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.

17. Chapter 17

Author's Notes: Hello there! So, remember those travel plans I announced at the end of the previous chapter? Yeah, that's gone down the tubes. Go figure, I finally get my passport renewed and I can't use it because I live in a country that botched its pandemic response so badly that the rest of the world (quite reasonably) doesn't want us anywhere near them. Yay, America…

On a brighter note, I finally got around to watching Avatar: The Last Airbender. Yes, I'm aware that I'm 15 years late to the party. Feel free to shame me. Also, I turned 31 last month! Yay, getting older… what fun.

This one's kind of an interesting chapter for me in that, while there are plenty of swordfights, I wouldn't actually call this an action chapter. It's really more of a party and romance chapter, for reasons that you'll see soon enough.

Enjoy!

Chapter Seventeen: Dancing Blades

"So, how do you want to do this?" asked Itachi as Yoruichi squared off with him.

Yoruichi's brow furrowed as she studied him for a moment. "That depends. Your Shikai; when it activates, does your Sharingan automatically follow suit?"

"For the moment, yes," Itachi answered, "I do believe it's possible to activate only my Shikai, but as of right now I've yet to discover how. The problem is that I awakened both my Sharingan and Shikai simultaneously, so when I activate the latter, I associate that sensation with the former as well. I am able to use my Sharingan without my Shikai, as you saw in that earlier bout with Visaelya, but the same unfortunately isn't true the other way around."

Yoruichi scratched her chin in thought. "I see. Well, I was hoping to get both your Shikai and Sharingan today anyway, so that's fine. However, you're definitely going to need to figure out how to activate your Shikai without your Sharingan eventually. Sooner rather than later would be preferable. You see, the Head Captain's taken a renewed interest in you. He's going to want a demonstration of your Shikai at some point."

"It's because my Shikai's a fire-type, yes?" Itachi guessed.

Yoruichi nodded. "Hit the nail on the head. While the Head Captain does try to maintain impartiality when it comes to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, it's a bit of an open secret that he's got a small soft spot for those with a Zanpakutō type that's similar to his. Besides, he still hasn't forgotten the good showing you gave during your examination after the soul fracture incident. You may be a new Soul Reaper, but I'd say he's pretty keen to keep tabs on your progress."

"So, I've attracted the interest of the Head Captain, huh?" Itachi mused aloud, "Should I be honored or concerned?"

Yoruichi shrugged. "Probably both. He's had high expectations of you since the examination, and he doesn't take a mere passing interest in recent graduates. He sees something in you, although he's hardly the only one there. Eventually, he's going to want a firsthand demonstration of just how far your abilities have progressed. I can stall him for a time, but there's only so long I'll be able to hold him back."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "So, I'm standing on melting ice, as it were."

"Pretty much," Yoruichi replied, "That's another reason why I want to train with you. The sooner we figure out the intricacies of your Shikai, the easier it'll be to prepare you for his inevitable scrutiny."

"Very well, then," said Itachi as he drew his sword, "No time like the present."

Yoruichi smirked as she unsheathed her blade as well. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

Itachi raised his blade, his vision already flashing red as he gathered his spirit energy. "Purge through perdition's flames, Jigoku no Joō!"

As his sword transformed from katana to straight black blade and his eyes became crimson beacons of power, he saw Yoruichi likewise unleash her weapon. "Unleash divine fury, Inazuma On'na!"

White lightning crackled around her as her short sword became the pair of fearsome silver gauntlets that he recalled so well from that desperate clash beneath the Moon Tower. The air in the training ground rapidly began to heat up from both Yoruichi's electrical discharges and the steadily growing flock of crimson firebirds flowing from the slim gap in Itachi's black sword. Neither Soul Reaper had made a move yet, though, which suited Itachi just fine; he still needed to confirm the rules of engagement with his sparring partner.

"Before we begin, I need to know what you want," he said, his gaze locked with hers, "My Sharingan may be active, but I can still refrain from using most of its abilities. Do you just want to test my Shikai… or do you want me to go further?"

She didn't hesitate for a moment. "Give me everything, Itachi, genjutsu included."

He'd expected as much, but he still had to make sure. "Are you certain? You saw Visaelya earlier. I know you're far more powerful than her, but even so… the Eye of Hypnotism is not to be taken lightly."

"I know what I want here," she shot back, eyeing him like a lioness eager to pounce, "Visaelya was right; we have to experience the full extent of the Sharingan's power in order to hold our own against it. Unlike her, though, I know the story of your clan. You and I know the kind of danger they could pose to the Soul Society if their old ambitions followed them into the afterlife. Should the day come where we have to fight them, I'm not going to allow myself to be caught by surprise by their genjutsu. I'm going to be ready, and you are going to help me with that."

"Is that an order?" Itachi asked as the stream of red flaming crows flowing from his Zanpakutō picked up in speed.

Yoruichi grinned, bolts of white lightning arcing from her gauntlets into the floor and nearby rock formations. "You better believe it!"

Itachi raised his sword in salute. "All right, then. On your mark?"

"No," Yoruichi replied as she tapped her fists together, "Yours. Consider it a handicap."

Itachi had to chuckle at that. "With your speed, I suppose I'll need it."

There was more than a hint of deviousness in her smile now. "You think you're really ready for my speed? You know my nickname, Itachi. Want to see how I got it?"

"Against my better judgement, yes," he answered even as he privately wondered just what he was really asking for here and whether or not he could handle it, "I need to get used to how a Captain fights if I'm going to use my power to aid you in future battles. What better way to do that than to spar with the fastest of them all?"

Yoruichi laughed. "Damn, you are a bold one, Itachi! Well, when you put it like that, how can I say no? I won't go full out on you; I think that'd be a bit unfair at this point. Still, I'll definitely give you a workout!"

"That's more than enough for me," said Itachi as he assumed an opening stance, "Very well, then. On my mark. Three… two… one… begin."

The word had barely left his lips before she vanished in a Flash Step…

…and was behind him in less than the blink of an eye.

….

It wasn't her fastest Flash Step; it wouldn't be any fun if the match ended with the opening move. However, it was the fastest Flash Step that Yoruichi had ever used against Itachi before, and even though she was holding back she still feared for a moment that she might've overdone it. That fear was swiftly put to rest by Itachi's reaction, though. Instead of attempting to turn around and face her, Yoruichi saw him simply make a very short vertical chopping motion with his left hand. Recognizing such behavior from their fight with the wraith, Yoruichi realized what was coming. Rather than attack him from behind, she was forced to back off as a flock of crimson firebirds divebombed the spot she'd been in just a moment ago.

He wasn't just clarifying the rules of engagement earlier, she thought with a smile, but used that time we were talking while his Shikai was active to get those birds into position. Rather than try to beat my speed directly, he planned for me being able to get behind him before he could defend himself with his blade and used the firebirds generated by his Shikai to cover his rear. Itachi, you clever boy!

Of course, she wasn't about to let him rest on that accomplishment. Punching at the air with her right gauntlet, she sent a bolt of white lightning at her foe. Rather than try to evade, Itachi took the remainder of the crimson fiery crows that he'd created earlier and used them to create a barrier. Yoruichi's attack met the shield of flames, and the colliding spirit energy resulted in a near-blinding flash of light.

Yoruichi didn't wait for the light to fade. She surged forward, determined to keep Itachi on the defensive. It would take time for him to replenish the number of crimson fire crows that had been active earlier, and she wanted to see how he held up under her assault. As the flaming birds from before dissipated after having blocked her lighting, she passed right through where they once were and was upon Itachi in the blink of an eye.

She pressed hard, unleashing a flurry of electrified punches while throwing in kicks for variety. The defense he put up in return was solid, focusing on deflecting her gauntleted blows with his sword while either evading her kicks or blocking them on his arm. He kept his sword in his right hand, clearly favoring his left for directing the firebirds and defending himself from her unarmed blows. Despite her furious assault, he remained calm and composed, keeping his cool and focusing on fending off her attacks while minimizing his energy expenditure. All the while, fresh crimson fire crows came forth from the thin gap in his blade, taking flight in a steady stream.

Anyone who engages him up close has to watch their back, she mused with a smirk as she pushed him back with a flurry of punches, with a few low kicks for good measure in an effort to make him lose his balance, or they'll be leaving themselves wide open for those birds. The rate that he's replenishing them… there's got to be at least a few hundred airborne already!

She was fully expecting him to have them divebomb her as he'd done so before, and she kept a close eye on his left hand for any sign of an impending attack. However, no fiery airstrike came. For the moment, he seemed intent on fighting her just with his blade.

No, that wasn't quite right. While she hadn't made eye contact with him once the fight had gotten underway, she could sense the same energy flowing from his gaze that she'd felt during that fierce clash beneath the Moon Tower. She hadn't yet given him a chance to ensnare her in the Eye of Hypnotism, so instead he was studying her intently with the Eye of Insight. That, she realized, was how he was waging such a tight and efficient defense against her. While she didn't want to discount Itachi's prodigious skills in the martial arts and swordsmanship, and she had told him from the start that she wouldn't be going all out, she was still attacking him with such speed that even an experienced Soul Reaper would have trouble keeping up with her. He was fast, definitely faster than another Soul Reaper of similar rank or even several ranks above, but in terms of pure speed the edge was undisputedly hers. So instead of trying to match her in a realm where he clearly couldn't win, he was using his clan's special eyes to read her movements and anticipate her strikes.

It was a surprisingly thrilling sensation, knowing that he was studying her with eyes that had been feared across the Shinobi World. His movements weren't quite mirroring hers, but Yoruichi was definitely picking up more than a hint of her own combat style in Itachi's footwork and evasions. What else was he seeing with those incredible eyes of his? How did he perceive the spirit energy that she was letting run wild as they clashed? What did the bursts of white lightning that flew forth from her gauntlets look like when viewed through those crimson gems? What was he learning from her fighting style? Could he read her excitement in her moves?

Could he sense just how much she was enjoying this?

With any other sparring partner, she would've sought the answer in their eyes, but she couldn't do that here. To meet Itachi's gaze would give him the opening he needed to ensnare her in an illusion, and while she definitely wanted to experience his genjutsu so she could learn what to expect and how to protect herself from it, she also wanted to make him work for it. Working towards that end, she intensified her assault.

The white lightning crackling around her gauntlets became a concentrated pulse of power that she unleashed upon her foe at point-blank range. It would be impossible for Itachi to call down his fire crows to block the assault, and he didn't even try. Instead, Yoruichi felt a surge of spirit energy as the flow of crimson birds emanating from his sword immediately ramped up, with the black blade almost instantly becoming completely enshrouded in them. The blast of lightning she'd fired off was caught on those flames and dissipated along them. A few small sparks got through to the blade itself, but nowhere near enough to harm Itachi.

Insulating his blade with his spirit energy, she thought, just like he did with my gauntlets in the fight with the wraith to limit the discharges. He's nothing if not creative with his Shikai, that's for sure!

As Itachi made his counterattack, the flaming birds surrounding his sword suddenly scattered. Joined by fresh ones that flew forth from the blade, they quickly reformed in an arc formation and rushed at Yoruichi. It was a simple matter for her to duck beneath them, but Yoruichi quickly realized that they were merely the first part of a multi-layered attack. The flock of flaming crows that had been building up overhead had broken up into several smaller groups, and now they were all diving at Yoruichi, converging on her position from multiple direction. They were fast…

…but she was faster.

The firebirds dived down on her position, yet a simple Flash Step was all it took for Yoruichi to not only get clear but get right up in Itachi's face to resume her assault. She was disappointed; her Sixteenth Seat should've been well aware that an attack like that wasn't going to be nearly enough to beat her. Her fists were already raised, white lightning arcing around her gauntlets as she prepared to unleash a fresh assault on her sparring partner.

That was when she felt his spiritual pressure spike, and the steady stream of crimson flaming crows flowing from the gap in the blade became a flood. The rate at which they were streaming forth suddenly exploded, and it was almost impossible to discern individual firebirds in the torrent. She was forced to pull back rather than attack, and she smiled as she realized what had happened.

He tricked me, she mused with approval even as she Flash Stepped to avoid getting overwhelmed by the tsunami of flaming crows, From the start of the duel, he had his Zanpakutō sending out the birds at the same rate I saw during the fight with the wraith, but his power is such that he's already able to send them out at a much faster pace. He was holding that in reserve, allowing me to believe he could only unleash them at rate I'd seen before. Well played, Itachi!

The number of firebirds zipping through the air now couldn't be measured as mere hundreds like before; Yoruichi couldn't get an exact count, but she was certain that the figure was at least several thousand. Itachi had quite clearly squeezed in a considerable bit of private training time already in the short period that had passed since Squad Two's return to the Seireitei if his performance here was any indication. He was testing his current limits and exploring the new realm of possibilities that the potent combination of Sharingan and Shikai had opened up for him.

And Yoruichi was more than happy to play along.

While the great swarm of firebirds had fanned out in quite the imposing display, Yoruichi immediately picked up on the fact that they weren't acting offensively. The initial surge had forced her to back off, but Itachi wasn't actually using it to attack. It only took Yoruichi a moment to comprehend his true intention.

With so many of the crimson flaming crows filling the air, she could no longer keep track of Itachi visibly. Indeed, it had only taken a moment for him to vanish completely from her sight. She tried to track his spirit energy, but since all the firebirds had that energy within them it actually served as a perfect means to mask his presence. Itachi had changed the game; this was no longer a simple sparring match. It was a hunt.

And she was the prey.

….

So far, so good, thought Itachi as he continued to build up the screen of firebirds, but the real test starts now.

While it was true that he could increase flow of crimson flaming crows from the black sword by releasing greater amounts of spirit energy, as things stood right now, he could really only do so in short bursts. His power may have grown substantially thanks to unlocking both his Sharingan and Shikai, but his energy reserves were still quite limited when compared to those of Yoruichi. If he attempted to sustain this flow, he'd only end up wearing himself out. Due to this limitation, Itachi was already drawing down the torrent of firebirds flying forth from his Zanpakutō to a small and steady stream. It was his Shikai's default state, and it wouldn't tax his energy reserves.

He had to strike a careful balance here. His strategy from here on out was dependent on maintaining a steady level of concealment, which meant that despite the great abundance of crimson flaming crows in the secret training ground now he was actually limited in how many of them he could use to attack. Yoruichi had already demonstrated a level of speed that was more than sufficient to evade them, even if Itachi had them come at her from multiple angles. At this point, they would be much more effective as a means to mask his movements rather than a tool for attack.

Of course, the teeming flocks of firebirds worked both ways; Yoruichi couldn't see Itachi, but right now, Itachi couldn't see her either. He could sense her, though. In fact, unlike him, she wasn't even trying to mask her spiritual pressure. Actually, as Itachi focused on her, he felt an unmistakable spike in her energy.

And that was when a bolt of white lightning shot through the swarm of crimson flaming crows. It missed Itachi, but by no more than a few centimeters. For a brief second, Itachi thought that Yoruichi had somehow managed to already track him down, but a second shot of white lightning that went much wider than the first dispelled that notion. She was firing blind.

No, he mused as he took cover behind a stone outcropping while additional bolts of lightning shot through the firebirds at random, that's not quite the right way to think about it. These aren't actual attacks; they're wild discharges. She's loosened her restraint with her Shikai, allowing the excess energy it generates to fire off freely. If one of those discharges manages to hit me, she'll sense it and pounce.

She was never going to make this an easy fight…

…and Itachi wouldn't have it any other way.

….

As entertaining as it was to let her Shikai off the leash for a bit, Yoruichi wasn't counting on random energy discharges alone to beat Itachi. After allowing a few wild bolts to fly off and not sensing any resulting hits, she knew that it was time to shake things up a bit. Itachi had let loose quite the swarm of crimson flaming crows, but their numbers weren't infinite…

…and this was a vast training ground.

She Flash Stepped through the fiery avian flocks, using the energy arcing around her to disperse any of the burning birds that got too close. As she moved, she allowed the unrestrained energy of her Shikai to fire off at will, using the bolts mostly to scatter the flaming crows and convince Itachi to keep his head down for a bit. A lucky shot hitting her opponent would've been nice, but she wasn't about to place money on it.

It had been quite a while since she'd done something like this. Back in Menar Issilaya, she'd been determined to keep her Shikai's rampant energy in check as much as possible to avoid friendly fire and keep the Moon Tower from collapsing upon their heads, but here she didn't have to hold back as much. Of course, she was still exercising some restraint to avoid inflicting serious damage on her subordinate, but thanks to unlocking both his Sharingan and Shikai Itachi's spirit energy had grown significantly. Yoruichi was confident now that he could take a hit or two from her Shikai's wild energy without sustaining any life-threatening wounds, and he had insisted that she give him a suitable workout.

Who was she to turn him down?

It took a few seconds longer than she had anticipated, but eventually she reached the edge of the great firebird swarm that had engulfed the part of the training ground they were fighting in. Having broken out, Yoruichi was now able to properly survey her surroundings and start narrowing down where Itachi was located. Kisuke and her had sparred in here so many times that she had lost count long ago; she knew this room far better than Itachi did, and she was not above taking advantage of that fact.

The giant flock of crimson flaming crows was centered on a part of the training ground that had considerably rougher terrain than the rest. It made sense; while Itachi had managed to turn his firebirds into a shield and block one of her earlier attacks, he'd been forced to concentrate them in order to pull that off. Since they were now spread out to provide concealment and confuse his opponent, they weren't capable of dispersing the discharges from Yoruichi's Shikai. In order to compensate, Itachi had most likely taken cover; the geography that the fiery swarm was concentrated on had plenty of good spots to hunker down in. Of course, she couldn't count on Itachi staying in one place for long. It was highly likely that he would move from one bit of cover to another in order to keep her guessing while setting up for a surprise attack.

Classic guerilla warfare, she thought with a smirk, I should've expected as much, given his background. This was never going to be a straight-up fight. Itachi… you've taken so well to Squad Two that you wear our combat doctrine like a finely tailored glove. I have got to find more former Shinobi to recruit, and your mother's going to be first in line!

She would have to shake things up in order to get him out in the open. Fortunately, she had a few ways to do that.

Yoruichi held out her left hand as she began her incantation, her spiritual pressure rising all the while. "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hadō 63: Raikōhō!"

An orb of yellow lightning formed in the palm of her hand, but before it was unleashed Yoruichi then reached out with her right hand as well, arcs of white lightning crackling around the gauntlet it wore. Twin blasts of yellow and white energy ripped forth, tearing through the swarm of burning bloodred crows before crashing into the rock formations at the center of the blaze. There was a tremendous uproar as huge chunks of stone were sent flying in all directions, and for a moment Yoruichi feared that she might've overdone it.

That was when the surviving firebirds began to swirl before rushing forward in a wave, and Yoruichi grinned; her Sixteenth Seat was alive and kicking. Spirit energy surging to her legs, she shot from the ground like one of Kūkaku's prized starburst shells, flipping around midway so that her feet would hit the ceiling. Her legs coiled like springs as they absorbed the impact, and were it not for her countless hours of training and the considerable amount of spirit energy she was using to reinforce them she could've suffered serious injuries. For the brief moment she was up there, her eyes rapidly scanned the area below. The swarm of crimson flaming crows had thinned out considerably, and her sharp gaze locked onto a black blur a second later; Itachi was on the move.

Flash Stepping off of the ceiling, she shot downwards like a cannonball. Aiming straight for Itachi, she was amazed to see that he had actually reacted almost the exact instant she'd pushed off from the ceiling. He'd had barely a second to make his move, but a short Flash Step on his part was just enough so that Yoruichi's gauntleted fists hit the ground rather than him. Releasing the spirit energy that she'd built up to cushion the impact on herself, the hit was still hard enough on the ground to create a veritable geyser of rocks. She saw one of them graze Itachi's shoulder, momentarily knocking him off balance. Taking advantage of this brief opening, Yoruichi lunged forward…

…right into Itachi's trap.

His gaze met hers, and that was when Yoruichi realized that he'd only pretended to be shaken by the impact. Of course, it was too late now. The crimson gems of his Sharingan locked onto her eyes, and Yoruichi knew what that meant. The eye contact was just for a split second, but she'd seen his match with Visaelya; that brief moment was all Itachi required.

Which meant that she only had one card left to play if she wanted to have a hope of winning.

….

While he might've finally managed to lock onto Yoruichi's eyes with his Sharingan, Itachi knew that he was nowhere near out of the woods yet. It was one thing to ensnare Visaelya in a genjutsu; he was faster than her, which meant that it had been easy to outmaneuver her once he'd gotten her under his spell. Yoruichi, though, was another beast entirely. Making eye contact with her was only the first step of his plan. Now he needed to craft an illusion while at the same time giving himself enough space to actually move into position in order to take advantage of it.

Yoruichi, needless to say, wasn't giving him that luxury.

At the moment his gaze had met hers, Itachi knew that she had both recognized her peril and understood the best way to get out of it. If he'd thought she'd been moving fast before, that was nothing compared to the blindingly swift assault she was unleashing on him now. Her intent was clear; stay on him and give him no room to maneuver. Whatever illusion he cast would be meaningless if she managed to keep up physical contact by relentlessly hammering his defenses. His black sword was constantly on the move, blocking ferocious blows from the silver gauntlets of her Shikai; he could hardly enact a genjutsu and slip away if it took such focus to simply defend himself.

She's played her hand very well, he silently complimented as he deflected a particularly vicious one-two combo, the hairs on the back of his neck raising from the white sparks that danced around her gauntlets and through his blade as they made contact, I expected her to be ready for the Sharingan thanks to our talk, but failed to predict just how she would counterattack.

And to think that this still isn't the full extent of her speed…

His options were limited. In order to keep the electricity generated by her Shikai from shocking him into submission, Itachi was focusing on sheathing his sword in a layer of crimson flaming crows, using the spirit energy flowing through them as insulation. There were still firebirds flying above, but they had been scattered and disorganized by Yoruichi's combination attack from her Shikai and Kidō earlier, not to mention the subsequent wild discharges and the divebomb strike she'd made when she'd kicked off the ceiling. With the Captain forcing him to focus on defending himself from her blitz, Itachi could only let a few new firebirds fly free; the majority of new ones generated were being used to regenerate those that were dispersed when Yoruichi's blows met his sword.

Itachi needed an opening, and he needed one quickly. Against another opponent, he would've patiently waited for them to overextend themselves. That wasn't an option with Yoruichi, though. The Captain had him beat in energy reserves; Itachi would tire out long before her at this rate, regardless of how efficient his defense was. If he wanted to win, he'd have to take a gamble.

Raising his sword to block another pair of powerful blows from her gauntlets, Itachi made a sweeping kick with his left foot. Yoruichi easily jumped over and nearly nailed Itachi right in the head with kick of her own in response, which would've ended his plan right then and there. However, he was able to duck it by just a few centimeters, and that was all he needed. In the precious second before Yoruichi could attack again with her Shikai, Itachi poured his spirit energy into his Shikai. The crimson flaming crows surrounding the black blade flared up before racing outwards in a wave, joined by a flock of newly generated firebirds. The move drained valuable energy in the process, but it forced Yoruichi to momentarily back off, which was just what Itachi had been going for.

Now!

He Flash Stepped to the right, but Yoruichi wouldn't see that. Instead, what she'd be seeing at this moment was Itachi coming straight at her, bursting through the flock of firebirds to attack head-on. As he circled around behind her, Itachi imagined what Yoruichi would perceive when her right gauntlet met his sword; his body and blade suddenly disappearing in a flurry of black feathers. Meanwhile, the real him took another Flash Step, this time forward, aiming to bring his blade to rest at the back of her neck.

He was so close.

And that was when Yoruichi's spirit energy shot up like an eagle taking flight. Several wild bolts of white lightning flew out in all directions from her Shikai; a spontaneous and random burst, one Itachi realized was a last-ditch effort to repulse him. That wasn't all, though. At the same time that the lightning was unleashed, white energy had suddenly burst forth from Yoruichi's back and arms, ripping apart her Captain's haori in the process. At such close range, evasion was impossible, as was reorganizing his crimson flaming crows into an effective shield. A blast of white lighting caught him right in the chest, and when combined with the force of the energy that had been released by Yoruichi herself it sent him flying, slamming him into one of the wayward boulders that had been scattered about the training ground by her earlier Kidō strike. The sparking energy coursing through his body combined with the hard impact from the rock broke Itachi's concentration, and the illusion fell apart as a result.

There was a sharp and piercing pain in his chest; at the very least, he'd suffered a cracked rib or two. Itachi had taken worse hits in his time, and despite the heavy impact he forced himself to his feet. He didn't get very far, though, as the clawed fingertips of Yoruichi's Shikai were at his throat before he could take a single step.

"Match!" she declared with a victorious smirk.

Itachi nodded as he deactivated both his Sharingan and Shikai. "Yes… nicely done."

Yoruichi returned her Zanpakutō to its sealed state and sheathed it before moving to put her arm around Itachi to help him keep his footing. "Guess I went a bit overboard at the end there. How are you feeling?"

"I think a visit to Squad Four's barracks is in order," Itachi replied, rubbing his chest with his left hand as he sheathed his Zanpakutō with his right, "That's the feeling I'm getting from my ribs, at least."

Yoruichi winced as she guided his right arm over her shoulders to keep him steady. "Sorry about that. It was the only way I could think of to break out of your genjutsu. I figured that you'd grown enough that you could take the hit. Looks like I was right for the most part."

Itachi was suddenly conscious of his right hand on Yoruichi's bare shoulder. "What happened at the end there? That energy… it wasn't just your Shikai."

Yoruichi smiled. "Ah, that. Can you keep a secret for me?"

Itachi nodded. "Considering the ones that you're keeping for me, it's the least I can do."

"Thanks," she answered, "It's a little something I've been working on for a while. Right now, it's far from complete. What I'm trying to do is combine Hakuda's physical techniques with the energy of Kidō. That release of energy you saw was the first step, and as you undoubtedly noticed, it's rather volatile. I usually take my haori off whenever I practice with it to avoid shredding it like what happened earlier. The technique concentrates power in the user's arms and upper back, which fits nicely with the keisen uniform I usually wear."

"Interesting," Itachi murmured, "Does this technique you're working on have a name?"

"Shunkō," said Yoruichi, "That's the one I'm going with, anyway."

Itachi smirked. "Meaning Flash War Cry… I like it. It suits you."

Yoruichi giggled at that. "Aw, thanks! You really are a sweetheart, you know that?"

"I'll take your word for it," said Itachi as he felt a familiar rush of heat come to his face, "So, how's the full technique supposed to work in practice? If what I saw was just the initial phase, then you must have at least some practical applications for the full technique already in mind."

Yoruichi nodded. "You're right about that. There are a couple of different ways to apply it. The simplest is amplifying Hakuda strikes with the energy of Kidō spells. As you might imagine, this can magnify the impact of even basic hand-to-hand blows considerably. Through Shunkō, even if an enemy somehow robs me of my Zanpakutō, I'm never truly unarmed. It also has ranged combat applications; the energy that's gathered through the technique can be fired at an opponent. However, as of right now, it's not exactly a good move for a situation that calls for finesse and precision. Too wild, too destructive… it definitely needs some work. Well, that's true for Shunkō as a whole, really."

"I'm assuming you're the only practitioner, yes?" asked Itachi.

Yoruichi smirked. "Well, I am its creator, and given that it's a relatively new technique that I'm still refining, you'd be pretty safe in that assumption. Kisuke knows that I'm developing it, but he hasn't really trained in it himself. It's a technique that's meant for someone with my particular set of skills. I'd certainly like to teach others how to use it eventually, but right now there's not much point in that considering that it's still very much in the early stages of development."

He saw her brow furrow in thought for a moment as she regarded him. "You know, you held your own in our little skirmish there. I'm not exactly spreading the word around when it comes to Shunkō, which means that there aren't many people that I can practice and refine it with. I don't suppose you'd mind helping out, would you?"

Itachi gave her a small smile in return. "I'd like that, actually. Given the properties of the Sharingan, I think that I'd actually be in a unique position to aid you in the development of Shunkō. I have something that I'd like to ask in return, though."

"Favor for a favor, eh?" Yoruichi replied, "That's fair. What do you want?"

"To spar with you on a regular basis," Itachi answered, "My training sessions with Shisui and Visaelya are enjoyable, but I'd like to push myself further. Fights like the one we just had are how one truly grows."

Yoruichi grinned. "Well, I'm all for that! You sure that's all you want out of this, though? Honestly, it feels like you're really doing me two favors here instead of one. After all, I will be using our sessions to learn more about your Sharingan and how to counter it. I'm getting just as much out of this favor as you are, and that's on top of you helping me refine Shunkō. If you've got something else you want help with, just tell me."

Itachi shook his head. "I assure you that this is more than enough. Well… apart from one thing."

"Name it," she said without hesitation.

Itachi rubbed his chest gingerly with his left hand. "I'd like to get to Squad Four's barracks sooner rather than later… and you are significantly faster than I am."

Yoruichi laughed. "You want a lift? I was going to give you that anyway, silly! Man, you Uchiha have a weird sense of humor, you know that?"

"I assure you, that wasn't in jest," Itachi replied, "I'm not sure how many ribs I cracked back there, but even one is one too many."

Yoruichi smiled. "I know. Well, you want an express trip to Captain Unohana? You're getting one!"

She briefly slipped out from his arm, but only so that she could hoist him up onto her back a moment later. Itachi could only imagine how ridiculous he looked with arms wrapped loosely around the Captain's neck as her slender frame supported his; the fact that he was noticeably taller than her surely added to the absurdity of it all. Still, she was lifting him quite effortlessly, and she hardly seemed bothered by how the whole thing might look to anyone they encountered outside.

"All right, then," she said, "Squad Four barracks, here we come!"

The world immediately became a blur, and Itachi had no choice but to hold on for dear life.

….

Washing her hands, Unohana looked over her shoulder at her colleague standing in the doorway. "Really, Yoruichi, did you have to bring him by with such injuries? I know Itachi's gifted for his age, but you really should've shown greater restraint in your sparring match with him."

Yoruichi gave her a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I might have gotten a bit carried away this time. Sorry for the trouble."

Unohana sighed. "Three cracked ribs, severe bruising on his back, mild electrical burns on his chest… you're lucky that I know you do not intentionally abuse your subordinates, unlike some officers I've seen in the past. If you were, rest assured that you would find me in a rather foul mood given the state that young man was in. Itachi is remarkably resilient, but I do fear for his health should he continue to suffer injuries like this in training bouts with you. Please be more mindful of the energy you bring to such fights in the future, Yoruichi. You will find me to be less than cordial in the future should you make a habit of bringing your subordinates here in such a state after something as simple as a sparring match. I trust you take my meaning clearly enough?"

"Clearer than crystal," Yoruichi hastily replied.

Unohana smiled. "Good. You'll be pleased to hear that his injuries are already on the mend; my power was more than sufficient. I've dealt with the worst of it, and I will administer an additional round of treatment shortly. He will be staying here overnight for observation as a precaution. You do not object, do you?"

Yoruichi quickly shook her head. "Nope."

Assured that her colleague would not press the matter, Unohana allowed her expression to soften, and her smile became more genuine. "He must've been putting up quite the valiant effort for you to have attacked him with such strength. Would I be wrong in presuming that his growth since graduating from the Academy has exceeded your expectations?"

Yoruichi grinned. "Oh, you have no idea, Unohana! At this point, he's Sixteenth Seat in name only; he is much stronger than that pitiful rank would suggest, and I intend to address that situation at the first opportunity. His Shikai's really something else, and to think that he only just unlocked it! I knew we'd found a pair of gems when we rescued him and Jiraiya that night, but I had no idea that this particular one would shine so brightly. He's on a roll, and I've got a feeling that he's only just getting started."

Unohana nodded as she stepped out of the washroom and strolled down the hallway towards the barracks courtyard, Yoruichi falling in right beside her. "High praise indeed. He's become another protégé of yours, yes? It sounds like Soi-Fon has some competition."

Yoruichi laughed. "You're right about that! I hope she doesn't get jealous of the attention I've been giving him lately. I'm continuing her training as well, of course, but she's much further along than Itachi right now. It's only natural that I focus on him so he can close the gap. I do feel a little guilty about it, though."

"I'm sure that you'll be able to strike a proper balance between them given time," Unohana reassured her, "Just be mindful of the attention you give them and how they respond to it. Tend to them well, and I'm sure they'll serve Squad Two far more effectively than your… oh, let's be charitable and call him a prideful Lieutenant."

"That is charitable," Yoruichi groaned, "Definitely not the way I'd put it. Marenoshin Ōmaeda's got his talents, and if he could just stop lording himself over others and flaunting his family name and prestige, he'd actually make a pretty decent second-in-command. As it is, right now the best thing for Squad Two and the Stealth Force is that I keep his duties confined to administrative ones, along with drilling new recruits and running the Patrol Corps. Anything more than that will go right to his head, and his ego's big enough as it is."

Unohana gave her a sympathetic look as they went outside and sat down on one of the benches that dotted the courtyard. "Your situation regarding your Lieutenant is unenviable. Still, you've done quite well to compensate. Soi-Fon and Third Seat Urahara seem to have taken on the responsibilities of your Lieutenant in stride. I imagine Itachi will be able to serve effectively in a similar capacity eventually."

Yoruichi smiled. "I don't doubt that one bit. Although… it might be a waste of his talents to use him like that."

Unohana raised an eyebrow. "You have something else in mind?"

"A few things," Yoruichi admitted with a mischievous smirk, "Let's just say I'm keeping my options open. I want to see how much further he can go, what else he can bring to the table. If our match today was any indication, I'd say that we've only just scratched the surface of what he's got to offer."

There was a light in the Squad Two Captain's eyes that hinted at something more, and Unohana's couldn't help but give voice to it. "You've become quite taken with him. Your interest in him… he's not just another protégé to you, is he?"

Much to her surprise, Yoruichi didn't answer straight away. Her gaze lowered for a moment, and when she looked at Unohana again the Squad Four Captain could've sworn she saw just the faintest hint of a blush.

Well now, she mused, this is certainly interesting…

When Yoruichi finally answered, there was a smile on her face, but to Unohana's trained eye it was an almost shy one. "That's… an interesting question. I suppose it's one I've been trying to figure out for a while now."

Unohana didn't fancy herself a gossip, but this was simply too good to pass up. "Has something happened between the two of you? Perhaps out on your recent mission?"

Yoruichi slowly nodded. "The mission… and a good deal before. I've learned a lot about him since he's joined by division. Itachi… I always figured he'd have one hell of a story from his past life, but when I finally got it… well, the theories I had weren't even close to the mark."

Unohana leaned in a bit. "Anything you're able to share with me?"

Yoruichi shook his head. "Sorry, but I made him a promise that I wouldn't go spreading it around. I will say this, though; remember when he woke up from the soul fracture?"

Unohana nodded. "Yes. For a moment, he was overcome with emotion… to the point of tears, or so I recall. I'd always wondered what he'd experienced that brought forth such a powerful reaction, but I didn't press the matter. I take it you've learned happened when he was revived?"

"That and a good deal more," Yoruichi replied solemnly, "What he told me… well, it was quite a bit to take in. It definitely explained the reaction he had when he woke up. Unohana… this is more than just the afterlife to him, more than just a second life. It's a chance to find light after drowning in darkness… and I want to help him with that."

"I see," said Unohana, though of course that wasn't completely true since she knew she lacked the needed context, "Is there anything I can do to assist you with this endeavor?"

Yoruichi smiled. "For now, just make sure he gets some sleep tonight, okay? I want to make sure he rests up. He's certainly earned that much after our little scrap today."

Unohana gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "You have my word. Of course, that would go for any patient under my care."

Yoruichi nodded as she stood up. "Thanks. I'll go stop by his room for a sec, then I need to head out. Still got some work stuff to take care of before the day's out. I can't promise he won't be back here again; he did ask to become my training partner, after all. Still, I'll try to be a little gentler from here on out."

"That is all I can ask," said Unohana as she rose to bid her friend farewell, "Until next time, Yoruichi."

….

"Hey," came a familiar female voice from the doorway, "How are you feeling?"

Looking up from the book he was reading, Itachi saw Yoruichi stroll into the room, a friendly smile on her face. She looked the room over before pulling up a chair next to his bed and taking a seat.

"Much better," Itachi replied, "I'd forgotten how potent Captain Unohana's healing abilities were. Another session or two and it'll be as if we'd never fought in the first place. Keeping me overnight for observation honestly feels like a bit too much at this point."

Yoruichi chuckled. "I know, but that's Unohana's prerogative. Her unit, her rules. I don't think either of us are brave enough to tell her otherwise."

Itachi shook his head. "Going against her seems like it'd be courting death, or perhaps something worse. I suppose I've no choice but to stick around."

Yoruichi looked down at the book in his lap. "Is that one of Jiraiya's? I didn't know he had a new one out already."

"It's an older one of his, actually," Itachi corrected her, "I'm surprised Captain Unohana saw fit to include it with the literature she provides to resting patients, but I'm not complaining. I can think of worse ways to pass the time."

Yoruichi nodded. "Well, I'm glad you'll have something to keep you occupied. Afraid I can't stick around long; got some paperwork back at the barracks that needs to get done tonight if I don't want Soi-Fon breathing down my neck tomorrow. Just wanted to check in and make sure I didn't bang you up too badly."

Itachi gave her a small smile. "I've taken far worse hits in my time. Besides, for a sparring match like that, I'd say it's a small price to pay."

Yoruichi grinned. "It really was quite the fight. I knew that you'd grown stronger, but even so… that was one hell of a workout! Hope you're ready for more of those, because I intend to get the most out of you as a training partner."

Itachi chuckled. "I'm looking forward to it, although I suspect Captain Unohana might feel otherwise. She was pleasant during the first round of treatment, but when we talked, I got the impression that she was less than thrilled with how far we went in our match."

Yoruichi laughed. "Oh, trust me, she made that quite clear to me earlier! We'll just have to be a bit more cautious going forward. I think we can manage that."

She looked at him for a long moment, and Itachi realized that her smile was slightly different now. It was still warm and friendly, but there was something else there as well. Itachi struggled to identify it; no woman had ever really looked at him like that before. The closest word he could find was affection, but it wasn't the kind that one might give a colleague or friend. It looked like…

…something more.

She leaned in, closing the distance before Itachi realized what was happening. Her face hovered mere centimeters from his for what felt like forever but was probably just a handful of seconds. Then what little gap there was vanished as her lips found his right cheek in a quick and fleeting kiss.

The heat came rushing to his face, and as she pulled away Itachi was certain that she could she the warmth in his cheeks. There was that usual playful light in her eyes, but it wasn't like before. There was a new kind of energy within them, one that it looked like she was struggling to decide whether to rein in or let loose. A lingering moment later, and she apparently decided on the former.

"Sleep well tonight, Itachi," she said as she left the room, but not before looking over her shoulder and throwing him a teasing wink, "Pleasant dreams!"

