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Yoruichi and Soi Fon had spent the whole night tracking Itachi, with the former using this as a prime time to teach her Lieutenant some of her advanced tracking skills, not managing to catch up to him even as the morning came.

The information Yoruichi got from Kisuke wasn’t conclusive as each Zanpakutō was different and even if they were of the same type, their mode of application was different. But this didn’t phase Yoruichi one bit. At the end of the day, Itachi was just another soul with a troublesome Zanpakutō, just like a lot of Shinigamis in the Seireitei.

“Un, are you sure we’re going in the right direction, Yoruichi-sama?” Soi Fon slowly asked, understandably so since they have yet to come across anything that gave them assurance that their course was correct.

Yoruichi laughed a little. “Trust me, Soi Fon. That brat might be good but it isn’t that easy to deceive me.”

It had taken her a bit of time to realize that the little clues they had been picking up from Itachi’s trail were slowly changing their general direction. Itachi knew that they were tracing him and so he gave them a trail, one that started leading them astray after they had gotten comfortable tracking it.

“Let’s hurry up a bit, Soi Fon. I’m sure we’ll catch him before the day runs out.” She said and pushed ahead.

Though she was slightly wound up, Soi Fon didn’t let out any complaints and increased her speed to match Yoruichi’s.

…..

[General POV: With Itachi]

He knew the three of them wouldn’t last a minute against the Hollow, and not because the Hollow was strong but because of its abilities.

Looking at the woman who was finding it harder to breathe with every ticking second made it clear just how potent its paralytic toxins are.

He was convinced there was something wrong with this Hollow, but now his priorities were different.

He had no bargaining rights if he blatantly opposed the Shinigamis, he was aware of that, so this was something to test the surface of the people he might have to deal with if cooperation fell through.

He would have preferred to watch for longer but given how weak these Shinigamis were, he had to tell himself to act.

Letting his presence known, the Hollow was the first to notice him and faltered for a brief moment at the arrival of an unaccounted variable – a bad move.

All it saw was blurs at different positions before a searing pain ran through his body as it felt a sword being thrust through the Hollow mask on its back that failed to catch when Itachi appeared behind him.

It tried to screech in pain, wriggle violently, or even attack its attacker out of reflex, only to find itself frozen just like the girl he paralyzed

Itachi stared apathetically as the Hollow faded out of existence upon having its mask broken.

Turning towards the two stunned Shinigamis who flinched under his eyes, he ignored the shaking swords pointing at him and walked towards the woman whose insides were on the verge of exploding as her Reiatsu ran amok inside her body.

“G-get away from her!” The leader shouted, yet he didn’t move a step to help her.

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Itachi pulled out the Hollow’s finger from her chest and used his eyes to scan her body of pressure points to expel the rampaging Reiatsu.

‘Here, here and here.’ He thought as he poked three points on her body, two on her chest and one on her left wrist, and watched as she fell to the ground with his breaths finally stabilizing.

“Mika!”

The two Shinigamis ran to their companion after Itachi moved away, breathing in relief after confirming that she wasn’t dead. Especially with the way Itachi had forcefully expelled her Reiatsu.

“Thank you, for helping us kill that Hollow and also saving our friend. I’m Arato Shigune, 8th Division’s Ninth Seat. That’s Kujo and Mika.” The leader introduced himself and his companions and Itachi nodded and returned the question.

“Itachi.” He simply said.

“Forgive me for asking, but which Division are you from? I’m sorry, but I don’t seem to remember you.” Arato said awkwardly. Of course he didn’t know every Shinigami in Soul Society but at least he should have a basic recollection of them, especially given how strong Itachi seemed to be.

“Not a Shinigami.” Was all Itachi said as he took a seat on a rock and closed his eyes.

Arato and the chubby Kujo were genuinely surprised at Itachi’s admission of not being a Shinigami but they kept quiet about it.

It doesn’t take a genius to know that Itachi was stronger than them and if he truly wasn’t a Shinigami, he could kill them if he wanted and no one would ever know it was him.

They could only awkwardly stand there as Itachi paid them no mind with his mind closed.

Arato was about to send a message back to his Lieutenant when Itachi finally spoke up, but not at them it seemed.

“Since you’re already here, why bother hiding?”

“What happened here?”

Arato yelped in surprise as he saw Yoruichi and Soi Fon suddenly appearing a foot from where Mika was laying down.

“Captain Yoruichi!” After the brief shock, Arato and Kujo stood ramrod at attention in salute to Yoruichi who ignored the greeting.

“What happened here?” She asked again and this time stared at Arato who quickly explained what had transpired.

“I see.” Was her only reply to the nervously sweating Arato’s explanation. She turned to Itachi who still had his eyes closed and regarded him with a raised brow. “And here I thought you would have disappeared by now.”

“As long as you let me be.” Itachi succinctly replied, and continued before Yoruichi or Soi Fon could get an answer in. “Follow me.”

Seeing Itachi leaving, Soi Fon and the other Shinigamis turned to Yoruichi to see her decision and only when she nodded did they made to move.

“Don’t worry. Stay here with her, I’ll go see what he’s up to.” Yoruichi said to Arato before leaving with Soi Fon.

Following Itachi’s lead, the two ladies wore unsure expressions as he led them through the tight spaces that led underground.

“What the hell is this place?” Yoruichi asked, all traces of playful casualness gone from her face.

She saw the five dead bodies of Shinigamis in the underground cave and even the tattered remains of Shinigami shihakushō scattered around the cave.

“It isn’t that hard to hazard a guess.”

“And why show me this?” Yoruichi turned to Itachi, cold eyes peering into colder eyes. “What do you want?”

“Nothing substantial. Just for you Shinigamis to leave me alone.” What he meant was for them to move past the fact that he did kill some Shinigamis and Yoruichi understood which was why her eyes squinted at him.

“No problem, but know this. If you come to the Seireitei, you’ll have to be extensively interrogated for your possession of a Zanpakutō. Central 46 can be a bunch of annoying bugs if they want to be.” She said. “You might even have your Zanpakutō sealed for some time if they are feeling real petty.”

To Itachi’s credit, he didn’t react at all to Yoruichi’s words. As much as he abhorred it, he knew politics were an integral part of any functioning society. His only thoughts were if the politics of the Seireitei were something he could stomach for long.

“I’ll be waiting for you up ahead.”

They watched as Itachi left, both taking a minute to take in the state of the bodies and the cave.

“Do you think we can trust him, Yoruichi-sama?” Soi Fon asked as they made their way to the surface.

Yoruichi snorted. “Of course not. Better this way as we can keep a watchful eye on him. If he ends up trustworthy then good for us.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Then it’ll be easier to deal with him.” Yoruichi answered.

They saw Itachi sitting on the same rock he had been sitting on when they arrived. Yoruichi then gave her orders to Soi Fon and the others.

“Soi Fon, you stay here and wait for those from the 2nd. As for you, go back and report to your Captain.”

Itachi opened his eyes as he felt they were alone, with Soi Fon below and the others gone, finally regarding Yoruichi.

He saw her giving him an appraising stare but just closed his eyes back.

Seeing Itachi’s actions, Yoruichi gave him a serious warning.

“If this is some harebrained plan of yours, then I’ll suggest you give it up. I won’t forgive you if you break the trust of my goodwill.”

Hearing her words, Itachi stood up and started walking away, slowly speaking as he did. “Trust means nothing if the basis for it is shallow.”

“We’ll see.” Yoruichi replied, disappearing as she did, and so did Itachi a moment later.