2/8

Yoruichi gave a wistful smile. "It was. The city fell long before I was born, but my family maintains a significant art collection, and some of my favorite pieces to look at when I was a child were paintings of Menar Issilaya. Master artists would go to great pains to be there on nights of the full moon, and the works that resulted from their labors are absolutely breathtaking."

Itachi gave her a small smile. "I wouldn't mind the chance to see them sometime."

Yoruichi grinned. "Are you trying to get yourself invited to my family's estate? Itachi, you are a bold one!

A light shade of red briefly flashed across his face at her teasing. "I only meant… if I were ever lucky enough to go there with you."

Yoruichi laughed and gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. "Oh, Itachi… you are just way too easy to tease, you know that?"

"Something I've noticed you and my mother both enjoy," he murmured.

She put her arm around him. "Hey, now, you gotta let us girls have our fun!"

"Is that an order?" he asked.

She released him, but not before tussling his hair a bit as one final jab. "Call it a friendly suggestion. It'll take you farther than you might think!"

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, "Anyway, back to the city. Since it was close to the Drakken Clan's Principality, did they govern it?"

Yoruichi shook her head. "Not directly. They did have some pull in its affairs, but a lord appointed by the High King ultimately called the shots there. That position was made a hereditary one, and the family styled themselves the House of the Moon Tower. They didn't have much influence outside of the city and the Luminous Pass, but they were still nobility nonetheless."

"What's the Moon Tower?" asked Itachi.

"The city was divided into three sections," Yoruichi replied, "They were the Lower City, Middle City, and Upper City. The Upper City was the heart of Menar Issilaya, and its most prominent structure was a great tower that rose over four-hundred meters in height. This was not only the home of the ruling family, but also where most matters of city governance would take place. In the event of siege, the Moon Tower would serve as the command center and final redoubt. Supposedly, there were many relics of the old kingdom stored there at the time of its fall, and its archives were rumored to have one-of-a-kind manuscripts on everything from forging unique and powerful weapons to forbidden spells. Granted, a lot of this is just gossip that became popular after contact was lost."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "And there are no hints whatsoever as to what happened? No evidence of political turmoil, a natural disaster, a new subspecies of Hollows attacking, or anything of that sort?"

Yoruichi sighed. "Not a damn thing. One day, it's business as usual, and the next, silence. Trade caravans plying the East Salt Way entered the city, only to never be seen again. Travel through the pass itself became impossible except on foot, and of the few who tried, even fewer returned alive. The Luminous Pass became the Shadow Pass, with travel being diverted to safer passes to the north and south. Trade for the Drakken Principality took an initial hit, but it recovered once the northern and southern passes got their roads rebuilt and word got out about the new travel routes. Ever since then, the Shadow Pass and Menar Issilaya have been avoided by all but treasure hunters and adventurers with far more greed and guts than brains."

"And yet we're heading out there, so what does that make us?" Itachi pointed out.

"Soul Reapers with a job to do," Yoruichi replied firmly, "Believe me, I don't like this assignment, but we have our orders. At least the Head Captain gave me the discretion to pull out if things look dicey."

Itachi nodded. "For situations like this, there's no shame in withdrawal. If the situation's untenable, better to retreat and live to fight another day. Besides, if the Head Captain has orders to see to things personally if we can't handle it, we'd at least owe it to him to let him know what he'd be walking into."

Yoruichi smiled. "Spoken like a true member of Squad Two. I knew this division would be a good fit for you."

"You weren't wrong," said Itachi, "Do you know anything else about the city or the Shadow Pass?"

"Nothing solid," she admitted, "All I've got from here on out are rumors and whispers."

"That's still better than nothing," he countered, "What are the most prominent ones apart from the specters and 'phantom lord' that you mentioned during the meeting?"

Yoruichi's brow furrowed for a moment as she considered it. "Well, there's that light supposedly radiating from the tower that I mentioned back during the briefing too. I don't know how light could be considered terrifying. There's gotta be more to it than that."

"Maybe it's not 'light at all," Itachi suggested, "It could be some sort of mist or fog emanating from the tower that catches the moonlight; a corruption of the beauty the city was once known for. Maybe that mist has some sort of chemical in it that causes a powerful emotional response, in this case terror."

