4/6

She didn't have a concrete answer. There were a few notions running through her mind, some of them intriguing, but she couldn't put her finger on anything definitive as of yet. There was plenty of time to work that out, though, and since she was out in the field she knew that she had more pressing matters to deal with at the moment.

Itachi turned to acknowledge her approach a few seconds later. "Is there something I can do for you, Captain?"

She smiled. "Hey, now, what did I tell you about me and formality? You can relax, Itachi."

"Is it really all right to be informal at a time like this?" he asked, "We are in the field, and this is a mission."

Yoruichi nodded. "I'll decide when the time's right for you to be formal with me, all right? Right now, I want you to ease up. Consider that an order."

"Very well, then… Yoruichi," he said.

She smirked. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"I suppose not," he replied, "What can I do for you?"

"You can tell me how you're holding up," she said, "We had quite the hike to get here... and you got less sleep than the others."

He nodded, understanding clear in his eyes. "I'm still fit for duty. I'm not about to let my evening reflections get in the way of the mission."

She couldn't detect any signs of weariness, so for now she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. "All right, then. Anyway, you can leave the rest of the camp setup to the others. Come with me."

He looked puzzled. "What for?"

Yoruichi grinned. "We came all the way out here for the barrow, right? Seeing as how you're the top student in your class, I figure it's only right that you get the first peek at the entrance. Consider it a reward for all your hard work."

"What about Jiraiya and Visaelya?" asked Itachi.

Yoruichi shrugged. "They'll get their chance soon enough. Come on; you should get a good look before a crowd starts to gather back there."

Itachi nodded. "Very well, then… and thanks."

"Anytime," she replied, "Let's move!"

They didn't utilize Shunpo, but Yoruichi nonetheless set a relatively brisk pace as she led him to the entrance of the cave at the back of the ravine. She the held out her right hand with the palm facing upwards.

"Bakudō 3: Hakkō Gaido!" she called out.

Once the small blue-white orb situated itself over her head, providing sufficient illumination, Yoruichi led the way into the cave. It only took a few minutes to reach their objective, but even though she'd known what to expect she still couldn't help but whistle when she caught sight of it.

"They really built 'em big back then, didn't they?" she said.

"Impressive," said Itachi.

The far end of the cavern had opened up considerably and built into the stone at the back was a set of large doors. They were at least the size of a two-story house, quite possible taller, and she could only imagine how thick they were. Torches carved into the cavern wall on either side illuminated the doors with eerie blue-green flames, allowing Yoruichi and Itachi to study the intricate designs carved into them. The upper half was dominated by a nine-pointed star, while the images of four armored warriors were engraved beneath it. She caught sight of Kisuke standing off to the side and led Itachi towards him. Her Third Seat looked up and smiled as they approached.

"Quite the sight, isn't it?" he asked.

Yoruichi smiled. "You could say that."

"Did you light the torches or were they like this before you arrived?" asked Itachi.

"The latter," Kisuke answered, "In fact, I'm willing to bet that these things have remained lit since the barrow was first sealed."

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Kisuke nodded. "Yup. There are traces of powerful spirit energy in the flames; whoever cast them wanted to make sure that they lasted through the ages. I'd certainly say they succeeded."

Itachi gestured at the door. "Who are the figures there?"

Kisuke shook his head. "No idea. Kirio might know something about that; she's studied more of the history of the old kingdom than I have. I've just been trying to recreate their Kidō spells."

"Speaking of which, what about the one on the doors?" asked Yoruichi, "What kind of barrier are we looking at?"

Kisuke smiled. "A very impressive one, if I do say so myself. Go ahead and see for yourself; fire a spell at the doors."

Yoruichi smirked. "Are you sure? I might just blast the whole thing apart."

Kisuke chuckled. "Trust me; it's made of sturdier stuff than you might think."

Yoruichi grinned; she was always up for a challenge. "All right, then. Don't say I didn't warn you!"

She held out her right hand with the palm facing the doors. "Hadō 33: Sōkatsui!"

A blast of blue flames discharge from her palm and slammed into the doors. There was a near-blinding flash as the energy from the attack spell and the barrier collided, but as Yoruichi narrowed her eyes she was able to see the power from her strike disperse along the shield. The blue energy was channeled into nine specific points; three along the middle where the doors met, three on the far-right side of the doorway, and three on the left. Those nine points glowed as they gathered the blue energy from her spell before dimming again.

