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.

31. Chapter 31

Author's Notes: Hello there! So, you may have noticed that I changed the rating for this story to M, along with those of my other stories. Reason for that is I got a message from a reader a while back claiming that the site admins would soon be conducting a purge of stories that don't strictly adhere to the age rating guidelines. Not sure if there's truth to it, but seeing as my writing does at times go up against the line between T and M, possibly even tiptoeing over it on occasion, I decided on bumping the rating up. It's really more of a precaution than anything else, my actual writing style and the sort of content my stories contain isn't going to change. I've always been more of a 'spirit of the law' rather than 'letter of the law' kind of guy, but if the site admins are going through with a content purge I have no way of knowing if said admins share my particular outlook on things such as language or certain kinds of violence. So, the show goes on, just with a different rating for formality's sake and to keep the admins off my back.

It's funny, I recall earlier in the story I'd apologized for writing long chapters and said I'd work on making them shorter. Fast forward to today and I've done… well, none of that, really. And you know what? I was an idiot for thinking that I should do that in the first place. I've always preferred long-form content, and I couldn't write any other way even if I wanted to. Besides, my philosophy for writing fanfic has always been 'write what you enjoy' first and foremost, and I very much enjoy this style. So, no regrets going forward; long-form's the only thing on the menu. If you've made it this far into the story then you're no doubt used to it by now, so this note is really nothing more than stating the blatantly obvious. If you were still under the impression I might change my ways at some point, well, time to kill that dream, pal.

I appreciate the participation I got in the Q&A prompt from my prior chapter's author's notes. I decided to just answer as PMs, so I hope that I got to all of you who have accounts that I can reply to. If I missed one, just PM me and I'll try to get to it. Speaking of PMs, for some reason the site has been weird the past few months, I'm not getting any sort of email notifications for PMs or reviews no matter what I do with my account settings. So if I don't get back to you quickly, it's most likely due to that. I also go through periods of social withdrawal, including from online interaction, so a delay in response on my part might also be due to that. When you're an introvert who has worked auto insurance claims for 10 years and counting (holy crap, I'm really starting to question my life choices now), you tend to find increasing value in the periods of time where you don't have to talk to anyone. So, apologies if I don't get back to messages or review right away, you probably just caught me in one of my 'I need to get away from people' phases. Rest assured, normal service and interaction will resume once I've had a chance to recharge my social batteries.

Alright, enough chatter out of me, I've kept you all waiting on the new chapter for too long already.

Enjoy!

Part Two: Midnight Reprisal

One week later…

"How much further?" asked Rangiku as she tugged eagerly on Itachi's robes.

"We're almost there," Itachi reassured her.

Next to Rangiku, Gin seemed skeptical. "You said that an hour ago."

"He was just as right then as he is now," Jiraiya pushed back with a patient smile, "It's all a matter of perspective. Compared to where we started from, we hit the home stretch an hour ago."

"Well, my perspective is that my feet are killing me," Rangiku pouted.

"I promise you, we really are close now," said Itachi as he gently patted the girl's head, "It's just a bit further up the block."

"I think I can see the top of it now, actually," Jiraiya remarked as he stood up on his tiptoes, "That's it up there, right? Two-story house on the other side of the bakery?"

Itachi nodded as he followed Jiraiya's gaze. "Yes, that would be it."

Rangiku sniffed deeply and smiled. "It smells so good up there! We get to live next to that?"

Itachi gave her a small smile. "That's right."

Even the ever-wary Gin seemed to approve, if him licking his lips was anything to go by. "I wonder what treats they have there…"

"You'll get to find out once we've shown you two the new place," said Jiraiya, "I think the least Itachi and I can do is treat you two to something nice since you put your faith in us like this."

Gin looked around, taking in the pleasant atmosphere of North Rukon District 1. "Well, this is definitely a step up from North 64."

The boy was not wrong about that. As the name indicated, North Rukon 1 was right on the northern border of the Seireitei, and thanks to such an advantageous position it was one of the safest districts that a soul could call home. The contrast between it and North 64 was as clear as day; while many of the dwellings in Gin and Rangiku's old stomping grounds were in various states of decay and disrepair, practically every building along the streets of North 1 appeared immaculately maintained. There was a much more open and carefree attitude to North 1's residents when compared to those of North 64, who by necessity had to be much more cautious and guarded simply to get through the day. The denizens wore much finer clothing than those of the souls in the outer districts, neat and properly cleaned rather than haphazardly thrown together or stitched up.

"Will we get to explore later?" Rangiku asked as her head constantly swiveled back and forth, eagerly taking in everything around her.

"To your heart's content after we've gotten you two settled in," Itachi answered, "Just promise me that you won't try wandering beyond this district until Jiraiya and I have had a chance to teach you. We want you two to be able to protect yourselves when you venture out, and until you can, you're still quite vulnerable."

"Even after we start your training, you two will still need to be careful," Jiraiya added, "You're both young; your bodies still have quite a bit of growing left to do. Right now, you don't have the same strength as most people around you, despite your spirit energy. You can still be physically overpowered."

Gin nodded. "We'll watch our backs."

The episode with Manda had almost certainly shaken the boy's confidence, which Itachi considered to be a good thing. There was nothing like a close brush with death to put things into perspective, to make one realize that they were a small fish in a very big pond. Itachi was sure that Gin would prove to be a very attentive student for Jiraiya, striving to learn all he could so that he'd be able to protect both himself and Rangiku.

The quartet came to a stop a couple minutes later, and Itachi looked their destination up and down. "Well, we're here."

By Seireitei standards, or even those of the Inner Rukon, the building was not much to look at. Great Noble Houses and minor nobility alike maintained a network of dwellings outside the Seireitei for use as safehouses, secret caches, and obscure meeting places. The one that stood before Itachi and his companions now was owned by the Shihōin Clan, made available for housing Gin and Rangiku thanks to a request that Yoruichi had put in with her mother. As it was meant not to draw attention, the building blended in well with those surrounding it. It sported a plain and traditional design from an Asian culture in the Realm of the Living known as Terra, with wooden walls sporting large white sections, a small set of stairs leading up to a sliding door at the entrance, and a gently curving ceramic-tiled roof.

By Outer Rukon standards, the safehouse must have seemed downright palatial, at least if Rangiku's dropping jaw was any indicator. "Whoa…"

Even the inscrutable Gin seemed impressed as his gaze swept over the building. "This is a nice place. It's really for us?"

"Until Jiraiya and I determine that you've grown strong enough, yes," Itachi replied, "My Captain was generous enough to convince her family that you two were worthy of their shelter. Treat this place with due respect. There are servants who will stop by periodically for basic maintenance and to restock provisions, but you two should still try to keep it tidy. It's the least you can do to thank the owners."

Jiraiya smiled as he knelt between the two youths and patted them both on the back. "It's going to be your new home for a while. Take care of it, and it will take care of you."

Rangiku nodded vigorously, a wide grin on her face. "We will!"

As if on cue, the front door slid open, revealing a light-skinned woman wearing a purple and black kimono. He raven hair was tied up in a bun, and her dark brown eyes lit up as she saw Itachi.

"Oh, you're Lady Yoruichi's friend," she said by way of greeting, "Eighth Seat Itachi Uchiha, yes?"

Itachi inclined his head. "That's right. I believe we've met before at her family's parties… Megumi Tamanaha, right?"

Megumi bowed deeply. "I'm honored that you remember me, sir. Most people don't pay much mind to the servants of a Great Noble House."

"That's a pity," Itachi remarked, "Seeing as you and your compatriots always work so hard to make sure we're properly cared for whenever Yoruichi and I stop by, your efforts deserve greater recognition."

Megumi smiled. "That's very kind of you to say, Eighth Seat Uchiha. I can see why Lady Yoruichi is so taken with you."

Itachi returned her smile before gesturing over her shoulder at the home beyond. "Is everything ready?"

Megumi nodded. "I just finished looking it all over. Beds are set and provisions are stocked. I left a copy of the maintenance schedule inside so the guests won't be surprised when my coworkers and I come by for cleaning."

"Much appreciated," said Itachi as he glanced at Gin and Rangiku, "Jiraiya and I will do our best to ensure that these two don't make your job too difficult."

"My friends and I would be most grateful for that," she replied before stepping past Itachi and kneeling to put herself on level with Gin and Rangiku, smiling again as she looked the two youths over, "You two are going to be very comfortable here. I hope you enjoy your stay."

Jiraiya gently nudged them, prompting Gin and Rangiku to bow in unison. "Thank you."

"You're quite welcome," said Megumi before reaching down and taking two small pouches that were tied to her sash and passing them to the kids, "By the way, these are for you. A gift from Lady Yoriko."

Gin and Rangiku accepted the pouches, looked at each other for a moment, and then peered inside. Rangiku's eyes quickly widened, while Gin tilted his head quizzically.

"What's this?" he asked as he pulled a coin with a hole in the center out.

Megumi chuckled. "It's Kan, obviously. You know, money? Everyone needs it, can't live without it, even in the Soul Society."

Gin was not amused. "I know that. I meant, why are you giving it to us?"

"There's a lot in here…" Rangiku murmured as she ran her fingers through the pouch's contents.

"Lady Yoriko wanted you two to have some personal spending money," Megumi explained, "Consider the contents of those bags to be an allowance. You'll be given the same amount every two weeks."

Rangiku gasped. "Really?"

Megumi nodded. "That's right. Also, I left a list of chores for you two inside. Myself or one of the other servants will come by every two weeks, and if the chores on that list have been completed, then Lady Yoriko will double your allowance for that period."

Gin looked at her with suspicion. "Sounds like you're trying to bribe us into doing your job for you."

Megumi laughed. "Not a very trusting boy, are you? The chores aren't all that difficult, I promise! The hardest tasks aren't on the list; those will be attended to by my coworkers and I. Lady Yoriko simply seeks to instill in you two some sense of responsibility, and the allowance bonus is your reward."

"She's really fine with this?" Jiraiya chimed in as he eyed the satchels, "That looks like a fair bit of money to be dishing out every two weeks, let alone doubling it if the kids finish the chores on time."

Megumi waved a hand dismissively. "For someone of Lady Yoriko's status, this doesn't even count as pocket change."

"No kidding," Itachi remarked before turning to his friend, "You've been to the family estate, right?"

"Only by invite for a few parties," Jiraiya replied, "and I spent most of the time hanging out in the gardens with you or drinking with my Captain. Never seen the inside of the mansion."

"And the outside alone didn't offer hint enough as to the family's wealth?" Itachi prodded.

Jiraiya smirked. "Yeah, good point."

"Rest assured that Lady Yoriko has no qualms about continuing to provide this allowance until these two are ready to begin their lives beyond the safehouse," said Megumi, rising before inclining her head towards Itachi and Jiraiya, "I'm afraid that I must be returning to the Seireitei now. You'll find everything you need inside. Oh, and Third Seat Urahara was by earlier to put the finishing touches on his little project. He asked me to pass along a message; the training ground's ready for immediate use."

Itachi nodded. "Good to know. Thanks again for all your help."

Megumi inclined her head before turning towards the Legendary Sannin. "Of course. Oh, and Seventh Seat Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya looked at her. "Yeah?"

"The special items you requested are inside," Megumi finished, "You'll find them on the dining table."

Jiraiya smiled. "Ah, that's good. Thank you."

"You're quite welcome," Megumi replied before bowing to the group as a whole, "I hope that this safehouse serves you well. Until we meet again."

Itachi glanced at Jiraiya as Megumi headed off towards the Seireitei. "Special items?"

"I sent a letter to Lady Yoriko after you and Yoruichi got things going," Jiraiya explained with a grin, "Turns out being friends with her daughter's paramour gets me some access… and it just so happens that Lady Yoriko's among my readers. I've even gotten a fan letter from her!"

Itachi was a bit taken aback. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope, completely serious," Jiraiya answered, "I can show you the letter later if you don't believe me."

"That won't be necessary," Itachi muttered, still trying to wrap his head around the notion of an aristocrat as influential and powerful as Lady Yoriko sitting down to read the risqué literary works of Jiraiya and becoming an avid fan of them.

"What's a paramour?" Rangiku asked.

Jiraiya chuckled as he looked back and forth between Itachi and Rangiku. "Oh, a little something you're not old enough to learn about yet."

What was that about?

I think it's quite clear, Jigoku no Joō chimed in, although I can't say I'm surprised that you haven't picked up on it yet.

Well, then enlighten me.

Oh, come on, you can put it together. A handsome man saves a little girl's life, then helps her and her friend begin a new life that's significantly more comfortable than what they knew before? The way she's looked at you ever since you snatched her away from Manda's jaws can only be interpreted one way; she has a crush on you.

Itachi glanced down at Rangiku, and the girl immediately smiled and batted her eyelashes when she saw him looking at her. "Itachi, you'll tell me what a paramour is, won't you?"

See what I mean?

Oh, dear.

Itachi shook his head. "No, I'm with Jiraiya on this one. It's not important now, anyway."

She's going to be quite upset when she eventually learns the truth. At least let her down gently.

When the time comes. For now, we have more immediate concerns.

Rangiku put her hands on her hips and pouted. "Aw, why not? It's not like I'm sheltered. I'm from Outer Rukon, remember?"

"We know that, Rangiku," Jiraiya chimed in as he nudged her and Gin towards the front door while winking at Itachi, "but there's a time and place for everything. For now, why don't we all go inside and check out your new home?"

Itachi led the way inside. The ground floor of the home was simply yet well-appointed. The interior had a very traditional style, with the floor made up of tatami mats laid over wood. Leaving their footwear at the door, they spent a few minutes looking around the ground floor. From the entryway, wound their way through a series of translucent paper dividers that segmented the floor into a washroom, a kitchen, a small storage room, a staircase that led to the upper floor, and a central living and dining area. Laid out on a low and finely polished table, Itachi found a note. Picking it up, he quickly read the contents.

'Far left corner of the ground floor. Palm on last tile before the wall. Responds to yours, Jiraiya's, Yoruichi's and the kids' spiritual pressure. Mine too, of course. Everything's all set below. Have fun!'

It wasn't signed, but that was hardly necessary; Itachi knew Kisuke's handwriting, and the message was very much in his style. His gaze quickly shifted towards the other objects on the table. It was a series of four small rectangular wood block cards, their top surfaces solid red. Each one had a loop of black thread strung through a hole in the top.

"What are these supposed to be?" he asked.

Jiraiya smiled. "The 'special items' that the lovely Megumi mentioned earlier. Pick one up and check out the other side."

Itachi did so, and upon flipping the card over he found a cartoonish image of a green frog's face upon a white background. Beneath the frog was a name; Jiraiya.

"I think this is for you," Itachi remarked as he passed the card over to his fellow Soul Reaper.

Jiraiya nodded as he took the card before gesturing at the other three. "There's one for each of us, you included."

Itachi flipped the remaining three over. Sure enough, each one had a frog face, and the names of Gin, Rangiku and Itachi were beneath them.

"Aw, they're kind of cute!" Rangiku cooed as she picked hers up.

"What are they for?" asked Gin as he studied his.

Itachi saw Jiraiya look around the room for a moment, and the Legendary Sannin's gaze eventually fell upon the back wall. "Ah, there it is. Come over here."

Itachi and the two youths followed Jiraiya over to a spot where four pins jutted out from the wall. Jiraiya took his block card and hung it on one of the pins with the red side facing outwards.

"This is a little system I came up with a long time ago," Jiraiya explained, "As you can all see, each card is assigned to one of us. When we're at this house, we flip our cards to show the red side. When any of us are not here, we flip our card to show the frog side facing up. Easy to remember, right?"

"Useful, too," Itachi remarked as he hung his block card next to Jiraiya's, "If one of us isn't here but our card still has the red side facing out, then it's an alert to the others that something has gone wrong."

"Exactly," Jiraiya confirmed.

"Why do we need this?" asked Gin, "I thought we were supposed to be safe here."

"You're much safer here then you would've been out in North 64," Jiraiya replied, "Even so, this is still the Rukon, which means you should still be careful. It never hurts to take precautions."

"I like it," Rangiku chirped as she got up on her tiptoes and hung her card on the wall next to Itachi's, "Whenever we come home, we'll know if everyone else is here. Isn't it great, Gin?"

"I guess so," the silver-haired youth answered, hesitating for a moment before eventually hanging his card on the last pin next to Rangiku's.

The four of them then went to tour the upstairs. The second floor was split into two bedrooms, each with a pair of bedrolls and several blankets tucked away in closets. Rangiku made it immediately clear that she would only stay in whatever room Gin was in, so Itachi and Jiraiya spent a few minutes laying the bedrolls, covers and everything else that was needed out in the room on the east side of the second floor. That room had the luxury of facing out towards the central street of North 1, with sliding walls that could be parted to allow its occupants a chance to step out onto a small upper deck and enjoy sights and sounds of the bustling thoroughfare below. The second bedroom would be Itachi or Jiraiya's should either of them feel the need to spend the night.

"This is amazing!" Rangiku gushed after Itachi had slid open the wall panel, leaning against the deck's railing and looking back and forth, "There's nothing like this back in North 64. Gin, come out here!"

The youth did so, his slitted eyes somehow narrowing even further as he surveyed the district. "Nice view."

"Nice? It's incredible!" Rangiku insisted, "We should come out here when its dark out later. I bet this neighborhood's real pretty at night! What do you think?"

Gin looked over at his friend and graced her with a very small, almost tender smile. "I think I'd like that."

"You'll have plenty of time to savor the view later," Itachi chimed in, "Jiraiya and I still need to show you the most important part of the house."

The quartet went back downstairs, with Itachi heading towards the corner of the ground floor that Kisuke's note had specified. Placing his palm on the designated tile, Itachi then heard a low rumbling coming from behind and below. Turning around, he saw the section of floor beneath where the wooden block cards had been hung earlier slide back, revealing a staircase descending into darkness. Said darkness quickly began to recede as crystals much the same as those Kisuke had installed in the shelter out in North 64 flared to life on both sides.

"Let's move," said Itachi, already stepping down the stairs, "The tile's probably on a timer."

"Come on, kiddos," Jiraiya urged as he nudged Gin and Rangiku forward.

The haste indeed turned out to be warranted, for the tile slid shut mere seconds after the Legendary Sannin and his wards had begun their descent, narrowly missing catching Jiraiya's long tail of white hair in the process. As they moved down, Itachi noticed that these stairs went considerably deeper than the ones from Kisuke's prior shelter.

A necessary measure, he thought, given that we'll be training Gin and Rangiku down here. As their power grows, there's always the chance that it could have adverse effects on their surroundings. Putting the training ground down so low will help mitigate any potential harm to the residents above.

After about a minute or two, they finally reached the end of the staircase. More luminescent crystals gleamed to life, revealing a central rocky chamber. It wasn't quite as big as the one that Kisuke had fashioned for himself and Yoruichi beneath Sōkyoku Hill, but it was hardly something to scoff at either. The middle of it was dominated by a broad clearing, and scattered about were a series of mounds, outcroppings and trenches meant to provide cover during training sessions. At the far eastern edge of the cavern was a hots spring similar to the ones beneath Sōkyoku Hill and in the hideout back in North 64, and Itachi spotted three additional passageways branching off from the chamber.

"Escape tunnels," he remarked as he gestured at them.

Jiraiya nodded, planting both hands on his hips as he surveyed the room with a satisfied smile. "Kisuke was thorough. I'll have to find some way to repay the guy."

"Whoa…" Rangiku murmured, her eyes widening as she took in the spacious cavern, "This place is huge!"

"It's really for us?" Gin asked.

Jiraiya grinned. "That's right. Itachi and I will be teaching you down here. This place is very sturdy, so even after your powers have grown, you'll be able to go all out."

"You can also hide out down here if there are intruders in the home and Jiraiya and I aren't here to help," Itachi added, pointing at the three passageways, "Those tunnels will come out a few blocks away from the safehouse, so you'll be able to get far away from any intruders."

"Hopefully, you'll never have to use them," said Jiraiya, "but it pays to be prepared."

Rangiku was bouncing on her heels, itching to run loose but barely restraining herself. She cast a pleading look up at Itachi, and he didn't need to be a mind reader to know what she wanted.

Itachi smiled and gestured broadly at the training ground. "You want to explore? Go right ahead. Today's all about you getting to know your new home, after all."

Rangiku beamed as she tugged on her friend's sleeve. "Come on, Gin!"

The strawberry blonde girl bolted, dragging her somewhat bemused silver haired companion along behind. As the two of them darted around the various outcroppings and crawled through the trenches, Itachi sat down on a small ledge next to Jiraiya.

"Is it everything you wanted for them?" he asked the Legendary Sannin as the two of them watched the kids scurry about.

"I'd feel greedy if I asked for more," Jiraiya answered before turning to Itachi, "Thanks for this. It's going to make a world of a difference for those two… and for me."

Itachi shrugged. "Thank Yoruichi, her mother, and Kisuke. I just put in a few requests, nothing more."

"Yeah, but because you were the one asking, they made all this happen as quickly as it did," Jiraiya countered, smiling as he heartily patted Itachi on the back, "Next time my Captain and I go out drinking, you and Yoruichi should come along. I'll pick up the tab. Least I can do to pay you back for this. What do you say?"

Itachi could not help but smile again as imaginings of how such an evening might play out danced through his mind. "I know Yoruichi would be up for it. Once we've got a good night for it lined up, I'll let you know."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Looking forward to it!"

The two of them looked on in contented silence as Rangiku lead Gin on a merry chase through the training ground. The gears in Itachi's head spun anew as he started planning for the future.

"I'll do what I can to help with their instruction," he said after a moment, "but between my own duties, the investigation I'm running into the Uchiha presence at the Drakken Clan estate, and the ongoing efforts to find more Shinobi out in the Rukon District, my hands are a bit full. My involvement from here on out it is likely going to be quite limited."

Jiraiya nodded. "I figured as much. I'll take the lead when it comes to Gin and Rangiku, though it does mean I'll have less time to join you for those searches out in Rukon for people from our old Realm of the Living."

"That's fine," Itachi replied, "I was actually going to suggest that you bow out of that entirely and focus on these two. Their need for attention and care is immediate; any Shinobi wandering around the Rukon are a secondary concern."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

"I am," Itachi confirmed, "We can't spread ourselves too thin, otherwise we'll burn out. It's important that we have a healthy respect for our limitations."

"Focus on what's right in front of you," Jiraiya remarked, "since that's where you can have the most impact. Go with the flow on the rest. Sound about right?"

"That's roughly the sentiment," said Itachi, "I would ask Mother, Shisui and Visaelya to fully take on the searches in the Rukon, but I can't entirely let that task go. I've become… invested, you could say."

He felt Jiraiya's keen gaze boring into him. "Thinking you'll find Sasuke out there?"

"I'm hoping not," Itachi answered, "Not for a very long time yet, at least. There are a few other people that I'm more immediately preoccupied with."

"The old Akatsuki crew?" Jiraiya prodded.

"Some of them, yes," Itachi confirmed, "We can at least cross Deidara off the list, and I can think of a few others among their number who are probably in Hell rather than here, but we can't rule anything out. Of the more likely suspects, Kisame's the one I'm really keeping an eye out for."

"The shark swordsman, right?" Jiraiya asked.

Itachi nodded. "One and the same."

Jiraiya scratched his chin. "Only have a limited impression of the guy. He seemed like a real vicious piece of work. Hard to imagine him in the Soul Society rather than Hell."

"Maybe, but I'm keeping my mind open to all possibilities," Itachi replied, "That viciousness you speak of… I won't say that it's not genuine, because it very much is, but it's hardly the only aspect of Kisame. I had some suspicions while I was working with him as to what he really meant by us being alike. Looking back on it now, I don't think it was as simple as I'd once believed. Should I meet him again, I'd like to get confirmation."

"You think he'd be in a talkative mood?" Jiraiya asked, "He looked like a pretty tough customer. I can't exactly picture him giving up information about his past lightly. Want my help? I was pretty good at interrogations back in the day."

Itachi shook his head. "I'd rather work alone on that one. Seeing as he was my partner when I was with the Akatsuki, it's only right that I be the one to seek him out… and to deal with him, should things go that way. If we found Orochimaru here and he proved to be a threat, wouldn't you prefer it the same?"

Jiraiya's brow furrowed. "Part of me says yes, but the other says I'd rather have you backing me up. I always felt like he was my responsibility since I let him get way all those years ago, yet I know how dangerous he can be. Even with all I've learned since coming here, I might not be powerful enough to take him on solo. Of course, I could always end up being quite stronger than I am now by the time we finally do meet. Assuming we ever do, that is."

"If you get a lead on him and want my help, you need only ask," Itachi offered.

Jiraiya smiled. "Thanks. Same goes with you and Kisame."

"I appreciate that," said Itachi, "though I'd still rather find and confront him alone. I think he'd prefer it that way, too. One on one… now that we're on the other side, he might open up. We'll see. At any rate, Kisame isn't the only figure from my past that I'm seeking out there. There's another that I'm hoping to find in the Rukon… or rather, I'd much rather find him there than in the Drakken Clan estate."

Jiraiya took a deep breath as he looked at Itachi, his expression becoming somber. "You're talking about your father now, aren't you?"

Itachi closed his eyes as images of that last encounter from the fateful night all those decades ago flashed through his mind. "Yes."

Jiraiya let out a heavy exhalation. "You told me that he went down without a fight… that he accepted his end rather than face his oldest son in a death match. It sounds like he was a much better man than the likes of Yashiro or Inabi. This is just a gut feeling, but it seems to me like Fugaku was the sort of guy who can actually learn from his past, unlike some of the others in your clan. I have a hard time seeing him being involved in whatever's going on with the Uchiha over at the Drakken Clan estate."

"I would very much like to believe the same," Itachi replied as he opened his eyes, "but we must see the world as it is or could be, not how we would wish it to be. We must consider all possibilities along with past evidence, no matter where that might lead us. He may have been reluctant at first, but at the end of the day he did go along with the coup plot. It was only when he realized just how far I was willing to go to stop the clan that he relented… and at that point, all I could do then was kill him and Mother quickly. I really don't want to find that he's involved in whatever's happening between Yashiro and the Drakken Clan. I don't want to be in opposition to Father again… and I can't even begin to imagine what that would do to Mother. Even so… I can't rule it out."

"What will you do if you find him?" Jiraiya asked.

Itachi was quiet for a long moment. "Should it be in the Rukon District… talk to him. Bring him to Mother… hopefully reconcile. There was no enmity between us that night, no bitterness or hatred, yet still… the fact remains that I did murder him. He might have said that he was proud of me, but I could hardly blame him if he harbored private resentments, subconscious or otherwise. A talk between us after all these years… it's impossible to say how it'll go, though I would dearly hope it'd follow the same course as what happened when I found Mother. That would be the best-case scenario."

Jiraiya's gaze darkened. "And should it be in the Seireitei? In the Drakken Clan estate?"

Itachi was silent for several seconds, and when he finally did speak, his voice and gaze were as hard as the stone surrounding them. "Then I will learn the truth of what he, Yashiro and the others are after. Should they prove to be a threat… and should he not stand down as he did that night…"

"…then I will do what I must."

Even if it means a deathmatch between father and son.

….

Three weeks later…

Early summer…

Like the facilities belonging to its fellow units within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, the barracks of Squad Twelve were designed with the unique needs of its division in mind. Several of the structures and subdivisions would be familiar to any Soul Reaper; housing, supply storehouses, and administrative offices to name but a few. However, given that Squad Twelve under Captain Kirio Hikifune and her predecessors had dedicated itself to being a center of scholarship and research, it had more than its share of standout and specialized facilities. At the surface level, those took the form of libraries, study rooms and even lecture halls where Captain Hikifune or other senior officers could enlighten their subordinates and guests on new discoveries or updates in ongoing projects.

The real gems of Squad Twelve, though, were belowground. The libraries on the surface, while certainly housing useful research material, limited what knowledge they provided to casual readers. Only senior members of Squad Twelve had or could grant access to the vast repositories of ancient tomes and scrolls which could be found in a complex warren of tunnels and storehouses beneath the barracks. Down there were more than just books housing arcane and forbidden knowledge; the greatest prize of all came in the form of the artifact vaults, where valuable and incredibly dangerous treasures gathered from both the Soul Society and across the Web of Worlds were gathered for protection and dedicated research. Only long-time veterans of Squad Twelve were permitted to serve as direct sentries or overseers of the myriad security spells and contraptions put in place to safeguard the precious contents of the vaults, and even the slightest of infractions could result in suspension from that coveted duty.

Anica Matei was one of the Soul Reapers who had snagged and kept such a prestigious position. While not a seated officer, the petite blonde had been serving in Squad Twelve for the better part of five decades now with a proven record for reliability. A bubbly, bright blue-eyed woman who never failed to light up a room with her cheerful and outgoing personality, she perhaps was not the type that one would normally expect to find assigned to the force guarding precious artifacts far from the light of day. It was true that Anica found the dim corridors in which she routinely patrolled to be creepy and unsettling even after so many years working them, and that was not helped by the fact that they were lined by rows of statues on both sides. Those statues were all past Squad Twelve members who had advanced the cause of scholarly study and understanding the Web of Worlds, so they were figures that Anica had been taught to look up to and admire, but they looked more creepy than friendly in the gloomy subterranean corridors. Their presence was tolerable, though, for what kept Anica at this current posting was a confluence of convenience and pragmatism. This was hardly the most glamourous job in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, but it was easy. Her commute from quarters to duty station was an elevator ride or stair climb depending on what she was feeling, and Soul Reapers assigned to vault guard duty got a sizeable pay bump to ensure diligence and loyalty. It was one of those positions where a non-seated Soul Reaper could enjoy a salary equivalent to that of an officer, and so it was highly coveted by those within Squad Twelve who had a greater appreciation for creature comforts rather than working out in the field collecting samples or browsing ancient manuscripts in search of new potential spell ideas.

The night watch normally would not have been Anica's first choice for a shift; she was habitually an early bird, so working through midnight and into the wee hours before dawn was hardly ideal. However, the night watch came with a nice shift differential, which meant her already-considerable pay got a sweet little bonus on top of it. Kirio Hikifune might not have been the most powerful Captain in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, but she knew how to keep her subordinates motivated.

When I get paid tomorrow, I'll finally be able to afford that spa day, she thought with a smile as she strolled through the corridor, I can't wait! That place is supposed to be popular with the nobility, so it's got to be good.

Her mind might have been preoccupied with how she would spend her imminent earnings, but Anica still had enough spatial awareness to do her job. Had she not, she might very well have missed the presence lurking at the far end of the hall. As it was, she had to squint to make out the figure skulking behind one of the statues flanking the entrance of the vault, and from the current distance they were little more than a silhouette.