Yoruichi scratched her chin as she mulled it over. "Maybe. It might be something in the city as a whole, not just the tower. Perhaps some kind of gas deposit that began leaking up from beneath Menar Issilaya?"

Itachi shook his head. "A leak of toxic gas would be a gradual thing, and the inhabitants probably would've noticed something was wrong. It wouldn't explain why the whole city fell silent in less than a day. Some people surely would've managed to get out and report what was happening otherwise."

Yoruichi nodded. "You're right. Another strange rumor that made the rounds was this; survivors from looting parties in the early years after the fall of the city reported that there were no signs of human remains anywhere. Flesh would've rotted away, of course, but bones would've lingered around for a good while longer. Yet they found absolutely no organic remains whatsoever. That bit would line up with a Hollow attack, but all the other strange after-effects don't really fit the mold."

"Could Hollows have come afterwards to scavenge?" asked Itachi.

Yoruichi sighed. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. They only go after 'live' souls. The 'corpses' of souls lose any residual spirit energy pretty quickly, so to Hollows there's no point in eating them; by the time scavengers would've arrived, there would've been nothing remotely appetizing for them to feed on."

"I see," Itachi murmured.

"That actually feeds into another weird rumor," Yoruichi added, "Apparently, Hollows haven't dared enter the city since it fell."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "What's the source of this rumor?"

"Supposedly a survivor from a group of bandits," said Yoruichi, "The way the story goes, they'd just robbed a caravan in the east and were so desperate to avoid pursuit from the Drakken Clan that they fled into the Shadow Pass. Unfortunately, they'd gone straight from the frying pan to the fire; a pack of Hollows appeared and immediately fell upon them. The group got torn up pretty badly, and as the remnants fled, they came within sight of Menar Issilaya. Fear of the Hollows overrode any sort of dread that the old city might've inspired, and they ran through the open gate. The way the tale goes, the Hollows withdrew as soon as the bandits were within the city's walls, even though getting over such a dilapidated barrier would've been easy for them. Hell, the 'gate' itself was long-gone; there was just the open archway, no obstacle to entry in sight."

"Interesting," said Itachi, "What happened next?"

Yoruichi shrugged. "Those 'specters' I mentioned from the meeting supposedly reared their ugly heads at some point, and the remaining bandits were slaughtered. The sole survivor somehow managed to get out of the Shadow Pass and eventually made it all the way to the Rukon District. The tale ends with him becoming a monk at some remote shrine, meditating on the horrors he faced in the ruins of the old city."

Itachi nodded. "Quite the story."

"Yeah," Yoruichi concurred, "Of course, for all we know, it could just be bullshit. There's not exactly a wealth of evidence behind it. At this point it's really just one more ghost story in an afterlife that has more than its share of them."

Itachi actually chuckled at that. "Ghost stories in the afterlife… and here I thought I'd seen it all."

Yoruichi couldn't help but laugh. "I guess it sounds pretty weird when you word it like that!"

Itachi shook his head. "Weird is something I've been becoming more and more accustomed to since my arrival here. If you'd told me about a 'ghost city' like Menar Issilaya back when I was alive, I would've been skeptical to say the least. Now, though… well, it hardly seems implausible anymore."

"It still doesn't lessen the strangeness that surrounds this particular mission," said Yoruichi, "It'd be one thing if there were just one or two weird rumors about the Shadow Pass and the old city, but so many of them? I don't know what we're walking into, but my gut's telling me that it won't be Hollows we'll have to worry about once we arrive. Of course, we still need to keep an eye out for them just the same."

"Yes," said Itachi, "Whatever lies ahead, our duty remains the same; remain on guard, assess the situation, and watch each other's backs. As long as we keep a cool head and a watchful eye, we'll be able to carry out our mission."

Yoruichi smiled; his calm confidence was just what she needed. "You've got that right. That being said, some sleep definitely wouldn't hurt either. Our journey's only just begun, and I don't want you wearing yourself out by staying up too late every night worrying about what we might be up against. Go get some rest, Itachi."

"Very well, then," he said as he stood up, "As long as you do the same, Yoruichi."

She smirked as she rose alongside him. "I don't think you're in a position to give me orders... but I'll let it slide. Be ready to rise and shine early, Itachi; we've got a long road ahead of us."