"Interesting," she said as the light faded, "It looks like a multi-node absorption barrier. That's some seriously high-level spell casting right there!"

Kisuke nodded. "Yup. A simple offensive spell like the one you used merely has its energy divided amongst the nodes once it hits the barrier. The power from the spell is then used to fuel the barrier; every time you attack, you actually make it stronger."

"Fascinating," Itachi murmured, "Our Kidō instructor has never made any mention of such a defensive technique before."

"It's not something your typical Soul Reaper can pull off," said Yoruichi, "It requires an extremely intricate knowledge of Kidō in order to properly cast, not to mention an insane amount of power. You usually need multiple casters working in concert, and it can't be set up on the fly so you can't really use it in battle. I think Tessai can pull it off, but not without a lot of prep time."

"He can do it, but it takes some serious work for him to set it up," Kisuke confirmed, "I don't think I've ever seen him do it outside of the tests we've run together. Multi-node absorption barriers are really only good for something you're looking to protect long term."

"Like fortifications," said Itachi, "or a tomb."

"Correct on the second, not so much on the first," said Kisuke, "Multi-node absorption barriers are only really effective over a limited area. You can try to add more nodes as you stretch the barrier further, but eventually it collapses under the weight of its own complexity and power. Besides, the knowledge required to set these things up is pretty obscure; apart from Tessai and a few others, the technique is just not practiced in the modern era. It was much more prominent in the old kingdom, though."

Itachi nodded. "I see. So, how do you take it down?"

"Well, the easiest way is to find the original caster or casters and have them dispel it," Kisuke replied, "Unfortunately for us, given the age of this tomb said casters are long dead. That leaves us two options; brute force or subtlety."

"Kirio and I could pull off the first," said Yoruichi, "I bet if we blast the walls on either side of the doorway we could punch our way into the barrow. However, we could cause a cave-in and get us all killed, not to mention damage or destroy the artifacts that we're after."

"Subtlety sounds preferable," said Itachi dryly, "Any ideas?"

"A few," said Kisuke, "I need more time to probe the barrier, though."

"How much time?" asked Yoruichi.

Kisuke studied the doors for a moment before turning to her again. "Mind if I make this an all-nighter? I just want to be sure that I'm not missing anything. I should have a solution for you by morning."

Yoruichi shrugged. "I don't see why not. We came all this way, and I'm sure everyone else could use a break. If you're willing to work overnight on this, then have at it, Kisuke. If you need help, you know where to find the rest of us."

Kisuke smiled. "Don't worry. By the time you finish breakfast tomorrow morning I'll have figured out our way inside!"

Yoruichi grinned. "I'll be holding you to that! Catch you later, Kisuke."

"Are you sure this is all right?" asked Itachi as the two of them turned around and headed for the mouth of the cavern.

Yoruichi smirked. "A student questioning a Captain? You are a bold one, Itachi!"

He bowed politely. "I meant no offense."

"And I didn't take any," she replied, "so don't worry about it. I just so happen to agree with you that subtlety is preferable for this situation, and I don't mind waiting another night for it to bear fruit. If Kisuke says that he'll have a solution by morning, that's all I need to hear. He wouldn't brag like that on an important mission like this if he couldn't back it up."

"So, what do we do now?" he asked.

"We grab some dinner and take a load off," said Yoruichi, "Kirio will probably come back here later to help Kisuke out; she tends to like puzzles such as this one. Between the two of them, I'm sure they'll get us into the barrow. After that, it's just a matter of surveying for boobytraps and taking inventory."

Itachi nodded. "What kind of traps should we be expecting?"

Yoruichi rubbed her chin in thought. "Good question. Data on the inner workings of Andunayan barrows is rather scarce. We might have some old-fashioned spike pits or giant stone balls to deal with, or there could be something more complex. Based on the kind of barrier they got at the entrance, the latter wouldn't surprise me."

"How do you intend to deal with them?" asked Itachi.

Yoruichi grinned. "Believe it or not, that's actually part of the reason why I brought Shisui along. He may be a gifted fighter and scout, but I've also noted over the years that he's got a real knack for sniffing out ambushes and other nasty surprises. He'll be on point once we breach the barrow. Kirio and I have already briefed him over every bit of knowledge in our possession regarding tombs like this; the rest will be up to him."

