“Becoming Hokage isn’t about getting people to acknowledge you. Only those already acknowledged will ever become Hokage. Never forget your friends.” — Itachi Uchiha.

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[POV: With Ichimaru Gin]

Gin sat in his cell with his bowed down, refusing to look at his visitor – the same one that has been visiting him day by day unfailingly for the past month.

And just like a repeat of their previous meetings, Gin remained silent throughout everything Rangiku said.

Oh how he hated how stubborn and persistent she was. Didn’t she know that she was compromising her position as a Lieutenant by constantly coming to visit him? Just the fact that she was allowed to do so for such a long time was suspicious in and of itself, which meant someone was most likely keeping an eye on her and any conversation they might have.

But then again, she might know all this and still didn’t care, which was something he wouldn’t put past her.

And yet regardless, Gin wouldn’t in any way, not matter how small or harmless it might look, put her in arm’s way.

“There’s a chance that you might be executed, Gin. Tension is high among the Shinigami and they are pushing for your execution rather than serving a sentence in the Maggots Nests.”

She was somber when she saw that Gin didn’t even have a reaction. He was okay with dying and his silence told her that.

Gin closed his eyes tightly when he heard her muffled sniffle and for once wished that his Reiatsu wasn’t sealed so that he could vent out his anger and frustration.

“Is this it, Gin?”

A frequently repeated question asked every day she came here. Gin’s answer was the same as always – nothing.

“You won’t say a word to me, Gin. Why?” Her voice was steady but he could hear the fragility in them. “… Do you really hate me this much?”

His heart tightened.

“At least tell me what I did wrong? Tell me why you suddenly left and refused to speak a word to me after that day?” Her voice was soft and pleading but all it did was torture Gin every more.

“It doesn’t make sense!” She shouted. “Why will you start killing Shinigami after leaving to join them? There’s something that you don’t want to tell me and I don’t really care either. I just want to know why. Please.”

And yet again Gin remained silent facing the ground.

“I don’t know what goes on in that head of yours but I want you to know that someone cares about you and If you won’t tell me why, I’ll find someone who can.” She said and stood up.

She gave him a disheartened gaze and turned to leave.

“Itachi likely knows something. I don’t care if I have to beg, I will find out everything I can from him.” She was already at the door and the guards were already closing it when she suddenly heard Gin speak.

“Don’t.” It was like a faint whisper but she heard it clearly.

She was surprised and ecstatic at hearing him finally speak but she held herself with great effort.

“Why?”

“Whatever you do, stay away from him.” Gin said a bit more strongly before once again falling silent, no longer making a sound no matter how much Rangiku probed.

“We’ll see.” Rangiku muttered to herself as she left Gin’s prison cell.

“Foolish girl…”

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[General POV]

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Itachi’s mind has been on Hueco Mundo for some time now and whole Aizen occupied a lot of it, he also was a bit curious about what has happened to Starrk and Lilynette, especially now that Aizen has technically taken control of Hueco Mundo. Unfortunately, he couldn’t drop his duties and plan a trip to Hueco Mundo, an enemy stronghold, just to check up on them.

With Central 46 slowly coming back together, Itachi trial had gained a hearing on two accounts; for withholding information concerning Aizen, no matter how little, and the threatening nature of his Zanpakutō.

The first part was complicated and was argued in Itachi’s favor that acting without evidence, especially as the Acting Commander-in-Chief of the Onmistukidō, was risky and it could be seen as him abusing his authority if his evidence failed to hold true.

This particular part of the case was very sensitive as Itachi, being a commoner, was in charge of the Shinigami Special Forces, a position that was normally held by noble heirs.

Soi Fon and Marenochin were there but it was obvious that neither of them were as capable as Itachi and since he and Soi Fon both served as retainers to Yoruichi, they had left him to the position while also keeping a close eye on his actions.