"Hello?" she called out, picking up her pace as she approached, "Jiro, is that you? I thought you just got off for the night. Did you drop something down here again?"

The silhouette froze for just a fraction of a second, and then Anica saw steel gleaming in the shadow. Her right hand immediately went to the handle of her Zanpakutō, but the figure Flash Stepped and was a mere meter in front of her before she could even draw. Then there was a silver flash, a burst of pain as blood sprayed out from her chest, and the world went black.

….

Very early the following morning…

Yoruichi shook her head as her gaze went from an unsettlingly large pool of dried blood on the floor to an arc of the same fluid which had sprayed outwards from the victim. "Hard to believe she's still alive."

"That could change at any moment," Soi-Fon remarked from Yoruichi's left, "She's in critical condition, right?"

Standing to Yoruichi's right, Kirio Hikifune nodded grimly. "From what I've heard, Captain Unohana is tending to Anica personally. I have the utmost faith in her abilities, but… well, it's frankly a miracle Anica hasn't expired already. If Jiro hadn't lost his Kan satchel and come back to look for it, then Anica wouldn't have been discovered until… well, until far too late."

"Talk about fortunate," said Yoruichi, "The guy who can't secure his purse properly and loses it while on patrol also happens to be a transfer from Squad Four. If he hadn't found and stabilized her, she absolutely would've been a goner."

Kirio sighed heavily. "Lady Luck is a fickle mistress. Anica's dealt what should be a mortal blow, but the first colleague that finds her has the knowhow and skill to keep her from taking that final step through death's door. If Captain Unohana can pull her back from the brink, then perhaps Anica can become Squad Twelve's good luck charm. I can hope, at least."

Yoruichi nodded. "That makes two of us, though in my case it's also because we need her as a witness. She's the only one who can identify her attacker."

"Assuming she got a good look at his or her face before she was struck," Soi-Fon pointed out, "and that she can think back through the pain and terror she must've felt in that moment to remember them. Neither are guaranteed, Lady Yoruichi."

Yoruichi's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, I know."

"As cold as it will sound, we may not need her memory intact," Kirio chimed in, "Jiro said the wound was clearly caused by a blade. If it was a Zanpakutō, there may be residual traces of spirit energy from the weapon's owner. Captain Unohana has excelled in the past at isolating those."

"That's only if she was struck by a Zanpakutō," Yoruichi countered as she gestured at the vault door at the end of the hallway, "Given that all sorts of weapons are included in your unit's repositories, Kirio, there are plenty of potential blades to go around here."

"Our inventory check should allow us to either confirm or deny that one of the weapons stored here was involved," Kirio replied, "As you know, Yoruichi, Squad Twelve's standard procedure for any security incident involving the vaults includes a complete inventory inspection. That began the moment we evacuated Anica to Squad Four. It shouldn't be long now before my subordinates report back with the results."

Yoruichi folded her arms, her eyes narrowing. "Hopefully sooner rather than later. No disrespect to Anica, but I think we all know that the suspect didn't come down here just to attack a guard. They were after something in Squad Twelve's high security artifact vaults."

Soi-Fon's brow furrowed. "What, though? There's so much that gets stored down here. Spirit Weapons and Armor, spell enhancers and energy amplifiers, maps and survey charts… you could pick a random vault and find all sorts of priceless treasures."

"Any one of which could fetch you big money in an underground auction," Kirio murmured, "If you knew a fence with the right connections, you could land some pretty big fish for potential buyers."

"Financial gain could be a motive," Yoruichi mused aloud, "but if you're skilled enough to infiltrate a place like this, then you're probably also smart enough to recognize that there are much easier targets to hit if you're just looking for a quick score. I know it's early, and I like to keep my options open, but I don't think that greed's the angle here. Not the main one, at least."

"It does seem like an awful lot of trouble to go through if our suspect was just looking for something to make some Kan off of," Soi-Fon conceded, "Getting through the Squad Twelve barracks, then the security checkpoint, not to mention all the detection spells… you'd almost have an easier time breaking into a Great Noble House's mansion than this place. Still, we'd be wise not to rule anything out just yet. The investigation's only just begun, after all."

Yoruichi nodded. "Agreed. Once the inventory check's complete and we find out if anything was stolen, I'll start hitting up my contacts in the underground."

Soi-Fon grimaced. "Lady Yoruichi… is that going to include him?"

"He's at the top of the list," Yoruichi replied, "and for a good reason; you've seen how good he is, Soi-Fon. He's got just the right kind of connections and sources for this sort of investigation."

Soi-Fon sighed. "I know. I just don't like him. He was way too casual with us last time… and he's as conniving as Urahara."

Yoruichi smirked. "He'd probably take that as a compliment."

"He would," Soi-Fon grumbled.

"Mind if I tag along?" Kirio asked, "If this source of yours is as knowledgeable and well-networked as you claim, then I'd very much like to meet him for myself. Not just for this case; he could prove to be a valuable source of information on artifacts that Squad Twelve's been seeking out for a long time now."

Yoruichi looked her fellow Captain up and down for a moment. "I suppose so, but we'll need to ditch our Haoris. He doesn't like drawing unwanted attention, and two Soul Reaper Captains showing up on his front door in full regalia would bring plenty of that."

"His place draws a pretty unsavory crowd," Soi-Fon added, "so if you're coming along, be ready for anything."

Kirio put her hands on her hips. "I may not take part in combat missions as often as you and Yoruichi, Soi-Fon, but I assure you that I'm more than capable of handling myself."

"Oh, we know," said Yoruichi, eying Kirio's substantial chest, "Just be ready to receive some… attention, if you will. If you let him get close, his hands might start to wander."

Kirio then folded her arms beneath her bosom, making her assets more prominent. "Well, if he has a weakness for this sort of thing, there's no harm in exploiting it for the sake of the investigation, right?"

Soi-Fon looked mortified. "C-Captain Hikifune, that… that's beneath someone of your position!"

Kirio winked. "If it gets the job done, that's all that really matters, right?"

"Even so…" Soi-Fon murmured as she looked uncomfortably at the ground.

Yoruichi shrugged. "If you want to play around with him, I'm not going to stop you. You should know, though, that he's sharper than he lets on. Let him eat the eye candy, and the best you'll get out of him is a discount. Money's the real key with him."

"I see," said Kirio, "Well, Squad Twelve's discretionary budget should come in handy, though there's only so much of it I can draw on for situations like this."

Yoruichi shook her head. "I'll front the Kan this time. If you go back to him for unrelated business, then bring your own money."

Kirio inclined her head. "Very generous of you. Thank you, Yoruichi."

"Don't thank me yet," Yoruichi remarked as she cast her gaze towards the vault door, "We still don't know what, if anything, was stolen. For all we know, the suspect might've just been scouting the place out on behalf of someone else."

"If they're a scout, then they're not very good at their job," Soi-Fon quipped, "They were discovered and potentially left a witness. More importantly, they drew our attention, which means security measures here can be modified and reinforced to thwart subsequent attempts."

Yoruichi sighed. "I still can't figure out how they made it down here to begin with. Between the security checkpoints and the spiritual pressure recognition spells, it should be impossible for any unauthorized personnel to reach this point undetected, let alone escape after attacking a guard. Yet whoever our culprit is did exactly that."

Soi-Fon's brow furrowed. "We've found no signs of underground breaches or any other sort of forced entry. Whoever this was, they must have a comprehensive understanding of the security measures."

Kirio's shoulders slumped. "Which points to an inside job. Either one of my people is directly responsible, or they leaked information to the culprit."

"That does seem likely," Yoruichi concurred, "Still, let's not be premature. It's always possible that whoever our culprit is either coerced or tricked a member of Squad Twelve into divulging information on your defenses. There are plenty of ways to get insider knowledge from someone without them realizing that they're being played."

"It could also have been a past member of the unit who remembers the defenses," Soi-Fon suggested, "Squad Twelve has its share of transfers to and from other units, just like the rest of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

"Which just widens the possible pool for suspects," Yoruichi groaned, "We'll have to look into all those files, check for possible grudges… that's going to suck."

"What about the Soul Reaper that found Anica in the first place?" Soi-Fon pointed out, "Jiro Kusumoto was his name, right? I know the reason he said that he found Anica in the first place was that he'd lost his Kan satchel while on patrol duty and came back to find it, but that could just be a cover. Maybe he was the one that Anica encountered, and he came back to finish her off once he realized that she'd survived."

Yoruichi shook her head. "You're forgetting the fact that Jiro's the reason she still has a chance of life. If he wanted to silence her as a witness, why stabilize her and make sure she gets to Squad Four? All he had to do was leave her and she would've bled out well before anyone else found her."

"Maybe he had a crisis of conscience?" Soi-Fon suggested, "They're comrades, so maybe when he came back, he suddenly felt bad about what he'd done and tried to save her. People are emotional and irrational creatures; you've told me that more than once, Lady Yoruichi."

"True," Yoruichi conceded, "We'll definitely interview him later, see what kind of reaction we get out of him. Still… call it a feeling, but I don't think he's our guy here."

Kirio shook her head. "I can't see it. Jiro's been in Squad Twelve for decades now. He might be clumsy and somewhat spacey at times, but he's also incredibly compassionate and gentle. He and Anica have always gotten on well, so I find it very hard to imagine him doing anything to harm her, let alone put her at death's door."

"I want to believe that you're right," said Yoruichi, "Still, Soi-Fon's point is valid. We need to keep all potential scenarios in mind, no matter how unlikely or unpleasant they might be."

Kirio nodded. "I suppose that's fair. Still, leaving my feelings about him aside, there's the simple fact that the security logs don't support him being the culprit here. He clocked off his shift at the normal time, and when he came back to look for his purse, he went through all the standard security checkpoints. He followed procedure to the letter, which means there's a confirmed paper trail backing up his version of events, along with multiple witnesses."

Yoruichi smiled. "Having all those witnesses and security logs will definitely help. Your unit really is thorough when it comes to security, Kirio."

Kirio leaned against the wall, her shoulders sagging as she looked down at the floor. "Not nearly thorough enough, otherwise this would never have happened. We wouldn't be tearing the vaults inside out to see if anything was stolen, and Anica would be wrapping up her shift instead of clinging to life by a thread in the Squad Four barracks. I completely dropped the ball."

"No security system's ever completely flawless," Soi-Fon pointed out, "A breach of some sort was bound to happen sooner or later."

Yoruichi nodded. "Soi-Fon's right. You had a good run, but it was never going to last forever. At least you can use this as an opportunity to study the gaps in your security system and upgrade it accordingly."

Kirio slowly nodded. "And I will. Even so, given the value of what we hold down here, and just how dangerous many of the artifacts can be… the smallest of errors can lead to catastrophe. Tonight's proof enough of that. We cannot affordgaps, no matter how slight they might be. They come with costs, and one of my subordinates just paid for it."

"No arguing there," Yoruichi remarked as she saw a member of Squad Twelve exit the vault and rush towards them, "Let's find some answers so we can at least make sure she didn't pay the price for nothing."

The three women turned their attention to the approaching Soul Reaper, a brown-eyed woman of average height with short black hair that fell just past her ears. She gulped nervously as she looked back and forth between the two Captains, and Yoruichi imagined that the intense gaze of Soi-Fon probably wasn't helping the poor girl's anxiety.

"Uhm… C-Captain Hikifune…" the young lady began, "C-Captain Shihōin…"

Yoruichi gave the girl what she hoped was a comforting smile. "Take a deep breath and relax. I promise Soi-Fon and I don't bite."

Kirio place a hand on the girl's shoulder. "At ease, Jee. Why don't you stop, compose yourself, introduce yourself to our guests, and then tell us what you've found? Take your time if you need to put your thoughts in order."

The woman closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm herself. When she opened her eyes again, her anxiety was much less prominent, and she cast a grateful look at Kirio before turning to Yoruichi and Soi-Fon.

"Forgive me," the young lady said before bowing her head, "Seventeenth Seat Jee Yang at your service, Captain Shihōin."

"Nice to meet you, Seventeenth Seat Yang," Yoruichi replied, "I'm assuming you didn't come over here without some information that'll help our investigation, yes?"

Jee quickly nodded, but despite the efforts of both Kirio and Yoruichi to ease her apprehension, the officer was still sweating bullets. "Yes, ma'am. We've completed our inventory review. I have good news and bad news. Uhm… which do you want first?"

"The good, please," Kirio answered, "We could certainly use some of it right now."

"I'm afraid it won't be much," Jee remarked as she fidgeted, "For what it's worth, it seems that only one item's missing from our collection."

"Well, that's something," said Yoruichi, "At least we'll only have to keep our eyes out for one piece of stolen property."

Soi-Fon's eyes narrowed. "I'm assuming the bad news has to do with just what that single item is."

Jee tapped her fingers together anxiously. "Uhm, that would be correct, yes."

"Let's have it, then," said Kirio, looking at her subordinate expectantly, "What's item's missing, Jee?"

Jee took another deep breath. "It's the Nalatarin, Captain. The one that Squad Two recovered from Menar Issilaya."

Kirio's face paled. "Oh… oh dear."

"Shit!" Yoruichi hissed with a grimace.

"Of all the artifacts that they could've taken…" Soi-Fon murmured, looking back and forth between Yoruichi and Kirio with no small amount of dread.

Yoruichi could hardly blame her, yet even Soi-Fon probably did not realize just how appropriate that dread was. It was bad enough that the Nalatarin, a treasure with incredibly potent observational powers, was what had been taken. The ability to see from one end of the Soul Society to the other, even with certain limitations such as not being able to see something that was underground, would be invaluable to all manner of players within the afterlife. Anyone who held such an artifact would have an immense advantage when it came to gathering knowledge and making important strategic decisions, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. The aristocrats that made up the Soul Society's elite would be willing to rip each other apart over such a device and the boon it would grant to their family…

…and two of the Great Noble Houses had been most bitter at the way the Nalatarin was found and ultimately secured.

You're jumping to conclusions, she told herself, and you don't have nearly enough evidence to support them. The crime scene's fresh, and the investigation's in its infancy. Don't close your mind to other possibilities.

Even so, Itachi's words from their talk following that heated Captains meeting awhile back echoed in her mind.

"How far do you think they'd go in the name of avenging their defeat in the political arena?"

Yoruichi feared that she might have just found the answer…

…and she prayed dearly that she was wrong.

….

When Yoruichi had gotten the sudden and incredibly early summon, Itachi had been in bed with her. He had offered to accompany her and help with whatever the issue might be, but his lover had simply smiled, put a finger to his lips, and bid him to rest in preparation for his daily duties. Itachi had tried to do so, but sleep has eluded him. It was not just because he was concerned for Yoruichi and trying to guess just what sort of trouble had required her to leave barracks well before even a hint of dawn's light had appeared on the eastern horizon. Whenever he and Yoruichi shared a bed, the ghosts of Itachi's past were quiet, as if warded off by his lover's embrace. Left on his own, the phantoms of that gruesome night would inevitably begin whispering again.

So, Itachi had settled into meditation until the time had come to carry out his responsibilities for the day. Thankfully, they were not too bad this time. Apart from the standard drills, Itachi's main task had been Seireitei patrol, with a particular eye towards the area surrounding Squad Eleven's barracks; the men and women of the Soul Society's most bloodthirsty unit had been rowdier than usual as of late, which meant Squad Two and the Stealth Force had been putting in extra work dragging them back into line and arresting the worst trouble makers. It was never a pleasant duty, not the least because Soul Reapers taking other Soul Reapers into custody meant inter-unit friction and a subsequent paperwork headache, but thankfully the arrests and interventions of the previous few days seemed to have gotten the point across. Itachi encountered little of note beyond a stumbling Squad Eleven member who had clearly drunk well past his limit, and the man had been surprisingly jovial as the former Shinobi had escorted him back to barracks and let him off with a warning.

After wrapping up his work for the day and returning to barracks, Itachi immediately sought out Yoruichi. Thankfully, she was not hard to find; in fact, she had Soi-Fon waiting at the gate for him, and Yoruichi's bodyguard had wasted no time in directing Itachi towards her office. When Itachi had tried to get information out of Soi-Fon, she had just shaken her head and said that Yoruichi wanted to fill him in herself. That raised a quiet alarm in Itachi's mind, and Soi-Fon's grim demeanor did nothing to help.

Reaching the door to her office, Itachi rapped his knuckles on the frame. "It's me. May I come in?"

He heard faint footsteps beyond, and the door slid open a second later to reveal a clearly stressed and tired Yoruichi. She smiled as her golden eyes met his, yet the cheer that would normally be found in such a gesture was unmistakably muted. Needless to say, Itachi's concerns were only heightened as a result.

"Hey," she greeted him, "Soi-Fon caught you, then. That's good. Did patrol go alright?"

"It did," Itachi confirmed, "but we both know that's not why you had Soi-Fon stationed at the gate for me."

Yoruichi wearily nodded before stepping aside. "Yeah. Come on in. I made some milk tea a little bit ago. Want a cup?"

"I'd love some," Itachi replied as she slid the door shut behind him.

Yoruichi gestured for him to sit down at the side table. She filled both of their cups and then moved her cushion around the table so she could sit to his right. When she sat down next to him, Yoruichi rested her head on his shoulder, while the rest of her body leaned against him in anxious exhaustion. Whatever had called her away from her quarters that morning had clearly been serious, and it was obvious to Itachi that she needed a few minutes to catch her breath. So, he simply sipped his tea alongside her, patiently waiting for the moment she would be ready to brief him.

His consideration did not go unnoticed, for Yoruichi looked up and smiled again as her gaze met his. "You really are a gentleman, you know that?"

Itachi returned her smile as he put his arm around her. "So you keep telling me."

"So I do," she murmured before closing her eyes, "because you are… and I wouldn't have you any other way. I promise that I'll tell you everything, Itachi. I just… I need this for a few minutes. Can I have that?"

"For as long as you need it," Itachi quietly answered.

So, they sat together in restful silence, each taking an occasional sip from their cup while savoring the moment. After probably five-or-so minutes had passed, Yoruichi raised her head and took a deep breath.

"It was quite the morning," she said somberly, "Itachi… we've got a situation on our hands."

Itachi simply nodded. "What happened?"

Yoruichi spent the next several minutes describing to him what she and Soi-Fon had found at Squad Twelve's barracks. A cold pit formed in Itachi's gut as he listened intently, and he could easily appreciate why she was so apprehensive.

"Any updates on the guard that was attacked?" Itachi asked when she eventually finished.

"One of the Inner Court Troop messengers came by a little bit ago," Yoruichi replied, "Unohana's been working on her non-stop since she was brought in. The poor girl's hanging in there, thank the Soul King. Still… it could go either way."

"All we can do now is rely on Captain Unohana's expertise," Itachi said, "and hope for the best. The guard's not just a victim; she's potentially a crucial witness."

Yoruichi sighed. "Assuming she saw the face of her attacker… or can remember it. I can't imagine the terror that she must've felt. A guard should always be prepared for the enemy to appear, but I can't exactly blame her if she became complacent. An attack down in the artifact vaults is unheard of. Her survival alone would be incredible, but her remembering clearly through all that fear the identity of her attacker? That'd be a miracle."

"What about the other security measures?" Itachi asked, "It's not just guards monitoring the vaults, after all. Squad Twelve has a formidable network of spells and devices at their disposal; surely at least one of them caught something we can use to identify the suspect."

Yoruichi shook her head. "You'd think that, but there's nothing. The spiritual pressure detection spells picked up nothing, and the best that visual surveillance could pick up was a cloaked figure in shadow. It doesn't help that Squad Twelve keeps statues of prominent former members down in those hallways."

Itachi nodded. "Those would create potential blind spots in the network, or at least offer a degree of cover to any intruder. Rather careless."

"Kirio's having the statues removed as we speak," said Yoruichi, "I don't know what exactly she plans to do with them going forward, but she made it quite clear that they'll be dispersed in a manner that won't interfere with vital security. It'll at least make things a bit more difficult should our suspect come back to steal something else."

Itachi rubbed his chin in thought. "You and Soi-Fon passed through multiple security checkpoints to get to the crime scene, which means the suspect would've had to do the same. Did none of the Soul Reapers manning those checkpoints recognize that an intruder was passing through?"

"That's the thing," Yoruichi answered, "according to the checkpoint guards, no one passed through that they didn't recognize. Everyone who came and went during the night was a familiar face, either supposed to be there on shift or, in Jiro's case, returning because they'd forgotten something."

"I see," Itachi murmured, pondering it for a moment, "For what it's worth, I think your hunch regarding Jiro is correct; if he was the suspect, then he'd have every reason to just let Anica bleed out. Soi-Fon's proposal of him having a crisis of conscience shouldn't be discounted, of course; there's not enough evidence to conclusively rule it out at this point. Still, it seems very unlikely."

"That does help," Yoruichi confirmed, "Always nice to know when your instincts back up mine. Thanks."

"Anytime," Itachi replied, his brow furrowing, "Going back to the checkpoint guards not recognizing an intruder… it's possible that their senses were manipulated so that they did not see an intruder at all."

Yoruichi's eyes widened as she immediately grasped what Itachi was implying. "You're thinking that the suspect is capable of genjutsu. Are we dealing with an Uchiha here?"

"Given the nature of the stolen artifact in question, it's a distinct possibility," Itachi remarked, "After all, we both know which Great Noble House raised the biggest fuss over our retrieval of the Nalatarin from Menar Issilaya… and which Shinobi family they're secretly harboring."

Yoruichi nodded. "So, you're going the same direction I am, then; you think this break-in is the Drakken Clan's retaliation."

"It's not one of the exact scenarios that you and I had gamed out before," Itachi remarked, "but it fits the same general criteria. In this case, not only does it potentially work as both a real and symbolic strike in the name of avenging perceived wrongs against the Drakken Clan, but it would also provide them with an incredibly useful artifact for further pursuit of a retributive agenda. Of course, we don't know for certain that this is the case. Even if that hunch is correct, Uchiha involvement isn't guaranteed. The Sharingan is hardly the only means through which genjutsu can be employed, after all… and it may not even be genjutsu that we're dealing with. For all we know, our suspect could be employing spells or artifacts capable of manipulating the target's senses. A Zanpakutō could also be a plausible vector; not all Shikais are geared towards open attack, after all. Your grandmother's is proof enough of that."

"Good point," Yoruichi conceded, "Until we find a way to narrow things down, we really are just grasping at straws here."

"There's no other way to access the halls leading to the vaults than through the security checkpoints, right?" asked Itachi.

"Correct," Yoruichi answered, "There is a ventilation system, but the ducts and shafts are far too small for a human to get through. I wouldn't be able to squeeze through even in my cat form."

"And there were no signs of an underground breach?" Itachi pressed, "No evidence of tunneling?"

"Nothing," Yoruichi confirmed.

"Then the corridors and security checkpoints are our only plausible vector," Itachi replied, "That means this was either an inside job, or our suspect has an ability at his or her disposal that enables some form of sensory manipulation."

"Possibly both," Yoruichi amended.

"How are you planning to proceed?" asked Itachi.

"Soi-Fon and I already got a start on interviewing the guards that were on duty last night," Yoruichi answered, "No leads on that end yet, but it's early. When we continue, I'd like to have you present, Itachi. Your past experience would be useful."

"You know you can just order me to take part," Itachi reminded her, "I'm under your command, after all."

Yoruichi smiled. "Yeah, but you're one of my senior officers, so I'd prefer not to force you."

Itachi returned her smile with a small one of his own. "I appreciate the thought, but let's be serious here; you knew I would want in on this the second Captain Hikifune filled you in on what happened."

"I did," Yoruichi admitted with a smirk, "I'll put in the official order later, then. Your patrol duties can go to the new officers; they could use the practice. Lieutenant Ōmaeda will handle the paperwork."

"Thanks," said Itachi before leaning forward, "Now, aside from additional Squad Twelve interviews, what else do you have planned?"

"Now that we know what's stolen, I'm going to put the word out to a contact of mine in the Rukon District," said Yoruichi, "He's actually part of grandmother's spy network, and his expertise will be useful here. Like I told Soi-Fon and Kirio earlier, I don't think that our suspect's out to sell the Nalatarin; its powers make it far too useful to just pawn off, even though you could get a ridiculous amount of Kan for it. Still, it's not a possibility I'm going to completely rule out. That contact I mentioned has his fingers on the pulse of the Soul Society's criminal underworld. If our suspect tries to move the Nalatarin on the artifact black market, he'll learn of it first."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Do you trust this guy? Him being one of your grandmother's contacts is a point in his favor, but if he's in deep with the underworld crowd…"

"He's got his own angles to play," Yoruichi finished for him with a smirk, "Don't worry, Itachi. I've worked with this guy before, and I know how he operates. His intel's never steered me wrong in the past, and grandmother likes him, but even so, I always play things cautiously with him. He's the sort that you always need to keep an eye on, especially if there's money on the table."

"I would expect nothing less given the circles he's involved with," Itachi quipped.

Yoruichi smiled. "I think you might actually like him once you two meet. Sure, he's a shady customer, but he's pretty friendly and easy to work with. He's also a lot older than his appearance lets on. You'd be surprised at some of the things he's seen and done in his time."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Just how old are we talking here?"

"Let me put it this way," Yoruichi replied, "He was well established in his line of work when grandmother was just an Academy student. I don't know how old he really is, but it wouldn't surprise me if he's got more years on him than the Thirteen Court Guard Squads as an institution, or at least close to it. You should see some of the trinkets he's got on display. A lot of them date back to the old kingdom."

"Sounds like I'll have something to look forward to," said Itachi, "When are we going to see him?"

"Probably in a week or so," Yoruichi answered, "He'll have my message before the day's out, but he's going to need time to work his contact network. We'll get word from him once his informants have made the rounds, and then he'll schedule a face-to-face meeting."

Itachi nodded. "Very well, then. While we're waiting for him to do his work, are there any other leads we can chase down?"

"I do have one in mind," said Yoruichi, "I was going to swing by Squad Four later this evening. Unohana might be focused mainly on keeping Anica alive, but she can do more than just heal. In a situation like this, she knows that I'm counting on her to detect any traces of spirit energy from Anica's attacker that are left in the wound. I've seen her isolate those pretty quickly in past cases. If Anica was attacked with a Spirit Weapon or Zanpakutō, she can narrow it down. That should point us in the right direction."

"May I come along?" asked Itachi, "My Sharingan may have a role to play here if we're looking for traces of spirit energy."

"I was going to insist that you come with," said Yoruichi, "We can trust Unohana to keep quiet about your eyes, and she'll make sure that her subordinates are out of the room when you use the Sharingan."

"I can't make any promises on a case-breaking find," Itachi pointed out, "The Sharingan is potent, but it has limitations."

Yoruichi patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry; I'm not going to put the whole case on your shoulders here. If you pick up something we can use with those pretty red eyes of yours, great. If not, we move on to whatever else is available"

Despite her efforts at reassurance, Itachi was concerned. "That 'whatever else' might not be much. Whoever our suspect was, they clearly knew what they were doing. It seems that they only slipped up when it came to making their exit. Anica might've happened upon them by pure chance."

Yoruichi sighed. "That's true. This one's going to be a tough nut to crack. If Anica can pull through and identify her attacker, that should seal the deal for our case. If not, then we've got a steep uphill battle ahead of us."

"It'll be even worse if the evidence points in a certain direction," Itachi remarked as he held her gaze, "If the Nalatarin's theft is the retaliation that we've suspected is coming from the Drakken Clan…"

"Then this shitshow will get even more complicated," Yoruichi grimly finished for him, "I really don't want to think about that right now."

Itachi inclined his head sympathetically. "I understand, but it really is something we should be preparing for. Even if the evidence we have now is sparse, we must be ready for the worst. The target alone is a giant piece of circumstantial evidence when you think about it."

"You're right," Yoruichi begrudgingly conceded, "The fact that the Nalatarin is the stolen artifact in question… the incident with Menar Issilaya might be years behind us, but the dustup it raised isn't exactly an ancient memory. When word gets out, accusations will start flying among the nobility. Everyone's going to be sharpening their knives."

"How long can this all be kept under wraps?" asked Itachi.

"Not nearly as long as I'd like," Yoruichi replied, "Protocol requires me to file a preliminary incident report and send it off to Squad One before the day's out. Since this took place within the Squad Twelve barracks, Kirio will have to file one as well. It would look very strange if she submitted hers but I didn't, or if both of us didn't file them, so there's no getting around the official documentation here. Given that this was an attack directly on the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, the Head Captain will be duty-bound to send notification to the Central Forty-Six. I can try to talk him into holding off a bit, but I doubt that'll buy us much time. Maybe a few days, tops."

Itachi's brow furrowed as an idea occurred. "Would an incident like this merit a Captains meeting?"

"Theft of a highly valuable and dangerous artifact from within Squad Twelve's most secure vault? Absolutely." Yoruichi answered while eyeing him curiously, "Why do you ask?"

"It would be intriguing to see the reactions of certain Captains when news of the theft is made official," said Itachi as his eyes met hers, "Of two Captains in particular, I would be very interested in observing."

Yoruichi smiled knowingly. "Yeah. So would I. It would look weird if I brought an Eighth Seat into this meeting, though, even if I have you officially assigned to the investigation. I've taken Soi-Fon to these meetings in the past, so I could get away with her tagging along here; since she's the head of my personal guard, her presence doesn't raise any eyebrows."

Itachi nodded. "She has keen eyes. I wonder what she'll pick up when observing Captains Drakken and Starmont."

"I'll let you know when the meeting's over," Yoruichi replied, "The Head Captain will probably call it tomorrow or the following day at the latest; he'll at least want some time to review mine and Kirio's preliminary reports, not to mention give me a chance to put together a more comprehensive summary."

"A modicum of breathing room, then," Itachi noted, "I don't know how much more we'll be able to learn in the span of just a day or two, though."

"It's at least enough time to get through the remaining security guard interviews," Yoruichi pointed out, "along with conducting more thorough sweeps of the Squad Twelve underground complex for potential clues our suspect left behind. Unohana can give us access to any evidence she's pulled from Anica, and we can get her preliminary assessment of Anica's wounds and what most likely inflicted them. Not nearly as much to work with as I'd like, but we can't exactly be picky right now."

"True," Itachi conceded, his eyes narrowing, "You don't have any objections to me notifying Shisui and Visaelya about this when they return from their mission later, do you?"

Yoruichi shook her head. "Given the off-the-books investigation you three have been running on her clan, I was going to insist that you fill them in as soon as possible. After all, it's very possible that the Drakken Clan's guest Uchiha could've played a role here."