"I see," said Itachi quietly.

Yoruichi sighed. "Look, I know you two are friends, so I won't blame you if you've got reservations about the role I have for him in this plan. I wouldn't ask this of Shisui if I didn't trust his abilities."

She was surprised to actually see a small smile appear on his face. "No, it's all right. In fact, I happen to completely agree with you. Back when we were alive, Shisui and I trained together and fought side by side several times. I know what he's capable of, and I'm sure his skills have only improved since then. The mission you've picked for him is one that I know he'll accomplish."

Yoruichi smiled, both relieved and flattered by Itachi's praise of her Tenth Seat. "I'm glad you feel that way. Thanks, Itachi."

"You're Squad Two's Captain and Shisui's superior officer," Itachi replied, "If Shisui is willing to place his life in your hands, then that's enough for me. I trust his judgment and yours."

She studied him closely. "You two really were good friends back when you were alive, weren't you? Shisui's always spoken highly of you, and it's good to see that the feeling's mutual."

Itachi closed his eyes. "We were. To be honest… I believe we died in the wrong order. I should've been the one to pass on first; Shisui had so much more to offer the world than I did. Had he lived longer… a great many things might've been changed for the better."

Yoruichi shook her head and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Itachi, please, don't talk like that. It's true that I haven't known Shisui very long, and you even less, but I've already seen enough to know that you're both remarkable young men. Both of you were taken from your Realm of the Living far earlier than you should've been. I can't change the past, but I can offer both of you a second chance. Life in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads isn't easy, but I firmly believe that the two of you could do far greater good here than you ever could in life. Our actions do not just affect the afterlife, but all of creation. The ripples may be subtle, but one way or the other they are felt. Your life has just as much value as Shisui's; never say otherwise again. Do you understand?"

He smiled again, although she could detect a hint of melancholy behind it. "Is that an order?"

"Yes," said Yoruichi, "and it's one I'll make sure to enforce once you join my division. Your second life has just begun, Itachi, and I want you to make the most of it."

Itachi nodded. "Very well, then. I'll keep that in mind."

Yoruichi grinned. "Good. Now, let's go grab a bite to eat!"

….

The next day…

"Are you ready for this?" asked Shisui as he led Itachi, Jiraiya and Visaelya into the cave.

Visaelya nodded. "As ready as we're ever going to be."

"Is the barrier still up?" asked Jiraiya.

"For now, yes," Shisui replied, "but if I know the Captain and our Third Seat, it won't be for much longer."

"It will be interesting to see how they take it down," Itachi murmured.

Indeed, it was something that he was quite looking forward to witnessing. When Kisuke had demonstrated the barrier to Itachi and Yoruichi the night before, he had been most impressed with it. During his time as a Shinobi, Itachi had encountered his fair share of sealing and barrier jutsus, but the energy field that protected the entrance to the Andunayan barrow was something else entirely. As defensive mechanisms went, it was comprehensive and powerful. If his Sharingan were awakened Itachi felt that he could've found a way to pierce it, but unfortunately, he had yet to reach that particular stage of his second life. His powers were developing at a reasonable pace, but it seemed that awakening the fabled eyes of the Uchiha Clan took longer as a soul than as a human in the Realm of the Living.

He wondered if Shisui had had a chance to study the barrier with his Sharingan. Itachi knew that his friend was trying to keep the power of his eyes a secret from the Soul Society, and with Kisuke studying the barrier overnight he doubted Shisui would've been able to get more than the briefest peek at it with his Sharingan before Squad Two's Third Seat took notice. He more than understood his friend's desire to keep their clan's bloodline trait hidden, but at times like this he wondered if that was really such a good idea.

It would be most useful right now, he thought as they made their way through the cave, and I believe Yoruichi at the very least could be entrusted with its secrets…

They came around a corner and found the barrow doors looming before them, as impressive and intimidating now as they had been the night before. Kisuke was standing before them, as were Yoruichi, Soi-Fon, Kirio, and most of the members of Squads Two and Twelve that had come along on the expedition.

Yoruichi grinned when she caught sight of them. "Hey, about time you all showed up! I'd hate for you to miss all the fun!"

Kirio was practically bouncing on her heels in excitement. "Oh, yes! This is going to be a real treat!"

Shisui smiled. "I take it we have a way in?"

"Yup," said Kisuke, "It took a little while, but I think I've got it."

