eye¡­" Urahara said and he handed a nearby mirror.


    Itachi quickly grabbed the mirror and looked into it. His left was no longer the sharingan. It had a purple, concentric ripple-like pattern which spread over his eyeball. ''This is the Rinnegan!?''


    Itachi was shocked. How did he suddenly awaken the Rinnegan. He thought about everything that had occurred before finally coming to a conclusion. He turned to Urahara who was still looking at him.


    "This is from the Hogyoku?" Itachi asked.


    "That''s right. It seems that when you held the Hogyoku, it had briefly accepted you as its owner and healed your eye. All though, I do not know why it changed. I''d ?ssume it has something to do with your own background. " Urahara deduced.


    "But why did Hogyoku accept me as its owner?" Itachi asked.


    "That¡­ I don''t know." Urahara replied. "There were still many things I did not understand about the Hogyoku. The Hogyoku that Aizen had merged with mine enhanced its abilities. I still don''t know enough. For now just accept it. Think of it as a gift." Itachi nodded before laying back down. That was not the only changed he had felt in his body and he still felt tired. He closed his eyes to sleep, when he suddenly found himself surrounded by trees.


    All around Itachi, were deciduous trees with red leaves and black trunks. In front of him, was a stone path with leaves of various shades of red scattered across it. Not knowing where else to go, Itachi followed the path in the unknown forest.


    After walking a short while, the forest opened up into a clearing. Above him was the dark night sky with a full moon and no clouds in sight. In front of him at the center of the clearing, was a familiar structure. In terms of appearance, it looked like the Uchiha shrine but the entrance was blocked off. In front of the shrine, was a lone figure, with his back to Itachi facing the shrine.


    "Who are you?" Itachi asked. There is a brief moment of silence as the figure did not respond. After a short moment, the figure turned its head to Itachi, meeting his gaze. As the two locked eyes, Itachi''s eyes widened as he saw the eyes of the figure were his Mangekyou Sharingan.


    "I have no name."

 Chapter 73 - Future Chapters

    Thank you all who have supported this fanfic up to this point. Going on another break but there I don''t have a specific time period because life.


    For the planning, the Fullbring arc will be brought up briefly but not used for Itachi. The Thousand Year Blood War arc will be where Itachi truly shines and will be mass uploaded.


    Feel free to use this chapter as a Q&A.

 Chapter 74 - Itachis Love Life Poll

    Which Bleach waifu did you guys want Itachi to get with. Give the name and the reason. In past chapter comments, I see a lot of shippings but I want to see who the community most agrees with all in one poll.


    Update on the novel: It''s been slow but it''s being worked on. Still in the outlining process as a lot of the events change.