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.

28. Chapter 28

Author's Notes: Hello there! Happy winter holidays to everyone! I suppose you can consider this an early Christmas present from yours truly. I had considered actually waiting for December 25th and dropping the update then, but I figured that I've tortured you lot long enough with the wait. I finished everything up today, so you're getting it today.

Enjoy!

Part Two: Earning That Vacation

Sitting across the table from Yoruichi, Yoko arched an eyebrow. "You're holding that cup so tightly… I do hope you're not about to break it. Kuchiki Clan porcelain sets might be easy enough to find in the market, but the best ones get snapped up quite quickly."

Yoruichi took a deep breath to calm herself, though she could not keep herself from glowering at her grandmother even as she sipped her tea. "Don't worry. Your tea set is safe."

You've got much bigger things to worry about than how I treat your tea set, Yoruichi added silently, and you know that just as well as I do.

After the initial shock from the announcement of the last wraith's discovery had faded, Yoko and Kiemon had expanded upon the brief explanation that the latter had given to Yoruichi in private. The account relayed to Yoruichi and Itachi by the two masters of the palace had still been an admittedly abridged one, but it had gotten the point the across easily enough. Several months ago, both Yoko and Kiemon had been accompanying an expeditionary team out in the desert far to the west of the Principality's capital, using spells to blast away dunes and reveal a series of ancient ruins that had long been consumed by the sands of time. Dedicated excavation had cleared away enough of the structure to reveal a long-abandoned arena and temple. Study of some of the wall carvings and tablets had shown promise, but it had not initially appeared to be a find that would yield any substantial new knowledge.

It had yielded something else, though, but that had only become apparent after the expedition had set up camp for the night. Yoko and Kiemon had just barely felt the wraith's approach as it crept silently across the dunes, and it had already slain several of the accompanying guards and scholars before the former Squad Two Captain and legendary swordsman were able to confront it. The clash had been furious, with the wraith ultimately driven back to the arena and sealed through intricate spell-work on the part of Yoko and several Shihōin Clan Mages that had been brought along more for the excavation work than combat, but it had been very much a stop-gap measure. With time, the hastily erected barrier would eventually fall to the wraith, and it was probing the seal even as Yoko and Yoruichi conversed. To say that Yoruichi was seething at how her grandmother had kept this all hidden despite having ample opportunity to warn her even before she and Itachi had set out on their trip would be a colossal understatement.

Yoko eyed her for a moment before shaking her head. "Not exactly trying to conceal your ire, are you? I suppose I do deserve it, though I had hoped for more restraint on your part. It's what I taught you, after all."

"Oh, I'm exercising plenty of restraint," Yoruichi growled as she finished her drink and set the empty cup down, "It's the only reason why your palace's back doors are still on their hinges."

Yoko chuckled. "I should thank my lucky stars, then."

"You should," Yoruichi concurred, "especially considering that they were lucky enough for you to survive a wraith attack."

Yoko sighed. "What would you have of me? An apology? It will not change what has already transpired."

"No, but it would at least show that you're still capable of remorse," Yoruichi snapped, "It would show that you haven't allowed yourself to completely become the devil that so much of the Seireitei thinks you are. It would show me that you actually give a damn!"

Yoko closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, she did appear to be genuinely contrite. "A lie of omission is still a lie, and I will not shy away from that. I am sorry about deceiving you and withholding such important information. I had my purpose, as you know I always do, but that does not change the facts of what I've done."

That alone was more than Yoruichi had been expecting to get out of her, but she wasn't about to stop there. "I'm not just mad about the wraith, and you damn well know it."

Yoko inclined her head. "You refer to the matter with Itachi. I was honest with you regrading my intentions for him, but I suppose that's beside the point. You asked me to refrain from intruding upon the sanctity of his mind, and I did not abide. Of course, you knew I would not abide, and yet you brought him to me anyway. What does that say about you?"

"I warned Itachi as much as I was able to while still abiding by your conditions," Yoruichi shot back, "Even so, as much as I wanted to show him our family's homeland, as much as I wanted him to meet you, I still felt like shit knowing what I was dragging him into. Of course, that was before I found out about the damn wraith."

"He did not hold my intrusion against you," Yoko pointed out, "I highly doubt he will hold the matter of the wraith against you, either. It's a credit to how understanding his experiences have made him. You truly have found someone special in him."

Yoruichi resisted the urge to smile; she wanted to keep up a stern front with her grandmother for the moment. "I know that more than you ever could even after you read his mind. Even so… I brought him out here so he could relax, not to dredge up his worst memories. He'd have every right to be angry at me over what you did earlier. You have no idea how hard he's been trying to find peace with his past!"

"I could argue the point, given what I saw in his mind," Yoko remarked, "but as I've told you before, there is a distinction between thoughts, memories, and character. I was not with him when he bared his inner demons to you, when he confessed his greatest shame for your judgement. I saw it in his mind, but only as a spectator. What you and he shared in that moment and those following it is truly only for the two of you to understand and appreciate. You may not believe me when I say this, but I am being honest with you when I say that I did not dredge up those old wounds lightly. It was an unfortunate necessity, as was the test as a whole. To his immense credit, though, he passed it with flying colors."

Yoruichi folded her arms. "I knew he would, but that doesn't change the fact that this 'test' of yours was never needed in the first place!"

"I beg to disagree," Yoko calmly countered, "Your letters spoke quite warmly of him, and I could glean valuable insights into his nature, but your accounts alone could not suffice for what I required. I needed to truly understand him, and the best way to accomplish that was to confront him with a challenge unlike any he's faced so far. It is how we respond to the gravest of intrusions, the deepest of discomforts, that reveal who we really are. You should be proud with how he handled himself. He truly is worthy of you."

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed. "I've taken lovers before, but you never saw the need to test them. Why did you feel like you had to do that with Itachi?"

"You yourself were quite honest with me regarding the nature of your past paramours," Yoko replied, "They were bits of fun with perhaps some affection intermingled, but little more than flings. Itachi, however, is far more to you than just a 'bit of fun'; your letters made that quite clear, even if you didn't state so in such terms. You are serious about him, and therefore I needed to take him seriously as well."

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. "You don't trust me to make a good decision when it comes to my heart?"

Yoko shook her head. "That's not it at all. To say that you have a good head on your shoulders would be a considerable understatement. This young man would not have drawn you in if he were not as exceptional as he has proven himself to be. That being said, I needed to be absolutely certain that there was not so much as a flicker of ill-intent in him towards you. There was only one way to gain certainty, hence the test."

Yoruichi sighed heavily. "And here I remember you telling me that you wouldn't protect me forever. Your harsh training was proof enough of that, as were the dangerous missions that you sent me on when I served under you. Yet you picked now to start playing the role of overprotective matriarch… just when I thought I had a handle on you, you pull this crap on me."

"My harsh training was meant to protect you by forcing you to quickly learn the skills you would need to survive," Yoko reminded her, "The same goes for those hazardous missions that I sent you on. Challenge is the only way that true growth can be experienced. I drilled that into you for a reason. In a way, I always have been the 'overprotective matriarch' that you now label me as… and I suppose I always will be."

Yoko then smiled, a gesture that to Yoruichi came across as both proud and remorseful. "I took on many proteges during my time as a Soul Reaper. Some fell in battle, others moved on to the tutelage of new mentors and went down more conventional paths. You, though, were the only one not only pass every trial I threw at them but surpass my every expectation. You were and are greater than any I have ever trained, my dear granddaughter. You embody the very best of the Shihōin Clan, and are an emblem of what a Captain in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and the commander of the Stealth Forces should be. In light of all that, I confess that I find myself tempted to violate my own principles regarding the freedom to walk one's own path. For all that I endeavored to equip you with the tools that you would need to look after yourself, I must constantly fight the urge to stretch out my wings and take you under their shadow. These tests that I concocted for Itachi sprung forth from that desire as much as they did my own curiosity. You are far more than just my precious granddaughter, Yoruichi. I love you as one loves a champion, for you have already become all that I could never hope to be."

Yoruichi blinked rapidly; where was this coming from? "Grandmother… you're really exaggerating here. I'm still nowhere near close to matching what you were capable of in your prime."

Yoko firmly shook her head. "Oh, you are so mistaken on that count, my dear. I have enough eyes and ears within the Seireitei to know how Squad Two and the Stealth Force have grown under your care, and what I have learned is all I need to know that you have already moved beyond what I could do. When I commanded them, I was respected and feared. You, though… you are respected as a leader, but your subordinates do not shiver in foreboding at your approach, dreading that you might fix them within your gaze and seek to pick apart their faults and insecurities. They may fear disappointing you, but that fear is more than outweighed by their devotion to you. They do not follow you merely out of chain of command or even respect, but out of genuine admiration and loyalty. You are more than just their Captain and commander, Yoruichi. You are their watchful guide, their attentive caretaker… and, above all else, you are their friend."

"You looked out for your subordinates when you commanded Squad Two and the Stealth Force," Yoruichi pointed out, "and you had your share of friends within both units."

Yoko sighed wistfully. "I did, yes, but let us not dance around the truth. My powers and my very nature always meant that there was a certain degree of distance between myself and those under my command. That went even for those who had known me for centuries, who had fought alongside me in countless battles against the fiercest of Hollows. They could count on me risk my life for them, to shepherd them through hazardous situations and direct them to success and victory, but they could not confide in me as they now can with you. The knowledge that I could peer into their minds at any moment paradoxically meant that their true feelings were distant from me, for they sought both consciously and otherwise to erect a wall that might preserve at least an illusion of privacy. That was a divide that I could not bridge, not matter how I might have tried. I can read thoughts and use them to anticipate the actions of people, but I cannot move them through genuine inspiration. Manipulate and maneuver them like I might do so with pieces on a Go board, yes, but there is a key difference between that and instilling true confidence and trust in those that I might command."

Her golden eyes gleamed in the late afternoon sun as she met Yoruichi's gaze. "By contrast, you have learned how to sincerely inspire those under your command, to drive them into pushing themselves beyond what they previously thought themselves capable of. And when they are confronted with doubt, they do not hesitate to turn to you for counsel. They trust you with their thoughts and feelings in a way that they never could with me, my dear. The results speak for themselves. Under my command, Squad Two and the Stealth Force were a band of roving shadows that the rest of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads regarded with dread and unease, even when our skills and my abilities were crucial to their own success. Under your command, though, these twin organizations are comforting whispers coming out from the dark. You are more than just the eyes and ears of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads out in the field, more than just its dagger that thrusts out into the backs of its foes. You and your subordinates are its vanguard, the first to brave the unknown and return bearing knowledge that serves as an invaluable torch to light the way of the others. You are shadows, yes, but yours is a darkness that ultimately leads to the light. Squad Two and the Stealth Force, under your command, guides the forces of the Soul Society through the night and into the dawn… a dawn that is made all the brighter for your friends and comrades because you are the one who strives to bring them to it."

"A dawn that Itachi's helped me guide them to more than once," Yoruichi remarked with a smile.

"Oh, I have no doubt of that," Yoko replied, "In fact, the story of you and that young man is perhaps the most clear-cut example of the differences between you and I, and why I believe you have already gone beyond what I could do. I speak, of course, of how you handled the matter regarding his past. Were I still in command when he'd entered Squad Two, I would've peered into his mind in order to understand my newest subordinate, and I would've found then what I found today; the haunting memories of the Uchiha Clan purge. I would've then poked and prodded, forcing him to confront his guilt and desire for redemption. Necessary steps for him, I think we can both agree, but my methods would not have been healthy for him."

Yoko then gave Yoruichi an approving smile. "You, though… you won his trust, his confidence, and he ultimately unburdened himself to you of his own free will. You did this not through reading his mind, but by simply observing him, by listening to what he had to say and recognizing when something was wrong. He told you enough for you to understand that he was deeply troubled, and when you gave him the chance to confess all that he had done, he accepted it."

"Don't give me too much credit on that," said Yoruichi with a smirk, "I did force the issue with him."

Yoko chuckled. "You refer to the sleeping tea you convinced him to take by way of ultimatum? Given that he had lacked proper sleep for so many years, you really did him a favor! That's beside the point, though. The crux of the matter is that you earned his faith, his belief that he could share with you his greatest sins in confidence that you would not betray them. As I've already told him, his faith was well-placed. I can keep secrets just as well, but inspire confidence in others that I will keep those secrets and not use them against their owners? I could not do that. No matter how I might give my word, I know that others will always doubt it, unconsciously or otherwise. Given my nature, I can hardly blame them for that. You, though, are able to convincingly reassure others that their gravest secrets truly are safe with you, and Itachi is merely the most prominent proof of that. That is a gift I will never have."

Yoruichi leaned forward, not about to let her grandmother off the hook despite the effusive praise that had Yoko had just heaped upon her. "Itachi's been through utter hell, and his 'gravest sin' as you call it was one that he never wanted to commit. I swore to him that I would keep it between us unless he explicitly told me to do otherwise, and I'm not about to break that promise to him. I don't bring the massacre of the Uchiha Clan up lightly with him, and from here on out I'd appreciate it if you'd show him the same consideration. In fact, I'll take it a step further; do not use your Shikai's power on him again while we remain here. I'm not asking nicely this time."

Yoko steepled her fingers before you. "Now you think you can command me? How, pray tell, would you enforce that command?"

"Simple," Yoruichi replied with more than a hint of steel in her tone, "I don't have to read your mind to know what you want. You've been waiting for me to come down to visit for a long time now, and since the feeling's mutual I wanted to oblige. Well, I'm here now and have seen you, but I can take that away from you. If you read Itachi's mind again, then the two of us will leave the palace. This city has plenty of inns for us to stay at, and more than enough to keep us both occupied without having to spend time in your company. If you want us to stay under your roof for the remainder of this trip, you will stay out of Itachi's mind."

Yoruichi thought her grandmother might try to argue, but instead Yoko respectfully inclined her head. "I will abide by your terms. You have my word on that."

Yoruichi was somewhat taken aback by how easily she'd acquiesced. "That's it? You're not even going to put up a fight?"

"My condition for hosting you two in the first place was that I be allowed to test him, and I have done so," Yoko answered, "You honored my terms even when you did not like them. The very least I can do is honor yours."

Yoko then smiled again. "Besides, how can I not respect your use of the tactics that I taught you all those years ago? Understanding what I want and using it as leverage to extract concessions while making a threat that I know you possess the means and will to follow through on… you really were paying attention during my lessons!"

Yoruichi nodded. "Of course, I was. I knew that I was learning from the best, after all."

Yoko chuckled before standing up. "Flattery won't win you the world with me, my dear, but I certainly can't fault you for trying! Come, let's stretch our legs a bit, shall we?"

Yoruichi followed her lead, and together they began making their way towards the back of the garden. When they reached the low wall the pair came to a stop, with Yoko leaning against it and looking out at the sea beyond.

"My tests for Itachi alone may be over," she said after a moment, "but I have one final trial for the both of you before your vacation can truly commence. I'm very much looking forward to seeing how you handle it."

Yoruichi folded her arms. "A wraith is far more than a trial, grandmother. There's a reason why the Thirteen Court Guard Squads has made efforts to engage them with at least two Captains present, or with equivalent backup like the Valkyries."

"Squad Two did just fine with the first wraith that was encountered," Yoko pointed out, "You had no support from other units or allied organizations then, yet you still triumphed decisively."

"The one we fought beneath the Moon Tower was the weakest of the five," Yoruichi reminded her, "Even then, it wasn't an easy fight. I made that clear in my letters to you, and I'm sure you saw it when you looked through both my mind and Itachi's down at the docks. Taking on the wraith that's supposed to be the strongest of the bunch without even my own unit backing me up is not my idea of a good time. Itachi and I are good, but even we have our limits."

"The two of you will not be fighting this wraith by yourselves," Yoko countered, "Your grandfather and I will be joining you in battle. The soldiers and mages already at the encampment will maintain a perimeter beyond the barrier should the worse happen. You needn't worry about wights within the barrier; those poor cretins were thoroughly slaughtered before we trapped the abomination that turned them."

Yoruichi's eyes widened slightly. "Wait, you're going to be fighting with us?"

"Of course," Yoko casually replied, "Your grandfather and I both have experience with this abomination courtesy of our previous encounter, after all. We'd be fools not to utilize it, and you equally so for not taking advantage of it."

"Not that I want to turn you down," Yoruichi hastily interjected, "I'll take all the help that I can get against an enemy like this, and I know the same would go for Itachi. It's just that you said this was supposed to be a test for the two of us. Is it still a test if we're getting help from you?"

"Given the foe that you're up against, yes," Yoko answered, "Your grandfather and I fighting alongside the two of you will allow both of us to take the measure of your abilities firsthand and under real combat conditions. There's only so much that training fights can reveal, after all."

Yoruichi eyed her grandmother in growing suspicion. "You didn't hide the information regarding the wraith from me just so you could use it as a test. You don't want any more Soul Reapers, or anyone else from the Seireitei for that matter, in our family's Principality apart from Itachi and I. That's what this is all really about, isn't it?"

Yoruichi expected Yoko to obfuscate, so she was understandably caught off guard by the ensuing and remarkably frank confession. "Didn't take you long to figure that out, did it? Ah, you know me all too well."

Yoruichi scowled. "When this whole mess with the wraiths kicked off, I had your assurance that you'd devote significant family resources to hunting down any that might be within our Principality. You even sent me regular status updates over the years. Were you just playing at cooperation all this time? Had you found the wraith earlier on, would you have actually informed me of it then? Or would you have kept that knowledge in your back pocket and save it as a 'test' like you've done here?"

Yoko put her right hand to her chest. "You wound me, my dear. My cooperation in this hunt has been completely sincere. My scouts combed the lands relentlessly ever since we received word of what was found beneath the Moon Tower. Had we found this monster earlier, I would've informed you as swiftly as possible. The timing of this discovery was truly accidental, but given that our prior correspondences had focused upon laying the groundwork for your visit here, I felt that the opportunity to evaluate how you and Itachi work together in the face of adversity was simply too good of one to pass up. There's no better test than a trial by fire, after all."

Yoruichi wasn't about to let her off the hook so easily. "That doesn't change the fact that you've basically turned the hunt for the last wraith into a gamble. We should be coming at this thing with at least the combined might of Squad Two and another unit. Preferably Squad Eight; I know that Captain Kyōraku respects you, and his unit has experience with wraiths just like we do. They've also got a former Shinobi in their ranks who'd be really useful in a fight like this. We don't have those assets available, though, and it's all because of your paranoia regarding the Seireitei."

"We have what we need to win," Yoko replied, "I have already taken the measure of our foe. He is powerful, certainly, but not beyond our combined capabilities. More to the point, it's actually better to come at this adversary with a small elite force rather than an army. You know just as well as I the tales of the Lady of Midnight's bodyguard. His prowess in the art of the sword was peerless in his time, and that would've been retained as a wraith. Coming at him with a large force simply gives him a chance to create wights, something he'd be able to accomplish quite quickly. No, my dear granddaughter, the best way to deal with this opponent is with a precise application of skill and strength, not an all-out assault."

Yoruichi sighed as she recognized the futility of continuing to argue the point. "Well, it's what you've forced us into, whether I like it or not."

Yoko put a hand on her shoulder. "Your apprehension is understandable. I'd frankly be more concerned if you weren't worried about this. Our foe is no joke, after all. Nevertheless, it is a foe that must be fought. Your hunt has lasted for years, and I think it's only fitting that you bring it to an end here. The strongest of the five, to be challenged by you and that fascinating young man you've brought out here… and, of course, with your grandfather and I taking the field alongside you. More than a worthy test of how far you've come, and a challenge that the four of us have earned the right to face. It was ultimately a member of the Shihōin Clan that set this chain of events into motion, so it is only right that our family be the one to write the final chapter in this saga."

"Our family…" Yoruichi murmured, "What's that make Itachi in all of this, then? My bodyguard who got dragged into a fight that he never asked for?"

Yoko smiled. "Far more than that, and you know it. His official position during this trip of yours does not matter; he would follow you into this fight without hesitation. His devotion to you is ironclad. When I said that our family would bring this saga to an end, I was very much including Itachi in that sentiment. After all, isn't that what you want him to be?"

Yoruichi's eyes widened as a surge of heat rushed to her face as she struggled to formulate a response, with images of her handsome companion flashing through her mind all the while. "I… Itachi and I… we're…"

"You're what?" Yoko pressed with a knowing smirk, "Friends with benefits? Don't take me for a fool, Yoruichi… and do not try to fool yourself, either. The two of you are well past that point now. It's simply a matter of being honest with yourselves and each other about it. Don't you think it's about time to start seriously considering your next steps on this matter? As I said before, he's far more to you than just another paramour. For all that you two might insist on keeping your relationship discreet, I think we both know that it's becoming something of an open secret. Why continue to demure and downplay when open acknowledgement would make you both so much happier?"

Yoruichi found herself at a loss for words. Her mind was abuzz as memories of the past several years flashed by one after the other. Her first meeting with Itachi, the keen attention she'd given to his progress through the Academy, the utterly heartbreaking revelations regarding his past… how she'd steadily grown closer and closer to him before they'd both taken the next step at his first Blade Dancer Festival, and the night of passion they'd shared after their duel.

I told him back then that we could take it slow, she thought, and we have been. Slow and steady…

Yet slow and steady progress was still progress, and it added up. Yoko was right; Itachi was definitely more to Yoruichi than just another lover. She'd introduced him to her family, and she'd brought him to plenty of other Shihōin Clan gatherings at the estate in the Seireitei since that initial party. She'd wanted her mother, father and brother to like him, just as she'd wanted her grandmother and grandfather to approve of him, a consideration that Yoruichi hadn't given to past paramours. She'd wanted his mother to like her, and not just because Yoruichi was both Itachi's and Mikoto's commanding officer. She'd only gotten more and more invested in Itachi as time had gone on, and not just because of his phenomenal growth as a Soul Reaper. When he'd taken her to the Leaf Village after dealing with Deidara, she'd accompanied him for more than just his sake; she'd genuinely wanted to learn more about him and to support him as he'd walked down memory lane. She'd wanted to keep him from straying into the darkness of his past because she felt the need to protect him, to prevent his return to his Realm of the Living from being tainted by nightmarish memories that had already haunted him for decades now. Would she have given such thought and care to any of her past flings? No. She wouldn't have been heartless towards them, but neither would Yoruichi have given them anything close to the attention and devotion that Itachi had garnered from her.

She was only dimly aware of Yoko watching her with a satisfied smile on her face. "I don't need to read your mind to know how you truly feel about him. It's written all over your face, just as it has been written in the letters that you've sent me these past years, even if you did not realize it in the case of the latter. You know what step you want to take with him next. Why deny it now? Why continue to keep your true feelings in the shadows when both of you deserve the light?"

Yoruichi took a deep breath. "It's not that I don't want that. Believe me, I really do. Making it official, though… going public… it's going to open up a whole can of worms. You know how the nobility gets."

"That didn't stop me," Yoko pointed out, "You know how your grandfather was viewed before I brought him into the family, and even afterwards for a time; so many saw him as nothing more than a wild man who just wanted to drink and fight. Of course, he very much is that even now, but we both know that there's more to him than that, and he readily demonstrated that to those who'd very much prefer him to be kept as far away from anyone with noble blood as possible. With all due respect to my husband, Itachi seems like a much more refined gentleman than him, or at least one with a keen eye for the finer aspects of etiquette and protocol that our fellow aristocrats like to fuss endlessly about. He would have no problem fitting in with high society."

Yoruichi shook her head. "That's not it, and you know it. When it comes out that I'm serious about him… it's going to put a target on his back. I don't give a damn about his birth, but you know how so many of the others can get; just the fact that he's a soul that came here through death rather than being born into the Soul Society will cause many to look down on him. All the bullshit about 'soul purity' that you and I hate is going to be directed squarely at him, and that'll be the least of his worries. The smear campaigns, character assassinations, maybe even attempts on his life… that's not something I'd drag him into lightly."

"You want to protect him," Yoko surmised.

"Of course, I do!" Yoruichi snapped before reasserting her composure, "Itachi… he's been through enough family drama already. More than enough. You saw into his mind, so you know that just as well as I do. He's finally found some sense of peace and acceptance here, both with me and Squad Two. I don't want to take that away from him."

"You wouldn't be," Yoko argued, "You're not the only that corresponds with me about him, you know. Your mother's brought him up in more than a few letters of her own. She's quite fond of him, and so are your father and brother. I know Yoriko well; she would come out swinging against any of our clan who dared act against the man that's become so dear to you. She would be a powerful ally for both of you, and she would do so quite gladly for the sake of your happiness. Yes, you two would still have to navigate the inevitable gossip storm, but is that really so much of an obstacle compared to what you've both been through already? Give your dear Eighth Seat a bit more credit. Compared to what he's already overcome, some petty and jealous nobles threatened by a perceived upstart will be child's play for him to deal with. More to the point, do you really think Itachi's the sort of man who would care about any of that sort of thing?"

Yoruichi couldn't help but smile. "No… he's not."

Yoko reached over to pat her on the back. "I will not pretend that there will be no challenges for you two to face once word spreads through the aristocracy as to the true extent of Itachi's relationship with you. That being said, are the childish barbs of stuck-up nobles that you don't even care about to begin with really an insurmountable obstacle? You are the princess of the Shihōin Clan; you have the right to seize your own happiness, and no one can tell you otherwise. Follow your own path as I did mine. If that path is one that you wish to walk with Itachi, then I will support you on it every step of the way, and I assure you that I will not be alone in doing so. Not by a long shot."

The faces of her parents, her little brother, and her grandfather amongst others flashed through Yoruichi's mind. "No, you wouldn't."

Yoko gave her a soft smile. "It's still a big step to take, regardless of whatever reassurances I may offer you. The choice to take that step is yours alone. I will offer counsel, but not compulsion. Yours is the will that matters here, not mine."

Yoruichi took a deep breath. "Mine… and Itachi's."

Yoko respectfully inclined her head. "Quite so."

Yoruichi nodded. "I'll need some time to prepare myself for this. What I'd be asking of him… it's no small thing. No matter how fond he's become of me, this will still be unknown ground for him."

"Of course, it will be," Yoko concurred, "but he hardly strikes me as the type to shy away from such a challenge. Quite the opposite, in fact. He certainly had no issue staring me down today. If he can contend with my trials, then the rest of the Soul Society's nobility will hardly be a deterrence to him."

"You're right about that," said Yoruichi, "He's already taken on three wraiths, too, and this'll be his fourth. Aristocratic backbiting has nothing on that."

"Speaking of that last wraith," Yoko noted, "we'll be setting out to its current location the day after tomorrow. I wanted to give you both a bit of time to rest before putting you to work. Even by Sand Racer, the journey out there will likely take a week or so, which means you will have time to gather your courage."

"I'll make the most of it," Yoruichi vowed.

Yoko smiled again, though this time it was with a bittersweet tinge. "I hope you do. It is all that is left unsaid upon which tragedies are built. Take it from an old woman who has more than her share of unspoken regrets, my dear."

….

Well, at least we'll be physically comfortable during our stay here, Jigoku no Joō remarked as Itachi ran his fingers along the silk violet curtains that hung from the canopy of the spacious four-post bed he and Yoruichi would be sharing.

That's putting it mildly. Yoruichi's family certainly spares no expense when it comes to accommodations.

Itachi would hardly complain about those accommodations, of course. Having become so accustomed to spartan living conditions, the opulence of the Shihōin Clan's ancestral palace was as jarring as it was impressive. The rest of the room was just as lavishly appointed as the bed. Off to one side was a table and two chairs built of expensive imported hardwoods from the forests of the Kuchiki Clan Principality, while the extremely comfy cushions of said chairs were composed of the finest fabrics and feathers that could be found in the Drakken Clan Principality. An expansive wardrobe dominated the wall just opposite of the bed, and in the back corner was a door that opened to reveal a luxurious washroom. The windows of the room looked out upon the sea, and there was another set of doors that led to a private balcony. Candles set in fine marble mountings dotted the walls, though at present these were all extinguished; the brilliant moonlight streaming in through the open windows provided more than sufficient illumination.

Even the nightwear that Itachi had found within the wardrobe spoke of extravagant wealth, albeit in a more subdued fashion. The robe that adorned him now was dark red with nothing in the way of stylish trim or embroidery, yet the silk it was woven from felt extremely comfortable. It breathed easily and fit him loosely yet comfortably, far from the heat trap that his Soul Reaper robes would have been in such an environment.

"Well, at least we'll be sleeping in comfort while we're here," said a familiar female voice from behind him, "Although I don't know if either of us will be sleeping easily until this business with the final wraith's been dealt with."

Turning around, Itachi beheld an absolute vision. Stepping out of the washroom and into the moonbeams filtering through the windows, Yoruichi looked simply ravishing. She was clad in a robe similar to Itachi's, though hers was woven from deep purple silk rather than red. Water dripped from her hair, streaming down her dark cheeks and into the cleavage that the robe just barely hid.

On another night, it would have been all too easy for Itachi to imagine Yoruichi's robe slipping to the floor, and his joining it just a moment later. Perhaps such a scene would play out at some point during their stay here, but one look into her eyes was all Itachi needed to know that Yoruichi was not in the mood for amorous fun at the moment. She was clearly apprehensive, and the fact that she was not trying to hide it spoke volumes of just how troubled she truly was. Itachi found it hard to blame her for that; given the bombshell that had been dropped on them by Yoko and Kiemon, neither Soul Reaper could truly relax right now.

Itachi stepped forward to meet her halfway. "We should still get what rest we can, easily or not. Your grandmother might've been gracious enough to grant us tomorrow as a day to recover from our trip out here and prep for the journey to where the final wraith is sealed, but a good night's sleep tonight will still be needed."

Yoruichi sighed as she ran a hand through her hair and brushed some locks out of her face. "I know, but still… none of this was what I had in mind when I planned this trip. It's… jarring to have everything so upended. Especially by a threat like this."

"At least it's a threat that we know how to handle," Itachi pointed out in an effort to put a positive spin on things, "Granted, it's the most powerful of the five, but the same general principles for fighting it should still apply. We might not have all the backup we'd like, but at least your grandmother's not completely throwing us to the wolves here."

Yoruichi shook her head. "You're right… but we shouldn't be having to deal with this at all."

"Our hand's been forced," said Itachi, "We have no choice but to adapt accordingly."

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed as she met his gaze. "Itachi… aren't you angry about all of this? I sure as hell am! None of this was what I had in mind when I planned our trip out here. My grandmother could've at least warned us before we set out; she had plenty of time to do so. Aren't you even the slightest bit mad at her?"

Itachi took a deep breath. "I'd hardly say that I'm thrilled with regards to our present circumstances, but fury won't accomplish anything productive here. Remaining calm and preparing for the new threat now is the best way to ensure our survival when the time comes to face it."

Yoruichi closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again her demeanor seemed to have cooled somewhat, though her distress had not vanished completely. "Yeah… that's true. We're stuck in it now, whether we'd like it or not, so the least we can do is be professional about it. Keep our heads together, come up with a plan… even though we shouldn't have to be doing any of that right now. Grandmother… damn it all."

Itachi reached out and took Yoruichi's hands in his own before nodding at the bed. "Why don't we both sit down?"

Yoruichi let out a weary exhalation and looked down for a few seconds before nodding. "That'd probably help."

