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.

35. Chapter 35

Author's Notes: Hello there! Apologies for the wait, end of 2024 and start of 2025 has been significantly busier than I would've liked. Things have finally calmed down somewhat, mostly because my younger brother and I have finally gotten settled into our new condo. The move went well enough, and I've pretty much got everything situated the way I want now. Between that and getting past the busiest time of year for my job, it should be smooth sailing going forward. Really hope I didn't just jinx myself there...

Enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Eastern Offensive

One year later…

Mid-summer, 128 years before Rukia Kuchiki's arrival in Karakura Town

As the firebirds of Itachi's Shikai swirled around both him and his opponent, his left hand rapidly wove a series of signs. There was a flurry of black feathers before a clone appeared, and Itachi briefly cleared a path for it to pass through his firebirds and charge his adversary before closing that avenue off with a fresh flock. He couldn't see his opponent, and vice versa; just what Itachi wanted. Itachi was counting on his sense for spirit energy alone to track his target, just as he was relying on the spirit energy imbued within his Shikai's flaming crows to conceal his own spiritual pressure from his opponent.

Zig-zagging through a series of Flash Steps, Itachi began the incantation, keeping his voice low to make it harder for the other combatant to track him down. "Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man. On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens."

Itachi then aimed his left hand at where he sensed the opponent to be. "Hadō 73: Sōren Sōkatsui."

Empowered by the full incantation, the raging river of blue energy that gushed forth from between Itachi's index and middle fingers ripped a great furrow into the ground as it raced towards his target. The firebirds between Itachi and his opponent were no obstacle to the spell; its might was so great that it plowed through them without pause. Over the roar of the spell, Itachi heard a startled yelp, and the former Shinobi feared he may have taken things too far.

"Kisuke!" Itachi called out as he immediately dispersed the rest of his firebirds while sending the fresh ones from his sword soaring up harmlessly into the air, "You alright?"

When the dust settled, Itachi was greatly relieved to see that he had not killed Squad Two's Third Seat by mistake. The hexagonal crimson barrier that was Benihime's Chikasumi no Tate technique had indeed done its job, though the sheer power Itachi had put behind his spell meant it was reduced to a badly chipped and cracked chunk less than a third of its original side. Peering past it, Itachi could see Kisuke on the ground, flat on his ass and blinking rapidly but sporting only bruises.

"I think so," Kisuke tentatively assessed as Itachi came over and helped him to his feet, "That was awfully close; I only got the barrier up at the last second thanks to your clone trying to kill me."

"I only used one," Itachi remarked as he deactivated his Shikai, "You shouldn't have had any trouble with it."

Kisuke laughed ruefully as he sealed Benihime. "It's a clone of you, Itachi! It might not match you in power, but still fights like you. Give yourself a bit more credit; you're tough to fight, clone or otherwise."

Itachi inclined his head. "Thanks. I guess it's a good thing I held back on the spell, then."

Kisuke looked taken aback. "You call Hadō 73 'holding back'? That thing packed a real wallop, especially since you cast it with the incantation."

"I didn't want to push things too far," Itachi replied, "When I asked you for this training session, it was this strategy in general I wanted to test. If I use it in actual battle, I have a more powerful spell in mind."

Kisuke slowly nodded. "One that'd be better suited to a dragon and its rider, perhaps?"

"That's the idea," Itachi confirmed.

Kisuke scratched his chin. "I can think of a few that would fit the bill. The trouble with getting the most out of Kidō has always been the incantation; you need it for the spell's full power. Using your Shikai's ability to give yourself cover for the incantation… with the right spell and attack angle, you actually could threaten a dragon, or at least take out the rider. You'd definitely take down a lesser drake if you use one of the spells I'm thinking of."

"Good, because I've been trying to figure out more efficient ways of killing them," Itachi said as he sheathed his sword, "They might not be as tough as actual dragons, but they're still a threat."

"Can't argue with that," Kisuke admitted as he put his sword away as well, "Especially since there's supposed to be quite a few of them at our next target. Not to mention they'll all be supporting one nasty dragon, if the latest intel's anything to go by."

Itachi nodded. "All the more reason to refine my technique. Thanks for the help."

Kisuke smiled before gesturing at Itachi's sheathed sword. "Anytime. You don't want to go another round?"

Itachi shook his head. "They'll be serving meal soon, and after that I have patrol. I just wanted to get a quick proof-of-concept test done before then."

"Got it," Kisuke replied, "I should probably get a quick bite in, too. Yoruichi wants me to help out Kūkaku this afternoon, and I still got that little side project of yours to finish up."

"Thanks for working on that," Itachi said as the two of them set off, "I know you have enough on your plate already. You Kūkaku's artillery will be ready in time for the operation?"

"That's part of why we've slowed up our advance," Kisuke pointed out, "Yoruichi's trying to buy time for us to get it right. If we can't iron out the kinks, then taking that stronghold's going to be messy… well, messier than it already is."

Itachi couldn't argue with that assessment. "Good luck."

Kisuke inclined his head. "Thanks. Watch yourself on patrol later. The drake sightings have been getting more frequent these past few days. They must know we're coming by now."

"Hard to hide an army," Itachi argued, "They were always going to pick us up sooner or later, no matter how careful we've been. I'm just surprised it took this long."

Kisuke smirked. "Well, we've taught them to be more cautious when letting their beasts out to roam. A lesson you helped them learn the hard way."

"I wasn't the only one involved," Itachi remined him.

Kisuke chuckled. "No, you definitely weren't."

The two of them came to the crest of the hill which overlooked the forest hiding their encampment. The cloudy sky shielded them from what would have been the harsh glare of an early afternoon sun, its tormenting heat compounded by the punishing humidity. Plumes of smoke from dozens of campfires were visible amongst the trees, and the pair of Soul Reapers reflexively scanned the sky. Thankfully, no dragons or lesser drakes were visible, nor could Itachi or Kisuke detect their spiritual pressure. They could only hope that the enemy's patrols would not reach this region until mealtime was over and the cooking fires doused.

Heading down the hill, Itachi and Kisuke cleared the camp checkpoint and made for the closest serving tent. The smell wafting from the giant kettle at the entrance wasn't exactly the best, but Itachi had smelled worse food before, in his old life and this one. The two of them dished up before going their separate ways, with Itachi wandering towards Squad Two's section of the encampment before settling down on one of the logs lining a blackened firepit, its blaze having already been extinguished. None of his friends were around, leaving Itachi with a quiet meal.

They're likely resting or on patrol, he thought as he briefly glanced skywards again to check the position of the sun, I should be quick. Wouldn't do to get caught out by a dragon like this…

The reality of facing an enemy which had a multitude of flying, fire-breathing beasts at their command had necessitated rapid adaptations. When the War of the Principalities had broken out a year ago, standard doctrine for armies in the Soul Society had not been all that different from what Itachi had learned about in the Shinobi Realm of the Living. The main force would travel by day, with scouts moving ahead and covering the flanks to watch out for enemies on patrol or lying in ambush. Come dusk, the army would set up camp and rest, only to pull up stakes in the morning and move on.

Moving the whole army by day was a disaster waiting to happen in a war with dragons, though. At the start of the conflict, after the dust had settled in the Seireitei, the Central Forty-Six had gotten the bright idea that they should set the war's tone for the loyalist forces. Among many questionable decisions which had been made in that opening period was for the lesser aristocratic families within the Seireitei to pool their private forces and mobilize an army of conscripts from the Rukon District, sending them out east as an advance element while the Great Noble Houses gathered their full military might. The idea of quickly mobilizing a force while waiting for the main armies to gather made a degree of sense, especially since it could be used to set up a defensive line in the east which would then be reinforced by the much larger and better-armed divisions marshalled by the Great Noble Houses. Augmented by contingents of Soul Reapers, including junior officers, along with members of the Kidō Corps and Stealth Force, this smaller and hastily-assembled army could wage a delaying action against a hostile host or harass the enemy's advanced elements. It would also be useful for securing vital roads for the inevitable push into the east, while at the same time providing a chance to disrupt the enemy's supply lines.

However, the noble who had been put in charge of this force owed his position not to any prior military experience or notable prowess on their part, but rather because he was well-connected with the Central Forty-Six. Although military advisors had been provided to account for this weakness, the noble in question was determined to advance quickly and seize glory before the Great Noble Houses and Soul Reaper Captains could bring their full power to bear and steal the spotlight. To make matters worse, many of the advisors surrounding this noble were themselves from lesser aristocratic lines, just as eager as their leader to secure fame and test their years of study and training in actual combat.

That eagerness proved fatal. Proceeding quickly by day, heedless of the need for cover against aerial recon, it did not take long for the army to be discovered. The scattered drakes which had begun shadowing the army were dismissed by the leadership as mere nuisances, despite insistence from the Soul Reapers and Stealth Force members that they represented a much more significant threat; scouts tracking their movements and relaying that intel to a larger host. While efforts to slay them, or at least discourage their overflights, had met with some success, it was already too late.

A month into the army's advance was when the enemy made their move. On a clear day, as the force was passing along a stretch of road lined only by broad fields on both sides with absolutely zero cover, the sky had suddenly darkened as the wings of dragons and lesser drakes blocked out the sun. Caught in the open, the army was quickly consumed by the raging inferno unleashed from above. Only a valiant rearguard action by the Kidō Corps contingent had enabled the survivors to escape, and said survivors were mostly Soul Reapers and Stealth Force members; the vast majority of Rukon conscripts and lesser nobles were burned to ashes on the battlefield.

Chastened by the debacle, which afterwards became known as The Great East Road Inferno, the Central Forty-Six made a series of rapid reforms. The council itself would step back from managing the war, instead allowing Head Captain Yamamoto free reign as supreme commander of the combined Soul Society armed forces. As Yamamoto was a vital asset against the enemy's dragons and Valkyries, and thus would inevitably take to the battlefield himself, the venerable Head Captain wisely established a war council beneath him. Comprised of veteran generals from the Kuchiki, Shiba, and Shihōin Clans, the war council would provide the broader strategic direction for the Soul Society's military efforts. It was the war council, in conference with the Soul Reaper Captains, which had laid out the general plan of victory. As the Drakken Clan's Principality was far richer in manpower than that of their northern allies, and the dragons and drakes easily outnumbered the Valkyries, the East was determined to be the highest priority front. A series of northern defensive lines would be established to contain the threat posed by the Starmont Clan and their vassals, while the Soul Society's primary offensive would be against the eastern dragon lords. Once the Drakken Clan had been defeated, the Soul Society's forces would regroup and commence a proper offensive against the North.

While the strategic plan was being crafted at the top, radical changes in tactics and doctrine were taking place below. What multiple advisors, particularly those from the Shihōin and Shiba Clans, had been screaming at the top of their lungs since the start of the conflict was now made official policy; never engage the dragons in broad daylight. Advances were to be made by night, with any daytime movement only taking place where there was sufficient cover. Whenever possible, the dragons and drakes were to be dealt with through covert means rather than open battle. This was where Squad Two and the Stealth Force had decisively proven their value, avenging The Great East Road Inferno through a daring eastern expedition, infiltrating deep behind enemy lines. Food supplies had been poisoned, armories plundered and destroyed, while riders and beasts alike were slain in their sleep, along with any mid to high-ranking officers Yoruichi, Itachi and the others could find. While none of the Drakken Clan's heavy-hitters had been among the dead, the near-concurrent assassinations of no less than a dozen fully-grown dragons under the command of the family's top vassals while scores of lesser drakes choked and drowned in their own vomit, not to mention the decimation of their field commanders, had profoundly shaken the traitorous Great Noble House. Terrified of a second 'Night of Silent Blades,' as the operation had eventually been called, the Drakken Clan had rapidly withdrawn their forces to fortified positions in the Red Cap Mountains.

With their foes frightened into assuming a defensive posture, the Soul Society's forces wasted no time in reclaiming lost ground. Having fully mobilized, the main armies of the Kuchiki, Shiba, and Shihōin Clans advanced into the east while leaving garrison forces behind for the northern defense. Serving as outriders, Squad Two and the Stealth Force ensured that the armies advanced along safe routes, ever-alert for the first sign of the enemy's fire-breathing steeds. Dragons and drakes would sally forth periodically for raiding and recon, but lingering fear from the Night of Silent Blades robbed them of the confidence they'd displayed at the start of the conflict. While they would still attack targets of opportunity such as isolated detachments, they would usually be spotted and met with a rapid response force consisting of Soul Reapers, Stealth Force, and Kidō Corps members, and from there would beat a hasty retreat.

Now, a year since the War of the Principalities had commenced, the armies of the Soul Society were approaching the periphery of the Drakken Clan's home territory. Looming beyond the forest where Itachi and his comrades currently sheltered, the Red Cap Mountains were as beautiful and imposing now as they'd been when Itachi had first seen them years ago. He found it bitterly amusing; the first time he'd come this far east, it was when Squad Two had found and destroyed the first of the five wraiths, and discovered the artifact whose eventual theft had started the spiral of events culminating in this conflict.

I told Yoruichi it'd be nice to come back this way someday, he mused, but I never imagined it'd be under these circumstances.

Strictly speaking, 'this way' was actually much further south than where Squad Two had gone for their mission years ago. While the expedition to Menar Issilaya had taken them to the Red Cap Mountains' central Luminous Pass, having reclaimed its ancient name now that the wraith which had despoiled it was laid to rest, Itachi and his comrades were approaching the Sunkissed Pass, the major southern route into the Drakken Clan's territory. Here, their mission was much more aggressive than the peacetime expedition. Squad Two and the Stealth Force, in cooperation with Squad Thirteen, a sizeable Kidō Corps contingent under the command of Tessai himself, the loyalists of Squad Ten under Third Seat Isshin Shiba, and combined divisions of Shihōin and Shiba Clan troops were to drive the enemy out of the Sunkissed Pass and secure it as the main route of advance into Drakken Clan territory.

As it was the passage closest to a friendly Principality, that being the Shiba Clan's, the Sunkissed Pass was considered the campaign's current top priority target. Securing it would allow for supply lines to flow directly from the Shiba Clan Principality to the Soul Society armies advancing into enemy territory. The ports dotting the Shiba Clan Principality's southeastern coastline were a key component of the loyalists' logistics network, receiving vast shipments from the Shihōin and especially the Kuchiki Principality's merchant fleets plying the ancient trade routes from the far west all the way down and around the mainland Soul Society's southern coast. Much greater quantities of goods and soldiers could be moved at considerable speed when compared to the overland routes, and the Drakken Clan could not dispatch their mighty beasts to disrupt those shipments without leaving their prized assets isolated deep behind enemy lines. While individual ships might be easy targets for dragons and drakes, the loyalists knew better than to make such a mistake. Instead, the vessels travelled in convoys protected by armed escorts, including contingents of mages from the Great Noble Houses ready to defend against aerial attack. With seaborne supply routes secured and the ground armies having advanced nearly to the enemy's first line of defense, the Soul Society was keen to leverage its immense advantage in materiel and population. The Sunkissed Pass was the key for doing so.

Of course, the Drakken Clan were well-aware of the Sunkissed Pass's strategic importance. The passage had been fortified millennia ago, and those fortifications were expected to be bolstered since the outbreak of war. The combined Squad Two, Squad Thirteen, Squad Ten, Stealth Force, Kidō Corps, Shihōin, and Shiba Clan force's march would've been impossible to completely obscure regardless of the precautions taken; the enemy surely knew that the army was drawing near.

In order to confuse the enemy as to what the offensive's real target was, two other armies had been assembled. By far the largest force, under the direct command of Head Captain Yamamoto himself, was advancing on the Luminous Pass. Made up of Squad One, Squad Three, and Squad Six, along with massive host of Kuchiki Clan troops augmented by Kidō Corps and Stealth Force members, it would serve as both a genuine threat and very useful diversion. From what Itachi had last heard, it was already working; the latest reports indicated that multiple fully-grown dragons had been spotted flying over the Luminous Pass, including those of both Rhaegon and Visenarr Drakken, and there were even rumors that Kyris The Black Queen herself had been moved close enough to act as a reserve should Menar Issilaya be assaulted. Meanwhile, a third Soul Society army operating far to the north of Yamamoto's was moving to threaten the Ice Fang Pass. Named for the jagged ice formations that dominated much of that portion of the Red Cap Mountains, the Ice Fang Pass might not have been as prominent as its contemporaries to the south, but it had its own strategic importance in being the quickest route for travel between the Drakken and Starmont Clan Principalities. The force that now threatened it was composed of Squads Five and Seven, along with divisions from the Kuchiki, Shihōin, and Shiba Clans, augmented by detachments from the Stealth Force and Kidō Corps. Each army, including the one Itachi was part of, had Squad Four relief teams along with healers from the loyalist aristocratic families seeing to their medical needs, though Captain Unohana herself remained back in the Seireitei to oversee her unit's wider efforts along with running a crash-course training program for new healers.

Ironic, Itachi thought, Captain Unohana went to great pains to train Jiraiya and my mother in secret to covertly expand the amount of Soul Reapers with medical knowledge beyond Squad Four, and now the Central Forty-Six is openly funding what's essentially an expanded version of that program. Of course, it's an emergency measure; they'll most likely curtail it once the war is over.

A familiar female voice from behind snapped him out of his musings. "Room for one more?"

Looking up and over his shoulder, Itachi smiled as his eyes met Yoruichi's. "Always."

She plopped down to his left on the log. "How'd training with Kisuke go?"

"Quite well," Itachi replied as he set his empty bowl aside, "I have a much better idea for how I'll apply the technique I practiced with him when the next battle comes."

Yoruichi nodded. "Is it one that'll be good against the big beast up ahead?"

"With a sufficiently powerful spell, I think so," Itachi confirmed, "It would definitely be enough for the rider, and it should hurt even a fully-grow dragon. I don't know if it'd be enough to outright kill it, but if the rider's at least taken out, that'll give the rest of you an opening."

"We'll be counting on that," Yoruichi said, her brow furrowing, "Soi-Fon and Mikoto just reported in a little bit ago. Their overnight infiltration of the Sunkissed Pass confirmed the rumors; The Golden Fury's stationed here."

"And Lord Aeganor Baraeris with her, then," Itachi surmised, "Well, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise; he was known to patrol this region even before the war broke out."

Yoruichi sighed. "Yeah, but I was still hoping they'd pulled him and Baesella further back after that nasty surprise we gave them before."

Itachi shook his head. "It was never very likely. Lord Aeganor's one of their most seasoned commanders remaining, and Baesella's nearly as large as Rhygaron was before you killed him. Given the Sunkissed Pass's strategic importance and its proximity to the Baraeris family's holdings beyond the Red Cap Mountains, it makes sense for them to be assigned as its guardians. I imagine they know the territory intimately."

"Without a doubt," Yoruichi grumbled as she folded her arms, "and the bad news doesn't end there. From what Soi-Fon and Mikoto could tell, it looks like the garrison's drake flock has been substantially reinforced."

"By how much?" Itachi asked.

"It was difficult for them to get a comprehensive count," Yoruichi admitted, "Soi-Fon and Mikoto are good, but there was only so far that they could infiltrate before they had to pull back. Based on how much more supplies have been shipped in, the ones they could spot patrolling in the night, and the new nesting warrens dug into the mountain side, we're looking at anywhere between two to four-dozen of the bastards."

"From a pre-war garrison of about a dozen," Itachi remarked, "Substantially reinforced, indeed. Last I heard, only Menar Issilaya has a higher number than that."

"And only because they're convinced the Head Captain's about to attack them," Yoruichi added, "The longer his army holds position outside the Luminous Pass, the more time our enemy has to figure out our real target and redeploy more forces south."

"We'll be striking soon, then?" Itachi assumed.

Yoruichi nodded. "Our army will reach its new staging ground in two to three days' time. We'll need to launch our attack quickly."

"Not a head-on assault, though," Itachi said, eyeing her anxiously, "We're not desperate… are we?"

Yoruichi smiled reassuringly. "No, the plan we've been working out on the march is still what I'm going for. I'd much rather play to our strengths than the enemy's."

"That makes two of us," Itachi concurred.

Yoruichi clasped her fingers together. "Speaking of strengths, how's that other Shikai technique of yours coming along?"

"I've made good progress," Itachi answered, "I can keep up containment for a few hours now… though Jigoku no Joō isn't exactly fond of it."

Of course, I'm not fond of it, the spirit of his Zanpakutō interjected with a huff, it turns your inner world into a damn oven!

You literally wear the flames of Amaterasu as a robe, and you're complaining about heat?

Yes, smartass!

Itachi could not help but let slip a small smirk, which prompted a knowing chuckle from Yoruichi. "She letting you have it right now?"

"Something like that," Itachi admitted, "She's not the only one who feels the drawbacks, though. Keeping the firebirds contained requires a great deal of focus, and it heats up the blade. There's only so long I can hold it in before it becomes too much."

Yoruichi nodded. "My Zanpakutō's similar; she doesn't make it easy for me to contain her power. It's part of why I started working on Shunkō… though even that's proving difficult to control, too."

"You're getting better at it," Itachi reassured her, "Each time you practice it with me, you have it refined just that little bit more. Keep at it like you've been doing, and you'll get it where you want it to be. Whenever you want my help with it, just ask."

Yoruichi smiled and batted her eyelashes at him. "You can be a real sweetheart, you know that?"

Itachi gave a small smile as he reached over to place his hand atop hers. "If you say so."

Intertwining her fingers with his, she leaned in close to whisper. "I mean it. That's the real you, Itachi."

Itachi softly squeezed her hand. "I hope so."

The two of them sat in contented silence for a few minutes before Yoruichi pulled away and released his hand. "As much as I like spending time with you, I didn't come here just to take a break. I'm changing your assignment for today; Katya will handle your usual patrol. Now that Soi-Fon and Mikoto have come back, I need you and some of the others for a follow-up in the Sunkissed Pass. They have an updated map ready. I want you to study it and rest up a bit. You'll head out later this afternoon."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "What will I be looking for?"

"It actually won't be you doing most of the looking," Yoruichi explained, "You, Xiuying, and Kameko will be escorting Neji. We'll be using his Byakugan to get a more accurate count of how many drakes the enemy has positioned in the Sunkissed Pass. Troop numbers and identifying individual commanders are a secondary objective, but the fire-breathers are your top priority. No combat under any circumstances. If you think the enemy's located you, withdraw immediately. This is recon and nothing more, understood?"

Itachi nodded. "Got it."

Yoruichi stood up, prompting Itachi to follow suit. "Shisui and Visaelya will also be doing a scouting run in the region, but I'm having them check out the mountain that makes up the pass's northern slope for any potential backways to strike the enemy's stronghold from, so they'll be operating far from you. Watch yourself out there. Even with cover of darkness, Soi-Fon and Mikoto had a hard time avoiding patrols. The northern side of the valley floor is open ground and road all the way to the fortress, but the southern portion has much more cover. Stick to the rock formations along the lower slope, and you should be okay."

"Anything else I should be aware of?" Itachi asked.

"There are checkpoints established at the mouth of the pass and periodically along the road," Yoruichi answered, "The ones in the middle won't be a problem, but the one at the mouth has supporting watchtowers along both sides. Soi-Fon said that she was able slip past them by swinging wide to the south of the pass's entrance, climbing the slope, and entering at a higher elevation. The enemy has some patrols down that way, but they're small and spread very thin. Between your knack for stealth and genjutsu, you should have no trouble with them. Still, be cautious; one wrong move's all it'll take to sound the alarm."

