In the Soul Society: At the Uchiha Household*
A few hours had elapsed since Itachi had escorted Unohana and the others to his residence, where his parents Mikoto and Fugaku were seated across from the reapers, regarding them with looks of curiosity from his mother and hostility from his father. Itachi himself occupied a position on the edge of the table, directing his gaze towards Unohana.
"May I inquire as to the reason for your presence in our home, captains?" Fugaku inquired, his arms sternly crossed over his chest, while Mikoto sat beside him and expressed her kindness as she offered a respectful nod.
Unohana responded with a smile towards the female Uchiha and reciprocated the nod. "It is indeed a pleasure to see you once more, Mikoto. How have you been?" she asked, turning her attention to Fugaku, who returned the nod but maintained a cold stare towards the others. "So, my son mentioned that you wished to speak with him," Fugaku stated, eyeing his son and then redirecting his gaze towards the captain.
Unohana acknowledged this and focused her gaze upon the young Uchiha. "Indeed, we have come here to present a query," she stated, only to be interrupted by Byakuya, who interjected coldly, "We seldom pose such inquiries, particularly to a mere soul."
Unohana gave him a warning glance, and the sixth captain only nodded. "What Captain Kuchki is saying is that we do not frequently ask anyone this or offer it," she said. "Mostly, one has to go to the academy or take a test to become a soul reaper," she explained.
Itachi looked at the fourth captain, as well as Mikoto and Fugaku. "So, you want me to be a soul reaper? Why?" Itachi asked curiously. He watched Unohana nod. "Well, for one, you are strong, and we can feel that you have a strong spiritual pressure," she said.
Itachi nodded, understanding the reason why. "But-" he began. He was unsure if he wanted to be a soul reaper, but it did sound nice, especially when he could help others and potentially create a new life for himself.
"Yes, but we are not asking you to be just any soul reaper. We are offering you a captain spot," Unohana said, causing Itachi's eyes to widen. "But I haven't been a soul reaper yet," he said.
"Yes, you have not. However, we know that you are strong because we are aware of what you were before you came here." Unohana said nodding as she looked at Itachi who looked at her.
Itachi inquired with curiosity, pondering how they possessed such extensive knowledge. His gaze shifted towards his parents, who appeared unfazed. Itachi surmised that, like him, the Reapers had ventured into the ninja world and thus Unohana was aware of his true nature.
Unohana provided an explanation, stating, 'We possess knowledge of your realm, albeit limited to a select few, including myself. Several years ago, I embarked on a mission to retrieve a child from the ninja world.' Itachi nodded attentively, observing the noticeable intrigue in Yoruichi's golden eyes.
Yoruichi sought clarification, 'Are you referring to the child you retrieved from the ninja world, who happened to be my former student?' Her recollection of Unohana's previous conversation with the Head Captain resurfaced.
Itachi found himself perplexed by the conversation's subject matter, unfamiliar with whom they were referring to. Had they truly abducted a child from his former homeland? And if so, why? He glanced at his parents, noting their absence of shock or anger at the revelation.
With a sense of urgency, Unohana glanced at Yoruichi and confirmed, 'I believe it is time to shed some light on the matter for both Yoruichi and Itachi.' Her gaze then converged with Mikoto's and Fugaku's, indicating a shared understanding.
"I believe it is the right decision to inform Itachi about the truth regarding his sister. This is especially important considering that he will soon have the opportunity to see her upon her return from her mission. I do not wish to withhold this information from him for much longer." Unohana expressed to the older Uchihas, recognizing that being honest with Itachi now, rather than later, may be the key to persuading him to join them and become a captain.
Itachi observed his father's understanding nod and agreed, saying, "I concur. We should be the ones to disclose the information to him." He then turned to Mikoto, who agreed with a nod.
Sajin, the wolf-man, looked between Unohana and the Uchihas, a curious expression on his face, and asked, "Who are we referring to?" Unohana clarified, saying, "We are discussing Captain Soifon." She noticed Itachi's eyes widen slightly upon mentioning his sister's name.
