27 Chapter 27 - Arriving in the Seireitei
A/N: Serious question though; how do Shinigami travel the Seireitei? Do they run to each end or do they have some kind of portal/shortcut? I have no idea and google isn't helping.
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The two of them drew ever so close to the Seireitei and throughout their whole journey, Itachi kept thinking if the choice he made was a good one.
Unlike the Elemental Nations where he had basic knowledge of the state of the military force of each of the Hidden Villages, he felt truly blind here in the Soul Society – so he needed an in.
Yes, he long entertained the idea of infiltrating the Soul Society but he had to leave that as a last resort/desperate move after his two run-ins with the Shinigami Captains.
He was confident in himself no doubt, but having to face 13 Captains who would be roughly on the same level as him were not odds he saw himself winning.
As for having his Mangekyō, while it might make his chances of a successful infiltration higher, the result would still be the same if he was to be found out.
During their journey, he asked Yoruichi a few questions, not pressing ones but still important, and she made sure to give him the barest minimum of any answer she could afford.
They knew the type of person the other was and giving Itachi straight answers was the same as giving him an extensive report. Yoruichi knew that.
"Assassination or military?" Yoruichi suddenly asked.
"…"
"I'm asking which were you?" She expounded. "You don't strike me as the rogue type, definitely not a mercenary, so which were you?"
Itachi looked at her as they traveled side by side, "Rogue."
Yoruichi chuckled. She could sense a story there but she didn't ask. 'There'll be more than enough time to air his pants once he gets settled in.'
To her, this whole thing was a mishmash of irony and amusement; kinda like picking up a stray cat(Itachi) and bringing it to a new home.
"We'll be going straight to the Head Commander once we get there – follow me and say nothing." She ordered but then paused and looked at Itachi whose face bore an impassiveness as if he didn't hear her. "… Or I guess just be you, that also works."
She directed a subtle glance at Itachi, hiding the amazement that she was feeling. Throughout their journey, the two of them were playing a subtle game to gauge as much information as they could from the other.
The only caveat to this little game was for the other party to know what type of test they were being put through and the nature of the ongoing test to facilitate the degree of the response they were to give.
On Itachi's part, he had tested her on her senses to the environment and Reiatsu, the range, her reaction and even first instinct.
'And this brat is still testing me.' Yoruichi mused, half annoyed and half gratified.
Of course she wouldn't just let him have his way and not respond in kind.
The same way and facets he tested her on was the same thing she tested him on in her own way. Also his emotional spectrum and first thought response, along with his speed – which was what made her very surprised.
'He's not just capable of short burst speed but can also maintain it for long distances with a balanced pace. Just short of his Kidō mastery and Bankai and he'll be Captain level easily. Monster!'
She didn't let her thoughts show and just led him along, drawing ever closer to the Seireimon, Gates of the Seireitei.
"Mind telling me what your life was like? Just small talk, nothing serious." Yoruichi tried again, this time genuine in his request.
Itachi looked over at the purple haired Captain, briefly wondering when last he was ever in such a situation where a stranger would be this frivolous with him even after hearing his name.
'Well she isn't trying to run away or kill me on sight, so that too is a first.' The former rogue ninja thought.
For once, he needed to think in a way that was free from his past influence as he thought of an answer to his question. He didn't have to answer, he was brought up and trained that way, but that wasn't the case. The question he was plagued with was if he should answer in the first place.
"Damn brat, you've got a lot of garbage. It's gonna be annoying as hell to pull that out of your ass. Don't worry, take your time." Offered Yoruichi with an out. This wasn't the first time she's seen someone like this in her long life. It was a normal trait of people brought up and fermented in hard times and tragedies. 'Or war.'
"We are almost at the Northern gates, let's hurry up." She said all of a sudden and disappeared out of itachi's range.
"Truly, she's fast." He lightly commented and disappeared in an increasing burst of speed, quickly catching up to Yoruichi who had a knowing smirk on her face.
From afar, Itachi saw the pure white walls and heavy gates, along with the faint thrumming of some type of Reiatsu that covered the gate's surface.
There was a giant gatekeeper there but he had no idea when they passed through the gates.
Immediately as he entered the Seireitei, Itachi felt the soft charging of the energy in the air. No doubt, this place had a lot of strong people. He cast a cursory glance over the Seireitei, quickly noting the demarcations that divided the Seireitei into rings.
"That's where we're going. The Head Commander's 1st Division of the Gotei 13." Yoruichi pointed her fingers at the innermost part of the Seireitei and for where they stood, Itachi could make out the tall building in the distance with what seemed to be a written kanji on its walls.
They jumped onto the roof of the surrounding buildings, making large strides and drawing closer to the office of the 1st Division's headquarters.
Slowing down to a stop, Yoruichi led Itachi through the long hall, leading the both of them directly to Head Commander's and the Founder of the Gotei 13 office.
"Come in." An old gruff voice sounded out from behind the tall door, followed by a banging sound.
The doors opened on their own and the two of them stepped in.
On the far end of the room, sitting on a chair while holding forward a wooden cane, was the venerated leader of the Shinigami, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Captain of the Gotei 13 1st Division.
Before Yamamoto stood 11 individuals standing on opposite sides with a calm air around them, relaxed stature born out of a confidence of power.
Judging from the white haori they all wore, Itachi didn't have to be a genius to note that at this moment, gathered before him, was the 13 Captains, figureheads of the Shinigami.
"Oh, would you look at that? That's a face I wasn't expecting to see in this meeting."
All eyes in the room trailed to the source of the laid back voice of Isshin Shiba who looked genuinely surprised on seeing Itachi.
"Oh? Seems you know the fella, Isshin. Mind clueing the rest of us in?" A long blonde haired man, Hirako Shinji – Captain of the 5th Division, spoke out.
Before any of them could come up with another answer or question, Yamamoto once again banged his cane on the ground and brought the room back to silence.
"Captain Shihōin, who is that with you and tell us why you have called for this meeting." He spoke.
Itachi, since the beginning, was taking note of everyone in the room.
From those on the left side; the long curly blonde Captain of the 3rd Division, Rōjurō Ōtoribashi, the black haired woman with a neutral face, Captain of 4th Division, Retsu Unohana.
Following Unohana was Hirako Shinji and following him was Isshin Shiba, and besides him was a pale white haired man, Jushirō Ukitake, Captain of the 13th Division.
On the right hand side was an old man with a white scarf around his neck, oozing composure and nobility, Ginrei Kuchiki, Captain of the 6th Division.
Besides him was a man sporting an afro and wearing sunglasses, Love Aikawa, Captain of the 7th Division. Following Love was a man wearing a straw hat with a sakura-printed kimono over his haori, Shunsui Kyōraku, Captain of the 8th Division.
After Shunsui was Kensei Mugurama, Captain of the 9th Division, a short haired and stout looking man with a rigid expression on his face, and following him was a man with braided spiked hair with bells at each end. Sporting a feral grin, an eyepatch on his right eye, and a long scar over his left eye, was Zaraki Kenpachi, Captain of the 11th Division.
… And Itachi immediately saw a splitting image of Kisame in him.
The last person was a shaggy blonde man standing hunched back with most tired expression in the room, Kisuke Urahara, Captain of the 12th Division
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A/N: In case it isn't clear by now, the current timeline is 100+ before the canon plot timeline. How accurate, now that's harder to say. I'll say between 120 – 100 years before Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper.