Itachi gently led her to the edge of the bed. As they settled in, Itachi kept one of Yoruichi's hands in his own. He suspected that the wraith wasn't the only thing bothering Yoruichi, and he wanted to do all he could to help ease her burdens and at least ensure that her slumber tonight was peaceful.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Yoruichi looked up at him, the moonlight illuminating the guilt in her eyes. "Itachi, about today… I'm so sorry. For everything."

Itachi shook his head. "You have nothing to apologize for. There's no way you could've anticipated this business with the wraith. Your grandmother is at fault for keeping you in the dark about that. Don't try to take on the blame that she has so thoroughly earned. You don't deserve it."

Yoruichi squeezed his hand as she averted her gaze in shame. "Maybe not for the wraith bit… but what happened at the docks and in the gardens with my grandmother… her entering your mind… that is my fault."

"No, it's not," Itachi argued, "You warned me well before we arrived here that your grandmother would find out my secrets and test me. You told me yourself that you tried to convince her not to, but ultimately the choice was hers, not yours. You made sure I was as prepared as I could be while abiding by the conditions you and her had privately agreed upon for this trip. Thanks to your warnings, I was able to pass her tests and bring her intrusion in my mind to a relatively quick close."

"It's not good enough," Yoruichi insisted bitterly, "I should've fought her harder on this. I was able to get her to promise not to do it again for the rest of this trip earlier in the gardens, so why couldn't I have extracted that concession from her before we set out in the first place? I should've driven a harder bargain, threatened to cancel the trip altogether if she tried to read your mind. I was able to use her wants and needs against her today, so why couldn't I have done that earlier?"

Itachi reached down to cup her chin in his hand and gently raise her face so that her eyes met his again, and he gave her an understanding smile. "I know how much you were looking forward to seeing your grandparents. Even if you knew what your grandmother had in mind for me upon our arrival, that doesn't change the fact that you hadn't seen her in a very long time. Maybe threatening to withhold the trip would've convinced her not to do what she did today, but she could just as easily have rescinded her invitation altogether. How long then might it have been until an opportunity arose for you to see her? Your desire to go through with this, even knowing what she had planned, was perfectly natural. I wouldn't have you deny yourself the chance to see a beloved family member simply for the sake of my own comfort."

Yoruichi shook her head vehemently. "No matter how badly I might've wanted to see her and grandfather… that doesn't change the fact that I still pulled you into a situation where my grandmother learned about your past, and I know how important keeping that secret is to you. She rubbed your worst memories in your face today, and I know that wasn't easy for you to deal with. It was wrong of her to do that, and it was wrong of me to give her a chance to do that in the first place!"

Itachi firmly yet tenderly guided her gaze back to his. "Yoruichi, listen to me; you bear no blame for what happened today. For any of it, understand? Withholding knowledge of the wraith, deciding to read my mind despite your pleas to the contrary; those were all your grandmother's decisions, not yours. You're always telling me to ease up on myself, and I would ask that you do the same for yourself here. I won't let you punish yourself for the misdeeds of another."

Yoruichi's eyes widened slightly, and her voice was barely more than a whisper. "Itachi…"

Itachi released her chin and instead softly caressed her cheek. "I know better than most the value of taking whatever chances come across to see a dear family member. I appreciate your concern for me, but I don't want your grandmother's actions to hang over the rest of our stay here. You brought me down here to see your family's homeland and to enjoy our time here together, and I very much intend to do that. I could only do so, though, if I knew that you were happy here as well. Every time you told me that you'd gotten a letter from either your grandmother or grandfather, I could see just how much it meant to you. You've been waiting for the chance to see them both in person down here for a long time now, and I want you to enjoy your time with them just as much as we wish to take pleasure in our time together here. You've earned that much, and definitely more."

Yoruichi reached out to place her free hand on Itachi's cheek, and his heart warmed considerably when she finally smiled. "You… you're really something else, you know that? Something… no, someone… who's very special. One of a kind, in the best way possible. All that's happened today… for you to forgive me for it so easily…"

"There's nothing to forgive," Itachi declared, "Not on your part. Your grandmother bears sole responsibility here, and I'm willing to give her a chance to show a better side of herself while we remain here. Given how you've accepted me even after knowing all that I have done, and that your grandmother likewise did not seek to drive me away from you after finding out the secrets of my past, I think the least I can do is grant her the opportunity to demonstrate her finer qualities. Those that you love about her. Yes, me and her have started off on something of a sour note here, but there's time yet to recover. If I deserve a second chance in the afterlife, then I believe I owe her the same courtesy for this visit."

Yoruichi's smile broadened as she ran her hand up along the side of Itachi's face and then through his hair. "She was right about you. She said that you'd hold me blameless for all of this, and I believed her, but even so… Itachi… thank you. I promise that I'll make all of this up to you, and I'll make sure that my grandmother does the same."

Itachi put his arms around her and pulled her close, placing his right hand at the back of her head as he tenderly embraced her. "There isn't anything that you need to make up for me. As for your grandmother, I'm not about to write her off just because we got off on the wrong foot. Given all the strange individuals I've met over the years, a mind reader is hardly the worst of the lot."

The soft laugh that slipped through Yoruichi's lips as she looked up at him was music to his ears. "No, I guess not! A mad bomber, a human puppeteer, a snake man trying to possess your body, a paper girl, a shark-human hybrid, a plant man… my grandmother must seem pretty tame compared to the Akatsuki."

Itachi chuckled. "I don't know if tame is the right word for someone like your grandmother! That being said, she's far less unusual than she might think she is. Either that, or my perspective on people has been warped beyond any reasonable measure. The consequence of living a life as strange as mine, I suppose."

"You're probably onto something there," Yoruichi replied as she tried and failed to stifle a yawn, "How you didn't go completely insane during your time undercover with that lot is honestly beyond me. Especially since you were apparently an insomniac during all of that."

"A condition that's receded considerably since you came into my life," Itachi noted as his eyelids fluttered, "Just one of many things that I'm grateful to you for. I'm at least able to get a full night's worth of sleep while in your company, so us travelling together has made this trip a vacation in more ways than one."

Yoruichi nodded before looking over her shoulder. "Glad I can help you out there. Now, it's been a long day… I think I can finally hear those pillows calling my name."

"Same here," said Itachi, "Who are we to say no?"

Yoruichi yawned again, but she still had the energy to give Itachi one more smile. "Now that I've got all of that off my chest, I suppose it'd be rude to keep them waiting."

The two of them drew the curtains of the bed close before laying down together. Itachi took Yoruichi into a protective embrace, and she responded by nestling her head against his neck while looping her arms over his shoulders. She blinked rapidly as sleep seemed on the verge of claiming her, but not before she leaned up to plant the softest of kisses on Itachi's lips.

"Good night, Itachi," she whispered, her golden eyes twinkling in the few moonbeams that managed to slip through tiny gaps in the curtains.

Itachi pressed his forehead against hers while running his fingers through her hair. "Good night, Yoruichi."

The two of them drifted off into peaceful slumber mere seconds later.

….

Four days later…

I'm still not completely convinced that this old codger's not trying to kill us here, Jigoku no Joō quipped as Itachi deflected a withering series of slashes from Kiemon, I thought he was supposed to be saving this sort of energy for the wraith, not us!

He's taking us seriously as a sparring partner. We should be honored.

It won't be much of an honor if you lose a limb mere days before the battle with our real enemy!

Calm yourself. Our opponent's skill will not allow for such a mishap, and neither will mine.

I hope you're right about that.

Despite his calm attitude regarding the sparring match, Itachi couldn't fault the spirit of his Zanpakutō for being worried. The tan robes and sandy brown cloaks that the two men wore flapped around them furiously as they exchanged lightning-fast strikes and counters, with both of their blades flashing in the moonlight. If Kiemon wasn't going all out against Itachi, then it was damn near close to it. The old man's eyes were ablaze with the thrill of the fight, and his lips were curled in a perpetual smirk as he and Itachi went back and forth across the dunes. Kiemon's age seemed to mean nothing here; Yoruichi's grandfather was damn near as swift as her and her grandmother, and his swordsmanship was nothing short of astounding.

A memory flashed through Itachi's mind of days long gone, of a particularly dangerous mission he and Kisame had gone on. They had been paid to track down a pair of mercenary swordsmen who had gotten on the bad side of a crime boss, and said mercenaries had been former Samurai of the Land of Iron. The targets had supposedly once studied under the tutelage of none other than the legendary Samurai Mifune himself, and Itachi had been inclined to believe it once he and Kisame had engaged them. Their bladework had been astonishingly skilled, and they'd been quite savvy to boot; it had been impossible for Itachi to catch either of them in a genjutsu, which meant that he and Kisame had been forced to take them down the hard way.

The sparring match with Kiemon may have been reminiscent of that long-settled fight, but Yoruichi's grandfather was putting even those tough targets to shame here and now. Kiemon seemed to possess the perfect combination of speed, skill, and power. His footwork was solid even amongst the treacherous desert sands, and he could seamlessly shift from offense to defense at the drop of a pin. What made him much more dangerous than his technical skill, though, was the sense of wild energy he brought to the fight. He wasn't just talented, experienced and well-trained; he was unpredictable, and that made him a challenging foe indeed. He would shift between one and two-handed forms seemingly at random, sometimes even reversing the hold on his sword so as to attack from new and unexpected angles. He could unleash a barrage of powerful blows one moment before switching to lighter but much faster attacks in the blink of an eye, and he was incredibly flexible given his advanced age.

No wonder he was musing about heading to the Seireitei just to challenge the Head Captain to a fight, Itachi thought as he parried one thrust after another, Yamamoto would undoubtedly win if he used the full spectrum of his abilities, but if the duel was one of Zanjutsu alone… not sure if Kiemon could win even then, but he might come much closer than most.

Kiemon chuckled as he drove Itachi back across the dunes. "Keep your mind firmly on the fight, young man! Now's no time for idle musings."

Itachi smirked as he deflected a low thrust before seizing the opportunity to counterattack with a wide slash that forced his opponent to leap back. "Trust me, my focus is completely on this match."

Kiemon grinned as he deflected the first strike of Itachi's new offensive. "Then prove it!"

Itachi did so with gusto, unleashing a punishing barrage of slashes and thrusts that forced Kiemon back across the dunes. Sparks flew as the song of clashing steel rang out again and again in the desert night, the tempo picking up with each passing second. Itachi was as methodical in his offensive as he was vicious, going for Kiemon's feet and legs where he could to keep him off balance and drive him in the direction of his choosing. Some distance beyond the old man, Itachi could see Yoruichi and Yoko resting by the campfire along with their horses. Having already completed their sparring rounds, they were now watching Itachi and Kiemon's duel, tea cups in hand and amused smiles on their faces. The two women wore cloaks of the same color and fabric as those adorning Itachi and Kiemon, but beneath them they had clad themselves in tan versions of the backless outfits favored by Yoruichi. It had initially struck Itachi as somewhat odd that Yoko would pick such an outfit, but when Yoruichi had explained to him that she'd been keeping her grandmother appraised regarding her progress in developing Shunkō and the rather deleterious effects it had on robes and other forms of clothing, it made sense. When Itachi had asked Yoko how far her own efforts in studying and refining Shunkō had come, her only response had been a sly smile.

Coming off a sequence of flowing strikes and preparing for Kiemon's inevitable counterattack, Itachi was caught off guard when Yoruichi's grandfather suddenly backed off and lowered his sword. The former Shinobi momentarily suspected deception, but it quickly became clear that Kiemon had no sort of sneak attack planned. His sword remained in his right hand, but it was pointed at the ground, and his left hand was stroking his goatee.

"Something the matter?" asked Itachi.

"Strange…," Kiemon murmured, and Itachi could not quite tell if Kiemon was actually addressing him or talking to himself, "I never noticed this before… probably because we'd only fought once before you came out here, and that was years ago. The way you fight… I can't quite place it, but it feels like something is off."

Itachi raised an eyebrow; this was the first time he'd heard Kiemon criticize his technique in any way. They'd sparred multiple times since leaving the Shihōin Clan's palace, and if anything, Kiemon had been quite effusive in his praise of Itachi's skill in the art of the sword.

"I don't suppose there's a way for us to narrow that down a bit, is there?" Itachi prodded.

Kiemon's brow furrowed in thought for a moment before he nodded. "I believe so. Let's have another exchange, shall we? I'll let you take the lead; playing defensive for a bit will allow me to get a better grasp on what I'm trying to pin down here."

I don't like this. Just what is he playing at here?

Your guess is as good as mine. Shall we play along?

I suppose we might as well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Itachi raised his sword in an opening salute. "Very well, then. Ready?"

Kiemon mirrored Itachi's motion before adding an X-shaped flourish. "Yes."

Itachi wasted no time in kicking things off. He Flash Stepped forward and initiated a brutal offensive, coming at Kiemon with a series of thrusts launched from varying angles. He went high for one set, low for another, then altered between attacks from the left and right while continuing to mix up the elevation of the strikes. Nothing got through; Kiemon's defense, while simple in appearance, was quite effective in practice. He pulled back as necessary, subtly altering the angle of his blade upon deflection to bleed off as much of the force behind Itachi's attacks as possible. He stuck primarily to a one-handed style, keeping the blade in his right hand while holding out his left arm to balance himself. True to his word, he continued to let Itachi lead the fight, content to merely pick off the former Shinobi's incoming attacks while analyzing them from behind the safety of the veritable steel wall his sword was fashioning. It wasn't flashy swordsmanship, but it more than got the job done.

Stymied by Kiemon's defense, Itachi changed tactics. He Flash Stepped behind Kiemon before immediately whirling around and going straight for the old man's back, but his opponent had anticipated the move and had already pivoted to fend off the strike. Undeterred, Itachi made another Flash Step, this time positioning himself to attack Kiemon's right flank. Once again, the seasoned swordsman was able to deftly maneuver and intercept the strike, and the process repeated itself multiple times as Itachi tried to create an opening in his opponent's defense through speed and agility rather than pure technique. Having hit a wall on that front as well, Itachi threw acrobatics into the mix, leaping and rolling around Kiemon in an effort to get him to overextend himself. Even then, though, his sparring partner could not be overcome. The old man's blade truly was an extension of himself in every sense of the word, with Kiemon smoothly transitioning from one deflection to another regardless of the attack angle that Itachi tried.

After a few minutes of this, Kiemon suddenly stepped back and lowered his blade again. Itachi did so as well and waited patiently for Yoruichi's grandfather to speak.

He did so a couple of seconds later. "I think I have it now, although a little help from you would be appreciated. Just to confirm things, anyway."

"And just what are you looking to confirm?" asked Itachi.

Kiemon met Itachi's question with one of his own, and it wasn't one that Itachi had expected. "Itachi… how do you feel when you fight?"

Itachi was quite taken aback. "What do my feelings have to do with how I've been fighting you?"

"More than you might think," Kiemon replied, "Take a moment or two and consider it carefully. I promise that this isn't a trick question. Answer honestly, and I will be able to help bring your swordsmanship to new heights if you let me."

An enticing offer, coming from one such as him. Still, I'm not sure what him understanding your feelings while you fight will accomplish here.

He seems to believe that it's important. Let's see if he's right.

"I usually try to keep my feelings suppressed in battle," Itachi answered, "Letting emotions run wild during the heat of combat invites distraction and creates openings for an enemy to exploit. When one loses a cool head during a fight, one usually finds themself losing the fight itself in short order. Still, what I allow myself to feel in battle… well, I imagine it's not all that different from what anyone else might feel. The adrenaline that comes from heightened and sharpened instincts being pushed into overdrive, the fear that comes with any life-or-death struggle; what any Shinobi or Soul Reaper, experienced or otherwise, would be expected to feel in combat. I take that and channel it towards a useful direction, just as I do the desire to protect any friends or comrades fighting alongside me."

Kiemon nodded. "For most Soul Reapers, that would be enough. It would be enough for most swordsmen, too. However, when one's skills reach a certain point, it becomes insufficient."

"What are you talking about?" asked Itachi.

Again, Kiemon responded to Itachi's question with one of his own. "Do you remember your first Blade Dancer Festival?"

Itachi couldn't help but smile. "Of course."

Kiemon inclined his head. "I thought you'd say that. I imagine, then, that you can recall with perfect clarity your final bout. You had quite a special partner for it, after all."

"That, I did," Itachi concurred as he glanced back at Yoruichi before returning his focus to Kiemon, "If you're trying to say that how I felt during my duel with your granddaughter has bearing on our present conversation, though, I'm afraid that I must argue otherwise. Yes, the Blade Dancer Festival is all about celebrating Zanjutsu, but there's a difference between ceremonial swordsmanship and using our blades in real combat. The bouts are fun, but that's how they're supposed to be. After all, no lives are on the line. One can't say the same when it comes to actual battle."

Kiemon shook his head. "You're very much mistaken. The Blade Dancer Festival, and in particular your feelings during that bout at your first one with my granddaughter, are quite relevant here. You enjoyed it immensely, and do not try to deny it. I was there, after all. As I'm not a Soul Reaper, I'm not allowed to partake in the bouts, but my knowledge and skills make me a very keen observer."

"I don't doubt that for a moment," Itachi conceded, "Yes, my duel with Yoruichi was by far the best I had that night. It was exhilarating beyond anything I'd ever experienced before. I felt alive that night in a way that I never could've imagined when I was actually alive. I'll treasure the memory of that night for as long as my afterlife lasts. I still do not see what bearing it has on how I feel when I fight in actual combat. The sensations one feels when fighting in a controlled and ceremonial setting will naturally be different than anything that we experience when engaging in real combat."

Kiemon smirked. "Is that what you think? Tell me something, Itachi; what do you believe is the purpose of the Blade Dancer Festival?"

"As I said before, it's about celebrating Zanjutsu," Itachi reiterated, "It gives Soul Reapers a chance to show off their talents, indulge in friendly matches with friends and comrades, and to potentially raise their profile with the higher-ups if they put on a good show. There's also the spectacle it provides to the denizens of the Seireitei. In short, it's much like many other festivals in that it gives people a chance to relax and enjoy themselves."

Kiemon nodded. "Correct on all counts. However, there is another purpose to it, one that is always left unspoken. It is a stage in which the finest blade masters of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads can test themselves against their strongest peers… and where the very best among them can learn to transcend the traditional limits of Zanjutsu. In that match with my granddaughter during your first festival, you came very close to doing just that."

Itachi blinked in confusion. "How? I know what my technique was back then compared to what it is now, and I can say with confidence that my skills today are superior to what they were back then. That increase has come through training and experience in the field, not through a particular bout in the Blade Dancer Festival."

Kiemon sighed. "You need to take a step back and change your perspective. Do not view this through the lenses of skill and technique. To be blunt, when it comes to both, you already stand toe-to-toe with the best of the best. In terms of experience, creativity and pure technical skill, your Zanjutsu is flawless. Offense, defense, footwork, power, finesse, speed; you have it all and then some."

"Then what exactly am I missing?" Itachi pressed.

"Not missing so much as restraining, or perhaps outright denying," Kiemon corrected before placing a hand over his chest, "This isn't about knowledge of techniques or skill refined by dedicated training, Itachi. It's about what's in here. That exhilaration you felt when you danced with my granddaughter for the first time, how you truly felt alive in a way that you'd never experienced before; it points to a truth that you find unpleasant."

Kiemon then smiled. "Itachi Uchiha… you enjoy a good fight, don't you?"

"I enjoy testing myself against those I care about in controlled settings," Itachi argued, "There's nothing wrong with finding enjoyment in the bouts of the Blade Dancer Festival or any sort of sparring match. That sort of enjoyment, though, does not extend to actual combat. Others may indulge in such bloodlust, but I refuse to count myself among them."

"You're confusing enjoying a fight with enjoying killing," Kiemon shot back, "That's understandable, mind you, but there is a distinction."

"I fail to see it," said Itachi, "If one enjoys actual combat, then wouldn't that imply that they enjoy the bloodshed that comes with it?"

Kiemon shook his head. "One can enjoy the thrill of the fight while still acknowledging the horrible truth that comes with battle. One can immerse themselves in that exhilaration and ride it to transcendent heights while remaining cognizant of the harsh reality of combat and the horrible cost that inevitably comes with it. In fact, awakening Soul Reapers to that revelation is at the heart of the Blade Dancer Festival. To fully understand that revelation and allow it to take your swordsmanship to a new level, though, you first must be honest with yourself. You must recognize the feelings that the duels of the festival stir within you… and you must accept them."

Itachi was quite skeptical. "I spent a great deal of time in my past life surrounded by people who enjoyed battle. Even if it might be possible to separate the thrill of a fight from outright bloodlust, I don't know if that's a path I can walk. I was introduced to violence and war at a very young age, Kiemon. Suffice to say that it has left a rather sour taste in my mouth."

"Yet you devoted yourself to a profession that involves copious amounts of violence in your afterlife," Kiemon pointed out, "You have been a Soul Reaper for quite some time now, and your career has been very active. You have already seen a good deal of battle, and you're in line for plenty more."

"I decided to walk this path because I needed to learn how to control my spirit energy," Itachi protested, "Being able to harness my combat skills and past experience to protect souls and guide them to the afterlife was a calling that appealed to me, but not because it offered a chance at battle again. The predations of Hollows leave us no choice but to fight. If there was a viable way to contend with them without violence, then I would seek it out."

Kiemon respectfully inclined his head. "To hold such a view despite spending years fighting the beasts speaks highly of the true nature of your character. However, you clearly also recognize the reality that, as things currently stands, Hollows can only be dealt with through violence. In that light, why not seek out a way to further enhance your abilities with your primary weapon?"

Itachi sighed heavily. "Because I don't know if I'm capable of what you seem to believe I need to do."

Kiemon smiled. "I believe you are… but I also believe that I'm not going to convince you of that through words alone. I've always learned better through doing rather than listening, and I find that I'm usually best able to teach in a similar manner."

Kiemon then raised his sword and shifted to a two-handed grip. "Before you completely write off the merits of embracing the thrill of the fight, of transcending your current level of skill through immersing yourself in the joy that can be found in fierce combat, allow me to offer you a demonstration as to what you could achieve."

Itachi assumed a guard stance. "Very well, then. Convince me, if you can."

Kiemon grinned. "Oh, I intend to!"

What have you gotten us into now?

I'm not sure. We'll both find out shortly.

Quite shortly, as it turned out. Itachi had only just braced himself when Kiemon practically flew across the sand and opened the round with a powerful thrust. The attack was simply enough for Itachi to parry, but it was just the first of what turned out to be a vicious and wild staccato burst of strikes. Kiemon's blade was almost too fast to see, and his attacks felt like they were coming from everywhere at once. In short order, Itachi found himself on the retreat, and it was all he could do to simply fend off his opponent's strikes.

It quickly dawned on Itachi that the prior round with Kiemon had really been just a warm-up for the old man. The old man was going all-out now, and it was stunning to behold. His current form sacrificed much of the efficiency and precision that he'd demonstrated in previous exchanges, but what it gained in exchange was an energy and power the likes of which Itachi had never seen in a swordsman before. Kiemon was nothing less than a storm now, with the rapid and relentless strikes of his blade being the pounding waves and gnashing winds pummeling whatever bulwarks Itachi raised.

If Kiemon had seemed unpredictable before, he was an outright chaos agent now. With the seeming randomness of his strikes in speed, elevation and angle, at times it almost felt to Itachi like he was fighting an opponent with eight arms and blades rather than just two and one respectively. The sheer energy behind his attacks often swept up clouds of sand, adding the possibility of impaired vision to Itachi's rapidly growing list of concerns. Of much greater worry to the former Shinobi than the blade of his opponent or sand getting in his eyes, though, was a strange feeling slowly welling up in his chest the longer that the fight went on. Itachi's defensive skills were being pushed to their absolute limit, his bladework being fueled by desperate adrenaline as much as it was by finely honed instincts and experience. And from that adrenaline threatened to flow something that Itachi very much wanted to deny.

Excitement.

He saw it clearly in Kiemon's eyes. Behind the flashing blade that was driving Itachi back across the dunes, the old man's gaze was alight with enthusiasm that bordered on elation, or perhaps even outright ecstasy. A white aura slowly began to engulf him as his spirit energy surged to match his heightened emotional state, and that in turn propelled his swordsmanship to even greater intensity. True to his earlier words, Yoruichi's grandfather had completely embraced the thrill of the fight, and the result of it now was a display that Itachi knew would've had the likes of Kisame outright drooling and begging to have a go at the old man.

And Itachi, much to his shock, realized that he could perfectly understand that sentiment.

No… that's not who I am.

Are you sure about that?

Don't tell me you're actually on his side here.

I'm an aspect of you, remember? I can sense your feelings just as well as you can… and I think it's about time for you to stop lying to yourself. You are enjoying this, as well you should. This isn't one of Yoko's mind games; it's an honest test of your martial prowess. We both understand this, and there's no harm in admitting that we're both enjoying it.

Itachi wanted to argue with her, but as he continued to frantically defend himself against Kiemon's onslaught, he slowly began to realize that his metaphorical footing in such a debate was tenuous at best. She had a better insight into just who he really was and what he was feeling at any given moment than anyone else; even Yoko's mind-reading Shikai couldn't match Jigoku no Joō's understanding of him. Any denials on Itachi's part would be dubious at the very least.

So don't deny it. Lean into it. Give it a try. For so much of your first life, you were forced to bottle up your emotions. Your second life is different, though. You are free here in a way that you never could've been back in your Realm of the Living. That includes the freedom to explore all aspects of who you really are. Your girlfriend's grandfather is giving you an opportunity here to do just that. Are you really going to waste it? Besides, remember what lies ahead of us at the end of this journey. We will need every advantage we can get against the wraith. You are being offered a chance to elevate your swordsmanship to new heights, and given that our undead foe was renowned in life as a master of that art, we would be wise to sharpen our own collective mastery to the fullest possible extent.

If I do this, though…

What are you afraid of? That you will become some bloodthirsty monster? A demon that cares only for slaking his lust for battle? Give yourself due credit here. You are Itachi Uchiha. You were able to rise above your clan's Curse of Hatred. You mastered yourself in a way that the likes of those pathetic coup plotters could never even dream of achieving! You already hold the keys to harnessing the fueling adrenaline that comes with battle towards your own ends. If you still doubt that, then remember this; you have someone who will do anything to pull you back from the brink should you go too far, and she's watching over us both as I speak. If you cannot trust yourself, then trust HER!

Whether by coincidence or subconscious design, Itachi's eyes went past Kiemon and locked with Yoruichi's at that moment. A smile was on her lips, and she gave Itachi the slightest of nods. Perhaps it was nothing more than a simple acknowledgement or sign of encouragement, but it did not feel that way to Itachi. For some reason that he could not pin down, Itachi felt in his gut that Yoruichi understood what he really needed in that moment.

Affirmation.

Belief.

With that, a switch flipped in Itachi's mind.

And he made his choice.

The adrenaline that had come from fending off Kiemon's ferocious offensive, the exhilaration that came from facing off against a master swordsman who took him seriously as an opponent, the thrill of pushing his own talents with the blade to their absolute limits and beyond; Itachi stopped holding it all back. He allowed that torrent of intoxicating passion to flow freely, to seep into his movements, his blocks, deflections and parries. Seconds later, one of those parries created the opening for a counterattack, and Itachi seized it.

Catching Kiemon by surprise, Itachi lunged forward. His sword moved in a blur, his body acting on its own rather than from any conscious direction on his part. This was more than simply instincts honed by years of training and combat coming into play here; it was decades tightly corralled emotion finally being let off the leash. The results were beyond anything Itachi had expected. He felt so light, as if his body weighed no more than the air that surrounded him. More importantly, he was possessed by a sensation of constantly churning and swirling energy, a flow of power that demanded constant release, perpetual motion.

So, Itachi gave it exactly that. Leading with a series of wide sweeps meant to put his opponent on the backfoot, Itachi then quickly changed things up, transitioning into a series of rapid-fire thrusts that switched between aiming for Kiemon's legs and his shoulders. Just when his adversary seemed to have gotten a handle on that pattern, Itachi switched it up again, this time unleashing a storm of whirling slashes enveloping them both like a cyclone.

Kiemon laughed as he defended himself from Itachi's assault, clearly enjoying this reversal of roles. "I knew you had it in you, boy! Come on, then; show me how far you can go!"

Itachi was not about to back down from that challenge. He threw himself at Kiemon with vigor, bombarding him with blinding staccato bursts of thrusts. The energy roiling within Itachi demanded more, though, so he once again brought acrobatics into the mix. Feinting low, he suddenly leapt high into the air, swinging at Kiemon's shoulder as he passed over him. When the old man deflected the blow, Itachi struck again as soon as his feet touched the sand, with Yoruichi's grandfather only barely being able to whirl around in time to intercept his next attack. He went at Kiemon head-on for a few exchanges before ducking low and rolling to the right, aiming a strike at his opponent's legs that was narrowly intercepted. It was only as he came back up that Kiemon managed to counterattack, and he swiftly put Itachi back onto the defensive.

Kiemon only launched a few attacks before pulling back and raising a hand to signal a halt, though. Bringing himself to a stop was surprisingly difficult, with Itachi having to consciously will his sword-arm to cease motion. He found himself breathing heavily, both to reassert control over his own body and in response to the incredible exertion of the previous few minutes.

Sheathing his sword, Kiemon gave Itachi a knowing smile. "Quite the heady cocktail, isn't it?"

"You're telling me," Itachi muttered as he put his own weapon away, "That rush, that power…"

Kiemon chuckled. "Ah, you know what they say about your first time, right?"

"Very funny," Itachi deadpanned.

Kiemon smirked. "It's a dangerous beast to ride. Not many have what it takes to really fight like that, especially over prolonged periods of time. I'm sure you're feeling it now; the draining comedown, the sudden weariness?"

Itachi nodded. "To channel that sort of raw passion into fuel for a fight… it's quite demanding. The speed and ferocity one gains in exchange is formidable, but it's a double-edged sword. A neophyte in the art could easily exhaust themselves."

"A good observation," Kiemon replied, "It takes years of training in such a state to really bring out the full potential of this approach to combat. It's not enough to simply teach your body to memorize moves and techniques like in more conventional forms of Zanjutsu. You might have the skill to replicate those moves you performed earlier in drills and practice, but they will be only pale reflections without the excitement and passion of battle to fuel them. The true challenge of this style does not come from any technical aspect, but rather its emotional demands. A wielder must walk the fine line between controlling their passion and allowing it to direct them. To effectively use it in battle, you must straddle the border between cool objectivity and raw feeling."

"Conjure and ride the storm within while leaving it room to take its course," Itachi murmured as he mulled it over, "It requires true mastery of oneself to the point that one knows when they can relinquish that mastery and gamble with their more primal instincts. Quite a paradoxical philosophy."

Kiemon shrugged. "Well, there's a reason why so few practice it. It's not hard to get lost in the rush. One can easily tunnel vision in on just the foe in front of them when they're fighting like this, thereby leaving themselves vulnerable to attacks from others. That's why this particular style is best suited to one-on-one encounters. In that light, it'll likely be rare for you to actually fight in such a manner."

"But given that we'll be focusing our efforts on a single powerful foe here, it is applicable to our current situation," said Itachi as his eyes narrowed, "Assuming that the wraith hasn't broken free of containment by the time we've arrived and brought a new host of wights under its command."

"There's always that risk," Kiemon conceded, "but I have faith in the Mages that Yoko put in charge of the barrier. They will hold our target at bay, and we already attended to what wights it was able to create during the initial encounter. If our luck holds, we will only have the wraith itself to contend with."