….

Two weeks later…

Raising her Zanpakutō, Visaelya nodded at her sparring partner. "Ready, Aika?"

Her fellow Squad Two officer nodded. "Yes."

Visaelya was skeptical. The Twentieth Seat had her blade drawn and had assumed a basic opening stance, but the nervousness in her frame was impossible to miss. The moonlight glistening off the blade only seemed to emphasize the subtle shaking of the sword in her apprehensive grip.

She has a year's seniority over me, yet she's still so uncomfortable with her sword, she thought, I know the Captain has her reasons for bringing Aika along, but I'd feel a lot better if I knew she was at least at ease with her weapon.

When she had first joined the division, Visaelya had initially feared that Aika might resent her; after all, Visaelya was entering Squad Two at a higher rank than an officer who had already been under Yoruichi's command for a year longer. Thankfully, that hadn't been the case, and in fact Aika had been very welcoming of her. It was to the point that even though Visaelya had only been in Squad Two now for a handful of months, she almost felt as though the Twentieth Seat was something akin to a little sister for her. She found it hard not like the friendly if shy young woman, and that was part of why she was sparring with her now; she was worried for her and wanted to do her part to make sure she could protect herself.

She turned to Shisui, who was overseeing their training match. The Tenth Seat nodded and raised his right hand.

"All right, then," he said, "Three… two… one… begin!"

The instant he dropped his hand, Visaelya charged forward. She brought her sword down in an overhand strike, but even though she held back a considerable amount of her strength Aika was still barely able to block the attack. The Twentieth Seat attempted to counter, but Visaelya easily parried the strike and pressed the assault. It was all Aika could do to simply block Visaelya's slashes, let alone go on the offensive herself.

Perhaps I've been sparring too much with Itachi and Shisui, she mused, I keep using their level of skill as a baseline for evaluating other Soul Reapers that should be close to me in terms of ability, and I forget just how advanced the two of them are in comparison.

Visaelya was naturally competitive and would always strive for victory, but the ease at which she was dominating the fight with Aika meant it wouldn't be a win she could take pleasure in. The purpose of this match wasn't to feed her ego but help the Twentieth Seat, yet Visaelya was at a loss as to how to accomplish that. As the duel went on it was clear that Aika was struggling with more than just defending herself from Visaelya's attacks; the poor girl seemed to be fighting on two fronts, the match itself and an inner struggle with herself.

Shisui seemed to sense as much too, because he stepped in a few moments later. "That's enough. We're not going to get anywhere like this."

Aika looked down in shame. "I'm… I'm sorry."

Visaelya sighed. "Aika… we need to talk. This can't go on. I know you're gifted in Hohō and Kidō, and your Hakuda skills meet this division's standards, but your deficiency in Zanjutsu is a serious concern. It's going to get you killed!"

Aika shook her head. "I've… done all right so far without relying on my sword in battle. The Captain usually has me act as a forward scout or support caster, not a direct fighter."

"That's because she wants you to gain greater confidence in your Zanjutsu before she brings you to the front lines," Shisui countered, "What if the day comes where your back is to the wall and you have no choice but to rely on close-quarters-combat? Hakuda's a valuable skill to have in your arsenal, but your Zanpakutō is by far the most effective weapon against most Hollows that you possess."

"We might not even be fighting Hollows on this mission," Aika pointed out nervously, "You heard the Captain at the meeting; no one knows for sure what led to the fall of Menar Issilaya, and the Captain appears to believe that it's not Hollows. We probably won't encounter any at our destination."

Visaelya folder her arms. "That's naïve and wishful thinking, not to mention careless, and you know it. We must be prepared for all possible enemies at all times, Hollows first and foremost among them. Even if they may not be at our destination, they could still attack us at any moment while we're on the road. Besides, our swords can strike down more than just Hollows, and your Zanjutsu problems would remain a concern regardless of the kind of enemy we are up against."

"We're heading towards a city that not even dragons will dare approach," Shisui added, "I don't know what threats lie in store for us, but I think we'd all feel a bit better about our chances if we could have faith in everyone's combat abilities. We're your comrades, Aika; we'll look out for you and do all we can to save you if trouble arises, but you need to be able to fully take care of yourself. This irrational fear of your Zanpakutō is a fatal weakness that any enemy could exploit. I don't know what your issue with your sword is, but to have such apprehension towards it is to undermine yourself as a Soul Reaper."

