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Sparks flew across the small courtyard as Itachi and Soi Fon clashed blades in the former’s courtyard.

Soi Fon’s face was matted with sweat as she struggled to predict Itachi’s movements. He wasn’t using his illusion and even without it, she had to put her all into her senses so as to quickly pick up on his movements and have enough of a split moment to react before he started another one.

Conclusion: He was a very skilled fighter. He didn’t emanate power or any overwhelming presence, even though he had those in respectable spades, he relied more on subtle skills than pure power.

Parrying her blade, he tripped her balance with his legs before throwing her over.

“I told you that you could use your Shikai.”

Soi Fon frowned and looked at her blade but shook her head. “Suzumebachi isn’t exactly spar friendly.”

“How so? It works on two hits, right?”

Soi Fon’s facial muscles twitched violently at Itachi’s statement. “What exactly are you trying to say? That I can’t land two hits on you?”

“I’m not saying you can’t hit me twice,” Itachi stated calmly, “It’ll be hard for you to hit me in the same place twice.”

She wanted nothing more at this moment than to call on Itachi’s bullshit but she couldn’t as even painting a mental image of stinging him in the same place twice was hard for her.

She could only admit to Itachi’s genius and strength and Yoruichi’s suggestion against Itachi attending the Shin’ō Academy with how fast he was picking up Kidō.

‘At least he isn’t like that bum-of-a-Captain Urahara.’ She thought, taking an uncomfortable comfort in the choice between two lesser evils. While she didn’t like Itachi and his self-centered attitude, especially in the presence of Lady Yoruichi, she couldn’t deny that he was a capable fighter.

“Are we continuing, or are we done for the day?” Itachi asked.

“Oh, um, do you have anything planned out for the day?” She asked a little hesitantly. Apart from Lady Yoruichi who was hardly ever free, Itachi was the only one in the Second Division that she could safely practice against.

“Not necessarily.” He said, “I was thinking of doing a little research and maybe visiting the Eighth.”

“Captain Kyōraku?”

“Yes. He keeps reminding me to visit anytime we come across each other.”

The Captain was clearly an eccentric one and Itachi had little to no success when dealing with those types. His relationship with Kisame was a prime example of that.

“Well then, come on.” Itachi beckoned her with his sword.

They clashed again and a lightshow of sparks blossomed in the small courtyard.

Even among ninjas he knew, someone of Soi Fon’s caliber was ranked at higher levels. Most Jonins would have trouble keeping up with her speed and lethal strikes, especially how her fighting style was centered with her Zanpakutō in mind.

Her Shikai, Suzumebachi, was fashioned like a gold and black stinger covering her entire middle finger and wrist. Like it epithet of a stinging butterfly, its abilities granted Soi Fon to instantly kill any opponent that she stabs twice on the same spot with the stinger.

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This caused her entire fighting style to be focused on giving the maximum lethality damage she could deal with every single one of her strikes.

Itachi used the hilt of his sword to stop a low cut from Soi Fon, much to her surprise as his hands were just centimeters away from where her blade impacted the hilt.

Unfortunately for her, not that she was ever told, but Itachi was someone who also preferred the one-hit kill tactic.

She withdrew her sword, half expecting Itachi to do the same, but he surprised her again when he simply twisted his wrist and brought his blade down on her, forcing her to hastily block amidst her retreat.

Showing her off again in a display of superior experience, Soi Fon let out a confused exclamation as her blade simply pushed his blade back and to the side with practically no resistance, prompting her to stumble forward and her already shaken balance further deteriorated.

She could only sigh irritably as she felt Itachi’s blade on her back.

He didn’t have to point out her little mistake as she was fully aware of it. She didn’t need him to teach her fighting styles or correct her flaws, she could do that on her own against an equally strong/stronger opponent which she had in him. They were both experienced warriors after all.

She picked herself up once more and they clashed again.

….

[The 1st Division]

In the meeting hall of the Captains, Yamamoto and three other Captains were having a discussion about the bizarre and worrying event that had happened in the Rukongai.

“This is different. Shinigami dying to Hollows is a normal fact that even ignorant souls in the Academy are aware of. But that’s not what this looks like.”

The one who spoke was Kisuke, a rather serious frown on his face different from the normal bored and jovial expression his facials expressed.

With him were Yoruichi and Kyōraku, and just like him both bore taut expressions on their faces as they went over the data both the Research Division of the 12th and the Stealth Corps of the 2nd brought back.

“Those Shinigami who disappeared didn’t put up any kind of fight, or perhaps had no idea that there was need for one. It simply attacked the Reishi construct of their soul bodies and from there nothing else.” Yoruichi stated.

Kyōraku scratched his side beards and adjusted his straw hat to the periphery of his eyes. “Reishi? I hope you’re not insinuating what it is I’m thinking.”

This time it was Kisuke who shook his head. “It was not caused by Quincies, that I’m almost fully sure of. If it were them, they would have left a Reishi charged atmosphere to trace it back to them but this wasn’t it.”

Kyōraku sighed, looking distressed. Though it wasn’t clear what was causing his distress. It could be a myriad of things or little to nothing, who knew?

“What are your thoughts based on what you’ve found out?” Yamamoto questioned the three of them as their Divisions were the most active in this particular string of incidents.

“I do agree with it even if it hadn’t been my initial conclusion but my new ward Itachi seems to think that it’s either a coordinated Hollow attack, some strong souls from the Rukongai causing trouble, or someone aiding the Hollows, that hypothesized someone being a Shinigami. A high ranking one to boot.”

Kisuke winced at the way Yoruichi plainly spelt it out to the old and terrifying Head Captain Commander, while Kyōraku almost choked on the grass stalk in his mouth.

“Captain Shihōin, I asked for your educated opinion, not one from a recently reincarnated soul. Are you trying to say that his words can be trusted as tangible enough for the other esteemed Captains to adhere to?”

“Not exactly, but it was his words and conjectures that we are currently working with. He was also the one who figured out the breakdown of the Reishi soul body.” Yoruichi replied with the same seriousness she’s had since the beginning of the meeting.

“Really? Then don’t you find it suspicious that he’s the one who figured it out and also how interesting a coincidence it is that these disappearances started in the same timeframe as his supposed appearance in the Rukongai?” The Head Captain asked, with one of his eyes fully staring at Yoruichi.

Kisuke and Kyōraku remained silent and waited for Yoruichi’s response which was promptly given after a short nod from her to Yamamoto.

“With all due respect sir, I never said that Itachi wasn’t a prime suspect in this case of disappearing souls. Personally, I would say that the reason why he’s considered a suspect is the situation surrounding his arrival in the Seireitei.” She reported. “Also for your further enlightenment, Itachi Uchiha has been under strict surveillance, personally supervised by me and no one else, from the moment he agreed to come with me to the Seireitei.”

Yamamoto’s passive one eye stare at her remained, not particularly convinced by her words. “And how does that do us any good?”

“IF he really is the cause behind it or has any connection to it, then his words would be more truthful to accept given that we haven’t yet figured out anything from what he could find out.” She replied calmly, making sure to stress the ‘if’ loud and clear enough for Yamamoto to know that she wasn’t convinced of any guilty tag on the young man until proven true.

“Old man Yama, I believe Yoruichi’s words, if nothing else, have some merit to it. It’s the only explainable proof we have concerning the disappearances.” Kyōraku chose that moment to interject and provide a shallow support for Yoruichi’s words not because he cared that much if the young man was behind it or not, but because like she had said, it was the only lead they had.