“There is no such thing as “truth” or “lies” in this world; there never has been. There are only plain, hard facts.” — Aizen Sōsuke.

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Itachi and Kenpachi had hypnotic grins on their faces as their swords clashed for what was the hundredth time and yet neither of them felt as if they were on the back foot.

Kenpachi overwhelmed Itachi with everything he did – every swing, every step, every clash – but Itachi maneuvered his way over the man’s intensity with instinctual skill and foresight, and aiding himself with his more dangerous techniques that threatened every inch of Kenpachi’s life whenever they burst forth.

What Itachi couldn’t know was that Kenpachi wasn’t exactly growing to a higher state of being as they clashed swords, instead he was returning to the state he once was but with a level of contentment and understanding within his soul.

The most fearsome Captain of the Gotei 13 was slowly rousing up and breaking the shackles he had once put on himself.

On the other hand, if Itachi had taken a second to look at himself, he would see that the headband around his head was gaining cracks and leaking Reiatsu.

Twirling both blades in his hands, Itachi burst into crows and blitzed Kenpachi so fast that had he been an instant slower(thanks to his bestial instincts) he would have been sliced diagonally across his torso as the crows flew past him in a blur, even with his trained eyes.

Itachi materialized behind him with Honshin now in his hands, its edge alit in black flames, that was sailing threateningly at Kenpachi’s neck.

“Yes, Itachi! Try to kill me!” The grinning mad Captain exclaimed as he turned around and hacked down with his longer sword at Itachi, foregoing his defense, and a crazed smile on his face as both blades found flesh and tore easily through it.

His overwhelming Reiatsu clamped down on Itachi’s flames as they flared across his torso but they happily devoured it, trying to burn it down to its seemingly bottomless limit, while Itachi’s wounds glowed green as he actively started healing with Kaidō.

During all this, neither of them withdrew their gaze from the other, almost absentmindedly tending to their wounds as they readied their blades into a stance.

“RARGHH!”

“Fall!”

Their Reiatsu carried their intent through freezing gusts of malefic gold and twinkling silver amidst eternal black—

“I CAN FEEL IT!”

‘I can see it!’

The same exact thoughts were birthed in their minds in different ways but with the same essence and the moment they both got it, nothing else mattered as their blades flew freely – drawing them into a daze as it traveled – with the singular intent of striking true at its target.

Neither had an idea of what it was they saw and felt but they knew deep within them that if they could reach it with this stretch then they would arrive at the answer they have been reaching for, or at least something close to it.

Yachiru stood up alarmed on seeing the intensity the two of them engaged their clash with, fearing that one of them might take it too far and regretting that she was too far to put a stop to it.

The two in question weren’t evening thinking about Yachiru’s worries. Their eyes were widening with each inch they drew closer to each other—

BOOOOOM!

The breaths of everyone that had their eyes on the ongoing hitched as Itachi and Kenpachi’s blades stopped at just a hair’s breadth from their heart and throat – Itachi and Kenpachi’s eyes snapped up in clarity and slowly turned to their sides and what they saw actually left them stunned on how to react.

A Hollow… inside the Seireitei…?

The alarms from the nearby Division started blaring but the both of them were still locked in a cold pause as they stared at the Hollow who stared back at them but seemed unsure of what to do.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Is this one of your illusions?” Kenpachi asked in a low growl that belied his unbridled fury.

“No. It is not.” Itachi replied with more than a bite to his words. Ignoring the awkward Hollow, they both retracted their swords and looked in the direction of the Gotei 13 where they could see a black canvas in the sky.

“Hollows…”

“… have infiltrated the Seireitei.”

The implications of their words were so ridiculous that they were both having trouble believing their words, even when the proof was right in front of them.

[Attention to all Shinigami! Hollows have invaded the Seireitei. I repeat; Hollows have made it past the Shakonmaku and have infiltrated the Seireitei.]

The transmission from the hell butterfly came through and that was when they both turned back to the Hollow that was still frozen solid in its instinctual actions.

“Fucking Hollows…” Kenpachi gripped the wrapped hilt of his sword furiously, “It interrupted our battle… just at the climax.”