"Assuming you didn't just jinx us there," Itachi quipped.

Kiemon arched an eyebrow. "Never pegged you as the superstitious type."

"I'm not, normally," Itachi replied, "but if I've learned anything over the course of our wraith hunt, it's to never take chances with these things. Seeing as this one will be the most dangerous of the lot, I'm inclined to err on the side of caution."

Kiemon chuckled. "You say that, but given the aptitude you just displayed for a very dangerous fighting style, I'd say that caution doesn't have a permanent purchase with you!"

"A fair point," Itachi conceded.

He glanced back at the encampment and watched Yoruichi in thought for a moment before turning to Kiemon again. "Did you teach your granddaughter this style of fighting? I know she's very aggressive in combat, but I'm not sure if I've ever seen her engage a foe in a manner quite like what you and I just did earlier. She tends to take combat quite seriously; doesn't really get swept up in the thrill unless it's at the Blade Dancer Festival."

"I have shown her it before," Kiemon confessed, "I've taught her more than a few tricks in the art of the sword, and she's quite good with the blade, but fundamentally we're two very different fighters. She favors Hakuda and Hohō, as you well know, and her Shikai plays into those strengths quite nicely. For her, Zanjutsu is a useful tool in her arsenal, but it doesn't take on quite the same level of prominence as it does for me."

"I would think that this more… emotionally intense means of combat wouldn't be limited to just the art of the sword," Itachi remarked.

Kiemon nodded. "True, but the way I've learned and taught it is focused squarely on swordsmanship, so translating it into other forms of combat can be challenging. Long story short, you probably won't see her employing it often, if at all. She very much has her own preferred methods of fighting, and I'm nothing if not respectful of a skilled warrior's preferences."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "If that's the case, then why insist that I give this style of yours a shot when I've already displayed my own preferred method of swordsmanship?"

"Because I believe you have the potential to take it further," said Kiemon, "Between our past encounters and what my granddaughter's said about you in her letters, I've learned enough about you to think that you have what it takes to master this style of fighting… perhaps even beyond what I've achieved in it."

Itachi was quite taken aback by that. "You flatter me. I appreciate the gesture, but I think you're overstating my capabilities. I'm skilled in Zanjutsu, yes, and I know that I can take my talents in that field further, but I have my limits."

"Limits are meant to be surpassed," Kiemon replied, "I can appreciate the value of having a realistic appraisal of one's own abilities, but you do yourself a disservice with such modesty here. What I've seen from you tonight is proof enough of that… and of a good deal more."

The old man's tone had shifted in a subtle manner, and Itachi realized that there had been a bit more going on earlier than just some sparring and experimentation on his part. "That last match of ours… was it a test?"

Kiemon smirked. "My wife's made you paranoid, hasn't she?"

"I can't help but notice the distinct lack of the word 'no' in that sentence," Itachi quipped, "I'd hoped that you would be a bit more straightforward than her."

Kiemon laughed as he raised his hands. "Alright, I'll come clean! Yes, I was testing you before. I had intended to from the moment I learned that you and my granddaughter would be coming out here. My methods may be different than those of my wife, but our intentions are quite similar."

Itachi folded his arms. "In that, I suppose you mean it's more than my abilities you sought to test. What were you after, then… and did I pass?"

Kiemon laughed again. "Do you really have to ask after the performance you gave me? My boy, you passed with flying colors on all counts!"

"You still haven't told me what those counts actually are," Itachi pressed.

"True, true," Kiemon conceded, "To be honest, testing your abilities was merely a secondary concern of mine. Even before you came out here, I'd already seen you fight enough to know that your skills are very much the real deal. What I really wanted to see was just how willing you are to take a gamble and step outside your comfort zone. Given how much emphasis you place on remaining calm and focused during a fight, on turning yourself into a calculating and precise instrument of battle, I felt that the best test would be one where you'd be forced to loosen your self-control, to let your feelings drive you more than instinct and dispassionate technique. That you were willing to go out on such a limb speaks highly of you… and it bodes well for another endeavor that you'd be wise to undertake soon. Preferably before we meet our undead foe in battle."

Itachi arched an eyebrow. "What endeavor are you referring to?"

Kiemon glanced back at the camp for a moment before gesturing to Itachi. "Come, walk with me for a bit. A desert night like this is good for stretching one's legs."

"We did plenty of stretching earlier," Itachi noted as he nevertheless fell into step alongside the old man.

"You know what I mean," Kiemon shot back with another furtive look towards the camp, "The girls have sharp ears."

Itachi chuckled as he cast a glance over his shoulder at Yoruichi. "They certainly do."

Kiemon led him out a considerable way, until the campfire was just a flickering bit of light in the distance. The night sky was perfectly clear, with both moon and starlight causing the dunes to gleam in a sublime manner. Occasional breezes tossed up small clouds of sand, and the temperature was pleasantly cool.

"I'm sure you know how happy my granddaughter is that you agreed to let her take you out here," said Kiemon after a minute or two.

Itachi nodded. "I know that she's been looking forward to this for a long time now. The revelation of the wraith that you and your wife found distressed her greatly, and not just because she feared for both of you. She had hoped that her and I would both be able to spend our time down here relaxing, but now we're on an impromptu mission of sorts. She feels like it's her fault that our vacation's been upended, although I've done my best to reassure her that she holds no blame here."

Kiemon smiled warmly. "I'm sure you have. The way you two interacted together back at that Blade Dancer Festival was all I needed to see just how much you care for my granddaughter… and seeing you two together out here is more than enough for me to understand what your feelings have become since then. Then again, perhaps they were always thus, and it's only now that you're finally able to grasp their true meaning."

Itachi slightly tilted his head in a quizzical manner. "What exactly are you getting at?"

Kiemon sighed. "Do I really need to spell it out for you, Itachi? Your devotion to my granddaughter, and hers to you… it is well beyond that of Captain and loyal subordinate, or that of close friends. I think you're smart enough to understand that. The exhilaration that you felt during your first dance with her was far more than just the thrill of the fight at play there. It was your heart singing, Itachi… and I believe that song has only grown since then. Surely it's loud enough by now that you can hear it for what it truly is."

He's right. Come now, Itachi; we both understand what he's getting at here. You're the only one playing at denial, and it's half-hearted at best. Isn't it about time that you admitted the truth?

The truth…

A flurry of images flashed through Itachi's mind. The night he and Yoruichi had first met, her visiting him in the infirmary when he'd been recovering from his soul fracture, her presence at the Academy graduation ceremony, her acceptance of him following his confession of his darkest deeds, their first Blade Dancer Festival bout and what had followed it…

The desperate struggle against the first wraith beneath the Moon Tower, the subsequent pitched battles against the others over the years, the first party he'd attended with her at her parents' Seireitei estate, the tour of the Leaf Village that he'd given her, the joy and freedom that they'd found together in their journey out here…

All those memories and more were permanently etched into his mind; they would be impossible for Itachi to forget, and for one very simple reason.

They all involved her.

And the truth that the spirit of his Zanpakutō had spoken of became all too clear.

Perhaps Itachi had let some hint of his thoughts slip out onto his face, for Kiemon gave him a knowing smile and put any lingering doubts to rest. "Itachi… you love my granddaughter."

It was not a question, and Itachi knew that to deny it at this point would be an utter lie. "I do."

Kiemon graced him with a hearty laugh before patting him firmly on the back. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Itachi could not help but smile somewhat sheepishly. "Was it really that obvious to you?"

"It was after watching that bout you two shared at your first Blade Dancer Festival," Kiemon confirmed with a grin, "Body language can speak far louder than words, and you were all but shouting your affections for her that night, whether you realize it or not. All that I've seen from you since then has only served as confirmation."

"Was it love even back then?" Itachi asked, though the question was more for himself than his companion, "The morning afterwards, we both agreed to take things slow… let events play out between us without pressure or expectation… see how we both felt…"

"I believe it was," said Kiemon with a wink, "and not just on your part! You're not the first lover my granddaughter has taken, but you are the first that she had written to me about with more than a mere passing reference in a letter. That was just the first hint I got from her that her feelings for you ran deeper than she was willing to let on to me at the time, and she gave me plenty of others over the years whether she realizes it or not."

Itachi's head was positively spinning now. "You… you're serious? Since then… this whole time… she's felt the same way?"

"I'm all but certain of it," Kiemon replied.

Itachi looked back towards the campsite in the distance. "If that's true, then why…."

"Why hide the true depth of her feelings?" Kiemon finished for him, "You said it yourself; you both agreed to take things slow. Knowing my granddaughter, I'm certain that she wanted to respect your own feelings here. She wouldn't want to put any undue pressure on you."

Itachi slowly smiled. "That sounds like her. She would think that way… and not without reason. Not after what I told her all those years ago."

Kiemon raised an eyebrow. "What might that be?"

Itachi shook his head. "That would be between me and her. I'm sorry."

Kiemon shrugged. "Don't worry about it. My granddaughter hasn't said anything directly, but from what she's hinted at in the past, I get the sense that your previous life was a… troubled one, shall we say. Am I close to the mark?"

"You could say that," Itachi replied cautiously.

Kiemon nodded sagely. "I thought as much. Even without what my granddaughter has told me, it would be obvious just by observing you as a person that your past is one that has left deep scars. When you've survived a bloody profession as long as I have, you learn to pick up on subtle cues that others tend to miss. The wounds that your personal history has left upon you… would one of those be romantic in nature?"

Izumi's face flashed through Itachi's mind… followed by the memory of the night he'd murdered her. "One had the… potential to become that. Had there been more time, had circumstances been different… but there wasn't, and they weren't. Through no fault of her own; I was the only party at blame."

"So there was someone, then," said Kiemon as he looked upon Itachi with a gaze that held both pity and understanding, "Or at least someone who could've become someone more, had fate been kinder… that explains quite a bit. You had perhaps the first inklings of love with this mystery girl, but those buds were not given the chance to properly blossom. Now they are in in bloom with regards to my granddaughter… and you're afraid that you'll make the same mistakes that you once did. Does that sound about right?"

Itachi took a deep breath. "It does. The last thing I want is to harm Yoruichi in any way, but given how my last experience with a member of the fairer sex went… I would be lying if I said that I did not dread history repeating itself."

"That's understandable," Kiemon remarked with a reassuring smile, "but you strike me as the sort of person who's smart enough to learn from that history and make sure that it doesn't repeat itself. This girl that you allude to… does my granddaughter know about her?"

Itachi slowly nodded. "She does. Yoruichi knows the whole story… including the bitter end."

Kiemon put a hand on his shoulder. "If that is so, then don't you think that my granddaughter is smart enough to understand your fear, and to help you make sure that you don't make the same mistakes?"

Itachi had to smile at that. "She is."

Kiemon smiled as well, with more than a hint of satisfaction. "I thought so. Itachi… you don't have to give me details here, but I would ask you this; in your past life, were you a man who believed he had to shoulder every burden himself?"

Itachi was a bit taken aback by just how on-the-nose the question was. "Yes… though I have to wonder how you came to that conclusion."

"Oh, the answer to that is quite a simple one," Kiemon replied, "I was once the same way. In my wild youth, before I married and settled down, I tended to take on everything myself. The toughest assignments, the most powerful opponents, and much more. Part of it was from the pride that any skilled warrior carries, but another aspect was fear. I was afraid that those close to me, whether they be friends or comrades, would be put at great risk if I did not take on the heaviest burdens by myself. It was only after meeting and getting to know Yoko that I came to realize the folly of that mindset. Love is a two-way street, Itachi. Your burdens are no longer your own. If you truly love someone, then you must be willing to share those burdens with them and trust that they are not only strong enough to bear them alongside you, but that they can help you overcome and move past them as long as you tell them the truth about what you face. If anyone can meet that qualification for you, wouldn't it be my granddaughter?"

Itachi inclined his head as he smiled again. "It would. I've already told her everything about what happened in my past life… about what made me who I am today. After all I've seen and done with her since then… I can't think of anyone in the entirety of the Web of Worlds that I trust more than her."

Kiemon grinned. "And, in that, you have your answer."

"I suppose I do," Itachi conceded as he cast his gaze back at the distant encampment, "Where does that leave me, then?"

"With a choice to make," Kiemon answered as his voice took on a solemn tone, "and only a few days to make it. You know how powerful wraiths are, and I fought this one alongside my wife. I can promise you that this one is more dangerous than the other four combined. Even alone… or perhaps, especially alone. This abomination's swordsmanship may lack the passion that its former identity might've given it in life, but in its state of undeath it is honed to the finest possible degree. It possesses the kind of skill that can only be gained over millennia, a purity in the art of the sword that few ever achieve. Its moves will be without any hesitation… and without any humanity. When a monster such as that has mastery of the blade, what it can achieve in combat by itself is nothing short of terrifying. I will be blunt with you, Itachi; there is very much the distinct chance that we may not survive the coming fight. In that light, it would be wise to go into it without any lingering regrets. Wouldn't you agree?"

Itachi had a good idea as to what the old man was getting at. "I suppose I would. That being said… I'm not sure about how to do… well, what I need to do."

Kiemon smiled. "It's not easy to gather one's courage for such a feat. You do have some time, though. At the rate we're going, it'll likely be another four days before we'll reach our destination. Still, that time will fly by all too quickly. Do you think you can muster up your nerve before then?"

Itachi nodded resolutely. "For her… yes."

Kiemon chuckled before patting him on the back. "Good man! I think you'll do just fine… assuming my granddaughter doesn't beat you to the punch! She does excel at surprising others."

Itachi had to smile at that. "You're not wrong there."

….

Two days later…

Having grown accustomed to sparring matches with Kiemon over the course of the journey, Itachi had been somewhat surprised when Yoko asked to cross swords with him. The two of them hadn't spoken much since her test of him in the palace garden, and that had been by design. While Itachi had been sincere when he'd spoken to Yoruichi of his willingness to let her grandmother show him her better angles, as it were, he was still wary of her. To her credit, he hadn't once felt Yoko intrude upon his mind since the tests at the docks and the palace; she did appear serious about honoring the agreement she'd struck with Yoruichi following that episode.

If she's trying to make things right between us, thought Itachi as he fended of a sequence of fiendishly quick strikes from Yoko, then the least I can do is grant her the chance to do so. Better this be attended to before we reach the wraith.

Itachi had expected her to wield both her Zanpakutō and the second sword at her hip in unison, but it was only the former that she employed now. When he'd asked her about it, she'd simply smirked before telling him that he would see the other blade in action when it was time to fight the wraith. As she was going without her Shikai for this match, Itachi felt it only fair that he did the same, despite the fact that Yoko had told him before the start of the fight that he was entitled to use any measures he wished against her. Whether or not his restraint was the right call could be debated, though Yoko did seem to approve of the decision if her words were anything to go by.

"Embracing the chance to practice pure technique, I see," she remarked with a smile as Itachi smoothly parried a thrust from her before seamlessly shifting into the offensive with a series of broad slashes meant to take advantage of his blade's longer reach, "Good to know that you haven't completely given yourself over to my husband's more… oh, let's call it an enthusiastic style of combat."

"It has its place," Itachi replied as he drove her back across the dunes, their blades flashing in the moonlight, "I just don't think that here and now is appropriate for it."

Yoko grinned deviously as she expertly deflected each of his strikes. "Not against one who's so familiar with it, you mean. I know its strengths and its weaknesses; I've had centuries to understand them. You are wise to recognize that."

In truth, fighting against Yoko had so far proven to be easier for Itachi than his bouts against her husband. That wasn't to say that Itachi found Yoko's Zanjutsu lacking; as the former Captain of Squad Two, her skill with the blade was more than equal to the rank she'd once held. Rather, it was because fighting Yoko felt familiar to Itachi. Her style of Zanjutsu was focused on speed and misdirection, and in that it was quite reminiscent of how Yoruichi utilized her blade. Despite her advancing years, Yoko was nearly as agile as her granddaughter, and practice against Yoruichi meant that Itachi was surprisingly ready for just this kind of fight. Yoko was a quick and wily foe, leading with swift slashes and thrusts that turned out to be merely feints before striking for real from completely unexpected angles. She would often flip her weapon around to wield in a reverse-grip, and she could pull it off so quickly that Itachi nearly missed the transition a few times and thus had almost been caught off guard by the new angle at which an attack came from. She rarely came at him from head-on, instead favoring flanking attacks aided by precise Flash Steps. Her proficiency in the art of Shunpo made it very clear just where Yoruichi had inherited her prowess from.

Even with her Zanpakutō sealed, Yoko still seemed able to read Itachi's mind as she turned the tables with a parry followed swiftly with a series of thrusts that put the former Shinobi back on the defensive. "I may not be the Soul Society's Flash Goddess, but I'll still give you a workout."

Itachi didn't doubt that for a moment. Yoko became a blur as she Flash Stepped around him, kick up clouds of sand and whipping them about. The flying brown particles worked to obscure her blade, with Itachi only barely managing to deflect her incoming strikes before he was able to get himself out of the dust-devil his opponent had conjured. Deciding to respond in kind, Itachi swept up a wave of sand with a broad swing from his blade before immediately Flash Stepping to the right of Yoko and repeating his earlier move. He flung up several more clods of sand before moving in to actually strike, with his thrust only just redirected by Yoko at the last possible moment.

The old woman laughed as Itachi kicked off a new offensive, her blade darting about like a hummingbird as it intercepted each of his blows. "How befitting for one of your background! Oh, my granddaughter was right to snatch you up when she did. Squad Two and the Stealth Force truly are your natural home in the Soul Society. What I wouldn't have given to recruit you as one of my subordinates back in the day!"

"No offense, but had you been my Captain, I probably would've put in for a transfer," Itachi deadpanned as he pressed his assault, "I can't say that I'm fond of the idea of my superior being able to spy on my thoughts or sift through my past on a whim."

"None taken," Yoko replied as she deftly parried his latest strike before turning the tables with slash that missed Itachi's chest by mere centimeters and putting him back on the defensive, "although I would've been willing to come to an understanding with you in time. I'm not heartless, after all. Just ruthless when it suits my needs."

Itachi couldn't help but chuckle wryly while he fell back under her onslaught of vicious swings and thrusts. "At least you're self-aware enough to admit it."

"Owning one's darkness is the first step to properly weaponizing it," Yoko remarked with a knowing smile even as she continued her offensive, "I think you understand this just as well as I do. It helped you survive in the abyss that was the Akatsuki, and it serves you well to this day. When the situation calls for it, we both know that we have the capacity for harsh acts in the name of a greater purpose. It gives us options that the more squeamish amongst us lack."

Itachi shot her a cold glare from behind his blade. "Perhaps, but it doesn't mean we should take those options lightly."

"Of course not," Yoko concurred as she suddenly leapt back, "Even so, necessity can force one's hand. You know this far better than most."

Itachi could've advanced, but he was wary; Yoko could easily be trying to draw him into a trap. It turned out that such deception was not what she had in mind, though. Instead, she simply sheathed her blade and began walking in a long arc that would inevitably take her around the encampment, and she gestured for Itachi to follow. Curious as to what she wanted now, Itachi put his sword away and quickly fell in step alongside her.

"Necessity certainly forces both of our hands here," Yoko continued, "or rather, it will soon enough. Contending with the final wraith will require both of our signature abilities, and while I'm quite keen to see yours in action, I can understand you being reluctant to have me use mine in your vicinity. Believe it or not, I can't exactly say I'm looking forward to using my Shikai in the coming fight."

Itachi hadn't been expecting that. "Why is that?"

Yoko was quiet for several long seconds, and when she spoke again her voice was barely more than a haunted murmur. "Do you know what lies in a wraith's mind, Itachi?"

Itachi considered it carefully for a moment. "Anger, malice, and bitter hatred?"

"That's putting it mildly," Yoko answered, and Itachi was surprised to actually see her shudder, "I learned that the hard way during the first encounter with our foe. He, if he can truly be called a man any longer, is a far cry from the dedicated and noble bodyguard that he once was. When I looked into his mind in search of knowledge and understanding, what I found was… an abyss. A seething ocean of wrath and agony the likes of which no living creature could ever hope to fathom. A being so twisted by its tortured existence as to be a concentration of pure spite and envy for those who did not share its morbid fate… and a sick glee at the prospect of enslaving others in such a state, in sharing its misery. For all her genius as a Mage, the Lady of Midnight erred gravely when she sought to bring back those she lost. She should've known better. The cycle of souls can only go one way. To reverse the flow as she did was to subject those who had been her treasured companions to a fate far worse than death."

Itachi nodded sagely. "Comparatively, I'd say that I got off easy with the whole soul fracture business."

"Quite so," Yoko concurred, "You were fortunate that my granddaughter was able to get you to Captain Unohana in a timely manner. No doubt, there are many others who have not been so lucky as you. Your mind, your sanity, remains intact. A wraith's mind, though… it is an excruciating mess. As if someone shattered a window into thousands of glass shards and then haphazardly attempted to reassemble them, but with none of the pieces slotted into their proper place. When I enter a mind using my Shikai, there are certain avenues that that I walk upon. Think of them as paths that go to particular destinations in the mind, where certain kinds of memories may be found. Joyful or sorrowful ones, for example. In a wraith, though, those paths disjointed, incoherent. They branch off in countless directions, with entire sections torn out and stitched back together with others that they have no business being connected to. Combine that with the fact that the very environment within such a mind is permeated by a most foul atmosphere of malice and spite, and finding my way within it is all but impossible."

Itachi pondered it for a moment. "I thought that might be the case. It's why I've never tried to ensnare one of these wraiths in a genjutsu with my Sharingan. I can do so with people and Hollows because their minds are whole. They follow logical thought patterns, and those tendencies are easy to anticipate and exploit. I always imagined that a wraith's mind would lack those patterns thanks to the utter torture that its very existence is. It seems that my suspicions were right on the mark."

"Indeed," said Yoko, "I have always been driven to uncover secrets, so it's no surprise that my Shikai wound up being what it is. However, delving into the wraith's mind was a most unpleasant experience to say the least. I cannot say that I'm looking forward to doing so again, yet I fear there is no other choice. Even then, my power may not uncover what we need. We may have to rely upon yours."

"Because of the anchors, right?" Itachi surmised, "I believe you mentioned something rather curious about this one before we left."

"Indeed, I did," Yoko replied, "This one is not like the others, and I speak of far more than just its combat prowess. Unlike its compatriots, this one bore no jewelry or other such tokens that can be easily identifiable as spell anchors."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "A thorny issue to be sure, and it raises some concerning questions. If there are no anchors, then how is it still intact? Aren't the anchors required to keep the spell binding it to this plane active?"

"To our knowledge," Yoko answered, "and I do still believe that this remains the case. However, remember which wraith we are dealing with here. This is the man who was the Lady of Midnight's beloved protector and, eventually, her husband. Of all her companions that she sought to preserve for eternity, she would've taken the greatest care with him."

Itachi nodded as he followed that line of thought to its obvious conclusion. "That's true. The other four wraiths might've been genuine attempts to bring her dear companions back to her side, but from fighting them, it's clear that they were also experiments of a sort. With each one, she was working to refine her process. The end goal is easy enough to discern; the accumulated knowledge gained from the first four was to be applied to the final and most important one, her bodyguard."

He then scratched his chin as he considered what came next. "If we're still operating under the assumption that an anchor is required for a wraith, regardless of how much the Lady of Midnight's process for creating them was refined… then where is the anchor? If it's not some article on the wraith itself, what does that leave us with? Maybe an external and separate device, one that's not on the wraith directly?"

"That was one possibility I thought of initially," Yoko remarked, "but that brings with it an entirely separate set of questions and limitations. What would this outside anchor look like, and where would it be? The place where we found the wraith has plenty of nooks and crannies where such an anchor could conceivably be hidden, and I'll admit that our exploration of the structure was far from complete when the wraith attacked. However, having an anchor separate from the wraith itself brings with it an obvious downside; range. Every spell, no matter how advanced and intricate, has a maximum extent to which it can operate. There are always limitations and weaknesses; it's simply a matter of finding them. The Lady of Midnight would know this just as well as you and I. I find it hard to believe that this wasn't factored into her considerations. Remember, the wraiths were not imprisoned by her, but by those who defeated them."

"Right," Itachi murmured, "She would've wanted them to be able to move freely with her, and anchoring them to a particular geographic location would defeat that purpose. Going from there… the anchor must still be on the wraith. It's the only thing that makes sense."

Yoko inclined her head. "That's my conclusion as well. When I was in the wraith's mind, I tried to narrow it down. I have two theories, but I cannot confirm them on my own. I need help from someone with gifts of their own… gifts that your bloodline possess."

Itachi knew where she was going with this. "You want me to use the Sharingan to confirm which of your theories are correct."

"Precisely," said Yoko, "I understand its limitations, and perhaps the Byakugan would serve better in its stead, but the only Hyūga you know personally is a very long way from here. Your eyes should prove to be more than sufficient, though."

"If I know what to look for," Itachi pointed out, "You still haven't told me what your theories actually are."

"The first is relatively simple; something on the wraith's person serving as an anchor that I somehow missed in the initial engagement," Yoko replied, "Since my granddaughter's letters had all mentioned jewelry serving as anchors, I naturally focused on looking for such items during the fight. As such, it is entirely possible that I overlooked something. Perhaps the sheaths for the wraith's swords are the anchors, or maybe even the blades themselves. Seeing as they're both Spirit Weapons, I personally find it doubtful that they could serve as both those and spell anchors; blending an anchor spell with the intricate spells required for Spirit Weapons without disrupting one or the other would be incredibly difficult even for a Mage as gifted as the Lady of Midnight. Still, difficult is not the same as impossible, as you well know."

Itachi inclined his head. "Quite true. What's your second theory?"

"That the anchor is not external, but internal," Yoko answered.

Itachi's brow furrowed as he considered that possibility. "All of the previous wraiths have had external anchors, so an internal one would be a major break in the mold… but, as you said, this one is the wraith that the Lady of Midnight cared about over all the others. Implementing such a major innovation on this one after all she learned on the other four would not be out of the question."

"I personally find it to be the most likely of my two theories," said Yoko, "if only because it conforms to what I saw during the first engagement. However, your Sharingan will be required to confirm it."

"That'll be difficult if it's an internal anchor," Itachi remarked, "As you mentioned earlier, the Byakugan would be better for this kind of work. With the Sharingan, I can probably determine if the anchor's external or internal, but if it is the latter then tracking down its precise point within the wraith's body may not be possible. Perhaps I could narrow it down to a general area, but I do not know if I could do more than that."

Yoko nodded. "That would be enough. Given the highly destructive power of my granddaughter's Bankai combined with the wide coverage your Shikai provides, just narrowing it down to a general area would more than suffice. Add my husband's swordsmanship into the mix and my own abilities and skills, a concentrated attack from all four of us once we have a rough idea of where to aim should earn us the kill."

"I hope you're right," said Itachi, "We'd be wise not to take anything for granted here."

"Oh, you're not wrong there," Yoko acknowledged, "There are so many permutations and variables to consider. I'd say that there is almost certainly more than one internal anchor, given how none of the wraiths you faced before had only one external anchor. Perhaps there is a mix of internal and external anchors on this one. We should keep our minds open to those possibilities and others. Adaptability will serve us well in the coming fight."

Itachi inclined his head. "In the end, there's only so much that we can plan for."

Yoko smirked. "As you well know."

The two of them walked in silence for a few minutes before Yoko spoke again. "This coming battle… surviving it will require more than just planning and skill. It will require cohesion between the four of us. More importantly, it will require trust."

"I trust your granddaughter with my life," Itachi replied, "and I would be willing to extend that to your husband. As for you… I'm sure you'd understand if I said that I remain somewhat wary."

Yoko chuckled. "Yes, I very much do! Admittedly, I've given you more than sufficient cause for that. I knew that would be one of the consequences of my actions. As you might imagine, I am well accustomed to being viewed through a distrusting lens by others."

"Can't possibly imagine why," Itachi deadpanned.

Yoko sighed, and when she met his gaze, it was with a somber look. "I've quite thoroughly earned your distaste and suspicion, and I will not deny that I deserve it. I will not apologize for my actions, for it was not merely to satisfy my own curiosity that I tested you. My granddaughter means more to me than you can possibly know, and I would go to any lengths to protect her. That includes defending from those who would harbor serious affection for her should they prove to be less than honest with their intentions. I had to be absolutely certain than you posed no threat to her, that your devotion to her was beyond reproach. Needless to say, what I saw in your mind more than proved the sincerity of your feelings for her."

Itachi took a deep breath before giving her a small smile. "I can't say that I approve of you sifting through my memories… but I can understand the intent behind it all too well. Yoruichi's fortunate to have a grandmother that cares so deeply for her. Nothing is clearly off limits for you in the name of looking after her, and I do respect that. You say you will not apologize for reading my mind? That's fine. I do not seek an apology from you. I do, however, seek considerations."

"What might those be?" asked Yoko.

"First, a guarantee that knowledge of my past and the power of my bloodline does not spread further," said Itachi, "Tell your husband what he must know, but nothing beyond that. I'll be using the Sharingan in front of him anyway when the time comes, so there's no point in hiding that from him. Anyone past him, though…"

"Will learn nothing," Yoko firmly finished for him, "I swear it upon my granddaughter's name."

Itachi could not help but be impressed by that. "Had you sworn by anything else, I might not be so inclined to believe you."

"You and I are both devoted to my granddaughter in our own fashion," Yoko remarked, "We can at least hold that as a commonality."

Itachi glanced back at the encampment, smiling as he saw Yoruichi sitting by the fire chatting with her grandfather. "We can, indeed."

"What other considerations do you seek?" asked Yoko.

"Just one," Itachi replied as he turned to face her again, "and it involves a commitment of much more substantial resources than your word."

"Oh? This should be interesting," said Yoko as she rubbed her hands together eagerly, "Please, go on."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "When you read my mind, I assume that you learned a great deal about the Uchiha Clan. Would that include my concerns regarding some members of the clan that a friend and I have found in the Soul Society?"

"It would," Yoko confirmed, "I must confess, I'm quite intrigued by what you and Shisui discovered a few years ago at that Drakken Clan party. For such notable members of the Uchiha Clan to be granted housing at their Seireitei estate, and to be kept out of the public eye at that… something curious is going on there. However, that's in the Seireitei, a place that I will not venture to unless compelled by extraordinary need."

"I'm not asking you do that," Itachi countered, "Do I presume too much in assuming that you take an active role in monitoring your Principality?"

"I have my eyes and ears both within Alraayie and outside of it," said Yoko, "Not much of note goes on within these lands that I do not eventually learn of."

Itachi nodded. "Good, because that will facilitate my request. I would like you to use your resources to keep a lookout for any signs of the Uchiha Clan within your borders. Should you discover any of them, I want you to write Yoruichi and inform her of your findings."

Yoko smiled. "Consider it done."

Itachi arched an eyebrow. "Just like that?"

"You're essentially just asking me to have my agents add one more thing they must look out for to their list," Yoko reminded him, "I'd hardly consider that to be a major imposition. Besides, it dovetails quite nicely with my own interests. Now that I've met one Uchiha, I'm very curious to find another, if only to see how they might measure up in comparison. Although… well, based on your memories, I hope you don't mind me saying that of your generation and its immediate predecessors, you're one of the few figures in the clan that's really worth my consideration. Those who plotted the coup attempt, and those who went along with them, are such disappointing specimens. So limited in their ability to perceive the truth of the world around them and the potential consequences of their intended actions, unlike you. You set quite a high bar for your kinsmen to clear, Itachi. Perhaps an impossible one."