"Let's follow that thought for a moment," Itachi prompted as a scenario played out in his head, "For sake of argument, say the Drakken Clan is involved in the theft, and they used one of the Uchiha residing with them to carry it out. I can see both Drakken and Uchiha desiring to employ the artifact's unique gifts towards their own ends. Visaelya mentioned that a Nalatarin is an extremely difficult device to use, though. There are certain requirements, right?"

Yoruichi slowly nodded. "If memory serves me right, the Nalatarin must recognize a potential user as legitimate. I'd need to consult my family's archives for the details, but supposedly there's an elaborate ritual that needs to be performed centering around the Nalatarin and the prospective user in order to grant that legitimacy. If the ritual isn't performed and an illegitimate user tries to wield it, then the Nalatarin places incredible strain on the user. The user might be able to unlock its far-seeing capabilities for a bit, but the artifact is basically attacking them the entire time. Push your luck too far, and you could be rendered catatonic… or worse."

Itachi took a sip from his teacup while pondering things. "Shisui mentioned something to me after the mission where we encountered the first wraith and found the Nalatarin. He told me that, when he was studying the artifact with the Sharingan, he felt like it was studying him in return. The feeling he got from it… it seemed like the Nalatarin could actually be alive."

"Interesting," Yoruichi murmured, "Knowledge of how Nalatarini were created was lost long ago, so for all we know, those artifacts could have some form of sentience. What's this got to do with our current situation, though?"

"If the Nalatarin is alive," Itachi answered, "then perhaps it has some form of sensory perception. There must be some mechanism through which it can determine who is a legitimate user, after all, or for perceiving when a new user is bestowed with that legitimacy. In that case…"

"…then its sensory perception mechanism could possibly be manipulated," Yoruichi finished for him, her eyes widening slightly, "Perhaps through something like Sharingan genjutsu, a spell, or maybe even a Zanpakutō ability."

"My thoughts exactly," Itachi confirmed, "Of course, until we know more, it's just speculation on my part."

"We're going to be indulging in a lot of speculation until we find more leads to pursue," Yoruichi pointed out, "but there's nothing wrong with that. Gaming out scenarios like this helps us imagine how the crime could've been carried out, and it might help put us on right path if we find evidence supporting one possibility or another."

Itachi inclined his head. "It certainly can't hurt given how little we currently have to go off of."

"We'll hopefully rectify that soon enough," Yoruichi replied with a smile before nodding at their drinks, "After we finish up here, I'm taking you and Soi-Fon back with me to Squad Twelve's barracks for a few more interviews, then we're off to Squad Four to check in with Unohana. Hope you're ready to play detective, Itachi!"

….

Being a division oriented towards research rather than enforcement, Squad Twelve did not have facilities purpose-built for one-on-one witness interviews. Instead, a couple of rooms typically meant for meetings and project proposals had been set aside for Yoruichi, Soi-Fon and Itachi to utilize for the ongoing investigation. It was in one of these that Itachi found himself conducting his designated interrogations. Sitting across the small table from Itachi was one of the Soul Reapers that had been on duty the previous night, looking somewhat apprehensive but so far proving to be a very cooperative interviewee.

Seventeenth Seat of Squad Twelve, Hunter Zerium was a quite tall yet lanky man. Outwardly, he appeared to be in his late teens, though physical appearance could be quite deceptive when it came to determining someone's age in the Soul Society. He kept his blindingly white hair cut short, and his soft brown eyes were contrasted against surprisingly pale skin. The Soul Reaper had struck Itachi so far as a bright if somewhat awkward individual, reluctant to speak without prompting at first yet becoming quite talkative once the subject was on an area of expertise for him. The Zanpakutō at his hip was mostly conventional, though Itachi noted that the handle was distinctly longer than most, well-suited for the man's rather large hands to grasp together with space to spare. The handle wrapping was rather artful, with the back half being black while the fabric facing the same direction as the blade itself was white. Its guard was also unique, designed like an eyeball with the blade coming out of the 'pupil' while the outlines of the eye were lined up perfectly with the edges of the sword.

The man's appearance, or that of his sword, were not relevant to Itachi's interview. "You're not normally part of the artifact vault security staff, right?"

Hunter nodded. "That's right. I was filling in for one of my mates. He came down with a nasty stomach bug the day before, and Captain Hikifune asked me to take his place for the night. His name's Isnin bin Mamat if you need to confirm; Squad Four should still have him under care."

Itachi shook his head. "Captain Hikifune already told me as much, though your confirmation's appreciated."

Hunter nodded while at the same time failing to hold back a yawn. "Ah… okay. Uhm… sorry about that, I'm… not used to holding the night guard shift. My sleep schedule's a bit out of whack. Not trying to fall asleep on you, mate. Promise."

Itachi eyed him keenly. "How are you staying awake during the night watch, then?"

"Coffee," Hunter replied, "Lots of it. Sigmund, the mate running the shift, makes it for us. Never really liked the stuff, but his brew really keeps you going."

"I'll take your word for it," Itachi remarked, "What are your normal duties?"

"Mostly research," Hunter answered, "I work with a team that does a mix of artifact and spell study. Sometimes we go out into the field for excavation or observation, but mostly we work here. Our work does overlap with security on occasion, though. We help the guards test and modify the detection and surveillance spells. Our spell studies sometimes result in new passive security measures that get implemented here."

"So, you have familiarity with the security spells put in place around the corridors and the artifact vaults," Itachi noted, "Makes sense why Captain Hikifune would tap you for covering your comrade's shift."

Hunter took a nervous breath. "I think I know where you're going with this, mate. All I did last night was man one of the security checkpoints and monitor the spells. I wasn't alone, either; two ladies were working that checkpoint with me. Names are Narcissa Agostinho and Fen Tian, if you want to check. They'll back me up."

"Soi-Fon's already interviewed Miss Agostinho," said Itachi, "and Captain Shihōin should be speaking with Miss Tian at this very moment. I'll compare notes with them later."

Hunter nodded. "Oh, okay."

Itachi observed Hunter in silence for a few seconds. The Soul Reaper before him had been fidgeting throughout the interview. Such behavior could be seen as suspicious, but Itachi was well-versed in detecting signs of potential lying, and he'd picked up no such cues from Hunter so far. Either the break-in and assault on Anica had severely rattled him, or he had a very hard time sitting still.

Itachi then leaned forward slightly. "I went through the security check-in process myself earlier when I checked out the crime scene. The system that Squad Twelve has established here is quite thorough. Between the guards at the checkpoints, the spirit energy registration scanners and the detection spells, there are very few gaps for an intruder to exploit."

"Shouldn't be any at all," Hunter remarked as his shoulders slumped, "That's what I always thought, anyway. Guess we got sloppy."

"No system's perfect," Itachi replied as he focused intently on the Soul Reaper across the table, "While you were on watch, did you notice anything unusual at your checkpoint?"

"No, it was a pretty quiet shift," Hunter answered, "We checked the other guards in and out as they rotated, made sure the surveillance spells were functioning properly, updated the logs… everything was normal."

A new line of inquiry occurred to Itachi, and he decided to pursue it. "I saw the log system when I was checked earlier. Names of guards and authorized visitors are written in, and then their spiritual pressure is recorded, right?"

"Basically," Hunter confirmed, "The recording device was that pad you pressed your palm against when you were checked in earlier. Makes things simple."

"Can the logs be altered?" Itachi asked.

Hunter emphatically shook his head. "No way. Any log entries made by one guard are required to be observed in-real-time by a second and then checked by the third. Plus, you know it's impossible to alter the signature of your spiritual pressure, right? You can dial up or down the intensity, but that doesn't change how its recorded in the logs. All the signatures that were entered that night match everyone who was supposed to be on watch or came back for something."

Itachi nodded. "I see."

What the former Shinobi left unsaid was a growing suspicion that whoever the suspect was indeed possessed some form of illusionary ability and had employed it on the guards during their infiltration. It would work to explain why the assigned guards did not notice anything out of the ordinary over the course of their shift. Of course, that explanation was not confirmed at this point; it could also simply be that a member of the security staff that was on-duty last night was the culprit and had committed the crime right under the nose of his or her comrades.

That doesn't explain how they could've smuggled the Nalatarin through the checkpoints on their way out, though, Itachi thought, I saw that artifact myself; it's not exactly something that can be easily concealed when carried by one person. You certainly can't hide it in your clothes without leaving a noticeable sign.

There was another issue; how to reconcile the security logs with what had occurred that night. Before Itachi and Yoruichi had begun this latest round of interviews, they had conferred privately with Captain Hikifune to see if she could provide them with any helpful updates. Squad Twelve's leader had not learned much in Yoruichi's absence, but her subordinates had completed a check of the security logs and found nothing out of place. That could be taken as evidence supporting the theory of the culprit being a member of Squad Twelve who committed the crime while on-duty, but there was also another possibility to consider; that the suspect understood the log system well enough to manipulate it in a manner that was as-of-yet unknown. Had they perhaps found a way to erase the signature of their spiritual pressure from the system, or discovered a means to mask it with someone else's? It was just one more question in a very long line of them for Itachi to consider as he moved forward with this investigation.

While Itachi sat in silent contemplation, Hunter watched him from across the table, clearly struggling to keep his fidgeting to a minimum. "Uhm… do you have any other questions for me, mate?"

"I do," Itachi replied, "Whenever someone leaves the lower vaults and comes back through the security checkpoints, they go through the same log process, right?"

"Aye, they do," Hunter answered, "If they're taking anything with them, that has to be logged as well. Actually, any artifact withdrawals can only take place with the Captain's explicit permission, and she has personally notify all of the checkpoint staff. So, we would know in advance if anything was being taken out of the vaults, at least under normal circumstances. None of that happened last night, though."

"None of the Soul Reapers that passed through on their way out carried anything suspicious?" Itachi inquired.

Hunter shook his head. "Nope. There are very strict limitations on what anyone can take with them into the vaults. Anything that's outside those limitations has to be checked in and held at the first checkpoint until the owner leaves. That one has a secure storage room for that situation. There's a separate log at that station for any items held there."

"That's good to know," Itachi remarked, "I'll be sure to check that one later. Thank you."

"Oh, you're welcome," Hunter replied, "You, uh, need anything else, mate?"

Itachi considered the subject of his interrogation for a moment before making his determination. "No, I think I have what I need from you. Thank you for your time. You may go."

Only a few more security personnel left to interview, Itachi thought as Hunter left the room, and most of them were in similar roles as him last night. It's doubtful that we'll glean much more through this line of investigation. Still, we'll see if the last ones have anything new to offer. After that, it's off to Squad Four.

I hope Captain Unohana has found something we can use.

….

Leaning against the hallway wall, Yoruichi fought mightily to suppress a yawn. Looking to her left, she saw that Soi-Fon was faring little better. Itachi at least seemed alert, but then again, he was more used to sleep deprivation than her.

Probably meditated after I left him this morning, she thought, I should take it up if it's really that good at keeping him on his feet. Then again, I could've tried a catnap earlier… today's been damn busy.

The three of them had wrapped up their interviews with Squad Twelve earlier, though comparing notes would have to wait until they were back at the Squad Two barracks. At the moment, they were patiently waiting outside one of Squad Four's critical care wards. Yoruichi had hoped that Unohana would have at least been able to get Anica into stable condition by the time she and her friends arrived, but her Lieutenant had greeted them and insisted that his Captain needed a little more time. While slightly irked, Yoruichi did not make a fuss over it; keeping the poor girl alive would naturally be Unohana's top priority.

Closing her eyes, Yoruichi focused on the room beyond the door. She could sense Unohana's spiritual pressure enveloping that of her patient, whose own energy in comparison was barely more than a flickering candle. It was a stark reminder of Anica's grave condition, and Yoruichi could only imagine just how much work Unohana had put into simply keeping her from slipping away.

Opening her eyes a moment later, she saw Soi-Fon's gaze focused intently on the door. "Will she really pull through?'"

"Don't count her out yet," Yoruichi replied, "Unohana's giving her everything she's got."

Itachi, meanwhile, had his attention turned to Squad Four's second-in-command. "You're not going back in to help?"

The black-haired and obsidian-eyed Lieutenant Seinosuke Yamada shook his head. "The Captain required my aid when Anica was first brought here, but after the initial operation she took over mostly by herself. My orders are to remain on standby. If she needs me, she'll make it known."

Yoruichi eyed the Lieutenant in curiosity. "As a medical professional, what's your call? Is Anica going to make it?"

Lieutenant Yamada was quiet for a few seconds. "That's still difficult to say. It's been quite some time since I last saw a patient hovering for so long on the edge between life and death. At this point…"

Whatever Lieutenant Yamada was going to say died on his tongue as Yoruichi and everyone else felt a sudden spike in Captain Unohana's spiritual pressure. Her second-in-command seemed to take it as a cue, for he gave Yoruichi and her companions a quick bow before slipping back into the operating room.

"Well, that's ominous," Yoruichi muttered under her breath.

"Maybe we should come back later," Soi-Fon suggested.

"The Lieutenant didn't tell us to leave," Itachi pointed out, "He may return soon."

Yoruichi's body guard and Eighth Seat both turned expectantly towards her, and she inclined her head. "We'll stick around for a little while longer, just in case."

That 'little while longer' turned out to be only around ten minutes before the door slid open and Lieutenant Yamada once again appeared, this time stepping to the side and gesturing inwards. "Please, enter."

Yoruichi and her subordinates did so. She expected Lieutenant Yamada to follow, but instead he stayed outside and closed the door behind them. Yoruichi then turned her attention to Captain Unohana, who was standing by the operating table just behind Anica's head. Her robes were pulled back, revealing the bandages that wrapped her upper torso. The blonde woman looked incredibly pale, and for a moment, Yoruichi feared the worst. However, as she concentrated on the patient, Yoruichi could sense her spirit energy, albeit faintly. The woman was breathing, but it was quite shallow.

"Still with us, then," Soi-Fon commented, "For now, anyway."

"Still with us period, Soi-Fon," Unohana corrected with a tired yet proud smile, "I'm pleased to inform you that the worst is over. Miss Matei is finally stable, and I can confidently say that she will survive. She will need to remain with Squad Four for extended treatment and observation, and it will be quite some time before she is in any condition to answer questions concerning the attack on her, but she will live to serve Squad Twelve once more."

Yoruichi smiled in relief, her keen gaze noting the sweat that had built up on Unohana's brow. "Thanks to you, Captain Unohana. Looks like you really went all out with her."

"I gave her the same dedicated care that I do every patient who comes in here," Unohana replied as she fetched a cloth to wipe her forehead with, "Still, I won't deny that my abilities were put to the test here. Had she been brought to me perhaps just a few minutes later, I may not have been able to save her. As things stand, her road to recovery will be a long one, and not just in the physical sense. I can only imagine the terror she felt, being attacked in a place that she believed was safe. The psychological impact from her brush with death will be considerable."

"Kirio will help her bounce back," Yoruichi remarked, "She's good at that."

Unohana inclined her head. "I suppose she is."

"It's good to know that she's out of immediate harm," Itachi chimed in, "Unfortunately, we're not here just to check up on her well-being."

"I'm quite aware of that," said Unohana as she went over to a small rolling table that was on the other side of the bed, "You're in luck; I was able to pull traces of spirit energy from the wound."

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed as she watched Squad Four's Captain pick up a clear sealed bag. Within the bag was a cloth dyed a mix of deep red and light blue, the latter taking up most of the fabric while the latter only consisted of some scattered dots and splotches. Yoruichi knew that neither was the cloth's original color, just like she knew that the red on it was not due to blood. Normally white, the cloth was woven from a rare form of silk that had the unique property of absorbing spirit energy, its color changing depending on the energy that it picked up. It was typically used by nobles who wanted to make an extravagant statement by using their spirit energy to create unique patterns in clothing, but it also had much more practical uses in the hands of someone like Unohana.

"Do you know who it's from?" asked Yoruichi.

"One of my subordinates has already tested it for me against Squad Four's database," Unohana answered as she held up the bag and studied it, "The blue is Anica's spirit energy signature, and the red is the traces left behind by the culprit. We did find a match, although…"

"Although what?" Soi-Fon pressed.

Unohana sighed as she looked at Yoruichi. "I'm afraid that this is only going to add further confusion to your case."

Yoruichi folded her arms. "I'll be the judge of that. So, who is it?"

"The wound is a slashing one consistent with what you'd see from a sealed Zanpakutō," said Unohana, her brow furrowing, "The traces of spirit energy pulled from the wound support a Zanpakutō being used in this crime. Specifically, the Zanpakutō that once belonged to Michio Takai… the former Eleventh Seat of Squad Ten."

Yoruichi's head snapped back in shock. "That's not possible. You must be mistaken."

Unohana shook her head. "I assure you, Captain Shihōin, that I am not. The spirit energy signature does not lie."

"But it can't be Takai," Soi-Fon protested vehemently, "He's rotting in the Nest of Maggots as we speak. I would know; I put him there myself."

"Three months ago," Itachi added, "and Kisuke's never let an inmate slip out under his watch."

Yoruichi nodded. "Kisuke has a perfect record as head of the Detention Unit. A two-bit brute like Takai couldn't possibly pull an escape off. Even when Kisuke's not personally overseeing the prison, his subordinates aren't slouches; no way that Takai could outfight or outwit them."

Unohana inclined her head. "I share your faith in Third Seat Urahara's capabilities, and those of his subordinates. That does not change the fact that it was Takai's weapon which dealt Anica her grievous wound."

Itachi's brow furrowed. "His weapon… but not necessarily the man himself?"

"Possibly," Unohana replied, "His Zanpakutō would be held at the Academy for its cleansing period, which means the security it's under would be much less than Takai himself."

Yoruichi tapped her chin as she pondered the scenario. When a Soul Reaper was convicted of a crime, it was standard procedure to seize their Zanpakutō. The weapons of disgraced Soul Reapers were then placed in a ritual chamber for a cleansing period, where their bond with their previous owners would be slowly erased and the sword eventually transformed back to a standard Asauchi. In cases of more powerful Soul Reapers like Lieutenants and Captains, their weapons had to be taken all the way to the Royal Realm, their cleansing personally overseen by Ōetsu Nimaiya himself.

Michio Takai's weapon had not warranted that level of treatment; the Eleventh Seat had not been particularly powerful even after unlocking his Shikai. He had been a rather gifted hand-to-hand brawler, though, which had led to him being assigned to the Academy for a stint as an assistant Hakuda instructor. Unfortunately, it turned out that Michio Takai was the last sort of person who should have been trusted with any level of authority over students.

Especially female students.

Takai had only been in his new position for about a month when rumors of abuse began to circulate. Luckily for Soi-Fon, who Yoruichi had tasked with handling the investigation, Takai had been sloppy, which meant it had not taken long at all to catch him in the act. His crimes had been so disgusting that even Rhaegon, normally fiercely protective of his subordinates whenever they found themselves in trouble, had gladly washed his hands of him, not offering so much as a hint of protest when Soi-Fon and her team had arrested Takai. The man would be confined to the Nest of Maggots for a long time, and the Soul Society was all the better off for it.

She could not see Takai being able to break out of the Nest of Maggots, but Yoruichi wanted to cover her bases. "Alright, here's how we'll play this. Soi-Fon, I want you and Itachi to head over to the Nest of Maggots. Kisuke should still be on duty, so inform him of the situation and check up on Takai. Make sure he's still where he belongs, and question him. He shouldn't have a clue as to what happened, but take a crack at him just in case."

Itachi and Soi-Fon nodded in unison, with the latter inquiring. "Will you be returning to our barracks or Squad Twelve's, Lady Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi shook her head. "No, I'm going to swing by the Academy and check the Zanpakutō cleansing chamber. If our suspect was using a stolen blade, he or she might've left clues when they took the weapon. It's also possible that they'll try to quietly return the Zanpakutō to cover their tracks if they haven't already. If the blade has been returned, we might be able to pull evidence from it."

She then turned to Unohana, who inclined her head. "I will continue Anica's treatment. If I find any other evidence during the process, one of my subordinates will be sent to inform you. You will also be notified the moment she awakens, but I must make this clear; you will not be interrogating her until I deem her fit for it. That is not up for debate. Understood?"

"Of course," Yoruichi confirmed before spinning on her heels and heading for the door, her subordinates right behind her.

….

"I hate coming here," Soi-Fon grumbled as she and Itachi finished crossing the bridge that spanned the incredibly wide moat surrounding the Nest of Maggots.

"Because of who we lock away here," Itachi ventured, "or because of who oversees it?"

Soi-Fon sighed wearily as she led the way down a dirt path through a wooded area. "Both."

"I can understand the former," Itachi replied, "but I've honestly never really grasped why you can't stand Third Seat Urahara. Sure, he may have a more relaxed attitude towards his duties than you or I, but he still performs them quite capably."

Soi-Fon grimaced, though she would begrudgingly concede the point. "It's true that he's good at his job; the Nest of Maggots has never seen a single inmate escape since he began overseeing it. Still, he acts so casually about it… like he doesn't even need to put any work into it. It's frustrating. Yoruichi counts on him; he should respect that and act accordingly."

"I think he does," Itachi gently pushed back, "His record speaks for itself. His demeanor may not be what you consider appropriate for the job, but I would say that actions and results are more important. Wouldn't you?"

Soi-Fon gritted her teeth. "Well… he could at least show that he takes it seriously. Yoruichi gave him a lot of authority, and he's way too casual about it. It's insulting."

Itachi shook his head. "You may see it that way, but I doubt Yoruichi does. Those two have known each other a long time, and her decision to elevate him to Third Seat and head of the Detention Unit was made with her understanding exactly what he's like. It seems clear to me that she places greater importance on his abilities and skills than his attitude towards the job."

Soi-Fon wanted to argue, but it was hard to dispute Itachi's case. "Still…"

"Is it really his attitude that bothers you?" Itachi asked, "Or is it something more fundamental? Less the man's demeanor than the man himself?"

Soi-Fon stopped and turned to face him, eyeing Itachi keenly. "What makes you say that?"

"My observations of the two of you whenever we're all on a mission together," Itachi answered, "Even when he chooses to act in a manner that's 'serious' by your standards, you still hold him at arm's length, and any praise you've ever given for his actions is reluctant at best. You're a harsh taskmaster, Soi-Fon, but not one without a heart; when others do well, I've seen you say as much to them. Kisuke's the only one that you have a particularly hard in doing that with, though. As someone looking on from the outside, it's hard to see that as anything other than personal animosity."

Soi-Fon folded her arms. "You make it sound like I hate him."

"Do you?" Itachi inquired.

Soi-Fon was defensive for a moment, but Itachi's tone wasn't accusatory or judgmental. He seemed genuinely curious. After a few seconds, Soi-Fon took a deep breath and centered herself.

"It's not like that," she eventually said, "I mean, it's true that I don't like him. Probably never will, to be honest. You're not wrong in that it's personal, though."

Itachi said nothing, appearing content to let Soi-Fon continue, so she did just that. "Before you came along, Lady Yoruichi… she spent a lot of time with Urahara."

"They've been close since childhood," Itachi pointed out, "Is it really so strange that Yoruichi would continue to spend time with him, whether it be on duty or otherwise?"

"Well, no," Soi-Fon reluctantly conceded, "I knew that they spent time together as kids, so it would make sense for them to still be fond of each other. Still, sometimes it looked like… like there was something more to them."

"Perhaps there was," Itachi remarked, "They've known each other for a very long time, after all.

There was something about his tone that caught Soi-Fon off guard; it seemed entirely too relaxed given what she had just implied about the woman he was now in a relationship with. "That… that doesn't bother you?"

Itachi shook his head and smiled. "Not at all."

Soi-Fon's eyes widened in incomprehension. "But… why? When I thought that, I… I couldn't stand it. Imagining the two of them together like… like that… it drove me crazy. You… you're with her now, so how can you be so casual about that?"

"Because if she was with Kisuke in a manner that went beyond mere friendship, that would've been her choice to make," Itachi calmly replied, "Just as her being with me now is her choice. Yoruichi's always valued her own agency, Soi-Fon; you should know that. She has every right to pursue her own happiness, just like you and I do. If Kisuke made her happy in that manner back then, then I'm happy for her. Now that I'm with her, I'm the one that gets to make her happy in that way. Even so, that doesn't mean she can't find other sorts of happiness with those that she considers her friends. It just makes the kind of happiness that her and I share now all the more meaningful."

Soi-Fon saw his smile grow somewhat as she spoke, and she found it rather infectious. "You… you really do love her, don't you?"

"I do," Itachi answered without hesitation, "That's why I can have such faith in her. She's given that same faith to me. Who Yoruichi was with in the past, romantically or otherwise, is entirely her business. If she wishes to tell me or anyone else about that, that is likewise her choice and hers alone. Just as it was my choice to tell her about my past… and just as it's our choice to be together now."

Soi-Fon let out a heavy exhalation. "I… I envy you. I have since she first showed interest in you. You know that, right?"

Itachi inclined his head, yet he was still smiling as he held her gaze, not the slightest hint of accusation or animosity in his onyx eyes. "I do. Were our roles reversed, perhaps I very well would feel the same. Even so, I would still be happy to call you a friend. If you don't feel the same way, though, I'd understand."

Soi-Fon let a small smile appear on her face. "No, I… I do feel the same way. Even if I'm still jealous of you, I trust you. When I see Yoruichi with you now, it's… different than how she's been with Urahara. With him, I know she has fun. It's always been like that with the two of them… they always get up to all sorts of trouble. It's always made me worry about her, even if I know she can take care of herself."

"That worry's part of what makes you a good friend and protector for her," Itachi pointed out, "It shows your devotion to her well-being."

Soi-Fon bowed, her smile becoming a wistful one as she raised her head. "Thank you for that, though it's beside the point. What I'm trying to get at here is that, when I see her with you… for her, it seems like being with you is about more than just fun. Yoruichi, she… ever since I first saw her, I've always thought of her as the sun in my life… so beautiful, so radiant and warm… and whenever she's with you, Itachi, she becomes even brighter. Her eyes, her smile, her laughter… something about you amplifies them. It's like, when she's with you… she's truly free to be herself. Her duty as the Shihōin Clan's heiress, her responsibilities as Captain of Squad Two and commander of the Stealth Force… you help her carry those burdens… and set them aside so she can just be her. Does that make sense?"

"It does," Itachi confirmed, "Probably because I feel the same way around her."

"I thought so," Soi-Fon replied as her eyes met his again, "Itachi… I don't think I'll ever be able to completely shake my envy of you, no matter how much Lady Yoruichi or Mikoto might want me to. Still, as long as Lady Yoruichi can be happy with you… then I can be happy for her… and call you a friend."

Itachi slowly nodded. "I appreciate that, Soi-Fon. That means a great deal to me, as I'm sure it will to Yoruichi, too."

He then glanced down the path that led to their destination before turning back to her and offering a slight smirk. "I'm sure Kisuke would enjoy hearing such sentiments from you, too."

Soi-Fon scowled, her brow twitching in irritation. "That's too much to ask. He's always been trouble, and he always will be."

Itachi chuckled at that. "Well, from what I've seen in helping him with his experiments, I find it hard to argue with you on that. Even so, try to play nice with him here. We do need his help, after all."

"Fine," Soi-Fon grumbled as they resumed their trek, "but the sooner we're done with this place and with him, the better."

With the sun heading down in the west, the already-gloomy path towards the entrance of the Nest of Maggots took on a much more ominous air. The foliage along the path was quite thick, meaning that those traversing it already had limited light peeking through the tree branches, and with evening fast approaching Soi-Fon and Itachi were now making their way through haunting darkness. Peering ahead, Soi-Fon could just barely make out the cliff-face at the end of the path and the cold steel door that led into the prison.

Her squinting became a scowl as she caught sight of a very familiar Soul Reaper standing outside the door. One of the perimeter guards must have sent a messenger while Soi-Fon and Itachi were being checked in, otherwise Kisuke would have no reason to be waiting for them at the prison's entrance.

"Wasn't expecting you two to come by today," the Third Seat said by way of greeting, "What brings you out here? Yoruichi put you on evening shift?"

Soi-Fon glanced at Itachi. "You want to fill him in?"

Itachi nodded and stepped forward. "There's been an incident at Squad Twelve, and it's possible one of your inmates is involved."

Soi-Fon waited patiently as Itachi spent the next few minutes telling Kisuke about the break-in, the critically wounded Squad Twelve guard, and what all they knew so far. When he finished, Kisuke's already pale face was downright ashen.

"Whoa…" he murmured, for once looking as serious as Soi-Fon wished he could always be, "That's… well, definitely not good. Talk about a real mess. I can't recall something like this ever happening before. Things are going to get ugly going forward."

"Agreed," said Itachi, "If we can track down the suspect quickly, we might be able to limit the damage. As things stand, though, we don't have much to go off of."

Kisuke nodded. "I'd like to help, but I don't know if you'll find anything useful here. I can guarantee that Takai's still in custody. I actually just had a little scuffle with him about an hour ago; he's not exactly broken in like most of the inmates yet."

"Well, he's only been incarcerated for a few months," Itachi pointed out, "When I was doing my first guard rotation here, you yourself said that the rowdiest inmates are the newest."

"That's still as true today as it was when you first joined Squad Two," Kisuke confirmed, "I had to fight him yesterday, too. Trust me, he hasn't slipped out of here. No one has."

"Even so, we need to speak with him," said Soi-Fon, "if only to confirm firsthand that he's still where he belongs. Lady Yoruichi's ordered it."

"Figured as much," Kisuke replied, "Always good to double check, especially in situations like this."

"Let's get this over with," Soi-Fon growled, "We already checked our swords in back at the bridge guardhouse, so we're ready."

Kisuke smiled. "Good. Takai's feisty, but he's nothing that you two can't handle. You'll probably have to knock him on his ass once or twice, but after that he should start cooperating."

"You still want to take point on questioning him?" Itachi asked Soi-Fon as Kisuke opened the door for them.

Soi-Fon nodded. "After we subdue him, we'll drag him somewhere secluded. I'll kick off the interrogation. While his attention's on me, you can genjutsu him with the Sharingan. I'll focus on conscious answers while you look for subconscious ones. That should cover our bases."

"I'll make sure the other inmates are kept away from you," Kisuke chimed in, "You two can then focus on Takai without having to watch your backs."

"Much appreciated," said Itachi.

Kisuke led the two of them through the security checkpoint just beyond the entrance, and after that down a long flight of stone steps that descended into a cave. The staircase was wide without railings, its edges merging with outcroppings and ledges. Water dripped from stalactites, and lighting was provided by torches flickering in the distance. Down at the end, Soi-Fon saw a pair of thick doors with two Stealth Force members clad in head-to-toe black flanking them.

