5/6

His awe was well warranted, but it was also a mistake. As he continued to approach he became less mindful of where his feet were with his gaze almost bewitched by what he saw ahead. None of the stone tiles that made up the floor of the central chamber appeared all that different from each other at first glance, but one was faintly emanating blue-green spirit energy not unlike those of the flames that lit up the barrow.

And Shisui was heading right for it.

He only noticed when his right foot brushed against the edge of the tile and he sensed a sudden spike in spirit energy. Reacting on instinct honed through years of training, Shisui Flash Stepped backwards, and it wasn't a moment too soon. The small amount of spirit energy concealed beneath the tile acted as a trigger mechanism; as soon as his foot had brushed it, concealed panels in the ceiling up above had slid open. Shisui's Flash Step was the only thing that saved him from the surge of blue-green spirit energy that came crashing down like a wave. The concentrated power hammered the spot where he'd just been standing, and when the energy eventually dissipated Shisui saw that same area charred and cracked from taking the hit.

He breathed a heavy sight of relief. "That was way too close…"

"Shisui!" called Yoruichi from the entrance, "You okay in there?"

"I'm all right!" he shouted back, "Just found a little excitement in here!"

He heard her laugh echo through the chamber. "Well, don't have too much fun in there!"

He couldn't help but smirk at that. "Right."

He wanted to smack himself for getting so caught up in the splendor of the ancient tomb that he'd forgotten to watch his footing. Renewing his focus, he carefully studied the floor ahead with the Sharingan. He noticed several tiles like the one he'd just brushed up against, spaced out seemingly at random but with their concentration growing thicker the closer they got to the doorway at the far end of the chamber.

I know the Captain said not to have too much fun in here, he mused with a smirk as he sized up the situation, but it looks like I might have to disobey her this time…

….

Visaelya looked back and forth nervously between the open doorway and her fellow students. "Do you think he's doing all right in there? It sounds awfully… noisy for a scouting run."

Itachi wasn't about to argue with that. It sounded like a veritable thunderstorm was taking place inside the barrow, complete with ominous flashes that illuminated the darkness beyond entrance to the tomb. When combined with the spikes in spirit energy that Itachi could sense, one thing was quite clear; the barrow's inner defenses were very much active, and they were giving Shisui a workout.

Still, Itachi wasn't overly concerned; he could still clearly sense Shisui's spiritual pressure, and his old friend didn't feel like he was down for the count. "He's fine."

Jiraiya nodded. "Agreed. A bit of a shame that we have to stay out here, though; it sounds like we're missing quite the show!"

Visaelya folded her arms. "This isn't a game, Jiraiya. Shisui is risking his life for the sake of the mission!"

"Yes, and that's to be expected of any Soul Reaper," Jiraiya countered, "It'll be no different for the three of us once we graduate. Besides, look at Squad Two's Captain; does she seem to be all that worried about her Tenth Seat?"

Itachi glanced at Yoruichi, and she looked much the same as before; calm, confident, and even relaxed. He had expected no less given his prior encounters with her, and it only served to reinforce his own confidence in Shisui's ability to handle his mission.

Visaelya didn't seem quite as reassured, though. "Well, no, but still… that doesn't change the fact that what he's doing is very dangerous. He really shouldn't have been sent in alone like that!"

"He can handle it," said Itachi, "Just wait and see."

Visaelya scowled at him. "I thought Shisui was your friend. Shouldn't you be more worried about him?"

"I'm not worried because he's my friend," Itachi replied, "I know what he's capable of. If he thought this was beyond his ability to handle by himself, he would've said so to the Captains. He knows what he's doing."

Visaelya sighed. "Fine. I still don't like it, though."

She's more concerned about him than I would've expected, he thought, I wonder what brought that on…

You truly are clueless sometimes, his Zanpakutō berated him, I was hoping that you would've wised up at least a little bit by now.

Is there something meaningful that you wish to tell me?

Oh, no, not at all. It's much more fun to watch you wrack your brain trying to figure things out than simply give you a straight answer.

Well, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself.

At least one of us is.