"So," said Itachi, "what can we do to help?"

Kisuke shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm afraid you students lack the kind of power that's needed to breach the barrier. We'll handle this."

Jiraiya sighed. "That bites. I hate sitting on the sidelines."

"Don't worry," said Yoruichi, "You'll be able to help out once we're inside the barrow."

"In time, we have no doubt that your powers will grow to the point that you'll be able to take part in tasks like this in the future," Kirio added, "but for now, I'm afraid you're not at that point yet. There's no shame in recognizing that."

"What will you do?" asked Visaelya as she nodded at the door, "That barrier's a formidable one."

Kisuke nodded. "Multi-node defense barriers are some of the toughest ones out there. However, they're not invincible. While the nodes working in concert are quite efficient at dividing up energy amongst themselves before absorbing it, they can be overwhelmed if targeted individually with sufficient strength. That's why only Captains and senior officers can take part in breaching the barrier."

He gestured at the doors, and Itachi realized that nine paper markers had been attached to them since he'd last seen it. Each one corresponded with a node in the barrier, and he realized what they were; target designators.

The barrier itself isn't visible unless it's directly attacked, he thought, so you need a way to distinguish where the nodes are even when you can't see the shield. I believe I understand what Third Seat Urahara has in mind…

Yoruichi, Kirio, and Soi-Fon stepped forward, along with several other Soul Reapers. Kisuke joined them, and they all began an incantation.

"Strike, lord of tempest and thunder! Make your fury known to men and beast alike, less they forget the higher order of the world! Hadō 4: Byakurai!"

Rather than using the open hands method, every caster fired the spell using the more precise index finger approach. While the spell itself was a low-level attack, the amount of power behind it with a full incantation was orders of magnitude greater than what a student like Itachi was capable of when cast by the Captains. When Yoruichi and Kirio's attacks were combined with those of their subordinates it became a display of spell casting strength the likes of which Itachi and his fellow students could only marvel at.

Every line of blue-white energy unleashed by the Soul Reapers converged on a single point; the node at the exact center of the barrier. There was a bright flash as the barrier activated to absorb the attacks, but Itachi saw the central node glow with the same bright blue energy as the Kidō spell striking it before suddenly bursting like an overripe fruit. Ripples of residual power from the spells flowed across the remaining nodes, but from the way the barrier was suddenly fluctuating it was clear to Itachi that it had taken considerable damage.

"Impressive…" he muttered.

Jiraiya grinned. "I'll say. A few more of those and the barrier should collapse!"

Visaelya nodded. "I hope you're right."

The Captains and their subordinates shifted their targets and repeated the same process on the center left node of the barrier. Once again, the node was nailed by pinpoint streams of blue-white energy, and just like the previous one it was overwhelmed and ruptured. The ripples of energy flowing across the rest of the barrier intensified as the remaining nodes struggled to compensate for the loss, and it was clear that the seal was destabilizing.

"One more ought to do it," said Shisui.

Glancing at his friend, Itachi saw his eyes briefly flash red; with everyone else focused on the barrier, Shisui apparently felt like it this was a good chance to study the energy field with his Sharingan. It only lasted for a moment, but the small smile that appeared on his face afterwards was enough for Itachi to know that Shisui had gotten sufficient information to verify his previous statement.

"How can you tell?" asked Visaelya.

Shisui turned to her, his eyes already back to their normal obsidian color. "Oh, I've just got a knack for reading situations like this. Spend enough time in the field and eventually you'll pick it up too."

Itachi had to suppress a chuckle. A dodge like that was classic Shisui.

It really was good to have his old friend back.

That didn't mean he wasn't concerned, though. "Yoruichi told me that you'll be on point once we breach the barrow. Be careful."

Shisui turned to him and smirked. "Hey, I thought you knew me better than that."

"I do," Itachi replied, "and you know me."

Shisui nodded. "Yeah, I suppose I do. Don't worry; I'll keep my eyes open."

The Soul Reapers made another combined attack, this time on the center right node of the barrier. Once again, the node burst after being flooded with energy, only this time instead of ripples large gashes began to appear in the barrier. Bolts of energy crackled around them as they grew, and Itachi felt a violent spike in spirit energy as the seal began to break down.

Jiraiya sensed it to. "It's gonna blow!"

"Should we take cover?" asked Visaelya.