She then smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't go getting sloppy on me out there. I need you."

Itachi placed his hand over hers once more. "They'll never even know we're there. You can count on that."

….

"They know we're here!" Xiuying hissed as the sound of flapping reptilian wings came from overhead.

"No, they don't," Itachi reassured her softly as he peered up into the night sky, Sharingan blazing.

"What makes you so sure?" Xiuying whispered, dread clear in her voice.

"They would've already flooded this area with fire otherwise," Kameko quipped, "and we would be dead."

Xiuying fervently shook her head, her already-pale face looking almost snow white. "You're not helping."

Sweeping the dark canvass above with his Byakugan, Neji placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on his shuddering former classmate's shoulder. "No, they're right, Xiuying. Just take a deep breath and calm down. It'll be alright."

Xiuying did as Neji instructed, and he could feel the terrified shaking of her body noticeably subside. He could hardly blame her for being scared; while Neji was confident that they were undetected, the flapping sound was closer than he would have liked. Prior to embarking on the mission, he and the others had coated themselves in a lotion that Kisuke had developed early in the war, which was meant to suppress their natural odor and make it much more difficult for dragons or drakes to pick up their scent. While the substance had proven effective in past missions, if one of the Drakken Clan's reptilian mounts got close enough, all the scent-suppressant in the Web of Worlds would be of no help.

Sheltering in the craggy face of the mountainside, Neji felt as though every hair he had was standing on end. If they were detected, all their enemy had to do was douse the crevice they were hiding in with flames, and that would be the end of them. That the creature flying above was a drake instead of a dragon was of little consolation. While lighter and smaller than dragons, with adult specimens generally somewhere between a particularly large horse and an elephant in size, drakes still possessed the same formidable arsenal as their much-larger cousins; sharp fangs, claws, and their fire-breath. Sure, drakes could not match the sheer volume of fire that dragons could spew out, but in the confines of the crevice that scarcely mattered. Their scales were not nearly as tough, making them thankfully easier to kill, but they were far more agile in flight than their tougher kin.

Studying the creature intently, Neji could perceive every detail of its inner workings. He saw the spirit energy coursing through it, flowing along veins that mirrored the chakra pathways Neji had seen countless times in the Shinobi Realm of the Living. He could make out the fluid sacks down their throat, in which was stored the volatile substance which gave drakes and dragons alike their famous fire breath. Neji only had to shift his slightly to get a similar read on the beast's rider, though their energy pathways were somewhat muddled thanks to the separate energy signature given off by their armor. While the night sky was pitch black, the spirit energy of drake and rider alike was a brilliant blue beacon in Neji's eyes… one that thankfully began to shrink a few minutes later.

"It's leaving," he whispered eventually, "Heading east."

Xiuying practically collapsed against him, sweat drenching her brow as her shaking legs threatened to give out at any moment. "Thank goodness…"

Kameko removed the black headpiece of her Stealth Force uniform, letting her silver bangs fall freely as she wiped anxious sweat from her forehead. "I could do without any more such close calls tonight."

Neji glanced at Itachi and saw him shake his head. "As much as I'd prefer that, we can't let out guard down. Stay low and move quietly."

"Can we rest first?" Xiuying asked, her terrified brown eyes all but pleading, "Just for a little bit?"

Neji was prepared to support her, but much to his relief, Itachi ensured that it wasn't necessary. "I suppose we made good progress before that drake approached… alright. Ten minutes; no more."

The quartet leaned back against the walls of the crevice, Itachi and Kameko on one side, Neji and Xiuying on the other. While Itachi kept his Sharingan focused outwards, searching for the slightest hint of trouble, Neji and the others allowed themselves to relax somewhat. Digging into their belt pouches for flasks or rations, they settled in as a cool night breeze blew through the rock formation.

"How much further until we reach the fortress?" Xiuying whispered after a minute or so had passed.

"About five kilometers," Itachi answered.

"At least we won't have to get too close," Kameko noted in between bites of rice ball before glancing at Neji, "What's your maximum range now?"

"A little over three and a half kilometers," Neji stated with an undercurrent of pride; he had worked hard to reach that benchmark since the war started, and he knew that he could go further, "for now."

Xiuying smiled with relief. "That's good. We can pretty much stay on the opposite side of the pass if you can see that far, right?"

"We'll have to descend first," Itachi reminded her, "It's not just the fortress and immediate surroundings that require observation; we need Neji to see into the nesting caves on the other side. At our current elevation, he'd have the fortress and valley floor in range, but not all of the caves."

Xiuying's shoulders slumped. "Oh."

"There'll still be plenty of space between us and the enemy," Neji reassured her after taking a sip from his flask, "and the lower slope has cover. We won't be exposed."

"Except from overhead," Kameko muttered.

"Which is why we'll keep close to the rocks," Itachi said, "We're lucky that the current moon phase is a waxing crescent, and it's quite cloudy tonight. As long as we stay low and quiet, we'll be fine."

"Right up until some drake breathes fire and lights us up," Xiuying quipped.

"In doing so, they'd give away their own position," Neji pointed out, "Something they haven't been keen to do ever since those assassinations."

"He's right," Kameko concurred, "The game's changed for our enemy since this war began. The sky might be their domain, but they know that they're entirely not safe up there. They own the day, but we own the night. They're as afraid of revealing themselves for an ambush as we are of them burning us alive."

"How comforting," Xiuying deadpanned before taking a long sip from her flask.

Neji shrugged. "We have to take what we can get."

Privately, Neji wasn't too worried about the individual drakes periodically flying over their path. Between his Byakugan and Itachi's Sharingan, the scouting team had good eyes watching the sky, even if the former was much more effective than the latter for this purpose. Neji's concern lay in potential encounters with ground patrols; it would only take a single misstep should they come across surface sentries for one of them to send up a signal flare, then every fire-breather in the valley would be right on top of them.

It would be over quickly, at least, he mused as he covertly glanced at Kameko, one way or another…

Ever since the Battle of the Estates, Kameko had practically become Neji's shadow, joining him on every mission Yoruichi sent him on whether it be simple patrol or the assassination of a high-value target. Initially, Neji believed it was because Yoruichi wanted her to mentor him; though the former Shinobi hardly lacked for experience thanks to his old life, and many of Squad Two's missions weren't all that dissimilar from ones that he'd taken on with Team Guy, it was still helpful to work with someone so well-versed in the minutia of Soul Reaper and Stealth Force assignments. Despite his talents and prior exposure to operations, Neji found Kameko to be a wealth of insight. While a long career had made her somewhat cynical and prone to sarcastic quips, her mind was far sharper than her tongue, and she knew when to hold back on the scoffing in favor of offering sincere wisdom. She was quite pragmatic, having taken Neji's Byakugan in stride when she'd learned of it early on in his Soul Reaper career, even praising it as an invaluable tool while remaining mindful of the need to limit its exposure to others. In fact, she'd integrated Neji's potent eyes seamlessly into their assignments, letting him take care of surveying the area while she'd map out what he reported back or passed along the information to their comrades via Tenteikūra. More than one would-be ambush had been successfully thwarted thanks to their teamwork, and Neji took comfort in her watching his back whenever he was focusing the Byakugan in a single direction to maximize his range.

However, it hadn't taken long for Neji to realize that Kameko had a second purpose in partnering with him; should he ever be at risk of capture, she was charged with killing him and destroying his eyes. She had never openly stated as much, but Neji had deduced her unspoken mission over time. Whenever enemy troops got close to their position, she seemed to study Neji just as much as them, as if both were potential targets. While initially unnerved by the suspicion and tempted to confront her openly about it, Neji had ultimately made peace with the notion. After all, there were Shinobi in his old Realm of the Living who had been given similar tasks in every nation, and the Hyūga Clan themselves had gone to great lengths to ensure that the Byakugan remained out of the wrong hands. The seal placed on all members of the branch houses by the main house was simply the most notorious example.

Father understood the necessity of such contingencies, Neji thought, and he sacrificed himself. He did it to save his brother's life, but even then, he still knew how important it was to keep the Byakugan's secrets preserved. Our enemy has dragons; they're already dangerous enough. If they got their hands on the Byakugan and found a way to recreate its abilities, things would be even worse for us. Of course, I'd rather not die again so soon into my afterlife, so I'll just have to be good enough to avoid falling into a scenario where she has to kill me in the first place. As if it were that easy…

Wanting to take his mind off something so grim, Neji instead turned towards Xiuying, watching as she nervously wolfed down a rice ball. He did not need to worry about her being ordered to kill him if he was at risk of capture; ever since they'd joined Squad Two together, her fondness for him had hardly been hidden, and Neji suspected Captain Shihōin wasn't about to count on Xiuying forcing herself to overcome that affection. Instead, her role in this mission was much more straightforward, being another set of eyes and ears to watch Neji's back while he surveyed their target. Should the enemy discover them and pursue, Xiuying would be responsible for buying Neji time to escape, something that didn't sit well with him. He understood it, sure, but what would people like Naruto, Lee, Tenten, and so many of his old friends have to say in that situation? They'd do everything in their power to save a friend, an example that Neji wanted to live by.

He glanced at Itachi, who was still keeping watch at the edge of the crevice. Ultimately, whether they were forced into a situation where Xiuying or Kameko had to perform their secondary duties depended in large part on his leadership. Thus far, he had steered them clear of open hostile encounters, even if there had been close calls with aerial patrols. Between his Sharingan and Neji's Byakugan, they had everything needed to scout the path ahead and evade the enemy. Neji could only hope that Itachi knew what he was doing.

Several minutes later, Squad Two's Eighth Seat quietly cleared his throat and gestured beyond the crevice. "It's time."

He took point once more, Sharingan gleaming as a pair of scarlet gems. Xiuying was behind him, with Neji third in line while Kameko guarded the rear. Neji activated his Byakugan, keeping it focused on general coverage rather than concentrated in a specific direction. His panoramic range was not nearly as impressive as how far he could see when he focused one way, but he'd been training to improve it just as much as seeing into the distance, and it was at the point where Neji could cover a comfortable fifty-meter radius with minimal exertion.

Never had Neji been more grateful for that increased area of coverage than now. The slope of the Sunkissed Pass's south side was practically a maze in some areas. Millennia of wind and ice had transformed the slope into a craggy labyrinth of jutting rocks and crevices capable of hiding any number of ambushers. Going through it in broad daylight alone would've been stressful, but under cover of night, it was almost pitch black. Were it not for the Byakugan, an enemy could've been right around the next corner with Neji and the others being completely unaware until it was far too late.

Periodically, they would halt while Itachi unfurled and studied the map Soi-Fon and Mikoto had drawn during their infiltration. It was only thanks to the Sharingan that Itachi could read it; they weren't about to light any torches or use illumination spells here. Neji would keep watch over the surroundings while Itachi checked their course, privately amused at how well he and one of the Leaf Village's most notorious criminals were cooperating. If someone had told Neji even just a few years ago that he'd be trusting his life to a member of the Akatsuki, and that the criminal would be returning that trust, he'd be tempted to laugh in their face. Yet, here they were, two Leaf Village prodigies, one forced to become a traitor for the sake of peace while the other had sacrificed his life in war, cooperating in a conflict raging in the afterlife.

He wondered what Shikaku and the others back in the Rukon District Leaf Village would think of this, or the wider war. Once the conflict had kicked off, it had become impossible for Neji to make his usual meetings with Shikaku. There'd been time for one emergency rendezvous where Neji had quickly filled his superior in on what had just happened inside the Seireitei, but shortly afterwards he and the rest of Squad Two had been deployed to the east. If Shikaku was as clever as his son, and Neji saw no reason to think that he wasn't, then the veteran Shinobi must've found some way to keep abreast of developments in the conflict. Perhaps Shinobi from the Rukon Leaf Village were tailing the Soul Society loyalist armies, or had infiltrated the renegade northern and eastern Principalities. The former scenario seemed much more likely to Neji than the latter, but so far in the war he had seen no sign of any Shinobi beyond those in Squad Two, while as far as he knew Jiraiya was with Squad Eight as part of the force holding the northern defensive line.

The village's policy was still that of seclusion when the war started, Neji mused, and I can't see them risking open involvement. Still, wouldn't they at least want eyes and ears in the field?

Proceeding onward, the group's path eventually began leading them down the slope as they drew near their target. The sound of flapping wings overhead became more frequent, though thankfully none of the drakes in the night sky descended as close to the slope as the patrol from before. That didn't stop Xiuying from trembling nervously whenever one of the beasts made a pass above, but her shaking was much less noticeable than it had been before thanks to the enemy not venturing quite so near. Eventually, the crevice they were winding their way through opened to reveal a boulder-strewn hillside, and Neji could see faint pinpricks of torchlight on the far side of the valley.

Itachi saw them, too. "We're close. We'll get to the edge of this rock formation and find you a good vantage point, Neji. I'll keep watch on the surroundings. Xiuying, you mind our escape route. Kameko, stick close to Neji."

He led them to the edge of the rock formation, crawling out onto the smooth surface of a huge boulder that was half buried in gravel. Another massive rock deposited by glaciers millennia ago was jutting out from the right at a thirty-degree angle provided cover over the first one, and beyond was a clear view all the way to the northern slope of the pass. Neji was slightly startled when he realized that their elevation was much lower than he'd originally guessed; the floor of the pass was probably no more than a few dozen meters at most down from their position.

The darkness is really messing with my sense of perspective, he thought as he cautiously flattened himself against the surface of the boulder, crawling out to join Itachi, I'll have to keep that in mind when surveying the area.

Glancing behind him, he saw Xiuying disappear behind the edge of the boulder, no doubt finding an advantageous position to monitor not just the escape route but any rear approach vectors. Meanwhile, Kameko was lurking just behind Neji, keeping roughly a meter or so between them. Turning his focus ahead once more, he moved to the very edge of the boulder and saw that Itachi was shifting his Sharingan's gaze back and forth between the valley floor below and the inky black sky above.

Neji mirrored those motions before looking at his fellow former Shinobi. "I think we're clear for now."

Itachi nodded before pointing across the pass at a cluster of flickering torchlights and the dark, imposing silhouette they were housed in. "That's the fortress. The dragon and drake nests are in the mountain face beyond. According to Soi-Fon, they're largely concentrated towards the east, but there are a few along the western slope, too. Work your way west to east, lower slope and upwards."

"Understood," Neji acknowledged, "How much time do I have?"

Itachi shook his head. "Don't worry about time. A ground patrol would have to go out of their way to find this spot, and that goes double for the drakes. Thoroughness is the goal here, not speed. We need as comprehensive a head-count as possible."

"You packed those eye drops of yours, right?" Kameko inquired from behind.

"Of course," Neji said before gesturing towards the other side of the pass, "but I shouldn't need them for this. It's not that big."

"You're wrong about that," Itachi countered.

Neji scowled at the former Akatsuki member. "What makes you so sure?"

"Focus your Byakugan and find out for yourself," Itachi casually quipped.

Mildly irked, Neji bit back a retort before concentrating on the task at hand. His irritation rapidly vanished once he'd done as Itachi had said; now that he had the Byakugan zeroed in on the fortress, Neji belatedly realized that the darkness of night combined with the distance had once more messed with his perception. Brow furrowing as he slowly swept his gaze from west to east, the full weight of the force before him began to sink in.

Constructed from the same dark grey stones that made up the surrounding mountains, the ancient fortress that controlled the Sunkissed Pass almost seemed like an extension of the slope behind it. Flowing out from the mountain face was the outer wall, a little more than seven meters high and thick enough that at least four men could walk abreast atop it with room on both sides to spare. The outer wall stretched in a broad semicircle from west to east, eventually curving back into the mountain slope. That semicircle came out so far that it not only covered the main road, forcing all traffic to pass through broad and thick steel gates on both sides, but it encompassed almost half of the pass's width. Torches dotted the ramparts at regular intervals, and Neji spotted no less than two hundred soldiers currently scattered along its length.

That number seemed low given the scale of the fortifications, but those two hundred soldiers could be rapidly reinforced at a moment's notice by the sizeable army encamped both within the outer wall and beyond it. Now that he was bringing his full visual prowess to bear, Neji could feel a quiet sense of alarm begin to spread through him. What he'd initially mistaken as the scattered torches of sentries stationed outside the wall were in fact larger campfires, with the floor of the pass appearing flooded with individual spirit energy signatures. Behind the outer wall, those signatures only swelled in number; the fortress courtyard alone almost seemed filled to bursting. In addition to the spirit energy of the troops within, Neji saw larger orbs of what seemed to be dormant power; his best guess was that they represented some kind of weapon for defending the fortress from siege, as he could see similar spheres on a somewhat smaller scale dotted along the outer wall. Just at this first glance, Neji judged the combined army inside and outside the wall to number between fifty to seventy-five thousand troops, his mind reeling at the logistical implications of supplying such a force on top of whatever drakes and dragons were stationed here.

Neji suspected that his initial guess was on the conservative side, given what he saw when his gaze drifted over the fortress's keep. On the surface, the keep was not really much to look at. A single stone tower jutted up from the base of the mountain slope, with Neji estimating it to be perhaps a little over twenty meters in height. It was fairly plain, consisting of just a dark grey stone cylinder with four ridge-like protrusions running up and down its sides. However, while the keep might have failed to visually impress on the surface, the Byakugan could see beyond it, and what Neji beheld underneath the keep was an extensive warren of tunnels and chambers. Within them, he saw the mixed energy signatures of people, Spirit Armor, and Spirit Weapons, all in considerable numbers.

If that artillery Miss Shiba and Third Seat Urahara are working on isn't ready in time, Neji thought, then storming this place is going to be an utter nightmare.

As worrying as the enemy's troop numbers and Spirit Weapon armories might be, though, they were not what Neji was supposed to be focusing on right now. Guiding his gaze past the fortress itself, he zeroed in on the mountain slope while periodically glancing towards the sky, attempting to account for creatures both in the nest and on patrol. What Neji saw was deeply troubling. Through the Byakugan, the mountain slope looked like an anthill, so alive it was with activity. The larger signatures of drakes slumbering in their nests were easy to pick out, dwarfing the little humans that scurried about through the tunnels to ensure they were fed and healthy. It did not take long for Neji's count to climb rapidly.

"Not good…" he murmured.

Working his way eastward along the mountain slope, Neji's concern only mounted, though not just because of how many drakes he was seeing. While the number already nearing the high point of Soi-Fon's earlier estimate was worrying enough, what had Neji truly anxious was the fact that he still hadn't found the biggest threat. Just where in the name of the Soul King was The Golden Fury?

Neji was still searching for the Sunkissed Pass's mightiest guardian when he suddenly felt a hand tightly grip his shoulder and yank him back. Looking behind him, Neji saw Itachi gesturing towards the deepest recess of their rocky shelter. More alarmingly, he saw that Xiuying was back, shaking fiercely as Kameko held a hand over her mouth to keep her silent. Neji briefly wondered what had brought on this sudden bout of panic when his question was answered by an ominous sound coming from overhead.

The sound of leathery reptilian wings flapping above.

Very large wings.

After moving as far back under the boulder as humanly possible, Neji rolled over onto his back and focused his Byakugan above. Sure enough, the view past the rock was utterly dominated by the airborne titan that was Baesella, though in Neji's eyes he saw less the dragon herself than he did the spirit energy flowing throughout her body. He was shocked to realize just how close she'd gotten; she was circling barely more than ten meters above the slope. Beholding the beast's battle-scarred golden scales, it was easy to see how she'd earned such a fearsome moniker. His eyes traced along her spirit energy pathways, easily locating the large fluid sacs just below the base of her neck that housed the fuel for her flames. Her horned head swept back and forth, and Neji felt a chill run down his spine as her bright green eyes momentarily drifted over the rock formation they were hiding in. For a brief instant, it almost felt as though he'd locked gazes with her, and Neji had to remind himself that she couldn't see him thanks to the giant boulder between them.

With some difficulty due to the dragon's vast network of energy pathways, Neji's eyes eventually found Baesella's rider. His personal energy signature was obscured by a separate one, a surefire indicator that he was wearing Spirit Armor. Neji was puzzled to see a concentrated cluster of smaller signatures on his back, until he realized that he was looking at a quiver full of arrows. As for the man himself, Lord Aeganor Baraeris was hunched low atop his mount, his head mirroring the motions of his dragon's, light blue eyes peering into the night. Despite the man's high position as both a vassal noble and one of the Drakken Clan's most prominent remaining field commanders, Neji was struck by how simple his Spirit Armor appeared. The helm that obscured his short blond hair had only a low fin-like ridge running along the top as any form of ornamentation, while the rest of his set, from the chest piece and pauldrons on down to the greaves were completely plain. Were it not for the energy that emanated from the ensemble, Neji would have easily mistaken it for an unenhanced armor set instead of Spirit Armor. Likewise, the longsword sheathed at his hip looked utterly basic despite possessing its own unique spirit energy signature. The only truly outstanding bit of equipment Neji found on the man was the bow slung across his back, and even then, that was only due to the combination of energy he could see in it and the strange black material it was made from. Was it a unique type of wood only found in the Drakken Clan Principality, or some secret alloy that had been forged over an indeterminate period of trial and error? Neji could not say, but his every instinct told him to be wary of the weapon and its wielder.

What does it say when a prominent noble and general dons armor appearing so basic that it could be mistaken for one of his lieutenants', Neji mused, other than him viewing anything grander as unnecessary? I shouldn't judge based on appearance alone, but I can comfortably assert this much; he's not to be taken lightly. The same goes for that bow. If he's capable of accurately wielding it while on dragon-back, then he's a formidable warrior indeed.

Neji and his comrades were completely silent as The Golden Fury gradually descended, barely daring to even breathe. They surely had not been discovered; Lord Baraeris undoubtedly would've had Baesella douse the entire rock formation in fire. The dragon had not even been anywhere near them when they'd come here, so there was simply no way that her rider could know or even suspect that they were concealed by the rocks.

Right?

Neji kept his Byakugan locked on the dragon as she slowly dropped lower and lower, until she was skimming over the rocks with barely more than a meter to spare. He could hear the beast's guttural breath, as well as dripping sounds on the boulder above as strands of what Neji assumed were saliva fell from her mouth. A brief scraping sound came after a particularly low pass, with Neji briefly fearing that Lord Baraeris was about to land his mount atop their hiding place. Then the dragon growled before the flapping of her wings intensified, and the creature rapidly began gaining altitude once more, soaring towards the opposite side of the valley where she touched down on the slope behind the fortress.

Neji eventually let out the breath he did not realize he'd been holding. "Could've done without that…

"Agreed," Kameko said as she cautiously released her grip on Xiuying's mouth, "Take a deep breath; we're safe now."

Xiuying seized her flask and downed a large gulp of water, color slowly returning to her previously-ashen face. "W-why did they get so close to us?"

Itachi shrugged. "Maybe something else caught their attention… or perhaps just a whim. Either way, they clearly didn't detect us, otherwise they would've been much more aggressive."

"And we'd be barbequed," Kameko quipped.

Xiuying fumbled as she put her flash away, her voice still shaking. "W-we're d-done here now, r-right? Neji, you g-got a g-good look, d-didn't you?"

