Eyes of the Soul

by operation meteor

Passing beyond the veil, Itachi finds himself in an afterlife that is far from the hellfire he'd steeled himself for. With a chance encounter involving a pervy sage, a Flash Goddess and a healer whose angelic appearance hides more than a hint of steel, the bane of the Uchiha Clan finds a chance at a second life... and perhaps redemption. Slow burn. M for language and violence.

15. Chapter 15

Author's Notes: Hello there! Sincere apologies for the long wait with this one! I hadn't originally meant for it to take this long, but given that it's now close to Halloween and this chapter does feature a haunted city, I'd say the timing's quite fitting. Not intentional on my part, but a nice little happy accident.

Well, I've got nothing further to say until the post chapter author's notes, so I'll get out of your hair.

Enjoy!

Chapter Fifteen: Fire and Lightning

A few months later…

Squaring off against his old friend, his hand hovering over the handle of his Zanpakutō, Itachi gave Shisui a nod. "Ready?"

Squad Two's Tenth Seat smirked, his hand likewise positioned to draw his sword at the drop of a hat. "You really have to ask?"

The two of them then turned to Visaelya, who had her right hand raised. "If you're both prepared, then three… two… one…"

She then dropped her hand in a swift chopping motion. "Begin!"

The two former Shinobi drew their blades so fast that they were little more than twin streaks of silver. The song of clashing steel resoundingly rang out as the two swords met, and both men quickly found themselves in a classic blade lock. Each one pushed against the other, testing their opponent's resolve and looking for an opening.

After a few seconds, Itachi felt Shisui begin to give ground. Another fighter would've pressed the advantage, but Itachi immediately saw it for what it really was; bait. If he pushed forward, he'd overextend himself, and Shisui would gain a quick and easy win. Itachi had no intention of making things easy for his old friend today.

Instead he pulled back and allowed Shisui to go on the offensive. In response, Itachi focused on a tight defense, deflecting incoming blows while minimizing his energy expenditure. All the while, he patiently waited for an opening.

He got one a few moments later when Shisui capped off his sequence of strikes by bringing his sword down hard in a powerful overhand attack. Rather than parry, Itachi sidestepped the blow entirely. Pivoting on his left foot and adding centrifugal force to his counterattack, he whirled around and made a swift horizontal slash. Shisui quickly brought his blade up, but he was only able to manage a last-second block rather than a clean parry.

Now Itachi could go on the offensive, and he did not let this opening go to waste. His assault was swift and efficient, focusing on precise attacks designed to probe his adversary's defenses and gradually pick them apart. He struck from both high and low, doing everything he could to keep Shisui guessing as to what his real target was.

Unfortunately for Itachi, Shisui was hardly a stranger to sparring with him. The two of them knew each other's moves practically as well as their own, and that was knowledge neither would hesitate to take advantage of. As Itachi made a low sweep with his blade, Shisui simply left over it, his sword already raised for an attack. Itachi had to roll to the right to avoid the strike, but in the process, he was forced back on the defensive.

The two of them went back and forth like this for a few minutes, shifting seamlessly between attacking and defending as the situation called for. The years they'd spent training together as Shinobi had given them similar fighting styles, and now that they could spar together as fellow Soul Reapers of Squad Two, they could apply that knowledge to their Zanjutsu. This led to a beautiful sort of symmetry between the two combatants that let them fight each other on almost an instinctive level. Even though they were dueling with real blades, neither was concerned about hurting their opponent; they knew each other too well for that.

Deflecting a diagonal slash from Shisui, Itachi countered with a thrust aimed at his friend's shoulder. His opponent caught the attack and redirected it before following up with a thrust of his own, but Itachi swiftly brought his blade back up into a guard position and returned the favor. Both young men shared a small smile as the duel continued; despite the difference in rank and power, when it came to pure technique, they were evenly matched.

The unspoken rule of the fight was that the Tenth Seat wouldn't employ his Shikai, and Itachi knew that he wouldn't use his Sharingan either since they had Visaelya as an observer. Even had they been fighting privately, though, Itachi was certain that Shisui would keep the duel to one of pure Zanjutsu; the two of them respected each other too much for his friend to take advantage of the fact that he had the Sharingan and Itachi did not in a friendly sparring match like this.

Shisui chuckled as he deflected a slash from Itachi. "Just like old times, right?"

Itachi nodded as he pressed his assault. "Different weapons, but apart from that, yeah."

"You two fought like this often?" asked Visaelya from the sidelines.

"You bet!" Shisui replied as he fell back while fending off Itachi's attacks, "Itachi was my favorite sparring partner back when we were Shinobi!"

"That's because I was the only one who could keep up with you," said Itachi as he shifted to a series of low thrusts aimed at Shisui's legs.

Shisui angled his blade downward, expertly intercepting the strikes without losing his footing. He then swung his blade upwards, forcing Itachi to deflect lest he risk taking a slash on the chest. That gave Shisui the window he needed to reclaim the initiative, and he seized it without hesitation.

The song of clashing steel intensified as they picked up the pace. Itachi could sense the duel building towards its climax, and his eyes darted about as he searched for the slimmest possible opening. The two of them locked blades again, and after a few seconds of pushing back and forth both fighters broke off. They then both charged forward again, and in the blink of an eye the tips of their blades were pointed at each other's throats.

Visaelya stepped forward, and despite her effort to keep an aloof demeanor her eyes had still widened slightly at end result of the duel. "A draw…"

Itachi and Shisui both lowered their swords simultaneously and gave each other a respectful nod. It wasn't a win, but it was still an outcome that Itachi could graciously accept.

"Well done," he said.

Shisui nodded. "Same to you. Want to grab a drink? The lunch rush at that teahouse by the barracks should be over by now."

"Sounds good to me," Itachi answered before turning towards Visaelya, "Want to come along?"

Squad Two's Eighteenth Seat nodded. "Sure. I didn't have any pressing plans today."

Shisui smiled as the three of them headed towards the exit of the training yard. "It was nice of the Captain to align our schedules so the three of us would have the same day off. Too bad your mom's already left for the day, Itachi; you said she likes this place, right?"

Itachi nodded. "She enjoyed it when the two of us went there last week. Unfortunately, she didn't have as much free time today as she did previously; she had to head back to the Academy early in order to get her homework done."

"It sounds like the advanced track hasn't gotten any easier since we graduated," said Visaelya, "I hope your mother is not overwhelmed by the workload."

Itachi shook his head as they passed through the gate of the barracks. "She's all right. It's more just a matter of her getting used to being a student again. After all, her Shinobi Academy days were a long time ago, and the curriculum of Shin'ō Academy is a different beast altogether."

"At least she's off to a good start," said Shisui, "I think she'll do just fine once she properly settles in."

Itachi was certainly hoping so, and all signs so far seemed to point to that being the case. Yoruichi hadn't been proctoring the entrance exams this year, but she had taken part in reviewing the results, and she'd seemed quite happy with how his mother had performed. The training she'd gotten from Minerva in the leadup to the tests had definitely paid off, and now her Academy lessons would further hone and refine her abilities.

The three of them reached the teahouse a few minutes later. Stepping inside, Itachi saw that it was relatively empty; with the lunch rush already wrapped up, business likely wouldn't pick back up until evening rolled around. That wasn't to say that the establishment was completely empty, though, as a certain familiar voice attested to.

"Hey, Itachi!" called Jiraiya, waving from a nearby table, "Fancy seeing you here!"

Visaelya's eyes widened. "Jiraiya? What are you doing here?"

"This teahouse is a bit out of your way," Shisui pointed out, "I'm pretty sure the Squad Eight barracks have similar establishments nearby."

Jiraiya smiled. "What, am I not allowed to swing by and say hello? Come on, join me! I just got the table; it'd be a shame to keep it to myself."

Itachi nodded. "All right, then."

The three of them sat down and ordered their drinks. As the waitress left, Itachi turned back to Jiraiya.

"Did you really come out this way just to visit?" he asked.

Jiraiya chuckled. "And here I thought we were friends! What's with the suspicion?"

"You have to admit that it's unusual," said Visaelya, "Squads Two and Eight don't usually have much to do with each other unless the former's scouting for the latter, and we've engaged in no recent joint operations with your division."

"I'm actually here mostly for Itachi," Jiraiya replied with a mischievous grin, "You see, my division's Captain happened to be the one charged with proctoring this year's entrance exams… and apparently there was a very interesting applicant. Itachi, you wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"Why ask questions that you already know the answer to?" Itachi countered, hardly in the mood for Jiraiya's games.

Squad Eight's Seventeenth Seat laughed. "Man, you really need to lighten up a bit! I would've thought that reuniting with your mother might improve your mood a little. Guess that was too much to ask."

"How did you find out?" asked Itachi, "I know the nobility was gossiping about Yoruichi having her family host her, but she did manage to keep a lid on her real identity."

Shisui's eyes narrowed. "It was Captain Kyōraku, wasn't it? He probably noticed the family resemblance and put it together."

Jiraiya nodded. "You got it. He seemed quite taken with her, and after I got a peek, I can't say I blame him! Your mother's a real beauty, Itachi!"

Itachi shot him a withering glare. "Define 'peek'… and define it carefully, Jiraiya."

Visaelya looked absolutely mortified at the implication. "Jiraiya! Don't tell me you…"

Jiraiya held up his hands in surrender. "Whoa, easy there! It wasn't anything like that, I promise! My Captain asked me to help out with the new student orientation; since I'm a recent graduate myself, he thought it'd be good to for the freshmen to interact with someone who could better relate to them. That's where I met your mother, and believe it or not, she was the one that made the first move! You've got no one to blame but yourself, Itachi; she said you told her that I was a friend of yours, and she wanted to meet me herself."

"I don't think the word 'friend' ever came up in our conversation when I spoke of you," Itachi deadpanned.

Shisui chuckled. "That sounds a bit harsh, Itachi!"

"I'd expect nothing less," said Jiraiya, "Look, don't worry. I know what my reputation is, but I've got some rules. I'm not going to try anything with your mother, Itachi… even though the temptation is definitely there!"

Itachi sighed; Jiraiya's 'research' habits aside, he knew when the Legendary Sannin was being serious. "Did she look like she was doing okay? The two of us have spoken since the entrance exams, but I know she wouldn't want me to worry, so she wouldn't have mentioned if anything was amiss."

Jiraiya smiled. "She looked just fine, Itachi. More than that, even. She was the life of the group while I was there; I think being back in school is making her feel young again! You've got nothing to worry about."

Itachi allowed himself a small smile. "Good… thanks."

Visaelya shot a scowl at Jiraiya. "I'm glad you were able to exercise some restraint, Jiraiya. Should you take leave of that restraint with regards to Miss Uchiha, then you will answer to me. Do I make myself clear?"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Where's this coming from?"

"Just answer me, damn it," Visaelya pressed, although not without briefly glancing at Shisui.

Jiraiya smirked; there was no way his sharp eyes had missed that little cue. "All right, all right. I take your meaning loud and clear, Little Miss Vissy."

Visaelya nodded. "Good."

The waitress returned a moment later with their drinks. Their conversation died down for a few moments as they all took sips, although it picked up again in short order.

"So, how's Squad Eight treating you?" asked Shisui.

Jiraiya smiled. "As good as always. The Captain's the best drinking partner I've had in a while. I don't know if he could take on Tsunade there, but it'd be fun to watch him try!"

"Captain Kyōraku's also a fan of your books, right?" Itachi recalled.

Jiraiya nodded. "Yup. It's made settling in easier, although I do have to deal with him badgering me to hurry up with the next volume. At least he understands the importance of my research!"

Visaelya rolled her eyes. "Given Captain Kyōraku's reputation, that does not surprise me one bit."

"Any progress with your Zanpakutō?" asked Itachi.

"Still haven't gotten the name yet," Jiraiya answered, "I'm not worried about it, though. It'll happen when it happens."

Visaelya nodded. "That's a good attitude to take."

Jiraiya smirked. "I bet the only reason you're agreeing with me is because you don't know the name of yours yet either. Am I right?"

Visaelya lowered her gaze and took a sip of her tea. She didn't say anything, but the gesture was apparently all the Legendary Sannin needed.

"Thought so," he said, "Look, don't overthink it. Just carry on like you normally would. You'll get it sooner or later."

Jiraiya then turned to Itachi. "What about you? That witch of a sword still giving you a headache?"

Does he want me to come out there and beat him within an inch of his life?

Since I told him you're a woman, he might be hoping for that.

He should be careful what he wishes for.

"I've made some progress," Itachi replied, "I still don't know her name yet, but I don't think it'll be too much longer before that changes. Call it a hunch."

Jiraiya smiled. "Is that so? Glad to hear it!"

The sage then turned to Shisui. "By the way, been meaning to ask; any luck with finding other members of your clan out in the Rukon District apart from Itachi's mother?"

Shisui shook his head. "I'm afraid not, nor have we spotted any signs of other Shinobi clans out there either."

Visaelya raised her eyebrow. "Your conducting a search for fellow Shinobi that might've passed on from your Realm of the Living? Why?"

"It's just a contingency," said Shisui, giving her a reassuring smile, "There are a lot of powerful and potentially dangerous people in the Shinobi World. Since Itachi, Jiraiya and I all were able to develop our spirit energy here after passing on and Mikoto's on track to doing the same, it stands to reason that others would be capable of that as well… and not all of them are as friendly as us."

"Is the Captain aware of this?" asked Visaelya.

"She is," Itachi answered, "As long as our search does not interfere with our primary duties as members of Squad Two, she's given our efforts her blessing."

Visaelya nodded. "I see. Is there anything I can do to help? If we find others that are like Miss Uchiha, I'd like to aid them in reaching the safety of the Seireitei and the Academy if they have the aptitude for it."

"That's very kind of you," said Jiraiya, "You don't have to stick your neck out, though. After all, this is something that involves our particular Realm of the Living."

"But it has the potential to impact the Soul Society," Visaelya countered, "Squad Two is charged with scouting and keeping an eye out for potential threats. Even if the former Shinobi we find are friendly rather than hostile, it's still well within our division's jurisdiction to seek them out and assess them."

Shisui gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "I appreciate the offer, but it's all right. This is a private matter, and we have no right to impose it on you."

It was impossible to miss the red that flashed across her face. "Well… I wouldn't consider it to be an imposition. I'd… I'd be happy to help you."

Help all of you, or just Shisui?

If I had to guess, I'd say the latter.

Well, well; the boy can learn. Fancy that.

Itachi brushed her off; he didn't feel like trading barbs with his Zanpakutō at the moment. "I don't think you realize what you're getting yourself into. Shisui's been conducting this search for years, and he's yet to find any trace of other former Shinobi in the Rukon District. My encounter with my mother was simply a coincidence, albeit a happy one. It will likely be a very long time before we pick up any solid leads on other Shinobi in the Soul Society."

"Haven't you asked your mother about that?" Visaelya countered, "She must've been looking for you and other members of your family over the past fourteen years. Surely, she's found something by now… apart from you, I mean."

Itachi shook his head. "I'm afraid she's had no luck. Given the sheer vastness of the Rukon District, let alone the rest of the Soul Society, that's hardly a surprise. Even over the span of fourteen years, it would simply be impossible for one person to cover anything more than a small fraction of that territory."

Visaelya sighed. "I see. What do you two typically look for when you're out there?"

"Clan signs and secret Shinobi signals, to start with," said Shisui, "Shinobi have all sorts of ways to communicate or send a message without making it obvious to outsiders. A variation of a common emblem, certain written characters displayed in a particular way, the name of an individual establishment; the signs are there if you know how to look for them. Since Itachi, Jiraiya and I were all Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, we're well-versed in the kinds of signals our former comrades would've used. For Shinobi from other villages, it'd be more difficult for us to discern potential secret signals, but not impossible."

"Could you teach me to do so?" asked Visaelya, "I won't be of much help to you if I don't know what I'm looking for. Besides, I'd… like to learn more about Shinobi culture."

Jiraiya chuckled as his eyes darted back and forth between her and Shisui. "I'm sure you would…"

Visaelya folded her arms and glared at him. "Do you have something to say to me, pervert author?"

"Oh, nothing!" Jiraiya replied, the faux-innocent smile on his face suggesting very much the opposite.

Shisui put a hand on Visaelya's shoulder, eager to play the role of peacekeeper. "Easy there. Look, if you really want to put this on top of your current workload, Itachi and I can give you some lessons on Shinobi. We really would appreciate the help; we just don't want you to feel like you have to do this."

Itachi nodded. "We've tried to keep affairs from our past lives from intruding upon the Soul Society, although that can be a case of easier said than done. If you really do wish to assist us, then we would gratefully welcome your support."

Visaelya smiled. "You two are more than just my comrades; you're my friends. Finding your fellow clansmen and Shinobi is clearly important to you, and I'd be honored if you let me help you."

Shisui smiled. "In that case, welcome aboard!"

"Yes," said Itachi, "and thank you. We won't forget this."

Jiraiya smirked. "Never thought we'd get you involved in Shinobi business. You'd better be ready, because we don't play by the rules of you nobles!"

Visaelya gave him a confident smile. "I'm no longer just a noble; I'm a member of Squad Two. Fighting dirty is in our job description."

She's come a long way since our little rivalry back at the Academy, Itachi mused, I wonder what greater exposure to the ways of Shinobi will do to influence her growth.

I suppose there's only one way to find out.

….

A week later…

"Thanks for coming so quickly, everyone," said Yoruichi, "Sorry for calling you all in on such short notice; the Head Captain sprung this on me out of the blue in the last meeting."

She was at the head of a long table in a meeting room that was reserved for Squad Two's officers. Given their low ranks of Sixteenth and Eighteenth Seat respectively, Itachi and Visaelya were assigned chairs that were down towards the far end of the table. This would make it a bit difficult to make their voices heard in the meeting, but Itachi was sure that Yoruichi would give the two of them a chance to speak once they caught her attention. Every single officer from Twentieth Seat to Captain was present, and Soi-Fon hovered like a shadow just behind Yoruichi.

Even the Lieutenant's here, Itachi mused, Yoruichi usually tries to keep him as busy as possible with his Patrol Corps command and administration duties so he can't interfere with the rest of the division. If he was summoned along with the rest of us, then whatever's going on must be so big that she can't afford to completely sideline him this time.

The organization was simple; even numbered Seats were on the left side of the table, while odd-numbered Seats were on the right. This had the unusual effect of depriving the Lieutenant of his symbolic position as the Captain's right-hand and delivering that role to Third Seat Urahara instead, and Itachi was certain that not only was the gesture deliberate, but that Ōmaeda was too full of himself to notice.

A little way up the table, Itachi caught sight of Shisui. The division's Tenth Seat gave him a friendly smile and nod in acknowledgement, all he could do in such a formal setting. Since he was closer to the Captain and had much greater experience in navigating these meetings than Itachi, the Sixteenth Seat felt it was best to sit back and take his cues from his old friend for the time being.

Itachi watched as Yoruichi turned to her bodyguard. "I think we can get started now. Soi-Fon, if you'd be so kind?"

Soi-Fon nodded. "Of course, Lady Yoruichi."

She went to the wall behind the Captain, and Itachi spotted what appeared to be a very long rolled up scroll hanging from it. There was a string attached to it, and when Soi-Fon pulled it the scroll unfurled, revealing a large map of the Soul Society. It was one of the most elaborate such maps that Itachi had seen in his relatively brief time in the afterlife; not only were all of the subdivisions of the Rukon District labeled, but it extended outwards to account for the Principalities of the Five Great Noble Houses and much of The Wild.

Soi-Fon then stepped away from the map, and Yoruichi moved to take her place. Grabbing a long and slender wooden stick that had been leaning against the wall, she used it to gesture at a location to the east, a little more than two-thirds of the way along the main road from the Rukon District to the eastern Principality of the Drakken Clan. From where Itachi was sitting, it appeared to be situated in one of the central passes of the Red Cap Mountains.

He heard Visaelya gasp, and as he glanced at her he saw her face pale ever so slightly. "No way…"

"What is it?" he whispered, less than encouraged by her reaction.

"Menar Issilaya…" she murmured, although it was hard to tell if she was answering Itachi or talking to herself.

Looking back up the table, Itachi realized that Visaelya wasn't the only one who appeared apprehensive. More than a few of the assembled officers exchanged troubled looks, and even the normally easy-going Kisuke seemed rather somber. Wherever Yoruichi was pointing, it clearly wasn't a destination for the faint of heart.

Yoruichi was more than capable of reading the room, and there was no playful smirk or mischievous glint in her eyes here; the Captain was all business, which to Itachi only served to underline the seriousness of their upcoming mission. Whatever the Head Captain had assigned to Squad Two, it clearly wasn't to be taken lightly.

"Judging from the looks on your faces, it seems most of you already know what's here," she said, "For those of you unfamiliar with the east, this is the Luminous Pass… or at least, that's what it was known as back in its heyday. Now it goes by the name most you have probably heard; the Shadow Pass. Here lies what's left of what was once a city of the old kingdom; the ruins of Menar Issilaya, or the Citadel of Moonlight. It's been abandoned for a good few thousand years, and nowadays has the happy little moniker of the Phantom Citadel."

Kisuke gave a bitter chuckle. "Clearly not one of the top vacation destinations in the Soul Society these days."

"That's putting it mildly," Visaelya muttered, still looking a bit rattled.

"What does the Head Captain want with a place like this?" asked Lieutenant Ōmaeda, his typically boastful confidence having taken its leave of him.

"Since the fall of the old kingdom, we've ceded too much of the Soul Society outside the Rukon District and the Principalities to The Wild," Yoruichi replied as she returned the stick to its previous place and moved back to the head of the table, "At the direction of the Central Forty-Six, the Thirteen Court Guard Squads have been charged with establishing a series of outposts, some of which could eventually evolve into large-scale settlements. Squad Two's role in this initiative is to scout out suitable locations, and the Head Captain wants us to start here."

Itachi caught Shisui's eye, and the Tenth Seat then leaned forward to get Yoruichi's attention. "Captain, any chance you could tell those of us who are unfamiliar with the east why this particular location is our starting point?"

Yoruichi nodded, her gaze briefly meeting Itachi's; she'd already figured out that Shisui was acting as an intermediary for him here. "Of course. While the city fell towards the beginning of the last millennium of the old kingdom's reign, rumor is that the citadel itself remains intact. Granted, the source of this rumor is the same as that of its new name; word of mouth from the few terrified survivors of groups that attempted to loot the city itself after its fall, so take that with a big grain of salt."

"And… how did it fall?" asked a nervous female voice.

The source was a rather short and slender young woman sitting to Visaelya's left. With her raven hair tied up in a small bun and her almond eyes wider than usual with worry, Twentieth Seat Aika Hirata was an unusual fit for Squad Two, at least in terms of personality. Shy, sweet and modest, she hardly seemed the type at first glance who would join a division that was known for being the scouts, spies, assassins and jailors of the Soul Society. Having graduated the year before Itachi and Visaelya, she was an intelligent and diligent young woman, and Itachi had soon realized that the only reason she'd remained at the bottom of the seated officer rankings in the division was because of a distinct lack of self-confidence. Hohō and Kidō were her strong points, and while her abilities with Hakuda were decent enough it was her skill in Zanjutsu that was the biggest source of doubt for her. The very act of drawing her sword seemed to be one that filled her with an unusual amount of apprehension, and while Itachi could appreciate a healthy level of respect and fear for their blades given their inherently violent purpose, hers went a bit too far. In the training yard her stance was always shaky, and the few times Itachi had sparred against her it had taken just a few quick exchanges to break through her guard, and that had been with him holding back considerably.

Yoruichi sighed. "That's the thing, Aika; no one knows for sure. The most common guess over the years has been a large-scale surprise attack by Hollows, but honestly, that never really sat right with me. It's plausible, sure, but it wouldn't really explain what's been reported by the few people who have survived heading out there since the attack."

Aika gulped. "What's been… reported?"

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed. "That the city remains haunted by its former denizens. If it had been a large Hollow attack, this wouldn't be the case; the inhabitants would've simply been devoured. From what I can tell, the handful of survivors from looting parties or curious bands of explorers spent their time jumping at shadows even during the day, and when night fell… supposedly that's when the real horror began. According to them, vengeful specters emerged and fell upon them, still wielding the armor and weapons of the city's ancient defenders. The citadel tower itself would radiate in the night, and this light was supposedly more terrifying than the attackers themselves. One survivor was so traumatized that the only words out his mouth from that day forward were warnings of the 'phantom lord' that now ruled the citadel, which is where the new name for the city comes from."

Across the table from Itachi, Rija folded her arms; the Fifteenth Seat looked rather skeptical. "How much stock can we put in the ravings of would-be grave robbers?"

Yoruichi shrugged. "Hard to say. Something scared them the hell off, though… and whatever it is works on more than just people. Isn't that right, Visaelya?"

Itachi glanced at his friend, who gave their Captain a nod. "That's right, Lady Yoruichi. Since Menar Issilaya isn't too far from the Drakken Clan's Principality, members of my family have ridden their dragons out that way to investigate the ruins from above. They've all reported the same thing; their mounts would not dare descend into the Shadow Pass, regardless of how hard the rider tried to push them. They refused to fly anywhere close to visual range of the Phantom Citadel. Every new generation of the family makes an attempt, and all end the same way. That's why, for us, the Shadow Pass goes by another name; the Pass of Dragons' Fear."

"An apt name," Yoruichi replied, "It's not just dragons who won't approach it, either. Horses stay out, as do any other animal one might use for a mount. In fact, most animal life in general won't go near the pass, and if the would-be looters are to be believed, the few that do will not dare to enter the city. Plants still grow in the area, and a river runs past the city flowing into the east, but that's it."

"And the Head Captain serious expects us to be able to establish an outpost in a place like this?" asked a deep male voice from further up the table.

Sitting across from Shisui, the speaker was Ninth Seat Mindiwo Opolo. A tall, imposing and well-muscled figure, Mindiwo definitely stood out in a crowd. His dark skin was contrasted with a series of bright, swirling crimson tattoos that covered the right side of his face, going down his neck and dominating his upper torso. While definitely intimidating at first glance, Itachi had actually found him to be quite friendly, if a little on the reserved side. He could often be found meditating while off duty, and more than once Itachi had seen birds casually land on his shoulders while he was in a deep trance. One would never guess at his inherently peaceful nature when they saw him fight, though; his Zanjutsu form was disciplined and powerful, a relentless hammer that would methodically beat at an opponent's defenses until he discovered that decisive crack in their protection that would win him the day. His Hakuda was nothing to sneeze at either, and his Hohō skills were definitely a few steps above average. Kidō was his only deficiency, with anything more than simple low-level spells being an immense struggle for him.

"It's hardly ideal," Yoruichi conceded, "Definitely not the first place on my list to scout for a future base, that's for sure. Its supposedly intact infrastructure is probably why the Central Forty-Six wants the Head Captain to consider it. Either way, it's been left alone for far too long. The Head Captain's orders are thus; Squad Two is to mount a thorough scouting expedition of the Shadow Pass and the ruins of Menar Issilaya. We're to determine if the area can be made safe for at least the establishment of an outpost, and if possible, to figure out what actually caused the fall of the city the first time around. If there's still a threat in the area, we have to assess it. We'll eliminate it if it's within our power to do so, and if not, we withdraw and report back to the Head Captain who will see to the matter personally."

Kisuke whistled. "The old man's really serious about this one."

"He's got some pretty heavy pressure coming down from the Central Forty-Six," Yoruichi pointed out, "You know how those geezers are; even two millennia later, surviving remnants of the old kingdom make them nervous. They're probably hoping that we'll find something out there they can use as a pretext to have the Head Captain turn those ruins into ash and charred bits of stone."

Kisuke rolled his eyes. "What a waste."

"If part of our goal is to determine how the city fell thousands of years ago, will this be a joint operation with Squad Twelve?" asked Shisui, "That sort of task falls more in Captain Hikifune's area of expertise than ours."

Yoruichi shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I tried to convince the Head Captain to bring Squad Twelve in on this one, but he's got Kirio working a separate research expedition out west. She'll be unavailable for the next few months at least, and the assignment's tying up quite a bit of her division's resources. The rest are minding the barracks and archives, so we're not going to get any help here. Archaeology's only a secondary objective for us as far as I'm concerned; recon and threat assessment are our top priorities here."

Rija smiled. "So, who's up for this one?"

"The Head Captain was clear; he wants this expedition to be Squad Two's immediate priority," said Yoruichi, "I'll be leading the expedition personally, and most of you here will be tagging along. Lieutenant Ōmaeda, you'll be in charge of things here while I'm gone."

The Lieutenant seemed less than pleased by this development. "What? Captain, this isn't right! I should be out in the field getting glory with the rest of you!"

Yoruichi shot him a withering glare; she was in no mood for games. "Have you forgotten your responsibilities, Lieutenant? As head of the Patrol Corps, internal Seireitei security is your primary mission. If you're no longer up to the duties of your position, then perhaps I should begin considering your replacement. What do you think?"

That was all that was needed to bring Marenoshin back into line. "N-no, Captain! T-that's not necessary! I-I can assure you that I'll maintain our internal patrols according to the highest possible standards in your absence!"

Yoruichi smirked in satisfaction. "Good. I look forward to reading your report upon my return, so make sure you keep things orderly around here. I'll have a few officers assigned to support you in running the barracks, so your workload won't be too severe."

The Lieutenant bowed his head. "Thank you for your generosity, Captain Shihōin!"

Thanking her for sidelining him, Itachi mused, Lieutenant Ōmaeda's completely out of his league when it comes to her.

You're enjoying this, aren't you?

Are you telling me you're not?

Oh, hardly. Seeing an oaf with delusions of grandeur put in his place is always a pleasure.

That's what I thought.

"We'll be leaving the day after tomorrow," said Yoruichi, "Given the distance involved and all the supplies we'll have to drag along on this trip, not to mention how long we could be in the Shadow Pass once we get there, I'm afraid we'll likely be gone for several months at least. We should be able to supplement our provisions along the way through foraging parties, but once we get to the Shadow Pass, we might not have that option. Make whatever personal preparations you need to quickly. If you're not ready at dawn when the time comes, you're getting left behind."

….

Two days later…

Night had fallen an hour or so ago, and Yoruichi was making one last round through the camp before turning in. Her division had made great progress on the first day of its trip; they were well clear of the Rukon District, having taken the Great East Road at quite a brisk pace considering all the supplies they had with them. Their camp had been established in a clearing off to the right of road, surrounded on three sides by thick woods. Even now, Yoruichi had scouts out there amongst the trees; no one would be catching Squad Two unawares if she could help it.

If our progress over the next few weeks mirrors today's, things should go well, she thought, I know the Great East Road was redirected after the fall of Menar Issilaya, but the original sections of the road near the Red Cap Mountains approaching the Shadow Pass should still be usable. Until we reach the mountains, our only concerns should be bandits, Hollows, and the wildlife.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't concerned. The fall of the Citadel of Moonlight was one of the great unsolved mysteries of the Soul Society, and while she understood the Head Captain's reasons for sending her out to investigate the city and the surrounding region that didn't mean she was thrilled about the assignment. There were far too many unknowns at play for her liking, and even though she intended to scout the Shadow Pass as well as possible before entering the ruins of the city she was still aware that a lot could go wrong.

She needed someone to relax with a bit before calling it a night, someone to help her keep her mind at ease until the time came to actually worry. Normally she'd chill out and chat with Kisuke or Soi-Fon at times like this, but tonight she found herself seeking out someone else; Itachi.

One would've thought that finally understanding his past might mean that some of the mystery and excitement surrounding her Sixteenth Seat would diminish, but Yoruichi hadn't found that to be the case at all. Sure, she knew a hell of a lot more about him than she had before, but that did nothing to lessen her fascination with the young man. In fact, the effect had been quite the opposite; she was more drawn to him now than ever before.

He wants to move forward and find a life beyond the shadows of his past, she thought with a smile, and I want him to find that, too. He's been defined by what happened with his clan for so long, but he deserves so much more than to be bound by the chains of that horrible night. Our talk that day loosened those chains; I can feel it. Reuniting with his mother pushed him even further along his new path. Where it'll ultimately take him, I can't say… but I very much want to find out!

It didn't take too long to find him; he was sitting on a patch of grass at the edge of the camp, his gaze focused down the Great East Road. What was that intriguing mind of his currently preoccupied with? Was he, like her, trying to guess what awaited them in the Shadow Pass far into the east? There was only one way to find out.

"I don't recall putting you on first watch tonight," she said as she approached him.

He looked over his shoulder at her. "My apologies. I'll be turning in soon. I won't be late when my watch comes around."

Yoruichi shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Mind if I join you for a bit?"

Itachi nodded. "Please. Your company is always welcome."

Yoruichi smirked as she sat down next to him. "Is that so? Do you say that to any pretty girl that comes your way?"

Much to her surprise, he actually gave her a small smirk of his own. "Only the ones that know who I really am and what I've done."

Was he actually flirting with her? This was an unusual development, albeit one that Yoruichi was quite welcoming of if it were indeed the case.

"Oh, really?" she purred, "I can't think of too many girls that fit that description. Only two come to mind; me and your mother. I'm not sure how to take that."

"Consider yourself part of a very exclusive club, then," he replied without missing a beat, "Take it however you wish."

Yoruichi giggled. "In that case, I guess that makes me one of the two luckiest women in the Soul Society! I'm pretty happy with that. How is Mikoto doing, anyway? You paid a visit to the Academy yesterday, and I can only think of one reason why."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "I thought I'd slipped away without anyone noticing."

Yoruichi winked. "I've got my eye on you, Itachi! Former Shinobi or not, you can't slip away from Squad Two quite that easily."

Itachi chuckled. "I suppose not. I presume one of the Stealth Forces members you have monitoring the Academy mentioned me?"

Yoruichi nodded. "That's right. When they told me they'd spotted you, I instantly knew what was going on. I did tell you all at the officers' meeting to make whatever personal preparations you needed to, and I guessed that you'd want to say goodbye before departing, especially given how long we'll be gone for."

"I didn't tell her what our mission is," Itachi replied, "I only told her that I'd be out on an extended field assignment. She was worried, but no more so than she had been in the past when I went out on Shinobi missions."

Yoruichi smiled. "I trust you, Itachi; I know you wouldn't reveal sensitive mission information, even to family. I'm glad you took the chance to go see your mother. Has she fully settled into the Academy?"

"Yes," he answered with a small smile of his own, "and she's enjoying it immensely. Learning how to properly wield her power, making new friends… I think she's having the time of her life. Well, afterlife, that is."

"Glad to hear it," she said, "Both of you deserve some happiness after what happened to you. If her studies are going well, so much the better."

Itachi gave her a knowing look. "Should I be looking forward to having my mother as a subordinate in six years' time?"

Yoruichi smirked. "Maybe!"

"I'm all for her joining Squad Two upon graduation," said Itachi, "That being said, is it really a good idea for family members to be commanding each other in such a manner? Wouldn't you be concerned about… well, favoritism?"

Yoruichi shrugged. "With most people, I would. You've handled yourself exceptionally well since coming to my division, so I'm not concerned with your conduct under such circumstances. I suppose my only worry would be that you'd hold her back out of a desire to protect her."