"Takai's probably towards the front," Kisuke cautioned, "He's been taking shots at any who enter."

Soi-Fon cracked her knuckles. "Good, then I won't have to wait to give him what he deserves."

Kisuke chuckled. "This is going to be fun."

"Not for Takai," Itachi deadpanned.

Sure enough, as soon as the doors opened, a hulking brute of a man charged forward. Tall and broad, Michio Takai certainly cut an imposing figure. His bulky frame was all muscle and very much befitted his reputation as a brawler. His black hair was longer than Soi-Fon recalled it from his arrest; he had grown it out during his still-young sentence. There was a crazed look in his brown eyes, and a strand of drool dripped from the left side of his mouth. His short stint in the Nest of Maggots had done his mental state no favors, and when his eyes locked onto Soi-Fon they became downright manic.

"You bitch!" he roared, already letting loose with a broad right hook.

Soi-Fon neatly ducked it and countered in the blink of an eye, catching the disgraced officer in the neck with a vicious jab. The charging criminal's eyes nearly bulged out of his head as his hands went to his throat, his breath suddenly becoming a string of ragged gasps. Soi-Fon immediately followed up with a fist to his gut and a kick to his left knee, the latter resulting in a very satisfying crunch and subsequent howl of pain.

"Oof," Kisuke winced behind her in sympathy, "He'll be feeling that one in the morning."

As the lumbering man writhed and groaned on the ground, Soi-Fon casually seized Takai by the collar of his white prisoner's robes and dragged him across the cavernous central chamber, Itachi and Kisuke following in her wake. Her dark grey eyes darted back and forth, looking for the slightest hint that the other inmates were about to cause trouble, but they did no such thing. Instead, the other prisoners just languished in the background, slouching against the stone walls or over tables. Some cast curious glances towards the Soul Reapers and the groaning man that Soi-Fon had in her grasp, but most could not be bothered to do even that. They had absolutely zero shits to give about the whole affair.

Should've expected as much, she thought, I forgot what this place does to people. You can't really tell if it's day or night unless you pay attention to the shift change, and there are no windows to the outside world. Time loses all meaning in here, and so the prisoners lose all sense of agency and drive. It's actually impressive that Takai's still this rowdy. I wonder how much longer he'll be able to keep that up…

They eventually reached an isolated corner, and Soi-Fon roughly flung Takai against the wall. Itachi loomed over her right shoulder while Kisuke took up position further back, planting himself between his comrades and the prisoners with a challenging smirk that had one message for its audience; just try to interfere and see what happens. Luckily for all involved, the other prisoners were smarter than Takai.

"You need… to fix my leg," Takai rasped as he clutched his knee, his voice now barely more than a whimper, "If you leave it like this… it won't heal right."

Soi-Fon folded her arms. "Tell you what, Takai; give me what I need, and I'll put in a good word with Kisuke. He can make sure you're patched up… or not, if you cause any more trouble."

"Fine, fine," Takai hissed through a tortured grimace before looking up at Itachi, "Who's this punk?"

"My partner for this case," Soi-Fon replied, "You don't need to know anything more than that."

Takai tilted his head, looking curiously at Itachi. "Wait… what was that?"

Soi-Fon's eyes narrowed. "What was what, Takai?"

Takai blinked a couple of times before shaking his head. "His eyes… never mind. Must be hallucinating. Leg hurts like a bitch, so that's probably why."

Takai had not been hallucinating, but Soi-Fon kept that information to herself. It was not the first time she and Itachi had double-teamed an interrogation suspect like this, yet it always unnerved her when he put his Sharingan to work. Sure, its genjutsu abilities were incredibly useful for scenarios like this, but Soi-Fon found it awfully unsettling with how quickly Itachi could begin manipulating his target's senses. Barely a second had gone by, and already he had tricked Takai into convincing himself that the blazing red beacons of the Sharingan he very much had seen were nothing more than a pain-induced figment of his imagination.

I can't believe Lady Yoruichi regularly lets him use this power on her, Soi-Fon thought as she worked hard to suppress a shudder, I know she's letting him do so in order to train her to recognize and counter genjutsu, and he never does it without her permission, but still… it's damn creepy.

Soi-Fon shoved her misgivings into the back of her mind and focused on Takai. "Have any interest in Squad Twelve?"

Takai arched an eyebrow. "The lazy bookworm division? What do they have to do with anything?"

"Ever paid them any visits?" Soi-Fon pressed.

"Never went by their damn barracks," Takai shot back in irritation, "Not on the job, and definitely not since you threw me in this pit! What the hell's this all about?"

There was a fine line that Soi-Fon had to walk here. If Takai genuinely did not know about the break-in, then she did not want to clue him in on it. However, his agitation and dismissal of Kirio's unit as 'lazy bookworms' could very well be an act. She needed to push more to be certain, but not so hard as to give away information about the ongoing investigation.

"Have you ever seen any of the artifacts they study?" she inquired, keenly studying him, and preparing for whatever reaction he gave.

That reaction turned out to be bafflement. "What? You mean the crap that they dig up out in The Wild? No! That had nothing to do with my job. It's all pointless, anyway; just trinkets from a dead kingdom. My job was to slay Hollows, and I was damn good at it until the Soul Society lost its appreciation for my talents."

Soi-Fon furtively glanced back at Itachi, who gave the slightest of nods. That was one of their prearranged signals, and it meant they were done here.

"I see," Soi-Fon cooly replied before turning around, "Thank you for your time."

"Wait, that's it?" Takai asked as he gaped stupidly at her and Itachi, "You're leaving already? What the hell did you even want from me?"

"What you've just given me," Soi-Fon answered, "Have a good evening, Takai. I hope I never have to see your despicable face again."

Leading Itachi away from the groaning Takai, Soi-Fon turned to Kisuke. "Make sure he's patched up. He's a prick, but he gave us what we need."

Kisuke smiled. "Will do. Good luck!"

It was not until the two of them were back above ground and on the wooded path that Itachi spoke. "He wasn't involved."

"I figured that," Soi-Fon replied as she eyed him in curiosity, "but what makes you so certain?"

"His confusion was legitimate," Itachi answered, "I could not pick up on anything suggesting that he was lying. Believe me, I had him thoroughly ensnared in genjutsu; if he had tried to deceive us, I would have caught it."

Soi-Fon sighed heavily. "And Urahara's confident that he never got out. Well, I guess we can scratch Takai off the suspect list. Why was his Zanpakutō the weapon used, though? Did the culprit take it deliberately to throw us off the scent, or was it just the first sword they were able to grab when they snuck into the ritual cleansing chamber?"

Itachi's brow furrowed. "Can someone other than a Zanpakutō's original owner use its Shikai?"

Soi-Fon folded her arms as she considered the question. "I've heard of Zanpakutō occasionally being passed on from one Soul Reaper to another, with the recipient being able to use the weapon's abilities. It's not common, though. From what I understand, the spirit of the Zanpakutō must accept the transfer as legitimate so it can then bond with the new owner. Like a formal inheritance, for example. A stolen Zanpakutō's another matter entirely. I'm not familiar with any known cases involving a thief successfully invoking a stolen blade's Shikai, but that's not to say it couldn't have happened before. Squad Twelve's archives, and those of the Great Noble Houses, might have recorded examples. It's a moot point, though, because Takai's Shikai was a physical combat type; a wrist blade that complemented his brawling style of battle. If someone was going to use a Zanpakutō's Shikai to infiltrate Squad Twelve and access the artifact vaults, it wouldn't be Takai's."

"Then perhaps the Shikai was irrelevant," Itachi surmised, "Unohana did say that Miss Matei's wound was consistent from a slash by a sealed Zanpakutō, after all. You wouldn't see that kind of injury from a wrist blade."

"That takes us back to my original question, then," Soi-Fon groaned in mounting frustration, "Was Takai's weapon chosen on purpose, or simply out of convenience?"

"Hopefully Yoruichi's investigation at the cleansing chamber can shed some light on that," said Itachi.

If it doesn't, thought Soi-Fon, then we might be in trouble. Takai himself was a dead-end, and if his Zanpakutō winds up being the same… I don't know where we go from there.

….

While Shin'ō Academy fell under the control of Head Captain Yamamoto and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, the institution had some of its functions overseen by the other branches of the Soul Society's armed forces. The Stealth Force, for example, was charged with Academy security and surveillance, monitoring students and faculty alike for potential threats and violations. The Kidō Corps played a less prominent role, limiting themselves to providing instructors for spellcasting courses and supporting the entrance exams depending on what particular challenges that year's overseeing Captain wanted to implement. One quiet corner of the Academy, though, heavily relied on specialized members of the Kidō Corsp to carry out its function; the Zanpakutō ritual cleansing chamber.

There was a certain irony in the branch least associated with the Soul Reapers' signature weapon being charged with purifying said weapons, yet the unique talents of the Kidō Corps made them well-suited to the task. The long process of reverting a disgraced Soul Reaper's Zanpakutō back to the blank slate of an Asauchi required sealing the blades in a chamber imbued with specialized spells, and those spells had to be constantly monitored, regulated, and periodically recast. As Yoruichi approached the secluded temple-like structure at the back of the Academy, she felt a wave of cold emanating from the chamber, a pulse of arctic energy that sent a chill through her body. No less than ten Kidō Corps members sat on meditation rugs placed around the building, their black-robed bodies and white-veiled faces focused on the structure, and these were just the people charged with maintaining the basic suppression spell that lay at the heart of the temple's function. Other members, Yoruichi knew from experience, would be sitting in similar poses inside chambers that acted as key nodes for the network of spells, or walking the halls chanting incantations as if they were the mantras of monks. The whole setup honestly creeped her out, even if she understood the necessity of it all.

Inazuma On'na likewise shared Yoruichi's discomfort, and she was not shy about making it known. Let's make this quick. The sooner we're out of here, the better.

From what Yoruichi understood, every Zanpakutō spirit in the Soul Society had a strong aversion to this place. It was perfectly natural; after all, the core function of the cleansing chamber was to essentially erase a Zanpakutō's very essence and identity. For a Zanpakutō that had grown for years, decades or centuries alongside its Soul Reaper and had forged its sense of self, to be condemned to this temple was a fate worse than death. At least if a Soul Reaper fell in combat, succumbed to illness, or passed back into the flow of souls by other means, the spirit of their Zanpakutō could leave the world as itself, its identity affirmed and held even in its final moments. In the ritual cleansing chamber, the Zanpakutō was denied that dignity. Instead, it would slowly succumb and fade, the process potentially taking years or even decades depending on the strength and stubbornness of the Zanpakutō in question. Every spirit of every sword would fight tooth and nail against the erasure of who they were, and in doing so they would doom themselves to an incredibly long and torturous decline before their consciousness finally entered oblivion.

In addition to the ten Kidō Corps members surrounding the temple, two more stood on the stone walkway leading up to its staired entrance and moved to meet Yoruichi halfway. Though both wore the same face-obscuring white veils as their colleagues, their builds were different enough that Yoruichi felt confident in taking a stab at their gender. The one on the right was the taller of the two, with broad shoulders and thick legs, and Yoruichi was willing to bet it was a man. By contrast, the one on the left was lithe and petite, almost certainly a woman.

She got confirmation a moment later when the shorter of the two spoke in a feminine voice so soft that it was almost a whisper. "Captain Shihōin, welcome. I am Amaya Inaba, shift overseer. This gentleman is Tetsuya Hino, my adjutant. Forgive me for saying this, but you may wish to dampen your spiritual pressure a bit; we could sense you coming from halfway across the Academy grounds."

Yoruichi took a deep breath as she did just that; her concern regarding the investigation must've been more distracting than she'd realized. "Thank you for pointing that out, Miss Inaba."

Amaya inclined her head, and her bright blue eyes peered intensely through the thin gap in her white cloth mask. "Of course. May I ask what brings you here at this hour? We're not accustomed to evening visits from Captains."

"I'm here to inspect your inventory," Yoruichi answered, "and check for a particular blade."

Amaya and Tetsuya glanced at each other, and Yoruichi saw the latter's intense brown eyes narrow somewhat before he turned to face her. "Which Zanpakutō do you seek?"

"The one that once belonged to Squad Ten's former Eleventh Seat Michio Takai," Yoruichi replied.

Amaya seemed taken aback. "Our most recent sword? Why?"

"I have evidence suggesting that it was used in a crime committed last night," said Yoruichi.

Tetsuya vehemently shook his head. "That's not possible. That blade's been in our possession for months now. I just finished my latest round not ten minutes ago, and it's still in its proper place."

"That's very interesting," Yoruichi noted, "seeing as Captain Unohana traced spirit energy from a wounded Soul Reaper to that weapon."

"How can that be?" Amaya inquired incredulously, "We maintain seamless watch over this facility; no one could have removed any of the Zanpakutō here without us noticing."

"I don't doubt that," Yoruichi replied, "just as I don't doubt Captain Unohana's expertise. Hate to say it, but only one of you can be wrong here, and I don't think it's Captain Unohana."

"I suppose that there's only one way to find out," said Amaya before gesturing at her colleague, "If you'll be so kind as to let Tetsuya take your sword into custody, I can escort you to the cleansing chamber for an inspection."

Yoruichi didn't like the thought of relinquishing her Zanpakutō, but she'd known what the standard procedure for this facility was well before setting out. Reluctantly, she untied the sheath from her white hip sash and passed it over to Tetsuya, though not before fixing him with a piercing glare.

"Be careful with that," she ordered, her voice just above a low growl.

Tetsuya bowed as he accepted her weapon. "Of course, Captain Shihōin."

"Tetsuya will wait here for the two of us to return. Follow me, please," Amaya requested.

She led Yoruichi up the creaking wooden stairs at the temple's entrance, with Yoruichi fighting hard to keep from shivering. The very air around the facility had an arctic bite to it, and it had nothing to do with the weather. If the members of the Kidō Corps could influence the temperature just as a side effect of the cleansing spells at use here, then Yoruichi shuddered to imagine just what they could accomplish if they put their combined efforts towards something that impacted the physical world directly.

Can't think of any spells that change the weather, she mused, but that's not to say they don't exist. Tessai's damn brilliant when it comes to Kidō, so who knows what he and his subordinates have cooked up behind the scenes? I'd like to think that he wouldn't use spells like that unless the situation is dire, though. He's always been a stand-up guy like that. Even so…

Reaching the entrance, Yoruichi watched as Amaya placed her hand just over the door. There was a brief pulse of spirit energy before the air rippled; she had just parted a barrier. Amaya then slid the door open and stepped inside, with Yoruichi following suit.

"Forgive us for the cold," said Amaya as they walked down a hallway lined with flickering candles that did nothing to alleviate the chill, "We've tried over the years to modify the cleansing and sealing spells, figure out why they have such an adverse attempt on the temperature, but we've unfortunately had no success at divining a solution."

"It's fine," Yoruichi curtly answered, "Let's just get this done with quickly."

At the end of the hallway was a set of sliding doors guarded by two Kidō Corps members, each equipped with a two-pronged and spiked sasumata. Unlike the plain doors at the temple's entrance, these had some decoration to them, though it was of a somber sort. An artistic rendering of a sheathed Zanpakutō set on a stand was spread across both doors, and floating above the weapon was a cloaked figure with wearing a white death mask that struck Yoruichi as uncomfortably reminiscent of the sort belonging to a Hollow. Tears of blood dripped from the masks dark eyeholes and fell upon the scabbard.

"Charming," Yoruichi deadpanned.

"A necessary reminder of why this place exists," Amaya gently reproached, "The Zanpakutō interred here did not ask to become weapons of criminals. Who and what they are must be erased because of actions that were not of their own design. It's quite tragic, really."

Yoruichi could not argue with that, so she simply waited in silence as Amaya approached the guards. Without a word, both figures bowed their heads in unison before sliding the doors open. A layer of bluish-gray mist seeped out, crawling along the floor, and causing a chill to race up Yoruichi's legs when it swept across her feet.

Amaya beckoned forward. "Come. There are thankfully few Zanpakutō in custody at the moment, so this should not take long."

"Good," Yoruichi muttered as she pulled out a pair of long black gloves and slipped them on.

They were not meant to alleviate the cold. Instead, they had been designed by Kisuke for use whenever Squad Two and the Stealth Force had to get hands-on at a potential crime scene. Not only would they keep Yoruichi's fingerprints off any evidence, but they would also prevent any traces of her spirit energy transmitting from her hands to whatever she touched. Given that this particular crime involved a former Soul Reaper's Zanpakutō, such measures were more than necessary.

Stepping into the cleansing chamber behind Amaya, Yoruichi found it to be considerably wider and more spacious than she had been expecting, though that may have been in part because there were only a handful of Zanpakutō currently present and thus leaving most of the room unfilled. Laid out on stands scattered across the tatami mats were perhaps a dozen or so swords, each one's scabbard marked with a sealing tag. The room's dim illumination came courtesy of several candles set up on free-standing mounts, though their flickering flames were not the conventional orange-red that one might expect. Fitting with the room's cool temperature, they were an icy blue, which brought unwelcome images to Yoruichi's mind her expedition to Menar Issilaya years ago.

There's no wraith here, she had to remind herself as her gaze lingered on the deathly pale azure flames, because you and your comrades sent them all back to the other side where they belong.

Normally, Yoruichi would need little help in finding the weapon she sought; every Zanpakutō had its unique spirit energy, related to that of its wielder yet with subtle variations that still made it distinct from the Soul Reaper in question. Those variations were difficult to pick up on in the cleansing room, though, because the chamber and the spells empowering it did its job far too well. Takai's blade had only been interred here for a few months, yet already its energy signature was faded and murky, as if Yoruichi was searching for a ship out at sea smothered in thick fog.

Thankfully, Amaya knew exactly where the weapon she sought was, and she led Yoruichi to a blade set in the right front corner of the room. "Here we are; the former Zanpakutō of Michio Takai."

The weapon was not much to look at. Michio's sealed blade was of standard length, and the guard was a plain brass circle with no adornment. The hilt wrapping was likewise nondescript; just basic black.

Amaya knelt next to the weapon and studied it. "No sign that the seal's been disturbed."

"I still need to inspect the blade," said Yoruichi.

"If you insist," Amaya replied as she brought the fingers of both hands together, forming a triangle that she then placed over the sealing tag, "One moment."

Yoruichi heard Amaya rapidly murmur a string of incantations, and the characters on the sealing tag glowed bright yellow for a moment before the light subsided. Amaya then reached down and pealed the tag off the scabbard before standing up and stepping aside.

"All yours, Captain Shihōin," the Kidō Corps member stated.

Yoruichi picked up the sword and slowly drew it, her eyes narrowing as the blade became visible. At a cursory glance, it might appear clean, but this was hardly the first Zanpakutō that Yoruichi had ever inspected in a criminal investigation. Sure enough, after a few minutes of careful examination, she found what she was looking for; tiny, almost imperceptible, dots of dry blood along the edge.

"Thought so," she murmured, "Whoever used it didn't have time for a thorough cleaning before putting it away."

Amaya's masked head snapped back in shock. "Wait, you seriously found blood?"

"Take a look for yourself," Yoruichi remarked as she flipped the weapon around and passed it to Amaya hilt-first.

Amaya carefully took the Zanpakutō and held it so close to the slit in her white mask that it almost looked like she would cut her eyes on the blade. Yoruichi watched with keen interest as Amaya studied the weapon, wondering just how long it would take for to found what she had.

As it turned out, that was only slightly longer than the time Yoruichi had taken, and she had the satisfaction of hearing an astonished gasp slip through Amaya's lips. "This… this should be impossible."

"Clearly it's not," Yoruichi quipped.

Amaya shook her head in growing alarm. "How… how? Our security measures here are airtight. There's never been a break-in here!"

Yoruichi was not without sympathy for the woman's plight. "Go grab a drink with Squad Twelve later; they suffered the same sort of shock last night. You'll be in good company."

"What… what does this mean?" Amaya asked numbly, the question perhaps more directed at herself than Yoruichi.

Still, Yoruichi had an answer ready, even if it might not be the one Amaya sought. "It means you and your subordinates should be ready for a follow-up visit tomorrow, because my subordinates and I will have questions."

Amaya bowed. "Of course, Captain Shihōin. In the meantime, what should we do with the Zanpakutō?"

"I'll be taking custody of it and delivering it to Squad Four," Yoruichi answered, "There may be further evidence that Captain Unohana can pull from it."

"It's against protocol for a Zanpakutō to be removed when its cleansing is incomplete," Amaya objected.

"And when that Zanpakutō is involved in a crime during it's cleansing?" Yoruichi challenged.

Amaya sighed in concession. "There is… no precedent for such a situation"

"Which means there's no protocol for it," Yoruichi remarked, "Lucky us, then; we're free to establish new precedent."

"So it would seem," Amaya reluctantly admitted before sheathing the weapon and passing it to Yoruichi, "This is all highly irregular, though. A formalized process for this situation should be drafted."

"I'll leave that to you and your colleagues," said Yoruichi as she took the Zanpakutō and headed for the door, "I have work to do. I'll be sending members of the Stealth Force for a more thorough crime scene investigation, so keep this room cordoned off and allow no one to come in or out."

….

A week later…

"It's been quite a while since my last Rukon excursion," Kirio remarked as she weaved her busty form through the bustling market crowd, "A pity it isn't under better circumstances. I'd love the chance to browse the stalls out here."

At the head of the group, Yoruichi shook her head. "Stay focused. Like it or not, we're on the job here. Also, watch yourself; people have sticky fingers out in this district."

"They should know better," Soi-Fon growled, and a group of young would-be pickpockets melted back into the shadows of the alleyway that they had been peeking out of.

"In their defense, they probably don't get our kind coming out here very often," Itachi noted.

West Rukon 44 certainly was not a district that Itachi or other Soul Reapers visited on a regular basis. It was in something of a sweet spot as far as Rukongai went; Hollows did not seem to bother with it all that much. That might have been due to the beasts determining that other districts further out were better hunting grounds, though the fact that West 44 had a trade route used predominantly by the Kuchiki Clan running through it was a more likely factor, as the Great Noble House had invested no small effort in funding local militia for defense, even providing them with Spirit Weapons well suited to dispatching Hollows. Doing so was skirting the boundaries of what was considered acceptable for Great Noble Houses under the founding treaties, but the Kuchiki Clan's behavior here was matched by those of their aristocratic competitors in other districts that provided economic utility, so none of their rivals made any fuss about it.

As a result, West Rukon 44 was something of a paradox. For a mid-ring district, it was considered quite safe as far as one's mere survival went, and the Kuchiki Clan's investment in trade protection and commerce meant that West 44 had a thriving market scene. However, that same protection was also useful for intelligent criminals, who recognized West 44 as a prime place to set up shop if they could stay beneath the militias' notice. It was a certain class of crook that took up their trade out here. The overly violent types were deterred by the militias, leaving those who preferred finesse, skill, and trickery free reign. Con artists, pickpockets, smugglers, and other such fiends made up the underground scene, passing amongst the respectable merchants and marketgoers with only the savvy picking up on their presence.

It was one of those shady characters that Itachi and his companions were on the way to see. Yoruichi had received a message earlier that morning; the contact that she had spoken of early in the investigation was ready for a face-to-face meeting. Whether he had a solid lead on the stolen Nalatarin was not clear. A week could be both all too short and a lifetime depending on one's perspective, and that was especially true when it came to hunting down priceless artifacts. Perhaps Yoruichi's contact had picked up hints as to the Nalatarin's whereabouts, or the artifact could well be outside their reach by now. Either way, here was Itachi, Yoruichi, Soi-Fon and Kirio, trudging through the market wearing dark grey cloaks over their Soul Reaper attire in early summer heat, hardly a pleasant experience. Itachi could only hope that Yoruichi's ally in the criminal underworld would make the trouble worth it, though he privately had doubts. It was not that he distrusted Yoruichi; rather, what they had come to learn over the past week since the break-in at Squad Twelve, along with some circumstantial clues and strangely timed coincidences, were all pointing in a troubling direction that suggested far more sinister motives than selling off the artifact for a quick and juicy payday were at work here.

The week that had passed since the break-in at Squad Twelve had been an eventful one. Sure enough, after Yoruichi and Kirio had submitted their required preliminary reports to Squad One, it had only taken two days for Head Captain Yamamoto to call a meeting. Word had already been passed along to the Central Forty-Six and, from what snippets Yoruichi had passed along to him, the council was in a state of uproar. Accusations were already flying hot and fast among the nobility even though the investigation into the Nalatarin's theft was still very much ongoing. It was exactly the sort of mess that Itachi and Yoruichi had been anticipating and dreading, and it looked to only get worse in the days and weeks to come.

The resulting Captains' meeting would make sure of that, but that was actually not due to what Yoruichi and Kirio had reported to their colleagues. Rather, it was because of two distinct absences from the meeting; the Captains of Squads Ten and Eleven had both failed to attend, both sending Lieutenants in their stead. When questioned, the subordinates of Rhaegon Drakken and Torrance Starmont had both claimed the leaders of their respective units were ill and recuperating at their family's estates. From what Yoruichi had told him, Itachi understood that Captain Unohana's offers of medical aid from both herself and Squad Four as a whole had been immediately rebuffed, which was suspicious in and of itself; why would one refuse care from the most proficient healer in the Thirteen Court Guard squads? Either the ailments of the two Captains were not as severe as their Lieutenants had claimed, or they did not want the details of their condition to become known.

Itachi had immediately suspected the latter. After all, the artifact whose theft had caused all this tumult was known to render illegitimate users catatonic. The Drakken and Starmont Clans had both raised a considerable fuss when the Nalatarin had first been recovered by Squad Two and given over to Squad Twelve's custody, and now the Captains hailing from those families were suddenly ill mere days after the artifact that they'd so vociferously claimed should be given to their families for safekeeping had been stolen? Yes, it might be coincidence, but Itachi highly doubted it. As far as circumstantial evidence went, it reeked.

And here I thought you were trying to be cautious, Jigoku no Joō remarked, rather than jump to conclusions. You've been counseling Yoruichi as much. Aren't you going to take your own advice?

I'm not ruling out other possibilities. There's still far too much that we don't know. If we find evidence that takes us down an unexpected path, then the only thing to do is follow and see where we ultimately wind up.

Yet your mind seems to have locked onto a target already.

I'm only acknowledging the most likely suspect based on what we've learned and what's transpired. You have to admit that his absence from the Captains meeting is a red flag.

Oh, no doubt about that. Something's fishy.

Glad we're in agreement. I'll remain mindful of other potential culprits and keep an eye out for any hints of new evidence, yet I feel reasonably confident in saying that we have at least one suspect who's definitely worth digging into.

Can't argue there. Leaving aside his and Captain Starmont's conspicuous absence, there's the fact that a weapon that once belonged to one of his subordinates was used in the attack.

A disgraced former subordinate, and one that Captain Drakken himself was quite eager to disavow after his crimes against the Academy students were uncovered. His weapon being stolen and used in the break-in is notable, but it only provides a circumstantial link to Squad Ten's leader, and a very tenuous one at that. Hardly our best piece of evidence.

True. His behavior after we returned the artifact to the Seireitei does him no favors here, though. Neither does his absence from the meeting. We might not see the fire yet, but there's plenty of smoke.

And there may yet be more to come.

What to do if all that smoke did lead to a fire burning at Rhaegon Drakken's feet, though? That was the million Kan question, and one that would be fiendishly difficult to answer. Itachi had pursued criminals before, both in this life and last even while being a fugitive himself, but none of his past targets had ever held the same sort of status and prestige as a man who was both a noble and a Captain. To pin the crime on that kind of target would require ironclad evidence and an airtight case, and Itachi felt like they were not particularly close to that point yet.

Itachi hoped that Yoruichi's friend in the Soul Society's criminal underworld would be able to get them closer to making that case. At the same time, though, he found himself praying that any evidence they found here would put them on a different path than the one that they were on now. If the current line of inquiry continued along its present course, then that would lead to an eventual confrontation with at least one Great Noble House, and Itachi dreaded what that might bring. He did not fear the Drakken Clan themselves, but he had seen firsthand what could happen when a powerful family perceived itself to be backed into a corner.

The Drakken Clan are not the Uchiha.

No, but the parallels are striking… and frightening.

The spirit of his Zanpakutō had no response to that, which hardly helped matters. Then again, Itachi could hardly blame her. The similarities between the Drakken Clan's situation within the Seireitei and that of the Uchiha Clan and the Hidden Leaf Village had been greatly troubling Itachi ever since Yoruichi had told him about the tumultuous Captains meeting roughly a month ago, and his concerns had only grown with the theft of the Nalatarin. Itachi recalled the conversation he and Yoruichi had shared regarding the clan's potential retaliation scenarios for their recent setback in the political arena. A break-in at Squad Twelve and stealing a high-value artifact had not been on the list of possibilities, but the more Itachi thought about it, the more he realized that such a move on their part would tick all the appropriate boxes.

It was not a direct attack, though a Soul Reaper being grievously wounded did elevate it above the level of mere robbery. At the same time, the item stolen was one with a connection to the Drakken Clan, and the involved weapon had once belonged to one of Rhaegon Drakken's former subordinates. If one wanted to send a message without engaging in direct and open hostilities, the break-in walked that tightrope almost perfectly.

But is that really what we're dealing with, Itachi asked himself, or am I reading too much into this? It's one thing to follow evidence, but another to chase phantom conspiracies. The line between the two in this situation can be awfully blurry.

He was jolted out of his musings by a nudge from Yoruichi. "We're almost there. It's just up ahead. Right side of the street, just past the apothecary. Can't miss it."

Following her gaze, Itachi's eyes fell upon what looked like the front of a tavern. The building, or at least its exterior, had seen better days. The outer walls were cracked and chipped, faded stains that were probably the result of inebriated patients losing the contents of their stomachs were scattered along the stone walkway leading up to the entrance, and the blue-painted wooden sign over the front door hung at a crooked angle. Faded red characters offered a name; 'Vagabond's Respite.'

Soi-Fon's nose crinkled in distaste. "The dump looks even worse now than last time. You'd think he could at least take better care of the place."

"Don't let the outside fool you," Yoruichi chided, "It's just like him, in a way; what's on the surface is a mask."

"I think it has character," Kirio chimed in as she looked the entrance up and down, "All the bars and teahouses in the Seireitei look so neat and uniform, like they were all cast from the same mold. Say what you will about this place, but at least it stands out."

"Is it even open for business?" Itachi asked, "Seems a bit early in the day for this sort of establishment."

"Vagabond's Respite never closes," Yoruichi reassured him, "The real trick is catching the owner; he's in and out pretty often. If you don't arrange in advance like we did here, running into him is down to luck."