Itachi shook his head as he shifted his thoughts away from his Visaelya and his Zanpakutō and back to Shisui and the barrow. The amount of spirit energy that was being thrown at his old friend was considerable, yet what struck him as odd was that he couldn't sense any other form of life in the tomb apart from Shisui. The best hypothesis Itachi could come up with was that somehow the Andunayans that had built the barrow had managed to create a system of seals and vessels capable of storing spirit energy and then releasing it upon the tripping of the appropriate trigger mechanism. From what he could tell, Shisui was tripping these spirit energy detonators on purpose, likely in an effort to clear out all the traps before his fellow Soul Reapers entered the tomb.

He wished now more than ever that his Sharingan was activated. Itachi was genuinely intrigued with regards to the barrow's defenses, and he would've enjoyed the chance to study them up close with Shisui. Alas, he had yet to reach the point where he could awaken his clan's ocular jutsu; Shisui was indeed correct about it taking longer to unlock the Sharingan in the afterlife than in their first life.

Your time will come, said his Zanpakutō, her reassuring tone taking Itachi by surprise, I have no doubt of that. You've come far in just a few short years, but your journey has only just begun. Trust that the path you stride now is the one you're meant for.

I'll… keep that in mind.

Good. It'd be a shame if all of my lessons went to waste on you.

You're hardly my only teacher.

Perhaps, but I'm the one that will be with you long after graduation.

Itachi had to concede the point on that one.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Jiraiya lean forward, his brow furrowing as he studied the gaping entrance of the tomb. "It's gotten quiet. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

Closing his eyes, Itachi concentrated on the spirit energy he could sense in the ancient barrow. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for, and he opened his eyes a moment later.

"A good thing," he said, "Shisui's all right."

"How can you be sure?" she asked.

"Focus," Itachi replied, "You've had the same training as the rest of us. If I can sense him, so can you."

Visaelya was quiet for a moment as she closed her eyes, and Itachi could feel her concentration narrow on the barrow entrance. A few seconds later she opened her eyes, and there was no small measure of relief in her expression.

"You're right," she said, "He's okay."

Jiraiya smiled. "Thought so. I hope he didn't leave too much of a mess in there."

Itachi's eyes narrowed as he saw a familiar silhouette coming out of the darkness of the tomb. "I think we're about to find out."

Shisui appeared a few moments later. Itachi saw what looked like a few scuff marks on his robes, but apart from that he seemed no worse for the wear.

Yoruichi stepped forward and smiled. "So, how'd it go in there?"

"All traps have been cleared," he reported, "The barrow's secure."

Yoruichi grinned. "Nice work! I knew I could count on you."

"Find any particularly nasty ones in there?" asked Kisuke with a smirk.

Shisui shrugged. "Depends on how you define 'nasty'. The ones you heard earlier were trigger mechanisms for stored spirit energy. I'm not sure how the Andunayans kept it sealed so that it didn't deteriorate over the millennia, but whatever method they used worked quite well."

Soi-Fon's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure you got them all?"

Shisui nodded. "I made a clean sweep. We're good."

Kirio smiled. "Wonderful! Shall we proceed, then? I imagine there's quite a bit in there for us to catalog."

Yoruichi nodded. "I'm sure you're right. Just one thing to take care of first."

She then turned to Itachi, Jiraiya, and Visaelya. "Come on up here, you three!"

The trio looked at each other for a moment, wondering what she had in mind. The only way they'd get an answer was to follow her lead, though, so they did exactly that.

Once they got to the front of the group, Squad Two's Captain addressed them again. "Since I want the three of you to get the most out of this, each of you are going to shadow an individual officer so you can get some one-on-one instruction. Itachi, you'll be with me. Jiraiya, you're with Kisuke. Visaelya, you can go with Shisui. Any questions?"

"What will our duties be?" asked Visaelya.

"To help us catalogue the contents of the barrow, as well as to observe us in our work," said Yoruichi, "After all, you're out here to learn. The knowledge and experience you'll gain today will serve you well in both your last year at the Academy and after you graduate."

"Is there anything in particular that we're looking for?" asked Jiraiya.