Itachi nodded, apparently deciding that there was no point in hiding his thoughts on the matter from her. "You're right. If I were place in direct command of her… I'd likely be overly cautious."

Yoruichi gave him a pat on the back. "It's because you're determined to keep her safe, especially given what happened fourteen years ago. That's a perfectly normal emotional response, Itachi. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I recognize that," he replied, "but it's also why I shouldn't be allowed to directly command her; I'm emotionally compromised there. I think you understand that as well as I do."

Yoruichi sighed. "No getting around it, I suppose. Ultimately, the division your mother joins depends on the offers she gets at the recruitment exhibition, but based on what I've heard so far, I can pretty much guarantee you that I'll be working hard to get her into Squad Two. Given her desire to make up for lost time with you, it wouldn't be surprising in the least if she accepts the offer I give to her when the time comes. When that happens, I will be placing her under the command of a different officer. I'll do all I can to protect her, Itachi, but I'm not going to completely shield her from risk. If she's truly determined to do her part as a Soul Reaper, then you and I have no right to deny her that."

Itachi nodded somberly. "I understand. This is her decision, and I told her that I'd respect it. Still…"

Yoruichi gave him a warm smile. "Don't worry. I won't ask anything unreasonable of her. As her Captain, it'll be my job to understand her capabilities and assign her roles that best suit them. I'll do everything in my power to make sure that she won't be put into a situation where she won't be able to handle herself."

"That's all I can ask, then," said Itachi, "Thank you, Yoruichi."

She nodded. "Of course. It's the least I can do."

She saw his gaze shift to the east, and his brow furrowed in thought. "I told you that I didn't tell my mother anything sensitive about the mission, but… well, she might've sensed my concern about it. From what you said in the meeting, this sounds like it won't be nearly as simple as the fights with Hollows that we've had in the past."

"No, it won't be," she answered grimly, "It might only be rumor and speculation at this point, but I'm positive it won't be Hollows we'll have to deal with when we reach the ruins of the city."

"That's what's bothering me," Itachi admitted, "Hollows are bad enough. What else is out there?"

Yoruichi closed her eyes for a moment, recalling one of Minerva's old lessons. "There are older and fouler things than Hollows in the realm of spirits, Itachi. The Soul Society is ancient beyond measure, no matter how much the Central Forty-Six likes to gloss over that fact. Hollows are simply one horror that feast upon souls; there are others out there that make them seem as cuddly as kittens in comparison."

"Which of those horrors are we most likely to find in the east?" asked Itachi.

Yoruichi shook her head. "I don't know. Every possibility that I think of is worse than the last, though."

Itachi nodded. "I see. Perhaps we should tackle this from a different direction. My knowledge regarding Menar Issilaya is sorely lacking. Perhaps you could help me fill in the blanks? If I have a better understanding of where we're going, maybe I can help you figure out what we might face when we arrive."

Yoruichi smiled. "Well, it can't hurt. I'm surprised Visaelya hasn't given you the rundown. I thought she was the type who liked showing off the fruits of the lessons from her family's tutors."

Itachi shook his head. "She's seemed a bit preoccupied ever since the meeting. I think the knowledge of where we're heading is weighing more heavily on her than it is on me."

"That's not too surprising," said Yoruichi, "Given its proximity to her family's Principality, Menar Issilaya and the Drakken Clan share some links. Hell, back in the day when the Shadow Pass was the Luminous Pass it was a vital trade route for them, a key part of the East Salt Way."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "East Salt Way? I thought it was the Great East Road?"

"The 'East Salt Way' is a popular nickname for it," Yoruichi replied, "The Drakken Clan's power might come from their bond with dragons, but much of their wealth is due to their abundant and productive salt mines. It's actually another reason for their rivalry with the Shihōin Clan; our Principality is the only one that can rival theirs in the salt trade. As you might imagine given the demand for luxury foods and the means to preserve them as they're shipped to the Seireitei, the salt market in the Soul Society is very lucrative."

"Is that why Menar Issilaya was initially established?" asked Itachi, "As an outpost and depot supporting the salt trade?"

"That was definitely a major factor," Yoruichi answered, "but there was more to it. Menar Issilaya was founded during the glory days of the old kingdom, and it was one of a series of cities established during that era. Apart from relieving the immense population of the Rukon District, these cities were also meant to serve as points of civilization out in The Wild; safe havens for travelers as they crisscrossed the Soul Society, as well as points from which the old kingdom could project its power. That's why the names of each of these cities began with the word 'Menar'; it's an Andunayan word that translates as either 'citadel' or 'stronghold', with the former being the more widely accepted one. As the word might imply, they were very well defended and fortified."

"Which would offer another reason as to why the Central Forty-Six designated it as the first place for the Head Captain to send us on this outpost initiative," said Itachi, "If the rumors are true and much of the city's overall structure remains intact, then it would be easier to protect once properly garrisoned and provisioned. Even if they'd rather have an excuse for the Head Captain to destroy a remnant of the old kingdom, they can't deny its potential strategic value."

Yoruichi nodded. "You're not wrong there. Anyway, a survey was done of the Luminous Pass, named so because of the unique bioluminescence displayed by much of the flora in that area under the light of the moon. Marble deposits were found, and this resource became the primary building material for the new city. The builders soon discovered that this particular vein of marble captured and brilliantly reflected moonlight, and that's why the completed city became known as Menar Issilaya; Citadel of Moonlight. Although founded primarily for economic and political purposes, word of the city's beauty, especially under the light of the full moon, meant that it quickly became a popular vacation spot and a haven for artists seeking inspiration in its radiance."

"Sounds like quite the place," Itachi commented.

Yoruichi gave a wistful smile. "It was. The city fell long before I was born, but my family maintains a significant art collection, and some of my favorite pieces to look at when I was a child were paintings of Menar Issilaya. Master artists would go to great pains to be there on nights of the full moon, and the works that resulted from their labors are absolutely breathtaking."

Itachi gave her a small smile. "I wouldn't mind the chance to see them sometime."

Yoruichi grinned. "Are you trying to get yourself invited to my family's estate? Itachi, you are a bold one!

A light shade of red briefly flashed across his face at her teasing. "I only meant… if I were ever lucky enough to go there with you."

Yoruichi laughed and gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. "Oh, Itachi… you are just way too easy to tease, you know that?"

"Something I've noticed you and my mother both enjoy," he murmured.

She put her arm around him. "Hey, now, you gotta let us girls have our fun!"

"Is that an order?" he asked.

She released him, but not before tussling his hair a bit as one final jab. "Call it a friendly suggestion. It'll take you farther than you might think!"

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, "Anyway, back to the city. Since it was close to the Drakken Clan's Principality, did they govern it?"

Yoruichi shook her head. "Not directly. They did have some pull in its affairs, but a lord appointed by the High King ultimately called the shots there. That position was made a hereditary one, and the family styled themselves the House of the Moon Tower. They didn't have much influence outside of the city and the Luminous Pass, but they were still nobility nonetheless."

"What's the Moon Tower?" asked Itachi.

"The city was divided into three sections," Yoruichi replied, "They were the Lower City, Middle City, and Upper City. The Upper City was the heart of Menar Issilaya, and its most prominent structure was a great tower that rose over four-hundred meters in height. This was not only the home of the ruling family, but also where most matters of city governance would take place. In the event of siege, the Moon Tower would serve as the command center and final redoubt. Supposedly, there were many relics of the old kingdom stored there at the time of its fall, and its archives were rumored to have one-of-a-kind manuscripts on everything from forging unique and powerful weapons to forbidden spells. Granted, a lot of this is just gossip that became popular after contact was lost."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "And there are no hints whatsoever as to what happened? No evidence of political turmoil, a natural disaster, a new subspecies of Hollows attacking, or anything of that sort?"

Yoruichi sighed. "Not a damn thing. One day, it's business as usual, and the next, silence. Trade caravans plying the East Salt Way entered the city, only to never be seen again. Travel through the pass itself became impossible except on foot, and of the few who tried, even fewer returned alive. The Luminous Pass became the Shadow Pass, with travel being diverted to safer passes to the north and south. Trade for the Drakken Principality took an initial hit, but it recovered once the northern and southern passes got their roads rebuilt and word got out about the new travel routes. Ever since then, the Shadow Pass and Menar Issilaya have been avoided by all but treasure hunters and adventurers with far more greed and guts than brains."

"And yet we're heading out there, so what does that make us?" Itachi pointed out.

"Soul Reapers with a job to do," Yoruichi replied firmly, "Believe me, I don't like this assignment, but we have our orders. At least the Head Captain gave me the discretion to pull out if things look dicey."

Itachi nodded. "For situations like this, there's no shame in withdrawal. If the situation's untenable, better to retreat and live to fight another day. Besides, if the Head Captain has orders to see to things personally if we can't handle it, we'd at least owe it to him to let him know what he'd be walking into."

Yoruichi smiled. "Spoken like a true member of Squad Two. I knew this division would be a good fit for you."

"You weren't wrong," said Itachi, "Do you know anything else about the city or the Shadow Pass?"

"Nothing solid," she admitted, "All I've got from here on out are rumors and whispers."

"That's still better than nothing," he countered, "What are the most prominent ones apart from the specters and 'phantom lord' that you mentioned during the meeting?"

Yoruichi's brow furrowed for a moment as she considered it. "Well, there's that light supposedly radiating from the tower that I mentioned back during the briefing too. I don't know how light could be considered terrifying. There's gotta be more to it than that."

"Maybe it's not 'light at all," Itachi suggested, "It could be some sort of mist or fog emanating from the tower that catches the moonlight; a corruption of the beauty the city was once known for. Maybe that mist has some sort of chemical in it that causes a powerful emotional response, in this case terror."

Yoruichi scratched her chin as she mulled it over. "Maybe. It might be something in the city as a whole, not just the tower. Perhaps some kind of gas deposit that began leaking up from beneath Menar Issilaya?"

Itachi shook his head. "A leak of toxic gas would be a gradual thing, and the inhabitants probably would've noticed something was wrong. It wouldn't explain why the whole city fell silent in less than a day. Some people surely would've managed to get out and report what was happening otherwise."

Yoruichi nodded. "You're right. Another strange rumor that made the rounds was this; survivors from looting parties in the early years after the fall of the city reported that there were no signs of human remains anywhere. Flesh would've rotted away, of course, but bones would've lingered around for a good while longer. Yet they found absolutely no organic remains whatsoever. That bit would line up with a Hollow attack, but all the other strange after-effects don't really fit the mold."

"Could Hollows have come afterwards to scavenge?" asked Itachi.

Yoruichi sighed. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. They only go after 'live' souls. The 'corpses' of souls lose any residual spirit energy pretty quickly, so to Hollows there's no point in eating them; by the time scavengers would've arrived, there would've been nothing remotely appetizing for them to feed on."

"I see," Itachi murmured.

"That actually feeds into another weird rumor," Yoruichi added, "Apparently, Hollows haven't dared enter the city since it fell."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "What's the source of this rumor?"

"Supposedly a survivor from a group of bandits," said Yoruichi, "The way the story goes, they'd just robbed a caravan in the east and were so desperate to avoid pursuit from the Drakken Clan that they fled into the Shadow Pass. Unfortunately, they'd gone straight from the frying pan to the fire; a pack of Hollows appeared and immediately fell upon them. The group got torn up pretty badly, and as the remnants fled, they came within sight of Menar Issilaya. Fear of the Hollows overrode any sort of dread that the old city might've inspired, and they ran through the open gate. The way the tale goes, the Hollows withdrew as soon as the bandits were within the city's walls, even though getting over such a dilapidated barrier would've been easy for them. Hell, the 'gate' itself was long-gone; there was just the open archway, no obstacle to entry in sight."

"Interesting," said Itachi, "What happened next?"

Yoruichi shrugged. "Those 'specters' I mentioned from the meeting supposedly reared their ugly heads at some point, and the remaining bandits were slaughtered. The sole survivor somehow managed to get out of the Shadow Pass and eventually made it all the way to the Rukon District. The tale ends with him becoming a monk at some remote shrine, meditating on the horrors he faced in the ruins of the old city."

Itachi nodded. "Quite the story."

"Yeah," Yoruichi concurred, "Of course, for all we know, it could just be bullshit. There's not exactly a wealth of evidence behind it. At this point it's really just one more ghost story in an afterlife that has more than its share of them."

Itachi actually chuckled at that. "Ghost stories in the afterlife… and here I thought I'd seen it all."

Yoruichi couldn't help but laugh. "I guess it sounds pretty weird when you word it like that!"

Itachi shook his head. "Weird is something I've been becoming more and more accustomed to since my arrival here. If you'd told me about a 'ghost city' like Menar Issilaya back when I was alive, I would've been skeptical to say the least. Now, though… well, it hardly seems implausible anymore."

"It still doesn't lessen the strangeness that surrounds this particular mission," said Yoruichi, "It'd be one thing if there were just one or two weird rumors about the Shadow Pass and the old city, but so many of them? I don't know what we're walking into, but my gut's telling me that it won't be Hollows we'll have to worry about once we arrive. Of course, we still need to keep an eye out for them just the same."

"Yes," said Itachi, "Whatever lies ahead, our duty remains the same; remain on guard, assess the situation, and watch each other's backs. As long as we keep a cool head and a watchful eye, we'll be able to carry out our mission."

Yoruichi smiled; his calm confidence was just what she needed. "You've got that right. That being said, some sleep definitely wouldn't hurt either. Our journey's only just begun, and I don't want you wearing yourself out by staying up too late every night worrying about what we might be up against. Go get some rest, Itachi."

"Very well, then," he said as he stood up, "As long as you do the same, Yoruichi."

She smirked as she rose alongside him. "I don't think you're in a position to give me orders... but I'll let it slide. Be ready to rise and shine early, Itachi; we've got a long road ahead of us."

….

Two weeks later…

Raising her Zanpakutō, Visaelya nodded at her sparring partner. "Ready, Aika?"

Her fellow Squad Two officer nodded. "Yes."

Visaelya was skeptical. The Twentieth Seat had her blade drawn and had assumed a basic opening stance, but the nervousness in her frame was impossible to miss. The moonlight glistening off the blade only seemed to emphasize the subtle shaking of the sword in her apprehensive grip.

She has a year's seniority over me, yet she's still so uncomfortable with her sword, she thought, I know the Captain has her reasons for bringing Aika along, but I'd feel a lot better if I knew she was at least at ease with her weapon.

When she had first joined the division, Visaelya had initially feared that Aika might resent her; after all, Visaelya was entering Squad Two at a higher rank than an officer who had already been under Yoruichi's command for a year longer. Thankfully, that hadn't been the case, and in fact Aika had been very welcoming of her. It was to the point that even though Visaelya had only been in Squad Two now for a handful of months, she almost felt as though the Twentieth Seat was something akin to a little sister for her. She found it hard not like the friendly if shy young woman, and that was part of why she was sparring with her now; she was worried for her and wanted to do her part to make sure she could protect herself.

She turned to Shisui, who was overseeing their training match. The Tenth Seat nodded and raised his right hand.

"All right, then," he said, "Three… two… one… begin!"

The instant he dropped his hand, Visaelya charged forward. She brought her sword down in an overhand strike, but even though she held back a considerable amount of her strength Aika was still barely able to block the attack. The Twentieth Seat attempted to counter, but Visaelya easily parried the strike and pressed the assault. It was all Aika could do to simply block Visaelya's slashes, let alone go on the offensive herself.

Perhaps I've been sparring too much with Itachi and Shisui, she mused, I keep using their level of skill as a baseline for evaluating other Soul Reapers that should be close to me in terms of ability, and I forget just how advanced the two of them are in comparison.

Visaelya was naturally competitive and would always strive for victory, but the ease at which she was dominating the fight with Aika meant it wouldn't be a win she could take pleasure in. The purpose of this match wasn't to feed her ego but help the Twentieth Seat, yet Visaelya was at a loss as to how to accomplish that. As the duel went on it was clear that Aika was struggling with more than just defending herself from Visaelya's attacks; the poor girl seemed to be fighting on two fronts, the match itself and an inner struggle with herself.

Shisui seemed to sense as much too, because he stepped in a few moments later. "That's enough. We're not going to get anywhere like this."

Aika looked down in shame. "I'm… I'm sorry."

Visaelya sighed. "Aika… we need to talk. This can't go on. I know you're gifted in Hohō and Kidō, and your Hakuda skills meet this division's standards, but your deficiency in Zanjutsu is a serious concern. It's going to get you killed!"

Aika shook her head. "I've… done all right so far without relying on my sword in battle. The Captain usually has me act as a forward scout or support caster, not a direct fighter."

"That's because she wants you to gain greater confidence in your Zanjutsu before she brings you to the front lines," Shisui countered, "What if the day comes where your back is to the wall and you have no choice but to rely on close-quarters-combat? Hakuda's a valuable skill to have in your arsenal, but your Zanpakutō is by far the most effective weapon against most Hollows that you possess."

"We might not even be fighting Hollows on this mission," Aika pointed out nervously, "You heard the Captain at the meeting; no one knows for sure what led to the fall of Menar Issilaya, and the Captain appears to believe that it's not Hollows. We probably won't encounter any at our destination."

Visaelya folder her arms. "That's naïve and wishful thinking, not to mention careless, and you know it. We must be prepared for all possible enemies at all times, Hollows first and foremost among them. Even if they may not be at our destination, they could still attack us at any moment while we're on the road. Besides, our swords can strike down more than just Hollows, and your Zanjutsu problems would remain a concern regardless of the kind of enemy we are up against."

"We're heading towards a city that not even dragons will dare approach," Shisui added, "I don't know what threats lie in store for us, but I think we'd all feel a bit better about our chances if we could have faith in everyone's combat abilities. We're your comrades, Aika; we'll look out for you and do all we can to save you if trouble arises, but you need to be able to fully take care of yourself. This irrational fear of your Zanpakutō is a fatal weakness that any enemy could exploit. I don't know what your issue with your sword is, but to have such apprehension towards it is to undermine yourself as a Soul Reaper."

"I… I know that," Aika replied softly, "Believe me… I know this is a serious problem, potentially even fatal. I want to get past this, but… it's not that simple."

"Why not?" asked Visaelya as she put her hand on Aika's shoulder, "Aika, talk to us. I could make that an order as your superior officer, as could Shisui, but I'd rather not force it out of you. I want to help you as a friend, but I can only do that if you'll let me."

Shisui smiled. "I know you doubt yourself, but you really do have great potential as a Soul Reaper. I'd like to help you realize it, and so does Visaelya. This isn't just for your safety or that of Squad Two as a whole; I want you to grow as a Soul Reaper and as person. There's clearly an underlying issue here that Visaelya and I don't understand, one that's been haunting you for some time now. Help us comprehend it so we can help you move forward."

Aika's eyes widened ever so slightly. "You two… you really do want to help me, don't you?"

"Of course," Visaelya replied, "Why wouldn't we?"

Aika looked down again. "I'm sorry, I… I'm not used to this. I'm… not good with people. I've only ever had a few friends… you're one of them. It wasn't always this way. I used to be confident, bold… like you, actually."

"Sounds like there's an interesting story here," said Shisui, "Should we sit down?"

Aika shook her head. "No, it's not that long. It's just… I haven't talked about it with anyone. Not even the Captain… although she probably already knows. What happened… it's not entirely a secret… at least, not to the Shihōin Clan."

Visaelya's eyes narrowed. "What role does the Captain's family play here?"

"My clan, the Hirata… they're vassals of the Shihōin Clan," Aika answered, "Not powerful ones; actually, we're pretty far down the hierarchy. We're a small part of the local forces that help protect the Shihōin Clan's Principality, and normally we stay out there… I think I'm the first to actually enter and graduate from the Academy as a proper Soul Reaper."

"Your parents must've been proud when they got the news," said Shisui.

Aika flinched, a gesture Visaelya had not expected. "My mother was… yes."

The fact that she only mentioned her father raised a quiet alarm for Visaelya. "What of your father?"

Aika closed her eyes for a moment, and Visaelya saw a brief tremor pass through her body before she opened them again. "My father's dead… and I'm the one that killed him."

Both Visaelya and Shisui's eyes widened. Of all the answers they could've gotten, that one wasn't what they'd been expecting. The two of them quickly recovered, and Visaelya began to suspect she knew how Aika had killed her father... and how that might be tied to her issues with her sword.

Don't jump to conclusions, she chided herself, Aika needs to go at her own pace here, and you need to hear her out.

"What happened?" asked Shisui, his tone remarkably calm and even gentle given what they'd just heard; he was clearly trying to keep this as an informal discussion between friends rather than turn it into an interrogation.

"It was about nine years ago," said Aika, "The Hirata family's position in the Shihōin Principality guard forces mostly revolves around protecting supply shipments. My father would typically command caravan escorts. It wasn't exactly prestigious work, but it was still an important job, one that our clan's taken pride in throughout our history."

Visaelya nodded. "Managing logistics is as crucial to the functioning of the Soul Society as fighting Hollows. Vassal families like yours who take part in such work don't get nearly enough credit and praise."

Aika gave her a faint smile. "That's very kind of you, Visaelya."

The Twentieth Seat sighed before continuing. "As we're charged with protecting supply shipments, our foes tend to be bandits rather than Hollows, so our weapons and tactics are tailored accordingly. Unfortunately, when your foes are human, that means you have a threat to guard against that you typically don't with Hollows; bribery. One day, a caravan my father was charged with protecting was ambushed. It quickly became apparent that the bandits' timing was too perfect, and they had full knowledge of the caravan's defenses. That was when my father's second-in-command, one of his closest friends… attempted to murder him during the confusion of battle. It turned out that he had been paid off by the bandits. My father was wounded, but he survived thanks to the intervention of a loyal guardsman. However, the caravan was ravaged, and the traitor fled with the bandits. When the few survivors reached their destination and word got out as to what had happened… the repercussions were severe."

"Was your father held responsible for the ambush?" asked Shisui.

"Yes and no," Aika replied somberly, "He was cleared of any treason charges himself, but the fact that a subordinate he knew so well had turned traitor without him suspecting a thing reflected poorly on his judgment. It called his command abilities into question, and while the need for people to protect the caravans was such that they couldn't directly remove him from his position, he soon found himself given much more menial duties. The hit to his personal reputation affected him greatly… and he turned to drinking as a result. Heavy drinking."

Visaelya grimaced; she had a feeling she knew where this was going. "I take it your father was a rather… belligerent drunk?"

Aika nodded, shuddering anew as what Visaelya assumed were no doubt horrible memories flashed through her mind. "Yes… it was terrifying. My father had been a passionate man, but he'd always loved my mother and I. That man was now gone, replaced by a bitter, foul and wrathful drunk who would lash out with no provocation whatsoever. We soon lived in utter fear of him, dreading every time he would return home. He'd… beat anyone around him… my mother and I worst of all."

"Shit…" Shisui hissed, "Aika…"

Even a daughter of great privilege like Visaelya could sympathize with the Twentieth Seat. Tales of nobles or vassals taking out a loss of prestige on those closest to them through drinking and violence weren't new to her; even the Drakken Clan wasn't immune to episodes like that, although thankfully Visaelya hadn't experienced any herself. Her parents could be prideful and aloof at times, but they both loved their daughter… or at least, they had the last time she'd spoken to them. Her entry into Squad Two as opposed to Squad Ten had shaken up her bond with her family, to put it mildly.

I'll make them understand someday, she silently told herself, I'm sure they won't let the clan give me the cold shoulder forever. We'll reconcile… but that's not important right now. Aika's story's the one that matters here, not yours. Don't insult her by distracting yourself with your own family problems.

"One night…"said Aika, her voice catching in her throat several times as she pressed forward, "it was… even worse than normal. I don't…. don't remember… what set him off. All I can recall from that night… the smell of booze on his breath… the shouting… and my mother, bruised and bleeding. He just wouldn't stop, and… and I knew… that he was going to kill her. I went to his room… grabbed his sword. He didn't even notice when I came back… he was still… still beating my mother. I didn't think, I just… I charged him… and stabbed him through the heart from behind."

Her whole body was trembling, and Visaelya caught sight of the tears that were welling up as she forced herself to relive what was clearly a memory that she wanted nothing more than to banish forever. She didn't consider herself to be given to overly open displays of affection or sympathy, but it was obvious that words alone wouldn't suffice here, not with the kind of pain her friend was suffering. So, she stepped forward, and Aika only had time to briefly look up before Visaelya took her into a gentle embrace.

"Aika," she said softly, "I'm so sorry… I never meant to make you suffer like this."

She was surprised to see Shisui approach and put his hand on Aika's shoulder. "That makes two of us."

Aika shook her head as Visaelya released her. "No, it's… I know you two are just trying to help. It's not your fault… it's mine."

"It is absolutely not," Visaelya replied firmly, "The fault lies with that horrific excuse of a man that was your father. Whether or not he was unjustly blamed for the treachery of his subordinate and the caravan ambush, he had no right to take out his anger on you and your mother!"

"She's right," said Shisui, "Your father's reaction to his loss of status was one that he had complete control over, and he decided to turn to booze and violence. He brought his end upon himself; you were only doing what you had to in order to save your mother and yourself."

Aika nodded shakily. "I know, but… violent and drunk bastard or not, he was still my father… and I killed him. I still remember his blood dripping from the blade… I remember it every time I hold my Zanpakutō."

The pieces fell into place for Visaelya. "You mentioned earlier that what happened with your father isn't a secret to the Shihōin Clan. The Captain knows, doesn't she?"

"Yes… she does," Aika answered softly, "She told me as much during the recruitment exhibition the year I graduated from the Academy."

Shisui shook his head. "If that's the case, then why didn't she recommend you for the Kidō Corps or Stealth Force instead of taking you into Squad Two? Your skillset would be put to great use in either of those organizations, and you wouldn't have to use a sword. By recruiting you into a division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, she put you into a position where using a Zanpakutō would be required despite knowing your traumatic history with a sword. I don't understand why the Captain would make such a decision."

"I… I wanted to join Squad Two," said Aika, "The Captain did offer to get me a position in the Stealth Force or recommend me to her friend in the Kidō Corps, but I wanted to be a Soul Reaper… and I still do. Like I said earlier, I'm the first person from the Hirata Clan to become a Soul Reaper. That's huge for my family."

Visaelya sighed. "I know what it means to have a family that you want to bring pride to, but I've learned recently that there's more to it than that. You say you want to be a Soul Reaper, but what about the pain that simply holding the fundamental weapon of a Soul Reaper is bringing you? If your past means that you fear the very weapon you are expected to wield, then it could all too easily lead to your early demise in the field. The Captain must've been aware of this, and I cannot believe she would want you to be on the front lines with such a fatal weakness."

Aika nodded. "I… spoke to the Captain about this during the recruitment exhibition. She had the same concerns that you two do, but she gave me the chance to decide my path forward. I chose the path of the Soul Reaper, even knowing the pain it would bring. I told her that I'd work to move past this fear of my sword. She said that she'd give me time to do so, assignment me to scouting and support roles while I tried to move forward. She even offered to personally assist in my training, but I told her I wanted to do this on my own."

"I can respect that," said Shisui, "but it clearly hasn't worked. I understand the Captain's decision, but a year of this is too long. Even if she's only going to have you in a scouting and support role for this mission too, it's not enough, not with where we're going."

Visaelya concurred. "He's right, Aika. Neither of us expect you to deal with your inner demons overnight, but we need to make some meaningful progress before we reach Menar Issilaya. Otherwise, your fear may be the end of you on this mission."

Shisui folded his arms. "How do you think your mother would feel if you perished because the lingering guilt at killing your father to save her prevented you from fighting with everything you had? I think you know what that would do to her."

Aika shook her head. "That… that's not fair, Tenth Seat Uchiha."

Shisui's eyes narrowed. "We're Squad Two; we don't play fair, remember?"

Visaelya reached out and put a hand on Aika's shoulder. "I know this hurts, but do you know what will be even worse? Perishing in the line of duty and putting your mother through a pain far greater than any she would've suffered at the hands of your father. You took up a sword nine years ago to save your mother's life. If you fall because you remain terrified of the weapon you were forced to use to protect her, in her eyes it will be as if your father had killed you instead of trying to kill her. That will devastate her, Aika… to the point that she may choose to follow you into the grave."

Aika shook her head frantically, fresh tears threatening to fall. "No… that's not… she can't! I don't… I don't want her to suffer like she did with father. Never like that again…"

"Then you know what you have to do," said Visaelya firmly, "You have to grow stronger, and that means embracing the same kind of weapon that you used to protect her. Even if you see every sword you ever hold, Zanpakutō or otherwise, as stained with the blood of your father, remember that you are wielding that weapon for the same reason as you did that night; to protect someone. It can be family, friends, comrades, complete strangers, and even yourself. What happened that night was a tragedy, Aika, but your actions weren't wrong. That night, you acted with the same dedication to defend someone that a Soul Reaper is expected to carry within them. That night, you already proved yourself worthy of becoming a Soul Reaper, regardless of your future Academy scores."

Aika's eyes widened. "You… you really think so?"

Visaelya smiled. "Absolutely."

The Twentieth Seat sniffed as she dried her tears on the sleeve of her robe. "Thank you. I… I've never had anyone talk with me like this before. You… you're a good friend, Visaelya. You too… Tenth Seat Uchiha."

Shisui grinned. "Hey, if you really think of us as friends, then just call me Shisui. This was the least we could do for you, Aika. Remember, we want you to grow stronger not just for the sake of Squad Two, but for yourself as well. We'll do whatever we can to help you."

Aika nodded. "I… I understand. If you two are still willing, then… I'd be honored to keep training with you."

"Of course, we're willing," said Visaelya, "However, why don't we call it here for tonight? Reliving your past like that can't have been easy; you should get some rest. We can pick up our sparring again tomorrow night, all right?"

Aika smiled. "Okay. Thanks again… for everything."

Visaelya nodded. "Anytime."

"Go get some sleep," said Shisui, "We'll see you in the morning."

After she headed off to her tent, the Tenth Seat turned to Visaelya, seemingly appraising her with new eyes. "Well… that was interesting. I didn't know you had that sort of thing in you. You did more than I ever could to help her tonight."

Visaelya quickly found herself blushing; why did he have this effect on her? "You're too kind… Shisui. I only did what I thought was right."

Shisui smiled. "I know, and you did very well. You have a great deal of empathy, Visaelya… more than I think you may realize. You might be a daughter of high nobility, but your compassion and sympathy for those born to a lower station burns brightly. I think it's lovely. You're as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside."

If she'd been blushing before, now Visaelya's face felt like it was practically on fire. "Oh… I… I don't… Shisui…"

My goodness, things are getting steamy in here, the spirit of her Zanpakutō teasingly chimed in.

Shut up!

Shisui raised an eyebrow as he peered at her. "Hey, Visaelya? Are you okay?"

Am I okay? After what you just said to me? You can't just talk like that to a girl and not consider what words like that might do to her!

So, are you going to spell out to him just what he's doing to you? How your heart races for him like no else before?

Absolutely not!

She nodded perhaps too emphatically for her own good. "Ah, yes… yes, I'm okay. I think… I think I'm just a bit tired. I… I should turn in for the night as well."

Shisui gave her a puzzled look, and for a moment Visaelya feared he might press the matter, but he let it go. "All right, then. Well, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Sleep well, Visaelya."

As if you'll be falling asleep anytime soon!

Not helping!

The spirit of her sword was right, though. Even after she retreated to her tent and shut the flaps behind her, it was clear that it'd be quite some time before sleep would finally take her. Even after it did…

…her subsequent dreams ensured that the 'steam' from before would not subside quickly.

….

A month and a half later…

Standing at the crest of a small hill, Yoruichi's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the land ahead. "There it is."

The Red Cap Mountains had first become visible a few days ago, which meant that Squad Two's expeditionary force was almost to their destination. The eastern mountain range's features seemed to clash with its name at first glance; the main peaks were always white with snow regardless of the time of year. However, the mountains had earned their name from an illusionary effect of nature. Whenever the light of the setting sun hit the peaks, the white snow would appear crimson, as if the mountains were stained with blood. Right now, it was still late morning, so that spectacular visual effect would unfortunately not be visible for quite some time. Yoruichi didn't particularly mind; the sight she was focused on was not the brilliant peaks of the mountain, but the deep and dark pass that held their ultimate destination.

To say the Shadow Pass was an ominous sight would be a severe understatement. While the sky outside the pass was mostly clear, the pass itself was shrouded in a layer of low-lying clouds so dark and thick that they reminded Yoruichi of volcanic ash. That was a physical impossibility; none of the Red Cap Mountains were active volcanoes to her knowledge, and if they were and one of them was erupting, she certainly would've gotten a scout report on it by now. Yet there they were, appearing to almost smother the pass in darkness and more than helping it earn its name. The transition between light and dark was perhaps most dramatically marked by the river that ran through the pass; its waters shimmered in the morning sunlight outside the pass, but as soon as it passed under the clouds, it became little more than an oily black streak.

The Shadow Pass was unnatural from more than just a physical perspective. As Yoruichi concentrated on the thick clouds shielding it from sunlight, she felt an undercurrent of power running through them. It was subtle and difficult to pick up at first glance, especially from this distance, but it was unmistakable; what she felt was spirit energy. There was a sinister sense of corruption to it, quite unlike anything she had ever felt from a Hollow before.

I don't know what the source of that energy is, she thought, but damn if it ain't creepy as hell.

To her right, Kisuke whistled as he took in the view. "We made good time. Our initial travel time estimates didn't have us reaching this point for at least another week or so."

Yoruichi nodded. "Even with all the supplies in tow, we managed a pretty brisk pace. So much the better."

Kisuke smiled. "The newbies kept up pretty well. They've come a long way in a short time, figuratively and literally."

That was certainly true. Yoruichi had been impressed with Itachi and Visaelya's handling of the journey so far; their speed had improved considerably since the expedition out to the Andunayan barrow over a year ago. As much as she might want to praise their progress, though, she had to exercise restraint. Not only were they out in the field, but with so many other officers along for the ride she had to keep from showing an overt amount of favoritism towards her newest subordinates, especially Itachi.

"That they have," she replied, "but the real work starts now."

"You're right," said Kisuke, "How far ahead did you send Soi-Fon?"

"Just to the mouth of the pass for now," Yoruichi answered, peering intently at the open ground between the hill and the pass, "She should be making her way back right about… ah, there she is."

Her bodyguard was like a shadow on the wind as her Shunpo carried her to her Captain. Yoruichi was pleased with her form and pace; Soi-Fon had come so far since those early days when Yoruichi had first taken her under her wing. Now was hardly the time to be admiring the evolution of her subordinate, though. As Soi-Fon came to a stop before her, Yoruichi could tell that her bodyguard was troubled.

"What is it?" she asked her protégé.

"Those clouds," Soi-Fon replied, "You can feel that, right?"

Yoruichi nodded. "All the way from here. What was it like up close?"

"Unsettling," Soi-Fon answered, "and like nothing I've ever seen before. I can't be certain, but… from what I could sense, I think the source is the old city."

"Interesting," Kisuke murmured.

"What else did you see?" Yoruichi asked.