"Did you?" Itachi asked, his tone calm and level in sharp contrast to Xiuying's fright.

Neji took a moment to consider it. "I saw most of it… Baesella was missing, until just now. Still, there are some tunnels at the eastern periphery that I haven't checked yet."

"Then check them," Itachi ordered as he crawled towards the edge of their shelter and motioned for Neji to follow suit, "I'll keep an eye on the sky. Once you've reached the last of the eastern tunnels, sweep back west to double-check your earlier findings. After that, we'll withdraw."

Neji breathed deeply to center himself before moving forward to join Itachi, focusing his Byakugan once more as the Uchiha did the same with his Sharingan.

….

The southeastern region of the mainland Soul Society was not normally one where cloaks were in fashion. That went double in the middle of summer; the oppressive heat and humidity, especially the closer one got to the Shiba Clan Principality, made such a protective garment far more curse than blessing. However, Visaelya was very grateful for the dark grey ones that she and Shisui had been given prior to setting out, for they were operating at a much higher elevation than Itachi's team to the south, and the Red Cap Mountains were a harsh environment even in summer. While what snow remained on the mountain Visaelya and Shisui were scouting was much closer to the summit than they were, the gusts coming down from the northwest had a biting chill to them.

If a cold night wind is the worst thing we deal with on this run, Visaelya silently told herself, shivering as she endured a particularly fierce gale, then I should consider us lucky.

Lucky as I could be in a war against my own family, anyway.

Crouching low next to Shisui, she waited anxiously as he scanned the downward slope before them with his Sharingan. "Got anything?"

A moment passed before Shisui shook his head and whispered. "All clear."

Pulling out a scroll from inside her robes, she then passed it to Shisui. Her comrade unfurled it, revealing a map that had fresh markings and notations all over it; updates that had been made over the course of their scouting run. Visaelya could barely make any of it out in the dark, but she knew that Shisui could see it all in detail thanks to his Sharingan, so she kept watch while he filled in the previous leg of their trip along with a note on the lack of hostile patrols encountered up to this point.

"They really have nothing out here," Shisui remarked, "I don't know if I should be relieved or suspicious."

"Bit of both, I think," Visaelya replied as she anxiously glanced skywards, "I know you can't get army through here, but small-group infiltrations like ours are another thing. After the blow we dealt them early in the war, I figured they'd at least have a drake or two patrolling up here."

"Well, we are pretty high up," Shisui noted as he finished updating the map and passed it back to Visaelya before fishing into his cloak for a flask, "and we did spot patrols further down during our climb. Maybe they just don't think we'd consider infiltrating at this elevation to be worth the effort."

Visaelya could see the logic; she was finding it rather difficult to breathe at this height thanks to the thinner air, and she was feeling noticeably winded as a result. "What enemy wants to tire themselves out on such a difficult route, right?"

"Exactly," Shisui concurred after taking a swig from his flask and putting it away, "Obviously, we do, but the pass's garrison force doesn't seem to be thinking that. Either that, or they have a very thin patrol rotation up here, and we slipped into a blind spot."

"Best we remain vigilant," Visaelya advised, "I'd hate for us to get spotted and be the reason why we can't use this route in the future."

Shisui nodded and took a deep breath, once again focusing his Sharingan forward. "Agreed. Ready to move on?"

"Of course," Visaelya answered, despite feeling slightly lightheaded.

It'll pass soon, she thought as they cautiously and quietly began working their way down the mountainside as a wave of dizziness began sweeping over her, I just have to… keep it together… until we get to… a lower elevation.

Unfortunately, it became too much, and she stumbled forward. Luckily for Visaelya, Shisui seemed to have detected something amiss with her before and was prepared, for he swiftly spun around and caught her in his arms.

An embarrassed flush crossed her face as Visaelya looked up to see Shisui flashing a cheeky smirk. "Not so ready after all, eh? I know your clan loves bravado, but I can see right through it."

Visalya sighed as she averted her gaze in shame. "Guess so… I'm sorry. I should've…"

"Don't worry about it," Shisui cut her off with a soothing tone, his expression softening into a gentle smile, "You don't need to tough things out with me, Visaelya."

He gestured off to the right. "I spotted an alcove in the mountain face just a little bit over that way. Should give us decent cover. Why don't we take a quick break?"

Visaelya smiled as she supporter herself against his shoulder. "Sounds good… thanks."

"Anytime," Shisui said.

The alcove in question cut so deep into the mountain that Visaelya nearly mistook it for a small cave in the dark. Once they had settled in, sitting atop rocks across from each other, she took several deep gulps from her flask while Shisui kept an eye on the outside. Even though it was not directed at her, Visaelya still found the crimson glow of his Sharingan utterly captivating. She could stare at it for hours, losing herself in those beautiful scarlet gems. It was almost as if they were a campfire, and while they didn't give off actual heat, they warmed Visaelya in another manner. After all, they belonged to the man who'd kept her afloat ever since this nightmarish conflict with her family had begun. Shisui's eyes, his arms, his very presence… they were one of the few sources of comfort Visaelya could find in a Soul Society that felt as if it had gone utterly mad.

While Yoruichi had done everything in her power to protect Visaelya from the fallout of her family's rebellion, the simple truth of the matter was that the heiress of the now-traitor Drakken Clan had a target on her back from both sides in this war. Thanks to Yoruichi's advocacy, Head Captain Yamamoto had persuaded both the Central Forty-Six and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads' senior leadership of her trustworthiness; the pivotal role Visaelya had played in revealing her family's treachery to the Soul Society certainly helped. However, whenever she was in the company of anyone outside her circle of friends and comrades, suspicious eyes inevitably fell upon her. It was as if her silver-blonde hair and violet eyes, hallmarks of an ancestry that Visaelya had long been proud of, now signaled to all around her the shame of her family. Where she had once left whispers of admiration in her wake, now distrustful gazes and scornful mutterings seemed to dog her every step.

Initially, Visaelya had seethed at the unjust treatment. Hadn't she done everything right? She had remained loyal to the Soul Society, become a spy against her own family, and revealed their crimes. It was thanks to her that the Soul Society had been able to respond rapidly, foiling the coup plot. Yes, most of her family and their allies had escaped to rally their forces for war, but that wasn't her fault. She'd fought against her family's forces on the grounds of her very home, risking her life for the belief that the Soul Society's greater stability was more important than the pride of her clan. Was that not enough to show her loyalty to the Soul Society?

However, as the war commenced in earnest and casualties mounted, the harsh truth slapped Visaelya in the face. While the grievances of both sides could be argued for days on end, the fact remained that her family's refusal to comply with the Central Forty-Six's warrant that night was what most people in the Soul Society considered the starting point of open hostilities. As far as the majority was concerned, the Drakken Clan was at fault for all the bloodshed that had occurred since that night. Even though Visaelya had sided against her family, the simple fact of her being heiress to the Drakken Clan made her guilty by association to many.

It wasn't fair, but could Visaelya really blame so many for holding such views when they'd lost family and friends to the war that her family's pride had helped facilitate? Those who had seen comrades killed or wounded, or had been maimed themselves, naturally sought outlets for their grief. Visaelya was close at hand for many of them, and when they looked at her, what did they see? Not someone who had given up her own family in service to the Soul Society, who had been tormenting herself every day since that fateful night as she now waged war against her clan. No, all they saw was the daughter of the wealthy family that had plunged the afterlife into carnage and misery. If she were in their shoes, could she really have restrained herself from reacting in a similar manner?

I'm no saint, she thought dourly, and I can't expect others to be. They have every right to hate my family… we've done more than enough to earn it. All I can do is bear it… and fight against what my family's become.

At least it was not a fight she had to take on by herself. From practically the moment the war had begun, Shisui had hardly left her side. In fact, Visaelya had a sneaking suspicion that there were more than just his personal feelings for her influencing that; seeing how many assignments, from simple patrols to infiltrations, they'd done together since hostilities commenced, she was willing to bet that Yoruichi had gone out of her way to keep them together. Sure, as the head of both Squad Two and the Stealth Force, Captain Shihōin had an obligation to keep her under observation. Not only did she need to convince the Head Captain and Central Forty-Six that she had the sole loyalist Drakken under her thumb, but having one of her senior officers keeping close to her was also a protective measure against anyone in the Soul Society who might take out their grievances towards Visaelya's family on her instead.

Visaelya had no doubt that Yoruichi had taken such considerations into account, but she also understood her Captain well enough by now to guess that there was more to it. In keeping Shisui by her side during operations, Yoruichi was giving her an invaluable pillar of support, consistently available for her to lean on. Without Shisui being by her side since the war had begun, always lending a willing ear for her sorrows or a shoulder to cry on, could she have held herself together? Visaelya would have once been confident in her inner strength, believing that she could power through any hardship alone, because hers was the blood of the dragons; her family was born to overcome challenges. Now, though, that confidence which had once bordered on arrogance was gone. Harsh reality had seen to that.

It feels like a lifetime ago, she mused as her gaze lingered on the handsome Uchiha, the scarlet gems of his Sharingan focused beyond the alcove as he watched for signs of hostile patrols, that I once felt such pride in my bloodline. Now, I just want to put my family's foolish ambitions to rest…

…with you by my side, Shisui.

He belatedly picked up on her staring at him, glancing Visaelya's way. "Something the matter?"

Visaelya sighed wistfully, unable to suppress a warm smile as she met his eyes. "No, I… I'm just glad you're here. That you've been here for me since… since this whole mess began."

Shisui nodded, returning her smile. "Nowhere else I'd rather be."

"It can't be easy for you," Visaelya remarked softly, "Being associated with me after what my family's done… I've seen the way a lot of the soldiers have been looking at you lately. It feels like they despise you almost as much as me."

Shisui shrugged. "I'm not worried about them. I made my choice, and I'm standing by it. The others can feel and think whatever they want about me."

Visaelya chuckled bitterly. "I wish I shared your sense of self-assuredness."

Shisui gave her a sympathetic look. "Compared to yours, my choice was easy. If I were in your shoes, I'd be eating myself up inside every day. I can't blame you for having doubts. Going against family's never easy."

Visaelya hesitated for a moment, wary of reopening old wounds. "If… if you don't mind me asking… how…"

"How'd I deal with it?" Shisui finished for her, his gaze darkening "Deciding to side with the village instead of the Uchiha Clan, you mean?"

Visaelya looked away, mortified at herself for broaching the subject. "Look, I… I shouldn't have brought it up. I'm sorry."

There was a long pause before Shisui blew out a heavy exhalation. "No, it's fine. Can't really blame you for asking that. Not sure how much help my answer will be, though."

Visaelya was relieved. "I'll take whatever I can get… whatever you're comfortable giving me, I mean."

Shisui looked out at the night sky for a few seconds. "To be honest, I was always kind of odd for an Uchiha. Not that the clan realized it. To them, I was another genius to be proud of. Between the Sharingan and the Body Flicker Technique, few could match me. Like Itachi, everything was pointing towards me being one of the brightest Uchiha of our generation. With the devotion I showed to the clan, none of them ever suspected me being capable of turning against them."

"But you still did," Visaelya said, her eyes narrowing, "which means something was more important to you than your devotion to the clan."

Shisui nodded, his voice softening as his mind went to the past. "Well, yeah. Like Itachi, I could look past the pride of our clan and see the bigger picture. As much as I loved the clan, I also loved the village. My father served during one of our world's wars, lost his leg for the village… and eventually passed away from complications afterwards. Seems that kind of service ran in the family; one of my ancestors, Kagami Uchiha, was so loyal to the village that the Second Hokage personally picked him as one of his subordinates. Considering how famously distrustful Lord Second was of the Uchiha, that should tell you something. You could say I come from a line of strange Uchihas."

"A line of selfless and valiant Uchihas," Visaelya amended.

Shisui fidgeted, seemingly embarrassed by the praise. "Well… I guess that's one way to look at it. Don't go making saints out of us, though. None of us were perfect."

"Then I'm in good company," she replied, reaching over to place a hand atop his leg.

His smile grew slightly as he placed his hand over hers, intertwining their fingers. "Yeah."

He took a deep breath before continuing. "Bloodline alone doesn't determine our choices, though. You know that better than most. It wasn't just the examples of my ancestors that guided my decision. Ultimately, it came down to this; I didn't want to see any unnecessary death. The missions I took for the village, seeing my dad die from his war wound… I'd already seen more death than I ever wanted to. Itachi was the same boat. When we both learned what the clan wanted to do in the name of grievance and pride, all we could see was the death that would come from it. Neither of us wanted the bloodshed… and I didn't want the Uchiha Clan name to be forever after associated with treachery. I wanted to preserve peace in the village and save the clan from itself. My choice was clear."

Shisui paused for a moment. "As for how I dealt with it… well, I had it a lot easier than you or Itachi. Unlike him, the clan never even imagined that I might turn against them. Unlike you, I never made any public controversial decisions that would alienate me from the rest of the clan. I didn't have any reconciliation to worry about, no damaged bridges to mend. As far as they all knew, I was one of them through and through. So, I didn't have to worry about what they or the village thought of me. From what Itachi said, no one in the clan could even get the real message I left them in my suicide note, so even when I was already gone, none of them had any inkling of my real leanings… and never would. I guess you could say I cheated; killing myself to let Itachi awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan meant I never had to endure kind of hell he went through… or the one you're suffering now."

Visaelya tightened her grip on his hand. "Even so, you still had to live with the knowledge of what you were doing, even if none of your kin knew. That couldn't have been easy."

Shisui slowly nodded. "It wasn't. Looking my friends and comrades in the eyes every day, knowing that they still trusted me fully even after I turned against them… it felt like twisting a damn kunai in my gut. All I could really do was tell myself that my decision was best for everyone, for the greater good. Did I believe it? At the time, yes. Looking back… I still want to believe it. No matter how much I keep second guessing it. I suppose that never really goes away."

"Itachi told me something similar," she remarked, "A decision like that… no matter what you believe, you'll always question it. Even if you think it's right, to someone else, it's wrong. And when there's no right decision at all… it's a matter of what 'wrong' we can live with."

Shisui chuckled ruefully. "He's always had a way with words… and he's not wrong here. Say goodbye to certainty, Visaelya. When you're in our special little club, that's the first thing to fly out the window."

Visaelya shook his head as she held his gaze. "Maybe, but… even after all this, there's at least one thing I can remain certain in."

"What's that?" Shisui asked.

She leaned forward to plant a lingering kiss on his lips, smiling when she eventually pulled back. "You."

She was graced with the amusing sight of Shisui's eyes widening slightly before he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, that… uhm… that means a lot. Really, it does. I'll… try not to disappoint."

"You never could disappoint me," Visaelya reassured him before looking down, "I just… don't want you to get dragged down thanks to what my family's done. People gossiping about you, dirtying your name just because you believe in me… you don't deserve that."

"Hey, I told you; I'm not worried about that," Shisui reiterated firmly, "Let the others say whatever the hell they want. None of it means a damn thing to me."

Visaelya sighed, envious of how easily he could brush such concerns aside. "What I wouldn't give for half of your confidence…"

Her voice trailed off as she felt a slight tremor. At first, Visaelya thought she was imagining it, but then it returned a second later, with slightly greater intensity. From the way Shisui suddenly stiffened, it was clear he had felt it, too.

"What the hell?" he muttered as he peered beyond the alcove, "Earthquake?"

That was Visaelya's first thought, but it didn't sit right with her. She'd only experienced a handful of quakes in her life, and this didn't feel like any of them. The tremor returned a few seconds later, and another one a few seconds after that. It was far too rhythmic. More to the point, it didn't feel like it was coming from directly beneath them. Instead, it seemed to be emanating from a good way down the slope.

She saw Shisui lean forward, Sharingan blazing in the night. "Wait a second… what's that?"

A shiver ran down Visaelya's spine as her mind rapidly ran through a list of potential culprits, crossing out one after another as she remembered just where they were. "Shisui… what do you see?"

"The ground down that way," he replied, pointing down the slope towards the southeast, "It's… rippling. Chunks of rock coming up, too… like something's…"

"Burrowing," Visaelya finished for him, her blood freezing, "Oh, shit…"

Shisui began rising, but Visaelya reached over and clamped her hands down on his shoulders, whispering as quickly yet quietly as she could. "Shisui, if you trust me, be silent, and do not stand up. Do not move unless I tell you to."

Shisui looked slightly confused, but he did not argue. Closing her eyes, Visaelya stretched out with her sense for spiritual pressure while doing all she could to keep her own suppressed.

Please don't be what I think it is, she silently begged, anything but what I think it is…

….

While Visaelya had not said what she thought was behind the tremors, Shisui was willing to hazard a guess. The regularity of the shaking certainly did not feel natural, and the more he focused on it, the more he could sense a directionality to it. That Visaelya had used the word 'burrowing' was a pretty big hint by itself, and seeing that it was her family they were up against, it was not hard to put two and two together.

All the dragons and drakes I've seen so far have been fliers, Shisui thought, but that doesn't mean those are the only types. Her family's been commanding powerful beasts for millennia; who knows what other creatures they have under their thumb?

Visaelya leaned close to him, nudging his arm as she whispered. "Show me which way the ground disturbance is moving. You can move your arm, but no matter what, do not shift your feet. Any vibrations in the ground will give us away."

Shisui nodded. "Alright."

Eyes narrowing as he focused his Sharingan, Shisui used his left arm as a guide for Visaelya, slowly tracking the rippling surface and periodic geysers of earth along its eastern trajectory. While its angle was slightly upward, its course would easily pass the alcove they were sheltering in by.

"Can you see anything coming out of the ground?" Visaelya asked, her tone so hushed that Shisui could barely hear it, "Anything other than dirt and rock."

Peering intently into the night, Shisui tilted his head in puzzlement. At first, all he could see was the shifting ground as whatever was disturbing it continued eastward. However, upon closer inspection, he caught glimpses of something else amidst the churning earth.

"That… is that a snake?" he eventually asked, "Rounded back, scales… actually, scratch that first bit. The back looks rough… like a ridge. Definitely seeing scales in there either way."

Visaelya let out a resigned exhalation. "Not a snake. Worse. A dragon."

Shisui blinked in confusion. "Wait, seriously? But the ones we've seen…"

"Belong to my family and their most loyal vassals," Visaelya finished for him, "and the sky is their domain… but there are other dragons, Shisui. Ones that were forced to evolve very differently from those you've seen before. You've met the leader of the clan that rides them."

"The Gaelnaeros Clan," Shisui murmured, recalling the Blade Dancer Festival where he and Visaelya had encountered Lord Aegagor, "The Blind Dragons."

Visaelya nodded. "I was wondering when we'd encounter them in this war… now I have my answer."

"But why's one up here?" Shisui asked as he continued tracking the burrowing beast, "If they dig through too much of the mountain, they could cause a landslide, and the fortress they're guarding is at the bottom of this slope."

"The Blind Dragons know the earth as my family knows the sky and their ancestral lands," Visaelya replied, "Millennia of living underground has taught them more of dirt and stone than the likes of you and I will ever know. If one's patrolling up here, it means he or she understands the mountain enough to know where they can burrow without causing a collapse. Besides, in the worst-case-scenario, that fortress is protected by barriers that were meant to stand up against powerful spells; they can easily shrug off a landslide."

"Even so," Shisui said, "why have a rare asset like an underground dragon patrolling this far up the mountain? It'd be better to have it lurking beneath the pass's floor or monitoring the southern side where it's rockier. Drakes are better suited for monitoring this elevation."

"Maybe, but remember the Gaelnaeros Clan's history and reputation," Visaelya pointed out, "The very reason for their blindness is the treason of their ancestors. Even if my family now needs their help, don't think for a moment that they're trusted."

Shisui nodded, puzzle pieces sliding into place. "The Sunkissed Pass's floor is seen as the most important area to patrol, so Lord Baraeris and his drakes are charged with monitoring it. Up here's deemed less important since the terrain's unmanageable for the large armies they're guarding against, but it's still a possible infiltration route for smaller forces."

"That's most likely their reasoning," Visaelya concurred, "They probably do have a couple drakes assigned to fly up here periodically, but it's easy for infiltrators like us to conceal ourselves against the mountain. A sentinel that relies on sound, touch, and other senses apart from sight serves well here."

Shisui was uneasy. "Were they tracking us on our way up here?"

"I don't think so," Visaelya said, "They would've attacked by now, otherwise. Still, best to be sure. Have they changed course?"

Watching the constant string of dirt and rock plumes generated by the dragon's passage, Shisui shook his head. "Still on the same heading. They'll pass us by with room to spare."

"Then we have our answer," Visaelya remarked, sighing with relief, "We got lucky; we must've started our climb during a gap in their patrol."

A thought occurred to Shisui. "Itachi's group should still be on the other side of the pass. Think Neji could see the dragon from where they're at?"

"Depends on how close they dare to get," said Visaelya, "but given how high up we are, I doubt it. Only way Neji would pick it up is if he and the others are still observing the fortress when the Gaelnaeros in question returns to report."

Shisui nodded. "I see."

He paused for a moment to consider their next move. "We haven't scouted as far as we were ordered to, but… should we abort? With this thing tunneling around, our every step could compromise us. Neji's not with us, and there aren't any other Hyūga in our ranks. The Sharingan can't see underground, so the only way we'll know if that dragon's close is when we start feeling those tremors. By then, it might be too late."

"Not necessarily," Visaelya argued, "The underground dragons are fast, but not as fast as Flash Step. With our proficiency, we can easily lose them."

"Good to know," Shisui said, scratching his chin in thought, "Still, part of our orders is to avoid detection at all costs. It's a lot harder to do that when the enemy's super sensitive to sound and vibrations, even if they're blind."

"There are ways to fool their senses, or at least confuse them," Visaelya pointed out, "Mountain goats inhabit this range; we saw some during our ascent. If you and I stay close together, our combined feet can mimic them to an extent. Doing that, along with continuing to suppress our spiritual pressure, might be enough to mask us from the dragon and its rider. If nothing else, they won't be able to confirm what we are until they get closer. By that point, we'll have already felt the tremors, and we could be long gone by the time they're close enough to properly identify us. Not putting too much weight in our steps will help, though in this terrain, I know that's easier said than done."

Shisui took a deep breath, firming his resolve. "Alright, then. We'll just have to take things slowly. Finish our route, get as close to the fortress's rear as we can, then bug out."

"And hope we can avoid that dragon," Visaelya added, "and everything else in this mountain range."

"That too," Shisui amended.

….

Still strapped into the harness atop Baesella's back, the light blue eyes of Lord Aeganor Baraeris gradually swept back and forth behind the visor of his helmet. The Golden Fury remained perched atop the fortress's tower, the structure having been purpose-built to take the weight of adult dragons. How many decades had she and her rider occupied this position in peacetime, surveying the middle of the Sunkissed Pass after a long day's ride enjoying the sun and wind? What Aeganor would have given to go back to those idyllic days, where flights with Baesella were as much opportunities for playful aerial acrobatics as they were necessary patrols looking out for Hollows or bandits. Now, every flight undertaken was a somber and tense affair, laden with the knowledge that enemies well-versed in anti-dragon tactics could be encountered at any time.