Shisui shook his head. "We'll be fine. Trust the Captains."

Indeed, Itachi could see that both Yoruichi and Kirio appeared perfectly calm. Both were making sweeping gestures with their hands, and Itachi could sense their spiritual pressure spiking.

"Ryūbi no Jōmon!" they called out in unison.

Two rows of over a dozen large and thick white pillars materialized from above and fell between the Soul Reapers and the doorway of the barrows. There was a large blast just behind it as all the energy held by the barrow's barrier violently dispersed, but while the shield erected by the two Captains shuddered it did not break. The cavern rocked from the outburst of power, but despite the tremors Itachi did not spot any signs of an imminent collapse.

A few moments later the cavern quieted down again, and Itachi saw the two Captains step forward to closely inspect the barrier they'd erected. Their eyes both seemed to hold a critical gaze, which took Itachi by surprise; in his opinion, the two of them had done a remarkable job in constructing a sufficient defense for both themselves and their subordinates on such a short notice.

"Damn," he heard Yoruichi mutter, "Mine's got some cracks."

Kirio sighed. "Mine as well. That's embarrassing."

"Lady Yoruichi, Captain Hikifune, with all due respect, I think you're being overly harsh on your own performance," said Soi-Fon, "The barriers you erected served their purpose quite well."

Yoruichi shook her head. "Thanks, Soi-Fon, but you don't need to flatter me. Barriers aren't really my specialty. Tessai and Kisuke could easily put me to shame there."

"Tessai's second-in-command performs well there, too," said Kirio, "I'm normally proficient in them, but I think I was a little sloppy this time. It's been a while since I've had to cast Ryūbi no Jōmon."

Yoruichi shrugged. "Well, no sense in worrying about it right now. We're all still alive, so I guess that's enough for now."

The two Captains dispelled their barriers with a wave of their hands. Beyond was the entrance to the barrow. The doors were still intact and appeared undamaged, but Itachi could no longer sense the power of the multi-node barrier; it had been completely dispelled.

"That's amazing," Visaelya muttered, "So that's the power of the Captains…"

Jiraiya leaned forward. "Are we really in the clear? I wouldn't be surprised if that barrier wasn't the only thing protecting these doors."

Itachi turned to his old friend. "Shisui?"

Shisui shook his head. "I didn't see anything earlier, but I was just focusing on the barrier. Kisuke's been studying it a lot longer than I have, though, so if there are any other hurdles for us to get through apart from the doors themselves in order to enter the barrow I'm sure he's spotted them."

Their gazes turned to Squad Two's Third Seat as he studied the doors. After a moment they saw him turn to Yoruichi and nod.

"All right," he said, "Take a whack at it."

Yoruichi grinned. "Don't mind if I do!"

Itachi could only watch in bemusement as the lovely Captain stepped in front of the doors. For a few moments she simply folded her arms as she studied them, only to take Itachi and his fellow students completely by surprise by suddenly kicking the doors.

Hard.

One blow dead center was all it took for Yoruichi to violently open both doors, and Itachi was amazed that they weren't outright shattered from the force of the impact. As it was, they swung back and slammed into the interior walls of the barrow with a great clamor, but they didn't appear to have been knocked loose from the doorway.

Jiraiya chuckled. "Now that's what I call making an entrance!"

That's certainly one way to put it, thought Itachi, I wonder if that was her full strength, or if she was still holding back…

From what he had learned about Soul Reaper Captains so far, Itachi wouldn't be all that surprised if the latter was the case.

Visaelya was gaping at what she had just witnessed. "I thought we were supposed to be careful with a tomb like this!"

Shisui smiled. "That's our Captain for you."

As if on cue, Yoruichi turned around and gestured towards her Tenth Seat. "Shisui, you're up!"

Shisui nodded. "Understood."

"Watch out in there," said Itachi, "The barrier may be gone, but I'm still sensing traces of spirit energy coming from inside the barrow."

"Me too," Shisui replied, "I'll stay on my toes."

"Good luck, Shisui," said Visaelya, "Please, be careful."

He gave her a nod and a smile. "I will. This shouldn't take too long."

….

This is it, thought Shisui as he stood in the doorway of the tomb, I've spent the whole journey out here psyching myself up for this, but now that it's actually in front of me…

It was one thing to read about a barrow like this but preparing to raid one was quite another. It was far from the first time that he'd been ordered to scout out a potentially dangerous area, yet there was still something that made this tomb feel a bit more ominous that any of his prior missions.