"Per your orders, I only went to the mouth of the pass," said Soi-Fon, "The river… it's strange. Outside the pass, it's normal. Inside, though… once it passes beneath the clouds, it becomes foul. Acrid fumes emanate from it, and it has an unnatural chill."

"In other words, it's probably not viable as a source of drinking water," Yoruichi commented, "Did you see any safe sources in the area?"

Soi-Fon nodded. "There's a spring a little way north of the mouth of the pass. The water appears much healthier there. It's relatively easy to access, too."

"Then that's where we'll establish our base camp for this mission," said Yoruichi.

"Will we be going into the pass itself today?" asked Kisuke.

Yoruichi shook her head. "No. After we set up camp, I want everyone to rest up. We need to be at full strength when we enter the pass. We'll start scouting the pass tomorrow morning. The old city's closer to this side of the mountains, so it shouldn't take long for us to find it. No one enters it without my authorization, is that clear?"

Kisuke nodded, all business now that they were on the doorstep of their objective. "Understood."

"Yes, Lady Yoruichi," said Soi-Fon.

"All right, then," said Yoruichi, "Let's get to work."

….

"What do you see?" asked Itachi.

Standing next to him at the very edge of the camp, his Sharingan blazing like a pair of crimson beacons in the night, was Shisui. The two Uchiha had their gazes fixed on the mouth of the Shadow Pass, with Itachi relying on his old friend's gleaming eyes to get a feel for what lay ahead of them.

"Nothing good," Shisui muttered.

Itachi shook his head. "I figured as much. Care to elaborate?"

"The Sharingan's not nearly as good at long range as the Byakugan, you know," Shisui pointed out, "I'd much rather have a Hyūga doing this kind of work than the likes of us."

"Too bad there aren't any Hyūga in Squad Two, or the rest of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads for that matter," said Itachi.

"They're probably scattered across the Rukon District, just like our clan," Shisui replied, "I mean, look how long your mother went before you and her reunited."

"A fair point," Itachi conceded, "You still haven't answered my question, though."

Shisui sighed. "That energy running through the clouds… it's one thing for Soul Reapers like the Captain and the others to sense it, but to actually perceive it the way I can with the Sharingan… this stuff looks eerie, Itachi."

Itachi raised an eyebrow; if it had Shisui spooked, that certainly wasn't a good sign. "What do you mean?"

Shisui's eyes narrowed. "It's hard to put into words. It's spirit energy, but it's twisted, malformed. Like someone poisoned a reservoir, and now those toxins are polluting the surrounding environment."

"Can you see anything within the clouds themselves that could be the source?" asked Itachi.

Shisui shook his head. "No. I think Soi-Fon's earlier report was right; the source has to be the old city… or whatever's inside the city these days."

"I see," said Itachi, his mind already considering what might come next, "Since Yoruichi knows about your restored Sharingan, she'll probably have you take point for the initial scouting of the city."

Shisui nodded. "Sounds about right. That's what I'd do, anyway."

Itachi's brow furrowed. "Don't be reckless."

Shisui smiled. "Hey, where's this coming from? You know I can handle myself. Besides, I've been a Soul Reaper for longer than you have, so I've got a better idea as to what we can run into in the Soul Society."

"Perhaps, but even Yoruichi's on edge about this mission," Itachi reminded him, "I know you're talented, and your powers are more developed than mine, but watch yourself. Whatever we're dealing with here has had the city under its grip for thousands of years now. This is its home turf, so it has the advantage."

"Don't worry," said Shisui, "I'll watch my back."

He deactivated the Sharingan, and not a moment too soon; the two of them heard footsteps approaching, and they saw it was none other than Visaelya. Itachi was briefly concerned that she might've seen Shisui's eyes, but she appeared none the wiser.

"What are you two doing out here?" she asked, "Neither of you are set to be on watch right now. You both might outrank me, but I'm sure I speak for the Captain when I say that you really ought to get some sleep."

Shisui gave her a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Just wanted to scope things out a bit before we get moving tomorrow."

Visaelya raised an eyebrow. "Scope things out? You can't see anything past the entrance of the Shadow Pass from here."

"Forgive us," said Itachi, "Old habits die hard."

A brief look of skepticism crossed her features before quickly fading. "Old habits or otherwise, you should rest up. I don't need either of you yawning while we're on patrol tomorrow, especially in a place like this."

Shisui grinned. "Aw, you really do care!"

There was a quick flash of red in her face before she folded her arms and turned away. "My kindness is not for your amusement! I want to make sure you both perform up to this division's standards while we're in the field."

Itachi couldn't help but chuckle; Visaelya really was a compassionate young woman, but the pride her family had instilled in her meant she sometimes had trouble properly expressing her gentler side. "I assure you that we'll both be well rested when the time comes to carry out our duties tomorrow, Visaelya. There's no need to worry."

Visaelya sighed before nodding. "Well, in that case, I'm turning in. I'll see you both in the morning."

As she departed, Itachi turned back to Shisui. His old friend's gaze had returned to the mouth of the Shadow Pass, and a few seconds later Itachi saw the Sharingan once again flare to life. He found himself wishing dearly that he had regained his as well; he'd feel a lot better about undertaking a mission in a region such as this if he had the Sharingan in his corner.

Wishing you had it won't be enough to make it appear, he admonished himself, Shisui has it right now, and you do not. Focus on the abilities and skills you do currently have at your disposal…

…and hope that they'll be enough should you run into trouble.

….

The next day…

The hair on the back of Yoruichi's neck felt like it had been constantly standing on edge ever since they'd entered the Shadow Pass earlier that morning. Soi-Fon and Shisui's initial scouting run had reported nothing but calm up ahead, but both of them hadn't even tried to hide their unease.

Yoruichi could hardly blame them. While the ominous clouds overhead didn't completely shield the Shadow Pass from light, they certainly blocked out most of it. As a result, Squad Two's Captain and her officers found themselves traveling through a dark realm where they had just enough light to see by, but not enough to make the journey any less eerie. The first thing Yoruichi had noticed was the smell; Soi-Fon hadn't been exaggerating about the foulness of the river. It reeked of death, and that wasn't helped by the black wisps emanating from it like tortured fragments of spirits attempting to escape from Hell. As a result, she tried to make sure that her division steered as far away from the river as possible, but there was only so much room to maneuver in the Shadow Pass. The remnants of this part of the Great East Road followed along the north bank of the river, and enough of it was intact that Squad Two could utilize it for ease of travel, although they hewed to the very far edge of it out of their unease regarding the water running alongside it.

The corrupted river and ominous clouds above weren't the only thing that had her division on edge. The plant life in the Shadow Pass wasn't helping matters. It was strange that there could even be a meaningful amount of flora due to most of the sun's light being blocked, but it was there nonetheless. Patches of green dotted the otherwise rocky landscape, yet Yoruichi knew that none of her subordinates would be going near them unless they had to. White flowers bloomed in scattered fields, yet there was a sickly quality to them, with their petals looking like the cloying fingers of a withered hand. There were small clusters of trees with twisted branches that seemed more akin to sinister claws reaching out for victims, and their leaves were an unsettling collection of brown and dark red that looked suspiciously like dried blood.

"To think that this was once a prime part of the East Salt Way," said Kisuke as he idly looked around.

"Its glory days are long behind it," Yoruichi replied grimly.

To her right, Soi-Fon's gaze was constantly darting about as she searched for potential threats. "The city should be just up ahead."

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed. "You and Shisui did follow my orders, right? Neither of you entered the city?"

Soi-Fon shook her head emphatically. "No, we did not. Neither of us would disobey a direct command of yours, Lady Yoruichi."

Yoruichi nodded. "I know. Sorry for doubting you. Shisui can sometimes be a bit too liberal when it comes to taking his own initiative… and sometimes he can drag along even those who'd normally play it by the book. He's rather persuasive like that."

"That's true," said Soi-Fon, "He's normally quite effective, but he's perhaps a little bolder than a member of our division should be. Sometimes I worry about him."

Yoruichi chuckled. "Really? That'll be news to Shisui!"

Soi-Fon sighed. "Please don't tell him I said that, Lady Yoruichi."

Yoruichi winked. "No promises."

Shisui's actually the perfect scout for an environment like this, she thought, I know he's already made use of his Sharingan to check the pass out, and he had to limit it in order to keep Soi-Fon from catching on. I should talk to him and Itachi later and see if they'd be comfortable with letting Soi-Fon in on the secret when it comes to those eyes. If she knew about them, Shisui could use them more freely when on scouting missions with her.

This hardly the first time Yoruichi had paired Shisui up with her bodyguard for scout work. Despite their clashing personalities, the two of them were more than capable of cooperation out in the field. In fact, it was remarkable that a Tenth Seat could keep up with Soi-Fon, and in light of what Yoruichi had learned from Itachi it was all too clear that Shisui was severely under-ranked… and that was likely by his own design. His level of ability and skill was probably closer to Soi-Fon's or Kisuke's, meaning she had yet another officer that could function as a pseudo Lieutenant and allow her to work around Ōmaeda. Given that Itachi and Shisui shared the same clan and bloodline, not to mention the fact that Yoruichi was certain her Sixteenth Seat was on the cusp of unlocking his Shikai, she was confident that the former had the same potential as the latter… possibly even more.

Now was hardly the time to be pondering the promising future of a favorite subordinate, though. If she didn't keep her guard up while they were in the Shadow Pass, it would only take one mistake to deprive Itachi and the rest of her contingent of any future.

Yoruichi refused to let that happen.

….

Itachi's travels during his time with the Akatsuki had taken him far and wide across the Shinobi World. He'd seen many strange, exotic, and foreboding lands, and while he knew he'd hardly seen anything close to all of what the world had to offer he liked to think of himself as at least relatively seasoned when it came to experiencing new places. In an afterlife as vast as the Soul Society, such assumptions had already taken a hit thanks to the expedition to the Andunayan barrow over a year ago, but the basic premise had still remained.

At least, it had until he'd entered the Shadow Pass.

He'd been to more than a few dark and gloomy environments, but those had been of a natural darkness; caves, valleys shrouded in mist, deep forests in a moonless night, and more besides. The darkness of the Shadow Pass was most certainly not natural; he didn't need Shisui's analysis from the night before to know that much. The corrupt spirit energy that his old friend had seen in the clouds above with his Sharingan seemed to permeate the very air in the pass itself.

This level of environmental corruption is incredible, he thought as he looked around, I'd assumed up until now that spirit energy was like chakra in that it was a force necessary for life, or rather 'afterlife' in the case of the Soul Society. I've seen battlefields in the Shinobi World devastated by attacks with high levels of charka behind them, but nature has always found a way to recover in time. This spirit energy, though… this is different. It's so twisted that it's poisoned nature itself within the Shadow Past.

He turned to Visaelya, who was walking to the left of him. "Have you ever heard of spirit energy doing anything like what we're seeing here?"

Visaelya shuddered as she looked around. "Only in ancient legends. I always thought stories with that kind of evil were just metaphors for what humanity can do to the land that gives us life if we do not properly care for it. Now, though… well, the energy that's tainted this land is far more than metaphorical, that's for sure."

Itachi's brow furrowed in thought. "Spirit energy can be used for good or evil, but even when focused towards ill ends the nature of the energy itself doesn't change. When a criminal uses spirit energy it operates just as spirit energy from the person fighting against that criminal would. The energy itself is not inherently good or evil; it may reflect the emotions of the wielder, but the fundamental energy itself remains… well, itself. That's what our teachers at the Academy told us, anyway."

Visaelya nodded. "That they did, but it would seem they were mistaken. The power that permeates this pass… there's genuine malice coursing through it. I can feel it."

"As can I," Itachi replied.

Visaelya shook her head, clearly disturbed by the implications. "I don't understand… how could spirit energy exist that's so hateful and malevolent it can actually corrupt part of the Soul Society? What sort of force can create this and have it taint the world in such a manner?"

"I don't know," Itachi admitted, "The Captain seems to believe that it's not the doing of Hollows, though, and I'm inclined to agree with her."

Visaelya concurred. "So am I. I know that our experience with Hollows is limited, but you and I have seen enough to at least have a baseline understanding of their power. They're ravenous and destructive beasts, and I'm sure that the more evolved ones have powerful emotions beyond simply the desire to feed, but are those emotions capable of fueling the power needed to cause something like this? Perhaps I'm the wrong person to draw any meaningful conclusions here, but somehow I doubt that this was a Hollow's work."

"Whatever our beliefs here may be, they're meaningless without evidence to support them," Itachi pointed out, "When we get to Menar Issilaya, we may find the clues needed to being piecing this puzzle together. We shouldn't make any hasty assumptions."

Visaelya sighed. "I know. Still… this is bothering me way more than a simple Hollow hunt ever would."

Itachi could not argue with her there.

….

Looking across the river, Yoruichi could not help but feel a sense of regret when she saw what awaited her division on the other side. All those beautiful paintings of Menar Issilaya at the height of its glory and prestige that she used to gaze at as a young girl flashed through her mind. How would the artists who had created such lovely works feel if they could see what the once proud and sublime Citadel of Moonlight had become over the millennia?

The sorrow of long-gone artists is the least of your concerns right now, she thought grimly, Menar Issilaya is now before you, and you must make your next move.

A long stone bridge connected the remnants of this part of the Great East Road with the old city on the southern bank of the river. Wide and strong, it had withstood the ravages of time and millennia of neglect remarkably well; it was completely intact, more than capable of supporting Squad Two's contingent operating in the Shadow Pass. Tales of the old city had mentioned how the bridge would be lined with stalls brimming with exotic goods while trade caravans flowed in and out of the city itself. At night, the bridge would commonly play host to scenes of celebration and revelry as travelers and residents alike basked in the splendor of Menar Issilaya under brilliant moonlight. Those festive nights were long gone, and all that lined the bridge now were rows of statues in various states of decay and ruin. Meant to commemorate great lords and defenders of the city, they were now all defaced and marred, as if mirroring the corruption that lay ahead.

The first part of Menar Issilaya, the Lower City, spread out just past the end of the bridge. Primarily the area where the city's lower classes would've dwelt, it remained impressive in its own right even after whatever calamity had brought the Citadel of Moonlight to ruin. A thick stone wall was the first line of defense, still standing proud despite the highly visible cracks and fractures that were scattered about its face. The main gate itself had been destroyed long ago, but the archway remained and appeared to be reasonably intact. Great watchtowers had once stood at intervals along the wall, and some were still visible, but they were all in various stages of disrepair. Even while standing on the opposite end of the bridge, Yoruichi could discern their damaged roofs, gloomy windows with missing chunks of stonework around their edges, and in one particular case the eastern half of a tower had completely collapsed in on itself.

It's definitely seen better days, she mused, but it's not unsalvageable. On the off chance that we're actually able to locate and cleanse the source of the corruption plaguing the city and the Shadow Pass, I can definitely see this place getting patched up and becoming serviceable again. Of course, the Central Forty-Six would have to allocate considerable resources to make that happen, and given their loathing of the old kingdom it'd be an uphill fight to get them to invest in reconstruction.

To the east, the city suddenly rose sharply in elevation, with a much higher wall and larger watchtowers demarcating a clear divide. This was where the Middle City began. From what Yoruichi had read, this part of Menar Issilaya had been populated by merchants, magistrates and bureaucrats; those who saw to the mundane administrative affairs and business required to keep the city running. Even from across the river, distinct governmental structures such as courthouses were clearly visible, although they'd definitely seen better days. The outline of a large open-air amphitheater was visible in the background, a venue that had once proudly hosted events ranging from philosophical debates to splendid theatrical performances. While not visible from here, some of the paintings Yoruichi had seen depicting the interior of the city had shown a few small parks that she believed were located in the Middle City, along with at least one grand fountain. Like the Lower City, the Middle City had definitely suffered from both the ravages of time and whatever force had depopulated Menar Issilaya in the first place, but there was more than enough infrastructure to serve as a viable foundation should reconstruction prove feasible.

As impressive as the Lower and Middle City were even in a state of ruin, though, they were all eclipsed by the true jewel of Menar Issilaya. Wrapping back around and rising again quite sharply, sitting on a high cliff overlooking the southern bank of the river was the Upper City. Yoruichi's current position was a poor vantage point for viewing the interior of the Upper City, but its most prominent feature was impossible to miss. Rising up like a marble spear threatening to pierce the dark clouds above was the Moon Tower.

Built in a three-tier layout, the Moon Tower had been a marvel of the old kingdom. Constructed with nine sides, the first tier that formed the foundation was naturally the widest, dominating the lower fifth of the structure. The second tier, which was ringed with nine small and slender spires, ascended up yet another fifth or so and offered further stability to the citadel. The remaining three-fifths thrust upward sharply, with the tower gradually growing thinner the higher it rose. This trend reversed itself as one neared the top, with a bulbous lookout room dominating the apex of the building. Even as it was denied any real light to reflect by the ominous clouds itself, it remained an imposing and wonderous sight.

Yet Yoruichi could find no wonder as she looked upon the most distinguishing feature of what had once been a thriving city. Instead her sense of foreboding only increased, for unlike the rest of Menar Issilaya the Moon Tower appeared to be completely intact. There wasn't so much as a single scar on her surface, in sharp contrast to the cracked and decayed state of the walls and watchtowers of the Lower and Middle City. For the rest of the city to have fallen to ruin while the Moon Tower remained pristine was more than just unusual; it was completely unnatural.

Nothing about this valley is natural anymore, she reminded herself, but still… out of everything we've seen so far in the Shadow Pass, that tower's unnerving me more than anything else. I've got a very bad feeling about this.

The Moon Tower bothered her on more than just a visual front; Yoruichi could sense that same undercurrent of energy that was coursing through the clouds above flowing just beneath the walls of the tower too. In fact, that energy seemed to be emanating from the tower, supporting her suspicions that whatever fell power held sway over Menar Issilaya was the source of the corruption in the Shadow Pass as a whole.

"Spooky," said Kisuke, standing to her right with his arms folded as he looked out across the river, "Although I can't help but notice that the Moon Tower isn't 'radiating a fell light' like the tales said. That's kind of a letdown."

"That could always change," Yoruichi replied, "We can't take anything for granted out here."

To her left, Soi-Fon nodded. "Agreed. How do you want to proceed, Lady Yoruichi?"

Ain't that the million-Kan question, she mused, I've never had a scouting mission quite like this before.

She did have an idea, but it required a bit of delicate handling, especially since it involved a closely guarded secret regarding her Sixteenth and Tenth Seats. In order to put it into action, she first had to make sure her two closest subordinates were occupied with something else.

"Kisuke, Soi-Fon," she said, "I want you two to go below the bridge and make sure there's nothing nasty lurking underneath. If you find anything hostile, don't engage; withdraw and report back to me immediately. Understood?"

The two of them were a bit taken aback by her instructions, and she couldn't blame them. After all, the bridge wasn't really necessary in order for them to cross the river; any veteran Soul Reaper could manipulate particles of spirit energy in order to simply walk across water and even on thin air itself with enough training. Even Itachi and Visaelya, still not even a year out of the Academy, were more than capable of this given the scope of their abilities. Still, the bridge was a potential hiding spot for enemies, so Yoruichi's order was reasonable enough that Kisuke and Soi-Fon didn't protest beyond giving her a brief skeptical look.

"Very well, Lady Yoruichi," said her bodyguard.

"We'll be back soon," Kisuke added.

As the two of them took off, Yoruichi turned and saw Itachi and Shisui standing not too far behind her, their eyes on the city ahead. She gestured for the two of them to join her, and she led them a little way forward so that they'd be out of earshot of the other officers.

"Listen carefully, you two," she said, "Shisui, you're on point for recon here. I want you to go to the entrance of the city and then get up on the wall. Use that as your perimeter and stay on top of it; it should run around most of the city, so follow it and use your Sharingan to get a good first look at what we're dealing with. Itachi, you're going to watch his back. The two of you are not to descend to ground level, you got that? This is just a quick sweep around the city, and I want you two to be able to pull out if something nasty raises its head over there."

The two of them nodded, understanding both the mission and why she had specifically chosen the two of them for it. They betrayed no outward signs of apprehension or fear; they were ready to go.

"Anything in particular you want us to be on the lookout for?" asked Shisui.

Yoruichi sighed. "I can't say for certain. There's any number of potential threats that could be hiding in those ruins. That's why I don't want the two of you entering the city itself just yet. Make one lap around from the top of the wall and then get back here as fast as you can. When we enter the city, we'll do it in force."

"Understood," said Shisui before turning to Itachi. "You ready?"

Itachi nodded. "I'll follow your lead."

Yoruichi smiled. "Be careful, both of you. I want there to be two Uchiha in the welcoming party when the third graduates from the Academy and joins Squad Two, you got that?"

"Of course," Itachi replied, firm resolve in his gaze.

Shisui gave a confident grin, the Sharingan blazing to life in his eyes. "You got it, Captain. Let's move, Itachi!"

With that, the Sixteenth and Tenth Seat took off down the bridge, no more than shadowy blurs. As much as she would've loved to join them, Yoruichi had to hold herself back for the time being. The rest of her contingent still needed orders, and she would have to oversee them until Itachi and Shisui delivered the information that needed for Squad Two to make a proper advance into the city.

How we make our next move depends entirely on you two now, she thought as she looked out over the bridge, Itachi, Shisui… good luck.

….

It took them mere moments to cross the bridge, and before they knew it the two Uchiha were at the entrance to the Lower City. Taking it all in with his Sharingan, Shisui leapt to the top of archway overlooking the gaping hole where the main gate of Menar Issilaya had once stood. Itachi was right behind him, and when Shisui paused to examine this portion of the Lower City before proceeding with their sweep in earnest Itachi immediately positioned himself to cover the Tenth Seat's blind spots.

We don't even need to communicate verbally to understand each other's moves and intentions, thought Shisui, resisting the urge to smile, Itachi… it's good to be out in the field with you again.

Confident that his back was secure, Shisui took his time to carefully look over what he could see of the Lower City. Behind the cracked and marred walls of Menar Issilaya, the buildings that made up the residences and markets of the commoners were similarly in very rough shape. Some of it was probably due to the simple ravages of time, but Shisui did not fail to notice that a good portion of it appeared to be much more sudden in nature. Great gouges defaced the walls of homes, and while it would be easy to chalk this up to the work of Hollows at first glance Shisui did not believe that was the case here. Granted, the damage was very old, but based on the angles of the gashes and the fact that they appeared to be a bunch of single gouges rather than sets of them like one might expect from claws, Shisui suspected that this damage was actually the work of bladed weapons rather than more feral means.

There were other signs of damage that was much more violent in nature than the slow ravages of time. Some homes had entire sides carved clean off them. Other structures and even parts of the road below were cratered, and faint signs of scorching around the points of impacted suggested a powerful attack was behind this.

Incendiary projectiles, perhaps, he thought, although they'd have to be pretty large and have a lot of force behind them to cause damage to the roads like that. Then again, it could've been blasts of spirit energy… high level Kidō spells, maybe?

It was difficult to say for sure, even with the Sharingan aiding his investigation. The damage was just too old. Shisui was picking up lingering traces of spirit energy, but it was hard to tell if that residue from the attacks themselves or just part of the general ominous energy that pervaded the Shadow Pass. If he had to place a bet, it would be on the latter. That energy in the air had grown even thicker the closer they'd gotten to Menar Issilaya, and now that they were at the gate of the city itself it was almost oppressive in its weight.

His gaze went towards the Moon Tower. Without a doubt, it was the heart of this corruption. The Sharingan was not the Byakugan; it could not pierce the marble walls and see into the core of the citadel. However, it could still pick up the energy emanating from the tower like a sinister mist.

What would Squad Two find when they went inside?

Shisui couldn't even begin to guess at that.

….

If Itachi had been on edge before when Squad Two had been traveling through the Shadow Pass, then his guard was redoubled now that he and Shisui were actually at Menar Issilaya, even if it was just the outer perimeter. He once again cursed the fact that he had not yet awakened his Sharingan; if what Shisui had told him so far about what he was seeing served as an indicator, then whatever dark power had infested this city since its fall was an insidious one indeed. He was thankful for the brisk pace Shisui had set and was quite eager to complete their sweep of the city's perimeter, although he was keenly aware of the fact that as soon as they reported back to Yoruichi they'd then be entering the city and walking the very streets he saw below from his perch atop the surrounding wall.

His mind was racing as he tried to figure out just what they might be dealing with here. The conversation he'd had with Yoruichi the night that the first day of their journey had ended replayed in his head as he sought out any sort of clue to help piece this puzzle together, but he was having little luck. What he'd seen of Menar Issilaya so far certainly pointed towards its fall being of a violent nature, but all the evidence was fragmentary and degraded by neglect and the ravages of time.

Were circumstances different, he might've actually enjoyed a mission like this. He'd seen his share of ruins in the Shinobi World during his travels as a member of the Akatsuki, and Itachi had been intrigued by them. The history of the Shinobi World ran deep, yet it seemed few among the nations, great or otherwise, had done much to study it in-depth. There was so much out there to explore and learn from, and more than once Itachi had found himself wondering what might've been had his life turned out differently. Perhaps he would've had a chance to survey some of those ruins as a Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village had the Uchiha Clan and village leadership been on friendlier terms rather than at each other's throats. He could've been a far-ranging scout rather than a double agent, exploring ruins and searching for clues that they might've held regarding Shinobi of ages past rather than spying on his own clan.

It might be fun to consider the paths not taken, but it does no good here.

Indeed, the spirit of his Zanpakutō chimed in, I for one would rather you don't stumble into an ambush because your mind was on exploration rather than conducting a proper scouting mission.

Agreed.

They'd already taken in most of the Lower City, with the rest to be taken in on the final leg of their circuit once they began working their way back towards the gate. Right now, Shisui and Itachi were wrapping up their scouting of the Middle City, with the Upper City looming ahead of them. Overshadowing all was the Moon Tower, with the Sixteenth Seat experiencing both awe and unease as he looked upon it. Shisui had told him earlier what he could perceive when he looked upon it with the Sharingan, and Itachi's mind flashed back to their conversation from the night before. His friend was right; having a Hyūga along with them on this mission would've been very useful right about now.

The two of them came to a stop atop the domed roof of a watchtower, with Shisui pointing at the entrance of the Upper City. "Check out the gate. Look closely at the sides and the top."

Curious as to what his friend wanted him to see, Itachi's eyes narrowed as he focused on the archway. Most of the gate itself was long gone, but a few twisted metal bars were hanging from the entrance; all that remained of the outermost part of what had likely been a multilayered door.

It took a moment for Itachi to realize what Shisui wanted him to see. "Those bars… some of them look like they're bent outwards."

Shisui nodded. "Yeah. Granted, there's only a few of them, and most of the others are so mangled that you can't really glean much from this distance. Still… I don't like it."

"Neither do I," said Itachi as he considered the implications, "Perhaps this city's fall was from internal strife rather than an external threat."

Shisui shook his head. "Maybe, but if it was internal… could the Andunayans themselves really have caused this level of corruption? They had more than their share of powerful spellcasters, but to taint not just the city but the entire pass? I'm having a hard time buying it."

"We might be underestimating them," Itachi countered, "Thanks to the Central Forty-Six, so much knowledge of the old kingdom has been suppressed outside of the Squad Twelve archives and those of the Great Noble Houses that you and I still lack anything close to a comprehensive understanding. For all we know, they could've had spells that were more than capable of causing this kind of long-lasting damage."

"Not exactly a comforting thought," Shisui quipped.

Itachi concurred. "No, it's not. We'd be fools to discount it simply because it makes us uneasy, though."

Shisui gave a weary sigh. "Yeah, I know. Come on, let's keep moving. We've got a Captain waiting for us."

Itachi nodded. "Right."

Descending from their perch atop the tower, the two former Shinobi quickly made their way across what remained of the Middle City's wall. There was a sharp rise as the wall of the Middle City met that of the Upper City, but Itachi and Shisui were able to scale it with ease. The two of them surveyed the Upper City from their new vantage point, and Itachi's apprehension only grew as he analyzed what lay below.

The Moon Tower might've dominated the Upper City, but it wasn't the sole feature. Armories were built into the wall at key points, allowing the defenders easy access to fresh weapons. There were a few homes that would've been lavish elsewhere but appeared downright modest when compared to the citadel that stood not too far from him. A long and broad stone pathway went straight up to the entrance of the Moon Tower, while the rest of the space between the Upper City's defining structure and the surrounding wall was made up of an elaborate courtyard and garden. Compared to the Lower and Middle City, the Upper City was in much better shape. In fact, apart from the remnants of the gate, it looked almost pristine.

Scanning his surroundings, Itachi's eyes lingered on the gardens. In a long-abandoned city like this they should've been overgrown and wild, but in fact they were still organized and well-trimmed. Trees lined the walkways in neat rows, hedges and bushes formed small barriers of greenery, and there were even flowers growing in perfectly placed clusters. Itachi hadn't seen the paintings that Yoruichi had told him about, but he would've been tempted to call this a perfect preservation of what the Upper City had probably once looked like millennia ago.

That temptation was dampened by a few key factors, though. The first was the flowers themselves; they were the same pale and sickly kind as those they'd seen along the road as they'd journeyed through the Shadow Pass to Menar Issilaya. Next was the energy in the air, which now felt almost suffocating when compared to what Itachi had sensed mere meters away in the Middle City.

These gardens only give the illusion of preservation. The corrupt energy runs deep here, no doubt infecting the soil itself. How could it not when these gardens are so close to the source?

And we still do not know what that source is, only where it is.

All too true…

It wasn't just the plant life that seemed frozen in time. Various banners hung from poles scattered throughout the courtyard. Some were flags of the old kingdom itself, consisting of a dark blue base with an intricate pattern of a white nine-pointed star woven into the fabric. Others seemed to be a variant of that banner meant specifically for Menar Issilaya, with a crescent moon appearing above the star and a tower below it. Exposure to the elements combined with the ravages of time should've reduced these banners to mere shreds of fabric, if even that, but these were all perfectly intact. It was just one more sign that something was very off with this city.

A pulse of energy stopped the two of them dead in their tracks. Itachi and Shisui turned towards the Moon Tower, and one didn't need the Byakugan or Sharingan to see what was happening. The citadel had started glowing, giving off a pale blue light. Whatever dark power possessed the Moon Tower had apparently decided to put on a show, although whether it was meant to inspire awe or fear was up for debate. Itachi's money was on the latter.

With this new manifestation of power came another feeling, one that Itachi instantly recognized. All he had to do was glance at Shisui to know that his friend had realized the exact same thing.

They were being watched.

And the watcher was in the Moon Tower.

….

Visaelya paced back and forth, her gaze locked on the old city across the river. She'd been like this since Shisui and Itachi had left, and her apprehension had only intensified when she'd seen the Moon Tower begin to glow.

Damn it, she thought, I should be over there with them…

It was an immature and rash idea, one that the rational part of her mind knew was foolish. A scouting mission like this was one that Shisui and Itachi were perfectly suited for thanks to their experience as former Shinobi. In the time since their encounter with Jiraiya at the teahouse, the Sixteenth and Tenth Seats of Squad Two had been true to their word, beginning their education of Visaelya on Shinobi culture and tactics. She'd found the lessons thus far to be quite fascinating, and they'd given her a greater appreciation for her comrades' abilities and how their background made Squad Two the ideal division for them.

She knew that they could take care of themselves, but that didn't stop her from worrying, especially when it came to Shisui. His greater experience notwithstanding, he struck Visaelya as a bit reckless. He was bold and courageous, qualities that she certainly admired in him, but she feared that they might also drive him to take risks that went beyond the bounds of the mission.

Trying to be professional and rational with your concern is cute and all, the spirit of her Zanpakutō chimed in, but why don't you start being honest with yourself? We both know the real reason why you're worried.

Visaelya blushed. Sometimes she really didn't like the mental link shared between Soul Reaper and Zanpakutō.

"Not easy being the one left behind, is it?" asked a familiar female voice from behind her.

Visaelya's eyes widened as she turned around and saw her Captain standing there. "Lady Yoruichi! How long have you been there?"

Yoruichi smiled as she stepped forward. "Don't worry, I just got here. Still, you really should've sensed me coming. Looks like you're a bit distracted."

Visaelya shook her head, although the hastiness of the gesture likely didn't convince her Captain. "No, I've just been trying to focus on my task! You did order me to watch the bridge and the city from here while you organized the rest of our detachment, after all."

Yoruichi smirked. "I know the task I gave you… just as I know that you'd much rather be out there with the boys than stuck back here."

Visaelya sighed; there was really no point in hiding it. "Is it really that obvious?"

Yoruichi gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Only because you and I are more alike than you might realize."

Visaelya raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Yoruichi nodded as she looked out across the river. "Oh, yes. Where do you think I would rather be right now?"

Visaelya followed Yoruichi's gaze towards the Moon Tower and its pale light, a hint of trepidation creeping into her voice. "Lady Yoruichi… what do you think is happening over there? Shisui… Itachi… are they all right?"

"Close your eyes and focus on the two of them," Yoruichi instructed, "I'll keep watch while you do so. Tell me what you find."

Visaelya did as instructed, reaching out with her spirit energy alone. It took a few seconds, but she was soon able to pick up on two familiar presences across the river. Thanks to the sinister energy radiating from the Moon Tower it was difficult to get a solid lock on their exact location, but she could still sense what she was looking for, and that would be enough for now.

"I can feel them," she said as she opened her eyes, "They're okay… for the moment."

Yoruichi nodded. "Very good. Your detection skills have grown quite well in the short time since your graduation. To pick those two up even through the energy that permeates the Shadow Pass at this distance… you really are a natural for Squad Two."

Visaelya smiled. "Thank you, Lady Yoruichi."

"Anytime," the Captain replied.

The two of them stood there for a few minutes before Visaelya saw Yoruichi's eyes narrow. "They're coming back now."

Visaelya's heart was filled with relief. "Finally…"

A few moments later, she was able to discern the two of them Flash Stepping across the bridge. They reached Visaelya and Yoruichi a few seconds later, both looking grim but otherwise no worse for the wear.

At least they're unharmed, she thought, although they don't appear to be in a very good mood.

Yoruichi gave the two of them a nod. "Glad you two made it back one piece. What did you find?"

Shisui jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the Moon Tower. "You mean aside from the obvious?"

"That'd be a good place to start, yes," Yoruichi quipped.

"The Lower and Middle City are damaged, but salvageable," said Itachi, "The foundations remain strong; plenty of good infrastructure there. No signs of recent habitation in those parts, but since we were only looking from the walls and watchtowers rather than down on the streets themselves, we can't know for sure."

"Some of the damage appears battle-related," Shisui added, "and not from clashes with Hollows, either. The defenders fought something else here, and I think it actually used blades instead of claws and fangs. We also saw what looked like blast marks and craters, either from projectiles or spirit energy attacks."

Yoruichi nodded. "I see. Might as well get to the elephant in the room, then. What the hell's going on with the Upper City?"

"Hard to say for sure," Itachi replied, "The remnants of the old gate showed signs of being forced open from the inside, which doesn't exactly bode well. As for the Moon Tower, it didn't begin to glow until we were already atop the walls of the Upper City. That glow corresponded with a noticeable rise in energy output. It's the same power that's corrupted the entire pass, I have no doubt of that."