Yoruichi, who had previously maintained a carefree demeanor, now adopted a serious and protective attitude. She questioned, "You and the former captain were discussing this earlier. What is it about my former student? And why do they need to know about her?"
Unohana gracefully regarded the former captain with a pleasant smile, as she comprehended Yoruichi's remarks. She further expressed her understanding, as she herself had been unaware of her student's true past.
'For many years, this information has remained confidential. Only a select few individuals, including myself, the head captain, Shunsui, the former captain of squad six, and Jushiro, among the captains, possess knowledge of Soifon's heritage. Even Soifon herself remains unaware of the truth,' Unohana explained, meeting the dark-skinned woman's resentful gaze.
"'Why did you all choose to conceal this from everyone, especially Soifon?' Yoruichi inquired, noticing the same curiosity reflected in Byakuga and Sajin's eyes, and even in Itachi, who likely knew nothing of his sister's fate after her birth.
Before Unohana could respond, Fugaku emitted a cough. 'We shall provide you with a brief explanation, as time is of the essence,' he interjected, clutching Mikoto's hand, who wore a sorrowful expression.
"'The decision was not taken lightly,' Mikoto began, preparing to provide Itachi, Yoruichi, and the others with an explanation.
"Fugaku and I made the decision to send Soifon to the soul society for the sake of her safety, fully confident that she would receive proper care in that realm," Mikoto began. "Although we had only recently encountered two of the captains, we had already heard tales about them two years prior to their arrival in our village," she continued, commencing her story.
As Mikoto observed Yoruichi's piercing gaze, she recalled the accounts she had heard about the previous captain of the second squad. These accounts had reached her when Unohana visited them in the soul society after Fugaku and she had transitioned there following their demise. Mikoto was aware that Yoruichi had previously served as Soifon's mentor before departing the soul society to follow another former captain.
"Why did you send her here?" Itachi inquired with a slight curious expression. "Was she in any form of trouble that we were unable to protect her from?" He wanted to know why his parents decided not to disclose anything about Soifon and instead sent her here, rather than keeping her with her family who would presumably be able to protect his sister. After all, the Uchiha clan was known for its strength.
Mikoto responded to her son's questioning with a sad smile. "We had to, for her safety. We didn't believe we could provide her with adequate protection. When she was born, she possessed a level of power that surpassed that of any of us Uchiha, including you, Itachi."
Fugaku nodded in agreement as he joined the conversation. "She held a similar power to that of Madara," he explained.
"Madara, the former Uchiha who fought against the first Hokage?" Itachi asked, beginning to comprehend the reasoning behind his parents' actions.
Mikoto and Fugaku nodded in confirmation, turning their attention to Unohana, who also nodded in agreement. "Yes, and I am grateful that we sent her here. Otherwise, she may have followed the same path as you and Sasuke," Fugaku declared.
"Did you both thoroughly consider this decision? How much time did you invest in contemplating it?" Itachi inquired, directing his gaze towards his mother. "Is that how you became acquainted with Unohana?" he further questioned.
Mikoto and Fugaku nodded in agreement. "Indeed, although the Third Hokage had known them for a longer duration than we did," Fugaku shared, casting a glance at Unohana who reciprocated with a nod.
"Captain Ukitake and I were assigned a mission to the ninja world. Initially, it seemed to be a rather straightforward task of meeting with the Hokage and familiarizing ourselves with this place. However, as we proceeded, we became more involved, eventually leading to our request for Soifon to accompany us," Unohana explained.
Yoruichi listened attentively, her arms crossed. "If it weren't for her presence here, I would not have had the opportunity to get to know her or train her," she acknowledged. While she appreciated Soifon being sent to their location, she couldn't overlook the fact that her past had been concealed from both herself and Soifon.
Flashback in the next chapter so you guys are aware.