Yoruichi seemed to catch on to his apprehension, because she approached him and put her hand on his shoulder. "You sure you want to solo this? I'd be perfectly fine backing you up if you want."

Shisui shook his head. "Thanks, Captain, but I can do this. I'm just trying to figure out where to start."

Yoruichi nodded. "I gotcha. The archives didn't have too much information about the interior of barrows like these, but if it follows standard Andunayan architecture then the chamber for the whoever the most prominent person buried here is should be at the very back. Side chambers should've been carved out for their most trusted subordinates, and then rank and file troops would be interred within the walls. Remember the importance of the number nine in Andunayan culture; that might have an influence on the layout of the barrow."

"Got it," said Shisui, "In that case, I'll head straight back and start by scoping out the rear chamber, then I'll work my way along the sides. If the most important guy in this barrow is buried at the back, then the strongest defenses should be back there too."

"Sounds about right," said Yoruichi, "Be thorough and leave nothing to chance. Those three students are quite gifted, but I still don't like the thought of one of them tripping a trap in there."

Shisui smiled. "I feel the same way."

"I'll leave you to it, then," said Yoruichi, "However, if you don't report back within half an hour, I'm sending Kisuke in after you. Understood?"

Shisui nodded. "Yes."

Yoruichi smiled. "All right, then. Get in there and do what you do best, Shisui."

"You got it, Captain," he replied.

She stepped back and away from the doorway, leaving Shisui alone in the entrance. Much to his surprise, as he peered in inside he realized it wasn't total darkness; there were flickers of blue-green light coming from within, not unlike the flames of the torches that flanked the entrance. Just like those torches on the outside, he could feel traces of spirit energy coming from those inside the barrow as well.

Someone clearly put a great deal of power into those flames for them to last the millennia, he thought as he stepped forward, I imagine it must've required a great deal of dedication on their part. The old kingdom might've had its flaws, but at the very least it would seem they held great reverence for those who gave their lives in battle.

Confident that his comrades wouldn't discover his secret now, he activated his Sharingan. Black eyes became red, with three black tomoe orbiting the pupil. His field of vision took on a crimson tone, but that did not hinder his perception; quite the opposite, in fact. The subsequent increase in visual awareness, with even minute details of the barrow becoming so much more vivid even in the dim lighting, was as familiar to him in the afterlife now as it had been back when he was still alive in the Shinobi World, yet there were some distinct differences.

When he'd been alive, use of the Sharingan had required chakra, although since he was a member of the Uchiha Clan the amount of chakra needed to utilize the Sharingan in its basic form was minimal. Here in the Soul Society, it was spirit energy that fueled the ocular jutsu rather than chakra. The process was very similar to when he had been alive, but spirit energy did have a subtle distinction to it. Technically, Shisui knew that chakra was actually composed of physical energy and spirit energy, which in theory meant that the power he was using now as a Soul Reaper had always been with him, but there was more to it than that. Shisui had been trying to pin it down for years, but even after all this time he still only had theories. The best way that he could square it in his head was to think of chakra as life energy produced by the combination of a living body and the soul, while spirit energy was tied to the soul itself and thus more easily awakened and utilized by the dead as opposed to the living. There were exceptions to this, of course, such as the now-vanished Quincy, and Shisui was aware of the existence of other humans that fell under the broad category known as 'mediums' whose power sprang from spirit energy as opposed to chakra, but in his eyes the distinction he'd come up with still served well as a general rule.

The subtle differences between chakra and spirit energy meant that one could not be manipulated exactly like the other; a wielder had to adjust their technique to account for the discrepancies. That was why a man like Jiraiya, who had been a legendarily powerful Shinobi in life, was now a Soul Reaper-in-training; learning to manipulate spirit energy when one had been used to manipulating chakra all their lives was the equivalent of having to relearn not only how to walk but also having to rethink nearly every other aspect of their existence and adapt accordingly. Shisui was well aware of what that felt like; even now that he was the Tenth Seat of Squad Two and had once again awakened his Sharingan, he still felt like he had a long way to go before he could discover the true scope of his abilities.

He was sure that Itachi felt the same way.