"Something is in there," said Shisui, "It had its eyes on us the moment we began scouting the Upper City, perhaps even earlier.

Yoruichi's brow furrowed. "Any clues as to what that something might be?"

Shisui shook his head. "Sorry. My eyes are good, but they can't see through the tower walls."

Yoruichi scratched her chin in thought. "Of course. You two did well to see so much and report back her so quickly. You'll get a bit of a breather, but not as much as you deserve."

"So, we're entering in force soon, then," said Itachi, a look of firm determination in his eyes, "We'll be ready."

Shisui sighed. "With all due respect, Captain, should we really be doing this? What Itachi and I sensed over there… whatever it is, it's powerful. I know the Central Forty-Six is looking for an excuse to raze this place to the ground, and normally I'm not for playing along with the old geezers any more than you are, but we might want to consider making an exception here."

Visaelya was a bit taken aback. The senior Uchiha almost seemed afraid of going back into Menar Issilaya. Just what kind of power had he felt lurking within the Moon Tower?

Yoruichi nodded. "Believe me, I want nothing more than to pack it in and get the hell out of here. Unfortunately, it won't be enough for us to head back and ask the Head Captain to come out and torch this place just because we've got a bad feeling about whatever's lurking inside the Moon Tower. We need to find out exactly what we're dealing with here. That's our mission, and it's also our responsibility to make sure that we gather enough information so that we're able to properly prepare the Head Captain for what he'll be up against if he has to journey here to demolish Menar Issilaya. That means we're going in whether we like it or not."

"Understood, Captain," Shisui replied with grim resolve.

"When do we make our move?" asked Itachi.

"Twenty minutes," said Yoruichi, practically glaring across the river at the glowing citadel, "You two use every one of those minutes to rest up, because I want you both with us when we enter the city. You'll be our guides, and I want you to make sure we take the quickest route possible to the Upper City. I'll make sure the others are ready, especially Kisuke and Soi-Fon. Whatever's hiding in the Moon Tower isn't going to get any of you guys without one hell of a fight if I have anything to say about it."

….

It had been eerie enough looking at Menar Issilaya from across the bridge, but walking its streets was a whole new level of creepy. As Squad Two's elite made their way through the city, Yoruichi could not help but compare the darkened ruins to the luminous paintings that she had once marveled at long ago.

From a thriving center of culture and trade to the black heart of the Shadow Pass, she thought ruefully, Menar Issilaya… how you have fallen.

She was determined to ensure that her division did not share the city's fate. They weren't bothering with a thorough sweep of Menar Issilaya; the primary threat was in the Moon Tower, so they were heading there with haste. Yoruichi did pause a few times to send small groups of Soul Reapers to man some of the more intact watchtowers so they could keep lookout and quickly send word if a threat emerged from the Lower or Middle City, but her top priority was getting to the Upper City and identifying the source of the dark power that was emanating from the Moon Tower.

"This place has definitely seen better days," Kisuke dryly observed.

"That's one way to put it," Soi-Fon quipped as her eyes constantly darted about searching for threats, "It's long past its prime. The Central Forty-Six should've just requested the Head Captain come out right from the start and raze it."

"The Head Captain doesn't take to the field unless it's damn important," Yoruichi reminded her bodyguard, "We still have to get the intel required to prove that it's worth his time. We haven't done that yet. Stay on your toes."

Soi-Fon nodded. "Of course, Lady Yoruichi."

If Yoruichi had thought the old city appeared foreboding from the outside, then that was easily eclipsed by what she felt now that she was within its walls. They passed the remnants of markets that had once thrived with customers but were now silent save for an ill wind. Fountains that had once brimmed with crystal-clear water were now still and murky, with the same foul odor emanating from their waters as that which belonged to the river outside. Abandoned carts were strewn about, the beasts of burden that had once hauled them long gone.

And then there were the weapons. It almost felt like Yoruichi's contingent couldn't go more than a meter or two without practically tripping over some notched and rusted sword or a broken spear-point. Axe-heads bereft of their handles were scattered about, along with chipped arrows and cracked maces. There were no signs of their former wielders save for bits and pieces of armor plating scattered about.

Whatever end Menar Issilaya had met, it clearly had not been a gentle one.

Itachi reported signs that the gate of the Upper City might've been forced open from within, she recalled, I really don't like what that might imply…

As much as she tried to balance her attention and make sure she was keeping an eye out for potential hostiles from any angle, her gaze kept getting drawn towards the Moon Tower. It looked almost like a spire of thawing ice with the pale blue energy radiating from it like an arctic mist. Under other circumstances Yoruichi might've found it to be beautiful, but the dark undercurrent of power flowing from that citadel subverted any pleasure she might take in its appearance.

What in the name of the Soul King could be giving off that kind of power? That was the question now dominating their mission, and Yoruichi was more than apprehensive about finding the answer. She knew her duty, though. The task was before her, and she would see it done.

If there was some consolation in all of this, it was that she had chosen some of her division's best fighters for this mission. It was true that she'd left her Lieutenant behind in the Seireitei, but Yoruichi knew that both Kisuke and Soi-Fon were well beyond Ōmaeda in both skill and strength. At this point she also felt reasonably confident in adding Shisui to that list; now that she was aware of his Sharingan and the fact that he'd been holding himself back all this time in order to keep those special eyes of the Uchiha Clan a secret, Yoruichi was sure that her Tenth Seat's true power was in fact much greater than his current rank suggested.

The same goes for Itachi, she thought, and I'm sure that'll be further emphasized once he unlocks both the Sharingan and his Shikai. As it is, his skills are certainly on par with those of higher-ranking officers; his experience from his old Shinobi life gives him a good boost there. His power just needs to catch up to his level of ability and it'll be a whole new game.

Itachi's skills and continuing growth were very promising, but that didn't blind Yoruichi to the present reality. For all his talent, right now he was only the Sixteenth Seat of Squad Two. His spirit energy would no doubt grow dramatically once his Sharingan and Shikai were unlocked, but for the moment it was at a level that roughly corresponded with his current rank. That meant he was actually one of the weaker Squad Two officers inside Menar Issilaya in terms of pure power, which was a serious problem given just how strong whatever was inside the Moon Tower had to be in order to give off the energy currently emanating from the citadel. Itachi could more than hold his own in a fight, but against a being with this kind of power at its disposal he would be vulnerable.

That was why Yoruichi was determined to keep him by her side from now until the mission was complete. He was right behind her at the moment, silently observing Menar Issilaya from the ground level as the group swiftly advanced towards the Upper City. She was glad to see that Itachi's demeanor remained calm and cool even as they inexorably drew closer to the Moon Tower. Any fear or unease he felt remained kept at bay; his level of self-control in such a scenario was all the more remarkable given what Yoruichi now understood of his past. One would be hard-pressed to guess at the trauma that lurked behind those watchful onyx eyes.

I know you're brave, Itachi, she thought, but you don't get to pull any foolish stunts on my watch out here. Sending you out on that scouting run with Shisui's as bold as I'll be with your life today. You just found your mother a few months ago, and I want to make sure you two get to make up for lost time and then some.

Was it wrong for her to feel so protective towards one particular subordinate? Yes. After all, as the Captain of Squad Two it was her duty to separate her personal feelings from what their mission required.

Did she regret those feelings? Not one bit. While curious to see where they would ultimately lead, for now Yoruichi knew she would have to remain mindful of them and do what she could to balance them with the needs of the mission. She could at least comfort herself with the knowledge that Itachi wouldn't slow her down in a fight. He might not have her level of power, or that of Kisuke and Soi-Fon, but his talent with the blade was highly advanced for someone of his rank. All those sparring matches with the spirit of his Zanpakutō were serving him quite well.

She had a feeling he'd have to put those skills to the test before the day was done. In what felt like no time at all, her contingent had made it to the entrance of the Upper City. Yoruichi's eyes immediately went to the few scraps of metal that remained of the old gate, swiftly spotting what Itachi had mentioned earlier in his report; the damage did look suspiciously like it had been caused by a force coming from within the Upper City rather than one from outside it. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough of the old gate left to have complete certainty on the matter. Still, it was yet another ominous sign for an already deeply unnerving mission.

The group came to a pause just before the archway as Yoruichi dispatched a pair of Soul Reapers to man another watchtower. Now that the contingent was slimmed down it would be easier for the rest of them to operate in a confined space such as the Moon Tower. It helped that most of them were also her division's top fighters, with some more support-oriented officers thrown in for balance. Yoruichi might not have been looking forward to entering the citadel, but she could at least have confidence in the team she had selected for the job.

Even though they'd yet to actually enter the Upper City, Yoruichi could sense that same presence Itachi and Shisui had told her about. It was watching her and her subordinates even now, and while this was its home turf it almost seemed… wary.

Kisuke seemed to sense it too if the smirk on his face was any indication. "Looks like we've got their attention… and they're not sure if they can take us."

"Don't let your guard down," said Yoruichi, "Whatever's in there might just be waiting for us to make the first move."

"Do we oblige?" asked Soi-Fon, "I hate to think that we might be playing into this thing's hands."

"Perhaps we could draw it out here?" suggested Shisui.

Itachi shook his head. "If it was inclined towards proactive defense it would've made a move against the two of us when we began scouting the Upper City. I don't think it'll engage us until we're inside."

"This reeks of a trap," said Fifteenth Seat Rija.

Yoruichi nodded grimly. "It certainly does."

She closed her eyes, focusing solely on sensing the spirit energy coming from the Moon Tower and tracing it to its exact source. It wasn't easy; the dark power permeated the entire citadel, having had millennia to seep into ever brick and stone that made up the structure. However, after a minute or so she was finally able to track down the highest concentration, and its location took her a bit off guard.

"Below the tower," she said softly, almost talking to herself more than her subordinates, "It's there."

Soi-Fon raised an eyebrow. "Underneath it? Why not at the top where it'd have a commanding view over the city and the Shadow Pass?"

Yoruichi shook her head. "I don't know. All I know is that it's there."

Kisuke nodded. "Good enough for me. How do you want to play this?"

"First thing's first," said Yoruichi, "Let's see if we can get through the front door."

"Are you sure about this, Lady Yoruichi?" asked Soi-Fon, "If it's a trap, we shouldn't be in a hurry to spring it. Perhaps we could approach from another direction?"

"There's not a whole lot of room for subtlety here, Soi-Fon," Yoruichi replied firmly, "There's only one way in or out of the Moon Tower. Look at that courtyard. The vegetation's not thick enough to offer much in the way of real cover, and the path to the front door is completely exposed. Besides, whatever's in there already knows we're here. The tower's got windows that I'm sure we could slip through, but we wouldn't have the element of surprise. It's better that we go in together as a group; we'll have strength in numbers, and we can secure the front door to keep our line of retreat clear."

Soi-Fon nodded. "Very well, Lady Yoruichi."

Yoruichi led her contingent into the Upper City itself. The instant they passed beneath the archway she felt the corrupting energy intensify, and now the sense of hostility and malice running through it was almost screaming at her. Whatever was at the heart of it all really didn't like her, to put it mildly.

Tough shit, she thought, I don't care if it thinks I'm the devil incarnate.

They were at the two front doors in moments. They were a massive and imposing sight, with an intricate image of the Moon Tower and a crescent moon engraved upon them. She could sense the weight of the damn thins just by looking at them, but it wasn't the physical doors she was really focusing on; it was the energy that permeated them. After a few seconds of study, though, she determined that it wouldn't be an obstacle.

"So, do we pick the lock?" asked Kisuke.

Yoruichi shook her head. "No. Our presence is already known, so we might as well let whatever's here know that we mean business. Give me some room."

Her subordinates backed up a bit, more than a few of them giving her wary looks. She couldn't blame them; she was about to throw subtlety right out the window.

I know that look, said the spirit of her Zanpakutō, I take it this is where the fun begins?

Damn right.

Well, then; let's do this.

Yoruichi took a moment to prepare herself before lashing out with a devastating kick. Reinforcing the physical attack with concentrated spirit energy, she succeeded in not only forcing the two doors open but knocking them completely off their hinges and sending them crashing to the ground with a thunderous clamor. Not only did they now have access, but whatever enemy lay in wait no longer had the option of locking them inside the Moon Tower.

"So much for stealth," Kisuke wryly commented.

Soi-Fon's eyes had widened at what she'd just seen. "Lady Yoruichi…"

"Shame to break 'em down like that," Yoruichi quipped, "but we can't have 'em in our way. All right, now. On me, and stay sharp."

She led the way into the Moon Tower, one hand hovering over the handle of her Zanpakutō. There was a brief entrance hall which had a few statues on each side of ancient lords of the city before it quickly opened up into the citadel's cavernous central chamber. A wide circular room with a soaring ceiling and a smooth marble floor, it appeared at first glance to be astonishingly well preserved. At the far end of this greeting chamber were a pair of raised chairs where the lord of the city and his wife would've received guests in bygone glory days. Great tapestries and banners hung from the walls, each one displaying some variant of the city's sigil as well as prominent scenes from Menar Issilaya's history. Numerous doors and open corridors dotted the sides of the chamber, leading towards staircases both ascending the tower and plunging into its depths. The pale light that had been emanating from the outer walls of the Moon Tower also permeated the inside of the citadel, bathing the chamber in an unnerving icy-blue glow.

Shisui whistled as he looked up at the distant ceiling. "Man… the Andunayans really built 'em big back in the day."

"Unbelievable…" Visaelya murmured, her unease seemingly overtaken for the moment by sheer awe.

Yoruichi found it hard to blame her there, but she needed to make sure that her subordinates maintained their focus. They were in the heart of hostile territory now, and they needed to find the source of the energy corrupting Menar Issilaya and the Shadow Pass quickly.

"All right, listen up everyone," she said once she was sure the central chamber was secured, "We're going to sweep this building from top to bottom, and we're going to do it fast. I don't want us here a second longer than we have to be."

"No argument there, Lady Yoruichi," said Soi-Fon.

Kisuke nodded. "What's the game plan?"

Yoruichi's brow furrowed for a moment as her gaze shifted towards the floor. She wasn't admiring the tiles or anything so mundane; she was focusing on the sinister power that she felt lurking beneath the Moon Tower.

I know you think you own this place, she silently taunted her mysterious adversary, but I'm afraid your creepy little kingdom here's about to come crashing down.

"We'll divide our forces," she said, "According to the accounts of this place that I've read, there should be an archive a few levels up from here. Kisuke, I want you to check it out and see if you can find any clues as to what happened here. Rija, Mindiwo, go with him and watch his back."

Her Fifteenth Seat nodded. "Understood, Captain."

"Yes, Captain," said the Ninth Seat

Kisuke smirked. "Reading books in the spooky tower? Sounds fun."

"Don't get too caught up in the material," Yoruichi cautioned him, "Just skim through and see if anything sticks out. A city like this should've had its own scribes and historians. Look for any accounts that might be close to the time period when the city went silent."

"Got it,'" said Kisuke before nodding at his assigned companion, "Let's go."

"Right behind you," Rija replied while Mindiwo simply nodded, his hand hovering over the handle of his Zanpakutō.

Yoruichi turned to her Tenth Seat as her Third, Ninth and Fifteenth left. "Shisui, take Visaelya and Aika with you to the top of the tower."

"What are we looking for?" asked Shisui.

"Potential enemy reinforcements, for starters," Yoruichi answered, "The source of the power corrupting this land might be beneath our feet, but we can't discount the upper levels. There should be an observation room at the apex of the citadel. Make a sweep of the chamber and then survey the lands surrounding the city as far as you can see from that vantage point. Make sure to take the Lower and Middle City into account; just because we didn't run into opposition during our first run through doesn't mean it's guaranteed to be empty. There could be enemies that were waiting for us to pass through so they could then mass and strike us from behind once we were inside the Moon Tower."

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that why you posted those other Soul Reapers in the watchtowers as we made our way up here? Sounds a bit redundant, Captain."

"I know, but you'll have a commanding view that none of them can match," Yoruichi countered, "You'll also be able to see if the enemy's marshalling reinforcements in the lands immediately outside the city as well. If you see anything you think might be hostile, get back down here at once, you got that?"

Shisui nodded. "Yes, Captain."

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed momentarily as another thought struck her. "Also, while you're up there, check for artifacts. One account of the Moon Tower mentioned an 'eye' of some sort that supposedly aided the city's defenders in watching out for threats. It could've just been referring to an individual stationed in the citadel's observation room, but the wording of the text made it sound like there might be more to it than that. If you see anything out of the ordinary up there, report back at once."

"You got it," said Shisui before turning to his assigned subordinates, "You two ready?"

Aika nodded nervously. "Yes."

Visaelya nodded as well, although with her the gesture carried greater confidence. "Of course."

I hope they'll be all right, thought Yoruichi as the three of them set off, Shisui should be more than capable of keeping an eye on the two of them, and at this point Visaelya can hold her own in a fight. I know they've been working with Aika during the journey to improve her skills, even if they've been trying to avoid drawing attention to those extra training sessions. Whether or not those sessions pay off may be decided sooner than any of them might like.

She'd have to place her trust in her Tenth Seat's abilities. With the assignment that she'd saved for herself, Yoruichi knew that she couldn't afford to be distracted.

"Soi-Fon, Itachi," she said, "The two of you are with me. We're going into the lower levels to find the source of the corruption here."

Itachi nodded, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Understood."

Soi-Fon nodded as well, although she did give a brief glance towards Itachi. "Yes, Lady Yoruichi."

Yoruichi had to resist the urge to smile. Soi-Fon might not be willing to admit it, but it was clear she was worried about Itachi. The young man had grown on her since he'd joined Squad Two, and Yoruichi was relieved to see it; it meant that Soi-Fon would be keeping an eye out for him, which meant that Yoruichi would have to devote less focus to that and could concentrate more on leading the way and confronting whatever threat was lurking beneath them.

Before her group could depart, though, there was still one matter for Yoruichi to attend to. "Katya."

A tall woman with a lithe frame stepped forward. Sixth Seat of Squad Two, Katya Sokolova was certainly a head-turner. Her dark brown hair was currently tied up in a pony-tail as was her custom whenever she was in the field, but Yoruichi had seen her off the clock and knew that when allowed to flow free it fell almost to her waist. Her dark green eyes looked almost eerie as they reflected the pale light flowing through the Moon Tower, while her pale skin was almost as light as snow in the citadel's icy radiance. Rather than the standard Soul Reaper robes, she wore the backless version Yoruichi favored, and like Yoruichi her Zanpakutō was a shorter blade in its sealed form. The weapon was worn at her back, with its dark blue hilt wrapping contrasted by a gleaming silver circular guard. A calm and confident woman, she was one of Yoruichi's more versatile officers and a valuable fighter to have along for a mission like this.

"Yes, Captain?" she said.

"You and the rest of the group will remain here," Yoruichi replied, "I'll be counting on you to keep our line of retreat open."

Katya nodded. "Understood."

Yoruichi then turned back to Itachi and Soi-Fon. "All right, you two. Let's get moving."

….

It didn't take long for Kisuke and his group to find the archives of the Moon Tower. Sure, there'd been plenty of stairs, but those had really just been to get around the huge hollow space that the entrance chamber carved out of the citadel. One they were past that, they'd discovered the archives on the next actually livable 'floor' of the structure. Posting Mindiwo near the entrance to keep their escape route clear while having Rija accompany him, Kisuke surveyed the room as he tried to figure out where to start. He'd seen bigger libraries in his time, but the archives of the Moon Tower were still impressive in their own right. Row upon row of shelves with dusty old books and scrolls dominated the room, with only a few small spaces with chairs and tables set aside for reading.

"The Captain wants us to find clues about the city's fall here?" Rija asked incredulously as she looked around, "She might as well be asking us to find a needle in a haystack."

"Not quite," Kisuke countered as he skimmed over the shelves, "There are ways to narrow things down."

Rija raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"You let me worry about that," Kisuke answered, "For now, focus on watching my back. You never know what could be lurking in a place like this."

Rija nodded, her eyes narrowing. "You're right about that."

Any library worthy of the title would have some form of organizational system, and that was what Kisuke was looking for. It didn't take him long to find it, either; there were little brass plates bolted to the sides of the shelves, each one engraved with the script of the old kingdom. Kisuke's long hours of private research into the spells of the old kingdom had necessitated learning both generic and High Andunayan so he could properly translate the material, and that was serving him well now.

Sure enough, the archives had a very conventional order to them. The arts, mathematics, ancient myths, history; everything was clearly labeled if one could read the script of the old kingdom. The trick for Kisuke now was now narrowing things down to the specific written records of Menar Issilaya itself. Perhaps counterintuitively, the history section itself wasn't fertile ground for such material; Kisuke soon found that the books and scrolls there were focused more on broad affairs like battles and the history of the old kingdom as a whole rather than contemporary day-to-day life in the city. He needed to find material that was much narrower in scope, likely featuring more administrative content.

"No luck?" asked Rija as Kisuke pulled away from the shelf he'd been examining.

Kisuke shook his head. "This is just the general library. If Menar Issilaya operated under similar lines as other Andunayan cities, then the chief librarian would've also been charged with maintaining records pertaining to day-to-day functions. He or she would've had assigned scribes to take notes for the ruler's meetings, keep accounts of the city's supplies, manage major transactions, and other such matters. The material here isn't that specialized, and this isn't the sort of space where they'd keep what we're looking for."

Rija's brow furrowed in thought. "So, what's our next move? Head back downstairs and start from square one? Seems a bit too early to throw our hands up in defeat."

"We haven't failed yet," Kisuke replied as he looked around, "There should be an office or private records room of some kind up here. Whoever maintained the archives likely would've kept and organized administrative documents there. Let's fan out and sweep this area. Make note of any side rooms you find. We'll meet back here when we're done."

Rija nodded. "Got it."

It was just a few moments later that Rija's voice echoed through the library. "Kisuke! Over here!"

Kisuke hadn't even finished his sweep yet, but he wasted no time in heading Rija's way. She was at the back of the archives standing next a wooden door flanked by two stone torch holders. Any fires that had once burned there were long gone, but with the sinister light permeating the tower flames were hardly necessary. The door itself was off-kilter, hanging by a single hinge and offering a teasing glance at the room beyond, but no more than a sliver of it.

"As good a place as any to start, right?" said the Fifteenth Seat.

Kisuke nodded, one hand hovering over the hilt of his Zanpakutō while the other reached for the door. "Yeah. Get ready."

Rija's eyes narrowed as her hand likewise drifted towards her sword. "Right. After you."

Taking a deep breath, Kisuke pushed the door open a second later. He was braced for the worst, but there were no hostiles lurking in the room. What confronted him was a surprising spacious chamber. Nearly every wall was lined with shelves packed with scrolls and books, while at the back end was a rather messy desk…

…not helped in the least by the fact that there was a skeleton with a sword through its head sitting behind it.

That wasn't the only bit of human remains in the room. Taking in the chamber at a glance, the Third Seat counted around a dozen or so complete or partial skeletons scattered about. Some of them still clutched notched and broken weapons in their long-dead hands, and all displayed signs of having met a very violent end.

"What the hell?" hissed Rija as she and Kisuke stepped inside.

Kisuke knelt next to one of the skeletons for a closer examination. The bones were remarkably well preserved...

…just like the rest of the Upper City.

No, not quite, he mused, The plants in the courtyard appeared perfectly preserved, but these remains have been reduced to naught but bone and a few bits of armor. Whatever power's at work here apparently doesn't save flesh from the ravages of time. Still, these bones are in amazing shape. The only real damage appears to be from whatever killed these poor saps in the first place.

"This just got a whole lot more interesting," Kisuke muttered.

"No kidding," Rija deadpanned, "Why didn't we see any remains before now? Why here and not the halls or the entrance chamber?"

"We've yet to explore the entirety of the Moon Tower," Kisuke reminded her, "It's possible that there are plenty more rooms like this one where the remains of the former inhabitants still lie where they fell millennia ago. Also, the ones closer to the ground might've had a chance to evacuate while other residents got trapped on the upper floors."

Rija nodded. "Plausible, I suppose. Still, it's damn creepy."

"No argument there," Kisuke replied as his gaze focused on the skeleton sitting at the desk.

He stepped forward, studying the figure in greater detail. Based on the bone structure Kisuke felt confident in surmising that the individual had been male, but there wasn't much else on him that hinted as to his identity. The figure was slumped over, with the sword having been plunged through the back of his head and into the desk below. Had the man actually been killed this way, or had his body been positioned like this after the deed was done?

Kisuke shifted his focus from the skeleton itself to the desk it'd been so crudely impaled against. Faded pages and scrolls were scattered about, many with entire sections blotted out by what Kisuke recognized as long-dried blood. Kneeling next to the skeleton, he realized that it was hunched over a book… almost like it was sheltering it.

Did he seriously shield a book with his dying breath?

Cautiously shifting the skeleton, he slowly slid the tome out from beneath its deceased guardian. The cover was stained with a mix of blood and ink blots, and there was no discernible title to the text. There were also slashes around the edges, but the core of the book appeared to be more or less intact.

"Time for some light reading?" asked Rija as she watched Kisuke with a curious light in her eyes.

"You could say that," Kisuke answered as he blew dust off of the tome, "Watch the room for me, all right?"

Rija nodded. "Got it."

Leaning against the desk, Kisuke flipped the book open and began skimming through the first few pages. His eyes swiftly narrowed as he realized what he'd found.

Jackpot.

It was a journal belonging to the chief archivist himself, and Kisuke suspected that was the identity of the skeleton slumped over the desk. The text was crisp and well-organized, and it didn't take long for the Third Seat to find his bearings. It was clear that he'd found the latest in what was likely a long line of journals kept by the archivist… and judging from the circumstances he'd found it in, it was almost certainly the man's last bit of writing.

Going back to the beginning, Kisuke double-checked the date on the first page. It corresponded with roughly a year or so before Menar Issilaya had gone silent. If any text in the entire library had what Kisuke was looking for, it would be this journal.

Or so he hoped. The first several pages didn't appear to be all that promising. They followed a familiar pattern; noting guests received by the lord and lady of the city, any large caravans or major influxes of travelers, briefly describing the occasional festival or theatrical event, recounting general news received regarding the broader Soul Society, and even notating the weather of that particular day. It was well-written, but the material itself wasn't all that unusual.

Flipping through page after page, Kisuke was starting to have doubts by the time he hit the halfway point. Years of dedicated research had taught him to have patience with the writers of the past, but this was a field mission; he didn't have time for idle reading. He had vital information to seek out, and the text thus far had proven utterly trivial. The Third Seat was close to tossing the book aside in frustration when a particular passage caught his eye. It wasn't completely legible; the blood that had spilled on the cover of the book had also seeped through and marred many of the pages, but there was still enough readable text that Kisuke could tell he'd hit upon a lead.

"…received word from the emissary of the Drakken Clan… two days from now. The chamber has… thanks to the casters. It will be ready for what it is meant to hold, or so I hope. What it wrought before… suffering beyond imagining. The seal must be strong, and it must hold, or all will be lost. In two days… and our great test shall begin. Spell casters, soldiers, masons… building up to this moment. The people… in the dark. Perhaps it's better that way."

Skimming ahead to the entry two days later, Kisuke's eyes bore into the page like those of a hawk seeking prey. The knowledge he sought was definitely here, and he wouldn't let blotches of blood or the ravages of time hide it from him.

"It finally arrived. Escorted… unease. No, that hardly does it justice. Fear… man and beast alike. How it made it all this way… miracle the guards kept their sanity. I looked on from a distance… never felt such terror. Caught a glimpse… face of evil itself. It was immediately brought to the chamber… interred. Sealing was successful, but… struggle. The barrier was reinforced… chained the sarcophagus. The watch was doubled… will need to be ever vigilant now. Madness and horror now lie beneath our esteemed Moon Tower… dark secret beneath the light of Luna."

The next few entries were a return to the usual, but to Kisuke their tone felt forced. It was as if the writer was trying to make himself forget what he had seen… and judging by the next passage, he had failed miserably.

"Awake or asleep… cannot escape it. Ever present in the mind's eye, and even the most beautiful moonlit nights cannot provide comfort. Every day… make sure the guards are sharp at their post. That the casters mind the barrier… seal remains secure. That knowledge gives me little relief. That face… lord of death and ruin. To see just one was bad enough, but to know that there are more… pity whoever was charged with sealing them. The crown… not harmed by any craft we here possess. No one had sufficient power… Do they all have one, or… different means of sustaining their unlife? We should've studied it more carefully, but sealing it was imperative. Now… in check. Its destruction is beyond us. Containment at all costs…"

One word above all others stuck out in that passage to Kisuke; 'unlife'. He'd read it before, but where? What had the context been? He wracked his mind even as he continued to study the text, now proceeding with greater caution.

The tone of the journal soon shifted. The writer was clearly obsessed with what had been brought in, but to Kisuke's growing frustration the man refused to outright name it in the text. Its true identity was continuously danced around with only vague hints offered, as if the author had feared that putting its name to a page could somehow unleash it.

Resorting to skimming again, he went ahead several entries. The date for the one where he began reading in earnest again was about a month before contact had been lost with Menar Issilaya.

"There was a Hollow attack tonight. Hasn't… in quite a while. The garrison repelled… minimal losses. The beasts usually aren't so foolish… make a direct strike. Attacked… at the point of heaviest defense; the Moon Tower itself. Are they drawn by what lies beneath? Their attacks… in a frenzy. They may sense it… seek it, and yet fear it. I checked the seal again… cast again to be sure."

The next three weeks-worth of entries followed the same pattern; almost nightly Hollow attacks, and all of them focusing on the Moon Tower. Their behavior was odd, though. Hollows might act animalistic, but Kisuke knew from experience that plenty of them had the capacity for cunning. Yet the accounts of the attacks all made reference to the creatures acting in an apparently panicked frenzy. It was as if they dreaded what had been brought to the Moon Tower, yet at the same time they were inexorably drawn to it.

Yet some of the rumors said that Hollows avoid Menar Issilaya nowadays, Kisuke recalled, which is quite the contrast to what I'm reading here. Were the rumors just wrong, or is there more to it than that? We haven't seen any Hollows in the Shadow Pass yet or near the city itself, but it's not like we've been here very long.

He continued to read, and it soon became apparent that the relentless Hollow attacks had achieved something. Was it the result the beasts had hoped for? Kisuke couldn't say.

"Menos Grande… hit the Moon Tower. No damage to the citadel itself, but… seal was disturbed. The guards… whispers coming from the chamber. It has been stirred… testing the barrier. I went down to the chamber… chains on the sarcophagus moved. A chill has gripped the Moon Tower. I fear we are standing on the brink. The seal must be reinforced, if that is still possible. It must be. If it is not…"

Things were clearly coming to a head. The script on the page was losing the elegance it'd possessed before, and in several spots looked as if it had been written by a badly shaking hand. Blotches of spilled ink

"It cannot stay here. That last attack… Moon Tower can no longer anchor the barrier. The citadel still stands, but the power flowing through it has been disrupted. A new tomb must be prepared, and quickly. Word… the Drakken Clan. Should respond faster than the Seireitei. Our hope now lies in the east. They must… with haste. Whispers… in the dark. The guards speak of fell power lingering in the air down there. The chains… cracked. It is regaining its former strength. We are running out of time."

Kisuke leaned forward slightly, sensing he was close to the moment of truth. The next few entries gave testament to the archivist's ever-growing sense of dread. There was palpable urgency verging on outright panic, and the script became even sloppier as he progressed. Kisuke imagined the author trying to put his thoughts to paper in what was likely a state of all-consuming terror; it was a miracle the writing was legible at all.

And then, at long last…

…he found it.

"Calamity. The sarcophagus… chains shattered. It broke through the barrier… will have its vengeance. The garrison… completely outmatched. Its strength is so much greater than I had feared even in my darkest dreams. I saw it in the entrance chamber… lord of the city was slain. We were cut off… retreat up the citadel. That face… unholy hatred. Whatever humanity it once had is long gone. Abomination… the entire city is now its prey."

"What is it, damn it?" Kisuke hissed under his breath as he kept reading.

The script was incredibly bad now, as if the writer had been barely able to keep himself together. More ink blotches dotted the pages, but Kisuke could still discern part of the final entry.

"We cannot get out. We had… but we're not that lucky. The Moon Tower… has made its prison its home now. The screams… won't be long now. To whoever may find this record… if you are weak. If you are strong… three anchors. The crown, the ring, and the amulet… through great power. Only hope of victory. If you are victorious… the others. There are… out there. Those fallen lords… Servants of Midnight. Find their prisons… too late. A scratching at the door… sword being drawn. We cannot get out…"

"It comes..."

….

Visaelya was grateful that Shisui had taken point, because at the moment she certainly didn't trust herself with that kind of responsibility. It was taking all of her effort simply to maintain her composure as she and Aika followed the Tenth Seat in ascending the Moon Tower.

The Andunayan barrow was an idyllic paradise compared to this, she thought, I understand now why even my clan's dragons will not dare approach this place. A curse lies upon this city, although the true nature of it still eludes us.

Visaelya had never considered herself to be the superstitious sort, but there was simply no other word she could think of that properly described the atmosphere inside the Moon Tower. Every theory she came up with for what had happened here was crazier than the last, and she wanted nothing more than to finish the mission and get the hell out ASAP. Even having Shisui with her did little to ease her apprehension, and that wasn't helped by the fact that the Tenth Seat seemed a bit on edge as well.

"We've got to be close, right?" asked Aika nervously.

Shisui nodded. "We should be. Stay sharp; we've got no idea what's waiting for us."

What they'd seen so far hadn't been promising. Although they'd stuck primarily to the stairs, Visaelya had caught glimpses of corridors leading off towards other parts of the Moon Tower. The deathly-pale blue light emanating from the walls and floors of the citadel made for a positively nerve-wracking experience, and that wasn't helped by the occasional skeletons that the group had spotted during their ascent. They hadn't stopped too long to study them, but even cursory examinations were enough for them to spot the tell-tale signs of weapon damage to the bones of the deceased.

They didn't die peacefully, that's for sure, she grimly mused, but why are bones only showing up here rather than the rest of the city? Is it because whatever power that now grip's Menar Issilaya is stronger here than in the other sections?

It didn't make any sense. The energy that permeated this place was the very same power that had corrupted the Shadow Pass, yet it seemed to have preserved the area at the heart of the infestation rather than cause it to decay like the rest of the city had. Visaelya would be the first to admit that the energy had properties she didn't understand, and it was possible that one of those was responsible for this twisted sort of preservation. Why preserve the Upper City while the rest of Menar Issilaya and the Shadow Pass wallowed in corruption and decay?

She pushed the riddle from her mind; it wasn't one for her to solve at the moment. Her task was to investigate the observation room at the top of the Moon Tower with Shisui and Aika, and that required her full concentration. As much as Menar Issilaya itself unnerved her, what made matters even worse was that they were now operating in a very enclosed environment. Combat would be tight, messy and brutal, and while Visaelya believed she could handle herself she was still worried about Aika. The Twentieth Seat had made a bit of progress during their numerous sparring matches over the course of the journey, but Visaelya knew she needed more time to bolster her swordsmanship.