Itachi eyed the entrance warily; the doorway had a blue half-curtain hanging in it, but that was it. Alcohol and some considerably fouler odors wafted out, and Itachi had to work at suppressing a cough from disgust. This struck him as a place that he would not be frequenting any more than necessary.

What a dump.

Agreed, though we shouldn't say as much in front of the owner.

From the look of the place, I doubt he'd even care. The place is a dive, and if the appearance is anything to go by, the owner seems to have embraced that. I bet the patrons here are a real charming bunch…

As if on cue, one of those patrons came out a moment later, a burly and hairy man who utterly reeked of booze. He did not come out walking, or even stumbling for that matter; instead, he had come flying out before faceplanting on the stone walkway. His thrower, a rather slender black-haired, brown-eyed woman wearing a plain grey tunic and leggings with a white apron over them, stepped outside and glared down at his prone form. Studying the man more closely, Itachi saw a tanto embedded in the back of his right hand, which the woman pulled out a second later. She did so roughly, even twisting it a bit before fully extracting it, eliciting a slurred whimper from her former customer.

"That's what you get for not obeying the house rules," the woman said calmly as she wiped the blade clean of blood, "If you come back here and put your filthy hands on me again, you'll get a lot worse than this next time. Now, get lost."

Yoruichi shook her head and chuckled as the drunken buffoon stumbled to his feet and scurred off, blood dripping from his hand. "I see your favorite kind of customers are coming out of the woodwork early today, Qingling."

The woman whirled around, as if only now noticing the four cloaked Soul Reapers standing before her. "Oh, you're…"

Yoruichi raised a finger to her lips. "No names for us, Qingling. Not out here."

The waitress composed herself and nodded, her brown eyes narrowing as they swept across the quartet. "Of course. I see you have two newcomers with you. Have you told them the house rules?"

"Figured they could find those out for themselves," Yoruichi replied, "seeing as you've still got them posted out here."

Yoruichi nodded at the building, and Itachi saw a small white sign posted just to the right of the entrance. On it were a few lines of text, each one using a picture of a knife with two drops of blood falling from the tip as a bullet point.

'Don't touch the staff.'

'No tabs; pay up immediately.'

'No fighting inside.'

I see the rules are enforced with extreme prejudice.

Clearly.

Putting the tanto away, the waitress folded her arms and tapped her foot. "We won't have any problems, will we?"

Itachi respectfully inclined his head. "None whatsoever."

"We're here on business," Kirio added, "We'll keep things professional."

The waitress sighed in relief. "Good. I'm Qingling Xiao. Welcome to Vagabond's Respite. Please, come with me."

Stepping inside, the quartet of Soul Reapers lowered the cowls of their cloaks and looked around the spacious tavern. Surprisingly given the relatively early hour, the place seemed to be at least halfway full, and Itachi wondered just how packed it would get when the evening crowd came in. The interior decorating was strange to say the least, with what appeared to be dozens of rusted, chipped and generally worn-out weapons hung on the walls at various lopsided angles. There seemed to be just about every bladed implement under the sun, ranging from katanas to straight swords to spears, tridents, glaives, and everything in between, with only their state of disrepair and decay being consistent. Multiple waitresses in a manner like Qingling roamed about, each one carrying herself with the sort of poise and deftness that Itachi might associate with members of the Stealth Force rather than common barmaids.

Glancing at Yoruichi, Itachi saw her nod. "They can all handle themselves, just like Qingling. Not sure where exactly they all picked up their training, but I have a hunch or two."

"Wouldn't be surprised if a few of them are washouts from the Stealth Force curriculum at the Academy," Soi-Fon muttered.

"I suppose such skills come in handy when working at an establishment like this," Kirio remarked, her gaze appearing to be more focused on the various rusting wall decorations than the staff.

Qingling exhaled wearily before nodding in the bar's direction. "You have no idea. Anyway, the boss is waiting for you over there."

Following her gaze, Itachi saw a man leaning against the customer-facing side of the bar wiping down a glass. He looked to be of about average height, with brown eyes, light skin, and black hair that was tied back in a tail not too dissimilar from how Itachi styled his. Unlike Itachi, though, the man had let his facial hair grow out, covering his entire jawline and chin in a somewhat scraggly yet still trimmed beard, and that also extended to his mustache. He was decked out in a dark green tunic with black leggings, and over the former was a midnight blue vest. Itachi spotted at least half a dozen knives clipped to his belt, and he suspected that more were hidden within the vest. What struck Itachi as much more interesting than the blades was a weapon that one very rarely saw in the Soul Society holstered on the man's hip; a revolver.

From Itachi's initial exposure to the firearms of Terra during his and Jiraiya's first Konsō training mission in their Academy days, he had noticed a significant and rapid line of improvement in the weapons during his subsequent missions to that realm of the living, particularly whenever his assignments took him to the continents of Europe and North America. Though Jiraiya had lamented the lack of soul and artistry in such weapons, and Itachi could sympathize with those sentiments, the former Akatsuki member still found the devices to be intriguing in a morbid way. Their swift evolution over just a few decades pointed to humanity's grim growth through warfare and mankind's eternal quest for more efficient means of killing. That humanity in Terra continued to refine and mass produce the weapons indicated that this particular Realm of the Living had firmly made up its mind on how they would pursue warfare going forward; through industrial and technological innovation.

It's a logical adaptation for those lacking chakra or spirit energy, he mused, though I have to wonder just what these sorts of weapons could do if knowledge of either such power was combined with them. It's also a bit curious that us Shinobi never pursued such inventions; there are situations where they could be useful for our kind.

Catching sight of his newest patrons, the man flashed a roguish smile as his eyes fell on Yoruichi. "Been a while since you've been in my neck of the woods, sister. Early as ever, too; still quick as a cat, eh?"

Itachi glanced at Yoruichi and arched an eyebrow. "Sister?"

Yoruichi shrugged. "Just the way he talks."

"Don't overthink it, brother," the man said as he sized Itachi up, "Haven't seen you around these parts before."

"Don't get used to it," Soi-Fon interjected before Itachi could reply, "We won't be making a habit of coming out here."

The man smirked as his gaze drifted over to Soi-Fon, meeting her scowl with a chuckle. "Still got that feisty little hornet with you, I see. I would've thought you'd have gotten her to lighten up a bit by now, sister."

Yoruichi shot Soi-Fon a playful smile. "I keep trying. Maybe one of these days I'll have success."

"Careful," Soi-Fon growled at the man, "A hornet's sting can be quite nasty."

The man let out a small laugh. "Oh, I'm sure it is."

The bartender then turned to appraise Kirio, his eyes running up and down her figure in a rather appreciative manner; even through her robes and cloak, Captain Hikifune's bountiful curves were quite apparent. "What brings a lovely gal like you into this pit? I can't recall your fine self ever gracing my humble establishment before."

Kirio batted her eyelashes at him. "I hear you're a man who's very good at finding things. Did I hear right?"

The bartender grinned, though the gesture struck Itachi as equal parts friendly and hungry, like a wolf barring his fangs. "You did indeed, sister. Of course, I don't go out of my way to find the things you're after for free… even for flower as sublime as yourself."

"And I wouldn't expect you to," Kirio replied with an inviting smile, "though I do hope you'll be amenable to negotiation."

The bartender's grin became genuinely humorous for a moment before he turned to Yoruichi. "Just what exactly did you tell your… enticing friend here about me?"

Yoruichi flashed him a devious grin. "Oh, not much… except for the very worst, of course."

"Of course," the man repeated before turning to the waitress that had greeted them, "Hey, Qingling! I have business to attend to with our fine guests. Mind the bar… and try not to stab too many patrons while I'm away, ya hear?"

Qingling shot a table full of decided muscular and rough-looking men a glare, causing the lot of them to flinch. "No promises, boss."

Setting his glass and cloth down atop the bar, the man started heading towards a door at the back of the dining area and motioned for Itachi and the others to follow. "Right this way."

Falling in with Yoruichi and the others, Itachi keenly studied the establishment's owner from behind. At first glance, the man seemed to carry himself in a casual, almost carefree manner, which was rather jarring given his supposed nature as a big-time broker in the Soul Society's criminal underworld. As Itachi had learned long ago, though, looks could be deceiving, and that was very much the case here. Upon closer inspection, Itachi noted that the man's hands never seemed to stray too far from either one of the many knives on his belt or the holstered revolver, and the former Shinobi was willing to bet that he was quick on the draw. Trying to get a sense for how powerful the man was in terms of spirit energy, Itachi was struck by just how similar the man felt to a Soul Reaper Captain. His spiritual pressure was definitely suppressed, a powerful undercurrent flowing just beneath a seemingly placid surface.

Yoruichi mentioned that her grandmother's familiar with him, Itachi recalled, so he's been in the game here at least since Squad Two's former Captain was running the show… and quite possibly a good deal longer. It's hard to say just what he's truly capable of. I'll have to keep a sharp eye on him.

They followed the bartender into a dark, damp and somewhat moldy hallway whose creaking floorboards and cracked walls suggested some considerable maintenance was in order sooner rather than later. The corridor went much further than Itachi had been expecting, and it became readily apparent that the tavern where average customers might convene for drinks and questionable food was just the surface of the building, a mask to hide its true function. Doors were spread out along both sides of the corridor, and Itachi could only imagine what sorts of shady business were conducted behind them. The bartender ignored them all, though, instead leading them towards a door at the very far end of the hallway.

"Hope you don't mind a mess," the man said as he opened the door for them, "I haven't had time to clean lately."

Yoruichi shrugged. "We'll manage."

Stepping into the office, Itachi found himself quite taken aback by what he saw. He had been expecting the 'mess' to be dust, cobweb, scattered business paperwork and other such detritus, but that was not what he saw. Instead, the 'mess' in question was all manner of artifacts scattered haphazardly across shelves, tables, and even what he assumed was the owner's desk. Yoruichi had mentioned him having 'trinkets' on display, but this struck Itachi as less a collection of baubles and more a museum's worth of treasures crammed into the office.

He saw gem-embedded medallions and rings, circlets and amulets of gold or silver, and gauntlets whose outer plates were polished so finely they could serve as mirrors. Of far greater prominence and quantity were weapons, ranging from sleek and gracefully curved scimitars to sets of throwing knives, tiny and almost impossibly-thin assassin's needles set in a case sitting next to a massive double-headed axe that even a Valkyrie might find unwieldy, a gleaming bident with glowing sea-green runes inscribed along the handle propped up against the wall while an assortment of maces and mauls laid on the floor by the polearm's handle, and much more besides. It was not just jewelry and weapons Itachi spotted, though. Scattered about the armaments and baubles were several scrolls, most rolled up but a handful either fully or partially unfurled. Taking quick glances at them, Itachi saw that most seemed to be maps. He could recognize the locations and landmarks in some of them thanks to the various missions he had undertaken over the course of his Soul Reaper career thus far; the long-range expeditions to deal with the wraiths and his trip up north with Jiraiya were particularly helpful in letting him identify multiple locations shown in the parchment. Some were wholly unknown to him, though, and it caused Itachi to look at the mysterious bartender with renewed scrutiny.

Has he travelled to all these locations, or perhaps intends to? Or is he merely holding these maps for sale?

I'm willing to bet the former.

Really? Why's that?

Nothing solid to base it on. Just call it a gut feeling.

Focusing in on the weapons and jewelry, Itachi could sense spirit energy within many of them. It gave him new appreciation for their mysterious host's ability to track down valuable artifacts; given how fiercely the aristocracy and the Soul Society's military organizations coveted and guarded Spirit Weapons, Spirit Armor, and other such empowered relics, it could not be easy for an independent operator to amass a collection like this.

Sidling up next to him, Yoruichi gave Itachi a nudge as her gaze followed his over the assorted weapons and baubles. "Pretty impressive, right?"

"It is," Itachi concurred before turning to the proprietor, who had sat down and kicked his feet up on the desk, "Your services must be in high demand if you're capable of compiling an inventory like this."

"Yeah, I get enough requests to keep me busy," the bartender confessed with a savvy smirk, "All under the table, you see. The Soul Society's head honchos don't like the competition… though sometimes they'll reach out to me in secret whenever their own precious treasure hunters come up short. They might not like me, but they don't have to; they just need to pay me."

"Guess that's the cue," Yoruichi remarked as she pulled a small satchel out from her robes and tossed it on the desk, "You still keep the same going rate, right?"

"No price hikes for you, sister," the mystery man confirmed, "Least I can do for you, seeing as your family's been steady patrons of mine… and your grandmother would have words for me if I gouged you, to put it mildly."

Yoruichi flashed a wicked smile. "I know."

The man looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. "You really take after her… the younger her, anyway. She was a real feisty witch back in the day."

Yoruichi folded her arms. "You saying that she isn't now?"

The bartender laughed. "Hell no, sister! Age and experience might've made her bitter and grey, but I know better than to take her lightly. Still get the heebie-jeebies thinking about the last time I met her in person."

"I'll let her know next time I write her," said Yoruichi, "I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

The proprietor snorted. "Yeah, I bet she would."

Soi-Fon folded her arms and scowled. "Let's get to business already. We don't have time to waste."

"First thing's first," the bartender replied as he eyed Itachi and Kirio, "It's only right that I know who I'm doing business with. You two are new faces, and while Yoruichi here bringing you along is a vote of confidence, it's not quite good enough. You got names, don't you?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed as he stared the man down. "Why don't we start with yours? You're the host, after all."

The man nodded. "Fair enough. Call me Wu. Wu Ming."

Itachi was skeptical. "Is that your real name? It wouldn't be unusual for a man in your profession to have aliases."

'Wu' laughed softly. "Sharp one, aren't you? 'Wu' is the name you're getting. Want to know if it's real or not? Try digging and finding out for yourself… if you can. Now, your turn."

"Itachi Uchiha," the former Shinobi answered, "Eighth Seat of Squad Two."

Wu stroked his beard. "Uchiha, eh? Well… that's interesting."

An alarm went off in Itachi's head. "You know the name."

Wu folded his arms. "Maybe. So what if I do? I know many names. It's part of my thing. You want more than that? It'll cost, and you don't get Yoruichi's family discount."

"Maybe, but he can have my family's backing if he needs it," Yoruichi chimed in, "and that very much includes the financial kind.

Wu smiled as he looked back and forth between the two of them. "That so? Well, when we're done with your current request, I'm open to taking another."

Wu then looked at his violet-haired guest. "What about you, sister?"

"Hikifune," Kirio replied as she steppe forth and held out her hand across his desk in the manner of a noblewoman, a coquettish smile on her lips, "Captain Kirio Hikifune of Squad Twelve. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister Ming."

Wu grinned before pulling his feet off the desk, sitting up straight and leaning forward to plant a light kiss upon her knuckles. "Pleasure's all mine, Captain Hikifune."

"My friends call me Kirio," she replied with a wink, "I'd like to count you among them, Mister Ming… or would it be alright if I called you Wu?"

"That's fine by me, Kirio," Wu answered as his eyes ran up and down her figure, "I don't suppose you'd be up for sticking around for a drink after our business here is done?"

Kirio loosed a theatrical sigh. "Oh, if only I could. Alas, I'm afraid that urgent matters back in the Seireitei require my attention, so I can't stay for any longer than present business required. However, I would certainly be open to returning at a later date once things calm down."

"Then I'll set aside a bottle of the good stuff for that day," said Wu before turning to the satchel that Yoruichi had tossed upon his desk and weighing it in his hand.

He opened the bag and poured the coins out on his desk before separating about a third of the total and pushing it towards the Soul Reapers. "I'm afraid our business here will be brief. I don't have good news to report."

Yoruichi exhaled heavily. "If you're already giving me a partial refund, then that must mean you came up empty."

"Not entirely, but I'll admit that I don't have the case-breaker you were hoping for," Wu confessed while pulling out another empty satchel from a desk drawer and tossing it at Yoruichi, who deftly caught it and began scooping up the coins that had been shoved her way, "My people did the rounds, hit up all the usual suspects, but got nothing on your missing Nalatarin. Whoever stole it isn't trying to move it out of the Seireitei, and they're definitely not looking for a buyer."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Soi-Fon, "Whoever took it might be biding their time, waiting for security to relax again before trying to get it onto the black market."

"Not with merchandise that's this hot," Wu countered, "Any self-respecting thief knows that when you draw heat from the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, you get the prize out of your hands damn quick. If it was stolen by a professional looking for the payday, they would've made sure to have a broker lined up before going in, and they would've gotten it to that broker immediately. At this point in the process, if it was outside the Seireitei, then the broker would already be convening an underground auction; they'd want to gouge the hell out a Nalatarin. None of the guys I know who would even think of pulling that off with something stolen from Soul Reapers have put the word out for bidders. If they had, I'd be on the invite list."

"Why?" Itachi cut in, "You're just another broker; I'm sure you have considerable financial reserves, but enough to bid against the types who'd be vying for a Nalatarin? No offense, but I have my doubts that you could stand for long in that kind of contest without bankrupting yourself… or coming very close to it."

Wu sagely nodded. "None taken, brother. No, I would've gotten the invite just so my competition could show off the prize in their action house. You wouldn't believe how petty and vain people can get in this line of work. It's all about who can snag the most precious artifact... and who can run the biggest racket on it. Me? I'm cool keeping a low profile. Take it from me, you live longer that way."

"So, that's it, then," Soi-Fon grumbled, "We came out here for nothing."

"No," Yoruichi chimed in as her brow furrowed, "If it was for completely nothing, then I would've gotten half the money back. That's always been the agreement, which means that you did find something related to this mess."

"That's right," Wu confirmed, "My contacts might not have found the artifact in question, but they did pick up some interesting tidbits. You see, a few of the brokers I checked in with had some peculiar requests come in about a month back. They were orders for any written material about Nalatarini. As it turns out, one of those brokers had a dusty old tome in storage that included a chapter or two on the subject. Once they found it, they made the sale damn quickly."

"Who was the buyer?" asked Itachi.

"A representative from a minor noble house," Wu answered, "The Nakanishi clan."

The name did not ring any bells with Itachi, but for Yoruichi it was a different story. "One of the Drakken Clan's vassal houses."

"Yup, that'd be them," Wu remarked, "That info worth the Kan?"

Yoruichi slowly nodded. "It is. You got anything else?"

"Nothing beyond a word of advice, sister," Wu replied as he leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of him, his casual air shifting to one of deadly seriousness, "I don't know exactly what's cooking over in the Seireitei, but the stench is wafting all over the Rukon. People with a nose for this sort of thing can smell it, and it never bodes well. There's some nasty business in the works, and you'd better tread damn carefully in how you deal with it. If things go sideways, a lot of people who want nothing to do with it could get burned."

"Duly noted," said Yoruichi, "Thanks for the help. We'll be in touch."

"About your friend's kinsmen?" Wu inquired as he glanced over at Itachi.

"Among other topics," Yoruichi murmured as she headed for the door, with Itachi and the others quickly following.

….

The next day…

Sitting on a rocky outcropping, Jiraiya smiled as he glanced over at Itachi. "They're coming along nicely, don't you think?"

Perched to his right, the former Akatsuki member's gaze was focused on his and the sage's two students. "Remarkable progress in such a short period of time. You've done well with them."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Thanks, but I can't take all the credit on that. You've been a big help."

Itachi shook his head. "I've only been able to pop in a couple of times since we set them up here. The accolades overwhelmingly belong to you."

Jiraiya shrugged. "Let's just agree to disagree and leave it at that. For what it's worth, they both work even harder on the occasions when you do pop in."

Jiraiya saw a very small smile creep onto Itachi's face as he watched their two pupils. "You really think so?"

Jiraiya gave him a hearty pat on the back. "Come on, would I lie to you about something like that?"

"No, I don't think you would," Itachi conceded.

Looking on from their stony seat, the two former Shinobi could see Gin and Rangiku going through a series of hand-to-hand combat exercises. Jiraiya had structured their training to include a mix of Soul Reaper Hakuda and Leaf Shinobi Taijutsu, believing that both schools of fighting had much to offer. Itachi being able to attend today's lesson had proven quite beneficial, for it had given Jiraiya a chance to offer a practical demonstration in the form of a sparring match with his fellow Soul Reaper. The two Rukon urchins had proven to be very attentive students, and while Rangiku had watched in something close to rapture as Itachi and Jiraiya traded blows, Gin had subjected them to a quiet yet intense gaze as his slitted eyes analyzed every move they made. Watching the silver-haired youth expertly blocking strikes from Rangiku's flying fists and feet, Jiraiya was struck by how he could see both his and Itachi's moves mirrored in Gin's defense. If Jiraiya had not seen the eerie sky-blue eyes that his near-perpetually slitted gaze concealed, he might have suspected the boy of possessing the Sharingan.

For him to pick up so much through simple observation is remarkable, Jiraiya mused, Gin… if you do decide to enter the Academy, I don't think the teachers will know what hit them.

Of course, Jiraiya and Itachi were not seeing the full scope of Gin's abilities; it was obvious to both men that the youth was holding back to avoid seriously harming Rangiku. He had let her take the lead throughout most of the sparring match, and Jiraiya's keen gaze had spotted several openings that Gin surely recognized as such yet refused to take. The boy could have ended the fight already, but he clearly did not want to, likely desiring for Rangiku to learn as much as she could before drawing things to a close. Jiraiya suspected that another reason Gin had held back was that he wanted to give Rangiku a chance to show off for Itachi, likely knowing how much his presence today meant to her.

The young girl was certainly making the most of the opportunity. Though naturally amateurish given the fact that her training was still very much in its infancy, Rangiku was bringing a great deal of enthusiasm to the match. Every so often, she would cast a glance towards the two men, no doubt wanting to make sure that Itachi had his eyes on her. Those momentary diversions provided natural openings for Gin, but Rangiku's sparring partner refused to exploit them. Jiraiya was impressed with the youth's restraint; he would have expected Gin to be jealous of his close friend giving such attention to an older guy, yet the silver-haired boy did not seem the least bit perturbed.

Rangiku mentioned that Gin would often disappear without telling her where he was going, Jiraiya recalled, I assumed he'd be spending that time exploring, like he was when he found Manda. He probably was, but thinking about it now… maybe he was also trying to give Rangiku space to do her own thing. She's so attached to him that she might not have realized it, but… maybe Gin sees it. Maybe he wanted her to have room to stretch out and figure out who she was outside of simply being his friend.

Perhaps ascribing such motives to the youth was just Jiraiya overthinking things, but the sage would not be so dismissive. In the admittedly short time that he had known Gin, Jiraiya had found the quiet boy to be very intelligent, certainly wiser than his youthful appearance might suggest. Of course, that could be said for many of the Soul Society's inhabitants; outward youth did not necessarily correspond to actual age in the afterlife. Still, there was something about Gin's taciturn nature that reminded him of another boy that Jiraiya had trained a literal lifetime ago.

Nagato…

Images of that red-haired youth and his two friends, along with those rainy yet somehow bright days they'd all shared together oh so long ago filtered through Jiraiya's mind. That had happened quite often since he'd taken to teaching Gin and Rangiku. Was he being self-indulgent in training them out of some belief that this might make up for the mistakes he had made with Konan, Nagato and Yahiko? Perhaps. Did he regret his decision? Not in the slightest.

"It's not just their hand-to-hand combat skills that have improved," Itachi noted, dragging Jiraiya back to the present, "They both seem to have a much better handle on their spiritual pressure. It's not flaring up uncontrollably. Gin's clearly further along in suppressing his than Rangiku is hers, but both of them are doing a remarkable job. Considering their instruction's only been going for a few weeks, that's impressive."

"Having them master that has been my first priority," Jiraiya confirmed, "They won't be strong enough to win a fight with Hollows anytime soon, and same goes with being fast enough to outrun them, so hiding's their best chance at survival right now."

Itachi nodded. "Agreed. If nothing else, we can at least be confident that they're far more proficient in that now than they were before."

Jiraiya stood up. "Speaking of which, we should wrap up this match and have them go through another meditation session. The sooner they completely master spiritual pressure suppression, the better."

The Legendary Sannin stepped forward, with Itachi right behind him. No doubt sensing their approach, Gin finally made his move. As Rangiku lunged forward with a right hook, Gin deftly sidestepped and grabbed her arm. Using her momentum against her, he flung her down to the ground with graceful ease.

"I win again," the boy proclaimed with a cheerful smile as he held out his hand, "Are you okay, Rangiku?"

"Yeah," she pouted while allowing him to pull her to her feet, "I'm just tired of losing to you."

"You did well," Itachi complimented, "though you let your frustration get the better of you towards the end. You must remember to always keep a cool head during combat, Rangiku. That and patience are your keys to victory against a tough opponent."

Rangiku immediately brightened up, and her determined smile was equal parts endearing and adorable. "I'll do better next time, just watch!"

Itachi smiled and inclined his head. "I don't doubt that for a moment."

"Both of you did very well," Jiraiya praised as he knelt and patted the two of them on the shoulders, "I think it's time to take a break from the hand-to-hand practice. I want you both to sit down now and practice your spiritual pressure suppression."

Rangiku put her hands on her hips. "But we did that earlier! I want to practice fighting more."

"You'll get plenty of chances for that soon enough," Jiraiya reassured her, "Right now, though, controlling your spiritual pressure so you don't attract Hollows is the most important thing for you to learn. I know you two have already made a lot of progress there, but you still have some work left to do."

Jiraiya was mildly surprised to see Gin take his side. "He's right, Rangiku. Once we have this mastered, there'll be plenty of time for us to learn more exciting things."

Rangiku looked down in disappointment before relenting. "Fine, then…"

"Basics like spiritual pressure control might not be the most fun to learn," Itachi noted, "but they represent a crucial foundation for your abilities, not to mention your survival. I know that I'll feel much more at ease knowing you've mastered keeping your spiritual pressure down so you can hide from Hollows."

Rangiku perked up at that, her chagrin rapidly replaced by renewed enthusiasm. "Then I'll do my best!"

He really does have a way with her, Jiraiya thought with a chuckle, Itachi, I know you mean well, but you really are going to break her heart when she finds out about you and Yoruichi. Still, if it helps keep Rangiku focused on her training, then I guess there's no harm in using her crush on you to motivate her.

Jiraiya gestured towards two meditation mats that he'd brought down to the underground training room for just this purpose. "Well, you two know what to do."

"How long do we have to practice this time?" asked Gin.

Jiraiya scratched his chin in thought. "Let's go for half-an hour this session."

Rangiku did not hide her dismay. "I have to stay still for that long?"

"You can do it, Rangiku," Itachi gently encouraged, "Just remember why you need to master this skill and keep that centered in your mind."

"I'll try," she said.

The two youths sat down, with Itachi and Jiraiya heading back over to their rocky perch from before to observe. Focusing on Gin and Rangiku, Jiraiya could immediately feel their spiritual pressure sinking like a stone. For how young they were, the pair really were progressing at an impressive rate. He had seen Academy students with less control than them.

Itachi picked up on it as well. "They really are naturals at this."

"Life in North 64 probably helped," Jiraiya noted, "The two of them were constantly hiding from threats out there."

"True…" Itachi murmured, his voice trailing off.

Jiraiya studied his friend. While Itachi had done his best to focus on helping him with today's training, it was clear that his mind was not completely focused. Jiraiya knew that Itachi's attention had been consumed this past week with an ongoing investigation, but he did not know the details yet beyond it involving Squad Twelve. The sage was curious, but he also understood Itachi keeping the matter to himself; it was unprofessional to divulge details of a case to someone who was not involved in the investigation. Still, for it to preoccupy his friend like this was concerning.

Worried for his companion, Jiraiya decided to prod. "You look a bit out of it. Something on your mind?"

Itachi did not answer, but the subtle clenching of his jaw and slight furrowing of his brow told Jiraiya that he was definitely onto something. "Look, if it's classified, I get that. If you can't give me the details, that's fine. Still, if there's anything you really need to get off your chest, I'm here."

Itachi was quiet for another minute or two before letting out a weary exhalation. "It is classified, but… you do need to know. Off the record, of course."

Jiraiya slowly nodded. "Whatever you tell me, it won't go past the two of us. You have my word on that."

Itachi stood up. "Then let's head above ground. Gin and Rangiku can manage themselves for a bit."

Jiraiya saw Itachi's gaze linger on Gin. The youth seemed quite focused on meditation and keeping his spiritual pressure down, but Jiraiya could understand Itachi's wariness. Already, the boy had proven himself to me much more cunning and observant than his youthful appearance might suggest, and Itachi was clearly concerned about Gin listening in.

"As long as we can get back before their half-hour is up," Jiraiya remarked as he rose.

"That shouldn't be an issue," Itachi replied.

Heading topside, the two of them sat across from each other at the table in the ground floor's central living and dining area. Jiraiya leaned forward and listened attentively as Itachi laid out the details of the ongoing investigation into the break-in at Squad Twelve… and who all the circumstantial evidence was so far pointing at as the likely culprit.

When his companion finally finished, Jiraiya leaned back and took a deep breath. "Well… this is going to get messy."

Itachi slowly nodded. "I think at this point the only question is how messy."

"Does Visaelya know?" asked Jiraiya.

"I filled her and Shisui in as soon as possible," Itachi confirmed, "and I've kept them updated since."

"How's she taking it?" Jiraiya cautiously inquired.

For a long moment, Itachi was silent. "As well as can be expected under the circumstances… it's definitely weighing on her."

"Hard for it not to," Jiraiya pointed out sympathetically, "This is her family we're talking about, after all. I mean, just look at it from her view; she's come so far with them over the past few years, and now she gets hit with this. That has to be a gut punch."

"Believe me, I know," Itachi murmured, "That's part of why I'm here. Her situation… well, let's just say it feels uncomfortably familiar to me."

"Yeah," Jiraiya said softly, "I bet it does… you got a plan?"

Itachi shook his head. "No, primarily because we still haven't found the sort of concrete evidence that would be needed for a move. Although… I supposed you could say I'm just using that as an excuse. You wouldn't be wrong."

"It's a valid one," Jiraiya gently pushed back, "When your suspect is someone as powerful as an aristocratic family, you have to proceed with caution in building the case. Throwing out accusations without solid backing can be just as damaging as if the charges were confirmed to be true. The effect's the same; heightening distrust and tension. That's a fertile atmosphere for something far worse to take hold… as you well know. I can't blame you for being nervous about all of this."

Itachi nodded. "A Great Noble House that's in the midst of a dispute with the Seireitei, with suspicion and wounded pride feeding off of each other… you could swap them out for the Uchiha Clan and the Leaf Village, respectively, and the dynamics would be almost identical."

"With the exception that the Seireitei doesn't have a source within the clan," Jiraiya noted.