He'll be immensely powerful someday, he thought with a smile, I wouldn't be surprised if he surpasses me once he becomes fully attuned to his spirit energy and his Zanpakutō. He may even be able to recreate the jutsus we used in life through spirit energy beyond simply reactivating the Sharingan and its abilities.

Since Shisui had greatly limited his use of the Sharingan in order to conceal the fact that he had it from the Soul Society, he was actually still trying to discover all that it could do now that he was a spirit instead of a flesh-and-blood human. The powers of the Eye of Insight, for example, seemed to remain intact, but with a few key differences. For starters, Shisui could perceive spirit energy both around him and within others through it, although he imagined that the Byakugan of the Hyūga Clan could still outshine the Sharingan in that department. The incredible clarity of perception remained, and Shisui had discovered that this applied to Hollows as well; the few times he'd been able to fight them alone with the power of the Sharingan, he'd been able to discern minute individual muscle movements in the beasts that had given him a distinct advantage in fighting them, and he'd even been able to pick up hints of their actual composition. This had allowed him to strike with precision that rivaled or even exceeded that which he'd been capable of in life. The third aspect, the ability to copy jutsu, was something Shisui had been unable to test thus far since he'd yet to come across any spiritual foes wielding ninjutsu.

However, he had covertly used the Sharingan on occasion to observe other Soul Reapers as they cast spells or unleashed their Zanpakutō, and he had felt that he'd been able to gain greater understanding as to how their powers worked and how they manipulated their spirit energy. It was impossible to mimic another Soul Reaper's Zanpakutō, of course, but gaining greater insight into how each individual weapon worked in synch with its wielder was still invaluable, especially since one of Squad Two's duties in conjunction with the Stealth Force was to hunt down deserters and traitors. As for being able to copy the unique abilities demonstrated by Hollows, Shisui'd had little luck there, either. What he was most curious about was whether or not it was possible for him to copy and reproduce the Cero of a Menos Grande, but he'd yet to find the opportunity to try that out.

For all of the useful abilities that the Sharingan's Eye of Insight bestowed, though, what had really surprised Shisui was the fact that he could still utilize the gifts of the Eye of Hypnotism. He'd been completely floored the first time he'd realized that the Sharingan made it possible for him to employ genjutsu with spirit energy as the fuel as opposed to chakra. More importantly still was the discovery that the Sharingan's genjutsu was just as effective against Hollows as it was against humans. It was one of the reasons why Shisui was more eager than most members of Squad Two to engage Hollows on his own; he wanted every opportunity possible to test and refine the Eye of Hypnotism aspect of the Sharingan, crafting more and more realistic illusions to entrap Hollows and make them easier to eliminate. Shisui knew that he still had a long way to go on that front, but he felt that he was definitely making progress.

The Eye of Hypnotism was not an aspect of the Sharingan that he needed at the moment, though; it was the Eye of Insight that he required right now. As he stepped further into the barrow, Shisui was already analyzing every stone in the floor for signs of traps. So far, he'd yet to find any, but he had only just entered the ancient tomb.

Remember, don't let your guard down, he mentally told himself, Andunayan barrows do not give up their secrets without a fight.

As he progressed, the blue-green flames from the torches mounted along the walls grew brighter, eventually revealing the tomb in its full splendor. Although he remained focused on the task at hand, Shisui couldn't help but marvel at what he beheld. The main chamber had a vaulted ceiling that must've been at least a hundred feet high, and it was supported by columns that retained their grace and strength even after the passing of the millennia. At the foot of each column standing at least twenty feat high were stone statues of armored warriors, their shields broad and their curved blades raised in salute. Arches on both sides of the main chamber led off into side areas, with Shisui counting four on each side. The walls between the arches had the script of the old kingdom carved upon them, and Shisui suspected that Yoruichi had been right on the money; the common soldiers that had perished in the great battle this tomb had been built for were buried behind those walls.

As fascinating as the ancient script and carvings on the side walls were, though, they paled in comparison to what lay ahead. As he cautiously moved forward, Shisui was stunned by the intricate work he found at the far end of the chamber. High above was a nine-pointed star, each line glowing with bright blue spirit energy. Below it was a doorway, with Andunayan script glowing the same color as the star above emblazoned upon it. Flanking the doorway were two more stone statues of armored warriors, and unlike the ones at the bases of the columns these had intricate and flowing patterns of glowing blue energy upon their armor, shields and even their swords.

"Incredible…" he murmured as he approached.