"Spirit Weapons and Armor are our top priorities," Yoruichi replied, "However, don't limit yourselves to just items that fall in those two categories. If something stands out to you, don't be afraid to speak up. Barrows like this one are supposed to contain all kinds of rare and unique artifacts, and the old kingdom's artisans were unapparelled in what they could create."

"Try to be careful," said Kisuke, "Shisui might've cleared the way for us, but stay on your guard just the same. Also, watch out when you're handling the artifacts. Weapons and armor shouldn't be so fragile, but you never know what else might be in there."

"Try not to disturb any remains you find if at all possible," Soi-Fon added, "It could very well be that some of the people interred here are ancestors of members of the modern Soul Society's aristocracy, and their descendants will likely react poorly to any news of what could be interpreted as desecration."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "I though this whole mission was basically desecration. I mean, it is organized grave robbery, after all."

"It's different when it comes to the weapons and armor likely to be inside the barrow," Yoruichi countered, "Retrieval of artifacts by the Thirteen Court Guard Squads is something that all the noble families are in agreement on, and they understand that sometimes that work can appear a little unseemly. They're more on the lookout for acts that could be considered deliberate desecration of corpses; they'd consider those to be gross offenses against their family's honor and would demand retribution. As long as you're cautious and respectful you should be fine."

Kirio grinned. "Well, no time like the present, right? Squad Twelve will start with the left half of the barrow."

Yoruichi nodded. "Squad Two will take the right. Itachi, you and I will inspect the chamber at the far end of the main vault."

"Understood," Itachi replied.

Yoruichi smiled. "All right, then. Let's go treasure hunting!"

The gathered Soul Reapers dispersed and went towards their respective assigned areas. Itachi fell in behind Yoruichi and followed her through the center of the main chamber. He couldn't help but admire the architecture and craftsmanship as they proceeded towards the ornate doors at the far end; the tomb truly was a marvel to behold.

Yoruichi looked over her shoulder and winked at him. "Pretty impressive, isn't it?"

Itachi nodded. "Yes. It's hard to believe they were able to carve such an elaborate structure into the earth like this."

Yoruichi shrugged. "Well, the old kingdom was never known for half-assing projects like this. It's why so many of their structures have survived the passing of the millennia."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Even though the modern Soul Society would rather forget all about the old kingdom?"

"That's right," Yoruichi replied, "Sure, the Central Forty-Six goes out of its way to confiscate or destroy anything Andunayan that it can get its hands on, but there are some things that they simply can't do that to. Barrows like these are one of them. They can try to keep people from finding them, but that's about it."

"The Seireitei used to be the heart of the old kingdom, right?" asked Itachi, "In that light, it wouldn't be far-fetched for there to be similar tombs hidden beneath it, especially for the old nobility and royalty."

Yoruichi smiled. "You're a sharp one. To tell you the truth, most of the old barrows that were made in the Seireitei have already been discovered; they're just concealed by the Central Forty-Six or the noble family that they belong to. It's possible there could still be one or two more hidden beneath the Seireitei that no one's found yet, but the odds of discovering fresh barrows are better out here in The Wild."

"I see," said Itachi as they approached the doors at the far end of the barrow.

When they got closer he saw Yoruichi lean closer to study the glowing script on the doors. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, and after a few moments he saw her smile.

"Well, well," she said, "That's interesting."

"What is?" he asked.

"The big shot that's interred behind these doors," she replied, "Turns out it's one of my ancestors."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Yoruichi nodded. "Yup. A distant one, but one just the same. Guess he underestimated the people they were fighting out here. Well, too bad for him."

She seemed awfully casual about the fact that they were intruding upon the tomb of one of her ancestors. Then again, it wasn't like said ancestor would have any further need of whatever artifacts the two of them found beyond the doors. Their mission was clear, and Itachi had to admire how she could set aside any personal feelings regarding her distant ancestor and focus on the task of cataloguing whatever ancient weapons and armor were interred with them.

She was focused on her objective much like a true Shinobi would be. Itachi had to wonder what it would've been like to serve beside her as a ninja in a past life. If her speed and power as a Soul Reaper Captain was any indication, then he was potentially standing next to a woman that could rival the Fourth Hokage himself in terms of damage she could do on the battlefield.