It was a truly miserable situation, one that Aeganor bitterly resented being dragged into. While the Baraeris family were long-serving and loyal vassals of the Drakken Clan, their liege lord's plot against the Central Forty-Six had caught them completely by surprise. Aeganor had been aware of the growing grievances between the dragon lords and the Soul Society, yet never had he imagined that the various disputes would escalate into outright rebellion. Yes, his family being ordered into a heightened state of alert in the lead up to what had become known as the Battle of the Estates concerned him greatly, but at the time, Aeganor believed it to be posturing, part of a bargaining tactic that would lead ultimately to concessions and a settlement; no one in their right mind could've wanted war.

Yet war had come, and with it, tragedy for the Baraeris Clan. Oh, it had not started that way. Despite the family's reservations, they had still fully committed to supporting their overlords once open hostilities commenced. Aeganor had been particularly wary, but other members of the clan had seen it as an opportunity for expanding the family's influence, or simply to reenact the conquests of ancient dragon lords on a grander scale. In the early days of the war, successes such as The Great East Road Inferno seemed to support the notion of the dragon lords' superiority; the first Soul Society forces they'd encountered had foolishly engaged them in open battle, leading to easy victory. That triumph had been heralded as proof that the Soul Society's leadership was mired in hopelessly outdated thinking, and that the entire rotten structure would collapse if pushed hard enough.

The dragon lords were riding high, and with that came sloppiness born of arrogance. That sloppiness was punished by the Night of Silent Blades, and the Baraeris Clan had suffered grievously. Aeganor had lost his younger brother, two cousins, and an uncle in Squad Two and the Stealth Force's assassination campaign, along with two of the Baraeris Clan's adult dragons and several drakes. All claimed by a conflict that they'd originally wanted no part of, only to readily dive into it in the name of loyalty and glory. From that day onward, the mood of the Baraeris Clan had darkened. They would continue to serve, to honor their ancient oaths, but thoughts of conquest and aggrandizement were forever banished. Now, they simply fought for their homeland and their own survival.

That battle for survival had grown closer to their homeland in the year since the conflict begun, and now it was on their doorstep. A dragon lord's first instinct upon learning of an approaching foe was to fly out and meet them head-on, to descend from on high and engulf them in their mount's purging flames. Those instincts had been acted on in the war's early days, but the enemy had learned their lessons the hard way, and they'd returned the favor in kind. Now, a dragon or drake sortie against an approaching force was a perilous affair. One had to be wary of Stealth Force scouts lurking unseen below, passing on your movements to Soul Reapers and Kidō Corps personnel who would then organize an ambush. The larger armies had contingents of spell casters ready to generate barriers on a moment's notice, or ensnare the firebreathers in binding seals that dragged them down to the ground for troops to butcher. Only coordinated action from aerial and ground forces could counter, but the Soul Society's combined manpower reserves were far greater than that of the Drakken Clan and their northern allies, which meant armies such as the one under Aeganor's command could not afford to sally forth on a whim.

An offensive sortie would be against the orders my overlord gave, Aeganor thought, I'm to hold the Sunkissed Pass at all costs. Static defense has never been our way, though… yet to attack preemptively carries considerable risk. This is no normal army we face; with Squad Two accompanying them in force, behind-the-lines actions and subterfuge are much greater risks. Any careless move creates an opening, and they will exploit the first one we make.

His head tilted forward subconsciously, and the dragon lord's eyelids became heavy. He'd put in a long patrol flight, and he'd been on edge the whole time. Weariness was getting to him; it would be prudent to retire for the night.

He reached forward and patted Baesella's back. "I think we've put in enough work for today, old girl. What say you?"

A low rumbling sound, what Aeganor had long ago learned approximated a mixture of purring and yawning, escaped The Golden Fury's throat. Her weight shifted beneath him as she stretched and flexed her forelimbs, before turning her long, scarred neck to the right so that she could see him. The bright green eye starring back at him was partially obscured by a fluttering lid, and she inclined her head.

Aeganor gave her a tired smile. "That's what I thought. Be a dear and take us down… oh, and try not to knock over any of the supply carts in the courtyard this time."

That bright green eye rolled back, and its owner heaved her shoulders. Dragons could not speak verbally, but the message her body language conveyed was clear; 'I did that once, and you're never going to let that go, are you?'

Aeganor couldn't help but chuckle. "Come, now; how often do I get to poke fun at you?"

Baesella turned away and huffed before spreading her wings. A single, mighty flap was all it took to get her off the tower, and she gently glided down towards the back of the fortress's wide courtyard. For her great size, she was quite graceful, like a giant kite floating along sustained winds. She circled over her preferred landing spot once, giving the various soldiers and servants milling about time to scatter before touching down. Several handlers warily approached as Aeganor dismounted, with the leader of the bunch, a burly man with short black hair and several burn scars running up and down his muscular arms, moving towards the dragon lord.

"She seems a bit moody," the chief handler noted as Aeganor took off his helmet.

Aeganor smirked. "I may have teased her a little. You know how she takes a good-natured ribbing."

A sudden clattering sound startled both men. Turning towards the source, Aeganor saw a cylindrical casing that had been used to hold several polearms now fallen on its side, contents spilled everywhere. Baesella's tail was slowly swinging away from the mess, and she was pointedly staring at Aeganor.

The dragon lord folded his arms and gave his mount a disapproving look. "You did that on purpose."

Baesella stuck out her tongue; 'What are you going to do about it?'

Aeganor let slip a tired laugh and shook his head. "Off to bed with you, girl. Don't give the handlers any more trouble tonight."

The Golden Fury grunted before allowing herself to be led towards a gaping cavern where the fortress courtyard met the mountain slope to the right of the central keep. Aeganor dearly wanted nothing more than to turn in for the night himself, and he was about to head towards the keep for just that when a raspy female voice from behind stopped him.

"Retiring so soon, Lord Aeganor? Here I was hoping for a chance to chat and drink before bedtime. You're one of the few here who ever indulges me."

"Lady Malaesa," Aeganor said as he turned around to politely bow, "I hadn't realized you'd returned from patrol already."

Approaching him was an elderly woman clad in battered dark grey armor. Her helmet was cradled in her left arm, while her right hand rested by instinct over the hilt of the longsword sheathed at her hip. White hair that would have normally flowed long was tied up in a simple, functional bun, and a dark green cloth with white eye-shaped patterns woven into it over where her actual eyes should have been.

"I came in while you were still perched atop the tower," Lady Malaesa Gaelnaeros explained, "You would not have heard me; I tunneled quite deep."

Aeganor smiled; despite the Blind Dragons' dark history and reputation, he'd come to enjoy the regular evening banter with the woman who'd earned the moniker of 'Sightless Witch.' "I trust that Nyrax enjoyed himself?"

Malaesa chuckled as she drew up and halted about a meter before him. "Of course. You know how excited he gets for his walks. He devoured a few mountain goats during our patrol, so I daresay he'll sleep soundly tonight."

"Were goats all that you encountered up there?" Aeganor inquired.

"They're all we ever encounter up there," Malaesa answered, "Tonight was no different."

Despite her being blind, the way the patterns on Malaesa's headband met his gaze made Aeganor feel as though the venerable matron of the Blind Dragons was staring straight through him. "Should it have been different? You seem a little more on edge tonight than usual, Lord Aeganor. Did I miss something?"

"The enemy's southern army is concealing itself in the woods and foothills along the approach to the Sunkissed Pass," Aeganor replied, "According to aerial recon, they'll be in range attack us quite soon. It's highly likely that their scouts have already infiltrated the Pass, and they may be probing the surrounding mountains for exploitable paths."

"If they're up in the mountains, I've found no signs of them," Malaesa said with a shrug, "I'd wager they're far more likely to be sneaking around on the southern side of the pass. That's where you've been flying, so if anyone's trying to slip in, you'd find them before I would."

Aeganor tapped his foot anxiously. "That's just it; I haven't found them. None of the drake patrols have, either. It's concerning."

"The enemy's had plenty of time to adapt to threats from above," Malaesa reminded him, "It's hardly a surprise that they've gotten better at scurrying about under your nose. You really should have another one of my kind out here to cover your blind spots."

Aeganor raised his eyebrow at the pun. "Really?"

Malaesa smirked before waving her hand dismissively. "I couldn't resist. In all seriousness, though, having another of my clan out here would be a boon to our defenses."

Aeganor sighed. "I know, and I requested as much from the Drakkens, but they have your clan spread thin. That's the official line, anyway. Unofficially…"

"They don't trust us enough to have more than one of us at any single strategically important point," Malaesa finished for him with a hint of bitterness, "Story of our lives."

Aeganor winced. "I'm sorry."

Malaesa then smiled, and Aeganor was struck by the sincerity behind it. "No need for you to apologize. You've been nothing but cordial and respectful since we started working together here. That's far more than members of my clan get from most."

Aeganor politely bowed before returning her smile. "Well, in the interest of cordiality, I believe you mentioned something earlier about a drink. There's a particular bottle I've been eyeing down in the wine cellar. A very old red; same year as when the Quincy King was slain. Supposedly bottled the very same day, but I'll wager that bit's apocryphal."

"I'm certainly not opposed," Malaesa replied, "though a vintage that old sounds like one you'd reserve for a momentous occasion."

"I had considered saving it for after the coming battle," Aeganor confessed, "but the more I've been thinking on it… well, there's no guarantee for how any clash will go. Be shame to put it off and never get the chance to taste it at all should the battle go ill, right?"

"Well spoken," Malaesa said, gesturing towards the keep, "Shall we?"

"We shall," Aeganor confirmed.

The two of them crossed the courtyard at a brisk pace, entering the keep at the base of the tower through a doorway upon whose archway was engraved a pair of serpentine-like dragons breathing fire at each other, the flames meeting at the arch's apex. After Aeganor briefly detoured to the wine cellar and fetched the bottle in question, he and Malaesa climbed the stairs, stopping when they reached another doorway roughly two-thirds of the way up the tower. What lay beyond was a rather modest room with a simple wooden table and some chairs sitting by an open window on the far side. A small fireplace was set into one of the walls, while against another was a cabinet. While Malaesa made herself comfortable, Aeganor got a fire going before taking two long-necked cups from the cabinet and joining her at the table.

"What shall we drink to?" Malaesa asked as Aeganor filled their glasses.

Setting the bottle down, Aeganor idly swirled the contents of his cup. "To surviving our foolish superiors?"

The laugh that answered was as mirthful as it was spiteful. "Oh, now you're speaking my language, Lord Aeganor!"

The sound of clinking glasses followed by hearty gulps as the two took deep swigs, with Aeganor being the first to set down his glass, the contents drained by a third. "Ah… damn, that is the good stuff."

"Exquisite," Malaesa praised when she finally lowered her glass, with no less than half the dark red fluid which had previously filled it gone, before raising and waving a finger at her host like she was a teacher scolding a pupil, "How dare you keep such a treasure locked away for so long. This bottle's been begging to be enjoyed for nearly nine centuries now!"

Aeganor chuckled before bowing. "My sincerest apologies."

Malaesa grunted before downing the rest of her glass and immediately reaching for the bottle to refill. "Our overlords are the ones who owe us an apology. If your toast is to survive them, then it tells me the rumors I've heard are true; we won't be getting reinforcements."

Aeganor sighed, slumping back in his chair before taking another sip from his glass. "No, we won't."

"Even though we hold the most strategically important of the three major mountain passes into the east," Malaesa continued.

"Yes," Aeganor wearily replied.

A guttural growl escaped Malaesa's throat before she drowned it with another hearty swig of wine. "Those idiots… don't they realize that our position is the real target of this offensive?"

"You and I may see it as such," Aeganor said after another, much more moderated sip than that of his drinking companion, "but I can understand the Drakken Clan's concerns. The Head Captain is with the enemy's center army; that alone has them spooked. It's why the Luminous Pass has drawn so many of our resources."

"That, and the Drakken Clan doesn't want to lose Menar Issilaya after they've sunk so much into restoring it," Malaesa added through clenched teeth, "It's a white elephant that they're obsessed with holding."

While Aeganor privately shared her sentiment, he still played devil's advocate. "Fully manning the city's garrison is expensive, but it is a valuable defensive position. The lands beyond that stretch of the Red Cap Mountains are agriculturally rich; some of the wealthiest outside the Principality proper, if I recall correctly. Without them, we'll have a much harder time keeping our northern ally on side. The Starmont Clan relies heavily on food imports to sustain its army, and now we're their only supplier. If we want to keep them in the fight, we need to hold as much productive land as possible to supply both them and us."

"They should've thought of that before they threw their lot in with our masters," Malaesa quipped, "No more rice imports from the Kuchiki Clan Principality for them…"

"No more Shihōin grain or Shiba fruit shipments for them, either," Aeganor added, shaking his head in disdain, "Our overlords were counting on an overwhelming strike from dragons and Valkyries at the start, but in relying on the traditional boons of east and north, they forgot a fundamental rule of war; economics and logistics are king. That remains as much a truth in the Soul Society as it does throughout the Web of Worlds. Had the enemy not uncovered the plot and struck first, things might've gone differently, but our masters put all their eggs in the 'quick surprise victory' basket. They failed to consider what might happen should that basket be compromised, and now we all pay the price for it."

Malaesa took another sip of wine before setting her glass down. "Then you've already reached the same conclusion I have; we're fighting a war that was doomed from the outset."

Aeganor did not like to think of himself as a defeatist, but he had to admit that their prospects were grim. "The manpower and resource decks were always stacked against us. We gambled on blitzing the center of power before our foes could properly organize, and we failed. Ever since, the conflict's degraded into a war of attrition, which favors our enemy. Unless that dynamic can somehow be altered… I cannot see a path towards victory."

Malaesa tapped her finger on the table. "What was our last troop count here? Seventy-thousand?"

"Seventy-three thousand," Aeganor corrected her.

Malaesa grunted. "And the enemy?"

Aeganor paused for a moment. "Difficult to say, given their efforts at concealment. Our aerial scouts' most recent estimates are somewhere between one-hundred-sixty to one-hundred-eighty-thousand."

"At least two-to-one against us, then," Malaesa surmised, "but not quite three-to-one. That's the generally accepted ratio for success when attacking a strong defensive position like ours. We may yet have a chance to hold out."

"We may," Aeganor cautiously concurred, "but the enemy could still have stragglers moving to catch up with them. I can't risk any drakes getting close enough to confirm; we'll need every last one of them for the defense of the fortress."

"Send me out, then," Malaesa volunteered, "I can get right under their noses. They'll never suspect a thing."

Aeganor shook his head. "Were it any other army, I would. The problem is that this army includes Squad Two, which by extension includes the Drakken Clan's traitor daughter. The other armies wouldn't suspect a possible underground attack, but I'm willing to bet that this one has taken precautions."

Malaesa sighed in defeat. "I didn't consider that. How ironic; my family now serves our overlords faithfully, yet an heiress of the main line turns betrayer. Fate has all sorts of cruel twists and turns in store for us."

"I'd like a twist where we're not facing an enemy with the overwhelming manpower and resource advantage," Aeganor bitterly quipped.

"Wouldn't we all?" Malaesa replied, "I doubt fate plans on delivering us a miracle, though. So, what can we do when fate's so firmly arrayed against us?"

"Our defenses are as prepared as we can make them," Aeganor said, "Our outlying patrols have a solid rotation, so we'll at least have warning for when the enemy army advances to the mouth of the pass. Though my previous demands for reinforcements were denied, I'm continuing to send out new ones. Our overlords may yet find a sense of urgency in responding once they read a report of the enemy entering the pass."

Malaesa frowned. "That sounds more like a hope than a plan."

Aeganor could not argue the point. "It's all we have now. Our stores are fully stocked, so we're well situated for waiting out a siege. I've arrayed my forces as best as I can; every asset at my disposal is placed as it should be. What can be done with the resources available to us has been done. We have our orders, and they have not changed. Either we hold the pass against the coming onslaught, or we fall."

Malaesa slowly nodded. "I assume we lack permission to retreat."

"Yes," Aeganor confirmed grimly, "Our overlords' instructions are explicit; stand and fight to the last, if necessary. We are expressly forbidden from retreating."

Malaesa laughed harshly. "They want either a fantastic victory against the odds or a glorious last stand! Always with the grandiose gestures… without a care in the world for us poor bastards who have to carry them out."

Aeganor picked up his wine glass, idly looking on as he swirled the contents. "Either way, the Sunkissed Pass will flow with blood before too long… it's just a matter of who drowns in it now."

Malaesa raised her glass. "Well, if our masters have any sense remaining, they'll answer your latest plea for reinforcements. How about we drink to a fool's hope?"

Aeganor chuckled ruefully as he tapped his glass against hers. "To a fool's hope… the only hope we're allowed now."

The two drank deeply. After setting the glass down, Aeganor's gaze drifted to the open window and down into the courtyard below. Soldiers and servants milled about, some performing various duties while others enjoyed breaks and chatted with friends. In what would likely be a matter of days, all of them would be fighting for their lives.

Fighting and dying in a war that none of them had wanted.

Fighting and dying for the glory of a Great Noble House that would sacrifice them all without a second thought.

….

The next day…

Yoruichi's head was still buried in reading scouting reports when Soi-Fon poked her head into the tent. "Lady Yoruichi? It's nearly time."

Yoruichi looked up as the head of her personal guard entered the office tent. "Time?"

"For the briefing," Soi-Fon elaborated, "The one for Squad Two's part of the operation to take the Sunkissed Pass."

Yoruichi blinked a few times before comprehension hit. "Oh, right… wait, already? I could've sworn I had more time."

She saw Soi-Fon's gaze sweep across the mess of paper strewn atop the small desk. "You asked me three hours ago to remind you, Lady Yoruichi. It's nearly been three hours."

Yoruichi leaned back and rubbed her forehead. "Seriously? Doesn't feel like it."

"I checked in a couple times," Soi-Fon remarked with a sympathetic smile, "but you were so focused on reviewing the intel that I don't think you noticed me."

Yoruichi smiled in return as she made a token effort to organize her desk before standing up. "Thanks for that. It'd be awfully embarrassing if the Flash Goddess herself was late for a meeting."

Soi-Fon smirked wryly. "Lady Yoriko insisted that I mind your image as well as your personal safety… as much as you'll allow me to, at least."

Yoruichi chuckled as grabbed her haori, which had been lazily strewn over the back of her chair, and put it on. "Of course, she did."

Exiting the office tent, the two of them set a brisk pace towards a considerably larger tent a bit deeper into the encampment. It was late afternoon, with the sun already drifting low enough in the west to be partially obscured by the tree-line. Reflexively, Yoruichi's gaze flickered up and towards the east, a habit she had developed whenever going outside since the war began. No winged creatures larger than birds were in the air overhead or in the distance, and if there were, the sentries hidden far and wide surrounding the encampment would have reported their sightings already.

"The garrison's drakes are sticking close to the Sunkissed Pass," Soi-Fon remarked in response to Yoruichi's skywards gaze, "According to the latest intel, at least. They barely go beyond the pass's western mouth anymore."

Yoruichi frowned. "I suppose that's good for us, but still… why? If I had access to aerial recon assets like that, I'd be much more aggressive with them."

"At this point, our army's so close to the pass that it's hard to miss, even with us sticking to cover," Soi-Fon pointed out, "Since the enemy roughly knows our position, they might've decided it's better now to concentrate their drakes on defending the pass itself. It doesn't take a genius to realize what we're out here for."

"I guess that makes sense," Yoruichi conceded, "Even so, it's a lot more caution and restraint than we're used to seeing from the Drakken Clan's commanders. It feels weird."

"We've given them good reason to exercise caution and restraint," Soi-Fon reminded her.

Yoruichi nodded. "True. What about below ground? Any sign of that beast Shisui and Visaelya encountered?"

Soi-Fon shook her head. "I asked Seventeenth Seat Hyūga to survey the ground beneath and around our encampment for evidence of recent large-scale burrowing. He found nothing."

Yoruichi relaxed somewhat. "Which means they're keeping their resident Blind Dragon close for defense, too. That's good to know. What's the latest from up north?"

"The central army has been aggressively probing the Luminous Pass," Soi-Fon reported, "Head Captain Yamamoto himself recently engaged their outer defenses, which prompted the Drakken Clan to divert further reinforcements to Menar Issilaya."

Yoruichi smiled deviously. "Just what we wanted them to do. Excellent. What about the army above them?"

"Last word we received indicates the northern army has likewise stepped up their efforts," Soi-Fon answered, "Captains Hirako and Aikawa have personally led sorties into the pass. Not enough to breach the defenses, but sufficient to convince the enemy that they're preparing for a larger attack. They're reinforcing their positions, though not to the same extent as in the Luminous Pass."

"So, the Drakken Clan's convinced that the central and northern passes are in greater danger than the one to the south," Yoruichi surmised, "I should feel a bit miffed that they don't consider us to be the same level of threat, but it's working to our advantage here, so I'm not about to complain."

"The local commander confining his dragons and drakes to the Sunkissed Pass indicates they see us as a significant threat," Soi-Fon argued, "Why else would they take such steps to preserve their firepower?"

"True," Yoruichi conceded as they reached their destination, "We'd do well not underestimate them."

Entering the tent, Yoruichi saw her officers already assembled and chatting with each other. A standing board had been set up against the backside of the tent, showing a detailed map of the Sunkissed Pass. In addition to members of Squad Two and the Stealth Force, Squad Ten's Third Seat Isshin Shiba was present, along with Kūkaku Shiba. The latter was sporting a prosthetic limb where there had once been the stump of her right arm. Developed for her by Kisuke a little over a year before the war had started, it was fully functional, including surprisingly dexterous fingers.

Kisuke was quite pleased with how it turned out, Yoruichi recalled, and Kūkaku's been very happy with it. Very busy with it, too, going by how her firework production increased after she got it. Hopefully, she's being careful; it'd be a shame if she needed Kisuke to make another replacement for her, though he probably wouldn't mind. Actually, knowing him, he probably couldn't resist the urge to tinker and improve it, given the opportunity.

Yoruichi had been somewhat surprised when Kūkaku had approached her to volunteer when the War of the Principalities broke out. She figured that her friend was done with serving the powers that be when she'd left the Kidō Corps, with the exception of putting on fireworks shows as the Soul Society's elite were willing to commission her for. When Yoruichi had asked, Kūkaku's answer had been as blunt as it was heartwarming; she just wanted to help her friends, while the bigwigs up top could go to hell.

The assembled Soul Reapers and Stealth Force members snapped to attention as Yoruichi and Soi-Fon moved to stand next to the map. She nodded in acknowledgement before gesturing for them to be at ease, and she wasted no time getting into the briefing.

"Thank you all for coming," she began before nodding at the map, "We've done as much scouting of the Sunkissed Pass as possible given the enemy's aerial surveillance, and the time for our attack has come. The operation will be split into three components; diverting and neutralizing the dragons and drakes, containing the enemy's ground army, and destroying the fortress. Everyone here will be taking part mainly in the first part of the operation, and will support the rest of the army in the second part once our primary objective's been achieved. Kūkaku's the exception; she's involved with the third part."

Kūkaku grinned as she clasped her natural and artificial hands together, her green eyes gleaming with excitement. "You mean I'm involved with the fun part!"

Kisuke chuckled. "Fun for you, but not so much for the enemy. I almost feel sorry for them."

The red-haired, dark-skinned amazon that was Thirteenth Seat Rija Usorba blinked, her slightly widened emerald eyes betraying confusion. "Begging your pardon, Captain, but did you say 'destroying the fortress' is the third objective? I was under the impression that Lady Shiba's artillery was just for breaching the wall, and that we'd be storming and occupying the fortress."