"Not yet…" Itachi muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Jiraiya's eyes widened in dawning and dreadful comprehension. "No… you can't be suggesting…"

"Trust me, I very much don't want to suggest it," Itachi cut in, a haunted shadow in his onyx eyes, "If she were to take that role, I know better than most what it would do to her. I've been there, Jiraiya. It slowly eats at you from within… you're never the same afterwards… and it doesn't end well."

Jiraiya folded his arms. "Yet you're considering it anyway."

"As one possibility out of several," Itachi amended.

"One that you're leaning towards," Jiraiya pressed.

Itachi was silent for a moment. "Not lightly… but yes. We've hit a wall, Jiraiya. All signs point to a clear culprit, but we lack the crucial pieces needed to convincingly sell the case. Given the stakes, we need to explore any possible means of finding those pieces."

Jiraiya took a deep breath. "Any possible means…"

"If you have another idea, I'm more than open to it," Itachi added with an almost pleading look in his eyes, "Believe me when I say that I do not want to go this route. For Visaelya's sake… and for the rest of her family."

Jiraiya wracked his mind, but in the end could only offer a defeated exhalation. "I wish I did, but… damn it."

"I was afraid you'd say that," Itachi muttered.

The two of them were quiet for a few moments before Itachi stood up. "We should head back downstairs. Gin and Rangiku should be wrapping up their exercise soon."

Jiraiya rose, but he seized Itachi's arm as his friend stepped around the table. "Hey… I know you're just trying to keep me informed, but is there anything that I can do to help you guys out with this?"

"You're known to be on good terms with Squad Two," Itachi pointed out, "If you start snooping around in this affair, it'll give the impression that we brought you in on the case, and that could cause problems."

"I'm discreet," Jiraiya countered, "I was one of the Leaf Village's top spymasters back when I was alive, remember?"

"I know," Itachi replied, "and I value that experience. This isn't the Shinobi World, though; you don't have the same network of contacts in the Soul Society, especially when it comes to the nobility."

Jiraiya's shoulders sagged in concession. "That's true. Still, I don't like leaving friends twisting in the wind."

He was relieved to see Itachi smile, though it was a faint one. "You're not, I promise. I… I suppose there's one thing you can do."

"Name it," said Jiraiya.

"Yoruichi has a meeting planned for tonight," Itachi said, "I'll be broaching my suggestion regarding our next step there. Whether Visaelya agrees to it or not, I'll respect her decision. If she does decide to go along with it, you'll know soon enough."

"You want me to support her?" Jiraiya ventured.

"It'll look strange if you get involved after she starts her new role, no matter how discreet you might be," said Itachi, "So it's not mission support that I have in mind."

"Then what is it?" asked Jiraiya.

"Moral support," Itachi replied with a melancholic smile, "I know she had her gripes with you during our Academy days, but she very much still considers you to be a friend, Jiraiya. Give her a sign that she can confide in you, just as she does in Shisui and I. I think that would mean the world to her."

Jiraiya slowly nodded. "I can do that. What about you? If her family is involved in this business, then your clan could very well be, too. How are you going to handle that?"

"I don't know," Itachi confessed as he headed towards the entrance to the underground training chamber, "I'm hoping I won't have to repeat history. Should the worst come to pass, though…"

His voice trailed off as he left the thought unfinished, but the sentiment was clear enough. Jiraiya hoped that the situation could be resolved in a manner that was not nearly as messy as what Itachi was implying, and not just for the sake of peace in the Seireitei or wider Soul Society. He knew just how hard Itachi had been working since coming to the afterlife on trying to become a better man, to move past the mistakes and tragedies of his past life. Now the echoes of his shadowy past were whispering once more…

…and Jiraiya dreaded the prospect of his friend plunging into darkness.

….

The atmosphere down in the training ground beneath Sōkyoku Hill was depressing to say the least. Shisui had been expecting things to be tense going by the updates Itachi had given him as the investigation went along, but the mood amongst the assembled Soul Reapers seemed more fitting for a funeral than a strategy session. The normally bright and confident Yoruichi had a somber air about her, Soi-Fon looked like she had just swallowed some bitter medicine, Itachi was sporting the sort of dourness that Shisui had not seen in him since the days leading up to his own death, and Visaelya was paler than a ghost.

Normally I'd try to lighten things up a bit, Shisui thought, but I don't think that would be appreciated right about now.

As Yoruichi laid out the latest in the case, Shisui's attention went back and forth between his Captain and Visaelya, the latter worrying him much more than the former. He had good reason for concern. Evern since she first learned of the break-in at Squad Twelve, what was stolen, and the mounting pile of circumstantial evidence pointing towards her family being involved to at least some extent, Visaelya had been teetering precariously between despair and panic. To her credit, she had kept it down, forcing her disquiet into the depths of her mind while continuing to carry out her duties, but signs of her distress were there for those who knew her. It was why Yoruichi had insisted on having Shisui partner with Visaelya for every mission she had undertaken ever since the break-in; she was counting on him to watch her back and make sure her understandable distraction did not become fatal.

He had done his best to both protect her and keep her spirits up, and while his efforts to the former had succeeded thus far, the latter front was proving to be a losing one. Sure, she would smile at his attempted jokes and quips, maybe even laugh, but Shisui could tell that her heart was not in it. He could not fault her for that; with what she was going through, it would take a special brand of humor to pull her out of the depressive malaise she found herself in, and Shisui was hardly a professional comedian. The best he could do was simply try to keep her going, and to make sure she knew that she could turn to him whenever she needed to.

"So, that's where we stand," Yoruichi wrapped up, shaking her head in frustration, "While we do have good reason to suspect the involvement of the Drakken Clan in the break-in, directly or otherwise, none of the evidence we've gathered serves to conclusively implicate them. As of right now, we've officially hit a wall."

"What about the girl that was attacked?" Shisui asked, "Anica was her name, right? She could hold the key. She's stable now, correct? Surely we can interview her at some point."

"That's still on the agenda," Yoruichi confirmed, "but it's going to take time. Captain Unohana's latest report is that she's conscious but in no condition to speak coherently. Just breathing, eating and drinking are hard for her right now; an interrogation's beyond her."

"That'll change eventually," Visaelya chimed in, "We just need to be patient."

"Patience is all well and good," Soi-Fon pushed back, "but we're talking about a victim who barely survived the attack. Her mental state was probably something like sheer panic when she realized what was happening. When she was found, her sword was still sheathed, which likely means she was caught completely by surprise. The odds of her actually being able to identify her attacker are slim. Even if she gives us a name, there's still the question of her reliability as a witness. If this goes to trial before the Central Forty-Six, any hesitation on her part will be pounced on by the defense without mercy, and she'll be portrayed a poor, traumatized girl who's misremembering things."

Yoruichi let out a heavy exhalation. "Soi-Fon's right. I've seen trials play out before the council when someone's accusing a noble family of wrongdoing. Any weakness in the case, or even the slightest perception of it, and the whole thing gets picked apart and discarded. If we're gunning for an aristocrat, the case needs to be ironclad, and that means hard evidence. Witness testimony alone, even from a Soul Reaper, likely won't be enough to seal the deal."

"We still don't know for sure that the Drakken Clan is involved here," Shisui pointed out, "We have a lot of smoke around them, but no fire."

"That's true," Itachi conceded as he met his friend's gaze, "Even so… they're the party most likely to be involved here. They have the means; their family resources are those of a Great Noble House, so employing an agent or intermediary skilled enough for the break-in is well within their grasp. They have the motive; they believe that the Central Forty-Six and Thirteen Court Guard Squads sought to humiliate them and weaken their position, regardless of whether or not there's any truth to that belief. As for the opportunity, they've known where the Nalatarin was stored ever since we brought it back to the Seireitei. It's been in the same place for years now; Captain Hikifune even showed Drakken Clan representatives the vault as a means of reassurance after Squad Twelve took possession of it. Squad Twelve was clearly complacent and not expecting an infiltration, and why would they? There hasn't been one since they first established themselves as the keepers of knowledge and historical artifacts for Soul Reapers."

Shisui wanted to further argue the point, but he had no real ground to stand on. Everything Itachi had just said was right; means, motive and opportunity, the three crucial ingredients for both committing and investigating a crime, all lined up and pointed to the Drakken Clan. Shisui's desire to fight that conclusion was less about truly believing in another viable suspect and more about trying desperately to protect Visaelya from the inevitable pain that would come with pursuing her family further as suspects in the case.

He saw Itachi look back and forth between him and Visaelya, clearly sympathetic. "I know it's not a conclusion that any of us want to arrive at. We all know what it would mean should it be proven true, and just how dangerous a road it would take us down."

"This was always going to be dirty business," Yoruichi grimly added, "Anyone going after an artifact like the Nalatarin would know exactly the sort of game they were playing. None of us asked to be in this situation, but here we are, thanks to the people who pulled this stunt. All we can do now is try to plot a course out of this mess."

"As of right now, there's a high risk of the case going cold," Soi-Fon chimed in, "Anica's our last potential lead, and if she can't identify her attacker with absolute certainty, then the whole investigation goes up in smoke. We have nothing beyond her."

"Nothing beyond a mountain of circumstantial evidence surrounding the Drakken Clan," Itachi remarked with a dark look in his eyes.

A gloomy silence fell over the assembled Soul Reapers. Shisui wanted to tear his own hair out in both dread and frustration; the whole situation was unnervingly familiar to him, but unlike the Uchiha Clan affair, he did not even have the potential option of Kotoamatsukami to propose as a solution. After all, that uniquely formidable genjutsu had only become available to Shisui after his eyes had evolved into the Mangekyou Sharingan. Since he had died and found himself in the Soul Society, Shisui had only awakened the regular Sharingan, so Kotoamatsukami remained beyond his reach.

His thoughts became a morass of despondency. He felt like he was part of a play being acted out, one in which he already knew the ending and could not find a way to alter it at the crucial plot point. Was this how the various lords and Kages had felt whenever they might have sensed yet another Shinobi World War looming on the horizon? Did they too recognize the signs from past experiences or study and yet still find themselves powerless to head them off, to divert the river's flow of history in a less violent direction? Did they struggle with all their might in vain against the forces of time and human nature, or did they simply accept the tragic drama for what it was and dutifully play their part in it?

Shisui was so trapped within those dark and hopeless musings that he almost did not notice Visaelya step forward. "If smoke does surround my clan… then we need to find out for certain if the fire burns inside the house or merely just outside its doorstep. If Miss Matei cannot deliver what we need when she is well enough for interrogation, then an alternative must be explored. I… I believe I have an answer."

There was a dour sense of resignation about her now, and it immediately raised alarms for Shisui. "Visaelya… what are thinking here?"

Visaelya took a deep breath before turning to Yoruichi. "As of right now, my family is the most obvious suspect. To conclusively prove or disprove their involvement in this affair, it's not enough to investigate from the outside. Squad Two and the Stealth Force need someone inside the clan…and I can take on that role. Let me transfer from Squad Two to Squad Ten. My family wanted me to join their unit from the beginning, so this will appear to them as me finally giving them what they desire. They'll be so eager to take me into the family unit, to see me assume what they believe to be my proper place, that they won't stop to consider whether or not I have an ulterior motive. I can exploit that to investigate my clan from within and find out for certain if any of them are behind this plot."

Shisui immediately reached out to grab her shoulder. "Visaelya, hold on. You don't have to do this."

Visaelya graced him with a grateful yet melancholic smile. "I wish I didn't, Shisui, I really do… but what other choice is there?"

"We can wait until after Anica's interview at least," Shisui desperately answered, "She could still give us what we need!"

"And if she can't?" Visaelya countered, "Soi-Fon and Captain Shihōin aren't the only ones who've seen cases against nobles go up in smoke because of perceived weakness in a witness, Shisui. My family's had members commit crimes in the past, incidents where everyone knew the person in question was guilty but the perpetrator still walked free because defending counsel found a flaw in the case and ruthlessly exploited it. Anica could give us what we need… I very much want her to give us what we need… but what if she can't? We can't place all our hopes on her memory and testimony."

Yoruichi nodded. "She's not wrong. Every Great Noble House, even mine, has family members who've committed clear offenses and gotten away with it in the past because of some loophole or mistake in the case that they could take advantage of. Anica may prove to be our star witness, but we need a contingency in place."

"Besides, the longer we wait for Anica to become fit enough for interrogation, the colder the trail grows," Soi-Fon added, "Slipping someone inside the Drakken Clan while the case is still fresh could crack the whole thing wide open, or at least give us enough proof to rule the family out as suspects."

"It's a viable option," Itachi remarked, and Shisui saw him look at Visaelya with a somber resignation that he knew all too well, "However…spying on your own family is not a task to take on lightly. It's a burden far heavier than field work like scouting or hunting Hollows. You'll be taking on a double-life; valiant and proud member of Squad Ten and the Drakken Clan in the light, and hidden agent of Squad Two in the dark. Your every emotion, every reaction, every word, and every gesture, will need to be carefully controlled so that you don't tip them off to what you're really up to. You'll have to craft a mask, alter your persona to what your targets want to see, and maintain it without fail for potentially a long time. That's far more demanding than combat… and it will eat at you from the inside."

"He's not exaggerating," Shisui added as he took her hand, "Visaelya, if you do this… it's going to change you, and not in a way that you'll like. A part of you isn't going to be there anymore when you come out the other side."

Visaelya slowly nodded. "So I've gathered. From what you and Itachi have told me about your experience with your clan… I suppose I can't say that I fully understand the burden, but I do respect it. Shisui… I appreciate you trying to dissuade me from this path, I really do… but this is my choice, and I would ask that you understand and abide by it. Please."

Shisui took a deep breath before squeezing her hand. "I suppose that's the least I can do. If you're certain that this is how you want to handle things, then I'll support you all the way."

"We all will," Yoruichi concurred, "but I want to make it clear that the choice is entirely yours, Visaelya. If you don't think that you're up to this, tell me now, and we'll figure something else out. I promise that no one here will think any less of you if you feel like this is a step too far."

Visaelya bowed. "I'm grateful for that, Captain. Even so…"

Yoruichi raised a hand to cut her off. "There's more before you make your final decision. If you go through with this, it's not going to be like a field operation where you might be deployed for days, weeks or even months at a time. If you transfer to Squad Ten for only a few months and then immediately return to Squad Two once you've found what we need, everyone will know that something's up, and your family would never trust you again."

"I'll be spying on them," Visalya quipped, "They'd have good reason not to trust me."

"True, but I don't want you to needlessly burn bridges with your clan," Yoruichi replied, "Great Noble Houses are very large entities, which means it's quite likely that a good many members of your family, if any at all, are not involved in this affair. If it's a case where only a few people in the Drakken Clan are behind the break-in, or none at all, then I'd like for you to be able to keep the relationships you've worked so hard to reestablish with those members who are innocent. To thread this needle, you'd be undertaking a long-term assignment."

Visaelya's eyes narrowed. "How long, Captain?"

"A couple of years, minimum," Yoruichi answered, "I think that's the shortest period that could go by before you file for 'transfer' back to Squad Two without risking a complete breakdown with your family. It still wouldn't be pretty; you'd probably end up alienating them in the short-term, but you'd still have a chance to recover and patch things up over time."

"That can't be set in stone, though," Shisui interjected, "What if her cover's blown early?"

"Then she can retreat back to Squad Two," said Yoruichi, "There'll be a ton of blowback if your true role is discovered, Visaelya, but don't hesitate to return if you genuinely feel like you're at risk. No matter the repercussions, I will protect you here. You have my word on that."

Visaelya inclined her head. "Thank you, Captain."

Yoruichi sighed. "All that being said, remember that this is very much an off-the-books assignment for you. If you discover any vital evidence, then we'll have to figure out a way to convincingly make it seem like we found it another way. Always be on the lookout for avenues through which we can make that happen."

"Understood," Visaelya acknowledged.

"Is there any way to retroactively authorize this?" asked Itachi.

"It all depends on what's discovered," Yoruichi replied, "If it reveals what we suspect or worse of the Drakken Clan, then I can sign off on it officially and present it to the Head Captain. We'll have to have sufficient information to demonstrate a genuine crime and threat, though, otherwise he won't go for it."

"I'd feel a lot better about this if we could find a way to have it officially sanctioned before Visaelya goes in," Shisui chimed in nervously.

Yoruichi firmly shook her head. "That would involve approaching both the Head Captain and the senior-most members of the Central Forty-Six. If it was just the Head Captain, then it wouldn't be an issue. The problem is that even the judges at the top of the Central Forty-Six are basically proxies for the Great Noble Houses. If we approached them with an authorization request, I guarantee word would leak to the Drakken Clan before the day was out. The whole plan would be sunk before we could even enact it. Retroactive sanction if we can present a convincing case is the best we can hope for."

Soi-Fon took a deep breath as she cast a worried look at Yoruichi. "If this goes wrong… it's going to get ugly, Lady Yoruichi. You could get charged, even arrested."

"Believe me, I'm well aware of the risks," Yoruichi remarked bitterly, though not without a grateful smile afterwards, "Thanks for looking out for me, though."

Soi-Fon bowed, and Shisui glimpse the faint hint of a smile in return. "Of course, Lady Yoruichi."

"Be wary," Itachi advised, "It's not just your own family that you'll have to be on guard around. Remember that there are Uchiha lurking in the shadows of the mansion. If you encounter any or suspect that you have, make sure not to look them in the eyes."

Visaelya inclined her head. "I'll bear that in mind. Thanks to training with you and Shisui, I'll at least have an idea of what to expect should I come to blows with one. Hopefully, that can be avoided."

"Don't even try to fight one of them," Shisui cut in, "If one makes a move, withdraw immediately and come find us."

"Depending on the circumstances, I may not have that option," Visaelya pointed out, "Even so, it's not like I'm defenseless, Shisui. You know that I can take care of myself."

Shisui wanted to protest, but upon realizing how patronizing she'd find it, he thought better of it. "I do, I just… I worry. That's all."

Visaelya smiled before reaching out to squeeze his hand. "I know."

Soi-Fon folded her arms as she looked at Visaelya. "I know you said that your family won't second-guess your transfer since they've wanted you in Squad Ten from the start, but you should still have a cover story prepared. Got any ideas?"

Visaelya nodded. "I'll tell them that I've learned much from Squad Two, and that I now wish to see what I can learn from Squad Ten. By combining my prior experience with what my uncle and his comrades can teach me, I'll be able to serve better as both a Soul Reaper and an heiress to the Drakken Clan."

"Playing to Rhaegon's ego and pride in his unit," Yoruichi murmured, "Yeah, I think that should work."

"What about when you transfer back here?" Itachi asked, "It might be years away, but you should still start considering that now."

"Good point," Visaelya admitted, "Perhaps something along the lines of I've learned all I can and I now understand my rightful place, maybe?"

"Better refine it more," Yoruichi suggested, "especially if you want to limit the consequences to just damaged bridges instead of completely burned ones."

"I'll work on it," Visaelya promised.

Shisui sighed in resignation. "When is the transfer going to happen?"

"We can have most of the paperwork on our end sorted out tomorrow," said Yoruichi, "We'll then have to file the request and see how long it takes Rhaegon or his Lieutenant to respond."

Visaelya laughed ruefully. "Knowing my uncle? Not long at all."

"Placement might be an issue," Soi-Fon pointed out, "I haven't been keeping up with the promotions and transfers within Squad Ten, so I'm not sure if their Tenth Seat position is open. Depending on the unit's situation, you may actually end up taking a step or two back in rank, and we'll have to promote someone within Squad Two to cover your open position to avoid rousing suspicion."

Visaelya shook her head. "I can live with a demotion if that's what the task at hand requires. The stakes involved here are too great for me to be distracted by something as petty as pride in my current rank."

Yoruichi smiled proudly. "That's a very mature way to look at it. Rest assured that when you eventually return to us, I'll make sure that you're restored to your proper rank. Perhaps even promoted depending on if any new slots open. It'd be the least I'd owe you for doing this."

Visaelya inclined her head. "I appreciate the thought, Captain, but you needn't make promotion a reward for me completing this mission. I'll consider resolving this crisis reward enough… regardless of what form that resolution takes."

"Even so, it'll be on the table," Yoruichi insisted.

"If it becomes too much," Shisui began, "and you need to pull back and catch your breath, we'll be here for you. Me, Itachi, Soi-Fon, the Captain… you know where to find us."

Visaelya smiled in gratitude. "I'll remember that… and I'll probably take you up on it, if you're not busy."

"For you, we'll make time," Shisui affirmed, "Always."

"Not just us," Itachi chimed in, "Keep an eye out for Jiraiya, Visaelya. He might pay you a visit from time to time."

Visaelya arched a puzzled eyebrow. "Jiraiya? Why?"

"Because he's still your friend just as much as the rest of us," Itachi replied, "and because I may have not-so-subtly hinted to him that I suspected something like this would happen."

Soi-Fon shot Itachi a scowl. "He's not part of the investigation, Itachi; it's against protocol to talk to him about it."

"I know, but it was necessary," Itachi pushed back, "He needed to know. His experience and discretion can serve us well, but only if he knows what's going on."

"It's still a breach," Soi-Fon protested.

"It's fine, Soi-Fon," Yoruichi interjected, "I think Jiraiya could be an asset here if things go south. At the very least, having one more friend for Visaelya to lean on here can't hurt."

"It might actually be easier for him to approach her than any of us," Itachi argued, "Since he's not part of Squad Two, he would draw far less suspicion."

"He's known to associate with Squad Two members, though," Soi-Fon countered, "His friendship with you and Visaelya is hardly a secret."

"True," Itachi conceded, "but even so, he makes a good proxy for us, not to mention potent backup should Visaelya need it. He can't spend his every moment monitoring the Drakken Clan estate or Squad Ten's barracks, but he can swing by on occasion. It helps that Squad Eight's barracks aren't too far away from those of Squad Ten."

"That, and those units actually have a pretty good working relationship," Yoruichi remarked, "It'd be a big stretch to call Rhaegon and Shunsui friends, but they're not hostile, either. Rhaegon doesn't have the sort of animosity towards him that he does concerning someone like me, for instance. It wouldn't be unusual for two officers from Squads Eight and Ten to be seen together every now and then."

"Maybe, but you should still be careful if you meet up with him," Shisui cautioned, "If it's so often that it becomes noticeable, your family might get suspicious."

"Not necessarily," Visaelya replied, "Apparently, my brother and sister are both fans of his stories. If they see me with him, they'd probably ask for an autograph."

"Interesting," Itachi murmured, "Are they the only members of your family who enjoy his stories? If others are interested, that might present an opening for you to bring Jiraiya to the estate."

Visaelya shrugged. "I'm not sure. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to find out."

"Bring it up with your uncle and the others," Shisui suggested, "See what they say. If we could find a way to get Jiraiya access to the Drakken Clan mansion, even if it's just a one-time thing, he might be able to snoop around a bit."

"He's quite gifted in intelligence gathering," Itachi added, "Becoming a Soul Reaper hasn't dulled that skillset."

"Let's keep that option in reserve," Yoruichi cut in, "If Jiraiya can ingratiate himself with the clan, I'm not above taking advantage of that, but we should play our cards cautiously here. Jiraiya should stay at least some distance from the clan so he doesn't rouse too much of their interest. Good to have an ace or two up our sleeves just in case."

Itachi inclined his head. "Good point."

Yoruichi let out a heavy exhalation before giving Visaelya an apologetic smile. "I wish there wasn't a need to resort to this. If Anica really can give us what we need when she's well enough to speak, then maybe your time with Squad Ten can just be spent bonding more with your family and learning new skills. I'm honestly hoping that's the case. Even so…"

"We can't put all our eggs in one basket," Visaelya finished for her, "I understand the necessity of this, Captain. Not just for our own investigation, but for potentially all the Seireitei."

Yoruichi nodded, her tone taking on a dour note. "Things are already tense, especially among the nobility. As long as the question of who's responsible for the theft remains unanswered, accusations will continue to fly, and the atmosphere will only grow worse. Distrust is already running rampant in the aristocracy, and if it goes on long enough it could infect the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. The heart of the Soul Society is at risk of fracturing into separate and very heavily armed camps. We need to head off this crisis before it reaches a breaking point."

I hope that's still possible, Shisui thought as he looked at Visaelya in trepidation before glancing at Itachi, because if it's not, then Visaelya may end up going down a road that Itachi and I know very well…

…and the entire Soul Society will suffer for it.

….

One week later…

"I wish we were coming here under better circumstances," Itachi remarked as he and Yoruichi passed through the Shihōin Clan estate's front gate while the sun lazily drifted down towards the western horizon, "I would very much like a repeat of the dinner we shared with your parents a few months ago."

Yoruichi smiled wistfully as she recalled that pleasant occasion. "That makes two of us. I know Dad really enjoyed talking with you that night, and Mom was loving the show."

Itachi smiled. "I'm always happy to entertain."

Yoruichi looped her arm through his and leaned up to peck him on the cheek. "I know."

Entering the courtyard, the two of them were almost immediately accosted by a loud and familiar female voice. "Hey, Yoruichi! Itachi! Been awhile."

Yoruichi was a bit taken aback to see none other than Kūkaku Shiba standing in their path, though she and her companion quickly recovered. "Kūkaku! This is a pleasant surprise."

"Pleasant surprise? That's no way to greet a friend!" Kūkaku barked.

Yoruichi laughed softly. "True."

She was about to let go of Itachi, but before she could, Kūkaku closed the distance and wrapped them both up in a big and powerful hug, an impressive feat considering that she only had one arm to work with. "It's been too damn long!"

"It really has," Yoruichi concurred as she returned her friend's embrace. "Sorry about that, Kūkaku."

"You can make up to me by coming to my family's party next month," Kūkaku replied as she released them, "You got my invitation, didn't you?'

"Soi-Fon passed it along to me this morning," Yoruichi confirmed, "Tell your mother I wish her an early happy birthday."

"Tell her yourself when you and your boyfriend come over," Kūkaku countered with a grin, "I'm putting together one hell of a fireworks show for the occasion, so you two better not miss it!"

"We'll be looking forward to it," Yoruichi reassured her.

Kūkaku then turned her focus to Itachi. "You better be ready for that. You've met my folks, so you know that they're good with you, but a lot of extended family's coming in from the Principality, and the other noble houses will have representatives attending. Not all of them are as understanding as me."

Itachi inclined his head. "I appreciate the warning, but you should know by now that I can hold my own at these aristocratic get-togethers."

That much was certainly true. In the time since Yoruichi had made her relationship with Itachi public, other members of the aristocracy had brought it up whenever the two of them attended one of the Seireitei's many high-society gatherings, and not always in a flattering light. For his part, Itachi had done remarkably well at dealing with the barbs, back-handed compliments, and not-so-subtle insults. He always kept his cool, brushing off the snide remarks of pompous nobles as if they were not even worth his consideration, which of course frustrated the egotistical aristocrats to no end. On one particularly memorable occasion, Yoruichi recalled a distant branch member of the Kuchiki Clan going so far as to challenge Itachi to a duel for her affections. Itachi had accepted without fuss, and the clash had ended in a single strike, with his challenger knocked out cold and flat on his ass. From that point onward, any noble who had a problem with Itachi made sure to stop well-short of issuing another challenge to combat.

I wish he didn't have to deal with that sort of petty drama at all, she thought, but the aristocracy loves that sort of thing. At least Itachi doesn't let it get to him. Probably helps that he had his own family drama to deal with in his first life.

Kūkaku smiled as she clapped him on the shoulder. "Good man."

"What brings you over here?" Yoruichi asked.

"Business," Kūkaku answered, "Your mother's contracting me for a dinner party that she's hosting next week. Guess some big shots from the Kuchiki Clan are attending, and she wants to put on a suitable show. I just finished putting all the stock I'll be using for the occasion into storage here, so it'll be easier to whip it all out and set up when the time comes."

Yoruichi nodded. "Ah, that's right, I remember her mentioning that. Captain Kuchiki mentioned after our last meeting that he'd be attending. I think they were planning on using the party as cover for new security cooperation talks."

Kūkaku shrugged. "I'm sure there's some political angle behind it, but I don't like getting involved in that kind of crap."

She then cast a sympathetic look towards the two of them. "Sounds like you two don't have that sort of luxury, though."

"What do you mean?" asked Itachi.

Kūkaku sighed. "Look, I don't know the details, and I don't need to know them, but I do know that you two are stuck in the middle of this whole fracas surrounding the Squad Twelve break-in. All the aristocratic big-shots are ready to rip each other's hair out over the damn thing. I've seen my share of pissing contests between the top clans before, and they've never been this bad. Whoever pulled this stunt kicked up one hell of a hornet's nest. Hope you guys catch the bastard soon so things will start calming down again."

Yoruichi's shoulders sagged. "That makes two of us. Can't say that I like our chances at the moment, though."

"Tough case, eh?" Kūkaku surmised.

"Very much so," Itachi confirmed, "Of course, we can't go any further than that with you about it. Sorry."

Kūkaku waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, I know how this sort of thing works."

Kūkaku then smiled again. "I'm sure you guys have a lot of pressure on you, and I'm not here to add to it. You two ever need to get away from things for a bit, you can always come by my place out in West Rukon 6, you hear?"

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. "West 6? I thought you were over in West 13."

"I pulled up stakes and moved again," Kūkaku explained with more than a hint of exasperation, "Some of the neighbors were getting annoying. Always nagging. 'You can't keep setting off your fireworks in the middle of the night while we're trying to sleep!' When else am I supposed to test them, dumbass? I swear, people these days really need to lighten up. Don't they realize that I'm putting on a free show for them? Ungrateful little shits!"

Yoruichi chuckled. "Not everyone appreciates your craft like we do, Kūkaku."

"Tell me about it," Kūkaku groaned, "Anyway, I'll send you a letter with the new location later, okay?"

Yoruichi nodded. "I'll keep an eye out for it."

"Good," said Kūkaku before nodding towards the gatehouse, "Well, I need to hit the road. You two take care of yourselves, you hear? I'm serious about coming out to my place if you're feeling overwhelmed."

Yoruichi smiled. "We appreciate that, Kūkaku. Oh, by the way, before you leave the Seireitei, swing by the Squad Two barracks. Kisuke's been wanting to see you."

Kūkaku raised an eyebrow. "Really? What for? He got some new fireworks ideas for me?"

Yoruichi shook her head and gestured at Kūkaku's stump of a right arm. "No, he said something about wanting to create a device to help make things a bit easier for you. Wouldn't give me much detail; said he wanted to surprise you."

Kūkaku chuckled. "A surprise from Kisuke, eh? Never know if that's a good or bad thing when it comes to him."

Yoruichi let slip a laugh. "True! I think it's the good kind this time. That's the feeling I got from him, anyway."