"I… I know that," Aika replied softly, "Believe me… I know this is a serious problem, potentially even fatal. I want to get past this, but… it's not that simple."

"Why not?" asked Visaelya as she put her hand on Aika's shoulder, "Aika, talk to us. I could make that an order as your superior officer, as could Shisui, but I'd rather not force it out of you. I want to help you as a friend, but I can only do that if you'll let me."

Shisui smiled. "I know you doubt yourself, but you really do have great potential as a Soul Reaper. I'd like to help you realize it, and so does Visaelya. This isn't just for your safety or that of Squad Two as a whole; I want you to grow as a Soul Reaper and as person. There's clearly an underlying issue here that Visaelya and I don't understand, one that's been haunting you for some time now. Help us comprehend it so we can help you move forward."

Aika's eyes widened ever so slightly. "You two… you really do want to help me, don't you?"

"Of course," Visaelya replied, "Why wouldn't we?"

Aika looked down again. "I'm sorry, I… I'm not used to this. I'm… not good with people. I've only ever had a few friends… you're one of them. It wasn't always this way. I used to be confident, bold… like you, actually."

"Sounds like there's an interesting story here," said Shisui, "Should we sit down?"

Aika shook her head. "No, it's not that long. It's just… I haven't talked about it with anyone. Not even the Captain… although she probably already knows. What happened… it's not entirely a secret… at least, not to the Shihōin Clan."

Visaelya's eyes narrowed. "What role does the Captain's family play here?"

"My clan, the Hirata… they're vassals of the Shihōin Clan," Aika answered, "Not powerful ones; actually, we're pretty far down the hierarchy. We're a small part of the local forces that help protect the Shihōin Clan's Principality, and normally we stay out there… I think I'm the first to actually enter and graduate from the Academy as a proper Soul Reaper."

"Your parents must've been proud when they got the news," said Shisui.

Aika flinched, a gesture Visaelya had not expected. "My mother was… yes."

The fact that she only mentioned her father raised a quiet alarm for Visaelya. "What of your father?"

Aika closed her eyes for a moment, and Visaelya saw a brief tremor pass through her body before she opened them again. "My father's dead… and I'm the one that killed him."

Both Visaelya and Shisui's eyes widened. Of all the answers they could've gotten, that one wasn't what they'd been expecting. The two of them quickly recovered, and Visaelya began to suspect she knew how Aika had killed her father... and how that might be tied to her issues with her sword.

Don't jump to conclusions, she chided herself, Aika needs to go at her own pace here, and you need to hear her out.

"What happened?" asked Shisui, his tone remarkably calm and even gentle given what they'd just heard; he was clearly trying to keep this as an informal discussion between friends rather than turn it into an interrogation.

"It was about nine years ago," said Aika, "The Hirata family's position in the Shihōin Principality guard forces mostly revolves around protecting supply shipments. My father would typically command caravan escorts. It wasn't exactly prestigious work, but it was still an important job, one that our clan's taken pride in throughout our history."

Visaelya nodded. "Managing logistics is as crucial to the functioning of the Soul Society as fighting Hollows. Vassal families like yours who take part in such work don't get nearly enough credit and praise."

Aika gave her a faint smile. "That's very kind of you, Visaelya."

The Twentieth Seat sighed before continuing. "As we're charged with protecting supply shipments, our foes tend to be bandits rather than Hollows, so our weapons and tactics are tailored accordingly. Unfortunately, when your foes are human, that means you have a threat to guard against that you typically don't with Hollows; bribery. One day, a caravan my father was charged with protecting was ambushed. It quickly became apparent that the bandits' timing was too perfect, and they had full knowledge of the caravan's defenses. That was when my father's second-in-command, one of his closest friends… attempted to murder him during the confusion of battle. It turned out that he had been paid off by the bandits. My father was wounded, but he survived thanks to the intervention of a loyal guardsman. However, the caravan was ravaged, and the traitor fled with the bandits. When the few survivors reached their destination and word got out as to what had happened… the repercussions were severe."