She gave him a mischievous smile, and Itachi knew she'd caught him staring. "Something on your mind?"

Itachi shook his head, although the slight rush of heat to his face betrayed the mask he tried to put up. "Nothing important."

She winked; she wasn't fooled for a minute but was apparently willing to let it slide so the mission could continue. "Right. Well, if that changes, feel free to let me know. In the meantime, we've got a little situation on our hands here."

"What do you mean?" asked Itachi.

"Simple," said Yoruichi as she gave the door a good knock, "How are we going to get through this thing?"

It was a good question. Turning to study the door, Itachi couldn't detect any signs of a barrier, but the stone appeared quite thick and there were no signs of anything resembling a lock that could be picked. In fact, there were no handles or any sort of opening mechanism whatsoever.

"I'm normally not an advocate for brute force," he said after a moment, "However, given the manner in which we entered this barrow, that might be our only viable option for gaining access to the chamber beyond these doors."

Yoruichi folded her arms, her brow furrowing in concentration. "You might be right. I'd prefer a subtler approach too, but we might not have much of a choice here. The writing on the doors isn't offering much in the way of clues… wait a second."

She leaned closer to the stone surface, and to Itachi it seemed like she was focusing on one word in particular. He wished that he could read the ancient script so he could figure out what she had in mind, and he resolved to make learning it a priority as soon as they returned to the Seireitei.

Yoruichi smiled. "Well, I'll be damned. It was staring us in the face the whole time."

Itachi was puzzled. "What was?"

"The way in," she replied, "In fact, I daresay that I'm the perfect candidate for this job due to my family connection here. Itachi, you might want to step back and brace yourself."

That didn't offer much clarity, but Itachi figured he'd find out what was going on soon enough. Giving her the requested space, he steeled himself the best he could, although it would've been much easier if he knew what exactly he was supposed to brace for.

What on Earth is she planning?

He got his answer a moment later when she unleashed a surge of spiritual pressure. Despite her warning, Itachi still felt his knees buckle at the incredible raw power that washed over him. The air became heavy and thick, and he found himself struggling just to breathe.

"Unbelievable…" he murmured.

He'd known that she was powerful, yet nothing had prepared him for the level of strength that she was displaying now. Her aura was burning a brilliant white, with her spiritual pressure pulsing outward in waves that slammed into Itachi harder than any that an ocean tempest could summon. Fine stone dust fell on him from above, and he realized that the power pouring from her was causing the entire tomb to tremble.

The astounding power Yoruichi was unleashing now was reflected in her radiant golden eyes as they remained fixed on the doors before her. Itachi's eyes widened as he saw the glowing letters upon the entryway grow brighter, as if they were responding to her surging spirit energy. There was so much raw power being brought out now that it was hard to remember that she hadn't even unleashed her Shikai or Bankai; this was still naught but a fraction of her true strength.

If she ever went all-out, he thought as he looked on in awe, she'd be more than a match for the Akatsuki.

Her power blazed like a beacon, and after a few moments more the tomb answered. The already brilliantly glowing runes increased in radiance to a point where they were damn near blinding, and Itachi could hear the slow grumble of stone moving against stone. The two heavy and intricately carved slabs that made up the entrance to the barrow's inner sanctum gradually began to give way, as if they were yielding to Yoruichi's power. Throughout the whole display, Itachi realized that he'd been holding his breath and belatedly gasped for air.

Yoruichi looked over at him and smiled. "Sorry. It's almost over. Hang in there."

She began reducing her power output a few seconds later. By then, the doors to the inner tomb were almost fully ajar, more than enough for the two of them to pass through. Soon enough, Yoruichi brought the rest of her spiritual pressure back down to her normal level of suppression, and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from Itachi's chest.

She gave him a pat on the back. "You held up pretty well. It takes a lot of strength to stay on one's feet when a Captain's exerting their power. You should be proud."

Itachi shook his head. "I could barely hold it together. I still have a long way to go."

Yoruichi winked. "You're farther along than you might think. That's one of the reasons why I chose you for this mission, you know. You may not realize it but being able to remain on your feet like that means you're already at a level that surpasses many unseated Soul Reapers. You've got a promising future ahead of you come graduation!"