For now, Visaelya made a conscious effort to keep Aika at the rear of the formation. If there was a fight, it'd be better if the young woman could act in the manner that she was most comfortable with by being in a support position. There wasn't exactly much room for spell casting in the corridors and staircases of the Moon Tower, but it was still better than nothing. Of course, if they were attacked from the rear, then Aika would have to either draw her sword or rely on her skills in Hakuda.

I certainly hope it won't come to that, she thought, but in a place like this it's impossible to rule anything out.

She'd known that joining Squad Two meant that she would have missions that were very much outside of what would be considered the norm for other divisions, but Visaelya had never counted on one like this. It certainly fit Squad Two's profile since the primary focus was scouting and threat assessment, but the nature of the environment in which they were conducting those activities was something else entirely. Investigating a power that gave even dragons pause was more than a little intimidating, to put it mildly.

"We're just about there," said Shisui, "Be ready."

Visaelya nodded. "Of course."

"Speak for yourself," she heard Aika mutter under her breath.

After what had felt like a torturously long climb, they finally reached the top of the stairs. At the end of the staircase there was an entrance consisting of a single wooden door flanked by two marble statues. The figures were both male and armored, but Visaelya didn't know enough about Menar Issilaya's history to be able to identify them, if they were even meant to represent people of note in the first place. Their upraised hands had likely functioned as torch holders back in the day, but they grasped naught but air now. Of course, torchlight was unnecessary given the eerie illumination provided by the energy flowing through every surface of the Moon Tower.

Shisui leaned forward slightly to examine the door. Following his lead, Visaelya saw a series of deep gouges in the wooden paneling. They'd clearly been left by blades, and the door itself appeared to be quite shaky on its hinges. Unfortunately, the cuts into the wood didn't go all the way through, meaning there was only one way to find out just what was behind it.

After a moment, the Tenth Seat glanced over his shoulder and nodded at the two young women. "All right, then. Let's do this."

Keeping his right hand on the handle of his sword, he slowly pushed the door open with his left. Visaelya tensed up while Aika watched the rear; who knew what awaited them up here?

She saw his eyes narrow as he spotted something inside. "Well, now… that's interesting."

"What is?" asked Visaelya, hoping she didn't sound as nervous as she felt.

"See for yourself," Shisui replied, "Don't worry, the room's clear… well, clear of anything hostile, anyway."

The way he said that didn't exactly fill Visaelya with confidence. Still, she and Aika followed Shisui as he entered the room; they weren't about to shirk their duty now.

Aika gasped as the three of them surveyed the room. "Oh my…"

Visaelya couldn't even manage that much. Her eyes widened as she took in the chamber. A broad circular room with wide windows spaced out evenly in order to provide near-complete visibility over Menar Issilaya, the observation chamber had surely been majestic and awe-inspiring in its heyday. Bathed in the deathly-pale light of the sinister energy coursing through the Moon Tower, though, it was hard to really enjoy the scenery…

…especially since there had to be about two dozen skeletons scattered about the chamber.

Broken spears and notched swords were embedded in ribs and skulls, making for a macabre scene. Apart from the damage caused by the weapons, though, the bones were perfectly preserved. Scraps of cloth and bits of armor could be found clinging to the remains, and damaged weapons lay on the floor next to them. Had these all be soldiers charged with defending the Moon Tower, or merely civilians who'd armed themselves for a desperate last stand after having been forced to retreat all the way to the top of the citadel? It was impossible to say for sure.

However, as strange as it might've seemed, the remains of the city's long-dead residents were actually of secondary importance. All three Soul Reapers found their gazes drawn to a black pedestal in the center of the room. It came up to about Visaelya's chest and was rather plain in and of itself, but that wasn't why she and her friends were looking at it.

Sitting atop the pedestal was pyramidal crystal. About the size of a child's play ball, it was a very dark shade of green with what looked like swirls of black mixed in. As the three of them approached, though, Visaelya realized that wasn't quite the case. The black swirls weren't some static pattern; they actually moved within the crystal, writhing about like a tempest. There were brief flickers of light coming from within, some merely reflections of the icy-blue energy that dominated the Moon Tower, while others were occasional hues of red or orange. There was power emanating from the crystal, but it was of a very different nature than that which permeated the citadel. It was foreboding to be sure, but not sick or twisted. It was ancient, and there was a certain darkness to it, yet it didn't feel corrupt or evil.

Visaelya's already-fair complexion grew even paler in shock as her mind flashed back to the lessons of her private tutors. Images of ancient books and scrolls passed through her mind, with particular focus on a set of pictures and sketches one of her teachers had shown her.

"No way…" she murmured as she realized what she was looking at, "It's really…"

Aika tapped her on the shoulder. "Visaelya? Are you okay?"

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Shisui chimed in as he looked back and forth between her and the crystal, "What's up?

Visaelya tried to regain her composure, but she was only partially successful; the full ramifications of what she was looking at were still sinking in. "Down in the entrance chamber, the Captain… she spoke of an 'eye' that accounts of this place made reference to, right?"

Shisui nodded, raising an eyebrow. "She did, yeah. Why?"

Visaelya pointed at the crystal. "I think we just found it."

Aika tilted her head in a quizzical manner. "What? That thing? It doesn't look like any kind of eye I've ever seen."

Shisui peered at her intently. "You know something, don't you?"

"My family teachers mentioned artifacts like this during my lessons," she replied, "but I thought they were lost ages ago… especially those. What we're looking at… it's a Nalatarin."

"A what?" asked Aika.

Shisui shook his head. "I'm lost. Care to help out those of us who didn't get that fancy noble private education?"

"Of course," Visaelya answered, hastily attempting to organize lessons from her childhood into as quick and effective an explanation as she could muster, "The name roughly translates into 'Far-Sight Gem'. Nalatarin is the singular form, with Nalatarini being the plural. Forged by the powerful spellcasters and craftsmen of the old kingdom working in concert, a Nalatarin's capable of showing the user lands and images far beyond what the naked human eye can comprehend from a single position."

Shisui's eyes widened. "Wait a second… you mean it's like one of those crystal balls you hear about in fairy tales?"

Aika's jaw dropped. "Seriously?"

Visaelya sighed. "I suppose that's the simplest way to put it, but I'm afraid it's a rather crude comparison. A Nalatarin's far more than a device concocted for mere fables told to children. It's bound by certain limitations, such as the fact that it cannot see objects underground, but what it can accomplish is nothing short of extraordinary."

"Mind giving us the rundown?" asked Shisui, "What's this thing capable of?"

"It's not called a 'Far-Sight Gem' for nothing," Visaelya answered, "There are no documented limits on its range; in theory, it can see from here all the way to the opposite end of the Soul Society. However, there are key requirements for properly utilizing it. Each side of the pyramid corresponds with one of the four cardinal directions. The Nalatarin must be properly aligned with those directions, otherwise any visions will be marred. In order to look south, for example, one must actually stand on the opposite side of the artifact; looking down from the north, if you will. The same principle applies when it comes to viewing the east or the west."

"That's a bit limiting, though," Aika pointed out, "What if someone wants to look in a direction that isn't purely one of the four cardinal directions? Say, slightly southeast, for example?"

Visaelya's brow furrowed as she tried to remember the finer points of her old lessons. "If I recall correctly, that was dependent on the user establishing the necessary link with the Nalatarin. Once the stone accepted the wielder as a legitimate one, the user could mentally direct it to focus on more specific directions. One still had to be standing on the proper side to set up a baseline first, though."

Shisui scratched his chin in thought. "What qualified someone as a legitimate user? How could the stone recognize someone as such, for that matter?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Visaelya admitted, "I think some sort of ceremony was conducted in which a watchman was officially designated. The Nalatarin would've been at the heart of the proceedings, and supposedly by bearing direct witness it would imprint the designated user's features inside itself. From that point onward, whenever that official watchman wished to, they could use the stone."

"And if the user was illegitimate?" Aika asked nervously.

Visaelya tried and failed to suppress a shudder as she recalled her tutor's words. "Supposedly, they were rendered catatonic. Whether this state was temporary or permanent, I cannot say."

Shisui gave the stone an apprehensive look. "In other words, none of us are going to be using this thing today."

"That would be for the best," said Visaelya, "Theoretically, someone with sufficient power and strength of will could bend a Far-Sight Gem to their will, but that was rather vaguely defined. If I had to guess, I'd say such an individual would have to be on par with a Captain at the very least. Even then, though, I'm not sure how long they could sustain a brute-force connection before backlash from the Nalatarin overwhelmed them."

"We're looking at it right now," Aika mentioned, "How come none of us have been rendered catatonic?"

"None of us are actually trying to use it at the moment," Visaelya answered, "A Nalatarin is capable of recognizing the distinction between someone studying the gem itself versus someone actually seeking to wield it. We would have to actively focus our wills on the stone for it to perceive us as attempting to use it."

Shisui folded his arms as he regarded the artifact with cautious curiosity. "Is its power only usable in the Soul Society, or could it be used in one of the Realms of the Living too?"

Visaelya shook her head. "I honestly don't know. The only references to the Nalatarini that I read simply spoke of their properties and history within the context of the Soul Society. There were no records of them being taken to any of the Realms of the Living and used there, although that's certainly not to say that it never happened. We just lack the proper historical evidence to prove it one way or the other."

A shiver went down her spine as she recalled another part of her lessons. "There was another property to these things… well, supposedly, anyway. I don't know if there's any truth to it."

"What do you mean?" asked Aika.

Visaelya looked back and forth between the Twentieth and Tenth Seat. "This is going to sound crazy, but… supposedly a sufficiently powerful and skilled user could see more than just far off places with a Nalatarin… they could see into the past as well."

Shisui's jaw looked like it was about to hit the floor. "This thing can look back in time?"

"That's a tale told about the Nalatarini, at least," said Visaelya, "Honestly, though, it sounds too far-fetched to be true. It's likely a legend that got started after they were lost."

"It'd be cool if it was true," said Aika, "Also a little scary."

Visaelya nodded. "Indeed."

Shisui took a few steps closer, studying the pedestal holding the stone. "I'm not seeing any sort of locking mechanism or traps. It really just sits there?"

Visaelya shrugged. "The lords of the city must've been content with the guards assigned to protect it. In the event of siege, preventing the stone from falling into enemy hands would be of paramount importance. It's possible that whatever caused Menar Issilaya to fall happened so quickly that they were unable to secure the Nalatarin."

"Why's it still here, though?" asked Aika, "I mean, it's just sitting unguarded like this. Wouldn't whoever or whatever that's taken this city be interested in this thing? What's to stop us from just grabbing it?"

Those were all very good questions, and Visaelya didn't have adequate answers for them. A Nalatarin was a prize beyond measure; any hostile force that had seized Menar Issilaya would've made taking possession of it an extremely high priority, regardless of whether or not they possessed the power needed to use it. There had been no signs of guards as Squad Two had made its way through the city, and that remained the case once they had entered and begun exploring the Moon Tower. At this point, Visaelya was comfortable in assuming that the city had fallen due to some form of hostile action rather than any kind of natural catastrophe or freak accident. Whoever had taken over the city had access to incredible treasures, with the Nalatarin being at the top of the list.

So why was it still in the observation room? As far as Visaelya could tell, this was where it had belonged when the city was properly inhabited. Why did it remain here, and why was it completely unguarded? Did whatever force that had seized the city and purged it of its inhabitants lack the means to use it? Had they not recognized the stone's true nature? Could the three of them simply seize the Nalatarin, or were their hidden defenses that had escaped Shisui's keen gaze?

She saw Shisui's eyes narrow. "I don't like it. Everything about this setup smells wrong. I wonder…"

His voice trailed off, and Visaelya was curious as to what path his thoughts were travelling down. "Shisui?"

There was a moment of silence before he replied. "We can't leave this thing here. It's too powerful an artifact. Even if it's been here over a thousand years without being disturbed, there's always the chance that someone with the strength to use it could make their way through the city and claim it."

"But can we really just… grab it?" asked Aika, eying the stone and the pedestal it rested upon with trepidation.

Shisui turned to Visaelya. "What would it take to destroy one of these things? Do you think any of us would be able to do it?"

Visaelya's was aghast at what he was suggesting. "Destroy it? With all due respect, have you lost your mind? When the old kingdom collapsed, the Nalatarini were all believed to have been lost in the chaos. To actually find one intact is a discovery of unparalleled importance!"

Shisui gave her a hard look. "From everything you've told me thus far, this thing is an incredibly powerful sensory tool. To see across the Soul Society from a single vantage point could give a foe an incredible advantage. I know you said that bit about being able to look into the past is probably just a fable, but if there's even the slightest chance of that being true as well then it amplifies the threat by orders of magnitude. I definitely want to try to take this thing back to the Seireitei, but if it turns out that we're incapable of doing so then we need to consider alternatives to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. It's simple asset denial."

"What about the Captain?" Visaelya protested, "Since she's from a Great Noble House she's well-read on the history of the old kingdom; she would know about the Nalatarini. She would understand the value of finding one and would want us to make all possible efforts to bring it back with us!"

"We should at least run it by her," Aika chimed in.

"I intend to," said Shisui, "but we also need to be prepared to act on our own initiative. She said she was going into the depths of this place, remember? What if an enemy reveals itself up here while she's down there? We have to consider all possible scenarios."

Visaelya sighed. "I know, and you're not wrong, but… can we at least try to move it first before we resort to drastic measures? I mean, it's not very large, and it doesn't look that heavy."

Shisui nodded. "Sure, but first I want you two to get back. Both of you go out into the hall and stand guard; if you see anything coming our way, tell me immediately. I'm going to examine this thing a little more just to make sure we're not missing any potential traps."

Visaelya raised an eyebrow. Having a rearguard made sense, but only one person was really required for such a duty. Why have both her and Aika take on the task?

He must have his reasons, she told herself, and besides, he's your commanding officer. He just gave you a direct order; it's not your place to question him.

She nodded. "Understood. Let's go, Aika."

"Right," said the Twentieth Seat as she fell in behind her.

….

Shisui hated having to lie to his subordinates, especially after having a chance for fresh bonding with them over the course of the journey out to the Shadow Pass. Then again, he hadn't technically told a lie; he was going to examine the Nalatarin a little more, and having Aika and Visaelya mind the entrance to the observation room was relatively sound. The issue, of course, was that he didn't want them in the same room as him while he went about his work. After all, for a real good look at what he might be dealing with here, he needed to call upon the power of his bloodline.

As soon as the two young women were out of the room, the Sharingan flared to life in his eyes. Having observed the exterior of the Moon Tower with it before, he figured he had an idea as to what he might see now, but being inside the citadel and surrounded by its fell energy made for a very different experience. He could perceive the corrupting power around him much more clearly now, so thick that it was almost stifling. It oozed and seeped from every brick and tile, swirling around his feet like a whirlpool.

The corruption appeared to have its limits, though; there was a clear difference between the power that tainted the citadel versus that of the Nalatarin. The Far-Sight Gem was blazing like a beacon, emitting steady pulses of energy that kept the pollution at bay. Its energy was considerable, and Shisui struggled to get an accurate read on it.

I think this is just the surface, he mused as he studied the stone, and one might only be able to perceive its true power through using it…

He didn't plan on that, though; he had no intention of rendering himself catatonic in the middle of such a dangerous environment. As he continued to probe the Nalatarin with his Sharingan, though, he noticed the energy emanating from the artifact begin to stir and shift. There was a fresh flicker of crimson light within the gem, and Shisui realized that just as he was appraising the Nalatarin, it was now studying him. Slim tendrils of power weaved through the air about him, with a few brushing up against him with the lightest touch.

Was the artifact curious about him? Did it even have the capacity for an emotion such as curiosity? Visaelya had said that a Far-Sight Gem could detect if someone was a legitimate user, which certainly implied that the device had a degree of intelligence, but Shisui was beginning to suspect that there was more to it than that.

Was this thing actually...

…alive?

….

All those times I gazed at those paintings of the Moon Tower, thought Yoruichi as she led Soi-Fon and Itachi into the citadel's depths, I never considered the dark underbelly it might have…

Well, 'dark' might be the wrong word for. The eerie light that emanated from the rest of the Moon Tower was present in the underground parts of it as well, such that there was no need for her group to rely on Kidō spells for illumination. That was very much a good thing, for Yoruichi wanted to make sure that her subordinates were completely focused on the task at hand and did not have to devote any attention, no matter how slight, to maintaining a little ball of light over their heads.

What they'd found thus far did not bode well for what might lie ahead. It hadn't taken long for the trio to stumble upon their first skeleton. The remains had clearly belonged to a guard, with the armor the poor sap had once worn being cleaved right down the middle by what must've been a very powerful strike. More skeletons had been discovered in short order, and it was quite clear that these soldiers had not met peaceful ends.

Determining who or what had struck the killing blows, though, was another thing entirely. So far, the chambers Yoruichi and her companions had searched had been rather mundane; storerooms, armories, and other such spaces. The Moon Tower had a small jail, but it was more of a set of temporary holding cells before any offenders apprehended in the citadel itself were transferred to the city's main prison. Yoruichi and her subordinates had already come across those cells, and there were no signs of a breakout. In fact, there were a few remains actually inside the cells; whatever had slaughtered the Moon Tower's inhabitants had not discriminated between guards, civilians or criminals.

They'd covered quite a bit of ground already, but they weren't done yet. Yoruichi sensed that they were drawing ever close to the source of Menar Issilaya's corruption. There had to be a limit to just how much was beneath the Moon Tower, and she had a feeling that they would find what they were looking for sooner rather than later.

She glanced at Itachi to see how he was doing. His abilities had developed to the point that he could surely sense just as clearly as Yoruichi and Soi-Fon that they were getting closer to the heart of the terrifying power that had taken root here, yet whatever reservations he might privately have he appeared perfectly calm. He regarded the eerie chambers and hallways and morbid scenes they passed through with the eyes of a seasoned warrior, taking in as much as he could at a glance and keeping a sharp lookout for the first signs of a possible ambush. One hand was constantly hovering over the handle of his Zanpakutō, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

It's hard to remember that he's still a recent Academy graduate, she mused, I think the last time I had a new recruit that handled themselves this well in the field so soon after leaving the Academy was Shisui. Now that I know both of their pasts, I suppose that makes a lot more sense. The two of them saw more than their share of horrors long before they came to the Soul Society…

Descending another flight of stairs, the three of them came upon a rather unusual sight. It was a straight corridor, which in and of itself wasn't exactly odd, but the walls of this hallway weren't the plain stone-brick facades that they'd seen before. There were murals engraved upon the walls of both sides of the corridor… or rather, the remnants of murals. Chunks were missing in many places, and there were scores of slashes and gouges up and down walls.

"What's the meaning of this?" asked Soi-Fon as the trio cautiously proceeded forward, studying the murals while also keeping an eye out for possible traps.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "These aren't random damages. They're deliberate defacements."

Yoruichi nodded as she paused before one particular section. "I think you're right."

What had drawn her gaze was a scene composed of six figures, with five of them kneeling before the last one. It was difficult to make out any identifying attributes; whoever or whatever had defaced these murals had gouged out the bits where their heads would've been, and chips and fragments were missing from other parts of the scene too. There was an underlying script, but that was damaged as well, and only short bits of it were still legible.

Yoruichi leaned closer as she took it all in. Something about this felt familiar. Had she seen this image somewhere else? Had she read a historical reference to the events being portrayed here somewhere in her past? Upon more thorough inspection, she was able to discern that the five kneeling figures all appeared to be wearing armor. Meanwhile, the figure they were bowing before was wearing what were either robes or a dress, and she began to suspect that the person was actually a woman.

A chill went down her spine as she recalled one of the lessons her private tutors had given her long ago. A dark pit began to grow in her stomach, and she swiftly turned her gaze towards the fragments of script, desperately hoping for some sign that she was misinterpreting the mural, because if her suspicions were right then things here were much worse than she'd initially believed.

Let me be wrong, she thought as she worked to translate the engraved words, I really want to be wrong about this…

Alas, her fears were not allayed as she worked her way through the fragments of text. Only a handful of words and bits of sentences could still be made out, but what little she could translate did not serve to comfort her.

And then there was the last bit of the inscription, which she could read very clearly.

"…Servant of Midnight."

"Shit…" she hissed under her breath.

Her two companions instantly realized something was up. Both Itachi and Soi-Fon immediately turned to her, and while they remained calm for the most part Yoruichi was still more than capable of reading the concern that was just below the surface.

"Lady Yoruichi, are you all right?" asked Soi-Fon.

"You've found something," said Itachi, his eyes narrowing, "You know what lies ahead, don't you?"

Yoruichi gave the two of them a grim nod. "I have an idea, but we still need confirmation. Listen, both of you… stay close to me, all right? If my suspicions are proven right, then the… thing at the heart of all this is not to be taken lightly. More importantly, it might summon company, and I'll need the two of you to watch my back. You got that?"

Soi-Fon nodded. "Of course, Lady Yoruichi."

"We'll be right behind you," said Itachi.

Yoruichi took a deep breath as she looked down the corridor. If her worst fears were indeed realized down here…

…then the three of them would be in for one hell of a fight.

….

If the corrupting energy flowing through the Moon Tower had been thick before, that had been nothing compared to what it felt like down in the depths of the citadel. As Itachi followed Yoruichi and Soi-Fon through the corridor, the dark power that had Menar Issilaya in its grasp made the air itself oppressively heavy. There was no doubt in his mind that the source was at the end of the hallway, and if Yoruichi's reaction to the image carved on the wall was any indication, then whatever lay ahead had to be a major threat.

This has definitely shaped out to be more than a typical scouting mission, Itachi mused, I wonder if we really will have to recommend the Head Captain's intervention when it's over…

Imagining worst-case scenarios was something he'd gotten pretty good at during his time as a Shinobi, but it was harder to do that now because he still had no idea as to what was ultimately at the heart of all this. Yoruichi seemed to be leaning towards one particular conclusion, but she was unwilling to say what it was without supporting evidence. Itachi could appreciate the desire to have proof before making any sort of judgment, but it would've been nice to at least have a hint as to what might await them.

Perhaps the nature of her division meant that Yoruichi had gotten into the habit of keeping her cards very close to her chest. Either that, or the potential threat up ahead had her so unnerved that she was unwilling to give voice to its true nature and was feverishly hoping that her conclusion was a mistake.

The latter was by far the more disturbing of the two possibilities.

What in the name of the Soul King could spook a Captain? Granted, Itachi hadn't seen anything close to approaching Yoruichi's full power, but what he had witnessed and experienced in his time with her had given him a good teaser as to what she was capable of. She'd always carried herself with confidence born from skill and experience in the field, and this was the first time that Itachi had seen her look genuinely uneasy during a mission. He wasn't the only one that had picked up on it; from the way that Soi-Fon was looking at her, it was clear that Yoruichi's bodyguard was more concerned about her than usual.

Itachi looked back and forth between the engraved murals on both walls as the trio possessed, searching for any sort of clue that might give him insight into what had spooked the Captain earlier. He cursed his inability to read the script of the old kingdom and made a mental note to ask Yoruichi for some lessons once the mission was done, either directly from her or a subordinate such as Kisuke. The images weren't very helpful either; even if they hadn't been vandalized by whatever had claimed Menar Issilaya for itself, it was entirely possible that they depicted scenes Itachi would've had no way to put into proper context. The expedition to the barrow of the old kingdom during his Academy days had given him a good general outline as to the Soul Society's ancient history, but he knew that his understanding was still far from comprehensive.

His mind went back to the image that had shaken Yoruichi. Five armored figures bowing before one that wore what was either a robe or a dress… at least five males and likely one female… what did it mean? Obviously, the figure that the five were bowing to was important, but in what way? Was she royalty or nobility? Perhaps a revolutionary? A powerful sorceress? After all he had seen in both his first life and thus far in his afterlife, Itachi wasn't about to rule anything out.

This place is quite fascinating, the spirit of his Zanpakutō mused aloud, Menar Issilaya… perhaps the radiant moonlight it was once known for was merely cover for the dark secrets it housed. I wonder what sort of test awaits us in its foul heart.

I suspect we're about to find out. Are you ready?

Are you?

I have no choice.

Then neither do I.

The end of the long corridor was finally in sight, and just from the doorway alone Itachi could tell that they were in for something nasty. The remains of two heavy wooden doors with steel bracing lay on the ground, and he instantly realized that they'd been broken open from the inside of the room beyond. At least two dozen armored skeletons lay just outside the entrance, swords clasped in ancient death-grips that refused to loosen and great gouges in the plating that had so dearly failed to protect them. Two stone statues of armored men flanked the doorway, the torches that their now-empty hands had once grasped long gone and their faces as marred as those upon the murals that lined the corridor. The icy blue energy that dominated the Moon Tower was flowing out of the chamber beyond like a river, testament to the raw power of whatever was waiting for them.

The trio stopped just outside the doorway and looked through it. Beyond was a vast circular chamber, surprisingly spacious given the fact that it was built underground and beneath a structure as heavy as the Moon Tower. At the center of the room, Itachi spotted a stone sarcophagus. Broken chains lay on the floor around it, along with the shattered fragments of what must've been the slab that had once covered it. In sharp contrast to the energy that illuminated the rest of the citadel, the very far end of the chamber was shrouded in shadow, and Itachi could immediately tell that it wasn't a natural darkness. It was a swirling black mass, with only faint flickers of light breaking free. That was the epicenter of the unholy power that held Menar Issilaya in its grip.

They were on the precipice now, metaphorically and literally. Standing so close to the source of the power that had corrupted Menar Issilaya, Itachi's gaze turned to Yoruichi. Her golden eyes had hardened in firm resolve; whatever misgivings she had were forced to submit to her dedication to seeing her mission through. The same went for Soi-Fon, who looked ready to follow her Captain into Hell itself. Itachi took one final moment to steel himself with the full understanding that whatever was waiting for them in the chamber beyond was certainly more powerful than him and likely Soi-Fon as well. He wouldn't be the star of this fight; that honor would belong to Yoruichi. It would fall to him and Soi-Fon to support her, looking for openings in the enemy's defenses while keeping an eye out for traps and ambushes.

Yoruichi looked over her shoulder at him, and after regarding him for a moment surprised him with a small smile. "I was going to tell you that if you wanted to head back upstairs, you could, but that look in your eyes… you wouldn't do that even if it were a direct order, would you?"

"We've come this far," Itachi replied, "I'm not abandoning you now. Besides, having two people watch your back is better than one, right?"

Yoruichi nodded. "It is. I've got faith in your skills, Itachi, and high hopes for your future. Prove to me that you're as good as I think you are and more. Consider that to be an order."

"Understood," he answered.

She then turned to Soi-Fon and gave her a confident smirk. "Well, you know what they say; nothing ventured, nothing gained. Shall we take a good kick at this hornets' nest?"

Soi-Fon's eyes narrowed. "Yes. If it's stings the enemy wants, I'm more than ready to deliver."

"Now that's what I like to hear," said Yoruichi as she turned back towards the doorway, "All right, then. Let's go say hello."

She led them into the chamber, and the atmosphere changed as soon as the three of them crossed the threshold. A fresh chill swept over them, emanating from the dark mass at the far end of the room. The icy blue light coming from the rest of the chamber intensified to the point that one could forget that they were underground; the room was now so well illuminated that it might as well have been open-air under broad daylight. This renewed light did not provide any sort of reassurance or comfort, though. Far from it; in Itachi's eyes, it was just another hint as to the true power of what they were going up against.

Giving the chamber a fresh look now that they were actually inside it, Itachi realized that it was even larger than he'd initially guessed. The training yard of Squad Two's barracks could fit comfortably inside here several times over, and apart from the stone sarcophagus in the center there were no obstructions. Several hollow sections were carved into the encircling wall, each one with a dark blue crystal sitting inside it. The individual crystals were about as large as a person, and their facades were marred with fractures. Quickly counting them up, Itachi found that there were thirty-six of them in total.

A multiple of nine, the spirit of his Zanpakutō noted, I should've expected as much, given where we are.

What do you mean?

Remember that little history lesson we got for the barrow mission? The number nine was significant for the old kingdom. The island they once called home was in the rough shape of a nine-pointed star, for starters.

With that reminder now in his mind, Itachi gave the crystals a second glance. It was possible that they were simply decorative, but that conclusion didn't sit right with him. The presence of the sarcophagus meant that one would be forgiven for thinking of this place as just an elaborate tomb, yet Itachi suspected that wasn't accurate. If the number of long-dead guards just outside the chamber along with the doors that had been busted from the inside were any indication, this room had once been something more akin to a prison than a tomb.

The crystals… they were anchors for a seal.

My thoughts exactly. A very powerful seal, I'd imagine.

Clearly not powerful enough.

All too true.

Glancing up at the ceiling, he saw a surprisingly elaborate mural etched into it. There were four nine-pointed stars, each one corresponding with a cardinal direction. At the center was an image of the Moon Tower, with the citadel oriented so that the top was facing the star representing the north. Four crescent moons were etched as well, these ones lining up with the northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest. Just below the image of the citadel there was an image of what appeared to be an armored figure, but it had been defaced just like the murals out in the hallway. What was still quite visible, though, were the series of chains that descended from the base of the Moon Tower to wrap around the figure, further reinforcing Itachi's guess that they were standing in an elaborate cell rather than an honored and revered tomb.

As fascinating as the ceiling mural was, though, Itachi couldn't spare it further study. More light was beginning to seep out from the swirling mass of shadows at the far end of the chamber, and he sensed that the thing at the heart of all this was finally going to reveal itself.

Here we go.

"Itachi," said Yoruichi, "Remember what happened when you were brought back into your Realm of the Living? The effect it had on your presence in the Soul Society?"

Itachi nodded, wondering why she would bring that up now. "The soul fracture... what about it?"

Yoruichi gestured at the writhing mass of shadows and fell light. "What do you suppose happens when it's the other way around?"

Itachi's eyes widened slightly at the implication. "You mean if someone was revived in the Soul Society after already reincarnating in a Realm of the Living?"

Soi-Fon's already-pale face became nearly snow-white, clearly grasping something that Itachi was missing. "No… don't tell me…"

Yoruichi's gaze hardened. "You're about to see the result, and it won't be pretty, I promise you that."

The maelstrom of shadow and light at the far end of the chamber intensified, and the pulses of foul energy coming from it grew in power. With one last burst of energy, the shadows were dispelled completely…

…and what they had concealed was something straight out of a nightmare.

Adorned in ornate full-body plate armor and a cloak descending from its shoulders, the figure was certainly imposing on a physical level, and the straight sword sheathed at its waist was definitely larger than any sealed Zanpakutō Itachi had seen so far. However, it wasn't the armor it wore or the weapon it possessed that was the source of its terror. That came from the only unarmored part of it; its face.

It looked almost mummified or severely emaciated, with what skin remained clinging so tightly and stretched so thin that the outlines of its skull were painfully visible. Thin strands of hair fell to its shoulders, tossed about by the waves of power emanating from it. Worse by far were its eyes, with irises as pale as the energy it radiated, colder than death itself. Its expression seemed to be twisted into a permanent state of agony and hatred, locked in perpetual torment and looking to make the rest of the world share in its suffering. A crown with three upraised spires was upon its head, with the base encrusted in jewels and lined with ancient script.

The crown wasn't the only elaborate accessory the monstrous being wore. An amulet hung from its neck, with an icy-blue gem embedded in a silver triangle at the heart of it. Both hands were clad in gauntlets, but Itachi caught sight of an enlarged ring worn upon the right one, a dark green gem embedded in the band while the rest was carved with what appeared to be the scene of some ancient battle. The crown, amulet and ring all resonated with power that blended together into one malevolent storm. Itachi couldn't discern their exact nature; where they mere trinkets that gave the creature a simple boost in strength, or was there more to it?

Much to Itachi's surprise, he realized that the creature wasn't actually standing at the far end of the room but was in fact sitting in an elaborate throne. The design-style of said throne was rather crude when compared to rest of the chamber, and in fact it looked like the being had simply carved it up out of what had once been a chunk of the wall after it had escaped the sarcophagus. The arms of the chair both ended in stone skulls, with two real skulls sitting atop of those. Itachi had no idea who they might've belonged to, but from the way the being's hands rested atop them almost possessively it seemed to regard them as a pair of prized trophies.

However, now that Squad Two's Captain and her subordinates were in the room, the creature seemed to decide that it had more important things to worry about than two ancient skulls. It rose from its throne, but rather than walk it glided across the floor. The gaze it fixed Yoruichi with was one of utter loathing and malice, even more intense than its already anguished and hatred expression had been before. Did it recognize her specifically, or did it just reserve this kind of look for any exceptionally powerful intruder?

Itachi was still analyzing the creature when he heard Soi-Fon gasp, and when he glanced at her he actually saw a glimmer of genuine fear in her eyes. "A wraith…"

Still quite some distance away from the three Soul Reapers, the 'wraith' drew its sword. Its black guard had three diamonds imbedded in them, and pale blue light danced within them before running up from the handle to the blade itself, enshrouding the weapon with fell flames. Gripping the weapon in both hands, it thrust the sword down into the floor. There was a great ripple effect as fresh energy radiated from the point of impact, coursing along the floor and the walls. The thirty-six fractured crystals Itachi had spotted earlier now pulsed as they were overtaken by the corrupt power, and looking over his shoulder he saw that the exit was now sealed by a barrier.

It's repurposed the anchors of its old seal, thought Itachi as he drew his Zanpakutō, Will destroying the crystals take down the barrier, or will we have to eliminate the wraith itself in order to escape?

Soi-Fon had drawn her blade as well, yet Yoruichi's remained sealed. Her gaze remained locked with that of the wraith, an unspoken challenge passing between them. Itachi could sense her spiritual pressure gradually increasing in output, and he knew that she was ready to pounce into action at any moment.

Four beams of deathly pale blue light suddenly shot out of the crystals towards the exit of the chamber and struck the floor. Itachi and Soi-Fon whirled around and witnessed a square seal outlined in the same light appear on the floor where the four beams had hit. Inside the square, the light took on a patter reminiscent of a pair of doors… doors that opened a moment later. A chorus of inhuman screeches rang out, and a fresh parade of nightmares came forth.

Dozens of figures appeared, clasping swords, daggers, maces, and more. All of them were shrouded in the same tainted light that the wraith had brought to Menar Issilaya, and all of them had a similar look to them. Their bodies might be human, but like the wraith they clearly were no longer that in mind and spirit. The flesh that clung to them was patchy and revealed sinew and bone in many places. Mouths were twisted in cruel sneers, as if they were looking forward to inflicting torment upon the three Soul Reapers.

"What are these things?" asked Itachi as the creatures began to fan out.

"Wights," Yoruichi grimly answered, her focus still on the Wraith at the other end of the chamber, "They're what the three of us will become if we die here."

"That's not going to happen," Soi-Fon growled, "I'm not letting these abominations have the satisfaction of a kill!"

"I expect nothing less," Yoruichi replied, and Itachi sensed that the show was about to kick off, "You two focus on them; keep those things off my back. If you can thin them out, see if you can take a shot at those crystals and try to break the barrier that's locking us in here. I'll take the wraith. Better keep some distance from me so you don't get caught in the middle. Above all else, survive. Got that?"

Itachi nodded firmly. "Understood."

Soi-Fon's eyes gleamed with determination. "Yes, Lady Yoruichi."