Kūkaku held up her left hand, crossed her fingers, and grinned. "Guess there's only one way to find out. Catch you later!"

Yoruichi saw Itachi smile as Kūkaku left through the gatehouse. "She really is as vibrant as her fireworks."

"Yeah, she's always been like that," Yoruichi confirmed as she gazed fondly at the slowly shrinking silhouette of her friend, "Never a dull moment around her… though the excitement often comes with a blast radius."

"Not so different from Kisuke in that regard," Itachi noted with a wry smirk.

Yoruichi could not help but giggle. "Yeah, some of his experiments are as volatile as her fireworks! No wonder those two get along so well."

The two of them proceeded through the courtyard and towards the wide wooden steps that led up to the mansion's front entrance. Two servants, women dressed in purple and black kimonos, smiled, and bowed before sliding the doors open. Almost immediately, a familiar dark-skinned boy dressed in white robes with black leggings came barreling through the doorway.

"Yoruchi!"

Yoruichi rolled her eyes and sidestepped her charging younger brother, causing him to trip and faceplant on the front porch. "Yūshirō, what have Mom and I been telling you? It's time to start using my real name now. I know you can say it properly."

Without missing a beat, Yūshirō picked himself up and spread his arms wide. "Yoruichi!"

Now Yoruichi allowed herself to smile as she knelt to embrace her little brother and play with his purple-black hair. "That's more like it."

"Lord Yūshirō!" cried a third female servant who came running through the doorway after him, nearly plowing into Itachi before stopping to catch her breath, "Your evening lessons… aren't finished yet!"

The other two servants giggled at their colleague's dismay while Yoruichi released her sibling, rose to full height and folder her arms. "Yūshirō, did you ditch your studies again?"

"I sensed you in the courtyard!" he eagerly answered, "You and Itachee!"

Yoruichi heard her lover chuckle, and she had to fight to maintain a somewhat serious expression. "Yūshirō, call Itachi by his correct name now. You really are getting too old for this."

"Okay," Yūshirō chirped before charging at Itachi and hugging him at the waist, "Itachi!"

Yoruichi relaxed again as she watched Itachi smile and reach down to pat the boy on the head. "Hello, Yūshirō. It's good to see you again."

"Are you here to play?" asked the youth, bouncing up and down on his heels.

"They are not," the third servant cut in as she stepped forward and placed hands on her hips, "They are here to see your mother, Lord Yūshirō, and you need to get back to your studies."

"But I want to play with my sister and Itachi!" Yūshirō protested.

Yoruichi rubbed her brow in exasperation, though at the same time she was not without sympathy. "Yūshirō… look, I'm sorry, but Itachi and I don't have time for that tonight."

"Why not?" the boy asked in dismay.

"Because we have some very important business to discuss with Mom tonight," Yoruichi answered.

The youth's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Oh… alright. Could we maybe play when you're done with her?"

"You have lessons to complete, Lord Yūshirō," the servant who had chased him outside interjected, "and Lady Yoruichi has duties with Squad Two and the Stealth Force to perform; she and Eighth Seat Uchiha cannot linger here longer than necessary."

"She's right, Yūshirō," Yoruichi confirmed regretfully, "Once Itachi and I are done with Mom, we need to go back to barracks."

The poor boy looked on the verge of tears. As much as the display tugged at Yoruichi's heartstrings, though, she could not let herself appear moved by it. Yūshirō may have seemed like a guileless boy, and he was for the most part, but over the past few years he had developed a habit of breaking out the crocodile tears to guilt-trip her. She had fallen for it once, and she was not going to give him the satisfaction of falling for it again.

"Will you… ever play with me again?" Yūshirō whimpered.

Yoruichi sighed. "Of course, I will, Yūshirō. It just can't be tonight."

"The next time we come over here, we'll both play with you," Itachi reassured him as he reached out to poke her little brother on the forehead, "So, you'd better study hard and be good for your mother and father in the meantime, alright?"

The boy's eyes widened hopefully. "Really?"

Itachi looked over at Yoruichi and smiled, prompting one from her as she leaned down to kiss Yūshirō's brow. "Really."

Yūshirō perked up considerably at that, hugging her before Yoruichi could stop him. "Okay, but you'd better mean it!"

"I do, Yūshirō" Yoruichi affirmed, "Now, you'd better get back to your lessons. Itachi and I can't keep Mom waiting much longer."

"Come along, Lord Yūshirō," the servant beckoned.

The young noble finally relented and followed his tutor back inside, though not before looking over his shoulder and waving at Yoruichi and her lover. She waved back, watching fondly as the boy and his teacher went through the main hallway and eventually vanished up a nearby flight of stairs.

"He'll hold us both to that," she remarked as she glanced at Itachi, "so you'd better be ready for a workout the next time we come here."

Itachi chuckled. "I always am."

"Lady Yoriko is expecting you both," one of the two servants who had been flanking the doorway chimed in, "If you'll please follow me?"

The servant led the two of them inside. Yoruichi had hoped for perhaps a more leisurely pace so that she might savor being inside her childhood home once more, taking the chance to admire the broad and spacious foyer once again with its finely polished hardwood floor and decorative desert and seaside landscape paintings of the family's Principality decorating the walls, but time was of the essence tonight. Almost as soon as the front doors had slid shut behind them, the servant veered sharply to the right and slid aside a smaller door, revealing a descending staircase.

A Nalatarin's far-sight powers cannot pierce the ground, she reminded herself as the servant guided Yoruichi and Itachi into the mansion's subterranean levels, so it makes sense for Mom to host us down here. Still, it's a shame; I would've liked to go up to the top balcony and enjoy the view. Can't be helped, I guess.

The estates of all the Great Noble Houses were almost as elaborate below ground as they were above, and that of the Shihōin Clan was certainly no exception. Yoruichi knew these subterranean corridors and chambers intimately, having spent so much of her childhood playing in them with Kisuke and Tessai. How many hours had they spent running around the towering shelves of the family archives while frustrated servants searched for them in vain? How many times had they discovered new hiding places in the secret escape tunnels or tried to pilfer ceremonial swords and daggers from the trophy rooms? Far more than Yoruichi could ever hope to count, and she had loved it all.

Her gaze drifted over to Itachi; she had never taken him down into this part of the mansion before, so she was curious to see how he would react. As they passed through torchlit corridors whose walls were decorated with glyphs and images of cat and bird-like deities worshiped by her ancestors long before the rise of the old kingdom, Yoruichi saw Itachi's keen eyes study them all intently even as the servant led them past at a brisk pace.

"Fascinating…" she heard him murmur as his gaze lingered on an intricate engraved image of the grand lighthouse that the two of them had ascended during the last night of their stay in the Shihōin Clan Principality.

"Isn't it?" Yoruichi remarked, "I loved it down here as a kid. Still do, really. It's so different from what we see out in the Seireitei. When you come down here… it feels like you're stepping away from the Seireitei and back into our family's Principality."

Itachi nodded as his eyes swept up and down one of the many broad and elaborately decorated columns lining the corridor they were passing through. "The architectural style borrows from what I saw in your ancestral homeland. No doubt your clan wanted to have reminders of their home with them when they established themselves in the Seireitei."

"Can you blame us?" Yoruichi asked as she gestured around them, "Don't get me wrong, the Seireitei's nice and all, but it gets a little bland after a while. My family prefers a bit more variety. You have to admit; this is a lot more entertaining to look at than all those white walls up top."

"Quite so," Itachi concurred.

The servant eventually took them into a wide chamber that Yoruichi had seldom ventured into. Broad and circular, the center of it was dominated by a large round table with many chairs set around it. Along the walls were a series of broad maps. Five were detailed depictions of the Great Noble Houses' respective Principalities, one was of just the Seireitei, another of the Rukon Districts, and the largest of them all showed the entirety of the continental Soul Society. It was all in service of the chamber's main function; that of a war room. That Yoruichi's mother had picked this room as their meeting place tonight was ominous to say the least.

Yoriko Shihōin was waiting for them, standing alone in front of the table. She was dressed rather plainly by her standards, garbed in a simple black kimono with the family crest emblazoned in white. Her dark purple-black hair, normally worn long, was set in a tight bun held up by a pair of lacquered chopsticks. She smiled as Yoruichi and Itachi approached her while the servant silently bowed out and shut the door behind them, though the expression was measured and tight; however happy Yoriko might have been to see her daughter, the gravity of the situation significantly lessened any joy to be found.

She stepped forward to meet them halfway, embracing Yoruichi. "Thank you for coming. I'm sorry that I couldn't get you two in sooner. Things have been rather hectic lately."

Yoruichi chuckled wearily as her mother released her. "I know the feeling."

"Yes, I imagine so," Yoriko remarked before turning to Itachi and placing a hand on his shoulder, "Itachi, it's good to see you again. Thank you so much for all the help you've been giving my daughter."

Itachi inclined his head. "No need to thank me, Lady Yoriko.

"Please, it's just 'Yoriko' to you," she insisted, "At least in a private and informal setting like this. You're practically family to us by now, Itachi."

"You're too kind," Itachi replied, "How has your husband been?"

"Well enough, though I think he's more nervous than he lets on," Yoriko answered, "Satoshi's been throwing himself into managing our family's commercial interests with the Kuchiki and Shiba Clans lately; he's getting much more hands on than usual. Whenever he gets like that, it means he's worried."

"Dad always did try to bury stress with work," Yoruichi noted with concern, "Is he around tonight? I could try to talk with him before me and Itachi leave, see if I can get him to take a step back and breathe."

Yoriko shook her head. "I'm afraid he's attending a business dinner over at the Shiba Clan estate tonight, so he probably won't be back until well after you and Itachi have left. I'll pass along your sentiments to him, though. Knowing our precious little kitty is worried about him might just be enough to convince him a break's needed."

Yoruichi smiled despite the slight flush that the use of her parents' childhood nickname for her elicited. "Thanks. Tell him that if he doesn't take some time off soon, I'll write to Grandma. Knowing her, she'll send Grandpa out here to whack some sense into him."

Yoriko let slip a soft laugh. "Yes, that just might get through to him!"

The Shihōin Clan ruling matriarch then gestured towards the table. "Please, have a seat. The servants should be bringing fresh tea down shortly."

The trio claimed their chairs, Yoruichi in the center with Itachi to her right and Yoriko to her left. Sure enough, a servant came down less than a minute later bearing a tray laden with a steaming tea kettle and cups. Once the tea was poured and the servant had departed, they each claimed their cups and sipped before getting down to the business at hand.

Yoriko took the lead. "Before we begin, I do understand that you, legally speaking, cannot get into the specific details of your investigation."

Yoruichi sighed. "I know there's no risk of spies down here, and you're hardly a security risk, Mom. Even so… "

Yoriko held up her hand. "We'll need to dance around the finer points, yes. Regretful, seeing as I prefer cutting straight to the heart of the matter, but necessary."

"Why don't we start with something easier to discuss openly?" Itachi suggested, "A while back, Yoruichi passed along a request from me and my friends to you regarding observing the Drakken Clan and watching for signs that members of the Uchiha Clan might be working with them beyond the bounds of the Seireitei."

"Yes, and I did act upon that request," Yoriko confirmed, her shoulders slightly sagging, "Unfortunately, the eyes and ears that we have in the Drakken Clan's sphere of influence have not reported any sightings of those who could be Uchiha working with the eastern dragons in any capacity. Nor has your clan's name come up in any correspondences or communiques that we've been able to intercept or eavesdrop on. I'm sorry, Itachi. I wish I had better news on that front."

"What about Grandma's network?" Yoruichi inquired, "Anything from her?"

"Concerning any signs of errant Uchiha? I'm afraid not," Yoriko answered, "It certainly hasn't been from lack of trying; the impression I've gotten from Mother's letters indicates she is quite intrigued by your clan, Itachi. Her efforts, however, have not yielded success in finding your kinsmen. They've been far more fruitful on other fronts, though."

Yoruichi saw Itachi lean forward. "Such as?"

"We're not just monitoring the Drakken Clan," Yoriko replied, "Ever since you and my daughter brought the Nalatarin to the Seireitei years ago, we've been keeping a careful eye on the Starmont Clan; they revealed their leanings all too readily when they sought the artifact alongside the eastern dragons. The past few months have been rather interesting to say the least."

"Itachi mentioned that one of the Valkyries had come south," Yoruichi remarked as she turned to him, "Jiraiya learned of it when he defeated Manda, right?"

Itachi nodded. "Geirdriful was the one that Manda had been chased by prior to Jiraiya's encounter with him, but pursuing him wasn't her goal; she seemed to have mistaken him for a Hollow while on her way to the Seireitei. That was a while ago, though, so I'm not sure if she's still around here."

"She is," Yoriko chimed in as her eyes narrowed, "She was sighted on the estate grounds by one of our agents just three days ago… and she is no longer the only Valkyrie present. Sigrún was spotted in the Seireitei the day prior."

Yoruichi and Itachi's heads snapped back simultaneously, with the Captain being the first to comment. "The Order of the Valkyries' leader is down here now?"

"Why hadn't we heard anything about this?" Itachi asked.

"The Starmont Clan attempted to keep her entrance a low-profile one," Yoriko explained, "She was brought in under cover of night, and she didn't fly in; she seems to have landed somewhere in the North Rukon and was then brought in via carriage. My sources only learned of this quite recently."

"And the Stealth Force completely missed it," Yoruichi murmured, gripping her robes tightly beneath the table, "We've gotten sloppy."

"We've been preoccupied," Itachi pushed back, "Between the Nalatarin case, field scouting and regular patrol, we've had our hands full."

Yoruichi shook her head. "That's still no excuse for missing something this big. I'll need to rework and reinforce Seireitei patrol and observation units."

"For what it's worth, even reinforced patrols may not have sufficed in this instance," Yoriko pointed out, "From what my sources have uncovered, it appears that the Starmont Clan's efforts to slip her inside were considerable. The carriage seems to have been lined with some sort of material that contains and suppresses the spiritual pressure of the occupants. It traps spirit energy, but must release it at some point; the only reason my operatives even know this is because one of them happened to be nearby during that release and could sense it. A lucky break on our part."

"We'll take all the luck that we can get," Itachi remarked, "Do you have any idea what's brought her down here?"

Yoriko sighed. "Only that she would not have come to the Seireitei unless it was by explicit order from the Starmont Clan's current head. Beyond that, nothing. Suffice to say that this is a very concerning development."

"No kidding," Yoruichi murmured, "I think there's only one recorded instance of her coming down here before, and that was a very long time ago."

Yoriko nodded. "To put her signature on the founding treaties when the Thirteen Court Guard Squads were established and set up their working relationship with the Order of the Valkyries. That was many centuries ago. For Sigrún to return here is unprecedented."

"Could it have something to do with Captain Starmont's illness?" Yoruichi ventured, "I know he's back on duty now, but at the last Captains meeting he was still looking pretty pale. Almost as bad as Captain Ukitake."

"Sigrún isn't known for healing prowess," Itachi pointed out, "The Order's foremost healer is Eir, I believe."

"Ah, that's right," Yoruichi conceded as she pondered alternatives, only to come up empty, "Well, if not that, then… then what?"

"Like I said before, we have nothing," said Yoriko, "The Starmont Clan went through a lot of trouble to ensure she entered the Seireitei in secrecy; that alone does not bode well."

Yoruichi saw Itachi's brow furrow as he turned to her. "You said Captain Starmont's back on duty. What about Captain Drakken?"

Yoruichi rapped her fingers on the table. "There was a health update circulated among us Captains from the Drakken Clan that Rhaegon was on the mend and would be returning to duty soon. However, he wasn't present at the last meeting. Lieutenant Dorel had come in his place and said that his commander had taken a turn for the worst."

Yoriko clasped her hands before her. "Did he provide any details?"

Yoruichi shook her head. "Nothing. Captain Unohana volunteered her services, but Lieutenant Dorel said Rhaegon had ordered him to decline should she make such an offer. He said the family's healers had his condition under control."

"On the mend, only to relapse into his recently acquired unknown illness," Itachi murmured, "while Squad Eleven's Captain, a known ally of his, returns to duty after having suffered what by all accounts is a similar unknown ailment. What to make of it?"

Yoriko took a sip of tea. "I think I'll be speaking for all of us here in voicing this suspicion; the Drakken Clan has the Nalatarin, and Rhaegon Drakken has now tried to use it twice. Captain Starmont joined him the first time, hence him taking ill at the same time as his colleague. His recovery would point to him being smart enough not to push his luck a second time. The northern wolves have always been more cautious than the eastern dragons, and that goes even for the brute commanding Squad Eleven."

"We can't be certain," Yoruichi pushed back, "Right now, that's just an allegation."

"Perhaps, but we can make an educated guess based on what we know at this point," said Yoriko, her eyes narrowing as she focused on Yoruichi, "As for proof, I suspect you have something in the works that may yet provide it. Tenth Seat Visaelya Drakken's recent transfer to Squad Ten was interesting news… and perhaps not as coincidental as appearances may suggest."

Yoruichi pursed her lips; she would have to tread carefully here. "Visaelya's been a valuable subordinate… and a good friend. I'll miss having her in Squad Two, but I respect her desire to join her family's unit. My issues with Captain Drakken aside, there's much she can learn from him and Squad Ten as a whole."

Yoriko smiled knowingly. "Oh, I don't doubt that for a moment. Should the young Miss Draken, by happenstance or otherwise, uncover evidence of her clan's involvement in this affair, do you think she'll provide it to you? As a conscientious Soul Reaper, I would certainly hope that she remembers her greater duty and adheres to it."

"If she learns anything incriminating, I trust her to make the right decision," Yoruichi replied firmly.

"She's not alone in that," Itachi affirmed.

Yoriko nodded. "I see. Well, it's strange days indeed when we must place faith in a member of a clan that has been a political rival for thousands of years. I suppose we can only wait and see how events unfold from here."

"For sake of argument," said Itachi, "let's assume that the Drakken Clan does have the artifact. If Rhaegon Drakken's continued illness is in fact the result of him attempting to use it, then his continuing absence from duty indicates that the Nalatarin refuses to accept him as a legitimate wielder. However, we can only guess at him and Captain Starmont attempting to use it based on their recent absence from duty. Other members of either clan may have had better luck since their failures, or may soon have such fortune. Trial and error is a time-tested method of experimentation that still holds up for a reason, after all."

"Do you know of any other members of the Drakken or Starmont Clans that have suffered mysterious illnesses since the break-in?" Yoruichi asked her mother.

"One, actually," Yoriko answered, "Vahaegon Drakken."

That had not been the name Yoruichi expected to hear. "The clan patriarch? I hadn't heard anything about that. A bigshot like him coming down ill would be major news."

"It was only within the past few days," Yoriko elaborated, "and the clan's been working overtime to keep it under wraps. I only know because he missed the regular clan head assembly meeting yesterday, and he's never been absent from it before. His eldest son came in his place. When I asked about his father, Lord Visenarr tried to brush it off by saying Vahaegon had overindulged in wine the night before."

Yoruichi snorted. "That's the lie he went with? I thought Visenarr was smarter than that."

Itachi eyed her in curiosity. "What makes it a bad lie?"

"For any other noble, including most members of the Drakken Clan, it'd actually be a good one," Yoruichi explained, "We get access to the best food and drink in all the Soul Society, so overindulgence is something of an occupational hazard. It's pretty easy to go too far on the booze when it's that good. Vahaegon's a glutton when it comes to food, but not when alcohol's involved. He'll take a sip or two, but usually it's just for toasts at gatherings. Getting drunk just isn't his style."

Yoriko nodded. "Exactly. Suffice to say that I wasn't the only one who caught it, though of course we all kept any suspicions to ourselves. To my knowledge, no other members of the clan apart from Captain Draken and the patriarch are claiming ailment."

"Even so, those two alone are awfully conspicuous," Yoruichi noted.

"Agreed," said Yoriko, "Speaking of conspicuous developments, there are others unfolding far from the Seireitei that may yet be related to our present troubles."

"Such as?" Itachi prompted.

"The Drakken Clan has embarked on a construction program," Yoriko answered, "They're expanding and reinforcing the clan Principality's border fortifications. That's hardly the only activity; our spies in the east report that sizeable units of the clan's standing army are being moved to border garrisons. Flocks of lesser drakes are being renested along the clan's western frontier, and their riders are stepping up their drilling regimen. Also, Kyris has been spotted making flights between the Scarlet Gate and Menar Issilaya."

Yoruichi's eyes widened at that last comment. "The Black Queen's out of her nest and traveling over the border? I thought she was getting too old for long-range flying."

"As did the rest of us," Yoriko confessed, "Apparently she's healthier than the Drakken Clan's let on."

Yoruichi leaned forward, propping her elbows up on the table and clasping her hands beneath her chin. "Well… that can't be good."

"I take it the Black Queen is one of the Drakken Clan's more powerful dragons, then?" Itachi inquired.

Yoriko slowly nodded. "She's perhaps the oldest still-living specimen of her kind, and the largest. I've never seen her in person, but everything I've heard indicates her being a true titan. They say her scales are as thick as the Seireitei walls. An exaggeration, likely, but it gives you an idea as to her toughness. Her wingspan's so wide it can cast a city in darkness. As for her flames… supposedly they're as black as midnight."

"She's also famous for her bloodline," Yoruichi added, "Daeloron The Infernal, Captain Drakken's mount, is one of her offspring, and you've seen how big he is. Think him, but way bigger."

"Who's her rider?" asked Itachi.

"Lord Vavon Drakken's her most recent in a rather long line of them," Yoriko replied, tapping her chin in thought, "He was the previous clan patriarch, but he stepped aside in his advancing years and his son, Lord Vahaegon, take over. I was under the impression that he was growing too old for flight, just like his mount. He's supposedly focusing on governing his clan's Principality. If the Black Queen's on the move, then so is he. That's… rather concerning."

"Any other of the clan's heavy hitters making unusual movements?" Yoruichi pressed.

"I don't know," Yoriko admitted, "This is just what I've learned from the most recent reports received. There could very well be others moving out of sight. To what end, though?"

"A good question," Itachi murmured, and Yoruichi could picture the wheels of his mind spinning away, "How many dragons does the clan currently have in the Seireitei?"

"Three fully grown," said Yoriko, "Daeloron The Infernal, Rhygaron The Blood Wing, and Rayala The Sapphire. There are three others, but they were only hatched recently. I believe two of them belong to your now-former comrade Visaelya's sisters, and the third to Captain Drakken's daughter. They would hardly count as a threat."

"Give it a couple of years, and that'll change," Yoruichi pushed back, "From what I understand, young dragons have ferocious appetites, and they grow very quickly. They'll be big enough to ride before we know it."

"Yes, but they'll still be vulnerable," Yoriko reminded her, "They'll be a little larger than horses at first, and their hides won't have fully hardened yet. The range and heat of their flames will likewise be limited."

"They'll still be hot enough to burn and kill," Yoruichi countered, "and their teeth and claws will be plenty sharp."

"Smaller size would also lend them greater agility than fully-grown specimens," Itachi pointed out, "A trait that smart riders can easily exploit."

"I'm well aware of that," Yoriko remarked, "The Shihōin Clan and our vassals have given a great deal of thought over the millennia as to how dragons can be fought and killed. We have tactics devised for every stage of their life cycle."

"We've never had to use them," Yoruichi cautioned, "and we should hope that doesn't change."

Yoriko nodded as her expression hardened. "We should, but by the same token, we must be prepared for the worst. To be perfectly blunt, in assessing our current circumstances, I see scant cause for hope. If you think we are the only ones gathering in secret to discuss this matter, then you are gravely mistaken. I can all but guarantee that the other Great Noble Houses are preparing contingencies and forces as we speak."

Yoruichi took a deep breath. "You're making it sound like we're already on the brink of war. Things haven't gotten that bad yet… have they?"

"Let me put it this way," Yoriko said with a grave look, "Thanks to this whole affair, the Soul Society has taken several steps in that direction, unwitting or otherwise. The Central Forty-Six and clan head assemblies have already become verbal battlegrounds. The longer the question of the break-in at Squad Twelve remains unresolved, the further the situation will deteriorate. At this point, the other clans must operate under the assumption that one of their rivals may possess the Nalatarin and can use it to strengthen their position. You know what this means, don't you?"

Yoruichi did, and it was not anything good. "Suspicion and paranoia will run rampant in the aristocracy. It already is, and it'll only get worse. In a climate like that, all it takes is a stray spark to light the tinder."

"And that spark could just as easily be accidental as deliberate," Itachi murmured, "One doesn't necessarily need to desire conflict in order to trigger it."

"All too true," Yoriko concurred wearily, "When powerful families like ours play this game, the line between mere posturing and an actual threat can quickly become blurred. What one side intends as bluff and bluster, another can easily misinterpret as lethal intent. Study history long enough, and you will find examples of wars breaking out that way."

"Which is it here, then?" Yoruichi asked, the question for herself just as much as it was for her companions, "The stolen Nalatarin, the moves by the Drakken and Starmont Clans… assuming it's all connected, is it posturing or lethal intent?"

"It was lethal enough for the Squad Twelve guard," Itachi dourly noted, "or nearly so."

Yoriko slowly nodded. "That, in and of itself, may be the most disturbing part. Noble one-upmanship is one thing, but us aristocrats draw the line well before attacking Soul Reapers. If the break-in and attack is tied to the other actions we've discussed, then it represents a dangerous new escalation. Blood has now been shed, and Soul Reaper blood at that. We're in uncharted territory now."

And we may lack the means to get out of it, Yoruichi silently added, especially if we can't find the culprit and make them talk. Identifying the attacker and any co-conspirators is the one shot we have at pulling everyone else back from the brink, or at least containing the damage. If we fail…

…then a lot more blood could be shed before it's all over.

….

As befitted members of a Great Noble House, the personal chambers of Rhaegon Drakken and his wife were opulent to say the least. They were situated near the apex of the mansion, with southern-facing windows and a balcony that offered a splendid view of the Seireitei. The room itself was as much an artistic masterwork as it was a sleeping space. Along the wall opposite the windows and balcony was a large mural depicting a black dragon soaring out of an erupting volcano, a rendition of an ancient Drakken Clan fable regarding where their famed fire-breathing mounts had come from. A king-size four-post bed with crimson silk sheets and curtains dominated the center of the room, while gold and red dragon's head figures jutted out from the chamber's four corners. Plush scarlet rugs with black flame patterns adorned the floor, while a doorway behind and to the right of the bed led into a well-appointed washroom. A tea table with four comfortable chairs set around it was situated in one corner of the room, while in another was a writing desk and two tall shelves full of books and scrolls.

None of the luxurious accommodations meant much to Saenenya now, though. He attention was solely on the almost deathly-pale man lying in the bed. The gaggle of healers which had been attending to her father earlier were gone, having reassured Saenenya that the worst of this current episode was over. Looking over him as he slept fitfully, Saenenya could only clutch her robes in despondency.

"Normally it's the other way around," a gentle female voice said from behind her, "How many times have I been the one lying ill in bed with you and your father watching over me?"

Saenenya nearly jumped out of her robes before turning around to greet the speaker. "Mother… please don't sneak up on me like that."

Ellaria Drakken, née Dorel, bowed her head in apology. A slender woman, her appearance was somewhat jarring when compared to the family she had married into. While pale skin and silver-blond hair along with exotically colored eyes dominated the Drakken Clan bloodline, Ellaria's tan complexion, warm brown eyes and long, free-falling black hair seemed almost plain by contrast, though she was still quite lovely in the traditional sense. Dressed in a loose-fitting orange robe with bronze sun-patterns embroidered in the fine fabric, she carried herself with a quiet strength that belied her normally-precarious health.

"I thought you heard me come in," Ellaria murmured as she came forward to embrace her daughter, "Forgive me."

Saenenya returned the hug with fierce urgency born of worry for her father. "There's nothing to forgive, Mother."

Releasing each other, Ellaria stepped to Saenenya's right and leaned across the bed to wipe a bead of cold sweat from her husband's brow. "Did the healers say how long he would need to rest this time?"

"Several days," the young Soul Reaper answered, "though they think he'll at least regain consciousness by morning."

Ellaria sighed in relief. "Not nearly as bad as last time, then. Even so… this cannot happen a third time. I won't let him do this to himself again."

"Do what to himself?" Saenenya asked, almost pleading, "Mother, what's happening to Father? He's never been sick like this before!"

Ellaria looked down, as if in shame. "Sae… I'm sorry. I can't."

"Can't what?" Saenenya pressed, "Can't tell me? Why?"

"I promised him that I would not," Ellaria answered as she looked back and forth between her distressed daughter and unconscious husband, "I didn't want to, but he insisted upon it… and I gave him my word."

"So, he can tell you what's going on, but not me," Saenenya pouted as she turned away from both her parents, "I see how it is. You two still don't think I'm mature enough, do you?"

"Nonsense, Sae," Ellaria emphatically shot back as she hugged her from behind, "We both know that you've always been wiser than your years, and we've always been so proud of you for it. It's just… we want to keep you safe for as long as we can."

"I'm a Soul Reaper now," Saenenya argued, "The days of me being 'kept safe' are long gone, Mother."

Ellaria tightened her grip. "I know, but this is a very different kind of danger compared to what you face in the field. You wouldn't understand."

"I would if you would tell me what it is," Saenenya pressed as she extricated herself from her mother's embrace.

"You'll learn in time," Ellaria replied, looking at her desperately, "Once things are further along, your father and I will tell you. You just need to be patient, Sae. Please."

Saenenya took a deep breath, but the emotional maelstrom whirling within her would not be so easily stilled. "Be patient… while Father does something that puts him in a near-catatonic state… I'm sorry, Mother. I'll leave him in your care."

"Saenenya, wait!" Ellaria pleaded.

Saenenya forced herself to not look back as she stormed out of the room. Arguing with her father was one thing, but it was always worse when it involved her mother because Saenenya never wanted to make her stress and worry. Putting aside her mother's health issues, Saenenya hated having any sort of confrontation with her because her mother had always been so understanding about what kind of person she was. While her father had begrudgingly endorsed her hobby of constantly burying herself in the family archives, her mother had wholeheartedly embraced Saenenya's curious and studious side, and she was forever grateful to Ellaria for it. The last thing Saenenya would ever want to do was cause her mother any form of pain, emotional or otherwise; leaving the room beat deepening the argument, but she still felt a pang of guilt.

I'll say sorry later, she silently vowed, I just can't do it right now.

She headed for the main staircase, determined to throw herself back into study. There was much she still needed to read in the family archives and practice if she could ever hope to heal her friend's soul fracture, and those studies had taken on even greater urgency now that her father was suffering from his strange ailment. It was part of the reason why Saenenya had become frustrated with her mother; she needed to know the cause of her father's condition so that she might help him, and she was being told absolutely nothing about it.