Then she was gone, out the door before Itachi could come up with any sort of reply. All he could do was lean back in the bed, close his eyes and let the past few seconds play out in his mind.

Sleep well, huh?

As if I'll be falling asleep easily after that…

….

One year later…

143 years before Rukia Kuchiki's arrival in Karakura Town

Her arms folded as she leaned against a rock wall, Yoruichi smiled as she watched her newly-minted Thirteenth Seat work his magic. Standing in the middle of the secret training ground surrounded by what had to be at least a few thousand crimson flaming crows, Itachi looked less like a Soul Reaper and more like an orchestra conductor, albeit one with quite the unconventional band to direct. Both his free hand and his black blade were almost constantly in motion as he arranged his flocks, experimenting with different formations and movements. His brow was furrowed in concentration, with greater focus actually required now than usual thanks to a key distinction; he wasn't using his Sharingan this time.

As both Itachi and Yoruichi had suspected, it was possible for his Shikai to be utilized without his Sharingan, although it had taken a considerable amount of work to get to that point. Months of dedicated training time had been required, but in Yoruichi's eyes it was definitely worth the investment. There were drawbacks to Itachi using his Shikai without the Sharingan; it wasn't as powerful for starters, and coordinating the flocks of firebirds released by it was much more difficult. This was clearly evident in the effort Itachi was exerting now, and the movements of both his free hand and the one holding the black blade were much more pronounced than they were whenever he had both his Shikai and Sharingan activated. The sword itself was also different while Itachi was using it in this manner; the crimson eye built into the weapon's guard was closed, as if in recognition that it wasn't being used to its full potential.

He's still got a lot of work ahead of him, she thought, but he's made a ton of progress since he first awakened his Shikai. Being able to use it without the Sharingan will be very handy going forward, especially for missions where we have to cooperate with Soul Reapers from outside of Squad Two.

It had been a busy year since their return from Menar Issilaya. Just as Yoruichi had predicted, the Head Captain had put Squad Two at the forefront of the effort to investigate the whereabouts of the remaining four wraiths, although they'd had to balance that task with their regular duties as well. Valuable assistance had also been provided by the private forces of the Shihōin, Shiba and Kuchiki Clans, which had gone a long way towards reducing the amount of ground that Yoruichi's division had to cover. Unfortunately, the Drakken and Starmont Clans hadn't seen fit to include themselves in that effort; all requests made to them had been met with responses claiming that their forces were tied up with internal security matters, but Yoruichi had been around long enough to see right through the bullshit. The answer they'd given was the standard one Great Noble Houses gave when they weren't feeling particularly cooperative, and short of the Head Captain personally going out to their respective Principalities and bringing them to heel Yoruichi knew that they weren't about to budge on that. It was the same petty and stupid aristocratic politics that she'd come to utterly loathe over the years, but she'd learned long ago to work around it.

Unfortunately, so far in their hunt the only success they'd had was in eliminating locations from their search list; none of the sites they'd scouted so far had actually contained a wraith. The most easily accessible locations were now dealt with, which meant going forward the remaining suspected sites would be in regions that weren't nearly as hospitable. Squad Two and the Stealth Force were no strangers to operating in such areas, but that didn't mean they were easy to work in. In a way, Yoruichi supposed it was a good thing that they hadn't actually found any wraiths yet; as dangerous as they were, she wasn't particularly eager to mix it up with them. Even though the one beneath the Moon Tower had been the weakest of the five, it had still put up quite the fight. She wasn't looking forward to the inevitable showdowns with its stronger brethren.

By itself, a single wraith merits at least a Captain and a Lieutenant or officer with equivalent strength to take on, she mused grimly, I don't know if we're going to be that lucky going forward, though. If any of the others have broken out, they might not share the sedentary tendencies of the one we fought. Soul King help us if they've managed to escape and link up with each other…

Contingency plans were in place for such an eventuality, but Yoruichi was hoping to avoid having to use them. The very worst-case scenario was if all four of the surviving wraiths had managed to escape and reunite; should that happen, the plan was to confront them with at least six Captains and Lieutenants or equivalent officers, along with several additional Soul Reapers acting as support. If the situation was truly desperate, the Head Captain himself had made it quite clear to Yoruichi that she was to call upon him. Yoruichi appreciated the Head Captain's offer, but she was hesitant on taking him up on it. His power was extraordinary, there was no doubt about that, but it wasn't exactly a precise tool. There was a considerable risk of friendly fire, especially from his Shikai.

For the moment, though, such concerns remained in the realm of hypotheticals. If they couldn't find the wraiths, then those contingency plans wouldn't mean much. Yoruichi wasn't sure what would be worse; finding them together, or not finding them at all. At the very least, even if it meant taking them on as a group, discovering them in such a manner would eliminate uncertainty. If they remained undiscovered even after all the sites had been checked, then there would be some very troubling implications to consider.

The one we fought was consumed with hatred and malice, she thought, yet it seemed content to lord over the ruins of Menar Issilaya as an undead petty king. Maybe it decided to bask in the dark glory of its revenge on the city that thought it could imprison it and didn't really see the need to branch out beyond that. The other four, though… damn it. It's impossible to guess their intentions as things stand right now. I need more information, but Kisuke's just about exhausted the archives in my family's Seireitei estate. Maybe there's some scrap of knowledge in there that he's missed, but I doubt it; he's usually pretty damn thorough when it comes to research projects like this, and he's been back there plenty of times over the past year to dig through the collection.

While she was admittedly frustrated at the failure of their hunt thus far, there were other matters concerning Squad Two that had gone in a much more positive direction over the past year. It had taken quite a bit of bureaucratic reshuffling, both within her division's ranks and a few others as a handful of personnel transfers that were fairly typical for the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had been made, but she had finally managed to arrange a string of long overdue promotions for her officers. Itachi had gone from Sixteenth to Thirteenth Seat, and while that position still wasn't really an accurate representation of his true power it was definitely a step in the right direction. The young man she was observing now had accepted the offer graciously, although Yoruichi really hadn't expected any sort of complaint from him about not ascending to a rank more appropriate for his abilities; Itachi just wasn't the type to raise a fuss over that sort of thing, and Yoruichi was quite grateful for that.

In a way, it actually enhanced his value as an ace in the hole for Squad Two. His relatively quick ascension would mark him as an up and coming Soul Reaper with real potential, yet officers from other units would still underestimate him since he wasn't at a higher rank. Given that part of Squad Two's duties in cooperation with the Stealth Force was keeping order within the Seireitei, and that a byproduct of that was the fact that they would occasionally be called to hunt down and arrest or eliminate Soul Reapers who had committed severe violations, having officers from the other units misjudging the true depths of Itachi's power would make it much easier for him to get the drop on them should they go rogue and he was called to deal with them.

Itachi's was hardly the only promotion she'd been able to secure. Visaelya had been bumped up to Itachi's old position of Sixteenth Seat, and Yoruichi was sure that she'd be moving past that soon enough. All she needed at this point was to unlock her Shikai, and given that the young woman was regularly training with both Shisui and Itachi Yoruichi knew that her growth would be steady; it was just a matter of time before she took the next big step. Aika had moved up from Twentieth Seat to Visaelya's old spot at Eighteenth, and Yoruichi was pleased with the girl's newfound confidence that seemed to have sprung from the clash with the wights in the Moon Tower. Rija had been pushed up to Fourteenth Seat, and while Itachi had jumped ahead of her Yoruichi knew that her former Fifteenth Seat wouldn't mind. Meanwhile, Shisui had jumped up to the position of Seventh Seat, and while it still wasn't an accurate reflection of his real abilities it was definitely a step in the right direction. A handful of other officers had also been bumped up or transferred, while some new faces fresh out of the Academy had helped fill in the lower slots.

All things considered the past year had been pretty good for Squad Two. Sure, their current big mission was proceeding slowly, but things were going well on the personnel front. They had a good mix of new recruits and seasoned veterans with a wide range of skills, and thanks to the recent string of promotions the division was viewed by others as one where a driven and talented individual could rise on their own merits quickly, which certainly helped when it came to recruitment efforts. The rest of their duties, including patrolling the Seireitei and Rukon District, running the Nest of Maggots, maintaining internal security and identifying potential threats for other divisions to deal with, were going quite well. Squad Two's reputation within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads was that of a capable and efficient unit, able to perform both its staple scouting missions and open combat operations effectively and proficiently. They had the favor of the Head Captain, which went a long way towards minimizing potential interference from rivals both within and outside the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Apart from the matter of the missing wraiths, Yoruichi felt pretty damn good about where she and her subordinates stood in the grand scheme of things.

On the personal front, things were even better. She hadn't been lying when she'd told Itachi that she planned to make the most out of having him as a training partner. Practicing Shunkō while under the piercing gaze of the Sharingan had proven to be a good call, as Itachi was able to study the way her volatile spirit energy manifested itself when she utilized the technique. Thanks to the eyes that were both the blessing and curse of his clan, Itachi had provided an invaluable perspective, with his insights going a long way towards helping Yoruichi refine her control over Shunkō; indeed, it was striking just how rapidly she had progressed when compared to how things had previously been. Only a year had gone by, but Yoruichi felt like she had accomplished more in that brief span of time with regards to fine-tuning Shunkō than she had in the several years preceding it.

I couldn't have asked for a better assistant, she mused with a smile as she watched Itachi work his magic with the flock of crimson flaming crows surrounding him, Kisuke's good, but without the Sharingan he didn't have the kind of insight and perspective that Itachi's been able to give me over the past year. I really owe you one, Itachi…

Progress with Shunkō was certainly cause for celebration as far as Yoruichi was concerned, but rather than take Itachi out for drinks in one of her favorite Rukon District taverns, she had something else in mind. In just a couple weeks' time, there was a special event coming up that was celebrated throughout the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Itachi hadn't been given the chance to attend before, and Yoruichi wanted to make sure that he didn't miss out on the fun this year. Not just him, either; most of Squad Two had actually missed the festivities last year due to a particularly busy work schedule, and Yoruichi wanted to make up for that this time around. It had taken quite a bit of behind the scenes effort to set things up, but all the necessary arrangements were more or less taken care of now. There were just a few minor details left to work out and they'd be sitting pretty.

Speaking of pretty, Yoruichi couldn't help but be captivated by the show Itachi was putting on. He'd organized his flocks of firebirds into a series of six concentric circles, each one rotating faster than the next the closer one got to the epicenter. It was a display of precision that had actually been lacking in prior demonstrations without the Sharingan, and from the way his brow was furrowed Yoruichi could tell that Itachi was putting in a considerable degree of effort. More firebirds continued to take flight from his black blade, with Itachi evenly distributing them amongst the six rings with sweeping gestures from both his free hand and sword.

After a few minutes of this, Yoruichi saw Itachi raise his Zanpakutō above his head. The rings of firebirds suddenly shot upwards, merging together into a blazing cyclone and spiraling up towards the ceiling. Itachi held this pose for a moment before he lowered the sword until it was perpendicular with his chest and began to spin. The great burning tornado's rotation picked up speed as well, while at the same time expanding outwards as more crimson flaming crows took flight and joined it. Faster and faster Itachi spun, whirling about like one of the dervishes Yoruichi had seen performing the last time she'd visited the Shihōin Principality. It was a striking spectacle, a show for an audience of one, and she was utterly enthralled.

He doesn't need his Sharingan to entrance people, she thought, I bet his mother would like to see this. I should bring her over here sometime; I'm pretty sure I can trust her with the knowledge of this place.

Thinking about Itachi's mother reminded her of one of the lingering issues Yoruichi still needed to attend to before the upcoming festivities. Students from the Academy didn't traditionally attend, but Yoruichi was confident that she'd be able to slip her in without too much of a fuss this year. It definitely helped that Yamamoto had an interest in Itachi's growth, and Yoruichi was sure that she could leverage that to get a favor out of the venerable Head Captain. The old man might've been a stickler for ceremony and rule, but he did have a heart that could be tugged at just a bit if one knew how to do it. Yoruichi might not have been as close to Yamamoto as Captains like Kyōraku, Ukitake and Kuchiki, but the old man had always appreciated the work of Squad Two and complimented their effectiveness. Her division had won serious points in his book thanks to their performance during the mission to Menar Issilaya last year and how they'd handled the fallout, and Yoruichi figured that might be enough for him to grant her a small favor.

She was still pondering just how best to wrangle said favor from the Head Captain when Itachi brought his performance to a close. Gradually slowing his spinning, he lowered the blade and made a sweeping motion. The great cyclone of firebirds above him shattered as the crimson flaming crows scattered in all directions. They flew until they hit either the walls or the ceiling of the training ground, expending themselves against the stone surfaces until the entire flock was gone. Itachi then sealed his Zanpakutō and sheathed it before taking a moment to wipe the sweat that had been building upon his brow.

Yoruichi moved forward, clapping as she approached him. "Quite the show, Itachi! Ten out of ten!"

Itachi gave her a small nod of appreciation. "Thank you, although I wouldn't rate it quite as highly. My fine control without the Sharingan still leaves much to be desired."

Yoruichi shook her head. "You're your own worst critic, you know that? Your Captain's saying it was good! Take the compliment, will ya?"

She was pleased to see a tiny, almost apologetic smile grace his features. "I suppose you're right. My personal nitpicking aside, this was an improvement compared to previous attempts. I still have a long way to go, but as things stand now, I can at least passably control my Shikai's power without the Sharingan. Of course, I have no intention of settling merely for 'passable' control."

Yoruichi gave him a friendly pat on the back. "Wouldn't expect you to. I know you're going to keep at it, and I'll help anyway I can."

"I'm grateful for that," he replied, "Training with you this past year has been incredibly productive. I'd certainly like to keep it up."

Yoruichi grinned. "That makes two of us! That being said, we both have been going at it quite hard lately. Progress is nice, but if we burn ourselves out then we're not really doing anyone any favors."

"A fair point," Itachi conceded, "I find it hard to rest, though. In the final years of my first life, I had taken my abilities as far as my deteriorating body would let me. Being able to improve myself beyond the grave, to train with renewed vigor, pushing myself to regain my lost power and develop a new one alongside it… it's almost addicting, really."

Yoruichi shook her head. "I get where you're coming from, but there's nothing wrong with taking a bit of time to relax now and then. In fact, that's something I wanted to talk to you about. Squad Two as a whole is actually overdue for a bit of fun, and we've got a special opportunity coming up to indulge in it."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Really? What do you have in mind?"

Yoruichi wasn't going to give him a straight answer; where was the fun in that? "Now, now; that would be telling, and I'd rather watch you puzzle it out yourself! You're a smart man, Itachi. It shouldn't be all that difficult for you."

Itachi folded his arms. "I appreciate the flattery, but you've given me nothing meaningful to work with. Do I at least get a hint?"

Yoruichi mockingly rolled her eyes. "Oh, fine. Think about what time of year it is."

"Late spring or early summer, depending on who you ask," said Itachi, "That hardly narrows things down."

Yoruichi smirked. "Oh, really? Fine, I'll give you one more hint; the lunar cycle. Tell me, where are we at in that right now?"

She saw Itachi's eyes widen ever so slightly as the light of comprehension dawned within them. "A little less than two weeks before the first summer full moon… the Blade Dancer Festival."

Yoruichi grinned. "There, see? That wasn't so hard!"

Itachi nodded. "I remember Minerva bringing it up while she was training me. Once I graduated from the Academy, I became eligible to participate. You didn't bring this up last year, though. Why now?"

"We've had a busy year," Yoruichi answered, "Truth is, the schedule was so hectic that Squad Two was only able to have a couple of token Soul Reapers attend last year. Things are a bit different this time around, though. Sure, our overarching mission of finding the missing wraiths is still ongoing, but most of the scout teams have recently returned, and I want to give everyone a bit of a break before we get back out there. I've been working hard over the past few weeks to give most of the unit a chance to attend, or at least anyone who wants to. It's a pretty popular event, although obviously there are always those who don't find it to their tastes."

Itachi gave a small smile. "I had thought about it during my days at the Academy, but once I graduated and joined Squad Two, I got caught up in my activities within the division. The Blade Dancer Festival had honestly slipped my mind. I'd certainly like to attend this year, and if you're bringing it up now then would I be wrong in assuming that you'll be there as well?"

"You bet!" Yoruichi replied enthusiastically, "I've been looking forward to this the past few months. There's no way I'm missing out on the fun this year!"

"What's it like?" asked Itachi.

Yoruichi wagged her finger like a teacher chastising an errant student. "Hey, now, I'd be ruining it for you if I just went and spilled the beans like that! If you want to know what it's like, then you've only got one choice; go there yourself and soak up the experience. I will say this much, though; I've got a feeling that you'll really enjoy it!"

Itachi actually chuckled at that. "Quite the glowing recommendation. When you put it like that, how can I say no?"

Yoruichi winked. "You can't! Okay, not strictly true; I'm not going to force you to attend if you don't want to. That being said, I think it'd be a real shame if you missed out. Not just for yourself, either; I'm sure that there are plenty of Soul Reapers who would want you as a dance partner!"

Yourself first and foremost, Inazuma On'na chimed in, and don't even try to deny it.

Wouldn't dream of it. I know what I want!

His gaze met hers, and there was something about the way he was looking at her now that made her heartbeat tick up a notch. Was he considering what she hoped he was, or was she imagining things?

Several long seconds had passed before he finally spoke again. "Well, then, I suppose I ought to put in an appearance. If nothing else, I imagine it'll be a night to remember. Any special rules as far as attire's concerned?"

"Soul Reapers are expected to wear their normal uniforms," Yoruichi replied, "I recommend giving your Zanpakutō a good cleaning beforehand; it's considered poor taste to perform in the Blade Dancer Festival with a dirty blade."

Itachi nodded. "I'll remember that. Anything else?"

Yoruichi's brow furrowed as she mulled it over. "Since this will be your first time joining the festivities, I recommend watching at least one other pair perform before throwing yourself into the mix. These aren't your typical sparring matches, and if you treat them like just another training bout then you'll be defeating the whole purpose of the event. Kyōraku and Unohana usually kick things off, so pay close attention them; it'll give you a good idea as to what's expected of you. Of course, no one will be demanding that you rival the performance of two Captains, but it's a good point of reference. After that, things will open up, and you'll be free to ask a partner for a dance or accept an invitation yourself."

"You make it sound almost like something akin to a formal ball," Itachi commented.

Yoruichi laughed. "You know, that's not a bad way to put it! The Head Captain's normally not one for fancy shindigs, but he puts a lot of effort into planning this thing each year. Consider it his idea of a formal ball. Actually, it might've been precisely that to him. He was the one that first came up with the whole thing, after all. It turned out to be popular, and the rest is history."

"Interesting," said Itachi, "Where does it take place?"

"The central ceremony plaza in the Seireitei," Yoruichi answered, "It's got room for multiple matches to take place at once, and plenty of space beyond that for spectators and vendors. It always draws quite the crowd, and the food stalls that get set up there tend to be pretty damn good. A few years back, I actually managed to talk the Head Captain into letting Kūkaku demo some of her newest fireworks there. She lit them off right in the middle of a match, which made for quite the spectacle. The old man approved, and nowadays she's a regular attendee. They both get a win out of it; she provides Yamamoto with some spectacular pyrotechnic backdrops for the duels, and she gets to show off her wares to potential customers."

"Even more reason to attend, then," Itachi replied, "I seem to recall that she put on quite the show at the welcoming party you threw for us after graduation last year."

Yoruichi smiled. "You're right about that! She does love a captive audience, and while she does have to compete with the performing Soul Reapers for attention at the Blade Dancer Festival, she always finds a way. Would I be wrong in assuming that I've convinced you to join the party?"

"I'm in," her Thirteenth Seat answered, "so long as duty does not interfere, of course."

Yoruichi waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that. Like I said, I put in a lot of work to make sure that more members of Squad Two will be able to attend this year. I think we've earned a bit of recreation. If you want to go, you're going. Simple as that."

Itachi nodded. "Good to know. I'm looking forward to it."

Yoruichi grinned. "That makes two of us. No pressure or anything, but I'm expecting a good showing from you! I've seen how far your Zanjutsu's come over the past year; I know that you're capable of far more than what your current rank indicates. You'd better put your game face on, Itachi!"

Itachi gave her a small but confident smile in return. "Understood."

….

Two weeks later…

"Hurry up, you two!" Visaelya called over her shoulder, "We're going to be late!"

Shisui glanced at Itachi, giving him an amused smirk. "She's telling us to hurry? After she took Soul King knows how long to clean herself up? Women…"

Itachi chuckled. "That's one way to put it."

"I heard that!" Visaelya snapped, "It takes precious time for a refined woman to properly prepare for a big event like this! Even if our attire is still our Soul Reaper uniforms, there are other measures that must be taken. Not that you'd understand."

Shisui threw his hands up in mock-surrender. "All right, all right! Will the Lady Drakken forgive us? We Uchiha are but lowly Shinobi who can't comprehend the intricate etiquette and niceties women of the great Soul Society aristocracy must practice!"

Visaelya rolled her eyes. "You're lucky that you're my superior officer, Shisui. For that… and the fact that you've saved my life a few times, I'll let your sarcasm slide."

Shisui smiled. "Quite generous of you."

"Not that I'm fond of pulling rank, but I also qualify as your superior officer," Itachi pointed out, "So, that's actually two officers higher ranked than you that you're lecturing here."

Visaelya smirked. "Yes, but as you said, you don't typically pull rank. With regards to experience and skill in addition to your official position, I fully concede that you are absolutely deserving of the rank you have. However, you don't flaunt it, which is why I'm quite comfortable speaking to you in such a manner. The same goes for Shisui."

"I'm not sure how to feel about that," Shisui replied.

"That makes two of us," Itachi quipped.

"Take it however you will," Visaelya shot back, "You can mull it over while picking up the pace. This is my first time attending the Blade Dancer Festival as a proper Soul Reaper, and I do not intend to tarnish my debut with tardiness!"

Shisui gave Itachi another amused glance and shook his head. He didn't say anything, but Itachi knew his old friend well enough to get the sentiment perfectly.

There was no risk of the three of them being late. The Blade Dancer Festival didn't officially start until the sun had completely disappeared from the horizon, and while it was definitely quite low now there was still plenty of time for them to make it to the central ceremony plaza before the party kicked off. Yoruichi had left early to assist the Head Captain and the other event organizers in last minute setup, which was probably why Visaelya was in such a rush now; if the Captain was already there, then in her eyes that likely made it even more important for her subordinates to show up promptly. Itachi didn't think Yoruichi would mind if they were a couple minutes or so behind, but he had been looking forward to this for a while now and definitely wanted to make sure he experienced it from beginning to end.

Experience it with a certain dance partner, you mean, Jigoku no Joō chimed in, and don't even try to pretend otherwise.

I suppose that would be an exercise futility, wouldn't it?

You're damn right it would.

In the two weeks since Yoruichi had spoken to him about the Blade Dancer Festival, Itachi had taken it upon himself to refresh his knowledge base regarding the event. The brief summary Minerva had given him during their training sessions years ago had given him a good place to start, but the material he'd poured over since then had gone a long way towards fleshing things out. From what he'd read, tonight certainly promised to be one to remember.

Yoruichi had told him that the concept of what would become the Blade Dancer Festival had originated with the Head Captain, but Itachi's research on the subject had revealed that Yamamoto was more than just the source for what had become a treasured tradition of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. He was master of ceremony for the event, overseeing the broader festival and evaluating performances with the help of a few other handpicked judges. His Lieutenant was almost always among their number, while the rest were typically other Captains or Lieutenants depending on who was available and in the mood to volunteer. It was easy for Itachi to see the practical reasoning behind the event as well as the ceremonial: the Head Captain likely saw it as an ideal venue to observe the progress of the Soul Reapers he had ultimate command over, and given his millennia of experience in the art of Zanjutsu one would be very hard pressed to find a more qualified judge of talent in that field.

No doubt it also serves as a venue for him to scout potential transferees to his own division, Itachi mused, I doubt that was the Head Captain's original intention in creating this festival, but I'm sure he's aware of that benefit all the same.

Must you overthink everything? This is a night for celebration and merriment! Don't spoil it with something as dull as organizational analysis!

You actually sound excited about this. You know that I won't be able to show off your Shikai to the crowd, right? That's one of the rules for the Blade Dancer Festival; we fight with sealed blades only.

I'm well aware of that. Do not forget that your Zanjutsu is more than simply a product of the Academy, training with other members of Squad Two, or your own considerable talents. You and I have spent countless hours sparring within your inner world; your swordsmanship owes as much to those many bouts as it does to your other efforts. The performance you put on tonight will showcase the fruits of those matches, and there will be plenty of high-ranking Soul Reapers on hand to witness it. They will see me in your hands, perhaps not revealed in my full splendor, but gleaming in the moonlight as we dance. Thank you for the thorough cleaning earlier, by the way. I quite enjoyed that.

You're welcome. It's the little things in life, right?

Sounds like something Jiraiya would say. Speaking of that oaf, I wonder if he'll be in attendance? I'd normally write this off as an event that's too refined for someone like him to appreciate, but given that there will undoubtedly be plenty of attractive women in attendance it may draw him in like a moth to the flame.

I haven't spoken to him in the past few weeks, so I don't know what his plans are for tonight. There's only one way to find out if he'll be at the festival or not.

Quite so.

Personally, Itachi considered the likelihood of Jiraiya attending the Blade Dancer Festival to be quite high. As Jigoku no Joō had pointed out, the presence of several female Soul Reapers, with most if not all being exceptionally talented in the art of the sword, would be almost irresistible bait. Itachi idly wondered who the Legendary Sannin would ask for a dance first, and for a reason he couldn't quite place it was none other than Captain Unohana's face that flashed before his mind's eye. The thought of Jiraiya crossing blades with Squad Four's angelic yet quietly terrifying Captain was an amusing one, and Itachi found himself hoping that he'd get the chance to watch such a match tonight.

He saw Visaelya pick up the pace, and it was easy to see why. The central ceremony plaza was just up ahead, and her excitement was clearly getting the better of her. Itachi and Shisui matched her in stride, and the three of them rounded the last corner before their destination a moment later.

Although overshadowed by the looming Sōkyoku Hill, the Senzaikyū, and the large administrative complex that was the Squad One barracks, the central ceremony plaza was still quite impressive. A broad open expanse covered in smooth white tiles, it was spacious enough to easily accommodate several thousand people. A raised observation platform had been constructed in the middle, and Itachi saw none other than Head Captain Yamamoto surveying the area from atop it. Lieutenant Sasakibe was with him, and Itachi saw that the two men were directing several Soul Reapers in the process of finishing the setup for the festivities. The platform appeared to have space for perhaps a dozen or so people on it, and Itachi surmised that this was where Yamamoto and his other handpicked judges would oversee the bouts from. For the moment it was just the Head Captain and his Lieutenant up there, and Itachi guessed that the other judges would make themselves known soon enough.

A series of torches were arrayed, and while some were simply set up for lighting it didn't take long for Itachi to realize that many of them were set up in a manner that created six broad rectangles surrounding the observation platform. These were what Itachi assumed to be the spaces where the duels would take place, a guess that was reinforced by the fact that each space had a numbered sign attached to a post, going clockwise in order from numbers one to six. There were no raised stands for audiences or anything of the sort; observers would have to settle for either standing or sitting on the ground. Each rectangle had a fair amount of space between it and the others, allowing for spectators to roam about with ease until they found a match that sufficiently captured their attention. Rows of vendor stalls formed a perimeter of sorts around the ceremony plaza, and Itachi could smell all manner of mouth-watering delicacies. No one would be leaving the Blade Dancer Festival hungry, that was for damn sure.

Forming a broad ring around the observation platform were several tubes, and Itachi spotted a familiar figure looking them over; Kūkaku Shiba. Boxes of shells were scattered about, with more than enough fireworks to keep the party going well into the night, perhaps even clean through to dawn. From what Yoruichi had told him about Kūkaku's love of showing off her ever-growing variety of explosive delights, Itachi wouldn't have been surprised if the Shiba Clan's rambunctious daughter intended to keep the entire Seireitei awake until sunrise.

Past the fireworks tubes and much closer to the platform was a ring of rectangular tables. Several Soul Reapers were manning them, and while it was hard to tell precisely what they were up to from this distance, Itachi could see several sheets of paper and rolls of parchment spread about. Whatever their purpose was, he suspected that he would find out soon enough.

Visaelya sighed with relief. "Made it with time to spare…"

Shisui shook his head. "You worry too much. We were never going to be late."

Itachi nodded. "There's a fair crowd already, but more people are still coming in from the other entrances. Looks like it'll be pretty packed tonight."

"That should go without saying," Visaelya replied, "The Blade Dancer Festival is a chance to witness the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Even those with no talent for the art can appreciate the dazzling displays of skill that are put on each year. From unseated Soul Reapers all the way to Captains, one can witness the whole spectrum of Zanjutsu in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. It's one of the most popular annual events in the Seireitei for a good reason, you know."

"She's not wrong," said Shisui, "I've been to it a few times myself, and it's always quite the show."

Itachi raised an eyebrow as he glanced at his friend. "You never mentioned it before."

Shisui shrugged. "You never asked. Besides, we've all had more important things on our mind over the past year or so."

Visaelya sighed. "That's an unfortunate truth. Knowing what could be lurking out there in The Wild, what we found last year in Menar Issilaya… it puts into perspective how fragile all this really is, you know?"

Itachi nodded. "You're not wrong there."

Moving between the two of them, Shisui put his arms over their shoulders, his head turning from left to right as he grinned at both of them. "We can worry about all that tomorrow. Tonight's a party, remember? Let's act like it!"

Itachi could not help but chuckle. "You were many things when we were alive, but I don't recall you being a party animal."

Shisui laughed. "Well, let's just say that death taught me to appreciate the lighter side of things! So, let's forget about our duty and worries tonight and just focus on enjoying ourselves. What do you say?"

Visaelya smiled. "That might just be the best advice you've ever given me. I'm in."

Itachi allowed himself a small smile as well. "As am I. It looks like we've still got a bit of time before things kick off in earnest, so let's mingle with the crowd and see who we run into."

"Good a plan as any," chirped Shisui as the three of them started moving forward again, "Let's get to it!"

….

Breathing in the heady aroma of at least a dozen different kinds of meats, Jiraiya could barely figure out where to start. While the Blade Dancer Festival itself had yet to get underway, the various food vendors that had set up shop were open for business, and Jiraiya wanted to get a quick meal in before the main event got started. After an agonizing few minutes spent going back and forth between a few stalls, he finally settled on a chicken and rice dish that he just could not resist any longer. Finding a bench nearby, he wasted no time in chowing down.

Now that's what I'm talking about, he thought with a grin as he savored the taste, Been too long since I've had some good festival food!

The past year had been a busy one, although Jiraiya didn't consider that to be a bad thing. Between excursions to the various Realms of the Living to hunt down Hollows, training exercises with his comrades, the secret healing lessons he was continuing to get from Unohana, along with working on his writing during the off hours, the Legendary Sannin could take pride in what had been a very productive year. He'd even managed to get himself bumped up to Sixteenth Seat in the process, and he knew that the only reason his rank wasn't higher than that was because he had yet to unlock his Shikai.

That wasn't for lack of trying, of course. Jiraiya had been diligent about visiting his inner world and continuing to train with the spirit of his Zanpakutō, but the armored toad was a stubborn bastard and not exactly forthcoming with his secrets. Still, that didn't mean that their sparring matches were unproductive. Quite the contrary; they'd proven to be an ideal proving ground for his ongoing efforts to recreate various Shinobi techniques using spirit energy in the place of chakra. His Rasengan was getting closer and closer to its former glory, and that was hardly the only ninjutsu that he had made considerable progress with. As he had once been able to do in life, Jiraiya was again now able to manipulate his great mane of white hair, both to bind targets and potentially wound them with thousands of cuts from needle-sharp points and to surround himself in a protective barrier. Through reinforcing his hair with spirit energy, the shield he could create was capable of tanking the heavy blows that the spirit of his Zanpakutō threw at him in their sparring bouts, although Jiraiya had yet to test this defense against other forms of attack.

Unfortunately, that was the easy stuff. What Jiraiya really wanted to get back in his arsenal were two things; Summoning Jutsu and Sage Jutsu. The former was where Jiraiya was currently focusing his efforts, because a contract made with a creature for summoning could extend beyond death. This had been confirmed when Itachi had described to Jiraiya his encounter with Nagato when he'd been revived, and that had included the resurrected Nagato utilizing summons during his clash against Naruto, Killer B, and Itachi himself once he'd broken free of Kabuto's control. In theory, Jiraiya should've been able to access the contracts he'd made while he was alive. In practice, it was taking some work. He'd recreated his old scrolls from memory and had completed the blood signature, but that was where the easy part ended. As with when he had first attempted to recreate the Rasengan, the tricky bit was properly manipulating spirit energy as opposed to chakra in order to power the technique. This issue was compounded by the fact that instead of trying to summon a living creature to the part of the Realm of the Living where he had been, Jiraiya was now trying to summon them into the afterlife.

Fine control and raw power seem to be the big issues, he mused as he munched on some chicken, I can continue to work on refining the former, but the latter's actually a bit trickier. My strength has increased considerably compared to where I was a year ago, but if I don't unlock my Shikai soon then my power might plateau. Damn that irritable toad; his stubbornness is becoming a real obstacle here.

I heard that.

Good. What are you going to do about it?

You'll find out in our next training session.

Figured as much.

Jiraiya chuckled as he wrapped up his meal. Obstinate though the spirit of his Zanpakutō could be, Jiraiya had grown fond of the grouchy armored toad. While the amphibian's outward appearance suggested nothing but a stern and powerful warrior, the creature was far from a simple brute. He was cunning and patient, which made him a formidable sparring partner to say the least. The creature could also be surprisingly philosophical when the mood struck, and Jiraiya had spent many long hours debating with him matters such as the state of the Soul Society and the various Realms of the Living, the nature of the conflicts that had plagued the Shinobi World, and even the very balance of souls itself. If nothing else, it certainly helped keep Jiraiya occupied mentally while he was licking his wounds from their latest training bouts.

"I had a feeling you'd be attending," said a familiar male voice from behind him, "You're looking well, Jiraiya."

Looking over his shoulder, he saw none other than Itachi. "Well, well… you actually decided to put in an appearance, eh? Been a long time, Itachi!"

Itachi nodded. "Indeed, it has."

Jiraiya stood and held up the empty meal bowl. "Mind if I go return this? It'll just be a second."

"I'm in no hurry," Itachi replied.

Heading back to the stall and passing the bowl to one of the attendants so it could be cleaned, Jiraiya rejoined his friend a moment later. He saw that Itachi's eyes were on another nearby vendor, and following the former Akatsuki member's gaze he saw none other than Shisui and Visaelya digging into bowls of ramen. Jiraiya couldn't help but smile as he thought of his last apprentice.

Naruto would say that there's no substitute for Ichiraku Ramen, he mused, but I bet he'd devour those noodles in a heartbeat all the same!

"Brought the rest of the gang, eh?" Jiraiya noted with a smirk, "Glad to see Little Miss Vissy's still in one pretty piece!"

Visaelya looked up from her bowl and shot Jiraiya a scowl. "I heard that, Pervert Author!"

Shisui looked up as well, but rather than talk he simply gave Jiraiya a 'what can you do' shrug. Jiraiya settled for giving him a friendly nod and let him get back to his meal.

Itachi shook his head in amusement. "You still know how to get under her skin, I see."

Jiraiya laughed. "What can I say? I've got my talents!"

"You certainly do," Itachi dryly agreed.

Jiraiya gave Itachi a hearty pat on the back. "Those two aren't going to mind if we roam around for a bit, right? Been a while since you and I last had the chance to catch up."

Itachi shrugged. "I'm sure they'll find a way to amuse themselves in my absence."

Jiraiya grinned before nodding at the observation platform. "Good. In that case, why don't we head on over towards the middle? Be a good chance to see if we can spot any of the other judges for tonight's bouts."

Itachi nodded. "Yes, I've been rather curious about that myself. Let's go."

Jiraiya's grin became more than a little mischievous as the two of them started walking. "By the way, did you get a look at the lady in charge of setting up the fireworks? Man, what a knockout! Any idea who she is?"

"That'd be Kūkaku Shiba," Itachi replied, "She's a friend of Yoruichi."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "You've met her before?"

"Yoruichi invited her to the welcoming party for Squad Two after we graduated last year," Itachi answered, "She put on quite the fireworks show, although I imagine that'll pale in comparison to what we'll see tonight."

Jiraiya's brow furrowed as he realized something. "Hey, wait a second… you said her family name's Shiba, right? Any chance she's one of those Shibas?"

"If you're asking whether or not she's from the Shiba Great Noble House, the answer is yes," said Itachi, "According to Yoruichi, she used to be a member of the Kidō Corps, but apparently one too many experiments mixing pyrotechnics with spell casting got her kicked out. She set up shop somewhere out in the Rukon District and has been plying her trade ever since."

Jiraiya chuckled. "I bet her family wasn't happy about that."

Itachi shook his head. "I'm sure they weren't, but she doesn't strike as the type to really care about that sort of thing. She's found her calling, which is more than many can say about themselves. If she's happy with what she's doing, who are we to judge?"

Jiraiya smiled. "That's a pretty relaxed attitude for you. Gotta say, you've really mellowed out over the past year. I could get used to this side of you!"

He was pleasantly surprised to see his friend give a small smile as well. "This past year's been busy, but at the same time quite rewarding. This is going to sound strange, but… I actually feel more alive now than I did back when I was actually alive."

"I bet finding your mother helped out a lot in that regard," Jiraiya noted, "How's she doing, by the way? Haven't been by the Academy in a while, so I haven't had the chance to talk to her."

"She's doing quite well," Itachi replied, and Jiraiya didn't fail to notice the hint of pride creeping into his voice, "Close to the top of the advanced track in Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō, and Zanjutsu. She's really hit her stride. I always wondered what she was like as a Shinobi before she settled down with my father. Now I have a hint of that, at least if her current abilities are anything to go by."

"That's good to hear," said Jiraiya, "How about her Zanpakutō? Anything happening there?"

Itachi shook his head. "Still in its basic Asauchi form. No hints of awakening yet. It's quite early though. Remember, I only awakened mine as early as I did thanks to the soul fracture. I'd rather avoid my mother having to go through something similar. It's better if the spirit of her sword awakens naturally like yours did. She practices the meditation exercises daily, so at the rate she's going I'm sure she'll have that encounter soon enough."

Jiraiya concurred. "Fair enough. Well, sounds like she's having a good time either way. That's all that really matters. I imagine she'll be a hot commodity at the recruitment exhibition once her final year at the Academy comes around. Don't be surprised if my Captain tries to snatch her up!"