Itachi remained silent but his anger could be clearly seen in his eyes. “Let’s go.”

“Hmm.” Kenpachi nodded as Yachiru appeared sitting on his shoulders.

They both disappeared, running towards their respective Divisions, and left the frozen Hollow behind without a second thought. Or at least that was what it looked like before the Hollow started disintegrating into dust and fading away into spirit particles… the entirety of its being crushed under the Reiatsu of two Captain level Shinigami.

……

[POV: With Itachi]

“It happened all of a sudden, sir. There was no precedent to the attack.” The Eagle hurriedly reported as Itachi met up with Soi Fon and Junpei.

“It was premeditated.” Itachi harshly corrected, a calm cast currently worn over his face. “Eyes on their movements and relay it to the 12th Division. And get me Aizen’s location.”

The Eagle received the order and promptly dismissed himself. His mission was to direct his chain of subordinates to get a precise overview and information channeling of what was happening inside the Seireitei in real-time.

“Itachi, now is not the time to keep whatever is going on in your head to yourself. Is Aizen behind this?” Soi Fon inquired seriously from her secretive partner. She knew the obvious answer but wanted the specifics from Itachi – who clearly knew more than anyone on what was happening.

Off to the side, Junpei was just speechless and remained so as his superiors conversed.

Itachi slicked back his hair and tied it before answering Soi Fon. “It happened earlier than I speculated and would have remained within reason but this…”

Junpei spun around in panic and fired off a single digit Hadō and followed with his sword to decapitate the Hollow that had snuck up on him.

“I thought I had gotten reassurance that something like this wouldn’t happen.” He admitted internally that the structure of his basis wasn’t exactly rock-solid. He didn’t go as deep as he would have liked back then in Hueco Mundo. “My inadequacies aside, I will head for Aizen with Captain Kyōraku after informing the Head Captain. I want you to go aft–”

“Kaname Tōsen, right?” She smirked viciously. “I will make sure to show him what’s in store for traitors among Shinigami.”

She left immediately after, leaving a shocked Junpei behind with Itachi.

“What?”

“H-he helped me… with my Shikai Release… I-I–” he stuttered.

Itachi stared at him with eyes that held a healthy reprimand. He held out his hand and flames stretched out from it and coalesced into his blade, Honshin.

“Go to Marenochin and carry out your duties. I’ll be leaving first.”

Caw. Caw. Caw.

The call of crows resounded allover sky of Seireitei even as Hollows poured in from the enormous Garganta that ripped the sky in two.

…..

No one had expected it.

Hollows attacking the Seireitei – from a Garganta opened within its barrier – was one of the few instances that was close to an impossibility in the minds of every Shinigami that was currently staring up in disbelief at the black doorway in the sky.

“Stop dawdling about and get moving. Hollows have infiltrated the Seireitei for spirit's sake.”

Kyōraku Shunsui bellowed to the nearby Shinigami who were still gawking in fear and profound shock at the unbelievable scenario that was vividly playoff h out in front of them.

‘Mayuri, you bastard! How could something like this happen? You’re inching closer to death every second that I don’t get an explanation.’

Caw. Caw. Caw.

“Itachi?” He held out his arm for the crow to land and deliver its message. He sighed tiredly after the crow flew off, looking as if he preferred lying down and letting everything just blow right past him than doing the least expected duty that came from his position as a Captain — that was how he looked to whoever it fooled.

“Seriously. Kids nowadays have to know when to take a break. Going through a rebellious phase doesn’t mean plotting one every other year.” He complained to himself while scaling through roofs and cutting down any Hollow stupid enough to come near him.

Despite his relaxed and bored look, the blade steel glint expertly hidden in his eyes showed how serious he was actually taking the ongoing event.

— That was when an overwhelming Reiatsu that reeked of death and despair came through the Garganta and fell on the Shinigami down below.

He skidded to a stop with surprise clear on his face. “Oi Oi! What in the spirit's name is it this time?”

….

….

Baraggan Louisenbairn, God-king of Hueco Mundo, has entered the Seireitei.

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