"Seems a waste to destroy it," Sixth Seat Katya Sokolova remarked, brushing a lock of her dark brown hair away from her face as her dark green eyes narrowed, "It's a very useful position."

"Useful, but storming and capturing it would be incredibly costly," Yoruichi replied, "After considerable deliberation, myself and the rest of this army's command council have determined that bombarding the fortress with Kūkaku's artillery was the better option. If they surrender, great. If not, destroying the fortress outright is acceptable. Our goal is to secure the pass for our advance into enemy territory; once the hostile force ahead of us is defeated, the garrison we'll leave behind will quickly be reinforced by Shiba Clan troops, and they can establish new fortifications over the ruins. Neutralizing the fortress quickly while preserving manpower for the next offensive is the broader objective."

She saw Itachi nod. "Makes sense; from what Neji saw during our infiltration, the passages beneath the fortress and behind it in the mountain would be a nightmare to clear out. We'd be looking at high casualties, even under the best-case scenario. Better to bombard the whole thing into rubble. The Shiba Clan's more than capable of rebuilding over the ruins once we've secured the pass."

"I'm all for laying waste to the place rather than fighting inside room-to-room," Shisui chimed in as he glanced at Kūkaku, "but are we sure that the new artillery's up to the task? It's not just stone walls themselves that need to be breached; the fortress has spirit barrier nodes set up, too. Might not be as powerful as the Seireitei's barrier, but it'll still be a tough nut to crack."

Kūkaku put her hands on her hips. "You doubting the quality of my work?"

"Our work," Kisuke amended, "Don't worry, Shisui; we know what we're doing. The artillery will do its job just fine. I guarantee it."

"More than 'just fine,'" Kūkaku added proudly, "Every noble in the Soul Society's going to shit themselves when they see what my babies can do to their strongholds!"

"Charming mental image," Soi-Fon quipped under her breath, and Yoruichi had to fight hard to stifle a laugh.

"While I don't doubt that Lady Shiba's weapons will work," Visaelya interjected, "I'm concerned about how we'll get them into position and protect them. Just moving them to the battlefield will take time, and they'll be vulnerable to attacks from the air and ground."

"That's why bombardment's the last part of the operation," Yoruichi reiterated, "Our part of the operation will remove the air threat, and part of the ground threat, too."

She turned to the map and gestured along the southern side of the Sunkissed Pass before doing the same across the mountain directly behind the fortress. "Units from Squad Two and the Stealth Force will infiltrate the pass under cover of darkness along these routes. The plan is to get our heavy hitters behind enemy lines, then draw the bulk of the enemy's beasts towards us. We'll take down Baesella, the Blind Dragon, and as many drakes as we can. That's why I've included Third Seat Shiba in this briefing; his Shikai's a powerhouse, and we need all the striking power we can get."

Isshin nodded. "Engetsu's strong enough to take down drakes, no problem. Never tried killing a dragon with it before, but there's a first time for everything, right?"

"Yeah, but you're not soloing one if we can help it," Yoruichi said, "Ideally, I'll be able to lure Lord Aeganor and Baesella towards me. I was planning on putting your strength to use against the Blind Dragon, Third Seat Shiba."

"I'm game," Isshin replied, "though how exactly am I supposed to find that one when it's underground?"

"You won't," Yoruichi replied, "Seventeenth Seat Hyūga will."

Isshin eyed Neji skeptically, a natural reaction as he did not know about the Byakugan. "Really? This a 'blind finding the blind' sort of deal?"

"Something like that," Yoruichi answered cautiously; whether Isshin learned of the Byakugan or not was Neji's call, not hers, "I know that I'm asking a lot since you've never worked for him, but trust Seventeenth Seat Hyūga on this. There's a lot more to him than meets the eye."

Much to her relief, Isshin did not press for details, instead simply shrugging and smiling his new comrade for the upcoming mission. "Alright, then. Looking forward to working you, Hyūga."

Neji politely inclined his head. "Likewise, Third Seat Shiba."

"Shisui and Visaelya indicated that the Blind Dragon patrols the mountain on the northern side of the pass," Yoruichi continued, "We aren't certain if that's its sole patrol route, though. Regardless, it's far tougher than the drakes; on par with Baesella as a threat. Therefore, the two of them are our top priority targets. Third Seat Shiba, I'll be placing Seventeenth Seat Hyūga, Tenth Seat Drakken, and Seventh Seat Uchiha, under your command. You'll be leading a group of Squad Two and Stealth Force members up into the mountain on the north side of the pass. Your objective is to protect Seventeenth Seat Hyūga until he can locate the Blind Dragon, then eliminate it."

"And if the Blind Dragon's not patrolling that mountain?" Isshin asked.

"That's where Hyūga's talents come into play," Yoruichi said, "If the Blind Dragon's not on the mountain, it won't take him long to confirm it. You'll continue to escort him while making your way down the mountain into the pass so he can locate the beast. Wherever you find it, your task remains the same. Should you find it on the mountain and kill it there, your next task will be to make your way down to where the slope meets the fortress, draw out whatever drakes you can, and eliminate them. If you find and kill it elsewhere in the pass, you're to still hunt drakes afterward. If you're not finding any where you're at, then come link up with us, understood?"

"Got it," Isshin confirmed.

"I'll be leading a larger contingent," Yoruichi stated, "We'll infiltrate through the rock cover along the southern slope. Once we're to the east of the fortress, me and anyone capable of it will activate our Shikais. The sudden spike in spiritual pressure, especially one from a Captain, should be more than enough to draw out Lord Aeganor and a good chunk of his drake contingent."

"Lord Aeganor will respond with overwhelming force," Visaelya remarked with concern, "Once he senses your spiritual pressure, Captain, he'd bring nothing less. I don't doubt your abilities, but I have to ask… even with backup, how can you fight when the enemy has dominance over the sky?"

Yoruichi smiled as she glanced at Itachi. "You needn't worry about that. I already have a countermeasure for Lord Aeganor's backup ready."

You'll finally get to put that new Shikai technique of yours to the test, Itachi, she silently added, I can't wait to see what it looks like after all the work you've put into it.

Visaelya still looked uneasy, but she did not press the issue. "Very well, Captain. Whatever countermeasure you have in store, I hope it works."

"What if the enemy receives reinforcements during the opening phase?" Sixth Seat Katya chimed in, "I know our Stealth Force scouts haven't reported any major troop movements near the Sunkissed Pass's eastern mouth, but there could still be formations inbound that they've yet to see."

Yoruichi nodded. "If that happens, I'll use my Bankai to break up their forward ranks. I should be able to buy us some time that way to regroup. Depending on how much success we've had against the dragons and drakes, along with the size of the potential reinforcements, we'll either push them back or harass them while getting word back to the main army. From there, it'll be up to Captain Ukitake and the generals to decide if we continue the operation or abort."

The dark-skinned Ninth Seat Mindiwo Opolo's brow furrowed, wrinkling the swirling red tattoos covering the right side of his face. "Captain, should we have to retreat, does this encampment remain our fallback point?"

"It's the primary one," Yoruichi confirmed, "though depending on circumstances, not the only one. If the retreat's orderly and a strong rearguard can be maintained, we'll withdraw here, lick our wounds, and then head north to reinforce the Head Captain's army. Under a more desperate scenario, we'll instead fall back further south to link up with the Shiba Clan troops who are marching up from their Principality as we speak. In that contingency, we'll join the defensive line along the Principality's northeastern border until we receive new orders."

The Ninth Seat nodded. "Understood."

Yoruichi took a deep breath. "I won't sugarcoat things here; this'll be our most dangerous operation yet in this war. The Night of Silent Blades was infiltration, assassination, and sabotage. This, however, will be infiltration followed by deliberately revealing our positions to lure in the enemy's deadliest combatants. All this is merely prelude to the battle between our main force and the enemy's army. The Sunkissed Pass is a vital strategic point for the Drakken Clan; if it falls, their southern territories are open to invasion by the Shiba Clan. They'll defend it to the death. Remember, we're not hunting Hollows who will scatter and run once things turn against them; these are disciplined and well-equipped troops occupying a strong defensive position under professional leadership, and their homeland is behind them."

"Once they lose their aerial advantage and see our army moving the artillery into position, they'll become desperate," Soi-Fon added, "A desperate enemy is even deadlier, because they're more likely to make unpredictable decisions. Be ready for anything."

Yoruichi turned to Kūkaku. "I know Kisuke's been vital to helping you build the artillery, but do you still need him for operating it? I could really use his abilities in the infiltration operation."

Kūkaku smiled. "Go ahead and take him. Now that we've got all the kinks ironed out, the rest is just a matter of getting it into position and firing; my servants and the Kidō Corps are good for that."

Kisuke chuckled. "Still working Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko to the bone, eh? I almost feel sorry for them."

"Hey, I pay them well!" Kūkaku snapped, "They wouldn't stick around if they couldn't handle it."

Yoruichi smiled. "Alright, then. Kisuke, you'll be with my group for the infiltration."

Kisuke nodded. "Got it."

"Great…" she heard Soi-Fon mutter under her breath.

"How soon do we deploy?" Itachi asked.

"Tonight's march will get the army to the staging area," Yoruichi answered, "We'll be setting out at dusk the following evening, and the army will then follow after proper nightfall. There's only going to be a small window for us to get into position and lure out the firebreathers before the main force arrives, so speed and stealth are paramount. That's why they gave this job to us; we're the only ones good enough in those fields to pull it off. Rest while you can between now and then. We're going to have our work cut out for us."

….

The next day, late afternoon…

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Visaelya smiled as she reached out a hand to her sparring partner. "That was a good match, Aika! You're not hurt, are you?"

The raven-haired Sixteenth Seat Aika Hirata, currently flat on her ass, wooden practice sword laying on the ground to her right, hung her head in shame before allowing Visaelya to pull her to her feet. "Just my pride… mostly. Thanks, though."

"Maybe we should call it here," Shisui suggested from the sidelines, "Dusk is only a few hours away now. Probably a good idea to take a break and eat while we can."

"I suppose that'd be for the best," Visaelya concurred before looking at Aika again, "Care to join us?"

Dusting herself off and briefly rubbing a sore spot on her lower back, Aika smiled. "Sure."

The three of them took their wooden swords back to the nearby armory tent before setting off. While Yoruichi had ordered everyone to rest in the time leading up to the mission, Visaelya and her companions had just been too anxious to fully comply. Having already slept as much as her nerves would allow, Visaelya had decided that she might as well be productive if her mind would not let her nap a bit longer, so she'd sought out Shisui. Finding him similarly ill at ease, she'd suggested some simple drills to take their minds off things and warm up for the mission. Aika had found them during warmups purely by accident; the shy Soul Reaper was wandering the encampment aimlessly, unable to still her mind and body thanks to stress. Inviting her to join their exercises was the least that Visaelya and Shisui could do to help their comrade.

They found one of the cooking tents in short order. Dishing up on soup and rice, the trio then went over to a smoldering firepit and sat down. A few quiet minutes passed as they focused on their meals. Now that they no longer had their drills and sparring as distractions, the tension in all three was palpable.

I wonder, Visaelya thought in-between mouthfuls of rice, if it'd be this bad had we been assigned to go after Baesella instead of the Blind Dragon. The Golden Fury's more than worthy of her moniker; she'd be terrifying to face in battle. Still, fierce as she is, she's at least easier to see coming. A Blind Dragon, on the other hand…

When Soi-Fon had relayed the individual team assignments, Visaelya had not been surprised to find that she and Shisui were among those tasked with accompanying Neji to take on the Blind Dragon. After all, the two of the were the ones who'd found the burrowing beast during their patrol, though it would be more accurate to say that they'd simply survived a chance encounter with the creature. Still, Visaelya's wealth of knowledge when it came to the various mounts employed by her clan and their vassals made her a natural pick for tackling such an unusual foe. Even so, the once-prideful aristocrat had learned long ago that simply possessing knowledge and actively applying it were two different things. In this case, that application would be very dangerous.

The rider will be well-armored, Visaelya reminded herself, and they'll keep themselves pressed low against their mount's back. For Gaelnaeros riders, their preferred harness position is closer to the mount's head than on a traditional dragon. That makes it easier for them to protect themselves from the dirt and stone the dragon flings back while tunneling… and it makes them harder to attack. They're only exposed when the head's exposed, and that's usually when the dragon's breathing fire. Timing and coordination are key.

Sitting across from her, Visaelya saw that Aika's hands were trembling. The poor girl could barely even eat properly, such were her nerves. Visaelya could not blame her; how she wasn't spilling soup everywhere right now given her anxiety was a mystery. Still, if she could maintain at least a façade of control, then she had enough composure to at least try helping her friend.

"Hey," she said softly, reaching over to place a hand on Aika's leg, "slow down. Take a deep breath. It'll be alright."

Aika did as Visaelya instructed, and while the trembling only slightly subsided, it was at least enough for her to eat a bit better. "R-right… sorry."

"Don't apologize," Shisui replied, "No one's holding it against you for being nervous. It'd be weird if you weren't, really."

Visaelya nodded. "Anyone who's fearless before taking on a dragon is a fool or a liar… often both."

Aika's sighed, her shoulders slumping in shame. "I know, but still… look at me. After all we've faced together, I should be like you guys by now."

Visaelya blinked. "What do you mean?"

Aika gesture to her and Shisui. "You two… you always look so calm, no matter the situation. Hollows, the wraiths, and now dragons… it never matters; you two never let it bother you."

Shisui shook his head. "That's not true. We get pre-mission jitters just like everyone else, Aika."

"But you don't show it," Aika insisted, looking down in shame, "Not like I do."

Visalya gave her comrade a gentle smile. "Maybe, but once we're on a mission, you're always focused then. Even if you're still scared, I've never seen you let that fear freeze you up in a fight."

"You're dependable when it counts," Shisui added, "so don't sweat it if you still get the shakes before we set out. That just means you're aware of your fear, and that's a good thing. Otherwise, you wouldn't handle it nearly as well out in the field as you do."

Aika appeared to ponder it for a moment before smiling weakly. "Mayb… I still don't like it, though. I thought it was bad in my early days, and I was just fighting Hollows back then. It… it doesn't really feel like I've gotten any better with it."

"You're still here," Visaelya pointed out, "which means you're able to control it. That's good enough, Aika."

Aika closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "I hope you're right. This Blind Dragon we'll be hunting tonight… just thinking about it gives me the creeps. You'd think a blind enemy would be weaker, but that's not true here."

Visaelya grimly concurred. "The Gaelnaeros Clan was maimed by mine to weaken them, but they've adapted well to the handicaps we placed upon them. Rebellion against the Drakken Clan may be impossible for them now, yet they're still incredibly dangerous on the battlefield. My family chose well in placing one of them in the Sunkissed Pass… though, if they weren't still carrying that old grudge, they'd place more. That'd be the smart thing to do."

Aika shuddered. "For all we know, there could be more. Just because you and Shisui only found one doesn't mean that it's the only one."

"True," Shisui conceded, "The Sunkissed Pass might not be very wide, but it's plenty long; more than enough space for another underground dragon to lurk. Still, Itachi's group didn't report any signs of ground disturbance on their side of the pass, and the burrowing tracks we followed in the mountain were only the ones from the same dragon we encountered. Between that and Neji's observations, I think it is just the one we have to worry about."

"Fingers crossed," Aika muttered.

We'll find out soon enough, Visaelya mused, her thoughts turning towards the night ahead, but whether there's one or many, our task remains the same. We must take the Sunkissed Pass…

…and drive my family one step closer to losing this war.

….

That night…

We're making good time, Yoruichi thought as she led her contingent through the rocky warren that was the Sunkissed Pass's southern slope, I hope the northern group's on schedule, too.

Per the plan, Yoruichi's group had entered the Sunkissed Pass under cover of darkness, following the route Itachi's scouting team had taken during their infiltration. As this was a much larger operation, the Squad Two and Stealth Force members taking part had been subdivided into a series of smaller teams, with Yoruichi's being the vanguard. Soi-Fon, Kisuke, and Itachi were with her, while officers such as Mikoto and Katya led other teams that were following in their wake. They would all converge once they were to the east of the enemy's fortress, find the closest drake patrol to annihilate with their Shikais and thus signal their presence to their foe, then spread out and wait for the main aerial force to arrive. As they hardly wanted to reveal themselves while in transit, Yoruichi had left her haori back at camp; wearing a massive white garment during a stealth operation was not ideal for ensuring mission success.

Glancing over her shoulder, Yoruichi eyed Itachi. Unlike everyone else, her Eighth Seat already had his Shikai activated, but that was not readily apparent. There were no scarlet firebirds taking flight from his black blade, and there was a reason for that; Itachi was keeping them contained. It was no easy feat, for as Yoruichi had learned, releasing the firebirds was more than just an attack for Jigoku no Joō. As it turned out, much like Yoruichi's Zanpakutō, Itachi's possessed an incredible amount of raw power that required constant release. Under most circumstances, this was hardly an issue, as it gave Itachi quickly-replenishing flocks of firebirds to deploy. However, in a stealth operation, that constant stream of flaming red crows easily gave away his position. Normally, not activating his Shikai until battle had begun was how Itachi dealt with that issue, but the mission needs here were different. While the Shikais of Yoruichi and the others were both weapons and lures in this operation, Yoruichi wanted to use Itachi's to swiftly overwhelm and confuse the enemy when their aerial units deployed against them in force. By activating his Shikai but keeping the firebirds held back, Itachi was slowly building up for a massive release, but that came with a catch; doing so resulted in his sword growing hotter and hotter with each passing moment. Containing the birds for as long as he had now meant that the weapon's handle would burn his hand should he hold it, and it was hardly ideal for Yoruichi's subordinate to wound himself before the battle had even begun.

Fortunately for Itachi, he was in the same unit as Kisuke, and Squad Two's eccentric inventor and tinkerer had wasted no time in developing solutions. The first was a pair of black gloves that Itachi wore, deceptively thin given that the were made with the purpose of withstanding great heat, but enhanced through spirit energy to mitigate the worst of the high temperature. The second solution was found in the straight black scabbard that now shrouded Itachi's sword. Yoruichi had not quite grasped the details when Kisuke had explained it, but what she understood was that it suppressed the spirit energy of Itachi's Shikai. However, Kisuke had made it clear that the effect would weaken over time, and the scabbard was good for no more than a few hours at most. Already, Yoruichi could see a very faint red glow in the sheath; they likely did not have much time left before the scabbard reached its limit and began melting around the blade.

She saw Itachi's gaze catch hers, and he gave her a slight nod. Yoruichi took the message; he was okay for now, but the sooner they got into position, the better. She then cast a glance towards the Sunkissed Pass's northern slope, the mountain barely more than a barely visible silhouette in the dark night. Yoruichi could not detect any hint of the northern team's spiritual pressure, but she guessed that they were likewise nearly ready to begin. They'd felt none of the tremors Shisui and Visaelya had told them heralded the Blind Dragon's coming, which to Yoruichi was a hopeful indicator that the burrowing beast was on the northern side of the pass rather than down here.

Looking at Itachi again, Yoruichi gestured skywards. She saw his eyes flash red as he activated the Sharingan. Then, he raised three fingers before giving a small nod; three fliers were nearby, all drakes.

She then shifted her gaze towards Soi-Fon, who raised two fingers and then pointed forward; advancing two more kilometers before baiting their trap was her recommendation.

Yoruichi glanced at Itachi once more and mirrored Soi-Fon's gestures. Itachi's answer was a nod; he could keep his Shikai contained long enough for that.

Just a little further, Yoruichi thought, and then we cut loose.

….

A low grumble sounded, prompting Captain Vivar Aergaeron to pat the mottled brown scales of his drake's neck. "Quiet, boy. You know the drill."

Syrar, Vivar's loyal mount for more than twenty years now, replied with a soft hiss. Typical for an adult male of the species, his main body was roughly between a horse and an elephant in size, leaning closer to the latter than the former. It was his serpentine neck and slender tale that made him and his kind so much longer than those mundane creatures, though even a fully-grown drake paled in size when compared to a mighty dragon. His features were much plainer than the grander cousins of his species, with a simple head reminiscent more of a humble viviparous lizard, and much smoother scales. However, while the teeth, claws, and fangs of a drake could never hope to match those of a dragon for sheer size, they were still just as sharp and lethal. Likewise, a drake's fire breath might be considered 'cooler' than that of a dragon, but to any victims being burned alive by it, that distinction was completely irrelevant.

Vivar suspected he'd have cause to unleash his mount's flames sooner rather than later. From what he had heard back at the fortress, it sounded like the Soul Society's southern army was now encamped in the foothills just barely beyond the Sunkissed Pass's entrance. Scouts would surely be crawling all over the area soon, if they weren't already. In fact, given how close the enemy had dared to make camp, it was more likely than not that their vanguard would soon test the defenses.

I'll probably get called west with the others soon, he thought, since that's where the enemy's vanguard will be encountered first. I don't know why Lord Aeganor still has us flying eastern patrols when the enemy's on our doorstep. Shouldn't our fliers be concentrated west for the inevitable attack?

It was not that Vivar was eager for combat; far from it. Though he looked like a young man when out of his armor, his short-cropped blond hair and bright blue eyes combining with his rather slender frame to give him the appearance of a youth barely out of his teens, in reality he was a long-serving veteran of the Baraeris family's borders. He'd been a foot soldier for over a decade before catching his lord's eye when defending a caravan from Hollow attack, and Vivar had seen his share of action since ascending in rank and earning the wings of Syrar. Vivar might not have experienced full-scale war before now, but he knew battle and death just the same, and he wasn't looking forward to another dose of it. Still, he couldn't let his nerves show; the last thing his fellow riders in this flight needed to see was their commander having an anxiety attack.

Then again, it would be difficult for his comrades to see any of his reactions to the present circumstances. Leaving aside the plain Spirit Armor he wore, enhanced to protect against extreme heat, concealed his features, but the darkness of night meant that Vivar and the drake riders under his command could barely even see each other. The other two drakes operating as part of his flight were little more than faint silhouettes against the inky black sky or the mountains flanking them.

Vivar was checking his comrades' positions relative to his when he heard Syrar begin sniffing. "What is it, boy?"

A low and guttural growl was the reply, and the drake's head jerked down and to the east. While Vivar couldn't see anything in that direction, focusing with his other senses revealed a very faint spark of spiritual pressure, immediately setting the drake rider on edge. Had a Stealth Force scout or Squad Two Soul Reaper slipped through the Sunkissed's Pass's checkpoint network undetected, perhaps navigating the rough upper slope before descending? It was a possibility that had been discussed in planning sessions, but Vivar had not heard of any confirmed instances where it actually happened. Then again, there was always a first time for everything.

He nudged his mount, prompting Syrar to spit out a small fireball. While providing some illumination, it was meant as a signal to other nearby riders. The two under his command responded immediately, and Vivar could hear their mounts crying as they converged on his position. Distant chirps and growls from behind indicated other flights had seen the fireball and were moving to reinforce. Unfortunately, the short-lived orb of flames hadn't revealed a potential enemy, though Vivar could still sense that slim trace of spiritual pressure.

"Where are you?" he murmured as Syrar gradually descended.