"Was your father held responsible for the ambush?" asked Shisui.

"Yes and no," Aika replied somberly, "He was cleared of any treason charges himself, but the fact that a subordinate he knew so well had turned traitor without him suspecting a thing reflected poorly on his judgment. It called his command abilities into question, and while the need for people to protect the caravans was such that they couldn't directly remove him from his position, he soon found himself given much more menial duties. The hit to his personal reputation affected him greatly… and he turned to drinking as a result. Heavy drinking."

Visaelya grimaced; she had a feeling she knew where this was going. "I take it your father was a rather… belligerent drunk?"

Aika nodded, shuddering anew as what Visaelya assumed were no doubt horrible memories flashed through her mind. "Yes… it was terrifying. My father had been a passionate man, but he'd always loved my mother and I. That man was now gone, replaced by a bitter, foul and wrathful drunk who would lash out with no provocation whatsoever. We soon lived in utter fear of him, dreading every time he would return home. He'd… beat anyone around him… my mother and I worst of all."

"Shit…" Shisui hissed, "Aika…"

Even a daughter of great privilege like Visaelya could sympathize with the Twentieth Seat. Tales of nobles or vassals taking out a loss of prestige on those closest to them through drinking and violence weren't new to her; even the Drakken Clan wasn't immune to episodes like that, although thankfully Visaelya hadn't experienced any herself. Her parents could be prideful and aloof at times, but they both loved their daughter… or at least, they had the last time she'd spoken to them. Her entry into Squad Two as opposed to Squad Ten had shaken up her bond with her family, to put it mildly.

I'll make them understand someday, she silently told herself, I'm sure they won't let the clan give me the cold shoulder forever. We'll reconcile… but that's not important right now. Aika's story's the one that matters here, not yours. Don't insult her by distracting yourself with your own family problems.

"One night…"said Aika, her voice catching in her throat several times as she pressed forward, "it was… even worse than normal. I don't…. don't remember… what set him off. All I can recall from that night… the smell of booze on his breath… the shouting… and my mother, bruised and bleeding. He just wouldn't stop, and… and I knew… that he was going to kill her. I went to his room… grabbed his sword. He didn't even notice when I came back… he was still… still beating my mother. I didn't think, I just… I charged him… and stabbed him through the heart from behind."

Her whole body was trembling, and Visaelya caught sight of the tears that were welling up as she forced herself to relive what was clearly a memory that she wanted nothing more than to banish forever. She didn't consider herself to be given to overly open displays of affection or sympathy, but it was obvious that words alone wouldn't suffice here, not with the kind of pain her friend was suffering. So, she stepped forward, and Aika only had time to briefly look up before Visaelya took her into a gentle embrace.

"Aika," she said softly, "I'm so sorry… I never meant to make you suffer like this."

She was surprised to see Shisui approach and put his hand on Aika's shoulder. "That makes two of us."

Aika shook her head as Visaelya released her. "No, it's… I know you two are just trying to help. It's not your fault… it's mine."

"It is absolutely not," Visaelya replied firmly, "The fault lies with that horrific excuse of a man that was your father. Whether or not he was unjustly blamed for the treachery of his subordinate and the caravan ambush, he had no right to take out his anger on you and your mother!"

"She's right," said Shisui, "Your father's reaction to his loss of status was one that he had complete control over, and he decided to turn to booze and violence. He brought his end upon himself; you were only doing what you had to in order to save your mother and yourself."

Aika nodded shakily. "I know, but… violent and drunk bastard or not, he was still my father… and I killed him. I still remember his blood dripping from the blade… I remember it every time I hold my Zanpakutō."

The pieces fell into place for Visaelya. "You mentioned earlier that what happened with your father isn't a secret to the Shihōin Clan. The Captain knows, doesn't she?"

"Yes… she does," Aika answered softly, "She told me as much during the recruitment exhibition the year I graduated from the Academy."

Shisui shook his head. "If that's the case, then why didn't she recommend you for the Kidō Corps or Stealth Force instead of taking you into Squad Two? Your skillset would be put to great use in either of those organizations, and you wouldn't have to use a sword. By recruiting you into a division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, she put you into a position where using a Zanpakutō would be required despite knowing your traumatic history with a sword. I don't understand why the Captain would make such a decision."