Glancing over his shoulder, Itachi saw the Captain turn to the wraith, finally drawing her Zanpakutō. "And as for you…"

The light of cold fury harnessed for battle blazed in her eyes. "…you should've stayed dead."

….

It had been quite some time since Soi-Fon had last seen Yoruichi display anything approaching genuine anger, but the harshness of the glare she gave the wraith chilled her almost as much as the nature of the enemy they were up against. She could sense her Captain's spiritual pressure rising rapidly, and that quickly manifested itself physically as a white aura surrounded her. Sparks danced along her drawn blade, and Soi-Fon knew full-well what that meant; Yoruichi wouldn't be toying with her prey today, but would come out swinging hard.

"Unleash divine fury," she commanded, "Inazuma On'na!"

Bolts of white lightning flew out in all directions as Yoruichi brought forth her Shikai. When the glare faded just enough for Soi-Fon to see her Captain again, the short sword that Yoruichi had grasped earlier had vanished. In its place was a pair of silver gauntlets, each one enclosing her hands and going up her forearms almost to her elbows. White sparks crackled up and down the gauntlets, and the forearm sections were wrapped in a series of chains. Small retractable claws emerged from the tips of each finger, bits of light flickering around them. Yoruichi had already adjusted her stance to account for the transformation her weapon had undergone; instead of a traditional Zanjutsu posture, hers was now one more in line with Hakuda, which was quite fitting given her preferred method of fighting.

Wasting no time with boasts or pleasantries, Yoruichi formed a fist with the right gauntlet and punched. She was well out of range of her foe, but it wasn't her fist she sought to slam into the wraith; it was the blast of white spirit energy that shot forth from her gauntlet instead. The attack was nearly blinding, but much to Soi-Fon's surprise it didn't connect; the wraith was able to dodge the strike despite its incredible speed, and instead the energy slammed into the throne it had recently occupied, reducing the hideous chair to a pile of rubble.

"Soi-Fon," said Itachi, "We've got incoming."

Forcing her gaze away from Yoruichi as the Captain and the wraith moved in for close-quarters-combat, Soi-Fon saw that the wights were advancing. She refrained from unleashing her Shikai; in situations such as this, its sealed blade form was actually the better option. She didn't know if its poison would work on beings like this, and she didn't feel like taking any chances.

"Keep them away from Lady Yoruichi no matter what!" she commanded.

Itachi was already on it. "Hadō 20: Tenkū no Myaku!"

A broad pulse of invisible energy caused the air to ripple, and the first wave of wights was caught by the tide of power and thrown to the ground. Itachi immediately sprang forward, carving into the dazed and disoriented monstrosities with his Zanpakutō. Fortunately for him and Soi-Fon, the cleansing powers of the Soul Reapers' traditional weapon worked on undead abominations just as well as it did on Hollows, and each wight struck by Itachi's blade dissolved into little more than specs of spirit energy.

Not to be outdone, Soi-Fon decided to unleash an attack spell of her own. Raising her Zanpakutō horizontally in front of her, she gathered the necessary energy as a fresh wave of wights rapidly approached.

"Hadō 32: Ōkasen!" she cried out.

A yellow orb of energy materialized and the spread across the width of Soi-Fon's sword. It then shot out as an arc, knocking several of the wights back and momentarily stunning them. That was all the opening Soi-Fon needed to Flash Step forward and strike them down before they had the chance to recover.

She wanted to make for one of the crystals that was generating the portal the wights were using, but she still didn't have an opening; more wights had already come through and were blocking her way. Glancing over at Itachi, she saw that the Sixteenth Seat had the same problem. Neither of them had room to fire off Kidō spells now, forcing them to rely on their Zanjutsu and Hakuda skills from here on out.

Fortunately, the wights didn't make for particularly skilled combatants. They weren't exactly slow, but their movements came across as somewhat stiff and jerky, as if the power that had brought the poor souls into service of the wraith was incapable of providing them with the full range of motion that a human or regular soul would be capable of. The abominations also appeared to lack much in the way of tactical ability, instead relying on simple numbers. Their individual combat abilities left much to be desired, so as long as Soi-Fon and Itachi could manage the flow coming out of the portal they'd at least be able to maintain a solid defense for a while.

Defense alone won't be enough for victory, she thought bitterly as she thrust her Zanpakutō through a wight's skull, Lady Yoruichi's counting on us to deal with these things, and the best way to do that is to eliminate the portal. We need to break through and target the crystals anchoring it, and we need to do it fast!

….

Itachi had seen more than his fair share of horrors during his time as a Shinobi, but none of them came close to matching what he was facing now. Not even the most twisted of experiments that the likes of Orochimaru or Kabuto could come up with would have a chance of measuring up to the tortured and twisted beings that he and Soi-Fon were facing now, let alone the abomination that Yoruichi was fighting. The Captain did not have time to elaborate on the nature of the wights or why the three of them would join their horrendous ranks if they fell here before her clash with the wraith had begun, but based on the similarities between these lesser nightmares and their master Itachi had already developed a theory.

According to Yoruichi, the wraith was a byproduct of someone attempting to bring a person back from a Realm of the Living to the Soul Society after they'd already entered the cycle of reincarnation, he thought as his sword danced through the air on instinct and struck down his foes, I have no proof, but I'm willing to bet that these 'wights' owe their existence to a similar process. Perhaps anyone slain by the wraith has their soul pulled from the reincarnation cycle and is trapped in such a tormented state, bound to the creature that's taken this city. A horrific fate indeed if that's truly what happened here…

His swordplay was precise and tight, focused on maintain the delicate balance between protecting himself while proactively engaging the enemy and keeping them as far away from Yoruichi as possible. Soi-Fon was engaged in a similar dance, her Zanpakutō flashing through the air in silver streaks as she cut down any wight that either got to close to her or threatened to slip past and go after Yoruichi. As a result, the two of them were holding the line but accomplishing little else.

Thanks to the pressure he and Soi-Fon were under, Itachi didn't have many opportunities to check on Yoruichi's progress. That was a real shame, because the few glances he was able to steal in between slicing and dicing wights had shown him brilliant displays of the Captain's power the likes of which he'd never seen before.

He now understood why Yoruichi didn't unleash her Shikai for just any mission; it's raw power and flashiness actually ran counter to the more stealth-based nature of Squad Two. It was a real spectacle to behold, with the air around her constantly crackling with white sparks as she duked it out with the wraith. For all her skill with Zanjutsu, Hakuda and Hohō were where Yoruichi really shone, and her Shikai emphasized those strengths perfectly. The strikes she was unleashing on the wraith were almost too fast for Itachi to follow, and each one left a trail of blazing white sparks in its wake. Occasionally, she would clench a fist and fire off a blast of energy like she had at the start of the clash, but for the most part she was clearly focused on punishing her foe through brutal melee combat.

Blocking the wraith's sword with her left gauntlet, she made an openhanded swipe across its chest with her right. The clawed tips of her fingers raked the abomination, and Itachi saw yet more lightning coursing along the chest of her foe. The blow didn't appear to break through the wraith's armor, but it still gave Itachi a good appreciation for what that move was capable of.

If she struck an unarmored foe with that attack, any physical tears in their flesh from her claws would then be flooded with the lightning coming from her Shikai, he thought, Her spirit energy would assault her foe from within even as she continued to pummel them from the outside.

The open-handed strikes were actually in the minority for this fight, though. Instead, Yoruichi was clearly favoring blindingly fast and ferocious punches, along with some sweeps and kicks thrown in to keep the wraith guessing. Small shockwaves would ripple through the air with each strike, with lighting constantly flowing from the chains wrapped around her forearms to her fists and imbuing her attacks with phenomenal power. However, the lightning wasn't strictly concentrated in the gauntlets; large bolts would occasionally fly forth and random, striking the walls, floor and ceiling with enough force to not only leave scorch marks but also rip chunks from stone. That, Itachi realized, was likely another reason why Yoruichi didn't use her Shikai very often; those stray bursts of power could likely cause serious damage to any ally that didn't have sufficiently high levels of spirit energy to properly protect themselves with. It was no doubt part of her cause for moving forward to solo the wraith while leaving Itachi and Soi-Fon to tend to the wights coming from the rear.

Of course, the wraith was hardly taking these attacks lying down. Now that it was engaged in open combat its spirit energy was a storm unleashed, easily rivaling the power Yoruichi was throwing at it. It didn't appear to be as fast as Squad Two's Captain, but its swordsmanship was top notch. The creature could shift seamlessly from attack and defense, gliding back and forth across the chamber as it exchanged blows with Yoruichi. Its blows were powerful, and more than once Itachi saw Yoruichi being forced to block them with both of her gauntlets at the same time rather than deflect with just one. The wraith appeared to favor a two-handed grip for its fighting style, which would better facilitate strong overhand blows and a tough defense focused on protecting its center.

The blade itself was not the only weapon the wraith had at its disposal. Just as Yoruichi was capable of unleashing blasts of energy with her Shikai, the wraith had its own ranged attacks. Occasionally the pale blue flames that ran up and down the blade would suddenly surge forward and attempt to consume the Captain, only for Yoruichi to either disperse them with a burst of lightning from her Shikai or simply Flash Step out of the way. It didn't use this attack too often though; either its focus was primarily on engaging with just its sword or Yoruichi wasn't giving it the necessary time to build up for that kind of a strike.

Itachi was torn. Intellectually, he knew that moving to engage the wraith with Yoruichi would do her no favors. It would leave Soi-Fon alone to fend off the wights and would only distract the Captain, increasing her concern for both her bodyguard and her Sixteenth Seat. That logic didn't change the desire burning in his heart to rush to Yoruichi's aid.

He shook his head as he blocked a strike from a wight before putting the poor creature out of its misery. If they were going to make it through this nightmare alive, he needed to trust his Captain and carry out his duty. Itachi was right where her battle plan needed him to be, and he had no right to throw it out the window just because he wanted to support her directly against her foe rather than play the role of rear guard.

You have your mission, he silently told himself as he struck down another wight, so carry it out. Breaking formation, even out of a desire to help her, won't do any real good. Focus on your part of the fight and trust that she knows what she's doing.

It was the logical decision, one that would apply whether he was a Soul Reaper or a Shinobi, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

….

Aika and Visaelya's orders might've been to stand outside the observation room and keep an eye out for potential threats, but those orders went right out the window the second they felt twin surges of power. One was coming from far below, and Visaelya instantly recognized it as Yoruichi's spirit energy; no doubt the Captain had finally found whatever foul being was at the heart of the city's corruption and was cutting loose. The other was much closer to home, though. In fact, it was coming from inside the observation room.

Visaelya turned to Aika, and the two of them shared a quick nod. Orders be damned; they needed to know what the hell was going on.

"Shisui!" she cried out as the two of them burst into the room, "What…"

The remainder of her words died on her tongue as her eyes widened at the sight before her. There was the Tenth Seat, the relaxed and friendly young man who had saved her life and welcomed her so readily into Squad Two, holding the Nalatarin in his left hand. The air around him pulsed with energy, and she realized it was a mixture of his own and that of the artifact. What really floored her, though, were Shisui's eyes. Rather than the warm and easy-going black eyes that Visaelya was used to, they were now blazing scarlet gems, each one with three black tomoe orbiting the pupil. Those eyes were fixed on the Nalatarin, and Visaelya's first horrified thought was that he was actually trying to use it.

The last thing she wanted was for him to be rendered catatonic, yet as she and Aika continued to stare at him it became clear that wasn't the case. His footing was sure and strong; he didn't seem to be in any immediate danger of keeling over. Studying the situation more closely, Visaelya was shocked to realize that Shisui's and the Nalatarin's spirit energy actually appeared to be in synch, or very close to it. It was as if the Soul Reaper and the ancient artifact were engaged in some sort of unspoken dialogue, or perhaps mutually evaluating each other.

"Tenth Seat Uchiha… are you all right?" asked Aika nervously.

Shisui pulled his gaze away from the Nalatarin, although his eyes remained scarlet. "What are you two doing here?"

Visaelya stepped forward. "Forgive us for disobeying your orders, but we couldn't remain outside when we felt that spike in spiritual pressure. We thought you were in danger!"

"We're all in danger right now," Shisui curtly replied as he stuffed the artifact into a satchel, "I take it you also felt the spike coming from below, right?"

Visaelya nodded. "Of course."

"The Captain's fighting," murmured Aika, "She has to be…"

"We need to link up with the others immediately," said Shisui as he led the way towards the door, "What lies beneath this citadel is worse than anything we could've imagined."

Visaelya gasped as the implication sunk in. "You used the artifact, didn't you? That should've been impossible!"

Shisui shook his head. "You're mistaken. I didn't attempt to use it. It was… well, it's more like I communicated with it and it decided to show me something important. It's kind of hard to describe, and we don't really have time for it right now anyway. I'll give you the full rundown later."

There was a hellish screech as the three of them approached the doorway, and waves of icy blue light began to pulse outwards from the walls of the Moon Tower. Sparks of energy raced along the marble surfaces and converged on the doorway, forming a barrier. The energy then flowed back out across the observation room again, this time forming seals over the windows and firmly locking the trio in the chamber.

"A trap!" cried Aika.

"Impossible," said Shisui as he turned back towards the pedestal where the Nalatarin had once stood, "I swept the whole room for traps with my Sharingan and didn't detect any potential triggers!"

Visaelya's eyes widened. "Sharingan? Is that what's turned your eyes red?"

"It's an Uchiha thing," Shisui replied, "I'll explain later, but it has to stay between the three of us, you got that?"

"O-of course!" Aika stammered, clearly more concerned with what was happening with the Moon Tower than Shisui's strange eyes at the moment.

Visaelya couldn't blame her there. Frantically looking around the room, she couldn't discern the source of the power freshly coursing through the chamber or why it had chosen now to act. What was much more concerning to her were the tendrils of eerie pale blue power that began to emanate from the walls and ceiling. They began to converge near the doorway, forcing the three of them to fall back towards the middle of the room. The trio drew their swords, tensing for what Visaelya sensed was imminent battle.

Her fears were quickly realized as the swirling tendrils of energy formed a portal of sorts, and her already pale face went almost pure white when she saw the nightmarish forms that began to come forth. Her mind flashed back to old bedtime stories and legends that she thought she'd forgotten years ago, ones that she'd hoped were merely myths and fables. Yet as she looked on at the gradually growing assembly of horrors confronting them, she knew in her gut that those old tales unfortunately had had more than a bit of truth to them.

"Wights," she hissed, "Here, of all places…"

"W-what?" Aika yelped, "These things… they can't be…"

"Never seen 'em before," said Shisui as he grimly assessed the situation, "We don't have time for details, so just tell me this; can they be killed?"

Visaelya nodded firmly; on that point, at least, the legends of old had been quite clear. "Yes. They're vulnerable to our Zanpakutō."

She felt another surge of power, but this one wasn't coming from either the Moon Tower or the source of its corruption far below; it was coming from Shisui. His already-blazing crimson eyes seemed to glow even brighter, and his blade was bathed in his spirit energy.

"Good," he said with a smile, "In that case, I'll take point. You two watch my back and look for a way out of here, you got that?"

"Understood," said Visaelya, steeling herself for the clash.

"Right," said Aika, and much to Visaelya's relief she saw that the Twentieth Seat at least had a firm grip on her weapon.

I hope our training sessions on the road with her were enough to boost her confidence. She's going to need it.

For his part, Shisui had raised his Zanpakutō, and Visaelya knew what was coming. "Playtime, Kage no Kodomo!"

Visaelya's mind flashed back to the joint operation the advanced track students had taken part in with Squads Two and Ten years ago. Just like back then, Shisui's blade transformed into that slender short-sword with the strange guard, and tendrils of dark blue spirit energy were already emanating from the four slits. The flow of energy rapidly escalated as those tendrils became floods of power, and mere moments later Shisui was joined by four doppelgangers. Unlike the first time she'd seen his Shikai, though, now each of those clones had crimson eyes just like what Shisui's had become.

His spiritual pressure's incredible, she thought, I can't believe he's only the Tenth Seat of Squad Two! He's severely under-ranked…

This 'Sharingan' of his had to play some sort of role in that. Visaelya had no idea what it was, but the level of power he was demonstrating now versus what she had seen from him before made it abundantly clear that he'd been keeping the true measure of his strength a secret. His personal spirit energy combined with that of his Zanpakutō felt much stronger now that it had in the past, to the point that she suspected his true power might actually be closer to that of a Lieutenant than the rank he currently held. It was a stark reminder of how little she really knew about him despite his friendly and warm demeanor towards her. She wanted to learn more, but now was hardly the time for that sort of thing.

If you want to solve the mystery of his eyes, you know what you have to do first, said the spirit of her Zanpakutō.

Visaelya nodded firmly. Indeed. I must first survive…

…and I must win!

….

Shisui had no idea what a 'wight', as Visaelya had called their new enemy, was. It sure as hell wasn't a Hollow, and while it had clearly once been human whatever humanity it once possessed was long gone. Perceiving them through both the Sharingan and by sensing their spirit energy, they struck him as something that simply should not exist. They were neither human nor Hollow, and neither living nor dead.

Coming to the Soul Society taught me that there are far worse fates than death, he mused, but I never imagined there'd be one as twisted as this out there.

As unnerving as this new kind of enemy was, Shisui could at least take comfort in the fact that Visaelya was right; they could definitely be killed. Striking them in the head with his Zanpakutō seemed to be the most effective way to take them down, but stabbing them through the chest or cutting them in half yielded good results as well. In fact, they were rather easy to eliminate, but the speed at which reinforcements came through the portal meant that victory for the three Soul Reapers was far from assured.

The formation was simple; Shisui and his Zanpakutō's version of Shadow Clones were up front and taking the fight directly to the enemy. Behind him, Visaelya and Aika were supporting with a combination of Kidō spells and their own blades. Shisui was able to keep most of the enemy's attention on himself for now, but there was no guarantee that things would stay that way.

He surged forward, his blade flashing through the air with precision and speed aided by his Sharingan. The wights unfortunate enough to face him could not withstand his attacks and were struck down almost as quickly as they could immerge from the portal. His four Shadow Clones covered the flanks, supplementing his attacks with a relentless assault of their own.

Using his Sharingan boosted the capabilities of his Shikai in a few key ways. While the doppelgangers created by his Zanpakutō couldn't use the full scope of the Kekkei Genkai's abilities, they did gain a significant increase in perception. This allowed them to fight with greater accuracy and efficiency than normal, and it also gave them an improved ability to adapt to new enemies in order to more effectively combat them. They couldn't use the power of the Eye of Hypnotism, but their limited access to the Eye of Insight made them a very effective set of bodyguards for Shisui. The doppelgangers could better replicate Shisui's fighting style when he used the Sharingan, and they had an enhanced capacity for creativity and improvisation as well. It wasn't quite the same as fighting alongside Itachi back in their Shinobi days, but right now Shisui would take what help he could get.

As he blocked a knife strike from a wight before plunging his blade through its skull and reducing it to little more than stray particles of spirit energy, Shisui's mind briefly turned towards his old friend. Itachi was with Yoruichi and Soi-Fon, and their group had gone into the depths of the citadel. He didn't even need to try to sense the spike in power from both his Captain and the foul energy at the heart of the city's corruption, and the fact that Itachi was down there caught in the middle made him worry. His faith in his friend's growing skills was strong, but Shisui wouldn't kid himself; Itachi could doubtlessly take on wights without issue, but whatever Yoruichi was dealing with was another matter entirely, and Shisui didn't like the thought of his old buddy being in the same room where a clash like that was taking place.

Itachi, watch yourself down there, he thought as he stabbed another wight through the chest, I know you feel like you owe our Captain one and want to help her, but don't do anything reckless…

Continuing to fend off the majority of the wights coming through the portal, Shisui hoped that the rest of his comrades inside the Moon Tower were holding their own and could regroup quickly. If they all got bogged down, then they'd really be in trouble.

….

"Awaken, Benihime!"

While Rija provided cover with a wave of lighting from her Zanpakutō, Kisuke's spirit energy surged as his Shikai came to life. As soon as the transformation was complete, he thrust the blade through the neck of a wight, quickly reducing the creature to mere particles of spirit energy. Up ahead, Mindiwo was still fighting with his sealed Zanpakutō; he hadn't been given any breathing room to unleash his Shikai, but the Ninth Seat of Squad Two was still a formidable combatant even with such a handicap. Besides, Kisuke knew that Mindiwo's Shikai needed more room to be effective, and the tight hallways of the Moon Tower didn't give him the proper amount of space.

The first wave of wights had struck them in the library, and the trio had fought hard just to get out of there, with Kisuke barely having time to toss the scribe's journal into a satchel before everything had gone straight to hell. Once they'd broken through, Kisuke had been faced with a tough call to make on short notice; go upstairs to find Shisui's group, or head down and rendezvous with the Soul Reapers in the entrance hall. Sensing the spike in spirit energy from below, he'd decided on the latter. He knew what Shisui's Shikai was capable of, and he would have to trust that the Tenth Seat's power would be enough to ensure his survival and that of his two subordinates. For the Third Seat, his top priority was making sure Squad Two still had a clear line of retreat on the ground floor. After that, he would head into the depths of the citadel to help out Yoruichi.

With his Shikai now unleashed, Kisuke swiftly moved to take point before Rija was overwhelmed. When she saw him moving forward, she gave him a brief nod in gratitude before stepping aside, and that was when Kisuke decided to cut loose.

He smirked as he raised his Zanpakutō. "Sing, Benihime."

With a sweep of his sword, a torrent of crimson energy rushed forth and obliterated the wights blocking the corridor. Their path temporarily clear, the trio hurried forward, eager to make it to the next flight of stairs and descend to the entrance hall. Kisuke could sense the flaring spirit energy of the Soul Reapers down there; they were still alive and fighting to hold their position. He was determined to make sure that they stayed alive.

I can't believe I didn't piece it together sooner, he mentally chided himself, I should've recognized what was going on the instant I felt the foul energy emanating from this place.

One of the perks of his close friendship with Yoruichi was the fact that she'd given him free access to the Shihōin Clan's archives in order to advance his research. Given the practical benefits his studies had for Squad Two, along with some of the more amusing results of a few side projects, it hadn't been hard at all for him to talk her into it. Her family had raised a few eyebrows, but apart from that they hadn't made any serious moves to limit what he could examine there.

In the many hours he'd spent there over the years, he had come across accounts of wraiths. They had included information on how they were created, what they were capable of, and how they could turn those unfortunate enough to be killed by them into wights, lesser undead creatures wholly bound to their will. With the horde of wights that had attacked his group in the library, it was now painfully obvious that a wraith was at the heart of Menar Issilaya's fall, and Kisuke wanted to kick himself for not coming to that conclusion earlier.

The signs were all there, he silently fumed as he led his subordinates onward, and it makes sense that one would be here; they were probably using the Moon Tower as the primary anchor for sealing it. Those Hollow attacks mentioned in the scribe's records weakened whatever barriers were in place just enough for the damn thing to break through. That corrupt spirit energy, remains that showed signs of blade wounds, impact marks from energy attacks, the gate to the Upper City showing hints that it was ruptured from within… it was all staring us right in the face!

There was no use in further berating himself at the moment; linking up with the rest of the team and ensuring their survival was top priority. Keeping his Zanpakutō at the ready, Kisuke set a brisk pace for his group as they raced for the ground floor. They'd made quite a bit of progress already, but they still had a few levels remaining between them and their destination.

"The Captain's unleashed her Shikai," said Rija grimly, "That's never a good sign."

Mindiwo nodded. "She must be contending with the abomination at the heart of all this."

"That's where I'd place my money," Kisuke commented, "She wouldn't take any chances against something like this; of course, she came out swinging hard."

Rija chuckled. "Let's just hope she doesn't bring the citadel down on our heads. Her Shikai's powerful, but it's not exactly subtle."

"She'll be careful," said Kisuke.

Privately, he had his concerns. He knew how strong Yoruichi was, and in theory he felt that she could take on a wraith in a head-to-head fight. However, if they were fighting underground, then she would have to worry about minimizing damage to her surroundings. She was strong enough to survive a structural collapse from even a building as tall as the Moon Tower, but Itachi and Soi-Fon were another matter. The raw power of her Shikai was as much a threat as it was an asset under such circumstances.

Of course, there was more to her Shikai than brute force and flashy attacks. It played to her twin great strengths of Hakuda and Hohō, and Kisuke knew that she was much more comfortable fighting with her released Zanpakutō than she was with its sealed form. Just because she couldn't unleash its full power without putting her subordinates at risk didn't mean that she was down already; far from it. It simply meant that she'd have to get creative in order to pull out a victory.

Kisuke hoped that he would arrive in time to witness it.

….

A storm of white lightning dominated the rear portion of the chamber, and at the center of that tempest was Yoruichi. Moving with the speed that had won her the moniker of Flash Goddess and striking with the fury of a vengeful deity, she hammered her foe with an unrelenting assault. Her fists were blurs of silver and white as she unleashed blow after blow upon the wraith, while mixing in kicks at seemingly random intervals in order to keep her monstrous opponent off balance.

No matter what happens, keep his attention on you, she mentally reminded herself, Soi-Fon and Itachi don't stand a chance against this thing if it gets either of them in its sights. They'll keep the wights off you, so keep this beast off of them!

She intended to do that and much more. Yoruichi had no idea what it would take to put this thing down for good, but she was damn well going to make it regret having taken up residence in Menar Issilaya after what she assumed had been butchering its inhabitants and resurrecting them as wights following its escape from its fancy prison. She leapt into the air, flipping so that her feet touched the ceiling and then immediately pushed off, slamming into the wraith like a comet. The abomination was able to block the blow from her right fist with its sword, but the left one got through and hit it dead center in its chest. A hiss came from the monstrosity as it was pounded into the floor, but the sudden surge in its foul spirit energy told Yoruichi that it wasn't nearly ready to throw in the towel just yet.

She backflipped away from the wraith, and not a moment too soon. A column of icy blue flame shot up from the wraith's sword; if Yoruichi had lingered there just a moment longer she would've taken the blast full-on. The pillar of azure hellfire dissipated against the ceiling, leaving a broad scorched circle and causing some of the stones to crack from the intense heat.

Yoruichi's counterattack was immediately. Punching the air with both fists, twin blasts of white lighting shot out of her gauntlets and struck the wraith right in the face. Not even waiting to see the initial damage, Yoruichi Flash Stepped forward and began laying into the creature with a barrage of swift and powerful blows. When her eyes met those of the wraith, she scowled as she saw that it didn't have so much as a mark on it.

"How hard do I have to hit you for you to stay down?" she snarled as she caught its sword with her left gauntlet and nailed it in the jaw with her right, "Let's find out!"

The wraith did briefly appear to be dazed by the hit, but it recovered all too quickly. It made a broad sweep with its sword, forcing Yoruichi to pull back. Fresh blue flames began to dance along the blade again, and a moment later they concentrated at the tip and shot out like a bolt from a crossbow. Yoruichi was ready, with both gauntleted-hands stretched out before her and her spirit energy flowing through them. Another salvo of white lightning ripped forth, cutting right through the flames and dispersing them before hitting the wraith's lower torso. Again, the wraith seemed to recoil slightly from the hit, but only for a moment.

I can give it pause, but no more than that, she thought as she charged forward again, I need to ramp up the pressure if I'm going to take this bastard down!

Rather than attack her foe head-on, she Flash Stepped past it. Once she was behind it, she instantly turned around and took another Flash Step, this time slamming her fists into the creature's back. There was a hellish screech unlike the responses she'd gotten from her previous hits, but the wraith still countered with a wide swing from its sword almost immediately after the hit. Duking beneath the blow, Yoruichi saw unmatched hatred and malice in its gaze as it whirled around to face her; to say it was pissed would be a monumental understatement.

She refused to let its inhuman glare intimidate her. Pressing her assault, she pounded the wraith with a furious series of punches and kicks, culminating in a devastatingly powerful right hook that caught the abomination right in the neck. Yoruichi's spirit energy was surging through her gauntlets as the strike connected; a lesser foe would've had its head torn right off by such a blow. For a moment, it looked like this opponent might suffer exactly that fate as her armored fist ripped into its neck, but a sudden flare in the wraith's spirit energy indicated that this wouldn't be the fatal hit of the match. Flash Stepping back in case her enemy was about to unleash another powerful attack, her eyes widened as she saw the gash in its neck quickly seal up.

"Regeneration," she murmured, "That's a nasty little trick…"

She'd known from the start that taking this thing down would be difficult, but this presented a whole new challenge. Still, Yoruichi didn't have the luxury of backing down. Raising her gauntlets to block a powerful overhand sword strike, she unleashed another blindingly fast assault. There had to be a limit to the wraith's regenerative abilities, and she was going to find it one way or another.

….

Blades darting through the air like hummingbirds, Shisui and his four doppelgangers were waging a furious defense. Visaelya couldn't recall the last time she'd seen him fight like this; even his clash against the Hollows during the joint operation with Squad Ten when he'd saved her life and they'd first met didn't come close to measuring up to this. There was a constant stream of wights pouring forth from the portal, yet Squad Two's Tenth Seat was still proving himself more than capable of thinning out the horde. None of his doppelgangers had gone down yet, and the Soul Reaper himself didn't even look close to tired.

Appearances could be deceiving, though. Visaelya was no fool; for all the incredible power and skill that he was displaying now, Shisui surely couldn't hold out forever. A general rule with Zanpakutōs was that the more impressive their abilities were, typically the more power they required in order to be sustained over a prolonged period. It was difficult to tell just how much spirit energy Shisui needed in order to maintain his four clones and keep them fighting, but Visaelya was sure that it was a considerable amount. If she and Aika didn't step things up, the Tenth Seat could end up wearing himself out trying to protect them.

Visaelya was determined to not let that happen. There was still so much she wanted to learn from him, not to mention the fact that she very much considered herself in his debt for saving her life when she was a student. She refused to allow him to fall here, and would do everything in her power to ensure he lived to fight another day. That meant breaking out of her support role and becoming more proactive in the fight, something she was all in favor of doing even if Shisui would undoubtedly disapprove.

Cutting down a wight, she shifted her sword to her right hand while holding out her left. "Hadō 31: Shakkahō!"

A crimson blast of spirit energy shot forth, obliterating another wight that had slipped past Shisui and his doppelgangers. The move left Visaelya momentarily vulnerable, but she wasn't worried; Aika had her covered.

Indeed, the Twentieth Seat was more than holding her own in this fight. Perhaps it was simply because their backs were to the metaphorical wall, but her Zanjutsu was showing none of the hesitation that had been characteristic in her form before now. As a wight tried to cut down Visaelya while was shifting from her spell casting stance to guard, Aika swiftly intercepted the creature and thrust her Zanpakutō right through its chest. The two young women could only share a brief nod in acknowledgement before they were forced to confront more of the abominations, but it at least gave Visaelya greater confidence in her comrade's ability to watch her back.

"We need to seal that portal!" Aika called out as she cut down another wight.

"I know that!" Visaelya replied while thrusting her blade through one of the monsters' skulls, "Any ideas?"

Aika nodded, although the gesture wasn't as confident as Visaelya would've hoped. "I might. Can you cover me? I'm going to need a bit of time to build up my spirit energy for this."

"How much time?" asked Visaelya as she took down three wights with a broad slash.

"About thirty seconds!" Aika answered.

Visaelya nodded; the margin was tight, but doable. "All right, then. Just make it quick!"

Aika stepped back and sheathed her sword before holding out both hands before her. Visaelya took up position in front of her, bracing herself for the onslaught.

It wasn't long in coming; despite Shisui's best efforts to stem the tide, there was still a steady trickle of wights getting through him and his doppelgangers. Cutting down the first wight to get through, Visaelya then took a quick step back and held out her left hand, already gathering spirit energy.

"Hadō 33: Sōkatsui!" she shouted.

A wave of blue-white energy shot forth, incinerating four more wights that had made it past Shisui. Visaelya didn't have any time to rest on her laurels and was forced to engage yet another monstrosity with her sword mere seconds after unleashing the spell. She put the creature down with a clean strike through its neck and swiftly transitioned into a thrust aimed at the one behind it, catching the following wight in the gut.

"Any time now, Aika!" Visaelya yelled as she blocked a knife strike from another monster before cutting it down.

That was when she felt a surge of power from the Twentieth Seat, one Visaelya had not thought was possible from her. "Roppō Fūjin!"

Green spirit energy shot out from between her hands and converged on the portal. That energy swiftly formed itself into a three-dimensional cross-shaped barrier, with the portal locked in the center of it. Fresh wights coming out of the portal immediately found themselves stymied by this unexpected obstacle, and the creatures began to pile up against the barrier. With the flow of enemies halted, Shisui was able to mop of the rest of the monstrosities in just a few seconds.

Visaelya couldn't help but openly gape; the barrier spell Aika had used was a highly advanced one, and it required a considerable amount of power and skill to utilize. It was one of those spells that was mentioned at the Academy and described in textbooks and scrolls, but not actually taught to students by the instructors out of the belief that none of them would be capable of performing it without developing their abilities through field experience as Soul Reapers.

I knew Aika was gifted in Kidō, she thought as she studied the barrier in fascination, but I never realized that she was capable of something like this!

That was when she heard heavy breathing behind her, and when she turned around, she gasped at the state Aika was in. Her brow and face were absolutely drenched with sweat, and she looked like she could barely stand. Her arms were trembling as she tried to draw her sword again, and her footing was so unsteady she seemed on the verge of collapse.

"It… worked," she gasped as she desperately fought to keep herself upright, "I… don't know… for how long, though."

Visaelya saw Shisui shake his head, his crimson eyes narrowing as he studied the barrier, perhaps seeing something that she could not. "Not indefinitely, that's for sure. Aika, that took everything you had, didn't it?"

Aika gave him a shaky nod. "Yes, but… it was all I could think of."

Shisui smiled. "I know. You did well, and you bought us time. Visaelya, keep her on her feet. The barrier at the door's still up, but without the wights getting in the way we've at least got a bit of time to find the source. Leave that to me."

Visaelya nodded as she moved to give Aika a shoulder to lean on. "Understood."

"Keep an eye on the barrier," Shisui ordered the two of them as he swept the room with his gaze, "There has to be something in here that's anchoring the portal. If I can find it, I can destroy it."

"Sounds good," said Visaelya, gulping nervously as she saw wights continuing to pile up against the emerald energy field, "Please hurry."

Even as she followed his orders and kept watch on the barrier, Visaelya kept one eye on Shisui as well, curious as to what he would do to get them out of this mess. She was also fascinated by the new intensity given to his gaze by the Sharingan, and she could not help but wonder why he had kept it a secret all this time. What was it capable of? She could clearly sense the way it amplified his spirit energy, and it surely gave him some kind of enhanced perception, but she wanted to know the details. Unfortunately, now was hardly the time for an extensive question-and-answer session.

It didn't take long for his gaze to fall upon the pedestal that had previously held the Nalatarin, and Visaelya saw his brow furrow. "Of course… I should've spotted that earlier."

"Shisui?" said Visaelya as he and his doppelgangers approached the pedestal.