"They would probably disagree," Itachi deadpanned, "Seeing as I betrayed the clan and murdered them, in their eyes I would be the lowest of the low."

Yoko shrugged dismissively. "Their opinions of you aren't worthy of consideration. They acted with such shortsightedness, and were driven by such petty ambitions and grudges, that they disgraced themselves without ever realizing it. Quick death by your hand was far too good for those fools."

Itachi regarded her with curiosity. "Is that your way of complimenting me?"

Yoko had a good chuckle at that. "Perhaps! Take it as you will."

Itachi shook his head in bemusement. "And here I thought that I was a strange one…"

"You are," Yoko remarked with a smile, "and you ought to take pride in that. Normalcy is for those who lack imagination, who can only see the world through the narrow lenses of their day-to-day lives. An abnormal life is the only life that's truly worth living, and the same goes for one's afterlife."

Itachi couldn't resist a bittersweet smile. "Well, if that's how you view things, then I suppose abnormality fits my experiences quite nicely. I could've done without some of it, though."

Yoko shook her head. "Accept it in its entirety, Itachi. The good, the bad, the dreams and the nightmares; they all played their part in forging you into the man you are today… into the man that my granddaughter holds so dearly in her heart."

She came to a stop and met his gaze, with her golden eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "Know this, Itachi Uchiha; while there is nothing wrong with self-reflection, in the end we only walk one path, and it is the one we chose. All your decisions have brought you to this point. Never doubt what you have done. Trust in your experience, in your training, in your bond with my granddaughter… but above all, trust in yourself. You have walked in both shadow and light, passed through fire and death, and have become a truly singular individual. What you have taught yourself through such trials and tribulations is your compass rose and your prize, Itachi. You may think of it as a bitter fruit, but it is more precious than the finest of delicacies. It is yours, a guide that only you and whoever you deem worthy have a right to."

Itachi was quiet for a long moment before offering an amendment. "Perhaps so… and yet, it is not complete. That bitter fruit can yet ripen further, and that compass rose can yet gain further points. After all, as long as I continue to exist in this plane or any other, I will continue to learn… and, if she's willing, I wish to do so with your granddaughter by my side."

Yoko smiled again, this time with what Itachi realized was a mix of affection and approval. "Oh, I think she very much would be."

….

The next night…

"This is a nice change of pace," Yoruichi remarked as she and Itachi strode casually along the dunes, her left arm looped with his right.

"I figured we'd gotten in enough sparring over the past few days," Itachi replied, "We're better off resting up tonight since we'll be finally reaching our target tomorrow."

Yoruichi smiled as she gazed up at the twinkling stars above. "Well, considering that my grandparents have been working us both to the bone each night of this trip, I think we've earned a little break."

No kidding, Inazuma On'na chimed in, I swear, your grandfather strikes so hard that I'm still sore, and I'm a sword!

Hey, you needed the workout just as much as I did. A little sweat and bruising's not going to kill you.

No, but we're not careful, the wraith very well might. Actually, it'll be worse than that.

Yoruichi fought hard to suppress a shudder. Truth be told, she would've preferred taking on an army of Menos Grande rather than their impending target. The other wraiths had been dangerous enough, but they were also weaker than the one they would be facing all too soon. Yoruichi would've given anything to have the rest of Squad Two along for this fight, or at least her choice of officers from it. Kisuke, Soi-Fon, Shisui, Visaelya, and Mikoto were just a few of the faces that flashed through her mind.

I wouldn't mind having them here either, but they're not. They're too far away now to be of any help. Like it or not, we'll have to make do without.

I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it.

I know. If it makes you feel any better, I can't exactly say that I'm thrilled about this, either.

Not sure if that actually helps, but I appreciate the sentiment.

Despite her best efforts, Itachi picked up on her discomfort, and he clearly had no trouble discerning the source. "Nervous? So am I. I would honestly feel a lot better if we had more allies with us for this. Jiraiya alone would be a major boon for us."

Yoruichi nodded. "He would. I'm sure he and my grandfather would get along well. Him and grandmother? Well… hard to say to say, actually. Either, way, I doubt she'd turn down his experience and strength for something like this."

"No doubt about that," Itachi remarked, "Unfortunately, that's all in the hypothetical realm. We have each other, your grandparents, their guards, and whatever mages and soldiers await us at our destination. That will have to be enough."

Yoruichi sighed. "I know, but… without that backup, and against an enemy like this, there's no choice but to go all out. For me, that means Bankai, something I've tried to avoid using around you. I may have gotten a better handle on my Shikai over the years, but my Bankai's a very different beast."

Itachi shook his head. "I understand your concern, but I think your fears here are at least partially misplaced. I know that you've been training just as hard with that as you have with your Shikai, even if you've kept me out of those sessions to prevent your power from harming me by mistake. Although I never witnessed those sessions myself, I did see you after they were done, and do you know what I saw? The look of someone who knew she was making progress, who was becoming more confident in controlling her power."

Yoruichi let slip a rueful laugh. "I wish I felt as confident as you think I looked back then! With what my power can do if it slips free of my control when I'm around others… honestly, that terrifies me nearly as much as the wraith."

"Apprehension about wielding such power is natural," Itachi gently countered, "I would be far more worried if you didn't feel such fear with regards to that kind of might. The fact that you do feel it means you have a very healthy sense of self-awareness. You recognize the consequences of losing control, which makes you work all the harder to prevent that from happening. I've seen the same with you whenever you've asked me to help you out in refining Shunkō."

Yoruichi came to a halt and turned to face him. "Itachi, even with what you've seen from me… aren't you afraid? If I slip up just once… that might be all it takes to kill you."

"That's not going to happen," Itachi firmly reassured her.

"How can you know that, though?" she protested as dread began to creep into her voice, "How can you be so confident of that when I'm not?"

Itachi reached out to take her hands in his own, and in that moment, in her eyes, the small smile he gave her was more radiant and powerful than the desert sun at high noon. "Because I trust you, Yoruichi. I have since you saved my life all those years ago. I always have, and I always will."

Yoruichi found herself stunned into silence. Here she was, fretting over the possibility of her Bankai inadvertently harming or even killing her companion, and yet Itachi's faith in her was absolute. Where she was doubting herself, his belief in her was adamant. From someone else, perhaps such talk might've been mere flattery or superficial encouragement, but Yoruichi knew that that wasn't Itachi's style. He was being completely genuine with her here. He was willing to put his life in her hands without a moment's hesitation…

…and, Yoruichi realized, the same could be said in reverse.

Here they were, on their way to face an abomination from a bygone era with extremely limited support. She was afraid, as any reasonable person would be under such circumstances, but Yoruichi wasn't so overcome with dread that she thought their task impossible. Why was that? Sure, her grandparents joining them did help bolster her confidence, but that wasn't the heart of the matter. Despite her fears, Yoruichi had still believed from the start that they could succeed in this undertaking…

…because Itachi was by her side.

Would she have preferred it to be more than just him? Of course. Yet his presence alone remained enough to convince her that they could do this. If it had only been Kisuke in Itachi's place, or Soi-Fon, would Yoruichi have felt the same way? She wanted to believe that, but deep in her heart, she knew that that wasn't the case. Her doubts would've been worse, her fears amplified, and that was despite the fact that she'd known both Kisuke and Soi-Fon for far longer than she had Itachi. Why, then, could Itachi embolden her, strengthen her resolve, in a manner that her oldest friends could not?

Do you really have to ask that after all this time? Look at what you've done for him since the moment you two met, and the answer should be obvious.

What I've done for him…

Memories of the years since that fateful encounter out in the Rukon District flashed through her mind. Monitoring Itachi's progress in the Academy, helping him through the soul fracture incident, looking on with pride on the day of his graduation, watching him settle into Squad Two and become an invaluable asset to the unit, allowing him to unburden himself when his dark past had threatened to consume him, continuing to believe in him even after learning all that he had done…

You see? You granted him faith and trust when he believed that he was unworthy of either… and you've given him so much more than that. Is it any wonder that he would follow you into the deepest pits of Hell itself… or that you would do the same for him?

I… I really would.

Who had she ever felt like that for? Yes, she was loyal to her friends and subordinates, and would move mountains to help them, but it went so much deeper with Itachi. With him, Yoruichi had someone who had passed through the darkest of shadows, the most brutal of trials, and had emerged from that crucible with an inner strength the likes of which she could only marvel at. Yes, he still doubted himself, still wrestled with the demons of his past, but that didn't stop him from trying to find what he must've considered to be an impossible redemption. The chains of his past were heavy beyond belief, yet he still fought to move beyond them, and Yoruichi was willing to do anything to help him with that.

Just as he has proven himself willing to do anything to help you. After all, despite your grandmother delving into the darkest pits of his mind and dredging up his worst memories, despite her lie of omission regarding our current foe, he still stands with you. He could've washed his hands of the matter, and it would've been hard to blame him, but he did no such thing. He remains by your side. Does that not tell you all you need to know?

It does…

…and so much more.

All that went through her mind in the span of mere seconds as she tried to formulate a response to Itachi. "You… you really mean that."

It wasn't a question, and Itachi knew her well enough by now to understand as much. "Of course, I do. You gave me acceptance and faith when you had every right to deny me both. I owe you the same… and a great deal more."

Yoruichi had to smile as she squeezed his hands in gratitude. "I think we're both well past owing each other at this point… but, thank you. That… that means a lot to me."

"Anytime," Itachi replied.

Yoruichi took a deep breath. "Even if I can control my Bankai as well as you believe I can now, with what we're up against… Itachi, I don't know if it's enough. This isn't some mindless pack of Gillians that we're after. It's not an Adjuchas, a Vasto Lorde or even just another wraith; it's the most dangerous of the bunch. Not just in terms of power, but its skill, its experience… combine that with the regeneration it gains from its current state, and we're looking at a monstrously powerful foe."

Itachi closed his eyes for a moment, and Yoruichi was startled to realize that she could feel his arms shaking. "I know."

When he opened them and met her gaze again, Yoruichi could see something that she'd never beheld in his eyes before; genuine fear. He might've have spoken earlier about nervousness being natural in the face of the foe that they would be taking on tomorrow, but Yoruichi had gotten so used to his calm and cool demeanor over the years that she found the dread in his onyx eyes to be downright alarming. If even he was willing to let such feelings show, then what did that really say about their chances?

"Itachi…" she murmured softly, as much to him as to herself as she struggled to formulate a proper response.

Itachi looked down at his arms and sighed heavily. "Look at me. I'm no stranger to the dread that comes with the eve of battle. In the past, I've been able to keep that fear beneath the surface, but for this one… it's worse than any other. Truth be told, I'm terrified… but not for myself."

His eyes locked with hers again, and the trepidation in them was palpable. "Yoruichi… you know that I accepted my death long before it actually came. When I came here to the Soul Society and became a Soul Reaper, that didn't necessarily change. If I fall in the line of duty, I'm at peace with that. I'd prefer to make the most of my afterlife, of course, but I can accept a second end if I've given my all in the defense of those I care for. What terrifies me isn't my own potential fate… but that I might fail you. That for all my power and skill has grown over these past years… it may not be enough to protect you when you need it most."

Yoruichi vehemently shook her head. "Itachi, I've seen just how strong you've gotten since becoming a Soul Reaper. Your power's incredible, and it's still growing. Your abilities already put every Lieutenant in the Thirteen Court Guards to shame, and you could probably go toe-to-toe with most of the Captains now and give them a damn good workout. Having you by my side, knowing that your cunning and strength is backing me up, is one of the few things that gives me any kind of confidence about the coming battle! The last thing that you could ever do is fail me."

She was relieved to see him smile. "It means a lot, hearing you say that… even so, that fear remains. It won't completely go away. Not for this battle… or for any other beyond it, I suspect."

There was something new in his tone now, Yoruichi realized. No, not just in the way he spoke, but in his very demeanor. The dread was still there, but something stronger was rising to overtake it. Was it resolve? Partially, yet that didn't seem to completely cover it in Yoruichi's eyes. No, what it really was, she could see in his beautiful onyx eyes.

Passion.

Fierce and determined passion, the likes of which Yoruichi had never seen in Itachi before.

And with a start, she suddenly suspected just where Itachi was really going with this…

…and dared to hope that she was right.

Her suspicions gained a heaping dose of confidence as Itachi continued. "Yoruichi… in the coming battle, and in all beyond it… I'll give everything I have. Not because it's my duty, and not because I want to ensure my own survival. I'll go all out… for you. To ensure your survival, to help you triumph over this foe and all who come after it… because I could never live with myself if I gave anything less in your name. My strength, my experience, my skills, even my Sharingan… it's all yours. It has been for quite some time now… I just never knew how to put it into words for you before. No, that's not right. I… I never realized that I needed to put it into words before… and the ones that really encapsulate what I'm trying to say here… I could never say before now. Only now, when I could be on the cusp of failing you utterly."

Yoruichi squeezed his hands in encouragement. "I already told you, Itachi; you cannot fail me. Not in the coming battle, or in any other. I know you. The real you, not just the aspect you show to the others, your public persona in Squad Two. The amazing man that I have come to know these past years is the last person who could ever fail me."

She saw him take a deep breath to summon what she imagined was ever last ounce of courage within himself, which had to be considerable given everything she knew that he had done and could do. "Even now, I don't know if that's the truth… but your faith makes me want to believe it is. Your belief, your acceptance of me in my entirety… they're more precious to me than anything in all the Web of Worlds. Almost as precious as you yourself. Yoruichi…"

"…I love you."

….

For a single moment, the desert night went completely silent, and time seemed to freeze in place for Itachi. All he could see was Yoruichi, her golden eyes gleaming in the moon and starlight as she stared at him in… what? Astonishment? Utter shock? Itachi could hardly blame her for either; he was frankly amazed that he'd possessed the nerve to utter those last three words, and the fact that he'd actually said them still hadn't quite sunk in yet. He felt as if his very existence suddenly stood upon a knife's edge, with his mind racing to catch up with his heart. Had he misread the moment? Had he completely screwed up? Those doubts and a host of others flashed through his head in less than a second, and an all-consuming sense of panic suddenly threatened to overtake him…

…until it was flung out of him by Yoruichi tackling him to the ground.

Before Itachi could begin to comprehend just what had happened, the Flash Goddess atop him flung her arms around his neck before claiming his lips in the fiercest kiss he'd ever experienced. Her tongue immediately slipped inside his mouth, and it was only then that Itachi regained enough of his wits to understand just what this meant. Sheer joy surged within his chest as he enveloped Yoruichi in a tight embrace while his own tongue intertwined with hers in a lascivious dance. He relished in the feeling of her fingers gripping the back of his neck and his hair, and he savored the sensation of just how passionately the woman he loved was making her true feelings for him known. It was only the need for air that finally forced their lips to part, and even then, it was just so they both could take a quick breath before diving right back in for round two.

When they eventually needed to breathe again, Itachi looked up at the woman of his dreams in wonder, his mind struggling for words. "Yoruichi… you…"

The smile she flashed him was as dazzling as it was teasing. "You actually beat me to the punch… I might just have to punish you for upstaging the Flash Goddess!"

Itachi blinked in confusion for a moment before the pieces began falling into place. "What do you… wait, you mean…?"

"Yeah," she replied with a wink, "I've been spending this past week trying to figure out how to do what you just did. Here you go and steal my thunder! You know what, though? I think I actually like it better this way."

Itachi slowly smiled. "Then… you really…"

Yoruichi cut him off by leaning down to kiss him again, this time much more tenderly, before saying the words that Itachi hadn't realized before now he'd so dearly longed to hear from her. "Yeah, that's right. I love you too, Itachi. I have for a long time now."

Itachi reached up to caress her cheek. "So have I. I just… I could never say it before. I was… afraid. What I had with you since that first night we shared… I was terrified of losing it. We agreed to take things slow, and I didn't want to overreach and push you away."

Yoruichi shook her head. "You were never going to do that, Itachi. You never could do that to me, because since we met… I've been drawn to you. You've always had this sort of magnetism about you, you know? Even before I knew the details of your past, I could see hints of its weight in how you carried yourself. Call me a curious cat!"

Itachi chuckled. "One far too agile and wily for that curiosity to threaten her."

"You can thank my grandmother for that," Yoruichi remarked with a smirk, "She taught me well."

"She did, indeed," Itachi confirmed as he ran his fingers through her hair, "Still… even knowing everything that I've done… you'd still have me?"

"I would," Yoruichi declared, "precisely because I know everything that you've done. There are plenty of people with dark pasts, Itachi, but what I think truly defines someone who's walked in such shadows is how they come out the other side. You understood and accepted the gravity of what you did, and you strived to learn from your past so that it wouldn't repeat. I wish that your first life had been easier, that you hadn't been forced to make such horrific decisions… yet I don't think that anyone else could have made those decisions and lived with them the way that you did. You were confronted with an utter nightmare made reality, one that would've broken anyone else… but it didn't break you. Your strength of will, of character… it's more powerful than that of anyone else in all the Soul Society. How could I not love you for that?"

Itachi needed a moment to let that sink in. "Yoruichi… if you're sure about this…"

Before he could speak further, Yoruichi leaned down to claim his lips in a determined kiss. When they parted for air again, the grin she wore was just as much a challenge as it was a declaration.

"How's that for 'sure'?" she asked.

Itachi couldn't help but smile again. "I'd call it decisive."

"Good," Yoruichi replied before standing up and pulling him to his feet, "because I don't want you to doubt for a moment exactly how I feel about you. When we get back to the Seireitei, no one else is going to, either."

Itachi blinked a few times as the implication hit him. "Wait, are you saying that…?"

"We're done hiding this," Yoruichi finished for him, "It's an open secret within Squad Two and the Stealth Force that we're together, and the next time you and I are at one of my family's parties, I'm going to make sure that the nobles there get the message."

Itachi's mind reeled as he tried to imagine the repercussions. "What about your status in the aristocracy? When word gets out that you're committed to someone like me…"

"It's not going to change a damn thing," Yoruichi countered, "Let those stuffy nobles gasp and gossip all they like. As far as I'm concerned, you're worth more than all of them combined. I have every right to be with the one I love, and the whining of a bunch of aristocrats about 'tradition' and 'social standing' means nothing to me. My parents might be a bit surprised at first, but they'll back us, Itachi. So will my grandparents, and they'll make sure that the rest of the Shihōin Clan falls into line."

Yoruichi then smirked confidently. "Besides, what do they really have to object to? Look at yourself, Itachi. A constantly rising star within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, one of my finest officers possessing power and skill that's more than a match for any Lieutenant and can give Captains a good tussle, and one of the few who can claim to have taken part in slaying wraiths with his own blade? Compared to all of that, any complaints about your origins or social status are going to be pretty damn pathetic. You've earned your place by my side, Itachi. Anyone who says otherwise is going to very quickly regret it."

Itachi slowly nodded; his companions' conviction was proving to be quite contagious. "I suppose when you put it that way, we don't have too much to worry about."

"Exactly," said Yoruichi, "Sure, there'll be naysayers, and they'll try to make your life difficult, but they're going to have another thing coming when they try to mess with you. For one thing, if any of them attempt to interfere with your duties as a Soul Reaper, it won't be just me that they'll have to answer to; the Head Captain takes very poorly to the aristocracy trying to obstruct or sabotage those under his command. One request from me would be more than enough to focus his ire on potential troublemakers, and they'd stop being troublemakers pretty damn fast. Besides, we'd have allies in the aristocracy. You've already made a good impression on Captain Kuchiki, so he'd have our backs. Isshin thinks highly of you as well, so you can count the Shiba Clan in your corner too."

"With that kind of support, I guess any objectors within the nobility really would be small fries," Itachi mused aloud.

Yoruichi put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not saying that there won't be challenges. Both of our lives are going to change because of this, and you're going to have a target on your back. Jealous suitors begging for my family's favor will be gunning for you. I have no doubt that you can handle them, but I won't leave you to fend off their attacks alone. We're in this together, Itachi."

Itachi reached over to place a hand over hers. "We are… and there's no one else I'd rather face the future with."

Yoruichi leaned forward to peck him on the cheek. "That makes two of us."

She then started pulling him back towards camp, and her voice became a hungry purr. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm in a rather celebratory mood all of a sudden. What do you say, Itachi? Care to cap off the night with some fun?"

Itachi chuckled as he allowed her to drag him along in her wake. "Do you really have to ask?"

Yoruichi's laughter was the sweetest of music to Itachi's ears. "I guess not!"

They made a beeline for the tent they shared, with Yoruichi throwing a friendly wave and a wink towards her grandparents. Kiemon raised his right hand and gave Itachi a thumbs up, a congratulatory grin on his face. Meanwhile, Yoko simply smiled approvingly. Both clearly knew what had just transpired, and Itachi only belatedly realized that Yoruichi's grandparents had been in cahoots the whole time.

They have different styles, Itachi thought as he looked upon the both with renewed admiration, but they both love their granddaughter and want her to be happy. If they believe her path to that happiness is with me, then I owe it them as much as Yoruichi to fill her days with light and love.

Then the couple reached their tent, with Yoruichi gracefully twirling around and shoving Itachi inside. She followed him a second later, pouncing on top of him with the same fiery passion that she'd shown earlier…

…and their 'celebration' began.

….

The following day, late afternoon…

Yoruichi could not see their destination just yet, but she could definitely feel the foul energy coming from it. Whenever she reached out to sense the power of their now not-so-distant target, the sheer corruption and malice of the wraith seemed to permeate the air like an invisible and toxic miasma. The punishing heat beating down upon her and her companions was a minor nuisance by comparison, and Yoruichi knew that she wasn't the only one who felt that way. Even the Sand Racers seemed perturbed, with their riders having to constantly mind the reins to keep them heading towards their destination lest they bolt in the opposite direction.

To her left, her grandfather wrinkled his nose in disgust, as if he could actually smell the noxious energy wafting from the final wraith. "Ugh… the second tase is just as bitter as the first, it would seem."

"You're not seriously surprised, are you?" Yoko asked as she rode at Kiemon's left, "This creature's putrid filth does not lessen with time. Quite the opposite, if you ask me."

To Yoruichi's right, she saw Itachi shake his head. "This one's my fourth, so I thought I'd be used to their disgusting presence by now, but this actually feels rottener than all the others put together. Like some carcass that's been left out in the sun for far too long."

"Not a bad comparison, all things considered," Yoruichi remarked before turning to her grandmother, "If we can feel it from out here, does that mean the seal's been compromised?"

"No," Yoko replied firmly, "If the seal was in danger of collapsing, the man I put in charge of maintaining it would've sent word well before now. Our target remains confined for the time being."

Yoruichi sighed. "I hope you're right. Wish we had Tessai and Hachigen with us. They'd be able to throw together a new barrier and seal quickly if the worst came to pass."

"Perhaps whatever Mage is maintaining the barrier would be willing to provide us with notes on their spell to share with Tessai upon our return," Itachi ventured, "I'm sure he could put such knowledge to good use."

"I imagine Tessai certainly would," said Yoko, "I can instruct Vahid to do as much once our business here is complete."

Yoruichi perked up slightly; she knew that name and had fond memories of the genial old man associated with it. "You never said Vahid was the one you assigned to this. Why didn't you mention him sooner?"

Yoko gave her an apologetic smile. "Forgive me, my dear. With everything else that we have on our plates, I'm afraid that slipped my mind. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

"Vahid?" Itachi asked with a prompting look.

"Vahid Ahangar," Yoruichi answered with a wistful smile, "One of my family's best Mages. He's brilliant with spells; could probably give Tessai a run for his money, come to think of it. Also, he's a big archaeology nerd, like a certain someone that I know."

Yoko laughed softly at that. "Well, there's a reason why he and I have gotten on so well over the centuries!"

"Quite true," Kiemon added with a chuckle, "Seems like it's every other week you and him are dragging me off to some new ruin that you've dug up out in the desert!"

"Well, there are so many of them, and I know that you don't like being cooped up in the palace," Yoko remarked, "It's a good thing that we always bring you along; your talents certainly came in handy when we found the abomination hiding out here."

Kiemon smirked. "I make for quite a useful contingency, if I do say so myself."

Yoko inclined her head before smiling fondly. "Indeed, you do."

The next several minutes passed in relative quiet as they continued their trek across the dunes. The stench of the wraith's energy grew thicker seemingly with each passing step, with the horses growing correspondingly ever more agitated, and eventually Yoruichi could spot a glowing silhouette on the horizon. It was a very odd mix of icy blue and dark purple light, and while Yoruichi recognized the former immediately thanks to her experience with the prior wraiths it took her a moment to place the latter.

"That's the barrier up there, right?" she asked.

"Yes," Yoko confirmed, "Still holding, just as I knew it would be."

Itachi's eyes narrowed, and Yoruichi saw them blaze red for a few seconds as he activated his Sharingan. "Are you sure about that? The way that the wraith's energy is seeping through…"

"The barrier is stretched over the entirety of the temple complex that we found the wraith in, along with our original encampment," Yoko elaborated, "When you have to stretch a quickly-cast spell over such a large area, there are going to be sections where the coverage is weaker than others. That weakness is only by degrees, though. So, yes, there are bits where the wraith's energy can leak out, but the wraith itself remains confined."

"For the moment, at least," Kiemon grimly added, "Our ability to keep it confined lessens with each passing day."

"And enough have passed by already," Yoruichi chimed in as her brow furrowed, "Let's pick up the pace."

Itachi inclined his head. "Right."

They urged their horses onward, and despite the Sand Racers' reluctance to proceed further the steeds dutifully sped up. As they drew closer to their destination, more features became distinctive. Just outside the barrier was dozens of tents large and small, and Yoruichi could sense the combined spiritual pressure of what had to be several Mages, including Vahid. She spotted scores of soldiers sporting her family's livery, which in this case was light brown tunics and leggings along with lightweight armor suitable to their current environment. Most were armed with a mix of javelins and scimitars, though several also sported heavier armaments such as spears and glaives. Archers were scattered amongst their number, split between watching the barrier and the perimeter.

A pretty sizeable detachment, Yoruichi thought as she took it all in, and some of it probably arrived after the initial encounter with the wraith. If I had to guess, from this range I'd say grandmother's probably got around three hundred people total out here right now. Rather small considering the nature of the threat, but I know she's looking to minimize the number of people this monster can potentially turn into wights if it breaks loose. Also, the less that know about what was found out here, the better; the small number's almost certainly part of an information containment strategy.

Her focus quickly shifted from the encampment to the barrier and the ruins that lay beyond it. Well, perhaps 'ruins' wasn't quite the right way to describe it. What Yoko and her entourage had excavated before being set upon by the wraith was nothing less than an entire temple complex, and a magnificent one to boot. It was dominated by two massive structures, the first of which was a five-tiered ziggurat capped at its apex by a quartet of rather eroded but still distinctive cat statues. Three sets of long stone staircases at the front of the structure rose from the dunes and converged in a T-shape at the third tier, and from there a single wide staircase led up to the summit of the temple. Behind the ziggurat was the second structure; an ovoid amphitheater, slightly shorter than the arena in Alraayie but noticeably wider. It was difficult to see through the swirling mix of icy blue energy and the purple of the barrier, but both structures appeared to be decorated by faded exterior carvings, the details of which Yoruichi knew she wouldn't be able to discern until she was much closer… and that they wouldn't be discernable at all after she cut loose.

"I hope you got a good look at this place before," Yoruichi remarked with a sidelong glance at her grandmother, "because there's not going to be much left of it when we're done here."

Yoko sighed heavily. "As much as I might prefer this complex remain intact, I knew what I was getting myself into when I enlisted your aid. I suppose I can content myself with studying whatever rubble remains when all is said and done."

Kiemon chuckled. "Think of it this way; our granddaughter will leave her own mark on this place! A thousand years from now, when the next inquisitive old woman comes upon it, what will she find? The aftermath of a battle, the tale of which she will no doubt delve into with obsessive interest."

"Well, I suppose that's one manner in which the Shihōin Clan will leave its mark in the sands of time," Yoko conceded in wry amusement, "although I would personally prefer a less destructive touch. It's a shame that we must condemn such an exquisite archaeological find to becoming our battlefield."

Yoruichi shot her grandmother a stink-eye. "You know, if you'd actually warned me about this before Itachi and I came out here, I could've organized a proper expeditionary force with multiple Captains, therefore removing the necessity of using my Bankai. You'd still have this place left intact to study afterward, or at least more of it than what will be leftwhen the dust settles."

Yoko arched an eyebrow. "Are we really going to rehash this argument?"

"No," Yoruichi replied curtly, "I just want you to know that I'm still sore over being left in the dark until the last minute."

Yoko inclined her head in concession. "Fair enough."

When they reached the camp's perimeter, they were intercepted by a pair of sentries. Both were dark-skinned individuals, with the first being a man with light brown eyes and black hair along with a rather thick beard. The second was a woman with bloodred hair tied back in a ponytail and sharp blue eyes that Yoruichi saw looking upon Itachi with suspicion.

"Ladies and Lord Shihōin," said the man, "We've been expecting you."

"Not so much you, though," the woman added as she eyed Itachi.

Yoruichi glanced at her grandmother. "I thought you…"

"Sent word?" Yoko finished for her before turning to the female guard, "Yes, I did. Young lady, this gentleman here is Itachi Uchiha, Eighth Seat of Squad Two and currently acting as my granddaughter's bodyguard. He is as welcome here as my husband and my granddaughter, and is to be treated with the same level of deference. Is that understood?"

The woman quickly nodded. "It is, my lady. My apologies, Lord Uchiha."

"It's quite alright," Itachi reassured her before shooting Yoruichi a small smirk, "Lord Uchiha seems a bit much, though."

Yoruichi winked. "Oh? I think it suits you. Lord Uchiha… yeah, rolls of the tongue quite nicely!"

Itachi gave a soft chuckle before shrugging. "To each their own, I suppose."

"Where is Vahid?" asked Kiemon, "He should be expecting us."

"He is," the male sentry confirmed before gesturing at the largest of the tents in the middle of the encampment, "He's currently in consultation with some of the other Mages. I'll send a runner to notify him of your arrival."

"No need," Yoruichi interjected, already moving in that direction, "The four of us are faster than any messenger you can dispatch. Let's go."

They breezed quickly through the encampment, paying no heed to the curious eyes of the soldiers that they passed. In mere seconds they were at the entrance of their destination, dismounting their horses and allowing the sentries to take care of them. Two female guards immediately bowed and lowered their spears before beckoning for Yoruichi and her entourage to enter. Squad Two's Captain led the way into the tent and found herself in a very broad and surprisingly well-appointed space. Actual carpets had apparently been brought out here, for the ground within the tent was completely covered in them. The interior was big enough to serve as a conference room with plenty of space to spare for standing onlookers. A large circular table dominated the center, with half of the seats around it currently occupied by six individuals in fine and flowing white robes with silver embroidery serving as trim. It was a decidedly older crowd, with even the youngest of the robed figures appearing to be at least middle aged, but Yoruichi didn't discount them due to their advancing years. She could feel their potent spiritual pressure, especially that of the man leading the ongoing discussion.

That discussion came to a halt as said man saw Yoruichi and her companions enter. He stood up, and his companions followed suit. All six bowed in unison before their leader raised his head.