"If even half of what I've heard about Captain Kyōraku is true, I won't be," said Itachi, "However, he'll have to really turn on the charm if he wants to sway her. Even then, I don't think his chances of succeeding are all that great."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Spoken like a man who has inside knowledge on a juicy bet. Let me guess; she's gunning for Squad Two?"

"Yes," Itachi answered, "She's made her intentions quite clear to me on that front. I'm afraid that your Captain has his work cut out for him if he wants to bring her into Squad Eight."

Jiraiya shrugged. "Well, you can't fault the man for trying. We'll see how it plays out in good time."

"Speaking of your Captain," said Itachi, "Yoruichi mentioned that he and Captain Unohana usually open things up with the first duel of the night. You know anything about that?"

Jiraiya's brow furrowed. "I heard about that, but if it's true, this will be my first time seeing it. To be honest, I actually missed out on the Blade Dancer Festival last year."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Really? What happened? You're not the type to pass up an event like this."

Jiraiya sighed. "Wasn't by choice. I was in one of the Realms of the Living with a few others from Squad Eight chasing down a rather slippery Hollow. Honestly, they should've let your unit hunt that one; would've been right up Squad Two's alley. Most of you guys were on other assignments, though, so we got the job. The Hollow itself wasn't actually all that powerful, but it was fast and smart. Took a few days to corner and finally finish off. By the time my team was done, we'd already missed the big party."

"Any casualties?" asked Itachi.

Jiraiya smiled and shook his head. "No, we lucked out there. A few minor injuries, but nothing life-threatening. Honestly, the real danger was letting frustration get the better of us; that damn Hollow was ridiculously hard to pin down! It was tough to keep a cool head, and I'm pretty sure a few of my comrades were close to losing their minds from sheer annoyance. Still, it all panned out pretty well in the end."

Itachi nodded. "That's always a good thing. Speaking of hunting, any luck on your end with our special project?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "No, nothing. I know North 62 was where I found that token, but sweeping it's been a total bust. I swear I've turned that place upside down at least twice now. How about you? You and Shisui were digging around North 63 last I checked. Got anything?"

"I'm afraid not," Itachi conceded, "It's only been a year, though, and even individual sections of the Rukon District are quite large. Our search grid might be narrowed down considerably from where it started, but we still have a great deal of ground to cover. Patience and persistence are what's needed right now."

"I know," said Jiraiya, "I was just hoping we'd have run into someone by now. Your mom's nice and all, but she wasn't high on the list of people I want to find. No offense."

"None taken," Itachi replied, "Truth be told, I still have mixed feelings about all of this. If you or Shisui are the ones that make contact with someone from the Hidden Leaf Village, things should go relatively smoothly. If it's me, though… well, I'm sure you remember how our initial encounter in the Soul Society went."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Considering that encounter ended with us meeting two very lovely Captains, I'd say things went pretty well!"

"I'm not joking, Jiraiya," Itachi shot back, "We were about to fight before that first Hollow showed up. You know that just as well as I do. We were saved by luck more than anything else. Next time, fortune probably won't be on my side."

Jiraiya couldn't help but give Itachi a sympathetic look; if anyone was in a position to talk about bad luck, this particularly infamous Uchiha was certainly it. "Look, I'm not trying to make light of things here. You're right; if you run into anyone from the village outside of the Third Hokage or one of the other few people who know what really went down, they're almost certainly going to be hostile. Hell, even if it's Danzō you find, he'll probably look for an opening to attack. He was one of the key players in orchestrating that whole fiasco with your clan, after all, and he was never shy about his loathing for the Uchiha."

"You needn't remind me," Itachi quipped grimly, "I'm hoping he's in Hell so we won't have to deal with such an unpleasant encounter, but since I made it here… well, we can't rule anything out."

Jiraiya nodded. "True enough. I suppose we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it."

He then gave the dour Uchiha a pat on the shoulder. "In the meantime, let's not allow the memory of that old bastard to get in the way of us having a good time tonight! What do you say?"

Jiraiya was relieved to see Itachi nod, his expression becoming a bit lighter. "Yes, I think you're right. I've been looking forward to this for far too long to let the specter of Danzō ruin it."

Jiraiya grinned. "That's the kind of attitude I like to see! I'll turn you into a party animal yet."

Itachi actually chuckled at that. "You'll have your work cut out for you there, but don't let me stop you."

"Oh, I won't," Jiraiya vowed, "As my last apprentice liked to say, believe it!"

Surprisingly enough, the mention of Naruto actually brought a small smile to Itachi's face. "Your last apprentice… I wonder what he'll make of all this when his time finally comes. Son of the Fourth Hokage, host of the Nine Tailed Fox, and powerful enough to defeat Nagato… I'm not sure if the Soul Society's ready for what's coming its way."

Jiraiya laughed. "You're probably right! Still, let's hope that day is still a long way off. It's only been seven years, after all. I'd like to think that Naruto's enjoying some of the finer things in life right about now. Soul King knows he's earned it."

"He embodies the Will of Fire more than any other Shinobi I ever saw," Itachi replied confidently, "Whatever comes his way from here on out, I'm sure he'll be fine. The next generation has already surpassed us; it's their world now. You and I left at the right time."

Jiraiya shook his head. "Not sure if I'd agree with that last point. There were still some more bathhouses I had on my bucket list to hit up! Maybe I can still visit them, though. I mean, eventually I should be able to slip away to the Shinobi World for a little vacation, right? And people in the Realms of the Living usually can't see us!"

Itachi rolled his eyes. "And you wonder why Visaelya insists on referring to you as Pervert Author…"

Jiraiya smirked. "Yeah, I guess you got me there. Speaking of that, I've almost got my next manuscript wrapped up. Wouldn't mind giving you early access in exchange for input. What do you say?"

Itachi nodded. "Let me know when it's ready. I'm sure it'll be as interesting as the others I've reviewed for you."

Jiraiya gave him a knowing grin. "Interesting, eh? Should I tell Visaelya you said that?"

Itachi shrugged. "Feel free. I'm sure the appalled look on her face will be an amusing sight."

Jiraiya chuckled. "I don't doubt that a bit!"

The two had been proceeding at a rather leisurely pace, but Jiraiya was mildly surprised at the progress they'd made. They were actually getting quite close to the central observation platform now, not to mention the ring of fireworks launchers and tables that surrounded it. In fact, Jiraiya saw that the woman in charge of setting up the pyrotechnic goodies for the night's festivities had just been joined by a familiar face; Yoruichi.

Jiraiya nudged Itachi with his elbow. "Hey, what do you say we go chat with your Captain a bit? Do a guy a favor and introduce me to her pyromaniac friend?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "I know you're willing to take risks when it comes to women, but are you sure about this one? Messing with Kūkaku strikes me as almost as a bad an idea as getting on Captain Unohana's nerves."

Jiraiya smiled. "Where's the fun without the risk? You only live once, right?"

"The existence of the Soul Society and our presence within it would indicate otherwise," Itachi deadpanned.

"Come on, you know what I mean," Jiraiya replied, "Let's go say hello!"

The two of them strolled forward, and as they approached Jiraiya saw that Kūkaku and Yoruichi were engaged in a rather lively chat. Most of the fireworks appeared to be good to go, so the rambunctious daughter of the Shiba Clan was apparently taking a quick break before the festivities kicked off in earnest.

"…and that's when the damn thing went off," he heard Kūkaku say as he and Itachi drew near, "Nearly set Kaien's hair on fire. I gave him a good whack on the head for messing with my baby. I'm pretty sure he learned his lesson!"

Yoruichi laughed. "I'll say! I'm surprised you let him poke around your workshop in the first place, though. Come on, we both know Kaien; something was going to go wrong sooner or later. Seriously, Kūkaku, what were you thinking?"

Kūkaku sighed, a small smile appearing on her face. "I couldn't help it. He's always loved my fireworks, and he was happy when I went into the business fulltime. He said he could tell that I'd found my calling. Since then, whenever he's come by to visit, I've always let him nose around, give him a teaser or two for whatever new product I'm working on. That being said, I've had to keep a closer eye on him whenever he drops in. Can't let him blow up the shop, after all!"

Yoruichi gave an amused shake of her head. "Ah, Kaien… it's strange to think that he'll actually be taking the Academy entrance exams this year. I hear your family pulled out all the stops for his final year of private training. Sounds like Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko really earned their keep!"

Kūkaku grinned. "Oh, yeah, they put him through the wringer! It's all going to pay off soon. Don't be surprised if he graduates early. I bet his test scores will blow those of your new protégé right out of the water!"

Yoruichi folded her arms and smirked as she caught sight of Itachi and Jiraiya. "He'll have some work to do if he wants to pull that off. Speaking of my new protégé, look who's come to join the party!"

Jiraiya was surprised to actually see Itachi give her a small smile in return. "Wouldn't dream of missing it, especially since you went to all the trouble to make sure I'd have tonight off. Been a long time, Miss Shiba. All set for tonight's festivities?"

Kūkaku laughed. "Miss Shiba? I thought Yoruichi taught you better than that! I know I'm scary, but come on! It's just Kūkaku for you, you got that? You're a friend of Yoruichi's, which means that you're a friend of mine. No need for any of that formal crap."

Itachi simply nodded. "I appreciate that. I'll try to remember it."

She then turned to Jiraiya, smirking as her gaze met his. "As for you… I was wondering if I'd ever end up running into you. Hottest selling author in the Seireitei… you've got quite the reputation, Jiraiya!"

Jiraiya smiled as he held out his hand. "I hope that won't be working against me here."

Kūkaku's eyes lit up as she shook his hand with a very powerful grip. "Not at all. My older brother's a fan, and so am I! You gotta tell me; when's the next one coming out? It has to be soon, right?"

Jiraiya smirked. "I'll tell you what; let me buy you a drink, and I'll go into detail on my current writing schedule! What do you say?"

Kūkaku laughed again. "Gutsy one, I'll give you that! Afraid I can't take you up on that offer tonight; I got a show to put on. Another time?"

"Of course!" Jiraiya replied, "Consider that invitation always open!"

"Glad to hear it," said Kūkaku before turning back to Yoruichi, "Hey, it was nice catching up with you, but I have to do one final check on my babies before the party starts. Let's pick this up again later, okay?"

Yoruichi smiled. "Works for me. I'll let you get back to it. Good seeing you again, Kūkaku!"

She then turned to Jiraiya and Itachi. "Why don't we give her some space to do her job? Come with me, and I'll show you who the judges are for tonight's performances; it's not just the Head Captain and his Lieutenant that are running things here, after all. Sound like a deal?"

"Works for me," said Jiraiya.

"I've been meaning to ask about that," Itachi added as the two of them followed her, "The judging, I mean. What exactly are the observers looking for?"

"A few things," Yoruichi replied, "First, they want to make sure the spirit of the laws surrounding the Blade Dancer Festival are adhered to. That means no Kidō, no obvious Hakuda, and none of Hohō's signature techniques like Shunpo. The fights are meant to be purely displays of Zanjutsu, and that's actually trickier to abide by than you might think. You'll see openings where a Flash Step would be ideal, or where a Hakuda move could end the fight right then and there. You're going to have to resist those instincts, otherwise you'll spoil the dance."

Jiraiya scratched his chin as he mulled it over. "Interesting… this is going to be tougher than I first thought."

"What other criteria are they judging on?" Itachi pressed, "What do they give high marks for? I was initially under the impression that the end goal for each combatant was to either disarm their opponent, force them to yield, or land a Mark of Contact. However, the sources I read seemed to imply that there was more to it."

Yoruichi shook her head. "It's not just about winning a match or getting high marks for yourself from the judges. Sure, everyone wants to best their partner, but there's a bit more to it than that. If you want to truly excel in the Blade Dancer Festival, then you'll have to look beyond the 'win-lose' mentality that governs typical fights. Simply trying to defeat your partner isn't really the point here. This is a performance, not a tournament. The idea is to understand their style and complement it with your own. You have to speak through your technique, as it were, and listen as your partner speaks with theirs. To look at it purely in terms of competition is a grave error. You're doing more than clashing in a contest of Zanjutsu; you're collaborating in what's meant to be a spectacle. Think of it as a cooperative art project, except that the 'piece' is fleeting. It's art to be experienced only in the moment, never to be seen again once it's over."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow as an odd thought occurred, and he glanced at Itachi. "Didn't one of your old Akatsuki acquaintances have an obsession with art? The crazy bomber? What was that whack job's name again?"

"Deidara," Itachi answered, "I believe his philosophy was that true art was spontaneous and dynamic, to only be experienced as it happens rather than a static piece like a painting or sculpture. He probably would appreciate the ideals of the Blade Dancer Festival, although I suspect he'd be disappointed by its lack of pointless destruction. I imagine he'd enjoy Kūkaku's fireworks, though."

"Sounds like quite a character," said Yoruichi, "You'll have to tell me about him sometime. Anyway, going back to the judges, what they're really looking for is whether or not you and your partner are truly working to put on a spectacle with your swordsmanship. They'll announce a match winner, but beyond that they're not going to award points in a traditional sense. Rather, they'll comment on your performance once the dance is done. Consider it art critique, as well as a chance to get some tips on how to improve your Zanjutsu. At the end of the day, your real goal is to express yourself purely in the art of Zanjutsu with your partner, and together put on a spectacle that'll leave the crowd begging for more."

Jiraiya grinned. "So, that showman's flourish is just as important as winning the match, eh? This is going to be fun!"

"Showmanship definitely helps," Yoruichi agreed, "Just make sure that your partner is on the same page as you. Do that and you'll be just fine."

Jiraiya saw Itachi look around, appearing to be slightly puzzled. "By the way, where's Soi-Fon at? She is attending, right?"

Yoruichi nodded. "I sent her off to get the two of us some snacks. She'll be back in a bit."

She then stopped and turned around, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked past the two of them. "This should be a good spot. Take a look up at the platform; two of the other judges just joined the Head Captain and Sasakibe."

Jiraiya and Itachi did so, and the Legendary Sannin saw Yamamoto and his second-in-command were chatting with the Captain and Lieutenant of Squad Three. He'd seen both of them in passing over the years, but apart from pleasantries and some questions at the recruitment exhibition prior to graduation Jiraiya hadn't really had much of a chance to interact with either of them. That was a real shame, because they both struck him as quite interesting individuals.

Slightly taller than average, with a lean frame, light brown skin and black hair that actually fell almost to his shoulders, Captain Zameel el-Emani was pretty easy to pick out from a crowd. He cut a rather handsome figure, with a close-trimmed beard and warm brown eyes that always seemed to look out upon the world with fascination and optimism. His attire didn't particularly stand out when compared to other Captains; he wore the standard black robes and white haori, with the only bit of customization being some silver embroidered trim along the edges of said haori. His Zanpakutō in its sealed state wasn't anything out of the ordinary either, appearing as a standard-length katana with dark purple handle wrapping and a silver circular guard.

Jiraiya didn't find it all that surprising that Captain el-Emani had volunteered to be one of the judges. From what he'd heard about the man, Squad Three's leader was a patron of the performing arts, and when he wasn't on duty, he could oftentimes be found attending Kabuki theatre productions in the Seireitei, along with operas and symphonies. Jiraiya had even heard that the Captain had tried to convince members of his unit to put on a performance of their own, but apparently the amount of theatrically inclined Soul Reapers in Squad Three was unfortunately on the small side.

That being said, one of the few other members of Squad Three that did share the Captain's fondness for the performing arts was the Lieutenant. Standing behind his commander as el-Emani chatted with the Head Captain, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi made for a stark visual contrast to his superior officer. While the Captain's physical appearance was dominated by darker features, his Lieutenant's long blond hair and light skin were almost blindingly bright by comparison. His purple eyes had a rather disinterested look in them; whatever the Head Captain and el-Emani were talking about must not have held much appeal to the Lieutenant. Jiraiya had heard that the Lieutenant preferred to go by 'Rose' rather than his given name, and he couldn't say that he was too surprised by that; his outward appearance definitely had a rather foppish air to it, and the frilled-collared shirt beneath his robes only leant further emphasis to that quality. The only restraint in his hair was a black tie quite a way down, and Jiraiya had to wonder just how wild that mane could get without it. Overall, the Lieutenant seemed quite laid back, and Jiraiya suspected he'd make for an interesting drinking companion. It didn't hurt that Rose was known to be a music afficionado and even a performer, though Jiraiya didn't know what his instrument of choice was.

With the Head Captain, Sasakibe, Squad Three's Captain and Lieutenant all up on the platform, that left just two more judges to account for. Jiraiya wasn't seeing anyone else apart from those four, though. He hoped the last two weren't running late; there was just the barest hint of the sun left on the horizon now, and the moon was already climbing into the sky. The Blade Dancer Festival was going to kick off soon, and Jiraiya suspected that the Head Captain would be less than pleased should any of his handpicked judges spoil the start of the party by being tardy.

Itachi had clearly picked up on that as well. "Whoever the last two judges are, they'd better pick up the pace."

Jiraiya saw Yoruichi scanning the crowd. "They should be… ah, there they are! Look just southeast of the platform; they're making their way over now."

Jiraiya followed her gaze, and sure enough, two more Captains were approaching the platform. He recognized both of them; Love Aikawa of Squad Seven, and Jūshiro Ukitake of Squad Thirteen.

Good to see Captain Ukitake up and about, he thought with a smile, I suppose that means his illness is at bay for the time being. He deserves a chance to get out and party for a bit!

"Right on time," said Yoruichi with a grin, "The fun should be starting pretty quickly!"

"Lady Yoruichi," called a familiar female voice from behind the three of them.

Turning around, Jiraiya saw Soi-Fon approaching. He had to stifle a laugh as he watched her attempt to balance what looked like a mountain of treats. Glancing to the side, he saw that even Itachi looked mildly amused at her situation, at least if the tiny smirk that had appeared on his face was any indication.

Yoruichi giggled as Soi-Fon gingerly stepped forward. "Soi-Fon… I know I said I was hungry, but you might've gone a bit overboard here!"

"Y-you said to surprise you!" Soi-Fon stammered as she frantically shifted her grip to keep from spilling everything, "Y-you didn't give me much to go on, a-and I wanted to cover all my bases!"

Yoruichi sighed even as she gave her bodyguard a warm smile. "Well, you clearly went through a lot of trouble for this, so I guess I'd better indulge."

She peered at the pile for a moment before grabbing some sweet rice balls. Looking over her shoulder, she motioned for Jiraiya and Itachi to join her.

"Take your pick, you two," she ordered, "Plenty to go around!"

"Lady Yoruichi, this is all for the two of us!" Soi-Fon protested.

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. "Soi-Fon, I know that I've got a healthy appetite, but this is pushing it. Come on; share the goods. Captain's orders."

"Fine," her bodyguard pouted, shooting Jiraiya a glare before nodding at him at Itachi.

Jiraiya gave her a friendly smile. "Don't worry, I won't take too much."

Scanning the trove of goodies, he eventually settled on a single skewer with five dango on it. Glancing at Itachi, Jiraiya saw his fellow former Shinobi grab a handful of rice balls. The four of them found a pair of nearby benches and quickly settled in to devour their goodies.

"This is quite good," said Itachi, nodding at Soi-Fon, "Thank you."

Soi-Fon sighed. "You're welcome. Just don't get used to it; if you want anything else to eat tonight, go fetch it yourself."

Itachi nodded. "Duly noted."

Jiraiya grinned as he chowed down. "Man, this stuff is great! Haven't had dango this good since back in the Leaf Village!"

"The Blade Dancer Festival never fails to draw out talented cooks," Yoruichi commented between bites, "Any vendor that can gain access stands to make a big profit. Competition to get in's always fierce, and only the ones that can offer the tastiest treats make the grade."

"Just as a Soul Reaper can establish their reputation as a Zanjutsu master here, a food vendor can make a name for themselves at this event," Soi-Fon added, "The Soul Society's upper crust always has representatives here, and impressing the right noble can elevate a cook from mere street stall to working for a prestigious family."

"And many of them go so far as to craft special dishes just for the event," came a third female voice from behind them, "Any self-respecting fine dining connoisseur wouldn't dream of missing out!"

Looking over his shoulder, Jiraiya saw a woman with dark blue hair and thin-rimmed glasses approaching. It took him a moment to realize who she was, not the least because she was wearing a lovely blue kimono with a silver flower pattern instead of the black and white robes that he'd seen her in before; Minerva Rawlins, private tutor of the Shihōin Clan.

Yoruichi beamed as she approached. "Minerva, you made it! I was starting to get worried!"

Minerva smiled as she joined the group. "You ought to know better than anyone that I never miss the Blade Dancer Festival, Yoruichi. I may not be allowed to participate directly since I'm no longer an active duty Soul Reaper, but I still enjoy the spectacle of it all."

Jiraiya noted the Zanpakutō at her hip; she might not have been active duty, but he was sure that she could still more than hold her own in a fight. "It's too bad that you can't join in the fun. I'd be first in line to ask you for a dance!"

Minerva chuckled. "Ah, Jiraiya, was it? I'd take you up on that invitation. You're Squad Eight's Sixteenth Seat now, right? You've come a long way in such a short time."

Jiraiya nodded. "You're too kind."

She then turned to the other former Shinobi, her smile growing as she met his gaze. "Good to see you as well, Itachi. Thirteenth Seat of Squad Two! I knew you had serious potential back when I was instructing you, but I never thought you'd advance so far at such a rapid pace. Yoruichi's sent me quite a few letters singing your praise over the past year!"

Itachi turned to Squad Two's Captain. "Is that so?"

Yoruichi smiled. "Of course! Minerva's been asking about you ever since that test with the Head Captain, and I've always told her the truth. Your growth's been remarkable, so naturally I praise you whenever I write to her!"

"As well she should," said Minerva, "I have high expectations for your performance tonight, Itachi. I'm looking forward to seeing just how far your Zanjutsu has come."

Itachi nodded. "I'll do my best not to disappoint."

"Oh, I have no doubt of that," Minerva replied before turning to Yoruichi, "By the way, I wanted to give you a heads up; you're not the only member of your family here tonight."

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow as she swallowed a rice ball. "Really? Did my parents decide to put in an appearance? It's been a couple of years since the last time since they attended."

Minerva shook her head. "No, I'm afraid that they had a prior engagement. It's actually your grandfather."

Yoruichi's eyes widened slightly at that. "Are you serious? Old man Kiemon's here? Last time he wrote me, he was still down in our Principality!"

Minerva shrugged. "Well, he's in town now. Arrived just a few days ago, actually. I ran into him a little bit ago, so be sure to keep an eye out for him."

Yoruichi smiled. "Will do. How's he looking? I know he's getting on in years."

Minerva laughed. "Come now, no need to worry on that front! You know Lord Kiemon; it'll be a long time yet before old age gets the better of him."

Yoruichi gave an amused shake of her head. "That's true. I swear, sometimes I find myself wondering if he'll last as long as the Head Captain has. So, he's still as lively as ever?"

"I imagine you'll see for yourself soon enough," Minerva replied, "He's in good spirits; quite excited for tonight's festivities. Hardly surprising, given how he is."

Yoruichi grinned. "No kidding! He always loved a good swordfight. Would've fit right in at Squad Eleven. I'll watch out for him. Thanks for letting me know."

"Of course," said Minerva, giving the group a nod and a smile, "Well, I've got a few more old friends that I'm expecting to run into tonight, and I need to find a good spot to watch the opening bout from. I'll see you all around. Have fun tonight!"

"Oh, don't worry," Yoruichi answered with a smirk, "We will!"

As Minerva left, Jiraiya couldn't help but notice that Yoruichi was even perkier now than she had been before. "Excited to see your grandfather, I take it?"

To her credit, Yoruichi didn't even try to deny it. "You bet! I thought I'd have to go all the way out to our ancestral homelands to see him again. Nice of him to save me the trouble."

"I just hope he doesn't cause us trouble tonight," Soi-Fon grumbled between bites.

That certainly got Jiraiya's attention. "Where's that coming from? Anything we should know about this guy?"

Yoruichi giggled. "Oh, don't mind Soi-Fon! Gramps is… well, he's a bit like you, Jiraiya. Party animal, booze hound, and a bit of a skirt-chaser. He cut back on the latter once he and my grandmother got married, but he's still got a case of wandering hands, if you know what I mean."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Sounds like a fun guy! I'll have to buy him a drink later; I bet he's got all kinds of interesting stories to tell!"

"You mentioned earlier that he enjoys swordplay," Itachi commented, "Did he serve in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads?"

Yoruichi shook her head. "No, which is a real shame; he's a beast when it comes to swordsmanship, and his spirit energy ain't too shabby either. He actually used to be the commander of the Shihōin Clan's armed forces. Believe it or not, that's how he met my grandmother. Back then, she was the Captain of Squad Two. He was off duty at a bar, she was visiting the ancestral homelands on leave, and he hit on her. The two got in a fight that wrecked the tavern, and it was love at first sight… or rather, love at first strike!"

Soi-Fon shook her head. "No offense, Lady Yoruichi, but your grandmother has horrible taste in men."

"Speaking of which, where's she at these days?" asked Jiraiya, "Soul Reapers don't retire, right? Did she join the Royal Guard?"

"She was given the offer to do so, but she didn't want to," Yoruichi replied, "Normally that'd cause a bit of a stir, but since she's a member of a Great Noble House she was able to get away with it. The Head Captain took her many years of service into account and was able to convince the old geezers on the Central Forty-Six to go along with his proposal to put her on indefinite leave. Nowadays, she spends most of her time back in the Shihōin Clan's ancestral homelands. Doesn't really like coming out to the Seireitei; probably worried that the Central Forty-Six are still holding a grudge and might pressure the Head Captain to bring her back into the fold if she so much as steps inside the walls."

Jiraiya then saw her shift her gaze, smiling again as she looked past him and Itachi. "While we're on the subject of family… Itachi, you might want to turn around."

Itachi looked over his shoulder, as did Jiraiya. The Legendary Sannin was suddenly thankful that he'd already swallowed his dango, because he could not keep his mouth from falling open at the lovely sight before him. Strolling towards the group with a smile as warm as the sun on her face, was none other than Mikoto.

And she looked beautiful.

Jiraiya was used to her wearing her hair long, so it was quite a shocker to see it tied back now. It looked very good on her though, with the resulting bun held in place by a pair of gleaming slender silver sticks. Rather than the Academy student robes Jiraiya was accustoming to seeing her in, she instead wore a lovely red kimono with a rather interesting pattern; several clusters of three black tomoe embroidered into the fabric. Jiraiya was certain that it was a custom job, and he had a feeling he knew who was behind it.

Sure enough, he got confirmation a moment later from Yoruichi. "Oh, it turned out just as I'd hoped! Mikoto, you look wonderful!"

Must've used her family connections to have that made, Jiraiya mused, I see the Shihōin Clan spares no expense when it comes to festival attire.

Glancing to the side, he saw Itachi's eyes widen slightly. "Mother... what are you doing here?"

Mikoto smiled, and Jiraiya swore his heart skipped a beat; damn, she really looked good tonight. "What's the matter, Itachi? Can't a mother come out to watch her son perform in the Blade Dancer Festival?"

"Don't mistake my meaning," Itachi hastily replied as she drew near, "I'm glad you're here, but my understanding is that Academy students typically aren't permitted to attend this event."

Mikoto's smile became more than a little mischievous. "Well, then it's a very good thing that I'm not here as a student tonight! I had a very pleasant chat with the Head Captain about a week and a half ago; Yoruichi was kind enough to arrange a meeting."

Jiraiya and Itachi both raised their eyebrows at that. The two of them turned to Yoruichi, who seemed to be taking no small amount of pleasure in the confused looks on their faces.

"Believe it or not, the Head Captain does have a soft spot or two in that iron heart of his," she explained with a wink, "The trick is to find the right point to aim at. I told him that your mother was an Academy student and that it would mean the world to her if she could watch you perform tonight. It took a fair bit of convincing, but the face-to-face meeting with Mikoto sealed the deal. Your mother really turned on the charm!"

Mikoto shook her head. "I appreciate the flattery, but you're giving me a bit too much credit there. I simply made a heartfelt plea as the mother of one the rising stars of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. The Head Captain's certainly a stern man, but he was kind enough to make an exception on the condition that I did not show up here in my Academy uniform. Thanks to Yoruichi's family, that was a very easy deal for me to keep. Speaking of which; Yoruichi, the fabric for this feels absolutely divine! This must've cost a fortune!"

Yoruichi laughed. "Well, I am the heiress of a Great Noble House! Putting that outfit together was chump change for my family. Much as I might complain about what a pain the aristocracy can be, membership in that little club does come with some nice perks!"

Jiraiya chuckled. "I bet it does."

He and Itachi shifted on the bench to give Mikoto some room, and she sat down next to her son. Jiraiya noticed Itachi stiffen slightly when his mother put her arm around him, but the young man was able to relax in Mikoto's maternal embrace soon enough.

More than a year after finding her and he's still trying to figure out how to be her son again, he thought, not without sympathy, I suppose it wouldn't be easy given that kind of history…

"This is so exciting!" said Mikoto as she playfully ruffled Itachi's hair, "Who's my handsome son going to ask for his first dance?"

Jiraiya didn't miss Itachi's gaze flicker briefly in Yoruichi's direction, and he was sure that his mother hadn't either. "I'm… not sure. I'd like to at least watch the opening bout first to better understand the intricacies of it all."

Mikoto smiled. "That should be interesting. It's supposed to be the Squads Eight and Four Captains kicking things off, right?"

Itachi turned to Jiraiya, and the Legendary Sannin shrugged. "We'll see what happens. Should be a fun show if that's how it plays out."

"We'll likely find out quite soon," said Itachi as he looked up at the darkening sky, "The start of the Blade Dancer Festival can't be that far away now."

That was true; there was only the faintest sliver of crimson from the setting sun remaining on the horizon now, and Jiraiya knew that it would disappear entirely within a few minutes. The first full moon of summer was climbing higher and higher, and more than a few stars were visible now. The anticipation in the air was steadily building; the crowd was growing more and more eager for the show to begin with each passing moment.

"I think you're right," said Yoruichi as she finished her snack, "You all ready for some fun?"

Jiraiya was pleasantly surprised to see Soi-Fon actually smile as she swallowed her morsel. "Very much so."

"I'd say so," Itachi chimed in, standing up and brushing a few crumbs off his robes.

"How will we know when it begins?" asked Mikoto, "Will there be some sort of announcement?"

Yoruichi smirked. "Something like that."

The rest of the group stood up, and Jiraiya turned his attention towards the central platform. Head Captain Yamamoto and his five fellow judges were all facing to the east, and as he followed their gazes Jiraiya saw that Captains Kyōraku and Unohana were standing off to the side of one of the six rectangular areas where the matches would take place. It looked like his commanding officer and the legendary leader of Squad Four were indeed going to face off in the opening bout, and Jiraiya wanted to get a front-row seat for that.

All right, he thought with a grin as he started heading over, with the rest of the group quickly matching his pace, I'd say it's about damn time.

Let's get this show on the road!

….

She'd lost track of Itachi and Jiraiya quite some time ago, but Visaelya wasn't overly concerned. After all, she had Shisui for company, and the Seventh Seat of Squad Two had given no indication that he wanted to wander off. In truth, she liked it better this way. After all, Visaelya had been hoping to spend some quality time with him.

Are you actually going to make a move tonight?, the spirit of her Zanpakutō inquired in a teasing manner, You couldn't ask for a better backdrop!

Shut up!

She tried to keep from blushing, but Visaelya could still feel the heat rushing to her face. Fortunately, Shisui's attention was elsewhere, and the Sixteenth Seat was fairly certain that he hadn't noticed. Reasserting her composure and hoping that the spirit of her Zanpakutō wouldn't prod her further, she followed his gaze and saw that it was on one of the six open spaces set aside for the bouts. She spotted Captains Kyōraku and Unohana standing at the torch perimeter, and both were looking expectantly up at the observation platform.

"We'd better get a move on," said Shisui, "Looks like the party's about to begin."

Visaelya nodded. "Yes. Let's hurry."

The crowd had grown considerably since they'd arrived at the plaza, but the two of them had little difficulty in working their way through the throngs of people. Navigating through such obstacles efficiently was practically a mandatory skill for members of Squad Two seeing as how they stood a decent chance at being called upon to help the Stealth Force pursue fleeing criminals in the Seireitei or Rukon District, and Soi-Fon had drilled Visaelya and her fellow lower-seat officers relentlessly in that art. She and Shisui could've Flash Stepped through the crowd with ease, but that sort of speed wasn't necessary. Shisui set a brisk pace, but one that was relatively casual compared to how fast the two of them could've gone.

Visaelya scanned the crowd as she went, recognizing several faces. She found Itachi and Jiraiya easily enough, and saw that they'd been joined by Yoruichi, Soi-Fon, and a woman that it took a moment for her to realize was actually Mikoto; Itachi's mother had cleaned up quite well. Visaelya vaguely recalled that students from the Academy weren't supposed to attend, but Yoruichi and Soi-Fon didn't look bothered by it, so she figured that something had been quietly arranged behind the scenes and paid it no further mind. Other members of Squad Two were scattered throughout the crowd, naturally interspersed and mingling with Soul Reapers from other units. A dark pit briefly formed in her stomach when she caught sight of her uncle, but Squad Ten's Captain seemed focused on the conversation he was having with his Lieutenant.

Visaelya sighed with a mix of relief and resignation. "Guess I'll just have to stay out of his way…"

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

Visaelya's eyes widened slightly, and she hastily shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing!"

It was a poor lie, and one that he clearly saw through. She saw his head turn towards where she'd been looking earlier, and his eyes narrowed a moment later.

"Ah, Captain Drakken's here," said Shisui before scanning the rest of the crowd, "Probably other members of your family attending too, right?"

There was no point in pretending otherwise. "Yes… it's usually a pretty popular event with the Drakken Clan. I don't know if my parents are in attendance, but it's a distinct possibility. If not them, then surely others."

She was surprised when he put a hand on her shoulder. "If you need help, I'll back you up. I know things are still kind of frosty between you and your family, so I'll support you anyway I can. You're one of us; they don't get a say in the matter."

Visaelya smiled, her heart fluttering at his words. "Shisui… thank you. I… I don't think that'll be necessary, but… I do appreciate the thought."

He flashed her a cocky grin. "Anytime. Always happy to put a noble or two in their place! One of the perks that comes from being part of Squad Two; when aristocrats need punishing, it's us and the Stealth Force that get the call. Needless to say, we've got a bit of a dark reputation with most noble families. It's fun to watch them squirm once they realize what unit I'm from!"

Visaelya rolled her eyes, unable to stifle a giggle. "Why am I not surprised?"

Shisui smirked. "Just say the word, and I'll give your parents a good spook. Can't say the same for your uncle, though; I get the feeling it wouldn't work on him."

Visaelya shook her head. "Probably not. Just help me avoid him for the night, and I'll call it good."

Shisui smiled. "You got it!"

The two of them eventually came to a stop at the edge of the sparring area on the opposite side from where Captains Kyōraku and Unohana stood. She caught sight Jiraiya and Itachi in the crowd again, along with Yoruichi, Soi-Fon and Mikoto. Jiraiya noticed the two of them and waved, while Itachi gave them a simple nod. Visaelya waved in response, while Shisui nodded before turning his attention towards the central platform. Visaelya thought he was looking at the Head Captain for a moment before realizing that his gaze was actually lower. Following it, she saw Kūkaku standing next to one of the fireworks launchers she'd set up, and there were several men and women bustling about behind her, likely hired hands she'd brought on to help with tonight's job.

Shisui smirked, and his eyes narrowed. "Showtime!"

As if on cue, four shells shot up into the air and detonated in brilliant bursts of red and white. The crowd gasped and cheered as they turned towards the source, and Visaelya saw Head Captain Yamamoto step towards the edge of the platform. He tapped the tip of his sealed Zanpakutō twice on the surface. At least, they were probably 'taps' to the old man; to Visaelya and the rest of the assembled crowd, they echoed with such force that she was honestly surprised that the weapon hadn't punched clean through the platform.

I guess that's one way to get peoples' attention…

The Head Captain took a moment to clear his throat before speaking. "Welcome, everyone, to the annual Blade Dancer Festival! It pleases me greatly to see such a crowd assembled here tonight. Every year, this gathering of the finest Zanjutsu practitioners in all of the Soul Society grows in renown and reputation, as well it should!"

The Head Captain seems to be in high spirits tonight, she thought, I've only heard him speak publicly a few times, and I don't think I've ever seen him this animated before. He actually sounds excited, or as close to what passes for excited for him.

"I recognize many of your faces," Yamamoto continued, "So many who have patronized this festival over the years, contributing either their talents or simply their time and funds to make each event a memorable one. For many others, I imagine that this is your first time attending. As has become tradition, before we open the rest of fighting areas to bouts, there will first be an exhibition by two of our finest contenders. For any new attendees who wish to actively participate tonight, watch this duel well. Pay close attention, for you will learn what is expected of you through this display far better than you would by reading about this festival in some dusty book or other account. Captain Shunsui Kyōraku of Squad Eight and Captain Retsu Unohana of Squad Four, step forward!"

The two Captains did so, both giving a brief nod in Yamamoto's direction before taking up positions on opposite sides of the open rectangle. Kyōraku smirked confidently, and Visaelya imagined that he had been looking forward to this night for quite a while. As for Unohana, she met her opponent with a knowing smile that struck Visaelya as almost menacing despite its outward gentility. She might have been the premier healer of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, but there was an intense undercurrent in her gaze; the barest hint of some darker, more primal urge stirring within her. If anything, Visaelya suspected that she might be even more excited about this than Kyōraku.

"Draw your weapons!" Yamamoto commanded.

They did so in unison, with both adding flourishes that Visaelya was quite sure they wouldn't bother with in an actual life-or-death fight. For Unohana, this involved running her left hand down the flat of the sword and briefly whirling the weapon over her head before settling into a middle guard position. Meanwhile, Kyōraku gave each of his two swords a small twirl once they cleared their sheaths. It was an almost nonchalant gesture, done with such casual ease and grace that it looked like the simplest of touches even though Visaelya couldn't even imagine wielding two blades like that herself. She often felt like it took all her focus when she was practicing with her single Zanpakutō; having to balance two in a fight would've felt far too complex for her, and she hardly would've felt confident enough to engage in any sort of showmanship.

Both blades are of different lengths, so balancing one isn't the same as with the other, she mused, I've always wondered what it would be like to be blessed with two Zanpakutō rather than one, but I'm glad mine manifested as just a single blade. Managing two would've made my training even harder than it already was!

Both Captains exchanged brief bows before turning towards the observation platform again. Visaelya saw the Head Captain's brow furrow for a moment before he raised his right hand. It fell in a chopping motion a moment later.

"Begin!"