"I… I wanted to join Squad Two," said Aika, "The Captain did offer to get me a position in the Stealth Force or recommend me to her friend in the Kidō Corps, but I wanted to be a Soul Reaper… and I still do. Like I said earlier, I'm the first person from the Hirata Clan to become a Soul Reaper. That's huge for my family."

Visaelya sighed. "I know what it means to have a family that you want to bring pride to, but I've learned recently that there's more to it than that. You say you want to be a Soul Reaper, but what about the pain that simply holding the fundamental weapon of a Soul Reaper is bringing you? If your past means that you fear the very weapon you are expected to wield, then it could all too easily lead to your early demise in the field. The Captain must've been aware of this, and I cannot believe she would want you to be on the front lines with such a fatal weakness."

Aika nodded. "I… spoke to the Captain about this during the recruitment exhibition. She had the same concerns that you two do, but she gave me the chance to decide my path forward. I chose the path of the Soul Reaper, even knowing the pain it would bring. I told her that I'd work to move past this fear of my sword. She said that she'd give me time to do so, assignment me to scouting and support roles while I tried to move forward. She even offered to personally assist in my training, but I told her I wanted to do this on my own."

"I can respect that," said Shisui, "but it clearly hasn't worked. I understand the Captain's decision, but a year of this is too long. Even if she's only going to have you in a scouting and support role for this mission too, it's not enough, not with where we're going."

Visaelya concurred. "He's right, Aika. Neither of us expect you to deal with your inner demons overnight, but we need to make some meaningful progress before we reach Menar Issilaya. Otherwise, your fear may be the end of you on this mission."

Shisui folded his arms. "How do you think your mother would feel if you perished because the lingering guilt at killing your father to save her prevented you from fighting with everything you had? I think you know what that would do to her."

Aika shook her head. "That… that's not fair, Tenth Seat Uchiha."

Shisui's eyes narrowed. "We're Squad Two; we don't play fair, remember?"

Visaelya reached out and put a hand on Aika's shoulder. "I know this hurts, but do you know what will be even worse? Perishing in the line of duty and putting your mother through a pain far greater than any she would've suffered at the hands of your father. You took up a sword nine years ago to save your mother's life. If you fall because you remain terrified of the weapon you were forced to use to protect her, in her eyes it will be as if your father had killed you instead of trying to kill her. That will devastate her, Aika… to the point that she may choose to follow you into the grave."

Aika shook her head frantically, fresh tears threatening to fall. "No… that's not… she can't! I don't… I don't want her to suffer like she did with father. Never like that again…"

"Then you know what you have to do," said Visaelya firmly, "You have to grow stronger, and that means embracing the same kind of weapon that you used to protect her. Even if you see every sword you ever hold, Zanpakutō or otherwise, as stained with the blood of your father, remember that you are wielding that weapon for the same reason as you did that night; to protect someone. It can be family, friends, comrades, complete strangers, and even yourself. What happened that night was a tragedy, Aika, but your actions weren't wrong. That night, you acted with the same dedication to defend someone that a Soul Reaper is expected to carry within them. That night, you already proved yourself worthy of becoming a Soul Reaper, regardless of your future Academy scores."

Aika's eyes widened. "You… you really think so?"

Visaelya smiled. "Absolutely."

The Twentieth Seat sniffed as she dried her tears on the sleeve of her robe. "Thank you. I… I've never had anyone talk with me like this before. You… you're a good friend, Visaelya. You too… Tenth Seat Uchiha."

Shisui grinned. "Hey, if you really think of us as friends, then just call me Shisui. This was the least we could do for you, Aika. Remember, we want you to grow stronger not just for the sake of Squad Two, but for yourself as well. We'll do whatever we can to help you."

Aika nodded. "I… I understand. If you two are still willing, then… I'd be honored to keep training with you."

"Of course, we're willing," said Visaelya, "However, why don't we call it here for tonight? Reliving your past like that can't have been easy; you should get some rest. We can pick up our sparring again tomorrow night, all right?"

Aika smiled. "Okay. Thanks again… for everything."

Visaelya nodded. "Anytime."

"Go get some sleep," said Shisui, "We'll see you in the morning."