He couldn't help but give a small smile at her praise. "Thank you."

"Anytime," she replied before gesturing at the open tomb, "Now, what do you say we see what kind of treasures are buried with this guy?"

"I'll follow your lead," he said.

As the two of them stepped inside the chamber, green-blue flames suddenly sprang to life in stone torches mounted on the walls. With their light now illuminating the chamber, Itachi was able to make a proper assessment, and he was impressed. It was larger than he'd anticipated, and intricate murals comprised of glowing blue lines of spirit energy flowed along the walls. On the left, one appeared to depict a man in elaborate armor leading troops into battle, his great sword held high signaling a charge. Meanwhile, on the left there was an image of what appeared to be the same figure, this time heading up what looked like a war council. In the center of the chamber there was a large stone sarcophagus, and as Itachi and Yoruichi approached it lit up with the same glowing runes that they'd seen on the doors.

Yoruichi gave a broad, sweeping gesture with her arm. "I'll say this much for the old kingdom; they made sure their dead slept in style. Well, the prominent ones, anyway."

Itachi nodded as he took it all in. "Indeed. This one must've been a general in addition to a lord of the Shihōin Clan. No disrespect intended, but I have to wonder if his rank only came thanks to his noble birth, or if he actually earned his position."

Yoruichi laughed. "None taken. Aristocracies are like that. It could've gone either way, for all we know. I'm a bit surprised at the murals depicting him in heavy armor, though; the Shihōin Clan typically favors speed and stealth over cumbersome gear."

"Perhaps the weight of his armor played a role in his downfall," said Itachi, "He didn't play to your family's strengths and paid the price for it."

Yoruichi shrugged. "Possibly. Maybe he was the exception that preferred the protection and power of heavy armor and great swords rather than being swift on his feet. Remember, just because a Great Noble House has certain specialties doesn't mean that every member adheres to them. It could've been something other than heavy gear and overly large swords that ultimately did this guy in."

Itachi walked around the chamber, looking for signs of hidden storerooms or traps and coming up empty. He then turned back to the sarcophagus.

"I suppose any treasure in this chamber will be in there," he said, nodding at the heavy stone grave.

"Yup," said Yoruichi, "Should be enough room in there for whatever's left of this guy's corpse and plenty of weapons and armor. It was an Andunayan tradition for prominent leaders to be buried with their prized gear, so given this person's level of importance in the barrow's layout we should be looking at quite the find here."

"In that case," said Itachi, "how do we open this?"

Yoruichi knelt down next to the sarcophagus and studied it carefully. She took a few minutes to move around it, searching for what Itachi could only assume was some kind if mechanism to open it.

She eventually stood up and shook her head. "Not seeing any sort of hidden switch or trigger. I guess we're just going to have to slide that big slab there off the old-fashioned way."

"Should we go get help?" asked Itachi, "It looks rather heavy."

Yoruichi shook her head. "No need. I can handle this. Stand back."

Itachi did so, wondering just what he was about to witness this time. He got his answer a moment later when she raised her right leg and kicked the slab.

Hard.

The stone cover went flying into the wall with a thundering crash, yet when it fell to the ground Itachi was amazed to see that there was hardy any damage at the point of impact. The mural of spirit energy lines was mostly intact, with only a few minor disruptions.

"Impressive…" he muttered.

Yoruichi winked. "Me or the wall?"

"Both," he said.

"Aw, you're sweet!" she laughed, "A real charmer, you know that?"

The sound of her warm laughter was like sweet music in his ears. Itachi didn't know why, but once again he felt that strange rush of heat to his face that he only seemed to experience when he was around her.

And once again, he heard his Zanpakutō ridiculing him. You're an idiot.

So you keep telling me. Will you ever enlighten me as to why you keep doing so?

No. Figure it out yourself. The answer's staring you right in the face.

The only thing Itachi could see in front of him was Yoruichi. That alone gave him a few ideas, but he had to question if they were right.

Once again, she caught him staring and pounced on it. "Gonna tell me what's on your mind this time, handsome?"

Itachi pointed looked away, trying to focus on the tomb instead of the Captain. "The mission… that's all."