The tubes arrayed around the platform let fly with a salvo of shells that burst into a dazzling display overhead, bathing the plaza in a veritable rainbow of color. The pyrotechnic flowers blooming above were reflecting in the gleaming blades of both Captains as they charged forward, with sparks flying as their blades met in the opening exchange. Right away, Visaelya could spot several key distinctions between this more ritualized form of swordplay versus the more efficient and practical combat techniques that Soul Reapers would typically employ in the field. Both Captains had closed the distance quickly, but their movements could still be followed by the crowd; no Shunpo here. There were no Kidō spells or Hakuda moves added in to augment the opening strikes and take the enemy by surprise, either. Also, while it would normally be expected for one fighter to attempt to assert dominance at the start of the battle and set the pace of the fight, here both contestants actually took a step back after that first clash of blades before moving back in together. It wasn't about trying to seize the initiative, but rather feeling out one's partner and adjusting accordingly.

A back-and-forth pattern soon emerged. Initially, it was Kyōraku who advanced, leading with his larger blade while the smaller one was held back as a guard. He started with a series of thrusts that Unohana deftly parried, and when she counterattacked with a wide slash Kyōraku deflected with his second sword. Rather than make a counter of his own, though, he deftly backstepped, allowing Unohana to take charge. As she advanced on him, Visaelya couldn't help but notice just how light she was on her feet; it almost looked like she was bouncing at times, maintaining a delicate balance on her heels even as she pushed Squad Eight's Captain back across the ring.

A fresh volley of shells flew into the air, bursting into spectacular bloom and bathing the two combatants in light as Unohana attacked. With glimmers of red, blue, green and white reflected in her blade, she commenced a sequence of mesmerizing slashes, attacking in broad circular motions that caused both her haori and long front braid to whirl about. Several times, she would spin around completely in the course of her strikes, with one attack flowing seamlessly into the next. Kyōraku had given a considerable amount of ground now, and for a moment Visaelya wondered if Unohana actually intended to force him from the ring entirely.

However, Kyōraku eventually countered, catching Unohana's blade with his smaller one before making a slash with his main sword. Squad Four's Captain gracefully leapt back before bringing her Zanpakutō up to parry her colleague's attacks. Kyōraku became something akin to a whirlwind of steel, striking with both blades in a rapidly escalating assault. Sometimes he'd make a high attack with the large blade while also launching a low strike with the smaller one, while others he'd reverse the pattern. His pink flowery overcoat swished and swayed as he alternated between both blades, adding another layer of beauty and spectacle to the whole display. Soon both combatants were back at the center of the makeshift arena before Kyōraku began to push Unohana back.

The pattern of advance and pullback repeated several times, with the pace increasing with each exchange. Visaelya recognized the fine line that they were walking; both strived to demonstrate their unique skills while at the same time still keeping things flowing at a pace that most of the audience could follow along at. She imagined that if both fighters were truly going all out even seasoned Soul Reapers would have difficulty keeping track of the duel. All the while, more salvos of fireworks flew forth and exploded, with fragments of the fiery blossoms combining with the scintillating moonlight to bathe the whole display in an enchanting aurora.

Visaelya couldn't help but feel a tad nervous as the duel raced towards its climax. Would she seriously be expected to put on a show like this? Perhaps if she'd practiced with someone beforehand, but the whole point of the Blade Dancer Festival was for partners to extend an invitation during the event and put on a spontaneous show. One could train by themselves beforehand, but that would only get them so far. The true beauty of the dance came from the participants combining their individual skills into a unique collaboration; no two dances were meant to be alike. Practicing and developing a routine with a partner prior to the event would be counter to the spirit behind the tradition, and the last thing Visaelya wanted was to besmirch such a renowned event.

She watched in awe as both fighters met once again in the middle, their blades flashing through the air as little more than streaks of silver now. A swipe from Unohana came so close to Kyōraku's head that the tip of her blade actually caught his hat and sent it flying into the air. She saw the Squad Eight Captain's eyes widen slightly, but the amused smirk he'd worn since the start of the duel never left his face. As the hat came back down, he actually managed to catch it with his smaller blade while deflecting a strike from Unohana. He then followed that up by actually spinning the hat on the tip of the sword like a child's toy before tossing it in the air again and allowing it to land right back on his head where it belonged, all the while still parrying the Squad Four Captain's attacks with what looked like playful ease.

She heard Shisui give an approving chuckle next to her. "Nicely done!"

She certainly couldn't argue with him there. It had been a fabulous bit of improvisation on Kyōraku's part, the kind of quick thinking and flourish that Visaelya knew was the hallmark of fights like this. He hadn't so much as missed a beat, and the duel only further intensified. The Zanpakutō of the two Captains were clashing so quickly now that the song of colliding steel was ringing out almost non-stop, a rapid cacophony that was clearly audible even over the booming fireworks above. Cheers rang out from the audience, utterly absorbed in the spectacular theater of it all.

The two combatants briefly broke off before charging each other again, and Visaelya could sense that this would be the final exchange. Kyōraku struck first, leaping into the air and whirling both blades around him as he came down. Unohana smoothly deflected each strike, and as Kyōraku landed she countered with a spinning slash, balancing on one foot as she twirled around, completing at least three rotations in less than as many seconds, each attack ringing against her opponent's blades faster than the last. On her last rotation she unleashed her final strike, a swift slash aimed right at Kyōraku's neck. Squad Eight's Captain crossed his swords and caught the attack between them, but it had come just a tad too late. The very tip of Unohana's Zanpakutō had come to rest against Kyōraku's neck, and Visaelya's eyes widened as she saw a tiny trickle of blood flow from the fresh cut; the match was hers.

It was the moment Head Captain Yamamoto had been waiting for, and he gave two loud 'taps' to the observation platform with the tip of his Zanpakutō. "Match! Captain Unohana wins by Mark of Contact! Step back and sheath your swords!"

Both fighters quickly disengaged and did so. They then turned towards the Head Captain, and Visaelya saw that his smile was visible even through his thick beard. Kyōraku pressed his left hand to the side of his neck, and an aura of blue light appeared for a few moments as he healed the cut with Kaidō.

I didn't know that Captain Kyōraku could perform Kaidō, she mused, although I suppose the spell that he's using now is rather weak; it looks like it's good only for superficial wounds. Perhaps he merely dabbles in Kaidō and can only address minor injuries with it…

"Well done, both of you!" he continued, "As ever, your Zanjutsu sets a splendid example for those who are newcomers to the Blade Dancer Festival. For all who are attending for the first time and wish to participate, take what you just saw to heart. Think hard on who you wish to partner with before extending an invitation; after all, if your partner is not someone who knows and understands you, then you will be hard-pressed to put on a display like that. At the same time, do not feel that you must match the performance of Captains Kyōraku and Unohana. They fought at their own pace and level of ability, and you must fight at yours. Allow your movements to flow as naturally as they would when you train, and think only of yourself and your partner. All else will fall into place."

Easy for him to say, Visaelya thought anxiously, I thought that simply reading up on the Blade Dancer Festival and then applying my skills when the time came would be enough, but now…

"When you find a partner that has accepted your invitation, come to the central platform," the Head Captain commanded, "You will be assigned an individual judge to oversee the duel and make sure that it adheres to both the letter and spirit of the laws governing the Blade Dancer Festival. Some of you may decide only to partake in a single bout, while others will likely wish for multiple matches. Do not despair should you be defeated in your first match; you are free to resubmit your name as many times as you like so long as you have found a suitable partner for each duel. As is customary, the Blade Dancer Festival will last until either all the participants have exhausted themselves, or until the first light of the rising sun appears on the horizon. If you newcomers wish to enjoy the occasion to the fullest, then I suggest you pace yourselves. There is no shame in taking extended rest periods in between bouts, and indeed, you will likely find several fights that you wish to absorb to the fullest as part of the audience before you take the stage yourself."

The old man then stepped aside and was replaced by Lieutenant Sasakibe, who quickly cleared his throat before speaking. "Members of Squad One who have graciously volunteered their time to help ensure the smooth running of the festivities will be positioned at the base of the platform. Speak to them once you have found a partner, and they will add your names to the lists. Do not stray far once that happens, for if you miss when your names are called, you will be passed over for the next contestants on the list. We do wish to keep the duels moving forward in a timely manner in order to maximize participation, after all."

Squad One's Lieutenant then nodded at the Head Captain who then came forward to address the crowd once more. "With the opening exhibition now complete, let the Blade Dancer Festival begin in earnest! Put your heart and soul into your Zanpakutō, consider carefully the ability of your partner, and express yourselves through your Zanjutsu. Do not let the spectacle of another's duel discourage you, nor lose heart should you meet defeat. Believe in your skills and those of your partner, and you will shine as brilliantly as the full moon and fireworks overhead regardless of whether or not win your match."

With that, the Head Captain stepped back again, and this time no one else took his place. The crowd quickly began to bustle as Soul Reapers sought out partners for their first dance or went to join other members of the audience in a quick run to the various food vendors before the main bouts began in earnest. Visaelya had actually been quietly dreading this moment; there was one Soul Reaper above all others that she wanted to dance with tonight, and the thought of how to ask him had been nagging at her for the past week with steadily growing urgency.

Of course, said Soul Reaper had been right next to her this whole time.

I can do this, she told herself as she turned towards Shisui, I… I really hope I can do this…

When she met his gaze, though, all her worries melted away. The way he smiled, the light in his eyes… it was all clear. He already knew her intention… and as he held out his hand, Visaelya realized that he'd been ready to beat her to the punch this whole time.

"Hope it's not too forward, seeing as it's pretty much right out of the gate," he said, "but I don't suppose you'd care to join me for a dance?"

Visaelya couldn't help but laugh, although it wasn't because Shisui had said anything funny; she just needed some way to release her earlier tension. "Asking the daughter of the Drakken Clan's next heir for a bout right at the start of the festival? Your boldness is going to get you into trouble one of these days, Seventh Seat Uchiha!"

"Maybe," he replied with a wink, "but you can't have fun without a little risk. By the way, that didn't sound like a 'no'."

Visaelya smiled as she accepted his hand. "That's because it wasn't. I'd love to… Shisui."

She had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes widen ever so slightly, and the smile on his grew. "Well, in that case, let's get going!"

He took the lead as the two of them headed over to the platform…

…with Visaelya holding his hand the entire way.

She was still a bit nervous, but now she just chalked it up to preperformance jitters. She didn't have to be as good as Captains Kyōraku and Unohana. No one was asking her to match their level of ability. Shisui had asked her to be his partner, which meant he saw her skills as worthy of the occasion.

For now, that was all she needed.

….

"Playing the part of wallflower?" asked a female voice from behind him, "Itachi, I'm shocked. I thought someone would've snapped you up as soon as the bouts started!"

Looking over his shoulder, Itachi saw the lovely red-haired Amazon of Squad Two, Fourteenth Seat Rija, approaching. She came to a stop next to him, and the two of them looked out together on the duel currently taking place between Soi-Fon and Yoruichi. The Squad Two Captain's bodyguard had moved exceedingly quickly, asking the princess of the Shihōin Clan for a dance almost as soon as Head Captain Yamamoto had finished his speech. It had thrown something of a wrench in Itachi's plans for the night; he'd been hoping to have his first dance of the festival be with Yoruichi, but Soi-Fon had beaten him to the punch. In fact, something about how quickly she had made her invitation caused Itachi to suspect that getting their Captain away from him for a bit might've been her intention from the get-go.

I suppose I can't fault her there, he thought as he watched Soi-Fon press her attack with a series of thrusts, jabbing away at her opponent like a persistent hornet, I know Yoruichi trained extensively with Soi-Fon before she decided to take me on as another sparring partner. She's done a good job balancing between us, but I suppose Soi-Fon doesn't quite see it that way.

As much as Itachi might've wished that it was him in the ring with Yoruichi at the moment, he had to admit that she and Soi-Fon were putting on one hell of a show. It was a much more acrobatic display than what had been put on by Kyōraku and Unohana, with many leaps, flips and twirls thrown in to spice up the performance. The judge for this bout was none other than the Head Captain himself, and Itachi had found himself wondering if Yamamoto might object to the style of the duel; the moves that Soi-Fon and Yoruichi were indulging in had to at least skirt the lines with regards to the Blade Dancer Festival's rules about regarding the matches being purely displays of Zanjutsu. However, the old man did not speak up as the clash continued, which had to mean that he approved of it. Itachi supposed that since Yoruichi and Soi-Fon weren't blatantly using techniques such as Shunpo or Hakuda moves, the Head Captain did not feel the need to intervene.

Captain and subordinate's blades met almost as many times while the two combatants were airborne as when they were on the ground. Soi-Fon had been setting the pace earlier, but with the end of the most recent exchange it was now Yoruichi taking the initiative, pressing her bodyguard with a series of whirling slashes and darting thrusts. She leapt over Soi-Fon, lashing out with her Zanpakutō even as she tucked the rest of her body into an aerial somersault. Soi-Fon held her blade over her head to deflect her Captain's blows, and when Yoruichi came down behind her she had already smoothly transitioned to guard against the flurry of cuts and stabs that her master unleashed.

Itachi saw his mother clap and cheer as the two of them continued to trade blows. Jiraiya had been watching with them for a bit, but he'd wandered off a little while ago. Itachi suspected he had gone searching for a dance partner of his own, and he wondered if the Legendary Sannin had found one yet.

Rija put a hand on Itachi's shoulder. "They'll probably go back and forth like this for a while. If you want to keep watching, I won't stop you. That being said, I think getting your feet wet once or twice before taking the big plunge would be a good idea."

Itachi raised an eyebrow as he glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

Rija laughed before giving him a knowing smile. "Don't take me for a fool, Itachi! Your cool-and-aloof act works most of the time, but some of us have started to catch on. I saw the way you were watching the Captain earlier; Soi-Fon ripped the rug out from under you, didn't she?"

Itachi saw no point in denying it. "I'll admit, she caught me unprepared. I didn't expect her to strike so swiftly."

Rija smirked. "I should've warned you before the festivities started. Whenever those two attend the Blade Dancer Festival, Soi-Fon always makes damn sure that she's the first one in the ring with Yoruichi. That's not to say that you won't get your chance, it's just not going to be in the first round… and that's not actually a bad thing."

"How so?" asked Itachi.

"A lower-ranking officer like you or I asking a Captain for a dance isn't exactly unheard of, but it is rare," Rija answered, "Even rarer is a judge that's willing to give their approval. They typically want the two contestants to be close together when it comes to ability in order to ensure a sense of balance to the performance; can't have one dominating and stealing the show, after all. In order for them to assent, you need to prove to them that you can hold your own and then some. Everyone in Squad Two knows that you've made serious progress in a pretty short amount of time, but none of us are the judges tonight. There's only one way to properly demonstrate to them that you've got what it takes to dance with the higher-ups, and I think you're smart enough to figure out what that is."

Itachi knew where this was going. "I need to get some rounds under my belt, right?"

Rija grinned as she held out her hand. "Exactly! You might've pulled ahead of me in rank, but I've still been in Squad Two longer than you have, and since it's your first Blade Dancer Festival I'm willing to give you a helping hand. What do you say? Care to join me and put on a show?"

Itachi gave her a nod and a smile in return as he accepted her hand. "I'd be honored, Fourteenth Seat Usorba."

Rija chuckled. "Come on, Itachi; we've been comrades long enough that you can stow the formality with me! Just stick with Rija, all right?"

"As you wish," Itachi replied.

Before they set off, Itachi turned to his mother. She smiled when she realized that he'd gotten his first dance partner for the night and happily joined them, wanting to be on hand when they were assigned a ring so she could get a front row seat.

"Mikoto Uchiha, was it?" Rija asked, "Rija Usorba, Squad Two's Fourteenth Seat. It's a pleasure to meet the mother of our division's latest rising star!"

"The pleasure's all mine," said Mikoto as the three of them made their way to the observation platform, "Itachi, you really have become popular with the ladies in your unit!"

Itachi shook his head. "I wouldn't go that far."

Rija laughed. "Itachi, spare us both the false modesty!"

Itachi allowed himself a smirk. "Very well, then. By the way, I've actually been meaning to thank you for a while now."

Rija raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

Itachi sighed. "The recent promotions… you have been in Squad Two longer than I, yet while we both advanced in rank, I overtook you. You've always been both friendly and professional, but… well, I feared you might still harbor some resentment over this state of affairs. Your words earlier, though, and your willingness to help me tonight show that I was wrong to be concerned. For that, I'm truly grateful. In fact, I believe such worries on my part were a disservice to you, and I can only offer my deepest apologies."

"Itachi…" his mother softly murmured, putting her hand on his shoulder.

Rija shook her head. "Don't trouble yourself over something like that. I knew the moment I first set eyes on you that you'd be going places, and quickly at that. Your rapid growth as a Soul Reaper has only proven me right. I'm happy with the pace that my abilities are advancing at, and my current position reflects that. Besides, having a talented upstart like yourself to measure myself against is good for motivation. It pushes me to challenge myself and take my training further that I otherwise would've. End of the day, I consider you a valued comrade in arms and a friend. I'm not going to get worked up over something as simple as you jumping ahead of me in rank, especially when you've clearly earned it."

Itachi bowed his head. "Thank you."

Rija smiled. "I told you not to worry about it. This is the Blade Dancer Festival; you're supposed to be having fun tonight!"

"She's right, Itachi," said Mikoto with a grin, "I want you to stop thinking about anything that bothers you tonight and focus on enjoying the festivities! I won't accept anything else, you got that?"

Itachi smiled. "Yes… mother."

As they drew closer to the central observation platform, Itachi caught a glimpse of Shisui and Visaelya's match in one of the other rings. Glancing back and forth between them and the platform, he saw that their duel was being overseen by Captain Ukitake. The two of them were clearly enjoying themselves; both were smiling as their blades clashed, with Visaelya fighting in a manner that struck Itachi as practically liberated when compared to her typical Zanjutsu. She had let go of all concerns and was focused purely on savoring the moment, and it was serving her well. Her movements were graceful and fluid, with every strike and parry flowing smoothly as she transitioned from offense to defense as circumstances dictated. For his part, Shisui was cutting loose, expressing his excitement in with bold strikes and wide deflections. He was having a ball, and his partner definitely shared the sentiment.

I think those two really needed this night, he mused, I suppose I do, too. Cutting loose at a grand festival like this, letting my hair down as it were… it'll definitely be something new for me.

When the trio arrived at the base of the platform, they were greeted by one of the volunteers from the Head Captain's unit. This one was a woman, slightly on the short side, and with a lithe frame that struck Itachi as almost delicate. Her sandy-blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her bright blue eyes were practically shimmering with excitement. She was clearly caught up in the spectacle even as she worked to help ensure that it ran smoothly. Itachi noted that her right hand occasionally drifted towards the light blue-wrapped handle of her Zanpakutō before pulling back, clearly itching to join in the fun but having to restrain herself for the sake of her job.

"Hello there!" she chirped, "I'm Mimmi Marklund, Sixteenth Seat of Squad One. Can I get your names and ranks please?"

Itachi's red-haired comrade went first. "Rija Usorba, Fourteenth Seat of Squad Two."

Mimmi jotted her name down on the notepad she held before turning to Itachi. "And you?"

"Itachi Uchiha," he replied, "Thirteenth Seat of Squad Two."

Mimmi's smile grew slightly as she finished adding his name to the list. "A Fourteenth Seat and Thirteenth Seat, excellent! Give me just a moment."

She turned around and looked at a scroll that was nailed to the base of the observation platform near one of the ladders that led to the top. Her eyes narrowed a moment as she studied several columns of names on the parchment before finally picking one to add Itachi and Rija's too.

"All right, then," she said as she turned to face them again, "Your assigned judge will be Captain Aikawa. He's overseeing Ring Five. Please make your way over there while I inform him of your participation. Be ready; you'll be up next right after the current match is finished. Good luck, and have fun!"

Rija nodded. "Shall we?"

"After you," said Itachi.

Bursts from fresh shells bathed the crowd in pink and red light as the trio made their way towards the designated ring. Looking to the left, Itachi smiled as he saw his mother's face aglow with delight at the most recent pyrotechnics display.

"Oh, it's been forever since I got to enjoy a real festival like this!" she cheered while grabbing Itachi's arm, "This is incredible!"

Itachi wholeheartedly agreed. "Kūkaku Shiba definitely put in some work on this one."

"Yoruichi's friend, right?" Mikoto asked, "I recall her mentioning that name once or twice while she was making the arrangements for my attendance."

"That's correct," Itachi answered, "From what I understand, it seems the two of them go quite a way back."

Rija chuckled. "Of all the friends that the Captain typically invites over to the Squad Two barracks, Kūkaku Shiba is definitely the liveliest! If you want help throwing a party, she's the one you want to ask. She always delivers a show, that's for sure!"

Mikoto laughed as a fresh series of shells burst into blue and green blossoms above. "I can see that! She's clearly skilled at her craft."

"The best fireworks creator in all of the Soul Society," Rija concurred, "She's as fiery as her products, although I suppose that might explain why she took to that line of work in the first place."

Itachi nodded. "She's certainly crafted a lovely backdrop for the Blade Dancer Festival. The Head Captain must be pleased."

"I'm sure he is," said Rija, "Finding a way to enhance the tradition that he invented would be a solid way to get in his good graces. I have no doubt that Kūkaku's well aware of that."

The song of clashing blades grew louder as they approached Ring Five, and Itachi could sense some familiar spiritual pressure. Gently working their way through the crowd, they eventually made it to the edge of the ring, and Itachi saw that one of the current contestants was none other than Jiraiya. His partner was a rather tall woman with short and messy silver hair. She looked vaguely familiar, but it took Itachi a moment to realize where he'd seen her before; the Squad Four barracks.

I believe her name was Isane Kotetsu, he thought, although I can't recall her exact rank…

Jiraiya was definitely playing the lead partner in this bout, setting the pace and guiding Isane through the duel like a patient mentor. Given this particular Legendary Sannin's reputation with women, Itachi had been slightly concerned when Jiraiya had wandered off earlier. He'd certainly found a dance partner from the fairer sex, but the look in his eyes as they fought wasn't the lecherous gleam Itachi had seen on more than a few occasions. Instead, as the two combatants went back and forth across the ring, Jiraiya's demeanor struck Itachi as that of a caring instructor, one that wanted to push his student to excel but at the same time was mindful and respectful of their doubts and fears.

It was an approach that was definitely paying off. There was still a slight tension in Isane's movements, but whatever anxiety she might've felt appeared more than offset by Jiraiya's gentle guidance. After a brief sequence of thrusts and slashes that pushed his partner across the ring, Jiraiya would relent and leave a deliberate opening in his defenses. Her confidence growing slightly, Isane then went on the attack, her movements becoming just a bit bolder as she drove Jiraiya back. She was still nervous, but the smile on her face and the light in her eyes was all Itachi needed to know that she was enjoying herself.

Rija folded her arms. "Well, now… Sixteenth Seat Jiraiya and Seventh Seat Kotetsu… that's a match I didn't think I'd see tonight."

"You know her?" asked Mikoto.

"We've met a few times," Rija answered, "Talented healer, definitely one of Squad Four's rising stars, but I've never actually seen her Zanjutsu until now. She's a sweet thing, but very self-conscious, especially about her height. I never thought she'd be able to fight past her shyness and perform in the Blade Dancer Festival."

"We probably have Jiraiya to thank for that," said Itachi, "As often as his antics drive women to slap him, he does have an ability to inspire confidence in others when he's not actively skirt-chasing."

Mikoto giggled. "I've noticed!"

The three of them looked on as the match continued, although Itachi didn't think it would go for much longer. Jiraiya definitely had energy to spare, but it wasn't hard to see that Isane was sweating, and her breathing was a bit labored. Itachi figured it was less simple physical weariness getting to her and more a combination of that and fighting her anxiety to perform before the crowd like this. If this didn't wind up being her only dance for the night, she probably only had one or two more left in her at the most. Still, she at least seemed to be having a good time, and Itachi imagined that was all Jiraiya had been going for with her here.

The match wound down a few minutes later, with the two combatants gradually slowing their pace, Jiraiya working to ease Isane into the home stretch. They came together in the middle of the ring for one last exchange of blows before Jiraiya knocked Isane's Zanpakutō out of her hands with a graceful parry. The two of them then stepped back, with Jiraiya allowing Isane to pick up her sword before they turned together to face the observation platform.

Following their gaze, Itachi saw Captain Aikawa nod and smile. "Sixteenth Jiraiya wins through disarming Seventh Seat Kotetsu! Nicely done, both of you! Jiraiya, good job in taking the lead there. Isane, you kept pace pretty well. Have a bit more faith in yourself, and your next performance will be even better."

Jiraiya and Isane both bowed before turning to each other. Isane was clearly blushing, and Jiraiya gave her a friendly smile and pat on the shoulder before the two of them left the ring. Jiraiya's gaze briefly met Itachi's, and the Legendary Sannin waved before he and his partner disappeared into the crowd.

Another volley of shells flew into the air, bursting into brilliant spheres of gold and purple light. Squad Seven's Captain was forced to wait for the noise from these latest fireworks to die down before his deep voice rang out over the crowd again.

"All right, time for the next round!" he shouted, "Up next, we've got two members of Squad Two; Fourteenth Seat Rija Usorba and Thirteenth Seat Itachi Uchiha! A skilled veteran and a promising rookie… this ought to be interesting. Step into the ring and let's get this show on the road!"

"Good luck, you two!" Mikoto cheered as she gently pushed Itachi forward, "Have fun!"

Rija winked at Itachi as the two of them moved forward. "You ready for this? Last chance to back out if you've got stage fright!"

Itachi smirked. "That's not going to happen. Mind if I lead?"

Rija smiled. "Taking charge in your very first dance? Bold, Itachi! All right, I'll play along. Show me what you've learned since joining our unit!"

It was a challenge that Itachi would eagerly rise to meet. The two of them squared off in the middle of the ring, both waiting for Aikawa's cue. Brilliant blossoms of orange and white fire burst overhead, and as the noise from the shells faded Aikawa seized the opening.

"Draw swords!" he ordered.

Itachi and Rija did so in unison, with both briefly raising their blades in salute before assuming guard stances. Another salvo of shells took flight, this time bathing the arena in blue and green light when they exploded. Itachi felt like a coiled spring as he looked into Rija's eyes, and he was sure that the feeling was mutual.

"Begin!" shouted Aikawa.

Itachi surged forward, and the ensuing song of clashing steel was rivaled only by the cheers of the crowd and the fireworks above.

….

Curious as to how Itachi would approach this, Rija had started with a basic guard while leaving her partner the opening to make the first move. Itachi had happily obliged, and his offensive was driving her back across the ring. While they hadn't rehearsed for this event, Rija had engaged Itachi in training bouts before and had a decent understanding of his fighting style. He wasn't a power-fighter by any stretch of the imagination, although that wasn't surprising; Squad Two wasn't exactly the unit of choice for those who preferred brute force. Efficiency and speed had been the hallmarks of Itachi's Zanjutsu in their past practice sessions, and those were definitely on display here. However, even as Rija parried his slashes and redirected his thrusts, she could already detect a subtle difference between how he was fighting now versus his normal swordsmanship.

His attacks were broader and looser than usual, more open and graceful. He was still quick and definitely displayed impressive economy of movement, but there were little flourishes added in that set his current swordplay apart from the typically cold and pragmatic moves he usually favored. A mid-level horizontal slash transitioned into a full spin, his blade weaving silver circles around him. A series of thrusts followed, but while normally they'd be tightly grouped together and made in rapid-fire succession to punch through his foe's defenses, here there was a slight but noticeable pause between each attack, with the ensuing strikes coming in at wildly different angles. High and low, left and right, widely dispersed and ensuring that Rija's blade had to cover quite a bit of space in order to sufficiently fend off his assault. Occasionally he'd actually give his Zanpakutō an almost playful twirl during transitions from one strike to the next, reminding her very much of Captain Kyōraku's opening gesture just before his bout with Unohana had begun.

He really seems to be getting into the spirit of things, she thought with a smirk as she parried his blows, I wonder what else he's got in store for me tonight…

Let's find out!

After deflecting a diagonal slash, Rija decided it was time for her to go on the offensive. She shifted to holding her sword in only her right hand before unleashing a series of swift thrusts against her opponent. Itachi seamlessly shifted gears, smoothly catching and redirecting her strikes while giving ground to bleed off some of the energy behind them. Rija pressed forward, launching into a sequence of flowing slashes as she pushed him back towards the middle of the ring. She put an extra spring in her step, and oftentimes would only be balancing on a single foot as she flowed from one strike to the next. Her blade fluttered about like a butterfly, reflecting the light of the fireworks and moon above as it danced around her.

Not for the first time, Rija wished that the rules of the Blade Dancer Festival didn't forbid the use of Shikai. Yes, she was firmly aware that many Shikai were unsuited for a context like this, but she felt that the sword and shield setup of her Zanpakutō's released form would've enhanced her performance tonight. Indeed, the one-handed fighting style she was utilizing now was in no small part an effort to recreate the techniques she typically used with her Shikai. The rules were what they were, though, and she highly doubted that the Head Captain planned on changing them anytime soon.

They reached the center of the ring a few moments later, and Rija was sure that Itachi would make his counterattack there. However, he continued to fall back, allowing her to keep up her assault and push him towards the other end of the arena. Was he simply repaying the favor she'd done earlier in allowing him to open up the fight? Possible, but somehow Rija doubted it. Itachi was a cunning and patient fighter, and she suspected he was merely waiting for the right moment to turn the tables on her.

She got her answer as she pushed him almost to the edge of the arena. When she thrust her blade forward, Rija expected Itachi to catch and redirect it much like he had with earlier such attacks. However, this time he didn't even attempt to block it. Instead he side-stepped and pivoted, smoothly spinning around to add force to his counterattack. Rija was able to block the strike, but Itachi didn't let up. He fluidly transitioned into a sequence of low slashes, forcing her to backpedal and deflect in order to avoid him landing a Mark of Contact on her legs.

Another round of fireworks burst overhead, and red and blue light danced along their blades as Itachi pushed Rija back across the ring. His offensive was much more aggressive now than it had been before; he was definitely picking up the pace. He initially continued to keep his strikes low and aimed at her legs, and for a moment Rija thought about leaping over him to attack from behind and mix things up a bit. However, that was when Itachi switched tactics, and the next series of strikes were a flurry of thrusts aimed at her upper torso. He had her firmly on the backfoot, and they both knew it.

Even as she was pressed to deflect and parry his strikes, Rija couldn't help but admire his moves. It was hard to tell that Itachi was still a relative newcomer to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads; his Zanjutsu had the confidence and poise of a seasoned warrior, and if Captain Aikawa hadn't labeled him as a rookie earlier then Rija doubted most of the audience would've even realized that this was his first Blade Dancer Festival. Even as the tempo of his assault increased, he was still mindful of the fact that this wasn't a typical sparring match and was acting accordingly. He would throw in some stylized flourishes that Rija knew he would never do in a real fight, either twirling his Zanpakutō between a few strikes or weaving intricate patterns in the air as he shifted from one sequence of attacks to the next. It was an artful side of him that Rija hadn't seen before, although it was wholly appropriate given the nature of the event.

He's really taking the traditions and values of the Blade Dancer Festival to heart, she thought with an approving smile as they crossed the center of the ring, Itachi, consider me impressed! Still, if you want the judges to approve a dance with the Captain later, then we need to step things up a notch…

Catching a thrust on the flat of her blade, Rija swiftly countered with a series of overhand blows, aiming for Itachi's shoulders. The young man didn't miss a beat, immediately switching back to the defensive and parrying her blows, angling his Zanpakutō downwards to bleed off some of the power behind her attacks. Rija didn't normally consider herself to be a power-fighter, but she was very well built and liked to put her muscles to good use. The Blade Dancer Festival was meant for showing off all aspects of one's Zanjutsu, and she intended to do just that.

She moved forward, not as quickly as Itachi had before but putting greater strength into her attacks. Switching to a two-handed grip, she rained down a series of mighty overhand strikes on her partner. Itachi, calm and collected as ever, didn't so much as bat an eye even as he pulled back under her assault. His blade formed a silver shield over his upper body as he deflected her strikes, with the yellow and orange light of the latest fireworks salvo gleaming in his eyes and upon his sword while he fended off her attacks. How would he turn the tables on her this time?

Rija couldn't wait to find out.

….

Even though Itachi was currently on the receiving end of the powerful strikes Rija was unleashing, he could still admire the beauty inherent in such a display. These weren't the wild swings of a brute, but controlled and focused attacks. They weren't just strong; they were disciplined and targeted. It was a marked shift from the flowing single-handed form she'd been using earlier, and she was clearly trying to press Itachi and force him to adapt on the fly.

He was more than capable of doing so. Backpedaling to gain space and blunt at least a bit of the strength behind Rija's attacks, Itachi was already preparing his counterattack. She'd pushed him back across the middle of the ring and was already beginning to force him towards the other side, but Itachi didn't plan on being driven nearly as close to the edge as he had been earlier in the bout. He'd regain the initiative, and he'd do so in a manner that fit a spectacle like the Blade Dancer Festival.

So many years spent fighting in the shadows, he mused as he deflected her latest mighty blow, and now I'm trying to calibrate my combat technique to impress the crowd. This certainly isn't the afterlife I pictured back when I was alive, not that I'm complaining.

Rija raised her Zanpakutō for another powerful downward swing, and that was when Itachi made his move. He'd initially remained in the same guard stance he had been using since she'd gone on the offensive in order to draw her in, but instead of simply parrying her strike this time he actually thrust his sword forward, meeting the edge of her Zanpakutō with the tip of his in the middle of her attack. Itachi saw Rija's eyes widen at the moment of impact, and with her momentum disrupted he immediately seized the initiative. Despite him taking her by surprise, though, Rija recovered quickly. She swiftly assumed a guard stance and already had her Zanpakutō prepared to intercept the ensuing slashes he unleashed upon her.

The crowd gasped and cheered at the sudden turnabout while shells burst into green and blue blooms overhead as Itachi launched a sequence of broad one-handed swings. With the light of the fireworks above scintillating along the curve of his Zanpakutō, it must've looked like Itachi was attacking Rija with a spell rather than merely a sword. Not for the first time this night, Itachi made note to find Kūkaku later in order to suitably compliment her work; she'd certainly earned it.

Itachi picked up the pace, increasing the tempo of his strikes as he drove Rija back towards the middle of the ring. His comrade and partner immediately picked up on it, with the knowing look in her eyes and the greater speed of her deflections and parries all Itachi needed to know that she'd gotten the message. They'd given the crowd a pretty good show so far, and now it was time to drive towards the climax.

You'd better put your back into it if you want a chance to dance with your Captain later, Jigoku no Joō playfully chided him, I don't know if the judges have seen enough from you yet to grant you such an indulgence.

Then I suppose I'll have to grow a little bolder in my efforts.

Oh, really? This should be fun!

A bit of flashiness was in order to give the duel that little extra spice, and Itachi couldn't think of a better way to accomplish that than by shifting to a more acrobatic form of Zanjutsu. Initially aiming a flurry of thrusts at Rija's legs as a bit of misdirection, Itachi then leapt into the air the moment his partner finished deflecting his latest attack. Flipping over her head, he came down behind her and immediately launched into a sequence of frenetic slashes and cuts. To her credit, Rija kept up a firm defense, smoothly twirling around to meet his assault and gracefully parrying his strikes.

However, that was just the first salvo. Determined to bring the match to a suitably breathtaking conclusion, Itachi once again took to the air, leaping high before using his subsequent descent to enhance the power behind the downward strike. Rija successfully blocked him, but that was merely the opening move in a series of leaping attacks. Itachi saw his opponent smile as his blade whirled around him in the air, and on his third jump she countered by leaping as well. Their blades met while the two of them were airborne, and as the crowd looked up at them a series of white and purple pyrotechnic flowers bloomed overhead. When combined with the full moon and sparks flying from their blades, Itachi could only imagine what the spectacle must've looked like to the audience down on the ground.

The two of them exchanged a series of rapid strikes and counters in the few seconds that they remained in the air. When they came down, they both hit the ground at the same time and immediately lunged towards each other. The pace of the duel had reached a fever-pitch, and the look in Rija's eyes told Itachi that she was just as ready as him to bring it to a close. Of course, that didn't mean she was going to let him win. She was intent on making Itachi work for his victory, and he was more than willing to oblige her.

The final exchange of blows started with Rija. She had the edge on Itachi in reach, and she took full advantage of it with by shifting back to a one-handed grip on her sword and launching a thrust aimed at his left shoulder. Rather than meet the blow head-on, Itachi ducked beneath it and rolled to the right. Rija attempted to keep pace and transitioned into a broad sweep, but up close like this Itachi had her beat in agility. He leapt over her swing, and as her blade passed beneath his feet, he made his finishing move. Thrusting his Zanpakutō forward and down while he was still airborne, his strike found its mark on her left shoulder, slicing through her robes and leaving a shallow cut. He pulled his sword back as his feet hit the ground, and he saw Rija smile even as she lowered her own blade and her free hand moved to put pressure on the wound.

Captain Aikawa's voice rang out a moment later. "Match! Thirteenth Seat Uchiha wins through Mark of Contact!"

The crowd erupted in applause and cheers as a series of shells burst above in orange and red light. Itachi gave his Zanpakutō a quick swing to shake off what little blood was on it before sheathing his blade and stepping forward. Rija put her sword away as well, and her smile grew as he approached.

"Very well done!" she said, offering him her hand.

"Thanks," Itachi replied, looking at her shoulder with concern even as he accepted her hand, "Are you okay?"

Rija laughed. "Oh, this? It's nothing! Hardly life-threatening, and it'll be attended to shortly."

Indeed, Itachi saw another Soul Reaper enter the ring and approach them. It was a young woman of average height with rather short-black hair and light brown eyes. Her right hand was raised, and Itachi saw light blue energy engulf it.

"Thirteenth Seat Uchiha, please step back for a moment," the woman requested.

Itachi nodded and did so. The woman proceeded to press her right hand to Rija's left shoulder, and the small cut Itachi had inflicted on her quickly closed up.

"Nice and clean," she said, smiling at the two of them, "Well done, both of you! Thanks for making my job easy."

She must be a member of Squad Four, Itachi thought, Captain Unohana probably has members of her unit stationed at all the rings for quick on-the-spot healing.

It only took her a few seconds to finish her work, and she departed as quickly as she'd arrived. With nothing else to do, Itachi and Rija turned towards the observation platform. Captain Aikawa had already announced the winner, but there was still a chance for a critique, and Itachi was curious as to what he might have to say.

The smile on the Squad Seven Captain's face was certainly an encouraging sign, and his subsequent praise certainly didn't hurt either. "Quite the show! One hell of a debut for a rookie if I do say so myself. Excellent job to both of you! Superb pacing, showmanship, and improvisation. Itachi, congrats on winning your first bout in the Blade Dancer Festival. Rija, that was a damn good showing, way to make him work for it. Go treat yourselves to a snack and then find yourselves some new partners; the other judges really need to see you in action for themselves!"