"Lady Yoko, Lord Kiemon, I bid you welcome," the old man said in greeting, "My apologies for not meeting you personally at the encampment's perimeter."

Yoko shook her head. "No need for that, old friend. You've clearly been busy of late."

The old man sighed heavily before nodding. "All too true."

His weariness seemed to melt away when he turned to face Yoruichi, and his eyes lit up as he smiled gently. "Little Light… it's been far too long."

Yoruichi smiled in return; she hadn't heard that nickname in a very long time, and there was only one man who ever used it. "It has, Uncle Vahid."

Hailing from the same generation as the likes of Yoko and Kiemon, Vahid Ahangar had aged nearly as gracefully as them. The top of his head had gone bald quite some time ago, but his jawline was dominated by a thick yet well-trimmed white beard. Age and stress had left more than their fair share of wrinkles in his face, yet his dark brown eyes still held that vivid light of sage wisdom and knowledge that Yoruichi had long learned to associate with him. His robes hid a rather lean frame, but his slight build by no means made him weak. He had more than earned his position as the Shihōin Clan's top Mage, after all, and Yoruichi could sense his power humming quietly just beneath the surface. Tied to a belt at his waist were a handful of pouches along with a straight black sheath, and the finely polished cross-shaped handle and guard of a sword poked out of the other end.

Vahid glanced at Yoko. "I don't suppose you'll allow ceremony to be cast aside, will you?"

Yoko smiled. "I insist upon it."

Vahid's smile grew considerably as he turned back to Yoruichi and stretched out his arms wide. "Well, you heard her, Little Light."

Yoruichi beamed as she rushed forward and leapt into the Mage's embrace. "I've missed you, Uncle Vahid! Sorry that grandmother dragged you into this mess."

The old man chuckled as he squeezed her while affectionately messing with her hair. "No need for that, Little Light. I came here of my own free will, as you surely know. There was no way I'd ever sit out a find like this, even if it has borne some particularly sour fruit."

Yoruichi shook her head as they released each other. "I should've known. Well, if anyone had to be watching grandmother and grandfather's backs out here, I'm glad it was you, Uncle."

She could practically feel Itachi's curious gaze boring through the back of her head, so Yoruichi turned around to give her lover an explanation. "Vahid's been close with my family since before I was born. I called him 'Uncle' one time by mistake when I was a little girl, and he just laughed and rolled with it. It just kind of stuck since then."

"There is no one else in all of the Soul Society that I would rather be an honorary uncle for than you, Little Light," Vahid remarked with a chuckle before nodding at Itachi, "By the way, aren't you going to introduce us properly?"

Yoruichi nodded. "Of course. Uncle, this is Itachi Uchiha, Eighth Seat of Squad Two and currently my bodyguard. Itachi, meet Vahid Ahangar, the Shihōin Clan's best Mage."

Vahid bowed toward Itachi before smiling. "I've heard much of you over these past years, Eighth Seat Uchiha. From what Yoko and Kiemon have told me, it seems Yoruichi speaks quite highly of you in her letters. It's an honor to finally meet you in person."

Itachi respectfully inclined his head. "Likewise. Please, just call me Itachi. I imagine it's no small feat to be considered the top Mage of a family as powerful as the Shihōin Clan."

Vahid chuckled before nodding at Yoko. "I did have to work for that honor! Our fine matriarch here saw to that."

Yoko smiled wickedly. "Close friend or not, I would not grant you such prestige if you lacked the knowledge and skill to live up to my expectations."

"Oh, believe me, I'm well aware of that," Vahid replied with a wince, "I still have the scars from your final test. You go easy on no one, even friends and family."

"And that will never change," Yoko declared before gesturing at the table, "Shall we get to business, then?"

"Of course," said Vahid as he motioned for them to sit, "Time is of the essence, after all."

"How much longer can the barrier hold?" asked Kiemon as they took their seats.

Vahid sighed grimly. "At present, I give it two days, tops. The wraith's energy… it's actively corroding the barrier. In all my years in this field, I've never seen anything like it. Under other circumstances, I'd be ecstatic at studying something so unprecedented. That would hardly be appropriate given the current situation, of course."

Yoruichi saw Itachi turn to her. "The corruption we saw in Menar Issilaya and the surrounding valley was testament enough to a wraith's corrosive powers. It makes sense that the most powerful of the lot would have a much more potent form of this corruptive energy."

Yoruichi's nose wrinkled in distaste as memories of the corrupted valley surfaced in her mind. "At least there's nothing in the way of plant life out here for that energy to contaminate. Still, if the wraith breaks free, it's only a matter of time before it leaves the desert. If it gets to the Mueti Alhayaa… the damage would be catastrophic. Corrupting the river would render nearly the entire Principality uninhabitable."

"Which is why it's imperative that this affair be brought to a close here," Yoko chimed in with narrowed eyes, "no matter what the cost."

Kiemon steepled his fingers before him. "Vahid... what is the contingency should the four of us fail in this fight?"

The elderly Mage suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "I have spent the time available formulating a backup plan… but it is one that I very much don't want to use."

"We share the sentiment," said Yoko, "but we would still know what that plan is, no matter how abhorrent you may find it."

Vahid took a deep breath. "My colleagues and I are prepared to enact a forbidden spell should the worst come to pass. It is a timed singularity seal."

There was a sharp hiss from Yoko, startling Yoruichi; she'd rarely seen her grandmother react so vehemently to something, which only increased her sense of foreboding. "You've actually figured out how to cast one of those foul things?"

Vahid slowly nodded. "We have… and we've conducted small scale tests out in the dunes. A full-scale one is feasible with our current capabilities."

"By the Soul King…" Kiemon muttered, "To think it might come to that…"

Itachi leaned forward. "Can you elaborate on the nature of this spell? I've never come across reference to a 'timed singularity seal' before. I presume there's a very good reason why such a spell was never mentioned during my Academy lessons."

"It's incredibly dangerous," Vahid answered, "The basic principle of the spell is to create a point where the value of gravity as a property is near-infinite, essentially drawing all surrounding matter in unto itself. Under normal circumstances, such a singularity would consume everything indefinitely. If allowed such continuous growth, it could theoretically devour the entirety of the Soul Society. That is where the 'timed' portion of the spell comes in. To grossly simplify it, the spell has a built-in termination function in which all that's been consumed by the singularity after a preset amount of time, along with the singularity itself, is sealed within a pocket dimension. That pocket dimension is impossible to break out of, and is better thought of as something akin to the Dangai connecting the Soul Society with the various Realms of the Living, or perhaps the Garganta linking Hueco Mundo to the broader Web of Worlds. In fact, it may well be part of the Dangai or the Garganta, or at least a subsection that's sealed off from the rest of it."

"In other words, those that are caught within this spell are sealed in a state of limbo cut off from the Soul Society or the Web of Worlds as a whole," Itachi surmised.

Vahid shook his head. "More like what remains of them. You must understand this, Itachi; to be caught within such a gravitational singularity is to be crushed within gravity's fist so completely that what little is left of you would be equivalent to less than a single grain of sand. It is an absolute death sentence, and for far more than just the intended victims. The only reason my colleagues and I are here with you now is that our earlier tests of this spell were at an incredibly small scale, with the timed portion of the spell sealing the singularity within less than a second after casting it. Even then, we had to stand off at an incredible distance to ensure our survival. At full scale, both targets and casters will be consumed; it is unavoidable. Only the timed seal mechanism within the spell will prevent it from devouring all beyond."

Yoruichi folded her arms. "And that's only if the timed seal mechanism functions perfectly. Any mistake in that mechanism, no matter how small, could potentially mean catastrophic failure, right?"

Vahid nodded gravely. "That is correct, Little Light. I trust you understand now why such a spell is considered forbidden. Even your grandmother, who is normally so willing to challenge dogma and orthodoxy, would never attempt this spell."

"The fact that you would makes me question a great deal, old friend," Yoko remarked as she cast a solemn glance at the Mage, "I suppose it's simply a sign of just how desperate our current situation is."

Kiemon sighed heavily. "Is there truly no other viable contingency plan?"

"None that I can find," Vahid answered, "We could attempt to continuously recast the barrier while sending summons for help from the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, but the wraith's powers appear to be growing with each passing day. Whatever seal originally trapped it here lost its potency quite some time ago, and I doubt we could maintain a barrier long enough for outside help to arrive at this rate. Realistically, our current choices are extremely limited. Either we deal with this abomination on site here and now, in combat or with the singularity, or it eventually breaks free and despoils the entire Principality, perhaps more, before reinforcements from the Seireitei finally come to put an end to it."

Itachi took a deep breath. "So, it's do or die, then. At least that keeps things simple."

Vahid raised an eyebrow before glancing at Yoruichi. "I suppose it does, but for you to accept it so casually… where exactly did you find this one again, Little Light?"

"Out in the Rukon District," Yoruichi replied before flashing Itachi a knowing smile, "The journey he took to reach that point, though, is something else entirely."

Vahid waited for clarification, but none was forthcoming from Yoruichi; her fondness for the old man aside, she would not violate the trust that Itachi had placed in her regarding his past. The Mage seemed to realize that he wouldn't get anything further from her, for he moved on a second later.

"I see," he remarked while eyeing Itachi in curiosity, "Well, I suppose all that matters at present is your companion's combat prowess, not his origins. If you brought him out here, then I can only assume that means he is more than prepared for the coming fight."

"It's not my first wraith," Itachi pointed out, "I'm hopeful that it will be the last, though."

Vahid nodded. "Well, there are no surviving records of any other such abominations outside of the Lady of Midnight's chosen five. One way or the other, Soul King willing, this is the last. All you must do now is survive it."

"We're going to do just that," Yoruichi firmly declared.

Vahid smiled as he regarded her proudly. "With how you've grown, Little Light, I'm inclined to believe it."

"As am I," Yoko chimed in as she clasped her hands together, "That being said, I would still be sure that our contingency is in place. How long will it take you to prep it, old friend?"

"I've been keeping a rotating set of Mages dedicated to casting it at any time should the barrier fail," Vahid answered, "and I will join them once Sagira and I let you through the shield. If I must give the command, then the timed singularity seal will be cast at full potency immediately. All the necessary prep work has already been done."

"Thorough as ever," Kiemon noted, "Even when it comes to forbidden spells… I suppose that I should expect no less from you."

"Especially when it comes to this spell," Vahid remarked before nodding at Yoruichi, "As our Little Light said, the spell must be implemented perfectly to avoid the risk of catastrophe. I sparred no effort in laying the groundwork for it."

"Then it seems that everything is in place," said Yoko as she rose to her feet, "Shall we get on with it, then?"

Vahid nodded as he stood, with Yoruichi and the others following suit. "Yes, we shall. Come; there's not a moment to waste."

The elderly Mage led them all out of the tent and set a brisk pace towards the looming barrier and the temple complex beyond. Vahid barked out orders to passing soldiers and fellow Mages as they went, and the encampment suddenly took on an air of urgency as everyone went on alert and prepared for imminent action. As they drew towards the outer perimeter, Yoruichi felt a shiver run through her that had nothing to do with the gradual transition from late afternoon to early evening. She could spot tendrils of icy blue energy wafting up from the surface of the barrier, and the malignant force behind them was bone chilling.

It came as a surprise, albeit a very welcome one, when she felt a familiar hand on her right arm. Turning to Itachi, she saw him give her a very small smile and nod. No words were spoken, and none were needed to voice his sentiment. It was a silent encouragement, an acknowledgement of the peril that they were walking towards together and the resolve they both shared to overcome it. In the end, Yoruichi simply nodded and smiled as well before moving her arm so that she could take Itachi's hand in her own. She gave it a firm squeeze, one that Itachi readily returned.

We know what we have to do, she silently told herself, so there's no point in worrying any more than we already have. We've come this far together, and we will go further. I won't accept anything less.

As they got close to the barrier, Yoruichi saw several robed and cloaked figures awaiting them. One of them, a woman wearing white robes similar to Vahid's but with light blue embroidery for trim instead of silver, moved to greet them. She was a slender little thing, with skin just a shade lighter than Yoruichi's, and bright blue eyes that seemed alight in equal parts anticipation and apprehension. Given the circumstances, Yoruichi could readily understand the sentiment.

"Is it time, Vahid?" the woman asked as she glanced at Yoruichi and her companions.

Vahid nodded. "It is, Sagira. Are you ready?"

The Mage's colleague took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be for something like this. How about your friends? You all know what you're getting yourselves into here, right?"

"The nature of the beast is abundantly clear to us, child," Yoko wryly remarked.

Sagira put her hands on her hips. "Oh, that's how it's going to be, huh? Never mind that I'm worried about all of you and I think that you should have a lot more backup in taking on this monster! You already know the 'nature of the beast', huh?"

Kiemon offered an apologetic smile. "My wife meant no offense, dear Sagira. Trust me when I say that we all appreciate your concern."

Sagira sighed, seemingly mollified by the elder swordsman's words, though she still cast a quick and sharp look at Yoko before speaking again. "Are you sure you won't have anyone else come inside with you? I know Vahid and the others need to be on standby for the failsafe seal, but he doesn't need me for the casting. I can come in and back you up from a distance."

Yoruichi shook her head. "Tempting offer, Sagira, but I have to shoot you down. I know that you're capable, but this thing's way out of your league. I think you know that just as well as I do."

Sagira looked like she might argue the point for a moment but appeared to think better of it. "Yeah, you're right. Still… be careful in there, okay? Vahid won't say it, but I know he'd be devastated if… well, you know."

Yoruichi smiled at her honorary uncle before turning back to Sagira. "I know."

Vahid closed his eyes for a few seconds, and when he opened them again there was an unmistakable shadow within them. "Well, should the worst come to pass, I won't have long to mourn. I pray that you'll triumph here just as you have in the past, Little Light."

"That makes two of us," said Sagira before turning to study Itachi in open curiosity, "You… I don't know what you are to her, but Yoruichi wouldn't have brought you along if you weren't something special. Watch her back in there, okay?"

Itachi inclined his head. "I will. You have my word."

Sagira's eyes narrowed. "I'll hold you to that."

"Let us in, Vahid," Yoko commanded, "The hour grows late, and we've put this off long enough."

Vahid nodded. "Agreed. Sagira, confirm the location of the target before we send our friends in."

"Right," Vahid's assistant muttered before placing her right hand over the surface of the barrier, little more than a few centimeters away from touching it, "Where are you, you ugly bastard?"

Light blue spirit energy began to emanated from her outstretched hand, and a rectangle lined with runes in the style of the old kingdom colored the same shade appeared over the surface of the barrier. A single line then shot up from that rectangle and went towards the top of the barrier before arcing over it. Several seconds later, the rectangle flickered before shifting to show a crude outline of the arena behind the ziggurat, and Yoruichi saw a blinking red dot appear in the middle of it.

"Same place as before," Sagira remarked, "He's waiting in the ring. Almost like he knows you're coming."

"Perhaps he does," said Yoko, "He and his companions shared a deep bond in life, and a vestige of that may have carried on into undeath. It may well be that he's sensed his old comrades fade one by one as they've fallen over these past years."

"Right…" Sagira replied, clearly skeptical.

"Or maybe he just sensed us coming across the dunes," Kiemon argued, "It isn't just his blades that were sharp in life or are sharp now, after all."

"We can argue about that after we've put him down for good," Yoruichi cut in, itching with anticipation, "We know where he's at, so let's get to this. Open a door for us, Sagira."

Sagira nodded before stepping to the left. Placing both hands just above the surface of the barrier, she made a broad circling motion with them. Light blue spirit energy flowed forth from her, and it cut away a round section of the barrier.

"Be quick," Sagira ordered as she moved aside, "I'll need to reseal it once you're in there. Good luck."

The four of them briskly filed through the opening, and Sagira closed it back up the instant that they were all inside. The chill that Yoruichi had felt outside immediately intensified, as did the icy blue glow that was emanating from the ziggurat and arena. Those tendrils of pale energy wafting up from the structure were thick, and their confinement within the barrier seemed to agitate them. They stretched out like grasping hands, pulsating and writhing in an unnerving dance with no rhyme or rhythm. It was a very unnerving sight, though not nearly as much so as Yoruichi knew their target would be.

She turned her gaze towards the upper lip of the arena. "If he's really in there waiting for us, we should come at him from above. Itachi and I have powers well-suited to an opening barrage."

"Agreed," said Yoko as she drew her Zanpakutō, "Enlighten, Kokoro no Me."

There was a brief flash of light blue energy, and her blade transformed into that familiar silver ring with glowing runes. Yoko casually slipped it onto her left hand before drawing the second sword with her right. A violet aura emanated from the straight double-edged blade, as if the Spirit Weapon itself could sense that battle was near at hand.

Kiemon likewise drew his own blade, with white spirit energy flowing from both the sword and the old man himself. "Once you two make your first strike, we'll follow. Your raw power will give the wraith a threat to focus on, and that will leave it vulnerable to us."

"Agreed," Itachi chimed in before unsheathing his Zanpakutō, "Purge through perdition's flames, Jigoku no Joō!"

The katana in his hand transformed into the straight black sword that Yoruichi had come to know so well over the past several years, and Itachi's onyx eyes shifted over to brilliant scarlet as his Sharingan blazed to life. Crimson flaming crows immediately began taking flight, racing up into the sky before circling over the arena's rim. Itachi's control over them was such now that he didn't have to make so much as a single gesture; he commanded them through thought alone.

He's come such a long way, thought Yoruichi with a small but very proud smile briefly gracing her face, and I can't wait to see just how further he can go.

She drew her Zanpakutō, but did not release it just yet. "We'll spread out up above. I'll take the north edge of the arena. Itachi, you're on the west. Grandmother; you have east. Grandfather, you come in from the south."

"When do we launch our first salvo?" asked Itachi as a river of scarlet firebirds flowed from the gap in his obsidian blade.

"Immediately after I let my Zanpakutō run free," she answered, "We're going to hit this bastard hard right out of the gate."

"Remember, cooperation is key," said Yoko, and Yoruichi saw her gaze focus on Itachi, "Only our powers together can expose this abomination's weakness."

Itachi nodded. "Of course."

Yoruichi turned her gaze upwards, already gathering energy in her legs. "Let's go."

She Flash Stepped into the air, and within moments she was in position. Standing upon the rim of the arena, she glared down at the monster that was at the source of all this trouble. At first glance, the final wraith appeared downright plain when compared to its fellows. It wore no elaborate jewelry or armor, and was instead garbed in simple robes. Perhaps they'd been colorful once upon a time, but now they were stained in same icy shade of blue as the energy that poured forth from the corrupted creature that wore them. Just like those that she'd seen before, its skin was drawn so tight over its skull that bits of bone were exposed, particularly along the jawline. Its wispy white hair was tied up in a ponytail, though Yoruichi had to wonder why it even bothered; said hair was so thin now that it could barely cover more than half of the creature's upper skull. A pair of ordinary sandals garbed its feet, giving Yoruichi a completely unwanted view of torn socks that exposed gnarled feet and toes with more than a hint of bone exposed.

What really got Yoruichi's attention was not the wraith itself, though. It was the two blades in its hands. The one in its right was a traditional katana, roughly the same length as Itachi's Zanpakutō in its sealed state. The other was noticeably shorter, perhaps about the same size as Yoruichi's in its unreleased form. Runes of the old kingdom ran down the flats of both swords, each glowing with pale blue light. Flickers of azure flame danced along the edge of the longer blade, while sapphire sparks jumped up from the shorter one. The energy of both swords was distinct from the wraith's; they were Spirit Weapons, which meant they merited nearly as much caution as the wraith itself.

The Lady of Midnight would've made sure that the wraith who was once her lover would be equipped with the best blades she could find, Yoruichi told herself, I guess fire and lightning are the forces contained within these Spirit Weapons. Given what Itachi and I will be hitting this bastard with, I suppose that's fitting.

A quick glance along the upper rim of the arena showed that her three companions were in position. Yoruichi's spirit energy surged as she released her Shikai without verbal command. Arcs of white lightning flew around her, and the chains wrapping the forearm segments of her gauntlets began to writhe restlessly as Yoruichi's power kept building.

You ready?

Oh, yes, Inazuma On'na purred eagerly, I've been waiting a long time for you to let me off the leash. You're not going to torture me and hold back now, are you?

Not a chance.

Before taking the plunge, she cast her gaze towards Itachi. His raven hair seemed to shimmer in the mixture of icy blue light from the wraith, the scarlet flames of the firebirds generated by his Shikai, and the white lightning flying off of Yoruichi's. The crimson gems of the Sharingan met her gaze, and the two of them shared a small nod. It was both an acknowledgement and a promise; recognition of the danger they were about to jump into, and a vow to pass through this trial and come out the other side together.

And with that, Yoruichi whispered the word that announced the battle's start.

"Bankai."

….

The brilliant flash of white light was so intense that Itachi momentarily had to shield his eyes. As if that weren't enough, the entire arena began to tremble beneath Itachi's feet while the air, already heavy thanks to the wraith's malignant spirit energy, became charged with an underlying electricity that set the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Bolts of lightning arced out in all directions, with some blasting entire chunks out of the arena while others raced up and bounced off the barrier above before being deflected back down to punch craters into the ziggurat behind. Roaring thunder accompanied each errant bolt, so loud that Itachi was all but certain his ears would be ringing for at least a solid day after this.

Just one of the reasons why I know she doesn't like her Bankai, Itachi thought as he squinted through the glare, For all its raw power, it's too flashy and loud for most of the missions we undertake in Squad Two and the Stealth Force. That's not even getting into the sheer destruction it leaves in its wake…

That sheer destruction might be aimed at the wraith, but Itachi knew that he'd still have to watch out. For all his confidence in Yoruichi's abilities, he still fully appreciated her concerns regarding just how difficult it was to control the raw might of her Bankai. He would have to monitor her spiritual pressure just as much as he did the wraith so that he could prepare himself for any sudden surges and do his best to stay out of the way.

That concern, though, faded into the background for the moment as the blinding glare faded enough for Itachi to behold Yoruichi in all her fearsome glory. In her Shikai, the forearm segments of Inazuma On'na were each wrapped in a series of three chains, but with the activation of her Bankai those chains had unfurled and now whipped wildly around Yoruichi. Bolts of white lightning flew from the ends of those chains every second; as unruly as Yoruichi's Shikai might've been, those chains bound around her gauntlets had actually served as seals for her Zanpakutō's power, and her Bankai's raw might was the result of undoing those seals. Her clawed gauntlets were now joined by a pair of silvery boots cladding Yoruichi's legs and stretching up to just below her knees. The toes of those boots ended in claws as well, and each boot likewise had a trio of chains that immediately unfurled and now whirled about like a cyclone of electrified steel.

Itachi saw Yoruichi's eyes narrow, and the chains of both the gauntlets and boots suddenly stiffened and pointed upwards. The bolts of lightning being released from those chains now flew up until they hit the barrier's ceiling, only to be deflected back down into the sand and the ziggurat behind the arena. The ancient and massive structure suddenly found itself as the unfortunate collateral damage of the excess discharges from Yoruichi's Bankai, with the errant strikes pounding the temple with such incredible power that the uppermost layer was almost immediately blown apart, with huge stone bricks sent flying everywhere. Some of them slammed into the arena's outer façade, with a few even falling into the ring itself, with one landing less than a meter behind the wraith with the abomination not so much as batting an eye.

Over the roaring din of the storm Yoruichi had unleashed, Itachi could only just barely make out the name of her Bankai. "Kaminari Otome no Seinaru Arashi!"

A holy storm indeed, Jigoku no Joō remarked in what Itachi suspected was equal parts awe and amusement, and with a most formidable woman unleashing it!

Indeed. Now, shall we add our part to this tempest?

Indeed, though our contribution won't be holy. Quite the opposite, in fact!

I'm sure she won't mind.

With a silent command, Itachi sent the swarm of crimson firebirds that had already been unleashed by his black sword down at the wraith. At the same time, Yoruichi punched at the air with both of her fists. Had she done so with just her Shikai, the ensuing blast of energy would've been potent, but the effect was far greater with her Bankai. The chains of her gauntlets suddenly whirled around so that their ends were pointing in the same direction as Yoruichi's fists, and a storm of white lightning was unleashed. In the blink of an eye, the multitude of bolts flashed across the air and slammed into the wraith well-before Itachi's scarlet flaming crows could catch up. There was an ear-piercing shriek from the target, while sand and stone were thrown up in all directions. Itachi leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he focused the Sharingan on where he could still sense the wraith's spiritual pressure.

When the dust settled, Itachi could see the wraith still standing. This was to be expected, of course; since he and Yoruichi didn't know where the wraith's anchors were, they could not yet truly defeat the creature. What Itachi was focused on was the damage that the wraith had taken and, more importantly, how its energy flowed as the abomination immediately began healing itself. Entire chunks had been torn out of the creature, yet they quickly started to rematerialize as the spells maintaining the wraith's unlife did their work. By following the path of that energy, Itachi believed that he could find the anchors just like he had with those on the past wraiths, regardless of how much more advanced and powerful this one might be.

Unfortunately for Itachi, he gleaned far less than he'd hoped. The wraith's wounds closed rapidly, the sections ripped away by the lightning regrown at unreal speed, and the Sharingan could only do so much to discern the pathways of its spirit energy; the Byakugan would've been far better suited to the task, but there were no Hyūga Clan members present for this fight. What little Itachi could see was confusing to say the least. From what he managed to perceive as the wraith healed itself, its energy seemed to be twisted up in a great convoluted knot. Distinguishing concentrations that might indicate anchors was impossible like this.

We'll just have to get up close and figure it out the hard way. Of course, you knew it'd be like that from the start.

I did.

Glancing at Yoruichi, the two of them shared a quick nod before immediately Flash Stepping towards their foe. They were down on the arena floor with the wraith in an instant, with Yoruichi taking the monster head-on while Itachi moved in from the left. He was vaguely aware of Kiemon and Yoko circling around from above; they would strike once the wraith was fully engaged with Itachi and Yoruichi. As Yoruichi lashed out with her right fist, Itachi aimed a slash at the wraith's neck. In response, the wraith swiftly raised both of its swords, blocking Itachi's black blade with its longer weapon while the shorter one caught Yoruichi's gauntlet. Then there was a sudden surge of the most malicious spiritual pressure that Itachi had ever felt, and his eyes widened in alarm.

Acting instinctively, he and Yoruichi immediately pulled back, and it wasn't a moment too soon. The wraith's swords swung so fast that Itachi could barely perceive their movements even with the Sharingan enhancing his vision, and the blades were just where the threat began. From the right sword came an arc of azure flames that Itachi was forced to counter by releasing a wave of scarlet firebirds, while from the left shot forth several bolts of azure lightning that found themselves met by a powerful blast from Yoruichi's left gauntlet. Both blades began to glow with greater intensity, and the wraith's spiritual pressure continued to rise.

It's just warming up.

Here it comes!

It certainly was, and right at Itachi to boot. It made sense, of course; Itachi's spiritual pressure wasn't as potent as Yoruichi's, especially since the latter was using her Bankai. The logical move on the wraith's part was to dispatch what it saw as a secondary threat quickly so that it could then focus on the more powerful foe. Itachi already had his sword raised in a guard position, and a stream of scarlet firebirds were flowing up from the black blade, but before the wraith could close the distance it was suddenly sent flying to the right courtesy of what looked like a white comet plowing into it. Itachi initially thought that it was an energy attack from Yoruichi's Bankai, only to realize a split second later that it had been Yoruichi herself slamming into the undead monster.

Itachi immediately Flash Stepped in an attempt to catch up, but the wraith was then propelled into the air by a lightning-fast blow from Yoruichi. It was only thanks to the Sharingan that Itachi could perceive her movements, and even then, he could only just barely track her. He'd had years now to get accustomed to her speed, yet the outstanding mobility she was demonstrating now put all her past performances to shame. She was nothing less than a living bolt of lightning now, visible as a constantly moving streak of white hurtling the wraith across the arena…

…and demolishing everything around her.

It was one thing to mentally understand Yoruichi's concerns about collateral damage caused by her Bankai, but it was only now that Itachi could truly appreciate just how deep those worries ran. The twelve chains flowing out from her gauntlets and boots were discharging monstrously powerful bolts of lightning practically every other second, and while Yoruichi's level of control was such now that most of them didn't come near Itachi or the others, most was not the same as all. One flew past Itachi's head with mere meters to spare before slamming into the ancient grandstands behind him and reducing them to chunks of rubble, and that was hardly the only section of the arena taking such punishment. Much of the structure's upperworks was already in a state of full-on collapse as errant bolts of ivory energy blew apart vital support columns, and an avalanche of debris was quickly becoming a concern.

She wasn't kidding earlier when she said that there wouldn't be much left of this place by the time we're done here!

No wonder she didn't want to use her Bankai during the battle beneath the Moon Tower…

Trying to match Yoruichi's pace would be pointless; while Itachi's speed had continuously grown thanks in no small part to training with his Captain, he was self-aware enough to recognize that he still couldn't quite compete with her proficiency in the Hohō arts. The way that her Bankai now amplified her already incredible speed only further increased the gap. Itachi knew that the far more sensible path was to anticipate the trajectory that Yoruichi would take the fight in and act accordingly.

Fortunately for him, Yoruichi was not making that too difficult. She was basically driving the wraith in a circle now, with errant bolts of lightning continuing to demolish the arena in her wake. Her path was a clockwise one, and so far, she continued to be the one setting the pace of the engagement. The wraith seemed to be completely taken aback by her sheer speed and ferocity; Yoruichi had the monster completely on the defensive, with it focusing primarily on blocking blows from her gauntlets with its twin blades. While that might've worked with just Yoruichi's Shikai, her Bankai gave her new tools to use, and she was taking full advantage of them. Itachi had been on the receiving end of Yoruichi's regular kicks enough times to understand the wallop that they packed, but now they were a whole new level of nasty thanks to the clawed boots she wore and the electrified chains flowing out from them. Whenever the wraith would catch her gauntlets on its swords, she would immediately lash out with a strike from below, digging into the abomination's legs with powerful stomps or swiping across the creature's torso with her Bankai's wickedly sharp toes. Those claws left deep gashes in the wraith's rotted flesh, with sizeable lumps of skin and muscle and sinew being ripped away before the creature's energy initiated the regeneration, and that was just the start; her kicks would drag the chains along those wounds and send arcs of white lighting both across the monster and into it. More than once, Itachi heard the creature let loose an agonized and hateful shriek as one kick after another found its mark… but he could also feel its malicious spiritual pressure rise with each blow suffered.

It's still got plenty of power left to call upon. This battle's only just begun.

I know.

With a sizable swarm of his scarlet flaming crows airborne and more joining the flocks with each passing second, Itachi Flash Stepped out to where he believed Yoruichi would drive the wraith next. At the same time, he mentally commanded the firebirds to follow in his wake, preparing to unleash them at the earliest opportunity. Simultaneously, he swept the arena with his gaze in an effort to pick out Kiemon and Yoko amidst the chaos. The former was easy enough to find; he was leapfrogging along chunks of falling debris, making his way to the arena's floor with surprising athletic ability given his advancing years. As for Yoko, Itachi eventually found her in the upper grandstands of the arena. Her gaze was focused intently on the wraith, and he could see the ring that was her Shikai glowing brightly as she delved into what Itachi now understood to be a deeply fragmented and tortured mind. At the same time, the violet spirit energy emanating from her sword intensified, and Itachi's eyes narrowed as he saw what appeared to be three long needles of steel enveloped in that energy detach from the main blade just a second later. Those needles began to float downwards, and Itachi realized that they were heading the same place he was. He wasn't sure what exactly they'd bring to the table, but he doubted that Yoko would send them without purpose.