Leaning down, Vivar pressed himself against his mount's long neck, cautiously peering around the scaley appendage. Blue eyes narrowing behind the visor's slits, he caught just the faintest hint of a human profile, a lithe and slender shadow in the night. As they had not identified themselves, protocol was clear; instant death.

Unfortunately, in the split second between Vivar making that determination and moving to execute, that slim trace of spiritual pressure suddenly spiked beyond anything he'd felt before. That spike was accompanied by bolts of white lightning illuminating the night, revealing a dark-skinned woman wearing silver clawed gauntlets which were the source of the lightning. In the instant where Vivar's mind connected that image to the briefing reports and realized just who he was looking at, the woman suddenly vanished.

Before Vivar could sound the alarm, Syrar shrieked in agony as the woman reappeared in the air before him, this time thrusting her right clawed gauntlet directly into his mouth. The air crackled, and all the hairs on the back of Vivar's neck stood on end as ivory lightning bolts poured forth from the gauntlet, frying his mount from the inside out. Vivar hadn't even begun to process the psychic backlash that every rider of a dragon or drake experienced from the death of his scaley companion when the woman aimed her left gauntlet at him, and the last thing he ever saw was white sparks dancing in her golden eyes, her black-purple hair running wild with electricity.

One could not have asked for a lovelier angel of death.

….

As Yoruichi descended from her attack, the first drake and rider's corpses falling behind her, Kisuke had the second in his sights. "Bakudō 79: Kuyō Shibari!"

Around the targeted flier, eight black holes rimmed with a purplish glow appeared. The drake cried out in shock as the sealing spell froze it mid-flight, and a ninth black hole materialized where the creature's neck met its torso. Completely immobilized, the drake and its rider were sitting ducks for Kisuke's follow-up attack.

"Kamisori, Benihime!" he commanded.

Against a dragon, the arc of crimson energy that flew forth from Kisuke's Zanpakutō would have been little more than a nuisance. A drake was another story, though; the dragons' lesser cousins did not have nearly as thick of hides. Thus, the attack of Kisuke's Shikai cut clean through drake and rider alike, decapitating the former and slicing the latter in half.

At the same time of Kisuke's attack, he heard the voice of Itachi's mother cry out from further back with a spell of her own. "Bakudō 9: Hōrin!"

A long orange-hued tendril of energy flew out from the index and middle fingers of Mikoto's left hand, wrapping itself around the drake's torso and binding its left wing. Such a low-level binding spell was normally suited only for weaker Hollows; a drake could break out of it given a few seconds. However, Mikoto had clearly taken this into account, because the spell was immediately followed up by two tendrils of purple fire flying forth from the tips of the bident that was her Shikai, and these joined her spell in constricting the target. Now bound by two attacks, the second of which had the nasty side effect of sapping its energy and passing it on to Mikoto, the drake and rider were sitting ducks.

Mikoto was in no position to take advantage of that, but her comrades were. First came Katya, Flash Stepping into the air, positioning herself to the right of the target, and thrusting the spear of her Shikai, Shimo no Hebi, at the rider. While the rider's Spirit Armor prevented the spear-tip from penetrating, the target and his drake quickly found themselves coated with frost, compounding the binding effects of Mikoto's spell and Shikai. Then came Soi-Fon with the coup de grace, Flash Stepping and striking from the left, the small blade of Suzumebachi slipping through the gap in the rider's Spirit Armor where his left arm met the shoulder. Two quick stabs later, and the rider was dead. Uniting atop the beast, Soi-Fon and Katya then plunged their blades into the base of the drake's neck, and the creature's head slumped forward lifelessly as it fell from the sky while its attackers jumped clear.

A chorus of roars sounded from the west, and Kisuke could sense the combined spiritual pressures of multiple drakes and riders approaching. Standing out from that pack was a much more formidable energy signature, and it could only be one thing; The Golden Fury was on her way.

As Squad Two's ambush team regrouped, Kisuke turned to Itachi. "Can you hold up a little longer?"

Itachi nodded, though he looked concerned. Kisuke could not blame him; the special scabbard he'd developed to help contain Jigoku no Joō's power was glowing rather brightly from the heat build-up now. It probably only had a few minutes left tops before it either caught fire or melted on the sword. Fortunately, at the rate of the enemy's advance, a few minutes was likely all they needed.

Just a little further, Kisuke thought with a sly smirk as his gaze turned back towards the western horizon, and the enemy will be right where we want them.

….

Kneeling behind a stone outcropping, Shisui whispered to Neji. "Got anything underground?"

He waited as his fellow former Leaf Shinobi's head swiveled back and forth before pointing down the slope to the south. "There. Three kilometers away, closing fast."

"Good," Isshin Shiba growled from behind them, drawing his blade, "They took the bait."

That 'bait' had consisted of the Soul Reapers Flash Stepping all over the slope, making deliberately heavy footsteps while simultaneously allowing traces of their spiritual pressure to slip out. It was a risky ploy, and not just because of the sharpened senses of the Blind Dragon and its rider to make up for their lack of sight; drakes could also pick up on that spiritual pressure, and the Soul Reapers did not want to bring a flock of them down on their heads while simultaneously tackling the burrowing beast.

"How's the sky looking?" Visaelya asked.

Shisui looked upwards, eyes narrowing as he activated his Sharingan. It did not take long for him to spot a most unwelcome sight.

"Not good," he hissed as he gestured up the slope and to the east, "Got one flying around up there, and another circling around that way. No way we can engage the Blind Dragon without them joining in, and they'll probably call for backup once things kick off."

"We changing the plan?" Isshin asked, glancing anxiously down the slope as a telltale tremor began, "If we are, it needs to be quick."

Shisui's mind raced as he assessed the situation. The other teams of Soul Reapers and Stealth Force operatives assigned to the northern slope had dispersed widely to increase their odds of finding and drawing in the target; it'd take time for them to converge here. His immediate group consisted of himself, Visaelya, Isshin, Neji, Aika, Xiuying, and Kameko. Not ideal for taking on the Blind Dragon and at least two drakes, with potentially more on the way, but for right now, it was what he had. Should they fall back further up the slope, buying time for the other teams to join them? It was a tempting option, but Shisui ultimately dismissed it; the Blind Dragon was their top priority target, and they'd found it. They couldn't risk it pulling back if beast or rider suspected a trap.

"Aika, get to higher ground," he ordered, "Cast Tenteikūra; call the other teams to our position!"

"But the enemy will sense it!" Aika protested.

"Doesn't matter," Shisui countered, "The Blind Dragon already knows we're here, and the others will sense us when the fighting starts. Go!"

Aika hastily nodded, vanishing in a Flash Step. Shisui was keenly aware of the tremors' increasing intensity, and he could hear the not-so-distant flapping of drake wings; there was not much time left.

"Shiba, Neji, Kameko, Xiuying; the Blind Dragon's yours," he continued, "Visaelya and I will take the drakes. Once we're done with them, we'll help you out. Shiba, you're in command until Visaelya and I rejoin you!"

"Understood," Isshin said, and Shisui could already feel his spiritual pressure rising, "Burn, Engetsu!"

Shisui and the others who were capable followed suit, activating their Shikais. He turned to Visaelya, who gave him a quick nod. The two of them split up, with Shisui running up the slope while Visaelya raced east, each with a drake in their sights.

….

Oh, I don't like the feel of that, Vimond Raenanyon thought as he sensed multiple potent spiritual pressures below, not one bit.

One of the older drake riders under Lord Aeganor's banner, his once-bright blond hair had gone grey decades ago, and a long silver beard flowed out from the green-eyed rider's helm. The grizzled veteran had known that battle was approaching, but he hadn't expected on encountering Soul Reapers capable of Shikai this far up the mountain. He'd figured that the enemy would save such powerful combatants for the undoubtedly vicious fighting that'd soon be unfolding on the floor of the Sunkissed Pass. What were they doing up here instead?

"Careful, old boy," he whispered as he patted his mount's neck.

Gyror, an elderly drake whose silvery hide perfectly complimented his aged rider, let out a soft hiss. His bright blue eyes scanned the ground, their gaze going the same direction as Vimond's. Together, beast and rider could see five figures racing up the slope in his direction, barely more than dark silhouettes against the mountain. Glancing southeast, he saw another silhouette rushing down towards one of his fellow drake riders. Why Vimond merited five attackers while his colleague only had one going at them was a mystery, but one that the veteran rider did not have time to ponder.

"Let them have it," he growled as Gyror swooped down to meet their foes.

The veteran drake needed no further prompting, and a river of fire spewed forth from his gaping maw. However, where Vimond expected to see at least a few of the figures get burned to ashes while the others were scattered in panicked disarray, what he instead saw was them swiftly yet orderly dispersing just as the flames left Gyror's mouth. Fine, it was a prepared enemy; Vimond could deal with that.

At least, he could until those five figures suddenly began flickering in and out of existence.

Vimond blinked in alarm and confusion as he saw Gyror's flames splash against the ground while his targets seemingly faded from view, only to reappear in different places. He'd seen Flash Step before, and this wasn't it. Not completely, at least; the figures were mixing something else in.

As he pulled back on Gyror's reins to gain altitude, there was a flash of white energy to the southeast out of the corner of his eye, followed by a piercing shriek. Risking a glance, Vimond was shocked to see the other drake falling from the sky, its neck separated from its torso. The silhouette of another Soul Reaper, one wielding a double-ended glaive wreathed in white energy, was descending behind the slain beast and its doomed rider. Now fully cognizant of his peril, Vimond immediately turned to face forward again while his mount ascended. Checking the ground again, he saw only three of the flickering figures this time; where were the other two? He knew that Gyror's fire hadn't caught them.

He got his answer a moment later when both appeared in the air next to him, one to the right, the other to the left. Vimond got another shock when he realized that both figures looked exactly the same; a Soul Reaper with short black hair, blazing red eyes, and a slender short sword in his right hand. Just what the hell was happening?

His mind was still processing this when both figures struck as one. The one on the left thrust his blade through Gyror's eye, while the one on the right slipped his sword through Vimond's armor and into his neck.

Rider and beast alike were dead before their bodies hit the mountainside.

….

Perched atop a stone outcropping, Neji's eyes narrowed beneath the 'blindfold' as his Byakugan beheld the oncoming Blind Dragon. He was astounded by the creature's pace; it was tearing through the mountain stone as if it were dirt or sand. Focusing the Byakugan at the beast's front, Neji could see its two front limbs moving as a blur. Ending in a pair of curved, broad, spade-like claws, they carved into the rocky terrain like well-oiled machines. Sharp claws honed by evolution alone would not be enough to break through sone with such efficiency, and upon closer inspection, Neji could perceive incredible spirit energy focused within the claws and along their edges. It reminded him of Visaelya's Shikai and how its power to cut through barriers came from refining and honing spirit energy narrowly along the blades; it seemed the Blind Dragons had developed that technique long before the Zanpakutō of the Drakken Clan's wayward daughter.

It was good that Visaelya and Shisui had taken down the drakes quickly, because Neji could already spot a few more on the horizon. They were still some distance out; there was time to engage the main target before they arrived. Could they slay the Blind Dragon before the lesser fliers could get in range to burn them from above? Would Shisui and Visaelya intercept them? Neji would have to track them along with the main target simultaneously, not a task that he relished.

"You ready?" Isshin asked from behind him.

Thanks to the Byakugan, Neji could see Squad Ten's Third Seat slightly further up the slope despite not turning his head around. More importantly, he could feel the Soul Reaper's spiritual pressure still climbing after releasing his Shikai. Though his expression was impassive, Neji inwardly marveled at the power he sensed within Isshin and his Zanpakutō, that he saw circulating through man and sword alike. If Neji hadn't known his rank prior, he could've easily mistaken the man as being a powerful Lieutenant at the very least, but even that felt like an understatement. Just how much raw energy did he possess?

If he survives this war, Neji thought, then his future growth could be astronomical… Captaincy's all but assured…

…and Soul King help us all if this man ever has kids.

"Hyūga?" Isshin pressed.

Neji pointed at a section of slope just a few hundred meters ahead, which the ground disturbance and the beast causing it were both rapidly approaching. "Aim there, and don't hold back!"

Isshin grinned as he leapt into the air, raising his sword with both hands, and Neji felt his already-formidable spiritual pressure spike dramatically. "Now you're speaking my language. Getsuga Tenshō!"

The air became almost oppressive with his power, and a wave of heat surged as Isshin's Shikai became wreathed in fiery energy. He swung his sword downward a moment later, and a blast of light ripped forth. It slammed into the mountain side, sending chunks of rocky flying everywhere. Amidst the roaring explosion, Neji heard a hellish snarling, and the slope trembled. Beneath the blindfold, his eyes widened.

"Scatter!" he shouted.

As he and his various comrades dispersed via Flash Step, Neji saw a dark grey-scaled head thrust up from below, propelling earthen detritus all over the slope. What immediately caught the former Shinobi's attention was how much thicker this creature's head and neck were compared to the drakes and dragons he'd seen so far in the war; the beast really was more akin to a serpent with limbs rather than a traditional dragon. Ceremonial black cloth with white eye markings was tied across where the creature's eyes should've been, and above its gaping maw was a blunted cone-like protrusion. Neji first thought it was a giant horn, but upon closer inspection, he realized that he'd missed the mark; it was more like the creature's entire forehead was jutting forward, capped in scales that looked thicker than the heaviest plate armor. Upon closer inspection of the forehead, Neji was surprised to realize that the beast was concentrating significant spirit energy there, to the point that it formed a barrier that could not just pummel through a damn mountain, but could likely tank significant attacks.

Visaelya said that dragons were intelligent, Neji thought, but smart enough to manipulate spirit energy to this extent? I guess denying them their sight and the sky forced radical mental adaptation alongside the physiological.

It was fortunate that Neji and the others had already scattered, for the beast let forth a wide plume of flames as soon as it emerged. They flooded across the mountainside, licking at Neji's heels as he frantically Flash Stepped to stay ahead of them. As he and the others were avoiding the flames, Neji almost missed the beast diving back below ground again, sending forth a fresh geyser of stone in the process. While it did so, Neji caught a glimpse of the rider on its back. Positioned just back from where the dragon's head connected to its neck, they were situated in an elaborate harness that had a shell-like barrier rising from the front before curving back, meant to protect the rider from the inevitable stones thrown back by the creature's tunneling. He saw what looked like a longsword at the rider's hip, but no other visible weapons. Then again, it wasn't like they needed much by way of armaments when the very creature they rode was a potent weapon.

A well-protected one, too, Neji thought as he studied the length of the beast, Shiba's Shikai didn't even slow it down.

Squad Ten's Third Seat had noticed the same without the Byakugan's aid. "Damn it. Barely even scratched the bastard!"

"Keep moving!" Neji ordered as he Flash Stepped across the slope, "We need to get ahead of it."

"Then what?" Xiuying asked while frantically trying to keep up with him, "Where do we hit this thing at?"

"The rider's the obvious target," Kameko noted from Neji's left, "but she's not exposed for long, and even when she is, her armor has few weaknesses."

"Distract it so I can get on its back!" Isshin shouted, "That rider's armor won't be any good against my Shikai at point-blank range."

Neji liked the idea, but there was a problem; the Blind Dragon and its rider now appeared to consider Isshin their top priority target. The creature was not even bothering to tunnel now, moving incredibly fast as it clawed and bashed through the surface stone and earth. Despite being long enough to pass for one of Manda's lesser kin while also thick enough to put the oldest and mightiest of trees to shame, the beast was astoundingly agile now that it was in the open. Its spade-clawed forelimbs moved in a blur, almost appearing to drag the creature's great mass around, while its rear legs kicked and stomped to pick up the slack. The beast twisted and rolled at the drop of a hat, and right now it was obsessed with keeping its head lined up with Isshin.

This thing lacks eyes, so that's one less chink in its armor for us to exploit, Neji thought as he ducked beneath flying debris, but what's that leave us with?

He was hoping that Shisui and Visaelya would be returning; their abilities and skills could turn the situation around. However, a chorus of distant-yet-closing roars and shrieks coming from the southeast shot down that notion. Quickly glancing in that direction, Neji could see at least four more drakes closing in. Shisui and Visaelya were already moving to intercept them. It was the right call, but it meant that Neji and the others would have to do without their help until they neutralized the reinforcements.

"Third Seat Shiba, move!" Xiuying cried out.

Neji's blood chilled when he saw that the Blind Dragon's head was raised, its mouth gaping. He could see the volatile fuel sacks within the beast pulse as fluid mixed with spirit energy flowed, and Neji knew what was coming. Sure enough, a thick column of flame spewed forth, heading straight for Isshin. Instead of evading, though, Isshin simply raised his Zanpakutō, and Neji once more felt his formidable spiritual pressure spike.

"Getsuga Tenshō!" Isshin roared.

His sword was once again wreathed in fiery energy, and it ripped forth like a comet. The wave of power met the Blind Dragon's flames head-on, and the night sky was briefly illuminated by a second sun in the ensuing explosion. Yet beast and rider alike did not relent, continuing to focus solely on Isshin.

To the exclusion of all other targets, Neji realized as he watched the creature's thick body leap into the air before crashing to the ground after its claws and fangs failed to reach Isshin, which is our opening.

"Shiba, keep it on you!" Neji shouted, "Xiuying, Kameko, with me!"

He Flash Stepped up the slope, with the two women hot on his heels. Neji feared Isshin would believe that they were abandoning him, even though that was not the case here; he simply needed a bit of space so he could speak to Xiuying and Kameko without beast or rider overhearing them, no small task given how sharp their hearing undoubtedly was. Luckily for him, Isshin appeared focused solely on the task at hand. He began leading the beast on a merry chase westward, letting fly with fresh energy blasts from his Shikai to ensure that the Blind Dragon continued perceiving him as the biggest threat. In terms of raw power, Isshin certainly qualified as that.

Xiuying grabbed Neji's shoulder after the three of them ducked behind an outcropping. "What are we doing? We can't leave him!"

"Calm yourself, girl," Kameko chided, gazing intently at Neji, "We're not fleeing, right?"

Neji nodded. "Right. I have an idea, but we can't risk the enemy overhearing us."

Xiuying calmed down upon hearing that. "Oh… I see. Sorry, I…"

"Don't worry about it," Neji interjected, "The Blind Dragon's focused on Third Seat Shiba because he's the one here with the strongest spiritual pressure. Let's use that. While the enemy's going after him, we'll target the rider. One of us just needs to get on the beast's back, and we can take them out."

"It should be you," Kameko said, "Your abilities are best suited for finding gaps in the rider's armor."

Xiuying nodded emphatically. "She's right, Neji. Kameko and I can go in first as feints, then you make your move. I think that's the best way to pull this off."

Neji agreed, but he had his reservations. "Alright. Just be careful. Don't take this thing lightly just because it's focusing on Shiba."

The two women nodded in silent unison, then the three of them rushed back into the fray.

….

Another blast of fire ripped forth from the Blind Dragon, and Isshin did not have another Getsuga Tenshō at the ready for his response. That was fine, though; the Third Seat had more than one tool in his arsenal to counter this attack.

He held his Zanpakutō in a horizontal blocking motion. "Bakudō 39: Enkōsen!"

A spinning disk of yellow energy materialized, blunting the fiery column, and sending flames splashing outwards. They licked at Isshin's arms and legs, but he was already on the move, Flash Stepping westwards along the slope. The beast was hot on his heals, throwing chunks of stone at him as it plowed through the mountainside as if it were made of paper.

Isshin chuckled as the merry chase played out. "You really want to make a meal out of me, eh? Hate to break it to you, but you'll get nothing but heartburn from me!"

Beast and rider alike took exception to his words, for another chunk of stone flew at him faster than those before. Isshin evaded, but the stone's impact with the slope was so powerful that it kicked up smaller rocks and sent them flying like shrapnel. Several of them sliced through his robes, eliciting cuts along his arms and legs. Fortunately, they were shallow and stung more than anything else. More importantly, the blood trickling out of them actually had a use with Isshin's Shikai.

Isshin smirked as he wiped his left hand over his right arm, making sure to cup as much blood as he could in his palm. "You'll regret that."

He raised the hand to his mouth, taking in the blood before spitting it back out. The bloody spittle landed on his sword, and a river of fire to rival that of the Drakken Clan's most powerful dragons spewed out across the mountainside. As luck would have it, the Blind Dragon's mouth was open, undoubtedly in preparation to send forth a wave of its own fire. The beast wound up swallowing Isshin's instead, resulting in a chorus of guttural coughing sounds mixed with furious roars.

"Wasn't lying about the heartburn!" he taunted.

His smirk quickly vanished as the beast lunged at him, its forward claws coming together in a scissoring motion. Only a Flash Step saved Isshin from being cut clean in half, and another one immediately afterwards saved him from the river of fire that the beast unleashed as a follow-up attack.

This thing doesn't let up, he thought, I can outrun it, but then it'll go after the others, and we need to take it out here. Not sure if I can do it alone, though. Hyūga, wherever you took the ladies to, I'd really appreciate it if you came back here with them right about now!

As if summoned by his mind, Isshin suddenly saw a black blur out of the corner of his right eye. He then spotted another one to the left. Surreptitiously tracking them both, Isshin realized that they were trying to flank the Blind Dragon from both sides. Their spiritual pressure was suppressed, but the faint hints he could pick up were enough to identify them as Xiuying and Kameko. Even fainter was Neji, lurking in the background. Isshin supposed that meant the young man had finally come up with a plan. Since he'd received no new instructions, Isshin assumed he was supposed to keep playing the role of bait until his comrades made their move.

Isshin could only hope that whatever plan Neji had cooked up was a good one, and that it would be enacted before he got cooked by the Blind Dragon.

….

"If your comrade is being defeated, you should see it as an opportunity. Rather than standing in the way, you should stab the enemy in the back. And if the enemy is so far above your level that you cannot even manage that, then you should let your comrade die. That is the way of the Stealth Force."

Those were words that Soi-Fon had spoken to Neji and the other graduates of his year who had joined that unit or Squad Two during their orientation. They were cold and ruthless; Neji knew that Might Guy and the rest of his old team would have rejected them out of hand, as would the other Shinobi that he had become dear friends with during his first life. However, the underlying logic had informed his plan to a degree. Neji had no intention of sacrificing Xiuying, Kameko, or anyone else if he could help it, but the fact remained that he was very much using them all to create the sort of opportunity Soi-Fon had referred to.

While Isshin continued facing the Blind Dragon head-on, Xiuying and Kameko had used that distraction to set up their impending pincer attack. Now they were shadows racing alongside the beast, swiftly-yet-carefully closing in. The Blind Dragon had to be aware of their presence; no matter how lightly they stepped, they were near enough that the beast almost certainly could detect even their faint vibrations and soft breathing. It was still focusing on Isshin because of his overwhelming spiritual pressure compared to anyone else in the area, but that made it no less dangerous to everyone else. Yet while Xiuying and Kameko were using Isshin as a distraction, both had at the same time consented to being used in the same manner by Neji himself. He almost hated himself for coming up with such a plan, but he could not think of any alternative.

Don't be reckless, he silently prayed as he watched Xiuying and Kameko draw ever nearer towards the beast, just feint and pull back.