"This pedestal was dominated by the energy from the artifact earlier," Shisui replied, "and even now, residual energy from it still coats it. That made it difficult earlier to get an accurate read on this thing. Turns out the anchor for the portal and the barrier is in here. You two should step back."

Visaelya did as he instructed, moving until she and Aika were as far back as possible. A moment later, she felt Shisui concentrate his spirit energy in his Zanpakutō, a gesture mirrored by his clones. The original and the four doppelgangers thrusts their blades into the pedestal as one, and there was a sudden spike in power that caused the outer surface to crack and then shatter a second later. At the heart of the pedestal, Visaelya could now see that there was a crystal emanating the same kind of spirit energy that was found throughout the rest of the Moon Tower. The blades of Shisui and his clones now pierced the crystal, and the sheer power flowing into the stone caused it to fracture and fall apart within seconds.

It did not take long for the results of Shisui's action to become apparent; within Aika's barrier, the portal swiftly collapsed in on itself and dissolved. The wights themselves remained, but their flow of reinforcements had finally been cut off.

Shisui's clones stepped forward, while the Tenth Seat himself remained behind them. "All right, then. Time to finish these guys off. Aika, how much longer can you maintain the barrier?"

"Just a few more seconds!" she cried out.

Shisui smiled. "Let it fall, then; you've done well."

Aika sighed with relief and slumped against Visaelya's shoulder. "Okay…"

The barrier vanished, and as the wights surged forward Shisui was ready for them. "Hadō 54: Haien!"

A blast of violet spirit energy hit the core of the mob, disintegrating several wights at once. Shisui's doppelgangers fell upon the survivors immediately, cutting them down with brutal efficiency. One straggler attempted to break through to attack Visaelya and Aika, but it was intercepted by Shisui, who relieved it of its head in a single fluid motion.

Beyond where the portal and the wights had once been, Visaelya saw that the barrier over the doorway had collapsed. For a moment, she feared that more wights would pour into the room, but there did not seem to be any further activity. Closing her eyes for a few seconds, she could feel multiple fights taking place below them, but for the moment the top of the citadel appeared to be secure.

We should get going, she thought before looking at the friend she was supporting, but Aika…

The Twentieth Seat was in no shape to fight. Her breathing might've steadied somewhat, but it was clear that the barrier spell had taken a lot out of her. If they engaged in combat again so quickly, Aika wouldn't last long.

Shisui seemed to recognize that, because he gave the two young women a knowing look before issuing new orders. "You two stay right there. Don't move, you got it?"

Visaelya wondered what he had in mind, but guessed that she'd find out soon enough. "Of course."

His Zanpakutō reverted to its sealed state a moment later, with the doppelgangers vanishing. Sheathing his sword, Shisui then raised both hands and aimed the open palms towards Visaelya and Aika. His eyes still blazed with the Sharingan, and Visaelya found those crimson gems to be possessed with an almost haunting aura.

"Bane Hogo," he chanted, and bright pink energy shot forth from his hands.

Visaelya had to shield her eyes due to the intensity of the light as it engulfed her and Aika. When she was able to open them a few seconds later, she saw that she and her friend were surrounded by a cubical pink barrier. While the color itself was odd in that Visaelya couldn't recall any other barriers being pink, what really struck her was the sense of cool and refreshing energy permeating the air around her and Aika.

"This is a revitalization barrier," Shisui explained, "The Sharingan… it lets me copy certain spells and techniques. I had to spend quite a bit of time spying on members of Squad Four training before one used this particular barrier in my line of sight."

Visaelya was stunned at what he was saying. "Your eyes… they allow you to copy abilities?"

"With certain limitations," Shisui countered, "I'll elaborate after the mission. This barrier should help both of you regain some strength, although I can't maintain it very long; I need more training for that. I'll keep it up for five minutes and stand guard over the two of you, so sit down and soak up that energy, okay?"

Aika smiled. "Thank you."

Visaelya did the same as she gently lowered her friend to the ground. "Yeah… we owe you one."

Shisui smirked. "Don't mention it. Once your little break's up, we're heading for the ground floor. We're going to keep our fighting to a minimum; you two are getting out of this city. Once I know you're clear, I'll head back in to rejoin the others. No arguing here, you got that? You two have done more than your share of work today."

As much as she wanted to protest, Visaelya knew that Shisui was right. Giving him a simple nod of acknowledgement, she sat down next to Aika and allowed herself to soak up the rejuvenating energy within the barrier.

Lady Yoruichi… Itachi… everyone…

Please, survive.

….

"Quite the welcoming party," quipped Rija as she let fly with another arc of lighting.

Kisuke chuckled as he thrust Benihime through the skull of a stunned wight. "No kidding. They're not exactly a festive bunch, though."

"Good," said Mindiwo as he cut down the last of the monsters in this current wave, "They'd be even creepier if that were the case."

Kisuke had a hard time arguing with that sentiment. Given the choice between wights and Hollows, he'd fight the latter any day of the week. The wights weren't exactly hard to take down, but they had an unnerving quality to them that was wholly absent in the traditional enemies of the Soul Reapers. Perhaps it was simply the knowledge in how such monstrosities came to be that made them so unsettling, or knowing what kind of abomination their wills were now bound to. Kisuke had learned long ago that there were far worse fates than death, and becoming a wight was definitely one of those nightmarish ends that was far more horrific than the simple cycle of passing and reincarnation.

They were just one level above the ground floor now, and Kisuke was keen to complete the descent as quickly as possible. He could sense multiple surges in spiritual pressure below; the clashes taking place in the Moon Tower were rapidly intensifying. While his greatest concern was naturally with the wraith at the heart of this calamity, Kisuke wasn't blind to the broader situation. Whatever was happening down in the entrance hall, from what he could feel he guessed that the team Yoruichi had assigned to hold it could use some backup.

The last flight of stairs was ahead of them, and as he led the way he briefly looked over his shoulder at his subordinates. "As soon as we get down there, be ready to fight."

Rija nodded. "Don't have to tell me twice."

"Indeed," said Mindiwo.

At least they're ready, he thought, and they're in good shape to fight. All three of us are veterans; endurance in the field isn't an issue for us. I just hope that we won't be called upon to push that endurance to its limits.

Rushing down the last flight of stairs, Kisuke burst into the entrance hall with all the subtlety of a charging bull; he didn't have time for stealth. Fortunately for him, the combatants in the entrance hall were so focused on their frantic clash that Kisuke's group actually had the element of surprise on its side, and he intended to make full use of it.

There was a chill in the air of the entrance hall that hadn't been there before, and Kisuke already knew the source; Sixth Seat Katya had unleashed her Shikai. It only took a glance for him to spot her, and sure enough the sword she'd been carrying earlier was gone. In its place was a silver spear, its handle imbedded with diamonds and sapphires. Glowing dark blue runes ran up and down the weapon, with snowflakes trailing in its wake as its wielder put it to use. It had been quite some time since Kisuke had seen Shimo no Hebi in all its glory, and it was easy to see why Katya had felt the need to cut loose with it.

A portal had opened up at the back end of the entrance hall, and wights were spilling out of it. While her comrades guarded her flanks, Katya had taken up position directly in front of the portal. Whirling her spear around her, the Sixth Seat had turned herself into a one-woman bulwark against the horde. Wights struck directly by her weapon were reduced to naught but particles of spirit energy, while those who failed to dodge with a wide enough margin found their corrupted forms covered in frost. This was the power of Shimo no Hebi; any foe that was not slain outright by it and failed to give it the respectable distance it deserved would be coated in a frost that chilled them to the bone and sapped them of their strength.

Kisuke had seen its effects against Hollows, but upon closer inspection he realized it wasn't having quite the same impact on the wights. Yes, those that became coated in frost did slow down, but not nearly to the same degree as a Hollow or a human would. If Kisuke had to guess, he supposed that the undead nature of the wights meant that Shimo no Hebi's power was less effective against them. Katya needed help, and fortunately for her Kisuke's group was ready to provide it.

"Sing, Benihime!" he commanded.

A fresh wave of crimson energy shot forth, sweeping over the wights and reducing them to dust. It was enough to buy Katya's team a moment of respite, but fresh wights were already coming out of the portal.

"Take a breather, Katya," said Kisuke as his group stepped forward, "We'll give you a little room to regroup."

The Sixth Seat nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you."

Rija turned and smiled at the Ninth Seat. "I think you've got enough room to cut loose now, Mindiwo."

Mindiwo nodded, and Kisuke could already feel his spirit energy surging. "You're right. Devastate, Gyakusatsu no Akuma!"

His sword was shrouded in orange light before it transformed, elongating into a staff. The handle was obsidian, and at the top of the staff there was a black skull with flames blazing where eyes should've been. Its jaw hung open, as if whoever the skull had belonged to had died screaming in agony.

Mindiwo leveled his staff at the next wave of wights. "Decimate."

The skull at the head of the staff rotated so that it was facing the oncoming wights, and a sphere of orange energy flew from its open jaws. When it hit the front ranks of the approaching horde, it burst in a fierce explosion that rocked the entire entrance hall. Kisuke knew that the large blast was why the Ninth Seat hadn't used his Shikai while they were on the upper floors; in the tight hallways, such an explosion could've damaged the walls to the point of collapse. By contrast, down on the ground floor Mindiwo had the space he needed to cut loose with his Zanpakutō. No wights were left standing, but it was only a temporary reprieve; more were already coming out of the portal.

"Hold them off while I recharge," he requested.

Rija and Kisuke both stepped forward, their spirit energy surging. The Fifteenth Seat unleashed a wave of lightning, which Kisuke immediately followed-up with a burst of crimson energy. Their combined power stopped the next charge dead in its tracks, but Kisuke knew that this was just a momentary respite.

This nightmare won't end until it's been dealt with at its source, he thought, Yoruichi…

You'd better win down there.

….

"There's too many of them!" Soi-Fon yelled as she stabbed a wight in the face.

Itachi was forced to agree with the sentiment as he cut down another monstrosity. For every creature that the two of them eliminated, it seemed that another took its place almost instantly. They'd made absolutely zero headway, and Itachi was beginning to worry.

That damn portal's pumping out new hostiles as fast as we take down the current ones, he thought as he sliced the head clean off a wight, and they're all fresh. I don't know how long we've been fighting down here, but we can't keep this up forever.

Neither of them had gotten a single opening to go after any of the four crystals anchoring the portal and the barrier sealing the chamber. Every time Itachi or Soi-Fon had tried to break off and aim a spell at one of the stones the wights had immediately moved to either strike at them directly or take the hits in place of the crystals. They might not have been the smartest creatures, but they did at least seem to possess a rudimentary tactical intelligence. Granted, it consisted of little more than constantly throwing fresh waves at the two Soul Reapers to keep them occupied, but that was really all they needed. It would only take one slip up on Itachi or Soi-Fon's part to compromise their defenses and leave them open to being completely overwhelmed. The enemy could afford mistakes; the Soul Reapers couldn't.

As tense as his and Soi-Fon's situation was, though, Itachi knew that it paled in comparison to the ferocious brawl at the back of the chamber. At the center of a storm of white lighting and azure flames, Yoruichi and the wraith were duking it out with blinding speed and brutal power. Flash Stepping so often and so quickly that she was almost impossible to perceive, Squad Two's Captain struck at the source of Menar Issilaya's corruption from every possible angle. Right and left, low and high, and everything in between; she was seizing every possible opportunity to keep her foe on the backfoot. Itachi knew that he owed his life to her unrelenting assault against the wraith, for the gap in power between himself and the monstrosity was great. If it got a chance to attack him, he doubted that he'd be able to last for much longer than a brief exchange or two.

Yoruichi was certainly aware of that. While Itachi's attention had been focused on the wights, he hadn't failed to notice how her assault on the wraith would suddenly intensify whenever there was even a remote chance that the creature might try to break off from her and attack her subordinates instead. Itachi was grateful for the concern, but he wanted Yoruichi to focus solely on her fight and not worry about him. Just the few glances he'd been able to steal of the clash were more than enough to tell him that she was facing a very challenging foe, especially given that it was capable of regenerating from what should've been fatal damage. Yoruichi hadn't let that discourage her, but Itachi had to wonder just how long she could fight against such a foe.

Her Shikai was extraordinarily powerful, yet for all its might it wasn't giving her the strength needed to land the killing blow. Itachi had briefly wondered why she hadn't unleashed her Bankai in response to her foe's regenerative abilities, but it had only taken a moment for him to realize the answer to that question. Given the sheer amount of power her Shikai was giving off in the form of bolts of white lightning that she didn't appear to have complete control over, Itachi had to imagine that her Bankai likely amplified that raw might several times over. If she wasn't at least worried about possibly causing a structural collapse and endangering her subordinates with her Shikai, then Itachi was sure that she had to have such concerns with regards to her Bankai.

Even if they weren't fighting in an enclosed environment, though, Itachi had to wonder if her Bankai would do the trick. There didn't seem to be a major discrepancy in power between the Captain and the wraith; the problem was the latter's damned regeneration. Rapidly healing foes weren't something Itachi was entirely unfamiliar with; he'd mixed it up with all sorts of enemies back in his Shinobi days, after all. There was always some sort of weak point or a trick to the healing that, once perceived, could be targeted.

Perception and power, he thought in growing frustration as he and Soi-Fon furiously fended off the next wave of wights, We need a boost in both in order to change the tide here. We can't keep this up forever!

The trio of Soul Reapers were starting to grow desperate. The fight was at a stalemate, but that ultimately favored the wraith and its unending horde of reinforcements. If a game-changer wasn't found damn quickly, then the situation would deteriorate.

Itachi's sword flashed through the air in a series of rapid strikes as he tore into another wave of wights, his speed fueled by a steadily increasing mixture of fear and anger. Fear of what would happen if they couldn't turn things around, and anger at his lack of the real power that was needed to aid Yoruichi and Soi-Fon. What good was he if all he could do was swing a sword and strike down minions while the woman who had given him a new sense of purpose and belonging fought alone against an abomination?

Perception and power…

Those words kept echoing in his mind as he struggled to fend off a fresh horde of wights. He needed more of both, and he needed them now. Not for himself, but for the woman who had given him a chance at a second life.

For the woman who accepted him as he was despite knowing all that he had done.

Now more than ever, he envied the power he'd possessed in his past life. If he could have just a fraction of that now, it might be enough. For a long time, he'd wondered if the power of the Uchiha line was either a blessing or a curse, and had never settled on a concrete answer. That power had brought the clan to both glory and ruin, and while he'd hated the arrogance and bitterness it had inspired in his kinsmen Itachi also understood its potential to change the world for the better. It could destroy or defend; it was all in the user.

And right now, he wanted that power for the purpose of, above all else, fighting alongside and defending a woman who had become dearer to him in little more than six years of the afterlife than any other had during his first life.

About damn time.

Time slowed to a crawl, and the smiling spirit of his Zanpakutō appeared before him. He hadn't gone to his inner world; he was still in the chamber beneath the Moon Tower, still in the middle of the raging battle. All motion seemed to have halted though, and his vision was dominated by the woman clad in the black flames of Hell. Her crimson eyes bore right through him, and Itachi suspected that she had altered his perception of time with an illusion of sorts.

What do you mean?

Perception and power are what you desire, and they are within your reach. They have always been within your reach; they are the birthright of your bloodline. For too long, though, you have doubted those traits. You saw what they drove your clan to do, and even while you used them yourself you appreciated the danger that they represented for you. When you passed from your old life to this one, part of you was glad when you awoke and realized you no longer possessed the Sharingan. Do not deny it.

That might've been the case then, but I didn't understand that I would still have need of its power in death. Things have changed since then.

They have, but part of your mind had not… not until your Captain began to liberate it. When you spoke to her of your past, you did far more than simply confess to murder; you bared your very heart and soul to her in a way that you've never done for anyone else. You let the light finally shine into a corner of your mind that had been shrouded in shadow for far too long. Do you remember what happened when you came to visit me after that conversation?

You mentioned evolution… that I stood on the precipice of the next step in my growth.

You did, and still do… and now is the time to take it. You can feel it now, can't you?

Itachi was taken aback when he realized that she was right. Perhaps it was the growing desperation of the fight that had triggered it, or his desire to protect Yoruichi, but either way there were two very distinct wellsprings of energy that he could sense, each growing stronger by the second. The first was coming from the sword in his hand, while the second…

…was coming from within his head.

Specifically, from his optic nerves.

Itachi knew what that meant.

Fear the power of your clan no longer. You are not defined by them. Their follies and failings are not your own. You are Itachi Uchiha. You transcended the Curse of Hatred long ago; it holds no sway over you. Embrace the might of your bloodline… the perception and power that only you are worthy of!

That was when Itachi realized there was more than just a spike in spirit energy coming from his blade. Even as the spirit of his Zanpakutō spoke to him, the sword he held was practically singing with excitement.

And he could hear it now.

What he had sought for the past six years.

How fitting… I should've known.

Indeed. So, what are you waiting for?

Say it.

Say.

My.

NAME!

Time's flow began to speed up again; whatever spell she had cast over his perception was swiftly fading. As his consciousness fully returned to the fight that surrounded him, Itachi could feel his power rapidly swelling, and he knew exactly what he had to do.

He raised his sword, his eyes narrowing as his vision became colored with flashes of crimson. "Purge through perdition's flames…"

"…Jigoku no Joō."

….

Even if she hadn't been fighting alongside him and heard the words, Soi-Fon would've recognized that spike in spiritual pressure anywhere… or at least, the initial spike. She instantly knew that it was a Shikai release, yet there was more to it than that. The Zanpakutō wasn't the only source of energy here; there was another spike in power that was coming from within Itachi himself, one that felt quite different from the rising energy that typically accompanied one's first time unleashing a Shikai.

Normally Soi-Fon would be worried about the enemy taking advantage of any distraction on her part, but the wights had paused their assault. It was as if they were taking stock of this new potential threat, showing greater intelligence than their twisted and decayed features suggested. While still keeping her guard up, Soi-Fon felt reasonably safe in taking at least a brief glimpse at her comrade to fully evaluate his newly unleashed Shikai.

However, what first caught her attention when she turned to Itachi wasn't actually his Zanpakutō. Rather, it was Itachi himself.

Or, more specifically, his eyes.

No longer where they the cool and inscrutable onyx orbs that she had become accustomed to. Instead, both eyes were blazing crimson beacons. Black pupils were at the center of bloodred irises, and orbiting the pupil of each eye were three black tomoe. Soi-Fon had never seen anything like it, but even more startling than what she could perceive with her eyes was what she felt; the power emanating from them matched that which now flowed from his blade.

Forcing herself to look away from his eyes to evaluate the new shape of his Zanpakutō, Soi-Fon was floored by what she saw. She was a veteran Soul Reaper and had come across a fantastic variety of Shikais in her time, and had even been lucky enough to witness a handful of Bankais in action. Soi-Fon would never say she'd seen it all; that was an impossible statement to make given the nature of the Zanpakutō. Still, she'd at least thought that she'd seen enough as to have an idea of what to expect when a comrade unleashed their Shikai for the first time.

Clearly, at least in Itachi's case, she was quite wrong in that regard. Soi-Fon hadn't known exactly what to expect when the young man finally reached that pivotal step in his growth as a Soul Reaper. The few times it had come up in conversation with her Captain, Yoruichi had simply smiled and said it would surely be something to look forward to. Soi-Fon hadn't quite shared the sentiment; sure, she'd been curious, but she didn't think that Itachi's Shikai would prove to be anything particularly noteworthy.

The weapon he held now very much wished to argue the contrary. It was unlike anything Soi-Fon had ever seen. Raised in Itachi's right hand was a black straight sword. The length of the weapon appeared to be about average, but that was the only normal thing she could find regarding his new sword. The style was vaguely reminiscent of bladed weapons she'd seen while on missions to the continent called Europe in the Realm of the Living known as Terra, but only in that the sword had two edges instead of the traditional single curved edge found on most sealed Zanpakutō. Running down the blade itself from hilt to end was a very slender gap, so thing that it was almost impossible to perceive at first glance. Due to this gap, the sword actually ended in two points that were incredibly close together rather than a normal single tip.

The blade itself wasn't the only unusual aspect of the weapon. The guard of Itachi's Zanpakutō resembled a set of down-swept raven's wings, intricately carved to the point that Soi-Fon could actually make out detailed feather-patterns in the metalwork. Design-wise, the handle itself was quite straightforward, consisting of black metal with grips carved into it that perfectly matched Itachi's fingers. At the very center where the handle and the guard met, a circle was flanked by the two previously mentioned raven's wings. Its base was crimson, but what really caught Soi-Fon's attention was the pattern. Just like Itachi's eyes, this circle had three black tomoe orbiting a 'pupil' of sorts.

She briefly wondered if it was just a melee-type Zanpakutō, but she was quickly proven wrong when the slender slit running down the center of the sword lit up with crimson flames. Streams of them quickly began flying from the sword, and on closer inspection Soi-Fon realized that they were actually in the shape of birds. A few dozen at first… then scores… then hundreds… and the number kept on rapidly climbing. They flocked above and around Itachi and Soi-Fon, and while their proximity should've made her nervous, she actually felt reassured by their presence. It helped that she could sense Itachi's spirit energy within them.

"Soi-Fon," said Itachi, "I know it's not my place to give orders to you, but I have a plan."

The wights still appeared to be paused as they continued to asses this new threat, so now was as good a time for a strategy talk as any. "Let's hear it."

"Drop back behind me," he said, "I'll keep the wights occupied. Strike the anchoring crystals as soon as you get an opening. Once the portal collapses and the flow of wights ceases, we'll go help Yoruichi."

In other circumstances she would've chastised him for referring to her master by just her first name, but they had far more pressing concerns at the moment than simple impropriety. "Are you sure you can hold them off by yourself?"

"Yes," Itachi answered with cool confidence.

Soi-Fon knew they couldn't afford hesitation right now; she would have to trust him. "All right. Let's do this."

Itachi nodded, his eyes narrowing as he fixed the wights with a withering gaze. "Begin."

And with that, the fireworks were underway.

….

After having gone without its awesome power for over six years, Itachi was almost stricken with sensory overload when his Sharingan had fully manifested. This wasn't like the first time he had awakened it all those years ago; the flow of energy coursing through his eyes was so strong that he instantly knew it had manifested with all three tomoe right off the bat. Had it been the same for Shisui when he had regained his Sharingan? Itachi had forgotten to press him on the details. It was a moot point in any case. All that mattered was that he had awakened the power of his bloodline alongside that of his Zanpakutō, and it was time to put both through their paces.

The flocks of flaming crimson birds flowing from his sword were swirling around him, waiting for orders. Itachi understood now why his Sharingan and Shikai had to be unlocked together; the enhanced perception of the former would be required in order to bring out the full potential of the latter. He could sense his spirit energy flowing through each individual bird, but he wasn't entirely sure how to control them.

They'll respond to your intent, the spirit of his Zanpakutō advised him, Simple gestures with either the sword or your free hand will serve as general guides, although eventually you should be able to do it by thought alone.

With a fresh wave of wights rapidly approaching, Itachi knew that he would have to learn on his feet. This would be a trial by fire… quite literally so. Raising his Zanpakutō in his right hand, he made a broad sweep with the blade while making a chopping motion with his left hand. The response was immediate; the majority of the flock surged forward, sweeping across the front ranks of the wights and stopping them dead in their tracks. A smaller group of crimson firebirds briefly climbed towards the ceiling before suddenly diving right into the heart of the horde.

The effect was devastating. Since this was no ordinary fire but a blaze powered by Itachi's spirit energy, it swept over the wights and burnt them to cinders. Those that were able to stumble free from the flames were easy targets for the sword, and Itachi cut them down without mercy. Meanwhile, fresh birds of crimson flame were already spawning from the slit running down the center of the blade, taking flight and awaiting orders.

With a moment of respite before the new wights spawning from the portal would be able to close the distance, Itachi decided to experiment with his Shikai. Waving the sword in a broad circular motion, he saw the flocks of crimson firebirds respond by rushing forward and encircling both the portal and the wights coming out of it. The circle swiftly constricted, and once again the bulk of the wights were consumed by fire. Flash Stepping forward, Itachi quickly finished off the survivors with quick thrusts of his blade.

Good for crowd control, he mused as he withdrew his sword from the dissolving remains of the last wight and pulled back to allow more birds to spawn, and that's just one of many potential applications…

As more wights spawned from the portal, Itachi decided to experiment with another approach. Gesturing both with his free hand and waving his sword almost like a conductor's baton, he organized the fresh firebirds emanating from his Zanpakutō into several small flocks of just a dozen or so flaming creatures each. He then focused on the incoming wights with his Sharingan, identifying individual targets and rapidly assigning them to specific flocks. With his orders issued through both intent and quick motions from his sword and free hand, the flocks surged forward. Each one swarmed an individual wight, concentrating particularly on assaulting their target's head. The wights thrashed about wildly, leaving themselves wide open for a direct attack from Itachi.

Said attack was swift and deadly. Flash Stepping forward again, Itachi's black blade danced through the air. Guided by both trained instincts and the keen perception of the Sharingan, Itachi's swordsmanship was devastating. Every strike resulted in a kill, and his victims could do nothing about it since his flocks of flaming birds were pecking at their eyes and clawing at their scalps. He moved like a shadowy phantom amongst the flames, swiftly and silently cutting the monstrosities down.

Soi-Fon's voice suddenly rang out from behind him. "Hadō 33: Sōkatsui!"

Taking a quick glance over his shoulder, he saw a wave of blue-white light shoot forth from her open palm. Her aim was true, and this time there were no wights in position to take the hit; the blast of spirit energy slammed into one of the four anchor crystals by the entrance, shattering the stone in a brilliant burst of azure light. Itachi's gaze immediately went back to the threat ahead, and while the portal was still up and running, thanks to the Sharingan he was able to perceive some fluctuation in its energy as the remaining three crystals struggled to compensate for the loss of the fourth.

Good, he thought, resisting the urge to smile, I imagine the stress on the portal will amplify considerably if she can take out another one. Perhaps that alone will be enough to take it out. I just need to keep the attention of the wights on me, and she'll have the rest taken care of in short order.

Thanks to the abilities of his Shikai, that wasn't hard to do. Backing off to give himself some space, he allowed his sword to spawn fresh flocks of flaming crows. The portal wasn't idle during this, of course; new wights were already stumbling through, and Itachi would have to contend with them quickly in order to ensure that Soi-Son had a clear shot at her next target. Fortunately for him, his Zanpakutō was proving capable of replenishing spent firebirds quite quickly. A few hundred were already airborne, and that number was still climbing. Itachi didn't know what the maximum limit was; he resolved to discover that through training once this mission was over.

He decided against trying anything too fancy this time. With a broad swing of his sword, he sent his flock forth to meet the spawning wights head-on. As the wave of crimson crows crashed against the front ranks of the abominations, Itachi rushed forward to capitalize on the impact. Black blade flashing through the air, the precision of his strikes enhanced by the Sharingan, Itachi cut a swath through the seared and crisped survivors of his opening firebird attack.

Another flash of blue-white light came from behind him, and he heard Soi-Fon's attack impact another crystal and shatter it. This time, the energy fluctuation in the portal appeared to be serious, to the point that Itachi probably could've perceived it without the aid of the Sharingan. Its outer borders twisted and writhed, yet it still was able to maintain cohesion, albeit with visible difficulty. One more strike from Soi-Fon would probably do the trick, and Itachi was determined to make sure she had the opening for it.

Rather than falling back again, this time he stuck close to the portal and attempted to cut down the wights as quickly as they spawned. Despite the combined boost in power from both his Shikai and the Sharingan, though, he was unable to quite match the pace that the portal could spit out the monstrosities at. That didn't matter, though; even as he'd been plunging his sword into freshly spawned wights, new crimson crows had been taking flight from the gap in his blade. They fluttered about above him in scattered flocks, waiting for orders.

Itachi didn't waste any time in issue those orders. Continuing to cut down wights with the blade in his right hand, with his left he made a series of quick downward gestures. The response from the blazing crows was swift and deadly; they immediately dived straight into the wights, setting alight several that had been trying to surround Itachi and take him down for good. With his opposition thoroughly in disarray, the Sixteenth Seat got right back to what he'd been doing before; cutting down stragglers with ruthless efficiency.

That was when Soi-Fon let fly with a third Sōkatsui, and like clockwork a third anchor crystal exploded in a flash of azure light. For a moment Itachi feared it might still not be enough, but as he focused on the portal with his Sharingan he saw that the destabilization had definitely become fatal. Arcs of energy flew wildly about, forcing him to pull back towards Soi-Fon. A handful of wights still managed to slip out, but the portal was in its death throes. It ultimately went out not with a bang, but a whimper, collapsing in on itself and vanishing a few moments later into a few specs of light, and then nothing at all.

Itachi and Soi-Fon both charged forward, finishing off the remaining wights quickly and quietly. Not only had the portal collapsed, but the barrier sealing the chamber had dissipated as well with the destruction of those key anchoring crystals. However, the thought of leaving was the last thing on either Soul Reaper's minds, even if would've been to go grab reinforcements.

The two of them locked gazes and nodded simultaneously. No words were needed. Their Captain was still locked in deadly combat with a powerful foe, and now they could finally lend a hand.

….

Although she had certainly sensed the glorious twin spikes in spirit pressure that she knew signaled the awakening of Itachi's Shikai and Sharingan, Yoruichi hadn't been able to steal so much as a glance at her Sixteenth Seat. While her confidence had been bolstered thanks to the fact that Itachi's very well-timed power boost would significantly aid both himself and Soi-Fon, that still didn't alter her immediate situation. Her foe was still going strong, and Yoruichi had yet to find a way to counter that damned regenerative ability it had.

She was still on the offensive, but her attacks had become more measured as the clash had worn on. The last thing Yoruichi could afford to do was exhaust herself against such a powerful opponent, not only for her sake but also for that of her subordinates as well. She still struck with blinding speed, but her punches and kicks were made with an eye towards conserving her energy and keeping the enemy at bay while she attempted to formulate a strategy to finish him off.

That, of course, was far easier said than done. The wraith couldn't hope to match her speed, but its power and combat skill were more than enough to make up for that deficiency. Its counterattacks were strong, and despite the mighty gauntlets that were her Zanpakutō's Shikai she had to be careful when blocking them in order to make sure they didn't damage her weapons. Between the mighty swings of its blade and the concentrated bursts of sinister flames it liked to unleash, her foe was more than capable of keeping Yoruichi on her toes.

Blocking the wraith's sword with her left gauntlet, she immediately countered with a right hook that nailed the monstrosity right in the face. She had the satisfaction of both feeling and seeing the abomination's face momentarily cave in thanks to the power of the blow, but once again its stretched skin and pale skull quickly regenerated. The thing looked more pissed off than hurt, although Yoruichi thought it didn't have any room to complain; if any other kind of foe had taken that hit it would definitely be dead.

She was going to press her assault even further but was surprised to hear Soi-Fon suddenly cry out from behind her. "Lady Yoruichi, pull back now!"

It wasn't like Soi-Fon to give her orders, which meant something else was up. Placing her faith in her bodyguard, Yoruichi immediately put some distance between her and the wraith courtesy of a Flash Step. The wraith might not have been as fast as her, but she knew it wouldn't take long for the creature to get back in her face again.

That was when a huge flock of flaming crimson birds flew around Yoruichi from behind. She couldn't get an accurate count, but at first glance she guessed that there had to be at least several hundred of them. What mattered more than their numbers, though, was the spirit energy she could feel in them; it was definitely Itachi's. She saw the swarm of birds rapidly engulf the wraith, either diving directly at it or pecking and clawing at its face. Surrounded by a horde of angry firebirds, the wraith lashed out wildly with its sword. Yoruichi guessed that it would cut through the swarm in short order, but at least she had a moment or two to prepare.

With her opponent at least temporarily occupied, she finally felt safe in stealing a glance at Itachi. It quickly became apparent that her earlier restraint had been wise, because what she saw and sensed now that she could properly focus on him took her breath away.

There he was, black sword in hand and calmly striding forward. More birds of crimson flame were taking flight from the thin gap that ran down the blade of his Zanpakutō, flying above and around Itachi and Soi-Fon. The blood-red circle in the guard of his sword glowed with an eerie light, and while Yoruichi might've been curious about it under other circumstances she quickly realized that it was just a sideshow compared to what she saw when she focused on Itachi himself.

Even with what he had told her during their conversation in the hidden training ground, Yoruichi realized that she still hadn't been prepared for the sight that would greet her when Itachi finally awakened his Sharingan. Now he had, and she was actually at a loss for words. His eyes were a pair of shining rubies, irises a sea of crimson whose depths felt endless. The three tomoe orbiting each pupil seemed to call to her, inviting her to get lost in his gaze. The entirely display was captivating, no, downright entrancing. If she'd known that Itachi would look anything like this when the power of his bloodline returned to him, she would've been pushing him to unlock it much sooner.

She felt like she had to say something, but it was very difficult for her to find something that felt remotely adequate for the dazzling sight before her. In the end, she could only find one word that came even close to matching what she felt.

"Beautiful…" she murmured, almost completely unaware of the heat rushing to her face.

Yes… beautiful in a manner that was beyond anything she had ever seen before. They were far more than just eyes of an exotic color. To Yoruichi, with Itachi's gaze upon her, they felt like lenses that allowed his sight to pierce right to the heart of one's very soul.

What did he see now when he looked upon her with the eyes that had brought his clan both power and ruin? How did he perceive her with those luminous and enchanting crimson orbs? She wanted very much to know, but unfortunately now was hardly the time to be asking such questions. Her Shikai still had that habit of shooting off bolts of white lightning even when she wasn't fighting, and now Itachi and Soi-Fon were well within range. If she wanted to make sure her subordinates didn't fall victim to friendly fire then she needed to reassert her concentration right away.

Soi-Fon was heedless of any potential harm from Yoruichi's Shikai, so great was her concern for her charge. "Lady Yoruichi, are you all right?"

To his credit, Itachi didn't seem all that worried either, and this was despite the fact that Yoruichi knew his Sharingan could easily tell him just how volatile the spirit energy of her Shikai was. "Sorry it took us so long back there."

Yoruichi smiled. "Don't worry about it. You two did well. How long can you keep that thing at bay like this?"

Itachi shook his head. "Not long. It's far too powerful for my Shikai to pin it for good. Still, this is all we need. I stole a few glimpses at your fight earlier; I know this thing can regenerate. I think I can help you counter it."

That was certainly encouraging, and Yoruichi wondered what he had up his sleeve. "How?"

"When it breaks free of my Shikai, engage it," he said, "I'll hang back and observe with my Sharingan. Regeneration isn't a power that comes for free; something has to be fueling it, and I should be able to narrow it down."

Yoruichi grinned as she put the rest together. "And once you find our exact target, we'll hammer it with everything we've got. I like it!"

"I'll fight it with you, Lady Yoruichi," said Soi-Fon, "I know I can't take it head-on, so I'll strike from the flanks and keep it off balance."

Yoruichi could tell that her bodyguard was determined; no amount of effort on her part would be enough to persuade her to hang back. "All right. Just don't do anything stupid. I want us all to get out of here alive so we can brag about this over drinks later, you got that?"

Soi-Fon nodded. "Understood."

She turned to Itachi. "Are you ready?"