Coming up silently behind the wraith, Itachi thrust his blade forward as soon as Yoruichi drove the creature into range. The wraith twisted at the last possible moment, so Itachi's sword only cut shallowly into the undead horror's lower torso. Even so, Itachi made the most of it by sending several crimson firebirds directly into the wound before being forced to pull his weapon back to block a countering slash from the wraith's long sword. The wraith's split attention gave Yoruichi an opening to strike anew, and while the wraith was able to fend off her gauntlets with its smaller blade a series of rapid-fire kicks tore into the monster's abdomen and sent an ivory current of her energy beneath the creature's skin. Their foe swiftly struck back with a whirling slash from both blades that forced Itachi and Yoruichi to momentarily pull back as multiple bolts of azure lighting flew from the smaller sword while waves of sapphire flames rushed out from the larger weapon.

With a very brief window before the next exchange, Itachi focused his Sharingan on the wraith's wounds. More specifically, he sought out the wraith's energy as the creature immediately began its regeneration. As the wounds swiftly closed themselves, Itachi tried to track the unholy healing energy that did the deed back to its source. Just before the wound that he had inflicted completed closed, he caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a small crystalline orb pulsing with sickly green light. Rapidly shifting his gaze towards the injuries inflicted by Yoruichi, he searched for a similar object but found nothing. Still, he would not count his efforts as wasted.

You think that was the anchor?

One, perhaps. Remember, the others had multiple anchors, and I expect the same will apply to this one.

The wraith shifted its stance so that it had both Itachi and Yoruichi in its line of sight. Both Soul Reapers moved in, with Itachi taking the left while Yoruichi went for the right. This time, though, the wraith would not let itself be hit so easily. While the creature couldn't run as fast as Yoruichi, its blades moved so swiftly that Itachi could only perceive them with the aid of the Sharingan, and even then, it was quite difficult. All of Yoruichi's strikes, whether from gauntlets or boots, were intercepted by the longer blade with what Itachi could only describe as a masterclass in swordsmanship, while the smaller weapon caught his obsidian blade in the gap and damn near twisted it out of Itachi's hands, with only a quick pullback on Itachi's part serving to keep the Zanpakutō in its grasp.

This time, though, the wraith had more than just Itachi and Yoruichi to contend with. Kiemon had finally caught up with them, and he wasted no time in making his presence known. He came at the wraith head-on, his sword lashing out like a coiled viper in a thrust that went straight for the abomination's neck. The wraith jerked itself back and to the right, but Kiemon's blade still cut into the creature's throat. As expected, the wound immediately began healing, but not before Itachi caught a glimpse of another small glowing green gem beneath the writhing undead flesh.

That's number two.

How many more to find, though?

Good question.

That was when three long slivers of steel enveloped in violet energy pierced the wraith's neck. A mere second later, Itachi felt a sudden surge of spirit energy behind him, and a slender light blue beam flew over his shoulder and into the wraith's head. He recognized the attack as Byakurai, but no verbal invocation had been made, including the name of the spell. Itachi didn't even need to turn around to know now that Yoko had joined the fight in earnest. Concentrating on the wraith's neck with his Sharingan, he expected to see the enemy's energy destabilize as one of the anchors was destroyed; one of the fragments from Yoko's second sword had gone right through the spot where Itachi had seen the tiny green gem. However, nothing of the sort took place. Instead, the wraith simply spited them all with a malicious sneer, and Itachi realized that something was horribly wrong.

The wraith went on the attack, going straight for Kiemon. Yoruichi's grandfather already had his sword up and ready, and not a moment too soon, for the wraith unleashed a veritable cyclone of slashes with both blades that would've overwhelmed even an experienced swordsman. Eager to take the heat off of Kiemon, Itachi moved in from behind the wraith and saw that Yoruichi was doing the same from the left. With multiple flocks of his scarlet flaming crows now active and floating overhead waiting for orders, Itachi called one down to assault the wraith's head while he drove his black blade into the monster's spinal column. Meanwhile, Yoruichi attempted to plunge her gauntlets into the wraith's left shoulder in an effort to tear the entire arm off at the base, but the wraith intercepted the attack with its shorter blade while keeping Kiemon busy with the longer one. Yoruichi countered by making an upward kick with her left leg, her clawed boot tearing gashes into the wraith's face while the chains raked the abomination's torso and unleashed a storm of white lightning bolts. The intense assault sent the wraith flying backwards, and it crashed into the far wall of the ring with considerable force. Itachi called down the rest of his currently active firebirds and sent them at the wraith, hoping to buy at least a few precious seconds so that he could inform the others of what he'd found.

"The anchors are inside the wraith, as we suspected," he said, focusing in particular on Yoko, "The wraith also has the ability to shift them around at will."

Yoko's brow furrowed. "That explains why my shards did not deal the blow I thought they would… how irksome."

"How many anchors does this thing have?" Yoruichi asked while sending a barrage of ivory bolts downrange to keep the wraith pinned for just a few seconds longer.

"I've counted at least two so far," Itachi answered.

"I'm sure there's more than that," Kiemon growled.

Yoko concurred. "Agreed, and we must find them quickly."

"I have an idea," said Itachi as he sent fresh firebirds towards the wraith, "We need to cause multiple wounds in rapid succession. That way, I can use the Sharingan to track the energy flow."

Yoruichi nodded, and Itachi could tell her mind was racing ahead even as she continued to bombard the wraith. "Inflict enough wounds to force all the anchors to act, finding the whole set in one fell swoop. Sound about right?"

"Precisely," Itachi confirmed.

Yoruichi glanced at Kiemon. "In that case, grandfather and I will handle the close-up action for now. Itachi, I want you and grandmother to hang back a bit. We'll need you two working together to make sure we get the count right."

"Of course," Itachi replied before looking at Yoko, "Communication between us will be faster mentally than verbally. Use your power to facilitate that."

Yoko gave him a curious look. "You're sure you want that?"

"Not want; need," Itachi retorted, "My discomfort with your power takes a back seat to the mission requirements."

Yoko respectfully inclined her head. "Very well, then. When I enter your mind, it will only be to communicate and study the information you glean through the Sharingan. I will go no deeper than that. You have my word."

Yoruichi looked uneasily at Itachi even as she sent fresh salvos of white lighting flying towards the wraith from her gauntlets and chains. "Itachi, you don't have to do this."

"No, I do," he firmly countered, "It's the most efficient means to accomplish our task."

Yoruichi reluctantly nodded before giving her grandmother a hard look. "Fine, then. Grandmother, you gave your word. Itachi, if she breaks it in any way, you tell me after the fight, got it?"

Itachi fought to suppress a smile; now was hardly the time or place for it, regardless of how touching he found Yoruichi's concern for his mental privacy. "Understood."

A spine-chilling shriek echoed through the arena, and Itachi could feel the wraith's foul spiritual pressure surging. "Time's up."

"Let's go!" Yoruichi ordered, immediately emphasizing her command by Flash Stepping forward with her grandfather hot on her heels.

I cannot say that I am a huge fan of this plan. The las thing I want that witch in here with me again.

I don't like it either, but we're both going to have to put up with it for now. It's the best path forward.

You're probably right… though I do wish otherwise.

That makes two of us.

….

Ah, how liberating this is, the spirit of Yoruichi's Zanpakutō exalted, I can't thank you enough for this!

Glad someone's having fun.

Oh, come now; I am an aspect of you, remember? If I'm enjoying this, then that means part of you is enjoying this. It's foolish to believe otherwise.

Yoruichi would neither concede or deny the point; she had much bigger things to worry about than debating the finer points of her personality with the spirit of her Zanpakutō. Between taking the fight to the wraith and redirecting as much of her errant lightning blasts as possible to avoid striking her comrades, she had quite a bit on her plate. The world seemed to almost stand still around her as she assaulted her foe with an electric blizzard of punches and kicks, with the falling debris resulting from the wild ivory bolts flying from her chains creating an almost non-stop slow-motion rain of bricks and stone as the ancient arena collapsed around her. Only the movements of the wraith's swords and her grandfather's blade could keep pace, and Yoruichi pondered how the contest might appear to anyone other than such keen-eyed observers as Itachi and her grandmother.

I wonder if Sagira's able to watch this fight in detail, she mused as she ducked beneath a wide swing from the wraith's longer blade before swiping the claws and chains of her left gauntlet across the monstrosity's right shoulder and upper torso, I know she could pinpoint the wraith with one of her spells, so I suppose it's possible for her to have more detailed surveillance within this barrier. I might ask her about that later.

Thoughts of Vahid's assistant and the others outside the barrier took a backseat at the moment, though. Since it was only Yoruichi and Kiemon fighting the wraith up close now, the two of them could afford nothing less than complete concentration on the task at hand. Her grandfather, as befitted his position of master swordsman, was taking the wraith head-on while Yoruichi flitted around the abomination like a dragonfly, lashing out at the slightest of openings. Yoruichi had feared that her grandfather might have lost more than just a step or two in his advancing years despite his protests to the contrary, but all her doubts were more than laid to rest as she saw the old man go toe-to-toe with the undead blade savant. His single sword seemed to move just as fast as the twin blades of the wraith, and the arena rang with the staccato melody of steel clashing rapidly and repeatedly. While Kiemon's sword possessed no elemental powers like the Spirt Weapons being wielded by the wraith, swift footwork and finely honed instincts were proving more than enough to compensate and keep the old man one step ahead of the waves of azure fire and sapphire lighting that flew forth from the monster's blades.

Still, for all that Yoruichi respected her grandfather's skills, she wasn't about to let him bear the brunt of the wraith's onslaught. Her spirit energy surged as she directed the chains from both her gauntlets and boots forward, and a dozen bolts of white lightning hammered the wraith into the sands of the arena. Yoruichi and Kiemon then pounced together, attempting to inflict as much damage upon their target as they could before it regained its feet. Unfortunately for them both, it recovered inhumanly quickly and fended off their assault with impeccably swift bladework. Its twin swords weaved a barrier of steal around it, moving so quickly that it sent gusts of wind outward with each swing along with arcs of blue fire and lightning.

That was when Yoruichi noticed a red glow building overhead. The wraith saw it too; a swarm of scarlet firebirds, several hundred strong at least, had gathered above. Yoruichi allowed herself a smirk, appreciating the fact that just because she'd ordered Itachi to hang back didn't mean that he couldn't still lend more direct aid in the fight. The swarm of birds plunged down in unison, and with Yoruichi and Kiemon cutting off the wraith's most obvious lines of retreat, the undead abomination was forced to rely on the power of its two Spirit Weapons to fend off Itachi's assault. At the same time, the three steel needles that had branched off from Yoko's sword came at the wraith from behind, the left and the right, with each one going straight for the creature's head. All three found their marks, but none seemed to have struck any anchors.

That was fine by Yoruichi; the wraith's distraction gave her and Kiemon a chance to get some good hits in. Her grandfather's blade lashed out like a steel hydra, unleashing slashes and thrusts from so many different angles it was difficult for Yoruichi to remember that the old man only had one sword. Not about to let Kiemon show her up, Yoruichi came in low and fast, clawing at the left side of the wraith's torso while kicking at its legs. The chains from both her gauntlets and boots lashed over the monster's necrotic flesh like a series of electrified whips, rending lumps of rotten skin and sinew while sending devastating currents of white lightning into the wraith. Yoruichi's unwanted reward for her efforts was a shriek so high-pitched and grating that she feared it might rupture her eardrums.

"Shut up, damn it!" she snarled as she threw a punch at the wraith's head.

Thanks to the whirlwind of slashes being dished out by her grandfather, Yoruichi's right gauntlet caught the wraith square in the jawbone. Her strike completely ripped the creature's jaw off, though the wraith's fiendishly fast-acting regeneration saw to its return, and she vented her frustration with a series of kicks to the abomination's back. The wraith's robes were quickly being torn to shreds under her assault, but the seemingly sickly flesh beneath sewed itself back up swiftly every time. Yoruichi hoped that Itachi and Yoko were watching carefully and getting the most out of this, because all she and her grandfather really seemed to be doing was irritating the creature at this point.

"Stubborn bastard," Kiemon growled as the wraith caught his sword with its short blade.

"Now you know how annoying these things are to fight," Yoruichi grumbled as she found her next series of strikes fended off by the wraith's longer weapon.

Focusing on Kiemon, the wraith unleashed a storm of vicious slashes and thrusts. To his immense credit, Yoruichi's grandfather deflected and parried the blows masterfully, but he was forced to give ground all the same. Eager to take the heat off Kiemon, Yoruichi attempted to strike the wraith from behind, but the undead creature smoothly pivoted out of the way and caught her gauntlets with its short blade while battling Kiemon with its longer sword. Yoruichi had to quickly redirect her chains so that the ensuing discharges would not hit her grandfather by mistake. Thankfully, all the bolts that flew forth missed both Kiemon and the others, but the already heavily damaged arena groaned and trembled as it suffered further punishment from the errant power of Yoruichi's Bankai. So severely had its structural integrity been compromised that the entire west side of the arena was now collapsing, and the other half was in little better shape.

Yoruichi gritted her teeth in growing frustration as she Flash Stepped around the wraith, leaving streaks of ivory light in her wake as she attempted to overwhelm her target through sheer speed. It worked at first, and she was able to land multiple punches and kicks on the wraith in rapid succession, but the creature soon began meeting her blows with one of its blades while still fending off Kiemon with the other. A pit began to form in Yoruichi's gut as she realized that the enemy was already growing used to the raw speed that the combination of her Hohō talents and Bankai afforded her. To make matters worse, it did not seem to matter how many blows she landed; none of them found the anchors, and what damage she did inflict healed insanely quickly.

This thing's regenerative abilities surpass those of the other four wraiths by a considerable margin, she thought, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised at that. This is the Lady of Midnight's lover, after all; she was always going to pull out all the stops when it came to him.

Another assault from Itachi's scarlet flaming crows punctuated Yoruichi's offensive, with the firebirds coming in from multiple directions rather than a single concentrated attack from above like before. Several wide swings from the wraith's longer sword created walls of azure flames around it, stopping many of Itachi's firebirds dead in mid-air. The three violet steel needles from Yoko's Spirit Weapon attempted to take advantage of the chaos, but a series of sapphire lightning bolts branched off from the wraith's smaller sword and intercepted them with pinpoint precision. Those slivers of steel were hardly the only weapons at her grandmother's disposal, though. A volley of three scarlet spheres flew at the wraith, slamming into its back and jarring it enough for both Kiemon and Yoruichi to land several strikes of their own. Yoruichi resisted a smirk as she imagined what Tessai would've thought had he seen what just happened; no other Soul Reaper that she knew of could fire off Shakkahō as a silent triple volley.

For all the tricks that she and her allies had up their sleeves, though, Yoruichi knew that they still faced an uphill battle. The greatest enemy of all was the same here as it had been against the other wraiths; time. The two Soul Reapers and their noble allies were still going strong, but their strength was not infinite. Eventually, their considerable exertion would begin to take its toll, and once that became noticeable the wraith would not hesitate to take advantage of that.

We need to narrow down this bastard's weak points quickly, Yoruichi thought as she raked the claws and chains of her left boot up the wraith's left torso while catching its short blade with her right gauntlet, otherwise he'll simply outlast us.

Itachi, grandmother…

…work your magic fast!

….

It frustrated Itachi to no end that he was forced to hang back while the woman he loved took on such a dangerous foe up close and personal. Never mind that she was more powerful than him or that her incredibly skilled grandfather was with her, or that Itachi and Yoko were both playing a supporting role because it was necessary to uncover the enemy's weaknesses. He understood perfectly well what needed to be done in order to win this fight, but that did not mean Itachi had to like it.

I understand how you feel, Jigoku no Joō whispered in an almost soothing tone, but you know just as well as I do that allowing your apprehension to rule is not the path to victory. Keep yourself centered and focused. That is the best way for you to help her right now.

Right… thanks.

Of course.

As a small consolation, Itachi could at least multitask thanks to the versatility afforded to him by his Shikai. While he kept his Sharingan trained on the wraith itself, studying carefully every wound Yoruichi and Kiemon inflicted on the creature to see how its energy would react and trying to pinpoint the sources of its power, Itachi was constantly replenishing his flocks of firebirds and sending them in to either directly attack the enemy or provide cover for those fighting it up close. His power was proving particularly effective at countering the waves of azure flame that the wraith's longer sword could unleash, and Itachi had adjusted his tactics accordingly by always keeping at least one cluster of flaming crows available to sic directly on that blade so that he could blunt the wraith's flames at their source. If the scathing glares that the wraith occasionally shot in his direction were anything to go by, Itachi was at least succeeding in irritating the creature, though whether an undead abomination could feel something as petty as irritation was something of an open question.

He was not the only one dedicated to pissing the wraith off. While Yoko might have primarily been focusing on using her Shikai to delve into the wraith's tortured mind, she was just as capable as Itachi of multitasking. In her case, she was putting her advanced Kidō skills to good use by constantly peppering the wraith with low-level spells that she could fire off quickly and silently. A casual observer might think it a rather underwhelming display from a former Captain, but Itachi could appreciate the underlying tactical considerations. He had no doubt that Yoko was capable of far more powerful spells, but those tended to come with a much larger blast radius, and she clearly shared her granddaughter's concerns over possible friendly fire. More to the point, because she could fire off those weaker spells quickly, she could do her part to add to the wounds that the wraith was suffering and therefore create further points for Itachi to study in his efforts to track down and account for all the wraith's anchors. The three slivers of steel that had detached from her Spirit Weapon were performing a similar function, constantly darting in and out to inflict punctures upon the wraith from unexpected angles.

Cunning and subtlety over raw power, Jigoku no Joō noted appreciatively, I might not like her Shikai's abilities, but I can respect her approach to battle.

Indeed. She would have made for a fine Shinobi in my old world.

As if Itachi's thoughts regarding Yoko had served as a signal, the Soul Reaper suddenly felt a faint but familiar pricking sensation in the back of his mind. Sending additional flaming crows downrange to aid Yoruichi and Kiemon, Itachi waited patiently for Squad Two's former Captain to make her intentions known, and it did not take long.

'I've found two more, and these appear to be stationary.'

Where are they?

'The wraith's heels.'

Interesting. What makes you believe that the wraith cannot move them?

'Observe my husband for a moment.'

It was not a direct answer, but Itachi knew Yoko would not have given such a response without reason. Making sure that he had more scarlet firebirds on the way to support Yoruichi, Itachi turned his attention to Kiemon. While Yoruichi continued to dart around the wraith as a circling streak of white lightning and attacking from every conceivable angle she could find an opening from, Kiemon had shifted his tactics and was going almost exclusively for the wraith's legs and feet. Intriguingly, the wraith seemed much more concerned with Kiemon's attacks than Yoruichi's, and was focusing on making sure that it kept the old man in front of him even at the expense of providing openings for Squad Two's current Captain to strike. Kiemon's blade lashed out like a coiled viper, or perhaps several at once considering the speed and varying angles of the old man's slashes and thrusts. While the wraith was able to deflect the majority of them, a few did manage to at least shallowly cut into the undead horror's legs. Studying the flow of energy with his Sharingan, Itachi was able to trace a consistent path to the wraith's heels. The closer Kiemon's sword came to the wraith's feet, the more vicious the wraith's counterattacks seemed to become.

More importantly, the sources of that energy never seemed to move, no matter how close Kiemon's blade got to them. The wraith would constantly adjust its stance to keep the front of its feet facing Kiemon, which it wouldn't have to do if it could shift these anchors as it was doing with the two that Itachi had found earlier.

Alright, you've sold me. Why can't it move these ones, though?

'Who can say? Perhaps the Lady of Midnight's skills reached a limit. She may have been forced to compromise with the final wraith's anchors. I'd argue that the particulars are a mere academic concern at the moment in any case.'

Fair enough. I say we target those first. Once they're eliminated, I can study how the wraith's healing energy adjusts to the disrupted flow. That should help narrow down the remaining mobile anchors.

'I concur. I'll inform my husband and granddaughter. Best you and I get in on the action in earnest now; only a combined assault will have a chance of overwhelming the wraith's defenses before he realizes what we've learned.'

Agreed.

….

So, that's how she wants to play it, Yoruichi's Zanpakutō spirit remarked as the Soul Reaper's gauntlets clashed with the wraith's smaller blade, I suppose we could do worse for plans.

You're right about that.

Think we can pull this off?

We don't exactly have much of a choice here, remember?

Touché.

In truth, the plan that Yoko had communicated to Yoruichi via her Shikai was roughly along the lines of what she'd expected given how the fight had progressed thus far. She had not been blind to how the wraith seemed quite protective of its ankles, so Yoko's message regarding two of the creature's anchors being down there was just confirmation of what she'd already suspected. Still, just because she understood the plan did not mean that it would be easy to implement it. The wraith was growing more dangerous with each passing second, becoming further accustomed to Yoruichi's speed and her grandfather's moves and reacting accordingly. Its blades moved even faster now than they had before, while its undead body twisted and whirled like some macabre dancer. There was a very creepy sort of grace to its fighting style, perhaps a corrupted reflection of how it had once fought so long ago.

As unnerved as Yoruichi was by her foe, though, she would not relent or waver. While her grandfather continued his concerted effort to go after the wraith's lower limbs, Yoruichi went for everywhere else. The chains from her gauntlets and boots whipped and whirled around her, firing off powerful white lightning bolts at both the wraith and the demolished ruins of the arena and ziggurat beyond. More of her strikes were being caught by the wraith's blades now, but not all of them. Claws and chains dug into the wraith's torso and arms, its neck and face, all sending an agonizing current of electric spirit energy into the abomination.

Yet all the punishment Yoruichi was inflicting upon the wraith meant nothing if she could not hit the source of its power. Her ferocious and powerful strikes would have laid all but the mightiest Menos Grande low by now, yet the wraith was still standing. The mobile anchors within remained as elusive as ever, and Yoruichi knew that she lacked the means to track them herself.

Her lover did, though…

…and he was now diving back into the fight in earnest.

The rapid upswelling of heat from behind her was all Yoruichi needed to sense Itachi's swift advance. She allowed herself a confident smile as a tidal wave of crimson flaming crows flowed around her before engulfing the wraith, and Itachi was right behind them. Pulses of azure flame from the wraith's longer sword repelled much of Itachi's assault, but those firebirds still served a useful purpose; they obscured Itachi himself. The wraith did not see the Soul Reaper until his black blade thrust out of the swirling crimson and azure flames, and the undead warrior only barely managed to deflect the thrust Itachi had aimed at its neck.

As Itachi pulled back to evade the wraith's counterattack, his eyes met Yoruichi's for the briefest of moments. He gave her the smallest of nods, and Yoruichi returned the gesture. No more than that was needed. They both already knew the plan; her grandmother had seen to that. More importantly though, they both knew each other. They understood each other's strengths and weaknesses in a manner that no one else did. They both knew what needed to be done, and how they could best work together to accomplish the task before them.

And so, they set to work. Zipping around the wraith in the blink of an eye, Yoruichi joined her grandfather in a head-on assault while Itachi moved in from the right. Meanwhile, Yoko came from behind, the three long steel needles from her Spirit Weapon angling for the wraith's ankles while she aimed the sword itself at the back of the creature's neck. Realizing its peril, the wraith whirled around and hurled itself at Yoko, seeming to judge her the weakest of the combatants assailing it and seeking to eliminate her quickly. That was a severe mistake, for not only did Yoko manage to parry the thrust from its longer blade, she deflected a slash from the smaller blade with nothing more than a small ball of blue energy that suddenly materialized over the back of her free hand; a silently cast Seki, timed perfectly.

The wraith likely had not planned to let up there, of course, but whatever follow-up attacks it intended could not be unleashed as it was suddenly assailed from behind, the left and right by Kiemon, Itachi and Yoruichi respectively. Its twin blades whirled around it in a dazzling display of defensive swordsmanship, deflecting and redirecting every strike the three of them hurled at it, but even a sword master of such legend and renown could only contend with so much. While Yoruichi, Itachi and Kiemon kept the wraith occupied, Yoko sent two of her Spirit Weapon's smaller fragments low while the third went high. The latter pierced the monster's neck, though it did not find an anchor. That was fine, though, for Yoruichi instantly understood that third fragment to be just as much of a distraction as she, Itachi and Kiemon were. The real threat was the other two needles…

…both of which plunged themselves into the wraith's ankles with pinpoint precision.

The ensuing screech from the wraith was worse than a thousand nails on chalkboards, and it lashed out wildly with its two blades. Arcs of fire and bolts of lightning flew in all directions, just as unpredictable as the errant energy from Yoruichi's Bankai could be. She saw Itachi call down a swarm of firebirds to surround the wraith's longer sword, using them to temporarily contain and cancel out the blue flames flowing forth from that Spirit Weapon before thrusting his black blade forward to catch the sword in the small gap that ran down the length of his Shikai. Yoruichi targeted the wraith's shorter blade, grabbing it with her left gauntlet while the chains from that weapon stretched out and wrapped themselves around the wraith's arm and proceeded to send a potent current through the creature's body.

Then she felt a surge of spiritual pressure from none other than her grandfather, and she saw his arms begin to glow with a white aura as he concentrated his energy in them. Yoruichi had seen Kiemon do this before in the past, but never with this level of intensity. With both of the wraith's weapons briefly restrained by Yoruichi and Itachi, Kiemon actually sheathed his own sword. Yoruichi thought for a moment that her grandfather had lost his marbles, only to be proven very wrong a split second later when he drew his weapon faster than she'd ever seen him do so in his life.

Her eyes widened in utter astonishment as Kiemon engulfed the wraith in what looked almost like a solid sphere of steel. So many wounds opened in the span of just a second that Yoruichi could barely keep up. How many strikes had Kiemon just hit the creature with? A dozen? A score? Even as Yoruichi's mind raced to process what she had just seen, though, she was not blind to the opportunity that had been presented. With the wraith wounded so grievously and so quickly, however many anchors it had left within itself would be working overtime to undo the damage, and she was more than willing to add to it. She made an upward kick with her right leg, sweeping the boot's claws and chains across the wraith's torso and sending further bolts of ivory lightning straight into the beast. She caught at least two flashes of green light through the multitude of gashes in the monster's undead flesh, and she was not the only one to spot them.

While Itachi kept the wraith's longer sword trapped with his own, his left hand briefly disappeared into his tan robes before returning with a flicking motion, and three Anken throwing knives embedded themselves in one of the abomination's wounds. Yoruichi saw one of them pierce clean through an anchor, with the small green orb shattering in a burst of light. As her eardrums were assailed by fresh howls from the beast, Yoko stabbed her own weapon into another of the wounds opened by Kiemon's earlier incredible move, and another anchor was reduced to light and dust. For a second, Yoruichi dared hope that they had got all of the anchors, but an agonizing shriek from the wraith combined with an enormous pulse of the foulest spiritual pressure she'd ever sensed in her life said otherwise.

"Damn it!" Yoruichi snarled as she and the others were forced back by the outpouring of corrupt power, "How many more anchors does this thing have?"

"Just one," Itachi replied.

Her eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?"

"The energy that it's using to heal all those wounds is only coming from a single source now," Itachi answered confidently, "It's in the wraith's chest, and it's mobile, but it's the only one left now. We're close. Without your grandfather's move back there, it would have been much harder to take out the others so quickly."

Kiemon chuckled. "Happy to be of service."

Yoko shot her husband a wry smile. "Old age hasn't slowed you down that much, I see."

"You would know, my dear," Kiemon shot back playfully.

"Come on," said Yoruichi as she flexed the clawed fingertips of her gauntlets, "Let's put this thing down once and for all."

Itachi raised his sword, and a river of firebirds flowed out towards the wraith. "A final combined assault, then?"

Yoruichi nodded as she pressed her armored knuckles together. "One way or the other, this ends here."

….

Sending a torrent of flaming crows skyward, Itachi Flash Stepped forward to meet the wraith head-on alongside Kiemon. Yoruichi took the right, with bolts of lightning flying from the chains of her Bankai and pummeling what remained of the arena in her wake. Yoko went left, moving in a long and broad arc that would allow the others to reach the wraith before her. Itachi knew that this was very much deliberate on her part; with the wraith focused on the three combatants immediately assailing it, it would be easier for her to slip a fatal strike through the creature's defenses.

I cannot say that I'm happy about her using us like this, the spirit of his Zanpakutō quipped.

We each have our role to play here.

You're awfully casual about that.

No sense in making a fuss. The plan's sound, but only if we all execute our roles to the best of our ability. She has her part. We have ours.

Perhaps the wraith had finally learned to recognize Itachi for the threat that he was, despite his weaker spiritual pressure when compared to Yoruichi, for it wasted no time in firing off bolts of sapphire lighting at him from its smaller sword while sending waves of azure fire at Kiemon with its larger weapon. Thanks to the keen gaze of the Sharingan, Itachi had been able to read the wraith's movements and recognize the impending attack, so he was already dodging and weaving before the first bolt had left the monster's blade. As for Kiemon, he leaned into the wraith's attacks rather than evade them, swinging his sword with such force that the gusts created were capable of capturing the flames sent his way and actually sending them back at his attacker. The wraith cancelled these attacks out by simply meeting them with new waves of blue fire, but that in turn gave Kiemon additional flames to use against it.

Itachi was quite willing to throw a bit more fuel Kiemon's way. He directed some of his firebirds towards the old man's blade, and he saw the master swordsman smirk in his direction once he realized what Itachi was doing. Kiemon's sword became a streak of fire and steel flashing through the air as he unleashed a wild and frenzied assault, not all that different from what he had brought to bear against Itachi a few nights ago. For his part, Itachi decided it was time to get in on the fun. While his Shikai sent further flaming crows out to flock about the arena and be called upon the moment their master needed them, Itachi himself lunched forward with a thrust aimed straight at the wraith's face. The wraith parried that strike with its shorter blade while keeping Kiemon at bay with the longer one, but Itachi's attack was just the first of many. His sword slithered through the air like a black mamba, darting in and out in a ferocious blitz fueled by adrenaline and honed by skills sharpened in life and afterlife. The wraith seemed almost taken aback by this sudden onslaught from a combatant who had previously played just a supporting role in the fight, and that in turn opened up new opportunities.

Yoruichi was quick to take advantage of that. With Itachi and Kiemon keeping the wraith's swords occupied, she darted in from the flank as a living lightning bolt. The claws of both her gauntlets sunk deep into right side of the wraith's abdomen, and their chains whipped around to lash themselves against the creature's tattered robes and foul flesh. Countless jolts of electrified spirit energy coursed through the wraith's body in the span of mere seconds, and only wild swings from its blades forced Yoruichi to relent and back off. Of course, that simply gave Itachi and Kiemon fresh openings of their own, and both of their blades carved into the wraith swiftly, leaving at least half a dozen new wounds upon its torso. Those wounds began stitching themselves back together, but the rate of healing had slowed significantly when compared to before; the loss of the previous four anchors was having a considerable effect.

Come on, Itachi thought as he sent several of his firebirds into the wounds before they could completely close, where is that last anchor at? I know it's in the chest, but I need to narrow it down further.