"Well, I'd say you've suitably impressed him!" Rija praised Itachi as the two of them stepped out of the ring to make room for the next bout, "I was wondering what kind of a fight you'd give me, and you didn't disappoint."

"You put on an impressive show yourself," Itachi noted, "I couldn't have asked for a better debut partner. Thank you."

Rija smirked. "You're welcome, but don't go resting on your laurels. That was a good first step, but remember that you're a rank ahead of me even if I've got more experience than you. If you want the judges to approve a dance with Yoruichi, then you're going to have to find some partners significantly higher up the ladder than me first. Given how well you did just now, I doubt you'll have much trouble getting them to accept your invitation. The Blade Dancer Festival's only just begun, Itachi; you've got a long night ahead of you yet!"

Itachi chuckled. "That makes two of us."

That was when his mother managed to work her way through the crowd, and before Itachi could react she had him gripped in a tight hug. "Oh, well done, Itachi! That was incredible to watch! It sounds like the judge was impressed, too. Rija, you were splendid as well!"

Rija smiled. "You're too kind, Miss Uchiha."

His mother shook her head. "Rija, just call me Mikoto. Any friend of my son is a friend of mine."

Rija nodded. "In that case, thank you, Mikoto."

"Yes," said Itachi as he delicately extricated himself from Mikoto's grip, "Thank you, Mother. I'm glad we were able to entertain you."

"Well, you'd better not stop there," Mikoto replied with a wink, "I want everyone here to see how talented you are, which means you've still got plenty of work to do!"

Itachi smirked before turning back to Rija. "I suppose I do. What's next for you?"

Rija smiled. "I think I'll take Captain Aikawa's advice and grab myself a treat before diving back into the fray. Plenty of delicacies to choose from tonight, and I daresay I've earned the right to indulge a bit. Want to come with?"

Before he could answer, he heard a vaguely familiar female voice call his name. "Itachi!"

He only had a moment to turn around before a female Soul Reaper with rather messy green hair came barreling through the crowd. It took Itachi a moment to recall who she was, although the Lieutenant's badge on her upper left arm definitely helped.

"Lieutenant Kuna," he said, giving her a polite bow, "It's been a while."

He hadn't actually spoken to Mashiro at any real length sense the meeting he and Jiraiya had been granted with some of the Captains and Lieutenants following their performance in the Academy entrance exams all those years ago. Sure, Itachi had seen Squad Nine's Lieutenant in passing a few times since graduation, and the friendly smiles and waves she'd given him seemed to indicate a desire to connect more on her part, but beyond that their interactions had been minimal. It seemed she was intent on changing that tonight.

"A while?" she pouted, "That's how you greet me? I remember when I was all excited for you to join Squad Nine, but Yoruichi snatched you up. I've been meaning to get her back for that, and tonight's the night!"

Rija giggled. "I think I know where this is going…"

Mikoto laughed. "Itachi, you really have become popular with the ladies of the Soul Society! My, my, what a lively young woman… aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Mashiro Kuna, Lieutenant of Squad Nine," said Itachi as he looked back and forth between the two of them, "Lieutenant Kuna, this is my mother, Mikoto Uchiha. She's also a student at the Academy."

Mashiro grinned as she held out her hand. "Nice to meet ya!"

"Likewise," Mikoto replied as she accepted it.

Mashiro leaned forward a bit as she studied Itachi's mother, curiosity clear in her gaze. "Are you in the advanced track?"

Mikoto nodded. "Yes. I only enrolled in the Academy last year, and I still have much to learn."

"Last year… darn it!" she whined, "Kensei had me out in the field while the entrance exams were going on, so I couldn't evaluate the newcomers like I did when Itachi enrolled. I bet you did really well, didn't you?"

Mikoto smiled. "Well, not that I like to boast, but I do believe the evaluators were impressed. I got to meet a few of the Captains too, so I must've left a good impression. Itachi said you're from Squad Nine, so Captain Muguruma is your superior, right? He was one of the Captains I got introduced to after the exams. A rather stern man, or at least that's the impression I got."

Mashiro nodded. "Yup, that's Kensei. He's a bit of a stiff, but underneath it he's all right!"

The Lieutenant's eyes widened as a realization hit her. "Hey, if you're still a student, why are you here? Students don't usually attend the Blade Dancer Festival!"

"Captain Shihōin invited me to a meeting with the Head Captain," Mikoto explained, "He agreed to make an exception so I could come watch Itachi participate in the matches."

Mashiro whistled. "Wow, really? I've never heard of the Head Captain doing something like that before. You really got lucky!"

Without missing a beat, Mashiro then turned to Itachi. "Speaking of matches, that's why I'm here. Itachi, I saw you fight; you were great! I'm a bit jealous of Rija for taking your first dance, but if she got it then that means Yoruichi hasn't got the chance to have a round with you, and I'm going to beat her to it! Dance with me!"

Rija folded her arms and smirked. "A little demanding, aren't you? Why don't you give him a chance to rest a bit first?"

Itachi shook his head and smiled. "No, it's all right. I'd be honored, Lieutenant Kuna."

"All right!" cheered Mashiro, "Let's get going!"

Itachi glanced at Rija, who smirked and nodded. "I see what you're doing, Itachi. I'm not going to stop you, but remember to pace yourself. The night's still young, after all."

"I'll take a break after this dance," Itachi replied before turning to Mikoto, "Mother, care to come with?"

Mikoto smirked. "Do you really have to ask, Itachi?"

Itachi chuckled. "I suppose not. Lieutenant Kuna, shall we?"

The perky second-in-command of Squad Nine grinned. "You can just call me Mashiro. And yeah, let's go!"

I've made my debut, Itachi thought as he and his mother followed Mashiro back towards the observation platform while Rija bade them farewell, I can only hope that my earlier performance was enough for the judges to allow me a dance with the Lieutenant. If it is, then my bout with Mashiro will be an invaluable opportunity. The ideal stepping stone…

He hadn't planned on dueling a Lieutenant so quickly, but Mashiro had given Itachi an ideal chance and he wasn't about to pass it up. After all, if he played his cards right, then this would be his ticket to a dance with Yoruichi.

He would use every ounce of skill at his disposal to make that a reality.

….

His second dance ever, and it's with a Lieutenant, Yoruichi thought with a smirk, Itachi, you must've really made an impression with your debut!

Her bout with Soi-Fon had been quite fun; Yoruichi always got in at least one duel with her bodyguard each year at the Blade Dancer Festival, and every time her protégé had eagerly demonstrated how much her skills had developed. This year had proven to be no exception, but as much as she had enjoyed their fight, Yoruichi's mind was now elsewhere. While bouts involving Captains were amongst the highlights of the Blade Dancer Festival, there was a naturally high bar to entry. Unless it was another Captain or a Lieutenant offering themselves as a partner, usually the leaders of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads didn't have many suitable contenders. Head Captain Yamamoto in particular was quite strict when it came to screening the potential opponent of a Captain whenever someone was bold enough to challenge one, and it was rare that an officer who wasn't of a similar rank could meet his expectations. It wasn't enough for the old man that someone had the courage to ask a Captain for a dance in the first place; they had to demonstrate to the Head Captain that they had the skills to make a good accounting for themselves and keep the match from ending too quickly. That meant the person she really wanted to dance with tonight had his work cut out for him, although by the look of things he was definitely on the right track.

Of all the Lieutenants Itachi could've had for an opponent, Mashiro was not one that Yoruichi had seen coming. Sure, she'd definitely shown an interest in Itachi way back during the meet-and-greet after the entrance exams, but that had been years ago. Her young recruit seemed to have made a bigger impression than Yoruichi had expected, although in hindsight she realized that she definitely should've seen it coming.

Popularity with the ladies must run in the Uchiha blood, she mused, I suppose that means I'm in good company. At the very least, it seems I have some competition…

Yoruichi had only seen Mashiro fight a handful of times, and those instances had all been out in the field rather than in the Blade Dancer Festival. She recalled that Squad Nine's Lieutenant had a rather strong affinity for Hakuda and a particular fondness for kicks. Using those here would get her disqualified from her match, though, so Yoruichi was very interested in how she'd react to being deprived of one of her favorite means of combat.

As it turned out, Mashiro at the Blade Dancer Festival was as lively and frenetic in her duels as she was in actual combat. There was a wild energy to her swings; the discipline displayed by other fighters definitely wasn't her thing. Her technique was quite acrobatic, with her leaping about quite frequently and twisting through the air like a demented grasshopper. If the beaming smile on her face was any indication, she was definitely enjoying herself despite being limited to just Zanjutsu.

Her opponent might've been much more reserved with his emotions, but Yoruichi could detect just the barest hint of a smile on Itachi's face as well. Occasionally he'd meet Mashiro in the air, but for the most part he was keeping his feet firmly planted to the ground. Mashiro was definitely setting the pace of the duel, yet Itachi was more than holding his own. His Zanpakutō wove a circle of silver streaks around him as he deflected her blows, and he wasn't giving her so much as the slightest of openings. Given the disparity in rank and experience, Yoruichi could only describe her handsome subordinate's performance as remarkable.

Of course, I'd expect nothing less, she thought with a proud smile as she watched the Uchiha prodigy calmly fend off a cyclone of slashes from Mashiro, Itachi… I knew you'd take to the Blade Dancer Festival well!

Apparently, she wasn't the only one that thought so, at least not if the gravelly male voice that spoke from behind her was any indication. "Well, now… he really is a natural. No wonder you're so taken with him."

Her smile grew; she knew that voice. Sure enough, when she turned around, the sight that greeted her was quite the familiar one. Towering over her by at least a full two heads and quite likely a bit more, Kiemon Shihōin was an imposing figure even in his advancing years. Wearing a simple light blue robe opened to expose quite a bit of his chest, the old man's frame was definitely on the lean side, and his light brown skin had more than a few wrinkles, but Yoruichi wasn't about to let that fool her; the katana with the black handle and obsidian flower-like hilt that hung at his side was definitely not just for show, after all. Long ago, his hair had been blacker than a raven's feathers, but it had lost the battle with time and was now fully grey. He wore it well, though, and Yoruichi had always been a fan of both his topknot, mustache and long goatee. What she liked even more, though, was the warm smile on his face and the mischievous light in his brown eyes. Whenever she'd been down as a kid and he had come to visit, that same smile had always brightened her day.

"Grandfather!" she cheered, tossing decorum to the wind and leaping up to throw her arms over his shoulders, "You made it!"

Kiemon chuckled as he playfully ruffled her hair a bit, and Yoruichi could feel the tip of his goatee brush against her forehead. "I felt the Seireitei had gone too long without my presence, so I decided I'd put in an appearance! Getting to see my favorite grandchild and the Blade Dancer Festival are a nice bonus."

Yoruichi suspected that there was more to it than that, but she wouldn't press the matter now; if her grandfather had pressing business that involved her, he'd let her know in due time. "It's so good to see you again! How's grandmother?"

Kiemon smirked as she released him. "Oh, as feisty as ever! I tried to talk her into coming out here with me, but she wouldn't have it. I don't think anything will convince her to come back to the Seireitei at this point, although I suppose I can't blame her there. She does send her regards, though, and would very much like to know when you plan on coming out to visit again."

Yoruichi smiled. "As soon as I can. I wish I could be more specific, but I'm afraid the past year or so has been a busy one, and things don't look to be dying down anytime soon."

There was a knowing look in her grandfather's eyes. "The ripples from your excursion to the east last year are still flowing outwards, eh? I suppose that's to be expected, given what was discovered."

Yoruichi shook her head. "I'd rather not focus on that right now. I was hoping to get away from that for a bit tonight."

Kiemon nodded. "Very well, then. I'd hate to spoil an occasion like the Blade Dancer Festival for you. We can save talk of your work for another time."

"How long are you going to be in the Seireitei?" she asked.

Kiemon smiled. "Perhaps a few weeks or so. There are some old acquaintances I've been meaning to catch up with…"

His gaze then shifted past her. "…and a few new faces I was hoping to observe."

Turning around, Yoruichi saw that her grandfather was focusing on the duel unfolding in the ring. Or, to be more specific…

…on Itachi.

"I must confess," said Kiemon as Itachi fended off a whirling series of slashes from Mashiro, "when you first mentioned that young man in one of your letters all those years ago, I was rather curious as to how a newly arrived soul could leave such an impression upon my granddaughter. When practically every letter you sent since then also included his name at least once or twice, it only served to further pique my interest. That's part of the reason I decided to journey out here; to see for myself the young man that's captured your attention. I have to admit, he's certainly talented."

Yoruichi grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that. He's become my new favorite sparring partner, and his abilities are still growing. I don't know where he'll ultimately end up, but I can say this much; the Soul Society's only getting a taste tonight of what he's capable of."

Kiemon chuckled, and there was a mischievous light in his eyes. "Quite proud of your new protégé, aren't you? Good! False modesty would be unbecoming of you. It's impressive that he can dance with a Lieutenant like this… I can't wait to see how he'll fare against you tonight."

Yoruichi knew that there was no point in hiding her desire for just such a match. "That makes two of us."

"Eager to test your protégé, or is there something more to it than that?" her grandfather asked, giving her a surprisingly piercing look.

Yoruichi actually felt a slight rush of heat to her face as she watched Itachi deflect strikes from Mashiro. "I… I'm not sure."

Kiemon laughed. "It's been a long time since I've seen you flustered, granddaughter! I'd say your interest in that young man is more than just professional, if you take my meaning."

He's not wrong, Inazuma On'na chimed in, and don't even try to deny it.

"That… is something for me to sort out," she said carefully, taking great pains to keep her eyes on Itachi and pointedly avoiding her grandfather's gaze, "Should he qualify for a dance with me tonight, I suspect I'll make some progress on that front."

"He'll have to fight more than one Lieutenant tonight if you want the judges to give him a shot at you," Kiemon pointed out, "Looks like he's got old Sasakibe for his observer this round. Not an easy man to impress."

Yoruichi smirked. "No, but this wouldn't be his first time evaluating Itachi. Hell, he actually went toe-to-toe with him in Hakuda several years ago and held his own."

"The evaluation after the soul fracture incident," said Kiemon, "I remember you mentioning that to me in one of your letters. That will only have raised Sasakibe's expectations for him, although the impression it would've left will definitely help here."

Yoruichi certainly hoped it would. Turning her attention towards the observation platform, her eyes narrowed as she studied the Squad One Lieutenant. It was tough to get a read on him, and it wasn't because of the distance; Sasakibe could be almost as inscrutable as the Head Captain when he really put his mind to it. Yoruichi knew that he took his duties as a judge for the Blade Dancer Festival quite seriously, which meant that he would avoid giving any hint as to his true feelings regarding a fight until the time to render his verdict came. Sure enough, the only cues Yoruichi could discern were his narrowed eyes and furrowed brow as the duel played out before him.

Just the fact that he's the one observing this duel should go a long way, she thought, although, in the end, it all really depends on Itachi…

There was no formal rule against a Captain asking a lower-ranked officer for a dance, but if said officer held a position below that of Lieutenant then it would definitely raise some eyebrows. The question of whether or not there was an ulterior motive would usually arise, and in the past, it wasn't exactly unheard of for some Captains to use such matches as little more than exercises for their own vanity. On the other hand, a lower-ranking officer asking a Captain for a dance, while unusual and also eyebrow-raising, was at least typically seen as an act of considerable boldness and courage. Such a dance might not always be approved by the judges, but even if they didn't allow it, they would at least commend the bravery of the one making the invitation and even offer words of advice on how to qualify for such a bout in the future.

That was all well and good, but in the end, it rested upon one simple question; would Itachi ask Yoruichi for a dance? For all the remarkable ability and talent that he'd shown since the night they'd met, not to mention how far he'd come in a relatively short amount of time, this was still a rather imposing challenge. Simply impressing the judges enough to be allowed such an indulgence in the first place would be quite the feat, yet even that didn't matter if he didn't extend her an invitation to begin with. Sure, Yoruichi could ask him, informal tradition be damned; it wouldn't be the first time she'd gone against the Soul Society's cultural norms, after all. Yet, for a reason she struggled to comprehend, that wasn't the way she wanted this to play out.

Playing the part of a princess waiting for her knight to make the first move isn't like you, the spirit of her Zanpakutō noted as Yoruichi watched Itachi go on the offensive and push Mashiro back across the ring, nor is worrying about how others will react to actions you take while you're off duty. You clearly want a dance with this young man, so ask him. It really is that simple… and I have a hard time imagining him saying no.

True, but… it'd feel like I'd be forcing the issue. This is his first Blade Dancer Festival, and I want him to enjoy it without feeling any sort of outside pressure. Besides, I'm sure he's also aware of the potential… well, let's call them personal implications that can come with a dance depending on one's partner.

You mean the fact that these bouts can often become forms of courtship? Pardon the pun, but you're dancing around the real issue here. You're not just looking to test your protégé; your training matches are a much better venue for that, and the two of you partake in them several times a week. You know where his skills stand at the moment better than anyone else in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, with the possible exception of Shisui. No, you're looking to see what sparks will fly between you when you're out there in the ring, and I'm not talking about the ones that'll be ignited when your blades clash!

Yoruichi knew that Inazuma On'na was right. In the seven years since she'd first met Itachi, it was impossible to deny how fond of him she'd become. He'd gone from a promising recruit to an invaluable subordinate in such a short amount of time, but he was fast becoming something else altogether. A protégé? Without a doubt, but there was more to it than that. A close friend? Yes, but even that seemed to be short-changing it.

Her grandfather was right; her interest in Itachi was definitely more than just professional. Their bond had deepened considerably since he'd joined Squad Two, and deep down, Yoruichi knew what had been the tipping point.

The day he'd told her the truth about his bloodstained past.

Looking past Itachi and Mashiro as they continued their entertaining clash, Yoruichi saw her Thirteenth Seat's mother at the front of the crowd on the opposite side of the ring. The glowing smile on Mikoto's face was that of a proud parent admiring her son, and to any outside observer it would've just been that. However, with her knowledge of the dreadful tragedy that had befallen their family all those years ago, Yoruichi could see what the rest of the crowd could not. This was more than just Mikoto cheering on Itachi; it was that of a mother desperate to make up for all the time that had been stolen from the two of them on that horrific night.

A son forced to kill his family for the sake of peace, weeping as his parents encouraged him to do the deed and complete his mission…

…Yoruichi could not think of a more heart wrenching nightmare, yet for Itachi and Mikoto, it had been their final moments together before fourteen years of exile and wandering, one alive and one dead.

While Yoruichi dearly wished that the two of them had been spared such a traumatic event, she could not deny that just how drawn to Itachi she'd felt after learning what had transpired. The reports from the Stealth Force members observing the Academy regarding his nights spent meditating and walking outside the student dormitories had been hints at a dark past haunting him, but finally learning the truth was something else entirely. That day in the secret training grounds over a year ago… that had been when things had begun to truly change, although Yoruichi hadn't realized it at the time.

So, just what did she really feel for the incredibly handsome, remarkably talented and tragically fated young man dueling with Squad Nine's Lieutenant under the light of Kūkaku's brilliant fireworks and the luminous full moon up above? Yoruichi couldn't say for sure, but she wanted to find out. She wouldn't deny that she was drawn to Itachi in a way that she'd never been with anyone else; even her longtime best friend Kisuke would have a hard time competing there. It wasn't just her own feelings that she wanted to explore, though, and that was why she didn't want to be the one asking Itachi for a dance. She wanted him to ask her, because she suspected that her feelings might just be mutual on his part, but she didn't want to force him to act prematurely.

Itachi…

…how do you see me?

Yoruichi was no fool; she'd gotten more than her share of lustful looks from men before, along with more than a few from women as well. It was usually pretty easy to tell when someone was into her, but Itachi wasn't like the others. Unless it was just the two of them and he felt he could let his guard down, most of the time he kept his true feelings to himself and didn't easily let on to what he was really thinking. She thought she'd detected some interest from him on and off over the years, but it had always just been hints. After his confession to her in the secret training ground, not to mention the mission to Menar Issilaya… well, things had changed.

She wanted to believe that he felt something, that he could potentially see her as more than just his commanding officer or a friend. The signs were there, or at least she thought they were. He'd become much more comfortable around her over the past year, and had taken to casually discussing parts of his past life during the breaks in their training sessions. Their sparring matches were something that he clearly enjoyed, and while it was subtle, Yoruichi hadn't failed to notice that he approached them with a different sort of energy when compared to those she'd observed him partaking in with Shisui or Visaelya. While he still remained composed during their bouts, there was an underlying passion that had only become apparent recently. Of course, it could've simply been his hunger to test himself against her and further improve his abilities, but Yoruichi felt that there was more to it than that.

If Yoruichi was reading him right and he really did feel something more for her, she knew that she had to tread carefully. Of all the heartbreak that was involved in the fall of the Uchiha Clan, what Itachi had done to Izumi had struck Yoruichi as one of the saddest parts of it all. He hadn't outright said that he'd loved her, but the clear guilt and sorrow he'd shown when he'd spoken of how he'd ended her life was all Yoruichi needed to know that he had certainly felt something for her. Her passing had been downright gentle when compared to the rest of the Uchiha Clan, and Yoruichi knew that had been deliberate on Itachi's part. The young man hadn't said as much, but Yoruichi was willing to bet that he had avoided any future romantic prospects since then in no small part because of what had happened between him and Izumi. Itachi could play the part of the cool and aloof Shinobi turned Soul Reaper all he wanted, and for the most part it was true, yet when it came to matters of the heart Yoruichi could sense clear vulnerability.

That was why she didn't feel comfortable forcing things tonight. She would let things flow naturally and give him the opportunity to make the first move. Of course, she had no way of knowing if he would do what she hoped he would, but what she was seeing so far tonight gave her cause for optimism. Here he was, already throwing down with a Lieutenant and making a damn good showing of it. Rija had already come to tell her about her earlier match with Itachi, and her Fourteenth Seat had dropped a few not-so-subtle hints that the young man had rather a rather ambitious goal for his first Blade Dancer Festival. It wasn't hard to connect the dots, and Yoruichi was growing more confident in the conclusion she'd drawn the longer she watched Itachi's fight with Mashiro.

Going straight from dueling a Fourteenth Seat to a Lieutenant is quite the leap, she thought with a smile as she saw Mashiro leap into the air again, flipping over Itachi and coming down behind him as he whirled around to intercept her ensuing strikes, Ambitious, to say the least. Itachi… you're definitely on the right track.

Would the path he was on right now culminate in the invitation that she so dearly wished for? There was only one way to find out, and that was to watch and wait. At least she'd be entertained while doing so; Itachi and Mashiro were making sure of that.

"You've become awfully quiet," Kiemon teased with a mischievous smirk, "Something on your mind? Or, perhaps, someone?"

Yoruichi allowed herself a small laugh as she watched Itachi counter and go back on the offensive, driving Mashiro back towards the center of the ring with a sequence of fluid and graceful slashes. "Do you really have to ask, grandfather?"

Kiemon chuckled. "I suppose not."

Her smile grew as she kept her gaze firmly on Itachi. The night was young, and her handsome protégé's first Blade Dancer Festival had only just begun. He had the ability to make it a memorable one, and so far, he seemed intent on doing exactly that. Yoruichi would let him enjoy himself and experience it at his own pace. He'd earned the right to that, and certainly a good deal more.

….

Mashiro was having a ball.

Even as Itachi pressed his attack and pushed her back, the beaming smile she'd worn since the start of the duel still didn't leave her face. If anything, it had only grown as her opponent had proven to her just how dangerous it was to underestimate his abilities. Mashiro knew at least a couple of Lieutenants who could learn a thing or two from the level of Zanjutsu prowess he was displaying, and she was eager to experience more of it here and now.

In the past, it had actually proven to be rather difficult for Mashiro to find partners at the Blade Dancer Festival. Apart from Captain Muguruma and Mashiro's fellow Lieutenants, there were surprisingly few Soul Reapers willing to step into the ring with her. When she'd asked Kensei about it one year, her Captain had replied that the exuberance she displayed during the bouts probably had something to do with it. The frenetic energy behind her Zanjutsu could actually be quite intimidating, although her Captain had reassured her that he didn't think that was a bad thing. It simply meant that the Soul Reapers who were willing to square off with her were more courageous than most, and that was a good indicator they were partners Mashiro would be able to cut loose with and have some real fun.

When she had seen Thirteenth Seat Uchiha dueling Fourteenth Seat Usorba, she had dared to hope that she'd found one of those rare junior officers who possessed both the boldness and the skill to compete with her. Her hopes had been well-founded, and she was now having the kind of bout that the Blade Dancer Festival was truly created for. None of the grim kill-or-be-killed mentality that characterized field operations against Hollows, no cries for help from wounded comrades to distract her, and no need to worry about new orders or interference from unexpected variables. It was a fun and carefree clash with a colleague, enhanced by a splendid backdrop of brilliant fireworks and the luminescent moonlight, and Mashiro was loving every second of it.

It was hard to believe that her opponent was only a Thirteenth Seat. With the way Itachi was fighting her, Mashiro would've assumed he was a Lieutenant that simply forgot to wear his badge. He was attacking her with the confidence of a seasoned Soul Reaper, not intimidated in the least by the difference in rank between them. Occasionally he'd leap over her, flipping for the crowd before coming down to strike from behind, but for the most part he seemed content to leave the acrobatics to her. With his current offensive he wasn't indulging in any fancy jumps or spins, instead simply driving her across the ring with sequences of whirling slashes that flowed seamlessly into each other. Itachi was definitely the one dictating the rhythm of the fight now, and Mashiro was dancing to the tune he called.

It would've been quite a stretch to say that she'd seen this day coming from the moment she'd met him after the Academy entrance exams all those years ago, but Mashiro had definitely been hoping for something along these lines. The fact that both Itachi and Jiraiya had drawn the attention of two Captains during a scuffle with a Hollow before even enrolling in the Academy had spoken to their potential, and their entrance exams results had only proven that the two of them would be Soul Reapers to keep an eye on. Their short careers since then had already borne out those expectations, and Mashiro's only regret was that Itachi had come into his own as a Soul Reaper in Squad Nine rather than Squad Two. It wasn't all bad, though; she at least got to see Jiraiya on a fairly regular basis since Squad Nine's Seireitei News Magazine section was publishing his books, and the white-haired member of Squad Eight was always good for a friendly laugh. Still, Itachi had left arguably a bigger initial impression, and Mashiro had no problem admitting that his looks were a large part of that.

If she'd thought he was handsome back then, that had nothing on what she was seeing tonight. Him weaving his blade through the air with the grace and speed of a master swordsman as he bore down on her was easily enough to get her heart pumping, and good a deal more. That, combined with the cool yet intense energy in his onyx eyes as he focused his efforts on giving her one of the fiercest duels she could recall in recent memory, made her downright giddy even as he had her firmly on the defensive. She could definitely see why Yoruichi had pulled out all the stops to recruit him into Squad Two, and she couldn't help but be more than a little jealous of her for that. At least she'd managed to swing a bout with Itachi at the Blade Dancer Festival before Yoruichi could. Mashiro had that going for her, and she was going to milk it for all that it was worth.

Having driven her almost to the edge of the ring, Itachi spun his blade around him in an elegant flourish at the conclusion of his latest sequence of strikes. Mashiro took that as her cue to spring back onto the offensive, and she did so with gusto. Lunging forward, she launched into a series of broad swings, letting her excitement carry her away as she started to push Itachi back across the arena.

She wished that she could've thrown some Hakuda into the mix just to see how Itachi would respond, but Mashiro wasn't looking to have her match thrown for breaking the rules. Even when limited just to Zanjutsu, there was quite a bit that she could do to spice things up and test her partner. She varied the level of her swings, going high and low, horizontal and diagonal, all to keep Itachi on his toes. His deflections and parries remained were precise and smooth; it would take a lot more than what she was currently throwing at him to put him off balance. Mashiro was more than willing to deliver on that.

She pulled back her blade just for a moment before lunging forward, spinning through the air in a horizontal cyclone with her Zanpakutō at the tip. Mashiro was now a Soul Reaper doing an impromptu impression of an airborne drill, and if that didn't throw Itachi of his game then she didn't know what would. Of course, it was a bit hard to focus on the look on his face while she was spinning so rapidly, but she had at least enough control to stay on target.

Her unconventional maneuver didn't have the effect she'd hoped for, though. In a single fluid motion, Itachi pivoted on his left foot and spun around, not only deftly dodging her outright but flowing seamlessly into his counterattack. Mashiro hit the ground and rolled, dodging his blade by barely more than a few millimeters. She came up to her feet quickly enough, but Itachi was firmly on the defensive, his Zanpakutō darting through the air like a hummingbird and pecking at her defenses with a series of swift thrusts. He had picked up the pace, and Mashiro could sense that he wanted to bring this duel to its climax.

Happy to oblige him, Mashiro worked to match his tempo. Her Zanpakutō whirled around her as she parried his blows, and all the while he was driving her back across the ring. They came to the center of the arena a few seconds later, and it was there that Mashiro decided to make her stand. Refusing to backpedal any further, she instead spun on her feet with the grace of a ballerina, her sword impacting Itachi's in a series of rapid hits as she sped up with each rotation. The crowd cheered as fresh blossoms of purple and green fire bloomed overhead, and Mashiro knew that the end was near.

Bringing her sword around for the last rotation, Mashiro intended to strike Itachi across the chest, inflicting a Mark of Contact to end the duel. However, Itachi ducked beneath her sword at the last possible moment before thrusting his Zanpakutō forward and up. The tip of his blade nicked her left cheek, and Mashiro's eyes widened as she felt a very small trickle of blood come down her face.

"Match!" Lieutenant Sasakibe called out, "Thirteenth Seat Uchiha wins through Mark of Contact!"

I don't believe it, she thought as she slowly lowered her blade in shock, I…

...I actually lost?

For his part, Itachi carefully pulled back his sword and sheathed it before bowing. "Very well done, Lieutenant Kuna. That was quite a thrilling match."

Mashiro would normally pout on defeat, but she couldn't bring herself to do that here. The match had been thrilling, and Itachi had performed above and beyond her expectations. She'd put her best face forward here; she didn't want to spoil the moment, after all.

"You bet it was!" she chirped, smiling as the Squad Four member monitoring the match came forward to heal the cut on her cheek, "You've really grown, Itachi… and I told you to call me Mashiro, remember? Man, now I really wish we'd managed to get you into Squad Nine…"

Itachi gave her a small smile in return. "My apologies. I'm sure that would've been an interesting career path, but I think I've found my place with Squad Two. Nothing against your unit, of course."

It only took a few seconds of Kaidō to deal with Mashiro's superficial wound before the Squad Four member departed. Mashiro and Itachi then turned towards the observation platform for Sasakibe's verdict. Much to Mashiro's surprise, her fellow Lieutenant was actually smiling.

"A splendid performance, both of you!" Sasakibe congratulated them, "Itachi, your form was superb. For a Thirteenth Seat to best a Lieutenant… your skills have grown remarkably since the last time I observed you. Lieutenant Kuna, that was a most energetic display. As ever, your exuberance made for quite the spectacle. Some of your moves towards the end in particular were quite unique. I can't imagine many others being able to replicate them. Well done to you both. Now, please clear the ring so the next match can begin."

The two of them did so, with Itachi taking the lead. Looking past him, Mashiro saw that he was heading towards Mikoto, who was positively beaming as he approached.

"Itachi, that was wonderful!" she cheered as she embraced her son, "Congratulations!"

"Thank you, mother," Itachi relied as she let him go before nodding at Mashiro, "Lieutenant Kuna… I mean, Mashiro, was quite a skilled partner."

Mikoto turned to Mashiro, her smile still on her face. "I can't argue with that. You were a lot of fun to watch, Mashiro!"

"Aw, thanks!" said Mashiro, blushing slightly, "Glad you enjoyed the show!"

Mikoto then turned to her son. "Itachi, you really should take a break now. Even you need to rest and recuperate a bit, and don't you deny it."

Itachi nodded. "I suppose it would be nice to relax a bit and watch some of the other matches. Perhaps some refreshment would be nice, too."

"I saw a few food stalls earlier that I think would be nice to hit up," Mikoto suggested, "Mashiro, care to join us?"

Mashiro shook her head. "Thanks, but I already ate. I'm going to go find my Captain and bug him for a little bit; without me around, Kensei wouldn't know how to lighten up and enjoy the party!"

"Please give Captain Muguruma my regards," said Itachi, "He has a worthy Lieutenant in you; your skills are more than equal to your rank."

Mashiro grinned. "Thanks, I will! Enjoy the rest of the festival!"

Her smile remained on her face as she watched the two of them head off. Replays of their fight were flashing through her head, and despite the energy she'd exerted in the match, she found that she was already raring to go for another round.

That was a lot of fun, she thought as she set off in search of Kensei, but not before giving one last look over her shoulder at her previous opponent, Itachi, we were right about you all those years ago after the entrance exams. You're definitely going places… I'll have to keep an eye on you!

….

Jiraiya smirked as he fell back, parrying the strikes from his partner as she continued to advance. He'd been pleasantly surprised when Lisa Yadōmaru accepted his invitation for a dance, and had been quite eager to get into the ring with her. As she was the second-in-command of Squad Eight, Jiraiya had run through drills and sparring matches with her before, but he had been curious to see how she'd adapt her fighting style to fit with the customs and traditions of the Blade Dancer Festival.

She certainly hadn't disappointed him, that was for sure. As she continued her advance, she kept Jiraiya on his toes through a mix of tightly grouped thrusts and low sweeps, constantly changing things up to avoid becoming predictable. She favored a one-handed grip on her Zanpakutō, and one of her more interesting tricks was switching between her right and left hands, often doing so in what appeared to be mid-strike, only for the actual attack to come from a completely different angle. As far as Jiraiya could tell, she was equally skilled with both hands, and the way she swapped the sword between each one so easily even in the heat of the fight definitely made her stand out amongst the contestants Jiraiya had seen so far tonight.

She's definitely going to make me work for this one, he thought as he deflected a left-handed diagonal slash before Lisa deftly switched back to her right hand for a thrust, but that's to be expected. She's a Lieutenant, after all; she's naturally going to be a few notches above everyone else I've dueled so far tonight.

After his dance with Isane earlier, Jiraiya had grabbed a quick snack with her before the two of them had parted ways. He'd been pleased to see her becoming more comfortable speaking to him; she'd typically been rather flustered and shy whenever he'd visited the Squad Four barracks for his healing practice sessions with Captain Unohana. The match they'd just finished had definitely helped her confidence, and while Jiraiya suspected she'd wanted another round with him, he was more interested in moving up the ladder to stronger opponents. In the end, they'd gone their separate ways amicably enough, and Jiraiya was sure that she'd enjoy the rest of the festival regardless of whether or not she got to step into the ring with him again.

After that, he'd enjoyed a bout with Katya Sokolova, the Sixth Seat of Squad Two. Jiraiya had never actually spoken to her beyond the occasional friendly greeting whenever the two of them had passed by each other while going about their business in the Seireitei, but he had been fortunate enough to witness one of her matches shortly after his bout with Isane. He'd been impressed by her form, and while normally he'd be all for giving a woman who had just fought a chance to rest, the way she'd held herself after her duel told Jiraiya that she had more than enough energy for another round. The Legendary Sannin figured he'd had nothing to lose, and had been pleasantly surprised when she'd accepted his invitation.

It was while they'd been waiting to be assigned a judge that he'd learned the real reason behind why she'd agreed to be his partner for a bout; she was actually a fan of his books. Jiraiya was always pleased whenever he met fellow Soul Reapers that enjoyed his work, and it was even better when said fan was a lovely woman. Their ensuing dance had been quite fun, with Katya proving to be an agile and wily partner. Jiraiya's longer blade had given him the advantage in reach, but Squad Two's Sixth Seat had demonstrated a remarkable deftness with her shorter Zanpakutō, making up for the shorter range her sword gave her with quick and unpredictable moves. Their bout had gone on for quite some time under the discerning gaze of Squad Three's Lieutenant, and while Jiraiya had eventually triumphed by landing a Mark of Contact in the form of a small cut on his opponent's left leg, the match had actually been a close thing.

You gave me quite the little workout, Sixth Seat Sokolova, he mused with a confident smile while parrying a strike from Lisa, I owe you my thanks; it helped me warm up for this bout nicely.

Lisa had always set a fierce pace in their sparring matches, and she had brought that to the Blade Dancer Festival as well. With the contestants being limited to Zanjutsu, though, it did mean that she'd been forced to deviate from her typical fighting style. Jiraiya was used to her mixing in Hakuda and Hohō whenever they'd clashed at Squad Eight's training grounds, so in a way, the bout they were having now was a bit easier than what he typically experienced with her. Sure, it also meant that Jiraiya couldn't use any of the ninjutsu that he'd been practicing and trying to restore since coming to the Soul Society, but it also meant that he didn't have to worry about Lisa's kicks or Shunpo. However, with her focus now entirely on clashing with him utilizing only Zanjutsu, her swordplay had definitely kicked up a notch when compared to their normal training matches.

Of course, Jiraiya wouldn't have it any other way. The small but confident smirk on the Lieutenant's face as she drove him across the ring was all he needed to see to know that she was enjoying herself. If nothing else, Jiraiya liked to think of himself as a gentleman, which meant that he had a responsibility to treat the ladies to a good time. That obligation was clearly fulfilled, which meant that he really ought to be focusing now on figuring out how to win the match while still putting on a suitable show for the crowd.

Too bad I can't let fly with a Rasengan or use one of my hair-manipulating jutsus in a match like this, he thought with a smirk while redirecting a thrust from Lisa, I bet either of those would get a cheer or two from the audience. Oh, well. I'll just have to rely good old-fashioned skill to win their favor.

He had plenty of that, and it had been growing steadily over the past year. Lisa was one of his favorite sparring partners, but she wasn't the only one; Squad Eight was full of talented Soul Reapers, and Jiraiya never lacked for someone willing to throw down in the training yard. Captain Kyōraku had been particularly helpful in that regard, although his matches had always come with the condition that Jiraiya offer up another hint as to the plot of his next book. Given the reward that was sparring with the only Soul Reaper in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads whose Zanpakutō's sealed state was two blades instead of one, Jiraiya considered providing teasers for his next novel to be a very small price to pay.

The Blade Dancer Festival was the perfect venue to show off just how far his Zanjutsu had come since then, and while Lisa was certainly obliging him in that regard, she was hardly about to let him walk all over her. Even as Jiraiya parried another thrust from her and counterattacked, the look of resolve in her eyes was as strong as ever. She would let him prove that he could match her in the ring, but if he wanted to give the crowd a surprise by actually winning the round, then he'd have to pull out all the stops.

He drove her back, utilizing a combination of powerful two-handed strikes while occasionally switching to a single-handed grip for faster and wider swings to mix things up. She actually gave him a small nod of approval while deflecting his blows, something that Jiraiya would definitely take as a good sign. It wasn't enough to just get recognition for his skills, though; he had to keep things entertaining, after all.