"I don't have a choice," he replied as he looked ahead, "I can't hold it down any longer."

Following his gaze, Yoruichi saw that the wraith had finally gotten the upper hand. Bursts of icy blue fire pulsed out from it, driving back the crimson firebirds that had been assailing it. A few more broad swings of its sword were enough to scatter the last of them, reducing them to sparks and embers that died as they hit the floor. The abomination locked its twisted and hateful gaze on Yoruichi; it was more than ready for round two.

Well, so was she. Fresh sparks of white lightning crackled between her gauntlets as she allowed her spirit energy to flow freely again. She had her subordinates backing her up now; this thing had no idea what was about to hit it.

A predatory grin appeared on her face. "Let's do this."

….

He'd thought that he had grown used to her speed, but Yoruichi was still incredibly difficult for Itachi to follow once she made a Flash Step. Even with the aid of the Sharingan he could barely perceive her motion as little more than a blur. Soi-Fon was easier to track, but even then, her speed was nothing to sneeze at. While Yoruichi was moving to attack the wraith head-on, Soi-Fon was angling to the left, looking to get in a strike from the flank while her Captain drew the enemy's attention.

Focusing his gaze on the wraith, Itachi's eyes narrowed as he searched for the target that would be key to victory. In theory he knew what he was looking for; any source of energy that could be fueling the wraith's regenerative abilities. However, what that might look like in practice was difficult to determine. The wraith's twisted and malicious spirit energy was unlike anything he'd sensed before, and while he could perceive it with the Sharingan he had to work to make sense of it. It was the kind of task that a member of the Hyūga Clan would likely be more adept at than an Uchiha, but Itachi's experience with the eyes of his bloodline was more than enough to allow him to adapt to the job at hand.

In the eyes that had won his clan both renown and infamy, there was a marked contrast between the spirit energy of his comrades and that of the wraith. Both Yoruichi and Soi-Fon appeared as fountains of light, their spirit energy flowing outward in constant and consistent waves. The wraith, on the other hand, was surrounded in a violent and unpredictable tempest of dark power. In fact, the more Itachi concentrated on it, the more he realized that this spirit energy didn't have a unified feel to it. Sure, there was the suffocating corruption, but even that seemed to have some form of variance to it.

Almost like it's flowing from multiple sources instead of one…

After a moment of consideration, he changed his approach. Maybe there was more than one source for this tainted spirit energy he was trying to understand. In fact, as he continued to focus on it, Itachi began to suspect that he was looking at it all wrong. The wraith wasn't the source of this tumultuous mix of tainted spirit energy. Not directly, at least.

As Yoruichi clashed with the wraith, hammering it with a series of blindingly fast and powerful punches, the wraith's regeneration kicked in thanks to one particular blow from the Captain damn near tearing the abomination's left arm off. That was when Itachi detected not one, not two, but three distinct spikes in spirit energy, each coming from a source that was on the wraith but not necessarily the wraith itself.

It has an amplifier, he realized, Something it's wearing is what's really behind its power!

He knew what to look for now, but he still had to narrow down the exact target if he was going to be of any use to Yoruichi and Soi-Fon. Not only that, but he had to do it quickly. Yoruichi had the wraith's attention and had already proven more than capable of holding her own against this foe, but Soi-Fon was another matter. She was fast and strong, but Itachi knew that there was a damn good reason why Yoruichi originally had wanted to face the wraith on her own. When one compared Soi-Fon's spirit energy to that of the wraith, it was instantly apparent which was more powerful, and it wasn't Soi-Fon. Not by a longshot.

She had already moved around the flank, and another Flash Step brought her into striking range. Her attack was swift and precise, thrusting her sword into the wraith's side. The move definitely got the wraith's attention, but any damage it might've done was outweighed by her foe's sheer fury at her sneak attack. Soi-Fon's eyes widened slightly as she detected another spike in spirit energy, and she was barely able to pull her blade out of the wraith in time to deflect its counterattack. The force behind the blow was considerable, and if she hadn't already been moving back to bleed off some of the force the attack could've broken through her guard. It was an extremely close call, and one that Itachi didn't want to risk happening again; they had to end this fight quickly.

Focus, he told himself, Concentrate on one aspect of this thing's energy at a time and trace it back to its source. Isolate one, and the others will be that much easier to deal with.

Pushing his newly awakened Sharingan, Itachi watched intently as Yoruichi launched a fresh assault, determined to get the wraith's attention back on her and away from Soi-Fon. She let fly with a series of punches and kicks, and Itachi patiently waited for one of her blows to land hard enough to trigger the wraith's regeneration. It didn't take long; blocking a sword strike with her left gauntlet, Yoruichi countered with a punch from her right that ripped apart the left jaw of the wraith. Right on cue, the brutally torn flesh began to mend itself, and this time Itachi was able to seize upon the fresh flow of corrupted spirit energy and follow it back to where it came from; the ring on the wraith's

Now that he had one part of the wraith's spirit energy figured out, he could focus on the others and trace them back to where they came. It didn't take long; one current led to the crown on the wraith's head, and once he'd isolated that one it was a simple matter to single out the last remaining unknown variant of spirit energy. The strands from this one led to the amulet that hung from the creature's neck. The ring, crown and amulet; he had identified them before the fight had even started, yet Itachi had failed to understand their true significance. All three were working in concert, providing the power behind both the wraith's raw strength and its regenerative abilities. They weren't just accessories or amplifiers, but the heart of the wraith's frightening power.

And with that, Itachi knew he'd found the key to victory.

The whole time he'd been studying the wraith with his Sharingan, more flaming crimson crows had continued to fly forth from his Zanpakutō. They'd been idly circling overhead as Itachi had searched for the enemy's weakness, waiting for orders. There were several hundred of them already, and that number was growing with each passing second.

Now it was time to put them to use.

….

It was invigorating to fight alongside her bodyguard again, even if it meant Soi-Fon was exposing herself to a foe that was far more powerful than her. For Yoruichi, that was all the greater motivation to be aggressive in this clash; the more the wraith focused on her, the less of a threat it would be to her subordinate. At the same time, though, she was holding back to a degree. After all, it wouldn't do to burn through her energy reserves before Itachi finally found this thing's weakness. So here she was, walking a thin line with a fierce but measured assault, hammering the enemy where she could while remaining mindful of the big picture. It wasn't the first time she'd been in a situation where she had to play for time, but never had she faced a foe quite like this one before.

Come on, Itachi, she thought as she blocked a powerful overhand sword strike with her gauntlets before countering with a hard kick at her opponent's torso, I'm counting on you.

It was a shame that their foe was one that demanded such concentration from her; she wanted time to properly observe Itachi's Sharingan and Shikai in action. She liked to understand all that her subordinates were really capable of, but Itachi was a special case. After all, thanks to what she now knew regarding his past, she understood what regaining his Sharingan really meant to him. It wasn't just a hereditary trait or a weapon to supplement his Shikai; it was the source of not only his clan's power, but also its fall to ruin. She trusted Itachi to keep his mind on the mission at hand, but she was sure that once this was over, he would need to take some time to process everything. After all, these were the eyes that had played such a central role in the slaughter of his clan.

The wraith had been slightly driven back by the force behind her kick, and Soi-Fon seized the opportunity to strike. Leaping so high into the air that her feet touched the ceiling, she then proceeded to use it as a spring board, Flash Stepping and coming down at the wraith from above, driving her Zanpakutō into the monstrosity's neck. The blade plunged in deep, but she had to pull it out quickly; the wraith was already swinging its sword at her, and Soi-Fon was only narrowly able to duck beneath the blow and retreat. The abomination fixed her with a vicious gaze, hatred burning in its eyes as it moved to attack her.

Yoruichi would have none of that. "Eyes over here, bastard!"

The wraith barely managed to swing around in time to block her strike. Yoruichi wasn't about to let the creature off that easy. She hammered it with a barrage of powerful blows, fists and feet flying while blasts of white lightning shot from her gauntlets and arced over the abomination's armor. It was certainly enough to get the wraith's attention back on her, and it countered with a series of swift and powerful sword strikes that forced Yoruichi onto the defensive.

As she was bracing to block another blow, she saw the wraith's gaze suddenly shift past her. She didn't think it was possible, but the creature's eyes actually widened, and for the first time she caught a hint of something in its gaze that wasn't cruel hatred or malice.

It was fear.

That was when she sensed the surging spiritual pressure behind her. She knew it was Itachi, but even so she was still amazed by what she was feeling. Soul Reapers always experienced a significant spike in power when they unleashed their Shikai for the first time, but thanks to the Sharingan Itachi's awakening was something else entirely. His power was now much greater than his current rank suggested…

…and it was still climbing.

She heard him drop into Shunpo and knew what was coming, so she sidestepped to the right and gave him the opening he needed. Sure enough, he appeared a moment later, his black blade falling in a fast and powerful overhand strike. The wraith quickly brought its sword up to block the blow, but Yoruichi didn't fail to notice that its gaze was now locked onto Itachi's blazing crimson eyes, and that fear she'd detected a moment ago was quite visible.

There was a sudden onrush of heat, and before Yoruichi knew it she, Itachi, Soi-Fon and the wraith were surrounded by what a swarm of crimson flaming crows. She had no time to try to count them, but even at a glance she knew was sure that the number had to be close to a thousand now. Itachi was clearly putting his Shikai through its paces, and it made Yoruichi all the more eager to find some time to train with him later to see just what else it was capable of.

Of course, the current fight came first, and Itachi wasted no time in sharing some critical information. "The crown, the amulet, and the ring. If we destroy them, we win."

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed as she sought out the items he'd mentioned, her mind quickly filling in the blanks; he must've detected them as the sources of the energy that fueled the wraith's regeneration. "Got it!"

The wraith wasn't about to let them strategize right in front of it, of course. Itachi's blade had only been locked with its own for a few seconds, but the creature was pressing back hard, and despite his newfound power the Sixteenth Seat lacked the raw might to stand up to it in a straight-up fight. Fortunately, Itachi clearly recognized his peril and reacted accordingly.

"Get back," he said, his voice remarkably calm given the kind of foe he was facing.

Yoruichi and Soi-Fon did so, with Itachi joining them a second later. The wraith moved to follow, but with a wave of his sword and a few quick gestures with his left hand Itachi swiftly brought his swarm of firebirds into the fray. They charged the wraith from all sides, and Yoruichi saw that they were concentrating particularly on the wraith's head.

"I'll take the crown," he said.

Yoruichi nodded. "I'll hit the amulet."

"Ring's mine, then," Soi-Fon chimed in.

Yoruichi smirked. "Now that we got that sorted out, let's get to work!"

Itachi made a series of circular motions with his sword and his free hand. The crimson flaming crows that were assaulting the wraith now organized themselves into a series of rings that quickly constricted around the creature. They weren't enough to actually bind it in place, but they did limit its range of motion. Yoruichi didn't know how long the effect would last, but she did recognize the opportunity Itachi had given them and immediately seized it.

They'd already identified their targets, and Yoruichi knew that she'd claimed the toughest. The amulet was clearly visible, but the wraith's defensive swordsmanship had been focused on protecting its center of mass, meaning that it was prepared to ward off any strikes at the target she was aiming for. Yoruichi didn't know how much power would be required to destroy the amulet or the other two targets for that matter, and with Itachi and Soi-Fon fighting alongside her she had to be careful to keep her Shikai's volatile spirit energy under control to avoid potentially hurting them.

That was when she noticed something unusual. Fresh birds of crimson flame had spawned from Itachi's Zanpakutō, but they weren't going for the wraith. Rather, they formed two small flocks that briefly surrounded Yoruichi before focusing in on her arms. They seemed to settle around her gauntlets, and when an errant white spark flew out it was caught and dispersed amongst the flaming crows. A few of them disappeared, but others quickly came to take their place.

Yoruichi couldn't help but smile as she glanced at Itachi and gave him an approving nod. He'd already familiarized himself enough with her Shikai to understand one of its drawbacks and had planned accordingly, creating a layer of flame coursing with his spirit energy that provided a measure of insulation. It wasn't perfect; in terms of raw power Yoruichi was far stronger than him, which meant that if her spirit energy built up sufficiently those errant bolts would eventually be mighty enough to punch through his flocks of flaming birds. Still, it was a nice bit of improvisation, and the flames would also complement her punches quite nicely.

You've always had a thing for the clever ones, Inazuma On'na teased.

Yoruichi wouldn't argue with that.

With the layer of spirit energy-infused flames acting as both an insulator and a conduit, her power flowed towards her fists. Now that she had at least a few seconds where she didn't have to worry about harming either of her subordinates, she could cut loose. Meeting the wraith's hateful gaze, she gave it a taunting grin as she charged forward.

You've defiled this place long enough. I know you've come back from death before, but we're going to make sure you stay dead this time!

….

With Yoruichi taking the enemy head-on, Itachi knew that he now had a window of opportunity to strike his target. When he'd locked gazes with the wraith the creature had seemed unnerved by his Sharingan, but when it had focused on Yoruichi it had been impossible to miss the sheer hatred and malice in its eyes. He didn't know why it seemed to reserve such venom for his Captain alone, but he wasn't above taking advantage of it. Itachi could only hope that he'd get some answers from Yoruichi once the mission was over.

Flash Stepping to the right, Itachi angled for a flank attack on his foe. He saw Soi-Fon doing the same, but she had moved to the left in order to get a better shot at the ring. Wanting to make sure he had the power needed to destroy the crown, Itachi decided to try something new with his Shikai. Rather than letting the crimson flaming crows flow freely from the sword, he concentrated on limiting the amount that were released. He would let just enough out that they could continue to sheath Yoruichi's Shikai and limit the potential for friendly fire, while the rest he would hold back within that thin gap than ran the length of the blade.

Sure enough, it didn't take long to feel the difference. The power within the blade quickly began to build up, along with the heat emanating from it. Itachi realized that the situation he'd created was akin to a pressure cooker; his power was now concentrated rather than spread out, but he was sure that there was a limit to how long he could bottle it up like this. Eventually it would require an outlet, otherwise… well, he didn't want to think about what he could end up doing to himself in the middle of a fight like this.

Concentrate only on the mission. All else is secondary.

His Sharingan was focused squarely on the crown as he searched for the best place to strike. Dark and corrupt spirit energy swirled around it, but Itachi soon found that it was concentrated in a single dark blue gem at the very front of the crown. If he could land a blow there, the flow of power would be disrupted, perhaps fatally so.

He saw Yoruichi unleash a furious assault, hammering the wraith from the front and forcing it to concentrate all its defensive efforts on fending her off. There was a sense of desperation to its defense that hadn't been there before, and if Itachi were a betting man his money would be on the creature realizing exactly where Yoruichi was aiming.

Now!

He put everything he had into his Flash Step and moved faster than he ever had in his life. His sword was already raised and poised to attack, and the instant he was in range he thrust his blade forward. The flames he'd been containing in his Zanpakutō were released and shot out as a concentrated lance of crimson power. That power's aim was true, striking the gem dead center and cracking it.

The wraith violently spasmed as a rush of icy blue energy shot out of the stricken gem in a great pulse. Tremors rippled through the creature from head to toe, to the point that the monstrosity actually lost its grip on its sword. Seizing the opening, Yoruichi thrust her right hand forward and grabbed the amulet, crushing it in her gauntlet just as the last of the crimson flaming crows that had wreathed her arms dissipated in a blast of white lightning. Simultaneously, Soi-Fon made her move, and the blade of her Zanpakutō pierced the ring on the Wraith's right hand.

A great shriek rang out, an utterly ear-splitting wail of torment that would've caused lesser warriors to drop their weapons and clutch their heads in agony. The three Soul Reapers had greater discipline than that, but even so it was difficult for them to maintain their footing and guard. Their determination to put their foe down once and for all was stronger, though, and they pressed their attack. With the crown having shattered from the sudden release of power, Itachi's sword plunged into the wraith's skull. At the same time, Yoruichi hammered the creature with a vicious second strike, with her fist punching into the wraith's chest so hard it actually came out the other side. Just to make sure they finished the job, Soi-Fon thrust her sword into the wraith's neck.

Fresh tremors ran through the wraith, and the entire chamber began to shake as its spirit energy ran rampant. The three of them withdrew their weapons and Flash Stepped away, and not a moment too soon. With the three artifacts amplifying and regulating its spirit energy destroyed, that power was now cascading uncontrollably and ripping the wraith apart from the inside. Fissures appeared in what was left of its chest and face, rapidly multiplying as sparks of energy shot out from them. The wraith turned its mangled visage towards the three Soul Reapers, spiting them with one last look of seething hatred before it was consumed by a blast of brilliant white light.

All three of them had to shield their eyes, and even then, the glare was so bad that Itachi almost reflexively deactivated his Sharingan. When it finally faded to the point that the Sixteenth Seat and his companions could see clearly again, all that remained of the wraith was a few particles of blue-white spirit energy floating in thin air, and even those dissipated after just a couple of seconds.

Itachi sighed as he lowered his sword. "It's over."

Soi-Fon nodded numbly, clearly still trying to process it all. "Yeah… it is."

He felt Yoruichi's spirit energy dial back as the Captain deactivated her Shikai. Sheathing her Zanpakutō, she gave a long and hard look at where the wraith had been just moments ago. Something was clearly bothering her despite their victory, and Itachi could only guess as what it might be.

Her serious expression gave way to a smile a few seconds later, though, and soon enough she was practically beaming as she regarded her subordinates. "Very well done, both of you! You went beyond my expectations and then some!"

A blush quickly appeared on Soi-Fon's face. "Lady Yoruichi…"

The Captain then turned to Itachi, and her smile grew even further when her eyes met his. Itachi was actually a bit taken aback by this gesture; she knew that he could potentially ensnare her in an illusion even with just the basic Sharingan, yet she would still look him in the eye while he had it activated without hesitation. It was a sign of her trust in him.

In that moment, that trust meant more to him than the very eyes he had just awakened.

"My, my," she said with a wink, although even as Itachi felt the heat rush to his face he thought he detected just a hint of a blush on Yoruichi's dark cheeks as well, "Itachi… if I'd known you'd look like this when you got your Sharingan back, I would've pressed you to regain it much sooner. The Shikai's not bad either, by the way!"

Soi-Fon looked back and forth between the two of them. "Lady Yoruichi, did you know about… well, this?"

Yoruichi nodded. "Yup. Sorry to keep it from you, Soi-Fon, but I made a promise to Itachi when he told me about what his eyes could become. I'd like for you to keep what you're seeing here between the three of us. Can I count on you to do that?"

Soi-Fon's response came without hesitation. "Of course, Lady Yoruichi."

Itachi gave them both a small smile as his eyes returned to normal and he deactivated his Shikai. "Thank you, both of you. I won't forget your consideration in this matter."

Yoruichi gave him a playful punch on the shoulder as he sheathed his sword. "Train with me with those eyes and that Shikai of yours activated, and we'll call it even! You put on one hell of a show today!"

Itachi allowed himself a smirk. "You weren't so bad yourself. Your Shikai's quite formidable, and I can see why you don't train with it in the barracks; with that kind of power, we'd have to reinforce the place just to keep you from destroying it by accident."

Yoruichi laughed. "Caught that, didn't you? Yeah, she's a bit temperamental! It definitely takes some work to keep her under control. You did a pretty good job at helping to contain her outbursts, though. Nice thinking with the flame sheath. Ordinary fire wouldn't have done the trick, but the spirit energy you put into your flames really helped."

"Speaking of spirit energy," said Soi-Fon as she looked past Itachi and Yoruichi, "check out the room."

Looking around, Itachi realized that the twisted energy that had permeated the place was rapidly dissipating. It really had been maintained by the wraith's presence alone, and Itachi was very grateful that the creature had not deigned to leave Menar Issilaya and inflict such corruption upon another part of the Soul Society. However, the fading energy also meant that the group was rapidly losing light, and soon they would be in complete darkness.

Fortunately, Soi-Fon was ready to rectify the problem. "Bakudō 3: Hakkō Gaido!"

A small blue white orb appeared and was hovering over Soi-Fon's head a few moments later. Itachi and Yoruichi both followed her lead, and between the three of them they gained a modest amount of illumination in the otherwise darkened chamber. No longer polluted by the tainted energy of the wraith, it was now little more than an empty tomb.

Itachi had more important things on his mind than architecture, though. "You called that thing a wraith earlier, and its minions were wights, yes? What's their true nature? They're not like anything I've seen in the Soul Society since I arrived here."

Soi-Fon looked nervously at the Captain. "Lady Yoruichi… should we?"

Yoruichi gave a curt nod, her brow furrowing. "I promise we'll fill you in once we're clear of this place, but our mission's not over yet. We need to regroup with the others first and make sure everyone's all right. Once we've fully accounted for everyone and fallen back to camp, I'll tell you everything."

Itachi knew she was right; the history lesson could wait until they were all safe. "Understood."

….

Another wave of crimson energy shot forth from Benihime, disintegrating the latest wave of wights to come pouring out of the portal. Dropping back to give himself a moment to catch his breath, Kisuke let Rija step in to take his place. Sure enough, fresh reinforcements were already pouring out of the portal, but an arc of lighting from the Fifteenth Seat's Shikai stopped them dead in their tracks. That was when Mindiwo attacked from the right flank, letting fly with an orange sphere that flew forth and exploded in the middle of the enemy horde, reducing them to mere particles of spirit energy.

The blast only offered a temporary reprieve; still more wights were already pouring forth, and Mindiwo's Zanpakutō needed to recharge after an attack like that. Fortunately, Katya was ready to pick up the slack. Squad Two's Sixth Seat sprang forward, twirling Shimo no Hebi in a series of graceful arcs as she intercepted the next wave. Those that weren't cut down outright found themselves caked in frost, with their movements hampered enough to make them easy targets for Katya's elegant follow-up strikes.

How much longer did they have to keep this up? They'd developed a good rotating system designed to play off each other's strengths and conserve energy, but Kisuke knew that it couldn't last forever. This was eating up time that they did not have, especially with Yoruichi still fighting the source of all this in the bowels of the citadel.

Still more wights were already coming out of the portal, and Kisuke prepared to step in and lend Katya a hand. That was when he felt a sharp change in the spirit energy that permeated the Moon Tower. A shriek echoed from below, so powerful that it could be heard even through the incredibly thick stone. At the same time, the portal that the wights had been coming through began to contort and twist wildly, quickly losing all semblance of cohesion before collapsing into little more than wisps of spirit energy.

The wraiths that had made it through the portal before it collapsed suddenly became gripped by violent seizures. Taking advantage of whatever the hell was causing his foes' sudden loss of fine motor control, Kisuke lunged forward. Benihime flashed through the air in a series of rapid silver streaks, swiftly cutting down the spasming creatures in short order.

As the last of the wights fell to his blade, the Third Seat heard one of the doors leading to the tower's stairwell open. He whirled around expecting to find more hostiles, but was pleasantly surprised to actually see Shisui enter the room, followed shortly by Visaelya and Aika. The three of them looked slightly winded, but apart from that they seemed no worse for wear. Kisuke's eyes momentarily darted to the satchel hanging from Shisui's belt; it looked like it carried a deceptively heavy cargo despite its small size.

"You guys all right?" asked Shisui as he led his subordinates into the middle of the entrance hall to join the others.

Kisuke nodded as he quickly scanned the area to make sure no more wights were about to ambush them. "I think so. We were pretty busy just a few seconds ago."

"No kidding," said Shisui, "We ran into some company at the top of the tower. I'm betting it's the same kind of enemy you fought down here."

"No points for that guess," Rija chimed in as she looked around, "What the hell's happening now?"

That was a very good question. Taking a moment to study the hall, Kisuke saw that the icy blue energy that had surrounded them ever since they'd entered the Moon Tower was rapidly fading. Closing his eyes and concentrating on just sensing spirit energy, he realized that whatever brawl had been taking place down below was now over, and he was relieved to find that he could sense Yoruichi, Soi-Fon, and Itachi's energy quite clearly. In fact, Itachi's spiritual pressure seemed to have grown considerably more powerful, and Kisuke had a feeling he knew what that meant.

Kisuke smiled. "I think our little nightmare here's finally coming to an end."

Mindiwo nodded. "I sense it too. The Captain has cut out the heart of the corruption that gripped this place."

Rija sighed with relief as she deactivated her Shikai. "Good. I don't know how much more of a fight I've got in me right now."

"We shouldn't let our guard down just yet," said Kisuke even as he and Mindiwo both followed suit and returned their swords to their sealed forms, "Let's consolidate our position and wait for the Captain to rejoin us. If I know her, she shouldn't take long to get back up here."

"Works for me," Shisui replied, "I'll stand watch over the staircase leading to the upper levels."

"I'll monitor the entrance," said Mindiwo, "Rija, care to join me?"

The Fifteenth Seat nodded. "Sure."

"Third Seat Urahara?" asked Katya, giving him an expecting loose.

"You and I are in charge in here," he said, "Let's keep watch and give the others a chance to catch their breath."

"Understood," she answered.

I'd very much like to head downstairs and see what all the fuss was about, he thought, but Yoruichi will be up here soon enough. I'll get the goods from her and then check out the rooms below later.

It only took a few minutes before Yoruichi, Soi-Fon and Itachi entered the main hall. The three of them were sweaty and looked a bit winded, but apart from that they seemed completely fine. More than that, actually; despite the energy Kisuke had sensed her expending earlier, Yoruichi appeared to have a slight perk in her step. She kept glancing at Itachi and smiling, which made Kisuke quite eager to find out what exactly had happened down there.

He gave her a friendly smirk as she approached. "Took you long enough."

Yoruichi shrugged. "Had to deal with a rather stubborn phantom. Suffice to say that things should start brightening up a bit around here soon."

Kisuke's eyes narrowed, and he leaned in close to whisper in her ear. "Which one was it?"

The look in her eyes was all he needed to know she immediately grasped what he was referring to. "The weakest of the five, I'm sure of it. Had it been any of the other four, I probably would've needed my Bankai."

"Was it the only one here?" he asked.

She nodded. "If there were others, we would've sensed them long before now. Besides, there's no way they would've imprisoned more than one in a single location."

Kisuke concurred. "Makes sense. The Head Captain's not going to like this."

Yoruichi shook her head. "It's not the Head Captain that I'm worried about right now. These things have spent a long time out of sight and out of mind as far as the Soul Society's concerned. If the weakest one broke its seal, then the others could've done the same."

Kisuke noticed that the others were giving them curious looks. "Maybe we should pick this up later when we don't have an audience."

Yoruichi looked around, and Kisuke saw her gaze linger on Itachi before she turned back to him and nodded. "You're right. How are things up here?"

Kisuke smiled. "No casualties, surprisingly enough. A few minor injuries, but nothing we can't see to back at camp. All things considered, we got lucky."

Yoruichi smirked. "Sometimes luck's just as important as skill. Let's get out of here, and we can handle the debriefing after we've all had a chance to rest for a bit. I don't know about you, but killing undead horrors from a bygone age makes me hungry."

Kisuke chuckled. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Captain," said Shisui as he approached, reaching for the satchel at his waist, "At the top of the Moon Tower… I found something that I think you should take a look at."

Kisuke and Yoruichi both turned their gazes towards the satchel, and Kisuke's eyes widened slightly as he felt a strange spirit energy coming from its contents. He didn't know how to describe it, other than it felt ancient and very powerful. Yoruichi had clearly noticed as well if her furrowed brow was any indication.

"Let's wait until we have a bit of privacy," said Yoruichi, "Can you keep whatever you found under wraps until then?"

Shisui nodded, but not before glancing at Squad Two's Twentieth and Eighteenth Seats. "I can, but I'm not the only one who knows what's in here."

"Then make sure to impress upon your subordinates the value of compartmentalizing information," Yoruichi replied, "and bring them with you for our discussion later."

"Understood," he said.

Kisuke then saw her eyes go towards the satchel at his waist that held the scribe's journal he'd snatched earlier. "You find something good too?"

"In a manner of speaking," Kisuke answered, "Some fascinating reading that's quite relevant to our mission."

"Nice," said Yoruichi, "Show it to me later. Hopefully it'll make my report to the Head Captain a little easier to put together. In the meantime, let's get back to camp."

Kisuke was all for that.

….

Without the corrupt energy of the wraith polluting the entire region, Menar Issilaya had a very different feel to it. As Yoruichi led her subordinates back the way they'd came, stopping along the way to pick up the Soul Reapers who had been posted as sentries at key points in the Lower and Middle City earlier, in her eyes Menar Issilaya now had a quiet and somber air to it. The menace and lurking horror were gone, and in its place was a solemn relic of a bygone age, a memorial to a tragedy that had not been properly understood until now.

With the wraith destroyed, all those that it killed and turned into wights are now free, she thought, I hope they find comfort as they rejoin the reincarnation cycle. May their next lives be brighter than the nightmare they found here...

As they passed beneath the ruined main gate of the Lower City, Yoruichi once again found her gaze drifting towards her Sixteenth Seat. Well, Sixteenth Seat for now; after what she'd seen today, it was clear that a promotion or two was in order. Replaying the earlier battle in her mind, Yoruichi tried to guess just where Itachi's power stood now in the grand scheme of things. The energy she'd sensed was substantial… much more so than it normally would be for a Soul Reaper who had just unlocked their Shikai. Surely the Sharingan awakening simultaneously played a role there. The more Yoruichi thought about it, though, the more she realized that it might take more than just this fight to accurately measure Itachi's real strength.

He hadn't fought like a Sixteenth Seat, that much was certain. If anything, the level of strength and ability he'd demonstrated today was actually closer to that of a Lieutenant than what his current rank would suggest. Had it been the same for Shisui and she just hadn't noticed because he'd been working so hard to keep his Sharingan concealed? As she considered the issue, Yoruichi came to the conclusion that it wasn't just Itachi who was in need of a promotion; Squad Two as a whole was overdue for some reshuffling of the ranks.

After how they fought today, they've certainly earned it, she thought with more than a hint of pride, I couldn't have asked for a better performance, especially given what we faced here.

Above all, though, the image that was most prominent in her mind as she looked at her fascinating subordinate was one with his eyes bathed in the crimson light of the Sharingan and staring right at her. The sheer intensity of his gaze had been unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She was beginning to understand just why one aspect of it was called the Eye of Hypnotism; his gaze had been captivating in a way she couldn't even begin to describe, and it was easy to see how that could facilitate the casting of illusions.

Of course, it didn't take Itachi long at all to sense her eyes on him. His gaze quickly met hers, and Yoruichi was surprised to feel herself come close to blushing like a schoolgirl.

Itachi…

…I'm definitely going to be keeping a close eye on you.

"Is something wrong?" he asked as he drew near.

Yoruichi smiled and shook her head. "No, just thinking… you really came through big time for us today. Without you being able to find that thing's weak points, that fight could've had a very different outcome."

"I'm not so sure about that," Itachi replied, "You didn't even use your Bankai, after all. I'm sure you were worried about bringing the Moon Tower on our heads, but if things had gotten bad enough you would've risked it, right?"

Yoruichi smirked. "You think you know me, do you? Well… maybe. I'm glad it didn't come to that, though. This was definitely the preferable outcome."

"I won't argue with that," said Itachi.

As they reached the end of the great bridge, she saw Itachi turn back to look at Menar Issilaya. She was surprised to see a small smile appear on his face; what had brought that about?

"The preferable outcome… in more ways than one," he said, "That's…. really something else."

That was when she saw a faint glow in Itachi's face, and she realized that the source was coming from behind her. Turning around, her eyes widened as she beheld a sight that she'd only seen before in ancient paintings.

With the destruction of the wraith and the rapidly fading corruption, the dark clouds that had choked the sky over Menar Issilaya had parted for what must've been the first time in millennia. Squad Two must've been in the city for longer than Yoruichi had first thought, for it was not sunlight that shone upon this relic of the old kingdom now, but moonlight. As the opening in the clouds grew with each passing second, the Moon Tower glowed brighter as it absorbed the luminous rays, gleaming like a snow-white spire. This wasn't the icy blue light of the wraith anymore; this was the splendor that it had known so long ago. Fair and radiant in the cradle of the Red Cap Mountains, a beacon harkening back to that glorious bygone age… it was a marvelous sight, one that Yoruichi had thought for so long that she would never get to witness firsthand.

"My, my," she murmured as a fresh smile appeared on her face, "I always thought that the old paintings were pretty, but… they don't hold a candle to this."

"Perhaps we could come back here sometime," said Itachi, "There's no reason for the Central Forty-Six to have the Head Captain destroy it now. The foundations are still solid; it can definitely be restored to what it once was. I'd certainly like to see that."

Yoruichi nodded. "So would I. It'd be a nice little vacation."

Itachi chuckled. "Do Soul Reapers even get vacations?"

Yoruichi giggled. "Of course, we do! You've just been working too hard, Itachi. I need to show you how to lighten up a bit."

Another small smile from him caught her off guard. "I'd like that."

Together, the two of them gave one last look to the gleaming Moon Tower. Basking in its sublime radiance while in the company of the young man that was by far her most intriguing subordinate, Yoruichi couldn't have been happier.

Quite the mission we've had here, she mused as she once again turned towards her Sixteenth Seat, Itachi… if this is a sign of things to come, then I can't wait to start training with you when we get back to the Soul Society. I want to see just what you're really capable of now that you've got those fascinating eyes of yours back. I'm going to push you harder than anyone in the Soul Society has before now…

…and I can't wait to see how you rise to the challenge!

Author's Notes: Ah, finally got to unveil Itachi's Shikai and reawaken his Sharingan! Only took me over a year of writing, so that was relatively quick all things considered. Wait, what's that? You guys wanted it right away? Well, tough shit. You really should know by now how I do things. Slow burn all the way, and this story's still quite young.

I suppose it's confession time now, at least for those of you who aren't fans of classic fantasy literature and didn't catch the obvious; the city in this chapter is my homage to Minas Ithil, more commonly known as Minas Morgul after the Witch-King and his pals took over the place, from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. I told you before that classic high fantasy works have influenced my writing, and they'll continue to do so.

With regards to Zanpakutō names for this chapter, I'll freely admit I was using Google translate. I tried to get as close as possible to what I was going for, but I'm sure there are other more accurate translations for what I wanted. I'll just go through a brief list of what I was trying to find the Japanese equivalent of.

For Itachi's Shikai, the rough translation should be 'Queen of Hell', rather appropriate given the appearance of his sword's spirit and the nature of one of the Mangekyou Sharingan's signature powers, Amaterasu.

For Yoruichi, the English version that I was going for was 'Lightning Priestess'. Google translate was rather fickle about that one, the name I used in the chapter was the closest I could come up with, and I'm sure there are better versions out there.

For Ninth Seat Mindiwo, the English translation should come out as 'Demon of Carnage'. Again, I make no claims to being a master linguist.

Finally, for Sixth Seat Katya, the English version should be 'Frost Serpent'. This was actually one of the easier ones, but knowing me I probably messed that up too. Oh, well, it's what I'm going with.

Believe it or not, this chapter was actually supposed to be even longer than it already is! I've got some content that I figured could be moved to the following chapter, I felt like being nice since you all have waited long enough for this already. I'll try to be faster with the next one, but no promises.

Hope you liked the chapter! Please review, and I'll see you next time!