Once again, he focused on the energy that the wraith was feeding into the wounds. The flow was odd; it seemed to oscillate from left to right periodically, with the origin point moving about in roughly the area where a human's lungs should be. Was the final anchor's movements limited to just that region by some function of the spell that Itachi did not understand, or did the wraith itself simply keep it in that area out of habit? The answer to that was largely academic; all that mattered was that Itachi knew the rough area in which he and the others needed to concentrate their attacks.

'And now, so do the rest of us.'

I wondered if you were still in here.

'Of course, I am.'

You're out when the battle's done, witch. Do not forget that.

'You needn't worry; I have every intention of honoring my end of the deal.'

You'd better. Itachi and I will burn you to a crisp if you do not.

Let's save that wrath for the wraith, shall we?

There was no reply from either Yoko or the spirit of his Zanpakutō, but Itachi felt confident that the message had gotten across. With Yoko passing on what Itachi had found to the others, the nature of their attacks shifted. Kiemon and Itachi both focused their sword strikes on the wraith's upper chest, forcing their opponent to keep both of its blades in close to maximize defensive coverage. Yoruichi moved in from the rear, raking the wraith's back with her claws and chains as she tried to plunge her gauntlets into its chest cavity from behind only for the creature to twist and contort itself to insane degrees in order to keep her armored fists from penetrating all the way. Yoko tried to go for the finishing blow, with all three of the floating fragments of her Spirit Weapon diving into the wraith's back and puncturing deeply, but none of them found their target.

Still, they were apparently getting much too close for comfort now if the wraith's increasingly frantic movements were anything to go by. Its swordsmanship was still superb, with the barrier its two blades weaved proving incredibly difficult for Itachi and Kiemon to penetrate now, yet there was a feral quality to the wraith's defense that had not been present before. It could sense the metaphorical walls closing in; the blades of its enemies were tightening around it in a lethal net. It tried to turn the tables by pouring more of its energy into its Spirit Weapons, sending out waves of azure fire and bolts of sapphire lightning, but its foes knew how to counter that now. Itachi brought down hordes of scarlet flaming crows to meet the wraith's fire, bringing in so many that they quickly broke through the monster's defenses and wrapped themselves around the longer sword like a smothering blanket. Not content with that, Itachi then thrust his black blade into the wraith's wrist, eliciting a malicious yet impotent glare from the beast as it futilely struggled to free its impaled hand and the sword clutched in it. Coming around to the left, Yoruichi seized the arm holding the wraith's smaller blade with her right gauntlet while locking the creature's left leg with her own. The chains from her right gauntlet wrapped around the wraith's sword, caging its outbursts in a prison of white lightning while those from her boot dug themselves into the abomination's leg and began pouring a powerful current directly into the monster's veins.

There would never be a cleaner shot for Kiemon and Yoko, and they both took it. The former withdrew all three of her fragments from the wraith before immediately plunging them back in at different angles, and main blade of her sword swiftly joined them. As for Kiemon, Itachi saw his eyes narrow as he sheathed his sword, and he saw the old man's arms glow with a familiar white aura. In the blink of an eye, Yoruichi's grandfather drew his sword again, engulfing the wraith in another sphere of flashing steel, with all the strikes converging on the creature's chest.

The very last of those strikes was the one that found the target. Itachi watched as the final slash cut deep into the wraith's chest, the blade rending flesh and bone alike before at last cutting into the anchor. The small green sphere shattered upon contact, and a terrible cry rang out from the being it had been sustaining. There was a massive upswelling of spirit energy, and Itachi could perceive the wraith's power begin to pulse and writhe wildly.

"Everyone, get back!" Yoruichi ordered.

No one needed to be told twice. All four of them withdrew their weapons from the beast and zipped across the pulverized arena while the wraith swung its swords about like a lunatic. Waves of azure fire and streams of sapphire lighting flew everywhere, and for a moment Itachi feared that he might have been wrong about that anchor being the last; how else could the wraith continue wielding its weapons? However, it proved to be just a final futile gasp on the creature's part, for both swords fell from its hands just a few seconds later. The wraith collapsed to its knees, its icy blue aura intensifying as whatever energy remained within began building up towards one last outburst.

Before it was inevitably torn apart by its uncontrolled and escaping power, though, the wraith cast a final stare at those who had defeated it. Its gaze briefly flickered over Itachi, Kiemon and Yoko before settling on Yoruichi, and then it did the strangest thing. Its rotting jaws and flesh curled slightly upwards in the last sort of expression Itachi would have ever expected to see on such a foul face; a smile. A genuine one, too, rather than the hateful and malicious looks it had been giving her and the other others throughout the fight. Itachi was so thrown off by it all that the ensuing explosion of brilliant light that consumed the wraith barely even registered to him.

Silence fell over the arena. Itachi, Yoruichi and Yoko all sealed their respective Zanpakutōs and sheathed them, while Kiemon raised his sword in salute for their fallen foe before likewise putting away the weapon. Triumph had yet to sink in, though; the wraith's final expression had left Itachi troubled.

"What was that smile about?" he asked Yoruichi.

Yoruichi seemed rather shaken. "I… I don't know."

"I do," Yoko chimed in.

All eyes turned to the former Captain of Squad Two before she addressed the current one. "The tales and legends of the Lady of Midnight; I made sure you were thoroughly instructed in all their iterations."

Yoruichi slowly nodded. "I remember. Those history lessons have served me well these past several years. Why bring it up now when the last wraith's finally been dispatched, though?"

"Do you remember what was missing from those lessons?" Yoko asked.

Yoruichi's brow furrowed for a moment before her eyes widened in realization. "There were scrolls, tomes and other texts… but no images. Not of the Lady of Midnight or any of her companions. Why, though?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Yoko replied, "Any visual representation of them was scoured from the official Shihōin Clan records in the aftermath of her fall."

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed. "From the official records, you say. What about the ones that the clan keeps sealed from all but its most powerful members?"

Yoko smiled. "Our clan values preserving its true history in one form or another. Official records might be scrubbed to appease the Central Forty-Six, but we maintain our own accounts in private archives… and those very much do include visual arts. Portraits, sketches, even statues… and that includes depictions of the Lady of Midnight."

Yoko's smile became slightly bittersweet as she looked upon her granddaughter. "Believe it or not, my dear, you bear more than a mere passing resemblance to our clan's most notorious member. There is no way that the wraith would not have picked up on that. That smile he gave you at the end… perhaps it was a bit of who he once was seeing an echo of the woman he loved one last time."

"I suppose I ought to be flattered," Yoruichi remarked before reaching out to take Itachi's hand in hers, "but there's only one man I want looking at me like that, and that creature isn't him."

Yoko chuckled as she studied Itachi and Yoruichi with an approving look in her eyes. "I can hardly blame you for that."

Yoruichi then turned to Itachi and winked. "You're not jealous, are you?"

Itachi smirked before squeezing her hand. "Why should I be? After all, I'm the one standing here with you now, not that thing."

Yoruichi leaned over to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "Damn right, you are."

Kiemon sighed contentedly before looking around. "Well, it's nice to have that nasty affair finally put to bed. A pity that we made a right mess of the place in doing so, though."

Calling the surrounding devastation a 'mess' was a considerable understatement in Itachi's eyes. The constant outpouring of energy from Yoruichi's Bankai, while thankfully redirected thanks to its master's skill away from her comrades, had utterly ruined the temple complex. The arena was now little more than a pile of rubble in the shape of a ring, and the ziggurat beyond was in no better shape. It was a stark reminder of just how much raw power Yoruichi had at her command, and a testament to the fact that it could not be completely tamed.

"Quite true," Yoko remarked before looking at her granddaughter again and shaking her head, "Couldn't you have left at least a little bit of this place intact for future study?"

Yoruichi folded her arms and scowled at her grandparents. "Hey, don't look at me. You both knew that this was going to happen the second you decided to bring me in without giving me a heads up. If I'd had warning, I could've brought enough backup to deal with the wraith without using my Bankai and utterly leveling this place. You've got no one to blame but yourselves for how things turned out, so don't go trying to pin it on me!"

Yoko and Kiemon both laughed and smiled, with the latter raising his hands to mollify Yoruichi's ire. "Relax, my dear! We're allowed to tease our precious granddaughter a bit, aren't we?"

"I thought that's what proper grandparents were supposed to do!" Yoko chortled.

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. "Why do I put up with you two, again?"

"Your life would be much more boring without them," Itachi remarked, unable to resist a smirk.

Yoruichi chuckled. "Alright, you got me there."

Looking up, Itachi saw the barrier begin to flicker before it dispersed altogether. "We should go find Vahid and the others. Even if they were able to monitor the fight through the barrier, they'll still want to see us all firsthand to know that we're alright."

Yoruichi smiled. "You're right. I think we've stressed out Uncle Vahid enough for one day. Come on, let's go."

She took the lead, keeping Itachi's hand in hers. Itachi smiled softly as he allowed her to pull him along while Yoko and Kiemon fell in behind them.

"You were incredible back there," Yoruichi whispered in his ear, "Thank you for this… for everything. I know this wasn't what you asked for when I brought you out here, but you went above and beyond."

"It wasn't what you wanted, either," Itachi replied, "but you rose to the occasion in spectacular fashion."

"We both did," Yoruichi amended with a smile before glancing back at her grandparents and winking, "So did the old fossils, I suppose."

"I heard that," Kiemon quipped wryly.

Squeezing Itachi's hand again, Yoruichi drew him close and leaned against him as they walked. "Starting tomorrow, our real vacation begins. I'm going to make sure that my grandparents treat us like royalty, Itachi. You're going to love every second of it."

….

Nine days later…

Lying on a plush sofa with her head resting against Itachi's chest, Yoruichi reached into bowl of grapes sitting on a small table and grabbed a particularly plump specimen before holding it in front of her lover's mouth. Looking up, she watched as Itachi's mouth snapped it right out of her hand, enjoying the sensation of his tongue briefly brushing along her fingers. The spectacle unfolding in the ring below, along with the cheers of the crowd, seemed to fade into the background as she gazed at her handsome companion. Ever since returning to Alraayie two days ago, the Soul Reapers had swapped out their travel robes and cloaks for more relaxed clothing, which in Itachi's case meant a loose-fitting light-blue shirt that opened up to expose his chest, along with slightly darker leggings and sandals. Yoruichi was all for taking advantage of her bodyguard's more revealing attire, casually running her fingers along Itachi's chest and up to his neck.

I need to ask grandmother about sending a few outfits for Itachi back to the Seireitei, she mused with a sultry smile, I could get used to seeing him like this…

Of course, Yoruichi's Eighth Seat was not the only one enjoying the fantastic wardrobe offered by their hosts. For her part, Yoruichi had gone with a decidedly more revealing outfit, with dark purple slippers and pants cladding her legs while a light violet and sleeveless button-up top covered her chest but left her belly, shoulders, and arms tantalizingly exposed. As she was taking advantage of the easy access Itachi's garb gave to his toned chest, so was Yoruichi's companion enjoying the fruits of her new attire, with his right hand resting atop her stomach and his fingers occasionally tracing along her bellybutton in a playful manner. Despite their much more relaxed state when compared to just a week ago, though, both Soul Reapers kept their swords on them out of instinct, with Itachi's tied to a black belt while Yoruichi's was secured to a golden sash wrapped around her waist.

"Enjoying the show?" she purred as she reached up to scratch his chin.

"Mmm, which one?" Itachi asked before leaning down to kiss her brow.

"Perhaps you two should give the one down in the ring a bit more attention," Yoko interjected from the couch to the right of theirs while reaching up to playfully tug on her husband's goatee and mustache, "The performers are putting on their best work today."

"A shame to let such a spectacle go unappreciated," Kiemon added, though he seemed much more intent on running his fingers through his wife's hair and scratching at the back of her neck rather than watching the display below.

Yoruichi arched an eyebrow before calling them out on their hypocrisy. "Pot meet kettle, much?"

Both of her grandparents chuckled, with Yoko graciously inclining her head. "Fair enough. Perhaps we both should practice what we preach."

"I suppose we should," Yoruichi conceded as her gaze turned down to the ring below.

Unfolding in the arena was one of the favorite pastimes of the city of Alraayie and a spectacle that Yoruichi had been eager to show Itachi. Charging across the ring was a pair of bulls, their smooth black coats gleaming in the afternoon sun. Decorative blue tassels were tied to their horns, while the targets of their charge were a pair of performers, a man and a woman, standing in middle of the ring. Both possessed dark brown skin, black hair, brown eyes, and slender yet athletic builds. The man was dressed in a set of black pants, boots, and a bright red shirt, while the woman was clad a much more risqué outfit consisting of loose dark red leggings and a lighter red top similar in design to what Yoruichi had on. Both performers had long red tassels tied to their arms, both to add emphasis to their acrobatic feats and to further entice the creatures running towards them.

When the bulls were practically on top of them, the two performers leapt into the air in perfect synchronization. They twirled and twisted as the bulls passed beneath them, their tassels flowing around them in captivating swirls. As the two touched back down in the sands of the arena they spun and bowed to both halves of the arena before twirling again to get the bulls back in their line of sight. The two creatures were being herded by several helpers on horseback so that they could find their targets and make another run.

"What do you think?" Yoruichi asked Itachi as she reached up to play with the end of his ponytail as it fell around the right side of his neck.

"Most impressive," Itachi remarked as the two performers executed another leap, once again flipping and whirling through the air as the bulls passed beneath them, "Quite a daring set of acrobats, as such an event would demand. Bull dancing, you called it, right? A rather fitting name."

"Glad you think so," Yoruichi replied before reaching over to the bowl and tossing a plump green grape into her mouth.

"One has to respect the courage of anyone willing to face down a charging bull without any form of protection apart from their sheer athletic skill," Itachi noted, "For all its elegance and grace, you can't deny the inherent danger in this sort of spectacle."

Yoruichi nodded. "Bull dancing's never been a sport for the faint-hearted. There are well-trained healers on standby in case of injury, and the handlers on horseback are trained to intervene and get the bulls away from the performers immediately should the need arise. It'll always be a risky endeavor, but fatalities are actually quite rare nowadays compared to how things were centuries ago."

"It was once a bloodier affair for beasts and performers alike," Yoko added, "In the original sport, the acrobats involved were armed, and the finale would be a killing stroke against the bulls. Given the difficulties of raising livestock in these lands, it was eventually deemed more economical to preserve the bulls for repeat performances."

"A wise decision," said Itachi as he watched another display of acrobatic prowess unfold, "I imagine the performers are well compensated, given the risks they take for the sake of our entertainment."

"Quite so," Kiemon confirmed, "Suffice to say that both fame and fortune are the rewards for such bravery and skill. Of course, only the best reach the heights that this dangerous profession has to offer and thus reap the greatest benefits. Still, even middling performers can do quite well for themselves, and the supporting staff live comfortably in their own right."

Yoruichi reached behind Itachi's head to pull him down closer to her as she leaned back to whisper in his ear. "We could join in the fun, if you want. The crowd's always down for an exhibition put on by my family."

She had the satisfaction of seeing Itachi's eyes widen somewhat. "You mean… you've…"

She grinned. "That's right, Itachi. Yours truly has danced with the bulls before. I wouldn't mind doing so again with you for a partner. What do you say? Up for a bit of 'hands on spectacle', if you will?"

Itachi smirked. "You just want to show me off to the crowd, don't you?"

Yoruichi giggled like a school girl called out by a humoring teacher. "Guilty as charged!"

"Very well, then," Itachi replied with a confident smile as he gestured to the ring below, "Lead on, my lady."

….

As Itachi checked to make sure the red tassels were tied firmly to his arms, he saw Yoruichi eyeing him with a sly smile. "That took a bit longer than it should've… I think your 'helpers' were enjoying themselves a bit too much."

Itachi glanced over his shoulder at the two young women who had provided and secured the tassels around his arms, both of which proceeded to giggle and wink upon catching his gaze. He gave the ladies a small nod before turning to his companion.

"Jealous?" he asked with a slight smirk.

"Only a little," Yoruichi confessed with a laugh before swishing and swaying her arms back and forth, admiring the flowing tassels, "Oh, it's been way too long since I last got to do this! Thanks for indulging me, Itachi."

"Of course," Itachi replied before nodding at the staircase leading up to the ring, "You ready?"

Yoruichi moved to his right and looped her arm through his. "You know it."

With a nod from one of the nearby guards, the two of them proceeded up the stairs. The two men at the gate bowed at their approach before opening the heavy wooden doors, and Itachi was nearly blinded by the sudden glare of sunlight. As they stepped into the ring, Itachi could not help but look around in awe. Seeing the arena from the outside and from the Shihōin Clan's private viewing box had been one thing, but being down on its sandy floor itself was quite another entirely. The vast amphitheater was packed to the brim with no less than sixty thousand spectators, and a great roar came forth from the crowd as their newest entertainers strode into the middle of the ring. High above the uppermost seats, great awnings came out from the rim of the arena, shading most of the spectators. Itachi could see several men and women working each awning, adjusting their section as necessary thanks to the help of a complex rope and pully system.

Watching the handlers prod the bulls towards their starting positions, Itachi's right hand instinctively went towards his waist, but his Zanpakutō was not there; both his and Yoruichi's weapons were in the care of Kiemon and Yoko. It was not that Itachi believed he and Yoruichi would need their swords; their skill in Hakuda, Hohō and Kidō would be more than sufficient should they have to actively defend themselves from bulls or human attackers in the ring. He did feel a bit naked without his blade, though, which he supposed spoke to just how deep the bond he'd forged with his Zanpakutō had become over the years.

His discomfort at being without his Zanpakutō was quite minor, though. In fact, Itachi was more nervous about Yoruichi parading him before the crowd like this, her arm still looped through his in a manner that would be impossible to interpret as anything other than at least affectionate and likely a good deal more than that. They may have been far from the Seireitei, but Itachi had to imagine that the Great Noble Houses at least tried to spy on the capitals of their rivals' respective Principalities. How long until word reached the Seireitei's elite that the bond between Squad Two's Captain and her Eighth Seat went much deeper than that of commander and subordinate or close comrades?

Spies or no spies, it almost doesn't really matter, Itachi told himself, Yoruichi was adamant about us finally being open about our feelings for each other. If the rest of the aristocracy does not find out from informants down here, then they will the next time I attend a public event with Yoruichi that's outside our official duties as Soul Reapers. It's inevitable, so I might as well get used to the idea and ensuing attention now.

The two Soul Reapers stood side by side in the center of the ring. At the far end, both bulls were stomping furiously at the sand in their eagerness to charge. They were held at bay by their handlers, who contained the beasts with lassos and forked spears. Along the lowest rung of spectator seats was a slightly raised section where what appeared to be an officiator and her assistants stood. The officiator raised a gleaming brass trumpet; the round was about to begin.

"Any last bits of advice?" asked Itachi.

"Just think of it as another version of the Blade Dancer Festival," Yoruichi answered with a grin, "Go with the flow, improvise, and have fun!"

Itachi inclined his head. "Very well, then."

The trumpet sounded a few seconds later, and the bulls were released. Both creatures surged across the ring, leaving clouds of sand and dust in their wake. They weren't Sand Racers, but they were swift beasts all the same, and they were upon Itachi and Yoruichi in the span of mere moments.

Both Soul Reapers shared a brief smile and nod before leaping into the air, cutting it so close that the tips of the bulls' horns passed beneath their feet with mere centimeters to spare. The two of them started modestly, employing a few flips and twirls like they had seen the prior performers do, but that was just the teaser. Solidifying spirit energy particles beneath their feet, Itachi and Yoruichi leapt again, going far higher than the last duo and eliciting excited cheers from the crowd. They repeated this twice more before jumping towards each other at an elevation near equal to that of the giant awnings that shaded the crowd, spiraling through the air as they crossed paths and allowing their tassels and fingertips to brush against each other as they passed. Then they finally descended, touching down in the sand with catlike grace before spinning so that they were back-to-back when they bowed to the crowd.

The audience's roar intensified as the bulls came around for another go, and Yoruichi glanced at Itachi. "How about we spice things up a bit? Want to play dangerously?"

"What did you have in mind?" asked Itachi, already bracing for the next jump.

"The bulls' backs," she suggested with an audacious grin, "Give the crowd something really special?"

"Sounds good," Itachi concurred.

There was no time for anything further; the bulls were upon them again. Itachi and Yoruichi once again jumped as one, but they did not go nearly as high this time. Keeping low, they both touched down on their respective bulls' backs, and the creatures immediately took exception to that. They bucked and jumped wildly, and the Soul Reapers jumped with them, constantly touching down on the bulls backs before leaping again.

At least, they gave the illusion of that. What was actually happening was that they were 'touching down' on the air just above the bulls; only sparingly did their feet truly touch the creatures. It took an incredible degree of fine control and agility to constantly repeat the feat and maintain the illusion for the crowd, but both Itachi and Yoruichi were no strangers to such demanding actions. If anything, the bulls' furious efforts to 'dislodge' them were predictable to the two Soul Reapers; compared to dealing with the swift sword strikes of the last wraith, anticipating and reacting to the wild and wrathful creatures here was easy.

Still, Itachi did not want them to push things too far. The bulls were growing more agitated with each passing second, to the point that Itachi feared their handlers might have trouble with them. Glancing at Yoruichi, he signaled her with a slight shake of his head, and she immediately got the message. Tapping the bulls on the head in a final display of playful dominance, the two Soul Reapers then leapt clear and touched down on the sand. The handlers were already riding forth to corral their charges, but the bulls had already wheeled around and were coming at Itachi and Yoruichi, fully worked up and in a frenzy.

"That might've been a bit too much for them," Itachi noted as he effortlessly Flash Stepped out of his attacker's way.

"Maybe," Yoruichi conceded with a wink as she did the same, leaving her bull to rush harmlessly past her, "but it was fun, right?"

"I suppose it was," Itachi confessed, having to raise his voice just so he could be heard over the roar of the crowd, "Our audience seems to think so, at least."

With the handlers finally able to get the bulls back under control, Yoruichi took Itachi's right hand in her left and raised it, eliciting fresh cheers from the crowd. They bowed in unison, and several of the audience members in the lowest rung began throwing flowers into the arena.

"A good sign, I take it?" Itachi asked.

"Definitely," Yoruichi confirmed as she looped her arm through Itachi's again, "Flowers are expensive out here, so they're only used like this when a performance exceeds all expectations. You've got a knack for this, Itachi."

"Maybe we both missed our true calling," Itachi remarked with an amused smile, "Is it too late for us to take an indefinite leave of absence and sign up here full time?"

Yoruichi laughed. "Oh, don't tempt me! That'd almost be like a full-time vacation. Soi-Fon would throw a fit, though. She thinks I should be above this sort of thing."

"Maybe we should take her down here sometime and bring her into the ring with us," Itachi suggested with a sly smirk, "Get her out of her comfort zone."

"That would be priceless!" Yoruichi chortled, "Oh, I can already picture the look on her face… let's keep that idea in reserve for now, shall we?"

"We shall," Itachi concurred before the two of them took one last bow and headed for the ring's exit.

….

The gentle rusting sound of wind tossing fallen leaves about was interrupted by a sudden sneeze from Soi-Fon. Her head snapped back and forth as she looked for onlookers, but she did not see anyone. Then again, no exercises were scheduled to be held right now in the Stealth Force's woodland training ground for today, so she had the place to herself. Well, mostly to herself, but she had not yet reached the person who had invited her here.

"I wonder if someone's talking about me," she murmured as she cast her gaze southwest, "Maybe Lady Yoruichi…"

She let her mind wander off to the Shihōin Clan's Principality for a moment before shaking her head and resuming her stroll. Soi-Fon still did not know exactly why Mikoto had wanted to meet her out here. Itachi's mother had been strangely coy regarding details, and the best Soi-Fon could get out of her was a wink, a smirk, and a single sentence.

"You'll just have to wait and see!"

Soi-Fon would not have humored any other subordinate like this, but Mikoto… well, things were different with her. While she still respected the chain of command during missions and training, Mikoto was much more relaxed with Soi-Fon off the clock in a way that very few other people were, including other Soul Reapers or Stealth Force members. Soi-Fon would not normally take well to such behavior from others, but Mikoto just had a way of making her feel at ease, like she could really let her guard down. It was very strange to Soi-Fon… but not in an unpleasant way.

She's always asking things about me, Soi-Fon thought, unconsciously fighting the urge to smile, like how I'm feeling, or what I want to do after training, or if there's anything I need… she's a really caring person. So is Lady Yoruichi, of course, but Mikoto… I don't really understand it, but… I feel like I can tell her things that I can't say even to Lady Yoruichi. It doesn't make any sense…

She chased those thoughts from her mind as she focused on finding the meeting spot Mikoto had designated. It wasn't anything special; just a clearing where Stealth Force members could practice knife throwing. Why Mikoto had picked it was a mystery to Soi-Fon. The two of them had already finished their training for the day, and Mikoto had indicated that she wanted to take it easy since they had no pressing matters to take care of. The Stealth Force training ground wasn't an area that Soi-Fon readily associated with 'taking it easy', though, so she struggled to comprehend just what Mikoto had in mind.

Then she reached the clearing, and her jaw dropped. Sure enough, there was Mikoto…

…and she was beautiful.

Soi-Fon had expected to see Moriko in her Soul Reaper robes, but she had apparently decided to forgo them here. Instead, she was clad in a dark red kimono with patterns of fall leaves embroidered in maroon, with her Zanpakutō secured to a burgundy sash. Her raven hair was set up in a simple bun that was held in place by a pair of lacquered chopsticks. Perhaps it was a rather plain outfit when compared to what Soi-Fon had seen nobles wear at social events, but she found it to be quite striking on Mikoto all the same. The effect was enhanced by a fresh breeze picking up fallen red and orange leaves and swirling them around Mikoto, leaving Soi-Fon utterly enchanted at the impromptu spectacle.

So caught up was Soi-Fon in the lovely sight that she only belatedly realized that Mikoto had not come here empty handed. She stood next to a large red and white cloth that was laid out on the ground and held in place by a couple of small black boxes along with a tea set. Steam wafted from a small kettle, and Soi-Fon saw the smoldering embers of a small fire off on one side of the clearing.

"What… is this?" asked Soi-Fon, her mind still mostly fixated on Mikoto herself.

Mikoto smiled and gestured broadly. "Come now, Soi-Fon; don't you know a picnic when you see one? I thought it might be nice for us to relax a bit today."

"Oh… I see," Soi-Fon sheepishly replied.

Mikoto looked concerned. "Is something the matter? If this isn't to your liking, you can tell me, Soi-Fon. I promise that I won't take offense."

Soi-Fon hastily shook her head. "No, no, it's not like that at all! It's just…"

She gestured at herself, still clad in her Executive Militia uniform. "Compared to you, I feel a bit underdressed. I didn't know that you had something like this in mind."

"That's because I wanted to surprise you, silly," Mikoto remarked, "Don't worry about your attire, Soi-Fon. This isn't meant to be a fancy luncheon with high society. I just wanted to enjoy a nice casual picnic with a dear friend. Would you like that?"

Soi-Fon smiled and nodded. "I would like that very much, Mikoto. Thank you."

"Well, then what are you waiting for?" Mikoto asked as she sat atop the cloth and beckoned for Soi-Fon to join her, "You don't want the tea to get cold, do you?"

"Right," said Soi-Fon as she scurried over.

Settling in, she allowed Mikoto to pour their cups. When she accepted hers and took a sip, Mikoto opened the two black boxes, revealing a bevy of goodies inside. There were rice balls, shrimp tempura, nigiri sushi, bean sprouts, pot stickers, and a good deal more.

"Did you really throw all this together right after training?" Soi-Fon marveled, "You work quickly."

"Well, I was the mother of two growing boys," Mikoto pointed out, "Making meals in a hurry is a skill I picked up by necessity."

"I see," said Soi-Fon before picking up one of the rice balls and taking a bite, "Mmm… this is really good."

"Thank you," Mikoto replied as she gestured at the food, "Please, have as much as you want. I certainly will."

Soi-Fon was not about to decline her offer. The day's earlier training had helped her work up quite the appetite, and everything Mikoto had prepared looked absolutely scrumptious. While Soi-Fon was not one to insult the hard-working cooks that normally prepared food for Squad Two and the Stealth Force, she would freely admit that Mikoto's culinary skills were very much a few noticeable cuts above theirs.

Mikoto looked on with a contented smile as Soi-Fon wolfed down the food. "Worked up a bigger appetite earlier than you thought, hm?"

"I guess so," Soi-Fon confessed between bites, "Your Hakuda grows better each time we spar. I feel like I have to put in more work with you every round."

"High praise, coming from you," Mikoto remarked.

They spent the next few minutes enjoying their food before Soi-Fon spoke again. "Mikoto… this isn't something you decided to do out of the blue, is it?"

"What makes you think that?" Mikoto asked.

Soi-Fon's eyes narrowed. "Your kimono, for starters. It looks like you had it pressed and cleaned very recently."

Mikoto inclined her head. "Very astute of you. I suppose I should've known better than to think that you'd miss that. If you must know, then my answer is yes; I've been planning this for a little while now. The past week or so, to be more specific."

"Why?" asked Soi-Fon, "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the thought that you put into this, and your cooking's great. I just…"

"You believe that there's more to my actions than just wanting to enjoy a relaxing outdoor meal with a friend?" Mikoto finished for her.

Soi-Fon slowly nodded. "I do. It's not that I don't trust you, Mikoto, and I'm grateful for your efforts here. It just feels like something else beyond our friendship brought this on. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm suspicious of you. I just want to understand your motives."

Soi-Fon feared that she might've hurt Mikoto's feelings, but that didn't seem to be the case. Mikoto looked at Soi-Fon for a long moment, and if anything, it almost looked like she was pitying Soi-Fon more than anything else.

"You're a very wary young woman, Soi-Fon," Mikoto finally said, "Given your occupation and the particular units that you work with, I suppose that's understandable. What I told you regarding my reasons for this was the truth… the majority of it, anyway. I'll confess to something of an ulterior motive; I'm worried about you."

Soi-Fon's head snapped back in surprise. "You're worried about me? Why?"

Mikoto sighed before smiling. "Oh, Soi-Fon, do you really need to ask that?"

Soi-Fon blinked in confusion. "What exactly am I missing here?"

Mikoto shook her head in mild exasperation before giving Soi-Fon a look that struck her as somewhere between amusement and sympathy. "You haven't been yourself these past several weeks, Soi-Fon. You're… a bit higher strung than usual, if you take my meaning."

Soi-Fon shook her head. "I don't take your meaning, Mikoto. I've been performing my duties diligently and efficiently, just as I always have."

"I know you have been," Mikoto replied, "just as you should know that I'm not going to fall for such a blatant and clumsy attempt at misdirection. I said nothing about your duties, Soi-Fon; I said you're high strung, and more so than is typical of you. You're stressed, Soi-Fon. I've seen you snap at subordinates in ways that you didn't before, and the unfortunate attitude of our Lieutenant is getting under your skin far more than it used to. Your actions a few days ago were proof enough of that."

Soi-Fon folded her arms and looked away. "I didn't kick Ōmaeda that hard… and he deserved it anyway. He shouldn't have been sitting in Yoruichi's office like that… not behind her desk like it was his. Lieutenants have their own desks and offices; the only time they're supposed to be behind the Captain's is if said Captain is incapacitated or dead. Lady Yoruichi is neither, and Itachi better make sure she stays that way."

"Ah," Mikoto murmured with a knowing smile, "and now we come to the heart of the matter. Thank you for cutting to it so quickly."