Deciding to spice things up a bit, Jiraiya figured he'd flatter his partner with a bit of imitation. He feinted to make a low sweep with the blade in his right hand, but at the last moment he deftly switched it over to his left and made a thrust. Lisa was able to parry the strike, but the way her eyes widened ever so slightly was all Jiraiya needed to know that he'd achieved his goal of surprising her. He immediately switched back to a two-handed grip for an overhand strike. While Jiraiya had trained to be able to use both hands in a fight as both a Shinobi and a Soul Reaper, his right had always been the dominant one, and that remained as true in death as it had in life. He wasn't nearly as comfortable pulling off Lisa's hand-switching technique repeatedly with his Zanpakutō as she was, but he could settle for throwing it in every once in a while, just to keep her guessing.

Not as flashy a trick as some of the others I've seen tonight, he mused as he shifted back to using just his right hand for a series of slashes, but it's good for something. What do you think…

…Lieutenant?

….

Using my own moves against me, Lisa thought with a small smile as parried a slash from Jiraiya, I must admit, Jiraiya, you're putting in a very strong performance tonight…

If imitation was the highest form of flattery, then Lisa would definitely consider herself flattered. Of course, that didn't mean she was about to slack off; she still very much wanted to be the one to come out on top at the end of this little spectacle, after all. Jiraiya would have to do more than just throw one of her techniques back at her if he wanted to snag the win.

To his credit, Jiraiya did seem to be well aware of that. The vast majority of the duel had been him fighting in his own style rather than mimicking hers, and he'd done very well. In fact, Lisa had actually found herself working harder in their current match than she had in previous bouts with officers of considerably higher rank than Jiraiya. It was hard to remember that Jiraiya had only been with Squad Eight for a year and some change; the level of skill he displayed in Zanjutsu alone could put many more seasoned officers to shame.

As another salvo of fireworks went off above and bathed the plaza in red and yellow light, Lisa found herself firmly on the backfoot. Jiraiya didn't seem to be moving to bring the match to a close just yet, but he was definitely stepping up his aggression. Continuing to mix two-handed power strikes with one-handed slashes and thrusts, he was gradually increasing the pace of the duel.

At the same time, though, he clearly hadn't forgotten that one of the main purposes of the bout was to put on a show for the crowd and the judges rather than simply go for the win. When he made a low attack, occasionally he'd allow his sword to actually strike the floor of the plaza itself and send up some sparks. Another amusing gesture she noticed was him sometimes exaggeratedly moving his head back and forth, allowing his long white hair to fly all around him. It certainly made for an interesting display, but Lisa had to wonder if it might get their match ended prematurely; if he used his hair to obstruct his movements and give himself an edge, that would run counter to the purpose of the Blade Dancer Festival being a celebration of Zanjutsu.

She chanced a quick look at Lieutenant Ōtoribashi as she parried a thrust from Jiraiya, trying to gauge their judge's reaction. He actually had an amused smile on his face, and he certainly didn't seem like he was about to step in and disqualify Jiraiya for his interesting choice in performative technique. That brief glance was all Lisa could afford though; with her partner bearing down on her, the duel really did demand her concentration.

As Jiraiya continued to drive her back, it struck Lisa that he was taking this duel more seriously than she had expected. Sure, he'd always fought hard in their training matches, but even then, he'd always maintained a humored air about him, and the Lieutenant had often wondered if he saw their sparring sessions as merely a form of entertainment rather than serious practice. While the confident smirk he'd worn when they'd begun tonight's bout still hadn't left his face and he was still trying to play things up for the crowd as tradition demanded, there was a quiet intensity in his gaze that Lisa hadn't seen before. Sure, he was definitely enjoying himself and milking the festival for all it was worth, but for some reason she couldn't quite place, it felt like he was also trying to accomplish something beyond simply putting on a good show, or even defeating her.

He may have an ulterior motive in this fight, she mused, although it's hard to say exactly what that might be.

If Jiraiya had an agenda apart from merely partaking in the festivities, Lisa doubted he'd be so generous as to tell her what that was in the middle of the match. As she continued to fall back under his offensive, she figured that now would be a poor time to distract herself with such thoughts; it wouldn't do for her subordinate to defeat her just because her mind was elsewhere, after all. Deflecting a diagonal slash, Lisa flipped her Zanpakutō over from her right hand to the left and countered with a thrust aimed squarely at Jiraiya's chest. The move disrupted his momentum, allowing Lisa to halt his progress and retake the initiative.

She decided to up the tempo of the duel and launched into a blindingly fast sequence of whirling slashes. Tossing her sword back and forth between right and left hands to increase the variability in her attacks along with the theatrical value, she was practically bouncing on her heels as she drove Jiraiya back across the ring. With the spring of a gazelle in each step, she weaved circles and figure-eights through the air with her Zanpakutō while she pressed her advantage. In the past, other partners that weren't her Captain or one of her fellow Lieutenants would've been intimidated by such a display of grace and skill. Not Jiraiya, though. If anything, the smirk on his face actually grew into a smile, and the energy in his gaze hadn't diminished in the slightest.

Soon the two of them were back in the middle of the ring, but when Lisa tried to push Jiraiya back further, he wouldn't budge. His feet were now practically rooted to where they stood, and Lisa found that his style had shifted now to one of absolute defense. He had shifted to a firm two-handed grip on his Zanpakutō, with his deflections and parries minimizing both exposure and movement. From the look in his eyes, Lisa suspected that he was ready to bring the duel to a close.

I suppose we have been going for quite a while now, she thought, All good things must come to an end at some point…

If Jiraiya was going to play the part of an implacable boulder now, then Lisa would be the water that flowed around and eroded it. She went low first, aiming at his legs only for her strike to be picked off, but that was fine; she'd been planning on that. With Jiraiya's blade angled downward, he was exposed up top, and Lisa swept her blade upwards in an attempt to slash him across his chest. Unfortunately for her, Jiraiya was able to dodge simply by bending backwards, albeit it was a very close thing. Lisa tried to bring her blade back down in a follow-up attack, but her earlier missed shot had given Jiraiya the second he needed to shift his sword back into a middle guard position and deflect her blow.

Rather than immediately attack again, this time Lisa rolled to the right before swinging her sword in an attempt to cut Jiraiya's leg. However, Jiraiya smoothly pivoted and brought his blade around to parry her strike. Refusing to let up, Lisa made another slash at Jiraiya's torso, but her subordinate's defense remained practically airtight as he intercepted the attack. Before he could counter, Lisa leapt high into the air. As she came down, she attempted to strike Jiraiya across the back, but he smoothly whirled around without missing a beat. What followed next was a brutally hard swing before she even hit the ground, and even though she was able to bring her Zanpakutō into something resembling a passable guard position, the force of the blow combined with the fact that Lisa couldn't properly brace herself was enough to actually knock her sword out of hands. Her eyes widened in stunned disbelief as her feet hit the ground less than a second after her blade did, and the tip of Jiraiya's Zanpakutō came to rest just a centimeter in front of her face.

No way…

Jiraiya…

…actually beat me?

She got her confirmation a moment later in the form of Lieutenant Ōtoribashi's announcement. "Match! Sixteenth Seat Jiraiya wins through disarming Lieutenant Yadōmaru!"

Jiraiya sheathed his sword and held out his hand as the crowd cheered while blue and white fireworks burst overhead. "Nicely done, Lieutenant! Almost had me there a couple times."

Somehow, I doubt that, Lisa mused with a smirk as she allowed Jiraiya to help her to her feet, Jiraiya, I knew your Zanjutsu had been improving this past year, but I failed to appreciate the true extent of that growth. It seems I'll have to keep a closer eye on you going forward…

"I appreciate the kind words," she said as she picked up and sheathed her Zanpakutō, "I must admit, going into this match, I thought it would end the other way around. Jiraiya, very well fought. This was quite an enjoyable bout."

Jiraiya gave her a playful wink. "Glad you think so! Wonder how our esteemed judge feels about it?"

"Let's find out," she replied as the two of them turned to face the observation platform.

She saw Lieutenant Ōtoribashi smile. "An excellent duel, both of you! Jiraiya, congratulations on the upset win. You have a well-rounded and versatile form, and you applied it quite well here. Lisa, that was quite an entertaining performance. Always thrilling to watch, although you may have been a bit overly-aggressive towards the end. Well done, regardless. Now, please clear the arena so we can get the next bout underway."

One more cheer rang out from the crowd before Jiraiya and Lisa stepped out of the ring. Despite her loss, Lisa found herself in high spirits. It had been a fun match, and Jiraiya's surprising win was actually good for Squad Eight as a whole; word would get out that the unit had another talented swordsman amongst its ranks. Overall, it had been quite the productive duel.

"So, what's next?" asked Jiraiya, wearing his usual friendly smirk, "Got any big plans, Lieutenant?"

Lisa shrugged. "A quick drink, then I suppose I ought to go check up on the Captain. I do hope he hasn't gotten himself completely shitfaced yet."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Yeah, might be a good idea to look into that. Want me to come with? Wouldn't be the first time I helped you haul his ass back to the barracks after a night of partying!"

Lisa rolled her eyes. "You mean those few times when you weren't passed out right alongside him? If I recall correctly, you were still stumbling pretty badly even then. I'm pretty sure I had to do most of the work."

Jiraiya laughed. "Got me there! What can I say? Our Captain knows how to party, and so do I!"

Lisa couldn't help but smile at that. "Yes, you two certainly do. I think I can handle the Captain by myself tonight. Nanao came along tonight, and with any luck the Captain's exercised perhaps a modicum of restraint for her sake. Besides, it's your first Blade Dancer Festival, and I don't want you to miss out on anything because of me. Go grab some refreshments, find another dance partner, or watch a match; whatever strikes your fancy."

"Don't mind if I do," said Jiraiya, "Thanks for going that round with me. That was definitely different from our training sessions back at the barracks. A lot of fun. We should do that again next year."

Lisa nodded, her smile growing ever so slightly. "I'd like that. Enjoy the rest of the festival, Jiraiya. I'll see you around."

….

Visaelya sighed in contentment as she took a sip of tea. "Ah, this is wonderful! I'll have to go back later for seconds."

"I hope they don't run out," said Shisui as he took a look over at the stall they'd just departed, "They're really pulling in the business tonight."

Visaelya smiled. "Of course, they are. Look at the crowd! Apart from the rings they cleared for the matches, the plaza's practically jammed packed with people tonight. The Head Captain must be pleased."

Visaelya knew that the Blade Dancer Festival was one of the most popular annual events in the Seireitei, but she'd never bothered to study the attendance figures. She didn't think anyone kept track of the exact number of people that showed up, but surely someone would make rough estimates to record for posterity. Tonight, it felt extremely lively, and she wondered if this was a normal crowd or an exceptionally large one.

I suppose I can try to hunt down a source on that some other time, she thought as she glanced at her companion, I've got more important things to think about tonight.

After their initial bout, Visaelya had expected her and Shisui to part ways for a while, but she'd been pleasantly surprised when he'd asked her to join him in checking out more of the festival vendors and generally just wandering about the plaza. They'd watched quite a few matches together as well, and Visaelya had loved every minute of it. She'd always pictured attending her first Blade Dancer Festival as a Soul Reaper would entail a series of back-to-back matches, but the much more relaxed pace she found herself in with Shisui was proving to be quite enjoyable.

Unfortunately, she hadn't gotten Shisui exclusively to herself tonight. Both of them had each fielded an invitation for a dance from another Soul Reaper; Visaelya had gone a round with Fourteenth Seat Rija, while Shisui had partaken in a bout with Eighteenth Seat Aika. Visaelya had ultimately been disarmed in her match, although she was still proud of how long she'd lasted before her defeat. As for Shisui, he'd naturally won against Aika, although Visaelya knew enough about his skill in Zanjutsu to understand that he'd gone easy on her to allow her the chance to shine for a while in the spotlight before the match had come to a close. Apart from those brief interruptions, though, the night had mostly consisted of her and Shisui just walking together and enjoying both the party and each other's company.

It was how to make the most of this valuable time together that had Visaelya preoccupied. The two of them had enjoyed some laughs together, not to mention their earlier dance, but apart from that they'd mostly just traded small-talk in between visiting vendors or watching matches. While certainly enjoyable, Visaelya had this nagging feeling that she should be trying for something more.

You're alone with him, she told herself, I mean, sure, there's a crowd, but no one's paying attention to just the two of you. Take advantage of this!

And do…

…what, exactly?

That was the million-Kan question, one that Visaelya had been mulling over for quite some time now. There was little point in denying it; she liked Shisui, and definitely as more than a just a comrade and friend. Sure, him saving her life in their first meeting had provided one hell of a first impression, but enough time had gone by now for Visaelya to understand that what she felt went deeper than just gratitude. Her time training with Shisui as a fellow member of Squad Two, being brought in to his and Itachi's secret mission of searching for other former Shinobi in the Soul Society, slowly learning about him and the Realm of the Living he was from, fighting alongside him out in the field… that was more than enough to build a connection upon, and she definitely felt one with him.

She was drawn to him, and quite strongly at that. What to do about that, though, was the tricky bit. It'd be one thing if she was just an ordinary Soul Reaper, but things weren't that simple. Sure, she was sort of on the outs with her family at the moment, but that didn't change the fact that she was still the eldest daughter of the man in line to take over leadership of the Drakken Clan when that Great Noble House's current ruling patriarch finally kicked the bucket. Once her grandfather passed and her father ascended, Visaelya would be first in line for succession to one of the most powerful families in all of the Soul Society. For now, of course, that was all a long way off. However, it still very much had a bearing on her place in the Soul Society, and that included certain implications for her love life.

This rocky phase with her family would pass sooner or later, and eventually she'd be expected to fully embrace her role as the princess of the Drakken Clan. Sure, she had siblings who theoretically could replace her as the direct heir, but although relations with her family might've been strained it would've been a very drastic step for them to cut her out of the line of succession just because she'd picked a unit the Drakken Clan didn't like. That would've sent serious waves through the Soul Society aristocracy, and her grandfather wasn't one to rock the boat in such a big way without careful deliberation. As far as she knew, she was still first in line to reign over the family after her father, and that came with the very strong likelihood of eventually having to take a spouse for political reasons rather than romantic ones.

Which was something of a problem, given the direction her feelings for Shisui were quite clearly going in.

You're overthinking this, the spirit of her Zanpakutō chimed in, I don't see any problem with acting on your feelings right now. It's going to be a very long time before you'll have to worry about things like the clan succession. You're young, and you need to enjoy yourself while you can. Follow your heart now while you still have that luxury!

If it were a casual fling or tryst, that'd be one thing. I… what I feel with Shisui… I think it goes deeper than that. I could be setting us both up for heartbreak down the line. Besides, I don't even know how he feels about me.

He's spent most of the Blade Dancer Festival with you, hasn't he? I'd say that's a pretty good hint right there as to his feelings. Besides, you're not giving him enough credit. He's an intelligent young man; he's capable of understanding the position you're in and what may be required of you down the line. That hasn't stopped him from spending his time with you tonight rather than making a name for himself in the bouts, has it?

What are you suggesting?

Drop him some hints and see if he bites. Flirt a little! Take a risk and see where it takes you. You have a golden opportunity in front of you; don't let it slip through your fingers. Worry about the future another time. Live in the here and now; I'd say you've earned the right to that much tonight.

Visaelya glanced at Shisui as she took another sip of tea. She supposed that it couldn't hurt. It wasn't like her family was on her case at the moment about who she might have feelings for; they didn't seem to be paying any particular attention to her at all these days, for that matter. She'd already decided to spread her wings and assert her independence by joining Squad Two, so why not enjoy her freedom while she still had it?

It'd be so self-indulgent… so short-sighted…

It'd be natural. It'd be human. Most importantly, it'd be good for you.

Visaelya couldn't help but smile. Maybe, just maybe, the spirit of her Zanpakutō had a point. Her involvement in the family succession was a long way off, and if her clan was ignoring her due to her choosing Squad Two over Squad Ten, then the odds were pretty good that they wouldn't care about who she pursued romantically at the moment. She'd gone down this path because she'd wanted to get out from under the shadow of her family and see what she could accomplish; if she wasn't going to follow her heart now, then what had been the point of defiance to begin with?

"I don't know if I can speak for the Head Captain," said Shisui, giving her a knowing smirk, "but you at least seem pleased with all this. I'm glad; I think you've been overdue for a chance to unwind."

Visaelya raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"I know how hard you've been training when you're not on duty," Shisui replied, "I've been there for most of it, if you recall. Whether it's in our sparring sessions, practicing your Kidō, or asking Itachi and I for more lessons about Shinobi and the Realm of the Living that we're from, you never let up. Your work ethic's incredible, but I've been worried the past few months that you might be overdoing it."

Visaelya shook her head. "I appreciate the concern, but I'm all right. I make sure to get a full-night's sleep, after all."

"There's a difference between simply getting adequate rest and true relaxation," Shisui countered, "The former will suffice most of the time, but without the latter every once in a while, it can be easy to burn yourself out. It's important to recognize when you're nearing that point, otherwise you could end up exhausted while out in the field. I'm pretty sure I don't need to tell you just how badly that could be for both you and your comrades."

Visaelya sighed; he had a point, regardless of how she might try to argue the contrary. "I know, I just… I don't think I was ever really good at that, to be honest."

"Why not?" asked Shisui, "I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but you grew up in luxury. Your family's one of the wealthiest in all of the afterlife; surely you had chances to kick back and relax in an environment like that."

Visaelya took another sip of her tea before responding. "The opportunities were there, to be sure. However, there was a part of me that felt almost guilty about partaking in them. From a young age, my tutors had stressed that I had a great responsibility to do my family proud, and I took it to heart. My days were full of history lessons, physical combat training, spell casting practice, you name it. I became determined to be the ideal heir to the Drakken Clan, and I never considered that there might be other paths to tread until I came to the Academy. Even then, I was stubbornly on the course that I'd been taught was right for me since childhood. I only really began considering new possibilities after becoming friends with Itachi and Jiraiya… and you. Actually… you were the one that really convinced me to broaden my horizons."

Shisui's eyes widened slightly. "Me? I'm flattered, but I think you might be giving me a bit too much credit there."

Visaelya emphatically shook her head. "With all due respect, that couldn't be further from the truth. You were the first one that I felt comfortable enough with to discuss possibly joining a division other than Squad Ten. Itachi and Jiraiya helped out in their own way, but… the one who planted the seed was you. I know it's only been a short time since I graduated and joined Squad Two, but looking back, I'm positive that it's the best choice I could've made. Had I followed my family's desires, perhaps I would've gone far in Squad Ten, and yet… I would've been constantly doubting that any achievements I made were truly my own. Part of me would've always wondered if it was just my family name that was fueling my progress. I would've still fought and trained hard, but that nagging uncertainty would've always been there."

She smiled again as she met his gaze. "Joining Squad Two wasn't easy, but it was right. I know that I still have a long way to go, but I've grown so much, and I can say with confidence that my growth is truly that; mine. I'm not Sixteenth Seat now because the Captain wanted to give me a good starting position due to my family name. I earned that rank through ability and experience. I actually put the work in, and I can say that with complete certainty rather than having any sort of lingering doubts like I would've were I in Squad Ten. I'm on a path now that I know will make a me a stronger Soul Reaper and a better person, and it's all thanks to you, Shisui."

Shisui actually looked down for a moment, and Visaelya was shocked to spot what looked like just the faintest hint of a blush flash across his face. "Man, when you put it like that… still think you're making me out as a bigger hero than I am here, but… well, I definitely appreciate it. Thanks. Glad I could have such a positive influence on you."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you," Visaelya replied, surprising herself by reaching out and gently taking his hand in hers, "Shisui… I wouldn't be who I am today were it not for you, and not just because you saved my life back when we first met. Thank you for all that you've done for me."

Another round of fireworks burst overhead, but neither of them were paying much attention to the pyrotechnic spectacle at the moment. The rest of the Blade Dancer Festival seemed to fade into the background, and Visaelya realized that she was unconsciously moving her face slowly closer to Shisui's. Alarm bells began ringing in her head, with a small part of her mind screaming at her to reconsider what she was about to do, but it was far too late. Shoving her doubts aside with every ounce of courage she could muster, she closed the last few centimeters and her lips met Shisui's in a brief and gentle kiss.

His eyes shot wide open, and for a moment Visaelya feared that she had taken things too far. However, a second later she felt his hand grip hers while his free one moved to the back of her head. This time it was Visaelya's turn for her eyes to widen, but she didn't resist when Shisui pulled her in for a second kiss, this one definitely a little harder and longer than the first. When their lips parted again, she saw that he was smiling, and she couldn't help but do so as well despite of how rapidly her heart was hammering away in her chest from sheer nervousness.

A moment passed before he let her go, stood up, and held out his hand, all the while still smiling at her. "Care for another dance, Visaelya?"

She eagerly accepted and allowed him to pull her to her feet. "I'd love to, Shisui."

She wrapped her arm around his and allowed him to set the pace as the two of them headed for the observation platform. Blue and violet blossoms of fire bloomed overhead, and the crowd continued to cheer both the pyrotechnics above and the displays of Zanjutsu unfolding across the plaza, but to Visaelya they were all just part of the scenery. Right now, all she cared about was savoring the moment with Shisui.

There would be consequences with her acting on her affections, but she would deal with those when the time came. For now, she would follow her heart…

…and she wouldn't let anyone stop her.

….

Jiraiya chuckled as he deflected a series of wild swings from Mashiro. "You're a real bundle of energy, aren't you?"

"You know it!" Squad Nine's Lieutenant chirped as she leapt into the air, unleashing three rapid slashes at Jiraiya as she came down behind him.

Jiraiya had already whirled around to deflect them, and he wasted no time in launching his counterattack. A heavy overhand strike was enough to put Mashiro on the defensive, and Jiraiya swiftly proceeded to drive her back towards the center of the ring. Their duel had been going strong for a decent length of time, and he wanted to push it towards its climax.

It had been quite easy to get Mashiro to agree to a duel; they were on friendly terms thanks to Jiraiya's regular contact with Squad Nine since he got his books published through them. Mashiro herself had admitted to being a fan of his work, and she'd always eagerly read his new manuscripts whenever he brought them by for review. This was the first time he'd actually crossed swords with her, though, and it had definitely proven to be a fun duel so far.

I'll have to ask her if she wants to spar the next time I pay a visit to Squad Nine's barracks, he thought with a smirk as he shifted from two-handed power strikes to precise one-handed thrusts, I like her fighting style. She's definitely got a spring in her step!

As much as he was enjoying the fight, though, Jiraiya knew he needed to get it wrapped up soon. The Blade Dancer Festival was still in full swing, but it had been going for quite some time now, which meant that his window of opportunity was growing smaller. While he had been quite pleased with each of his bouts so far and liked his partners, they were really just stepping stones to Jiraiya's true objective. Once this round was over, he'd make his move, and he could only hope that he'd put on a show sufficiently thrilling to the point that he'd be able to pull off what he had in mind for the night's grand finale.

"Don't get distracted now!" Mashiro taunted as she parried one of Jiraiya's thrust before countering with a low sweep, forcing Jiraiya back on the defensive, "I'm not going to go easy on you just because I like your books, you know?"

Jiraiya grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way!"

He allowed her to hold the initiative for a bit, falling back and parrying her ensuing barrage of broad swings. Letting her push him back before countering would definitely get the crowd psyched for the finale; who didn't love a good comeback, after all? It wasn't often that Jiraiya could apply the knowledge he'd gained as a writer to swordsmanship, but the Blade Dancer Festival duels were unlike any other fights that he'd participated in before, and with as much emphasis on theatricality as winning it allowed an artist like himself to utilize experience and talents that weren't usually considered useful in the context of the martial arts.

Drawing her in, he let Mashiro drive him almost to the boundary of the ring before abruptly halting her offensive with a block and a diagonal slash for a counter. He immediately followed that up with two quick thrusts which put her on the backfoot and gave Jiraiya the opening he needed to advance. Gripping his Zanpakutō in both hands, he launched a withering barrage of overhanded strikes, forcing her to keep falling back in order to bleed off at least some of the strength behind his blows. It wasn't nearly as artful as his moves earlier in the fight had been, but the time had come to put this duel to bed and Jiraiya intended to tuck it in quickly.

Squad Nine's Lieutenant might've been carefree and cheerful, but she was also smart enough to recognize the shift in Jiraiya's demeanor. The renewed focus in her gaze was more than enough to tell him that they were on the same page now, and that meant he couldn't let his guard down. She hadn't been kidding about not going easy on him; even on the defensive, Mashiro demonstrated great skill in keeping Jiraiya's blade at bay.

Soon enough, the two of them were back in the middle of the ring, and Jiraiya wasted no time in making his move. Taking a page out of Lisa's book, he went back to a one-handed grip and made a thrust with his Zanpakutō in his right hand. The strike was aimed at Mashiro's left shoulder, but she was able to deflect the blow. However, as Jiraiya pulled the blade back he suddenly swapped it over to his left hand. Before Mashiro could strike back, Jiraiya thrust his Zanpakutō forward again, and this time his attack was aimed low instead of high. Mashiro tried to bring her sword down to block, but it was too late; Jiraiya's blade slipped past her attempted interception, sliced through her robes and nicked her right thigh. He had the satisfaction of seeing Mashiro's eyes widen dramatically, more from surprise than pain as she realized what had just happened.

"You've got to be kidding me…" he heard her murmur, clearly talking to herself rather than him.

Jiraiya had a witty comeback at the ready, but their judge didn't give him a chance to let it fly; Head Captain Yamamoto's voice boomed over the crowd, somehow managing to outdo even the echoing blasts of fireworks bursting overhead. "Match! Sixteenth Seat Jiraiya wins through Mark of Contact!"

Mashiro sighed as she sheathed her sword while a member of Squad Four came forward to attend to her wound. "Second time tonight… you and Itachi are really good at this, you know?"

Jiraiya smirked. "He beat you too, eh? Well, don't get too down on yourself. We were both pretty renowned fighters back when we were still alive, after all. Besides, I bet you gave him as good a fight as you just gave me, and that's something to be proud of."

Mashiro smiled as the Soul Reaper from Squad Four finished healing her wound and withdrew. "I suppose there are worse people to lose to tonight."

The two of them turned towards the observation to await the Head Captain's verdict. Jiraiya saw the old man stroke his beard for a moment, and even from this distance he could sense that the commander of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads was regarding him with keen interest.

It was difficult to tell through that massive beard and mustache, but Jiraiya suspected that the Head Captain was actually smiling behind the curtain of gray hair. "Well done to the both of you. Jiraiya, an excellent sleight of hand in your finisher. I recognize Lieutenant Yadōmaru's style in that; you've learned much in a short amount of time. Lieutenant Kuna, you were as exuberant and free-spirited as ever, although more discipline would've served you well here. An excellent match! Now, please clear the way for the next pair of contestants."

"That was fun!" chirped Mashiro as the two of them moved to leave the ring, "I'm going to go grab a snack. Want to come?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid I've got a prior engagement. Thanks for the dance, Lieutenant. I'll see you around."

As I'd hoped, he thought as he locked gazes with a familiar face in the crowd, Couldn't resist taking a peek, could you…

…Captain Unohana?

He'd sensed her in the audience during his duel with Mashiro, but he'd been unable to risk a look for visual confirmation in the heat of the match. He could afford to do so now, though, and there she was. To a casual observer, she looked much as she always did; calm, gentle, and inviting. She was the motherly Captain of Squad Four in all her elegance and grace, a serene smile on her face that was only enhanced by the light of blue and violet fireworks bursting overhead.

Yet Jiraiya could sense something more. There was a subtle light in her blue eyes that very much wasn't from the airborne pyrotechnics. She was studying Jiraiya, and the knowing look in her gaze was all Jiraiya needed to know that she'd already figured out what he was after.

She's definitely a sharp one, he mused as he approached her, although I suppose that should only make me more cautious; her edge could cut deep. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained…

"A splendid match, Jiraiya," she said as he drew near, "Congratulations on besting your second Lieutenant of the night. Not many junior officers can boast of such a feat."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you know of the first."

Unohana put her right hand to her mouth as she gave a small laugh. "Word travels quickly when there's an upset at the Blade Dancer Festival, Jiraiya! Besides, I was actually watching that match as well."

Jiraiya folded his arms. "Really? I didn't sense you in the audience that time around."

"I was some distance off," Unohana replied, "and I took pains to suppress my spiritual pressure more than I typically do. I wanted to assess your progress without you being aware of me doing so. You've come quite far in a short amount of time."

Jiraiya smiled. "High praise, coming from you. Thanks."

Unohana bowed before giving him a knowing smile. "You're quite welcome. Most junior officers would probably consider it the high point of their evening to have gone toe-to-toe with a Lieutenant, let alone two, not to mention coming out ahead. However, you don't strike me as the sort to rest on such laurels. We are well into the Blade Dancer Festival now, and dawn will come soon enough. How do you intend to make use of the time that is left?"

Oh, I'm pretty sure you've already guessed how I plan to use it, he thought with a smirk, so why don't we stop beating around the bush, eh?

"I could ask you the same," he said, "I had something special in mind, but it all depends on a certain someone's willingness to go out on a limb."

There was a glint in Unohana's eyes that Jiraiya found promising. "Is that so? Well, if ever there was a night for adventurous decision-making, the Blade Dancer Festival would certainly be it. What sort of limb would I be going out on, Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya grinned. "The kind where you'd have some fun! Care for a dance, Captain Unohana?"

Her smile grew. "Well, now… it's not often that I get such an invitation. Apart from Captain Kyōraku and a few other colleagues, I'm not usually granted opportunities to partake in the bouts. For a Sixteenth Seat to make such a request… some would call it bravery, while others might characterize it as recklessness. As for which it might be here… well, perhaps you'll be able to tell me once the match is done?"

Jiraiya held out his hand. "Is that a 'yes', then?"

Unohana graciously accepted. "It very much is. It'll be most interesting to see the Head Captain's reaction once he learns of this, let alone that of the other judges. You do know there is a chance that they will not give approval for such a bout, don't you?"

Jiraiya shrugged. "I'm aware of that, but I was hoping you might put a word in. After all, I think we both know that my rank isn't necessarily reflective of my abilities."

Unohana nodded. "Yes, and I believe the others are smart enough to recognize that as well. Let's be off then, shall we? Our throw of the dice awaits."

Jiraiya chuckled as the two of them headed towards the observation platform. "Throw of the dice, eh? I knew someone when I was alive who had the absolute worst luck with that. I suppose I should be grateful that you're not her, otherwise this little venture would be doomed from the start."

Unohana looked genuinely curious. "An old friend, I take it?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Yup. We were in the same generation of Shinobi, and even had the same teacher. She was a very powerful fighter, but her true talents lay in medical ninjutsu. Everyone considered her the best healer in the Shinobi world, and that wasn't an exaggeration. Where her talents didn't lie, though, was gambling. Lady Luck was not her friend, that's for sure."

Unohana's brow furrowed for a moment. "A medically-inclined Shinobi, you say? I must admit, I'm rather curious as to how medical ninjutsu would work. You've never brought it up during our sessions."

Jiraiya shook his head. "It was never my area of expertise, I'm afraid. I had basic first aid training in case anything ever happened to me out in the field, but nothing beyond that. Medical ninjutsu is a highly specialized field, and it requires exceptional chakra control. Tsunade was head and shoulders above the competition in that field. Honestly, it's kind of scary, what she was capable of and all."

He then gave Unohana a knowing smirk. "Not unlike you, actually."

Unohana actually laughed at that. "Scary? Me? Now, whatever gave you that idea, Jiraiya? I'm the motherly Captain of Squad Four, after all! Surely, the last thing people would find me is scary."

You are so full of it, Captain Unohana, Jiraiya mused, and you know it.

"You'd think so," he said, eyeing her carefully, "but I've never seen a healer that can make people run for the hills with just a smile and a few words. Tsunade at least gave clear signs when someone was pissing her off, but you? All you have to do is look at someone a certain way and they'll be downright terrified, even if you're still smiling on the outside. People don't typically have that kind of reaction to a healer."

"I might be a healer, but I am still a Captain," Unohana pointed out, "and I can assure you that I gained my position through more than simply my skill in the medical field. I believe you saw a hint of that the night we met, not to mention in that little demonstration I gave earlier this evening with my esteemed colleague."

Jiraiya grinned. "Oh, trust me; I won't be forgetting that anytime soon."

Unohana smiled. "I should hope not. After all, my skill with the blade is about to be directed squarely at you, Jiraiya. Last chance to bow out without losing face before the crowd!"

Jiraiya smirked. "And miss the chance for the dance of a lifetime? Not going to happen!"

Unohana nodded, and Jiraiya felt like she was evaluating him for a moment. Had her opinion of him gone up a notch or two?

Hey, a man can hope, right?

Of course, if he wanted her to look at him in a more favorable light, the best way to do that would be by impressing her in the ring. Jiraiya was very much looking forward to the chance to do exactly that.

….

Of all the possible candidates for his next bout, Itachi hadn't been anticipating a clash with Squad Ten's Lieutenant. He'd been taken aback when Obran Dorel had approached him requesting a duel, and while Itachi had accepted, he couldn't help but wonder what the senior officer was thinking with such a move. Squads Two and Ten might've officially been comrades within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, but the rivalry between the Drakken and Shihōin Clans had ratcheted up a few notches ever since the retrieval of the Nalatarin from Menar Issilaya, and that had resulted in increasing friction between the two divisions that those families had stakes in. To Itachi's knowledge, Obran himself hadn't played any real part in that escalation and in fact didn't seem to care all that much about the rivalry and ensuing tension, but the man's Captain certainly did.

I haven't really spoken to him at length during my time with the Thirteen Court Guard Squads thus far, he mused as he parried a series of flowing and swift slashes from the Lieutenant, I believe the last time we interacted to any real extent was all the way back at the recruitment exhibition when Visaelya and I visited Squad Ten's display. What's his game here?

Itachi didn't have too much time to mull the matter over; Obran would make him pay dearly for such distraction. Yoruichi had described to him in the past how the Lieutenant's Shikai took the form of a spear and that he preferred utilizing his Zanpakutō in that form, but he was certainly no slouch when it came to wielding the weapon in its sealed state. Finesse, grace and speed were the hallmarks of his fighting style, and he had them all in spades. His sword weaved through the air like a serpent, coiling back before thrusting forward with pinpoint accuracy. He was right at home in the rings of the Blade Dancer Festival; the devilish smile on his face was proof enough of that.

Itachi might've already bested one Lieutenant this evening, but he wasn't about to take a win here for granted. It was possible that Mashiro had underestimated him in their duel, or at least had been a bit too swept up in the thrill of the fight to properly counter him, but Obran showed no signs of making that mistake here. The smile on his face was not matched by the look in his dark brown eyes. They were narrowed and focused, patiently studying Itachi's form and searching for any signs of weakness to exploit. Itachi could appreciate being taken seriously by such an opponent, and he readily returned the favor.

Keep going with the flow for the moment, Jigoku no Joō told him, Our time will come soon enough.

Itachi would not argue with her there. Patience was required to best a foe who possessed the mix of cunning and skill that Obran had. For the moment, the Lieutenant had him on the backfoot, driving him across the ring to the point that they were getting dangerously close to the edge. Itachi's opponent favored a one-handed style, and the flourishes he threw in were for more than just giving the crowd a show; they were well-crafted bits of misdirection. A twirl after a low thrust would often disguise the transition to a high slash, and a spin after a diagonal strike was sometimes the beginning of a sweep at Itachi's legs. These were just a few of the tricks up Obran's sleeves; the Lieutenant had many Blade Dancer Festivals under his belt, and Itachi knew that those had given him ample opportunity to refine his technique for the occasion.

He didn't need to look behind him to know that he was little more than a few meters away from the boundary of the ring now. The time for pulling back and analyzing his partner's moves was over. As Obran made a mid-level thrust, Itachi caught the blade with his own and redirected the blow downwards. His opponent recovered quickly enough, pulling the blade back while keeping his footing firm, but it had given Itachi the window he needed to take the initiative.

He wasted no time in doing so. His Zanpakutō flashed streaks of silver through the air as he went on the offensive, leading with a sequence of low and mid-level slashes to threaten Obran's footing. The Lieutenant wouldn't be shaken that easily, but the attacks did force him to back off a bit and gave Itachi vital room to maneuver. Shifting his focus, he launched a burst of quick and tight thrusts aimed at Obran's upper torso. His opponent shifted his guard in response, and Itachi could see an increased tension in his face.

You're better than he thought.

I would hope so.

Don't get overconfident.

Wasn't planning on it.

Soon enough, they had worked their way back to the center of the arena, and Itachi wasn't stopping there. Keeping up the pressure, he alternated between high and low attacks, varying the angles so as to keep Obran on his toes. Not for the first time, he wished that he could utilize the Sharingan in this fight to get a better read on his opponent, but such a public venue was hardly the place for it. Besides, he was pretty sure that would run counter to the traditions of the Blade Dancer Festival, and he would've hated to ruin the occasion in such a manner.

Obran smirked as he fended off a series of slashes. "Are you sure you're only a Thirteenth Seat? Your Zanjutsu says otherwise!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Itachi coolly replied as he switched targets, aiming a thrust at Obran's shoulder.

Obran chuckled as he parried the blow. "Good! That's as it should be."

Itachi didn't have time for banter. As orange and red fireworks burst overhead, he was keenly aware that they were well into the second half of the Blade Dancer Festival now. Dawn was still several hours off, but every minute that passed was one less that he would have to achieve his true goal for the night. He knew that he couldn't afford to rush this fight and risk making a critical mistake due to haste, but at the same time he was eager to drop the curtain on this particular dance and move on to the grand finale.

All is dependent on victory here. Defeating one Lieutenant certainly helped, but besting a second will force the judges to truly take what you've got in mind seriously. You cannot afford to lose this bout.

I'm well aware of that.

Switching tactics, he initiated a series of low thrusts aimed at Obran's feet. The Lieutenant shifted his defenses accordingly, but Itachi had been counting on that. After a strike that had come dangerously close to hitting Obran's lower left leg, Itachi leapt into the air. He lashed out at his opponent's right shoulder as he passed over him, but the Lieutenant had already brought his Zanpakutō up to intercept the blow. That was only the first strike, though, as Itachi spun through the air and allowed his momentum to carry him into two more slashes in rapid succession even as he began to descend. Obran deflected them all, but he had no opening to counterattack. Itachi came down behind him, but as the Lieutenant whirled around in preparation for an attack, the Thirteenth Seat instead rolled to the right and thrust his sword forward at his hip. Obran managed to shift his guard and intercept the strike, but it was a very close thing, and the way his eyes had widened slightly told Itachi that he'd definitely caught the senior officer by surprise.