After she headed off to her tent, the Tenth Seat turned to Visaelya, seemingly appraising her with new eyes. "Well… that was interesting. I didn't know you had that sort of thing in you. You did more than I ever could to help her tonight."

Visaelya quickly found herself blushing; why did he have this effect on her? "You're too kind… Shisui. I only did what I thought was right."

Shisui smiled. "I know, and you did very well. You have a great deal of empathy, Visaelya… more than I think you may realize. You might be a daughter of high nobility, but your compassion and sympathy for those born to a lower station burns brightly. I think it's lovely. You're as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside."

If she'd been blushing before, now Visaelya's face felt like it was practically on fire. "Oh… I… I don't… Shisui…"

My goodness, things are getting steamy in here, the spirit of her Zanpakutō teasingly chimed in.

Shut up!

Shisui raised an eyebrow as he peered at her. "Hey, Visaelya? Are you okay?"

Am I okay? After what you just said to me? You can't just talk like that to a girl and not consider what words like that might do to her!

So, are you going to spell out to him just what he's doing to you? How your heart races for him like no else before?

Absolutely not!

She nodded perhaps too emphatically for her own good. "Ah, yes… yes, I'm okay. I think… I think I'm just a bit tired. I… I should turn in for the night as well."

Shisui gave her a puzzled look, and for a moment Visaelya feared he might press the matter, but he let it go. "All right, then. Well, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Sleep well, Visaelya."

As if you'll be falling asleep anytime soon!

Not helping!

The spirit of her sword was right, though. Even after she retreated to her tent and shut the flaps behind her, it was clear that it'd be quite some time before sleep would finally take her. Even after it did…

…her subsequent dreams ensured that the 'steam' from before would not subside quickly.

….

A month and a half later…

Standing at the crest of a small hill, Yoruichi's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the land ahead. "There it is."

The Red Cap Mountains had first become visible a few days ago, which meant that Squad Two's expeditionary force was almost to their destination. The eastern mountain range's features seemed to clash with its name at first glance; the main peaks were always white with snow regardless of the time of year. However, the mountains had earned their name from an illusionary effect of nature. Whenever the light of the setting sun hit the peaks, the white snow would appear crimson, as if the mountains were stained with blood. Right now, it was still late morning, so that spectacular visual effect would unfortunately not be visible for quite some time. Yoruichi didn't particularly mind; the sight she was focused on was not the brilliant peaks of the mountain, but the deep and dark pass that held their ultimate destination.

To say the Shadow Pass was an ominous sight would be a severe understatement. While the sky outside the pass was mostly clear, the pass itself was shrouded in a layer of low-lying clouds so dark and thick that they reminded Yoruichi of volcanic ash. That was a physical impossibility; none of the Red Cap Mountains were active volcanoes to her knowledge, and if they were and one of them was erupting, she certainly would've gotten a scout report on it by now. Yet there they were, appearing to almost smother the pass in darkness and more than helping it earn its name. The transition between light and dark was perhaps most dramatically marked by the river that ran through the pass; its waters shimmered in the morning sunlight outside the pass, but as soon as it passed under the clouds, it became little more than an oily black streak.

The Shadow Pass was unnatural from more than just a physical perspective. As Yoruichi concentrated on the thick clouds shielding it from sunlight, she felt an undercurrent of power running through them. It was subtle and difficult to pick up at first glance, especially from this distance, but it was unmistakable; what she felt was spirit energy. There was a sinister sense of corruption to it, quite unlike anything she had ever felt from a Hollow before.

I don't know what the source of that energy is, she thought, but damn if it ain't creepy as hell.

To her right, Kisuke whistled as he took in the view. "We made good time. Our initial travel time estimates didn't have us reaching this point for at least another week or so."

Yoruichi nodded. "Even with all the supplies in tow, we managed a pretty brisk pace. So much the better."

Kisuke smiled. "The newbies kept up pretty well. They've come a long way in a short time, figuratively and literally."

That was certainly true. Yoruichi had been impressed with Itachi and Visaelya's handling of the journey so far; their speed had improved considerably since the expedition out to the Andunayan barrow over a year ago. As much as she might want to praise their progress, though, she had to exercise restraint. Not only were they out in the field, but with so many other officers along for the ride she had to keep from showing an overt amount of favoritism towards her newest subordinates, especially Itachi.