Soi-Fon scowled when she realized what had just happened. "You baited me."

Mikoto spread her arms in an innocent gesture, though the small smirk that she gave Soi-Fon spoke to her true intentions. "Baited you? Hardly, Soi-Fon. I'm simply alluded to the date of your most egregious behavior, and you took things from there. That being said, Itachi and Yoruichi were what I was hoping to discuss with you. Ever since they departed for the Shihōin Clan Principality, you've been incessantly fretting over it. Over them."

"I'm just concerned," Soi-Fon hastily shot back, "I'm supposed to be Lady Yoruichi's bodyguard. If something happens to her in my absence, I'll never forgive myself, and my family name would be dishonored for failing to protect the Shihōin Clan's princess!"

"Itachi's out there with her," Mikoto pointed out, "You know that my son is just as devoted as you to protecting Yoruichi."

"I do," Soi-Fon grumbled in admission.

Mikoto sighed again before reaching out across the food between them to place a hand on Soi-Fon's shoulder in understanding. "I suppose knowing Itachi's with Yoruichi right now is part of the problem, isn't it?"

Soi-Fon vehemently shook her head. "It's not."

It was far too quick of a denial, and of course Mikoto wasted no time in calling her out on it. "Oh, for you, I think it is. Soi-Fon, isn't it about time you started being honest about what you're really feeling here?"

Soi-Fon eyed Mikoto warily. "Since you seem to be the expert on feelings, you tell me; what am I really feeling here?"

"Fear," Mikoto replied softly, "jealousy… and heartbreak."

Those words struck deep, with Soi-Fon recoiling before attempting to reassert her composure. It came too late, of course, for Mikoto was swift to act. Sliding along the laid-out cloth with striking grace, she came to Soi-Fon's side and put an arm around her, drawing her in close for a comforting embrace.

"It's the truth," Mikoto whispered, "No sense in denying it. So, talk to me, Soi-Fon. We're friends, aren't we? Friends help each other with this sort of thing."

Soi-Fon's head became light, and a sharp pain gripped her chest. A whole host of emotions swirled within, threatening to burst through the walls that she'd so carefully constructed throughout her life to keep them bottled up. She was a vassal of the Shihōin Clan, a servant and protector of their princess; she wasn't supposed to be ruled by her feelings.

Yet they were still there all the same, and Soi-Fon had never known what to do with them. She'd never had anyone she'd felt comfortable talking to about them before. Even Yoruichi, who had always encouraged her to open up about herself, couldn't really fill that role…

…not when Soi-Fon's heart had burned so strongly for her.

Mikoto, though…

"I…" Soi-Fon began before being forced to clear her throat a few times, "Mikoto… I'm not very… good with stuff like this."

"That's alright," Mikoto reassured her, "Believe it or not, few people truly are. When it comes to our hearts, to our deepest feelings, it can be very difficult to properly express them in words. Some feelings, though, make themselves known to others who know how to look for them. They show themselves in all sorts of ways… like how we look at the people whom elicit those feelings within us in the first place."

Mikoto reached down to caress Soi-Fon's cheek, and she found herself leaning into the former Shinobi's palm. Her skin was cool and soft, a soothing balm against the tumult within Soi-Fon.

"You love her," said Mikoto after a moment, "You love Yoruichi, Soi-Fon… just as my eldest son loves her."

The edges of Soi-Fon's vision became blurry, and her voice caught in her throat. "I… Lady Yoruichi…"

"You can say it, Soi-Fon," Mikoto gently encouraged her, "It won't go past me. Whatever you tell me here will stay with just the two of us. I promise."

Soi-Fon slowly nodded as she felt something cold run down her cheek, only belatedly realizing that it was a tear. "I… I do. Lady Yoruichi… I love her."

At that, the damn began to break. Soi-Fon sniffed a few times, fighting fiercely to keep the floodgates closed…

…and then Mikoto put both arms around her, pulling Soi-Fon into her chest and cradling her head in her hands. Her fingers combed through Soi-Fon's hair in a gesture that she found to be both affectionate and comforting, and her breath washed over her like a warm spring breeze. A strange smell wafted up from Mikoto's skin, and it took a moment for Soi-Fon to recognize it as lavender. Had Mikoto put on perfume before meeting her here? Soi-Fon was not quite sure what to make of that… though it was certainly a pleasant aroma.

"I know you do," Mikoto whispered, "Soi-Fon… I'm so sorry."

There was no need for Mikoto to elaborate; Soi-Fon knew full well what the apology was for. Part of her wanted to be angry, both with Mikoto and Itachi… but only a very small part, one that Soi-Fon did not want to rule her. The very last thing she wanted was to lash out at the woman who held her now, who seemed to be the one person in all the Soul Society who understood just how she really felt. So, with her head pressed against Mikoto's kimono, Soi-Fon simply let her tears silently flow.

"I… I'm sorry," Soi-Fon croaked out after a minute as she tried to pull her head back, only, for Mikoto to firmly hold her in place.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Mikoto answered as she stroked Soi-Fon's hair, "Just let it out. Take as long as you need."

"Your kimono..." Soi-Fon muttered, "I'm ruining it."

"It's just a bit of clothing," Mikoto reassured her, "I'll have it cleaned later. You think I care more about a robe than I do a dear friend, Soi-Fon?"

Despite her sorrow, Soi-Fon could not help but smile as she looked up at Mikoto. "No… that's not the kind of person you are."

Mikoto smiled. "I'd always hoped not, but it's nice to have it affirmed by someone close. Thank you. So… you want to talk about it?"

Soi-Fon blinked, both in confusion and to get the tears out of her eyes. "About… the kimono?"

Mikoto giggled before shaking her head. "No, not the kimono, silly! I mean Yoruichi. What you feel for her… and how I can help you move forward."

"Oh… right," Soi-Fon murmured in embarrassment as she pulled back again, with Mikoto releasing her this time, "I… I'm not sure where to start."

"That's fine," said Mikoto, "Think it over a bit. I've got all the time you need."

Soi-Fon pondered it for a few minutes, and the words slowly began coming forth. "When… when I first saw Yoruichi… I think I fell for her right there and then. I'd been training all my life to serve her, I knew it was my duty to protect her even at the cost of my own life if needed, but when I finally laid eyes on her… it was like seeing the sunrise after a long and hard night. From that point on, I worked harder than ever in my training and missions, and when I finally was appointed to her personal guard… it was the happiest moment of my life. From that point on, I could stay by her side, and I never wanted anything else. She became my sun; my life revolved around her, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. When she took me under her wing, trained me personally, taught me how to become faster and stronger than I'd been before, to hone my skills sharper than I'd ever imagined… it was like I'd found where I truly belonged. I wanted those days to never end."

Mikoto slowly nodded, a somber look in her eyes. "You were genuinely happy… and then my son came along."

Soi-Fon quickly shook her head. "No… it's not like that, Mikoto. Itachi…"

Mikoto smiled, though it was a bittersweet one. "You don't have to sugarcoat things for me, Soi-Fon. Yes, I love Itachi and want him to be happy, and I know that being with Yoruichi makes him very happy… but I won't turn a blind eye to the price that you've paid for it. I can understand if you hold a grudge against my son. I may not like that notion… but I cannot in good conscience blame you for it if that is indeed how you feel towards him. I know that feeling all too well."

Soi-Fon tilted her head in puzzlement. "What do you mean? Weren't you happily married to Fugaku? You were fond of him even before you wed, right? You got to be with who you wanted… even if it wasn't for as long as either of you wished."

Mikoto inclined her head. "It's true that I had feelings for Fugaku even before we wed… but he wasn't the only one. A young maiden's heart can be a strange and flighty thing sometimes, Soi-Fon. All the more so when one is brought up in a Shinobi village. Many of the youths training to become Shinobi were rather painfully naïve as to what such a life would really mean, but for those of us who were brought up in the Leaf Village's most prominent clans, that reality was drilled into us at a young age. Some of us, as a result, sought to find happiness wherever we could… and with whoever we could. Fugaku was one such person for me, but… there was another that I pined for. For a time."

Soi-Fon leaned forward, seized by curiosity. "Who was he?"

Mikoto shook her head before smiling again. "Not a 'he', Soi-Fon. Her name… was Kushina Uzumaki. She was a very close friend of mine… a sunrise of my own, I suppose. Or maybe more like a blazing red comet flashing through my life. Well, the villagers did nickname her the 'Red-Hot Habanero' for a good reason, after all. She was from outside the village, and she carried something dangerous within her, though not of her will. Many of the village youths were afraid of her, but those of us who were not soon learned just what an incredible person she was. Passionate, impulsive, had a rather fierce temper sometimes… and one of the kindest, bravest, and most loving people that I ever met."

Soi-Fon was hanging on to every word, eager for more, yet she could not help but raise a question. "Hold on… so you married a man that you liked, but… you also had feelings for a woman?"

"Is that really so unusual, Soi-Fon?" asked Mikoto.

Soi-Fon looked down as heat rushed to her face. "Well, no, but… I just thought that since you did marry Fugaku and have children with him…"

"That I only swung one particular way, perhaps?" Mikoto finished for her with a mischievous smirk, "Well, I can't blame you for believing that. Almost everyone else who knew me thought the same way, Fugaku and our sons included. For a time, I believed that myself… but my missions convinced me otherwise."

Soi-Fon blinked in confusion. "Your missions? How?"

"The popular image of us Shinobi in our world," Mikoto explained, "is perhaps something between soldiers and mercenaries. Many of our duties consist of fighting bandits, carrying secret messages between lords, undertaking assassinations, taking part in wars amongst our respective countries, seeking out lost people or belongings, and all sorts of other tasks. However, something else that Shinobi have always been, though it's less prominent or publicly discussed in our Realm of the Living, is spies. My high scores in the Academy, combined with my looks and charms, wound up putting me down that particular Shinobi path."

Soi-Fon's eyes widened slightly. "I remember… you mentioned this before. It was when we were helping Squad Six hunt the wraith out in the Kuchiki Clan Principality, I think. You said that the Leaf Village often used you as an assassin or spy."

Mikoto nodded. "You have a good memory. To be truthful, I was employed more as the latter than the former… and since I was regarded as a lovely-looking woman, there was a certain cover that I often took."

Soi-Fon immediately grasped where Mikoto was going with this. "You pretended to be a courtesan."

"That's right," Mikoto confirmed, "As such, that meant taking on clients in order to make my cover convincing. Only the most highly regarded or sought-after courtesans make it into the circles of high society, so that meant having to establish myself in the role to gain the access my missions required."

Soi-Fon felt a very strange warmth flash through her as her mind began conjuring images of Mikoto in rather… indecent situations. "So… you had to…"

"Keep the cover beneath the covers, if you will," Mikoto finished for her with a wink, "Most of my clients, as you might imagine, were men, and I did my work accordingly. A few, though, were women… and I found them to be amongst the more creative of my clients. Not many of the men put in the same level of effort, anyway."

"I… see," Soi-Fon murmured as she fidgeted awkwardly.

Mikoto let slip a soft laugh. "Perhaps that's a bit more information than you're comfortable with! To make a long story short, I found myself open to the idea of exploring a bit beyond what my professional duties required. Guess who my eyes eventually turned to?"

"Kushina," Soi-Fon answered, "Did you two ever… well… you know."

Mikoto sighed wistfully as she shook her head. "Ultimately, no… but believe me, there were times that I very much wanted to. I found myself wondering if she would be up for it… even came close to asking a few times. We were already close friends, and I was worried about potentially rupturing our bond, yet my heart… it kept asking if we could be more. One day, I resolved to open up fully to her. I went out to find her… and I did. The problem was… she wasn't alone."

"Who was she with?" asked Soi-Fon.

"Someone else that had always been close with her since we were kids," Mikoto answered, closing her eyes for a moment, "Someone that I had always known she'd looked at fondly, and I could never blame her for that. He'd even saved her life back when they were kids. She'd talked about him with me before, and I knew she felt something for him, but I'd convinced myself that maybe… just maybe… I still had a chance. That day, though… when I found the two of them sitting together at that ramen stall… looking so happy as they shared their meal, laughing and smiling… I knew that it wasn't to be."

"Oh," said Soi-Fon as she looked at Mikoto in sympathy, "So… you never told her, then?"

Mikoto shook her head. "No. That's the thing with love, Soi-Fon… real love, I mean. If you truly do love someone… then, above all else, you want them to be happy. When I saw just how happy Kushina was with Minato, I knew that they were meant for each other… which meant that I had to let go. I stayed close with Kushina; no matter what else, we were still best friends, and I treasured that friendship as dearly as I did my eventual relationship with Fugaku and the sons that he blessed me with. Even so, part of me still wondered 'what if?'… even after she and her husband gave their lives to save their newborn son and our village. I think that was part of why I wanted to adopt her orphaned boy. It wasn't just so I could care for him now that Kushina could not. It was so that I could treasure what was left of Kushina in the world. A selfish desire, I know. The boy deserved better… though I can't say the village really delivered for him on that front."

Soi-Fon looked down at the cloth beneath them. "Mikoto… I'm sorry."

Mikoto smiled. "Thank you, though you needn't worry, Soi-Fon. It was all a very long time ago. I've already come to terms with it. Your pain, by contrast, is still very much fresh. I won't say that time will heal it. The love that you feel for Yoruichi is genuine, and therefore it must hurt all the more for you to see her with someone else."

Soi-Fon took a deep breath and found a melancholic smile slowly creeping onto her face. "It… it does. Still… just because it hurts… I don't want to spread that pain to someone else. Itachi… it's strange… even though Yoruichi's with him and not me… I can't bring myself to be angry with him. Not really angry, I mean. Sometimes, maybe, when I'm really jealous, but even then… when I see Yoruichi smile around him… when she lights up with him… I can't stay mad. Your son, Mikoto… there's something about him that makes Yoruichi seem to glow even more than she did before. She feels brighter, somehow… and Itachi's the one who brought that out. I wish it was me making her smile like that… making her sunrise all the more radiant, but… just seeing that smile alone feels like enough. If Itachi's the one who can bring that out in her… who can make her the happiest that I've ever seen her… I can't hate him for that. I'm still jealous of him… but I can't stay angry at him. I don't want to. He's still a comrade… and a friend. If being with him makes Yoruichi happy… then I don't want to get in the way."

Mikoto nodded. "That was the attitude I ultimately took with Kushina. I can't say that I ever completely let go of what I felt, but I saw that she was happy, and that was enough. In the end, I did find my own happiness with Fugaku and in raising our boys, and I remained good friend with Kushina for the rest of her days. I believe that you're more than capable of doing the same. You have a good heart, Soi-Fon. I'm sure Yoruichi sees it just as clearly as I do."

Soi-Fon looked down at the cloth again. "Mikoto… thank you. You're… a very wise woman."

Mikoto sighed. "I appreciate that, but… well, don't go giving me too much credit. As much as I want to help you get through this, I think we both know that I can't be completely impartial here. After all, we are talking about the woman that my eldest son is in love with. When push comes to shove, I naturally can't help but side with him. That being said, your feelings deserve equal consideration. I at least wanted to give you that much, along with whatever comfort and closure I can. I'm sorry if I can't deliver that."

Soi-Fon smiled again, this time in gratitude. "No, you have. You've been honest with me ever since we've met, and what you told me today… I'm sure a lot of that wasn't easy to talk about, no matter how long ago it was. You dredged it all up to help me, though. That means a lot, Mikoto."

Mikoto smiled in return. "For you, I don't mind 'dredging' that up at all. It's not as difficult as you might think. Remembering the past can be painful, yes, especially when it involves a dear friend who was taken far before her time. However, talking about her also helps keep her memory alive. It helps remind me of those simpler times when we both still had some youthful innocence, and that's a treasure beyond measure."

Soi-Fon's eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to her. "Have you tried looking for her? Kushina, I mean. She sounds like a wonderful person, so I'm certain she came to the Soul Society after her death."

Mikoto looked off to the distance. "Whenever I've gone out into the Rukon District, I have kept an eye out for her… but it's so vast that I haven't found so much as a trace of her. Every time I see just about any shade of red hair, I get my hopes up, but they wind up dashed just as quickly. It's been more than a little disheartening, to tell you the truth. I know that the odds of a chance encounter with her are slim given just how large the Soul Society is, and yet… well, I want to believe in miracles. My son found me out there, remember?"

"I do," said Soi-Fon, "and I don't think he's the only one who deserves to have a lucky break like that. Still, it's better to make your own luck… or have a friend that can help you make it."

Mikoto's eyes widened slightly. "Soi-Fon… are you…?"

Soi-Fon nodded. "If you want to keep looking for Kushina, then I'd like to help you. My duties might keep me busy, but I can still make time to search with you. I don't know if the two of us will have much better luck than when you were searching by yourself, but another set of eyes wouldn't hurt, right?"

"No, they certainly wouldn't," Mikoto replied before taking Soi-Fon into a warm embrace, "Soi-Fon… thank you. This… you have no idea how much this means to me. I promise that I'll find some way to repay you."

Soi-Fon shook her head and smiled as she leaned into Mikoto's embrace, once again savoring the scent of her perfume and the feeling of her kimono's fine fabric against her skin. "Don't worry about that. We're friends, aren't we? Friends help each other with stuff like this… just like you helped me today."

"You're right," said Mikoto as she released Soi-Fon and looked upon her with a grateful smile, "and you're a very good friend indeed, Soi-Fon. If we do find Kushina… I think she's going to love you."

….

Several weeks later…

"Need a break yet?" asked Yoruichi with a challenging smirk as she and Itachi rounded a corner and began proceeding up yet another flight of marble steps.

"Hardly," Itachi replied with a confident smile, "It'll take more than a long climb to leave me winded. If you need to rest, though, I suppose I can halt a bit for your sake."

Yoruichi laughed before playfully punching him on the shoulder. "And let you show me up? Not on your life!"

While her earlier question might have been in jest, Itachi would have found it more than understandable if others needed to pause during the arduous climb. The Flóga Aiónia had looked imposing from a distance, but when Itachi and Yoruichi had arrived at its base he could only then truly appreciate the scale of the tower that the two of them were now ascending. Few structures Itachi had seen in his life could come close to rivaling the awe-inspiring heights of the Shihōin Clan Principality's grand lighthouse. The simple of act of climbing its stairs to reach the summit would be considered a workout by normal folks or even the average Soul Reaper; Itachi could only imagine just how fit those who worked it for a living were.

There is a service elevator, Jigoku no Joō pointed out, I know you saw it; it was pretty close to the main entrance. We could've just taken that.

Where's the fun in that? Besides, with how richly we've been eating during our stay, we could use the exercise.

Are you calling your girlfriend fat? I thought you were more tactful than that!

That's not what I meant, and you know it. It's not like we've been entirely idle in our time here, after all.

Oh, believe me, I know. I'm amazed that the bed in that fancy room you two share is still intact.

Well, that's hardly been for lack of trying on our part.

Even leaving out their more amorous activities, the remainder of Itachi and Yoruichi's vacation had certainly been a lively one. They had caught horse races at the Atmeydani, sailed on the Shihōin Clan's luxurious personal yacht, ventured down into the bustling markets of Alraayie to sample goods from all over the Soul Society, taken Sand Racers out to explore some of the ancient temples and tombs that dotted the dunes beyond the city, sparred with Kiemon and Yoko in the palace's private training grounds, delved into the family's private archives, and much more besides. It had been a positively magical experience for Itachi. His duties and responsibilities as a Soul Reaper had faded completely from his mind; for these past few glorious weeks, the world beyond the Shihōin Clan Principality had simply ceased to exist as far as Itachi was concerned.

Itachi had never experienced anything like it before. In his life, there had always been the specter of duty hanging over his shoulder in one form or another. Even in his afterlife, that had remained the same, apart from those few weeks between his initial arrival in the Soul Society and taking the Academy entrance exams. Being out here with Yoruichi, though, so far from the Seireitei and the Squad Two barracks, had completely altered Itachi's perspective.

I always knew that there was more to life than what I'd allowed myself to experience in the past, Itachi mused, but the difference between knowing that intellectually and actually exploring those aspects firsthand is something else entirely. Had I truly understood what was out there beyond the life of a Shinobi, would I have still gone down that career path in my first life? Even the simple concept of a vacation seemed foreign to me back then, but now…

His gaze turned to the stunning woman who had opened his eyes to all that he had missed out on in his first life. Who would Itachi be if he had never met Yoruichi that fateful night out in the Rukon District all those years ago? She had not only saved his afterlife in the literal sense, but had broadened his horizons beyond anything he could possibly have imagined before. Though Yoruichi would say otherwise, Itachi could not help but feel greatly indebted to her for that. What she had given him, in her acceptance and love, was more precious in his mind than even the vaunted Sharingan than his clan had prized above nearly all else.

Of course, with him so openly staring at Yoruichi, it did not take her long at all to call attention to it. "See something you like?"

Smiling, Itachi reached around to place his hand behind her back and pulled her in for a fierce kiss. "Do you really have to ask?"

Yoruichi winked and smirked sultrily. "Guess I shouldn't, but I can't help it."

Continuing their climb, Yoruichi took Itachi's hand in hers. "I wish we didn't have to hit the road tomorrow. The time we've spent out here… it's gone by all too quickly."

"Agreed," said Itachi, "It's felt almost like a dream… one that I really don't want to wake up from."

"We can dream together for a while longer," Yoruichi replied as she squeezed his hand, "and the best part of it is just a little further above us."

"I was wondering why you hadn't brought us out to the lighthouse before now," Itachi remarked as he glanced out one of the many small openings in the structure's marble façade, "As grand as the view from the palace gardens might be, it has some stiff competition here."

Even though the window offered a very limited view of the outside world, the glimpse it gave was still a fantastic one. At this angle, it faced towards Alraayie itself rather than the sea, but that just meant Itachi had a different sort of tapestry to behold. He and Yoruichi might not have reached the apex of their climb just yet, but they were still very high up, and that was reflected in how Itachi saw the city below. With the last rays of sunlight about to vanish over the horizon, the urban landscape was dotted with the flickering orange lights of thousands of torches, so numerous that it seemed as though stars had fallen from the evening sky to set the ground aglow. Even with the imminent onset of night, it was easy to make out key landmarks like the arena, the Atmeydani, and the palace amongst others, but from this altitude they and the city itself almost seemed more like a model rather than the capital of a Great Noble House's Principality. Despite his experience and training, the view from up here still nearly inspired a spell of vertigo in Itachi, and he could only imagine just what he would feel once they reached the peak.

Turning back to Yoruichi, he saw a knowing look in her eyes. "Really something else, isn't it?"

Itachi nodded as they continued their ascent. "It is. Back in the Shinobi World, you could only find views like it from atop mountains or cliffsides. Few of our manmade structures could come even close in scale and grandeur. I suppose that the Hokage Rock could be considered one, though that's really just a bit of human art carved from nature."

"The buildings we saw in the Leaf Village weren't too shabby," Yoruichi pointed out, "though I know they really built the place up compared to when you had last seen it."

"That's true," Itachi conceded, "I suppose it's possible that other locations in the Shinobi World have undergone similar such modernizations and renewals. It makes me wonder what outside the Leaf Village has changed over the years since my death. All those lands that I traveled during my time with the Akatsuki, and the people within them… how have they grown and evolved since last I saw them?"

"We could find out," Yoruichi offered, "It wouldn't be too hard to come up with a mission excuse so you and I could head on out there. I know you wanted to honor your self-imposed exile from the Leaf Village, but there are plenty of other places in the Shinobi World we could investigate. We could say that we want to scout for Hollows. It's as good a pretense as any."

Itachi smiled before shaking his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I think we should limit our trips there to strictly necessary missions. I don't want to take advantage of the grace you've shown me."

"I wouldn't consider it as that," Yoruichi countered as she gave him a gentle and understanding smile in return, "but I think I know where you're really coming from here. Going back to the Shinobi World… even if we didn't go to the Leaf Village, just being in that Realm of the Living must bring back a lot of awful memories for you."

"Not all my memories of that world are so horrible," Itachi replied softly, "but… the shadow of my past does become much harder to ignore there."

Yoruichi nodded. "Then we'll give it a wide berth unless a mission dictates otherwise… or until you tell me that you want to pay it a visit. How's that sound?"

"That sounds just fine," said Itachi.

Proceeding up a few more flights, Itachi soon felt a breeze wafting through the spiraling staircase, and the smell of sea salt was in the air. Rounding a corner, he and Yoruichi found themselves at a flat stretch of marble. To the left was a pair of wooden doors leading deeper into the lighthouse, and given their altitude combined with the immensely powerful spirit energy he could sense just up above, Itachi surmised that what was beyond them probably granted direct to the beacon. It was to the right that Yoruichi pulled him, though, towards the open archway that the breeze was entering through. His nerves abuzz with anticipation and curiosity, Itachi eagerly allowed himself to be drawn along towards their ultimate destination.

They stepped through the archway and came out onto a wide balcony. If the height from the earlier peek outside had been daunting, now it was damn near dizzying. Itachi's discomfort was only fleeting, though, and swiftly gave way to wonder as he and Yoruichi reached the railing at the end of the balcony and beheld a spectacular view. Unlike the window from before, the balcony faced out towards the sea and all its majesty. What looked like flickers of light akin to the torches illuminating the city Itachi belatedly realized were lanterns affixed to ships entering the harbor, all gently rocking with the waves. Guiding them home was a beam of golden-yellow light flooding forth from behind Itachi and Yoruichi; the beacon of the lighthouse itself. Even with his back to it, the illumination was so intense that Itachi nearly needed to shield his eyes, and he dared not turn around to gaze directly at it. He could feel the spirit energy powering the beacon thrum and pulse, steadily gaining in strength as night fell. The crests of incoming waves began to sparkle as they drew near and caught the light of the beacon, while the water closest to the shore and base of the lighthouse took on a brass-like sheen as it was bathed in the tower's radiance.

"Incredible…" Itachi whispered as he took it all in.

"Isn't it?" Yoruichi concurred with a wistful sigh, "I can remember the first time I was taken up here like it's yesterday. When I came to this balcony with my parents and saw the harbor lit up by the beacon… I was mesmerized. Even now, it's still quite enchanting."

Itachi nodded. "I can see why you wanted to wait until our last day before taking me out here. I can't think of a better note to end our stay on."

Yoruichi smirked slyly. "This isn't the end, Itachi. We're not leaving until tomorrow morning, which means we've still got one last night together in that lovely room back at the palace."

Itachi chuckled. "Of course. We'll have to give it a proper sendoff, then."

"Oh, I plan on it," Yoruichi purred into his ear as she leaned against him.

They stood silently together for a few minutes and savored the view before Itachi turned to her. "Yoruichi… thank you for this. For the entire trip, I mean. All my life… my first one and this one… I had no idea that this was the sort of thing I'd been missing out on."

"Hey now, we've still got the trek back," Yoruichi pointed out, "and we'll be staying at least a few days in Alaitisal Alakhir. Gotta keep my word to Yasira and let her host us for a bit, after all. The fun's not over yet."

Itachi inclined his head before taking both her hands in his and meeting her gaze. "I know, and I'm very much looking forward to that. Still, that doesn't change the fact that I only got to experience all of this in the first place because of you."

"Well, I'd say that you deserve it more than anyone else I know," Yoruichi murmured as she pulled him in for a tender kiss, "If I have anything to say about it, this won't be the last trip I take you on, and I'm not referring to missions here. Next time, I'll take you up the river to its source. I'm not usually one for the cold, but the mountains and glaciers that the Mueti Alhayaa stem from are beautiful in their own right. More than worth enduring a bit of chill to see… especially with you by my side."

"If that's going to be our next vacation, then I can hardly wait for it," said Itachi as he released Yoruichi's hands, only to take her in his arms, "Besides, I think we know a few ways to keep each other warm by now, so the cold won't be a problem."

"No, it won't," Yoruichi whispered as she reached up to place her hands behind Itachi's head and neck.

She pulled him in again, and Itachi eagerly pressed his lips to hers once more. Mouths opened and tongues swirled in a libidinous dance, just a taste of the passion that the two of them were yearning to unleash when they got back to the palace. Only the need to breathe eventually forced them apart, and even then, they refused to completely release each other.

"I love you, Yoruichi Shihōin," Itachi murmured as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"And I love you, Itachi Uchiha," Yoruichi whispered while her fingernails gently trailed along the back of his neck.

Still holding each other, the two of them turned to face out over the harbor. Their gazes followed the path of the lighthouse's beacon out to the starry horizon and beyond, savoring the view as much as they did the presence of each other. What the future held for them both, neither could say… and right now, it did not matter. They had one another, and the knowledge of their shared feelings.

And that was more than enough.

Author's Notes: Alright, let's get the Zanpakutō names out of the way first. For Yoko's Shikai, the rough translation I was going for was 'Mind's Eye'. As for Yoruichi's Bankai, the English translation I was going for there was 'Lightning Maiden's Holy Storm'. As usual, I'm using online translation here. If it's not perfect, tough shit. Oh, and for those who are about to complain that the name of Yoruichi's Bankai doesn't include the name of her Shikai, let me remind you that there are other Zanpakutō in Bleach where the Shikai and Bankai names are quite different. Example; Ryūjin Jakka for Yamamoto's Shikai and Zanka no Tachi for his Bankai. I could include other examples, but I figured I'd just go with the most prominent one. I like to imagine that most of you are already aware of examples like this, but experience has taught me that it pays to cover one's bases because there's always someone who didn't bother to pay attention.

Next chapter's going to be a bit of a breather, a chance to catch up with the wider cast since these past couple of updates were Itachi and Yoruichi centric. I'm also writing it as a bit of a lull because the arc that comes afterward is going to include the fic's first war. Won't be a particularly long one, but it'll shake up the Soul Society quite significantly and help clear the stage for the events of the Turn Back The Pendulum arc. Unfortunately, it is going to take a while to write it all; work's been as busy as ever on my end.

Unrelated note, but I wanted to say thanks to everyone who's following this story. This fic started as another side project of mine, yet somewhere along the way it wound up being my most followed story on this site by a significant margin compared to my other works. It's a bit intimidating knowing that my audience has expanded so much since I first started this story, but also gratifying. So, thank you for giving this story a chance and sticking with me, and sorry it takes me so long to post updates. I've always worked best at a slow and steady pace. In my experience, rush jobs invite sloppiness, and I have a strong aversion to that.

Also, sorry if I come across as rather prickly in PMs sometimes. The years and my work have honestly soured my demeanor somewhat. I've always preferred seclusion, even in my younger days, but now it's probably something closer to full-on misanthropy. Don't work a call center job for a living if you want to remain a social animal; the pay's good, but it ruins your taste for other people pretty quick. I try not to take out that stuff on people outside of work, but sometimes it does slip through.

Last, but certainly not least, I recently had the pleasure of working with Enigmatic Bandit (who went by Steeler Steelix when we were working on this) on a one-shot of their's that is kind of a tie in to this story, or at least inspired by it. It's called 'Eyes of the Soul: Hanabi Interlude'. As the title indicates, it involves Hanabi in the Eyes of the Soul setting. I'd say it's non-canonical to Eyes of the Soul itself right now only because I haven't actually included Hanabi in the fic yet, but I am on the lookout for an opportunity to bring her in at some point. Anyway, go check it out, I daresay it's a nice little read!

Well, hope you all liked the chapter. By the time I post another, it'll be 2023, so happy new year in advance. Feel free to review, stay safe, and I'll see you all next time!