The crowd cheered as Itachi intensified his assault, coming at the Lieutenant hard and fast. He was walking a fine line; while his attacks were all strictly with Zanjutsu, his speed was getting dangerously close to the point where the judge might consider Itachi using Hohō techniques and thereby going against the traditions of the Blade Dancer Festival. Leaping and rolling around his foe, Itachi sought to attack on multiple fronts, or at least as close as he could come to that without utilizing Shunpo or attempting to recreate the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Transitioning from a slash to a thrust, Itachi chanced the briefest of glances at the observation platform. Captain Zameel el-Emani was the officiator for the current bout, and Itachi wasn't familiar enough with Squad Three's commander to get a good read on him. He was smiling, which Itachi took to be a good sign, but it was clearly a superficial expression. Whatever his real thoughts on the match were, he betrayed no hints as to what those might be. Still, he hadn't yet halted the match, so Itachi would have to take what he could get.

That quick look was all he could afford given the rapidly intensifying pace of the fight. Obran seemed to have picked up on Itachi's desire to bring the duel to a close, but beyond redoubling his defensive efforts he could do little else; Itachi wasn't giving him any room to breathe. He had to give the Lieutenant credit for the fierce stand he was making, and even now, Itachi knew that he couldn't take anything for granted here. If anything, this would be the most dangerous part of the duel. With the climax in sight, both contestants were going all in.

Rolling to the left, he made a low sweep with his Zanpakutō. Obran leapt not only over the attack but over Itachi himself, coming down behind him and attacking in a single fluid motion. Deflecting the strike, Itachi allowed himself to be pushed back only as far as the center of the ring; he would end the fight here. Blue and green fireworks exploded overhead as Itachi made his stand, stopping the Lieutenant's offensive in its tracks and weaving a shield of steel before him with his blade. It was a minimalist defense, consisting of close and tight motions that reduced his target profile as much as possible. Itachi didn't plan on keeping it up for long; he was simply waiting for right moment to make his final move.

Whether or not Obran genuinely believed he had Itachi on the ropes was difficult to determine, but the increased speed and ferocity of his attacks seemed to indicate that the Lieutenant was raring to finish the duel. Now it was Obran's turn to leap and roll around Itachi as he attempted to force an opening in his defenses. Itachi pivoted and shifted as needed to parry and counter the various blows, but he remained firmly rooted in the center of the ring. Briefly glancing down, he saw the tension in his opponent's legs, and he knew he'd found the moment he'd been waiting for.

Obran surged forward with a powerful thrust, meant to break through Itachi's defenses with a strike of focused, pinpoint strength. Unfortunately for the Lieutenant, it was actually a bit too strong; thanks to the energy he'd built up in his legs, his forward momentum was not as controlled as it should've been. Rather than attempt to parry the blow, Itachi smoothly slid to the right and dodged it entirely. He saw Obran's eyes widen as he recognized his mistake, but by then it was far too late; Itachi's blade was at his throat, and a tiny trickle of blood seeped from the small cut that the Thirteenth Seat had made.

"Match!" called Captain el-Emani, "Thirteenth Seat Uchiha wins through Mark of Contact!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as Itachi pulled back and sheathed his blade. For his part, Obran put his blade away as well before gingerly rubbing his neck; he almost looked shaken by what had just transpired. A member of Squad Four came forward and quickly healed the cut, but the Lieutenant barely even seemed to notice them. His gaze was fixed on Itachi, studying him with what appeared to be equal parts admiration and fear.

For his part, Itachi simply gave the man a polite nod. "Well fought, Lieutenant. Thanks for the invitation."

Obran smirked as the Squad Four healer withdrew, but his expression wasn't quite as confident as what Itachi had seen from him earlier. "Anytime. I knew you were good, but… well, I must admit, you surprised me. You might be a Thirteenth Seat, but your abilities… you are severely under-ranked."

Itachi shook his head. "I wouldn't say that. For the moment, I'm exactly at the position I need to be."

Obran chuckled, and Itachi could sense the wheels turning in his head. "Your Captain… I always knew she was clever, but now… she's played her cards very well with you. Very well indeed."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but with Captain el-Emani about to give his verdict on the match there was no chance for him to do so. Now that the duel itself was over, Squad Three's commander was openly grinning, and this time Itachi could feel the genuine enthusiasm behind the gesture. That certainly boded well, and Itachi hoped he could take advantage of that for what he had planned to cap off the night's festivities.

The Captain was beaming as he addressed them. "Superbly done, both of you! Thirteenth Seat Uchiha, that was a most impressive performance. Efficient, graceful, and patient; your form would make many senior officers jealous! Lieutenant Dorel, your skills are as sharp as ever. You did seem to grow a bit impatient at the end there, though. Nevertheless, it was a very thrilling match. You two should be very proud of the show you put on! Now, please exit the stage so that the next bout can commence."

Obran smirked as the two of them started walking towards the edge of the arena. "High praise, indeed. Captain el-Emani doesn't give out compliments like that lightly; you really made an impression."

"It's an honor to receive such accolades from a Captain," Itachi replied as he regarded Obran, "Just as much as it was to partake in a bout with a skilled Lieutenant. Your abilities do both Squad Ten and your family proud."

Obran smiled, although there did seem to be some tension in the gesture. "You're too kind. I'm not sure if my Captain will see things the same way, but your words are appreciated. I should be going; the Blade Dancer Festival doesn't last forever, after all. Make the most of the time that's left, Thirteenth Seat Uchiha. You've already made a splash, but there's a difference between that and having the kind of debut that's spoken of for years to come."

"I'll bear that in mind," said Itachi as he scanned the crowd, "Until next time, Lieutenant Dorel."

He barely paid his opponent any notice as the man departed. It wasn't meant as a gesture of disrespect; Itachi simply had something far more important on his mind at the moment. Throughout the match, he had sensed a familiar spiritual pressure in the crowd, and it had taken a considerable effort to avoid glancing towards it during the duel. Such a distraction could've led to a very different outcome, but now that the bout was concluded he could seek out that presence openly. It was most fortuitous that she was nearby; it would save Itachi the trouble of tracking her down amidst the bustle of the Blade Dancer Festival

He only had to take a few steps before a small opening appeared in the crowd, and there she was. The proud smile on her face was matched by the gleaming light in her eyes, an effect that was only enhanced by a volley of purple and yellow fireworks detonating overhead. He did not need to ask if she'd witnessed the match; it was abundantly clear that she'd seen the whole thing from start to finish.

Yoruichi's grin took on a hint of mischief as Itachi approached her. "Your second Lieutenant of the night, and Captain Drakken's second-in-command to boot… it's almost as if you're trying to give him even more of a reason to hate Squad Two, Itachi!"

Itachi shook his head. "Not intentionally. Apologies in advance if that ends up being the result of my actions tonight."

Yoruichi laughed. "Are you kidding? I can't wait to watch him fume and glare at me the next time I see him! It's so much fun to get under his skin. Totally worth the headaches from his ensuing grandstanding at the Captains' meetings."

Itachi couldn't help but smirk. "I'll take your word on that."

She stepped forward and put her hand on his shoulder. "Seriously, that was a great match. Even better than your fight with Mashiro, I'd say. Yes, I did see that one, too; you're really on a roll tonight, Itachi!"

Itachi smiled. "They were both quite skilled. Dueling them was certainly an enlightening experience, to say the least."

He saw her eyes narrow ever so slightly as she folded her arms. "I'm sure it was. Tell me, Itachi; is that what you're looking for tonight? Enlightening experiences? That's all well and good, but your first Blade Dancer Festival should be more than merely 'enlightening', don't you think?"

Itachi nodded; he had a feeling that he knew where she was going with this, and he hoped that his instincts weren't betraying him here. "You're right. While dueling Rija and then the Lieutenants were worthwhile endeavors in their own right, I would be lying if I said that I partook in those dances simply for the sake of experiencing what the Blade Dancer Festival has to offer. No disrespect intended to any of my prior partners, but the duels with them were stepping stones to what I truly desire from the Blade Dancer Festival tonight."

It was impossible to miss the glimmer of light in Yoruichi's eyes, and Itachi knew that it wasn't from the fireworks. "Oh, really? Most Soul Reapers would be more than happy to have simply danced with one Lieutenant in their first festival, let alone two. You not only did that, but you bested them. Your debut would already be considered a great success; what more could you possibly desire tonight?"

Itachi smiled again as he held out his hand. "Something I'd wager most new Soul Reapers wouldn't dare to ask for in their first festival; a dance with my Captain. Yoruichi…"

Her hand grabbed his before he had a chance to finish, and her beaming smile was only magnified by the light of the blue and white fireworks detonating overhead. "Yes! Absolutely yes, Itachi!"

Her enthusiasm caught him by surprise; she'd clearly been hoping for this quite fervently. Had she desired this from the moment she'd mentioned the Blade Dancer Festival to him during their training session two weeks ago? Looking at her now, Itachi suspected that might well have been the case.

He was tempted to inquire about that, but in the end, Itachi decided to simply be grateful for her accepting his invitation and going from there. "Well, then… shall we?"

She looped her arm through his, and that gesture combined with the way she batted her eyelashes at him caused no small amount of heat to rush to his face. "Lead on, Itachi."

As the two of them set off towards the observation platform, Itachi scanned the crowd. "By the way, where did Soi-Fon get off to? She normally never strays too far from your side."

Yoruichi giggled. "About that… I might have slipped her some stronger sake than she's used to! My grandfather's keeping an eye on her."

It took Itachi a moment to fully process that. "Soi-Fon's… drunk? I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of witnessing that before."

Yoruichi winked. "That's because she doesn't normally get drunk at public events like this in the first place. That's to be expected; she is my bodyguard, after all. As much as I appreciate her dedication to me, though, there are sometimes when she can take it a bit too far. I wanted to slip out from under her for a bit. Besides, she's a hilarious drunk, and it's been far too long since I've gotten her good and tipsy. She was overdue!"

Itachi had to chuckle at that. "I'll take your word for it."

Yoruichi grinned. "I'll catch hell from her about it once she sobers up, but I'll deal with that when the time comes. Let's go have some fun, Itachi!"

Itachi smirked. "Is that an order?"

"You bet it is!" she replied.

….

Standing at the edge of the plaza, Rhaegon's brow furrowed as he watched his Lieutenant head back to join the rest of the revelers. Obran hadn't held anything back, which was one of the reasons why Rhaegon liked having him as his second-in-command; the man could be a bit too laid-back at times for his liking, but he always gave his honest opinion. In this case, his appraisal of his most recent dance partner was no small cause for concern.

"He's better than I thought," Squad Ten's Captain muttered, "Itachi Uchiha…"

"Are you finally starting to take him seriously?" asked a familiar male voice from behind him.

Rhaegon scowled as he looked over his shoulder at his advisor. "Did you know he was this good from the beginning?"

"Of course, I did," the black-cloaked man replied, "I did warn you not to underestimate him. His power and skill will only continue to grow, and they will do so rapidly. You should expect nothing less from the Uchiha bloodline."

Rhaegon's teeth grinded together in frustration. "Damn it…"

"Let this be a lesson to you," said his advisor as he turned to leave, "Take it to heart, and be thankful that you've learned it in this manner rather than on the battlefield. In combat, failure to treat any Uchiha as a genuine threat is a fatal mistake. Don't forget that."

Before Rhaegon could respond, his advisor vanished in a Flash Step. Left alone at the outskirts of the Blade Dancer Festival, he could only fume in silence as the evening's revelry continued to unfold before him.

That witch has two of them, he thought bitterly, Thirteenth Seat and Seventh Seat Uchiha… and my niece is friends with both of them. They are why she has gone astray, I'm certain of it. Itachi Uchiha… Shisui Uchiha… you have both made an enemy of the Drakken Clan. When the time comes…

…you will pay dearly for that mistake!

….

Despite the air of confidence that he liked to project, Jiraiya would privately admit that he had been just a bit nervous about whether or not the judges would approve this particular bout. Unohana, for her part, hadn't seemed the least bit apprehensive about it. Once they'd arrived at the observation platform and submitted their names, she'd simply told him to wait for a few minutes before hopping up top, presumably to speak to the Head Captain. Jiraiya figured that the judges would've reacted poorly had he attempted to eavesdrop on them, so he'd simply settled for waiting until Unohana came back down. He didn't know what had transpired up there, but when Unohana had returned not long after, the smile on her face was all Jiraiya had needed to know that their match had been approved.

"Not to discredit your skills," Unohana had said just before the two of them stepped into the ring, "but perhaps a handicap is in order here. Would you like to take the lead for the first part of the dance?"

Jiraiya smirked as he shook his head. "Nope. Come at me right out of the gate!"

He actually saw her eyes slightly widen for a moment before she laughed. "My goodness, Jiraiya! I've known Captains who weren't as bold as you!"

Jiraiya grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment!"

Unohana nodded and smiled. "As well you should. I would remind you of that old saying, though; be careful what you wish for. You just might get it."

Jiraiya chuckled. "I'd expect nothing less from you."

Unohana gave him a smirk that sent a chill down his spine. "Well, then… don't say that I didn't warn you. Now, shall we?"

Jiraiya nodded. "After you."

As the two of them stepped into the ring, Jiraiya glanced at the observation platform. Captain Ukitake was the judge they'd drawn for this match, and from what Jiraiya could tell from this distance the white-haired Soul Reaper seemed more amused than anything else. The Captain gave Jiraiya a nod and a smirk, and he couldn't tell if the senior officer was trying to encourage him or imagining Unohana humiliating him in spectacular fashion.

Either way, this should be fun, he mused as he took up position opposite of his partner in the ring, I wish the Hidden Leaf Village had a festival like this; it would've been entertaining to have a dance with Tsunade. Well, assuming I could've talked her into one in the first place, and I never had a good track record when it came to asking her out.

"For our next match, we have a real treat!" Ukitake announced, "Sixteenth Seat Jiraiya of Squad Eight versus Captain Retsu Unohana of Squad Four!"

A mix of cheers and laughter rang out from the crowd. Jiraiya couldn't blame them for the latter; he doubted matches like this happened too often, and for good reason. While he was confident in his abilities and doubted that Unohana would've accepted his invitation if she didn't believe he had some promise, he was sure that the crowd felt he was about to be on the wrong side of a smackdown by the Captain.

I look forward to you proving them wrong, said the spirit of his Zanpakutō, and Jiraiya could just imagine the smirk on the armored toad's face.

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

You'll need more than my vote of confidence to last beyond a minute with this particular dance partner. I do hope you haven't bitten off more than you can chew.

Let me worry about that. In the meantime, why don't you just sit back and enjoy the show?

I think I will.

Looking across the arena, he saw Unohana studying him with keen interest. That gentle and warm smile the benevolent mother of Squad Four was so famous for was on display for all to see, but to Jiraiya it took on a different quality here. A casual observer in the crowd might not notice it, but there was a certain light in her eyes that definitely didn't qualify as motherly. It took Jiraiya a moment to realize what it was; anticipation.

No… not just that.

It's…

…excitement.

Jiraiya grinned as his hand came to rest on the handle of his Zanpakutō. If she was psyched up for the dance to come, then that was definitely a good sign. He'd have to stay on his toes; the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint his lovely partner, after all.

"Draw your weapons!" Ukitake ordered.

They both did so, with Jiraiya assuming a mid-level guard stance with a two-handed grip. Unohana's choice of opening stances was much more interesting; with her Zanpakutō in her right hand, she held her sword high above her head in a manner that allowed the blade to form a crescent over her. She slid her left hand along the flat of the blade before bringing it down and pushing outward so that her open palm was facing Jiraiya. It was clearly a bit of flourish meant to get the crowd going, and if the excited murmurs rippling through the audience were any indication it seemed to be having the desired effect.

His eyes were locked with hers as the two of them waited for Ukitake to give the signal. The excitement was still there, but Jiraiya also spotted something he hadn't seen for quite some time; that undercurrent of dark energy. It was difficult to pick up on, and all too easy for Jiraiya to believe he was imagining it, but he had learned long ago to trust his instincts on matters like this. The woman squaring off against him might've been the angelic leader of Squad Four, but something else lurked beneath that heavenly exterior, and the only word Jiraiya could find that came close to describing the vibe he got from it was demonic.

Where was that coming from? Jiraiya wouldn't pretend to be an expert on all things Unohana, but thanks to the healing training sessions he'd spent enough time with her to have at least a good baseline understanding of her. He knew that the members of Squad Four all adored her, and she genuinely cared for them; that was clear enough simply from observing casual interactions between the Captain and her subordinates. By the same token, the attention to detail and effort that she put into the lessons she gave him spoke to her devotion to the healing arts and her desire to spread that knowledge for the good of others even if it meant going behind the backs of the higher-ups. Every indication pointed to her being exactly what she presented herself as; the compassionate and dedicated chief medic of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

And yet…

…that wasn't the whole picture.

If her reputation had been just that of a phenomenal healer, that would've been one thing. However, healers didn't typically inspire terror in hardened warriors through a simple smile and a gentle warning. Sure, Tsunade had more than demonstrated to Jiraiya time after time that medics trained for combat could be absolute powerhouses; he had the scars to prove it. However, whenever she had made threats, her anger had been readily apparent in her expression. She didn't smile and hint at the promise of punishment; she made it quite clear how close someone was to tasting her wrath. Unohana's expression never outwardly wavered when she made her veiled threats, yet Jiraiya had seen her terrify the brutes of Squad Eleven with a slight smile and a few soft words more thoroughly than Tsunade had ever managed to do so, at least to his knowledge. There were hints at another reputation, one quite unlike that which an accomplished healer should have.

Jiraiya wanted to know more. How could he not? A powerful and beautiful woman with a possible dark side? That was catnip for the Legendary Sannin. He hadn't managed to pick up any clues as to the mystery of Unohana's ability to scare her fellow Soul Reapers into submission during their healing practice sessions, so stepping into the ring to face her in the Blade Dancer Festival seemed like a useful way in which to gain some valuable insights. With the way she was looking at him now, though, Jiraiya had to wonder if he was getting in over his head here.

Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"Begin!" shouted Ukitake.

It was a good thing that Jiraiya was already in a guard stance, because Unohana was on him in what felt like a blink of an eye. Her blade flashed through the air as blue and green fireworks burst overhead, a silver crescent racing towards him in a diagonal slash. Deflecting her opening strike, Jiraiya immediately began falling back as Unohana went into a sequence of broad and flowing strikes. Her sword looked like it was gliding through the air with a mind of its own, weaving circles around Squad Four's Captain as she unleashed her assault. A few sweeps at his legs forced Jiraiya to block low, only to quickly bring his Zanpakutō up a moment later to deflect a slash that would've cut right across his cheek and ended the dance right then and there.

It would've been utterly entrancing if he weren't on the receiving end of it. Jiraiya had watched more than his share of matches tonight in addition to the ones that he'd personally partaken in, but none of the swordsmanship he'd witnessed so far could compare to Unohana's. It wasn't just her speed and power that was notable, although she had both in abundance. As he continued to deflect her strikes while she drove him back across the ring, he was struck by what seemed to be a curious mix of both elegance and ferocity in her form. The former was the most readily apparent, with each strike following the next with the steady eb and flow one would associate with the tides. As for the latter, it was much more subtle, but it made itself known at each moment of impact between his blade and hers. It was as beautiful as it was lethal, and Jiraiya considered himself very lucky that this wasn't a deathmatch.

And then there was her smile. Even as she drove him back under her graceful yet vicious opening salvo, her expression was one of eerie serenity. The way she was looking at him now, one might think that they were enjoying a particularly pleasant cup of tea together rather than clashing swords. At the same time, though, that undercurrent of dark energy that he'd detected earlier was very much still there. If anything, it seemed to be slowly growing as the duel went on, and Jiraiya couldn't help but notice that her smile was matching it.

Beauty, grace, and bloodthirstiness; you sure know how to pick 'em.

Very funny.

Jiraiya was keenly aware that he was rapidly approaching the edge of the ring. He had no intention of letting the performance end in the first exchange; he was the one who had invited Unohana to a dance, and he was going to give her one. Already he was adjusting his technique, strengthening his grip on his Zanpakutō while shifting his footing to better brace himself against her strikes while keeping his stance flexible enough to allow for quick reactions to unexpected developments. Her opening barrage had been formidable, but Jiraiya had so far kept pace with it. He had a better understanding of his partner's fighting style now, and that would be invaluable going forward.

Angling his Zanpakutō downwards, he redirected a slash that had been aimed at his chest. Unohana could have pressed the attack, but she instead chose to whirl around, an elegant little flourish meant both to please the crowd and give Jiraiya the opportunity to go on the offensive. He wasted no time in doing so, giving his partner a brief nod even as he thrust his sword forward. Unohana smoothly parried the blow as she fell back, while Jiraiya pushed forward. He led with a flurry of slashes aimed at her torso, looking to build up momentum as he began to dictate the rhythm of the duel.

Even on the defensive, Unohana's Zanjutsu was mesmerizing. Her blade intercepted Jiraiya's blows with practiced ease, deflecting his strikes well before they could pose any true threat to her. Her long frontal braid swished and swayed almost like a pendulum, following along with her fluid movements as she parried his slashes. The effect was almost hypnotic, and Jiraiya half-seriously wondered if that was intentional on her part or purely incidental.

Behind the shield formed by her dancing Zanpakutō, the Squad Four Captain's deep blue eyes were fixed on Jiraiya's gaze. At times it almost felt as though their respective blades weren't there at all, and that this was really just an elaborate staring contest. Was she trying to psyche him out? Jiraiya momentarily considered the possibility, but he quickly discarded it. The vibe he was getting pointed more towards her simply evaluating him as the duel progressed.

Perhaps she finds you lacking.

Oh, really? We'll see about that!

Deciding it was time to change things up a bit as they returned to the center of the ring, Jiraiya took a page out of Lisa's book; initially shifting his sword to just his right hand, he made a feint thrust at Unohana's chest before switching the weapon to his left hand and aiming a slash at the Squad Four Captain's legs. Two swift parries in rapid succession were Unohana's answer to his ploy, and Jiraiya immediately shifted back to a two-handed grip on his Zanpakutō for his follow-up attack, but the way his partner's smile grew slightly as he continued to push her back across the ring was certainly promising.

"I recognize that move," she casually commented as she deflected an overhand strike, "Shall I tell Lieutenant Yadōmaru that you're shamelessly copying one of her favorite tricks?"

Jiraiya chuckled. "Hey, you know what they say; imitation is the highest form of flattery!"

Unohana actually laughed at that as she parried the following blow. "Indeed! Half the fun of the Blade Dancer Festival is picking up new tricks and trying them out for yourself. You've definitely embraced the spirit of this celebration!"

"High praise coming from a Captain!" Jiraiya replied with a grin as he pressed the attack.

Her smile remained, but the slight narrowing of her eyes that followed gave it a bite that it hadn't possessed before. "Use the moves of others to your heart's content, but don't let that come at the expense of your own technique. Show me your Zanjutsu, Jiraiya. I will accept nothing less."

If that was a challenge, then Jiraiya was more than willing to accept it. "You got it!"

….

Sturdy but flexible, powerful but swift, Unohana mused as she deflected a diagonal slash from her partner, and willing to experiment even while facing off against a skilled opponent… Jiraiya, you certainly have potential.

'Potential' was in the eye of the beholder, of course. While Jiraiya's current rank was that of Squad Eight's Sixteenth Seat, the level of skill he had demonstrated so far in this duel along with his previous bouts was well above his official position. One didn't best two Lieutenants by accident, and even if the Blade Dancer Festival's rules meant that Soul Reapers couldn't fight with all the tools that they'd normally have at their disposal, it was still a useful way to measure someone's current ability. Jiraiya's Zanjutsu was already on par with that of a Lieutenant's, a level that many Soul Reapers only dreamed of achieving, yet Unohana already knew that he was capable of much more than that. He could go further, and she wanted to see just how far he could be pushed tonight.

He was definitely her most interesting partner for the evening. Kyōraku was always fun to go a round with, but they'd done so many bouts together over the years that they knew each other's playbooks inside and out. It had been quite entertaining to watch Jiraiya's earlier match, and while Unohana would never say so publicly, the truth of the matter was that she'd actually been rather eager to accept his invitation. His skills had advanced remarkably quickly in the relatively short period of time since he'd graduated from the Academy, and what she'd seen from him tonight had sparked her curiosity.

Curiosity…

…and something a bit more visceral.

She knew he could sense it. As she parried the slashes and thrusts that he sent her way, she could tell from the look in his eyes that he could feel what was lurking within her. He might not have realized just what it truly was, but he seemed to instinctively grasp enough to be both intrigued and apprehensive. It was a very rare response; the vast majority of the time, those whom Unohana had allowed to glimpse just a hint of her 'other side', as it were, tended to react with something more along the lines of dread. That alone was enough for Unohana to continue to indulge him as she was now, and so far, she very much liked what he had to offer.

It's been quite some time since you've felt this way about one of your dance partners, Minazuki whispered, Might we actually enjoy ourselves tonight for once?

Yes… we just might.

As the dance went on and Jiraiya continued his advance, driving Unohana across her side of the ring with a sequence of alternating high and low slashes, she could feel hints of her old self stirring. It was a risk she always took whenever she crossed blades with someone, even in a ceremonial setting like the Blade Dancer Festival. Unohana had worked hard over the centuries to properly suppress it, and the vast majority of the time she could maintain her inner tranquility even under pressing circumstances. However, those urges never completely subsided. They would always be a part of her, something she had come to accept long ago.

She hadn't expected them to start creeping up here, though. This was meant to be nothing more than an amusing bout, some entertainment and exercise for the evening with a colleague and student. However, as Jiraiya's offensive pushed her closer to the edge of the arena, there was the temptation to indulge a bit in some of her more repressed instincts. In a setting such as this, though, it was far too dangerous. Even just idly thinking about it brought images to mind that she imagined would horrify the audience, especially given just how starkly they contrasted with how she knew they perceived her.

Her Zanpakutō slicing deep into her opponent's flesh, blood spraying across her face…

Her adversary's blade piercing her chest, and the ensuing explosion of agony and ecstasy…

Sending her enemy to the brink of death before bringing them back for more…

A dance on the knife's edge between life and death, shrouded in a crimson rain…

Not desires or thoughts that one might associate with a benevolent and compassionate healer, to put it mildly.

Contain your urges, Minazuki admonished her, I would like to indulge them just as much as you, but this is hardly an appropriate venue. Remember that Captain Ukitake is overseeing this round; he will likely react poorly to any hints of bloodlust.

I am well aware of that. You have no need to be concerned. Besides, my urges are also yours, so if you're going to chastise me you had best make sure to include yourself in such chiding as well.

The spirit of her Zanpakutō knew better than to argue with her. Unohana took great pains to ensure that no one ever saw her train, which meant that the only witness was Minazuki, and her Zanpakutō could testify in graphic detail what she could do to punish her weapon should she put her mind to it. She was as proficient at healing the spirit of her sword as she was her fellow Soul Reapers, which meant that she could drag out said punishment for a very long time if she wanted to.

She shook those thoughts from her head as her feet neared the edge of the ring. Jiraiya was proving himself to be quite a capable dance partner, and he deserved her complete attention as a reward. Of course, whether or not he would consider it a reward by the time she was done with him was something else entirely.

After parrying a thrust from her partner, Unohana decided that it was time to show Jiraiya precisely why so few Soul Reapers dared to enter the ring with her. Allowing her smile to grow ever so slightly, she counterattacked with a whirling slash that came mere millimeters within slicing across her opponent's chest. Jiraiya hadn't even been able to get his blade into position to deflect the blow, and had only been able to lean back at the last possible moment. That was what Unohana had been counting on, and from the look in his eyes, she knew that he understood the truth; if she'd wanted to, she could've ended the duel right then and there.

You wanted a dance, Jiraiya…

…and you shall have one!

….

As Jiraiya had driven Unohana across the ring, he had been under no illusions; there was no way that the duel would end so easily. He had been expecting her to counterattack soon enough, yet when she finally did, it still took him off guard. She'd timed it perfectly, striking the moment his blade was out of position, and Jiraiya instantly recognized that she'd deliberately avoided landing an actual hit on him. It was a shot across the bow, and the message was clear as day; if he really wanted to dance with her, he had to bring everything to the party.

Now she was on the offensive, and her new assault made her opening drive feel like little more than a warmup. In fact, as Jiraiya fell back and parried the slashes from her swirling blade, he realized that her earlier offensive had been just that; a little exercise to loosen up a bit before the true workout commenced in earnest. Her strikes possessed greater vigor, and her serene smile belied the intensity of the energy she was now bringing to the table.

No shame in admitting that you're in over your head, the spirit of his Zanpakutō rumbled, I can't imagine you'd look any more foolish than you usually do.

Are you kidding? Things are just getting interesting!

It was true. While the opening act of the match had certainly been exciting, that paled in comparison to the exhilaration that was coursing through Jiraiya now. Unohana was a breathtaking vision even as Jiraiya scrambled to fend off her attacks. The light of the moon, along with flashes of blue, green and purple from another round of fireworks, shimmered in both her eyes and her Zanpakutō as it streaked through the air. Her sword weaved a series of circles around her as one slash flowed flawlessly into the next, with the angle and elevation of each one different than that of the preceding strike to keep him on his toes. However, even with the variations in her attacks, there remained an overall rhythm to her offensive. It was graceful yet frenetic, brutal yet elegant; Jiraiya had never seen anything quite like it before.

Even as she drove him back to the center of the ring, Jiraiya was already adapting his defenses to suit her invigorating pace. He still favored a two-handed grip on his Zanpakutō, but occasionally he would switch to just his right hand in order to more quickly respond to strikes that had greater potential of slipping through. Her overall offensive was fairly straightforward, but she would occasionally spin on one foot before coming at him from either slightly to the left or the right, which meant that Jiraiya had to be light on his feet in order to properly respond in time. More than once, her movements caused her frontal braid to swing about so quickly that it nearly whipped him across the face, and the way her smile became a smirk made Jiraiya suspect that she had very much done that on purpose.

She's toying with you.

I know! Pretty fun, right?

The ring was bathed in red and orange light from another round of fireworks detonating above as the two combatants crossed the center of the ring and Unohana started pushing Jiraiya into his side of the arena. Leaping over her as she made a low sweep with her blade, Jiraiya attempted to strike her from above, but Unohana simply pivoted out of the way and smoothly twirled around so that she was already facing him when his feet hit the ground. He managed to bring his Zanpakutō up in time to deflect her subsequent diagonal slash before once again finding himself falling back under her renewed advance.

Deciding to change things up, Jiraiya rolled to the right, thrusting his Zanpakutō towards Unohana's hip as he came up. His partner brought her sword around in a single fluid motion to parry the strike, but Jiraiya wasn't done yet. He immediately thrust his blade forward again, this time aiming lower and going for her leg. A quick flick of Unohana's wrist was all it took to shift the angle of her sword enough to intercept that attack as well, and this time she properly counterattacked with a horizontal slash. Jiraiya backpedaled as he parried the blow, and Unohana immediately seized the opportunity to push forward again.

Flecks of yellow and white light from fresh fireworks and the moon danced along their blades as they continued their clash. Jiraiya's defense was sturdy even as he pulled back, deflecting Unohana's strikes while looking for the chance to retake the initiative. After parrying her latest slash, he saw her twirl her blade as she whirled around. It was a flourish for the crowd, but it was also a signal; she was allowing Jiraiya to take the lead in their duel, and he wasn't about to turn down her invitation.

He surged forward, moving as fast as he could without crossing the line into Flash Step territory and potentially getting the match called. Shifting to a single-handed grip on his Zanpakutō, he launched into a sequence of rapid slashes punctuated by flurries of tight thrusts. Seamlessly transitioning from offense to defense and gradually falling back, Unohana's sword seemed to writhe around her like a floating serpent, slipping and sliding through the air as she picked off each of his incoming strikes with great flair and panache. The smile on her face grew as Jiraiya pressed his assault; she was definitely enjoying herself.

"Wonderful!" she praised him while gracefully deflecting a series of slashes aimed at her chest, "Just what I was hoping for. Jiraiya, you really do know how to entertain a lady!"

Jiraiya grinned as he made a quick thrust at her leg, which she swiftly parried. "I do aim to please! Glad to see that you're having a good time!"

"Oh, quite so," she replied as he shifted his aim towards her shoulder with another thrust that was once again intercepted immediately, "Of course, you know what they say; all good things must come to an end."

Jiraiya nodded as he pressed his attack. "Yup, and that's why we make the most of them while they last!"

He came at her with everything he had, driving her back across the ring with a furious assault. Against another opponent, Jiraiya might've been afraid of overdoing it, but there were no such concerns here. If anything, his partner seemed to be relishing in his fierce attacks, at least if the energy in her movements was any indication. It wasn't the same sort of bouncy exuberance displayed by Mashiro, but her enthusiasm wasn't exactly hidden. Her normally tranquil smile had a new sense of vitality to it, and there was a light in her eyes that definitely didn't come from the full moon or the blue and purple fireworks bursting overhead.

However, it wasn't all light in her eyes. That bloodthirstiness Jiraiya had sensed earlier was lurking in there as well, restlessly testing the leash that Unohana had it on. Jiraiya could tell that she was walking a fine line, and her earlier words about all good things eventually ending struck him as more than just her waxing philosophical on him; they were a warning. As much as Jiraiya hated to rush into the final act, he also didn't want whatever darkness his partner was holding back to potentially slip free from its bonds in such a setting.

He made a low swing, aiming to nick one of her legs, but she simply leapt over him. Somersaulting through the air like a circus performer, each rotation brought her blade around for a swipe at Jiraiya, forcing him to duck in order to avoid taking a hit. He turned his initial evasion into a forward roll to put a bit of distance between the two of them and give him a moment to properly brace himself; he'd already tried to attack her when she'd been coming down from a jump before in this match, and it hadn't worked. The move worked in that he had time to bring his Zanpakutō up into a solid guard stance, but it ceded the initiative back to Unohana, who was on him less than a second after her feet hit the ground.

Her sword was little more than a series of silver streaks as she went into a sequence of broad slashes, and the cheers of the crowd were matched only by the rapid ringing of their blades clashing again and again. The pace she set now put her earlier rhythm to shame, and despite Jiraiya's best efforts he could not find a window to counter. It should've been impossible for such a brutal and relentless assault to also possess such finesse and fluidity, but Unohana was demonstrating just that. She was deadly beauty and grace, and if Jiraiya wasn't careful he'd wind up taking her sword across his face.

Jiraiya was no fool; she had his number now, and they both knew it. Were this a sparring match where he could bring his other talents to bear, perhaps he could've made her work a bit harder for the win, but Zanjutsu alone was the name of the game here. He wasn't ashamed to admit the truth; when it came to pure swordsmanship, she definitely had him beat.

At least this time.

Her final assault came in the form of a sudden burst of thrusts, seemingly coming from multiple angles at once despite the fact that she only wielded a single blade. To Jiraiya, it felt like trying to fend off all the heads of a steel hydra simultaneously, and despite his herculean efforts it was the very last strike that slipped through his defenses. Having already parried one thrust aimed at his left shoulder, Jiraiya attempted to shift his blade to catch the follow-up that went for his right, but he was just a fraction of a second too slow. His sword only managed to graze the edge of Unohana's Zanpakutō as her blade came forward, and that wasn't enough to stop it from slicing through his robes and leaving a shallow cut in his shoulder.

Ukitake's voice rang out a moment later. "Match! Captain Unohana wins through Mark of Contact!"

Jiraiya lowered and sheathed his Zanpakutō as the crowd broke out into applause and cheers, smiling at his partner. "Well, now… that was fun!"

Unohana gave him a respectful nod as she put her weapon away, along with a smile that looked just a bit mischievous. "Yes, it certainly was. Few can boast to have lasted as long in the ring with me as you have, Jiraiya. Your skills have grown greatly since joining the Thirteen Court Guard Squads… and I suspect that this is merely the beginning."

She stepped forward to lay a hand on his injured shoulder. Blue-green light enveloped both her hand and Jiraiya's wound as he felt the cool and refreshing energy of the Captain's Kaidō at work. She had left only a superficial wound, and it took mere moments for it to mend.

Jiraiya smirked as she finished her work and withdrew her hand. "Receiving the personal attention of the greatest healer in the Soul Society… almost as great an honor as the dance itself."

"Well you've certainly proven yourself worthy of both," Unohana replied, "Should you plan to attend future Blade Dancer Festivals, I would more than welcome the chance for a rematch."

Jiraiya grinned. "I'll take you up on that!"

The two of them then turned to the observation platform. Captain Ukitake had a broad smile on his face, which Jiraiya took to be a good sign.

His verdict on their bout confirmed it. "A splendid match! Jiraiya, I must say, I'm impressed; I didn't think you'd last nearly as long as you did. No small feat given your choice of partner! Keep honing your skills, and perhaps you'll last a bit long next time around should you be bold enough to try your luck again. Captain Unohana, you were as wonderful to watch as always! Now, if you'll both please clear the ring so the next bout can commence."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow as the two of them stepped aside. "He didn't give you much in the way of praise. Only one compliment? You got shortchanged, and you were the one that won the match."

"Captain Ukitake's seen me partake in many bouts over the years," Unohana replied, not looking the least bit bothered, "He knows full well what I am capable of. His attention was mostly on you for this duel, and not without good reason; you really did surprise him by asking me for a match, and your performance clearly exceeded his expectations."

Jiraiya smirked. "What about your expectations?"

Unohana laughed. "Fishing for compliments, Jiraiya? I thought you had a bit more class than that!"

Jiraiya shrugged. "Hey, you can't fault a man for trying."

Unohana smiled. "I suppose that's true enough. In that case, rest assured that my expectations were well and truly surpassed. Your Zanjutsu has become quite formidable, Jiraiya, and I look forward to witnessing its continued growth in the years to come. Be proud of what you are capable of, but do not become complacent in your success. Strive to further sharpen your skills, and you will find me waiting to dance with you again when next year's festival rolls around."

Jiraiya chuckled; he couldn't think of a better incentive for training. "Is that so? Well, then, I'll try not to disappoint!"

Unohana nodded, and the look she gave him sent an odd chill of both excitement and fear down his spine. "We shall see."

….

"Everything all right?" asked Itachi as Yoruichi came down from the observation platform.

She nodded and smiled. "Yup! Sorry about the wait; took a bit longer than I'd originally thought it would to talk the Head Captain into going along with this."

"I see," Itachi replied, "He did consent, though, right?"

"You bet," she answered, "We're good to go! In fact, the old man's actually going to be the judge for our bout. Lucky us, right?"

Itachi nodded. "I suppose that's one way to look at it."

Yoruichi smirked as she led him towards their designated ring. "Nervous? No shame in admitting it! The Head Captain's by far the toughest critic when it comes to the matches."