Yoruichi giggled. "Right… well, in that case, get up here. We've got a grave to rob!"

She sounds way too cheerful about that.

Before the two of them could look inside, they were interrupted by Soi-Fon as she came rushing in. "Lady Yoruichi, are you all right?"

Yoruichi laughed. "Relax, Soi-Fon. It was just a little roughhousing!"

Soi-Fon sighed in equal parts relief and exasperation. "When I heard that loud noise… Lady Yoruichi, please try to be more careful."

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. "Hold on a moment; the noise I made when I kicked that stone slab into the wall made you come running, but not the spike in my spiritual pressure? Soi-Fon, are you sure you've got your priorities straight?"

"Your surge in spiritual pressure was very controlled, so I wasn't worried," Soi-Fon replied, "It was the crashing sound that came later that caught me off guard."

"In all fairness, you're not the only one," Itachi admitted, "I didn't expect her to open the sarcophagus in such a… blunt manner."

Yoruichi grinned. "Hey, it worked, right? By the way, Soi-Fon; now that you're here do you want to help me plunder my ancestor's tomb?"

Soi-Fon's eyes widened. "What? You can't be serious!"

"Oh, I totally am," Yoruichi replied, "Come on, Soi-Fon; you didn't check the runes on the doors? I was the one that taught you to read High Andunayan script, after all; you should've had no problem recognizing my family name out there."

Soi-Fon sighed. "Sorry, Lady Yoruichi. I was focused on finding you. I didn't think the inscriptions on the doors were very important."

Yoruichi shrugged. "Well, don't worry about it. Come on, then; let's take a peek and see what we find."

Approaching the open sarcophagus with the two women, Itachi leaned over and peered inside. He wasn't surprised in the least to see a skeleton clad head-to-toe in armor, although he had to admit that the bones were preserved remarkably well. Itachi could sense the latent spirit energy in the armor, and that wasn't the only source of power in the grave.

The occupant of the sarcophagus was surrounded by all manner of weapons. The most prominent were a pair of great swords flanking the armored skeleton on either side, but they were far from the only ones. Knives, maces, axes, sickles, and much more were crammed into the grave; whoever this particular ancestor of Yoruichi's was, he'd built up quite the collection over the years.

Yoruichi whistled. "Wow. Talk about a stash!"

Soi-Fon's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Unbelievable…"

"Are all of these Spirit Weapons?" asked Itachi.

"What are your senses telling you?" Yoruichi replied with a smirk.

Concentrating on the stockpile before him, Itachi stretched out with the abilities that he'd been finetuning over the past five years. It took a few seconds, but he found the answer he was looking for.

"It seems they are," he said, "Hard to believe so many valuable weapons would be sealed away in a single grave."

Yoruichi nodded. "It's a damn waste if you ask me. I guess this guy felt otherwise."

"What do we do now?" asked Soi-Fon.

"Simple," said Yoruichi, "Start grabbing and examining. We'll sort by weapon type; knives, swords, axes, etc. The guys in Squad Twelve will owe us one for making their jobs a bit easier."

"Very well, then," said Itachi as he leaned over the open sarcophagus again, idly wondering what piece he should remove first.

After a few moments his eyes settled on a curved dagger. The blade appeared simple enough, but the hilt was made from what looked like fine silver, and numerous sapphires were embedded in it. His curiosity aroused, Itachi cautiously reached out and grabbed the weapon. As he pulled it from the grave he could feel the energy within the weapon reacting to his spirit pressure. His right arm shivered as pulses of frigid power went out from the weapon, and he was startled to actually see frost forming on the blade. That frost swiftly spread down the weapon, and Itachi felt a flicker of apprehension as it evolved into ice and rapidly approached his hand.

Soi-Fon's eyes widened in shock. "Itachi! Drop that blade!"

"No," said Yoruichi, much calmer than her bodyguard, "He can handle it."

"But Lady Yoruichi, it could kill him!" she protested.

"It won't if he handles it right," Yoruichi replied as she put her hand on Itachi's shoulder, "Itachi, hit it with your spiritual pressure. It's challenging you; you need to prove that you're worthy of it."

Itachi nodded, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the blade. "Right."