Under normal circumstances, Itachi would have been thrown into the Maggots Nests without any time wasted – and he also knew this – but they couldn’t afford something like that at this point.

Itachi had long been considered a Captain candidate and now that he finally had the strength to do so, it was hard to throw him into the flames.

Next was his Zanpakutō, and there was no delaying with that.

Had it not been for Yamamoto’s presence suppressing Itachi’s Bankai, most of the Shinigami caught in its range would have evaporated to dust in an instant.

The Bankai – Amenominakanushi – threatened the lives of Shinigami and also the stability of the Seireitei at his initial release, and honestly Itachi could agree.

The three months that passed during the trial was a hazing period for Itachi who stealthily resumed his study on the Noble Families.

As for his Bankai, the conditions sealed into it for its release were only to be lifted in the event that either the Soul Society was in danger, no Shinigami was in the immediate vicinity, and his life was 100% in danger.

All these were things that he could live with so neither of them bothered him that much.

With that finally out of his way, despite Mayuri’s fuming, Itachi was finally being granted the position of Captain.

The Captain evaluation was the second time his Bankai was released, this time in the presence of all the Captains.

He didn’t do much with it other than the release of it and that was more than enough for the Captains to acknowledge its threatening nature.

To them, Itachi’s Bankai was a combination of Aizen’s Shikai, Shinji’s Bankai, Isshin’s Bankai and Yamamoto’s Bankai, except without the destructive heat the latter emitted.

The act of flaring up your Reiatsu or firing a Kidō spell was just increasing the power of the Bankai.

And that was besides the fact that that was just its passive state and none of them knew the attacking nature of the Zanpakutō’s Bankai.

His Bankai aside, his Kidō mastery and Zankensoki mastery was off the charts which wasn’t exactly a surprise to the Captains, given what they’ve known of him since the beginning.

The only one who was surprised at the level of skills was Byakuya who was witnessing Itachi’s prowess on display for the first time.

He had heard from his grandfather that the former Lieutenant Itachi Uchiha was an extremely skilled Shinigami, and while he didn’t doubt his grandfather’s words, the skill tier he put Itachi in definitely wasn’t at the highest echelons.

And to find out that he was that skilled long before his Bankai…

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[POV: With Itachi]

Itachi stood in front of a floating mirror looking at the white haori draped over him with the ‘Second’ written on the back.

His haori was a long-sleeved one, its inner side colored orange, but his hands never went into sleeves and left them empty.

“I wonder what you’ll say if you saw me now.” He wondered, thinking of a specific woman who had fiercely wanted his loyalty back then. “You’ll probably laugh and find something about it to make fun at.”

The mirror faded away as Soi Fon entered the office, pausing when she saw his appearance with a genuinely happy smile gracing her face.

“Looks like you won the bet.” She gave his appearance a once-over and nodded satisfactorily. “It fits you.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh don’t mention it. Captain Itachi.” She grinned at him. “Come on, they are waiting for you. I mean, we all knew this day was coming but finally seeing it gives one a sense of completion.”

Soi Fon followed behind him as they walked down the hall to the main training yard.

“Completion huh?” Itachi looked at her from the corner of his eyes and asked genuinely curious. “And what about you? Are you at peace with it?”

Her response was immediate with no ounce of hesitation. “I’m completely fine with it.” That wasn’t enough of an answer, she knew, so she continued.

“Some time ago I believed that no one else was worthy enough to fill her shoes, partly because I believed she was the only one I would ever bring myself to truly serve. My thoughts about her are… complicated, to say the least, but I know this for sure.”

“I would gladly follow your orders any day. No one but you is worthy enough to lead the 2nd Division. Not in her stead, but in your own campaign.”

They were now at the stairs outside the building and in front of them were most of the Division members.

Soi Fon turned to him and kneeled.

“Lieutenant Soi Fon, reporting to duty, Captain Itachi.”

The other followed. “Reporting to duty, Captain Itachi.”

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