Itachi shook his head. "That's fine. I'm not worried about pleasing him. As long as we get to enjoy ourselves, the judge doesn't matter."

Yoruichi grinned. "That's the spirit! If you're going into this with that kind of confidence, then I'd say you've got nothing to worry about. Now, let's go put on a show!"

As the two of them approached their ring, Itachi heard the familiar song of clashing steel from the current contestants. When they drew close enough to actually see the action, Itachi saw two men that he didn't recognize were the participants of this bout. Both appeared to be of average ability, and he pegged them as unseated Soul Reapers. It suddenly made a lot more sense as to why the Head Captain had been able to take as much time as he had to speak with Yoruichi about her desire for a match with Itachi; the current bout likely hadn't been all that interesting to Yamamoto, or at least hadn't required his full attention.

Of far greater interest to Itachi was a very tall man with grey hair and a sword at his belt that was approaching him and Yoruichi through the crowd. He didn't wear the robes of a Soul Reaper, but the way he carried himself suggested that he was more than capable of handling the weapon that hung at his side. His keen brown eyes narrowed ever so slightly as his gaze met Itachi's, and he could sense the old man evaluating him. He could also sense the man's suppressed spirit energy, and there was something familiar about it.

"I don't suppose you'd care to introduce us," he said as he gently nudged Yoruichi with his elbow.

She followed his gaze and smiled when she saw who was drawing near. "Oh, yes! I've been waiting for the chance to do just that. Itachi, I'd like you to meet my grandfather, Kiemon Shihōin. Grandfather, this is Itachi Uchiha, my Thirteenth Seat."

Kiemon smiled as he held out his hand. "I've heard a great deal about you, young man. Your name has cropped up in just about every letter my granddaughter has sent me over the past few years, and that's no small feat!"

"It's an honor to meet you," Itachi replied as he shook the man's hand, "Yoruichi told me just a little bit ago that you were keeping an eye on Soi-Fon, seeing as she was in a… less than aware state, apparently. I'm surprised she's not with you."

Yoruichi folded her arms. "Grandfather, you didn't leave Soi-Fon passed out on a bench by herself, did you?"

Kiemon chuckled. "Nothing of the sort, I assure you! Your lovely Fourteenth Seat came upon us just a few minutes ago, and she was kind enough to take your bodyguard back to the Squad Two barracks. I imagine she'll be nursing a rather nasty hangover tomorrow morning, but apart from that she should be no worse for wear. Poor girl needs a bit more practice with handling her sake."

Yoruichi laughed. "Well, it's not often that I give her the good stuff! She won't be fun to deal with in the morning, but it'll totally be worth the trouble. Thanks for making sure she's looked after."

"It was the least I could do," he said, "So, I take it things went well with the judges?"

"You bet!" Yoruichi answered, "Itachi and I are up next!"

Kiemon smiled again, his eyes firmly on Itachi. "Is that so? Well, then… I look forward to seeing the two of you in action. I wager it'll be a dance for the ages."

Yoruichi winked at Itachi. "No pressure!"

Itachi smirked. "Right."

His gaze lingered on Kiemon for a moment. Yoruichi's grandfather seemed like an affable man, but there was an underlying intensity in his gaze. Itachi had seen something like it before; from those who had sized him up, looking to take the measure of his abilities.

In life or death, it seems that some things never truly change, he mused, Kiemon Shihōin… just what are you capable of?

The man was not a Soul Reaper, and his sword was not a Zanpakutō, but the spirit energy emanating from both was unmistakable. More to the point, the way Kiemon carried himself spoke of a confidence in his abilities that Itachi knew only came from extensive combat experience. It was a shame that the man wasn't eligible to partake in the Blade Dancer Festival; Itachi was curious to see the just how potent his swordsmanship was.

Kiemon met Itachi's smirk with one of his own, as if he knew what the young man was thinking. Neither of them spoke, but the old man gave him a slight, almost imperceptible nod. The message was clear enough; should the occasion arise, Kiemon seemed more than willing to throw down with Itachi.

You'll have to take him up on that sometime, Jigoku no Joō chimed in, I'll wager that he has some interesting tricks up his sleeves.

Agreed.

The current duel wound down in short order, with Itachi barely even paying attention to the outcome. His eyes were now on the observation platform, waiting for their assigned judge to give them the signal to come forth.

A few minutes later as the two previous Soul Reapers exited the ring, Head Captain Yamamoto finally gave that signal. "Now for our next match, we have what promises to be a most intriguing bout. Captain Yoruichi Shihōin and Thirteenth Seat Itachi Uchiha, both of Squad Two! Please, step forward!"

Itachi saw Yoruichi shed her haori and hold it out for Kiemon. "Grandfather, do you mind?"

"Not at all," he answered as he accepted and neatly folded the haori, "Have fun out there!"

Yoruichi turned to Itachi. "You ready?"

Itachi smiled. "Do you really have to ask?"

Yoruichi grinned. "Now that's what I like to hear!"

Cheers and applause rang out from the crowd as the two of them stepped into the ring, accompanied by a volley of orange and yellow fireworks detonating above. Itachi could not keep his gaze from lingering on Yoruichi's bare back and shoulders, a sight that was all the more enchanting as he saw her stretch her arms in preparation for the duel to come. When the two of them took their positions across from each other, the light from the fading bursts overhead flickered in her golden eyes, and when combined with the clear excitement Itachi saw there as well the effect was quite captivating.

I can appreciate such a tantalizing sight just as much as you, but you really ought to focus. It would be a shame for the dance to end in the first exchange simply due to you eating the eye candy.

No need to worry. I'm simply admiring the beautiful predator before she pounces.

Is that so? I hope you're ready for her claws and fangs.

He took a brief moment to scan the crowd, and caught sight of his mother on one side of the ring accompanied by Shisui and Visaelya. Mikoto beamed at Itachi when his gaze met hers; she was clearly excited for the coming clash. She'd gone off earlier to grab some snacks with Itachi's fellow members of Squad Two of them, and he had to admit that the sweets the three of them were munching on did look quite appetizing. Visaelya gave him an encouraging smile and a wave, while Shisui simply smirked and gave an amused shake of his head.

I think he's looking forward to this even more than my mother.

I'm sure he's already placed his bet on how quickly you'll be defeated.

Not likely. Shisui enjoys a good laugh, but I'd like to think he has enough faith in my skills to know that I can make a good showing here.

Well, then… you'd better not disappoint.

The gazes of Itachi and Yoruichi then turned in unison to the observation platform, where Yamamoto looked upon them with what appeared to be a hint of a smile behind that thick mustache of his. "Draw your swords!"

The two of them did so together, with both adding a bit of flair to psyche up the crowd. For Yoruichi, this involved tossing her short Zanpakutō back and forth between her hands before the weapon came to rest in her right hand, while Itachi quickly made an X in the air with his sword and then raised it in salute before assuming a two-handed guard position. His skills had grown considerably and in no small part thanks to many hours of training and sparring matches with Yoruichi over the past year, but Itachi was no fool; she was still faster than him even without Shunpo, which meant that the opening strike of the match would without a doubt be hers.

The command came from the Head Captain as a series of blue and violet pyrotechnic flowers bloomed overhead. "Begin!

For just a fraction of a second, Itachi saw Yoruichi smirk…

…and then she was on him like a bolt of lightning.

….

It wasn't a full Flash Step, but it was as close as Yoruichi could get to one without getting the match thrown. Even senior Soul Reapers would've had trouble guarding against such a swift opening strike, and Itachi had only been on the job for a little over a year at this point. Against another Soul Reaper of his rank, the speed of Yoruichi's charge would've been downright overkill. Yoruichi wasn't worried, though. She knew what the young man was capable of better than most, and that was why she had no problem with coming at him so hard right out of the gate.

The song of steel on steel was the reward for her faith as Itachi deftly parried her opening thrust. He'd taken a step back to bleed some of the force from her attack, and while it did give Yoruichi room to press the assault, she was quite proud of her partner; it had been exactly the right move for the situation. Her short blade zipped through the air like a hornet as she launched into a series of blindingly fast thrusts and cuts, but Itachi kept his cool. He calmly fell back as he deflected her blows, and the slight furrowing of his brow was the only hint he gave of just how deeply he was focused on the bout.

Her initial flurry of strikes had been aimed high, and an ordinary opponent would've been suitably rattled by the sight of a Captain's Zanpakutō rushing right at their face. Not Itachi, though. He didn't so much as blink as he fended off her strikes, with his blade intercepting hers with pinpoint precision. It almost felt like the times she'd sparred with him while he'd been using his Sharingan; he was reading her movements so well that the only way Yoruichi knew for sure that he wasn't using the Eye of Insight was that the eyes looking back at her were the same onyx orbs that she'd come to know so well over the past seven years.

She quickly switched tactics as she drove him back across the ring, launching a quick burst of thrusts at his legs before shifting targets and aiming for his shoulders. Itachi was able to parry both sets of strikes with grace and speed, but Yoruichi was only just getting warmed up. Spinning on her heels, she made four rapid rotations, each one accompanied by a slash aimed at a different part of Itachi's torso. Itachi deflected them all, and at the end of her last rotation she smoothly transitioned into a thrust at his cheek which he intercepted with mere centimeters to spare.

She shot him a brief smile and wink as their blades locked for a moment before striking anew, this time going for his neck. A slight shift in the angle of his Zanpakutō was all that Itachi required to parry that strike as well, and the pattern continued as they approached the edge of the ring. Yoruichi had to admire Itachi's form; he was waging a top-notch defense, with his deflections and parries as efficient as they were elegant. There was a simplicity in his technique that she found to be both beautiful and refreshing, and she felt that it spoke to Itachi's character quite nicely. He didn't feel the need to show off to her; he was confident enough in his skills to let his technique do the talking without adding in any embellishments.

All well and good, Inazuma On'na noted, but this is the Blade Dancer Festival; showmanship is as much a part of the game as technique. You're not giving him much room for flair and flourish.

He's good enough to spot an opening for it without me going easy on him. My form leaves windows just like that of anyone else, and Itachi's more than capable of spotting and capitalizing on them.

That was certainly true enough, and Itachi seemed quite eager to make her point for her. Deflecting a slash aimed at his hip, he gave his Zanpakutō an artful twirl as he shifted to parry Yoruichi's follow-up attack. He was definitely getting into the spirit of things now, at least if the slight smirk on his face was anything to go by. Yoruichi made a third thrust, this time at his chest, and was pleasantly surprised when he actually met the tip of her blade with that of his own. The move disrupted her momentum and gave Itachi the perfect opening to counterattack, which he did in the form of an upward slash that actually forced Yoruichi to take a step back in order to properly deflect it.

Itachi had seized the initiative, and he immediately acted on it. Yoruichi shifted to a reverse grip on her Zanpakutō just before his first strike, swiftly deflecting a horizontal slash that proved to be just the opening move in her partner's offensive. She found herself being driven back under a barrage of strikes, each precise, swift, and vigorous. Itachi's offensive technique was a marked contrast with his earlier defense; while he'd favored a minimalist form for fending off her opening assault, when he went on the attack it was with gusto. Broad sweeps and slashes allowed him to take full advantage of the difference in reach between their respective blades, and he never struck in exactly the same manner twice. Each attack came in at different angles, and while often the variance would only be by a few degrees or so, the effect was such that Yoruichi had to constantly adjust her stance in order to intercept the blows efficiently.

His technique is superb.

You're telling me!

Yoruichi grinned even as Itachi pushed her towards the center of the ring. Soul Reapers from other divisions might favor a straightforward assault, but that wasn't the way of Squad Two. Agility, cunning, and misdirection were the hallmarks of her division, and Itachi was offering up a perfect example of all three. Many of his slashes turned out to be feints, drawing her towards one attack vector before the trajectory of his strike suddenly shifted and forced her to adjust accordingly. A low sweep would abruptly become an upward slash, while a thrust aimed at her shoulder would dip low at the last possible second and go for her hip instead. She wasn't just dueling a fellow Soul Reaper; her bout was with a former Shinobi, and a prodigy of a Shinobi at that. Deception and diversion came as naturally to her partner as breathing, and Yoruichi knew that the slightest misstep on her part would be ruthlessly exploited.

As it should be.

Her eyes met his as she deflected a series of diagonal slashes, and there was a light in them that was quite distinct from the shimmering reflections of orange and yellow fireworks exploding overhead. There was an intensity in his gaze, similar to what she'd seen in him whenever they had a particularly vigorous sparring match, but there was something more to it here. It took a moment for Yoruichi to place it; it was exhilaration. He was fully swept up in the thrill of the duel, giving himself completely over to the flow of the bout.

It was a sentiment that Yoruichi eagerly returned. As far as she was concerned, the outside world didn't even exist right now. Head Captain Yamamoto on the observation platform, her subordinates, friends and family in the crowd, and even the brilliant light of the full moon and Kūkaku's magnificent fireworks shining down from above; none of it mattered. Her entire world at that very moment was her dance with Itachi.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

….

Someone's having fun, Jigoku no Joō commented as Itachi unleashed a veritable whirlwind of slashes against his partner, It's nice to see you loosening up a bit.

Itachi barely even took note of what the spirit of his Zanpakutō was saying. His gaze remained locked with Yoruichi's as he drove her across the ring, and the radiant look in her golden eyes was all he needed to know that she was feeling exactly what he was at that moment. The only thing he saw was her deflecting his strikes, and the only thing he heard was the clashing of their blades. The Blade Dancer Festival itself had become nothing more than a dim murmur in the background; the pyrotechnics and audience had been completely banished from his mind.

He'd never felt this way during a fight before. Sure, Itachi had taken part in more than his share of intense battles that had demanded his complete focus, but this was different. That grim tension and dark urgency he had come to associate with life-and-death combat was nowhere to be found here. This wasn't a traditional battlefield; this was a stage, with Itachi and Yoruichi being the stars of the show. Itachi thought he'd understood before why this celebration was called the Blade Dancer Festival, but it was only now as he dueled the woman who had come to mean so much to him that he truly grasped the real significance of the name and what the participants were meant to strive for.

His previous bouts had certainly been enlightening and entertaining, but they paled in comparison to the frenetic nature of the match he was partaking in now. Itachi felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins, but it was quite unlike that which he normally would've experienced in combat. There was a sense of liberation as he and his partner clashed swords; he was expressing himself here in a manner that he never had before. With the duel's focus being purely on Zanjutsu, the kind of calculation and cunning that went into their typical sparring matches or fights out in the field didn't really apply here. Sure, there was definitely a place for strategy and trickery in the bouts; feints and misdirection were perfectly acceptable elements of swordsmanship, after all. However, the number of variables that they had to account for in a fight like this was significantly reduced. This made it easier for Itachi to give himself over completely to the rush that came with dueling an opponent as formidable as Yoruichi, and in doing so he was discovering something about himself.

He was loving this.

Sure, their training sessions had been enjoyable, but they'd all carried some kind of end goal; refining control over Itachi's Shikai, helping Yoruichi further develop Shunkō, practicing with his Sharingan and showing her how to properly counter it, and other such practical objectives. Those efforts could be fulfilling and even fun, but ultimately, they were meant to improve their effectiveness as Soul Reapers. The bouts of the Blade Dancer Festival were something entirely different; the duel itself was the point, not any potential boost in ability or skill that might result from it. Sure, there were practical benefits, but the whole idea was really for the respective partners in any match to put on a show and have fun while doing so.

And that's exactly what Itachi was experiencing. For the first time in what felt like nearly forever, he was having genuine fun. The last time he could've honestly said to have done that was in those early innocent days when he'd played with Sasuke. Back before he'd gotten swept up in the political maelstrom engulfing the Uchiha Clan and the Hidden Leaf Village, before his path had taken him through darkness and an ocean of blood…

…before he'd set himself up for a deathmatch with his beloved little brother.

He found himself smiling as he looked into Yoruichi's eyes while their blades continued to flash and clash before them. Itachi had her to thank for this, as he had with so much else since he'd come to the Soul Society. He felt more alive in his afterlife now than he ever had in the Shinobi World, and he doubted that would've been the case if the two of them had never met. Her saving his life when they'd first encountered each other had been one thing, but knowing now that she still accepted him for who he was in spite of all that he had done? That she would still participate in a dance that could turn deadly with the slightest mistake even after he'd told her about all the horrific deeds he'd committed before passing from the mortal coil?

She would've been well within her rights to shun him, to never trust him again, to expel him from not only her unit but the Thirteen Court Guard Squads as a whole… and yet, she'd done none of that. In fact, she'd done the very opposite over the past year; she'd taken him into her confidence, elevated him in rank within Squad Two, invited him to become a trusted and valuable training partner, and had worked to hone their skills together in countless private matches. She had given a home to a young man who had lived his short adult life as an exile and fugitive, a criminal wanted for heinous deeds by the entire Shinobi World. She'd given him a chance at something new, something he'd never dreamed possible; an opportunity to forge a new path for himself, one with a woman that had become a trusted companion, friend, commander and teacher, who knew all that he had done and fully believed in him in spite of it… no, because of it.

It was that bond between them that gave the dance they were sharing now a much deeper meaning to Itachi than his previous bouts, and it also helped to further feed into the exhilaration he felt as he drove her across the ring. She was a partner that Itachi believed deserved nothing less than his best, while at the same time knowing that not only could she take it but was more than capable of dishing it back out in time. At the same time, the fact that they had spent a great deal of time over the past year training together meant that they both already had a solid understanding of each other's fighting style, which in turn made it easier for them to read the signals that they were giving off and react accordingly. It was the perfect recipe for a lightning-paced bout, one where Itachi could fully indulge in the thrill of the match with a partner that was clearly doing the same.

He saw her return his smile as she fended off his latest barrage. She was loving this every bit as much as he was, and if anything, she seemed to be feeding off his enthusiasm for the duel and returning it full force. Yoruichi was practically bouncing on her heels as she deflected one strike after the next, her playful side on display for all to see as she allowed Itachi to drive the action. There was that familiar devious glint in her eyes that he'd become so fond of; a promise to turn the tables on him the moment he got comfortable. She knew how to keep him on his toes, and Itachi loved that about her.

Violet and gold pyrotechnic blossoms bloomed overhead as Itachi continued his offensive. With her haori shed prior to the match, Itachi could take in her slender form in all its glory. Watching her twirl while deftly intercepting and parrying his strikes as the moonlight glistened in her eyes and bathed the dark exposed skin of her shoulders and upper back in its radiance, she was an utterly captivating sight. Itachi knew that he needed to be mindful of that allure; Yoruichi would take full advantage of it if she thought it would distract him.

As well she should. We're both of Squad Two, after all; dirty tricks are what we're good at.

All's fair in love and war, right?

Her words took Itachi's mind back to a conversation that was over six years old… one that hadn't been far from his mind in the days leading up to the current festivities.

"They call it the Blade Dancer Festival for a reason; the duels that take place there can be more beautiful than the steps and twirls of a traditional ball. Some Soul Reapers even treat it as a form of courtship."

Itachi was a little taken aback at that. "Courtship? In a festival devoted to sword fighting?"

Minerva chuckled. "Don't knock it until you've tried it, Itachi. When the right set of partners face off under the full moon… well, let's just say that sparks fly from more than just their blades."

She had you pegged from the start. Don't even try to deny it.

Itachi knew she was right. While he'd certainly been intrigued by the idea of the Blade Dancer Festival as a whole, it had been Minerva's words regarding it as a form of courtship that he'd been particularly interested in. He'd been gunning for this dance since the moment the festivities had gotten under way, and Rija had seemingly gone out of her way to set him on the right track with his first duel of the night. She'd already picked up on his desire for a bout with Yoruichi, but had the Fourteenth Seat of Squad Two seen through to his real intentions? Looking back on it now, Itachi had to conclude that she almost certainly had.

Where did that leave Yoruichi, then? She'd eagerly accepted his invitation, which certainly boded well, but Itachi wanted to know for sure. Had she agreed to the dance simply out of a desire to enjoy the Blade Dancer Festival with him and to see how far his skills had come, or was there more to it?

You're overthinking things again. Stop it. Now is not the time for doubts and second guessing. If you want an answer to that question, give this dance with her everything you have tonight. Trust your instincts and your partner, and you'll find what you're looking for.

Very well, then.

Itachi would cast his doubts to the wind…

…and trust in his Zanjutsu to express his feelings to his partner.

….

Now this is more like it!

Yoruichi's hopes for Itachi in this bout had been quite high, and he was more than rising to the occasion. The energy behind his swordplay had intensified as he continued to drive her across the ring, but at the same time there was a growing sense of passion and spirit that hadn't quite been apparent at the start of the match. His form had shifted noticeably ever since he'd taken the offensive, and to Yoruichi it was clear that the opening exchanges of the match had very much been a warmup for him. Now he was really was coming at her in full force, and it was a marvel to behold.

I think you've outdone yourself with this new protégé of yours, Inazuma On'na chimed in, Soi-Fon should watch out; at the rate he's growing, he'll be challenging her much sooner than she might realize.

As fun as the thought of Itachi and Soi-Fon competing against each other for the number two spot in her unit was, Yoruichi really didn't have time for it. The duel with Itachi required her full attention, and even if it didn't, she refused to have anything distract her from it. Now that he was really getting into the spirit of the Blade Dancer Festival, she wanted to push him to new heights and see just what he was capable of under pressure. It was time for her to retake the initiative, and not a moment too soon; the edge of the ring was scarcely more than a meter away.

As Itachi brought his Zanpakutō down in a diagonal left-to-right strike, Yoruichi rolled to the left and dodged the blow entirely. Itachi expertly adjusted his stance, pulling back to avoid the thrust Yoruichi made at his leg and bringing his blade down to a suitable guard position. The move prevented her from landing a Mark of Contact and claiming victory, but Yoruichi wasn't complaining; the match was still quite young, and the last thing she wanted was an early win. Besides, the shifting of Itachi's footing and guard had given her a window to go on the offensive, and she was eager to see how her partner would react to the tempest that she would now unleash against him.

She gave Itachi a devilish smirk as she went on the attack. Her Zanpakutō flashed like a bolt of silver lightning as she took a shot at Itachi's left shoulder. The young man was able to intercept the strike, but that was merely the opener for the flurry of thrusts that Yoruichi threw at him. Itachi immediately began to give ground, seamlessly shifting over to the defensive as the initiative moved to Yoruichi's hands.

Unlike the assault that she'd opened the bout with, though, Yoruichi didn't limit herself to a ground assault. After her initial sequence of strikes had put some space between the two of them and the edge of the ring, Yoruichi took to the air, leaping at Itachi and bringing her blade down at towards his right shoulder. Her partner swiftly deflected the blow, but Yoruichi wasn't about to let up there. She rolled to the left before jumping again, this time spinning as she came down, each rotation bringing her Zanpakutō around for a strike. Four slashes in rapid succession were parried by Itachi, and while Yoruichi had subtly altered the angle of each one to make things a bit trickier for her partner, the young man matched her flawlessly.

When her feet hit the ground, she immediately lashed out again, this time with a burst of quick thrusts at Itachi's legs. Her Thirteenth Seat intercepted each one of them with efficient grace, but he had to give additional ground in the process. Yoruichi refused to let up, with her next attack being an upward slash that missed Itachi's chest by just a handful of centimeters. She quickly brought her Zanpakutō back down in a follow-up strike, but Itachi had taken another step back and pulled his blade in close to deflect the attack.

He's really holding his own here… impressive.

Yoruichi agreed. Itachi's technique was far beyond that of a Thirteenth Seat at this point. Despite having carefully monitored his progress over the past year, Yoruichi still found herself surprised by the level of skill her partner was bringing to the table here. His swordsmanship put that of most Lieutenants to shame; hell, in terms of pure ability he was damn near close to a Captain's proficiency. She could only wonder what Head Captain Yamamoto was making of all this as he watched from the lofty perch of the observation platform, and she didn't have time to look for herself.

Soon they were back at the center of the ring, and Yoruichi wasn't about to let up there. Leaping over Itachi, she took a swing at his head that he parried even as he whirled around to meet her as she landed. As soon as she hit the ground, she rolled to right and took a stab at his leg. Her partner had already brought his Zanpakutō around to intercept the attack, but Yoruichi swiftly followed it with a slash at his lower torso. Itachi had to take a step back and pull his blade in close to properly deflect the strike, and Yoruichi pressed her advantage to drive him towards the side of the ring.

For the briefest of moments, she caught sight of her grandfather over Itachi's shoulder. Kiemon had only a small smile on his face, but the gleaming light in his eyes definitely wasn't from the green and red fireworks bursting overhead. Her grandfather looked thrilled by what he was seeing, and he was hardly an easy man to impress.

Your partner better watch out; he might have your grandfather challenging him to a fight at this rate!

Wouldn't that be a fun match to watch?

It wouldn't happen here, of course; Kiemon wasn't and had never been a Soul Reaper, so he wasn't eligible to participate in the bouts of the Blade Dancer Festival. Still, depending on how long her grandfather decided to remain in town, it was entirely possible that he'd stop by the barracks for a chance to duel Itachi. Yoruichi liked what she was seeing from her Thirteenth Seat tonight, and she would be the first to play the role of spectator should Kiemon challenge Itachi to a match. As entertaining as the thought of her grandfather and Itachi dueling was, though, Yoruichi couldn't afford to dwell on that at the moment. After all, she was in the middle of the bout that she'd been waiting all night for.

She made two rapid diagonal slashes in an X-pattern aimed at Itachi's chest. Her partner deflected both easily enough, and after the second strike he counterattacked with a low thrust. Yoruichi quickly parried the blow, but she soon found out that it was a feint, and Itachi leapt over her the second after their blades had connected. Rather than rise up and bring her blade into a guard position, Yoruichi instead decided to simply duck and roll beneath Itachi's airborne strike. She came back up just as Itachi was touching down behind her, and he barely had time to bring his Zanpakutō up to parry her incoming thrust.

Her heart raced as she launched a fresh assault, with Itachi falling back at an angle as he fended off her attacks. The Uchiha Clan's prodigy was giving her the bout she wanted and then some, completely exceeding her expectations with his stellar performance. Yoruichi couldn't recall the last time a duel in the Blade Dancer Festival had gotten her blood pumping quite like this. She was actually starting to sweat now, and she could see some perspiration building on Itachi's brow as well.

This was what she wanted. To go toe-to-toe with Itachi in one of the Soul Society's greatest annual celebrations and see just how far he had come. To get completely swept up in the thrill of the duel, the excitement of sharing a potentially dangerous dance with this brilliant former Shinobi who had passed beyond the veil and been reborn. To enjoy herself in a bout unlike any she'd ever had before, to exalt in the heat of the moment with the young man who had captivated and fascinated her since the moment they'd met.

The combined light of the moon and a volley of blue and purple fireworks bursting above gleamed in both her partner's eyes and his Zanpakutō. The sweat dripping from both of them glistened as their blades clashed again and again. Watching Itachi's raven hair, particularly the ponytail, sweep and sway with his movements while it shimmered with perspiration was downright entrancing, and Yoruichi saw herself reflected in a similar state within her partner's eyes.

This is incredible!

He's incredible!

Itachi…

Give me more!

….

Itachi wanted this fight to go on forever.

The two of them had returned to the center of the ring a few seconds ago, and now there was none of the back and forth rhythm that had characterized the duel before. Instead, the dance had become a series of leaps, rolls, pivots and spins as both combatants found themselves moving in a loop. The song of steel on steel had accelerated to a fever pitch, their swords often meeting multiple times in the span of a single second. Red and purple fireworks detonated overhead, and the crowd roared their approval as Captain and Thirteenth Seat continued their tango of the blades.

He'd never felt so in synch with an opponent before. When Yoruichi would leap into the air, now Itachi would meet her, their swords meeting at the pinnacle of their arcs before the two of them came back down. The two of them knew exactly which blows they were meant to block and which they were meant to dodge. Itachi understood Yoruichi's intentions in a way that was normally reserved for when he was using the Sharingan to read someone. All the training sessions they'd shared over the past year likely played a role there, but Itachi could sense that there was more to it.

Their movements, strikes and feints, deflections and parries; they all flowed together so seamlessly. An equilibrium had been achieved in the center of that ring, with Itachi and Yoruichi trading the roles of attacker and defender with almost every other exchange. Whether it was on the ground or those brief moments where they were both in the air, their fighting styles had merged to the point where they perfectly complemented each other. Itachi's tight defense to her brief flurries of thrusts, his sweeping slashes to her evasions and deflections, both of them knowing exactly when to jump and where they would meet in midair; it was all instinctive at this point. There was not a hint of hesitation or second-guessing. If Itachi hadn't known better, he could've sworn that the two of them had been training for years to put on this exact performance rather than it being the spontaneous display that it truly was.

His partner rolled to the right, ducking beneath his horizontal slash. Pivoting to keep her in his sights, Itachi had his Zanpakutō at the ready when Yoruichi countered with a thrust at upper leg. A smooth deflection warded off that threat, but Yoruichi immediately followed it up with a second thrust, this one aimed at his upper torso. Itachi shifted back a step and pulled his Zanpakutō in tight to intercept the blow. As soon as Itachi blocked that attack he countered with a slash, but Yoruichi immediately ducked and rolled again, this time to the left. Adjusting his stance accordingly, he was ready when she unleashed a diagonal upward slash at his flank, parrying the strike before countering with a thrust that Yoruichi intercepted with mere centimeters to spare.

She made two quick slashes at his chest, with Itachi deflecting them both as he took a step back. Yoruichi then leapt into the air, and for the briefest of moments Itachi saw her with both the luminous full moon and a series of white and blue fireworks forming a picturesque backdrop. His heart skipped a beat at the sight. Bathed as she was in both lunar and pyrotechnic radiance… Itachi had never seen anything quite like it.

"Beautiful…" he whispered to himself.

It was only instinct that allowed him to deflect the strike that she brought down upon him with her descent. The image from just a moment before was seared into his mind, a breathtaking vista that he would never forget.

Of course, she made him pay for his distraction. Yoruichi pounced the moment her feet hit the ground, striking with a flurry of rapid thrusts that Itachi was only barely able to fend off. His gaze met hers, and he was struck by the intensity and passion blazing in her golden eyes. Her tempo was picking up considerably, and as Itachi worked to match her pace he recognized that they were building towards the peak of the duel. The crescendo of the dance was upon them now; the crowd would soon be due their finale.

All good things must come to an end, sang Jigoku no Joō, but the stars burn brightest before they fall. Show them the peak of your fire, Itachi!

With pleasure.

The cheers of the crowd and thunder of green and violet fireworks detonating overhead were drowned out in Itachi's ears by the constant song of clashing blades. Slash and deflection, strike and interception, thrust and parry; they were now swapping the roles of aggressor and defender with every move. Her dexterity and nimbleness against his efficiency and precision, the blindingly quick bursts of thrusts from her small and agile blade versus the flowing and pinpoint slashes from his longer Zanpakutō… it was a fusion of performative grace and deadly pragmatism.

The two of them both leapt at the same time, their swords once again meeting at the peak of their arcs. They came down opposite of their original starting points a moment later, and when the two of them turned around to face each other there was the briefest of pauses. Both of them raised their blades in unison and nodded, smiling as a volley of red and orange shells burst above.

It's time.

Yes.

They both surged forward at the same time, the final exchange commencing with a flurry of slashes and deflections from the two of them. Neither indulged in any of the acrobatics from before, instead focusing on maintaining solid footing as each sought out the opening that would bring the bout to a close. The greater reach of Itachi's blade gave him a slight advantage there; a simple graze and small cut was all that he needed for a Mark of Contact, and playing to the strengths of his longer sword would make it difficult for Yoruichi to land a finishing blow with her smaller weapon. Itachi whirled his weapon around him in an attempt to force her back just enough to secure his edge.

For a moment, it looked like the move had worked. Yoruichi did indeed take a step back, but it was only that; a single step, one that was easily made up for. Even without Shunpo, her speed was formidable, and that single step combined with a quick duck allowed her to slip beneath Itachi's Zanpakutō. He tried to angle his blade downwards to intercept, but Itachi knew that it was already too late. Yoruichi's Zanpakutō flashed forward like a silver bolt of lightning, slicing through Itachi's robes and making a shallow cut on his left thigh.

Head Captain Yamamoto's booming voice made it official. "Match! Captain Shihōin wins through Mark of Contact!"

Applause and cheers rang out from the crowd as the two Soul Reapers took a step back from each other and sheathed their weapons. A young man from Squad Four was quick to enter the ring and attend to Itachi's superficial wound, but he paid the healer no mind. He only had eyes for one Soul Reaper right now, and that was the woman standing before him.

Her beaming smile was matched only by the blazing light in her eyes. "Itachi… that was amazing! You… you're really something else."

Itachi readily returned her smile. "Thank you. You… you were incredible to behold. Yoruichi… that was, without a doubt, the best dance of the night… the best dance of any kind that I've ever had. I… well, I'm sorry that I kept you waiting for it."

"It was completely worth it," she replied, her smile only growing as she gazed upon him, "For a dance like that, I'll wait as long as I have to!"

Two harsh taps rang out from the observation platform as Head Captain Yamamoto rapped the point of his Zanpakutō against it. The two of them turned to face the commander of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and await his judgement. Itachi was a bit taken aback to see that the old man was actually smiling, and rather openly at that.

"A magnificent performance!" he praised, "Thirteenth Seat Uchiha, your growth in the art of the sword has proven to be exceptional. Tonight, you have demonstrated skills that are far beyond what your humble rank would suggest. Your technique was splendid; this was without a doubt your best performance tonight, regardless of the final outcome. Captain Shihōin, as ever, you were a marvel to behold. Such speed and ferocity are truly worthy of one who has earned the moniker of Flash Goddess. You have both put on a spectacle that honors this hollowed tradition in every sense of the word; the Thirteen Court Guard Squads counts themselves as privileged beyond measure to have the two of you in their ranks! As much as I would like to continue heaping accolades upon you, though, I must now ask that you leave the ring. The next match must commence."

Itachi turned towards Yoruichi. He'd anticipated her taking the lead, with them either going to meet her grandfather to get her haori back or heading over to see Mikoto, Shisui and Visaelya, who had been cheering them on since the start of the match. However, Itachi instead found Yoruichi facing him again. His gaze quickly met hers, and what he found there made him forget all about the others. Her golden eyes were still blazing with the thrill of the match they'd just completed, but there was something else burning within them as well.

Hunger.

And it definitely wasn't for food.

Itachi had never seen a woman look at him so ravenously before, but he wasn't a fool. His romantic experience was practically nonexistent, but he understood enough to recognize what Yoruichi wanted…

…and enough to realize what he wanted, too.

Rather than lead him out of the ring immediately, she moved towards him, and in what felt like the blink of an eye, her face was mere millimeters from his. The heat of her breath only further increased the warmth that Itachi felt radiating from his cheeks, and that was nothing compared to the fire that he felt swelling up inside him… let alone the inferno burning in Yoruichi's eyes.

Her smile took on more than a hint of devilishness, and she spoke only two words. "Barracks. Now."

Itachi gave her the slightest of nods…

…and the two of them vanished from the ring with the fastest Shunpo of Itachi's afterlife.

….

Mikoto, Shisui and Visaelya hadn't been the only acquaintances of Itachi watching his dance with Yoruichi. A bit further back in the crowd had been none other than Jiraiya, munching on some dango while enjoying the show. While the rest of the audience might've only seen a duel taking place, though, the Legendary Sannin had picked up on something they'd missed. The bout truly had been a dance, courtship in every sense of the word. The energy and passion of the two combatants hadn't dissipated just because the match had come to an end.

Far from it, in fact.

Jiraiya chuckled, his mind having gone to the obvious conclusion the moment the two of them had Flash Stepped out of there. "Well, well… the Uchiha really do have all the luck when it comes to the ladies!"

I hope you still have some energy left, Itachi…

…because I've got a feeling your 'dance' isn't over yet!

….

Under other circumstances, Itachi would've been winded by the time he and Yoruichi returned to the Squad Two barracks. He knew that she hadn't been going full-tilt with her Shunpo; if she had been, there was no way that Itachi could've kept up with his present level of proficiency in the art. Even so, she'd definitely been Flash Stepping as fast as Itachi was capable of going, perhaps even a bit faster. After such a run from the plaza to their division's headquarters, even Itachi would've normally required a moment to catch his breath.

These weren't normal circumstances.

Anticipation, adrenaline, anxiety and excitement were all racing through Itachi's veins. He had never done anything like what he knew they were about to do. As he followed Yoruichi through the barracks at a very brisk pace, it felt like a million jumbled thoughts and questions were flying through his mind at once. Images, hopes, doubts and more… and it all served only to kick Itachi's already furiously beating heart into overdrive.

Before he knew it, the two of them were standing before the door of Yoruichi's quarters. She turned to face him, and he saw that the fire blazing in her golden eyes had transformed them into practically a pair of brilliant suns. Her intent, her desire, was plain as day, and yet… there was still one last ounce of restraint.

Itachi realized what she was waiting for; permission.

He couldn't help but smile. They both knew what they wanted, but she still wished to make sure that he understood it. After hearing his tale, she had surely grasped his lack of experience in such matters and where the closest thing to it for Itachi had ultimately wound up, and she was giving him the appropriate consideration. She was giving him a chance; if he wasn't ready, he could still back out.

Itachi wouldn't dream of it.

Taking both her and himself off guard, he took her in his arms and kissed her full on the lips. It only took a moment for the two of them to recover from their shared surprise, though, and their mouths readily opened to allow their tongues to intertwine. Their dance of the blades was over, and an entirely different dance was about to begin.

They parted for air a few seconds later, but Itachi was only given a second to catch his breath. The door to Yoruichi's quarters slid open behind him, then she firmly gripped his shoulders in her hands and shoved him inside. She then stepped through after him, pausing only long enough to shut the door behind her…

…and then pounced on him like the lioness she was.

Author's Notes: Wow, this one was long! Even by my standards, which is saying something. I will try to make the next one shorter… emphasis on 'try'. *sigh* Why do I do this to myself?

Speaking of the next chapter, it's going to be a largely Jiraiya-centric one. Oh, and just to get you lot drooling, it'll also be the one where our favorite pervy sage finally unlocks his Shikai!

With regards to Yoruichi's grandfather, I actually based his looks and some of his mannerisms off of Isshin Ashina from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Couldn't help myself, I absolutely love the character… and am dreading the boss fight with him when I finally get around to finishing the game.

Hope coronavirus isn't beating you all down too badly. Sorry I took so long to finish this chapter, I know plenty of you wanted me to get it out quickly for quarantine reading! Keep calm and carry on; we'll get through this eventually. Hopefully. *Looks nervously at my own country.* Not sure when I'll get to do that big trip to Japan I had planned, at the rate America's going it sure as hell won't be this year, and maybe not even next. Well, here's hoping things turn around sooner or later.

Hope you all liked the chapter. Please review, and I'll see you all next time!