The beast raised its head, letting fly with another column of flame aimed at Isshin. As Squad Ten's Third Seat met the flames head-on with another blast from his Shikai, Xiuying and Kameko moved in. However, just because the Blind Dragon had attacked Isshin didn't mean it was ignorant of the two women flanking it. In a blur, its spade-like claws dug into the ground, sending giant chunks of stone flying to both sides. Kameko reacted immediately, diving to the ground and letting the stones soar overhead. Xiuying attempted to do the same, but she was a hairs-breadth slower than the older yet more experienced Kameko. A large rock caught her in the gut, sent her flying back…

…causing her to hit a stone outcropping headfirst.

Neji did not need to sense her spiritual pressure flatlining to know that the blow was fatal; the angle of impact combined with the speed and the sickening snap that had sounded more than sufficed. Shock, sorrow, and fury all swelled up within him, and it took monumental effort for Neji to force them back down. The time to grieve and mourn would come later.

All he could do now was exploit an opportunity, complete the mission, and avenge his friend's death.

….

One down, thought Malaesa, I'd best get another quickly before reinforcements show up.

From what she could sense, Malaesa knew that she did not have much time. Her keen ears could pick up the shrieks of distant drakes falling from the sky despite the cacophony roaring around her courtesy of Nyrax plowing his way through the mountainside and spewing fire at Third Seat Shiba. The aerial support she needed was getting picked off one beast at a time in quick succession by a pair of Soul Reapers who were clearly well-versed in anti-drake combat. The spiritual pressure of one struck her as vaguely familiar, and Malaesa assumed it was the Drakken Clan's traitorous daughter; no other members of her overlord's family had stuck with the Soul Society following the Battle of the Estates, after all.

"The other flanker," she growled while patting her mount's rough hide, "You know what to do, old boy."

As Nyrax spat out a fireball at Shiba, his claws dug into the ground and once again sent chunks of the mountainside flying everywhere. Malaesa smirked in satisfaction as she heard an elderly female voice cry out in pain, and she heard a thud as she hit the ground. She could still sense the Soul Reaper's spiritual pressure, but that energy signature was no longer moving; whatever wound they had suffered must have been severe. Now that this enemy was immobilized, Malaesa and Nyrax could focus on Shiba.

That was when Malaesa hear a tiny, almost imperceptible sound; another set of footsteps.

Footsteps on Nyrax's back.

If she had still possessed working eyes, they would have been wider than dinner plates. Instead, an electric chill passed through her body as she recognized her peril. She could now detect another spiritual pressure signature; one she had missed before. Nyrax sensed it too, for he suddenly began to thrash and shake to dislodge this bold newcomer.

It was already too late. In the second between detection and reaction, the newcomer had closed the remaining distance with a Flash Step; he was right behind Malaesa now. Both her hands were still tightly gripping the reins, and while Malaesa quickly let go with her right hand to reach for the sword strapped to her hip, she heard the scraping of metal-on-metal as the mystery Soul Reaper's blade slipped through the seam in her armor at the back of her neck.

Then cool steel plunged into flesh and bone.

….

One target down, Neji thought as he pulled his sword out of the dead rider's neck, and one much bigger target to go.

He just so happened to be on top of that bigger target, but that was just as much curse as blessing. Neji had killed the Blind Dragon's rider, and the psychic backlash from her death had sent the beast into a wild rampage. It was thrashing about, sending chunks of mountainside everywhere while it tried to twist its head back far enough to get a clear shot at Neji with its flames. Several fireballs had already flown past him, and the beast was shaking with incredible violence, but Neji had hastily seized the harness, uncomfortably occupying it along with the rider's corpse. As it was secured close to the back of the Blind Dragon's head, it was quite difficult for the beast to attack Neji. However, once the creature calmed down and regained its wits, all it had to do was start burrowing, or simply roll over, and Neji would easily be dislodged or outright crushed.

The veins around his eyes throbbed as he intently studied the beast up close with the Byakugan, desperate to find a vulnerability. Looking down, Neji was surprised to find that several of the creature's energy pathways came together in a sort of bundle just below the harness, with only scales protecting it. Gripping one of the reins in his left hand, Neji shifted position so he could thrust down with his Zanpakutō. His sword briefly found purchase, but then it slid to the side; he'd done nothing more than leave a slight scratch. Even at this relative weak point, the creature's hide was just too tough for Neji's sword.

Too tough for mine, he mused as his eyes found Isshin, but not for his if I can get him an opening.

"Shiba!" he called out, desperately hoping Isshin could hear him above the Blind Dragon's furious roars and the cracking of stone.

Fortunately, with the creature now in a frenzy, it was not focused on attacking Isshin, and he had already shifted from frantic evasion to the offensive. He was Flash Stepping in, and Neji waved him down, gesturing with his sword to the point he had stabbed at beneath the harness. Squad Ten's Third Seat immediately took the hint, so Neji wasted no time in freeing himself from the harness and leaping clear. Sensing his footsteps nearby, the Blind Dragon swiftly rounded on him, its maw widening, throat glowing bright orange.

His latest Flash Step landing him atop the harness, Isshin raised his blade, and Neji could sense that the veteran Soul Reaper was putting every ounce of power he had into the coming blow. "Getsuga Tenshō!"

He swung the blade down, sword and energy blast both carving into the back of the Blind Dragon's neck. Where Neji's thrust had barely even left a mark, Isshin's strike cut deep. A fountain of blood and a sickly black substance fountained forth, and the beast roared in agony. It thrashed again, throwing Isshin off, and Neji briefly feared that he would be crushed by the massive creature. However, that thrashing turned out to be the beast's death spasms, as soon slumped down into the furrow it had dug on the mountainside, a last guttural grown and tongues of flame slipping through its teeth. It was only now that Neji could fully appreciate the might of Isshin's attack; his sword and the energy blast unleashed from it had cut so far into the Blind Dragon's neck that Neji could see bone. The lifeless creature's head was hanging on by the spinal column and seared strips of flesh.

"It's done, then," Isshin remarked with a weary sigh as he sealed and sheathed his sword.

Neji looked around, allowing himself to relax once he was sure that no other hostiles were approaching. "For now."

He first went over to Kameko. Thankfully, the old Stealth Force member's wound wasn't as bad as Neji had feared. Her left leg was broken below the knee. She was out for the rest of the operation, but she would live, and the injury would mend with proper treatment and time.

So, it was with a heavy heart that Neji went over to where Xiuying had fallen. Her body was face down, so Neji gently rolled her over, shutting her lifeless eyes. He knelt beside her for a long moment, barely registering Shisui and Visaelya's arrival behind him via Flash Step several seconds later.

Isshin joined them, dropping to one knee at Neji's side. "She did her duty… and did it well. There's nothing you could've done."

"Neji… I'm sorry," Visaelya said softly, bowing her head.

Shisui's shoulders sagged. "So am I. If we'd been able to take out the reinforcements quicker…"

Neji grunted but said nothing. He knew Isshin was right, but still, looking down at the corpse of his friend, knowing she'd perished taking part in the plan he'd devised, he felt as if the combined mass of Rock Lee and Might Guy's training weights had suddenly been dropped on his shoulders.

Eventually, Shisui cleared his throat. "We'll come back for her. Right now, we need to get moving. Aika will take Kameko back to the encampment for treatment. The rest of us have to carry on with the mission."

Visaelya placed a hand on Neji's shoulder. "Come on, Neji."

Neji stood and turned, but cast one last look over his shoulder at Xiuying's body. His mind's eye kept trying to place Tenten in her place, but Neji forced it back. Whatever their superficial similarities, Xiuying and Tenten were each their own person. He owed it to both his friends to respect their memories, not treat one as a substitute for another.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered.

Then he and the others Flash Stepped away, off to continue the night of carnage.

….

Leaning low and pressing herself against the back of her drake's neck, Lieutenant Naelanla Lenaeris could feel her heart hammering so hard it was a miracle that it had not pounded through her chest and against her armor. Her black hair, normally worn long, was tied in a simple ponytail, and tucked away in her serpent-head helm, while the violet eyes that marked her as a bastard child of one of the Drakken Clan's branch families were narrowed as she focused on the flash of white lightning ahead. A member of Lord Aeganor's personal guard, she had taken point in a broad, loose formation consisting of The Golden Fury and no less than twenty drakes. It might have seemed like overkill, especially since they were going after what was undoubtedly the enemy's vanguard rather than their main force, but the very fact that Captain Shihōin's Shikai had been detected meant Naelanla's master could not pull his punches.

Remember the plan, she told herself, tightening the grip on the two-pronged polearm in her right hand, Captain Shihōin is to be surrounded and dealt with through overwhelming force. Once we've slain her, we go after the others, then wheel around and return to the fortress; the enemy's main force is undoubtedly marching towards it even now.

A gift she'd received with reverence upon her acceptance into Lord Aeganor's guard, the bident was a Spirit Weapon from the Baraeris family's arsenal. The handle was plain black, but the twin prongs themselves had glowing orange-red runes wrapping around them. Its own energy synched with Naelanla, the bident would let out twin streams of fire when she focused and aimed. The weapon was quite useful for a drake rider, allowing its user to augment her mounts flames with more from another angle. She wasn't the only one armed with this type of weapon; nine more of her fellow riders were equipped with it.

"Come on, boy," she murmured to Myrax, her faithful brown-grey scaled mount, "I know you're nervous, but we have a job to do. Don't worry, we're not alone."

The male drake glanced back towards her, his bright yellow eyes wide as he mewled in concern. Naelanla could hardly blame him; she could sense the spiritual pressure signatures ahead just as well as him. Captain Shihōin alone was a formidable foe, and from Naelanla could detect, she likely had the most powerful of Squad Two's officers with her. Even if everything went according to plan, losses amongst the drake riders would likely be considerable.

The formation was spread in a wide inverted arc, with the intent of minimizing how many could get hit from a single attack from Captain Shihōin. Naelanla and seven other drake riders loosely made up the forward rank, with Lord Aeganor and half a dozen drakes in the center while the rest were towards the rear. Altitudes were varying, giving the formation a layered look depending on the viewing angle. The outer arms of the arc were already stretching forward as the flight leaders on the flanks set up for the planned envelopment attack. They were rapidly closing with the enemy, prompting Naelanla to raise the bident in her right hand and begin focusing her spirit energy, priming it for fire while using her left hand to adjust Myrax's heading.

"Contact incoming!" another rider called out to her right.

Naelanla blinked in confusion before spotting a black blur leaping high into the air. The Soul Reaper that blur represented came to the end of their Flash Step right in front of Naelanla, and she could not believe their audacity. She expected an officer of Squad Two to be cunning and sneaky, not to charge an enemy's formation head on. Did the raven-haired young man she saw before her have a death wish?

"Idiot!" she cackled despite her earlier nerves, taking aim with her bident while Myrax prepared to douse the Soul Reaper in a stream of flames, "You're completely surrounded!"

The raven-haired Soul Reaper raised his head, and Naelanla's spine went cold as she saw his onyx eyes become scarlet beacons. The glowing sheath on the sword in his right hand then fell towards the ground, revealing a black sword with a blazing hot red line running down the middle…

... and then a tsunami of crimson firebirds flooded the sky.

Naelanla's vision became filled with bloodred flames as she and Myrax cry out in panic, and then both drake and rider were silenced forever.

….

Ever since the War of the Principalities had begun, every Soul Reaper, regardless of the side they were on, had sought to further hone their abilities, to reach new heights of power and skill in the service of their side. Itachi had been no exception, and one of the abilities he'd sought to test was just how long he could keep contained the energy of his Shikai, and to find out just how powerful it would be once let loose. When Kisuke's specialized sheath had fallen away from the black blade of Jigoku no Joō, Itachi got his answer. As the spirit of his Zanpakutō shrieked every curse Itachi knew, and quite a few that he could not recall ever learning, a flood of no less than three million of his Shikai's signature scarlet firebirds ripped forth from the gap in his blade all at once.

In the blink of an eye, they had spread to encompass the width of the Sunkissed Pass, surging westward as a gigantic, roiling storm of flaming avians. The drake and rider closest to him, along with three others, were reduced to charred figures falling from the sky within seconds. Those further away were more fortunate as the swarm of firebirds spread out, their Spirit Armor saving them from immediate death while their mounts flapped furiously to stave off whatever flaming crows they could, or folded their necks down to take the flaming crows on their hides, while The Golden Fury herself was only irritated at best by the onslaught. That so few had been outright killed by the attack was no concern; Itachi's true purpose in building up and unleashing all those flaming crows had been to engulf the entire formation, obscuring their vision, and disorienting them, and that objective was accomplished. Confused cries from riders and beasts alike rang out in the night, confirming to Itachi that the first phase of his plan had succeeded.

Landing on the falling corpse of the lead drake, Itachi Flash Stepped off the dead creature's back, propelling himself into the heart of the confused formation. Lord Aeganor and The Golden Fury were in his sights, and the next phase of his plan was underway.

….

A common misconception among outsiders was that dragon and drake riders, Drakken Clan members or otherwise, did not fear fire. At first glance, this was understandable; the Drakken Clan and their vassals commanded beasts whose signature weapon was the flames they breathed rather than claws or fangs, so why should they fear the inferno when it served them? While there would always be some fools among the Drakken Clan and its various branch families who seemingly went out of their way to embody that fearlessness, the truth of the matter was that any intelligent, or simply sane, dragon or drake rider had a very healthy fear of their mount's fire breath. To command such power came with the knowledge that its misuse could easily cause death or lifelong injuries to anyone around them, and flames did not discriminate once they were let loose.

Therefore, it was only natural that the overwhelming initial reaction to the massive swarm of crimson firebirds that had suddenly materialized from the Soul Reaper who had so brazenly leapt in front of Lord Aeganor's formation was not one of fearless bravado, but of bewilderment and panic. Lord Aeganor himself was no exception; though he was among the more cool-headed of the East's dragon riders, even he was taken aback by the sudden flood of flaming avians filling the sky, engulfing himself and his comrades. Even the knowledge that his Spirit Armor excelled at dealing with fire attacks did not provide much comfort, for even the most well-crafted and potent protection had its limits.

However, after realizing a second later that he was still very much alive, Lord Aeganor's composure was reasserted. Having previously shielded his eyes on instinct, Lord Aeganor opened them and surveyed his surroundings. He could not see much; the sky was filled with those damnable flaming crows. Hearing was not much better thanks to the cacophonous roars of drakes and Baesella. Focusing instead on his sense for spiritual pressure, Lord Aeganor was somewhat surprised to find that the bulk of his formation was still alive.

The ones who perished were closest to the source, he thought, where the birds were initially concentrated. Now that they've spread out, though, their power is diluted. The damn heat's stifling, but survivable.

He was about to start calling out orders when Aeganor caught a glimpse of a black blur. There was a combined cry and shriek as another drake and its rider were slain, and Aeganor immediately knew the culprit was the same Soul Reaper who had unleashed this storm of fire that his formation was now caught in.

"Bold one," he muttered with begrudging respect as he nudged Baesella in the Soul Reaper's direction, "Let's make him pay for his audacity, girl."

As The Golden Fury surged forward, Aeganor released the reins and drew the bow slung on his back. It was a Spirit Weapon, one that enshrouded any arrow knocked in energy. It took considerable strength to draw, but it could send arrows flying faster than anything short of a Quincy's energy bow. Eyes narrowing behind his helm, he peered through the swirling currents of scarlet firebirds. He soon caught a glimpse of the black blur again, and this time Aeganor could've sworn he saw two pinpricks of red light shining where the Soul Reaper's eyes should be. Aeganor dismissed it as merely stray sparks or flames and let fly with his first arrow, the projectile glowing with white energy as it raced across the sky. His first shot missed, sailing over the Soul Reaper's head by a margin of half a meter. It was not bad for a ranging shot, and now Aeganor knew how much he had to adjust.

"Drive him left," Aeganor ordered Baesella as he grabbed another arrow, "We'll get him this time."

Baesella eagerly obliged, enthusiastically roaring as she let loose a blazing river of death. She swept her head to the left as she spewed out fire, and the targeted Soul Reaper moved just as Aeganor had hoped. Smirking, he let fly with a second arrow…

…only to watch in complete bafflement as the Soul Reaper dissolved into black feathers.

"What in the…" Aeganor murmured.

There was another black blur out of the corner of his eye, closer this time. In fact, it was so close that Aeganor could hear the Soul Reaper speaking.

"Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy."

Aeganor's blood chilled as he recognized the words, and he immediately nocked and loosed another arrow. Just like before, the Soul Reaper dissolved as the arrow hit, like a desert mirage upon close contact.

"Boil forth and deny. Grow numb and flicker."

"Bring him down, girl!" Aeganor barked while drawing another arrow, "Now!"

"Disrupt sleep. Crawling queen of iron."

The words seemed to be coming from all around Aeganor and Baesella now. The normally-cool and collected lord was now loosing arrows with increasing franticness, while The Golden Fury was spewing out fire everywhere she could. Yet every time one of them thought they had the Soul Reaper dead to rights, the raven-haired man would simply dissolve before reappearing elsewhere, and the incantation continued.

"Eternally self-destructing doll of mud. Unite. Repulse."

Outright desperate, Aeganor began nocking two arrows at once. Both found their mark, only for the target to once again vanish before popping up even closer. Baesella now added her teeth and claws to the equation, lunging wherever the Soul Reaper appeared, only to bite and slash through empty air.

"Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness."

Then the Soul Reaper appeared overhead. Aeganor frantically nocked three arrows, but even as he did so, in his gut he knew that it was already too late.

"Hadō 90: Kurohitsugi."

Lord Aeganor suddenly felt himself sag down against Baesella, as if his body had become several times heavier. Around The Golden Fury and her rider, a towering box of black and purple energy assembled itself, trapping man and beast inside. Aeganor's last sight of the world outside before the box completely sealed was the Soul Reaper, now mere meters away, both of his eyes glowing bright crimson as three black tomoe orbited around the pupil.

Then, out of that encompassing darkness came lances of energy that punched through Aeganor's armor like it was tissue paper. There was a moment of overwhelming pain, and then the dragon lord's agony was ended forever.

….

That's got to be The Golden Fury, Yoruichi thought with a small smile as she heard a furious roar while racing along the ground beneath the firebird-engulfed formation, Itachi got Lord Aeganor, then. Good. We're right on schedule. Now it's my turn!

Itachi surrounding the dragon and drake riders with the power of his Shikai had given perfect cover for Yoruichi and the others to move into position. Now, she and several of Squad Two's officers were below the formation, ready to strike while the enemy was still confused and disorganized. There was a considerable gap between Yoruichi and the rest of her subordinates, and not just because she was faster than them; she wanted them well clear of her to avoid friendly casualties.

Licking her lips, she Flash Stepped into the air. She caught a brief glimpse of Itachi through the swarms of firebirds; he had moved on towards the rear of the enemy's formation, just as planned. Checking her own position, she saw that she was in the center, with the grieving and raging Baesella just above her. The Golden Fury was turning around to pursue Itachi, her rider's lifeless body still strapped into the harness on her back. Yoruichi was somewhat surprised to see cuts in the dragon's hide, blood seeping between the scales. She knew just how powerful Kurohitsugi was, but dragons could tank even the mightiest of spells from a single caster. Itachi had undoubtedly put every bit of energy he could into it. When that was combined with the massive attack he had unleashed upon the formation, Yoruichi suspected that her Eighth Seat was probably winded. That he was still up and fighting was testament to his tenacity and dedication to duty, but he would undoubtedly need a chance to catch his breath soon.

"Time for me to finish the job," she whispered as the air around her crackled with white energy, "Bankai."

It was as if a bomb of white lightning had exploded in the center of the formation. The chains wrapped around Yoruichi's gauntlets unfurled upon Kaminari Otome no Seinaru Arashi's activation, sending bolts of energy flying in all directions. Joined by lightning bolts racing from the chains anchored to gleaming clawed boots, the display was as dazzling as it was deadly. A fresh chorus of screams from drakes and riders alike rang out, with three of the winged beasts falling from the sky as white energy coursed across their bodies, jerking and spasming before they hit the ground and crumpled into lifelessness. Baesella roared as several of the bolts struck her wings, but The Golden Fury was still single-mindedly pursuing the Soul Reaper who had slain her rider.

"Oh no, you don't," Yoruichi growled, "I'm your dance partner now!"

She latched herself onto the dragon's left leg, digging her claws into The Golden Fury's scales and pumping her Bankai's lightning into the creature. The beast thrashed about in the air, spiraling towards the ground as it finally recognized its peril. Yoruichi raced up the creature's side, and in the blink of an eye she was on the dragon's back. A Flash Step later put her atop Baesella's head, and she plunged both gauntlets into the beast's right eye. She poured her energy into the creature's skull while her chains wrapped around Baesella's face and mouth. Its spiritual pressure flatlined a few seconds later, with Yoruichi leaping clear seconds before the giant, jerking carcass hit the ground.

There was no time to savor the triumph; Itachi's giant swarm of firebirds was now spread too thin, with increasingly large gaps appearing. While the surviving drakes were scattered, they were still dangerous. As she Flash Stepped back into the air, Yoruichi saw that the remaining riders gradually begin converging into a few smaller formations as the fallen Lord Aeganor's subordinates attempted to regain control over the situation. Yoruichi went after the closest one, unleashing a storm of ivory lightning that sent another three drakes and their riders plummeting.

While she dominated the center of the clash, Yoruichi's subordinates had fanned out to attack from the periphery. Most prominent among them was Kisuke, who had taken up position towards the northern edge of the pass. The ten spears of pink light that were Senju Kōten Taihō surrounded him, and he sent them forth a second later, with three punching clean through one drake's wings and neck while four more pulverized another. Some officers followed Kisuke's lead in firing off spells of their own, while others like Mikoto moved in closer to attack with their Zanpakutō. Meanwhile, back at the rear of the formation, Itachi was sending forth freshly-generated crimson firebirds in smaller flocks to harass the remaining drake riders, making them easier for his comrades to target.

The tide had decisively turned against the surviving drake riders, but even as they were assailed by spells and Shikai, they were determined to go down fighting. The winged reptiles swooped low over the Sunkissed Pass's floor, maws gaping as they loosed streams of fire that sent Soul Reapers scattering via Flash Step. Most immediately raced back to the sky so they could come around for another pass, but a few were so worked up in a frenzy that they went even lower, attacking the Soul Reapers with their teeth and claws. Those that did so naturally made themselves prime targets for Squad Two's officers to finish off, but their bestial rage made them even more dangerous.

One of those beasts was being attacked by Mikoto, Soi-Fon, and Katya. While Mikoto had twin strands of violet fire from her Shikai wrapped around the drake's neck and left wing, Katya was coming in from the right, Shimo No Hebi thrusting forward as she attempted to coat its right wing in frost while Soi-Fon moved to attack the rider from the rear. Unfortunately, the drake could still move its head despite Mikoto's best efforts, and as Katya's spear hit its wing, the beast engulfed her with a fireball. Soi-Fon killed rider and beast alike seconds later, but it was already too late for Squad Two's Sixth Seat, who had been reduced to a charred husk.

"Damn it!" Yoruichi hissed as she Flash Stepped towards another formation of three, bolts of white lightning flashing forth from her gauntlets and chains.