"That they have," she replied, "but the real work starts now."

"You're right," said Kisuke, "How far ahead did you send Soi-Fon?"

"Just to the mouth of the pass for now," Yoruichi answered, peering intently at the open ground between the hill and the pass, "She should be making her way back right about… ah, there she is."

Her bodyguard was like a shadow on the wind as her Shunpo carried her to her Captain. Yoruichi was pleased with her form and pace; Soi-Fon had come so far since those early days when Yoruichi had first taken her under her wing. Now was hardly the time to be admiring the evolution of her subordinate, though. As Soi-Fon came to a stop before her, Yoruichi could tell that her bodyguard was troubled.

"What is it?" she asked her protégé.

"Those clouds," Soi-Fon replied, "You can feel that, right?"

Yoruichi nodded. "All the way from here. What was it like up close?"

"Unsettling," Soi-Fon answered, "and like nothing I've ever seen before. I can't be certain, but… from what I could sense, I think the source is the old city."

"Interesting," Kisuke murmured.

"What else did you see?" Yoruichi asked.

"Per your orders, I only went to the mouth of the pass," said Soi-Fon, "The river… it's strange. Outside the pass, it's normal. Inside, though… once it passes beneath the clouds, it becomes foul. Acrid fumes emanate from it, and it has an unnatural chill."

"In other words, it's probably not viable as a source of drinking water," Yoruichi commented, "Did you see any safe sources in the area?"

Soi-Fon nodded. "There's a spring a little way north of the mouth of the pass. The water appears much healthier there. It's relatively easy to access, too."

"Then that's where we'll establish our base camp for this mission," said Yoruichi.

"Will we be going into the pass itself today?" asked Kisuke.

Yoruichi shook her head. "No. After we set up camp, I want everyone to rest up. We need to be at full strength when we enter the pass. We'll start scouting the pass tomorrow morning. The old city's closer to this side of the mountains, so it shouldn't take long for us to find it. No one enters it without my authorization, is that clear?"

Kisuke nodded, all business now that they were on the doorstep of their objective. "Understood."

"Yes, Lady Yoruichi," said Soi-Fon.

"All right, then," said Yoruichi, "Let's get to work."

….

"What do you see?" asked Itachi.

Standing next to him at the very edge of the camp, his Sharingan blazing like a pair of crimson beacons in the night, was Shisui. The two Uchiha had their gazes fixed on the mouth of the Shadow Pass, with Itachi relying on his old friend's gleaming eyes to get a feel for what lay ahead of them.

"Nothing good," Shisui muttered.

Itachi shook his head. "I figured as much. Care to elaborate?"

"The Sharingan's not nearly as good at long range as the Byakugan, you know," Shisui pointed out, "I'd much rather have a Hyūga doing this kind of work than the likes of us."

"Too bad there aren't any Hyūga in Squad Two, or the rest of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads for that matter," said Itachi.

"They're probably scattered across the Rukon District, just like our clan," Shisui replied, "I mean, look how long your mother went before you and her reunited."

"A fair point," Itachi conceded, "You still haven't answered my question, though."

Shisui sighed. "That energy running through the clouds… it's one thing for Soul Reapers like the Captain and the others to sense it, but to actually perceive it the way I can with the Sharingan… this stuff looks eerie, Itachi."

Itachi raised an eyebrow; if it had Shisui spooked, that certainly wasn't a good sign. "What do you mean?"

Shisui's eyes narrowed. "It's hard to put into words. It's spirit energy, but it's twisted, malformed. Like someone poisoned a reservoir, and now those toxins are polluting the surrounding environment."

"Can you see anything within the clouds themselves that could be the source?" asked Itachi.

Shisui shook his head. "No. I think Soi-Fon's earlier report was right; the source has to be the old city… or whatever's inside the city these days."

"I see," said Itachi, his mind already considering what might come next, "Since Yoruichi knows about your restored Sharingan, she'll probably have you take point for the initial scouting of the city."

Shisui nodded. "Sounds about right. That's what I'd do, anyway."

Itachi's brow furrowed. "Don't be reckless."