As she approached a turn in the hall that would lead towards the staircase, she heard a familiar deep male voice come from around the corner. "What are you doing up here? Have you not caused enough harm already?"

For a panicked moment, Saenenya thought that the voice was referring to her, only to then hear another male voice, this one calm and smooth as silk, reply. "Harm? Whatever do you mean?"

Wait, Saenenya thought, I've heard this one before. Could it be…?

Sidling up against the wall, she slid herself behind one of the ceremonial suits of armor that lined the mansion's halls and dampened her spiritual pressure as much as she possibly could. Saenenya then cautiously peered around the corner and found two familiar cloaked figures staring each other down. The one in the black cloak was facing her direction, which made it easy for Saenenya to identify him as her nameless friend; those mysterious purple-rippling eyes were like lighthouse beacons against the darkness of his cowl. The second figure wore a white cloak, and combined with the voice she had heard earlier meant that it could only be the mystery man that Saenenya's friend had set himself in opposition towards.

"Don't play dumb," the purple-eyed man growled, "This has all transpired because our patron followed your counsel."

"I advised caution when he sought to use it," the white-cloaked man calmly pointed out, "My counsel was to fully understand the required ritual before attempting to enact it. The steps outlined in what sources are available were followed to the letter on both occasions."

It? Ritual? What are they talking about?

"Steps that were clearly incomplete," the purple-eyed man argued, suspicion clear in his tone, "or mistranslated… or forged."

"The sources cited had all been previously vetted by the family's chief archivist," the white-cloaked man countered, "Are you suggesting that the professional who's served the Drakken Clan for well over a century now in this capacity is incompetent? You yourself have relied on his work in the past, if memory serves."

The purple-eyed man was quiet for a moment. "The first ritual failing should've been sign enough that the sources were either incomplete or possessed errors. Captain Starmont took the appropriate lesson. Our host and his father may well have done the same were it not for you urging another attempt so soon."

"I urged no such thing," said the white-cloaked man, "Our host himself was adamant on trying again practically the moment he regained consciousness. All I did was suggest a few changes based on my re-reading the necessary sources. Captain Drakken knew the risks remained, yet he was still determined to proceed. One must admire his tenacity, even if it was to his detriment in this case."

"It was insanity in this case," the purple-eyed man fumed, "as was him agreeing to your scheme in the first place. Do you have any idea what you may have set in motion with this stunt?"

"What was our good patron and his family supposed to do?" the white-cloaked man rhetorically asked, "Simply stand by in silence as their situation within the Seireitei's political arena continued to weaken? Endure insults from the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and the Central Forty-Six alike without retaliation?"

"There were plenty of other means by which the clan could strike back against their rivals and avenge the slights against them," the purple-eyed vehemently man shot back, "You knew as much. Yet you goaded Captain Drakken and the patriarch into taking not only the riskiest option present, but the one that offered the most obvious clues as to who was behind it."

"Hardly obvious, given that the ongoing investigation has yet to produce an official suspect," the white-cloaked man riposted with silky-smooth smugness.

"An 'official suspect' being the operative term," the purple-eyed man snarled, "Don't get me wrong; I'm sure that you skillfully covered your tracks. I've seen you at work before, so I have no doubt that your involvement in this affair will remain obscured indefinitely. However, given the family's recent history with what you took, anyone with half a working brain in the Seireitei has no doubt immediately worked out who the unofficial suspect is."

The purple-eyed man's words rang an alarm in Saenenya's head. Nothing direct had been said, but the phrasing combined with a very recent event which had shaken up the Seireitei left no doubt in Saenenya's mind as to what her friend was referring to. Her right hand snapped up to her mouth so that she might stifle a gasp and keep her eavesdropping concealed.

This can't be right, she told herself, I… have to be hearing this wrong. I have to be wrong!

Because if she was not, then her clan was on the verge of utter catastrophe.

As if he was reading her mind, the white-cloaked man's next words twisted the proverbial knife in Saenenya's heart. "So long as they have no proof, their unofficial suspect will remain just that. In the meantime, our patron now has possession of an incredibly potent asset, one that will forever alter the balance of power within the Seireitei."

"It's not an 'asset' if it renders anyone who tries to use it catatonic!" the purple-eyed man snapped.

Chills ran throughout Saenenya's body. Her friend sounded utterly furious now, and his wrath was accompanied by a rogue pulse of spiritual pressure. Even suppressed as it was, it caught Saenenya like a tidal wave and threatened to drown her. Her knees buckled, and it took all her strength to keep from toppling into the ceremonial armor suit she was hiding behind.

Still struggling to keep her presence masked, Saenenya only barely heard the white-cloaked man's soft laughter. "Well, now… I don't think I've ever elicited such a reaction from you before. I was almost certain that you were as cold an individual as me. Looks like there's a bit more fire in you than I suspected. Small wonder that you've grown so attached to the Drakken Clan; you fit right in with them."

"I owe the family a debt," the purple-eyed man readily confessed, "and you're not wrong in that I find them to be rather agreeable. They most certainly are my kind of company, which is why it galls me so to see their leaders succumb to your poisonous charms."

"I want what you want for them," the white-cloaked man proclaimed.

The purple-eyed man snorted in derision. "I highly doubt that."

"Yes, I imagine you do," the white-cloaked man remarked, "and I suspect nothing I have to say will convince you otherwise."

"How clairvoyant of you," the purple-eyed man deadpanned.

A tense silence fell between them, and to Saenenya, it looked like the two men were sizing each other up. Would they come to blows? Her friend was clearly incensed at the white-cloaked man and held him responsible for her father's present condition, but would that fury spark more than mere verbal confrontation tonight? Saenenya watched with bated breath, simultaneously anticipating and dreading a possible fight. On the one hand, she was intensely curious as to what sort of abilities and techniques her friend and his rival could bring to the table, yet she was also all-too conscious of both her debilitated father and frail mother being on the same floor. If the pulse of spiritual pressure she had felt from her friend was any hint as to his true strength, then Saenenya would very much prefer he and the white-cloaked man had their fight well away from here.

Her fears proved unfounded, though, for the white-cloaked man yielded the field just a moment later. "Well, I had intended to check-in on our patron tonight, but I take it you are opposed?"

"I very much am," the purple-eyed man growled.

The white-cloaked man chuckled. "Of course. I would hate to disturb his rest with a scuffle, so I will take my leave for now."

Saenenya looked on as the white-cloaked man stepped to the right and headed down the hall towards the central staircase. There was a brief pause as he moved to pass the purple-eyed man, and Saenenya momentarily feared that perhaps hostilities would yet break out, but the two figures simply stared each other down for a second before the white-cloaked man continued on his way. Saenenya did not let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding until the white-cloaked man was out of sight.

The exhalation wound up being louder than she had intended, for the purple-eyed man's gaze immediately swung in her direction. "Who goes there? Wait a moment…"

Saenenya flung herself back behind the wall and tried to escape, but she wound up smacking her head against the ceremonial suit of armor she had been hiding behind. Recoiling from the blow, she stumbled out into the hallway, around the corner, and fell flat on her ass in front of the purple-eyed man. Her face flushed with embarrassment while her forehead throbbed, and she could only take cold comfort from the fact that the decorative armor remained standing upright despite her clumsiness; the last thing she needed was to cause a mess in the hallway.

Though I suppose I'm already in a mess of a different sort…

"Ow…" she groaned while rubbing her forehead, pointedly keeping her gaze on the floor.

"I thought so," the purple-eyed man murmured.

"You knew I was there, then?" Saenenya surmised.

"Not until just a few seconds ago," her friend answered, "You did well to hide your presence from me. I thought I knew what to look out for when it comes to, yet you still concealed yourself almost flawlessly. Almost; you need to work on your withdrawal."

Saenenya looked up at him, blinking in confusion. "You're not mad that I was spying on you again?"

"I told you before," the purple-eyed man replied as he held out his hand, "if I cannot detect you, then that is my failing, and you have every right to take advantage of it."

Saenenya smiled as she was pulled to her feet. "You're weird, you know?"

Her friend chuckled. "Yes, I believe we've already established that."

"In a good way, I mean," she quickly amended.

The purple-man's cloak rippled as he inclined his head beneath the cowl. "You're too kind."

Saenenya took a moment to dust herself off before rubbing her forehead and wincing again. "Ouch… that really stings."

"Let's go down to the kitchens and get some ice on that," the purple-eyed man suggested, gesturing down the hall towards the central staircase, "Shall we?"

Saenenya found herself blushing. "Oh, uhm… you don't have to go out of your way for me like that. I can make it there just fine on my own."

"If you wish to go alone, that's fine," her friend remarked, "though I was hoping to find you up here."

Saenenya tilted her head quizzically. "You came up here for me?"

"Amongst other reasons," the purple-eyed man confirmed, "but I'll understand perfectly if you're not in the mood for company right now."

Saenenya shook her head and smiled again. "Well, I wasn't, but if it's you… I don't mind."

"Then let's get going," her friend said, "We'll get you some ice, brew a quick cup of tea, and go outside for bit. It's a lovely evening; shame to waste it, don't you think?"

"I was planning on going down to the archives," Saenenya pointed out, "Before I spied on you and hit my head, anyway."

"Ice, tea and books, then?" the purple-eyed man offered.

Saenenya nodded as she held his gaze, trying very hard to ignore the rush of heat coming to her face. "I… I'd like that."

They headed downstairs, and thankfully the kitchen staff had turned in for the night which meant that Saenenya did not have to suffer any further embarrassment from her injury. It only took a moment or two for her friend to duck into the ice chest and bag enough to deal with the swelling bruise, and as Saenenya kept it pressed to her head the purple-eyed man set about preparing tea. With a hot kettle and two cups at the ready soon enough, he led the way down to the archives.

"I was actually down here earlier," the man remarked, "but I didn't see you. I guessed that you were upstairs with your parents. Seems I was right on the money. How is your mother handling all of this?"

Saenenya sighed heavily. "She's trying to look strong, but all this stress isn't healthy for her. If she's not careful, she'll wind up bed-ridden again… though at least she'll have Father for company."

Her friend let out a somber exhalation as they entered the library. "I'm sorry. If I had been able to dissuade your father from this path, then this whole mess could've been avoided."

Saenenya emphatically shook her head. "No, this isn't your fault! Father… he should've listened to you, but he didn't. This is on him."

"On that snake of a second advisor, more like," the purple-eyed man grumbled.

Setting the cups and kettle down on one of the study tables, the purple-eyed man went off towards the shelves. Saenenya headed towards a different section of the library, one devoted to materials concerning healing. It only took her a few minutes to find the book she had been looking for, and when she came back, she saw her friend carrying a few tomes and scrolls on his way to rejoin her. Sitting at the table, Saenenya watched as the purple-eyed man poured tea for the two of them.

The two of them drank in silence, savoring the tea for a few minutes before the purple-eyed man spoke. "How much of our conversation did you overhear earlier?"

Saenenya fidgeted as she looked down at the table. "Uhm… pretty much the whole thing, I think."

"I thought as much," the man said.

His tone did not strike Saenenya as accusatory or angry, so she cautiously turned her gaze back up towards him. "You're… okay with that?"

"We've been over this already," the purple-eyed man remarked, "What's done is done. I trust you were able to read between the lines?"

Saenenya nodded apprehensively. "I think so."

"Then speak carefully going forward," her friend warned with a meaningful glance around the library, "just in case."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Saenenya could not help but feel an electric charge of excitement race through her. Spells might have been her strong point, but she was hardly immune to the thrill of political intrigue.

"So, my Father… his condition is tied to… this affair with the missing device?" she tentatively asked.

The purple-eyed man appraised her quietly for a moment. "A bit awkward, and still too blunt. More subtlety next time."

"Okay. That's not an answer to my question, though," she noted.

"The answer to that is yes," her companion replied grimly.

Saenenya slumped in her chair. "The Father's really brought this upon himself… and grandfather, too."

"Do not be too hard on your father," her friend gently pushed back, "I counseled him against this because experience has shown me where such an escalation can end up. Had I met your father in my younger days, I may have wound up supporting his brash action. Even if I oppose his decision, I can understand and sympathize with it. He's proud of his family and is doing what he thinks is best for its future. There was a time when I would've been in a similar position. I may still be, in a way."

"But he's acted rashly in backing this… scheme," Saenenya protested, "It's drawing even more attention and scrutiny towards our clan, and not in a good way. Even some members of Squad Ten have been looking at me and my cousins weirdly since this whole affair began."

"An unfortunate consequence of your father and grandfather's decision," the purple-eyed man concurred, "Perhaps the worst one of all. Your entire family's been painted unfairly in this scandal. Something else that I can relate to."

"Is it really unfair when we act this way?" Saenenya glumly pointed out.

"It is to those who had no part in the affair, indirectly or otherwise," her companion answered.

Saenenya could feel a fresh throbbing in her head and pressed the ice bag against it. "What happens now? What's been done… it can't be undone, can it?"

The purple-eyed man's cloak rippled as he shook his head. "No, it cannot. Even if the implement in question magically appeared tomorrow in the exact same spot it was removed from, the questions of culpability and motive remain unanswered. Suspicion is a contagion; once it slips out into the open, containment becomes impossible. Truth backed by proof is the traditional antidote, but under these circumstances it cannot be used. To do so would be almost suicidal. At the very least, the short-term damage would be immense, and for some players involved the consequences would be fatal."

Saenenya closed her eyes and tried to focus her thoughts while pressing the ice bag harder on her bruised forehead. "Would one of those players be the man you were speaking to before?"

"Yes," the purple-eyed man confirmed, his tone dropping into a guttural growl, "He has the most to lose. After all, not only was this whole affair a product of his counsel, but he was the one who executed it."

Saenenya opened her eyes, still wincing somewhat from the throbbing bump, though the ice was mercifully dulling the worst of it. "How do you know that?"

"I've seen what he can do," her friend replied, "My eyes can comprehend what others cannot. The web he weaves would be the envy of any spider. So finely spun, the silken strands invisible to almost all others. In fact, were it not for these special eyes of mine, I too might be taken in."

Saenenya studied him keenly, trying to keep her excitement contained. Her friend rarely said anything concerning those fascinating eyes of his, so this was a narrow window that Saenenya did not want to waste.

"What do your eyes see when it comes to him?" she asked, working hard to keep her tone from rising above casual curiosity.

Her friend was quiet for a moment. "Faint traces of spirit energy leading back to him… anchors for illusion. His power… it's an insidious thing. Perhaps more potent than any genjutsu."

Saenenya blinked in confusion; she could not recall hearing that term before. "Genjutsu?"

"Illusory abilities as my Realm of the Living understood them," the purple-eyed man explained, "I have expertise in them myself, as do many within my clan. Some refined them to an artform. Even so, what my rival for your father's favor can do… it may well be more dangerous than any illusion my kind can craft. Such a subtle gift… I suppose it suits him well."

"Is that why Father listens to him?" Saenenya asked urgently, "This advisor's trapped him in an illusion?"

"Not in the literal sense," her friend replied, "Not that I can conclusively prove, anyway. I suppose it's possible that he's used his powers on your father and I simply haven't picked up on it… but I don't think he really needs to. The illusions he spins now for your father, clan patriarch, and the others are woven of honeyed words. A charismatic figure can accomplish much through simple speech. All he really has to do is tell his audience what they want to hear. To guide someone to your chosen end, the best means of accomplishing the feat is to convince them that what you want is what they want. I must give credit where it's due; that man is a master in this craft."

The purple-eyed man sighed regretfully. "Were we not at cross-purposes, he would make for a formidable ally. Then again… perhaps it's for the best that we remain in opposition. He is the type for whom betrayal comes as naturally as breathing. I would always have to watch my back around him even if an alliance was forged… and I have already suffered the bitter fruits of treachery. I will not set myself up for it again."

Saenenya could not help but lean forward slightly. "Who betrayed you?"

Her friend shook his head. "I would rather not delve into that. Not tonight."

"Another time, then?" she asked hopefully.

His entrancing eyes held her gaze for a thoughtful second before he inclined his head, lowering it enough that Saenenya caught a glimpse of the very faint smile on his lips. "Perhaps. In the meantime, why dwell on past betrayals and dampen the mood still further when I could brighten things up for you a bit?"

Saenenya arched an eyebrow. "How so?"

"One of the reasons I was looking for you tonight," the purple-eyed man elaborated, "While I wanted make sure your Father's situation wasn't overly burdening you, there was another matter I sought you out for. You've been having some difficulty in bonding with your young dragon, if I'm not mistaken."

Saenenya looked down at the table in shame. "If you're trying to lighten the mood, that subject's not going to help."

While her cousins had almost immediately bonded with their young dragons, Saenenya's shy and withdrawn tendencies proved an obstacle for her. Dragons, even as hatchlings, were proud creatures who did not easily submit to new masters. Saenenya's attempts to establish the foundational link with her creature, a stubborn and willful male that she'd named Verdaegon, a play on a word in the ancient tongue of her people that perfectly suited the young dragon's beautiful dark green scales, seemed to have elicited only contempt from the energetic and independent-minded fire-breathing reptile. He would respond to the name she'd granted him, but anything beyond that had thus far been an exercise in futility.

"You needn't remind me of your difficulties in establishing a rapport with your feisty and fiery friend," the purple-eyed man replied, "My purpose in broaching the topic is that I believe I've found something which can help you win him over."

Saenenya perked up somewhat at that. "Really?"

Her friend reached inside his cloak and pulled out a black cylindrical case that was about the length of her forearm. "I did some research on how your ancestors established bonds with their mounts, and in my studies, I stumbled upon a curious note; they have a fondness for melody."

Saenenya's shoulders slumped in defeat once more. "I know that; I've seen my cousins sing to their dragons and others. I can't do that, though. I've tried it, but my singing voice is too shaky and soft. I can't project like they do, and dragons respond to that."

"What if I told you that singing is not necessarily required?" the purple-eyed man proposed as he passed the cylindrical case over to her, "Take a look inside and tell me if you recognize that."

Saenenya accepted the case and gingerly unscrewed the top cover. Reaching inside, she pulled out a flute carved from finely-polished dark wood. Studying how the holes along it were arranged, her eyes widened when she realized what she was looking at.

"You found a dragon whistler," she whispered in awe while continuing her examination, "A properly carved one… it even has the master's signature engraved in the ancient eastern tongue!"

"It didn't come cheaply," her friend noted, "The finest craftsmen in the art don't travel beyond your family's Principality, and apparently the creation process behind these instruments is more elaborate than one might expect. I was a bit worried when I approached your parents with the quoted price, but they readily agreed to finance it. So, you could say it's more their gift than mine; I merely made the suggestion."

"When did this happen?" Saenenya asked, her eyes still locked on the instrument, "A master's supposed to spend at least a month on one dragon whistler, and that's only after he or she understands the person who's going to use it. I've never met with one."

"The effort was initiated around half a year ago," the purple-eyed man explained, "While you never met the actual carver, she sent an apprentice out to observe you; your family disguised him as one of the household servants. You actually met him a few times. They had him deliver messages to you at the Squad Ten barracks as an excuse for him to briefly interact with and study you, and he also joined the dragon keepers in observing your attempts at bonding. That combined with some copiously detailed letters sent back to the master carver in question gave her what she needed. The rest was simply a matter of payment, work, and delivery."

Gingerly setting the flute back in its case, Saenenya then threw any sense of noble decorum and grace aside by flinging herself across the table and embracing her friend. "Thank you, thank you so much!"

The purple-eyed man seemed taken aback by the sudden and enthusiastic display of affection if the way his posture stiffened was any indicator. Saenenya momentarily feared that she had crossed some line that she shouldn't have, but her worries were set at ease a second later when the man wrapped his arms around her in a somewhat awkward hug given their position, even going so far as to gently pat her atop the head.

"You should really thank your parents," he remarked, "They were the ones who made the necessary arrangements and payment. All I did was provide the idea."

"It was your idea, though," Saenenya replied with a jubilant smile even as she felt a surge of heat come rushing to her face.

Her friend chuckled in a surprisingly genial manner as he released her, mindful of her precarious balance as he gently nudged her back across the table. "Well, sometimes a thoughtful word or two at the right moment makes all the difference. If you insist on crediting me, I'll hardly deny you. Still, do be sure to make your parents aware of your gratitude as well; they certainly deserve it."

"I will," she vowed as she sat back down and pulled the flute back out of its case, "I guess I should start practicing, then. Although… I've never played an instrument before."

"Have no fear," the purple-eyed man reassured her as he pulled a book from his robes and passed it to her, "I anticipated that might be the case. This should help you grasp the fundamentals. From what I understand, it's less any technical skill that dragons respond to and more the feeling behind whoever's playing the instrument. Once you understand the basics, the sources I've read suggest practicing in the presence of your dragon to acclimate them to your particular instrument's sound. That way, once you've grown more confident in your playing, they'll be much more likely to respond favorably."

"I think you put more study into my dragon problem than I did," Saenenya confessed, "I've been trying to copy what I saw from my cousins. I really should've done more reading on it. Studying's always been one of my strengths, but here, I…"

"Your studies these past years have been focused on other matters," her friend finished, "and that's perfectly understandable… and appreciated, in my case. I know you've been devouring every resource you can find on healing and soul fractures."

Saenenya slumped down in her chair. "For all the good that's done. I swear, I've turned these archives inside out, but I've barely made any progress."

"You're seeking to cure a condition that only the finest healers in the Soul Society have ever tackled successfully," the purple-eyed man pointed out while opening one of the books he'd deposited on the table earlier, "You don't have any professional training in the healing arts; you're self-taught, and still learning. It's only natural that you would struggle with something like this."

"This is your condition we're talking about here," Saenenya shot back in urgent frustration, "How can you be so casual about this?"

"I've learned to live with it," her friend remarked as he skimmed through a handful of pages before apparently finding the one he wanted to start on, "My means of mitigating it are hardly perfect, but they've worked well enough so far. They'll continue to suit my needs for the foreseeable future."

Saenenya leaned forward. "Not indefinitely, though. You do know this, right? That serum you've been using will gradually grow less effective as your episodes worsen. You're on borrowed time."

"You needn't remind me," the purple-eyed man quipped.

"Then why aren't you taking this seriously?" Saenenya asked with an exasperated exhalation.

"I do take it seriously, believe it or not," her friend replied, his low voice sounding quite relaxed as his eyes absorbed the pages' contents, "I simply recognize that my skills aren't adequate to the task of addressing it beyond mitigation. I'm quite happy to place my faith in someone with a better understanding of the healing arts than myself."

Saenenya took a deep breath as she looked at him nervously. "Then… aren't you at least angry with me? Or… disappointed?"

"Not at all," he reassured her, "I think I understand better than you do just how challenging an endeavor you've taken on. If anything, I'm quite proud of the progress you've made. And it is progress, even if you don't recognize it as such."

Saenenya blinked. "Wait… you mean that? You're proud of me?"

"Very much so," he confirmed, and Saenenya could've sworn she caught a hint of a smile in the shadow beneath his cowl, "and I have faith in the progress you're making. My condition is in very capable hands; I do not doubt that in the slightest."

Saenenya gulped. "But if I… if I fail…"

"You won't fail," her friend cut in, "You're the daughter of Squad 10's Captain Rhaegon Drakken, now a Soul Reaper in your own right, and soon to number amongst your clan's fearsome dragon riders. You possess the keen mind of a scholar and the determination of a mighty beast befitting your great clan. Cast your doubts aside and concern yourself only with what is necessary for you to achieve your desires."

Saenenya took a deep breath before smiling. "You make it sound so easy… I wish I had that kind of confidence."

"I've already seen what you're capable of when you put your mind to it," the purple-eyed man replied, "Trust me when I say this; I have an eye for potential, and you have a great deal of it. You're already further down the path you need to be on than you realize. Embrace the challenges that lie ahead, and know that you're already prepared to take them on. Your education at the hands of both family tutors and the Academy has granted you a solid foundation, and your studious nature has only built further upon it since graduation. Don't concern yourself with the prospect of failure; focus only on what is required for success, and sink your teeth into it like a dragoness ripping out the throat of her prey."

Saenenya could feel her heart swelling as she gazed upon her mysterious friend. "You're really good at pumping people up, you know?"

"I was called to lead in the past," the purple-eyed man explained with a note of nostalgia, "In a time of war, I commanded my clan against our fiercest enemies… and, for their sake, eventually made peace with those very same enemies. In that peace, though, my voice no longer compelled my clan. Looking back on what I was, and what I was becoming at that time… perhaps it's for the best that I lost my ability to inspire many. As it was, the words I would eventually whisper to a few as a bitter old man brought only war and suffering to the world once more."

Her friend then chuckled, and Saenenya had to wonder if he was speaking to her or himself now. "History repeats itself in more ways than one. I led my clan, then was shunned… I advised your clan, but now find myself pushed aside by an upstart. Now I whisper in the shadows once more, and war looms. Small comfort that this one won't be of my making, I suppose. Perhaps my whispers in the afterlife can still accomplish some good."

Saenenya's attention was fixed on just one word. "War?"

The purple-eyed man slowly nodded, seemingly now fully back in the present. "Unfortunately, yes. Whether or not anyone realizes it… and I suspect the man who prompted this most recent action does realize it… this whole affair is goes far beyond a mere theft. The prospect of war is now very much on the table. In fact, at this point, it may well be inevitable. In light of that, I'd say that you full establishing your bond with Verdaegon is now your most pressing concern."

Saenenya was taken aback by that. "Why? You really think I'll have to command him in war? He won't be ready to fight for years at least."

Her friend held up a hand. "You mistake my meaning. You'll need him not for fighting, but to secure your escape. He's growing quickly, and he'll be large enough for you to start riding within the next year or so. The moment that day comes, it's imperative that you master flying with him as quickly as possible."

"And abandon my family?" she shot back, aghast.

"When the time comes, you won't have a choice," the purple-eyed man grimly answered, "You're a sharp young woman, Saenenya. Sharp enough, I suspect, to know when it's time to retreat."

Saenenya firmly shook her head. "Not if it means leaving my family behind."

"You're assuming that your family survives the calamity it's unwittingly inviting," her friend countered, "With the opposition that will be lined up against them, that is far from guaranteed."

Saenenya's fists clenched her robes. "If Father's taking the clan down the road to ruin, then stop him!"

"Don't you think I've been trying to?" the purple-eyed man snapped, his voice steadily rising, "Whenever he's conscious and well-enough for visitors, I've been banging on his door. I tried to head off this entire mess, but my counsel of caution and restraint was not heeded. Like I told you before, my rival has all but supplanted me. His words hold sway now, and they have brought about this provocation. If I had the power to pull your father back from the brink, I would have done it long ago!"

Saenenya flinched and yelped under his withering tirade. "I'm sorry!"

Silence fell for a moment before the purple-eyed man took a deep breath and bowed his head. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I apologize, Saenenya; you're the very last person I should be taking my frustrations out of. You, of all people, do not deserve it. If anything… I fear you'll end up being a victim in all of this. One of many."

Saenenya took several breaths to steady herself before meeting his gaze. "It's alright… really. I… I know you've been doing everything you can. What's been happening… I know you tried to stop it, and that you're still trying to keep it from getting worse. I just… I'm afraid."

"So am I," her friend admitted, his voice now so soft it was barely more than a whisper.

She thought he might say more, but he then proceeded to bury his head in his book. Saenenya curled up in the chair, pulling up her legs and pressing her chest against her knees. She had come down here to read and forget her troubles, but now her mind was filled with them. Was her family really sowing the seeds of war, as her friend seemed to believe? And if that war came…

…would her family survive it?

Author's Notes: Ah, the pot is now truly boiling. Next chapter, the intrigue will heighten, suspicions will deepen, and the one pulling the strings behind the curtain will set the stage for the inevitable violence to come. I'm very much looking forward to lighting the match on this powder keg, but a bit more preparation is needed before the fireworks can kick off. No points for guessing who's brewing this volatile concoction; I'd like to think that, by now, I've dropped more than enough hints for you intelligent readers to identify the rival of the Rinnegan user. Indeed, some of you already have. Well done, treat yourself to a cookie.

So, the laptop I'd been writing the story on before broke a couple of weeks ago. I got a new one and have been writing on that since, but I'm still getting used to the subtle differences in the keypad layout and key sensitivity. So if there are more grammatical errors in this one than in the past, just point those out and I'll try to address them. There should be less of them over time as I grow accustomed to my new equipment.

I mentioned last chapter that the reader Spedyalarm had created the cover for this story. As a token of gratitude, I agreed to give a cameo appearance in this chapter to an OC of his. That being the Soul Reaper Itachi was interviewing as part of the investigation into the Squad Twelve break-in, Hunter Zerium. Again, huge thanks for creating the story cover, buddy!

Speaking of characters, if any of you readers are fans of the game Destiny 2, then you probably recognized the savvy and shady Wu Ming as being inspired by 'The Drifter' from that game. Indeed, 'Wu Ming' is one of that character's aliases in the lore. I've always been a fan of the shifty character archetype that still helps the heroes even though they clearly operate in the grey and black sides of the law, and I wanted to have a bit of fun with the investigation in this chapter.

While we're on the topic of games, I'm looking to buy one for myself after the winter holidays. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is the one I've been eyeing. Been watching gameplay online, and it looks a lot of fun. My best friend back when I was a kid would play the older titles while I watched, and I'd like to try it out, it has the feel of Ace Combat, Gundam and Dark Souls getting together for a really freaky threesome and having this as a love child. For any of you veteran players, any build tips for a newbie?

Next chapter will be a proper Chapter 30, which means another one-year time skip. I'll be going by that one-year interval between full chapters (unless I segment them like I did this one and Chapter 27) until the end of the War of the Principalities, the conflict that all this intrigue is building towards. After that, I promise you'll start seeing larger time skips as we deal with the war's aftermath and then go into the timeframe covered in the Turn Back The Pendulum arc. So yes, the pace will speed up in time, but not before I'm ready for it. All that you've read thus far and will read through the first war arc is still foundation-building, especially with regards to just how powerful Itachi and Jiraiya will be by the time events reach the more recognizable and fleshed-out sections of the main Bleach timeline.

As a quick personal note, I always get extremely nervous and worked up before I release a new chapter. I have this tendency in my head to accentuate the negative and expect the worst, and I know most of you are pretty nice, so it's more a case of my depression convincing me that things will always go badly even when I should know by now that that's not the case. That's actually part of why it takes me a while to release new chapters; even after they're complete, I take my time in the edit portion partially for quality's sake but also to give myself a breathing period before posting the new chapter.

Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to review, stay safe, and see you all next time!