Between Yoruichi frying everything in range of her Bankai and the combined Kidō and Shikai attacks from her subordinates, the remnants of Lord Aeganor's formation were decisively routed. A few minutes later, two battered survivors were retreating westwards, leaving the bodies of their comrades behind on the Sunkissed Pass's floor. Yoruichi sealed her Zanpakutō as she regrouped with her officers. Apart from the unlucky Katya, there had been no other fatalities, though several Soul Reapers were sporting minor burns or other injuries.

Would've been a lot worse without Itachi distracting the enemy, Yoruichi thought as she saw the remnants of her Eighth Seat's massive surprise attack burn themselves out in the night sky, I just hope he's in shape to keep fighting. Between that attack and Hadō 90, that was a lot of energy he just spent…

She got her answer when Itachi joined the formation a moment later. It was a relief to see him still on his feet, though Yoruichi immediately noted his labored breathing. The two shared a brief look, with Itachi giving her a small nod; he seemed confident that he could continue fighting. Yoruichi remained concerned, but she consoled herself with the fact that Itachi's hardest part of the battle was now over. He could hang back and use his Shikai as a support weapon from here on out, regaining some energy in the process.

"I'd call our diversionary operation a success, Lady Yoruichi," Soi-Fon said before gesturing to the west, "Shall we join the main force now?"

Yoruichi nodded, sparing a glance to where Katya's burned body lay. "Yeah… our job's not over yet."

I'm sorry, she silently added out of respect for her fallen comrade, Katya… you did your duty well. We'll carry on from here.

A moment later, the Soul Reapers became blurs as they Flash Stepped westwards to join the larger battle.

….

Ever since she had left the Kidō Corps in pursuit of a bigger and better boom, Kūkaku Shiba had worked tirelessly on all things pyrotechnic. Her long years of labor had resulted in the finest fireworks to be found anywhere in the Soul Society, and with that had come a wide array of launchers for her precious explosive babies. While her work had first and foremost been centered around creating art and entertainment for the wealthy and masses alike, a part of the Shiba Clan's wayward daughter had always known that her expertise could be repurposed for lethal intent.

Always wondered if the day would come when my babies would kill people on purpose instead of by accident, Kūkaku grimly mused as she examined her and Kisuke's handiwork, but I figured it'd be against Hollows or other monsters. Using them against people… well, I knew what I was signing up for when I offered Yoruichi my help back at the start of this stupid war.

Now the fruits of that labor were arrayed and ready for action. Set up in four batteries of four weapons apiece spread out on the western side of the Sunkissed Pass leading to the fortress was the Hinotama Taihō. Essentially a thick black tube slightly more than five meters in length, each Hinotama Taihō was set on a large wheeled carriage, with a lever and pully system that allowed for a degree of elevation adjustment. The ammunition for these cannons were a series of heavy translucent spheres that Kūkaku had designated as Tokubetsuna Reishi Senkō Sōchi, or Special Reishi Piercing Device. Each one would be imbued by either Kūkaku or members of the Kidō Corps with a set amount of spirit energy. Then, they'd be breech-loaded into the cannons, a feature that Kisuke had worked overtime to perfect and install, behind which another Kidō Corps member would stand and use their spirit energy to fire the weapon. Upon impact with the fortress wall and its barrier, the energy within the cannonballs would detonate, disrupting and eventually collapsing whatever defenses they hit.

That was the idea, at least. While Kūkaku had developed the weapon's initial concept back in the Rukon District, construction and testing had unfortunately taken place out in The Wild as the Soul Society's forces moved east. Kūkaku and Kisuke had worked relentlessly with the Kidō Corps to create suitable barriers for testing the cannonballs against, but while those experiments had proven invaluable in fine-tuning the ordinance and yielded impressive results, there was still a big difference between defenses created by just a group of spellcasters versus those generated by casters and purpose-built devices backed up by preexisting fortifications such as the fortress wall.

Once we got the spirit energy concentration ratios down, Kūkaku thought, the first cannonball was usually enough to instantly shatter any barrier we fired it at. The barriers used by fortresses like this one follow the same basic principles, but on a much larger scale, and they have the thick outer wall as both anchor and backstop. Concentrating our fire on a single point in the defenses and hitting with repeated volleys should ensure penetration…

…I hope.

If the planned four-battery concentrated salvos did not achieve breakthrough, then things would get dicey. Ammunition reserves for the guns were limited; mass producing cannonballs in an army on the move, one that had no prior experience with such weapons, was no small feat. Once she had gotten the formula down, Kūkaku had sent the required specifications to her family back in the Seireitei and down in the Shiba Clan Principality so they could ramp up production, but even with the family's substantial wealth now fully behind the project, shipping new cannonballs out to the front was a long process. Doing so in high quantity while maintaining build quality was a tall order.

Then there was reloading. As each cannonball had to be individually primed with the appropriate amount of spirit energy, and said energy had to be precisely allocated to avoid premature detonation, simply prepping the ordinance was a lengthy process. The cannonballs themselves were also quite large and heavy, at 635mm in diameter and weighing nearly 300kgs. Additionally, the heat generated by each shot was considerable, meaning the gun barrels needed a cooldown period, otherwise they would eventually rupture. The fastest time Kūkaku, Kisuke, and the Kidō Corps had accomplished this during testing was fifteen minutes, and that was only accomplished by sacrificing a considerable portion of the gun barrel's cooldown time, so each subsequent shot became riskier for the crew. If they resorted to such measures during tonight's battle, then there was the chance of ultimately destroying the gunbarrels before the fortress barrier and wall was breached, let alone demolishing everything beyond the defenses.

The forward ranks will have to hold if our opening barrage doesn't do the trick, she thought grimly, which means we'll be counting on you, Ukitake.

….

That was Captain Shihōin's Bankai earlier, Ukitake thought as he briefly glanced to the east, and now it's gone, but I can still sense her spiritual pressure. I suppose that means she accomplished her mission. Her group will be joining us soon, then. Good. I'll take all the help we can get over here.

Between Captain Shihōin's eastern force and the group with Isshin on the northern slope, the vanguard had done a superb job in splitting up the enemy's airborne firepower. Had they not, then Ukitake and the main army would have had a much more difficult time advancing through the western part of the Sunkissed Pass. As things stood, the combined force of Shihōin and Shiba Clan troops, Soul Reapers, Stealth Force and Kidō Corps members had made good time even with Kūkaku's new weapons in tow. A handful of drakes and several cavalry groups had attempted to stall their advance, but their response had been delayed thanks to the vanguard infiltration drawing attention eastward.

As a result, the Soul Society loyalist army was now arrayed in a broad crescent formation completely blocking the western side of the Sunkissed Pass and curving in an eastward arc. The Shiba troops comprised the forward and center ranks as their armor and shields were heavier, while Shihōin units were arrayed along the flanks and behind, the latter acting as a rapid reinforcing reserve should the front lines suffer a sudden breach. Kidō Corps members were split up with Shiba and Shihōin Clan mages across the army to provide overhead barriers, while Kūkaku's artillery batteries had their own dedicated protection units. Meanwhile, Ukitake and most of the Soul Reapers who had not joined either of the infiltration groups were spread out across the front line; they were the first response to any drakes that dared make an attack run.

They had their work cut out for them. Now that they'd drawn near enough to the fortress to begin setting up Kūkaku's artillery batteries, the defenders were fully cognizant of their peril. Whoever Lord Aeganor had left behind to oversee the defense when he'd sortied east was clearly desperate to repulse the Soul Society loyalist army quickly, for their remaining drakes were now forming up in a wedge formation flying over and ahead of the garrison force. The garrison force's cavalry and heavy infantry, the latter decked out in the scale male Spirit Armor that Drakken Clan armies were known for, were arrayed in front of the fortress wall, well under the umbrella of supporting artillery and mages stationed on the ramparts. The drakes were already nearing effective range for their fire breath, while great orbs of red and orange energy flew from the fortress behind them as the mages made their opening shots.

At the center of the vanguard, Ukitake felt less like a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and more like the player of some crazy sport as he Flash Stepped back and forth, Sōgyo no Kotowari activated and putting in work as it absorbed whatever spell from the fortress mages the Soul Reaper could intercept before blasting their energy at the enemy army formations, hoping to break them up. Most of the Soul Reapers with him were focusing on offensive spells, largely low to mid-level ones such as Byakurai and Shakkahō, filling the sky with blue and red energy as they put on a credible performance as an anti-air battery. Some of Ukitake's more powerful subordinates had their focus on the ground, firing off higher-level spells such as Haien and Raikōhō to augment Ukitake's attacks and further batter the opposing army before they could close in.

The enemy won't take this lying down, Ukitake thought as he caught yet another spell from the fortress's mages and sent it into a cluster of infantry, sending the armored troops flying as if their armor weighed nothing, Draken Clan armies are known for hyper-aggression; fighting defensively doesn't usually sit well with them. The Night of Silent Blades shocked them, but that was some time ago now. They're outnumbered considerably, yet that's never stopped them before. The drakes will be counterattacking any second now…

Sure enough, they began swooping in moments later. The great wedge-formation split up into several smaller flights of two or three drakes apiece. Despite being on the other side, Ukitake had to admire the coordination and skill of beasts and riders alike; doubtlessly maneuvers such as this one had been drilled into both over countless training flights. Picking out the closest group, Ukitake Flash Stepped into the air, interposing himself between the flight and the troops they were targeting. The lead drake rider did not seem to recognize him, for the mount sent a column of flames straight at him. Sōgyo no Kotowari did his job well, swiftly absorbing the flames through the left blade and sending them right back out the right one in a beam of orangish-red energy that pierced the drake through the neck, eliciting a gargled screeching noise as the beast plummeted to the ground.

The other two reacted swiftly, pulling up and splitting before Ukitake could strike them. He Flash Stepped after one, plunging the twin blades of his Shikai into the rider's back before decapitating the drake, but the other was still able to attack the army beyond. A stream of flames poured forth from its maw, and while the initial blast splashed against one of the Kidō Corps' barriers, the beast swept its head to the left until the inferno found the obstructions edge. Then fire flowed down into the ranks below, eliciting a chorus of agonized scream and the grisly smell of burning flesh.

Then a familiar male voice boomed out over the cacophony. "Hadō 73: Sōren Sōkatsui!"

A torrent of blue-white energy surged forth, pouring over the drake until the creature vanished from sight. When the glare cleared, Ukitake saw the beast and its rider fall from the sky, landing atop several hapless Shiba Clan soldiers. Following the spell's path, Ukitake gave a grateful nod to the man who had cast it; Kidō Corps Commander Tessai Tsukabishi.

Up and down the line, it was a similar tale; Soul Reapers and Kidō Corps members intercepting the drakes where they could, with some unfortunately slipping through to bathe the unfortunate soldiers below in flames. Still, the forward ranks largely held, with a strong shield and pike wall in place, well-prepared for a cavalry charge. Casting his gaze downrange, Ukitake could indeed see several cavalry detachments running back and forth, likely hoping to confuse the Soul Society loyalist army as to where they would eventually attack. However, the loyalist army's formation firm grip on the western floor of the Sunkissed Pass, combined with the rough terrain of the mountain slopes on the north and south sides and the great fortress itself behind them limited their maneuverability. There was no room for flanking and enveloping here, as would've been expected in a pitched field battle. The only way a massed cavalry formation could be employed on this terrain was a head-on attack, and that was only viable if the Drakken Clan's aerial assets could disrupt the loyalist army's ranks.

If The Golden Fury and the Blind Dragon were engaging here, Ukitake thought, then they'd have already opened breaches for the cavalry to exploit. Captain Shihōin's infiltration plan has already paid off; the greatest threats to our army are neutralized.

Several screeches rang out overhead. Glancing up, Ukitake saw that the drakes were regrouping, with a dozen or so rapidly gaining altitude. He immediately realized what their plan was; they were preparing to dive on either the army's middle or rear, sowing chaos and giving the cavalry an opening. It was a desperate ploy, and probably the only way they still had a chance at snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

"Tessai!" Ukitake called back, "Get your men back! Cover the middle and rear ranks!"

He saw Tessai nod in acknowledgement, but the drakes were already diving. To make matters worse, now the cavalry was charging, with infantry running behind them. At the same time, the fortress's mages were sending forth a massed barrage; the enemy was going for broke. Their risk of friendly fire was considerable under the circumstances, but no doubt a small price to pay for a chance at winning against long odds.

That was when bolts of white lighting flashed across the sky, sending two drakes plummeting as spasms wracked their bodies while the rest scattered. Ukitake was suddenly grinning from ear-to-ear as Yoruichi appeared overhead, her Shikai lighting up the night in all its glory.

"Flash Goddess, indeed!" he laughed heartily in relief, "Perfect timing, Captain Shihōin!"

….

"Cutting it awfully close there," Kūkaku muttered as she wiped anxious sweat from her brow before smiling, beholding the spectacle of Yoruichi tearing into the drakes above with her Shikai, "You just had to make an entrance, didn't you?"

While Yoruichi herself was putting on one hell of a show, she turned out to be just the tip of the reinforcements' spear. A reddish glow began growing at the eastern edge of Kūkaku's peripheral vision, and when she turned, she saw multiple clusters of flaming birds swooping in. They split up, with some harassing the remaining drake riders while others divebombed the Drakken Clan cavalry formations. Then a wave of scarlet energy swept across the ground from the southeast, and Kūkaku immediately recognized the spiritual pressure behind it as Kisuke's. Infantry fell by scores, their Spirit Armor proving little use against the might of Benihime. She caught glimpses of other Soul Reapers moving in behind Kisuke; the rest of Yoruichi's vanguard had joined the party.

At the same time, a very familiar male voice suddenly boomed out from the Sunkissed Pass's northern slope. "Getsuga Tenshō!"

Kūkaku chuckled as a veritable wall of fiery energy ripped forth, blasting into the enemy army's right flank, and utterly shattering several formations of heavy infantry. "As loud and flashy as ever, Uncle Isshin."

Satisfied that the threats to her artillery batteries were contained, she turned her attention to the weapons closest to her. The cannons were already loaded, their ammunition primed. Elevation and range were good.

She turned to the closest Kidō Corp members. "It's time. Get our firing lanes cleared. Give them thirty seconds. Staggered salvo; second battery fires ten seconds after the first, third goes five after the second. If those three don't get penetration, then the fourth fires ten seconds after third. If the first three do penetrate, then the fourth shifts fire to the citadel. Mark the first target point."

The men and women around her nodded. One man and one woman each cast the Tenteikūra spell to rapidly transmit her orders, while another fired off an orb of white light that flew downrange and splashed against the fortress's thick outer wall. It did absolutely no damage to the wall or barrier, but that was not the purpose. Instead, a strobing point of light was left behind on the wall; the perfect target marker.

Kūkaku situated herself behind one of the guns, aiming her left palm at the weapon's rear as she began concentrating her energy. Her hand began to glow with light, but she did not release it yet.

Wait the full thirty seconds, she reminded herself, fifteen… sixteen… seventeen…

It wasn't much of a window for massed ranks of troops to suddenly move, but time was of the essence. The enemy surely recognized the cannons as a threat, and even with Yoruichi and her vanguard now joining the fray to cover the sky, there was still the very real chance of drakes slipping through in a desperate attack. There was also the possibility of enemy reinforcements coming from the east. Kūkaku hoped that Yoruichi's presence here meant that no such reinforcements had been spotted, yet there was always the chance of something going wrong. The sooner that the fortress had been shattered by the artillery, the better.

Twenty-five… twenty-six… twenty-seven… twenty-eight… twenty-nine…

…thirty.

Sparks flew around Kūkaku's hand as she bellowed out the order. "First battery, fire!"

….

Perched atop a rocky outcropping on the lower part of the southern slope where he could easily direct his Shikai's firebirds from, Itachi was hardly a stranger to explosions; he had helped the Akatsuki recruit Deidara, after all, not to mention defeated him as a Hollow with Yoruichi's help years ago in a battle where the infamous mad bomber had made quite liberal use of his detonating clay. Nevertheless, the roar of Kūkaku's first cannon volley was nearly deafening to his ears despite Itachi's relative distance from the battery. By chance, he was looking in the right direction for his Sharingan to perceive the four spirit energy-imbued projectiles flash forth from the heavy guns and slam into the fortress. There was a second booming sound upon impact, along with a flash as intense as lightning. A series of ripples swept across the barrier, completely circumnavigating the fortress's protective shell in the span of seconds. At the same time, several small cracks had formed on the wall, though these went no deeper than a few centimeters.

The barrier absorbed most of the impact and spell energy, Itachi thought as he watched it all play out, but it needs time to recover. I doubt it was created with artillery like this in mind…

Ten seconds later, the next battery opened fire. This time, Itachi's gaze was already focused on the wall itself, and the quartet of cannonballs hit the same spot as the previous four. There was a second thundercrack sound and flash, but Itachi forced himself to tune those out and concentrate solely on the impact point. Another series of ripples flowed across the barrier, this time moving faster, and Itachi could perceive the energy shell's surface warp out and in as it struggled to compensate for receiving a second shock so soon after the first. At the same time, the cracks formed by the first salvo deepened and spread, forming a distinctly visible spider web-like pattern. The giant spell orbs that the Drakken Clan mages had been sending forth suddenly ceased; the casters' efforts were now focused solely on maintaining the barrier.

They're desperate, Itachi realized, which means that volley nearly did the trick. Could the next one…

Itachi was still processing things when the third battery fired. The shorter interval between it and the second meant that, despite the Drakken Clan mages' frantic efforts, the barrier was still reeling from the prior volley. With its energy already disrupted, the third salvo proved to be the straw breaking the camel's back. There was a titanic crash, and Itachi could see the fortress's shield shatter as it were made of glass. The thick wall it had been reinforcing erupted like a strange horizontally-facing volcano, sending massive chunks of stone flying, some far enough to crash against the barriers that the Kidō Corps and loyalist mages were projecting over the Soul Society's army. When the dust settled, there was a giant gaping hole in the outer wall, easily ten meters wide at least. The poor soldiers and mages who had been stationed on the ramparts were thrown every which way, landing in the courtyard, on the mountain slope, and even a few atop the citadel. Even the troops stationed outside the wall were not safe; entire formations had been knocked off their feet by the shockwave, while huge pieces of the wall had crushed scores of unlucky soldiers.

While directing his firebirds to support Yoruichi in going after the surviving drakes along with harassing ground troops to make it easier for his comrades to mop them up, Itachi saw Kūkaku's fourth gun battery open fire. This time, the cannon balls flew through the newly-opened breach and hit the citadel. While constructed of the same durable material as the outer wall, the fortress's inner sanctum lacked a spirit energy barrier of its own. As a result, when the cannonballs found their mark, the release of the spirit energy within them blew the citadel wide open. Fresh chunks of stone wall and flooring flew everywhere, with the tower itself collapsing at the mid-point as the shots had utterly obliterated its supports.

With the enemy in disarray and their fortifications compromised, the Soul Society's army advanced. Under cover from spell fire courtesy of the Kidō Corps and mages, the Soul Reapers and infantry began pushing the survivors back towards the fortress. They stopped well-short of storming it; they only needed to pin the enemy in place until Kūkaku's batteries could unleash another volley.

It would be so much better if they just surrendered, Itachi thought grimly while divebombing panicking troops with his firebirds, and perhaps they yet will… but I doubt it. Everyone knows how the Central Forty-Six deals with threats to the Soul Society and their power, whether they be internal or external. From the moment the Drakken Clan's plot was uncovered and they were driven from the Seireitei…

…there was only one way this would ever end.

….

The Battle of the Sunkissed Pass, as the night's engagement would ultimately be known to history, was essentially decided the moment The Golden Fury and the Blind Dragon were slain, with the breaching of the fortress's defenses simply hammering the point home. Once the last of the drakes lay dead on the passage's floor, the Soul Society loyalist forces spread out to cut off the fortress from all sides. Stealth Force members maintained watch over the Sunkissed Pass's eastern mouth in anticipation of hostile reinforcements, but none would ever come; the threat of the Soul Society's center army pushing on the Luminous Pass with Head Captain Yamamoto at the front ensured it. With the wall rent asunder and the citadel toppled, the remaining Drakken Clan troops retreated into the fortress catacombs and the drake warrens burrowed in the mountainside, determined to make the Soul Society loyalist engage them in a last stand of brutal close-quarters fighting.

For their part, Captains Shihōin and Ukitake offered the remaining troops a chance to surrender. When no reply came, the response was not what the defenders expected. Rather than send their men and women into the tight confines of the fortress's sublevels and caves, the Captains had most of the Soul Reapers and troops pulled back. Upon cooling and reloading, Kūkaku's cannons unleashed another barrage, blasting open the fortress grounds and exposing the catacombs beneath, which were then saturated in spells from the Kidō Corps.

As for the mountainside warrens, Captain Shihōin and her Eighth Seat attended to them personally. Their plan was simple; they waited until Itachi Uchiha had summoned a massive swarm of his Shikai's firebirds, and then he flooded the tunnels with them. Then, Captain Shihōin activated her Bankai, using its raw destructive might to collapse the mountainside atop the warrens and bury any survivors of her Eighth Seat's Shikai alive.

The Soul Society's victory that night was total. Their forces had suffered casualties but remained largely intact, while the enemy force had been slain to the last man and beast. With the way clear, the Soul Society's southern army could now proceed through the Red Cap Mountains unhindered. Reinforcements from the Shiba Clan Principality would follow as planned to secure and garrison the Sunkissed Pass while the army flooded into the east. The southern force then immediately turned north upon clearing the mountain range, threatening the Drakken Clan army in the Luminous Pass from the rear. With the Head Captain himself leading a renewed assault from the west, the insurrectionists had no choice but to abandon the jewel that was Menar Issilaya, frantically falling back east towards the next defensive line. The army in the northernmost pass quickly followed suit once word of the catastrophe reached them; the Soul Society loyalists now completely controlled the Red Cap Mountains.

The Drakken Clan Principality was now cut off completely by land, its remaining drakes and dragons now concentrated for the defense of their heartland. Regrouping once their foes had been driven back, the leaders of the Soul Society's three eastern armies convened to take stock and plot the next phase of their campaign. Reinforcements from the south and west would arrive during the coming months, while Shihōin, Shiba, and Kuchiki Clan warships would cautiously advance up along the southeastern coastline. The noose around the eastern rebels' neck tightened, while their northern allies were kept in check. The once proud dragon lords of the east now stood upon the brink of utter catastrophe.

And the worst was yet to come.

Author's Notes: Ever since Kūkaku was introduced way back in the Soul Society arc (man, I feel old typing that!), I've always wondered what her talents could do in a wartime setting, so having her and Kisuke create artillery batteries scratched a very specific itch of mine! For the size of the guns and shot, I actually took inspiration from the Ottomans' Basilic and later Dardanelles Gun, modifying the design in a few ways, the breech-loading bit being the most obvious change. Figured Kisuke would be more than capable of making something like that work considering the other inventions he comes up with over his long and colorful career. Speaking of Kūkaku, I know that the prosthetic arm is anime only and basically censorship for the stump of an arm that she had in the manga, but I'm a fan of prosthetics in general so I wanted to include it in this story.

The format in this chapter's basically what you'll see for the rest of this war arc; taking a look at the broader strategic picture before focusing on a decisive engagement, then zooming back out again at the end. The focus for this chapter and the next one, and possibly the one following depending on how it goes, is the eastern front. After that, we'll switch over to Jiraiya and the northern front.

Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to review, stay safe, and I'll see you all next time!